A brief guide to liberation theology

Before I do a post going in-depth into the view of the Vajrayana, I would like to set the view of setting the view. :)  My understanding is, in all liberation theologies - which means actual spiritual paths that lead from a point A (confusion, selfishness) to a point B (wisdom, selflessness) - there are three methods available to make that leap.  Some variation of these three is present in all the actual paths - religion at it's best, free from the body-count and ego-inducing influence of politics.  These methods are true compassion, devotion, and wisdom via analysis.

 In most paths, two of the three are present, and that ain't bad. :)  For example, in the Gospel of Matthew (22:37-40), there is the explicit passage (quoting almost verbatum Deuteronomy 6:5 ) of there being only two commandments: love your neighbors as yourself and love Yahweh with your whole heart.  (FYI, by this point Yahweh has been totally transformed away from the petty local war god (aka drahla, in Tibetan) he was originally conceived as to something much much bigger and more interesting) .   Saul of Tarsus wrote that these two things were impossible, but simply believing in 'the Christ' was better. BULLSHIT. These two elements - true compassion and devotion beyond the normal mundane meanings of the phrase - cropped up all over the world as a way to get beyond the small 'self'.  People actually accomplished these methods too. Therefore, thinking that no human being could possibly apply these can be proven to be false.

(I'm not exactly a fan of Saul/Paul - can't you tell? :))

It is totally possible.  This is the way that various Hindu schools achieve their results too - the Shakti devotional yogas are a good example of the path of devotion. Back to that shortly.

Shakyamuni Buddha added a third method - wisdom via analysis, aka  vipasyana.  This was the revolutionary idea of taking a stilled mind (which is a by-product of the first two methods, btw) and applying it to an object of contemplation, pulling back the layers of it to find some truth about it.  In particular, it is analysis of something (starting of course with that closest to oneself, one's actual "self") to find the true reality behind it.

Most of the Buddhist schools that developed had the true compassion and the vipasyana. As the dharma traveled, the methods for these were adapted as appropriate for the cultural context it entered - the various Chan/Zen schools, for example - but at heart it was still the same things.  There was some devotional element to it - especially for the lay community who supported the monastic practitioners - but it wasn't very developed as a method of it's own.

That changed around the 3rd Century C.E/ A.D.  Remember the Hindu devotional yogas I referred to before? One of the key methods of this was to take some 'deity' - some avatar (no, not from the #$@$@#$@ James Cameron movie :)), Krishna, Shiva, etc. - and keep in mind an idea that they are hanging out in the space above one's head.  This form of practice is known as Guru yoga.  This form of practice was originally invented as Karma-yoga - "action yoga" - by Hindus to allow 'spiritual' practice to occur off the meditation mat.

This allowed one to use the natural devotional/longing emotional response built into humans (which is most people is only expressed towards a sexual partner or would-be sexual partner) and redirecting it towards another object of 'faith'.  It is basically committing a spiritual judo by taking that longing faith usually expressed towards a lover and aiming it instead at a higher idea present in iconographic form in front of one's self.  Keeping this devotion up naturally cuts through ego ideas of 'me me me me' by cutting through one's always thinking about one's self.  By doing this, it also means that one can keep up a spiritual practice while going about one's activities, since humans find it naturally easier to wrap their mind around some visual image and keep it there versus an abstract idea, which requires totally undistracted focus to 'get'.   In short, this method became the basis for a 'meditation in action', which not only monastics/retreatants could do (such as the stereotypical Indian yogi sitting cross-legged all day somewhere by the Ganges), but also folks who had to work for a living.

Note: I am basing my views of the dawn of tantra on some works of Karen Armstrong, my notes of the late, great goofy Vajra nutball genius Dr. Robin Kornman, and my very imperfect notes of some history of Buddhism from Lochen Dharmashri, one of the greatest editor/collectors of Nyingma tantras in the last 500 or so years.

It came about in about the 3rd Century C.E. in what is now present-day Afghanistan and Northern India. Since Hinduism and Buddha-dharma have crisscrossed numerous times, these new techniques rapidly were adapted. This helped address a complaint within the lay community that they didn't have any practices they could do.

 In addition, in monastic settings, there were lots of duties (cooking, building, administration, buying supplies, etc.) that meant there were people who had renounced worldly life that ended up not being able to actually practice towards liberation.  Guru yoga, using the path of devotion, provided a potential solution to these problems.

So, to recap, there are three main ways of liberation/moksha/entering the Kingdom of Heaven. These are compassion, devotion, and wisdom via analysis/vipasyana.  Most religious systems have two of them, which is enough to get one out of small mind.  Mahayana Buddhism also calls true compassion "relative bodhichitta", and wisdom via analysis "absolute bodhichitta". Further, Vajrayana buddha-dharma has all three ways of liberation fully developed.

I don't mean to imply that because it has all three, the stuff I now do is superior to everything else.  It just means there are more methods available to cut through emotional defilements.  While having more is in some ways better, it also provides more potentials for pitfalls and steering off whatever path one is on and getting stuck in a ditch. :)  This is the "Spiritual Materialism" that Trungpa Rinpoche famously spoke about, which will be addressed in more detail in a later post, if all goes well. Until then, Peace and stuff.

-JTR

brief update

I have a lot I should be putting up here. I will do so soon. Especially about Trungpa Rinpoche's Dharma Art teachings. They are what drew me in to 'all this', and I've been exploring them even more recently.

IAGW, to be continued.....

-JTR

October Already????, Some wisdom on being an 'elder' from Khandro Rinpoche

Howdy kids.

A quick update. Last month, I was able to make it for 3 1/2 days of the Khandro Rinpoche Annual Retreat, and one additional practice day at Lotus Garden. The teachings were mostly about phowa (ejection of consciousness at the moment of death) and What to Do When You Are Dead - an explanation of the Bardo. While there are said to be six Bardos, or in-between states - the Bardo of Meditation, the Bardo of Dreams, the Bardo of the moment of Death, the Bardo of Dharmata, the Bardo of Becoming, and the Bardo of this Life- when people say "the Bardo", it usually refers to that state after the moment of death until the next rebirth (if one buys into that sort of thing).

I can't repeat exactly what she said in those teachings, since they are restricted. This must be understood correctly. "Restricted" doesn't mean that if you hear these teachings, or if I repeated them here, one's face would melt like that one Nazi at the end of "Raiders of the Lost Ark". :) It means that, if one hasn't had the preceding teachings, which give the background for understanding what is occurring, then one would read them and go, "WTF"??? Without the context, they wouldn't make any sense.

Those of you who would like to know about the Bardo, I can send you to some excellent resources on-line here, here, here and here.

However, I thought it should be ok if I share a little bit she said about what it is to be a dharma elder. For those of us who have been at this dharma thing for over a decade (as I have now, since the first retreat I did with Khandro Rinpoche - which to me is really the beginning of when I got serious about Dharma (and also, since it was the first time I took refuge vows, it technically marks my becoming a follower of Buddha's way too)- it is important to think about the importance of discipline for elders. and her explanation of how compassion comes out of emptiness:

"...as elders who hold titles, dharma is given more in action than spoken works. The elders in this sangha must always make sure their actions are diverging from ordinary way... We need to be a step ahead in better conduct, maturity, generosity, kindness, simplicity, revulsion, unifying meditation and post-meditation.  The conduct of discipline and self-awareness enhances one's own understanding and unifies the view and meditation. One becomes a wish-fulfilling jewel for others. Your conduct itself becomes a strengthened voice for dharma."

"Seeing the nature as is should allow you to become more free in embracing everything. Having a glimpse of shunyata (emptiness/fullness) mind and then forcing non-reaction to appearances doesn’t sound correct. (having an understanding of) “All appearances are mind “ should give more freedom to all appearances. This is a freedom to be involved, a flexibility with which you do not grasp to that moments’ expression. Rather than force abiding in shunyata, (one should) always bring about a supple way of freeing everything from your grasping, since you realize there is nothing to discriminate. Non-conceptual compassion is about this. 'You know things are a projection of your mind, but you take a bug outside (that is inside trapped flying against a screen)" is a beautiful expression of samboghakaya non-dual compassion. “

"(One should) Play along with saving lives, cooking food, all the mundane things like being important at a meeting, being a servant, mother, father, etc. And, you do (all these tasks) well, because you have no agendas, no discrimination. If the ending works, fine. If it is most tragic, fine. Kind of blah, fine. You simply play along with it."

"You must learn to flow. The river doesn’t stop at every place it sees a beautiful meadow and says, “I want to stop here”. You most flow, there is no need of grasping. Being willing to flow by itself is compassion. To be non-conceptual, things must not be made more than it is. That would only be solidifying it. "

"Make aspirations each day. Live well. Prepare for death. If that happens, go forward with confidence."

So, that is what I have been thinking about since the Annual Retreat. It's an odd thought, that I am an elder now. Following both from what Rinpoche said above and from the view of my other lineage, the Drikung Kagyu, discipline/ethics is a VERY important part of the whole thing. Not only for one's own good (since w/o discipline, one won't get far - one will get distracted easily, for starters), but also for everyone else. 

Khandro Rinpoche has said in the past something along the lines of (paraphrasing broadly here) "you are likely the only Buddhist practitioner that most people you meet will ever meet. So, think - does your way of manifesting speak well of the Dharma? If YOU met yourself, would you think, "Here is someone who seems genuine, who acts according to what he/she talks about, maybe there is something to this path" and be inspired to start sitting, cutting your actions that are really only harming yourself, etc.? Or would you think, "This person is a bit of a mess. I don't think this buddhism stuff must work too well" and then turn away from the potential for using this human life to benefit others, rather than focusing solely or one's own desires (or on "self-aggrandizing", as the Drikung Khenchen Rinpoche likes to say)".

There is a great responsibility here to try to be the teachings. I admit to massive FAIL on that front sometimes, but I am certainly much better than I once was. Now that I have my own students, I hope that I am an inspiration for them to go further in training their own minds.

...And that's it for today. :)

Outside of dharma, work is going well.  One of our cats has had her thyroid meds dosage reduced, which should make her less lethargic.  And we've been doing some serious cleaning / tossing in our apartment, which does make the place feel better.  Not much else to report now. 

Except, it is the little things like cleaning one's space that often show the state of one's mind...

Brief update (vkr 2009), Welcome to the bloggosphere, Ani Chime

Howdy ya'll. A quick update (til I get my notes edited, if all goes well.) Went to the Khandro Rinpoche retreat for 4 days. She taught about what to do when you are dead, in the Bardo (the time in between lives). Those who have read 'The Tibetan Book of the Dead' will really be able to appreciate what she was teaching. More on that later.

Melissa and I spent last night learning to salsa dance at the DC Shambhala Center. (Some of you may be a bit "wha" - dancing at a dharma center? It wasn't a hook-up type situation, and there was no alcohol involved. :)) Someone offered to do this as a fundraiser for the Center. It was quite fun.

Lastly for now, Welcome Ani Chime to the bloggosphere - http://anichime.blogspot.com/.

All for now...

Update, say farewell to "Our Town"

Just a quick note. I should be at Lotus Garden for Khandro Rinpoche right now, but I got sick last week (cold/flu, something like that) and missed work, and decided taking an illness out to the land would not be a good karmic thing. So I am at home. I plan to go out to join the Retreat in progress Thursday morning. Other than that, just life - work has been busy, since we lost 2 people on our 6-person team. Everything else is kind of in statis - which is a rare and beautiful thing, really, and I knopw it will change.

In the meantime, a little musical offering : Iris Dement performing "Our Town" with "The Grey Ghost", Emmylou Harris, on harmony vocals.

I heard a Shambhala sangha member out in Colorado requested his son play this clip right before he left his home to go to hospice care to die. Haunting. And yes, this is the song from the very end of "Northern Exposure". That show is so intertwined with my life in the 90's, I can't watch that clip now w/o crying.

When I die, and/or if I ever end up going into long-term retreat, I'd like to listen to this and Sia's "Breathe Me" right before I go.

Update; One Year since Lucinda's Death

A brief update.  I have been working for the past month as part of the web team on the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) - formerly the INS- website. It's going pretty good so far. As much as I valued having more practice time, that "getting paid" thing certainly has it's advantages. :)

...especially since our ceiling needed to be replaced in our back bedroom, since the fan shifted in the course of one day to a dangerous "imminent risk of collapse".  So, our apt is filled w/ stuff, to allow someone to come in and fix it (and paint the room while they were at it).  It is forcing us to go through our @#@$ and get rid of a lot of stuff - minimalizing, I suppose.

This weekend, some of the DC Khandro Rinpoche group got together to do the Mindrolling Lineage Vajrasattva (aka "Dor Sem") full sadhana practice. It felt great to do it again - though it has been several months and it was comically/painfully obvious we were all out of practice with the practice. :)

As we were doing it, someone mentioned that it had been exactly a year since our dear Lucinda Peach's death. I am thinking that got us all thinking a bit more about how we are practicing, and what we are doing with our lives.  It certainly did for me.

...and on that note, good night, and good luck. If all goes well, until later.

-JTR

A Guru Yoga that Brings the Dharmakaya onto the Path - by Khenchen Könchog Gyaltshen, composed October 27th, 2008

A Guru Yoga that Brings the Dharmakaya onto the Path

a practice profound of meaning and rich with blessing for the modern regular practitioner with limited time by Khenchen Könchog Gyaltshen, composed October 27th, 2008

Teaching from Spring 2009 Retreat, TMC, Maryland

" You are so fortunate to be here together and share some dharma knowledge. This is something very precious. I believe this is not easy to get because of the collection of causes that brought us here.

Our dharma sangha, practitioners from different places, Boston, Michigan, Florida, Georgia, Virginia, MD J, is precious. You came here because of seeing benefit of dharma. You know how it is precious, how it helps to daily life. And of course it is the way to help others, and to enlightenment, the state free of all confusion and suffering.

The path of Shambhala (Dharma) Art

Back in Mid-April, I did a program at DC Shambhala with  Acharya Arawana Hyasahi called "Shambhala Art Level 4+5". This program was a condensed version of two programs I did nearly a decade ago (!) in Baltimore teaching from Trungpa Rinpoche's teaching on what he called "Dharma Art", which were renamed "Shambhala Art" about 2003 or so.  

These teachings, which as I've said before, were what drew me in to Shambhala (which lead directly to me meeting the other teachers I follow today), are essentially a direct experential way of demonstrating a lot of the concepts of Vajra yana Buddhism.  As Acharya Hyasahi said, "The teaching trungpa did in shambhala art is the highest teaching, and also accessible in different ways."  (I am going to be quoting directly from my notes from the weekend a lot, because I couldn't say it better than she did. :))These teachings (and the exercises that go with them) directly point to how some of the things talked about in Buddhism actually relate to one's life.  For example, I could talk about "Relative truth" and "Ultimate truth" all day, but it wouldn't get the point accross as well as some of the "sign and symbol" excersizes. sasa

The Dharma Art teachings (now reissued in a new edition called "True Perception" after the original book, which I have called "my bible", went out of print) contain a lot of material on  perception, how perception works, and distinguishing the ways of seeing the method of perceiving we all use.   As Aryana said, "To be a human being, and live in a dharmic way, is art. Living harmoniously, to live in an artful way is this teaching. We can of course apply it those of us that do something we call art, but the teaching is that it is something that influences our whole life.  Also, he offers up numerous times the synchronization of mind and body. When they are synchronized, it is “authentic presence” – he recommends meditation before an artwork. “If we are artists, we need to live like artists, and treat our entire lives as discipline.” “Art and post-art become one, like meditation and post-meditation practice become one.” 

The weekend was specifically about working with the teachings of relating with the "Five buddha families" and "the Four Karmas".

All teachings – art in everyday life, etc. are to train us to be able to choose wakefulness. These are relative choices. On her absolute, innate level – is undoctional basic goodness, accommodating both choices. Is always a ground like this. Could make something beautiful, or something to undermine people’s basic goodness. Doesn’t make a difference to the space. On a relative level, it does- choose awakened, or making suffering.

All actions could be pared down to the 4 ways of participating in the world. Art making, making money, raising family, etc. We will look at these first as actions, how they look visually, and then see them sequentially as a process of making art. 

Talent- the ability to be in touch with natural timing of the world. 
“The basic innate nature of our existence and sense of perception in the circle”

Then sense of “dot in space” (as in SL 5), that momentary flash of awake mind is called a dot. Is a lot of nowness- insight of presence. Once we say or do something from there, is sometimes called the stroke or Ashe. From awake, really human inspiration comes some kind of expression. Likewise once it comes out of conditioned behavior, it just comes out.
So, we are trying o pay attention to what does what.

_________________________________________________________________

Ok, now that I've given that summary, I felt the best way to explain more was to include my complete notes along side some of the exercises demonstrating each of the principles described.

Did you do any reading? Were you told to bring a book? To do a reading? Primarily, there is one chapter in the true perception/ dharma art – “the five styles of creative expression” that would be good to read.
Most of the study however will be from “joining heaven and earth”, which isn’t in “dharma art”- it is in “the art OF Calligraphy”. If you can get it, that is fine.
So, the end of the book- joining heaven and earth” – pg 146-end of book – primary source for weekend.
I’ve said it a couple times. What struck me in studying for this weekend is the enormous profundity of this material. The teaching trungpa did in shambhala art is the highest teaching, and also accessible in different ways.
Very weighty on me – how we share this material in a short amount of time.

Tom will have some follow up sessions. It is a LOT of material for 2 days.
The teachings are from the “visual dharma ‘ seminar that trungpa gave in boulder in the summer of 1979. We have been primarily studying from the summer – this is the background material on perception, how perception work, and distinguishing ways of seeing – self, cocoon – the method of [perceiving – the amount that our perceiving is colored by what the sakyong calls the “me plan”. The shambhala art teachings help us to first notice we do that, we have all sort of frames to choose, 1st to even notice something, 2nd if it is for us or against us, we like it or don’t like it, we are trying to discern our own method of perceiving.
The exercises highlight our neurosis and our natural ability to see things as they truly are.
Anyone want to share, it’s the part 1 and part 2 investigation.
To be a human being, and live in a dharmic way, is art. Trungpa uses the word dharma synonymously with art. 
Living harmoniously, to live in an artful way is this teaching.
We can of course apply it those of us that do something we call art, but the teaching is that it is something that influences our whole life.

Then natural hierarchy- heaven, earth, and human.

Arranging in terms of spatial placement and time.
Look at it in terms of first spark – earth – and how to tune in from there –human.
Heaven is “the big thing” – not at all biggest. The biggest perception, that breaks through subconscious gossip. We need to review this, because we will be reviewing these principles through different lenses.

Earth is the confirmation of the big thing – allows the heaven principle to be legitimate. Letting something live in us or move us.

Human principle – as a perceiver – see “how do I perceive the world?”
What is my definition of communication? 

“Whew! Wow, I’ve done it.” Some sense of landing, being present.
It’s through perceiving rather than analyzing.

Last chapter- “art and society”.
It reminds us why we gather together to do this…
“It is connecting with defeating setting sun vision”- the small world of passion, aggression an ignorance.
“and transform it into Great Eastern Sun vision. That is our purpose in being here. We would like to establish….enlightened society…”
This is the background of why he taught it, and what we are supposed to do w/ it. When we realize how to be warm, there is not problem w/ introducing dharma into our art.”
So that’s the deal. You step in the door, and you are part of that stream of people trying to bring some peace to the world.

Those of us of privilege have a responsibility…

When we start to get small-minded, it is easy to lose our motivation. Any paragraph of this book is a powerful reminder of how art or artful living can be.
“It’s not self expression, it’s just expression. Things happen, there is no need to claim it as ours.”
I’m just introducing a few topics, and maybe introduce the Buddha families.

There is a 2nd chapter he entitles discipline.
Trungpa rinpoche often says, “it’s like combing hair”, going through a topic again and again.
In this case, he outlines the psychological and physical implications of heaven- could be implementing a meeting, a dinner party, a piece of art, a webpage, whatever.
(Working on social change theater – working w/ an incredibly innovative agency- that sees challenged people as having gifts- they are all so genuine, unimpeded)
We call this the ‘toehold’- but there is seemingly so much oppression in the system- it just squashes- clients, demands, finances, etc. – it sucks the energy down and closes it off. How do we find the help, practices, etc. we need?

3 reflections on heaven principle
1) Offers up numerous times the synchronization of mind and body. When they are synchronized, it is “authentic presence” – he recommends meditation before an artwork. “If we are artists, we need to live like artists, and treat our entire lives as discipline.” “Art and post art become one, like meditation and PMP become one.” 
2) Also, the tools- the relationship w/ ones brushes, cloth, eggplants, whatever. The sacredness and potential power of the tools themselves.
3) Free from hope and fear – those of us who when we were children, were able to dance, sing whatever w/o hope and fear. Most of us unlearned that, that’s why shambhala is so into leaning into such experiences. The first thing is hope- to look at hope- wanting things to be better, more supportive, there is a sense of hopelessness- giving up expectation of a better result. Also soften up fear of inadequacy. We live in a time, in terms of job security, what is going on in the world, the fear is everywhere – it’s threatening- if not us, our family or neighbors. It’s the sense of how we work w/ hope and fear - 
It is important to build up knowing feeling of wanted and unwanted- that whole arena of what it is to build capacity to live in a more curious, inquisitive way- in terms of inquisitive, it doesn’t matter if it is positive or negative.
If we are after comfortable, we will be disappointed. 
It’s not shutting out what we view as unhealthy, or don’t agree with. 
Most of us know we can’t control bringing in the good and putting off the bad. 
In the end, “when we have that attitude and motivation, we are victorious. There is a general sense of even mindedness that could be called decency.”
The decency is the ability to live w/ our experience in an even minded way.

Earth is about workability and pliability. We have a vision of what an experience could be like. (In some states, working with people is like working w/ hardened clay – in others, it is more workable.

 Earth principle is saying there’s always moisture to make it workable. The vision- heaven- rains down, makes our everyday experience workable, pliable.
What does it mean? Apply the principles to art.

Human – ‘simplicity’ – a sense of nowness, not being biased towards one side or another, a sense of freedom. One is able to be living on this earth w/ a vision.
And then the 4th is the 4 Karmas, the 4 actions. Which we will cover this weekend.

Up for a small exercise, rolling around on the floor. 

The 5 Buddha families- the Mandela principle. These come out of vajrayana Buddhism, but they apply in many ways – not particularly religious.
Very similar to Native American systems. Not looking at it in terms of psychology, but an aesthetic, feel for, a quality. Will look at this rather than “this is neurotic and sane version of Buddha family, etc…”



We are talking about the process, as well as what we are making w/ the product.
3 points- 
1) The product- the what- ex. This shambhala center
2) -The process- the who- if asked, you could tell someone how you did it.
3) The person- the who- the state of mind of the person making it.

In SA we are talking about the state of mind of the artist? We have a lot of instructions so far- what is the mind that makes the arrangement…. spacious- curious- cool and relaxed – emphasized-

"Neurosis is that which creates obstacles to perceiving the phenomena world properly, and fully, as the true artist should. The basic obstacle to clear perception is omnipresent anxiety, which does not allow us to relate to our selves or the world outside ourselves. Out of that anxiety comes a feeling of heat. Out of that is a feeling like heat. That claustrophobia leads us to contract our sense perceptions. Where there is 100 % claustrophobia, we can’t see, hear, smell, taste. Our senses are numbed. This is a great obstacle to creating art. “ – CTR
Being a drola- a person who is always moving – migrator- always moving- could be related to things like now – a cultural shift- where something isn’t working. We had the breakdown of communism, and now we are having the complete breakdown of capitalism – it didn’t work for most of the world anyway- we are seeing it doesn’t work –there is a lot of falling apart right now –let alone global warming, growing poverty, wars. - Omnipresent anxiety.

In the chapter “dharma and art”.
When arawana was starting in the 60’s, there was a feeling that agony fueled to process, that seeing therapy or something would steal ones art. 

Fundamentally, art is an unconditional beauty, which transcends ordinary beauty. –CTR

Peace and Space – exercise one – Buddha family
What is a Buddha family person like – enlightened quality – spaciousness, vastness, openness – anything is possible. 

w/ three objects, we are going to
It’s heaven earth man, but w/ quality of spaciousness…

One must pay attention to the margins and the marginalized. 
Pay attention to the boundaries. 
Point of practice is to include ALL S.B. s in the action of wisdom and compassion. Where you put your things in relation to other people’s things can be incredibly profound and can affect others. Life has borders and edges in time and space – this is the room we are working with – we are working with “what is”. 

There isn’t any freedom unless one realizes what the forms and limits are – it’s mostly about discipline. 

Jim- as soon as an object is down, I am seeing it’s name and function. 
Arianna- just let it go. ☺ 
Continue to practice during lunch- look t the world through colored glasses – red and warm, or cold and criticizing – make note of the view you are having.
And, in your environment – what do you order? What is the restaurant like? What are its qualities? 

Write down 5 things during lunch – to sharpen up your perceptions…. what seems watery, fiery, etc. Look at the world as though you are an artist. 

If objects are touching- there is something about the spacing that makes objects more visible. 

Just looking at objects, without concepts…
-A little green thing, a first shoot – this is not the time for editing, for cutting it down. First thing in the creative process is nurturing – warmth, etc. later on, you can cut it off and be judgmental, but not now…

Buddha- center - head
Vajra- east - eyes
Ratna- south – throat, belly
Padma – west- heart
Karma – north- limbs 

Relationship between heaven and earth- 

Humans who are connected with both these principles – heaven – being w/o hope and fear- earth- unobstructed

Humans can survive w/ the mercy of heaven and earth- it is almost a traditional scientific c truth that when heaven and earth have a good relationship, humans have a good relationship w/ them. When they are in conflict, men and women have doubts about their ruler, who is supposed to join heaven and earth, like king David. “
The vision and the ability to get the job done – need to be able to hold those two things, otherwise there is war and disasters, etc. 

Exercise- 5 Buddha family arrangements.

Q. At lunch, said thing about mimicking- felt like I was padma when I was young, and then ratna for past several years. Yet we are supposed to be born into 1 family. How does this work?
A. I don’t know – her relationship w/ the families is through SA and Buddhism, aesthetic principles, not maitri or psychological states. Don’t work w/ the 5 families that much in my own work. 
Q. How important it is to do this- not just creating, but entering into other’s fields of experiencing. 
A. Good to have diversity and voice of margin in a team, to see the whole system. What would it be like to see the world like ___? Try to see the world like them.
Aware of many ways of seeing. 
Q- feeling the ground of someone else’s feeling when he or she are talking to you.

4 levels of listening 
A. 1st- polite- listening from the middle of the cocoon- don’t actual see the other person, see a version of them we project out and we get that feedback- own projected sense of slides- may be more or less correct, but they are still our projections.
B. 2nd – step outside of organization system, to the edge, and look out. Getting disconfirming data. In the 1st instance of doing so, we do it to clarify – “I am my opinion”. Situations where many of us are stuck in our own view, and we think we are right. (ex. Diversity issues), so, when we hear other’s views, instead of being empathetic, we get more clear of their view. Good basis of debate – discussion like percussion.
C. 3rd- empathy- jumping out of our shoes into theirs. Gets into genuine dialogues.
D. 4th- generative listening- could generate a real wisdom in the listener. Spontaneous insight, - listening makes the insight come forth. 
It is useful to know all these at different times. 

Looking at flexibility is able to move from one to the other with some grace.

Q. That quote –
Chapter – “joining heaven and earth” – 
Trungpa said in a dark age, there is more of a need for constant stimulation, creating numbness. We as practitioners can see these as obstacles. 
What is the relationship between that contemplation and the exercises we just did?
More ways to see things. Seeing ways to work around the energies, and deal with it, play with it. 

Q. a quote about “viewing a stick through the five families.” 
A. We will try that tomorrow. Using the same set of objects for all five families. 
If we had three sticks, we could make a 3 stick Buddha, ratna, etc. Maybe it’s because I’ve always worked w/ not enough funding or people. ☺ You work with what you got. I once taught this weekend w/ just matchsticks and paper.

How do you regard a stick through the 5 families?
It’s not about only using one sense perception. Contemplate that tonight. 
Trungpa’s film choices- dersuzalla, the last wave, a documentary on cowboys, a documentary on sheepherding, 
a theme of space and richness. 


A plug for Acharya Ferguson’s new book ‘Natural Wakefulness’ 

Distinctions between innate (natural) and manifested (the training that will bring it about)

The white square- hearkens back to “back to square one”-m this open blank canvas of a mind, sky like mind, where we always return to in terns of making art pr==or working w. people. That is why it is there, as a reminder. 

Will begin w/ checking- how is my mind and body….
______________________________________________________________________________________
Part 5- investigation – these parts are just topics CTR taught in relation to visual art- put together by his students- the point is I suppose we can do a everything together- this isn’t the only way of looking at this material – but in terns to participating in your own centers and whatever else your life is about.

The karmas – actions – what is the teaching? On Karma.
Cause and effect. Every action has a kind of reverberation in the world, a result. The fact you all are in this room is due to innumerable causes and effects in our lives.
There is no avoiding causes and effect, but also very difficult to understand. It’s not one thing = one result. 

It also makes most sense in a multi-lifetime system, how these occur.

What does karma mean? It also means we have complete freedom in the nowness. In every moment are choices – we can choose Great Eastern Sun, or choose to be comfortable, familiar, closed down, HPs. You could open up, no hope, no fear, or act in this realm of conditioned behavior.

All teachings – art in everyday life, etc. are to train us to be able to choose wakefulness. These are relative choices. On her absolute, innate level – is undoctional basic goodness, accommodating both choices. Is always a ground like this. Could make something beautiful, or something to undermine people’s basic goodness. Doesn’t make a difference to the space. On a relative level, it does- choose awakened, or making suffering.

4 actions 
Alll actions could be pared down to the 4 ways of participating in the world. Art making, making money, raising family, etc.
We will look at these first as actions, how they look visually, and then see them sequentially as a process of making art. They describe the 4 dignity, the 4 stages of creative process, how to participate in a skillful way in our lives.
- Pg. 169- p. 36 in “art of calligraphy”

- This discussions in not as abstract as you might think…”
- He taught these in 1979 on transparencies. Was inspired, since tom and Antonio didn’t understand what CTR was talking about ☺ 

Start w/ first one- discussion – 2 aspects of action 
1- Innate
2- Manifested

Back to what we said before. Innate, naturally heaven, earth and man, 4 karmas, 5 families, etc. And 23rd part, how to see the world as a sense of order. Spring before summer, than fall. Morning, then noon, the night.

Trees grow greens up roots down. It’s how things are. Not a religious system. 
Heaven earth and humans arrangement…. (para 1 p. 28).
Talent- the ability to be in touch with natural timing of the world. 
“The basic innate nature of our existence and sense of perception in the circle”

Then sense of “dot in space” (as in SL 5), that momentary flash of awake mind is called a dot. Is a lot of nowness- insight of presence. Once we say or do something from there, is sometimes called the stroke or Ashe. From awake, really human inspiration comes some kind of expression. Likewise once it comes out of conditioned behavior, it just comes out.
So, we are trying o pay attention to what does what.

The line from the dot (earth) is the stroke (man).

Could also say the 1st dot surrounded by circles heaven.

Outside circle. – Mind.
Inner circle- energy.

Space, and energy.

Mind like open sky – things come and go – like clouds.
The energy is called the Great Eastern Sun. There is a Vibrant brilliant quality, which manifests in 4 different ways of the Karmas.

Pacifying
Round shape – peace, or pacifying. 
Goodness- absence of arrogance. Absence of neurosis. 

CTR makes an arrangement of h, e, m – the placement of the elements complements the circle. Sense of no neurosis. We feel that quality of pacifying. 

(Passes around for people to try for themselves.) To be pacified seems to need balance. I comes out of a tradition that – dances came into Japan in the 7th century, and haven’t changes since then. Was passed down in the family since 8th century. Arawana watched teacher, and tried to do exactly the same way. The purpose of the dances is to attract gods, dralhas. Kind of a geomancy – the movement of the group – trying to do same thing, trying to shift energy of planet. You don’t fool w/ it, you just do it. Innovation is not of value here. Being in synch, inseparable from that – traditional art generally has a different value structure than how cleaver you can be. I don’t see these 2 things are at odds. I never noticed any difference. 
-We are so used to thinking of what is innovative, interesting, has a spark, we have difficult with understanding 4 karmas. 
How do you just be in a meeting, and mirror or hold opposites, conflicts in a meeting?
Would my role be to be pacifying w/o suppressing. Pacifying is to be able to mirror the whole. In such a way that everything clicks. Then the clarity can come to the surface.
These things get us things- what would placement be to feel pacifying.
(Balance, alignment),
This is visual rather than philosophical. How does it make us feel pacified?

IS A difference btwn – this is one of the most important 
Boredom is incredibly important in meditation. It leads to no hope and no fear.

“it’s ok.” 2-thing going to -1
2 things 10 just go forward

If it is boring, do john cage thing, It sounds like cage’s looking into seeing.
Cage worked a lot w/ role of listener, trained to open out. We are working on how to listen. 

Next karma

Enriching 
Enriching- “manifested mind” – mental state of building, (I have no idea what It means.)
- Manifestation of the moving mind. S =enriching- outside if mind or thought. 
- Big difference of feeling of square and feeling of diamond.
- Is the heart monolithic 
In this situation we could …pg, 29, 30,
- Intrinsic energy of our state of mind

Need to take into account r 
You actually think about the heaven –earth man-3

Magnetizing
Magnetizing - `”on you feel you out earth-“ Let go and go away, be generous. 
Neurotic- “we want to jump off a cliff before we have to give someone even half a penny.”
Sense of padma is always some kind of longing. MAGENTIZING –reverses the pattern of thinking “I don’t have enough”. 

You think you can get enough art, music, even shopping.
It is like a flower- beautiful flower- complete – one is immediately drawn to it. But it’s not jumping into you face. Magnetizing is often also translated as “empowering”. 

Destroying
“The heavy one”. It’d basic nature is fearless. Too little fearlessness- coward
Too much- too intellectual

All the 5 families can use all 4 karmas- but there is also a correspondence.

Destroying- Karma
Magnetizing – Padma
Pacifying - Vajra
Enriching - Ratna

There is a a pacifying magnetizing- pacifying destroying - ‘like in ‘discovery elegance” Not feeling like it is “your baby”.

How we actually work w/ the 4 principles. (top p. 33)

Square represents manifestation. Mandala principle- what is a mandala? Set up – has an inner and outer.
“center and fringe” – ‘kil khor’ in Tibetan
Display of the mind and culture. Each of us lives in a mandala, we live in center.

Tradition Square = courtyard. – Living on this earth.
Circle. Heaven earth and man. 
- 3 stroke strategy. 
- East is always down, in middle, slightly of center-…
- From east – in the middle, slightly off-center, cool situation, cools off boredom and heat of neurosis. 
- Big white in east-courtyard
Pure and cool, gentle, free from neurosis.

Can use red or yellow – same source.

Enriching- absence of arrogance and aggression. Make a connection w/ richness, leads to absence of arrogance. (markers roll to Karen ☺)
Arrogance – false puffing up – makes us feel poor. It’s not trusting our basic richness. 

How to tune in to these karmas. 

Magnetizing –approach it from the west. Overcomes poverty (straight out of traditional texts.)

Destroying – enter from the north- gives some sense of principle- destruction of laziness – next time you are lazy, draw a triangle, and cut right through that laziness. 

Put them all together, and you get the “whole thing”.

The point is- all this works together, and is a description of what it is to live a life. We live in a world of action. The logic of “view = heaven – practice = person practicing .

4 dignities of shambhala work with same things, just in the opposite direction.

p. 36 – students enter from different direction for different reasons. Apart from an artistic, there is a sociological principle also. 
When Antonio said “now” – green triangle –karma- 
Went to the restaurants yesterday- show-off peppershakers.

Tom Semmes- How to actually use the 4 Karmas to create a work of art

All fine party conversation, but you need to use it to actually create a work of art. 

I am going to talk about how I experienced the 4 karmas originally, and then how I actually use them, and we will do exercise to see how they are working.

I realized when I took my first SA class, at the same time, I started taking art classes- I have been studying SA at the same time I had been studying art. I lost something at art school. Part of my interest was how CTR created art w/o ego. He made it look simple. No heavy concepts. At art school, was all aggression, who had connections, studios, etc. I couldn’t see myself being that way. There was an energy that was truncated. Part of my interest was to break through that. When I first studied the 4 karmas, I remember taking back a message for what you actually do in the studio (or anywhere else) to create a work of art.

First, negative aspects. Everyone who’s ever done or taught art, the first thing is a judgment “I’m not good enough”. It amazes me that people come to a class and say, “I can’t draw”. Well, of course not, you are learning. Our culture has a truncated view- some people have talent, some don’t. Those who don’t often go off and make a lot more money. ☺ But seriously, it’s one think to not want to learn to draw but to say you can’t is a negative judgment you made on yourself. in my process of taking these classes, come across these negativities. 

Then, later, doing a piece, and then judging it and saying “that’s bad, that’s bad” – using the destruction karma- “oh it’s no good” and destroying it. I would be working on a piece, not wasn’t sure where it was going, and if it didn’t go somewhere in ½ hour, I would just destroy it.” You need to stay w/ it. Take an inspiration and not obstruct it. With destruction, or enrich it too much “I will be really careful, this is how you do it, these is not.” And another- working w/ other people – a sense of competition- “he’s no good, but she’s better than me.” How do you work with other people and criticize art. The first step from creating art to showing it – you can just show it “I am looking at this work, can I step outside the process and see it as others do?”

So, the 4 karmas. The first and last are most important. ☺ Pacifying- we all forget about it. Always start w/ first negative judgment of ourselves. The very reason we have art schools seems to be to create a pacifying place – the teacher says "take our pencil, paper, draw a figure”. You need to create that situation yourself, to learn to be your own teacher. Only so much an external teacher can tell you, you need to learn yourself. But how do you do that without peacefulness? We have talked about vajra family…

Almost all artists create little tricks that work for them, for whatever reason. For me, scrapping my palette does it. There are periods when everything I do looks bad. 

The mixing colors amazes me. ☺ I sort of wish we could overlay family colors- charetuse family, pink family, karma and padma = purple.

You always need to find a way to create a pacified place- a container. I know it’s conceptual, arbitrary, but as humans we work w. these things to reach that place. Then what- you enrich it; you add things- pretty easy, put colors on a canvas. And it goes on and on like that. Enriching is the easiest of all the families to me. But at some point, you need to make up your mind- “what is this picture about?” 

Here is where padma comes in – magnetizing something in- what the canvas is “about” – abstract or realistic. “How do you keep that magnetizing energy going?

The danger is that you will get to that point, and then all these other ideas will start happening – like you re afraid to go there- you get this neurotic padma aspect- and the structure goes “glu gly glyu glu”.

And then there is a point of completion, and then it sits for 2-3 days. Somehow, the picture starts to change- it starts to look stupid, or too much, wtc. “ Here’s where 4th karma comes in. Is a good destruction, and a bad kind. 

Good – “where is the life in this?” – it’s more about life than killing something? And what do you want to keep here? And think maybe to keep this; you need to take this…” some are worth destroying or painting over.

And then the critic- it’s not about cutting you down, but to increase the amount of life – this dance troupe needs maybe a little work, but this one really has it!

‘ or whatever. 

Participant comments:
• You reminded me of the story of George and Martha- children’s stories about hippos.
• One teacher I work with- was a bit dharmic- said "do 1000 paintings, and THEN you can criticize your own work, you are still learning.”
• for about 25 years, I was an “Artist” – competing to get into shows- then I had it – it was too soul crushing- I’ve been much happier since I have not defined myself as an artist. I dropped out of that very vicious world. I always had this anxiety underneath- pressure to make it, to sell, to become famous. 
• That attitude is very western European. I can identify with it. 

Is a good and bad place to paint. Often, now have been taking photos of a landscape, and then paint from hat- it’s much easier- it creates a pacifying ground. 

The thought –I want to do a landscape” or “I want to set up here” – that’s a thought, but then after set up, you don’t know what you are doing- first thought as empty.
Where do the universe of the neurotic artist and this other world coexist?

Arawana- every moment of activity, I’ve done before, but I haven’t done it before now. The person I was 30 years ago doesn’t exist now. The only thing I experience is right now. Even if I have done the same 7 dances thousands of times in locations – doing anything for 50 dollars ☺, I’ve done them in many situations that are less than optimal- but that time, is the first time I’ve done this gesture for them. Maybe the more training, the lass you have to worry about the action. But every time there is anxiety, every time there is anxiety to do it right, not fall down. Is always some combination of anxiety. And, in terms of working, I hadn’t worked since 2000, when the republicans cut off all arts funding. Now that It’s back, those experiencing are always back. ☺ 

Unfortunately, if I am doing a piece, I am trying to do it – I know the way it is supposed to be. And while sometimes I am a raving banshee- but somehow, this –SA- working w/ groups of people – the book true perception- Luther said it’s my bible- I FEL THE same way. I DON’T know what or why it is, but that drive to create something with other people that could shift the social fabric. I am desperate to change something, to make something better. What is that? I don’t know what it is. But it is the inquiry. 

Even inside this slightly neurotic, hyper-vigilant states, you both described “the first moment is the here and the now” – even if it is dancing in a basement for 2 people, there is a sense of ‘this is who I am.”

The immediate nowness of improvising – but if I haven’t pacified, I can’t enter into playing music at all. I’ve had this experience where I’d been in an orchestra, asked to do a solo, and then have an idea of it, but then go, and would be awful; you have to surrender to it. If composing, must surrender enough to be silent. Surrendering to be present to all the sense perceptions and direction. Music has taught me that. You surrender in his now, and bring all your passion and skill…but also your neurosis. To surrender more and more, so I can hold the space and accommodate my neurosis and vision simultaneously. 
JB- that immediacy is what ctr called back to square one. You need to get there to be pacified. You have a vision, but don’t know how to manifest that. If you get back to square one, that first square arises, and then- plop!- then it can come out. It has helped to be present driving the past couple days. 

Exercise-

Looking at the arrangement. Before, people love to jump in and saying something.
But looking at something has it’s own process. Similar to creating, but from outside in, not inside out.
1) Pacify the situation- just looking at all of it. We have agreed there is a container (the golden rectangle). Just looking at the whole thing. 
2) Enrich- bring in concepts you already have. Ex. Working w/ ratna, know ratna is yellow, is rich, etc. adding different filters. Not really choosing one, just adding filters. “This is about fullness” or “enriching gold king-like power”. Also certain elements representing space. Where is what feels like earth, heaven, human, etc. Where is the energy in this – space, form and energy is another phrase for heaven, earth and man. Just throwing out ideas.
3) Magnetize- if this was heaven, what is the earth? What is trying to nurture heaven ground it, give it the space it wants. Assigning importance – “this is the next largest element”, “does the earth element ground it?” etc. 
4) Destroying- how could it be different? What is and isn’t working? We aren’t going to say, “I like this, I don’t like that, that one sucks, etc.”

So, what did the creator say?

What does assigning importance mean – determining “what is this about?” It about ratna- in enriching- bring in other concept of what it is bout.
What is being expressed by the relationship through the objects? The principles of heaven, earth man really work with seeing art. 

Afternoon- will be continuing w/ it- but more 3-d- in four different spots of the room. Self-select group. 

View- remember silence, and things arise from silence. More spaciousness and openness = more fun. Also, practically- more screens, ladder, etc.


Debrief of the process- what is it like to do this process- if you have any stories- there is a wide range of what the process could be like. 

Destroying - Karma- we had different skills, and we used them indepen

d

ently,

 check

ing in from time to time- we sort of came up with a plan to start, and then ran w/ it, using their own skills. What was the leadership style-? 
We set the initial view- like a seed and things unfolded from here- a lot of tolerance and flexibility. 

Magnetizing -Padma- had a little conflict- different ideas expressed, people kept working together, people held to basic ideas while holding to other stuff. We did much better than

 any one single persons vision. We tried to focus on “or who wouldn’t want whipped cream?” When we got back here, a sense of openness and play after shopping, and went for horizontal, and it got more horizontal and inviting. Horizontal leadership- really listening to one another. Worked very much together. A bit of collision at the start- “it has to be this and this and this”- weren’t allowing ideas to blend but we got back and really listened to each other. 
( 1) not allowed to say ”yes, but” – only allowed to say “yes, and” – a big rule of improvisation – and 2) no bad ideas. –Idea- great design company has these wonderful rules.).

Direction leadership vs. process leadership at the beginning then started playing together. Decided “let’s go out and get what we like, and then see what happens” and it worked. Somehow it was all going to work anyway. Very improvisational. Developed organically

Enriching- Ratna-

 we worked together- even the guy stocking boxes in the store was working with us. Magnetized another person ☺ concerned about budget ☺ had all these ideas – and kept coming up w/ good ideas- difficult part was paring down ideas, and certain ideas people we attached to. Had a lot of clarity of being clear. 
Was a little scared that other groups had a head start. We had no vision at first, just some objects. People just took on roles. Brian almost got killed by Gesar, somehow it came together, we weren’t sure how.
Making the boundary w/ Vajra was the hardest part. We took on roles we did best. Got a little scared by list – had a shopping list of 20 things- asked the restaurant we were in to give us a carry-out order ☺ paring down shopping list.

Pacifying – Buddha -currently spifing up our center in Baltimore for the Sakyong. For those who haven’t seen ‘discovering elegance’ – CTR did the heaven element, earth- furniture, and m

an as the flower arrangement at the end.
Started out w/ a list of food- and stayed pretty close. “Of course ☺” – zinnia felt the other three really were in harmony- I was comfortable, and admire that

 simplicity that I don’t have ☺” I could feel how clear the other 3s vision was. ☺
Sometimes people get really strong opinions about something, and it doesn’t flow so well, and they really get upset. 

Thanks tom for inviting me- logistics, and Antonio and Judy bond. 
Unusual situation- some people are here that haven’t done the SA in a sequential way. But it’s fine, we want to build a community of people with a commitment to art, both in court vision- the uplift of the center and community, and a team of people to take that on, plus in general is a way of building enlightened society and contributing is art practice and sensitivity to the [phenomenal world. I just want to clarify that people do the whole program (1-5). And Mr. Sayzik had these pins made as a reminder. Pins are a big part of shambhala culture- and other Tibetan groups make fun of us. ☺ We say these are how we are going to find each other in the bardo. ☺
A pin joins heaven and earth – the pin at the heart- it reminds us of our heritage and reminds of our commitment to this path- the art path- and we have a responsibility to continue w. practice, both sitting meditation practice and practice in art =- it has resonated with us, what we can cultivate our own compassion, wisdom – you have real resources- tom, Alexander and Elaine in Philly, Judy in Baltimore.

We always offer Part 1-3 at Karma choling for a week, and 4-5 for a week. I think I’ve been in this program dozens of times and have always learned new things, and still feel like I am scratching the surface- don’t feel like this is the end of the road, but a beginning. 
Just remind you of the seriousness of the commitment to practice and help out, both in the Shambhala community. And any other community you are part of. 

More to follow...Lots of dharma ;)

A quick note - I've got a bunch to talk about on here. In addition to being re-employed (pending background check), There's been a lot of dharmic stuff happening. In the past 2 months, I've gotten some great teachings on Trungpa Rinpoche's "Dharma Art (aka 'Shambhala Art')" teachings, been to Sakyong Mipham RInpoche's visit to the Baltimore Shambhala Center, and been up to Frederick a few times while one of my two "root gurus", Khenchen Konchog Gyaltshen Rinpoche, was teaching for the first time in a couple years.

Each of these will get a separate entry shortly. As it is, I am trying to get a LOT of meditation time in before my new job starts.  So, these updates will be following in coming days in between sitting sessions.

Peace.

-JTR

The 4 Immeasurables and the 5 Skhandas

(originally posted 9/17/08; rewritten and expanded 5/19/09)

Acharya Richard John was teaching on the First Turning of the Wheel of Dharma (aka the Hiniyana) last September at the DC Shambhala Center. As part of his overview of the first turning (essentially the Four Noble Truths), he talked a bit about the Five skhandas (or 'heaps'). Some newer students asked me for some more information on how to actually work with this contemplation.

I usually do it combined with, or alternating with, the 4 Immeasurables - Loving-Kindness, Compassion, Sympathetic Joy, and Equanimity.
Religious author/maverick Karen Armstrong, in her biography of Shakimuni Buddha, said that it was alternating the 4 Immeasurables and the contemplation of the 5 skhandas that led to the Big Guy's liberation. I personally think she is barking up the right tree.

While this should really taught by a qualified teacher who has embodied them for years, As there is none available, I can give you the quickie version.

Repeat this:
"May all sentient beings have happiness and the causes of happiness.
May they be liberated from suffering and the causes of suffering.
May they never be separated from the happiness that is free from sorrow.
May they rest in equanimity, free from attachment and aversion".

It is imperative that one must have a direct experiential understanding of Equanimity, Loving-Kindness, Compassion, and Joy before going on - especially before going into Vajrayana practice.

.5.Equanimity - "May they rest in equanimity, free from attachment and aversion." Seeing there is no difference between yourself and others, and that all events-good or bad, happy or sad-are not as much as a big deal as we make them out to be.
This step makes it much easier to do everything that comes afterwards.  At this point, it will probably be very conceptual, and very difficult. Traditionally, one would build up to this sense of equanimity after first going through the other Immeasurables.  So, just do the best you can at this point. We will be coming back to it.

The best way to understand equanimity is to examine yourself and find out exactly where "you" are.
For over 2500 years, people have been exploring themselves through what we call the five skhandas--Form, feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness. (It is VERY important to examine the last of these before going for 'higher states of consciousness').  It is pretty much using scientific method - hypothesis (in this case, that "there is a self"), experimentation (analyzing this "self"), observation of results, and conclusions.  The only thing a little different is that, at the end of all the analysis once once reaches conclusions, you don't say "ok, that's interesting" and then go off and watch "American Idle" or whatever.  You reach that point, and you rest there for a while.  This is the big difference that Shakimuni Buddha introduced - letting any insights reached have time and space to really "sink in".  

A) Form - We all seem to accept that we all have permanent, lasting selves that continue pretty much the same from birth to death.  This is the "I" that we all fight to make things better for.

So, examine your body to find out EXACTLY where "you" are in this thing. Where exactly are "you"? Are you in your big toe? In your foot? What is a foot anyway? Is the skin on the outside "foot"? The muscles? The bone? The bone marrow? Break it down to the cellular level, and beyond. Is one particular atom in your foot "you"? Where does "foot" end and "leg" begin? Go up through your body, examining every part of it, and think, "is this 'me " From the bottom through your internal organs (stopping at the sex organs and examining them closely, because a lot of people think that those body parts Are "I") up to the head. Also, is the "I" now the same as "I" when you were 10? If you reach 70, will you be the same "I" you are now? And if not, then why are you so damn worried about doing stuff to make things ready for that theoretical person who may not even get a chance to exist?

 When you get to your brain, is there one part of your brain that is "I"? (Remember, we all think that "I" is a solid, singular entity).  Yes, Science can monitor where different brain activities are occuring. But activity is happening in different areas at different times.  Some of these chunks can be removed, and there is still a functioning human there. However, is that the same person? Also, if that batch of gray matter is all that "I" is, then why the hell are we all so obsessed with all the other bits?  

I'll get back to the brain/mind later.
Also-
a. Remember how many body parts can be either replaced or transplanted now, which makes it unlikely they are "I".  Think - we can replace limbs, internal organs (hearts, lungs, intestines, etc.), faces, even sex organs. If "I" is in your leg, if it gets replaces with a synthetic one (or say, you get like the "Six Million Dollar Man" from the 70s and get cool bionic #@$# installed in place of the original parts), are "you" less of "you" because those parts are gone? 

b. Also, remember science tells us that every single cell in our bodies is replaced at least once every 7 years. Since that is so, in a very real sense, the "I" that you were has NOTHING physically in common with the "I" now.  Keep looking for that moving target...keep looking...

When you get exhausted searching, rest in that. As I said before, this resting is critical, and is the difference in learning that Buddha discovered. If you get to a point of reasoning, and can go no further, if you rest in that 'halted mind' for a few minutes, that insight will REALLY sink in and become a part of you. So, when you get to this point of exhausting all concepts, JUST REST.

Now, apply the same logic to the outside world (here's some of that equanimity). See that absolutely everyone and everything is made up of a bunch of constantly changing parts, like you. (This, btw, is what we mean by “emptiness"-empty of a solid, lasting self-definitely not “nothingness”).  Everything and everyone is a moving target, which has quite a few ramifications.  So, for example, If you 'get' a relationship with someone, one of the realities that follows is that you should not be surprised when (not if) they change.  Since all of the dharma is about removing suffering and worry from one's life (nothing more), it should lead you to worry less, by knowing - REALLY knowing - that change is going to happen.

Now, think that "There is no difference between you and anyone else in this way.
Everyone is exactly like you in this manner."
Repeat this logic over and over, and then rest in it.

On another level, think to yourself "I want happiness and to be free from suffering." "My partner wants happiness and to be free from suffering. My cat/mom/friends/exs/enemies/George W./, indeed, everyone just wants to be happy and free from suffering. There is no difference between myself and them in this way. Everyone wants the same thing. We are all the same in this."
Between the breaking down of the world into infinite pieces and realizing that everyone wants the same thing and wants to avoid the same thing, you should have some sense of equanimity, which will be very useful (indispensable, in fact) for the next parts of the 4 Is.

1) Loving-Kindness - "May all sentient beings have happiness and the causes of happiness.”
Because you have had some experience of equanimity, this one will be easier than if you hadn’t. Think of the person closest to you. Notice how you feel, how you wish for them to be happy. Extend that feeling out, to your closest family. Now to your closest friends. Now to friends that you aren’t so close to. Now extend the same feeling of wishing they were happy (since that is what they and everyone else wants) to people you see on the street, but don’t know. Extend it to complete strangers. Now, (the tough part) extend it to your enemies. Past romantic rivals. Bosses who screwed you over in the past. Ex-boyfriends who were dickweeds. George W. Bush. Bin Laden. Dick Chenney. Carrot Top. Whoever you hate the most in your day-to-day life, extend that wish that they be happy. Extend it to everyone and every living creature you can think of.

I found it best to centralize those feelings in my heart center and extend outwards, to give it all a more vicseral feeling. You will likely feel a trembling at your heart center, and may want to think that light is extending out from your heart (if you are a more visual person). If you have done the Shambhala 'Windhorse' practice, this is exactly the same feeling.

Rest in that for a little bit, because it will be refined as….

2) Compassion – “May they be liberated from suffering and the causes of suffering”.
This builds on loving kindness. Not only do you wish that people are happy, you wish they don’t suffer by contemplating a bit how they do suffer. From the previous parts, you should automatically have a wish that people don’t suffer, and are happy (keeping in mind that they don’t exist on a permanent, lasting level). Extend out the wish for beings to be happy as before, but now think of how different people suffer. You can fill in your own examples; I’ve provided a few to get you started. A recent teacher gave the instruction to:

A) think of all those living in fear (ex. Iraqi citizens, women in Sudan who are under constant threat of rape, Palestinian and Israeli parents who don’t know if this morning will be the last time they see their kids alive, etc.)

B) All those living in extreme hardship (ex. People in the remote areas of Afghanistan, the survivors of the most recent natural disaster, people trying to survive on minimum wage here, farmers in Africa, etc.)

C) All those undergoing intolerable pain, both:
i. Physical (ex. Soldiers who’ve had a limb blown off in Iraq, Aids victims in Zimbabwe or China wasting away since they can’t get life-saving drugs, cancer patients, others with illnesses that are slowly killing them, etc.) and
ii. Mental (ex. Parents who just had soldiers carrying a folded flag come to their door, people who lost their whole family in the 2004 Tsunami, Old people who have just lost their spouse of 40 + years, etc.)

D) All those who are consumed by hatred (ex. Bin Laden, George W., Don Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Rush Limbaugh, etc.) (You can wish for the last category that “they be happy, and free of suffering, and no longer cause suffering to themselves or others”)
You will likely have a similar sensation of emanating out of your heart as before, but it may feel heavy. One teacher described it as “tasting ones’ own heart for the first time”.

You may find yourself crying after doing this, and filled with the burning wish that all these stop suffering. That is what compassion is REALLY all about.

So, once you realize this, then you can move into:
3) Rejoicing (aka Sympathetic Joy)—“ May they never be separated from the happiness that is free from sorrow”.  This works on a couple of levels. First, on one level, it is being glad whenever something good happens to them.  This is really good for counteracting jealously, which I find to be a real pain-in-the-ass poisonous emotion, since one can really easily justify it to oneself. 

For example, If one finds themselves in a love triangle (or love square or some other trapazoid), cultivating this Immeasurable is a very good way to ensure you don't show up on "Cops" or "America's Most Wanted". In that case, one would geniunely be happy for whoever you love that they are with someone that makes them happy, even if that person is not you. (Of course, in this case, it also helps to have accomplished the contemplation that convinces you that neither "you" or either of "them" is so solid anyway, making the whole emotion seem a little silly.)

Beyond this somewhat mundane level, this Rejoicing is another way of saying “may everyone realize that they are not as solid as they think, and no longer suffer ever again. May they be enlightened.”  (Enlightenment is considered to be "the happiness free from sorrow."  Or, as one teacher said, "It's pretty much the same as life was before, only you don't worry nearly as much." :))

Imagine all those suffering beings happy (the ‘light emanating from the heart’ works well- imagine it envelopes all these suffering beings, and they smile and all their sorrows are lifted never to return). Resolve that whatever ‘spiritual' practice you engage in, may it actually accomplish the removal of their sorrows. (note- personally, I'm not a fan of the phrase 'spiritual' - it's kind of a loaded phrase with all kinds of overtones I think pretty much suck.)

So, we are now back to:

4.Equanimity - "May they rest in equanimity, free from attachment and aversion." Seeing there is no difference between yourself and others, and that all events-good or bad, happy or sad-are not as much as a big deal as we make them out to be. 
At this point, it should be MUCH easier than it was when you started this process.  For myself, I find it is simply taking the first three and sort of combining them and really sending those thoughts to literally everyone on earth (and to any life elsewhere in the universe).  Really, really extending out one's positive thoughts to all beings.  Some people like to talk about it being like a positive prayer, which can actually help those beings.  I don't talk about that myself.  Personally, I think it would be literally impossible to design a legit experiment that controlled for all variables.  What I DO know is that it can help and transform the one actually doing the practice.

Rest in that feeling. After doing this cycle a few times and getting the hang of it, it may possibly be the most blissful experience you’ve ever had. (ok, it may be neck-and-neck with that fabulous orgasm you had about 4 years ago, or whenever ;))

Just one little thing to finish up: the search for "you".

There are four more parts of the Five Skhandas after Form.

B) Feelings. Are you your feelings? When you are in love, are you “love”? When you are in pain, are you “pain”? If you accept the definition we all accept that I am a continuous, lasting object, then this cannot be true. If it were, you would have EXACTLY the same feeling ALL the time, instead of alternating between pleasurable and un-pleasurable feelings. Feelings arise, abide, and cease all the time.  But "You" don't. So, logically, "feelings" can't equal "you."

  Also, where exactly ARE those feelings? For example, if "in love", you may say that 'butterflies in the heart' feeling. BUT, earlier on, when contemplating Form, you already concluded that the heart ISN'T you.  Plus, if you had a heart transplant, and had the 'butterflies in the heart', does that mean that someone else's heart is now "you"? How is it logically possible that a part of of someone else now IS the "you" you've suffered so much to make happy since you were a baby?   If that's true, then what is going on here?

C) Perceptions. Some say “you are what you perceive”. However, if you apply the same logic from feelings, then this cannot possibly be ‘you’. Perceptions are constantly shifting. If your perceptions were the lasting, continuous ‘you,' you would still be watching last night's "Daily Show” or whatever.  

Plus, how often have your perceptions fooled you? We have all had the experience of mistaking someone for somebody else.  Also, if someone were in, say, an IMAX theatre getting their brain monitored, and had been in their long enough for the illusion to totally fool them that they were flying, and someone with a twisted sense of humor replaced the film with one of a camera falling off a cliff straight down to the bottom of a canyon, then your perceptions would tell you that  "you" were about to die of falling, even though the reality would simply not be true.  And if the perceptions were telling 'you' that you were dying, how could that perception also BE that "you" that was being told be your sense data "i'm about to hit the ground really fast?" 

The classical Buddhist image is of confusing a coiled rope in the dark for a snake, being terrified, but then when light falls on the floor, you see it's simply a rope and feel a sense of relief or even laughter. The actual reality hasn't changed. Only your perceptions. And, since these changed, perceptions are not you.  

D) Formations (also called "volition", or "compositional factors" - I still haven't found a translation of this term I am totally happy with). This is a big category, including 'all types of mental habits, thoughts, ideas, opinions, compulsions, and decisions triggered by an object.^{[8]' For myself, I found what works best is to focus on one part – “personality”. Find your personality. What is “personality”? Where in your body is it? Is it the same from day to day? Is it the same personality you 'were' when you were a teen-ager? (By Grabthar's Hammer, I hope not. :)) If you are sad, does that mean you personality has changed? If you can’t find it in your body, and can’t define exactly what it is, It can’t be “you”. Also, if you say "so-and-so is an asshole", what exactly are you refering to? Where does the assholeness reside?  Are they an asshole to everyone always? When you refer to someone on the basis of a "personality trait", stop and think exactly what it is you are talking about.} 

Which leads to…
5) Consciousness. We all act as if there is some continuous self underlying everything. After eliminating all the categories above as “I”, however, all that might be left is the actual thinking process. Some would call it a ‘soul’ (or 'atman', to use the sanskrit jargon). However, if you just sit and watch your thoughts arise, sit there, and cease, you may well question: where are these thoughts coming from? Where do they go to? What does my thinking this second have to do with my thinking a few seconds ago, let alone last week/month/year? What you will likely find (what I found, at least) is that I couldn't find for myself where this "I" was.  And, even if I had a machine telling me which parts of my brain were being triggered at different times, it still wouldn't tell me 'YOU ARE HERE'.  As I said, it's all a moving target.

So there you have it. (and all in a non-“religious” context. )
The point of all this is to get rid of an underlying idea that “this is ME."

This isn't just idle thinking that sounds neat when you are stoned.  If you REALLY let it sink in, thinking about all this really will make your self-grasping (and therefore your suffering) lessen.

Trust me, I can tell you from experience—After going through the above (I usually alternate the 4 Immeasurables (which is said to build an understanding on a relative level) and the 5 skhandas (which is said to build an understanding on an absolute level). When I do the practices I’ve been given involving visualizations, etc., the result feels much more stable and much more powerful.

To some extent, if you do these properly, it just might be all you need to get to "the happiness free from sorrow."

And that's today's lesson.

-JTR/LWWD