... What is Karma? ... & Other Buddhist Ideas.

... had insights, thoughts arising in Mind.


Karma can be understood many ways.

One of definitions is that our thoughts, speech and actions from past cause our present and future. There's also how we experience ripening karma, we can try to calm mind, or follow happy energy, for example. Our decision seeds karma to ripen in future.


Karma ripens when conditions allow. Without seeds in store consciousness there's nothing to ripen, as well.


Many parts can be included in Karma definition, for now i keep 3-parts model, for simplicity.

Karma is:

1. What You eat,
2. What You have / both internal and external resources - from wisdom & intelligence, knowledge, skills, happiness ... to good style & looks, to money, 'household', and rare goods. /,
3. With whom You keep with, / friends and enemies, with better and worse resources and eating habits. /


Does a Tea Leaf have mind?

... i think it does have mind ... it's complex organism consisting of many bacteria and other microorganisms, perhaps. Each of smallest living units has mind, i think. Bacteria are alive beings, viruses are not - these are phenomena without Mind.


Similar with humans, animals, etc - these have mind, and are complex entities. Complex entities consits of smaller complex entity(-es) and/or smaller simple entity(-es).


Let's consider 'lifecycle' of living beings.

... animal is alive, then hunted, dead, meat prepared.

... no longer animal, but smaller units - bacteria, etc ... still live.

... humans eat meat, digest - there's still living units, probably even smaller.

... we expell 'crap' / pl: 'kupa' /, there's still life contained.

... 'crap' can be used as fertilizer / pl: 'nawóz'. / for plants, or a part of the fertilizer production process.

... then perhaps some of plants are eaten by animals and/or human beings again.


... i think that both plant-and-meat-eaters, vegetarians & vegans are needed ... and i think that conscious-and-flexible-consumers are needed the most, as well.

... let's try to not hate each other too much, but let's eat wisely - using ecosystem research efforts.


/ my father was animal hunter and studied parts of animal ecosystem. there are laws on which animals can be shot, where and when, fees to pay after shooting, etc.

... too much or too little of certain animal population in given area can result in great ecological disaster, that's why my father had to study animal ecosystem regularly. without studies he would lose hunting license, and face other problems probably, as well.

... i've studied Environmental Engineering, which included Ecology a little, on mother's sugestion - she worked in that 'college'. she died of cancer, among other ills. ... but i've completed biology lesson with 'good' or 'very good' grade - forgot details. now i work at hospital that treats cancer, as physical security specialist in Juwentus Security Company. fitting work for my background, and for someone who tries to identify with Mahakala, Buddhist Guardian and Protector, among other. ... but someday, preferably in less than 3 years, i wish to return to computer sciences - probably in Adobe Co. ... perhap's i'll write software for RNA/DNA visualization and modelling, among other functionalities.

... Warsaw University - Mathematics, Informatics and Mechanics faculty, MIMUW, has Interdisciplinary Center for Modelling, ICM - perhaps still.

... i'd love to be a part of MIMUW Alumni's Science Circle, when i'll return to MIMUW to study Mathematics. i do not need to be the best, being a part of greater whole is a bliss in my eyes. i do not need too political students' organizations, as for example BEST is - i prefer true science, with practical technology than politics.

... don't get me wrong - politcs can be useful and needed, but it's not 'my piece of a cake', as far as sciences are considered.

... i do politics in esoteric circles, but i stay away from other, more mundane and scientific politics - that's 'my piece of cake'.

... advanced science & technology can be magical, esoteric, spiritual - but i prefer to stay low - unless i must. /


There are many languages of animals, of humans, etc ...

... i think human, animal, god, ... beings are states of mind, but not only - there are steps in realization, as well.


Criticism requested & welcome.

... perhaps these ideas can be used with: Statistics for Enlightenment, ... How i understand Mind, Body, Energies & related.


OM MAHAKALAYE SOHA
OM MANI PEME HUNG
OM MANI PADME HUM
OM A RA PA CA NA DHIH
OM MANI PEME HUNG

KARMAPA CHENNO

Namaste, blessed be.

Symbols of Truth, what they are?

Purpose.

... to interpret visions, insights and skrying attempts, i wish to use 'Symbols of Truth'.

See also, if You wish: Wish for Mental Skrying Tools, in Service for All Buddhas, Skrying in Service for All Buddhas.


What is truth?

... i like to say that 'truth is what brings together instead of separating, but honesty is also important'.

There are many truths, as many as there are beings.


Symbols of Truth.

... i think Symbols of Truth are symbols that invoke view of certain beings into my view, that these symbols say what is beneficial and what is harmful, that these symbols say who is friend and who is foe.

... in buddhism worst foe is ignorance, the root cause of all detrimential mind states. Ego is foe in Buddhism as well.


What Symbols of Truth i should use?

... i wish to use the Symbols of Truth that:

* include view of All Buddhas,
* include view of All Sanghas,
* include view of a Buddhist woman i Love,
* include view of the Rosicrucian Golden Dawn,
* include views of other Esoteric Groups - including Wicca, Witchcraft, and Luciferianism,
* dispel distractions - awaken clear and calm mind, awaken clear awareness, awaken discriminating wisdom,
* bring beings together, instead of separating,

Yes, i know - my visions will be interpreted through biased lens - but i tell about my preferences openly, at least.

... i fight for people & ideas i support, that way - and prefer to not fight too blindly - 'Symbols of Truth' are just a tool for that.

... feel free to criticize, if You wish.


Spell - Mantras.

Wisdom, Awaken!
Mind of Truth, Awaken!
Artful Eye, Awaken!

Empower!

Wisdom, what it is?

What, according to Buddhism, is wisdom?


The highest wisdom is seeing that in reality all phenomena are incomplete, impermanent, and not self.

This understanding is totally freeing and leads to the great security and happiness which is called Nirvana.

However, the Buddha doesn't speak too much about this level of wisdom.

It is not wisdom if we simply believe what we are told.

True wisdom is to directly see and understand for ourselves.

At this level then, wisdom is to keep an open mind rather than being closed-minded, listening to other points of view rather than being bigoted; to carefully examine facts that contradict our beliefs, rather than burying our heads in the sand; to be objective rather than prejudiced and partisan; to take time about forming our opinions and beliefs rather than just accepting the first or most emotional thing that is offered to us; and to always be ready to change our beliefs when facts that contradict them are presented to us.

A person who does this is certainly wise and is certain to eventually arrive at true understanding.

The path of just believing what you are told is easy.

The Buddhist path requires courage, patience, flexibility and intelligence.


Source: Wisdom and Compassion on www.buddhanet.net.

What is, and how 'Self' develops ?

'Self' in Buddhism.

Quoting from 'Buddha & Love' book by Lama Ole Nydahl, 'Self' is 'the physical-emotional mixture one believes themselves to be'.


'Self' in Jungian Psychology.

'Self' is alternative concept to 'Ego' in Jungian Psychology; ... in a polish language 'Self' is translated to 'Jaźń'; ... in a german language it's 'das Selbst'.

'Self' is archetype, holding personal unity & wholeness of a human, in both 'individual dimension', as well as in the 'group dimension', in both conscious & unconscious life aspects.

'Self' is archetype of fullness, compleness, of psychological whole.

'Whole' is true source of the meaning of word 'Holy', in Buddhism, probably in other Religions as well.

In this sense, 'Self' is the destination instance of the 'Ego Development', inborn possibility of everyone. But perhaps Buddhism goes beyond that, even more.

'Self' development is related with important ideas, with religious values, with needs, with authorities.

In Jungian Psychology, a human is born with 'Self' - primal, central, soul center. Then ego is created by human & shaped by surroundings - secondary soul center. Self-development & Self-discovery in psychotherapy, return to self, ... - is crowning of the process for building one's personality, of self-fulfillment, of finding the treasure, of discovering the philosopher's stone.

-- Paraphrased from 'Jungian Psychology's Basics' book by Zenon Waldemar Dudek.


See also, if You wish: Jungian Archetypes.


'Individuation' in Jungian Psychology.

Dynamic relation between 'ego' & 'Self', is in Jungian Psychology explained as ego-Self axis.

There's mention of 'individuation', development where:
- 'inflation' occurs when 'ego' closes to 'Self'.
- 'alienation' occurs when there's loss of bond with this archetype or with other archetype(s).

When one tries to develop Self, unavoidable are illusions, fascinations & disenchantments.

-- Paraphrased from 'Jungian Psychology's Basics' book by Zenon Waldemar Dudek.


See also, if You wish: Individuation Archetypes (Jungian).

What is Buddhism, again?

Lama Ole Nydahl in his book 'The Way Things Are' mentioned that Buddhism is the Way of Life, similar to Psychology, Philosophy & Religion - with certain differencies from these, however.

Modern words of HH Buddha Karmapa however explain that Buddhism is the Way of Life similar to Science, not a Philosophy nor Religion.


It's also Lama Ole Nydahl's words that Buddhism has different lessons for different people - all leading to Liberation (all of Buddhism) and Enlightenment (Mahayana Buddhism & Vajrayana Buddhism). Some people are content with Liberation only.

i think that different lessons are for different times & nations, for different religious, cultural & social groups as well.


Can someone be both Catholic (or a member of other Religion) & a Buddhist at the same time?

i understood - by HH Buddha Karmapa's words - that it's possible.

Hope others will benefit from this as well.

What is Mandala?

Definition.

'Mandala (Tib. Khyilkhor): (1) The powerfield of a buddha, which emerges out of the countless possibilities of space, or the depiction of the powerfield. In broader sense, the powerfield of a person or a group. (2) A mentally-composed universe filled with the precious things that one offers to the buddhas when doing the Mandala Offerings meditation...'

-- Quoted from 'Buddha & Love' by Lama Ole Nydahl.


Invocations.

Invocations can be used to evoke powerfield of buddha's aspect.


Wishes.

I wish to learn, understand & keep deepening of the understanding of what is Mandala.

I wish to share this understanding for benefit of all beings.


Another Quote.

Just found something on Lama Ole Nydahl's page:


Sometimes we call the group of people who are active in the Buddhist center a “mandala.” What does this mean?

Lama Ole’s answer:

Mandalas are self-arisen enlightened power-fields. This term is also used for the people who belong to this power-field through attuning themselves to an enlightened principle. Concerning the groups that are connected to me, it works like this: as long as we are friends, are honest with each other, and trust each other, everything that happens in the centers will express Karmapa’s whole circle of protection.

It is important that these mandalas are beyond personal. As the Danish saying goes, “The cemeteries are full of irreplaceable people.” However often one may think, “Everything depends on me and nothing will work without me,” as soon as someone leaves, something within the power-field shifts and others take over that job. New aspects come in and maybe everything works even better than before.

Many people think that those who are active in the centers are completely altruistic and self-sacrificing, and are only working for others. These people hold themselves back from getting too involved in the center because they are afraid they won’t have enough time for their own practice. But actually, one also does center work for oneself. If we manage to be a good example at all times and not slack off when people come to hear something, we will experience real spiritual growth. After a long, hard day’s work, when we’re just about to pat ourselves on the back, there are people standing there again, with their uncle who hasn’t understood anything about the teachings. It just goes on like that until someday we forget to pat our own back and the ego dies miserably of starvation. Then everything is fun; whatever happens is meaningful and we experience it all as a gift. That’s where we want to be.

It’s a little secret: one does the work for others, but the one who does the work benefits most.


Source: Questions to Lama Ole - Mandala.