Let them burn!
Tony_A_Simien
Veteran
Let them burn!
"We have to be strong in fighting off defilements, cravings, and illusions of every sort. We have to test our strength against them and bring them under our power. If we can bring them under our power, we can ride on their backs. If we can't, they'll have to ride on our backs, making us do their work, pulling us around by the nose, making us want, wearing us out in all sorts of ways."
"So are we still beasts of burden?"
"Are we beasts of burden because defilement and craving are riding on our backs?"
"Have they put a ring through our noses?"
"When you get to the point when you've had enough, you have to stop -- stop and watch the defilements to see how they come into being, what they want, what they eat, what they find delicious. Make it your sport -- watching the defilements and making them starve, like a person giving up an addiction... See if it gets the defilements upset."
"Do they hunger to the point where they're salivating?"
"Then don't let them eat. No matter what, don't let them eat what they're addicted to. After all, there are plenty of other things to eat. You have to be hard on them -- hard on your "self" -- like this... "Hungry? Well go ahead and be hungry! You're going to die? Fine! Go ahead and die!" If you can take this attitude, you'll be able to win out over all sorts of addictions, all sorts of defilements -- because you're not pandering to desire, you're not nourishing the desire that exists for the sake of finding flavor in physical things."
"It's time you stopped, time you gave up feeding these things. If they're going to waste away and die, let them die. After all, why should you keep them fat and well fed?"
"No matter what, you have to keep putting the heat on your cravings and defilements until they wither and waste away. Don't let them raise their heads. Keep them under your thumb. This is the sort of straightforward practice you have to follow. If you're steadfast, if you put up a persistent fight until they're all burned away, then there's no other victory that can come anywhere near, no other victory that's anywhere near a match for victory over the cravings and defilements in your own heart."
"This is why the Buddha taught us to put the heat on the defilements in all our activities -- sitting, standing, walking, and lying down. If we don't do this, they'll burn us in all our activities..."
~Upasika Kee Nanayon
Title: Breath Meditation Condensed
Source:
Comments
LET EM BURN!
Wheres the brimstone sposed to go?
Straight up @lobster 's ........AH-CHOOO!!!
Excuse me.
Who needs brimstone when you've got napalm or a few flamethrowers lying about?
By the way, has anybody notice that the ice is getting rather thin in these parts?
I would paraphrase this as "If you want to meditate seriously then get your head sorted out first." So for example if you have an ice-cream addiction you need to sort that out, because otherwise your meditations will just be full of Neapolitan.
There is a long-winded technical answer involving Right Effort, Purification and sila as a foundation for the path, but frankly I can't be arsed.
@tony i'm fan of your posts.
@rohit
Thanks
And I appreciate you. And all other open minded practitioners.
That's why I'm here. To be in the presence of people like you. That is my joy. That is my pleasure.
But even those narrow, closed minded people bring me a sense of joy. Because they are a constant reminder of how not to be.
I advocate ALL forms and traditions of practice that lead to the cessation of suffering. Whether it be Zen, Ch'an, Mahamudra, Dzogchen, Advaita, Taoism, Sufism and all the methods of Theraveda.
I have no preference. And I would never be so arrogant and close minded to believe that MY WAY is the ONLY WAY or The Most High, Most Superior tradition.
I feel it says a lot about a person's so called realization when they are so narrow in their views because they received some benefit from a specific tradition. And can't conceive that other methods and traditions may lead to the same.
All things written are subject to interpretation. There is always the possibility that my interpretation of a document may be flawed. My understanding of It may be incorrect.
No being is infallible. The human being is flawed. I am flawed. I would never think so highly of my own knowledge and interpretations that I discard another's out of conceit.
I am a flawed being.
I am fully open to all possibilities. Even if my own knowledge disagrees.
I will never disregard the words of others no matter what degree of realization, if any, that I have or may uncover.
Every person's expression has validity because it is true for them.
It is their reality.
Therefore if I really wish to be of any use, I must be wide open to trying to understand the merits of another person's views. This will also improve my interaction with others because now I am a little more understanding of someone else's culture and way of thinking.
This helps me. But also improves my ability to be more useful to them.
Because now I can approach them from an angle that's closer to their views. Thereby making my words potentially more meaningful to them.
Maybe...maybe not. But at least I'm open enough to make that effort.
Some will appreciate. Some will not. That's just how it is.
That's why we're gonna be.....Burning and lootin
"Burnin' and a-lootin' tonight;
(Say we gonna burn and loot)
Burnin' and a-lootin' tonight;
(One more thing)
Burnin' all pollution tonight;
(Oh, yeah, yeah)
Burnin' all illusion tonight."
That's all very nice, but could you be a bit more succinct?
@SpinyNorman
I accept your words; your expression as it is. I don't expect nor do I wish for you to change that. Your expression is unique to you. It's an expression of your character. An expression of your reality.
I would never ask you to do such a thing as you have asked me.
I would never expect You to change to suit my preferences.
Even If you were a murderer I would accept you as you are. I know, because I've known many.
I would never because I accept you 100%.
You could have said that in one line,
Yes. But that's not my character.
Character?! Sheer luxury! We dwelt in non-duality day in, day out, we forget who we were and we dreamed of having an actual identity and posting long-winded monologues on a Buddhist forum in the hope that somebody would take notice....
Even those supposed realized ones have qualities that you can use to distinguish one from the other. We call that a personality or character. You don't really expect them to all be the same do you? Like robots
Actually I live a quiet peaceful simple life. I don't need nor do I want attention. I had plenty of attention before joining newbuddhist. It didn't appeal to me at all.
And by the way. You can insult me all you like. I still wouldn't change a thing about you. I accept the insults as well. I accept you.
You can tell this a buddhist forum by the fact everybody is always arguing and insulting each other
Kind of amusing isn't it ! Haha<3
Kind of peaceful, isn't it? [or is that piece-full?]
Well, @Tony_A_Simien, agree or disagree, I see that you usually make a pretty thorough, if exhaustive, argument.
I learn from the interactions on this forum (your entries included).
We are all flawed beings of course. I sure hope no one is looking for perfection in these parts. It just won't happen.
As you said, some will appreciate, some will not, that is as it is.
peace to you