“Even if I have to remain in the dark hole of the Hell of Unrelenting Torment in order to secure the welfare of all my mother sentient beings of old, I will gladly do so.”
Excerpt From: “Seven Steps to Train Your Mind” by Gomo Tulku.
Posted by: Michael | 11/23/2018
At Death
Posted by: Michael | 11/23/2018
Aspiration
May I, through this meritorious deed, be born in my next life in the city of Tusita, the beautiful
dwelling-place of the gods.May I listen to the preaching of Lord Metteyya and enjoy great
glory with him for a long time.When this Great Being is born in the charming city of Ketumatī
as the Buddha, may I be reborn with the three noble root-conditions in a Brahman family.May I make offerings to that Great Sage of invaluable robes of the finest sort, alms, dwelling-places and medicines in abundance.
May undertake the life of a bhikkhu in the dispensation and illumine that noble (institution), being the possessor of potency, mindful and well-versed in the Tipiṭaka.
May he predict (of me), “This one will be a Buddha in the future.”
And may I offer gifts to the Buddhas who will come one after the other and (receive sure prediction) from
them too.May I fare on in repeated births, give food and other things that are desired like a wish-conferring tree.
May I fulfil all the perfections of morality, renunciation, wisdom, and so forth, and having attained the summit of the perfections, become an incomparable Buddha.
May I preach the sweet Doctrine which brings bliss to all beings, liberating the whole world
with its Devas from the bondage of repeated births.May I guide them to the most excellent, tranquil Nibbāna.
We should keep in mind that it is not some higher being who sends us to be born in the various types of unpleasant life as a punishment, but that those lives and the suffering they entail are caused by our own selfish minds.
Excerpt From: “Seven Steps to Train Your Mind” by Gomo Tulku.
Who else to blame when we get angry than ourselves? If we didn’t allow ourselves to be dragged time and again through samsara by our kilesas, we would already have escaped. Finally, this lojong slogan makes sense: place all blame on the one, the one who keeps choosing short sighted pleasures over mahakaruna.
Posted in Bodhisattvayana, Buddha, Buddhism, Dhamma, Karuna, Metta, Taṇhā, Theravada, Tibetan Buddhism | Tags: lojong, self-cherishing
Posted by: Michael | 11/22/2018
Real Practice
Why did I imagine that the practice would suddenly be easy? For whatever reason, I did but luckily conditions have changed and snapped me out of it.
Today I have had abundant opportunities to work with patience and forbearance. And, although I haven’t always been able to keep my mind steady I feel I’ve done pretty well. What is helping me now is to view people who are, for lack of a better description, filled with seemingly bottomless contempt, as sick. I mean, how deranged midday one’s mind become to always be in a simmering state of revulsion? I know how defiled and I’ll I feel when I’m overcome by anger so, even though it never feels pleasant to be the object of scorn, I can at least begin to feel genuine compassion.
The important thing for me to remember is that I need to take time to meditate when I have prolonged contact with such teachers as it is easy for me to get tricked by the defilements. May all beings enjoy blameless happiness and true peace.
Posted in Bodhisattvayana, Buddha, Buddhism, Dhamma, Family Life, Karuna, Khanti, Theravada, Tibetan Buddhism | Tags: compassion, contempt, divorce, marriage, patience
Posted by: Michael | 11/19/2018
All the Happiness in the World
All the happiness there is in this world
Comes from wishing others to be happy.
All suffering there is in this world
Comes from wishing myself to be happy.
What need is there to say more?
The childish work for their own benefit,
The Mighty Ones work for the benefit of others.
Just look at the difference between them!
Excerpt From Bodhicharyavatara: “Cherishing Others: The Heart of Dharma” by Lama Zopa Rinpoche.
Posted in Bodhisattvayana, Buddha, Buddhism, Dhamma, Karuna, Metta, Tibetan Buddhism | Tags: Bodhicharyavatara, compassion, shantideva
Posted by: Michael | 11/18/2018
Taking on the Unpleasant
Yesterday I happened to overhear a conversation where a group of strangers on a train banded together to gossip about another couple of strangers who had been looking for seats on the crowded train. When asked if a bag could be moved to make room, the person (who would later be a gossip) replied that she would not do it. Later, when the couple left, this person complained about how she didn’t want to be uncomfortable for the duration by having to share a seat with someone.
I had a lot of judgement of her and the other gossips which was equally unfair to them but more than anything out got me thinking about the kind of person I want to be until I am able to find release. I want to be someone who willingly sacrifices my comfort for a stranger. I want to be someone who volunteers to undertake the unpleasant. I want to be strong enough of mind and heart to put others before me. And yet I worry that I will burn out. I worry that it’s not possible.
So be it. Maybe it is not always possible and maybe I will fail a thousand times. As long as I try a thousand one times I won’t have failed for good. As much as I try to give up this bodhisattva attitude it just doesn’t seem to want to go away and keeps coming back despite my attempts to cut it off and remove it. Perhaps in some later life or at another time I will put it down again but it seems to me that striving for complete enlightenment as a Buddha in incalculable eons is where my practice is currently pointing me. Yes, I will have to be reborn in hells for untold numbers of lives but I don’t see anyway around that. At least if I am recién as a hell being with bodhisattva intentions I can help to bring those beings with whom I’ve made contact to liberation. Without it, I’m making no meaningful kammic connections.
May I always take on what others do not wish to do.
May I sacrifice my comfort for the good of others.
Posted in Bodhisattvayana, Buddha, Buddhism, Dhamma, Theravada, Tibetan Buddhism | Tags: compassion, Hell, self-sacrifice, unpleasant
This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard: “There are these two things that cause remorse. Which two? There is the case of the person who has not done what is admirable, has not done what is skillful, has not given protection to those in fear, and instead has done what is evil, savage, & cruel. Thinking, ‘I have not done what is admirable,’ he feels remorse. Thinking, ‘I have done what is evil,’ he feels remorse. These are the two things that cause remorse.”
Having engaged in bodily misconduct, verbal misconduct, misconduct of mind,[1] or whatever else is flawed, not having done what is skillful, having done much that is not, at the break-up of the body, the undiscerning one reappears in hell.
Since I can’t seem to stop myself from unskillful behaviors, I should at least not entertain any delusions about where these repeated failures will take me. In the interim, may I never act haughtily or secretly think myself better than anyone else.
Posted in Buddha, Buddha Vacana, Buddhism, Taṇhā, Theravada | Tags: akusala, akusala kamma, Hell, naraka, niraya
Posted by: Michael | 11/16/2018
Endless Desire
There are no rivers on whose banks we have not already enjoyed ourselves; there is no place on earth where we have not already dwelt; there is no rank, even in heaven, that we have not already attained.
And yet, despite all this, desire, so difficult to fulfill, continues to grow.
—Chandragomin
Posted in Buddhism, Dhamma, Taṇhā, Tibetan Buddhism | Tags: Chandrgomin, desire
Posted by: Michael | 11/14/2018
Miccha-sankappa: Wrong Resolve
“Of those, right view is the forerunner. And how is right view the forerunner? One discerns wrong resolve as wrong resolve, and right resolve as right resolve. This is one’s right view. And what is wrong resolve? Being resolved on sensuality, on ill will, on harmfulness. This is wrong resolve.”
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.117.than.html
I had a narrow escape today from committing a less than pure action. The fact that I’m able to justify it as not breaking a precept means that I can’t rely on the resolve to follow them as my line bulwark against akusala kamma. This is unfortunate and it’s something I’ve been struggling with for a number of years now.
Today, I was lucky or had the help of devas because i was unable to follow through with my plans. One again I narrowly escaped sin but I formulated wrong resolve and acted on the basis of wrong view nonetheless. May I reflect and learn. May I give thanks to all of my teachers and friends both seen and unseen.
Posted in Buddha, Buddha Vacana, Buddhism, Dhamma, Taṇhā, Theravada | Tags: lust, wrong resolve, wrong view
Posted by: Michael | 11/13/2018
Premeditatio malorem
Today I will meet with people who are meddling, unthankful, rude, disloyal, and selfish. People who behave this way don’t know the difference between what is good and evil. But, be-cause I know the difference, I will not be affected by their behavior. Neither will I be angry or be irritated because I’d rather cooperate than fight with others.
Excerpt From: “Unshakable Freedom” by Chuck Chakrapani.
Every morning before I rise from need may I recall these words.
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