Just now in Chinatown I saw a lot of old men sitting by the side, smiling, just relaxing and enjoying their time there with no goals, just relaxing, watching the passerbys. This is a big contrast to everyone of us... seeking to get somewhere, trying to get away from here, or for practitioners trying to reach a higher state and so on.
Yet all these contrivance do not touch the natural state...
Longchenpa said:
Rest like a mountain, unchanging and stable.
Rest like an ocean, limpid and unmoving.
Rest like one’s work is done, free from hope and fear.
Rest like an old man, with a happy open mind.
Ultimate reality which abides in and of itself without modification
is naturally formed as the non-abiding original dharmak�ya;
rest naturally without searching or modification.
.......
Tilopa:
http://www.keithdowman.net/mahamudra/tilopa.htm
KYE HO! Listen with joy!
The truth beyond mind cannot be grasped by any faculty of mind;
The meaning of non-action cannot be understood in compulsive activity;
To realise the meaning of non-action and beyond mind,
Cut the mind at its root and rest in naked awareness.
Allow the muddy waters of mental activity to clear;
Refrain from both positive and negative projection -
leave appearances alone:
The phenomenal world, without addition or subtraction, is Mahamudra.
The unborn omnipresent base dissolves your impulsions and delusions:
Do not be conceited or calculating but rest in the unborn essence
And let all conceptions of yourself and the universe melt away.
next time when you are old you will be in the same situation as them.
Maybe even worst than them because you could be in old folk homes or in the hospital too sick to even move around
my point is that we should drop our seeking and contrivance, and be like old man sitting happily.
no matter what happens, most impt is that you are happy, carefree and liberated. realize your true nature and rest.
why not be like the old man that is abonded in the old folk home or left to die in the hospital?
Originally posted by c2-01:why not be like the old man that is abonded in the old folk home or left to die in the hospital?
Why are you asking this?
As a working adult in Spore, it is generally not possible to be a contented old man. I found myself understanding buddhism much better when I live in overseas.
This is the reason why you Will Want to get out of samsara by your own accord:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn15/sn15.013.than.html
Now on that occasion the Blessed One was dwelling in Rajagaha, in the Bamboo Grove. Then thirty monks from Pava — all wilderness dwellers, all alms-goers, all triple-robe wearers, all still with fetters — went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side.
Then the thought occurred to the Blessed One, "These thirty monks from Pava... are all still with fetters. What if I were to teach them the Dhamma in such a way that in this very sitting their minds, through lack of clinging, would be released from fermentations?"
So he addressed the monks: "Monks."
"Yes, lord," the monks responded.
The Blessed One said, "From an inconceivable beginning comes transmigration. A beginning point is not evident, though beings hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving are transmigrating & wandering on. What do you think, monks? Which is greater, the blood you have shed from having your heads cut off while transmigrating & wandering this long, long time, or the water in the four great oceans?"
"As we understand the Dhamma taught to us by the Blessed One, this is the greater: the blood we have shed from having our heads cut off while transmigrating & wandering this long, long time, not the water in the four great oceans."
"Excellent, monks. Excellent. It is excellent that you thus understand the Dhamma taught by me.
"This is the greater: the blood you have shed from having your heads cut off while transmigrating & wandering this long, long time, not the water in the four great oceans.
"The blood you have shed when, being cows, you had your cow-heads cut off: Long has this been greater than the water in the four great oceans.
"The blood you have shed when, being water buffaloes, you had your water buffalo-heads cut off... when, being rams, you had your ram-heads cut off... when, being goats, you had your goat-heads cut off... when, being deer, you had your deer-heads cut off... when, being chickens, you had your chicken-heads cut off... when, being pigs, you had your pig-heads cut off: Long has this been greater than the water in the four great oceans.
"The blood you have shed when, arrested as thieves plundering villages, you had your heads cut off... when, arrested as highway thieves, you had your heads cut off... when, arrested as adulterers, you had your heads cut off: Long has this been greater than the water in the four great oceans.
"Why is that? From an inconceivable beginning comes transmigration. A beginning point is not evident, though beings hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving are transmigrating & wandering on. Long have you thus experienced stress, experienced pain, experienced loss, swelling the cemeteries — enough to become disenchanted with all fabrications, enough to become dispassionate, enough to be released."
That is what the Blessed One said. Gratified, the monks delighted in the Blessed One's words. And while this explanation was being given, the minds of the thirty monks from Pava — through lack of clinging — were released from fermentations.
Originally posted by gaomu:I can identify with homer28’s comment.
In Singapore, it’s generally about economic progress as this directly affects the workers’ pay.
As Buddhism teaches us, we are all bounded by cravings. If we have a little money, we crave for more. If we have a lot of money, we crave for even more.
This is especially true in Singapore’s context. Most of the population do not see the true meaning of life. They only see the lifestyle they lead currently and crave for a higher quality lifestyle in comparison to their present and their peers’ lifestyle, achivable by a higher income.
Hence, we see people pursuing worldly gains; and not true actualisation.
Sad, but true.
Personally, although I see the above logic, I cannot escape from the cycle of pursuing worldly material gains. When you have your friends and family all pursuing worldly gains, would you want to believe, think and act on something else?
Peer pressure…
While Buddhism does not demand us to stop working (of course not) - only that our work is Right Livelihood, and that while we accumulate wealth for the present we should also prepare for our future, our death, our afterlife, and our liberation.
But wherever we are, be contented.... even if we are poor, be contented... if we are rich, be contented... anything in between, be contented.... It doesn't mean stop working for a better future, it means rest your mind in the present.
It's not easy to be contented.... esp in modern societies like sg
we need to put food on family table, that's why we have to constantly work hard and upgrade ourselves.
I guess i can't be easily contented... but sometimes, it can be irony to think of stress in life is helpful in our practice
夢æ¸å¤¢ï¼Œç�¾å¯¦æ¸ç�¾å¯¦ã€‚我們習慣å�‘ç�¾å¯¦ä½Žé ,日æ€�夜想的,是生計,是明天有無飯開,是我是å�¦ç¬¦å�ˆçˆ¶æ¯�的寄望,å�¦ä¸€å�Šæœƒå�¦å«Œæ£„我,社會會å�¦æ·˜æ±°æˆ‘…,或許我們都ä¸�安於ç�¾ç‹€ï¼Œä½†éƒ½ç„¡åŠ›æ”¹è®Šï¼Œç„¶å¾Œäººç”Ÿå°±æ¤é�ŽåŽ»ã€‚
Unless we gave up everything here , pursing enlightenment in a modern material world like Spore is like chasing a dream. Even a temple need to make sure it has enough fund to pay all its bill!
Originally posted by homer28:夢æ¸å¤¢ï¼Œç�¾å¯¦æ¸ç�¾å¯¦ã€‚我們習慣å�‘ç�¾å¯¦ä½Žé ,日æ€�夜想的,是生計,是明天有無飯開,是我是å�¦ç¬¦å�ˆçˆ¶æ¯�的寄望,å�¦ä¸€å�Šæœƒå�¦å«Œæ£„我,社會會å�¦æ·˜æ±°æˆ‘…,或許我們都ä¸�安於ç�¾ç‹€ï¼Œä½†éƒ½ç„¡åŠ›æ”¹è®Šï¼Œç„¶å¾Œäººç”Ÿå°±æ¤é�ŽåŽ»ã€‚
Unless we gave up everything here , pursing enlightenment in a modern material world like Spore is like chasing a dream. Even a temple need to make sure it has enough fund to pay all its bill!
Enlightenment is a highly achievable thing even for a lay person. Most enlightened people I personally know are lay persons with jobs and so on.
Just like any endeavor, it requires interest, practice, and right guidance. Just like playing piano. Nobody says that to learn piano you have to give up your jobs. It just means you should spend some time in learning it. The same goes for Buddhism. You should spend some time learning Buddhism, then practice Buddhism in your life.
Originally posted by 2009novice:It's not easy to be contented.... esp in modern societies like sg
we need to put food on family table, that's why we have to constantly work hard and upgrade ourselves.
I guess i can't be easily contented... but sometimes, it can be irony to think of stress in life is helpful in our practice
Work is work - what needs to be done... it is our mind that is discontent and needs to be treated, the mind that has a problem.
Originally posted by An Eternal Now:Enlightenment is a highly achievable thing even for a lay person. Most enlightened people I personally know are lay persons with jobs and so on.
Just like any endeavor, it requires interest, practice, and right guidance. Just like playing piano. Nobody says that to learn piano you have to give up your jobs. It just means you should spend some time in learning it. The same goes for Buddhism. You should spend some time learning Buddhism, then practice Buddhism in your life.
Maybe you and I understand Enlightenment differently.
I checked http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enlightenment_%28Buddhism%29 and it mentioned :
"Enlightenment comes from within when you start believing about the existence and try to conceptualize all the signs given by the Almighty. This may be breaking the vicious cycle that you have been struck into from the past so many years. It is truly very difficult, almost impossible to do so. But unless and until you are not ready to loose yourself there is nothing that you will find as NEW in your life or the next life."
Or http://buddhism.about.com/od/buddhismglossarye/g/enlightendef.htm
Enlightenment can be defined as the cessation of dukkha
My definition is awakening is at least stream entry or 1st bhumi.
I wonder did you all read the Straits Times dated 22 January (Home page 11). There was this article about this man who was a Catholic, he took up meditation at Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery. He meditates for 90 minutes every day.
He had rejected using many high technological devices like iPhone. He threw away amplifiers and he said the next to go is the laptop. He said he feels a lot happier since he simplifying his life and meditating.
I pity those people who are old and yet do not bother to find out why they are in this world and where they will be going after they are gone. I don't know why I feel this way but I believe they should cherish whatever time they have to practice and relieve themselves from samsara than spending time going karaoke, mahjong, dancing etc. It is ok to do these when they are young but now they are already old , don't have much time left to practice. If they don't practice now, there's no more chance for them. Sometimes I feel the urgency for them but I cannot understand why they don't feel the same.
statements are ok when you dont stop at mental conclusion but actually go and experience what the statement means in actual experience
U got to see what it is that you want in life. If you think that material stuff is more important, then you will not put effort/time into spiritual pursuit. There are people who are willing to let go of everything for the sake of spiritual pursuit. of course in modern society, we need not let go of everything. But it is possible to let go of ambitious plans, competitive comparing mind (ie peer pressure) and simplify life to have more time for spiritual practice.
People spend so much effort preparing for the next 20-50 years but spend so little effort preparing for an infinite time afterwards... it is disproportionate.
i feel that without some depth of insight into the sufferings of existence, most people will not turn towards spiritual development or persist enough to succeed in it. it is a necessary precondition.
@fugazzi: that is your own assumption
@dharmadhatu: good points
@fugazzi: if you think what i wrote is egoistic for whatever reasons pls consider this:
On the way not far from Gayâ the Buddha was met by Upaka, an ascetic who, struck by the serene appearance of the Master, inquired: "Who is your teacher? Whose teaching do you profess?" The Buddha replied: "I have no teacher, one like me does not exist in all the world, for I am the Peerless Teacher, the Arahat. I alone am Supremely Enlightened. Quenching all defilements, Nibbâna’s calm have I attained. I go to the city of Kâsi (Benares) to set in motion the Wheel of Dhamma. In a world where blindness reigns, I shall beat the Deathless Drum." "Friend, you then claim you are a universal victor," said Upaka. The Buddha replied: "Those who have attained the cessation of defilements, they are, indeed, victors like me. All evil have I vanquished. Hence I am a victor." Upaka shook his head, remarking sarcastically, "It may be so, friend," and took a bypath.