[ The Random Factor#40 (1 of 5)] A closer look at the Dalai Lama's teachings

Greetings brothers and sisters of Earth!

Some guy took a lot of notes when attending
teachings of the Dalai Lama in Hamburg Germany,
July 2007. Discussed more in issue #39.

These notes inspired the following 5 part
series.

Part 1: Emptiness
Part 2: The interdependence of all things
Part 3: Our mental and physical realities
Part 4: Clearing the Mind of Obscurities
Part 5: Meditation on Emptiness & Compassion

Part 1 Emptiness

The Buddhist term Emptiness describes the
belief that objects have no independent or
"inherent existence." Instead, it's existence
is dependent on other things, your perception
primary among them.

2000 years ago this was no doubt met with
ridicule. "Well, if the pot doesn't exist,
then why don't YOU clean it."

Yet, thousands of years later, science too
realized that it's more accurate to say
the world we perceive is a product of our
mind, not "out there" as our senses would
have us believe.

Einstein's General Theory of Relativity shows
us that the "actual" characteristics of an
object depend on the relative motion of the
observer measuring it.

And, Werner Heisenberg of "Heisenberg's
Uncertainty Principle" said, "The path [of
an electron] comes into existence only when
we observe it."

Richard Feynman showed us that an object
exists as a wave of probability, or energy
with a certain likelihood of appearing
here, or there. This probability wave only
collapses into matter in "reality" when
it is perceived by the mind.

So, at long odds, these monks of 2000 years
ago appear to have been proven correct.

But, if it's true things do not "exist" in
the way we are used to what is the purpose
of focusing on emptiness or anything at all
for that matter?

Since all suffering is caused by ignorant
grasping of the mind to things which are
impermanent and not truly existent, the
recognition that natural phenomenon is
inherently empty is fundamental to the
Buddhist path for freeing the mind and
eliminating suffering.

With this understanding we can release
the mind from grasping at illusions.

The phases to accomplish this are

1) elimination of non-virtuous actions
2) eliminate the mind/ego
3) eliminate everything

Emptiness is not to be confused with
nihilism or nothingness. There is a true
nature of self behind this world and
outside the mind, which is ultimate reality.

see you there,

Some Guy

p.s. Click here to continue reading
about the Dalai Lama's teachings.
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This text published originally in the newsletter
The Random Factor at www.some-guy.com

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