I always liked Gudo Nishijima's explanation of what's happening in zazen: "It's harmonizing the sympathetic & parasympathetic nervous systems". Because it has that same sense of bringing together interior & exterior, near & far, but spoken in a way that sounds modern & even scientific, so people can have something to hold on to.
I understand this. I'm partial (incomplete) quadriplegic since 2018 and I can attest to the separation and lack of separation between sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system(s) - both together and the same yet also in harmony and unison but very often distant to each other. You learn to play the middle ground between the two, hoping for singleness of purpose one with the other, although accepting that it is always a given. You learn to work both manifestations of often the same and different outcomes. ...hard to explain except inside various zen/Buddhist concepts/counter-concepts. Go figure, but you can't, other than to say bringing the two together is at times possible and productive.
Thanks for pointing out the probable importance of failure (or the ending of the power of my story) - and for the bit about the North star representing awareness of the furthest reaches of our universe. I reckon that the star symbolism is about awareness of the whole space, rather than just noticing the parts - like when we enter the opera house and there is awareness of the whole space, rather than who's looking at me, where the free champagne is etc.
I understand it as a mixture of sarcastic humor and seriousness and it sounds to me like a contemporary story of the historical Buddha. I like it! And by the way, i got your book from the Berserker, but in german . . . 🙏🙏💡
Is there anything in the literature that suggests a parallel between the Buddha's life story and Buddhist cosmology? He starts in a heaven realm where life is too good to become enlightened. Then he falls into a hell realm where he is too busy trying to survive on his one grain of rice a day (? hungry ghosts ?) and finally attains the human realm where he can find enlightenment
I think that's a really interesting interpretation. What is the things I like about the simplicity of the Buddha's life story is that it lends itself to different analogies and interpretations, it's a very easily portable story. Thank you.
That has always been a deep thought provoking mystery.. how one is both the same with distant aspects of the same thing and also separate. The only resolution, if one can possibly exist, is fully knowing the two opposites aren't opposite, but one in the same. ...the only way the mind can harmoniously rest with it, and upon it, it seems.
My hypothesis is the mythology of buddha was created to appeal to kings in order to get donations and lands from them. And he was probably a son of army general of the region and didn't want to join the same profession so he went out to find religion tried to learn vedic philosophy but found it hollow went to shramanas like jains ajivikas but found their methods too extreme so he chose the middle path of moderation. Ofcourse no one can be sure what happened but we only have what followers of buddha wanted to portray him as but the core of buddhism is not the story but the moderate asceticism the middle way.
The universe is created by the power of thoughts and words. Our stories, about ourselves and others, are nothing other than thoughts and words. The way we feel is because of thoughts and words. The difference between a Buddha and an "ordinary person"? Thoughts and words. Observe the thoughts that pass through "your" mind! At all times! Great video. You are a wonderful story teller. Thank you. ✌
Thank you! I always wondered how the king could manage to keep death from his son, given that the Buddha's own mother died when he was born. You'd think he'd have a question about that. I guess he was too distracted by Netflix and Cheetos. Understandable!
People drink sheep milk. My family in the rural Midwest has a sheep farm and we grew up drinking sheep milk. I was homeschooled and one of my jobs as a teenager was to milk the sheep for our personal consumption.
I enjoyed so much the way you told this story, I live in Oaxaca where there is much poverty and migrants and when I walk through some streets or poor communities I feel like the Buddha, discovering what real life is about, thanks!
![Megan Thee Stallion - Mamushi (Remix) [feat. TWICE] [Official Audio]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/5c0_u9PsrsQ/mqdefault.jpg)
I always liked Gudo Nishijima's explanation of what's happening in zazen: "It's harmonizing the sympathetic & parasympathetic nervous systems". Because it has that same sense of bringing together interior & exterior, near & far, but spoken in a way that sounds modern & even scientific, so people can have something to hold on to.
I understand this. I'm partial (incomplete) quadriplegic since 2018 and I can attest to the separation and lack of separation between sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system(s) - both together and the same yet also in harmony and unison but very often distant to each other. You learn to play the middle ground between the two, hoping for singleness of purpose one with the other, although accepting that it is always a given. You learn to work both manifestations of often the same and different outcomes.
...hard to explain except inside various zen/Buddhist concepts/counter-concepts.
Go figure, but you can't, other than to say bringing the two together is at times possible and productive.
Thank you.
That was beautifully told, Jack! Thank you ✨
You are so welcome
Thanks for pointing out the probable importance of failure (or the ending of the power of my story) - and for the bit about the North star representing awareness of the furthest reaches of our universe. I reckon that the star symbolism is about awareness of the whole space, rather than just noticing the parts - like when we enter the opera house and there is awareness of the whole space, rather than who's looking at me, where the free champagne is etc.
Very good way of putting it. We enter that amazing opera house space and everything is taken in at once. I like that analogy.
🙏
I understand it as a mixture of sarcastic humor and seriousness and it sounds to me like a contemporary story of the historical Buddha. I like it!
And by the way, i got your book from the Berserker, but in german . . .
🙏🙏💡
Thanks my friend! (I hope you enjoy the book, and the translation is good!)
Is there anything in the literature that suggests a parallel between the Buddha's life story and Buddhist cosmology?
He starts in a heaven realm where life is too good to become enlightened. Then he falls into a hell realm where he is too busy trying to survive on his one grain of rice a day (? hungry ghosts ?) and finally attains the human realm where he can find enlightenment
I think that's a really interesting interpretation. What is the things I like about the simplicity of the Buddha's life story is that it lends itself to different analogies and interpretations, it's a very easily portable story. Thank you.
That has always been a deep thought provoking mystery.. how one is both the same with distant aspects of the same thing and also separate.
The only resolution, if one can possibly exist, is fully knowing the two opposites aren't opposite, but one in the same. ...the only way the mind can harmoniously rest with it, and upon it, it seems.
My hypothesis is the mythology of buddha was created to appeal to kings in order to get donations and lands from them. And he was probably a son of army general of the region and didn't want to join the same profession so he went out to find religion tried to learn vedic philosophy but found it hollow went to shramanas like jains ajivikas but found their methods too extreme so he chose the middle path of moderation. Ofcourse no one can be sure what happened but we only have what followers of buddha wanted to portray him as but the core of buddhism is not the story but the moderate asceticism the middle way.
Powerful stuff … described in a way that is 200% Jack. 😜 Seriously though, the older I get, the more the truth of the middle way becomes apparent.
Thank you Jeffrey.
The universe is created by the power of thoughts and words. Our stories, about ourselves and others, are nothing other than thoughts and words. The way we feel is because of thoughts and words.
The difference between a Buddha and an "ordinary person"? Thoughts and words.
Observe the thoughts that pass through "your" mind! At all times!
Great video.
You are a wonderful story teller.
Thank you.
✌
Thank you my friend.
made me tear up a bit
beautiful 🌊🌕
Wow, thank you
That was rad. I’ve read the story many times, but I never empathized with Gautama the way you have. Thanks for sharing your insights.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Why did Gautama cancel his Netflix subscription ? Surely there must have been some Deepak Chopra style guru involved?
I think he might have paused it and not cancelled it, but the sutras are unclear on this.
Thank you! I always wondered how the king could manage to keep death from his son, given that the Buddha's own mother died when he was born. You'd think he'd have a question about that. I guess he was too distracted by Netflix and Cheetos. Understandable!
Thanks.
So if the self is born between the hunger and the star, is it right to say it is born between the past and the future?
Absolutely.
People drink sheep milk. My family in the rural Midwest has a sheep farm and we grew up drinking sheep milk. I was homeschooled and one of my jobs as a teenager was to milk the sheep for our personal consumption.
Homeschooled in the Midwest! Me too! Just for one year but man what a year… ;-)
I enjoyed so much the way you told this story, I live in Oaxaca where there is much poverty and migrants and when I walk through some streets or poor communities I feel like the Buddha, discovering what real life is about, thanks!
the Buddha was a Kshatrya, not a Brahmin, since his father was a king.
So when you can't come up with any story anymore. What do you do? Watching RUclips videos?
promo sm 😢