Resolutions, karma, and connectivity on the path- When we speak in terms of creating resolutions, what were really talking about is creating conditions for the fruitive seeds to manifest; a desired outcome, and results, a resolution to something we want to change.We list them down, buy things to help the causals of those resolutions. Maybe we join gyms, cut out sugar, salt, go to yoga classes, take guitar lessons, read more self help books, we do this and we do that and the list goes on and we do these things in the hopes of betterment for ourselves.What about true betterment and what is that, actually? Thats all great that we do those things, it feels good and we can develop a more coup de grás with our selves, in nourishing our souls, but thats not really helpful if we really want to get off of the loop of suffering, and seeking resolutions on kind of perpetuates the longing for true resolution. If only it were that easy--and it seems as if, it is at first, our steam built up mustering in, we head forth with the greatest intentions and motivations to accomplish what ever it is that we desire, which is, undoubtedly and ultimately, happiness.Lets begin with focusing on intentions and motivations, because those two things are the epitome and dawning light of reality of the karma game changers--And yes, you can change your karma at any time. Applied knowledge, study, practice and effort, are the keys that unlock the potentiality with in us all to be able to have the favorable outcomes, and the desired effects that we all wish to see, feel, and experience. Lets talk about the seeing, feeling, and experiencing part of things for a moment--Because we want happiness, we also want some kind of proof, that were on the right track. We want proof to be able to solidify even the experience of seeing or feeling that our resolutions are being fulfilled, and that weve accomplished it, and Were happy.The proof of unproof lays within the knowledge,and that knowledge lays within the study, and those things are conjoined with practice. It is truly not in the seeing, nor in the feeling, that defines the resolution. It is not even the resolution and the outcome there of, either. However, it IS in the karma, to put it blatantly. It is all in the karmic conditions in which the happiness remains. We can all define what makes us happy, if only that New Years resolution would remain, and that the happiness of it would remain. Truly those things are not what ever those things are deemed as. Happiness producers are not, but only fleeting. Because happiness in and of its self and the continuity of happiness rests ultimately in the space, in which we create, by its no other that the karma we cultivated to create such conditions. Lasting happiness is totally free from any dependent, arising, condition and achievements. (the outer ones) We climb the top of the mountain, weve reached the precipice of happiness, it is there, we did it, but then, we come down the mountain. The happiness of accomplishing that hike was great, it was sweet victory, but then what ? weve climbed down that mountain and were back on the path again, in search of the next goal, the next accomplishment, the next what ever, to reach the climax of happiness again. Repeat --and that is unstable. So, you see my point here and the resolution games we play with our selves. I said the word games, because if we do not actually know that it is a game that we play with ourselves, with our minds and our thoughts, then we become the game players once again, seeking to win the next happiness producing, feel good resolutions of neurosis at its finest game ever, that weve initiated our selves to play, and even got duped on. Ego is clever at every bend and works that way. It dupes us. You can take a trip down any spiritual supermarket isle for the next whatever spiritual trip dejour you can find, pick off of the shelf, if it fits for the time being kind of moment, kind of thing. We can attend the next Reiki crystal attunement workshop or kirtan sing along chantings to fit our resolution agendas, but that doesnt help if we havent any knowledge about karma, the changing of karma, the transforming of karma, and skillfully directing the energetic forces of virtuous activities, that grant the true mental satisfactions that karma produces, the true, actual, resolutions that we so seek and wish to find, are in the Balm ointment of karma. That is antidote. That understanding, transformation, picking up, discarding, directing, becomes method in which we work from.The true resolution begins with the understanding of karma,and If it setting resolutions did work, we wouldnt be continuously setting the resolution goal game with ourselves year after year, goal after goal. The resolutions we set doesnt work because there needs to be an honest approach, an honest understanding in realizing that there are karmic roots, and those roots produce all the trips were on, and why, and the perpetuity of those cyclic trips were on. Year after year. With all those karmic patterns that lay ahead, inevitably they come back around, play themselves out, while we are scratching our heads wondering where it is or how it is, that we wonder why things turn out the way they do. Our then, newly set resolutions lead to disappointment, a sense of failure, a sense of sadness. Here is the good news though-You can actually negotiate those feelings, move above them and beyond them if we train our minds to understanding karma and its roots and all of the kleshic activity, there of. One could begin to inquire about taking into account the very honest approach of gathering the intentions, what does that entail for us to begin to live the resolution on a full time basis? or rather than setting them on a yearly basis. I mean, thats great that we do that , and it actually creates the mental fortitude of intention to occur and a certain awareness if you will. The karmic kleshas (neorosis) are for ever changing and unstable, so why would we want to experience the repercussions of the klesha activities that perpetuate out of us, more karma for us to be able to experience?......Think about that for a moment. However, saying this, we also need the knowledge to acquire working with the karmas and lastly, we work on the practice of-changing, transforming, and skillfully directing the energies of those karmas. We are actually talking about working with our karma. We would like the resolution to resolve in us, only what karma can, and only if we work to cultivate it. But, because of the accumulations of past unskillful deeds and actions ,(past and present), the future karma can be predicted only if we know how to change it. Karma creeps up and how it is so easy for one to become deterred from the initial resolution and once again we find ourselves back in to the karmic saddle of the same patterns that had lead us to make the resolutions to begin with, and here is why. The accumulative karmas of the root karmas run deep. They run deep because these patterns didnt just spring up over night. They took time to create through our deeds and they accumulate. These karmas create patterns, grooves, conditions, outcome, and of course, more karma. The untrained mind is unequivocally unaware of the cycle of these patterns, the subtleties of familiarities that repulse/attract that spin in Us, around us, and which are derived from us. All of the resolutions we make are like the soil for the ideas that can actually nourish the accomplishments that we wish to achieve. How is the soil ? the conditions of the soil? And what about the root karmas that bear fruit? How deeply rooted in the ignorances, are the roots? These are some factors to consider, However, not to dwell upon. Its important that we just work to accumulate the Karmas of virtuous activities. (Merit) Thats where the work begins to transform. Thats where the seeking of resolutions ceases and thats were we actually BECOME the resolutions, rather than to seek them. Because it is of those sources that will cross paths, create conditions, create outcomes, and decisions for us. Lets examine the word resolution for a moment, the word is like an inner resolve of sorts.It has so many different meanings. Resolutions actually requires a commitment on our behalf, and a path of travel towards it. This brings me to the point of speaking on connectivity --How is it do we connect, whether it be personally or collectively and how is it that we stay connected ? How do we get there ? How do we actually get to the point of continuity in the connection? If were going to work with karma, and have some understandings of it, then certainly we would need to connect to the genuine and true masters that have conquered their own minds, that have traversed the Bhumis and fields, that have reached the other shores of liberation. Where are these people ? How do we connect ? Because in the connectivity awaits the powers of the purest of teachings that our karmic gates can swing open to and allow for the processes of the seeds to take karmic planting in the bedrocks of our minds, our next thoughts, or our next actions, and the course of travel on the path. We can regard our selves much like an electrical appliance. Now we have to connect our selves in to the source of ALL the connectivity of where the continuity of connection is. A blender is a great example. Lets use a blender as an analogy to describe connectivity. The actual blender is us, meaning, were a container that holds what ever is inside of the blender. The contents inside of the blender could be considered a conglomerate of things, firstly our emotions, our past, present, future, lifetimes of Karmas. The other part of the conglomeration is the guru, the pure teachings, the practices, the virtuous activities, the Buddha realms even, if your ingredients include them. So, we have all of these things in our blenders, but we actually have to plug ourselves into a wall socket. We can call the wall socket a conduit, or the bridge that connects us with the power. It connects us to work on the Karmas that we all have. We have to plug into a source of electrical power. We can say that source of power is the Dharma. That connectivity to source turns the blades (motivation), blends the ingredients, those ingredients makes for a great workings to allow for the antidote of the virtues to activate the fields of merit accumulations or stocks of merit that have been built by the virtuous actions and their karmas, those are the fruits or veggies in your blender... We can try this alone, and it may work for a while, but in order for the blender to function properly, we need to connect to the source of all the pure Dharmas, the pure teachings, the perfect gurus. The source turns the blades, that turn the Karmas, that create the fields of merits, that becomes the resolutions that are the edification of efficacy in being. There are 84,000 thousand afflictions that the Buddha spoke about. The 84,000 ways the Buddha has shown for liberating us from the 84,000 different kinds of affliction have all the same aim: the recognition of one’s own mind (karmas) , the unwavering awareness as the innate nature. I can not help but think that we need to examine our understanding about karma, and our approaches to changing it. That is the truest resolution that one can create for them selves, to end the needless resolutions, to taste the one taste. This truth transgresses religious views, cultural differences. It is the realization of the innate nature and become that taste. All arriving at the naked freshness of Suchness beyond the limits of the three times. It is the Dharmakaya sphere of unbounded wholeness It is a path towards cross-cultural understanding and religious consensus while keeping the diversity as an ornament, as the dynamic expression of enlightened compassion. Khandro Sherab Drolma Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhist Beach Center of Delaware meetup/TibetanVajrayanaBuddhistBeachCenter/ His Holiness Grudrag Khentrul Rinpoche tibetanbuddhistproject
Posted on: Sat, 03 Jan 2015 15:33:42 +0000
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