Give Your Ego the Wisdom Eye

Posted on November 24, 2011 by waicheong

Here, I have quoted a passage from Lama Yeshe’s book, Ego, Attachment and Liberation, published by the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive. Given that the word “ego” has so many different connotations in different contexts, I think it is best to understand “ego” of this context as referring to our ignorant mind that instinctively grasps onto a sense of an unchanging self or ‘I’. It is under the influence of such ignorance that we develop attachment towards things that seem to give us happiness and aversion towards those we perceived as hindering our happiness.

What would happen if we give our ego or ignorance the wisdom eye?

“Actually, watching your internal world is much more interesting than watching a movie and certainly more worthwhile. Once you’ve seen a movie, you don’t want to see it again; you get bored the second time. But if you watch your mind with skillful wisdom you will never get bored. Every minute, there’s something new. Your mind is constantly moving. It’s a remarkable experience.

Every time your ego contacts an object, its interpretation leaves a different imprint on your consciousness. Those imprints react again and again. That’s what we call karma—cause and effect. The imprints are the cause; the reaction is the effect. That’s karma. Therefore we say that karma is very powerful. Why? Because the imprints left by previous ego activity are very powerful; extremely strong.

The energy force of ego bursts into your mind without permission. Even if you don’t want it to enter it forces its way in. If someone were to rush into your house without knocking you’d get really upset, wouldn’t you? “What’s going on? You didn’t even knock!” Even if your closest friend comes in without knocking you’re likely to object. So isn’t it silly that when the negative energy force of ego walks uninvited into your mind, instead of getting upset you say, “Welcome, ego. Please come in. How are you? Have a cup of tea. Would you like some chocolate?”

All we ever do is try to please our ego; it’s like we’re always paying homage to our ego, offering it tea, chocolate and prayers. We dedicate all our energy to our ego and what do we get in return? What does our ego offer us? Mental pollution. It brings such a foul, suffocating smell in our minds that there’s hardly room to breathe.

So from now on, instead of welcoming your ego’s energy force, stand guard against it with mindfulness and wisdom, watching with penetrative attention for the first sign of its arrival. And when it comes, instead of greeting it warmly, “How are you, ego? Come right in,” examine it with a great big wisdom eye—a wisdom eye bigger than your head. Just watch it. When you give your ego the wisdom eye it disappears all by itself.”

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The Giving of Loving-kindness

Posted on November 16, 2011 by waicheong

One lesson I have learned from the Buddhist teachings is this possibility of enhancing our natural sense of love and concern for self or others. Before coming into contact with such a teaching, I have unconsciously carried around with me the idea that there is not much I can do with the amount of love or kindness I find within myself. Whether I feel loving or not towards a person, that’s the way it is; there isn’t supposed to be anything I can do to change it. The notion that, by diligent and skillful cultivation, I can change the way I view and relate to someone in terms of kindness and concern has been a true blessing for me.

Think about the implications of this one small idea: no longer am I trapped within the confines of whatever spontaneous feeling or perception I have towards any one person; I can change it for the better. Even if it does not affect that person in any significant way, it would definitely make a difference to how I see and relate to him, think (or not think) about him, and so on. It is going to benefit me.

The heart of this practice of giving and radiating loving-kindness towards one person is the willingness to pay attention. Instead of following our usual habit of distractions, we gently return our attention again and again to this one person, who is now the focal point of our practice of kindness. We pay attention to how this person appear to us, what we really know about him–his hopes and fears, his happiness and unhappiness. Sustaining that focus of attention, we direct towards him a few sincere, heartfelt thoughts of loving-kindness. When repeated over a period of time and when done with as much sincerity we can find, subtle (and not so subtle) changes can be observed. Usually it manifests first through the unconscious channels of communication, before it comes to affect how we consciously feel and act towards that person.

Just in case the thought of loving all those 6 billions people, all the countless sentient being, or even one more person seems too much of an ask, I like to remind myself the other translation term for loving-kindness (Sanskrit, maitri; Pali, metta): friendliness. I may not feel inclined to love someone, but at the minimum I can be friendly towards him. So, that’s how I let myself off the big hook of having to love so many beings, including those I truly dislike–I can aim to be a little more friendly towards them.

This is the giving of loving-kindness, a simple act whose benefits are praised by the Buddha as far exceeding any worldly merit. Why not give it a try?

(The audio files of this and other guided meditations can be found here on VI website.)

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Wisdom — No More Unnecessary Suffering

Posted on October 17, 2011 by waicheong

I have to admit that quite a lot of my suffering, heartache and misery are really due to my own stupidity. In the midst of an unpleasant episode, sometimes I would tell myself: if I were a bit wiser, I would have got myself out of this mess by now, or not get into it in the first place.

The Buddha offered a way out of self-created suffering through wisdom–clear, penetrative insight into the reality of suffering. In other words, he suggested that we need to be wise about it: know suffering, its causes, that all these can stop, and how to put an end to them. This is the function of wisdom, an awareness that clearly differentiates the qualities of the thing it examines. He has advised us to take a good look at the gratification, danger and escape in relation to the objects of our attachment, aversion and confusion.

The next time we find ourselves caught in the whirlpool of painful reactions to something happening in our life, we can try to turn on the light of wise awareness and have a look.

When I find myself overwhelmed by anger towards someone, I can start by asking the question: “What is the gratification in this for me?” I would say that it feels good to be on the “right” side, pointing out to an imaginary audience what’s wrong with this other person. Anger may activate a sense of power within, upon which I can rely to get things going my way.

“What is the danger of such reaction?” I can attest to it that I am actually burning myself up with my anger, destroying any trace of peace of mind within. Moreover, I will act impulsively out of the anger; quite often, it is not done in the best way and doesn’t get the best result.

“What is the escape from it?” When my wise mind is in charge, it could see how shallow the gratification I gained from getting angry, and how ineffective and harmful my anger is. When I can really see it in this way, the fog in my head would clear and I often find other ways to deal creatively with the situation.

With wisdom behind the wheels, there is a good chance that we can steer ourselves out of those messy situations and stay on the road towards happiness and satisfaction. There is no virtue in suffering unnecessarily and foolishly.

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Puja: An Act of Offering

Posted on October 10, 2011 by waicheong

If you take a look at VI’s event calendar, you will notice that each month we schedule a few pujas, offering ceremonies directed towards a particular Buddha figure. There are guru pujas (offering to the spiritual masters), Tara puja (to Tara, the popular female Buddha), and Medicine Buddha puja (to the eight Medicine Buddhas, who bring healing and success).

The Sanskrit word puja has the meaning of reverence, honour, adoration, or worship. It is explained as offering when translated into Tibetan. Pujas have been a way of life for many Buddhists in Asia, where participation in the chanting and offering is one way to reaffirm their refuge in the Buddha, his teachings and the spiritual community that keeps alive those teachings. It is also a way of accumulating the merits that issue forth both mundane and spiritual benefits, with probably more emphasis on the worldly gains than the transcendental ones.With Buddhism coming to the West, we find that the acceptance of pujas as a part of Buddhist practice lags behind that of meditation and Buddhist studies in most Western countries. I like to, jokingly, attribute this to the fact that puja dates follow the moon (i.e., the lunar calendar) while we conduct our lives following the sun. Of course, there are other reasons why we are luke-warm in our reception for pujas, such as we may find the chanting incomprehensible (as it is usually done in a foreign language).

One reason I want to touch on is the difficulty of making that connection between performing a puja and transforming our mind for the better. I must admit that it is not always obvious or crystal clear to me as to why my chanting, visualizing, and acts of making offering during a puja could have a positive impact and help to change my mind. This is unlike meditation, where I feel that I can witness how the development of mindfulness directly contributes to a greater sense of well-being. In other words, puja may seem to rely on mysterious connections and powers to justify its efficacy. However, there is another way of understanding the power of pujas.

On certain occasions when I can fully enter into the spirit of the puja, when I am mindful of the significance of the act of offering, its object (be it Buddha, Tara and so forth), and its purpose (be it wishing to show appreciation, praying for someone in trouble, remembering the goal of enlightenment, etc.), I find a puja can become a meditation in motion. The chanting of the words, the melody, the visualizations, and the participation along with others–all these can serve to move and direct my heart and mind in a positive direction, towards faith, devotion, compassion, generosity and wisdom. It is actually enjoyable and beneficial, right at that very moment without even considering its long-term benefits. And it is during such moments that I can understand why puja is really about offering: offering our resistances and willingness, the best and the worst of ourselves, so that we can emerge from it with more clarity, generosity, and warm-heartedness.

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Meditation Tip: Releasing and Energizing

Posted on October 5, 2011 by waicheong

It is almost universal for anyone beginning a meditation practice to find his or her mind distracted away from the object of meditation, got lost in those endless loops of thinking, remembering, fantasizing and so on. And there is also the opposite experience–the mind feeling heavy, dull, and drowsy, eventually falling asleep on the cushion.

How do I deal with these distractions and sleepiness? This little meditation tip has helped me greatly, saving me from that strong sense of disappointment and frustration, which has derailed many aspiring meditators.

In essence, it is very simple: when my mind is busy (or excited, agitated, etc.), I remind myself to release the excess mental and physical energy; when my mind is dull (or drowsy, sleepy, heavy, etc.), I remind myself to energize my body and mind. Somewhere among all these repetitive acts of releasing and energizing, I help my attention to find its way back to my meditation object and establish a delicate balance resting evenly on it.

Let the wind carries it away!

Releasing is accomplished with the help of the out-breath. When I breathe out, I gently let go of the thoughts, images, stories and so forth that preoccupy my attention. Let them flow away with the breath, like a river sweeping logs downstream and disappearing from my sight.

Fire it up and off we go!

Energizing is accomplished with the in-breath, as I take in fresh supplies of air with each breath. I tell myself that this oxygen will go from my lungs to all parts of my body and mind, allowing the cells to metabolize food and access more energy. Although this concept may sound too simple, the secret lies in the execution. How patient and gentle can I be with myself while I repeatedly engage in releasing or energizing? If I can find the right attitude, then the technique will take care of itself, gradually leading my mind back to balance.

Likewise, I can also draw a parallel with the experiences outside of meditation. Don’t we get worked up with anger, anxiety, and so forth? Don’t we find ourselves feeling lethargic, dull, uninterested, and so on? By mastering this technique of releasing and energizing, we can become the master of our emotions and mental states, not in the sense of never getting upset or never encountering difficult challenges in life. Rather, we know the way to return our mind to a state of balance and then to engage these multiple challenges in the most effective and beneficial manner. It all depends on knowing how and when to release excess energy or to put in more of it.

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Samadhi: A Unified Mind

Posted on September 26, 2011 by waicheong

Whenever I come across the translation term, meditative stabilization, for the Sanskrit word, samadhi, it always strikes me as such a mouthful of multiple syllables. Such is the tough job of translation–being faithful to the original and meaningful to the new audience at the same time. Quite often, it pleases neither.

One way of understanding the original term samadhi is to view it as made up of: “sam” (together or integrated), “ā” (towards), and “dhā” (to get, to hold). This would yield “to acquire integration, wholeness, or truth,” as its meaning, according to Wikipedia. I understand it as an unification of all the energies of our mental attention, so that they are directed towards the same object and work harmoniously in sync with one another. This is the very opposite of how our mind functions in our daily life, where our attention is constantly being pulled in different directions, jumping from one thought to another–a fragmentation of our mental attention.

A useful analogy is to think of light generated by an electric bulb: the light waves emitted from it travel in different directions and oscillate at different phases from one another. Compare this to a laser, where the energy of light is focused into a narrow beam with the light waves moving in phase with one another. Notice just how much more power is made available in a laser than in ordinary light.

Similarly, a mind in samadhi would be much more powerful than our ordinary mind, when its mental energies are gathered back and directed to a single focus, and the different aspects of the mind are working coherently with one another. The scriptural text described samadhi as “a one-pointedness of the mind with respect to an imputed thing.”

I prefer to imagine it as bringing together and unifying the different mental functions so that they settle onto the same object, as opposed to an image of forcing the mind to focus on a single point or object. The result of such an unification of mind is a sense of rest, ease, and well-being that comes from healing the fragmentation of our mind.

The text also mentioned that samadhi “has the function of acting as a support for knowledge.” When the mind is unified and focused, it naturally reveals its power to penetrate and to see clearly. Therefore, samadhi is regarded as the necessary condition for penetrative insight into reality, the so-called knowledge in the quote.

That just leaves one last thing, “the imputed object,” which is supposed to be the focal point of samadhi. This term simply implies that in deep samadhi, the object we engage in is a creation of the mental consciousness; it can be a visual image, an auditory one, or a purely conceptual one. However, it isn’t one that we engage directly with our physical senses. This is because in such unification of mind, our physical sensory consciousnesses have temporarily ceased to function. Think of it as in deep sleep, except that you are wide awake.

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Meditation Tip: Playing Tricks with Your Mind

Posted on September 22, 2011 by waicheong

Honesty is highly valued in Buddhism, as testified in the fourth lay precept: I undertake the training precept to refrain from lying. I have no intention to suggest otherwise in this short article.

However, it is also possible to lead your mind down one path consciously in meditation, only to get it to experience something totally different and unexpected as a result of that. For example, I can direct my attention to a series of visualization that corresponds to the dissolution of coarser levels of consciousness until the most subtle consciousness, the mind of clear light, manifests. This is all through imagination, of course. Yet the effect of such a visualization practice is, indirectly, to help the mind to leave aside the various concerns and anxieties for the moment and to emerge into a space of awareness, accompanied by clarity, alertness, and stillness. Thoughts become less compulsive and can easily dissolve back into simple awareness.

I describe this as tricking the mind because on the surface I am asking my mind to imagine the stages of dissolution of consciousness, when, in actual fact, what I get out of it is a state of awareness that is spacious and temporarily uncluttered by the stuff of daily living. Since I consider this a neat trick, I have shared a short description of it here. Enjoy.

A Meditation on the Different Levels of Consciousness

Settle your body into a stable posture. Imagine that you are in a very comforting and safe setting. Be curious to witness the changes that are about to happen during the transition to other levels of consciousness.

• Earth element–that which is hard, solid and supportive–dissolves. The solidity and stability within our life starts to fade. There is an inner appearance of a mirage, an omen of what is to come.
• Water element–that which is fluid, flowing and moistening–dissolves. The fluidity of our life is drying up. There is an inner appearance of smoke-filled space, an omen of what is to come.
• Fire element–that which warms and matures–dissolves. The life-giving heat and warmth within us starts to cool. There is an inner appearance of fire sparks, an omen of what is to come.
• Wind element–that which moves and energises–dissolves. Inhalation, exhalation and all movements incline to stillness. There is an inner appearance of a butterlamp about to go out, an omen of what is to come.
• Thoughts, such as the subtle instinctive movements of rejection, attraction and indifference, dissolve. Coarse level of consciousness ceases. There is an inner experience of a clear space flooded with white light, like standing under a noon sun or a full moon.
• Mind of white appearance dissolves. The sun of our awareness is setting. There is an inner experience of a clear space tinted with red light, like the sky at sunset.
• Mind of red increase dissolves. The sun of our awareness has set and darkness descends. There is an inner experience of entering into pitch-black darkness.

• Mind of black near-attainment dissolves. Subtle awareness dawns and we emerges into a mind-space filled with a radiance that is not tinted by whiteness, redness or darkness; this is the mind of clear light. Rest in its spaciousness. Enjoy its blissful release from fixations. When thoughts arise, let them dissolve back into the clear light.

Finally, let go of all visualizations and return to life. Feel your breath and sensations in your body. Step back into your daily living with a spacious mind.

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Mindfulness: Recollecting the Familiar

Posted on September 19, 2011 by waicheong

In my brief survey of the different mental factors presented in the Buddhist teachings, I have arrived at a famous one: mindfulness (Skt., smrti; Tib., dran pa). A casual search on Google should easily return 13 millions entries related to this term. In a way, it is wonderful that something so closely connected to the Buddha’s teachings has generated so much interest and application in the last few decades. On the other hand, it makes writing this short article a lot tougher; what’s there to say when so much have already been written about it?

In the end I settle on presenting mindfulness, or to use an alternative translation, recollection, in relation to the Indian master, Arya Asanga’s definition:

[Recollection] is a non-forgetfulness of the mind with respect to a familiar object. It has the function of non-distraction.

The first thing to note is that recollection happens with “a familiar object.” Those of us who meditate would have no trouble remembering how hard it is to stay with our object of meditation at the beginning. As we gain familiarity with our object, we also observe the growth of this aspect of “non-forgetfulness” and we do not lose our object so easily. Our attention seems to develop a kind of connection with its object. Correspondingly, the amount of distractions, such as the reminiscing, planning, chattering, and so on, also decreases. A strange, almost eerie, sense of inner silence emerges when “non-distraction” becomes a reality.

How to cultivate this factor of recollection or mindfulness? By repeatedly, gently and gracefully return to the object of meditation and start again. “Repeatedly” is to emphasize the need to keep coming back to the object, again and again, when distracted. “Gently and gracefully” is for us to watch our attitude; to let go of anger, impatience, frustration, disappointment, and so on when we find ourselves distracted. Lastly, the easiest, swiftest, and most painless way to recover is just to “start again.”

When our power of mindfulness or recollection of the object of meditation becomes more developed, we will find that staying with it or coming back to it is the most natural thing to do, just like home-coming; we return to a familiar place and set aside all the distressing things so that we can rest deeply and comfortably in a state of ease and well-being.

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Touching the Heart with Inspiration

Posted on September 14, 2011 by waicheong

Last Monday, during our Discovering Buddhism: Introduction to Tantra course, we looked at the need for inspiration (a.k.a. blessing, Tib., jin lab) in order for our heart/mind to transform. I would like to share a quote from Lama Yeshe on this matter:

A common problem for all of us is that our knowledge of so-called spiritual matters is often just in our head, not in our heart. We are proud of how much we have studied and learned about the world’s religions and may even have mastered the vocabulary of their philosophy and meditational practices, yet still we remain basically unsubdued and deluded.

We Tibetans often say: ‘Although butter is used to soften leather, the leather container in which the butter is stored remains stiff and inflexible.’ Despite the fact that spiritual understanding is meant to soften our concrete, limiting preconceptions and subdue our delusions, it is nevertheless possible to contain a lot of intellectual knowledge about religion while remaining unchanged by it. A dry, intellectual approach to spiritual matters leaves our heart untouched and unaffected.

What is lacking is the proper inspiration, or blessing, in our mind. We have to be convinced by some kind of heartfelt, living experience of the existence and effectiveness of a potent spiritual reality both inside and outside ourselves. Otherwise our wisdom eye remains closed and we are incapable of perceiving this profound reality no matter how much we might have studied.

What are some sources of inspiration for us? In Tibetan Buddhism, we speak of the spiritual teacher (Skt., guru; Tib., lama) as the main source of blessing and inspiration. However, it is not necessary to limit ourselves to this because there are many stories, both religious and non-religious, where people are inspired by others who are not in roles of spiritual teachers. We can also be inspired by visiting pilgrimage places, coming into contact with images and objects, being in nature, listening to music, and so on.

When we allow ourselves to be touched by inspiration or blessing, something shifts within us that enable our mind and heart to be empowered, uplifted or brightened for the better. The butter is beginning its work to soften the leather.

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Saying Goodbye to a Lama

Posted on September 12, 2011 by waicheong

Last Wednesday 7 September, Khen Rinpoche Lama Lhundrup passed away in Kopan Monastery, Nepal. His cremation is scheduled to take place today, Monday 12 September, at 3.30pm (Nepal time).

Lama Lhundrup, as he was known to many of us who visited Kopan, was the abbot of Kopan Monastery for more than 30 years. And my brief encounter with him about 15 years ago took place in his room above the old Kopan gompa. My two friends and I arrived in Kopan to do a tantric retreat, with honestly very few clues of what we are supposed to do. Brave we may be, we are also very fortunate to receive many advices from Lama Lhundrup. One of these advices has stayed with me all these years because it is so counter-intuitive.

When asked about the practice of seeing all appearances as pure, Lama Lhundrup declared that we are not to throw out our rubbish for the duration of our retreat (more than 3 weeks long). After all, even our garbage should be viewed as pure. For us three Singaporeans, that presented an interesting challenge that went against our lifelong habituation. I shall not bore you with the intricate maneuvers we employed to survive the retreat.

And this is the sort of tiny episodes that come readily to mind when I remembered my interactions with my teachers. Although these are not dramatic encounters, such as witnessing light radiating from the lama or waves of blissful sensations coursing through the body of the disciple, they are nonetheless valuable lessons. I get to see my teachers in their daily interactions with myself and others, displaying their wisdom, kindness and, definitely, patience. They reveal possibilities, challenge fixations, and show a different way to be.

It is now time to say goodbye to yet another of my teachers. This will be another reminder of the truth of impermanence and the need to strive with diligence to work out our own liberation from suffering, both for self and others.

You can find a special feature on Khen Rinpoche Lama Lhundrup on Mandala Magazine website by following this link.

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