Saw this billboard a while ago in downtown SF. Kinda sez it all.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Society wants to you to be a Person, a self
Saw this billboard a while ago in downtown SF. Kinda sez it all.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Nice Inquiry
I came across this post.
I enjoyed the simple way he went about the inquiry.
His bits about sensory forms versus thought forms was nice and his pointing out that each sense of the object - is a separate thought form. I saw this early on , that the juncture of sensory thought forms, and mental thought forms, this juncture is made real by me, and is the "self" that is "assumed' or filled in by the mind. If there is seeing, there must be a see-er, and in that instant "i" as seer seems to exist. Such is the nature of perception and thought: if there is a thought, there must be a thinker and I am the thinker.
But no, simply an illusion, the mind filling in pieces. Which is what it does: Example: see here and more here, have fun.
His point about "maybe it's just forms of distinction all the way down" seems spot on with the question-observation: Does it all exist before it's discovered, or does it come into being at the moment of observation. Did you get the hint?
This seemed to point to the same thing, here.
I had fouind this a few years ago. A thorough, in-depth academic description of NonDuality and awakening, by someone who admitted he wasn't awake...yet is one of the best reads.
I enjoyed the simple way he went about the inquiry.
His bits about sensory forms versus thought forms was nice and his pointing out that each sense of the object - is a separate thought form. I saw this early on , that the juncture of sensory thought forms, and mental thought forms, this juncture is made real by me, and is the "self" that is "assumed' or filled in by the mind. If there is seeing, there must be a see-er, and in that instant "i" as seer seems to exist. Such is the nature of perception and thought: if there is a thought, there must be a thinker and I am the thinker.
But no, simply an illusion, the mind filling in pieces. Which is what it does: Example: see here and more here, have fun.
His point about "maybe it's just forms of distinction all the way down" seems spot on with the question-observation: Does it all exist before it's discovered, or does it come into being at the moment of observation. Did you get the hint?
This seemed to point to the same thing, here.
I had fouind this a few years ago. A thorough, in-depth academic description of NonDuality and awakening, by someone who admitted he wasn't awake...yet is one of the best reads.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
The Familiar is the Most Addictive
Old Story:
Man 1 to Man 2, who is sitting in a sewer: "Why are you sitting in the dark, dank, smelly, disgusting hole?"
Man 2: "Yes, its all that, but it's also warm and familiar."
Variations of this have been around for a while. A potential universal truth for People.
I recently had an insight as to why even something "bad" is welcomed.
The sensation/feeling of "the familiar" is perhaps the most deep-seated, most basic trait or aspect of a living organism.
The ability to recognize something must precede all. Likes, dislikes, etc. To know you like or dislike, there must be recognition first.
So, recognition happens and the feeling of familiarity, something previously experienced, is so strong and so enticing and reinforcing and attractive, that it undermines the actual experience of the thing which is familiar.
Where it happens deep in the nervous system (like smell is one of the primal senses); the Feeling of Familiarity ignites the pleasure centers, even if there object of familiarity itself is not pleasurable. So, while familiarity is most basic and probably works at the neuron-base consciousness level - preferences, judgements, likes, dislikes and all related are add-ons and effectively transient.
Feeling of recognition/ familiarity is not.
Once again pointing to The Source not having a preference for the content of perception. Recognition-familiarity, is sufficient.
Man 1 to Man 2, who is sitting in a sewer: "Why are you sitting in the dark, dank, smelly, disgusting hole?"
Man 2: "Yes, its all that, but it's also warm and familiar."
Variations of this have been around for a while. A potential universal truth for People.
I recently had an insight as to why even something "bad" is welcomed.
The sensation/feeling of "the familiar" is perhaps the most deep-seated, most basic trait or aspect of a living organism.
The ability to recognize something must precede all. Likes, dislikes, etc. To know you like or dislike, there must be recognition first.
So, recognition happens and the feeling of familiarity, something previously experienced, is so strong and so enticing and reinforcing and attractive, that it undermines the actual experience of the thing which is familiar.
Where it happens deep in the nervous system (like smell is one of the primal senses); the Feeling of Familiarity ignites the pleasure centers, even if there object of familiarity itself is not pleasurable. So, while familiarity is most basic and probably works at the neuron-base consciousness level - preferences, judgements, likes, dislikes and all related are add-ons and effectively transient.
Feeling of recognition/ familiarity is not.
Once again pointing to The Source not having a preference for the content of perception. Recognition-familiarity, is sufficient.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Wizard of Oz as Enlightenment Story
Dec 24 2005
Watching the Wizard of Oz the other night it occurred to me it was a perfect allegory of the search for enlightenment.
A person, unhappy in their current story, looking desperately for a way out, undergoes a severe event (the twister) and lands in a wonderful, magical place.
However, they know this place is not real and seeks desperately to return home (to how she used to be, no matter how unpleasant that seemed
They are given the means to do so (the ruby slippers) but (apparently) wouldn’t believe that they will work, so must go on a quest. Before she can leave she is threatened if she does not give up the quest and her power – the wicked witch representing the Ego. The Guru – Glinda, sets her on the path.
She goes to see the Wizard, representing accumulated knowledge and wisdom.
She first meets someone who thinks they have no brain, yet can clearly speak and think. And gives conflicting advise. They continue. They meet one without a heart. One who clearly demonstrates compassion, but believes they have no heart. Lesson here is that one can be compassionate yet strong. Tears rust him.
They meet the lion, who is cowardly, but still shows true courage. All the pieces are there, why do they think it is missing.
Going across the fields of poppies show the distractions that can arise from the Ego – with help from the Guru, she awakes from self.
Once at Oz, The Ego – tells Dorothy she must surrender – to the ego – or to what? Her inner self – Dorothy is of course afraid of this.
they are told by the wizard – “Conventional and Spiritual Wisdom through the ages” they must kill the ego – the witch, but not given any means.
They go and Dorothy is imprisoned by the witch and Toto runs away. Toto represents others, family, friends.
Ultimately she kills the ego while saving her friend the scarecrow.
They return to Oz and the wizard tells them to go away. The dog unmasks the true wizard - just an ordinary guy (“a very nice person but a very bad wizard”). So, accumulated wisdom and saints are shown to be what they are. – empty and ultimately of no use.
While they acknowledge that the scarecrow, lion and tin man already have shown they possess the qualities they seek, it is only through acknowledgment by others- external validation do they admit they have these qualities. But they have been there all the time.
The wizard offers to take Dorothy home, but leaves without her.
Dorothy doesn’t want to stay behind and Glinda, the guru, appears to tell her she always had the power to go home, just didn’t believe it.
She clicks her heels and returns home – and awakens in her "old role" with a new perspective and reality.
Watching the Wizard of Oz the other night it occurred to me it was a perfect allegory of the search for enlightenment.
A person, unhappy in their current story, looking desperately for a way out, undergoes a severe event (the twister) and lands in a wonderful, magical place.
However, they know this place is not real and seeks desperately to return home (to how she used to be, no matter how unpleasant that seemed
They are given the means to do so (the ruby slippers) but (apparently) wouldn’t believe that they will work, so must go on a quest. Before she can leave she is threatened if she does not give up the quest and her power – the wicked witch representing the Ego. The Guru – Glinda, sets her on the path.
She goes to see the Wizard, representing accumulated knowledge and wisdom.
She first meets someone who thinks they have no brain, yet can clearly speak and think. And gives conflicting advise. They continue. They meet one without a heart. One who clearly demonstrates compassion, but believes they have no heart. Lesson here is that one can be compassionate yet strong. Tears rust him.
They meet the lion, who is cowardly, but still shows true courage. All the pieces are there, why do they think it is missing.
Going across the fields of poppies show the distractions that can arise from the Ego – with help from the Guru, she awakes from self.
Once at Oz, The Ego – tells Dorothy she must surrender – to the ego – or to what? Her inner self – Dorothy is of course afraid of this.
they are told by the wizard – “Conventional and Spiritual Wisdom through the ages” they must kill the ego – the witch, but not given any means.
They go and Dorothy is imprisoned by the witch and Toto runs away. Toto represents others, family, friends.
Ultimately she kills the ego while saving her friend the scarecrow.
They return to Oz and the wizard tells them to go away. The dog unmasks the true wizard - just an ordinary guy (“a very nice person but a very bad wizard”). So, accumulated wisdom and saints are shown to be what they are. – empty and ultimately of no use.
While they acknowledge that the scarecrow, lion and tin man already have shown they possess the qualities they seek, it is only through acknowledgment by others- external validation do they admit they have these qualities. But they have been there all the time.
The wizard offers to take Dorothy home, but leaves without her.
Dorothy doesn’t want to stay behind and Glinda, the guru, appears to tell her she always had the power to go home, just didn’t believe it.
She clicks her heels and returns home – and awakens in her "old role" with a new perspective and reality.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Enlightenment is Only the First Step
We all seek so hard of enlightenment, nirvana, grace, heaven, the peace that surpasses understanding. Buddha hood. Christ-power. God. Call it what you will.
And what a cosmic joke, it’s only the first step on the mysterious road of awakening. Of discovering myriad innumerable infinite expressions.
Until one stops believing, well, basically everything. Stops believing one’s own shit – just gives it all up. Stops believing in one’s own physical mortal existence, one’s own power and ability and infallibility and mind and intellect and kindness and will. Learns to see through or underneath the veil of perceptions, the thoughts, feelings, one is lost in a world of never ending show and story. Forever chasing one’s tail of happiness, sadness, highs and lows, pain and pleasure. Are you willing to give everything up for the unknown? For nothing at all? To live and die unknown, uncared for, unnoticed, a pebble on the road, a moldy crust of bread? A torn sleeve a missing button. Forgotten, amidst the lights and colors and sounds and thousand voices that swirl in the light? Are you willing to live in the dark? A voice, a color a shape in someone’s eye that they are not sure they really saw. Unsure, unlovable, undeserving, undifferentiated, undefined, unknowing, unknowable.
But, once that link is broken. Once the story ends, then what has always been there, underneath, behind everything emerges and can be clearly not seen but sensed.
In every thing. It’s touch, the Vibration of Being. The itchy urgent tingle of life whispering incessantly, unceasingly to come, rest, fall into our arms. Leave it all go.
Allow the waves to come and go, waves of experience washing over and under and through. No boundaries no separation, no bindings. Just freedom. Pure, unfettered soaring amidst unimagined heights of expanses never visited. It’s all there for you every moment. But, your body can’t go, and your mind is a leased Seeing Eye dog.
We call to you! Leave all the torments and cities and people behind, come here where nothing needs be done, nothing needs be attained, nothing needs be learned or known.
Are you willing to die? Would you take your own life for eternal life? And what happens when you read those words? Words YOU wrote?
Everyday I see people; pass me by hurrying nowhere, fears aplenty. Lose some pick up others. What would life be without fear? Why, it wouldn’t be life at all! It would be, well, I don’t know what, but it wouldn’t be life! Life is made up of fear. Have to be careful could slip and hurt myself, do I have insurance for that? or maybe one of the crazies will get me. They’re out there, you know. They’ll cheat or steal from you or just hurt you for no reason or any reason! People do that you know, can’t be too careful. Or I’ll say or do –some thing and someone will laugh or poke fun or just Single Me Out In The Crowd. There’s safety in numbers. If I can stay hidden I’ll be fine.
Hidden, from WHO? Who are you hiding from. Stop, even for a moment and just look around, look at what is really happening. No, no, can’t stop, can’t stop, too much to do, prepare for, set aside for, make up for, plan for, spend for, impress, distress, suckcess, it never ends. It never can end. But You can end. But will you? Will You?
Oh My God. My head fills with all things they would be thinking about me. If I started to cry I’d never stop. All the long nights alone waiting for someone, anyone and then all the longer nights waiting to be rid of them. It will be better tomorrow; I just have to get through today. A day at a time if I can just make one more day, one more hour, then the next and the next and the next. And if not tomorrow then the day after, surely. It can’t go on like this forever. It just seems so. What are you waiting for?
What color sunset does it have to be before you’ll stop and watch. No, don’t make plans and bring a blanket and picnic basket and Off! And thermos of cool drinks and a piece of cake wrapped just so and a napkin and that nice blouse and short outfit.
Just sit down right here in the dirt and bask in the free show. Always there, regardless.
And, what if I told you that you were only projecting a reflection of yourself into your mind and there is no sunset? There is only you?
Can you ever really see what you look like? Of course not, yet that won’t keep you from trying to see yourself in a myriad of admirers, lovers friends family, public grandiose works and private unspeakable horrors.
Kids, pets, cars, boats, building, clothes, ideas, vision, promises, therapy, spirituality, God, it never ends., All but a vain, useless attempt to see that which can never be seen, know that which can never be known, touch that which is always just…out…of…grasp’s reach. But keep trying, maybe you’ll see your reflection in clouds on the top of Mt. Everest or the waters of the Amazon or in the surface of the Moon or an electron cloud.
But, what do you think you’ll see? There is no YOU! This is what keeps me laughing on subways, no people, no things just the appearances arising out of nothing registered by that same nothing,
Endless reaching grasping pushing past the limitless limits of the body by bodiless nothingness. And when I reach over to touch you, to reach out, you pull away. A million stories a million reasons to say no. But only one to say yes. And the stories become real. They become who you think you are. One story hiding behind the next and the next and the next. Until there’s almost a tangible thing. It can be weighed measured and gauged and compared using their stories. And where did THAT get you?
You can have any reality you want and look at what you choose.
In the dark moments of the night it comes to you but you push it away. Certainly heaven can’t be that simple, that easy, that near at hand. It must be hard, impossible, many lives, much effort and pain to show your worthiness, your clean mind and body and spirit. But wait, you’re not quite clean enough, are you, can you ever be? No, not really, so we’ll let that one go, like all the others and worry about the little ones that can be easily seen and felt and have to be dealt with. One has to earn their daily bread, No? Yet, do you REALLY? Where does it come from? Is it not all a gift, free? The air, the sun the water and the earth and the food that comes for free. True, iPods don’t grow on trees, but what would you rather have: the leisure and grab an apple when hungry or work your life away to buy an authentic Apple?
But ok, does it have to be work? Being is its own reward and purpose. Maybe you love what you do. You’d do it for free if they’d let you. All 27 of you out there. And the rest. drudges, scrudges, smudges and lost phantoms, hurrying their lives away, trading their birthright-Big Bang for a promised buzz tomorrow.
A life of barter, trade, give to get, building bigger and better sandcastles, mine has more turrets that yours, look aren’t his silly while we meet every Sunday to prey to hold back the tide. Hurry here it comes now Run! Build walls and bridges and circuits and accelerators to hold off the coming of the sea! Keep looking, the secret is just up ahead, a bit more don’t stop, more money more research more prayer, what do you mean you’re starving, well we must sacrifice one to save the rest.
But there ARE NO OTHERS there is only you. And even you don’t really exist!
Just stop. Let it go, build with all your might and then stand back and gaily watch the sea melt your dreams, mix your salt water with the ocean and dive in and start again.
Better this than protecting something that never existed. Can never exist. Is no more real than a ray of light or a bit of fog or a shadow. Or the glow of the sun setting behind a high misty tower in the far distance.
And what a cosmic joke, it’s only the first step on the mysterious road of awakening. Of discovering myriad innumerable infinite expressions.
Until one stops believing, well, basically everything. Stops believing one’s own shit – just gives it all up. Stops believing in one’s own physical mortal existence, one’s own power and ability and infallibility and mind and intellect and kindness and will. Learns to see through or underneath the veil of perceptions, the thoughts, feelings, one is lost in a world of never ending show and story. Forever chasing one’s tail of happiness, sadness, highs and lows, pain and pleasure. Are you willing to give everything up for the unknown? For nothing at all? To live and die unknown, uncared for, unnoticed, a pebble on the road, a moldy crust of bread? A torn sleeve a missing button. Forgotten, amidst the lights and colors and sounds and thousand voices that swirl in the light? Are you willing to live in the dark? A voice, a color a shape in someone’s eye that they are not sure they really saw. Unsure, unlovable, undeserving, undifferentiated, undefined, unknowing, unknowable.
But, once that link is broken. Once the story ends, then what has always been there, underneath, behind everything emerges and can be clearly not seen but sensed.
In every thing. It’s touch, the Vibration of Being. The itchy urgent tingle of life whispering incessantly, unceasingly to come, rest, fall into our arms. Leave it all go.
Allow the waves to come and go, waves of experience washing over and under and through. No boundaries no separation, no bindings. Just freedom. Pure, unfettered soaring amidst unimagined heights of expanses never visited. It’s all there for you every moment. But, your body can’t go, and your mind is a leased Seeing Eye dog.
We call to you! Leave all the torments and cities and people behind, come here where nothing needs be done, nothing needs be attained, nothing needs be learned or known.
Are you willing to die? Would you take your own life for eternal life? And what happens when you read those words? Words YOU wrote?
Everyday I see people; pass me by hurrying nowhere, fears aplenty. Lose some pick up others. What would life be without fear? Why, it wouldn’t be life at all! It would be, well, I don’t know what, but it wouldn’t be life! Life is made up of fear. Have to be careful could slip and hurt myself, do I have insurance for that? or maybe one of the crazies will get me. They’re out there, you know. They’ll cheat or steal from you or just hurt you for no reason or any reason! People do that you know, can’t be too careful. Or I’ll say or do –some thing and someone will laugh or poke fun or just Single Me Out In The Crowd. There’s safety in numbers. If I can stay hidden I’ll be fine.
Hidden, from WHO? Who are you hiding from. Stop, even for a moment and just look around, look at what is really happening. No, no, can’t stop, can’t stop, too much to do, prepare for, set aside for, make up for, plan for, spend for, impress, distress, suckcess, it never ends. It never can end. But You can end. But will you? Will You?
Oh My God. My head fills with all things they would be thinking about me. If I started to cry I’d never stop. All the long nights alone waiting for someone, anyone and then all the longer nights waiting to be rid of them. It will be better tomorrow; I just have to get through today. A day at a time if I can just make one more day, one more hour, then the next and the next and the next. And if not tomorrow then the day after, surely. It can’t go on like this forever. It just seems so. What are you waiting for?
What color sunset does it have to be before you’ll stop and watch. No, don’t make plans and bring a blanket and picnic basket and Off! And thermos of cool drinks and a piece of cake wrapped just so and a napkin and that nice blouse and short outfit.
Just sit down right here in the dirt and bask in the free show. Always there, regardless.
And, what if I told you that you were only projecting a reflection of yourself into your mind and there is no sunset? There is only you?
Can you ever really see what you look like? Of course not, yet that won’t keep you from trying to see yourself in a myriad of admirers, lovers friends family, public grandiose works and private unspeakable horrors.
Kids, pets, cars, boats, building, clothes, ideas, vision, promises, therapy, spirituality, God, it never ends., All but a vain, useless attempt to see that which can never be seen, know that which can never be known, touch that which is always just…out…of…grasp’s reach. But keep trying, maybe you’ll see your reflection in clouds on the top of Mt. Everest or the waters of the Amazon or in the surface of the Moon or an electron cloud.
But, what do you think you’ll see? There is no YOU! This is what keeps me laughing on subways, no people, no things just the appearances arising out of nothing registered by that same nothing,
Endless reaching grasping pushing past the limitless limits of the body by bodiless nothingness. And when I reach over to touch you, to reach out, you pull away. A million stories a million reasons to say no. But only one to say yes. And the stories become real. They become who you think you are. One story hiding behind the next and the next and the next. Until there’s almost a tangible thing. It can be weighed measured and gauged and compared using their stories. And where did THAT get you?
You can have any reality you want and look at what you choose.
In the dark moments of the night it comes to you but you push it away. Certainly heaven can’t be that simple, that easy, that near at hand. It must be hard, impossible, many lives, much effort and pain to show your worthiness, your clean mind and body and spirit. But wait, you’re not quite clean enough, are you, can you ever be? No, not really, so we’ll let that one go, like all the others and worry about the little ones that can be easily seen and felt and have to be dealt with. One has to earn their daily bread, No? Yet, do you REALLY? Where does it come from? Is it not all a gift, free? The air, the sun the water and the earth and the food that comes for free. True, iPods don’t grow on trees, but what would you rather have: the leisure and grab an apple when hungry or work your life away to buy an authentic Apple?
But ok, does it have to be work? Being is its own reward and purpose. Maybe you love what you do. You’d do it for free if they’d let you. All 27 of you out there. And the rest. drudges, scrudges, smudges and lost phantoms, hurrying their lives away, trading their birthright-Big Bang for a promised buzz tomorrow.
A life of barter, trade, give to get, building bigger and better sandcastles, mine has more turrets that yours, look aren’t his silly while we meet every Sunday to prey to hold back the tide. Hurry here it comes now Run! Build walls and bridges and circuits and accelerators to hold off the coming of the sea! Keep looking, the secret is just up ahead, a bit more don’t stop, more money more research more prayer, what do you mean you’re starving, well we must sacrifice one to save the rest.
But there ARE NO OTHERS there is only you. And even you don’t really exist!
Just stop. Let it go, build with all your might and then stand back and gaily watch the sea melt your dreams, mix your salt water with the ocean and dive in and start again.
Better this than protecting something that never existed. Can never exist. Is no more real than a ray of light or a bit of fog or a shadow. Or the glow of the sun setting behind a high misty tower in the far distance.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Shopping is Arising
There are times when an expansiveness comes over me. No, that's not a great word for it - Bliss, a good one, or an awareness of the Joy of Simply Being Free. Along with it comes the awareness or sense of no time and space, just Now-ness, Everything will work out fine because it already has. No worries, no self-imposed constraints - all that washes away. A feeling of freedom, no time sense. It's all just Right Now and feeling very content.
And I go onto Amazon and buy some thing. Sometimes a few things (an Apple wireless router this morning).
This has been one of the "odder" aspects to the whole awakening thing. Not that comparing oddness makes any sense at all.
So there we are. It's all good - All of it, no time no space and simply free and I go shopping. Not for unneeded frivolous things, and generally nothing too big.
Just funny, is all.
And I go onto Amazon and buy some thing. Sometimes a few things (an Apple wireless router this morning).
This has been one of the "odder" aspects to the whole awakening thing. Not that comparing oddness makes any sense at all.
So there we are. It's all good - All of it, no time no space and simply free and I go shopping. Not for unneeded frivolous things, and generally nothing too big.
Just funny, is all.
What keeps you stuck is your belief in your own existence
You believe you exist in space-time.
You believe you exist as a brain-consciousness enclosed in a meat-popsicle body.
You believe you were born, will grow old and die.
You believe you inherited traits genetically from your parents.
You believe what you perceive is Real.
You believe what you are told or is written by others in authority is Real.
You believe what thoughts occur to you are Real.
You believe you can predict the future.
You believe you understand how your body and mind work.
You believe you are in control...of at least some things.
You believe you have to hold back, are afraid to abandon yourself completely, to lose yourself, to lose control.
You have to be willing to cease to exist to be completely free.
You have to ignore all thought, sensation, perception...to allow The Truth to emerge.
You believe you exist as a brain-consciousness enclosed in a meat-popsicle body.
You believe you were born, will grow old and die.
You believe you inherited traits genetically from your parents.
You believe what you perceive is Real.
You believe what you are told or is written by others in authority is Real.
You believe what thoughts occur to you are Real.
You believe you can predict the future.
You believe you understand how your body and mind work.
You believe you are in control...of at least some things.
You believe you have to hold back, are afraid to abandon yourself completely, to lose yourself, to lose control.
You have to be willing to cease to exist to be completely free.
You have to ignore all thought, sensation, perception...to allow The Truth to emerge.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Rebirth and What the Buddha did when nobody was around
Recently I was asked:
Could you please post your views on rebirth/reincarnation? If nothing is or ever was, then why this whole story about The Buddha being all-knowing and able to trace back his births (the story may have been created by his followers later on)?Who or What exactly reincarnates?
In Jed McKenna's last book he puts it well."When someone starts to quote the Buddha, run away, Big Bullshit coming." Or something like that.
I've thought that on *that* day, when the Buddha Attained, got home and told his wife, she said:
"That's nice dear, now go wash up, we have a dinner party to go to..."
One the one hand, it is easy to dismiss stories related about one who may or may not have existed thousands of years ago; and most stories written about him centuries after his death.
Nisargadatta was asked if he could, while sitting in his room in Bombay, tell his listeners what the weather was in NYC. He thought they were nuts and told them so. He said that is a special power and can be developed, but has NOTHING to do with breaking free of the illusion and awakening.
I tend to think that as one works the path of awakening, one develops some skills and once awake, still has those skills. Like lifting weights as part of practice, till one can bench press 300 lbs. Then, one day he awakes and while lifting weight is clearly seen to have nothing to do with Enlightenment, nonetheless the it is taken that E will give one great strength.
But, the question why is the ability to trace previous birth attributed to the Buddha?
I have no idea. It is easy to ascribe it to egoic-Maya illusion - once more (deliberately) confusing E with not-E and once again, as all religions and spiritual practices do - shift one's attention from The Truth, to a "nice story" that will keep one sleeping soundly and feeling good.
The Buddha is quoted as saying "there is suffering, but no one suffers."
How would that square with seeing previous birth?
Sure, images can come and go and stories proliferate.
That's the point. All there IS is the story.
The REAL question is who or what rebirths?
Could you please post your views on rebirth/reincarnation? If nothing is or ever was, then why this whole story about The Buddha being all-knowing and able to trace back his births (the story may have been created by his followers later on)?Who or What exactly reincarnates?
In Jed McKenna's last book he puts it well."When someone starts to quote the Buddha, run away, Big Bullshit coming." Or something like that.
I've thought that on *that* day, when the Buddha Attained, got home and told his wife, she said:
"That's nice dear, now go wash up, we have a dinner party to go to..."
One the one hand, it is easy to dismiss stories related about one who may or may not have existed thousands of years ago; and most stories written about him centuries after his death.
Nisargadatta was asked if he could, while sitting in his room in Bombay, tell his listeners what the weather was in NYC. He thought they were nuts and told them so. He said that is a special power and can be developed, but has NOTHING to do with breaking free of the illusion and awakening.
I tend to think that as one works the path of awakening, one develops some skills and once awake, still has those skills. Like lifting weights as part of practice, till one can bench press 300 lbs. Then, one day he awakes and while lifting weight is clearly seen to have nothing to do with Enlightenment, nonetheless the it is taken that E will give one great strength.
But, the question why is the ability to trace previous birth attributed to the Buddha?
I have no idea. It is easy to ascribe it to egoic-Maya illusion - once more (deliberately) confusing E with not-E and once again, as all religions and spiritual practices do - shift one's attention from The Truth, to a "nice story" that will keep one sleeping soundly and feeling good.
The Buddha is quoted as saying "there is suffering, but no one suffers."
How would that square with seeing previous birth?
Sure, images can come and go and stories proliferate.
That's the point. All there IS is the story.
The REAL question is who or what rebirths?
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Seems like the right thing to do at the time
When asked "why did you do something," how often have you responded this way. At the time, the path whatever it was, "good or bad" felt "right" and you took it.
Ego insists that "You" are the author of your actions, you control them , you decide what to do.
But is this really true?
For example, where did the idea to do something come from or the idea that a choice needs to be made in the first place?
And, once that choice is presented, WHY does one choice "feel right" and another not right? (I don't mean right and wrong in terms of morality. I mean right and wrong in terms of approach-avoidance.)
If you 're honest and look closely, you cannot say with 100% certainty where the idea came from or why you ended up making a certain choice. You just do.
Best that can be said is that there is witnessing of the choice.
So, while you are certainly the actor, you are not the author.
And if you aren't, then who or what is?
Ego insists that "You" are the author of your actions, you control them , you decide what to do.
But is this really true?
For example, where did the idea to do something come from or the idea that a choice needs to be made in the first place?
And, once that choice is presented, WHY does one choice "feel right" and another not right? (I don't mean right and wrong in terms of morality. I mean right and wrong in terms of approach-avoidance.)
If you 're honest and look closely, you cannot say with 100% certainty where the idea came from or why you ended up making a certain choice. You just do.
Best that can be said is that there is witnessing of the choice.
So, while you are certainly the actor, you are not the author.
And if you aren't, then who or what is?
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