BUDDHISM GOOD FOR NOTHING
For more than two millennia, Buddhism has been a powerful religious, political, and social force, first in India, its original homeland, and then in many other lands. It remains a powerful religious, political, and cultural force in many parts of the world today. There is every reason to expect that the appeal of Buddhism will continue far on into the future.
Buddhism is one of the world's largest religions and originated 2,500 years ago in India. Buddhists believe that the human life is one of suffering, and that meditation, spiritual and physical labor, and good behavior are the ways to achieve enlightenment, or nirvana.
Like other Buddhists, Theravadins believe that the number of COSMOS is INFINITE. Moreover, they share the near-universal Buddhist view that the cosmos inhabited by humankind, like all cosmos, has three planes of existence: the realm of desire, the lowest of the planes; the realm of material form, which is associated with meditational states in which sensuous desire is reduced to a minimum; and the realm of immateriality or formlessness, which is associated with meditational states that are even more exalted.
The three planes are divided into various levels. The realm of desire is divided into heavens, hells, and the earth. It is inhabited by those suffering in the various hells—a species of wandering, famished ghosts, animals, Hell beings, human beings, gods, and a sixth group that is not universally acknowledged, the (demigods). The entire cosmos is enclosed by a great Chakkavala Wall, a ring of iron mountains that serves as a kind of container for the realm of desire.
Mount Meru, the great cosmic mountain topped by the Heaven of the 33 gods over which Indra (Sakka) presides, is surrounded by a great ocean where people live on four island continents, each inhabited by a different type of human being. (The southern continent, loosely correlated with South—and sometimes Southeast—Asia, is called Jambudvipa.) The material aspect of the realm of desire is made up of four elements: earth, water, fire, and air, held together in various combinations.
In this cosmos, as in all others, time moves in cycles of great duration involving a period of involution (destruction of the cosmos by fire, water, air), a period of reformation of the cosmic structure, a series of cycles of decline and renewal, and, finally, another period of involution from which the process is initiated once again. Five buddhas are destined to appear in the cosmos in which humans live, including Gotama (Sanskrit: Gautama), who is to be the fourth, and Metteyya (Sanskrit: Maitreva, who is to be the fifth.
Human existence is a privileged state, because only as a human being can a bodhisattva become a buddha. Moreover, according to Theravada, human beings can choose to do good works (which will result in a good rebirth) or bad works (which result in a bad rebirth); above all, they have the capacity to become perfected saints. All these capacities are accounted for in terms of a carefully enumerated series of (dharmas), the elements’ impermanent existence. In continual motion, these changing states appear, age, and disappear.
Blue Mountain Zendo located in Pennsylvania nurtures and builds upon the initial spark of awakening which occurs as the catalyst for our awakening process, and together with the sangha, forges a personal path that reveals the true source of that rudimentary spark. It is true to traditional Rinzai Zen form and offers traditional liturgy, koan practice, ceremony, dokusan, zazen, intensity, and discipline. Beginners mind and being present. What a wonderful introduction to Rinzai Zen Practice.
Rinzai, one of two major Zen Buddhist sects in Japan; it stresses the abrupt awakening of transcendental wisdom, or enlightenment. Among the methods it practices are shouts (katsu) or blows delivered by the master on the disciple, question-and-answer sessions (mondo), and meditation on paradoxical statements (koan), all intended to accelerate a breakthrough of the normal boundaries of consciousness and to awaken insight that transcends logical distinctions.
The sect is traced back to China, where it is known as Lin-chi, in the 9th century by I-hsüan and was transmitted to Japan in 1191 by the priest Eisai. It became important culturally as well as religiously during the Kamakura period (1192–1333) under the patronage of lords and warriors and remained influential during the Ashikaga period (1338–1573). The celebrated master Hakuin was a major reformer of Rinzai during the 18th century.
Modern Rinzai is divided into 15 subsects. Among its great temples are the Tenryu and the Myōshin temples in Kyoto and the Kenchō and the Engaku temples in Kamakura.
THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW: How many Buddhists are there in the world? Buddhism is the fourth largest global religion, practiced by more than 500 million people, roughly 7% of the world's population. Whether you are wealthy or poor we ALL have the same tools inside our heart. Let go of the world of duality and simply develop a meditation practice lifestyle and as your perception changes so will you. Wishing you a happy journey.
THINGS YOU MAY WANT TO SAVE: Daily log of good deeds plus your daily Zazen Practice. How difficult is it to practice Zen Zazen Buddhism...like training a dog. JUST SIT. By golly you got it?
ZENTRAVELER SAYS: Using the Koan Buddhism Good for Nothing is like reverse engineering, oxymoron, paradoxical statements and in reality Buddhism could be the savior of the world. Just imagine billions of people practicing Buddhism ... we would be in a war-free society of hatred and evil. Can you say NIRVANA versus today's chaotic world.
From here to Infinity is a relatively short ride! The next leg takes eons and eons as you fly through the Barycentric Dynamical Time Zone! …and on and on and on. Follow the Zentraveler Newsletter often for Travel, Health and Zen-like stories and such. Where else can you get a THREE IN ONE NEWSLETTER FOR THE PRICE OF FREE.
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