A Buddhist says to the hot dog vendor, "Make me one with everything."
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Read the following with caution. There is humor at work and many have been lost to its process. I know of no other way to write of such things without being light of heart.
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Coach Brown, my elementary school phys. ed. teacher said constantly, "there's no 'I' in 'Team'." Some part of me (rhymes with me-go) wants to hunt him down and explain that there is no 'I', period. Then I laugh and realize that I would only be ridiculing myself, practicing no spiritual principle whatsoever.
"...no Bodhisattva who is a true Bodhisattva entertains such concepts as 'self' or 'others'."
I wonder, again starting a sentence with a capital letter i, how the true Buddhist ever speaks, since all functional communication employs me, I, we, you, and they. We read that "The truth is ungraspable and inexpressible. It neither is nor is not." Says you...
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"Since there is really no duality, separation is unreal. Until duality is transcended and at-one-ment realized, enlightenment cannot be attained."
I suggest there is no enlightenment, as that implies a state of unenlightenment. We read that there is no duality. There cannot be a 'state of' and a 'not state of' when it comes to the abstract, there just is.
I may try this the next time I get a parking ticket. The meter expired? Time does not exist, officer, it is merely illusion. See you in court.
There is a simple wisdom at play in this reading that challenges every convention known to the modern thinker. There are two states, original and clouded, yet the clouded state only obscures the mind so long as it is allowed to. We are once again shown the power of the ego, the uninvited houseguest that seeks to separate the mind from truth by any means necessary.
According to Buddha wisdom, our mind already has the keys to the kingdom, has the power to see truth from falsehood; in it's true state, it "is naked, immaculate, transparent, empty, timeless, uncreated, unimpeded..." What happened? I want that back! When did I allow this barricade to build itself? Why did I? More importantly, what can I do to return to that state of purity?
Turns out, its like returning from Oz to Kansas--I could have gone back anytime I wanted! It was there all along. My mind is not separate from itself, it is what it is. For some reason, I have chosen the path of most resistance. I have made the false world attractive, built a house in the clouds and promptly moved in.
The point is, I think I like sex. And food. And driving fast, and playing hockey, and watching movies, and reading books, and arguing over the trivial. Turns out that I like them because I want to like them. I identify myself with them. They give me joy because I lack inner peace and a true connection with the universe. Others seek God to accomplish these same feelings, identity and connection. Regardless, until I decide that these no longer sate me, this is the course I follow. At least I am not alone.
In the meanwhile, I write about pure states and clarity and enlightenment as though I have an idea of what they are. Like you, I don't, but writing gets me closer to willingness and that is all I can ask for at this moment. I am willing to be willing.
Still, I wish sex would stop feeling so good. That would sure make the transition easier...
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5 comments:
I identified with much of your post. I enjoy reading your responses because they always seem to shed light on something I wouldn't have realized on my own. Plus your humor puts a refreshing twist on an assignment where many of the blogs seem to say the same thing. I loved the analogy of Dorthy and Oz.
You should teach a class. It would be humorous and insightful. All your students would respect you, and would tell their friends about their quirky teacher and his profound teachings peppered with curses and jokes. You would laugh when people told you to write a book. You would convince people to live better lives. You would make a difference on a small scale, and you would feel good because of it. And you might have already named your class: I Wish Sex Would Stop Feeling So Good. Would that be under Humanities or Biology?
Another great blog, woody.
I think maybe the most direct statement in all this was the one from Dogen Kigen this week, about sitting meditation (if you didn't read the Dogen selections, they're very deep). His quote says, "Meditation is not a way to enlightenment, nor is it a method of achieving anything at all. It is peace and blessedness itself. It is the actualization of wisdom, the ultimate truth of the oneness of all things."
Woody, I would say I agree but I wanna really try this absolute enlightenment thing
.... Damnit! I can't do it, I just can't do it! Hey great blog, I love the humor and enjoyed reading it for sure.
ridiculous yet insightful it seems a rather simple path doesn't it? it's just that whole meditation and self sacrifice thing getting in the way.
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