There is no greater measure of an individual than one who gives selflessly to others. Christmas is a wonderful symbol of this selfless giving, a celebration of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, an enlightened being who practiced and taught service to others. Eventually he would give up his life so that others might see and understand that sometimes we must relinquish the self so that we may help others on the path.
Jesus said, “He who has a mind to understand, let him understand.” (1)
It is through understanding the needs of others that we come to understand our essential nature, which is communion. Human beings were not made to live in isolation from one another. If we isolate our hearts from others, then we come only to think of the self as an island that must be protected at all costs. And even if each one of us is an island, it is through our words and deeds of merit that we create bridges between these islands of the heart so that we may see our similarities and understand that we are all one.
In the Western world, Christmas continues to symbolize the act of giving, (which is communion,) though it has been substantially minimized to an act of giving material objects. In my mind, this is perhaps one of the greatest ironies in the history of humanity: how the teaching of “selfless giving” has been diluted, through the filter of consumerism, into an act of “selfish getting.”
There was a commercial running on television last Christmas which perfectly captures this idea. It is Christmas day, or perhaps even Christmas Eve. Everyone in the family is so happy right now, for they are standing around the Christmas tree waiting to open their presents. Mom and Sissy and little Brother are each holding a brightly wrapped gift in their hands. They are smiling gleefully, barely able to contain their excitement. “Can we open one now?” they cry out happily. “Not until we visit your grandmother,” replies Dad. And off they go to grandma’s house. In the next scene, they pull up in front of grandma’s and stop to look at her standing on the front porch, waving at them from across the snowy yard. “Well, we’ve seen grandma,” chirps Dad, and then they drive off, excited about getting home and opening their presents. Now understandably this is a commercial ploy to get us excited about how wonderful those gifts are from that particular retailer. And they do have great stuff, no question about it. But there is a dark undercurrent here, and if we are willing to look closely, we will see it. What this commercial seems to be telling us is that our personal desires should be more important than the needs of others. Did you notice that Grandma was standing alone on the porch? Where is Grandpa? In the beginning of the commercial there is only mention of Grandma. From this we can easily deduce that she lives alone. Maybe she and her husband are divorced and the family must split their holiday time between both of them. Maybe Grandpa died some years ago and now Grandma lives alone in this big house. Can you imagine her pain and loneliness? Can you imagine how happy it makes her to know that her family is coming to visit her on Christmas, one of the bleakest of all times for those who live alone? What a great gift she is being given this Christmas, which is her family’s presence in her life. How wonderful! How joyfully Christian! But then, but then they drive off. “Is this some kind of joke?” she asks herself. But as she stands there watching them disappearing down the street, she realizes that they are not coming back. How dreadfully awful! To do something this terrible! And selfish! To a loved one on Christmas!
Now, I’m not trying to say that this commercial is representative of all of us, for there are many who give selflessly, even flawlessly of themselves, who hold their family and friends, even the rest of humanity, in the warmth of their bosoms. Nonetheless, it does exist, wherever we look these days; an indictment of the culture in which we live. One thing many of us have forgotten (and believe me, I don’t blame anyone for it,) is that we lose our hearts when we lose ourselves to desire. Desire is not a bad thing, either. As a matter of fact, it is a most wonderful thing! It is through our desires that we seek to discover truth, beauty and goodness. Imagine what the world would be like if Jesus or Buddha or Lao Tzu decided that they had no desire to show humanity the truth of itself. Imagine what the world would be like if Monet had not the desire to capture on canvas the endless variations of light he saw in the things of the world. My God, imagine what the world would be like if Shakespeare decided that desire was too boring a subject to write about! Imagine! Imagine! Imagine! I’m sure you get the point. But desire is desire and very often turns into obsession; and when it does, it leads into the labyrinth of our minds, and we become lost in the endless drama of what we want and don’t want. As you probably know, there was another great teacher of truth and compassion that taught us to keep our eyes open to suffering, not to run from it. What was it he said? That our suffering comes from wanting the things we don’t have and not wanting the things we do have? Well, that sounds about right, doesn’t it?
Personally, I know this for a fact, having caused myself, my friends and loved ones pain more times than I would like to admit, because I was not present for them, let alone myself. This was because I fell too much in love with the fictions that I was spinning around inside my head: endless visions of my self, the questing hero of my dreams, destroying that which he found too painful and hording that which gave him so much pleasure. Of course, there were also times that I gave my loved ones my full attention, being completely there for them and me. And the wonder is that those were the loveliest, the most beautiful, and the most precious moments of my life. Examples abound: sitting on a hill side in Bill’s back yard in autumn, watching the dance of fire flies in the grass, the air and trees; helping Patrick build the bonfire for Guy Faux Day on a cool winter day; practicing Tai Chi with John and Ashley in the park, our bodies moving with grace through the warm spring air; meditating with my daughter in her back yard on a humid summer evening; running my hand down a woman’s back, loving the contour of her manifest soul; all the great conversations I have had with so many people over the years; watching my son tattoo a dragon on some guy’s back; watching the birth of my children; being with my Dad when he died. You see, these are the moments when we effortlessly forget our desires and quite simply become who we really are—beings in communion with the present moment. Yes. These are the moments in which we willingly relinquish the self, that island we spend so much time defending from the imagined onslaught of others.
Jesus said, “…and my desire has been ended, and ignorance has died.” (2)
I bet you’ve never heard Jesus talk like a Zen Master, have you? Well, there you have it. And when Jesus spoke of desire, he was not speaking of the wonderful things that desire can bring, but of the terrible things that desire so often leaves in the wake of our lives. And when he spoke of ignorance, it wasn’t about being stupid. Duh! Read his words again: and my desire has been ended, and ignorance has died. He is telling us that ignorance is about living in darkness, because we have been blinded by our desires and endless dreams. If we are willing to risk the pain of being present our lives will become filled with an aura of authenticity no words can ever explain. Desire will drop away and we shall become awakened from the darkness of ignorance. But I’m sure you know this. Just think of all those moments in your life when you released your ego and became the moment. Can you remember a few of those moments, right now? I’m sure you can. And wouldn’t it be wonderful to have those moments all of the time?
“His disciples said to him, ‘Show us the place where you are, since it necessary for us to seek it.’
“He said to them, ‘Whoever has ears, let him hear. There is light within a man of light, and he lights up the whole world. If he does not shine, he is in darkness.’” (3)
You may be saying to yourself right now, “Well, that’s pretty cryptic!” And I would reply, “Stop thinking!” Does this comment surprise you? Well, don’t let it. Very often our thoughts get in the way of our vision, of how things really are. You see, what Jesus is saying, as I interpret it, is that when we are present with the world we shine like the world, and when we lose ourselves in the objects of our desires, those brightly colored pretty presents that we confuse for the world, we lose ourselves and thus we lose the world. After all, what other place do we have but this world to live in, this magnificent, wonderful world which causes us to experience so much joy and sorrow?
But how do we find this world, how do we appreciate its often mundane nature, how do we go about living in it authentically and with presence?
There are many paths to this end. We have discussed many of them over the years, haven’t we? And they all work, if we would just let them. But before we chose a path to tread, I truly believe that we must begin “by recognizing what is in our sight.”
Jesus said, “Know what is in front of your face and what has been hidden from you will be revealed to you. For there is nothing hidden that will not be made clear and nothing buried that will not be raised.” (4)
From the Gnostic Gospels:
(1) The Gospel of Mary Magdalene, Chapter Four, number 29
(2) The Gospel of Mary Magdalene, Chapter Eight, number 22
(3) The Gospel of Thomas, saying 24
(4) The Gospel of Thomas, saying5
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Saturday, December 5, 2009
HONORING THE BODY
Ken Wilber has written that we are so out of touch with our bodies that meditation teachers often begin with mindfulness of the body as a way to help the new practitioner reconnect with her/his self. It is, after all, our physical form that allows us to experience the world in which we live. Through our five sense organs—ears, eyes, tongue, nose, and skin—we are able to navigate our way through the physical universe and enjoy the ever-shifting display of energy expressing itself in multitudinous forms. It has been said that it is the body that carries us (our sense of self) so gracefully through our lives—the holy chalice without which we could not exist. It is interesting to consider that we take our bodies for granted, suffering the illusion that the “I” is ever-changeless, that we confuse immortality of the soul or the sense of the permanence of the self with our bodies, a physical structure prone to sickness, old age, and death. Some of us use our bodies as repositories of the foulest substances because it is through these substances that the brain, part of the body, is lulled into a somnambulant opiate-like experience of happiness and release. And there are those who neglect their bodies through lack of exercise, improper diet, or ignore the body when it signals that it may need the care of a physician. Finally, there are those who treat their bodies with the utmost respect, honoring it for the wondrous vehicle that it is.
Let us briefly examine these three modes of existence and see where they may lead.
Although alcohol and drugs create a sense of release and happiness, a higher sense of consciousness, ultimately we are lead astray by the dreams they create—a sense of emotional well being that is more ephemeral than a wisp of smoke. Such products ultimately destroy the body, the vehicle necessary for emotional and spiritual transformation.
Similarly, when we do not take care of our bodies through lack of use, ill use or over consumption, we weaken the vehicle, draining it of the energy needed for the hard work of evolving into a higher self.
In either case, mindfulness is extremely difficult because of the fog of inebriation or the lack of energy inherent in a weakened body.
It is through mindfulness of the body, the sensory system manifested for viewing the wondrous display of the universe, that we discover truth, beauty and goodness.
By honoring the body, through moderation or renunciation, through impeccable diet and exercise, we increase the energy for the work that needs to be done, as well as refining the body system so that we can better experience the gift of the physical universe that flows around us and through us, ultimately offering us the window to the sublime.
Additionally, reconnecting with our bodies is very important in that it can be our best teacher when contemplating impermanence, the irrefutable truth that nothing ever stays the same. Can you remember the body ten years ago? Is it the same body? Is your sense of suffering or pleasure the same then as now? Is your relationship to your body the same then as it is now? Do you understand your body; do you know its needs? Through our realization of impermanence, we come to a greater appreciation of the wonder of life and all of its dynamic systems, including the human body—your body.
Love it for what it is.
Without the body, you are as ephemeral as a wisp of smoke.
Ken Wilber has written that we are so out of touch with our bodies that meditation teachers often begin with mindfulness of the body as a way to help the new practitioner reconnect with her/his self. It is, after all, our physical form that allows us to experience the world in which we live. Through our five sense organs—ears, eyes, tongue, nose, and skin—we are able to navigate our way through the physical universe and enjoy the ever-shifting display of energy expressing itself in multitudinous forms. It has been said that it is the body that carries us (our sense of self) so gracefully through our lives—the holy chalice without which we could not exist. It is interesting to consider that we take our bodies for granted, suffering the illusion that the “I” is ever-changeless, that we confuse immortality of the soul or the sense of the permanence of the self with our bodies, a physical structure prone to sickness, old age, and death. Some of us use our bodies as repositories of the foulest substances because it is through these substances that the brain, part of the body, is lulled into a somnambulant opiate-like experience of happiness and release. And there are those who neglect their bodies through lack of exercise, improper diet, or ignore the body when it signals that it may need the care of a physician. Finally, there are those who treat their bodies with the utmost respect, honoring it for the wondrous vehicle that it is.
Let us briefly examine these three modes of existence and see where they may lead.
Although alcohol and drugs create a sense of release and happiness, a higher sense of consciousness, ultimately we are lead astray by the dreams they create—a sense of emotional well being that is more ephemeral than a wisp of smoke. Such products ultimately destroy the body, the vehicle necessary for emotional and spiritual transformation.
Similarly, when we do not take care of our bodies through lack of use, ill use or over consumption, we weaken the vehicle, draining it of the energy needed for the hard work of evolving into a higher self.
In either case, mindfulness is extremely difficult because of the fog of inebriation or the lack of energy inherent in a weakened body.
It is through mindfulness of the body, the sensory system manifested for viewing the wondrous display of the universe, that we discover truth, beauty and goodness.
By honoring the body, through moderation or renunciation, through impeccable diet and exercise, we increase the energy for the work that needs to be done, as well as refining the body system so that we can better experience the gift of the physical universe that flows around us and through us, ultimately offering us the window to the sublime.
Additionally, reconnecting with our bodies is very important in that it can be our best teacher when contemplating impermanence, the irrefutable truth that nothing ever stays the same. Can you remember the body ten years ago? Is it the same body? Is your sense of suffering or pleasure the same then as now? Is your relationship to your body the same then as it is now? Do you understand your body; do you know its needs? Through our realization of impermanence, we come to a greater appreciation of the wonder of life and all of its dynamic systems, including the human body—your body.
Love it for what it is.
Without the body, you are as ephemeral as a wisp of smoke.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Unity of Breath-a guided meditation
Breath is the essential ingredient binding all living things.
-Start with awareness of the breath.
-Breathe in. Breathe out. Become acquainted with the quality of the breath; breathing a short, breathing a long breath. Relax into the breath.
-Enlarge your field of awareness to include others sitting in this in room with you. Acknowledge that they too are following the breath, becoming the breath. Imagine that your breath moves in sync with their breaths, all of you becoming one with breath.
-Where is the self in all of this?
-Breath with breath. Becoming one with breath, until there is only breath.
-Imagine that in this very moment all of whom you know and love are breathing just as you breathe, sometimes a short breath, sometimes a long breath. Really make an effort to bring the essence of your loved ones to mind, knowing that they breathe as you breathe in this very moment.
-Imagine all of the people in this town, breathing as you breathe, sometimes a short breath, sometimes a long breath, the breath connecting all of us.
-Imagine all of the people in this country, breathing as you breathe, sometimes a short breath, sometimes a long breath, the breath connecting all of us—306 million people breathing together.
-Imagine all of the people on earth, breathing as you breathe, sometimes a short breath, sometimes a long breath, the breath connecting all of us—6,783, 557 people breathing together.
-Imagine that along with all of the people on this planet, there are countless creatures of earth, air and water, breathing together in this very moment, just as you breathe, breathing a short breath, breathing a long breath...fast...slow...hot...cold. It is the breath that connects all sentient beings,breathing in, breathing out.
-Where is the self in all of this?
-Imagine this planet, mother of life, the greatest teacher. Imagine that you are made of the same stuff—earth, air, fire and water. Imagine that as you breathe in, you are breathing in the earth and as you breathe out, the earth is breathing you out. The earth is breathing.
-Where is the self in all of this?
-Imagine all of the stars and planets and galaxies of this grand universe. The universe is expanding to a point when it will contract, bringing everything back to the beginning. Imagine that as the universe is expanding, it is breathing out and when it contracts, it is breathing in. The universe is breathing, just as you breathe in this very moment.
-Where is the self in all of this?
-Breathe in...breathe out...sometimes a short breath, sometimes a long breath...the breath of trillions rising and falling as one breath.
-Now bring awareness back to the breath of the body, the body that is self and no-self.
-The breath body.
-Start with awareness of the breath.
-Breathe in. Breathe out. Become acquainted with the quality of the breath; breathing a short, breathing a long breath. Relax into the breath.
-Enlarge your field of awareness to include others sitting in this in room with you. Acknowledge that they too are following the breath, becoming the breath. Imagine that your breath moves in sync with their breaths, all of you becoming one with breath.
-Where is the self in all of this?
-Breath with breath. Becoming one with breath, until there is only breath.
-Imagine that in this very moment all of whom you know and love are breathing just as you breathe, sometimes a short breath, sometimes a long breath. Really make an effort to bring the essence of your loved ones to mind, knowing that they breathe as you breathe in this very moment.
-Imagine all of the people in this town, breathing as you breathe, sometimes a short breath, sometimes a long breath, the breath connecting all of us.
-Imagine all of the people in this country, breathing as you breathe, sometimes a short breath, sometimes a long breath, the breath connecting all of us—306 million people breathing together.
-Imagine all of the people on earth, breathing as you breathe, sometimes a short breath, sometimes a long breath, the breath connecting all of us—6,783, 557 people breathing together.
-Imagine that along with all of the people on this planet, there are countless creatures of earth, air and water, breathing together in this very moment, just as you breathe, breathing a short breath, breathing a long breath...fast...slow...hot...cold. It is the breath that connects all sentient beings,breathing in, breathing out.
-Where is the self in all of this?
-Imagine this planet, mother of life, the greatest teacher. Imagine that you are made of the same stuff—earth, air, fire and water. Imagine that as you breathe in, you are breathing in the earth and as you breathe out, the earth is breathing you out. The earth is breathing.
-Where is the self in all of this?
-Imagine all of the stars and planets and galaxies of this grand universe. The universe is expanding to a point when it will contract, bringing everything back to the beginning. Imagine that as the universe is expanding, it is breathing out and when it contracts, it is breathing in. The universe is breathing, just as you breathe in this very moment.
-Where is the self in all of this?
-Breathe in...breathe out...sometimes a short breath, sometimes a long breath...the breath of trillions rising and falling as one breath.
-Now bring awareness back to the breath of the body, the body that is self and no-self.
-The breath body.
The Dream of the Self
In my last post I touched on the Five Aggregates. Body. Feeling. Thought. Perception. Consciousness. We have learned that we are a combination of sensations that rest upon the foundation of body, that incredible vessel which carries us so gracefully through our lives. Without body the other five aggregates would be impossible, wouldn’t they? We have learned that these five aggregates give us a sense of self—that which identifies the self.
Having said this, the ego/mind recoils at such objectivity!
And the ego/mind questions: there must be more to the self than this?!
There is. But it still relates to body/brain, ego/mind. When one has an experience, the brain immediately backloops to memory, which is a good thing. A child burns her hand on the stove. Throughout her life, whenever she experiences intense heat, her brain backloops to the moment of the first burn. She pulls away from the heat. It is the same with every moment of our lives. A husband and wife get into an argument and suddenly both of them backloop into memory about the all the OTHER times in the past that the other had caused such awful pain. And so it goes with all of the experiences of our lives. And through this flow of experience and backloop, our minds cast forward into the future, creating landscapes based on past experiences— memory backloop/cast forward future—the foundation of our behavior. And we come to believe in the self that we are, based on the foundation already described. So, our sense of self is body, feeling, thought, perception, consciousness—against the illusory backdrop of past, present, future, memory and belief.
But if we observe these processes closely, we see that they never last; that no matter how hard we try to cling to pleasure or escape our pain, it is always a span away, receding like the tide. Nothing stays the same. The self we were as young child is not the self we are now.
Where, then, does the inherent unchanging self reside?
No where.
All things change. All things in the relative world create a wave of Anxiety. Anxiety is the result of our Attachment to Permanence, within and without. We want things to last. We want to accept what is before our eyes— but nothing lasts. We are horrified by the idea that all things must come to an end and that we are not encased within an inherent, self-sustaining self. This thought sends us into an existential paroxysm of fear and dread, which, in turn, drives us in our pursuit of Self-Concern.
If you believe that you are an island, an unchanging, self-substantiating self, I challenge you to hold your breath. See how long it takes before you have to open your mouth and breathe; and breathing in air, you breathe in the earth, and when you breathe out, much to your surprise the earth breathes you out!
Where, then, is the self?
Look at the dandelion: a root that pushes through the ground, growing into a low self-contained green leaf; the stem rises and blossoms into a very sunbright yellow flower; the flower gives birth to an ephemeral cloud of seedlings; the wind blows and the seedlings scatter into the air and find a place to rest: earth, root, leaf, flower and seed. Where is the inherent nature of this plant? Is it earth, root, leaf, flower or seed? And so it goes with us.
Shunyata—pronounced Shun-ya-tah—is the Sanskrit word for emptiness. Shunyata is that which lacks an inherent existence, it is total freedom from the conceptualizing mind, it is openness, playfulness, the experience of dependent co-arising, the one in the many, the many in the one.
But you ask: I still feel the one over all else? Philosophically there is the equation of the relative versus the absolute. Relative: there is me; absolute: there is source of me.
Let’s alter our perspective somewhat, make a conceptual leap that hopefully will allow us to see things as they are. How about this: there is conventional truth and there is definitive truth. Conventional truth allows us the fact of the self, an inherent stable being, (which you and I, assuredly, would agree upon) but at the same time definitive truth tells us that we are a changing process that influences and merges with all other things of the earth (I breathe in the earth and the earth breaths me out). In other words, we are the self and we are the earth!
Shunyata, or emptiness, is the definitive truth that everything lacks an inherent existence.
Remember: I breathe in the earth and the earth breathes me out. In other words, you cannot have one without the other; duality and non-duality are opposite sides of a coin.
To see this process from an intellectual point of view is far easier than actualizing it in the physical experience of our lives, which, ultimately, is the key, if we had the leisure of living the life of a monk who meditates and contemplates at least ten hours a day over a ten year period. But for most of us this is impossible—perhaps absurd.
So, how can we—a busy, harried Western People—practice and actualize Shunyata?
Beautiful, poetic word: Shun-ya-tah! Emptiness and Fullness! Form is Emptiness and Emptiness is Form!
Whew! I don’t know about you, but it gives me the chills.
Earlier I spoke of concern for the self, which seems to create much of our despair—I have that which I don’t want, I want that which I don’t have. Self-concern is very much about a belief in the self-contained self. When we concentrate on this self, it excludes all else. In other words, all other objects outside of the self are a reference point to the self! It perpetuates the belief in the unchanging, inherent self. But there is a way out of this, a way in which we can practice No-Self and actualize the One in ourselves.
What is the way of No-Self? It is the way of Concern for Others.
The most, noble sage Shantideva, in his poem, The Way of the Bodhisattva, taught about Equalizing Self with Others and Exchanging Self for Others.
In Equalizing Self with Others, we see that our suffering is the same, whether physically or mentally, we share the five aggregates, the vehicle of our experience. Although our vexations can seem quite different, we can see that they come from the same root. Thus I heard the words of the Buddha: “We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts we make the world.”
In Exchanging Self for Others, we come to see that we are all the same being, regardless of gender, race, intelligence, emotion, condition of body, culture, social standing, wealth, poverty, success or failure. We are all a multitudinous expression of the One. Thus I heard the words of the Buddha: “When the world dissolves everything becomes clear.”
There are three very good books (which have heavily influenced this post) I suggest reading if you are interested in going into more detail on the subject.
Embracing the Mind by B. Allan Wallace
Alone With Others by Stephen Batchelor
The Way of the Bodhisattva by Shantideva (Padmakara Translation Group)
Having said this, the ego/mind recoils at such objectivity!
And the ego/mind questions: there must be more to the self than this?!
There is. But it still relates to body/brain, ego/mind. When one has an experience, the brain immediately backloops to memory, which is a good thing. A child burns her hand on the stove. Throughout her life, whenever she experiences intense heat, her brain backloops to the moment of the first burn. She pulls away from the heat. It is the same with every moment of our lives. A husband and wife get into an argument and suddenly both of them backloop into memory about the all the OTHER times in the past that the other had caused such awful pain. And so it goes with all of the experiences of our lives. And through this flow of experience and backloop, our minds cast forward into the future, creating landscapes based on past experiences— memory backloop/cast forward future—the foundation of our behavior. And we come to believe in the self that we are, based on the foundation already described. So, our sense of self is body, feeling, thought, perception, consciousness—against the illusory backdrop of past, present, future, memory and belief.
But if we observe these processes closely, we see that they never last; that no matter how hard we try to cling to pleasure or escape our pain, it is always a span away, receding like the tide. Nothing stays the same. The self we were as young child is not the self we are now.
Where, then, does the inherent unchanging self reside?
No where.
All things change. All things in the relative world create a wave of Anxiety. Anxiety is the result of our Attachment to Permanence, within and without. We want things to last. We want to accept what is before our eyes— but nothing lasts. We are horrified by the idea that all things must come to an end and that we are not encased within an inherent, self-sustaining self. This thought sends us into an existential paroxysm of fear and dread, which, in turn, drives us in our pursuit of Self-Concern.
If you believe that you are an island, an unchanging, self-substantiating self, I challenge you to hold your breath. See how long it takes before you have to open your mouth and breathe; and breathing in air, you breathe in the earth, and when you breathe out, much to your surprise the earth breathes you out!
Where, then, is the self?
Look at the dandelion: a root that pushes through the ground, growing into a low self-contained green leaf; the stem rises and blossoms into a very sunbright yellow flower; the flower gives birth to an ephemeral cloud of seedlings; the wind blows and the seedlings scatter into the air and find a place to rest: earth, root, leaf, flower and seed. Where is the inherent nature of this plant? Is it earth, root, leaf, flower or seed? And so it goes with us.
Shunyata—pronounced Shun-ya-tah—is the Sanskrit word for emptiness. Shunyata is that which lacks an inherent existence, it is total freedom from the conceptualizing mind, it is openness, playfulness, the experience of dependent co-arising, the one in the many, the many in the one.
But you ask: I still feel the one over all else? Philosophically there is the equation of the relative versus the absolute. Relative: there is me; absolute: there is source of me.
Let’s alter our perspective somewhat, make a conceptual leap that hopefully will allow us to see things as they are. How about this: there is conventional truth and there is definitive truth. Conventional truth allows us the fact of the self, an inherent stable being, (which you and I, assuredly, would agree upon) but at the same time definitive truth tells us that we are a changing process that influences and merges with all other things of the earth (I breathe in the earth and the earth breaths me out). In other words, we are the self and we are the earth!
Shunyata, or emptiness, is the definitive truth that everything lacks an inherent existence.
Remember: I breathe in the earth and the earth breathes me out. In other words, you cannot have one without the other; duality and non-duality are opposite sides of a coin.
To see this process from an intellectual point of view is far easier than actualizing it in the physical experience of our lives, which, ultimately, is the key, if we had the leisure of living the life of a monk who meditates and contemplates at least ten hours a day over a ten year period. But for most of us this is impossible—perhaps absurd.
So, how can we—a busy, harried Western People—practice and actualize Shunyata?
Beautiful, poetic word: Shun-ya-tah! Emptiness and Fullness! Form is Emptiness and Emptiness is Form!
Whew! I don’t know about you, but it gives me the chills.
Earlier I spoke of concern for the self, which seems to create much of our despair—I have that which I don’t want, I want that which I don’t have. Self-concern is very much about a belief in the self-contained self. When we concentrate on this self, it excludes all else. In other words, all other objects outside of the self are a reference point to the self! It perpetuates the belief in the unchanging, inherent self. But there is a way out of this, a way in which we can practice No-Self and actualize the One in ourselves.
What is the way of No-Self? It is the way of Concern for Others.
The most, noble sage Shantideva, in his poem, The Way of the Bodhisattva, taught about Equalizing Self with Others and Exchanging Self for Others.
In Equalizing Self with Others, we see that our suffering is the same, whether physically or mentally, we share the five aggregates, the vehicle of our experience. Although our vexations can seem quite different, we can see that they come from the same root. Thus I heard the words of the Buddha: “We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts we make the world.”
In Exchanging Self for Others, we come to see that we are all the same being, regardless of gender, race, intelligence, emotion, condition of body, culture, social standing, wealth, poverty, success or failure. We are all a multitudinous expression of the One. Thus I heard the words of the Buddha: “When the world dissolves everything becomes clear.”
There are three very good books (which have heavily influenced this post) I suggest reading if you are interested in going into more detail on the subject.
Embracing the Mind by B. Allan Wallace
Alone With Others by Stephen Batchelor
The Way of the Bodhisattva by Shantideva (Padmakara Translation Group)
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Park Bench
The sun falls through the trees
onto the park bench.
It explodes into dazzling light.
It burns in the brilliant flame of the sun
and becomes the sun.
And the sun becomes the bench,
a place for the weary, a place
of rest for those who seek
clarity and a reprieve
from the heat of living or the shade
of their dismay.
This is the way it is:
we want what we don't have
and we have what we don't want.
The root of our suffering.
The bench is the witness.
The bench does not judge.
It holds us as it holds its own heart;
the heart wood at its center,
holding firm.
The bench witnesses our desires
and asks for nothing in return.
The bench is the witness.
onto the park bench.
It explodes into dazzling light.
It burns in the brilliant flame of the sun
and becomes the sun.
And the sun becomes the bench,
a place for the weary, a place
of rest for those who seek
clarity and a reprieve
from the heat of living or the shade
of their dismay.
This is the way it is:
we want what we don't have
and we have what we don't want.
The root of our suffering.
The bench is the witness.
The bench does not judge.
It holds us as it holds its own heart;
the heart wood at its center,
holding firm.
The bench witnesses our desires
and asks for nothing in return.
The bench is the witness.
Buddha Laughter
Breathe in a short breath,
Breathe out a short breath.
Breathe in a long breath,
Breathe out a long breath.
Breathe in, breathe out.
Breath is the key.
Breathe in joy,
Breathe out joy.
One practices like this.
When there is suffering,
Breathe in, breathe out.
When there is vexation,
Breathe in, breathe out.
When following the breath,
One knows the beginning
Of pain and the end of pain.
It's plain to see.
Breathe the world in as
The world breathes you out.
Breathe out a short breath.
Breathe in a long breath,
Breathe out a long breath.
Breathe in, breathe out.
Breath is the key.
Breathe in joy,
Breathe out joy.
One practices like this.
When there is suffering,
Breathe in, breathe out.
When there is vexation,
Breathe in, breathe out.
When following the breath,
One knows the beginning
Of pain and the end of pain.
It's plain to see.
Breathe the world in as
The world breathes you out.
Three Haiku
Deep, silent forest
Wind blowing over dark ridge
Impermanent world
Full moon behind trees
My heart is lonely tonight
The wind kisses me
The mind knows stillness
Sitting in a quiet room
Buddha smiles at me
Wind blowing over dark ridge
Impermanent world
Full moon behind trees
My heart is lonely tonight
The wind kisses me
The mind knows stillness
Sitting in a quiet room
Buddha smiles at me
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Welcome to Shunyata Dreams
I am starting this blog as a vehicle to communicate my ideas and experience’s regarding mindfulness practice. My primary reason for doing this is to share what I have learned with friends who are traveling, and have traveled with me, on this path. I have read and thought extensively on this subject, although I must admit that when it comes to practice I am a novice compared to others far more experienced than myself. Now, you’re probably asking yourself that if this is the case why would you want to spend some time with me here, when you could be reading the masters or go off on a retreat? And I would encourage you to read and retreat as much as you are able. However, we are all traveling on the path of truth, though our individual paths may differ: some clogged by thickets, some very steep and rocky, while others are as clear and smooth as an asphalt bike path. Regardless of the terrain, we are all searching for the truth of ourselves and this wonderfully confusing life we live. Taken in this light, sharing each others paths is a good and practical way to learn about each other and from each other.
If you choose to spend some time with me, taking a stroll down my path, that would be wonderful; otherwise, I wish you well on the path that you are traveling.
The name of this blog, “Shunyata Dreams”, may be a little confusing to some, because it seems to imply a contradiction of sorts. Shunyata means “emptiness”. Knowing the definition, it might seem a little ridiculous that one would want to dream of emptiness or dream of leading a life of emptiness. Sounds pretty negative, doesn’t it? Talking about a practice to commit suicide by! Not only that, but dreams, or one’s dreams, usually imply something far more positive: “I dream of a life without suffering, or my dream is to be happier.” In the Buddhist lexicon, the idea of emptiness simply means that there is no such thing as an inherent existence or an independent reality. We are not, as we believe, completely self-contained entities. I ask you not to take my word on this, but challenge you to test this hypothesis. Let’s try a little experiment. Exhale all of the air from you lungs. Now quickly pinch your nostrils closed and clamp your hand over your mouth. What is this independent entity that you call the self experiencing right now? Do you feel a little panicky? I’m not surprised. We all know that without oxygen we would cease to exist. It’s amazing how we take for granted something as simple as the act of breathing. But it is from this simple act that we come to understand on a deeper level that our bodies would not exist if they were unable to take in and digest the things of the world. So, when we breath in the world, it is the world that breaths us out. The term for this is dependent co-arising. Everything that exists relies on another for its survival. Let’s call this the Great Community of Being. It is for this reason that all things are empty of an inherent, independent existence.
If nothing is independent of another, then how can we define the self? Of course, we need a sense of self in order to successfully navigate the world. But what exactly is the self? This is one of the great philosophical questions. Who Am I? What Am I? The Buddhists teach us that what we believe to be the self is made up of five aggregates: body, feeling, thought, perception and consciousness. But where is the contained, never changing Self? The one we recognize and have known for all of our lives? If you closely observe these aggregates you will see that they are in continual flux. One moment you are angry, the next moment you are happy and at peace. One moment you have a pain in your leg, the next moment it is gone. One moment you are young and the next moment you are old. Are you the same person now that you were at five years old? Probably not. Throughout our lives, from birth to death, in each moment of our existence, we are continually changing. If we look at the world, and beyond to the universe at large, we will also see that things are constantly moving and transforming, impacting other objects within their sphere of influence—a great rippling effect from invisible subatomic particles to vast galaxies sparkling like diamonds in an ocean of darkness.
This picture may seem a little depressing. I mean, really, what is the point of it all, if I am nothing but a conglomeration of parts that are in continual flux? The beauty of this lies in idea that we are not only defined by our parts, our sense of self, but by something far greater, something that encompasses the universe. On a more practical scale, we are able to see that it is our clinging to the notion of self—our body, emotions, thoughts, perceptions and consciousness—that is the cause of our suffering. Through the experience of Shunyata, we can discover a great spaciousness, a way of being open to all things without attempting to define those things through the filter of the story of the self. It is through Shunyata that we find liberation from our suffering.
And what about our dreams? It can reasonably be argued that our dreams hold us back from experiencing life in its immediacy, that our dreams are symbols of what we desire, and that desire is the root cause of suffering. Desire without a foundation of mindfulness will always leave us mired in the identification of the five aggregates as self. It keeps the wall up between us and the world. It blinds us to the fact of the world as self, that we are all manifestations of the one, participants in the great cosmic dance of energy expressing itself in multitudinous forms. But herein lays the contradiction: without our dreams, our imagination, we are unable to discover the vast spaciousness of mind, the gateless gate into which we must pass in order to attain liberation.
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