July 22 Insight: Yes, We Have No Nirvanas!

Yes, we have no Nirvanas…unless we have reached an advanced state of spiritual wakefulness. And no, Nirvana is not just a West Coast grunge band.

Nirvana is in some sense the goal of Buddhist practice. The term is a variation of a Pali word that means to “blow out” or “extinguish,” in the sense that a candle flame is snuffed out.  The Dalai Lama has defined Nirvana as “the state beyond sorrows.”

We will discuss what is extinguished, but first a few words about some key beliefs in Buddhism that give rise to the idea of Nirvana.

The Buddha was an actual historical figure who was born in what is now Nepal. After decades of spiritual questing, he came to the realization that the main problem people face in life is suffering—especially emotional and spiritual suffering. He also realized that there is a pathway that can be followed in order to extinguish suffering, and that pathway is open to all people. Moreover, this extinguishment can be experienced either during our lifetimes or once our lives are over.

The pathway ultimately leads to a state of bliss.

It is important to note that the Buddhist idea of the goal of spiritual practice is different than the goal embraced by Christianity and other Western religions which see the fundamental problem of life as the battle between good and evil, and the ultimate goal as going to heaven.

So, if Nirvana means “to extinguish,” what is it that gets extinguished? And, how do we extinguish it?

What gets extinguished are the “fires” of attachment, aversion, and ignorance. To put it another way, the Buddha himself said, “The three fires that burn within you are greed, hatred and ignorance [or more properly, delusion]." And, according to the Noble-Buddhism-Beliefs.com web site, “The essence of Buddhism is giving up those beliefs and actions that give rise to emotional states that bind and inhibit your mind and body….That is, you lessen your clinging and grasping to things that are worthless and only clutter your mind.”

The Buddha used the metaphor of fires being extinguished because at the time he was teaching, deeply spiritual Indian families kept three ritual fires burning in their homes. So, speaking of blowing out flames resonated deeply with people to whom he was speaking.

Here are a few words of further explanation about the deeper meaning of each of the three fires.

Greed is pretty obvious. It signifies a consuming, obsessive desire for, and pursuit of, possessions and wealth. (Things that ultimately own you!)

Hatred is undue dislike of, hostility toward, or aversion from people, things, and processes.

Delusion is a fixed, false belief that defies reason and makes us unable to see and accept reality.

So how do you know when you are making progress toward extinguishing these fires and achieving Nirvana? According to Noble-Buddhism-Beliefs.com, “You know by the way that you handle the obstacles in your life…by the way you experience the good things in life…by the way you feel when you wake up in the morning and go to bed at night.”

July 15 Insight: Holy Smoke: How and Why Incense is Used in Religion and Spirituality

https://vimeo.com/100796699

According to the adoremus.org web site, “The word ‘incense’ is derived from the Latin incendere, which means “to burn.” Incense is commonly used as a noun to describe aromatic matter that releases fragrant smoke when ignited, to describe the smoke itself, and as a verb to describe the process of distributing the smoke.

The burning of incense is used in a variety of religions (and also in secular settings) as a symbolic sacrificial offering to a deity, as a form of prayer, and as a way of invoking emotions and attitudes. Incense is sometimes called the “Food of the gods,” reflecting the idea that it was a gift from the gods in primordial times, and that lighting incense is a way of not only honoring the holy ones but also of nourishing them.

Moreover, in recent decades the use of incense has spread beyond strictly religious contexts and into spiritual and even non-spiritual settings where, according to S. Brent Plate, it is used for “purification, protection, healing, memory, the marking of time and even the visual creation of space.’

The reason why incense holds such a powerful place in our spiritual lives may relate to the way our sense of smell connects to our brain and thus our consciousness. According to Plate in his book, A History of Religion in 5 ½ Objects, our olfactory (smelling) system is plugged directly into the place in our brains where memories are stored and emotions are processed. He adds, “Smell touches our species’ deep desires and fears.”

The use of incense in a religious context dates back to the third millennium BCE. Religious folks in China and other parts of the Far East began using incense at about the same time.

These days incense is used in religious rituals by Hindus, Buddhists, Native Americans and especially Christians in the Catholic, Orthodox and Anglican (Episcopal in the US) faiths. It is not typically used by mainstream Protestant or Evangelical Christian denominations. Nor is it typically used in worship by Jews or Muslims.

The way incense is used in Western Catholic and Eastern Christian traditions can provide a powerful model for the symbolic use of fragrant smoke. First, in these traditions incense is used to represent the prayers of the faithful rising to heaven. Second, according to adoremus.org, “Incense is a sacramental [something that is designed to enhance devotion] used to venerate, bless, and sanctify. [Third], its smoke conveys a sense of mystery and awe.”

In Roman Catholic practice, incense can be used at the beginning of Mass or another important ritual as a method of purifying and honoring items and persons involved in the spiritual activity. In this “censing” process, incense is placed in a special burner called a “thurible” and then lit. The thurible typically hangs at the end of a chain and the person performing the ritual (or a religious deputy) swings the thurible sending aromatic smoke toward the altar, the congregation, and religious leaders.

July 8 Insight: How does the Dalai Lama get to be the "Dalai Lama?"

https://vimeo.com/100231150

The answer to that question is complicated, since the current Dalai Lama (born Tenzin Gyatso) has hinted that the process for selecting his successor may depart from the traditional process. First, some background.

The Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of the Tibetan Buddhist people. The position was established in the 14^th Century, and there have been 14 Dalai Lamas to date.

"Dalai Lama" is the combination of the Mongolic word, dalai, meaning "ocean" and the Tibetan word, bla-ma, meaning teacher or mentor. The Dalai Lama is sometimes referred to as the "Ocean of Wisdom."

Whoever holds the title is traditionally thought to be the current rebirth in a line oftulkus (religious leaders thought to be enlightened beings) who are manifestations of the bodhisattva of compassion.  Bodhisattvas are people who commit themselves to the way of life of a Buddha with the goal of bringing peace and enlightenment to all beings.

For periods of time between the 17^th and 20^th Centuries, the Dalai Lama served as both the religious and political leader of Tibet. In 2011, the current holder of the position retired as head of state for the Tibetan government. He retains religious leadership of Tibetan Buddhists throughout the world.

[Note: due to military pressure from China, the current Dalai Lama and many of his followers were forced to flee their homeland in 1959. The seat of the Tibetan government in exile is the city of Dharamsala in northern India.]

So, how does someone become Dalai Lama? Historically, when an "Ocean of Wisdom" dies, Tibetan spiritual and government leaders spend two or three years trying to find a young child who will next hold the position. The technique for identifying the youngster has traditionally been mystical.

Tibetan spiritual leaders may consult an oracle, and sometimes visit a lake in central Tibet where they ask the lake itself for a sign as to who will be the next Dalai Lama. This was the initial step in finding Tenzin Gyatso. In 1935, the temporary leader who guided the Tibetans after the death of the 13^th Dalai Lama also had a vision that led him to the home where Tenzin resided as a small child.

When the religious leaders believe they have found the child (as with Tenzin) who is the rebirth of the Ocean of Wisdom, the boy undergoes a series of tests. In one of these, the child is presented with a number of objects only some of which belonged to the previous Dalai Lama. The boy is asked to select the items that belong to him. If he chooses the items that belonged to the recently departed Dalai Lama, (and passes other tests) he is confirmed as the new leader.

And, what will the next Dalai Lama be like? His Holiness, the 14^th Dalai Lama, has hinted that his successor may be found outside Tibet and just might be a woman! He has also suggested that the position of Dalai Lama may be abolished in the future.