August-07

Thought for the day: August 1, 2007

The Buddha taught to refrain from discussing the Dharma at inappropriate times
and to refrain from teaching it unless requested. While casually discussing the
dharma is to be avoided, this does not mean that it should not be discussed.
Dharma discussions with fellow practitioners helps us to clarify our understanding
of the teachings. This practice is formalized in monasteries where a specific time
and place for discussion and debate is set up. A lot can be learned from this as it
need not be confined to a monastic environment.

Thought for the day: August 2, 2007

Many of the activities we engage in require the same disciplines that a meditative
practice does, and with a small shift of focus these disiplines could be used to build a
mediative lifestyle. Take for example martial arts. A martial artist must practice
consistently, setting a time and place for his training. He must also learn to focus and
eliminate self-doubt. If he doubts himself, he will be an easy target for his opponent. A
martial artists respects and listens to his teacher's instruction etc. I could go on, but
the idea is that much required of a martial artist is required of a meditator as well, and
by extension many other sports, hobbies, and modes of employment.

Those who are intimidated by a meditation practice should realize that much of what
they do on a daily basis requires setting a time, being focused, being reliable,
listening to instructions.....all things that could build a good meditation practice, if only
one tried. So why don't more people meditate? Let us go back to our martial artist
example to answer that.

Often people give meditation a half hearted try and give up with excuses like "I have
no time," "I can't get anywhere," "It seems pointless." etc. But, often what is really
happening is one becomes intimidated by it. One who begins mediation is brought
face to face with his own demons and shortcomings. This is a bit like a novice martial
artist thrown into a competition with a Black Belt opponent. New meditators often feel
overwhelmed by the experience. One should bear in mind, however, that this
opponent is there whether one is meditating or not; and that it is only the heightened
awareness of meditation that allows us to see it. This mediative awareness itself is
what that dissolves inner conflict. So rather than being discouraged one should be
encouraged when faults rise to the surface.

In summing up, all of us have the capacity to build a meditation practice and we need
only employ some of the same basic principles that we use everyday. Nothing more is
needed than to give rise to the aspiration to do it.

Thought for the day: August 3, 2007

The "Gift of Dharma" is the most valuable gift one can receive. But fewer and fewer
people seem to be receiving it as teachings become more and more expensive to attend
The Buddha prohibited monks from charging for dharma teachings, and yet this seems
to be widely ignored nowadays. The most common excuse given by organizers of
teachings is that halls must be rented, air travel cost for the gurus must be covered, etc.
Of course all this is true, but traditionally these expenses were covered by the donations
to the organization or monastery of which the guru is head. My own teacher, Master
Hsuan Hua, for example, never charged for a teaching (he taught daily) and anyone is
welcome to stay at his monasteries for free as long as the rules are followed (very strict
rules.) The expenses are covered by disciples who make offerings from all over the
world. This is traditionally how the Dharma was offered; the offering from others allows
the monastery to give back to the community.

It is clear that due to logistical ineptness, many teachers in good faith offer dharma
teachings at a fair price to cover minimal expenses (expenses that could be less and met
through donations.). But, what about those who charge ridiculous fees to support
extravagant lifestyles and questionable pet projects in "their" name? The irony is that the
price charged is often a reverse indicator of the quality of the teacher. with truly saintly
teachers charging less and sometimes nothing, and the self proclaimed enlightened
ones charging the most.

Established Buddhist centers and even Christian churches often offer visiting teachers
the use of their venues free of charge. There are many other ways to keep the expenses
of visiting gurus in check. Also, while monasteries must be built and perhaps even "pet
projects," as well, the dharma teaching should not be sold to cover these expenses, but
rather the offerings of the lay community with interest in these projects.

Students of the dharma have a right to question the price tag of teachings that make
them cringe and ask whether or not such teachings are given in the spirit of dharma or
business. In many cases a good book may be a better investment. The practice of
dharma was never meant to be another living expense.

Thought for the day: August 4, 2007

The beauty of discipline is that it leads to greater freedom. In the beginning it seems very
confining to follow rules and not doing as we please. But, if we stay with it, we will find that
the confinement awakens creativity in thought that we may never have been aware of
without the effort to restrain the outward seeking mind. This can be likened to damming up
a river to generate electricity. Before the river is confined, it cannot be funneled through
turbines to generate electricity. However, once the river is dammed up, turbines can be
built so that the dammed up water can be directed through them and create a power
source for an entire city.

Meditation and moral, ethical, and virtuous discipline is much like a dam. As long as the
ceaseless flow of thought and endless scattered activity dominates our mental and
physical behaviour, it is difficult to gain a footing on the spiritual path. But, if we stop
scattering our energy in superficial pursuits, we will become more focused naturally without
additional effort. The path that was unclear before will become clear by virtue of our own
effort and nothing else. The river of wandering thoughts and scattered desires, are now
confined, like a dammed up water, and can be brought into the Path, like water flowing
through turbines, to help us to realize the freedom that is our true nature, as power from
turbines lights a city.

Thought for the day: August 7, 2007

There is a saying: "A clay bodhisattva cannot cross the river of suffering himself;
how can he expect to take others across?" It is tempting to teach others what we are
learning through meditation and study; but unless asked to do so it is probably
better to keep our practice to ourselves. Often what we say will fall upon deaf ears
or misunderstood. If we speak about our practice to those who do not specifically
(and sincerely) ask about it our effort is unlikely to be helpful. Therefore, it is far
better to save one's energy and use the energy to gain better clarity oneself. The
Buddha also taught to only teach the dharma when requested.

Thought for the day: August 7, 2007

Study helps us to keep our viewpoint in line with the teachings. Meditation alone is a
hit or miss proposition, as wrong viewpoints can creep in and undermine one's pure
intention Meditation without correct viewpoint is like shooting an arrow without
knowing where the target is. In order for our meditation to be on target we must study
and listen to good teachers.

Thought for the day: August 8, 2007

Chan masters often use the analogy of the "host" and "guest" positions to illustrate the
difference between a mind rightly and consciously engaged and a wandering mind. The
analogy runs like this: An on a mountain pass is a favorite amongst travelers who stop for
awhile on their journey for tea, food, or a night's rest. These travelers are his guests, and
the owner of the inn, is of coarse, the host. Now imagine for a moment the innkeeper getting
so caught up in his talk with a guest that he left with the guest. Chan Masters call this falling
from the "host" position. Eventually, the host of the inn, as if someone were tapping him on
the shoulder, remembers that he left his inn and returns and again assumes the "host"
positions.

The guests in this analogy are wandering thoughts, and the "host" is the fully aware and
focused mind. In our meditation when we find ourselves following a wandering thought we
know we have fallen into the "guest" position, and again must bring our attention to the task
at hand and thereby returning to the "host" position." This principle applies not only to
meditation, but all the tasks of daily life. When the mind is on the task, we are in the "host"
position. When we wander, we are in the "guest" position.

Thought for the day: August 10, 2007

Breath and thought are closely linked. When thought ceases breath also ceases; when breath
ceases, thought also ceases. This is relationship is observed in simple tasks such as reading
a book. When we become interested and absorbed in our book our breath becomes quiet and
almost indiscernible. Yogis knew about this relationship for thousands of years and developed
various systems of breath mastery to complement meditation practice.

If we are practicing meditation the addition of breath regulation is an excellent way to quickly
bring the mind to rest before meditation practice. This is especially true for meditators who
have difficulty settling their mind. A very simple practice of pranayama before actual
mediation can dispel disquieting thoughts and thereby make our meditation more efficacious.
BKS Iyengar's, "Light on Pranayama," is an excellent reference work on this practice.

Thought for the day: August 11, 2007

If objects brought happiness, the same objects would bring happiness to everyone. Even
though this is obviously not the case, we continually chase after objects (as if the objects
themselves contained a mysterious quality called "happiness". "Happiness" is imputed upon
objects by our thinking. "Happiness" is not an inherent quality of the object, ((like color, shape,
smell, etc. (using "inherent" in the conventional sense.)) We must first think "happiness" into a
new car, dress, necklace, before that object becomes a source of desire. "Necessity" plays its
part as well, of course, and this should be used as a screen to sift out those desires worthy of
our pursuit. As far as "necessity goes, we should examine that as well. Many "needs" are a
product of our culture; and there is no reason we must conform to the needs of a culture that is
largely controlled by the self interest of corporations. There is good reason to examiine what
we think we "need." A lot of inner mental clutter can be dispense with by simply not following
impulses to accumulate more and getting rid of what's unnecessary.

Thought for the day: August 12, 2007

The Taoist Master Chaung Tse said: "I don't know about doing things; I just know about
leaving things alone." This non-interference philosophy has many applications to dharma
practice and as well as our everyday lives. Once a correct intention is set, it is often more
important to step aside and let it unfold, rather than rush to see its fulfillment. Grass does not
grow faster by pulling on it.

Thought for the day: August 13, 2007

Inquiry is the process of asking "To whom do these thoughts arise?" Rather than following
every thought that enters the mind, one asks: "apart from thought, Who am I." The mind is
constantly scattered by the myriad of thoughts flooding it from moment to moment, and this
dissipates its energy. The simple process described above eliminates the feeling of being
overwhelmed by thoughts by not providing them a foothold.

Thinking causes action, and getting entangled in scattered thinking often leads to
unnecessary action. This is not only a drain on mental energy, but physical energy, as well.

Thought for the day: August 14, 2007

There is no easy or quick way to move forward in dharma practice. Obstructions are like a freight
train having great momentum. Results from actions carried out over many lifetimes are manifest
right now in our every thought and deed. If we take a good look at our qualities and shortcomings
we can correctly access what is worth keeping and building upon and what we need to transform
from a pointless waste of energy into a positive aspect of our being. All our actions create merit or
demerit or are neutral. Whatever we do follows us and pushes us forward or creates future
obstacles. Many wonder why they are so miserable. If examined closely it is often the case that
poor choices were made when the freedom to make the right choice was their's to make. Letting
opportunity pass is a source of future misery.

Thought for the day: August 15, 2007

Emptiness is a confusing concept to understand because it seemingly contradicts the world of
our everyday experience. Indeed, if all is empty, why does the world appear at all? Buddhism's
emptiness doctrine does not deny the world of appearances, but rather denies that it exists the
way it appears. Emptiness in this context means that although objects (and people) appear to
exist as substantially existing entities, endowed with characteristics such as color, shape, etc,
they really do not exist that way. "Substantially existent "means that they exist independently from
their own side. That means they can stand by themselves. That is the way our mind looks at
things---as if they are independent entities, capable of standing by themselves. Buddhism,
however, teaches that objects that appear to be substantially existent are really dependent upon
many factors, and that is why they are empty. The inability for things to stand alone is their
emptiness; it is not the absence of the things themselves.

Thought for the day: August 16, 2007

Sometimes a little restraint can open doors to opportunity. It takes energy to follow the whims of
the flighty mind, and while this energy is burned up, opportunity passes us by unnoticed.
Restraint of the senses andand abandoning impulsive actions leads to a greater sensitivity
that will enable us to recognize the direction we need to take to fulfill our deep inner goals.

If we constantly chase after every surface wish that flies by our mind, we will be continually
living only on the surface of a world that has so much more to offer---like an ant crawling
around the outside of a watermelon with no clue to the sweetness inside. Of the countless
things to do each day, there are almost as many that could just as well be left undone. If we
can slow down enough to leave the undone, undone, we might gain the clarity of mind to see
what actually needs to be done.

Thought for the day: August 17, 2007

Understanding dependent origination is the key to understanding emptiness. When Buddhism
speaks of things, events, and people being empty, it is often mistakenly taken to mean that
these things don't exist. This nihilistic viewpoint could not be further from the meaning of
emptiness in the Buddhist framework.

Emptiness for the Buddhist simply means that things lack inherent existence. Because
everything is dependent on other factors they cannot stand alone and this is why they are
empty. It does not mean that they don't exist at all; but rather that they don't exist the way
they appear. This is true for all material objects and mental phenomena, as well. Suffering,
for example, seems very real. But, if suffering is analyzed, it can only arise as a consequence
of many factors, such as negative action, disease, disturbing emotions, etc. Suffering cannot
stand independent of its conditioning factors; without these suffering does not exist and is
therefore empty. The same is true with material form. Form is an object of perception. An
object of perception is dependent on a perceiver. Because an object of perception cannot
stand independent of a perceiver it is said to be empty. In similar manner, the inability of any
object or mental state to stand alone is its emptiness. Because all things arise dependent on
causes and conditions they are empty.

Thought for the day: August 18, 2007

Unlike some schools of thought, Buddhism does not teach that there is an underlying
unchanging essence of things. For example, Buddhism does not adhere to the doctrine of
soul or prakriti, the indivisible building blocks of the universe. If a thing had an essence, that
essence would have to be eternally unchanging, for how could something that is eternal
change? Buddhism teaches that things are in a constant state of change and transformation,
and because this is the case there cannot be an underlying eternal essence of things.

Because there is no underlying essence Buddhism teaches that things are merely nominally
imputed, which means that they exist in name only. In other words, we attach names to things
of our world and mistakenly assume that there is an underlying reality (essence) to which
these names are attached. For example, we see a long tall object with branches and leaves
and attach the name "tree" to the object. We then forget that this name is merely nominally
imputed on the object and assume that there is an underlying essence or reality to which the
name "tree" is attached,apart from the branches, leaves, trunk, bark, etc. But, the name "tree"
is merely a conventional designation and there is no eternal treenesss undedrlying the
desigantion tree or its appearance. All phenomena are similar.

Thought for the day: August 19, 2007

I have met people who find sitting in meditation impossible and wonder why they should have
so much difficulty when others do not. Often teachers will urge them to keep on trying; but my
own teacher had a very different approach.

First of all it must be understood that sitting cross legged in lotus posture does not in itself
have any special magnetism that will automatically attract spiritual benefits. For many it just
happens to be the most comfortable position to meditate in for long periods of time. However,
those who find this position confining should realize that any neutral activity, an activity that
one can do with out anxiety about gain or loss, can be just as good a posture for meditation.
Monks often practice walking meditation or gardening; but the opportunities are endless. The
important thing is that the activity should be a neutral one so that one's mind can be focused
on the topic of meditation. If one likes doing carpentry aound one's house or sewing, these
would not be suitable because the activity themselves hold a special interest and would make it
more difficult to concentrate on the topic of meditation. While it is beneficial to be mindful
during our work and hobbies, a special period each day should be devoted to maintaining
concentration on a meditation topic in a posture or activity that allows full attention to it.

Thought for the day: August 20, 2007

Practicing the dharma is much easier when peace within supports the effort. ""Not two," Chan
masters often advise their students. This means that there should not be two people wrapped
up in one individual, one who is practicing the dharma and one who is not. All activities must
be brought into the Path, maybe not all at once, but over time all aspects of one's life should
be a support to practice. When this attitude is assumed it is easier to make peace with one's
demons and move forward towards turning them around. To pretend they will go away by
themselves if one practices hard enough is the wrong attitude.

Thought for the day: August 21, 2007

Some people take a hedonistic attitude when they hear about emptiness. They say, "since
all is empty, then I may as well indulge myy desires." To this my teacher once remarked,
"Since all is empty, why bother (indulging your desires?)

Thought for the day: August 22, 2007

People wonder why they are obstructed, and yet the first thing they do when they become
affected by some disturbing emotion is seek to escape it. This is like running from a wild
dog, who will only feel empowered by the fact that you are running. Afflictions afflict
because we empower them with alcohol, meaningless chatter with friends, seeking
distraction through entertainment, drugs, and any variety of methods of escape. Those
times in a day when we feel down should be used as an opportunity to study the nature of
the causes of our feeling. Instead of trying to put disturbing emotions aside, we should
carry them along. This will completely change our attitude towards negativity and bring
great psychological benefits. Instead of being worn down by affliction, just the act of
shinning our conscious awareness upon them we can dissolve them. We will discover that
they are mere paper tigers with no power but the power we give them.

Thought for the day: August 23, 2007

The study of sutras is necessary to keep one's viewpoint in check. The more we meditate
the more we should study to make sure that incorrect viewpoints are not allowed to
develop through meditation. I know this very well, for I studied very little during my early
years of meditation. Often meditating all day, month after month, I became very strong on
faith, but weak on wisdom. It wasn't until I met my teacher that I came to realize how far off
target my practice was.

If we do not have the benefits of a teacher, there are many sutras that we can study to
keep our practice in line with the path. No matter how hard we practice, without correct
motivation we are unlikely to reach our goal. Sutra study helps us to aim at the right target,
rather than rely on our own misguided assumptions. It is not enough to know that greed is
not good, for example, and therefore not engage in greedy behaviour. We cannot
eliminate the root of greed in this way because we have not examined the consequence of
greed or its cause. We are just looking at greed as a bad thing because we heard it was
bad, but if we don't go deeper into greeds causes and consequences, and merely stop
greedy behaviour, the causes of greed might manifest in another way---anger, for
example. Therefore to cut off greed, we have to understand why it arises and its
consequences. Then we can root it out. As with greed, so with hatred, jealousy, anger,
licentiousness, and all other negative emotions and mental dispositions.

Thought for the day: August 24, 2007

A Chinese saying goes: "Bean Curd Chang and Bean Curd Lee, while your heads rest
on your pillow you think a thousand thoughts, and yet tomorrow you will be selling bean
curd again." Goals need to be worked on to move from the stage of dreams to fulfilled
ambitions; but it will not happen without effort and a willingness to take a chance and bet
on yourself.

Thought for the day: August 25, 2007

Once an opportunity is missed, it is best to look at the causes for not seeing the
opportunity rather than trying to resurrect the opportunity. Life's blessings have seeds of
loss built in them. If we don't recognize a chance to move forward, it is best to accept the
set back and examine why the opportunity was not recognized. In this way we will
recognize patterns in our thinking that repeat themselves and cause missed steps in our
life. Gradually we will change these pattens and move towards our goal without obstruction.

Thought for the day: August 26, 2007

Some people sit quietly and block out all thoughts and think that they are practicing
meditation. As soon as they stop, however, they are overwhelmed by the same thoughts
they had before "meditating." This kind of meditation can be likened to holding a door
shut to keep intruders out. The home invaders are kept out as long as you stand there
and keep the door shut; but as soon as you leave or give up, the door falls open and
the intruders are in your home.

Blocking out thoughts is not meditation; but what is? Let us continue with the home
invasion analogy. The invaders want what is inside the home; if you did not have
anything there you could let them in and they would depart without any effort on your
part. In the same way, we are constantly invaded by intruding thoughts of lust, anger,
greed, jealousy and a variety of disturbing emotions, if we clean up our way of life, there
will be no place for these thoughts to attach themselves and they will depart without any
effort on our part.

Thought for the day: August 27, 2007

Some people make their mind like a rock when meditating and hope by their
hardness disquieting thoughts and disturbing emotions will not be able to penetrate.
Others make their mind like a great ocean, so vast and open that disturbing emotions
and thoughts cannot even cause a ripple and therefore find it unnecessary to pay
attention to them. The latter viewpoint is Mahamudra and its focus is openness. It is
an all embracing form of meditation where equanimity is established through
complete acceptance of all feelings and emotions. This "acceptance" is the only true
way to understand the numerous dominating tendencies of the mind, both good and
bad. This viewpoint leads to understanding, which in turn helps one to build upon
what is useful and empowers one to discard what is not.

Thought for the day: August 28, 2007

Monks are for the most part silent, but when they do speak, their speech is disciplined.
This conserves energy by avoiding frivolous conversation, which often leads to
frivolous activity, as well. As lay people, we must engage in conversation; it is
necessary for our work and interaction throughout the day. But, much of our talk goes
beyond what is necessary, and it is this kind of talk that drains our energy and scatters
our attention. The result is a loss of focus on the job and the inability to give our
attention where it is needed.

People who like to talk a lot, have the least to say. The root of this talking disease is not
being truly engaged with oneself. Meaningful words are seldom many.

Thought for the day: August 29, 2007

Yoga Competition

Yoga competition is being advocated in the West by those who claim that it has its roots in
ancient India. The fact is however, that "Yoga Competition" is a contradiction in terms The
true yogis' adversary is not his fellow spiritual aspirants, but rather the enemies within his
own house: greed, lust, anger, jealousy, covetousness, hatred, pride, arrogance, conceit, in
short, all negative emotions and afflictions rooted in desire. The fact that one can perform a
series of awe inspiring assanas (postures) is no indication that one's inner demons have
been conquered, particularly lust, greed, and anger.

Those who point to India and the competitioon there in support of their own "Yoga
Competitions" are simply deceiving unknowledgable common people. I recently read recently
an article about yoga competitions being a part of the ancient Indian festival, the Khumba
Mela, which still occurrs to this day, and using this to advocate a broader worldwide
acceptance of yoga competition. I have been to three Khumba Melas, and while there are
some "yoga competitions" there, they are few and far between; and looked down upon by
accomplished Masters as misguided displays of pseudo spirituality.

The very idea of a yoga competition is fundamentally flawed by the wrong assumption that
the correct performance of a yoga assana is indicative of accomplishing yoga's goal, which I
stated briefly in the opening paragraph. To assume that one who performs an assana well
has achieved yoga's aim, is tantamount to believing that a child reading from a physics book
understands its application . While assana is a tool in the yogi's toolbox, the tool must be
used to accomplish the job at hand. If it does not accomplish this, then one is as confused
as the proverbial fool who mistakes the finger pointing at the moon for the moon.

Moreover, assana, is but one of eight limbs of yoga, and by itself cannot be regarded as
yoga any more than the leg of a chair without its other parts can be regarded as a chair
(assana, without its other limbs can no more achieve its function, than the leg of a chair
without the seat, back, other legs, etc.) There is no wild leap of the imagination that would
make it possible for a rational mind to overlook the absurdity of a yoga competition. While
the contestants in such a competition may be awe inspiring to look at as the perform their
assanas, there is no way to see the anger, jealousy, lust, conflicting disturbing emotions and
hatred, etc that may well be hidden in the awesome spectacle before our eyes. Moreover, it
is unlikely that anyone truly free of obstructions rooted in desire, the freedom from which is
of course yoga's aim, would even care to enter such a competition.

Thought for the day: August 30, 2007

When we meditate it is as important to know when to let up as when to apply
effort. If we try too hard we will harm our practice. This has been likened to
pulling grass to get it to grow faster. When we find ourselves at a point during a
meditation sit when it seems that nothing is going on and we are not moving
forward, it is probably a good time to just watch this "nothing going on." After all,
what is supposed to be going on?

Thought for the day: August 31, 2007

Energy is not inherently good or bad; the same energy that creates happiness,
creates unhappiness. Every day has possibilities to seize, ignore, push away. The
unprincipled mind is deceptive and cannot be trusted, seeking the kinds of
gratification that creates patterns that we get stuck in. Therefore, when opportunity
arises we must discriminate with well principled thought and analyze where it is all
going. Chan Masters often advise their students to "go against the flow" for the
unprincipled mind tends to flow to the lowest point. Going against the flow may lead
to treading water, but it is better than sinking.