the ego

Chuan Zhi Shakya
Undeniable Self, Deniable self
by Chuan Zhi Shakya, OHY
Presented October 4, 2005

"Daruma" by Kogaku Soen (1859-1917). Kogaku Soen was one of the first monks to bring Zen to the United States. He is well known for his brush paintings of Boddhidharma (known in Japan as Daruma).
"Self is the lord of self; what higher Lord could there be? When a man subdues well his self, he gains a mastery which is hard to obtain."

-- The Buddha
(Dhammapada, XII.4)

Those seeking to understand Chan often misunderstand the nature of ego transcendence, which is, itself, the Chan experience. While it's impossible to understand it from a purely intellectual vantage, a glimpse into its nature is possible, and with the right Chan practice, anyone can come to fully realize it.

To distinguish between the concept of ego-self and Buddha Self (the True Self - or ego-transcended Self), I will use the conventional lower case "s" when referring to the ego-self, and a capital "S" when referring to Buddha Self.

What is the nature of Self? In Chan, the answer is a spiritual one, dependent on self-reflection, and one that cannot come fully until we achieve a degree of spiritual awareness. In the secular domain, we can investigate Self in terms of what it is not - it is not the self we identify as our ego.

We all recognize the characteristics of ego - they manifest as arrogance, pride and conceit. While it's easy to see these characteristics in others, it's often difficult to see them within ourselves: when we look inward it's too painful to confront so we turn the other way and return to our usual ways of thinking, feeling and behaving. This is the immense power the ego has over us. The danger of succumbing to it is obvious: we, too, act in the way of an ego-dominated individual, convinced that our opinions are the right ones, that our experiences are more valid than another's, that our knowledge is more "correct." Turning away from self-reflection we become like those we admonish.

When we lose the ability, or courage, to self-reflect, our ego steps in for us; and the more we entrust to our ego, the stronger it becomes and the more distant we become from our Self. The result is all varieties of ego-centered convictions and behaviors, but most grievous is the loss of knowledge of who we are as human beings. And therein lies all the pain and suffering that comes when a spiritual life is neglected. Recognizing the ego for what it is, we can begin to let go of it.

The ego is first and foremost concerned about itself - it wants to be strong and dominant, and will manipulate us accordingly by engaging in deception to bend our Will to identify with it. When we identify ourselves with our thoughts and actions and beliefs (all ego-elements), in our minds we become that with which we identify. We are "a republican" or "a democrat" or a "religious person" or "a vegetarian" or "a nice person" or a "victimized person" or a "strong person" or a "spiritual person" or a "smart person" or a "sensitive person" …. We become the center of our known universe. And a very small universe it is. What we fail to recognize is how limiting this state of being really is.

The ego will present numerous roadblocks on our spiritual journey. The Buddha warned about this in the numerous stories he told (the Jataka tales are often attributed to him but may have much more ancient origins) and in his sayings, collectively referred to as the Dhammapada.

The challenge for the spiritual traveler is to detach from the notion that we are what we think we are. In reality, we are everything except what we think we are, and if we take this viewpoint we can begin to undermine our attachment to ego and its influence over us and begin to learn about the nature of our Real Self. Depending on the amount of effort we put into it, ego-transcendence will come fast or slow, but once it does, we will truly be followers of the Chan path.

Deny yourself your opinions. Deny yourself your beliefs. Neti! Neti! Not this! Not This! Negate all those things that you have formed attachments to, one-at-a-time. Do this during every waking moment, unrelentingly, and enlightenment will come quickly. The Buddha Self -- which is you -- will pierce the veils of that slippery autonomous phantasm we call ego.

ok so my fractal hearts were a day late..At least there not cartoons of mohummed
All rights reserved 2005 made by muddnet with Tierazon1

Nothing to gain

Poems by Than Nguyen

Nothing there to gain.
Nothing there to lose.
No center nor vastness.
Accepting existence and non existence
Is the same as harmonizing within and without;
The same as rejecting no evilness and no goodness.
Leaving behind the terminology, one enters the true-self.
Where is the universe?
What is there to say?

Leave it be

The past is already past.
Don’t try to regain it.
The present does not stay.
Don’t try to touch it.

From moment to moment.
The future has not come;
Don’t think about it
Beforehand.

Whatever comes to the eye,
Leave it be.
There are no commandments
To be kept;
There’s no filth to be cleansed.

With empty mind really
Penetrated, the dharmas
Have no life.

When you can be like this,
You’ve completed
The ultimate attainment.
Layman P’ang (740-808)

He that expects nothing wont be disapointed

. . "I will not leave thee comfortless, but will come and enjoin thee in thy daily activities, thy daily service." This is the promise to every soul. If ye would make that promise thine own, then seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto thee. Let there be definite periods when ye look within self, cleansing the mind, the body, in such ways and manners and measures that seemeth that as ye would offer as thine offering unto the holy experiences that may be thine. For, he that expects nothing shall not be disappointed, but he that expects much--if he lives and uses that in hand day by day--shall be full to running over. For the love of the Father constraineth thee to keep thine counsel with those thou meetest day by day that thou mayest aid. Thus may the soul find expression. Thus may the life, the experience, that portion of life thou hast in this present experience become more and more beautiful, and the sunshine of thy love into the hearts and souls of those that are wondering, that are troubled because they find not the spirit of truth and life in their own lives, wilt come into those experiences of calling thee blessed in the name of the Father.

Edgar Cayce Reading 557-3

If a Soul Fails to Improve

Q) If a soul fails to improve itself, what becomes of it?
(A) That's why the reincarnation, why it reincarnates; that it may have the opportunity. Can the will of man continue to defy its Maker?

Edgar Cayce Reading 826-8

tshirthell.com letters

2006 is not off to a good start. Almost a million people were gathered
in
Times Square with a clean shot at Regis Philbin, and not one of them
had the
guts to take him out.


[Happy New Shirts 2006!]

We've decided to kick off the New Year with a slew of new shirts.
Celebrate
a Happy Fucking New Year with all sorts of fucking new shirts about
fucking.
We have shirts about orgies, dog fucking, and sucking yourself. Plus,
dirty
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friends.

All of our new shirts are here:

http://www.tshirthell.com/miscpages/newshirt572.htm

If you're an AOL user, or unable to click the link above, copy and
paste it
into your browser.


[It's Not Easy Being Green, and That's Good]

With America losing The War on Drugs, Terror and even Christmas, it's
nice
to see we're winning The War on something: our environment.

Global warming is increasing, the oil reserves are drying up, and we
lose
another endangered species every five minutes. I could not be happier.
Destroying the environment is good.

Let me put it another way. Let's say Jessica Alba's ass is the Arctic
National Wildlife Refuge. Sure it looks perfect and pristine. But
honestly, how much better would it look if someone was tapping it, am I
right?

Global warming may lead to extreme weather. But extreme weather leads
to
extremely entertaining video. I never get tired of watching some shaky
amateur footage and hearing someone say, "Gee, maybe we should have
evacuated."just before they scream and the screen goes black. Plus,
in
spite of the cheesy disaster anthems, we often get a couple excellent
disaster relief concerts.

It's good to use up all of the oil now instead of leaving it for future
generations. You know they would squander it. Why should we deprive
ourselves of topless hot oil wrestling just so some future generation
can
fuel their jetpack to go to school? Let's find a new energy source
buried
in Arkansas, or some pushover country like Denmark.

Killing endangered species might seem wrong. But unless we kill them,
we're
never going to know if their blood contains the cure for cancer, or if
their
guts can make a better tennis racket, or if their liver tastes like a
bit of
heaven; smeared on a cracker with a dollop of creme fraiche.

Destroying the environment is progress. Anyone who disagrees better be
living naked in a cave. And I don't know what they're living on,
because
last time I checked you needed to kill something if you wanted to eat.
The
government scientists are never going to get off their asses and build
really cool dome houses on Mars, unless we completely devastate and use
up everything here on Earth.

So, climb into your SUV, light up your cigar, and drive down the street
to
pick up your teak end tables. And if on your way you see a rare grey
squirrel crossing the road, steer into him. Do your part.


[Let's Make 2006 the Hatiest Year Ever!]

----- Original Message -----

From: Fermidha
Sent: Monday, December 19, 2005 5:00 AM
Subject: RE:The Koran

Dear Sir/Madam,

Why are the American people on the whole determined to destroy and put
down
the religion of Islam.
Could it be that this beautiful religion makes you nervous?
Could it be that this beautiful religion has all the answers where
yours
could not give you a straight and true answer even if all your
religious
leaders tried?
You would not see a Muslim degrading the Christian religion and do you
know
why? Because we respect other religions and your prophets are our
prophets.

This is just to tell you please think carefully before you insult our
religion, because in doing that you are also insulting your prophets
who are
also part of our religion.

GOD BLESS YOU AND YOURS

Regards,
Fermidha

(Editor's Note: You refer to me as sir/madam because you didn't know
who'd
be receiving this. I'm going to refer to you as sir/madam because your
name
is Fermidha, which sounds like some overly spiced food dish that will
leave
me howling on the toilet all night and yet provides no clue as to your
gender. So, to answer your question sir/madam, no one is out to destroy
your
religion. We're out to make money by selling shirts that only a
mentally
challenged caveman would think was powerful enough to bring down an
entire
religion. If shirts wielded that kind of magical power I'd be enjoying
a
good fuck in all 3 of my major orifices by solid gold penises, while
watching a panda fight an alligator for my amusement. Currently I can
only
afford 2 solid gold penises. Now go get angry while us regular folks
stay
perfectly calm and laugh. Oh, and try not to fly a plane into our
website.
And if Islam holds all of the answers, ask it where I left the extra
set of
keys to my beach house on Maui.)

Faults in others

Faults in others are first reflected in self. When such conditions arise in the experience of an entity, there should be first those considerations of that in self that has produced such a reflection, so that the God shining through any activity is lost sight of by self in the fellow man; especially one that is seeking for the spiritual activities in a material plane, and he that would gain the world and lose self's own soul has lost all.

Edgar Cayce Reading 452-3

Darth Vader

 
 

Nothing Grows

Nothing grows, nothing remains alone unless dead. A mind, a body that sits alone and considers the outside and never turning that within to the out, nor that without from within, soon finds drosses setting up in the system; for development is change. Change is the activity of knowledge from within. Learn to live! Then there is no death, save the transition, when desired.

Edgar Cayce Reading 900-465

Your inherent mind is buddha

Few people believe their
Inherent mind is Buddha.
Most will not take this seriously,
And therefore are cramped.
They are wrapped up in illusions, cravings,
Resentments, and other afflictions,
All because they love the cave of ignorance.

Fenyang

Enlightenment

Enlightenment is like the moon reflected on the water.
The moon does not get wet, nor is the water broken.
Although its light is wide and great,
The moon is reflected even in a puddle an inch wide.
The whole moon and the entire sky
Are reflected in one dewdrop on the grass.

Dogen

An Experience

An experience, then, is not only a happening, but what is the reaction in your own mind? What does it do to you to make your life, your habits, your relationships to others of a more helpful nature, with a more hopeful attitude?
These are the criterions for every individual's experience--sincerity of purpose, of desire; putting the whole law into effect in the activities--which is to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, thy mind, thy body, and thy neighbor as thyself.
This is the whole law. All the other things given or written are only the interpreting of same.
Then what does such a proclaiming preclude? From what basis is the reasoning drawn? What is the purpose of an individual experience of an entity or soul into the earth at any given period?
These answered then give a background for the interpreting of why.

Edgar Cayce Reading 1567-2

Absolute Awareness

Chester challenged the Master concerning Buddha. The Master listened as Chester claimed Buddha seemed to ignore God. "Buddha is known as the enlightened one. But I read that it claims even the gods trembled when Buddha announced he could see past their illusions. Buddha didn't seem to be connected to God."

The Master sipped his tea then began, "Buddha was familiar with the teachings of the Supreme Personality of the Godhead from the teachings of the Hindu priests that attended the court. When Buddha achieved the enlightened state he connected completely to the state of Absolute Awareness which trancends all created realities."

Happy Turkey Eve

I hope your all safe,and full of turkey and stuffing,and yams,and those little sweet gerkins,and olives,green and black,along with rolls,and pumpkin pie.My Uncle Harold used to pile up everything he liked onto my plate..Which was a problem,as he liked everything.Didnt hurt me one bit to try all those foods..Just didnt think it was fun at the time.I wish I could eat one more thanksgiving dinner at grandma and grampas..I'd even give Grandma Donis some sugar!Its been 14 years since I got to have turkey with my family..1200 miles is a long ways.Now they moved even further away to New Mexico.Las Crucis. Maybe they will run into that idiot who wants the crosses removed from the city logo.May the fleas from a thousand camels infest his armpits.

Spread the light

(Q) What is God's plan for me in assisting the furtherance of His kingdom here on this planet, so that I may accomplish the greatest good with whatever talents I may possess?
(A) Brighten the corner where thou art from day to day. Let not a day go by without speaking to someone with the smile of the face and eye reminding them that somebody cares, and it is Jesus!

Edgar Cayce Reading 3357-1

Cleanse Your Mind

For how does one cleanse the mind? By the pouring out, the forgetting, the laying aside of those things that easily beset and filling same with pure, fresh water that is of the eternal life, that is of the eternal goodness as may be found in Him who is the light, the way, the truth, the vine, the bread of life and the water of life. These things are those influences that purify.

Edgar Cayce Reading 1620-1

The Throne of Grace

Think on This ...
There is that access, then, that way, to the Throne of grace, of mercy, of peace, of understanding, within thine own self. For He has promised to meet thee in thine own temple, in thine own body, through thine own mind . . . And then enter into the holy of holies, within thine own consciousness; turn within; see what has prompted thee. And He has promised to meet thee there. And there shall it be told thee from within the steps thou shouldst take day by day, step by step. Not that some great exploit, some great manner of change should come within thine body, thine mind, but line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little, there a little. For it is, as He has given, not the knowledge alone but the practical application--in thine daily experience with thy fellow man--that counts.

Edgar Cayce Reading 922-1

Ebay item

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Be the peace you seek

Never so act, in any manner, in any inclination, that there may ever be an experience of regret within self. Let the moves and the discourteousness, the unkindness, all come from the other. Better to be abased . . . and have the peace within!
. . . act ever in the way ye would like to be acted toward. No matter what others say or even do, do as ye would be done by; and then the peace that has been promised is indeed thine own.

Edgar Cayce Reading 1183-3