Am I actually first? Did I actually beat Alex to posting here for once?
Anyways, for the line that makes the most sense: "I love the covers of those New Age books that show some Enlightened Saint with blue halos around his body, shining pure white light from his head and fingertips." (81) Depictions like this are clearly farfetched...I could have told you this quote before even reading the book. Enlightenment happens mentally, not physially, if it happens at all.
Familiar question: "In the present moment there isn't even time to complete a single thought, no matter how simple." (79) So then, is it possible to live in the present moment? Since there is a time delay between what happens and when that light reaches our eye, we are always living in the past. Acting on anything in the present moment is physically impossible with our limited brains. What we call the present moment is really just the very close past. So what does it really mean when Buddhist are saying "live in the present moment?"
The line that stung me was "...bodhisattva has nothing to attain and that, because having nothing to attain, he attains complete liberation" (81).
This line made me realize that even the satisfaction I get from achieving a goal that I set for myself is not be as beneficial to my psyche as I tell myself it is. It brought to my attention the feeling that comes with failing to fulfill a goal (namely, dissatisfaction). Or maybe it's not so much of a problem to set goals for myself, as long as I develop more of an appreciation for the journey that takes me to the goal.
Recurring question: "Enjoy what's happening right now. Do what is appropriate, what is right, in the present moment and let the future be the future" (78).
What exactly is the "right" thing to do? What activities are deemed worth while? Is simply living what we "need" to do? If I'm so concerned with enjoying the present, does the author mean to say that I shouldn't worry so much about consequences? If I'd rather meditate and practice yoga right now, shouldn't I do that instead of my homework? If I do that, I will feel bad about being ill-prepared for class. To solve that, shouldn't I let go of my attachment to good grades? Learning about Buddhism makes the school system of this society seem absolutely silly.
The line that made the most sense to me was "Maybe your concept of ultimate reality has no counterpart in ultimate reality" (81).
To me, this is so straightforward, and basically explains the point of the Noble Truths. In this one sentence, Warner tells us the problem is that we cannot seem to accept reality for what it is. We constantly want things to be different, than they actually are. Our own reality is so far removed from actual reality that we are constantly suffering from disappointment and change.
"The present moment is the razor's edge of time, slicing through both future and past like a red-hot machete..." (79)
This line brought my familiar question of what separates a moment ago from this moment to the next moment, and if there is any real separation. Is it just a conceptual overlay to understand how things change. At what moment does something change from present to past. Is there future? No, it is like the river in Siddhartha. Time is fluid, there is no differentiation, no singular point of distinction. To me, past and future are both excuses not to enjoy the present. Not to be present. Fully, at least.
I think I understand the lines "...our perceptions of events at the time they are happening is always flawed and incomplete and then we reshape those flawed perceptions every time we revisit those memories. The past exists only in our minds and our minds are easily changeable and so the past itself becomes malleable as well" (77).
I think this means that what we consider to be 'our past', which doesn't actually exist, is just skewed versions of what we choose to remember. he remember what we want, and even replace what we don't want to remember with false information.
What puzzles me is 'the past.' "You cannot find your past no matter where you search." (78). If your past doesn't exist and you will never find it, then why are people obsessed with letting go of their so called 'pasts' ? And why do people place such value on their 'pasts'? So many people claim that their 'pasts' have had effects on their lives...or have shaped them. But is this really the case?
also, michelle is so right about school. everytime i read about 'acting in the present moment' and doing what is 'right,' i always think: then what am i doing at school? haha
“Memory creates the past… the past exists only in our minds and our minds are easily changeable and so the past itself becomes malleable as well.” (77) I agree with this quote; memory is someone’s recreation of the past, and nothing more. I do not believe that memories are bad, but at the same time I acknowledge that they do not actually exist. So many problems have been caused because memories and perceptions changing over time. People should not put such emphasis on a past that only exists in their minds.
“Our past actions affect our life here and now. Within the confines in which our past action has placed us, we are absolutely free right now.” (79) I agree that we are only capable of living in the present moment, but I also believe that past experiences shape who we are and the types of situations that we are in. I think that living in the present is extremely important, because we are only alive right now. I have wondered, however, how Buddhism accounts for past experiences that actually stop the person from doing something dangerous later on (such as burning oneself on a hot stove.) I think that these types conditioning help reduce suffering later on, but this requires people to live in the past.
“We have a world in our minds that we call “perfect” and a world in front of us (and within us) that can’t possibly match that image. The problem is the way we let our desires stand in the way of our enjoyment of what we already have”(79) I believe that this quote makes a lot of sense and is a great summary/ explanation of the second noble truth. It is not merely desire that causes our suffering but the desire for things to be different than they are. When we compare what we have to something in the future we want we suffer rather than just enjoying the moment. “What is happening here and now is obstructed by happening itself, it has sprung free from the brains of happening.”(80) The question that this quote raised was: “what???” Even the author’s explanation did not make the quote any clearer. So by simply being in the present moment we aren’t in the present moment? The time it takes for us to realize we are in the present means that we are no longer in it? I am not entirely sure what this means because in his explanation he says that emptiness meets form and then all of creation blossoms. What does that even mean? That by perceiving I am creating everything around me maybe.
"Everything exists in this moment. This moment is the basis of all creation" (80) This quote made sense to me given all that has led up to it in terms of proving how both the future and past are not attainable and do not exist. For anything to be it has to be right now and so each and every moment is the creation, life and demise of everything instantaneously only to have a new moment to repeat this process. It makes sense that each moment is everything given that there is truly nothing else. "In the present moment there isn't even time to complete a single thought, no matter how simple. In the present moment not even perception has time to occur. Action alone exists" (79) Well i didnt really understand what this was getting at and i feel like thats because i disagree with it. It is saying that in the moment you can do nothing but act not even think. I have a problem with this because at even a basic level some thought is required to do any action. I also have trouble seeing how as humans we could survive on simple instinctive actions in the moment. I dont know it just seems farfetched to me
"Nothing can possibly live up to the ideals and fantasies that you have created..." I liked this line a lot because it is simple and yet very effectively gets to the point of the second noble truth. We make these expectations about the future, which are never reality, and will always leave us disappointed in the long run. Knowing the suffering we are causing, we continue to have expectations about the future, and fantasize about what reality should be.
"Enjoy what's happening right now. Do what is appropriate, what is right, in the present moment and let the future be the future" This line brings up a very common question i ask myself whenever talking about the present moment. If one forgets about the future, do they not forget about the consequences of their actions as well? Wouldn't this then create a world that is run without any thought of what will happen. I think that a world living in the present moment would have a hard time living together, and spreading kindness with their minds in the present moment.
Am I actually first? Did I actually beat Alex to posting here for once?
ReplyDeleteAnyways, for the line that makes the most sense:
"I love the covers of those New Age books that show some Enlightened Saint with blue halos around his body, shining pure white light from his head and fingertips." (81)
Depictions like this are clearly farfetched...I could have told you this quote before even reading the book. Enlightenment happens mentally, not physially, if it happens at all.
Familiar question:
"In the present moment there isn't even time to complete a single thought, no matter how simple." (79)
So then, is it possible to live in the present moment? Since there is a time delay between what happens and when that light reaches our eye, we are always living in the past. Acting on anything in the present moment is physically impossible with our limited brains. What we call the present moment is really just the very close past. So what does it really mean when Buddhist are saying "live in the present moment?"
The line that stung me was "...bodhisattva has nothing to attain and that, because having nothing to attain, he attains complete liberation" (81).
ReplyDeleteThis line made me realize that even the satisfaction I get from achieving a goal that I set for myself is not be as beneficial to my psyche as I tell myself it is. It brought to my attention the feeling that comes with failing to fulfill a goal (namely, dissatisfaction). Or maybe it's not so much of a problem to set goals for myself, as long as I develop more of an appreciation for the journey that takes me to the goal.
Recurring question:
"Enjoy what's happening right now. Do what is appropriate, what is right, in the present moment and let the future be the future" (78).
What exactly is the "right" thing to do? What activities are deemed worth while? Is simply living what we "need" to do? If I'm so concerned with enjoying the present, does the author mean to say that I shouldn't worry so much about consequences? If I'd rather meditate and practice yoga right now, shouldn't I do that instead of my homework? If I do that, I will feel bad about being ill-prepared for class. To solve that, shouldn't I let go of my attachment to good grades? Learning about Buddhism makes the school system of this society seem absolutely silly.
The line that made the most sense to me was "Maybe your concept of ultimate reality has no counterpart in ultimate reality" (81).
ReplyDeleteTo me, this is so straightforward, and basically explains the point of the Noble Truths. In this one sentence, Warner tells us the problem is that we cannot seem to accept reality for what it is. We constantly want things to be different, than they actually are. Our own reality is so far removed from actual reality that we are constantly suffering from disappointment and change.
"The present moment is the razor's edge of time, slicing through both future and past like a red-hot machete..." (79)
This line brought my familiar question of what separates a moment ago from this moment to the next moment, and if there is any real separation. Is it just a conceptual overlay to understand how things change. At what moment does something change from present to past. Is there future? No, it is like the river in Siddhartha. Time is fluid, there is no differentiation, no singular point of distinction. To me, past and future are both excuses not to enjoy the present. Not to be present. Fully, at least.
I think I understand the lines "...our perceptions of events at the time they are happening is always flawed and incomplete and then we reshape those flawed perceptions every time we revisit those memories. The past exists only in our minds and our minds are easily changeable and so the past itself becomes malleable as well" (77).
ReplyDeleteI think this means that what we consider to be 'our past', which doesn't actually exist, is just skewed versions of what we choose to remember. he remember what we want, and even replace what we don't want to remember with false information.
What puzzles me is 'the past.' "You cannot find your past no matter where you search." (78). If your past doesn't exist and you will never find it, then why are people obsessed with letting go of their so called 'pasts' ? And why do people place such value on their 'pasts'? So many people claim that their 'pasts' have had effects on their lives...or have shaped them. But is this really the case?
also, michelle is so right about school. everytime i read about 'acting in the present moment' and doing what is 'right,' i always think: then what am i doing at school? haha
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete“Memory creates the past… the past exists only in our minds and our minds are easily changeable and so the past itself becomes malleable as well.” (77)
ReplyDeleteI agree with this quote; memory is someone’s recreation of the past, and nothing more. I do not believe that memories are bad, but at the same time I acknowledge that they do not actually exist. So many problems have been caused because memories and perceptions changing over time. People should not put such emphasis on a past that only exists in their minds.
“Our past actions affect our life here and now. Within the confines in which our past action has placed us, we are absolutely free right now.” (79)
I agree that we are only capable of living in the present moment, but I also believe that past experiences shape who we are and the types of situations that we are in. I think that living in the present is extremely important, because we are only alive right now. I have wondered, however, how Buddhism accounts for past experiences that actually stop the person from doing something dangerous later on (such as burning oneself on a hot stove.) I think that these types conditioning help reduce suffering later on, but this requires people to live in the past.
“We have a world in our minds that we call “perfect” and a world in front of us (and within us) that can’t possibly match that image. The problem is the way we let our desires stand in the way of our enjoyment of what we already have”(79)
ReplyDeleteI believe that this quote makes a lot of sense and is a great summary/ explanation of the second noble truth. It is not merely desire that causes our suffering but the desire for things to be different than they are. When we compare what we have to something in the future we want we suffer rather than just enjoying the moment.
“What is happening here and now is obstructed by happening itself, it has sprung free from the brains of happening.”(80)
The question that this quote raised was: “what???” Even the author’s explanation did not make the quote any clearer. So by simply being in the present moment we aren’t in the present moment? The time it takes for us to realize we are in the present means that we are no longer in it? I am not entirely sure what this means because in his explanation he says that emptiness meets form and then all of creation blossoms. What does that even mean? That by perceiving I am creating everything around me maybe.
"Everything exists in this moment. This moment is the basis of all creation" (80)
ReplyDeleteThis quote made sense to me given all that has led up to it in terms of proving how both the future and past are not attainable and do not exist. For anything to be it has to be right now and so each and every moment is the creation, life and demise of everything instantaneously only to have a new moment to repeat this process. It makes sense that each moment is everything given that there is truly nothing else.
"In the present moment there isn't even time to complete a single thought, no matter how simple. In the present moment not even perception has time to occur. Action alone exists" (79)
Well i didnt really understand what this was getting at and i feel like thats because i disagree with it. It is saying that in the moment you can do nothing but act not even think. I have a problem with this because at even a basic level some thought is required to do any action. I also have trouble seeing how as humans we could survive on simple instinctive actions in the moment. I dont know it just seems farfetched to me
"Nothing can possibly live up to the ideals and fantasies that you have created..."
ReplyDeleteI liked this line a lot because it is simple and yet very effectively gets to the point of the second noble truth. We make these expectations about the future, which are never reality, and will always leave us disappointed in the long run. Knowing the suffering we are causing, we continue to have expectations about the future, and fantasize about what reality should be.
"Enjoy what's happening right now. Do what is appropriate, what is right, in the present moment and let the future be the future"
This line brings up a very common question i ask myself whenever talking about the present moment. If one forgets about the future, do they not forget about the consequences of their actions as well? Wouldn't this then create a world that is run without any thought of what will happen. I think that a world living in the present moment would have a hard time living together, and spreading kindness with their minds in the present moment.