I know that some virtuous practitioners might interpret my hurry as laziness in spiritual matters or as lack of patience. I don’t deny anything, but when I deeply contemplate the rare chance of being born a human and how easy it is to fall again in the lower realms[1] or when I see that even in this life, thoughts resembling those of animals, hungry spirits or hell dwellers often appear in my mind and in the mind of others, I feel that I do not want to assume any risk of failing to quickly become a Buddha once and for all.
To have patience on any spiritual path where personal power is important is not at all a virtue but an illusion. It is to not be aware of one’s lower spiritual capacities and those of other beings living in this last Dharma age, and to not know what it really means to become a Buddha or a Free One. It means to not be aware of the subconscious karmic energies which come from the distant past, from eons of drinking the poison of ignorance and of evil deeds. It is to not be aware of the fragility of this life and of the possibility that death may come at any moment and catch you unprepared, or at least not yet entered in a stage from where you cannot retrogress.
What patience should I have when I confront myself with such dangers? What patience can I have with myself when I contemplate the wickedness of this world and my own inner darkness?
I ask myself: Where will my parents or my girlfriend go after death? Where are my dear grandparents now? What can I do for them? Where will my dear animal friends go, driven by the power of their karma? Where will my dog Rocky go, lost even in this life?
These are very important questions to me….How can you help others if you do not become a Buddha, and how can you become a Buddha by relying on yourself? This is the most important question. If you haven’t attained Buddhahood until now, when do you think you will attain it?
Please, awaken yourself from the dream of self-satisfaction! The ego cannot overcome itself by any method. There are many false spiritual sensations and many illusory Nirvanas when you rely on your own power, and the time seems always enough to do anything both material and spiritual. If you lack the sense of urgency and you are patient in the grave matter of birth and death, then you may already have lost this chance of being reborn a human. Every day in which you do not become a Buddha is the day you may die, and to die unenlightened and not free is the most dangerous thing that can happen to you.In such an outcome, Mara would certainly smile, filled with satisfaction: “how I love these virtuous practitioners!”
2 comentarii:
I love the new look to the blog!
Thank you for all your hard work.
Namu Amida Butsu!
Thank you, Marcus. I think its easier to use this way. Readers can access the major categories of articles through the columns.
I am sending you my best wishes!
Namo Amida Butsu
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