I often refer in my writing to turning your will and your life over to your true Buddha nature, the divinity that is you, or the child of the universe that is within you - interchangeably. I also say that things are the way they are because it's just the way it is; it is meant to be and it's all ok. I also refer to Buddha-mind and ego-mind.
Realizing that these words can cause confusion - these are foreign concepts for many if not most people - I thought I should explain the connection of these thoughts in one post, rather than just referring you to various posts I have written over the years on these subjects. The interrelatedness, the balance, of these various thoughts is critical to understanding their power.
It all starts with the truth that we are all born essentially perfect with the Buddha nature inside us. This is a Buddhist maxim. While we may not be in that state now – we have typically been defiled by our learned experiences and by the reaction of our ego-mind – our Buddha nature is always inside us.
In the last few years I have realized the connection between the concept of Buddha nature and the concept of the divinity within us, the child of the universe that is us. (See my posts, "Buddhism and the Divine," and "The Miracle That Is You.") They are all one. Each of us has this force within us.
But how does our Buddha nature, our divinity, coexist with our ego-mind? They would seem to be irreconcilable forces, mutually exclusive. But our experience of ourselves, carefully examined, shows us that both these elements are within us. Think about your actions. Even if your actions are mostly in the control of your ego-mind, there are always those times when your Buddha nature, your divinity, comes through – presented in cartoons as an angel sitting on one shoulder whispering in your ear while the devil sits on the other shoulder urging you to take his path – and sometimes you choose to follow the guidance of the angel.
To understand this, one should think of the mind as a continuum, with the ego-mind at one end and our Buddha nature/divinity at the other end. Before we found Buddhism, the dial of our mind was set firmly on the ego-mind end of our mind's spectrum. But as our practice deepened, the dial moved more towards center, and if our practice becomes very deep, the dial is almost one with our Buddha nature. But unless we achieve enlightenment, our ego-mind will always be an active part of us and will rear its ugly presence when we have a weak moment.
From the acknowledgment of the Buddha/divinity/universe inside us comes a deepening of our practice by understanding that things are the way they are because it's just the way it is. I was told this truth many years ago by a monk in response to my question that if we are born essentially perfect with Buddha nature inside us, why is suffering universal. (See my post, "Suffering is Universal - But Why?")
After a time, I realized that this is not a statement of resignation, but a source of strength. When we know that there are forces in the universe, both the laws of nature as well as the nature of man, that cause things to be the way they are, it enables us to release the desire for control, recognizing that control is impossible (people may think they are in control, but that is a delusion; they aren't), and say, "Your will, not my mind's," understanding that things are the way they are because it's just the way things are; it is meant to be, and that we will be ok, safe, spiritually.
"Meant to be" does not mean that there is some force, like the Old Testament God, that determines what happens to us. Instead, it means that there are forces in the universe that bring about things as they are, whether it's the weather or the actions of man. As the monk who spoke to me said, "It's like the laws of thermodynamics."
And how can I say that "we will be ok" even when these forces can cause us terrible suffering, whether it's something like cancer or something brought about by man, like the material deprivations of poverty (hunger, lack of housing) or the concentration camps of the holocaust? The answer is twofold: first, just saying and believing that "things are the way they are because it's just the way it is; it is meant to be and all wii be ok," is self-fulfilling in that you will be calm regardless what is going on and so be able to exercise good judgment – that's a large part of being ok. Second, when we are one with the Buddha nature inside us, our divinity, or the child of the universe within us, we are sustained by that force and have no creature/carnal wants; our focus is on eternity. And so we are spiritually ok, safe. We have everything we need inside us to be at peace and happy. The Star Wars phrase, "May the force be with you," has real meaning; but you must give yourself over to that force.
But how do you get to that state? How do you free yourself from the control of your ego-mind. Most of my posts address this issue in one way or another; I have suggested numerous practices to help achieve that goal.
But I have found that what works best for me is my latest revelation, sparked by a phrase from an ancient Chinese poem, "When faith and mind are not separate, and not separate are mind and faith, this is beyond all words or thought, for here there is no yesterday, no tomorrow, no today; there is only the present moment, all else is thought."
And that practice is: Knowing that things are the way they are because it is meant to be, it's all ok, and being humble, I choose to be one with the divinity within me, the child of the universe within me, inviting it into my subconscious, be my subconscious, filling me with abundance and light, faith and strength, humility, so that I radiate light, am a light unto myself and others, and so create a forcefield around me that my ego-mind, mara, and the devil cannot penetrate. (See my post, "Change Your Life by Changing the Direction of Your Energy Flow.")
When I make that choice every day, throughout the day, I have no fear, no weakness. All internal and external struggle cease to be. I have everything inside me I need to be at peace and happy. I know all will be ok, I am safe spiritually, because I am one with the divinity within me. And so I am at peace and experience equanimity.
Realizing that these words can cause confusion - these are foreign concepts for many if not most people - I thought I should explain the connection of these thoughts in one post, rather than just referring you to various posts I have written over the years on these subjects. The interrelatedness, the balance, of these various thoughts is critical to understanding their power.
It all starts with the truth that we are all born essentially perfect with the Buddha nature inside us. This is a Buddhist maxim. While we may not be in that state now – we have typically been defiled by our learned experiences and by the reaction of our ego-mind – our Buddha nature is always inside us.
In the last few years I have realized the connection between the concept of Buddha nature and the concept of the divinity within us, the child of the universe that is us. (See my posts, "Buddhism and the Divine," and "The Miracle That Is You.") They are all one. Each of us has this force within us.
But how does our Buddha nature, our divinity, coexist with our ego-mind? They would seem to be irreconcilable forces, mutually exclusive. But our experience of ourselves, carefully examined, shows us that both these elements are within us. Think about your actions. Even if your actions are mostly in the control of your ego-mind, there are always those times when your Buddha nature, your divinity, comes through – presented in cartoons as an angel sitting on one shoulder whispering in your ear while the devil sits on the other shoulder urging you to take his path – and sometimes you choose to follow the guidance of the angel.
To understand this, one should think of the mind as a continuum, with the ego-mind at one end and our Buddha nature/divinity at the other end. Before we found Buddhism, the dial of our mind was set firmly on the ego-mind end of our mind's spectrum. But as our practice deepened, the dial moved more towards center, and if our practice becomes very deep, the dial is almost one with our Buddha nature. But unless we achieve enlightenment, our ego-mind will always be an active part of us and will rear its ugly presence when we have a weak moment.
From the acknowledgment of the Buddha/divinity/universe inside us comes a deepening of our practice by understanding that things are the way they are because it's just the way it is. I was told this truth many years ago by a monk in response to my question that if we are born essentially perfect with Buddha nature inside us, why is suffering universal. (See my post, "Suffering is Universal - But Why?")
After a time, I realized that this is not a statement of resignation, but a source of strength. When we know that there are forces in the universe, both the laws of nature as well as the nature of man, that cause things to be the way they are, it enables us to release the desire for control, recognizing that control is impossible (people may think they are in control, but that is a delusion; they aren't), and say, "Your will, not my mind's," understanding that things are the way they are because it's just the way things are; it is meant to be, and that we will be ok, safe, spiritually.
"Meant to be" does not mean that there is some force, like the Old Testament God, that determines what happens to us. Instead, it means that there are forces in the universe that bring about things as they are, whether it's the weather or the actions of man. As the monk who spoke to me said, "It's like the laws of thermodynamics."
And how can I say that "we will be ok" even when these forces can cause us terrible suffering, whether it's something like cancer or something brought about by man, like the material deprivations of poverty (hunger, lack of housing) or the concentration camps of the holocaust? The answer is twofold: first, just saying and believing that "things are the way they are because it's just the way it is; it is meant to be and all wii be ok," is self-fulfilling in that you will be calm regardless what is going on and so be able to exercise good judgment – that's a large part of being ok. Second, when we are one with the Buddha nature inside us, our divinity, or the child of the universe within us, we are sustained by that force and have no creature/carnal wants; our focus is on eternity. And so we are spiritually ok, safe. We have everything we need inside us to be at peace and happy. The Star Wars phrase, "May the force be with you," has real meaning; but you must give yourself over to that force.
But how do you get to that state? How do you free yourself from the control of your ego-mind. Most of my posts address this issue in one way or another; I have suggested numerous practices to help achieve that goal.
But I have found that what works best for me is my latest revelation, sparked by a phrase from an ancient Chinese poem, "When faith and mind are not separate, and not separate are mind and faith, this is beyond all words or thought, for here there is no yesterday, no tomorrow, no today; there is only the present moment, all else is thought."
And that practice is: Knowing that things are the way they are because it is meant to be, it's all ok, and being humble, I choose to be one with the divinity within me, the child of the universe within me, inviting it into my subconscious, be my subconscious, filling me with abundance and light, faith and strength, humility, so that I radiate light, am a light unto myself and others, and so create a forcefield around me that my ego-mind, mara, and the devil cannot penetrate. (See my post, "Change Your Life by Changing the Direction of Your Energy Flow.")
When I make that choice every day, throughout the day, I have no fear, no weakness. All internal and external struggle cease to be. I have everything inside me I need to be at peace and happy. I know all will be ok, I am safe spiritually, because I am one with the divinity within me. And so I am at peace and experience equanimity.
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