Divine Wealth: "Fearlessness (Abhayam):Among the Divine qualities, Fearlessness stands foremost. Fear is an effect of ignorance. Identification with the body causes fear. Blind attachment to the body, wife, children, house, property etc. is the cause of fear.The sage who has realised the Self is absolutely fearless.
'He who knows the Bliss of Brahman (God) from which words as well as mind turn powerless, fears nothing.' -Taittiriya Upanishad
Fear can be removed by constant thinking of the immortal and all-blissful nature of the Self. If you lead a life of honesty and truthfulness, if you devoutly observe the precepts of the scriptures without doubting, if you lead a life of right conduct, and if you remember God always, you will become fearless."
It is through worship that the mind is focused on good that results from such devotion.
One becomes open-minded and one's heart is softened until a tiny raw edge of fearlessness appears to devour any fears you have. Fearlessness is ravenous in its pursuit of fear, because fear pollutes the stillness of the mind, and prevents the mind from hearing the voice of God.
Once fear is no more, fearlessness moderates bravery by leading one to be hypervigilant against even one thought of cowardice, which is the fear that wants you to retreat from a challenge because you feel unworthy of meeting it.
In having met your challenges, you uncover divine wealth which is worth more than gold itself. For the diamond mind which arises spontaneously due to meditation shines brilliantly and is the result of facing all challenges in life fearlessly.
Even if you are not a Buddhist or a Hindu, then the wealth uncovered by the diamond mind will never fade away as long as you practice meditation.
Such is divine wealth, lasting longer than all riches and material possession. She who realizes its true value early in life shall live a long life!
Originally written February 29, 2004 8:17 PM
Showing posts with label delusion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label delusion. Show all posts
20131225
20131209
Being Stoned, Drunk, High or Psychotic
Being stoned while seeking the Divine is like being caught in religious ecstasy where one is in awe of the realization that
we are just a tiny insignificant part of the cosmos,
all the usual trials in life cannot remove that wondrous moment of awe found in that almost spiritual higher state of mind called "divine madness", and
merrily laugh away all our trouble before that madness quickly fades and is forever forgotten when a tiny voice suddenly cries, "I'm hungry! Let's go eat!!"
Although our physical hunger is barely satisfied while moved by such madness, the origins of that hunger is spiritual, and motivates the sublimation of the libido, which is the root of all human creation. Only with unconditional love are we able to better appreciate this madness, whether its genesis is due to intoxicants or our physical condition. With respect of love's power to transform such madness into that sense of awe of the divine, we seldom fall prey to fear. Once fear is appeased, it no longer perverts our memory of the very first time we were transformed by the state of unity with the Divine itself, be it God or the Absolute Body of the Cosmic Buddha. Thus is being at one with the Divine, be it through madness or religious ecstasy, a vital part of the human condition. For all of us who are born human are especially privileged to don this form and play out our roles in the human realm. "Rare is it to be born a human being and even rarer to have heard the message of the Buddha."
Originally posted: May 26, 2010 at 7:08 PM
20130319
The Root of All Evil
Those people who question basic goodness of people, yet are willing to assume all people are essential bad, see the cup as half empty i.e. wallow in their ignorant delusion called Ego.
It is egocentricity that blinds each of us to the goodness of other people. At the same time, the Ego arises due the lie that essentially all people are bad.
How then do we "cure" ourselves of seeing the cup as half-empty?
It cannot be done through intellectualizing a solution as that is merely the Ego's doing.
Instead the Ego must be pacified through love and patience, lest it wield anger to confuse each of us.
For anger is the root of chaos and confusion, and also death and destruction. Indeed, nothing can be accomplished while the mind is beclouded by anger. Any action done in anger will simply be forgotten, and each of us would have to search for the cause, which is merely the Ego vainly grasping, forming attachment to worldliness, rather than rising above it.
Though this be loathe to the religious, the Ego holds itself as God, not the person. When a person sees only evil in other people, that is a reflection of its own inherent evil. For no good thing comes from the action of the Ego.
Am I suggesting the Ego is "satanic"? No, not in the sense of Christian, Muslim or Jewish moralities.
For the Ego is free of "good and evil" yet each of us has the potential for great good or great evil.
Indeed, what we create may be deemed good if we benefit from such action, and evil, if we are consumed by the Five Poisons.
As well, the Ego is neutral throughout such actions, due to the subtle effects of the Seventh Consciousness. Thus it is innocent of evil karma, even though some of the actions of egocentric people may lead to worldliness rather than the Middle Way.
Anger/fear is the worst of the Five Poisons, and from it are derived the other four (attachment/desire, ignorance/delusion, pride, jealousy).
Anger is the root of anxiety with fear its companion. For what is done in anger is due to fear of non-existence of the Ego. Thus anger and fear are what drives a person to commit crimes and even murder.
Attachment/desire is the root of clinging to this world of birth-life-death, because it is based on the illusion of permanence i.e. the reified form of Ego known as the "soul", which is a hallucination about eternal life and immortality, both of which are superstitions.
Both attachment and desire leads to the carnal life of worldliness. It also motivates decadent hedonism, and thus promotes sloth and torpor when the Ego is not driving a person to live a hectic, fast-paced life which is unnatural.
In society today, productivity is deemed good or bad, based on the quickness to produce a marketable commodity. This commodity must be free of religion, and imbued with the essence of secularism. As well, it must have a short shelf-life. Otherwise, profits are lost when a product is long-lasting.
Ignorance and delusion are the root of the Ego's existence. As long as we remain ignorant of the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Noble Path of the Fourth Noble Truth, we are "free" to become worldly yet become fearful of loss of wealth to the point of risking our lives just to accumulate consumer goods.
Pride is cause of the Ego's downfall. When everything is "me, mine, and I", that's due to pride. For a person filled with pride becomes a braggart, and in vain tries to make himself look good at the expense of others. A wise person would cure himself of pride by developing humility not only because it serves the greater good, but because by serving the good all sentient being by being humble, we generate compassion.
As for jealousy, that is the doing of the Ego, which leads one to fear sharing the limelight with other sentient beings For those of us who has not learn to control jealousy, everyone else is her rival. As well, jealousy unchecked may lead to much evil, including the willingness to harm a rival.
It is as though all the Five Poisons dance around the Ego, as though in worship of it. In actual fact, the Ego never existed in the first place!
For the Ego does not really exist. All that exists is the conception of the Ego. In its most evil incarnation, it is called the soul, and the Buddhist principle of non-self helps the disciple to see the soul as a figment of the imagination and as a reified mirror image of the Ego.
Since the Ego does not exist, so too the soul does not exist. To believe in the soul, one would have to call Buddhism a fiction. Yet all of the Buddhist sutras confirm that Sakyamuni Buddha lived over 2500 years ago.
For it is the Buddha who declared that belief in a permanent soul that reincarnates is tantamount to the root of evil.
Why? Because it leads to suffering.
If the disciple wishes to be free of suffering, then the Eightfold Noble path is the cure.
For the Eightfold Path is the way out of suffering, and relieves the disciple of mental unrest for good.
All it begins is with taking one breath...
It is egocentricity that blinds each of us to the goodness of other people. At the same time, the Ego arises due the lie that essentially all people are bad.
How then do we "cure" ourselves of seeing the cup as half-empty?
It cannot be done through intellectualizing a solution as that is merely the Ego's doing.
Instead the Ego must be pacified through love and patience, lest it wield anger to confuse each of us.
For anger is the root of chaos and confusion, and also death and destruction. Indeed, nothing can be accomplished while the mind is beclouded by anger. Any action done in anger will simply be forgotten, and each of us would have to search for the cause, which is merely the Ego vainly grasping, forming attachment to worldliness, rather than rising above it.
Though this be loathe to the religious, the Ego holds itself as God, not the person. When a person sees only evil in other people, that is a reflection of its own inherent evil. For no good thing comes from the action of the Ego.
Am I suggesting the Ego is "satanic"? No, not in the sense of Christian, Muslim or Jewish moralities.
For the Ego is free of "good and evil" yet each of us has the potential for great good or great evil.
Indeed, what we create may be deemed good if we benefit from such action, and evil, if we are consumed by the Five Poisons.
As well, the Ego is neutral throughout such actions, due to the subtle effects of the Seventh Consciousness. Thus it is innocent of evil karma, even though some of the actions of egocentric people may lead to worldliness rather than the Middle Way.
Anger/fear is the worst of the Five Poisons, and from it are derived the other four (attachment/desire, ignorance/delusion, pride, jealousy).
Anger is the root of anxiety with fear its companion. For what is done in anger is due to fear of non-existence of the Ego. Thus anger and fear are what drives a person to commit crimes and even murder.
Attachment/desire is the root of clinging to this world of birth-life-death, because it is based on the illusion of permanence i.e. the reified form of Ego known as the "soul", which is a hallucination about eternal life and immortality, both of which are superstitions.
Both attachment and desire leads to the carnal life of worldliness. It also motivates decadent hedonism, and thus promotes sloth and torpor when the Ego is not driving a person to live a hectic, fast-paced life which is unnatural.
In society today, productivity is deemed good or bad, based on the quickness to produce a marketable commodity. This commodity must be free of religion, and imbued with the essence of secularism. As well, it must have a short shelf-life. Otherwise, profits are lost when a product is long-lasting.
Ignorance and delusion are the root of the Ego's existence. As long as we remain ignorant of the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Noble Path of the Fourth Noble Truth, we are "free" to become worldly yet become fearful of loss of wealth to the point of risking our lives just to accumulate consumer goods.
Pride is cause of the Ego's downfall. When everything is "me, mine, and I", that's due to pride. For a person filled with pride becomes a braggart, and in vain tries to make himself look good at the expense of others. A wise person would cure himself of pride by developing humility not only because it serves the greater good, but because by serving the good all sentient being by being humble, we generate compassion.
As for jealousy, that is the doing of the Ego, which leads one to fear sharing the limelight with other sentient beings For those of us who has not learn to control jealousy, everyone else is her rival. As well, jealousy unchecked may lead to much evil, including the willingness to harm a rival.
It is as though all the Five Poisons dance around the Ego, as though in worship of it. In actual fact, the Ego never existed in the first place!
For the Ego does not really exist. All that exists is the conception of the Ego. In its most evil incarnation, it is called the soul, and the Buddhist principle of non-self helps the disciple to see the soul as a figment of the imagination and as a reified mirror image of the Ego.
Since the Ego does not exist, so too the soul does not exist. To believe in the soul, one would have to call Buddhism a fiction. Yet all of the Buddhist sutras confirm that Sakyamuni Buddha lived over 2500 years ago.
For it is the Buddha who declared that belief in a permanent soul that reincarnates is tantamount to the root of evil.
Why? Because it leads to suffering.
If the disciple wishes to be free of suffering, then the Eightfold Noble path is the cure.
For the Eightfold Path is the way out of suffering, and relieves the disciple of mental unrest for good.
All it begins is with taking one breath...
20130121
Dhyana
Hui Neng said:
In our system of meditation,
we neither dwell upon the mind
in contradistinction to
the Essence of Mind nor upon purity.
Nor do we approve of non-activity.
As to dwelling upon the mind,
the mind is primarily delusive;
and when we realize that it is only a phantasm
there is no need to dwell on it.
As to dwelling upon purity,
our nature is intrinsically pure;
and so far as we get rid of all delusive 'idea'
there will be nothing but purity in our nature,
for it is the delusive idea that obscures Tathata (Suchness).
If we direct our mind to dwell upon purity
we are only creating the delusion of purity.
Since delusion has no abiding place,
it is delusive to dwell upon it.
Purity has neither shape nor form;
but some people go so far as to invent the 'Form of Purity',
and treat it as a problem for solution.
Holding such an opinion, these people are purity-ridden, and
their Essence of Mind is thereby obscured.
Those who train themselves for 'imperturbability' should,
in their contact with all types of men,
ignore the faults of others.
They should be indifferent to others' merit or demerit,
good or evil, for such an attitude accords with
the 'imperturbability of the Essence of Mind'.
A man unenlightened may be unperturbed physically,
but as soon as he opens his mouth he criticizes others and
talks about their merits or demerits, ability or weakness,
good or evil; thus he deviates from the right course.
On the other hand, to dwell upon our own mind or
upon purity is also a stumbling-block in the Path.
In our system of meditation,
we neither dwell upon the mind
in contradistinction to
the Essence of Mind nor upon purity.
Nor do we approve of non-activity.
As to dwelling upon the mind,
the mind is primarily delusive;
and when we realize that it is only a phantasm
there is no need to dwell on it.
As to dwelling upon purity,
our nature is intrinsically pure;
and so far as we get rid of all delusive 'idea'
there will be nothing but purity in our nature,
for it is the delusive idea that obscures Tathata (Suchness).
If we direct our mind to dwell upon purity
we are only creating the delusion of purity.
Since delusion has no abiding place,
it is delusive to dwell upon it.
Purity has neither shape nor form;
but some people go so far as to invent the 'Form of Purity',
and treat it as a problem for solution.
Holding such an opinion, these people are purity-ridden, and
their Essence of Mind is thereby obscured.
Those who train themselves for 'imperturbability' should,
in their contact with all types of men,
ignore the faults of others.
They should be indifferent to others' merit or demerit,
good or evil, for such an attitude accords with
the 'imperturbability of the Essence of Mind'.
A man unenlightened may be unperturbed physically,
but as soon as he opens his mouth he criticizes others and
talks about their merits or demerits, ability or weakness,
good or evil; thus he deviates from the right course.
On the other hand, to dwell upon our own mind or
upon purity is also a stumbling-block in the Path.
20090131
Our Common Enemy (for the Buddhist Activist)
Our common enemy is not governments, transnational corporations, or even quasi-world governmental bodies such as the World Trade Organization. No, the root cause of the delusion that they are our enemies is the one true enemy.
Yet this enemy is not an external foe, but an inner one. For our enemy is found deep within each of us.
When we blindly crave power, be it derived from fame or fortune, that craving becomes our true enemy. When we become selfish, unwilling to share the joys of life, that selfishness becomes our true enemy. When we fear overcoming our ignorance, that fear becomes our true enemy. When we become angry for any reason, that anger becomes our true enemy. When we let our passions rule our lives, our passions become our true enemy.
Once our true enemy is unleashed, we become deluded about who our enemy is, blaming others when it is unwarranted and looking for an external foe to shift responsibility from ourselves.
In doing so, we become utterly powerless, the self-made victim, self-martyred.
Thus, it becomes so easy to find an enemy in someone else than to own up to the root cause of our own suffering.
In suffering this delusion of self-as-enemy, our natural reaction then is to play the eternal, all-suffering victim and to find an external enemy to fit the dominator role.
Difficult is it to control our passions and to rule over them, and become our only true friend. One can have an advisor to give advice and a mentor to guide us, but few of us can find one to control our passions and to rule over them except each of us alone. Yet, try as we may, alone it may be difficult to discipline oneself so that we do not victimize ourselves.
"How can I be my own enemy?" asks the incredulous fool. "I am but a friend to myself. It is others who seek to destroy me who are my enemies."
Sadly mistaken, the fool is he who believes others seek to destroy him.
"I am my best friend!" declares the enlightened one. "Everyone is also friend to me. Because I do not destroy my self, no enemy do I seek to destroy, for all are my friends."
Happily, the person thus awakened believes others seek to nurture him. In this way, the lie of others as one's enemy is exposed.
So, why is it so convenient to see others as the enemy?
It is due to anger, fear, ignorance, and selfishness — namely, our very passions unchecked lead to the delusion of others as enemies.
How do we control our passions so that we may become our true friends, and see others as friends also?
It is through contemplative meditation that we control our passions, and thus learn to become our own friends, overcoming the delusion of others as enemies.
Thus empowered by overcoming our delusions, we can go on to confront governments, transnational corporations and even world government organizations, and help them overcome their own delusions, accordingly.
However, if we choose instead to live our delusions, then we will suffer the consequences.
Therefore it makes much more sense to overcome our delusions, so that we can help out our deluded friends in government and in corporations realize the truth.
20090130
The First Truth of Buddhism (poem)
Suffering and sorrow is
all this floating world knows.
Yesterday, today and tomorrow,
we have no concept of Now.
In our delusion, we think
we are free, caught up
in strife, ignorant of history.
No one knows what, when,
where, who, why, or how.
Yet there is a Light boundless
from across the Ocean of Peace,
a bright and shining beacon,
where both gods and men confess:
"Boundless Life is He."
With open arms does He beckons,
offering compassion and mercy to all.
All we need to do, all we need to say
to attain birth in the Pure Land, is:
"Namu amida butsu."
Then truly are we assured,
and all our worries cured,
that Nirvana is our path.
Suffering and sorrow is
all this floating world knows.
Forget yesterday and tomorrow!
Live for here and now!
Cut through delusion, and become free.
Take a hold of your life, and abandon misery.
For there is a cure to
suffering, and here is how:
All we need to do, all we need to say,
to join the land of Bliss, is:
"Namu amida butsu."
Then truly are we assured,
and all our worries cured,
that Nirvana is our path.
all this floating world knows.
Yesterday, today and tomorrow,
we have no concept of Now.
In our delusion, we think
we are free, caught up
in strife, ignorant of history.
No one knows what, when,
where, who, why, or how.
Yet there is a Light boundless
from across the Ocean of Peace,
a bright and shining beacon,
where both gods and men confess:
"Boundless Life is He."
With open arms does He beckons,
offering compassion and mercy to all.
All we need to do, all we need to say
to attain birth in the Pure Land, is:
"Namu amida butsu."
Then truly are we assured,
and all our worries cured,
that Nirvana is our path.
Suffering and sorrow is
all this floating world knows.
Forget yesterday and tomorrow!
Live for here and now!
Cut through delusion, and become free.
Take a hold of your life, and abandon misery.
For there is a cure to
suffering, and here is how:
All we need to do, all we need to say,
to join the land of Bliss, is:
"Namu amida butsu."
Then truly are we assured,
and all our worries cured,
that Nirvana is our path.
20050621
Where's the Horse?
Q: I can observe anger and work with greed, but how does one observe delusion?
A: You're riding a horse and asking "Where's the horse?" Pay attention.
-Ajahn Chah
In this quote by the Buddhist monk Ajahn Chah, the horse refers to the fettered mind, full of delusion.
For the purpose of meditation is to relieve the mind of spiritual delusion, leaving it unfettered.
Thus, the question - "How does one observe delusion?" - shows inattention.
Like a rider on a horse,
I ride in control of my mind.
I rise above anger, greed, and delusion
with attentive concentration.
Like a rider on a horse,
I ride in control of my mind.
Free of fetters, the mind cares
for the body to become as one.
Like a rider on a horse,
I ride in control of my mind.
In taking care of the body,
the mind discovers unconditional love.
A: You're riding a horse and asking "Where's the horse?" Pay attention.
-Ajahn Chah
In this quote by the Buddhist monk Ajahn Chah, the horse refers to the fettered mind, full of delusion.
For the purpose of meditation is to relieve the mind of spiritual delusion, leaving it unfettered.
Thus, the question - "How does one observe delusion?" - shows inattention.
Like a rider on a horse,
I ride in control of my mind.
I rise above anger, greed, and delusion
with attentive concentration.
Like a rider on a horse,
I ride in control of my mind.
Free of fetters, the mind cares
for the body to become as one.
Like a rider on a horse,
I ride in control of my mind.
In taking care of the body,
the mind discovers unconditional love.
20050522
How to Master Fear
The cause of all fear is self-grasping ignorance, and all the delusions, such as selfishness, attachment and anger, arise from that ignorance, as well as all the unskillful actions motivated by those delusions. --From Tharpa.com
Thus, the antidotes to the delusions of selfishness, attachment and anger are
selflessness, detachment and unconditional love.
Selflessness is best achieved by helping people without expecting reward, to give of ourselves without thought of being a giver.
Detachment is known as letting go, i.e. to not hold onto something as though it were near and dear to you, even when this turns out to be your own life.
Yet to throw away your life needlessly is not detachment, but foolhardiness.
With a healthy sense of detachment, one learns to balance self-preservation with self sacrifice.
Unconditional love is also known as compassion, the kind of love which makes no exceptions, such that one may love another, regardless of whether s/he is friend or enemy.
It may be that selflessness, detachment and unconditional love are the greatest tools a person may develop to remove all delusions, and even ignorance itself.
And no one is excluded from developing their skills in use of these tools.
Yet, only the good of us continue to use them to benefit us all.
Thus, the antidotes to the delusions of selfishness, attachment and anger are
selflessness, detachment and unconditional love.
Selflessness is best achieved by helping people without expecting reward, to give of ourselves without thought of being a giver.
Detachment is known as letting go, i.e. to not hold onto something as though it were near and dear to you, even when this turns out to be your own life.
Yet to throw away your life needlessly is not detachment, but foolhardiness.
With a healthy sense of detachment, one learns to balance self-preservation with self sacrifice.
Unconditional love is also known as compassion, the kind of love which makes no exceptions, such that one may love another, regardless of whether s/he is friend or enemy.
It may be that selflessness, detachment and unconditional love are the greatest tools a person may develop to remove all delusions, and even ignorance itself.
And no one is excluded from developing their skills in use of these tools.
Yet, only the good of us continue to use them to benefit us all.
20050218
Boundless Way, Boundless Truth
The Zen master Yun-feng wrote:
The way is the perennial Way,
the truth is the perennial Truth:
don't misapply body and mind
chasing after sayings.
This is why it is said that
"even the slightest object is dust;
as soon as you arouse intent,
you’re confused by hallucination."
To which I humbly reply:
The boundless Way leads
to the boundless Truth!
For the well-applied body-mind
follows the Buddha,
not the sayings of heroes.
Originally posted: February 18, 2005 1747H
Update posted: March 6, 2013 0033H
Reference:
Yun-feng quote:
http://www.beliefnet.com/Quotes/Buddhist/General/Y/Yun-Feng/The-Way-Is-The-Perennial-Way-The-Truth-Is-The-Per.aspx
The way is the perennial Way,
the truth is the perennial Truth:
don't misapply body and mind
chasing after sayings.
This is why it is said that
"even the slightest object is dust;
as soon as you arouse intent,
you’re confused by hallucination."
To which I humbly reply:
The boundless Way leads
to the boundless Truth!
For the well-applied body-mind
follows the Buddha,
not the sayings of heroes.
Originally posted: February 18, 2005 1747H
Update posted: March 6, 2013 0033H
Reference:
Yun-feng quote:
20040305
Not all Ninjas are Out to Slay Minds
The ninja stuff I am refering to is the non-physical stuff.
That actually is also the real ninjitsu, but most Westerners think of it as "mind games."
Most of the techniques are embellishments of what the media and government have taught you i.e. propaganda, opinion and influence.
We even use the same techniques on ourselves.
Sometime I see things and hear things from people that is like a ninja's been in their lives, slaying their minds one by one, leaving them broken and disheartened.
Yet not all ninjas are out to slay minds...
That actually is also the real ninjitsu, but most Westerners think of it as "mind games."
Most of the techniques are embellishments of what the media and government have taught you i.e. propaganda, opinion and influence.
We even use the same techniques on ourselves.
Sometime I see things and hear things from people that is like a ninja's been in their lives, slaying their minds one by one, leaving them broken and disheartened.
Yet not all ninjas are out to slay minds...
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