BUDDHIST STUDY: A teaching I have worked with recently 2 BUDDHIST STUDY: A teaching I have worked with recently 2

"With attachment to this life - there is no Dharma practitioner;
Attachment to samsara - no renunciation;
Attachment to self-purpose - no Enlightenment Thought;
If grasping arises - there is no view."

When I initially encountered the reading, I was on a different level to where I am now. Consequently, I viewed the text as though through different colored spectacles. Perhaps I should say they were covered in grease and grime, but after focusing upon the text for a time, they are much cleaner currently.

After a thorough reading, a little contemplation, and 'fishing' in my inner divinity with the root text as bait, I caught a big beautiful fish of understanding!

The key to my own personal comprehension of this passage was in breaking it down into 8 pieces:
Life - Dharma practitioner
Samsara - renunciation
Self-purpose - Enlightenment
Grasping - view

It was then simply a case of finding the 'right meaning' for each of these eight definements, from all the possibilities. Many Buddhist terms can be taken in several ways, at varying levels, and have many differing shades and side shoots. The official teachings and the 'fishing act' combined to help me understand the correct references. Once done, the text had far more value and meaning, and therefore I was able to gain from the instruction.

By the time I had worked out the precise meanings, I had already progressed with my practice towards attaining some practical use from the passage. When I began, I was unclear concerning half of the text - it was as if I were on two separate levels, one each for half of the verse. But by the time I had worked through the 8 definitions and returned to the root text with them - or leveled it all onto one deeper level - I had already automatically taken a few strides into personal advancement based on what it was teaching.

BUDDHIST STUDY: A teaching I have worked with recently 1

I have not limited myself to new library books, my personally purchased tiny 3-piece Buddhist library, and ACI courses in Buddhism - I have additionally been busy studying online teachings, discussing in various online groups, and trading teachings and friendship with fellow net-practitioners.

One of the more structured recently contemplated teachings was provided at an online Sangha that I joined a year or two ago. I would have to say that not having joined an official 'physical' Sangha, this is my strongest and most reliant base for instruction and study outside of the ACI courses and personal experience/readings/practice.

The thread I was working with was based on a Tibetan teaching of the following root text, known as PARTING FROM THE FOUR ATTACHMENTS:

"With attachment to this life - there is no Dharma practitioner;
Attachment to samsara - no renunciation;
Attachment to self-purpose - no Enlightenment Thought;
If grasping arises - there is no view."

Whereas it would be inappropriate to go into further detail on the proper teachings in a public blog, I will explain my own reaction to these words in my next post.

The 37 practices for attaining Nirvana 3

The seven enlightenment factors:
These are the seven practice factors that will take the practitioner to nirvana in the claim of the Agon sect of Buddhism from Japan. They are also practices performed in other sects of Buddhism that also lead towards enlightenment, though being regarded in a somewhat different manner. They are:

* the factor of discrimination of the Dharma (knowing right from wrong doctrine)
* the factor of striving (continual effort and avoidance of slackness within practice)
* the factor of joy (rejoicing in study and practice of the Dharma)
* the factor of tranquility (body and mind clarity and relaxation - equanimity)
* the factor of detachment (disconnection to karmicly controlled emotions and self-set thoughts)
* the factor of concentration (concentrated mind in both meditation and life)
* the factor of mindfulness (maintenance of focus on correct item/task/moment/matter)

The noble eightfold path: has already been discussed in a former post.

The 37 practices for attaining Nirvana 2

The four bases of spiritual power:

Whereas different sectors of Buddhism may practice this teaching differently, the basic starter point is to practice the attainment of four specific 'powers' that lead to further developments. These are:

* the power (base of) concentrated will

* the power (base of) concentrated effort

* the power (base of) concentrated mind

* the power (base of) concentrated investigation


The five faculties:

In this teaching, the word faculty leans towards meaning root, in that it is something you start with and grow forward from. They are:

* root of faith

* root of striving

* root of mindfulness

* root of concentration

* root of wisdom

Different Buddhist paths offer different methods for attaining and cultivating these roots.


The five powers:

These are a repetition of the five faculties, other than that they are the advanced growth of the five areas of consideration, being powers of rather than roots of.

The 37 practices for attaining Nirvana 1

The four stations of mindfulness:
Body, feelings, mind and phenomena are to be considered in relation to mindfulness. In the Agon Sect teachings, one is taught to contemplate that the body is impure, feelings are suffering, the mind is impermanent, and phenomena are devoid of self. Other teachings regard the practice differently, and my own personal leaning is towards contemplation of body, emotions, thought, and perceptional experiences as being personal karmic paint splats upon the beautiful blank canvas of Buddha nature.

The four right kinds of striving:
This practice involves striving for:
*eradication of negatives/kilesas
*creation of positives/merit & goodness
*improvement of current goodness
*cessation of further wrongness's
Most teachings would agree on the basic starter point, if not the method with which to practice.

Introduction: Literature: Agon Sect of Buddhism

The local library occasionally installs new books on its shelves. This happens about twice a year overall, but it seldom seems to offer new items in the areas of my own personal reading preference - Buddhism, Yoga, and Himalayan travel/cookery to name my main interests. Finally, it offered two new Buddhist books for me to devour.

These were from the Agon Sect of Buddhism, a modern Japanese style partially based upon texts relating to the Buddha's actual words and partially upon a form of psychological and physical analysis and progression. Whereas I take easily to the former suttas, the latter usage is not really my personal mug of coffee - in fact it could be likened to adding salt to an already perfectly coffee blend!

I was pleased to read the 2 new additions to the library shelves however, and one area of specific interest to me stood out. Whilst acceptance of the suggested methods of attainment may currently elude me, the recognition of 'The 7 systems and 37 elements of enlightenment' (otherwise known as The 37 practices for attaining Nirvana) surely appeals. Whereas this might not truly be classified as 'Western Buddhism', it is making its way from Japan to the Western world, and as such offers a point for discussion in this blog.

BUDDHIST DIET: Vegetarianism V Veganism 3

To summarize, I have changed my diet gradually throughout my life. Over the past two years, I have turned from regular meat-eating to becoming 95% vegetarian. It was only in September 08 that I ate the last meat that I intend to consume, though I still choose to include a little fish in my diet for health reasons at this stage of my dietary evolution.

This will be my first Thanksgiving/Christmas season without meat. Though we did not celebrate Thanksgiving where I grew up, I heavily indulged in turkey roll/portion options in my thirties, up to last year. I have yet to decide what to eat this time.

A chicken or joint of bacon usually adorned the Christmas dinner table, and the Boxing day dinners of my childhood included a feast with numerous vegetables - alongside beef. I changed to turkey roll a few years ago - but this year, I am uncertain as yet what I will consume. I am determined that it will be vegetarian options for both events, though.

Vegan options are considered rather than rejected, these days - but tend to cost too much to regularly investigate. If such a time comes that I feel inwardly driven to become 100% vegetarian, or progress into veganism, then I will have to peruse cheap/suitable options from within the cookery shelves at the library, and investigate further options in the online vegan/vegetarian support groups that I have somehow joined.

With my Buddhist and Yoga practices leading me in the direction of vegetarianism, my observance of bird life cycles leading me to reject egg-consumption, and my naturally inclined health/nature focused dietary path, it is quite likely that someday there will be regular vegan options arising, if not replacing all meals.

BUDDHIST DIET: Vegetarianism V Veganism 2

Currently, I find in healthful to consume a few dairy products - namely butter, cheese, and yogurt. I do not know if my continuance along the Buddhist path will lead me to step further away from all animal products or not, although if suitable alternatives were available, it is a definite possibility that I will progress in that direction at some point.

I cannot abide the idea of using that overly-manufactured, colored, greasy mess called margarine. I do not like the taste or texture of any other butter-alternatives, except extra virgin olive oil, which does not produce that same result in cookery or my health. I do not like the idea of low-fat/no-fat/no-salt products, and I occasionally find it necessary to use ghee in my cookery. I also need to use butter if I try to make Tibetan-style tea.

I am interested in finding a healthier type of butter, or a replacement - preferably coming from a butter source that is not pasteurized/homogenized, or something that is as good for both health and cookery purposes - but as yet such eludes me. This is more because of worrying about what those processes do to the once-natural product than any other cause though.

Cheese has been a favorite food of mine since childhood. I used to eat great chunks of in on heavily buttered slices of doughy-bread. I have dropped the white-sliced bread, and the addition of butter to 'sandwiches', but I still find a lump of cheese with home-baked bread to be a nutritional meal. Additionally, I currently enjoy pizza, cheese mixed with raw cabbage or lettuce, and cheese on pasta. I also like feta in a salad or baked wrap.

The reason I have yet to explore vegan cheese alternatives is that I am merely half-hearted about veganism, more 'health-focused' with my vegetarian dietary choices, and alternatives to dairy-cheese are somewhat expensive to 'try out'. It is possible that I may first try some, and then find them suitable, but has not yet happened. I also need cheese for my magpies. They come racing up to the doorstep - or even walk indoors- knowing I have tasty yellow morsels for them to consume.

It is the same with yogurt. If a vegan alternative cost the same amount, tasted the same way, and had the same nutritional benefits as regular, I would definitely sample and probably change. Nothing has yet arisen from deep inside to force me to look into such options - though if my continuance along the Buddhist path leads me to this, it will be done.

Currently, I would consume around 2 kilo yogurt per month. I choose the plain/natural varieties as a rule, but occasionally indulge in a fruity-organic style. I find it a good source to top-up my calcium levels. I like the somewhat tart taste as an alternative to a sweeter dessert option. It complements other foods that I eat, both diet and taste wise.

BUDDHIST DIET: Vegetarianism V Veganism 1

Whereas my vegetarianism is progressing into totality and I currently eat no meat and only a little fish, I do not feel inclined towards veganism - yet. I am not sure if this will stay, or if I will head towards it in my future - but my decisions are now based on what naturally arises from deep within, rather than what tradition, stomach, convenience or expectation suggest. However, in some matters I already lean towards the vegan diet - eg. milk and eggs.

In my teens, I preferred goat-milk to cow-milk - straight out of the goat that a friend of mine owned for preference. As I aged, I found cow-milk to be an allergy in my son for 2-3 years, and I simply did not enjoy drinking it myself. Rice milk and soy milk tasted better, but cost twice as much. I became suspicious of the health of pasteurization and homogenization. I could not buy milk without these practices implemented, so chose not to use it.

As I explored many vegetarian recipes from Thailand, India, Vietnam, etc, I discovered that I loved the taste of coconut milk in my cooking, and found it a more than suitable replacement for cow-milk. I had never been a fan of drinking cow-milk anyway. Coconut milk cost around the same price as cow-milk, and tasted good, so it became my regular milk for cookery. There has not yet been a recipe I cannot substitute coconut for cow milk in. (For a vegan hot-choc recipe that I created during experimentation, read: http://buzz.prevention.com/community/coffee-boone/mmm-i-love-chocolate )

As I mentioned in my last post, I do not buy eggs. It made unhappiness arise from deep within me to eat them, so I stopped. I do not use a replacement, I simply leave out that ingredient when baking a cake, and do not have pancake or omelet in my diet any longer. Not having pancakes was the hardest part of this choice, but in a hurting heart verses a tasty treat war, omitting egg-cookery won out.

BUDDHIST DIET: Vegetarianism 2

My very first step came a short time after I began to practice Buddhism, and stemmed from my affinity with pigeons. It hurt in my heart to buy and consume eggs. I had happily munched homemade pancakes, cakes, and omelets before, but suddenly, these items began to feel wrong. This probably came from observing a pair of show-pigeons make nest, lay eggs, and rear young. Their young were like grandchildren to me and are now friends of mine that run up and down my windowsill daily!

Nature taught me that lesson, and I no longer buy eggs. It was around a year later that vegetarianism began to do the same thing. Contemplating the rightness or wrongness of eating animals, I at first thought it OK providing I eat only a little meat, remain grateful to the animal for providing it, and tried to encourage sources that used the rest of the creature, bones, skin, etc.

My next step was to limit myself to eating meat once or twice a week, and to ensure I only ate pieces of animals, rather than whole creatures. For example, I would buy a chicken breast, not an entire chicken. Many of the recipes I knew needed meat in them, & I have yet to be persuaded that tofu is a delicious alternative - it tastes like a bath sponge!

I find that eating seafood makes me feel physically healthier. For this reason, I began to eat products that contain some of a fish rather than a whole being, when contemplating the right or wrongness of eating such. I gave up shrimps, oysters, anchovy and mussels - all of which had formerly occupied a place on my favorite pizza toppings list! I began to limit myself to fish fingers, tuna and salmon pieces, and tinned tuna.

I began to investigate vegetarian recipes, and slowly added these to our family diet, decreasing the meat options. I enjoy the spicy tastes of Thailand, India, and Mexico - I find freshly chopped chili helpful with sinus problems.

BUDDHIST DIET: Vegetarianism 1

I was never a vegetarian in my youth. My mother was, for as long as I can remember, a fish eater but not a meat eater. My father ate meat, and so did I. When I left home, I continued to eat meat. When I became a mother, I continued to eat meat. In fact, it has only been recently that I have almost stopped.

Firstly, meat-eating was ingrained in my lifestyle. I grew up in a family where it was acceptable, and neither encouraged nor discouraged. I learned to nutritionally improve my diet during my twenties and thirties, but did not consider dropping the animal products.

It was not because I was told that it was wrong to eat meat that I have almost stopped, nor that many Buddhists do not. I am the type that has to personally analyze the choices, rather than just follow the trends sheepishly - which luckily is encouraged within Buddhism.

It was because feelings arose naturally from deep within me that I began to head in the direction of vegetarianism. I listened to my inner core instead of my outside mind, family traditions, or current choices, and found a leaning away from eating certain products.

BUDDHIST DIET: To drink or not to drink...

Sipping at a single glass of red wine before, with, or after dinner is not the same as drinking 3-4 glasses a day or as over-indulging to the point of sloppiness in 1+ bottles.

Whereas I recognize the latter choice to be somewhat taboo, for reasons of health, focus, time wasting, and my practice, I do not feel that the single glass a day option does any harm. For once, the 'middle way' is not my preferred choice, and I would like to stick to the one glass regularly, allowing an extra glass for special occasions or rumbly-tummied liquid-only fast days.

Obviously, getting totally sloshed to the stage of vomiting is not a good thing, even if I do not show characteristics of violence, argumentativeness, or other mind malfunctions in accompaniment, but I can see no harm in taking a single glass.

In fact, when I do not drink a daily glass of red wine, it is detrimental to my physical well-being. I tend to get constipated without it. I have not yet explored why this is so, or any alternatives, because I do not see the harm in drinking that solitary glass in order to choose to opt out on it.

If it is for the sake of health that Buddhists are encouraged to take no alcohol, then I must be an exception to the rule, because it aids my health, without causing detrimental defects in my practice, to take a single glass of red wine.

If it is for the sake of mental clarity, one glass does not make any difference - and I tend to use a deeper level of citta to that which becomes affected by alcoholic beverages anyway. It does not have a negative effect on my practice or life.

If it is for the sake of money unwisely spent, the dollars would be going on anti-constipation medicines otherwise - and frankly I prefer the option of wine to that of modern medicine.

If it is for the sake of setting an example, most of my friends drink more than me and live overseas, my son has learned that alcohol comes in minimal amount except for special occasions, and the rest of my family live overseas.

If it is for the sake of remaining natural, there is no issue with wine arising from the inner depths, suggesting it to be incompatible with my practice, health,m lifestyle, or Buddhism.

So, I can find no reason for a 'complete' ban. It is better for my body-health and not 'unnatural' for me to partake of one glass per day. Though obviously, regular over indulgence is neither physically healthy or mentally.

FREEDOM for TIBET!!!! (Some of us DO still care)

There is an August 31-October 8/September-October 15 Fast and Prayer event running for the cause of FREEDOM FOR TIBET.

I personally did not feel able to last the entire length but have 'signed on' to run in 'partial-fast and intensive prayer' mode from September 30-October 15. During this period, I will have no more than 2 hot cuppas & 1 alcoholic beverage per day, eat only one small main meal and fruit/fruit juice, and, on days when I do not have sinus problems, I will participate in extra Tonglen practice directed towards both Tibet and The Dalai Lama.I will also be on a purely liquid-only fast Friday's.

This will mean NO third/fourth cuppas, NO extra alcohol on Friday/weekends, NO snacks, NO desserts other than fruit, and NO 3-course dinners!!!! It will also mean lessening the amount consumed in the main meal, and extra Tonglen effort. (I am a beginner, with sincere intention but limited ability, at this stage.)

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Our local media has not taken much notice of the situation in Tibet - perhaps it is owned by/scared of the Chinese government? I have written several letters to the editors/letters page - all ignored. Nobody LOCAL seems to care!

After totally ignoring CFT and other peaceful demonstration events, one local newspaper finally touched on the subject by reporting a single event - neither a demonstration nor helpful towards solving the problem - of a movie screening and meal.

IF I chose to pay over $20, and IF I chose to travel out of my locality to a nearby district, and IF I chose to attend at an inconvenient time (I would normally be asleep at this hour and not want to eat at such a time), I could watch a couple of Tibet-focused movies and eat a Tibetan-themed meal.

I prefer to join in with events that actually assist Tibet, than waste my time changing my lifestyle to waste money and make no difference. I am not saying the posted event is pointless, merely that other than bringing Tibet into the eyes of those with little knowledge, it does not seem to offer any help to the actual situation.

I am involved in 3-4 online groups that are actively trying to solve this problem and help Tibet regain its long overdue freedom. I shall continue to sign petitions, light a candle on the 7th of each month at 9pm, and participate in fasts, prayers, and other events that WILL offer a little assistance, if not much.

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Anyone interested in checking out the updated event can do so at :http://candle4tibet.ning.com/events/event/show?id=2154241:Event:113404

BUDDHIST PRACTICE: My need - my intention to solve this problem

I aim to live a simple life, without many of the contraptions that society say are necessary. I aim to find some form of work that will enable me to live my own pace of life in my own home. I aim to find some right work that will pay enough for me to live from and leave enough time to fully practice Buddhism.

A few examples of how I prefer to live:
* I do not and will not drive a car - I was born with a pair of feet attached to a pair of legs and prefer what I was given by Mother Nature than creating mechanical pollutants to replace such.
* I do not and will not have heating/cooling in our home. Mother Nature may be cruel in extreme-season, but I would prefer to be shiver or sweat than die to nature. A jahe wangi and a sleeping bag for winter, ice cubes and fresh-chopped chili meals in summer.
* I do not and will not use a microwave. I want to eat real, healthy, nutritional food, not quick pre-packaged frozen stomach-filler.
* I do not and will not own a cell phone. I prefer to be left to peace in my own home, and rarely even plug the ordinary phone into the phone line, let alone accept using a cancer-causing contraption that will disturb me everywhere I go at anytime.

What needs to be done is for me to find a form of income that I can do from home, regular enough to prevent pressure from society. It has to be something I can pick up or put down when nature says, rather than the clock of man. It has to be something I can do that feels right inside, rather than just provides money. It has to be something I can do now, rather than in the future. It has to be something that allows me to continue to put the emphasis and focus on my Buddhist practice, rather than toss Buddhism into a corner and practice whenever I have a spare minute or hour.

Many Western world Buddhists season their life with Buddhism - but I seek to LIVE Buddhism and season it with life!

I am not willing to follow the Buddhist trend of the Western world to live out a few bits of Buddhism in an everyday life. To slip in a weekend away-from-home meditation retreat each year, or a paperback 'how to live as a Buddhist today' manual each six months, or run to a temple once a week. To me, that is not practicing Buddhism. I need to devote my entire life to Buddhism, and to do this, I must locate a way of right livelihood that can be done from my home and life, enabling me to read, contemplate, and practice when nature calls.

BUDDHIST PRACTICE: My need - why I can find no peace in lay-life

I need to devote most/all my life to Buddhist practice - but I cannot do so from lay-life. I need to earn income sufficient to support myself and I need to do so from within my own home.

I still have not found a solution to a form of work that I can do to provide $300-$400PW, that takes 10-30 hours of my week, and can be done at any time on any day. Freelance writing, photography and design provides some income, but not enough. Other options do not seem to be available, take too long to start up, need money to begin, are wrong practices, do not feel naturally right for me, or need certification prior to commencement.

There seems to be no way I can live - only keep trying with my Buddhist practice focused freelancing lifestyle and hope society drops its dictations before I scream.

When I became a Buddhist, rather than a reader that agreed with and related to Buddhist books, I made many changes in my life. Other things I already lived, that Buddhism backed up as being right.

I began to develop understanding of why I lived the way I do. The more I practiced Buddhism, the more I felt the need to walk away from a 9-5, reject alternatives that could provide more money but less rightness, and stay right rather than temporarily live wrong. I needed to head towards vegetarianism, not because I wanted to be nice or good, but because I simply could not bear not to eat creatures that were more natural than humanity.

I already lived/worked from home - but without sufficient income. I already recognized nature rather than man-made law as being correct. I already chose to follow the natural run of a day than live a 9-5 lifestyle. I already chose to be a housewife/mother rather than a career-loving, wealth-seeking feminist.

I am content to persevere with freelancing, accepting money when money comes, and waiting for it when it does not. I am not content to work a 9-5, with regular income for a wrong life.