Since the recent 3 Day meditation retreat with Venerable Guo Yuan, I have been reflecting; what are the benefits of reflecting on impermanence? Is it really as simple as "just let go" whenever there is a problem in life? Venerable Guo Yuan reminded the retreat participants that this view of the mind is not actually in accord with Buddhist practice, since cause and conditions also need to be factored; what a person does does have repercussions, so one should always be aware of consequences of doing and not doing certain things. In fact, this retreat reminded me of the importance of treading (both literally and metaphorically) carefully on the ground, rather than just recklessly plodding along everything, believing that, "it's all mind, so what's the difference?". To use the literal example: after the rainfall, I would go out and do the walking meditation outdoors, only to find that concealed beneath the grass is a whole lot of wet mulch that made slurping noises when my shoes stepped on it. Now had I just gone happily along without heeding the warning from nature, what would have happened? Perhaps I would have returned to the Chan Hall covered in mud and dirty water.
So, contemplating impermanence doesn't necessarily mean just thinking of oneself as a cork floating in the ocean. Rather, it refers to a more nuanced sensibility of seeing events as delicately poised along many cascading conditions. It might even require having an artistic or a literary critic's attitude toward the characters and situations in a novel: not morally condemning behavior (for this would be crude and imposing) but at the same time discerning the clues to the underlying meaning and subtleties of situations. Things are never black and white: sometimes one person's understanding might fail to see the full picture of another's understanding. When one realizes that their view will always be a little bit partial, they will have the humility to know that their picture of the universe is never complete or completed: elements add, subtract, change and so on, in accordance with the constantly changing patterns of things.
But, on the other hand---this having been said, it's true that no matter how badly a person feels about the way things are, things are bound to change. Even the most unfortunate of circumstances has a window for growth if one chooses to be present with the feeling and appreciate its poignant entirety--not trying to fix it so hastily with a bandaid.
Monday, June 17, 2019
Tuesday, June 11, 2019
Uplifting One's Character
In the fourteenth adage, Master Sheng Yen writes, "To uplift our character, begin with cultivating peace in mind, body, family, and activity."
What this quote suggests is that uplifting character flows from a peaceful attitude that begins with the mind, then flows outward into the others and activities around us. Usually, if a person sets out to improve her or his character, there is some idea of either a very grueling experience or a lofty goal to be achieved. Master Sheng Yen suggests instead that it's through the simplicity of a peaceful mind that one's true character can be uplifted. If cultivating character were a matter of constantly trying to improve on one's self-concept, there would hardly be any room for the things that matter around us.
Very often, people operate from the opposite mindset from what Master Sheng Yen advises, opting to try to change environment, teaching and surroundings rather than working on their own mind. They might be compared to someone who tries to make their walk comfortable by trying to cover the world with a soft rug, as Buddha has been known to suggest. Such a person has no way to be peaceful within, so everything they approach feels intrusive or not very peaceful. This is because everything that one experiences is a reflection of a mindstate, not a kind of externally permanent reality. Even "character" itself is not static; it changes with one's state of mind. If I am always prone to feeling discontent, I often might attribute my discontent to "lack of character" or, in the parlance of modern psychology, "low frustration tolerance". But these notions are only conditioned concepts, and soon the situation changes to reflect completely new conditions. It's thus important to maintain flexible perceptions and judgments rather than using them to define one's character.
To go back to Master Sheng Yen's original quote, it's through peace of mind that a character can seem peaceful..but without that fundamental approach, it's all really words that drift in and out of one's mind-space, lacking a solid ground..
http://www.dharmadrum.org/content/about/about2.aspx?sn=46
What this quote suggests is that uplifting character flows from a peaceful attitude that begins with the mind, then flows outward into the others and activities around us. Usually, if a person sets out to improve her or his character, there is some idea of either a very grueling experience or a lofty goal to be achieved. Master Sheng Yen suggests instead that it's through the simplicity of a peaceful mind that one's true character can be uplifted. If cultivating character were a matter of constantly trying to improve on one's self-concept, there would hardly be any room for the things that matter around us.
Very often, people operate from the opposite mindset from what Master Sheng Yen advises, opting to try to change environment, teaching and surroundings rather than working on their own mind. They might be compared to someone who tries to make their walk comfortable by trying to cover the world with a soft rug, as Buddha has been known to suggest. Such a person has no way to be peaceful within, so everything they approach feels intrusive or not very peaceful. This is because everything that one experiences is a reflection of a mindstate, not a kind of externally permanent reality. Even "character" itself is not static; it changes with one's state of mind. If I am always prone to feeling discontent, I often might attribute my discontent to "lack of character" or, in the parlance of modern psychology, "low frustration tolerance". But these notions are only conditioned concepts, and soon the situation changes to reflect completely new conditions. It's thus important to maintain flexible perceptions and judgments rather than using them to define one's character.
To go back to Master Sheng Yen's original quote, it's through peace of mind that a character can seem peaceful..but without that fundamental approach, it's all really words that drift in and out of one's mind-space, lacking a solid ground..
http://www.dharmadrum.org/content/about/about2.aspx?sn=46
Sunday, June 9, 2019
That's Fine Too
Adage 13 of Master Sheng Yen's sayings notes, "13. Try to cultivate this attitude in life: if I can have what I want, that's good; if I can't, that's fine too. This will help us turn our suffering into joy, and live a happier life". How is this different from Master Sheng Yen's first adage, "Wants are many, needs are few"? I think that it expands on the notion of want by suggesting that wants can teach people about their reactions. If a person wants to live in a bigger or more luxurious house and finds themselves lacking in resources to move, they may react to the desire by putting themselves down ("why can't I get this house? Am I not good enough, rich enough, smart enough, etc?"), or conversely striving to prove that they are somehow entitled to luxurious comforts in life. But I am considering: for every gain, there is an attendant loss; the more one has, the more one needs to maintain it in some way by doing other things. A person might enjoy having a car instead of commuting by train or bus, but the price of a car, besides a monetary one, involves maintenance, insurance, detriment to the environment, fuel costs, traffic jams, etc. So one can then say, "it's good to have a car, but it's equally good not to have one".
Some people might think that this way of thinking is a cop out or a way of avoiding goal setting. To the contrary, I see this adage as entailing that one has greater tolerance for the bumps and detours that are entailed in having a goal and setting one. People can easily be derailed even if they believe that only one way is good, and that might lead them to despair ever achieving any goal. So I think it's important to think, there are many ways to enjoy the journey and strive and when one road is blocked, another might be found elsewhere.
http://www.dharmadrum.org/content/about/about2.aspx?sn=46
Wednesday, May 29, 2019
Speaking with Discretion
Adage 12 of Master Sheng Yen's 108 Adages of Wisdom notes " Before you open your mouth to speak, think twice and chew your words carefully. The point is not to hold your peace, but to speak with discretion and prudence."
In this day and age, I begin to wonder, does Master Sheng Yen's words make sense? The idea is that prudence and discretion encourage a sense of restraint and wisdom. This isn't t say that one should be diplomatic all the time in order to "hold the peace" but it might mean something like being able to choose words in a way that promotes good heartedness. For example, rather than hinting that someone else is not behaving their best (or according to my own judgments and beliefs), perhaps I would do better to try to use words that promote harmony and build understanding between people. If my intention is only to create divisiveness, this will only cause suffering to all the parties in the long run. But if I am sincerely invested in helping all the parties sort out differences and truly understand one another, then I am promoting wisdom between people.
Actually, our culture values so-called "authenticity", which often translates to, "The first thing you say is often the most true thing to say." Is that correct, though? More often than not, one's first impression, thought or emotion is just that--an impression--and it can often reflect a prejudice of sorts rather than an authentic way of seeing things. Discretion is needed to sort the valuable from the dross, and simply saying what's on the top of one's head is no guarantee that it's either "true" or beneficial to others. To a certain extent, I reject this idea that somehow my first impressions are the "truest"form of myself.
http://www.dharmadrum.org/content/about/about2.aspx?sn=46
In this day and age, I begin to wonder, does Master Sheng Yen's words make sense? The idea is that prudence and discretion encourage a sense of restraint and wisdom. This isn't t say that one should be diplomatic all the time in order to "hold the peace" but it might mean something like being able to choose words in a way that promotes good heartedness. For example, rather than hinting that someone else is not behaving their best (or according to my own judgments and beliefs), perhaps I would do better to try to use words that promote harmony and build understanding between people. If my intention is only to create divisiveness, this will only cause suffering to all the parties in the long run. But if I am sincerely invested in helping all the parties sort out differences and truly understand one another, then I am promoting wisdom between people.
Actually, our culture values so-called "authenticity", which often translates to, "The first thing you say is often the most true thing to say." Is that correct, though? More often than not, one's first impression, thought or emotion is just that--an impression--and it can often reflect a prejudice of sorts rather than an authentic way of seeing things. Discretion is needed to sort the valuable from the dross, and simply saying what's on the top of one's head is no guarantee that it's either "true" or beneficial to others. To a certain extent, I reject this idea that somehow my first impressions are the "truest"form of myself.
http://www.dharmadrum.org/content/about/about2.aspx?sn=46
Sunday, May 26, 2019
Maintaining Relaxation and Smiling
"Maintain a relaxed body and mind, and meet and greet with a smile. Relaxation enhances physical and mental health, and a smiling face promotes friendship" -Master Sheng Yen, Adage 11 (108 Adages)
Years ago, there was a popular song called "Don't Worry, Be Happy", and I even remember buying the LP as a young teenager because I found the song to be quite amusing. The gist of the song is that worrying only makes one's life even more worrisome than it has to be--the logic being that actually worrying doesn't make one's challenges better or lighter. I don't think Master Sheng Yen would necessarily advise such a simplistic philosophy, especially since the kind of mundane happiness that this song promotes is not that popular in Buddhist sutras or stories. However, one can apply the principle that cultivating a light attitude toward daily challenges can go a ways toward mitigating stress.
This means that whatever burdens one might bear about a particular problem and its sources can be looked at in a variety of different ways. Instead of being stuck thinking that a problem is too difficult or even insoluble, why not be able to smile at it sometimes, or even adopt a friendly approach? In this way, the problem is less onerous, and there is room to find alternate approaches to being with that problem. After all, one never emerges from problematic relationships in existence and in life as a whole. As soon as I even find something that works well for me, I will suffer the problem of wanting it to stay that way forever or, worse still, becoming so acclimatized to it that I soon begin to stop paying attention to it altogether. So sometimes it is important to try to smile, not as a way of making "light" of a bad situation, but as a way of making it new and different to behold. I smile not because I am dismissing problematic things, but because I am welcoming those problematic things and the kinds of learning that can emerge when I am staying close to those problems.
Most importantly, perhaps, Master Sheng Yen alludes to the benefits of a relaxed body and mind, which I would assume is a requisite to smiling. Have you ever tried to smile while you were tense or agitated? Truly it doesn't work all that well, because one needs to almost take the perspective of "I will smile, whether it makes a difference or not..." That is a more relaxed approach that is not focused on a achieving a goal.
References
Master Sheng Yen, 108 Adages.http://www.dharmadrum.org/content/about/about2.aspx?sn=46
Years ago, there was a popular song called "Don't Worry, Be Happy", and I even remember buying the LP as a young teenager because I found the song to be quite amusing. The gist of the song is that worrying only makes one's life even more worrisome than it has to be--the logic being that actually worrying doesn't make one's challenges better or lighter. I don't think Master Sheng Yen would necessarily advise such a simplistic philosophy, especially since the kind of mundane happiness that this song promotes is not that popular in Buddhist sutras or stories. However, one can apply the principle that cultivating a light attitude toward daily challenges can go a ways toward mitigating stress.
This means that whatever burdens one might bear about a particular problem and its sources can be looked at in a variety of different ways. Instead of being stuck thinking that a problem is too difficult or even insoluble, why not be able to smile at it sometimes, or even adopt a friendly approach? In this way, the problem is less onerous, and there is room to find alternate approaches to being with that problem. After all, one never emerges from problematic relationships in existence and in life as a whole. As soon as I even find something that works well for me, I will suffer the problem of wanting it to stay that way forever or, worse still, becoming so acclimatized to it that I soon begin to stop paying attention to it altogether. So sometimes it is important to try to smile, not as a way of making "light" of a bad situation, but as a way of making it new and different to behold. I smile not because I am dismissing problematic things, but because I am welcoming those problematic things and the kinds of learning that can emerge when I am staying close to those problems.
Most importantly, perhaps, Master Sheng Yen alludes to the benefits of a relaxed body and mind, which I would assume is a requisite to smiling. Have you ever tried to smile while you were tense or agitated? Truly it doesn't work all that well, because one needs to almost take the perspective of "I will smile, whether it makes a difference or not..." That is a more relaxed approach that is not focused on a achieving a goal.
References
Master Sheng Yen, 108 Adages.http://www.dharmadrum.org/content/about/about2.aspx?sn=46
Thursday, May 23, 2019
Every day a new day
For those who can take things on and let them go in peace, every year is an auspicious year. For those who can sow with wisdom the seeds of blessings, every day is a good day.- Master Sheng Yen
This quote is a bit hard to unpack, so I think I will go in a different direction with it. I think that the quote is suggesting that the ability to let go as much as pick up makes for a life of ease. Why? I think of it like, every wave signifies the ups and downs of life: some days are going to be good, others not so good. If I am truly cognizant of the fact that there will be cycles and patterns of life, I will no longer try to attach an overarching meaning to the rhythms themselves. Perhaps the most apt analogy might be something like music or musical notes: clinging to one note means that one will lose the entire overarching melody or structure. When I am opening my heart to the whole song, I receive a much finer sense of how the notes work together to create a meaningful whole.
Under this way of looking at things, there is truly nothing to hope for, but also very little to despair about. Every day is simply a new day, and there will be both blessing and pain. If I am always attaching to certain kinds of wishes, then the simple wisdom of everyday is lost, and I overstretch myself. If I am choosing to be present with the joy and the pain alike, then I am not picking one over the other. I become submissive to the moment, and allow myself to soak it in without needing to embellish or even create something from the elements themselves.
References
Sheng Yen, 108 Adages, http://www.dharmadrum.org/content/about/about2.aspx?sn=46
This quote is a bit hard to unpack, so I think I will go in a different direction with it. I think that the quote is suggesting that the ability to let go as much as pick up makes for a life of ease. Why? I think of it like, every wave signifies the ups and downs of life: some days are going to be good, others not so good. If I am truly cognizant of the fact that there will be cycles and patterns of life, I will no longer try to attach an overarching meaning to the rhythms themselves. Perhaps the most apt analogy might be something like music or musical notes: clinging to one note means that one will lose the entire overarching melody or structure. When I am opening my heart to the whole song, I receive a much finer sense of how the notes work together to create a meaningful whole.
Under this way of looking at things, there is truly nothing to hope for, but also very little to despair about. Every day is simply a new day, and there will be both blessing and pain. If I am always attaching to certain kinds of wishes, then the simple wisdom of everyday is lost, and I overstretch myself. If I am choosing to be present with the joy and the pain alike, then I am not picking one over the other. I become submissive to the moment, and allow myself to soak it in without needing to embellish or even create something from the elements themselves.
References
Sheng Yen, 108 Adages, http://www.dharmadrum.org/content/about/about2.aspx?sn=46
Wednesday, May 15, 2019
Knowing the Ways of the World
"Know yourself and others, and the ways of the world, so as to have a peaceful body and mind. Recognize, cherish, and nurture your blessings, and seize every chance to be of service.'"- Master Sheng Yen, 108 Adages
What does it mean to "know the ways of the world"? How does "knowing oneself" relate to knowing the ways of the world? I have noticed that the more a person experiences life and its ups/downs, the more understanding they can be toward others. There are much fewer hard and true "rules", and people become more understanding of the complexities of others including their many sides and facets. It's only through an immersive experience of the complexity of interactions that one might get a glimpse into their own complexity and infinity. If I am always living a life shuttling back and forth between work and the shopping mall, there isn't much room to get a sense of what people suffer. In this way, it's always nice to be open to building new perspectives.
It makes sense that a peaceful body and mind comes from knowing self, others and ways of the world. But this is not to say that such a path does not have its trials and challenges. Actually, people on that path have more struggles to go through, but when they are determined to treat everything as a learning, then the journey becomes less burdensome. At that point, blessings can be seen in all those life experiences, in addition to the desire to give back in response to those blessings.
http://www.dharmadrum.org/content/about/about2.aspx?sn=46
What does it mean to "know the ways of the world"? How does "knowing oneself" relate to knowing the ways of the world? I have noticed that the more a person experiences life and its ups/downs, the more understanding they can be toward others. There are much fewer hard and true "rules", and people become more understanding of the complexities of others including their many sides and facets. It's only through an immersive experience of the complexity of interactions that one might get a glimpse into their own complexity and infinity. If I am always living a life shuttling back and forth between work and the shopping mall, there isn't much room to get a sense of what people suffer. In this way, it's always nice to be open to building new perspectives.
It makes sense that a peaceful body and mind comes from knowing self, others and ways of the world. But this is not to say that such a path does not have its trials and challenges. Actually, people on that path have more struggles to go through, but when they are determined to treat everything as a learning, then the journey becomes less burdensome. At that point, blessings can be seen in all those life experiences, in addition to the desire to give back in response to those blessings.
http://www.dharmadrum.org/content/about/about2.aspx?sn=46
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