Wisdom of Buddha!

[geoseph]

---

Here is one program aimed to gain mastery of the mind, adopted from an author who is not Buddhist, but who respects all religions.

1. Sensitivity to one's thoughts

For a period of time, simply be aware of your thoughts (sensations don't count) as these come and go (you may prefer to close your eyes). After this period of time ends, try to recall all of the thoughts.

Over time, the gaps between thoughts may increase.

2. Mindfulness

Simply be generally aware of everything that is happening as these are happening. If you tie your shoes, tie your shoes. If you drink water, drink water, and so on. Let the ability grow naturally over time. It's presence of mind and focus on the task at hand. It may be good to make this a habit.

3. Concentration

For a period of time, try to focus on only one thought or train of related thoughts (topic). No need to strain. Let the ability grow naturally.

4. Control over thoughts

For a period of time, empty your mind of any thoughts. Again, no need to strain. Let the skill develop over time.

These are meant to be learnt from 1 to 4, taking time with each until reasonable mastery is achieved, before moving on to the next. One may start with a period of time of only a minute. One may assume reasonable mastery if a practice is sustained for up to five to ten minutes.
---

When one have become quite skillful, one might be able to find ways to make it useful in daily life and on the path, if one so desires it.

[other parts removed to be reposted later]

[Gwynhuever]

@geoseph....thanks for sharing...

[geoseph]

Thanks Gwynhuever.

I apologize, if for the moment, I’m leaving out the parts regarding the emotions and the body. It might be simpler to first focus on mastery of thoughts before moving on to the next. The reason the others were included then was to make a point on balance. Some systems focus too much on one area.

Once it becomes a natural skill in a person, it would be useful with the others. I’ll post these back after some time, with the intent for a simpler presentation. Thanks for understanding.

[Tattva]

@geoseph


Are you sure that the author is not a buddhist? It has a great similarity sa mga buddhist awareness meditation.

Thats exactly how a buddhist meditation flows, it increases the awareness of the meditator making his mind very strong and clear so useful for the daily challenges in life.

[geoseph]

@geoseph

Are you sure that the author is not a buddhist? It has a great similarity sa mga buddhist awareness meditation.

Thats exactly how a buddhist meditation flows, it increases the awareness of the meditator making his mind very strong and clear so useful for the daily challenges in life.

Thanks Tattva .

Yes. Where I came from, we study everything deemed relevant, and although the author has his path, he did study the various traditions.

He found some of their methods wanting, and he determined it was because some preliminary skills were omitted, which is causing some students a long time to attain a reasonable degree of mastery. For example, this can happens to schools that immediately teach concentration.

[Gwynhuever]

@geoseph...it was good you presented it that way...bite sized pieces para ma tuhop sad...kapoi ayo basa over ka long nga posts if you do not mind my asking...unsa man diay ka nga school of thought na belong?

[geoseph]

@geoseph...it was good you presented it that way...bite sized pieces para ma tuhop sad...kapoi ayo basa over ka long nga posts if you do not mind my asking...unsa man diay ka nga school of thought na belong?

Thanks Gwynhuever.

Gulp… taas baya ning next post nako, but at least basahunon ra.

I learn from every school I can. I undertook something like comparative spirituality (yes, it’s a euphemism) around eleven years ago for more or less seven years. What still interests me is how similar all the teachings and varieties of spiritual experiences are. I have discovered my path about three years ago to be Christian. My current studies, which is not limited to the Bible, though it sometimes discusses it, gives me a richer understanding of spirituality far more than I hoped for. Add this new understanding with my previous studies, and I still feel quite useful enough to make posts in threads not discussing Christianity.

I actually have a Tibetan name, Jih Me Pao, murag siopao, ampao, upao, angpao, ug uban pa. I thought then that the equivalent of the Dalai Lama in the Red Hat sect (original Tibetan religion) was giving a two day seminar, when it turned out to be a two day baptism diay. Accidental Buddhist hinoun. But years before that, I dug into the Tippitaka for quite some time, and got my share of headaches.

[geoseph]

These are just my interpretations on some of the Buddha's teachings:


Annica (Impermanence)

All this world is transitory, hence nothing in this world truly is.
It is the mind that creates what we call reality.
The mind using the limited sense available to it, which senses only see the surface of things, mistakenly sees permanency where there is none.
Having been lead to believe it has witnessed permanency, it believes permanency exists and is real.
Many phenomena slow to change are interpreted as permanent.
It becomes confirmed in its presumption having had believed it for a lifetime.

Once permanency is accepted, attachment is not far away.


Taṇhā (Clinging)

Who is the human who created the Earth, the moon, the sun, and the stars?
Who among us created nature and shaped the land, the waters, and the sky?
Even our bodies are from the Earth, and it shall reclaim it one day.
All things we sense in this world is of this world and belongs to it, hence we really do not own anything and ownerships is only a creation of the mind.
What we have had done was to take what opportunity have had made available.
We took (including what was handed us gratis, like the body) and it was not taken away from us.
We are lead to believe it really belongs to us.

Add the illusion of permanency with this illusion of ownership and what we have is attachment.

A way of dealing with the illusion of permanency is to let go. Letting go is acceptance, forgiveness, and moving on.

A way of dealing with the illusion of ownership is to be grateful for what one has, to take only what is needed or what can be put to good use, and to share when the need arises and when it is possible to do so.


Anatta (Not Self)

Existence is in actuality a continuous unbroken whole.
The mind using the senses perceives continuities and discontinuities.
On the discontinuities, it creates the idea of separation, and on the continuities it creates the idea of belonging together (gestalt).
It maps reality into objects and mistakes the map for the actual thing.
[In a sense, reality is like a map the mind creates for itself with respect to what there actuality is.]
Even if it finds that the seemingly continuous object has discontinuities within it, it “refines” it’s map by creating “sub-territories” and the idea of (dependent) composition.
This idea of composition it also finds applicable to seemingly separate objects and further “refines” its map with “super-territories”.
And so the mind creates boundaries and maps space that is actually continuous.
The mind bent on mapping everything perceives the body as being separate from everything else.

The mind contemplating itself soon discovers that the body is always with it or is never taken away from it.
Add to this the illusion of ownership and it creates the notion of the body as self.
Henceforth, considerations of “self” is limited only to “itself” (“its” body).

A way of dealing with the notion of the body as self is to awaken empathy, compassion, kindness, and mercy to the extent that these are translated into action and made part of one’s daily life.

[Gwynhuever]

@geoseph....parehas2x ra sad ta....one time gi label gud ko ug "cafeteria catholic" kay pa buot lang daw ko unsa akong tuhuan..he he he

my husband is also into universal spiritual philosophy...his expertise is more on advaita vedanta....ako tuhik2x lang....but i like to meditate and buddhism teachings resonate more with me...

[Tattva]

@geoseph


Mao ba a little bit of everything diay ka sir. Is there any possbility where mabalik imong interest sa buddhism?