If you are asked, "Why do you meditate?", Can you answer, "Because I like it."? If you can, your meditation is in the right track. That's because meditation is an enjoyment. We don’t force it, but we enjoy it. It is an act of love. We can get enlightenment just by eating because we can get in touch with the nature of reality, no self. When we eat, we know that we are made of non-we elements, or the whole cosmos (water, air, earth, sunshine). We are not separate existence, we are empty of separate self (no self). 'No self' is the nature of 'emptiness' in terms of space, while 'impermanence' is the nature of 'emptiness' in terms of time. This insight enables us to transcend the duality and attain the wholeness. We can throw away all notions such as birth and death because we are convinced that all notions are wrong. When we attain the extinction of all notions, we won't think anymore, we won't separate anymore. We will dwell in nirvana (ultimate dimension), touching the wonders of life, touching the true nature of reality inside and around us. For enlightenment, we don't need to be ordained, we don't need to get the lamp transmission. It is possible right here and right now.
Listen deeply to the following Thay's Dharma talk on enlightenment from 00:47to 2:49.
The followings are the excerpts.
Quote: Only a Buddha, a full Buddha is someone who is awake all day. But we become awake from time to time. That is why we should practice mindful breathing in order to be more awake in our daily life. I talk about awareness, I talk about enlightenment because enlightenment and awareness, they are of the same substance. And now we have a word, mindfulness which is the same. Because when you are mindful of what is going on, you are aware and you are enlightened. Suppose a practice: Breathing in, I'm aware I have good eyes. Breathing out, I smile to my eyes. That is awareness, that is mindfulness of having good eyes. But that is also enlightenment. Because if I have good eyes but if I don't know it, I am not enlightened at all. So, being enlightened means the same thing as being mindful. And you can get enlightened every minute if you have that kind of awareness. So, many of us spend our days in forgetfulness. We live, and yet we don't. We get lost in the past. We worry so much about the future and we are afraid of it. We make so many projects, we are excited about the future. We have no capacity of being alive in the present moment where everything is. And people who live like that live in forgetfulness. And life is not available to them. And they live like a person who carries the dead body on the shoulder and wanders around. He is already dead, she is already dead. :Unquote (My commentary) Most people are not awake except for small children and the deep sleep state. However, they can't recognize it because they are not mindful. In order to be really alive, we need to be mindful by returning to awareness (non-separate self). The key is to stop thinking. (Cf.) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014NYEP04
Listen deeply to the following Thay's Dharma talk on Right View from 21:45 to 25:07. https://tnhaudio.org/2017/02/26/practice-engaged-buddhism/ The followings are excerpts. Quote: In Chinese, it (The Noble Eightfold Path) is translated by "The Path of Eight Right Practices". And the first one is Right View. According to the absolute truth, Right View means the absence of all views. It's called Right View. We have Right View only when we remove all kinds of views. The absolute truth. As far as the relative truth, you can create devices in order to help. And Right View can be considered to be the Eightfold Path, the Four Noble Truth, the teaching on impermanence, the teaching of non-self, the teaching of aimlessness. And these should not be received as the dogma, theories, doctrines. They should be recognized as the instruments for us to work on our liberation, our transformation. So, we should know that the first meaning of Right View is the absence of all views. And the second meaning of Right View is the kind of instruments that help us for our transformation and healing. And Right View here is the true wisdom. It has the capacity of liberating us and liberating the people around us. :Unquote (My commentary) Right View means the absence of all views. That's because all views are wrong views which cause separation, discrimination, or the duality. So, if we have views, afflictions arise and we suffer. Only if we remove all views, Right Thinking (= non-thinking) is possible. (Cf.) https://www.slideshare.net/compassion5151/notion
Quote: (How to deal with anger) If you are filled with anger, you create more suffering for yourself than for the other person. When you are inhabited by the energy of anger, you want to punish, you want to destroy. That is why those who are wise do not want to say anything or do anything while the anger is still in them. So you try to bring peace into yourself first. When you are calm, when you are lucid, you will see that the other person is a victim of confusion, of hate, of violence transmitted by society, by parents, by friends, by the environment. When you are able to see that, your anger is no longer there. (How to forgive) Forgiveness will not be possible until compassion is born in our heart. Even if you want to forgive, you cannot forgive. In order to be compassionate, you have to understand why the other person has done that to you and your people. You have to see that they are victims of their own confusion, their own worldview, their own grieving, their own discrimination, their own lack of understanding and compassion. (How to practice understanding and compassion) Suppose you are angry at your father. Many people are angry at their father, and yet if they don’t do anything to change it when they grow up, they will repeat exactly what their father did to them. They will do that to their own children. That is why we have a wonderful exercise of meditation that has helped so many angry sons and daughters who come to Plum Village: Breathing in, I see myself as a 5-year-old child. Breathing out, I hold that 5-year-old child in me with tenderness. Breathing in, I see the 5-year-old child in me as fragile, vulnerable, easily wounded. Breathing out I feel the wound of that little child in me and use the energy of compassion to hold tenderly the wound of that child. But then you continue— Breathing in, I see my father as a 5-year-old boy. Breathing out, I smile to my father as a 5-year-old boy. Breathing in, I see how as a 5-year-old child my father was fragile, vulnerable. Breathing out, I feel compassion for my father as a 5-year-old boy.
When you are capable of visualizing your father as a 5-year-old boy, fragile, tender, full of wounds, you begin to understand and feel compassion. When the son is capable of practicing understanding and compassion, he no longer suffers and the father in him is also transformed. That moment, compassion is born in your heart. Now it is possible to forgive. (Effects of compassion) You have to be very compassionate in order not to get angry when you listen to the other person, because their speech may be full of condemnation, blame, judgment, and so on. If you don’t nourish compassion in you, you cannot listen very long. You say, “I listen to him only with one purpose, to give him a chance to empty his heart. I am doing charity work.” But compassion will protect you from anger, and that is why compassion is the antidote for anger. With compassion you can relate to other people. Without compassion you are cut off. If you master the art of listening deeply and of compassion, you can open the heart of the other person. If you know how to convey your feelings that are inside you through loving speech, you can help the other person understand you. That is why in order to reestablish communication, in order for forgiveness to be possible, you should learn to practice these two wonderful things—compassionate listening and the language of loving speech. :Unquote (My commentary) Understanding means insight through mindfulness and concentration. So, in order to attain insight of the root cause of suffering, we must stop thinking and look deeply into the suffering.
Listen deeply to the following Thay's Dharma talk on Right Thinking from 25:07 to 28:50. https://tnhaudio.org/2017/02/26/practice-engaged-buddhism/ The followings are excerpts. This Thay's clear explanation of Right Thinking is exactly what I have been looking for and I totally agree. Quote: And then the second aspect of the path is the Right Thinking, Right Thought. As far as the absolute truth is concerned, Right Thinking is absence of all thinking. It is direct encounter with reality. You don't need to think. Like you are tasting a mango, you are having authentic, true, real experience of the mango. You don't need to think that a mango tastes like this, like that, the notion of mango. You don't need any notions of mango because you had a reality of mango. Right? So, Right Thinking is no thinking at all. But when you have not got the real thing, you need some kinds of notions, you need some kinds of orientations in order not to go astray. You have to go into the direction of the mango. So, Right Thinking is the thinking in terms of the four nutriments. Right Thinking is the thinking in terms of impermanence, non-self. It helps. Because if you think in terms of permanence of self, you suffer much more. And it is always important to remember that these are teachings as four nutriments;Four Noble Truths,Noble Eightfold Path, impermanence, non-selfare instruments for the practice. And that is Right Thinking. And if you conceive these as notions, as a doctrine to fight and die for, that's no longer the Right Thinking. Even if these are Buddhist terms, we are to be free from the teachings of the Buddha. We have to be free even of the teachings of the Buddha. If you should not get caught in the teachings of the Buddha, you should make good use of the teachings, not get caught in it. And the Right View(the absence of all views, the capacity of liberating us) helps very much with Right Thinking. Because the writers are your view the better of your thinking. And they interact with each other. If your thinking is in good direction, and then your right view will grow, your freedom will grow. :Unquote <Key phrases> Right Thinking is absence of all thinking. Right Thinking is no thinking at all. Right Thinking is the thinking in terms of the four nutriments. Right Thinking is the thinking in terms of impermanence, non-self. Four Noble Truths, Noble Eightfold Path, impermanence, non-self are instruments for the practice. And that is Right Thinking. If you conceive these as notions, as a doctrine to fight and die for, that's no longer the Right Thinking. Right View (the absence of all views, the capacity of liberating us) helps very much with Right Thinking. Because the writers are your view the better of your thinking. Right View and Right Thinking interact with each other. (Cf.) http://compassion5151.blogspot.jp/2016/09/right-thinking-non-thinking-insight.html http://compassion5151.blogspot.jp/2017/01/2-types-of-thinking.html http://compassion5151.blogspot.jp/2017/01/right-thinking.html
The followings are the key phrases from the video.
1. Deep listening is the most important practice, if you want to help. 2. Listen to yourself first. 3. Listening is so healing, so transforming. 4. We allow ourselves to be empty (empty ourselves). (not to judge, not to criticize, to give them a chance to express himself or herself without interruption) 5. Avalokitesvara is very good at listening deeply. 6. We are protected by compassion. 7. Communication can be restored by loving speech and deep listening. 8. Quality of listening determines the success. (My commentary) I understand that the following steps are essential for deep listening capacity. Steps to attain deep listening capacity: １) self-transformation ① (conscious breathing, walking) + 2) recognize and embraceownsuffering (mindfulness) + 3) look deeplyinto own suffering (concentration) + 4) understand the root cause of own suffering (insight) + 5) self-transformation ② (compassion) + 6) accept yourself unconditionally (unconditional self-love) + 7) recognize the other's suffering (mindfulness) + 8) look deeply into the other's suffering (concentration) + 9) understand the root cause of the other's suffering (insight) + 10) generate compassion to others (forgiveness) + 11) restore communication (loving speech & deep listening) + 11') help others transform (unconditional love) Even if you have deep listening capacity, if your counterpartdoesn't open his or her heart and mouth, reconciliation is impossible. So, the key is how to help your counterpart open his or her heart and mouth in order to restore communication. Only solution may be his or her understanding the root cause of suffering through insight. But only true self (non-separate self) can do it. So, his or her self-transformation is essential. (note) Many psychotherapists burn out because they have not understood the root cause of their own suffering. That's why all psychotherapists need to understand the root cause of their own suffering before offering their psychotherapy to the patients.
Watch deeply the following video of Thich Nhat Hanh and Br. David Steindl-Rast and Disciples of Thich Nhat Hanh.
The followings are excerpts from the video. I totally agree.
(2:35～: Peace march) And they shouted from behind, "Can you walk (faster)?" And some of them overtook us and looked back at us and saw the way we were. And they transformed. They see (that) we are doing peace, (that) we are not demanding peace.If we are not able to be peaceful and happy in every step, peace march is not a peace march. ... The peace movement should be a practice of a community.Peace is a practice. ... I think the peace movement should be a community of practice where people live together in brotherhood, sisterhood. (7:10～: Walking meditation) Gratefulness can be felt with every step. You are alive and your feet are still strong enough for you to make steps on this beautiful planet. So, with mindfulness of breathing, mindfulness of walking, every step you make brings you home to the here and the now so that you can get in touch with all the wonders of life. And every step like that can be nourishing and healing. During walking meditation you stop the thinking.I think, therefore I'm not truly there. You can feel the contact between your foot and the ground. Mother Earth is there, Mother Earth is in you. And there is a communion between you and Mother Earth. Mother Earth is the mother of all the Saints, all the Buddhas, all the Bodhisattvas. You carry the Mother Earth in you.You can not die, you can transform. It's like a cloud transforming herself into the rain. A cloud can never die.There is no birth, no death. We spoke about birth and death that is on the superficial level. But go deep down, the nature of everything is no birth and no death.From something you can never become nothing. From someone you can never become no one. (10:01～: Power) These kinds of powers (money, fame) can not be real powers. And you can become victims of these powers. But there are other kinds of powers that can make you strong. 1. Power of cutting off The first power is power of cutting off. You are attached to, you are bound to a number of things. And that makes you lose all your freedom. You know that it is destroying you, it makes you not free, but you have no courage in order to cut off. And that is the freedom. And there are those of us who are bound to a number of things that make us powerless. You maythinkthat you can not survivewithout it, without him, without her, without that kind of position.But maybe it is the very obstacle for your true happiness. So, how to release, cut off. You need power. And that is the first power that is needed for you, that can set you free. 2. Power to forgive and to love The second power is to forgive and to love. Even that person is not lovable but you can still love him or her because you are capable of seeing suffering in him or in her. And your love grows, you become more powerful. And that is love without frontier, without discrimination. That's true love. That is the love of God, of the Buddha. And you have to train yourself in order to love like that. You don't leave anyone outside of your love. All embracing. 3. Power to understand And the third power is the power to understand. You are no longer afraid. When you understand, you are no longer angry and fearful. And that needs meditation, contemplation. Looking deeply, and then you get the insight, the vision of interbeing, the vision of interconnectedness. And that kind of knowledge removes all kinds of discrimination, separation and deserves very powerful kind of energy. If in our community there are those who have these kinds of powers, it's certain that we can make history, we can change history. (21:51～: Summary) If in our community there are those who have these kinds of powers, it's certain that we can make history, we can change history. And not fame, political power and wealth. (Cf.) http://www.slideshare.net/compassion5151/walking-meditation-62204227
The key point of "16 exercises on mindful breathing" is as follows. Please refer to the URL below for the original text and my commentaries: http://compassion5151.blogspot.jp/2015/10/16-exercises-on-mindful-breathing.html http://compassion5151.blogspot.jp/2016/04/16-exercises-on-mindful-breathing-whole.html Exercise 13-16: Perceptions (13-14): Impermanence & Craving Exercise 13-16 are the exercises for attaining full enlightenment and require very deep observation. What we must understand before these exercises is that this world is our mind itself because this world is the object of our mind, or the projection of our mind. In other words, the projection of our mind is this world. The object of mind is the object of perception, the object of perception is the perception (series of notions in the head), so the perception is this world. In other words, the perceived is the perceiver.David Bohm, Quantum physicist, said, "The way we see depends on the way we think." And his statement is consistent with the Buddha's above findings. In Exercise 13, you deeply observe the impermanent nature (nature of 'emptiness' in terms of time) of all dharmas (object of mind). Because everything is changing, you can observe the impermanent nature of all objects of your mind. And you observe the impermanent nature of all perceptions because all objects of your mind are the projection of your mind (perceptions). Therefore, this world which is the object of your mind is your perception itself, and it has the impermanent nature. In Exercise 14, you deeply observe the disappearance of craving (negative desire). And you deeply observe the disappearance of idea (thought). Therefore, your craving is just an idea and will disappear after a certain time. (15-16): No-self & Nirvana In Exercise 15, you deeply observe the no-birth, no-death nature of all phenomena. No-birth and no-death means that nothing can be born and nothing can die. Everything (all human beings, animals, plants, minerals) just continues (keeps living) by changing its forms. So, they can not be born because they have never died, and they can not die because they have never been born. And you deeply observe that everything is made of everything else. In other words, everything else is in everything. Therefore, everything is everything else. You are observing the nature of no-self(nature of 'emptiness' in terms of space) which means that everything is empty of separate existence (separate self). This is the ultimate truth. In Exercise 16, you deeply observe letting go of all notions (everything). The extinction of all notions is Nirvana. Because you are convinced that all notions are made up by human ego(separate self, fake self) and all notions are wrong, it is easy for you to throw away all notions. If all notions are extinct, there is no object to think about. So, you will be non-thinking completely and be able to attain insight 24 hours a day as awareness (non-separate self, true self). Attaining insight means that without making any efforts (without thinking), your calm mind reflects the outside reality like still water (mirror), and your clear mind sees through the inside reality. This is the full enlightenment, so you are fully awake. (end) (Cf.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eSuUDzwAWs http://www.amazon.com/dp/B014NYEP04
The key point of "16 exercises on mindful breathing" is as follows. Please refer to the URL below for the original text and my commentaries: http://compassion5151.blogspot.jp/2015/10/16-exercises-on-mindful-breathing.html http://compassion5151.blogspot.jp/2016/04/16-exercises-on-mindful-breathing-whole.html Exercise 9-12: Mental formations & Consciousness (11-12): Concentration and Liberation Exercise 11-12 are the Exercise to look deeply the mental formation, attain insight and understand the root cause, generate compassion and transform the mental formation by the energy of compassion. We generate the energy of concentration by looking deeply, we attain the insight (understanding) of the root cause by the energy of concentration, we generate compassion by the energy of insight, and we transform the mental formation such as fear and anxiety by the energy of compassion.Transforming our mental formations is liberating our mind. In other words, the insight (understanding) of the root cause which we attain in Exercise 11 corresponds to the second truth (cause of suffering) of the Four Noble Truths. And the transformation of mental formations which we attain in Exercise 12 corresponds to the third truth (secession of suffering) of the Four Noble Truths. Afflictions such as fear and anxiety are the cause of suffering. Therefore, as long as you have fear or anxiety, you can not accept yourself unconditionally. Sometimes you may have self-hatred. If you always think too much and if your mind wanders in the past, you suffer from regrets and sorrow, and if your mind wanders in the future, you suffer from fear and anxiety. This vicious circle can not be cut off unless you understand the root cause of suffering through insight. If it can not be cut off, even if you can temporarily stop thinking and become mindful by conscious breathing, you will resume thinking by some chance and return to the state of forgetfulness. Therefore, in order to stop thinking stably and keep the mindful state for a long time, it is absolutely essential to understand the root cause of suffering through insight. Of course, because the extinction of all notions is not attained yet, thoughts will revive once in a while. That's why real practitioners meditate everyday (Thich Nhat Hanh says that he is meditating 24 hours a day) and never neglect the practice to maintain the mindful state. In order to completely stop thinking 24 hours a day (to be always mindful), attaining full enlightenment through the extinction of all notions is the only way. (to be continued) (Cf.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eSuUDzwAWs https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LA87R7A
The key point of "16 exercises on mindful breathing" is as follows. Please refer to the URL below for the original text and my commentaries: http://compassion5151.blogspot.jp/2015/10/16-exercises-on-mindful-breathing.html http://compassion5151.blogspot.jp/2016/04/16-exercises-on-mindful-breathing-whole.html Exercise 9-12: Mental formations & Consciousness (9-10):Selective watering The objects of Exercise 9-12 are mental formations and consciousness. It may not be easy to understand the difference from the object of Exercise 5-8 (Feelings). In fact, feelings and perceptions(series of notions in the head) belong to 51 mental formations but they are spun off from mental formations because their impact is outstanding. So, there are 49 kinds of mental formations in Exercise 9-12. Meanwhile, there are 8 kinds of consciousness in Buddhism and they are the source of the body, feelings, perceptions and mental formations. 8 kinds of consciousness are the Sense consciousness (five senses), Mind consciousness (conscious mind), Manas (ego) and Store consciousness (Alaya consciousness, subconscious mind). Feelings in Exercise 5-8 are limited to feelings manifested in Mind consciousness (conscious mind), but mental formations and consciousness in Exercise 9-12 include the seeds of mental formations which are stored in Store consciousness (Alaya consciousness, subconscious mind). So, the realm of Exercise 9-12 is much deeper than the realm of Exercise 5-8. And we take care of both of them (mental formations and the seeds). Briefly, if we water the wholesome seed, the wholesome mental formation will manifest, and if we water the unwholesome seed, the unwholesome mental formation will manifest. Therefore, the selective watering will be as follows: 1) Water the wholesome seeds. 2) Do not water the unwholesome seeds. 3) Maintain the wholesome mental formation if it is manifesting. 4) Transform the unwholesome mental formation (to the wholesome mental formation) if it is manifesting. 5) Water the unwholesome seed intentionally to let the unwholesome mental formation manifest and to transform it to the wholesome mental formation and return it to Store consciousness as the wholesome seed. (Note) 5) has a high risk unless you are an advanced practitioner, so is not recommendable for beginners. If you are mindful, you can recognize what is going on inside and around yourself. So, if you practice the selective watering as soon as you recognize what's going on, you can control your mind as you wish. And it will be wise also that you request people around you to practice the selective watering to you as well as you do it by yourself. This selective watering means the "Right Diligence" of the Noble Eightfold Path. (to be continued) (Cf.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eSuUDzwAWs http://www.amazon.com/dp/B014NYEP04
(My question to Thay) At the beginning, Thay said, "There is indeed a place like that, called the Pure Land of the Present Moment. That land is not limited in space or time. Speaking in Buddhist terminology, that land is outside of space and time." At the end, Thay said, "Therefore, if we practice mindful breathing and mindful walking, we can return to the Pure Land of the Present Moment in that very space and time." So, that very space and time must be outside of space and time. Thay said, "Speaking in terminology of quantum physics, it is nonlocal and nontemporal." So, the Pure Land of the Present Moment must be in the noumenal world, not in the phenomenal world. In this sense, I understand that our body can't dwell in the Pure Land of the Present Moment but only awareness (awakened consciousness) can dwell in the Pure Land of the Present Moment. I have a question to Thay. Can there be notions such as suffering and happiness in the Pure Land of the Present Moment? I understand that in the noumenal world (the ultimate dimension, nirvana) there are no notions. That's because the extinction of all notions is nirvana, as Thay taught us. (Steps for dwelling in the Pure Land) I understand that only if we can stop thinking, we can dwell in the Pure Land. And the steps for dwelling in the Pure Land 24 hours a day will be: (1) conscious breathing, (for temporary enlightenment) (2) insight of the root cause of suffering,(for long-lasting enlightenment) (3) the extinction of all notions.(for full enlightenment)
The key point of "16 exercises on mindful breathing" is as follows. Please refer to the URL below for the original text and my commentaries: http://compassion5151.blogspot.jp/2015/10/16-exercises-on-mindful-breathing.html http://compassion5151.blogspot.jp/2016/04/16-exercises-on-mindful-breathing-whole.html Exercise 5-8: Feelings (5-6):Joy and Happiness Exercise 5-6 (generating joy and happiness) occurs automatically at the same time when we establish ourselves in mindfulness in Exercise 1-2. So, in time series, Exercise 5-6 should be placed as Exercise 3-4 rather than Exercise 5-6. However, joy and happiness belongs to the category of feelings, so I guess that these exercises was placed as Exercise 5-6. Anyway, if mindful breathing is attained in Exercise 1-2, that is a proof that we have returned to awareness (non-separate self, true self). So, we can touch the wonders of life, and joy and happiness can be automatically generated. The expressions of our realization of joy and happiness may be "just blooming like a flower without thinking". If a flower is replaced with a human being, it may be "just smiling without thinking". Even if you try to concentrate on your breathing, if you have fear and anxiety and can't stop thinking (if you are wandering in the past or the future and can't return to the present moment), unfortunately you are still ego (separate self, fake self) and can't generate joy and happiness. Therefore, those who can't generate joy and happiness by Exercise 1-2, will have no chance to recognize, embrace, relieve the pain and suffering even if they go ahead, because they have no energy of mindfulness. So, Thich Nhat Hanh teaches us that we should keep conscious breathing or walking without going ahead until we return to awareness (non-separate self, true self), or until we can practice mindful breathing and walking. In this sense, we can say that Exercise 5-6 is a mean to check whether or not we are practicing Right Mindfulness by ourselves. (7-8): Painful feelings Exercise 5-6 are exercises to recognize and keep positive feelings, while Exercise 7-8 are exercises to recognize and calm negative feelings (painful feelings). If the whole body in Exercise 3-4 is replaced with painful feelings, what we are supposed to do in Exercise 5-6 is exactly the same as Exercise 3-4. By the energy of mindfulness, we recognize our painful feeling, embrace it and calm it by releasing the tension in the feelings. When we recognize our feelings, we are witnessing or observing our feelings. Therefore, we are not the feelings. Our true self is awareness (awakened consciousness) who is witnessing our feelings. So, we don't have to be overwhelmed even by our strong emotions like despair. If we just keep observing it, it will disappear in time. Feelings are impermanent (always changing) and are like a temporary storm, so should not panic and react right away. (to be continued)
