buddha - Blog Posts - Yoga Vidya International - Yoga, Meditation and Spirituality2024-03-29T12:41:34Zhttps://my.yoga-vidya.org/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/buddhaCreeper (revisited)https://my.yoga-vidya.org/profiles/blogs/creeper-revisited2010-08-26T21:57:07.000Z2010-08-26T21:57:07.000ZChristopher Stewarthttps://my.yoga-vidya.org/members/ChristopherStewart<div><p style="text-align:center;"><img src="" alt="" /><br /><span style="font-size:x-small;">("<a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ryogen1.JPG">Two portraits of Ryogen</a>" - Author Unknown - copyright holder is Kiemon Tsuruya)</span></p><br /><div align="center"><object height="100" width="400" data="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" ></param><param name="allowNetworking" value="internal" ></param><param name="movie" value="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" ></param><param name="wmode" value="opaque" ></param><param name="flashvars" value="song_label=poligraf.creeper.master.intro.mp3&music_track=http://drop.io/download/public/obnbq4rn1dnhoxintvng/9696082460cc0a9d5d84ab35abe8b2e4f5a6de29/Asset/43353926/v3/web_preview&autoplay=false" ></param><embed wmode="opaque" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" flashvars="song_label=poligraf.creeper.master.intro.mp3&music_track=http://drop.io/download/public/obnbq4rn1dnhoxintvng/9696082460cc0a9d5d84ab35abe8b2e4f5a6de29/Asset/43353926/v3/web_preview&autoplay=false" height="100" width="400" allowscriptaccess="never" allownetworking="internal"></embed> </object></div><br /><p>« Creeper » is an allegory wherein destructive mental processes are compared to creeping plants. The piece depicts four stages of a confrontation between creeper and host : introduction, growth, conquest, and extinction.</p><br /><p>The audio clip presents the introduction and verses. As the lyrics suggest, the creeper really represents insidious suggestion, worry, negativity, or doubt, which are generally rooted in ignorance or craving and can act as magnets to weird experiences when pursued intently.</p><br /><p><em>Insidious suggestion<br /> Difficult to contain<br />Tendency to worry<br />Threatening to bloom in pain<br /><br />Stemming up from a doubt<br />Burgeoning from a no<br />Better sever the sprout<br />Or a vine could follow<br /><br />Creative energy – Unleashed upon itself<br />Subtle adversary – Not yet under control<br />Creative energy – Cynical of itself<br />Unforeseen enemy - Between here and the goal<br /><br />Coming back from the past<br />Sinister memory<br />Craving for attention<br />The voice of gravity<br /><br />Surely as it will rise<br />Before long, paralyse<br />Surely as it will grow<br />In a spiral, down you go<br /><br />Creative energy – Unleashed upon itself<br />Subtle adversary – Not yet under control<br />Creative energy – Cynical of itself<br />Unforeseen enemy – Between here and the goal</em></p></div>Love others as the selfhttps://my.yoga-vidya.org/profiles/blogs/love-others-as-the-self2010-08-26T14:30:43.000Z2010-08-26T14:30:43.000ZSita Chaitanyahttps://my.yoga-vidya.org/members/SitaChaitanya<div>"You can search the whole universe and not find a single being more worthy of love than yourself. Since each and every person is so precious to themselves, let the self-respecting harm no other being." Buddha.</div>On Angerhttps://my.yoga-vidya.org/profiles/blogs/on-anger2010-08-06T21:45:08.000Z2010-08-06T21:45:08.000ZSita Chaitanyahttps://my.yoga-vidya.org/members/SitaChaitanya<div><h3 class="UIIntentionalStory_Message"><span class="UIStory_Message"><font style="font-weight:normal;" size="2">"In a controversy the instant we feel anger we have already ceased striving<br />for the truth, and have begun striving for ourselves." Buddha.</font></span></h3></div>On Individualistic Spiritualityhttps://my.yoga-vidya.org/profiles/blogs/on-individualistic2011-07-28T17:01:55.000Z2011-07-28T17:01:55.000ZChristopher Stewarthttps://my.yoga-vidya.org/members/ChristopherStewart<div>In my opinion, on some social networks there appears to be a tendency to avoid challenges altogether in order to protect beliefs.The rationale seems to be that the intent of the challengers is merely to « make wrong, » and that those who challenge are just not « confident in their own beliefs. »But what then if the intent is not to « make wrong » ? What if the intent is to shed a different light ? What if the prompting comes from the heart and not the ego ? What if the ego tries to ignore the overwhelming need to challenge, but ultimately fails ? Should we abstain from challenging simply because we are confident in our own beliefs ? Should we simply let others cope on their own however they can ?To me, there's a major flaw in this abstention. In fact, it would be correct if we were not intrinsically related to one another. But we are...In my view, there is a form of individualistic spirituality that seems to be rampant these days. In the vocabulary of Buddhism (I use it because it's the one I know), this would be the equivalent of the Hinayana, which is the so-called « small vehicle » which leads to the so-called « small nirvana. » In my understanding, its hallmark is detachment, whereby one can free themselves, to a certain extent, by recognizing how their attachments cause numerous sufferings.But this detachment is also a form of attachment, and the detachment cycle must culminate in detachment, not only of attachments, but of detachment itself, and even from the notion of attachment-detachment. This is necessary in order for true engagement to take place, wherein one can truly invest themselves in worthy objectives without egoistic concerns for their own sake.In Buddhist terminology, this is equivalent to the mission of the Bodhisattva who vows to free not only themselves, but the whole world. This lofty undertaking is not merely an apparently noble but ultimately rhetorical gesture. The Bodhisattva makes the vow because there's no other choice. When one truly realizes how they are indeed their whole world, then individualistic liberation becomes nonsensical. Why do you think the original Buddha kept on preaching and teaching and setting up schools after enlightenment ? How can one seriously claim to be in any way enlightened while parts of themselves are left utterly in the dark ?In other words, the so-called small nirvana is all well and good in theory, but in practice, exactly because we are one, exactly because I am you and you are me, exactly because there is no outside, exactly because there's only this one infinite consciousness that we all partake in, large parts of the world crumble around the Hinayanist while they revel in their navel.If it were not true, who would need to seek enlightenment ? People would have learned detachment a long while ago and the matter would have been settled for all eternity. But obviously, it is not the case. Small nirvana is actually child's play. It's not even one tenth of the battle. « *eff* you » is not the ultimate spiritual way, it's the way of those whose understanding doesn't reach beyond their own ego.In doubt, try it for yourself. It doesn't take much effort to sever one's outflows. Anybody with sufficient determination can achieve this in a matter of a few years, and probably even quicker than that if they really mean it. Then, try to remain silent if you can, try to remain aloof. And when occasions for repentance keep arising despite your sainthood, then you'll know that you cannot let your brothers and sisters in the dark without suffering the sorry consequences.But thankfully, such a thing cannot happen, exactly because we are all one, we are irresistibly attracted to each other, we are overwhelmingly compelled to interact so as to dispel the utterly dark parts of ourselves.I exhort you, do not be mistaken, this has never been a « I'm-okay-never-mind-the-others » kind of thing. There's only one mind. Either all of it is enlightened, or none of us truly is. Either we all go, or nobody goes.Obviously, there is still work to do. And here is my challenge to you : stop resting on your laurels and start fighting for real !</div>How to decide your futurehttps://my.yoga-vidya.org/profiles/blogs/how-to-decide-your-future2010-09-12T17:00:10.000Z2010-09-12T17:00:10.000ZSita Chaitanyahttps://my.yoga-vidya.org/members/SitaChaitanya<div>What you are is what you have been, and what you will be is what you do now . Buddha.</div>Be Happyhttps://my.yoga-vidya.org/profiles/blogs/be-happy-12010-10-25T20:20:25.000Z2010-10-25T20:20:25.000ZSita Chaitanyahttps://my.yoga-vidya.org/members/SitaChaitanya<div>"Praise and blame, gain and loss, pleasure and sorrow come and go like the wind. To be happy, rest like a giant tree, in the midst of them all." Buddha.</div>Creeperhttps://my.yoga-vidya.org/profiles/blogs/creeper-12010-05-11T14:41:46.000Z2010-05-11T14:41:46.000ZChristopher Stewarthttps://my.yoga-vidya.org/members/ChristopherStewart<div><p style="text-align:center;"><img src="" alt="" /><br /><span style="font-size:x-small;">("<a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Black_and_white_branch.jpg">Climbing Plant</a>" by <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Popperipopp">Popperipopp</a>)</span></p><br /><div align="center"><object height="100" width="400" data="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" ></param><param name="allowNetworking" value="internal" ></param><param name="movie" value="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" ></param><param name="wmode" value="opaque" ></param><param name="flashvars" value="song_label=poligraf.creeper.master.2008.ending.mp3&music_track=http://drop.io/download/public/6sajf5thd2ps58fehakf/b4a5ff726b159faa2c0db1921bb01b18167e26c0/Asset/5097161/v3/web_preview&autoplay=false" ></param><embed wmode="opaque" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" flashvars="song_label=poligraf.creeper.master.2008.ending.mp3&music_track=http://drop.io/download/public/6sajf5thd2ps58fehakf/b4a5ff726b159faa2c0db1921bb01b18167e26c0/Asset/5097161/v3/web_preview&autoplay=false" height="100" width="400" allowscriptaccess="never" allownetworking="internal"></embed></object></div><br /><p>“Creeper” is directly inspired by the following aphorism from The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhammapada">Dhammapada</a> :</p><blockquote style="font-style:italic;">The streams flow everywhere; the creeper, having sprung up, becomes established. When you see that creeper sprout, sever its root by intense insight. – (XXIV. Craving, #7)</blockquote><p>and accompanying translator’s note :</p><blockquote style="font-style:italic;">The “creeper” is insidious suggestion, rooted in ignorance and craving, developing into bondage, aggression, and folly. To sever it the moment it sprouts is what the Tao Te Ching refers to as doing what is difficult when it is still easy. This is the purpose of vigilance, so highly recommended by Buddha.</blockquote><p>The piece forms an allegory wherein destructive mental processes are compared to creeping plants, and depicts a confrontation between creeper and host in four stages : introduction, growth, conquest, and extinction.</p><br /><p>The audio clip presents the last sections of the composition which correspond to the extinction of the sabotaging parasitical vine. The host has won the final confrontation and confirms his triumph by revealing the modus operandi and nature of his opponent :</p><blockquote style="font-style:italic;">Paradise awaiting / Because your constant voice<br /> (All your doom scenarios never come to pass)<br />Always analyzing / Undermines every choice<br />(Expected catastrophes never come to life)<br /><br />Creeper now I can see / You sabotage my dream<br />(All your doom scenarios never come to pass)<br />Yet share its quality / Thus ends your little scheme<br />(Expected catastrophes never come to life)</blockquote><p>While the lead singer plays the part of the host, the backing vocalists repeat a victorious mantra.</p><br /><p>The plant then makes a few attempts to rise from its ashes, but all are short-lived as they are rapidly recognized and subdued by the conqueror.</p></div>