Loving kindness - "Metta"

Originally posted by Taoman
Further, I stumble along... walking through the gate, is not all auspicious, even the forgetting? No different. Open space.

Designations are without significance; all expressible things are empty of own-being
😵

Originally posted by black beetle
Due to consciousness being bound by desire and lust, one’s mind delights in the past and thus one follows after the past.
Due to consciousness being bound by desire and lust, one’s mind is inclined towards getting of what has not been gotten and thus, delighting in that, one follows after the future because he hopes for the future.

Since I may die tomorrow, today I should be diligent. That deva could not remember the verses. Why so?
😵

Perhaps the deva could not remember the verses on an auspicious night so that venerable Samiddhi might go to the Lion of the Dharma to know of them. Those verses leads one away from so much dwelling on the past and future, on the passing away which keep one in ignorance and suffering. Each moment becomes an auspicious one when one remembers the verses to greater insight.

An attempt at pointing was in the answer to the post, to direct away from the substitution of preaching texts and fine words for actual metta. But in doing so unskillfully, one missed the inherent auspiciousness of that present moment and left life-clinging undisturbed.

Thank you for your venerable pointing, EB.

The Verses:

"...Venerable Samiddhi respectfully said: "Yes, indeed." Then, [when] all
the monks [were ready] to listen and receive the instructions, the Buddha
proclaimed [these verses]:


"Be careful not to think about the past,
and do not long for the future.
Matters of the past have already ceased,
the future has not yet come.

As for phenomena in the present moment,
one should contemplate
with mindfulness [their] lack of stability.
The wise awaken in this way.

If one undertakes [such] practice of noble ones,
who [would] be worried about death?
I shall disengage from [all] that [which is related to death],
[so that this] great suffering and misery comes to an end.

Practise diligently like this,
day and night without negligence!
Therefore, the verses on an auspicious night
should regularly be taught."

Source: (A paper on different translations)
http://www.buddhismuskunde.uni-hamburg.de/fileadmin/pdf/analayo/Verses.pdf
***

"Let go of the past, let go of the future,
Let go of the present, transcending becoming."

Source: Dhammapada

Originally posted by Taoman
Perhaps the deva could not remember the verses on an auspicious night so that venerable Samiddhi might go to the Lion of the Dharma to know of them. Those verses leads one away from so much dwelling on the past and future, on the passing away which keep one in ignorance and suffering. Each moment becomes an auspicious one when one remembers the verses to grea ...[text shortened]... go of the future,
Let go of the present, transcending becoming."

Source: Dhammapada

Yes!

Also methinks the deva for a while could neither
let go of the past, nor let go of the future,
nor let go of the present, transcending becoming,
and thus the deva was tasting karma;

In order to be able to transcend becoming, methinks the deva had to get a direction and asked for it, cultivating at the same time metta, the heart for the benefit of all the sentient beings; because, since consiousness arises in dependence upon this or that, consiousness does not arise when that is absent. The deva points towards to the understanding that being and non-being, composite and non-composite can really come at peace. This way, methinks the deva points towards nirvana whilst sitting quietly doing nothing

Namaste
😵

Originally posted by black beetle
Yes!

Also methinks the deva for a while could neither
let go of the past, nor let go of the future,
nor let go of the present, transcending becoming,
and thus the deva was tasting karma;

In order to be able to transcend becoming, methinks the deva had to get a direction and asked for it, cultivating at the same time metta, the heart for the be ...[text shortened]... ay, methinks the deva points towards nirvana whilst sitting quietly doing nothing

Namaste
😵

Namaste.

Effort, goal-seeking and for-and-against - this too does not transcend becoming.
But nought can issue nought too, and the nihilists win. This wu-wei, this sitting doing nothing, old man basking in the sun, not even waiting, a waiting that means becoming. It appears I can say nothing to the nihilists except to smile - and enjoy the sun.

Originally posted by Taoman
Namaste.

Effort, goal-seeking and for-and-against - this too does not transcend becoming.
But nought can issue nought too, and the nihilists win. This wu-wei, this sitting doing nothing, old man basking in the sun, not even waiting, a waiting that means becoming. It appears I can say nothing to the nihilists except to smile - and enjoy the sun.

The nihilists cannot pass the barrier😵

Water flows without clinging

Originally posted by vistesd
Water flows without clinging

A Cause has an Effect when there is an Effect, but when there is no Effect the Cause amounts to No Cause
😵

Originally posted by black beetle
A Cause has an Effect when there is an Effect, but when there is no Effect the Cause amounts to No Cause
😵

Sunlight casts a luminous net
in the clear creekwater,
though no minnow
is caught in its strands—

Originally posted by vistesd
Sunlight casts a luminous net
in the clear creekwater,
though no minnow
is caught in its strands—

...because the luminous net doesn't exist by virtue of own being,
nor is there any non-being here;
Since being and non-being, born through causes and conditions, are empty of inherent existence,
the entire multiplicity -both the luminous net and them fishes- is conceived solely in reliance upon worldly convention
😵


My vistesd, this bug still has its tree to roam around; and hopes that all is fine with you and yours😵

Originally posted by black beetle
...because the luminous net doesn't exist by virtue of own being,
nor is there any non-being here;
Since being and non-being, born through causes and conditions, are empty of inherent existence,
the entire multiplicity -both the luminous net and them fishes- is conceived solely in reliance upon worldly convention
😵


My vistesd, this bug still has its tree to roam around; and hopes that all is fine with you and yours😵

I am afraid that Ma Tsu must twist your nose! 🙂

_______________________________________

But—

Playful gabbing
about whether the wild duck
is here or there, gone away,
or never was
in mind or no-mind—
is just playful gabbing,
no more or less
than a good-humored
game of backgammon
among friends,
advancing words rather draughts.

How rude of me,
however lovingly,
to toss the board!

(Less painful though
than a twisted nose! 😉 )

_________________________________________________

My dear beetle,

Viv taped your last PM (from some months back) on our refrigerator as a reminder to send metta your way often! Hope you and Maria are as well as can be!

Dear Beetle and Taoman,

Remember that I live by that creekwater, in this wild garden called Terrapin Branch. Ma Tsu’s wild duck is for me the Great Blue Heron.

Heron, tall priest of Terrapin Branch,
shakes his wings at all my talk
of mutually arising and Zen,
and wanders on.

Empty or not,
I drink my tea—
and bow to my friends…

Originally posted by vistesd
I am afraid that Ma Tsu must twist your nose! 🙂

_______________________________________

But—

Playful gabbing
about whether the wild duck
is here or there, gone away,
or never was
in mind or no-mind—
is just playful gabbing,
no more or less
than a good-humored
game of backgammon
among friends,
advancing words rather draughts.

How rude ...[text shortened]... rigerator as a reminder to send metta your way often! Hope you and Maria are as well as can be!

Oh the other day Ma Tsu had my nose twisted so that I could be hopefully grounded in this present moment; so yes, thinking of that present moment as I did earlier, it would earn me just a twisted nose😵

My dear Viv and vistesd, we are well and we feel your transmission and thankful we remain; may you always be happy🙂

Originally posted by vistesd
Water flows without clinging

it also yields when struck with violence and yet returns with constancy. 🙂

Originally posted by vistesd
Dear Beetle and Taoman,

Remember that I live by that creekwater, in this wild garden called Terrapin Branch. Ma Tsu’s wild duck is for me the Great Blue Heron.

Heron, tall priest of Terrapin Branch,
shakes his wings at all my talk
of mutually arising and Zen,
and wanders on.

Empty or not,
I drink my tea—
and bow to my friends…

Since you gave it to me
without using your hands,
I will be always by you
without using my feet;


Namaste
😵

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
it also yields when struck with violence and yet returns with constancy. 🙂

Oh my rabbie is glorious,
o'er a' the ills o' life victorious😵