Thoughts From A Mystic

Each of us creates our own problems- what Buddhists call 'suffering'. Our problems arise from our sense of alienation from the universe, or more broadly reality. Western thought supports the concept of self, which has been used as a means of control over individuals and society as a whole. Each person's self-concept is fluid; having no long term stability. You are not 'self', but 'awareness'. Descartes was close, when he stated; "I think, therefore I am." Substituting 'feel' for 'think' would be equally accurate. But both are still secondary to what 'I' is. "I'm aware, therefore I am." would be more accurate (but concepts and words fail to give us an exact understanding.) Existing as awareness, without letting it be stained from thoughts or feelings, which come from desires and biases, is the path taught by Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity- "The goal of the Buddhist contemplative is to develop f...

Suffering comes from separateness and alienation, with the resulting futile attempts to correct one's alienated state. Buddhism says you are already Buddha- there's no need to struggle to 'better' yourself or to 'become' Buddha. Reality is not the problem. There's no need to improve things as they are. Reality is hidden from most people, because they're preoccupied with their own perspectives. It's not hidden purposefully, as if by some evil power. The good news is that YOU HAVE EYES TO SEE, and once you learn to use them you will be able to see clearly. Learning to see, or being conscious, is challenging. Culture (I don't like to use the phrase 'the World', because Truth is infused in all creation) doesn't support consciousness; which leads to freedom from all cultures (human created systems.) The journey is one of 'waking up' (realizing 'Buddha', or 'Christ living in me') and coming to see reality apa...

1) All that we are is the result of what we have thought. __It is "founded on our thoughts. It is made up of our thoughts. __If one speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows one, __as a vehicle follows the tow-truck that pulls it. 2) All that we are is the result of what we have thought. __It is founded on our thoughts. It is made up of our thoughts. __If one speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows one, __like a shadow that never leaves. 3) "She abused me, he beat me, she defeated me, he robbed me": __In those who harbor such thoughts, anger will never cease. 4) "She abused me, he beat me, she defeated me, he robbed me": __In those who do not harbor such thoughts, hatred will cease. 5) For never does hatred cease by hatred at any time. __Hatred ceases by love. This is an eternal law. 6) Everyone in the world does not know __that we must all come to end here, __but those who do know, __their quarrels cease at once. It's not enough to ha...

"All know the Way, but few actually walk it." Bodhidharma If anyone tells you someone (not you) will save you if you believe in that person sincerely enough; or that someone will make you right with God, don't believe them. There is only one person who can, and must do that work, and it is YOU! Jesus, Buddha and other 'great' religious teachers show us a path to follow. They can't make you follow it; and without following the path you won't reap the rewards of that path. It's important to believe in them; but that belief is not one of slavish acceptance, but of seeing the value of the teaching and putting it into practice. Doing the work is very important! No matter how sincere you are, restricting your spiritual walk to statements of commitment, no matter how sincere (the Way is not that of proper incantations), without following the path (works), you'll never reach the 'goal'. Look at this parable from Jesus (Matt 21:28-32 ) But w...

I'm continually amazed how many people believe they can think their way to know Reality! It's a very strange theory, but there certainly are a lot of people who have bought it. The central message revolves around 'self'...ah yes, the 'self' (I'll talk about this theory another time.) The theory says that self, by way of rational thought and repeatable experiments, will be able to know (thoughts again) what is real (having reality it itself; or as Buddhist's say- "real from it's own side"), and by way of this knowledge (putting it to use, by manipulating reality) find true happiness. That's quite a theory! I've never heard of anyone becoming truly happy by using the theory. I suspect it's rather like being born, but never dying. Yet I'd guess over 99% of post-modern Westerners believe the theory and hold onto it throughout their lives. (That's great brainwashing!) I hope it's comforting, because that's abo...

It sounds strange in a culture where we've been trained to achieve goals, to get somewhere, but in fact there's nowhere to go because you're there already. The Japanese have a nice way of putting it: "The day you cease to travel, you will have arrived." Your attitude should be: "I want to be aware, I want to be in touch with whatever is and let whatever happens happen; if I'm awake, fine, and if I'm asleep, fine." The moment you make a goal out of it and attempt to get it, you're seeking ego glorification, ego promotion. You want the good feeling that you've made it. When you do "make it," you won't know. Your left hand won't know what your right hand is doing. "Lord, when did we do this? We had no awareness." Charity is never so lovely as when one has lost consciousness that one is practicing charity. "You mean I helped you? I was enjoying myself. I was just doing my dance. It helped you, that's wonde...

The "Scholars' Translation" of the Gospel of Thomas by Stephen Patterson and Marvin Meyer 1 And he said, "Whoever discovers the interpretation of these sayings will not taste death." 2 Jesus said, "Those who seek should not stop seeking until they find. When they find, they will be disturbed. When they are disturbed, they will marvel, and will reign over all. [And after they have reigned they will rest.]" 3 Jesus said, "If your leaders say to you, 'Look, the (Father's) kingdom is in the sky,' then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they say to you, 'It is in the sea,' then the fish will precede you. Rather, the kingdom is within you and it is outside you. When you know yourselves, then you will be known, and you will understand that you are children of the living Father. But if you do not know yourselves, then you live in poverty, and you are the poverty."

Silence We cannot find God in noise and agitation. Nature: trees, flowers, and grass grow in silence. The stars, the moon, and the sun move in silence. What is essential is not what we say but what God tells us and what He tells others through us. In silence He listens to us; in silence He speaks to our souls. In silence we are granted the privilege of listening to His voice. Silence of our eyes. Silence of our ears. Silence of our mouths. Silence of our minds. ...in the silence of the heart God will speak. ---Mother Teresa, from No Greater Love