Fraughtwithperil's Guest Blog

Chikushonin, you wrote: "My own thought is that the conflict between self and no-self is completely resolved by awakening to a state of life where self equals others, and that such a state of life is what it means to attain Buddhahood as a common mortal, to manifest Buddhahood in ones present form and in ones present circumstances."

I really enjoyed this blog, and especially this statement. In fact, last night I was reading the "Eight Steps To Happiness: The Buddhist Way To Loving Kindness" by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso and underlined something along the same lines...

"The source of all delusions is a distorted awareness called 'self-grasping ignorance," which grasps phenomena as inherently, or independently, existent... The type of self-grasping that harms us most is grasping our own self... One consequence of grasping at our self as an independent entity separate from the world and other people is that we develop self-cherishing, a mind that regards ourself as supremely self-important... In this way, attachment, anger, and indifference are born."

This is just a small snippet of his comments, of course, but it ties in well with your astute observation and understanding. Rather than self or no-self, we can embrace all selves or (all no-selves?) as one and the same, or at least equal in importance.

I'm tired tonight, so hope I'm making sense.

Queen Lolo

By the way, what do the characters after your name mean?
chikushonin 智倶諸人
大求道心,妙覚,命時僧倶經.
南無妙法蓮華命時儈倶經

Your blog was as good as the special effects in the movie. I think everythin I think is a matter of perspective. I like the saying that all statements are true in some sense,false in some sense, and meaningless in some sense.

one

Dear Queen Lolo,

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I’ll go with “equal in importance” in terms of “self equals others”. What ‘self equals others’ means in terms of this present moment is not the denial of the self of the common mortal, it is the natural tendency to take action based on true wisdom that accomplishes what is best for all without thought of personal gain or loss.

Your question:

‘By the way, what do the characters after your name mean?’

’chikushonin 智倶諸人’ means ‘chikushonin’

· 智 【ないち】 inner wisdom

· 倶 【く】 together with
· 諸 【しょ】 many, all, various, the various

· 人 【にん】 human being(s)

It is my name and my purpose: “Wisdom unifying all people”

大求道心, Jap., Daikudoshin, En., great seeking mind,

妙覚, Jap., myokakyu, En., mystically awakened (lit., perfect enlightenment)

命時僧倶經., Jap., myojisokukyo, En., Buddhahood as manifest reality.

南無妙法蓮華命時儈倶經, Jap., Namumyohorengemyojisokukyo. En., the daimoku I chant, the unified Three Great Secret Laws.

Dear one great reason,

Thank you for commenting; although, I have to admit, I am not sure if your first sentence amounts to a compliment or disparagement. Either way, I thank you for sharing.

You also write: "I like the saying that all statements are true in some sense, false in some sense, and meaningless in some sense."

Could you give us your perspective on what is a) true in some sense, b) false in some sense, and c) meaningless in some sense, in regard to the following statement?

"The Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones , wish to open the door of Buddha wisdom to all living beings, to allow them to attain purity. That is why they appear in the world. They wish to show the Buddha wisdom to living beings, and therefore they appear in the world. They wish to cause living beings to awaken to the Buddha wisdom, and therefore they appear in the world. They wish to induce living beings to enter the path of Buddha wisdom, and therefore they appear in the world. Shariputra, this is the one great reason for which the Buddhas appear in the world."

That's not easy, but I'll try. On the surface this is a description of what buddha's do in the world. You can say their whole point of existing is to lead and encourage living beings to become enlightened. So in that sense it is true.

Now if these people existed in other lifetimes and had exhuasted their karma and did not need to be reborn and were being reborn just to teach the dharma then the statement would be litaraly true. But if as I beleive buddha's are born for the same reason as everyone else then the statement is false. Even though they may spend their lives in pursuit of this high goal they were born as deluded as everyone else.

The whales swimming in the sea maybe deluded or they may be enlightened but I've never heard of a buddha preaching to whales so this statement might be meaningless to the whales.

I think statements can be true, false or meaningless in more than one way as well and these are just what immediately came to mind.

It's best to view all truth as expidient means in my opinion and just keep using whatever works.

Great blog, great subject matter.
Needless to say I loved episode III.
Funny, but the lines that stuck with me was;

Anakin; "you're either with me or against me"

Obiwan; "Only the Sith think in absolutes"

I find myself repeating this to myself often... It was deeply profound that not only are the Sith selfish, but they believe everyone *else* is as well.

Rev. Greg