http://www.thelotusmud.com/index.htmlThe Lotus Mud RSS Feedenowner@thelotusmud.comCopyright 2007 The Lotus Mud Blog2007-12-25T23:31:20-08:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 Tue, 25 Dec 2007 23:58:46 -0800owner@thelotusmud.comLooking Deeply2007-12-25T23:31:20-08:00http://www.thelotusmud.com/files/bc832e37f6c686774b2c1b8f88273da3-21.html#unique-entry-id-21http://www.thelotusmud.com/files/bc832e37f6c686774b2c1b8f88273da3-21.html#unique-entry-id-21Looking Deeply is a practice that is at the very core of Buddha's teaching. The goal of it is to see be able to see the world in a non-dualistic way. In other words, by looking deeply we hope to see ourselves in everything else, see everything else in ourselves, and everything else in everything else. By inter-being with all else, we find compassion and love for all things. This compassion should drive our attitudes and actions.

Looking Deeply is a simple concept, but is very difficult to really implement. It requires mindfulness and patience to practice looking deeply in a way that can shape your attitudes and actions. I think I'm a long way from practicing this correctly. But for now, I do think I have some general understanding of what looking deeply means, and from time to time, it does help to provide me with clarity and peace.

I think the concept of looking deeply is best taught by example.

The following is an adaptation from the chapter on interbeing from the book "Peace is Every Step" by Thich Nhat Hahn. I think he explains the concept of interbeing very well. It is the practice of "looking deeply" that allows us to see how things can "inter-be".

When you look at a piece of paper, what do you see? If you practice "deep looking", you might see that there is a cloud in you paper. For "without a cloud, there will be no rain; without rain, the trees cannot grow; and without trees, we cannot make paper. The cloud is essential for the paper to exist." Without the cloud, we do not have the sheet of paper. "If we look at this sheet of paper even more deeply," we can see the Sun in it. "Without sunshine, the forest cannot grow." If we continue to look, we can see the logger who cut the tree and brought it to the mill to be transformed into paper. And we see wheat. We know the logger cannot exist without his daily bread, and therefore the wheat that became his bread is also in this sheet of paper. The logger's father and mother are in it too." Without them, the logger would not exist. "Looking even more deeply, we can see ourselves in the sheet of paper too. This is not difficult to see, because when we look at a sheet of paper, it is part of our perception." If you did not exist to experience the sheet of paper, would it exist? How would you know? With deep looking, we can see the entire world in one sheet of paper.

This is an easy concept, but every time I see a sheet of paper, I am not overcome with compassion for the world. This is because I am not actively mindful and am not practicing deep looking. If I was able to, I might find compassion that would alter my attitudes and actions. This is why the PRACTICE of mindfulness is much more important than the THEORY behind it. Without the practice, it doesn't change your actions. In subsequent entries, I'll continue looking at deep looking, and how it relates to anger.]]>owner@thelotusmud.comMisc2007-12-17T01:50:32-08:00http://www.thelotusmud.com/files/5bcc9fab570cb595796acb8079d4d729-20.html#unique-entry-id-20http://www.thelotusmud.com/files/5bcc9fab570cb595796acb8079d4d729-20.html#unique-entry-id-20My friend Phil asked:

""When you practice deep looking..."

What does this mean? And how do you know that
by not practicing anger, you are victorious?"

My next few posts will be about the concept of "looking deeply", which I think is fundamental to the mindfulness practice. I'm not very good at looking deeply, but do think I have some idea of what it entails and, from my limited experience, the benefits of its practice.

Thanks for the inspiration Phil.]]>owner@thelotusmud.comAnger2007-12-15T02:34:56-08:00http://www.thelotusmud.com/files/95c3894831ad648e5682dc3c6c6b2df7-19.html#unique-entry-id-19http://www.thelotusmud.com/files/95c3894831ad648e5682dc3c6c6b2df7-19.html#unique-entry-id-19Today I was faced with an undesirable situation. Think of a situation where a fly keeps buzzing by your ear or the neighbor's dog barks all night long. This was such a situation, albeit much more personal and severe.

When such a situation arises, I think one should approach it reasonably. I should have first understood that it was my perception or interpretation of the situation that was causing my grief. With a different attitude or perspective, it is possible to see the situation from a different perspective. Second, I should have tried to determine if there was something I could do about the situation - such as leave. In my case, there seemed to be no way to avoid the situation. Finally, if unable to avoid the situation, I should have let go.

I should have changed my perspective to allow me to accept the situation and not let it affect my emotional well-being. This situation was an incredible opportunity to practice mindfulness and really see the situation in a different light. Acceptance rather than anger was the correct course of action.

I chose anger.

I hope to react differently next time.]]>owner@thelotusmud.comQuotes2007-12-12T23:39:03-08:00http://www.thelotusmud.com/files/f7d594ece7aaef013492d2630ca2f8bc-18.html#unique-entry-id-18http://www.thelotusmud.com/files/f7d594ece7aaef013492d2630ca2f8bc-18.html#unique-entry-id-18While reading The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, I came across a conversation between a father and son regarding sin. While I have no intention of analyzing the merits of the father's viewpoint, I wanted to share this passage:

"There is only one sin, only one. And that is theft. Every other sin is a variation of theft.
...
When you kill a man, you steal a life. You steal a wife's right to a husband, rob his children of a father. When you tell a lie, you steal someone's right to the truth. When you cheat, you steal the right to fairness.
...
There is no act more wretched than stealing."]]>owner@thelotusmud.comQuotes2007-12-11T12:38:19-08:00http://www.thelotusmud.com/files/dcb49ca619df9da6c208d9104bbf6473-17.html#unique-entry-id-17http://www.thelotusmud.com/files/dcb49ca619df9da6c208d9104bbf6473-17.html#unique-entry-id-17“Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find that love actually ... is all around.” - from the film Love Actually.]]>owner@thelotusmud.comMisc2007-12-09T01:51:28-08:00http://www.thelotusmud.com/files/22cfefe244454d5f1202ed126ea2b368-16.html#unique-entry-id-16http://www.thelotusmud.com/files/22cfefe244454d5f1202ed126ea2b368-16.html#unique-entry-id-16Welcome to the new and improved The Lotus Mud Blog. This website was created for the purpose of documenting my spiritual journey along the path of Buddhism and mindfulness practice. I have moved the blog from its original location -- at Google's Blogger and am newly committed to regularly posting to this blog. The purpose of the blog is provide an outlet for my philosophical musings, to document my progress, and perhaps reach others who find themselves in a similar quest. I have moved several posts from the old Lotus Mud to this blog.

I hope to add more content in the future, such as other online resources, book reviews, general information regarding mindfulness practice, etc. For now, I'm happy to have recreated this blog. It's an important piece of my practice and helps to stay focused and grounded in its principles.

Thanks for visiting. Feel free to leave comments or use the "Contact Me" form using the link at the top of the page.]]>owner@thelotusmud.comAnger2006-10-24T01:24:24-07:00http://www.thelotusmud.com/files/d69ae3e7fa528c5d2e12c49a0c52e6c6-15.html#unique-entry-id-15http://www.thelotusmud.com/files/d69ae3e7fa528c5d2e12c49a0c52e6c6-15.html#unique-entry-id-15I man once cursed the Buddha to his face. The Buddha only smiled. The man became even more incensed and asked, "Why don't you respond?" The Buddha replied, "If someone refuses a gift, it must be taken back by the one who offered it." The Buddha then recited this verse:

"For those with no anger,
how can anger arise?

When you practice deep looking and master yourself,
you dwell in peace, freedom, and safety.

The one who offends another after being offended by him,
harms himself and harms the other.

When you feel hurt, but do not hurt the other,
you are truly victorious.
Your practice and your victory benefit both of you.

When you understand the roots of anger in yourself and in the other,
your mind will enjoy true peace, joy, and lightness.

You become the doctor who heals himself and heals the other.

If you don't understand,
you will think not getting angry to be the act of a fool."

Source: Teachings on Love, by Thich Nhat Hahn from The Sutra of 42 Chapters, Taisho 784]]>owner@thelotusmud.comWealth2006-10-23T01:20:02-07:00http://www.thelotusmud.com/files/3dcb7b4aee0e0e35dd94152770d5128d-14.html#unique-entry-id-14http://www.thelotusmud.com/files/3dcb7b4aee0e0e35dd94152770d5128d-14.html#unique-entry-id-14The fifth mindfulness training: "Aware that true happiness is rooted in peace, solidity, freedom and compassion, and not in wealth or fame, I am determined not to take as the aim of my life fame, profit, wealth or sensual pleasure, nor to accumulate wealth while millions are hungry and dying. I am committed to living simply and sharing my time, energy and material resources with those in real need." - Venerable Thich Nhat Hahn]]>owner@thelotusmud.comGod2006-10-21T01:17:06-07:00http://www.thelotusmud.com/files/a28031e739e5e0bf9ce7cd14ad9c9da8-13.html#unique-entry-id-13http://www.thelotusmud.com/files/a28031e739e5e0bf9ce7cd14ad9c9da8-13.html#unique-entry-id-13A man once asked the Buddha, “Is there a God?”

The Buddha replied, “If you were shot by a poison arrow, and a doctor was summoned to extract it, what would you do? Would you ask such questions as who shot the arrow, from which tribe did he come, who made the arrow, who made the poison, etc., or would you have the doctor immediately pull out the arrow?

The man replied, “Of course, I would have the arrow pulled out as quickly as possible.”

The Buddha concluded, “That is wise o’ disciple, for the task before us is the solving of life’s problems; when that is complete, you may still ask the questions you put before, if you so desire.”]]>owner@thelotusmud.comFeelings2006-10-20T01:06:50-07:00http://www.thelotusmud.com/files/a9438b769885525ac46a998ba7b8edad-12.html#unique-entry-id-12http://www.thelotusmud.com/files/a9438b769885525ac46a998ba7b8edad-12.html#unique-entry-id-12The water in the ocean is ubiquitous and steady. The wave crashing the shore is temporary and fluctuating.

A wave rises and then falls. But the wave is nothing more than water.

You may feel sad or depressed. But like the wave, this feeling will rise and then fall. It is not who you are. The next time you are overcome with sadness or fear, find comfort in knowing that you are the water, and not the wave.]]>owner@thelotusmud.comEngaged Buddhism2006-10-19T01:03:10-07:00http://www.thelotusmud.com/files/06d5f4ce06c4ebde9044e22b576512ee-11.html#unique-entry-id-11http://www.thelotusmud.com/files/06d5f4ce06c4ebde9044e22b576512ee-11.html#unique-entry-id-11If I am unable to be empathic to your problems, then I am sorry. It is not because I don't care. It's because I don't understand. The child in this photo doesn't have food to eat. Your problems don't seem real to me. I have a hard time understanding how the people I come in contact with can classify their trials and tribulations as "problems."

I am not discounting that we as humans can have emotion. However, we must maintain some perspective -- that is the practice of mindfulness. The next time you think you have a problem, think of this child's hunger. A child's hunger is an injustice we all live with. We eat well and then complain about the taste or temperature of the food. Everytime we fail to see all of the things around us that should make us happy, we insult this child. We have shelter, food, clothing, family, and friends. Even if you only have one or two of these things, you're better off than the child in this picture.

Count your blessings, be happy, and do your best to correct the failures of humanity. Next time, instead of buying Starbucks, spend your money here: http://www.children.org (Children International)]]>owner@thelotusmud.comQuotes2006-10-18T19:28:14-07:00http://www.thelotusmud.com/files/c1fc119ec2f3fff24f851108ad037c2f-10.html#unique-entry-id-10http://www.thelotusmud.com/files/c1fc119ec2f3fff24f851108ad037c2f-10.html#unique-entry-id-10"My hut isn’t quite six feet across
Surrounded by pine, bamboos, and mountains, 
An old monk hardly has room for himself
Much less for a visiting cloud." - Shih-wu (1272-1352)

Seek happiness within yourself, not in the clouds.]]>owner@thelotusmud.comThoughts2006-10-17T19:24:57-07:00http://www.thelotusmud.com/files/9bede2a3c5da10cdfd8c02fb0975b335-9.html#unique-entry-id-9http://www.thelotusmud.com/files/9bede2a3c5da10cdfd8c02fb0975b335-9.html#unique-entry-id-9You are your thoughts. Your actions reflect your thoughts. Be mindfull of your thoughts today.

"The mind is everything. What you think, you become." - The Buddha]]>owner@thelotusmud.comQuotes2006-06-18T19:21:36-07:00http://www.thelotusmud.com/files/a6c07b083820526f9ba51bbe64065dab-8.html#unique-entry-id-8http://www.thelotusmud.com/files/a6c07b083820526f9ba51bbe64065dab-8.html#unique-entry-id-8"The best things in life are nearest: Breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of right just before you.

Then do not grasp at the stars, but do life's plain, common work as it comes, certain that daily duties and daily bread are the sweetest things in life." --Robert Louis Stevenson

Be well and enjoy this present moment.]]>owner@thelotusmud.comPractice2006-06-11T19:18:41-07:00http://www.thelotusmud.com/files/d4ec0aee8e2f3ca1215a7b7f471d451c-7.html#unique-entry-id-7http://www.thelotusmud.com/files/d4ec0aee8e2f3ca1215a7b7f471d451c-7.html#unique-entry-id-7In the United States, and perhaps the world, it is my observation that people, and men especially, do not do a good job of creating space and time to be alone. It is important, whether one is buddhist or not, to set aside at least 20 minutes a day without a television, radio, or any contact with others. It can be a walk alone, a sit in the park, etc. Being alone allows one to relive stress, clear one's mind, and be truly present.]]>owner@thelotusmud.comPractice2006-06-10T20:00:30-07:00http://www.thelotusmud.com/files/b91f5612e3d91bdffa5603a0c8fe35b8-6.html#unique-entry-id-6http://www.thelotusmud.com/files/b91f5612e3d91bdffa5603a0c8fe35b8-6.html#unique-entry-id-6Don't try to be anything. Just realize that you already are.]]>owner@thelotusmud.comMusing2006-06-10T19:00:00-07:00http://www.thelotusmud.com/files/75542e4cd3d24274238a9088b7b6d565-5.html#unique-entry-id-5http://www.thelotusmud.com/files/75542e4cd3d24274238a9088b7b6d565-5.html#unique-entry-id-5Have you ever watched a baseball game mindfully? It is an incredible experience. Having practiced it for the first time, I saw deeply the wondrous things around me.

The fresh-cut, green grass. The bright lights under the moonlit sky. The smiling faces of fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, grandparents and grandchildren. Families spending time together; with no one in a rush and no clock to stop the game.

In the game itself I saw competition in a new way. Is competition negative? Does it produce negative feelings because one wins and one loses? The answer depends on the point of view of each person and their state of mind. In competition, the winner experiences the thrill of victory and the loser suffers the agony of defeat. However, if one is to look deeply, they will see that the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat inter-are. The winner and the loser inter-are. The winner cannot understand the ecstasy of victory if he has never experienced the feeling of loss. If one is not attached and does not crave the thrill of victory or abhor the defeat, that person can see the moment for what it truly is. Competition is wonderful. It pushes us to do better. It is human. It requires mindful living for it to be experienced as the miracle it is.]]>owner@thelotusmud.comFeelings2006-06-08T19:00:00-07:00http://www.thelotusmud.com/files/90ecca5c0c9c2d8a1328dfbdfaf0e452-3.html#unique-entry-id-3http://www.thelotusmud.com/files/90ecca5c0c9c2d8a1328dfbdfaf0e452-3.html#unique-entry-id-3People are often taught to breathe in deep, and breathe out all the stress and negative energy.

However, the Buddha taught that we should breathe in all the negative stimuli around us. Be mindful of the negative and harmful speech, media, actions, and circumstances around you. Breathe in all that is truly present in your universe.

Then transform the negative feelings into something positive. Use a person's negative speech as a mindfullness bell to remind yourself how you do not want to act.

When you breathe out, breathe out the positive feelings that you have cultivated within you. It seems selfish to breathe out stress for others to breathe in? Transform that stress into peace and breathe out a feeling of calm for others to receive.]]>