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Oneness and Equality uncovered

2010-10-25T09:36:00.000-07:00

Not long ago, »love« and »light« were considered by many as the Ultimate Solution™ to all problems. Some people have sobered up since then or otherwise seen through. And while there definitely are some benefits in (autosuggestion based on) love and light, the potential for bad outcome is well-known when luring mind into a receptive state.

Now, there is a new movement. It is based not on love and light, but on equality and oneness. This movement, even though they are inviting people to take responsibility, is not fully enlightened in the Buddhist sense of the word. How can one tell? By seeing that which is conditioned by popular belief and incomplete understanding, and that which is conditioned by discernment and wisdom.

Because likewise, just as there are benefits and dangers in the intent of love and light listed above, there is also the potential for unwished-for outcome with equality-oneness.

The benefits are obvious: the apparent removal and absense of superiority-inferiority view. That is, the promise of peace, non-harming, heaven on earth.

The potential for unwished-for outcome (or dangers) is subtile and not easy to understand. In short, the idea of equality and oneness is conditioned. By what? By the belief in and devotion to »self« and »other«.

And here is the irony: while this movement claims to bring about non-abuse through non-seperation, in reality what it brings is the exact opposite: the seperation of the constructs »self« and »other« that somehow must be made one or equal at any price.

Thus be aware: looking for equality and oneness in the world will only project one's own delusions. But that which gives rise to actual practical living and understanding, accompanied by true oneness and equality, is not to be found outside, but rooted in our most sincere intentions.

But don't believe that, i'm just sharing an incomplete impression with my spiritual friends. Come and see for yourself, make up your own mind, think for yourself.

Plushy Buddhists

2009-12-16T13:44:00.000-08:00

Plushy Buddhists. Of mutual respect and compassion there is no lack. After all, everyone devoid of gloom, is fond of everyone else. In Brahmaclouds hovering heavenwards, the Pure Land manifesting itself in and as the person. Only believe you must!

But woe betide anyone who dares to question their ideas. As bloodthirsty as Romanian werewolves on a full moon night, as impatient as American nuclear weapons shortly before the expiry date, they throw themselves into battle. Into a battle in which there can be no victory nor defeat.

The carpet bulging, the locker jumping wide open and tidying down the room. Where interior and exterior are made, where there is much light - out there, somehere, projected in one's mind -, it seems, there are also many shadows.

Plushy Buddhists. The spiritual cousins of Cuddle Christians. Are they a ticking time bomb, a danger to themselves and their environment, or is it just as it is?

Either way, that's OK I guess. For at the end of the day, as Leonard Cohen said, there is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in.

The Buddha Within

2009-07-27T15:41:00.000-07:00

It is said that thought precedes all things. How does thought precede all things?

Here everywhere we look around, every thing, left and right, up and below, far or near, big and small -- whether it supports life or not, whether it is of natural origin or created by someone, whether it is the manifestation of a Buddha or a bum -- once was nothing but a set of frizzling natural conditions springing from and eventually, inevitably returning to a singularity, time and again.

Each time, things perceived, things inspected by the mind -- liked, disliked, indulged in and ignored by the mind -- separated, reassembled, known, forgotten and remembered by the mind.

In this way, a small grain of thought grows into a big beautiful plant. And in the same way, stardust becomes earth, earth becomes animate, animal becomes human, human becomes (one with) god -- and if the god doesn't pay attention, he or she can return back to where the sun doesn't shine. It is in this way that thought precedes all things. The seed of thought contains a vast amount of life indeed.

Now, what does all the brain jerking give, you may wonder? We love to dwell in our imagined cosy universe, we despise it, we accept it, and we conceal it. But what is left in the end, and what does our intuition say?

What will come out of it in one year, in a hundred years, in a thousand years, or even after one earth rotation -- what will come out after just one single breath, of all that we do, say and think now?

Won't it be nothing but a fly taking a crap, a flash in the pan? Is this what drives some people mad, and releases others from the momentary madness into the bliss of lasting liberation? Thank you.

Beyond compassion

2009-04-29T14:06:00.000-07:00

If I recall correctly, the Buddha said that compassion and empathy are the nutrimental soil in which other liberating qualities can flourish. In fact, most religions and traditions emphasize it. But what is this, compassion?

I think that com-passion is the sharing of suffering. When a friend suffers, I listen to him and give him a hand. Or when I need help, she's there for me. This is sharing.

However, compassion seems to be limited in its reach. It has suffering as a condition. Thus when we have only compassion, we might easily get attached to it. Compassion then becomes 'passion', empathy becomes apathy, oneself becomes distressed and weary.

For example, when someone does voluntary work only to distract him- or herself from problems at hand, one may be compassionate. But then one delights in the suffering of others, and sooner or later the problems catch up. Or for example, when one has so much compassion for other beings that they never get to stand on their own two feet.

Then what is called compassion here is actually a hindrance rather than a liberating act, it is tainted compassion. But when one is compassionate with discernment, then he or she helps others not in order to gain something from it, but simply because there is no other way. Then one is like a beautiful flower rising from the mud.

So sharing is not always sharing and giving is not always giving, but that which comes from a pure heart and an unconditional mind is the most precious gift. Thanks.

Peas of the world

2009-03-21T11:27:00.000-07:00

We often read or hear of stories about supposed arch enemies cat and mouse, or dog and cat getting along with each other. Then we read almost daily news about new deaths in the Gaza strip or Iraq or Afghanistan or Sudan. That makes one wonder.

If animals of different species, who are naturally supposed to have each other for lunch, can get along... why then can't humans do the same, who are even of the same damn species?

Is there a simple cause behind it, like a genetic defect, or are there various factors for human aggression? Would you even want to know? Well, I certainly would want to.

I think the truth is that those animals are content, while humans are not. And why are humans not content? Because they are being brainwashed and conditioned daily in the tv, in school and in society to always want more and more. World peace is unprofitable. At least in a financially centered economy. Personal aggression is often a projection of and distraction from inner conflicts. Likewise, I think that war is a projection of and a distraction from domestic problems. Military conflict is and has been used to fight recession and to make a quick buck in the last 2 centuries.

But the people in charge, or the gods in the godrealm if you will, tell you that war is necessary because of terrorism, democracy, oil, yada yada. Bombing for democracy is like fucking for virginity! The goals of modern warfare are not always as pure as an idealized democracy. Wars are often unnaturally prolonged for years, to suck out the tax payer like the spider sucks out a fly. Retired General Smedley D. Butler, who is a two-time congressional Medal of Honor recipient, says in his book War Is a Racket: "WAR is a racket [fraud]. It always has been. It is possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable, surely the most vicious. It is the only one international in scope. It is the only one in which the profits are reckoned in dollars and the losses in lives."

So the source of trouble here is obviously the greedy economic system. Now, I say, world peace may be possible, if our economies change from financial centeredness to resource based economies. This change however can not come from a conventional revolution. Conventional revolutions are fighting fire with fire, replacing one cause of contempt with another. It can only come from within, with contentment through spiritual awakening. Can love & compassion alone lead us there? I don't think so, at least not in their current form. When love bears child, when compassion becomes passion, then we're back at square one.

I believe the best way to the end of world suffering is the end of personal suffering. And how can we end personal suffering? It's actually quite simple. When you have nothing you can lose, there is nothing to fight for. When there is nothing to fight for, no one goes to war. Then there will be no war. No self-view, no problem! It's simple, but it certainly isn't easy. It's a long way home. Do we have another chance?

Start dreaming big of world peace, and you'll end up in disappointment or sober sadness. Start pea-small however, overcoming inner conflict and helping others to do so, and you may have world peace. May all beings be free from greed, hate and delusion.

Expectations

2009-01-21T19:55:00.000-08:00

Everyone has to do things in this world. Our family may expect us to find a well-paid job. Our friends may expect us to have an attractive girlfriend or boyfriend. Our girlfriend or boyfriend, wife or husband respectively, may expect us to have nice furniture. Our furniture may expect us to have a car. Let alone secondary needs, we still have to have at least food, a place to sleep, clothes and access to medicine. And perhaps we need other basic stuff without which life in a postmodern society (based on food, housing, clothes and medicine) is close to impossible, like a bank account, access to transportation, knowledge and communication, a library, internet, telephone, et cetera.

But why do we have to do things in this world? Why do we have to find a well-paid job? Why do we go out and look for an attractive girlfriend or boyfriend? Why should we have a nicely furnished apartment, a car, and generally live up to an arbitrary standard defined by culture? The Swedish furniture dealer Ikea even gives its pieces of furniture personal names as if they were some pets, while all the Personnel departments have been renamed into Human Resources, as if persons were inanimate things. What does all that give us except more complication and more responsibility in this life? This life like a "tiny drop of dew, a bubble floating in a stream, a flash of lightning in a summer cloud, a flickering lamp, a phantom and a dream".

Don't try. You can't understand all the meaningless little things, the expectations, the conditioning and materialist schmock. It's just too much, crippling, paralysing, stultifying stuff. Same with sense infatuations. But you can get along. If the world as we know it fell apart overnight, would one's life be better? Hardly. There would probably be other expectations, other conditioning and other materialistic needs to take care of. The answer is to look within. When the job expectations are too much, befriend the idea to live under the bridge when necessary, and you're released from the burden of having to have a dream job. When the relationship business is too much, imagine you were a celibate, or actually be one, and you will experience instant release from the clinging memories and from the expectational pressure of having an own family. This doesn't mean that you have to live under a bridge or be a celibate for real, but quite on the contrary.

Once your mind, feelings and perception are freed from unnecessary pressure, you can start to enjoy life, independently, regardless of what others think is right for you. Even though living under a bridge nowadays probably isn't too different from being a stock trader. The point is rather, one cannot find the middle-path without investigating the various extremes. And it helps to imagine worst case scenarios in order to vent the anger and fear out of your system. Kinda puts the situation into perspective. Once the 'enemy inside' is done with, the world is ready to be your friend. It always was. There's a place where you can go and be alone but not lonely, all-one but still yourself. It is right here. As the Buddha said, "be a island unto yourself". And don't forget se luggage.

Five steps to serenity

2009-01-04T09:48:00.000-08:00

Here are five steps to liberate yourself from addictive behavior. Wait a second, addiction? I don't take no drugs, you may say. Well, that's great if it is the case. But you know, anything can be like a drug (think of beliefs, habits, sensualities), so everyone can benefit from following these five steps. Please note I'm not saying that drugs are bad. They are just chemical compounds without malicious intent. All I'm saying is that their effects can cause dis-ease and that there's a way out. This is particularly important for spiritually inclined people, because every compound and substance entangles the mind and delays the process.

First step, you have to give up all thoughts of guilt. In most cases, a guilt complex is even worse than the actual vice, as it entangles your mind in a net of obsessive-compulsive behavior. This is distressful in such a way that you will want to indulge again the more you're bothered by the guilt. Understand that the past can't be changed and the future is uncertain, the past is in your memories and the future is in your hands. So all you have, all you ever had is right here and now. In the now, guilt is entirely irrelevant and should be abandoned. To free yourself from this shackle, apply absolute honesty and let go with the in-&-out breath. As absurd as it may sound, it works and you will experience immediate release.

Second step, be mindful and see things as they are: If you're a heterosexually addicted male, for instance, cut through the self-delusion by regarding any woman as your friend, as your daughter, as your sister and as your mother, for this is seeing femaleness for what it is. But regardless of one's sexual orientation, it's basically the same things that drive our libido, hormones in the body and longing for solace in the mind. If you're in the bondage of substances, regard them for what they are: medicine as medicine, toxins as toxins, altering the natural body process in such a way as altering the natural body process in such a way, causing dependence and unease within the mind as causing dependence and unease within the mind. Know that the object of attraction is not an abstract sin, but it can only give you temporary relief, exchanging inner peace for hell on earth if not used wisely. No one is patronizing you, no one is telling you anything. It's simply a matter of choice, whether you want to go through ups and downs or live life to the full. Plain reality as it is here and now can be your worst enemy or your best friend, and this is your choice also.

Third step, meditate on breath and death. Where will the object of attraction be, what will you become as a result of it, in 10 years, in 20 years, in 50 years or in 100 years? That may sound weird, but it works. When you're done sobering up, switch to paying attention to your breath, where the air touches the nostrils, for at least 15 minutes at a stretch, always bringing your attention back to the breath when distractions come up. Just do it.

Fourth step, watch your desire arise. But don't let your mind take over, accept it as it is. Do not judge right from wrong, do not engage in the internal dialogue, and do not act upon it. Same with predicament. You will experience thoughts and feelings of withdrawal, lassitude, restlessness, doubt and denial for a certain period of time. Watch them carefully, for they too shall pass. When you think you're over this period of time or get bored, it's great to extend the mindfulness exercise to daily tasks and incidents, passive and active, internal and external alike. Whatever you see, hear, touch, smell, think, feel, say and do; whether you go forth, go back, stand still, sit upright, lie down, sneeze, experience pleasant, unpleasant or neutral anticipation. Whatever you do, pay attention, be uninterruptedly aware of the one thing and nothing else. If you pass over the street, of course, you gotta be aware of cars coming. Sneezing is a fun example. When sneezing happens, people usually say 'bless you', but you don't have to wait for the blessing. You'll see, if you are uninterruptedly aware of the sneezing process building up within your body, you'll experience a moment of great bliss when it finally happens. This kind of relief is so effective that some people use snuff powder, but you don't have to. For this reason, snuff powder is even more addictive than cigarettes. Just pay attention. You can't control it, you can't hide it, but you can ride it. Pay attention next time you feel it building up within your body.

Fifth step, there are many visual and audible stimulants flooding your senses and messing with your subconscious day in, day out; you are well off if you forgo television ads and the other brainwashing, repetitive mind viruses out there. Or use repetition as a learning process... So lets recollect now, the five steps to overcome addictive behavior and attachment are: 1. Overcome guilt. 2. See everything as it is. 3. Meditate. 4. Watch your desires arise and pass. 5. Take care of your senses input.

If you follow this path, you will most certainly experience peace, perhaps even a glimpse of enlightenment. But I'll have to have a disclaimer, ask your doctor if enlightenment is right for you. Anyway, don't waste your time and money on lifestyle books or expensive seminars. Don't quail if there's something that you don't understand. Let all come in good time, pick whatever works. It's all good. You can experience real bliss here and now by making one single choice. Rejoice in the unclenching like a bird in the boundless sky. That's it.

"I can turn it off anytime I wanted!"

Another addict!