100 Years are Still 100 Years Back

We human can never know the nature of the world; its mysteries and its miracle. We can never defeat the mysterious nature, and we can never understand this. And the fact is we cannot change nature; its work and its fate.  Everything is predestined and programmed like it should be, they say. For example, a Malaysian airplane has been missing for months now and is difficult to track. How satisfactory equipped we are? What developed technologies do we have? We will have to follow the law of nature. Everything succumbed to Mother Nature.

Humans think that we are moving ahead. Our sciences and technologies are conquering the world. After 100 or more years, there would be technology that could build a beautiful house when you press a button. Everyone would have wings to fly. Everyone would have robots to work. People would become so lazy that they would be resentful switching a button. ETC…  But these 100 years are still 100 years backward. For example, we cannot create another earth. We cannot lengthen our life after 100 years or so. We cannot deny the fact, that the truth is truth, and we cannot deny the almighty God.  

Nature is so original. We human duplicate what was already there. We try to change that original natural thing, which in turn destroys us. The pure gold is stained and tarnished. I think we are making ourselves complicated because we are not able to understand the basic nature of nature.  One thing we must understand is we cannot go beyond the will of anyone; be it person, nature or god. We are doomed.

True Faith and Love for God

I wonder people’s perception of religion. They take it differently. They think heaven and hell are somewhere. Their beliefs vary. Their faiths to Gods fluctuate then. I feel one needs faith in the god; you don’t have to worship the image or idol, no attention to any others, no litanies by the heart of verses; neither you need to obey the king’s commands, no eloquence in your speech, no good looks. What you need is confidence in the power of God, the will of God, only faithfulness to god.

Sometimes god brings tragedy, and sometimes deliverance.

People say God punishes them despite their belief and faith in God. They say that the God doesn’t see all tidbits of our lives. But this is not true. It is the magnification of man himself. And that the man doesn’t see his true heart.  It is in our own hearts, and we must think that God’s grace is always sufficient. God is not in another realm, and He is unknowable. And we think that there is no way to experience God directly. He is far away and you just have to believe that He exists. But the true God is in your heart. He exists, and let me tell about my own turn of life that God exerts deliverance, and it has its ways. In my training, I had to go to an unknown place for my teaching practice. As faith has acted upon me, there I met my life partner. It was a blessing in disguise. I asked for a reason, the reason I asked was beyond my imagination. The God gives everything, and He gives in the crossroads and it has milestones effect. I asked God for a blessing.

The basic principle of all religions is one and the same, that is Dharma ( Law of Self). So, I respect all religions. I hate none. Habits change. Rituals differ from one religion to another religion. I think no religion sustains for a long time. That’s why the guiding principle of religion is applicable to all ages. We can apply all Dharmas in our lives. What the world today needs is not religions with dogmatic beliefs. Man can live without religion. Dharma is important. Self-awakening is important. If a man lives without selfishness, he can become Divine. We want higher consciousness. It will increase with our prayer. The power of prayer is supreme. It leads the world. It saves the world from calamities and chaos.

Love is the basis for prayer. Prayer extends your canvas. Religion teaches us to become a conscious human, a good and compassionate human.

The seeds and deeds of religion are souls. Outward worship is conceited when an inner transformation is absent.

A Wise Tree-Jangchub Shing

Do you watch a program called ‘Jangchub Shing’ hosted by Mr. Karma Dendup every Thursday on BBS 2? This program is of immense benefit to our viewers. I take out my time to watch the show. I would like to thank him for this show. He asks rebellious, but real-world questions. Kudos for awakening us to the basics of the Buddhist religion. I learned that there is a vast difference between religion and spirituality; religion leads more often to egotism than to humility, and spirituality leads more often to humility than to egotism.

Out of my unawareness or interest, I have asked him two layman questions last time, that if he could ask for it for better illumination. My first question was; the only path to spiritual enlightenment is understanding and grasping one’s mind. We can attain this by constant meditation and mental contemplation called ‘gom’ in Dzongkha. In other words, it’s basically knowing your soul; what is the soul? Shape? Colour? Size? Empty?... To attain the level of full realization, that is knowing the soul, is the highest level, and that one can be borne in the nirvana. But, the process of identifying the nature of the soul, whether the soul is empty or not, whether the soul dies or not; what is the soul? The concrete meaning of soul and its whereabouts is difficult to get from any Rinpocheas, as they say, that it is a secret, a kind of not sharable, cannot be revealed. If religion is for the benefit of all sentient beings, and if Rinpochea, Lamas, and sages, are to liberate all sentient beings, why do our saviors say it’s difficult to get this? Why it is not allowed to share easily? Why can’t it be shown so that we become Buddha-nature and liberate from the sufferings?

My second question was about the Buddha-nature. We say every human; in fact, every creature living is a Buddha himself. We have Buddha-nature. If we have Buddha nature, what inclines us to do the most treacherous things…? Which part of the demon/inside makes us do unsolicited things? Does every creature, for example, an ant has Buddha-nature? If animals have Buddha-nature, how can we/ they awaken their true nature? Is there anyways for animals to attain a better position? For example, pigs offering bodily (meat) help them to lift their lives?

I hope he will ask the questions, which he said, he would for sure. I can’t help (with many such questions, which I am going to ask next time) but feel the questions are unfair without understanding its true intent or even its basic teachings. But however, they are entitled to my views cause and based on my experiences.

So, can anyone light upon these topics, or do you have such questions hanging like goiter in your throat? If so, say it. Say it for the benefit of all. We know that there are many paths and they all lead to the same truth. But where is that path called the same truth?

My favorite Buddhist Parables

Many teachings of Buddhism is taught and told in short and delightful parables. They are usually designed to develop the mind and to free it from distortions and so to connect with our spirit.

Many of them are really inspiring and enlightening. It is helpful to the mind to think about them and feel the deeper meaning. Even if it is not possible to grasp them fully, the beauty and simplicity of the message usually get through to us one way or the other.

Some parables are a selection of the ones I found most inspiring and really worth pondering about. Some may be instantly understood, some others need to be thought through and recognized in oneself. We must always keep in mind two crucial principles: the Buddha Mind and serious practice. Without practice, and without the determination to achieve Buddha-hood for the benefit of all sentient beings (Bodhi Mind), parables merely feed the intellect and may become, in the words of D.T. Suzuki, "mere bubbles." 

1.       The Moving Flag

Two Buddhists monks were arguing about a flag flapping in the wind.

"It's the wind that is really moving," stated the first one.

"No, it is the flag that is moving," contended the second.

A third interrupted them. "Neither the flag nor the wind is moving," he said, "It is MIND that is moving."

2.       Goddess of Wealth / Goddess of Poverty

Once a beautiful and well-dressed woman visited a house. The master of the house asked her who she was and she replied that she was the goddess of wealth. The master of the house was delighted and so greeted her with open arms. Soon after another woman appeared who was ugly looking and poorly dressed. The master asked who she was and the woman replied that she was the goddess of poverty. The master was frightened and tried to drive her out of the house, but the woman refused to depart, saying, 'The goddess of wealth is my sister. There is an agreement between us that we are never to live apart; if you chase me out, she is to go with me.' Sure enough, as soon as the ugly woman went out, the other woman disappeared.

Birth goes with death. Fortune goes with misfortune. Bad things follow good things. Men should realize this. Foolish people dread misfortune and strive after good fortune, but those who seek Enlightenment must transcend both of them. (from The Teaching of the Buddha)

3.       A True Buddha

Three monks were drinking tea.

The Buddhist master asked the first monk, “What do you drink with your tea?”

The first monk replied, “I drink suffering, loneliness and make peace and happiness.”

The master nodded and exclaimed, “Oh, you are great, an enlightened one. You go now.”

The same question was asked to the second monk.

And the second monk replied, “I drink Buddha’s teaching, compassion and the Buddha himself with the tea.”

The master now fully satisfied with his explanation said, “You are a truly Buddha, an enlightened one. You too go.”

Then the master asked the third monk, “What do you drink with your tea?”

The third monk replied, “I picked out the fly from the tea cup and drink only tea.”

The master smiled and said, “You are the right person to sit in my place.”

And the master gave his sit to the third monk.

4.       The Buddha

There were two monks.

Younger is sitting in zazen.

Elder inquires, “Why are you sitting in zazen?”

Younger replies, “By sitting in zazen, I hope eventually to become a Buddha.”

Elder picks up a brick and begins rubbing it on a rock.

Younger laughs, “And what are you doing?”

Elder replies, “I am polishing this brick in hopes that eventually it will become a mirror.”

(The advanced story ends here, but for the rest of us it continues.)

Younger asks, “How can polishing a brick make a mirror?”

Elder retorts, “How can sitting in zazen make a Buddha!”

(And, true to the ancient formula, the younger monk instantly became a mirror.)

Atheist Or Pantheist

Our class is supposed to start two weeks ago but as many friends are coming late, very late indeed, there was no class for these two weeks. So I have been doing nothing productive in this period. I have been sleeping, watching movies, writing, and downloading notes for the semester. And most of the time, I have been roving and wandering around. But where can I go; everywhere I go, traffic noises dumb and dump me at times. In a place like Majestic, Bangalore, there is nothing as such as majestic in the Majestic, but the continuous drone of traffic and noises. Everywhere. Though, malls are fascinated to do lots of window shopping.

Majestic is the place away from my place. It is about a distance between Gedu and Phuntsholing. It is the center of all routes; buses, trains and people. Transport facilities are all available here; buses, rikshas/autos, jeeps, cars, and soon metro train is in the pipeline. But of all, bus transportation is a very cheap and reliable one, though; it takes more than two or more hours to reach Majestic. The fare is only rs.13 and if you don’t have change and have to give rs.20; there is a possibility that the conductor would write balance on the reverse side of the ticket, and if you don’t ask for the balance while getting down the bus, they wouldn’t bother to give. That is their business and you know my friend told me every single Indian is a cheater. So be it, if you have a loaded pocket.  On the way, because of traffic jams and frequent stops make one could see scenes around. And what could be the picture; the pollution and noises of vehicles. There are huge numbers of people everywhere, people walking, people eating, people working; everyone is busy. You would lose in the crowd.

As I walked around, I looked around and thought about life. Everything is ephemeral and subject to death. The transitory life is moving fast, seemingly purposeful but everything is meaningless. It is empty and as useless as life. Everyone aims to the aimless, hollow things, at last. It looks like everything has great weight and meaning but we are like having no effect on the substantial things. It saddens me and saddens me to think about leaving the world. Where is a more cruel life than this? Having seen and known everything and then go to the unknown world of darkness.

I recite mantras and counts are on to millions. It was said that there is a light side after death if the count reaches three or four millions. But note that I never pray for myself, I pray for others; others sentient beings, ignorant person like me to bring up close to the heaven. I believe in all religions. People sadly said that I am an atheist or follower of Christian or such types. It’s not good to talk about religion. It’s a personal thing anyway, I have a feeling. My own family accused me when I took very lightly to our religious beliefs, especially the customs and traditions of rituals, offerings, and the deep reverences to some of the fake Lamas and religious people. I told them one day that I hate monks. I have seen and heard monks engaging in deadly and horrific affairs like murder, rape, and other misconducts. They know the consequence of sins, and yet they do all these horrible things which are against the cannons and principles of religion. I have encountered a man who knows everything about religion and knows nothing about the basics of life; doing good and being good. Deep inside me, I, myself think sometimes that I have a heart of butter!! And a heart as good as gold. I have basic human rules in my mind. I have compassion and think good about others. I never engaged in unsocial or hurtful things. I mean good and doesn’t affect anyone. I have these two beliefs in my heart; being compassionate and doing good. I have no intention to hurt others through telling lies or working for the benefit of myself. I don’t like to show. There are outsiders, who act religiously outside and do for the benefit of themselves and don’t bother to care about others’ hearts. Very hurting man. Such a disguise to our religion.