Discussion Facilitators: Jocelyn Furbush and Bruce Cantwell. July 24, 2021
Final Knowledge and Buddhism According to Google
There is no rebirth for Buddha or people who attain nirvana. But his teachings remain in the world for a certain time as a guidance to attain nirvana.
Redefining Nibbana
The end-state of the mindfulness practice was nibbana (Pali) or nirvana (Sanskrit), which had great significance for its original students. Escaping an endless cycle of rebirth was the principal concern of Hinduism.
But does mindfulness practice have something to offer westerners who don't believe they're coming back?
Here are some side effects of nibbana that we may have noticed during practice.
Happiness
a. Matthieu Ricard: "By happiness I mean here a deep sense of flourishing that arises from an exceptionally healthy mind. This is not a mere pleasurable feeling, a fleeting emotion, or a mood, but an optimal state of being. Happiness is also a way of interpreting the world since while it may be difficult to change the world, it is always possible to change the way we look at it."[1]
Taking Care of Conditions
b. Shinzen Young: "The ability to take care of conditions in an optimal way, both individually in one's life, and globally over the planet."[2]
Concern for Well-Being of All Sentient Beings
c. Robert Wright: "The view that carries none of my selfish biases, or yours, and that in a certain sense isn't even a particularly human perspective, or the perspective of any other species.
The view from nowhere can–and, I'd argue, should–involve concern for the well-being of all people (and, if we're going to be true to Buddhist teaching, and to fairly straightforward moral logic, concern for the well-being of all sentient beings). The point is just that the concern would be evenly distributed; no one's welfare is more important than anyone else's."[3]
Flow
d. Mihály Csíkszentmihályi: a mental state of operation in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity, resulting in loss of one's sense of space and time. [4]
Have you noticed any of these side effects in your practice?
[1] Arreola, Gonzalo. “Happiness Is a State of Mind.” Exploring Your Mind, 13 Feb. 2019, exploringyourmind.com/happiness-state-mind/.
[2] Young, Shinzen. The science of enlightenment: Teachings & Meditations for Awakening through Self-Investigation. Sounds True, 2005.
[3] Wright, Robert. Why Buddhism Is True: the Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment. Simon & Schuster, 2018.
[4] “Flow (Psychology).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 21 Mar. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_(psychology).
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