Episode 177: Learning from the Elements

[This episode originally aired on November 8, 2022]  When we contemplate impermanence, we're basically looking at the facts of life  •  the fact is that we all die; we all have losses, sorrow and heartbreak  •  we don’t contemplate impermanence as a way to overcome it, but as a way to figure out how to live with it—and even how to honor it  •  this is the world that we have, and without this ever-changing world, none of us would be here  •  impermanence is not only about loss; it is also about fresh arising  •  it is about possibility  •  there are occasions—for example, at the moment of birth and at the moment of death—when we encounter that meeting point of the falling away and the fresh arising on the spot, and those moments are very powerful  •  we’re at that edge where the two sides meet  •  the contemplation of impermanence can help bring us to that experience of fresh arising  •  it can help acquaint us with that edge, that non-dual point  •  we can begin to have glimpses that whatever arises is fresh; whatever arises is the essence of realization.

[This episode originally aired on November 1, 2022]  Of all the contemplative practices of Buddhism, it is said that the contemplation of impermanence is the most useful  •  dealing with change isn’t easy: we’d like to put things together and have them stay together  •  we tend to see change as disruption rather than as the way things are  •  but in reality, change is not a disruption, it is fundamental  •  change just is; it is the nature of everything  •  trying to hold onto the non-reality that one can prevent change creates a burden that depletes our strength and energy  •  traditionally, four different ways are presented to contemplate the truth of impermanence: every birth leads to a death  |  every meeting leads to a parting  |  everything created eventually is destroyed  |  every gathering eventually disperses  •  each of these contemplations brings us back to immediate experience, to a deeper understanding of what impermanence is really all about  •  we begin to not only accept change at a deeper level, but to actually appreciate and even celebrate the the vivid, life-filled reality of constant change that marks our existence.

[This episode originally aired on October 25, 2022]  The six paramitas challenge the mistaken view that we can make ourselves secure by grasping more and more tightly  •  to practice the paramita of generosity, we need to make a point of letting go, of giving away  •  the paramita of discipline challenges our attachment to sloppiness and comfort, to cruising through life in a superficial way  •  the paramita of patience works with our attachment to speed and aggression as a way to sustain or protect ourselves  •  the paramita of exertion addresses our attachment to laziness, inertia, and the avoidance of effort and hard work  •  the paramita of meditation deals with our attachment to our thoughts as solid and real, challenging their power and their influence  •  the prajna paramita is an assault on our deep-rooted tendencies of denial and ignorance  •  each paramita gives us ways to chip away at the deep-rooted habit of trying to secure ourselves through our grasping. 

It can be easy to fall into religiosity as we pursue a spiritual path  •  contemplative traditions designed to cut through pretense and nurture humility can do just the opposite  •  we grow up with all sorts of ideas of what a spiritual person is, and we may try to model ourselves into some kind of preset image, trying to be and act “spiritual,” trying to do everything spiritually  •  this can create a feeling or the sense that we're being super religious, super good  • this quality of religiosity often carries the atmosphere of everything being serious and solemn  •  we may benefit from a certain level of earnestness and religiosity, but at some point it is so important to lighten up  •  I have found that those that are most deeply committed, the most reverent, are those that are at ease expressing the most irreverent ideas  •  there is something truly powerful in the combination of the profound and the humorous, seeing the profundity within the lightness, and the lightness in even the most profound and challenging teachings  •  on a simple, ordinary level, we can explore our own concepts of what it means to be a spiritual person, and how that might differ from being religious  •  we can look into the difference between a kind of positive irreverence and frivolousness  •  we can explore whether it's possible to have true reverence without falling into self-conscious religiosity, without losing the light touch of irreverence.

Today I'd like to explore this question: Why is meditation so difficult?  •  meditation can be as simple as this Zen instruction: “Sit down, shut up, pay attention. Repeat.”  •  my teacher once said that to meditate, all you have to do is be spacious and not wait for anything  •  anyone should be capable of doing that; so why is it so hard?  •  partly it's hard to do anything with consistency and follow through  •  but it's even harder to stick with doing nothing, just sitting, observing, paying attention. Why is that so?  •  Trungpa Rinpoche talked quite a bit about comfort mind and entertainment mind  •  it's as if we have some kind of ongoing project under the surface, a project that prevents us from actually looking too deeply into our experience  •  we keep churning things up to distract us from looking honestly, truly, and straight at our direct experience  •  it's like that phrase, TMI — too much information; we actually don't want to know that much about ourselves and who we are and what's going on; we don't really want to see beyond our story, our assumptions, our habits  •  it's like we're trapped in a book that we ourselves are writing  •  gently dismantling this process comes simply by sitting still, by letting in of a touch of freedom and a bit of fresh air  •  wisdom lives in undefined, open space; resting in that space allows wisdom to be found.

Buddhism is often seen as an esoteric philosophical or psychological system; but at a profound and important level, the Buddha's teachings are very much grounded in nature  • many Buddhist insights took birth out of direct observation of the world of nature, the world of rocks and trees and clouds and rain and sunshine  •  everything outside is mirrored within, and everything inside is mirrored in the outside world  •  relating to the five elements — earth, water, fire, wind, and space — requires getting out of our heads; we have to pay attention, to listen, to be simple  •  the EARTH element is about steadiness, simplicity, and reliability; relying on the support of the earth is the foundation for meditation practice  •  WATER reflects a different kind of stability: water is purifying, clarifying, and flowing  •  water evens out the rough edges of things; it relaxes and cools the harsh, edgy quality of life  •  the warmth and heat of FIRE softens and melts through our rigidity, our supposed solidity  •  fire is a counterbalance to the element of water, which is cooling and refreshing, but a bit cold  •  WIND is the breath and the energy of movement; even though it is not immediately visible, wind represents the power to transform things  •  SPACE is not really graspable, but without space nothing could exist  •  space is a sense of vastness and that which cannot be conceptualized, but which embraces all of life and all being; it is openness and a sense of possibility. 

Today I'd like to introduce a traditional list called “the five strengths” — determination, faith, virtue, remorse, and aspiration  •  determination points to the need to stick with the path we're on, the path we've chosen  •  it’s connected with patience, recognizing that genuine spiritual training is not a quick fix, but a lifelong process  •  faith is trusting that what we're doing is worthwhile and valid, and it’s also the confidence that we are worthwhile and valid  •  determination is balanced by faith: there's no point in being determined to do something if we don't think we can do it, or if we don't fundamentally think it's worthwhile  •  the third strength is literally called seed of virtue; it has to do with a sense of compassion and ethical behavior  •  virtues are seeds that bear fruit: when we do something kind, something helpful to another, it bears fruit, it ripples out  •  the last two are remorse, which is is pointing to the things we need to let go of, and aspiration, which is pointing to what we need to cultivate  •  remorse means being honest and straightforward in reflecting on our behavior  •  aspiration doesn’t have to be a change-the-world aspiration; it could be something simple: maybe I could try not to be so easily triggered; maybe I could be a little bit more thoughtful to others.

[This episode originally aired on October 18, 2022]  In continuing our exploration of the prajna paramita, I'd like to focus on the inseparable trio of prajna (knowledge or wisdom), shunyata (emptiness), and compassion (karuna)  •  according to Trungpa Rinpoche, the freshness of prajna insight and the warmth of compassion are always connected  •  this challenges some common assumptions: that intelligence or sharpness of mind is harsh and aggressive; that compassion and love are fuzzy, soft, and weak; and that both compassion and sharpness of mind are solid and fixed  •  in the famous teaching called “The Heart Sutra,” the three main characters embody this inseparable trio  •  there is the Buddha, who is sitting in meditation; there is Avalokiteshvara, who is the embodiment of compassion; and there is Shariputra, who is the student asking questions  •  to embody and practice the prajna paramita, we need to empty ourselves of our preconceptions, and we also need to let go of our sense of attainment in having done so. 

[This episode originally aired on October 11, 2022]  The sixth and final paramita is the prajna paramita  •  the sanskrit term “prajna” means supreme knowledge: the best of knowing, the best of cognitive mind  •  even though the Buddhist tradition is widely known for non-conceptual practices such as sitting meditation, there is also a great reverence and respect for learning and for knowledge at all levels  •  prajna is not just about knowing this or that; it is seeing without bias  •  prajna is fresh and on the spot; it is sharp, and it is direct  •  prajna is a way of seeing without any capturing or storing; it is the first thought, the first insight  •  it is what our perceptions can be when we're not trying to hold onto them or put them in our bag of experiences  •  prajna is often represented by a razor-sharp two-sided sword—one that cuts through duality altogether  •  by cutting through dualistic thinking, a much fresher and clearer way of knowing is liberated. 

[This episode originally aired on October 4, 2022]  The topic of meditation reminds me of the old saying, “all roads lead to Rome”  •  in the Buddhist tradition, all teachings seem to lead to meditation  •  sometimes we think of meditation as just stillness, but as one of the six paramitas, meditation is considered to be one of the skillful actions of a bodhisattva, essential for cultivating wisdom and compassion  •  meditation helps us to settle and to open; it helps us to hold our mind steady and not simply react impulsively when we are challenged by other people and the pressures of life  •  with meditation, you can hold steady and then respond appropriately—and then you can let go and move on  •  in meditation practice, we begin to see through some of our preconceptions, and we witness how easily we solidify our experiences  •  meditation draws us out of ourselves and turns us towards others; in doing so, the inspiration to work for the benefit of others arises.