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The Middle Way (what I thought about it today)
zenff
Veteran
Have been thinking about “the middle way”; about what that idea means to me.
The opposite positions which are rejected would be
a. being tossed by the waves of human craving or
b. asceticism to the point of death.
In other words we can either be the slaves of the reward-system in our brain or we can kill ourselves and be free from it; two unattractive options.
But there’s a third option which we can call the Eightfold Path (sounds difficult) or the Moral Life (sounds serious) or Enlightened Life (sounds attractive).
It essentially is another reward-system which lies under the surface of the obvious and familiar reward system to which our brain is addicted.
Practicing the Dharma means we break our addictions and follow some basic guidelines and in doing so we satisfy a more fundamental craving, the craving for peace of mind and for liberation.
The basic guidelines are not-harming and being a good friend; not so complicated. We just replace our bondage to some of the more primitive chemical processes in our brain with the commitment to not do harm and to being a good friend. The minute we shift those priorities we are bodhisattva’s. Our presence in this life has a new purpose. And the mere fact of this new purpose means this life is taking place in another context; the context of liberation.
Oh, and there’s this question about the ultimate goal of Nirvana.
The ultimate goal is a trick like the promise of toys or candy made to children to lure them out of the burning house.
Vimalakirti said it: “Don’t ask about the goal and benefit of the Holy Life. To be without goal and benefit is the Holy Life.”
The deep rewards of practice get more subtle and then they are gone. And all that is left is a natural peace of mind; liberation; nothing special.
(This is all basic, I know, but sometimes I have to remeber the basics, or I would lose touch with the whole thing)
The opposite positions which are rejected would be
a. being tossed by the waves of human craving or
b. asceticism to the point of death.
In other words we can either be the slaves of the reward-system in our brain or we can kill ourselves and be free from it; two unattractive options.
But there’s a third option which we can call the Eightfold Path (sounds difficult) or the Moral Life (sounds serious) or Enlightened Life (sounds attractive).
It essentially is another reward-system which lies under the surface of the obvious and familiar reward system to which our brain is addicted.
Practicing the Dharma means we break our addictions and follow some basic guidelines and in doing so we satisfy a more fundamental craving, the craving for peace of mind and for liberation.
The basic guidelines are not-harming and being a good friend; not so complicated. We just replace our bondage to some of the more primitive chemical processes in our brain with the commitment to not do harm and to being a good friend. The minute we shift those priorities we are bodhisattva’s. Our presence in this life has a new purpose. And the mere fact of this new purpose means this life is taking place in another context; the context of liberation.
Oh, and there’s this question about the ultimate goal of Nirvana.
The ultimate goal is a trick like the promise of toys or candy made to children to lure them out of the burning house.
Vimalakirti said it: “Don’t ask about the goal and benefit of the Holy Life. To be without goal and benefit is the Holy Life.”
The deep rewards of practice get more subtle and then they are gone. And all that is left is a natural peace of mind; liberation; nothing special.
(This is all basic, I know, but sometimes I have to remeber the basics, or I would lose touch with the whole thing)
1
Comments
Including Moderation.