The Buddha in the eyedropper

QUESTION:  How can an eyedropper help explain the difference between what happens when a Buddha dies and when an ordinary mortal dies?

DISCLAIMER:  (sigh) I’m about to use an analogy, knowing full well that some are better than others. This one might be particularly weak but I hope it contains enough to make the point.

What death means:

Imagine someone holding an eyedropper full of water, leaning over a ship’s railing while far out at sea. He extends his hand and squeezes the dropper so all its water falls into the ocean. Now compare that eyedropper with one individual’s physical body, and think of the water in that dropper as that one individual’s life-force. You can call it soul if you wish, since even within a Buddhist’s analogy that term will do.

For this analogy to work, think of water in that eyedropper in these two ways:

·       as ordinary molecules of water;

·       each molecule possessing the soul/spirit of that individual.

Once that dropper has been emptied, that person has “died.” His life-force joins the life-force of the greater living entity known as the ocean, which is the birthplace of all such uniquely individual life-forces. As time passes, all of those molecules will spread out and (given enough time) be thoroughly integrated into all the oceans of the world.

The deaths of an ordinary mortal and a Buddha can be described in such a way. However, the Buddha, faced with the prospect of his loss of identity (his unique water contained in that unique eyedropper being evenly dispersed throughout a greater whole) is not afraid because he’s done this before. The common mortal, facing such an unknown prospect, is terrified by thinking he’ll be spread out, diffused, and mixed with others.

What rebirth means:

The common mortal’s water molecules will eventually leave the ocean, evaporating to the sky above. Then they will fall as rain, mixed with other water molecules from sources other than his eyedropper. That water could go through a large variety of paths before it, once again, fills another eyedropper…only to be discharged again into the ocean. A long time will pass before that ordinary mortal’s water finds its way into an eyedropper, and a longer time before such an eyedropper gets emptied into the ocean.

To be sure, that second eyedropper will not contain much more than one or two molecules from that original eyedropper. Which is why the spirit of the thing matters. Just imagine that spirit was able to be conveyed to whatever alien water molecules that one original molecule was able to come in contact with, eventually ending up in that second eyedropper with them.

Of course, that would mean the other molecules from that original eyedropper would still be in the ocean or might have found other destinies. That’s one reason why, either common mortal or Buddha, there’s a little of each of us in everything – though that “little” is not always consciously aware of its former source or identity.

The common mortal is a slave to this never-ending cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. A Buddha is not. Because of his enlightened condition, he could remain forever in that ocean and never reenter mundane reality. He could but he never does. Because of his great compassion for others, he wills himself to be reborn and does so with great precision.

In fact, he could be reborn immediately. As soon as his water, released from its original eyedropper, hits the ocean, it could immediately reverse its path and reoccupy that same eyedropper! Or could enter another eyedropper which had just been emptied overboard from another ship.

Even harder to believe? Suppose there were 1,000 such ships and eyedroppers scattered all over the earth’s oceans, which all at the same time had emptied their individual eyedroppers. One Buddha, from one eyedropper, could immediately reoccupy all of those eyedroppers after their original occupants’ molecules had been dumped overboard.

Now you might think that would be impossible, for how could the molecules in one eyedropper disperse themselves in all directions and travel so quickly as to be in position to reenter those 1,000 remote eyedroppers at the same time? The key is to consider the spirit of the matter. Of course, the numerous molecules from that one eyedropper could not travel that fast. But the spirit of those molecules could be instantaneously relayed to other molecules in the vicinity of those other ships.

The scripture states that a Buddha has the power to manifest an infinite number of bodies (to make an infinite number of copies of himself), so that he can be in many places at once. If that’s what it takes to reach the people who need to hear his teachings.

Transmission of a Buddha’s life-force

That Buddha’s life-force happened to be in that one eyedropper, though we won’t consider for now where else his spirit might also be. We’ll just consider that one source – that one eyedropper. Once that emptied dropper’s water hits the ocean, the spirit of a Buddha could instantaneously be passed from molecule to molecule, even to molecules of rock in the center of the earth, if the Buddha chose to pass through the center of the earth in order to reach someone on the other side of the earth.

That person might end up with one of that Buddha’s molecules in his body, as part of his body, as the molecule does its indirect preaching within that common mortal’s body. That Buddha molecule could take any form – as a water molecule flowing in that mortal’s bloodstream. Or as a calcium atom absorbed into his bone tissue. Or even as part of his brain, which would start to make sense for most people (within the confines of this analogy). The form it takes is irrelevant. The fact that it’s there and can convey, in even the most indirect way, the Buddha’s teaching will bestow many blessing on that common mortal.

In closing:

This analogy is entirely mine, not coming from any of the Buddhist scriptures. Nor does it come from my teacher – since I don’t have one, except Shakyamuni Buddha himself. And, no, it didn’t come from him.

I am a Buddhist who is a member of a sect that contains only one member – me. My primary practice is to recite the English-language translation of the Lotus Sutra for an hour every day – though I often fall short of that goal. So far, I’ve read the entire 324-page volume of the Burton Watson translation over 130 times during the last five years. If you took only 120 copies of that book and stacked them up, that would make a pile ten-feet in height.

Now that doesn’t make me particularly enlightened, except I will claim such a constant recitation is the Buddha’s will. I can only take what I think I’ve learned and try to pass it on to somebody else. That “passing on” is important, for that will in turn refine my understanding.

As time passes and my practice deepens, I might conclude that this eyedropper analogy is profoundly faulty and unworthy of anyone’s consideration. That might well come to pass, but for now I offer it because I think it has value.

After all is said and done, that’s the best anyone can offer.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

Founder of The Independent Contractors’ Party

“The basic difference between a Buddhist and an Abrahamist (Jew, Christian, Muslim, et al): It’s not a matter of life-and-death; it’s a matter of lives-and-deaths.”

Contact me at bpa_cinc@yahoo.com

The Purpose of Life is...

Depends on who you ask...

Christians

If you ask a Christian about the purpose of our lives, he'd say, "To live as sinlessly as possible, to ask for forgiveness when we sin, and to accept the Savior into our lives in order to gain entrance to heaven." Ah, heaven. So that's it, eh? The purpose of our lives is to seek some type of reward which is payable after our lives are over. Our lives are a means to an end, which can only be obtained when we're dead? Are we so desperate to be rid of our aches, pains, and uncertainties (especially our uncertainties) that we build a place in our minds called "heaven" and aim for that?

Is there a downside to Heaven itself, once we make it that far? I don't think the holy rollers have thought this one out very carefully: What would it be like once we're There. For one thing, the structure of our consciousness would have to change. Once we've lived a life based on a 24-hour "day," which is the basis of a 70-year succession of such days, we'd go nuts once we're thrust, with no preparation whatsoever, into an infinite existence where such days are meaningless. I mean, what could occupy our minds - and this I especially ask of those whose minds are forever occupied with petty, trivial things?

After a few millions years of playing harps, singing celestial songs, walking streets of gold, and hanging around with boring, straight-laced goody-goodies, we might long for the stimulation of the Lake of Fire. In short, I think we'd become bored of heaven.

Buddhists

I'm not going to pretend that I know how Buddhists define life's purpose. But...I will tell you what this Buddhist thinks.

In a nutshell, the purpose of our lives is to become fully-enlightened Buddhas, who in turn have a purpose of helping others become fully-enlightened Buddhas. This might sound like nothing more than a glorified pyramid scheme, but maybe that's what reality is. [Note: In a closed system, pyramid schemes can't work; but in an open system...that's another story.]

The critical question becomes: If everybody in the universe becomes a Buddha, would that mean that life would no longer have any purpose?

Exactly, but to understand that calls for a bit of background.

A bit of background

In the earlier teachings of Shakymuni Buddha, it was believed that being reincarnated was a bad thing. The purpose of religious practice was to atone for the sins of past lives, thereby making it unnecessary to be reborn into this physical world of hardship. The Buddha himself didn't have to be reborn, but he chose to out of his great compassion to lead others to Enlightenment. If there were no others to lead (that is, if everyone was already a Buddha), it would not be necessary to be reborn into the physical world.

What other world is there? There was an Enlightened One named Void King Buddha, whose name helps answer that question. The ultimate goal of Buddhist practice is to become Nothing (King of the Void) - or (put another way) to become extinguished. I'll put this in modern terms: "The universe consists mostly of empty space, which even pervades and makes up most physical entities. If one can become nothing and, by virtue of that becoming, become part of the great pervasive universal nothingness, then one can be everywhere at once. Then we would no longer be confined to a mere existence in one physical location, having only one physical body."

Once we become “one with everything,” one particular problem is very neatly solved: The need to find something to do (that is, a need to find a purpose). Individual isolated entities have this need; universal, integrated entities don’t. For after we reach a point where we don’t have to reincarnate, then we don’t worry about what to “do.” Instead, we just are. We are everywhere at once, and totally aware of all possibilities (but without any desire to act any of these out).

Maybe Shakespeare was right when he wrote: “To be or not to be, that is the question.” I would rephrase that: “To be or not to be, that is the goal.”

There is far more of nothingness (void) than of everything else. But here we have to be careful with what we mean by void. I can only hint at that by recalling wise words I'd once heard: "One of the biggest mistakes we make as human beings is to assume that what we mean by ‘mind' is encompassed only within the confines of our crania."

Why we need not worry

We don't have to worry about becoming Buddhas only to find out we don't have anyone left to lead to Enlightenment. All Buddhas have the power to create an infinite number of emanations of themselves, in order to be able to preach salvation (simultaneously) on any of the infinite worlds in the 10 directions. These emanation Buddhas are constantly hard at work throughout the universe, yet they still have so much work of conversion and teaching on their hands. So we don't have to worry about running out of souls to save once we've attained Buddhahood.

The attainment of Buddhahood is both a path and a final destination. And it is the joy of the law which sustains our efforts, and in fact propels them, as we tread this path and finally arrive at our destination.

Though Shakyamuni Buddha has a life span which far exceeds the known age of the universe (so much for the Big Bang theory), he did not tire of his pursuit nor become bored once attaining his goal. It is inherent in the nature of the law of enlightenment that we don't tire, but instead are energized by our practice. That's fortunate, in light of what the Buddha said [page 231, Lotus Sutra, the Burton Watson translation]:

"This life span of countless kalpas I gained as the result of lengthy practice. You who are possessed of wisdom, entertain no doubts on this point! Cast them off, end them forever..."

To me, those are among the strictest words he used in the entire teaching called the Lotus Sutra.  However, he quickly follows with these words of encouragement:

"Though in fact alive, he [the Buddha] gives out word he is dead, yet no one can say he speaks falsely. I am the father of this world, saving those who suffer and are afflicted. Because of the befuddlement of ordinary people, though I live, I give out word I have entered extinction. For if they see me constantly, arrogance and selfishness arise in their minds. Abandoning restraint, they give themselves up to the five desires, and fall into the evil paths of existence.

"Always I am aware of which living beings practice the way, and which do not, and in response to their needs for salvation I preach various doctrines for them. At all times I think to myself: How can I cause living beings to gain entry into the unsurpassed way and quickly acquire the body of a Buddha?"

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

Founder of The Independent Contractors' Party

"My purpose in life (or one of them) is to create a forum for independents to counterattack the business-as-usual order of things. I can't do this - but we can."

My suspicions about Manjushri

The Lotus Sutra refers to Manjushri as being a bodhisattva - not as a fully-enlightened Buddha. Since Shakyamuni Buddha himself refers to the Lotus Sutra as his highest teaching, it would be easy enough (on that basis alone) to think of Manjushri as (only) a bodhisattva.

However, I have my doubts which, as you will see, the Lotus plainly encourages.

The Lotus Sutra speaks of a profound concept - expedient means - which is "the foremost device of the Buddhas" (page 27*) and is, in fact, the title of its second chapter. Briefly, expedient means are a wide variety of teaching methods used by Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to lead living beings to enlightenment. For example, the Lotus speaks of a Bodhisattva named Wonderful Sound, when it claims:

QUOTE:

If the form of a Buddha will bring salvation, he immediately [as a kind of expedient means] manifests a Buddha form and preaches the Law. Thus he manifests himself in various different forms, depending upon what is appropriate for salvation.

:UNQUOTE: [Page 296*]

Why I think Manjushri is a fully-enlightened Buddha

If Bodhisattva Wonderful Sound can "manifest a Buddha form," then it's at least plausible that Manjushri could manifest a Bodhisattva form - even though he's really a Buddha - if that's what it takes to lead living beings to enlightenment. My suspicions about Manjushri being a Buddha were aroused when Bodhisattva Maitreya asks Bodhisattva Manjushri:

"What is the cause of these auspicious portents, these signs of transcendental powers, this emitting of a great beam of brightness that illumines the eighteen thousand lands in the eastern direction so we can see all the adornments of the Buddha worlds there?" [page 7*]

Manjushri replies, "...in the past I have seen this auspicious portent among the Buddhas. They emitted a beam of light like this, and after that they expounded the great Law [that is, they expounded the Lotus Sutra, the greatest among the teachings of the Buddhas]." [page 14*]

Manjushri knew this, but Maitreya did not - even though Maitreya was the next Bodhisattva among the Great Assembly predicted, by Shakyamuni Buddha, to become a Buddha. Furthermore, Manjushri tells Maitreya about a time, trillions of years ago during the lifetime of the Buddha Sun Moon Bright, when they knew each other:

QUOTE:

The eight sons of the Buddha Sun Moon Bright all acknowledged Wonderfully Bright as their teacher....Among the 800 disciples of Wonderfully Bright was one named Seeker of Fame. He was greedy for gain and support, and though he read and recited numerous sutras, he could not understand them, but for the most part forgot them. Hence he was called Seeker of Fame....Maitreya, you should understand this. Bodhisattva Wonderfully Bright who lived then - could he be unknown to you? He was no other than I myself. And Bodhisattva Seeker of Fame was you.

:UNQUOTE: [Page 17*]

Wow...Seeker of Fame (of whom Manjushri later refers - on page 21* -  as being "that lazy and slothful one") is the next in line to become a Buddha. While Manjushri had not yet been so predicted. We're expected to believe that the lazy and slothful one is to become a Buddha before his teacher. Then a sudden thought hit me:

"Manjushri, though only identified as a Bodhisattva, is the first within the pages of the Burton Watson text*, to speak of the Buddha about to preach the Great Law of the Lotus Sutra. And it's obvious he'd heard this Law before. I have to bow down in appreciation to Manjushri as foremost in modesty - allowing himself to be an anonymous Buddha so that he could walk freely among the members of the Great Assembly without intimidating them. He could then serve the useful function of being accessible at times when the seekers of the Way might be too awed to approach the Buddha directly with their questions."

Steven Searle for U.S. President in 2012

Founder of The Independent Contractors’ Party

"Hail, Manjushri Buddha" - Steve.

*  All asterisked items above refer to the Burton Watson translation of the Lotus Sutra, which is available in its entirety on line: http://lotus.nichirenshu.org/lotus/sutra/english/watson/indxwatson.htm

Waaay more than one life to live

In keeping with my belief that religious issues must be addressed, as well as political issues, in my campaign for the U.S. presidency in 2012, I present the following product of my own meditations:

[Source: The 16^th Chapter of the Lotus Sutra, as translated by Burton Watson]

[Please note the portions I’ve boldfaced below:]

BEGIN QUOTE:

Since I attained Buddhahood

the number of kalpas that have passed

[NOTE: one "kalpa" is at least 1 million years]

is an immeasurable hundreds, thousands, ten thousands,

millions, trillions, asamkhyas.

Constantly I have preached the Law, teaching, converting

countless millions of living beings,

causing them to enter the Buddha way,

all this for immeasurable kalpas.

In order to save living beings,

as an expedient means I appear to enter nirvana

but in truth I do not pass into extinction.

I am always here, preaching the Law.

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.

:END QUOTE

My Interpretation:

Shakyamuni Buddha did not die, but is in fact alive - and not just symbolically. He's alive in the same way that you and I are alive, right now! He had merely given the appearance of death - those thousands of years ago in India - as an expedient means, that is, as a device he uses to lead others to Enlightenment. Furthermore, in light of the Buddha's extremely long life span, as indicated above, we must know that Shakyamuni Buddha is alive right now, always side by side with us wherever we go; wherever each of us goes, since he is able to divide his body into an infinite number of emanations (or "copies").

[Oh, that business about emanations is also described in the Lotus Sutra.]

I actually have no problem with such a fantastic assertion, since I try to practice and to live my life as if Skakyamuni Buddha were always right next to me, no matter what I might be doing. Such an outlook can be very sobering, I assure you.

History tells us that Shakyamuni died by eating some poisonous mushrooms. However, for such a master of cause and effect as was he (in addition to being a great observer), who had in fact lived in the forests of India for 50 years, doesn't it seem ridiculous that he would have actually (and unknowingly!) eaten poisonous mushrooms? Such a scenario defies common sense as well as our awareness of what the Buddha was and what he is capable of.

As to why the Buddha would feign death: As he himself said, there are two reasons:

- If the Buddha is too long in the world, people will become discouraged by seeing the Buddha while realizing how far they themselves have to go before becoming fully enlightened or...

- People will become lax, neglectful of their practice, and arrogant, thinking, "The Buddha is with us, so why should I worry about anything?"

There is much to ponder as we read scripture, whether we're Buddhists, Christians, Moslems, or...

To my friends of the various Abrahamic faiths:

As a Buddhist, I think I understand the sense of urgency and passion with which you deal with many contemporary affairs. You are living your lives as if you only get this one chance while you're here on earth to prove yourselves worthy of heaven for all eternity. That must be a heavy burden! However, since my faith decrees that we already have had prior existences since (well, "since" can't be an issue here, since Buddhists believe each of us has always existed and will continue to exist forever), I cannot feel the same sense of urgency and uneasiness (fear?) which must be a part of your daily lives.

Don't get me wrong, though. I also realize that possessing an infinitely long existence is no excuse for a lax attitude in the pursuit of perfection. One small stepping stone on the path toward Enlightenment is realizing we don't have time to waste. A wise man once wrote: "When you kill time, you injure eternity."

Steven Searle for U.S. President in 2012

Founder of The Independent Contractors Party

The only candidate with a contract: "You wouldn't sell your house without a contract; why give your vote away?"