mantra practice, a highly effective centering skill, can legitimately be regarded as a tool of transcendence or a kind of technology of the sacred. while we chant the mantras, we concentrate on breathing, hold a visualisation in our head and hold a mala (rosary) for centering as well as a way to keep track of the number of recitations.
mantra meditation can alter the atmosphere and effect swift transformation, both externally in the world and within ourselves.
the temple bell stops
but the sound keeps coming
out of the flowers
- Zen Haiku Master Basho
on an innate or secret level, there is the ultimate centering device, the mystical, wordless, effortless mantra of indwelling wisdom. here is a place that you can rely upon, a place where you can lean your mind.
the innermost, most secret, mystic, nonverbal mantra is the intrinsic, ever-present reality of "isness" itself, indescribable and self-authenticating.
the Indian philosopher sage named Nagarjuna who lived in about the 1st century AD rediscovered the one hundred thousand verses of the Sutra of Transcendental Wisdom. because he brought these highly treasured teachings about emptiness back from the Nagas, his name became Nagarjuna - literally translated as "charioteer of the Nagas".
the original exponent of Madhyamika, the Great Middle Way doctrine of
Buddhist logic and epistemology, Nagarjuna is considered the Buddhist philosopher of relativism.
Madhyamika reveals how it is that nothing exists independently. everything is conventionally, relatively real, arising through interdependent causes and effects. nothing exists forever in any ultimate sense. things just appear to be real and substantial, without being exactly so.
this is the mysterious, fertile intersection of the void of nothingness and everything we so vividly experience.
Craving: A Major Challenge To Right Action
the secret waits for eyes unclouded by longing.
- Tao Te Ching: The Way And Its Power
craving or lust is one of the 5 primary hindrances or challenges, that Buddha warned seekers they would meet them on the path to awakening. when Buddha Dharma speaks about craving, it implies psychological hunger and thirst, unhealthy desire, longing, attachment and pychological fixation.
who among us is so completely fulfilled and contented that he or she is above "wanting" of any kind?
as we try to purify and refine our actions, we need to be aware of the myriad ways by which our desires create pitfalls on the spiritual path.
is there anything or anyone you crave so much that it clouds your judgement and vision? what do you hunger for? is there anything that engenders feelings so intense that your pursuit of it becomes a substitute for furthering your inner development?
it has often been said that everyone has a price; what is yours?
don't sell yourself short, or you'll pay for it.
when the Buddha gave the Fire Sermon to a thousand disciples at Gaya, he told them that "all is burning..... burning with the fire of lust, with the fire of hate, with the fire of delusion." desire nothing, and you will be liberated and free.
the third Zen patriarch sang, "the way is not difficult for those who have no preferences".
as you make the choices on which you will base your actions, watch to see what is motivating you. desirelessness is nirvanic peace. relinquishing attachment and clinging does ultimately pay off.
let go and let Buddha...
Being Creative In Accomplishing Good Deeds
the Dharma consistently instructs us that it isn't enough to avoid negative behaviour; we must also encourage positive action.
at one time, entering a religious order was a realistic option for people who wanted to devote themselves to good works. but today, if you want to act on your compassionate intentions, you will probably have to do it within the context of the life you are now living.
when you are trying to reach out a helping hand, it's important to stay flexible and imaginative. it also helps if you focus on actions that are specific and doable. and remember: it's okay to have fun, after all, giving is an act of joy....
compassion calls for empathy and listening to what is really being said. we must keep our channels open to the wide variety of possible responses that can appropriately address real needs. then enlightened activity can spontaneously flow through us and into the world.
Dancing with Life.........
activities are endless, like ripples on a stream.
they end only when you drop them.
human moods are like the changing highlights and shadows
on a sunlit mountain range.
all activities are like the games children play,
like castles being made of sand.
view them with delight and equanimity,
like grandparents overseeing their grandchildren
or a shepherd resting on a grassy knoll
watching over his grazing flock.
-Nyoshul Khenpo Rinpoche, From A Spontaneous Vajra Song
You Can't Take It With You, But.......
everyone says that when you die, you can't take wealth, family or possessions with you. but there is something very important that you do take with you, that you can bank on and that's your accumulated virtue and wisdom - your karma.
when we die, so little remains with us from the life we are leaving that each of us is "like a hair pulled out of butter." nothing comes with us. all is left behind. the only thing that remains is the karma that we have accumulated through our actions, words and thoughts.
whether or not you believe in the traditional rebirth doctrine, consider that at that crucial stage of the journey, at death, each of us carries with us nothing more than our accumulated wisdom and virtue. this is an investment plan that can't go belly-up. you can place your faith in that.
Beginning and Ending the Day
when you wake each morning, start the day by reaffirming your intention to practice loving-kindness and compassion. remind yourself each day to work at letting go of ego-clinging, selfishness, controlling behaviour, negative thoughts, possessiveness, aggression, resentment and confusion. resolve each day to find one small way that you can change a frozen behaviour pattern, and try to do so......
when you lie down at night, reflect on the day that was. remember your accomplishments and your fustrations - things done as well as undone. use clear discernment and discriminating awareness to genuinely examine your behaviour and the quality of your life. recognise your familiar repetitive patterns. assess how fruitful they actually are.......
finally, examine your day for lingering resentments and self-destructive, harmful, egocentric or narcissistic thoughts. find joy in awakening the noble-hearted spirit of bodhicitta.
rejoice in all the good works of both others and yourself and share in all that good karma. it will help you find rest.
then rest. "done is what had to be done," as the Buddha said.
'wait, wait," a follower once cried after the Buddha as he disappeared into the forest.
"i stopped a long time ago," Buddha replied. "when will you stop?"
Right Livelihood
Work is Love made Visible......
when you work you are a flute through whose heart the whispering of the hours turns to music. to love life through labour is to be intimate with life's inmost secret. all work is empty save when there is love, for work is love made visible.
- Kahlil Gibran
for centuries Right Livelihood has asked us to love our world through our work, instructing us to avoid vocations that harm others.
anything that leads to harming or killing other beings, such as selling or making arms ammunition, and drug dealing or any other livelihood that is deceitful, unwholesome, corrupting, encourages heedlessness or is exploitative (of beings or the environment)..... are obvious examples of livelihoods traditionally considered inappropriate for an enlightened life.
junk bond trading is a new development in poor livelihood. in the past, as now, the preferred work is altruistic..... and furthers the spiritual life.
according to the ancient scripture, the Dhammapada, Right Livelihood is said to be "in tune with increasing helpfulness for beings and decreasing harmfulness".
those who see the worldly life as an obstacle to Dharma see no Dharma in everyday actions; they have not yet discovered that there are no everyday actions outside of Dharma.
- The 13th Century Zen Master Dogen
it doesn't help anyone to get too judgemental about different occupations. some may say that a doctor or nurse is more helpful to humanity than a banker or mortgage broker, but who really knows? an impeccable businessperson can do a lot of good.
it helps for each of us to stop for a moment and consider the many ways we can practice Right Livelihood.
Right Livelihood - using our hands, our heads and our hearts to help others - no matter what we do for a living. Right Livelihood helps us make a life, not just a living. it affords us spiritual renewal right here and now, without going elsewhere.
perfection is an ideal, difficult to find here on earth. every work situation is a little flawed, a little fraught with hypocrisies, compromises and egotism - sometimes even our own....
the workplace provides a rich arena for us to become more aware of our actions and intentions, as well as help us take some concrete steps on the spiritual path. working on ourselves as we work at our jobs can be self-transforming.
in this way, we learn the wise principles of "making lemonade from lemons we unexpectedly find on our plates".
what is known in Buddhism as the "poison" or conflicting emotions (kleshas) that veil and cloud reality:
ignorance
pride
jealousy
enmity
desire
on some level just about every work situation is going to provoke at least some of these kleshas.
don't misinterpret the Dharma's message to mean that we should deny our feelings or be oblivious to the whole range of human experience. strong emotions are not primary issue; the primary issue is grasping and attachment.
when we cling to and grasp at passionate emotions, losing ourselves by too strongly identifying with them, they take over the mind, possess our thoughts and obscure our clear seeing - tarnishing our present awareness and clear vision.
The Eight Worldly Winds That Blow Us Off Course
the Eight Worldly Winds are actually four pairs. each pair representing opposite poles on a desire-aversion axis - in other words, what we want and what we don't want. two different yet totally inter-related forms of desire.
pleasure and pain
gain and loss
praise and blame
fame and shame
concern about and attachment to pleasure, gain, praise and fame are powerful forces that can sometimes seize us with hurricane ferocity.... blowing us about like leaves in the wind.
we've all seen people jeopardize life, limb, ethical considerations and contentment for the briefest of pleasures, the possibility of financial gain, the right kind of praise or for 15mins in the winner's circle of fame.
it's easy to respond to these driving forces with knee-jerk reactions and loss sight of our inner goals. we are distracted for only a second; nonetheless we get blown off course.
like a weight watcher slogan says, "a moment on the lips, a life-time on the hips." this is Dharma wisdom, the practical ethics of conscious restraint.
true spiritual masters are so centered and inner-directed that no matter what is happening in the outer world, they don't lose touch with their innate Buddha-nature. they are guided by their own principles instead of merely reacting according to momentary conditions and temporary circumstances.
going through life with their hands on the steering wheel of awareness, they are paying attention; they understand karmic causation, how things actually work. many of the rest of us, of course are still gripping the rearview mirror and wondering why we so often end up lost or in the ditch.
it's easy to become so enmashed in our worldly goals that we lose sight of the bigger picture. the ups and downs of office politics and interpersonal dynamics will overly affect the untrained mind. one minute you can feel like a winner, the next you're in a slump.
when gods in the celestial realms use up their accumulation of good karma, even they must come back to earth; even superman can fall from the sky.
you huh....