“There seem to be two kinds of searchers: those who seek to make their ego something other than it is, i.e. holy, happy, unselfish (as though you could make a fish unfish), and those who understand that all such attempts are just gesticulation and play-acting, that there is only one thing that can be done, which is to disidentify themselves with the ego, by realizing its unreality, and by becoming aware of their eternal identity with pure being.”
~~ Fingers Pointing Toward the Moon by Wei Wu Wei
In our last article about the basics of Buddhist Belief, we talked about Karma and thought about many of the questions we have about it. We talked about how our perceptions and biases define our reality. We left the discussion with a question … “Why do we perceive things the way we do?”
I don’t know if there’s a simple answer to that question. I guess you could say we are perceiving our lives exactly as we have decided it should be. We have, somehow, made it our habit to see things a certain way. We are creating our own reality. If you’ll recall from the last article, I wrote this … “The street outside my home is, to my perception, a quiet and beautiful street with lots of trees full of singing birds and homes where peaceful people are living. Others might see my street as sort of scary because there aren’t a lot of street lights or pedestrians.”
So, for me, I created a quiet, beautiful street with lots of trees full of singing birds. Someone else might have created a different street — one that made them uncomfortable. In reality it’s just a street. Well, actually, it’s not even that, is it? A street is just another idea. It’s a concept. Those birds singing in the trees I see in my perception may not see this “thing” as a street. I don’t know what their perception might be. It all depends on how we look at it. What’s interesting is this — if you think about the fact that if you can create a perception or reality, then we should be able to deconstruct it as well.
However we decide to live our lives depends on how we construct it. It is our own outlook on things and events that will determine how we create our reality. What’s equally interesting to me is how, wherever we go, we seem to recreate that reality, don’t we? Even though we may change where we live or who we form relationships with, we manage to somehow turn it all into the same thing we had previously. We keep bringing our reality with us, even though it’s no longer the same.
In terms of Karma, these habitual realities we’ve created are embedded in our subtle consciousness and we continuously transfer these concepts onto a variety of different things.
Yet, concepts are not reality. We need to understand this fact so we can learn to see the difference. Even though we choose to think of things a certain way, it’s not true reality.
(Hmmm, I can see by reading what I just wrote that an example is in order, right?) Let’s take the concept of being afraid to enter a dark room in a strange house. Our perception is a fear of not being able to see into the room, and in our conceived reality it’s not safe to venture in. The problem we face is there is some reason we absolutely have to enter this room. We have to break through the fear. So, we reach around the corner of the door and feel for the light switch and flick it on. Upon seeing into the room and seeing it is safe to enter, our reality instantly changes. Even though our concept of ourselves was initially a certain way — fearful –we discovered we can transcend that concept and completely change our reality — and it can happen instantaneously.
Therefore, since our reality is created through our perceptions, we can also venture through our initial perceptions and change our reality. We always have choices. Our reality is an open question — and we should always keep asking the question to see if there’s a different answer. Again, speaking of Karma, everything happens for a reason. There was some cause for whatever happened. It’s “as it should be”. It doesn’t mean that we’re always happy — or that everyone is getting exactly what they deserve — or that we’re not capable of feeling empathy and compassion for tragic situations.
There’s a lot of suffering in the world. There are terrible things happening every day. There are many innocent people who suffer at the hands of others. There are earthquakes, hurricanes, fires and floods. These are terrible things and they’re difficult to grapple with. We do what we can to help — we don’t just shrug it off as inevitable. The Buddhist teaching of Karma — not unlike the biblical teaching of sin and virtue — says that we can only experience what we have sown. Cause and effect. Do we bear some of the responsibility for awful things happening to people? Since we are all connected, I think we are a part of these things. Perhaps it’s a part of our minds. Who is without some blame?
Who’s going to control things if we, ourselves, are not in control of our own reality? I think we have to start with what we have. We can master and purify ourselves, act ethically and impeccably, we can choose to follow the Eightfold Path of Buddhist Belief, and we can strive to shed some of that light in the world. We can bring it out to the educational system, to the business world, to our families, wherever we live.
We can do that. Yes, We Can!
I’ll be back to write again in a few days with more thoughts about Buddhist Beliefs and how they may apply to our lives.
Until then,
Namaste — Be in Peace.
Ron Rink
====================================================
AN ADDED NOTE OF INTEREST:
Recognizing Dependency
Dharmavidya writes:
Buddhism is a middle way. This does not mean that it is a compromise. It means that it avoids extremes. Thus, on the one hand, it counsels us to avoid over indulgence, yet, at the same time, it would be quite unbuddhist to be puritanical. Moderation is a great virtue. Now, of course, if one’s life is already at some kind of extreme, then even a small move back toward balance may seem radical, but I’d like you to keep in mind the basic principle that the path that Buddha taught is one that is essentially natural and easy. When it does not come easily this is generally because before one tried it one had become dependent upon something unwholesome in a way that one now finds difficult to shrug off. In that situation, it is best to trust the process that Buddhism sets in motion and have some patience. In fact, we are all dependent on many things and while this is something that can get out of hand, as in the case of addictions, most people are compulsive to some degree about at least a few things.
Recognition of our dependency is an important first step in appreciating the usefulness of the Buddha’s teaching. While Buddhism asserts that we are each individuals, it also points out that we are all dependent. We each depend upon many things. Often these dependency relationships are, to all intents and purposes, one way. Thus, I need the sun to shine on this Earth for my life to continue, but the sun could get along quite nicely without me. I walk upon the ground and the ground supports me, but I did not make the ground and it will still be there when I am gone. Although my relations with other people are a little more two-way than this, there are still enormous numbers of people who benefit me that I never meet. Much of my food is imported from far away countries. I rely upon the farmers and the people who sail the ships and fly the airplanes. I never get the opportunity to thank them directly. There is much to be grateful for. A staggering amount, when one starts to think about it soberly. Also, and this can cause anguish, sometimes one’s very existence causes suffering to others. The Buddha’s mother died seven days after she had given birth to him. He grew up knowing that he had been a cause of her death, even though there was nothing he could do about it. Our lives depend upon the deaths of others. Even if we are vegetarian – and Buddhism advocates that we should eat as compassionately as we can – we cannot avoid the fact that many other creatures die in the harvesting and manufacture of our food. In all this, our life is mixed up with joy and sorrow. To live a full life is to feel both of these more deeply.
So we have already established three very important Buddhist principles: individuality, dependency and gratitude. Just appreciating these three ideas and allowing them to penetrate into us can make a huge difference to our lives. If we were to take a few minutes four or five times a day to think back over the previous two or three hours and consider the ways in which we have each been individual, try to list some of the benefits we have received and the conditions that we have depended upon during that time, and feel a little gratitude, then, over a period of time, we will notice a natural improvement in many aspects of our life. We will experience greater peace of mind, find our relationships improving, our physical health is likely to benefit, and it is probable that we shall become more productive and contribute more to the good of our friends, neighbors and society. All this will come about naturally.
Buddhism works like a seed. If one plants the seed and waters it, then it will grow. The resulting plant will differ a bit according to the soil and the aspect of the land and so on and in the same way the seed of Dharma will develop a little differently in each individual. Nonetheless, it will grow and eventually bear tasty fruit. The planting of the seed happens at one moment, but the growing of the plant occurs over a period of time. Realizing the basic points of Dharma is something that happens, as we say, like a penny dropping, but the resulting change then occurs over a much longer period of time. These changes may be imperceptible day to day, but over a longer period we see people becoming kinder, calmer, wiser and freer and this can be the same for each of us.
=========================================================
Ron’s Recommended Reading List
For those who wanted me to repeat the links for the books I’ve mentioned in the last few articles, here they are again — And, I have added another wonderful book by Sharon Salzberg. Here’s some information about it. I highly recommend all these books to you:
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 — “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“.
=====================================================
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
http://www.theleaderinside.com
http://www.wecould2.com
http://www.buddhistbelief.com
Technorati Tags: attachment, Buddha, Buddhism, Buddhist, Buddhist Belief, detachment, Eightfold Path, First Noble Truth, Four Noble Truths, Fourth Noble Truth, inner peace, karma, loving kindness, Meditation, metta, Nirvana, Peace, Second Noble Truth, Third Noble Truth
