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About Meditation Cushions and Other Nonsense
Many people who could benefit greatly from buddhist practice may be turned off because they see it as a religion (it's not) and associate buddhism with the kooky paraphernalia some use (it's not needed).
Don't let these concerns keep you from experiencing the benefits of enlightened thought. Let me ease some of these concerns.
Buddhism is NOT a religion. Practicing buddhist thought does not require worshipping buddha. He was just a man. Not a god. He died and his body returned to the earth just like everyone else's. Don't worship him...study him.
The idea that one must wear robes and use certain meditation cushions is demanded only by those who sell robes and meditation cushions. I am not even convinced that mediatation is necessary for enlightenment at all. Must one sit a certain way and breath a certain way to see reality? While meditation is helpful to quiet the mind, I'm skeptical of it being mandatory for everyone.
Simply put, buddhism is the practice of viewing existence without any filters or preconceived notions. It is the seeing of reality. It is just everything that is not not-enlightenment.
Read, think, quiet your mind, see reality. Ignore all the hocus-pocus. Requiring the use of incense, cushions, and robes to have enlightenment is like tying a jet-engine to a bird to help it fly. You were born enlightened and you don't need any gadgets or gimmicks to be what you are.
Don't let these concerns keep you from experiencing the benefits of enlightened thought. Let me ease some of these concerns.
Buddhism is NOT a religion. Practicing buddhist thought does not require worshipping buddha. He was just a man. Not a god. He died and his body returned to the earth just like everyone else's. Don't worship him...study him.
The idea that one must wear robes and use certain meditation cushions is demanded only by those who sell robes and meditation cushions. I am not even convinced that mediatation is necessary for enlightenment at all. Must one sit a certain way and breath a certain way to see reality? While meditation is helpful to quiet the mind, I'm skeptical of it being mandatory for everyone.
Simply put, buddhism is the practice of viewing existence without any filters or preconceived notions. It is the seeing of reality. It is just everything that is not not-enlightenment.
Read, think, quiet your mind, see reality. Ignore all the hocus-pocus. Requiring the use of incense, cushions, and robes to have enlightenment is like tying a jet-engine to a bird to help it fly. You were born enlightened and you don't need any gadgets or gimmicks to be what you are.
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Comments
You know, it's so funny that you mention this! The other day at my bank, I had a friend (Christian) tell me that Buddhism was wrong because she said that Buddhists worship the buddha. Something told me to listen instead of interrupt so I could get the full story, which is what I did. She went on to say that Buddhists worship the buddha but that was wrong because the buddha was a god who died and not the living god of Christianity. I informed her that Buddhism was NOT a religion as she saw it; that Buddhists did not worship the buddha but, instead, studied him and his life to attain enlightenment about life without filters or preconceived notions or stereotyping of others. I also said that Buddhists did not consider the buddha as a god because he was never considered a god in the first place. He was a man that lived and died as we all do. She looked at me with an incredulous look on her face and said: "Well, that is not what I heard." I then replied: "Well it may not be what you heard from others but I am trying to tell you the truth so that you can understand Buddhism better." I then told her that I was a practicing Buddhist which shocked her. I told her that I practiced Buddhism because I felt better about myself and was learning how to accept things but was also learning to change things I did not like about myself and my life as well as owning up to the fact that I am in control of my own destiny. I also told her that was why Buddhists did not go out and make a concerted effort to convert like Christians do; that they never considered the buddha to be a god in the first place. Since she was speechless after what I told her, I am hoping that she will tell others just what Buddhism actually is instead of a bunch of preconceived notions and stereotypes.
Adiana
That notion is one of the reasons I started this site.
Yesterday, my wife was talking to a coworker of hers and the woman had never even heard of buddhism. My wife said "How do you explain Buddhism to somebody who has never even heard of it?"
Brian,
I can relate to what your wife went through because I am going through the same thing or at least I was. Now that I understand Buddhism better, I can explain to my non-Buddhist friends exactly what it is (or what Buddhism means to me!) so they can get a better grasp of just what being a Buddhist means. I have also told them about certain websites, like I did when explaining what being Wiccan means. Hopefully, they can spread the truth and not all of the hype---we shall have to see!
Adiana
Really! I did not know that! Well, it goes to show you that if you stick around here, you can learn things you never knew! It also goes to show just how anyone can have preconceived notions---even Buddhists! LOL!
Adiana
I will admit though, that the 'further I travel', the more Buddhist I am... I would say 85% -15% ratio 'in favour' of Buddhism....
Religion... You might not approach buddhism as a religion, or conceptualize it that way, but that does not take away from the reality that buddhism is practiced widely as a religion. Buddhism is NOT a monotheistic religion, that's for sure, but it is rooted in a monastic tradition with ritualized practices and particular aesthetics... That said, buddhism is itself only a metaphor for truth, only a language to point towards something indescribable, like any other religion. I personally feel that buddhism gives the most accurately aimed arrow towards truth, but that does not entirely free buddhism from the trappings found in all religions, or all human behavior for that matter. The "kooky" materials used by many buddhists that you speak of are just as much a part of buddhism as the symbolic buddha that gives buddhism its name. Truth does not have an owner, yet we attribute truth to Buddha, when all Siddhartha did was describe that truth (not create or discover it). Reality is already truth, IS the dharma, and just as we misinterpret reality with our delusions, we are just as capable of misinterpreting the words of the Buddha and likely most often do.
Why study the Buddha? The Buddha would have certainly found that notion to be a complete waste of time. Can you see the Buddha? Can you observe the Buddha? There is no Buddha. Where?!? What are you studying? "Enlightened thought" is an oxymoron as enlightenment has nothing to do with your thoughts and everything to do with starving your thoughts and killing your notion of self. This is not an intellectual concept to be understood, it is something to be directly experienced and that is where zazen (just sitting) becomes crucial to any useful buddhist practice. Meditation is not mandatory for everyone, but neither is enlightenment. Intellectual ideas about reality are the opposite of wisdom and the definition of delusion.
Yes, we are born enlightened because we never actually exist as individual entities seperate from the dharma... it is our delusion of self that keeps us convinced that we are something that does not exist. The only thing that keeps us from our enlightenment is our delusions that we are not already enlightened, our delusions that there is a self to become enlightened, that we are not one contiguous whole.
30 minutes sitting on a zafu cushion will bring you closer to Buddha than reading any amount of his words, as his sitting WAS his enlightenment.
I don't see the difference in sitting on a "zafu cushion" to meditate rather than throwing a couch cushion on the ground.
I'm not convinced meditation is necessary but then I'm not convinced it is not. In another post I will go into what I define meditation as (at that moment).
I give my theistic friends this question: If you were born and never heard of "god" until you were 25 years old, what would you think of the guy who told you the story of the man in the sky? You'd think the guy was nuts and forget him immediately. You have been brainwashed.
I give you, my buddhist friends, this question to ponder: If you grew up alone on a deserted island from the time of your first memories, would you need to meditate or would your mind be quiet already? If all you knew was survival and rest, would you maintain a constant state of zen? How much of our suffering is the result of society and the expectations it creates?
Just thinking...
Don't worry, I do not mean to be critical or attack, only to engage in a dialogue that helps challenge all involved (particularly myself!)... take care.
Why do we even need a cushion? for our comfort? How is being comfortable going to help along our enlightenment?
However, I find sometimes I need to step back and think back to the time when I was first learning about buddhism. I had no concept of what buddhism was, what the practice entailed, and what the goal was. Finding these "trappings" and other nonsense was a gradual and gentle introduction into a bigger world. These things are not important for people who are well on their way, but for someone who is frightened and uncomfortable with a change of lifestyle, or who has been raised to fear it, each little bit of nonsense is a critical and amazing device that can help ease them into a new lifestyle. (I use the term device to mean anything - a ritual, an implement, a quote, a kind word from a practitioner, etc.)
Yes, we can definitely say "nothing matters." But saying something is a far cry from being it, and being it (from what I gather) is a lot different than what one assumes it is when they intellectually grasp it.
I agree, the trappings ARE "trappings," but they do have the potential to serve the purpose of moving one in the direction of understanding. When our entire being (or the idea that there is one) is made up of attachments to the trappings of ego/materialism/culture/society/influence, we must use trappings to point the way out of delusion... when we are delusional, we need tools we can perceive to show us what we are so that we can see the whole of delusion for what it is, those tools are all we really have... I think of them as a transition, a bridge, a common language with which dharma can be shown to samsara if approached correctly.
I do this in my garage, which I have converted into a dojo, where I practice martial arts and also a resting place where I still my mind. I use a statue of Buddha, incense and a cushion when I meditate, I also bow every time I enter or leave my dojo.
I have my own reasons for this and don't think it is a pre-eminent part of Buddhism or spirituality. I simply use an image or statue of Buddha to remind me to be more mindful and to calm me if I begin to feel unrestful, I suppose like a 'trigger'.
I use the incense for the same reason, although it's implicated that it symbolizes pure moral conduct and is an offering to Buddha, this isn't my particular reason, I just like the smell and now relate it to a feeling of tranquility.
The cushion, is to make myself comfortable, simple as. It's just a plain old cushion.
I bow to become aware of my intentions when I enter the dojo. For example, when I enter and bow I might say to myself "I am going to calm my mind and arrive here, where I am". Or "I am going to train harder today, than I did yesterday". I know it shouldn't really matter if I bow or not and I could just become aware of my intentions without bowing, but it works for me to bow, it feels like I'm making a commitment to myself, and become fully aware of what I intend to do.
These are my reasons, and it works for me, others may have different reasons or may not feel the need for such things, whatever works for you is what you should use.
I suggested to my Qi Gong pupils that perhaps they might like to set specific clothes aside for their practise, and limit their use to Qi Gong evenings. It little matters what is worn, I explained, providing it is not restrictive, and that if at all possible, they stick to the more natural fibres.... some of the pupils now say that the moment they put these clothes on, it's as if they are 'wrapping themselves up in peace'. And I have also found this to be so. There is a comfort, a familiarity to be found in ritual. Rituals of all kinds are practised everywhere, whether they are Religious, Spiritual or just plain habitual. It links us with our "Selves" and the object of our reverence. We connect and therefore concentrate. It can do marvellous things, provided we remember it is just the stepping-stone, not the destination. (I'm sure we all do, here, I just added that bit for any newbies coming in and takin' a peek!!)
Some people form habits or go through rituals without being aware of the purpose. I'll use the example of bowing when entering the dojo as an example here. When I train at my club, I notice a lot of people bowing when they enter the training area, but always wondered what their intentions were, if any. My inquiring/judgmental mind wanted to find out their intentions, so I asked and found out quite a few people bowed just out of habit, because they'd watched others do the same, it never really had a meaning. I briefly explained my own reasons for bowing, though I don't like to preach. Hopefully some of them got the gist of what I meant.
Good point about the dojo, Spaceman.
I've seen a lot of people get enamored with martial arts because of the forms or the workout apparel, their belt color, etc.
But, then you find some of these people realize that the clothes and the belts and all the other acoutriments are nothing compared to the "art".
While it might have helped them to initially begin - it really has nothing to do with the art itself.
-bf
Palzang
Tell me again how seeing an ordained monk or nun in their robes gives me a blessing? What kind - I must have missed it.
I mean, I can understand why an ordained monk or nun would wear them - because it's part of their beliefs - but how does it give blessings to all who even see the robes?
-bf
Palzang
You are so helpful.
Now the second question, these vows that come straight from Buddha - does anyone have a copy of these that one could see on the internet?
Elohim? You're the internet link king around here - can ya help?
-bf
The 10 main vows are the four principal ones, not to kill (especially humans), not to lie (especially about one's spiritual prowess), not to steal and to maintain a celibate lifestyle. Then there are the auxiliary vows, such as not drinking alcohol or using other intoxicants (as they can make it much easier to break the four main vows), and the vows concerning listening to music, sleeping on a high bed, dancing and one other which I can't even remember at the moment (oy!). These latter four are more concerned with preventing distractions which can make it difficult to keep the four main vows (such as listening to music which might stimulate you sexually or that sort of thing) and to help you maintain a posture of humility (that's where the sleeping in a high bed one comes from). Those are the main ones. I'm sure a Theravadan would consider all 265 vows of a monk important, but we're not so strict in Vajrayana. We also have a higher vow, the Bodhisattva vow, which can cancel out some of the lesser vows if the need arises. For example, a fully ordained monk should never touch a woman, according to the Vinaya. However, as a Mahayana practitioner, if we were to come across a woman who had been injured and who might die if we refused to touch her, according to the Bodhisattva vow we are obligated to render whatever assistance is necessary. That's because the Vinaya is an external vow that you follow to gain merit and help focus your mind on your practice. The Bodhisattva vow is more of a heart vow, an internal vow if you will, that you follow to benefit others, so it is considered a higher vow. I'm sure that makes it as clear as mud!
Palzang
Thanks for the info.
I was a little concerned about the black wool (until I saw that it was kind of outdated) and the one about sleeping on a high bed. I couldn't figure out where that one was coming from.
-bf
All the so-called minor vows have stories behind them as the Buddha made them in response to situations that arose in the Sangha. One interesting one is the vow to look in your seat before you sit in it. The story behind that one is that once a monk was invited to someone's home and he sat in his seat without looking, crushing a baby that was lying there! So that's where that one came from. The basic theme that runs though all the vows, though, is mindfulness, so if you practice mindfulness in everything you do, then you'll be keeping the vows. If only...
Palzang
The Vinyana Pitaka (Basket of the Discipline) is the foundation of the monastic life. Just remember, if some of the rules seem strange, or pointless there is always a story and reason behind them. Try not to judge them out of context. Although the stories behind them are not included in this version, they are available to read.
As Thanissaro Bhikkhu writes, "[The Patimokkha] includes not only the rules governing the life of every Theravada bhikkhu (monk) and bhikkhuni (nun), but also a host of procedures and conventions of etiquette that support harmonious relations, both among the monastics themselves, and between the monastics and their lay supporters, upon whom they depend for all their material needs."
While not in thier vow form, these are the Bhikkhu training rules/precepts: The Bhikkhu Patimokkha
Hope this helps.
Jason
Thanks you SO much for your initial post about listening to your Christian friends explanation of why Buddhism is wrong. I live in Springfield, Mo where we have such institutions as The Baptist Bible College, Evangel University and lots of other evangelical Christian training centers and organizations. Almost daily I am confronted by coworkers or door-to-door missionaries who often hostily inform me of my idolatry and imminent condemnation to the eternal fires of Hell for not embracing THEIR particular church or faith. The experience has made me even more anti-Christian and anti-organized religion than I ever was before and I find it hard to constantly respond kindly to personal attacks being made by people who are so poorly informed yet so arrogantly confident.
I have responded with many of the same observations and statements that you made in your post which I must say does not usually convince them of much but it does at least provide a far more compassionate and tolerant display of my beliefs than the aggressive and judgemental presentation they make for their own. They may go away still feeling they are right and I am foolishly deceived BUT..at least they go away realizing that I can express and share my beliefs without being confrontational and without negating THEIR beliefs or belittling them.
I have remarked many times afterwards to more neutral or tolerant acquaintences...."I may not believe in Jesus OR their God but according to their own guiding principles, I am definately a better Christian than they will ever be..." <giggle> Let's discuss my issues regarding "sinful pride" later...<grin>
The door-to-door 'missionary' is one of the few callers (apart from the bailiffs) who cause me to hide behind the curtains!
I might be rather more disposed to listen to them if they offered to do something useful in exchange for my time, like mowing the lawn or cleaning the windows. JW and LDS would have to retile the roof before I would feel repaid for listening to their spiel.
Of course, you could always try telling them that you are a Jehovah's Bystander: you see what's happening but don't want to get involved :tonguec:.
If we're to believe the Abrahamic religions, we all are, Palzang!!!!!!! The best argument for rejecting the whole mess.
THE THREE TREASURES
Be one with the Buddha
Be one with the Dharma
Be one with the Sangha
THE THREE PURE PRECEPTS
Do not commit evil
Do good
Do good for others
THE TEN GRAVE PRECEPTS
Respect and value life: Do not kill
Respect and value other's property: Do not steal
Respect and value yourself and others: Do not be commit sexual misconduct
Respect and value the truth: Do not tell a lie
Respect and value clarity of mind and health of body: Do not ingest intoxicants
Respect and value others uniqueness: Do not talk about other's faults
Respect and value difference: Do not elevate yourself by criticizing others
Respect and value generosity of the material and spiritual: Do not be stingy
Respect and value tranquility of heart and mind: Do not get angry
Respect and value all aspects of the Great Way: Do not speak ill of the Three Treasures