| Thought for the day: November 1, 2007 Undue attention to diet while treading the path to self discovery can become more of a distraction than an aid if one is not careful. There is very little in Buddhist literature concerning the specifics about what to eat, while some attention is given to the importance of silence while eating, eating less, performing correct contemplation, and not seeking fine flavors. The idea is to consider eating a form of meditation and not entertainment. A good diet is a support to a much broader path and should be viewed as such. Within the broad context of Buddhist practice, a diet that supports a healthy body supports a healthy practice, as well. But, outside of this context, diet in and of itself, can hardly be viewed as "spiritual." |
| Thought for the day: November 2, 2007 All disturbing emotions can be brought into the path by asking oneself, "To whom do these emotions arise." Anger, jealousy, lust, and many other emotions can be turned around very effectively by this means. "Hatred only hurts the hater," as the Buddha says. In similar manner other disturbing emotions only hurt the one hosting them. But, with a little effort and discrimination, these emotions can be used to fuel self-inquiry. |
| Thought for the day: November 3, 2007 Pranayama, breath mastery, is an excellent discipline to integrate into one's meditation practice. Because breath and thought are closely linked, where one is so is the other, where one is not the other ceases, as well. Practicing pranayama supports quieting the mind. I practice it before every meditation session. Care should be taken when controlling the breath. Among books on the subject, Light on Pranayama, by Iyengar, and Mahamudra: The Moonlight -- Quintessence of Mind and Meditation by Dakpo Tashi Namgyal, The Dalai Lama, and Lobsang P. Lhalungpa, are among the best. Usually it is the mind that first becomes absorbed followed by the breath. We notice this frequently in our daily lives. As our interest becomes absorbed in something, a book, a conversation, writing a letter, our breath slows. Pranayama is a conscious and deliberate slowing of the breath through regulating it. However, like meditation, great care should be taken that it is done correctly. This method should not be confused with merely holding the breath. Pranayama's aim is to absorb thought into the breath---so there is no holding or force. Practiced properly, however, it is an excellent tool that yields many physical benefits, while at the same time strengthening the minds ability to focus and remain focused and penetrate beneath superficial thought patterns. |
| Thought for the day: November 4, 2007 Mindfulness of breath, is a very different practice than pranayama, discussed yesterday. It is much easier to practice and has far fewer dangers that warrant precautions. Mindfulness of breath is simply bringing one's awareness on the breath and keeping it there. When awareness wanders it is brought once again to rest on the breath. Conceptually easy to understand, it is very difficult to practice. In the beginning, the mind is continually hijacked by thoughts that distract its attention away from the breath. This is called being in the "guest" position. Once we become aware of the mind's wandering away from the topic of meditation, the breath, we place it once again on the breath and assume the "host" position host and guest position. As we progress, gradually the mind will cease alternating between the host and guest positions and remain firmly placed on the breath. At this point we are like a fish in the sea that may occasionally start after a fisherman's lure, but realizing what it is before taking a bite, gives up the chase. This intermediate stage requires constant vigilance. As we continue our practice of Mindfulness of breath, an attraction will emerge hidden within the breath itself. Wandering thoughts will cease to arise and the mind will naturally and with little effort rests on its target. |
| Thought for the day: November 5, 2007 Meditation has been described as ecstatic equilibrium, a term that well reflects a fundamental aspect of meditation, "balance." Meditation is not a process of adding a new state of awareness with all new materials, but rather making good use of what is already there. A first step requires the use of a neutral meditation topic that will help us to realize that the same energy that fuels anger, jealousy, doubt, lust, and other disturbing emotions can be redirected to fuel liberating awareness. Negative energy is brought to bear on the topic of meditation and absorbed there. As the meditation becomes stronger it balances out and neutralise disturbing emotions. Gradually they will subside and no longer be a distraction. |
| Thought for the day: November 6, 2007 Fearlessness, is key to meditative practice. The "stone" approach is motivated by fear; and as long as the drops of disturbing thoughts are splashing off the stone they will continue to do so. However, as soon as the "sponge" approach is adopted, they will be absorbed. This is the correct method for dealing with disturbing thoughts. Always be open while meditating, never closed. |
| Thought for the day: November 10, 2007 "Be ordinary and nothing special," is a Chinese saying exhorting dharma practitioners to keep their practice inside and not put it on display. The caution is warranted as attachment to the roll of dharma practitioner often undermines our effort. This danger is much less likely if we are living under the guidance of a qualified master, but for those of us who are not, we must be on constant guard. |
| Thought for the day: November 12, 2007 Every time you say to yourself, "I know better than that," realize that what you really mean is, "I wish I knew better than that." The occasion of the former would not arise at all if you knew better. Precision in our thinking is an aid to overcoming weaknesses in our practice. |
| Thought for the day: November 13, 2007 HH Dilgo Khyentse says that one of the most effective practices for developing kindness and compassion is exchanging self and others. In other words, make the effort to put others first, to treat others as yourself. If we do this our kindness will come from the heart and a genuine interest in the welfare of others will arise. |
| Thought for the day: November 14, 2007 To study meditation without studying Buddhism first is like buying gas before owning a car. Knowledge of meditation alone won't get anyone anywhere. A monk I know once told me about a bumper sticker he saw while driving on the freeway; it read, "I don't know where I am going; but I am going like hell." You don't want to be like that guy. |
| Thought for the day: November 17, 2007 A genuine concern for the welfare of others is the best indication that our practice is pointing in the right direction. Bliss and absorption in meditation are not reliable indicators when not accompanied by understanding. |
| Thought for the day: November 18, 2007 An athlete focuses his attention to be the best in his field, a ballet dancer wishes to develop her skills, a businessman wishes for success. In all cases, the focus of attention is to succeed. But, all these aspirations also reinforce the false sense of "I" and "other," a sense of separateness from other living beings with whom we share this planet. To counter this Buddhism teaches to always try and balance out one's aspiration for success by cultivating a genuine wish that others succeed as well, and helping them to do so. We should never take advantage of situations if it unfairly harms another. We do not want to move forward if it means compromising our integrity. If one wishes to create a medicine for the sake of healing people, the motivation is different from one who seeks monetary gain. In both cases the medicine achieves it aim, but the merit of having altruistic ambitions will serve to diminish the "I" sense in the one, and reinforce it in the other. In everything we do, motivation should be examined, or the cost of success may outweigh its benefits. |
| Thought for the day: November 19, 2007 Sutras teach us, "all living beings have the Buddha nature, and it is only because of false thinking and attachments that they fail to realize it." The Buddhas is instructing us here to understand that self-realization is not an "add-on" and to concentrate on discovering what is already there rather than adding something new. Seeing our true Buddha Nature is obscured by a sense of "I" whose focus is limited by desires that wrongly conceptualize the self as confined to the physical body and mental activity limited to the view of an individual self. While not ignoring the conventional, everyday reality of the personal self, Buddhism teaches us to control desires associated with this viewpoint so that we can make ourself vulnerable, or worthy of the realization of that which is not confined to a personal view of self. When attachment to the confining view of a personal self is gradually dismantled, a greater sense of interconnectedness with others is gradually realized and their welfare becomes as important as our own. As this is achieved through persistent practice we will become more aware of our Buddha Nature and less bound up by false views and attachment that wrongly confines us to the self as the individual. Thus, while not losing the sense of individuality, it is pervaded by a more all encompassing awareness. |
| Thought for the day: November 20, 2007 Observing the mind in post meditation is a better indicator of how a meditation went than trying to make a judgement based on the meditation itself. |
| Thought for the day: November 21, 2007 A sense of carrying our meditation with us when we get off our cushion and get on with our day is good post-meditation practice. Gradually a sense of continuity will arise between meditations, and this will allow us to become focused more quickly every time we sits down to meditate. |
| Thought for the day: November 22, 2007 Believe is a word to be used with caution and mindfulness. Certainly it behooves us all to better understand the objects of our "beliefs" so that we may express our beliefs with greater meaning and precision. |
| Thought for the day: November 25, 2007 In Chan Buddhism emphasis is made on the importance of, "not being turned by conditions" or "not being turned by states." It is relatively easy to maintain an even mind when everything is going well, but when conditions change, and things become unpredictable, distracting, and unexpected, etc, we often lose our focus and become "turned upside down by conditions." During these moments our weaknesses are often exposed, and the importance of a well balanced practice is realized. |
| Thought for the day: November 27, 2007 One of the greatest advantages of studying Buddhism with a genuine teacher is that he will help to make an otherwise abstract understanding of the dharma a subjective one. A teacher (with accomplishment) will never allow scholarly understanding to develop in isolation; and that is the primary and all important difference between studying Buddhism at a university or on one's own and studying with a teacher. Bearing this in mind, as lay people who often do not have the opportunity to draw near a "Good Knowing Advisor," we must exert extra effort to avoid being satisfied with a mere intellectual understanding, and exert ourselves in meditation, both analytical and quiescent. |
| Thought for the day: November 28, 2007 A child psychologist once remarked to me that I should never begin a sentence with the word "don't" when instructing my children. The reason she said, is that children simply remove it. For example, "Don't go near the fire," becomes "Go near the fire," "Don't play with Jimmy?" "Play with Jimmy," "Don't go in the forest," "Play in the forest," etc. She said the better way to instruct children was by using "consequences." Instead of "Don't go near the fire," question: "What do you think would happen if you went near that fire?" etc. The use of "consequences" is a common feature of one of Tibetan Buddhism's most important branches and is known as prasankika. This branch, Madyamika, does not say that a viewpoint is wrong, but rather explores the consequences (which generally become absurd) if it was right. But, while Madyamika arguments tend to focus on the highest philosophical tenants, as ordinary people we can use the same principles to help us work on our more mundane disciplines and viewpoints. I once attended a lecture by HH Dali Lama and he was asked about sexual desire. He explained that a mosquito once bit him on the neck and his Tibetan doctor told him not to scratch it. He listened for a few days, but the itch started to bother him so much that he could not resist. But, the more he scratched it the more it itched, until he had an infection so bad he had to see his doctor again." Had his doctor used prasankika instead of telling him "Don't" HH Dali Lama may well have thought more deeply and left it alone. Disciplines have their reasons and when these are lost sight of the burden of keeping them can become impossible. For this reason we should always be mindful of the consequences of our action and knowingly walk the path. |
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