~We study Buddhism We study Ourselves~

Isis SG

When We Study Buddhism We Study Ourselves

... When we study Buddhism we are studying ourselves learning about the nature of our own minds. The emphasis is not on something supreme; it is on practical things like how to Live the daily life and how to integrate it with the mind so that the mind remains peaceful and healthy. In other words, the emphasis is on experiential knowledge-wisdom, not dogmatic views. Actually, in Western terminology we would not say that Buddhism is religion, but rather philosophy, science or psychology.

An instinctive tendency; of the human mind is to search for happiness; in this respect Eastern and Western people are no different. But if your life-style overemphasizes the sense world and you grasp at it emotionally, it is very dangerous you have no control. Now control is not an Eastern custom or a Buddhist trip; we all need control. Especially those who live a materialistic life and psychologically are too attached to objects. From the point of view of Buddhist philosophy such a mind is not healthy, is mentally sick. You already know that external scientific technological advances alone cannot satisfy the desires of your attachment or stop your emotional problems. Thus the method of Lord Buddha's teachings is to show you the nature of the human mind, your human potential and how you can develop further. Moreover, this method does not emphasize blind belief in, rather than understanding of, metaphysical processes. However, whether you are religious or non- religious, or a believer or a non-believer, the important thing is to know the nature of your own mind. If you don't, it is so easy to think that you are healthy and functioning well in your daily life while in fact the root of disturbing emotions is growing firmer and deeper within your mind. With this fundamental cause of psychological disease within you, a tiny change of conditions can precipitate mental illness. As long as you are totally immersed in blind attachment to the sense world, not knowing the nature of your mind, this can happen. You can't reject this: "I don't believe it." You can't reject your nose: "I don't believe I have a nose." Whether you believe you have a nose or not, it's there! Many Western people say, "I don't believe in anything;" they are so proud of being non-believers. But check this it's very important to know. In the West there are so many contradictions: scientists think they are non-believers; religious people think they are believers. However, whether you think you are a believer or a non-believer, you have to know the nature of your own mind. You always talk about attachment, but you don't know how to control it. To say the word is easy, but to know the nature of attachment is very difficult. A simple example: cars and aeroplanes were invented to allow people to do things more quickly, leaving them more time for leisure; but the result is that people's minds are more restless than ever. I'm not complaining, but you examine your daily life.

Isis SG

What I'm saying is that when the whole country is involved in the sense world under the control of attachment, you don't have the chance or time to see the reality of your mind. I call that kind of life-style difficult. There is no way you can really enjoy yourself and experience satisfaction, because true enjoyment comes from the mind, not from external phenomena. Modern, intelligently skeptical young people do have some understanding of what is worthwhile in life, and know that enjoyment does not come from temporal or, in Buddhist terminology, "samsaric" objects alone.

Thus they are searching for that which truly satisfies. When Lord Buddha talked so much about suffering he was not referring primarily to physical illness and pain but to dissatisfaction. Dissatisfaction is the real suffering. No matter how much you get, your desires do not abate; you always want more. That is suffering; that is deluded frustration. Buddhist psychology enumerates six fundamental delusions, which frustrate and disturb the peace of the human mind and cause it to become restless: attachment, anger, ignorance, pride, deluded doubt and holding distorted views. These are mental, not external phenomena. So, when Lord Buddha taught people how to overcome these delusions, he emphasized the necessity of understanding their nature, not simply belief and faith. Without investigating your mind and developing introspective knowledge-wisdom it is not possible to develop such understanding. Even though we talk a lot about delusions, we don't really know anything. Those fundamental delusions come from the ego, they make the mind restless.

To be free you don't have to give up your possessions. You can keep your possessions, but if you do so with attachment you will make yourself restless and your life difficult; you will keep your mind foggy and polluted. The unclear mind is by nature ignorant and agitated; the light of wisdom cannot grow in such a mind. The solution to this problem is meditation. Meditation does not imply sitting in a corner doing nothing, trying to develop single-pointed concentration. It is a type of wisdom free from sluggishness whose function is awareness of the state of mind. In your daily life you should be aware of everything you do and why and how you do it. Usually we do everything unconsciously: we eat unconsciously, drink unconsciously, talk unconsciously. We have no idea of what is happening in our minds, even though we say we are conscious. I'm not judging you, putting you down, but you look for yourself. The way of Buddhism is to put forward ideas for you to examine and experience. I'm not talking about something way up in the sky. This is very simple. If you do not know the nature of attachment and its object, it's impossible for you to have loving kindness for your friends, parents and country.

Since your mind is unconscious you hurt those close to you. Similarly, someone who is angry completely forgets himself; he has no idea what's going on in his mind. You know how it is; these are just examples of what we do. Many times we hurt others through being unconscious: we are not aware of our own behaviour or mental attitude and have no respect for others. In the West there are people who have specialist education in psychology. But Lord Buddha wants us all to become psychologists; you should know your own mind. Lord Buddha feels that it is definitely possible, that every human being has the potential ability to understand, and thereby to control, his own mind. When you understand your mind, control comes naturally. Don't think that investigating the mind is just a Himalayan trip, something only for those who have no material possessions. Just check; whenever you are emotionally involved with something, instead of acting, relax; try to be aware of what you are doing. Ask yourself, "What am I doing? How? What is making me do this?" It is really wonderful if you can analyze yourself like this. With understanding you can stop your problems so easily. Our problem is that we lack intensive knowledge-wisdom, or awareness, or consciousness, it doesn't matter what you call. it. Therefore, to show others loving kindness you have to know the nature of the object. If you don't, you will get caught up in yet another arrogant ego trip. "I love him," "I love her." Make sure you know how and why it is so important that you become your own psychologist. Then you can treat yourself with your own wisdom, and enjoy your material possessions with a relaxed mind instead of a restless and berserk one, which ruins your life. To become a psychologist you don't have to learn some big philosophy; all you have to do is examine your own mind every day. You examine material things every day the food in your kitchen, for example, so why can't you check your mind? This is far more important.

Life in the West is based on an "I can always buy the solution to my problems down at the supermarket" mentality. You think that you can always go to the pharmacy and pick up some pills, that whenever you are emotionally frustrated you can get some drug from your doctor. Do you think remedies like those are really helpful? Of course they are not. Although they seem to help, they are so transitory. They don't even destroy the symptoms of deluded emotions; they only make you sluggish and more ignorant. Your materialistic mind thinks that pleasure and happiness can be bought, but they can't. In its depths lies the idea that you can buy a peaceful mind in the supermarket. That's a total misconception. Religious people should also try to understand their own minds instead of just trying to believe in something. That is far more practical. Belief alone cannot solve your problems; only understanding knowledge-wisdom can do that. Lord Buddha even said that it is dangerous to believe in Buddha and exhorted us to understand our own nature instead. When you have discovered something with your own mind, then it is all right to believe in it. Belief based on realizations or clear intellectual understanding is perfectly acceptable. But if you are not clear why you believe what you do, your faith can easily be destroyed by others.

Many spiritually inclined people are weak because they don't understand the true nature of their spirit, or mind. Understanding is a form of mental energy: it supports your mind and keeps it healthy. When you understand your mind's view, or perception of things, you realize that all along you have been grasping at the sense world and at an imaginary, idealistic future that is simply a projection of your mind and has not the slightest physical reality you have been completely unconscious of the present. You must agree that this is an unhealthy state of mind. It is very important to maintain awareness throughout your day. The nature of wisdom and awareness is peace and joy. You don't have to grasp for the experience of joy or at anything that might bring it you simply have to act correctly with right understanding. Thus the result of joy arises spontaneously. You don't have to think, "If I spend my life acting in this way, next life I'll experience the good result." You don't have to be obsessed with attaining some realization or other. As long as you act with as much understanding as you can, you will quickly attain the realization of everlasting peace.

by Lama Thubten Yeshe.

www.lamayeshe.com

Happy Holiday Peepz!!

Isis SG

The Purpose Of Life

One great question underlies our experience, whether we think about it consciously or not: What is the purpose of life? I have considered this question and would like to share my thoughts in the hope that they may be of direct, practical benefit to those who read them. I believe that the purpose of life is to be happy. From the moment of birth, every human being wants happiness and does not want suffering. Neither social conditioning nor education nor ideology affect this. From the very core of our being, we simply desire contentment. I don't know whether the universe, with its countless galaxies, stars and planets, has a deeper meaning or not, but at the very least, it is clear that we humans who live on this earth face the task of making a happy life for ourselves. Therefore, it is important to discover what will bring about the greatest degree of happiness.

How To Achieve Happiness:

For a start, it is possible to divide every kind of happiness and suffering into two main categories: mental and physical. Of the two, it is the mind that exerts the greatest influence on most of us. Unless we are either gravely ill or deprived of basic necessities, our physical condition plays a secondary role in life. If the body is content, we virtually ignore it. The mind, however, registers every event, no matter how small. Hence we should devote our most serious efforts to bringing about mental peace. From my own limited experience, I have found that the greatest degree of inner tranquillity comes from the development of love and compassion. The more we care for the happiness of others, the greater our own sense of well being becomes. Cultivating a close, warmhearted feeling for others automatically puts the mind at ease. This helps remove whatever fears or insecurities we may have and gives us the strength to cope with any obstacles we encounter. It is the ultimate source of success in life. As long as we live in this world, we are bound to encounter problems. If, at such times, we lose hope and become discouraged, we diminish our ability to face difficulties. If, on the other hand, we remember that it is not just ourselves but everyone who has to undergo suffering, this more realistic perspective will increase our determination and capacity to overcome troubles. Indeed, with this attitude, each new obstacle can be seen as yet another valuable opportunity to improve our mind! Thus we can strive gradually to become more compassionate, that is we can develop both genuine sympathy for others' suffering and the will to help remove their pain. As a result, our own serenity and inner strength will increase.

By Dalai Lama.

_/\_

Herzog_Zwei SG

Originally posted by Isis:
[b]The Purpose Of Life

One great question underlies our experience, whether we think about it consciously or not: What is the purpose of life? I have considered this question and would like to share my thoughts in the hope that they may be of direct, practical benefit to those who read them. I believe that the purpose of life is to be happy. From the moment of birth, every human being wants happiness and does not want suffering. Neither social conditioning nor education nor ideology affect this. From the very core of our being, we simply desire contentment. I don't know whether the universe, with its countless galaxies, stars and planets, has a deeper meaning or not, but at the very least, it is clear that we humans who live on this earth face the task of making a happy life for ourselves. Therefore, it is important to discover what will bring about the greatest degree of happiness.

How To Achieve Happiness:

For a start, it is possible to divide every kind of happiness and suffering into two main categories: mental and physical. Of the two, it is the mind that exerts the greatest influence on most of us. Unless we are either gravely ill or deprived of basic necessities, our physical condition plays a secondary role in life. If the body is content, we virtually ignore it. The mind, however, registers every event, no matter how small. Hence we should devote our most serious efforts to bringing about mental peace. From my own limited experience, I have found that the greatest degree of inner tranquillity comes from the development of love and compassion. The more we care for the happiness of others, the greater our own sense of well being becomes. Cultivating a close, warmhearted feeling for others automatically puts the mind at ease. This helps remove whatever fears or insecurities we may have and gives us the strength to cope with any obstacles we encounter. It is the ultimate source of success in life. As long as we live in this world, we are bound to encounter problems. If, at such times, we lose hope and become discouraged, we diminish our ability to face difficulties. If, on the other hand, we remember that it is not just ourselves but everyone who has to undergo suffering, this more realistic perspective will increase our determination and capacity to overcome troubles. Indeed, with this attitude, each new obstacle can be seen as yet another valuable opportunity to improve our mind! Thus we can strive gradually to become more compassionate, that is we can develop both genuine sympathy for others' suffering and the will to help remove their pain. As a result, our own serenity and inner strength will increase.

By Dalai Lama.

_/\_[/b]

I believe that the main purpose of life is to live, nothing more, nothing less. Trying to condition oneself or to seek escape from suffering is just like a morning rain, not lasting.

An Eternal Now SG

That is because you do not know what is the cause of suffering and what is the way to end suffering and dogmatically refuses to listen.

Herzog_Zwei SG

The cause of suffering is living and the way to end suffering is death. The only problem you got is that you are dogmatic and stubborn in believing.

Isis SG

Relax guys.

Live and let live..

An Eternal Now SG

The cause of suffering is not living but the ignorance of duality leading to strong grasping and craving. It is therefore completely possible to overcome this ignorance and be liberated. This is not a theory but something that anyone can completely realise and experience for himself.

Isis SG

Hi Herzog_Zwei,

It is not about conditioning oneself to escape suffering.

For example :conditioning your mind for success means establishing new habits, and habits are formed with the little things you do every day.

No no.. it is not about establish new habits.

Herzog_Zwei SG

Originally posted by Isis:

Hi Herzog_Zwei,

It is not about [b]conditioning oneself to escape suffering.

For example :conditioning your mind for success means establishing new habits, and habits are formed with the little things you do every day.

No no.. it is not about establish new habits.
[/b]

Oh, then why do you chant sutras or recite Amida's name? Why go to dharma talks? These are conditioning methods.

Herzog_Zwei SG

The cause of suffering is living as ignorance of duality cannot be applied to all things, thereforce it is not possible to overcome the ignorance and become liberated.

An Eternal Now SG

Suffering is duality, otherwise there is liberation all the time.

The great master Pha Tampa Sangye [South Indian Yogin of the 11 century (ed.)] once said: It is not the circumstances which arise as one's karmic vision that condition a person into the dualistic state; it is a person's own attachment that enables what arises to condition him. If this attachment is to be cut through in the most rapid and effective way, the mind's spontaneous capacity to self-liberate must be brought into play. The term self-liberation should not, however, be taken as implying that there is some 'self' or ego there to be liberated. It is a fundamental assumption...at the Dzogchen level, that all phenomena are void of self-nature. 'Self -Liberation', in the Dzogchen sense, means that whatever manifests in the field of experience of the practitioner is allowed to arise just as it is, without judgement of it as good or bad, beautiful or ugly.

And in that same moment, if there is no clinging, or attachment, without effort, or even volition, whatever it is that arises, whether as a thought or as a seemingly external event, automatically liberates itself, by itself, and of itself. Practicing in this way the seeds of the poison tree of dualistic vision never even get a chance to sprout, much less to take root and grow.(p33)

So the practitioner lives his or her life in an ordinary way, without needing any rules other than one's own awareness, always remaining in the primordial state through integrating that state with whatever arises as part of experience -- with absolutely nothing to be seen outwardly to show that one is practicing. This is what is meant by self-liberation, this is what is meant by the name Dzogchen - which means Great Perfection - and this is what is meant by non-dual contemplation, or simply contemplation. ~ Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche

Isis SG

Hi Herzog_Zwei,

It might seem that by repetitive chanting is establishing habits but true cultivation isn't by merely repetitive action. You can chant the Buddha's name as many time as you want but without understanding Dharma, u will not get it. It is not based on the number of Buddha name or habits established that you will get "it".

The real emphasis is on understanding the spiritual essence and not the actions which establish habits.

And let say u are unhappy over something. Now try chant a Buddha's name, is your suffering eliminate now and forever ? Let say u repeat this chant for a month, will your suffering be eliminated now or forever ?

If you are, congrats..

Herzog_Zwei SG

If I whack you on the head with a wooden stick, please don't tell me it's not painful and you are not suffering. If you are dead, then can you tell me if you feel the pain or the suffering? Thus your view is still clinging.

Isis SG

Hi can i add on something:

What Buddhists mean by suffering that is created by the mind

Pain in life is inevitable but suffering is not, suffering is optional.
Pain is what the world does to you, suffering is what you do to yourself.

My one cent.

An Eternal Now SG

Yup.

An Eternal Now SG

Of course there is pain. Pain is inevitable and is also an expression of our Buddha Nature that is our awareness which is luminous-emptiness. But at the same time there is liberation. Just as the previous post stated.

Herzog_Zwei SG

But suffering is inevitable as you cannot escape the pain. hmmm....

cycle SG

Not neccessarily.
Different ppl hv different threshold for pain; some may start screaming upon seeing a needle coming while some may just grimaced when poke by it, and there r some who don't even realised they've been poked at all. Smile
So we may not escape the scenario to be injected for medical reasons by the needle, but reactions to physical pain is different to everyone, n not everyone suffers through the process. Physical pain n suffering can or can't be separated largley depends on the individuals. This is where the Dharmma practise comes into play.

A person may feel physical pain, but he may not neccessarily suffers. This of cos may not applies to ppl like you n me at the moment, but it doesn't mean others r like us.

Aen may not escape your sudden whacking of his head, n may feel pain to a certain degree ( depending on how thick his crown of glory is), but he may not suffers at all. In fact, he may be just surprised, or even amused by your Ninja actions.

justdoit77 SG

Lay people like us for sure will suffer from it, but the suffering varies according to individual's level of practice.
Some people suffer when other people look at him, to the extent that he become mad and want to murder the person who looked at him.
Some people even if he stare at him, scold him with vulgar language, he just smile and ignore you.

Our body feel pain because the body want to remind us of a danger that affect our health/survival for example boil water spill on you.
Suffer is different. We suffer because we too attached to the body hence anything happen to the body, we will feel miserable.