Money... Power.. and LOVE!

Everything is connected to everything else.  So what do we do?  Trying to say something about money and related to that, about power, I struggled a while to what message may be most pertinent to convey.  After a while, I came up with the short list which also points to how to live our life. They are:

-  Be aware of Impermanence.. nothing lasts forever
-  Have small desire and learn to be satisfied (as mentioned in the last post)
-  Find things you really like to do, and if that help the society, that will give a good reason that you will be happy in what you do in life (connection to ten-mei: or order form heaven)
-  Use money/brain but not to be used by it.  Also know that, asking what is important is more important than just doing the task. So, re-visit this every now and then.  Never lose the longing for the endless sea

Each item in this list may require more explanation but, instead of doing that, I would like to share the following essay by Daisetz Suzuki, on "Love and Power."  Why?  Because this essay points the essence of our life as I see it, and will give a full explanation of all the items in the list above tied to money, power, life and love.

Back in 1993, I was invited to a YPO (Young Presidents’ Organization) University held in London, where I presented the idea of mini-company, waste elimination and unleashing the human potential in three lectures. This paper of Daisetz T. Suzuki, Love and Power, was attached to my presentation with a hope that presidents gathered from around the world might gain what I believed to be an inspirational message.  What is shown below is an abbreviated version of this paper.  (Note also that this paper has a direct link with my book, Results from the Heart with foreword from the Dalai Lama - Kegon* or interepenetration is at the foundation)

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Never in the history of mankind has there been a more urgent need for spiritual leaders and for the enhancement of spiritual values than there is in our contemporary world. We have achieved many wonderful things.. in the past century toward the advancement of human welfare. But, strangely, we seem to have forgotten that our welfare depends principally upon our spiritual wisdom and discipline. ... Of all the spiritual values we can conceive and wish to be brought out before us today, none is more commandingly needed than love.  It is love which creates life. Life cannot sustain itself without love. My firm conviction is that the present filthy, suffocating atmosphere of hatred and fear is generated through the suppression of the spirit of loving-kindness and universal brotherhood, and it goes without saying that this suffocation comes from the non-realization of the truth that the human community is the most complicated and far-reaching net work of mutual dependence.

The moral teaching of individualism with all its significant corollaries is very fine indeed, but we must remember that the individual is nonexistent when he is isolated from other individuals and cut off from the group to which he belongs, whether the group be biological or political or cosmological. Mathematically stated, the number one can never be one, never be itself, unless it is related to other numbers which are infinite. The existence of a single number by itself is unthinkable. “Morally or spiritually, this means that the existence of each individual, whether or not he is conscious of the fact, owes something to an infinitely expanding and all-enwrapping net of loving relationship, which takes up not only every one of us but everything that exists. The world is a great family and we, each one of us, are its members.

I do not know how much geography has to do with the moulding of human thought, but the fact is that it was in the Far East that a system of thought developed in the seventh century which is known as the Kegon* school of philosophy. The Kegon is based on the ideas of interfusion, or interpenetration, or interrelatedness, or mutual unobstructedness.  When this philosophy of the interrelatedness of things is rightly understood, love begins to be realized, because love is to recognize others and to rake them into consideration in every way of life.  To do to others what you would like them to you is the keystone of love and this is what naturally grows out of the realization of mutual relatedness.

The idea of mutual relationship and consideration excludes the notion of power for power is something brought from outside into a structure of inner relationship. The use of power is always apt to be arbitrary and despotic and alienating....  Love is not a command given us by an outside agent, for this implies a sense of power. Excessive individualism is the hot-bed in which power-feeling is bred and nourished, because it is egocentric in the sense that it asserts itself arrogantly, and often violently, when it moves out of itself and tries to overrule others. Love, on the contrary, grows out of mutuality and interrelationship and is far from egocentric and self-exalting. While power superficially strong and irresistible, is in reality self-exhausting, love, through self-negation is ever creative for it is the root of existence.  Love needs no external, all-powerful agent to exercise itself.  Love is life and life is love.

Being an infinitely complicated network of interrelationship, life cannot be itself unless supported by love,  Wishing to give life a form, love expresses itself in all modes of being....Love is affirmation, a creative affirmation; it is never destructive and annihilating, because unlike power it is all –embracing and all-forgiving. Love enters into its object and becomes one with it, while power, being characteristically dualistic and discriminative, crushes any object standing against it, or otherwise it conquers it and turns it into a slavish dependent.  Power makes use of science and everything that belongs to it. As long as science remains analytical and cannot go beyond the study of infinitely varied forms of differentiation and their quantitative measurements it is never creative.  What is creative in its spirit of inquiry, which is inspired by love and not by power.  Where there is any co-operation between power and the sciences, it always ends in contriving various methods of disaster and destruction.

Love and creativity are two separate aspect of one reality, but creativity is often separated from love. When this illegitimate separation takes place, creativity comes to be associated with power. Power really belongs to a lower order than love and creativity. When power usurps creativity, it becomes a most dangerous agent of all kinds of mischief.  The notion of power as aforesaid grows inevitably out of a dualistic interpretation of reality. When dualism neglects to recognize the presence of an integrating principle behind it, its native penchant for destruction exhibits itself rampantly and wantonly....

Power is always arrogant, self-assertive, and exclusive, whereas love is self-humiliating and all-comprehensive. Power represents destruction, even self-destruction, quite contrary to love’s creativeness.  Love dies and live again, while power kills and killed.  It was Simone Weil, I understand, who defined power as a force which transforms a person into a thing. I would like to define love as a force that transforms a thing into a person.  Love may thus appear to be something radically opposed to power, and love and power may be regarded as mutually exclusive, so that where there is power there cannot be any shadow of love, and where love is no power can ever intrude upon it.

This is true to a certain extent, but the real truth is that love is not opposed to power; love belongs to an order higher than power, and it is only power that imagines itself to be opposed to love. In truth, love is all-enveloping and all-forgiving; it is a universal solvent, an infinitely creative and resourceful agent. As power is always dualistic and therefore rigid, self-assertive, destructive, and annihilating, it turns against itself and destroys itself when it has nothing to conquer... What is blind is not love but power, for power utterly fails to see that its existence is dependent upon something else. It refuses to realize that it can be itself only allying itself to something infinitely greater than itself. Not knowing this fact, power plunges itself straight into the pit of self-destruction. The cataract that blinds the eye must be removed in order that power may experience enlightenment. Without this experience everything becomes unreal to the myopically veiled eye of power.

When the eye fails to see reality as it is, that is, in its suchness, a cloud of fear and suspicion spreads over all things that come before it. Not being able to see reality in its suchness, the eye deceives itself; it becomes suspicious of anything that confronts it and desires to destroy it. Mutual suspicion is thus let loose, and when this takes place no amount of explanation will reduce the tension... Those who are power-intoxicated fail to see that power is blinding and keeps them within an ever-narrowing horizon. Power is thus associated with intellection, and makes use of it in every possible way. Love, however, transcends power because, in its penetration into the core of reality, far beyond the finiteness of the intellect, it is infinity itself. Without love one cannot see the infinitely expanding network of relationships which is reality. Or, we may reverse this and say that without the infinite network of reality we can never experience love in its true light. Love trust, is always affirmative and all-embracing. Love is life and therefore creative. Everything it touches is enlivened and energized for new growth. When you love an animal, it grows more intelligent; when you love a plant you see into its every need. Love is never blind; it is the reservoir of infinite light....

To conclude: Let us first realize the fact that we thrive only when we are co-operative by being alive to the truth of interrelationship of all things in existence. Let us then die to the notion of power and conquest and be resurrected to the eternal creativity of love which is all-embracing and all-forgiving. As love flows out of rightly seeing reality as it is, it is also love that makes us feel that we—each of us individually and all of us collectively—are responsible for whatever things, good or evil, go on in our human community, and we must therefore strive to ameliorate or remove whatever conditions are inimical to the universal advancement of human welfare and wisdom.

 ( by Dr. D. T. Suzuki in the Hall of the International Exhibition at Brussels on 28th May, 1958, at the Conference “In Defense of Spiritual Values in the Contemporary World."  The Awakening of Zen, Shambhala, p.66-70)

* Kegon: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avatamsaka_Sutra
Also at my Japanese home page on Ten Stages Sutra, or Jyu-ji-kyo (sorry in Japanese)

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Hope you found this an inspirational peace of work as I felt with tears in my eyes years ago.  In short, and connecting what we shared so far in this blog, the fundamental principle in LIFE (as I see it) is, Confirm True Love (through intimacy/oneness) while creating new DNA with the idea that there are infinite ways to express who we are. I would like to address this in the next post.


Good day,
Kio

Happiness, Creativity, and Playfulness

Playfulness and happiness; Playfulness and creativity; Happiness in creative state.  I feel they are almost synonymous among themselves.  In other words, in that state, don't we feel a good utilization of our talent as if it is meant to be so?  Don't we feel like being really "alive"?  Don't we feel bliss, no words can describe?  And if so, how important is it to be connected to that state of playfulness, creativity and happiness?

Observe children in the sandbox.  Are they happy, playful and perhaps creative?  What about me writing this blog?  Am I playful, creative, and happy?  How about you immersed in your work or hobby which you like, or perhaps having a playful moment with your kids?  And of course, how about having a moment of intimacy with the loved one when the time has lost its meaning?  Don't you feel playful, creative, genuine and lively in such a moment?  

We do not have to be children to be "qualified" to play in the sand box...

OK there may be "hurdles" to overcome before getting there- like making a living, or address concerns of this and that.  Yet, as paradoxical as this may sound, are we not often dictated by those play of our own mind, to the point of blocking us from accessing those states where our senses are hightened, i.e., bright sunshine in the blue sky, vivid sense of colors of all surroundings, and smell and fresh breeze in the air.  In other words, intimacy with all!

What if we lose inquisitive eyes of children but to live in fear and anxiety?  What if we are caught up in our mind way too often and simply live as if according to the script from the TVs, and magazines and idiosyncrasy of the society?  Lost soul, lost paradise, lost intimacy with all...fun and pleasure of eternal children are no where to be found?!  Yet, I wonder, how can it be the case, especially when we are born as playful, creative, and happy children to start with?   Why not to be with the bliss, or follow the bliss and let the unknown future (new DNA) to unfold?  Or, whatever the task we may have, be engaged in it, forget time and space, or our self-identity.. just merged with the task at hand?

I want to propose to define happiness as the state when we are in the "zone" to express who we genuinely are?  And, may we also define "zone" as us connecting to the primary (the source, heart, law, order from God)?  If so, is it not absolute - beyond right and wrong of human mind?!  In other words, mind has little to do with what we may 'really' and 'truly' enjoy.  Yes, very subjective, is it not?  Although I recognize there are certain "rules" to follow, but they seem to be more of common sense, which is like not to hurt others and if possible, help with each other.  Yes, I propose, we can be playful and creative and happy alone, or with others - if we choose to be.

Desire less and be satisfied (from Buddhist sutra)

Then, I also see the connection to awakening or ultimate happiness (The free state) where Lester Levenson said five elements to characterize it, i.e., imperturbability, desireless, actionless, effortless, and witnessing.  And of course, there is no room for ego. 

Happiness is tied to liveliness, and it is about creativity, playfulness, fun, love, enjoyment!!!  Happiness is physical and biological!!! Also, it is tied to channeling the energy well toward new DNA whereas all cells are jumping!!!   And one more to add: body/muscle is totally relaxed when you are in that state.  These are the essence of LIFE, is it not?!

To end this post, here are some words of wisdom from those who walked ahead of us:

"To myself I am only a child playing on the beach, while vast oceans of truth lie undiscovered before me."  -  Issac Newton

When Pablo Picasso was 85, he was asked how his later paintings could be so innovative - could have the boldness and fire of a young artist's work.  Picasso's reply:"It takes a long time to become young."  -  Pablo Picasso

"Man is a thinking reed but his great works are done when he is not calculation or thinking. 'Childlikeness' has to be restored with long years of training in the art of self-forgetfulness. When this is attained, man thinks yet he does not think. He thinks like showers coming down from sky; he thinks like the waves rolling on the ocean; he thinks like the stars illuminating the nightly heavens; he thinks like the green foliage shooting forth in the relaxing spring breeze. Indeed he is the showers, the ocean, the stars, the foliage. "  -  Daisetz Suzuki

* Related Posts:
Bliss, Ecstasy and Ultimate Happiness
Have Fun and Express Who we are

Meaning of Spiritual Experience: Buddha and Tao Te Ching

In the last post, I commented that the resolution of difference in men and women was to be found in true love/compassion. Or for that matter. it is as if any difference as our mind distinguishes A and B (Yin and Yang: dualism; as well as ego's fight for its existence), is to be resolved in oneness- connection with the source at the core of our existence, i.e., true love, or nature's way, Tao, whatever you call IT. When this is realized, our mind ceases its futile effort to solve problem it has created by itself as if in a vacuum. This is awakening, or insight/wisdom, as well as compassion to release any pain and suffering mind creates.  This is beyond the realm of human mind/logic.

So, with regard to limbic system or karma, our fixed mindset, or habitual way of looking at the world, there is no end to the search for solution if it is in the realm of our mind. --- unless, we transcend mind. That is from being caught up in the logic, which is the search for solution through mind's own logic, but as if to see us from the source, be one with the source, or Tao, the Way, way of nature, absolute, or whatever way we call IT. (This search was the process of Buddha's way of enlightenment - as I see it. Also, this process is discussed in the post on Tolle's spiritual experience compared to mine)

Here is my translation from Daisetz Suzuki's book, re: Buddha's  Enlightenment:

When searching for the truth, typically, we start from philosophy. Then, we notice what wise guys said on this subject in the past, noticing that this difficult problem is also what made them wondered or suffered. Buddha did this as well. But this did not help him. By its own nature, philosophy cannot put us back to where before the questions were yet raised. It is the limit of philosophy. It may give a faint view of existence. But most likely, as we try to reach closer, it will fade away. So, Buddha eventually left these people.

Next, he attempted a hard training. For some reason, we generally think that if we restrain our desire from our body, our mind will be cleansed and can see the truth as it is. Yet, such restraining of desire will see self, the one that ask the question of truth, more like an enemy. Then, this enemy is seen as something to conquer, or overcome. And this enemy stands always at where the man having question. No matter how hard this questioner tries his best to defeat the enemy with his all might, the enemy will not be conquered. So far as the self, the questioner, exists, he will create new enemy and have to fight continuously. 

Defeating the enemy does not mean saving our self nor answering the question. This is because self can only exist by having non-self, and this non-self is the enemy. The self is the creator of enemy. The questioner will be a questioner no matter how far he goes. He remains to be the creator of questions.

In the hard training, the questioner is the self. There, the self is confronted to non-self, i.e., enemy. This enemy has to be defeated no matter what. Yet, so far as we have self, there is no way this enemy is defeated. Self cannot exist by itself.  It always try to express the self, prove the power, and desires to have someone to prove that he is that important existence. When self find that there is no others to prove, or to be proud of itself, it loses its self-nature. Restraining one’s own nature is a way of expressing its own self.

One cannot go beyond its own self through restraining one’s desire or to follow the moral disciplines. Unless we go beyond the self, however, we will not find the opportunity to solve the problems that is related to searching our existence. Our self has to be thrown out totally. There should be no trace of conflict between self and non-self.

Buddha realized this point from his own experiences. One day, he tried to raise from sitting but he could not. As he did not have enough food to eat, he was weakened to the point where he could not sustain himself. …. He then thought, "If he who has the question has to die now, he will leave the question unresolved and die." So, in order to search this major problem that encompasses everything, he started to eat and attempted to recover his health and energy.

But, how can he move forward from there? Intellect did not bring solution. Hard training did not help much. He had nothing to do. Yet, he wished to resolve the problem much more than before. If his mind was smaller, and weakened, it may have been crushed under the heavy pressure of this problem.  Being cornered to its extreme, his whole existence responded. He now felt that there was no more questions to ask, and there is no self to fight against the enemy. His self, his intellect, his whole existence was thrown into the question. In other words, he became the question itself. The distinction between questioner and the question, self and non-self, is vanished and one undivided "unknown" was left. In this "unknown,’ he was absorbed.

If we picture the scene in our mind, there was no Buddha left to ask questions, no self to realize the ego, and there was no question responding to the intellect that threatens his existence. There was no sky above his head nor no ground under his feet. If we could stand besides Buddha at that time and be able to look into his existence, what we may have found there would be a big question mark that covers the whole universe. If he had any mind, if we could say so, such was the state of his mind. He was there in such a state for a while. And.. when he looked up the sky, he saw the Venus in the early morning sky. The light of the star went straight into his eyes. This event brought his whole consciousness back to the previous/normal state. There was no question that was so strong, so persistent and caused him suffering left anymore. There was a whole world shining under a new light with new meaning.

(Note: See: http://web.archive.org/web/20030814014304/http://suzaki.has.it/ under the file name: Daisetz Remembered   Also Note: Daisetz Suzuki(1870-1966) dedicated his entire life to practice Buddhism/Zen and share its essence in his own way with the world.)

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Of course, this is an explanation of Buddha's enlightenment by Daisetz.  Yet, as explained before, I can see what is described here is linked to the process that took place in Tolle (and if I may say so... in myself as well as in Daisetz).  However, I say this; the practice in daily living is not that simple as indicated in the previous post, which means I am yet to clean up my karma, the past conditioning as I move on in my journey.

As mentioned, I went through years of check and balance re: my spiritual experience as Tolle did.  Having done that (as posted in my English and Japanese homepage from 2000 to 2012), I found so amusing and encouraging that many of those who went through this path point to the same "Experience" / "Understanding" without doubt.  

As an example, when you read, Tao Te Ching - Lao Tzu - chapter 16, you should, if not now, eventually come to see/experience that the words may look different, yet, the core message is the same:

Empty yourself of everything.

Let the mind rest at peace.

The ten thousand things rise and fall while the Self watches their return.

They grow and flourish and then return to the source.

Returning to the source is stillness, which is the way of nature.

The way of nature is unchanging.

Knowing constancy is insight.

Not knowing constancy leads to disaster.

Knowing constancy, the mind is open.

With an open mind, you will be openhearted.

Being openhearted, you will act royally.

Being royal, you will attain the divine.

Being divine, you will be at one with the Tao.

Being at one with the Tao is eternal.

And though the body dies, the Tao will never pass away.

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Ikkyu, a Zen monk and a poet, said, 

Many paths lead from

The foot of the mountain

But at the peak

We all gaze at the

Single bright moon

This poem is taken from my old English home page (2001)

Man and Woman - Intellect and Emotion

There is a well-known Japanese saying: "When you let the emotion prevail, you will be swept away; When you let the intellect prevail, you will be too pointy like a sharp rock.  Either way, this world will be an uneasy place to live."  (Original words by Soseki Natsume)  The bottom line; we have to have a clear mind eye (the third eye) not to be swung by emotion or dwell too much on logic.  We need to find a balance/middle way.  Or, as Ho'oponopono may say, we are responsible for all happenings.

In this post, I want to share my view on man and woman, man representing logic (as in focus) and woman, emotion (as in dispersion).   OK, such may be an exaggeration.  Yet, going over my experience with woman and having gone through hurdles as if to solve a puzzle - like passing a Zen koan, I would like to characterize the difference of man and woman and offer possible solution.  If you do not like my characterization, you may just replace man as Kio (me) and woman as my girlfriend or partner (yes, this is my interpretation):

1)  Man tends to be focused on achieving his goal rather single mindedly, as in hunting deer.  He is focused and put all energy to achieve his goal as if the family depends on him to live.  This is in man's limbic system, programmed over millions of years.  If this is not accomplished, our life cannot be sustained.  So, all of his talent is focused on such task, and he cannot afford to diffuse his energy.  Any disruption to do so is seen as deterrent.  Bringing food to the table as well as finding the woman and procreate are two major focus in his life.  Developing a strategy to be very competitive/productive is in his genes.  One of my image then is a picture of billions of sperms trying to get to the egg.  Looks stupid in a way, reminding me of commuting in Tokyo subway decades ago when I did that, but in Rome you may need to do as Romans do.  So, let's leave it with that for now.

2)  Woman tend to be dispersed in taking care of varieties of tasks at home.  Preparing food, raising kids, taking care of sick, and creating/assuring the secure and nurturing home.  Of course, woman cannot do this if there is no man helping to provide the shelter and bring food.  So, there has been a division of labor between man and woman so that there is a shared responsibility to have harmonious whole like Yin and yang.  Of course, sexual intercourse is a representation of such unity and produce anew.  So, finding the right man is certainly critical for the couple to live fully and harmoniously - an eternal task lasting millions of years.  Woman entice man with all possible means (yet much more passively compared to man's assertiveness), making them attractive to man who meet her criteria.

Attracted like by magnet, millions of sperms swim toward the egg, 

one will get in and lock out the rest. 

So, woman competes for man like man does for woman as there are about the same number of woman as man.  Yet, woman's way seems to be in her subtle, obscure 'femininity' as if man gets hypnotized by their unknown attraction which is beyond the logic - commonly called as 'love.'  But wait!  As the civilization 'progresses,' and technology provide more means to pay attention to those subtle and obscure 'femininity,' have we not prepare our own demise by further creating an unbalance?  Here are some trends:

1) In these days, aren't there more woman than man to lay in the sun and go to yoga/pilates class, etc.?  Or, was it like that all the history?  Somehow, I do not think so.

2) Aren't there more single parent mother than any time in history, even raising kids by themselves?

Reflection about My Life's Journey (Short side trip)

Talking about the "progress(?)" of our civilization, we have more options to do so many things in life.  This is tied to information overload.  Yet, if not careful, aren't there more room for confusion as to how we live our life?  Where is the harmony in life?  Aren't we too opportunistic materially and else - even spiritually?  If we are not careful, we hit wall somewhere, somehow - eventually, and that is the reason to go through this what I call "new hero's journey," isn't it?

Yes, there is an end to our freedom of choice.  It is built in in our own mind when we notice it.  In other words, freedom is not liberation so far as we extend externally too much.  It is as if ego expands its own limit infinitely.  Greed connected to freedom is not freedom, it is a bind to our own ego.  So, I offered that Life Profile was a way to find the balance we needed to have as I realized after my spiritual experience (compared to that of Eckhart Tolle).

But, taking this opportunity, let me quickly review, what has been 'my' life's journey all about?  Starting with the escape from Tokyo as I wanted to explore the world, and to find more meaningful job/life experiences.  I fought against competition to do this and that, then divorce and re-marriage, and next, more altruistic mission to contribute to the society's future through business, writing books, producing videos, traveling to 40+ countries, and making money, and raising family along the way.  Then, I started to lose interest at work after accomplishing my original mission to come to the US.  Why?  Because why repeat what I knew already?

So, I went deep into my inner search, followed by spiritual awakening, and to realize new orientation toward simple, quiet life.  After several years of peace and serenity, and another separation/divorce, and I am back into the world with new orientation as if to find a new relationship with this world - to confirm the true love as the base.... and I am writing, reflecting... externally and internally....connect to True Love...distinguish primary and secondary... I am revisiting all of these in this blog... and to synthesize the entire field of my trip as I keep moving forward...to live truthfully and sincerely.

Man and Woman - and True Love

Now, with those as background, let's look into man-woman relationship.  Whether hunting deer or conducting business, man has to make judgment to go right or left often at the moment notice and this is in our genes - at least so I feel.  For example, although I need not to be too uptight as I age and with certain financial security, if I see my son goofing off, I do not feel comfortable even if I may not say anything to him.

But what about the case of a woman where she is already financially troubled but is confined due to her lack of attention or aptitude in running her business?  When I was explaining to her the way out of the trouble in a sincere manner, she mentioned suddenly such things as...  "the western sky looks so beautiful,"  "I see a couple enjoying their time at the other table," "Let me check what is in the refrigerator," etc.  I just could not understand when she could divert her attention from serious talk that may impact her future to something totally unrelated.  (However, we may say that she was living the now as opposed to be occupied in thinking like I probably was, then.)

I cannot generalize this as common trait to all women, but my male friends supported my view and agreed that men and women are so different.  Again, men are more focused and logically oriented whereas women tend to be more dispersed and emotionally driven.  Another friend pointed that women are typically like this: "She goes to kitchen to eat lunch, but on her way she found plants need watering, but while watering, she remembered to send an e-mail.  And as she finished e-mail, she wanted to clean up the room so she did,,,, and forgot to eat lunch until very late.

Whether tied to our limbic system or not, men and women are so different.  As to the talk about her business, I realized that I was too caught up in it due to its urgency.  Committed to help, yet, it could be seen as if my ego wanting to run her life even though I believed in self-management.  Seeing where each of us were, I resigned to help in a very committed manner, and created a space in between us.  It was a hard decision to make because it might open up more unknowns leading to the end of our relationship.

So, facing such difficulty and not seeing what can be done any more, I sent this text to her:  "Whatever happens between us, I love you as you are."  It is the same to say, "Although I feel my hands are tied (i.e., things are out of my control and we may be separated because of that), my heart is with you - always."  What I realized is, this is the same as, there are ripples and waves in the realm of secondary, but connected to the Primary, or True Love, which is the eternal base of our being, they are just ripples and waves - not too overpowering any more.  (I call such state as mirror mind)

And paradoxical as this may sound, while there may be sadness when things do not work out, or feel that my hands are tied (ripples or waves - secondary), yet, at the same time, I realized that there is this infinite reserves of Love - true love (ocean - primary).  So, I may cry when something happens, but with deep smile to accept all and extend my love to everywhere without any sign of negative feeling.  That is what I mean, when I say, "I love you."  If I have ego as if to look for something in return, I realize that I cannot say so.  To me, that corresponds to what I call "Living truthfully."

Perhaps some may view my stance as idealistic or even naive, yet, truly and genuinely I felt that I reached the true love, accepting who she is even if there are many areas of disagreement in how we use our mind.

As reference, here are words of Eckhart Tolle re: compassion:

"At... deep level, compassion becomes healing...  In that state, your healing influence is primarily based not on doing but on being.... When you are fully present and people around you manifest unconscious behavior, you won't feel the need to react to it, so you do not give it any reality.  Your peace is so vast and deep that anything that is not peace disappears into it as if it had never existed... You become the "light of the world," an emanation of pure consciousness, and so you eliminate suffering on the level of cause.  You eliminate unconscious from the world."  (p.167 Eckhart Tolle, Power of Now)

* Note: I see the above discussion of compassion/true love connected to Levenson (actionlessness = being) Aikido (state of "centering" or "invisible") and Ho'ponopono (100% responsibility).

Living Truthfully - Relationship with a Woman

Living truthfully...  We can only work toward that.  We are humans and may make mistake any moment.  We may not have the full perspective of the situation; we cannot predict the unknown future; we may not even know who we really are especially when ego is in play.  Impermanence is everywhere, everything is in transition, we ourselves are in transition going through new experiences externally and internally.  Yet, we can work toward that aim, living truthfully, as if to adjust the sail given the situation and find the path of truth in life.  This is an eternal quest while we may still enjoy the moment by connecting to the Heart, being in the presence and happy along the way.

It is ideal if we know our-self and the situation well and be able to find a path with insight based on our calm and quiet mind.  A case in point, here is a case of a man dating a woman, which brought forth some challenging situation - an example of how to live truthfully.  She was a single parent mother taking care of her teenager, going through severe financially difficulty, yet very compassionate to the people around her to the detriment of not looking after herself.  Hence, she ended up in doing so many things, yet, carried on her life even if the situation was hard physically, mentally and financially.   He got involved with her - odd enough so different from his previous relationship.  He was attracted by her genuinely compassionate character.

I wonder where these seeds may land, and...?

At the beginning of their relationship, he wanted to confirm what he thought might be the base of the relationship, i.e., true love (Primary relationship).  It is to live from the heart, which is essentially the same as living truthfully.  (For reference, see the poem, True Love, posted in Art, Life and True Love.)  As they became close, he found more about the difficulty she faced in life.  For example, while they tried to make time for themselves, it often resulted in interruption caused by work, family, friends, etc.  As single parent, she needed to attend the various requests of others. Eventually, he felt as if he was at the end of the list.  Their time together became less and more interrupted as various concerns mounted.

The situation became so chaotic such that he thought they could not maintain their relationship no matter how he tried to accommodate to meet her needs.  He often felt he was in the middle of the storm.  Here is a series of his writings that might point how he was going through this relationship, facing the unknown nature of circumstance internally and externally, yet to live truthfully the best he could.

* E-mail to her at 8AM

Two leaves on the Ocean

We are like two leaves met on the surface of the vast ocean...

wind, current, etc., thing can go this way or that way...

nothing is certain

Yet, we know where we are, and can still be like children

playing with imagination, exploring with innocent mind

appreciating time and space we happen to have

drifting on the ocean of love in this immense space...

not knowing what may happen in the next moment

yet we do what we can, and leave the rest to the divine,

that is our life, and our destiny

simply smile, do our best and move on!

it is the new hero's journey!

*  Following day, E-mail to her at 5AM

 (Rare to feel like this but sensing the danger of relationship, I shared my feeling)

I almost feel like getting a panic attack.  I am afraid that something may happen again on this Friday.... I cannot go back to sleep.

- He comes back with his friends and chaos takes over 

- Or, you pick him up, and drive back to home.  Then, take him to XYZ, only to go and pick him up again later

You are so busy and this is such a small thing ...like nothing.  But for me this is a sad reality.

I want to see you...especially as I feel closer to you again, but I am afraid, and am torn  - no where to go.

* to her at 7:30AM

I went out for a walk; it was misty...

The mountain tops were covered with low clouds 

I thought, there is a blue sky above these clouds

then, I thought if this was like the situation we are in

who knows even storm may come

yet, the sun is shining up in the sky - always

then, I wondered if we may be able to play like children

mindlessly...under the blue sky...someday...

* to her at 7:45AM

When children are told the cold fact of life

like their favorite toys are broken beyond repair,

they may openly cry for a long time...

parents may gently suggest that there is nothing they can do

Even the grown-ups fall into the similar situation

as we face the cold fact of life.

If we do our best and nothing more we can do...

accept what is, and just like children, let go...

The new morning will come, birds will sing

and the sun will shine in the blue sky some day.

So, put the smile back and twinkles in our eyes

just move on!

* from her at 3:30PM

Sometimes I don't want to hear words, but I just want to be held....

wish I could now.

* to her at 4:30PM

I am full of life energy...

Just a while ago, I was feeling "IT" even from flowers, and leaves..

I want to share such experience with you - as always have

as if to confirm our base 

That is the ultimate human experience I can think of...

no self, but covered by the mist of love

It is there, you know... if we let it reveal by itself...

and to me, Love is just a word to point to such a genuine state of our being

It is always there...

Always.


==


The above memo may portray the situation where they do their best to navigate the hardship in life no matter what the end result may be.  The memo started with the awareness of the situation they happen to be in (poem, 'two leaves in the ocean'). Then, he posted the fear of facing the unknown, followed by re-assessing the situation (analogy of 'clouds and the sun above') and reflecting with the story of children facing the inevitable's.  It may take some time to settle down and reorient.  Yet, at the end, they may realize that their life energy/true self will find ways to express itself, and lead the way - as they live truthfully.  

Bliss, Ecstasy and Ultimate Happiness

Having touched on Deeper Level of Connection, Primary Relationship (Heart), The Free State (Levenson), etc., let us dive into the subject of Bliss, Ecstasy and Ultimate Happiness (Nirvana).  My conviction is that these experiences have a common foundation and that it is easily accessed if we are more attentive to at least some of the characteristics I mentioned already.  The terms may sound foreign, but if patiently examined, reflecting one's own experiences, many if not all people may find the connection to what appears to me as miracle or wonder of LIFE.  (After all, all of us are from there to start with.)

In order for us to familiarize with such experience, let us first revisit Levenson, who said there are five elements that characterizes the free state.  They are: 1) imperturbability, 2) desirelessness, 3) effortlessness, 4) actionlessness, and 5) witnessing.  Some may already relate to such a description.  (Imperturbability and witnessing seem to correspond to what I call, "mirror mind.")

Next, let us review "indicative signs of being connected to Heart" I characterized from my experience in the post, Deeper Level of Connection;

-  Sense of being in present, here and now, choiceless observation, witnessing

-  Vivid sense of inner body sensation, aliveness, liveliness 

(cells jumping around as if very happily)

-  Calm, clear and quiet mind; beginner's mind, no mind, mirror mind

-  Soft eyes...see without seeing - very intuitive, third eye as if opening up a new channel

-  Body/muscle is totally relaxed; There is a sense of effortlessness; no strains felt

-  no ego/self; desirelessness, actionlessness

-  It is as if a new channel opens up by itself from deep within (a new sense of connection)
-  Feeling of all answers are already there (there is no doubt or question any more)

-  Mind and body are felt as one; no boundaries; I am you; I am one with the universe

-  Sense of serenity, peace, arriving/being at home, nothing is missing

-  Wisdom and compassion come naturally; delusions/sufferings/errors are nowhere to find

-  Sense of living truthfully (connection to the Law, the Way); sense of being absolute, imperturbability

-  Sense of Ki (Life energy) manifesting; Blissful sensation spreading over

-  Sense of connection to unconscious/infinite potential (connection of external and internal)

-  Sense of oneness; non-duality

-  Sense of mind and body being 'healthy' and 'genuine'
-  Sense of everything seen as vivid and alive (inside and outside)

-  Sense of love, bliss, and intimacy to all 

-  Sense of time distortion (as if time lost its meaning)

It is also felt as a totally natural state, since it happens on its own.  Yet, as mentioned before, "If you seek for it, you will not find it" (Yuima sutra, or Vimalakirti sutra), which connects to Levenson's desirelessness, effortlessness, and actionlessness. And because of that, when we have it, there is a sense of deep appreciation of arriving at home.  That is ultimate happiness, as Levenson calls it.  Note however, it does not sound like a short temporary state for him.


BTW, this term, "ultimate happiness" points to true, absolute happiness, but "not" the happiness that is transient.  Again, as paradoxical as it may seem, if we seek for it, ultimate happiness will not be found.  Daisetz Suzuki says, "It is Happiness that does not depend on anything." That is Levenson's "Free State."  

Meditating Miroku Bosatsu (Bodhisattva Maitreya) of Koryu-ji Temple, Nara, Japan

(World famous for his gentle compassionate "smile")

Reflecting on his spiritual experience, Eckhart Tolle said since then, there was 80 % reduction in his mind activities since then.  I see it points a long lasting "calm and quiet mind."  Or, this is what Krishnamurti called, "choice-less observation."  Then, the exhibit above indicates the state of body and muscles totally relaxed and mind very calm such that there is a genuine smile emanating from within.  If you remember the "state of centering" in Aikido (the list of ten items), you should see a definite connection there as well.

Then, here are the characteristics of Saintliness summarized in "The Varieties of Religious Experiences" by William Games (p.216):

1) A feeling of being in a wider life..; and a conviction ...of the existence of an Ideal Power

2) A sense of the friendly continuity of the ideal power with our own life, and a willing self-surrender to its control

3) An immense elation and freedom, as the outlines of the confining selfhood meltdown

4) A shifting of the emotional center toward loving and harmonious affections, toward 'yes,yes' and away from 'no,' where the claims of the non-ego are concerned

Finally, here is Maslow's findings from Wikipedia.  Beyond the routine of needs fulfillment, Maslow envisioned moments of extraordinary experience, known as Peak Experiences, which are profound moments of love, understanding, happiness, or rapture, during which a person feels more whole, alive, self-sufficient and yet a part of the world, more aware of truth, justice, harmony, goodness, and so on.

 Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

(When self-actualized, however, my view is like that of Suzuki, the state of bliss, ecstasy and ultimate happiness may not depend on the condition we are in*)

According to Maslow, self-actualising people share the following qualities:

- Truth: honest, reality, beauty, pure, clean and unadulterated completeness

- Goodness: rightness, desirability, uprightness, benevolence, honesty

- Beauty: rightness, form, aliveness, simplicity, richness, wholeness, perfection, completion,

- Wholeness: unity, integration, tendency to oneness, interconnectedness, simplicity, organization, structure, order, not dissociated, synergy

- Dichotomy-transcendence: acceptance, resolution, integration, polarities, opposites, contradictions

- Aliveness: process, not-deadness, spontaneity, self-regulation, full-functioning

- Unique: idiosyncrasy, individuality, non comparability, novelty

- Perfection: nothing superfluous, nothing lacking, everything in its right place, just-rightness, suitability, justice

- Necessity: inevitability: it must be just that way, not changed in any slightest way

- Completion: ending, justice, fulfillment

- Justice: fairness, suitability, disinterestedness, non partiality,

- Order: lawfulness, rightness, perfectly arranged

- Simplicity: nakedness, abstract, essential skeletal, bluntness

- Richness: differentiation, complexity, intricacy, totality

- Effortlessness: ease; lack of strain, striving, or difficulty

- Playfulness: fun, joy, amusement

- Self-sufficiency: autonomy, independence, self-determining.

Personally, I can relate to most of these characterizations... As in Tolle's case, my spiritual experience seems to have contributed to heightened sense of such state.  And, I am further drawn into it as if these are confirmation of me moving on the right path, I call here the new hero's journey - following that bliss.

--

Note: Related to my comment to the exhibit on Maslow's hierarchy of needs, here is a Zen koan (puzzle):

Monk: I am new to this temple. Please give me any proper advice.

Joshu (Master): Have you finished your meal?

Monk: Yes, I have.

Joshu: OK, wash the dishes well.

(Hint: If you live by following the law, that is all you need to practice - practice this in all situations)

Symphony of Light - Joy of Life (Poem)

Here are some more of my poems from about ten years ago.  I found this in my old English home page (Net archive) where I posted Kabir's poem - my favorite one.

Symphony of Light

As if listening to the sound from afar.. 

There is a transparent state beyond the time-space dimension

where the whole nerve system

and all cells of body fully activate.

To the end of the universe,

and inside the mitochondria or DNA

of all cells

everyone enjoys the liberation.

As each performs the given role

and help with each other with no conflict,

there is the most natural state

of life expressing itself.

Without thinking of truth, enlightenment,

defilements or else,

Everyone dances

the dance of the universe.

Yes, by utilizing our whole senses as an artist

Letfs throw our whole existence into the ocean of this universeI

And covered by the spray of the universe over our whole body,

let us play the symphony of light!

It is as it is

As I listen to the stereo..
My body moves on its own
Covered by the vibration,
All cells of my body share the happiness.
My mind is transparent
while the whole world vibratesin happiness.
Yes, Right, in such a way
As birds sing,
Everyone dances.
The tribe men from Amazon,and those in Africa.
People may comment to see me being like this,"He must be demented!"
But, it's OK.
It is because I found the answer
to that question of "So what?"
It is simply
everything is as it is.

A Life in Resonance with Dhamma

As if a butterfly shows up from somewhere when flowers start to bloom,

when birds sing their song, I find my body covered with Dhamma Piti*.

Yes, there is something here to point that

the wisdom of nature is unfathomable.

As much as women putting a make-up to become attractive,

or anyone trying to win the sports game or win in philosophical debate,

or being attracted to make money or to become famous,

there is something similar in all of these orientations.

That is the sense of oneness that everyone seeks for,

to find at the core of us the pleasure of resonating with the infinite.

The same is true for sex, isnft it?  To grasp that moment to discover the infinite,

we want to have our body and mind melted in the ecstasy.

Then, we find the comedies and tragedies performed all around.

So, stop now and ask what is really going on!

What if we do not know that

seeking for happiness iscnot finding one?

 How sad it is to search for IT afarcIt is like in the middle of waterc

yet crying out in thirst,h so Hakuin said.

But look!  I hear the sound of wind chimec  chirping of the birds c.

And, the guitar of Segovia continuing while the cool breeze passes through the room.

Without seeking, but realizing whatfs going onc

what if we live with the sharpened senses

at all of our mind-body cells and DNAs,

and discover the vibration of the universe?

* Piti: emotion of joy, delight, zest, exuberance

(7/15/03)

(Courtesy: Debmalya Mukherjee)

A Joy of Life

For no reason, but perhaps a sound may trigger it.

Perhaps a butterfly in the air,

The innocent flower in the sunc

Perhaps, Segoviafs guitar..

These bring joy to me, with reason but no apparent reason.

It is a joy of life

For the life to experience life as it is.

I feel all through my bodyc

From the top of my head to the bottom of my solec

And throughout my whole body.

Covered by the shivering sense,

All cells of my body breathe the breath of universe

Interconnected with each other

to the end of the universe,

vibrating and expressing as they are meant.

With tears, I remember someone once said,

This world is nirvana as it is.

Whatever that may mean,

It is my cells that know it,

And expressing what it is as it is.

So, may I say simply; have a good day, and a good life!

(7/11/03)