A question to ask

Herroin SG

Every Life is a part of the universe hence everything, trees, humans, sky etc. , is one

Is that correct ? Just suddenly thought of that

sinweiy SG

indeed.
'Enlightenment is when the wave realised that it's part of the ocean.'

/\

Herroin SG

so the theory is correct?, am i considered enlightened??

also regarding some folk customs that u are not suppose to eat beef if u pray to guan yin ? anyone can confirm with me??

concerned_man SG

Everything is ONE. "Yi4 Zhen1 Fa3 Jie4"

It breaks about from the law of opposite polarity.

Herroin SG

law of opposite polarity? anyone care to explain more?? Wink

An Eternal Now SG

False-imagination teaches that such things as light and shade, long and short, black and white are different and are to be discriminated; but they are not independent of each other; they are only different aspects of the same thing, they are terms of relation and not of reality. Conditions of existence are not of a mutually exclusive character; in essence things are not two but one.

Shakyamuni Buddha
> The Lankavatara Sutra

Herroin SG

Thanks so if i did not get it wrong

Things are different yet the same, things the same yet different

right? Confused

An Eternal Now SG

Things are not as they seem and nor are they otherwise.

~ Lankavatara Sutra

An Eternal Now SG

'Trees', 'Humans', 'Sky', are but labels. They are empty of seperate, inherent existence. It is a usual mental habit in most humans to immediately label something and think of it as Real with Substance. But the very 'thingness' is an illusion, it is due to our attachments to forms. Because all these phenomenal existence are conditioned, they do not exist 'by themselves', but are interdependant. They are impermanent, meaning they do not last even a single second - it is subject to change and is fluctuating. If we are to grasp on Forms, we will miss their essence.

All is undifferentiated Awareness, Buddha Nature/Dharma Nature. Be raw & undefine. Look at the colours, feel the air & experience the presence & be totally absorbed into the experience. Awareness is that flow of experience. There is no self, only this mere seeing.

Have you ever looked out of your window, and marvel at the sceneries? If your mind is clear at the moment, and you become so completely absorbed in it, there is no longer any thoughts arising, it no longer seems you are looking anymore. You become the seeing - and everything seems so vivid and clear in its entirety. That is Bliss. Smile I believe everyone has such experiences now and then, even I do sometimes.

On the topic of this 'oneness',

Below are 11 pages which should answer your question, each image is clickable, click on it to enlarge. Although it's 11 pages, it's not very long, because the words are big.

An Eternal Now SG

When you become enlightened, you go BEYOND theories. Enlightenment is direct, intuitive, clear. It is BEYOND doubts. There is without a single doubt remaining after enlightenment. Theories is just another concept, another mind perceptions. And all these are rooted in Ignorance. If we are to be enlightened, eventually we will have to throw away all these.

Buddhism is not about theories - in fact I would say it is not even a philosophy, but beyond philosophy.

Detaching From Thoughts

Ven. Jue-Hsing

A scholar once asked, "Buddhism seems a great theory, and I find it useful. Is Buddhism a Philosophy?"

"Master Shen-Kai once said 'Buddhism is not Philosophy but beyond Philosophy,'" I replied.

"Why so?" The scholar asked.

"Philosophy is a system of thoughts based upon logical reasoning." I answered. "However, Buddhism is about realizing truths while detaching from thoughts."

The Perfect One is free from any theory, for the Perfect One has understood what the body is, and how it arises, and passes away. He has understood what feeling is, and how it arises, and passes away. He has understood what perception is, and how it arises, and passes away. He has understood what the mental formations are, and how they arise, and pass away. He has understood what consciousness is, and how it arises, and passes away.

Therefore, I say, the Perfect One has won complete deliverance through the extinction, fading away, disappearance, rejection, and getting rid of all opinions and conjectures, of all inclination to the vainglory of I and mine.

- Majjhima Nikaya, 72

An Eternal Now SG

also regarding some folk customs that u are not suppose to eat beef if u pray to guan yin ? anyone can confirm with me??

We must be able to differentiate Chinese folks customs and Buddhism. They are not same. Buddhists do not have the tradition of not eating beef. That is a Hindu/Taoist/Chinese folks tradition. The Guan Yin story regarding cow is also a myth. Basically, people avoid eating beef because of the hard work that cows do on the farms.

Being a Buddhist, it is best that you become a vegetarian, but if you don't (i haven't), you have to make sure that the meat you eat is the 5 Clean Meat - so that the karma is much lighter:

Five Clean Sources of Meat

Herroin SG

Thanks all for the explaination, apparently, by luck or by chance, i am following the "5 clean meat" Smile

sinweiy SG

Ru Lai is also known as 'Thus Come One'.
but know doesn't mean enlightened yet, still have to expand on practice.

/\

An Eternal Now SG

That is good. It'll be good if you can pick up some Buddhist reading materials, or basic buddhism guidebooks to understand more about Buddhism.

Buddhism is not about theories, but it is practical and can be cultivated in every aspect of our life, in the midst of our living. - to live with Wisdom, Liberated, free from sufferings, in the Highest Bliss.

Also, to begin as a Buddhist, one has to take refuge in the Three Treasures - Buddha, Dharma, Sangha. That is how one can become a Buddhist and a disciple of the Buddha.