By: Andrew
Martin..
The Author of One ~ A Survival Guide for the Future…
When we look for those who have inspired and influenced
people over the millennia, we keep returning to the great leaders who have
provided clarity and wisdom on what it means to be human. These great teachers,
prophets and sages, have never set out to be religious or spiritual symbols.
Many of these masters simply wanted to share with others the revelations they
had in an attempt to educate and awaken people.
When we analyze the teachings of these masters we find
common dialogues, ideologies and philosophies on life and living. While the
messages are communicated differently the underlying principles are similar.
Are these masters one, simply showing themselves in different times, places,
societies and forms? Have they come to help awaken and revitalize humanity to
its true nature?
“The wise have mastered body, word and mind. They are the true
masters.” ~ Buddha..
From Jesus who taught about righteousness, giving
unconditionally; to Buddha who taught about suffering and set out a recipe for
living a good life; to Mohammed who taught us to serve others, the importance
of compassion, justice and equity; to Lao Tzu who understood nature and the
beauty of its simplicity yet complexity; to Gandhi who inspired truth,
solidarity and nonviolence; to the Dalai Lama who practices tolerance, love and
happiness. There is one underlying theme these great masters espouse, that is
of love and compassion for fellow beings. What defines a master? Let’s explore
in more detail some of the teachings that the masters have relayed to us.
01. Living In The NOW, Being Present…
From a Zen parable. A man traveling across a field
encounters a tiger. The man flees, the tiger chases after him. Coming to a
precipice he grasps hold of the root of a wild vine and swings himself down
over the edge. The tiger sniffs at him from above. Trembling, the man looks
down to where, far below, another tiger is waiting to eat him. Only the vine
sustains him. Two mice, one white and one black, little by little start to gnaw
away at the vine. The man sees a luscious strawberry near him. Grasping the
vine with one hand, he plucks the strawberry with the other, then falls to his
death. How sweet it tasted on the way down! This is truly non-attachment and
living in the moment.
Wisdom knows that there is nothing else except the moment,
nothing else matters, that is all we have. Wisdom is in knowing there is no
point being attached to anything. How often do we live for some other
experience, time or moment that is not actually this moment? This is what all
the great masters have taught; live in the present, live with compassion equity
and gratitude. We can only experience the reality of mastery in the realm of
the present, for it does not exist in the past. We can only experience love,
compassion, the environment and the universe at this very moment. All else is
an illusion. As the Buddha communicated, “Do not dwell in the past; do not
dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.”
02. Simplicity & Non-Attachment Another Key To Mastery..
“Life is really simple, but we insist on making it
complicated.”
– Confucius
Simplicity is the key to mastery. Living simply is not
‘being simple’ as we know it. Simplicity is a state of being. It is a way of
thinking, a way of looking at things, a way of expressing things, the way of
doing things. All masters know that contentment and happiness comes through
simplicity and non-materialism. The prophet Mohammed expressed that affluence
leads to hedonism and hedonism leads to a life of constant craving and wanting.
Buddha renounced materialism and likened people who chase after fame, wealth or
other ego driven desires “like a child who licks honey from a blade of a knife.
While tasting the sweetness of the honey the child risks hurting his or her
tongue.”
Throughout time we have had many great teachers communicate
to us the importance of living simple, non-material lives, so why do we
disregard such advice? Do we know better than these great masters? Have we
found the secret elixir of life in our consumerism? The great masters are
telling us that we are living an illusion if we think we can live a life based
around external gratification. We must look deeply and get in touch with our
inner reality. We must reassess our priorities and purpose of life if our
species is to survive.
03. Living With Compassion & Gratitude..
“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you
want to be happy, practice compassion.” – Dalai Lama..
The word compassion comes from the Latin root that means
suffering with or co-suffering. To show compassion is to express empathy or
suffer with another. In its ultimate form compassion and gratitude are the
realization that there is no separation between things. The ancient Eastern
teachers see love and compassion as a quality that can be developed and
harvested. It is an underlying inner power intrinsic to our true nature.
Compassion is closely linked with our consciousness and wisdom. If we are aware
of and let go of all worldly obsessions, then we are free to experience the
truth of life. Ego can be a controlling influence on our lives that limits us
from experiencing true compassion. Once we let go of this ‘ego state’ we can
then start to experience our true self and embrace all beings with love and
compassion. The below summation from the Dalai Lama, details the virtues of
compassion.
“Compassion without attachment is possible. True compassion
is not just an emotional response but a firm commitment founded on reason.
Because of this firm foundation, a truly compassionate attitude toward others
does not change even if they behave negatively. Genuine compassion is based not
on our own projections and expectations, but rather on the needs of the other:
irrespective of whether another person is a close friend or an enemy, as long
as that person wishes for peace and happiness and wishes to overcome suffering,
then on that basis we develop genuine concern for their problem. This is
genuine compassion. For a Buddhist practitioner, the goal is to develop this
genuine compassion, this genuine wish for the well-being of another, in fact
for every living being throughout the universe.”
04. Mastery is Clarity..
“I experience a period of frightening clarity in those moments
when nature is so beautiful. I am no longer sure of myself, and the paintings
appear as in a dream.”
– Vincent van Gogh..
Have you ever had one of those moments Van Gogh is talking
about? Everything is crystal clear, life and all that goes with it becomes
apparently obvious for the first time. Then just as quickly as it dawned upon
us, it disappears into the ether, leaving us questioning how we can make this a
permanent state of being. Masters are
very clear and unwavering in their commitment to a philosophy of life. With
clarity comes incredible power and freedom. For most, clarity eludes us. We go
around choosing opposing things, this confuses us. This internal state of
conflict sends out messages to the universe and the subconscious mind. We end
up living in a world of disharmony. This creates disillusion, suffering and
leads to negative states of being. With these conflicting messages it is easy
to see why people spend much of life unfulfilled and in a constant state of
confusion and frustration. Mastery knows that once a clear and decisive course
is taken we can move toward our true destination. The master knows there are
many paths that lead to the same destination, they have a very clear purpose in
life. Mastery involves being able to respond to obstacles and difficulties that
present themselves, yet being able to remain unwavering in adversity.
