Going Gnostic

Gnostic you say? Who is doing gnosis these days and ..hmm.. why another word with a silent leading consonant. Let's call it Nostic then. It about getting to a great place without necessarily going anywhere. It's about portable Freedom - who could want more?

We know that people have "got" Nostic. It's in legend and history. It's in western books that were hidden for millennia and in the daily life of dedicated Asians who were raised in a culture that recognizes that Nosis is the one thing of permanent value that life can deliver when we focus on its attainment.

I am trying to discover a way to get Nosis and then heal as much as possible the world in which I pass my days. That which I learn I will pass along to you. We can attain together the state that is the prize of this world. Let's share the journey!

Yes, we can!

Not Mis-Behavin to Enlightenment

December 26, 2007

The primary parts of the path are somethings enumerated as sila, samadhi and prajna. In the west, the common image of Buddhism is the meditator, which aligns with samadhi, which is the result of meditation practice. Some people may be aware that the result of successful meditation in Buddhism is profound wisdom, which we call prajna. The one element that gets little attention in the west is sila.

Those who have got to the experience of the first jhana can say with certainty that enlightenment is more than just a "peaceful easy feelin". The world changes.

Sila, the practices of everyday living are a very important part of Buddhism. On my way to discovering Buddhism, I didn't hear about this very much at all. There were vague things like "living a good life" or "harmlessness" that popped up once in awhile. These terms did nothing to distinguish Buddhism from either New Age or Hinduism which may be about as far as most westerners tread in the eartern thought realm. The Buddha described a path which laid particular emphasis on conduct. The accuracy of this description was such that it alleviates us from the vagueness of most "living a good" life invocations.

The reason for this conduct is given. The method is clearly described both for monastics, and the rest of us. The part of Buddhism that is contained within conduct is even sufficient on its own to get us to the first rung of enlightenment. Bet you didn't know that!

Meditation is generally accepted as being necessary to get to full Awakening, so it shouldn't be set aside because it can be hard to find the time to do it. Meditate regularly, even if the time is limited, it should be regular. But conduct will take you a long way, much farther than most westerners have considered. The first rung of the ladder to full awakening is no small accomplishment. At this point you will witness reality directly in a new way that few people do. This is known in the ancient language as the first jhana.

The first jhana is the entry point to the transcendental Buddhist experience. In many eastern traditions this point is also not distinguished from enlightenment. Certainly when you get to this point you know you're in new territory. The jhanas are experiences that are clearly separate also from a dreamy feeling of "knowing you're already enlightened". Some New Age books are mistakenly conveying that some form of floatiness is enlightenment. Those who have got to the experience of the first jhana can say with certainty that enlightenment (and these important steps to it) is more than just a "peaceful easy feelin". The world changes.

The important thing to know is that meditation is important, but the rules of conduct, or sila, carefully followed in the true spirit can take you there pretty nearly on their own. Sila might be mistaken to be for beginners since it is rudimentary and un-mystical on its surface. Sila doesn't demand fancy meditation techniques, memberships or initiation by famous gurus. It is rather a straight-forward approach to life that will propel you to an exceptional state of being.

There are clarifications and refined techniques that can empower you to more rapid progress via sila. The self-discipline of sila is a sadhana on its own, even without meditation. The rocket fuel for sila is loaded by integrating methods that will help you clear past emotional imprints. Sila prevents you from accumulating more emotional disturbance which stops the churning of the waters of the "soul" due to daily activity. The echoes of the past, however are still sending waves that can easily disturb us and impel us to thrash about undoing our "good deeds". We can quiet those echoes and thus bring us closer to equilibrium where we can experience jhanas.

Lotus-Born's Gift to the World

December 14, 2007

The gifts that the Lotus-Born Buddhist Dharma group give are substantial. This group is set to grow into a vehicle that will propel evolution of society in the direction of compassion and peace. The contribution works by developing spiritual consciousness in the individuals and so accelerating spiritual consciousness in community.

“If there is goodness in the heart, there is beauty in the character. If there is beauty in the character, there will be harmony in the home. If there is harmony in the home, there will be order in the nation. Where there is order in the nation, there will be peace in the world.”

The path to reach higher states of awareness and peace can be done as a solitary practitioner. The Tibetan Saint, Milarepa, was a person known to achieve enlightenment this way. This can be a slow and uncertain path though. Early Buddhism clearly states that open-heartedness is an essential part of the Buddhist path. Working together to the common goal of Awakening has advantages not only for us as seekers of higher awareness and peace, but the rest of the world as well.

The world and its people are in a bad state. The world has a lot of good in it, but a clear judgment can't easily be made that the balance is tipped firmly towards improvement. Strong trends indicate that there will be major and potentially dangerous global changes during our lifetimes. Having the foreknowledge of these crises calls for us to prepare as much as we can to either avert them, or to have the abilities that will help u navigate through the storms and help pull others from the storm waters as best we can.

More spiritual presence needs to be cultivated now to create a reserve that will be needed during the upcoming crises.

History shows when people have had more success in spiritual cultivation, civilization has flowered. The standard line is that the ease that comes from time of plenty leads to opportunity for spiritual practice. I think it’s the other way around: spiritual accomplishment brings peace, then peace grants confidence to expand and develop new enterprise. That brings prosperity.

I have previously mentioned “Wisdom Civilization”. That phrase comes from the book, “The Great Turning” and an initiative by the Garrison Institute (near New York). The world now operates as an Empire, with the corporations being the elite. There are a series of threats to the world and its population that will very likely take place during our lifetimes. These are a combination of climate change and uncontrolled population growth, and subsequent health, resource, and financial problems .The only way to navigate through this and not only survive, but thrive, in to evolve from the paradigm of the Empire into one of an Earth Community which is rooted in, and fed from, sincere spiritual accomplishment.

A positive change to culture has to be propelled by spiritual fuel. Understandable Buddhism can increase the amount of spiritual power that’s needed to propel an Earth Community. Buddhism is the life cultivation system that’s able to take you from where you are to the highest peak of human possibility. The people that reach this peak clearly see life, the Universe and Everything and can radiate that understanding to people who are ascending the slopes, who in turn can radiate it to those near them. Compassion and the unitary nature of life have been near the core of this message.

Buddhism makes genuine spiritual experience available to people who earnestly pursue it regardless of gender, race, or economic status. It’s a route that can take people to the experience of the core of reality and has the potential to transform the way people view value in their lives.

It’s the nature of life to envision its own continuity. Therefore there is to be a common future for humans on this planet, and it must involve learning how we can live together cooperatively and still enjoy and thrive in that environment. The highest states of human spiritual accomplishment are now called for. The realm of spirit is where we will find the necessary answers. Buddha’s teaching’s and path lead to that realm. You are invited to walk that path with me, for ourselves and our companions in this journey of Life.