How do you to get over the fear of death?

[Guest]

How do you to get over the fear of death?
How do you to get over the fear of became old?

Can we help using Buddhist idea and Zen idea?

[Myosha]

How do you to get over the fear of death?
How do you to get over the fear of became old?

Can we help using Buddhist idea and Zen idea?

Hello,

Personally, realizing impermanence, realizing oneness of all. So, living and death is one thing.

Age is a number. *shrug*


Buddhism is easily a hard path without Zen.


Gassho
Myosha sat today

[jake]

Hihi Konan,

Well, these things are learned.. if we each have Bodhisattvas, or say, very enlightened beings as parents, we will probably learn enlightenment from early age and not have any wrong views..

When I was younger, I had a powerful experience of this, where I went deeply into the feeling, and at the very source of it, I realized death and new life were the same. My friend who left - this created space for new life in the world.. and so, since there wasn't any death, nor was there any reason to feel sorrow..

Many years later, after I had practiced a lot, and become familiar with his teachings, I came upon the book by Thay, or Hanh, called 'No Death, No Fear;' I still have not read this, but to find it and see it was very nice.. basically, coming from the Heart Sutra teaching that there is no birth, and no death, as far as I understand it.

However, to share this must be done gently, for certain.. there's no reason to create anxiety or to say anyone's views are wrong or not correct - lately I have come to feel that metta is almost like the air we breathe.. that necessary or essential. Just a personal view or feeling, this last point.

What I mean is, I am not different than any other, and at times I am able to provide comfort and shelter or refuge - at other times I need a spiritual friend to take refuge in; and when they are enlightened; they may have the perfect words to say, which understand completely.. and so forth.. loving-kindness as well as wisdom, go hand in hand..

I view this as different from a misinterpretation - to try to share the teachings without joy, kindness, and other of the 10 bhumis... well, it is a good reminder or encouragement to get 'there' ourselves - there being the free place, with kindness, great joy, and the other grounds of beings and so forth -

As, simply the wish to make others happy - and the knowledge of how to make them happy - is one of the most essential aspects of the path... After all, in the prayer, 'May all be happy, may all be healthy, may all be at peace,' it is happiness which comes first! Hanh wrote, 'Good will is not enough, we must learn the art of making people happy.'

In sharing this type of thing with other - basic peace work - I believe the spiritual friendship is probably the most important. And this goes beyond equality - 'not above, not below, not equal' - if we view others as ourself, then kindness and friendship arise spontaneously, and there's not a view of higher or lower; who has good karma, etc. - those questions are not relevant, or based in reality if we do.
Simply one practitioner's view - may it be helpful!

As for the topic of becoming old - as for me, sometimes I meditate on the fact that I have been here for billions of years, and lives - then I naturally come to the question of - how do I access that wisdom, that is inherent within me, from my ancestors, and so forth. To me, the simplest way of accessing such wisdom is through stillness - for which there is not much better than Zen.

Again simply one dharma siblings' view, thank you for being here - for asking such good questions; for the opportunity to share - and the rest.

Gassho,
J
Sat today.


[Edit: Myosha - yep! yep! *big smile* beautifully said... and - another point which comes to mind -- as children we often wish to be adults, and as adults we often wish to be children! It may be, we have the best of both worlds all the time, in buddha-nature. Namaste!]

[Jishin]

Firewood becomes ash, and it does not become firewood again. Yet, do not suppose that the ash is after and the firewood before. You should understand that firewood abides in the phenomenal expression of firewood, which fully includes before and after and is independent of before and after. Ash abides in the phenomenal expression of ash, which fully includes before and after. Just as firewood does not become firewood again after it is ash, you do not return to birth after death.
This being so, it is an established way in buddha-dharma to deny that birth turns into death. Accordingly, birth is understood as no-birth. It is an unshakable teaching in the Buddha's discourse that death does not turn into birth. Accordingly, death is understood as no-death.
Birth is an expression complete this moment. Death is an expression complete this moment. They are like winter and spring. You do not call winter the beginning of spring, nor summer the end of spring.

Gasho, Jishin, _/st\_

[Yugen]

Jishin,
This is lovely - Dogen came together for me here in the context of this discussion. All of a sudden it seems so obvious. Thank you.

Deep bows
Yugen


sat2day

[Rich]

How do you to get over the fear of death?
How do you to get over the fear of became old?

Can we help using Buddhist idea and Zen idea?

Don't think about it.

Don't think about it.

SAT today

[jake]

Excellent, Rich; indeed, staying in the present moment is very good practice. One teacher spoke about this, saying, it is not that we do not ever make plans, but that we stay in the present while we make them.

I would also consider it a useful enquiry, as to what is the best way to share Dharma, or realization - once one reaches peace and happiness, what is the best way / ways to share these in the world?

It is said that Bodhisattvas and ordinary beings are both like water - while ordinary beings are frozen - Bodhiattvas are unfrozen, free and flowing. If we are not separate from other life - the lilies, the plants, forests, animals, and the other ecology and life on earth - then this life fading away is not the same as the view of it, when the idea of separateness is kept to.

These are words, yet the same can be experienced... So if we get to that awake-state, if we achieve the unfrozen nature - free and flowing - what are some of the ways to share this with many living beings?

While continuing, on course, our own practice, on the path of the Buddha, and Dogen, and our teachers

Gassho,
J
Sat today.

[Mp]

Hello Mr. K,

Over come the fear death, by living in this moment. Over come the fear of old age, by living in this moment. Life and death are of great importance to this very moment, so it is up to us to not waste this very moment. =)

Gassho
Shingen

#sattoday

[jake]

Excellent, Shingen!

The present moment alone contains life, as one teacher shared - also as Dogen wrote, each moment is all being... Reflect whether any living being is left out of the this moment.

Understanding the effects of these phenomena is also very helpful... getting in touch with what brings us home to ourselves. -

I also think children can be a good teacher on this point.. indeed, every child is a Buddha, ... as I often or sometimes share - we can see their intelligence in several ways.. One of which is - a child can learn 5-6 languages simultaneously, with 0 extra effort, and 0 strain -- within a couple of years! This is not simply some children, but virtually every child - is capable of this... as I have liked to share - what would be the term to use for an adult, able to do learn 6 languages within 2 years -- and, upon meditating on it, the only term which would seem to apply is 'super-genius.'

So, children are very much able to learn very well -- more than we sometimes given them credit for.. and, certainly deserving of respect, kindness and so forth - and also can be good teachers, too -

Thay wrote, 'Children understand very well that in each woman, in each man, in each child, there is capacity of waking up, of understanding, and of loving.'

So as to the unfrozen nature of Bodhisattvas - children naturally express this, as their minds are never frozen!

Much can be learned from them... Black Elk shared this too, I have often felt that his heart and Thay's, were almost the same, from comments of peace, life, and others --

Of course, all life can be wonderful teacher as well - birds, sky, trees, the breeze -- each of it is carrying Buddha's original enlightenment.. Dogen wrote about this, too.

Cats especially!

Gassho,
J
SatToday. ( a bit toady )


Children understand very well that in each woman, in each man, in each child, there is capacity of waking up, ofunderstanding, and of loving.

[Byokan]

Hi Mr. K,

Awesome questions! Here's how I feel about it:

How do you to get over the fear of death?

Oh, well, life and death are easy. Look all around you, look to the natural world, all the answers are right there, out in the open. There is no beginning, no end, only transformation, only flowing. All in accordance, all in balance, all moving and becoming, arising and passing and transforming together as a whole. Do you also fear the growth of grass, or the bee making honey, the stars shining, or the dry leaves on the ground becoming soil? There is no death.

When the moment comes to “die”, your only task is to breathe out one last time. You already know how to do this. You can just let this body go. It's ok. It was never yours anyway. Death takes care of itself. If you want to worry about something, worry about your birth! How do you get over the fear of life? Have you come to peace with your birth, have you made the proper provisions for your life? Do you know what happens after you are born? Is there a real life after birth? What will your place in it be?

How do you to get over the fear of became old?

Stop resisting and the fear vanishes. Fear = resistance. In the case of aging, resistance is truly futile. Embrace your life and live it, as it is, making the best of things as you go.

Can we help using Buddhist idea and Zen idea?

Buddhist ideas and Zen ideas are not the truth. They only point to the truth. Yes, they help if you use them to look deeply and see the truth about life and death.

Gassho
Lisa
sat today

[Rich]

Yes Jake, children are natural and innocent but their innocence is very fragile and society makes sure it doesn't last. When an older person is childlike, natural and innocent that is something that has been earned and cannot be taken away.

SAT today

[Joyo]

Hello Mr. K,

Over come the fear death, by living in this moment. Over come the fear of old age, by living in this moment. Life and death are of great importance to this very moment, so it is up to us to not waste this very moment. =)

Gassho
Shingen

#sattoday

This is wonderful, thank you.

Gassho,
Joyo
sat today

[jake]

Sure

But we create the universe with our minds -- what is in the mind, is what is in the universe - transform the mind, and the universe transforms.. I know it sounds simple, and almost cliche' it's been said so many times... but, believe me, this is coming from deep, deeeeep peace and wisdom.. been around quite a bit and have woken up quite a lot -- we have wisdom going back billions of years.. very possible to attain it! Stillness and peace, meditation... Going into the forest, for a month or two, awakens such vistas of light and beauty... for then - there are no distractions, and one has nothing to do except practice. 'Learn to wait, and while you're waiting learn to concentrate,' is a rather wonderful advice, which helps keep in mind the good things. It's kind of like - a thousand years in an hour... or being able to make an hour into a year... What has gone before does not have to happen again -- we are always free, in order to break the cycle. It is very possible - and mostly it simply depends on our decision to do so... to understand freedom - the devotion to awaken... like Buddha when he went to the Bodhitree - 'I will sit here until I awaken.'

'Because you are alive, everything is possible,' -Thay, and also

'We have more possibilities available in each moment than we realize.'

I only share this to mention - there are limitless possibilities... there's not a final state... Sometimes, people can get stuck in views -- and sometimes they say things are difficult, or this and that -- what for?

Zazen is to help us to awaken - but the words and thoughts we share also always have an impact... Dogen and the masters assure fulfillment - they say, we will succeed...

I simply wish to share... that everything is possible -- and, society is not the same everywhere... there are unlimited versions of it -- it's not all one thing, nor is it all any one way.

Everything is possible, and we can attain to the heights -- the important thing is to allow ourselves to get there. Nothing really holds us back, except the idea that we cannot get there --

for instance, people who are stuck in some family situation -- or in some work situation -- they can leave... if they simply believe they can leave, then they can leave... and be free. No animal in the universe toils like humanity - all relax, all are free -- all play... There is no reason for humanity to be stuck in anything -- we can be free... and it helps a lot, simply sharing the idea that we can be free. An eagle hunts only about 10 minutes a day... why should humans be so stuck? There is no reason... One issue is - well, it's all interconnected... the simple path is to find peace, and then share it.. in such a way that it doesn't do us harm... so, keeping ourselves safe all the time - and still writing for peace... etc... people get frozen in their ideas, for not much reason -

I do agree with your second point - that once we attain self-mastery, as Dhammapada says, this can never be taken away -- and this is a very important point...

However, everything is possible -- it is quite possible for children to attain to good states, without losing their innocence -- and, again, what has gone before does not have to happen again -- breaking free of conditioning and so forth, is very natural, healthful, and important... Enlightenment is part of nature - so it is a normal thing; it's not a super-natural thing.

It's our natural state to be Buddhas-nature, it's the normal state of health.

When I was a young child, I remembered... I shared... I knew - we lived through an ice age, nothing could be difficult after this! and I often shared with many people; all is light... and other things like this -- well, I learned to write it in poetry, and I wrote many thousands of poems, and shared them all for free... I mostly wrote without any eye for good or bad -- from the start, simply to share beauty and light with the world... and continued to do so for quite a while..

I just want to say that anything is possible! As Dogen said, this lief is a dream within a dream -- Jundo wrote... very kindly... if I remember... along the lines of 'so let us dream carefully.'

Being open, is such a useful thing - I have learned, that an open heart grows stronger... this is just one of those things -- to be able to be open, and let anything come and go -- whatever arises -- without attachment or aversion, can help a great deal... to stay a peaceful presence even in the midst of any phenomena...

And - kindness or metta, as I mentioned, I have come to view as so essential, almost the air we breathe...

To look for the good primarily in others; helps to bring it about - as we have an effect on others, as all have inter-connected effects... We are all creating this world together -- so in this, naturally it is of help to share the best of ourselves, while also considering the best of our friends and siblings...

As one Sutra shares, we should honor those who have taken up the Dharma as Buddhas -- as well as, of course, the Diamond Sutra saying that... well, chapter 6.

In other words, do our best to transform ourselves so that we are a positive aspect in Sangha, stable and so forth... We should only take refuge in that which is stable... which we can determine by insight and trust in ourselves, and so forth.

Sometimes people say - this world is tough, and so forth - but this world is anything we make it to be... We create it, and we are responsible for it -- all together... and we are all inter-connected... Myosha wrote it more beautifully... to realize the oneness, that living and death are the same; and then, we can make a lot of progress.

But the point of working together as Sangha.. this is like - this makes us effective... then we can make great strides as to animal liberation, or peace and healing work in the worlds as general...

Never to assume anything negative about each other, but often or always to encourage the best.

And especially - to understand the oneness of life... this is a very quick path of awakening - as well as very good with gradual cultivation... Ascending the rungs of the ladder.

As mentioned, simply going out where there are no distractions -- out in the forest, or on the mountain... is very, very wonderful -- within the first couple of days, even if one has been living quite peacefully and happily for years -- still within the first couple of days, all the blah sort of fades away; and in the next few weeks, one learns to concentrate very deeply... and transformation... and of course, every moment of life can be like this!

Namaste; peace and metta,
J
Sattoday.


Thank you for being here - and for kindness, insight, wisdom and the rest... We are each already enlightened, zen teacher bankei said, - so you and i, and all, already have Buddha-nature, the unborn mind working perfectly... when a bird sings we hear it, this is unborn mind working - when someone tosses a bowl, catch it - catch it beautifully with the cotton of skillful mind.

Peace and metta to all,
Gassho,
J

[Jishin]

How do you get over the fear of death?

You die.

Gassho, Jishin

#SatToday

[jake]

Words are not necessary, but they are a wonderful way to reach out and connect. They share a lot of information. I know this is not the metta thread but i see metta as essential for everything.

Jishin, heart sutra shares no birth, no death.

namaste peace and metta,
w//aall my heart,
J

sattoday.