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Swami Vivekananda’s Highest Teachings

Swami Vivekananda

Why are people so afraid? The answer is that they have made themselves helpless and dependent on others. We are so lazy, we do not want to do anything for ourselves. We want a Personal God, a savior or a prophet to do everything for us. 

There is none to help you — never was. To think that there is, is sweet delusion. It does no good. If you take my advice, you will never enter any church. Come out and go and wash off. Wash yourself again and again until you are cleansed of all the superstitions that have clung to you through the ages.

The infinite truth is never to be acquired. It is here all the time, undying and unborn. 

There is neither existence nor non-existence. Shake off all ideas of relativity; shake off all superstitions. Let caste, and birth, and devas, and all else, vanish. No book, no person, no Personal God. All these must go. 

Why talk of being and becoming? Give up talking of dualism and non-dualism. Talk not of yoga to make you pure; you are pure by your very nature. None can teach you.

Say: “I am the infinite One. No bondage ever came near me. I am the changeless sky: clouds of belief may pass over me, but they do not touch me. The universe is my body. All minds are mine. With all feet I walk. Through all mouths I speak. In everybody I AM.”

Most people think that God is not here, that they will become immortal by going to heaven. They imagine that they will see God after death. But if they do not see Him here and now, they will not see Him after death. Though they all believe in immortality, they do not know that immortality is not gained by dying and going to heaven, but by giving up this piggish individuality, by not tying ourselves down to one little body. Immortality is knowing ourselves as one with all, living in all bodies, perceiving through all minds. 

Burn virtue; burn vice. Freedom is baby-talk. No one was ever bound; none was ever set free. There is none but the Infinite One, the Ever Free. 

What can change you, the essence of Knowledge? Who can teach? Who can be taught? Throw philosophical arguments into the ditch. Only a slave sees slaves; the deluded, delusion; the impure, impurity.

Space, time, causation are all delusions. It is your disease that you think you are bound, and that later you will be free. 

Talk not. Sit down and let all things melt away; they are but dreams. There is no differentiation, no distinction; it is all superstition. Therefore be silent and know what you are.

Be at peace. Do not disturb yourself. You never were in bondage; you never were virtuous or sinful. Get rid of all these delusions and be at peace. 

Who is there to worship? Who worships? All is the All. To speak or to think of anything else is superstition. Follow no ideal: you are all there is.

We must not pin our faith upon any man, however great. We must become Christs and Buddhas. Until then, Gods & Goddesses are simply occasions upon which to objectify our own inner powers. We really answer our own prayers. Bow down to nothing but your own higher self. Until you know that YOU are the very GOD of gods, there will never be any freedom for you.

Churches, doctrines, and forms, are the hedges to protect the tender young plant, but they must later be broken down so that the plant may become a tree. The various religions, Bibles, Vedas, temples, and dogmas, all are just pots for baby plants; but to thrive they must get out of their containers.

Evil is the iron chain; good is the gold one. Both are chains. Be free, and know once for all that there is no chain for you. Use the golden chain to loosen the hold of the iron one; then throw both away.

Tell this truth boldly, whether it hurts or not. If truth is too much even for the intelligent and it sweeps them away, let them go. The sooner, the better. Childish ideas are for babies and savages.

It is bad to stay in the church after you have grown up spiritually. Come out and die in the open air of real freedom.

What is the gain? The pig body is hard to give up; we are sorry to lose the enjoyment of our one little pig body! Yet there is no need of asceticism — better would be the enjoyment of two bodies, better three, living in more bodies than one! When I can enjoy through the whole universe, the whole universe is my body.

God is all blissfulness. He is the reality behind all that exists, He is the goodness, the truth in everything. All of you are His incarnations. The more we know of Him, the more misery vanishes. 

If one who lives in the Lord becomes miserable, what is the use of living in Him? What is the use of such a God? Throw Him overboard into the Pacific Ocean! 

God is the infinite, impersonal being — ever existent, unchanging, immortal, fearless; and you are all His incarnations, His embodiments. His heaven is everywhere. In this heaven dwell all the Personal Gods there are – you yourselves. So stop praying and laying flowers in the temples!

All the various practices and gradual trainings, Bibles and Gods, are but the kindergartens of religion. You may not like what I am saying. You may curse me today, but tomorrow you will bless me.

You are already free, only you do not know it. Worship everything as God. Every form is His temple. All else is delusion.

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5 Ways To Focus (While Meditating)

One convenient way to classify meditation techniques is the way that Shinzen Young teaches. He says there are 5 Main Ways to focus. You should try each type many times. Only then can you skillfully choose whichever works best for you, and when.

  1. Focus In (internal subjective thoughts and feelings)
  2. Focus Out (the objective external world)
  3. Focus on Rest (peace, stillness, relaxation)
  4. Focus on Change (impermanence, emptiness, flow)
  5. Focus on Positive (images, words, feelings)

What is a Dharma Teacher?

  • Serves as a bridge connecting modern day spiritual seekers to the ancient teachings of the historical Buddha.
  • Encourages the study of Buddhism, a set of teachings and practices that lead to spiritual growth and enlightenment.
  • Teaches meditation techniques and mindfulness practices helping students cultivate awareness, concentration, and inner peace.
  • Shows how/where to find the words of the Buddha; in print and online.
  • Explains the philosophy of Buddhism, including the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eight-fold Path, and the Three Marks of Existence.
  • Gives public talks or publishes/broadcasts content propagating Buddhist wisdom.
  • Organizes and leads meditation retreats.
  • Provides a space for shared learning.
  • Builds a supportive community of practitioners.
  • Offers spiritual counseling addressing students’ questions, concerns, challenges.
  • Acts as a role model by embodying the qualities of a dedicated practitioner, demonstrating integrity, humility, and equanimity.
  • Engages in ongoing self-reflection and personal growth, seeking to cultivate wisdom and compassion in their own lives.
  • Continues personal study, research, and deepening of their own understanding of Buddhist teachings to enhance their ability to guide others effectively.

The Unsurpassable (AN 6.30)

“Mendicants, these six things are unsurpassable. Which six? The unsurpassable seeing, listening, acquisition, training, service, and recollection.

And what is the unsurpassable seeing? Some people go to see an elephant-treasure, a horse-treasure, a jewel-treasure, or a diverse spectrum of sights; or ascetics and brahmins of wrong view and wrong practice. There is such a seeing, I don’t deny it. That seeing is low, crude, ordinary, ignoble, and pointless. It doesn’t lead to disillusionment, dispassion, cessation, peace, insight, awakening, and extinguishment. The unsurpassable seeing is when someone with settled faith and love, sure and devoted, goes to see a Realized One or their disciple. This is in order to purify sentient beings, to get past sorrow and crying, to make an end of pain and sadness, to discover the system, and to realize extinguishment. This is called the unsurpassable seeing. Such is the unsurpassable seeing.

But what of the unsurpassable hearing? Some people go to hear the sound of drums, arched harps, singing, or a diverse spectrum of sounds; or ascetics and brahmins of wrong view and wrong practice. There is such a hearing, I don’t deny it. That hearing … doesn’t lead to extinguishment. The unsurpassable hearing is when someone with settled faith and love, sure and devoted, goes to hear the teaching of a Realized One or one of his disciples. … This is called the unsurpassable hearing. Such is the unsurpassable seeing and hearing.

But what of the unsurpassable acquisition? Some people acquire a child, a wife, wealth, or a diverse spectrum of things; or they acquire faith in an ascetic or brahmin of wrong view and wrong practice. There is such an acquisition, I don’t deny it. That acquisition … doesn’t lead to extinguishment. The unsurpassable acquisition is when someone with settled faith and love, sure and devoted, acquires faith in a Realized One or their disciple. … This is called the unsurpassable acquisition. Such is the unsurpassable seeing, hearing, and acquisition.

But what of the unsurpassable training? Some people train in elephant riding, horse riding, chariot driving, archery, swordsmanship, or a diverse spectrum of things; or they train under an ascetic or brahmin of wrong view and wrong practice. There is such a training, I don’t deny it. That training … doesn’t lead to extinguishment. The unsurpassable training is when someone with settled faith and love, sure and devoted, trains in the higher ethics, the higher mind, and the higher wisdom in the teaching and training proclaimed by a Realized One. … This is called the unsurpassable training. Such is the unsurpassable seeing, hearing, acquisition, and training.

But what of the unsurpassable service? Some people serve an aristocrat, a brahmin, a householder, or a diverse spectrum of people; or they serve ascetics and brahmins of wrong view and wrong practice. There is such service, I don’t deny it. That service … doesn’t lead to extinguishment. The unsurpassable service is when someone with settled faith and love, sure and devoted, serves a Realized One or their disciple. … This is called the unsurpassable service. Such is the unsurpassable seeing, listening, acquisition, training, and service.

But what of the unsurpassable recollection? Some people recollect a child, a wife, wealth, or a diverse spectrum of things; or they recollect an ascetic or brahmin of wrong view and wrong practice. There is such recollection, I don’t deny it. That recollection is low, crude, ordinary, ignoble, and pointless. It doesn’t lead to disillusionment, dispassion, cessation, peace, insight, awakening, and extinguishment. The unsurpassable recollection is when someone with settled faith and love, sure and devoted, recollects a Realized One or their disciple. … This is called the unsurpassable recollection.

These are the six unsurpassable things.

They’ve gained the unsurpassed seeing,the unsurpassed hearing,and the unsurpassable acquisition.

They enjoy the unsurpassable training and serve with care.

Then they develop recollection connected with seclusion, which is safe, and leads to the deathless.

They rejoice in diligence, alert and ethically restrained.

And in time they arrive at the place where suffering ceases.”


Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato
https://suttacentral.net/an6.30/en/sujato

Working With Boredom

Despite feeling good, well rested, calm, and peaceful… I have been struggling with boredom this week. According to Buddhism, boredom can be greed or craving in disguise. Wanting more stimulation or to be entertained. But boredom can also be Aversion in disguise. A subtle pushing, trying to get away from it all. But boredom can also be natural. A person experiencing a predominance of neutral feelings. So it is good to sit with the boredom and really feel it, to investigate which kind it is.

For working with Aversion, Buddhism prescribes practicing the 4 Brahamaviharas (the four sublime moods / heavenly emotions / divine abodes).

More on how to practice them:
https://www.dhammatalks.org/books/Head&HeartTogether/Section0011.html

Active Disengagement

Is the Spirit of Commerce at Odds With the Human Spirit?

By Vikas Narula

“There has been a lot of buzz lately about the alarmingly high percentage of actively disengaged employees in the workforce.

There are many factors that affect employee engagement: job fit, company culture and manager/employee relationship to name a few. When I reflect on my own career and the times I felt more or less engaged, I wonder if the widespread lack of employee satisfaction has more to do with a deeper disconnect between the DNA of a corporation and the DNA of a human being.

The fabric of what makes humans happy is at odds with the very reason that many businesses exist. If that is not a recipe for active disengagement, I don’t know what is.”

READ THE FULL POST HERE:
https://keyhubs.com/blog/active-disengagement-is-the-spirit-of-commerce-at-odds-with-the-human-spirit/