Buddhist Belief – Is There Life Before Death?
“To experience love, we must go inside. When you experience real love you get into a state which is beyond words. You are filled with a joy that goes beyond all emotions. True love is the love of the inner Self.”– Swami Muktananda
Last time we wrote about our belief that we are our physical bodies. As we meditate and learn more about Buddhist Belief, we find out more about the truth. As I ended the post last time —
“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.”
As we begin to rest in our practice, and look deeply into our mind, the truth makes itself clear.
Here’s something to try with your next meditation. Pay attention to your breath in the silence. Look deeply into your mind. Since you are a human, you will notice that almost immediately thoughts begin to pop up. Try not reacting to them. Let them be what they are — just thoughts. Keep watching your mind. You should begin to notice there are small gaps between your thoughts. There is a bit of space between the point where one thought ends and the next one begins. You have found the magic space. In this space there is no “I” — there is no “me” — there’s nothing other than the essence of who you are in that space. That’s it! It’s no more complicated than that. I think it was Eckhart Tolle who said the best place to live is in the space between our thoughts.
Interestingly, one of the reasons we all have so much trouble realizing the truth is because it is so simple. Our egos love it when things are complicated and work hard to convince us that something so simple can’t possibly be true.
This space between our thoughts exists in only one place — its in the present moment — it’s in the Now. However, where do we tend to look for the perfect life? You got it! It’s in the illusory future, isn’t it? We tend to keep wasting our precious moments — our “Nows” — and instead fabricate a world of maybes and future illusions. We forget that each moment — each Now — is the opening to a perfect awakening.
There is a perfection — a paradise in each of us. No, it’s not the one with streets paved with gold and pretty angels sitting around eating cream cheese like in the commercials. It’s not some sort of spiritual Disneyland. Instead, it’s the place between our thoughts — it’s the place where we are free of any limitations.
I saw a bumper sticker a while back that said, “I believe in life before death.” That’s right — we don’t have to die to find paradise. No! It’s right here — right now — in this present moment. It’s ours. It’s also up to us to choose it.
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. This one is quite tongue-in-cheek and doesn’t relate to my post hardly at all. I just got a good chuckle out of it. Plus, I’ve been there — done that — got the torn t-shirt to prove it!
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Jaci Stephen: ‘As I set off to the book store, I was optimistic about finding Buddhism’
Way Out West
Wednesday, 15 July 2009
It’s a thin line between Buddhism and being a serial killer: that’s what I’ve so far learned in my quest for the spiritual enlightenment that everyone is seeking here.
As someone who believes everything she reads and instantly puts into practice, I was optimistic about my chances of success as I set off for my local Borders bookstore, in search of a calmer life.
After all, I bought Alan Carr’s Easy Way to Stop Drinking, and stopped drinking. I bought Blake Snyder’s screenwriting book Save the Cat! and came to Hollywood to put it into practice. I don’t do things by halves, so try to avoid sections of bookstores with titles like Bonsai for Beginners, as I really don’t want to spend the next 10 years fiddling about with small trees in my kitchen sink.
But I’d always rather fancied being a Buddhist. Any religion that had you sitting down with your eyes closed for most of the time had to be better than singing “Bread of Heaven” in a Welsh chapel.
Although I drank my “Calming” Yogi tea in advance, it stressed me out a bit, because no sooner had I started walking than I needed a toilet. I had also taken my calming Kava Kava pills, which have replaced two bottles of wine as a means of soothing my nerves, and despite feeling them regurgitating in my chest, I kept thinking about the good they were doing me and just breathed deeply: calm, calm.
Then I arrived at the store and wanted to knock the head off the small child who was screaming for sweets in the restroom. But calm, calm, I said, as I headed towards the spiritual/new age religion section. I chose about 20 books that were to be the foundation of the new me, and was already feeling very smug in my new skin.
Two hours later, I took them to the cash register, deposited them and asked the assistant to keep an eye on them while I went to the restroom again (note to self: drink less tea). He assured me he would and that I could pay on my return.
So, ablutions once again completed, I returned to discover that my two hours’ worth of research was all back on the shelves. “Where are my books?” I squealed. No, if I’m honest, I screamed. Louder than the child. “Oh for goodness sake you turn your back for one minute and your life’s ruined and if I wanted this kind of incompetency I’d have stayed in Britain and whatever happened to customer service and look at the time . . .” Calm, calm.
Two hours more again, I had pretty much recouped my selection and re-grouped emotionally. I returned home, sweaty, with, I am sure, high blood pressure, and set about reading Buddhism for Dummies.
The little I knew about Buddhism, I liked, although, with my new 7 stone 5 lb frame (yes, more loss – and please stop asking whether I have anorexia; no, I don’t), thought the weight thing might be an issue. You know: did I have to turn into an overweight, squat bloke in order to meditate?
But I instantly took to my new philosophical path and was on the floor, crossing my legs, before you could sing Karma Karma Karma Karma Karma Chameleon.
By lunchtime, I had Buddhism sorted. Off I went to the bank, the calmest I had been in weeks.
Now, despite the efficient service almost everywhere in LA, the one thing my bank has difficulty with is the transfer of money to Europe. Had I asked my guy to pilot the next space shuttle, he could not have looked more terrified, nor been slower at working out the logistics. I wasn’t so much tapping my fingers as running them through my pockets in search of a handy weapon that might speed things along.
One fundamental of Buddhism is that pain and suffering are caused through our attachment to permanence, and that when we stop pursuing it, we will be happier. Try explaining that to a bank clerk when his finger is permanently stuck on the conversion key on his computer.
No longer able to stand it, I did what any self-respecting citizen would do and put into action what I had learned from watching US telly. By now, I am sure the LAPD will have got there in time to untie everyone in time for the weekend. Me, I’ll be reading The Krays’ biography.
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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
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