danieLion wrote:
Would you tell someone dying of cancer that their pain's just a mental label and once they realize that it'll all be better?
That's some nonsense, is it not?
Of course, it is a nonsense if you talk to someone dying of cancer that their pain's just a mental label and once they realize that it'll all be better.
But, do you know why it is nonsense?
It is because you ask the wrong person who for the rest of his life, he never ever see reality as JUST what they are. You ask the person who is confused what is not there as there.
We must have this conviction that this universe, this reality, DOES NOT have an INTRINSIC character. There is nothing in this universe has something intrinsic.
There is no character.
For anyone who cannot see precisely that this universe doesn't have characteristic, it is forever for them, they will confuse what is not there, as this or as that or not as this, or not as this. They will confuse what is not there, as pain, not as pain, as joy, not as joy, or half pain half joy, whatever.
I believe, you will not believe me this.
Let's prove this:
PROVE THAT THIS UNIVERSE DOESN'T HAVE INTRINSIC VALUE - DOESN"T HAVE ANY CHARACTER
See this line:
__________ Versus
____________________
At this instant, we will suddenly jump the gun and say red line is SHORTER than blue line.
This is instinct coming straight away from us. - THIS SHORT IS THE CHARACTERISTIC OF THIS RED LINE
We absolutely believe this without any question.
See this line:
__________ Versus
_____
At this instant, we will suddenly as well jump the gun and say red line is LONGER than green line.
This is also instinct coming straight away from us. - THIS LONG IS THE CHARACTERISTIC OF THIS RED LINE
Absolutely no question.
See this line:
__________ Versus
__________
At this instant, we also straight away jump the gun and say this red line is same with yellow line.
This is also instinct coming straight away from us - THIS NOT LONG & NOT SHORT IS THE CHARACTERISTIC OF THIS RED LINE.
Absolutely no question.
Up to this point. Can you see why Buddha say we are confuse being?
That very simple example actually show us we confuse something is not there as there.
What is that?
We confuse that there is this INTRINSIC character in the line.
In reality, This red line doesn't have any value. It doesn't have any character.
But we cannot see that.
It is very very crucial to know precisely that everything in this universe doesn't have any character.
If this red line has an intrinsic character, let's say long.
When you compare
__________ Versus
____________________
The red line MUST BE long, because red line has character.
When you compare
__________ Versus
__________
The red line must be long, because red line has character.
But, if you say line has character, how can the red line character from long becomes short, long become same??
Have we ever ask this in our life?
Can you see why we are said confused being? Because what is not there is seen as there. What is not there is confuse as there.
Because the red line DOESN"T HAVE INTRINSIC CHARACTER, that is why you can see this as long, as short, as same, depending on the perspective you want to take.
MN152 - Indriya Bhavana said this very clearly.
In that sutta, this word is repeated many many times;
If he wants, if he wants, if he wants.
See this turning motion in your head.
If you want, you can see that as headache, as pain.
If you want, you can see that as time to dance, as joy.
In the disco place, the more you feel the turning motion in your head, the more you are joyfully dance.
In any event, you have UNLIMITED WAY of seeing - as you wish and if you want.
If this universe has intrinsic character, the red line will be always always long, no matter how you compare it.
If this universe has intrinsic character, the turning motion in your head will always always pain, no matter how you compare it.
But, that is not the case.
This reality is we know how to look at, it will give you tremendous insight. But, if you do not know how to look at, it will give you tremendous confusion.
One of buddhist master said: NEVER EVER TRUST YOUR THOUGHT.
Because whatever you think, it can never be true. WHY? Because this universe doesn't have intrinsic value in any possible way your mind can think about.
Another buddhist master said:
IF IN REALITY, THERE IS REALLY HAVE SOMETHING INTRINSIC, IT IS FOOLISH NOT TO ACCEPT SOMETHING AS REAL.
BUT IF IN REALITY, THERE IS REALLY NOTHING INTRINSIC AND YOU CAN SEE THAT, IT IS EVEN MORE FOOLISH TO ACCEPT SOMETHING AS REAL.
The teaching of emptiness is buddhism is extremely important, because it is this teaching that prevent you to jump the gun as say this is long, this is short, this is medium, this is pain, not pain, not suffering, etc.
Why? Because from this teaching of emptiness it opens your ignorance to see what is not there as not there.
MN152, put it in this way:
when cognizing an idea with the intellect, there arises in a monk what is agreeable, what is disagreeable, what is agreeable & disagreeable.
He discerns that 'This agreeable thing has arisen in me, this disagreeable thing... this agreeable & disagreeable thing has arisen in me.
In here, if you think there is this though that this is long, this is pain, this is joy - you don't reject them by discerning these thoughts. However, if at this point, you accept them, you are extremely foolish. Why? Because you are blind. You are blind with your thought. You are blind with what is not there, you think it as there.
He feels horrified, humiliated, & disgusted with the arisen agreeable thing... disagreeable thing... agreeable & disagreeable thing.
What is the point to feel horrified and humiliated and disgusted?
Why I have to feel horrify with these thoughts?
This because whatever your thoughts offer you is never ever there.
When something has no intrinsic, it is absolutely impossible to have a character, and conceptual formation.
When your this wisdom of emptiness is fully matured, even a cancer is just seen as such. Not as pain, not as joy, not as diseases, not as ornament, not as anything.
NOT EVEN AS A DISEASE.
Peaceful within that process. Just process and just as that.
When your wisdom as emptiness grow very strong, you will have this distinct feeling, everything is just one taste - different as I see, different as I hear, different as I touch, different as I taste, different as I think, but no matter what, you know precisely they are just one taste.