From Ego to Eco: Dharma of all dharmas
The Buddha was awakened to the Dharma (Norm/Law/Ethic) of all dharmas (forms/phenomena/truths), i.e., Dependent Co-origination, that all phenomena are interdependently co-originated on limitless causes and conditions in space and time. This means that there is no self-same (separate/eternal), self-sovereign (independent/absolute), self-substance (Ātman/Absolute, etc.). It is irrational to imagine that an absolute, separate, sovereign being controls our phenomenal world. If this were the case, there would be no relationship between them.
The Buddha decided to come out into the world to save it from destruction by selfishness, this fundamental delusion becoming the triple poisons, now causing the critical global problematique with nuclear holocaust, dictatorships, discrimination, nationalism, wars, mass extinction, etc. All problems and sufferings come from karma, (whose) source of surviving strife, which is ego (I, mine, my group, etc.) sacrificing eco (life, life system, etc.), embraces and enables egoes.
The solution lies in a paradigm shift from ego to eco, karma to Dharma, civilization (urbanization) to culture (cultivation), etc. We must see the truth of the global system and observe the global ethic, clarifying how an artificial, uni-directional pyramidal civilization affects the global eco system, and then change it to a natural, cyclical life Indra-net culture to provide holy (wholly wholesome) harmony, health, and happiness for all in space and time according to the Dharma.
The concrete way is in stilling karma (which causes the triple poisons), settling in nirvana (no wind, of karma), seeing the Dharma, sharing, serving, and saving all in coexistence and cooperation as true friends in need. More concretely it is to practice still sitting, seeing the world (ego/eco in the Dharma world), sharing prognoses (four holy truths and eight holy ways), and saving the world as a whole to make it in harmony, health, and happiness, avoiding sectional, sick selfishness.
September 22, 2023 C.E.
- Dharma means 1. form (from d-harm: phenomenon) and 2. norm (from d-h-arm: norm: law operating through phenomena: ethic), and 3. the teaching of the law of all phenomena, that is, Dependent Co-origination (originally awakened on the origination of perception/consciousness depending on the sense organs and objects, but later applied to all phenomena, cf. note 4). This law is similar to the law of causality, now used by sciences, but deeper and wider, applied beyond objects – more on subjects and symbols – ideas, etc.).
- The Indra-net, whose crystal balls on its knots reflect each other mutually and limitlessly in space and time, illustrates the Dharma of Dependent Co-origination well, showing that all phenomena are interdependently co-originated and co-originating among themselves.
- “The Dharma (Norm/Law/Truth/Ethic) of all dharmas (forms/phenomena/ truths/ethics)” is Dependent Co-origination, i.e., all phenomena are interdependently co-originated on limitless causes and conditions. This means that we are interrelated with other beings (other species, elements, stars, etc.), and relatives to each other, and that we must therefore live together harmoniously and strive to make a wholly wholesome world to become harmonious, health, and happy.
- The twelve-limbed Dependent Co-origination (bhava-cakka/bhava-cakra, becoming wheel) is the most well-known representative application of the Dharma of Dependent Co-origination, though it is misinterpreted due to its linear presentation by oral tradition and the Hindu idea of transmigration (an embryogenetical interpretation called two causalities in three generations). Actually, it is a compound formed from the Dependent Co-origination of consciousness on sense organs and objects, of suffering on craving, and of samsara (total flow: moment-to-moment change, not like transmigration in Hinduism) on appropriation. It illustrates how our life goes with the five aggregates (originally identifying and analyzing so-called “self,” later “world”), resulting in suffering due to the triple poisons.
Please refer to part 3 of “Why Buddhism Now?” for a detailed explanation with the structural system of the “Becoming Wheel” (bhava cakka/cakra):
https://buddhism869196463.wordpress.com/%e3%83%9b%e3%83%bc%e3%83%a0%ef%bc%9ahome/
- The life system is in a limitlessly interdependent and interrelated system throughout limitless space and time. If we can acknowledge and activate it, we can function as limitless life, light, liberation, and love, like the crystal balls of the Indra-net, making it holy (wholly wholesome), harmonious, healthy, and happy, calm and clear, collectively and continuously.
- Sitting still makes one calm and clear, as a bowl settling down makes the water inside of it become calm and clear, reflecting the world. Constant cultivation of still sitting leads to calming (samatha/śamatha) and observation (vipassanā/vipaśyanā), nirvana and awakening (bodhi), witnessing the of truth world (Dhamma/Dharma-dhātu), and becoming the truth body (Dhamma/Dharma-kāya).
- The key practice of sitting still is to still karma, settle in nirvana (nir-vāṇa = ni-vāta: no-wind, of karma), and see the Dharma, serving and saving all. The Four Limitlessnesses (Brahma-abodes) are friendship, compassion, joy, and equanimity (upekkhā/upekṣā, lit. throwing away, the triple poisons).
- The practice of zen (jhāna/dhyāna: meditation), the key and core practice of za-zen, sitting meditation, is to still karma, settle in nirvana, see the Dharma, and serve and save all. This process is categorized in the Four Zen Stages and the Eight Concentration (samādhi) Stages (actually Four Zen Stages plus Four Concentration Stages combined, going together).
- Za-zen (sitting meditation) orders and stills body, breath, and brain (bodily, verbal, and mental) karmas. The Four Zen Stages illustrate the stilling process of mental (intellectual, emotional, and volitional) karmas, stilling contemplation/investigation, joy, and comfort, resulting in the reaching of equanimity (upekhā/upekṣā, lit. discarding), nirvana.
Please refer to parts 4 (nirvana) and 5 (zen) of “Why Buddhism Now”:
https://buddhism869196463.wordpress.com/%e3%83%9b%e3%83%bc%e3%83%a0%ef%bc%9ahome/
- Samādhi is essential to go beyond karma (especially its Triple Poisons of desire, divisiveness, and delusion) and settle in nirvana (by sitting still, stilling karma, settling in nirvana, seeing the Dharma/dharmas/Dharma world, and serving and saving all), in which true meditation and its prognosis (paññā/prajñā) can function.
- The solution of the global problematique, interrelated global problems, requires the global ethic (issued by the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago in 1993 with more than seven thousand people from all religions and from all over the world attending), which is based on the Five Precepts (and the fundamental common elements in the Ten Precepts, the Ten Commandments, etc.).
- Ernst Cassirer defined humans as homo symbolicum in his Philosophy of Symbolism, its summary An Essay on Man, where humans are described as skillful in handling the symbolisms of language, myth, religion, art, science, history, etc. The Myth of the State is an important work that to shows how states operate and how people are misled to wars and even nuclear demise.
- Religion derives from Latin religare (reunion). Religion is, thus, to reunite with holiness (wholly wholesomeness, cf. Rudolf Otto’s definition of religion as the Holy) from sin (=separation, separated sick, cf. a-sun-der, sundry).
- To reunite with the holiness of the limitless ocean of life from being a separated small bubble or foam of ego or group ego is the goal of anyone or a universal religion, where one lives as a true friend in need of all, as expressed in Mitra, Mithra, Metteya, Maitreya, Mazda, Massiah, etc., and who lives in limitless life, light, liberation, and love.
- A paradigm shift from our artificial, unilateral pyramidal civilization ( = urbanization, from Latin civitas: city) to a natural, cyclical Indra-net life culture ( = cultivation, originally of land, then one’s potential) for sharing life, heart, and harmony with the five blisses (awakening, freedom, equality, friendship, and peace) is essential to solve the global problematique. Culture is the cultivation of our potential in truth, goodness, beauty, and holiness (cf. sciences, philosophies, arts, and religions).
Please refer to the following for more detailed explanation：
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エゴからエコへ：諸法の法
ブッダは諸法の法、縁起、即ち一切の現象は時空の無限の原因と条件に相互に依存して生起するということに目覚められた。これは自己同一（個別・永遠）で自己主宰（個別・絶対）の自己実体（アートマン・絶対者等）は無いことを意味する。私達の現象世界を管理する絶対・個別・主宰存在は無いことを意味する。もしその様な場合があるなら、それらの間には関係が無いことになる。
ブッダは自己中心、現在では核ホロコースト、独裁、差別、国家主義、戦争、大量絶滅等を引き起こして言う三毒となった根本迷妄、により世界が破滅するのを救う為に世に出られた。一切の問題と苦は、生残り闘争の根源である業から来るのであり、これは諸エゴを抱擁し可能ならしめるエコ（生命、生命系等）を犠牲にするエゴである。
解決はエゴからエコへ、業から法へ、文明（都市化）から文化（修養）へ等の枠組転換にある。私達は、人工的で一方向的な金字塔文明が地球生態系に悪影響しているかを明らかにして、それを法に従い時空一切が聖（全体健全）な調和・健康・幸福にする自然的で循環的な命帝網文化に変えて、地球システムの真理を見地球倫理を守らなければならない。
具体的方法（三毒を惹き起す）業を静め、涅槃（無風、業の）に安住し、法を見、必要の時の友として共生し協働して一切を共有、奉仕、救済することである。更に具体的には静坐し、世界を見（法界のエゴ・エコ）を見、般若（知恵、四聖諦、八聖道）を共有し、区別・病患・自己中を避けて世界を全体として調和・健康・幸福にして救うことである。
2023共通年9月23日
註：
1. 法（dharma）は 形態（form： d-harmより: 現象：真理)、２．規則（norm： d-h-armより:現象中の規則：倫理)、３．諸法の法、縁起（元来は感覚器官と感覚対象に依る知覚・意識の発生に覚醒したが後に一切現象に適用されたもの。註４参照）。この法則は、現今諸科学に用いられる、因果律と同様であるが、もっと深く広い－客体を越えて主体と観念などの象徴に適用される。
2. 帝釈網は、その結び目にある水晶の珠が時空中に相互に無限に反映し合うが、一切現象が共に生起し生起させる縁起の法を例示しています。
3. 「諸法（dharma: form/phenomena/truth/ethic）の法（Dharma: Norm/Law/Truth/Ethic）」は縁起、即ち、一切現象は無量の原因と条件により因縁生起するということです。これは、私達、人間、は他の存在（他種、元素、星など）と相関し互いに相対であり、だから、共に調和して生き、調和的、健康、幸福になる為に全体健全な世界を作らなければならないということを意味します。
4. 十二支縁起（bhava-cakka/bhava-cakra、生成輪、輪廻輪）は縁起の法の適用例の最もよく知られた代表ですが、口碑による線形の表出（三世両重の因果と呼ばれる胎生学的解釈）の為とヒンズー教の輪廻説により誤解されています。実際には感覚器官と感覚対象にって共縁起する意識、割愛による苦、専有（同定：執着）によるサンサーラ（全流：全体刻々変化の意で、ヒンズー教の輪廻ではない）の複合形です。（元来は所謂「自己」後に世界を同定し分析する為の）五蘊と共に、三毒の故に苦に成る私達の生がどのように展開するかを例示したものです。
生成輪 (bhava cakka/cakra)の構造的形態の詳細説明については「何故今仏教か？」の３を参照ください：
5, 私達の生命組織は無限の時空を通じて縁起と関連の組織です。もし私達がそれを認知し実行するなら、私達は、帝釈網の水晶の珠のように、それを集団的に継続的に、聖（全体健全）なる調和、健康、幸福で、静かに明らかに、無限の生命、光明、自由、愛情として機能出来ます。
6. 静坐は、椀が安住するとその中の水が静謐に透明になり世界を映すように、人を静謐に明澄にします。静坐の常時の修行は止（止静）(samatha/śamatha) と観（観法） (vipassanā/vipaśyanā), 涅槃と覚醒 (bodhi), に導き法界 (Dhamma/Dharma-dhātu：真理世界)を直証し,法身 (Dhamma/Dharma-kāya：真実身)になります。
7. 鍵となる静坐の実践は業を静め、涅槃（nir-vāṇa = ni-vāta: no-wind, 無風、業風の）に安住し、法を見、一切に奉仕し救済するのです。四無量（四梵住）は慈（愛：友情：与楽）、悲（泯：抜苦）、喜(悦)、捨（離：upekkhā/upekṣā）です。
8. 禅（jhāna/dhyāna: 瞑想)、鍵となり核となる坐禅の実践、は業を静め、涅槃に安住し、法を見、一切に奉仕し救済します。この過程は四禅と八定（samādhi）です（実際には四禅と四定は一緒で結合しています）。
9. 坐禅（静坐瞑想）は身体・呼吸・頭脳（身口意）業を整え静止します。四禅は、尋求、伺候、喜悦、安楽を静め平静 (upekhā/upekṣā, 字義は捨離)・涅槃に到達する結果の心的（知性・感情・意欲）業を静止する過程を表示しています。
「今何故仏教か？」の４（涅槃）と５（禅）を参照ください：
10. 定（Samādhi）は業（特にその貪瞋痴の三毒）を超え、（静坐、止業、住涅槃、観法/諸法/法界、一切奉仕・救済し）涅槃に安住するのに必須であり、この中で本当の瞑想とその般若の智慧（paññā/prajñā）が働くことが出来ます。
11. 地球問題群、相互関連した地球諸問題、の解決は（1993年シカゴで世界中から諸宗教の七千人を超える人々が集まった世界宗教会議により発出された）地球倫理を必要としますが、これは五戒（と仏教他の十戒の基本的共通要素）に基づいたものです。
12. エルンスト・カッシラーは人間を言語、神話、宗教、芸術、科学、歴史などの象徴を巧く操るものであるとする「象徴の哲学」やその要約である「人間」等で「象徴人間」と定義しました。「国家の神話」は諸国家がどのように機能するかそしてどのように人々が戦争やさらには核の破滅に誤り導かれるかを知るのに重要です。
13. Religion(宗教）はラテン語religare (再結合)に由来します。だから、宗教は罪（sin = 分離、分離病患, cf. a-sun-der, sundry)から聖（holiness = wholly wholesomeness 全体健全、参照 Rudolf Ottoの宗教の定義：the Holy）に再結合することです。
14. エゴや集団エゴの分離狭小の泡沫あるいは泡群から無限の命の大洋に再結合することは誰もあるいは普遍宗教の目標です、そこでは無量寿、無量光、無量解放、無量愛を生きる友・友情（Mitra, Mithra, Metteya, Maitreya, Mazda, Massiah）で表される一切の必要の時の真の友として生きるのです。
15. 私達の人工的で一方向の金字塔文明から命・心・和の分かち合いによる五福（覚醒、自由、平等、友情、平和）をもつ自然的で循環的な命帝網文化への枠組転換が地球問題群を解決する為には必須です。文化は私達の真善美聖(参考：諸科学、諸哲学、諸芸術、諸宗教)における潜在能力を修養することです。
詳細説明は下記を参照ください：
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