There are 7 factors that lead to enlightenment. Each build upon the one before.
1) mindfulness
2) investigation of the dhamma
3) effort
4) rapture
5) calm
6) concentration
7) equanimity
Equanimity means balanced - i.e. letting go of associated feelings and thoughts attached to particular situations, feelings, thoughts, perceptions.
If Equanimity is the last factor to Enlightenment, then that could be the factor that Ven Ananda obtained when he 'gave up' trying hard to gain Arahatship and proceeded to lie down to rest for the night.
It makes good sense that when he gained equanimity on the prospect of whether or not he would be attending the first counsel assembly as an Arahat.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Letting go - opening the door of your heart by ajahn brahm
There are 3 disciples learning to let go
The first disciple , in great pain, tries letting go.
'Let go' he suggest, gently and wait.
'let go!' he repeat when nothing changes.
'just let go!'
'come on, let go.'
'I'm telling you, let! Go !
'LET GI!'
We may find this funny, but that is what we do most of the time. We let go of the wrong things. We should be letting go of the control freak within us. Letting go means no controller.
The second disciple, in terrible pain, remembers this advice and let's go of the controller. He sit with the pain , assuming that they're letting go. After ten minutes the pain is still the same, so he complain that letting go doesn't work. I explain to him that letting go is not a method for getting rid of pain, it is a method for being free from pain. The second disciple had tried to do a deal with pain: I'll let you go for tenonutes and you, pain, will disappear. OK?
This is not letting go of pain ; that is trying to get rid of pain.
The third disciple, in horrible pain, says to that pain something like this: 'Pain, the door to my heart is open to you, whatever you do to me. Come on.'
The third disciple is fully willing to allow that pain to continue as long as it wants, even for the rest of their life; to allow it even to get worse. They give the pain freedom. They give up trying to control it. That is letting go. Whether the pain stays or goes is now all the same to them. Only then does the pain disappear.
The first disciple , in great pain, tries letting go.
'Let go' he suggest, gently and wait.
'let go!' he repeat when nothing changes.
'just let go!'
'come on, let go.'
'I'm telling you, let! Go !
'LET GI!'
We may find this funny, but that is what we do most of the time. We let go of the wrong things. We should be letting go of the control freak within us. Letting go means no controller.
The second disciple, in terrible pain, remembers this advice and let's go of the controller. He sit with the pain , assuming that they're letting go. After ten minutes the pain is still the same, so he complain that letting go doesn't work. I explain to him that letting go is not a method for getting rid of pain, it is a method for being free from pain. The second disciple had tried to do a deal with pain: I'll let you go for tenonutes and you, pain, will disappear. OK?
This is not letting go of pain ; that is trying to get rid of pain.
The third disciple, in horrible pain, says to that pain something like this: 'Pain, the door to my heart is open to you, whatever you do to me. Come on.'
The third disciple is fully willing to allow that pain to continue as long as it wants, even for the rest of their life; to allow it even to get worse. They give the pain freedom. They give up trying to control it. That is letting go. Whether the pain stays or goes is now all the same to them. Only then does the pain disappear.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
The Alchemist & the Shepard
"They crossed the desert for another two days in silence.
.. As they moved along, the boy tried to listen to his heart.
.. 'why do we have to listen to our hearts?' the boy asked when they had made camp that day.
'because, wherever your heart is, that is where you'll find your treasure.'
'but my heart is agitated,' they boy said. 'it has it's dreams, it gets emotional, and it's become passionate over a wOman of the desert. It asks things of me, and it keepsake from sleeping many nights, when I'm thinking about her.'
'well, that's good. Your heart is alive. Keep listening to what it has to say.'
During the next three days, the two travellers passed by a number of armed tribesmen, and saw others on the horizon. The boy's heart began to speak of fear. It told him stories it had heard from the Soul of the World, stories of men who sought to find their treasure and never succeeded. Sometimes it frightened the boy with the idea that he might not find his treasure, or that he might die there in the desert. At other times, it told the boy that it was satisfied: it had found love and riches.
'My heart is a traitor,' the boy said to the alchemist when they had paused to rest the horses. 'it doesn't want me to go on.'
'that makes sense,' the alchemist answered. 'naturally it's afraid that, in pursuing your dream, you might lose everything you've won.'
'well, then, why should I listen toy heart?'
'because you will never again be able to keep it quiet. Even if you pretend not to have heard what it tells you, it will always be there inside you, repeating to you what youre thinking about life and about the world.'
'you mean I should listen, even of its treasonous?'
'treason is a blow that comes unexpectedly. If you know your heart well, it will never be able to do that to you. Because you'll know it's dreams and wishes, and will know how to deal with them. ...'
The boy continued to listen to his heart as they crossed the desert. He came to understand its dodges and tricks, and to accept it as it was.
He lost his fear, and forgot about his need to go back to the oasis, because, one afternoon, his heart told him that it was happy. "even though I complain sometimes," it said, "it's because I'm the heart of a person an people's hearts are that way."
"we, their hearts, become fearful just thinking of loved ones who go away forever, or of moments that could have been good but weren't or of treasures that might have been found but were forever hidden in the sands. Because, when these things happen, we suffer terribly."
"my heart is afraid that it will have to suffer," the boy told the alchemist one night as they looked up at the moonless sky.
"Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second's encounter with God and with eternity."
.. As they moved along, the boy tried to listen to his heart.
.. 'why do we have to listen to our hearts?' the boy asked when they had made camp that day.
'because, wherever your heart is, that is where you'll find your treasure.'
'but my heart is agitated,' they boy said. 'it has it's dreams, it gets emotional, and it's become passionate over a wOman of the desert. It asks things of me, and it keepsake from sleeping many nights, when I'm thinking about her.'
'well, that's good. Your heart is alive. Keep listening to what it has to say.'
During the next three days, the two travellers passed by a number of armed tribesmen, and saw others on the horizon. The boy's heart began to speak of fear. It told him stories it had heard from the Soul of the World, stories of men who sought to find their treasure and never succeeded. Sometimes it frightened the boy with the idea that he might not find his treasure, or that he might die there in the desert. At other times, it told the boy that it was satisfied: it had found love and riches.
'My heart is a traitor,' the boy said to the alchemist when they had paused to rest the horses. 'it doesn't want me to go on.'
'that makes sense,' the alchemist answered. 'naturally it's afraid that, in pursuing your dream, you might lose everything you've won.'
'well, then, why should I listen toy heart?'
'because you will never again be able to keep it quiet. Even if you pretend not to have heard what it tells you, it will always be there inside you, repeating to you what youre thinking about life and about the world.'
'you mean I should listen, even of its treasonous?'
'treason is a blow that comes unexpectedly. If you know your heart well, it will never be able to do that to you. Because you'll know it's dreams and wishes, and will know how to deal with them. ...'
The boy continued to listen to his heart as they crossed the desert. He came to understand its dodges and tricks, and to accept it as it was.
He lost his fear, and forgot about his need to go back to the oasis, because, one afternoon, his heart told him that it was happy. "even though I complain sometimes," it said, "it's because I'm the heart of a person an people's hearts are that way."
"we, their hearts, become fearful just thinking of loved ones who go away forever, or of moments that could have been good but weren't or of treasures that might have been found but were forever hidden in the sands. Because, when these things happen, we suffer terribly."
"my heart is afraid that it will have to suffer," the boy told the alchemist one night as they looked up at the moonless sky.
"Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second's encounter with God and with eternity."
Sunday, February 5, 2012
The Alchemist (Part 1)
'On the seventh day, the alchemist decided to make camp earlier than usual...
'you are almost at the end of your journey,' said the alchemist. 'I congratulate you for have pursued your Personal Legend.'
'And you've told me nothing along the way'" said the boy. "I thought you were going to teach me some of the things you know. A while ago, I rode through the desert with a man who had books on alchemy. But I wasn't able to learn anything from them."
"there is only one way to learn," the alchemist answered. "it's through action. Everything you need to know you have learned through your journey. You need to learn only one thing more."
The boy wanted to know what that was, but the alchemist was searching the horizon, looking for the falcon.
"why are you called the alchemist?"
"And what went wrong when other alchemists tried to make gold and were unable to do so?"
"They were only looking for gold, they were seeking the treasure of their Personal Legend, without wanting to actually live out the Personal Legend."
"I'm an alchemist simply because I'm an alchemist," he said as he prepared the meal. "I learned the science from my grandfather, who learned from his father, and so on, back to the creation of the world. In those times, the Master Work could be written simply on an emerald. Buten began to reject simple things, and to write tracts, interpretations, and philosophical studies. They also began to feel that they knew a better way than others had. Yet the Emerald Tablet is still alive today."
"what was written on the Emerald Tablet?" the boy wanted to know.
The alchemist began to draw in the sand, and completed his drawing in less than five minutes.
The boy tried to read what was written in the sand.
"it's a code," said the boy, a bit disappointed.
"No," the alchemist answered. "it can't be understood by reason alone. The Emerald Tablet is a direct passage to the Soul of the World."
"should I understand the Emerald Tablet?" asked the boy.
"Perhaps, if you are in a laboratory of alchemy, this would be the right time to study the best way to understand the Emerald Tablet. But you are in the desert. So immerse yourself in it. The desert will give you an understanding of the world; in fact, anything on the face of the earth will do that. You don't even have to understand the desert: all you have to do is contemplate a simple grain of sand, and you will see in it all the marvels of creation."
"How do I immerse myself in the desert?"
"Listen to your heart. It knows all things, because it came from the Soul of the World, and it will one day return there."
'you are almost at the end of your journey,' said the alchemist. 'I congratulate you for have pursued your Personal Legend.'
'And you've told me nothing along the way'" said the boy. "I thought you were going to teach me some of the things you know. A while ago, I rode through the desert with a man who had books on alchemy. But I wasn't able to learn anything from them."
"there is only one way to learn," the alchemist answered. "it's through action. Everything you need to know you have learned through your journey. You need to learn only one thing more."
The boy wanted to know what that was, but the alchemist was searching the horizon, looking for the falcon.
"why are you called the alchemist?"
"And what went wrong when other alchemists tried to make gold and were unable to do so?"
"They were only looking for gold, they were seeking the treasure of their Personal Legend, without wanting to actually live out the Personal Legend."
"I'm an alchemist simply because I'm an alchemist," he said as he prepared the meal. "I learned the science from my grandfather, who learned from his father, and so on, back to the creation of the world. In those times, the Master Work could be written simply on an emerald. Buten began to reject simple things, and to write tracts, interpretations, and philosophical studies. They also began to feel that they knew a better way than others had. Yet the Emerald Tablet is still alive today."
"what was written on the Emerald Tablet?" the boy wanted to know.
The alchemist began to draw in the sand, and completed his drawing in less than five minutes.
The boy tried to read what was written in the sand.
"it's a code," said the boy, a bit disappointed.
"No," the alchemist answered. "it can't be understood by reason alone. The Emerald Tablet is a direct passage to the Soul of the World."
"should I understand the Emerald Tablet?" asked the boy.
"Perhaps, if you are in a laboratory of alchemy, this would be the right time to study the best way to understand the Emerald Tablet. But you are in the desert. So immerse yourself in it. The desert will give you an understanding of the world; in fact, anything on the face of the earth will do that. You don't even have to understand the desert: all you have to do is contemplate a simple grain of sand, and you will see in it all the marvels of creation."
"How do I immerse myself in the desert?"
"Listen to your heart. It knows all things, because it came from the Soul of the World, and it will one day return there."
Have you Ever Seen the Rain
Someone told me long ago
There's a calm before the storm
I know, and its been coming for sometime
When its over so they say
It'll bring a sunny day
I know, shining down like water
I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain
I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain
Coming down on a sunny day
Yesterday and days before
Sun is cold and rain is hot
I know, been that way for all my time
Till forever on it goes
Fill the circle fast and slow
I know, and I cant stop my wonder
I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain
I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain
Coming down on a sunny day
I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain
I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain
Coming down on a sunny day
Have you ever seen the rain
There's a calm before the storm
I know, and its been coming for sometime
When its over so they say
It'll bring a sunny day
I know, shining down like water
I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain
I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain
Coming down on a sunny day
Yesterday and days before
Sun is cold and rain is hot
I know, been that way for all my time
Till forever on it goes
Fill the circle fast and slow
I know, and I cant stop my wonder
I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain
I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain
Coming down on a sunny day
I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain
I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain
Coming down on a sunny day
Have you ever seen the rain
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Saturday Nights
Chilling out on this Saturday night. This is a song that really suit my style.
After a 5 days week of tiredness, I really needed to rejuvenate myself and so I sat in meditation around 5 min short of 1hr. It did felt good. But consistancy is key, and I made a vow to myself to sit min X times a week. Getting away from all the ideas, all the talking, all the seeing is a great relief.
Human life is indeed a unique and rare existance.. it's complex; it's constantly in a flux externally and internally, so much so that there are always time for everyone of us to learn, to just be, to destroy, rebuild, create, and so much more.
After a 5 days week of tiredness, I really needed to rejuvenate myself and so I sat in meditation around 5 min short of 1hr. It did felt good. But consistancy is key, and I made a vow to myself to sit min X times a week. Getting away from all the ideas, all the talking, all the seeing is a great relief.
Human life is indeed a unique and rare existance.. it's complex; it's constantly in a flux externally and internally, so much so that there are always time for everyone of us to learn, to just be, to destroy, rebuild, create, and so much more.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
The child is meeting his/her mother
Sometime last week i went down during lunchtime with an ex-colleague to the Kwan Yin temple (3rd time in this year since i learnt how to "do it in the right way"). And i got Lot 57. From the past drawn Lots, they have been exeedingly relevant in reflecting the situation. Now is the time to wait, do and see....who/what is the 'mother' whom I'm destined to meet
------------
Poem No. 80
Meaning: The wise man comes to greet you.
Comments: It is the time for you to shine. Be determined, self-reliant, and ambitious. Now, it is the time to move forward. It is the time to pursue dreams that will make your life more meaningful.
A little bit of intuition or spirit can guide you now. This could be a new beginning for those who are spiritually attuned.
------------
Poem No. 27
Meaning: A nice, well-situated house with solid foundation and walls.
Comments: As a result of your tireless efforts, you are being awarded with material success. Share your secure, comfortable life with your loved ones.
There's good fortune through family. Stabilize feelings and family with a guided, loving hand.
*note: very relevant Lot, as I had in that instance ask if the job i had accepted would bring me well being.
------------
Poem No. 57
Meaning: The child is meeting his/her mother.
Comments: Maternal love, reunion joy. Nothing can replace the love between the mother and her child. Attend social events and enjoy the natural spirit of joy and friendship. Become the loving counselor to all you meet.
Someone you are destined to meet comes along. Bonds with loved ones bring warmth, fun and fulfillment. Relax and let loose a little, enjoy the comforts surrounding you and show the love in your heart.
-----------
------------
Poem No. 80
Meaning: The wise man comes to greet you.
Comments: It is the time for you to shine. Be determined, self-reliant, and ambitious. Now, it is the time to move forward. It is the time to pursue dreams that will make your life more meaningful.
A little bit of intuition or spirit can guide you now. This could be a new beginning for those who are spiritually attuned.
------------
Poem No. 27
Meaning: A nice, well-situated house with solid foundation and walls.
Comments: As a result of your tireless efforts, you are being awarded with material success. Share your secure, comfortable life with your loved ones.
There's good fortune through family. Stabilize feelings and family with a guided, loving hand.
*note: very relevant Lot, as I had in that instance ask if the job i had accepted would bring me well being.
------------
Poem No. 57
Meaning: The child is meeting his/her mother.
Comments: Maternal love, reunion joy. Nothing can replace the love between the mother and her child. Attend social events and enjoy the natural spirit of joy and friendship. Become the loving counselor to all you meet.
Someone you are destined to meet comes along. Bonds with loved ones bring warmth, fun and fulfillment. Relax and let loose a little, enjoy the comforts surrounding you and show the love in your heart.
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