Two ways of looking at belief:
(Zen fables)
One day Mara, the Evil One, was travelling through the villages of India with his attendants. he saw a man doing walking meditation whose face was lit up in wonder. The man had just discovered something on the ground in front of him. Mara’s attendant asked what that was and Mara replied, “A piece of truth.”
“Doesn’t this bother you when someone finds a piece of truth, O Evil One?” his attendant asked.
“No,” Mara replied. “Right after this, they usually make a belief out of it.”
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Tosui was the Zen master who left the formalism of temples to live under a bridge with beggars. When he was getting very old, a friend helped him earn his living without begging. He showed Tosui how to collect rice and manufacture vinegar from it, and Tosui did this until he passed away.
While Tosui was making vinegar, one of the beggars gave him a picture of the Buddha. Tosui hung it on the wall of his hut and put a sign beside it. The sign read:
"Mr. Amida Buddha: This little room is quite narrow. I can let you remain as a transient. But don't think I am asking you to help me to be reborn in your paradise."
(Zen fables)
Very nice selection. Wisdom like this is timeless but very necessary in times like these.
ReplyDeleteFrankly,I find Mara a lot more sensible and pragmatic than the buddha. But then I also think Cthulhu is a kind and gentle spirit who has very few needs and desires, like the enslavement of humanity, and is generally totally content otherwise.
ReplyDeleteFV, the views of mara and amidha buddha seem to be closer to agnosticism and atheism, even if they keep dropping god's name in their sayings...enough soliloquizing...just realize I am starting to find myself utterly boring. I suspect this is an exciting time for you given your love for all things related to politics. :) Happy election season!
ReplyDeleteSai:
ReplyDeleteMost of such words can be applied to situations in contemporary times...but I better keep quiet lest I be accused of "love of all things political" by Al!
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Al:
Although I am a non-pragmatist, I agree that Mara was ok. Probably, it is the 'evil" that draws me!
Buddhism is bout no-god, therefore atheistic. It is another matter that now the Buddha and almost anyone who has used Buddhism effectively is deified.
PS: I don't know your definition of exciting, but the elections throw up many questions. I guess I too might sound utterly boring...I keep a balance by getting into trouble :-) I also post other stuff, you know...
FV:"I agree that Mara was ok. Probably, it is the 'evil" that draws me!"
ReplyDeleteFV, I disappoint you only think mara is "ok" but quite glad to hear that it is the quaint 'evil' draws you to mara like it does for me. As you surely know, there are many shades of evil...there's all this grey evil and then there is absolute darkness where no one can see what's going on...leaving much room for the imagination and for actual evil (TM).
"I don't know your definition of exciting, but the elections throw up many questions. I guess I too might sound utterly boring...I keep a balance by getting into trouble :-)"
Of course, you are spectacular at getting into trouble -- years of practise surely. :-)
The elections may throw up interesting questions for your curious mind, unfortunately it only makes me throw up. What gets me is how resolute each side is in its own dogma and beliefs and how all sides see only part of the picture and pretend they see the whole! sheesh..If only I could share this crystal ball I have here with everyone else.