Self-Improvement and Mind States.

I think and feel that we - living beings (humans,animals,deities,etc...) - are Mind(s), and have bodies.

Self-improvement and self-transformation would be changing one's Mind State from 'State A' to 'State B'.

This can also be explained as that one's state can move from 'Point A' to 'Point B'. One's Mind state can 'move' between Points A & B like a pawn in the board game, possibly crossing through more points (Point C, Point D, Point E... etc) in process, before reaching the desired 'Point B'. One's current Mind's state would be determined by pawn's current position.

Transition between Mind states (moving from 'Point' A to 'Point B') can be triggered by (almost) anything one experiences. From hearing a buddhist lecture, to crossing the street, participating in karate lesson, speaking a Mantra, watching theatre play, drinking water, observing a holy paint (thangka), lighting a candle, etc... Sometimes, however, one's experience doesn't result in such transition, or it triggers transition from 'Point A' to 'Point A'. In either case nothing changes, practically speaking - except for having time to pass during such an 'empty transition'.

Not every transition is beneficial, resulting in self-improvement. Some transitions are either 'neutral' or 'detrimential', resulting in downfall instead of development.

One's Mind state determines many aspect of one's being and perceptions. Whether one is in Europe or Asia, whether one feels joy or sadness, whether one experiences world as Hell or Zoo or even the 'Pure Land' - it's all included in one's Mind State.

I feel that death itself, and rebirth, are also Mind State transformations. During the moment of death one's mind state changes and one perceives world 'around' differently, like one would 'teleport' to another world. Same with the moment of rebirth and other bardo state changes.

For more about bardo states, feel free to read: 'Fearless Death' book by Lama Ole Nydahl.


Many won't understand this sadly, but I think that Mind behaves in a similar way as 'Finite State Machine(s)' in the Computer Sciences - except for that Mind is Limitless, is Infinite like an Open Space.

I think and feel that many would use words: 'Complex Machine(s)' instead of 'Finite State Machine(s)' when explaining the Mind's behaviour.

Outer Promises for Self Liberation.

About.

'Buddha gave his students the outer rules to protect them from losing their way. Their goal is to avoid thoughts, words, and actions that stand in the way of a calm mind and to help people let go of attachments.

Buddha gave five promises, which are part of the Eightfold Path, that apply to lay people in today's world:

• Do not kill. Most people at that time were farmers and slaughtered their own animals. Today city dwellers can strengthen that promise,
  
• Do not lie to harm others or wrongly present one's own spiritual attainments,
  
• Do not take what is not given,
  
• Do not bring sexual harm to anyone,
  
• Do not get intoxicated.
  

-- Quoted from 'The Way Things Are' book by Lama Ole Nydahl.

Turning Anger against Self.

Consequences.

Too much of anger is a trap.

As one releases anger, one often loses control and does harmful things to oneself and to others, seeding bad karma in one's own store consciousness.

Eventually that karma will emerge from store consciousness and one will face unpleasant results.

More than that, as one loses control one struggles in a blind, painful fight ... and results are miserable. That way one is punished by one's own anger.


How to handle anger?

'Here Buddha's advice is to develop compassion for others and to understand that maybe those who make mistakes cannot help it.'

-- Quoted from 'The Way Things Are' book by Lama Ole Nydahl.


'One's handling of disturbing emotions on the thrid and ultimate level is often explained metaphorically: one lets the thief enter an empty house. This means not giving one's enemies any nourishment and strength. One simply and tenaciously continues doing what lies in front of one's nose and behaves like an elephant pricked by thorns. Though thorns are there, one stays "cool and calm" and is aware of of the strength of their skin. They don't give the disturbing emotions any power. Seeing one's disturbing emotions like a silly film on TV that one doesn't need to watch also gives mind its wished-for space. After repeated appearances in varying costumes, but with decreasing success, the disturbing emotions gradually stay away. Their power dwindles and, when they lose their influence, one may even give them useful, but uncomfortable jobs: in the case of waning anger - wash the car; in the case of jealousy - clean the toilet; in the case of confusion - answer some mail; and so forth. Chores like these, habitually enforced, encourage mental trips to quickly flee'.

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


Aside from these methods, i've experienced that it might be useful to calmly & wisely release a small amounts of anger at one's own self's parts. Like in martial arts, when one strikes, one breathes out and releases a little of anger, sometimes as part of Kiai, battle shout. One can shout HUNG mantra as a battle shout as well.

But how this relates with one's self?

When a cause of anger-arousing troubles originates in one's mind / more precisely: in one's self /, one can perceive it quickly if one observes mind.

One should never accept bad mental trips, one should develop distance & criticism to what appears in one's mind.

One can develop intent of attacking these causes of troubles, breathe out a small & controlled amount of anger while thinking or speaking the HUNG mantra.

Invoking Mahakala, with mantra OM MAHAKALAYE SOHA might help as well.


Mantras.

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

HUNG

KARMAPA CHENNO

The Self-Improvement Wish.

Computer Games are addiction, these destroy my life.

... i am playing games because insights tell me that it's beneficial and helps Sangha, not only by recruiting kids to Sangha.

/ there's a disclaimer with advice and link to buddhist centers list on a computer game-related blog /.

... but this addiction destroys my psyche, to the point where i can't clean mess in my apartment, to the point where i disregard looking nice and smelling nice.

... i am making a wish to get better than that - to delete characters, sell game cards / except for black lotus gift for a buddhist woman i love /, get rid of games, remove game-related blogs & art - unless my mind changes in the way where i can look & smell nice, in a way where my apartment looks & smells nice as well, in a way where i can work and sustain myself financially, as well.


OM A RA PA CA NA DHIH
KARMAPA CHENNO

Consciousness & Self.

Recently i did listen to a Lecture by Bhikkhu Samahita about Emptiness.

Following thoughts & understanding occured:
- We are Mind, we are Consciousness.
- Consciousness itself experiences thoughts & feelings, Consciousness experiences Reality in a series of discrete moments that are perceived as continuous stream,
- Self is not permanent, it's what we perceive in a discrete moments, changing from a moment to a moment,
- Consciousness experiences changing Mind States, that we perceive as Reality - we perceive it as we have bodies, feelings, thoughts, meet people, see surroundings etc ... it's all mind states,
- Death is illusion as well, it's just another type of mind states, still experienced as changing from a moment to a moment. Both death & rebirth, life & bardo are all mind states,
- i think Liberation is types of Mind States, 'free situations' without worries, or with less worries. Both Inner & Outer Realities are part of such Mind States, so Purification Practices, Improving Karma, as well as Results of these Practices affect both Inner & Outer Realities.

Source: Bhikkhu Samahita, Dharma on Air #78: Emptiness.


Following questions arose:
- Do Spiritual Aspects of beings arise from Mind? are these Conditioned, part of one's Karma?
- Is one's Powerfield a part of one's Mind State? Is it Conditioned? Is it part of one's Karma?
- What is Probability? Is it predetermined by Cause & Effect? Do we still have free will alongside of our Karma?

Following Aspiration arose:
- To model Enlightenment Theory using Object-Oriented Methodology, a visual graph of 'what is?' & 'what has?'.

Ideas to use in such the model is Object-Oriented Modelling & Finite-State Automaton theory.

Finite automaton have states & transitions, in a given discrete moment mind is in one of possible mind states.

Change from a current state to another state occurs by following a transition arrow, and choice of arrow is determined by:
- One's Karma experienced in a given moment,
- One's Reaction to experienced Karma.

i am not sure how simplified or how precise this model will be.

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).

Self Initiation.

The Lessons.

In the Stupa House Buddhist Center i've received the lessons.

One of most important lessons was about Identification.

We try to act as Buddha until we become Buddha.

Another of the most important lesson was about perceiving others as Buddha.

If we perceive other as Buddha we'll receive lesson as from Buddha.


Extensions.

i've called myself neo-mahakala-108 not to insult Buddha Mahakala, but to Identify ... to invoke his power, to realize his Buddha Qualities.

Names have Power, the Old Truth.

Today i had inner lessons, thoughts appeared in mind.

i've bowed before HH Buddha Karmapa 17th Trinley Thaye Dorje's image, but also before my Holstered Knife's image.

Thoughts appeared in mind telling me that most true of Initiations is the Self-Initiation, and Identification is also Self-Initiation.

Thoughts appeared in mind that formal external initiation courses are still worthwhile to participate in, to help others mostly - especially if these initiations are parts of one's way.


Causes.

i think i am lonely for too long, i need enlightened & magickal love.

As a kid i thought about needs of girls to seduce them.

i understood they need sense of security & protection, sense of security even more.

i understood they do not need rude protectors, they need gentle ones.

Later i understood that sense of security comes from real fight, from real protection - others can sense who is friendly & compassionate and who is against. i think it's the base of empathy.

i made a wish to be gentle protector of women.

Later i've trained martial arts.

Later i meditated & sang Mahakala Invocation with Sangha.

Later i performed the Mahakala Invocation Practice in the Stupa House Buddhist Center in Warsaw, for about a Month - along with Tonglen & other Practices - as my own practice beside other standard practices with Sangha.

i think this was the chain of causes for my Identification with neo-mahakala-108 & Self-Initiation that Way.

i think that for those who wish to win the True Love, this is one of the entrances - but prepare for very difficult & thrilling fight, and serious purifications. Even worst sissies can succeed that way if they are patient & dedicated enough, i think. I was considered worst and fattest boy in my school class, yet i see my fast inner & external progress for True Love now. it works in my case so far, so perhaps will work in other cases as well. i am not sure, however - i didn't succeed in creating family as of yet.

Now i understand that real protection also comes from sense of security as well - it works both ways.


Wishes.

May all beings have happines and causes of happiness,

May they be free from suffering and the cause of suffering,

May they always experience true happiness, which is totally free from suffering,

May they remain in the great equanimity, which is beyond attachment and aversion.


Mantras.

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

OM AMI DEWA HRI
OM KALACHAKRA SOHA

OM AH HUNG BENZA GURU PEMA SIDDHI HUNG

SHAMARPA CHENNO

KARMAPA CHENNO

Namaste, blessed be.