Relieving Suffering by Dispelling Illusions - a Universal Need

     "Although at this time mindfulness meditation is most commonly taught and practiced within the context of Buddhism, its essence is universal. Mindfulness is basically just a particular way of paying attention. It is a way of looking deeply into oneself in the spirit of enquiry and self-understanding. For this reason it can be learned and practiced, as we do in the stress clinic, without appealing to Oriental or Buddhist authority to enrich it or authenticate it.

     ... it is no accident that mindfulness comes out of Buddhism, which has as its overriding concerns the relief of suffering and the dispelling of illusions."

      Kabat-Zinn J. “Full catastrophe living. Using the wisdom of your body and mind to face stress, pain and illness”. Dell Publishing, NY, 1990. 

Wisdom, Awareness & Self Transcendence

     "If wisdom is defined as a combination of 
          • cognitive (an understanding of life & the desire to know the truth), 
          • reflective (the ability & willingness to look at phenomena & events from different perspectives), and 
          • affective (sympathetic & compassionate love for others) personality qualities, 
then truly wise people, such as Jesus Christ or the Buddha, can also be described as the most psychologically developed persons. They are mature; psychologically healthy; autonomous; fully liberated from all outside & inside forces; and are, therefore, the masters of their own fate.

     Because people who grow in wisdom gradually come to accept reality as it is (and not as they would like it to be), including the negative side of their personalities, they are able to learn from their experiences, which allows them to overcome their negative tendencies and to gain inner peace through the de­velopment of equanimity. Hence, they tend to be less affected by external events and internal drives than other people, which results in greater autonomy and control.

     Yet wise individuals are also selfless; that is, they have transcended the egotistical self and feel more part of the ocean instead of an individual wave. How can we explain the paradox that the highest level of self-development requires a quieting of the ego and the transcendence of the self?"

        Ardelt M. "Self-development through selflessness: The paradoxical process of growing wiser." in Wayment HA, Bauer JJ eds. "Decade of behavior." American Psychological Association, Washington, DC, 2008.

     More from Ardelt's chapter: http://mindfulnessforeveryone.blogspot.ca/2013/07/375-self-development-self-knowledge.html

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The Flash, the Shimmer, the Nervous Quiver - Anicca

     This cup that I hold in my hand - regardless of how I feel about it - "is already broken."

     In the movie Apocalypse Now, the meat-grinder reality of jungle war suddenly transforms into a stage full of Playboy Playmates suggestively gyrating to "Suzie Q". Just as suddenly - mass chaos erupts as love-starved soldiers storm the stage to grab hold - clinging, clinging, clinging. Helicopters whisk away the Playmates & music ... dukkha, dukkha, dukkha. Gone as if it never happened ... yet another rainbow, vapor, ephemeral moment-in-time ... anicca, anicca, anicca.

     But WHO is suffering? Anatta, anatta, anatta ...
     

movies.livemall.co

 

Mind AND Heart to Disengage from Conditioning

     "Over the years of teaching, I've found a growing need for profound lovingkindness & compassion -- a transformation of the heart -- to underlie the insights and understandings that come out of the practice. An opening of the mind needs to be supported by compassion from the heart if the practice is to be integrated, fulfilled, and lived in our lives. 
     The value of mindfulness practice is discovered in the freedom we find through awareness. Without awareness, we repeat the patterns of fear & conditioning that keep us entangled individually & collectively. Without awareness, we suffer. With awareness, we can see the contractions of the mind, how the mind gets caught and how we can learn to let go. With awareness we can reawaken to the purity of joy and freedom that is fundamental to our true nature."                        Jack Kornfield    http://www.dharmaseed.org/teacher/85/

 

Eliza taking a well-earned rest

Understanding & Releasing Suffering

      “I’d like to underscore a point the Dalai Lama has made repeatedly: ‘Buddhist teachings are not a religion, they are a science of mind.’ This does not deny the fact that for many people around the world Buddhism has also come to function as a religion. Like most religions, it offers its followers a rich tradition of devotional practices, communal rituals, and sacred stories. But this is not the origin of Buddhism or its core. The Buddha was a human being, not a god, and what he offered his followers were experiential teachings and practices, a revolutionary way to understand and release suffering. From his own inner experiments, he discovered a systematic and remarkable set of trainings to bring about happiness and fulfill the highest levels of human development. Today, it is this path of practice and liberation that draws most Western students to Buddhism.
     (These) teachings … are a compelling challenge to much of Western psychology and to the materialism, cynicism, & despair found in Western culture as well.”

        Kornfield J. “The Wise Heart: A Guide to the Universal Teachings of Buddhist Psychology.” Bantam Books, NY, 2008. 

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A Full Range of Awakenings are Available

     “In place of the word enlightenment, which is laden with so many ideas and misunderstandings, I have used the terms inner freedom and liberation to clearly express the full range of awakenings available to us through Buddhist practice. I want the stories and awakenings of students and practitioners to help us trust our own profound capacity for kindness and wisdom. I want us to discover the power of the heart to hold all things – sorrow, loneliness, shame, desire, regret, frustration, happiness, and peace – and to find a deep trust that wherever we are and whatever we face, we can be free in their midst.”

        Kornfield J. “The Wise Heart: A Guide to the Universal Teachings of Buddhist Psychology.” Bantam Books, NY, 2008. 

 

BenoitD   www.dpreview.com

Buddhist Teachings - Religion? Philosophy? Psychology?

    "Buddhist teachings are not a religion,
     they are a science of mind."               Dalai Lama

 
     For those "not running away from life, but seeking a wise path through it."
       Kornfield J. “The wise heart. A guide to the universal teachings of Buddhist psychology.” Bantam books. NY, 2008.

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