Sage on the Stage: February 2010

The Heart of Buddhism

Today I want to examine how we can use Buddhist teachings and practice to ...develop our hearts, and find ways to be compassionate in everything we do.
There are many misinterpretations and a good deal of misinformation about Buddhism in our Western intellectual tradition. Each of these misconceptions is worthy of a Sunday presentation, but today I want to clarify and explain my understanding of the “Heart” – and to do this I will discuss a few issues based on the usage of a special language or jargon used by the dhamma traditions. This special jargon is what is in great part the cause of these misconceptions.
Now, in order to say what I have just said and be understood, I have necessarily used ordinary language, the language we learn and use in public school. Since we are so familiar... with everyday language… we often fail to realize the existence of other quite different and special languages: [for example the languages of academic disciplines such as Economics, or Law... ] also the language of Dhamma… is altogether different from the language of everyday.” (Buddhadasa) In many cases the words are the same but because we use these words in a particular context the meanings we assign to them are often different.
Before I finish I will give some examples of this jargon. But first I wish to clarify one point: When we read about historical Buddhism, many authors regard this teaching as a philosophy (not as a religion) because there is no deistic tradition. Buddha was asked many questions which are still being asked today such as:
Is there a God?
Who created the world?
Is there life after death?
Where is heaven and hell?
The classic answer given by Buddha was silence. He refused to answer these questions purposely because "these profit not, nor have they anything to do with the fundamentals of the religious life, nor do they lead to Supreme Wisdom, the Bliss of Nirvana." Even if answers were given, he said, " there would still remain the problems of birth, old age, death, sorrow, lamentation, misery, grief, and despair--all the grim facts of life--and it is for their extinction that I prescribe my teachings."
Buddhism is essentially religious because the teachings lead sincere adherents into having their own experiences that become life changing. No amount of academic or intellectual activity (developing concepts or philosophizing) can replace the experience that comes from diligent and repeated meditation along with sharing with other members of the Sangha.
So even though there is no deistic tradition, Buddhism is not strictly speaking an atheist philosophy, this understanding is left up to each individual, a matter of the Heart. Indeed many people find it possible to continue in their religious traditions and still embrace Buddhism.
How far do we need to go in conforming to the traditions of Buddhism? The Buddha didn’t want his followers to become intellectual slaves to any dogma or teacher, least of all to himself. There are taught ten principles that enable us to discern with our Hearts the teachings which are truly capable of improving our lives. I will not list all of these-- but briefly:
do not accept and believe just because something has been passed along and retold through the years or has become a tradition...
do not accept and believe merely because of the reports and news spreading far and wide
nor... anything written because... The words can be created, improved, and changed by human hands. We need to use our powers of discrimination to see how those words can be applied to quenching our suffering.
do not believe just because something fits with the reasoning of logic ...what we call ‘logics,’ can go wrong if its data or its methods are incorrect [or incorrectly applied.]”
do not believe or accept just because something appeals to one’s common sense ...or agrees with one’s preconceived opinions and theories.
do not believe just because the speaker appears believable. Outside appearances and the actual knowledge inside a person can never be identical.
do not believe just because the preacher, the [charismatic] speaker, is ‘our teacher.’ believe only after adequately considering the advice and putting it to the test of practice… Intellectual and spiritual freedom is best.” (Buddhadasa, 1999, pp. 2-5) This is the same way that we go about developing our Hearts.

Now I will give some examples of this special Buddhist language. And I want to emphasize that this is much the same phenomenon that occurs in other religions, certainly in Islam compared to the language used by Catholics, they may use similar words in more or less the same ways but the meanings are very different, and Protestants use most of the same words as Catholics, but now after nearly a thousand years of being divided the meanings are often different.
For Buddhism it is taught that: “Having perceived Dhamma, they speak in terms appropriate to their experience, and so Dhamma language comes into being.” This explanation is intended to suggest how the “jargon” of Buddhism developed, not to suggest an elite, secret, or esoteric language.
Buddhism teaches that our existence is, thusness, tathagata, suchness, what is, the here and now. In many places in Buddhist texts the word ‘birth’ and ‘rebirth’ are used but this is a specialized usage. “In everyday language, the word ‘birth’ refers to physically coming into the world... In Dhamma language, the word ‘birth’ refers to the birth of the idea ‘I’ or ‘ego’ that arises in the mind throughout each day. In this sense, the ordinary person is born very often, time and time again;... a person well advanced in practice (ariyan, noble one) is born less frequently still, and ultimately ceases being born altogether [arahant.]” (Buddhadasa) Because they live without “I” and ego guiding their lives.
Thus the idea that finding nirvana is about gaining enlightenment and thus not needing to suffer again from another reincarnation, is a misinterpretation of Buddhism, although this is taught in many Hindu traditions. In most Buddhist traditions today, “rebirth” is about what is happening in our daily lives.
For most people Buddhism is a very pragmatic teaching: one teacher warns: “If we bring magical and sacred things into Buddhism, it will become just more bowing to and worshiping holy things, requesting whatever we want without doing anything. That's a religion of begging and pleading; that isn't Buddhism at all. Instead, we must behave and practice in correct accordance with the law of nature ... “ (Buddhadasa) These instructions are as democratic as the nature of the very earliest Buddhist teachings that advocated the abolition of the caste system.
The emphasis on developing the Heart, is one case where the the western usage of “Heart” as a useful allegory is familiar and similar to the Buddhist usage. We can have a “full heart”, a “broken heart” a “soft heart” a “kind heart”, when we are in love we speak “the language of our hearts”. …. and in each case we have thousands of years of usage to corroborate a meaning for us in our ordinary language, and it is the same in all western romance languages.
In Buddhism the use of the word “Heart” -- is composed of what we ordinarily think of as our compassion, memories, mind and consciousness. This is an active allegory, one that can become the repository for our learning gains from the practice of Buddhism, thus we develop our hearts and this can be what guides our lives.
Part of my intention here today is to invite each of you to open your hearts, to have reasonable doubts. I have tried to suggest how we develop our hearts --which is the main focus of the teachings about meditation, rituals, chanting and practices of Buddhism. It is in our Hearts where we can find a space that is devoid of egocentricity, it is in our Hearts where sharing and caring originates. It is in our Hearts where we test the explanations about “creation” for example. It is in our hearts where we put aside gender distinctions that have plagued our society and can still be found in some Buddhist traditions in Asia.
Let me put this together: Recall that I said: “In Dhamma language, the word ‘birth’ refers to the birth of the idea ‘I’ or ‘ego’ that arises in the mind throughout each day. “ ---It is a universal teaching of Buddhism to get rid of the I, ego-centered life full of craving and grasping and greed – because these attitudes often lead to undesirable and unintended consequences-- But how do we eliminate the sense of my and mine? and still live a normal life?
When I realized that this teaching is based on another special use of language and that it applies to the growth and development of our Hearts, suddenly I could see how it was possible to do this. We can live a normal life working and being happy with our families, using ordinary grammar and prepositions like I, my, they, you etc., and independently develop our hearts to lead us toward developing we, our, all, and find ways to be compassionate in everything we do.
I am not here to tell you that I have actually achieved this kind of enlightened and purified heart, Libby will vouch for my need for modesty in this respect. But I want to leave you with one thought: this idea of developing our Hearts through the practice of Buddhist meditation, rather than just a simple practice of developing self-discipline, is the key to the value of Buddhism in our contemporary society.
The teachings of the religion [of Buddhism] leads to this point,-- The heart comes first, the heart is chief, the heart is the principal factor. All dhammas come down to the heart. So this is where we should straighten things out. Get so that the heart is shining and bright.” (Boowa, pg. 86) When we develop our Hearts to the point where we are guided in our actions by a gracious and thoughtful sentiment, we are following our hearts and the intention of the Buddha.

End of presentation

There are two specific meditation teachings that are often found in many different buddhist traditions: Anapanasati which is also called vipassana or using the breath to help develop concentration: and Satipatthana meditation which involves observing the body and mind to see it like it is, and just that, thusness.
In both meditation schemes it is our Hearts that rise above the five aggregates, as they are called, the crude instinctual habits of our animal lives, it is in our Hearts where we can connect to the tradition and nurturing of the ancients, it is in our Hearts that we find the energy and courage to meditate day after day, until we purify our minds and bodies. We look at breath as it passes, our postures, our daily motions and activities... also showing us our impermanent material nature... In buddhism there is no reference to looking for any spirit, eternal soul or mystical nature beyond the physical. There is nothing about “finding your true Self” or getting in touch with our higher self, because these do not exist (except possibly as abstract concepts) for Buddhists.
At different times in my life I went back to study Buddhism and practiced meditation that was presumably based on buddhism. Each of these periods is now remembered with fondness, because I'm sure I gained something even when I was doing it wrong, so to speak.

In [authentic] buddhist meditation... the task is to build up a degree of inner equipoise within which desires and discontent are held at bay. These initial stages of either Anapanasati or Satipatthana parallel sense-restraint, which combines bare sati with deliberate effort in order to avoid or counterbalance desires and discontent.” All of this effort comes from within our minds, listening to the urges of our Hearts, not from any outside source (i.e. god) influencing a “spirit” or “soul.” We are alone, but capable. “…Sense-restraint can be considered part of Satipatthana practice, particularly at those stages when desires and discontent have not yet been completely removed…” (Analayo, pp. 71-72) One point here is to demystify the way we are to see ourselves. When we can calmly view a repugnant image such as a decaying body, this is an analogy and we can view the ugliness of our own past natures and previous emotional reactions with equanimity, then we begin to take ownership and change our lives for the better.
I remember interpreting the first noble truth “life is all about suffering” or something to that effect, as a form of psychological blackmail – and teaching to convince people to follow a professional priesthood. This was my objection based on misinformation and it lasted for many years.
Instead, in buddhism we learn that living life as an art form, the very concept upon which many Buddhist teachings are based, and following enlightened ethical/moral teachings, is just as good an explanation for meaning in life than any given by a god/creator. At least it works for me. When we learn the art of developing our Hearts and using this abstract feature of our being as a source for inspiration, we have arrived at a very enlightened state, maybe not complete but it's a nice place to be. Our Hearts are not a Soul in any religious sense, but an abstract combination of our minds, memories, consciousness, and compassion both useful for ourselves and giving us the capacity to be kind and to love others. It may be more difficult to achieve this certainty, but it is also more rewarding in that it leads to peace of mind in all the ways that are taught in Buddhism and important in our Western culture.

Even though we be independent freethinkers we are still members of families and have personal responsibilities. What can be the justification for anyone to leave their families and dependents and live a life of solitude or cloister? This is actually discouraged by Buddhist teachers, and no doubt far more people are discouraged from this than are accepted into monastic orders. “So, in keeping with the fact that we're educated, we shouldn't forget the kindness of our parents [and families] who cared and provided for us before anyone else in the world. And we shouldn't forget our [historical] teachers and other benefactors. We should always keep their kindness in mind – because everything we have in body and mind has come from the care, protection, and teachings of our parents and teachers.” (Boowa) Of course there are those who had no parents and disliked their teachers, and have no spouse nor children and few filial obligations; these are the exceptions that prove the rule, so the message here is that we gain when we acknowledge the contribution of others in making our lives happier and perhaps helping us along an intriguing spiritual path. Knowing the love for our parents helps us imagine the possibility of sharing the same compassion for all of humanity.
The concept of “anatta” is central to Buddhism, in that it is taught as one of three characteristics of existence, along with impermanence (anicca) and unsatisfactoriness (dukkha). “The anatta doctrine teaches that neither within the bodily and mental phenomena of existence, nor outside of them, can be found anything that in the ultimate sense could be regarded as a self-existing real ego-entity, soul or any other abiding substance. This is the central doctrine of Buddhism, without understanding which, a real knowledge of Buddhism is altogether impossible. It is the only really specific Buddhist doctrine, with which the entire structure of the Buddhist teaching stands or falls. All the remaining Buddhist doctrines may, more or less, be found in other philosophic systems and religions, but the anatta doctrine has been clearly and unreservedly taught only by the Buddha...” (Nyanatiloka) This concept of anatta has either been corrupted by history, or misinterpreted. Stated like this-- no “self-existing real ego-entity, soul or any other abiding substance” --it is so much ahead of history and was not emphasized in the West until the time of Schopenhauer.
But For now it is enough to understand that “Everyday language and Dhamma language are two distinct and different modes of speaking… Dhamma language is the language spoken by people who have gained a deep insight into Dhamma.”
People who have a sensitivity or “intuition” about a divinely ordered universe will naturally gravitate toward the more esoteric or metaphysical teachings (of tibetan buddhist traditions, for example). People who are more “materialistic” will be more comfortable in the Theravada tradition, especially as it is taught in modern times as a rational, atheistic, aesthetic philosophy. For this latter there is no “Heaven”, no after life, no resurrection, no soul, no “rebirth”, no more… in the ordinary sense of such terminology. We just have this one chance to enjoy and benefit from our lives. Again, knowing why and how to do that is part of what it means to be enlightened. The truth of our Hearts as these become developed, is the truth that matters. “Everything within us, everything in the world, comes down to this one [refined] heart. The important essence lies here and nowhere else. So make an effort to free this heart, to straighten it out in line with your abilities – or to the utmost of your abilities. You'll then come to possess a rewarding treasure within the heart- the great, extremely rewarding treasure of the heart's own purity.” (Boowa, pg. 87) How can we have faith and depend on such an abstract, composite concept? As humans we have this capacity, and for some this is what they know as spirituality. What other choice do we have?
Thus where is the “I-ness” that we use so often in our ordinary language? There need be no “I-ness” in our abstract Hearts, but “I-ness” is found in our minds and the language (e.g. pronouns, I, mine, me, we) of our culture. This daily, ordinary usage is innocent and of no concern for enlightenment, it is the habitual egoism of our Hearts that we seek to eliminate, where it can be thought of as empty, not skillful. In our practice we develop our Hearts as the most intimate connection to the teaching of Buddhism and to humanity (and to the heritage of Buddhism) in general and this connection is without “I-ness”. Further it is by looking into our Hearts where we may find the answers to our most perplexing questions, and we find that the answers are more or less the same for everyone. Knowing this is like finding the answer to a riddle.
When a universal perspective dwells in our Hearts, there is understanding that “The body [emotions often of chemical origin] is something filled with suffering and discontent, but the heart can be filled with happiness. This is where they differ. The body is pitch dark in line with the crudeness of its elements, but the heart can be dazzlingly bright through the power of the Dhamma. This is where the heart becomes a 'Dhamma element', when it's fully bright within itself because absolutely nothing is left to obscure it.” (Boowa, pg. 86) And now we know the key to accessing all this purity. We know how to proceed, and we know that frequent and diligent practice will yield positive results eventually.
“Each arising in the mind of the idea of ‘I’ in one form or another is called a ‘birth.’ [furthermore] …To think like a celestial being is to be born a celestial being. Life, the individual, pleasure and pain, and other personifications --all these were identified by the Buddha as simply momentary states of consciousness. So the word ‘birth’ is used as an allegory, and means in Dhamma language the arising of the idea of ‘I’ or ‘me;’ and not, as in everyday language the physical birth from the mother’s womb.
The idea that Buddhism is a religion, and ought to be used that way for all the very positive benefits that a religion can convey, is important. “The teachings of the religion [of Buddhism] leads to this point, step by step, from the very beginning. The dhamma, you know, can be said to be broad, but can also be said to be narrow because it all comes down to one point – the heart. The heart is what experiences both good and evil... This is why the Buddha taught 'mano pubbangama dhamma' The heart comes first, the heart is chief, the heart is the principal factor. All dhammas come down to the heart. They don't lie anywhere else. So this is where we should straighten things out. Get so that the heart is shining and bright.” (Boowa, pg. 86)
The Heart is what controls the details of our lives once we have gone to the effort of developing it to be compassionate and virtuous. This is the home of purification --as we set out in our enlightened lives to achieve. Previously, I would not have written that statement, I didn't understand it that way and have come to understand only after I was taught by the Venerable Acariya Maha Boowa Nanasampanno, in his book, how to develop the Heart, and how essential it is to regard the “citta” as Heart. Every waking moment we resort to the information that is kindly stored in our Hearts; when we make the first contact of the day with our family members we do so with tenderness and solicitude that is prompted by the compassion that lives in our Hearts. Just like parents who are giving care to their young child; such compassion very often comes naturally, yet it comes from the Heart.
Our Hearts develop based on the ingrained habits of our chosen conduct, intentions and affinities. Whether we are extroverts or introverts, whatever the cause of these personality traits, this becomes a habit for us by the time we are adults. Some people relish the pleasure of associating with other people frequently, and some people are attracted to being alone or aloof. “This is why the various Arahant disciples excelled in different areas – each of them had developed habits emphasizing different aspects of inner goodness. There were many of them who, after becoming Arahants, didn't receive a lot of offerings or respect from people, but they excelled in other areas – all of which were aspects of the inner goodness that had helped them attain the Dhamma and gain release from suffering. But the external results still showed... An ingrained habit is something implanted deep in the heart [much like an addiction,] something we have done so consistently that it comes naturally to us, without anyone having to tell us -something we feel comfortable and right about doing, something we simply want to do, of our own accord. This is the point where it's called an ingrained habit.” (Boowa, pg. 78) The message here relates to positive ingrained habits, but negative ingrained habits operate in the same way to destroy the connections we have with our pure Hearts and with our natural Buddhahood. This implies the destructive nature of the ingrained habit of indulging in alcohol or other mind altering drugs [which are not prescription medications used appropriately.] A brief examination of our friends and acquaintances will likely reveal how some people can cope with minor alcohol or drug use, i.e. marijuana, and for others it becomes a destructive force in their lives. If our drug use encourages or enables the use by someone for whom drug use is destructive, it would be better for us to abstain than contribute to their destruction.
In buddhism other kinds of torments and suffering are described allegorically. “Rebirth after death as some kind of lower animal is the everyday meaning of rebirth into the realm of the beasts. In Dhamma language, it has a different meaning. When one is stupid, just like a dumb animal, then at that moment one is born into the realm of beasts… One may be born as a beast many times over in a single day. So in Dhamma language, birth as a beast means stupidity.” Prisons are full of people who live in the “realm of beasts,”
Another generic example of a specialized language, is found in the experience of reading a poem, initially with little understanding, then with a few clues and rereading we begin to recognize the metaphors, symbolism and poetic devices being used. The special language of the poem gives the poem a certain beauty and power not otherwise achieved. To elaborate, in Buddhism this special vernacular “... has to do with the mental world, with the intangible, non-physical world.” (Buddhadasa) Dhamma language is [most often] used to describe and express concepts that relate to what we often refer to as our “spiritual” lives.
“…When [Buddha] was expounding Higher Dhamma – for instance, when discussing conditioned arising (paticca-samuppada) – he used the word ‘birth’ (jati) with the meaning it has in Dhamma language. In his description of conditioned arising, he wasn’t talking about physical birth [or previous physical lives.] He was talking about the birth of attachment to the ideas of ‘me’ and ‘mine,’ ‘myself’ and ‘my own.” (Buddhadasa, 1999, pp. 29-30) When we train our Hearts appropriately, we can minimize the impact of this egotism, and even eliminate craving and grasping.
Skepticism and any objection to buddhist meditation-- runs contrary to numerous evidence in which meditators have attained a high level of happiness through practice… Today the fact that meditation brings about numerous benefits in life has been scientifically proven and is generally accepted.” (Ussivakul, pp. 48-50) How many of us find ourselves in the category of skeptics?: one buddhist teacher says that this is possibly an emotional response related to “…indecision and unreasonable doubt concerning the real benefits of meditation… reasonable doubt leads to knowledge of its causes which in turn could relieve the doubt…
I have found myself in this circumstance in the past, indisposed to experiencing buddhism in an appropriate way because I was simply ignorant of what the rewards might be. Further, the words may at times be the same in buddhism, and even used in more or less the same way, but we must be alert to the particular context and there being a special language (or vernacular) relating to Buddhism that distracts us from the intrinsic benefits of buddhist meditation. Consider this next example -- the idea of “pre-existence of a spiritual being” --now incorporated into each of us. This is often thought of as more than just an abstract soul or spirit, more than just our DNA. Likewise there is the teaching of the afterlife existence of our “Spirit” or some memory, Soul, or flame of consciousness. These teachings are found in many religions, and have been attributed to Buddhism by some in the Western intellectual community as being part of the cosmology of Buddhism, yet when we look at the specialized meaning of words we see that our commitment to ordinary language misleads us, takes us away from the actual Buddhist message.
There is another kind of objection to studying and practicing buddhism. This kind of skepticism is demonstrated by those who live “in a world of can’ts.” They find every possible objection to the teachings and advice because some particular circumstance in their life precludes them from engaging in a spiritual practice. This is a kind of being stuck. This kind of personal skepticism must be overcome by problem solving and by grasping the uninhibited desire to achieve relief from pain and distress.
Understanding how to develop the Heart, has been a useful realization for me recently. Because when I think of my heart as an active agent, an evolving and guiding force in my life, then I am able to understand and rationalize what I though were apparent contradictions, (and overcome misconceptions) in Buddhist teachings that have kept me away from active practice. I will explain this heart concept more in a minute.
First I want to describe another objection I had, which is described as one of the five obstacles to benefiting from meditation --- the state of mind labeled “skepticism.” This is when we are “…irrationally uncertain so much that [our] minds cannot concentrate effectively on the meditation object.” This relates to the phrase, “hardening the Heart”, used in many circumstances, and the opposite of that is simply being receptive and being open, sensitive and willing to learn and initially try out authentic Buddhist meditation. I confess that at times in the past I was a very serious skeptic.

Friday, February 26, 2010

The heart of irony.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Buddhism - Heart - UU Speech

Followers

Blog Archive

About Me