The Meaning of Life

When this question suddenly appeared in my mailbox, after a moment of astonishment, I really rejoiced! Finally! Finally, we can get to the heart of things! Indeed, I am often asked how I live as a Buddhist nun, where I live, what I do with my days, for how long I meditate… but the source of all my spiritual journey is really this question: what is the meaning of life?

But, as soon as the question is asked, a second question suddenly appears: why should life have meaning?

And then a third question? Life in relation to what? To death?

This theme is also rarely addressed. Death. Is there life after death? And before that? What do we do now?

When the Buddha was asked this question, he kept silent about the afterlife. I guess he had a sweet, quiet little smile then. The smile of the one who knows but can say nothing. The smile of the lived and non-transferable experience.

When asked, “What comes after life? ” The Buddha sometimes replied: “If you are hit by a poisoned arrow, do you go and find out from which wood the arrow is, who fired it, with what strength, to which tribe the warrior belongs, etc? No, the most important thing is to take care of yourself. As soon as possible!”

Indeed, for Buddha and therefore for Buddhists, the most important thing is to do what has to be done now. At the heart of life itself.

In this sense, for Buddhists, the meaning of life is… to live!

Live what presents itself with intensity.

Hear, see, feel, feel, in real-time. Taste the flavour of the moment.

And discover, at the heart of the present moment, that life’s path is not always from the past to the future, but can also be from the future to the present.

A new perspective, isn’t it?

With grateful thanks to...https://excellencereporter.com/

Tan Renga Challenge 2019: Day 18: Lightning Flash

Lightning flash above Athens, Greece

lightning flash–

what I thought were faces

are plumes of pampas grass

what is real, I ask myself

you or I or anything?

~Basho & Cie~

Notes:

The Hokku stanza of this Tan Renga was written by Matsuo Basho (1644 - 1694). The Akegu stanza was created by me.

to study the self is to forget the self.

 Dogen Zenji

We Are The Universe

"The tao that can be told

is not the eternal Tao.

The name that can be named

is not the eternal Name.

The unnameable is the eternally real."

Some believe in God as a deity. Some believe there are no deities. It really doesn't matter. I don't believe in belief. God is a man made word as is deity.  Neither are right. Neither are wrong. What made us all is beyond words, beyond comprehension. IT doesn't need a label as IT just is. IT is unnameable. IT is unknowable. 

"There is a thing inherent and natural, which existed before heaven and earth. Motionless and fathomless, It stands alone and never changes; It pervades everywhere and never becomes exhausted. It may be regarded as the Mother of the universe. I do not know its name."

We are of the Universe. Indeed we are the Universe. Within us are the same atoms as found in the Universe. The same molecules as found in the Earth. We are one and the same thing. Haemin Sunim is his book "The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down" says this about our oneness with the Universe...

"The whole Universe is contained within an apple wedge 

within a lunch box.

Appletree, sunlight, cloud, rain, earth, air,

farmer's sweat are all in it.

Delivery truck, gas, market, money

cashier's smile are all in it.

Refrigerator, knife, cutting board,

mother's love are all in it.

Everything in the whole Universe depends

on one another.

Now think about what exists in you.

The whole universe is in us."

Letting Go

Let Go of Comparing

^

Let Go of Competing

^

Let Go of Judgements

^

Let Go of Anger

^ 

Let Go of Regrets

^

Let Go of Worrying

^  

Let Go of Blame

^

Let Go of Guilt

^

Let Go of Fear 

Compassion is Not Weakness

Different Vantage Points on the Journey

Different Vantage Points on the Journey

by

Opal 

I wanted to comment on the post by my friend Lily regarding whether or not things can be considered magical, but what I had to say was a little too long to be a comment. 

One commenter said that ze (not sure if commenter is male or female) did not agree with Lily's assessment that it is hard to see such a troubled world as magical. Ze was respectful in zir comments. However, Teammate Illsa took zir statement to be minimizing Lily's experiences as a person traveling through the Dark Night of the Soul. 

Illsa's expression of defense of her friend and indignation at a perceived attack is a third viewpoint.

May I express the viewpoint that none of these individuals are wrong in their perceptions of the world. They are simply coming from different vantage points on their own personal journey.

GSB sees the world as full of magic. Ze is not wrong. There are many magical things in the world, and in a sense there is magic in everything. I perceive magic as being an energy. Everything has energy.

Lily sees the world as being rather a sorrowful place and is at a point where she has trouble perceiving anything as being magical or good. Lily is not wrong. The world is indeed a place of sorrow and suffering.

Illsa sees the world as being filled with threats to that which is good. She is not wrong. There is a lot to fear in the world.

What is key is to respect the fact that we are all on different parts of the journey to enlightenment, the journey away from suffering. No person's experiences will duplicate another's. We are all alone in our particular experiences. Yet we can share similarities and alleviate our loneliness.

It is what is.

Namaste.