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what is your experience with observing (or listening), contemplating, and meditating?
Hello! Newbuddhist denizens!
I am new to this forum, and a beginner layperson. I took refuge in three jewels and Bodhisattva vows under Kagyu lineage a couple years ago.
Ok, enough about me. Sometimes I will get questions about Buddhism. One question that is most perplexing is "what is emptiness?". To which I usually respond "see my hand? it is not a hand, where do you see the hand?" Yet, I always feel a slight discontent to that answer.
One day, the sum of discontents morphed into a thought, so I observe, contemplate, and meditate on it.
"You know, it is against Bodhisattva vows to introduce emptiness to the non-initiated"
"why not? they desire to know about it."
"what they desire is not important, but what is your intention?"
"I responded to their question, therefore my desire."
"what you did is not important, but what intent did you act on?"
after much contemplating, I responded "pride"
"why pride?"
"because I desire to let others know I know more"
"why desire?"
"because I need to let others know I exist"
"who is I?"
"I am who I am"
"where do you see the I? Prove it."
"I am of a body made of bones and flesh, of which are made up by atoms moving about really fast."
"what is atom?"
"......energy?"
then a sudden realization came - limited worldly intellect or words can not do justice when it comes to emptiness
"if you have not experienced emptiness, on what base do you speak of it?"
"..........."
"if you can not even keep the 4th precept, on what base do you keep Bodhisattva vows?"
"..........."
"if you have turned away from second perfection, how would you wish to enter the sixth perfection?
"............"
+++++++~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~+++++++
After this section of observing, contemplating, and meditating, I found my desire to "show off" lessen somewhat.
Now I answer "I have not experienced emptiness, so I am not the best person to speak of it."
rant: It is still darn hard to observe, contemplate, and meditate 24/7.
What is your experience? Has anyone experienced the tendency to slack off (like I usually do)?
-I bow to the Buddha within all beings.
I am new to this forum, and a beginner layperson. I took refuge in three jewels and Bodhisattva vows under Kagyu lineage a couple years ago.
Ok, enough about me. Sometimes I will get questions about Buddhism. One question that is most perplexing is "what is emptiness?". To which I usually respond "see my hand? it is not a hand, where do you see the hand?" Yet, I always feel a slight discontent to that answer.
One day, the sum of discontents morphed into a thought, so I observe, contemplate, and meditate on it.
"You know, it is against Bodhisattva vows to introduce emptiness to the non-initiated"
"why not? they desire to know about it."
"what they desire is not important, but what is your intention?"
"I responded to their question, therefore my desire."
"what you did is not important, but what intent did you act on?"
after much contemplating, I responded "pride"
"why pride?"
"because I desire to let others know I know more"
"why desire?"
"because I need to let others know I exist"
"who is I?"
"I am who I am"
"where do you see the I? Prove it."
"I am of a body made of bones and flesh, of which are made up by atoms moving about really fast."
"what is atom?"
"......energy?"
then a sudden realization came - limited worldly intellect or words can not do justice when it comes to emptiness
"if you have not experienced emptiness, on what base do you speak of it?"
"..........."
"if you can not even keep the 4th precept, on what base do you keep Bodhisattva vows?"
"..........."
"if you have turned away from second perfection, how would you wish to enter the sixth perfection?
"............"
+++++++~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~+++++++
After this section of observing, contemplating, and meditating, I found my desire to "show off" lessen somewhat.
Now I answer "I have not experienced emptiness, so I am not the best person to speak of it."
rant: It is still darn hard to observe, contemplate, and meditate 24/7.
What is your experience? Has anyone experienced the tendency to slack off (like I usually do)?
-I bow to the Buddha within all beings.
0
Comments
Here's a fun inquiry about emptiness.
Where do thoughts come from, abide, and go to?
Examine that.
Best of luck.
My lama told a story from the jakarta tales about a monkey who listened to dharma teachings. The monkey parroted the monks and soon he was starting to teach the villagers to meditate. Because the monkey sincerely believed in a good motivation even though he was not a teacher the onlookers still created merit in their attempt to meditate.
That's kind of a non-sequitar and I would repeat that I like your analysis.
The danger of teaching emptiness is that someone would pick up a wrong view that lead to their suffering.
Also, having tried this inquiry for about 5 minutes, I turned my attention to reciting heart sutra before my head explodes in doubt. :eek2: Very true! thank you! Thanks for sharing the story! Despite merit, I think what the monkey did may not be skillful.
-I bow to the Buddha within all beings.
The not finding anything is itself emptiness.