Fang xia The Buddhist Doctrine
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The Late Buddhist monk Sheng Yan told us to Put Down or Fang Xia.It's really difficult for layman like us to Put Down.We always Put Down and Pick Up again and again.What is Put Down?
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Not holding, not grasping, not seeking, not following or getting absorbed in our thoughts but rest in pure awareness that simply allows everything to be. Simply watch them arise and pass without being distracted by them or follow them. When you don't pick up (get caught up in the thoughts), you don't need to let go as well.
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put down mean not attached, someone posess alot money, he become cocky, someone is hot, she become cocky, someone is smart, become cocky,
this means attachment, in my opinion,
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Why put down when you can take up? Thought of the day.
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Because all phenomena are inconstant, everchanging, eventually pass away. Being so they are ultimately dissatisfactory and stressful. By clinging to them as self or mine, we suffer.
i.e. if we cling to body as self, or attached to our physical looks, we will be utterly disappointed 10, 20, or 30 years later when we become sick, old, etc.
If we cling to posessions as mine, we will again suffer when they depart due to various circumstances or we meet physical death.
By diligently practicing mindfulness of the 3 characterstics of all phenomena (impermanent, suffering, not-self) we will be free from all sufferings and attain the highest insights that leads to nirvana, free from all clinging, sorrow, birth and death.
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Originally posted by An Eternal Now:
Because all phenomena are inconstant, everchanging, eventually pass away. Being so they are ultimately dissatisfactory and stressful. By clinging to them as self or mine, we suffer.
i.e. if we cling to body as self, or attached to our physical looks, we will be utterly disappointed 10, 20, or 30 years later when we become sick, old, etc.
If we cling to posessions as mine, we will again suffer when they depart due to various circumstances or we meet physical death.
By diligently practicing mindfulness of the 3 characterstics of all phenomena (impermanent, suffering, not-self) we will be free from all sufferings and attain the highest insights that leads to nirvana, free from all clinging, sorrow, birth and death.
Ahhh.. AEN, you are still clinging to a belief. Havn't you started to put down yet?
Material possesions are one thing but can you put down your belief?
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Originally posted by Herzog_Zwei:
Ahhh.. AEN, you are still clinging to a belief. Havn't you started to put down yet?
Material possesions are one thing but can you put down your belief?
The 3 characteristics of phenomena is not a belief, it's a fact that can be determined by observation.
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Frankly, never heard of Sheng Yan.
放下？
Just let go. It doesn't matter if you pick it up later or not. Just let go. Breathe in, clear your mind, let go of all thoughts, positive and negative, relax, breathe out - feel every thing drain out. In, Out.
So why let go when you can pick it up later? Practice.Practice makes perfect.
修身养性。
Slowly, but inevitably, if you can let go often enough. You can attain. If you keep on holding to the issues like why do this when this is not permanent... Let go of it already.
As to why it is often difficult for layman to let go... it is not that they do not understand, but they don't want to. How difficult is it to empty your mind?
(Actually, it is very difficult because most of us worry too much...)
But people think of it as giving up certain things/memory/characteristic/personality that are close to them, be it a good, bad, or simply a habit.
To me, it is a simple exercise to clear your mind, keep it empty for a while, and relax. Enjoy the peace.
K.
Faith and belief is often a simple thing. But very difficult to explain. So some people try to think of clever, complicated ways to explain faith and beliefs. And end up confusing others even more.
悟：Not to explain, but to think and understand.
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Originally posted by Kirby kelsg:
Frankly, never heard of Sheng Yan.
放下？
Just let go. It doesn't matter if you pick it up later or not. Just let go. Breathe in, clear your mind, let go of all thoughts, positive and negative, relax, breathe out - feel every thing drain out. In, Out.
So why let go when you can pick it up later? Practice.Practice makes perfect.
修身养性。
Slowly, but inevitably, if you can let go often enough. You can attain. If you keep on holding to the issues like why do this when this is not permanent... Let go of it already.
As to why it is often difficult for layman to let go... it is not that they do not understand, but they don't want to. How difficult is it to empty your mind?
(Actually, it is very difficult because most of us worry too much...)
But people think of it as giving up certain things/memory/characteristic/personality that are close to them, be it a good, bad, or simply a habit.
To me, it is a simple exercise to clear your mind, keep it empty for a while, and relax. Enjoy the peace.
K.
Faith and belief is often a simple thing. But very difficult to explain. So some people try to think of clever, complicated ways to explain faith and beliefs. And end up confusing others even more.
悟：Not to explain, but to think and understand.
Your method you proposed is "no thinking "
This wont lead you to happiness in the meditation approach
I suggest you learnt fm expert here before u create so much fool of yourself and make yourself a perfect fool in meditation
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Letting go is important... but there are many levels of letting go.
In the first stage of dropping there is the idea of having 'someone' trying to 'suppress' thoughts (as if thoughts have inherent existence which the 'self' can push away), which is the wrong way of letting go. This is due to the wrong idea of there being a 'self' who can push away thoughts, and also the wrong idea of thoughts having substance or reality -- thoughts are already empty. As long as there the illusion of someone trying to let go of something, all letting go is only holding and reacting and contrived action in disguise of dropping.
The next level of dropping is to be a background mirror, a background awareness behind thoughts and dissociate and detach from all thoughts and experiences. At this level it is still dualistic, the experience is on the I AM as the background awareness unaffected by thoughts, the insight into non-duality has not arisen. The insight that 'all dust/all phenomena is the mirror' has not arisen. One distants oneself from the object but still holds tightly to the Subject (a witness, a center).
The next level is to drop endlessly without footing and reasoning and enter a state that feels like oblivion.
Then the next level is to drop into vivid wide opening.
The next level of dropping is to drop into vivid wide opening arising AS all scenery, sound, taste, touch, thoughts.
The next level is just everything spontaneous arising and subsiding.
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Frankly, never heard of Sheng Yan.
放下？
Just let go. It doesn't matter if you pick it up later or not. Just let go. Breathe in, clear your mind, let go of all thoughts, positive and negative, relax, breathe out - feel every thing drain out. In, Out.
So why let go when you can pick it up later? Practice.Practice makes perfect.
修身养性。
Slowly, but inevitably, if you can let go often enough. You can attain. If you keep on holding to the issues like why do this when this is not permanent... Let go of it already.
As to why it is often difficult for layman to let go... it is not that they do not understand, but they don't want to. How difficult is it to empty your mind?
(Actually, it is very difficult because most of us worry too much...)
But people think of it as giving up certain things/memory/characteristic/personality that are close to them, be it a good, bad, or simply a habit.
To me, it is a simple exercise to clear your mind, keep it empty for a while, and relax. Enjoy the peace.
K.
Faith and belief is often a simple thing. But very difficult to explain. So some people try to think of clever, complicated ways to explain faith and beliefs. And end up confusing others even more.
悟：Not to explain, but to think and understand.
Hi Kirby kelsg, why are you so full of hatred?
What faith do you belong to? Are you a christian or muslim?
You seems rather unhappy with what Buddhism teaches.
If you are a muslim, I welcome you to post your contention in this forum. I will debate with you point to point in this forum. I like to debate with the muslim.
But if you are a christian, I am not interested. It is because the Christians are the most naive and simple-minded among all the religious followers. Responding to them is just a great waste of precious time.
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Buddhist meditation is NOT simple no-thinking. Non-conceptual direct understanding of the ultimate reality in meditative equipose is NOT equal to simple no-thinking. In fact, not thinking per se is a form of thinking. It is just like the existence of God and the absence of God are two polar constructs of our human conceptual mind to which we ignorantly grasp to.
The ultimate reality is neither the existence nor the absence of God. It is the negation of the four 'horn' (catuskoti) in the madhyamaka tetralemma. This is the Great Middle Way taught by the Buddha. This is the reason why the Buddha was SILENT on the question of GOD's existence.
Similarly, what is taking place in the mind of the meditator in meditative equipoise transcends thinking and no-thinking. If simple No-Thinking can lead to enlightenment, then becoming a buddha will be a very easy task for many. Especially those in COMA, lying in hospital, will be Buddha.
For those who are interested in knowing more about thinking/ no-thinking in relation to mediation, please read Mipham Jamyang Gyatso's take on Hwashang's quietism in his debate with his Gelugpa opponents.
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i am fake, his is fake, you is fake, everything in the world is fake
nothing is true