Comments on: Awakening of Great Beings, Part 1 http://themiddleway.net/2007/12/05/awakening-of-great-beings-part-1/ Commentaries on Meditation, Zen, Buddhism, and Mindfulness Tue, 07 Oct 2008 06:00:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Awakening of Great Beings, Part 3 http://themiddleway.net/2007/12/05/awakening-of-great-beings-part-1/#comment-12010 Awakening of Great Beings, Part 3 Tue, 11 Dec 2007 03:51:20 +0000 http://themiddleway.net/2007/12/05/awakening-of-great-beings-part-1/#comment-12010 [...] is Part 3, and the final part of the Awakening of Great Beings Series. Last time, we looked at the Third Awakening, this time we investigate the Fifth Awakening. [...] [...] is Part 3, and the final part of the Awakening of Great Beings Series. Last time, we looked at the Third Awakening, this time we investigate the Fifth Awakening. [...]

]]> By: Awakening of Great Beings, Part 2 http://themiddleway.net/2007/12/05/awakening-of-great-beings-part-1/#comment-11956 Awakening of Great Beings, Part 2 Sun, 09 Dec 2007 03:38:36 +0000 http://themiddleway.net/2007/12/05/awakening-of-great-beings-part-1/#comment-11956 [...] is Part 2, of the Awakening of Great Beings Series. Last time, we looked at the First Awakening, this time we investigate the Third Awakening. [...] [...] is Part 2, of the Awakening of Great Beings Series. Last time, we looked at the First Awakening, this time we investigate the Third Awakening. [...]

]]> By: Wade http://themiddleway.net/2007/12/05/awakening-of-great-beings-part-1/#comment-11930 Wade Fri, 07 Dec 2007 01:55:15 +0000 http://themiddleway.net/2007/12/05/awakening-of-great-beings-part-1/#comment-11930 Hi Cedric, again with the great questioning; thanks for the opportunity. You're totally right about trying to force anything on ego, it will only strengthen the power. Between forcing letting go, and following/falling into desires, is the middle way; that is the path we tread. A path of neither pushing away, or running to. A place not of action or grasping, but a letting go. It's not an active state there's no thing being done, no action or reaction is caused. The desire is simply 'let go'. The aim is not to eradicate desire, but the attachment and compulsion to be a slave to it. You are right, it is a natural state of mind, the practice is not about removing anything, but developing acceptance and space, so we no longer have to live in a re-actionary world. And this is as you have said, to simply understand it's nature :) "To observe a lovely sight is joyous; to cling to it is pain, suffering, dukkha." (http://buddhism.about.com/library/weekly/aa021403a.htm) Again, thanks for your comments. May all beings be happy, may all beings have peace. Gassho, Wade Hi Cedric, again with the great questioning; thanks for the opportunity.

You’re totally right about trying to force anything on ego, it will only strengthen the power. Between forcing letting go, and following/falling into desires, is the middle way; that is the path we tread. A path of neither pushing away, or running to. A place not of action or grasping, but a letting go. It’s not an active state there’s no thing being done, no action or reaction is caused. The desire is simply ‘let go’.

The aim is not to eradicate desire, but the attachment and compulsion to be a slave to it. You are right, it is a natural state of mind, the practice is not about removing anything, but developing acceptance and space, so we no longer have to live in a re-actionary world. And this is as you have said, to simply understand it’s nature :)

“To observe a lovely sight is joyous; to cling to it is pain, suffering, dukkha.” (http://buddhism.about.com/library/weekly/aa021403a.htm)

Again, thanks for your comments.

May all beings be happy, may all beings have peace.

Gassho,

Wade

]]> By: Cedric http://themiddleway.net/2007/12/05/awakening-of-great-beings-part-1/#comment-11900 Cedric Thu, 06 Dec 2007 02:42:37 +0000 http://themiddleway.net/2007/12/05/awakening-of-great-beings-part-1/#comment-11900 Hi Wade, I note that you refrain from giving any insights on how to achieve such a desire less state or perhaps you are keeping that for another post. However I suspect there is no how-to since this would imply that in order to adopt the how-to one would have to have a desire to become free of desire, a conundrum. But perhaps this paradoxical conundrum is re-assuring since such seems to be the way of the Mind. And I suspect that trying to discipline our egos into not having desires will invariably strengthen our egos through conflict. Not to mention the likelihood that the desire will be even stronger. As I've stated in previous comments on another post, I don't know, I am just wondering. Is it even possible to choose to have no desire? Isn't choice illusionary anyway? If Mind is all there is then that includes desire and if desire is linked to suffering then it includes that too. Does it not? I understand that even Mind is a concept the way you said "life" is in a response to another comment but concepts are all we have to understand that which cannot be described. You also said, in the same response, that everything just is. That must include desire or lack thereof. So in the end rather than eliminating desire is it not better to simply understand it's nature namely that the object being desired, the action of desiring and the subject which desires is all Mind? Thanks. Hi Wade, I note that you refrain from giving any insights on how to achieve such a desire less state or perhaps you are keeping that for another post. However I suspect there is no how-to since this would imply that in order to adopt the how-to one would have to have a desire to become free of desire, a conundrum. But perhaps this paradoxical conundrum is re-assuring since such seems to be the way of the Mind.
And I suspect that trying to discipline our egos into not having desires will invariably strengthen our egos through conflict. Not to mention the likelihood that the desire will be even stronger. As I’ve stated in previous comments on another post, I don’t know, I am just wondering.
Is it even possible to choose to have no desire? Isn’t choice illusionary anyway? If Mind is all there is then that includes desire and if desire is linked to suffering then it includes that too. Does it not? I understand that even Mind is a concept the way you said “life” is in a response to another comment but concepts are all we have to understand that which cannot be described.
You also said, in the same response, that everything just is. That must include desire or lack thereof. So in the end rather than eliminating desire is it not better to simply understand it’s nature namely that the object being desired, the action of desiring and the subject which desires is all Mind?

Thanks.

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