Worshipping God as a Buddhist Mormon

In Article of Faith 11, it is written: "We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may."

This article of faith guarantees me the privilege to be a Buddhist Mormon, even though the Christian faithful who are deep in Christology claim that such syncretism is anathema to Christianity.

For myself as a Mormon, my Buddhist roots help me to clear my mind so that I am able to worship God according to the dictates of my own conscience.

Most of my worship consists of reading Mormon literature, and understanding various aspects of the LDS faith.

Additionally, the dictates of my own conscience is greatly influenced by religious pluralism, which helps to inspire a Christology that is further illumined by my Pure Land Buddhist origins.

Amida Buddha of Pure Land is defined as the boundless light of wisdom and the boundless life of compassion.

In Christianity, the light of Christ is akin to the spirit of Christ, and thus is closely identified with the Holy Ghost (Holy Spirit). As well, the Christ is referred to as the Word. Thus, the Word symbolizes the spiritual wisdom derived from the truth of Atonement i.e. that Jesus Christ sacrificed his life for the sins of mankind and God's Mercy is a free gift to all Christians whose sins are washed away in baptism.

Thus the Holy Ghost is the agent by which spiritual wisdom is derived by acting on the Christian through prayer and meditation inspired by scripture.

Likewise, compassion is symbolized by God's Mercy for all Christians who repent of their sins by following the articles of their faith.

Thus, much of my Buddhist practice of meditation helps me in my study of the Book of Mormon and related LDS scripture, which is vital to the greater understanding of LDS ideology.

Indeed, I am thankful to God for the privilege of his worship according to the dictates of my own conscience.

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References:

• LDS Articles of Faith: http://www.mormon.org/beliefs/articles-of-faith
  
• Why Mormons Are Buddhist and Vice Versa: http://mormonmatters.org/2008/03/12/why-mormons-are-buddhists-vice-versa/
  

Without a Soul to Save, Only the Good Life Awaits (satire)

I'm pretty sure the fact that The Book of Mormon is in the English of King James version makes it a difficult read for me.

What if, instead of the Celestial Kingdom, I'm fine with rebirth in the Terrestrial Kingdom?

I'm not sure if a Mormon can understand that. In Buddhism, the reason why there is no baptism is because the metaphors about water refer to how the multitude of Buddhists are a part of mighty ocean of wisdom and love.

However, the goal of an earnest Buddhist is not to be reborn in the Six Realms of Desire but to escape rebirth itself through meditation and related acts of mindfulness.

I suppose meditation is mysterious to a Mormon who equates baptism and giving up worldliness with achieving the Celestial Kingdom in the Afterlife.

Nobody in America can really fathom how sitting on your ass achieving calmness of mind is supposed to lead to nirvana, let alone Enlightenment, except perhaps a Buddhist.

Yet that calm mind leads to the clarity of mind to realize almost the same thing that a Christian knows to be true: seeking fame and glory does not lead to a truly good life and neither does seeking riches.

In this way is Buddhism almost on the same page as Christianity. For, even without baptism, I can avoid the delusions that chasing fame may lead to, and also avoid the pitfalls of financial success.

After all, the Buddhist principle of no-self implies that there is no soul to save. Instead, there is only a good life to make my own.

Pure Mind Leads to Nirvana

Maitreya said, "Discrimination is consciousness. Nondiscrimination is wisdom. Clinging to consciousness will bring disgrace but clinging to wisdom will bring purity. Disgrace leads to birth and death but purity leads to Nirvana."

"Discrimination" refers to discriminating and holding views. To the Buddhist, discrimination is a wilderness, a turmoil, a clinging, a bad path and a false way. He who travels on it will not achieve nirvana, even if he becomes a Buddhist. A mind filled with discrimination is a mind that is always in turmoil.

No matter how long he meditates, the man who discriminates will not achieve through samatha the calm mind necessary practice vipassana meditation with success. For vipassana helps the Buddhist achieve the Pure Mind.

"Pure Mind" is achieved by "abandoning the killing of living beings, abstaining therefrom; abandoning the taking of what is not given, abstaining therefrom; abandoning misconduct in sensual pleasure...abandoning false speech...malicious speech...harsh speech...gossip, abstaining therefrom. Abandoning greed, he is no more greedy. Abandoning malevolence and hatred, his heart becomes free from ill will. Abandoning wrong-view, he
becomes one of right view.”

"Consciousness" refers to rebirth in the six realms of desire, which is the destination of people with a mind of discrimination, which results in an impure mind. Thus "discrimination is consciousness" implies that discriminations leads to the evil karma associated with rebirth.

It is good karma to achieve nirvana, since the goal of Buddhist practice is to escape the wheel of karmic existence that is rebirth. For hard is it to achieve nirvana, and most consciousnesses are destined for rebirth due to evil karma from both past and present existences.

"Nondiscrimination" is associated with the mind tamed by samatha practice, for a calm mind is a mind of clarity. With a clear mind, it is possible with vipassana meditation to achieve Pure Mind.

"Wisdom" refers to fruit of the Pure Mind. For a Buddhist who has achieved Pure Mind is freed from the bonds of discrimination and the evil karma arising from acts of discrimination. Indeed, discriminations results in evil karma for anyone who acts upon it. Anyone who holds the discriminating view is sure to becloud his mind, judging other people and acting out of the ignorance that such discrimination causes. For ignorance is the result of evil karma due to discrimination.

Thus vipassana helps the Buddhist with his mind calmed by samatha practice to abandon the six worldly dusts of killing, theft, misconduct in sensual pleasure (including sexual misconduct such as adultery, child abuse, rape and sexual deviancy), wrong speech (lying, gossip, criticism, verbal abuse, and greed), ill will (malevolence and hatred), and wrong views.

Freed of the six dusts, the Buddhist becomes wise through practice of samatha-vipassana. This is why it is important to not just practice samatha and achieve the calm mind. For the Buddhist who practices samatha meditation is like a farmer who plants soy and other legumes to make a field fertile. After the season of soy is over, he can plant rice and flood the land to obtain rice and other grains, provided he alternate with grozing legumes on it. Likewise, the practice of samatha meditation not only prepares the mind of a Buddhist for vipassana meditation, it also helps him to deal with the challenges of daily living. Thus, samatha-vipassana meditation not only prepares the Buddhist to achieve Nirvana, it also prepares him to become a better person than he would be were he a farmer ignorant of Buddhist practice.

Thus "nondiscrimination is wisdom" means the abandonment of the six dusts which frees the Buddhist from ignorance and the cycle of rebirth. With continuing practice of samatha-vipassana meditation he can then understand that "clinging to consciousness will bring disgrace but clinging to wisdom will bring purity."

With the Pure Mind achieved through samatha-vipassana meditation, the Buddhist will realize that "disgrace leads to birth and death but purity leads to Nirvana."

For what is birth and death but the cycle of rebirth in Samsara, the Six Realms of Desire? And what is the Pure Mind but the means by which the Buddhist achieves Nirvana?

So go forth and practice meditation, knowing that your practice will result in the Pure Mind. Indeed, with the Pure Mind, the Buddhist shall achieve Nirvana!

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References:

East Asian Yogācāra - Later history and the modern era: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Asian_Yog%C4%81c%C4%81ra#Later_history_and_the_modern_era

Discrimination: a Buddhist perspective: http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs14/Paul_Fuller.pdf

We Betray an Unsound Mind

By amending our mistakes, we get wisdom.
By defending our faults, we betray an unsound mind.

-The Sutra of Hui Neng

"Amend our mistakes" refers to repentance for violating the five precepts for laypeople. This requires developing a sense of shame.

"Wisdom" refers to the ability to choose wisely, based on amending past mistakes.

"Defending our faults" refers to how an unskillful person acts when his mistakes are highlighted.

"Unsound mind" refers to the ordinary Monkey Mind, committing mistakes that hide Buddha Nature. Recovering Buddha Nature, the mind encounters the brightness of the Bodhi Mind.

With repentance, we desire to amend our mistakes.

Afterwards, wisdom helps us to helps us to learn from our mistakes by reminding us about those amended mistakes.

When a person defends her faults, she shows signs of an unsound mind.

When a person admits to her fault, it is possible to amend her mistakes.

This is known as "getting wisdom."

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Originally posted: Feb 11, 2006 2240H
Update posted: March 8, 2013 2057H

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.

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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
  

Meditation As The Cure for Suffering

"Train in concentration, which is the cause of shamatha, and train in prajna, which is the cause of vipashyana." — Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche and Trulshik Adeu Rinpoche

In the First Noble Truth, all life is suffering.
In the Second Noble Truth, the cause of suffering is tanha.
In the Third Noble Truth, suffering can be relieved.
In the Fourth Noble Truth, the Noble Eightfold Path
is prescribed to relieve suffering in all sentient beings.

Suffering is mental unrest. The Eightfold Path of Buddhism relieves the mind of it. Its cause is tanha.

Tanha or trishna is craving, desire and thirst. It is also aversion, desire, and hunger-thirst. Its opposite is upekkha is peace of mind, serenity, and equanimity.

Craving arises through the action of aversion — a person's craving for the object of desire causes one to hunger for it , and this results in attachment due to desire.

Hunger-thirst arises through ignorance, ass one's peace of mind is disturbed by the desire for satisfaction. Yet aversion to the object of desire is what causes craving to arise.

Thus, the Three Poisons of aversion, attachment, and ignorance lead to suffering.

To help relieve suffering, meditation is prescribed. It consists of shamatha and vipashyana, the main two meditation practices of calm abiding and clear seeing.

Shamatha is the meditation of calm abiding that is abiding tranquility which works on the conceptual mind, to free it of the Three Poisons.

Vipashyana is the meditation of clearing seeing that is the meditation of intense insight, which has three prerequisites consisting of reliance on a spiritual teacher, sincere engagement in extensive study, and appropriate reflection.

Prajna refers to insight into the cure for suffering through meditation. It is also known as primordial wisdom, the primordial and non-dual knowing aspect of the nature of mind.

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References:

Quote from Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche and Trulshik Adeu Rinpoche, trans. Schmidt & Kunsang, Skillful Grace: Tara Practice For Our Times; New York 2007. Rangjung Yeshe Publications

Prajna: http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Prajna

Prajna: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prajna

Three Poisons and Tanha: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ta%E1%B9%87h%C4%81#Relation_to_the_three_poisons

Shamatha: http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Shamatha

Vipashyana: http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Vipashyana

Prajna as primordial wisdom: http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Primordial_wisdom

http://ubcbuddhism.wordpress.com/2011/10/20/9929/
Dr. Fleischman’s description of meditation was a self-reflective melding of natural scientific theories with the worldview that underlies vipassana meditation. He stressed two points in particular: (1) The natural laws that govern our world also govern us as embodied beings; cultivating awareness of our embodied existence, through concentration and observation, provides insight into the world itself. (2) The practice of meditation is supported by ethical practice, both in terms of basic precepts and the voluntaristic, service orientation of the vipassana movement itself. In addition to being detailed and informative, his talk was imbued with a wonderfully dry humor, making it accessible and entertaining.

Is Buddhist Wisdom the Cause of Success?

Success is determine by the number of your failure.

If you think you have not failed, then your success has blinded you to the little failures you swept aside on your way to riches.

In Buddhism, wisdom requires many hours of meditation. The test of wisdom is determined by who remains calm under stress because of meditation. Those people who never practice meditation only have the wisdom of experience to guide them.

However, such wisdom is useless when being mugged by robbers or getting a bailout from the gov't (corporate welfare).

Clever people are either egocentric or other-centric e.g. are of service to others, and helpful to everyone.

Cunning people mainly are egocentric, which helps to amass wealth as the cunning are notorious for giving away their tips of making the ego work for you. For this is where our vanity comes from.

A person with a healthy ego will let other people take the limelight as their egocentricity is great while the guy is people-centric.

Success thus requires truthfulness even if it means a handful of people will not buy your sales pitch and shop elsewhere.

Success also requires learning from experience. This requires humility i.e. the ability to feel shame and wish for repentance.

It is not became of Buddhism that a lama of the red robe such as the Dalai Lama becomes a Buddhist.

Rather it is a sense of pride to know that your brother, sister, mother or father is a Lama that drives mothers and father to tell the lamas, "My child is the new rinpoche because she preached the Dharma to her rag doll, and also to her plushies." Ok, I apologize for that joke.

A Prudent Old Fool (poem)

A prudent old fool be I
Who chose scarcity,
Over marrying a wife,
And basic goodness
By living a modest life.

Caught on the Endless Wheel

All states that can be returned to external causes are obviously not you, but that which cannot be returned to anywhere, if it is not you, what is it? Therefore, you should know that your mind is fundamentally wonderful, bright, and pure and that because of your involvement with the things of the world you have covered it up and lost it. In this way you are caught on the endless wheel of becoming this or that, sinking and floating in that sea of endless becoming. Awaken yourself now to your own bright mind.

— Surangama Sutra

External causes refer to worldliness and the risk of evil karma.

The mind that is "fundamentally wonderful, bright, and pure" is the mind aware of Buddha Nature, being Bodhi Mind.

By getting involved with the world, the Buddhist covers up her Buddha Nature, and her Bodhi Mind is lost.

"The endless wheel of becoming this or that" is Samsara, this world of birth-life-death.
"That sea of endless becoming" too is Samsara.

"Awaken" refers to mindful practice that develops wisdom and compassion for all sentient beings, including being of service to others.

"Your own bright mind" is Bodhi Mind.

To awaken the mind to Bodhi Mind, meditation with Buddha Recitation will develop wisdom and compassion.

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Originally posted: March 11, 2006 at 1524H
Updated: February 7, 2013 0051H

Women Are the Three Treasures (NWSF)

Women are heaven;
women are Dharma;
and women are the highest penance.
Women are Buddha;
women are the Sangha;
and women are the perfection of Wisdom.
—'Chandamaharoshana' Ch.8 v.30

What the Yoni Tantra actually teaches is that women must be treated with respect. This quote from the referenced source (The Scarlet Letter) is related to Buddhism.

At the time I found it (December 18, 2004), I could find no other reference to the Chandamaharoshana.

Today the best reference is at Keith Dowman's website.

Chandamaharoshana is the consort of Acala, one of the Five Wisdom Kings of Vajrayana Buddhism. Wisdom Kings are guardians of Buddhism.

According to the Wikipedia entry for Acala, "Acala is said to be a powerful deity who protects All the Living (sattva, shujō (衆生?)) by burning away all impediments (antar-aya, shōnan (障難?)) and defilements, thus aiding them towards enlightenment."

Shujo refers to all sentient beings.

Shonan refers to "difficult obstacles" to Enlightenment such as evil karma accumulated in a Buddhist's life.

Even though Chandamaharoshana appears to be associated with tantric sex, this is a highly respected form of mindful practice.

In tantric sex, you have the tantric devotee (usually male) and the tantrika (the woman representing the female consort) perform according to the Chandamaharoshana Sutra.

Included in all of this are days of fasting before the day of tantric initiations, and also the gifts mentioned in the sutra must be presented to the tantrika.

As well, the devotee must study in tantric yoga with a master, though the tantrika may also provide this service if a master is not immediately available.

However, the purpose of tantric sex is not the sex itself but the experience of the spiritual "energies" of Shiva and Shakti.

According to Lama Thubten Yeshe, "...each one of us is a union of all universal energy. Everything that we need in order to be complete is within us right at this very moment. It is simply a matter of being able to recognize it. This is the tantric approach."

Thus it is possible to view tantric sex as mindful practice.

More importantly the Chandamaharoshana Sutra also has figurative meaning in the symbolic sense.

Thus it's not about sex; it's about respect for man and woman within a religious context.

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References:
The Scarlet Letter | v2n4 | "The Yoni Tantra, Part I": http://www.scarletwoman.org/scarletletter/v2n4/v2n4_yoni1.html

Chandamaharoshana: http://www.keithdowman.net/vajralove/chandamaharoshana.htm
Acala: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acala

Tantra: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tantra

Let Go of the Past!

Let go of your past,
lest by clinging to it
you lose hope for your future.


It is by thinking about the past, and clinging to one's memories of it that distract the mind from the truth that the future is more important than the past ever was.

Thus it is vitally important to constantly maintain the future thought to be good i.e. one's basic goodness extends into the future.

By continually and naturally producing good thoughts, one is actualizing one faith in the Primal Vow and belief that the Pure Land awaits all who believe in Amida Buddha and his 48 Vows.

It is these successive thoughts that forever involve good, for they arise from belief in Amida Butsu and his Pure Land and the faith in his Primal Vow.

Any intent to recover one's past risks suffering. Thus, the prudent devotee knows that close examination of the dark memories of childhood is foolish and in vain. She remains focused on the future, because recovering the past will impede her progress, and perhaps even prevent her from being reborn in the Pure Land, were she to obsess about what cannot be changed.

For the future is yet to come to pass, and thus is open to change. It is under the control of anyone who seeks to attain a future where good thoughts dwell.

By meditating on good thoughts, evil thoughts are vanquished, and their calculations are for nought.

By focusing on good thoughts in our future, we light the way to the Pure Land.

For our present journey is illumined by the boundless light of wisdom and nurtured by the boundless life of compassion.

---

This article is dedicated to my roommate who currently holds fast to her past, and thus is blind to hope in her future. Were it possible for my good thoughts to burn away all of the evil karma locked in her past, I would meditate until my ass is numb.

However, the teaching of the Dharma to her requires the simple means of replacing the yellow robe with the hempen garment, and replacing Buddha with Jesus.

Thus, it would take a miracle for her to stop clinging to her childhood experiences.

For I am not a miracle worker. However, through my Buddhist practice, I hope to strengthen my sincere faith and belief in Amida Buddha. It shall help me to be be better able to provide emotional support.

My Spiritual Path

This old fool (pointing to self)
is now Pure Land Zen,
the path on which the Chinese
tread, empty of mu
But full of loving-kindness.

How is it empty
of mu? Chant the Name-that-calls,
this one does each day.
Yet such practice is empty
of reward and full of joy!

Born into True Pure Land School,
this old fool did stray
while growing up, and by chance
in a book store did
he discover Master Tâm.

Of Wisdom and Faith,
this Buddhism is so full
that with each reading,
this fool is filled with pleasure
at renewing his pure vow:

Namu Amida Butsu!

Tips on How To Get a Spiritual Warrior Into a Buddhist Retreat

What To Do When Asked How You Meditate

This is satire. Using anything contained in this article may get you kicked out of a Buddhist retreat. It is provided here to poke fun at spiritual warriors who take themselves too seriously. However, the aim of this article to help Buddhists to develop humility.

1) Quietly state that you are at the retreat to share what you know about "chanting" before and after meditation.

2) Mention that you visualize the Buddha sitting in meditation by first looking at a picture of Amida Buddha.

3) Insist that reality is subjective and that it is only interpretable to each person. By doing so, you demonstrate that subjective reality is not consensual reality. Do not let their rationalization distract you from your inner Truth. You are not at the retreat to analyze but to be in the moment sitting in meditation.

4) If someone asks you to teach them chanting then tell them "I have meditated for over 20 years and chanting the name of the Buddha before and after helped with my meditation." Then teach them Buddha Remembrance by chanting "OM MANI PADME HUM" 7, 21 or 49 times. Emphasize sincerity during chanting.

What To Do Actually All Day and/or Night When Committed To the Retreat

For people who are serious about attending a Buddhist retreat, here are some simple rules regarding attendance. A Buddhist retreat is for developing compassion, humility, patience, and wisdom.

Bring a sleeping mat and pillow and be prepared to sleep on a hard floor.

Practice harmlessness against yourself and/or others.

Practice meditation on rising and before going to bed.

Be peaceable to other people, but be assertive.

When they give you the vegetarian meal, take it with thanks.

Do not talk out of turn or verbally harass other people. Otherwise, you lose the chance to help each other to enlightenment.

Vairocana Mantra

Just as Amida is
compassion personified,
so too is Vairocana
wisdom personified.
As the Nembutsu is
Amida calling,
the Vairocana Mantra
is Wisdom calling.

Vairocana is a celestial Buddha being the Adi Buddha which represents that wisdom of transcendental reality, the True Reality of Being and Non-Beinng. This reality is non-dual because it is empty of ignorance and because samsara is the root of nirvana.

For it is suffering that motivates us to seek its cure through understanding of the Four Noble Truths and to engage in spiritual activities that result in the spiritual treasures of teaching the Dharma, humility, meditation, giving, and fearlessness to cure spiritual ignorance out of which craving arises, the destruction of anger and hate, eradication of selfishness, neutralizing pride and greed, and pacification of envy.

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Vairocana: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vairocana
Five Wisdom Buddhas: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Dhyani_Buddhas

The Five Wisdom Buddhas

Symbolically, the Five Wisdom Buddhas represent the five aspects of spiritual wisdom of the Buddha.

Commonly found in Vajrayana mandalas, the Five Wisdom Buddhas are also the main objects of worship in Shingon Buddhism, a variety of esoteric Japanese Buddhism that arose in Japanese before Vajrayana Buddhism became known.

Vairocana is considered the Adi-Buddha of the Five Wisdom Buddhas, with the other four Buddhas assigned to cardinal directions.

Based on the Yogācāra elaboration of concepts concerning the jñāna (spiritual knowledge) of the Buddhas of the Trikaya, the Five Wisdom Buddhas are a later development used to symbolize the aspects of the Dharmakaya (truth-body), which embodies the principle of enlightenment.

First, two Buddhas appeared in Yogacara sutras which represented wisdom and compassion - they were, respectively, Akṣobhya and Amitābha. To embody the aspects of power, or activity, and the aspect of beauty, or spiritual riches, two more Buddhas were added, Amoghasiddhi, and Ratnasaṃbhava. Finally, the central figure became Vairocana.

Thus power represents spiritual activity, while beauty represents spiritual riches.

Traditionally, Aksobhya is the eastern Buddha of consciousness as an aspect of reality, working for the joy of all beings, while Amitabha is the western Buddha of comprehensive love, working for the enlightenment of all sentient beings.

Amoghasiddhi is the northern Buddha of the conceptual mind that conquers all evils, while Ratnasambhava is the southern Buddha of the mind developing equanimity and equality to destroy greed and pride.

Meanwhile, Vairocana is the celestial Buddha (Adi Buddha) who is the embodiment of Emptiness.

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Five Wisdom Buddhas: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Wisdom_Buddhas

With the Diamond Mind (poem)

With the diamond mind, the awakened one can clearly see:
If consciousness and awareness meant the same thing,
then an unconscious person would be unaware of the mind
Though a conscious person may too unaware of the mind,
he too is able to be aware of the mind.
Yet an unconscious person cannot be aware of the mind,
just as an unaware person is conscious only of no-mind.
Imagine if you will boundless wisdom,
and at the same time, boundless compassion.
They represent Amida, the Thus-Come-One,
He who is highly aware of consciousness only, and
He who is highly conscious of his mind only,
the brilliant and magnificent diamond mind.
For awareness and consciousness are but two facets
of the ordinary and quite normal mind,
while compassion and wisdom are but two facets
of the extraordinary and magnificent diamond mind.

Virtue and Non-virtue Points to Self & Other and No-Self

Gewa == virtue

Mi-gewa == non-virtue

Virtue is when noble acts
performed spontaneously
prepare you for the good life.
Which one you for?

Avidya == ignorance
Vidya == wisdom

Ignorance is not seeing the truth;
Wisdom is seeing with a clear mind.
Which one you for?

Skandha == the five aggregates

When one believes he has wisdom
while faith in self and other is strong,
ignorance coalesces
in each of five simple steps of
form, sensation, perception,
impulses, and consciousness.
Thus is suffering understood
within the context of experience.

Experience thus prepares
each of us to realize
primordial wisdom,
the mind pure and serene.
All it takes is meditation.

Atman == self and other
Anatta == no-self

Smash faith in self and other
until it is like finely ground sesame;
this is the essence of no-self.
This is the reason for meditation.
Which one you for?

:updated 20111127.1041

Know Thyself (poem)

Forever be the mystic lover of life,
Yet expose that mysticism to scrutiny daily
Lest occultism lead to tragedy and death.
Only the mysticism of the Unknown
Is open to scrutiny, revealing the Knowable.
It begins when the mystic lover applies
The ancient Delphic oracle's advice to "Know thyself."

---

This poem is a commentary on Matthew Fox's 95 Theses.

See also my commentary on the 95 Theses and my GooglePlus recommendation. — shk

Patience is the Beginning of Wisdom (poem)

Patience is the beginning
of all known wisdom,
for she who waits patiently
reaps the benefits
of her fortitude.

He who waits will gain
much from patience than from haste,
that each little pain
is the bitter fruit of waste,
whose black juice his heart does stain.

Yet patience has as reward
the sweetest wisdom,
worth far more than gold itself —
to savor with ease
with plenty of time to spare.

Destiny (poem)

He who looks at someone's misfortune,
and laughs with glee
is himself devoid of compassion.

She who looks at someone's good fortune,
with great envy
is herself unfortunate.

On hearing of misfortune,
cry with the unfortunate ones.
In this way do the wise develop compassion.

On learning of someone's fortune,
be happy for them.
That is all the wise wish for others.

For fortune and misfortune are
two sides of the coin called "destiny",
and those of us who choose
to see clearly will follow theirs.