Good morning!
We can wholly enjoy a beautiful spring Sunday morning with a lot of flowers, green
leaves, birds, and animals after sittings and service. We have, however, an ugly
secular world with wars, terrorism, global warming, mass extinction, etc. due to
human karmas with craving, anger, and delusion for matter, power, and ego. Science
and technology simply strengthen this tendency toward imminent nuclear holocaust
and eventual total annihilation.
The fundamental reason for this tragedy is in the fateful following of our karmas –
selfish genes and sinful (separating) gadgets. Selfish sectionalism speeds up with
scale and synergy. Mankind is supreme in evolutionary history in this. The Buddha
foresaw the destruction of the world due to selfish karmas and provided the method
to still them and see paramount truth in the supramundane realm of nirvana,
unconditioned peace.
The Four Holy Truths tell us the truth or reality of suffering, origin (craving – karma),
cessation (nirvana – a-karma), and path (the Eightfold Holy Path). The Fourfold
Application or Striving are concrete ways to decrease and stop bad karmas, and to
start and increase good karmas. The unique point of the Awakened Way lies in
nirvana and the concrete way called samādhi limbs (striving-mindfulness-samādhi),
the last part of the Eightfold Holy Path.
The Awakened Way is to be awakened from karma realms or the Six Paths, like
waking up from dreadful dreams. Only stilling karmas can lead to nirvana wherein
one can wake up from karma realms or samsara suffering. It is crucial for each and
every one of us to practice sitting, stilling karmas, and seeing Cessation and the
Dharma of Dependent Origination to truly avoid samsara suffering and appreciate
holy truth, goodness, beauty, and peace.
5/3/15
