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The Emptiness of Intrinsic Existence and Its Relevance to Global Warming

2/27/2017

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When we learn that things are empty of intrinsic existence the teaching usually is related to the five skandhas, the feelings and perceptions that make up the ego-mind.  We learn that all our feelings and perceptions are of dependent origination … namely dependent on our learned experience … and that they thus have no intrinsic existence.  

For example, two different people will look at the same factual situation yet feel very differently about it because they have two different learned experiences.  If feelings were real, if they had intrinsic existence, they wouldn’t vary person to person.

The habit-energy of seeing the world through our ego-mind keeps us from experiencing things as they really are, with dispassion, free of labels.  And is the direct cause of samsara.  See my post, “Reality Is Not What We Experience.”

But there is another level to the teaching of things not having intrinsic existence.  All elements of nature … whether it’s the sun, the water we drink, plants growing … none of these things have intrinsic existence.  They are all dependent on something else.  The sun is the product of the cosmic forces that create suns and keep them going.  The water we drink is the product of a complex interaction of meteorological and geologic forces.  Plants are dependent on so many things - light, water, nutrients - which are in turn dependent on a variety of natural forces.

So there is nothing on this earth or in the heavens that has intrinsic existence.  Everything is or was dependent on something else.  Everything is interconnected.

One reason why the issue of global warming is not much of an issue for most people is that they really don’t understand the immensity and power of this interconnectedness.  They think, “So some people will be displaced by rising oceans and we’ll have to adapt to warmer temperatures.  No big deal.”

They don’t understand that once man starts disrupting the normal flow of this interconnectedness, which is the product of millions of years of evolution, we have no idea what the end result will be.  But if I were taking bets, I would say it is more likely to be disastrous rather than the ho-hum scenarios that most people picture.

Just as an example, I read a while ago that the enormous weight of the Greenland ice sheet impacts the axis of the Earth’s rotation and the location of the poles. If the Greenland ice sheet melts, as it is doing with increasing speed … each year the sheet is loosing 287 billion tons of ice … the axis and the location of the poles will change.  How much no one knows, but the loss of just a fragment of the Greenland ice sheet, as well as Antarctic and North Pole ice, is already having an impact with the North Pole moving ever so slowly towards the UK.

Depending on how much the poles shift, the results could be truly catastrophic for mankind.  Probably not as catastrophic as a nuclear winter, which would mean the end of life on earth, but it could mean wiping out much of nature and thus much of life on earth.  We just have no idea.  But whatever the change is, it is likely to be significant and life-altering, not just something one can easily adapt to.

Never forget the interconnectedness of all things.  And pass this message on to others whenever you have the opportunity as there needs to be a huge groundswell of public support for action on global warming.
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Be Aware When Reading - Yearn to Please or to Offer Joy?

2/16/2017

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When reading spiritual books, especially those written by a non-native English speaker or  those that have been translated into English, one must always be very aware of the words one is reading.  Whether the words used convey the meaning of the author or mislead.

One example of this can be found in a wonderful Sufi book that I have read and reread, Personality - The Art of Being and Becoming, by Hazrat Khan.  It is one of the main texts that inform my spirituality and knowledge of my true self.

However, in a section I recently reread, he states that if one does not please those around you then you have not done your spiritual duty.  That one should seek to please people in every way.  This is how you act out the God-essence within you.

When I read that this time around, I knew there was something wrong.  What pleases people is rarely founded in spirituality.  It’s usually a result of their cravings and insecurities.  Thus to please people is not skillful because it is feeding their unskillful desires.  This is not helping them in any way.  It may be being selfless, but it is not helpful.

There is no question in my mind that Khan would never have chosen this wording if he understood the English language better.  Instead he would have probably used the phrasing other spiritual teachers use when expressing this teaching, “offer joy.”  

One can truthfully say that our main purpose in life is to offer others joy.  That expresses the true Buddha nature inside us; it is profoundly spiritual.  When you offer someone joy, you offer what the person needs to experience spiritual joy.  When you instead act to please someone, you offer what the person needs to experience temporal or samsaric joy.

There’s another problem with using the word “please.”  If you want to please someone then the end result, pleasing them, is inextricably bound with the purpose of the act.  And if the person isn’t pleased, then you cannot help but be disappointed.  

However, if you offer someone joy, the very phrasing makes clear that all you are doing is offering something to someone.  If the person doesn’t accept it or doesn’t find joy in it, it doesn’t reflect on you at all; it doesn’t take anything away from the quality, the intent, of your action.  You are only disappointed if your ego-mind attaches to your action, looking for a positive reaction; if it is seeking applause.


It doesn’t matter how good a book is.  My experience is that there are a few places in most books where words are not chosen carefully and if you don’t catch the discordant nature of the words you can be led astray by what the author seems to be saying.  Keep you awareness sharp while you are reading.
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Good Guys Finish Last?

2/6/2017

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The other day, I was talking with a friend and he voiced the common maxim, “Good guys finish last.”  I was taken aback because of a jolting realization at how indicative that statement is of the culture we live in.  Truly a “Duh!” moment.

That statement is of course generally true, in terms of getting ahead in this competitive, materialistic culture of ours.  And in the past, years ago, when I would hear this maxim, I honestly didn’t think anything of it.  It was a given, with exceptions of course, but one where the exceptions prove the rule.

But when I heard it now I knew of course that while the statement may be true in one context, it is absolutely not true in the larger spiritual context.  In that context, good guys finish first. 

In this maxim, “good guys” would be defined as those who are kind, considerate, thoughtful of others.  Those who would not harm another in order to get ahead in life.

In the spiritual context, finishing first would be defined as freeing oneself from suffering, purifying the heart and mind of all foreign impressions … all emotions, judgment, cravings, and attachment that are a product of the ego-mind … that are not found in the heart.  It is to be free of the control of one’s ego-mind.  Finishing first is living in harmony with oneself and one’s surroundings and being in touch with beauty.

While being a good guy does not necessarily imply being on the spiritual path in a formal sense, it does indicate a natural spiritual quality which, while not freeing oneself from all suffering perhaps, allows one to live life with a certain peace, a certain relaxation, which is a blessing.  

It may not be nirvana, but the good guy has found a way to relate to himself and the pressures of our modern life which does not denigrate his humaneness.  I would say that’s something pretty wonderful, regardless how one got there.
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    12 Steps On The Buddhist Path
    A Buddhist Trinity - Being Present Acceptance And Living The Five Precepts
    Acceptance Courage And Wisdom
    Acknowledgement Of The Cause Of Suffering Is Key
    An Open Letter To President-elect Trump And All Americans
    Antagonist Or Challenge?
    A Path To Compassion And Loving Kindness
    Approaching The Other Shore
    Are You Reading And Willing To Let Your Cravings Go?
    As A Buddhist How Do You Think About The Future?
    As A Buddhist … Revisited Again - Do We Need To Know Where We’re Headed?
    As A Buddhist ... Revisited - Planning Without Thinking
    As A Buddhist … Revisited Yet Again - How Do You Implement Moving Forward Without Having A Destination Point?
    Attachment To Self
    Back To Basics
    Back To The Beginning - The Four Noble Truths
    Be A Light Unto Yourself And Others
    Be Aware When Reading - Yearn To Please Or To Offer Joy?
    Befriend Yourself
    Being - Not Being
    Being Present Is Being Flexible
    Being Present Is The Key To Peace And Contentment
    Being Present - Part 2
    Belief In You Buddha Nature - The Beginning And The End
    Be The Eye Of The Hurricane
    Beyond Acceptance
    Beyond Awareness
    Beyond Dispassion - The Next Step
    Boredom
    Buddha Mind - Child Mind
    Buddha Mind Free Of Thought
    Change Your Life By Changing The Direction Of Its Energy Flow
    Changing Your Reactions
    Chicken Or Egg ?
    Co-existence Of Buddha Nature And Ego-Mind
    Compassion
    Darkness Before Light
    Death And Life
    Death And Life - Part 2
    Death Heaven And Hell
    Deflating The Ego
    Desire - The Gerbil Trap
    Discipline - It’s Essential
    Dislike - An Insidious Obstruction
    Dispassion - Unlocking The Doors
    Don’t Waste A Moment
    Do You Really Want To Be At Peace And Content
    Ego - Changing Your Relationship With It
    Embrace The Moment Not Merely Accept
    End Of Suffering Cheat Sheet
    Enter The State Of Dispassion By Becoming Aware Of The Emptiness Of Our Thinking Mind
    Enter Your Buddha Mind
    Everything That Disturbs Us Is A Product Of Suffering
    Experiencing The Fullness Of The Present
    Facing My Insecurity
    Faith And Mind Not Separate
    Faith And Mind Not Separate - 2
    Faith And Reason
    Fear And Anxiety - There's More
    Fear Anxiety And Craving - Chicken Or Egg #2
    Fear Arises From Our Desire To Control
    Fear V Common Sense
    Finding Happiness In Each Moment
    Forgiveness - A Different Take
    Freedom From The Future
    Freedom From The Known
    Freedom - What Does It Mean?
    Freeing Yourself From Anger And Resentment
    Freeing Yourself From Fear
    Freeing Yourself From Fear II
    Freeing Yourself From Suffering - The Prerequisite Step
    Free Of Thought - Important Clarification
    Frustration ... Our Canary In The Mine
    Get Over Yourself
    Going Through Life With Blinders - The Obstruction Of Labels
    Good Guys Finish Last?
    Go Slow
    Guilt
    Happenstance
    Happiness Found - No Longer Elusive
    Happiness Is Elusive
    Happy New Year 2017?
    Healing Your Inner Child - Healing Your Wounded Heart
    Hell Is Just Resistance To Life
    How I Failed Myself
    How To Desire Yet Not Crave?
    How To Find Faith?
    How To Love Yourself
    How To Offer Others Joy And Compassion
    How To See Through The Eyes Of Your True Buddha Self
    How To Spiritually Respond To The Election?
    How To Start The Day
    How To Surrender Your Ego Or Turn Your Will And Your Life Over To The Care Of Your True Buddha Nature
    Humbling Myself
    Humility
    I Am Therefore I Am
    If This Is Practical Buddhism Why The Pastoral Setting
    Imagining In Meditation
    Inner Happiness - Outer Happiness
    It Doesn’t Have To Be
    It's All About Survival - Or Is It?
    It’s Just The Way It Is
    It’s No Crime To Think About Oneself!
    Joy - Experience It Now
    Joy/Happiness - A Choice We Make
    Joy - One More Take
    Knowing Best?
    Know Thyself - The Power Of Awareness
    Letting Go
    Liberate Yourself From Thinking
    Likes And Dislikes - A Potential Trap Examined
    Listening - Why Is It So Difficult?
    Love At First Sight - NOT
    Meditation - Coming Home Releasing And Being At Peace
    Meditation - The Importance Of Daily Practice
    Mind Resting Undisturbed
    My Daily Task
    My Daily Task - 2
    My Ego's Sneak Attack
    My Meditation Isn't Working!
    My Mind Trapped Me
    Never Stop Going Deeper
    Nirvana - It's Right Before Your Eyes
    No Expectations No Hope?
    No One’s Life Is Ordinary
    No Self - Not!
    Not Engaging Your Thoughts
    Nothing To Prove
    Not Me - Peeling Off The Layers Of Our Ego-Mind
    Observe
    Offer Joy Experience Joy
    Opening The Door To Being Present
    Our Over-sexed Culture And Lives
    Pain - A Cry For Help
    Paradise Lost
    Proof Of The Nature Of Mind - Fear Ego And Buddha Mind
    Protecting Yourself From The Elements
    Psychiatry Needs To Incorporate Buddhist Teaching
    Putting Spirituality Into Practice 24/7
    Real Clarity V The Delusion Of Clarity
    Reality Is Not What We Experience
    Releasing All Desire
    Returning Home - Returning To Your True Buddha Nature
    Ritual Burning Of The Past
    Saying Grace
    Seek And You Shall Find
    Seeking Guidance From Buddha Mind Not Ego Mind
    Shall We Dance? - An Invitation To The Dance Of Death
    Shame
    Smiling Toddler + Wounded Inner Child
    Soul’s Yearning Distorted By The Ego-Mind
    Starving The Ego
    Step #10: Continued To Be Mindful Of The Arising Of Cravings And Desires And When They Arose Did Not Attach To Them And Allowed Them To Subside.
    Step #11: Sought Through Meditation To Constantly Improve Our Conscious Contact With Our True Buddha Nature
    Step #1: Admitted Our Cravings Cause Us Suffering And That We Are Powerless Over Them
    Step #2: Came To Believe That Our True Buddha Nature Could Restore Us To Peace And Created A Platform Of Serenity
    Step #3: Committed Ourselves To The Path By Practicing The Five Precepts And The Six Paramitas
    Step #4 Came To Believe That All Our Perceptions Are Learned - That They Are Just A Product Of Our Ego-mind - And That Our Ego-mind Is Not Our True Self - Instead We Knew That Our True Self Is Our Heart.
    Step #5: Were Ready And Willing And Made A Decision To Surrender Our Ego And Turn Our Will And Our Lives Over To The Care Of Our True Buddha Nature Opening Our Heart To Embrace All Aspects Of Our Being.
    Step #6: Came To Believe That We Have Everything We Need Within Ourselves To Be At Peace And Happy
    Step #7: Came To Be Free Of Our Cravings
    Step #8: Were Entirely Ready To Love Ourselves Unconditionally And Have Compassion For Ourselves And To Accept Ourselves And The World Around Us As Being The Way They Are Because It's Just The Way It Is.
    Step #9: Made A List Of Persons We Had Harmed And Made Amends To Them
    Stopping Self-Sabotage
    Strength Not Courage
    Suffering Is Universal - But Why?
    Survival - The Force That Controls Our Life
    Teaching Only Points The Way
    Test The Wisdom Of What You’re Doing Or Thinking Of Doing
    The 3-legged Stool Of Spirituality
    The Challenge Of Staying Aware
    The Choice Is Yours
    The Coexistence Of Ego And Buddha Nature
    The Ego As Saboteur
    The Emptiness Of Intrinsic Existence And Its Relevance To Global Warming
    The Freedom Of Focusing On Someone Or Something Outside Yourself
    The Heart/Mind Divide
    The Heart’s Embrace
    The Heart’s Embrace - More On Freeing Ourselves
    The Hurt Of Rejection - Its Enduring Impact
    The Illusion Of Control
    The Imperative Of Self-Preservation
    The Lessons Of Siddhartha
    The Meaning And Power Of Selflessness
    The Middle Way - A Way Back From The Breach
    The Misleading Teaching Of No Self
    The Missing Noble Truth
    The Myanmar Situation
    The Mystery Of The Ego - An Answer
    The New Me - I Not I
    The Noble Eightfold Path
    The Parable Of The Raft
    The Path As Tightrope
    The Path From Peace To Joy
    The Path Is Never-Ending
    The Power Of Affirmations - Use Carefully
    The Power Of Giving Voice And Thought
    The Present Beyond Us
    The Purpose Of Life
    The Push/Pull Of Ego-Mind
    The Question Is Not Whether The Glass Is Half Empty Or Half Full
    There Are No Bad Persons
    There Is Nothing Wrong With You
    The Remnants Of The Ego
    The Soul’s Yearning And How Best To Fulfill It
    The Stages Of Acceptance
    The Stages Of Forgiveness/Compassion
    The Stages Of Man’s Spirit
    The Subconscious
    The Unaware Consumer
    The Wisdom Of Chickens
    This Is Not Me This Is Not My Self
    To Free Yourself From Cravings You Must Free Yourself Of Fear
    To Love Unconditionally = Loving-Kindness
    Tonglen - How To Approach Its Practice
    To Thine Own Self Be True
    Turning Your Will Over To Your True Buddha Nature
    Walking Away From Modernity
    Walking On The Beach
    We Are All One
    We Have Everything We Need To Be At Peace And Happy Inside Ourselves
    We Make Our Own Mental Environment
    We Never Stop Healing
    What Activates The Ego-Mind?
    What Blocks Me From Being Truly Present And Radiating My Inner Energy 24/7?
    What Is Joy? What Is Happiness?
    What Is Most Important To You?
    What Is Your Task In Life?
    What Price Peace And Happiness?
    What's Real And What’s Not Real?
    What’s The Real Challenge - Life Or The Ego?
    What Use Fame Power Fortune?
    When Joy Is Not Joy
    When Love Is Not Love ...
    When Nothing Offends
    Who Am I?
    Why Diets Fail - A Buddhist Perspective
    Why Do We Crave?
    Why Is It So Difficult To Be Free Of The Ego-Mind?
    Why Is Mankind Trapped In A Box?
    Why Point The Compass Towards Tomorrow?
    Why We Take Offense
    Wounded Our Ego-Mind Becomes The Devil
    Yes Virginia There Is A True Buddha Nature
    Yet Another Past Attachment
    You Are Not Alone
    You Can Be In Control
    Your Unwounded Heart

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