Gaia: Three Turns Buddhism Forum

Re: Thursday, December 17th, 2009

http://symbol.gaia.com — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 21:26:47 GMT

OK,
Who is afraid to meditate?
I have a few episodes of not wanting to sit every month. Usually I do a walk- meditation anyway.
I'm a fairly fearful person. tigers and men with guns scare me. meditation? not so much.
what are we talking about here?

Re: Friday December 18, 2009

http://singerseeker.gaia.com — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 02:57:45 GMT

Our healthy relationships with others, family, friends, love of one's life, can be an enormous help to this waking up and facing ourselves. Things that so easily escape me when I am alone become writ in large across my life in close contact with others.
Thanks for this!

Nicole

Friday December 18, 2009

http://symbol.gaia.com — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 02:27:49 GMT

Spiritual practice often brings to the surface aspects of ourselves that are extremely painful. We have a deep reservoir of emotional wounds and patterns that may be hard to accept in ourselves, and which we have consequently often ignored or denied. This forms a powerful "Shadow," to use Jung's term. As we begin to develop some aspects of tantric practice, these repressed emotions will be resurrected from the underworld of our psyche. This enables the energy bound up in them to then be addressed and potentially transformed. This can sometimes be an uncomfortable process, and it is important to accept and value ourselves even though we feel dreadful, or are frightened of or disgusted with what we see. When we practice Tantra, the dark aspects of our Shadow will almost certainly be evoked, and it requires great courage, honesty, and humility to face and transform them.
Definite emergence, therefore, is the willingness to wake up and face ourselves as we embark on the tantric path. In this willingness to face unconscious habits we also need compassion towards ourselves as we pass through periods of struggle and discomfort in our practice. Through a genuine love, self-acceptance, and sense of humor about ourselves we can potentially uncover even the darkest inner monsters. Healthy self-value and self-worth gives us a solid basis from which to explore the tantric path.
While traditional teachings speak of insights and realizations experienced on the spiritual path, it is seldom made clear that these often come through pain and turmoil. Tantra aims at transforming our most basic emotional nature, and to hold this process we must cultivate compassion for ourselves. This compassion is the recognition that we are human, that we have our qualities and failings, and that we need to value ourselves with them. Compassion towards others begins when we are able to love ourselves through our pain, and in doing so empathize with the pain of others.
Rob Preece from The Psychology of Buddhist Tantra

Thursday, December 17th, 2009

http://singerseeker.gaia.com — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:43:28 GMT

Facing Fear, December 17th, 2009
Fear is what happens when reality collides with our personal fiction. Our practice is based on expectations—expectations about who we are, why we are practicing, and what our practice should be. As our hope disintegrates, it may be replaced by fear. Our characteristics, personality, all of our beautiful plans and ideas are like snowflakes about to fall on the hot stone of our meditation practice.
-Lama Tsony, "Facing Fear," from the Fall 2006 Tricycle. Read the complete article

Re: 12/13/09 Dharma Thoughts.

http://singerseeker.gaia.com — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:40:36 GMT

no reason to be especially jealous or proud indeed. excellent insight, thanks,

Nicole

Re: 12/13/09 Dharma Thoughts.

http://symbol.gaia.com — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 22:23:21 GMT

Well, if we acknowledge that we have a Buddha nature, or that we are, as the Gnostics would say, sons and daughters of G+d, then our failure to live up to that potential, (or at least try,) would be a sin of omission.
A friend of mine said that he does not believe in perfection, but that he does believe in incremental improvement. (maybe not original with him.)
The gradual path is important to most Buddhists, but some of us in the West seem to chafe at the bit, impatient to get to the reward part.

I like what brother Preece says though that Buddhism offered him an antidote to his ingrained shame, and the sense that he was a bad person at heart. This is really why many people turn to the Dharma; these teachings offer an affirmation of our original blessing.

One thing about the metaphor of the golden statue wrapped in rags is that we have to understand that the rags symbolize much more than the obscurations which keep you from shining your light. They are also a protection which shields what is precious from covetous eyes and jealous hearts. One of the challenges we face is to recognize that every bundle of rags contains a precious Buddha.
So, no reason to be jealous of others, or especially proud.

Tuesday, December 15th, 2009

http://singerseeker.gaia.com — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:45:42 GMT

At the Crossroads
At each point in our lives, we are at a crossroads. We are the fruit of our past and we are the architects of our future. When we ask, “Why did this happen to me?” it is because of our limited view. If we throw a stone up in the air and forget about it, when it falls down on our heads, we shouldn’t complain, although we usually do. We have this notion that what happens to us is somehow independent of our own actions. We can ask, why did this happen? but the more important question is, what we are going to do about it?
If you want to know your past, look at your present circumstances. If you want to know your future, look at what is in your mind. If we know that our fate is in our hands, then the quality of our actions becomes a central issue. The whole point of karma is to recognize how our actions determine our future, so that we can begin to act properly. It’s not just a cosmological or philosophical matter. It’s entirely practical. The main point is not to get in trouble again.
-Matthieu Ricard, "Karma Crossroads," from the Fall 2006 Tricycle. Read the complete article.

Re: 12/13/09 Dharma Thoughts.

http://singerseeker.gaia.com — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:44:18 GMT

sins of omission, i have thought about them much, sherab. thank you for this, from my heart.

Nicole

Re: Suggestions...?

http://singerseeker.gaia.com — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:26:29 GMT

I am so glad this has been helpful! Come back anytime,

Love,

Nicole

Re: Suggestions...?

http://AtonalCicada.gaia.com — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 17:04:31 GMT

Thanks! Yeah, I have thought that unconventional meditation methods might help, in addition to psychological therapy.... lol I think both those will have to wait because I can't even afford car insurance...but I am trying to stay positive and manifest the answers I need....

Which is apparently working ^_^

I have never been able to actually talk to other Buddhists, so this is all very interesting...I take into account everything you've said....

Thanks very much :)
Cicada

Re: Suggestions...?

http://symbol.gaia.com — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 12:22:11 GMT

Cicada, I hope you don't mind if i return to this thread and maybe go a little off topic.
It occurred to me you were talking about a body issue, so you might consider some type of body work as you explore what is going on with your sense of self.
People studying towards certification in massage therapy often need to do practical work; It could be just practicing a technique or trying to remember different muscle groups. You might find a low cost deal similar to what Tely suggested. (try the same thing for getting your teeth cleaned: at a dental school.)

When people think of meditation they think of sitting, (well, I do.)
Walking, is a good place to meditate.
I used to practice with a group who did some very confrontational dancing as meditation.

There are two parts to basic meditation: Be Still and Know.
we also call them shamatha and vipassana.

One of the Daily prayers I say goes something like this.

May all beings find happiness and its causes,
May they be free from suffering and it's causes.
May they know that great bliss that surpasses suffering and
May they rest in equanimity, free from attachment and aversion.

For some reason I found the Tibetan hard to memorize, although i like the sound of it, and I can remember the refuge prayer in Tibetan which i've said just as many times.

When i start to focus usually i find that there are thoughts that keep popping up. Some times they are really interesting and i find them attractive. other thoughts are about bills and arguments and i don't want to think about them. But if i have an angry thought i can't just push it away and say "no angry thoughts!" I just accept it. sometimes i give a little bow. I learned this from Stephen Gaskin when I lived at a spiritual center called The Farm.
Usually we had Sunday services outside on top of a hill. people would just show up and meditate for a long time. and then we would all
say AUM nice and long and loud. and Stephen would sermonize about his concerns that week. When It was cold, we would meet indoors in one of the Grand Cabins that people had built there in the seventies, so we were all around the room facing each other instead of looking out over a beautiful meadow.
Every once in a while Stephen would bow, as if he were greeting some one. When ever he did it i'd notice that i was thinking about how nice and warm it was an how much it would cost to get a wood stove like that... or some similar distraction, and I would notice this and go back to focusing on my breathing.
but i had this little fantasy that Stephen could read my mind and that he was really bowing to these stray thoughts of mine. probably he was bowing to his own stray thoughts. but later I started bowing to my own little thoughts, because it was a neat way of acknowledging the thoughts with my body instead of thinking whether they were good or bad. Also it helps to keep my back from locking up when I sit for a long time. (Some days I get a lot of exercise doing this.)
(^_^)

Re: Saturday, December 12, 2009

http://druidcircle.gaia.com — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 12:00:23 GMT

I agree, we are so capable of being more...

Re: 12/13/09 Dharma Thoughts.

http://symbol.gaia.com — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 11:21:05 GMT

I like to think that shame and sin are different animals.
But I hear you about the rags.

Sin is what obscures the source.
So there is an all pervading spirit
which touches and nurtures all.
deny this, and you deny life.

Let us try some examples.
I'm a talented man gifted as some say, but i have little to show for it. i have dabbled in several fields, but never applied my self enough to make a profession.
some say that I'm lazy. And I'll admit to that. Nothing wrong with a little indolence. Well if I'm an artist, It's not a big deal; it's a victim less crime. The world doesn't really need another sonnet. One acrylic sunset is much the same as another. But if i were a surgeon, or a soldier, then my sloth could mean great loss. A good mother might die from appendicitis, the enemy could slip through the lines and bring us all to ruin.
So if i let it go, and pretend I'm no better than the next man, if I never test my self, never reach for my highest potential, then I have denied to the world and all humankind something wonderful worthwhile.

So I need to think about this.

Because the next time that i hit the snooze button on my alarm, crack open a beer or flip on the tube to watch American Idle, then I sin. (especially if I do these all at once!)

In Beelzebub's Tales to his Grandson, we hear a bunch of talk about Organic Shame, which Beelzebub says is a natural thing, necessary and proper for the ordinary functioning of beings like us.
Gurdjeiff can be convoluted and It was a long time ago that I read this, but I think that Organic Shame is something like knowing that we age and die, and that there is a great deal of what is called pain and suffering in the process of living.

Most of what I understand as sin involves knowing that we could make a difference and not doing so.
The drunk who gets into the car and heads towards the school crossing is less reprehensible than the man who sees this and thinks "It's none of my business."

Nonetheless we all despise the drunk because he lifts the glass, he starts the car, he runs the red light. All these steps on the path of ignorance and intoxication.
He's keeping that statue wrapped. all we ever see are rags and mud. He probably pawned the statue to buy more booze!
But what about the man who looks the other way. He knows. You see that golden truth is not such a pretty thing. When we know that we can make a difference, we must act. Or there will be a few empty seats in homeroom this morning.

Yes, self cherishing is that original sin that lead us to thinking we were separate and self contained. The conceit that a fig leaf separates us from the eyes of the almighty, or that it gives us dignity, that's the travesty which replaces Beelzebub's Organic Shame.

pax,
-s-

Re: 12/13/09 Dharma Thoughts.

http://singerseeker.gaia.com — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 09:28:10 GMT

This is fascinating.

I have long thought about the idea of original sin and how shame and guilt drag people down, not just Christians but people of many other beliefs.

Perhaps we have always got original sin wrong, and it was always the filthy rags around the golden statue of our being grounded in Source.

This is what I have come to believe, anyway. And that original sin is basically selfishness/fear which lead to all the other forms of alienation from self, others and the world.

Love,

Nicole

Re: Saturday, December 12, 2009

http://singerseeker.gaia.com — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 08:47:15 GMT

That just makes so much sense. Thank you!

Re: Saturday, December 12, 2009

http://symbol.gaia.com — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 05:20:39 GMT

If we are practicing metta and we cannot see the goodness in ourselves or in someone else, then we reflect on the fundamental wish to be happy that underlies all action. “Just as I want to be happy, all beings want to be happy.” This reflection gives rise to openness, awareness, and love. As we commit to these values, we become embodiments of a lineage that stretches back through beginningless time. All good people of all time have wanted to express openness, awareness, and love. With every phrase of metta we are declaring our alignment with these values.

- Sharon Salzberg, Lovingkindness

12/13/09 Dharma Thoughts.

http://symbol.gaia.com — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 21:45:00 GMT

In the Uttaratantra by Maitreya, it is said that our recognizing our buddha potential is like a man living in poverty discovering that buried beneath his home is a priceless treasure. It is like discovering a jewel buried in the mud. If our buddha potential is like a golden statue wrapped in filthy rags, the golden image can never be tarnished by the rags--it is merely obscured by them. When I was younger and my understanding of Buddhism was relatively poor, the images that came from this text had a profound effect on me. They gave me an intuitive sense of my intrinsic value in a way that I had never felt previously. The influence of religion in my early years had left me with the belief that I was essentially a sinner and that at the root of my being was an innate badness that I had to overcome. It left me fundamentally unable to trust myself because to let go would be to open up my innate badness. When I met my Tibetan teachers and they spoke of my buddha nature, I felt a huge sense of relief. Perhaps I was not so bad after all, and perhaps when I allowed myself to relax a little and open up, I would find my true nature as something whole and wonderful rather than something to be feared and suppressed.

--from The Courage to Feel: Buddhist Practices for Opening to Others by Rob Preece, published by Snow Lion Publications

Saturday, December 12, 2009

http://singerseeker.gaia.com — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 14:37:48 GMT

Truly Knowing Ourselves
Loving ourselves opens us to truly knowing ourselves as part of a matrix of existence, inextricably connected to the boundlessness of life. When we keep opening past any version of who we are that is crafted by others, when we see that we are far bigger than the person that is delineated by family or cultural expectations, we realize that we are capable of so much more than we usually dare to imagine.
- Sharon Salzberg, The Force of Kindness

Did you know that you can join a retreat with Sharon Salzberg right now? Tricycle Online Retreats have begun, and we've launched with Sharon's teachings on Lovingkindness. To hear Sharon's first teaching for free, click here.

Re: Suggestions...?

http://AtonalCicada.gaia.com — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 03:00:43 GMT

Thanks :)

Great leads. I appreciate it.

Re: need some help.. (more about Nichiren)

http://symbol.gaia.com — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 20:18:10 GMT

I followed your link Tely, and i found a reference to Nichiren Shoshu, which is another branch of the sect that originated with the thirteenth century monk Nichiren Daishonin. There was a schism in 1994 between Sokka Gakkai and Nichiren Shoshu. Sokka Gakkai is the organization headed by Daisaku Ikeda, which has garnered so much criticism for its aggressive recruiting and questionable financial practices.

I do not think that SGI is particularly dangerous as far as cults go. They are not nearly as destuctive as say -- Aum Shinrikyo, (now called Aleph) which was responsible for the sarin gas attack in the Tokyo subways back in 1995.

A friend of my family joined a Nichiren Shoshu temple back in 2002. They had an ordained clergy, and their sunday gatherings were modest and very much like any small community church. People brought their kids, they sat in rows and recited mantra and sutras almost as if they were Methodists. Only the words were different. My friend joined partly because he was a single father raising his son in a high crime area. He wanted some kind of community of faith which was uncomplicated and free of the judgemental ideologys which often afflict Christian churches these days.

I did a little more background reading about the doctrines of Nichiren Shoshu This Site has quite few teachings and a useful glossary, which defines terms according Nichiren orthodoxy.

I find several points of the doctrine a little difficult to accept. One thing is their emphasis that Nichiren Daishonin is the true Buddha, and the other is the exclusivity of the Lotus Sutra. I do not believe that it is proper to criticize other Buddhist sects as incomplete or wrong. I heard Tharchen Rinpoche in a video saying that there were 84,000 teachings from Buddha; so there is something there for every kind of individual.

I guess that I have a catholic approach to the Dharma, believing that we all belong to the same sangha, but I also understand the need for traditions. There are reasons why one lineage is different and distinct from another: why there are different branches of the one tree.

Nichiren places a great deal of emphasis on faith in the Lotus Sutra. it is through this faith. It is through this faith that the Sutra has the power to transform a persons life and allow them to improve their condition.
I have no problem with the practices of chanting and reading the sutra; both are done in other traditions and they have certain obvious benefits. I am skeptical however, of a faith which excludes all except its object.
That is the point however, if we focus all our being on the essence of Buddha, we will burn away all that is unneccessary.

That kind of mysticism is found in other religions as well, but to me there is something demonic about it. As if, by focusing on an object of angelic purity, it somehow became its opposite. There is a saying in the tantric tradition: "Take the obstacles as the path." To me this means means that the very thigs which hinder us, and cause us stress can be opportunities to grow, because when we give up from struggling to make the world conform to our expectation, we have the chance to see ourselves, and the world both as they really are.
pax
-s-