'You are IT ! ' Alan Watts talks more : about Mahayana. Buddhism, too. Yep.

      This recording was labeled as:      “ Mahayana Buddism”    [pt 1 of  4 ]
      
and then typed as best possible when  heard on KPFK on July 19, 2018 Thurs 12 M :

Note: there is no copywrite plagiarism here as it is not a copy/paste or pretend words are by typist recording in text here...some words may also be misspelled as Sanskrit is not known nor understood by ordinary Americans in 2018, hardly.   

While some words may be inserted, for making clarity and sense, but just a bit, hardly.  Or some words under-heard, inaudible, missed in the trying to keep up with the faster spoken words. 

Again, as before, the intention is to share information and helpful REMINDERS that all that we know, learn, are immersed within a social story is not the ONLY one available or most useful either. There are other forms of thinking, understanding, clarifying and defining what each one of us, also known as  "me", may benefit from OTHER concepts, definitions, explanations and practices. 

The essences of what Watts speaks to us, here at blogspot, is that we can have much more freedom from fears when we are not locked/ immersed in the conformist, enforced mind-set that predominates, as in Los Angeles, CA, USA - 

that we can feel both responsible and in control of what we Think, how we define "me" or "us" and how we then act perhaps differently because we are not longer "needy" or addicted/ attached/ helpless/ obedient nor stuck in what is also 'causing' our suffering, cravings, wanting MORE and being greedy too. 

if these concepts, creative thinking elicits more open-mindedness and more spaces in which to self-define the 'self' and what, who, how and as you ARE ...so much the better, maybe. 

and then the question of the need to 'survive' and keep on living - long and longer - because the state, nation, religions, majority insist that living longer is the aim of life, then that too can be questioned and explored. 
 
As to how true ? 

as to how Helpful to living fully and well ? 

as to if this is the 1 and Only way to live - as in the usual mode of : clinging to life ,
&  fearing death - thus always  fearing suffering, &  denying all other 'options'. 
 






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“every individual is something the universe is doing….what you are doing is what universe is doing in a particular way and place…”

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“the idea of a yana or a vehicle comes from Buddhism as a Raft, crossing the river. this shore is regular every day consciousness…a  sensitive mind locked up inside a mortal body, you and no body else…the other shore is release or Nirvana a word which means “blow out “ literally, as a whew ! a sign of relief. 

Nirvana is never to be interpreted as a state of extinction or conscious in which you are absorbed into a formless luminous ocean which is descried as purple jello but kind of …

not that of all…primary meaning it is THIS EVERY DAY LIFE but understood, felt in a very different way….. the image of the vehicle/ Yana .[?]

Buddhism is called a dharma … and this is mistranslated as “the law” but method or way is better 


the dharma translated by Buddha who was son of No Indian raga, living near Nepal, shorting after 600 BC.

                                        [google images]


Buddha is a title, his name was Gothama Siddhartha Buddha is awakened one…to know…. Bud – the man who woke up.

one must see that against the Indian mythology, philosophy first to under stand general Hindu view of life in the world. Maya designates the physical universe. A very complicated word. it can mean an illusion or dream. or magical creation, fantasy, work of art…but fundamental meaning is “measurement”. It comes from word describes what you do to lay down foundation of house, when you measure.
                                            





                                              
                                         [google light ]


I have said, god said not “let there be light “ but “draw the line somewhere “ – find fundamental measure first….as medieval drawings of god showing over waters measuring waters… with dividers...whatever is divided is Maya.  in popular Hinduism the lord god is not a body as Jews/ Christians ...tend to look at god but an entirely different pt of view.

The supreme being is called “the self” -= that means  the fundamental What there is – the reality, not impoverished reality…not like westerners think – hitting a table to emphasize reality. Hindus don’t think that way. Hindus think of consciousness as reality. 

                                                        [google images]

He doesn’t think of something dead, but something alive. not a block of something but reality as something rich, something full, and he calls it Sat Chit Ananda – something blissful.

so he is saying the ultimately real thing that there is… can best be compared to the ground of your own existence, your self…and he goes on to say that every being that exists fundamentally IS the original self underlying the whole universe….at the bottom of your mind, soul, YOU ARE IT…. you are the works !

every individual is something the entire universe is doing…you is what the whole cosmos is doing at a particular time, place,    and idea of you as something inside the skin is not what is meant. You are a focal pt at which the whole business of universal reality is acting in a particular way.

to put it that way – the Brahman – the ultimate reality – is playing hide & seek and for sake of adventure is playing it is not what it is – the whole you. You are under a spell, but wont admit it.

the idea beneath Hindu life, after playing this good game for a while, then wake up and recognize who you really are Moksha – liberation – what the Buddhists mean by Nirvana and when you wake up you are liberated while still in this body 

                                   
                   [google shares what Buddha may have said too]
….

fundamental difference between Hinduism & Buddhism – waking up from the dream of being an individual – they have different ways of getting there, arriving to it…but otherwise similar concepts.


Buddha was 1st psychotherapist, understanding the wiles and deviousness of the mind –
Buddhism is made to be easily understood with #’s – so the 4 noble truths
1 suffering 2 cause of suffering 3 cease of suffering 4 the way of ceasing the suffering.

Sanskrit  Luptha  [?] – chronic suffering – frustration #1 – life of animals and also angels is characterized by chronic frustration…. so that constitutes a problem – people say “I have a problem “ that is Luptha ?

2. the cause of it ? is called  Trisha ? – Sanskrit word of our word “thirst” – craving, desiring. clutching. with that we create suffering  but this 2nd truth means Ignorance…AVIdaya ? non-vision  =our words video, vision. Ah – means non.   a-theist is a non theist.  non-seeing – ignore-ance…. when you focus conscious on a particular area you ignore everything else…so when you know you also ignore [all else ]

if you ignore what you really know you come to imagine you are separate from rest of universe and you are alone, so you thirst/ crave for ….develop anxiety to survive or worry you will die…but you wont die at all, you just start doing something else….  

                                                [google images]









when you stop doing this, you, you do something else…later…. nothing to worry about at all.
only if you are in illusion that you are ONLY THIS, then you are anxiety and thirst for more…

if you can get rid of ignorance, ignore-ance and see other side of picture then you can stop craving. 


you will still enjoy eating your dinner and making love and finding pleasures continues...enjoying the senses…is only an obstacle when you CLING  to that to save yourself… define yourself.  that LETTING GO instead of clinging to your ‘self’ – earn $$$, keep family together…. do that but don’t let it get you down or

mis-karma    karma means activity – do all activities one does in life w/o taking it so seriously !  everybody likes it better, w/o feeling guilty or obligated to one who is taking life like a DUTY – a dreadful way to live.

4th describes method of Nirvana –the noble 8 fold path… 


                                        [google knows to share images]


Suzuki gave a lecture in Hawaii, most eminent scholar of Buddhism in world – 8 fold view of world is RIGHT VIEW, to see things…oh, I forget 2nd step, you look it up in the book “ dismissing the seriousness of rules  laws.   8 fold path is a serious of human activities – understanding, effort, vocation, occupation, speaking, etc. are all part of Samsa    [ ?] = 
 ‘right’ translated but that is not the best translated. San…same as our word in Latin for Suma  [?]= sum of things is completion… but it also has the meaning of Middle Way –

what we must recognize is that Buddhism is ‘right speech’ –means  “don’t tell lies “…. as Theravada rules in South, recite certain formulas ….

 5 precepts, and put hands together and chants…... 
“I take refuge in the dharma, the sanga, the Buddha…”... the followers of Buddha –

5 precepts are =”  I promise to abstain from taking life,  + =”  I promise to abstain what is not given,  + =”  I promise to abstain from exploiting my passions,+ =”  I promise to abstain false speech, +=”  I promise to abstain getting intoxicated by certain substances….”



                                      
                                                 [google Buddha images ]






while Mahayana say it differently….   the method, the dharma is a moral law, like 10 commandments, but is very different. 5 precepts are not a royal edict that you take to someone else's rules, but for yourself.

how can you take precept – not to take life ? when you eat every day, even plants. Fundamental to Buddhism is NOT A DOCTRINE but a DIALOGUE …and what it states at beginning is not what it says at end.

the method of Buddhism is a relationship between teacher and a student, student raises a problem, goes to someone about it, choosing wisely if there is a Buddha around to be a teacher – says, my problem is that I suffer ad I want to escape form suffering. 

So Buddha replies “suffering is caused by desire, craving” if you can stop craving, you wont suffer. go away to try to stop desiring – mediation to make mind still to stop desiring. Student goes away and says “I cant stop desiring not to desire ! what can id o about that ?”

so teacher says “ try stop desiring to stop desiring …”  or “all right if you cant stop complete desiring, do the middle way- stop desiring as much as you CAN stop desiring and don’t desire to stop more than you Can…

” but student comes back , because it is Koan in Zen Buddhism – means meditation problem – as a case means in law based on anecdotes & incidents – like case law is on precedents .
                            
Judaism & Christianity,  say" to love thy god with all that mind and all your soul"….
= but that too is a Koan, and because  nobody can do that, even when they try = they are being hypocrites  = trying, fooling themselves... because no one loves the lord god....

 they love themselves !  they want to love the boss but actually love themselves more !

so who is that desires ? who is that wants to escape desire ?

a methodological difference says “who are you ?” Hindu says Atman- the self  -now strive to know the self. know I am not my body because I am aware of my body, my thoughts, my feelings…my mind, as if I am aware then I am ‘other than’ – transcending all these finite aspects of ‘me’

while Buddhists have a critique of that – why are you trying to escape the body ? because body falls apart ?


because your emotions are uncomfortable so you want to escape – to not feel anger, failure, disappointment, love when you feel hostage to someone else…  when you are the eternal self – the Atman – is because you don’t want to lose the damn Ego. 


                                     

                                          [google shares images] by shuttercock.com 
 

Put in in the safe box of the  lord. The Buddha says there is NO Atman, your ego is unreal,  and there is nothing you can cling to, no refuge to be found
just Let go, no safety, just LET GO…

because Buddha says any Atman you cling to is Not the Real one.
the original Buddhist teachings = says anyone you can Conceive or Believe in is Not the one, the Atman.  no salvation in believing, only in letting go ..

the highest knowledge is no knowledge. to obtain Upanishads – if you think you know Brahman, you don’t know Brahman,  if you really ARE it, you don’t need to believe in it…you eyes don’t need to look at yourself.

difference is dialogue – Buddhism- 1st opening gambits in dialogue – so you cant understand Buddhism from books because they write only opening gambits – hints -= but you have to go and Exp[lore, experiment on such things, …could I possible not desire ? concentrate the mind perfectly ? have to work with it …. the later attempts are the heart of Buddhism..

so then , shortly after Buddha’s time, the practice continued as a dialogue in his followers, then established great universities in Northern India – like an extremely large ongoing bull-session ea trying to out wit each other. …teacher/guru was examining students as to their beliefs and theories and destroying those …. any belief proposed or cling to or make to use as  a crutch, the teacher demolishes it…until you have nothing to cling to !!!   in dialogue.

Any kind of belief, they are experts at demolition. until you have nothing left to hang on to – then you find YOU ARE IT… nothing to grab, to hold on to, as teacher knocks ea one down.

when you have nothing left at all, then you are not anxious with any problems. it becomes the Void. and you laugh instead.  
- - - - --


                              talk available for sale, of course,  as an audio  at AlanWatts.org 

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then another bio-meditative researcher spoke, so very long ago,  also on meditation:
 

Jack Garis:  re Buddhism  - in  more historical context

"why was it those times …in  6th century BC was a time when other philosophies also prevailed, besides Buddhism- Taoism, Jainism and Jewish prophets spoke ad many changes in moral perceptions, ethical consciousness…  in lands that then were  “Persia ”  ….

in India that period was time of great cultural change, break down of old feudal system and more individuals creating more and more power …  there was a flourishing civilization in India then, sailed vessels  In Sumeria and traded with others  - Jews traded in open seas – they had crows that when released went to nearest land and so  they found the lands – so the  story of Noah was created….

then 1200 BC   so-called India was invaded  by Aryans, destroyed/ conquest [as fall of Troy was then also, great cities were falling ] & Hittites destroyed Egypt. Who were these people ? find by their language something to understand – Aryans spoke of ‘the’ pine, the oak, individually, vs. as a group “forest” …so probably settled around Caspian sea and then some settled down in what became Greece, they  conquest-ed Egypt, ….

gods of Greece as are same gods essentially as used in India –
why were they able to do this ?.....why could they do this ? 

because of their weapons, and they were cattle people and moved about constantly, so having high walls, low rooms, settled in areas protected them…. had chariots with the wheel – the Egyptians did not have a wheel yet, that vs borrowed latter from the Hittites – they were ruthless and destroyed everything except Egypt  - they established their religion over the original darker skinned people…Aryans were lighter skinned people then…

then the Upanishads seers, those of the highest caste broke away from others in about 800 BC – many religious changes going on then  - Buddhism  was then rebellions against the old ways –against the feudal systems were breaking down, around where Nepal is now,

and Siddhartha came from the warrior class, protected by his father in palace w/o awareness of harshness of life, married, at 29 had a son, then had an encounter with …something else…experienced people growing old, people getting sick and death. 


He was shocked as his life was totally apart from this and he left palace, his wife & son. went to country side to find Meaning of Suffering in world and what can one do about it ? why must suffering be ? can it be overcome?   ….he became a hermit, an acetic, found that was also not the life for him—so he  instead  found the MIDDLE WAY –

“ existence is unhappiness” –so he found the  use of  the 4 noble-ways & 8 fold-path – selfishness can be destroyed by 8 ways – right understanding, right purpose, aspiration, right speech, right conduct, right ethics, right mindfulness, right mindfulness.

 vs self seeking. selfish ways.   Proper aim doesn’t mean don’t enjoy but be truthful, proper action –not cause death…. not harm society, not intoxicated, not lie, and not have slavery [harmful to others] , not have evil thoughts in mind,  - be conscious of body, sensations of pleasure and pain in body, and meditate – realize attachments of the mind – be carefree without hurting self or others…

notice Buddha did not call upon god or religions – like Christianity, Judaism – just stated mindfulness…meditation –to start and go on  = self help = not help from any outside god !

the development of tranquility  - meditation – concentration, focus the mind, like yoga. and high degree of unification to transcend 5 senses…even thought – to reach absorption, …. but not Nirvana   to develop tranquility, absorption is not highest level of liberation – which is obtainable thru INSIGHT….the Jains ….

to develop INSIGHT in absorption and body processes is to develop characteristics to safeguard self against phantasmic  visions or hallucinations that is most often characteristic of  “the book-people [Christian, Judaism, Islam] –“  ..to find There is NO SELF, no soul…. from Hinduism the Atman merging with Brahman.

but in early Buddhism  others did not accept the Hindu version –

in Burma  =they taught how to  see things as they are, and see for yourself, not be influenced by others, what they say or want you to see or you expect to see, but start that practice

just be concerned with principle of meditation, not thinking of other things around.  the body posture – when standing, sitting, reclining …be aware of body … sounds simple but we get entranced, preoccupied of why we are doing this, the aim or goal of what we are trying to ‘get to’ that the process itself gets obliterated !

the impression of body becomes hazy, as body is a carrier to take you somewhere, instead of just experiencing what it is DOING NOW –standing ? sitting ? laying down ?    as Yoga does too. 

not saying ‘crossing leg over left foot’ but just ‘feeling the leg’ without a description.
comfort is essential because otherwise distracts the meditation. simple posture with pillow under buttocks.

relaxation. to have general mind fullness  - to notice How Mind Works…1st  notice rise & fall of abdomen with ea breath – the sensation, not naming it, not where it is happening, just the SENSATION, w/o thinking of the movement of abdomen…bare attention of physical process in all of the stages and maintain this awareness w/o a break as long as possible. ……

 then  the knowledge will arise of itself then..

                                     
                      [ google images breathes too ]





later use sensation…of feeling the air entering  in 1 nostril…. & out the other…  

[more not typed here, but that too can be heard on KPFK Archives adjacent to above Watts talk time ]

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  (c) mjj   2018  [all except Watts/ Garis's words typed as heard ]