Small Change

Be gentle with yourself. Change takes time

A Ceaselessly Changing state

Mind is NOT an entity BUT a Process

Simply LOOKING inwards

Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought.

Good, Bad, Who Knows!

If you cry because the sun has gone out of your life, your tears will prevent you from seeing the stars - Rabindranath Tagore

On the lighter side

Kamma

The law of kamma is different from the idea of fatalism or predetermination.

In fact, Buddhism teaches about causal relationships, NOT things being predetermined. There are three views concerning Kamma which the Buddha clearly REJECTED.

The first is past-action determinism, which asserts that all our experiences in the present life are solely determined by past actions.

The second is theistic determinism, which means that all our experiences and all events are due to God's creation and will.

And the third view rejected by the Buddha is called accidentalism, which holds that all experiences are merely manifestations of fortuitous elements, uncaused and unconditioned. This fallacious view rejects the principle of causality and the law of kamma.

The first two views allow no room for free will, and are fatalistic in nature. The third is obviously untenable for the simple reason that it goes directly against common sense and the well-established truth of causal relationship.

Buddhism teaches that with kamma, our experiences are conditioned by our actions rather than being predetermined or willed by God. It realistically allows for a plurality of causes or conditioning factors, including the factors of will and natural phenomena. In this way the Buddha's teaching of kamma is sensible and has a strong appeal for modern critical minds.

The complex workings of Kamma - Vipaka is unfathomable, something beyond our mortal understanding. Even when the Ven MahaKassapa was trying to understanding the workings of kamma, the Buddha explained to him that this is beyond even the Mind of an Arahant.

Why do we assume that

"bad things should not happen to Good people"?


The reality is WHY NOT!? One being Vegetarian will not stop a Bull from charging at you!

Think about it. This is important.

When we ask "Why do bad things happen to good people," the question itself is pregnant with a few assumptions. It assumes the existence of someone or something who is supposed to make sure that 'this does not happen'.

What you are saying is : "I think there is some form of a God or gods, and he/she is supposed to be good. And if he is good, then why do bad things happen to good people?"

Alternatively, the question "Why do bad things happened to good people," may really be saying "I'm not sure that God exists, or that if he does exist, is able to do anything and everything, and that is why such things are happening."

So we should be clear what it is we are actually questioning!



Let us first understand what are the "ground rules" for existence. Using this we see clearly that things happen because of causes and conditions, not because someone protected you or Failed toprotect you, or made things happen in a certain way.

Why did the tsunami happen? Is it because God/s made it happen? So many good people died, what happened to theirGod/s at that time? Was he on vacation? Or was it gross negligence on his part to his subjects who invested in him?

The tsunami happened because 2 earth plates MOVED. That's it. That's the cause and because of it, a tsunami results.

Because we are stuck in a narrow finite perspective of time and space, we tend to blame whatever we cannot understand on the divine. What is positive we call a miracle, we is negative we label as punishment from the divine.

In discussing this issue, we're NOT able to give an answer as to why particular things happen in a particular situation to someone. While I can say it is sad that one boarded a bus with a sleepy driver, it is beyond me to speculate as to why one chosethis bus over the next.

To understand kamma-vipaka as interpreted in the things that happened and that DID NOT happen to us is beyond us. We all have such a HUGE load of kammic causes both positive and negative that can ripen and come to fruition under the right conditions, that it is impossible to unentangle them and say "this is because of that action."

We can only do what is wholesome NOW and keep our precepts well, so that we dilute the unwholesome kamma and not have the conditions for its fruition to be present. It is so important that we act wisely and NOT create more conditions for unwholesome events to take place. It's obvious for example that by not mixing with the "wrong" crowd, abstaining from alcohol, pubs, drugs, late nights partying, etc that we reduce the chance of an unhappy event occuring.

Please do not blame anyone divine for what happened, No One is in charge... only we are in charge of ourselves and EVEN that is relative and NOT absolute. There are many many factors beyond our control and we can only do our best within what is in our sphere of influence.

And the first thing is to be sure we keep our precepts well. That is what will protect us, from our own possible unwholesome acts.

* * *

4 Noble Truths

The Four Noble Truths

1. Life has lots of unhappiness, suffering and frustrations.

2. The origin of this suffering is endless Craving.

3. The cessation of suffering is attainable; there is indeed a state where there is NO frustrations, dissatisfaction or suffering!

4. There is a well walked path to the cessation of suffering.

1. Life inevitably has unhappiness, pain, decay and suffering No matter what our station in life.

To live means to endure the ceaseless changes in life which inevitably brings frustrations and stress, because human nature is not perfect and neither is the world we live in, conflicts are everywhere. During our lifetime, we inevitably have to endure physical suffering such as pain, decay, sickness, injury, tiredness, old age, and eventually death; and we have to endure psychological suffering like sadness, fear, frustration, disappointment, and depression. Although there are different degrees of suffering and there are also positive experiences in life that we perceive as the opposite of suffering, such as ease, comfort and happiness, life in its totality is imperfect and incomplete, because our world is subject to impermanence. This means we are never able to keep permanently what we strive for, and just as happy moments pass by, we ourselves and our loved ones will pass away one day, too.

2. The origin of suffering is Craving.

The origin of suffering is our craving for and attachment to transient things and the ignorance thereof. Transient things do not only include the physical objects that surround us, but also ideas, and -in a greater sense- all objects of our perception. Ignorance is the lack of understanding of how our mind is attached to impermanent things. The reasons for suffering are desire, passion, ardour, endless pursuit of wealth and prestige, striving for fame and popularity, or in short: craving and clinging. We are Never content! Of course we need to go for positive attainments like education and skill for no one owes us a living BUT we go way beyond our needs in an attempt to satisfy our greed. Because the objects of our attachment are transient, their loss is inevitable, thus suffering will necessarily follow. Objects of attachment also include the idea of a "self" which is a delusion, because there is no abiding self. What we call "self" is just an imagined biochemical entity of ceaseless change, and we are merely a part of the ceaseless 'becoming' of everything in the universe.

3. The cessation of suffering is attainable.

The cessation of suffering can be attained through nirodha. Nirodha means the unmaking of sensual craving and conceptual attachment. The third noble truth teaches that suffering can be ended by attaining dispassion, by letting go, by contentment. Nirodha extinguishes all forms of clinging and attachment. This means that suffering can be overcome through human activity, simply by removing the cause of suffering. Attaining and perfecting dispassion is a process of many levels that ultimately results in the state of Nibbana. Nibbana is freedom from all worries, troubles, complexes, fabrications and ideas. Nibbana is not comprehensible for those who have not attained it.

4. The path to the cessation of suffering.

There is a slow gradual path to the end of suffering - a gradual path of self-improvement suitable for everyone, which is described as the Eightfold Path. It is the middle way between the two extremes of excessive self-indulgence (hedonism) and excessive self-mortification (asceticism); and it leads to Right Insight and Right Liberation of Enlightenment, resulting in the end of the cycle of rebirth. The latter quality discerns it from other paths which are merely "wandering on the wheel of becoming", because these do not have a final object. The path to the end of suffering can extend over many lifetimes, we can slowly evolve to be better beings, at each rebirth or 'ReBecoming' every individual is subject to karmic conditioning. Craving, ignorance, delusions, and its effects will disappear gradually, as progress is made on the path.

	1. Right View	Wisdom
	2. Right Intention
	3. Right Speech	Ethical Conduct
	4. Right Action
	5. Right Livelihood
	6. Right Effort	Mental Development
	7. Right Mindfulness
	8. Right Concentration