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Three Reasons We Search

May 30

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the wings-become-windows butterfly by e³°°° / Eddy Van 3000

the wings-become-windows butterfly by e³°°° / Eddy Van 3000 via Flickr

Copyright © Anagarika Eddie 2012. All rights reserved.

You know, in many ways we are all the same, as we make our way through life trying to be happy. Happiness is a natural inclination. But as time goes by, many of the things we run after eventually lose their mystique and we find ourselves back at square one when for one reason or another, our promised happiness runs through our fingers like water. It changes, we change, or something changes, and this is the first reason we continue to search . . . because nothing satisfies us for long.

And we do this all the time, this searching, and we might conclude that if nothing can keep us happy for long, we can keep ahead of the unhappiness by simply going from one thing to another, discarding each one as it becomes tiresome, and then grabbing onto another. This works for a while, however the problem we eventually face is that at some point, our energy and capacity to continue the search becomes exhausted. Then we become trapped . . .and this should never happen. Long before we become ensnarled in chasing illusions, we should consider an alternative.

If we are aware of how the world works at all, we begin to see that looking for happiness outside ourselves doesn’t keep us happy for long, and that our very thirst and relentless pursuit of happiness becomes a stressful unhappiness in itself. If we ever get this far in understanding our own happiness, then an outside chance exists that we can take it a step further, and conclude that we should perhaps look elsewhere for our happiness, other than outside of ourselves. But where else can we look? It doesn’t occur to us to look inwardly, because we wouldn’t know how to do that.

And this is the second reason we continue to search . . . because we are looking in all the wrong places.

What if Kant was right when he said that a definition of enlightenment is man’s emergence from a self-incurred immaturity, and that man’s self-incurred immaturity is nothing more than the inability to use one’s own understanding without relying on the guidance of others? What if all the wisdom of eternity could be found inside every one of us? What if we could courageously stop pursuing happiness for a moment and approach an inward emptiness? Would the wisdom of the ages then shift our consciousness and introduce us to the possibility of enlightenment; a happiness we could count on?

But most of us go through life continuing to search outside. Few open to new ideas about real, lasting happiness. Few seriously consider transforming themselves through their own understanding, because they lack the confidence to say no to those who want to merely plant images in their minds and tell them what to believe. They refuse to become proactive in finding their own truths, in finding a creative, genuine purpose in their lives.

Things are changing however. Hints of the beginning of a new consciousness for the human race are popping up everywhere; in the increased, worldwide interest of the deeper, contemplative aspects of religion and spirituality, in the penetrating questions our youth are asking, and in the hopeful eyes of the ones who have been so harshly judged and left behind in the past.

And this is the third reason we continue to search; because we can’t yet see what it is we truly search for. And what is it we truly search for? It is nothing more than the eternal Reality we inherently are, because as much as everything changes, a part of us remains the same.

Anagarika eddie is a meditation teacher at the Dhammabucha Rocksprings Meditation Retreat Sanctuary and author of A Year to Enlightenment. His 30 years of meditation experience has taken him across four continents including two stopovers in Thailand where he practiced in the remote northeast forests as an ordained Thervada Buddhist monk.

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Lets Compare Prayer Vs. Meditation

Apr 30

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St. John of the Cross, Doctor of the Church.

St. John of the Cross, Doctor of the Church. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Author: Dinah Jackson

Christianity has taken a beating in recent years while Buddhism and especially the ‘Zen’ flavor of it, has become rather chic. I state that just as an observation from the crowd of Westerners I’ve hung out with and from media in general. I’m not writing here to promote or defend either religion, but hopefully to shed light on a couple of things and demystify others.

It seems that in the West growing numbers of people have begun to view their Judeo-Christian background with suspicion. Some of the complaints are that it’s too full of guilt and punishment, and that the mythology behind it is just not believable. Other people see Zen as a breath of fresh air as it does not require that you believe in God or facing eternal damnation, and it doesn’t seem to have much in the way of dogma.

Both views are of course, shortsighted. The Judeo-Christian ethic offers people a unique tome of wisdom and stresses an understanding of a God that is loving and forgiving, not angry and punishing, though there is that side too. Real Zen on the other hand is a sect of Japanese Buddhism that is famous for its asceticism, rigorous disciplines, and physical deprivations. Simply, it’s not at all the laid-back meditative practice Westerners mistake it for. It also has a rigid moral code that must be obeyed, and prayers (sutras and mantras) are evoked several times a day. I’m just trying to say here that what the one seems to be, the other really is, and vice versa. They are both religions after.

As for prayer or meditation, studies indicate that both are very good for you both emotionally and physically, and it would be wise to have a daily regime of one or both daily. There is Christian meditation too by the way, and Zen prayer as well. Go figure.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/religion-articles/lets-compare-prayer-vs-meditation-4038170.html

About the Author

This article was written by Dinah Jackson who enjoys writing about Pokemon and travel. We have every Pokemon plush that you can imagine. We have hundreds of Japanese Pokemon charms, figures, pokedolls, plush toys, plushies, binders, deck boxes, sleeves, charms, straps, dice bags, and thousands more very rare Japanese Pokemon items. Direct from Japan to your door.

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Letter to God: Anagarika eddie and Michael Clark on Interfaith Unity

Mar 10

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Sky and Earth

This interview was first published in 2006 as “Letter to God: E. Raymond Rock and Dr. Michael Clark on Interfaith Unity.”
E. Raymond Rock now tends to go by the appellation anagarika eddie, and I prefer to just be called Michael Clark—MC

Anagarika eddie: Is there any possibility of humanity going beyond its opinions and beliefs, or are we destined to fight with each other forever? If God commanded you to come up with something that would satisfy all beliefs, yet enlighten all minds, what would you suggest?

MC: That’s an interesting question. I don’t know the answer for sure. Some believe that, as the New Testament suggests, there ultimately will be a period of peace. But in my view it’s hard to know if this is just prophetic symbolism or something that will actually happen on Earth. It seems our human personalities inevitably come into conflict with one another. But as free beings we have a choice as to how to deal with that. We can see conflict as an opportunity for mutual understanding and growth. Or we can just react like an animal would. Worse, we can plot and scheme like devils. And don’t laugh. Because it’s no joke and many people do.

I don’t think we can always go beyond our opinions and beliefs. But I think during moments of grace we can. So if we continually turn to God for guidance, we might become better and better servants of the Divine. Some say that too much introspection is a bad thing. But I think that if you don’t know your true inner core then you’re going to be acting on the basis of some personality fragment or tangent; or perhaps on the basis of a socio-cultural, transpersonal or negative spiritual influence. If you don’t act from the center, then whatever bad you do will likely come back on you. If you act from the loving center, informed by Grace (or as Catholics would say, the Holy Spirit), then good will come back.

Anagarika eddie: You mention that too much introspection is bad. Could you expand on that a little – where does that attitude come from? Perhaps introspection is bad for those who don’t want their flock to see too clearly. The contemplative saints regarded contemplative prayer highly, discovering that the state of grace could be enhanced by Orison, which is similar to Eastern thinking that meditation creates fertile ground for enlightenment.

Since nothing else has worked throughout history (we are still killing ourselves in the name of God!) could it actually be that introspection; Orison, recollection, the dark night and unison, would enlighten our minds? And could it be that the second coming of Christ (Christ translated as enlightened mind) might be a universal enlightening of many people, instead of an individual Christ this time around?

Thank you for your answers. I’m trying to find a common denominator among all religions that would transcend beliefs, yet not disparage any religion. What other hope do we have? A Muslim will rarely become a Christian; or a Buddhist a Muslim. Perhaps introspection – meditation and contemplative prayer – could be an answer. Perhaps Christ was trying to teach us how to go within, but the original Church Fathers (no different from today), perhaps stressed the emotional side of Christianity, feeling that the deeper teachings should only be reserved for monks, thinking that the masses weren’t ready. Maybe it was more important to build a religion in those days than free their flock from the fear of God, and the fear of themselves, both of which are laid bare by deep prayer.

MC: Ah, but I said that “some say” too much introspection is a bad thing. That’s a little trick I learned over the years. It doesn’t necessary mean that too much introspection is bad. It’s just a useful way to bracket a statement. It means that some people believe it’s bad, those people not necessarily including myself.

However, I do believe that in my own life, anyhow, it’s good to keep some kind of working and flexible balance between contemplation and outward activity. Although I tend to be more contemplative and less visibly active than most. I think everyone has to strike their own balance here. And also, to keep renegotiating it.

My feeling on the Christian saints is that most of them reached very high levels of Godly awareness. But it came with such a price. They suffered for every grace received. And of course, their suffering wasn’t only for their own purification, but also for the redemption of other souls. St. Faustina Kowalska’s Divine Mercy Diary is an excellent book about the power and importance of (contemplative) prayer. If you haven’t read it already, I would recommend it.

As for the differences and similarities among world religions when it comes to mysticism, this is a rich and fascinating topic. It’s really hard to know for sure what another mystic experiences. Some believe they all come to the same type of “ah-ha” experience. Others, like Rudolf Otto and C. G. Jung, stress that the grades and qualities of encountered numinosities may differ. Myself, I find that the most intuitive folks in my hometown are scattered across the board. It could be a woman working in a dollar store. It could be the postman. It could be a businessperson with whom I just have a passing conversation. And it could be a priest too. While the vast majority of priests adhere to the standardized approach, I sometimes wonder if in private they have their own thoughts on certain issues. Would they be human if they did not?

I think you’re right that most people will not convert from their own path. And why should they? These religions, when they work, serve to nurture the soul while keeping an individual’s cultural underpinnings in place. I tend to see religions as flowerpots. You need a pot to hold the soil. Every pot is a little different. But each grows a plant (and hopefully a flower). And just as flowers may also differ, so the look and feel of souls in heaven may differ too. Difference isn’t a bad thing at all. How boring heaven would be if it contained ten trillion daisies, and daisies only! As one person whom I spoke with through the web once put it, “there are many different flowers in the Garden of Eden.”

And this brings me back to the idea of getting in touch with the core, the center. I believe that it’s here that the heavenly flower grows. This isn’t necessarily the Jungian self where the self is an aggregate or a totality of all observable elements. I tend to think that ultimately, after all the lesser elements are pruned away through eons of purification, we shine (and mediate grace) in heaven. But I also think this takes a very long time for most of us. Hence the importance of the idea of Purgatory.

To close, I should add that I haven’t passed yet, so all this is mostly reasoned speculation. A theory. I don’t claim to really know what happens at death. Because other issues come into play, such as the nature of space, time and eternity-both on Earth and within other realms.

Thank you for an interesting question. Feel free to follow up on any of this. I generally enjoy talking about the soul and metaphysics.

Anagarika eddie: Thank you Dr. Clark for your “enlightened” discussion, rare to find these days!

As you renegotiate your personal inward and outward balance, and venture inwardly a little more, do you find yourself less interested in worldly pleasures? And when you do revisit them, just to test their power over you, do you find that they don’t hold the same mystique that they once did? What was it that Thomas Wolfe once wrote, “You can never go home?” which to me indicates the unrelenting changing nature of things, and how we can’t really count on anything in the world? It’s confusing, isn’t it, that a new reality is developing, but you can’t grasp it as you have grasped things in the past. Definitely a bittersweet experience.

MC: Yes, it can be bittersweet because for everything valuable that we gain it seems we first must lose something. This might be a golden rule. But I find that the gains really do outstrip the losses. And as we mature in the path we, as you say, don’t really want those things we once craved. Moreover, they may reappear in subtler ways. With regard to sexuality, for instance, see my article: Celibacy, Sex and Spirituality.

I also believe that most people do revisit past pleasures and interests from time to time for various reasons. Doubtfully does it ever go in a straight line. Some say that the ego dances around the self, that is, it doesn’t always rest there nor is it always perfectly aligned with it. Still, most world religions advocate – and this might get back to your initial question about syncretism – that the ego ideally is a servant of the self. But again, the understanding as to just what constitutes the self varies dramatically, I think. So one has to choose the path that’s right for him or herself. And also consider the possibility of embracing new paths.

Anagarika eddie: I read a story once about a man entering a strange house and finding a staircase, which he was compelled to climb. The further he climbed, the more fearful he became until he decided to climb back down – but all the steps had disappeared! A Great analogy of the spiritual quest.

Enjoyed your article – very well thought out and complete. My experience with Catholicism is like yours, but backward. I spent the first 35 years as a catholic, and then the next 26 meditating!

All religions seem to have their scripture as a basis, accompanied by individual experience, or the deeper side based on that scripture. I am at a point where I’m taking a worldview of it all, beyond my personal viewpoint, and I see that something is amiss. Wars are still being fought over differences in religious beliefs.

My first experience of meditation was at Shasta Abbey, a Zen monastery. The monks there didn’t teach me Buddhist scripture, only insisted that I meditate and practice silence most of the day, and because of that simple practice, my whole life was turned upside down with no teachings whatsoever. Boy, was I surprised!

Is it possible that contemplative prayer or meditation could do the same thing for others? But how do you encourage people to pray deeply, that is listen to God instead of talking? You would think that everybody would want to personally communicate with the Ultimate, but usually, we are shy in this area. Few dare to venture into St. John of the Cross’s dark night of the soul, or experiment with enlightenment.

Is it fear of seeing through our illusions, our concept of self, our beliefs? We attach to these notions and feel comfortable in them, not wanting to lose them, which is what happens when we achieve that ineffable that can only be described as the unborn, the undying; beginning less and with no end. How would you ever introduce such a practice and concept to everyday people? I don’t know the answer to this, but I tirelessly attempt to find a way to introduce contemplative prayer and meditation into everybody’s hearts.

There is that which is underneath all the divisive beliefs, and to touch that is the key. It can be touched when all our thoughts, opinions and knowing dissolves into that mysterious realm where we lose ourselves to that which is.

MC: You know, I would keep asking God for advice. I’m not sure as a practicing Buddhist how you envision the Godhead. Words and concepts can get in the way. But I tend to regard God as the creator, somehow other but immanent.

From my experience, Buddhists tend to deemphasize individuality while Catholics feel that individuality is important. But it seems that you still have some sense of an individual self, yet one which is more fundamental than the intellectual, the conceptual, the desirous and so on. That’s the core that I feel is the important commonality among all paths. As to how to get people to meditate, to contemplate, to know the Divine… this is something that I personally don’t try to rush. I see the entire spectrum as important to the total picture. So I tend to look at individuals and try to determine where they’re at, what external factors are influencing them, and so on. I guess as a doctor and educator that’s my role. I don’t see myself as a mass preacher or contemplative exemplar. But maybe someone else is! As Saint Paul put it, one body… many different members.

—–

Original dialogue: March 11-13, 2006.

Afterword

Anagarika eddie and Michael Clark look forward to reading your responses and ideas regarding the question: Is there any possibility of humanity going beyond their opinions and beliefs, or are we destined to fight with each other forever? If God commanded you to come up with something that would satisfy all beliefs, yet enlighten all minds, what would you suggest?

Anagarika eddie is a meditation teacher at the Dhammabucha Rocksprings Meditation Retreat Sanctuary and author of A Year to Enlightenment. His 30 years of meditation experience has taken him across four continents including two stopovers in Thailand where he practiced in the remote northeast forests as an ordained Thervada Buddhist monk.

Michael Clark is the creator and webmaster of Earthpages.org and Earthpages.ca. He also maintains a personal blog, Michaelwclark.com.  His studies include a Ph.D. on Carl Jung’s concept of synchronicity (UOttawa), an M.A. in Comparative Religion (Visva Bharati, India), and an Honours B.A. in Psyc/Sociology (Trent U).

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Religion and War

Jun 29

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John Locke's A Letter Concerning Toleration he...

John Locke's A Letter Concerning Toleration helped provide an intellectual foundation for religious tolerance via Wikipedia

Beware of the false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves

— Matthew 7:15

Religious leaders often emphasize the sweet side of religion, publicly calling for truth, peace and love. But underneath their peaceful prayers and intentions, most public figures, be they religious or not, have to come to grips with the harsh realities of aggression and war.

When we dig a little deeper into the sacred teachings and formal laws of the world’s traditions, we usually find explicit or implicit support for the notion of the Just War.

It’s a misconception to believe that religious persons only pray for peace and, perhaps, the safety of troops at war. On the contrary, many religious adherents accept and justify war as a necessary evil.¹

Christianity and Aggression

In Catholicism, the Just War doctrine condones the organized killing of other human beings who are deemed extremely harmful to the common good. Killing is thought to be necessary if all peaceful solutions have failed, the enemy poses some kind of grand-scale threat, and there’s reasonable expectation of victory.

But this isn’t just a part of Catholic belief. The prominent Lutheran theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer was executed by the Nazis when implicated in a plot to assassinate Hitler.

Hinduism and Aggression

As more fully detailed in The Bhagavad Gita in a Complicated World, the Hindu holy scripture, The Bhagavad-Gita, tells of the deity, Krishna, who urges Arjuna to slay kith and kin to fulfill his dharma (divine duty) as a member of the kshatriya (warrior) caste.

While some say this is a only minor part of a story that’s really about love, devotion and spiritual knowledge, anyone who actually reads the Gita will see, quite clearly, that it’s largely about Krishna sanctioning warfare. In fact, the whole storyline revolves around war.

If taken literally, the Gita sanctions physical killing because of the twofold teaching that (a) the soul is immortal and (b) a greater ethical balance must be preserved through apparently sacred warfare.

However, there are subtler, psychological interpretations of the Gita that don’t involve physical violence. But these interpretations go beyond the original text, just as we might reinvent the bellicose parts of the Jewish and Christian Bibles to try to ignore or, possibly, transform its ugly aspects.

Buddhism and Aggression

While many say that Buddhism is a non-violent path, this is a severely misguided perception.

Moojan Momen indicates scriptural, philosophical, and folkloric justifications for killing in the Buddhist tradition (The Phenomenon of Religion: A Thematic Approach, Oxford: Oneworld, 1999, p. 410). And John Ferguson draws on scripture, legend and history to outline five justifications for war in the Buddhist tradition (War and Peace in the World’s Religions, London: Sheldon Press, 1977, pp. 55-57).

Isaiah 42:13-16, KJV

Isaiah 42:13-16, KJV

The Other

In today’s world religious fanatics often feel it’s their holy duty to purify the world from those perceived as the other.

The idea of the other is described by sociologists and anthropologists as the stereotyping of another human being as “the bad guy” or “the enemy.” This characterization, or rather lack of it, apparently makes it easier to treat people harshly or, perhaps, kill them.

The enemy isn’t viewed as a complete human being with a full range of feelings, but as a dangerous object—a poison, vermin, etc. Anyone different is perceived as an evil scourge to be subjugated or eradicated.

And this is where so-called sacred texts may come in. Sociopaths and violent fanatics cherry pick the most judgmental and turbulent aspects of the holy books and, instead of placing these passages in their proper historical context, read them as instructions on how to behave in the 21st century.

This differs from the Jesus of the New Testament who teaches that, when someone strikes us, we should “turn the other cheek” and not retaliate. (Matthew 5:39, Luke 6:29).

But as noted at the outset, it’s not just the deranged and angry who advocate war under the aegis of religious belief. In extenuating circumstances, most contemporary religious traditions endorse aggression.²

This may not sit well with the peacemakers. And it may not be the ideal that any decent person would hope for. But it’s a sad fact that, despite all the lofty speeches and front page smiles of dignitaries, mankind hasn’t really gotten over its barbarous impulses.

—

1. To say that religious doctrine advocates war in certain circumstances is quite different from saying that religion is the cause of all war. On violence and religion, John Locke wrote in A Letter Concerning Toleration (1689):

If men enter into seditious conspiracies, it is not religion inspires them to it in their meetings, but their sufferings and oppressions that make them willing to ease themselves. Just and moderate governments are everywhere quiet, everywhere safe; but oppression raises ferments and makes men struggle to cast off an uneasy and tyrannical yoke. I know that seditions are very frequently raised upon pretence of religion, but it is as true that for religion subjects are frequently ill treated and live miserably. Believe me, the stirs that are made proceed not from any peculiar temper of this or that Church or religious society, but from the common disposition of all mankind, who when they groan under any heavy burthen endeavour naturally to shake off the yoke that galls their necks.

2. For more on world religions and violence, see the articles listed at Crosscurrents. It should also be noted that religious aggression may be direct or, as suggested by Michel Foucault, convoluted and subtle.

Copyright © Michael Clark. All rights reserved.

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Mindfulness Meditation: Living in the Moment and Feeling Happy

Feb 28

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Author: David Wilcox

Mindfulness is a meditative practice which seeks to help the practitioner to live in the moment. It is based on eastern meditative practices, specifically Buddhist techniques, which train the mind to experience life in the now. The philosophical belief that is the foundation of mindfulness practice is that human beings are much more than what they appear to be on the outside, and that this earthly experience we call life tends to cloak or veil our true nature from us. As a result, mindfulness meditation practices attempt to focus our minds away from the illusion of earthly life, and onto our true nature, our hidden self. The idea is that by living in the moment, and discovering our authentic self, we will feel and be happy.

A simple example of mindfulness practice would be, as I sit here typing this article, I could practice mindfulness by emptying my mind of everything except the act of typing. This would ground me in this moment, and would help train my mind not to wander into worrying about the future (like considering when I will publish the article, or will anyone want to read it). Then as I move onto another task, I would become completely immersed in that until that is completed. This practice will help me gain control of my thoughts and feelings, thus leading to mental freedom.

As you can see, mindfulness meditation practices can be very effective for gaining control over negative thought patterns. For example, a great deal of the mental anguish people experience is caused either by brooding over past mistakes and problems, or from worrying about the future. Mindfulness exercises can soothe the anguish by helping train the mind to accept the hurts and mistakes of the past, and to work on what they can control right now in order to make the future better. And for many people suffering from depression and anxiety, or other forms of neurosis, meditation and mindfulness practices have been demonstrated to be extremely effective at reducing, or curing altogether, these mental ailments, helping them to feel happy again.

The benefits of mindfulness practice are obvious. The only problem with mindfulness meditation practice is that it cannot always be easily integrated into the life of a non-monk (which of course makes sense, since these techniques were developed by monks, for monks). Also, mindfulness is seen in Buddhist philosophy to be an end as well as a means. And as a Christian, I feel that mindfulness is a means to achieving an ever expanding conscious awareness of how the Spirit of God is working through me, and in my life and the lives of others. Mindfulness cannot work for me as end unto itself.

However, these problems should not deter anyone from practicing mindfulness, because the benefits far outnumber any problems. And the problems can be overcome. I have been able to practice it in a way that works for me both from a pragmatic standpoint, and a philosophical one. Here is a basic outline of how I integrate mindfulness into my life.

1. I try very hard to give my complete attention to whatever I am doing, or whoever I am interacting with at the moment.

If I am teaching my class for 65 minutes, they receive the very best I can give them for that time. If my kids want to play, I give them everything I have for that time. I try to limit distractions, and focus my mind only on what I am doing right then and there. Notice I said I try, because it is not easy. But it can be done, and I find when I do it then I am much more productive, and less worn out at the end of the day.

2. When I meditate, I really have trouble quieting my mind, particularly if I have a busy day ahead. So my main focus in meditation is to get my objective mind very still.

Learning how to make my mind still helps me to stop worrying about things I cannot control. It also helps me be very effective at completing the tasks I need to accomplish that day. And, it has helped me learn to control my thoughts, emotions, and impulses much more effectively.

3. If I make a mistake, I move on and immediately see it as a learning experience.

I do not beat myself up over my failings anymore. Not that I am happy about them, but I try to look at them more for what they can teach me about where I am heading in life, and the spiritual progress I am making. This helps me turn a negative quickly into a positive, it shields me from making the same mistake again, and I do not live in the past brooding over and regretting what happened. I do not expect to be perfect, but I do expect to be aware and present. That is the goal I work towards. I try as best as I can to let things go.

I hope this article helped you to think about ways to work mindfulness and meditation practice into your life so you can begin enjoying the benefits of this practice. Learn how to more effectively practice living in the moment.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/meditation-articles/mindfulness-meditation-living-in-the-moment-and-feeling-happy-4311403.html

About the Author

Dave Wilcox writes articles on spirituality, self-improvement, fitness and diet.

To learn more, visit http://www.squidoo.com/the-best-fat-burning-workouts or

http://www.squidoo.com/meditation-for-self-improvement

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Different Views on Meditation

Oct 17

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Easy Mandala

Easy Mandala via Wikipedia

By: Juan Skyzinski

Meditation is thought as overrated nowadays. Most people think that meditation is for Buddhist monks and nuns. But what most people do fail to realize is that all of us meditate, we just tend to use different meditation techniques.

Most of us think that meditation is deeply connected to religion. True enough, Meditation has been in rooted with religion but it is not limited to such. For instance, in Hinduism, they practice meditation techniques that involve proper posture, breathing and chanting mantras. They believe that this meditation can lead them to self realization, empowerment, come closer to Brahman god like discernment and the wisdom to attain peace and resolve worldly matters.

In Buddhism, They practice meditation techniques which also involve posture, breathing and chanting. They also believe that they can resolve worldly matters, attain inner peace, self realization, empowerment and wisdom. The difference is that in Buddhism, They do not believe that they can be closer to their god. In fact, they do not have a god. They believe that their meditation techniques can help them achieve the eight noble truths and finally find themselves in Nirvana. They believe that being close to these eight noble truths is Zen itself.

In Christianity, their meditation techniques are simpler. They believe that meditation is prayer. They detach themselves from the physical world and focus on their god. They believe that this technique would bring them to a personal conversation with Jesus Christ. In doing so, they can get help by solving worldly matters, uplifting their spirits, clearing their thoughts and being guided through every decision. They describe deep reflection and having an epiphany as having a piece of what they can call heaven. It’s like heaven on earth.

The Native Americans have the same objectives in mind: self realization, purpose, inner peace, guidance, peace and problem solving. Yet, they have different meditation techniques. Their meditation involves the use of peace pipes, dancing, chanting, pilgrimages and other forms of sacrifices that has been innate in them.

It might sound absurd but Atheists also meditate. They might not think that they are not doing it, but they actually do meditate! They practice different meditation techniques but like religion, they arrive at the same results; self-realization, solving problems, inner peace, decision-making, selflessness and finding a different point of view. Their meditation techniques involve taking a walk, listening to soothing music, sitting on the roof, etc. Therefore, may it be in a religious way or not, we all practice meditation techniques that are almost similar with each other’s views.

About the Author

Juan Skyzinski is a freelance writer who write based on his own personal accounts and experiences.

To know more about Buddhist Meditation, please visit these websites:

www.buddistmeditation.org

www.buddistmeditation.com

www.buddistmeditation.net

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ – Different Views on Meditation

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Review – Buddha Wild: The Monk In A Hut (DVD)

Oct 8

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Title: Buddha Wild: The Monk In A Hut
Genre: Documentary, Buddhism, Spirituality
Distribution: Reality Films

Buddha Wild: The Monk In A Hut is one of the best documentaries about Buddhism to appear in a long time. Written, directed and filmed by Anna Wilding, this film is fresh, sincere and fun without sacrificing its critical edge.

One would scarcely know this was Wilding’s first documentary. The polished narration, interviews, camera work and editing seem more like the work of a seasoned director, while the soundtrack enhances but never overshadows the story.

The film kicks off with a brief synopsis about the historical spread of Buddhism. Then it shifts to a Theravada temple nestled deep in Thailand, where much of the footage takes place.

We learn about the legend of the Buddha–his early life, insights and subsequent enlightenment. In addition, the film takes a penetrating look into some of the rules, opinions and objectives of several monks and an abbot, and is sprinkled with comments from visiting lay Buddhists.

Before watching this DVD I prepared myself for the usual ho-hum cliches about how materialistic city folk just don’t get it because we’re locked into our so-called “monkey minds,” obsessed with gadgets, and so on. But this film contains none of that talk, which usually comes off as thinly veiled discrimination and hypocrisy. Instead, these monks seem sincerely gentle, playful and compassionate.

Also commendable is Wilding’s probing with regard to the status of women in Buddhism. Some of the monks she interviews attribute questionable gender-related practices to “Tai culture” and not to Buddhism, itself, where women and men are said to be equal.

This raises the hot button issue as to whether any person, religious or otherwise, may justify unfair or discriminatory practices by pointing to “culture” or “tradition.”

Buddha Wild pursues the question of gender inequality without upsetting the apple cart. Wilding is provocative but also diplomatic. After all, if she’d pressed the monks too hard, the film might not have been finished and gone on to receive the Dalai Lama’s official blessing in 2010.

Like most religions (and many things in life), Buddhism abides by an organizational hierarchy. And these particular monks know that politics matters. They even say so. At first glance they might seem naïve and simple, but it soon becomes clear that they’re well aware of the complex world around them and, for the most part, university educated.

Central to any worldview, political or not, is the meaning of freedom. Wilding observes that the monks are free from worry when it comes to paying the monthly bills. But they’re not free, she adds, to pursue the worldly pleasures that many of us take for granted. For instance, the monks observe a rigid mealtime schedule and, like their Catholic counterparts, take a vow of celibacy.

Perhaps the most engaging part of the film occurs when Wilding enters a monk’s hut. But don’t conjure up images of a quaint straw dwelling without any modern conveniences. In this hut spirituality and technology converge. The joyful and contented monk in the hut sits at a computer, reads in two languages, meditates, and has, as he puts it, “sweet dreams” in his simple but adequate bed.

Wilding talks candidly about her initial apprehension to enter the hut alone. But she leaves somewhat relieved, finding the experience to have been wholesome and refreshing.

Altogether, Buddha Wild is a great introduction to the philosophical underpinnings, ideals and observances of Buddhism. It’s one of those films where theory and practice easily coalesce to produce something really quite memorable.

Bonus features include a segment with a Sri Lankan Buddhist monk residing in Los Angeles plus a shorter scene with the Dalai Lama, amid countless camera flashes, talking about the intimate connection between personal and global caring.

–MC

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A Trillion Universes

Mar 23

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Universe Closed

Universe Closed: brianarn / Brian Arnold

by ANAGARIKA EDDIE ROCK

Present theories of the universe are interesting to explore. Since the speed of space expansion is faster than the speed of light, according to general relativity, we can never be sure what exactly our universe is, or where it is, or where its boundaries lie.

Some theorize that there is only one, eternally infinite universe; that all which we see in the heavens goes on forever. Of course, we must be wary of these kinds of generalities because they are limited by a perception and knowledge that works out to be a restricted perspective here on earth. After all, even the savvy Greeks of old thought that the earth was the center of the universe with everything rotating around it. Why not? It was logical and made sense from every perspective of observation and conclusion based on sensory input at the time, as limited as it was.

One clue from ancient Buddhist texts is that there are “one hundred-thousand-crores of universes,” (one “crore” being a Hindu mathematical term translated as ten million), or one trillion universes.

One trillion is a big number.

If you had ½ inch packets of $100 dollar bills (one hundred, $100 bills in a packet), $10,000 would fit easily into a purse.

A million dollars would fit into a large shopping bag.

One hundred million would fit on a pallet about four feet square. A billion dollars would take ten pallets.

And a trillion dollars? – ten thousand pallets of stacks of one hundred dollar bills four feet square. Or to put it in terms of one dollar bills; one million pallets of stacks of one dollar bills four feet square.

That’s a lot of universes.

“So what?” would be the typical reply of us earthlings who need only a few of those pallets to make us happy. “What does this have to do with making a living, or anything else relevant in my life?”

Everything, actually, because life slips away from us almost imperceptibly, little by little, until one day we look in the mirror and wonder how we got so old so fast. The immortality of youth doesn’t ebb slowly; it falls off a cliff, persisting seemingly forever until that one fateful day when we seem to age 20 years in just one moment of time. It happens to all us that survive into old age.

Life on earth is very temporary. Very. Ask any old timer how quickly their life has gone . . . Whoosh! And people instinctively, unconsciously know that this is true; life is short. So isn’t it natural, almost a human ritual for those not completely caught up in all the terrestrial nonsense that terminates as quickly as a flash of lightening, to gaze at the stars, this great mystical universe of ours, and wonder what it’s all about?

If we can resist fearfully running to our holy books for answers, and just gaze for awhile, saying that we don‘t know, then there is a humbleness that takes the place of our knowing it all. This is where humility lies, where we admit to ourselves that we are but nothing.

This is a big step towards everything, because when we think that we are really something, that is what we call the delusion that keeps us from seeing. Only when we see the nothingness and emptiness in everything, including our universe and ourselves, is there a possibility of experiencing eternity.

Can’t you feel it when you gaze at the Milky Way? That insignificance that in some strange way is liberating? If you are at all sensitive, you will feel it. And when you feel it, if you don’t rationalize it or become afraid, your mind will begin to open it‘s shuttered existence for only a moment, more than enough time to change your entire perspective of life and the real meaning of life.

Have you ever noticed the behavior of saints and authentic holy people? They are compassionate, not haughty or proud of their achievements. If you ever meet one, you will go away thinking well of yourself, because in their presence, there is no occurrence of contention or conflict. They have no persuasion for those kinds of things.

They left that all behind one night in a flash, perhaps while they were gazing at a trillion universes.

E. Raymond Rock (anagarika addie) is a meditation teacher at:

http://www.dhammarocksprings.org and author of “A Year to Enlightenment: http://www.amazon.com/Year-Enlightenment-Steps-Enriching-Living/dp/1564148912

His 30 years of meditation experience has taken him across four continents including two stopovers in Thailand where he practiced in the remote northeast forests as an ordained Theravada Buddhist monk.

He lived at Wat Pah Nanachat under Ajahn Chah, at Wat Pah Baan Taad under Ajahn Maha Boowa, and at Wat Pah Daan Wi Weg under Ajahn Tui. He had been a postulant at Shasta Abbey, a Zen Buddhist monastery in northern California under Roshi Kennett; and a Theravada Buddhist anagarika at both Amaravati Monastery in the UK and Bodhinyanarama Monastery in New Zealand, both under Ajahn Sumedho. The author has meditated with the Korean Master Sueng Sahn Sunim; with Bhante Gunaratana at the Bhavana Society in West Virginia; and with the Tibetan Master Trungpa Rinpoche in Boulder, Colorado. He has also practiced at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, and the Zen Center in San Francisco.

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Hurdling Through Our Lives

Feb 9

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Peace sign + UWGB Environmental Sciences Building now/then

Peace sign + UWGB Environmental Sciences Building now/then: uwgb admissions

By ANAGARIKA EDDIE ROCK

Why can’t my neighbors be nice people instead of idiots? Where have all the intelligent people in America gone? When I move out of here things will be better. If only I can stay here, things will be alright. Why can’t she see how controlling she is. Why can’t he keep a job, like other husbands? If only my kids could come around and start doing things right. If only the government would make my life easier, and make me richer.

You get the point: Life is a series of hurdles. And we think that if only things were different, if we could somehow make our lives better than they are, we would be okay. We can never wait to get somewhere, and then we can’t wait to leave, and we always feel that we are not okay now and have never been okay, except for very fleeting moments.

Can we stop all this insanity? It seems as if when one problem is solved, another either pops up immediately somewhere else, or we create one.

This is what we call stress. And it is incorrigible. We keep thinking that if we organize our lives around some kind of an ideal, everything will be fine. But it never is. Even if we seem to get it all together, miraculously for a moment, our friends and relatives can’t, and aren’t we forever entangled in everyone else’s problems? Even the government’s! There is no end to where we stick our noses because in a convoluted way, we like problems. Problems makes us feel alive, keep us busy so we don’t have to think about our final destiny, which is a hint about the root cause of our constant worries.

Life just will not permit us to control it, regardless of how diligently we try. Life is a wild card, and we can never know what the deck will face up next. It’s a constant worry, a noose around our necks, like waiting for the other shoe to drop. And we don’t like it one bit (even though we thrive on it).

Anyone who says that they are in control of their lives is living a temporary dream. Controlling life is like herding cats; life tends to be all over the place. No matter how conservative we are, how much we hold on to what we have, we can never keep things from changing. So why not relax and enjoy the ride downstream without even a paddle. Isn’t it only when we have to get somewhere that we paddle furiously upstream?

Relaxing and enjoying life involves a philosophical outlook called equanimity. We have to see that one thing is not better than another. One person is neither superior nor lower in rank than another. We have to understand that, because that’s the way it actually is, that’s a fact whether we agree or not. We have to live this very moment, because only in this very moment is the possibility of free will. The past and the future are merely a cause and effect journey which keeps us on track for a predestined destination. Only this moment is where we can alter that course that we have set ourselves on. But to be free in this moment is not easy.

Being in the moment, which is our ultimate freedom, provides our wormhole, our escape from the known, which is all the past baggage in our heads. Only when we shake loose from this can we appreciate the unlimited potential of life, which has nothing to do with hurdles or trying to make things better. It is only the acceptance of this present moment; the understanding that this present moment is always perfect in its results when considering what has led up to it, that can free us. If we don’t accept this moment and instead fight it, we will never cultivate the insight to end the hurdles, and they will continue on for eternity.

So relax, let it all happen and enjoy the ride. And in that relaxation, in that compassionate aloofness, life will begin to be lived at a different level, free from wanting and grasping and lived to the fullest where it is no longer about what we want, but what we are, and no longer reactive, but receptive.

Then, miracle of miracles, the one who is hurdling through life disappears, and there is only life, beautiful life with no hurdles, no wanting it our way – just life. And whatever happens, it’s now okay. We can handle it, because we no longer have such a great stake in our future. We now know that the future is only a fantasy, the past but a thought, and this very alive moment is all we really have.

Anagarika eddie is a meditation teacher at the Dhammabucha Rocksprings Meditation Retreat Sanctuary www.dhammarocksprings.org and author of “A Year to Enlightenment.” His 30 years of meditation experience has taken him across four continents including two stopovers in Thailand where he practiced in the remote northeast forests as an ordained Thervada Buddhist monk.

He lived at Wat Pah Nanachat under Ajahn Chah, at Wat Pah Baan Taad under Ajahn Maha Boowa, and at Wat Pah Daan Wi Weg under Ajahn Tui. He had been a postulant at Shasta Abbey, a Zen Buddhist monastery in northern California under Roshi Kennett; and a Theravada Buddhist anagarika at both Amaravati Monastery in the UK and Bodhinyanarama Monastery in New Zealand, both under Ajahn Sumedho. The author has meditated with the Korean Master Sueng Sahn Sunim; with Bhante Gunaratana at the Bhavana Society in West Virginia; and with the Tibetan Master Trungpa Rinpoche in Boulder, Colorado. He has also practiced at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, and the Zen Center in San Francisco.

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Living Mechanically

Jan 26

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What's wrong with this washing machine ?

What's wrong with this washing machine ? by Vincent Montibus

by ANAGARIKA EDDIE ROCK

A machine does what it is programmed to do until it eventually breaks down. Until then, it repeats its limited, repetitive actions endlessly.

As human beings we are programmed as well, by our culture, our traditions, our education, but most importantly by our minds. There is usually very little that is unique about any of us.

Some of us raise families, some live alone. Some will kill, others will heal. But these are not differences; these are merely the pursuit of pleasure played out in different ways.

So we all live mechanically, driven by our pursuits of pleasure that equate to happiness whenever that pleasure is fulfilled, and sadness when our pleasure is withdrawn. “Wanting” is our primary program, and as long as we pursue wants, we live mechanically.

This is played out every day in societies all over the world. Wherever we go, we find people raising children and working, or trying to find work, and if there is no work then the idle time is spent in insurrection and terror. It is all so predictable and mechanical when following pursuits of pleasure.

No different from machines, we continue to seek pleasure until we break down; until we no longer have the energy or capacity to chase after our pleasures. Then we face persistent discontent resulting from pleasure withheld.

Before our equipment actually breaks down, what if we no longer sought pleasure? What if we, for example, became celibate like a Buddhist monk or nun while our bodies were still in peak physical condition? What happens when we withhold our pleasure and no longer concern ourselves with pleasure’s fruition; which is happiness?

When we seek pleasure, do we at the end of it always find pain when the pleasure ceases? And realizing that, does our pursuits of pleasure become so neurotic, addictive and mechanical that we never allow a lull between our pleasurable experiences? Just think of the pressure that creates for us.

The resulting happiness that pleasure creates when it is satisfied never lasts, and therefore requires more and more pleasure until we truly become a pleasure seeking machine, just to allay the pain when pleasure is absent. Once we can see this in ourselves, wouldn’t it be natural for us to question whether there a happiness not bound to pleasure, since pleasure is no more than an addictive drug? If there was a happiness beyond pleasure, could our mindless and endless pursuits of pleasure cease, where we could have some peace and real contentment in our frantic lives?

This happiness not bound to pleasure; would it truly sustain itself? And if there is such a thing, wouldn’t that kind of happiness be worth looking into rather than living with a temporary, fleeting happiness based on pleasure that must be renewed minute by minute for the rest of our lives?

The mind that seeks pleasure is not as complex as it initially appears. Actually, it is rather straightforward. It simply recognizes objects in its field of awareness and either feels neutral toward them, which requires no action, or loves them and feels compelled to possess them, or hates them and feels compelled to push them away.

If the mind loves something, it holds on to it. If it hates something, it repels it. And within all this pushing and shoving is the pursuit of pleasure and the attempted avoidance of pain.

When the mind is attracted to something, it immediately attaches to it, craves it, clings to it like a fly stuck on flypaper. However, even though the pleasure derived from the initial attachment and attraction dissipates over time, letting go is difficult because withdrawal could be painful, possibly due to commitments made, or just plain greed. So the mind becomes stuck.

But what about a mind that understands itself and resists pursuing that which it is attracted to? Will this kind of restraint lead to something different, perhaps to a different kind of happiness than a happiness derived from clinging and attachment, which is no happiness at all?

Experiencing this different kind of happiness negates a mechanical life. No longer answering the bell like a conditioned Pavlov dog, the mind is now operating with discernment and wisdom instead of merely living in images. It now can see clearly each move and its consequences, and in this new awareness lies the complete happiness that never erodes and is not dependent on pleasures.

This awakened mind, no longer attaching or averting, becomes free from all of that. Free from the judging and never-ending evaluating that causes nothing but conflict. In this new found freedom, the mind’s field of awareness now expands to include so many new things that were before hidden when the mind was totally occupied with the pursuit of pleasure.

This mind now has the capability of going beyond the material, beyond the machinery of existence, and toward that inexpressible, ineffable reality that saints whisper about. Now the mind lives spontaneously, not fearing the past or future, and in a new reality void of the images and shadows of the former mind.

And then mind itself disappears.

Anagarika eddie is a meditation teacher at the Dhammabucha Rocksprings Meditation Retreat Sanctuary www.dhammarocksprings.org and author of “A Year to Enlightenment.” His 30 years of meditation experience has taken him across four continents including two stopovers in Thailand where he practiced in the remote northeast forests as an ordained Thervada Buddhist monk.

He lived at Wat Pah Nanachat under Ajahn Chah, at Wat Pah Baan Taad under Ajahn Maha Boowa, and at Wat Pah Daan Wi Weg under Ajahn Tui. He had been a postulant at Shasta Abbey, a Zen Buddhist monastery in northern California under Roshi Kennett; and a Theravada Buddhist anagarika at both Amaravati Monastery in the UK and Bodhinyanarama Monastery in New Zealand, both under Ajahn Sumedho. The author has meditated with the Korean Master Sueng Sahn Sunim; with Bhante Gunaratana at the Bhavana Society in West Virginia; and with the Tibetan Master Trungpa Rinpoche in Boulder, Colorado. He has also practiced at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, and the Zen Center in San Francisco.

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