CORN TO CHICKENS

Like many Vajrayana masters, Ratu used all kinds of skilful means to introduce his students to Nature of Mind. In his compassionate desire to teach his students to experience the truth in their hearts, rather than an intellectual grasp of Lord Buddha's teachings, he often said shocking, funny or irreverent things that evoked an emotional response or drove all thought from one's mind to reveal a truth or obstacle in one's practice.

Often my initial revelations were very painful because everything felt so real to my untrained mind and clouded View. But I always felt safe, loved, protected, and much later, grateful for what Ratu helped me see in myself. In many ways he was showing me the First Noble Truth, that we are all in suffering - including myself! Once I began to accept that, he could teach me different methods to come out of samsara.

Following are some personal aphorisms I learned from Ratu to deal with life's problematic situations:

"Give gold to those who appreciate gold, and corn to chickens."

I think this saying comes from Bali, the spiritual home of our lineage. "Casting pearls before swine" is probably the closest English equivalent. What this means is to value your own kindness/compassion and practice generosity with awareness.

In my pre-dharma experience I was constantly hurt by people abusing my generosity. As a "good" Catholic, I was taught to be considerate, generous and kind - basically to give "gold" to everyone. However, I often found myself being used, taken for granted, and sometimes even judged for being stupid and weak.

Ratu taught me to take responsibility for my actions. He told me feeding gold to a chicken is useless. Similarly, a person who has never experienced the "gold" of common courtesy or kindness will not appreciate it, and even what one may consider as the smallest gesture of common decency is usually enough to satisfy them. In reality they don't expect any more or any less. Therefore to feel guilty by not going that extra mile for someone who doesn't even appreciate it is a waste and sometimes counter-productive, since they may judge and even resent you for it.

The important thing is to be totally aware - to see a person or situation clearly without any personal interest and act from that clarity of mind. If you feel that a person is trying to use you, give them only enough as you are willing to give. This is being selfishly wise.

"Would you rather be right or happy?"

I remember this one when I feel frustrated or overcome with self righteousness. One evening I was at a dinner party and the conversation turned to the subject of romance. I listened quietly for a while, saddened by the fact that some of these guests had a very superficial view of love. I decided to present a different viewpoint from a Buddhist perspective and people began to ask me questions.

People were genuinely interested, except for one person who kept asking me an endless stream of cynical questions. At first I answered him to the best of my ability, but began to get frustrated because all he wanted was proof and wouldn't let up. I could see he wanted to believe what his heart knew to be true, but he wasn't willing to simply surrender and it didn't matter what I said, he had a response for everything. Our conversation quickly degenerated into a philosphical debate and discussion on semantics. A thought crossed my mind, that maybe I was paying karma for being exactly the same with Ratu and laughed to myself.

In the end I said, "Look, there's an old saying; 'Would you rather be right or happy?'. I could prove to you that what you are saying is bullshit, and we could debate till the sun goes down. What would it solve? I'd rather be happy! I don't have to prove anything to you; I really don't care what you think. " Then I smiled and walked away. He ended up approaching me later and we went out for a beer.

What I learned is that sometimes when you win, you lose - even if you are right. This saying is a great antidote to quelling one's pride and developing the humility to simply let go.

MEDITATION IN DAILY LIFE

This is a short article I wrote for a company magazine. May it inspire you to meditate, or in my case, meditate more!

"I believe that the very purpose of our life is to seek happiness. That is clear. Whether one believes in religion or not, whether one believes in this religion or that religion, we all are seeking something better in life. So, I think, the very motion of our life is towards happiness…" – His Holiness, the Dalai Lama

"Life is precious. Love is its diamond. With the strength of a tiger, to embody this jewel is to be free of one’s selfishness." - HE Prince Ratu Pandji Pandita

In the East sages and meditation masters are revered for their wisdom and compassion in teaching people how to find inner peace and happiness through the precious jewel of meditation. I am forever indebted to my teacher, His Eminence Prince Ratu Pandji Pandita, a Buddhist lama of the Sakya tradition of Indonesia who taught me the joy of meditation and showed me the path to happiness. I am honoured to share some of my knowledge with my fellow colleagues. May you all find happiness on this journey to self discovery.

Meditation is perhaps the greatest gift you can give yourself. At the very least meditation will help you relax and deal with the vagaries of everyday life. At best meditation is the most powerful method to attain enlightenment. As a non-sectarian practice the benefits of meditation are well known, ranging from developing amazing powers of concentration and insight, to relieving the effects of physical and emotional stress. Some people have even healed themselves from cancer and all range of chronic illnesses. Others speak about experiences of peace, clarity and bliss, of feeling an interconnectedness with all living things where life pulses with a vibrancy they have never experienced before.

Meditation is a practice anyone can do anywhere at any time. People feel the benefits even after practising for as little as ten minutes a day. Scientific studies have shown that meditation decreases oxygen consumption, heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure, and increases the intensity of alpha, theta, and delta brain waves - the opposite of the physiological changes that occur during the stress response.

What is Meditation?

Meditation is a state of being completely aware and present in the moment. It is the art of simply being, undisturbed by our negative thoughts, emotions and feelings. At the heart of meditation is to realise the truth that we are so much more than who we believe we are, that we are all inseparable from the divine, like the billions of rays of light are inseparable from the sun. In the Buddhist teachings we are already perfect, but because of our conditioning and mental defilements it is difficult for us to recognise our true sky like nature. This ignorance is the root of our underlying suffering.

As human beings we live our lives in the past or in the future but never in the present, forever trapped by the mental gymnastics and emotional roller coaster of our thinking minds. For example, when you went to work this morning, you were probably remembering something that happened an hour ago, or planning what you would do with the rest of your day. Maybe you were simply trying to keep warm on the bus. You were so immersed in your own inner dialogue that you probably didn’t notice how beautiful and peaceful the world around you is in the middle of winter. You didn’t notice the crispness in the air, the golden hued beauty of the few remaining leaves in the trees, nor the kindness of a stranger offering you a seat and heartfelt smile. It is these simple pleasures that we take for granted until we are forced to slow down from old age, sickness or death. It is this awareness of life’s simple pleasures that meditation can teach you by developing your appreciation.

Most of us are so busy with endless activity that we miss out on so much. We are ruled by our thinking minds that are swayed by our thoughts, emotions and feelings. We blindly follow our habitual patterns of anger, selfishness, greed, lust, jealousy and pride, knowing in our hearts that we are hurting ourselves and others, and yet seem incapable of stopping. We waste our lives looking outside ourselves for happiness and fulfilment. We do not recognise our own innate perfection, always comparing ourselves with others and following our insecurities and sense of dissatisfaction. We live in a haze of ignorance and delusion, grasping after relationships, chasing security in wealth, and competing with others for prestige and power. The underlying belief is once we have attained these things that we’ll finally be happy. This process of grasping is endless and can never be satisfied.

The Buddha taught that lasting happiness can only be found in our hearts and not in our concepts of happiness in our heads. In modern philosophy the mind resides in the head. In the mystic traditions of the East the mind resides in the heart. Our thinking, reasoning mind is like a computer. Our heart is like the software. No matter how powerful the computer, if the software is corrupted with the wrong programme (beliefs), the computer simply won’t work. Meditation techniques are like an anti-virus software (our awareness) that identifies all our negativities so that we know what to fix within ourselves, and reprogrammes our minds to let go of our negative conditioning.

The purpose of meditation practice is to develop awareness and learn to let go. It is the nature of our heads to think, to plan and organise. It is the nature of our hearts to feel. The goal of meditation is to unite these two aspects of ourselves and utilise the power inherent in these two qualities so that we can manifest our dreams.

Over thousands of years sages have developed countless meditation techniques, including the chanting of mantras, the Japanese tea ceremony, temple offerings and martial arts. The purpose of techniques is to focus and train your mind to recognise the state of meditation, which is to be aware and present in the moment. By developing one’s awareness and training oneself to let go, we learn to accept who we are and begin to realise we are all already perfect.

We judge ourselves far too harshly. Judgement is a characteristic of the thinking mind and the antithesis of compassion, which is a basic understanding of what it feels like to be in another person’s shoes. By meditating and becoming aware of your own pain or inadequacies without judgement, you will begin to develop compassion towards yourself and how painful it is to follow these negative thoughts and emotions. You will begin to connect more and more with others when you realise that everyone experiences the same suffering, which is basically what Buddhists call the First Noble Truth. You will begin to relax and become more open.

The Practice

A common misconception that face beginners to meditation is that they often think they have to empty their minds of all thoughts, or rigidly will their bodies to maintain a strict posture and fight through the discomfort of sitting in a full lotus position. Imposing all these beliefs on yourself will make it difficult to enter the state of meditation because you are so preoccupied by trying to meditate correctly - to get it right.

When you meditate you are not meant to do anything but simply breathe, relax and watch all your thoughts, emotions and feelings as they arise in your mind. When you allow yourself to "be", without judgement to what you are thinking, doing or feeling, a deep sense of peace arises and you may even experience a sense of clarity and bliss.

When you first begin to practice you will notice just how many thoughts pass through your mind. Sometimes feelings of anger, sadness, hurt or loneliness may arise. These recognitions are good because it means you are becoming more aware. All you need to do is to acknowledge them, relax and let them be. The more you practice, the pain of these emotions will affect you less and less as you train your mind to acknowledge and let go. After a while your mind will become less agitated and more quiet and tranquil, like you are standing in the eye of a cyclone where it is peaceful and yet you can see destructive swirl of your emotions around you.

You will begin to notice an aspect of your mind that simply watches everything without judgement. This "watcher" is the real you beyond all your negative beliefs about yourself. This watcher is your awareness, heart or conscience, which is infinitely wise and compassionate. If you are able to rest in this state continually you will be happy because you will be guided by the individual passion of your own heart, which is inseparable to the divine.

The Buddha perfected meditation and taught 84,000 different ways to tame and pacify the mind. Following are some techniques you can practice at home or during work. It may be helpful to find a teacher or join a meditation class if you are interested in developing your practice.

Following the Breath: The most popular meditation technique is to follow your breath. This is basically practicing what Buddhists call ‘mindfulness’ where one’s concentration is focused on the simple act of breathing. If you are new to meditation, find a suitable place to meditate that is quiet and free of external distractions. Sit down on the floor in a cross-legged position or on a chair. (It is not necessary to sit in the full lotus position that is used in some advanced yoga classes). The important thing is to maintain a relaxed but alert posture, with your spine as straight as comfortably possible. To help you maintain your posture you may sit on cushions to elevate your bottom and take the pressure off your lower back. Tuck in your chin slightly with your eyes gazing downwards and focus on a spot about a metre in front of you. If you are a beginner you may want to close your eyes to begin with and once you are relaxed, slowly open your eyes.

Then focus your attention on your breathing. Breathe in and out naturally. Do not force your breathing but be aware of the length of each breath focusing slightly on the out breath. One method to help you concentrate on following your breath is to lightly focus your attention on the movement of the rise and fall of your belly. Another method is to focus on your nostrils by noticing how the air feels cool when you inhale, and then feels warm when you exhale.

At various times of the day, try to focus on your breathing. You can do this while you are doing the washing up, making the beds, waiting at a red light, or even sitting in front of your computer. The instant benefit from this is that it brings you immediately to the present moment. It is also very effective during or before an important meeting, an exam, or even while sitting in the dentist's chair. As you breathe out, you will start to feel your body relax, and your mind will become more focused. So each time you feel yourself getting stressed or find that you have unexpected time on your hands, you can do a quick 60 second meditation.

Exercising Your Smile: Your smile has the power of peace and inner equilibrium. Breathe deeply, especially when you are a bit rushed, feel rattled or overwhelmed. Relax and while you breathe, let your smile play on your lips. Soften your eyes and become aware of how much your face and mind have loosened from the joyful act of just smiling. While you breathe and smile, let this smile spread throughout your body. Breathe and smile with your entire body. Practice this smile and breathing daily, especially when are in front of the mirror getting ready to go out. Notice how much this smile helps your well-being and how much it helps others.

For Ratu

It brings tears to my eyes

To feel how much I love you.

I am humbled by your love

And innumerable acts of kindness.

In the midst of my suffering

I forget that you suffer too.

More so, I’m sure, for your inconceivable

Compassion, and courage to face your pain.

I know that it is not your responsibility

To absolve me for my past inconsiderations

But forgive me for my selfish ignorance.

Please teach me the true meaning

Of Spiritual Friend

So I may share your pain

And learn to love as you do.

Prayer for Ratu's Blessing

O Lama of unrepayable kindness

I always remember you.

You have given my life purpose.

Until I reach the highest enlightenment

May you always sit on the

Lotus throne of my heart.

May you always guide me

With your love and compassion.

Please bless my mind.

Grant me Courage and Faith

To fight the legions of Mara

For the sake of all sentient beings.

May your wisdom be my sword.

Cut through my conditioning with

The molten fire of your understanding.

Grant me your Strength 

so that I may see Truth 

Through the eyes of Compassion.

Awareness be my shield.

Protect me from the harm of

Others and my own inner demons.

Mindfulness be my steed and

The steel of my Devotion.

Insight be my eyes

And Dignity, my demeanour.

Impartiality be my ears

And Truth and Skilful Means be my voice.

Eroticism be my power of dominion

Cloaked in the Passion of my charisma.

Emptiness be my adviser.

May I develop the power

To let go of all my attachments.

Beauty be my light and warmth

So that I may guide all beings

Out of darkness of suffering

And into the mandala of Lord Buddha.

Most of all, O lama of unrepayable kindness

Be my heart

So I may rule myself with the humility and love

Of a true king - a Bodhisattva of the Buddhas.

CONVERSATIONS WITH RATU

Some of the best Dharma teachings I ever received were not in a formal setting of a pura or gompa, but in those magical moments when I had the opportunity to just sit and listen to Ratu. Sometimes these teachings would take place at a cafe, beach or more often in his kitchen; basically anywhere his whim would take him and like all his students, I was happy to go anywhere just to be near him.

I adored Ratu. He was my father, mother, brother, best friend, teacher and master all rolled into one. He was kind, compassionate, wise, cheeky, irreverent and just plain fun to be around with. In my confusion or joy he always had something relevant to say about life, its purpose and meaning. I was enthralled by his beautiful vision of the world around him, and his good humour even in the face of death.

He passed away in the winter of 2004 after a long and protracted illness. I feel fortunate to have been able to look after some of his basic needs before his untimely passing. During this period Ratu still continued to teach his students, sometimes from his sick bed.

I never fully appreciated his boundless compassion until I had a knee injury and was bedridden for two weeks. Despite my regimen of painkillers I was in so much pain that sometimes I punched my bedroom wall just to feel something other than the relentless throb in my knee.

In wondrous awe and admiration I later asked Ratu how he was able to keep teaching and helping others despite being in constant pain for almost four years, sometimes risking his own health in the process. I had been in pain for two weeks; the last thing on my mind was the happiness and welfare of others.

He just smiled, winked, and said, "That's because you don't know what it feels like to be one with your Love".

It's this one sentence that inspires me in my practice of the Dharma. I often contemplate what it must feel like to be enlightened, where even one's own life pales in significance to one's feeling of love and compassion - not only towards one's loved ones (which is easy), but to all beings without exception. O Lama of Unrepayable kindness, I always remember you.

Following are some questions I have asked over ten years of practice and Ratu's beautiful and sometimes painful answers. (Please bear in mind that these are my interpretations of Ratu's answers and not his words verbatim). I hope they can help you on your own journey of self discovery.


Q) How do I stop seeking approval from others all the time? I get angry at myself because I find myself being frightened of being disliked even by people I don't respect.

It's stupid to seek approval from others. Some people’s approval is not worth gaining because it's based on their ignorant beliefs on what is right or wrong.

You only need to find approval from within yourself. Follow the feeling in your heart. Always ask yourself what you like or what you would like to do in all situations.


Q) I am easily hurt by people's harsh words and inconsiderate behaviour and it bothers me that I take things too personally and feel stupid for being so sensitive. How do I stop resenting people who treat me unfairly?

First of all, do not judge yourself for being sensitive. Sensitivity is the depth of one’s appreciation and the energy of appreciation can take one to Enlightenment.

Be aware that you cannot trust your own mind, let alone the minds of others. I certainly don't trust my mind. Remember that people are ignorant and when they project their suffering on to you, it is not your stuff to deal with.

Take responsibility for your own feelings. Remember that your thoughts and emotions influence your feelings.

Simply relax and feel the pain of it. Allow it to pierce your heart, then a feeling of compassion will arise.


Q. What is true happiness? What does it feel like?

True happiness is freedom from suffering from a realisation of the Four Noble Truths. What does it feel like? I will draw you a map:

1. You are no longer a slave to your thoughts and emotions. Your heart is at peace and full of compassion for others. Caring for others is effortless and brings you great joy.

2. You experience life with a bubbling feeling of enchantment.

3. You have completely mastered your mind. You become your Awareness. Your thinking mind is stable and no longer wanders.

4. There is no sadness any longer in taking responsibility for others.

5. You feel no fear, except for the fear of death. This fear makes you appreciate the preciousness of your life.

6. Wealth comes to you effortlessly but you are not attached to it. You feel comfortable where ever you are, whether it is staying in a palace or a village hut.

7. Your sexuality increases and you begin to like yourself more and more. You begin to adorn yourself with jewelery and wear beautiful clothes.

8. There are no concepts in your mind any longer. You experience life directly without the filter of ego.

THE DHARMA OF THE MATRIX

Beyond the stunning special effects and kinetic direction of The Matrix, the underlying message is pure Dharma. The world of illusion that is the Matrix, and the journey towards meaning and truth that Neo (Keanu Reeves) embarks on is the essence of the bodhisattva path. Similarly, Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) is a lama archetype who introduces Neo to the reality of the Four Noble Truths.

The world Morpheus reveals to Neo is full of suffering (The First Noble Truth). Nurtured by the machines that have enslaved them, humanity in this alternate future live in an illusion created by their own minds. The people are blind to the truth because they are in a state of unconsciousness and ignorance - The Second Noble Truth, which is all suffering originates from our own minds influenced by the law of impermanence, karma and mental defilements.

The karma created by humanity portrayed in the film is their enslavement is the result of their ignorance in bowing to the false gods of materialism and technology. Our mental defilements are represented by the Joe Pantoliano character, who betrays his comrades by following his selfishness, greed and pride. Like many of us, he would rather live in denial and the false comfort of the Matrix rather than accept the pain of a reality where sickness, old age and death are ever present.

In contrast, Neo represents the everyman living within the conventions of society. He senses there is something missing in his life but is unable to express it. When he is first introduced in the film, there is a sense that Neo is alone and out of odds with the world around him. He appears lonely and depressed, taking little solace in his clandestine double life as a hacker. Like all human beings he wants happiness, the cessation of suffering (The Third Noble Truth). But it is not enough to merely have a wish to be happy, we need to have a way, a path out of our misery (The Fourth Noble Truth), and a Lama, a spiritual friend, who has crossed the oceans of samsara to guide us to freedom, the goal of enlightenment.

He meets Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), a beautiful woman who seduces him to follow the truth like a leather clad dakini, seductive, wrathful, passionate and completely devoted to the Dharma. Leaving aside the obvious Christian/Hindu references to her name, the significance of the archetype Trinity represents, is in Vajrayana Buddhism, our heart is seen as female. She is what Neo is secretly searching for and what is missing in his life.

The feminine aspect within all of us is our passion, creativity and devotion. These qualities, and their expressions through art and loving relationships, are what makes life worth living and dying for; and as long as resist her nurturing embrace and surrender to her wisdom and seductive devotion, we will never be truly happy.

Trinity takes Neo to meet Morpheous, the divine male aspect within all of us - compassionate, courageous, protective, charismatic, intelligent and visionary. Like a Lama who recognises one's Buddha potential, he tells Neo that he has been searching for him. Without the acknowlegment of the Lama in the tantric path, the student is unable to recognise his own true nature. Similarly, without Morpheus, Neo would still be in ignorance and doubt in his divine power. Interestingly the name “Morpheous” implies change, which is a fundamental cause to suffering in Buddhism.

The law of impermanence is everything in the universe changes; nothing remains the same. Therefore it is futile to grasp for happiness and security in material possessions, power, prestige, and even love or sexual relationships since the only surety in life is death. Therefore, to become a bodhisattva, the warrior of compassion of Lord Buddha, the primary goal in life is to serve others, seek happiness and causes of happiness. It is to learn to lose gracefully (let go) from a right understanding that our whole existence is about losing. We lose our babyhood, to become toddlers, then childhood to become teenagers, then teens to become adults until finally we lose the preciousness of our lives. What Morpheus and Trinity teach Neo, is to embrace the truth of of suffering, and to seek happiness based on truth, freedom and love.

The greatest happiness is to to follow one's heart, which is the heart of the Buddha. Morpheus gives Neo the tools to embrace his full Buddha potential, which is enlightenment coupled with the ability to free others from samsara.

The essence of the Buddhist practice is to realise that our true mind is our heart - pure and unstained from the beginningless of time, and has always been inseparable from the divine, like the sun's rays are inseparable from the sun. Only our ignorance blinds us to our true sky-like nature. In a sense the twin influences of Morpheous and Trinity are what is essential in embarking on the spiritual path - the marriage of the divine male and female aspects within all of us, compassion, wisdom, emptiness and emptiness of perception.

It is sometimes easy to dismiss the miracles that Neo performs in the film as mere dramatic embellishments to the storytelling process. However, in all great religious traditions stories abound of spiritual practitioners performing miracles; Christ himself walked on water and turned water into wine. When Neo realises that the Matrix is an illusion, he can stop bullets and soar through the air. Everything suddenly becomes possible. My teacher, Ratu, once said, "If enlightenment is possible in one lifetime, then anything is possible!"

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." - Nelson Mandela