Ajahn Chah: Oil and Water

Ajahn Chah via Ven. Sujato; Ellie Askew, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Oil and water separation at its best: Looking for faster and more efficient separation of produced water from crude oil (wartsila.com)

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Oil+water=lava lamp (rookieparenting.com)

Oil and water are different in the same way that a wise person and an ignorant one are different.

The Buddha lived with form (physical body, materiality), sound, fragrance, taste, touch, and thought. He was an enlightened being, so he was able to turn away from them rather than toward them.

He turned away and LET GO little by little because he understood that the heart is just the heart and thought is just thought. He didn’t confuse them or mix them together.

The heart is just the heart. Thoughts and feelings are just thoughts and feelings. Let things be as they are. Let form be just form, let sound be just sound, let thought be just thought.

Why should we let ourselves become attached to them? If we feel and think in this way (seeing them as just feelings and just thoughts) then there arises detachment and separateness.

Our thoughts and feelings will be on one side and our heart will be on the other. Just like oil and water, they may be in the same bottle but they are separate.

FREE: Introduction to Meditation (Jan. 10)

Ananda M. (Dharma Meditation Initiative), Dhr. Seven, Jen B., Wisdom Quarterly

What is "meditation" in Buddhism?

Dharma Meditation Initiative will cover the basics of sitting, adapting, and promoting attention until an inner-light forms alongside the Five Factors of Meditation. In addition, after last week's mind-expanding meetup, D.M.I. will guide a "psychedelic meditation" developed by last week's speaker, Dr. Katherine MacLean, formerly of Johns Hopkins University Medical Center. Followed by hugs (for connection in Dr. Rob Lustig's recommended "4 Cs" to activate happy serotonin over addictive dopamine), vegan refreshments, and social time.

• 

  Dr. Kat MacLean

  Introduction to Meditation (FREE)
• Dharma Meditation Initiative
• The Neighborhood Church, Pasadena 91103
• 301 N. Orange Grove Blvd., Rm. 23
• Thursday, Jan. 10, 2019, 7:00-8:30 PM
• INFO: text/call Ellie at (951) 457-2071

Five Contemplations (sutra)

Seth Auberon, Dhr. Seven, CC Liu (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly; based on original translation by Ven. Thanissaro (trans.) Upajjhatthana Sutra: Subjects for Contemplation (AN 5.57)

"There are five things [remembrances] one should reflect on frequently, whether one is a woman or a man, a layperson or ordained. What are the five?

1. 'I am subject to aging, have not gone beyond (transcended) aging.' This is the first contemplation one should reflect on frequently, whether one is a woman or a man, layperson or ordained.
2. 'I am subject to illness, have not gone beyond illness.' ...
3. 'I am subject to death, have not gone beyond death.' ...
4. 'I will grow different, separate from all that is dear and appealing to me.' ...
5. 'I am the owner of my karma (actions), heir to my actions, born of my actions, related through my actions, and have my actions as my arbitrator [judge]. Whatever I do, for good or harm, to that will I fall heir.' ...

"These are the five contemplations one should reflect on frequently, whether one is a woman or a man, layperson or ordained.

1.
"Now, based on what line of reasoning should one frequently reflect... 'I am subject to aging, have not gone beyond aging'?

"There are beings who are intoxicated with youth. Because of intoxication with youth, they conduct themselves in an unprofitable (harmful, unskillful, unwholesome) way by body... speech... and mind. But when they frequently reflect, such intoxication with youth will either be entirely abandoned or begin to weaken...
 
2.

"Now, based on what line of reasoning should one frequently reflect... 'I am subject to illness, have not gone beyond illness'?

"There are beings who are intoxicated with health. Because of that intoxication, they conduct themselves in an unprofitable way by body... speech... and mind. But when they frequently reflect, such intoxication will either be entirely abandoned or begin to weaken...
 
3.

"Now, based on what line of reasoning should one frequently reflect... 'I am subject to death, have not gone beyond death'?

"There are beings who are intoxicated with life. Because of that intoxication, they conduct themselves in an unprofitable way by body... speech... and mind. But when they frequently reflect, such intoxication will either be entirely abandoned or begin to weaken...
 
4.
"Now, based on what line of reasoning should one frequently reflect... 'I will grow different, separate from all that is dear and appealing to me'?

"There are beings who feel desire and passion for things they find dear and appealing. Because of that passion, they conduct themselves in an unprofitable way by body... speech... and mind. But when they frequently reflect, that desire and passion for the things they find dear and appealing will either be entirely abandoned or begin to weaken...
 
5.

"Now, based on what line of reasoning should one frequently reflect... 'I am the owner of my (karma) actions, heir to my actions, born of my actions, related through my actions, and have my actions as my arbitrator.

"Whatever I do, for good or harm, to that will I fall heir'? There are beings who conduct themselves in an unprofitable way by body... speech... and mind. But when they frequently reflect, that conduct of body, speech, and mind will either be entirely abandoned or begin to weaken...
 
Further contemplation

1. "Now, a disciple of the noble ones considers this: 'I am not the only one subject to aging, who has not transcended (gone beyond) aging. To the extent that there are beings -- past and future, passing away and rearising (being reborn) -- all living beings are subject to aging, have not gone beyond aging.'

Path arises

2. "When one frequently reflects on this, the [factors of the] path arise. One sticks with the path, develops it, cultivates it. As one sticks with the path, develops it, and cultivates it, the fetters are abandoned, the obsessions destroyed.
 
"Further, a disciple of the noble ones considers this:

• 3. 'I am not the only one subject to illness, who has not gone beyond illness.'...
• 4. 'I am not the only one subject to death, who has not gone beyond death.'...
• 5. 'I am not the only one who will grow different, separate from all that is dear and appealing to me.'...

"A disciple of the noble ones considers this: 'I am not the only one who is owner of my (karma) actions, heir to my actions, born of my actions, related through my actions, and have my actions as my arbitrator; who -- whatever I do, for good or harm, to that will I fall heir.

"To the extent that there are living beings -- past and future, passing away and rearising -- all beings are the owner of their (karma) actions, heir to their actions, born of their actions, related through their actions, and have their actions as their arbitrator. Whatever they do, for good or harm, to that will they fall heir.'

"When one frequently reflects on this, the [factors of the] path arise. One sticks with the path, develops it, cultivates it. As one sticks with the path, develops it, and cultivates it, the fetters are abandoned, the obsessions destroyed."

The Buddha

"Subject to birth, subject to aging, subject to death, uninstructed-ordinary people are repelled by those who suffer from that to which they are also subject.

"And if I were to be repelled by beings subject to these things, it would not be fitting for me, living as they do. As I maintained this attitude -- knowing the Dharma -- I overcame all intoxication with health, youth, and life as one who sees renunciation (letting go, detachment, non-clinging) as rest.

For me, energy arose, nirvana was clearly glimpsed. There is now no way I could delight in sensual pleasures. Having fulfilled the high life, I will not return [to the low, base].

• FREE: "Five Remembrances" Meditation (Yoga Journal)
• Dharma Punx daylong meditation retreat on "The Five Remembrances" (Against the Stream, Hollywood)

Dharma Punx event: The Five Remembrances

Mary Stancavage* (AgainstTheStream.org); Seth Auberon, CC Liu (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

1. I am subject to aging; aging is unavoidable.
2. I am subject to illness; illness is unavoidable.
3. I am subject to death; death is unavoidable.
4. I will grow different, separate from all that is dear and appealing to me.
5. I am the owner of my own actions (karma)...and live dependent on my actions. Whatever I do, for good or for ill, to that will I fall heir.

Bringing Home the Dharma

The Buddha offered us (humans and devas) these Five Remembrances [like the Recollections] as a way of reconnecting to our mortality, potential for enlightenment, and as an antidote to our incessant clinging.

• FREE: Five Remembrances Meditation (Yoga Journal)

However, we are unused to thinking about such things. Denial of them is much more common, particularly in American culture.

We often encounter fear when we do bring them to mind and begin to ponder them.

These won't happen to me! I'm a rebel.

So in this daylong we will spend some time together sitting with our own impermanence and begin our journey towards embracing it by contemplating these recollections and our own response to them.

There will be sitting and walking meditation, Dharma talks, and conversation. It is suitable for all levels of practitioners.

• Five Remembrances Daylong
• Saturday, August 19, 2017 10:00 am-4:30 pm
• 4300 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90029
• Info. on parking around the Melrose Center
• COST: sliding scale: $35-$75 in addition to an offering of dana to the teacher.
• Scholarships and work-study are available. No one is ever turned away for lack of fund.
• More info or to register

*Mary Stancavage has practiced meditation, yoga, and cultivated a spiritual practice for over 30 years. She began studying with Against the Stream (ATS) Founder Noah Levine in 2005, and in 2009 completed his first teacher training program. She currently serves as director of Against the Stream Buddhist Meditation Society. In January 2016 she became executive director of the Mind Body Awareness Project.  She has taught meditation at [drug] recovery centers in Los Angeles, has co-facilitated Year-to-Live groups since 2008, and has a weekly class at ATS. She completed the Buddhist Chaplaincy Program at the Sati Center and served as volunteer chaplain at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center. Mary sits on the board of the Buddhist Insight Network and CLUE-LA. In addition, she has a Master's degree from UCLA and has worked as an archaeologist in the Middle East.

The Removal of Distracting Thoughts (sutra)

Ven. Soma Thera (trans.) Vitakkasanthana Sutra (MN 20) edited by Dhr. Seven, Ashley Wells, Crystal Quintero, Wisdom Quarterly; photographer Sasin Tipchai (flickr.com)

What reflections lead one to enlightenment? The Buddha explains (Bugphai).

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Meditation is all about skillful balancing.

Thus have I heard. At one time the Blessed One [the Buddha] was staying in Savatthi, at Jeta's Grove, in Anathapindika's monastery.

The Blessed One addressed the meditators saying, "Meditators!" And they replied to him saying, "Venerable sir?" Then the Blessed One said:

 

"Five things should be reflected on from time to time, by the meditator who is intent on higher consciousness [or going beyond training to perfect independence from any teacher]. What are these five?
 

Note to self: meditate with these 5 tips.

I.
"When harmful, unskillful thoughts connected with craving, aversion, and delusion arise in a meditator through reflection on an adventitious object, one should (in order to get rid of it), reflect on a different object which is connected with (nonharming and) skill.

"Then the harmful, unskillful thoughts are eliminated; they disappear. By their elimination, the mind/heart stands firm, settles down, becomes unified and concentrated [coherent], just within (one's subject of meditation).
 
"Like an experienced carpenter or carpenter's apprentice, striking hard at, pushing out, and getting rid of a coarse peg with a fine one, should the meditator in order to get rid of the adventitious object, reflect on a different object which is connected with skill.

"Then the harmful, unskillful thoughts connected with craving, aversion, and delusion are eliminated; they disappear. By their elimination the heart/mind stands firm, settles down, becomes unified and concentrated, just within (one's subject of meditation).
 
II.
"If the harmful, unskillful thoughts continue to arise in a meditator, who in order to get rid of an adventitious object reflects on a different object which is connected with skill, one should ponder on the [karmic] disadvantages of unskillful thoughts thus:

Bodhi tree (whc.unesco.org/Amos Chapple)

"'Truly these thoughts of mine are unskillful, blameworthy, and produce misery.'

"Then the harmful, unskillful thoughts are eliminated; they disappear. By their elimination, the mind/heart stands firm, settles down, becomes unified and concentrated, just within (one's subject of meditation).

"Like a well-dressed young man or woman who feels horrified, humiliated, and disgusted because of the carcass of a snake, dog, or human that is hung round his or her neck, should the meditator in whom unskillful thoughts continue to arise in spite of this reflection on the object which is connected with skill, ponder on the disadvantages of unskillful thoughts thus:

"'Truly, these thoughts of mine are unskillful, blameworthy, and produce misery.'

"Then the harmful, unskillful thoughts are eliminated; they disappear. By their elimination, the heart/mind stands firm, settles down, becomes unified and concentrated, just within (one's subject of meditation).

III.
"If harmful, unskillful thoughts continue to arise in a meditator who ponders on their disadvantageousness, one should in regard to them endeavor to be without attention and reflection [turning one's attention away from them back to the subject of meditation, such as the breath, again and again as many times as is necessary].

"Then the harmful unskillful thoughts are eliminated; they disappear. By their elimination, the mind/heart stands firm, settles down, becomes unified and concentrated, just within (one's subject of meditation).

"Like a keen-eyed person shutting eyes and looking away from one direction in order to avoid seeing visible objects come within sight, should the meditator in whom harmful, unskillful thoughts continue to arise in spite of pondering their disadvantageousness, endeavor to be without attention and reflection as regards them.

"Then the harmful, unskillful thoughts are eliminated; they disappear. By their elimination, the heart/mind stands firm, settles down, becomes unified and concentrated, just within (one's subject of meditation).

IV.
"If harmful, unskillful thoughts continue to arise in a meditator in spite of the endeavor to be without attention and reflection as regards harmful, unskillful thoughts, one should reflect on the removal of the (thought) source of those unskillful thoughts. [What was one thinking or reflecting on just prior to the arising of such thoughts as flowed in?]

"Then the harmful, unskillful thoughts are eliminated; they disappear. By their elimination, the mind/heart stands firm, settles down, becomes unified and concentrated, just within (one's subject of meditation).
 
"Just as a person finding no reason for walking fast, walks slowly, finding no reason for walking slowly, stands, finding no reason for standing, sits down, finding no reason for sitting down, lies down, and thereby getting rid of a posture that is rather uncalm resorts to a restful posture, just so should the meditator in whom harmful, unskillful thoughts arise, in spite of the endeavor to be without attention and reflection regarding them, reflect on the removal of the (thought) source of those unskillful thoughts.

"Then the harmful, unskillful thoughts are eliminated; they disappear. By their elimination, the heart/mind stands firm, settles down, becomes unified and concentrated, just within (one's subject of meditation).

V.
"If harmful, unskillful thoughts continue to arise in a meditator in spite of this reflection on the removal of a source of unskillful thoughts, one should [as a final resort only when all of the previous options have been exhausted] with clenched teeth and the tongue pressing on the palate, restrain, subdue, and beat down the (harmful) mind by the (good) mind.

"Then the harmful, unskillful thoughts connected with craving, aversion, and delusion are eliminated; they disappear. By their elimination, the mind/heart stands firm, settles down, becomes unified and concentrated, just within (one's subject of meditation).

"Like a strong man holding a weaker man by the head or shoulders and restraining, subduing, and beating him down, should the meditator in whom harmful, unskillful thoughts continue to arise in spite of this reflection on the source of unskillful thoughts, restrain, subdue, and beat down the (harmful) heart/mind by the (good) heart/mind, with clenched teeth and the tongue pressing on the palate.

"Then the harmful, unskillful thoughts connected with desire, hate and delusion are eliminated; they disappear. By their elimination, the mind/heart stands firm, settles down, becomes unified and concentrated, just within (one's subject of meditation).
 
Conclusion
"When, indeed, meditators, harmful, unskillful thoughts due to reflection on an adventitious object are eliminated, when they disappear, and the heart/mind stands firm, settles down, becomes unified and concentrated just within (one's subject of meditation), through reflection on an object connected with skill, through pondering the disadvantages of unskillful thoughts, one's endeavoring to be without attentiveness and reflection as regards those thoughts or through restraining, subduing, and beating down of the harmful mind/heart by the good mind/heart with clenched teeth and tongue pressing on the palate, that meditator is called a master of the paths along which thoughts travel:

"The thought one wants to think, that one thinks; the thought one does not want to think, that one does not think. One has cut down craving, removed the fetter [bond], rightly mastered pride, and made an end of suffering."
 
The Blessed One said this, and the meditators, glad at heart, approved of his words.

Amitabha: the lovable "Buddha"

Nitin Kumar, ExoticIndiaArt.com; edited and expanded by Wisdom Quarterly

Amitabha (Tibetan, Opame), the gentle, lovable "Buddha"

AMITABHA is undoubtedly the most well known and popular of the Five Meditating "Buddhas." He is red in color, which in Tibetan Buddhism is the color of love, compassion, and emotional energy.

  

His direction is the west, where the sun sets. Indeed, he is envisioned as the red setting sun. Sunset is when the sun is gentle; we can look directly into its awesome power without being harmed. As it disappears into the west, the sun is like a proud and fierce king, who at the end of a hard day of rigid protocol turns gentle and jovial and allows anyone to approach him. 

  

Amitabha is thus the supreme power and energy of nature on this earthly plain, accessible to all. It is no wonder this aspect of the Buddha is the most popular of the Five Meditating Buddhas.

His unique emblem is the lotus, the attributes of which he is associated: gentleness, openness, and purity.

Amitabha’s mount (vimana, platform, spaceship) is the peacock, which is capable of swallowing poisonous snakes (nagas) without coming to any harm.

• [This ability is reminiscent of a shaman healing technique practiced by the Jivaro Indians of the Amazon, as mentioned by The Sound of Rushing Water.]

Amitabha (dawaarts.com)

In fact, the peacock is believed to derive its rich plumage from the poison of the serpents on which it feeds. The symbolism of being open even to poison -- transmuting it into beauty -- gives a sense of the purifying and transforming power of Amitabha. For ordinary uninstructed worldlings, it signifies that even our darkest and most venomous aspects can be transformed by meditating on his image

Amitabha’s image has both a simplicity and archetypal quality to it. His demeanor is totally relaxed and his hands are in the dhyana mudra, the gesture of absorption (jhana, dhyana, zen) meditation.

According to tradition, this mudra derives from the one assumed by the historical Buddha Shakyamuni when he was meditating under the Bodhi tree in pursuit of enlightenment.

 

In conformity with his hand pose, the essential message of Amitabha is that of meditation. His association with the setting sun suggests withdrawal of external sense perceptions inwards, into higher states of meditative absorption. Elevating ourselves to such a spiritual level has the ultimate objective of uniting us with that ineffable transcendental universal consciousness, which although intangible pervades all tangible reality.

  

Amitabha provides the archetype of infinite wisdom that helps us transmute the negative trait of obsessive attachment into a discerning awareness that we are all made up of the same primitive substratum.

By contemplating in this way, one is able to realize that the objective we crave is not separate from us but already as much a part of "self" as one is of it.

 

Many of these ideas display very Hindu ideas about reality -- mounts, mudras, meditations, devotion (bhakti), transcendental consciousness, and so on. They reveal the inordinate influence Brahmin priests and Brahmanism had on the development of the later Mahayana Buddhist school, which became established in the north (Ladakh, Tibet, Bhutan) and the Far East (Korea, China, Japan).

• PHOTOS: The Buddha and Saints in Burma

5 Ways to Misery

(AishVideo) Here are five effective strategies for getting the worst out of life. More at aish.com.

5 Keys to Happiness

Greg Soltis (LiveScience.com)

If you're not happy and you know it, read along.

You've watched "Seinfeld" re-runs, splurged on yourself, and downed pints of Ben and Jerry's. Nothing's helping. Maybe you're one of the 20 million Americans diagnosed with depression, you're bottoming out, or you just want something to improve your day. Here are five ways — some admittedly challenging — to help you get that much-needed mood boost:

1. Pick good parents
In Happy Land, genes trump environmental factors, according to the experts. And a study in the March issue of the journal Psychological Science scores another point for the gene team: Differences in DNA that could explain why some people tend to have an extra bounce in their step might also underlie the tendency to be more emotionally stable and socially and physically active.

• Spirituality and Religion Make Young Americans Happy
• Boomers Miserable, Seniors Happiest
• How Birth Control Brings Us Down

Genes do not provide free passes from the doldrums, and other external factors will still try to mow you down. But, heredity could provide some people with a horde of happiness that they can draw from when the good times aren’t rolling.

And Canadian researchers' ability to genetically stifle depression in mice in 2006 indicates that human happiness could one day be improved by manipulating genes. This was the first time science throttled the throes of any organism. Mice bred to be void of the gene, called TREK-1, acted as if they had been downing anti-depressants for at least three weeks.

2. Give it away
It only takes $5 spent on others to make you happier on a given day, according to a 2008 study. And selfless acts can also help your marriage become a more enjoyable experience for you and your spouse. After performing good deeds, people are happier and feel their life has more purpose. But is the act selfless if you expect something in return? Maybe it just depends on how you look at it.

3. Ponder this
Think of a happy place. And you, too, like Happy Gilmore, might sink that putt and earn back your grandmother's house — or overcome your own hurdle.

Humans are more resilient than we think and can endure trying times, as demonstrated in a 2005 study that tracked mood changes in dialysis patients. They were in a good mood most of the time despite having their blood cleaned three times a week for at least three months. But healthy patients envisioned a miserable life when asked to imagine adhering to this demanding schedule.

As Winston Churchill said, "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."

4. Work out
Consistently breaking a sweat, along with medication and counseling can help people battling depression by sapping lonely and vulnerable feelings.

Exercise improves one's state of mind in part by affecting the body's levels of two chemicals, cortisol and endorphins. The adrenal glands of angry or scared people produce cortisol. This increases blood pressure and blood sugar, weakens the immune response and can lead to organ inflammation and damage. But working out burns cortisol, restoring the body's normal levels.

Running, biking or using an aerobic exercise machine also causes the brain to release endorphins — the body's natural pain relievers — into the bloodstream. The body forgoes the negative side effects of drugs while still experiencing a natural high. To gain the most from your workout, make sure its intensity reflects your stress level. And challenge your body to continually adapt by varying the exercise’s length and intensity.

5. Live long
If you have the right genes and are selfless, optimistic and active but still find yourself down in the dumps, just give it some time.

A study of 2 million people from 80 nations released in January found that depression is most common among adults in their mid-40s. Among Americans, the worst of times hit women around age 40 and men about age 50.

But with age humans are more inclined to filter out the negatives while focusing on what they enjoy.

Americans in their golden years tend to see the glass as half full, despite their increased doctor visits and chemo treatments. After battling cancer, heart disease, diabetes or other health-related obstacles, 500 independent Americans from age 60 to 98 rated their own degree of successful aging as 8.4 on average, with 10 being the highest in a 2005 study.
Happiness, it seems, takes time. Source

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