Let's be honest with ourselves. We still live under the occupation of a Newtonian—Darwinian fitness regime, despite the fact that it died long ago with the discovery that there is no matter in the universe—only energy (for want of a better term). Even more, it may all boil down to what the Lankavatara Sutra said: "There is Mind-only, there is no visible world," which is saying that the visible world we perceive, when we really begin to look at it, disappears. It isn't really there.
Granted, that in this present life we find ourselves in, this illusory world which is really not there, is still relatively useful to a certain degree. In previous blogs I have tried to show that the illusory condition works as the antithesis by which the absolute Mind sees itself when it suddenly sets aside the antithesis (its own creation). This is the real meaning of Zen's sudden awakening—when suddenly the illusion is set aside in the time of a finger snap and we see Mind. I hasten to add that the gnosis of Mind requires a total setting aside of the unreal which only comes when we have arrived at our wits' end in the pursuit of our true nature.
Short of this crowning gnosis, we are stuck in our protein jumpsuits without a clue as to what this whole biological mass is, ultimately, composed from and how we are intrinsically free of it even though we are still in it. Buddhism tries to tell us—but remember, we are hardheaded. We don't take to listening to mumbo-jumbo, after all we still pledge allegiance to the Newtonian—Darwinian fitness regime. We are not quite ready to leave our bi-plane for an antigravity flying saucer. We have more useless battles in us to fight as we drive forward looking in our rear view mirrors of memory. In this light, Zen Buddhism and Buddhism, in general, offer a kind of mental out-patient clinic for the marginally insane more than likely staffed by the insane. Not surprisingly, Buddhist monks were known as "healers of the mind" or the Greek equivalent, psychotherapists. They played a vital role in the community of keeping it somewhat sane.
But given the tremendous power of our system of education which still continues to preach outworn ideas, what is being taught in Zen and Dharma centers in the West amounts to coping skills; in other words, how do I live in the Newtonian—Darwinian fitness regime without going insane? And believe me, insanity is a major issue in this day and age in which the average person resists change almost to the hilt, but doesn't like the situation they find themselves in—in fact, hate it. The only solution, then, is change by way of baby steps beginning with being aware of all the little things we do from turning a doorknob to slicing an onion, and doing lots of seated meditation; learning to be comfortable in our protein jumpsuit. That is about all the West can handle until the complete overthrow of the Newtonian—Darwinian fitness regime which still funds many quasi terrorist organizations from the Military Industrial Complex to the Medical Industrial Complex. Look around. Notice all the unnecessary wars? Look around again. Notice that the leading cause of death is not by disease such as cancer but iatrogenic (induced by a physician). More people die by iatrogenic means (783,936) than all the U.S. deaths in World War II (405,399). Toleration of such figures is a sure sign of insanity.
In the face of such insanity on a global scale, Buddhism and other Indian religions are the only light left in an otherwise dark, dystopian world. It can't be the religions of Abraham which preach: "The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name" (Exodus 15:3 KJV). Nor can science be of help. Science as it exist now only offers more of the same, a stronger and mightier Newtonian—Darwinian fitness regime with its sad statistics, which is hell-bent on destroying the earth.
What are your thoughts on Sufism as a valid path?
Posted by: b | December 28, 2015 at 01:01 PM