Comments Made to Articles in Tricycle Magazine 02, 09/26/2024

01) Whose idea of the "Spozed To Be" are we following here? Where one life is nothing, and a thousand generations, more or less, are required for karma to finally get around to perfecting the next Buddha, or is the one after the next, or the one before? And who made all of this up? None of this can be taken as a report on reality. All of it is BS in the form of hallucinations, delusions, nightmares and dreams taken for actual fact and percolated through centuries of imagination, loneliness and isolation producing schizophrenia and  mental states unknown to but a few. A psychological examination of the history of Buddhism would produce what? I'm betting it would be far from the center of the bell-shaped curve. No?

02) I find no room in the "community" for individual peculiarity. The Dharma and sutras and chants are memorized. It is a lock-step organization. We do what we are told, thinking and saying what we are "spozed" to think and say. Our orthodoxy must be as pure as the Pure Land to which we aspire. We never hear of Buddhist mavericks, dissenters, insurrectionists, etc. They all are carbon copies, chicks in a brood. No thinking is no thinking for ones own self. That is why thinking is discouraged and a blank mind encouraged. No Buddhist ever has a mind of their own. It is anathema.

03) Mindful awareness with equanimity is the appropriate combination of experiencing all of life with wu-wei, understood not only as "doing by not-doing," but also as "caring by not-caring." We act in the service of our idea of what is called for in each situation as it arises, caring yet not-caring about the outcome. We do our work, or our part, as the Tao te Ching suggests, and step back, letting that be that, with nothing at stake in what happens, but acting in response to whatever happens out of our understanding of what needs to happen then, there, etc. for the rest of our life.

04) "Peaceful abiding, here, now." This is all the Buddhism anybody needs. Anything more than this is to add complexity, confusion and contradiction, along with trauma and drama, to the essence of the Buddha's life and message: "Peaceful abiding, here, now."

05) And there is no way of verifying and substantiating that they know what they are talking about. Which makes Karma meaningless to my way of thinking. "Peaceful abiding, here, now," creates the kind of Karma I'm interested in, and that is all I am interested in. Like those who know (Or say they know) can create their own idea of Karma and live in light of it, so I can create my own idea of Karma and live in light of it." We all can be the best Buddha we can be in each here, now that arises--and that is all that can be asked of anyone, even the Buddha.

06) The Five Hindrances disappear "like that," when we disappear our wanting/desiring, fearing, willing, duty/obligation, planning, expecting, etc. and live without reacting to our circumstances beyond seeing things as they are and letting that be that. Why all the opinions? Disappear opinions! Just see things as they are and allow them to be what they are, with "Peaceful arising, here, now!"

07) What's with suffering? What's with happiness? We are never more than a shift in perspective, a change in attitude away from suffering or not suffering. From happiness or unhappiness. There is nothing intrinsic in our situation that demands suffering, that requires unhappiness. Our response to our situation determines its impact upon us. We do not have to suffer because we are dying (Here's one for you: We ARE dying!). We can choose to look forward to finding out what is "on the other side." Or make a list of things we are not going to miss when we are gone (It will likely be longer than the list of things we will miss!), Suffering and unhappiness are way over-blown. It is a ruse to sell Buddhism to the masses.

08) I find this to be an excellent article and helpful in many aspects. For one thing, it suggests that Christianity would be well-served to think about many different "Christian traditions" rather than "denominations." We all have different ways of seeing what we look at because of where we have been and how that has impacted us. I am left with the importance of being my own authority when considering all forms of spiritual expression and belief. I am as Buddhist as I care to be--and as Christian as well, confident that the Buddha and Jesus would have gotten along well together, and much better than their followers. Raising the question, "Who has the authority to impose their way of seeing on anyone else?" (Also put as, "Why would anyone cede their authority to someone else?"). Thanks to Bhikkhu Anãlayo for his perspective!

09) Joy is the heart of oneness with who we are and what we are about, and meditation is the means of realization. Meditation is a self-induced trance state between the worlds of rationality and intuition. We go there to know--not to think. To realize--not to obey. We drop into the silence and arise to do what is called for here, now--at one with with who we are and what we are about, and joyfully present with all that is.

10) I am interested in the trance state as the source of knowing, worldwide, throughout time. Buddhism, with its meditative emphasis, its chanting, its drums and bells, emptiness/stillness/silence (One thing, not three!) is grounded on trance production as the origin of all it stands for. And, I am curious as to why the regimentation? Why is individuality not more “a thing”? Trance states could be freeing, creative, iconoclastic, states of being, but Buddhism is “by the book” as much as the military is. What?

11) Being here, now, is presence here, now, is openness to here, now, without prejudice, favoritism, preference or opinion. Just seeing, just hearing, just perceiving, just knowing, just doing what is called for when, where, how it is called for, in each situation (here, now) as it arises, all our life long. How would you improve this process? Why would you think it needs improvement? Just being "as one thus come" here, now and doing what is called for in response: Chopping wood, carrying water. Eating when hungry, resting when tired... "Improvement" is interference! Let things be as they are, here, now, and forever.

12) We have to focus... The list of have to's is unending. In laboring under the list, we lose sight of "peaceful abiding, here, now." Are we going to focus, or are we going to abide peacefully here, now?

13) "No ancient text can be considered definitive." What is "definitive"? How do we know? Who says so? How do we know they know? Assumptions, presumptions, projections, declarations, opinions are everywhere. Who is to say? Everyone is talking, talking, talking, but who is to say? Buddaha-nature." We hear the term all of the time. Another ancient tradition says, "The spirit is like the wind that blows where it will." Is Buddha-nature the same as the spirit? Is the spirit within or without or within and without? Who is to say? We can talk, talk, talk forever without saying anything. What does all/any of it have to do with "Peaceful arising, here, now"?

14) I had a short conversation with a fellow who said that I couldn't be in love with an inanimate object (I had professed falling in love with a camera the instant I saw one on a poolside table in a made for TV movie when I was 18 years old). I don't have anything to say to people who tell me what I can and cannot experience about my own inner workings. Which makes it easy for me to take a vow of silence and solitude, excusing myself from social occasions except those involving family members—and I don’t do family reunions.

15) When we throw away theology and live in filial devotion to our original nature, our innate virtues (The things we do best and enjoy doing most), and our intrinsic intuition, doing what is called for, when, where and how it is called for in each situation as it arises without looking for what is in it for us, we will be at one with who we are, doing what is ours to do. Jesus couldn't do better than that.

16) The Buddha did it by himself. How hard can it be? Why is there anything to it at all? The entire charade of Buddhism consists of words, words, words, and more words when it all comes down to two things originating with the Buddha himself: "Meditation consists of peaceful abiding here, now." "Don't take my word for it--find out for yourself what works best when, where, how, and do that!"

17) Buddhism is a whirl wind in heavy fog. It talks about the here, now being all there is. And it talks about the influence of fifty, or five thousand (There seems to be some confusion about how many exactly) life times for Karma to develop and have an impact in some here, now thousands, if not millions, of life times away. Absurdity chasing preposterousness throughout time.

18) Wonderful work here! I am grateful for the insights offered and the knowledge of the currents being generated in conjunction with the flow of life around Buddhism in Turkey. When we get Self out of the way the way carries us along quite nicely, no?

19) This is beautifully done, and underscores the central place of listening/witnessing in the work of being peacefully present here, now. Seeing/hearing/knowing/doing/being encompass the work of presence, which is the work of doing what is called for here, now.

20) "The right question" is the only question: What is the deal with merit??? With "What's in it for me?"??? With profit, advancement, gain??? in the same room with "Getting rid of ego is the most important thing"??? When there is benefit to be earned by getting rid of ego, who are we kidding? When ego is behind getting rid of ego what are we rid of? Merit and Karma are partners in the dissolution of Buddhism and the essence of its self-destruction via. internal contradiction wherein "this" cannot be true if "that" is. Just stick with the basics : Meditation is peaceful arising here, now. And, Don't take our word for it, find out for yourself what works best in doing what is called for in each situation as it arises. Let everything else fall into place around these two things.

21) Buddhism contends that all is one. Science declares everything is energy. Everything is one the way everything is energy. In the meantime, that is to say, here, now, everything is just what it is, and what we do in response to it determines--or strongly influences--what follows. Doing what is called for in each situation as it arises carries us into the flow of life and being, in to the dance of seeing/knowing/doing/being. Dancing the dance is being one with the flow. Peaceful abiding, here, now. That is all there is to it.

22) Donald Trump and his minions have deliberately created a mass of follower-voters by cultivating fear within them through the endless/constant repetition of lies on Fox News, Conspiracy Radio talk shows, social media sites and ads. Their Mafia of the Mind is based on the theme of Donald being the only one who can save his followers from the threats that Donald has manufactured in their minds. He is the Mastermind of Evil and Madness. Creating suffering and promising to cure it at the same time. I don't see how Buddhism can hope to effectively counter the suffering Donald is producing without engaging his lies directly/politically, exposing what he is doing with side-by-side video clips of what he is saying and how he is benefiting from saying it, mirroring to his audience what he is doing to them and how he is doing it. We cannot hope to reduce suffering without taking suffering head-on in attacking the cause of suffering when it is as intentional and as deceitful as the production that is Donald Trump continues to be.  

23) Life eats life. The first law of Nature. The big fish eat the little fish and the little fish swim through the nets that haul the big fish to the cannery. The second law of nature. Grow up--let be what is. The third law of nature. No striving! No forcing! No compelling! No pushing! "You can't push the river!" Buddhism's failure is its striving to justify everything so that there are no contradictions anywhere. Contradictions are everywhere. Love requires us to say "NO!" Love says yes and no in being appropriate to the occasion. Love is contradictory that way. Sometimes we do it this way and sometimes we do it that way, and we always strive to do what is called for in each situation as it arises. "Without contrary is no progression." We make too much of nonduality. All things are one the way all matter is energy. Good Buddhists get up and meet the day the way the day needs to be met. "Eat when hungry, rest when tired."

24) "Here I am, now what?" Dropping into emptiness/stillness/silence (One thing, not three) to wait for "the mud to settle and the water to clear," so that what is called for here, now arises before us inviting us to rise ourselves and enter the field of action to do what needs to be done, when, where, and how it needs to be done (One thing, not three) in the service of "Here I am, now what?" then dropping back into emptiness... Down and UP, Up and Down through all situations and circumstances as long as life shall last. The way of the Buddha.

25) Suffering is our response to our circumstances. We may choose not to suffer. Suffering is not automatic. “This” does not necessarily mean “That.” We could be curious instead of being traumatized. Introspective instead of grief-filled. “Peacefully abiding” instead of sobbing uncontrollably. We have a wide range of choices regarding our response to what is happening here, now. We could spend our time expanding our repertory as easily as feeding our fear and anxiety. “When this happens how shall I respond? Why that and not something else instead? What could I do in addition to wailing and moaning or staring at the floor? We have choices about how we respond to any situation. Why not explore them? Enlarge them?

26) The practice has to be simple. We drop into the emptiness (stillness/silence) and wait to see what meets us there, what arises to catch our eye, get our attention, and send us back into the field of action with a sense of what is called for to live in the service of what needs to be done in each situation as it emerges, from the circumstances of our life,with the gifts of our original nature, our innate virtues (What we do best and enjoy doing most), and our intrinsic intuition.

27) To live this way, dropping into the silence (emptiness/stillness) and rising up into the field of action, is to follow the path of Tao in living aligned with the flow of life and being, at one with who we are and what is ours to do. To live this way is to "Peacefully abide, here, now." No Dharma. No sutras. No sitting properly. No purity of mind. etc. No striving to do it right. Just doing it the way it needs to be done, here, now.