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A Spiritual Exercis from Buddha
Hello,
This is from the first chapter of a book called Messengers of God by Micheal Edward Owens. I found the first chapter here(http://issuu.com/thewayoftruth/docs/buddha) .This chapter was helpful, and useful for me. Here is the exercise at the end of the chapter. I hope this helps someone out there.
God bless
It is useless to attempt to exert one's ego in a
transient world where all that is without heart
and soul will melt away like ice in the sun.
And so, let us begin our contemplation in this
way:
1. Imagine that your mind is a block of ice
floating on a stormy sea. Say to the sea,
"Be calm!" and wait until it abates into
stillness.
2. Now watch as the sun blazes through
parting clouds and melts the cold
hardness of your mind until you are free
of it and left alone with your breathing.
3. Slowly breathe in and out, and say
aloud, "God, free me from myself to be
one with your heart."
4. Now rest with these words and feel
their reality. What do such words mean
to you? Do they make sense, or do you
want to argue with them?
5. If you want to argue, go back to the ice
block on the sea and begin again, for the
non-power cannot take hold until it is
melted from your mind. This is a
transitory world of Illusion, my dear
ones, do not make it more than it is and
do not waste your time with futile
exercises of the ego.
Seek the greater power of enlightenment
within you that will unite you with God's
grace and mercy. Be a light unto the world -
- take not from your brethren, but GIVE to
them all that is in your heart and soul to
give. That is real -- that is TRUTH.
I leave you now with my undying love and devotion.
~ Siddhartha Gautama Buddha
This is from the first chapter of a book called Messengers of God by Micheal Edward Owens. I found the first chapter here(http://issuu.com/thewayoftruth/docs/buddha) .This chapter was helpful, and useful for me. Here is the exercise at the end of the chapter. I hope this helps someone out there.
God bless
It is useless to attempt to exert one's ego in a
transient world where all that is without heart
and soul will melt away like ice in the sun.
And so, let us begin our contemplation in this
way:
1. Imagine that your mind is a block of ice
floating on a stormy sea. Say to the sea,
"Be calm!" and wait until it abates into
stillness.
2. Now watch as the sun blazes through
parting clouds and melts the cold
hardness of your mind until you are free
of it and left alone with your breathing.
3. Slowly breathe in and out, and say
aloud, "God, free me from myself to be
one with your heart."
4. Now rest with these words and feel
their reality. What do such words mean
to you? Do they make sense, or do you
want to argue with them?
5. If you want to argue, go back to the ice
block on the sea and begin again, for the
non-power cannot take hold until it is
melted from your mind. This is a
transitory world of Illusion, my dear
ones, do not make it more than it is and
do not waste your time with futile
exercises of the ego.
Seek the greater power of enlightenment
within you that will unite you with God's
grace and mercy. Be a light unto the world -
- take not from your brethren, but GIVE to
them all that is in your heart and soul to
give. That is real -- that is TRUTH.
I leave you now with my undying love and devotion.
~ Siddhartha Gautama Buddha
0
Comments
I jest.
I don't see the connection, but will look for it... thanks
Perhaps it's my pre-conditioned concept of what is meant by "God" that got in the way
― Meister Eckhart
I understand the one with God... I got my initial understanding from Alan Watts, and perhaps not the best source on the subject, but was presented as that we are God in a sense, as we are everything that there is... but what didn't make sense to me in the exercise was asking to be united with God's grace and mercy, as if he was a sperate identity who had an upper hand on you. Sounds like a prayer found in a Christian church?
this emptiness is totally interdependent and it is the felt sensation of the "subject" dissolving into the wholeness of existence. it is when consciousness awakens to awareness. it is the presence of awareness made manifest in the body/mind. it is to feel in our bones and gut the oneness that zen points to.
only through a radical acceptance/surrender to what is do we have even the potential to awaken to the heart/mind. we can strive all we want. how can we make something that is already perfect even more perfect? all our practice and striving is to come to failure and then in such stopping we surrender.
but this is awakening or rather perceiving the emptiness directly. it marks the beginning of the path in zen buddhism. we find the ox and then tame the ox.
when we pray to anything, we pray only to ourselves. when we ask for forgiveness, we are only asking ourselves to forgive ourselves. God is just the big Other for most people. Through meditation we realize that there is only the Other. Everything is not mine or graspable. Thus we can learn to be intimate with everything because it what we are in essence. Sounds paradoxical, but that is how it is experienced.
I believe this quote from above sums up what I understand God to be in the above exercise.
"The awakened heart/mind found through surrender is the god pointed at here."
Thanks for any discussion. I will try to participate in any further discussion.