Dalai Lama on Religion

"Developing love and compassion and reducing anger and spite is a universal activity which requires no faith in any religion whatsoever." - Dalai Lama

In a previous post I talked about the problem with modern religion in order to consider the potential ‘religion’ may hold as an institution. This quote from the Dalai Lama adds another layer to that critique. Don’t you find it ironic when you hear stories about angry religious people who are full of spite? I don’t think religion is inherently bad, but I find many people either miss the point or move away from it since they don’t see a point. Those who miss the point – at the most extreme level – are out protesting in anger and burning the holy books of other religions groups (See Terry Jones). Those who don’t see the point have most likely been turned off by religious extremists, or have been brought up in sterile traditions which shove morality down your throat – or both. So what’s this point I’m talking about.

The point is increasing happiness – what we all look for anyway – through cultivating ‘love’ –Basically learning how to love harder. Now If you’re skeptical, let me explain. As Plato’s Socrates said, the highest purpose of love is to become a lover of wisdom – for him this is equivalent to becoming a philosopher. Wisdom, in its mystic sense, can be found at the core of each religion – hence the term ‘wisdom tradition’. If you strip religion of all its doctrine, hierarchies, and ‘unwavering’ laws, you will be left with its core ‘wisdom’.

By wisdom I don’t mean hidden rules or knowledge; I mean practices – particularly, practices which cultivate love. The benefits of specific practices can be seen in within the field of positive pychology (click to view insights into Buddhist practices). Loving-kindness meditation is actually considered a practice of Buddhism. This is not limited to Buddhism, but can also be found in Christian monasticism and several other religions. When you get down to this level of religion, it begins to lose its strong attachment to faith, authority, and other modern institutional structures.

So how does this relate to the Dalai Lama’s quote? He says love and compassion “requires no faith in any religion whatsoever." He has also said “kindness is my religion”. By equating religion with kindness, this eliminates the institutional structure altogether. If religion becomes ‘kindness’, where is the need for faith? The alternative to focusing on faith – which presupposes knowledge and laws – is the focus is on practices which are a tool for growth. Of course, this is a break from ‘religion’ as we commonly know it.

Rather than being a mere part of the flock, over-determined by the laws of a master, one must make religion into ‘kindness’; only then can freedom and individual growth begin to occur. On that note, I will end this post with another quote:

“All major religious traditions carry basically the same message, that is love, compassion and forgiveness, the important thing is they should be part of our daily lives.” – Dalai Lama

Meditation: Beyond Mere Relaxation

The Purpose of Spiritual Practice

I recently came back from a weekend fitness conference where I had my first official experience in the practice of yoga meditation. Being the open minded skeptic I am, I went into the experience open to new possibilities with my stubborn malarkey detector on high gear constantly brining me back to reality. I found myself constantly struggling between the idea that this practice was just fluffy thinking, and the idea that this practice can actually allow you to live with a heightened sense of well-being.

After completing a surprisingly deep meditation I was convinced that this was real, only to find myself becoming the skeptic a few minutes after I left the workshop. I turned to a person who was in the workshop and asked, "I seem to really feel the effects of the energy in meditation, but I realize I'm probably just deluding myself into feeling something thats not really there..."  the person responded to me with a piece of insight that has stuck with me ever since: "Isn't that the point of religion?"

Ever since that workshop I have realized we can live with both spiritual practice and skepticism. Meditating on a certain type of energy, repeating mantras, praying the rosary, and singing hymns all have a certain healing power that is often overlooked: the power of the mind. The theory behind these practices may not be scientifically valid, but that is not the point. The point is that these practices are powerful tools that allow one to achieve alternate states of mind conducive to living well.

Missing the Point: Mystification

           Today I was listening to a Christian preacher on the radio and found myself agreeing with his sermon on the harms of living egocentrically. I realized his ideas were not strictly Christian, nor were they strictly religious. The themes he preached fit quite well with the spiritual teachings of  Eckhart Tolle, philosophies found in Buddhism, as well as with Psychoanalytic theories in Psychology. I was compelled to continue listening since his insights were practical and applicable to living well. This all quickly changed when the preacher started branding his ideas ‘Christian’ in the form of divine truth. To take ethical beliefs as God-given, and to live morally for the sake of worshiping a transcendental entity is to miss the point altogether.

           I believe we should take these concepts, that are often mistaken as mystical, and bring them down to a concrete level in order to see how they may operate in the everyday. This can be seen with the concept of Karma in Buddhism. Karma works on a action/ reaction basis rather than a mystical one. Karma 'energy' is not something transient, but rather the lens through witch one sees the world. This Lens affects ones emotions, which in turn affects their actions. These actions then affect how other people perceive the individual. A Cooley said; 'I am who I think you think I am', therefore, the self becomes created on this basis. This micro chain of action/ reaction works on a macro level and can be otherwise called the 'butterfly effect'.

          Many religious concepts that are thought to be 'mystical' can actually be perceived as down-to-earth insights we can all relate to. The mystification of morality occurs where there is literal interpretation of poetic writing.

What is Spirit?

  

         

          Spirituality is the life of the spirit. The spirit is not a thing, but a function. It is the act of thinking, willing, imagining, ect... Spirituality is living and experiencing as opposed to supernatural transcendence. It is not the metaphysical or transcendence of entities, but the absolute. The absolute refers to the everything in existence; supernatural creator entities can not be included since their existence suggests something beyond everything which leads to the question of who created the creator. The idea of the absolute in this way is seen in Epicurus's pan, Lucetius's summa summarum, and Spinoza's nature. The sum of all relations, conditions, and points of view is the absolute.

“ These are the fundamental concepts with which Spinoza sets forth a vision of Being, illuminated by his awareness of God. They may seem strange at first sight. To the question "What is?" he replies: "Substance, its attributes, and modes. ” — Karl Jaspers

        
        God is not in nature like water to a sponge, but rather IS nature; therefore, instead of using the word 'God', the word 'nature' is more suitable. Spirituality is immanence rather than transcendence. It can't be given, attained, or bought. It is not magic or god given, but rather, an inner experience. It is what the Jewish call would call 'the breath of life', what Christians would call being 'filled with spirit', and what Buddhists call 'being awake'. The purpose of a spiritual life is to lead followers down the path of intimacy and connectedness with the richness of ordinary life through a sense of connectedness with the extraordinary in the midst of the ordinary. It is our sense of at-one-ness with all that is.

Difference Between Wisdom and Knowledge

“’ What is the main principal of Buddha’s teachings?’        The Master replied, ‘Do no evil and perform what is good.’ Bai Juyi said, ‘even a three-year-old knows that!’ The master responded, ‘A three-year-old may know it, but not even an eighty-year-old can do it.’” - Recorded dialogues of Daolin

       This is the disconnect between the metaphorical heart and the mind. We can conjure up a multitude of idealistic thoughts, and just as easily neglect their transfer to action. This gap in thought and action can be seen in the smoker who, again, claims they are quitting, in the couch potato who wants to get in shape but never seems to take the necessary steps, and the student who knows how to obtain an ‘A’ but does not take the required action. It appears that we, as subjects, at times lack the willpower to carry out the thoughts that we consider virtuous. Though, this is not only a problem of willpower: this is is a problem of mind-heart disconnect. This problem is essentially a wisdom deficit. Wisdom is defined as possessing the knowledge of what is right and combining it with proper action. Eckhart Tolle describes wisdom very eloquently in the following passage:

“You do not become good by trying to be good, but by finding the goodness that is already within you, and allowing the goodness to emerge. But it can only emerge if something fundamental changes in your state of consciousness”

      This shift in consciousness is precisely the essence of wisdom. Simply trying to be become good is never sufficient since it draws upon that same state of consciousness that produced the suffering in the first place. One must be prepared to view the world through a new lens. Getting rid of a foggy or broken worldview may be the first step.

5 Practical Forms of Meditation

            Recently meditation has been gaining popularity in the west. Meditation can be a powerful way to relive anxiety and maintain focus in an ever increasingly fast paced society. I am going to outline some of the basic types of meditation that can be easily integrated into ones hectic lifestyle in order to maintain presence and ease stress.

1) Mindfulness: This is the practice of the mind operating in the present moment rather than being lost in thought. Don’t dwell on the past, don’t become anxious about the future. Focusing on the present situation can be done any time whether you’re working, doing chores, participating in a hobby, or any other daily activity. Immerse yourself completely into the activity at hand and take notice of small details you would normally overlook.

2) Breathing Meditation: Relax in a comfortable position, close your eyes and concentrate on your breathing. You may notice your breaths become slightly deeper. Focus the mind solely on the sensation of each breath.

3) Walking Meditation: This is a form of mindfulness that focuses entirely on each sensation as you walk. Notice the feeling of each part of your foot against the ground, the feeling of the atmosphere, the feel of your clothes against your skin, and the sensation of each breath you take. Take notice of your surroundings and feel present within them.

4) Transcendental Meditation: This is a form of meditation that has gained a lot of hype lately. It is portrayed as the most difficult form of meditation which requires the guiding of a spiritual guru who provides you with a unique mantra. In reality, a mantra is simply a tool to tire the mind and bring it into a state of blankness. This state of mind is said to be the connection to our true nature. This can be done by sitting in a comfortable position and getting into a relaxed state through breathing meditation. Once in a relaxed state, any word or sound can be repeated in your mind. The key is to not focus on the meaning of the sound, but rather just the sound. The less you think, the deeper you go. The goal is to go beyond concentration and  transcend the realm of thought.

5) Contemplation: This is the opposite of transcendental meditation since it focuses completely on  thoughts. This can be done with a short passage of wisdom such as an inspirational quote, philosophical maxim, or teaching from a religious text. Deeply understand this idea and how it relates to you.

“The ultimate value of life depends upon awareness and the power of contemplation rather than upon mere survival.” - Aristotle

Einstein Quotes on Buddhism

 

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed.” -Albert Einstein

“If there is any religion that would cope with modern scientific needs it would be Buddhism.” -Albert Einstein

"When you examine the lives of the most influential people who have ever walked among us, you discover one thread that winds through them all. They have been aligned first with their spiritual nature and only then with their physical selves.”
-Albert Einstein

“Buddhism has the characteristics of what would be expected in a cosmic religion for the future: It transcends a personal God, avoids dogmas and theology; it covers both the natural and spiritual; and it is based on a religious sense aspiring from the experience of all things, natural and spiritual, as a meaningful unity.” -Albert Einstein

"Measured objectively, what a man can wrest from Truth by passionate striving is utterly infinitesimal. But the striving frees us from the bonds of the self and makes us comrades of those who are the best and the greatest." -Albert Einstein

“A human being is part of the whole, called by us 'Universe'; a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest--a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely but striving for such achievement is, in itself, a part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security.” -Albert Einstein

Fine Line Between The Buddha and The Beggar

We've all heard the line, "there's a fine line between genius and insanity". This fine line between opposites can also be applied to the a Buddhist vs a vagrant beggar. 

Take this scenario:

A Buddhist and a beggar are walking down a path and the beggar asks the Buddhist what he is trying to achieve.
"I aim to live my life in the now, for thats what the Buddhist tradition teaches." replies the Buddhist.
To which the beggar quickly responds; "Why do you need Buddhism?  I can teach you how to do that!"

The art of living in the present moment is fundamental to  the Buddhist way of life. Meditation is one of the practices that trains the mind to rid itself of thought so that the present moment can be experienced to the fullest. When woody Allan said, "80% of life is just showing up", he was on to something. Showing up to the present moment allows us to escape mechanical mindsets that keep us from experiencing fullness in life.

As a retreatist from mainstream expectations, the vagrant beggar lives in the present moment. Perhaps the beggar is drug addicted and simply looking for a fix. Upon getting that fix, the beggar feels every sensation. Warmth coming up through the veins, a liquid orgasm engulfs the body; consciousness zoomed in on the present. The anxiety laden world appears robotic in what's really just a game after-all. Some players in this game simply prefer to sit out and watch.

The Buddha knows this game well since he's seen it been played may times: always through the powerful consciousness of the present.

*Special thanks to Phil for ideas on this concept 

Atheists Void of Spiritual Beliefs?

"Whilst atheism tends to lean towards skepticism regarding supernatural claims and the existence of an actual 'spirit', for some atheists being "Spiritual" can be defined as nurturing thoughts, emotions, words and actions that are in harmony with the idea that the entire universe is, in some way, connected; even if only by the mysterious flow of cause and effect at every scale." [quote from Wikipedia]

When many people hear the word 'atheist' they begin to cringe with disgust. The word has taken on such a negative connotation that it is almost impossible to use the term in a conversation without getting a negative reaction filled with misconceptions, emotional angst, and devotion to a specific stance. The word 'atheist' has become a blanket term that covers everything from being cold and godless, to being a hedonist with no sense of purpose. With that said, I want to clarify that the word means lack of a belief in a specific deity. That's it. No lack of morals, no soulless void, and best of all: no devil worship.

Today I came across someone who claims they do not believe in atheists. Ironically, I was shocked at such a lack of belief! How can you deny that someone does not believe in something?! As crazy as this claim may sound, I shortly realized why this person took such a stance: They were wrong in their definition of atheism. They had followed up the remark saying:

"I don't believe in atheists because I feel everyone is looking for something in their lives ... everyone is looking for greater propose or something similar."

Quick to point out this error in perceived atheist living, I went on to show that it is important to distinguish between atheists and persons who do not have any religious or spiritual belief; I would call the latter the common modern day drifter who has little or no spiritual opinion and is unconcerned with such topics.

If I said Buddhism is an atheistic religion, I don't suspect I'd hear too many complaints since it is an explicitly objective fact. Although Buddhists are not concerned with the existence of a god, they are highly spiritual and live by a strong ethical code. In pointing out this simple fact I was confronted by a wall of ignorance:

"I don't think it's fair to say Buddhists are atheists. They are spiritual and believe in a greater purpose ... and don't they worship the Buddha?"

This is where I feel like giving up. Aside from the improper definition, the Buddha is not a god! He's similar to a non-mystical Jesus who laid out a certain way of life based on his experiences.


The problem is in the negative connotation of the perceived definition of the word 'atheist'. Living a fulfilling spiritual life does not necessarily need to include a deity. This lack of belief in a god does not prohibit one from contemplating the nature of the universe and creating their own spiritual meaning. Spirituality is a personal endeavor that should be sacred. Although, there will always be those who will still feel the need to shove their god in your face.