Book: Pema Chödrön - No Time to Lose.

[seattlegal]

Originally Posted by Snoopy

Transcending Hesitation (Ch. 3 verses 1 – 34).

Chapter 3 of The Way of the Bodhisattva is the final one on preparation, following on from offerings, prostrations and confessions. The final four practices are rejoicing, requesting the teachers to present the dharma, asking them to remain with us, and dedicating the merit.

Regarding rejoicing, for me, Chödrön makes a good insight that at first may seem rather paradoxical. Essentially she points out that the practicing of “positives” can demonstrate to us the level of “negatives” still within us, to act as a barometer of our practice. So rejoicing in the happiness of others can highlight the envy that still resides within us. Likewise, practising generosity shows us how much we still hold back and practising patience illustrates to us the level of anger that we can still be holding onto.

This part reminds me of The Five Buddha Wisdom Families.
You did say she was a Tibetan nun, right?

Regarding dedicating merit, Chödrön notes that this word / term is problematic for some westerners. According to Trungpa Rinpoche merit cannot be understood with a business-deal mentality, it’s not like putting away savings for the future; it is the opposite of this, it is the giving up of possessiveness. “Merit can only be accumulated by letting go.”

Back to the Tao Te Ching 1:

"...Always without desire we must be found,
If its deep mystery we would sound;
But if desire always within us be,
Its outer fringe is all that we shall see..."

[Snoopy]

Originally Posted by seattlegal

This part reminds me of The Five Buddha Wisdom Families.
You did say she was a Tibetan nun, right?

I did. And I agree, I think you're right to make this comparison. Also I think you're managing to jump ahead somewhat, you precocious child () cos the next chapter expands on this. I'm just reading it now, so how about you read through all your link (it is 43 pages!), I'll read and post on the next chapter and then we can meet back up here again? How about that?

s.

[seattlegal]

Whenever you are ready, Snoopy. (Meanwhile, I'm going to see if I can find a copy of Shantideva's Way of the Bodhisattva on the web.

Well, heck. That was easy:
http://www.shantideva.net/

[Snoopy]

Originally Posted by seattlegal

Whenever you are ready, Snoopy. (Meanwhile, I'm going to see if I can find a copy of Shantideva's Way of the Bodhisattva on the web.

Well, heck. That was easy:
Shantideva Online ::: Your Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life

Most excellent! That practically makes this a book group! (Is two a quorum for a group )

No reading ahead cos that's cheating! I'll post on the next chapter in the next day or two...

(when I've gone through all my scribbles in the margins...tut tut...)

s.

[Snoopy]

Using Our Intelligence (Ch. 4 verses 1 – 48).

Chapters 4 to 6 are intended to provide methods to ensure that the passion for bodhichitta does not decline. This chapter focuses in particular on two topics: attentiveness and working skillfully with emotions.

Attentiveness helps us to deal with our attachments. We can all be habitually attached to strong emotions, that invariably lead to suffering (such an emotion is known in Sanskrit as a klesha). If we do not deal with them they will cause us to act unintelligently. They result in the likes of aggression, jealousy and envy. They can however be diffused by our own attentiveness (which is a significant component of self-reflection). Attentiveness helps us to refrain from the repetition of the same mistakes, which otherwise reinforce unskillful habitual behaviours.

Chödrön says: “From moment to moment, we can choose how we relate to our emotions. This power of choice gives us freedom, and it would be crazy not to take advantage of it.”

Shantideva then details the five faults of the kleshas, the problematic aspects of these “defiled emotions.” These are: we are enslaved by them; we welcome them (as familiar); without attentiveness they will continue to harm us for a very long time; give kleshas an inch and they’ll take a mile; and finally as long as people are enslaved by them there will never be peace in the world. As an (ex-) prince in the warrior tradition he uses analogies of war and says that we need to use weapons of determination, intelligent awareness and compassion to defeat kleshas.

Chödrön says that there are three attitudes that prevent us from receiving a continual flow of the Buddha’s blessings. She compares them to three pots: a full pot, a pot with poison in it and a pot with a hole in the bottom. The full pot is a mind full of opinions; we know it all; our opinions and ideas are all fixed in place and so we are unable to receive anything new or question our assumptions. The pot with poison in is a cynical and judgmental mind that allows nothing to challenge our righteous, dualistic stance. The pot with a hole in it is a distracted mind; our body is present but our mind is not in the present, it is lost in thoughts elsewhere.

This analogy reminded me of a Zen story from Zen Flesh, Zen Bones compiled by Paul Reps and Nyogen Senzaki:

A university professor went to meet Nan-in, a Japanese Zen Master, to learn about Zen. Nan-in served tea; he poured the professor’s cup full but then kept on pouring. The professor watched until he could contain himself no longer and blurted out “It is overfull. No more will go in!”
“Like this cup,” Nan-in said, “you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?”

s.

[Netti-Netti]

Originally Posted by Snoopy

Chödrön says that there are three attitudes that prevent us from receiving a continual flow of the Buddha’s blessings. She compares them to three pots: a full pot, a pot with poison in it and a pot with a hole in the bottom.

- The full pot is a mind full of opinions; we know it all; our opinions and ideas are all fixed in place and so we are unable to receive anything new or question our assumptions.

- The pot with poison in is a cynical and judgmental mind that allows nothing to challenge our righteous, dualistic stance.

- The pot with a hole in it is a distracted mind; our body is present but our mind is not in the present, it is lost in thoughts elsewhere.

Very helpful.

[seattlegal]

- The pot with a hole in it is a distracted mind; our body is present but our mind is not in the present, it is lost in thoughts elsewhere.

I confess! This is my challenge at times!

[Snoopy]

Originally Posted by seattlegal

I confess! This is my challenge at times!

I think it's probably impossible to maintain 24/7.

s.

[Netti-Netti]

Originally Posted by seattlegal

This part reminds me of The Five Buddha Wisdom Families.

How do you mean?

[seattlegal]

Originally Posted by Netti-Netti

How do you mean?

Originally Posted by Snoopy

Essentially she points out that the practicing of “positives” can demonstrate to us the level of “negatives” still within us, to act as a barometer of our practice. So rejoicing in the happiness of others can highlight the envy that still resides within us. Likewise, practising generosity shows us how much we still hold back and practising patience illustrates to us the level of anger that we can still be holding onto.

The link I referenced is about the transformation of envy/jealousy, pride, and anger, (as well as desire and ignorance.)

[Netti-Netti]

Originally Posted by Snoopy

Attentiveness helps us to deal with our attachments. We can all be habitually attached to strong emotions, that invariably lead to suffering (such an emotion is known in Sanskrit as a klesha).

Arguably, the unwholesome emotions ARE suffering.

Essentially she points out that the practicing of “positives” can demonstrate to us the level of “negatives” still within us, to act as a barometer of our practice.

Hopefully we'll still be practicing the “positives” once the “negatives” have been extinguished.

[Snoopy]

Originally Posted by Netti-Netti

Arguably, the unwholesome emotions ARE suffering.

I would say that suffering, or more accurately dukkha, results from the mismatch between reality and what we might desire it to be.

Hopefully we'll still be practicing the “positives” once the “negatives” have been extinguished.

Hopefully.

s.

[seattlegal]

Originally Posted by Netti-Netti

Arguably, the unwholesome emotions ARE suffering.


Hopefully we'll still be practicing the “positives” once the “negatives” have been extinguished.

If not, such a person might described as being emotionally deadened, or numb. Apathetic, at the very least. *shrugs*

[Netti-Netti]

Originally Posted by Snoopy

I would say that suffering, or more accurately dukkha, results from the mismatch between reality and what we might desire it to be.

The idea that a good thing should last forever is probably not realistic.

But I'm thinking that we do not directly suffer from our cognitions or out perceptions of incompleteness or impermanence. Rather, the suffering lies in the emotions triggered by these thought and ideas.

Probably different parts of the brain are involved. It seems emotions are handled by the amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex and cognitions are handled by frontopolar cortex. Although the functions may be localized, these different parts of the brain interact.

My hunch is that memory activations are normally hard to avoid. But meditation and mindfulness can modulate the way the cognitions tend to stir up emotions.

[Snoopy]

Originally Posted by Netti-Netti

The idea that a good thing should last forever is probably not realistic.

Hi

I don't think I mentioned "forever"...

For as long as one remains deluded one retains dukkha...

s.