A Dhammatalk by Ajahn Chah

Learning to Listen

During an informal gathering at his residence one evening, the Master said, ''When you listen to the Dhamma, you must open up your heart and compose yourself in its centre. Don't try and accumulate what you hear, or make painstaking efforts to retain it through your memory. Just let the Dhamma flow into your heart as it reveals itself, and keep yourself continuously open to the flow in the present moment. What is ready to be retained will remain. It will happen of its own accord, not through forced effort on your part.

Similarly, when you expound the Dhamma, there must be no force involved. The Dhamma must flow spontaneously from the present moment according to circumstances. You know, it's strange, but sometimes people come to me and really show no apparent desire to hear the Dhamma, but there it is - it just happens. The Dhamma comes flowing out with no effort whatsoever. Then at other times, people seem to be quite keen to listen. They even formally ask for a discourse, and then, nothing! It just won't happen. What can you do? I don't know why it is, but I know that things happen in this way. It's as though people have different levels of receptivity, and when you are there at the same level, things just happen.
If you must expound the Dhamma, the best way is not to think about it at all. Simply forget it. The more you think and try to plan, the worse it will be. This is hard to do, though, isn't it? Sometimes, when you're flowing along quite smoothly, there will be a pause, and someone may ask a question. Then, suddenly, there's a whole new direction. There seems to be an unlimited source that you can never exhaust.
I believe without a doubt in the Buddha's ability to know the temperaments and receptivity of other beings. He used this very same method of spontaneous teaching. It's not that he needed to use any superhuman power, but rather that he was sensitive to the needs of the people around him and so taught to them accordingly. An instance demonstrating his own spontaneity occurred when once, after he had expounded the Dhamma to a group of his disciples, he asked them if they had ever heard this teaching before. They replied that they had not. He then went on to say that he himself had also never heard it before.
Just continue your practice no matter what you are doing. Practice is not dependent on any one posture, such as sitting or walking. Rather, it is a continuous awareness of the flow of your own consciousness and feelings. No matter what is happening, just compose yourself and always be mindfully aware of that flow.''
Later, the Master went on to say, ''Practice is not moving forward, but there is forward movement. At the same time, it is not moving back, but there is backward movement. And, finally, practice is not stopping and being still, but there is stopping and being still. So there is moving forward and backward as well as being still, but you can't say that it is any one of the three. Then practice eventually comes to a point where there is neither forward nor backward movement, nor any being still. Where is that?''
On another informal occasion, he said, ''To define Buddhism without a lot of words and phrases, we can simply say, 'Don't cling or hold on to anything. Harmonize with actuality, with things just as they are.'''



Footnotes
...1
Given in September 2521 (1978) at Wat Nong Pah Pong

Have A Peaceful New Day

Thay In India

'Terrorists are victims who create more victims' 2 Oct 2008, 0019 hrs IST,TNN

Midway through the news meeting on Wednesday, the grim news came in: Agartala had been rocked by serial blasts. All eyes immediately turned to Ven TOI Guest Editor Thich Nhat Hanh. (TOI Photo) erable Thich Nhat Hanh, the Guest Editor for our special Peace Edition. As journalists, what should we do on a day like this? The Zen master, who has rebuilt bombed villages, set up schools and medical centres, resettled homeless families and for a lifetime advocated tirelessly the principles of non-violence and compassionate action, pondered for a while. When he spoke, it was with great clarity, ''Report in a way that invites readers to take a look at why such things continue to happen and that they have their roots in anger, fear, hate and wrong perceptions. Prevent anger from becoming a collective energy. The only antidote for anger and violence is compassion. Terrorists are also victims, who create other victims of misunderstanding.'' This, remember, is the monk — now 82 years old — credited with a big role in turning American public opinion against the war in Vietnam — for which Martin Luther King Jr had nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1967. And so, his words are not to be dismissed lightly. ''Every reader has seeds of fear, anger, violence and despair, and also seeds of hope, compassion, love and forgiveness,'' said Thich Nhat Hahn, affectionately called Thay. ''As journalists, you must not water the wrong seeds. The stories should touch the seeds of hope. As journalists, you have the job of selectively watering the right seeds. You must attempt to tell the truth and yet not water the seeds of hate. It's not what's in the story, but how you tell it that's important.'' But how should the State deal with terror? Thay's answer: ''We should invite those who believe they are victims of discrimination and injustice to speak about it. We should initiate sessions of deep listening and invite deeply spiritual people, who don't have to be famous, to attend these. We must televise these sessions nationally. I am sure you will see a dramatic drop in the level of violence. A war on terror cannot succeed, because you cannot bomb perceptions. The only solution is dialogue.'' He cited the example of an experiment by his own group of monks at Plum village, south of France, in 2006. ''We asked people to write letters to terrorists and more than 40 letters came in. Some claimed, 'I am the terrorist because I am also violent and there is suffering in me as well'. We need to get together. When we address suspicion and anger as a collective, when we talk informally about suffering, then we can find answers. If we reduce the violence in us, and change, then we change others around us because then we are connected to them.'' Talking about world peace, the monk said, ''Political leaders meet at peace summits but no lasting solutions to the world's problems are found. Therefore, political leaders, before they get down to talking at summits, should practice sitting, walking, talking informally with each other and practice techniques to calm themselves. Only then can talks lead to positive results.'' The history of Vietnam in the last century was fraught with violence. Thay has himself seen war from close quarters. Naturally, the question came up: Does he believe non-violence can help find solutions in today's complex world? Thay's reply was surprisingly pragmatic. ''Non-violence can never be absolute. However, you can make aggressive action less violent. In war, the generals must try and avoid the death of innocents. Even soldiers can show compassion. The first step towards nonviolence is to be calm and compassionate yourself.'' Questions on wars and conflicts led to the next logical query. How can humanity relate with each other when it is divided within confines of national or ethnic or racial identities? That brought the Buddhist teacher into his element, propounding on one of Buddhism's basic tenets of 'non-self'. The problem, he said, arises when one's self is set against another's self. Once we realize that self is made of non-self, then the issue of identity gets settled. ''Man is made of non-me elements. I am made of so many non-me elements — my parents, the food I eat, the education I received, animals, vegetables. Take away all the 'non-me', and there is no 'me' left. Buddhism is made of non-Buddhist elements. A Christian is made of non-Christian elements and a Muslim is made of non-Muslim elements,'' said Thay. Once we realise that we are all interconnected, we will begin caring for all other things. That's why, Thay says, we need to learn from suffering. Because only after we have understood the nature of suffering can we understand true happiness. ''Happiness and safety can't be individual matters. If you have peace on your side, only then can you promote peace in the world. Individual happiness is impossible, as is individual suffering. Because we are not one but a collective.'' And what about the financial crisis that is causing many to suffer? The answer, says Thay, is related to greed and fear. ''As journalists, you must help people so that they don't become victims of greed and fear. If the aim is happiness, then you must be prepared to give up riches and fame and power, all of which are transitory.'' Can the modern economy — fuelled by conspicuous consumption — co-exist with a monk's lifestyle? After all, if everyone stopped consumption, industries would shut down and unemployment would rise. So should individuals, in their pursuit of 'selfish' happiness, create unhappiness for others? ''Many of us have started believing in happiness from consumption. But happiness is largely a problem of the mind. You don't have to run into the future, you have enough conditions to be happy right here and now. But in our search for more conditions to be happy, we sacrifice the present. The remedy for us is to go home to the present moment. Don't get stuck with the past or get sucked into the future. So many wonders of life are with you. Development is like a wild horse that we are riding, over which we have lost control,'' responded Thay. But then, isn't it much simpler for a monk to talk about not consuming than for people who have to deal with the world on the world's terms? Can regular people with regular lives follow his teachings? According to Thay, ''The meditative practice is for everyone, monks and non-monks, the young and the less young. The conditions for reaching out for Buddha-hood are there for everyone. We are just caught up in our worries and projects. The kingdom of God is available for you. But are you available for the kingdom?'' We couldn't resist asking: what were his feelings when the Taliban destroyed the Bamiyan Buddhas? His reply: ''There was no anger. We have a tendency to punish whoever has dared to make us suffer. We seek relief by making the other person suffer. If we see whoever is hurt as a victim, then a neuro pathway will open in our brain and we will forgive the person and reduce his suffering, which in turn will help us to suffer less. All this is not based on speculation but on the basis what we have done, in our group sessions.

Buddhism, Religion and the West

Thich Nhat Hanh on presenting Buddhism to the West and vice versa

When asked, "What do you think are the best ways to present Buddhism to the Western Students?," Thich Nhat Hanh replied:

"I think Buddhism should open the door of psychology and healing to penetrate more easily into the Western world. As far as religion is concerned, the West already has plenty of belief in a supernatural being. It's not by the law of faith that you should enter the spiritual territory of the West, because the West has plenty of this."

This is a particularly revealing quote about Buddhism, not just because it addresses the West's general sense about Buddhism being 'just another religion,' but in the unique way Buddhism is perceived by its practitioners and how it works as a methodology to a) assist in the study of human psychology and b) help relieve and remedy common psychological and emotional problems.

When asked how Western thought can contribute to Buddhism, Nhat Hanh answered, "democracy and science." He writes,
"Personally, learning about science has helped me to understand Buddhism more deeply. I agree with Einstein that if there is a religion that can go along with science, it is Buddhism. That is because Buddhism has the spirit of nonattachment to rules. You may have a view that you consider to be the truth, but if you cling to it, then that is the end of your free inquiring. You have to be aware that with the practice of looking deeply, you may see things more clearly. That is why you should not be so dogmatic about what you have found; you have to be ready to release your view in order to get a higher insight. That is very exciting."

Touching The Earth

Touching the Earth by Thich Nhat Hanh

Posted on August 29, 2008 by Sr. Chau Nghiem

In Plum Village we do a practice called “Touching the Earth” every day. It helps us in many ways. You too could be helped by doing this practice. When you feel restless or lack confidence in yourself, or when you feel angry or unhappy, you can kneel down and touch the Earth deeply with your hand. Touch the Earth as if it were your favorite thing or your best friend.

The Earth has been there for a long time. She is mother to all of us. She knows everything. The Buddha asked the Earth to be his witness by touching her with his hand when he had some doubt and fear before his awakening. The Earth appeared to him as a beautiful mother. In her arms she carried flowers and fruit, birds and butterflies, and many different animals, and offered them to the Buddha. The Buddha’s doubts and fears instantly disappeared.

Whenever you feel unhappy, come to the Earth and ask for her help. Touch her deeply, the way the Buddha did. Suddenly, you too, will see the Earth with all her flowers and fruit, trees and birds, animals, and all the living beings that she has produced. All these things she offers to you.

You have more opportunities to be happy than you ever thought. The Earth shows her love to you and her patience. The Earth is very patient. She sees you suffer, she helps you, she protects you. When we die, she takes us back into her arms.

With the Earth you are very safe. She is always there, in all her wonderful expressions like trees, flowers, butterflies, and sunshine. Whenever you are tired or unhappy, Touching the Earth is a very good practice to heal you and restore your joy.

~ from “A Pebble for Your Pocket”, page 44.

Buddha Quote

"Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it."


Sakya Muni Buddha
(The Anguttara Nikaya/The "Further-factored" Discourses)

Aim Your Gun

Here is my breast. Aim your gun at it, brother. Shoot!
Destroy me if you will
And build from my carrion whatever it is you are dreaming of.
Who will be left to celebrate a victory made of blood and fire?
Thich Nhat Hanh
From his poem ‘Our Green Garden’ 1976 (?)

Living

12 Essential Rules to Live More Like a Zen Monk
“We have more possibilities available in each moment than we realize.” - Thich Nhat Hanh

I find great inspiration in the way Zen monks live their lives: the simplicity of their lives, the concentration and mindfulness of every activity, the calm and peace they find in their days.

Why live more like a Zen monk? Because who among us can’t use a little more concentration, tranquility, and mindfulness in our lives? Because Zen monks for hundreds of years have devoted their lives to being present in everything they do, to being dedicated and to serving others. Because it serves as an example for our lives, and whether we ever really reach that ideal is not the point.

One of my favorite Zen monks, Thich Nhat Hanh, simplified the rules in just a few words: “Smile, breathe and go slowly.” It doesn’t get any better than that.



“Zen is not some kind of excitement, but concentration on our usual everyday routine.” - Shunryu Suzuki

1. Do one thing at a time.

This rule (and some of the others that follow) will be familiar to long-time Zen Habits readers. It’s part of my philosophy, and it’s also a part of the life of a Zen monk: single-task, don’t multi-task. When you’re pouring water, just pour water. When you’re eating, just eat. When you’re bathing, just bathe. Don’t try to knock off a few tasks while eating or bathing. Zen proverb: “When walking, walk. When eating, eat.” I fact, if you think about it you most can only do one thing at a time. What we call multi tasking is mostly just jumping from on thing to another.

2. Do it slowly and deliberately. You can do one task at a time, but also rush that task. Instead, take your time, and move slowly. Make your actions deliberate, not rushed and random. It takes practice, but it helps you focus on the task.

3. Do it completely.

Put your mind completely on the task. Don’t move on to the next task until you’re finished. If, for some reason, you have no choice but to move on to something else, try to at least put away the unfinished task and clean up after yourself. If you prepare a sandwich, don’t start eating it until you’ve put away the stuff you used to prepare it, wiped down the counter, and washed the dishes used for preparation. Then you’re done with that task, and can focus more completely on the next task.

4. Do less.

A Zen monk doesn’t lead a lazy life: he wakes early and has a day filled with work. However, he doesn’t have an unending task list either — there are certain things he’s going to do today, an no more. If you do less, you can do those things more slowly, more completely and with more concentration. If you fill your day with tasks, you will be rushing from one thing to the next without stopping to think about what you do.

5. Put space between things.

Related to the “Do less” rule, but it’s a way of managing your schedule so that you always have time to complete each task. Don’t schedule things close together — instead, leave room between things on your schedule. That gives you a more relaxed schedule, and leaves space in case one task takes longer than you planned.

6. Develop rituals.

Zen monks have rituals for many things they do, from eating to cleaning to meditation. Ritual gives something a sense of importance — if it’s important enough to have a ritual, it’s important enough to be given your entire attention, and to be done slowly and correctly. You don’t have to learn the Zen monk rituals — you can create your own, for the preparation of food, for eating, for cleaning, for what you do before you start your work, for what you do when you wake up and before you go to bed, for what you do just before exercise. Anything you want, really.

7. Designate time for certain things.

There are certain times in the day of a Zen monk designated for certain activities. A time for for bathing, a time for work, a time for cleaning, a time for eating. This ensures that those things get done regularly. You can designate time for your own activities, whether that be work or cleaning or exercise or quiet contemplation. If it’s important enough to do regularly, consider designating a time for it.

8. Devote time to sitting.

In the life of a Zen monk, sitting meditation (zazen) is one of the most important parts of his day. Each day, there is time designated just for sitting. This meditation is really practice for learning to be present. You can devote time for sitting meditation, or do what I do: I use running as a way to practice being in the moment. You could use any activity in the same way, as long as you do it regularly and practice being present.

9. Smile and serve others.

Zen monks spend part of their day in service to others, whether that be other monks in the monastery or people on the outside world. It teaches them humility, and ensures that their lives are not just selfish, but devoted to others. If you’re a parent, it’s likely you already spend at least some time in service to others in your household, and non-parents may already do this too. Similarly, smiling and being kind to others can be a great way to improve the lives of those around you. Also consider volunteering for charity work.

10. Make cleaning and cooking become meditation.

Aside from the zazen mentioned above, cooking and cleaning are to of the most exalted parts of a Zen monk’s day. They are both great ways to practice mindfulness, and can be great rituals performed each day. If cooking and cleaning seem like boring chores to you, try doing them as a form of meditation. Put your entire mind into those tasks, concentrate, and do them slowly and completely. It could change your entire day (as well as leave you with a cleaner house).

11. Think about what is necessary.

There is little in a Zen monk’s life that isn’t necessary. He doesn’t have a closet full of shoes, or the latest in trendy clothes. He doesn’t have a refrigerator and cabinets full of junk food. He doesn’t have the latest gadgets, cars, televisions, or iPod. He has basic clothing, basic shelter, basic utensils, basic tools, and the most basic food (they eat simple, vegetarian meals consisting usually of rice, miso soup, vegetables, and pickled vegetables). Now, I’m not saying you should live exactly like a Zen monk — I certainly don’t. But it does serve as a reminder that there is much in our lives that aren’t necessary, and it can be useful to give some thought about what we really need, and whether it is important to have all the stuff we have that’s not necessary.

12. Live simply.

The corollary of Rule 11 is that if something isn’t necessary, you can probably live without it. And so to live simply is to rid your life of as many of the unnecessary and unessential things as you can, to make room for the essential. Now, what is essential will be different to each person. For me, my family, my writing, my running and my reading are essential. To others, yoga and spending time with close friends might be essential. For others it will be nursing and volunteering and going to church and collecting comic books. There is no law saying what should be essential for you — but you should consider what is most important to your life, and make room for that by eliminating the other less essential things in your life.

Vipassana Meditation by S N Goenka

Two short, simple and clear introductory videos about Vipassana meditation - a type of mindfulness meditation which also stresses awareness of body reactions to feelings.

http://video.server.dhamma.org/video/intro/vintro.htm

It is presented by Mr S N Goenka http://www.dhamma.org/en/goenka.shtml of the world wide network of Vipassana Centres which includes the centre in Woori Yallock Victoria

http://www.dhamma.org/en/schedules/schaloka.htm

No Birth and No Death by Thich Nhat Hanh

Some people might ask you, "When is your birthday?" But you may ask yourself a more interesting question: "Before that day which was my birthday, where was I?"

Ask a cloud, "What is your date of birth? Before you were born, where were you?"

If you ask the cloud, "How old are you? Can you give me your date of birth?" you can listen deeply and you may hear a reply.

You can imagine the cloud being born. Before being born it was the water on the ocean's surface. Or was it in the river and then it became vapor. The wind is there too, helping the water to become a cloud. The cloud does not come from nothing, there has only been a change in form.

It is not a birth of something out of nothing.

Sooner or later the cloud will change into rain or snow or ice. If you look deeply into the rain, you can see the cloud. The cloud is not lost; it is transformed into rain, and the rain is transformed into grass and the grass into cows and then to milk and then into the ice cream you eat.

Today if you eat an ice cream, give yourself time to look at the ice cream and say: "Hello cloud! I recognize you." By doing that, you have insight and understanding into the real nature of the ice cream and the cloud.

You can also see the ocean, the river, the heat, the sun, the grass and the cow in the ice cream.

Looking deeply, you do not see a real date of birth and you do not see a real date of death for the cloud. All that happens is that the cloud transforms into rain or snow.

There is no real death because there is always a continuation.

A cloud continues the ocean, the river and the heat of the sun, and the rain continues the cloud.
Before it was born, the cloud was already there, so today, when you drink a glass of milk or a cup of tea or eat an ice cream, please follow your breathing.

Look into the tea or the ice cream and say hello to the cloud.

Twin paths to a world full of love

Article from: Sunday Herald Sun

Bryan Patterson

November 11, 2007 12:00am

THEY lived 500 years and more than 3000km apart, but Jesus and Buddha were soulmates, according to a new book.

Another recent book on the pair suggests Jesus might have studied Buddhism and adopted some of its philosophies.

Some modern scholars have been intensely studying the sayings of both religious masters to find similarities.

It's not that easy. The Dalai Lama once said trying to mix Buddhism and Christianity was like "trying to put a yak's head on a cow's body".

Maybe, but some modern Buddhist evangelists seem to be doing great business blurring the lines between cows and yaks.

Pop Buddhism has humanist beliefs that seem similar, at a glance, to the noble Christian ethics.

Of course, there are major differences in the spirituality of the West and the East, which avoids attaching a divine will to ethical codes.

Buddhists don't generally believe in the supernatural, but believe in reincarnation and the possibility for humans to live several lives.

In Christianity, each life is unique and is the only chance for salvation.

Buddha was born a prince into a wealthy Indian family, while Jesus was born into a poor and oppressed minority in a land under occupation. He declared himself divine and had to die to prove it.

Christ became a dangerous social and religious revolutionary while Buddha became a quiet teacher of spiritual wisdom.

But many of their words have a common thread,

Jesus said the heart of Christianity was: "Do unto others as you would have them do to you." Buddha said his Golden Rule was: "Consider others as yourself. Remember that you are like other men."

About love, Jesus said: "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends."

Buddha said: "Just as a mother would protect her only child at the risk of her own life, even so, cultivate a boundless heart toward all beings. Let your thoughts of boundless love pervade the whole world."

All religion, in essence, makes the assessment that temporal life is, in some ways, unsatisfactory, asks the ultimate human questions and proclaims the answers. For Christians and Muslims it is about salvation. For Buddhists it is seeing "the true nature" of yourself.

The common way to enlightenment, according to each faith, is to proclaim universal love and believe the spirit is more important than the body.

Religious scholar Dr Marcus Borg, in his book Jesus and Buddha: The Parallel Sayings, said they shared a primary interest in compassion, extolled the love of enemies and encouraged their followers to find a new way to live beyond human appetites.

The wisdom of both was "world-subverting".

Vietnamese Buddhist monk and prolific writer Thich Nhat Hanh lights candles daily to celebrate both Buddha and Christ.

He said Buddha and Jesus were pivotal figures, both "living streams" who opened the way to better lives on Earth and in the afterlife.

But he also said: "We don't want to say that Buddhism is a kind of Christianity and Christianity is a kind of Buddhism. A mango cannot be an orange. If you analyse the mango and the orange deeply enough, you will see small elements are in both. If you look a little deeper, you discover many things in common."

Buddhists generally believe the universe evolved through natural law and that truth has been given through countless ages by various Buddhas.

To Buddhists, Jesus is seen as an Enlightened One, although the crucifixion of Christ is difficult to explain in terms of the law of karma. How could someone so enlightened and good end up on a wooden cross?

Still, followers of the faiths can learn from each other.

Christian philosopher Thomas Merton was not too concerned with the differences between cows and yaks.

He said: "I couldn't understand the Christian teaching the way I do if it weren't in the light of Buddhism."

Thich Nhat Hanh video of conversation with Ram Dass

http://lorilynh.typepad.com/between_dreams/2007/11/sacred-life-min.html

"We Are Here to Awaken From the Illusion of Our Separateness." ~Thich Nhat Hanh.

Heart Sutra commentary by Thich Nhat Hanh

HEART SUTRA COMMENTARY

An extract from The Heart of Understanding by Thich Nhat Hanh

Through mindfulness we experience Interbeing
which means everything is in everything else.
Therefore, one should know that Perfect Understanding
is a great mantra, is the highest mantra,
is the unequalled mantra, the destroyer of all suffering,
the incorruptible truth. This is the mantra:

"Gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha."

A MANTRA IS something that you utter when your body, your mind and your breath are at one in deep concentration. When you dwell in that deep concentration, you look into things and see them as clearly as you see an orange that you hold in the palm of your hand. Looking deeply into the five skandhas, Avalokitesvara (the Buddha) saw the nature of inter- being and overcame all pain. He became completely liberated. It was in that state of deep concentration, of joy, of liberation, that he uttered something important. That is why his utterance is a mantra.

When two young people love each other, but the young man has not said so yet, the young lady may be waiting for three very important words. If the young man is a very responsible person, he probably wants to be sure of his feeling, and he may wait a long time before saying it. Then one day, sitting together in a park, when no one else is nearby and everything is quiet, after the two of them have been silent for a long time, he utters these three words. When the young lady hears this, she trembles, because it is such an important statement. When you say something like that with your whole being, not just with your mouth or your intellect, but with your whole being, it can transform the world. A statement that has such power of transformation is called a mantra. Alokitesvara's mantra is

"Gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha."

Gate means gone. Gone from suffering to the liberation of suffering. Gone from forgetfulness to mindfulness. Gone from duality into non-duality. Gate gate means gone, gone. Paragate means gone all the way to the other shore. So this mantra is said in a very strong way. Gone, gone, gone all the way over. In Parasamgate sammeans everyone, the sangha, the entire community of beings. Everyone gone over to the other shore. Bodhi is the light inside, enlightenment, or awakening. You see it and the vision of reality liberates you. And svaha is a cry of joy or excitement, like "Welcome!" or "Hallelujah!" "Gone, gone, gone all the way over, everyone gone to the other shore, enlightenment, svaha !"

THAT IS WHAT the bodhisattva uttered. When we listen to this mantra, we should bring ourselves into that state of attention, of concentration, so that we can receive the strength emanated by Avalokitesvara. We do not recite the Heart Sutra like singing a song, or with our intellect alone. If you practise the meditation on emptiness, if you penetrate the nature of interbeing with all your heart, your body, and your mind, you will realize a state that is quite concentrated. If you say the mantra then, with all your being, the mantra will have power and you will be able to have real communication, real communion with Avalokitesvara, and you will be able to transform yourself in the direction of enlightenment.

This text is not just for chanting, or to be put on an altar for worship. It is given to us as a tool to work for our liberation, for the liberation of all beings. It is like a tool for farming, given to us so that we may farm. This is the gift of Avalokita.

There are three kinds of gift. The first is the gift of material resources. The second is the gift of know-how, the gift of the Dharma. The third, the highest kind of gift, is the gift of non-fear. Avalokitesvara is someone who can help us liberate ourselves from fear.

TheHeart Sutra gives us solid ground for making peace with ourselves, for transcending the fear of birth and death, the duality of this and that. In the light of emptiness, everything is everything else, we inter-are, everyone is responsible for everything that happens in life. When you produce peace and happiness in yourself, you begin to realize peace for the whole world. With the smile that you produce in yourself, with the conscious breathing you establish within yourself, you begin to work for peace in the world.

To smile is not to smile only for yourself, the world will change because of your smile. When you practise sitting meditation, if you enjoy even one moment of your sitting, if you establish serenity and happiness inside yourself, you provide the world with a solid base of peace. If you do not give yourself peace, how can you share it with others? If you do not begin your peace work with yourself, where will you go to begin it? To sit, to smile, to look at things and really see them, these are the basis of peace work.

Yesterday, we had a tangerine party. Everyone was offered one tangerine. We put the tangerine on the palm of our hand and looked at it, breathing in a way that the tangerine became real. Most of the time when we eat a tangerine, we do not look at it. We think about many other things. To look at a tangerine is to see the blossom forming into the fruit, to see the sunshine and the rain. The tangerine in our palm is the wonderful presence of life. We are able to really see that tangerine and smell its blossom and the warm, moist earth. As the tangerine becomes real, we become real. Life in that moment becomes real.

Mindfully we began to peel our tangerine and smell its fragrance. We carefully took each section of the tangerine and put in on our tongue, and we could feel that it was a real tangerine. We ate each section of the tangerine in perfect mindfulness until we finished the entire fruit. Eating a tangerine in this way is very important, because both the tangerine and the eater of the tangerine become real. This, too, is the basic work for peace.

In Buddhist meditation we do not struggle for the kind of enlightenment that will happen five or ten years from now. We practise so that each moment of our life becomes real life. And, therefore, when we meditate, we sit for sitting; we don't sit for something else. If we sit for twenty minutes, these twenty minutes should bring us joy, life. If we practise walking meditation, we walk just for walking, not to arrive. We have to be alive with each step, and if we are, each step brings real life back to us.

The same kind of mindfulness can be practised when we eat breakfast, or when we hold a child in our arms. Hugging is a Western custom, but we from the East would like to contribute the practice of conscious breathing to it. When you hold a child in your arms, or hug your mother, or your husband, or your friend, breathe in and out three times and your happiness will be multiplied by at least tenfold. And when you look at someone, really look at them with mindfulness, and practise conscious breathing.

At the beginning of each meal, I recommend that you look at your plate and silently recite, "My plate is empty now, but I know that it is going to be filled with delicious food in just a moment."While waiting to be served or to serve yourself, I suggest you breathe three times and look at it even more deeply, "At this very moment many, many people around the world are also holding a plate but their plate is going to be empty for a long time." Forty thousand children die each day because of the lack of food. Children alone. We can be very happy to have such wonderful food, but we also suffer because we are capable of seeing. But when we see in this way, it makes us sane, because the way in front ofus is clear - the way to live so that we can make peace with ourselves and with the world.

When we see the good and the bad, the wondrous and the deep suffering, we have to live in a way that we can make peace between ourselves and the world. Understanding is the fruit of meditation. Understanding is the basis of everything.

Each breath we take, each step we make, each smile we realize, is a positive contribution to peace, a necessary step in the direction of peace for the world. In the light of interbeing, peace and happiness in your daily life mean peace and happiness in the world.

Thank you for being so attentive. Thank you for listening to Avalokitesvara. Because you are there, the Heart Sutra has become very easy.

This extract is reprinted from The Heart of Understanding, published by Parallax Press, Berkeley.

Seeing

When someone holds up a flower and shows it to you, he wants you to see it. If you keep thinking, you miss the flower.
~Thich Nhat Hanh

Buddhists, Biologists and Business Cards: Coming to terms with the stickiness of life

By Jeremy Sherman

David Belasco, the American theatrical producer, once said to an aspiring playwright, "If you can't write your idea on the back of my business card, you don't have a clear idea."

SEPTEMBER 1998- Many a prolific philosopher would disagree, but as anyone in marketing knows, succinct sells. Simple and direct is the way people want it, especially now that we're all so pressed for time.

Among the Buddha's many revelations was awareness of the mis-fit between subtle understanding and people's appetite for hearing it. He is quoted as having said, "I have penetrated this truth, deep, hard to perceive, hard to understand . . . But this is a race devoting itself to the things to which it clings . . . And if I were to teach the truth and other men [sic.] did not acknowledge it to me, that would be wearisome to me; that would be hurtful to me . . . This that through many toils I've won – enough! Why should I make it known?"

To our benefit, Buddha persevered, accommodating the race with simplifying parables and bullet points like the four Noble Truths. Buddha was certainly up to Belasco's challenge. Had he met the producer at a cocktail party, he'd have accepted his card and written something like this:

Interdependent Co-Arising is one of the two core teachings of all Buddhist schools. According to the Encyclopedia of Eastern Thought, "The doctrine of Interdependent Arising says that all psychological and physical phenomena constituting individual existence are interdependent, and mutually condition each other." We might think of causality starting with A, but the Encyclopedia continues: "Interdependent Co-Arising does not refer to a temporal succession, but rather to the essential interdependence of all things."

Some people – eager to encourage generosity in their fellow humans – will tell you that the point of Pattica Samuppada is that we are all one; that the web of life includes all of us, and that you really ought to behave as if you knew this. But Pattica Samuppada means something much more useful than this, even if you can distill it onto the back of a business card. Yes, we are one with everything, but as individuals we are one with some things more than others.

Now, were biologist and complexity theory pioneer Stuart Kauffman at the same cocktail party as Buddha, facing the same challenge, he would boil his voluminous thought down to the same A-through-C diagram. Kauffman is not a Buddhist and would have called Paticca Samuppada by a different name: autocatalytic sets.

Kauffman thinks about the origins of life. With Darwin we begin to know how life evolves, but how it began remains a mystery. Science's best hypothesis before Kauffman was a Darwinian one: the constituent parts of the first organic molecules found each other randomly and started replicating. Before life, these constituent parts were very sparse. Bumping into each other would have taken a long time, but then the universe's roughly six billion years before life was a long time. Time enough, say some, for the chance encounter.

Kauffman and many other theorists don't buy it. Some theologians agree – arguing that the hand of God must have been in it up to the elbow. Without resorting to inconceivable luck or an active God, Kauffman has come up with a new explanation. Or, I should say, old.

Kauffman's alternative can be simplified to this: suppose one of the constituent parts of organic molecules – call it A – works like a catalyst bringing together two common inorganic molecules that happen to make another molecule out of the constituent parts – call this one B. Suppose B then makes C out of more inorganics. Now suppose that C catalyzes more of A. What you get is a mutually supporting, mutually building, interdependently co-arising network of catalysts – an autocatalytic set – that grows until the constituent parts are populous enough that their chance encounter becomes more likely. Using computer models, Kauffman demonstrates that sets like these were not only possible, but likely to occur.

It's like the economy: in Economics 101, the story goes, the butcher buys hot dog buns from the baker who then buys candlesticks from the candlestick maker who, in turn, goes out for a hot dog with the money he's made. The money goes round and round. Everyone's dependent on everyone else in a self-supporting network. There's no saying which action comes first and it matters less once you recognize the co-arising.

To scientists like Kauffman, this resemblance between biology and economics is more than uncanny coincidence. Scientists have collected enough details about enough different kinds of living systems to draw a composite sketch of the general patterns of change and stability that emerge everywhere – from ecologies to economies, to cultures, to families, and even to our individual and personal psyches. They call these generic patterns "the behavior of complex adaptive systems." Hence the name for their area of research: complexity.

Here's an example from the movies. Hundreds of people arrive at a theater before show time. Some have big hair, some have hats. Some are tall; some are short. With lots of shifting and squirming – but no top-down or step-by-step maneuvering – each member of the audience finds a full view by the time the first preview rolls. Complex adaptive systems get even more complex than that. Most are more like a theater whose aisles of seats roll up and down like ocean waves throughout the movie.That is, the environment changes.

Changing environments, and human reactions to them, were how Buddha recognized interdependent co-arising in our psyches. We tend to resist change, and he wondered why. Our minds can be seen as autocatalytic sets of interdependently co-arising, self-perpetuating constellations of ideas, feelings, and impulses. The perpetuation provides us with both the continuity and reliability we need to survive – and the stubbornness that sometimes gets in the way of adapting to changes in our environment.

That stubbornness is the subject of Buddha's second noble bullet point: durga, translated as "suffering," arises from the sticky commitments to ideas and behaviors that we find ourselves in. As Buddha said, his truth was "hard to perceive, hard to understand." We talk about belief "systems," as if we recognize that our minds are interdependently co-arising complexes, but in other ways we forget.

We often say, "The reason I did B was A," as if we could discover the one causal strand leading sequentially from A to B, ignoring the way B and A are in a mutually-supporting relationship (to say nothing of C through Z++). We say: "I'll believe it when I see it," but the obverse is at least as true. We see it when we believe it.

We more easily absorb and retain information that reinforces expectations. We dismiss, ignore, and overlook what doesn't fit our expectations. We often act as though our beliefs cause our actions, like A causing B. But B also causes A. We act, and then construct wrap-around beliefs to encompass our actions.

I don't sit down to write as much as I would like because I have too many distractions. But conversely, I have too many distractions because I have an aversion to writing. We don't protest environmental degradation because we don't believe it’s a big issue, but conversely we don't think it’s a big issue because taking action is daunting. A smoker with his very first pack discovers that smoking induces relaxation. Once addicted, the need to relax makes us smoke.

Happiness in general is like cigarettes. Experiments suggest that happiness is relative. What's newly acquired makes us happy at first, but later, only its absence is felt. Necessity is the mother of invention, but invention is also the mother of necessity. No one knew they needed personal computers until they were available.

Our emotions, thoughts, and behaviors emerge together in mutually perpetuating networks – package deals. Someone with low self-esteem is compelled to invest enormous energy in bolstering themselves with fantasies and boasts. The more secure and confident a person is, the more willing they are to be questioned and doubted. The less secure, the more rigid. Harsh critics gain confidence by scorning the choices others make, but constrain their options in the process.

Increasingly, I see my beliefs and behaviors arising in a galactic sense. I'm like a planet pulled and repelled in relation to many other planets – consciously and unconsciously pulled into relationships by ideas, people, and things. I'm at one with all things, but my connection to most is negligible. The strong connections tug me in many different directions. Shifting in relation to one means shifting in relation to others. Responding costs. Thus, I'll never evaluate a new idea or behavior on an even playing field with my status quo. My mind is quite naturally closed. The older I get, the greater the degree of closure, since with time I accumulate commitments in my autocatalytic set. The longer you live in one place, the harder it is to pick up and leave, because you accumulate commitments over time.

I stake out a position, too. I seek stability and a sense of self, which I attain through having strong opinions. Like the critic, I opine, therefore I am, not remembering that every time I form an opinion, I also limit my options. Indeed, I opine so as to limit my options to a manageable number, but at the same time I constrain myself. My appetite for stability and for flexibility are in perpetual tension.

Buddhist/Taoist scholar Alan Watts once said, "The lifestyle of one who follows the Tao must be understood primarily as a form of intelligence – that is, of knowing the principles, structures, and trends of human and natural affairs so well that one uses the least amount of energy in dealing with them." This accords with what Buddha would say on the back of the business card. Notice autocatalytic stickiness is fundamental in nature. Just notice?

Zen Master Seng-ts'an said: "The great Way is not difficult if you don't cling to good and bad. Just let go of your preferences, and everything will be perfectly clear." Enlightenment is easy if you have no preferences. I see the old master winking at us. We, who prefer preferences.

Buddha – at least as quoted above – had preferences. Life science makes clear that for all living things, there's no escaping preference. We come by it honestly. Buddha's first great gift was insight into the systems of interdependent co-arising that give rise to our preferences. His second was ways of recognizing the structure of sticky systems. By recognizing, we gain an increment of flexibility within them. Paradoxically, by succumbing to our stickiness, we loosen its clawed grip on us. Using less energy adapting to the ever-roiling seats at the movie theater of life. That’s what lay scientists and spiritual thinkers want most of all.

It’s not enough that science and spirituality make peace with each other. It’s not enough that the hybrid species is viable. The hybrid, at its best, should be more adaptive than either science or spirit alone. Only then will this "race devoting itself to the things to which it clings" find the nexus useful, and attend to its subtleties.

-------------------------

Jeremy Sherman is president of Convergent Adaptive Solutions, a consulting firm in Berkeley, CA, USA, applying convergent ideas from eastern and evolutionary philosophy to personal and organizational decision-making processes. He is working on a doctoral degree at Union Institute and can be reached at .

FURTHER READING:

Macy, Joanna, Mutual Causality in Buddhism and General Systems Theory: The Dharma of Natural Systems. New York: SUNY Press, 1991

Kauffman, Stuart, At Home in the Universe: The Search for the Laws of Self-Organization and Complexity. New York: Oxford University Press, 1995.

Interdependent Co-arising

from The heart of the Buddha's teaching - The Two Truths
by Thich Nhat Hanh
...
All teachings of Buddhism are based on Interdependent Co-arising. If a teaching is not in accord with Interdependent Co-Arising, it is not a teaching of the Buddha. when you have grasped Interdependent Co-Arising, you bring that insight to shine on the three baskets (tripitaka) of the teaching. Interdependent Co-Arising allows you to see the Buddha, and the Two Truths allow you to hear the Buddha. When you are able to see and hear the Buddha, you will not lose your way as you traverse the ocean of his teachings.

The Buddha said that there are twelve links (nidanas) in the "chain" of Interdependent Co-Arising. The first is ignorance (avidya). Vidya means seeing, understanding, or light. Avidya means the lack of light, the lack of understanding, or blindness. Although ignorance is usually listed as the first link, it does not mean that ignorance is a first cause. It is also possible to begin the list with old age and death.

The second link is volitional action (samskara), also translated as formations, impulses, motivating energy, karma formations, or the will to cling to being. When we have a lack of understanding, anger, irritation, or hatred can arise.

The third link is consciousness (vjiñana). Consciousness here means the whole of consciousness -- individual and collective, mind consciousness and store consciousness, subject and object. And consciousness here is filled with unwholesome and erroneous tendencies connected with ignorance that are of the nature to bring about suffering.

The fourth link is mind/body, or name and form (nama rupa). "Name" (nama) means the mental element and "form" (rupa) means the physical element of our being. Both mind and body are objects of our consciousness. When we look at our hand, it is an object of our consciousness. When we touch our anger, sadness, or happiness, these are also objects of our consciousness.

The sixth link is the contact (sparsha) between sense organ, sense object, and sense consciousness. When eyes and form, ears and sound, nose and smell, tongue and taste, body and touch, and mind and object of mind come into contact, sense consciousness is born. Contact is a basis for feelings. It is a universal mental formation, present in every mental formation.

The seventh link is feelings (vedana), which can be pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral. When a feeling is pleasant, we become attached (the ninth link).

The eighth link is craving (trishna), or desire. Craving is followed by grasping.

The ninth link is grasping or attachment (upadana). It means we are caught in the thralls of the object.

The tenth link is "coming to be" (bhava), being, or becoming. Because we desire something, it comes to be. We have to look deeply to know what we really want.

The eleventh link is birth (jati).

The twelfth link is old age (or decay) and death (jaramarana).

Ignorance conditions volitional actions. Volitional actions condition consciousness. Consciousness conditions mind/body. And so on. As soon as ignorance is present, all the other links -- volitional actions, consciousness, mind/body, and so on -- are already there. Each link contains all the other links. Because there is ignorance, there are volitional actions. Because there are volitional actions, there is consciousness. Because there is consciousness there is mind/body, and so on.

In the Five Aggregates, there is nothing that we can call a self. Ignorance is the inability to see this truth. Consciousness, mind/body, the six senses and their objects, contact, and feeling are the effect of ignorance and volitional actions. Because of craving, grasping, and coming to be, there will be birth and death, which means the continuation of this wheel, or chain, again and again.

When artists illustrate the twelve links of Interdependent Co-Arising, they often draw a blind woman to represent ignorance; a man gathering fruit in the jungle or a potter at work to illustrate volitional actions; a restless monkey grasping this and that for consciousness; a boat to represent mind/body; a house with many windows for the six senses and their objects; a man and a woman close to each other to represent contact; a man pierced by an arrow for feeling; and man drinking wine for craving or thirst; a man and a woman in sexual union or a man picking fruit from a tree to represent attachment or grasping; a pregnant woman for coming to be; a woman giving birth for birth; an old woman leaning on a stick or a man carrying a corpse on his back or his shoulder for old age and death.

Another way that artists sometimes depict the twelve links is to draw an embryo in the womb for consciousness; the child just before birth for mind/body; the child from one to two years old, when his or her life is dominated by touching, for the six senses and their objects; the same child from three to five years old for contact; and an adult for desire or attachment.

There do not have to be exactly twelve links. In the Abhidharma texts of the Sarvastivada School, it says that you can teach one, two, three, four, or five, op to twelve links. The one link belongs to the unconditioned realm (asamskrita). The two links are cause and effect. The three links are past, present, and future. The four links are ignorance, volitional actions, birth, and old age and death. The five links are craving, grasping, coming to be, birth, and old age and death. The six links are past cause, present cause, future causes, past result, present result, and future result. Because ignorance and volitional actions exist in consciousness, and the six ayatanas exist in name and form, in the Mahanidana Sutta the Buddha lists only nine links. At other times Buddha taught ten links, omitting ignorance and volitional actions.

Sometimes when the Buddha taught Interdependent Co-Arising, he began with old age and death and the suffering that accompanies them. In the sutras that do not include ignorance and volitional actions as links, the Buddha ends by saying that mind/body is conditioned by consciousness, and consciousness is conditioned by mind/body. The Buddha never wanted us to understand the twelve links in a linear way -- that there is a line going from ignorance to old age and death or that there are exactly and only twelve links. Not only does ignorance give rise to volitional actions, but volitional actions also give rise to ignorance. Each link in the chain or Interdependent Co-Arising is both a cause and an effect of all the other links in the chain. The twelve links inter-are.

In the tendency to see the teachings of the Buddha as an explanation of how things are rather than as a support and guide to the practice, the twelve links have been misunderstood in many ways. One way has been to see them as a way to explain why there is birth and death. The Buddha usually began the twelve links with old age and death to help us get in touch with suffering and find its roots. This is closely linked to the teachings and practice of the Four Noble Truths. It was after the lifetime of the Buddha that teachers more often that not began with ignorance, to help prove why there is birth and death. Ignorance became a kind of first cause, even though the Buddha always taught that no first cause can be found. If ignorance exists, it is because there are causes that give rise to and deepen ignorance. The Buddha was not a philosopher trying to explain the universe. He was a spiritual guide who wanted to help us put an end to our suffering.

Two other theories based on the Twelve Links evolved after the lifetime of the Buddha. One was called the Three Times and the other the Two Levels of Cause and Effect. According to these theories, ignorance and volitional actions belong to the past; birth and old age and death belong to the future; and all the other links from consciousness to coming to be belong to the present. It is true that ignorance and volitional actions existed before we were born, but they also exist in the present. They are contained within all the other links, which include the so-called links of the present and future.

Regarding the Two Levels of Cause and Effect, at the first level, ignorance and volitional actions are said to be causes, and consciousness, mind/body, the six ayatanas, and contact are effects. At the second level, feelings, craving, grasping, and coming to be in this life lead to birth and old age and death in a future life. Theories like these are not entirely inaccurate, but we have to be able to go beyond them. All commentaries and theories contain some misunderstanding, but we can still feel gratitude to these commentators and theorists for taking the teachings in a new direction to help people transform, while basically conforming to teachings of the Buddha.

When we hear from commentators that some links are causes (namely ignorance and volitional actions) and others are effects (
namely birth and old age and death), we know that this is not consistent with the Buddha's teaching that everything is both a cause and an effect. To think that ignorance gives rise to consciousness, which then gives rise to mind/body would be a dangerous oversimplification. When the Buddha said, "Ignorance conditions volitional actions," he meant that there is a relationship of cause and effect between ignorance and volitional actions. Ignorance nourishes volitional actions, but volitional actions also nourish ignorance. Ignorance activates consciousness by producing feelings of discomfort, craving, boredom, intention, and aspiration, so these feelings are called volitional actions. Once these feelings are active in consciousness, they make ignorance stronger. The tree gives rise to and nourishes its leaves, but the leaves also nourish the tree. Leaves are not just the children of the tree. They are also the mother of the tree. Because of the leaves the tree is able to grow. Every leaf is a factory synthesizing sunshine to nourish the tree.

The interbeing of leaf and tree is parallel to the interbeing of the Twelve Links of Interdependent Co-Arising. We say that ignorance conditions volitional actions, but ignorance also conditions consciousness, both through volitional actions and directly. Ignorance conditions mind/body as well. If there were no ignorance in mind/body, mind/body would be different. Our six organs and the six objects of these organs also contain ignorance. My perception of the flower is based on my eyes and on the form of the flower. As soon as my perception becomes caught in the sign "flower," ignorance is there. Therefore, ignorance is present in contact, and it is also present in feelings, craving, grasping, coming to be, birth, and old age and death. Ignorance is not just in the past. It is present now, in each of our cells, and each of our mental formations. If there were no ignorance, we would not become attached to things. If there were not ignorance, we would not grasp the objects of our attachment. If there were no ignorance, the suffering that is manifesting right now would not be there. Our practice is to identify ignorance when it is present. Grasping is in volitional actions, feelings, coming to be, birth, old age and death. Our infatuations, our running away from this or toward that, and our intentions can be seen in all the other links. Every link conditions every other link and is conditioned by them.

With this understanding, we can abandon the idea of a sequential chain of causation and enter deeply the practice of the Twelve Links of Interdependent Co-Arising. Although it says in the sutra that consciousness brings about mind/body, that mind/body brings about the six ayatanas, and so on, we must understand this as a way of speaking and nothing more. We have to see the Twelve Links in a broad, open way.

Consider, for example, craving as the fruit of feeling. Sometimes a feeling does not lead to craving, but to aversion. Sometimes the feeling is not accompanied by ignorance, but by understanding, lucidity, or loving kindness, and the outcome will not be craving or aversion. To say that feeling brings about craving is not precise enough. Feeling with attachment and ignorance brings about craving. We must link each of the Twelve Links with all the other links. This is what the Heart Sutra means when it tells us, "No Interdependent Co-Arising." The Twelve Links are "empty," because each of them would not exist without all the others. Feeling cannot be without craving, grasping, coming to be, birth, old age and death, ignorance, volitional actions, and so on. In each of the twelve links, we see the presence of the other eleven. Feeling can lead to craving, non-craving, or equanimity.

The End of Suffering

May the sound of this bell be heard throughout cosmos.

May all beings hear it clearly even in the deepest darkness,

so that all suffering in them ceases,

understanding comes to their heart,

and they transcend the path of sorrow and death.

The universal dharma door is already open.

The sound of the rising tide is heard clearly.

The miracle happens.

A child appears in the heart of the lotus flower.

One single drop of water returns the spring to our mountains and rivers.

Listening to the bell I feel the afflictions in me begin to dissolve.

My mind calms, my body relaxes.

A smile is born on my lips.

Following the bell, my breath brings me back to the safe island of mindfulness.

In the garden of my heart, the flowers of peace bloom.

Thich Nhat Hanh

4o Anniversary of the Self Immolation of Thich Quang Duc

Vietnam has marked the 40th anniversary of the self-immolation of Thich Quang Duc.

The Executive Council of the Vietnamese Buddhist Church and local government officials in Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, attended the memorial service at the An Quang Pagoda.

On June 11, 1963, Duc, a 67-year-old monk from the Linh-Mu Pagoda in Hue, burned himself to death at a busy intersection in Saigon.


Thich Nhat Hnah describes the act of self-immolation as follows:
"The press spoke then of suicide, but in the essence, it is not. It is not even a protest. What the monks said in the letters they left before burning themselves aimed only at alarming, at moving the hearts of the oppressors, and at calling the attention of the world to the suffering endured then by the Vietnamese. To burn oneself by fire is to prove that what one is saying is of the utmost importance…. The Vietnamese monk, by burning himself, says with all his strength and determination that he can endure the greatest of sufferings to protect his people…. To express will by burning oneself, therefore, is not to commit an act of destruction but to perform an act of construction, that is, to suffer and to die for the sake of one’s people. This is not suicide."

Thich Nhat Hanh goes on to explaing why Thich Quang Duc’s self-immolation was not a suicide, which is contrary to Buddhist teachings:
"Suicide is an act of self-destruction, having as causes the following: (1) lack of courage to live and to cope with difficulties; (2) defeat by life and loss of all hope; (3) desire for nonexistence….. The monk who burns himself has lost neither courage nor hope; nor does he desire nonexistence. On the contrary, he is very courageous and hopeful and aspires for something good in the future. He does not think that he is destroying himself; he believes in the good fruition of his act of self-sacrifice for the sake of others…. I believe with all my heart that the monks who burned themselves did not aim at the death of their oppressors but only at a change in their policy. Their enemies are not man. They are intolerance, fanaticism, dictatorship, cupidity, hatred, and discrimination which lie within the heart of man."

The Impact of the Self-Immolation
This famous picture was on President Kennedy's desk that day. As a result, Thich Quang Duc's self-immolation:
Accelerated the spread of "engaged Buddhism" that had begun in Vietnam in the 1930’s.
Led to the overthrow of the Diem regime in South Vietnam in November of 1963.
Helped change public opinion against the American backed South Vietnamese government and its war against the communist supported Viet Cong.
The social and political impact of Thich Quang Duc’s self-immolation was far reaching. It was reported in the New York Times the next day and a copy of the fach Quang Duc in 1963 has been followed by the self-immolation of several monks and by the continued activism of the "rebellious monks of Hue" against the communist government in Vietnam over the past three decades.

http://www.buddhistinformation.com/self_immolation.htm

Being Your Witness

By Nikhil Gangoli

In some of my earlier articles in this series I have stressed on the need to witness your thoughts and feelings. Through the act of witnessing we dis-identify with the mind and obtain some rest
from out fretful, anxious selves.

This act of witnessing can be done at any moment during the day when we are with ourselves and not fully occupied in our work and other activities. During our hours of meditation, of course,
we are necessarily involved in being a witness.

A simple but powerful method of witnessing is as follows:- Simply acknowledge your thoughts and feelings as they arise within you.

Anchor yourself in the present moment by simultaneously being aware of your in breath and out breath. For example: I am breathing in and am aware of a pleasant sensation. Or I am breathing out and am aware of a sad sensation. Or I am breathing in and am aware of a neutral feeling.

It may be noted that in Buddhist Philosophy feelings are categorized as pleasant, unpleasant and neutral. I have learned Vipassana meditation and during the course Mr. Goenka the main instructor compared our minds with a mischievous monkey. Just as a monkey is forever restless, jumping about from one object to another, so our minds are constantly flitting from object to object, from one thought to another.

Thich Nhat Hanh describes the method I described in the preceding paragraph on acknowledging your thoughts and feelings like a guard observing and acknowledging all the visitors to the building whose entrance he is guarding. But the above analogies contain a contradiction. It arises because we are not separate from the thoughts and feelings, which annoy and distress us. When we feel anger, sadness or irritation we should not push these feelings away. We should not make off ourselves a battlefield, constantly grappling with ourselves. If we think of a guard observing and acknowledging the visitors to a building we get the impression that the guard is separate from the visitors. We think that our witnessing pressure is separate from the thoughts and feelings witnessed.

However we are not separate from our monkey minds, our witnessing presence is not separate from the thoughts and feelings witnessed. And we need to recognize this fact and be one with our thoughts and feelings, observing them compassionately and not creating a battlefield within ourselves. This may seem contradictory to you. On one hand I am asking you to witness your thoughts and feelings and dis-identify with the mind. On the other hand I am asking you to be one with your thoughts, not view them as enemies or adversaries, not to create a battlefield within yourself. It may seem to you that it is impossible to do both together. Yet it is not only possible but is also surprisingly easy.

Life is full of contradictions. As Shakespeare said There are more things in Heaven and Earth than are dreamed of in your philosophy. One method of both witnessing your thoughts as well as being one with them is to observe your thoughts without reacting. If you react observe the reaction without reacting.

This is a 3 step method:
1. Welcome the thought or feelings into your awareness.
2. Observe the same without reacting.
3. Let go of the thought or feeling and bring your attention back to the breath, or back to your meditation practice.

Another way to think of this process is that we are surrendering to whatsoever thoughts and feelings that are arising. There is a famous text from the Bible, Lord, let thy will and not mine be
done. We need some of this attitude of surrender as we approach our meditation practice. If you follow my above instructions you will find it surprisingly easy to meditate for longer and longer periods of time. There was a time when meditation for even half an hour was a huge effort for me. But now within just 4 months I find that I can meditate for an hour at a stretch and feel happy and peaceful.

I do not need to add that following these methods in your day-to-day life will also bring immense benefits to you. I hope you enjoyed this article and that it will be useful to
you.

Breathing Meditation

I am here (in breath)
I am now (out breath)
I have arrived (in breath)
I am home (out breath)

Home

"Your true home is in the here and the now. It is not limited by time, space, nationality, or race. Your true home is not an abstract idea. It is something you can touch and live in every moment. With mindfulness and concentration, the energies of the Buddha, you can find your true home in the full relaxation of your mind and body in the present moment. No one can take it away from you. Other people can occupy your country, they can even put you in prison, but they cannot take away your true home and your freedom.

Thich Nhat Hanh,"Returning Home", Shambhala Sun, March 2006

We Are Our Ancestors

An extract from Thich Nhat Hanh dharma talk with explanations of notions of self and no self

__________________________

When we hear the sound of the bell, we should open ourselves up to allow all the generations of ancestors in us to hear the bell at the same time as we do. It means we shouldn’t imprison ourselves in a shell of self – we should allow our ancestors to listen to the bell at the same time. That is our practice at that moment, because all the generations of ancestors, including our father and our mother are in us in a very concrete way - in every cell of our body. The body contains the mind – the soma contains the psyche, and we could say that the mind also contains the body. That means that the psyche contains the soma and that psyche includes feelings, perceptions, mental formations and consciousness and we should learn to see our mental formations are made out of cells, just as the body is made out of cells. The cells of the body contain the cells of the consciousness and the cells of the consciousness contain the cells of the body.

Psyche and soma are just two sides of the same reality. There isn’t one that precedes the other, just like the particle and the wave are two aspects of the same reality. The wave contains the particle, just as the particle contains the wave. The reality of us is the reality of body and mind. We could call ourselves psyche and we could call ourselves soma, but in fact psyche and soma are two aspects manifesting from one reality. If we look into one cell of our body, or one cell of our consciousness, we recognize the presence of all the generations of ancestors in us – that is the truth. Our ancestors are not just human beings. Before human beings appeared we were other species. We have been trees, plants, grasses, minerals, squirrels and deer. We have been monkeys and one-celled animals and all these generations of ancestors are present in each cell of our body as well as our mind and we are the continuation of this stream of life. Therefore, when we hear the bell, it is not a separate "I" which is listening to the bell, but it is the stream, the vast stream of life, and this is the practice of no-self. We talk a lot about no-self. We could talk about it very fluently but we don’t practice no-self, we just talk about it. When we hear the sound of the bell and we allow all the generations of ancestors and all our descendants, which are already present in our body, to hear it also then we are experiencing the reality of no-self which the Buddha taught. No-self is not some vague idea, but it is a reality which we carry in our very person and we only need to listen properly to the bell and we can go beyond the shell of self. We can go beyond the prison of the idea of a separate self and we allow the sound of the bell to penetrate every generation of the past and the future which is in us.

[...]

When we take a step on the green grass of spring, we walk in such a way that allows all our ancestors to take a step with us. Our peace, our joy, our freedom, which are in each step, penetrate each generation of our ancestors and each generation of our descendants. If we can walk like that, that is a step taken in the highest dhyana. When we take one step we see hundreds and thousands of ancestors and descendants taking a step with us, and when we take a breath we are light, at ease, calm. We breathe in such a way that all the generations of ancestors are breathing with us and all the generations of our descendants are also breathing with us... if we breathe like that, only then are we breathing according to the highest teachings. We just need a little mindfulness, a little concentration and then we can look deeply and see. At first we use the method of visualization and we see, as we walk, all the ancestors putting their foot down as we put our foot down, and gradually we don’t need to visualize any more – each step we take, we see that that step is the step of all people in the past.

When you are cooking a dish of food - something you have learnt from your mother or your father, a dish that has been handed down through generations of your family – you should look at your hand and smile because this hand is the hand of your mother, the hand of your grand-mother. Those who have made this dish are making this dish now and that is the truth! We are not the inventors of this dish, we are just continuing. We see our mothers hand, our grand-mothers hand, and the hands of all our ancestors making this dish. When we are in the kitchen cooking, we can realize the highest teachings – we don’t have to go into the meditation hall to practice this. We have so many opportunities, the problem is – do we know how to make the most of them? We have our teacher, we have our Sangha, we have our dharma teachings, we have all the conditions that are necessary to do this and we should use these opportunities. This is not a theory, this is real experience of our daily life... it is real life.

In the past, your grandfather – did he play volleyball? No, he didn’t, because in those days they didn’t have volleyball... Did your grandmother go jogging every day? Did your grand-mother have the opportunity to practice dwelling in the present moment while she was walking... while she was running? When we are running we should allow our grandmother to run in us, and it is the truth that your grandmother is running in you. She is in each cell of your body. You carry all your ancestors in you when jogging, when doing walking meditation and when you are realizing the practice of dwelling happily in the present moment. Maybe other generations didn’t have the opportunity to practice like this. Now we have the opportunity. We have received the practice as taught by our teachers and when we do that practice we bring happiness and joy to countless generations of ancestors, whether we’re practicing walking, running, or breathing.


Thich Nhat Hanh, excerpt from We are our Ancestors and The Sutra on Measuring and Reflecting, Dharma Talk given at 26th of March 1998, New Hamlet, Plum Village, France.

To read the entire talk please refer to:
http://www.plumvillage.org/dharmatalks/html/weareourancestors.html

Daily Enlightenment

The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the green earth in the present moment, to appreciate the peace and beauty that are available now. There is no enlightenment outside of daily life.

— Thich Nhat Hanh

The opposite of the fundamentalist is the mystic, and the most ironic
thing is that mystics of all religions have more in common with each
other than with the fundamentalists who share their religions in name.
Thus, for example, we have the Buddhist monk and writer Thich Nhat
Hanh, a good friend of the Catholic monk and writer Thomas Merton. We
have Hildegaard of Bingen, the Dalai Lama, the famous Rumi. While
mystics may have visions or strange experiences that parallel what can
happen when one is on LSD, the more usual route seems to be that of a
quiet and respectful approach to life. Mystics approach the present
moment as though it were the only thing of importance, and they find
peace in each step they take. In terms of religious dialogue, it is the
mystics who can accomplish everything, since only they realize that
there is no "us" and "them" between religions. Unfortunately, mystics
may be marginalized within their own religious traditions, as is the
case, for example, with Sufiism within Islam.

Aspiration

to love the world just the way it is

Prayer of Saint Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love,
Where there is injury, pardon,
Where there is doubt, faith,
Where there is despair, hope,
Where there is darkness, light,
Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much
seek to be consoled as to console,
not so much to be understood as to understand,
not so much to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
it is in dying that we awake to eternal life.

~ St. Francis of Assisi

Earth Water...Wave

See the tide.

http://zencast.wordpress.com/2007/07/29/zencast-tv-the-essence-of-buddhism/

This is a great site with TV clips on many great thinkers including
Sogyal Rinproche

http://zencast.wordpress.com/2007/07/29/zencast-tv-the-essence-of-buddhism/

Interbeing and Universal Responsibility

In Mahayana Buddhism in particular great emphasis is laid on realizing the union of wisdom and compassionate action.

Human fulfillment is seen to lie in the integration of the inner and outer dimensions of life, not in transcendent wisdom or world-saving compassion alone.

As long as we remain delusively convinced of our egoic separation, then we remain cut off from the capacity to empathize fully with others. Such empathy is nothing other than the affective response to insight into the absence of egoic separation.

For when the fiction of isolated selfhood is exposed, instead of a gaping mystical void we discover that our individual existence is rooted in relationship with the rest of life.

For Thich Nhat Hanh, this is the realization of "interbeing"; for the Dalai Lama that of "universal responsibility": two ideas at the heart of contemporary Engaged Buddhism.

~ Stephen Batchelor, The Awakening of the West

Attending

Attending

Life goes on, we say.
Certainly,
there is on going life

We are part of it.
And it is part of us, I start to say
but how strange it is to think it is just part of me,
- just part of us?
How could it possibly be the case, that part of us is something that is not life?

No.
We always see our separateness from everything.
This is our point of view.

But how can we feel and see the opposite?
– the greater truth.

Ourselves apart yet a part
– this is our sadness, our eternal shadow.
This is the part of life that has no life
- the treasured lifeless self.

But all must be life
– there can be nothing else.
Yet even this we cannot purely see.
- our shadow stilled, attends.

If I see life as all things.
If I see ongoing life as the life itself
.....in the singular
.... the only
….the source,
then is it no birth, no death that I can see?

I see too well the finite separate self
- that is construed,
- that I attend.

But there is something else
from this self I think I see.
- there is the force that does construe it.
- there is the life that deconstructs it
- there is the self that’s in attendance
- there is the self that tends the self.

Is this what knows the unborn face?
Is this the keeper of my compost?
Is this the particle all can’t know?
Is this the nature true?
- the shared unique.

Is this the sense able,
knowable
inexplicable
life indivisible
from one self, all selves
- just self.

Is this the Heart Sutra
… no birth, no death, no fear, no thing, every thing?

Yes…..
…. I think …
- there is nothing
no else, that can be separate.

Such is self
… suchness is life
itself

Ian Roberts

27 July 2007

The Sunna Sutra

Then Ven. Ananda went to the Blessed One and on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As he was sitting there he said to the Blessed One, "It is said that the world is empty, the world is empty, lord. In what respect is it said that the world is empty?"

"Insofar as it is empty of a self or of anything pertaining to a self: Thus it is said, Ananda, that the world is empty. And what is empty of a self or of anything pertaining to a self? The eye is empty of a self or of anything pertaining to a self. Forms... Eye-consciousness... Eye-contact is empty of a self or of anything pertaining to a self.

"The ear is empty...

"The nose is empty...

"The tongue is empty...

"The body is empty...

"The intellect is empty of a self or of anything pertaining to a self. Ideas... Intellect-consciousness... Intellect-contact is empty of a self or of anything pertaining to a self. Thus it is said that the world is empty."

The Heart Sutra

The Heart of the Great Prajñāpāramitā Sutra
“ The Heart Sutra”

Introduction
The Heart Sutra is a member of the Perfection of Wisdom (Prajñāpāramitā) class of Mahāyāna Buddhist literature and is regarded by many Buddhists as the summation of the wisdom of Buddha. It expresses perfectly the insight attained by non-attachment, the doctrine of emptiness.

The study of the Heart Sutra along with the Diamond Sutra is particularly emphasized in the practice of East Asian Buddhism.

Many Buddhists around the world recite the Heart Sutra daily and in doing so accept that they may never fully understand it.

The first time you read Heart Sutra, you may find that it is difficult to understand because its way of thinking is different from the traditional ones. Try to be open-minded and try to allow it to lead both your thoughts and your feelings. Many would say that it cannot be fully grasped through analytical thought. Like a painting, or a piece of music, it needs to be sensed and experienced for it to be appreciated in depth.

Buddhists believe that The Heart Sutra, in its few words, reveals the entire secret of truth of the universe and life.

Reprinted from http://www.dmcclanahan.com/heart_sutra.htm



The Heart of the Great Prajñāpāramitā Sutra
“ The Heart Sutra”

The Bodhisattva Avlokitisvara while moving the in deep course of perfect understanding (prajnaparamita) looked upon the five skandhas (form/matter, sensation, recognition, volition, and consciousness) and seeing they were empty of self existence said

“Form is emptiness and emptiness is form, form is not separate from emptiness and emptiness is not separate from form.

The same holds true for feelings, sensations, perception, thoughts, memory and consciousness.

All things are of this emptiness, emptiness that is not born, not destroyed, never stained, never pure, neither increasing nor decreasing. Therefore in emptiness there are no forms, sensations, perceptions, or consciousness -no eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind - no shape, sound, smell, taste, touch or thing or thought - no element of perception from eye to conceptual consciousness - no interdependent origins and extinction from them - no ignorance and no end to ignorance - no origin of suffering and no end to suffering - no path - no understanding - no attainment

And seeing there is nothing to attain, the mind is no hindrance and the bodhisattva lives without wall in the mind. Without walls in the mind and thus without fears, the bodhisattva is liberated from illusion and delusion and is truly awakened to the truth – the Buddha nature. Here-now is the only real awakening. All past, present and future Buddhas are entirely within this practice of perfect understanding

Therefore know that the perfect understanding, the prajnaparamita mantra, is the incomparable, shining supreme mantra. It is the very essence and transmission of the great wisdom, the destroyer of all egocentric misery and the liberator of universal compassion. This is the Buddha nature – the one penetrating and incorruptible truth.

Begin now and say

GATE GATE (here – now here-now)
PARA GATE (already her- now)
PARA SAM GATE (altogether here- now)
BODHI SAVA (awakening fulfilled)

One can also interpret the mantra as the progressive steps along the five paths of the Bodhisattva, through the two preparatory stages (the path of accumulation and preparation — Gate, gate), through the first bhumi (path of insight — Pāragate), through the second to seventh bhumi (path of meditation — Pārasamgate), and through the eight to tenth bhumi (stage of no more learning — Bodhi svāhā).

Explanatory notes to Prajna-Paramita Sutra

The Three Classifications:
The fundamental reason that Buddha taught was to provide ways and methods for sentient beings to escape the realm of unending suffering. The essence of his teaching is the Law of Dependent Origination. This law states that when conditions are ripe, phenomena come to be, and when conditions change, the phenomena fade away. However, sentient beings attach to these impermanent phenomena and erroneously conjure up the notions of "self" and/or "this is mine".

To remedy this, the Buddha used the Three Classifications to show that a person is nothing more than a combination of various elements which come together under suitable conditions. Therefore a person is also dependently originated; and hence empty of "self".

The Three Classifications are:
1. The Five Skandhas
2. The Twelve Bases
3. The Eighteen Fields

The Five Skandhas
Skandha [i.e. aggregates, heaps, or groups]: has the meaning of accumulation and grouping together of similar physical and mental phenomena.
The file aggregates [i.e. matter (form), sensation, recognition, volition, and consciousness] come together to form one interdependent unit. This combined unit is unstable and transient, but we attach to this interdependent unit and/or the five aggregates as the self.

The first skandha represents physical elements, and the remaining four represent the mental activities of a person.
Matter (form) (rupa Skandha): refers to physical things. These physical things do not exist independently. Their existence depends on the coming together of the four classical elements. (i.e. earth [solid], water [liquid], air [gas] and heat [energy]). Although, matter takes up space, it is empty of self-nature: it arises and comes to be, and it fades away and ceases to be.
Sensation (vedanna Skandha): is the acquiring of data through sensory organs (including the mind) and the interpreting of such sensations as pleasant, unpleasant, or indifferent.
Recognition (sanjna Skandha): has the function of conceptualizing and recognizing sensory data and mental phenomena. The mind then identifies them and turns them into concepts. This conceptualizing process generates notions and, hence establishes names and words.
Volition (samskara Skandha): implies intention and mental action. These mental activities lead to karmic results. When we perceive an image, the mind analyzes and formulates a decision accordingly. These decisions initiate mental, verbal and/or physical actions which will produce karma. Some examples of volitional actions include: attention, will, determination, confidence, concentration, wisdom, energy, desire, hatred, ignorance, conceit, idea of self, etc.
Consciousness (vijnana Skandha): is the ability to be conscious of the differences and to be aware of the existence of mental and physical phenomena, i.e. the awareness of the previous four skandhas.

The Twelve Bases
Bases (ayatana) [sources, places] imply the meaning of germinating and nourishing. That is, mental functions and activities can be germinated and nourished from these twelve bases. They are the six internal bases (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mind), and the six external bases (sight, sound, scent, taste, tangibles and dharma). The six internal bases are also called the six sensory organs, on which mental activities rely to function. The six external bases are sometimes referred to as the six objects and are what mental activities process and act on.

The Eighteen Fields
Fields (dhatu) imply the meaning of groups and classifications. These fields form the foundations and conditions of all mental activities. That is, a person can be divided into eighteen fields, each having its own properties, characteristics, and area of activity. The eighteen fields are the six internal bases, the six external objects, plus the six consciousness which arise when the six internal bases interact with the six corresponding external objects.

The Twelve Links of Dependent Origination
Dependent origination means that the arising or the becoming of a phenomenon is dependent on the coming together of conditions and/or other phenomena. When conditions are ripe, a phenomena arises; when these conditions change, the phenomenon ceases to be.
The twelve phenomena (links) of dependent origination illustrate the causal relationship and interdependence of the twelve links, which together constitute the existence and continuation of life.
The forward cycle of these twelve links is the unending transmigration of a living being in the wheel of reincarnation. On the other hand, the backward cycle implies that once this interdependent chain is broken, liberation is attained. These twelve links are :-
1. Ignorance - from which volition and karma arise and come to be.
2. Volition - from which consciousness arises and comes to be.
3. Consciousness - from which body and mind come to be.
4. Body/mind - from which the six internal bases (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mind) arise and come to be.
5. The six senses - from which the six external bases (sight, sound, scent, taste, tangibles and dharma) arise and come to be.
6. Contact - from which sensory and mental sensations of pleasure, pain or neutrality arise and come to be.
7. Sensation - from which desire, thirst and craving arise and come to be.
8. Desire - from which attachment, clinging, or grasping arise and come to be.
9. Attachment - from which existence and the process of becoming arise and come to be.
10. Existence (becoming) - from which birth or re-birth (reincarnation) arises and comes to be.
11. Birth - from which ageing and eventually death arise and come to be.
12. Ageing and Death - from which ignorance and the cycle repeats itself, indefinitely until broken.

The Four Noble Truths
Truth here implies reality. The Four Noble Truths are four principles that enlightened beings see and understand as reality. The Four are:
1. Suffering: "But what, O monks, is the noble truth of Suffering? Birth is suffering, decay is suffering, death is suffering; sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair are suffering. In short, the five groups of existence connected with attachments are suffering."
2. The cause of Suffering: "But what, O monks, is the noble truth of the Origin of suffering? It is that craving which gives rise to fresh rebirth and, bound up with lust and greed, now here now there, finds ever fresh delight. It is the Sensual Craving, the Craving for Existence, the Craving for Non-existence or self-annihilation."
3. The Cessation of Suffering: "But what, O monks, is the noble truth of the Extinction of Suffering? It is the complete fading away and extinction of this craving, its forsaking and giving up, liberation and detachment from it."
4. The way to attain Cessation of Suffering: "But what, O monks, is the noble truth of the way to attain Cessation of Suffering? It is the noble eightfold path that leads to the Cessation of Suffering, namely:
1. Right View
2. Right Thought
3. Right Speech
4. Right Action
5. Right Livelihood
6. Right Effort
7. Right Mindfulness
8. Right Concentration

Dalai Lama

"If you gain some experience out of deeper understanding and familiarization of the concept of emptiness, concept of inter-dependency, certainly our view, our attitude is widened. As a result in daily life when we come across some problems, because our attitude is widened we always look at the holistic picture. So as a result disturbances in our emotional level will be much less. Otherwise our mind is too much, sort of narrow, and then a small factor can disturb your mind…All the afflicted emotions essentially can be separated from mind. All the afflictive emotions come from ignorance. The ignorance which wrongly perceived, wrongly grasped the reality - that is the main ignorance...Every sentient being has the potential to be a Buddha…every mind, every sentient being, the ultimate nature of mind is pure."

"If you touch one thing with deep awareness, you touch everything."

Thich Nhat Hanh

Vale Dr Albert Ellis - Grandfather of Cognative Behaviour Therapy

New York Times 25 July 2007

His basic message was that all people are born with a talent “for crooked thinking,” or distortions of perception that sabotage their innate desire for happiness. But he recognized that people also had the capacity to change themselves. The role of therapists, Dr. Ellis argued, is to intervene directly, using strategies and homework exercises to help patients first learn to accept themselves as they are (unconditional self-acceptance, he called it) and then to retrain themselves to avoid destructive emotions — to “establish new ways of being and behaving,” as he put it.

His methods, along with those of Dr. Aaron T. Beck, a psychiatrist who was working independently, provided the basis for what is known as cognitive behavior therapy. A form of talk therapy, it has been shown to be at least as effective as drugs for many people in treating anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and other conditions.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/25/nyregion/25ellis.html

Note - it may be worth considering this post in relation to the next one on The Four Noble Truths

The Teaching of the Four Noble Truths

There is Suffering. It has to be understood. I have understood it.

Craving is the cause of Suffering. It has to be investigated. I have investigated it.

There is Cessation. It has to be realised. I have realised it.

There is a Path leading to cessation. It has to be cultivated. I have cultivated it

Lovely Words On Posture By One Who Knows

"The most essential point of the meditation posture is to keep the back straight, like an arrow or a pile of golden coins.The inner energy, or prana , will then flow easily through the subtle channels of the body, and your mind will find its true state of rest. Don't force anything. The lower part of the spine has a natural curve; it should be relaxed but upright. Your head should be balanced comfortably on your neck. It is your shoulders and the upper part of your torso that carry the strength and grace of the posture, and they should be held in strong poise, but without any tension. Sit with your legs crossed. You do not have to sit in the full-lotus posture, which is emphasized more in advanced yoga practice. The crossed legs express the unity of life and death, good and bad, skillful means and wisdom, masculine and feminine principles, samsara and nirvana, and the humor of nonduality. Rest your hands comfortably covering your knees. This is called the mind in comfort and ease posture. If you prefer to sit on a chair, keep your legs relaxed, and be sure always to keep your back straight.

Sogyal Rinpoche
Author of the acclaimed Tibetan Book Of Living and Dying


Born in Kham in Eastern Tibet, Sogyal Rinpoche was recognized as the incarnation of Lerab Lingpa Tertön Sogyal, a teacher to the thirteenth Dalai Lama, by Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö, one of the most outstanding masters of the twentieth century. Jamyang Khyentse supervised Rinpoche's training and raised him like his own son.

In 1971, Rinpoche went to England where he studied Comparative Religion at Cambridge University. He went on to study with many other masters, of all schools of Tibetan Buddhism, especially Kyabjé Dudjom Rinpoche and Kyabjé Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, serving as their translator and aide. With his remarkable gift for presenting the essence of Tibetan Buddhism in a way that is both authentic and profoundly relevant to the modern mind, Sogyal Rinpoche is one of the most renowned teachers of our time.

He is also the author of the highly-acclaimed and ground breaking book, The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying. Over 2 million copies of this spiritual classic have been printed, in 29 languages and 56 countries. It has been adopted by colleges, groups and institutions, both medical and religious, and is used extensively by nurses, doctors and health care professionals.

Rinpoche has been teaching for over 30 years and continues to travel widely in Europe, America, Australia, and Asia, where he addresses thousands of people on his teaching tours and is a frequent speaker at major conferences. In 1993, Rinpoche founded the Spiritual Care Program which, under his guidance, aims to bring the wisdom and compassion of these teachings to professional and trained volunteer caregivers who work in end of life care.

More Scientific Experimentation Into Meditation

http://www.progressdaily.com/2007/07/23/meditation-emotion/

Break Of Day Pt Lonsdale Saturday 21 July 2007

Green Bamboo Sangha Dates

Days of Mindfulness Hoppers Crossing/
19 August
16 September
14 October
11 November
09 December

*Retreats Beaufort*
22 - 24 September
29 - 01 January

The sangha also meets each weekend at the property in Beaufort

Update

Dear Everyone,

Early this morning some emails failed as did some postings to the blog because my work server is down.

To recap the news.

MELBOURNE GROUP'S FIRST MEETING
Just a reminder that the first meeting of interested people will occur at Sandy's place in Middle Park on Thursday 19 July at 7.30. Bring a cushion if you wish to sit on the floor otherwise chairs are provided.

POINT LONSDALE THIS SUNDAY
Most of our regulars have family and social commitments for this Sunday so we will cancel the sitting however I am happy to open the hall for anyone's personal practice at anytime on the weekend up until about 2pm on Sunday when I have to leave for Melbourne for work

NEW BLOG POSTS

I have put up three new blog posts. One concerns recent scientific
research conducted by Flinders Uni in Adelaide on the effects of meditation on the brain. The other two are articles from the Los Angeles and New York Times on mediation practice in tough situations and when the present moment would seem to be far less than wonderful

best wishes for a wonderful weekend

ir

New Australian Brain/Meditation Research

A very interesting article about recent Flinders Uni research that seems to confirm the nature of the meditative states described by the Buddha in particular that a number of meditative states are in fact forms of alertness not sleepiness or "relaxation"

http://www.lifeflow.com.au/news/brainwave.htm

Practice in a tough spot

New York Times

Support Network Grows for Inmates' Buddhist Practice

By GUSTAV NIEBUHR

STORMVILLE, N.Y. — In a room where the cinder block walls are painted white, 14 men sit in facing rows, each man on a small, round pillow, his legs folded, his gaze lowered. Nearby sits a robed Buddhist monk, a small altar at his back. The stillness is so profound it seems to muffle the blare of a television in the next room.
The Lotus Flower Sangha, as this group is called, is meeting deep inside the Green Haven Correctional Facility, a maximum-security prison that houses 2,000 men convicted of serious crimes like armed robbery and murder.

Every Wednesday morning, this group gathers with the monk, Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, who arrives from Zen Mountain Monastery in the Catskill town of Mount Tremper, to lead them in zazen, the sitting meditation that underlies a practice emphasizing emptiness, the insubstantiality of the self and the interdependence of all things. The men who participate say it is transforming.

"Through this practice," said Bob Gashin Burgess, 45, a tall man with a goatee who keeps a small altar in his cell, "I've learned a lot of compassion and respect for others." And Milton Pratt, 43, said there were times when he could not get enough of meditative sitting. "It really helps," he said, "because when things are going really wrong, it seems I come out renewed."

The number of practicing Buddhists in America, estimated to be about two million, has grown exponentially since the 1960's as interest has risen among the native-born and as Asian immigrants have entered the country. Buddhist study centers and temples have sprung up in cities coast to coast, monasteries have been founded, magazines started and books written for a growing audience.

Buddhist meditative practices have also begun to take root inside the nation's prison system. Some organizations, beginning with Zen Mountain Monastery, have moved to help.

The Prison Dharma Network in Boulder, Colo., for example, has developed contacts with 250 prisoners across the country, sending correspondence and donated books. It will shortly publish a book about Buddhist practices for prisoners, said Kate Crisp, the associate director.

The Buddhist Peace Fellowship in Berkeley, Calif., has worked with the San Francisco Zen Center to sponsor meditation groups in eight Northern California prisons and jails. "More and more people are being incarcerated, and conditions are brutal in many cases," said Diana Lion, director of the fellowship's prison project. "People are looking for some way to find peace and solace and meaning in the midst of tremendous suffering."

Buddhism's foundational principles, the Four Noble Truths taught by the Buddha 2,500 years ago, seem well suited to prison life. The teachings, in brief, declare that life is characterized by suffering and that suffering has a cause (which is desire), but an individual can be freed from suffering, and that way is to follow Buddhism's eightfold path, which includes precepts like right speech and right living.
"The Buddha was dealing with questions that are intrinsic to all human existence," said Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, who is known as Shugen Sensei, a title that combines the name given to him during his Buddhist training, Shugen, with the Japanese word for teacher.

Buddhist meditative practices, he said, hold particular value at a time when most prisons offer little but punishment. "It's abundantly clear to these guys that if anything's going to change, they're going to have to make it happen," he said.
James B. Flateau, a spokesman for the State Department of Correctional Services, said it felt an obligation to support inmates in their religious practices, "if we know it's a legitimate religious community." Gov. George E. Pataki, he said, has said the department should support religious practice because it can help improve inmates' behavior and provide them with a support system upon release.

Organized Zen practice at the Green Haven prison dates to the mid- 1980's, when John Daido Loori, a scientist who is Zen Mountain's founder and abbot, received a letter from an inmate seeking help with his meditative practice.

The abbot, known as Daido Roshi (roshi is a Zen title meaning venerable teacher), did not look forward to the visit. While he was in the Navy in the 1960's, he said, he disobeyed an order to peel potatoes and spent 10 days in solitary confinement, which he remembered as terrifying.

Passing through "all those gates" at Green Haven was distressing, he said. But he said he believed that his presence made a difference to the inmate he visited.
Eventually, the monastery began meditation sessions at Green Haven. Not long thereafter, word spread far beyond that prison.

"I don't know how the prison grapevine works," Daido Roshi said. "We started to hear from inmates from around the country."

As many as 5,000 prisoners, seeking information about Zen, have contacted the monastery, established in 1980 and now home to 12 men and women who are ordained in the Mountains and Rivers Order. In recent years, Zen Mountain has established a computer database with the names of 1,000 male and female inmates, linking each to a volunteer committed to at least three years of corresponding about Zen practices, answering questions, offering advice and lending encouragement.

Zen Mountain has also begun developing training manuals for inmates who want to develop meditative practice on their own. The first, dealing with sitting meditation, contains illustrations showing exercises designed to make it more comfortable for the novice.

Shugen Sensei, 43, an Atlanta native who retains a trace of a Southern accent, has been a monk at Zen Mountain since 1986. He began heading the Lotus Flower prison group six years ago. Typically, it attracts 15 to 30 prisoners, fluctuating as men are transferred or released and as newcomers arrive.

"One of the interesting characteristics of these sanghas is they go across all ethnic lines," Shugen Sensei said. By contrast, outside the prison, most native-born American practitioners form "an almost exclusively white Buddhist population," he said.

He said he did not forget that the men in the Lotus Flower group were convicted of serious crimes and that they left behind victims.

"One of the things I've always been aware of is, the victims are very much a part of this," because of the crimes, he said. But, he said, "the reality of our situation is, we care about everybody, but we're responding to who's knocking on our door."

At Green Haven, meditation sessions meet in the prison's Protestant chapel. On a recent Wednesday, the session closed with inmates chanting the Heart Sutra ("all dharmas are forms of emptiness," it declares, referring to the universal truths taught by the Buddha).

One of the inmates, Anthony Zitelli, 39, said he began meditating a decade ago, thinking it would offer him a path to self-understanding. But what it did, he said, was convince him that he needs to be concerned with the wider world and with others. "I can't just look at life in terms of me," he said. "I have to take myself out of the picture a lot."

Afterward, as Shugen Sensei sat in the prison's main reception area, he reflected on Zen's message for those in prison and those outside. "Nothing you do can be singularly about yourself," he said, "and once you see it that way, everything changes. Of all the things that Buddhism has to contribute, I think that's a profound thing for us."

America can expect 700,000 pleas for help from returned soldiers

LOS ANGELES TIMES

FULL METAL LOTUS
Returning California soldiers tap Buddhist meditation to overcome war’s psychological damage
By NICK STREET
Wednesday, July 11, 2007

A BIG, PUSHY ALPHA MALE decided to air his dissatisfaction with his cell-phone service provider as he stood across the counter from Jeremy Williams, a wireless consultant with Sprint Nextel. To the outside viewer, the testy exchange between the two men wouldn’t have looked unusual, but Williams is a seven-year veteran of the Marine Corps with three tours of duty in Iraq under his belt.

“I turned on killer mode,” says Williams, a 25-year-old Long Beach native stationed at Camp Pendleton during his service in the corps. “I wanted to beat him senseless. It would’ve taken one punch for me to kill him.”

Williams says it took him about three hours — plus a beer, a few cigarettes and a plate of hot wings — to calm down after his confrontation with a fairly typical customer who nevertheless managed to trigger his posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). “That’s just what it’s like dealing with PTSD in my daily life,” Williams says. “I’m very uncomfortable about being a civilian.”

He’s not alone. According to testimony before the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, which is reviewing legislation to fund suicide prevention and treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder in vets returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, Veterans Affairs hospitals can expect as many as 700,000 new cases in the next few years. It will be a big challenge for Los Angeles, since L.A. County has the largest concentration of vets in the nation, and the West Los Angeles Healthcare Center is the largest VA hospital.

One of the most intriguing aspects of the Senate legislation is a provision to support research into “best practices” for suicide prevention and posttraumatic stress reduction. For troubled vets, those two simple words open up a whole new world of possibilities, including one field of therapy that might surprise people: meditation and other “mindfulness” exercises.

The toll of war on the human psyche is nothing new. But the response of mental-health workers to the latest generation of traumatized warriors marks a novel turn in borrowing Eastern spiritual practices. The National Institutes of Health is funding studies of soldiers in Atlanta, Philadelphia and Boston involving mindfulness-based stress-reduction techniques applied to posttraumatic stress disorder. In California, psychologists and meditation teachers are developing similar strategies.

Jeremy Williams, the formerly camo-clad killing machine now manning a counter at a Sprint Nextel, attended a retreat sponsored by the Coming Home Project, learning skills that put him at the leading edge of the trend. “A couple of times a week, I use relaxation techniques,” he says. “I take some time to meditate by myself, just being aware of thoughts and checking in with myself.” This from a warrior who counts the Iraq invasion of 2003 and the Second Battle of Fallujah among the “high points” of his career.

The retreat was designed by Joseph Bobrow, a meditation teacher and psychologist who founded the Coming Home Project through San Francisco’s Deep Streams Zen Institute in 2005. In the 1980s, Bobrow spent two summers in Plum Village, a monastery in France where Vietnamese Zen teacher Thich Nhat Hanh led retreats for Vietnam War vets. Fast-forward to the war in Iraq. “I needed to do something to help me regulate my feelings about the war,” Bobrow says. As soon as he announced the Coming Home Project’s lineup of workshops, retreats and pro bono counseling services, he started getting referrals from VA hospitals and military medical personnel throughout California. “There’s a pretty big gap to fill,” he says.

The stress-management techniques are carefully tailored to the needs of each vet because “It’s difficult to use the body as the focus of attention when the body has been injured,” he says. “In that case, the emphasis is on breath counting or simply learning to ‘watch thoughts.’ ”


SOME VETS DO RESIST USING coping skills adapted from Buddhist practices, mostly because the initial experience of mindfulness — and even the word “mindfulness” itself — is so alien. For young vets used to video games and pounding music — and the din of the battlefield — “Being still is just too freaky,” Bobrow says.

But while some soldiers are leery of meditation, the Buddhist notion that suffering is a shared experience can be a big help to their family members. Spouses and children of soldiers are beginning to grasp that vets aren’t the only ones affected by the trauma of war. “I realized I have secondary PTSD,” says Tonia Sargent, whose husband, Ken, returned to Camp Pendleton after he sustained a severe brain injury in Iraq. “I get triggered because he gets triggered.”

Sargent, a wellness instructor, says that in the three years since her husband returned to California, they and their two daughters have had to deal with “emotional, mental and spiritual brokenness.” Yet, she says, “The system’s not prepared to help us deal with what I call a permanent bipolar situation. Every day has its highs and lows, but there’s never a medium.”

At an event the Sargents attended in Houston honoring injured vets, Sargent was shocked to see how blind the well-meaning organizers were to the emotional issues faced by people like her and her husband. “Ken was so overwhelmed by the crowds and the noise that he retreated to the men’s room and started establishing a perimeter,” she says. The only space for the vets to socialize between events was a hotel bar — “a place for traumatized vets to hang out and self-medicate.”

Now, the Sargents are integrating elements of Buddhist spirituality into a military and home life that also includes church groups and Bible study. “The solution for us has to be a combination of Eastern and Western ways of dealing with PTSD,” Sargent says. “Don’t just give me pills! We need to learn to feel these emotions and let them surface.”


THE USE OF BARE-BONES MINDFULNESS practices to help traumatized Iraqi vets and their families could lay the groundwork for a larger reconsideration of the root causes of this kind of trauma. John Briere, director of the psychological-trauma program at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, says the medical study of mindfulness has changed the way psychologists talk about suffering.

“Avoidance is our instinctive response to pain,” he says. “But if we’re driven to avoid the feelings that hurt us, we’ll keep getting hurt. The primary contribution of Buddhism to mental health has been to teach us that to the extent that we’re not avoiding internal experience, we’ve found the pathway out of suffering.”

Briere notes that just as posttraumatic stress disorder in vets returning from Vietnam prompted the mental-health establishment to acknowledge that “post-childhood events are important too,” studies of veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan are likely to provide impetus for change.

“The current event-based definition of trauma is an artificial construct,” he argues. In fact, Briere believes that it is the overall experience of war, and not the acute horror of seeing a buddy killed by a roadside bomb, that creates lasting trauma in vets returning home to Southern California. “It’s illogical to trace the kind of trauma we’re seeing to a single experience,” he says. “It makes more sense to ask, ‘Did the war give you PTSD?’ ”

Briere’s iconoclastic notion, which is gaining quiet acceptance, helps to explain a seemingly paradoxical fact: Many traumatized vets long to return to war. That’s because the battlefield and the bunker are the only places where the external world — filled with explosions, blood and the threat of death — matches the tight bundle of fear and other emotions inside.

“I’m still having nightmares and flashbacks,” says Jeremy Williams. “And my wife sometimes wakes up in the middle of the night because I’m patrolling the house in my sleep. But when I talk to friends going back for their fourth tour or see a commercial for the Marine Corps, I just feel like, ‘Give me my boots back, and my M-16, and let me go do my thing.’ ”

With any luck, it will be his training in mindfulness — not cigarettes, beer and his M-16 — that helps Williams adjust to life back home.

This Sunday

Hi,

Does anyone want to open the hall for meditation this Sunday?
Unfortunately I cannot make it because I have a work engagement in
Melbourne in the early evening but I would be pleased to hand over the
key to anyone who wants to open up

best wishes

Ian

YouTube - The Zen Mind - An Introduction

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XK_4Z5DZcNM

YouTube - Ram Dass interviews Thicht Nhat Hanh

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZKrl5n79hY

YouTube - Sister Nhu Nghiem - Tibetan vs. Vietnamese Tradition

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IorRzY8mGKM

YouTube - Thich Nhat Hanh - The Daily Path Podcast from MyPath TV

This is a very simple a very beautiful explanation of mindfulness

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8gEpW7DraI&mode=related&search=