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Professional Educators Teachers and Trainers Guru and Professor Articulatory Skills Examinations and Licenses Academic Success Advanced Educational Standing
Getting of Degrees and Diplomas Knowledge-Worker Vocations
that we may be more capable of understanding His mysteries; provided only that the mind be enlargened, according to its capacity, to the grandeur of the mysteries, and not the mysteries contracted to the narrowness of the mind." --- Francis Bacon
Folks often ask about their Education prospects, for themselves and for their children. The answers depend on what is intended and expected from the proposed 'education'.
Educational
Bhava - 3, 4, 9, 11
Is it a specific set of short-term mental
or manual skills training with a
commercial, craft, or administrative focus? Does
it involve short-range travel or being away from
the routine behaviors of the home culture for
limited amounts of time? (E.g., seminars,
conferences, workshops, technology training,
vocational diplomas in the manual and craft
arts, business skills training.) Domain-3 education =
practical, intensively communicative,
team-oriented, small-group-based (not the
hierarchical teacher-student/parent-child/guru-sisya
relationships of domains 4 and 9). Mentally,
domain-3 education is concerned with superficial
daily information (not deep philosophy) and it
is intensely concentrated into a short period of
time. There is a temporary loss of home
and routine (12th-from-4th) as in a
classical apprenticeship where one might live in
the master's home for several months, or a
modern "weekend intensive" where one might stay
in a hotel and study/practice 12/hrs/day, but
only for a fortnight. Is it the culturally normative,
fundamental, basic socialization which ensures
the "bond" (bandhu) of 'belongingness' in one's society
- such as, training in good manners, moral behavior,
customary
methods of organizing and presenting facts?
Does it involve a local viewpoint, a
single cultural system, and almost
never requires long-range travel? Pre-K to class-12, and often
includes classes 12-16 or above if the
curricular focus remains monocultural, are
typically included in domain-4. The student-teacher
relationship in domain-4 education resembles the
parent-child relationship: tightly
regulating, role-modeling, occasionally
punitive, caring, sheltering, protective,
nurturing, and security-oriented. The studies
are deeply repetitive, culturally routinized,
and designed to shape a good ctizen with strong
bonds of shared behavior toward others within
the culture. Licenses, diplomas,
permissions, board-certifications, examinations,
and "stamps of approval" are included in
domain-4. The majority of conventional
social-educational functions are encompassed by
domain-4. Is it the (more rare)
higher philosophical education that
requires reflective, conceptual and
culturally comparative thought along with access to wisdom
teachings? Does it involve a global viewpoint and
often long-range international travel? Is there some variety of
guru-sisya relationship operating, such as
dissertation director to doctoral student,
professor to pupil, or master teacher to working
teacher? Is the subject matter
theoretical or speculative, distinctively
impractical in normal commercial settings (3),
often labeled "philosophy of" or "theory of"
(not the practice of law, but rather the
philosophy of law; not the practice of education
but rather the philosophy of education, etc.)
Is the education whether practical or abstract considered
to be primarily a
step-wise intermediate achievement
which is only a part (but perhaps a very
important part) of a larger goal? For example, a licensed K-12
teacher would perceive the M.A. in Education
(the government-required credential for
K-12 teachers in USA) as the final goal in one's
educational pursuit of the teaching
license = domain-4 "end of things".
Licenses to practice a particular art or skill =
cultural approval =domain-4. By contrast, the student
whose ultimate goal is to obtain "ultimate:
university diplomas such as M.D. (Medical
Doctor) or Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy) might
need to obtain an M.A. only as a prerequisite
step toward the higher degree.
Completion of intermediate educational steps
can be manifestations of goal-oriented
domain-11. Also there are times when
Education through Basic Socialization (house-4) effects cultural indoctrination. Provides approval, security and belongingness.
Education through Craft Training and Skills Development (house-3)
Pragmatic, commonplace and productive
Education in Domain-4 My own experience is that house-4 is the basis of all matters regarding education. K-12 teaching, and vocational education for adults such as offered at most modern universities, is an extension of parenting. The purpose of house-4 is to shelter and protect. Bandhu bhava is a conservative, inward-pulling house. House-4 always governs primary education, which is fundamentally about training youth in the common customs of their people, especially social ethics. Strong career planets such as lagnesha in 4, Surya in 4, L-10 in 4 etc will produce a professional who teaches about "good" and "bad" social behaviors in addition to transmitting non-ethical, technical knowledge. Traditionally, domain-4 represents Education. However it is important to keep in mind that domain-4 represent Education in the sense of Basic Socialization or what we might call Cultural Literacy. Everyone who lives in a society of any kind must undergo the type of education encompassed by domain-4. Everyone learns basic customary "manners" and 'propriety' in the childhood home, typically from their mother. If the society is organized in a way that children graduate from parents' tutoring to organized schools, then the indoctrination and acculturalization business of domain-4 continues into the formal schooling. The Education encompassed in the portfolio of domain-4 is an extension of the world of the Mother. Traditionally, most basic socialization educators are indeed women. This type of education is not necessarily profitable financially, but it does provide the native with social and emotional security within their own social culture. There is no age limit on education in domain-4, but in the West it is generally associated with preK-to-grade 16 (end of 'college'). The middle-class Western person is fully socialized by approximately age 27 (=108*4). Education in Domain-3 Domain-3 = human hands, and everything these amazing appendages can do. Skills training or craft apprenticeship is an extremely valuable but distinctively hands-on type of education which is limited to a range of mental or physical manipulations.
Domain-3 = *literacy* = reading and writing essential components of modern education.
Domain-3 = 11th-from-5th, 'fruits of intelligence' = self-made wealth. There is no age limit on education in domain-3. Bhratru bhava is associated not only with young apprentices but also 'continuing education' such as seminars for professional relicensing. House-3 signifies matters of mental process and technical communication. Often strong sahaja-bhava planets will produce a career instructor in a technical field of study. The instructor is explicitly concerned with "hands-on" application of the information in the commercial world. The first question in this line of education is "what can I *do* with this training?" Many modern university instructors have excellent planets in domain-3 or a strong L-3. These teachers are effective for their targeted purpose if the domain-3 graha are strong, but it is important to appreciate that they are a practical folk who are explicitly not domain-9's moral educators. L-3 is often the timelord signifying practical skills training in business or craft settings (including 'vocational' diplomas), or similar effects from Budha. Education in Domain-9 Religious, philosophical, moral, or intellectually conceptual education is the purview of domain-9. Much of traditional temple-based education is more in domain-3 of basic literacy and skillful manipulations. The unique features of education in domain-9 are expansive scope, personal reflection and cosmic self-awareness. This Jupiterian expansiveness is not required (and is indeed counterproductive) in the education processes signified by domain-3 and domain-4. Domain-9 education is an expansion of the world of the father, zdu+piter. Indeed traditionally, most domain-9 teachers are males. There is no age limit on education in domain-9, but the nature of the reflective wisdom provided through guru and the priesthood of higher education requires a certain minimum maturity. It is associated with theological seminary, mystical schools, and university 'graduate' school, particularly with 'big picture' thinking in the conceptual sciences. L-9 is often the timelord signifying philosophical and culturally comparative education, particularly that which involves extensive travel or global travel, or similar effects from Guru. House-9 = Guru = "gurus" who "show the way" in the style of an ideal father. If L-9 is favorable, the native may be a recognized spiritual guide in the priestly traditions. S/he may teach by preaching or role-modeling or a combination. Dharma bhava = 6th-from-4th. The purpose (and style) of L-9 spiritual teachers is actually in conflict with the goals basic socialization education of house-4. House-4 is about stabilizing and normalizing the child, continuing the cultural roots, defining physical and cultural boundaries. Most spiritual teachings, in their core truth, are quite disrespectful of physical and cultural boundaries, and disruptive to the status quo. Dharma teachers are empowered to show the way out. Their task and their style is to break out of conformist behaviors in order to achieve spiritual freedom. They are liberal and outward-looking by character. They will not be found guiding basic socialization, nor delivering technical information in a (supposedly) value-neutral package like house-3 or house-4 educators. Rather, as a class (gana) this group of educators often represent (apparently) anti-social forces, guiding their students to focus *up* at their divine inspiration rather than *down* at their social roots. Education in Domain-5 Domain-5 is actually *not* a house of Education!
The native blessed by a strong domain-5 may or may not do well in school! "Educational success" is measured by conformity to standard models shared by large social cultures. The individual's "success" in institutional education depends on the condition of L-3, L-4, and L-9.
L-5 is often the timelord signifying celebrity performance, publication of a creative work, birth of a child, or expressions of personal genius or similar effects from Surya House-5 = Surya = independent genius ... literary authors, actors, politicians, celebrities, agents of creative expression. Putra bhava's intelligence (sometimes brilliant and sometimes perverse) is powerful and their goal is to express themselves as dramatically as possible. Most domain-5 skills are a form o theatrical performance, which is in essence a celebration of life. House-5 is not a socialization or security function but rather builds on the secure base of knowing the normalizing customs of the people (house-4) then stepping forward to do something creative on the basis of bandhu bhava's foundation. To create brilliant literature one first must learn to read and write properly (house-4) then *if* the genius to do something highly creative arises, it will arise out of house-5. Sometimes putra-bhava planets will create a teacher. A teacher with strong putra bhava features is rarely concerned with molding their students' cultural knowledge in order to provide them with a for a productive and secure future, unless this native also has strength in domain-4 (e.g. for Thula lagna, the yogakaraka Shani can give equal strength to domain-4 and domain-5; Thula natives are often excellent teachers for this reason.). The focus of domain-5 is individual genius and charisma. Domain-5 generates unique, non-repeatable performances that channel the spiritual life force. A highly charismatic individual might find it convenient to use a university classroom or corporate seminar as a venue for individual performances. House-5 performers might be able to transmit educational materials in a very entertaining way (which makes them popular teachers!). The big difference is that domain-5 educators' motivation is strictly dramatic. These educators need a test audience for their brilliant ideas! Although the actor-teacher type is highly entertaining and popular, often a celebrity in their institution, they tend to lack structure and cannot abide the constant repetition and drill which are important for skills learning. This type of educator often moves into another career such as presentation sales. Education in Domain-2 Domain-2 is not a house of education per se. Domain-2 rules language and speech. In most cultures, speech is the vehicle of education and one who is blessed with effective speech will do well in education. However the type of knowledge which flows from domain-2 is fairly passive, which is learning about one's own cultural history and traditions, imbibing those values. As 11th-from-4th, domain-2 rules accumulated wealth. The fruits of a secure childhood home and good basic socialization are wealth and strong values. But these are fruits - not the education itself. Education in domain-12 House-12 produces a type of teacher who is predominantly a researcher. House-12 = 9th-from-4th. Vyaya bhava produces reflective, careful, narrowly focused personalities who can guide advanced students (university level) through the formal rigors of graduate training with great success. These instructors are highly intuitive. They generally work with only a small group of advanced devotees, often at the international level (house-12 rules sojourns in foreign countries). Their teaching and research work occurs in a cloistered setting such as a laboratory or think-tank.
Professional Educators: The professional educators who serve these diverse realms of 'education' will have the appropriate markers in nativity.
Bandhu bhava and L-4 as leading indicators of education Bandhu bhava is all about social security, foundations, shelter and protection. Bandhu bhava is the fortress, the strong place, and the conclusion of all efforts toward licensing, certification, social approval, permission to practice a particular art or skill, and the ultimate end of all course of study. The most typical Vimshottari timelord in effect at the beginning of a course of study oriented to enhancing the security of one's social-cultural existence is the L-4. L-4 is often the timelord at the end of courses of study in the mainstream acculuturization institutions, or similar effects from Chandra.
Education is the strongest long-term protection available to an individual, even more than wealth or magical powers. Education is the double-bond between an individual and his/her family, and again between an individual and his/her society. Education in social "mores" (shared cultural customs) bonds the individual to his group through basic "moral" agreement. Education, regardless of the subject matter, is always essentially "moral" education in the broader sense of "more" - because the topics of study are sanctioned by the tribe or culture as valuable and worthy.
Education is the strongest form of social security. The socially approved process of training for various roles - from housewife to shaman to corpse-carrier to national politician - confers legitimate standing and protection within one's culture or tribe. Having completed a legitimizing education according to tribal standards is the sine-qua-non for future leadership positions. Even hereditary leadership roles depend on careful selection of a primary-educator mother, and presume special tutelage for the offspring.. Essential social protection through Education is gained in modern classroom settings, in traditional apprenticeships, via military and religious training, learning from in-home tutors, guided travel, etc. Mother as Teacher (house-4) Mother, the key person of house-4, has been the primary moral educator throughout known time. Mother is the essential socializer who prepares the children to behave appropriately in their culture. By the time children leave their mother's tutelage, they should have emotionally absorbed all the basic information about who they are and how, from that standing, they are expected to treat others. Father as Teacher (house-9) After leaving the mother's province (house-4), children move into the education care of the father (house-9). Traditionally, father instructs the child on higher social awareness: social protocol in his larger community, rational decision-making, skill development, and right conduct in the larger group appropriate to the family's standing, and the human community's relationship to the spirit world which surrounds us (priesthood). However the father's educational task is not "basic" psycho-emotional self-definition. The father is guru, or public-religious teacher. If secure personal moral foundations are not laid properly by the mother, the father's later public moral training will fail. Licensed Teachers In modern societies, the amount of mother's role is often extended into the publicly licensed and funded role of pre-university educators. The father's traditional guru role is often extended into the publicly licensed and funded role of university (professional) educators. Sahaja bhava and L-3 for career educators For small-group process, faculty meetings, educational administration - L-3 must be suitably strong for career educators. Modern K-12 and university level teaching increasingly focuses on teamwork, collaboration, and small group production. Rote memorization and elimination-by-competition are increasingly seen as destructive to creativity and eventually damaging to the next generation of social leaders. Traditional classroom one-to-many authority structures are increasingly being replaced with cooperative work tables and multi-use creative spaces. Lectures are interspersed with conferences. Interactive is a key concept. All these sibling-based, group-think behaviors are the province of house-3. Educational diploma in periods of L-4, L-7, or Budha Expect to see completion (diploma/official completion) of formal education during periods of
L-4 signifies the strongest level of social security achievable by the native. Mercury gives peak reading-writing-speaking competence. If L-4 is yuti Budha, educational achievement may be very high. Professional careers often require the native to achieve a series of certifying diplomas, only the last of which is fully validating. E.g.,
Example: Bill Clinton, former USA President:
In Rahu/Rahu, Clinton earned an additional diploma in world history from Oxford University in England. Rahu gives the effect of L-9 Shukra (universities, higher philosophical wisdom teachings, time, history). Rahu signifies the native's ability to cross cultural barriers and gain ascces to the wisdom of foreign cultures.
Role of karaka Guru, L-5, L-9 in education Jupiter = karaka for wisdom-teaching and Guru signifies the professor-priest-preacher-pater familias. For a female, Guru repr esents her first husband and also men who come into coaching, mentoring, beneficent roles such as dissertation adviser or pastoral counseling priest. L-5 increases the confidence (essential!) and awakens one's speculative and gaming intelligence L-9 (5th-from-5th) more characteristics of wisdom-teachings and wisdom-teachers in the native's life. If the L-9 is a positive graha, must benefit from either the teachings, the teachers, or both. Budha, L-4, L-7
Attitude toward education- sample charts "Dharma" or "perspective" on education is a major predictor of educational success. To see dharma of education, look in navamsha To find the psycho-emotional seeds of one's motivation toward education:
E.g., if radix L-4 = Shani and Shani occupies Simha navamsha, then navamsha lord of Shani = Surya. Look to Surya in radix to determine the individual's core motivation, commitment, professional connections, etc. regarding education.
Periods of L-9 are not for Social-Bonding Education! Dharma bhava does carry out the Piter's moral agenda, but dharma bhava signifies something quite different from basic social validation of house-4. L-9 periods are not for education, but rather for spiritual awareness and meta-moral empowerment. As a result periods of L-9 brings great good fortune - but not, normally, foundational socialization. House-9 is actually 6th-from-4th, which means that activities of dharma bhava are in conflict or out-of-balance with basic social agreements, bonding, fortress-protection, survival and strengthening of the tribe. House-9 is about priestly awareness and voicing of unseen powers (2nd-from-8th). Matters of house-9 are apples-and-oranges incommensurable with matters of house-4. House-4 assumes that everyone we interact with is in agreement. The business of house-4 is to bond through moral agreement. When we are with mother, we are all loved unconditionally; we are all equal in her eyes; everyone we interact with loves us; we are all the same; we are all protected. When we are with father, we learn to recognize the various social markings of different types of people in the world outside the home. We learn the moral rules for proper behavior in a mixed universe, whose citizens have different abilities, backgrounds, and characters. We learn how to interact with entities who do not share our culturally-enforced moral agreements. From a provincial point of view, dharma bhava can become "immoral"! True religion is cosmic and inclusive (house-9). True religion is always the natural enemy (6th-from) of the nation-state (house-4) America's success as a nation-state is due in large part to her decision to "take no position" on religion. Thus the First Amendment frees our nation from the perpetual debilitating conflicts inherent in the human condition: tribal moral loyalty embedded in "our view is the only right view" bonding from house-4, versus the meta-philosophical transcendently "disloyal" true-religion view that all ways are the right way, so long as they lead to successful communication with the Divine. No incarnate being is ever really freed of this conflict, but in political terms our First Amendment does a pretty good job of national damage-control. Our famous "separation of Church and State" has liberated so much energy that would have otherwise been wasted in perpetual conflict, that we have achieved *both* a world-leading education system and a healthy, well-funded religious community. House-9 is the realm of higher social awareness, evolved religious philosophy, and very importantly, the world of religious ritual where we interact with deities and spirits who come from an entirely different realm of consciousness. Periods of L-9 bring high awareness, call up credit from good works stores deep in the subconscious memories, and cause great good fortune. But L-9 is not associated with the social-security function of education, so we do not expect socially validated educational achievement in its periods. Rather, wisdom-building activities such as travel to holy lands and pilgrimage to religious shrines, spiritual initiations and taking of religious vows, engaging in religious or advanced philosophical training which has no application to conventional university credentialing... Marriage, being yuvati bhava 4th-from-4th, is not exclusively or even primarily a religious vow. Marriage is an extension of the security function of home and mother. It is true that the quality of the marriage partner is the fruit of one's religious awareness or dharma, because house-7 is 11th-from-9th, results (11th) of dharma (9th). However, the marriage itself is not exclusively a promise between the native and the spirits, as a religious vow of poverty or chastity might be. Rather, the marriage vow really involves four partners: the two spouses, the Divine, and the society at large - represented by one's parents (4 and 10). That is why the kendra houses 4 and 7 and 10 are anchors of the radix chart - while bhagya houses 5 and 9 - as nice as they are - are not really essential to survival in social life.
Bandhu and L-4 for Career Educators Uchcha Budha (in Kanya) is a sure sign of capable mentality. Reading is easy and natural for them. They speak quickly and clearly (presuming no negative drishti). They understand logical and organic systems of all kinds, including systems of language. They are natural organizers and analysts. Uchcha Budha natives will, eventually, find their way into knowledge-worker positions involving analysis and report. If Budha is uchcha only in navamsha, this too is helpful for articulation. Navamsha shows our true attitude, expectation, and dharmic perspective on things. Uchcha Budha in navamsha gives an intelligent, organized worldview and inherent (although not always manifest) articulation capability. Budha (like Moon) is extremely impressionable, so drishti upon Budha will definitively shape the native's spoken and written articulation. However, with even moderately good drishti, uccha Budha will do well in K-12, finish university without much resistance, and quite probably complete professional school as well. For any house or sign of the impressionable Budha, drishti from L-6, L-18, L-12; Shani; Kuja, or Rahu; will alter articulation in a negative way. Drishti upon Budha from L-2, L-3, L-4, L-5, L-7, L-9, L-10, or L-11 are generally helpful in school and career. Even fallen Budha can become a career educator if Budha is yuti L-4. This man has a fallen Budha which is yuti L-4, with drishti from L-9. He is a college professor. Fallen Budha (in Meena) with no rescuing aspects will generally signify a native who is unable to grasp or articulate technical knowledge. This native might have other compensating forms of intelligence such as mystical intuition or brilliant pattern-recognition, but they will lack the linear speech-and-writing level of articulation which modern society requires of its knowledge workers. They tend to do less well in school Neechcha bhanga Budha can signify true genius. When fully cured through neechcha bhanga (see Albert Einstein) Budha points toward cosmological thought of the broadest and most profound character. Such a Neechcha Budha makes a natural mystic. However Neechcha Budha while rescued intellectually, will retain His fallen character in the emotional world. Expect emotional struggles to understand and articulate feelings, which can cause family bonding or intimacy problems for the native. Periods of L-4, L-7, and karaka Budha bring educational achievement and validation in the form of diplomas, certificates, graduation ceremonies, etc. Chandra-Budha [Moon-Mercury] yoga Mercury tells us very little about non-analytical forms of intelligence, such as intuition, imagination, and emotional sensitivity. Budha is primarily concerned with the speech-and-writing expressions, which are generally linear and "left-brain". To know about intuitive capabilities (which are usually more important to spiritual development) we must examine the Moon and Jupiter. Mercury aspect to Moon will open both halves of the brain, showing a person with simultaneously developing intuitive and analytical intelligence. It may not always be easy to express both types of perception effectively, but the person is aware and registering on both levels. Society (ruled by Shani) likes to pigeonhole people, as a method of optimizing resource distribution. (Thus caste systems.) Saturn's relationship to any Chandra-Budha yoga will determine how society treats a person who is both analytical and Another place to look for confirmation of good fortune in Education, is the Siddhamsha - the divisional twenty-fourth chart or "D-24".
Many perfectly intelligent people do not get socially validated for being smart or being information resources. They remain unrecognized, "hiding their light under a bushel basket". Brilliant eccentrics often get written off as weirdos and outcastes. It is well known by professional educators that the smartest, most creative students can be permanently alienated from education by a rigid, conventional school system. It's important to examine the difference between "smart on the inside" versus "smart on the outside" to gain a fuller view of the native's karmic reality. The Jaimini concept of Arudha lagna helps us discriminate between a person's external social reality - how one is judged by society - versus their internal psycho-emotional reality - how one feels about oneself. According to Jyotish Pandit Narasimha Rao, these are some key points in forming a full judgment of the person's intelligence and their capacity to have that intelligence socially validated. These arudha effects live inside a person and do not manifest in the world in a material form.]
Argala on the Education Houses:
"Argala is a very important concept in Vedic astrology.
Literally speaking, Argala means
"a bolt". Argala on a house shows the influences that intervene in its affairs and decide some aspects of it and close the bolt on it, so to speak. A planet or house in the 2nd, 4th and 11th houses from a house causes primary Argala on it. This simple concept can be better appreciated if some examples are given. The 4th house stands for education. The 2nd, 4th and 11th from the 4th house are 5th, 7th and 2nd houses respectively.
intelligence (5th),
interaction with others (7th)
and overall character and
samskara (2nd)
make or break one's education.
If Jupiter is in 5th house, he will give intelligence and his
Subhargala (benefic intervention) on 4th will help one's education.
If Rahu is in 5th house, his
Papargala (malefic intervention) on 4th will cause obstacles in one's education by way of poor intelligence.
Similarly, benefics and malefics in the houses causing Argala cause good and bad intervention.
Basically, the point is that intelligence, interaction and samskara are the things that decide "education."
~~ Pandit Sanjay Rath of Sri Jagannath
--
http://srijagannath.org/learn/practical_use_of_argala.htm
"I find that giving a discourse based on religious texts is a good way of showing that religion has a lot to tell us, no matter what situation we find ourselves in.
However, I am better at it now than I was in the beginning.
In those days I lacked confidence, although it improved every time I spoke in public.
Also, I found, as every teacher does, that
there is nothing like teaching to help one learn." ~~ H.H. Dalai Lama,
The Path to Tranquility.
www.snowlionpub.com
...at Bodh Gaya, [Shakyamuni] displayed the ways of becoming fully enlightened. Then in stages he turned the three renowned wheels of doctrine. The teacher Buddha also appeared in the body of Vajradhara, setting forth tantric doctrines." ~~ H.H. Dalai Lama,
The Buddhism of Tibet.
Jeffrey Hopkins (Trans.and Ed.).
www.snowlionpub.com
"According to Buddhist theory, there are some things that belong to the subtle consciousness, or subtle mind, that are independent from the body, from the brain.
There is no assertion in Buddhism that there is a 'thing' called a soul or a 'thing' called consciousness, some 'thing' that exists independently of the brain.
There is no such 'thing' existing independently of the brain or being dependent upon the brain. But rather,
consciousness is understood as a multifaceted matrix of events.
Some of them are utterly dependent on the brain, and at the other end of the spectrum, some of them are completely independent of the brain.
There is no thing that is the mind or the soul." ~~ H.H. Dalai Lama.
Consciousness at the Crossroads:
Conversations with the Dalai Lama on Brain Science and Buddhism. Zara Houshmand, R.B. Livingston, and B. A. Wallace
(Eds.); Snow Lion Pub. Crucial to the hermeneutical approach is the Mahayana principle of the Four Reliances. These are: 1. Reliance on the teaching, not the teacher 2. Reliance on the meaning, not the words that express it 3. Reliance on the definitive meaning, not on the provisional meaning; and 4. Reliance on the transcendent wisdom of deep experience, not on mere knowledge. ~~ H.H. Dalai Lama,
The Path to Tranquility.
www.snowlionpub.com
"You should understand the whole purpose of listening to teachings, taking teachings and studying them is to put them into practice, just as after having learned how to prepare a certain dish, you utilize that knowledge to make the dish and derive full nutritional benefit from it.
What you know should be put into practice immediately; you can thus derive the benefit of having some
transformation within your mind.
Even though it might be a very minor effort, a very small practice just leaving imprints within your mind, still you must think that it is worthwhile to do. Otherwise your knowledge of dharma will be quite fruitless, and like merely playing something on a tape."
~~
H.H. Tenzin Gyatso,
Path to Bliss: A Practical Guide to Stages of Meditation. Geshe Thubten Jinpa (Trans.), Christine Cox (Ed.).
www.snowlionpub.com
"The root of all the vows for laypersons and for monks and nuns is the ethics of the abandonment of the non-virtues.
Three physical actions
(killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct),
four verbal actions, (lying, divisive talk, harsh speech, and senseless chatter),
and three mental actions (covetousness, harmful intent, and wrong views)
are to be abandoned."
~~ H.H. Dalai Lama.
The Dalai Lama at Harvard:
Lectures on the Buddhist Path to Peace.
Snow Lion Pub.
The ability to look at events from different perspectives can be very helpful. Then, practicing this, one can use certain experiences, certain tragedies, to develop a calmness of mind. One must realize that every phenomenon, every event, has different aspects. Everything is of a relative nature.
For example, in my own case, I lost my country. From that viewpoint, it is very tragic--and there are even worse things. There's a lot of destruction happening in our country. That's a very negative thing.
But if I look at the same event from another angle, I realize that as a refugee, I have another perspective. As a refugee there is no need for formalities, ceremony, protocol. If everything were status quo, if things were okay, then on a lot of occasions you merely go through the motions; you pretend.
But when you are passing through desperate situations, there's no time to pretend. So from that angle, this tragic experience has been very useful to me.
Also, being a refugee creates a lot of new opportunities for meeting with many people. People from different religious traditions, from different walks of life, those whom I may not have met had I remained in my country. So in that sense it's been very, very useful. It seems that often when problems arise, our outlook becomes narrow.
All of our attention may be focused on
worrying about the problem, and we may have a sense that we're the
only one that is going through such difficulties. This can lead to a kind of
self-absorption that can make the problem
seem very intense.
When this happens, I think that seeing things from a wider perspective can definitely help -- realizing, for instance, that there are many other people who have gone through
similar experiences, and
even worse experiences.
This practice of shifting perspective
can even be helpful in certain
illnesses or when in pain. At the time the pain arises, it is of course often very difficult, at that moment, to do formal meditation practices to calm the mind.
But if you can make comparisons, view your situation from a different perspective, somehow something happens.
If you only look at that
one event, then it appears
bigger and bigger. If you focus too closely, too intensely, on a problem when it occurs, it appears uncontrollable.
But if you compare that event with
some other greater event, look at the same problem from a
distance, then it appears smaller and
less overwhelming."
~~ H.H. Dalai Lama
& Howard C. Cutler, M.D.. (1998). The
Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living. www.snowlionpub.com
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