I am not, nor have I ever been a religious Buddhist. I do not literally believe in reincarnation, that I might have been a worm in a previous life. I do know, however, that the atoms, elements, and molecules in me now were once spread all over planet Earth and will be once again. My cells are replicating, regenerating, thriving, dying and being replaced daily. My DNA gives structure to the matter (Mater) that is constantly flowing through me, like a river bed does for the water of the river. In this way, I believe in reincarnation. Like it or not, some of the oxygen atoms in you have likely kept maggots alive in the past, and they will do so again in the future.
Who am I? I (in Latin, I is ego) am a collection of mater that is structured by my inherited DNA. I am also a collection of almost 47 years of ingested memes. These memes, taken together, have built, maintained and often changed my world views over time. People use memes to manipulate the energy in other people all of the time. I discussed this earlier when I wrote about the Divine Right of Kings. This elaborate set of memes controlled the nature of reality for western humans for many millennia. My current world view is now composing this blog.
I am always smaller than my potential because of the limitations imposed by genetics, natural laws, societal mores and my current world views. A world view can never capture all of existence. In fact, a world view is a lens through which I attempt to define existence, but because I am finite and limited by my perspective, it is nearly impossible for me to understand much less explain the infinite.
The Veil of Maya tries to describe these ideas metaphorically. To religious people, Maya is a goddess who veils people from reality or at least, the rest of reality. The veil makes reality seem smaller than it really is. Often, when people become desperate about their lives, it is not because it is impossible for them to find meaning or purpose. Their current world views cause them to only see what is harmful of negative, hiding from view some of what they could find to be beautiful or meaningful. A person can also have world views that make him vulnerable to danger. If he sees only the beauty and majesty of life, he might put himself, his family and even his society at risk because he ignores potential dangers.
A person's world view changes constantly. Just as atoms and molecules are constantly in flux (moving and changing as they flow through all organisms and objects) so are ideas, memes. Your current world view is always being called into question by new and often conflicting information. Many people are able to look at new information and quickly either reject it or allow it to change their world views. Other people only experience cognitive dissonance when they encounter memes that contradict their world views. They will stubbornly cling to dogma, even when, at some level, the new information seems to make more sense.
Another group of people has world views that are in constant flux, never really getting a sense of reality that works for them. These people can experience great stress because their emotions try to tell them that they need to grasp SOME ideas about the reality within which they function. Otherwise, how can they know how to behave from moment to moment? They are like an algebraic equation with nothing but variables, no known quantities. The word and concept of Samsara attempts to describe this state of mind. Samsara refers to constant, unrelenting desires. When we become captives of our thoughts and emotions, they can torture us with suffering. Why? Because we cling to them. Monkey Mind - constant, often aimless thinking - causes great suffering because it generates anxiety without end.
History tells us that Siddhartha Gautama taught some key ideas for people to awaken to healthier world views. He gave us the Four Noble Truths:
First Noble Truth - Suffering is inevitable.
Second Noble Truth - Suffering is caused by clinging, clinging to either what is good or what is bad.
Third Noble Truth - Suffering can be alleviated through disciplined practices.
Fourth Noble Truth - Follow the Eightfold Path to curb suffering and gain enlightenment.
He also taught us the Eightfold Path:
Right Views - Be certain your world views are healthy and productive, not damaging and restrictive.
Right Conduct - Do what is right, not just for yourself, but for your family, your society, your country, your planet, and then even the universe (yes, I know that is a tall order).
Right Effort - Whatsoever you do, do it with all of your heart.
Right Speech - Say only that which benefits all. Do not engage in petty, harmful or unproductive speech.
Right Livelihood - Be certain that what you do to make a living or give back to the world is right for all that will be impacted by this livelihood.
Right Intent - Do and say the right things, and also do them for the right reasons.
Right Mindfulness - Open your awareness to an appreciation of all that exists and all of the interconnections that give the universe integrity.
Right Concentration - Teach yourself to calm your Monkey Mind by training it not to cling to thoughts or memories, either the good ones or the bad ones. Doing so will allow you to live fully in the present moment. This, in turn, will help you with Right Effort.
Buddhism, like Confucianism, is mostly about training yourself to have good habits. Humans tend to develop habits, no matter what. When we go simply by trial and error, we often end up with habits that are not necessarily the best. Many of our behaviors simply became habits because they led to less pain than others, so we stuck with them. If you become Mindful of your habits and how they are impacting you, you can begin to practice newer Right Conduct, Right Views and Right Speech. If, through practice, you develop Right Concentration, you can create these new habits with the Right Intent in mind: to become an excellent human. After a while, Right Speech, Actions, Effort and Intent can lead to the Right Livelihood, and then you have the perfect opportunity to be the most excellent
version of yourself, because your job allows you opportunities to do so. Over time, your views of the world will change to healthier and more productive ones. These new views will then release more of your pent up energy, and you will find yourself excited about going out into the world and making a difference.
Certainly, all of this is easier said than done, but is it not worth the effort?
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