Why compassion?

Generating genuine compassion is a simple practice, which benefits the practitioner as well as the recipient of that compassion, the community in which they each reside, the world, and indeed, the entire universe.

This is because compassion is not just something we "ought to develop", but is, I would suggest, who we are. His Holiness, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama notes, "At the time of our birth, we have neither religion nor ideology nor culture. We acquire or learn about these later in our lives. But I believe no one is born free from the need for love. No material object, however beautiful or valuable, can make us feel loved, because our deeper identity and true character lie in the subjective nature of the mind." (from Disarmament, Peace and Compassion)

This is why we strive toward becoming compassion for those who might be perceived as our adversaries, our enemies or our "biggest pains in the ass".

You see, when we show what we think is compassion toward someone we love, it's not pure loving-kindness... because our emotion investment in that person is a type of attachment. But those who have done nothing but attempt to harm us, discredit us, anger us... those are the ones who teach us to dig deeper, and find the source of who we are. They push us to become living dharma, not just mouthpieces for some lofty ideas. They are the grains of sand, which enter the depths of who we are, without whom, we could never generate the true pearl of Compassion.

Namasté!

- dharmacharya gurudas śunyatananda
http://dharmadudeunplugged.com

 

Copyright ©2008, Dharmacharya Gurudas Śunyatananda (Dr. F. Gianmichael Salvato). All rights reserved. This article may be reproduced, blogged, quoted or distributed, provided the entire blog, including by-lines, contact information and this copyright remain intact. It may NOT be altered in any way, without express written permission.

Genuine compassion… engaged Dharma

As a contemplative monk, the principal aim of my life and work is to cultivate genuine compassion for all sentient beings. This is done, in part, by disciplining myself to sit quietly in my room, meditating and developing the skills of calm abiding. Such a practice is helpful, and makes the cultivation of compassion easier, but it is not enough.

in order for genuine compassion to arise, I have to muster the courage to take action. Genuine compassion compels me to want to do something to alleviate the suffering of others. It is active, engaged, socially aware. I must be willing to confront and deal with the challenges that arise from placing myself “on the line”, when injustices occur. I must be willing to demonstrate the courage to alleviate the suffering that exists, not only in the lives of the apparent “victims” of injustice, but in the lives of those who appear to be their oppressors.

Often, I find myself assisting someone who’s struggle with drugs or alcohol have caused them to spiral out of control. And it is easy to cultivate compassion for their suffering, while looking at their dealers as the “bad guys”. In truth, however, many of those dealers are suffering as well. True compassion, engaged loving-kindness, seeks to alleviate their suffering as well.

It is the same with my work in interspiritual dialogue.

There are individuals who come to the Spiritus Project seeking answers. They may find themselves struggling with some of the doctrines, superstitions, oppressive dogma or irrational beliefs of their current religion. Some might be struggling with a fundamental disbelief in the entire concept of theism itself. And others might be simply looking for something more substantial.

What matters is not so much whether their current belief system is based on myths, legends or superstitions; because all religions have that in common. What matters is that all spiritual paths seek to alleviate suffering… to inspire us to become better persons. Some attempt that through the cultivation of fear. I don’t personally believe such an approach is very effective. Our approach is to offer a rational, non-religious approach to the nature of suffering, the possibility of eliminating it, and the realistic path to meet that goal.

We don’t have to disarm a person’s religious beliefs. They’ll discover, as they learn to recognise the root of suffering often includes fear, those things which can be released in their belief systems. Often, that means that someone who calls themselves a follower of Christ will develop a deeper and richer understanding of the real teaching of their master, than they experienced in religion. Many followers of Islam, Hindu dharma, Sikhism, Wicca, Druidism and other paths find that their experience of the spiritual truths in their tradition become more vibrantly alive, once they learn the science and philosophy of the Dharma.

What matters to me is that I somehow manage to inspire others to apply the principles of their spiritual traditions in a way that gives rise to genuine compassion… and that the compassion they feel in their hearts and minds compels them to take action.

This, we call “Engaged Dharma”… because it is not enough for the student to be “in the dharma”. The dharma must also, as we are reminded by my spiritual brother, His Eminence Tsem Tulku Rinpoche, be in us.

Namasté!

- dharmacharya gurudas śunyatananda
http://dharmadudeunplugged.com

Copyright ©2008, Dharmacharya Gurudas Śunyatananda (Dr. F. Gianmichael Salvato). All rights reserved. This article may be reproduced, blogged, quoted or distributed, provided the entire blog, including by-lines, contact information and this copyright remain intact. It may NOT be altered in any way, without express written permission.

Change your thinking… change your life

We often judge as too simplistic the idea that if we "change our thinking, we change our world," yet this simple and fundamental truth is the foundation of most philosophies and spiritual paths. Although it sometimes becomes obscured beneath layers of religious narrative, superstition and mythos, it can even be found at the core of the less spiritually developed paths of the Abrahamic religions.

We may initially encounter resistance to the idea that our suffering and problems can be relinquished at will, because it's always easier to blame those experiences on external phenomena. Taking responsibility for what is going on in our lives is a radical approach, and forces us to engage a level of maturity seldom found in our spiritual lives. We've also been indoctrinated into the belief that these perceived problems are integrally part of our experience, and must therefore be part of who and what we are, that we lose control of our perspective.

Right now, you may be shaking your head, convinced that your problems are far too complicated to resolve by simply changing your perspective and changing your mind. Consider, however, that until you change your mind... until you allow a shift of perspective... the solution may not become apparent to you. Once we allow ourselves to view the experiences without judgment as "good" or "bad", we don't allow ourselves to function from the source and summit of our true nature -- that which some call the Buddha Mind or the Christ Consciousness -- the place of ultimate control over our perceived reality, which I often refer to as Universal Mind or Creative Intelligence.

Right this moment, there are unimaginably difficult circumstances going on within my own personal experience. I am quite aware of how easy it would be for most people (including myself) to just "give up," given the severity of these circumstances and conditions. And it would be so easy to place the blame on external persons, institutions, events and other phenomena.

But the truth is that these experiences are nothing more than impermanent circumstances, arising out of the interconnected and interdependent causes and conditions that exist all around me. They don't really affect me... they affect my perception. They are teachers, challenging me to adapt... to find a new course... to learn to go where I might be uncomfortable being.

Nothing that is happening in your life right now is more powerful than you. No gods, demons, angels, spells or blessings can be found anywhere that do not originate in your mind and your heart. You control that which you created. If you are faced with a challenge, shift your perspective to see what you might be able to learn from the challenge, and then stop trying to avoid it! Move toward the problem, through the crisis, and you will, I promise, come through the other side of that circumstance the victor.

When painful emotions arise in our mind, or uncertain conditions appear in our experiences, there is no need to panic; we can patiently accept them, experience them, and investigate their origins. When we do this, we discover that circumstances or other people have no power to make us feel bad; the most they can do is trigger the potentials for painful reactions or emotions that already exist within our own minds. By patiently accepting painful feelings and experiences without clinging to them, the negative karmic potentials from which they arose are purified, and we shall never have to experience that kind of situation again.

So while it's a little unsettling to think that all of what we've been taught about the nature of our experience may have been wrong, it can be equally comforting to know there is another way of seeing these difficult situations, and to take back the control, the power and the potential that is inherently ours. Doing so, I believe, will always result in solutions unfolding in perfect order for each of us.

I don't ask you to believe me, or anyone else. I encourage you to put this, and all spiritual and philosophical teachings to the test, using reasoning and science, and discarding the need for superstition, fear and subjugation, discover the truth that makes itself known from within.

Namasté!
- dharmacharya gurudas śunyatananda
http://dharmadudeunplugged.com

Copyright ©2008, Dharmacharya Gurudas Śunyatananda (Dr. F. Gianmichael Salvato). All rights reserved. This article may be reproduced, blogged, quoted or distributed, provided the entire blog, including by-lines, contact information and this copyright remain intact. It may NOT be altered in any way, without express written permission.

Cracks and all

We live in a society in which far too much emphasis is placed on the illusory notion of “hope”. We like hope. We imagine that we “need” hope. But hope, like the institutions that create that illusion, is not helpful and truly unnecessary.

Ani Pema Chodron writes, in her book When Things Fall Apart, “When things fall apart and we’re on the verge of we know not what, the test of each of us is to stay on that brink and not concretise. The spiritual journey is not about heaven and finally getting to a place that’s really swell.”

In our imperfect and impermanent world, shit happens. And it will happen regardless of our hope, our faith, our affirmations or our rituals. It’s not bad. It’s not good. It’s just, well… shit.

One of the beautiful strengths of the dharma path can be seen in the way that we learn to embrace our imperfections, and those around us, without judgment, anxiety or a need to “fix” them.

The talented artist, Barbara Bloom, notes that “(w)hen the Japanese mend broken objects, they aggrandise the damage by filling the cracks with gold.  They believe that when something’s suffered damage and has a history it becomes more beautiful.”

The dharma is like that gold, which fills in the cracks, accentuates them, and celebrates them as part of the journey.

Too often, we imagine that Enlightenment is a destination or accomplishment to be had. It is, rather, the journey itself… cracks and all.

Namasté!

- dharmacharya gurudas śunyatananda
http://dharmadudeunplugged.com

 

Copyright ©2008, Dharmacharya Gurudas Śunyatananda (Dr. F. Gianmichael Salvato). All rights reserved. This article may be reproduced, blogged, quoted or distributed, provided the entire blog, including by-lines, contact information and this copyright remain intact. It may NOT be altered in any way, without express written permission.

Stardust Redux

In an earlier blog, based on a 2008 Dharma talk I gave, just before leaving the Atlanta satsang, we talked about the concept of sunyata -- emptiness -- and how being empty is a means of expanding beyond the illusions of "self".

I used, as an analogy, one of my favourite quotes from the television series, Babylon 5 -- a show that frequently managed to introduce dharma truths into its brilliantly crafted story lines.

We imagine ourselves to be individual, unique and all important centres of our self-created universes, but the simple fact is that we're no different than the stardust we see in the midnight skies. Not only are we no different from it, we literally are part of it, and it of us.

In the series, Babylon 5, the character of Delenn tells Captain Sheridan:

"Then I will tell you a great secret, Captain. Perhaps the greatest of all time. The molecules of your body are the same molecules that make up this station and the nebula outside, that burn inside the stars themselves. We are starstuff, we are the universe made manifest, trying to figure itself out. As we have both learned, sometimes the universe requires a change of perspective." (-- from the episode: A Distant Star)

This isn't just clever writing, or the stuff of great sci-fi. Any element heavier than hydrogen was created as a direct result of the fusion of matter within a star. Therefore, every atom of your body and mine was created inside the nucleus of a star that once existed in an ancient universe. We truly are the universe made manifest, trying to figure itself out.

We can use each moment of calm mindfulness to gain that insight into the stillness... the insubstantialness.. the emptiness that is Love.

Namasté!
- dharmacharya gurudas śunyatananda
http://dharmadudeunplugged.com

Copyright ©2008, Dharmacharya Gurudas Śunyatananda (Dr. F. Gianmichael Salvato). All rights reserved. This article may be reproduced, blogged, quoted or distributed, provided the entire blog, including by-lines, contact information and this copyright remain intact. It may NOT be altered in any way, without express written permission.

The Three Inescapable Factors of Existence

Unsatisfactoriness (suffering), impermanence and impersonality (emptiness) – Buddha Sakyamuni concluded that these three inescapable factors or “marks” of existence were the common characteristics shared by all phenomena. Often referred to as “the Dharma Seals”, Buddha taught that by bringing theses three factors into awareness, moment-to-moment (mindfulness), we achieve Wisdom — the third of the three higher trainings — the way out of the cyclic existence, called Samsara.

This fundamental idea represents a departure from the kinds of thinking that mark the more “religious” spiritual paths, and is an approach that is much more closely compatible to modern psychology. As a result, we can often find this approach to be a more effective way for a person to transform and heal their lives. In fact, this is one of the reasons that many of those who are still involved in the traditional Abrahamic religions begin to explore ways in which they can integrate some of the Buddhist ideology into their spiritual practice.

Let’s look at these three inescapable factors of existence, and what they mean for us:

The Buddha taught that nothing found in the physical (phenomenal) world or the realm of psychological can bring lasting deep satisfaction. The word for this unsatisfactoriness in Sanskrit is dukkha, and is often translated as “suffering”. Buddha understood that if one reflects deeply upon the truth of suffering or unsatisfactoriness of all phenomena, they could dispel the illusions (and delusions) they possessed about the world and of life.

Impermanence, called anicca in Sanskrit, refers to the awareness of the fact that all phenomena (including psychology and intelligence) are in a constant state of flux. It also teaches that all phenomena arise out of an ever-changing “cloud” of causes and conditions; thus all conditioned things eventually cease to exist.

And because nothing in the conditional or phenomenal world is permanent, Buddha understood that the notion of a soul or self was likewise an impermanent phenomenon and illusion. We call this anatta or impersonality. Anatta pervades all of the phenomenal world, and includes an understanding that our dualistic impressions are delusional. We understand that the “person” we imagine as “me” is not an autonomous, integral entity. The seemingly individual self, or what we might call the ego, is more correctly thought of as a by-product of the five aggregates (form, sensation, perception, mental formations and consciousness).

This can be somewhat confusing to the Western mind, particularly if they still embrace some of the more primitive superstitions about imaginary places, such as heaven or hell. That is because to the Buddhist practitioner, there is no difference between nirvana (liberation) and samsara (cyclic existence).

While the purpose of all spiritual practice can be seen as work undertaken to leave the shores of samsara behind, we also recognise that what we seek is right here.

We say that the difference between liberation and suffering is purely one of perspective. If we are looking at things from the side of suffering, moving toward Enlightenment, then we are following the path of the Sutra, which enjoins us to identify the entire world (internally and externally) as samsara — a continual churning of suffering that nobody wants to be part of.

But if we are following the path or perspective of the Vajrayana, we are enjoined to identify the entire world as nirvana — a continual play of enlightening activity that everyone wishes to be a part of.

It’s all just point of view. Although each of the Three Marks of Existence comprise a topic of samatha or meditation/concentration in its own right, conceptually they are interrelated: there is "no-self" because there is "impermanence," and because there is "impermanence" there is "suffering."

By better understanding this foundational point in the Dharma path, we are better able to understand that the concept of reincarnation is not quite the idea that many New Age and science fiction accounts refer to =, when they use the same term.

What is “reincarnated” is not the “personality” of someone who once lived, but the mental formations (habits) and consciousness – known as the fourth and fifth aggregates.

Consider this… in one episode of Babylon 5, there was a brilliant observation made by one of the characters, in which we were reminded that you and I are made of the “stuff of the stars”. And while that is scientifically sound, in and of itself, it is also a good metaphor for anatta (no self).

Look into the night skies and you will see particular groupings of stars, referred to by certain constellation names. Many of the familiar constellations are given mythological names, such as the stars that comprise the various signs of the zodiac. These groups of stars, when connected by an imaginary line, form different animals, characters, and images.

No one imagines that the stars designated as Aquarius really is a water bearer. And so it is with us. We draw imaginary lines between the elements of form, perception (thought), feelings (emotions), habits and consciousness, and call it “a person”. But from the moment that “person” is born, every single atom from which that “person” is comprised is in a state of flux. Cells die and are replaced. Organs are completely replaced. And with each breath, that “person” is actually in the active state of disintegration, which we call aging, until it will eventually cease to exist.

The idea Buddha wanted us to embrace was the idea that we need to look more deeply… to change up our perspective. Look deeply, explore reality in your own experience, moment by moment. Find out for yourself. As Ani Pema Chodron puts it, we should recognise impermanence and suffering and egolessness “at the kitchen-sink level”. And she suggests that we learn to celebrate this unsatisfactory quality of all things… that we celebrate the constant state of flux that we call impermanence… that ultimately, we find joy in our insubstantiality.

In some Buddhist schools of thought, there is a fourth mark of existence… one which comes when we have understood the other three…

The great dharma teacher, an according to many, the great bodhisattva of the West, who brought the dharma to the people of Palestine, Rav Yeshua (Jesus the Nazarene), is said to have taught: “You are not of this world…”

It is by understanding that we are not what we appear to be, and that all things are impermanent, that we encounter that fourth mark of existence: peace.

I wish you peace!

Namasté!

- dharmacharya gurudas śunyatananda
http://dharmadudeunplugged.com

Copyright ©2008, Dharmacharya Gurudas Śunyatananda (Dr. F. Gianmichael Salvato). All rights reserved. This article may be reproduced, blogged, quoted or distributed, provided the entire blog, including by-lines, contact information and this copyright remain intact. It may NOT be altered in any way, without express written permission.

ask the monk®

 

This week's question: "I understand the idea that attachment is the source of suffering, and I know that I have attachments. I do know that it's important to become free of attachments, but cannot seem to tackle that problem. The more things I try to let go of, the more attachments I seem to find or replace them with. Thank you for another year of dharma teaching, Khenpo!"

Peace! You may find that you are closer to the answer than you realise, my friend. Attachment arises out of delusional thinking. When we experience attachment, it is always because we've lost sight of the true nature of all phenomena.

All phenomena are impermanent. Those things which are impermanent are also ultimately insubstantial, and therefore, incapable of helping us to avoid pain or attain happiness.

Let's look at an example of this, before I share with you the way to reduce your experience of attachments:

This afternoon, our landlady reminded us that we are late with the rent. We also received the second cut-off notice from the electric company. Those two experiences gave rise to emotions of unrest, aggitation and fear. None of those emotions gave us any solution to "real question" -- how we were going to come up with $300 immediately -- but the ego-mind didn't care about solutions... it was all about fear.

The fear gave rise to graspingand longing: I found myself considering letting the urgent medical needs to get the surgery on my arm and resolve the neurological issues that are creating so much pain and functional problems, and simply return to work. Then I recognised emotions of aggitation that certain folks, who literally waste hundreds of dollars on trivial entertainment, toys and alcohol each month, have never once offered to help us, despite their constant emails encouraging me to "keep helping the world with my teaching". And finally, my mind settled on "wishing" we could have gotten that grant to rebuild the monastery. The mind settled on the idea that what we needed was a "house".

But what I perceive as a "house" is an impermanent phenomenon. I imagine it is a house, but it is really an "effect" of the interdependent relationship of nails, wood, drywall, wiring, appliances, pipes, and so forth.

An even closer consideration recognises that what I perceived as wood, is actually an impermanent phenomenon arising out of the interdependent relationship between sunlight, water, soil and a seedling, which produced a tree.

Now, the question is whether any of those things, or the combination thereof, are capable of giving me happiness... or causing me pain. And the answer will always ultimately be "no".

If we consider that everything we experience -- things, people, emotions situations, religion, status -- everything -- arises from a complex interplay of impermanent causes and conditions, we discover that there is n real substance... nothing to desire, nothing to fear, nothing to resent, nothing to grasp. When we are mindful of the insubtantiality of phenomena, it is much more difficult for attachments to arise.

As we begin to see more and more of our experiences as the result of interdependent causation, less and less will appeal to us as some sort of panacea.

Therefore, I suggest that you have actually made good progress, because you recognise that you have attachments. That awareness will enable you identify and hone-in on one of those particular attachments, and begin looking at the attachments themselves, and deconstruct them. As we look more deeply and honestly at the interdependent causes and conditions from which those "things" take their illusory appearance, we also begin to notice the attachment dissolve.

Each day, I try to make up my mind to simply be aware of the thoughts that come through my mind. I know that some of those thoughts will be thoughts of attachment, delusion, anger and fear. And I welcome those thoughts... I don't want to get rid of them at all! They are opportunities for personal and spiritual growth!

When they arise, I strive to turn my awareness inward, and "deconstruct" the illusion. Once I have, I don't even have to "work" at "letting go" of it. It dissolves on its own. And there is an indescribable sensation that accompanies that process. I won't even attempt to put it into words. You'll know it, as it occurs.

Congratulations on your willingness to undertake your journey from such an honest and vulnerable place, my friend! And may that journey contribute richly to he elimination of suffering in your life and the lives of others.

Namasté!

- dharmacharya gurudas śunyatananda
   http://dharmadudeunplugged.com

Copyright ©2008, Dharmacharya Gurudas Śunyatananda (Dr. F. Gianmichael Salvato). All rights reserved. This article may be reproduced, blogged, quoted or distributed, provided the entire blog, including by-lines, contact information and this copyright remain intact. It may NOT be altered in any way, without express written permission.