Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Mess : Auto Vs Manual
The office toilet bowl was stuffed with unflushed paper. That must be a reaction to the auto flush not working. Someone must have tried to cover his or her mess. I push the manual flush button to clear it all. It works perfectly. Sometimes, we take the supposedly flawlessly automated for granted and forget there's a manual option for the same function. We need to use our mind “manually” when the world fails us “automatically”!
Blindspot : Cannot See
Man #1: (When Man #2 bumps into him) Hey! Are you blind?
Man #2: You are the blind one!
The truth is, whether Man #1 and/or #2 was really blind or not,
they were probably blind enough to each other in the moment.
Here is an optional extended version of the above dialogue.
Man #1: You are the blind one!
Man #2: You are the blind one!
Each man could not see that the other was blind as each was really blind!
The above was inspired by a classic Zen parable.
Please see http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=8,605,0,0,1,0
for an extended version of it with 10 morals!
Emptiness : Attachments & Distractions
学生：如何念佛入定而不起妄想执着？
老师：执着与妄想性本空。执着所“执着”而放不下即是妄想。犹如执着以破了的花瓶即是放不下花瓶的相。心里不断的浮现的是那个已不存在的相而不是真正的花瓶。只要放下那虚妄的相，执着与妄想就会消失。一切唯心造啊！
Student: How can I be mindful of Buddha without attachments or distractions?
Teacher: Attachments and distractions are empty in nature (unsubstantial as they are subject to change). Because you are attached to the attachments, you do not see this and let them go. For instance, if you are attached to a vase that has broke, you are attached to the previous form of the vase, running the image of what you had in your mind continually. The truth is, the vase cannot be attached to anymore. Just let go of its image and the attachment will disappear. All is created by the mind! Likewise, everything we are attached to changes from moment to moment, even if not “broken”. If so, what can we really attach to?
Amituofo : Monster Nightmare
The nightmare started with me and a friend chatting happily while walking down a street. As we made a turn to enter a train station, a grotesque looking man suddenly appeared and beckoned to us. His features were so badly deformed that I wasn't sure if he was a ghost or a man. His skin was slowly melting from his face while a strange fluid oozed from his mouth.
Screaming in terror upon seeing this, he was startled and tried to come closer, stretching his melting limbs to grab us. Our first instincts were to run, but I couldn't as I was rooted to the ground. My friend grabbed my hand hysterically and asked me to run. Knowing I wasn't going anywhere with my legs heavy as steel, I urged her to run for her life first. Reluctantly, she ran off.
more...
Beauty : Spiritual Maturity
Here is a favourite story to share, translated from vague memory, from a Chinese comic read years ago. There was a rich and spoilt girl, who became infatuated with a good-looking monk. Becoming literally lovesick, she claimed that only marriage with him can cure her. Cornered, the monk agreed to the marriage. On the night of the wedding in the bedroom, the monk asked her to play a game of catch with him around the table. The monk ran calmly, while the excited girl sprinted in a frenzy to grab him. As they ran, the monk remained composed while she became more and more exhausted. Her hair became dishevelled and her make-up ran with her sweat. She became so tired that she had to stop. The monk then asked that she look in the mirror. Seeing herself, she was shocked at her appearance. The monk calmly asked if she thought she was compatible with him. Suddenly, the girl realised her grave mistake of forcing him to marry her, and wept hot tears of repentance.
I think this is a simple yet powerful story. It is an unconventional yet nevertheless touching love story, where the worldly one sought love in an unskilful way, while the spiritual one expressed forgiving and equanimous spiritual love skilfully - to awaken. It was an episode in the life of the great Venerable Yu Ling, who became the National Teacher of a king. The mad run can be symbolic of how we are driven by desires in circles. We never really get what we crave for in Samsara for long. Even when we think we got it, it changes. We change too. In the chase for the worldly, we exhaust ourselves too, while we lose our peace of mind. The girl was attached to the monk's form, while she did not know his pleasing form was a reflection of his spirituality - which was beyond form - which she had never appreciated before. She became ashamed upon self-reflection, having realised they were spiritually poles apart. He was beautiful because he was spiritually mature, while her immaturity had made her ugly - even by worldly standards. Her infatuation with him became wonderful spiritual friendship instead. That's the happy “ending”!
Related Articles :
The Relation Between Spiritual & Physical Composure
http://moonpointer.com/index.php?itemid=2387
What it Means to Be Truly Beautiful
http://moonpointer.com/index.php?itemid=2383
Urgency : Calm & Swift
In the Pureland retreat, there was a practice called “Running to the West(ern Paradise)”. In this practice, the retreatants jog within the hall in measured synchronised steps, while chanting Amitabha Buddha's name with that of other associated Bodhisattvas'. It makes a simple mild exercise to stretch legs idle too long while seated too, similar to “Running incense” in the Zen tradition, where monks jog and circumambulate Buddha images.
We were supposed to remain calm and mindful while running; not to find it somewhat comical - which some of us did! I grinned a little too. I didn't see the need to jog. Taking large quick strides was enough. At the same time, I saw some trying too hard to feel the “rush”. The idea of the practice is to inculcate a sense of urgency, vigour and diligence in ensuring we will be reborn in Pureland. The urgency is relevant as we might die any time - due to the unpredictability of karma. The practice can be tricky when it becomes physical rushing more than an expression of spiritual will - which can compromise composure too. It is possible to be calm and swift at the same time in spiritual practice - though this takes practice!
Mindfulness : Attachment & Aversion
During the Pure Land retreat, we had to climb four flights of stairs from the main hall to the dining hall. This is done while mindfully chanting praise to Amitabha Buddha (Namo Amituofo). Though there were about two hundred of us moving up the narrow stairwell, all dressed in lay robes, reaching the hall was quicker and less a hassle than imagined - because there was no sense of hurry or impatience.
Mindfulness means efficiency and safety. Mindful of each step taken, we get to the goal in a steady sustained manner. It is being overly goal-focused that we lose our focus in the here and now. Ironically, it is easier to lose track of the goal when we look forward to the goal too much and forget how well we are getting there now.
The above relates to the main practice in the retreat too - which involved training to be mindful of Amituofo's name with non-scattered singlemindedness. This is the state of equanimity itself - the mind that is poised in the present without being pulled away by attachment or aversion. When I became too goal-oriented, I was fixated to wanting to chant with equanimity. But this fixation itself is attachment, an antithesis of equanimity! When you want a spiritual “miracle”, the wanting is the impediment. When you are mindful of what you should do, which is to be mindful of nothing but the name, the “miracle” of mindfulness happens. When the mind becomes free of attachment and aversion, equanimity is naturally experienced.
When you are not mindful of Buddha,
you are mindful of distractions,
or are unmindfully distracted.
The cure is simple -
be mindful of Buddha in the moment,
and no distraction can arise in that same moment.
Beauty : What Is?
When we admire the beautiful, we might crave to be with the beautiful, to grasp the beauty for ourselves. But that seen as truly and totally beautiful might make us think twice. This is when the beauty is a noble or spiritual form of beauty - that does not seem to deserve to be attained by the ignoble. This is the beauty that is beyond form, even when represented by form. A good example would be well-crafted images of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. They are clearly beautiful, but they are so graciously beautiful that they do not spur lust. This also implies that true appreciation of the beautiful is free of lust, that lustlessness itself is truly beautiful.
What the spiritually beautiful do instead, is to urge us to become just as beautiful and noble as they are. The quietly charismatic and kindly smiles on images of the enlightened seem to hint that they do not crave admiration, though they know they might be admired. The smiles also exude the assurance that we can be as beautiful as they are. Deep down, we all know their beauty to represent the loftiest of ideals - which is why we display Buddha images more openly and centrally than any other image. The Buddha image is the most reimagined and reproduced image in the world - probably because it represents a universal higher calling - greater than all worldly forms of beauty.
While we know we love the spiritually beautiful, to truly love them is to emulate their virtues too. This is how we can truly “grasp” the beauty in them - by becoming like them, by becoming one with them. True beauty is attained by becoming it. This is not dependent on changing form. What needed is a change of mind. With changes in mind, form gradually changes too. We face a dilemma when we love the truly beautiful above, though we feel unworthy to be with them (the enlightened). It seems that we settle for less by loving the less beautiful in a more limited way. This is fine - as long as our love grows to become immeasurable and perfect for all in time, as we become more spiritually beautiful, more and more like the enlightened in spirit. (Incidentally, the Pure Land teachings teach how we can be in the company of the enlightened to learn how to be like them.)
Words : More Than
Few details of our bloggers online.
Faceless, genderless, ageless, stateless.
Words and only words.
Words are what we have.
Words are enough we hope.
Words to share some light.
Words are traps enough.
Words are just a vehicle to truth.
Words are forms enough.
The truth lasts longer than all forms.
Don't miss the truth while clinging to forms.
For forms without truth would be pointless.
Creed of Moonpointer.com : “One should not mistaken the finger, which only serves as a guide, that points at the moon, which represents the truth, to be the moon itself. To see the truth, one has to see beyond that which shows the truth. With strong regard for personal spiritual experiences and creative expression, moonpointer.com strives to be both enlightening and entertaining.” [Words are only pointing fingers.]
Bow : One Another
At the Pure Land retreat I attended, the female participants assemble on the right of the Buddha image, while the male to his left. We‘re all dressed in the ceremonial “haiqing” - the black robes for laity - for adding uniformity, formality and majesty to the group practice. Because we are all dressed the same, it’s less distracting too. Before the beginning of each practice session, the left and right sides make a half bow once to each other simultaneously, before bowing fully to the Buddha thrice.
I think the mutual bowing is a wonderful practice, as we learn to cultivate reverence for fellow Buddhists. In that moment at least, we are not just family, friends or even strangers to one another - we are acknowledging and respecting future Buddhas. Because of the solemnity of the bowing, we do not so much look at one another to differentiate or discriminate - while we all look to the same goal of liberation, to motivating one another to reach it. [Er... sorry, but the picture is not the actual haiqing.]
Monday, July 21, 2008
Violence : Dark Reality
Sometimes, we come across such warnings in the media on violence or goriness - “Parents are strongly cautioned - this is graphic footage not suitable for children.” Interestingly, some adults turn away from such images upon seeing or hearing such warnings. Makes me wonder if it means these adults are really children at heart - who are not mature enough to face the dark side of reality.
A friend made a rather good Buddhist documentary that involves the message of vegetarianism. Some who had seen it suggested that there should be warnings of the few short gory scenes of slaughter in the film. My take is that such warnings are not necessary. Because the scenes are really short and mild by today's standards.
Apart from the subjectivity of goriness, the placement of such warnings would also make the squeamish avoid viewing the film entirely. This might seem a little harsh - but isn't it high time those who continually avoid the reality of how their meat is produced face the horrible truth? Am not suggesting extremism here - because the scenes are really mild - though quite a few have already turned vegetarian while making and watching the film! When we are overly sensitive to the feelings of humans, we are not sensitive enough to the innocent animals - who die in the billions daily for those who have never seen how they die to satisfy their tastebuds.
Related Articles:
How We Lose Sensitivity to Violence
http://www.moonpointer.com/index.php?itemid=31
The “Good” of Blood & Gore?
http://www.moonpointer.com/index.php?itemid=147
Adventures : Zeph Tales (2)
Continued from http://moonpointer.com/index.php?itemid=2376
Suddenly, he felt angry towards himself - for taking it so cowardly. This has got to be the most irrational thing that has ever happened to me. He flexed his legs and stood fast, clenching his fists and gritting his teeth. A strange sense of the ill-foreboding. But this moment so potently powerful too. Ominous or auspicious I do not know.
Something glinted in his eyes. From tears or sweat no one would be able to tell. Of madness, maybe. He closed his eyes and relaxed his whole body. Maybe that certain something is determination. Will to find light in the dark night of his “soul” in broad daylight.
Five minutes have barely passed. The people walk on by. Orchard life goes on and so does Christmas. But he knew deep down that his life will never be the same again. Crisis. Nowhere to go; nothing to do.
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Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Adventures : Zeph Tales (1)
I hope to make this into a play or even a movie some day!
Zeph's First Awakening
It is Christmas Day. The holiday of the year but Zeph had clearly forgotten about it. So, he was on the last escalator up to Lido Cineplex at 3.40pm to get a ticket for 4pm's “Dumb & Dumber”. He was his old happy-go-lucky self. All the way up he looked downwards at the people dressed in their colourful clothes doing colourful things. Shopping and window-shopping. The playing of the images reflecting on the mirror escalator's sides was fascinating. The heart of Orchard. The young Singaporeans' “capital” of Singapore.
On the last step up, he looked up. A line of people barricaded him. It was a long queue. He was bewildered for a while. After sweeping a few glances, he went to the down escalator. For some reason he didn't try to understand, his friends wanted to see some other “dumb” movie that day. But that was okay, though he didn't try to understand why. He didn't exactly feel disappointed with them. All he wanted to do that day was to laugh his head off. He always knew he had choice. Sometimes he just doesn't follow the crowd. A kind of freedom - of choice. Maybe he isn't happy-go-lucky after all.
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Mara : Death & Desire
A friend related an enlightening nightmare of sorts, in which he was having sex with - gasp! - a skeleton! While “doing it”, the head dropped off! From the spine of the skeleton, a ray of orange light emitted, manifesting an image of Manjusri Bodhisattva! (The colour orange happens to symbolise wisdom, which is personified by Manjusri.)
I asked him what he learnt from the astonishing experience. His answer was simple - it is wise to reduce his lust. A serious lesson perhaps - since he was attached - even to a mere skeleton, albeit in a dream! Its sudden decapitation was needed to shock him with the truth of the body's fragility and impermanence! Also, beneath our very different looking skins, we are all mere skeletons. Physical beauty is only skin deep and the skin is not very deep, while true spiritual beauty has immeasurable depths. It's interesting that Mara, the personification of evil in Buddhism also means “death” or “desire”. In the nightmare, death and desire were both personified by the skeleton. Desire leads to death, and birth too, as it fuels the rounds of rebirth.
Inspiration : Not Blame
In the film “Red Cliff”, a peasant reports to Zhou Yu (a viceroy) that he saw one of his soldiers stealing his water buffalo. The soldiers became worked up over this shameful act, and yelled for the culprit to admit the crime. Despite noticing a soldier with mud on his shoes, Zhou Yu asks the company to run through a mud patch before reassembling.
He did this to give the culprit a chance to avoid punishment, while teaching the soldiers to be united in spirit. The buffalo is found and returned by their leader Gan Xing, as he sincerely apologises to the peasant for not training his soldiers well. On the Bodhisattva path, should we blame ourselves when others are deluded? To what extent are we responsible, if at all? Good question, though all we can do is our best in the moment - to share the Dharma.
Zhou Yu and Gan Xing led by example by bearing responsibility for the bigger picture - and did not assign blame. Instead, they inspired their men. Realising the lesson well, all the soldiers knelt, deeply touching the peasant who kneels to thank in return. If I'm the culprit witnessing this, I would openly surrender and doubly repent to all for the trouble caused. And thank them for the lesson learnt!
Related article: http://moonpointer.com/index.php?itemid=2329
