[The Random Factor] A closer look at the Dali Lama's teachings

[The Random Factor]

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Greetings Earth people!

I got some great feedback on the last 
installment of the Random Factor. Sounds 
like folks found it to be beautiful and
profound, and using too many words. 

I do try to keep it short. Sometimes that 
is difficult. My recommendation in these 
cases is to break it up. Read half, twice.

Today, a closer look at key concepts 
(as I understand them) from the Dami Lama's 
teachings in Hamburg Germany, July 2007. 

- Emptiness (no inherent existence)
- The Interdependence of all things
- Our mental and physical realities
- The goal of clearing mind of obscurities
- Meditation on emptiness & compassion


Ok! Let's just look at emptiness for now. 


---------- Emptiness -----------

The Buddhist term Emptiness describes the 
belief that objects have no independent or 
"inherent existence." Instead, it's existence 
is dependent on other things, your perception 
primary among them. 

2000 years ago this was no doubt met with 
ridicule. "Well, if the pot doesn't exist, 
then why don't YOU clean it."  

Yet, thousands of years later, science too 
realized that it's more accurate to say 
the world we perceive is a product of our 
mind, not "out there" as our senses would 
have us believe.

Einstein's General Theory of Relativity shows 
us that the "actual" characteristics of an 
object depend on the relative motion of the 
observer measuring it. 

And, Werner Heisenberg of "Heisenberg's 
Uncertainty Principle" said, "The path [of 
an electron] comes into existence only when 
we observe it."

Richard Feynman showed us that an object 
exists as a wave of probability, or energy 
with a certain likelihood of appearing 
here, or there. This probability wave only 
collapses into matter in "reality" when 
it is perceived by the mind.

So, at long odds, these monks of 2000 years
ago appear to have been proven correct.  

But, if it's true things do not "exist" in 
the way we are used to what is the purpose 
of focusing on emptiness or anything at all
for that matter?

Since all suffering is caused by ignorant
grasping of the mind to things which are 
impermanent and not truly existent, the 
recognition that natural phenomenon is 
inherently empty is fundamental to the 
Buddhist path for freeing the mind and 
eliminating suffering.

With this understanding we can release 
the mind from grasping at illusions. 

The phases to accomplish this are 

1) elimination of non-virtuous actions 
2) eliminate the mind/ego 
3) eliminate everything

Emptiness is not to be confused with 
nihilism or nothingness.  There is a true 
nature of self behind this world and 
outside the mind, which is ultimate reality. 


see you there,

Some Guy


p.s. Don't reply to this email! Instead 
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