Buddhist Views on Relative and Absolute Truths and on Life and Death.

[decem]

here's an excerpt from Thich Nhat Hanh's "The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching." The excerpt comes right after he explains The Two Truths - relative (or worldy) truth and absolute truth.

"When we look at the ocean, we see that each wave has a beginning and an end. A wave can be compared with other waves, and we can call it more or less beautiful, higher or lower, longer lasting or less long lasting. But if we look more deeply, we see that a wave is made of water. While living the life of a wave, it also lives the life of water. It would be sad if the wave did not know that it is water. It would think, Some day, I will have to die. This period of time is my life span, and when I arrive at the shore, I will return to nonbeing. These notions will cause the wave fear and anguish. We have to help it remove the notions of self, person, living being, and life span if we want the wave to be free and happy.

"A wave can be recognized by signs - high or low, beginning or ending, beautiful or ugly. But in the world of the water, there are no signs. In the world of relative truth, the wave feels happy as she swells, and she feels sad when she falls. She may think, "I am high," or "I am low," and develop a superiority or inferiority complex. But when the wave touches her true nature - which is water - all her complexes will cease, and she will transcend birth and death.

"We become arrogant when things go well, and we are afraid of falling, or being low or inadequate. But these are relative ideas, and when they end, a feeling of completeness and satisfaction arises. Liberation is the ability to go from the world of signs to the world of true nature. We need the relative world of the wave, but we also need to touch the water, the ground of our being, to have real peace and joy. We shouldn't allow relative truth to imprison us and keep us from touching absolute truth. Looking deeply into relative truth, we penetrate the absolute. Relative and absolute truth inter-embrace. Both truths, relative and absolute, have a value."



peace

 

[decem]

bumping

 

[Franco C]

The path to true enlightenment is finding out your true nature; then living it. Scriptures will not teach a thing, you can think no spoon but when it comes down to it, you're just too trained. A robot, bane of the wild, go frolic; go skip; into the night and away from the light. Deeper and deeper into the ground seeing the faces of all alike and feeling the pathos of the deceased.

 

[decem]

bumping again

 

[Burning_Inside]

lets just die and get it all over with.

 

[decem]

Can you translate that into spanish for me?

well.. this is about as close as i can get..

La trayectoria para verdad la aclaración está descubriendo su naturaleza verdadera; entonces viviendo él. Scriptures no enseñará una cosa, usted no puede pensar ninguna cuchara pero cuando viene abajo a ella, usted es justo entrenado también. Una robusteza, perdición del salvaje, va fiesta; va el salto; en la noche y lejos de la luz. Más profundo y más profundo en la tierra que ve las caras de todo igualmente y que siente los pathos de los difuntos.

 

[spongebob]

"When we look at the ocean, we see that each wave has a beginning and an end. A wave can be compared with other waves, and we can call it more or less beautiful, higher or lower, longer lasting or less long lasting. But if we look more deeply, we see that a wave is made of water. While living the life of a wave, it also lives the life of water. It would be sad if the wave did not know that it is water. It would think, Some day, I will have to die. This period of time is my life span, and when I arrive at the shore, I will return to nonbeing. These notions will cause the wave fear and anguish. We have to help it remove the notions of self, person, living being, and life span if we want the wave to be free and happy.

"A wave can be recognized by signs - high or low, beginning or ending, beautiful or ugly. But in the world of the water, there are no signs. In the world of relative truth, the wave feels happy as she swells, and she feels sad when she falls. She may think, "I am high," or "I am low," and develop a superiority or inferiority complex. But when the wave touches her true nature - which is water - all her complexes will cease, and she will transcend birth and death.
peace

i wonder if the wave knows its eroding the beach away and sometimes causing houses to fall into the water. plus some waves bring unwanted trash ashore. these waves should be punished for this behavior. not to mention the fact that once the wave comes to shore, on its way back out as a non-wave, sometimes it takes little kids with em, thats not cool.

 

[bigschweeler]

'kickabuck'

 

[decem]

'kickabuck'

 

[the nature boy]

well.. this is about as close as i can get..

La trayectoria para verdad la aclaración está descubriendo su naturaleza verdadera; entonces viviendo él. Scriptures no enseñará una cosa, usted no puede pensar ninguna cuchara pero cuando viene abajo a ella, usted es justo entrenado también. Una robusteza, perdición del salvaje, va fiesta; va el salto; en la noche y lejos de la luz. Más profundo y más profundo en la tierra que ve las caras de todo igualmente y que siente los pathos de los difuntos.

good job.