by Mary Ann | Jan 21, 2012 | Study Resources
What is wisdom? The Wikipedia provides this definition:
“Wisdom is a deep understanding and realization of people, things, events or situations, resulting in the ability to apply perceptions, judgments and actions in keeping with this understanding. It often requires control of one’s emotional reactions (the “passions”) so that universal principles, reason and knowledge prevail to determine one’s actions. Wisdom is also the comprehension of what is true or right coupled with optimum judgment as to action. Synonyms include: sagacity, discernment, or insight.”
What stands out for me in the definition is “resulting in the ability to apply…” Wisdom isn’t just about being able to use language, or quote something, but being able to act in a way that is true or right. What makes something true or right? I believe what applies value to our choices will involve a sense of ethics. My intention here is to develop an understanding of wisdom from a perspective that includes traditional Buddhist references, blended with modern scientific and psychological references, in the hope that it will be understood and applied in ways that are of benefit for our 21st century circumstances.
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by Mary Ann | Jan 15, 2012 | Study Resources
Buddhism didn’t begin as a religion. Siddhatha Gotama, who we call the Buddha, wasn’t a Brahman priest, so that wouldn’t qualify him, and the sramana movement that trained him in meditation wasn’t an authorized religion either. The Buddha was only interested in the problem of human suffering, and he apparently had no interest in the abstract questions of the universe such as the origins of life and so on. He spent his life teaching others what he had learned; when he died, he left suggestions for the ongoing work of the Sangha, but there was no acknowledged leader. The last thing he said was: “Behold now, bhikkhus, I exhort you: All compounded things are subject to vanish. Strive with earnestness!”
Somehow, humanity has managed to continue striving for 25 centuries. Inevitably, the movement toward Awakening became institutionalized, especially after the Mauryan emperor Asoka made it the state religion a few centuries after the Buddha’s death. The statement “All compounded thing are subject to vanish.” doesn’t just apply to sentient beings; it also applies to what the Buddha taught people.
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by Mary Ann | Jan 9, 2012 | Study Resources
By Tommy Harrison
Happy New Year. My hope is that this finds all well with you and that your practice is thriving. For many, this is a time to establish healthy intentions for the coming year. Knowing that intentions arise and are nourished after contemplation, what if we turned to the Buddha’s teachings for inspiration? Ultimately these teachings support happiness and wellbeing—rewarding considerations to work towards in 2012.
One teaching comes to mind that is rich in offering simple truth for contemplation. It is said the Buddha frequently encouraged people to reflect on “Five Remembrances” every day. I first came across this in The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching
by Thich Nhat Hanh in the chapter titled “The Two Truths.” While this teaching may seem gloomy at first glance, recall that the Buddha’s teachings are intended to help us see things as they truly are, including our attachments that cause suffering. Through a growing understanding and relinquishment of these attachments, there are beautiful possibilities of transformation leading to joy, true love, deep compassion, and balanced wisdom. Understanding these intentions upfront is helpful.
These Five Remembrances go along these lines:
- I am of the nature to grow old. There is no way to escape growing old.
- I am of the nature to have ill-health. There is no way to escape having ill-health.
- I am of the nature to die. There is no way to escape death.
- All that is dear to me and everyone I love are of the nature to change. There is no way to escape being separated from them.
- My actions are my only true belongings. I cannot escape the consequences of my actions. My actions are the ground on which I stand.
For a more traditional rendering of the Sutra this is based upon, please reference 5 Daily Contemplations. An audio version of these contemplations can be found here. (more…)
by Mary Ann | Dec 3, 2011 | Listen to Dharma Talks, Study Resources
by Tommy Harrison
‘Tis the season. The season for generosity. A time of year that brings great joy for some, suffering for others, and a mix of both for many. All around us are examples of both wholesome generosity as well as actions fueled by greed. We get to see some of the best and worst of our fellow human beings and perhaps ourselves. This end of year holiday season has been a cause of personal suffering over the years. Nothing too major, but suffering all the same. It’s only been by turning into this suffering and investigating it that has allowed for a better understanding of what was arising and how to release it. It’s presented wonderful opportunities to pause and reflect on some of the Buddha’s teachings to guide us through the holiday season.
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by Mary Ann | Oct 23, 2011 | Study Resources
By Peter Carlson
It’s critically important to understand the concepts that the Buddha taught. These teachings are found in the Nikayas. The teachings are called “suttas” (sutras in Sanskrit); the term comes from the same root word as the English word “suture”, which is the thread that binds up wounds. Other major sources of Buddhist Wisdom are the commentaries, which began after the Buddha’s death, and continue until this day. In order to deepen our understanding of the Buddha’s teachings, it is, of course important to meditate daily; this is how to build spiritual “muscle”. In fact, modern neuroscience reveals that dedicated meditation practice increases the number of connections between neurons, particularly at the juncture between the emotional (limbic) and executive (preorbital cortex). This means that experienced meditators are more aware of emotions, and more able to manage them.
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by Mary Ann | Oct 23, 2011 | Study Resources
Mutual Causality in Buddhism and General Systems Theory: The Dharma of Natural Systems, by Joanna Macy
Reviewed by Peter Carlson
Joanna Macy has been a well-respected voice regarding ecology for many years; not many people are aware of her deep roots in Buddhist practice. This book compares the Buddhist concept called paticca samuppada, translated most often as dependent origination. It’s a core concept of Buddhism, describing the development of mind-states as very rapidly aggregating conditions of the mind in response to the dynamic changes of the world. Most commentaries on dependent origination seem to describe the process as linear—that is, one condition of the mind leads to another, which creates the conditions for the next, and so on.
She describes modern systems theory, which has become recognized as a core concept of modern science in the disciplines of physics, biology, ecology, and psychology, to name just some applications. Systems theory emphasizes non-linear processes—that is, that complex systems such as human metabolism, must be understood as many subsystems interacting, mutually influencing each other to produce a metabolic effect. She relates systems theory to the arising of self-states through dependent origination.
Her writing is extremely thorough in describing the concepts, which doesn’t make this an easy read, but I found her insights and the way she describes them very interesting. If you have a basic understanding of dependent origination and systems theory, this book could be quite delightful. I wish you well.
Browse the OIMG Bookstore for other titles of interest.