On To Other Things

Lately my life is taking a different turn and as a consequence of that I will be ending this blog. I've run out of things to say and feel like the next step form me is to go deeper into the silence of daily practice. I've stopped paying attention to news, politics and most other "worldly" affairs and I have enjoyed being away from writing this blog so much I have finally decided to stop doing so. I wish to thank everyone who ever read Dhamma Reflections, you folks helped keep me going. All that I have said has been the product of what I have learned through the Buddha and his disciples and through my own practice. Because "my own practice" was a part of what I said it is safe to say that I have probably written things that were not in accord with the Dhamma. May I be forgiven for those faults, as I never had the intention to deceive anyone or mislead them. All the faults are my own.


Buddhism emerging in the West has many challenges to face as far as I'm concerned. In general I felt alienated from my contemporaries in that I do not feel that the secularism, moral relativism or the nihilist materialism of Western Science can ever be reconciled with Buddhism. Am I right in this? I wouldn't be so presumptuous to claim that I have any authority in this, I just have always personally felt that those aforementioned ideas are contrary to not only Buddhism but true religion, period. It seems that a great number of Western Buddhists are those who rejected God and instead embraced the views of philosophers and scientists who see the world through the lens of materialism. Buddhism, with it's emphasis on self reliance and lack of interest of a God can easily be misconstrued to fall in line with philosophical materialism.

I had a hard time with this view because I was always devoutly religious as a youngster. I wanted to be a monk for as long as I can remember and always went to bed after saying the "Our Father." In some ways I don't think I ever dispensed with God at all, even as a Buddhist I have maintained a sort of prayer life but in the context of Buddhism. I never rejected religion or subscribed to agnostic, atheist or scientific ways of viewing the world. My life has been steeped in religious and spiritual things since the start so to me the new atheism and secularism of our culture is downright strange and sad and perplexing. To me there is no reason to live apart from a spiritual life since the materialist view renders all of life meaningless as well as undercuts ethics. As a religious man I take on faith that the materialists are wrong.


If we adhere to any religion these days it is a radical act of faith that invites ridicule and derision. Ajahn Mun wasn't deterred when he faced the same sort of scorn. His heart was set on following the Ariya Sangha. If the Buddha was right then the only customs worth following were those that led to Enlightenment. All other customs were the "customs of people with defilement's" as he said. We're not in any different circumstances here at all. In our culture even the five precepts are radical and not with the times. If we take on faith that the Buddha or any other religious teacher was right then we have no choice but to try to the best of our ability to live according to the rules and customs set out by our Master. Society will always go in another direction and we will be walking into a headwind by not going along with it. That is just the way it is.


In the end we don't know whether or not our religious quest will find fulfilment or not, but the act of living a life in faith is worth it as far as I'm concerned. We can cast our lot with the Buddha if we like, and even if we don't have all the answers the life lived in pursuit of a Deathless happiness is a good life, a worthy life. I'd rather take on board the notion that we live in a moral Universe, our actions matter and that there is a true happiness to be found rather then cast my lot with the materialists who posit a meaningless universe with no hope of anything but aging, illness, death, separation and the fruitless pursuit of fleeting sense pleasures as our highest hope. Flannery O'Connor once said that faith is not a big electric blanket but rather, it is the cross. Well, I'd rather carry this cross all the way to Golgotha then live my life in a meaningless way.

I'll probably check in from time to time to see what some of my readers are up to, but this is going to be it for Dhamma Reflections as a blog. Maybe in the future I'll have another blog, but for now I can't say. I'll keep you in my merit dedications and wish you well, whatever your path may be. Thanks for listening even if you don't agree with my take on things.

Ajahn Lee quote/reflection

The world is taken with words, but I don't go along with that. I'd rather take hold of the truth in the heart. As for words, they're things you spit out, not things you should keep. They're not the truth. The truth lies in your heart. So whether your words are good or not, pleasing or not, make sure at least that your heart's good.

-Ajahn Lee



If you ever need some inspiration to practice I suggest checking out the Ajahn Lee collection over at the Access To Insight web page, especially the collection of short teachings and quotes called "The Skill Of Release" which is where the quote above came from.



So what is the eminent forest monk saying in this passage? I can't say for certain because I don't have the same knowledge of the Dhamma as he did, but I think he is saying that what matters most is whether or not your heart is in line with the Dhamma or not. There are a few passages in the Canon where monks are arahants but still are not the best in terms of words yet their heart is in the right place. I don't remember the suttas, but I think they are in the Udana somewhere but I could be wrong. In the one I am thinking of a monk is chastised by the Sangha for being a little gruff and uncouth until the Buddha admonishes them for not seeing into the heart of this monk who was really free of the defilements. Even thinking about that sort of thing is food for contemplation.

How many times in our lives do we meet someone who is a little gruff or different then we are used to who turns out to be a whole lot more wholesome then we may have thought? At this point in my life I might feel annoyed or irritated at someone but I try to put those feelings into perspective and see whether they are just being a prisoner to their moods and suffering or whether that is just how they are. Everyone has different tendencies and aspects of the personality that we either find agreeable or not, but that doesn't make their hearts full of defilement.


Also, when I first read over Ajahn Lee's passage I felt like there could be a misunderstanding with what he said that I think should probably be considered. I think it would be a danger if we assumed that simply because someone had good intentions that their heart was good. If we go by that measurement then it gives license to almost any kind of action as long as "the heart is in the right place." Ajahn Lee's statement was in the context of the ethical paradigm of the Theravada Buddhist worldview where killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, false speech and taking intoxicants are always frowned upon as going contrary to the Buddha's teachings.


I think that is also why we need a degree of faith in walking this path in the first place. If we accept the Buddha's world view then there are consequences to that aren't there? If we have faith in the Buddha's cosmological world view which is touched upon a little in MN 60 then how will we live our lives? MN 60 is great for giving rise to faith in the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha and to letting you know just why other views can be traps.

In order to really get in line with the Dhamma and to understand Ajaan Lee we have to try to align our life with the views that guided him, namely, the Buddha's. So his statement is not a license to act in any way you wish as long as you feel that your intentions are good according to your own whims, it is pointing to making your heart and your intentions in line with the standards set down by the Buddha. That is a challenge, but if Ajahn Lee can do it then why can't we?

Spiritual Reading

In the Christian tradition monks have a practice of spiritual reading called “Lectio Divina” in Latin. They read the Scriptures or other works deemed acceptable to the Church in a deliberate and meditative way in order to allow God to illumine something within them and bring them to a deep state of prayer or understanding. Ever since I heard about this practice I realized that, although we do not use the concept of a God, what is wrong with a deliberate spiritual reading of Buddhist texts? In some ways I do this already in my own life, especially with books like the Ven. S. Dhammika’s “Gemstones of the Good Dhamma” or a work of short verses within the Canon such as can be found in the Udana or the Itivuttaka.

I think that in the Christian monks’ practice of Lectio Divina sometimes certain words, phrases, or verses stand out in the mind and you know intuitively that they are telling you something or inviting you to go deeper into exploration of them. I know that this has happened with me while reading Buddhist texts, and even though the idea of God isn’t part of Buddhist vocabulary I get an intuitive sense that the heart is asking to go deeper into exploring certain verses sometimes. Often when I reflect on a verse on this blog, I do so after having spent a little time perusing a Dhamma book and waiting until a certain verse resonates with me and then going from there.


I realize that this sort of practice is probably not widely practiced within Buddhist circles, or maybe it is but is not articulated in the way that I describe. I simply ask that my readers consider that a slow and deliberate reading of the texts while listening, to phrase St. Benedict, “with the ear of your heart” could prove to open up new dimensions of understanding in your personal practice. As for me, I can say that after today’s sitting meditation and glance at “Gemstones” I didn’t get any feeling for any particular verse that would be of use here today. I think I’ll offer this up as my reflection today and finish here. May my readers be well.

Anthony of the Desert

I just finished reading this book called "Desert Father, A Journey in the Wilderness with Saint Anthony" by James Cowan and I was more then surprised at how good it was. I have often been intrigued about the old ascetics of early Christianity but never really delved into learning about them all that much. This book talks about the authors journey to Mount Colzim in Egypt where Anthony lived for the remaining years of his ascetic life and when he gets there he realizes that there is a modern day Anthony who is living out the same life on the mountain. What follows is a a series of the authors personal reflections, historical interludes about early Christianity and biographical sketches of some of the early Desert Fathers. I had a hard time putting the book down since it captivated my attention that much.


The author mentioned that one of the reasons men took to the Desert was because they felt hemmed in by the commercialism and materialism of the world in which they lived. The rational Greek and Roman ways of seeing things couldn't pin down the supernatural and transcendent way of seeing the world that the idea of Christ engendered. Here was a whole new era where God actually became man and in turn offered a hope in a salvation not even spoken of by the Greek and Roman pantheon of petty and bickering deities who never did escape their human frailties.


What I find interesting is that our culture isn't all that different from the culture of Anthony and the early desert Fathers. We too live in a declining empire where the same Greek and Roman methods of ascertaining the truth hold true today, only we have no pantheon at all, instead we listen to the materialist philosopher who calls from the pulpit the soul deadening cry of "God is dead, there is nothing beyond this life." And many of us heed that call and take it to heart, and because of that our lives become meaningless and aimless. This society offers no transcendence at all, it actually belittles the notion or rejects the question in the first place as being not even worthy of being asked. So if society offers no transcendence where does one go? The answer is that one goes to the desert or the jungle or wherever else people go who reject the empty fatalism of society and decide to seek out freedom from suffering on their own or with spiritual teachings of some kind.

Michael Casey, a Cistercian monk from Australia talks about how suffering without faith as being meaningless. If you look at what he says you can see the truth of it even you or I do not share the same source of faith that he does. Without the faith that there is a way out of birth and death, suffering and stress, life becomes unbearable unless you just keep anesthetizing yourself. It doesn't take a whole lot of looking to see that our whole society lives life under the deep and dreamless sleep of anesthesia all the time. There are mindless TV programs to watch, games to play, egos to be fed, sexual conquests to be made and drugs and alcohol to deaden it all when the materialist narrative of society encroaches to close to a mind that gets a few moments alone and awake from the distractions it usually plays around in.

Casey is right, and so is the Buddha and dare I say, so was Saint Anthony of the desert and John Cassian and any other man or woman who ever turned away from the empty playground of the world and put forth effort to find something that doesn't die. So, like the author of the book, I find myself feeling a deep sense of respect and affinity for Anthony and the Fathers even if the idea of living off of bread and water in the desert of Egypt doesn't appeal to me at all. Here was man that like us, was questioning the unspoken scripts of society in a time when doing so could literally get you killed in agonizing ways. He rejected the institutionalism of scholarly Christianity and wanted to find God and Christ in the desert, both outer and inner. Here was a man not unlike the Buddha in his courageousness.



The hopeful tone I found in the book was that Mr. Cowan, the author, was not entering Anthony's world to deconstruct the piety and courage of Anthony and the desert Fathers with modern psychology, sociology or any other materialist assumptions and paradigms, but instead stood in awe at the power of men who dared to dream of true freedom. He never really lets on whether he is Christian, Buddhist or whatever, but he always keeps a sense of respect for Anthony and the whole idea of the monastic or spiritual ideal that the desert fathers are so full of. I come away reading this with a new respect for Christianity and with a renewed sense that religion, spirituality and monasticism are just as important to humanity as anything else is and that our world would be a tragic and cold place without men like Anthony who give us all a reason to dream and strive for transcendence. So, this is a different sort of post today and not really about Buddhism per se, but I felt like writing a little something about a book that I found very enjoyable. If any one of my readers has any passing interest in early Christian monasticism, the Saints or Christian mysticism I would highly recommend this book. As always, I wish my readers well.

Reflection on the Buddha/Noble Search

One who loves his own true welfare,
Who is concerned with his own good,
Should pay homage to the Dhamma
And always remember the Buddha’s words.
- AN 2.21



It seems like these days our real challenge as lay followers of the Buddha is to guard our senses and learn how much is enough while living in a society and a culture where both the concept of sense restraint and contentment are seen as enemies to happiness. Interestingly enough, sense restraint is something a lot of other spiritual traditions talk about as well so it seems like the wisest people throughout history in this world have come to a similar conclusion around that point. So why don’t average people follow the advice of the people they supposedly follow or revere?

I think it’s because most people only pay lip service to the spiritual while having both feet firmly implanted in the world. Those of us who do consider ourselves as walking on some sort of path often have one foot in the world and one foot in the holy life which is better but still not quite there. Part of it is because society in general is not interested in any kind of holy life anymore.

The religious quest is explained away by psychology and science as being irrelevant and pointless in the face of their materialist dogmas and one doesn’t have to look far to see these views as being the norm these days in everything from magazines to the popular wisdom given out wherever people congregate. Also, restraint asks that we give up certain things in order to simplify our lives, and that attitude flies in the face of an economy based upon the ever increasing consumption of more and more products.

Another reason why it is so hard is because in a society and a culture like ours which looks down on religion or Enlightenment as being pointless or deluded it is difficult for some to even want to take a step in that direction. It goes totally against the grain of what our society says is important or even worth pursuing. Here in America role models for exemplary spiritual lives are not put up on pedestals the way pro sports icons and celebrity actors and actresses are so people have no one to turn to. There is no glory in a spiritual life, and in a society that primps everyone to try to garner as much praise and attention as possible this is not an ideal that looks appealing.


Can’t the Buddha serve as an inspiration to us? After all, the Buddha grew up in a society pretty much like our own where there were many ideas out there competing for his attention and throwing his mind into a tailspin. The society of his age wasn’t as hostile to religion as modern Western society is but I would venture to guess that he faced many of the same issues that we do today. Unlike me and some others, he actually came from relative wealth as well. The Canon talks about all the luxury he enjoyed and how despite it all he still felt compelled to leave his life behind and die to the world in order to find true happiness. Just because he lived more the two and a half millennia ago doesn’t mean that his story can’t strike a chord with us as well.

The Buddha saw that aging, illness, death and separation were going to rob him of his freedom and it terrified him enough to leave the palace and his concubines behind in order to pursue a happiness that he thought might exist but wasn’t really sure about. For all the doubters out there I think that point is one to consider. The Buddha himself had no real idea whether or not Enlightenment was even possible yet he realized that he would get sick, grow old, lose his loved ones and die no matter what so why not search for a true happiness? We are in the same predicament are we not?

The testament to the truth of his teachings was that he claimed to have found that happiness and then wandered for 40 or more years after that point under the Bodhi tree and taught the Dhamma to all who would listen and take his challenge. He was willing to do that even knowing that the climate of India is miserable and people are often miserable to deal with as well. He gave his life to the Dhamma in searching for it and then again in selflessly teaching it to others for the remainder of his life, even going so far as to give a teaching as he approached physical death.

The second testament to the truth of his teaching is in the fact that over 2000 years later people still find value in it and preach it’s value as a means to find a Deathless happiness. We don’t hear of a distant Enlightenment and then have to simply ponder it; we have teachers through the ages all the way on up to the present that speak of the truth of the Buddha’s teachings. I’m sure most of us have experienced at least glimpses of it in the course of our practice.

The world keeps on being the world, and no matter whether you decide to heed the nihilism and gross materialism of Western science, the hedonistic pursuit of sense pleasures sanctioned by our society or the hopeful teaching of the Buddha you still face aging, illness, death and separation. Neither Western Science nor hedonism promises any kind of relief from suffering so that only leaves the last option of the Buddha’s teachings to consider. Even so, it’s always up to us to make that choice which path we feel offers us the possibility for the most happiness since even though the Buddha and the Noble Ones constantly call on us throughout the ages to heed the Dhamma they can never lift us up and put us on the path.

The Buddhist path is a challenge, but we can take heart that the Lord Buddha himself was once just a man facing the scorn of a heedless society and the doubts in his heart. He chose to face the abyss inside and the ridicule outside and battle with the defilements in the hope that he would find what he was looking for, can we be just as strong? Even in the 21st century the Noble Search is still open, the ancient city awaits. May my readers have the strength of heart to take up the Noble Search in whatever capacity they are able.

(Note on the verse: It says it’s AN 2.21 in Gemstones of the Good Dhamma but it doesn’t correspond with Ajahn Thanissaro’s translation on Access To Insight so perhaps my readers could discern where this verse comes from in the Canon, as it is not my intention to misquote or mislead anyone here.)

Dhammapada1.20

Little though one recites the sacred texts,
but puts the Teaching into practice,
forsaking lust, hatred, and delusion,
with true wisdom and emancipated mind,
clinging to nothing of this or any other world
--one indeed partakes of the blessings of a holy life.

-Dhammapada 1.20



This verse came in my e-mail today and prompted a reflection from me since it really has the power to appeal to anyone who chances to hear the Dhamma regardless of education level. It's saying that the essence of the holy life is one in which the teachings are put into practice. As Westerners it is a wise reminder since many of us, myself included, love reading and thinking more then is probably necessary. Even though I consider the gift of literacy one of the greatest things ever given to me by the school system the Buddha is cautioning me and others to live the practice more then read about it.

Don't get me wrong, I feel that study of the Dhamma in the Canon and in the words of the Masters is essential in gaining an understanding of basic Buddhist doctrine and as a cause for developing the faith mind but beyond that it can become a crutch that prevents us from facing ourselves in our trials and errors, triumphs and disappointments and other things that come up in the practice.

What is interesting is that most of the forest masters of the last century had almost no formal education at all and Buddhist literature is full of Noble Ones who took a few teachings to heart and attained the Deathless. Our challenge is not that we are illiterate but that we are sometimes too "smart" for our own good and rely too much on books, talks or whatever rather then facing ourselves and using the Dhamma to deal with our lives. After all, the Buddha and the Noble Ones tested out the Dhamma within their own hearts and it is only recently that the texts have been so freely available.


Another thing I find interesting about this verse is the last phrase that talks about "one" partaking of the blessings of a holy life. It doesn't specify monastic in the verse at all. In my own reflection of it I see that the Dhamma and it's "blessings" are freely available for all who practice according to the Buddha's instructions. We don't necessarily need to don the ochre robe to attain the Deathless the Buddha spoke of, we only need to set our hearts and our actions in line with enough of the Buddha's teachings to open us up to true where true freedom lies. May this reflection be of benefit to my readers.

Long Weekend in Review

There have been plenty of ups and downs this past week. I have not felt very healthy and have been battling abdominal pains almost all week with occasional nausea and truly I don’t really know what is wrong. In spite of the discomfort and the pain which I don’t enjoy at all, I do enjoy the opportunity to really put my money where my mouth is in terms of practice. It’s easy to slack sometimes when you feel good and everything is going well, but when the body is sick and painful feelings arise within it you practice and try to disengage with the suffering or you stay sunk in it. The results are immediate and there is a lot of room for trial and error which is a good thing. Every sick period becomes a rehearsal for the moment that we all have to face our final illness and the death of the body and if we open to it and practice with the pain we learn how to deal with it. It’s like learning any skill and the only way you learn is with practice.



On Saturday I took my vehicle into the shop again for some routine maintenance and relished the opportunity to find a spot for some walking meditation in the woods while I waited for it to be done. There is a quiet wooded path about a mile or so from the shop which I always go to when I take the car in. Since it was a cloudy and off and on rainy day I had the path to myself. Still battling abdominal pains made the walking more of a challenge but it was a welcome one.

On the “up” side of things I was able to spend Memorial Day at the beach which is always a pleasant experience. The weather was perfect and the beach I go to is a quiet state park with few people which makes it a perfect place for meditation, both walking and sitting, although I did more sitting then walking. I saw a few crabs in the tidal pools that were forming as low tide approached.

This beach has changed so much over the years. The dunes and the plants that grow on them are constantly shifting and expanding and it looks different every time that I go. This time I had to walk over a bunch of dunes and through some underbrush to actually reach the beach since the wooden boardwalk now only takes you so far. It’s a marvel that these plants survive in an environment that is full of so much salt, wind and sun. I don’t go more then a few times a year since it’s a good two hour drive but I always enjoy it when I do.


Well, that’s enough for now. I wish my readers well . Here is a Dhamma verse in parting.

Mama selupamam cittamthitam
nanupakampati
virattam rajaniyesu
kuppaniye na kuppati
mam'evam bhavitam cittam
kuto mam dukkham essati.

My mind is firm like a rock,
unattached to sensual things,
no shaking in the midst
of a world where all is shaking.
My mind has thus been well-developed,
so how can suffering come to me?

-Thag. 192



This is from Ven S. Dhammika’s “Gemstones of the Good Dhamma” in case you wondered. It is available free at Access To Insight’s web page.