Fundamental Flaw

Wrong thoughts are our personal opinions, which arise in response to external sensory stimuli. Relying on this sensory input, we think about what we have encountered and draw conclusions based on what we have seen, heard, smelled, tasted, and touched. Then, we begin to label some things good and others bad, some pleasant and others unpleasant. In other words, we begin to discriminate, seeing duality in everything.

The fundamental flaw in this process is the reliance on our senses. What we fail to consider is the fact that our breadth of exposure is minimal at best and that our senses may well be faulty. Consider the Buddha’s account of a group of men blind from birth trying to describe an elephant. Each of the men was taken to a different part of the elephant: its head, an ear, a tusk, its trunk, its stomach, a foot, its tail, and the tuft of its tail. The blind men in turn said that the elephant was like a pot, a basket, a ploughshare, a plow, a storehouse, a pillar, a pestle, and a brush. The men then began to argue with one another and even came to blows over the matter.

These reasonable but limited answers were the result of knowing only a part of the truth, not the whole. And sadly, like those blind men, most of us also encounter only a part of the truth. We, too, cling stubbornly to our own viewpoints, convinced that we have all the facts. And thinking that we have all the facts and feeling confident of our conclusions, we reject the views of others. Thus, our ignorance arises from our wrong thoughts. The manifestation of our ignorance is our attachment to our wrong thoughts, and this inevitably intensifies our ignorance.

Fueling the Fire of Hatred

 

Hatred is a fire that if left unchecked will consume all those it touches. Adding fuel to a fire only increases it. Not supplying the fuel will cause the fire to burn itself out.

If we keep fueling the fire of anger and hatred with thoughts of self-justification and self-benefit, of bitterness and resentment, we will never let go of our anger. Eventually, it will consume and destroy us all, for those who are surrounded by fire will inevitably be burned.

The Best Medicine?

The ancients had a saying:

Sickness is the best medicine for sentient beings. When sick, a person should be very happy. When everything goes against your will, do not feel afflicted.

Another saying goes:

Life and death are fated. When sick, a person should give rise to great liberation. Let life and death go on, without being afraid.

Again: The past is like an illusion. The present is like an illusion. The future is like an illusion. Abandon them utterly with all your feelings, and just uphold correct mindfulness. In the midst of your sickness, be peaceful and patient. Do not think restlessly of a quick cure. This is the best prescription for a fast recovery.

Also: Put aside all your household affairs. Abandon the myriad causes of entanglement. Empty your mind and be mindful of the Buddha-name. Do not forget it for a minute, and your karmic barriers will dissolve by themselves. When your karmic barriers have dissolved, naturally you will sleep peacefully at night, and your body and mind will get healthy and strong.

~ The Pure Land Teachings Of Master Chu-Hung, trans. By J.C. Cleary

Harming Those We Love

Picture in your mind an image of the Buddha—an awakened being. What qualities does this image bring to mind? Restraint and dignity. Patience and compassion. Contentment and great ease. These are the qualities we need to uncover within ourselves if we are to, like him, awaken.

But our lives today are so frantic. We have so much to do. We rush from one task to another. We even have a term for it—multitasking. With so much to do, we must be impor­tant people! It is so easy to be seduced by current ideas of what a successful person is. We have seriously strayed from our inner virtues. We practice little restraint. We exhibit little dignity. We are hurting ourselves. And even worse, we are causing great harm to our children. We are setting them on a path that will lead them even farther away from their innate goodness and virtues.

Instead of passing on our bad habits of self-indulgence and instant gratification to our children, we need to teach them what is important in life—how to become truly contented and caring people. Contented, caring people have no room for craving or hatred in their hearts. Such people have no room for thoughts of retalia­tion in their minds. Such people are worthy of the respect and trust of others. Such people are at ease with life.

And when sad or even terrible things happen, they are not overcome by fear or sorrow. They are able to con­trol their fear and transform it into love. They know the futility of doing otherwise; they know the great harm they can do to those they love more than life itself.

Peak Oil, Peak Coal, and Beyond

To transcend suffering and attain happiness, to become enlightened, we need the time to practice.

To have the time to practice, we need good fortune.

To utilize good fortune, we need the right conditions.

To foster the right conditions, we need a peaceful society and a healthy planet.

Bottom line: if there’s an environmental meltdown, we’ll be too busy struggling to survive to have the time to practice.

 

Please make the time to view Jaiaia Donaldson's conversation with Richard Heinberg called Peak Oil, Peak Coal, and Beyond. I’ve watched many of the conversations on Peak Moments Television. Janaia and Robyn Mallgren have done an amazing job of educating us. But instead of my trying to tell you how important their work is and how much I admire their dedication, I’d rather you spend the time viewing this program.