How does one practice non-attachment to things that bring them true joy? I can understand the practice of non-attachment to that which causes suffering...which is the seeking of pleasure. But how does one resolve the practice of non-attachment to something which has been a source of transcendent light?
For example, Buddhists are often advised to practice non-attachment, for attachment brings with it suffering. But are Buddhists not attached to the teachings of the Buddha? Are they not one-in-being with the divine? So, is it that one must simply be, and not think about the state of being?
I'm going to be totally honest, I am thinking about this in terms of My Morning Jacket. I want to write essays under the blanket "Zen and the Art of My Morning Jacket". And I guess I am trying to resolve that thin line between meditation and fixation. Because meditation is kind of that process of 'being"...that point in the music, where you are just "gone"...but fixation is that point where you are kind of stuck...where you can't get past the notion of how something is supposed to be, or to sound.
So, yeah...I've got a lot of time on my hands, gang. Would love to hear your thoughts...or verbalizations on Mind Essence...whatever the hell it's called.
:beer:
I don't know if this is helpful at all, but frankly, pleasure and suffering must come with each other for life to have any meaning whatsoever.
All that non-attachment stuff is bullshit, imo. Why live a life free of pleasure and attachment in order to not experience suffering?! What's the point to a life like that? Far better, I think, to attach oneself to lots of things and risk suffering; better to live the adage 'better to have loved and lost...' .
But then I'm a sensualist. I like to taste wonderful food and laugh loudly and often and to hug and kiss people. I life to feel stuff. Feeling stuff makes like interesting and worth living.
Damnit, Leanne...there you go rockin' my world with your face-melting wisdom again. I will learn your ways, wise sage.
I agree with you. But I think there is a balance. I have a tendency to love everything so damn much that my heart breaks all day, everyday. And I walk around wondering if that's the way it's supposed to be. Because if I let myself, I'd ask every question and open every door and take everything in and down and kiss and touch everything I love...but that gets me into so much damn trouble...
And being an extremist by nature, I'm either all in, or nothing at all. Maybe that's my way of balancing...but goddamnit I love this band...as musicians, as people...I love their fans, I love their hearts...and sometimes it just makes me feel like I'll explode because I want all of it all the time. One big fucking holiday.
I totally understand what you are saying. I am not good at moderation. I don't know how to have casual relationships with anything (people, chocolate, music...).
So, maybe we could learn moderation. Or we could become "zen" with the suffering. :undecided:
PS - I know you've had a really hard time lately, so my saying "be zen with the suffering" probably comes off as both cavalier and douchey. I'm sorry about that. I'm being philosophical.
A work in progress, my dear...Zen is the art of being, of perpetually becoming...
As Aristotle says, "Moderation in everything...including moderation"
(:
We need to listen to a couple other bands, too! :wink: That will help a little with moderation.
And as our boys say..."Always starting over, but somehow I always know where to begin..." :thumbsup:
I DO!!! I listen to everything I can all day long! But they're my drug of choice, so to speak. :beer: They're actually my moderation. I don't party anymore, so the music is kinda my zen.
I got through funny phases where I won't do something for a really long time and then suddenly I do it all the time. Like drinking or m/j: didn't drink for a dozen years (after a really bad episode in Detroit at a Guided By Voices show *shudder*) and in the last year I've been drinking again but just with my RPG group on weekends. Haven't smoked anything in years, either, and lately it's what I do after the kids are safely asleep.
Eventually, my intense infatuation with those things will fade out and I'll feel "meh" about them again. My intense MMJ fascination will eventually dial down, too. Probably never to "meh" status, but it'll be way more normal. But, for now, I love how much I love the music because I'd lost my love of music for many years and now I'm enjoying listening and discovering again.
I think those of us who are passionate need to kind of burn off the heat of passion a little before the slow burning embers take over a little, iykwim.
:kiss: I'm interested to see your writing on the zen of being a crazy mmj fan, tho!
Yeah, I'm in my slow-burning phase. I was in a live-fast, die young phase for most of my 20s...and there were times that it was really fun, but for the most part, it just kind of left me empty. I am in what I call my singer-songwriter phase right now...like after the 60s were done, and a lot of musicians turned inward in the 70s. I think that is who I really am. I'll do rock n roll still, but I think I'm a pretty quiet person by nature, and I'm just letting myself be that. But I can't help that I have this tendency to fall in love with things, and just absorb it until it becomes a part of me. Sometimes, this has resulted in overexposure...but with the ones that are, what I refer to as my spiritual soul mates, the music/literature/art is like prayer to me. You never get sick of it...because it is like an appendage. And I feel like my spiritual test with a lot of artists is to risk losing them to passion. If something can continue to teach and inform me long after I discover it, I consider it art that is true (at least to me). I feel like certain art is almost holographically biblical...that it can shed light no matter what vantage point it is experienced at...
Right now, I'm not wearing rose-colored glasses, but the view is pretty good.
Non attachment is a tricky thing and somewhat unattainable , thus making it a life's work. Sort of like the Christian tenant of Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself.
Start with not attaching judgment to your actions.
Start with doing the opposite.
Start with stepping into the fear; listen to an entire album of your least favorite music and find empathy for the people who created it. Hate comes from fear.
Start over every morning. There is no good or bad. Start there.
Namaste
Namaste, Tracy. Well said.
"Start with stepping into the fear; listen to an entire album of your least favorite music and find empathy for the people who created it. Hate comes from fear."
I have long been a believer that most negative emotions stem from fear...but I LOVE what you said about listening to your least favorite music. That is perhaps the biggest challenge to me. I have such a hard time with hearing, that when it is not what I want to listen to, I get so frustrated that it feels like my nerves are shot. It's interesting how even a physical weakness or disability can be a reflection of your internal reality.
This is a really good exercise, and I thank you for enlightening me. To really love, we must begin with what we don't love. To give validation to anything, we must start with what we invalidate.
Shit. I just woke up, and this already has the old tugboat chuggin'. Thank you again, my friend!!!
Okay...I have a quandary...
How does one practice non-attachment when it comes to their dreams? Because, in mediation, a large part of the aim is to dispel thoughts/feelings that linger...but as an artist/dreamer...those persistent thoughts/feelings kind of act as your guides...and while I'm aware that everyone is subject to the laws of physics (change), how do you stay true to inner vision, if your inner visions are illusions?
" I realized people are attached to their dream of existence because it has logical and interesting symbols & makes for fascinating speculation when you analyze it, but what is this after all?...mere tsorises over the details of causes and conditions without realizing that causes and conditions have no source in reality since Mind offers no such ground for illusion, are merely visionary shapes in a gray void, are not therefore to be believed in, so why consider and analyze and become interested in the unreal? It would be like a man seeking to study visionary blossoms in the sky---I can see all my friends this minute yakking absorbedly about the details of their lives without realizing the utter unreality not only of lives, time changing them and blind Happy New Years, but of death which will still their poor puppet doll bodies...I can hear them say of me, of the Tathagata, "I couldn't be less interested." But wisdom's in that remark."
-Jack Kerouac, Dec. 31, 1954
"You mark the distinction
Between Ananda
And the Not-Ananda
And resent the coming-in
Of the True Ananda.
---which is the Triyaka of Mind Essence, the True Body Indivisible and Invisible.
In other words, walk down the street realizing you're not there (in essence)---no walker, no walking, nothing walked---
No Singer
No Singing = NIRVANA"
No Song
Quote from: MamaKel on Dec 30, 2012, 01:59 PM
" I realized people are attached to their dream of existence because it has logical and interesting symbols & makes for fascinating speculation when you analyze it, but what is this after all?...mere tsorises over the details of causes and conditions without realizing that causes and conditions have no source in reality since Mind offers no such ground for illusion, are merely visionary shapes in a gray void, are not therefore to be believed in, so why consider and analyze and become interested in the unreal? It would be like a man seeking to study visionary blossoms in the sky---I can see all my friends this minute yakking absorbedly about the details of their lives without realizing the utter unreality not only of lives, time changing them and blind Happy New Years, but of death which will still their poor puppet doll bodies...I can hear them say of me, of the Tathagata, "I couldn't be less interested." But wisdom's in that remark."
-Jack Kerouac, Dec. 31, 1954
IPSO FACTO:
Evelyn is Not Real (Octoplasm) - My Morning Jacket (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvojjOfWhA8#ws)
Evelyn is NOT Real...
Only the 8-Fold Path, OCTOplasm, will teach us this.
Someone let Jim know that there is no other boy, because there is no Evelyn...and there is no you to be used...nor a toy from a lover, who is also not real, to possess. No truth to be had, and no heart to be broken.
Quote from: MamaKel on Dec 30, 2012, 02:09 PM
IPSO FACTO:
Evelyn is Not Real (Octoplasm) - My Morning Jacket (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvojjOfWhA8#ws)
Evelyn is NOT Real...
Only the 8-Fold Path, OCTOplasm, will teach us this.
Someone let Jim know that there is no other boy, because there is no Evelyn...and there is no you to be used...nor a toy from a lover, who is also not real, to possess. No truth to be had, and no heart to be broken.
or not
Amen.
Quote from: Tracy 2112 on Dec 30, 2012, 02:50 PM
Quote from: MamaKel on Dec 30, 2012, 02:09 PM
IPSO FACTO:
Evelyn is Not Real (Octoplasm) - My Morning Jacket (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvojjOfWhA8#ws)
Evelyn is NOT Real...
Only the 8-Fold Path, OCTOplasm, will teach us this.
Someone let Jim know that there is no other boy, because there is no Evelyn...and there is no you to be used...nor a toy from a lover, who is also not real, to possess. No truth to be had, and no heart to be broken.
or not
"I don't want to feel a thing."
No truer words were ever spoken.
Quote from: Tracy 2112 on Dec 30, 2012, 04:23 AM
Start with stepping into the fear; listen to an entire album of your least favorite music and find empathy for the people who created it. Hate comes from fear.
Start over every morning. There is no good or bad. Start there.
Namaste
Devils and Demons in the Lotus Sutra
SGI-USA Members' Resources | Resources and Tools | Buddhist Concepts
We have all heard the expression, "The devil made me do it." We might have even used it whenever our hand was caught in the proverbial cookie jar. The desire to pin our "devilish" actions on someone or something else is so pervasive, we probably don't think anything of it when we do it. When we, as practitioners of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism, talk about devils and demons, what do we mean?
First, we have to toss all preconceived notions of devils and demons out of our heads. Forget the protruding horns, crimson skin and iron staff. Let's not visualize fire-breathing monsters with warts that hide under the bed or in the closet. In Buddhism, devils and demons are not so obvious.
Nichiren Daishonin stated: "[Demons]...deprive people of their lives; for a demon is also known as a robber of life. [Devils]...deprive people of benefits; another name for a devil is a robber of benefit" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p.87). He further indicates that there are two types of demons, good and evil. "Good demons feed upon enemies of the Lotus Sutra, while evil demons feed upon the sutra's votaries" (WND, 912).
In Buddhist scriptures, there are many types of creatures. There are yakshas, that eat people; rakshasas, malignant demons that feed on human flesh; and kumbhandas that feed on human spirit or vitality. Further, there are hungry demons—those that were greedy in a previous existence and are born hungry in the next. It should be noted that while yakshas eat the flesh of evildoers, they do not eat the flesh of good people.
Some evil demons transformed themselves into good demons after taking faith in Buddhism. The "Dharani" chapter of the Lotus Sutra tells of Kishimojin (Jpn) and her ten demon daughters. This demon stole and ate other people's children. Upon witnessing this, Shakyamuni hid her youngest child from her. Kishimojin was naturally upset about her child's disappearance. Shakyamuni admonished her by pointing out that the grief she feels is the same that other parents experience when she devours their children. Kishimojin has a change of heart and pledges—along with her ten daughters—to protect the votaries of the Lotus Sutra.
These descriptions of devils in the Lotus Sutra, such as Kishimojin, are used to show how our evil actions affect others and to show how practicing Buddhism changes our lives and the environment.
The Benevolent Kings Sutra states: "When a nations becomes disordered, it is the spirits that first show signs of rampancy. Because the spirits become rampant, all the people of the nation become disordered" (WND, 8). When we speak of rampant demons, we might bring up a mental image of monsters destroying things. In Buddhism, demons represent functions of human nature and the environment that bring misery and suffering. These demons and devils—the robbers of life and benefit—are actually the negativity inherent in our lives. They can appear as negative internal feelings and as external influences that try to obstruct our Buddhist practice.
Even in the lives of wonderful bodhisattvas, there is fundamental darkness. Negativity—like death and taxes—is certain to be a part of our lives until our final moments. Subtle negativity, like self-doubt, may be difficult to see as a devilish function, but it most certainly is. It keeps us from recognizing that we are Buddhas, worthy of the highest respect. But if we chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and study Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism on a regular basis, we can strengthen our Buddha nature, thereby overshadowing our devilish nature.
It is important to remember that this fundamental darkness is something that is always within us and we must be ever-vigilant to defeat it. There are things that appear in the external realm like social ills and moral and ethical injustices. But if we do not see that we possess the same tendencies to be unjust, in whatever form, we can become critical of others and feel powerless to change society or ourselves.
SGI President Ikeda stated in his "Dialogue on the Lotus Sutra": "On the level of the individual, practicing the Lotus Sutra means confronting the fundamental darkness in one's own life. In terms of society, it means confronting corrupt power and authority. Practicing the Lotus Sutra, therefore, necessarily entails challenging great difficulties. Someone who does not confront great hardship is not a true votary of the Lotus Sutra" (Living Buddhism, August 1997, pp. 42–43).
Nichiren Daishonin states: "Good and evil have been inherent in life since time without beginning. [They] remain in one's life through all the stages of the bodhisattva practice up to the stage of near-perfect enlightenment" (WND, 1113).
In our time, any function that attempts to destroy faith in Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism can be seen as a demon—or as the Lotus Sutra describes, "evil demons taking possession of others."
In a muddied kalpa, in an evil age
There will be many things to fear.
Evil demons will take possession of others
And through them curse, revile and
heap shame on us.
But we, reverently trusting the Buddha,
Will put on the armor of perseverance.
(LS13, 194)
Nichiren Daishonin pointed out the mistakes and misunderstandings of the religious teachings and institutions of his time and declared Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to be the truth that will lead people to happiness. The Daishonin struggled against persecution by religious and secular authority and taught the genuine way of Buddhist practice. We have the same challenge today, to fight against religious authorities that seek to delude and confuse people. These people can be described as functioning as demons.
Let's keep in mind that all demons and devils can serve as a stimulus or motivation toward good if we confront them with faith. When devilish functions arise and we see them for what they are, we can challenge them and change our circumstances for the better. The are good in the sense that we can use them to develop and strengthen our lives. If we fall prey to their negative influence, we will lose in the end. Nichiren Daishonin considered all those who tried to act as his enemies to be his friends in that they allowed him to prove the correctness of his teachings. We can learn from his model.
To summarize, let's fight against evil demons—those internal and external—and increase the function of good demons so that we can further humanism, peace and culture in society.
Living Buddhism, September 2001, p. 6
Whoaa devils...
And demons are coming,
To take
Us
To Heaven
:thumbsup:
Quote from: woodnymph on Jan 01, 2013, 01:37 PM
Whoaa devils...
And demons are coming,
To take
Us
To Heaven
Quote from: Tracy 2112 on Dec 30, 2012, 04:23 AM
Start with stepping into the fear; listen to an entire album of your least favorite music and find empathy for the people who created it. Hate comes from fear.
Phish - Bouncing Around the Room 1990 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfdcHOtAxhY#ws)
Quote from: Ruckus on Jan 02, 2013, 11:26 PM
Quote from: Tracy 2112 on Dec 30, 2012, 04:23 AM
Start with stepping into the fear; listen to an entire album of your least favorite music and find empathy for the people who created it. Hate comes from fear.
Phish - Bouncing Around the Room 1990 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfdcHOtAxhY#ws)
I will never be a Zen master....
that video has the vibes and energy of a squirrely, tepid, 20 second dump :undecided:
Quote from: Tracy 2112 on Jan 02, 2013, 11:44 PM
Quote from: Ruckus on Jan 02, 2013, 11:26 PM
Quote from: Tracy 2112 on Dec 30, 2012, 04:23 AM
Start with stepping into the fear; listen to an entire album of your least favorite music and find empathy for the people who created it. Hate comes from fear.
Phish - Bouncing Around the Room 1990 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfdcHOtAxhY#ws)
I will never be a Zen master....
Tracy I might just have to keep copying and pasting your replies!!!! But hey, we can still meditate on the idea of it, no? (http://www.pic4ever.com/images/meditationf.gif) Haha I actually mostly like Phish, it's the fff.... the ffffffffff..... the FFFFFF..... the phanatics
that so strongly dislike MMJ that are this grasshopper's weak spot. I am outnumbered (outside of this board), and it hurts sometimes...
Quote from: woodnymph on Jan 02, 2013, 11:50 PM
Quote from: Tracy 2112 on Jan 02, 2013, 11:44 PM
Quote from: Ruckus on Jan 02, 2013, 11:26 PM
Quote from: Tracy 2112 on Dec 30, 2012, 04:23 AM
Start with stepping into the fear; listen to an entire album of your least favorite music and find empathy for the people who created it. Hate comes from fear.
Phish - Bouncing Around the Room 1990 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfdcHOtAxhY#ws)
I will never be a Zen master....
Tracy I might just have to keep copying and pasting your replies!!!! But hey, we can still meditate on the idea of it, no? (http://www.pic4ever.com/images/meditationf.gif) Haha I actually mostly like Phish, it's the fff.... the ffffffffff..... the FFFFFF..... the phanatics that so strongly dislike MMJ that are this grasshopper's weak spot. I am outnumbered (outside of this board), and it hurts sometimes...
There is a reason why they call it PRACTICE.
Even the master has to PRACTICE.
Trust me, Bodhidharma never had to endure a Phishead. His path to enlightenment was a piece of cake.
Quote from: Tracy 2112 on Jan 02, 2013, 11:57 PM
Quote from: woodnymph on Jan 02, 2013, 11:50 PM
Quote from: Tracy 2112 on Jan 02, 2013, 11:44 PM
Quote from: Ruckus on Jan 02, 2013, 11:26 PM
Quote from: Tracy 2112 on Dec 30, 2012, 04:23 AM
Start with stepping into the fear; listen to an entire album of your least favorite music and find empathy for the people who created it. Hate comes from fear.
Phish - Bouncing Around the Room 1990 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfdcHOtAxhY#ws)
I will never be a Zen master....
Tracy I might just have to keep copying and pasting your replies!!!! But hey, we can still meditate on the idea of it, no? (http://www.pic4ever.com/images/meditationf.gif) Haha I actually mostly like Phish, it's the fff.... the ffffffffff..... the FFFFFF..... the phanatics that so strongly dislike MMJ that are this grasshopper's weak spot. I am outnumbered (outside of this board), and it hurts sometimes...
There is a reason why they call it PRACTICE.
Even the master has to PRACTICE.
Trust me, Bodhidharma never had to endure a Phishead. His path to enlightenment was a piece of cake.
:grin: so true!! Oh my meditate comment was in jest for sure, as I know roughly from whereabouts you come... I keep trying to let go and enjoy the band, but my MMJ-nay-saying-Phish-loving friends keep bumping back my progress.... so I'm left to *sigh* practice...practice...practice...... (http://www.pic4ever.com/images/meditationf.gif)