1. Volume One
2. Volume Two
3. Volume Three
4. What is Daimoku
5. On Becoming
6. The Buddha's Work
7. A Debt of Gratitude
8. Longing for Masters
9. Samsara and the Ego
10. Samsaric Opportunity
11. Singlemindedly desire to see the Buddha
12. The Two Great Concepts
13. Pain of ending friendships
14. The Buddha's Teaching
15. Broad Study but Focused Practice
16. Merits of Teaching the Law

Samsara and the Ego

Really sad that human beings have become so distant from their inherent enlightenment that carrying a sack on the belly of a man is "required" in order that the man "feel" the wonder of childbearing. Really very sad.

The worlds of Shomon and Engaku were taught by the Buddha for over forty years to be unable to reach full awakening. It was not until the teachings of the Lotus Sutra in the last eight years of his teaching that he finally gave them the teaching and method for their Buddhahood. Until then, men of learning and realization, detachment of desires, the mind, the experience of the "void" which persists to this day even in Tibetan Buddhism was only to stand at the gates of enlightenment and not to be released from the cycle of birth and death. Ever to be reborn into trial to act as Bodhisattva and still again reborn. I believe it is the complexities of ego, the antithesis of humility, which is predominant in the Buddha's training. Why else wait for so long to teach those so dedicated and continually admonished and humiliated in public, that their efforts could only raise them partially above the samsaric world.

It is obvious today with such "commercial" devices, that the strength of samsaric reality holds through even the most ardent Theravada, Vipassanna, Samatha, Zen, Sanron, Shingon, or any of the schools of Hinniyana or provisional Mahayana ascesis. It is not until the Great One Vehicle of the Lotus Sutra that the door opens from the gateway, to provide ascesis beyond the samsaric existence, beyond the "anti"-samsaric of non-existence (the "void"), into the bliss of Buddhahood. And it is only in the Lotus Sutra where we also discover that all efforts, work, devotion done with the hearts dedication to healing, bridging gaps with sincere wishes of offering one's "self" in the support of others' betterment and happiness, is in fact the Buddha's work.

But illusion is a tricky business. Offering weighted sacks with shoulder straps for "daddies" to "feel" the efforts of bearing a child is like placing randomly exploding springs under a turtle to induce the turtle to "know" the life of a rabbit. This is poison and completely egotistic manipulation of the samsaric. Is it not more important that the male be instructed in correct and appropriate male behaviour? Where are those mentors, teachers, and guides? There are far to many replacements for responsibility in our world today. And those replacements are powerfully marketed and insipidly injected into the samsaric consciousness.

Your work as an artist, mother, and compassionate woman are the Buddha's work. Your efforts are the very substance of the Bodhisattva work toward the ultimate liberation of enlightenment. Be keenly aware of your motivations and attitudes as you continually perform your activities each day. This is the true effort and courage of practice. It is said, meditation is easy; it is the application of the wisdom mind, which is most difficult.

Deep love and respect,

Reverend Sylvain Chamberland, Nyudo

----- Original Message -----
From: Lynn Kubasek
Sent: Saturday, May 06, 2006 11:13 PM
Subject: Another sign of the end of western civilization...

A truly unnecessary product...