Empties

lobster

Emptying our BS natures (speaking for myself), our 'full of it, character/personality/wisdom and clinging to our comfort dharmas eventually loses its necessity or so I read in a fortune cookie.

In essence the self has been explored, expressed and exposed. What a douche [a technical term].
Ready yet? Now what? Is there an empty space waiting for us?

Is it polite to sit to the left or right of the Buddha in the empty space? . . . Wait a minute Buddha is gone . . . we can sit anywhere. :om:

mfranzdorf

I wish I was witted enough to respond........

BhikkhuJayasara

I've come to enjoy observing my "self", it's almost like a video game or a movie, you laugh, you cry, you feel inspired, all from the ego in your mind. Our "bs nature" haha, I like that phrase, ooh the BS our ego likes to tell itself, a natural born actor.

sova

echo echo echo

Hamsaka

I got really, really SICK of me a few years ago, watching me slip along the deepest, surest ruts, pure BS pouring forth.

I'm allowing self-compassion, lately. Noticing 99.9% of the BS, at least at some remote time and circumstance, served the purpose of 'saving me' from peril (perceived or actual). I'm shooting for 100%, 'cuz intellectually I know I'm already 'saved', am awakening in safety.

Human BS, especially my own, is an amazing, if stupifying creation when it is rescued from boredom and loathing. Is that boasting ?? Creating everything from literally no 'thing'. Astounding!

Gassho

Dennis1

I recycle empties if they are plastic or metal.

lobster

mfranzdorf said:

I wish I was witted enough to respond........

Let us call it half a reply, therefore like me, you would qualify as a half-wit . . .

[bad cructacean]

This distancing or objective scrutiny of our karmic self is useful. The person we know best is ourselves. The ability to scrutinise and be introspective of ourself rather than the half-wits, fools, wisdom sources around is useful. We begin to see the causation of supposed differences are little more than differences in circumstances, degrees of experience and superficialities.

As far as I am aware the bulk of the path is emptying rather than filling up with opinions, self defense and the other never ending clinging to our [insert self image here]. :wave:

and now back to the flimflam and mirrors . . .
hope @mfranzdorf has a sense of humour . . . :hiding:

mfranzdorf

Thank you for the introspection @lobster
Seems the more we empty our heads, the smarter we get.
It's opposite day, Spongebob!

Dennis1

Emptiness doesn't refer to the head only. Knowledge is how a Bodhi understands to help others. It is the self-an object-which is empty of inherent existence. Speaking of knowledge-that word inherent might need some clarification. Inherent means part of the essential nature, the originally included, a constituent part from the beginning. So if we lack inherent existence how come people keep talking about reincarnation and etc. What heaven or hell? I mean Whhaaa? The Tibetans say: the nature is clear (aware) and the essence is empty. So what is it that exists and persists and is the actuality. And that answer is Awareness. Awareness is not thought. Awareness is not a person.
So for all of you naysayers of knowledge, there is some knowledge that could be of us in your meditation and in your human kindness and compassionate activity. Good luck.

MaryAnne

Why do so many people around here 'hate' themselves? I'm bewildered...

Jeffrey

@MaryAnne, I didn't get a notion from this thread that anyone hates themselves? I even wonder if you are posting in the right thread??

Edit: nevermind I see how you get that. But everyone says they have coping skills to feel better so I didn't get it.

lobster

One of the primary capacities of emptying is being able to present counter roles without care for reputation or appearance.

The Path of Blame is known in Persian (those annoying people mentioned in another thread) as the Rahimalamat. Although called a ‘Path’ it is in fact a phase of activity, and has many applications. The teacher incurs ‘blame.’ He may, for instance, attribute a bad action to himself, in order to teach a disciple without directly criticizing him
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malamatiyya

In the Buddhist tradition we have the strange antics of zen and the crazy wisdom brigade. This is a temporary measure, according to the requirements of a situation. Most of us would not dream of behaving in such a way. Our clarity of thought, our personal esteem and our reputation as wise and worthy is at the base of our self preening, astute and mature insight, senses of being in control of our faculties . . . etc. etc.
One is the behavior of the small wheel of egoic Hinyana and one encompasses a greater turning . . .

So why empty? In order to have the 'bottle' for any filling . . .
http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english-thesaurus/bottle

and now back to 'emptiness is form and form is emptiness' . . . :wave:

MaryAnne

Jeffrey said:

@MaryAnne, I didn't get a notion from this thread that anyone hates themselves? I even wonder if you are posting in the right thread??

Edit: nevermind I see how you get that. But everyone says they have coping skills to feel better so I didn't get it.

Actually, @Jeffrey, you were correct in your first comment, before the edit. My remark was over-kill for this particular thread.

I had just gotten done reading through several threads that were (IMO) nearly all self-wallowing, negative, self-pitying, etc.
So when I got to this thread, and saw the title, "Empties" and then read the OP, particularly the part about BS-nature and being a "douche"... I reacted with allll those other threads/posts swirling about in my head... I didn't clearly read the OP, and I totally ignored the comments under it as well. I just responded.

But then I saw what you said, I went back and re-read the OP and realized it was from Lobster.
Well, now I know what to make of it (the OP), as I'm confident lobster doesn't really believe any thing negative he says about himself... I also read the other comments and for the most part they are very reasonable.

So I (symbolically) withdraw my comment, and will reserve it for another time!.

Thanks Jeffrey! You helped clear my head for a moment!

mfranzdorf

The truth that form is emptiness and emptiness is form fascinates me. It is the baseline for understanding.

Dennis1

MaryAnne said:

Why do so many people around here 'hate' themselves? I'm bewildered...

Maryanne:
You might refer to me. I understand that view. I don't however, hate myself or other selves. The self is a fine vehicle. A human body and mind (the gross minds of the body) are wonderful and we are very fortunate to have all of this wondrous potentiality.
Now, Potential for what? When the ignorance and bewilderment which cause bewilderment-grasping after the small self-recede the ground luminosity rises. Bliss
and pristine cognition can rise because we are not subsuming the awareness-which is a unity-by the constant chatter which is grasping after the small self. The self is fine.
I live a good life and I am helpful to others and I experience a lot of joy-lucky me. All the more so because Sometimes I can rise above the small self. mtgby

seeker242

"Those who have fulfilled the ten stages of bodhisattva practice are no better than hired field hands; those who have attained the enlightenment of the fifty-first and fifty-second stages are prisoners shackled and bound; arhats and pratyekabuddhas are so much filth in the latrine; bodhi and nirvana are hitching posts for donkeys." ~Linji Yixuan

Dennis1

Lobster said:The Path of Blame is known in Persian (those annoying people mentioned in another thread) as the Rahimalamat. Although called a ‘Path’ it is in fact a phase of activity, and has many applications. The teacher incurs ‘blame.’ He may, for instance, attribute a bad action to himself, in order to teach a disciple without directly criticizing him
The Rahim seem interesting and a little self abusive to me. However, If you intend to assume the mantle of blame I suggest you continue pushing the idea that you are Persian-it's an interesting tactic. I notice you have not denied being Muslim.
In a Buddhist venue that is a good way to catch a little blame. Actually you have made too many enlightened comments to get much blame around here. Actually the denigrating of one's own enlightened activities is in keeping with emptiness. But, Claiming to be a Bodhi and working on the Paramitas is more a matter of aspiration and intent than self glorification. Now claiming to be a Buddha is a different matter. Buddhas should always be proclaimed by Sthvara.

If you are going to be a Rahimalamant around here, you will have to work a little harder.
And, keep your fingers off the Earth. Best, Dennis

Dennis1

mfranzdorf said:

The truth that form is emptiness and emptiness is form fascinates me. It is the baseline for understanding.

Franz: I think a better translation is a little different. In English is means equal or is the same as. When the Asians Sanscrit or Japanese and I think Chinese, use the term it means goes with or is always present with, Form is always present with emptiness.
One cannot be experienced without the other. They define each other. Thought this might help.

I agree emptiness is key because it helps us to escape bewilderment. Best, Dennis

Dennis1

If the small self is empty than all of those names are also empty. No Maryanne-it is not hatred of the self-it is the recognition of the emptiness of self. The Bodhi stands on nothing. He relies on nothing. Moksha is accomplished through, signlessness, aspirationlessness or emptiness. It is the practice of the paramitas. It is the motivation and activities of the Bodhi. It is not the beingness. The being and identity are as empty as any other form. But suffering is worth ending. And the ending of suffering is a worthy activity and motivation. We are Bodhi because we care. What more need there be-certainly not some noble appellation. Thank you Seeker

Dennis1

P.S. Seeker: As I have it, there are thirteen stages so Linji needs to update-just joking.

Dennis1

Oh Maryanne> I finished your thread about etc and just want to acknowledge that I didn't finish reading your thread or I would have piped down. It's a good thing we are carrying around a lot of gross mind emptiness or someone could get their feelings hurt. Sorry for my impetuous ramblings. Best, Dennis