I have talked in recent posts about the Buddhist teachings on self and soul, and most recently about Buddhist meditators' tendency to "spiritual bypassing," i.e. moving past the messy and often painful work of wounds, selfish tendencies, traumas, life problems and developmental needs to try to reach an imagined state of transcendence where all of that can be left behind.
A lot of that terrain can be summarized by the pop phrase "getting rid of the ego," which many seem to equate with the goal of spiritual practice. This phrase, which has over 15 million Google hits, implies two things: first, that there is something intrinsically wrong with the ego, and second, that once gotten rid of, everything will be better.
"Ego" originally was a term from Freudian psychoanalysis, or rather an English translation of Freud's original term Ich, which simply means "I" in German. I have come to believe that translations are a major stumbling block to understanding deep matters, whether it is Freudian or Buddhist or something else. For Buddhism, the words "ego-istic" and "self-ish" are more relevant than the words "ego" or "self." "Selfish" and "egoistic" refers to behavior, whereas "self" and "ego" refer to identity. Selfish behavior is a problem; it causes suffering for oneself and others. Self or identity is just a feature of our existence. We each have an identity; even Gautama Buddha had an identity, as he walked the dusty paths of rural 5th century B.C. India offering his teaching to all and sundry. What the Buddha taught is not that we have no identity at all, but that our identity is not fixed; it keeps changing. It has no "own-being," to use a technical term from the Heart Sutra.
"Identity" is perhaps a somewhat more workable term than "ego," because most of us understand that our identity does change. When we are young, we have an identity as college students, or law firm interns, or brides-to-be, or new parents. We have a job, a family, friends, relationships -- taken together this is our identity, which changes day by day, year by year. Because identity changes, it includes loss. We graduate from college and endure the loss of the dorm mates, the Fall leaves in the quad, the favorite professors -- and move into an unknown new world. This is loss, and throughout life loss is always with us, just as the Buddha taught. But when we are young a job comes eventually, we rent an apartment, we find new friends and lovers. in youth, the renewal of our identity comes to us without huge effort. Even a failed endeavor leads to new chances. A failed relationship leads to a new one.
It is on the "downhill slope" of life that the losses to our identity begin to outnumber the renewals. If we lose a job, it is hard to find another one (somebody younger is competing with you for it). If we get divorced, it is hard to find a new partner; all the good ones seem to be taken. Loss hits us harder, and renewal requires more effort.
That is why I've come to feel that, as the ancient Hindus thought in their Four Stages of Life, the second half of life is a fertile time for spiritual inquiry and practice. Buddha taught that loss -- dukkha -- is embedded in the fabric of life. But it is when we are older that the truth of that fact truly hits home. I think the experience of loss is what brings people to want to study Buddhism, and the desire to understand and transform ours and others' losses is what keeps us at it. That was true for prince Siddhartha and it is so for us.
There is no need to "get rid of the ego." The ego, the self, the ever-changing landscape of identity -- none of those are the actual problem. The actual problem is that when loss comes we clutch, we tend to respond fearfully and selfishly, with clinging and resistance; we become ego-istic. Paying attention to all of that, examining it closely over and over with the practices of precepts, mindfulness, and meditation, is the nub of Buddhist practice. It is the work of a lifetime. Loss is not all there is. The fundamental spiritual message of Buddhism is upbeat, not downbeat. Joy in the midst of suffering and loss is not only possible, but attainable. That is Buddha's third noble truth: in the midst of suffering, there is release from suffering.
I actually don't know what it means to "get rid of the ego." But I have had cherished good teachers and wise spiritual friends who have transformed ego and identity into a vessel of awakening and compassion, and who dedicate themselves to continuing their spiritual efforts and working for the relief of suffering wherever they can.That is a good identity to have. It's called "Buddha," which means "awake." Buddha is our deepest identity; it is always with us.
Follow Lewis Richmond on Twitter: www.twitter.com/lewrichmond
John Stanley and David Loy: Why the Buddha Touched the Earth
Lewis Richmond: The Purpose of Buddhist Meditation Is to Be Real
John Stanley and David Loy: Buddhism and the End of Economic Growth
cherished beliefs create the paradigm effect and then on to paradigm paralysis, once paradigm paralysis is reached there is no use even discussing this aspect of the christian beliefs.
the simplist of logic will reveal that a loving god would never require a sacrifice of any kind as some kind of atonement but logic is nil once paradigm paralysis is reached.
the idea of a needed sacrifice to appease an angry god goes way back to the days when man thought god was mad at humans, when nature and our cooling planet did its thing.
sometimes they even through virgins into fires to appease this angry god. darn.
religion and politics; two interesting aspects of the human mind.
Because many people believe you need to take responsibility for yourself, and do the hard work of self-knowledge, growth and change. Palming that off on Jesus, God, Buddha, or anyone else is personally and spiritually irresponsible. Just because you're "saved" -- or in Buddhist terms, "enlightened" -- it doesn't mean the work is done. In fact, the real work has just begun.
A born again christian is changed in a mere second thru accepting the substutionary work of jesus. Then from that 'finished' place he changes from within knowing he is already seated with Christ. i have dealt with major faults in my life...and slept like a baby at night. You can skip that though, right?? Because you will be reincarnated to try a little harder, right?? Sounds like i understand things quite well. Tell me where I am missing it?
"It is natural that we face problems, challenges, setbacks and disappointments in life. But faith in Buddhism means that when such things occur, we chant daimoku with persistence and determination. This gives rise to wisdom, with which we can move things in a positive direction. Concerning living in this world, which is full of both suffering and joy, Nichiren Daishonin said, "Suffer what there is to suffer, enjoy what there is to enjoy. Regard both suffering and joy as facts of life, and continue chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, no matter what happens" (WND-1, 681). Buddhism nowhere teaches of a life that is free from pain or troubles, or that life should be just a succession of favorable circumstances. In fact, such a life does not exist; even if it did, as Shakespeare suggests, it would probably become quite tedious.
Instead Buddhism encourages us to step confidently into a world and society intertwined with joys and sufferings, and to develop a condition of life to fully enjoy all we encounter. . . .It is absolute because it is self-created. We create it. It is not dependent on something or someone else." Living Buddhism, February 2000, p.5
I can't see that aspect of purposely denying oneself in a search for inner freedoms (for want of a better term)
It is your right as an individual to follow whatever you feel as I do my atheism and I am not trying to proselytize as there are some things in Buddhism that I find interesting, I'm just exchanging thoughts. :-)
I am also an atheist . . . we don't worship the Buddha . . . we chant Nam myoho renge kyo which is the title of the Lotus Sutra . . the last sutra the Buddha taught . . . Myoho renge kyo is the title of the Lotus sutra in classical Chinese but with a Japanese pronounciation . . . it is also the creative law of life that exists in the universe . . . so basically is chant to be in rhythm with the law of cause and effect that exists in the universe . . I can chant for anything I want . . .
we don't have any dietary rules . . I drink, I smoke, I'm not a veggie . . some Buddhist sects are veggie . . . and have strict rules . . we have guidelines . . . the ultimate goal is world peace . . .
here is a link if you want to find out more: http://www.sgi.org/
While there are many organized strains of it, the most basic of the teachings are very very simple and those do not require denial of anything.
Those are methods used by others to assist what can be achieved by everyone. The philosophy however does not require it.
The goal is a simple one... be conscious (awake) of what you do on a moment by moment basis, and do not needlessly harm anything that we share the planet with.
We are fortunate to be humans and should strive to take care of each other and all living things around us. We have this capacity. Don't swat the fly, marvel at its abilities and try to help it get what it needs during its brief life. Altruism.
These teachings do not require an organization, people simply gather to exchange thoughts... kind of like what we are doing now!
“Who” feels the pain is a great question to ask. I often ask this question when my toothbrush rubs up against the tooth that is sensitive.
I know who feels the pain, yet, it occurs and is felt as pain nun the less.
With the continued practice of Samadhi, Being becomes infused into the mind, little by little, ( a little goes a long way ) and then one begins to realize that the body is not what one is. The body is what one identifies with through the mind.
A mind infused with Being realizes that it is separate from the body, but continues to experience the body with all its ups and downs. This is Bliss in the midst of suffering.
An analogy would be similar to being in the dream state and suffering within a dream experience because one does not realize that they are in a dream. In a lucid dream there is very little chance of any suffering, even if things that can cause suffering appear in that dream.
Very similar.
Consider a Jerry Seinfield act in which he talks about two Jerries. One exists at 11:30 pm on a Sunday night and the club beat is kicking and he has a little buzz from his mixed drink. Tomorrow he has to work but he's thinking the music and the vibe feels good and life is about this moment and feeling good and he decides he will ride out the evening on his good high and doesn't get home until 3 AM.
6 AM and the alarm rings and now it's Morning Jerry and he's angry with himself for staying out so late for now he's tired and hung over and must be at work all day. He ponders in his mind how he must get his act together and get ahead at work and why is he making it so hard on himself? He figures he should quite drinking and get a better nights sleep so that he can be alert and whole throughout the day. That should be his aim.
Maybe I'll check the link out at a later time. thanks.
In the final six months of his life he became so bad that my Mother in Law had to put him into a home two days a week for some respite.
I have to say that when we went to visit him and I saw all those poor souls who were only alive in name only, I thought to myself that there really is a case for euthanasia to relieve these people and let them go with dignity.
I hope you don't mind me responding to you but my heart truly goes out to you and your good wife.
So the question is less "How do I end my suffering?" as "Is my seeking to escape "what is" the cause of my unhappiness?" I think that consideration itself shifts the focus of attention in a way that tends to end what we call suffering.
I have felt for sometime that the buddhists spend too much time on suffering and not enough time in their seeking as to the meaning and purpose of suffering. the symptoms of suffering they deal with but not the origin of the underlying reality of suffering.
I think if the buddhists would ask the next question after the origin of suffering they might find meaning and purpose of our suffering. the buddha is said to be silent on such questions. but remember the buddha's goal indeed his sincere interest was finding the origin of suffering and how to reduce or eliminate that suffering.
he the buddha avoided the bigger question as to the meaning and purpose of suffering as it has to do with soul development.
I believe that the elightened hinus of the past have done a better job of coming to know the meaning and purpose of suffering. some have some have not proceed with care (ie skeptical) as always. :-)
There is no meaning, nor purpose of suffering - it just is the human experience.
The symptoms of suffering is life.
To lesson suffering, one must live a compassionate life and take care of all living things in which we share the planet, from moment to moment without seeking a reward for doing so.
Be human. Not the hollywood version of "well we're all just human", the real deal. A baby wants to laugh and touch and be kind. Then we influence it and begin the long road of teaching it to NOT be human.
Anyway, hope there is some food for thought. Namaste.
How are you separate from existence? or the Universe?
Of course, you can believe what you like, but if we're keeping this in the context of Buddhism -- nothing is separate. Everything that is exists as it does because everything else exists as it does, and we beings are all affecting all other beings in a great nexus of becoming and ceasing. This is the doctrine of Dependent Origination, which is very important in Buddhism.
As you say, in a sense, there is no escape, and trying to escape suffering just compounds suffering. The Third Noble Truth says there is an end to suffering, and the Fourth Noble Truth says that end is the Eightfold Path. And the Eightfold Path doesn't say anything about escape. Rather, the path leads to the realization of the illusory nature of the sufferer.
But, if you read closely, I am saying that the urge to escape is ALSO an act of the Universe--it's ALL of the same source. Not that the ego shouldn't think or feel or do anything at all differently, it's all a gesture of the One (in Alan Watts' words). There is exactly nothing to do or not-do--this moment cannot be different than it is (right?) except theoretically. And "I" doesn't produce it, "I" didn't produce the "I" itself, and "I" can't change a thing. The secret is that "I" doesn't have to be different. That changes things. Watch.
for me at least we must not come to believe that any savior or spiritual teacher or intellectual has all the answers. once we become a true believer, cherished beliefs set in and then that is followed by the paradigm effect and in short time paradigm paralysis, which is hidden from our view.
that being said buddhism is a religion that offers much in our awakening process. as enlightened hinduism offers much in our understanding of this evolution of consciousness process.
all paths lead to this awakening process, some may take longer than others but the infinite is in no hurry. no time thing. :-)
"So one night, since I couldn't sleep , I went up to the meditation hall, and sat all through the night. I was just sitting with raw pain with almost no thoughts about it.
Then something happened: I had a completely clear insight that my whole personality, my whole ego structure, was based on not wanting to go to this groundless place.
Everything I did, the way I smiled, the way I talked to people, the way I tried to please everybody- it was all to avoid feeling this way. I realized that our whole facade, the little song and dance we all do is based on trying to avoid the groundlessness that permeates our lives.
By learning to stay, we become very familiar with this place, and gradually, it loses it's threat. Instead of scratching we stay present."
~Pema Chodron
From the book, "Taking the Leap: Freeing Ourselves from Old Habits and Fears"
1) Birth
2) Old Age
3) Sickness
4) Death
5) Being tied to what you hate
6) Being separated from what you love
7) Not getting what you want
It's that last one is the most easy to let go, in my opinion, and causes the most aggravation to most people.