A Funny Way to Find the Dharma!

by in Buddhism and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink

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Hahaha! Funny, as well as a profound Dharma Teaching one the essence of Buddhism, the Dhamma/Dharma, the gist of the Buddha‘s Awakening, or Nirvana can seem so simple, yet one who Truly Experiences is fundamental Truth is one whom experiences exactly what Buddhism is about!
The profound realization, or Insight into the “True Nature of Reality” can be realized in this funny image. The essence the Buddha’s Dharma is known as Pratityasamutpada:, or Conditioned Coproduction: “This Being, That Becomes… This Ceases and That Ceases to Become” Every action has in inherent  Causes, and all Phenomena are the outcome of an infinite amount of dharmas (with  lowercase “d.”) These are the factors that go into producing any given outcome. There is No “luck” or happenstance. All things arise Dependent upon Conditions.
We are not separate beings and objects,  we are ONE… All One massive amalgam, or composite of inter-related conditions. This Truth applies to Suffering or Happiness; there is a cause (or countless conditions,  to be m ore specific,) there are factors, when set forth produce a given result. Cease the conditions, and you cease the result.
The Four Noble Truths simply refer to this “equation” of Cosmic Law, the Law of Karma-Vipaka, or Action and Reaction, or simply put: Cause and Effect. The Truth of Happiness or dissatisfactory-ness, AKA Dukkha, is an inherent aspect of life. We will all die! All things that bring us joy will, at some point, cease to exist, and this is a large source of our human nature of suffering.  There is a Cause. If you cease this cause,  than you prevent the effect. Happiness has its causes, and if one cultivates those, then happiness arises. This is the essence of Buddhist Insight.

With factors being: a standing person, a biped, gravity, and a floor, plus a slip, and we see Karma-Vipaka! _/\_ The Dharma is Universal Law that pervades the Cosmos. It can be, and ultimately is, so complex that it can’t be fully comprehended, when One asks: “Why exactly did this happen?” The factors, the dharmas are so immense that one cannot understand its full depth and breadth. But one CAN understand the underlying Law that regulates these limitless factors.

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IS Today Vesak? Maybe!

by in Buddhism and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
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 Happy Vesak! AKA Buddha Day, The Anniversary of Buddha’s Enlightenment!
IS Today Wesak/Vesak/Vaiśākha??
Well, that depends on which country, or School of Buddhism that you practice.
The Theravada and Tibetan Countries tend to fall on the same, or similar days, where the Zen Countries use different calendars, and although this year all are pretty close, in China and Japan, it can be quite different. (As well as the YEAR, 2556 & 2557 are being Celebrated this year (this month) 
Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu! _/|\_
Here’s a list from Thailand to China;
2013: 24 May 2556BE 24 May 24 May 2557BE 24 May 25 May 2557 BE 25 May 17 May 24 May
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What Do You DO When You Meet the Buddha On the Road? KILL HIM!

by in Buddhism and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink

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A Zen Proverb/Koan states/Asks: Question: “What do you do when you meet the Buddha, while walking down the road?“
Answer: “You kill him!“
This, of coarse speaks to the conceptualization of separate being — a separateness, a dichotomy, duality… a mental concept/construct. Or more specifically; to Destroy ALL Concepts; the Buddha is no exception.
In Reality, there is no “Buddha,” “You,” nor road, for that matter.
“Form is only Emptiness, Emptiness is only form.”
But don’t think about it… you’ll only conceptualize more.
_/\_ Namo Dhammaya!The
The Three Jewels are essentially one Jewel: The Dharma/Dhamma.
The Dharma is the Essence, the Truth, The Teaching, The Path, The Way, The Tao.
A Buddha and Sangha are natural and necessary “by-products” of the Dharma. Yet, in may ways, the Dharma is “sunlight,” and the Buddha and Sangha are pure reflections, or natural manifestations of the sunlight on a perfectly still pond. They are the “reflection” of the Essence of the Truth, the Dharma/Dhamma.
~Dharmamitra Jeff Stefani
_/\_ Om Amoghasiddhi Ah Hum, Om Amoghasiddhi Ah Hum, Om Amoghasiddhi Ah Hum….
_/\_ I prostrate to the Manifestation of the Dharma (in this case, my personal sadhana practice,) this is the archetypal incarnation of the Buddhas: Amoghasiddhi.He occupies the Northern Skies, in the Mandala of the Five/ Jinas Buddhas.
His right hand forming the Abhiya Mudra, which symbolized “Fearlessness” and “Unobstructed Success.” He is deep-emerald-green, with a midnight sky behind him. In his left hand, balanced on one of the four points, stands a Double Vajra. (The vajra’s symbolism is more complex, although it should suffice to say that it’s meaning is translated as both “Lightening” and Diamond.) Also noteworthy is that he sits, as most Buddha Rupas (Buddha forms) on a Moon Mat, emerging form a Lotus Blossom, which is carried by two Garudas (large, mythical creatures that have various depictions, although most commonly the body of an eagle, with the torso and head of a man)

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Mara Attacks the Bodhisattva…Buddha-to-be, Gautama

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Mara Attacks the Bodhisattva...Buddha-to-to Gautama

“Mara” the “Evil One” attempts to “steal” the most often stollen possession of all time; attention. He wishes to confound the Mind, but his various tactics are impenetrable once they contact the Buddha Field… flaming arrows turn into flowers, and his naked daughters do not distract the Samadhi of the Buddha’s Meditation, Mindfulness, his Aura, his field of energy that nullifies lower energies.

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How-to Become a Bodhisattva:

by in Awakening, Buddha, Buddhism, Enlightenment, How to become a Bodhisattva, Tolle, Video Blog, Wisdom and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Bodhisattva Maitreya 060

Bodhisattva Maitreya 060 (Photo credit: tomylees)

How to Become a Bodhisattva, & There are No Enlightened Beings; Only Enlightened Experiences…. The essence of Non-Dual Awakening: Why are there no Enlightened Beings, but only Enlightened Experiences?
I try to convey what an Awakening Experience is like and explain why there are no Enlightened Beings, nor can there be, nor ever have been. It’s rather simple. No matter what you call it: Advaita Vedanta, Vipassana, Insight, Prajna, Wisdom, Stream Entry, Stream Winning, Becoming a Bodhisattva, Purifying Karma

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The Hierarchy of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle…

by in Buddhism, Environmentalism, Informative, The Greening of the Buddha and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
The waste hierarchy refers to the "3 Rs&q...

The waste hierarchy refers to the “3 Rs” reduce, reuse and recycle, which classify waste management strategies according to their desirability. The 3 Rs are meant to be a hierarchy, in order of importance. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Why is Recycling not good enough:

It has come to my attention, despite my own attempts to remind people, that many of us don’t understand, or think about, the” HigherArchey” of reduce, reuse, recycle.
give a shout out to George Strombolopolis (that’s phonetically spelled), from the Canadian show “The Hour”, on CBC, for his ONEMILLIONACTSOFGREEN.COM campaign.

our neighbors to the north appreciate thier natual resources, and are trying to protect them, and i would hope that anyone that doesn’t realize the significance , and spiritual connection (the inter-relatedness of ALL things) of Nature and the wilderness would spend some time (properly trained and prepared) in Nature, so that we all might realize the unexplicable pureness, beauty and sipiritual-nature, of Mother Nature. nothing makes for a more loving heart than the realization that we are all inter-related. i am you, you are me, i am the universe, the universe is me, and Nature is my temple, my Holy Land.

OK, so why reduce, reuse, recycle, in that order?

its really quite simple, logical, mathamatical:
1)REDUCE: if i , for example, choose not to just have that cup of Hot Chocolate at Starbucks (and those that know me KNOW, that i LOVE me my hot chocolate, as well as frequently “falling in love” with lovely Barista that serves it with a smile… ok, i could really go off on a tangent, but i won’t)
THEN, that cup is not used, therefore, it will not be PRODUCED ( e.g., the tree is saved, the gasoline for the chain saw, the trucks, the power plant, the refinery, the Dioxin and Chlorine to bleach and process the paper, the cargo ship carryying cocoa from south america, etc, is REDUCED. so i have an net impact of Zero (this is my science/math background making it logical)
NEXT
2) REUSE: so, i want that cup off cocoa b/c of the antioxidents, the deliscious chocloate, a chance to flirt with that Barista with the tattoo of a *Star” on her hand (i want to say her name is Abbey, but it really doesn’t matter, b/c after two years of “buying her attention”; i never would ask her out…but again, i digress)
SO, i REUSE my tavel mug. this mug is made of plastic, and it uses fossil fuels to make, but i can use it over and over, ergo: REUSE, and thus, my IMPACT is equivelant to 1.

LASTLY (as well as least efficiantly, we have:)
RECYCLE: So i get that dispossible coffee cup, but i put it in the RECYCLING box, so the paper can be recycled. so, it took the resaources/energy to manufacture this paper cup, then it takes resources and energy to recycle it, however, it takes less resources than to produce a “NEW” cup than it does to produce a “RECYLED” cup. ( but this is still far less efficient than reducing, or even reusing).
(mathamaticallly we have 1 [for the initial manufacturing] PLUS the amount it talkes to procress the recycled paper into another cup, which is FAR from nothing. but its still FAR better thyan usin a brand new cup.
so i am going to estimate the impact at about 1.5- 1.85,( lets call it 1.66) as opposed to the impoact of using two NEW cups, where the impact is equal to 2.

SO, my friends, there you have it, in an example from my life, with the aid of math. [ again the math is just to give an approxiamte "level of impact" that one has, from 0, -1, - 1.66, to 2, and on and on]

so remeber to REDUCE
REUSE and
RECYCLE,
but try to rember that order, or higher archey of environmental impact.
BTW, i have to say that i am a two-time Graduate from “The National Outdoor Leadership School“, A.K.A.: ” NOLS”, which educates lovers of the out of doors in the LNT, or Leave No Trace philosophy.

(and if you haven’t been to the pacifc northwest, into Canada and the northern Rocky Mountains, if you haven’t seen the impact of comercial logging, clear-cutting, etc, then let me tell you, when mountaineering, or flying over in a plane, it appears that the Earth has been RAPED, or RAVAGED by some sort of CANCER. and the cause of that Cancer is our own desire for creature comfort, and lack of contnement with “just being”, as well as our own naivity/ignorance on what a dramatic impact we arer having on our Mother Earth.

so, “take only pictures and leave only footprints” (or bubbles, if you’re a fellow scuba diver. which is another story for another day. i will say i have been SCUBA diving for about 25 years, mostly down in the Florida Keys, and one thing i have witnessed for myself is the decline/death of the Coral Reefs; the most BIO DENSE nad DIVERSE ecosystem on our planet)

whoa, enough gloom and doom. Mother Earth is the physical manifestation of LOVE and BEAUTY. and the “SPIRIT of NATURE; that “will to live” is alive and well in all things. we don’t need to save the Earth. we need to save the humans. the Earth will go on Living and Growing, WITH, or WITH OUT, us.
and, if we don’t get it right, we’ll have another chance, in the next life. But why not try to learn what we need to learn in THIS life, So we might “advance” to the next level?

OK, i don’t know about you, but i feel like getting some Hot Chocolate!

;)

(but i think i’ll have the least impact if i go make it for myself, at home. Abbey won’t be there, but my dog Jewel is allowed to join me, so, that doesn’t sound so bad.):)
Thank you!,
i am SO grateful for all of you.
my love is your love,

-Sunshine AKA Dharmamitra Jeff Stefani

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If you sit for one inch; You are one inch Buddha

by in Buddhism, Meditation, Spirituality, Zen Buddhism and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Lion Guardians of the Bodhi Path

Lion Guardians of the Bodhi Path (Photo credit: Tony Fischer Photography)

If you sit for one inch; you are one inch a Buddha.

Zen Buddhist Proverb. Refers to a time when Meditation sittings were timed by the time it took for a certain length of stick of incense to burn.
They did not have clocks, but they had high quality, consistently burning incense.

It also reflects another very significant concept, or belief. That being; an absolute certainty in the process of Enlightenment, or “the practice” of Meditation, of the Following The Path, the Path of the Dharma, the Buddha’s Noble Eight-Fold Path the Path, The Buddhist Path, or simply “The Path,” The Path of Spiritual Evolution, The Path from Samsara, or Conditioned Existence, or Compounded Existence, or simply,  ”Everyday ,common existence” through its clearly mapped-out phases, understood stages, or phases to Nirvana, or Satori.

I cannot stress these two points enough: 1) That “The Buddhist Path” and the Destinations of Insight (which spontaneously arises) and Nirvana, which is anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, (Or  Supreme perfect enlightenment, the unsurpassed enlightenment of a Buddha. Anuttara means supreme, highest, incomparable, unsurpassed, or peerless. Samyak means right, correct, true, accurate, complete, or perfect, and sambodhi means enlightenment. The expression samyak-sam-bodhi by itself is also used to mean perfect enlightenment. Thus, anuttara-samyak-sambodhi means supreme perfect, unsurpassed wisdom)

 are very literal, and clearly mapped and understood. 2) That with each action, or inaction, with each moment of meditation,  As this Zen Proverb speaks directly to, we are a moment closer to Awakening, Stream Winning, How to become a Bodhisattva,  Insight, Vipassana (Translated usually as “Transcendental Insight,” the root words mean: “to see distinctly”) Prajna, Insight, Wisdom, Enlightenment, Nirvana, Nibbana, Satori, etc.
The Noble Path, the Buddhist Path to Insight, to Awakening is as, or more real and literal than any piece of modern Cartography, “Mapquest,” or any satellite-obtained Map or Geological Survey of the Earth’s Geography and Contours.
Don’t believe me? Well, I can point you in the direction to Prove this Fact for yourself. I Am Living Proof, I have followed the Path, and achieved Insight, Wisdom, Vipassana, Prajna, Emptiness, Śunyata, etc.
I look at Facebook, I read what SO MANY people are Tweeting, I constantly see (often misquotes) quotes of the Buddha,  or any one of Thousand other Awakened Teachers, that it would appear as though EVERYONE Truly Wants to Access Insight.

But, is ANYONE willing to actually Take The Actions necessary to bring about this Vipassana, or Arising of Insight? To Lose Yourself and Gain the Universe, are you up for the task? 

So that’s why I am here,  to share the Truth,  the Bodhidhamma, the Dharma, my Direct Experience. That’s All, That’s It! I can’t Do It For You! But I can save you a lot of unnecessary hassles, or misdirection. But,  the choice is All Yours.  The Real Question Is: Do You Really Want to KNOW The TRUTH?!?!

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Updating Blog, so Please Give Feedback

by in Awakening, Buddhism, Spirituality and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
English: Head-shot of Eckhart Tolle from direc...

English: Head-shot of Eckhart Tolle from directly in front by Kyle Hoobin. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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So,  I wasn’t exactly a “typical” kid, I think that’s safe to say.  Yet, in other ways,  in the grand scheme of things,  I was fairly typical.
I lived a very adventurous life,  and did a  lot of cool stuff.

I should,  no,  I WILL re-write my “About Me” so this Blog is in Perspective.
But to give you the simple version: when I was 19, 20, I began a serious Search for the ANSWERS! About five years in,  I came across Buddhism,  and dove in,  head first!

I was REALLY GOOD at it.  I mean,  i understood what the Buddha was saying,  it jived with my experience,  and my chemically induced Enlightenment.  (Which, although chemically induced,  still shows you the whole “Behind the Scenes” look into Yourself,  and Reality.

My Meditation ability was the best of anyone I knew,  and I lived in a community for men studying for Ordination into the Western Buddhist Order. We ran a business,  and had a great, popular Buddhist Center (called: The Rocky Mountain Buddhist Center)
I began to teach and spent about 6-8 weeks of the year on retreat.  It was AWESOME! :)

So,  fast forward, (This isn’t the fast version I was thinking of…)

Blah, Blah, Blah (Addict),  Blah, Blah,  moved back to Detroit-area.
Blah,  blah,  (Sober) blah. After a few years,  depression and anxiety were still an issue.
A night of Intense suffering,  and then it happened!

My profound Arising of Absolute Bodhicitta, direct experience of Anatman, Anatta, Śuntayta (Sunyata/Shunyata) Emptiness,  Vipassana, Insight, Prajna, Wisdom, No-Self, Awoke to Oneness, etc

A  LOT of names for this Objective Attainment. (Ironically,  the Attainment is attaining Wisdom and Insight into Reality,  which is where/how I learned that I do not exist,

YUP!  It Is Absolutely,  Positively, Empirically, Scientifically, FACTUAL,  and something that’s been known and explained since the Buddha first Awoken albeit a different caliber. Although the Big Insight Arises at the point of Stream Winning,  or Stream Entry,  that’s what a Bodhisattva is,  And that’s: How to become a Bodhisattva… the Second Name of this Blog.  That is the Technical Starting place of a Bodhisattva. Ironically, the day I discovered that I do not exist, I go into this a whole lot in this blog,  in the videos,  etc,  and I am not going to explain now,  but I will,  AGAIN.
How is it that I don’t exist? Wel,  that’s what you have to experience for yourself.

Why?

Because It’s REALITY. It is also the thing that puts all of Life in perspective. And, now Wisdom is attained, and how Absolute Bodhicitta Arises.  (I’ll say this: it’s not REALLY compassion,  since you see that there is No “Me” and “Them” there is no subjective-objective dichotomy. So really, if you think about the word “compassion” and what it means. [ the computer says it means: “sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others”

So you see the term “others”?
That IS a Subject, Object, Dichotomy.

There is No Self, Nor Others, so this magical Compassion of a Bodhisattva,  well that’s all Bull Shit! It’s analyzing actions in a dualistic Universe,  and with Stream Winning,  you cease to be you. They cease to be them, and Reality simply Is (period)

So,  this is an illusion that you and I are separate beings,  but we can still play along.  This is a Dream, it is Smoke and Mirrors, a Delusion. But,  I can still pick up the game pieces,  and keep playing.  SO now I try to Awaken Others,  so we all know that this isn’t real,  there are no problems,  and there’s much cooler stuff t be experiencing than what the world is actually experiencing,  based on this delusion.  That is why SOME that Awaken choose to Teach,  so to speak.  Many Do Not.  I can see why they don’t…because they’re not real,  so why pretend?

So I am continuing this game of life,  but with totally different experience of it.

I started to do Psychoanalysis,  5 days per week,  on the couch,  just like Carl Jung, and many other famous Analysts (As Opposed to Psychiatry or Psychology, Psychoanalysis is TOTALLY Different,  and it help to Purify my Samskaras,  or Karmic Momentum,  and make me Better,  and cure those “problems” so that I can be the best Bodhisattva I can be! AND so I can Win the Big prize,  Nirvana.  (“I” have entered the stream,  but have not crossed it.  THAT is Enlightenment,  or Anuttara Samyak Sambodhi. This is a lot about Buddhism,  at least in terminology,  but you don’t have to be a Buddhist to Awaken to Oneness.

So,  now that’s enough to bring us up to date.  It’s a Fricking AMAZING RIDE!
I am committed to haring it and helping others. One of the reasons it doesn’t occur for a lot of practicing Buddhists is because they THINK it’s some larger than life event,  fo some future life, or just for Zen roshies or Lamas, Bhikkhus, or Eckhart Tolle.
Well, It Is Not! I am Here to Prove it,  and to Utilize Psychoanalysis to puffy my karma and bring about further and further evolution.  And to do it while Living in a modern city,  working and all that stuff. It’s TRULY an EPIC ADVENTURE,  so this BLOG is going to Keep going and I will write a book (for those that don’t follow the Blog…)

AND I AM GOING TO MENTOR OTHERS INTO STREAM WINNING!
So, this blog is for anyone that is SERIOUS about Spiritual Evolution,  Awakening,  Enlightenment, THE REAL DEAL!  You don’t have to be a Buddhist.  That’s the path I found most conducive, but MANY PATHS are available.  Reality Is Reality,  no matter what.

(You’ll be a Buddha and a Christ, so, THERE! Along with who or wherever you are.)
So I am now switching this Blog over to GoDaddy for Web Hosting,  since you can only do SO much while under the WordPress.com site hosting rule book.

And, we’re Going BIG TIME!  With SEO and SEM (That’s for the Search Engines, so this Blog gets found,  and Everyone Can Awaken instead of watching stupid “Reality” TV and playing Video Games.

Cool???

Feedback???

Advice?? (Especially as switch fro wordpress.com or wordpress.org and use Go Daddy,  and PROBABLY a WP Theme called “Thesis 2.0″  I have it, but it’s tricky to figure out.

Okay,  so show your support with comments and advice and feedback.

And Don’t be LAME! Say Something!

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Alan Watts Teaches Meditation- SHUT UP, AND MEDITATE! (Much from “You’re It!” by Alan Watts)

by in Awakening, Be Her Now, Buddhism, Chan, Dharma, Exploring Reality, Finding the Dharma, Freedom, Guided Meditattion, Haelthy, Happiness, Historical, How I became a Bodhisattva, How to become a Bodhisattva, How to Meditate, Informative, Just Be, Just Being, Liberation, Life & Death...., Meditation, Mind, Mindful, Mindfulness, Movies, Nirvana, Power Of Now, Spiritual Evolution, Spirituality, The Meaning of Life, Video, Wisdom, Zen and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Buddha, Kamakura, Japan

Buddha, Kamakura, Japan (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

SHUT UP, AND MEDITATE!

Much is taken from “You’re It” by Alan Watts,  a Great Audio Book,  I Highly recommend.

Published on Apr 28, 2012
Meditation is the way in which we come to feel our basic inseparability
from the whole universe.

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