Buddha

So Monday is metta, Tuesday is anapanasati, and today I decided Thursday is for Buddhanusatti. I'm not sure if I'll fully flesh out a weekly rhythm, but I'm working on it. I reserve the right to just do what seems best, but it takes a while to build up practice options. 

I sometimes think enlightenment is a limit, you just keep getting closer and closer without actually getting there. But I think it's more like a venn diagram of qualities that you partake some in, and could expand that participation. You bring out your Buddha nature. There's a glimpses that give you hope.

The Buddha is the example of enlightenment, not a creator god or a cult of personality, in a way you could go to refuge to the Buddha-nature inside you.

I go to devotion first, mantra: Here's one example of the Shakyamuni mantra. Here are some more Triratna examples. There's a cute little dog bark in the Indian style one, longer than the first. Bodhipaksa

The image of the buddha is a bit confounding at times. The some of the earliest ones in Gandahar have a Greek influence. I think humanity evolved towards wishing a human was represented. I went to the Met and saw amazing relief of a stupa that didn't represent the Buddha. And then when they do, it's quite dramatic for me (see photo above). I've had some intense experiences in museums where I wanted to get down and prostrate to the Buddha, in Chicago and here in New York. (Photos, another)

I used to think the Buddha didn't want to be represented, but I saw where he just didn't want to be represented in his lifetime. (I can't find the scripture, but I have a clear and distinct memory of seeing it.) He wanted to be represented by a stupa.

Then things spread out. What the Buddha achieved, I can to. And that points to the Dharma and Sangha. A candle represents the Dharma, the sangha is incense. Flowers probably represent impermanence and beauty, which is the buddha. The Buddha might still exist in the Dharmakaya, haven't really gotten my mind around the 3 kaya teaching and uncreated, unconditioned existence.

A search for pujas found this one.

Literature of the biography and mythology of the Buddha. Off the top of my head I've reviewed a few, and then there's the first one, is the Buddhacharita, and then there's another early one called Lalitavistara Sūtra. There are many modern Pali compilations. In a way the whole of the Pali Canon is about the Buddha. I read sutta and there's all kinds of magical stuff like him licking his ears to prove he has the 32 marks. I remember Karen Armstong's biography and Vishvapani's biography. 

Above I wrote it's not about the cult of personality, and here I go focusing on the person, he wanted you to see the teachings, the community. It's a practice to shift your focus around and see what pops up, are you covering everything. The koan of practice is, what should I do next? There are 5 main practices: meditation, study, ethics, devotion and fellowship.

In the sangha we got to refuge to the Buddha in our friends and acquaintances. 

The 5 Jinas are representations of Buddhist qualities.

Buddha Day is May 15rd 2024 is the next Buddha Day. Every day is Buddha day.