Worldly Passions - Desire

                         Very soon at December's end, countries from all around the world will celebrate the coming of a new year.  The exact date may vary for some nations, but it’s still an occasion where people will mark the passing of 365 days of time with creative and quite unusual customs.

                      In Latin countries, twelve grapes are eaten, one for each month in the year. It is meant to bring good luck and fortune.

                      Thai people throw water on each other in hopes that it will bring rain for their crops. They also release birds from their cages and return fish back into streams for good luck.

                      In Japan, the bells in temples are rung 108 times. This is because Buddhism teaches that we have 108 worldly passions. These passions are said to be blind because we are entirely driven by them, causing us constant trouble and torment. So a New Year's tradition arose that striking the bell 108 times banishes all the worldly passions that caused us suffering from the passing year.

                     However, we know from the Law of Cause and Effect, little rituals that promise luck are not true. In order to receive good fortune, we must first plant the good seeds ourselves.

                      In the case of a bell dissolving all our worldly passions, this is also untrue -- no matter how many people still practice it. It may be fun to ring in the New Year, but believing anything will follow your action besides a loud "GONG!" noise is surrendering yourself to a false superstition.

Original Photo by MIKI Yoshihito available on Flickr.com

                      What is true is that we are made up of worldly passions and nothing else. Buddhism explains that worldly passions never vanish within us as long as we're living, and attempts to remove them don't even leave a dent.

                      You can think about it like a snowman.

Original Photo by islandjoe available on Flickr.com

                      If you take away all the snow from out of the snowman, what do you have?

Original Photo by mrsdkrebs available on Flickr.com

                      You don't have anything. Without snow, a snowman loses form and ceases to be what it is supposed to be. 

                       It's the same with us. If you remove all of our worldly passions, there is nothing left.

                      Sakyamuni Buddha used the number 108 to represent the idea that our worldly passions are seemingly countless. 

                      Yet within this large number of passions, there are Three Poisonous Passions which are the most dreadful of all. These passions reflect the very nature of all the other 105 worldly passions. They are DESIRE, ANGER, and IGNORANCE. 

The Three Poisonous Passions

DESIRE -   

It's the constant longing we have to get something. 

If we don't have it, we really want it. If we have it, we want more of it. 

And no matter how much we are satisfied, we will still have new cravings arise within us.

There is no end to our limitless desire.

Original Photo by Ani Carrington available on Flickr.com

Our desire can be compared to the deep, blue sea. 

Our wants come to us like waves, one after another.

The deeper the water, the deeper the blue becomes in color.

If we always get what we want, we can endlessly drown in our own greed.

ANGER -  

It's the fury within you of being denied anything you think you deserve. 

We can yell at people we love or curse strangers over the slightest offense.

Our anger can spread uncontrollably and become unpredictable.

The more we feel betrayed, the angrier we become. 

Original Photo by wwarby avaialble on Flickr.com

Anger can be likened to a fire, because it burns at high heat.

Flames span outwardly scorching everything it touches quickly.

We turn red when we're mad because our blood is boiling.

 Left unchecked, it can torch everything in our life like a wildfire.

IGNORANCE -

It's the venomous feeling we harbor deep within us.

We secretly envy our superiors, curse those who cross us, and delight in others' misfortune.

Everyone else is to be blamed for our misfortune, and we resent them for it in our minds.

Not taking responsibility for our own fate is defiance of the Law of Cause and Effect.

Original Photo by Darco TT available on Flickr.com

Ignorance leaves us totally blind to the truth, and so it can be said to be pitch black.

These ugly feelings are dirty and filthy and spread like a disease or pollution. 

We distort the world with our own private, warped views.

The nature of ignorance is dark and ugly, because it is so hard to see clearly within ourselves.

               Now, let's take a look at the first worldly passion.

Desire

               Buddhism teaches that Desire can be further broken down into five categories. 

               They are Food, Wealth, Love, Fame, and Sleep. 

                They are known as the Five Desires.

The Five Desires

FOOD -

Original Photo by elsie.hui available on Flickr.com

 It's the pleasure we get from eating a delicious meal.

We love to eat at restaurants and have home-cooked meals.

People enjoy fad health diets or binge on holidays like Thanksgiving.

Even with dessert, we'll still be hungry for more.

WEALTH -

Original Photo by epSos.de available on Flickr.com

It's the urge to stockpile money and not pay people back.
We want to brag about our new smart phones and cruise in our new cars.
Whether we're rich or poor, we revel when funds rise within our bank accounts.
There is no amount of cents that decreases our desire for more money.

LOVE -

Original Photo by kainr available on Flickr.com

It's the wanting intimacy from another man or woman physically and emotionally.
We watch attractive people on the street and get excited when we get to talk to them.
There's an intense feeling that burns to be near the person we love.
Our heart beats expectantly for the next burst of romance and passion.

FAME -

Original Photo by Gareth.D.Jones available on Flickr.com

 It's the thrill of being praised and honored by someone special or a large group of strangers.

We want to have fans like a movie star or be held in high regard like a president.
Deep down we secretly just want everyone to think we're cool.
No man is an island; we always have the desire to be liked.

 

    SLEEP -

Original Photo by Matt Erasmus available on Flickr.com

It's that yearning to sleep in, relax on the sofa, and just be plain lazy.
We hit snooze to escape going to school briefly or take a sick day just to stay in bed.
All we want to do is just chill out and take it easy.
The longer we are awake, the stronger our need for sleep.

                      At the mercy of these five desires, we slave to them in some form or another. We will to go to such great lengths just to get satisfaction, even if it causes to pain those around us.

                       Now of course we should do serious soul-searching if we sense that we are greatly troubling others with our desires. Self-reflection can sometimes catch when we are being too lazy in our studies or when we've been taken over by the luring idea of an illicit affair. We may even overcome the temptation of stealing the last bite on the plate at the family dinner, but our worldly passions will keep flaring up despite our best efforts. They remain as a filter by which we perceive all of our experiences for every moment we're alive... up until our very last breath.

                        In the next post, we will take a look at the second poisonous passion, Anger.

The Seven Good Deeds that Don't Cost Anything

              When you really think about it, how much time do you actually spend caring and thinking about others and how much time do you spend on yourself? A real, honest look might reveal that we're probably spending about 90% of our time getting our own needs met.

              Take the example of a large bath tub. You want more warmth, so you begin to bring in with your hands all the warm water toward you. But what happens? It escapes pushing the warm water around and away from you. However, when you push the warm water away with your hands, the warmth circulates bringing more to you. (Try it the next time you have a bath. It actually works!) This example embodies the concept of Benefiting Others, Benefits the Self within Buddhism.

Original Art by Tim Green aka atoach, available on Flickr.com

               According to the Law of Cause and Effect, doing good deeds only brings more good effects for us. So we should give generously to others more than we did yesterday. This all sounds really logical and seems quite simple, but there's definitely more to the story!

***  

            Long ago, there was once a famous meeting between Bird's Nest Monk, a Zen priest, and Bai Juyi, a scholar of Confucianism.

               Bai Juyi was taking a walk on a mountainside, deep in the forest. He was lost in thought when he saw something curious. Up in a large tree there was someone with their eyes closed doing meditation.

               "Excuse me!" Bai Juyi said, "Don't you think it's a little dangerous to be up there with your eyes closed?"

               Bird's Nest Monk replied, "The one who is in danger is you!"

               Bai Juyi got the sense that this priest was no ordinary man, so he decided to introduce himself. "You know, I'm just a nobody. It's nice to meet you. They call me Bai Juyi."

                "I'm Bird's Nest Monk. I'm also nameless. A pleasure."

                "You know, this is a rather rare opportunity. I always wanted to know what Buddhism is all about," Bai Juyi said."In a few words, could you sum it up for me please?"

                 "Refrain from doing bad deeds and practice various good deeds. In short, 'stop evil; do good.'"

                  Bai Juyi became bemused. "But even a little kid knows this. Is this all the Buddha teaches?"

                  Bird's Nest Monk replied, "Even though a three-year-old boy knows it, it's difficult to practice even for an 80-year-old man."

                   At this Bai Juyi began to think more seriously about Buddhism, and the two carried on a discussion.

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Update: Previously, this post originally ran with the names Hakurakuten (Bai Juyi) and Torinosu (Bird's Nest Monk). These are the Japanese names, but I decided to switch them to the original Chinese and English translations for ease of reference. 

Giving Another Look at Giving

                Even though the core concepts of Buddhism seem easy for us to understand, we have to try hard to put them into practice. In a previous post, we went over the Six Good Deeds that Make You Happy (Six Paramitas).

                Sakyamuni Buddha narrowed down all the virtuous acts we could possibly perform into just six categories. He did this to make it easy for us to choose one and perform it to the very best of our ability and with all our hearts. By doing one with the strongest of intentions, you end up doing them all.

                  But for today let's focus on the first paramita of Generosity.

1.) Generosity -- Making Offerings to Others

 

        a.) Dharma -- Sharing Buddhism will bring happiness in this life and beyond into eternity.

                         

           b.) Materials -- Giving money or things of value that make people happy in this life

               However, for those who have nothing to give as far as materials or compensation, there are still generosities that we can still offer even without a penny, yen, ruble, pound, or rupee!

Seven Good Deeds that Don't Cost Anything 

1.) Kind Eyes -- Send others good thoughts and intentions with your eyes

   

2.) Peaceful, Friendly Smile -- A friendly facial expression promotes harmony, smooths tensions, makes people feel comfortable in their environment

Original Photo by mknobil available on Flickr.com

3.) Kind Words -- A simple, warm "Hello!" can brighten someone's day and also make sure to say positive comments to people who have gone through difficult situations

4.) Physical Labor -- Doing chores, helping someone out for free and volunteering are great examples

 

5.) Heartfelt Gratitude -- Being grateful to others, apologizing for mistakes, and excusing ourselves when we inconvenience others makes us become more thankful in life

6.) Offer Your Seat (position/role/title) -- Giving up an advantage to someone in need like the coveted front seat in a car

7.) Share Food / Shelter -- Offer visitors to your home and those in need of help a place to spend the night and share a meal with them

     
                All seven of the above examples of generosity can be performed everyday, and they are all aimed to awaken the mind of a bodhisattva within us. 

                A bodhisattva is one who is seeking for true happiness. If you sincerely practice these good deeds with keeping these paramitas in mind, you will be happier and even come closer to knowing the meaning of life. Just give it a try and choose one today -- Generosity, Keeping Your Word, Patience, Making Effort, Self-Reflection, or Wisdom!

                 But we just can't perform good acts to anyone. Sakyamuni Buddha taught that we should plant seeds in the Three Fields of Fortune.

Original Photo by irokurcazbah available on Flickr.com

Field of Respect -- Someone with virtue that deserves respect

Field of Gratitude -- Someone who we owe a debt of gratitude

Field of Compassion -- Someone who is suffering and/or less fortunate 

               We are encouraged to practice as many of these good deeds as possible in these fields and to listen to the Law of Cause and Effect frequently. We think because we've heard about karma before that we already know it.

                But by not putting it into practice -- we don't really know it at all. 

Two Reasons Why People Are Not Practicing Good Deeds

1.) They don't understand the teachings.

2.) They think it doesn't matter if they do them or not.

                 Buddhism teaches us not just to know, but to practice as well. At a red traffic light, everyone stops. Knowing isn't good enough; you have to stop at the light to avoid disaster.

                 What goes around really does come around. Everything little thing we do influences our future karma. So we should reflect deeply and choose wisely to plant seeds of happiness with all our decisions in life.

The Inability to See Our Own Evils

                 Doing good brings us closer to seeing hidden evils concealed within our nature. To help us refrain from these wrongdoings, we are taught to learn and avoid the Ten Bad Deeds.

 Ten Evils

 Karma of the Mind
          1.) Greed
          2.) Anger
          3.) Foolishness -- Not Knowing the Law of Cause and Effect

Karma of the Mouth
          4.) Lying
          5.) Double-Tongue -- Telling one person one thing, and another something else
          6.) Flattery
          7.) Bad Mouth -- Using foul language and speaking ill of others

Karma of the Body
          8.) Killing
          9.) Stealing
          10.) Adultery -- Being unfaithful to one's partner


               The more of the Ten Bad Deeds we allow ourselves to perform, especially killing, stealing, or adultery, the more we also lose ourselves. And we're committing evils like these all the time with our words and thoughts... and most of that time we're not even noticing!

                 On the surface level as human beings we seem to be good-natured, but the Buddha's perspective reveals otherwise to us.

The mind is constantly thinking evil.

The mouth is constantly speaking evil.

The body is constantly doing evil.

Never has there been a single good deed.

--Great Sutra

               As we realize this definition of evil through listening to the teachings of Buddhism, the intention to refrain from doing evil then naturally arises within us. It is this mindset that drives us forward on the path.

              However, we can't see anything evil or wrong in our nature at all unless we first perform good deeds like the Six Paramitas with the utmost sincerity and dedication.

    Mirror       |                                        <---- Move Closer

        of          |<-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------X----------------

    Dharma    |                                        <---- Perform Good Deeds    You are Here

               Seeking for good is the barometer for how much one understands Buddhism. It is also the fear of committing evil.

               Along the way, conceit is the hardest obstruction and distraction while seeking for the truth.  It's our own inability to see clearly who we are and what we do.

                We must go forward by performing good deeds and listening closely to the teachings of Buddhism. By doing so, we get closer to realizing our true image in the Mirror of Dharma.