Turning Buddhism upside down
Turning Buddhism upside down |
- Turning Buddhism upside down
- “Idiot compassion”
- Religions make a Big Problem out of life's little problems
- Thoughts about Yogananda's Kriya Yoga
- Spontaneous Gene Mutations Linked to Kids' Heart Defects
- Sex Supplements May Contain Hidden, Harmful Drugs
| Posted: 14 May 2013 06:00 AM PDT There is no scriptural warrant for arguing the Buddha denied, categorically, the self or âtman. Peter Harvey, recognizes this fact also who writes that "the early sources used by the Theravada are bereft of any such explicit denial. The idea that Buddhism, 'denies the self', though, has become a commonplace of Religious Studies" (The Selfless Mind, p. 7). The assumption that the Buddha denied the self, to my mind, serves more than any other misunderstanding of Buddhism, to make it almost impossible to understand. It turns Buddhism upside down. If any thing that is remarkable about Buddhism is that it straightaway takes as a given the first-person. It is only from this basis that we can begin to make spiritual progress, that is, to separate the first-person from what is not the first-person, namely, the anâtman or in Pali, anattâ. Anâtman, in other words, is the false self or simply, what is not myself. The Buddha wants us to truly understand that this temporal body of ours, including our thoughts, is not who we are (we are always the first-person). From the Buddha's enlightened perspective, we transcend all this, although it is difficult for us to realize this, since we are not yet awakened. Viewing this temporal body of mine, including my thoughts, it is impermanent. Since conception, it has been constantly changing along with my thoughts. There is nothing permanent about it. It has suffered, too. It has never once been totally free of suffering and the eventuality of death. Because of this, my temporal body, including my thoughts, cannot be an adequate refuge for me. Only the first-person or âtman can be a refuge. But in my confused condition I am not yet liberated (nirvana) from adhering to the temporal body. This explains why the Buddha said this:
The Buddha never tells anyone to take the anâtman, or what is not the self, as refuge for various reasons. It is always the self or the first-person which is our refuge. In the commentaries, the self is a synonym of island (Sasaki, Linguistic Approach to Meditation Thought, 60) so we can read the following as meaning our self or the first-person and Nibbana as the attained first-person.
Reflecting on this, truly we cannot go beyond self/island. It is truly a place of no thingness which transcends our temporal world. To fully realize the substance of self is liberation or nirvana. Not to realize it is to attach to the false self or anâtman which is not an island. | ||
| Posted: 14 May 2013 12:00 AM PDT
Compassion is wishing that beings be free from suffering. Idiot compassion is avoiding conflict, letting people walk all over you, not giving people a harm time when actually they need to be given a hard time. It's "being nice," or "being good." It's not compassion at all. It ends up causing us pain, and it ends up causing others pain. The more someone self-consciously thinks of themselves as compassionate, the more likely it is that they're a compassionate idiot. Idiot compassion lacks both courage and intelligence. Idiot compassion lacks courage because "being nice" and "being good" are held to be the most important qualities we can manifest, and so we're afraid to do anything that might make us unpopular. It's not uncommon to see a related phenomenon, "idiot kindness" in parents' interactions with their children. Some parents want to be their children's best friends, and don't want to be unpopular. And so they indulge their children, giving them what they want and never disciplining them, or using very inconsistent discipline. But it's not a parent's job to be a BFF for their children. It's their job to help bring their children up to be responsible adults. Idiot compassion lacks intelligence, because it doesn't lead to happiness or to freedom from suffering. If someone cheats you, and you immediately decide to trust them again, you're not helping either them, or you. The person who cheats you is unlikely to have a sudden conversion to being conscientious. Any easy promise they make to change their ways is likely to be just another form of cheating. And so by letting them off the hook you don't help them. In fact you become an enabler of their dysfunctional behavior. And you end up suffering as well. At some point either resentment against the cheat, or against themselves, is going to kick in. True compassion does not shy away from causing pain when necessary. Causing pain is not the same as causing harm, by the way. The Buddha talked about this in relation to speech, in an interesting dialogue with a prince named Abhaya. Abhaya was the follower of a rival teacher, and he was sent to try to entrap the Buddha. He was to ask whether the Buddha would say words that were disagreeable to others, If the Buddha was to say he would say things that were disagreeable, then he was to be accused of acting just like ordinary, unenlightened people. If he said he wouldn't, then it was to be pointed out that his words had in fact caused others to be upset. This was desrcibed as a "two-pronged question." "When Gotama the contemplative is asked this two-pronged question by you, he won't be able to swallow it down or spit it up." Of course the Buddha has no difficulty in avoiding this trap, and he turns the "two-pronged" metaphor to his advantage.  If you like my articles and want to support the work I do, click here to check out my books, guided meditation CDs, and MP3s.
So the Buddha leads Abhaya to recognize that it's acceptable to cause pain if you want to save someone from harm. And he goes on to say that:
And those are the only circumstances under which the Buddha would say something that he knew to be disagreeable. So this is quite a tough order. What you say has to be true — not just your opinion, but actually true. This requires a great deal of mental clarity. What you say has to be beneficial — which implies that you have a good understanding of psychology and of the spiritual path, otherwise how can you know what it helpful? And you have to have an awareness of what's the right time to say what needs to be said. This requires some empathy. I don't think it's wise to say, though, that honest but critical communication should be avoided until we've attained some kind of near-superhuman state of wisdom. How do we learn when it's beneficial and timely to tell the truth? How do we clarify whether we're actually in possession of the truth? We learn by speaking, with as much courage, honesty, kindness, and wisdom as we can muster, and by reflecting on the consequences. So ask yourself, "Am I avoiding conflict and calling it compassion? Am I afraid to be honest because I might end up being disliked? Am I letting people off the hook too easily? Am I setting myself up for resentment?" And if any of these is the case, muster your courage, and speak up, even if you make mistakes. The spiritual path is, as I like to say, the fine art of making mistakes. Eventually this all becomes spontaneous. And in fact when the Buddha has done explaining the circumstances under which it's skillful to say something disagreeable, he goes on to talk about the spontaneous nature of his communication. Those who are most genuinely compassionate don't think in terms of "being compassionate." Expressing themselves honestly and with empathy is just what they do. So be wary of trying to be compassionate in a self-conscious way. The more you do this, the more likely it is that you're being a compassionate idiot. Read More @ Source | ||
| Religions make a Big Problem out of life's little problems Posted: 13 May 2013 11:00 PM PDT We've all got problems. Some days it seems like life is nothing but one problem popping up after another. Car won't start. Forgot to pay credit card bill. Child came home with bad report card. Faucet has started leaking. Knee is hurting for some reason. Of course, much of life is problem-free. Or seemingly so. Even when things are going well, usually there's some nagging glitch that keeps an enjoyable experience from being perfectly so. I'm enjoying the movie, but, geez, why does that guy behind me have to eat his popcorn so noisily? There's no problem in getting help with our problems. Family, friends, doctors, plumbers, You Tube, Google -- fortunately there are plenty of places to turn when we aren't sure how to handle a problem. However, now that I'm in a churchless frame of mind I do have a problem with religions that manufacture an overarching Big Problem. This isn't any of life's little problems, though supposedly it is the hidden cause of them. For example... Christianity has Original Sin. Hinduism has Maya. Buddhism has Karma. These supernatural Big Problem concepts are used to explain why everyday life is so full of little problems. Religions also promise that if we can fix the Big Problem, those little problems will go away. Maybe not now, but after death. Then we'll be saved, enlightened, released from the wheel of rebirth, or whatever other goodie is promised by some religion. Only problem is, there's no evidence that the Big Problem exists, nor any evidence that after death all of our little problems will vanish and we'll still be alive in some form. (For sure our problems will vanish after death, but without holding some religious belief the best bet is that so will we; no me, no problems -- yet also no me aware of having no problems.) So here's something to ponder: Given that we already have to deal with so many problems in life, does it make sense to embrace a religion that conjures up a Big Problem which we're supposed to deal with along with everyday little problems? Or is it possible to live a meaningful life without believing in some hypothesized Big Problem that only exists as theological dogma, not direct experience? Not surprisingly, I answer "no" and "yes" to those questions. | ||
| Thoughts about Yogananda's Kriya Yoga Posted: 13 May 2013 10:00 PM PDT Here's two email messages that I got from someone who practices Kriya Yoga and has had some pretty amazing yogic experiences. Yet this person considers that the experiences are entirely based on the body/brain. The book referred to in the first message is Yogananda's "Autobiography of a Yogi." Way back when (early 70's probably) I read the book and marveled at the far-out descriptions of mystical goings-on. Message #1:
Hi Brian, Yes, unfortunately, a lot of people believed what Yogananda experienced was true. This is what helped build the organization he founded in California..... The self - realization fellowship which later was incorporated as a church for tax purposes. I read part of the book when I was in my 20"s; now I'm 52 (an old gal). Back then I believed what was written. About a year and a half ago I picked up the book and starting reading some of it and had to close the book realizing how it resembled a fantasy story (Lord of The Rings came to mind for some reason). Oh yes, I believe he did experience visions as this is what the practice of kriya yoga meditation will do. However, I think his religious fanaticism and devotion to a being called God, which does not exist, set the stage for these far out experiences. My experiences with kriya yoga had me seeing golden light, wheels of light in red, yellow, orange, blue and violet (Oh yeah, gotta love this one, my guru says these are the chakras coming into view, keep placing OM at each chakra with the upward breath as we need to cleanse the chakras). Then later on in the practice I kept seeing a full white moon, after that came the bursting forth of many suns while practicing yoni mudra. Which after a while my guru told me it was showing me how creation forms, a bursting forth of energy and light. Anyway, with this practice I have found no god entity, no existence of heaven or hell and certainly no soul or spirit residing in the human body. Only matter, energy, and consciousness in other words, body, and brain. Message #2: Parmahansa Yogananda proclaimed to have come to the West to spread the teachings of an ancient yogic science called Kriya Yoga. In Chapter 26 of his book "Autobiography Of A Yogi" entitled "The Science Of Kriya Yoga" 3rd paragraph it is written....... Kriya Yoga is a simple psychophysiological method whereby, the blood is decarbonated and recharged with oxygen. Atoms of this extra oxygen are transmitted into life current to rejuvenate the brain and spinal centers. By stopping the accumulation of venous blood the yogi is able to lessen or prevent the decay of tissues. The advanced yogi transmutes his cells into energy. He then goes on to state Elijah, Jesus, Kabir, and other prophets used kriya or some similar method to cause their bodies to materialize and dematerialize at will. Sound far fetched? You bet! I am initiated into kriya yoga and have been practicing this tantric meditation technique for a while now. With this method one is instructed on where and how to locate the 7 chakras which in reality are the lumbar points in the spine. The 7th chakra is not part of the spine as it is the crown/ top of the head. The kriyaban is instructed in various mudras and in pranayama. Many of which come from the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. Such as the correct asana for practicing kriya meditation, kechari, the mahamudra, shambhavi mudra. The practice of kriya yoga pranayam, whereby one draws the breath upwards mentally touching each of the chakras (spinal centers) then resting in the kumbhaka state produced visions of wheels of light in red, yellow, orange, blue, and violet. These I was told by my guru are the chakras coming into view. Keep placing OM at each chakra as we need to cleanse the karmic seeds from our chakra database. (Okaaay,) Then suddenly, one day my entire head was flooded with a golden light and the internal sounds of Omkar resounded within. Such peace, joy and bliss. I was sure I had found the god within! Turns out it was all brought about by the practice of pranayama. Breath and mind are linked! Next came all the sensations of energy (prana) moving up and down the spine. The body would gently sway like the motion of a pendulum on a clock. The spine felt like it was tingling and vibrating. I saw a pure white orb like the full moon on several occasions. Wow! such a great spiritual vision, so I thought. Then came the bursting forth of many suns while practicing yoni mudra. According to my guru, this mudra was showing me creation, the bursting forth of energy and light even though this mudra is manipulated by the one practicing it. One takes a deep inhalation, retains it, thumbs close the ears, index fingers cover closed eyelids, middle fingers close the nostrils while the ring fingers and pinkies are placed at the corners of the mouth. To sum up everything, all the visions are just a product of practicing pranayama (breathing technique). The energy flows of prana are also produced by practicing pranayama. Breath and mind are definitely linked. Nothing mystical. The sense that all is one or everything is one also arises from doing this practice. However, the feeling of being one with everything is impermanent. ... | ||
| Spontaneous Gene Mutations Linked to Kids' Heart Defects Posted: 13 May 2013 08:00 PM PDT
Mutations in genes that occur spontaneously may contribute to congenital heart disease in children, according to a new study. These mutations — which arise after conception, rather than being inherited from a parent — may contribute to about 10 percent of cases of congenital heart disease in children, the study said. Congenital heart disease is a group of heart defects (such as holes, or missing parts of the heart), and is the most common type of birth defect in the United States. About 40,000 babies are born each year with congenital heart disease. While some chromosomal abnormalities (such as Down syndrome) and infections during pregnancy are known to cause congenital heart disease, the new study shows that spontaneous gene mutations during fetal development affect the development of brain and heart, and may lead to congenital heart disease in children with healthy parents. In the study, researchers looked at the rate of spontaneous mutations in 362 children with severe congenital heart disease, 264 healthy children and parents of both groups. Although children in both groups had about the same number of spontaneous mutations, the locations of those mutations were markedly different in the two groups, according to the study that was published online in the journal Nature yesterday (May 12). "The mutations in patients with congenital heart disease were found much more frequently in genes that are highly expressed in the developing heart," said study researcher Christine Seidman, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator. This finding provides insights for future research, and may someday lead to better treatment options, the researchers said. Follow Bahar Gholipour @alterwired. Follow MyHealthNewsDaily @MyHealth_MHND, Facebook & Google+. Originally published on LiveScience.  Read More @ Source | ||
| Sex Supplements May Contain Hidden, Harmful Drugs Posted: 13 May 2013 07:00 PM PDT
Consumers should not buy sexual enhancement supplements, either online or in stores, because the products may contain undisclosed drugs that could cause serious harm, medical experts say. Although advertisements on sex supplements purport that the products improve sexual function, there is no evidence to support these claims, said Dr. Pieter Cohen, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and a general internist at Cambridge Health Alliance in Boston. In fact, there is no non-prescription product that has any proven benefit for helping with erections, Cohen said. Oftentimes manufacturers secretly add prescription drugs, such as sildenafil (sold under the brand name Viagra) or tadalafil (brand name Cialis), so that customers continue to use the products, Cohen said. Sometimes these undisclosed drugs are slightly modified versions of existing drugs, which are completely experimental and have not been shown to be safe, Cohen said. "These products either do not work, or if they do work, are potentially harmful," because they contain undisclosed drugs, Cohen said. In 2009, sex supplements tainted with high doses of diabetes medication caused more than 12 deaths in Asia. If doctors, lawmakers and legislatures don't act soon to reduce exposure to these supplements, more deaths could follow, Cohen said. Doctors should have a low threshold for prescribing erectile dysfunction drugs so that patients do not turn to potentially dangerous supplements, Cohen said. Sex supplement dangers The Food and Drug Administration regulates dietary supplements only after they enter the market, and the agency is not able to test all of these products for safety. Earlier this year, the FDA warned consumers that a number of sexual enhancement supplements contained undisclosed drugs. And a few weeks ago, several sex supplements were recalled. Consumers who ingest tainted supplements don't know that they are taking prescription drugs, and have not been are not properly counseled about the side effects of the drugs, Cohen said. What's more, tadalafil and sildenafil can cause adverse effects, including dangerously low blood pressure, if taken along with other prescription drugs that contain nitrates, the FDA says. (Some drugs prescribed to treat chest pain and heart disease contain nitrates.) Patients who can't take erectile dysfunction drugs because of their side effects would unknowingly put themselves at risk by taking sex supplements. Manufacturers of sex supplements are also increasingly adding modified versions of prescription drugs to their products. So-called "analogues" are almost identical to drugs like sildenafil, but have a slightly different structure, which makes them harder to detect. Today, there are more than 45 different analogues for PDE-5 inhibitor (the class of drugs used to treat erectile dysfunction). Analogues pose "profound" risks to consumers because they are, in essence, new drugs that have unknown side effects, Cohen said. Recommendations Legislators should revise the law so that dietary supplement manufactures aren't allowed to make claims like "will improve sex function" on their products without proof, Cohen said. Regulators should work together to create a database of known analogues so that such experimental drugs are quickly identified when they are present, Cohen said. Implementing these recommendations now will make it harder for manufacturers of sex supplements to sell their potentially dangerous products, he said. Follow Rachael Rettner @RachaelRettner. Follow MyHealthNewsDaily @MyHealth_MHND, Facebook & Google+. Originally published on LiveScience. Read More @ Source |
Chogyam Trungpa borrowed from Gurdjieff the very useful notion of "idiot compassion." Gurdjieff, a rather fascinating spiritual teacher of the early to mid-20th century, had said that we are all idiots of one kind or another, and his extensive lists of the various types of idiots we could be included "the compassionate idiot."
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