The one who lives for sensation,
Indulgent in eating,
Lazy, and lacking in energy,
The tempter Mara* breaks,
Just as the wind breaks a frail tree.
Buddha is telling us how to spend our time feeding the sensations in life will bring about nothing good. The tempter Mara is just a personification of all temptations and passions. When we feed our passions we give strength to Mara and remove strength from ourselves.
Spending our free time devoted to our passions means less time for us to spend attaining enlightenment. The more we want and need the more we want and need. It is a cycle that spirals out of control and leads to suffering.
This suffering weakens us and gives strength to Mara, just as a wind breaks a frail tree.
"The less I have the more I gain" Wherever I may roam - Metallica.
*Mara: In Buddhist scriptures Mara is a metaphor for the temptations or passions personified, being neither male or female; hence the name of "tempter"
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Dhammapada 1:6
There are those who are aware.
They that are always facing death.
Knowing this they put aside all quarrels.
The first line has a double meaning. I believe it is why there is a pause after aware. It means those that are aware of death, but also those that are enlightened.
On enlightenment:
Once you become aware of the impermanence of all things then the minutia matters not. Spending time worried about pointless things has no real value to it. Instead spend time becoming aware.
On death:
Once death is close the small minutia of life seems so inconsequential. Maybe this is wisdom. When we are young we have an infinite view of life. We are indestructible. As we age we realize how precious life is. The bills, the next door neighbor, the weird hair growing out of your nose, all seem so useless to worry about.
Our time is better spent spending days with our loved ones, or just even watching the birds. This is the real wisdom of this statement. It just doesn't matter. Put aside all the useless fighting and being concerned what the other person is doing and thinking and instead, smell a flower.
They that are always facing death.
Knowing this they put aside all quarrels.
The first line has a double meaning. I believe it is why there is a pause after aware. It means those that are aware of death, but also those that are enlightened.
On enlightenment:
Once you become aware of the impermanence of all things then the minutia matters not. Spending time worried about pointless things has no real value to it. Instead spend time becoming aware.
On death:
Once death is close the small minutia of life seems so inconsequential. Maybe this is wisdom. When we are young we have an infinite view of life. We are indestructible. As we age we realize how precious life is. The bills, the next door neighbor, the weird hair growing out of your nose, all seem so useless to worry about.
Our time is better spent spending days with our loved ones, or just even watching the birds. This is the real wisdom of this statement. It just doesn't matter. Put aside all the useless fighting and being concerned what the other person is doing and thinking and instead, smell a flower.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Dhammapada 1:5
Animosity does not eradicate animosity.
Only by loving kindness is animosity dissolved.
This law is ancient and eternal.
This is the western truth that two wrongs do not make a right. It is interesting how other cultures come up with identical truths. Only by loving kindness is animosity dissolved. This is another global truth, you get more bees with honey than vinegar. If you get in an accident with someone it does no good to point at the other person and be angry. It only escalates the situation. In my own life I see this. It is a hard thing to do when angry to not be instantly in attack mode. Maybe something wrong and hurtful will come out. This solves nothing. We only gain the advantage by remaining calm and allowing kindness to rule. When this happens we see the reduction of hostilities and the situation diffusing.
This law in ancient and eternal - however it is difficult to use daily. Maybe the world leaders should practice this one a bit more.
Only by loving kindness is animosity dissolved.
This law is ancient and eternal.
This is the western truth that two wrongs do not make a right. It is interesting how other cultures come up with identical truths. Only by loving kindness is animosity dissolved. This is another global truth, you get more bees with honey than vinegar. If you get in an accident with someone it does no good to point at the other person and be angry. It only escalates the situation. In my own life I see this. It is a hard thing to do when angry to not be instantly in attack mode. Maybe something wrong and hurtful will come out. This solves nothing. We only gain the advantage by remaining calm and allowing kindness to rule. When this happens we see the reduction of hostilities and the situation diffusing.
This law in ancient and eternal - however it is difficult to use daily. Maybe the world leaders should practice this one a bit more.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Dhammapada 1:3-4
3 "He abused me, mistreated me, defeated me, robbed me."
Harboring such thoughts keeps hatred alive.
4 "He abused me, mistreated me, defeated me, robbed me."
Releasing such thoughts banishes hatred for all time.
On the surface this may seem like a turn the other cheek sort of message. Instead lets look at it as more of an understanding of self.
If we can release the "me" then nothing that is done to "me" can do any harm. Once we can understand this, we can be freed from hatred. As long as they do not exist then thoughts of abuse,mistreatment or robbing have no place to be harbored. Releasing "me" or "I" is extremely difficult and will require practice.
As we go on with the Dhammapada we will come across the method to release "me" or "I".
Harboring such thoughts keeps hatred alive.
4 "He abused me, mistreated me, defeated me, robbed me."
Releasing such thoughts banishes hatred for all time.
On the surface this may seem like a turn the other cheek sort of message. Instead lets look at it as more of an understanding of self.
If we can release the "me" then nothing that is done to "me" can do any harm. Once we can understand this, we can be freed from hatred. As long as they do not exist then thoughts of abuse,mistreatment or robbing have no place to be harbored. Releasing "me" or "I" is extremely difficult and will require practice.
As we go on with the Dhammapada we will come across the method to release "me" or "I".
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Dhammapada 1:2
Mind is the forerunner of all actions.
All deeds are led by mind, created by mind.
If one speaks or acts with a serene mind,
Happiness follows,
As surely as one's shadow.
Dhammapada 1:2 Twins
I am going to skip the redundancy here of the first statement. I believe it is there to drive home the understanding a bit more.
If one speaks or acts with a serene mind,
happiness follows,
As surely as one's shadow.
If we can calm our mind and help to find serenity then happiness will have no where else to go but to us. Just like our shadow. Unless we are in total darkness then we cannot escape our shadow. It follows us very closely, it does what we do. So can happiness. It will permeate our lives. The key is to guide our minds to a place of serenity. Easier said than done, but it is achievable, as we will see how later.
All deeds are led by mind, created by mind.
If one speaks or acts with a serene mind,
Happiness follows,
As surely as one's shadow.
Dhammapada 1:2 Twins
I am going to skip the redundancy here of the first statement. I believe it is there to drive home the understanding a bit more.
If one speaks or acts with a serene mind,
happiness follows,
As surely as one's shadow.
If we can calm our mind and help to find serenity then happiness will have no where else to go but to us. Just like our shadow. Unless we are in total darkness then we cannot escape our shadow. It follows us very closely, it does what we do. So can happiness. It will permeate our lives. The key is to guide our minds to a place of serenity. Easier said than done, but it is achievable, as we will see how later.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Dhammapada 1:1
Dhammapada 1:1
1.Mind is the forerunner of all actions.
All deeds are led by mind, created by mind.
If one speaks or acts with a corrupt mind,
suffering follows,
As the wheel follows the hoof of an ox pulling a cart.
First off lets look at the first line:
Mind is the forerunner of all actions.
Here Buddha is explaining that the mind, the one in which we think with, is the forerunner of all actions. Meaning that this mind in some ways predicates all actions. Whatever we "think" can dictate what we "do". As he goes on:
All deeds are led by the mind, created by the mind.
If one speaks or acts with a corrupt mind,
suffering follows
Thoughts can be that powerful as to cause us suffering. If we let bad thoughts or "corrupt thoughts" the freedom to run free in our minds then surely we will have a tendancy to follow those thoughts. This is one cause of suffering.
He concludes:
As the wheel follows the hoof of an ox pulling a cart
Ox carts generally have 2 oxen on both sides of a yoke (the thing around the neck). If the cart has 2- or 4 wheels they will have to go where the ox previously stepped. This last statement wraps up nicely the idea that as long as we are thinking a certain way (driving the cart) then we are doomed to follow that path we have driven. If you drive a car off the road, then you will of course have to go along for the ride and all of the consequences that are sure to follow.
This is a very good truth.
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