Spirituality as an Escape?
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Hello... just now I had a thought of wanting to find some peace... and so I was just about to pick up some spiritual, dharma books to read in hope that I can get 'peace'. Then suddenly I become conscious of this unconscious momentum of 'seeking peace' and thought to myself... wait a minute... why am I running from what I am experiencing right now? If what I am experiencing right now is shit that's what is appearing right now... that is the reality at that moment... it is shit and it can't be otherwise. That shit is just as holy as anything else... Instead of running away from it which just increases the momentum of the negativity, the aversion and suffering, and as a result being a tremendous waste of energy, why not FEEL and BE whatever our experience is at that moment -- that is reality. As it is often said... just as light itself lights up everything... everything that consciousness touches gets transmuted into consciousness.
Spirituality is not escaping from yourself to some free lalaland, but it is about facing yourself and whatever is arising at that moment... it is not an escape. That's why not everyone is into real spirituality. They're after some mundane benefits, or some inner peace, or whatever, but they are not interested in reality. It's not exactly for the faint hearted either... there has to be fearlessness to face reality as it is... to become enlightened to the timeless reality.
Interestingly I just quoted this from Longchen days ago:
Dear friends, what are your thoughts and experiences on this subject? Do you treat spirituality as an escape?Originally posted by An Eternal Now:This is by our forummer, Longchen:
Dear Friends,
If you want to experience non-duality, you must completely let go. That means you must not argue with yourself and you must not run away from any sensation, thoughts or feeling that is being felt at that moment.
You must not give yourself excuse to be not what you are at that moment. You must not reason yourself away from the situation that you are in at that particular moment.
If this persist long enough, something 'magical' will be percieved... -
When I'm in shit, I'll pick up my favorite book ('opening the door to your heart' by ajan bhramn) to look for solutions to the shit, or even on how i can change my mindset to deal with the situation.
so it's not an escape for me. it's just another method of solving one's problem. -
Yes that's perfectly fine... books have much wisdom and will be helpful... as long as we aren't looking for an escape.Originally posted by mahawarrior:When I'm in shit, I'll pick up my favorite book ('opening the door to your heart' by ajan bhramn) to look for solutions to the shit, or even on how i can change my mindset to deal with the situation.
so it's not an escape for me. it's just another method of solving one's problem.
Doesn't mean there is no solutions to problems... but it means we do not treat this moment as a means to a better end... we are 'at one' with whatever reality is presenting itself moment to moment. -
Dear AEN ,
Spirituality is to let us see the solution to our everyday problem
You may wonder why I look fine and not ugly need to seek spirituality
Since young , several life misfortune struck me and made me ponder the purpose of life
With Buddhism , its a strength for me to carry on in this frustrating world ,where sometimes alot of ones happiness cannot be fulfilled
when I see materialism is basically incessant wanting and no peace of mind
spirituality is to regain our inner strength to find solutions to problems in life
with Sincerity,
Bohiruci -
AEN , I feel you should do some social work to realise the teachings of Buddha Dharma
as in the 6 paramita , you are only perfecting the wisdom paramita , which is not enuff
try to go to the street see a hungry roaming kitten , give it some food .
thats where your compassion grows
look at those without a full set of hands , imperfect looks .reflect upon thus ."I am indeed lucky to be born with a full set of body .I want them to be well and happy ." -
Getting away from mundane and seeking peacefulness doesn't mean that you are running away from problems, but rather, learning how to face it and deal with it with a calmer mind, when you are ready, so that outcomes will be positive. It's like recharging battery, without energy, you'll be helpless in desperate situations.Originally posted by An Eternal Now:Hello... just now I had a thought of wanting to find some peace... and so I was just about to pick up some spiritual, dharma books to read in hope that I can get 'peace'. Then suddenly I become conscious of this unconscious momentum of 'seeking peace' and thought to myself... wait a minute... why am I running from what I am experiencing right now? If what I am experiencing right now is shit that's what is appearing right now... that is the reality at that moment... it is shit and it can't be otherwise. That shit is just as holy as anything else... Instead of running away from it which just increases the momentum of the negativity, the aversion and suffering, and as a result being a tremendous waste of energy, why not FEEL and BE whatever our experience is at that moment -- that is reality. As it is often said... just as light itself lights up everything... everything that consciousness touches gets transmuted into consciousness.
Spirituality is not escaping from yourself to some free lalaland, but it is about facing yourself and whatever is arising at that moment... it is not an escape. That's why not everyone is into real spirituality. They're after some mundane benefits, or some inner peace, or whatever, but they are not interested in reality. It's not exactly for the faint hearted either... there has to be fearlessness to face reality as it is... to become enlightened to the timeless reality.
Interestingly I just quoted this from Longchen days ago:
Dear friends, what are your thoughts and experiences on this subject? Do you treat spirituality as an escape? -
This is definitely too.Originally posted by bohiruci:AEN , I feel you should do some social work to realise the teachings of Buddha Dharma
as in the 6 paramita , you are only perfecting the wisdom paramita , which is not enuff
try to go to the street see a hungry roaming kitten , give it some food .
thats where your compassion grows
look at those without a full set of hands , imperfect looks .reflect upon thus ."I am indeed lucky to be born with a full set of body .I want them to be well and happy ."
Do reflect on that, AEN.
-
Dear friends, what are your thoughts and experiences on this subject? Do you treat spirituality as an escape?
i posted a topic on esangha:
http://www.lioncity.net/buddhism/index.php?showtopic=38838&st=0
i'm thinking of the mind of leaving/renunciation "chu li xin"(mind of leaving "samsara") vs bodhi-mind.
http://vip.6to23.com/HCRKP/jtym/jtym067.htm
it states that generating the mind of leaving/renunciation is good for beginners(hinayanist) and should be treated as a foundation.
generally, the primary reason for generating the mind of renunciation is hoping to "escape" the suffering of samsara.
however we need to have the right idea of renunciation. some people only wish to go to enjoy in heavenly realms in their next life. or to get away from the 3 evil realms. such mind of 'leaving' is not enough.
after knowing that we cannot find true happiness in the 6 samsaric realms, we generated the mind of renunciation.
from mahayana's point of view, we go further into generating the bodhi mind which is the essence of Buddhahood.
there are 2 kind of bodhi-mind. relative bodhi is to attain Buddhahood in order to help sentient beings and the absolute bodhi that involve the true understanding of sunyata/emptiness.
in order to have a right view in our practice, both relative bodhi and absolute bodhi should be Equally important.
/\ -
Excellent ....do share more of itOriginally posted by sinweiy:i posted a topic on esangha:
http://www.lioncity.net/buddhism/index.php?showtopic=38838&st=0
i'm thinking of the mind of leaving/renunciation "chu li xin"(mind of leaving "samsara") vs bodhi-mind.
http://vip.6to23.com/HCRKP/jtym/jtym067.htm
it states that generating the mind of leaving/renunciation is good for beginners(hinayanist) and should be treated as a foundation.
generally, the primary reason for generating the mind of renunciation is hoping to "escape" the suffering of samsara.
however we need to have the right idea of renunciation. some people only wish to go to enjoy in heavenly realms in their next life. or to get away from the 3 evil realms. such mind of 'leaving' is not enough.
after knowing that we cannot find true happiness in the 6 samsaric realms, we generated the mind of renunciation.
from mahayana's point of view, we go further into generating the bodhi mind which is the essence of Buddhahood.
there are 2 kind of bodhi-mind. relative bodhi is to attain Buddhahood in order to help sentient beings and the absolute bodhi that involve the true understanding of sunyata/emptiness.
in order to have a right view in our practice, both relative bodhi and absolute bodhi should be Equally important.
/\
hope i can invite u to our skype soon -
I agree with you that peacefulness/calmness is important when facing situations. That's why I'm not knocking calmness, and I do emphasize the importance of sitting meditation, chanting, etc.Originally posted by coolbluewater:Getting away from mundane and seeking peacefulness doesn't mean that you are running away from problems, but rather, learning how to face it and deal with it with a calmer mind, when you are ready, so that outcomes will be positive. It's like recharging battery, without energy, you'll be helpless in desperate situations.
But the problem arises when we hold onto an image on what 'peace' is all about. We see that peace is a state absent of all the various "bad" conditions happening in life, somehow a split-off peaceful refuge we can hold onto. We see it as an escape from our situation. Such an idea is an illusion. True stillness arises when we do NOT run away from whatever situations that are arising, whatever arises is arising in spontaneous clarity by itself... any dualistic action to try to get rid of whatever is arising is itself suffering.
Insight practise is about this, every moment is seen as luminous-emptiness, whatever that is arising is just as empty as 'peace'... and this 'peace', being empty, is ungraspable. Seek escape and peace, peace eludes you, there is only struggle. -
I think an aspiration is good... in fact there needs to be the willingness and effort to practise to be enlightened, if you have no aspiration then it's highly unlikely you will reach liberation.Originally posted by sinweiy:i posted a topic on esangha:
http://www.lioncity.net/buddhism/index.php?showtopic=38838&st=0
i'm thinking of the mind of leaving/renunciation "chu li xin"(mind of leaving "samsara") vs bodhi-mind.
http://vip.6to23.com/HCRKP/jtym/jtym067.htm
it states that generating the mind of leaving/renunciation is good for beginners(hinayanist) and should be treated as a foundation.
generally, the primary reason for generating the mind of renunciation is hoping to "escape" the suffering of samsara.
however we need to have the right idea of renunciation. some people only wish to go to enjoy in heavenly realms in their next life. or to get away from the 3 evil realms. such mind of 'leaving' is not enough.
after knowing that we cannot find true happiness in the 6 samsaric realms, we generated the mind of renunciation.
from mahayana's point of view, we go further into generating the bodhi mind which is the essence of Buddhahood.
there are 2 kind of bodhi-mind. relative bodhi is to attain Buddhahood in order to help sentient beings and the absolute bodhi that involve the true understanding of sunyata/emptiness.
in order to have a right view in our practice, both relative bodhi and absolute bodhi should be Equally important.
/\
But like Dharma Dan the Theravada teacher himself said, the aspiration should not be something just goal-oriented, but something INSIGHT oriented -- meaning every single moment of arising is penetrated and not 'escaped' from:
'Chu li xin' just means one no longer craves samsaric pleasures, fulfillment in samsara, and he lets go of all craving, aversion, and all the samsaric thing... so that instead of being in a state of constantly seeking, he can penetrate every moment of arising and not run away from it.Originally posted by An Eternal Now:
http://www.buddhistgeeks.com/2007/03/05/buddhist-geeks-9-enlightened-teachers/
...The Buddha addressed it well, particularly in a series of Suttas in the Middle Length Discourses, #131-135, titled “One Fortunate Attachment” and variations on that title, and makes similar points in a great many other places.
I quote from the poem that is repeated in those suttas, using the translation of Bhikkhus Ñanamoli and Bodhi, which I highly recommend:“Let not a person revive the past
Or on the future build his hopes;
For the past has been left behind
And the future has not been reached.
Instead, with insight let him see
Each presently arisen state;
Let him know that and be sure of it,
Invincibly, unshakeably.
today the effort must be made;
Tomorrow Death may come, who knows?
No bargain with mortality
Can keep him and his hordes away,
But one who dwells thus ardently,
relentlessly, by day, by night -
It is he, the Peaceful Sage has said,
Who has one fortunate attachment.”
The problem with goal oriented effort in insight meditation arises only when it is effort to get to something that is not here, rather than realizing that what must be understood is right here. There is absolutely no conceptual or practical conflict with trying to be with reality as it is and know it deeply...
As my dharma teacher said many times... The Buddha talk about Nirvana, Pure Land, all the beautiful things... but obviously for most of us, we still haven't reach Nirvana or Pure Land... so the questions is right NOW, how are you going to get there? The key is still the 'Now' (dang1 xia4)... we have to practise all the paramitas, develope wisdom, etc, every moment... rather than only focusing on an ideal state. -
Yes indeed, compassion must complement wisdom, wisdom must complement compassion... thank you for pointing out something very important.Originally posted by bohiruci:AEN , I feel you should do some social work to realise the teachings of Buddha Dharma
as in the 6 paramita , you are only perfecting the wisdom paramita , which is not enuff
try to go to the street see a hungry roaming kitten , give it some food .
thats where your compassion grows
look at those without a full set of hands , imperfect looks .reflect upon thus ."I am indeed lucky to be born with a full set of body .I want them to be well and happy ." -
Originally posted by bohiruci:
That's right, and fundamentally as Buddha taught -- the fundamental problem of Suffering.
Dear AEN ,
Spirituality is to let us see the solution to our everyday problemYou may wonder why I look fine and not ugly need to seek spirituality
Yeah, I think everyone will eventually reach certain stage having gone through much sufferings where he questions his old patterns of samsaric existence and wonders if that's really the way to be.
Since young , several life misfortune struck me and made me ponder the purpose of lifeWith Buddhism , its a strength for me to carry on in this frustrating world ,where sometimes alot of ones happiness cannot be fulfilled
That's right.. Buddhism gives the practitioners strength to carry on in the world.. it has to do with how 'willing' the practitioner is to face reality as it is moment to moment, neither running away from what is at this very moment, or to become attached in seeking something else in the future, thus taking the moment as a means to an end.
when I see materialism is basically incessant wanting and no peace of mind
spirituality is to regain our inner strength to find solutions to problems in life
with Sincerity,
Bohiruci
It has to do with awareness penetrating the nature of all things. As the Buddha said in this sutra about the The Eight Worldly Winds, the difference between an instructed disciple and an uninstructed 'run-of-the-mill person' is that an instructed disciple clearly discerns with awareness that all eight worldly winds are transient - changing moment to moment, and is Dukkha (suffering). He discerns with awareness whatever arises as it is, and his mind does not get consumed in suffering and in gain and loss.
Whereas, the uninstructed 'run-of-the-mill' person does not discern what is arising as it is, and as the Buddha said of such a person:
"He welcomes the arisen gain and rebels against the arisen loss. He welcomes the arisen status and rebels against the arisen disgrace. He welcomes the arisen praise and rebels against the arisen censure. He welcomes the arisen pleasure and rebels against the arisen pain. As he is thus engaged in welcoming & rebelling, he is not released from birth, aging, or death; from sorrows, lamentations, pains, distresses, or despairs. He is not released, I tell you, from suffering & stress."
That's the problem with materialism... those attached to materialism is always trying to 'get something better in the future', and such a person can never have peace of mind. His mind will never leave 'gain or loss', constantly seeking something in the future and if he loses or does not get what he wants, aversion arises.
So the Buddha said:
“Let not a person revive the past
Or on the future build his hopes;
For the past has been left behind
And the future has not been reached.
Instead, with insight let him see
Each presently arisen state;
Let him know that and be sure of it,
Invincibly, unshakeably.
today the effort must be made;
Tomorrow Death may come, who knows?
No bargain with mortality
Can keep him and his hordes away,
But one who dwells thus ardently,
relentlessly, by day, by night -
It is he, the Peaceful Sage has said,
Who has one fortunate attachment.” -
Originally posted by An Eternal Now:
To elaborate on this point, I want to share something Thusness shared with me some days ago:
an instructed disciple clearly discerns with awareness that all eight worldly winds are transient - changing moment to moment, and is Dukkha (suffering). He discerns with awareness whatever arises as it is
(12:21 AM) Thusness: what is the role of insight meditation?
(12:22 AM) Thusness: why bare attention?
(12:22 AM) Thusness: why naked awareness?
(12:22 AM) Thusness: when insight meditation is taught and buddha said when hearing jsut the sound...this and that...
(12:23 AM) Thusness: what buddha wanted is to experience directly what awareness is, the arising, the ceasing, the clarity, the non-dual nature
(12:23 AM) Thusness: in DO
(12:24 AM) AEN_____: icic..
(12:24 AM) Thusness: not to note it with thought or place any conclusion on any experience.
(12:25 AM) Thusness: "this is impermanence" is not about noting and place any conclusion about an phenomenon arising.
(12:26 AM) Thusness: but experience impermanence directly, not in words
(12:26 AM) AEN_____: icic.. yea
(12:26 AM) Thusness: be impermanence and know what is it really...
(12:26 AM) Thusness: see what clarity is, not what it should be
(12:27 AM) Thusness: it is luminous and yet empty...experience it directly...it is so.
(12:27 AM) AEN_____: icic..
(12:27 AM) Thusness: break the solidity until there is no holding simply thus. -
Hi,Originally posted by sinweiy:i posted a topic on esangha:
http://www.lioncity.net/buddhism/index.php?showtopic=38838&st=0
i'm thinking of the mind of leaving/renunciation "chu li xin"(mind of leaving "samsara") vs bodhi-mind.
http://vip.6to23.com/HCRKP/jtym/jtym067.htm
it states that generating the mind of leaving/renunciation is good for beginners(hinayanist) and should be treated as a foundation.
generally, the primary reason for generating the mind of renunciation is hoping to "escape" the suffering of samsara.
however we need to have the right idea of renunciation. some people only wish to go to enjoy in heavenly realms in their next life. or to get away from the 3 evil realms. such mind of 'leaving' is not enough.
after knowing that we cannot find true happiness in the 6 samsaric realms, we generated the mind of renunciation.
from mahayana's point of view, we go further into generating the bodhi mind which is the essence of Buddhahood.
there are 2 kind of bodhi-mind. relative bodhi is to attain Buddhahood in order to help sentient beings and the absolute bodhi that involve the true understanding of sunyata/emptiness.
in order to have a right view in our practice, both relative bodhi and absolute bodhi should be Equally important.
/\
I am not so sure whether have i been generating the mind of renunciation.
But i have lose alot of interests in things that i used to enjoy that is bgr, shopping and many other things. Am i doing it right?
cos i know all this are impermance and for this i will feel sad. Thus i don't see the need to maintain long term good relationships and let things come as it is. -
I dun think losing interest is exactly the same as the generating the mind of renunciation. You could still enjoy activities like shopping, but just that you don't hold any attachment/craving to it. That's renunciation (please correct me if I'm wrong).Originally posted by Isis:Hi,
I am not so sure whether have i been generating the mind of renunciation.
But i have lose alot of interests in things that i used to enjoy that is bgr, shopping and many other things. Am i doing it right?
cos i know all this are impermance and for this i will feel sad. Thus i don't see the need to maintain long term good relationships and let things come as it is.
Of course, if you loses interest in shopping, that's good for your bank account but bad for the retailers. -
Originally posted by Isis:
my experience is in the beginning it's like this. later on, it would have to be manifested into bodhi-mind.
Hi,
I am not so sure whether have i been generating the mind of renunciation.
But i have lose alot of interests in things that i used to enjoy that is bgr, shopping and many other things. Am i doing it right?
cos i know all this are impermance and for this i will feel sad. Thus i don't see the need to maintain long term good relationships and let things come as it is.
give u a famous simile: a person asked Monk Budai, what's Dharma all about?
Monk Budai put His bag down onto the floor. i see said the person. then what? Monk Budai took the bag up and walk away.
It signify your understanding that everything is not permenent and that it's forever changing, hence you see things as they are and let go...laymen term , loss interest within. but what does it mean by taking up the bag?
It mean Fa men wu liang, si yuan xue, learn endless "dharma". (one of the bodhisattvas universe vow). "dharma" here can in deeper sense mean anything or whatever. eg: fengshui.
The root of the vow is to help endless sentient beings. "loss interest within" is a form of ending our vexation and afflictions.
if you do shopping etc, you do not do it for "self", you do it for "others". your mentality should be thinking of helping others understand the meaning of dharma.
in another way, you do according with "yuan" and flow with the "yuan" (conditions). time to eat u eat, time to sleep, u sleep..per se.
/\ -
true ,Dharma is about letting go of the attachment to the worldly view and work towards an clear concept in this chaotic worldOriginally posted by sinweiy:my experience is in the beginning it's like this. later on, it would have to be manifested into bodhi-mind.
give u a famous simile: a person asked Monk Budai, what's Dharma all about?
Monk Budai put His bag down onto the floor. i see said the person. then what? Monk Budai took the bag up and walk away.
It signify your understanding that everything is not permenent and that it's forever changing, hence you see things as they are and let go...laymen term , loss interest within. but what does it mean by taking up the bag?
It mean Fa men wu liang, si yuan xue, learn endless "dharma". (one of the bodhisattvas universe vow). "dharma" here can in deeper sense mean anything or whatever. eg: fengshui.
The root of the vow is to help endless sentient beings. "loss interest within" is a form of ending our vexation and afflictions.
if you do shopping etc, you do not do it for "self", you do it for "others". your mentality should be thinking of helping others understand the meaning of dharma.
in another way, you do according with "yuan" and flow with the "yuan" (conditions). time to eat u eat, time to sleep, u sleep..per se.
/\ -
I think your mind is 'maturing' out of it... no longer so obsessed with them. But still doesn't mean you can't enjoy them... there has to be balance.Originally posted by Isis:Hi,
I am not so sure whether have i been generating the mind of renunciation.
But i have lose alot of interests in things that i used to enjoy that is bgr, shopping and many other things. Am i doing it right?
cos i know all this are impermance and for this i will feel sad. Thus i don't see the need to maintain long term good relationships and let things come as it is.
But honestly speaking I don't think a practitioner with certain levels of practise, would spend too much time on these things. Not that they can't... but life is just too short, we'd better be making use of all the time to practise. There is much greater bliss in clarity than in materialism, because material things are all fleeting, ungraspable, of the nature of dukkha.
As for whether you want a relationship, ultimately its conditions (such as meeting somebody you like) + your choice. There is no right and wrong, you have to plan your own future. -
Letting go worldly views, yes... but not exactly towards a clearer 'concept'... cos truth isn't a concept.Originally posted by bohiruci:true ,Dharma is about letting go of the attachment to the worldly view and work towards an clear concept in this chaotic world
It is letting go of everything including all concepts, being bare and mindful... then reality can be directly known. -
you know what i realise, buddhism is like "settle your problems first before you come to me", thats how buddhism will start teaching u how to be enlightened
-
Why do you say so?Originally posted by Omniknight:you know what i realise, buddhism is like "settle your problems first before you come to me", thats how buddhism will start teaching u how to be enlightened
Everyone has problems -- and life is an ongoing process of learning. If you want to 'settle all your problems first', I don't think you will ever start practising Buddhism.
In fact because we have problems, the more we should practise Buddhism, because with Buddhism we will have more wisdom and mental stability to deal with all situations. -
Guys,
I have found a wonderful text by the 6th Zen Patriarch Hui Neng regarding my topic.
Here's it, chapter 5 of Platform Sutra: http://www.sinc.sunysb.edu/Clubs/buddhism/huineng/huineng5.html
Chapter V. Dhyana
The Patriarch (one day) preached to the assembly as follows:--
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 another delusion, 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.
Learned Audience, 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'. Learned Audience, 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.
The Patriarch on another occasion preached to the assembly as follows:--
Learned Audience, what is sitting for meditation? In our School, to sit means to gain absolute freedom and to be mentally unperturbed in all outward circumstances, be they good or otherwise. To meditate means to realize inwardly the imperturbability of the Essence of Mind.
Learned Audience, what are Dhyana and Samadhi? Dhyana means to be free from attachment to all outer objects, and Samadhi means to attain inner peace. If we are attached to outer objects, our inner mind will be perturbed. When we are free from attachment to all outer objects, the mind will be in peace. Our Essence of Mind is intrinsically pure, and the reason why we are perturbed is because we allow ourselves to be carried away by the circumstances we are in. He who is able to keep his mind unperturbed, irrespective of circumstances, has attained Samadhi.
To be free from attachment to all outer objects is Dhyana, and to attain inner peace is Samadhi. When we are in a position to deal with Dhyana and to keep our inner mind in Samadhi, then we are said to have attained Dhyana and Samadhi. The Bodhisattva Sila Sutra says, "Our Essence of Mind is intrinsically pure." Learned Audience, let us realize this for ourselves at all times. Let us train ourselves, practice it by ourselves, and attain Buddhahood by our own effort. -
Here's some others by the 1st Chinese Zen Patriarch Bodhidharma which I found useful:
"If all things are left just as they are,
that is called practicing the path of Dharma.
If one does not see even one single thing,
that is called seeing the path of Dharma.
If one does not consider even a single thing,
that is called meditating the path of Dharma."
Further:
"Free from the effort of samadhi, resting naturally in the state of uncontrived clarity in non-abiding equanimity, without feeling indifferent or developing agitation, since whatever appears in only concepts, don't examine them at all." -
Well back to the topic.. sometime, i'm not even sure what i am feeling sometime.. Even if it is a piece of sh!tty feeling. Feeling will disappear as soon as it comes. The context of the feelings will changed frequently, from bad to so bad blah blah blah.Originally posted by An Eternal Now:Hello... just now I had a thought of wanting to find some peace... and so I was just about to pick up some spiritual, dharma books to read in hope that I can get 'peace'. Then suddenly I become conscious of this unconscious momentum of 'seeking peace' and thought to myself... wait a minute... why am I running from what I am experiencing right now? If what I am experiencing right now is shit that's what is appearing right now... that is the reality at that moment... it is shit and it can't be otherwise. That shit is just as holy as anything else... Instead of running away from it which just increases the momentum of the negativity, the aversion and suffering, and as a result being a tremendous waste of energy, why not FEEL and BE whatever our experience is at that moment -- that is reality. As it is often said... just as light itself lights up everything... everything that consciousness touches gets transmuted into consciousness.
Spirituality is not escaping from yourself to some free lalaland, but it is about facing yourself and whatever is arising at that moment... it is not an escape. That's why not everyone is into real spirituality. They're after some mundane benefits, or some inner peace, or whatever, but they are not interested in reality. It's not exactly for the faint hearted either... there has to be fearlessness to face reality as it is... to become enlightened to the timeless reality.
Interestingly I just quoted this from Longchen days ago:
Dear friends, what are your thoughts and experiences on this subject? Do you treat spirituality as an escape?
What is then this reality that one perceived ?
My 2 cent of view is that... one needs to seek solace in dharma teaching is becos one is not enlightened yet. Ultimately, it is not the words of the teaching that gives you the peace, it is the realization of the teachings that naturally set you at ease... the peace that you allows for yourself.