Consciousness

By chance, I was introduced to the Yogacara Buddhism in late 2014. To my understanding after having learned through a series of discussion done via a lot of e-mail exchanges, that branch of Buddhism explains that everything in the universe is consciousness only. I have been reviewing and contemplating this theory everyday since then.

Yesterday I landed at a web page where my attention was drawn to a video titled Primacy of Consciousness. That was the first time I realized consciousness is not just a word meaning the state of the mind being aware of certain thing happening at present and responding to it. It has an even wider area which I have never thought of until I watched this documentary video presented by Peter Russell of Cambridge University. One of the question raised in his speech was "Who am I?" I know this is not just a surface question; is not intended to ask "who you are?" or "What's your name?", but to challenge you to pin down the nature of the thoughts that are going on, and being processed when you are asked "Who am I?" The interesting part is at the ending of the speech when the conclusion is set by saying "I Am" is God, and God is everyone. To me as a Buddhist, this is equivalent to "I Am" is the Self and the Self is in everyone. This becomes more understandable to me.

Having finished listening to the video twice, I revisited my inside and paid closest attention to any part of it with the best imaginary power I could get, and I honestly told myself: here has nothing I can use to define "who am I". Then how about the exterior appearance of my physical body? Isn't it looking unique from anyone else in the world and should be good enough to define me just right? But having realized from my previous learning of Buddhism that I am not the same as I was one moment before, so I agree the exterior look of me can not define me as "Who am I". And the same argument can apply to everything in the universe, and so I have now sensed the deeper meaning of the four sentence verse the Buddha put at the end of the Diamond Sutra as a summary of that sutra:

all of the worldly matters

are like dream, delusion, bubble and shadow

they transform like the dew and thunder

they should be viewed so

The statements in the verse taught about 2500 years ago by the Buddha are proved to be true by scientists today. The Yogacara I am learning now, which was developed 300 years after the Buddha's residence supported the same theory which I have just heard from Mr. Russell's speech-- the universe is empty but only consciousness.

But as time goes by, and I have digested the material I watched from video or read from internet forums further, the process of testing the various theories I learned from here and there moves on to see which one is closer to or completely matching what the Buddha concluded about the truth of the universe as quoted above. I tend to believe Mr. Russell's consciousness theory matches the verse a lot, however, his theory is based on the nature of the eight types of consciousness. The Monas must have the other 5 plus the last one, Alayes, to work together as a system to manifest any phenomena. If my interpretation of this theory is correct, it will not help a practitioner in achieving enlightenment.

--to be continued

What is life?

What is life? I really don't know. But I have tons of interest in the exploration of this very big question.

I am trying to recall my memory about when did I have this question emerged in my mind for the first time in my life and triggered the thinking process of its consequential search for the answer.

It was about 1963 when I just admitted to the local junior high school at the age of 12. One day in the big sport field of the school, I had these questions arose dimly within me: "who am I?", "why I am here?", and then, suddenly I noticed the symmetrical verses engraved laboriously on the two pillars of the platform, reading on the left was "the purpose of living is to upgrade the living of the entire group of human beings.", and on the right was "the significance of life is to continue the collective life of the universe."

I thought that this quote could be the best summarized interpretation of life because its author was a great man of the country. Now that I found no answer or proper definition for my question, let our former president's one be it. From then on, when I encountered the question of "what is life?", I naturally quoted Chiang's version, because I haven't had my own.

However, "what is life?" is still a question to me although I have lived about 51 more years since my first inquiry of it. I reckon Chiang's interpretation is too ambiguous, and is not a sharp and solid answer to my satisfaction. So I resumed my search on this question.

Firstly I asked myself "how is life started?" Can it be turned off automatically at a desired time? Google helps me a lot on this search. I read as much articles relating to this topic as I can. but I determined to set my own when I get a chance to be enlightened with a good answer.

Life begins at the instant moment when the sperm penetrates the egg to form its first single cell embryo and starts its first cell split successfully. Once this first step of the life is started, a life formation process is activated. Then, in the following 9 months or so, this life form continues its growth following a series of cell splits. Gradually its 6 sensory organs are completed, all of the functional organs such as brain, lung, heart, blood vessel, digestion system that are required to make a healthy individual accomplish in due course one by one. Finally this life comes out of mother's womb and carries on its growing. The life accompanies the individual wherever he goes till one day his life comes to its end when any cause happens to him that results in failing one or more of his functionality, for instance, lung failure, kidney failure, heart stops... etc.

So in the 81 years of average life time of a New Zealander, his life must be supported without any prolonged fatal interruption, for an example, the supply of food, clean water, fresh air, proper dwelling, material for keeping warm, plus one very crucial behavior of constantly seeking for security and escaping from danger, or the fear of loss of his life. Any of these items missing will remove life from this individual. So looking at life in this sense will convince you that life is fragile. How can you guarantee a consistent provision of all of these items will never be lost or cut off?

So far, I am contemplating about life and trying to give it my definition. I reckon life is the status of an independent individual having the ability to run his system for as long as the external conditions are in favor of this individual and his physical body rating and mental setting are above the threshold to remain alive.

What is the purpose of life? This is a very subjective topic, the answer will never be wrong or right, because it is subjected to each individual, and it is common sense that everyone is an unique identity. So we should not expect there is a super answer, however, we can express our thoughts to draw people of similar view points on this question to your circle.

I remember I learned a lyric during my pre-schooling stage of life when I was 5 or 6 years old. Almost all of the children in that era were able to chant that lyric.  It goes like this: "mo lia, mo lia, liam chan ni, chan ni ber guan guan; mo lia vui va wan, va wan vo ho jia; mo lia vui cha kia, cha kia vo ho qing; mo lia zui lang vo lo ying." I set out this lyric in its original phonetic of Taiwan dialect and now let me translate it below:

Mo Lia is a dummy child's name. The lyric is meant to tease Mo Lia for his uselessness in his life. It says that Mo Lia was trying to capture a dragonfly, but dragonfly flied high; so he changed to sell meat ball, but nobody liked his dump meat ball; so he changed to sell wooden clog, but his clogs were not comfortable to the feet; Mo Lia's life was indeed useless." This lyric reflects the common view point of people of that era. To them the purpose of life is judged on the worldly achievement of that individual.

To people in the belief of Buddhism, the purpose of life is to receive the reward or punishment of what you deserve from your deed in previous life. This is a belief of law of cause and effect. Whatever we encounter, pleasant or tough, it is me to praise or to blame. People in this belief are taught to accept whichever you face to with this kind of perception of life.




--to be continued--