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Konchok Ösel Dorje
USA
545 Posts |
 Posted - Oct 23 2009 : 10:59:56 AM
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The path is utterly simple: Virtue. Purify the mind, then do whatever is good and avoid whatever is evil. All consequences begin with an act. Every act begins with a thought. Every thought begins with a feeling. The path is about mindfulness of feelings.
The Buddha taught that the primary feeling we all endure is suffering. He said that craving and aversion cause suffering; however, there is a means to quell suffering completely, and that means is mindfulness. Mindfulness is the virtue, the method, the path.
No matter which angle you look at it, mindfulness is the path. From the Theravada, Zen or Vajrayana tradition, mindfulness is the path. If one were to meet the Buddha, mindfulness is the path. If one were to meet the most difficult to find yogis in the Himalayas, mindfulness is the path. Whether one is studying on a weekend seminar taught by a Western teacher in San Francisco, or one is sitting with a high Lama from Tibet, mindfulness is the path.
All the various adornments, accoutrements, embellishments, ritual elements, mantras, elaborate visualizations, prostrations, postures, gazes, exercises, methods, and traditional dress are all about something altogether different than mindfulness: readiness (aka ripeness). Even one's day to day confused behaviors update one about one's condition. We constantly receive feedback from the world about our condition. Not everyone starts in the same place in terms of readiness to face one's deepest feelings. All the volitional acts whatsoever one can imagine or perform simply update one's readiness. But these practices are not the path. Mindfulness is the path.
What is mindfulness? Mindfulness is contacting the events of one's body-mind continuum. All the great meditators have discovered two basic habits that we all employ: 1) We gather ourselves as we get ready to leap toward our craving; 2) We brace ourselves as we get ready to push away from our aversion. We stand in this constant readiness to get at our desired thing or shove off against our hated thing. Grab-avoid, pull-push, love-hate, lust-revulsion, orgasm-vomit... We swing back and forth in a constant perfectly timed succession of penduluum swings. This is why we are always feeling so conflicted and divided.
How do we practice mindfulness? Different traditions have different methods. The most basic method comes from the Theravada tradition. This tradition is shared all the way up the Himalayas. It has two basic steps: clear the mind, then take a look. One clears the mind by observing the breath. This slows down the usual rapid proliferation of distracting thoughts. Then, when the mind is a bit clearer, one can take a better look and see what's going on in there. Where does one look? One looks into the body-mind continuum, one's own feelings. One observes clearly what is the origin of volition. One can confirm for oneself and report to others whether one is the exception who does not vacillate between accepting cravings and rejecting aversions.
A slightly more refined version of this practice starts where the last paragraph stopped: the point between vacillations, the moment of volition. One notices that at the moment one is feeling something, one judges it: something to get, something to throw: I like, I dislike. Based on these two judgments, all our acts to gather food and consume the world result. So one can mindfully wedge between these two judgments and create some space, short circuit the switch.
At this point, one refines even further, one is now mindful of some space between the two thoughts about the two feelings and recognizes one has space. One is not forced to like or dislike the two feelings of gathering oneself to reach out and grab or push off and throw. One has freedom not only to stop judging like this, but also to allow that gathering energy to relax itself and dissipate into its energetic source, the body-mind continuum.
This moment of allowing the gathering energy to relax and subside is the virtue; the moment one has used wisdom, patience, diligence, generosity, kindness, one's energy collects and one can clearly concentrate. At this moment the world is very clear, knowing exactly what to do and how to do it becomes very natural. This is the fruit of mindfulness: wisdom, the highest virtue.
The finest refinement of the path of mindfulness is at this point, just wisdom, just virtue. We can also say pure wisdom or pure virtue, or just purity, completness, perfection, greatness. One is mindful of one's own inherent nature of complete perfect wisdom, and this power is like owning diplomatic plates, one is immune from wrongdoing and can conduct oneself effortlessly without concern for oneself. One's practice is just about remaining in that space of freedom, before any energy is gathered toward whatever effort. In this space, things are just clear; we just know; what's right is just apparent. So we can do no wrong. The world just naturally gathers around us to help us. It is an amazing phenomenon of practice, and many other profound and whiz bang insights go along with it. The biggest is that when there are no two toughts, the thoughts of I-other dissolve. The profound implication of this is that the entanglements of things is let loose and amazing abilities come with that knowledge.
What are the characteristics of the behavior of someone practicing mindfulness: one will do whatever is good and avoid whatever is evil. One's wisdom treats the world with compassion and loving-kindness, because we clearly see the difficulties of its condition. Compassion is a feeling of empathy, a non-separation, a togetherness with the world. Loving-kindness is acting on that feeling. Again we are talking about feelings and actions. Before, the context was suffering: everything we would do out of confusion would just get us into more problems. Now the context is happiness: everything we would do out of mindfulness of our real nature would just shower the world with love. Nothing wrong with that. Wisdom allows us to know how to make the love work out well. This is the fruit.
While one is just beginning the practice of mindfulness one should simulate the final result by trying one's best to feel empathy and compassion for others while treating others with loving-kindness. In a very direct way, mindfulness is the best self-love, because it is the best self-help. By practicing mindfulness one alleviates one's own suffering and also prevents the comedy of errors that flows from the switchback of craving and aversion. When one is loving oneself, not suffering, feeling comfortable and at ease, it is very easy and natural to love and comfort others. All the power of the universe is about this. So love is very powerful and joined with the wisdom of knowing oneself mindfully; there is no distinction. Thus, when just beginning the path, one's energy toward compassion and loving-kindness (being non-separate from the fruit of the path) feeds into one's mindfulness.The beginner creates a feedback loop, where one's compassionate choices reinforces the findings of one's mindfulness. And it accelerates the practice.
Of course, there are great challenges presented by the path. Here are the facts: When one engages diligently in mindfulness practice, one will feel a tremendous sense of pleasure. The first major obstacle is powerful rapture, because it will be confused with attraction to objects. One's craving will actually enflame a lot, like a rock star or a prince. One must continue patiently with detachment. The second major obstacle is one's continued habits about craving and aversion, the usual mental problems, again, now magnified big time by the lens of mindfulness. One must continue patiently with detachment. The third major obstacle is the body-mind continuum. Because it is impermanent, we clutch it and we suffer. We must continue patiently with detachment. The fourth and final major obstacle is death. Death represents our taboo-est taboo, or worst fear, dread, horror, our ultimate aversion. Again we must recognize the inevitability of it and simply face it patiently with diligent mindfulness. By getting past these "major obstacles," one reaches the result of natural freedom from all these problems.
Whether one's practice is about the body and feelings, about the empty space between the two feelings or about the ultimate wisdom itself, the simplest practice is the most profound: mindfulness. Just being mindful while walking, sitting, eating or lying down is at once the easiest beginner's practice and the highest most profound esoteric practice. What is mindfulness? Mindfulness is virtue, the source of all good deeds and qualities. |
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standingstone
USA
25 Posts |
Posted - Oct 23 2009 : 12:29:43 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Konchok Ösel Dorje
Every act begins with a thought. Every thought begins with a feeling. The path is about mindfulness of feelings.
I would say its the opposite.
from a very young age feeling comes from thought.
stuff happens, we perceive things to be a certain way, and give it meaning. this is really the thought.
this meaning/perception/thought creates the feeling as pure motivational energy which pertains to the thought based on whether or not the event or 'stuff that is happening' can fulfill our needs wants or desires. perhaps this is what you mean by 'judgement'.
For example, anger is created from the perception or thought that 'something is unfair'. Fear comes from the thought/perception/meaning that 'something bad is going to happen.' fairness and safety being the basic needs here.
also I think people really act far more from their feelings then from their thoughts and run into trouble when there's a great schism between what they think and what they feel.
they may think one thing or know how they should act but in reality act a different way because feeling is a much more powerful biological motivator to action.
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Edited by - standingstone on Oct 23 2009 12:35:15 PM |
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machart
USA
342 Posts |
Posted - Oct 23 2009 : 1:42:09 PM
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I really enjoyed this post Konchok.
Thanks! |
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Konchok Ösel Dorje
USA
545 Posts |
Posted - Oct 23 2009 : 9:27:13 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by standingstone
quote:
Originally posted by Konchok Ösel Dorje
Every act begins with a thought. Every thought begins with a feeling. The path is about mindfulness of feelings.
I would say its the opposite.
from a very young age feeling comes from thought.
stuff happens, we perceive things to be a certain way, and give it meaning. this is really the thought.
this meaning/perception/thought creates the feeling as pure motivational energy which pertains to the thought based on whether or not the event or 'stuff that is happening' can fulfill our needs wants or desires. perhaps this is what you mean by 'judgement'.
For example, anger is created from the perception or thought that 'something is unfair'. Fear comes from the thought/perception/meaning that 'something bad is going to happen.' fairness and safety being the basic needs here.
also I think people really act far more from their feelings then from their thoughts and run into trouble when there's a great schism between what they think and what they feel.
they may think one thing or know how they should act but in reality act a different way because feeling is a much more powerful biological motivator to action.
There almost no difference between thoughts and feelings. In Tibetan the word for feeling and the word for thought are the same. And in the Buddha's Sutras, he would describe the feeling of sleepiness as a thought. Focal point is the most accurate term. No matter how you slice it, it's about mindfulness. |
Edited by - Konchok Ösel Dorje on Oct 24 2009 1:22:01 PM |
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standingstone
USA
25 Posts |
Posted - Oct 24 2009 : 2:01:18 PM
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sleepiness is a sensation, not what I meant by a feeling. If by feeling you mean sensation I think I can agree with what you're saying.
perhaps I should have clarified that what I meant by feeling was emotion felt in the body, which is pure motivational energy.
saying thoughts and emotions are the same seems a bit like saying clouds and flash floods are the same..
sure there both different states of water but it would be detrimental to ignore a flash flood.
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Konchok Ösel Dorje
USA
545 Posts |
Posted - Oct 24 2009 : 2:22:40 PM
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| Both have the nature of cloud. Motivation is a thought and a feeling. Like a cloud appears in the sky and disappears into the sky. Ignorance creates the flashflood. Wisdom disperses the cloud well in advance. |
Edited by - Konchok Ösel Dorje on Oct 24 2009 2:26:11 PM |
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standingstone
USA
25 Posts |
Posted - Oct 26 2009 : 12:04:32 PM
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thats fine. I didn't mean to derail or troll your thread. I enjoy your posts on this site as well.
the distinction between cognition and feeling is 100% crucial for the work I do. I just wanted to see if there was anything you knew of or perhaps in buddhism behind the initial statement that 'all thought comes from feeling' that could be applied there but you're saying that its all the same stuff. it also seems we're working with different sets of meanings.
quote:
Originally posted by Konchok Ösel Dorje
Wisdom disperses the cloud well in advance.
& this is what I was getting at. cognition having a causal effect on feeling. wisdom, the removal of the misperception (cognition) disperses the feeling/emotion/cloud or flood in my analogy. given that the emotion is not based on accurate perceptions. |
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Konchok Ösel Dorje
USA
545 Posts |
Posted - Oct 26 2009 : 6:15:13 PM
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Ultimately they are all the same stuff. Conventionally, cognition and feelings are distinct. An important concept is interdependent origination. Cognition and feeling are linked. They cause each other. It's not a one way arrow, causally speaking.
I put feelings upfront, because Dharma's practice is mindfulness of the body. Practicing this, one directly sees the non-conceptual energetic root of thought. |
Edited by - Konchok Ösel Dorje on Oct 26 2009 8:09:30 PM |
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KriyabanSeeking
USA
24 Posts |
Posted - Jul 26 2010 : 12:53:51 PM
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I have found more benefit from simply 'learning to behave' than from doing 1000 pranayamas a day. Of course, some pranayama helps us to behave since we have our Joy in internal experiences instead of seeking pseudo-joy in external experiences.
So, behaving combined with some spiritual practices is wonderful indeed.
Blessings! |
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Virtue: The Utterly Simple Path
