Sunyatta Journals

The stringed instrument is a source of many spiritual metaphors in Buddhism. The middle way also utilizes the stringed instrument metaphor. The strings produce a beautiful sound only when it's not too tense or not too loose, such is the learning of Dharma. I've learned something else as I was practicing my stringed instrument recently. The instrument, its acoustics, its tension, and its response to my fingers, act according to the law of nature. I am but a small part of this system. The resonance of the material, the tension, the harmonics all work tirelessly, without complaining or without thinking "why is this so hard" or "why am I not good enough". I am but a vessel to carry out these laws of nature. There's no point being proud or being upset. The strings will produce beautiful sounds when I am in tune with nature, and if it doesn't produce a beautiful sound, it is because I have yet to understand nature. I would be mistaken to consider myself th...

Let us remember the ultimate goal: to understand and act according to the truth of the universe so that we are free from suffering. As always, the truth I want to focus on is the illusory nature of the ego. Throughout my life I have had problems with both excessive self hate and excessive self love.  Which one is right? Both of them create problems for the society. Excessive self love creates delusions of grandeur and selfishness beyond reason. If you've dealt with a lot of selfish people you might be inclined to think that self-doubt and self-hate are "good" because they lead to self improvement. However, too much self-doubt also creates problems. The self-hate problem is a little harder to see compared to the selfish problem, but they actually stem from the very same defilement: the clinging to the idea of self.  I know firsthand the harm of self hate. The thought that "I should be better than this" or "I shouldn't have done that" plagued my very...

I was a fan of Dave Chappelle and followed the news closely when he abandon a 50-million dollar deal at the height of his career and went to Africa. I also watched his follow up interview with James Lipton where he hinted at the sickness that is plaguing the show business. [1] What Dave did seemed so illogical to so many people that they could only surmise that he's an addict or was "crazy", but at the same time, a lot of us get it. There's something sick about the modern hustle culture that sometimes no amount of money can compel you to stay. As I was growing up, I realize this happens all the time. Several people I personally know (including myself) quit their jobs with no alternative jobs lined up. Some people move to countries that are considered "third world" and they are happier than ever. There are always voices of judgment from the ... corporate-inclined, so to speak, calling these moves illogical. Now as I rediscover the life and career of the Buddh...