Today I went to the talk given by Reb Anderson, one of the priests here. ( He published several books ).He is good at talking about high events in the spiritual world. One of them, the definition of a Boddhisattva ( a being that is committed to saving all sentient beings before he gets enlightened himself ) in the Buddhist context. Well, I’m not sure about if I understand this concept, because I don’t think anybody has seen such a being in this world. Maybe in another one…
But I’m being sarcastic. I felt particularly well during the talk, accompanied by all those black robes around me. Not because of that, but maybe something in the air. the silence was immense. Nobody moves. In this atmosphere it gets easier to explore into ourselves. It could be that you’re not inside, nor outside of yourself. It’s a funny thing, when you can observe some point in front of you, and at the same moment, to watch your own reactions. The brain has to split itself, and in the process, it gets more attentive. That’s the state you want to achieve in order to call yourself a “meditator”. We all want to look very deeply attentive, but the mind only wants to chatter, and nothing else. It’s like a little kid, does not give up his toys. well, maybe this is already a great thing,to be here and now attentive, because it can be that the energy for a greater leap is already here in us. But I don’t want to see myself following a very long path. I don’t want to put me in the middle of a process of evolution of the soul. Such a thing would be a mistake, because I don’t want to get lost in the process of time. Krishnamurti explained that time cannot be a mediator in our achieving a higher state of realization. That way, I can feel that any moment is good to be in here and now. For me, there’s no such a process in time, along which all the beings will evolve until the final enlightenment. I think that we should approach this problem in a different view – in a different dimension. The dimension of the highest truth. That truth says that everything is already luminous. And there is not such a division between beings. We are all one. And the Universe is only one principle. The principle of unity.
Naturally, in such a context, we can say that there is no need for struggle. We can only do one action: realizing the truth of only one. And realizing this, there no more confusion. Thus, knowledge – or wisdom. Wisdom can be a matter of substraction, instead of addition of knowledge. Krishnamurti said we have to get rid of all false conceptions and asumptions. And then wisdom will arise naturally.<p>
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I love this: “wisdom can be a matter of subtraction.” Oh yes. Well-said, Alberto. Subtract the greed, the violence, the preoccupation with “soap opera,” and that wisdom is there already in us, just waiting to be let out. I also appreciate your liveliness. Go on and look at those beautiful women. You can certainly enjoy what is beautiful to your eyes, and you can enjoy the power of self-control that leads you to do nothing but look. I agree that “stiffness” does not lead to wisdom. As you say, laughter is a more pleasurable path. I believe that you will take your own wisdom back to New Jersey, that you will be able to preserve your meditative distance, to think before you act. If there is a gift to be taken into the world from the zen community it is this: we don’t have to act on our impulses. But it is wrong to deny that those impulses exist. We just embrace the whole thing. One more small point: a bodhisattva is a person who has achieved enlightenment (in a prior life) and then chose to return to life to help other people. We can’t know who has achieved enlightenment (if such a thing really exists), but we can identify the urge to help other people–in ourselves, and in the people we love. That desire to help others is the bodhisattva nature. I’ve seen it in you and in many other people, but I don’t think it is more likely to be found in a Zen center than any other place. If you look for it in New Jersey, you will see it there. When do you leave?
Comment by Kendall — August 15, 2007 @ 1:41 pm
Thank you, Kendall!!!!!
It was a very nice surprise to find your comment. It’s really awesome to see that I’ve been read and to be able to read your comment was something special to me…
I do miss you here, even though it was some days only. We can make nice friendships in a place like this. It’s sad when new friends already leave.
Like I said I cling to the idea that says that there’s only one consciousness, and one non-divisive reality of the world. For me, at least, it’s much more powerful to think that way. It’s the ultimate reality, anyway…ISN’T IT???????
Ah! By the way, I don’t believe in self-control(it’s what we do anyway, pressed by society, and the animals can control themselves too – sometimes) For me self-control entails suffering, but it’s what I do; believe me…
I’ll leave on Saturday night.
Comment by Alberto — August 15, 2007 @ 2:51 pm
Good point about self-control. I only mean that we need not be the slaves of our impulses. Self-control can be over-rated, indeed, but if we have none (and I have seen many people who have none: just look at the whole problem of addiction), we are also out of control–and what is in control is not pretty. But I like your thoughts about unity. Yours and Krishnamurti’s. The two of you are onto something there…. Keep on writing. It will be interesting to see what you have to say once you are away from the Zen center and back “in the world,” so to speak.
Comment by Kendall — August 15, 2007 @ 9:59 pm
Jiddu Krishnamurti ;
“There are three monks, who had been sitting in deep meditation for many years amidst the Himalayan snow peaks, never speaking a word, in utter silence. One morning, one of the three suddenly speaks up and says, ‘What a lovely morning this is.’ And he falls silent again. Five years of silence pass, when all at once the second monk speaks up and says, ‘But we could do with some rain.’ There is silence among them for another five years, when suddenly the third monk says, ‘Why can’t you two stop chattering?”
http://www.katinkahesselink.net/kr/jokes.html
http://seaunaluzparaustedmismo.blogspot.com/
Comment by serendipidad — August 24, 2007 @ 1:07 am
May all beings enjoy happiness and the causes of happiness
May all beings be free from suffering and the causes of suffering.
Anyone who sincerely wish this even if others words are used or even no word at all is a Boddhisattva, there are many of them, not necessarily in a zen center.
That is my understanding anyway.
May all beings large and small get whatever they need to be well and safe to feel happy and obtain wisdom.
Carlos
Comment by Carlos — September 9, 2007 @ 12:14 pm