Sharp as a razor the mind cuts
through mental negativities, be it anger or fear.
Letting love bloom to transform anger
into calmness of mind, and fear into fearlessness,
the calm mind is free to remove all negativities.
Once free of the bondage of fear, I am ready to meet
any challenge with courage, tempered by love unconditional.
For it is love that provides the mind in keeping sharp.
What is calmness of the mind but love abiding?
What is fearlessness but love taming all fears?
Showing posts with label clear mind. Show all posts
Showing posts with label clear mind. Show all posts
20150107
20140803
Humble Acceptance and Authenticity (satire)
"To be beautiful
means to be yourself.
You don't need to be
accepted by others.
You need to accept yourself" — Thich Nhat Hanh
In striving for an authentic life, I realize that accepting myself as I am is the secret to humility. By being humble enough to be myself, I am empowered by unconditional love to accept myself.
By loving myself as I am, I realize that the key to self perfection is the ability to accept myself. No matter how imperfect I am, becoming perfect is a guide to a better life.
However, I do not seek to be perfect. Perhaps I am perfect by accepting myself, warts and all.
It is said that the pure mind is recovered after calming the mind until its pureness is revealed. After calming the mind through breath meditation (samatha), I am able to stay still, for there is no need to keep moving to prove that I am alive.
For I am beautiful enough to humbly accept myself as I walk on this journey called the authentic life.
Reference:
The pure mind mentioned in this article is the amala consciousness, the ninth consciousness of Yogacara Buddhism.
For details on the nine consciousnesses, see: http://operationmeditation.com/discover/levels-of-consciousness-a-buddhist-perspective/
means to be yourself.
You don't need to be
accepted by others.
You need to accept yourself" — Thich Nhat Hanh
In striving for an authentic life, I realize that accepting myself as I am is the secret to humility. By being humble enough to be myself, I am empowered by unconditional love to accept myself.
By loving myself as I am, I realize that the key to self perfection is the ability to accept myself. No matter how imperfect I am, becoming perfect is a guide to a better life.
However, I do not seek to be perfect. Perhaps I am perfect by accepting myself, warts and all.
It is said that the pure mind is recovered after calming the mind until its pureness is revealed. After calming the mind through breath meditation (samatha), I am able to stay still, for there is no need to keep moving to prove that I am alive.
For I am beautiful enough to humbly accept myself as I walk on this journey called the authentic life.
Reference:
The pure mind mentioned in this article is the amala consciousness, the ninth consciousness of Yogacara Buddhism.
For details on the nine consciousnesses, see: http://operationmeditation.com/discover/levels-of-consciousness-a-buddhist-perspective/
20140113
Television as the Root of Consumerism (satire)
"Virtually every forbidden topic imaginable has been covered on television, except for one. The last taboo on television is television itself — and how it is profoundly biased toward high consumption ways of life that the earth cannot sustain." - Duane Elgin, The Last Taboo on Television
Regarding consumerism, the media moguls of television may never admit their influence on turning the average person into the average consumer. Yet, this begins as an uninformed decision for every one of us when we first watch television.
Later, as we grow wise to the advertisement and content, we learn to consciously moderate our television viewing. Figuratively speaking, after years of television consumption, each of us decides to take a diet of selectivity where we choose what to watch.
Given the increasing number of TV channels offered to most customers by cable TV and satellite TV companies, most of the companies offer you the basic package. For Cable TV, that would be from 45 to 64 channels plus from 40 to 60 digital music channels. For satellite TV that is at least 140 digital channels, plus you may or may not be locked in for two years. The two year plan may apply to cable TV, too.
Because of its limitations, I currently do not watch any television. If all I can do is just sit back and flip channels, then the excitement soon wears thin.
Instead, I rather sit in front of my computer, checking my email, keeping with my stream on GooglePlus or writing another post on my blog. After a long spell on the computer, it's wiser to rest and delay returning to sit in front of it again.
Indeed, most days I spend about fifteen minutes in meditation and about 3 hours reading.
Very rarely does the television catch my attention.
For the mind is too precious to waste sitting in front of the TV.
Every moment spent in mindful contemplation of the world free of the influence of computer and television will free your mind.
Originally posted: August 19, 2010 05:55 AM PDT
Reference:
The Last Taboo on Television: http://education.jhu.edu/PD/newhorizons/future/articles/taboo/
Regarding consumerism, the media moguls of television may never admit their influence on turning the average person into the average consumer. Yet, this begins as an uninformed decision for every one of us when we first watch television.
Later, as we grow wise to the advertisement and content, we learn to consciously moderate our television viewing. Figuratively speaking, after years of television consumption, each of us decides to take a diet of selectivity where we choose what to watch.
Given the increasing number of TV channels offered to most customers by cable TV and satellite TV companies, most of the companies offer you the basic package. For Cable TV, that would be from 45 to 64 channels plus from 40 to 60 digital music channels. For satellite TV that is at least 140 digital channels, plus you may or may not be locked in for two years. The two year plan may apply to cable TV, too.
Because of its limitations, I currently do not watch any television. If all I can do is just sit back and flip channels, then the excitement soon wears thin.
Instead, I rather sit in front of my computer, checking my email, keeping with my stream on GooglePlus or writing another post on my blog. After a long spell on the computer, it's wiser to rest and delay returning to sit in front of it again.
Indeed, most days I spend about fifteen minutes in meditation and about 3 hours reading.
Very rarely does the television catch my attention.
For the mind is too precious to waste sitting in front of the TV.
Every moment spent in mindful contemplation of the world free of the influence of computer and television will free your mind.
Originally posted: August 19, 2010 05:55 AM PDT
Reference:
The Last Taboo on Television: http://education.jhu.edu/PD/newhorizons/future/articles/taboo/
20130310
Buddha Recitation as Mind Tool
With each breath I take, I let go of attachment, and cease constructing in my mind all conceptions detrimental to understanding the nature of reality as it is.
Thus, "I, me, mine" are pronouns that describe the person writing these words, yet this person is not attached to such words. For "I, me, mine" are empty of inherent permanent reality.
Then, being the practice to prepare the mind, Buddha Recitation is also empty of permanent reality.
Also, the desire to be reborn in the Pure Land of Bliss is impermanent.
Thus the desire for rebirth inspires me to practice Buddha Recitation, a mindful practice.
Being a mindful practice, it settles my mind and helps me to prepare for meditation.
Thus Buddha Recitation ceases to be a pervasive mental construction, and becomes one of many tools in the Buddhist's tool kit to free the mind.
For it helps me to develop the Pure Mind that is pacified by the pure heart of compassion. This compassion is reflected in the idea that when I call out to Amida, it is actually him calling to me. Realizing this, I will continue to maintain the practice of Buddha Recitation before meditation.
Buddha Recitation helps me to remember the Buddha. As Buddha Remembrance is essential to my meditation, I practice daily.
As well, having realized the importance of always maintaining happy thoughts through understanding the essence of Master Hui-Neng's advice on the topic, I endeavour to remain in the present moment.
For all of this I am grateful to Amida Buddha.
Thus, "I, me, mine" are pronouns that describe the person writing these words, yet this person is not attached to such words. For "I, me, mine" are empty of inherent permanent reality.
Then, being the practice to prepare the mind, Buddha Recitation is also empty of permanent reality.
Also, the desire to be reborn in the Pure Land of Bliss is impermanent.
Thus the desire for rebirth inspires me to practice Buddha Recitation, a mindful practice.
Being a mindful practice, it settles my mind and helps me to prepare for meditation.
Thus Buddha Recitation ceases to be a pervasive mental construction, and becomes one of many tools in the Buddhist's tool kit to free the mind.
For it helps me to develop the Pure Mind that is pacified by the pure heart of compassion. This compassion is reflected in the idea that when I call out to Amida, it is actually him calling to me. Realizing this, I will continue to maintain the practice of Buddha Recitation before meditation.
Buddha Recitation helps me to remember the Buddha. As Buddha Remembrance is essential to my meditation, I practice daily.
As well, having realized the importance of always maintaining happy thoughts through understanding the essence of Master Hui-Neng's advice on the topic, I endeavour to remain in the present moment.
For all of this I am grateful to Amida Buddha.
Shunyata (poem)
Shunyata is Emptiness.
In the Western definition,
"Emptiness" seems sad and lonely,
yet, as the Buddhist term,
Emptiness is found in creating
happy thoughts to help
learn from the past,
and look forward to tomorrow,
because anything is possible.
Shunyata is when the disciple
understands with his very being
that all phenomena is
empty of inherent existence.
Shunyata is openness.
Openness suggests open-mindedness,
and the potential of becoming Buddha.
All the disciple is required
to do is to practice
the two-fold meditation
of shamatha-vipassana,
the meditation of the calm mind
and insight meditation
Shunyata is when the disciple
first meditates to calm his mind,
and when his mind is clear,
seeks insight by just sitting.
Shunyata is thusness,
tathata, suchness, Dharmata.
When Gautama became the Buddha,
he referred to himself as Tathagata,
the one who arrives at suchness,
the appreciation of the true nature of reality,
and is liberated from Samsara,
this world of birth-life-death.
For shunyata is the seat of nirvana.
Shunyata is when the disciple, inspired by
the Four Noble Truths, understands Dependent Origination,
and is determined to achieve Buddhahood and
aspires to rescue all sentient beings as Bodhisattva.
Reference:
Shunyata: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%9A%C5%ABnyat%C4%81
In the Western definition,
"Emptiness" seems sad and lonely,
yet, as the Buddhist term,
Emptiness is found in creating
happy thoughts to help
learn from the past,
and look forward to tomorrow,
because anything is possible.
Shunyata is when the disciple
understands with his very being
that all phenomena is
empty of inherent existence.
Shunyata is openness.
Openness suggests open-mindedness,
and the potential of becoming Buddha.
All the disciple is required
to do is to practice
the two-fold meditation
of shamatha-vipassana,
the meditation of the calm mind
and insight meditation
Shunyata is when the disciple
first meditates to calm his mind,
and when his mind is clear,
seeks insight by just sitting.
Shunyata is thusness,
tathata, suchness, Dharmata.
When Gautama became the Buddha,
he referred to himself as Tathagata,
the one who arrives at suchness,
the appreciation of the true nature of reality,
and is liberated from Samsara,
this world of birth-life-death.
For shunyata is the seat of nirvana.
Shunyata is when the disciple, inspired by
the Four Noble Truths, understands Dependent Origination,
and is determined to achieve Buddhahood and
aspires to rescue all sentient beings as Bodhisattva.
Reference:
Shunyata: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%9A%C5%ABnyat%C4%81
20130308
My Thoughts on Meditation
During meditation, I breathe from the abdomen. This works for both the sitting and walking forms of meditation.
In time my mind becomes calm, as I practice deep breathing. After five minutes or ten minutes, I stop meditating.
After over twenty years of meditation, the deep breathing part of meditation are a reflex to me. It may be practice at home, while walking, and even when riding on the bus.
While at home I do practice meditation, on the road it is possible to practice the physical form of meditation.
In time my mind becomes calm, as I practice deep breathing. After five minutes or ten minutes, I stop meditating.
After over twenty years of meditation, the deep breathing part of meditation are a reflex to me. It may be practice at home, while walking, and even when riding on the bus.
While at home I do practice meditation, on the road it is possible to practice the physical form of meditation.
20130304
Enlightenment is Always With Us
From birth until death, the potential of Enlightenment is present within all sentient beings as Buddha Nature.
During life, mental and physical negativities arise as afflictions to distract us from it, due to the ego's grasping onto the illusion of permanence.
These negativities leads to suffering due to the Five Poisons of desirous attachment, aversive anger, and delusive ignorance, and their daughters, pride born out of ignorance and desire, and jealousy arising attachment and aggression.
The Five Poisons are the destructive emotions.
Through meditation and mindful practice of wisdom, the charitable acts of kindness to help, and the loving sacrifice in service to other sentient beings aid in satisfying the ego, pacifying it.
Once the ego is pacified, the mental and physical negativities are replaced with the antidotes of love, compassion and insight,which are strengthened through practice and training.
Buddha Nature represents the essential nature of the mind, which is pure and undefiled by the destructive emotions.
When joy comes easily, and the mind is easily calmed through meditation, the antidotes have succeeded in curing it of the Five Poisons.
For that joy arises due to Buddha Nature, the seed of Enlightenment itself.
Thus Enlightenment is always with us, like the pure white light of freedom.
References:
The Gandavyuha Sutra: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avatamsaka_Sutra#The_Gandavyuha_Sutra
Five poisons:
During life, mental and physical negativities arise as afflictions to distract us from it, due to the ego's grasping onto the illusion of permanence.
These negativities leads to suffering due to the Five Poisons of desirous attachment, aversive anger, and delusive ignorance, and their daughters, pride born out of ignorance and desire, and jealousy arising attachment and aggression.
The Five Poisons are the destructive emotions.
Through meditation and mindful practice of wisdom, the charitable acts of kindness to help, and the loving sacrifice in service to other sentient beings aid in satisfying the ego, pacifying it.
Once the ego is pacified, the mental and physical negativities are replaced with the antidotes of love, compassion and insight,which are strengthened through practice and training.
Buddha Nature represents the essential nature of the mind, which is pure and undefiled by the destructive emotions.
When joy comes easily, and the mind is easily calmed through meditation, the antidotes have succeeded in curing it of the Five Poisons.
For that joy arises due to Buddha Nature, the seed of Enlightenment itself.
Thus Enlightenment is always with us, like the pure white light of freedom.
References:
The Gandavyuha Sutra: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avatamsaka_Sutra#The_Gandavyuha_Sutra
Five poisons:
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kleshas_%28Buddhism%29#Five_poisons
- http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Five_poisons
wli>http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Disturbing_emotions
20130217
Be Mindful of Your Mind! (poem)
Be mindful of your mind in your daily practice.
With all sincerity, serenity is what you find
When breath leads to the single-mindedness
Of samadhi so pure that Nirvana is but
A heartbeat away from a walk in the Buddha Field
leading towards bliss and the non-abiding Nirvana.
With all sincerity, serenity is what you find
When breath leads to the single-mindedness
Of samadhi so pure that Nirvana is but
A heartbeat away from a walk in the Buddha Field
leading towards bliss and the non-abiding Nirvana.
20130212
The Four Worths (poem)
This world is worth not clinging to,
So this mind is empty of clinging.
Let forty-nine repetitions of Nembutsu
burn away all evil karma, and
create great karma to fruit in
the Buddha World called Sukhavati.
This life is worth keeping.
This heart beats due to body nature,
But Buddha Nature is freely shared
by 102 Buddhas, of which Amitabha
is the most compassionate and wise!
For he calls to all from the Pure Land!
This Teaching is worth learning.
All the willing need to do is listen,
Not only with the ears but with the heart!
Only then is the seed of Buddha Nature
planted in the heart of each Buddhist.
With mindful practice, it becomes Self Nature.
This universe is worth knowing,
And it all becomes evident from
years of meditation and Buddha Recitation
that this old fool is neither Enlightened
nor has he ever entered into Samadhi.
However, the refund I shall get is the Pure Land!
So this mind is empty of clinging.
Let forty-nine repetitions of Nembutsu
burn away all evil karma, and
create great karma to fruit in
the Buddha World called Sukhavati.
This life is worth keeping.
This heart beats due to body nature,
But Buddha Nature is freely shared
by 102 Buddhas, of which Amitabha
is the most compassionate and wise!
For he calls to all from the Pure Land!
This Teaching is worth learning.
All the willing need to do is listen,
Not only with the ears but with the heart!
Only then is the seed of Buddha Nature
planted in the heart of each Buddhist.
With mindful practice, it becomes Self Nature.
This universe is worth knowing,
And it all becomes evident from
years of meditation and Buddha Recitation
that this old fool is neither Enlightened
nor has he ever entered into Samadhi.
However, the refund I shall get is the Pure Land!
20130206
Everyone Has Buddha Nature
Since the Buddha said
everyone has Buddha Nature,
this old fool believes that
he has Buddha Nature.
Even though his efforts
have yet to blossom,
waiting has taught him patience.
When deep in meditation,
counting each and every breath,
this old fool soon loses count.
All that is left is to
breathe in darkness,
and breath out light,
until his mind is clear.
Then, in a moment of clarity,
his mind stops wandering,
and his focus is on
thse six syllables:
Namu Amida Butsu!
Homage to Boundless Light!
everyone has Buddha Nature,
this old fool believes that
he has Buddha Nature.
Even though his efforts
have yet to blossom,
waiting has taught him patience.
When deep in meditation,
counting each and every breath,
this old fool soon loses count.
All that is left is to
breathe in darkness,
and breath out light,
until his mind is clear.
Then, in a moment of clarity,
his mind stops wandering,
and his focus is on
thse six syllables:
Namu Amida Butsu!
Homage to Boundless Light!
20130123
Peace Exists (poem)
Peace exists as it is, without clinging.
He who understands stands free. He who places it within remains calm before danger.
Yet he who yearns for peace without clinging causes his heart to be at one with his mind.
Polish the diamond mind, and the heartmind sees with clarity that peace is the natural state of the mind.
He who understands stands free. He who places it within remains calm before danger.
Yet he who yearns for peace without clinging causes his heart to be at one with his mind.
Polish the diamond mind, and the heartmind sees with clarity that peace is the natural state of the mind.
20130114
Overcoming the Death of Reason
In this article, I plan to discuss the apparent death of reason in people who value their emotions and feelings over rational thought. Within context of this article, I also will access and display my personal experience to support my opinion that meditation is very useful for integrating rational thought with the emotions and feelings that we have. By integrating reason with feelings, it is possible to maintain emotional control without losing it. All it begins with is one breath...
Throughout my life, I have found the death of reason to be interesting because of the social repercussions. When a person has an emotional reaction, it appears as though all reason has left him. If I respond with logic and reason to his emotional response, he insists of staying angry and excited. Thus, it's wise to walk away from a person who is killing his ability to reason by remaining in a state of extreme excitement.
While walking away sounds cowardly, it is actually the safest thing to do when a person is overcome by their emotions. For misery loves the company of dreadfully depressing states of mind. Every year, most people suffer because they actually value their feelings over their ability to reason. When they think about it, their solidify their feelings into emotions, and thus hijack their ability to reason in a holistic manner which could greatly improve not only their life but also their mind.
When I was a child, I lacked the ability to coherently apply reason to cool my anger, moderate dislike, and handle my fears. A good example which comes to mind was my fear of caterpillars. I remember one day disturbing a bunch of caterpillars on a bush which reacted to disturbing their meal but rising up on their hind legs and waving their bodies. It was only years later, when I learned that caterpillars do this to scare off predators. In my child's mind, it was not normal for small bugs to move like that.
So when a few years later, when my brother pushed me into a bush, I freaked out. While I am unsure of what exactly I'd exclaimed, it might go like this: "Ahhh, the caterpillars are gonna eat me! Augh!!!" In response to my behavior, my brother could only laugh. If I had snapped out of it at this point, I would have slugged him on the arm, telling him "don't laugh at me!"
However, I am an adult now, and the above scene brings a smile of amusement to my face. For the reasonal mind I possess has lost most of the ready ability to emotional respond to a situation. When I do respond, it's of amusement rather than the appropriate emotion that is expected in a given situation. Yet this annoys people who expect consistency to match the appropriate emotion in a given scenario.
However, I have also learned to not react strongly to any given emotion. Even though I might feel fear in my heart, my mind is saying one thing: "I fear no evil."
How is this possible? Well, I have a secret weapon to maintain impulse control, which is nedded in today's fast-paced world. It is called meditation. Ancients have called it the true form of mind control, thus implying that brainwashing and other forms of mind control are myths of the modern age which show that the fear of being controlled by other people is a human fear.
However, I digress.
How does meditation lead to control of my mind? It begins with the breath, and ends when you mind is calm, so calm you can see with the clarity of reason that allowing your emotions to cloud your reason, it's as though you lose all ability to reason.
Who wants that in the real world? It makes you look immature when you get angry and rage just because the coffee is too hot. It is safer to wait until you think the coffee is cool enough to drink, or even better, blow on the surface of the drink before drinking. In doing so, you actually perform a shortened version of meditation. Usually the result of taking time to slowly drink coffee is the lack of burns in your mouth and on your lips. You also save your esophagus.
Thus, it's possible with meditation on a large scale to save your life from the death of reason.
Meditation is not about sitting on your ass and staring at your navel. If you want to do this more effectively, buy a wall mirror and sit in front of it. Seriously though, meditation is more than just sitting. It is not a navel-gazing, but it is the mind gazing at the monkey and throwing it bananas to slow its dance.
How then does meditation save your life? Well, when reason trumps emotions, you tend to think more clearly. Believe me when I say meditation leads to the calm mind of reason and promote the clarity of mind that can kill emotions' destructive rampage in the mind. It can also lead to quicker and more reasonable responses to danger than to jump up in a movie theatre crying "Fire."
So the next time you feel like doing just that, don't panic. Instead, take a deep breath and see if you can smell smoke.
Throughout my life, I have found the death of reason to be interesting because of the social repercussions. When a person has an emotional reaction, it appears as though all reason has left him. If I respond with logic and reason to his emotional response, he insists of staying angry and excited. Thus, it's wise to walk away from a person who is killing his ability to reason by remaining in a state of extreme excitement.
While walking away sounds cowardly, it is actually the safest thing to do when a person is overcome by their emotions. For misery loves the company of dreadfully depressing states of mind. Every year, most people suffer because they actually value their feelings over their ability to reason. When they think about it, their solidify their feelings into emotions, and thus hijack their ability to reason in a holistic manner which could greatly improve not only their life but also their mind.
When I was a child, I lacked the ability to coherently apply reason to cool my anger, moderate dislike, and handle my fears. A good example which comes to mind was my fear of caterpillars. I remember one day disturbing a bunch of caterpillars on a bush which reacted to disturbing their meal but rising up on their hind legs and waving their bodies. It was only years later, when I learned that caterpillars do this to scare off predators. In my child's mind, it was not normal for small bugs to move like that.
So when a few years later, when my brother pushed me into a bush, I freaked out. While I am unsure of what exactly I'd exclaimed, it might go like this: "Ahhh, the caterpillars are gonna eat me! Augh!!!" In response to my behavior, my brother could only laugh. If I had snapped out of it at this point, I would have slugged him on the arm, telling him "don't laugh at me!"
However, I am an adult now, and the above scene brings a smile of amusement to my face. For the reasonal mind I possess has lost most of the ready ability to emotional respond to a situation. When I do respond, it's of amusement rather than the appropriate emotion that is expected in a given situation. Yet this annoys people who expect consistency to match the appropriate emotion in a given scenario.
However, I have also learned to not react strongly to any given emotion. Even though I might feel fear in my heart, my mind is saying one thing: "I fear no evil."
How is this possible? Well, I have a secret weapon to maintain impulse control, which is nedded in today's fast-paced world. It is called meditation. Ancients have called it the true form of mind control, thus implying that brainwashing and other forms of mind control are myths of the modern age which show that the fear of being controlled by other people is a human fear.
However, I digress.
How does meditation lead to control of my mind? It begins with the breath, and ends when you mind is calm, so calm you can see with the clarity of reason that allowing your emotions to cloud your reason, it's as though you lose all ability to reason.
Who wants that in the real world? It makes you look immature when you get angry and rage just because the coffee is too hot. It is safer to wait until you think the coffee is cool enough to drink, or even better, blow on the surface of the drink before drinking. In doing so, you actually perform a shortened version of meditation. Usually the result of taking time to slowly drink coffee is the lack of burns in your mouth and on your lips. You also save your esophagus.
Thus, it's possible with meditation on a large scale to save your life from the death of reason.
Meditation is not about sitting on your ass and staring at your navel. If you want to do this more effectively, buy a wall mirror and sit in front of it. Seriously though, meditation is more than just sitting. It is not a navel-gazing, but it is the mind gazing at the monkey and throwing it bananas to slow its dance.
How then does meditation save your life? Well, when reason trumps emotions, you tend to think more clearly. Believe me when I say meditation leads to the calm mind of reason and promote the clarity of mind that can kill emotions' destructive rampage in the mind. It can also lead to quicker and more reasonable responses to danger than to jump up in a movie theatre crying "Fire."
So the next time you feel like doing just that, don't panic. Instead, take a deep breath and see if you can smell smoke.
20110825
Stereotypes in Buddhism: Karma, Reincarnation and Meditation
"Stereotyping" in Buddhism happens when one considers all the types of creatures to be reborn as, yet feels that being born human is the ideal rebirth.
Of course, that's for Buddhists who believe in reincarnation, mainly Tibetan Buddhists.
The stereotype in this case is the Western interpretation of reincarnation.
From the Christian view, reincarnation is explained as "the work of the devil". The reincarnated persona is considered to be a "daemon" out to fool people.
That's stereotyping in its dark form.
From the Eastern view, the reincarnated persona is "real", and it's best accept the person who claims to be a reincarnation of a deceased person.
For some, reincarnation may be considered as the result of a wish to live on beyond one's lifespan.
In traditional Buddhism it is the fruit of one's actions which get passed on to later generations.
Thus reincarnation is in conflict with the concept of "no-self" i.e. that the self is impermanent and does not exist after death.
One stereotype that comes to mind at this point regards meditation, which is stereotyped as "sitting while thinking about nothing, & doing nothing".
Sometimes meditation is even discounted as a "non-productive way of spending one's quiet time".
Overall, meditation promotes clarity of thought which leads to deeper insights about life.
It can be done anywhere, and be useful to anyone, precisely because it promotes calm and peace, the essence of serenity.
After long and careful thought it may be possible to see that reincarnation is not about a permanent soul existing after death, but about the effects of a person's spiritual actions after her death.
These effects are known as karma.
And it is up to each of us to act in such a manner as to overcome our anxieties about karma and reincarnation through meditation.
Of course, that's for Buddhists who believe in reincarnation, mainly Tibetan Buddhists.
The stereotype in this case is the Western interpretation of reincarnation.
From the Christian view, reincarnation is explained as "the work of the devil". The reincarnated persona is considered to be a "daemon" out to fool people.
That's stereotyping in its dark form.
From the Eastern view, the reincarnated persona is "real", and it's best accept the person who claims to be a reincarnation of a deceased person.
For some, reincarnation may be considered as the result of a wish to live on beyond one's lifespan.
In traditional Buddhism it is the fruit of one's actions which get passed on to later generations.
Thus reincarnation is in conflict with the concept of "no-self" i.e. that the self is impermanent and does not exist after death.
One stereotype that comes to mind at this point regards meditation, which is stereotyped as "sitting while thinking about nothing, & doing nothing".
Sometimes meditation is even discounted as a "non-productive way of spending one's quiet time".
Overall, meditation promotes clarity of thought which leads to deeper insights about life.
It can be done anywhere, and be useful to anyone, precisely because it promotes calm and peace, the essence of serenity.
After long and careful thought it may be possible to see that reincarnation is not about a permanent soul existing after death, but about the effects of a person's spiritual actions after her death.
These effects are known as karma.
And it is up to each of us to act in such a manner as to overcome our anxieties about karma and reincarnation through meditation.
20110728
A Worthy Struggle for Life as It is (poem)
Sometimes I make the mistake in
trying to live life as it should be,
only to realize the misery
that causes me and the people
who matter most in my life.
Sometimes it gets me down.
It's not others who get me down
as much as I get myself
stuck in the chains of my undoing.
Be it habit of mind or tendencies,
my behavior is in my hands,
though sometimes I regress.
Yet I can bounce right back
when the heartache has gone away -
all it takes is the willingness
to accept what cannot be changed
with a peaceful heart and clear mind,
and gracefully carry on.
Bravely do I carry on, accepting
what I am responsible for.
Living day by day helps me
to keep focused on the task:
to live my life as I see fit -
a worthy struggle for life as it is.
trying to live life as it should be,
only to realize the misery
that causes me and the people
who matter most in my life.
Sometimes it gets me down.
It's not others who get me down
as much as I get myself
stuck in the chains of my undoing.
Be it habit of mind or tendencies,
my behavior is in my hands,
though sometimes I regress.
Yet I can bounce right back
when the heartache has gone away -
all it takes is the willingness
to accept what cannot be changed
with a peaceful heart and clear mind,
and gracefully carry on.
Bravely do I carry on, accepting
what I am responsible for.
Living day by day helps me
to keep focused on the task:
to live my life as I see fit -
a worthy struggle for life as it is.
20110624
Just watching (poem)
I have no need for words.
All that is needed is to watch
each moment with clarity.
All that is needed is to watch
each moment with clarity.
20110529
Living an Authentic Life
My either/or does not in the first instance denote the choice between good and evil; it denotes the choice whereby one chooses good and evil or excludes them — Soren Kierkegaard
This quote has to do with living an authentic self.
It has to do with the choice of adding spirituality to one's life, of maintaining the balance between the secular life and the spiritual life.
For me, this consists of being open-minded about my spiritual life.
In Buddhism, no one is born in sin. That concept of good and evil does not exist for Buddhists. At heart, all people are born intrinsically good.
Living life just leads to behavioral and mental negativities (cognitive distortions) beclouding the mind to its original nature.
Meditation helps to uncloud the mind, making it as clear as a pool of water.
Once the mind is clear, it is possible to recover the original nature of the mind, which is Buddha Nature.
How does Buddha Nature help with living an authentic life for me? By keeping me open-minded.
Reference:
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/traversing-the-inner-terrain/201105/authenticity-good-or-evil
This quote has to do with living an authentic self.
It has to do with the choice of adding spirituality to one's life, of maintaining the balance between the secular life and the spiritual life.
For me, this consists of being open-minded about my spiritual life.
In Buddhism, no one is born in sin. That concept of good and evil does not exist for Buddhists. At heart, all people are born intrinsically good.
Living life just leads to behavioral and mental negativities (cognitive distortions) beclouding the mind to its original nature.
Meditation helps to uncloud the mind, making it as clear as a pool of water.
Once the mind is clear, it is possible to recover the original nature of the mind, which is Buddha Nature.
How does Buddha Nature help with living an authentic life for me? By keeping me open-minded.
Reference:
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/traversing-the-inner-terrain/201105/authenticity-good-or-evil
20110521
Amida Buddha not a god
Amida Buddha is a principle, like universal love, not a god.
For most followers of Jodo Shinshu, Amida represents compassion, which is the essence of the active form of universal love known as loving-kindness, and wisdom, which is the essence of the mind perfected through meditation.
Just as the moon reflects the light of the sun, Amida points to the Buddha.
Buddhists do not worship the Buddha like a god. There is no idol worship in a Buddhist temple, for the objects of worship are symbols of reverence.
Through meditation, the quiet contemplation on compassion and silent reflection on loving-kindness helps the mind to understand the principle of compassion in daily life.
This understanding is known as wisdom.
When I meditate, I reflect on that love which represents compassion and wisdom in its purest form.
Meditation is like prayer in silence to reach our divine nature.
Indeed, meditation helps to calm the mind, to achieve clarity of mind.
For a clear mind is able to develop clear insights about the nature of suffering and how to relieve that suffering in daily life.
Jodo Shinshu objects of reverence: http://www.moiliilihongwanji.org/object_of_reverence-amida_buddha.htm
Buddhism is not idol worship:
Meditation like prayer in silence to reach our divine nature: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lewis-richmond/do-buddhists-believe-in-g_b_859658.html
20110510
A Secret Treasure (Poem)
Because the wall has ears,
I will hide what I feel.
Because the world can see what I do,
I will act appropriately.
Because God knows my heart,
I am only honest with Him.
Yet I'm told I have to say aloud
what I share with God -
though my voice is soft,
and raising it is against my ways.
So I am hiding a secret treasure,
that no one sees or hears...
Compassion, humility, loving-kindness, mercy...
they are but reflections
of the mind of serenity
that quiet meditation brings to me,
this complex, imperfect person
who has opened his heart to God.
I will hide what I feel.
Because the world can see what I do,
I will act appropriately.
Because God knows my heart,
I am only honest with Him.
Yet I'm told I have to say aloud
what I share with God -
though my voice is soft,
and raising it is against my ways.
So I am hiding a secret treasure,
that no one sees or hears...
Compassion, humility, loving-kindness, mercy...
they are but reflections
of the mind of serenity
that quiet meditation brings to me,
this complex, imperfect person
who has opened his heart to God.
20110305
This Body Be Weak Though This Heart Be Willing
I am, yet am limited
By this old body;
yet this mind is all I know —
Ah, but still I reach
for the stars with mortal arms!
By this old body;
yet this mind is all I know —
Ah, but still I reach
for the stars with mortal arms!
20101209
Killing Ants: The Art of Positive Thinking
At a picnic, ants are usually the bane of enjoying quality time with family.
Yet, in their mundane lives, people often are stuck with ants of a different sort, the behavioral and mental negativities which constitute the negative mind.
ANT is an acronym coined by Doctor Daniel G. Amen in his book, Change Your Brain, Change Your Life. It stands for automatic negative thinking.
Such thinking is evidence of an overactive deep limbic system, which lies in the centre of the brain. The deep limbic system consists of the thalamic structures, and hypothalamus, and the immediate surrounding structures.
Functions of The Deep Limbic System
Don't believe anything you hear &mdash especially in your mind!
You can do whatever you set your mind to do. Just remember to hang around positive people.
By taking personal responsibility for your problems, you are owning the right to a better life for yourself.
Yet, in their mundane lives, people often are stuck with ants of a different sort, the behavioral and mental negativities which constitute the negative mind.
ANT is an acronym coined by Doctor Daniel G. Amen in his book, Change Your Brain, Change Your Life. It stands for automatic negative thinking.
Such thinking is evidence of an overactive deep limbic system, which lies in the centre of the brain. The deep limbic system consists of the thalamic structures, and hypothalamus, and the immediate surrounding structures.
Functions of The Deep Limbic System
- sets the emotional tone of the mind
- filters external events through internal states (creates emotional cooling)
- tags events as internally important
- stores highly charged emotional memories
- modulates motivation
- controls appetite and sleep cycles
- promotes bonding
- directly processes the sense of smell
- modulates libido
- "Always/never" thinking: thinking in words like always, never, no one, everyone, every time, everything. If you catch yourself thinking these absolutes, stop and think of examples that disprove your all-or-nothing attitude.
- Focusing on the negative: seeing only the bad in a situation. The purpose of finding the positive in your life is to give your life more balance and optimism to a world you too often consider negative.
- Fortune-telling: predicting the worst possible outcome to a situation. Remind yourself that if you could see the future, you'd be a lottery millionaire by now.
- Mind-reading: believing that you know what others are thinking, even though they haven't told you. When there are things you don't understand, ask about them to clarify them. Avoid mind-reading at all costs because of their infectious nature.
- Thinking with your feelings (emotional reasoning): believing negative feelings without ever questioning them. Whenever you have a strong negative feeling, check it out. Look for the evidence behind the feeling. Do you have real reasons for feeling that way? Or are your feelings based on events or things form the past? What is true, and what is just a feeling?
- Guilt beating: thinking in words like should, must, ought, or have to. It's better to replace "guilt beatings" with phrases like "I want to do..." So, in the above examples, it'd be more helpful to change those phrases to "I want to live my life the way I want", "I want to act in a way that is positive", "I want you to treat me better", and "I want us to get this done". Guilt isn't productive. Get rid of this unnecessary emotional turbulence that holds you back from achieving the goals you want.
- Labelling: attaching a negative label to yourself or to someone else. Negative labels are very harmful, because whenever you call yourself or someone else a jerk or arrogant, you lump that person in your mind with all of the "jerks" or "arrogant people" that you've ever known and you become unable to deal with him reasonably as a unique individual. Avoid negative labels.
- Personalizing: investing innocuous events with personal meaning. There are many other reasons for others' behavior besides the negative explanations a dysfunctional limbic system picks out. E.g. the supervisor may not have called because he found other coworkers to work a shift, lack of sites to people, or called in sick. Since you'll never fully know why people do what they do, it is best not to personalize the behavior of others.
- Blaming: blaming someone else for your own problems. Whenever you blame someone else for the problems in your life, you become powerless to change anything. The "blame game" hurts your personal sense of power. Stay away from blaming thoughts. You have to take personal responsibility for your problems before you can hope to change them.
Don't believe anything you hear &mdash especially in your mind!
You can do whatever you set your mind to do. Just remember to hang around positive people.
By taking personal responsibility for your problems, you are owning the right to a better life for yourself.
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