What would you do?

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如傑優婆塞
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What would you do?

Post by 如傑優婆塞 »

You're all alone. There's no Saṃgha at your side. And you are faced with the imminent possibility of mṛtyumāra or the māra of death now.
What would you do as a disciple of the Tathāgata in your tradition? Thanks in advance!
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Wayfarer
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Re: What would you do?

Post by Wayfarer »

I would think (and I'm not saying I could do this, or that it would be easy to do it), that the only answer would be to face it. Having nothing to fall back on might be an opportunity. That is what the Tathāgata did on the evening of His Enlightenment. As I say - not being in that situation at this moment, maybe if I were then I would not be able to face it. But I think it is what we are called upon to do.
'Only practice with no gaining idea' ~ Suzuki Roshi
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明安 Myoan
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Re: What would you do?

Post by 明安 Myoan »

Pray to Amitabha Buddha that he will come to bring me to his Pure Land, where I will be in the company of innumerable bodhisattva companions and receive Amitabha's teachings face to face.
To go to his pure land, nothing more is required than this wish, a trust that he will help us, and thinking on him, such as recitation of his name. This is due to the specific nature of his vows and his power as a buddha to help beings.
Namu Amida Butsu
gb9810
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Re: What would you do?

Post by gb9810 »

watch my mind as the experiences unfold
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Kim O'Hara
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Re: What would you do?

Post by Kim O'Hara »

gb9810 wrote: Fri Jul 20, 2018 7:29 am watch my mind as the experiences unfold
Yes.
... trying to retain equanimity through non-attachment to the self.
I imagine it would be (will be?) difficult because clinging to life is a primary drive reinforced by roughly the last two billion years of evolution. All our ancestors (right back to the first multi-cellular life-forms) must have put "keep on living" very high on their "to do" lists, or they wouldn't have lived long enough to become our ancestors.

:namaste:
Kim
gb9810
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Re: What would you do?

Post by gb9810 »

Kim O'Hara wrote: Fri Jul 20, 2018 7:40 am Yes.
... trying to retain equanimity through non-attachment to the self.
I imagine it would be (will be?) difficult because clinging to life is a primary drive reinforced by roughly the last two billion years of evolution. All our ancestors (right back to the first multi-cellular life-forms) must have put "keep on living" very high on their "to do" lists, or they wouldn't have lived long enough to become our ancestors.

:namaste:
Kim
yup, nature + nurture surely have endowed us with some curious sets of impulses and blindspots.. but perhaps that's also what makes this inner exploration/buddhism so fascinating :)
Way-Fun
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Re: What would you do?

Post by Way-Fun »

Meet and respond to the matter at hand.
"Mara, old friend, good to see you."
jet.urgyen
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Re: What would you do?

Post by jet.urgyen »

Wayfarer wrote: Fri Jul 20, 2018 2:22 am I would think (and I'm not saying I could do this, or that it would be easy to do it), that the only answer would be to face it. Having nothing to fall back on might be an opportunity. That is what the Tathāgata did on the evening of His Enlightenment. As I say - not being in that situation at this moment, maybe if I were then I would not be able to face it. But I think it is what we are called upon to do.
I adhere to this.

and add that we are more or less alone in this, so be diligent.
true dharma is inexpressible.

The bodhisattva nourishes from bodhicitta, through whatever method the Buddha has given him. Oh joy.
haha
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Re: What would you do?

Post by haha »

如傑優婆塞 wrote: Fri Jul 20, 2018 1:40 am You're all alone. There's no Saṃgha at your side. And you are faced with the imminent possibility of mṛtyumāra or the māra of death now.
What would you do as a disciple of the Tathāgata in your tradition? Thanks in advance!
Don't worry. You are not alone.
In such situation, I will do accumulation of merit. Definitely, I will rely on some Mahayana dharanis.
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