06-26-2010, 12:01 AM
Just read this...
"Ignorance is the root cause of cyclic existence, what keeps us locked in the cycle of suffering is craving."
And Lex wrote: "Cyclic beings, caught in the cycles of arising, enduring and dissolving are continuously offered the opportunity to examine their perceived existence and break the cycle. However cyclic beings are so attached to the notions of coming into being, living and dying that the impulsion to exist propels back into the cycle."--- so the attached is the craving part. Its not the root, ignorance is the root. Ignorance upholds either absolutism or nihilism. So to examine ignorance:
"Being cannot dissolve if it could it cannot be considered being. Also being cannot, not be if it could it could no longer be considered being. (He is not endorsing being only considering its logic.)"
When the root is examined, the impact of the craving loosens. It can still influence, which I believe is what karma is. So emotions (desires) should not be ignored, especially when daily life presents so much opportunity to transform actions and quicken the process of positive potential, thus efforts should be made to tame reactionary responses cultivated from ignorant views since beginningless time such as pride, jealousy, anger etc. But to try and tackle these desires without examining the ignorant roots they spring from would be like cutting weeds rather than pulling out the roots.
One could say, "well then if its just a matter of pulling out the roots, then I will tackle ignorance only (and not work on changing my behaviors)", but daily actions which carry karmic reactions have to still be addressed. Such as, one can meditate on emptiness for 2 hours, but then if they go out and behave in the world as if they are a "being" with desires to fulfill, that will slow the process of bliss realizing emptiness. So targeting from both angles has to occur. Otherwise, returning to the above analogy, if focus is on ignorance only--pulling out the roots, we can imagine that as we do this seeds fall back to the ground (representing desires unchecked) that form new weeds to pull the next day.
"Ignorance is the root cause of cyclic existence, what keeps us locked in the cycle of suffering is craving."
And Lex wrote: "Cyclic beings, caught in the cycles of arising, enduring and dissolving are continuously offered the opportunity to examine their perceived existence and break the cycle. However cyclic beings are so attached to the notions of coming into being, living and dying that the impulsion to exist propels back into the cycle."--- so the attached is the craving part. Its not the root, ignorance is the root. Ignorance upholds either absolutism or nihilism. So to examine ignorance:
"Being cannot dissolve if it could it cannot be considered being. Also being cannot, not be if it could it could no longer be considered being. (He is not endorsing being only considering its logic.)"
When the root is examined, the impact of the craving loosens. It can still influence, which I believe is what karma is. So emotions (desires) should not be ignored, especially when daily life presents so much opportunity to transform actions and quicken the process of positive potential, thus efforts should be made to tame reactionary responses cultivated from ignorant views since beginningless time such as pride, jealousy, anger etc. But to try and tackle these desires without examining the ignorant roots they spring from would be like cutting weeds rather than pulling out the roots.
One could say, "well then if its just a matter of pulling out the roots, then I will tackle ignorance only (and not work on changing my behaviors)", but daily actions which carry karmic reactions have to still be addressed. Such as, one can meditate on emptiness for 2 hours, but then if they go out and behave in the world as if they are a "being" with desires to fulfill, that will slow the process of bliss realizing emptiness. So targeting from both angles has to occur. Otherwise, returning to the above analogy, if focus is on ignorance only--pulling out the roots, we can imagine that as we do this seeds fall back to the ground (representing desires unchecked) that form new weeds to pull the next day.