Amida Butsu & Bodhisattva

Below is from a couple of months ago as we were going through the book MAHAYANA BUDDHISM by Beatrice Suzuki wife of D.T. Suzuki.

This paper was written very informally (as all of mine usually are) and straight from deep heart felt sentiments.

The topic is AMIDA BUDDHA & BODHISATTVA

We all have the Bodhi seed within us. Each one of us is Buddha. Therefore I see Amida
Buddha as Me. I have within me the Eternal Light and Infinite Life. There is nothing outside
of myself to trust in. We are all ONE. 

I am a member of the Buddha family and because I AM  it is my duty to conquer sin (that
which keeps me separated from knowing who I am) and fear (as a mother I have all sorts of fears I am dealing with in learning to let go of my children and allow them to experience their being) and work for the good of others.   

When I work for the good of others I am less likely to dwell on the perception of my own so
called suffering. Keep my eye on the prize. The prize: Awakening. 

A few years ago I heard a friend say that he took the Boddhisattva vow to awaken and
dedicate his life to helping others awaken. He said that a Boddhisattva was one who would
forego breaking free from Samsara until every sentient being was awakened. 

I remember my immediate response to what he was saying was that of revulsion. I thought
to myself….there is NO way I want to stick around this place; I want to awaken and NOT
come back here never ever again. 

Well, to be honest there is a part of me that finds that appeal but on the other hand there is
a part of me that sees the benefit in helping others to awaken. We are all in this together
and that is a fact.  

When I was a young child my earliest memories of my thoughts are that I
felt that we were all connected. I knew that my family was my family but somehow I knew
that the so called strangers walking down the street were somehow connected to me as
well.  

So, defer to the Child Me and I think of the Bodhisattva vow as an ideal to put into
practice in my daily life. It is not just for the benefit of the world but also for my benefit as
well.  

We are all One. 

CAPPING PHRASE: Remember the Bodhisattva vows.
CODE PHRASE: We are in this together

Infinite

At the still point in the center of the circle one can see the Infinite in all things.

--Chuang Tsu

In Joy & Oneness of Peace.

Nirvana

NIRVANA
Mayahana Buddhism by Suzuki, B. L and D.T. Suzuki
July 29, 2012

Suzuki sensei writes: “NIRVANA is Samsara, and no more a transcendental entity to be sought after death or to be reached after crossing the stream of Samsara.”
“…the mind regains its original purity and grace and becomes altogether free from worries and other annoyances.”

Until we truly realize there is no birth, no death, no good, no bad…it all just is.


…it all JUST IS… Suchness?


Until we can truly be here now…be now without judgment or qualification we will not see that we are already here, Nirvana.


Nirvana is not outside of us. Nirvana is the center within.


Enlightenment or Nirvana is not a place we are going or a state we must attain, it is a state we must remember.


My goal, my job, my dharma is to awaken. I must awaken to the truth of who I truly am.


What comes to mind is the Hebrew term: Hineni which is HERE I AM.


CAPPING PHRASE: Around and round the merry-go-round.
CODE PHRASE: Here I am, awake!

What Does Shakyamuni Buddha Ask of Us

Shakyamuni Buddha does not ask people to never experience suffering, affliction or craving. 

He does ask us to open our eyes to the reality of Life, the world in which we live and all the ups and downs that we experience, realize the impermanence of it all and how it does not and should not define us or lead us emotionally. 

He asks that we open our eyes and rise above the seeming chaos, harness the energy to use it to truly live meaningful lives.


The cultivation of the path can lead us to perfect peace. 

Peace first with ourselves and then peace with others.
 
When we awaken to the truth, truly awaken to the truth of life we will no longer wallow in grief. 

And should we for a moment, wallow in grief, we will forgive ourselves and let it go.

When we awaken to the Truth of Life we will learn to accept and live Life as it truly is. We will then have arrived at perfect Peace.

We may still have disappointment. We may still have sadness. 

We will experience emotion and simple except it, learn from it and let it go. 

We are then no longer living from a foundation of reaction and thus no longer creating negative Karma.

That in my opinion is Enlightenment.

What Buddha Taught

The Buddha taught enlightenment. 

He did not teach that we will never be depressed. 

He taught us not to be defeated by it. 

He did not teach us how to avoid suffering. 

He taught us to meet affliction and lively nobly, so that suffering is not unnecessarily multiplied. 

There is suffering enough in the world. 

He did not put himself above us. 

He was a man who never claimed divinity. 

He showed a way to live with reality, with all its alternations and with all the emotions and internal changes that result from them, and to see that this is our path.

*David Brazier
The Feeling Buddha
.

Dharma practice

"...dharma practice is concerned not with proving or disproving theories of self but with understanding and easing the grip of self-centeredness that constricts body, feelings, and emotions into a tight nugget of anguish." Stephen Batchelor

In Joy & Oneness of Peace.

Buddha Dharma Sangha

This is why I hold the three treasures so dear.

Buddha, Dharma and Sangha

"The work of Buddhism is to awaken, to come out of the sleepy dreams and notions of reality that we hold to be true and replace them with a direct experience of what is more accurately occurring. To awaken in this way, we need to become conscious of what’s actually going on at the very depths of our experience."
- Will Johnson

The Greatest

The Greatest. . . .

The greatest achievement is selflessness.
The greatest worth is self-mastery.
The greatest quality is seeking to serve others.
The greatest precept is continual awareness.
The greatest medicine is the emptiness of everything.
The greatest action is not conforming with the worlds ways.
The greatest magic is transmuting the passions.
The greatest generosity is non-attachment.
The greatest goodness is a peaceful mind.
The greatest patience is humility.
The greatest effort is not concerned with results.
The greatest meditation is a mind that lets go.
The greatest wisdom is seeing through appearances.

Atisha (11th century Tibetan Buddhist master)

.

Buddha Eyes

Here is an excerpt from my recent assignment for class. This was written after reading the book Shakyamuni Buddha: A Narrative Biography

My eldest son went for a half hour walk this evening. Upon returning he told me that he thought there should be a law that people should be required to turn off all lights and go outside to enjoy the night sky. He feels that doing so would help people to expand their minds.

Siddhartha was determine to follow his souls desire to become a monk however the birth of his son was an obstacle. Even family attachments were not enough to hold him back. As a mother I find this very difficult. I would have to wait until my children were of legal age before I felt I could completely devote myself to my own goals. Buddha paid dearly by leaving his family behind but the reward was so great and has benefited so many. His goal was not personal it was for the benefit of all. Even so I am not sure if I could do the same. Because of what the historical Buddha did by renouncing his family and life in order to pursue enlightenment we do not need to do the same. He walked before us.

“We have inherited instead an obligation to lead active and productive lives as lay people. We must, however, practice a psychological renunciation;…” pg. 29-30

For me this psychological renunciation is the journey, it is the path.

The Buddha realized that he was not going to be able to find enlightenment merely through following his teacher. He realized that by meditating and going within he could find the answers.

“He realized that he could attain enlightenment only through his own practice and meditation.” Pg. 31

It’s a lot of work but no one can do it for me. We can only do our own practice and meditation. It is not handed to us we must doing our work with faith and we will attain Buddhahood as well.

Each day being aware of the temptations of Mara will bring us a step closer to being able to see clearly with Right View and act with Right Action.

To be able to look at the world through Buddha eyes will be like Heaven. To be able to see everyone as they truly are bathed in glory and brilliance would be something wonderful indeed.

I know even now that I will have to practice lovingkindness and compassion with myself. It is not always easy!

Happy New Year & Dharma Dragon

Greetings and Salutations!

Top of the year to you 2012! Yeah! And its year of the Dragon.

Soaring high...

On the Dharma path what am I dealing with?

What is the Right View and Right Action when dealing with TEENAGERS??

Yes, my teenagers...and three of them at once.

Anyway....as I contemplate my path for the year ahead please enjoy the Dharma Talk

from my Sensei Rev. Koyo Kubose of Bright Dawn Center for Oneness Buddhism.

Listen to internet radio with Bright Dawn Sangha on Blog Talk Radio