(Minute Physics) Light it up! Fire it up! We explain a lot of hot stuff. It might be a candle in microgravity. Minute Physics provides an energetic and entertaining view of old and new problems in physics -- all in a minute! In this episode we explain why fire is red, gas flames are blue, and why you're too cool to glow. Music by Nathaniel Schroeder.
Showing posts with label fire. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fire. Show all posts
Friday, October 21, 2011
Friday, October 7, 2011
Science Friday: What is a Flame? (video)
Wisdom Quarterly, NPR, Science Friday
Humans are thought to have mastered controlled fire in the middle of the Paleolithic era. Half a million years later, engineers Tadd Truscott and Dale Tree, of Brigham Young University, are trying to quantify it. Using high speed cameras and computer algorithms, they are reconstructing fire, digitally. Understanding flames better can help us use fire better, they say.
Candle Gazing Meditation
Candle gazing meditation is called trakata in Sanskrit (yogawithmarnie.com).
There is a simple but very effective form of meditation -- staring into the center of a candle flame until the countersign is developed and the light becomes visible even when not staring at the fire. It does not involve thinking. Quite to the contrary, it involves arresting and settling the mind. Consciousness continues and in fact becomes a fuller awareness; lucidity actually increases with the cessation of discursive thought, ratiocination, and contemplation. Our natural assumption is that "our" thoughts and ideas are us. What a relief that they think themselves, follow their own course, come and go. The real relief is even temporary release from neurotic revolving in mind. Steady focusing on a flame has the power to bring this about. Of course, this is only the first step. The goal is not simply to stop the mental chatter and be serene. This meditation can be developed to absorption (first jhana). And that sets the foundation for successful insight meditation or vipassana.
(BodyMindPower) Video, music, text: Anke Moehlmann (BMP Music), Mystic Journey Vol. 1 & 2, Yoga Sunset Chill I-III, bodymindpower.de.
Flame footage: Dale R. Tree, Tadd T. Truscott, Preston Murray, Jonathon Pendlebury.
Humans are thought to have mastered controlled fire in the middle of the Paleolithic era. Half a million years later, engineers Tadd Truscott and Dale Tree, of Brigham Young University, are trying to quantify it. Using high speed cameras and computer algorithms, they are reconstructing fire, digitally. Understanding flames better can help us use fire better, they say.Candle Gazing Meditation
Candle gazing meditation is called trakata in Sanskrit (yogawithmarnie.com).There is a simple but very effective form of meditation -- staring into the center of a candle flame until the countersign is developed and the light becomes visible even when not staring at the fire. It does not involve thinking. Quite to the contrary, it involves arresting and settling the mind. Consciousness continues and in fact becomes a fuller awareness; lucidity actually increases with the cessation of discursive thought, ratiocination, and contemplation. Our natural assumption is that "our" thoughts and ideas are us. What a relief that they think themselves, follow their own course, come and go. The real relief is even temporary release from neurotic revolving in mind. Steady focusing on a flame has the power to bring this about. Of course, this is only the first step. The goal is not simply to stop the mental chatter and be serene. This meditation can be developed to absorption (first jhana). And that sets the foundation for successful insight meditation or vipassana.(BodyMindPower) Video, music, text: Anke Moehlmann (BMP Music), Mystic Journey Vol. 1 & 2, Yoga Sunset Chill I-III, bodymindpower.de.
A short Candle Meditation may inspire some to meditate with a candle. Use a non-paraffin candle free of toxic petroleum products and synthetic fragrances for best results, such as a simple oil lamp, soy candle, or this video:
It is a simple form of meditation that brings deep relaxation. And it is a fantastic way to improve concentration skills. The flame is an aid to go into a deep state of meditation. If thoughts come just let them be there watching them drifting by. Eyes may water a little, which is normal and helps clear them removing tiredness and improving eyesight.
When the eyes starts to burn, close them and visualize the flame with the third eye, the point between the eyebrows.
As a result of focusing on the flame, it feels as though that there is no distance between the eyes and flame. One might become one with the flame and enter a deep state of peace and tranquility.
Take a comfortable seat that promotes alertness, which usually means an erect but relaxed back that is not leaning on anything. Allow the eyes to relax while gazing at the flame. Breathe in and out at the center of the solar plexus. With each in and outflow of the breath, allow the entire body and mind to become more and more relaxed.
Complete the meditation by allowing a few minutes to come back to Earth. Close the eyes for a few minutes. Then slowly move head, hands, and feet before slowly standing.
Monday, September 5, 2011
The Exposition of the Elements (Nirvana)
Wisdom Quarterly translation by Seven (Dhatuvibhanga sutra MN 140) guided by the Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli and Bhikkhu Bodhi translation
1. Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Buddha was wandering in the Magadhan country. He eventually arrived at Rājagaha. And there he went to the potter Bhaggava and said to him:
2. “Bhaggava, if it is not inconvenient for you, I will stay one night in your workshop.” [This is a customary practice of wandering mendicants in India when they want lodging.]
“Venerable sir, it is not inconvenient for me. But there is a wanderer [homeless one, a spiritual mendicant] already staying there. If he agrees, venerable sir, then stay as long as you like.”
3. Now there was clansman [a fellow from the vicinity of the Buddha's birthplace] named Pukkusāti who had gone forth from the home life into homelessness out of confidence in the Buddha [without ever having met him].
- [Pukkusāti was a warrior-caste king who had recently renounced his riches because his friend told him of the Buddha's virtues, teachings, and their benefits. That friend was King Bimbisara, the ruler of a distant country and one of the Buddha's greatest supporters. King Bimbisara ruled Magadha, the capital of which was Rajagaha, where Pukkusati was headed.]
On that occasion, he was already staying in the potter’s workshop. Then the Buddha went to Ven. Pukkusāti and said to him: “If it is not inconvenient for you, monastic (bhikkhu), I will stay one night in the workshop.”
“Friend, the potter’s workshop is large enough. Let the venerable one stay as long as he likes.”
4. Then the Blessed One entered the potter’s workshop, prepared a spread of grass [as a meditation cushion] at one end, and sat down. He folded his legs crosswise, setting his body erect, and established mindfulness in front of him.
Then the Buddha spent most of the night in seated meditation, and Ven. Pukkusāti also spent most of the night that way. Then the Buddha thought: “This clansman conducts himself in a way that inspires confidence. Suppose I were to question him.” So he asked Ven. Pukkusāti:
Buddha statue, Tashilhumpo Monastery, Shigatse, Tibet (Erwin1964/Flickr)
4. Then the Blessed One entered the potter’s workshop, prepared a spread of grass [as a meditation cushion] at one end, and sat down. He folded his legs crosswise, setting his body erect, and established mindfulness in front of him.
Then the Buddha spent most of the night in seated meditation, and Ven. Pukkusāti also spent most of the night that way. Then the Buddha thought: “This clansman conducts himself in a way that inspires confidence. Suppose I were to question him.” So he asked Ven. Pukkusāti:
Buddha statue, Tashilhumpo Monastery, Shigatse, Tibet (Erwin1964/Flickr)Who Is Your Teacher?
5. “Under whom have you gone forth, monastic? Who is your teacher? Whose doctrine (dharma) do you profess?”
“Friend, there is the recluse Gautama, the son of the Sakyans who went forth from a Sakyan clan. Now a good report of that Blessed Gautama has been spread to this effect:
- ‘That Blessed One is accomplished, fully enlightened, perfect in true knowledge and conduct, sublime, knower of worlds, incomparable leader of persons to be tamed, teacher of devas and humans, enlightened, fortunate.’
of that Blessed One.” [Without realizing it, of course, he was referring to the Buddha.]
Where Is Your Teacher?
“But, monastic, where is that Blessed One, accomplished and fully enlightened, now living?”
“Friend, there is a city in the northern country named Sāvatthī. The Blessed One, accomplished and fully enlightened, is now living there.”
“But, monastic, have you ever seen that Blessed One before? Would you recognize him if you saw him?”
“No, friend, I have never seen that Blessed One before, nor would I recognize him if I saw him.”
6. Then the Buddha thought: “This clansman has gone forth from the home life into homelessness under me. Suppose I were to teach him the Dharma.”
(equilibriumchemistry11 blog)
The Buddha Teaches the Elements-of-Being
So the Buddha addressed Ven. Pukkusāti thus: “Monastic, I will teach you the Dharma. Listen and attend closely to what I shall say.”
“Yes, friend,” Ven. Pukkusāti replied, and then the Buddha said:
“No, friend, I have never seen that Blessed One before, nor would I recognize him if I saw him.”
6. Then the Buddha thought: “This clansman has gone forth from the home life into homelessness under me. Suppose I were to teach him the Dharma.”
(equilibriumchemistry11 blog)The Buddha Teaches the Elements-of-Being
So the Buddha addressed Ven. Pukkusāti thus: “Monastic, I will teach you the Dharma. Listen and attend closely to what I shall say.”
“Yes, friend,” Ven. Pukkusāti replied, and then the Buddha said:
7. “Monastic, this person consists of six elements, six bases of contact, 18 kinds of mental exploration, and has four foundations.
The tides of conceiving do not sweep over one who stands on these [foundations]. And when the tides of conceiving no longer sweep over him he is called a sage at peace. One should [for the sake of freedom and happiness] pursue wisdom, preserve truth, cultivate relinquishment, and train for peace. This is the summary of the exposition of the six elements.
The tides of conceiving do not sweep over one who stands on these [foundations]. And when the tides of conceiving no longer sweep over him he is called a sage at peace. One should [for the sake of freedom and happiness] pursue wisdom, preserve truth, cultivate relinquishment, and train for peace. This is the summary of the exposition of the six elements.
8. “‘Monastic, this person consists of six elements.’ So it was said. With reference to what was this said?
There is the earth element, water element, fire element, air element, space element, and the consciousness element. It was said with reference to these.
9. “‘Monastic, this person consists of six bases of contact.’ So it was said. With reference to what was this said? There is the base of eye-contact, base of ear-contact, base of nose-contact, base of tongue-contact, base of body-contact, and the base of mind-contact. It was said with reference to these.
10. “‘Monastic, this person consists of 18 kinds of mental exploration.’ So it was said. With reference to what was this said? On seeing a form with the eye, one explores a form productive of joy [pleasant sensation], one explores a form productive of grief [unpleasant sensation], one explores a form productive of equanimity [neutral sensation].
On hearing a sound with the ear… smelling an odor with the nose… tasting a flavor with the tongue… touching a tangible with the body… cognizing a mind-object with the mind, one explores a mind-object productive of joy, one explores a mind-object productive of grief, one explores a mind-object productive of equanimity.
So it was with reference to these that it was said: ‘Monastic, this person consists of 18 kinds of mental exploration.’
Four Foundations
11. “‘Monastic, this person has four foundations.’ So it was said. With reference to what? There are these foundations:
13. “How, monastic, does one pursue [not neglect] wisdom? There are these six [aforementioned] elements.
Earth Element
14. “What is the earth element? It is either internal or external. What is the internal? Whatever, belonging to oneself, is solid, tangible, and clung-to -- that is, head-hairs, body-hairs, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, bone-marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, diaphragm, spleen, lungs, intestines, mesentery, contents of the stomach, feces, or whatever else internally, belonging to oneself, is solid, solidified, and clung-to -- is called the internal earth element.
“Now both the internal and the external earth element are simply earth element. And that should be seen as it actually is with proper wisdom: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’
“When one sees it as it actually is with proper wisdom, one becomes disenchanted [disillusioned] with the earth element. And the mind becomes dispassionate toward earth [does not cling to it].
Water Element
15. “What is the water element? It is either internal or external. Whatever internally, belonging to oneself, is fluid, liquid, and clung-to -- that is, bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, grease, spittle, snot, oil-of-the-joints, urine, or whatever else internally, belonging to oneself, is fluid, liquid, and clung-to -- is called the internal water element.
“Now both the internal and the external are simply water element. And that should be seen as it actually is with proper wisdom: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’
“When one sees it as it actually is with proper wisdom, one becomes disenchanted with the water element. And the mind becomes dispassionate toward water [does not cling to it].
Fire Element
16. “What is the fire element? It is either internal or external. Whatever internally, belonging to oneself, is fire [related to temperature, whether cold or hot], ripening [breaking down], and clung-to -- that is, that by which one is warmed, ages, and is consumed, and that by which what is eaten, drunk, consumed, and tasted gets completely digested, or whatever else internally, belonging to oneself, is fire, ripening, and clung-to -- is called the internal fire element.
“Now both the internal and the external are simply fire element. And that should be seen as it actually is with proper wisdom: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’
“When one sees it as it actually is with proper wisdom, one becomes disenchanted with the fire element. And the mind becomes dispassionate toward fire [does not cling to it].
Air Element
17. “What is the air element? It may be either internal or external. Whatever internally, belonging to oneself, is air [various qualities that allow for movement, support, etc.], gaseous, and clung-to -- that is, up-going winds, down-going winds, winds in the belly, winds in the bowels, winds that course through the limbs [that, ultimately, make movement possible], in-breath and out-breath, or whatever else internally, belonging to oneself, is air, airy, and clung-to -- is called the internal air element.
“Now both the internal and the external are simply air element. And that should be seen as it actually is with proper wisdom: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’
“When one sees it as it actually is with proper wisdom, one becomes disenchanted with the air element. And the mind becomes dispassionate toward air [does not cling to it].
Space Element
18. “What is the space element? It may be either internal or external. Whatever internally, belonging to oneself, is space [delimiting solids], open, and clung-to -- that is, the openings of the ears, the nostrils, the door of the mouth, and those openings whereby what is eaten, drunk, consumed, and tasted gets swallowed, and where they collect, and whereby they are excreted from below, or whatever else internally, belonging to oneself, is space, open, and clung-to -- is called the internal space element.
“Now both the internal and the external are simply space element. And that should be seen as it actually is with proper wisdom: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’
“When one sees it as it actually is with proper wisdom, one becomes disenchanted with the space element. And the mind becomes dispassionate toward space.
Consciousness
19. “Then there remains only consciousness, purified and bright [naturally luminous]. What does one cognize with that consciousness?
“One cognizes: ‘[This is] pleasant’; one cognizes: ‘[This is] painful’; one cognizes: ‘[This is] neither-painful-nor-pleasant [neutral].’
“In dependence on a contact to be felt as pleasant there arises a pleasant feeling. When one feels a pleasant feeling, one understands: ‘I feel a pleasant feeling.’
“One further understands: ‘With the cessation of that same contact to be felt as pleasant, its corresponding feeling -- the pleasant feeling that arose in dependence on that contact -- ceases and subsides.’
“In dependence on a contact to be felt as painful there arises a painful feeling....
“In dependence on a contact to be felt as neither-painful-nor-pleasant there arises a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling....
“Just as from contact and friction between two fire-sticks heat is generated and fire is produced -- and with the separation of the fire-sticks, the corresponding heat ceases and subsides -- so too, in dependence on a contact… to be felt as painful… to be felt as neither-painful-nor-pleasant there arises a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling… One understands: ‘With the cessation of that same contact... [and] its corresponding feeling… ceases and subsides.’
Equanimity
20. “Then there remains only equanimity, purified and bright, malleable, wieldy, and radiant. Suppose a skilled goldsmith or an apprentice were to prepare a furnace, heat a crucible, grasp gold with tongs, and put it into the crucible.
“From time to time he would blow on it. From time to time he would sprinkle water on it. And from time to time he would just look on. [In this way] that gold would become refined, well refined, completely refined, faultless, rid of dross, malleable, wieldy, and radiant.
“Then whatever kind of ornament he wished to make, whether a golden chain or earrings or a necklace or a golden garland, it would serve this purpose.
“So, too, there remains only equanimity, purified and bright, malleable, wieldy, and radiant.
21. “One understands: ‘If I were to direct this equanimity, so purified and bright, to the base of boundless space and to develop my mind accordingly, then this equanimity of mine, supported by that base, clinging to it, would remain for a very long time.
“If I were to direct this equanimity, so purified and bright, to the base of boundless consciousness… to the base of nothingness… to the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception and to develop my mind accordingly, then this equanimity of mine, supported by that base, clinging to it, would remain for a very long time.’
22. “One understands: ‘If I were to direct this equanimity, so purified and bright, to the base of boundless space and to develop my mind accordingly, this would be conditioned [dependent on conditions, arising in complete dependence on conditions].
“If I were to direct this equanimity, so purified and bright, to the base of boundless consciousness… to the base of nothingness… to the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception and to develop my mind accordingly, this would be conditioned.’
Nirvana (the Unconditioned Element)
“One does not form any condition or generate any volition tending toward either being or non-being. Since one does not form any condition or generate any volition tending toward either being or non-being, one does not cling to anything in this world.
“When one does not cling, one is not agitated. When one is not agitated, one personally experiences nirvana.
“One understands: ‘Birth is destroyed, the high life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming to any state.’
23. “If one feels [experiences] a pleasant feeling, one understands: ‘It is impermanent; there is no holding on to it; there is no delight in it.’
“If he feels a painful feeling, one understands: ‘It is impermanent; there is no holding on to it; there is no delight in it.’
“If one feels a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, one understands: ‘It is impermanent; there is no holding on to it; there is no delight in it.’
24. “If one feels a pleasant feeling, one feels it detached; if one feels a painful feeling, one feels it detached; if one feels a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, one feels it detached.
“When one feels a feeling terminating with the body, one understands: ‘I feel a feeling terminating with the body.’ When one feels a feeling terminating with life, one understands: ‘I feel a feeling terminating with life.’
“One understands: ‘On the dissolution of the body, with the ending of life, all that is felt, not being delighted in, will become cool [nirvanered because nirvana is not a thing or place but a quenching, a cooling, a slaking, a fading, a going out, an ending of all suffering] right here.’
“Just as an oil-lamp [with an ultimately illusory flame] burns in dependence on oil and a wick, and when the oil and wick are used up, if it does not get any more fuel, it is extinguished from lack of fuel. So, too, when one feels a feeling terminating with the body… a feeling terminating with life, one understands: ‘I feel a feeling terminating with life.’
“One understands: ‘On the dissolution of the body, with the ending of life, all that is felt, not being delighted in, will become cool right here.’
25. “Therefore a practitioner possessing [this wisdom] possesses the supreme foundation of wisdom. For this is the supreme noble wisdom, namely, the knowledge of the destruction of all suffering.
26. “One's deliverance, being founded upon truth, is unshakable. For that is false which has a deceptive nature, and that is true which has an undeceptive nature -- nirvana.
“Therefore a practitioner possessing [this truth] possesses the supreme foundation of truth. For this is the supreme noble truth, namely, nirvana, which has an undeceptive nature.
Complete Freedom
27. “Formerly, when one was ignorant, one undertook and accepted acquisitions [grasped at things one mistook as I, me, or mine]. Now one has abandoned them, cut them off at the root, made them like a palm stump [which will not regenerate, unlike other trees which with roots intact will grow again], done away with them so that they are no longer subject to arising in the future.
“Therefore a practitioner possessing [this relinquishment] possesses the supreme foundation of relinquishment. For this is the supreme noble relinquishment, namely, the relinquishing [abandoning] of all acquisitions.
28. “Formerly, when one was ignorant, one experienced covetousness [greed], desire, and lust. Now one has abandoned them, cut them off at the root, made them like a palm stump, done away with them so that they are no longer subject to arising in the future.
“Formerly, when one was ignorant, one experienced anger, ill will, and hate. Now one has abandoned them, cut them off at the root, made them like a palm stump, done away with them so that they are no longer subject to arising in the future.
“Formerly, when one was ignorant, one experienced ignorance and delusion [with regard to the Four Noble Truths and complete liberation from suffering]. Now one has abandoned them, cut them off at the root, made them like a palm stump, done away with them so that they are no longer subject to arising in the future.
Peace
“Therefore a practitioner possessing [this peace] possesses the supreme foundation of peace. For this is the supreme noble peace, namely, the pacification [appeasing] of lust, hate, and delusion.
29. “So it was with reference to this that it was said: ‘One should [for the sake of freedom and happiness] pursue wisdom, preserve truth, cultivate relinquishment, and train for peace.’
30. “‘The tides of conceiving do not sweep over one who stands on these [foundations]. And when the tides of conceiving no longer sweep over one, that person is called a sage at peace.’ So it was said. With reference to what was this said?
Conceiving
31. “Monastic, ‘I am’ is a conceiving;
“And the sage at peace is not reborn, does not age, does not die; one is not shaken and is not agitated. For [what can upset as is asked in the Heart Sutra] there is nothing present in one by which one might be reborn.
“Not being reborn, how could one age? Not aging, how could one die? Not dying, how could one be shaken? Not being shaken, why should one be agitated?
32. “So it was with reference to this that it was said: ‘The tides of conceiving do not sweep over one who stands on these [foundations]. And when the tides of conceiving no longer sweep over one, that person is called a sage at peace.’
“Monastic, bear in mind this brief exposition of the six elements.”
33. Thereupon, Ven. Pukkusāti thought: “Indeed, the Teacher has come to me! The Sublime One has come to me! The Fully Enlightened One has come to me!”
Then he rose from his seat, arranged his upper robe over one shoulder, and prostrating himself with his head at the Buddha’s feet [all customary marks of respect in ancient India], he said:
“Venerable sir, a transgression overcame me, in that foolishly, confused and blundering, I presumed to address the Blessed One as ‘friend.’ Venerable sir, may the Blessed One forgive my transgression seen as such for the sake of restraint in the future.”
“Surely, monastic, a transgression overcame you, in that foolishly, confused and blundering, you presumed to address me as ‘friend.’ But since you see your transgression as such and make amends in accordance with the Dharma [Doctrine and Discipline], it is forgiven. For it is growth in the Noble One’s Discipline when one sees one’s transgression as such, makes amends in accordance with the Dharma, and undertakes restraint in the future.”
34. “Venerable sir, I would receive the full admission [which would make Pukkusati not a monastic, as the Buddha has been addressing him, but an Indian sannyasi or a Buddhist novice at best] under the Blessed One.”
“But are your bowl and robes complete, monastic?”
“Venerable sir, my bowl and robes are not complete.”
“Monastic, Tathāgatas [Buddhas] do not give the full admission to anyone whose bowl and robes are not complete.”
35. Then Ven. Pukkusāti, having delighted and rejoiced in the Buddha’s words, rose from his seat. And after paying homage to the Buddha and keeping him on his right [more signs of respect], he departed search of bowl and robes.
But while he was searching for bowl and robes, a stray cow killed him.
36. Then a number of monastics went to the Buddha. And after paying their respects to him, they sat down at one side and told him: “Venerable sir, the clansman Pukkusāti, who was given brief instruction by the Blessed One, has died. What is his destination? What is his future course [of rebirth]?”
“Monastics, the clansman Pukkusāti was wise. He practiced in accordance with the Dharma and did not trouble me in the interpretation of the Dharma. With the destruction of the five lower fetters, the clansman Pukkusāti has reappeared spontaneously [in the Pure Abodes] and will attain final nirvana there without ever returning from that world.”
That is what the Enlightened One said. The monastics were satisfied and delighted in the Blessed One’s words.
9. “‘Monastic, this person consists of six bases of contact.’ So it was said. With reference to what was this said? There is the base of eye-contact, base of ear-contact, base of nose-contact, base of tongue-contact, base of body-contact, and the base of mind-contact. It was said with reference to these.
10. “‘Monastic, this person consists of 18 kinds of mental exploration.’ So it was said. With reference to what was this said? On seeing a form with the eye, one explores a form productive of joy [pleasant sensation], one explores a form productive of grief [unpleasant sensation], one explores a form productive of equanimity [neutral sensation].
On hearing a sound with the ear… smelling an odor with the nose… tasting a flavor with the tongue… touching a tangible with the body… cognizing a mind-object with the mind, one explores a mind-object productive of joy, one explores a mind-object productive of grief, one explores a mind-object productive of equanimity.
So it was with reference to these that it was said: ‘Monastic, this person consists of 18 kinds of mental exploration.’
Four Foundations
11. “‘Monastic, this person has four foundations.’ So it was said. With reference to what? There are these foundations:
- wisdom
- truth
- relinquishment
- peace
13. “How, monastic, does one pursue [not neglect] wisdom? There are these six [aforementioned] elements.
Earth Element
14. “What is the earth element? It is either internal or external. What is the internal? Whatever, belonging to oneself, is solid, tangible, and clung-to -- that is, head-hairs, body-hairs, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, bone-marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, diaphragm, spleen, lungs, intestines, mesentery, contents of the stomach, feces, or whatever else internally, belonging to oneself, is solid, solidified, and clung-to -- is called the internal earth element.“Now both the internal and the external earth element are simply earth element. And that should be seen as it actually is with proper wisdom: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’
“When one sees it as it actually is with proper wisdom, one becomes disenchanted [disillusioned] with the earth element. And the mind becomes dispassionate toward earth [does not cling to it].
Water Element
15. “What is the water element? It is either internal or external. Whatever internally, belonging to oneself, is fluid, liquid, and clung-to -- that is, bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, grease, spittle, snot, oil-of-the-joints, urine, or whatever else internally, belonging to oneself, is fluid, liquid, and clung-to -- is called the internal water element.“Now both the internal and the external are simply water element. And that should be seen as it actually is with proper wisdom: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’
“When one sees it as it actually is with proper wisdom, one becomes disenchanted with the water element. And the mind becomes dispassionate toward water [does not cling to it].
Fire Element
16. “What is the fire element? It is either internal or external. Whatever internally, belonging to oneself, is fire [related to temperature, whether cold or hot], ripening [breaking down], and clung-to -- that is, that by which one is warmed, ages, and is consumed, and that by which what is eaten, drunk, consumed, and tasted gets completely digested, or whatever else internally, belonging to oneself, is fire, ripening, and clung-to -- is called the internal fire element.“Now both the internal and the external are simply fire element. And that should be seen as it actually is with proper wisdom: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’
“When one sees it as it actually is with proper wisdom, one becomes disenchanted with the fire element. And the mind becomes dispassionate toward fire [does not cling to it].
Air Element
17. “What is the air element? It may be either internal or external. Whatever internally, belonging to oneself, is air [various qualities that allow for movement, support, etc.], gaseous, and clung-to -- that is, up-going winds, down-going winds, winds in the belly, winds in the bowels, winds that course through the limbs [that, ultimately, make movement possible], in-breath and out-breath, or whatever else internally, belonging to oneself, is air, airy, and clung-to -- is called the internal air element.“Now both the internal and the external are simply air element. And that should be seen as it actually is with proper wisdom: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’
“When one sees it as it actually is with proper wisdom, one becomes disenchanted with the air element. And the mind becomes dispassionate toward air [does not cling to it].
Space Element
18. “What is the space element? It may be either internal or external. Whatever internally, belonging to oneself, is space [delimiting solids], open, and clung-to -- that is, the openings of the ears, the nostrils, the door of the mouth, and those openings whereby what is eaten, drunk, consumed, and tasted gets swallowed, and where they collect, and whereby they are excreted from below, or whatever else internally, belonging to oneself, is space, open, and clung-to -- is called the internal space element.
“Now both the internal and the external are simply space element. And that should be seen as it actually is with proper wisdom: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’
“When one sees it as it actually is with proper wisdom, one becomes disenchanted with the space element. And the mind becomes dispassionate toward space.
Consciousness
19. “Then there remains only consciousness, purified and bright [naturally luminous]. What does one cognize with that consciousness?
“One cognizes: ‘[This is] pleasant’; one cognizes: ‘[This is] painful’; one cognizes: ‘[This is] neither-painful-nor-pleasant [neutral].’
“In dependence on a contact to be felt as pleasant there arises a pleasant feeling. When one feels a pleasant feeling, one understands: ‘I feel a pleasant feeling.’
“One further understands: ‘With the cessation of that same contact to be felt as pleasant, its corresponding feeling -- the pleasant feeling that arose in dependence on that contact -- ceases and subsides.’
“In dependence on a contact to be felt as painful there arises a painful feeling....
“In dependence on a contact to be felt as neither-painful-nor-pleasant there arises a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling....
“Just as from contact and friction between two fire-sticks heat is generated and fire is produced -- and with the separation of the fire-sticks, the corresponding heat ceases and subsides -- so too, in dependence on a contact… to be felt as painful… to be felt as neither-painful-nor-pleasant there arises a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling… One understands: ‘With the cessation of that same contact... [and] its corresponding feeling… ceases and subsides.’
Equanimity
20. “Then there remains only equanimity, purified and bright, malleable, wieldy, and radiant. Suppose a skilled goldsmith or an apprentice were to prepare a furnace, heat a crucible, grasp gold with tongs, and put it into the crucible.
“From time to time he would blow on it. From time to time he would sprinkle water on it. And from time to time he would just look on. [In this way] that gold would become refined, well refined, completely refined, faultless, rid of dross, malleable, wieldy, and radiant.
“Then whatever kind of ornament he wished to make, whether a golden chain or earrings or a necklace or a golden garland, it would serve this purpose.
“So, too, there remains only equanimity, purified and bright, malleable, wieldy, and radiant.
21. “One understands: ‘If I were to direct this equanimity, so purified and bright, to the base of boundless space and to develop my mind accordingly, then this equanimity of mine, supported by that base, clinging to it, would remain for a very long time.
“If I were to direct this equanimity, so purified and bright, to the base of boundless consciousness… to the base of nothingness… to the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception and to develop my mind accordingly, then this equanimity of mine, supported by that base, clinging to it, would remain for a very long time.’
22. “One understands: ‘If I were to direct this equanimity, so purified and bright, to the base of boundless space and to develop my mind accordingly, this would be conditioned [dependent on conditions, arising in complete dependence on conditions].
“If I were to direct this equanimity, so purified and bright, to the base of boundless consciousness… to the base of nothingness… to the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception and to develop my mind accordingly, this would be conditioned.’
Nirvana (the Unconditioned Element)
“One does not form any condition or generate any volition tending toward either being or non-being. Since one does not form any condition or generate any volition tending toward either being or non-being, one does not cling to anything in this world.
“When one does not cling, one is not agitated. When one is not agitated, one personally experiences nirvana.
“One understands: ‘Birth is destroyed, the high life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming to any state.’
23. “If one feels [experiences] a pleasant feeling, one understands: ‘It is impermanent; there is no holding on to it; there is no delight in it.’
“If he feels a painful feeling, one understands: ‘It is impermanent; there is no holding on to it; there is no delight in it.’
“If one feels a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, one understands: ‘It is impermanent; there is no holding on to it; there is no delight in it.’
24. “If one feels a pleasant feeling, one feels it detached; if one feels a painful feeling, one feels it detached; if one feels a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, one feels it detached.
“When one feels a feeling terminating with the body, one understands: ‘I feel a feeling terminating with the body.’ When one feels a feeling terminating with life, one understands: ‘I feel a feeling terminating with life.’
“One understands: ‘On the dissolution of the body, with the ending of life, all that is felt, not being delighted in, will become cool [nirvanered because nirvana is not a thing or place but a quenching, a cooling, a slaking, a fading, a going out, an ending of all suffering] right here.’
“Just as an oil-lamp [with an ultimately illusory flame] burns in dependence on oil and a wick, and when the oil and wick are used up, if it does not get any more fuel, it is extinguished from lack of fuel. So, too, when one feels a feeling terminating with the body… a feeling terminating with life, one understands: ‘I feel a feeling terminating with life.’
“One understands: ‘On the dissolution of the body, with the ending of life, all that is felt, not being delighted in, will become cool right here.’
25. “Therefore a practitioner possessing [this wisdom] possesses the supreme foundation of wisdom. For this is the supreme noble wisdom, namely, the knowledge of the destruction of all suffering.
26. “One's deliverance, being founded upon truth, is unshakable. For that is false which has a deceptive nature, and that is true which has an undeceptive nature -- nirvana.
“Therefore a practitioner possessing [this truth] possesses the supreme foundation of truth. For this is the supreme noble truth, namely, nirvana, which has an undeceptive nature.
Complete Freedom
27. “Formerly, when one was ignorant, one undertook and accepted acquisitions [grasped at things one mistook as I, me, or mine]. Now one has abandoned them, cut them off at the root, made them like a palm stump [which will not regenerate, unlike other trees which with roots intact will grow again], done away with them so that they are no longer subject to arising in the future.
“Therefore a practitioner possessing [this relinquishment] possesses the supreme foundation of relinquishment. For this is the supreme noble relinquishment, namely, the relinquishing [abandoning] of all acquisitions.
28. “Formerly, when one was ignorant, one experienced covetousness [greed], desire, and lust. Now one has abandoned them, cut them off at the root, made them like a palm stump, done away with them so that they are no longer subject to arising in the future.
“Formerly, when one was ignorant, one experienced anger, ill will, and hate. Now one has abandoned them, cut them off at the root, made them like a palm stump, done away with them so that they are no longer subject to arising in the future.
“Formerly, when one was ignorant, one experienced ignorance and delusion [with regard to the Four Noble Truths and complete liberation from suffering]. Now one has abandoned them, cut them off at the root, made them like a palm stump, done away with them so that they are no longer subject to arising in the future.
Peace
“Therefore a practitioner possessing [this peace] possesses the supreme foundation of peace. For this is the supreme noble peace, namely, the pacification [appeasing] of lust, hate, and delusion.
29. “So it was with reference to this that it was said: ‘One should [for the sake of freedom and happiness] pursue wisdom, preserve truth, cultivate relinquishment, and train for peace.’
30. “‘The tides of conceiving do not sweep over one who stands on these [foundations]. And when the tides of conceiving no longer sweep over one, that person is called a sage at peace.’ So it was said. With reference to what was this said?
Conceiving
31. “Monastic, ‘I am’ is a conceiving;
- ‘I am this’ is a conceiving;
- ‘I shall be’ is a conceiving;
- ‘I shall not be’ is a conceiving;
- ‘I shall be possessed of form’ is a conceiving;
- ‘I shall be formless’ [on a formless plane of existence] is a conceiving;
- ‘I shall be percipient’ is a conceiving;
- ‘I shall be non-percipient’ [on an unconscious plane of existence] is a conceiving;
- ‘I shall be neither-percipient-nor-non-percipient’ is a conceiving.
“And the sage at peace is not reborn, does not age, does not die; one is not shaken and is not agitated. For [what can upset as is asked in the Heart Sutra] there is nothing present in one by which one might be reborn.
“Not being reborn, how could one age? Not aging, how could one die? Not dying, how could one be shaken? Not being shaken, why should one be agitated?
32. “So it was with reference to this that it was said: ‘The tides of conceiving do not sweep over one who stands on these [foundations]. And when the tides of conceiving no longer sweep over one, that person is called a sage at peace.’
“Monastic, bear in mind this brief exposition of the six elements.”
33. Thereupon, Ven. Pukkusāti thought: “Indeed, the Teacher has come to me! The Sublime One has come to me! The Fully Enlightened One has come to me!”
Then he rose from his seat, arranged his upper robe over one shoulder, and prostrating himself with his head at the Buddha’s feet [all customary marks of respect in ancient India], he said:
“Venerable sir, a transgression overcame me, in that foolishly, confused and blundering, I presumed to address the Blessed One as ‘friend.’ Venerable sir, may the Blessed One forgive my transgression seen as such for the sake of restraint in the future.”
“Surely, monastic, a transgression overcame you, in that foolishly, confused and blundering, you presumed to address me as ‘friend.’ But since you see your transgression as such and make amends in accordance with the Dharma [Doctrine and Discipline], it is forgiven. For it is growth in the Noble One’s Discipline when one sees one’s transgression as such, makes amends in accordance with the Dharma, and undertakes restraint in the future.”
34. “Venerable sir, I would receive the full admission [which would make Pukkusati not a monastic, as the Buddha has been addressing him, but an Indian sannyasi or a Buddhist novice at best] under the Blessed One.”
“But are your bowl and robes complete, monastic?”
“Venerable sir, my bowl and robes are not complete.”
“Monastic, Tathāgatas [Buddhas] do not give the full admission to anyone whose bowl and robes are not complete.”
35. Then Ven. Pukkusāti, having delighted and rejoiced in the Buddha’s words, rose from his seat. And after paying homage to the Buddha and keeping him on his right [more signs of respect], he departed search of bowl and robes.
But while he was searching for bowl and robes, a stray cow killed him.
36. Then a number of monastics went to the Buddha. And after paying their respects to him, they sat down at one side and told him: “Venerable sir, the clansman Pukkusāti, who was given brief instruction by the Blessed One, has died. What is his destination? What is his future course [of rebirth]?”
“Monastics, the clansman Pukkusāti was wise. He practiced in accordance with the Dharma and did not trouble me in the interpretation of the Dharma. With the destruction of the five lower fetters, the clansman Pukkusāti has reappeared spontaneously [in the Pure Abodes] and will attain final nirvana there without ever returning from that world.”That is what the Enlightened One said. The monastics were satisfied and delighted in the Blessed One’s words.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Heavy Metal Buddhism?
Wisdom Quarterly
My girlfriend and I were miserable in samsara. She was at the University of Hawaii and more miserable than I, asking: "When will the suffering end?" "We'll go East in search of enlightenment," I would answer. "You better finish school first and body surf more. Or we can go to a concert?"
In the meantime, we soothed ourselves with the idea of starting a wholesome grindcore band. I look Tibetan (like Gomo Tulku), and she is Scandinavian (like Alissa White-Gluz), and we were vegans. (I still am).
With our crazy mops, we were either going to be called Zen Zero or Decorticated Disenchanted Strands (DDS), because we wanted to cut our long sun kissed hair down to the skin with revulsion or grow very long yogi dreadlocks like the guys in Carcass (see below).
Devi and dragon (angel and titan), we would jointly sing the lyrics she wrote in a special notebook in class along the lines of Carcass (classic British vegan grindcore) coroner jargon, girl bands, Cannibal Corpse (a comedic, carnivorous American band made famous by their appearance in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective), Cradle of Filth (dark British death metal), Dimmu Borgir (reptilian Norwegian black metal and our first concert experience), Deicide (darker American metal), Kittie, Dead Kennedys (San Francisco punk rock), and smaller wannabee bands of ALL kinds in Los Angeles.
If Carcass and other vegans could sing that meat eating is as gross as cannibalism with no one noticing, surely we could certainly extol the Dharma without anyone caring. And we'd feel good about it.
There's a way to rage at the universe with themes of disgust, dukkha, mindfulness of death, craving for liberation from samsara, and corporeality in general. Dress Goth, date around, and have music soothe the savage breast.
Sometimes renunciation grows to a fever pitch and becomes aversion (dosa) wanting nothing more than magical powers (abhinna) and enlightening everyone that things are empty and repulsive.
Carcass taught us that things "reek of putrefaction" in a "jigsaw quandary," and it seemed so Buddhist/tantric/yogic to cover their song "Carneous Cacoffiny." That's a song from their hyperintelligent album/medical tome "Necroticism: Descanting the Insalubrious." We had a really good sense of humor back then. I guess I was a bad influence on her. But she won complete freedom, so it all worked out. And they were her lyrics after all.
CARCASS: Sometimes it's fun to scream Zen-style.
Carneous Cacoffiny
Carcass
...Striking up my discordant underture
A carnal cacophony perversely penned
Transposed...and decomposed...
But don't hold your breath
As you wait for your god or the void
Or the abyss of nothingness
Your usefulness isn't through
Your productivity I resume...
My sordid, soiled handicrafts
Will be your afterlife's handicap....
My corrupt crescendos...
Will leave you out on a limbo...
Your disposition I unleash...
You will rest in my piece...
With deadly dynamics
You're dead, buried, and barred
Your remains dampened and fingered
Your mortal coil is barbed
The death-bells are peeling
Ringing out as you flake
Shrieking out their recitals
A celebration of your wake...
Enter my funereality
My world two meters under
A curious habitat
Your muddy trench I plunder
Pass on to ethereality
Churned out under the sextant's blade
You live your life in wretchedness
And death is no escape
And death is no escape
And death is no escape
The Zen of Screaming (Melissa Cross)
A None-more-metal Dharma-Burger
TheWorstHorse
The latest entry from the ever-expanding realm of metal/Buddhism crossovers is the cover and title of the new EP by the great doom/drone band, Queen Elephantine:
For a while now I’ve wondered about the band Yob. (Their name refers to a classic Warner Brothers cartoon; I distinctly remember being a teenager in bands and seeing the cartoon and thinking, Good band name.)...
Buddhist/comedian Jim Carrey loved Cannibal Corpse so much that he asked them to perform their megahit "Hammer Smashed Face" in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.
My girlfriend and I were miserable in samsara. She was at the University of Hawaii and more miserable than I, asking: "When will the suffering end?" "We'll go East in search of enlightenment," I would answer. "You better finish school first and body surf more. Or we can go to a concert?"In the meantime, we soothed ourselves with the idea of starting a wholesome grindcore band. I look Tibetan (like Gomo Tulku), and she is Scandinavian (like Alissa White-Gluz), and we were vegans. (I still am).With our crazy mops, we were either going to be called Zen Zero or Decorticated Disenchanted Strands (DDS), because we wanted to cut our long sun kissed hair down to the skin with revulsion or grow very long yogi dreadlocks like the guys in Carcass (see below).
Devi and dragon (angel and titan), we would jointly sing the lyrics she wrote in a special notebook in class along the lines of Carcass (classic British vegan grindcore) coroner jargon, girl bands, Cannibal Corpse (a comedic, carnivorous American band made famous by their appearance in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective), Cradle of Filth (dark British death metal), Dimmu Borgir (reptilian Norwegian black metal and our first concert experience), Deicide (darker American metal), Kittie, Dead Kennedys (San Francisco punk rock), and smaller wannabee bands of ALL kinds in Los Angeles.
If Carcass and other vegans could sing that meat eating is as gross as cannibalism with no one noticing, surely we could certainly extol the Dharma without anyone caring. And we'd feel good about it.There's a way to rage at the universe with themes of disgust, dukkha, mindfulness of death, craving for liberation from samsara, and corporeality in general. Dress Goth, date around, and have music soothe the savage breast.
Sometimes renunciation grows to a fever pitch and becomes aversion (dosa) wanting nothing more than magical powers (abhinna) and enlightening everyone that things are empty and repulsive.
Female death metal singing lessons (Angela Gossow)
Carcass taught us that things "reek of putrefaction" in a "jigsaw quandary," and it seemed so Buddhist/tantric/yogic to cover their song "Carneous Cacoffiny." That's a song from their hyperintelligent album/medical tome "Necroticism: Descanting the Insalubrious." We had a really good sense of humor back then. I guess I was a bad influence on her. But she won complete freedom, so it all worked out. And they were her lyrics after all.
CARCASS: Sometimes it's fun to scream Zen-style.
Carneous Cacoffiny
Carcass
...Striking up my discordant underture
A carnal cacophony perversely penned
Transposed...and decomposed...
But don't hold your breath
As you wait for your god or the void
Or the abyss of nothingness
Your usefulness isn't through
Your productivity I resume...
My sordid, soiled handicrafts
Will be your afterlife's handicap....
My corrupt crescendos...
Will leave you out on a limbo...
Your disposition I unleash...
You will rest in my piece...
With deadly dynamics
You're dead, buried, and barred
Your remains dampened and fingered
Your mortal coil is barbed
The death-bells are peeling
Ringing out as you flake
Shrieking out their recitals
A celebration of your wake...
Enter my funereality
My world two meters under
A curious habitat
Your muddy trench I plunder
Pass on to ethereality
Churned out under the sextant's blade
You live your life in wretchedness
And death is no escape
And death is no escape
And death is no escape
The Zen of Screaming (Melissa Cross)
A None-more-metal Dharma-Burger
TheWorstHorse
The latest entry from the ever-expanding realm of metal/Buddhism crossovers is the cover and title of the new EP by the great doom/drone band, Queen Elephantine:
The Tibetan-thangka-style art is one thing, but it doesn’t really get more metal than “Garland of Skulls,” does it?* (Queen Elphantine has dabbled in imagery from world religions and cultures, what with album titles like Surya and Kailash, and song titles like “Search for the Deathless State.” And you can download their record, Yatra (as in the Hindu term for “pilgrimage”) for free here.)
Hear the slow, dirgy, powerful track, “Potency,” from Garland of Skulls, here.
(See here for another recent — and recommended — Buddhism/metal crossover.)
- *Note: I have dibs on the band name SkülCüp.
For a while now I’ve wondered about the band Yob. (Their name refers to a classic Warner Brothers cartoon; I distinctly remember being a teenager in bands and seeing the cartoon and thinking, Good band name.)...
The last words in the shorter version of the sutra are “Gaté Gaté Paragaté Parasamgaté Bodhi Svaha!” The basic translation, as I understand it, is “gone (or ferried) with everyone to the other shore right now!”
A little more Googling about Yob and Buddhism turns up a quick reference in a Rebel Extravaganza interview with vocalist and guitarist Mike Scheidt, in which he responds to the interviewer’s question about the use of the word bardo in the song “Ball of Molten Lead” from 2004’s The Illusion of Motion LP:
I’m surprised that one jumped out at you, man! A bardo is a term used in Buddhism. A bardo is a segment of life. The Tibetan Book Of The Dead goes into it, the bardos of life… the stages of life and death. More in depth, when you get into the places where the book deals with learning how to die. We go through time periods of trying to understand and remember who we are outside of this life.
And the band has a track called “Asleep in Samsara” on 2002’s “Elaborations of Carbon.” Is all this a coincidence? And more important: does it matter?
I’m not saying that Scheidt is a Buddhist or that YOB is in some way a “Buddhist band.” (And either way, they get points for clearly not trying to cash in on Buddhism’s cultural cachet. They’re hardly hitting us over the head with the references here.) They probably wouldn’t want to be identified as a Buddhist band, even if they were. And I’m not saying they are. All I am saying is this:
1) Metal can be a lot smarter than some would ever think.
2) Buddhism can be way more metal-confluent than some would ever think. (It can also be way more punk- or hip-hop- or baseball- or business- or whatever-confluent than some would ever think, too.)
3) It’s refreshing... More
Via NPR: “Gomo Tulku, the Rapping Lama”
The Worst Horse (Music, hip-hop, Tibet)
“[T]here’s been a detour in [Lama] Gomo Tulku’s spiritual journey,” reports NPR. “He’s about to release his first rap recording.”
Now, comments on the piece, so far, don’t seem to be in the Rapping Lama’s favor. But listen and see what you think.
Of course, there’s nothing new about the Buddhism/hip-hop crossover. And like anything, the results have been all over the map. Find some gems — and otherwise — in the Horse’s archives...
- VIDEO: "Thank You Pain" (The Agonist, Alissa White-Gluz)
- VIDEO: How to piss off your girlfriend: Canadian death metal
- A death metal band in India
- Do I have potential for a (death) metal band? (girl)? - Jul 13, 2011
- Give me your opinion on dating a death metal girl... - Dec 1, 2009
- Would a girl rather listen to heavy death metal or French pop
- Is there anything wrong with being a girl and liking death metal...
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