How you apply Buddhism in life

[xabir2005]

[C T]

Following on from Xabir's post above ~ Longchenpa's commentary on 'Why Beings Wander in Samsara' -

 

"If you think that it is incorrect that the wandering in samsara occurs from the Buddha-essence, the primordial state which does not exist as samsara, it is wrong. Even clear, unpolluted and unhindered water can become ice, hard as stone, because of the winter wind. Likewise, because of the arising of apprehended and apprehender, from the primordial state (divisions arise) delusory appearances appear in various forms as being solid. In the Dohakosa-nama-caryagiti it is said, 'By being blown and stirred by the wind, even soft water becomes hard like stone. Stirred by thoughts, the non-existent but delusory forms becomes very firm and solid'.

 

In the Mind is present the state of ultimate body, which is primordially pure essence, called the ultimate universal ground of union, with the attributes of form bodies, Buddha-fields and wisdoms. But when one is distracted from the (ceaseless recognition of) Buddha-essence, those attributes (of Buddhahood) will be obscured because of the unenlightenment of seeing these attributes from the standpoint of apprehended and apprehender, thereby sowing the seeds of various delusory habits from beginningless time in the universal ground of habits.

 

Thereafter, depending on the strength of various habits, beings will experience the happy and inferior realms, and so on. While beings are wandering in samsara as in a dream, they apprehend (the perceptions as) "I" and "self", become involved in the various poisons, and accumulate karma and more habits. They become deluded without substantial reasons and indulge in various types of attachment (perceiving them) as real, and they wander continuously in the round of delusory appearances, day and night, without end.

 

But this continuity of wandering in samsara has no basis (as the grounds of habits and appearances are all empty, arising from mind, which is itself without solidity). So, although it seems that they are distracted from liberation (or from Buddha-essence), they are wandering with happiness and grief like in a dream."

 

Longchenpa explains 'How Beings Wander in Samsara' -

 

"Beings are wandering in samsara through the twelve links in the chain of interdependent causation. From the two unenlightments arise the formation (of one's life process) in samsara, and from this arise successive becoming, name and form, and so on. Then, after the completion of the body, starting from the stages of aquatic creative to birth, they experience contact, feeling, the six sense entrances, sickness, old age, and death, and this continues the cycle of wanderings."

 

********************************************

 

 

Explanation of the Two Unenlightenments - At the time of distraction into delusions, the aspect of one's not realizing the wisdom which dwells in oneself is called innate unenlightenment. The aspect of perceiving self-percepts as others is called imaginative unenlightenment. By not realizing that the delusions have arisen from the natural/primordial pure ground, and by clinging to the apprehended selfhood of the percepts as objects, beings are deluded by them as the external world and internal beings having individual bodies (created by) the maturation (of their karma) and habituations, and minds with the five poisons. The root of delusion is unenlightenment. In the Prajnaparamita-sancayagatha it is said, "All beings of lesser, middle, and excellent intellect arise from unenlightenment. Thus said the Buddha." Concerning apprehending duality, the condition of delusion, the Prajnaparamita-astasaharika says, "By apprehending "I" and "my", beings are wandering in samsara."

Edited September 15, 2011 by CowTao

[rex]

The four brahma viharas are part of it as you mentioned. But four brahma viharas alone cannot lead to liberation, though they can lead to development of jhanas and rebirth in a higher realm such as the celestial or deva/brahma realms.

Neat! Never knew the four immeasurables were also called the four brahmaviharas. In the context of integration of Buddhism into everyday life I see them as a set of conducts, informing principles and litmus tests for whatever path is engaged in, whether it be renunciation (sutra), transformation (tantra) or self-liberation (dzogchen). They are deceptively profound as IMHO they encapsulate the Base, Path and Fruit of whatever path is being practiced.

 

 

The only peculiar thing about buddhism is the practice of insight meditation and the stress on developing right view (I.e. Anatta, dependent origination/emptiness)

Refuge is also an obvious distinguishing feature as no practice is said to be Buddhist unless it starts with refuge.

[xabir2005]

Neat! Never knew the four immeasurables were also called the four brahmaviharas. In the context of integration of Buddhism into everyday life I see them as a set of conducts, informing principles and litmus tests for whatever path is engaged in, whether it be renunciation (sutra), transformation (tantra) or self-liberation (dzogchen). They are deceptively profound as IMHO they encapsulate the Base, Path and Fruit of whatever path is being practiced.

 

 

 

Refuge is also an obvious distinguishing feature as no practice is said to be Buddhist unless it starts with refuge.

Good points. Yes, refuge is an obvious distinguishing feature too - and unfortunately, there are a lot of westerners nowadays that teaches "Dharma Lite" rather than "The Real Thing" Dharma stripped off the aspects like refuge, rebirth, karma, etc: http://www.berzinarchives.com/web/en/archives/approaching_buddhism/introduction/dharma_lite.html Edited September 16, 2011 by xabir2005

[JustARandomPanda]

I just found out I've only been reciting an exceedingly tiny portion of the Shurangama Mantra. The full Mantra is 554 lines long. The longest Mantra in existence supposedly.

 

Wow.

 

I can't begin to imagine how long it would take to recite all 108 repeats of 554 lines each.

 

No wonder Chan and other Asian Buddhists value it so highly.

[Lucky7Strikes]

No one here truly knows why they wander in samsara. Namdrol's answer isn't any more valid than a novice's recitation of a sutta.

Edited September 19, 2011 by Lucky7Strikes

[mat black]

I just found out I've only been reciting an exceedingly tiny portion of the Shurangama Mantra. The full Mantra is 554 lines long. The longest Mantra in existence supposedly.

 

Wow.

 

I can't begin to imagine how long it would take to recite all 108 repeats of 554 lines each.

 

No wonder Chan and other Asian Buddhists value it so highly.

It's so vast in scope. Praising all the Buddhas, Bohisattvas, Heares, Gods, etc It has a large section on ayurveda too including vata pitta kapha and other factes. Amazing

[rex]

This is very similar to my view!

Well I'm a bit more committed to Buddhism than my last statement would imply - it's just that I like to stress commonalties instead of differences.

 

Thanks for sharing your approach too Serene, it's good to see how you're covering body, speech and mind

[Simple_Jack]

.

Edited September 29, 2011 by Simple_Jack

[Lucky7Strikes]

Because we hold to the notion of "self," and attach to false thoughts. It really is that simple. We were never "bound" to begin with and are not later "freed." Mind gives birth to samsara and nirvana. Samsara and nirvana are totally unestablished.

 

We really do create our own suffering unfortunately.

I meant cyclical existence. And you don't know what you wrote above to be true, that when your false belief in self is extinguished you have choice of rebirth or non-returning. That's only based on your faith in the suttas.

 

Samsara and Nirvana are not just conventional mind experiences but phenomenal as well. Once your belief in self in extinguished, this does not liberate you from earthly existence right away. So what makes you think you are freed from cyclical Samsara?

 

And earthly existence is unfortunately filled with grief and suffering for most. This is not just because of ideas of "self" but socio economic conditions and the pains and limitations inherent in the body as we age. Yes, perhaps the non-belief in self will help you deal with life, but if you let your path end there, you are just delusional.

 

Also, the sufferings due to notions of self are overblown. There are plenty of people who hold ideas of self and are perfectly happy.

Edited September 22, 2011 by Lucky7Strikes

[三江源]

It's so vast in scope. Praising all the Buddhas, Bohisattvas, Heares, Gods, etc It has a large section on ayurveda too including vata pitta kapha and other factes. Amazing

 

mat black! Hooray!

[mat black]

mat black! Hooray!

[Simple_Jack]

.

Edited September 29, 2011 by Simple_Jack

[Lucky7Strikes]

Edited September 23, 2011 by Lucky7Strikes

[Simple_Jack]

.

Edited September 29, 2011 by Simple_Jack

[Lucky7Strikes]

Meh whatevs, If tomorrow I get shot in the head, run over by a car, or die in a freak gasoline fight accident...Either way dude, I'm not worried. This doesn't have to with "faith" either.

Why aren't you worried?

 

None of what I said really matters anyways unless you prove it for yourself. You're already headed down the path of finding this out for yourself already; so the best advice I can give you is: Keep going further and you'll eventually discover this shit out for yourself along the way.

Does that mean you've already proved to yourself of all that you wrote?

Edited September 24, 2011 by Lucky7Strikes

[xabir2005]

If you don't even know by experience if there is such a thing as rebirth, much less 'freedom from rebirth', then you can only take this by faith.

Edited September 24, 2011 by xabir2005

[Simple_Jack]

.

Edited September 29, 2011 by Simple_Jack

[C T]

For those who are established in mindful awareness,

each in-breath is a training in living,

and each out-breath is a training in dying;

As each cycle completes, there is a bardo....

it is in that space that liberation awaits.

With the final out-breath,

for those who are established in mindful awareness of the cycles and cessations while alive,

well-trained, familiar in the intermediate states,

then fears of change and the unknown will not arise,

one leaves burden-less, as if falling into deep sleep.

[Jetsun]

So I'm sure, I'll have no problem dealing with this, when my body expires: Since to me it will be just another change/transformation of appearances.

 

Death is a on a different level from the transition from waking to sleep or from the in and out breath because in death you don't know if you will ever see your parents, partner, children or loved ones ever again and you may never have to opportunity to say or fix anything left to do on the earth, as well as facing up to the extreme terrors of the actual process. Whereas experience has shown us that those anxieties do not really exist that acutely in the normal waking transition of states or in the transition in meditation states, so you can train and study all you like with those states but death is a whole different level of transition one which we wont know if we are capable of going through smoothly until we have done it, unless we have given up all attachments but I am yet to meet anyone who doesn't have at least some heart attachments to the earth.

[C T]

Death is a on a different level from the transition from waking to sleep or from the in and out breath because in death you don't know if you will ever see your parents, partner, children or loved ones ever again and you may never have to opportunity to say or fix anything left to do on the earth, as well as facing up to the extreme terrors of the actual process. Whereas experience has shown us that those anxieties do not really exist that acutely in the normal waking transition of states or in the transition in meditation states, so you can train and study all you like with those states but death is a whole different level of transition one which we wont know if we are capable of going through smoothly until we have done it, unless we have given up all attachments but I am yet to meet anyone who doesn't have at least some heart attachments to the earth.

This is why there is such an immense body of teachings within all the buddhist vehicles which addresses the question why there is rebirth, and all these teachings point to one word: Attachment, that which breeds fear.

 

So many different practices one can take up while alive to learn how to cut the illusion of attachment. People misunderstand and get frightened about this concept of cutting attachment, thinking that they will have to become passive and indifferent, stoic and hard like a rock ~ such perceptions are not predicated on a premise of truth. What is apparent to those who train in mindful awareness is the understanding that by cutting away the roots of attachment, all forms of relationship, whether with self, with others, without self, without others ~ one ultimately experiences freedom from all forms of dependencies, which in turn leads to genuineness and true freedom (from paranoia, delusion and neurosis, basically states which prevent people from being fully alive while alive).

 

When these negative tendencies dissipates and gradually lose their grip, the natural result will be a transformational state of calm and fearlessness. Seeing and tasting this calm and sense of fearlessness is of course not enough, which is why training is so crucial ~ it begets familiarization, eventually leading to stability of view and conduct, which is the crux of practice.

 

Of course death is painful to everyone, but the main thing to remember about the Dharma is that it reminds us that pain is never the cause of suffering, its the desire to want to prolong life, to avoid the miseries of old age, disease and fear of abandonment which are the actual causes.

 

And believe me, nothing is more precious to you than your breath. IF suddenly you happen to experience a temporary loss of ability to breathe, trust me, the last thing on your mind would be parents, things to be fixed, and so forth.

 

Meditation with breath brings a variety of benefits other than the more obvious ones generally spoken about.

Edited September 25, 2011 by CowTao

[Seth Ananda]

This is why there is such an immense body of teachings within all the buddhist vehicles which addresses the question why there is rebirth, and all these teachings point to one word: Attachment, that which breeds fear.

 

So many different practices one can take up while alive to learn how to cut the illusion of attachment. People misunderstand and get frightened about this concept of cutting attachment, thinking that they will have to become passive and indifferent, stoic and hard like a rock ~ such perceptions are not predicated on a premise of truth. What is apparent to those who train in mindful awareness is the understanding that by cutting away the roots of attachment, all forms of relationship, whether with self, with others, without self, without others ~ one ultimately experiences freedom from all forms of dependencies, which in turn leads to genuineness and true freedom (from paranoia, delusion and neurosis, basically states which prevent people from being fully alive while alive).

 

When these negative tendencies dissipates and gradually lose their grip, the natural result will be a transformational state of calm and fearlessness. Seeing and tasting this calm and sense of fearlessness is of course not enough, which is why training is so crucial ~ it begets familiarization, eventually leading to stability of view and conduct, which is the crux of practice.

 

Of course death is painful to everyone, but the main thing to remember about the Dharma is that it reminds us that pain is never the cause of suffering, its the desire to want to prolong life, to avoid the miseries of old age, disease and fear of abandonment which are the actual causes.

 

And believe me, nothing is more precious to you than your breath. IF suddenly you happen to experience a temporary loss of ability to breathe, trust me, the last thing on your mind would be parents, things to be fixed, and so forth.

 

Meditation with breath brings a variety of benefits other than the more obvious ones generally spoken about.

Very nice, but I can not entirely agree about the breath thing. Back earlier in the year when I started having panic attacks and mistakenly thought it was heart problems, It would get harder and harder to breathe and my heart would start skipping beats and getting all erratic. A couple of times as dizziness began overwhelming me as well, I was convinced that 'this is it, I am actually dying right now, this is the end.'

I did not want to die, but the primary concern in my mind was for the welfare of my daughter. I could see her waking up to find my dead body, and being too young to open the door, she would be stuck in the house, possibly for a day or two before anyone arrived. This was utterly distressing for me.

 

but back to Buddhism, these experiences were very profound for me in helping to let the truth of Impermanence penetrate my being. I kept being confronted with my own mortality, and It was hard to start accepting {on a deeper that my Intellect level} that this is coming no matter what. I am going to die, maybe right now.

 

Yesterday I went and visited my grandparents who have been moved to a home. I have not seen them for years, as they hate heathens like myself. Still it was sad but also very good {Dharma wise} to see them. Grandma has lost the ability to walk and much of her memory, and takes a long time to be able to talk. Grandpa has given up the beautiful county home he built over 30 years that he wanted to die in, so he can stay with Grandma, as he is too old to take care of her now.

Again it presented the fact that we all loose everything in the end. Our friends and loved ones die one by one, or loose their minds, or their physical independence, or we do also and in the end we die. All of us.

 

To really let that truth in, at least for me, was a bit like ripping my self open. It hurt and I did not want to accept it. But the positive side of really letting Impermanence in, is it creates a great sense of compassion, and all our connections suddenly become precious gems, valuable moments. And for me it makes me value my time, and dedicate myself to removing attachments to things that are going to be torn away...

 

It gives a great re prioritising of our Values, and I believe that is super Important for us Dharma practitioners.

 

Great Blessings to all

Seth.

Edited September 25, 2011 by Seth Ananda

[Lucky7Strikes]

For me there is no sense of a divide between waking life and sleeping/dreaming. For me, everyday "waking" life is no different than dreaming. Waking life is equally experienced as being dream-like. So everything to me is just the change or transformation of appearances. Anyways, though I don't dream much at all: I recognize that I am dreaming, without doing any sort of practices from dream yoga before and during sleep. I am able to "maintain awareness" into the sleeping and dreaming state. When I do happen to dream, appearances in the dream self-liberate spontaneously.

So when you don't dream, do you recognize that you are not dreaming?

 

"Does that mean you've already proved to yourself of all that you wrote?"

 

I do not have experience with all of the jhanas of the Form and Formless realms (or the 9th samadhi of the arhats nirvana with remainder.) Though, because they have been experienced by people of all the worlds traditions; I don't doubt that they exist and am in the process of trying to prove for myself the experience of the higher jhanas.

I'm a bit confused here, because from what I read you didn't write about the jhanas. You wrote out a lot of theory.

 

Also, try holding your breath for a long time telling yourself that it is simply just arising appearances. Or as a Zen master would do, throw his ash tray on your head!

Edited September 25, 2011 by Lucky7Strikes

[Lucky7Strikes]

Death is a on a different level from the transition from waking to sleep or from the in and out breath because in death you don't know if you will ever see your parents, partner, children or loved ones ever again and you may never have to opportunity to say or fix anything left to do on the earth, as well as facing up to the extreme terrors of the actual process. Whereas experience has shown us that those anxieties do not really exist that acutely in the normal waking transition of states or in the transition in meditation states, so you can train and study all you like with those states but death is a whole different level of transition one which we wont know if we are capable of going through smoothly until we have done it, unless we have given up all attachments but I am yet to meet anyone who doesn't have at least some heart attachments to the earth.

Yes, in my opinion Simple Jack is a bit underestimating...

Edited September 25, 2011 by Lucky7Strikes

[Lucky7Strikes]

Very nice, but I can not entirely agree about the breath thing. Back earlier in the year when I started having panic attacks and mistakenly thought it was heart problems, It would get harder and harder to breathe and my heart would start skipping beats and getting all erratic. A couple of times as dizziness began overwhelming me as well, I was convinced that 'this is it, I am actually dying right now, this is the end.'

I did not want to die, but the primary concern in my mind was for the welfare of my daughter. I could see her waking up to find my dead body, and being too young to open the door, she would be stuck in the house, possibly for a day or two before anyone arrived. This was utterly distressing for me...

I also had a similar experience in an accident where my body was completely shutting down and I was throwing up and barely conscious before going into a three day comatose state, but my thought were I remember oriented towards family and the willingness to live. It's always surprising how deep our compassion runs within us but it is so obscured until Boom! some tragedy or difficult times hit and what tends to go through your mind is just the day to day love you haven't appreciated as much in the normal things in life, like waking up in your home and seeing your family, eating breakfast...