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Buddhism anyone?
I tend to think of Buddhism not as a religion, but rather, an ancient psychoanalytic system. Although the application and use of Buddhism varies world wide by sect and culture (there are Asian sects that worship the Buddha as intercessor and savior), the evolution of Buddhism in the West has generally been towards a non-theistic flavor of Buddhism.
"Buddhism is probably the least understood of all major religions. Indeed, from an Occidental viewpoint we might well question whether it warrants the title of religion." -- Douglas M. Burns (http://world.std.com/~metta/lib/bps/wheels/wheel088.html)
In non-theistic practice, Buddhism specifically attends to the forces of the ego and subconscious, and the liberation of the person, self and spirit from endless cycles of entanglements fostered by ego. The goal is not to control emotions, but rather, to evolve oneself so that one's emotions are not in control. This first requires something of a mindful and conscious quelling of self-defeating mental habits, observing oneself from within as a third-person narrative viewpoint, and liberating oneself from the confusion caused by worried preoccupation with the mundane (samsara). There is discipline involved, but the discipline of meditation and mindfulness should be comfortable and natural processes that reward the practioner by opening one to experiencing reality from beyond the defenses of ego, unfettered by the baggage of negative emotional energies.
There are various styles of Buddhism: Theravada, Zen, Soto Zen, Mahayana, Vajrayana and Dzog Chen.
Some selected quotes:
On the important of "beginner's mind," or "original mind:""....the point isn't control of ego, because that brings more ego.
No, the point is to open up so that instead of trying to define and control, to turn everything into an object of one's will, to make what's going on around you fit to the filters of your ego, your defense..."
"...let the events of the world flow through you and to watch them, thoughtfully so that they are not occluded by the anxious effort to react with opinion. This is the path of a child's beginners mind, who can channel energies freely into life and creative play, unafraid of trying new things and indifferent to the expectations of adults. -- Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, from "Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism"
excerpted from Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind:
"In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's there are few...""...In Japan we have the phrase shoshin, which means "beginner's mind." The goal of practice is always to keep our beginner's mind. Suppose you recite the Prajna Paramita Sutra only once. It might be a very good recitation. But what would happen to you if you recited it twice, three times, four times, or more? You might easily lose your original attitude towards it. The same thing will happen in you other Zen practices. For a while you will keep your beginner's mind, but if you continue to practice one, two, three years or more, although you may improve some, you are liable to lose the limitless meaning of original mind.
For Zen students the most important thing is not to be dualistic. Our "original mind" includes everything within itself. It is always rich and sufficient within itself. You should not lose your self-sufficient state of mind. This does not mean a closed mind, but actually an empty mind and a ready mind. If your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything; it is open to everything. In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities; in the expert's mind there are few.
If you discriminate too much, you limit yourself. If you are too demanding or too greedy, your mind is not rich and self-sufficient. If we lose our original self-sufficient mind, we will lose all precepts. When your mind becomes demanding, when you long for something, you will end up violating your own precepts: not to tell lies, not to steal, not to kill, not to be immoral, and so forth. If you keep your original mind, the precepts will keep themselves.
In the beginner's mind there is no thought, "I have attained something." All self-centered thoughts limit our vast mind. When we have no thought of achievement, no thought of self, we are true beginners. Then we can really learn something. The beginner's mind is the mind of compassion. When our mind is compassionate, it is boundless. Dogen-zenji, the founder of our school, always emphasized how important it is to resume our boundless original mind. Then we are always true to ourselves, in sympathy with all beings, and can actually practice.
So the most difficult thing is always to keep your beginner's mind. There is no need to have a deep understanding of Zen. Even though you read much Zen literature, you must read each sentence with a fresh mind. You should not say, "I know what Zen is," or "I have attained enlightenment." This is also the real secret of the arts: always be a beginner. Be very very careful about this point. If you start to practice zazen, you will begin to appreciate your beginner's mind. It is the secret of Zen practice."
-- excerpts from Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, by Shunryu Suzuki-roshi (Weatherhill, New York and Tokyo, 1970) ©1970 by San Francisco Zen Center
"...One important fact should be noted. Neither in the Satipatthana Sutta nor in any of the other seven steps of the Eightfold Path is advocated the denial or suppression of feelings. It is a widely spread and inaccurate belief that Theravada Buddhism attempts to destroy evil thoughts by forcing them from the mind..." - Douglas Burns
"...Although generally regarded as a religion, Buddhism is basically a method of cultivating the mind. It is true that, with its monastic tradition and its emphasis on ethical factors, it possesses many of the surface characteristics that Westerners associate with religion. However, it is not theistic, since it affirms that the universe is governed by impersonal laws and not by any creator-god; it has no use for prayer, for the Buddha was a teacher and not a god; and it regards devotion not as a religious obligation but as a means of expressing gratitude to its founder and as a means of self-development. Thus it is not a religion at all from these points of view.
Again, Buddhism knows faith only in the sense of confidence in the way recommended by the Buddha. A Buddhist is not expected to have faith or to believe in anything merely because the Buddha said it, or because it is written in the ancient books, or because it has been handed down by tradition, or because others believe it. He may, of course, agree with himself to take the Buddha-doctrine as a working hypothesis and to have confidence in it; but he is not expected to accept anything unless his reason accepts it. This does not mean that everything can be demonstrated rationally, for many points lie beyond the scope of the intellect and can be cognized only by the development of higher faculties. But the fact remains that there is no need for blind acceptance of anything in the Buddha-doctrine..." -- Leonard Bullen
(http://world.std.com/~metta/lib/bps/leaves/bl042.html)
There is a great emphasis in Buddhism on the cessation of suffering. In fact, one of the first aspects of Buddhism that I found confusing were the references to "suffering." This seeming preoccupation with suffering is actually an artifact of cultural translation. At first flush the Buddhist concern with suffering suggests some odd solipsistic or escapist doctrine, but that impression belies the truth. Trans-cultural translation looses context; what I have come to realize is that the Buddhist concern with the end of suffering really is a focus on relinquishing cravings that lead to dissatisfaction (i.e. "suffering") and suffering.Again, from Bullen (http://world.std.com/~metta/lib/bps/leaves/bl042.html):
"...Sometimes the term is rendered as "dissatisfaction" or "unsatisfactoriness"; in some contexts these are perhaps more accurate, while at other times the word "suffering" is more expressive. For this reason we shall use both "suffering" and "dissatisfaction" or "unsatisfactoriness" according to context.In some translations of the original texts it is stated that birth is suffering, sickness is suffering, old age is suffering, and pleasure is suffering. In English, this last statement fails to make sense; but if we restate it as "pleasure is unsatisfactory" it becomes more readily understandable, for all pleasure is impermanent and is eventually succeeded by its opposite, and from this point of view at least it is unsatisfactory."
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Buddhism should not be confused with Hindu sects which also practice meditation in the pursuit of the depths of God, reknown for the ritual incantation of 'Om.' Buddhism does not offer escape from responsibilities or existential despair. Buddhism offers a very practical system for attaining a deep and lasting rationality that does not deny emotion.
Again, Douglas M. Burns explains (http://world.std.com/~metta/lib/bps/wheels/wheel088.html):I suppose I consider myself a "Buddhist", as I have been engaged in the Buddhist practice of meditation as well as reading Buddhist teachings for nearly a year. That is to say, I'm more Buddhist than I am anything else, and since mileage varies with individuals I don't see any problem with a "Buddhist" moniker."...Buddhism does not deny the reality of material existence, nor does it ignore the very great effect that the physical world has upon us. On the contrary, it refutes the mind-body dichotomy of the Brahmans and says that mind and body are interdependent. But since the fundamental reality of human existence is the ever-changing sequence of thoughts, feelings, emotions, and perceptions which comprise conscious experience, then, from the viewpoint of early Buddhism, the primary concern of religion must be these very experiences which make up our daily lives. Most significant of these are love and hate, fear and sorrow, pride and passion, struggle and defeat. Conversely, such concepts as vicarious atonement, Cosmic Consciousness, Ultimate Reality, Buddha Nature, and redemption of sins are metaphysical and hypothetical matters of secondary importance to the realities of daily existence..."
"...Insight is a word with two meanings both of which are sought in Buddhist meditation. In its classical Buddhist usage insight (vipassana) means full awareness of the three characteristics of existence, i.e. impermanence, suffering (dukkha), and impersonality. Otherwise stated, this means full realization of the fact that all things in the universe are temporary and changing; the human psyche is no exception and thus is not an immortal soul; and as a consequence suffering is always inevitable, for no state of mind, pleasant or unpleasant, can endure forever. The word "awareness"is italicized here to distinguish it from mere conceptual knowledge, which is usually insufficient to have lasting effect upon one's feelings and values..."
-- Douglas M. Burns (http://world.std.com/~metta/lib/bps/wheels/wheel088.html):
The pursuit of Buddhist practice is no easy task. In order to accomplish the major objectives of Buddhism, one must surrender - in the heart and in the mind - to a process of opening and letting go. Perhaps this is where Buddhism-as-religion comes in. Having been schooled in psycho-analyatic thinking, however, I see it rather as a fairly scientific system. However, it still remains true, in my mind, that surrender is necessary at times, but it is important to point out, blind faith is not necessary. In fact, blind faith is incompatible with Buddhist practice.
"...In its psychiatric usage insight means gaining awareness of those feelings, motives, and values which have previously been unconscious. Repressed feelings of guilt, fear, lust, and hatred may lurk in the hidden recesses of our minds and unconsciously shape our lives until such time as they are brought into awareness. And unless they are brought into awareness, we cannot effectively deal with them...." -- Douglas M. Burns (http://world.std.com/~metta/lib/bps/wheels/wheel088.html):
