Advayavada Study Plan - week 43 (trishna, nirodha)

Friends,

In Advayavada Buddhism, the Noble Eightfold Path is interpreted dynamically as an ongoing and autonomous, non-prescriptive, investigative and creative process of progressive insight reflecting in human terms overall existence advancing over time.

Adherence to the familiar Five Precepts (not to kill, not to steal, sexual restraint, not to lie, and avoidance of alcohol and drugs) and a well-considered understanding of the Four Signs of Being and the Buddha's Four Noble Truths as explained in this recurring plan suffice to start off on the Path at any time.

The Noble Eightfold Path in Advayavada Buddhism is fully personalized: it is firmly based on what we increasingly know about ourselves and our world, and trusting our own intentions, feelings and conscience.

Nirvana means, in Advayavada Buddhism, the total extinction of existential suffering (duhkha, dukkha) by becoming one with the universal process of change and progress.

The Path or Middle Way we follow is (1) that of our very best (samyak, samma) comprehension or insight followed by (2) our very best resolution or determination, (3) our very best enunciation or definition of our intention, (4) our very best disposition or attitude, (5) our very best implementation or realization, (6) our very best effort or commitment, (7) our very best observation, reflection or evaluation and self-correction, and (8) our very best meditation or concentration towards an increasingly real experience of samadhi, which brings us to (1) a yet better comprehension or insight, and so forth.

By following the Noble Eightfold Path in this way you get in tune with wondrous overall existence advancing over time; old mistakes are left behind; sorrow, doubt and remorse immediately start disappearing; and your life at once gathers new positive impetus.

(Week 42) Last week's preliminary ASP subject was the ubiquity of suffering (duhkha, dukkha) in the world, which is simultaneously the Third Sign of Being (fact of life) and the First Noble Truth of Buddhism.

(Week 43) This week's preliminary ASP subject are again the Second and the Third Noble Truths of Buddhism, which are the cause of suffering, which is craving, grasping, clinging and attachment (= trishna, tanha), and the need and indeed possibility of its elimination (= nirodha).

The root cause of all ill in Buddhism is, in fact, ignorance (avidya, avijja), i.e. ignorance of the true nature of reality, when the impermanence and the selflessness and finitude of all existents are not fully recognized and understood - it is this fundamental ignorance which in turn gives rise to craving (trishna, tanha), the immediate cause of existential distress. Man is prone to suffering (duhkha, dukkha) quite simply because he wrongly strives after and tries to hold on to things, situations and concepts which he believes are or ought to be permanent, but are not.

The purpose of the ASP is that we study (and debate in the group, family circle and/or with good friends) the meaning and implications of the recurring weekly subject, particularly in the context of whatever we ourselves are presently doing or are concerned with, or about, such as our health, relationships, work, study, and our place and responsibilities in the family, group, sangha, society at large, etc.

Tip: Write down this week's subject ("craving and its elimination.") in your pocket diary!

John Willemsens,
Advayavada Foundation.
http://www.euronet.nl/~advaya/index.htm#plan

Advayavada Study Plan - week 42 (duhkhata)

Friends,

In Advayavada Buddhism, the Noble Eightfold Path is interpreted dynamically as an ongoing and autonomous, non-prescriptive, investigative and creative process of progressive insight reflecting in human terms overall existence advancing over time.

Adherence to the familiar Five Precepts (not to kill, not to steal, sexual restraint, not to lie, and avoidance of alcohol and drugs) and a well-considered understanding of the Four Signs of Being and the Buddha's Four Noble Truths as explained in this recurring plan suffice to start off on the Path at any time.

The Noble Eightfold Path in Advayavada Buddhism is fully personalized: it is firmly based on what we increasingly know about ourselves and our world, and trusting our own intentions, feelings and conscience.

Nirvana means, in Advayavada Buddhism, the total extinction of existential suffering (duhkha, dukkha) by becoming one with the universal process of change and progress.

The Path or Middle Way we follow is (1) that of our very best (samyak, samma) comprehension or insight followed by (2) our very best resolution or determination, (3) our very best enunciation or definition of our intention, (4) our very best disposition or attitude, (5) our very best implementation or realization, (6) our very best effort or commitment, (7) our very best observation, reflection or evaluation and self-correction, and (8) our very best meditation or concentration towards an increasingly real experience of samadhi, which brings us to (1) a yet better comprehension or insight, and so forth.

By following the Noble Eightfold Path in this way you get in tune with wondrous overall existence advancing over time; old mistakes are left behind; sorrow, doubt and remorse immediately start disappearing; and your life at once gathers new positive impetus.

(Week 41) Last week the preliminary subject was the Second Sign of Being, the second fact of life: anatman (anatta), the selflessness of everything, and therefore the finitude or transitoriness of all individual existents, including ourselves. It is important to grasp how everything originates in causes and conditions and to see and accept that everything, including ourselves, depends on everything else and has no permanent self-existence, i.e. that all things are completely interdependent and individually finite.

(Week 42) This week's preliminary ASP subject is again the ubiquity of suffering (duhkha, dukkha) in the world, which is simultaneously the Third Sign of Being (fact of life) and the First Noble Truth of Buddhism.

According to Advayavada Buddhism, it is indisputable that the Buddha did not believe in Brahman (God, a transcendent and immutable Absolute) nor in the atman or atta (soul, immortal self) and taught that human beings suffer because they do not understand and accept that all things in life are instead utterly changeable and transitory. They are prone to suffering (duhkha, dukkha) quite simply because they wrongly strive after and try to hold on to things, concepts and situations which they believe to be permanent, but are not.

In Advayavada Buddhism, the concept of duhkha does not include emotional grief nor physical pain. It refers solely to the existential suffering, angst and regret non-enlightened human beings are prone to - the enlightened person has no feelings of discord with life as it is and accepts with understanding and compassion the grief and pain which are part and parcel of human existence; equanimity does not mean insensitivity to our own feelings and those of others.

The purpose of the ASP is that we study (and debate in the group, family circle and/or with good friends) the meaning and implications of the recurring weekly subject, particularly in the context of whatever we ourselves are presently doing or are concerned with, or about, such as our health, relationships, work, study, and our place and responsibilities in the family, group, sangha, society at large, etc.

Tip: Write down this week's subject ("duhkha is existential suffering.") in your pocket diary!

John Willemsens,
Advayavada Foundation.
<http://www.euronet.nl/~advaya/index.htm#plan>

Advayavada Study Plan - week 41 (anatmata)

Friends,

In Advayavada Buddhism, the Noble Eightfold Path is interpreted dynamically as an ongoing and autonomous, non-prescriptive, investigative and creative process of progressive insight reflecting in human terms overall existence, i.e. totality, advancing over time.

Adherence to the familiar Five Precepts (not to kill, not to steal, sexual restraint, not to lie, and avoidance of alcohol and drugs) and a well-considered understanding of the Four Signs of Being and the Buddha's Four Noble Truths as explained in this recurring plan suffice to start off on the Path at any time.

The Noble Eightfold Path in Advayavada Buddhism is fully personalized: it is firmly based on what we increasingly know about ourselves and our world, and trusting our own intentions, feelings and conscience.

Nirvana means, in Advayavada Buddhism, the total extinction of existential suffering (duhkha, dukkha) by becoming one with the universal process of change and progress.

The Path or Middle Way we follow is (1) that of our very best (samyak, samma) comprehension or insight followed by (2) our very best resolution or determination, (3) our very best enunciation or definition of our intention, (4) our very best disposition or attitude, (5) our very best implementation or realization, (6) our very best effort or commitment, (7) our very best observation, reflection or evaluation and self-correction, and (8) our very best meditation or concentration towards an increasingly real experience of samadhi, which brings us to (1) a yet better comprehension or insight, and so forth.

By following the Noble Eightfold Path in this way you get in tune with wondrous overall existence advancing over time; old mistakes are left behind; sorrow, doubt and remorse immediately start disappearing; and your life at once gathers new positive impetus.

(Week 40) Last week's preliminary ASP subject was the First Sign of Being, i.e. the first fact of life: omnia mutantur, everything changes, the impermanence and changeability (anityata, aniccata) of all existents, including ourselves. Impermanence is certainly the most important property of everything existing, as without actual and potential change, progress and liberation would not be possible.

(Week 41) This week the preliminary subject is again the Second Sign of Being, the second fact of life: anatman (anatta), the selflessness of everything, and therefore the finitude or transitoriness of all individual existents, including ourselves. It is important to grasp how everything originates in causes and conditions and to see and accept that everything, including ourselves, depends on everything else and has no permanent self-existence, i.e. that all things are completely interdependent and individually finite.

The purpose of the ASP is that we study (and debate in the group, family circle and/or with good friends) the meaning and implications of the recurring weekly subject, particularly in the context of whatever we ourselves are presently doing or are concerned with, or about, such as our health, relationships, work, study, and our place and responsibilities in the family, group, sangha, society at large, etc.

Tip: Write down this week's subject ("we only live once, for some 4,000 weeks!") in your pocket diary!

John Willemsens,
Advayavada Foundation.
<http://www.euronet.nl/~advaya/index.htm#plan>

Advayavada Study Plan - week 40 (anityata)

Friends,

In Advayavada Buddhism, the Noble Eightfold Path is interpreted dynamically as an ongoing and autonomous, non-prescriptive, investigative and creative process of progressive insight reflecting in human terms overall existence advancing over time.

Adherence to the familiar Five Precepts (not to kill, not to steal, sexual restraint, not to lie, and avoidance of alcohol and drugs) and a well-considered understanding of the Four Signs of Being and the Four Noble Truths as explained in this recurring plan suffice to start off on the Path at any time.

The Noble Eightfold Path in Advayavada Buddhism is fully personalized: it is firmly based on what we increasingly know about ourselves and our world, and trusting our own intentions, feelings and conscience.

Nirvana means, in Advayavada Buddhism, the total extinction of existential suffering (duhkha, dukkha) by becoming one with the universal process of change and progress.

The Path or Middle Way we follow is (1) that of our very best (samyak, samma) comprehension or insight followed by (2) our very best resolution or determination, (3) our very best enunciation or definition of our intention, (4) our very best disposition or attitude, (5) our very best implementation or realization, (6) our very best effort or commitment, (7) our very best observation, reflection or evaluation and self-correction, and (8) our very best meditation or concentration towards an increasingly real experience of samadhi, which brings us to (1) a yet better comprehension or insight, and so forth.

By following the Noble Eightfold Path in this way you get in tune with wondrous overall existence advancing over time; old mistakes are left behind; sorrow, doubt and remorse immediately start disappearing; and your life at once gathers new impetus.

(Week 39) Last week's ASP subject was the the Eighth Step on the Noble Eighfold Path: our very best (samyak, samma) meditation or concentration towards an increasingly real experience of samadhi (cf. enstasy).

(Week 40) This week's preliminary ASP subject is again the First Sign of Being, i.e. the first fact of life: omnia mutantur, everything changes, the impermanence and changeability (anityata, aniccata) of all existents, including ourselves. Impermanence is certainly the most important property of everything existing, as without actual and potential change, progress and liberation would not be possible.

The purpose of the ASP is that we study (and debate in the group, family circle and/or with good friends) the meaning and implications of the recurring weekly subject, particularly in the context of whatever we ourselves are presently doing or are concerned with, or about, such as our health, relationships, work, study, and our place and responsibilities in the family, group, sangha, society at large, etc.

Tip: Write down this week's subject ("impermanence essential for progress and liberation!") in your pocket diary!

John Willemsens,
Advayavada Foundation.
<http://www.euronet.nl/~advaya/index.htm#plan>