23
July

Buddhist Belief – Practice! Practice! Practice!


”The purpose of our life needs to be positive. We weren’t born with the purpose of causing trouble, harming others. For our life to be of value, I think we must develop basic good human qualities – warmth, kindness, compassion. Then our life becomes meaningful and more peaceful – happier.”
~~~ Dalai Lama

I can easily remember back to the days when I was first putting some serious effort into the study of Buddhist Belief, and discovering most folks considered my efforts to be another one of those “new-Agey, Hippy” things. I do understand part of why they thought this way – I was a new-age hippy at the time. Well, I guess I still am in many ways. But back then (this was many years ago – I won’t say how many!) what people thought about Buddhism was usually something like a form of withdrawal from the real world. Those of us looking seriously into Buddhism were seen as a bunch of spaced out freaks who sat around chanting “Ohm” all the time.

Buddhist Belief, meditation, nirvana, mindfulness, karma

Even though I did tell you my studies began many years ago, I also am noticing how far the teachings of Buddha have become a part of our society today. You don’t have to look too far to find a Buddhist Center – or travel to get to a Buddhist retreat – or find a place where you can take part in a Buddhist meditation group. I’m delighted this is happening. I’m delighted to see more and more people discovering the teachings and seeing the good in them. It tells me how there is a chance for the world to be a better place.

However – (yep, I’ve got a “however” here) – if all the study and reading of books and blogs like this one are going to do any good in the long run, we have to do what the teachings say – practice! And then we have to practice some more – and then we have to put our practices into practice in our everyday lives. We have to teach ourselves to live the teachings.

When I was a young man and still able to be a pretty good classical pianist, my teachers and coaches would always remind me that way to get to Carnegie Hall was to Practice! Practice! Practice! Well, the same is true for being a Buddhist. Our study and reading may be great for providing us with inspiration, but unless we put what we learn into our permanent lifestyle – sure, we’ll be more educated about the Buddhist principles — but our effect on our fellow humans will be minimal.

Once we decide that compassion is a good thing – and how learning that being mindful can make us healthier – or we come to understand how there is no separate self – we’ve accomplished something positive. But to make it an even better accomplishment, we need to develop a lifestyle of being compassionate as well as daily practicing mindfulness and selflessness. This isn’t an easy thing to do, as I’ve come to realize every day. Let’s face it – our bodies and brains have been evolving for millions of years. We’re programmed to behave just the opposite of what Buddhism is teaching. These are lifestyle habits we live with and like any habit they’re not easy to change.

We all know about the Four Noble Truths. We all know how these truths show us the path to developing more clarity, more happiness and contentment and more actions based on wisdom. The path Buddha taught has been proven over and over for many generations to be the way to travel through our lives. What it also teaches us is how we have to go beyond just reading about it. We won’t find the clarity, contentment and wisdom until we put these practices into action in our lives. This is a huge commitment. As I am learning more and more every day, if I follow the teachings only when it’s convenient for me to do so, the choices I make don’t have much of a lasting effect. It’s still too easy to slip back into the “old ways” of living.

Over these past few months I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to share time with my friend and fellow Buddhist meditator, Bill Bogan, via a personal visit to his home – seeing each other in our church when he was still able to travel – some phone conversations – this blog – and the sharing of emails. Bill was enduring the suffering of invasive surgeries, the discovery of cancer in his body, and the mental anguish of his anger in facing end-of-life issues. Bill was also aware of the seriousness of my own incurable illness and could see the rapid progression on my body when we would see each other, as I was able to see his. We began to teach each other by putting what we’d learned into practice. As the days went by, we both gradually become kinder, gentler, more connected and more able to drop the hard exteriors we had used to protect ourselves from the challenges ahead.

I began to write some of the recent postings in this blog with Bill in mind. By listening to what we each had to say to each other, I would write from whatever knowledge I had acquired over the years. The discovery I made is how I realized I was writing not only with Bill in mind, I was also writing to myself. I was hoping to reinforce for both of us what Buddha taught – there is nothing other than the moment we’re in. We can choose to resist what is – or we can choose to accept it.

Fortunately, in one of Bill’s last emails to me, I could see where he had found the courage to accept what is. Bill showed me how acceptance and living the teachings can make a difference. What a gift he gave – not only to me – but to the many others with whom he was sharing time in his last days.

I know there needs to be a major shift in our lives if we are to see a shift to the positive in our societies. This is huge – it is so daunting – but it has to start somewhere. As Buddha once said,


“There are two mistakes one can make along the road to truth — not going all the way, and not starting.

~~~ Buddha

The place to start is with each of us.

Metta ….May I be well and happy. My I live in safety. May I be healthy and strong. May I live with ease. May all beings be well and happy. May all beings live in safety. May all beings be healthy and strong. May all beings live with ease.

Namaste — Be in Peace.

Ron Rink

=====================================================

Ron’s Recommended Reading List — I’VE ADDED A COUPLE OF NEW BOOKS I HIGHLY RECOMMEND. CHECK THEM OUT — THEY’RE THE FIRST TWO ON THE READING LIST BELOW…,

Just click the links that are sort of Grey in color to take you to where you can learn more about each book and how you can purchase a copy for your own library.

Stephanie Kaza — Hooked!: Buddhist Writings on Greed, Desire, and the Urge to Consume

Stephanie Kaza, an amazing writer and Buddhist teacher I knew from my 36 years living in Vermont, gathers key Buddhist thinkers to reflect upon aspects of consumerism, greed and economics. Certainly, many other authors have examined consumerism from the lens of their religious traditions, but this book’s Buddhist perspective is unusual, and its pairing of consumerist critiques with core Buddhist concepts is generally fruitful. Check this one out! Hooked!

Stephanie Kaza — Mindfully Green: A Personal and Spiritual Guide to Whole Earth Thinking

Another one from my Vermont friend — Stephanie Kaza, a biologist and professor of Environmental Studies at University of Vermont, combines Zen Buddhist practices and teachings with her 40 years as an environmentalist for this guide to enlightened environmentalism, proposing a belief in the interdependence of people and nature as the genuine way to “go green”: “When we come to see ourselves as part of the green web of life… we are naturally drawn to respond with compassion.” A good read for Buddhists or anyone from any religion. Mindfully Green

Anam Thubten — No Self – No Problem

No Self – No Problem
shows how to realize the ultimate meaning of life in each moment by dissolving all notions of ego-identity. It asks that spiritual seekers wake up to their true nature, which is already enlightened. Based on Buddhist wisdom traditions, this easy-to-read book discusses in simple, but profound and inspiring language, how we can live a life full of love, satisfaction, and happiness. No Self – No Problem

Sharon Salzberg — The Kindness Handbook

“It takes boldness, even audacity, to step out of our habitual patterns and experiment with a quality like kindness–to work with it and see just how it might shift and open up our lives. This book is an invitation to do just that. — From The Kindness Handbook

Eckhart Tolle’s amazing best seller, A New Earth

Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor’s wonderful book, My Stroke of Insight: Nirvana is just a breath away!

And this one by Sharon Salzberg and is entitled: A Heart as Wide as the World: Living with Mindfulness, Wisdom and Compassion“.

This is a new one for you by Pema Chodron entitled: When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times
=====================================================
Always remember this wonderful quote from Buddha ….


“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”

~~~ Buddha

Shanti everyone, … (A sanscrit word meaning, “Let there be Peace. Peace, beautiful Peace. Peace within, Peace without. Peace in this world. Peace for all beings.”)


“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”

~~~ Buddha

Have a peaceful day!! —

Ron Rink

P.S. If you’d like to read my memoir/novel, you can access it here:
http://www.wecould2.com

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19
July

Buddhist Belief – and Our Environmental Lifestyle


”He who finds a thought that enables him to obtain a slightly deeper glimpse into the eternal secrets of nature has been given great grace.
~~~ Albert Einstein

You know, this is a tough time for anyone who is working to live by their Buddhist Beliefs, isn’t it? It seems as though trying to find some truth we can truly rely on is getting more and more difficult. I happen to be one who looks for truth via Internet sources rather than television, radio or newspapers. Yet, even there, I’m seeing so many different arguments being offered – and each of the presenters of these arguments can cite sources galore to back up their point of view.

Buddhist Belief, meditation, nirvana, mindfulness, karma

One example about difficult truth-seeking I’d like to offer for you today has to do with our environment and how what’s happening with it might relate to our Buddhist beliefs. Despite the fact that news sources are all over the map on this, in my humble opinion, I feel our environment is on the brink of catastrophe. Our planet can no longer absorb the way we humans have chosen to live – the planet’s ecosystems won’t hold up to our lifestyles of greed and over-consumption much longer.

Many people who study Buddhist principles will come to the conclusion that our greedy, commercialized lifestyle is the result of some distortion in our human mind. However, our study of Buddhist teachings show us how compassion and gratitude are important principles. This environmental crisis we are facing today is giving us the opportunity to add stewardship and sustainability to our day-to-day lifestyles. One way would be for us humans to find ways to show our gratitude for what nature can provide for us. Through our individual actions we could show our gratitude by cutting back on some of the things we “over-use” to make us seem more comfortable.

I’m not suggesting we should all move into a 9 X 12 cave somewhere and rely on candles for our light source. But, why couldn’t we begin to think about changing some of our belief that more “stuff” will make us happier? Our capitalistic society has rewired our thinking process so we seem to feel we are in competition with our ourselves and our neighbors. We need bigger cars, larger and larger televisions and smaller and smaller telephones. We need better dogs and prettier kids. We’re never quite satisfied with what we already have – we want the next best thing to come along.

I’m not promoting the idea that we have to give up the amenities we have come to love so much; rather, I think we simply need to bring into balance our inner demands with our environmental limits. We need to balance our wants with our needs. So much of our wants require us to purchase products manufactured from nature, which in turn, puts more stress on our environment.

In the society I live in here in America, we are passing down our own addictions to “things and stuff” to our children and grandchildren. We teach our children that if they want something and make the want known to us adults, we will find some way, or some occasion to provide it in abundance. In most cases, the children never learn that earning is a part of acquiring something. Another example being discussed a lot lately is the epidemic of obesity, in both children and adults. Think for moment of what we do to nature in order to get ourselves in this condition. We’re obviously taking more than we need.

When Buddhists talk about suffering we also need to see why so much suffering is taking place. We will remain forever locked in a cycle of suffering as a society while we depend upon shopping malls and outlet centers to provide our happiness.

Buddha taught how “Nature teaches humans to enjoy a simple life and encourages them to embrace happiness, which derives from peace of mind, making merit, helping others, and being at one with nature”. I do see some people who are living this way, but I sure don’t see enough. We’re making an awful mess with our greed and selfishness and we’re leaving the mess for future generations to clean up, if they can even figure out how to do it.

You hear me say over and over in this blog how important a daily meditation practice is for all of us. This is the best way I have found to instill some sense of peace and serenity within myself. When we know how peace and serenity feel, we are better able to bring that state of mind to discussions with others and to our activism for a better environment. As I enter into the phase of life where aging is taking its toll, I find that when I meditate I feel peaceful within, I feel satisfied – I don’t feel I need much of anything. I feel fulfilled. I also realize I could have felt this way as a younger person, so I urge you not to wait until you’re older. Material happiness pales in comparison to the happiness given to us by nature because our “things” are essentially empty.

Our selfish ways have led us to forget one of the basic Buddhist teachings – Life is Impermanent. We can’t take any of our “stuff” with us at the end. So many of us accumulate “stuff” and money to leave to our heirs. Why? We’re only setting them up for more commercialization. What we need to leave behind, our best gift for our heirs, is a vibrant natural world free from pollution and teeming with life.

Our human society is out of balance. But, do we have enough gumption to make some changes? Give this a try – put all your “things” aside for a couple of hours each day – your coffee, your smokes, your pills, your blackberries, your laptops, etc. and go have a seat in the woods or someplace where it’s quiet. Listen to nature and hear what it has to say. I used to love to go into the woods and notice how the sounds of nature would change as I entered. At first it would get very quiet. Then, after I found a nice tree to sit and lean against and get quiet myself and stop moving around, the sounds would gradually come alive. The longer I sat still, the more nature would talk to me. Those were some beautiful moments that no possession I have can offer.

The Western world is waking up to the fact that nature will continue to give us everything we need, but if we continue taking everything we want, it will die. We can’t keep on the path we’re taking. Those of us who study Buddhism know we need to learn to live in the present and to live lives of compassion and gratitude. Applying these principles should help to solve some of our environmental problems.

Metta ….May I be well and happy. My I live in safety. May I be healthy and strong. May I live with ease. May all beings be well and happy. May all beings live in safety. May all beings be healthy and strong. May all beings live with ease.

Namaste — Be in Peace.

Ron Rink

=====================================================

Ron’s Recommended Reading List

Just click the links that are sort of Grey in color to take you to where you can learn more about each book and how you can purchase a copy for your own library.

Anam Thubten — No Self – No Problem

No Self – No Problem
shows how to realize the ultimate meaning of life in each moment by dissolving all notions of ego-identity. It asks that spiritual seekers wake up to their true nature, which is already enlightened. Based on Buddhist wisdom traditions, this easy-to-read book discusses in simple, but profound and inspiring language, how we can live a life full of love, satisfaction, and happiness. No Self – No Problem

Sharon Salzberg — The Kindness Handbook

“It takes boldness, even audacity, to step out of our habitual patterns and experiment with a quality like kindness–to work with it and see just how it might shift and open up our lives. This book is an invitation to do just that. — From The Kindness Handbook

Eckhart Tolle’s amazing best seller, A New Earth

Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor’s wonderful book, My Stroke of Insight: Nirvana is just a breath away!

And this one by Sharon Salzberg and is entitled: A Heart as Wide as the World: Living with Mindfulness, Wisdom and Compassion“.

This is a new one for you by Pema Chodron entitled: When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times
=====================================================
Always remember this wonderful quote from Buddha ….


“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”

~~~ Buddha

Shanti everyone, … (A sanscrit word meaning, “Let there be Peace. Peace, beautiful Peace. Peace within, Peace without. Peace in this world. Peace for all beings.”)


“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”

~~~ Buddha

Have a peaceful day!! —

Ron Rink

P.S. If you;d like to read my memoir/novel, you can access it here:
http://www.wecould2.com

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09
July

Buddhist Belief – Are We Addicted?


”Let us live gladly! Quite certainly we are free to do it. Perhaps it is our only freedom, but ours it is, and it is only phenomenally a freedom. ‘Living free’ is being ‘as one is’. Can we not do it now? Indeed can we not-do-it? It is not even a ‘doing’: it is beyond doing and not-doing. It is being as-we-are. This is the only ‘practice’. ‘All Else is Bondage; Non-Volitional Living’”

~~~ Wei Wu Wei

As I grow older I find I’m much more aware of the drive for endless youth I see being jammed down our throats each day. I normally hit the mute button when the commercials come on the TV, but even with the sound off, I can see the consistency of the ads promoting a variety of ways to look younger, feel younger and act younger. Since one of the lessons those of us who study Buddhist Belief have learned is this – there are certain aspects of life which are unavoidable once we’re born. Among them are old age, illness and eventually, death. So, since all these ads are working to convince us we can be young forever if we just buy this or that product, we reach a point where disappointment takes over.

We learn the awful truth – “This stuff ain’t working!”

Buddhist Belief, meditation, nirvana, mindfulness, karma

So, now what?

Ahh, there are more ads for the next step. Since we’re now depressed because we see ourselves losing the “youth battle” the ads offer more solutions – pills for depression – reality shows for our dreams of youth and sex – cosmetic surgery – or even items we won’t see advertised on TV — the alcohol, the psychedelics and the amphetamines. Oh, and don’t forget all those ads promoting unhealthy food products. Wow! Talk about feeding an addiction! (There’s a pun in there somewhere!)

Which brings me to what I want to write about today – addiction.

What I’m writing today are my own opinions, and I’m sure there are many of you who will disagree with what I have say, and it’s okay if you do. I truly believe we are now living in a culture of addiction. Perhaps I’m not wearing my rose-colored glasses today, but I do see a culture where people are addicted to drugs or alcohol or nicotine – or perhaps it’s work or sex, or people, or fast food, or our cell phones. We are addicted to finding ways to avoid reality. One of the most difficult things for many of us to do is to be mindful of what’s happening, right now, this moment, within us.

I’m not working outside the home anymore – but I’m still locked into the need (the addiction) to be producing “something” in order to feel self worth. At my age, I should be able to more kicking back and relaxing. When I was working, and what I see others around me going through every day, is something along these lines. The rush out of bed in the morning, usually awakened by an alarm clock. (I can recall how I despised waking up in a state of alarm.) While we shower we think about what we have to be ready for when we get to work – or we think about our breakfast which might be something “good for us” with vitamins, minerals, and fiber – or perhaps we do the opposite, and gulp down a cup of caffeine (another addiction I forgot to mention above), hit the McDonalds for a breakfast bagel and hope we get to work on time.

Then we also add in as many diversions as we can find – things like the sports on TV – or the aerobics class – or the civic meeting – or the reality TV program – or the trip to the local pub to plug into some social life and a little booze. And, how about the social networks – I know I need to muster up a ton of discipline to stay off Facebook for a couple of days.

It’s addicting! It’s all about being addicted!

I think it was Thich Nhat Nhan who said something about ‘missing our appointment with life’.

With all our busyness – we forget to look in the mirror and see who we really are. We’re too focused on avoiding the reality of who we are and of what is really happening, right now, this moment.

Since this is a blog about Buddhism, this may be the point where I need to talk about the teachings of Buddha, don’t you think?

Buddhism teaches us about the reason why we aren’t contented most of the time. There are basically two innate impulses – desire or attraction, which we call craving and clinging, and repulsion or aversion, which can turn into hatred. We want what we don’t have — and we want to get rid of what we don’t want that we do have.

The teachings go on to show us how we can become happier, more contented people, by reducing these attributes from our lives – these things which cause us to be dissatisfied or cause others to feel unhappy.

Buddhism shows us ways to become more aware of our actions and the consequences of those actions. It also teaches us how to develop the kind of actions which will bring us more satisfaction with our lives.

Buddhism isn’t about “good” or “bad” – rather it is about our actions, some which will make us happier and some which will bring us more pain. It is always up to us to choose our life actions. In general terms, Buddhism teaches us to be considerably less selfish and to give more to others. It encourages us to devote our lives to not bring harm to ourselves or to others.

In the case of addiction, it is clear from a Buddhist viewpoint that it can be seen as an overactive desire sense, that has gone way beyond normal limits, and which is harmful to ourselves. It is also important to acknowledge how we are all, in some ways, addicted to something. People who are addicted to something have become too solidly locked into a love of pleasure and are reaping the consequences of that lifestyle. It also means that their sense of identity is rewarded only when they indulge whatever they crave, and have thus become dependent upon their addiction. A firm sense of self-identity is based solely upon their habit, and without it, they feel invisible and non-existent. This is often termed an ‘addictive personality’ – they believe that life without ‘their fix’ is unbearable, not worth living, sad and boring. Such people have identified so strongly or solidly with the source of their pleasure that they believe life without it is not possible or is unthinkable. To at least some degree, they have lost control of their life.

Buddhism can help resolve our addictions in various ways. To begin with, it encourages moderation, abstention and self-control. Next, Buddhism encourages a sense of self-identity which is not based upon our desires, but rather, upon self-fulfillment and self-respect — a deep self-respect which seeks to do no harm to oneself or to others. It also encourages a harmless lifestyle of love and compassion, which in turn encourages reflection and self-analysis – also known as mindfulness.

As those of you who have been reading this blog for awhile know, I am a strong proponent of meditation — daily meditation. There are tons of articles on the Internet to show you how to do it — even though I don’t think all those rules really matter. Just sit somewhere quiet – take some deep breaths — and focus on your breath. Then say the following words to yourself over and over. If your mind wanders, gently bring your focus back to these words and your breath. This is a very short version of a meditation known as the Metta, or Lovingkindness mediation.

Try this …

Metta ….May I be well and happy. My I live in safety. May I be healthy and strong. May I live with ease. May all beings be well and happy. May all beings live in safety. May all beings be healthy and strong. May all beings live with ease.

Namaste — Be in Peace.

Ron Rink

=====================================================

Ron’s Recommended Reading List

Just click the links that are sort of Grey in color to take you to where you can learn more about each book and how you can purchase a copy for your own library.

Anam Thubten — No Self – No Problem

No Self – No Problem
shows how to realize the ultimate meaning of life in each moment by dissolving all notions of ego-identity. It asks that spiritual seekers wake up to their true nature, which is already enlightened. Based on Buddhist wisdom traditions, this easy-to-read book discusses in simple, but profound and inspiring language, how we can live a life full of love, satisfaction, and happiness. No Self – No Problem

Sharon Salzberg — The Kindness Handbook

“It takes boldness, even audacity, to step out of our habitual patterns and experiment with a quality like kindness–to work with it and see just how it might shift and open up our lives. This book is an invitation to do just that. — From The Kindness Handbook

Eckhart Tolle’s amazing best seller, A New Earth

Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor’s wonderful book, My Stroke of Insight: Nirvana is just a breath away!

And this one by Sharon Salzberg and is entitled: A Heart as Wide as the World: Living with Mindfulness, Wisdom and Compassion“.

This is a new one for you by Pema Chodron entitled: When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times
=====================================================
Always remember this wonderful quote from Buddha ….


“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”

~~~ Buddha

Shanti everyone, … (A sanscrit word meaning, “Let there be Peace. Peace, beautiful Peace. Peace within, Peace without. Peace in this world. Peace for all beings.”)


“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”

~~~ Buddha

Have a peaceful day!! —

Ron Rink

P.S. If you;d like to read my memoir/novel, you can access it here:
http://www.wecould2.com

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02
July

Buddhist Belief – How Do You Love?


“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”
~~~ Buddha

I wonder how many of us believe we are basically controlled by the way we think? It’s interesting, but most people do have this impression. In so much of the reading and meditating I’ve been doing lately, I feel as though I’m learning how this is a misconception. I believe we are subject to our emotions and we think in ways which are based on our emotions. In some of the reading I’ve done relating to my Buddhist Belief, I see several references to teachings where Buddha outlined the Four Emotions of the Heart. There were also the Four Supreme Efforts for the Mind. These do tie together in may ways.

Buddhist Belief, meditation, nirvana, mindfulness, karma

Some of you may have read about the Four Supreme Efforts of the Mind. They are

1. Not to let an unwholesome thought arise which has not yet arisen
2. Not to let an unwholesome thought continue which has already arisen
3. To make a wholesome thought arise which has not yet arisen
4. To make a wholesome thought continue which has already arisen.

The Four Emotions of the Heart are:

1. Lovingkindness (Metta)
2. Compassion (Karuna)
3. Joy With Others (Mudita)
4. Equanimity (Upekkha)

In many of the religious teachings today, people are taught about heaven and hell. I know when I was young I was taught that heaven was up there somewhere in the sky and hell was down there somewhere below the ground. I know now that the ideas of heaven and hell are within all of us – and they are both something we can experience easily from time-to-time – often more of one than the other. :-)

These Four Emotions of the Heart enable us to live our lives with a wonderful quality. We can live with lovingkindness, compassion, joy with our fellow beings, and calmness, peace and composure.

Because of this wonderful quality of the heart called love, we are able to arouse love at will – even when there’s no apparent reason for it. It can just be there. For example, this past week, a friend, a person I didn’t know well at all, but a man with whom I had meditated in a small Buddhist Group here, had reached the final days of his life. As of this moment, as far as I know, he is still here, but could be leaving on his new journey at any time. We talked on the phone a few times over the past few weeks and we exchanged some thoughts via emails. I noticed a true love grow within me for this man. In our brief exchanges he has taught me many things about what living with end-of-life issues was all about. He shared his wisdom openly. Thank you, Bill.

When we look into the first of the Supreme Emotions, Lovingkindness, there is a tendency to equate this with what we think of as love as defined in our movies, books and TV programs. When we think of love, we see a couple of beautiful people attracted to each other in so many ways, physically, emotionally, intellectually and chemically. However, there seems to come into our lives at some point, a time where we realize we’ve been kidding ourselves. It just doesn’t work that way, does it? And, I’m one of those people who has spent a lifetime trying to figure this one out. At any rate, this movie/TV myth is what we think of as love in our day and age.

What we have learned from the teachings of Buddha, is this reality – Love is a quality of our hearts. Once we come to this realization – love is in all of us – we’d probably pay a lot more attention to it. Lately, I’ve been thinking about how much energy, time and money our developed societies have put into the development and training of the mind. Most people, from the time they are small children and until they grow old, are taught how to develop their minds. But where do we go to learn how to develop the love which is in our hearts? Since there aren’t any schools for this, at least as far as I know, we have to learn to do it on our own.

We can learn to develop our ability to truly love. Like anything else, it requires practice. If we want to strengthen our “love-skill”, it will take practice, just like perfecting any skill. This isn’t about “finding that certain someone”. It isn’t about doing all the vanity-type things to supposedly make ourselves “more lovable”. These ways of learning love will eventually only prove to be disappointing.

Looking at this from a Buddhist perspective, we can come to realize there isn’t anything to get. Once we latch on to the idea that love is about giving, not getting, we’re on our way. It’s not about wanting something for us – it’s about how to give to others. If we want to be loved, we’re truly just looking for a support system. If we want to give love, we’re looking at spiritual growth.

We also need to give love to ourselves. This is why we begin a Metta/Lovingkindness meditation by placing the focus on ourselves. That’s not egocentricity. If we don’t like ourselves because we have faults, or have made mistakes, we will transfer that dislike to others and judge them accordingly. We are not here to be judge and jury.

One of the beauties of a regular meditation practice is how it can help us to get over the illusion that we are separate beings. There is one creation and we are all a part of it. We don’t have to protect ourselves from loving. We seem to be afraid to love ourselves and others. We do this because we see the various faults we have in ourselves. We don’t tend to see ourselves as lovable. However, this is no reason not to love. Love is the warmth of the heart. Love is the connectedness we have with all things. All those beautiful people out there have many of the same faults as we have ourselves. All those people out there have unwholesome thoughts just like we do. Yet, they are no more unlovable than we are. Once we realize we can love ourselves, just as we are, there is a sense of peace. We don’t have to try to be something else. We can just be.

Love makes this possible. The real beauty here is when we learn to love ourselves with all our hangups, we can also learn to love others. We can let them “just be” as well, and we can love them just as they are.

Why not begin to practice this today? Remember this quote from Buddha:


“There are two mistakes one can make along the road to truth — not going all the way, and not starting.”

Why not start today.

Here’s a great way to start ….

Metta ….“May I be well and happy. My I live in safety. May I be healthy and strong. May I live with ease. May all beings be well and happy. May all beings live in safety. May all beings be healthy and strong. May all beings live with ease.”

Namaste — Be in Peace.

Ron Rink

=====================================================

Ron’s Recommended Reading List

Just click the links that are sort of Grey in color to take you to where you can learn more about each book and how you can purchase a copy for your own library.

Anam Thubten — No Self – No Problem

No Self – No Problem
shows how to realize the ultimate meaning of life in each moment by dissolving all notions of ego-identity. It asks that spiritual seekers wake up to their true nature, which is already enlightened. Based on Buddhist wisdom traditions, this easy-to-read book discusses in simple, but profound and inspiring language, how we can live a life full of love, satisfaction, and happiness. No Self – No Problem

Sharon Salzberg — The Kindness Handbook

“It takes boldness, even audacity, to step out of our habitual patterns and experiment with a quality like kindness–to work with it and see just how it might shift and open up our lives. This book is an invitation to do just that. — From The Kindness Handbook

Eckhart Tolle’s amazing best seller, A New Earth

Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor’s wonderful book, My Stroke of Insight: Nirvana is just a breath away!

And this one by Sharon Salzberg and is entitled: A Heart as Wide as the World: Living with Mindfulness, Wisdom and Compassion“.

This is a new one for you by Pema Chodron entitled: When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times
=====================================================
Always remember this wonderful quote from Buddha ….


“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”

~~~ Buddha

Shanti everyone, … (A sanscrit word meaning, “Let there be Peace. Peace, beautiful Peace. Peace within, Peace without. Peace in this world. Peace for all beings.”)


“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”

~~~ Buddha

Have a peaceful day!! —

Ron Rink

P.S. If you;d like to read my memoir/novel, you can access it here:
http://www.wecould2.com

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25
June

Buddhist Belief – Cultivating Non-violence in Ourselves


“Be the changes we want to see in the world .”
~~~ Thich Nhat Hanh

“Patient with both friends and enemies, you accord with the way things are. Compassionate toward yourself, you reconcile all beings in the world.”
~~~ Lao-tzu The Tao Te Ching

We need more connectedness and grounding in the fundamental universal values in order to feel more balanced, secure, comfortable, and at ease. There’s a tremendous power in nonviolence. Look at how Gandhi freed India through non-violence. It has great power. The power of non-violence, coupled with the power of truth can help us dance with life, not just be overwhelmed by it. If we are overwhelmed by it, that means we are not processing it in a healthy way. We learn through the teachings in Buddhist Belief how often our enemy or our adversary can be our greatest teacher.

The Bhagavad Gita tells us not to be attached to our actions. You do what has to be done, and the less attached you are to the outcome, the better off you are. It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t care, but it does mean we know we can’t control everything. We do the best we can, and then we let go. When we have such trust in the workings of the universe we experience a kind of joyous certainty in our lives.

Buddhist Belief, meditation, nirvana, mindfulness, karma

In the process of cultivating non-violence in ourselves it’s important to remember, again and again, that violence and war doesn’t come from guns, or from outside ourselves. Violence and war comes from the hearts and minds of humans beings. Why is this the truth?

Think about it for a moment. I don’t know about you but I know how over the past years my life has become more stressful and frazzled. I suspect the same is true for many of the folks reading this blog. We have the erosion of family and community life. The pace of our living has increased and the interruptions are more common. We have technology beeping and buzzing constantly with information coming at us at hyper-speeds. We have much less privacy. There’s an ever-increasing gap between rich and poor. Materialism is running rampant in our corporate-led society. Depression is common – hyperactivity in our youth is a real problem – and we have children and adults running around with automatic weapons in their neighborhoods and at schools.

These are issues which need our attention. Once we begin to look at the anger within ourselves and become more clear about it, then we can find ways to address these personal and societal problems. We need to acknowledge there’s a lot of violence in the world today and become part of the solution – not just giving it lip-service – but by becoming peace. Back in my hippie days in the Sixties, I was fighting for peace and kicking ass for peace. What a contradiction in terms, isn’t it? Fighting and waging war for peace? I didn’t know any better back then – but I do know I don’t want to do those battles any longer. We need to become peace. As Thich Nhat Hanh said in the quote I used above, “Be the changes we want to see in the world.”

“When people get angry,” says the Dalai Lama, “they lose all sight of peace and happiness. Even if they are good-looking when normally peaceful, in anger their faces turn livid and ugly.” (And, I’ll add, they also get wrinkles.) So you don’t want to get angry, it will make you get older faster! I read somewhere that when you get angry, your face shrivels up like a dried prune!

It says in the Buddha’s loving-kindness teachings that if you practice loving-kindness, you’ll be less angry, your face will shine, you’ll be more cheerful, you’ll have fewer wrinkles, and so on. The Buddha said 2500 years ago that loving-kindness can help protect us from the destructive aspects of anger, that in fact loving-kindness is the greatest protection.

In practice, first we must be aware of our anger as it arises, and not suppress it. Second, we must experience it, really experience how it is to feel anger. Third, we must cradle it, embrace it, accept it, even love it, the same way we accept, embrace, love, and have patience towards someone with whom we’re close. And fourth, we must learn what we can from it. We must grok it, make it ours again, rather than disowning that part of ourselves. See what the pain is, or the fear.

This is the time to look deeply — is it this person’s actions that are making you mad — really? Are there no other causes? If there was no anger or fear or egotism and pride in you yourself, would you still be angry? If whoever it was did that same thing to someone other than you, would you still be angry? If they criticized or made fun of somebody you don’t know, would you still be angry? So, you look into what’s your part in it. That’s why, again, the Buddha said that the purified sage or liberated one has rooted out the seeds of anger, of delusion, and fear from his or her mind. Then it’s as if sparks were thrown into a cool mountain pool, where they just sputter and hiss out, rather than turn into a flammable lake of gasoline. Buddha said: “If there are no seeds of anger in our hearts, no one can make us angry.”

We spiritual activists today try to be “Engaged” Buddhists rather than “enraged” Buddhists. Karmically speaking, we understand that like produces like, and what goes around comes around. Therefore, we work to cultivate compassion, empathy, and a peaceful heart, and work to act from that state of mind. Only skillful means motivated by compassion can be the truly Buddhist intention driving forceful actions.

In the Metta Sutra (Lovingkindness writings), Buddha said that lovingkindness is the greatest protection. At a private meeting a few years ago, the Dalai Lama advised President Clinton: “You are the most powerful man in the world. Every decision you make should be motivated by compassion.” I think we too can learn to live in this sacred way, with our hearts as wide as the universe.

Here’s a great way to start ….

Metta ….May all beings be well and happy. May all beings live in safety. May all beings be healthy and strong. May all beings live with ease.

Namaste — Be in Peace.

Ron Rink

=====================================================

Ron’s Recommended Reading List

Just click the links that are sort of Grey in color to take you to where you can learn more about each book and how you can purchase a copy for your own library.

Anam Thubten — No Self – No Problem

No Self – No Problem
shows how to realize the ultimate meaning of life in each moment by dissolving all notions of ego-identity. It asks that spiritual seekers wake up to their true nature, which is already enlightened. Based on Buddhist wisdom traditions, this easy-to-read book discusses in simple, but profound and inspiring language, how we can live a life full of love, satisfaction, and happiness. No Self – No Problem

Sharon Salzberg — The Kindness Handbook

“It takes boldness, even audacity, to step out of our habitual patterns and experiment with a quality like kindness–to work with it and see just how it might shift and open up our lives. This book is an invitation to do just that. — From The Kindness Handbook

Eckhart Tolle’s amazing best seller, A New Earth

Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor’s wonderful book, My Stroke of Insight: Nirvana is just a breath away!

And this one by Sharon Salzberg and is entitled: A Heart as Wide as the World: Living with Mindfulness, Wisdom and Compassion“.

This is a new one for you by Pema Chodron entitled: When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times
=====================================================
Always remember this wonderful quote from Buddha ….


“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”

~~~ Buddha

Shanti everyone, … (A sanscrit word meaning, “Let there be Peace. Peace, beautiful Peace. Peace within, Peace without. Peace in this world. Peace for all beings.”)


“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”

~~~ Buddha

Have a peaceful day!! —

Ron Rink

P.S. If you;d like to read my memoir/novel, you can access it here:
http://www.wecould2.com

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17
June

Buddhist Belief – What Are You Afraid Of?


“When people get angry they lose all sense of happiness. Even if they are good-looking and normally peaceful, their faces turn livid and ugly. Anger upsets their physical well-being and disturbs their rest; it destroys their appetites and makes them age prematurely. Happiness, peace and sleep evade them, and they no longer appreciate people who have helped them and deserve their trust and gratitude.”
~~~ Dalai Lama from his book, The Path to Tranquility

The Dalai Lama also says: “My religion is lovingkindness. The most important thing in life is warm human affection. Don’t try to convert others; rather contribute to others well-being and happiness.”

Well, here we are back again with more thoughts about anger. As I keep reading and studying this topic, I’m beginning to see the connection between anger and fear. I’m also seeing how egotism comes into the picture. In our training about Buddhist Beliefs, and as I mentioned last time, there’s considerable emphasis put on lovingkindness, compassion, forgiveness, and acceptance.

Buddhist Belief, meditation, nirvana, mindfulness, karma

Often, when anger takes hold, we have a tendency to become more paranoid, despondent and hopeless. I find this happening to me more and more as I watch the way our country and the world is dealing with important issues. One thing to keep in mind is this fact – we all have anger. It’s part of being human. The Dalai Lama himself admits his own anger. He and some of the other great Buddhist teachers, like Thich Nhat Hanh, for example, get angry as well. When you think about what they have been through, their anger seems justified, doesn’t it? Yet, their anger doesn’t seem to destroy their peace of mind and serenity. They’ve figured out how to purify and transform themselves.

Buddhist author Ani Thubten Chodron has written: “Science says that all emotions are natural and okay, and that emotions become destructive only when they are expressed in an inappropriate way or time or to an inappropriate person or degree. Therapy is aimed more at changing the external expression of the emotions than the internal experience of them. Buddhism, on the other hand, believes that destructive emotions themselves are obstacles and need to be eliminated to have happiness.”

Take a moment now and think about the last time you really felt anger arising in your mind and body. At first, there’s just a glimmer of this emotion – a feeling – which hasn’t turned into violence or aggression as yet. It’s at this precise point where we can still learn to deal with it. It’s at this point where, if we we could stop and notice what is happening inside – become mindful of it – and then make the choice to turn on the patience and introspection rather than the violence and aggression, there would be a dramatic difference in the outcome.

Let’s face it, at that moment where you realize you’re about to blow up – it’s at that moment of time where you will be able to make a choice. In fact, it is at that moment where we always make a choice, even if we’re not aware we’re doing so. If we could learn to be aware of that moment and rather than become aggressive or destructive, we could, instead, make the choice to use patience and compassion – wouldn’t our life be more enjoyable?

When feeling hatred, cultivate forgiveness and equanimity, try to empathize with the other and see where they are coming from — see things through their eyes for a moment, if you can. If moved towards aggression, try to breathe, relax, quiet and calm your agitated mind. Strive for restraint and moderation, remembering that others are just like yourself – they want and need happiness and wish to avoid pain and suffering just like you do.

The Vietnamese zen master, poet and activist Thich Nhat Hanh says: “Our attitude is to take care of anger. We don’t suppress it or hate it, or run away from it. We just breathe gently and cradle our anger in our arms with the utmost tenderness.”

As is customary with this blog, so much of it is written for my own personal edification. I find I can use decent wisdom when I think about what others are going through, yet, when it comes to myself, I often feel like I haven’t learned a thing. So, I guess there’s more work to do. I sincerely hope the fact that I can talk (write) a better game than I seem able to play, will be of help to you.

In the meantime …..

Metta ….May all beings be well and happy. May all beings live in safety. May all beings be healthy and strong. May all beings live with ease.

Namaste — Be in Peace.

Ron Rink

=====================================================

Ron’s Recommended Reading List

Just click the links that are sort of Grey in color to take you to where you can learn more about each book and how you can purchase a copy for your own library.

Anam Thubten — No Self – No Problem

No Self – No Problem
shows how to realize the ultimate meaning of life in each moment by dissolving all notions of ego-identity. It asks that spiritual seekers wake up to their true nature, which is already enlightened. Based on Buddhist wisdom traditions, this easy-to-read book discusses in simple, but profound and inspiring language, how we can live a life full of love, satisfaction, and happiness. No Self – No Problem

Sharon Salzberg — The Kindness Handbook

“It takes boldness, even audacity, to step out of our habitual patterns and experiment with a quality like kindness–to work with it and see just how it might shift and open up our lives. This book is an invitation to do just that. — From The Kindness Handbook

Eckhart Tolle’s amazing best seller, A New Earth

Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor’s wonderful book, My Stroke of Insight: Nirvana is just a breath away!

And this one by Sharon Salzberg and is entitled: A Heart as Wide as the World: Living with Mindfulness, Wisdom and Compassion“.

This is a new one for you by Pema Chodron entitled: When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times
=====================================================
Always remember this wonderful quote from Buddha ….


“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”

~~~ Buddha

Shanti everyone, … (A sanscrit word meaning, “Let there be Peace. Peace, beautiful Peace. Peace within, Peace without. Peace in this world. Peace for all beings.”)


“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”

~~~ Buddha

Have a peaceful day!! —

Ron Rink

P.S. If you;d like to read my memoir/novel, you can access it here:
http://www.wecould2.com

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11
June

Buddhist Belief — Anger- The Greatest Evil!


“”Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.”"

~~~ Buddha

When we think about anger, we also need to give some thought to our words. Do we use different words when we’re angry than we do when we’re not? Do the words we choose have an effect on those who hear them? Here’s a story that fits in well with our Buddhist Belief subject we’ve been writing about — Anger. Words, used especially by those who we consider to be our leaders, can be more powerful than most people think. They can guide us or deceive us. They can make us knowledgeable or ignorant. They can make us sad or joyful, wise or foolish. Words can create powerful emotions – which in turn can lead us to act constructively or destructively.

Buddhist Belief, meditation, nirvana, mindfulness, karma

The following story illustrates well what the power of words used in anger can do:

An old master of Buddhism spoke to his students: “Tonight I would like to speak to you about wise speech. According to the Buddha, wise speech is that which is truthful, gentle, helpful, spoken from a kind heart and is timely.”

Then he spoke at great length about the harm that results from rude, mean spirited, harsh or careless words. A young disciple said, “Venerable sir, I do not understand how this can be. A stone can bruise. Theft can deprive. But words are just sounds, having no substance. I must disagree with you when you suggest they are so powerful.”

The master replied, “If you weren’t such an ignorant idiot, you’d understand. So sit down, shut up and stop interrupting.”

The startled young man fell silent, but about 10 minutes later jumped to his feet, face red, eyes bulging, fists clenched, his whole body shaking.

The old man turned to him, “You seem perturbed. Your gentle disposition is shattered. What happened to you?”

“You hurtled harsh insults I did not deserve. You cannot possibly be the great teacher you pretend to be. You are a fraud!”

The old man responded, “Ah, I see. It was my words that had such a transforming effect upon you. It seems you and I agree that speech can be quite powerful.”

====================================================

There was this guy who wrote a book called “Entering the Bodhisattva Path” about 1200 years ago. He was known as Shantideva, the Gentle Master. He said, “Anger is the greatest evil; patient forbearance is the greatest austerity.” Interesting, huh? Why is anger the greatest evil? If you give it some thought, you will see how someone in a blind rage might get behind the wheel of a car. The person with such an anger could now be in control of a deadly weapon. I know I’ve driven a car when I was angry and I know how my way of driving changed drastically because of the anger. Most conflict, large or small, comes out of anger. Think about what happens to the words you use when you’re angry as compared to when you’re not.

As you all know, life isn’t always simple and easy, is it? When I write about practicing patience and forgiveness in the face of some of the injustices we’re seeing all around us these day, I get comments like, “Yeah, right, Rink! – I don’t feel very forgiving right now!” This is really tough – and I’m with you on this – it takes more than we realize to be patient and forgiving. There are plenty of times I have to struggle to find even a glimmer of patience and forgiveness in my soul. And yet, I’m a firm believer in expressing my activism with non-violence. I believe Gandhi and the Dalai Lama have it right. I also believe non-violence is possible once we commit ourselves to it. When people say it’s alright to go start a war just because of thus and so – well – that war is going to promote even more violence. This new violence will surely bring about even more violence. And so on and so on… The only way to stop this mad cycle of violence in the world is to finally realize it isn’t working and stop.

Certainly, we need to work externally for peace in the world, for disarmament among nations, and against injustice, racism, discrimination and genocide. Buddha said, “The gift of justice surpasses all gifts.” But, we also have to work from inside ourselves, don’t we? We have to find ways to “soften up”. Buddha also taught us about the good heart in each of us. This is not easy to understand because we’ve been taught since we were children to be tough – to be ready to defend ourselves against whatever. Disarmament is not just about war and weapons. It’s about fear, survival and vulnerability. So much of our aggression comes out of fear, egotism and dangers we think are out there.

Perhaps a good idea would be to find a way to just stop for a moment and ask ourselves, “Why am I angry?” Or, “Where does it hurt right now?” Take a moment to get in touch with what is going on rather than immediately lashing out at something or somebody. Another good one I’ve used is, “What would Buddha do about this?” Rather than just reacting it gives you a chance to be more creative in your response. You’ll be more comfortable and less fearful. So much of our anger comes out of fear. Peace is the result of working with our own mind. We don’t get peace by merely signing online petitions (although this is a good thing to do) or standing on a street corner waving a sign of protest about some issue you feel passionate about (which is also a good thing to do).

No, I believe in learning about peace from our Buddhist Beliefs. I believe in learning about peace through a daily time of meditation. Buddhism teaches us to cultivate loving-kindness, compassion, forgiveness, acceptance and mercy. It also teaches us to practice non-attachment, which will help us to eliminate greed and ignorance.

One of my friends who is reading my other blog, which is my memoir/novel called “Lost and Found”, noticed my comment at the beginning of the latest blog post there about how I was having trouble getting my writing muse to cooperate. As an astute observer of human foibles she wondered if I was letting anger over my health issues get in the way of my writing the way I wish to write. Even though I started writing about anger here in the Buddhist Belief blog last week, it is prompting me to continue to delve into this topic a bit further. Is there some hidden anger getting in the way of my writing?

So, we’ll see what comes out of more thinking and reading on this subject when it’s time to write next week.

In the meantime …..

Metta ….May all beings be well and happy. May all beings live in safety. May all beings be healthy and strong. May all beings live with ease.

Namaste — Be in Peace.

Ron Rink

=====================================================

Ron’s Recommended Reading List

Just click the links that are sort of Grey in color to take you to where you can learn more about each book and how you can purchase a copy for your own library.

Anam Thubten — No Self – No Problem

No Self – No Problem
shows how to realize the ultimate meaning of life in each moment by dissolving all notions of ego-identity. It asks that spiritual seekers wake up to their true nature, which is already enlightened. Based on Buddhist wisdom traditions, this easy-to-read book discusses in simple, but profound and inspiring language, how we can live a life full of love, satisfaction, and happiness. No Self – No Problem

Sharon Salzberg — The Kindness Handbook

“It takes boldness, even audacity, to step out of our habitual patterns and experiment with a quality like kindness–to work with it and see just how it might shift and open up our lives. This book is an invitation to do just that. — From The Kindness Handbook

Eckhart Tolle’s amazing best seller, A New Earth

Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor’s wonderful book, My Stroke of Insight: Nirvana is just a breath away!

And this one by Sharon Salzberg and is entitled: A Heart as Wide as the World: Living with Mindfulness, Wisdom and Compassion“.

This is a new one for you by Pema Chodron entitled: When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times

=====================================================

Always remember this wonderful quote from Buddha ….


“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”

~~~ Buddha

Shanti everyone, … (A sanscrit word meaning, “Let there be Peace. Peace, beautiful Peace. Peace within, Peace without. Peace in this world. Peace for all beings.”)


“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”

~~~ Buddha

Have a peaceful day!! —

Ron Rink

P.S. If you;d like to read my memoir/novel, you can access it here:
http://www.wecould2.com

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04
June

Buddhist Belief — What Makes You Angry?


“When we contemplate the diversity of spiritual traditions on this planet we can understand that each addresses the specific needs of different human beings, because there is so much diversity in human mentality and spiritual inclination. Yet, fundamentally, all spiritual traditions perform the same function, which is to help us tame our mental state, overcome our negativities and perfect our inner potential.”

~~~ Dalai Lama

I think the subject of anger is one of the greatest challenges I face as I work to live a life based on my Buddhist Belief. I just spent some time yesterday and this morning over at my Facebook page and was noticing how much anger and frustration I was seeing in the posts I was reading. Then I started to realize, I was also one of those writing with anger and frustration.

Buddhist Belief, meditation, nirvana, mindfulness, karma

I’m not saying there aren’t a multitude of events happening in our world today which can, and do, promote feelings of anger and hopelessness. So, in my usual way of writing this blog, I need to write about my thoughts on this subject — not only to myself, but also for you.

When we study about Buddhist teachings we learn that, like most spiritual teachings, the path we want to learn to follow is based on the practice of non-violence, forgiveness and compassion. Right along with this is how to learn to deal with our anger and hatred and find ways to get those emotions out of our normal way of reacting to events. We all care about, and perhaps even work for, peace in the world and in our communities and homes, and for inner peace, too, in ourselves and our relations with others. But the war, violence, and aggression we struggle with on so many levels all come from the anger, hatred, greed and ignorance in our own minds and the minds of those around us.

That is the root, and the only root, of these evils.

Does this mean we have to get rid of all our feelings, emotions, and sensitivity in the name of some kind of idealized equanimity and spiritual detachment? I don’t think so. I do believe we have to find better ways of dealing with the destructive emotions such as anger, hatred, jealousy, overwhelming desire and lust, and greed. I don’t feel we should try to get rid of healthy emotions like love, tenderness and compassion.

Buddha taught there are three poisons — greed, hatred and ignorance. The “big daddy’ of these is ignorance — or delusion and confusion. From ignorance comes greed, desire, lust and all the rest. Of course, from ignorance also comes anger, aggression, cruelty and violence. Ignorance also brings us the conflicting forces of attachment and aversion. These are so similar in a lot of ways. “Get away” and “I want” have a common meaning, don’t they? Whether you’re pushing something away or grasping something to you — both can cause anger to rear its ugly head. And, as we know, anger can lead to aggression and violence.

So — is it right for us to work to suppress anger? I don’t think so. Suppressing it will only make us more uneasy and off balance, won’t it? Perhaps a good way to start this self examination is to do so in a less stressful situation, like meditation. When we are alone in our daily practice, or maybe in a Dharma center, yoga studio or meditation retreat — where everything’s perfectly arranged for your protection, comfort and security — it’s hard to get too overwhelmed by anger. But still there are the little irritations, like mosquitoes buzzing around our ears or traffic sounds from outside. Or perhaps the phone or the doorbell rings just as you feel yourself moving into your place of peace and silence. How do we deal with it when anger, aversion and judgment flares up?

I know many of us will say, “Stiff upper lip!” Others will say, “Tough it out!” And then we’ll pretend we’re calm and detached when actually we’re creating some inner violence against ourselves in the form of suppression, repression and avoidance. This comes under the heading of pushing something away, doesn’t it? I know for me, whenever I find myself needing to “push” something away, I’m seething inside. We may not be digging our claws into someone else directly, but we sure are pointing some aggression towards ourselves. This in turn can lead to low self-esteem, self-hatred and loathing, and eventually depression. We’re not doing ourselves any good at all to pretend we don’t feel these negative feelings — they are still there even if we’re pretending they’re not.

Well, this is turning into a a need to write more about it in the next blog post. This one is getting long enough for this week. Now, I need to go meditate!

In the meantime ….

Metta ….May all beings be well and happy. May all beings live in safety. May all beings be healthy and strong. May all beings live with ease.

Namaste — Be in Peace.

Ron Rink

=====================================================

Ron’s Recommended Reading List

Just click the links that are sort of Grey in color to take you to where you can learn more about each book and how you can purchase a copy for your own library.

Anam Thubten — No Self – No Problem

No Self – No Problem
shows how to realize the ultimate meaning of life in each moment by dissolving all notions of ego-identity. It asks that spiritual seekers wake up to their true nature, which is already enlightened. Based on Buddhist wisdom traditions, this easy-to-read book discusses in simple, but profound and inspiring language, how we can live a life full of love, satisfaction, and happiness. No Self – No Problem

Sharon Salzberg — The Kindness Handbook

“It takes boldness, even audacity, to step out of our habitual patterns and experiment with a quality like kindness–to work with it and see just how it might shift and open up our lives. This book is an invitation to do just that. — From The Kindness Handbook

Eckhart Tolle’s amazing best seller, A New Earth

Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor’s wonderful book, My Stroke of Insight: Nirvana is just a breath away!

And this one by Sharon Salzberg and is entitled: A Heart as Wide as the World: Living with Mindfulness, Wisdom and Compassion“.

This is a new one for you by Pema Chodron entitled: When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times

=====================================================

Always remember this wonderful quote from Buddha ….


“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”

~~~ Buddha

Shanti everyone, … (A sanscrit word meaning, “Let there be Peace. Peace, beautiful Peace. Peace within, Peace without. Peace in this world. Peace for all beings.”)


“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”

~~~ Buddha

Have a peaceful day!! —

Ron Rink

P.S. If you;d like to read my memoir/novel, you can access it here:
http://www.wecould2.com

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Posted by Ron Rink under Buddhist Belief | Comment now » |
28
May

Buddhist Belief — It’s All In Your Mind!


“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”

~~~ Buddha

Since one of the aspects of Buddhist Belief which many people have difficulty wrapping their minds around is the subject we’ve been looking at these past couple of weeks — suffering (dukkha) — perhaps it would be a good idea to spend a little more time with it and see what we can discover.

Buddhist Belief, meditation, nirvana, mindfulness, karma

When Buddha taught about The Four Noble Truths, he was clear about how important it was for us to understand that as human beings we’re going to experience dukkha. Perhaps one of the important things about this fact is how we understand the way we realize this experience. It’s our minds, folks. All those things we feel and recognize as suffering are felt in our minds. This is the Truth of Suffering as taught by Buddha.

When you slam a door on your finger — feel hunger — become ill — have something not go the way you want — have your boss give you a bad time — run short of money — these are typical of the type of suffering Buddha described as physical or emotional pain. These events are happening nearly every day in our lives.

Then we have the suffering brought about by the fact that nothing ever stays the same. Life is always changing. When something really great is happening in our lives, it seems as though it never lasts long enough. Just when you’re feeling wonderful, we find something to worry about, or we have to meet some responsibility we weren’t planning on. Our mind never seems to be able to find a place where it can just sit back and cool it. The one thing in our lives which is always there — is change.

I know for me, I do what I can to try to prolong those times when everything feels great. Everyone does. However, as always, the next moment is going to arrive. It’s unavoidable. The moment when all is great will go and a new moment will be there to take its place. The new moment might be great too, but we don’t know until it arrives. One moment can be desirable and the next could be displeasing. It’s a universal truth. There are no exceptions. We will all feel pain — we will all lose loved ones — we will all experience illness at some point — and we will all die.

There is another form of dukkha Buddha describes in his teachings, and that is when we get to worrying about the future or fretting about the past. Have you ever wondered whether you were living the life you were meant to live? Have you ever gone through a day and felt as though you didn’t accomplish anything of great significance? Is there a suffering more profound than the suffering of feeling inadequate — having self-doubt — just not happy with who or where you are in life?

What Buddha is talking about is this — suffering is an experience of our minds. When he describes the Four Noble Truths, he is showing us a way to alleviate suffering. No, he’s not saying you won’t feel pain any longer. What he is offering is a way to improve how we react to the pain we’re feeling in our minds. It’s the way we react to these events that gives us the dissatisfaction which causes us to suffer. This is a difficult concept for most of us, me included. I’m in a place in my life now where I need to learn to react differently to my illness. I’ve come to the place Buddha talks about where old age and illness will enter and become my dukkha.

I now have choices — and they’re mental choices — I can decide to resist this part of my life — or — I can learn to accept what is. Either way, I will still have the illness. One way I can suffer with the discomfort of the illness and moan and groan and feel sorry for myself — AND – also be miserable because I’m ticked off about it most of the time.

Or, I can choose the other way where I still have the discomfort of the illness, but if I accept it as “what is” — if I train my mind to understand that if I resist this I’ll be more miserable than if I accept it as reality. I can teach myself new ways of living with it instead of fighting against it.

Some of you may be asking the Dr. Phil phrase, “How’s it working for you, Ron?” I’d say it’s working pretty well. I do have some “ticked off” days — but I am learning and becoming more aware of how my mental attitude will dictate how much of the dukkha will rule my life. I will say this, though — meditation is the key! Every day meditation is vital and mindfulness is so important.

I hope this hasn’t been too much of a “downer” post — I do admit, I’m writing this for myself as well as to you. This “talking to” is something I need to reinforce in my own mind — and — I feel certain some of you may need to hear similar words. I’ll try to pick up the mood before I write the next article.

Metta ….May all beings be well and happy. May all beings live in safety. May all beings be healthy and strong. May all beings live with ease.

Namaste — Be in Peace.

Ron Rink

=====================================================

Ron’s Recommended Reading List

Just click the links that are sort of Grey in color to take you to where you can learn more about each book and how you can purchase a copy for your own library.

Anam Thubten — No Self – No Problem

No Self – No Problem
shows how to realize the ultimate meaning of life in each moment by dissolving all notions of ego-identity. It asks that spiritual seekers wake up to their true nature, which is already enlightened. Based on Buddhist wisdom traditions, this easy-to-read book discusses in simple, but profound and inspiring language, how we can live a life full of love, satisfaction, and happiness. No Self – No Problem

Sharon Salzberg — The Kindness Handbook

“It takes boldness, even audacity, to step out of our habitual patterns and experiment with a quality like kindness–to work with it and see just how it might shift and open up our lives. This book is an invitation to do just that. — From The Kindness Handbook

Eckhart Tolle’s amazing best seller, A New Earth

Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor’s wonderful book, My Stroke of Insight: Nirvana is just a breath away!

And this one by Sharon Salzberg and is entitled: A Heart as Wide as the World: Living with Mindfulness, Wisdom and Compassion“.

This is a new one for you by Pema Chodron entitled: When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times

=====================================================

Always remember this wonderful quote from Buddha ….


“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”

~~~ Buddha

Shanti everyone, … (A sanscrit word meaning, “Let there be Peace. Peace, beautiful Peace. Peace within, Peace without. Peace in this world. Peace for all beings.”)


“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”

~~~ Buddha

Have a peaceful day!! —

Ron Rink

P.S. If you;d like to read my memoir/novel, you can access it here:
http://www.wecould2.com

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21
May

Buddhist Belief — Is It Suffering or Isn’t It?


“All conditioned things are impermanent – When one sees this with wisdom, one turns away from suffering. This is the path to purification.”

~~~ Buddha

Last week as we were spending our Buddhist Belief time on the Four Noble Truths — and in line with them — the aspect of Dhukka – or suffering — I began contemplating this post as I was writing the one last week. Since Buddhism seems to devote much of it’s teaching to this subject of dhukka, it might be a good idea to spend some more time delving into it.

Buddhist Belief, meditation, nirvana, mindfulness, karma

When Buddha first began to tell others about his realizations, he told about what he saw as the reality of human life, which is — we will all experience suffering of one sort or another, and also, how there is a path to a cure for this. We now refer to this basic teaching as The Four Noble Truths. In Buddha’s description of dhukka he covers pretty much all of life from the beginning to the end. From birth, to growing old, to the illnesses which accompany old age, and finally death. He also includes having things in our lives we don’t want, and not having enough of what we do.

So many of us, particularly in the Western world, have considerable difficulty with the term “suffering”. When we hear or say “suffering”, we get these images of extreme pain and even anguish, right? I agree, “suffering” may not be the best translation of dhukka for us in this day and age. It may be a bit too drastic for us.

Let’s try this — put what we consider to be mental and physical anguish at one end of the scale — and on the other end let’s put things like annoyance, stress, dissatisfaction, and unreliability. We now have extreme stuff on one end and more subtle forms of discomfort on the other end.

But, let’s not forget this — Buddha also included “happy moments” in his definition of dhukka. He did this because he knew how even happy moments didn’t last very long. Happy experiences tended to be unstable. When we’re delighted with something in our lives, it’s usually brought to us by some external factor, and those factors have a tendency to fade away after awhile. When we reach the point where we have to face the impermanence of whatever we are wanting to keep in our lives, we experience another form of dhukka.

There are so many terms we could use to define dhukka in our western language aren’t there? Everything from not contented — to annoyed — to dissatisfaction — to aggravation — to anxiety — to pain — to sorrow — to agony — and on to anguish. It’s an endless list. It’s something which flows through our lives like a never-ending stream.

The opposite of dhukka is sukka, which translated means “ease, pleasure, happiness”. So, perhaps a good word for dhukka might be dissatisfaction, or unhappy or uneasy. At either end of the spectrum, it’s still suffering.

Whatever we decide to call it — it is in our lives — and there is a way to change much of our uneasiness to more inner peace and happiness. The Third and Fourth Noble Truths are where the answers can be found.

Metta ….May all beings be well and happy. May all beings live in safety. May all beings be healthy and strong. May all beings live with ease.

Namaste — Be in Peace.

Ron Rink

=====================================================

Ron’s Recommended Reading List

Just click the links that are sort of Grey in color to take you to where you can learn more about each book and how you can purchase a copy for your own library.

Anam Thubten — No Self – No Problem

No Self – No Problem
shows how to realize the ultimate meaning of life in each moment by dissolving all notions of ego-identity. It asks that spiritual seekers wake up to their true nature, which is already enlightened. Based on Buddhist wisdom traditions, this easy-to-read book discusses in simple, but profound and inspiring language, how we can live a life full of love, satisfaction, and happiness. No Self – No Problem

Sharon Salzberg — The Kindness Handbook

“It takes boldness, even audacity, to step out of our habitual patterns and experiment with a quality like kindness–to work with it and see just how it might shift and open up our lives. This book is an invitation to do just that. — From The Kindness Handbook

Eckhart Tolle’s amazing best seller, A New Earth

Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor’s wonderful book, My Stroke of Insight: Nirvana is just a breath away!

And this one by Sharon Salzberg and is entitled: A Heart as Wide as the World: Living with Mindfulness, Wisdom and Compassion“.

This is a new one for you by Pema Chodron entitled: When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times

=====================================================

Always remember this wonderful quote from Buddha ….


“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”

~~~ Buddha

Shanti everyone, … (A sanscrit word meaning, “Let there be Peace. Peace, beautiful Peace. Peace within, Peace without. Peace in this world. Peace for all beings.”)


“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”

~~~ Buddha

Have a peaceful day!! —

Ron Rink

P.S. If you;d like to read my memoir/novel, you can access it here:
http://www.wecould2.com

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Posted by Ron Rink under Buddhist Belief | Comment now » |
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