Nibbana, Joy of Life, Symphony of Light…
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Contents:
A Life in Resonance with Dhamma
Poems, Joy of Life, A Life in Resonance with Dhamma, It is as it is, and Symphony of Light are the outcomes of inspiration gained from Kegon (avatamsaka sutra), etc., as if they represent my nirvanic experiences. I was engaged in Theravada dhamma discussion around that time at triple gem group at yahoo! (Initial part of discussion is posted as Dhamma, theory and practice in a separate file at my home page.) Nibbana – total unbinding is a sutra that I used to communicate the state of my experience to respond to a request. Hope that there is something of value for anyone stumbled into this file.
-
Kio Suzaki (July, 2003)
#3268 (my poem)
For no reason, but
perhaps a sound may trigger it.
Perhaps a butterfly in the air,
The innocent flower in the sun…
Perhaps, Segovia's guitar..
These bring joy to me, with reason but no
apparent reason.
It is a joy of life
For
the life to experience life as it is.
I feel all through my body…
From the top of my head to the bottom of
my sole…
And
throughout my whole body.
Covered by the shivering sense,
All cells of my body breathe the breath of
universe
Interconnected with each other
to the end of the universe,
vibrating and expressing as they are meant.
With tears, I remember someone once said,
This world is nirvana as it is.
Whatever that may mean,
It is my cells that know it,
And expressing what it is as it is.
So, may I say simply…have a good day, and a good
life!
Kio
(my poem)#3284
As if a butterfly suddenly shows up when flowers start
to bloom,
when birds sing their
song, I find my body covered with Dhamma Piti*.
Yes, there is something here to point that
the wisdom of nature is
unfathomable.
As much as women putting a make-up to become
attractive,
or anyone trying to win
the sports game or win in philosophical debate,
or being attracted to
make money or to become famous,
there is something
similar in all of these orientations.
That is the sense of oneness that everyone seeks for,
to find at the core of
us the pleasure of resonating with the infinite.
The same is true for sex, isn’t
it? To grasp that moment to
discover the infinite,
we want to have our body
and mind melted in the ecstasy.
Then, we find the comedies and tragedies performed all
around.
So, stop now and ask what is really going on!
What if we do not know that
seeking for happiness
is…not finding one?
“How sad
it is to search for IT afar…It is like in the middle of water…
yet crying out in
thirst,” so Hakuin said.
But look! I hear the sound of wind chime… chirping of
the birds ….
And, the guitar of
Segovia continuing while the cool breeze passes through the room.
Without seeking, but realizing what’s
going on…
what if we live with the
sharpened senses
at all of our mind-body
cells and DNAs,
to discover the
vibration of the universe?
* Piti: emotion of joy, delight, zest, exuberance
** Use vibration/resonance as a base of H-max.
Dhamma be with you!
Kio
==
#3286 by Panna
How
lovely you have put these together in a particular way not to be bored.
Putting make-up, competing games, winning philo debate shade the core.
The core resonances and reverbrates that there is self and nothing more.
Grasping the pleasure of sex and melting in
pleasure of esct are not to adore.
Stopping these, checking now and finding nothing is caused by unwatched doors.
Sharpening senses, diligent focusing, add peace
and then realization is really
for all.
Be Dhamma Always With You***
Panna
==
#3288
Dear
Sir,
I do not get the point sir. Could
you please re-write in simple
writing or a prose so that what you want to say
will penetrate to
all ?
I think in your post, there is something
invaluable hiding in your
words. If you
generously give it we all will be able to be shared.
Sometimes things are going smoothly while sometimes
they go hay wire.
In a life there are many resonances. But resonance with Dhamma should
be ours.
Reverbrate
The Dhamma us to fill with peace.
With best regard,
Patrick J. Hambelton
==
#3289
Dear Patrick,
I am hopeful that the post by Panna
at #3286 helps you. Again and again, however, we should remind ourselves that
the aim is the direct wisdom so 'learned wisdom' or 'intellectual
understanding' may not make us realize the point on its own. Unfortunately, that is the paradox that we
face and to be transcended. Thus,
my comment here to that utterance (poem) may of no help.
Having said that, what goes through my mind is as
follows:
Personally, I went through my own winding path to find
the point that brought that poem.
Few minutes from now, it may all change! I realize that without knowing my
background and experiences, such a post may confuse you. So, I wondered
if I should post it. Yet, at the
same time, there is something in me wanting to express even though the message may not be communicated. It is as if to respond to a nature's
call and that I cannot live but to connect to that source. It is to find my life to be as it is meant and to share the dhamma in whatever way
possible!
If interested, the other thing I can offer you is for
you to visit my home page: www.suzaki.has.it There, you find
many files. Some
are old, others are new. Depending on where you stand in your
journey, some may appeal to you (if any) than others. As for me, however, they all represent
the path I took. All of them were
important steps to move forward.
Granted that some may not fit to the category of “Theravada” Dhamma, I
treated all information using my best judgment at that time. I have nothing to hide but to share my
view, understanding, etc. for you or anyone else.
Reflecting back, I may feel that some files may have
less ‘quality.’ Or,
there are more of my judgment than what is warranted. (I put my ‘personal’ comments in pretty
much all of the files I posted.)
Whatever the case is, I see them as my foot prints
the best I could leave in my journey.
If whatever reason anybody gets any benefit, I
am most happy for that. I just see
this kind of sharing may be a way of sangha for each
one to find the way of mastery.
The Dhamma be with you!
Kio
> I think in your post, there is something
invaluable hiding in your
> words.
If dhamma is what is hidden,
it is not hidden. It is us hiding the dhamma.
But because of that, however, we are privileged
to find the dhamma with the great effort: Viriya.
“You are your own master, you
make your own future.” - Dhammapada 380
==
Patrick,
Let me give you another try
(By the way I sent another post prior to this, but it was rejected by the gatekeeper. So, this time,
I use the sutta from Udana,
called Nibbana Sutta: Total Unbinding. Hopefully, he
does not reject this one.) In this
attempt, I jump straight into the characterization of nibbana
and see if we get what it points. To
me, this is the game why we are here.
It could be that my experience has ‘something’ to do with that unbinding
state. (Well….
Just be careful not to believe what I say but use your judgment!) Anyway, here we go. My comments are in the parenthesis ((…))
and toward the end:
“… the Blessed One…exclaimed:
There is that dimension where
there is neither earth, nor water, nor fire, nor wind; neither dimension of the
infinitude of space, nor dimension of the infinitude of consciousness, nor
dimension of nothingness, nor dimension of neither perception nor
non-perception; neither this world, nor the next world, nor sun, nor moon. And there, I say, there is neither coming, nor going, nor
staying; neither passing away nor arising: unestablished,
unevolving, without support (mental object).This,
just this, is the end of stress. ”
(Udana
VIII.1)
((This dimension as referred
to above indicates the state of total unbinding. The characterization is neither this nor
that, etc. etc. Also, not coming,
going, staying, passing away, etc. Some
may call it extinction, but I would like to call this as, it-is-as-it-is state
without judgment. What this points
is that you need to have this state of release, which is unbinding, i.e., nibbana. So, don’t even think about cittas, rupas, etc. when we are to attain this dimension/state. In fact, it is not attaining, as
attaining refers some effort. It
has to be effortless effort. That
is that dimension!))
“Then, on realizing the significance of that,
the Blessed One on that occasion exclaimed: It's hard to see the unaffected,
for the truth isn't easily seen.
Craving is pierced
in one who knows;
For one who sees,
there is nothing. ”
(Udana
VIII.2)
((First; “It's hard to see
the unaffected, for the truth isn't easily seen.” In other words, everything is
changing. In such a situation, the
truth is not easy to see – if we were to see it. It is like chasing to see something
while the object and subject is moving. Next; “Craving is pierced in one who
knows;” The
act of knowing include the craving as in karma/sankhara. It is like,
whatever in the past we have experienced has a way of putting the color to the
scene we look at – so to speak. So,
pierce through this with wisdom that arises at that dimension/state mentioned
before. Then; “ For
one who sees, there is nothing.” But the one who sees, pierced through defilements, there is
nothing. It is as it is. Nothing hinders. How do we see it? It is the practice of mindfulness or vipassana – seeing the reality as it is.))
“There is, monks, an unborn
-- unbecome -- uunmade -- unfabricated. If there were not that unborn -- unbecome
-- unmade -- unfabricatted, there would not be the
case that emancipation from the born -- become -- made -- fabricated would be
discerned. But precisely because there is an unborn --
unbecome -- unmade -- unfabricated,
emancipation from the born -- become -- made -- fabricated is discerned.”
(Udana
VIII.3)
((Unborn, unbecome,
unmade….are the basis to see the born, become, made as it were, ….without that
state realized, you cannot truly see what is going on with the eye of dhamma. So, again, here is catch-22, a
paradoxical position that requires for each of us to work on.))
“One who is dependent has
wavering. One who is independent has no wavering. There being no wavering, there is calm. There
being calm, there is no desire. There being no desire,
there is no coming or going. There being no coming or
going, there is no passing away or arising. There
being no passing away or arising, there is neither a here nor a there nor a
between-the-two. This, just this, is the end of
stress.”
(Udana VIII.4)
((This phrase refers to that
“nothing” in VIII.2. Everything is
depending on everything else.
Impermanence is to be seen as it is. The one who sees is the one who is independent
as the Buddha calls it here. Mindfulness
may be seen as a state of independence. Then, what is described above indicates the
detachment, which needs strong determination, you call
it Viriya here, to realize what is. At least that was the case for me. This may be compared to a mind similar
to a mirror reflecting things on it without the mirror changing itself, or surface waves not affecting water in the deep
ocean, or line drawn on water. Any
of these analogies (and there are hundreds more) indicates the
unaffected/independent state.
In such a state, there is no
desire, no coming or going, which means letting go totally to the point of
finally sensing the vibration of the universe as pointed in my poem. How? Let go, let go, let go – totally,
totally, totally. The practice of vipassana helped me to have this discipline – with the practice
of Viriya.
In practicing vipassana meditation, you sit a
long time. Then, some kind of
desire pops up. You cannot sit a
long time unless you find a way to deal with it. This may be not so easy. But can be done
with Viriya.
There is more to it. But in essence, if you can totally let go of your emotion
and pretty much everything else of being a human (so this is similar to dying,
thus extinction!), you may have arrived there! Then, there is no coming, going, passing
away, arising.. no here or there kind of
consciousness, etc. any more…, and then there is nobody to suffer– annata. “This,
just this, is the end of stress.” Bingo!))
Just a few more cautionary remarks:
The most important: If you seek for it, you will not find
it. This is the golden rule. So, we need to
seek without seeking. Have you try that? If you
have not, 1) you need to become familiar with paradox if you were to learn this
stuff, and 2) practice it! Actually
it may be said as ‘unlearning’ as if to don off unneeded and rediscover what you
originally had – the unborn, unbecome, etc. (which is never
lost from the beginningless beginning).
Tied to this, the other point is that if you think you
have it, you may not have it, or you have already lost it. This is because such thought can create
another binding condition. So, you need to keep letting go. This is a slippery stuff especially at
the beginning (which could be many, many years for some).
Another point: do not believe what anyone says at the
face value, especially from the one who thinks he is knowledgeable. (Remember the story of
Ananda?)
One has to be able to walk the talk. So, be critical. Again, do not believe what I say. By the way, one thing I wonder is that
if there has been any discussion like this in this group. It appears that there are authorities of
Theravada here, but sometimes, as you took an initiative, you need to stick
your neck out and ask (- hopefully having done the
homework). But,
this is my humble opinion.
Lastly, if not handled
skillfully and used appropriately as a guide, the knowledge of various cittas, rupas, etc. may become a
burden. This is my intuitive sense
and the point I made about Ananda. Perhaps any ‘knowledgeable’ person can
comment on this for our benefit.
* FYI, the above Nibbana Sutta
is taken from: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/khuddaka/udana/ud8-01.html
Good day,
good life, and good luck on your journey!
Kio
Dear Panna and friends,
Thank you all for having me here to share the theory
and practice of dhamma. I believe
that the series of dialogue had helped me to add more dimension to my practice
in my day-to-day living. I also
hope the same to all friends here.
(Granted that confusion may arise at times, I am hopeful that we explore
the potential as much as we can.)
Today, I thought of something to share to shed a light
to what we have been talking about. It is a dialogue about ‘no-mind.’ My curiosity is whether
or not you or anyone here can see the connection to the dialogue I had
up to this moment. If the term,
no-mind, makes you feel uncomfortable, we might think that it is the state for
the mindfulness to take place.
In living dhamma life, however, no-mind has to be found as experiential wisdom. This is similar to the fact that the
ultimate truth is beyond the expression of words. Although IT (truth; dhamma) is without
shape or phase, in order to communicate, however, here is an imaginary dialogue
on this subject:
Disciple (D): What is the ultimate truth? Is it in mind or in no-mind?
Master(M): It is in no-mind.
D: If it
is something already there, can that no-mind see, hear, sense, and know? Can we realize it?
M: By
having no-mind correctly, there are seeing, hearing, sensing, and knowing. Because of having no-mind, no-mind is realized.
(This expression is like a typical catch-22 situation as found in mindfulness.)
D: I think
if we are with no-mind, seeing, hearing, sensing, and knowing cannot be
possible. How can seeing, hearing, sensing, and knowing be possible with no
mind?
M: I am
with no-mind, and I can see, hear, sense and know.
D: If there
are already seeing, hearing, sensing and knowing, it
has to be with mind. It cannot be
with no-mind.
M: Seeing,
hearing, sensing, and knowing, this is the act of no-mind. Other than seeing, hearing, sensing, and
knowing, you cannot find no-mind elsewhere. Since you are not getting this point,
let me explain further. In case of
seeing, for example, it is said that there is seeing. But it is
because there is no such thing as the act of seeing. Therefore, seeing is
realized as an act of no-mind.
Same with hearing, sensing, knowing, etc.
D: How can
you decide that it is no-mind?
M: Study
the event very carefully. See if
there is any shape in mind. If
there is, such is not the real mind.
Whether inside, outside, or in between, the mind cannot
be found anywhere. You
cannot find it any place else as well.
So, it is no-mind that you should realize.
D: All
situations corresponds to no-mind – so you say. Then, it should mean that there is no
sin or happiness. If so, why do all
people go through life and death of suffering?
M: It is
because people’s mind is covered by delusion such that
within no-mind, delusionary mind, which is of
independent existence, is falsely created along with karma (sankhara). This makes people to think that there is
mind. With this mind, therefore,
all people go through life and death of suffering. It is like seeing a desk in the night
and mistakes it as ghost. Being attached to the creation of his own mind is the same
thing. By creating the existence of
the deluded mind, this causes various karmas to throw people into the
never-ending world of suffering.
By meeting dhamma, and by practicing
meditation/mindfulness (to realize what no-mind is), any person can wipe off
the karmic debt. This is to break
off the chain of life and death. As
the sun will lighten up the dark room to eliminate the darkness, by knowing
no-mind, people’s sin is eliminated.
Any comment?
(Hope I did not create much headache in your mind!)
Good day, good life!
Kio
==
Panna’s Reply
((Triple gem rejected the above post, so I sent to Panna for comment.))
I read through all your words. Before I started reading, the first thing I noticed was
the heading '' Panna, Do you care to respond? -- kindly rejected at the triplegem ''.
When I saw that, I noticed
that my memory ( perception aggregate ) recognized the word '' Panna '' referred to someone who is just a collections of
five aggregates. And it was just a name or Pannatta.
When I read through, I meditated on reading that I was
reading, understanding and so on. Actually there is nothing to attach.
We all have to use words, sounds, scripts, signs to communicate each
other and among us.
All media are Pannatta. It is just
conceptualization. Not a reality. But
without conceptual matter there is nothing to be understood. ' Mind ' the word is just a concept. So do all other words like spirit, emotion, Citta,
etc etc.
Exploring concept and conceptualization will never complete.
There are billions and
billions of trillion permutations of concepts. Let's
see today’s world. Scientists of all kinds and their
followers and those ( including us ) who are using the
products and outputs of their work are endlessly following concepts and
conceptualization.
Scientists may think that
they are great people. They found great discoveries. Still there are endless discoveries today. Cloning, genetic transferral and
tailoring, exploring the universe with instruments, equipment and physical
bodies, creating finer and much finer products and so on are all mixed concepts
and conceptualization. These are not the way to exit.
As all are concepts and conceptualization, there is no
mind and there is no no-mind. So nothing is to be continued but to do mindful diligent
focusing on every moment so that direct wisdom can see Anicca,
Dukkha, and Anatta.
As there is a light casting
on Tilekkhana of Anicca, Dukkha, and Anatta there is no
headache to be found. Calmness is there. It is beyond expressible
words. No forces how strong they are cannot shake that
calmness.
The calmness appears to be in
two form although it is just calmness. The first form
is being in a state of complete calm when there are mixing pieces of things
attached separately and together. The second form is
its unique form. That is one of realities.
I am not creating a new
headache for you but trying to cast a bright light on real matters.
Good day ,
good light, be Dhamma always with you.
With Metta,
Panna
==
As I listen to the stereo..
My body moves on its own…
Covered by the vibration,
All cells of my body share the happiness.
My mind is transparent
while the whole world vibrates
in happiness.
Yes, Right, in such a way…
As birds sing,
Everyone dances.
The tribe men from Amazon,
and those in Africa.
People may comment
to see me being like this,
"He must be demented!"
But,
it's OK.
It is because I found the answer
to that question of "So what?"
It is simply…
everything is as it is.
Good day! Good life, anyway.
Kio
As if listening to the sound from afar..
There is a transparent state beyond the
time-space dimension
where the whole nerve system
and all cells of body fully activate.
To the end of the universe,
and inside the mitochondria or DNA
of all cells
everyone enjoys the liberation.
As each performs the given role
and help with each other with no conflict,
there is the most natural state
of life expressing itself.
Without thinking of truth, enlightenment,
defilements or else,
Everyone dances
the dance of the universe.
Yes, by utilizing our whole senses as an artist
letfs
throw our whole existence into the ocean of this universeI
And covered by the spray of the universe over
our whole body,
let us play the symphony of light!
------
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