Chapter 5

5. ARE YOU

COSMIC CALL WHICH IS

*(3) – “……AS A GOLDSMITH WOULD EXAMINE GOLD FOR ITS GENUINENESS: BYCOMMON T EVERO ALL Y CONCEIVABLE METHOD OF INVESTIGATION.”    –  (THE BUDDHA.)

*(4) – UNDERSTANDING THE TEACHING IS SYNONYMOUS WITH ITS PRACTICE. THERE IS NO OTHER

PRACTICE OF THE DHAMMA (THE TRUTH). HENCE, INVESTIGATING OR SCRUTINIZING THE TEACHING IS NOT JUST OPTIONAL BUT OBLIGATORY. FOR THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO ACQUIRE AN ABSOLUTE UNDERSTANDING OF THE TEACHING – WHICH LEADS TO ADJUSTMENT. AND, FAITH AND BELIEF ARE NOT ONLY UNNECESSARY, THEY ARE DETRIMENTAL TO ONE’S PROGRESS. EVEN COMPASSION MUST ARISE FROM WITHIN.

5 .B

THERE IS AN ENORMOUS DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CHRISTIAN ATTENDING CHURCH ON SUNDAY, AND A

BUDDHIST RITUALS ON A FULL – MOON POYA DAY. THE CHRISTIAN (MOSLEM OR EVEN A HINDU) IS ATTEMPTING TO MAKE AN HONEST ENTREATY GOD. THE BUDDHIST, GARBED IN WHITE AND AVOIDING ALL ‘DISTURBING EXCESS’ IS MERELY ‘GETTING READY’*(1) – TO UNDERSTAND THE TEACHING! THE TEACHING IS THE TRUTH OF LIFE AND EXISTENCE OR REALITY.

*(1) – MANY BUDDHIST (PARTICULARLY IN SRI LANKA) STILL BELIEVE THAT THE ACTS OF GETTING READY’, WORSHIPING THE EAGER CLERGY WITH FERVOUR  AND SHOWERING THEM WITH GIFTS, SOMEHOW ENSURE THESE SIMPLE PEOPLE AN EXALTED PLACE IN THE LIFE TO FOLLOW; EVEN

THOUGH, FOR MANY, THERE IS UNTOLD MISERY IN THIS ONE! SUCH SUFFERING IS ATTRIBUTED TO ‘KARMA’ OR WRONGS DONE IN PRIOR EXISTENCE .DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE DOERS HAVE NO IDEA WHATSOEVER ABOUT WHAT THEY DID. AND HENCE, NO POSSIBILITY OF ANY RECTIFICATION: A TOTALLY IRRATIONAL CONCEPT.

5 .C

WHEN STARTING OUT ON REALITY , ONE CANNOT AFFORD THE LUXURY OF (CONFUSING) GREYS; EVERYTHING MUST BE BLACK OR WHITE, GOOD OR BAD, RIGHT OR WRONG AND, MOSTLY, IS ONE HAPPY*(1) OR NOT ! NOTHING CAN REMAIN DOUBTFUL WHEN ONE IS TALKING THE INITIAL TOTTERING STEPS. OTHERWISE ONE IS ALWAYS BE LOOKING BACK, AND NO PROGRESS WILL BE MADE, THERE MUST ALWAYS BE A FIRM BASIS, FOR THE CONSISTENCY AND COMMITMENT REQUIRED TO PURSUE REALITY. THIS UNSHAKABLE BASIS IS THE JOY OF THE TRUTH; WHICH STARTS WITH THE TRUTH THAT ONE IS NOT ONE’S BODY!

THERE IS VIRTUALLY NO LIMIT TO ONE’S STRIVING (TO GET TO THE REST OF IT SOMEHOW) ONCE THIS TRUTH IS REALIZED OR IRREFUTABLY FIXED. AS ONE’S ‘SENSE OF VALUES’ WILL NO LONGER BE ALIGNED TO THE BODY.

*(1) – HAPPINESS IS A MENTAL STATE; WHICH CAN MANIFEST IT SELF FROM ECSTATIC JOY TO THE CALM OF CONTENTMENT. THE VITAL REQUIREMENT HOWEVER IS UNIFORMITY. FOR SPURTS OF JOY TEN TO PRODUCE A NASTY REBOUND NEGATIVITY OR UNHAPPINESS.

5. D1

FOR THOSE WHO KNOW THE TRUTH – THAT ONE IS NOT ONE’S BODY NO FURTHER INCENTIVE IS NECESSARY; FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT (KNOW THIS TRUTH) NO OTHER INCENTIVE CAN MAKE MUCH

HEADWAY. WHEN ONE IS SEEKING THE JOY OF THE TRUTH, ONE IS ATTEMPTING TO PERFECT KNOWLEDGE. AND, IF THOROUGHNESS AND CANDOUR ARE VITAL FOR SUCH PURSUIT; THEN, PROCRASTINATION IS UNTHINKABLE. STUDY, INQUIRY OF CONFIRMATION WHICH IS REQUIRED NOW, MUST BE DONE INSTANTLY – THE OPPORTUNITY MAY NEVER REPEAT IT SELF IN THE FUTURE.

(THE MOMENT ONE REALIZE THAT ONE IS NOT ONE’S BODY, ONE BEGINS TO THINK AS THE MIND, THOUGH LIVING AS THE BODY. THEN, WITH PROGRESS, ONE MERELY MAINTAINS THE BODY, WHILST

LIVING AND THINKING AS THE MIND. AND FINALLY, ONE CONSIDERS THE BODY ONLY AS A PERSISTENTLY DEMANDING, IMPERSONAL ENTITY: INDIVIDUAL CELLS, INTEGRATED FOR FUNCTION, BY A UNIT OF MIND.)

5 .D 2

UNAWARE THAT IT IS THE MIND, THE BEING CONSTRUCTS THE BODY AS ITS SELF. AND THE PURPOSE OF PERCEIVING THE ENVIRONMENT, WHICH IS ENTIRELY FOR ACQUIRING HAPPINESS, BECOMES DOMINATED BY A YEARNING TO PRESERVE THE BODY AND PROCREATE IT. (A FALSE CONCEPT OF ME GIVES RISE TO A FALSE CONCEPT OF MINE.) AND HAPPINESS GETS CONFINED TO THEM; LITTLE ELSE MATTERS! ACTUALLY, THE BODY IS A FACADE OR EVEN A MIRAGE, FOR IT IS THE CELL THAT LIVES. AND ALL CELLS ARE CHARGEABLE WITHIN A SPECIES, EXCEPT FOR THE BASIC BODY, OR LIFE CELL! (LIFE, OR CONSCIOUS EXISTENCE, CANNOT BE DETERMINED DIRECTLY BY A GROUP CELLS; AS THE MIND IDENTIFIES THE BODY AS EXTENSIONS OF A SINGLE CELL – THE BASIC BODY CELL. TWO SUCH CELLS WOULD MEAN THERE ARE TWO BODIES.)