Q&A With ZaChoeje Rinpoche

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Living a Buddhist Lifestyle

By: Ven. Dr.K.Sri Dhammananda Maha Nayaka Thero (PhD. D Lit.)
Chief Prelate of Malaysia, Singapore.


What is the Purpose of life?
Man is the highest fruit on the tree of evolution. It is for man to realise his position in nature and understand the true meaning of his life.
To know the purpose of life, you will first have to study the subject through your experience and insight. Then, you will discover for yourself the true meaning of life. Guidelines can be given. but you must create the necessary conditions for the arising of realisation yourself.
There are several prerequisites to the discovery of the purpose of life. First, you must understand the nature of man and the nature of life. Next, you keep your mind calm and peaceful through the adoption of a religion. When these conditions are met, the answer you seek will come like the gentle rain from the sky.

Understanding the nature of man
Man may be clever enough to land on the moon and discover wondrous things in the universe, but he has yet to delve into the inner workings of his own mind. He has yet to learn how his mind can be developed to its fullest potential so that its true nature can be realised.
As yet, man is still wrapped in ignorance. He does not know who he really is or what is expected of him. As a result, he misinterprets everything and acts on that misinterpretation. Is it not conceivable that our entire civilisation is built on this misinterpretation? The failure to understand his existence leads him to assume a false identity of a bloated, self-seeking egoist, and to pretend to be what he is not or is unable to be.
Man must make an effort to overcome ignorance to arrive at realisation and Enlightenment. All great men are born as human beings from the womb, but they worked their way up to greatness. Realisation and Enlightenment cannot be poured into the human heart like water into a tank. Even the Buddha had to cultivate his mind to realise the real nature of man.
Man can be enlightened - a Buddha - if he wakes up from the 'dream' that is created by his own ignorant mind, and becomes fully awakened. He must realise that what he is today is the result of and untold number of repetitions in thoughts an actions. He is not ready-made: he is continually in the process of becoming, always changing. And it is in this characteristic of change that his future lies, because it means that it is possible for him to mould his character and destiny through the choice of his actions, speech and thoughts. Indeed, he becomes the thoughts and actions that he chooses to perform. Man is the highest fruit on the tree of evolution. It is for man to realise his position in nature and to understand the true meaning of his life.

Understanding the nature of life
Most people dislike facing the true facts of life and prefer to lull themselves into a false sense of security by sweet dreaming and imagining. They mistake the shadow for the substance. They fail to realise that life is uncertain, but that death is certain. One way of understanding life is to face and understand death which is nothing more than a temporary end to a temporary existence. But many people do not like even to hear of the word ' death'. They forget that death will come, whether they like it or not. Recollections on death with the right mental attitude can give a person courage and calmness as well as an insight into the nature of existence.
Besides understanding death, we need a better understanding of our life. We are living a life that does not always proceed as smoothly as we would like it to. Very often, we face problems and difficulties. We should not be afraid of them because the penetration into the very nature of these problems and difficulties can provide us with a deeper insight into life. The worldly happiness in wealth, luxury, respectable positions in life which most people seek is an illusion. The fact that the sale of sleeping pills and tranquillizers, admissions to mental hospitals and suicide rates have increased in relation to modern material progress is enough testimony that we have to go beyond worldly, material pleasure to seek for real happiness.

The need for a religion
To understand the real purpose of life, it is advisable for a person it choose and follow an ethical-moral system that restrains a person from evil deeds, encourages him to do good, and enables him to purify his mind. For simplicity, we shall call this system 'religion'
Religion is the expression of the striving man: it is his greatest power, leading him on wards to self- realisation. It has the power to transform one with negative characteristics into someone with positive qualities. It turns the ignoble, noble; the selfish, unselfish; the proud, humble; the haughty, forbearing; the greedy, benevolent; the cruel, kind; the subjective, objective. Every religion, represents, however imperfectly, a reaching upwards to a higher level of being. From the earliest times, religion has been the source of man's artistic and cultural inspiration. Although many forms of religion had come into being in the course of history, only to pass away and be forgotten, each one in its time had contributed something towards the sum of human progress. Christianity helped to civilise the West, and the weakening of its influence has marked a downward trend of the Occidental spirit. Buddhism, which civilised the greater part of the East long before, is still a vital force, and in this age of scientific knowledge is likely to extend and to strengthen its influence. It does not, at any point, come into conflict with modern knowledge, but embraces and transcends all of it in a way that no other system of thought has ever done before or is ever likely to do. Western man seeks to conqueror the universe for material ends. Buddhism and Eastern philosophy strive to attain harmony with nature or spiritual satisfaction.
Religion teaches a person how to calm down the senses and make the heart and mind peaceful. The secret of calming down the senses is to eliminate desire which is the root of our disturbances. It is very important for us to have contentment. The more people crave for their property, the more they have to suffer. Property does not give happiness to man. Most of the rich people in the world today are suffering from numerous physical and mental problems. With all the money they have, they cannot buy a solution to their problems. Yet, the poorest men who have learnt to have contentment may enjoy their lives far more than the richest people do. As one rhyme goes:
"Some have too much and yet do crave I have little and seek no more; They are but poor though much more they have And I am rich with little store. They poor, I rich: they beg, I give: They lack, I have, they pine, I live."

Searching for a purpose in life
The aim in life varies among individuals. An artist may aim to paint masterpieces that will live long after he is gone. A scientist may want to discover some laws, formulate a new theory, or invent a new machine. A politician may wish to become prime minister or president. A young executive may aim to be a managing director of a multinational company. However, when you ask the artist, scientist, politician and the young executive why they aim such, they will reply that these achievements will give them a purpose in life and make them happy, Everyone aims for happiness in life, yet experience shows time and again that its attainment is so elusive.

Realisation
Once we realise the nature of life (characterised by unsatisfactoriness, change, and egolessness) as well as the nature of man's greed and the means of getting them satisfied, we can then understand the reason why the happiness so desperately sought by many people is so elusive like catching a moonbeam in their hands. They try to gain happiness through accumulation. When they are not successful in accumulating wealth, gaining position, power and honour, and deriving pleasure from sense satisfaction, they pine and suffer, envying others who are successful in doing so. However, even if they are 'successful' in getting these things, they suffer as well because they now fear losing what they have gained, or their desires have now increased for more wealth, higher position, more power, and greater pleasure. Their desires can never seem to be completely satiated. This is why an understanding of life is important so that we do not waste too much time doing the impossible.
It is here that the adoption of a religion becomes important, since it encourages contentment and urges a person to look beyond the demands of his flesh and ego. In a religion like Buddhism, a person is reminded that he is the heir of his karma and the master of his destiny. In order to gain greater happiness, he must be prepared to forego short-term pleasures. If a person does not believe in life after death, even then it is enough for him to lead a good, noble life on earth, enjoying a life of peace and happiness here and now, as well as performing actions which are for the benefit and happiness of others. Leading such a positive and wholesome life on earth and creating happiness for oneself and others is much better than a selfish life of trying to satisfy one's ego and greed.
If, however, a person believes in life after death, then according to the Law of Karma, rebirth will take place according to the quality of his deeds. A person who has done many good deeds may be born in favorable conditions where he enjoys wealth and success, beauty and strength, good health, and meets good spiritual friends and teachers. Wholesome deeds can also lead to rebirth in the heavens and other sublime satates, while unwholesome deeds lead to rebirth in suffering states. When a person understands the Law of Karma, he will then make the effort to refrain from performing bad actions, and to try to cultivate the good. By so acting, he gains benefits not only in this life, but in many other lives to come.
When a person understands the nature of man, then some important realisations arise. He realises that unlike a rock or stone, a human being possesses the innate potential to grow in wisdom, compassion, and awareness and be transformed by this self-development and growth. He also understands that it is not easy to be born as a human being, especially one who has the chance to listen to the Dhamma. In addition, he is fully aware that his life is impermanent, and he should, therefore, strive to practise the Dhamma while he is still in a position to do so. He realises that the practice of Dhamma is a life-long educative process which enables him to release his true potentials trapped within his mind by ignorance and greed.
Based on these realisations and understanding, he will then try to be more aware of what and how he thinks, speaks and acts. He will consider if his thoughts, speech and actions are beneficial, done out of compassion and have good effects for himself as well as others. He will realise the true value of walking the road that leads to complete self transformation, which is known to Buddhists as the Noble Eightfold Path. This Path can help a person to develop his moral strength (sila) through the restraint of negative actions and the cultivation of positive qualities conducive for personal, mental and spiritual growth. In addition, it contains many techniques which a person can apply to purify his thoughts, expand the possibilities of the mind, and bring about a complete change towards a wholesome personality. This practice of mental culture (bhavana) can widen and deepen the mind towards all human experience, as well as the nature and characteristics of phenomena, life and the universe. In short, this leads to the cultivation of wisdom (Panna). As his wisdom grows, so will his love, compassion, kindness, and joy. He will have greater awareness to all forms of life and better understanding of his own thoughts, feelings, and motivations.
In the process of self-transformation, a person will no longer aspire for a divine birth as his ultimate goal in life. He will then set his goal much higher, and model himself after the Buddha who has reached the summit of human perfection and attained the ineffable state we call Enlightenment or Nibbana. It is here that a man develops a deep confidence in the Triple Gem and adopts the Buddha as his spiritual ideal. He will strive to eradicate greed, develop wisdom and compassion, and to be completely liberated from the bounds of Samsara.

Buddhism for Man in Society
This religion can be practised either in society or in seclusion.
There are some who believe that Buddhism is so lofty and sublime a system that it cannot be practised by ordinary men and women in the workaday world. These same people think that one has to retire to a monastery or to some quiet place if one desires to be a true Buddhist.
This is a sad misconception that comes from a lack of understanding of the Buddha. Some people jump to such conclusions after casually reading or hearing something about Buddhism. Some people form their impression of Buddhism after reading articles or books that give only a partial or lopsided view of Buddhism. The authors of such articles and books have only a limited understanding of the Buddha's Teaching. His Teaching is not meant only for monks in monastries. The Teaching is also for ordinary men and women living at home with their families. The Noble Eightfold Path is the Buddhist way of life that is intended for all people. This way of life is offered to all mankind without any distinction.
The vast majority of people in the world cannot become monks or retire into caves or forests. However noble and pure Buddhism may be, it would be useless to the masses if they could not follow it in their daily life in the modern world. But if you understand the spirit of Buddhism correctly, you can surely follow and practise it while living the life of an ordinary man. There may be some who find it easier and more convenient to accept Buddhism by living in a remote place; in other words, by cutting themselves off from the society of others. Yet, other people may find that this kind of retirement dulls and depresses their whole being both physically and mentally, and that it may therefore not be conducive to the development of their spiritual and intellectual life.
True renunciation does not mean running away physically from the world. Sariputta, the chief disciple of the Buddha, said that one man might live in a forest devoting himself to ascetic practices, might be full of impure thoughts and 'defilements'. Another might live in a village or a town, , practising no ascetic discipline, but his mind might be pure, and free from " defilements". 'Of these two' said Sariputta, ' the one who lives a pure life in the village or town is definitely far superior to, and greater than, the one who lives in the forest (Majjhima Nikaya) The common belief that to follow the Buddha's Teaching one has to retire from a normal family life is a misconception. It is really an unconscious defence against practising it. There are numerous references in Buddhist literature to men and women living ordinary, normal family lives who successfully practised what the Buddha taught and realized Nibbana. Vacchagotta the Wanderer, once asked the Buddha straightforldly whether there were laymen and women leading the family life who followed His Teaching successfully and attained the high spiritual states. The Buddha categorically stated that there were many laymen and women leading the family life who had followed His Teaching successfully and attained the high spiritual states.
It may be agreeable for certain people to live a retired life in a quiet place away from noise and disturbances. But it is certainly more praiseworthy and courageous to practise Buddhism living among fellow beings, helping them and offering service to them. It may perhaps be useful in some cases for a man to live in retirement for a time in order to improve his mind and character, as a preliminary to moral, spiritual and intellectual training, to be strong enough to come out later and help others. But if a man lives all his life in solitude, thinking only of his own happiness and salvation, without caring for his fellowmen, this surely is not in keeping with the Buddha's Teaching which is based on love, compassion and service to others.
One might now ask, 'If a man can follow Buddhism while living the life of an ordinary man, why was the Sangha, the Order of Monks, established by the Buddha? The Order provides opportunity for those who are willing to devote their lives not only to their own spiritual and intellectual development, but also to the service of others. An ordinary layman with a family cannot be expected to devote his whole life to the service of others, whereas a Monk, who has no family responsibilities or any other worldly ties, is in a position to devote his life 'for the good of the many. (Dr. Walpola Rahula)
And what is this 'good' that many can benefit from? The monk cannot give material comfort to a layman, but he can provide spiritual guidance to those who are troubled by worldly, family emotional problems and so on. The monk devotes his life to the pursuit of knowledge of the Dhamma as taught by the Buddha. He explains the Teaching in simplified form to the untutored layman. And if the layman is well educated, he is there to discuss the deeper aspects of the teaching so that both can gain intellectually from the discussion.
In Buddhist countries, monks are largely responsible for the education of the young. As a result of their contribution, Buddhist countries have populations which are literate and well-versed in spiritual values. Monks also comfort those who are bereaved and emotionally upset by explaining how all mankind is subject to similar disturbances.
In turn, the layman is expected to look after the material well-being of the monk who does not gain income to provide himself with food, shelter, medicine and clothing. In common Buddhist practice, it is considered meritorious for a layman to contribute to the health of a monk because by so doing he makes it possible for the monk to continue to minister to the spiritual needs of the people and for his mental purity.

The Buddhist Way of Life for Householders
The Buddha considered economic welfare as a requisite for human happiness, but moral and spiritual development for a happy, peaceful and contend life.
A man named Dighajanu once visited the Buddha and said, "Venerable Sir, we are ordinary layman, leading a family life with wife and children. Would the Blessed One teach us some doctrines which will be conducive to our happiness in this world and hereafter?
The Buddha told him that there are four things which are conducive to a man's happiness in this world. First: he should be skilled, efficient, earnest, and energetic in whatever profession he is engaged, and he should know it well (utthana-sampada); second: he should protect his income, which he has thus earned righteously, with the sweat of his brow (arakkha-sampada); third he should have good friends (kalyana-mitta) who are faithful, learned, virtuous, liberal and intelligent, who will help him along the right path away from evil; fourth: he should spend reasonably, in proportion to his income, neither too much nor too little, i.e., he should not hoard wealth avariciously nor should he be extravagant- in other words he should live within his means (sama-jivikata)
Then the Buddha expounds the four virtues conducive to a hayman's happiness hereafter: (1) Saddha: he should have faith and confidence in moral, spiritual and intellectual values; (2) Sila: he should abstain from destroying and harming life, from stealing and cheating, from adultery, from falsehood, and from intoxicating drinks: (3) Caga: he should practise charity, generosity, without attachment and craving for his wealth; (4) Panna: he should develop wisdom which leads to the complete destruction of suffering, to the realisation of Nibbana.
Some times the Buddha even went into details about saving money and spending it, as, for instances, when he told the young man Sigala that he should spend one fourth of his income on his daily expenses, invest half in his business and put aside one fourth for any emergency. Once the Buddha told Anathapindika, the great banker, one of His most devoted lay disciples who found for Him the celebnted Jetavana Monastery at Savatthi, that a layman who leads an ordinary family life has four kinds of happiness. The first happiness is to enjoy economic security or sufficient wealth acquired by just and righteous means (atthi-sukha): the second is spending that wealth liberally on himself, his family, his friends and relatives, and on meritorious deeds (bhoga-sukha): the third to be free from debts (anana-sukha): the fourth happiness is to live a faultless, and a pure life without committing evil in thought, word or deed. (anavajja - sukha)
It must be noted here that first three are economic and material happiness which is 'not worth part' of the spiritual happiness arising out of a faultless and good life.
From the few examples given above, one can see that the Buddha considered economic welfare as a requisite for human happiness, but that he did not recognize progress as real and true if it was only material, devoid of a spiritual and moral foundation. While encouraging material progress, Buddhism always lays great stress on the development of the moral and spiritual character for a happy, peaceful and contented society.
Many people think that to be a good Buddhist one must have absolutely nothing to do with the materialistic life. This is not correct. What the Buddha teaches is that while we can enjoy material comforts without going to extremes, we must also conscientiously develop the spiritual comforts without going to extremes, we must also conscientiously develop the spiritual aspects of our lives. While we can enjoy sensual pleasures as laymen, we should never be unduly attached to them to the extent that they hinder our spiritual progress. Buddhism emphasizes the need for man to follow the Middle Path.

The Daily Enlightenment - June 14th: Threshold of Pain

We all have our thresholds of pain. It is important to realise that as ordinary sentient beings without a big heart for tolerance, we will break down in despair when our thresholds are crossed.  The greatest pain to be experienced perhaps is the moment of departure at death. The pain is likely to be physical and mental. And all these come from us being attached to life and the loved in life. Physical pain is there because of illness. And mental pain is there due to clinging to wanting another lease of life. Imagine gasping for breath more and more, when you obviously cannot take in another breath. Is this not reminiscent of Hell? It is this craving, so powerful, that "forces" us back to Samsara ceaselessly. May we all prepare to cross this threshold gracefully. The preparation has to start now, while we can still catch our breath, with ease.

Daily Readings from the Word of Buddha - June 14th

One whose faith in the Tathagata is settled, fixed, established, firm, unshaken by any recluse or Brahmin, any god, Mara, Brahma or anyone in the world can truly say: "I am the true child of the Lord, born of his mouth, born of Dhamma, created by Dhamma, an heir of Dhamma."

Daily Dharma

June 14, 2008
Tricycle's Daily Dharma

The Fear at the base of human existence

Intelligent practice always deals with just one thing: the fear at the base of human existence, the fear that I am not. And of course I am not, but the last thing I want to know is that. I am impermanence itself in a rapidly changing human form that appears solid. I fear to see what I am: an ever-changing energy field... So good practice is about fear. Fear takes the form of constantly thinking, speculating, analyzing, fantasizing. With all that activity we create a cloud cover to keep ourselves safe in make-believe practice.

True practice is not safe; it's anything but safe. But we don't like that, so we obsess with our feverish efforts to achieve our version of the personal dream. Such obsessive practice is itself just another cloud between ourselves and reality. The only thing that matters is seeing with an impersonal searchlight: seeing things as they are. When the personal barrier drops away, why do we have to call it anything? We just live our lives. And when we die, we just die. No problem anywhere.

--Charlotte Joko Beck, Everyday Zen, from Everyday Mind, a Tricycle book
edited by Jean Smith

The Daily Enlightenment - June 13th: Me

The packet of blood that I donate from me is not me.
The fingernails and hair that I cut from me is not me.
The sweat that I perspire from me is not me.
The faeces, urine and mucus I excrete from me is not me.  

The eyes (sight), ears (hearing), nose (sense of smell), sense of taste, arm and leg (body) that I lose in an accident from me is not me. The mind that I lose to insanity from me is not me. Or is there a me at all? Me-perhaps the greatest conjurer of the greatest magic trick ever. Me created the illusion of me.

The Daily Enlightenment - June 12th: Sexual Tension

There exist sexual tension between the sexes at every level to some extent, between strangers, and even siblings, often subtle though. I do not like this feeling of tension. I used to feel uneasy when around the opposite sex. But if we were to see beyond the outer, we would see that we are all simply sentient beings in search of happiness, while harbouring the same perfect Buddha within. Recalling this brings me a sense of reverence and peace rather than excitement or lust.

It was the Buddha who uttered, "There is nothing in this world that attracts a man more than the shape of a woman. There is nothing in this world that attracts a woman more than the shape of a man." As I learn more about Buddhism and equanimity, I begin to feel more at ease. I began to see that sexual tension exists not so much "naturally" or "biologically," but more out of our attachment to superficial appearances. Have we seen the essence beneath the superficial?

Daily Meditation

Buddhism: Your Daily Meditation


It is necessary to understand that I Am,
In order that I may know that I Am Not,
So that, at last, I may realise that,
I Am Not, therefore I Am. - Ask the Awakened by Wei Wu Wei

The Daily Enlightenent - January 12th: Maybe

There's this book I'm about to finish reading called "Maybe (Maybe Not)" by Robert Fulgum (author of the famous "Everything I Needed to Know I Learnt in Kindergarten") On the back sleeve are these words-

"I once began a list of contradictory notions I hold:

Look before you leap.
He who hesitates is lost.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Better safe than sorry.

You can't tell a book by its cover.
Clothes make the man..."

Isn't it interesting yet scary that sometimes we live by a "wise old saying," believing with all our hearts that it is absolutely true, only to realise much later that it isn't necessarily so? We are all searching for the absolute unchanging Truth (or HAPPINESS) in capital letters, that has no expiry date.

There's this poster-ad with a picture of a young man yelling at his girlfriend. His girlfriend's fists were clenched, and she was pouting back in anger. In that black and white freeze frame, there is the question on it with no black or white answer, "Life is not knowing whether to hit him or kiss him." The message sets one's mind thinking. It seems funny, serious, bizarre and understandable at the same time. Life is indeed full of contradictions and paradoxes that we have to figure out-like a seemingly ridiculous Zen koan which can lead to Enlightenment when seriously meditated upon.

There is a set of Buddhist contradictory notions that no one really voiced out-

1. Hey! What do you expect? I'm a Buddhist! Not a Buddha yet!
versus...
2. Hey! Come on! We are already all perfect Buddhas inside! (Referring to us possessing Buddha Nature)

Is 1. a consolation or an excuse when we fail to do what we should? How and when should we use 2. to motivate ourselves instead of using 1. to excuse ourselves? How true is 1. or 2. at that point in time when you make each statements? Do you live more by 1. or 2.? Why?

Daily Readings from the Word of the Buddha

Abandon wrong. It can be done. If it were impossible to do, I would not urge you to do so. But since it can be done, I say to you: "Abandon wrong." If abandoning wrong brought loss and sorrow, I would not urge you to do so. But since it conduces to benefit and happiness, I urge you: "Abandon wrong." Cultivate the good. It can be done. If it were impossible to do, I would not urge you to do so. But since it can be done, I say to you: "Cultivate the good." If cultivating the good brought loss and sorrow, I would not urge you to do so. But since it conduces to benefit and happiness, I urge you: "Cultivate good."

Daily Enlightenment - June 10th: Realization

A realisation is personalised. It makes an aspect of the Truth of all
things part of oneself. That is why it is important to realise. A
thousand readings of the truths in sutras without realising a single
one of them is nothing truly learnt. All readings should lead to
realisations. Too often have the probing into sutras become intriguing
intellectual Truth "adventure stories" that end in themselves at the
end of studying them.

In this sense, we can't really learn from the realisations of others.
A realisation of someone else is no realisation of oneself. It only
serves as a guide, a sharing or a point of reference. Have you
realised anything from this simple realisation of mine? The Buddha
could not realise the Truth for all on our behalf. He came and He
taught. His sharing is complete! Carry on, Buddhists! Realise what He
did!

Daily Word of Buddha - June 10th

The wanderer Samandakani asked Venerable Sariputta: "Pray, your
reverence, what is good and what is bad?"

"Your reverence, rebirth is bad and the ceasing of rebirth is good.
Where there is rebirth this bad may be seen: cold and heat, hunger and
thirst, defecation and urination, contact with fire, rod and spear,
even one's own relatives and friends abuse one when they congregate
together. But when there is the ceasing of rebirth this good may be
seen: no cold or heat, no hunger and thirst, no defecation and
urination, no contact with fire, rod and spear and no abuse from one's
relatives and friends when they congregate together."

Daily Readings from the Word of Buddha - June 11th

There are these four perfect efforts. What four? Concerning this, one
generates desire to prevent the arising of evil unprofitable states
that have not yet arisen. One makes an effort, sets going energy, lays
hold of and exerts the mind to this end. One generates desire for the
abandoning of evil unprofitable states that have already arisen. One
makes an effort, sets going energy, lays hold of and exerts the mind
to this end. One generates desire for the arising of profitable states
that have not yet arisen. One makes an effort, sets going energy, lays
hold of and exerts the mind to this end. And one generates desire for
the persisting, the non-confusion, the further development, the
increase, cultivation and fulfilment of profitable states that have
already arisen. One makes an effort, sets going energy, lays hold of
and exerts the mind to this end.

Elder's Meditation - June 11th

Elder's Meditation of the Day June 11

"Behold, my bothers, the spring has come; the earth has received the
embraces of the sun and we shall soon see the results of that love!"

--Sitting Bull, SIOUX

Spring is the season of love. Spring is the season of new life, new
relationships. It is the springtime that really reacts to the new
position of Father Sun. New life forms all over the planet. Life is
abundant. New cycles are created. Mother Earth changes colors, the
flowers are abundant. It is the time for humans to observe nature and
let nature create within us the feeling of Spring. We should let
ourselves renew. We should let go of the feeling of Winter. We should
be joyful and energetic.

My Maker, let me, today, feel the feelings of Spring.

The Daily Enlightenment - June 9th: Words

A word conjures 10,000 different thoughts in 10,000 different minds.

What do the Buddha's words
conjure in yours?

Is your thought but one in a million?
How is it different?
What makes you so sure that's what the Buddha really meant?

The world thrives largely on illusions,
conjured by delusions.
Be ever clear.

Even the words of the Enlightened
can become deadly paths for the too deluded.
Cling not to words.
Cling not to your perceptions of them.
Words are afterall just words-
Guides and not the goal.

Buddhism - Daily Meditation

With the Utterly Sincere Mind (shijoshin), one believes that he/she will be born in the Pure Land through the practice of the nembutsu because such was Amida Buddha's promise and vow.

Elder's Meditation of the Day - June 9th

Elder's Meditation of the Day June 9

Every part of this country is sacred to my people. Every hillside, every valley, every plain and grove has been hallowed by some fond memory or some sad experience of my tribe. Even the rocks, which seem to lie dumb as they swelter in the sun along the silent shore in solemn grandeur thrill with memories of past events connected with the fate of my people

---Chief Seattle, SUQUAMISH

Native people say the Earth is sacred. Some places on Earth will feel more sacred than others. You can often feel the sacredness of these places because of what has happened on them. If you do a ceremony on a certain place and return later, whatever happened before will still be there to help you. Even if someone you didn't know did something on the Earth and you come along later, the powers will be there to help you. This is why the Earth is sacred and these special places are sacred spots.

My Creator, let the powers of the sacred places help the people today.

Daily Readings from the Wofd of the Buddha - June 9th

Venerable Subhuti and a believing monk came to the Lord, sat down, and the Lord said to Subhuti: "Who, Subhuti, is this monk with you?"

"Sir, he is a believer, the son of a believing disciple; he went forth from a believer's home."

"But, Subhuti, does he have the traditional characteristics of a believer?"

"Now is the time, Lord, to tell me the traditional characteristics of a believer, then I will know whether or not this monk has them."

"Then, listen carefully and I will speak. Concerning this, a monk is virtuous, he lives restrained by the rules of training, he is well-equipped with practice, seeing danger in the slightest fault, and he follows the precepts and applies himself to them. Furthermore, he has heard much, he learns it in mind and remembers what he has heard. Those teachings that are beautiful in the beginning, beautiful in the middle and beautiful in the end, in both the letter and the spirit, laying down the holy life in all its perfection and purity - those teachings he listens to much, remembers, recites, ponders over and penetrates with wisdom.

"Again, he has friendship with the beautiful, fellowship with the beautiful, companionship with the beautiful.

"Again, he is pleasant to speak to, endowed with the qualities that make it easy to speak to; he is patient and clever at grasping the meaning of instructions.

"Yet again, in all dealings with his fellows in the holy life, great or small, he is clever and energetic, possessing the ability to give proper consideration to them, knowing what is the right thing and how to do it.

"Yet again, he delights in Dhamma, he rejoices greatly in higher Dhamma and higher discipline, and is pleasant to speak with about it.

"Yet again, he has resolute energy for abandoning bad qualities, he is stout and strong in acquiring good qualities, not shirking the burden of good qualities.

"Yet again, he can attain easily and without difficulty the four jhanas which are of the clearest consciousness and are connected with happiness here and now.

"Yet again, he can recall his former lives - one, two, five, ten, a hundred, a hundred thousand.

"Yet again, with god-like vision, purified and surpassing that of ordinary men, he can see the rising and passing away of beings.

"And finally, by the destruction of the defilements, in this very life and by his own comprehension, he attains freedom of mind, freedom through wisdom and abides in it. These, Subhuti, are the traditional characteristics of a believer."

Daily Enlightenment - Spiritual Friend

A spiritual friend is a good mirror.
He is frank and sees you not without your faults.
He voices them out to you.
Not out of complaint but of concern for your spiritual well-being.

A worldly friend is a stained mirror.
He is not totally frank and sees your faults only sometimes.
He only voices them out to you sometimes.
More out of complaint than concern for your spiritual
    well-being.

Sometimes others are spiritual friends to us.
Sometimes others are worldly friends to us.
Sometimes we are spiritual friends to others.
Sometimes we are worldly friends to others.
  
Have you been a spiritual friend to yourself and others lately?     
Learn to be one from the perfect spiritual friend of all,
who was friend to all-the Buddha.

The Daily Enlightenment - June 7th: Happy Buddhist

Personally, I see the ideal Buddhist to be a very happy person. Why so? Simply because he is one on his way towards Buddhahood. In short, he is happy because he is going to be VERY happy!

You see, all Buddhists should be incredibly happy people because they have discovered, and practise the Buddha's teachings. A good Buddhist sees clearly his sufferings and their causes (First and Second Noble Truths). In fact, he sees this so clearly that he is on his way to True Happiness (Third Noble Truth) by the practice of the Dharma (Fourth Noble Truth).

So you see, a good Buddhist is a happy one. Don't be a "half-sided" Buddhist that is stuck on the First and Second Noble Truths, who end up lamenting and agreeing totally that life is full of suffering because of greed, hatred and delusion without learning how to get oneself and others out of it! Be happy! And bring happiness to others!

The Daily Enlightenment - June 1st: Nature

The Buddha was born under a tree.
The Buddha was Enlightened under a Bodhi tree.
The Buddha was grateful to the Bodhi tree
that sheltered Him before His Enlightenment.
It is said that He gazed at it in gratitude for seven days.
The Buddha taught in the shelter of trees and groves.
The Buddha passed into Parinirvana between two trees.

We see that the Buddha was one with nature and saw the importance of its relationship with us all. Respect nature. We belong to nature. Nature does not belong to us. Destroy nature and we destroy ourselves, for we are nature. Buddhism is a green religion! The next time you see a tree, be it a Bodhi tree or not, gaze at it respectfully. Realise the grand possibilities that might just happen because of this tree. The grandest thing that last happened under a tree was the Buddha's attainment of Enlightenment. Imagine that.

Buddhism: Philosophy or Religion

Buddhism: Philosophy or Religion?

Through the week-long sesshin Zen students had been sitting, robed and still, in the zendo. We had kept silence, except when we were chanting. We engaged in rituals. We listened to talks given by ordained priests and monks. We bowed a lot.

Then sesshin was done, and we students left the zendo and spilled out into the sunshine, chattering and hugging. The husband of a sister student arrived to take his wife home. He approached a group of us and said, Of course, Buddhism is a philosophy. It's not a religion.

No one argued. I think we were all too tired to argue. But no one agreed, either. What we'd been doing all week certainly looked and felt like religion.


This or That?

In my experience, people who say Buddhism is a philosophy and not a religion usually mean it as a compliment. They are trying to say, I think, that Buddhism is something other than the superstitious rubbish they believe religion to be.

In this view, religion is a jumble of primitive folklore that humankind drags through the ages like a cosmic security blanket. Religion is passionate and irrational and messy. But philosophy is the flower of human intellect. It is reasonable and civilized. Religion inspires war and atrocity; at worst, philosophy incites mild arguments over coffee and dessert.

Buddhism -- some Buddhism, anyway -- is a practice of contemplation and inquiry that doesn't depend on belief in God or a soul or anything supernatural. Therefore, the theory goes, it can't be a religion.

Killing the Buddha

Sam Harris expressed this view of Buddhism in his essay "Killing the Buddha" (Shambhala Sun, March 2006). Harris admires Buddhism, calling it "the richest source of contemplative wisdom that any civilization has produced." But he thinks it would be even better if it could be pried away from Buddhists.

"The wisdom of the Buddha is currently trapped within the religion of Buddhism," Harris laments. "Worse still, the continued identification of Buddhists with Buddhism lends tacit support to the religious differences in our world. ... Given the degree to which religion still inspires human conflict, and impedes genuine inquiry, I believe that merely being a self-described 'Buddhist' is to be complicit in the world's violence and ignorance to an unacceptable degree."

"Killing the Buddha" is from a Zen saying -- If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him. Harris interprets this as a warning against turning the Buddha into a "religious fetish" and thereby missing the essence of what he taught.

But this is Harris's interpretation of the phrase. In Zen, "killing the Buddha" means to extinguish ideas and concepts about the Buddha in order to realize the True Buddha. Harris is not killing the Buddha; he is merely replacing a religious idea of the Buddha with a non-religious one more to his liking.

Head Boxes

In many ways, the "religion versus philosophy" argument is an artificial one. The neat separation between religion and philosophy we insist on today didn't exist in western civilization until the 18th century or so, and there never was such a separation in eastern civilization. To insist that Buddhism must be one thing and not the other amounts to forcing an ancient product into modern packaging.

In Buddhism, this sort of conceptual packaging is considered to be a barrier to enlightenment. Without realizing it we use prefabricated concepts about ourselves and the world around us to organize and interpret what we learn and experience. One of the functions of Buddhist practice is to sweep away all the artificial filing cabinets in our heads so that we see the world as-it-is.

In the same way, arguing about whether Buddhism is a philosophy or a religion isn't an argument about Buddhism. It's an argument about our biases regarding philosophy and religion. Buddhism is what it is.

Dogma Versus Mysticism

The Buddhism-as-philosophy argument leans heavily on the fact that Buddhism is less dogmatic than most other religions. This argument, however, ignores mysticism.

Mysticism is hard to define, but very basically it is the direct and intimate experience of ultimate reality, or the Absolute, or God. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy has a more detailed explanation of mysticism.

Buddhism is deeply mystical, and mysticism belongs to religion more than philosophy. Through meditation, Siddhartha Gautama intimately experienced Thusness beyond subject and object, self and other, life and death. The enlightenment experience is the sine qua non of Buddhism.

Transcendence

What is religion? Those who argue that Buddhism is not a religion tend to define religion as a belief system, which is a western notion. Religious historian Karen Armstrong defines religion as a search for transcendence, going beyond the self.

It's said that the only way to understand Buddhism is to practice it. Through practice, one perceives its transformative power. A Buddhism that remains in the realm of concepts and ideas is not Buddhism. The robes, ritual and other trappings of religion are not a corruption of Buddhism, as some imagine, but expressions of it.

There's a Zen story in which a professor visited a Japanese master to inquire about Zen. The master served tea. When the visitor's cup was full, the master kept pouring. Tea spilled out of the cup and over the table.

"The cup is full!" said the professor. "No more will go in!"

"Like this cup," said the master, "You are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?"

If you want to understand Buddhism, empty your cup.

(http://buddhism.about.com/od/basicbuddhistteachings/a/philosophy.htm)

Harness Your Brainpower

HARNESS YOUR BRAINPOWER
by Harvey Mackay


Knowledge is power.

How much do you know about everything? How much do you know about a lot of things? Okay, how much do you know about a few things?

If these seem like odd questions, stop and ponder what you know versus what you don't. Then consider how you would get along if you needed good information on topics that were outside your comfort zone.

As former U.S. President Woodrow Wilson said, "I not only use all the brains I have but all that I can borrow."

I would add this: and all that I can buy, if necessary.

I rely on experts for all kinds of information. I preach the importance of building a network of experts before you need them so that they are there when you do. Whether it's a surgeon, realtor, auto mechanic or a master salesperson, I want the best. And I will return the favor whenever I can, whether it's business advice; a reference; or tickets to a sporting event, concert or the theatre.

But let me make this very clear: I also rely on my own instincts, because eventually, it all comes back to me. I weigh the information I receive from others, and make the best judgment I can. For instance, I am the first to admit that most technology baffles me. But show me how a new gizmo can make my life easier, my business more successful, save me time, or just add to my fun, and I'm sold. That's why I use a Blackberry.

I try to absorb and retain as much information from my experts as I can. You never know when it will come in handy, or when you will find another application for it.

Carl Ally, founder of Ally & Gargano, one of the 20th century's most successful advertising agencies, had an interesting take on knowledge: "The creative person wants to be a know-it-all. He wants to know about all kinds of things: ancient history, nineteenth century mathematics, current-manufacturing techniques, flower arranging and hog futures. Because he never knows when these ideas might come together to form a new idea. It may happen six minutes later or six months or six years down to road. But he has faith that it will happen."

All of us have the ability to gain more knowledge. The brain is amazing. While the old theory that we use only 10 percent of our brains has been widely debunked, there's plenty of evidence that we can increase our brainpower, retention and focus. Plenty of books and websites offer all kinds of help. I'm not endorsing any specific method, but I would encourage you to check out ways to expand your horizons.

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In the meantime, you can take some basic steps to improve your knowledge:

•Read. Pick out books, newspapers, websites, encyclopedias, anything with information that teaches you something you didn't already know. Play Trivial Pursuit or watch Jeopardy. Learn something new every day. In my opinion, there are no such things as useless facts. If it's part of our world, it's worth knowing. I will get on my soapbox here again: embrace lifelong learning.

•Listen. Sounds simple enough, but it's so easy to be distracted. Focus on the speaker. If you don't hear it the first time, ask the person to repeat it. Make sure you understand what's been said. You will be surprised what you can learn.

•Pay attention to what's happening around you. According to MENSA, the organization for people with high IQs, current research shows that at least 52 percent of our intelligence is based on our environment.

•Exercise and eat healthy. What's good for the body is also good for the brain. Another reason not to put off taking care of yourself!

•Get some sleep. Our country is chronically sleep-deprived, which negatively affects our thought processes. So along with "beauty sleep," go for the "smart sleep."

You will soon learn that you are capable of more than you imagined. You will also learn to recognize your limitations. If you know that you don't know something, or don't know how to find an answer, you'll know it's time to ask for help. Tap into all the brains you need - they just might not all be housed in your head.

Mackay's Moral: Sometimes being smart means recognizing when you're not.

The Daily Enlightenment - June 5th: Chains

Don't think you can just shake it off like that,
that tail of habit trailing behind you, stuck on you.

Though it trails along behind,
not seen too obviously by others, or even yourself,
has it not already grown to be part of you already?
Each day, it holds onto you tighter and tighter unknowingly.

Quit it now!
Rid that bad habit of yours.

Don't say you know you know it should be shed
and that you can quit it any time.
Because you are doing nothing to prove you can let it go.
Prove it to yourself if you dare.
Be honest.
Can you let it go for good?
If you should, you should.

Your tail is your chain of addictions and attachment-
your fondness for cigarettes, coffee, wine, sex...

An attachment is a weakness.
No matter how small it is,
it is one of the chains that shackle you to Samsara.

Remember
you have a thousand other chains to free yourself from.
You had better start freeing yourself now.

Don't tell me you can do it any time.
Just prove it to yourself and me.
Out of compassion,
I dare you!
Any guts to take up the challenge?

Daily Reading from the Word of Buddha

The Brahmin âramadanda said: "What is the cause, Master Kaccana, what is the reason why nobles, Brahmins and householders all quarrel with each other?"

"They do so because of their bondage and servitude to sensual pleasures, their attachment to and greed for sensual pleasures."

"What is the cause, Master Kaccana, what is the reason why recluses quarrel with recluses?"

"They do so because of their bondage and servitude to opinions, their attachment to and greed for opinions."

Daily Lift #327

Daily Lift #327
Show Them Their Potential

If someone sees himself as inferior, you can help change his attitude by seeing him now as the potentially great person he could possibly become.
(For a series of probing questions on this topic, see Rabbi Pliskin's "Gateway to Self Knowledge," p.218)

Daily Zen 06/01/2008

The wise people of old who
Took goodness as their way
Possessed marvelously
Subtle powers of penetration;
They were so deep that
None could plumb their mind,
And, on this account, if forced
To describe them we can only
Say that they moved cautiously
Like people fording a river;

The wise people of old who
Took goodness as their way
Were retiring as though shy
Their conduct to all was
Respectful as though to
Honored guests;
They could adapt themselves
Like ice melting before a fire;
They were artless As blocks of uncarved wood.

- Lao tzu

Thought for Fri, 30 May 2008

Through awareness and perseverance you can break this cycle of birth and death and find yourself elevated to the highest. Therefore, awareness leads you forward, while lack of awareness leads you nowhere. (Awareness, v21)...

Buddhism: Your Daily Meditation

Go to the Awakened Masters - and leave all your baggage behind. Ask the Awakened by Wei Wu Wei