A Profound Mind

[Din]

A Profound Mind

Cultivating wisdom in everyday life

The Dalai Lama

Harmony Books, N.Y.

p. 22

"The root cause of our unenlightened existence within this cycle of rebirths - samsara in Sanskrit - is said to be our fundamental ignorance: our grasping at a sense of self.... It is an essential subject, as Buddhism understands it's removal to be the way to our true peace and happiness.

We must also initially identify the causes and conditions that shape our unenlightened existence in samsara. These are our afflictive mental attitudes such as craving, aversion, pride and jealousy. They are afflictive in that they bring about our unhappiness."

p.24-25

"...all compounded things, be they air, stone, or living creatures, are impermanent, they are in the nature of suffering, and all phenomena are selfless. Our ignorance of this selfless nature of all that exists is the fundamental cause of our unenlightened existence. Fortunately, it is due to this selfless nature that we have the potential for ending our miserable situation in cyclic existence.

The force of wisdom, cultivated gradually, enables us to diminish and eventually eliminate our fundamental ignorance that grasps at a sense of a self. The cultivation of wisdom will bring about a state beyond sorrow, nirvana in Sanskrit. The fourth characteristic of Buddhism is that nirvana is true peace.

So... the root of our unhappiness is our falsely held view that we possess any true or enduring substantial reality. But, says Buddhism, there is a way out of this dilemma. It lies in recognizing our true identity: the one that lies beneath our falsely held conceptions of an enduring personal self.

Our mind is essentially pure and luminous. The afflictive thoughts and emotions that pollute our everyday, surface selves cannot touch this essential mind. Being adventitious, these pollutions are removable. Buddhist practice is aimed primarily at cultivating the antidotes to those afflictive thoughts and emotions with the goal of eradicating the root of our unenlightened existence to bring about liberation from suffering."

[Tussiemussies]

Love this...

Din, it's so great to see you here!!!!:)

[Gardenarian]

I had an existential crisis, but it was nothing.

[Wildflower]

It's just a story you tell yourself... >8)

Welcome back, Din!!!!!! :D

[lhamo]

Welcome back, Din!

At the risk of sounding totally unenlightened, we missed you. Nice to see you popping in.

lhamo

[Din]

Hi guys, good to be back. :~)

I finally have something to say after all, but not many people are interested, i've noticed.:confused:

But it doesn't seem to stop me from talking about what's important, and what's important, for me, is seeing that the person i think i am, is really, just a thought! :moon:

[Din]

People are looking to simplify their lives, but they never seem to pay attention to where that really counts... inwardly... in your mind.;)

[Tussiemussies]

Love it Din... Glad to hear your voice again here...

[Xmac]

Hello Din my old friend,
it just so happens the very big Lama is going to be appearing about a mile from my apt. tomorrow.
I'll tell him you said, "hello Dalai".:laff:
:0!>8)

[mtnlaurel]

I finally have something to say after all, but not many people are interested, i've noticed.:confused:
But it doesn't seem to stop me from talking about what's important, and what's important, for me, is seeing that the person i think i am, is really, just a thought! :moon:

Count me in as interested.
I must admit I've opened this post like three times and started reading and said, "oh this is heavy, I'll have to come back to this one" :)
So it's my first post read of the day and I am soaking it in.
Thank you.

[catherine]

People are looking to simplify their lives, but they never seem to pay attention to where that really counts... inwardly... in your mind.;)

+1 I'm glad you're back, too, Din!! Don't let lack of response hold you back. Sometimes we need a few hours to wrap our heads around what you and Xmac say ;)

[Din]

Ok, here's another quote from the same book, let's see what you make of this.

p. 53

"Buddha has stated that the thought "I am" is the mind of a demon. This is because our mistaken notion of ourselves causes self-cherishing that lies at the root of all our misery. Buddha has also taught that we are our own masters."

So essentially, the Dalai Lama is saying that it's our own ideas about ourselves, that is at the root of our cherishing ourselves and this is also the root of all our misery.

Could you take from this that we actually cause our own suffering through our thinking and perceptions?

[SteveinMN]

Could you take from this that we actually cause our own suffering through our thinking and perceptions?
I would. That fits right in with the idea that intention is the first step to making something real. It also fits right in with the Law of Attraction.

I've known people who thought they were "**** magnets" because they attracted bad people and bad "luck" -- and never realized their part in making that happen.

[Din]

We long for simplicity and silence and peace, and yet we are fascinated by our thoughts about ourselves and our lives and our problems...

[Tussiemussies]

I love James Allen also. He also says that our suffering comes from selfishness and lack of virtues since the law Of cause and effect forever operates. Included in selhness is self seeking and having opinions about things. How people can get so riles up about their own opinion is amazing.