Describing The Proof-Based-Faith Process Using The Scientific Method pt. 2

(TBO's Note - For an explanation of these two posts, read my note for part one. From that departure point, KTC went from "what you describe has nothing to do with the scientific process, and everything to do with the Big Questions. Science isn't about the Big Questions yet"* to the following...)

KTC - You said “- What would be the point of life if not for the journey and struggle to get the things you want out of it?”

To which I say, “There *is* no “point” to life. None. It’s just something that happened. There’s no guiding principle. None. We can try to make our own meaning up as we go along, and we do – we all do – but there’s actually no point. No endgame. No Big Reason we’re all here.”

And that’s a pretty fundamental difference. It’s way beyond arguments about who is “rational” and whatnot. I mean, we’re all rational folks. We just have a HUGE fundamental difference in the way we see the world.

It's funny that you picked one answer out of the three I gave. Here, let me cut/paste that bit for further parsing:

Why? So many different answers, and I'll give a few:

- What would be the point of life if not for the journey and struggle to get the things you want out of it? It'd be pointless if it was all just easy wish fulfillment.

- Just like birth and death, cause and effect, light and dark, yin and yang are all part of their same individual coins, so is victory and struggle.

- In an answer that ought to sound familiar to the rational among us: It just is that way.

Note that I didn't say that there was any one answer that's more valid than another. Frankly, all three are valid and applicable to the question of why the universe supplies both a path and obstacles to your desired goal(s).

Also note I said nothing about an "End Point." I don't mention heaven, because there is none. Nirvana exists in this place, in this state, in our current lives, at this exact moment, right now; but so does hell, so does rapture, so does hunger, etc.

I don't mention reincarnation, because I can't prove it, though as a theory it has both merit, logic and its own attractiveness, and I believe it to be quite likely...I can't prove it, though, so when I die, my particles dissipate back into NMRK or star stuff or what have you. What happens after that, I simply don't know.

Similarly with "Big Reason." "To live a fulfilled life and to emerge victorious over your obstacles and circumstances in this crazy fucked up world," while a massive paraphrasing that leaves out huge amounts of Buddhist philosophy, it is about as Big as it gets in Nichiren Buddhism, along with "help others do the same."

Nichiren Buddhism is a philosophy that's focused on the individual and in the here and now...

But let's take this to a secular level...Even if there is no capital 'p' Point to life, and happiness, sadness, fear, courage, ambition, goals, etc., are just human constructs, then we should do something with these constructs, shouldn't we? If for no other reason, we could at least give our lives purpose (not "Purpose," but purpose). Otherwise, it's a recipe for stagnation, and fleeting feelings of satisfaction, lack of compassion and empathy...

"If we're only on this trip once, and it all means nothing, may as well make it count in some way," is not the approach to life I take, but I don't see anything wrong with that general approach, do you?

*In response to this, I mentioned Ikeda's dialogues with prominent scientists, the title of which now escapes me and can't find in the SGI Bookstore.

Describing The Proof-Based-Faith Process Using The Scientific Method pt. 1

(TBO's Note - The following was written during the course of an email conversation with a couple of secular co-workers, SC an agnostic, and KTC, an avowed atheist. The three of us have the habit of getting into heated discussions on a regular basis that end with an understanding if not necessarily an agreement.

How we get to this point in this conversation is pretty convoluted (involving Sandra Bullock/Jesse James, a digression into astrology, whether science was a faith-based ideology, and finally the scientific process itself); but ultimately, not important.

It's important to note that what follows is my own opinion, especially regarding the matter of reincarnation.

The content has been edited to eliminate personal material.)

KTC - Just a question – what experiments are done in Nichiren Buddism? I don’t get how you equate that with the scientific process. What is being hypothesized about? Are we talking thought experiments? What’s the matter under discussion?

I'm going to try to keep this focused, to the point, salient and simple; if only to try to curb my propensity for heading off into tangents.

First, while looking for the possibly apocryphal Sagan quote I mentioned earlier*, ran into this one instead: "I'm not any more skeptical about your religious beliefs than I am about every new scientific idea I hear about. But in my line of work, they're called hypotheses, not inspiration and not revelation."**

I could argue that the difference between hypotheses and inspritation/revelation is pretty thin, but instead I'll laud the thought being expressed as one that is necessary in matters of faith and science both.

Now, some basic truths about Buddhism in general:

Buddhism = Philosophy concerning matters of birth and death.

Nichiren Buddhism = Hypothesis that the universe functions according to the Law of the Simultaneity of Cause and Effect, as espoused in the Lotus Sutra. To use the most obvious and basic example of cause and effect, "because of the cause of your being born, you will inevitably die."

Seeing as that is the case, the theory goes, then every action/cause you take/create will have an effect; not necessarily a predictable effect, but not exactly a random one either. A further hypothesis is that the phenomena is observable, and that it is possible, with wisdom gained from experience, to achieve a desired effect by producing the appropriate cause.

A corollary goes that, using all of the above, the moment you set your mind to a specific goal/effect, two things will happen: 1) the law governing the universe will align itself to provide a path to the desired effect, and 2) it will also provide obstacles along that path.

Why? So many different answers, and I'll give a few:

- What would be the point of life if not for the journey and struggle to get the things you want out of it? It'd be pointless if it was all just easy wish fulfillment.

- Just like birth and death, cause and effect, light and dark, yin and yang are all part of their same individual coins, so is victory and struggle.

- In an answer that ought to sound familiar to the rational among us: It just is that way.

Okay, that was a tangent. Backing up.

Right. Another further hypothesis is that by chanting NMRK (Nam Myoho Renge Kyo - literally "I adhere to the Mystic Law of Cause and Effect as Described in the Lotus Sutra," but broken down to an abstract is the same as saying "I align with the law that governs Sagan's star stuff"***), by aligning with the law that governs the universe, you gain wisdom and increase your ability to make the proper choice that will lead to a desired effect.

These are some of the basic theories and hypotheses that are unique to the Nichiren School and particularly to the SGI, the organization of Buddhist lay people I belong to. These are the approaches to life that we test everyday with the mind toward proving them correct or incorrect. And if after exhausting every possible method of practice, we find that it is incorrect, the father of this school, Nichiren Daishonin, tells us to yell from the mountaintops that this practice does not work.

These may not be experiments in the strictest scientific sense, but they are more than mere thought experiments. I can't just think this stuff and then suddenly *poof* everything I want is mine. The legwork of taking action in everyday life needs to happen, I have to apply this thinking in every action I take, in every move I make, every thirst I slake, every cake I bake (I'll be watching me), because I need to collect proof that this is not a waste of my (and other people's) time.

These are experiments in living life successfully.

(continued here.)

*I mentioned a quote by Carl Sagan that supported Eastern religions. Alas, Mr. Sagan has never said such a thing.

**Full quote: "The major religions on the Earth contradict each other left and right. You can't all be correct. And what if all of you are wrong? It's a possibility, you know. You must care about the truth, right? Well, the way to winnow through all the differing contentions is to be skeptical. I'm not any more skeptical about your religious beliefs than I am about every new scientific idea I hear about. But in my line of work, they're called hypotheses, not inspiration and not revelation." - Carl Sagan surrogate Dr. Arroway in Sagan's Contact

***Earlier in the email conversation, KTC, asked whether she believed in the interconnectedness of all things, replied by quoting Carl Sagan (for the record, she quoted him first): "We are all star stuff."

Zoinks!

All right, how long has it been, really?

Yeah, too long. Way too long.

But, you know how that is, right? It's not that you care any less about the forum, or the format, or the topic being discussed, it's just that the rest of your reality starts demanding your attention, and what you'd thought would only be a couple of days away from the project turns into...well, months, in this instance.

Oh well. I noted some visitors to the site during the hiatus, thanks for coming. Hopefully you'll come out this way again. And feel free to drop a line of interest...thebeigeone(at)gmail.com

That said, I wanna open up the gates to anyone who'd like to see their SGI-Buddhist-related stuff posted on here, contact me at the address given above.

Currently, I'm looking to post (whether by me, or someone else) entries with the following themes:

*On Benefit
*The Three Powerful Enemies
*The Three Obstacles & The Four Devils
*Karma

Hopefully, I will be seeing/hearing from you soon.

--tbo

Daisaku Ikeda's Proposal to the UN

It's long, but really goes into good detail about the SGI's position on world peace.

Ke, Ku & Chu (The 3 Truths)

So lately, I've been thinking and reading a lot about the above concept in Nichiren Buddhism. I've been taking an inventory, of sorts, of many things in my life, and figuring out how each item/thing/idea fits into these three truths.

For starters, let me define some terms. Ke(ketai) is defined as the truth of temporary, physical or material existence. Ku(kutai) is defined as the truth of non-substantiality or the spiritual aspect of life. Chu(chutai) is defined as the Middle Way, or that force or energy which binds and harmonizes ketai and kutai. Ke and Ku are two different but inseparable aspects of chu.

In the book I am reading The Buddha in Daily Life - Richard Causton, it states that the three truths are not three separate things but, rather, a means of looking at the entirety of life from three different, though interrelated perspectives. He gives the example of comparing a piece of paper to "our friend John". Side A would represent John's physical appearance which corresponds to ke, Side B would represent John's character which corresponds to ku. However, John's character is only known to you by way of his physical actions, which include: his speech, his gestures, his eyes, and facial expressions etc. So in a sense, you can say that one can only discover the ku of John as it becomes his ke. Each of these, in turn, represent the whole of John's life, which corresponds to chu. Chu is the "essential self" aspect of our life which keeps our physical and spiritual aspects consistent with each other through time. Another way to put it, is Chu is Nam Myoho Renge Kyo, or the rhythm and Law of life itself.

So basically, the important point I took from reading this, is in realizing that there is no fundamental distinction between the physical and spiritual aspects of life. And we, as humans, are representations of the entire process as it was/is/and will be.

From a bodywork perspective, this has intense implications. If my ku is manifest through my ke, then what does that say about what my mind contains? In what ways do I, or don't I reside in a state of chu - or the essential self/Middle Way? How is my spirit manifesting in my body? The book then goes on to tell the story of a woman who basically, after many months of intense chanting and study, made herself asymptomatic from severe epilepsy. At the end of her "treatment" there were no physical manifestations of epilepsy. In the two years I have been practicing, I have read many stories such as this, as well as experienced variations in my own life.

So back to labeling, sorting, and naming things. I started to think about these processes, and how they are showing up in my daily thoughts, actions, and activities.

I started to wonder about pain. Specifically physical pain, but keep in mind, stress can manifest as physical pain, one can be "worried sick", depression has numerious documented physical manifestations. Therefore, where is the line drawn? Is my neck pain, whose onset was a knarly car accident, and made worse by 4 or 5 surgeries, any different than the types of pain I mention in the previous sentence? Does pain exist on a continuum, or is all pain ke? Or is all pain ku? Pain is felt along neural pathways. This pain impulse can be measured, and quantified. If the types of pain I mention, are indeed, pain, then will we come up with different measurements of this pain based on it's root cause?

I'm not sure if I'm come up with any answers or solutions, but it's very fascinating to think about. I've chanted and cried myself out of intense physical pain, on more than one occasion. Is this me attempting to reside in chu? Or is this a placebo and am I still as deluded as ever? Ultimately, it doesn't matter. I've decided that the more I can observe the transitions, and manifestations of each of these truths in my life, the more capable I will become of letting them move on to whatever dynamic form they will take next.

The One and the Many: Binary vs. Manifold

So I have this trouble: I can't seem to stop trying to debate Christians. Not just Christians, but Calvinists, which can make for some pretty heated argument, given that my primary experience with Christianity was through Catholicism, and that I'm now a vaguely pantheistic, gnostic Buddhist doing my best to understand and apply the still new (for me) concepts in the Lotus Sutra, and in Nichiren Daishonin's interpretation thereof. Kind as the Calvinists have been (and seriously, they've been awfully hospitable), it's pretty clear that I represent something insidious.

Anyway, through a series of meetings and digressions, I ended up in this side debate. While the principle I'm defending, in large measure, is pantheism, my relation of that to the doctrines of reincarnation, the ten worlds, and other Buddhist concepts make this argument relevant. Moreover, as Protestant Christianity has, as you can see from the argument, actually taken steps to ensure that the debate can be shut down by a seductive but specious assertion that only the existence of an anthropomorphic, triune deity can create the necessary preconditions for rationality--therefore operating on the assumption that our having the debate at all is proof that God is a scold and Christ is the Messiah--I think it's useful for us Buddhists to at least contemplate throwing a few rhetorical elbows to ensure that our theology is defensible on an intellectual, as well as spiritual, level (though the latter is obviously more urgent).

Some schools of Buddhism posit themselves as atheistic or agnostic; others do acknowledge some sort of deity; most place themselves as squarely pantheistic. Since Nichiren Buddhism holds forth no specific assertions on the matter of deity--or, I should say, since I've yet to encounter any such assertion--it seems to me that the question is fairly elastic, provided that principles like Ichinen Sanzen, mutual possession, kosen rofu and the Law are respected. Were you to quiz the three contributors to this blog on the matter of deity, I guarantee you'd get three different answers. But when we chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, those differences matter not at all.

My differences with Christianity are a little more difficult to navigate. There are many sects of Buddhism that hold that Christ was a boddhisatva; I'm more than willing to hold to that. On the other hand, Calvinists insist on a literal interpretation of the Bible; look at the clever-but-tortured reasoning by which they reconcile the idea of a young (less than 10,000-year-old) universe with the fact that we see the light from stars whose light couldn't possibly have reached us in that time. Now, at root, most of them will tell you that belief in a six-day creation isn't as important as belief in the singular divine status of Christ and the resurrection. Fair enough, but that "singular divine status" becomes something of a sticking point. If the important part to Christians is, "I am the way, the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father but by me", then there's clearly a point at which their truth, as expressed, specifically excludes all other paths to truth.

It's a tough puzzle, from this end, because I try--per JJisaFool's reasoned directive--to stick to what's truth, rather than focusing on what's not. But when trying to elucidate my truth, I often runs into opponents who will insist that their truth both excludes and rationally trumps mine. Inevitably, to assert my truth, I must reject at least some part of theirs, and become mired in a hermeneutic battle with those for whom the conclusion is what guides the process of reaching one.

Anyway, take a look at those links. Interesting stuff.

Clarification on last post

I have chronic cervical radiculopathy due to a discs bulging, and one being herniated, I have regular pain and spasms in the fingers in my right hand so bad that I have to pull them apart.

A "Vocal" String Theory

Stine here. Thanks for inviting me Beige. Think of me as Bill Nye the Buddhist Science guy, only not as smart, taller, and well, female. You get the idea. I get off on the mind-body connection, why placebos work, the power of telekenesis, and String Theory.

So one of the first things that attracted me to this Buddhism was the chanting. It attracted me as a singer and actress, as a singer and actress with a paralyzed vocal cord, and as a bodyworker. I started chanting as a vocal exercise - that is all. I can tell you my personal story later, the following story is the first big thing that really put me on the path to becoming a Buddhist.

There are all these medical stories in the SGI. Stories of epileptics becoming asymptomatic after chanting for a year, AIDS victims who have faced death multiple times (as in had a T cell count of 13 - that's very low), and are still here to talk about it. I read a story in the World Tribune. There was a woman who had cancer in her entire larynx(voicebox). She had to have the entire thing removed. She obviously had no voice after this. Despite having no voice, she chanted by pushing air through her mouth, and moving her lips. After 2 years of "chanting", this woman went back to the doctor, they did a laryngeal scope, and her body had grown scar tissue that was functioning as vocal cords. The woman could totally speak.

So, cut to last Monday. I came home from a full day of massaging, and was in so much pain, I couldn't sit up, I couldn't move my right hand, and I just cried. I worked just one muscle in my right shoulder (the levator scapulae - for those of you wanting to know such things), I propped myself up, decided I was sick and tired of being a slave to pain, chanted and cried for 45 minutes. At the end of my chanting session, I had absolutely no pain, could move my fingers, and stand.

See, this shit fascinates the hell outta me. Quantum physics, string theory, particle-wave duality, multiple dimensions - GOOD TIMES! I think the bottom line, is that by the end of my life, I just want to be able to put my hands on people, and have them be well. I wanna move things with my mind. You wait man, you wait.

A Manifold Manifesto

This is thelyamhound.

I still haven't worked out what the relationship will be between this blog and my other one. When Buddhist concepts are directly applied to other things happening in my life--particularly with regards to sex, art, or combat--the posts thereon may appear on both blogs. Or I may try to stick to theory here, application there. I suppose it doesn't much matter; posts will appear where they're needed.

In any case, since this is my first real post on matters Buddhist, it seems fitting that it should debut at BOTH locations. So here it is:

One of the concepts that sits at the heart of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism is Ichinen Sanzen, the observation of 3000 realms in a single moment of life. To me, this is at its heart a doctrine of infinite possibility, as well as part of a broader metaphysical assertion of universal inclusivity, what modern theosophers often call pantheism; Renaissance Gnostic, hermetic philosopher, and heretic monk Giordano Bruno expressed a concept not unlike Buddhism's idea of "mutual possession" when he said, "Anything we tak in the universe, because it has in itself that which is All in All, includes in its own way the entire soul of the world, which is entirely in any part of it."

Or, to paraphrase Heinlein's shaggy-dog barb near the end of Stranger in a Strange Land (I don't think this constitutes a SPOILER, but I'll give y'all a qualified heads up anyway), "Thou art God; but then, who isn't?"

For those, like yours truly, who are better able to grasp an abstraction if it's tied to some sort of rational construct, there is a useful symbolic equation for this concept. The 3000 realms in question are actually the product of the ten basic "life states" or "worlds"; the mutual possession of the ten worlds (simply put, the accepted fact that each life state, or world, possesses the other nine); the ten factors of life, which are the ten ways in which an organism affects--and is affected by--the world and other sentient beings; and the three realms, or spheres of worldly being. Given our ten worlds, and our mutual possession, we begin with 100 possible worlds in any given moment; multiply that by ten factors--the ways in which these worlds, through the individual, affect the literal, observable world at large--and you have 1000 possible "effects"; and finally, multiply those possible effects by the three realms which may ultimately be affected. And so we've reached our number.

Confused yet? Good. I'm going to revisit this equation later, so just let it sit and simmer on the proverbial back burner.

First off, let's take a look at those ten initial "worlds". Where Western morality often focuses on easy duality (good/evil; right/wrong; flesh/spirit), and Western psychology on an ever-expanding litany of emotions and neuroses (and let me say here that there are times where either duality or irreducible complexity are still useful models), Nichiren's Buddhism postulates that our "life states" can be understood by way of ten "worlds". To my still-embryonic understanding, the advantage of equating life-states with worlds, as opposed to emotions, neuroses, or pre-judged moral conditions, is that treating each life state as a "world", with its own rules, its own obstacles, its own character, accurately reflects both the ostensible pervasiveness of any of these states when you feel "stuck" in one and the fact that one may still experience a broad spectrum of emotions while inside.

The ten worlds are best described as follows:

1) HELL - The world or state of Hell is said to be characterized by rage. Because this is our first state, it's important to note that the rage, in this case, isn't directed at other beings or events, but rather at being itself; it's not unlike the existential rage William Blake describes in "Infant Sorrow":

My mother groaned, my father wept,
Into the dangerous world I leapt;
Helpless, naked, piping loud,
Like a fiend hid in a cloud.

Struggling in my father's hands,
Striving against my swaddling bands,
Bound and weary, I thought best
To sulk upon my mother's breast.

This condition could even be seen as a parallel to Sartre's nausea at his recognition of being.

2) HUNGER - Greed is the primary characteristic of the world of Hunger, which can mean both literal hunger and, more generally, the tendency of all organisms to seek acquisition.

3) ANIMALITY - This is where hierarchical struggle begins; the dominant characteristic is foolishness. In a condition of animality, one dominates those which one recognizes as weak, and grovels before those recognized as strong.

4) ANGER - This anger is quite different from the more metaphysically rich rage of the Hell condition. Also called ASURAS, a name for a class of angry spirits left over from Hindu cosmology, the state of ANGER is characterized by perversity and arrogance, and refers broadly to a condition wherein one experiences jealousy, envy, competitiveness, duplicity, and deceit.

5) HUMANITY - This is the state of civilization, the mutual agreements we make with other organisms to effect peace. The tranquility characterizing this state isn't really comparable with the peace that comes with enlightenment, but it's obviously a necessary component of civic life.

6) HEAVEN - HEAVEN--like HELL--represents something far more ephemeral in Buddhist cosmology than in Western theologies. The primary characteristic of HEAVEN is the happiness that comes from material gains and worldly pleasures; unlike true happiness, this "happiness" leads to yet more desire.

7) LEARNING - Also referred to as the realm of VOICE-HEARERS, this state represents the beginning of the quest for enlightenment, the point at which one glimpses truth (which, for one studying this Buddhism, is the moment at which one is introduced to the Lotus Sutra, as summed up and expressed in the law, or Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo).

8) REALIZATION - The realm of CAUSE-AWAKENED ONES, wherein one begins to seek self-improvement through observation or effort; having heard the ring of truth, the "voice-hearer" of the last state now pursues study, engages in meditation through chanting, etc. These last two states are important steps on the road to enlightenment, but are also intrinsically self-centered; these worlds are characterized by an ernest desire for truth couples with a high level of introspection and a certain level of indifference to other sentient beings.

9) BODDHISATVA - When the voice-hearer and/or the cause-awakened one feels compassion rising within him, and he wishes to share what he knows of the truth, to bring others to enlightenment, he has enterered the world of the BODDHISATVA. The self-centered nature of practice then opens itself up into a new mission to help one's fellow beings. While this refers primarily to sharing Buddhism with others, I don't think it's too much of a stretch to imagine that anyone engaging in spreading true compassion, through charitible work or other selfless acts, is experiencing this world.

10) BUDDHAHOOD - If the world of the BODDHISATVA is characterized by compassion, BUDDHAHOOD is characterized by limitless compassion and reflexive wisdom, an ability to see all potential at all times in all beings.

Now here's where things get really interesting. We started with these 10 worlds. Our next step is to recognize mutual possession. To make sense of this concept, we need to understand that we ALL possess these conditions, these worlds. Moreover, these worlds all possess each other. What this means is that even if, say, I'm currently functioning in the world of Hell, I still possess the other nine worlds, including the Four Noble Worlds (Learning, Realization, Boddhisatva, Buddhahood); conversely, someone functioning in the world of Buddhahood still possesses the first Six Paths, as well as the three remaining Noble Worlds. In other words, each world possesses all worlds in itself.

This is a recipe for some beautiful--if unrepentantly heady--stuff. If, through practice, I come to function at the level of Buddhahood, recognizing conditions like Hell and Animality in myself creates ground for empathy when faced with someone functioning at those levels; recognition, also, that those functioning on such levels possess Buddhahood allows for greater compassion. But wait; it gets better! Someone whose primary life condition is that of Buddhahood is not always well-served by functioning in that world; for instance, active opposition of injustice may require a Buddha to function in the world of anger. But if one can function in the various worlds with an awareness of the seed of enlightenment at the heart of her being, one may function in the world of Anger (for instance) in a different way than one unaware of--or unconcerned with--mutual possession, for said individual may engage with anger with the goal of sharing boundless compassion.

Remember our equation? Take your Ten Worlds, and assume that each of the ten possesses all ten within itself. That's our first 100.

Our next order of business is to analyze the ways in which each world (or, more importantly, how each organism possessing all ten) becomes manifest in life, space, and time. These are called the Ten Factors of Life, and are as follows:

1) APPEARANCE - Also called FORM or BODY. Refers to the physical properties of being.

2) NATURE - Spiritual properties of MIND.

3) ENTITY - Also called SELF; refers to the confluence of body and mind that establish BEING, or the physical and spiritual aspect of all things).

4) POWER - Also called INHERENT ENERGY: the energy of a person's life allowing a person to act a specific way in each of the ten worlds.

5) INFLUENCE - Volitional activity--the words, thoughts or actions that emerge from an individual based on in which he/she currently resides.

6) INHERENT CAUSE - Karma, basically. Not easily defined, but for these purposes, we can call it the seed of the experience(s) a person will have when all conditions manifest.

7) EXTERNAL CAUSE - Influence from the environment or from other sentient beings.

8) LATENT EFFECT - Internal reaction to any and all phenomena, not yet manifest outwardly.

9) MANIFESTED EFFECT - Observable outcome of the past causes outlined above.

10) CONSISTENCY FROM BEGINNING TO END - The constant interrelation between the first nine factors, representing the cyclical nature of these factors.

So we have our life-states and their mutual possession; we can multiply that total by the Ten Factors, because these are the channels by which our life-states affect the world at large. 100 becomes 1000.

But . . . what of that world at large? Well, according to the doctrine of Ichinen Sanzen, the world itself operates at three different spheres, each of which can be influenced by the life condition of any given individual.

These spheres are:

1) SELF/INDIVIDUAL - Entity composed of the 5 components of life: form, perception, conception, volition, and consciousness.

2) SOCIETY/OTHER SENTIENT BEINGS - Other people, community.

3) ENVIRONMENT/LAND - Can refer both to the Earth, in the strictly environmental sense, or to the nation-state, the confederation between communities.

And so we reach 3000.

The mathematical equation is of more symbolic than literal significance; we could quibble over internal variations in any one of the categories, or the possibility of states between the states, but for the purposes of allegory, what we have is more than functional.

More important than any attempt to empiricize the doctrine is to analyze its metaphysical function. I've already noted that mutual possession gives us ground for empathy and compassion; but of more interest, to me, is that the doctrine in its totality creates a holistic template for unlimited possibility. Ichinen Sanzen is about the pregnancy of any given moment in time, wherein the entirety of any world, any sphere of being, is available; the myriad channels by which one can use one's life-state to interact with and extend compassion to other organisms; and the spheres upon which one can commit such action. As in existentialism, choice becomes the defining characteristic of being . . . and the number of available choices is manifold. Through this realization, we have stumbled upon fertile ground for the discovery of Buddha nature, for enlightenment, for the realization of goals personal and global. Viewed through this lens, we see each moment as an opportunity to effect change in ourselves, and through that, on our communities and on the world at large. My God, it's so exciting, I'm shaking a little just writing about it (of course, I DID have two cups of coffee).

Hope this held the interest . . .

Introducing...

Just shy of a year later, and, while I'm fully committed to keeping this blog up, the fact of the matter is, coming up with things to say, with research, and yadda and bladda...It's hard to do by myself. So, heeding the words of Paul McCartney, I decided to try with a little help from my friends.

So, please extend a warm welcome to Stine and Lyam White, two friends of mine who have seen a lot with me. Stine's very much a from-the-hip type, up front and honest; she's a massage therapist by day, and fosters a science bent, especially when it comes to NS Buddhism. Ly's on the more exploratory bent, with a light focus on Western dialectics and philosophers. Both are recent adherents to this Buddhism...

While the roster will probably grow and change in the months ahead, what won't change is what, I hope, makes this blog different from most other religioblogs: Candid, from the heart entries, filled with snark, wisdom, and bravery; as well as research. Unafraid to engage in discourse, but not putting up with bullshit. Oh, and cussing allowed.--TBO