Buddhist Belief – Are We Who We Think We Are?
“By means of meditation we can teach our minds to be calm and balanced; within this calmness is a richness and a potential, an inner knowledge which can render our lives boundlessly satisfying and meaningful. While the mind may be what traps us in unhealthy patterns of stress and imbalance, it is also the mind which can free us. Through meditation, we can tap the healing qualities of mind.”– Tarthang Tulku
The first teachings about Buddhist Belief that the Buddha gave after his enlightenment were the Four Noble Truths. (For those who would like a reminder of what they are, here’s a quick summary:)
The First Noble Truth — Suffering: This might include people’s experience of old age, sickness and death; or not getting what they want; or getting what they don’t want; etc., which gives rise to habitual negative mind states and harmful actions.
The Second Noble Truth — Cause of suffering: People’s desires, cravings and clinging to just about everything. The suffering comes from wanting everything to be permanent, when none of the things being desired and craved for are permanent. It is also caused by not understanding that we, the essence of who we are, is permanent and lasting. Instead we see ourselves as our physical bodies. (This is what I’d like to talk about some today – so please keep reading.)
The Third Noble Truth – The end of suffering: Even suffering is temporary and illusory, being dependent on a dysfunctional way of “seeing’ who we truly are. Therefore suffering can be brought to an end.
The Fourth Noble Truth — The Path leading to the end of suffering: We can do something about the above. The Buddha set out a prescription for the dis-ease. This prescription is commonly known as “The Path” or : “The Teachings” or “The Eightfold Path”.
These teachings were first delivered to the same ascetics Buddha had been practicing with in the forest before his awakening. When the Buddha first returned to his old pals, they were hesitant to listen to what he had to say. They shunned him as a food-eater and sellout. But the Buddha’s newfound freedom and happiness were so apparent and attractive that they couldn’t help but listen to what he had to say.
Now, to get on with what’s on my mind today — it’s no wonder we’re so wrapped up in the belief that we are our physical bodies. I keep reading more and more writings by people who seem to have figured out the truth about life, and they are all pointing out that it is our identification with our flesh and bones as “I” which keeps us from the real truth.
This belief is so completely embedded in our minds that we no longer question it. It’s not just a few of us who think this way, it’s the mind-set of society as a whole. It’s been this way for generations upon generations. It’s a part of our everyday language. Even when we were infants we were taught to believe this way.
There was a time after we were born where we didn’t identify with our bodies. That time was short, however, because those around us began almost immediately to teach us otherwise. “Oh, what a beautiful baby!” “Look at those big, blue eyes!” “What a handsome young man.” “Oh, she’s going to be something when she grows up!” When we became exposed to these compliments, we never gave a thought to the fact they were someone’s idea of who we are – they were nothing more than judgments. Of course we didn’t think about it – we were infants.
The thoughts and comments we make to our newborn plant the seeds of an identity. The truth is that regardless of how we look, everyone is beautiful the moment they are born. To carry this thought a step further, it is safe to say that everyone is beautiful, regardless of their age, isn’t it?
If this is the truth, then why do we crave to have a perfect body – why do we care so much about what someone is going to think about how we look? Think of the millions and millions of dollars that are spent every year on products to make our bodies look more like what we, and others, determine to be beautiful. It’s not only beauty products but it’s also the diet industry. We’re always striving to be thinner, stronger, younger, older, heavier, shorter, taller, etc.
Why do we do this?
It’s because our egos are always comparing our selves, (our physical bodies), with others, because it believes itself to be a separate entity and it uses our body as the dividing line between us and others. But the true essence of who we are is perfect — it is beautiful. The true essence of who we are is not going to eventually decay and crumble away. The truth of who we are goes beyond death and transcends imperfections. Because this is true for you, me and everyone else, everyone is equal. No one is better or worse than anyone else. We are all equal – we are all one.
It is through regular meditation practice that we will learn to understand this basic truth. Even if you don’t understand this yet, it doesn’t mean you’re not perfect and beautiful – you are – you always have been – you always will be.
More on this next time.
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
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Here’s another article to share with you. Isn’t it wonderful this is happening in so many areas of this country? I love that it’s in Houston.
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A Texas Starting Place on Buddhism’s Path
By ZEN T.C. ZHENG Copyright 2009 Houston Chronicle
July 30, 2009, 7:44PM
MAYRA BELTRAN: CHRONICLE
Teryl Pittman labored to settle cross-legged on a cushion on the floor. Slowly, she tucked one foot under the other and straightened her back, her eyes closed and hands joined in her lap, palms facing up.
Following the direction of a soft-spoken monk, Pittman and a handful of others swayed slightly before becoming still and settling into gentle and deep breathing.
But her discomfort grew, and 15 minutes later she moved to a bench. A little later, Diana Johns joined her.
The sight brought a smile to the Rev. Katapunna, who conducts Saturday sessions at the American Bodhi Center, which the Texas Buddhist Association opened in May near Hempstead in Waller County.
“It’s encouraging. Our efforts are starting to pay off,” said Katapunna, known to followers as Yuan Fu.
The small group of followers is among the first promising signs of what the association hopes to accomplish at this retreat: to integrate Buddhism into mainstream American life.“We want more Americans to benefit from Buddha’s teaching,” said the Rev. Hung I, the visionary behind the project and abbot of Jade Buddha Temple, the association’s Houston headquarters.
One of the largest Buddhist developments in the nation, the Bodhi Center sits on 515 wooded acres, the first phase completed with meditation hall, dormitories and log houses.
The center breaks tradition in many ways: Its simple and neutral designs are devoid of ornate, classic Chinese architecture. Campsites, playgrounds, lakes and trails meandering amid pines and oaks little resemble a religious site. In the meditation hall, a guided contemplative routine allows both seated and walking meditation.
Association leaders hope the retreat reverses a perception of Buddhism as a mysterious, ritual-heavy religion and reveal a buoyant and accessible philosophy practical in everyday life.
“Buddhism must adapt itself to the needs of Americans today in a social and cultural environment different from where we came from,” said Hung I, who was born in China, spent his monastic childhood in Burma and received advanced training in Taiwan before moving to America in 1978.
Hung I has seen his congregation grow to 1,500 families. The American Bodhi Center project was sought partly because Jade Buddha Temple had long reached its capacity with its bustling activities.
On a recent weekend the center welcomed some 90 youths for a camp that included Buddhist sermons and meditation, a lecture on new energy technology, singing and hip-hop dance, games and kite-making. Johns, who lives two miles away, brought three horses for the children to ride.
Pittman, raised Catholic, said she “instantly felt at home” at the retreat, where the teaching and practice are not dogmatic.
“You don’t have to sit cross-legged if it’s hard. The reverend would even say, ‘Go lay down if you’re tired. Just don’t fall asleep,’ ” she said.
The Buddhist central philosophy of “dependent arising” — that everything happens due to preceding conditions in an unbroken chain of cause and effect, thus calling for mindfulness in all deeds — appeals to her, she said.
“I’m 50 years old, but I feel I am having a new life, never more peaceful and happy,” she said.
Local officials also welcomed the retreat as a cultural asset for the community. Waller County Judge Owen Ralston said the facility offers an “opportunity for us to learn” about Buddhism. “They tried very hard to fit in and built something that everybody here can use,” he said.
The retreat also has drawn non-Buddhist groups. The Houston branch of Self Enquiry Life Fellowship, a Santa Barbara, Calif.-based Hindu group, will bring 300 people for a two-day August convention here.
“The natural and peaceful surrounding is in sync with what we want to do,” said branch leader Subroto Gangopadhyay, a Sugar Land cardiologist.
Opening the facility to anyone is a way to help people learn about Buddhism and not proselytize them, Hung I said. The only restriction that’s placed on visitors is to practice vegetarianism on site.
The association does grapple with what many Buddhist organizations across the nation face: the lack of English-speaking clergy and the challenge to promote an Eastern religion in a predominantly Christian land.
“Buddhists are such a small group in America. They’re not a big proselytizer,” said Helen Ebaugh, a University of Houston sociologist who has studied immigrant religious communities here.
However, Ann Klein, a Rice University religion professor and an association member who also runs Down Mountain, a Houston Tibetan temple, said Buddhism’s coexistence with other religions can be “enriching for everyone concerned.”
In the East, incense burners, altars with Buddha statues, tablets for offerings and meditation cushions are staples of a temple where pews, the piano and choirs are unlikely associations. There, traditional followers frown upon music as a pursuit of sensory pleasure hindering spiritual growth. And monks or nuns run the ministry as well as handle administrative duties.
In contrast, the Houston temple’s grand hall holds rows of pews that fill on Sunday mornings. A piano sits near the altar while a choir sings for participants. A board of trustees comprising volunteer lay people governs the financial and organizational business.
To lead a sermon and meditation program that draws an increasing number of English-speaking participants, Hung I has become proficient in English over the past two decades.
“The completion of the first phase of the American Bodhi Center allows us to promote Buddhism in ways that transcend the confines of a traditional temple,” Hung I said. “Now we need to focus more on translation of Buddhist literature into English and designing appropriate protocol and services geared toward Americans.”
zen.zheng@chron.com
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I’ve added another book to the list. See below.
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 — “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
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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
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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, mindfulness, Nirvana, Peace, Second Noble Truth, Third Noble Truth