This piece is rich in description of the Buddha's goodness, but a bit unclear to me if there is much more than overall praise and reverence. The Tatagatha, as he refers to himself, is here for the goodness of all. I am glad.
Also covered are the 6 things unsurpassed, the 4 analytic knowledges and other lesser known attributes I hope to attain sooner or later.
Just listened to Judee Sill's sad story on Unfictional. Listen to this song, then her story, then this song again.
Spending time in a different country reminds me a bit of when I changed schools in fourth grade. That has to be one of the most miserable experiences a self-conscious kid can go through. You don't know the rules, and everything is different and difficult. It isn't to imply that my way is the right way or best way; rather, any vacation or extended stay is not without the stress (self-induced?) of trying to "get it."
Staying in Holland this week was pretty easy, relative to say, Tokyo, where I might as well have been on Neptune for the first six months (Pay utilities? At a convenience store, of course! Pay rent? Bring the cash to a bank and transfer it! Be sure to buy your landlord a gift, along with the deposit money you don't get back). But even the Dutch ways are different. Paying for stuff, again, was a thorn in my side. American credit cards lack some chip, so you can't buy train tickets from the vending machines. Fine, it's probably best I go to the counter anyway. But for the local trains, I can't use bills either, only coins. So I spent probably 20 Euros on shit I really didn't need, just to make change for the chipkaart. It has gotten much easier, when I was last here, in 2002, there were these books of stamps that were needed to board a train, I could never figure those out.
I found a cool mostly organic market and picked up a dinner to heat up, but they only take credit cards. Never seen that before at a food store. Why? I was hoping to use my Euros up. I have been doing pretty well eating at random places, but I took one bite of the sausage and threw it away. They can't all be winners.
Loss or gain of fame, wealth, and family (I am taking this to relate to status rather than familial love, etc) is nothing compared to the loss or gain of wisdom, the Buddha says. We grow through the increase of wisdom.
Again, I have to remember he was not talking about 'learning more stuff,' it is understanding the true nature of reality he was referring to. So yeah, stuff comes and goes, plugging into the wisdom is paramount.
The mental states: those born of greed, generosity, hatred, love, delusion, or clarity all have our intentions as the forerunner. Unhealthy states arise from lack of attention and mental discipline. Healthy ones arise from diligent practice.
Does that title sound familiar? Apparently this concept pops up all over the suttas, so I am not sure if this is where the Dammapadda's first chapter comes from. I find at my job especially, the greatist benefit of my toils comes from defining the simple concepts, getting them accepted and put to use. Without a strong foundation, everything is vague and complex. This is what is appealing about the Buddha and his follower's approach -- explain the fundamentals, clearly and simply. Buddhism isn't just a simple "Be Here Now" mantra or way of thinking. It is as complex and analytical as anyone wants to make it, full of lists, technical vocabulary, and theories. It has been taken apart and put back together by thousands of smart, caring people from many different cultures. The more I have read the Numerical Discourses, the more I realized the Buddha's words are much deeper and thoughtful than a set of pithy aphorisms about suffering or empty bowls.
Super short, appropriate for the mindless rushing around I am doing these days. The Buddha states an ideal: producing a thought of loving kindness, developing it, cultivating it, and giving attention to it, that is a good monk, worthy of offerings.
The footnote also is of interest. Since monks receive alms, there are different ways that a monk accepts alms, based on his practice. An immoral monk, receives alms as a thief, a good monk with poor "reflection" receives them as a debt, a trainee as an inheritance, and a monk as the owner.
Does this apply to how I receive charity? Do I receive kindness rightly?
This is almost short enough to paraphrase in its entirety. The Buddha states that state of mind changes quickly, so quickly he can't think of an analogy. He then describes that the mind is "luminous" but subject to defilement. The noble disciple knows this and therefore his mind develops.
The way it is stated, it seems the knowledge of the minds vulnerability is the sine qua non to mental development. Forewarned is forearmed, it what I get from this. Getting rid of defilement isn't the action, mental development is the action, lessening of defilement is the result.
Each item from the prior discourse is focused on. Here, the mind. The Buddha states that an undeveloped mind is unmanageable and causes suffering, while a developed mind is a happy one. Makes sense. More emphatically, he continues that an uncontrolled mind causes harm, while a tame, protected and guarded mind brings benefits.
My mind feels especially uncontrolled. My actions are not, for the most part. Not sustainable.
The Buddha discusses 10 causes and their effects, then proposes an opposing action or attention. I am changing the order a bit to pair things up in a way I like:
Number one, "attending to foul objects" appears to be a practice of meditation or consideration of, say, the death and decay of a sensual object you find alluring. It reminds me of the Samurai meditaion of death. A bit morbid, but makes sense. It's a sure cure for that girl of boy you have been obsessing about. The second is in line with the "pray for your enemies" line I have always struggled with. #3 is great: "Stop laying around like a lump after meals, go for a walk already!"
The Buddha explains the power of sensual desire. The form, sound, and even taste of (in his telling) the opposite sex, or rather, those which we desire, to expand just a tad. It is funny that above all else, all the other hindrances, it is "women" -- over money, fame, power. It's a primal instinct, though. I don't think the Buddha is warning, so much as he is making an observation.
