I've read aloud this Bible well over 175 times, all 335 pages of its text as rendered in English.
Today, I'm going to offer some comments which I hope will prove useful to others as they themselves seek a better spiritual path.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I am a member of a Buddhist sect that has exactly one member - that would be me;
one leader - that would be me; I'm not recruiting but I welcome dialogue; and I don't want your fucking money.
* * *
I don't believe in brick-and-mortar religious establishments. So I established the Virtual Samgha of the Lotus. This is basically a website on which I post essays and welcome comments. Of course, I encourage others to create their own virtual samghas in order to benefit their own circle of friends. The one I've maintained over the last three years, has over 75 essays I'd written to which I've only received two comments. Oh well, all good things take time to catch on, I guess. Here's the link:
lotussutrachampions.blogspot.com
* * *
I also don't believe in hierarchies. We're all leaders, so we should encourage the shy ones among us to speak their pieces, instead of allowing Type A blowhards to suck all the oxygen out of a room. Even though the Buddha could be considered to be obviously a leader, he himself tried to de-emphasize his role in favor of encouraging his disciples to seek out and learn from greatly accomplished Bodhisattvas. He even referred to "wisdom that comes of itself, buddha wisdom, teacherless wisdom."
So when I see Buddhists fawn over the Dalai Lama, Daisaku Ikeda (of the SGI), and other famous teachers with starry-eyed followers, I think of these teachers as self-glorifying fame seekers. The Dalai is a heretic who is primarily a Tibetan nationalist, who has never mentioned the Lotus Sutra - the Buddha's highest teaching - even once. And Ikeda is a wealthy businessman - and also a nationalist.
I am a retired civil servant who never made over $40,000 per year who renounced his USA citizenship three years ago. I am not a nationalist but a self-declared citizen of the world.
* * *
Buddhists don't have:
friends, lovers, significant others, nor do they have any kinds of sex.
Buddhists do have or seek to have:
fellow, compassionate seekers and teachers of the Way, whom they teach and from whom they learn - together trying to forge understanding. But, lacking those, there's nothing wrong with practicing alone.
About that sex thing - I'm 63 years and was married for 25 years (divorced 14 years ago). I had an extremely high sex drive for 20 or so years, thinking, "If I was actually good looking, I'd be dangerous." But I reached a point where I thought, "The sex thing is more trouble than it's worth."
My crowning achievement was to have lived with a woman in a platonic relationship for four-and-a-half years. I admit, I had occasional carnal yearnings for her, but I never touched her. She moved to another state over two years ago, though we stay in touch. I came to realize, "Sometimes, the ones that get away leave the strongest and sweetest impression." Pay attention to that, my female readers: It's too often true, once a guy get what he wants physically, it's amazing how quickly you become a whole lot less interesting to him." But...I guess this is something you already know at some level.
* * *
I was recently hospitalized for 21 days, though I'm now in a physical rehab facility to regain my strength. Here's a summary of my physical condition:
* Diagnosed with terminal liver cancer in Sept, 2012 - officially called metastatic colangio carcinoma;
* Colon cancer, non-terminal, since Sept, 2012;
* Deep Vein Thrombosis in my left leg (9/2012);
* Only 40% of my kidney function remains, due to the ravages of chemo therapy;
* Sarcoirdosis;
* fluid build-up in pericardial sac - needing two drainage operations two months apart;
* fluid build-up in the chest cavity - needing one operation;
* nerve damage in toes, but I can still walk without pain;
* pinched nerve in my L2 vertebrae which made it extremely painful to walk - though a recent operation fixed that problem;
* I have another pinched nerve in my right leg, resulting in a condition called "dropped foot," though I can still walk;
* Shingles broke out on my inner right thigh - though that is subsiding and never caused me any pain;
* I have the BRAC 2 gene, which could cause me to develop other cancers;
* I don't have diabetes, but I've been given occasional insulin shots due to high blood sugar.
So...in other words, I'm pretty much a train wreck, but I try to look on the bright side. In Sept of 2012, I was given only 5 to 8 months to live. But here I am, and I feel very good spiritually and mentally. And I see a whole lot more clearly than at any other time in my life.
I see my onslaught of illness as being karmic retribution for evils I've committed in this and past lives. And I feel my Buddhist practice has helped me survive and even thrive under these adverse conditions. Being in the hospital for three weeks served as a form of retreat - giving me a lot of think time as each form of pain taught me something about myself.
* * *
"I am an angry God" - thus spoke the God of the Abrahamists .That's okay for now - though if He works on His anger issues, He might someday achieve total enlightenment and become a Buddha. Meanwhile, take into account - if a person grows up with an angry father, he himself will have that in his life. Which goes a long way toward explaining why the sons of Abraham - Jews, Catholics, Protestants, and Muslims - have been responsible for the worst wars and persecutions suffered by humanity.
It's time to abandon this God and encourage Him to engage in Buddhist practice. He'll be in the good company of the trillions of other Gods in the universe who are similarly engaged.
* * *
In the Bible, compare Genesis chapters 1 and 2 - which are very short - regarding the creation of man.
In Genesis 2, Adam (created from dust) and Eve are created by the LORD God, with Eve being made from one of Adam's body parts and the term "wife" was introduced. They were created on the day of rest - the 7th day - which God blessed but He did not bless them.
In Genesis 1, man and woman were created on the sixth day of Creation by God (not the LORD God) and they were blessed. And they were told to be vegetarians. And...we never hear about them again, perhaps because they were meant to work behind the scenes.
Since Moses wrote Genesis, I believe he saw the Genesis 1 unnamed man and woman as having been created. I believe they were bodhisattvas who had popped into existence to lead and guide this God. Their descendants walk among us today, stealthily and without fanfare, trying to help the descendants of Adam and Eve.
* * *
It's just as easy to say "God, who was uncreated and has always been, created the universe," as it is to say, "The universe was uncreated - it has always been and always will be; though things within it will live, die, and be reborn, the Universe as a whole will never die and was never created."
* * *
About that 100 year life span:
We are so impressed with our high level of tech achievement, we fail to realize the meaning of having a 100-year life span. True enough, only a handful of us live that long, but many of us come close. We smirk at the people who lived at the time of the Buddha who lived much shorter lives. Even the Buddha lived only in his 80's, though scripture makes it clear he only gave the appearance of his death though he is alive and with us to this day: "I am always here, but through my transcendental powers I make it so that living beings in their befuddlement do not see me even when close by." - Lotus Sutra, chapter 16.
Scripture speaks of extraterrestrial societies in which the average lifespan is billions of years. And those societies don't have any technology, since each citizen has the personal power to do what machines could do. Scripture speaks of having a short lifespan as being the sign of a society in deep decline. And 100 years is considered such a short lifespan.
* * *
I can imagine Mohammad, if he were alive today, fighting side-by-side with Muslims while he routinely totes a rifle.
I can't imagine Jesus doing this, so how do the Christians justify war? It bothers me that Joan of Arc led and inspired troops into battle. But she herself, as she claimed, never killed anyone. But...she caused her troops to kill.
* * *
The new daimoku
Several sects of Buddhism believe that chanting the daimoku (the Great Invocation, Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo) is the highest form of Buddhist practice, though no buddha ever endorsed this. N-M-R-K is supposed to be the essence of Buddhism. However, it means, "I devote myself to the Lotus Sutra." Which is odd, since I've met many chanters who adamantly refuse to read the Lotus Sutra, even though the Buddha said that doing so is the appropriate practice for now and forever.
When I'm not reading the Lotus Sutra, I chant a daimoku of my own: Lotus, Buddha, Samgha. This comes from the vow that is respected by all Buddhists - that we take refuge in the Buddha, the Law, and the congregation of fellow believers. Note, however, that I didn't put the Buddha first - I put the Law first, specifically the Law known as the Lotus Sutra. I believe each of these three is indispensable in terms of our attainment of enlightenment, but I put the Buddha in second place so as to make a statement against hierarchy and the overemphasis on leaders.
I have a very liberal definition of the samgha, which I take to be everybody - even if they aren't Buddhists. Everybody, in his own words and in terms of his own faith, has a Buddhist insight or two to offer. Even though they don't call it Buddhist, it works that way for me.
* * *
Why did God cause Noah's flood? Doing so wiped out the sinners but...it also killed innocent animals. If God was so keen on killing sinners, no flood was necessary to do that. A truly omnipotent God could simply have zapped each individual sinner out of existence (as in, "poof, you're gone without a trace").
* * *
Jesus won't save you, He can't save you. Only you can save yourself, with the help of others and by means of you giving such help to others. Think of Jesus subbing for you this way:
If a guy came up to you and said, "Let me make love to your wife for you. It will be the same as if you did it, but you have to believe that's possible." Jesus didn't die for your sins - He died for His as surely as you will die for yours.
lotussutrachampions.blogspot.com
* * *
I also don't believe in hierarchies. We're all leaders, so we should encourage the shy ones among us to speak their pieces, instead of allowing Type A blowhards to suck all the oxygen out of a room. Even though the Buddha could be considered to be obviously a leader, he himself tried to de-emphasize his role in favor of encouraging his disciples to seek out and learn from greatly accomplished Bodhisattvas. He even referred to "wisdom that comes of itself, buddha wisdom, teacherless wisdom."
So when I see Buddhists fawn over the Dalai Lama, Daisaku Ikeda (of the SGI), and other famous teachers with starry-eyed followers, I think of these teachers as self-glorifying fame seekers. The Dalai is a heretic who is primarily a Tibetan nationalist, who has never mentioned the Lotus Sutra - the Buddha's highest teaching - even once. And Ikeda is a wealthy businessman - and also a nationalist.
I am a retired civil servant who never made over $40,000 per year who renounced his USA citizenship three years ago. I am not a nationalist but a self-declared citizen of the world.
* * *
Buddhists don't have:
friends, lovers, significant others, nor do they have any kinds of sex.
Buddhists do have or seek to have:
fellow, compassionate seekers and teachers of the Way, whom they teach and from whom they learn - together trying to forge understanding. But, lacking those, there's nothing wrong with practicing alone.
About that sex thing - I'm 63 years and was married for 25 years (divorced 14 years ago). I had an extremely high sex drive for 20 or so years, thinking, "If I was actually good looking, I'd be dangerous." But I reached a point where I thought, "The sex thing is more trouble than it's worth."
My crowning achievement was to have lived with a woman in a platonic relationship for four-and-a-half years. I admit, I had occasional carnal yearnings for her, but I never touched her. She moved to another state over two years ago, though we stay in touch. I came to realize, "Sometimes, the ones that get away leave the strongest and sweetest impression." Pay attention to that, my female readers: It's too often true, once a guy get what he wants physically, it's amazing how quickly you become a whole lot less interesting to him." But...I guess this is something you already know at some level.
* * *
I was recently hospitalized for 21 days, though I'm now in a physical rehab facility to regain my strength. Here's a summary of my physical condition:
* Diagnosed with terminal liver cancer in Sept, 2012 - officially called metastatic colangio carcinoma;
* Colon cancer, non-terminal, since Sept, 2012;
* Deep Vein Thrombosis in my left leg (9/2012);
* Only 40% of my kidney function remains, due to the ravages of chemo therapy;
* Sarcoirdosis;
* fluid build-up in pericardial sac - needing two drainage operations two months apart;
* fluid build-up in the chest cavity - needing one operation;
* nerve damage in toes, but I can still walk without pain;
* pinched nerve in my L2 vertebrae which made it extremely painful to walk - though a recent operation fixed that problem;
* I have another pinched nerve in my right leg, resulting in a condition called "dropped foot," though I can still walk;
* Shingles broke out on my inner right thigh - though that is subsiding and never caused me any pain;
* I have the BRAC 2 gene, which could cause me to develop other cancers;
* I don't have diabetes, but I've been given occasional insulin shots due to high blood sugar.
So...in other words, I'm pretty much a train wreck, but I try to look on the bright side. In Sept of 2012, I was given only 5 to 8 months to live. But here I am, and I feel very good spiritually and mentally. And I see a whole lot more clearly than at any other time in my life.
I see my onslaught of illness as being karmic retribution for evils I've committed in this and past lives. And I feel my Buddhist practice has helped me survive and even thrive under these adverse conditions. Being in the hospital for three weeks served as a form of retreat - giving me a lot of think time as each form of pain taught me something about myself.
* * *
"I am an angry God" - thus spoke the God of the Abrahamists .That's okay for now - though if He works on His anger issues, He might someday achieve total enlightenment and become a Buddha. Meanwhile, take into account - if a person grows up with an angry father, he himself will have that in his life. Which goes a long way toward explaining why the sons of Abraham - Jews, Catholics, Protestants, and Muslims - have been responsible for the worst wars and persecutions suffered by humanity.
It's time to abandon this God and encourage Him to engage in Buddhist practice. He'll be in the good company of the trillions of other Gods in the universe who are similarly engaged.
* * *
In the Bible, compare Genesis chapters 1 and 2 - which are very short - regarding the creation of man.
In Genesis 2, Adam (created from dust) and Eve are created by the LORD God, with Eve being made from one of Adam's body parts and the term "wife" was introduced. They were created on the day of rest - the 7th day - which God blessed but He did not bless them.
In Genesis 1, man and woman were created on the sixth day of Creation by God (not the LORD God) and they were blessed. And they were told to be vegetarians. And...we never hear about them again, perhaps because they were meant to work behind the scenes.
Since Moses wrote Genesis, I believe he saw the Genesis 1 unnamed man and woman as having been created. I believe they were bodhisattvas who had popped into existence to lead and guide this God. Their descendants walk among us today, stealthily and without fanfare, trying to help the descendants of Adam and Eve.
* * *
It's just as easy to say "God, who was uncreated and has always been, created the universe," as it is to say, "The universe was uncreated - it has always been and always will be; though things within it will live, die, and be reborn, the Universe as a whole will never die and was never created."
* * *
About that 100 year life span:
We are so impressed with our high level of tech achievement, we fail to realize the meaning of having a 100-year life span. True enough, only a handful of us live that long, but many of us come close. We smirk at the people who lived at the time of the Buddha who lived much shorter lives. Even the Buddha lived only in his 80's, though scripture makes it clear he only gave the appearance of his death though he is alive and with us to this day: "I am always here, but through my transcendental powers I make it so that living beings in their befuddlement do not see me even when close by." - Lotus Sutra, chapter 16.
Scripture speaks of extraterrestrial societies in which the average lifespan is billions of years. And those societies don't have any technology, since each citizen has the personal power to do what machines could do. Scripture speaks of having a short lifespan as being the sign of a society in deep decline. And 100 years is considered such a short lifespan.
* * *
I can imagine Mohammad, if he were alive today, fighting side-by-side with Muslims while he routinely totes a rifle.
I can't imagine Jesus doing this, so how do the Christians justify war? It bothers me that Joan of Arc led and inspired troops into battle. But she herself, as she claimed, never killed anyone. But...she caused her troops to kill.
* * *
The new daimoku
Several sects of Buddhism believe that chanting the daimoku (the Great Invocation, Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo) is the highest form of Buddhist practice, though no buddha ever endorsed this. N-M-R-K is supposed to be the essence of Buddhism. However, it means, "I devote myself to the Lotus Sutra." Which is odd, since I've met many chanters who adamantly refuse to read the Lotus Sutra, even though the Buddha said that doing so is the appropriate practice for now and forever.
When I'm not reading the Lotus Sutra, I chant a daimoku of my own: Lotus, Buddha, Samgha. This comes from the vow that is respected by all Buddhists - that we take refuge in the Buddha, the Law, and the congregation of fellow believers. Note, however, that I didn't put the Buddha first - I put the Law first, specifically the Law known as the Lotus Sutra. I believe each of these three is indispensable in terms of our attainment of enlightenment, but I put the Buddha in second place so as to make a statement against hierarchy and the overemphasis on leaders.
I have a very liberal definition of the samgha, which I take to be everybody - even if they aren't Buddhists. Everybody, in his own words and in terms of his own faith, has a Buddhist insight or two to offer. Even though they don't call it Buddhist, it works that way for me.
* * *
Why did God cause Noah's flood? Doing so wiped out the sinners but...it also killed innocent animals. If God was so keen on killing sinners, no flood was necessary to do that. A truly omnipotent God could simply have zapped each individual sinner out of existence (as in, "poof, you're gone without a trace").
* * *
Jesus won't save you, He can't save you. Only you can save yourself, with the help of others and by means of you giving such help to others. Think of Jesus subbing for you this way:
If a guy came up to you and said, "Let me make love to your wife for you. It will be the same as if you did it, but you have to believe that's possible." Jesus didn't die for your sins - He died for His as surely as you will die for yours.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Steven Searle, just another member of the
Virtual Samgha of the Lotus and
former candidate for US President (in 2008 & 2012)
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