Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Touching the Earth

Touching the Earth

In the first touching (of the Earth), we were released from the view that we are separate from our ancestors and separate from our descendants. We were released from our notion of time.

In the second touching (of the Earth), we were released from the view that we are separate from the Buddhas, the bodhisattvas, the Great Beings, the suffering beings, the animals, the plants, everything. We were released from our notion of space.

This time (in the third touching of the Earth) we touch the earth and are released from the view that we are our body, and that we are subject to birth and death

When we begin to understand that we are everything, our fear begins to disappear. We have deeply touched the dimensions of space and time. But to really be free of fear, we must look deeply into the ultimate dimension of no birth, no death. We need to free ourselves from these ideas that we are our body, and that we die. This is where we will discover the place of no fear. This is the third Touching of the Earth. Here is a guided meditation to help you prepare for it.

Breathing in, I know that I am breathing in. (In)

Breathing out, I know that I am breathing out. (Out)

Breathing in, I am aware of a wave on the ocean. (Wave)

Breathing out, I smile to the wave on the ocean. (I smile)

Breathing in, I am aware of the water in the wave. (Water, in wave)

Breathing out, I smile to the water in the wave. (I smile)

Breathing in, I see the birth of the wave. (Birth of wave)

Breathing out, I smile to the birth of the wave. (I smile)

Breathing in, I see the death of the wave. (Death of wave)

Breathing out, I smile to the death of the wave. (I smile)

Breathing in, I see the birthless nature of the water. (Water, not born)

Breathing out, I smile to the birthless nature of the wave. (I smile)

Breathing in, I see the deathless nature of the water. (Water, deathless)

Breathing out, I smile to the deathless nature of the water. (I smile)

Breathing in, I see the birth of my body. (Birth of, my body)

Breathing out, I smile to the birth of my body. (I smile)

Breathing in, I see the death of my body. (My body, dies)

Breathing out, I smile to the death of my body. (I smile)

Breathing in, I see the birthless nature of my body. (Birthless, nature, of body)

Breathing out, I smile to the birthless nature of my body. (I smile)

Breathing in, I see the deathless nature of my body. (Deathless, nature, of body)

Breathing out, I smile to the deathless nature of my body. (I smile)

Breathing in, I see the birthless nature of consciousness. (Consciousness, not born)

Breathing out, I smile to the birthless nature of consciousness. (I smile)
Breathing in, I am only aware of my in-breath. (In)

Breathing out, I am only aware of my out-breath. (Out)

(The above is the  excerpt from Thay's book titled "No Death, No Fear")

(My commentary)
The above reminds me of Thay's poem that is "Enlightenment for a wave in the ocean is the moment the wave realizes it is water." In order to attain full enlightenment and become a full-time Buddha, the extinction of all notions is essential because all notions cause separations by cutting the reality into pieces. For that, we need to understand that all notions are wrong. And for that, we need to understand the ultimate truth of the ultimate dimension. That is the wholeness, non-separation, non-discrimination, or the non-duality. As the wave realizes that it is water, we need to realize that humans are also non-separate self, awareness, or the whole cosmos. Once we understand this, we will attain perfect freedom. That is nirvana, or the ultimate dimension.

(Cf.) http://www.slideshare.net/compassion5151/notion


Thích Nhất Hạnh