3. What are the three basic foundations of Buddhism? What are the three fundamental tenants? Why are they so important to understanding Buddhism?
4. Impermanence – the goodness of reality … everything about reality is constantly evolving and changing.
5. Impermanence – the goodness of reality … everything about reality is constantly evolving and changing. It is the meaning of everything.
6. Impermanence – the goodness of reality … everything about reality is constantly evolving and changing. It is the meaning of everything. Meeting and parting.
7. Impermanence – the goodness of reality … everything about reality is constantly evolving and changing. It is the meaning of everything. Meeting and parting. It is a principle of harmony – when we don’t struggle against impermanence, we are in harmony with reality.
8. Impermanence – the goodness of reality … everything about reality is constantly evolving and changing. It is the meaning of everything. Meeting and parting. It is a principle of harmony – when we don’t struggle against impermanence, we are in harmony with reality. Our reaction to impermanence is habitual – we must become aware of the habitual patterns in response to change. Experience and let go rather than resist the change .
9. Suffering : Our pain comes from holding onto things that are changing.
10. Suffering : Our pain comes from holding onto things that are changing. Pain is not a punishment, pleasure is not a reward.
11. Suffering : Our pain comes from holding onto things that are changing. Pain is not a punishment, pleasure is not a reward. When suffering arises we must recognize it as suffering. We must not repress it.
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13. Egolessness : – our natural state. Like regaining eyesight after being blind and hearing after being deaf. (Deficiency = delusion.) The ego covers up our basic goodness.
14. Egolessness : – our natural state. Like regaining eyesight after being blind and hearing after being deaf. (Deficiency = delusion.) The ego covers up our basic goodness. It is our unconditional being.
15. Egolessness : – our natural state. Like regaining eyesight after being blind and hearing after being deaf. (Deficiency = delusion.) The ego covers up our basic goodness. It is our unconditional being. A state of mind that has complete confidence in the sacredness of the world.
16. Egolessness : – our natural state. Like regaining eyesight after being blind and hearing after being deaf. (Deficiency = delusion.) The ego covers up our basic goodness. It is our unconditional being. A state of mind that has complete confidence in the sacredness of the world. Egolessness is an opening to emotions of thoughts rather than a closing off into our narrow selves.
17. Egolessness : – our natural state. Like regaining eyesight after being blind and hearing after being deaf. (Deficiency = delusion.) The ego covers up our basic goodness. It is our unconditional being. A state of mind that has complete confidence in the sacredness of the world. Egolessness is an opening to emotions of thoughts rather than a closing off into our narrow selves. Freshness, openness, delight in the here and now through our senses and mind.
18. Egolessness : – our natural state. Like regaining eyesight after being blind and hearing after being deaf. (Deficiency = delusion.) The ego covers up our basic goodness. It is our unconditional being. A state of mind that has complete confidence in the sacredness of the world. Egolessness is an opening to emotions of thoughts rather than a closing off into our narrow selves. Freshness, openness, delight in the here and now through our senses and mind. It is the well-being that comes when we see an infinite pair of opposites as complementary.
19. What is the Middle way and why is it so important?
20. The Middle Way – Staying between indulging and repressing painful situations.
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24. Based upon what we have learned throughout the quarter, how would you articulate living the “middle way” in American Culture? What has to change in our understanding of the human person? How do Choedron’s claims on suffering relate to Howell and the experience of Ignatius and Black Elk? Do you think “egolessness” is a reasonable principle for living the spiritual life? Why or why not?
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31. Maitri – developing loving kindness and an unconditional friendship for ourselves. Practicing loving kindness towards ourselves is a way to illuminate the darkness of difficult times.
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38. How do we embrace our basic goodness, basic wisdom, basic intelligence, in order to cease harming ourselves and harming others?
49. Habitual Pattern ( samsara) – Thought arises – then it escalates and then leads us into hope and fear.
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54. Habitual Pattern ( samsara) – This awareness undercuts the ego – pain or self-centeredness.
55. Habitual Pattern ( samsara) – This awareness undercuts the ego – pain or self-centeredness. The trick is to enjoy without clinging or identifying with the feeling.
56. Habitual Pattern ( samsara) – This awareness undercuts the ego – pain or self-centeredness. The trick is to enjoy without clinging or identifying with the feeling. Let the feeling come, be aware of it and let it dissolve back into the sea.
57. Habitual Pattern ( samsara) – This awareness undercuts the ego – pain or self-centeredness. The trick is to enjoy without clinging or identifying with the feeling. Let the feeling come, be aware of it and let it dissolve back into the sea.
59. How does one break the cycle of Samsara? Detachment!
60. How does one break the cycle of Samsara? Detachment! Nonattachment – letting things go. It is a desire to know – almost like a child. Wanting to know our pleasure and our pain.
63. Practical approach to detachment : Get to know these feelings see how they hook us
64. Practical approach to detachment : Get to know these feelings see how they hook us what triggers them
65. Practical approach to detachment : Get to know these feelings see how they hook us what triggers them how they color our perception of reality
67. What is hopelessness? Hopelessness – not grabbing and relaxing with the groundlessness of our situation. Taking refuge in the dharma is about giving up hope of getting ground under our feet.
68. Why is the proper motivation for a compassionate life death and hopelessness?
69. Proper motivation : Death and hopelessness provide proper motivation living an insightful and compassionate life.
77. Eight Worldly Dharmas Four pairs of opposites – 1. pleasure and pain 2. praise and criticism
78. Eight Worldly Dharmas Four pairs of opposites – 1. pleasure and pain 2. praise and criticism 3. fame and disgrace
79. Eight Worldly Dharmas Four pairs of opposites – 1. pleasure and pain 2. praise and criticism 3. fame and disgrace 4. gain and loss
80. Eight Worldly Dharmas Four pairs of opposites – 1. pleasure and pain 2. praise and criticism 3. fame and disgrace 4. gain and loss Subjective interpretation that Causes Suffering : Good feelings = pleasure, praise, fame and gain.
82. With regard to the dharmas, what causes suffering? Subjective interpretation that Causes Suffering : Good feelings = pleasure, praise, fame and gain. Bad feelings = pain, criticism, disgrace and loss
83. Devaputra Mara – seeking pleasure. Any obstacle we encounter has the potential to pull the rug out from underneath us.
84. Devaputra Mara – seeking pleasure. Any obstacle we encounter has the potential to pull the rug out from underneath us. In the face of pain or anxiety we strive to grasp something pleasant.
85. Devaputra Mara – seeking pleasure. Any obstacle we encounter has the potential to pull the rug out from underneath us. In the face of pain or anxiety we strive to grasp something pleasant. It is a description of how we are addicted to avoiding pain.
86. Devaputra Mara – seeking pleasure. Any obstacle we encounter has the potential to pull the rug out from underneath us. In the face of pain or anxiety we strive to grasp something pleasant. It is a description of how we are addicted to avoiding pain. Turning a devaputra arrow into a flower is to open our hearts and look at how we try to escape.
87. Skandha Mara – always trying to re-create ourselves . How we react psychologically when the rug is pulled out from under us.
88. Skandha Mara – always trying to re-create ourselves . How we react psychologically when the rug is pulled out from under us. Our habitual reaction based upon how things “should be” that re-creates our personality.
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90. Klesha Mara – using our emotions to keep ourselves dumb or asleep.
91. Klesha Mara – using our emotions to keep ourselves dumb or asleep. Strong emotions used to distort the situation. Rather than being with an uncomfortable feeling, we use it as a log on the bonfire of comfortable feelings.
92. Klesha Mara – using our emotions to keep ourselves dumb or asleep. Strong emotions used to distort the situation. Rather than being with an uncomfortable feeling, we use it as a log on the bonfire of comfortable feelings. It relativizes rationality with a brushfire of toxic feelings.
93. Klesha Mara – using our emotions to keep ourselves dumb or asleep. Strong emotions used to distort the situation. Rather than being with an uncomfortable feeling, we use it as a log on the bonfire of comfortable feelings. It relativizes rationality with a brushfire of toxic feelings. If we use our emotions and let them go rather than trying to regain our ground with them, we let them be simply a part of being alive.
94. Klesha Mara – using our emotions to keep ourselves dumb or asleep. Strong emotions used to distort the situation. Rather than being with an uncomfortable feeling, we use it as a log on the bonfire of comfortable feelings. It relativizes rationality with a brushfire of toxic feelings. If we use our emotions and let them go rather than trying to regain our ground with them, we let them be simply a part of being alive. When we soften towards our own emotions, we can befriend all human beings.
95. Klesha Mara – using our emotions to keep ourselves dumb or asleep. Strong emotions used to distort the situation. Rather than being with an uncomfortable feeling, we use it as a log on the bonfire of comfortable feelings. It relativizes rationality with a brushfire of toxic feelings. If we use our emotions and let them go rather than trying to regain our ground with them, we let them be simply a part of being alive. When we soften towards our own emotions, we can befriend all human beings. Letting emotions be part of the given of experience and letting them go turns the arrows into flowers.
96. Yama Mara – the fear of death. Seeking security or perfection, rejoicing in feeling confirmed and whole, self contained and comfortable is some kind of death.
97. Yama Mara – the fear of death. Seeking security or perfection, rejoicing in feeling confirmed and whole, self contained and comfortable is some kind of death. The essence of life is that it is challenging – bitter and sweet.
98. Yama Mara – the fear of death. Seeking security or perfection, rejoicing in feeling confirmed and whole, self contained and comfortable is some kind of death. The essence of life is that it is challenging – bitter and sweet. To be fully alive, fully awake is to be continually thrown out of the nest.
99. Yama Mara – the fear of death. Seeking security or perfection, rejoicing in feeling confirmed and whole, self contained and comfortable is some kind of death. The essence of life is that it is challenging – bitter and sweet. To be fully alive, fully awake is to be continually thrown out of the nest. To truly live is to be willing to die over and over again.
100. Yama Mara – the fear of death. Seeking security or perfection, rejoicing in feeling confirmed and whole, self contained and comfortable is some kind of death. The essence of life is that it is challenging – bitter and sweet. To be fully alive, fully awake is to be continually thrown out of the nest. To truly live is to be willing to die over and over again. A willingness to have our world fall a part and allowing ourselves to change (die) turns the flowers into arrows.
103. Bodhichitta – noble or awakened heart. It is said to be present in all beings.
104. Bodhichitta – noble or awakened heart. It is said to be present in all beings. A soft spot inherent in all people.
105. Bodhichitta – noble or awakened heart. It is said to be present in all beings. A soft spot inherent in all people. A tenderness for life. .
106. Bodhichitta – noble or awakened heart. It is said to be present in all beings. A soft spot inherent in all people. A tenderness for life. You take the pain of the world into your heart and in doing so you turn it into compassion.
107. Bodhichitta – noble or awakened heart. It is said to be present in all beings. A soft spot inherent in all people. A tenderness for life. You take the pain of the world into your heart and in doing so you turn it into compassion. In moments of vulnerability, bodhichitta is always there.
108. Bodhichitta – noble or awakened heart. It is said to be present in all beings. A soft spot inherent in all people. A tenderness for life. You take the pain of the world into your heart and in doing so you turn it into compassion. In moments of vulnerability, bodhichitta is always there. When we release the tension between this and that – the struggle between us and them … that is when bodhichitta emerges.
110. Tonglen – the practice of sending and receiving that is designed to awaken bodhichitta and put us in touch with our gentle and noble heart.
111. Tonglen – the practice of sending and receiving that is designed to awaken bodhichitta and put us in touch with our gentle and noble heart. It is a practice of taking in pain and sending out pleasure.
112. Tonglen – the practice of sending and receiving that is designed to awaken bodhichitta and put us in touch with our gentle and noble heart. It is a practice of taking in pain and sending out pleasure. By taking in pain and sending out pleasure, we reverse the well-established habit of doing just the opposite.
113. Tonglen – the practice of sending and receiving that is designed to awaken bodhichitta and put us in touch with our gentle and noble heart. It is a practice of taking in pain and sending out pleasure. By taking in pain and sending out pleasure, we reverse the well-established habit of doing just the opposite. Whenever we encounter suffering in any form we must breathe it in with the intention that everyone be free of pain.
114. Tonglen – the practice of sending and receiving that is designed to awaken bodhichitta and put us in touch with our gentle and noble heart. It is a practice of taking in pain and sending out pleasure. By taking in pain and sending out pleasure, we reverse the well-established habit of doing just the opposite. Whenever we encounter suffering in any form we must breathe it in with the intention that everyone be free of pain. Whenever we encounter happiness in any form, the instruction is to breathe it out, send it out with the wish that everyone could feel joy.
116. Tonglen – Breathe in suffering and breath out wellness. When we breathe in our armor begins to collapse because we enter into the pain in the world.
117. Tonglen – Breathe in suffering and breath out wellness. When we breathe in our armor begins to collapse because we enter into the pain in the world. When we breathe out relief and spaciousness we are also encouraging the armor to collapse because we let go of happiness rather than hold onto it tightly.
118. Tonglen – Breathe in suffering and breath out wellness. When we breathe in our armor begins to collapse because we enter into the pain in the world. When we breathe out relief and spaciousness we are also encouraging the armor to collapse because we let go of happiness rather than hold onto it tightly. The out breath is a metaphor for opening our whole being to what truly is.
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