Cattāri Brahmavihārā

Posted by: Michael | 02/13/2015

Five Hindrances

44. There are these five debasements of gold, because of which gold is not pliable, workable or glistening, but is brittle and not capable of perfect workmanship.

What five? Iron, copper, tin, lead and silver. But when gold is free from these five debasements it is pliable, workable, glistening, not brittle and capable of perfect workmanship. Then whatever sort of ornament one wants, a signet ring, ear-ring, necklace or a gold chain, it can be used for that.

In the same way, there are these five debasements of the mind because of which the mind is not pliable, workable, or glistening, but is brittle and not rightly composed for the destruction of the defilements. What five? Sense desire, ill-will, sloth and laziness, restlessness and worry, and doubt.

But when the mind is free from these five debasements it is pliable, workable, glistening, not brittle but rightly composed for the destruction of the defilements. Then one can direct the mind to the realization by psychic knowledge of whatever can be realized by psychic knowledge and can see it directly, whatever its range might be.

Anguttara Nikaya III.15

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Posted by: Michael | 02/11/2015

Happy Uposatha – There is a Path

The last few days have been hard for no particular reason that I can fathom. I have been feeling strained, stressed and generally worn out and the server of driving too hard during virtual meditation has been palpable and completely unpleasant. At times like this I have often sickened so much that my practice has suffered for it but I hope to take better care of myself this time around so they I may be better able to handle it.

As I was in the shower my mind became obsessed with thoughts based on selling pleasures in one of the five senses. Fortunately, I had enough presence of mind to see what was happening and, rather than getting caught up in and believing the story, I asked simply if this would lead to more suffering or release. In that moment, all craving for that specific sense pleasure dropped away as I knew that posting such things would only bring more harm, more suffering.

There is a Path and we are blessed to have come into contact with it. Let us not diabetes our chance to understand the cattari ariya saccani and make an end to dukkha.

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Posted in Buddha, Buddhism, Dhamma, Dukkha, Theravada, Tisarana | Tags: Four Noble Truths, suffering

Posted by: Michael | 02/10/2015

A Question of Language

The fact that the Dhamma must needs be communicated by the imperfect medium of language is a fact that I have often averted to and then left behind as I was afraid that such a line of thinking would lead only to further entanglement and no profit. Frankly, I think this may still be the case but I am come now to this place in my practice where I am obligated to take another look.

Surely language is always an approximation of a process in constant motion that, by its nature, lens the appearance of solidity and thingness to whatever it describes. The problem of language becomes even more obvious when speaking of things like wisdom, concentration and the whole gamut of first-person experiences that are often failed by words even before the issue of translation treats its ugly head. And although I won’t attempt to go any further down this rabbit hole for the time being suffice it to say that any attempt to re-word or revise a tradition’s textual/oral corpus without a lived experience of said tradition is folly at best. In other words, although we each need to use a language that resonates with our own conditioning to make the Teaching stick, to do so in a self-imposed vacuum is foolish at best and harmful at worst.

Please excuse my rambling and I promise to try to clean this up at a later date.

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Posted in Buddhism, Dhamma, Theravada | Tags: problem of language, revision, Translation

Posted by: Michael | 02/09/2015

Where Do You Find Your Happiness

40. There are these five strands of sense pleasure. What five?

Material shapes cognizable with the eye, pleasant, liked, enticing, connected with sensual pleasures, alluring.

Sounds cognizable with the ear, smells cognizable with the nose, tastes cognizable with the tongue, and touches cognizable with the body, all of them agreeable, pleasant, liked, enticing, connected with sensual pleasures, alluring.

These are the five strands of sense pleasure.
Whatever happiness or joy arises as a result of these five strands of sense pleasure, that is called the happiness of sense of pleasure – it is a common happiness, a happiness of the average person, an ignoble happiness. It should not be pursued, developed or emphasized. It is a happiness to be feared, I say.

Majjhima Nikaya I.454

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Posted in Buddha, Buddhism, Dhamma, Nekkhama, Theravada | Tags: five senses, sense pleasures

Posted by: Michael | 02/07/2015

Gratitude for the Precepts

This morning was a tough sit. I woke up in early enough to get work done and a full half-hour of formal meditation in but my entire session was dogged by memories of past unskillful deeds I had done and to which, unfortunately, I found myself still somewhat attracted. I applied the tried and true antidotes with success but more and more memories came rolling in. Realizing I needed to do something to at least combat the darkening of my mind I tried to look a my own goodness and generosity but was stymied there by the same negativity that was threatening to extinguish any light in my heart.

It was then that I realized how fortunate I am to have received the Teachings and to have taken them to heart. How, the person I have become now, has a security an protection that the me of 20 years ago could not fathom. I can still remember thinking there was nothing wrong with a lie, with drinking and even with petty theft in certain situations (craziness, right?). And I wonder why, as I drank, drugged, fought and womanized my way through high school and college why I was so unhappy?

These precepts are the basis of the Path and a true protection for self and all beings. What is metta if not acting in a way that shows care and concern fro oneself and others? It seems crazy to me but I have never pondered just how meaningful the panca sila really are and how deep they go until this morning. May we all deepen our commitment to the Path and putting an end o suffering for ourselves and all beings through our perfection of sila, samadhi and panna.

Buddham Dhamma Sangham namassami!

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Posted in Buddha, Buddhism, Dhamma, Dukkha, Sangha, Sila, Theravada | Tags: Happiness, metta, precepts, suffering, theft

Posted by: Michael | 02/06/2015

Mindfulness of the Breath

37. Develop the meditation that is mindfulness of in-and-out breathing. Mindfulness of in-and-out breathing is of great fruit, of great advantage.

And how is mindfulness of in-and-out breathing developed, how is it made much of, how is it of great fruit, great advantage? Concerning this, one who has gone to the forest, to the root of a tree or to an empty place, sits down cross-legged with the back straight, establishing mindfulness in front of him.

Mindfully one breathes in, mindfully one breathes out. Breathing in a long breath one knows: ‘I am breathing in a long breath;” breathing out a long breath one knows: “I am breathing out a long breath.” Breathing in a short breath one knows: “I am breathing in a short breath;” breathing out a short breath one knows: “I am breathing out a short breath.”

One trains oneself, thinking: “Breathing in I shall experience the whole body.” One trains oneself, thinking: “Breathing out I shall experience the whole body.” One trains oneself, thinking: “Breathing in I will tranquillize bodily activities.” One trains oneself, thinking: “Breathing out I will tranquillize bodily activities.”

Majjhima Nikaya I.425

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Posted in Anapanasati, Buddha, Buddhism, Dhamma, Theravada | Tags: Anapanasati, meditation, mindfulness

Posted by: Michael | 02/05/2015

Holding Back

In not sure how to characterize the feeling out really hire to describe it in light of the Dhamma but it seems to me that, for as long as I can remember, I have always held back, not giving myself over to the moment or tried to excuse myself as quickly as possible from interactions with my fellow humans. At root it feels like fear and aversion: fear of being found out, disliked or of doing something I’d rather not have to do. Whether it’s arranging my commute to avoid as many acquaintances as possible or begrudging the nightly routine of homework, music practice, dinner, wash up and bedtime, I feel as if I’m never quite there and always ready to alight into the next branch that’s offered.

Bringing this into full awareness of the first step of course but as of yet I’m not quite sure how to work with something that appears to be a deeply rooted trait of this personality. Using the Four Noble Truths as my guide I know I first need to come to understand this dukkha so I suppose that is exactly what I need to be working on now.

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Posted in Buddha, Buddhism, Dhamma, Dukkha, Theravada | Tags: aversion, fear, Four Noble Truths

Posted by: Michael | 02/04/2015

Not According to Plan

Some days it seems like nothing proceeds as we had imagined it and everything is conspiring to thwart our plans. Today is one of those days. So how do you practice when your kids wake up too early, your wife had been called away to work on the middle of the night and you are in charge of the morning routine and drop off?

The easy answer is to be mindful of course but what that looks like in the fray is what I’m trying to figure out. Mindfulness of irritation, of stress, of screaming kids? Yes, I suppose that’s it add then compassion for all of it. Honestly that’s the best I’ve got this morning but I think it is good enough.

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Posted in Buddha, Daily Practice, Dhamma, Sangha, Theravada | Tags: compassion, disappointment, expectations

Posted by: Michael | 02/03/2015

One’s True Benefit

Most of us practicing the Dhamma in North America today who were not born into Buddhism have had to make a choice at some time or another about the style of Buddhism we want to practice. And for me at least, pay off this choice had tested on a tired, oft used caricature of the Theravada and Mahayana paths. In short, I’d one believes that one must practice for one’s own benefit and gain a modicum of understanding before one tries to alleviate the sufferings of others then Theravada odd for you. If you believe that it is more important to work towards enlightenment by means of compassion and other centered practices then you’re a perfect candidate for the bodhisattvayana.

Now, these are admittedly broad and doing generalizations and they don’t quite do justice to either style but this is more or less my mental crib sheet for these positions. But, as I practice a variety of teachings I see more and more that, when held correctly, sacrificing my desires for the benefit of others is for my own benefit as well. In fact, as long as the intention is invited with compassion and loving-kindness I can see no better way to live one’s life than through service to others. It is through karuna and the gradual development of wisdom that we see, perhaps, where we can help and when to just leave well enough alone (like the Lord Buddha did with the monks at Kosambi).

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Posted in Buddha, Dhamma, Karuna, Sangha, Theravada, Tibetan Buddhism, Zen | Tags: Bodhisattva, ideals, mahayana

Posted by: Michael | 02/03/2015

One’s True Benefit

Most of us practicing the Dhamma in North America today who were not born into Buddhism have had to make a choice at some time or another about the style of Buddhism we want to practice. And for me at least, pay off this choice had tested on a tired, oft used caricature of the Theravada and Mahayana paths. In short, I’d one believes that one must practice for one’s own benefit and gain a modicum of understanding before one tries to alleviate the sufferings of others then Theravada odd for you. If you believe that it is more important to work towards enlightenment by means of compassion and other centered practices then you’re a perfect candidate for the bodhisattvayana.

Now, these are admittedly broad and doing generalizations and they don’t quite do justice to either style but this is more or less my mental crib sheet for these positions. But, as I practice a variety of teachings I see more and more that, when held correctly, sacrificing my desires for the benefit of others is for my own benefit as well. In fact, as long as the intention is invited with compassion and loving-kindness I can see no better way to live one’s life than through service to others. It is through karuna and the gradual development of wisdom that we see, perhaps, where we can help and when to just leave well enough alone (like the Lord Buddha did with the monks at Kosambi).

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Posted in Buddha, Dhamma, Karuna, Sangha, Theravada, Tibetan Buddhism, Zen | Tags: Bodhisattva, ideals, mahayana