June 07

Thought for the day: June 1, 2007

Buddhism teaches that food is to be taken as "medicine." It is important to consciously
choose our food rather than following the mind that hankers for various flavors. A little bit
of discrimination applied to the choices available to us can make the difference between
feeling sluggish and dull, and alert and energetic. This applies to vegetarians as well as
non-vegetarians. (For more visit Meditation page and scroll to "Vegetarian
Fundamentalism."

Thought for the day: June 2, 2007

The Buddha walked the dusty plains of Bihar for much of the 49 years he
taught. Once while walking though a field he was asked by a farmer, "What is
the difference between you and I?" The Buddha replied, " I have realized that I
am the Buddha, but you have yet to realize it."

The sutras teach us that "all living beings have the Buddha nature, and it is
only because of false thinking and attachments that they fail to realize it." It is
important to understand what this is saying, because if we don't, we will view
enlightenment as a sort of add-on that we create, rather than something
fundamental to our nature.

Thought for the day: June 3, 2007

The sutras say that there are "84,000 dharma doors" to suit the natures of all living
beings. This metaphorical number represents the vast variety of Buddhist teachings.
When we first begin to practice the dharma it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the vast
choice of methods. It is sort of liking walking into a Walmart rather than a small
convenience store. Rather than becoming overwhelmed by the choices, concentrate on
just getting what you need. As a dharma practitioner, one needs to concentrate on
building a strong foundation in basic human values (to borrow a phrase from HH the Dali
Lama.) To do this it is helpful to study the vinya teachings of the Buddha. In conjunction
with this a simple meditation practice, mindfulness of breathing, for example, or mantra
recitation, should be practiced daily.

It is important not to jump around from practice to practice, and if one starts with the
basics there should be no need to. The most basic practice takes years to unfold and
develop. A basic and simple practice pursued with sincerity and commitment can lead to
profound realization. It is better to practice a simple practice well, than chase after the
"superior path."

Thought for the day: June 4, 2007

Yoga asanas (postures) can be just exercise or a form of meditation; it all depends on
motivation. However, when asanas are approached with humility and focus one gains
the benefits of physical as well as spiritual growth. Yoga asanas when practiced as a
meditation often avoid the pitfalls of seated meditation, such as laziness and torpor.
They purify energy channels that enable us to feel more energy in seated meditation,
as well as our everyday life.

In addition to yoga asanas, pranayama, breathing exercises, are also a great aid,
with similar benefits as asanas. These should be practiced with particular care. An
excellent book on pranayama is Iyengar's, "Light on Pranayama." His book, "Light on
Yoga," is an excellent yoga reference.

Thought for the day: June 5, 2007

Today we have the advantage of very good translations of Buddhist text and
commentaries by accomplished masters that were not available a few years ago. It is to
our advantage to study these works by teachers such as HH the Dali Lama, Master
Hsuan Hua, HH Dilgo Khentse Rinpoche, HH Kalu Rinpoche, HH Thrangu Rinpoche, and
others. Masters such as these come from a long lineage of teachers and have been
certified by their predecessors.

Avoid what I call the "self proclaimed enlightened ones," those New Age teachers with no
lineage or certification, often no formal training, or discipline. These teachers often say
that they are Buddhist or Hindu, but have no formal training in these disciplines. Relying
on their own interpretations they go on to teach others.

In our own practice and study, as well, it is important that we discuss our understanding
with a Teacher. Our own interpretation of an experience or philosophical understanding
may not be on the mark. That is why form time to time we should confirm what we
understand by calling on recognized teachers and make offerings and ask questions.

Thought for the day: June 6, 2007

Karma is action; karmic retribution is just the result. Karma ripens immediately or in the
future; but it never fails. Sometimes we may wonder why unpleasant things are
happening to us, especially when we are living in a good way. But, karma does not dance
to our tune and plays itself out in its own, often mysterious ways. If things are not going
right in our lives, it is important to understand it may have nothing to do with our present
actions or recent past actions. It is important to understand this because sometimes it
can be discouraging when things go wrong despite every effort to live in a dharmic way.

When all is going well in our lives and we are enjoying abundance, it is important to use
this opportunity to give some of it away. Storing away good karma like this can neutralize
the ripening of negative karma sometime in the future. In addition to material wealth, time
itself is a kind of wealth that should be spent wisely. If we find ourselves with free time, we
can use it for extra meditation or study and further increase our understanding and thirst
for knowledge. Free time is a reward for past good karma and should be reinvested.

Thought for the day: June 7, 2007

There is no happiness in material objects. If there were the same objects that make one
individual happy would appeal to everyone. For example, a new boat may seem to make one
person very happy, and he may spend a considerable amount of time and energy to get it.
Another person could care less about having a boat. This demonstrates the simple fact that we
impute happiness upon the objects we seek and thus lead ourselves into seeking them. The
way to halt this chain of events is through analytical meditation. Simply thwarting desires will only
increase them because blocking arisal without reasoned analyses is not powerful enough to
stop it. The habit of accumulation is very powerful. If we win the lottery and buy one house we
soon want another. Pretty soon we may have several in various locations throughout the world.
But, as our houses increase, our happiness does not. In fact, it has been demonstrated that
lottery winners with no history of depression before winning a lottery, often sink into depression
afterwards.

Recognizing the difference between genuine needs and hankerings for things will enable us to
accumulate what is truly useful and refrain from needless accumulation that leads to distraction
and frustration. We want to appreciate the abundance do we have and be careful not to create
needs that will prove to be emotionally or financially burdensome.

Thought for the day: June 8, 2007

The power of a meditation topic, a mantra, for example, is not inherent in the mantra, but comes
from the one using it. To recite mantras all day long with a mind scattered thinking about this
and that has little benefit. The same could be said about all practices.

Thought for the day: June 9, 2007

It is tempting to seek out a quiet place for meditation, or to avoid meditation because the place
is too noisy. But, from my own experience and what I learned from my Teacher, there is no such
thing as a place conducive to meditation. If one's mind is in turmoil, wherever one meditates will
be unsuitable; if ones mind is at peace, then anywhere is OK. The same thoughts we have in a
noisy apartment will travel with us to a quiet cave.

During my early years of practioce I sought out quiet places to meditate. These included a
couple of years in the jungles of Hawaii and later six months in a South Indian cave. Once in an
Oregon cave a bear snooped around the mouth of the cave while I sat in the back. In South
India a 15 foot cobra came in the mouth slithered around me and exited the rear. Insects have
nibbled on me throughout many mediation sessions. One lesson I learned from all this is to be
tolerant of what is going on around me and that distraction is the same whether it is a noisy
freeway near my home, or a bug having a snack on my arm. I also learned that I am only
conscious of these "distractions" when my own mind is not absorbed in meditation. If I can get
hold of the mediation topic, outside annoyances cease to have their effect.

Later, when I became a monk, my Teacher alarmed all the monks and nuns, by removing a wall
between the meditation hall and the main office, at the entrance to the monastery. Suddenly
everything that went on in the front office could be heard in the mediation hall and everyone
was very upset. The lesson was that if your mind is chattering you will hear all the chatter in the
office, but if your mind is still, you won't. It took awhile, but soon no one was paying attention to
the noisy office.

Desire, anger, jealousy, greed and other disturbing emotions do not disappear because the
environment changes. The best place for mediation is wherever one happens to be.

Thought for the day: June 10, 2007

Some New Age books proclaim the importance of living in the "Now." But, I wonder, what
choice do we have? We certainly cannot bring the past forward or the future to us. And as
Bob Dylan says, "The present now will later be past," I might add, "the present now will later
be future." There is no denying that the three periods of time condition one another. Our so
called "Now" is what it is because of the totality of past conditions, while our future will be
conditioned by the present.

The "Now" advocates would like us to step into an idealistic present reality that is somehow
disconnected from all that is unpleasant from the past---an impossible feat. Many of the "Be
Hear Now Advocates" of the 60's realized the impossibility of their effort and got serious about
acknowledging their past wrong views, renounced drug induced highs, adopting the hard path
of meditation, study, and discipline, and cleaned up their past by not doing the same mistakes
again. The rest crashed and burned.

Living in the "Present" is a good thing and is advocated by many schools of thought. But,
unlike the New Age "Present" (which is often hijacked out of context from its broader scriptural
reference,) the "Present" of the scriptures has its roots deep in the past and its eye set on
future consequences. The present now is the consequence of the past and the future will be
the consequence of the present. An analytical look at the past the created one's present is
the best way to determine a course that will build upon what has been good and not repeat
what has created unpleasantness. It will not happen without hard work.

Thought for the day: June 12, 2007

The Vissudhimagga uses the analogy of a skilled archer to descripe the right balance of
effort requirerd to practice the dharma properly. It says that if an archer pulls too hard on his
bow, his arrow will overshoot the mark; while, if he does not pull hard enough, the arrow will
fall short. In our practice of the dharma the right amount of effort is important. If we work too
hard, we burn out and become discourgaed, not hard enough, and we fall back. A steady,
balanced, application of effort is the best way to make gains.

Thought for the day: June 12, 2007

Once as a young, earnest, and very naive seeker, I visited a great yogi who had been living
in the cave I had visited him for over fifteen years. He was describing to me aspects of
kundalini yoga and the light that accompanies this. I remarked to him that a good friend of
mine, who is very accomplished, also experiences this light. He looked at me with impatient
dismay and said, "there are many lights, Rick!"

I thought about what he said many times over the years. It struck home because I realized
that my friend was indeed interpreting his own experiences. Unlike the yogi I met, he did not
have a guru that he called on periodically to certify his experiences. In short he was guessing.

During my years as a monk, I heard many experiences described by my fellow sangha
members, who sometimes publicly addressed my teacher during sutra lectures for clarification
of the significance of their experiences. We all learned a lot from his explanations, because
often we were having similar experiences. A learned teacher can put experiences into a
context that can be beneficial to understand because he has been there. Seeking a teacher
to talk over one's experiences can often prevent one from placing undue significance upon
them.

Thought for the day: June 13, 2007

Yesterday we talked a little about "experiences" and the importance of discussing them with a
good teacher to avoid placing undue value on them. Today we will develop this a bit more.

"Experiences" seldom reflect genuine accomplishment and undue attachment to them should
be avoided. Often my teacher would instruct a student who described a particular exalted
meditative experience to let it go and not be attached to it. Real achievement is better
reflected in our ordinary lives. The non-arisal of negative emotions such as anger, jealousy,
loss of temper or composure, greed, etc is a better gauge of just how our practice is going
than "experiences" in meditation. The more we desire the more susceptible we will be towards
negative emotions. Those with few desires are far less vulnerable to negativity.

Good basic human qualities and values is the best indicator that one is practicing correctly.
True understanding cannot grow where this is absent. As the saying goes, "You cannot get
cooked rice by boiling sand grains."

Thought for the day: June 14, 2007

Sutras teach us that it is better not to make a vow, than to make one that you can't keep.
Vows can be powerful supports to our dharma inquiry, but they should be contemplated well
before making the commitment. I remember a lay devotee who wanted to take the five basic
precepts: no lying, killing, stealing, taking intoxicants, or sexual misconduct; but she doubted
she could keep the precepts prohibiting sexual misconduct. She was administered the ones
she could keep and revisited the one she couldn't some years later.

Thought for the day: June 15, 2007

Saul David Rey, a yoga teacher whose class I attended, would say, "Where the eyes go, the
mind flows." This is not only good advise for a yoga class; but something to be mindful of
throughout the day.

Thought for the day: June 16, 2007

It is impossible to let go of something that you don't understand. This is something that I
tell myself when an unwanted thoughts or emotion tenaciously asserts themselves in my
mind. Often it is a pattern or emotion that is quite strong and rears it head over and
over through days, weeks, months, or more. Although I know better, the temptation is to
just push them aside, and being pretty good at that, I do succeed---at least for a time.
But, surely they will return. The key to ridding the mind of unpleasantness is
understanding the origin. That is why Buddhism teaches "Stopping and Looking."
Look and see why the negativity arises.

There is a Buddhist saying: "If you cannot lay it down, carry it along." This means that a
negative thought or emotion that cannot be discarded without reasserting itself, should
be looked into. Of course, this does not mean following negative impulses, but rather
settling them firmly in the mind and calmly analyzing them to discover where they have
their roots. It does little good to trim weeds, but if you take out their roots they cannot
come back again.

Thought for the day: June 17, 2007

Discipline is an important aspect of any spiritual practice; but it should never be
practiced for its own sake. Side by side with discipline, a keen interest in the dharma
must also be cultivated, as well as meditation skills. The disastrous results of
discipling sexual desire, for example, without properly channeling the energy, has
been amply demonstrated in modern times by priest of one of the worlds "great"
religions. This is not because celibacy itself is a problem, but because sexual desire
bottled up is. While some Buddhist and Hindus practice celibacy, these schools are
careful to teach yogic and meditation techniques that make sure the power sexual
energy flows freely even while adopting the celibate lifestyle.

There are many other disciplines that one may adopt to support one's practice. In all
of them the principle remains the same: do not practice a discipline, unless you can
do it without having it backfire on you. As a monk, some practiced vows of silence, to
use another example. But, my Teacher often refused a request by a monk or nun
requesting to take such a vow. Often he would say, "when you can stop chattering to
yourself, then you can take a vow of silence." Or, a request to fast would be refused
because by doing so greed would only be inflamed. This was my teacher way of
protecting his disciples from engaging in a potential waste of energy.

On the other hand, he would encourage a student whose motivation was pure; as he
did on the occasion of a monk performing a thirty-six day fast for world peace. Others
requesting to fast for the same reason were declined; because ego not peace was
the underlying motivation.

Self-discipline, like any other practice, must be practiced with joy and the way to
achieve this is by rising above the discipline itself an focusing on pure intention.
Removing the sense of "doer" from the action increases its merit many fold.

Thought for the day: June 18, 2007

Richard Feynman, the Nobel Prize wining physicist, was touring a Buddhist Temple in
Honolulu, Hawaii, when the tour leader ended the tour by quoting a Buddhist saying: "To
everyman is given a key to the gates of heaven; the same key opens the gates of hell."

The saying above has many applications. Even in the world of business we are seeing an
increasing number of very bright people who created business empires, but are now in
prison for no other reason than using their intelligence to defraud investors. In Buddhism
we are warned, ""You cannot outsmart the Buddha," to caution those (often New Age
followers anxious to adapt the Teaching) trying to find justification for fulfilling their desires
while still remaining under the cloak of Buddhism.
We are also cautioned not to cling unnecessarily to meditative states, which can become
an attachment, and turn into unbenifical (though pleasant) states of mind.

We come into this world with many gifts and opportunities. Recognizing and putting these
to use is the surest way that these blessings will continue to follow us.

Thought for the day: June 19, 2007

A Chan saying goes: "If bitter cold does not strike to the bone; how can the plum blossoms
be fragrant?" My own teacher often said: "To endure suffering, is to end suffering." The
many examples of truly accomplished yogis and teachers give ample testimony to the fact
that realization only comes through a considerable amount of effort.

It is human nature to seek the easiest way to accomplish a goal; but this very human
inclination seldom is of value in our ordinary affairs, let alone spiritual ones. It is far better
to assume early on that great effort will be required to reach a spiritual or worldly goal, than
to live under the delusion that everything will happen "naturally." The mind by nature will
seek the path of least resistance, like water it will flow to the lowest point. No wonder the
sutras teach: "go against the flow."

Thought for the day: June 20, 2007

I have been fortunate to have known several great Teachers. One characteristic I have
observed that they all share is an unresting disposition. Good teachers continue to put
great effort into their own enlightenment. My own Teacher, for example, made by hand
all the clay Buddha statues in our Hall of Ten Thousand Buddhas. He did this work at
night while most of us slept. My Teacher throughout his life maintained a vow never to
lie down. The three hours a night he slept was in the seated position.

I once heard HH Dali Lama describe his schedule. It began about 3 AM every
morning. It included a session of prostrations, study, and meditation; altogether lasting
several hours. All of this before a long day of being HH the Dali Lama.

It is an inspiration for me to see that the truly great Teachers seem to work the
hardest, always embodying humility and a humble attitude. In my own practice I have
noticed that the more I know, the more I want to know. The phenomena snowballs on
itself.

Unlike many charlatans, who tend to love basking in the spotlight, real Teachers seem
radiate a sense of duty and service in their deportment; merely putting up with their
celebrity as a unwanted consequence of their position. They teach because of a
genuine compassion and pity for humanity, with no desire for recognition.

If one is sincere and works hard oneself, it will be easy to discriminate between the
charlatans and genuine Teachers; but if one doesn't have it in oneself, one will be a
victim easily deceived by fakes.

Thought for the day: June 21, 2007

Sometimes Buddhist will make statements about not "believing" in God or any
form of creator. I cannot help but wonder what the benefits of not believing in God,
for example, has if it is not replaced with a philosophical understanding why. Not to
believe in God without understanding why is just as bad as blind faith in God. A
person who lives righteously in love and devotion to God, is certainly better off than
an arrogant Buddhist denying God without a deep understanding of Buddhism's
position regarding creation

Thought for the day: June 22, 2007

The Taoist master Chung Tse said: "I don't know about doing things, I just know
about leaving things alone." A good deal can be learned from this. Taoism was
one of the main belief systems in China before Buddhism's arrival, and readily
adapted to Buddhism's more structured approach. The Taoist "non-doing" was not
a selective kind of inaction, whereby one simply lets go one's responsibilities. It is
rather a fine tuning of one's awareness to recognize when it is best to stay out of
the way.

Often we do not allow things time to run their natural course. We are so concerned
with the outcome that we eagerly manipulate conditions to unfold as we wish. But,
in our ignorance, as we wish, may not be best. Often a little bit of patience will go
along way to assure that our dreams come true

Thought for the day: June 23, 2007

Life has many messages; are we hearing them? Listening requires an impartial
mind to assure that we understand the intended message, un obscured by what we
might wish the message to be.

Thought for the day: June 24, 2007

A good deal can be learned from what goes on between thoughts. When
meditating ask yourself, " apart from thoughts, who am I?" Thoughts often relate to
the body, but apart from the body, what is there? Thoughts often relate to things
and events, but apart from things and events, what is there? When the mind is
calmly observed, our thinking is about things, events, self, and others. Just as the
gravitational field of various heavenly bodies cause then to orbit around one
another, the smaller orbiting around the larger, so too does our everyday thinking
orbit around things and events, etc. Basically, we are caught in the gravitational
field of our desire mind; the mind of our personal world.

Through meditation and analyses we can familiarize ourselves with the realm limited to
personal awareness and begin to gradually gain freedom from its attraction. We
will begin to see a pattern in our normal thinking and question whether or not it is
possible to step outside of the pattern. This very questioning is the right inquiry that
will gradually undermine the view of ourselves as distinct and separate individuals
from the world we live in.

Thought for the day: June 25, 2007

The Path to realization is a long one extending over many lifetimes. It is important
to appreciate the Path itself and find happiness in walking it. Goal driven practice
is sure to end in failure because being anxious about results only gets in the way.
Just as we ideally would give a gift without hope for reward or recognition, should
we walk the Path for the sake of being on it

Thought for the day: June 26, 2007

"Everything is a test, to see what we will do. If you don't recognize what is before
your face, you will have to start anew," Master Hsuan Hua. My teacher often said
this to his disciples, and of course it is true that life is full of many challenges, both
spiritual ones and conventional ones. Of course, we create the challenges before
us by the aspirations we develop. The importance of creating worthwhile
aspirations cannot be over emphasized; for it is in this way that we give our lives
meaning. Just recognizing a truly meaningful direction in life is difficult enough,
achieving it is full of many obstacles

Thought for the day: June 27, 2007

Tantra is one of the most misunderstood schools of Buddhism and Hinduism.
There is nothing at all "sexy" about Tantra. Although the New Age interpretations
and some of the wealthy Maharajas of Old India might like you to believe
otherwise, Tantra, with few exceptions, is practiced without a partner. While kings
contributed to the current delusion by funding temples and art of deities in union, it
is important to bear in mind that they were simply using their wealth to give
expression to their personal erotic fantasies (often carried out in the royal court.)
There is absolutely no scriptural basis for any of it. Those who busy themselves
with Tantric seminars often site these bogi depictions to give credence to their
capitalistic ambitions, while deluded followers seeking justification to cloak their
sexual appetites in religious garb are all too eager to follow them.

As simple human beings not yet free of carnal desires, to imitate the Gods and
Goddesses in union, as often depicted in Tantric art, is delusional and distructive.A
cursory study of the ancient Tantric texts, makes it clear that such depictions are
merely symbolic reorientations of the union of positive and negative energies
complete within each one of us. These "male" and "female" energies can be
balanced within by the practice of Tantra.

Thought for the day: June 28, 2007

Buddhism teaches us to examine our beliefs. The Buddha himself taught his
followers to examine and think out his teachings and to have a clear understanding
of his teachings before deciding whether to accept them or not. There is little room
for blind faith in Buddhism.

If we watch how we use the word "belief" or "believe" in our daily lives we will
notice that often we say the word without having examined the source of the belief
we are expressing. If we do this we will likely uncover many false beliefs, often
based on wrong assumptions. And, on the positive side, we may place correct
beliefs on a firmer foundation

Thought for the day: June 29, 2007

As long as we are in a human body, food will be a necessity and consideration
should be given towards what constitutes the best diet for a practitioner. Many will
say that a vegetarian diet is best for dharma practitioners, but there is much more
to consider. While it is true that both Hindu and Buddhist scriptures advocate not
killing living creatures for our own survival, it is also advocated that food should be
taken as medicine and not for entertainment. Greed for fine flavors and excessive
eating afflicts vegetarians as much as meat eaters and creates the same
obstructions. Too much thought about food reflects a mind that is not doing the
work it should be doing, whether the thoughts are about a fine steak or a mango.

There are more reasons for being a vegetarian than simply adhering to
harmlessness. Aside from not killing, a vegetarian diet is more conducive to the
meditative and compassionate frame of mind .Hinduism breaks down food into
three categories, satvic, rajistic, and tamusic; (broadly meaning,) pure, agitating,
and heavy. Rajistic food agitates the mind and tamusic food makes it heavy. Meat
is both. Satvic food is pure and does not contribute to heaviness or disturbing
emotions.

In addition to eating right, one also must eat with proper mindfulness and a sense
of gratitude. A vegetarian who is a guest of someone who offers him a
non-vegetarian dish should either not eat or eat with gratitude. The Buddha made it
a point to eat what was offered to him and instructed his monks (who begged for
their food) to be non-selective when seeking alms. In addition, monks are
instructed to eat with mindfulness, either reciting mantras or considering all the
aspects of the food they are eating---the work that goes into growing it, transporting
it, preparing it, medicinal value, etc. Eating with a scattered mind greatly
diminishes the value of our food and it behooves us to adopt the mindfull disipline
of the monks while taking our meals. Eat healthy, think healthy, and always be a
little hungry.

Thought for the day: June 30, 2007

The Dharmapada says: "Remove the impurities off the self, as a silversmith
removes the impurities off of silver, little by little, bit by bit, and from time to time." It
does little good to be intimidated by the enormity of the Path and frozen into
inaction. Begin with what you understand, work in your own comfort zone, and don't
be anxious for results---they will come in proportion to your effort