Shakyamuni Buddha would sometimes be asked: "How did this happen? What caused this, that, or the other thing to occur?" A lot of people are obsessed with having to know the blow-by-blow leading up to all outcomes. The Buddha, however, did not meticulously identify the links in the chains of cause and effect in describing phenomena - all he would say is, "This happens when causes and conditions are right."
In the Lotus Sutra*, widely considered to contain the Buddha's highest teachings, the Buddha says:
"Do not try to apprehend phenomena, to understand or to see them" - [page 200].
Please notice, all he said is "do not try." I think he meant that such understanding will come as a result of Buddhist practice (as detailed in the Lotus Sutra* itself). By trying "to apprehend phenomena," we run the risk of obsessing on and becoming overly-attached to them and won't end up seeing the forest for the trees or the ocean for the waves or ourselves for our particulars.
In the Lotus Sutra*, the Buddha declares that each of us can become a Buddha exactly equal to himself. In addition, on page 98 he says (note especially the last sentence):
"Those who have not yet crossed over I will cause to cross over, those not yet freed I will free, those not yet at rest I will put at rest, those not yet in nirvana I will cause to attain nirvana. Of this existence and future existences I understand the true circumstances. I am one who knows all things, sees all things, understands the way, opens up the way, preaches the way."
In that last sentence, the Buddha declared that he "knows all things" - but he didn't say "I am the only one who knows all things." He said "I am one [that is, one among many known as “Buddhas” or Enlightened Ones] who knows all things." That's a result of his attainment of Enlightenment (of his becoming a Buddha), which you too may become. Then you will "know all things," even though he'd warned us not to "try to apprehend phenomena, to understand or to see them."
In order to attain Buddhahood, we all have to try - but the key lies in understanding just what it is we are to try. And the key to that is in practicing according to the Buddha's instructions in the Lotus Sutra.
About the pineal gland and “cellular memory”
A friend of mine speaks of “opening up the pineal gland” and “activating all of my DNA” as paths toward Enlightenment. She’s into conspiracy theories about how “they’ve” dumbed us down over the millennia – all the better to manipulate and exploit us.
I’ve heard such talk before, so I offered an alternative. Attaining Buddhahood has nothing to do with our physical bodily attributes. In fact, the sutras speak of beings who have consciousness but lack bodies. They also speak of an acquired ability (acquired via Buddhist practice) to shape-shift, making one wonder what their “real” bodies look like.
I told my friend: “Look, suppose each cell in your body is a mini-computer, which has stored within it all the details of one of your many past lifetimes – each cell responsible for one unique lifetime. Suppose, instead, that each atom in your body is such a mini-computer. There would not be enough atoms in your entire body (even if you happen to be overweight or a bodybuilder) to remember all of the untold trillions of trillions of trillions of past lifetimes you’ve had. So our bodies (our DNA, our pineal gland, our cellular memory banks) have nothing to do with attaining enlightenment.
“What a Buddhist tries to do is practice the way the Buddha taught, and the rest will follow naturally. When Shakyamuni related a personal memory of an event which occurred trillions of millennia ago (as clearly as if it happened yesterday), he wasn’t giving us a demonstration of memory (a function of our physical brain) – he was tapping into a stream (so to speak). But he could only do so after he himself had practiced according to the teachings of the Lotus Sutra for countless lifetimes.
“So, forget your DNA, forget your pineal gland – in fact, forget all specious, numerous, provisional, close-but-no-cigar teachings. If you want to become a Buddha, start with a daily, oral recitation of the Lotus Sutra – the text of which will ‘tell’ you the next steps you’ll have to take. Which is odd, in light of what the Lotus teaches in terms of obtaining ‘teacherless wisdom, wisdom that comes of itself.’”
Go figure. Or, better yet, go practice.
Steven Searle for U.S. President in 2012
Founder of The Independent Contractors’ Party
“And, no, it’s not enough to be a nice guy who minds his own business, harms no one, and exerts himself charitably” – Steve.
* Lotus Sutra, Burton Watson translation, copyright 1993
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