Me?
Dear Rinpoche,
I heard someone saying that if we look close enough the “Me” that exists in the morning is not the same âMeâ that goes to sleep at night. Since we are a collection of moments due to cause and effect. This had me thinking; if the âMeâ that is alive right now, is not going to be the same âMeâ in a future life; then why bother striving for Buddha hood in the first place? It wonât be âMeâ who finally fulfills the vow of becoming a fully enlightened being for the benefit of all. Can you please share your thoughts on this? -from Rafael
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Dear Rafael,
That is a good questionâŠI like it.
The me in the morning and night are âdifferentâ. The me now and in future lives are âdifferentâ. But that is because this me is still subject to impermanence due to itâs unenlightened nature.
Once enlightened..it remains the same meâŠLOL.
Thanks, TR
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From: http://blog.tsemtulku.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/question/rafael-3
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Dear Lama, I not sure if this is a silly question. If Life and everything in Samsara is impermanent, is there “permanence” In Nirvana? I guess life is ever changing because cause and effects are always at work, as past karma also is. If Enlightenment is free of cause and effects, what is the state of Enlightenment? What happens in that state? thank you Lama.
Two amazing questions in one day – AND it’s sunny outside. It’s times like these I’m saddened by impermanence…
I think the “me” most of us refer to isn’t the “me” who will work towards and eventually attain Enlightenment. I have to say first of all that this is an excellent question from Rafael. I used to ask the same question all the time (only, with God): If everything is how it should be, if every experience is a result of karma, if God has designed me in this way, then why bother to change anything, especially spiritual practice? If karma has deemed me selfish in this life, who am I to argue?
But let’s say (for extreme effect, and to quickly illustrate the point) that you are attacked and left badly wounded in the street. You wouldn’t just lie there because, naturally, the bleeding wounds will heal in their own time or – if you run out of time and bleed to death, well, that’s just how it’s meant to be. No, you’d scream for help, call a doctor, get to hospital – whatever it takes. If you had any means of bettering your condition, you’d do everything in your power to do so.
It’s similar with the mind. I’m not the 5-year old child I was 23 years ago (cringe!). If I see a balloon now, or an ice-cream truck, they are not the most important things in the universe any more (pretty close, though).
However, everything I have been and everything I have experienced is the sum of who I am now. If, at the age of eight, the young boy didn’t ask the school minister about people who are reborn again, and if he was satisfied with being told it was nonsense, I might be a Christian now. But thanks to the eight-year old boy feeling something didn’t quite add up, it lit a spark and eventually helped me to where I am now in spiritual practice.
So I wouldn’t say the “me” from this morning ever vanishes entirely. Elements of who we have been all our lives are still with us in some form or other. As with all things, spirituality to me seems a progressive thing. Without the “me” of this moment, there’s no possibility of the “me” of the future attaining Enlightenment.
Therefore, as I see it, one must “bother” because one has every possibility of bettering the state of the mind. You are the you of your future lives – your mind now contributes to the mind you will have 20 lifetimes from now.
The “wrong” perception of “me” is when you look at “Rafael” who (I make the following up, since I don’t know your likes) enjoys coffee or plays guitar or loves to read poetry. We define ourselves (usually) by external labels. “I’m a Buddhist” “I’m a musician” “I’m a writer”. In my next life, perhaps I won’t be able to play a single note or write a single word, so I have to conclude that these things aren’t “me”, even though my gross mind thinks these things are exactly who I am.
When you reach Enlightenment (so I’ve read), you don’t stop making mistakes, and you don’t suddenly become divine (there’s a story that suggests directly after his Enlightenment, the Buddha encountered a merchant who asked him what he had discovered. The Buddha gave such a fanciful explanation of what he had attained and the merchant thought him a mad man. Later – post Enlightenment – the Buddha realised he made a mistake and that he would have to explain what he had discovered more skilfully in future).
Enlightenment seems to be the way to true happiness, to cease suffering through desires, attachments and aversions. You don’t stop facing problems, but whatever you face, you truly recognise the nature of it and – as a result – are able to let go and enjoy lasting happiness and contentment because of that ability.
Seems worthwhile enough to me to continue to bother…
Amazing question, Rafael – thanks!
Kind regards,
Sandy
As Rinpoche says, the state of Enlightenment is a permanent state as the Me doesn’t change anymore.When we are fully enlightened, then we are totally free from suffering, as there is no more cause for suffering left.
However,Nirvana means “cessation of suffering” – a state attained by an arhat. It is not a permanent state: when an arhat, in Nirvana,realizes that he hasn’t attained ultimate freedom from suffering or full enlightenment, he will want to be reborn in samsara and begin to tread the Path all over again.(This is what I understand from Rinpoche’s teaching and from the Lamrim).
A lot of us are interested to know what happens in the state of enlightenment, as when we pray and take refuge, we always begin with “I and all sentient beings, until we reach enlightenment, go for refuge to Buddha, Dharma and Sangha”
Rinpoche has once said in his teachings, as long as there is “ME” or “I”, there can be no enlightenment. In other words, as I interpret it, the “Ego” does not exist any more when in enlightenment. No ego, no self…… How does it feel? I really have no clue, perhaps it is a state of nothingless….the complete cessation of karma and thus sufferings. a continuum state of happiness….
Thanks Rafael for such a thought provoking question and all those who have shared here.
Hmmm..makes lotsa sense..giving it a shot!! Thanks TR! Love & Light, Alda