Every beings in this world yearn for happiness. All beings will do all sorts of things to fulfill so that they can be happy, or rather they will do all possible things that they thought will lead to their happiness.
In the case of Buddhism, the Buddha puts it beautifully in three words: Gratification, Danger and Release, to describe happiness that we obtained or try to obtain through one of our sixth senses.
It's possible to reach the state of gratification, whatever things joy and happiness that we seek through our senses, and because of that beings continue seeking this happiness in order to "gratify" themselves. However, the Buddha warn that all these happiness have its danger. The danger is because whatever things it is, it is always have impermanence with it, meaning that it will not last forever although we are trying to so hard to protect so that we can always have that happiness in us all the time. And lastly, there is also release, in the sense that if we are able to let go from our attachment of that very gratification, then we will be able to be released from it.
These in a way are the essence of Buddhism ( or at least Early Buddhism), a religion (or whatever you call it), that put no meaning in prayer, ceremony, rituals, etc and focus on how teaching beings on what is the wisest way to achieve and obtain happiness, the highest possible happiness achievable from human beings.
(Note: Do note that unlike Early Buddhism, later form of Buddhism may deviate significantly from the early teachings. Some of them may become even closer to other religions than Early Buddhism - just to compare how close Tibetan Buddhism is closer in practice to Hinduism, and Catholicism in terms of its system. How close it is for Chinese Zen Buddhism to Taoism, etc).
As of most of beings in this world, I too have been trying to find various forms of happiness through one of sixth senses. The funny things of it is that when we do have that, the gratification tends to make me felt that these things will last forever and make me take things for granted that it will always be there. (Without remembering the "danger" that the Buddha advised us). And suddenly, when these things gone, disappear forever, then the mental suffering, lamentation, will be so overwhelming that sometimes I can't take it anymore.
One of the best examples in my life are probably three events that happened in my life two years ago. Every single things of the events (upon looking back), indeed remind me so much how much I have taken things for granted, thinking that those things will last forever. And indeed, when all these three disappeared from my life only in the space of one year, the me that left are the me that is feeling dejected. It seemed like someone that are being thrown to hell without knowing how to get out of it. It is like walking in the place of complete darkness, when I tried to walk further and further trying to find the light, no matter how much I tried to find, I can't seem to find it and I continue walking in darkness.
Those things are just the reflection of my state of my mind in the past of course. Thinking back, although the light is probably is not as bright yet, indeed in the end I have found some light. To put in the advice from the Buddha, it is simply that Release. When I am able to accept the fact that those things are impermanence, and will not last forever, and it is lost now, then somehow, magically it is not as painful anymore. Slowly, the wound is getting smaller and smaller and the light that I have been trying to find turn out to be just beside me all the time. It is just because I am so engulfed with darkness that I don't realize it. If I were to pause a while, and not focus on the darkness, probably I have realized it long time ago...
Friday, December 25, 2009
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Money Talks
Loving kindness meditation always starts like this. Meditator will start by reflecting happy moments that he experienced in the past and wish himself to be well and happy. When this feeling is strong, then the meditator will start to radiate the loving kindness slowly out, to people that that close to the meditator, and slowly out until covering the whole world.
The idea that happiness should be started from oneself is very important, because unhappy will not be able to make other happy. In order to make other people happy, one should make himself happy first! This is not lofty idea like in the film, in which the hero will sacrifice himself or his happiness just to make other people happy. In the case of Buddhism, or rather in the case of wise people, he will ensure that he is happy first before extending his happiness to more and more people.
I think this is also related with the issue of money. When I first learnt about Buddhist concept of money management, as per below I found it quite startling and a little bit difficult to be understood:
The big question is of course, why the Buddha advises his lay disciples to put big chunk of their money, not to help people but for investment? (note that helping people is one of personal enjoyment). It doesn't make sense at first if we were to consider the Buddha as someone that is compassionate. But then, upon further contemplating on this issue, it might make sense after all. The Buddha is probably advising that in order to help other people, we have to help ourselves first. In other words, if we do not have excess with money, how can we help people who need help? As the result, it becomes important to save the money for rainy days (savings) and invest it (eg. start your own business, etc) so that one does not have worry on money, and in the future that person is in the strong position to help other people (do note that the advise to the ordained (monks and nuns) are opposite as they are not supposed to have any money at all.
From this point of view, money is not evil or noble, but it is just a tool. In a way, it is something like amplifier. If one has the tendency to do good and help people who need it, having more money will increase the capability of that person to help more people. In the other hand, if one is occupied by anger, then money will amplify that anger to make many more people suffering in this world.
This comes to the point that unlike popular stigma that Buddhists do not value money, and at times seem to see money as the source of evil. This is not true. The Buddha's view of money to his lay disciples is a positive one, it's a tool that if were to be used correctly has the capacity of helping many people (think of Anathapindika, and Visakka, the two wealthiest lay disciples of the Buddha who consistently help needy people).
But then, the advise is also a simple one. One should not be attached with money. When one has more, one should learn to be contented with it. And when one has little, one should also be contented with it. In a way, having little or money do not and will not have any impact on the state of happiness that one has.
The idea that happiness should be started from oneself is very important, because unhappy will not be able to make other happy. In order to make other people happy, one should make himself happy first! This is not lofty idea like in the film, in which the hero will sacrifice himself or his happiness just to make other people happy. In the case of Buddhism, or rather in the case of wise people, he will ensure that he is happy first before extending his happiness to more and more people.
I think this is also related with the issue of money. When I first learnt about Buddhist concept of money management, as per below I found it quite startling and a little bit difficult to be understood:
The big question is of course, why the Buddha advises his lay disciples to put big chunk of their money, not to help people but for investment? (note that helping people is one of personal enjoyment). It doesn't make sense at first if we were to consider the Buddha as someone that is compassionate. But then, upon further contemplating on this issue, it might make sense after all. The Buddha is probably advising that in order to help other people, we have to help ourselves first. In other words, if we do not have excess with money, how can we help people who need help? As the result, it becomes important to save the money for rainy days (savings) and invest it (eg. start your own business, etc) so that one does not have worry on money, and in the future that person is in the strong position to help other people (do note that the advise to the ordained (monks and nuns) are opposite as they are not supposed to have any money at all.
From this point of view, money is not evil or noble, but it is just a tool. In a way, it is something like amplifier. If one has the tendency to do good and help people who need it, having more money will increase the capability of that person to help more people. In the other hand, if one is occupied by anger, then money will amplify that anger to make many more people suffering in this world.
This comes to the point that unlike popular stigma that Buddhists do not value money, and at times seem to see money as the source of evil. This is not true. The Buddha's view of money to his lay disciples is a positive one, it's a tool that if were to be used correctly has the capacity of helping many people (think of Anathapindika, and Visakka, the two wealthiest lay disciples of the Buddha who consistently help needy people).
But then, the advise is also a simple one. One should not be attached with money. When one has more, one should learn to be contented with it. And when one has little, one should also be contented with it. In a way, having little or money do not and will not have any impact on the state of happiness that one has.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
The power of Memes
This is the first blog that I have ever written after many years. To kick start my blogging activity, I would like to share on my reflection on memes.
This book discusses certain phenomena on the world, how certain event in the world, for some unknown reason start to change and affect majority of society. In the opening of the book, Malcolm Gladwell gives example of Hush Puppies. Hush Puppies is a footwear company which footwear was almost forgotten by 1990s. For some reasons, some sub urbans people start to wear Hush Puppies, and somehow more and more people start to find it cool and start to find Hush Puppies shoes. In short times, Hush Puppies fever started all over the world. This is what Malcolm Gladwell called "Tipping Point", the exponential increase of certain phenomena affecting many people. ( For Hush Puppies case, it is even more interesting, because the company does not even invest in advertising at all. )
How do spirituality path of Buddhism ends Memes then? It is by realizing Enlightenment by ourselves, the time when we are not a conditioned being anymore, but a free, liberated being. In the closing of his book, Piya Tan quoted as follow:
When I was having holiday in Medan one week ago, my cousin, Sophia Liauw, lent me a very interesting book with titled "Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell.
This book discusses certain phenomena on the world, how certain event in the world, for some unknown reason start to change and affect majority of society. In the opening of the book, Malcolm Gladwell gives example of Hush Puppies. Hush Puppies is a footwear company which footwear was almost forgotten by 1990s. For some reasons, some sub urbans people start to wear Hush Puppies, and somehow more and more people start to find it cool and start to find Hush Puppies shoes. In short times, Hush Puppies fever started all over the world. This is what Malcolm Gladwell called "Tipping Point", the exponential increase of certain phenomena affecting many people. ( For Hush Puppies case, it is even more interesting, because the company does not even invest in advertising at all. )
Malcolm Gladwell, then discusses three rules of epidemics, causing this to happen:
1. The law of the few.
This is about people. Certain people has the characters, ability and influence to convince other people that certain message is good and worth following.
2. The stickiness factor.
The specific message is able to make people who receive it able to remember it for long time.
3. The power of context.
Basically the environment at that time favors this message.
There are many things to say on the content of this book and I would recommend you go and pick this book and read by yourself.
Being someone that are very interested with Buddhist Psychology, and Early Buddhism, as I'm reading this book, I can't help but recalling an essay, written by Piya Tan on this topic "Memes: How religion imprisons and spirituality liberates"
Probably some of you might not even heard about the word memes before. In wikipedia, you can find out more on this topic:
Upon pondering further, I started to realize that power of memes are encompassing our life much more than we think. My view, my idea, my habit, most of it in fact are imposed by other people to me. For example, I have similar idea of beauty as majority of guys in this world. Girls that I considered pretty and beautiful, are someone that are not too fat, and have certain complexity, certain looks. But, in fact, the idea of beauty in fact was very different in the past. I was informed that there was society in the past who think very fat girl is beautiful, and skinny girl as ugly because they are malnourished. See what I mean? even the idea of beauty that seems personal like this is in fact imposed by society and not comes from our own.
As I reflect on this, memes becomes more and more scary. As Buddhist, I know theoretically from long time ago that human beings are conditioned beings, in a way that we are conditioned by many things around us. To put it in another words, human beings do not have free will as our actions are conditioned from things that happened in the past, things that happened around us, and it is possible, as Malcolm Gladwell showed in his book, to influence the society to perform certain things. (Even crimes can be memes because by changing certain things, somehow crimes in one city like New York, can be exponentially reduced to a level that are much lower compared to the past). To put it into questions:
1. Does this mean that human being like myself has such a limited control on our thoughts, our speech and our action?
2. Does people suffer because of bad deeds (or Kamma) that they did in the past, just because they are conditioned to perform that bad deeds (and not really his free will to do so)?
3. More importantly, is there a way to be free from memes, free from conditions around us?
Luckily, spirituality path of Buddhism always offer possibility of liberation, as western psychologist, Susan Blackmore put it beautifully as follow:
It may seem strange to end this book [Consciousness: An introduction] with what looks like a religious doctrine, when ancient dogma or doctrine cannot be what we are after. It is true that, like all religions, Buddhism has accumulated a vast superstructure of memes, including texts, rituals, beliefs, beautiful buildings, sculptures and statues, music and liturgies. Yet what the Buddha saw is not a meme. It cannot be spoken of directly, and can only be transmitted by tricks of pointing or showing, or doing something to provoke another mind into letting go. This is known in Zen as “transmission outside the scriptures.” (Blackmore 2003:402)
915 I ask the kinsman of the sun, the great seer,
about solitude, the state of peace.
How does a monk, when he has seen,
become quenched, not grasping anything in the world?
916 Being a thinker (mantā), he would uproot
all perception-based mental proliferations about “I am,” said the Blessed One.
Whatever internal cravings there may be,
ever mindful, he trains himself to dispel them.
917 Whatever things he may understand,
whether within himself or outside,
he would not be stubborn about it:
for, this is not called “quenching” by the wise.
918 Because of that, he would not think he is “better,”
or “inferior to,” or “equal to,” or such like,
when touched by various forms,
he would not let his thoughts remain within himself.
919 Only within himself he seeks stillness,
A monk would not find peace anywhere else.
For one who is at peace within,
there is no self, not to say of what is not self.
920 Just as in the middle of the ocean,
no waves arise, it remains still—
even so, he would stand still, unshaking,
a monk swells not in arrogance about anything. (Sn 915-920)
Closing note: In Business, memes are very useful and highly sought because this is how corporate able to makes money. If one company is able to turn its product to be liked and attached by many people in the world, the corporates will earn a lot of money because people do not mind paying money to get what they like (think of IPhones, Hush Puppies, Louis Vuitton, etc). Religion especially God religion do loves memes because it is tools that make people be converted and turned to them, and even donates lots of money, efforts, etc to them. (think of Evangelical religions). BUT, spirituality path of Buddhism (please exclude organized religion of Buddhism), have the final goal of destroying Memes, to liberate being so that they become truly unconditioned, truly liberated, and truly free.
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