Buddhism
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Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahmali | 4 January 2025
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US Army Intelligence study reported human consciousness ‘never dies’
“An eye-popping study conducted by US Army Intelligence and made public by the CIA has shocked social media with its finding that consciousness transcends space and time. Entitled ‘Analysis and Assessment of The Gateway Process,’ the 29-page report was drafted in 1983. The recently resurfaced US Army Intelligence report presents an abstract explanation of how consciousness is created through the brain’s processing of energy in the physical world – transforming it into what Lieutenant Colonel Wayne McDonnell compares to a hologram.”
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“Right Intention is the practice of being mindful of how our aspirations shape the way we think and act.”
— Buddhist Tradition
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The Four Noble Truths comprise the essence of Buddha’s teachings, though they leave much left unexplained. They are the truth of suffering, the truth of the cause of suffering, the truth of the end of suffering, and the truth of the path that leads to the end of suffering. More simply put, suffering exists; it has a cause; it has an end; and it has a cause to bring about its end. The notion of suffering is not intended to convey a negative world view, but rather, a pragmatic perspective that deals with the world as it is, and attempts to rectify it. The concept of pleasure is not denied, but acknowledged as fleeting. Pursuit of pleasure can only continue what is ultimately an unquenchable thirst. The same logic belies an understanding of happiness. In the end, only aging, sickness, and death are certain and unavoidable.
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“All things appear and disappear because of the concurrence of causes and conditions. Nothing ever exists entirely alone; everything is in relation to everything else.”
— Buddha
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‘The art of Zen’ education resource: History of Zen Buddhism
“Zen is a school of Buddhism which emphasises the practice of meditation as the key ingredient to awakening ones inner nature, compassion and wisdom. The practice of meditation (Zen in Japanese) as a means of attaining enlightenment was introduced, as we have seen, by the Buddha himself. Zen approached Buddhism in the most direct, simple and practical way. It grasped that enlightenment was the most fundamental aspect of Buddhism and thus did away with sacred scriptures, rituals and objects of worship, all of which had become a major aspect of Mahayana Buddhism in India.”
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The Origins of Zen
In Zen Buddhism, the main goal is not exactly “Nirvana” as understood in some other Buddhist traditions. Instead, Zen focuses on achieving “satori” or “kensho,” which are terms for enlightenment or awakening. This awakening is a direct, experiential realization of one’s true nature or the true nature of reality.
While Nirvana in broader Buddhist context often refers to the liberation from the cycle of birth and death (samsara) and the end of suffering, Zen emphasizes a more immediate and experiential understanding. Zen practice involves meditation (zazen), mindfulness, and direct experience, often guided by a teacher, to awaken to the present moment and one’s true self.
In essence, while both Zen and other Buddhist traditions aim for enlightenment and liberation, Zen’s approach is more focused on direct, immediate experience and awakening in the present moment.
By ChatGPT
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Karma is a concept with a few definitions, specifically in Hinduism and Buddhism, and the common sayings “what goes around comes around” and “what you sow is what you reap” are great examples of how karma works.
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Reincarnation is the religious or philosophical belief that the soul or spirit, after biological death, begins a new life in a new body that may be human, animal or spiritual depending on the moral quality of the previous life’s actions. The entire universal process, that gives rise to the cycle of death and rebirth, governed by karma, is referred to as “Samsara.” “Karma” is action, which may be good or bad. Based on the type of karma one does, he chooses his subsequent birth. For example, if one has done lot of divine service and has a desire to do more service at the time of death, his soul chooses a family that is supportive for his desire, for rebirth. According to Hinduism, even Devas (Gods) may also die and be born again. But here the term “reincarnation” is not strictly applicable. Lord Vishnu is known for his 10 incarnations – “Dasavataras.”
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“Form is emptiness, emptiness is form” states the Heart Sutra, one of the best known ancient Buddhist texts. The essence of all things is emptiness.”
— Eckhart Tolle
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David Lynch on Consciousness, Creativity and the Brain (Transcendental Meditation)
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One night in 1977, at the age of 29, after having suffered from long periods of depression, Tolle says he experienced an “inner transformation”. That night he awakened from his sleep, suffering from feelings of depression that were “almost unbearable,” but then experienced a life-changing epiphany. Recounting the experience, he says, “I couldn’t live with myself any longer. And in this a question arose without an answer: who is the ‘I’ that cannot live with the self? What is the self? I felt drawn into a void! I didn’t know at the time that what really happened was the mind-made self, with its heaviness, its problems, that lives between the unsatisfying past and the fearful future, collapsed. It dissolved. The next morning I woke up and everything was so peaceful. The peace was there because there was no self. Just a sense of presence or “beingness,” just observing and watching.” Tolle recalls going out for a walk in London the next morning, and finding that “everything was miraculous, deeply peaceful. Even the traffic.“ The feeling continued, and he began to feel a strong underlying sense of peace in any situation.
— Eckhart Tolle
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Thich Nhat Hanh on Buddhist Essentials: What is Karma