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!
What would you do?
Re: What would you do?
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
Re: What would you do?
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.
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
Re: What would you do?
watch my mind as the experiences unfold
- Kim O'Hara
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Re: What would you do?
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.
Kim
Re: What would you do?
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 fascinatingKim 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.
Kim
Re: What would you do?
Meet and respond to the matter at hand.
"Mara, old friend, good to see you."
"Mara, old friend, good to see you."
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Re: What would you do?
I adhere to this.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.
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.
The bodhisattva nourishes from bodhicitta, through whatever method the Buddha has given him. Oh joy.
Re: What would you do?
Don't worry. You are not alone.
In such situation, I will do accumulation of merit. Definitely, I will rely on some Mahayana dharanis.