Buddhism: Morality Versus Rules

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Morality Versus Rules Jan 3rd 2013, 12:09 This morning I found a new comment to an old post from last April. The old post was on a lack of emphasis on the Precepts in western dharma centers, followed by a discussion in the comments about Precepts practice and why working with the Precepts is different from following the Ten Commandments. And here is the new comment: "It's very simple, or at least it was before westerners began to complicate things and transformed the dharma, according to their own whims and desires, into a new-age "anything goes" kind of philosophy. Lol, rules like "don't steal, don't commit adultery, don't murder people, etc., are universal and exist in some form or another in almost every civilized society-we need them in order to function in the everyday, conventional world that we inhabit., no matter how much you dislike it." This is similar to some comments left to more recent posts on our infamous misbehaving Zen teachers. The main points usually made are these -- One, morality isn't complicated; just follow the rules. Two, the only reason you western Buddhists think this is complicated is that you are a bunch of post-modernist New Agers who have imposed your "anything goes" philosophy onto Buddhism. Actually, I believe the notion that "morality" consists of faithfully following some list of external rules is the "western" notion here. Certainly one can find rigid "moralism" in Asia as in the West, but I have read here and there that older Asian civilizations on the whole adopted a more situationist approach to law and morality than did the strict "by the book" approach favored in the West. Much of our western attitude about following moral rules probably is a vestige of a belief that prevailed in western civilization for centuries -- that humans are inherently foul and wicked creatures who can be made "good" only by obeying God.  The only alternative to obeying God's Rules, in this view, is obeying our own willful egos, and that always leads to ruin. Western popular culture has softened up on that attitude quite a bit in the past century or so, but  we haven't gotten around to re-thinking our "by the book" approach to morality. Buddhism has an entirely different view -- we humans are not inherently evil. It's just that we are lost in a fog of illusion, and we thrash around doing harm to ourselves and to others because of our own ignorance. The antidote is enlightenment, waking up from the illusion, which unbinds us from the chains of ego and craving. It is said that an enlightened being doesn't need moral rules, but naturally and spontaneously responds correctly to all moral questions. Of course, those of us still thrashing around in ignorance could use some guidance, so there are Precepts. But the Precepts are not meant to be absolute rules obeyed without question. Rather, working with them helps us grow in wisdom and compassion. The point is, though, that a reactive "just follow the  rules" approach to morality is -- and always has been -- contrary to what the Buddha taught. Reflecting on and analyzing moral situations in their infinite messiness is not some post-modern indulgence; it is dharma practice. In the much-quoted-out-of-context Kalama Sutta,the Buddha taught us to not believe things just because they're written in authoritative books or spoken by authoritative teachers, but rather to determine for ourselves what is true. But if you read the whole sutta, it is apparent he is talking as much about morality as about doctrine -- Judge actions by whether they are wholesome and beneficial, or not. Don't just follow something written in a book. I think the "just follow the rules" approach to morality is a kind of a crutch. Following rules does not require wisdom and compassion. Human history is full of terrible things done in the name of some greater good, done by people never taught to reflect and to feel, but to just follow rules. In his book The Mind of Clover: Essays in Zen Buddhist Ethics, Robert Aitken Roshi said (p.17), "The absolute position, when isolated, omits human details completely. Doctrines, including Buddhism, are meant to be used. Beware of them taking life of their own, for then they use us." An example of what the Roshi was talking about might be the murder of abortion doctors in the name of "life." Dharma practice ain't for weenies, and going beyond the rule book requires discipline and self-honesty. But that's our path.

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Buddhism: What's Hot Now: The Fifth Precept

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The Fifth Precept Jan 2nd 2013, 11:04 The Fifth Precept of Buddhism, translated from the Pali Canon, is "I undertake the training rule to abstain from fermented and distilled intoxicants which are the basis for heedlessness." Does this mean Buddhists aren't supposed to drink? About the Precepts of Buddhism It is said that an enlightened being naturally responds correctly and compassionately to every situation. In this way, the precepts describe the life of a Buddha. They are not a list of commandments or rules to be followed without question. By working with the precepts, we train ourselves to live more compassionately and harmoniously, as enlightened beings live. An American Zen teacher, the late John Daido Loori, Roshi, said ("kai" is Japanese for "precepts"), "The Precepts contain the totality of the teachings of the Buddhadharma. ... People inquire about practice, 'What is lay practice?' Kai -- the precepts. 'What is monastic practice?' Kai -- the precepts. 'What is home practice?' Kai -- the precepts. 'What is the sacred?' -- Kai. 'What is the secular?' -- Kai. Everything we see, touch, and do, our way of relating, is right here in these precepts. They are the Buddha Way, the heart of the Buddha." (The Heart of Being: Moral and Ethical Teachings of Zen Buddhism, page 67) See also "The Buddhist Precepts: An Introduction." The Fifth Precept is interpreted somewhat differently in Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism. The Fifth Precept in Theravada Buddhism Bikkhu Bodhi explains in "Going for Refuge" that the Fifth Precept can be translated from the Pali to prohibit "fermented and distilled liquors which are intoxicants" or "fermented and distilled liquors and other intoxicants." Either way, clearly the guiding purpose of the precept is "to prevent heedlessness caused by the taking of intoxicating substances." According to Bikkhu Bodhi, violating the precept requires an intoxicant, an intention to take an intoxicant, the activity of ingesting the intoxicant, and the actual ingestion of the intoxicant. Taking medication containing alcohol, opiates or other intoxicants for genuine medical reasons does not count, nor does eating food flavored with a small amount of liquor. Otherwise, Theravada Buddhism considers the Fifth Precept to be a clear prohibition of drinking. Although Theravada monks generally don't march around calling for prohibition, laypeople are discouraged from drinking. In southeast Asia, where Theravada Buddhism dominates, the monastic sangha often calls for bars and liquor stores to be closed on major uposatha days. The Fifth Precept in Mahayana Buddhism For the most part, Mahayana Buddhists follow the precepts as explained in the Mahayana Brahmajala (Brahma Net) Sutra. (There is a Theravada sutra with the same name, but they are different texts.) In this sutra, drinking liquor is a "minor" offense, but selling it is a major breach of the precepts. To drink liquore hurts only oneself, but selling (and, I assume, distributing it for free) hurts others and is a violation of the Bodhisattva vows. Within the several schools of Mahayana there are some sectarian differences on the matter of drinking, but the Fifth Precept often is not treated as an absolute prohibition. Further, the meaning of "intoxicant" is broadened to include anything that distracts us from the path, not just alchohol and drugs. Zen teacher Reb Anderson says, "In the broadest sense, anything we ingest, inhale, or inject into our system without reverence for all life becomes an intoxicant." (Being Upright: Zen Meditation and the Bodhisattva Precepts, page 137). He describes the act of intoxication as bringing something into yourself to manipulate your experience. This "something" can be "coffee, tea, chewing gum, sweets, sex, sleep, power, fame, and even food." One of my intoxicants is television (I find crime dramas soothing; I have no idea why). This doesn't mean we are prohibited from using coffee, tea, chewing gum, etc. It means to take care not to use them as intoxicants, as ways of soothing and distracting ourselves from the direct and intimate experience of life. In other words, whatever we use to distract ourselves into heedlessness is an intoxicant. In the course of our lives most of us develop mental and physical habits that enable nice, cozy states of heedlessness. The challenge of working with the Fifth Precept is to identify what those are and deal with them. From this perspective, the question of whether to abstain from alcohol entirely or drink in moderation is an individual one that requires some spiritual maturity and self-honesty.

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Buddhism: What's Hot Now: Three Marks of Existence

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Three Marks of Existence Jan 2nd 2013, 11:04 The Buddha taught that everything in the physical world, including mental activity and psychological experience, is marked with three characteristics -- impermanence, suffering and egolessness. Thorough examination and awareness of these marks helps us abandon the grasping and clinging that bind us. 1. Suffering (Dukkha) The Pali word dukkha is most often translated as "suffering," but it also means "unsatisfactory" or "imperfect." Everything material and mental that begins and ends, is composed of the five skandhas, and has not been liberated to Nirvana, is dukkha. Thus, even beautiful things and pleasant experiences are dukkha. 2. Impermanence (Anicca) Impermanence is the fundamental property of everything that is conditioned. All conditioned things are impermanent and are in a constant state of flux. Because all conditioned things are constantly in flux, liberation is possible. 3. Egolessness (Anatta) Anatta (anatman in Sanskrit) is also translated as nonself or nonessentiality. This is the teaching that "you" are not an integral, autonomous entity. The individual self, or what we might call the ego, is more correctly thought of as a by-product of the skandhas.

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Buddhism: What's Hot Now: Food Offerings

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Food Offerings Jan 2nd 2013, 11:04 Offering food is one of the oldest and most common rituals of Buddhism. Food is given to monks during alms rounds and also ritually offered to tantric deities and hungry ghosts. Offering food is a meritorious act that also reminds us not to be greedy or selfish. Offering Alms to Monks The first Buddhist monks did not build monasteries. Instead, they were homeless mendicants who begged for all their food. Their only possessions were their robe and begging bowl. Today, in many predominately Theravada countries like Thailand, monks still rely on receiving alms for most of their food. The monks leave the monasteries early in the morning. They walk single file, oldest first, carrying their alms bowls in front of them. Laypeople wait for them, sometimes kneeling, and place food, flowers or incense sticks in the bowls. Women must be careful not to touch the monks. The monks do not speak, even to say thank you. The giving of alms is not thought of as charity. The giving and receiving of alms creates a spiritual connection between the monastic and lay communities. Laypeople have a responsibility to support the monks physically, and the monks have a responsibility to support the community spiritually. The practice of begging for alms has mostly disappeared in Mahayana countries, although in Japan monks periodically do takuhatsu, "request" (taku) "with eating bowls" (hatsu). Sometimes monks recite sutras in exchange for donations. Zen monks may go out in small groups, chanting "Ho" (dharma) as they walk, signifying that they are bringing the dharma. Monks practicing takuhatsu wear large straw hats that partly obscure their faces. The hats also prevent them from seeing the faces of those giving them alms. There is no giver and no receiver; just giving and receiving. This purifies the act of giving and receiving. Other Food Offerings Ceremonial food offerings also are a common practice in Buddhism. The precise rituals and doctrines behind them differ from one school to another. Food may be simply and silently left on an altar, with a small bow, or the offering might be accompanied by elaborate chants and full prostrations. However it is done, as with the alms given to monks, offering food on an altar is an act of connecting with the spiritual world. It is also a means to release selfishness and open the heart to the needs of others. It is a common practice in Zen to make food offerings to the hungry ghosts. During formal meals during sesshin, and offering bowl will be passed or brought to each person about to partake of the meal. Everyone takes a small piece of food from his bowl, touches it to the forehead, and places it in the offering bowl. The bowl is then ceremonially placed on the altar. Hungry ghosts represent all of our greed and thirst and clinging, which bind us to our sorrows and disappointments. By giving away something that we crave, we unbind ourselves from our own clinging and neediness to think of others. Eventually the offered food is left out for birds and wild animals.

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Buddhism: What's Hot Now: Jataka Tales

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Jataka Tales Jan 2nd 2013, 11:04 So did you hear the one about the monkey and the crocodile? What about the story of the contended quail? Or the rabbit in the moon? Or the hungry tigress? These stories are from the Jataka Tales, a large body of stories about the earlier lives of the Buddha. Many are in the form of animal fables that teach something about morality, not unlike Aesop's fables. Many of the stories are charming and light-hearted, and some of these have been published in sweetly illustrated children's books. However, not all of the stories are suitable for children; some are dark and even violent. Where did the Jatakas originate? The stories come from multiple sources and have a multitude of authors. Like other Buddhist literature, the many stories can be divided into " The Theravada Jataka Tales The oldest and largest collection of Jataka Tales is in the Pali Canon. They are found in the Sutta-pitaka ("basket of sutras") part of the canon, in a section called the Khuddaka Nikaya, and they are presented there as the record of the Buddha's past lives. Some alternative versions of the same stories are scattered about in other parts of the Pali Canon. The Khuddaka Nikaya contains 547 verses arranged in order of length, shortest to longest. The stories are found in commentaries to the verses. The "final" collection as we know it today was compiled about 500 CE, somewhere in southeast Asia, by unknown editors. The overall purpose of the Pali Jatakas is to show how the Buddha lived many lives with the goal of realizing enlightenment. The Buddha was born and reborn in the forms of humans, animals, and superhuman beings, but always he made a great effort to reach his goal. Many of these poems and stories come from much older sources. Some of the stories are adapted from a Hindu text, Panchatantra Tales, written by Pandit Vishu Sharma around 200 BCE. And it is probable many of the other stories are based on folk tales and other oral traditions that have otherwise been lost." Storyteller Rafe Martin, who has published several books of Jataka Tales, wrote, "Formed of fragments of epics and hero tales arising from deep in the collective Indian past, this already ancient material was taken over and revised, reworked, and reused by later Buddhist storytellers for their own purposes" (Martin, The Hungry Tigress: Buddhist Myths, Legends, and Jataka Tales, p. xvii). The Mahayana Jataka Tales What some call the Mahayana Jataka stories are also called the "apocryphal" Jatakas, indicating they come from unknown origins outside the standard collection (the Pali Canon). These stories, usually in Sanskrit, were written over the centuries by many authors. One of the best known collections of these "apocryphal" works does have a known origin. The Jatakamala ("garland of Jatakas"; also called the Bodhisattvavadanamala) probably was composed in the 3rd or 4th century CE. The Jatakamala contains 34 Jatakas written by Arya Sura (sometimes spelled Aryasura). The stories in the Jatakamala focus on the perfections, especially those of generosity, morality, and patience. Although he is remembered as a skillful and elegant writer, little is known about Arya Sura. One old text preserved at the University of Tokyo says he was the son of a king who renounced his inheritance to become a monk, but whether that is true or a fanciful invention no one can say. The Jataka Tales in Practice and Literature Through the centuries these stories have been much more than fairy tales. They were, and are, taken very seriously for their moral and spiritual teachings. Like all great myths, the stories are as much about ourselves as they are about the Buddha. As Joseph Campbell said, "Shakespeare said that art is a mirror held up to nature. And that's what it is. The nature is your nature, and all of these wonderful poetic images of mythology are referring to something in you." ["Joseph Campbell: The Power of Myth, with Bill Moyers,"PBS ] The Jataka Tales are portrayed in dramas and dance. The Ajanta Cave paintings of Maharashtra, India (ca. 6th century CE) portray Jataka Tales in narrative order, so that people walking through the caves would learn the stories. Jatakas in World Literature Many of the Jatakas bear a striking resemblance to stories long familiar in the West. For example, the story of Chicken Little -- the frightened chicken who thought the sky was falling -- is essentially the same story as one of the Pali Jatakas (Jataka 322), in which a frightened monkey thought the sky was falling. As the forest animals scatter in terror, a wise lion discerns the truth and restores order. The famous fable about the goose that laid golden eggs is eerily similar to Pali Jataka 136, in which a deceased man was reborn as a goose with gold feathers. He went to his former home to wind his wife and children from his past life. The goose told the family they could pluck one gold feather a day, and the gold provided well for the family. But the wife became greedy and plucked all the feathers out. When the feathers grew back, they were ordinary goose feathers, and the goose flew away. It is unlikely Aesop and other early storytellers had copies of the Jatakas handy. And it's unlikely that the monks and scholars who compiled the Pali Canon more than 2,000 years ago ever heard of Aesop. Perhaps the stories were spread by ancient travelers. Perhaps they were built from fragments of the first human stories, told by our paleolithic ancestors. Read More -- Three Jataka Tales: The Selfless Hare The Golden Deer The Golden Mallard

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Buddhism: What's Hot Now: Twelve Links

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Twelve Links Jan 2nd 2013, 11:04 The Buddha said there are twelve links (nidanas) in the "chain" of Dependent Origination. Dependent Origination is the Buddhist teaching on how things come to be, are, and cease to be. According to this teaching, no beings or phenomena exist independently of other beings and phenomena. The Twelve Links show us how Dependent Origination "works." Please note that there is no first link. The "numbering" could begin anywhere. Although they are described in a linear way, in fact each link connects to all the other links. 1. Ignorance (Avidya) Avidya means lack of light or lack of understanding. In Buddhism, "ignorance" usually refers to ignorance of the Four Noble Truths, in particular that life is dukkha (unsatisfactory; stressful). Ignorance also refers to ignorance of anatman, a teaching that there is no "self" in the sense of a permanent, integral, autonomous being within an individual existence. What we think of as our self, our personality and ego, are temporary creations of the skandhas. The twelve links are illustrated in the outer ring of the Bhavachakra (Wheel of Life). Ignorance is depicted as a blind man or woman. Ignorance conditions the next link in the chain, volitional action. 2. Volitional Formation (Samskara) Ignorance links to samskara, which can be translated volitional action, formation, impulse, motivation, or karma formation. Out of ignorance come thoughts, words and actions that sew the seeds of karma. Samskara are the impulses that come before action, and action creates karma. In the outer ring of the Bhavachakra (Wheel of Life), samskara usually is illustrated as potters making pots. Volitional formation conditions the next link, consciousness. 3. Consciousness (Vijnana) Vijnana usually is translated to mean "consciousness." In Buddhist teaching there are many kinds of vijnana. Very generally, vijnana is what happens when one of the six faculties (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind) reacts to or becomes aware of one of the six external phenomena (visible form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and ideas and thoughts). The third link includes all kinds of vijnana. In the outer ring of the Bhavachakra (Wheel of Life), vijnana is represented by a monkey. A monkey leaps thoughtlessly from one thing to another, easily tempted and distracted by sensations. Monkey energy pulls us away from ourselves and away from the dharma. Vijnana conditions the next link, name and form. 4. Name and Form (Nama-rupa) Nama-rupa is name and form, corporeality and mentality, the joining of the five skandhas into an individual existence. With name and form also come sensory perception. In the outer ring of the Bhavachakra (Wheel of Life), nama-rupa is represented by people in a boat, traveling through samsara. Nama-rupa works together with the next link, faculties and objects, to condition other links. 5. Faculties and Objects (Shadayatana) The Vijnana, or consciousness, link described above involves the the six faculties or sense organs (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind) and six corresponding external phenomena, or objects (visible form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and ideas and thoughts). The faculties and their corresponding objects are the shadayatana. Of course, the sense organs do not exist separately from the previous link, physical form. If you reflect on the links, you see that each link connects to every other link. The Bhavachakra (Wheel of Life) illustrates shadayatana as a house with six windows. Shadayatana relates directly to the next link, which is the contact between faculties and objects. 6. Contact (Sparsha) Sparsha is contact with environment, or the contact with the faculties and object discussed of Shadayatana. The Wheel of Life illustrates sparsha with an embracing couple. The contact of faculties and objects leads to the experience of sensation, which is the next link. 7. Sensation (Vedana) Vedana is the recognition and experience of sensations. These experiences are pleasurable or painful, which leads to desire and aversion. The Wheel of Life illustrates vedana with an arrow piercing an eye to represent sense data piercing the senses. Sensation conditions the next link, craving. 8. Craving (Trishna) The Second Noble Truth teaches that trishna -- thirst, desire or craving -- is the cause of stress or suffering (dukkha). If we are not mindful, we are perpetually being jerked around by desire for what we want and aversion of what we don't want. In this state we heedlessly create karma, which keeps us entangled in the cycle of rebirth. The Wheel of Life illustrates trishna with a man drinking beer, usually surrounded with empty bottles. Desire and aversion conditions the next link, clinging. 9. Clinging or Grasping (Upadana) Upadana is a grasping and clinging mind. We cling to sensual pleasures, mistaken views, external forms and appearances. Most of all, we cling to ego and a sense of an individual self, a sense reinforced moment-to-moment by our cravings and aversions. Upadana also represents clinging to a womb and the beginning of rebirth. The Wheel of Life illustrates Upadana by picturing a monkey, or sometimes a person, reaching for a fruit. Upadana conditions the next link, becoming. 10. Becoming (Bhava) Bhava is new becoming, set in motion by the other links. The Wheel of Life illustrates bhava by picturing a couple making love or a woman in an advanced state of pregnancy. Becoming conditions the next link, birth. 11. Birth (Jati) The cycle of rebirth naturally includes birth. In the Wheel of Life, a woman in childbirth illustrates jati. Birth inevitably leads to old age and death. 12. Old Age and Death (Jara-maranam) The chain comes to old age and death, or the dissolution of what came to be. The karma of one life sets in motion another life, rooted in ignorance (avidya). A circle is closed. In the Wheel of Life, Jara-maranam is illustrated with a corpse. The Four Noble Truths teach us that release from the cycle of samsara is possible. In the resolution of ignorance, volitional formations, craving and grasping there is liberation from birth and death and the peace of nirvana.

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Buddhism: What's Hot Now: Impermanence

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Impermanence Jan 1st 2013, 11:04 All compounded things are impermanent. The historical Buddha taught this, over and over. These words were among the last he ever spoke. "Compounded things" are, of course, any thing that can't be divided into parts. I understand that science tells us even the most basic "parts," chemical elements, degrade over vast periods of time. Most of us think the impermanence of all things is an unpleasant fact we'd rather ignore. We look at the world around us, and most of it seems solid and fixed. We tend to stay in places we find comfortable and safe, and we don't want them to change. We also think we are permanent, the same person continuing from birth to death, and maybe beyond that. In other words, we may know, intellectually, that things are impermanent, but we don't perceive things that way. And that's a problem. Impermanence and the Four Noble Truths In his first sermon after his enlightenment, the Buddha laid out a proposition -- the Four Noble Truths. He said that life is dukkha, a word that cannot be precisely translated into English, but is sometimes rendered "stressful," "unsatisfactory," or "suffering." Very basically, life is full of craving or "thirst" that is never satisfied. This thirst comes from ignorance of the true nature of reality. We see ourselves as permanent beings, separate from everything else. This is the primordial ignorance and the first of the three poisons out of which arise the other two poisons, greed and hate. We go through life attaching to things, wanting them to last forever. But they don't last, and this makes us sad. We experience envy and anger and even become violent with others because we cling to a false perception of permanence. The realization of wisdom is that this separation is an illusion, because permanence is an illusion. Even the "I" we think is so permanent is an illusion. If you are new to Buddhism, at first this may not make much sense. The idea that perceiving impermanence is the key to happiness also doesn't make much sense. It's not something that can be understood by intellect alone. However, the Fourth Noble Truth is that through practice of the Eightfold Path we may realize and experience the truth of impermanence and be freed of the pernicious effects of the three poisons. When it's perceived that the causes of hate and greed are illusions, hate and greed -- and the misery they cause -- disappear. Impermanence and Anatta The Buddha taught that existence has three marks -- dukkha, anicca (impermanence), and anatta (egolessness). Anatta is also sometimes translated as "without essence" or "no self." This is the teaching that what we think of as "me," who was born one day and will die another day, is an illusion. Yes, you are here, reading this article. But the "I" you think is permanent is really a series of thought-moments, an illusion continually generated by our bodies and senses and nervous systems. There is no permanent, fixed "me" that has always inhabited your ever-changing body. In some schools of Buddhism, the doctrine of anatta is taken further, to the teaching of shunyata, or "emptiness." This teaching stresses that there is no intrinsic self or "thing" within a compilation of component parts, whether we are talking about a person or a car or a flower. This is an extremely difficult doctrine for most of us, so don't feel bad if this makes no sense at all. It takes time. For a little more explanation, see the Introduction to the Heart Sutra. Impermanence and Attachment " The act of attaching requires two things -- an attacher, and an object of attachment. "Attachment," then, is a natural by-product of ignorance. Because we see ourselves as a permanent thing separate from everything else, we grasp and cling to "other" things. Attachment in this sense might be defined as any mental habit that perpetuates the illusion of a permanent, separate self. The most damaging attachment is ego attachment. Whatever we think we need to "be ourselves," whether a job title, a lifestyle, or a belief system, is an attachment. We cling to these things are are devastated when we lose them. On top of that, we go through life wearing emotional armor to protect our egos, and that emotional armor closes us off from each other. So, in this sense, attachment comes from the illusion of a permanent, separate self, and non-attachment comes from the realization that nothing is separate. Impermanence and Renunciation " Impermanence and Change The seemingly fixed and solid world you see around you actually is in a state of flux. Our senses may not be able to detect moment-t0-moment change, but everything is always changing. When we fully appreciate this, we can fully appreciate our experiences without clinging to them. We can also learn to let go of old fears, disappointments, regrets. Nothing is real but this moment. Because nothing is permanent, everything is possible. Liberation is possible. Enlightenment is possible. Thich Nhat Hanh wrote, "We have to nourish our insight into impermanence every day. If we do, we will live more deeply, suffer less, and enjoy life much more. Living deeply, we will touch the foundation of reality, nirvana, the world of no-birth and no-death. Touching impermanence deeply, we touch the world beyond permanence and impermanence. We touch the ground of being and see that which we have called being and nonbeing are just notions. Nothing is ever lost. Nothing is ever gained." [The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching (Parallax Press 1998), p. 124]

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