George Killoran
"How To Save The World."
and all sentient beings
AMIDA Buddha and the Universe
AMIDA Buddha and the Universe
by George Killoran
MY REFLECTIONS ON BUDDHISM AND LIFE
Welcome to my webpage that contains my commentary “MY REFLECTIONS ON BUDDHISM AND LIFE." In the first section is my essay “A Warning To Suicide Bombers And All Other Terrorists.” In the second section is my essay “My Theory On Buddhism And Creationism.” In the third section is my essay "Blessings and Benefits You Can Reasonably Expect in the Pure Land of Amida Buddha" and "The Powers of a Buddha." In the fourth section is my essay on “Buddhism And Controlling Anger.” In the fifth section is my essay “The Super Bowl of Spiritual Growth.” In the sixth section is my hymn “Amazing Amida.” In the seventh section is my essay "A SUGGESTED SCIENTIFIC STRATEGY FOR ATHEISTS AND AGNOSTICS TO DEAL WITH A POST DEATH REALITY." In the eighth section is my essay "How To Save The World." In the ninth section is my esay "The Miracle of the Tea."
SEND COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS TO GEORGE AT
FIRST SECTION
A WARNING TO SUICIDE BOMBERS AND ALL OTHER TERRORISTS
The recent terrorist attacks in the United States and through out the world have really upset me. I write this essay as a warning and stern advisory to all those ignorant, arrogant and imbecilic Suicide Bombers and Terrorists who have deluded themselves into either thinking they will not be held responsible for their heinous actions, or that life ends with death, or that some god is going to reward them for their heinous actions.
Well you ignorant terrorist idiots let me inform you of the reality of the post death experience. Death does not end your life and your responsibility for your heinous actions. The reality is that your consciousness continues after death and immediately after your death you will be confronted with the stark reality and frightening consequences for your atrocious evil actions. This sudden confrontation with the post death reality I assure you will be extremely frightening, horrible and unbearably painful!
For you stupid idiotic terrorists who for religious reasons fly planes into buildings and commit other atrocious terrorist acts against humanity with the delusion that you are serving your god and that your god will reward you immediately after your death, let me tell you right now you are crazy and 100 % wrong. Here is what you will immediately learn when you wake up in the afterlife state of existence. The first thing that will be clearly evident to you is THAT YOU HAVE REALLY ROYALLY SCREWED UP AND THERE IS NO REWARD WAITING FOR YOU IN HEAVEN! THERE INSTEAD OF REWARD YOU ARE IMMEDIATEDLY GOING TO RECEIVE A VERY LONG PAINFUL PUNISHMENT! The Universe quickly and very graphically will inform you that you are now going to be held 100% responsible for your atrocities against humanity and you are going to be severely punished to the fullest in exact proportion to your evil actions and as I stated above this will be a very painful experience.
Fortunately for you, the reality of how the Universe works is that your punishment is not eternal and is only extremely painful and temporary. Fortunately for you the Universe is friendly and leaves no one behind not even the evilest people on this planet like you. Eventually you will learn how to live correctly and obey the laws of a compassionate, friendly and forgiving universe and become a Buddha, one who thoroughly knows how the spiritual and physical laws of the universe operate and lives in 100% compliance with them.
END OF ESSAY
SECOND SECTION
MY THEORY ON BUDDHISM AND CREATIONISM
BY GEORGE J. KILLORAN-BUDDHIST-CREATIONIST
COPYRIGHTED 2014
Welcome to my webpage that contains my essay “My Theory On Buddhism And Creationism.” I am a Buddhist and I realize a few of my beliefs described in my essay may prove to be offensive to some Buddhists. I am referring specifically to my belief in an Ultimate Reality and the Purpose of the Universe. But in defense of my beliefs on these issues, I want to emphasize that Buddha encouraged his followers to debate and argue and to challenge Him. Buddha said his followers should not accept his teachings out of devotion but rather their own experiment. Even Buddha himself in order to get final Enlightenment needed hard work to investigate based on reason. Critical reasoning is required here. Thus, I feel I have the right to express my own opinions and theories on life even if some on those issues do not follow some generally accepted Buddhist beliefs. Buddhism states there 84,000 Paths that lead to Buddhahood and Enlightenment. In this essay, I describe one of the 84,000 Paths that works for me and answers all my questions on why the Universe exists; What is the purpose of the Universe; Why do I exist; How did I get here; What is the purpose of my existence; and how do I achieve that purpose?
I believe science and religion are complementary and compatible. Below in five short paragraphs is a brief synopsis of the views I have concluded about Buddhism combined with on my own specific philosophic and scientific views of the Universe.
PARAGRAPH ONE
There exists an Ultimate Reality of the Universe that is Infinite Light, Infinite Life, Infinite Wisdom and Infinite Compassion and this Ultimate Reality is responsible for all that is, was and ever will be. The Ultimate Reality is the Universe and the Universe is the Ultimate Reality.
PARAGRAPH TWO
To experience itself, the Ultimate Reality of the Universe has programed this Universe and all Universes for the “continuous creation” of sentient beings whose destinies are to become Buddhas -Enlightened Beings that are manifestations of the Infinite Light, Infinite Life, Infinite Wisdom and Infinite Compassion of the Ultimate Reality of the Universe.
PARAGRAPH THREE
Sentient beings are created with free will and in traveling their journey to fulfill their purpose for their creation they make mistakes and temporarily get trapped in the lower six realms of reality. All sentient beings eventually complete their journey and become Buddhas-Enlightened Beings. The Universe is programmed to leave no sentient being behind.
PARAGRAPH FOUR
I believe sentient beings presently occupying human bodies on our planet Earth are recent creations and “PROBABLY “created within the last 200,000 years and 200,000 years is sufficient time for newly created sentient beings to get their lives together and fulfill the purpose of their existence to become Buddhas-Enlightened Beings. If after 200,000 years, a sentient being can't get his act together to become a Buddha-an Enlightened Being, the Ultimate Reality of the Universe will not give up on this sentient being but will provide this temporarily lost sentient person with whatever remedial help he needs to complete his journey to Buddhahood. No sentient being gets left behind in Buddhism.
PARAGRAPH FIVE
There are many Buddhas and Bodhisattvas assigned to help Sentient Beings achieve the purpose of their creation. Buddha taught two methods for sentient beings to accomplish the purpose of their creation. One is perfecting ourselves in this lifetime by the vigorous practice of the Eightfold Path that will lead to Buddhahood and Enlightenment in this life time. The second for those not capable of vigorously practicing the Eightfold path, He taught that by entrusting 100% in the Primal Vow of Amida Buddha and reciting the Nembutsu, NAMU AMIDA BUTSU, sentient beings will immediately after the death of their physical bodies have birth in Amida’s Pure Land where they will become Buddhas- Enlightened Beings. The Nembutsu provides us with the key that opens up for us the door to the energy field of the Pure Land where a sentient being can travel the Pure Path without distractions or suffering and fulfill the purpose for its creation and existence and that is to become a Buddha an Enlightened Being. If we look upon life as a school where all sentient beings are training for full spiritual development, then a Buddha is a sentient being who has graduated from the school of life MAGNA CUM LAUDE.
Now I will elaborate more on these issues in the following sections that include The Ultimate Reality Of Existence; The Purpose Of Our Universe And All Universes; Rebirth And Karma; Why I Believe My Conclusions In This Essay Are Correct; and conclude with sections on The Super Bowl Of Spiritual Growth and "How To Save The World." .
THE ULTIMATE REALITY OF THE UNIVERSE
Buddhism teaches that God or an Ultimate Reality responsible for the Creation of the Universe does not exist. Buddhism gets much support on this issue from many scientists who believe that the preponderance of scientific evidence implies that an Ultimate Reality, an uncaused cause that is responsible for all that exists simply does not exist. I disagree! I believe the preponderance of scientific evidence clearly implies the existence of an Ultimate Reality. The space shuttle is the most complicated and sophisticated flying machine ever made by man. It would be hard to believe the space shuttle came into existence by natural selection. It is a no-brainer to conclude that intelligent design was behind the creation of the space shuttle. Our universe is infinitely more complicated and orderly than the space shuttle. I find it a no-brainer to conclude that there was intelligence behind its creation and this intelligence I call the Ultimate Reality of the Universe.
Now a $64,000 question springs up on this issue. What caused the uncaused Ultimate Reality? Is there anything or anyone beyond this Ultimate Reality? I find that President Harry Truman’s statement “The buck stops here” has provided the clue for me to deal with this question. I conclude there is nothing or anything beyond the Ultimate Reality and the Ultimate Reality is where the “BUCK STOPS.” The Ultimate Reality is the Universe and the Universe is the Ultimate Reality.
However, it is impossible to define the characteristics of the Ultimate Reality of Existence other than to say it must exist based on the laws of cause and effect. To acquire some appreciation of the nature of the Ultimate Reality of the Universe we must look at astronomy to get a glimpse of the awesome nature of the Universe. The latest astronomical data estimates that our Milky Way Galaxy has approximately 400 billion stars and that our galaxy is one of approximately 150 billion galaxies in our universe with some jumbo galaxies having up to several trillion stars. Our universe is estimated to be 13.7 billion years old. And recent theories of Parallel Universes and the Multiverse conclude that our universe may be one of an infinite number of universes and that the creation of universes is an ongoing never ending process. I believe the Universe includes not only our Universe but also all universes and all dimensions that exist, have existed and will exist, and all life forms found in these universes and dimensions. Understanding the nature of this Ultimate Reality is beyond the abilities of the human mind but not beyond the abilities of a Buddha who has awakened to full understanding of the Dharma and the Dharma contains all the spiritual and physical laws on exactly how the Universe works. And the Dharma states the Universe is friendly and that all sentient beings will become Buddhas.
I am a Jodo ShinShu Buddhist and I entrust in Amida’s Primal Vow to save all the beings. My personal beliefs expressed in this chapter in no way conflict with my Shinjin that is my true entrusting in Amida’s Primal Vow and my practice and faith in the Nembutsu. and if my conclusion in this chapter on the Ultimate Reality of the Universe turns out to be wrong, I will still have immediate birth after the death of my physical body in Amida’s Pure Land where I will immediately be liberated from Samsara forever and become a Buddha, an Enlightened Being. When we recite the Nembutsu, Amida Buddha gives us a Confirmed Guaranteed Reservation for a place in His Pure Land.
THE PURPOSE OF OUR UNIVERSE AND ALL UNIVERSES
Our universe may not be the only universe that exists. New scientific theories like Parallel Universes and M-Theory conclude that many other universes exist and perhaps the reality is that an infinite number of universes exist. So, what is the purpose for our universe and all other universes that may exist? Or is there a purpose?
My conclusion is that our universe and all universes exist for the sole purpose of enabling the Ultimate Reality of the Universe to experience itself. It accomplishes this by programming all universes for the continuous creation of sentient beings with the potential to manifest the Infinite Light, Infinite Life, Infinite Wisdom and Infinite Compassion of the Ultimate Reality of Existence.
New sentient beings are continuously created with a Buddha Nature and free will. Their Buddha Nature is their potential to become Buddhas-Enlightened Beings and their free will is their ability to freely learn to make those choices that lead to Buddhahood, the ability to manifest the Infinite Light, Infinite Life, Infinite Wisdom and Infinite Compassion of the Ultimate Reality of the Universe.
An Enlightened Being is one who thoroughly knows how the spiritual and physical laws of the Universe operate and lives in 100% compliance with these laws.
To accomplish their purpose for their creation and existence newly created sentient beings must learn the spiritual and physical laws of the Universe, namely KARMA, the absolute law of cause and effect. When they learn to correctly follow Karma by making the correct choices they become Buddhas. When they make the incorrect choices they temporarily get trapped in the Lower Six Realms of Reality. The Ultimate Reality of the Universe programmed our universe and all universes to be friendly to all created sentient beings and insure that no sentient being gets left behind. There are Buddhas and Bodhisattvas trained to help all newly created sentient beings to fulfill their purpose to become Buddhas.
What happens to newly created sentient beings after their creation? Immediately after their creation, I believe newly created sentient beings receive the following instructions from Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. First, newly created souls are instructed as to who they are, why they were created, the purpose for their creation and how to fulfill that purpose.
Shortly after their creation, newly created souls begin to freely explore the universe and begin to make mistakes by misusing their free will and violating the physical and spiritual laws of the universe. These mistakes consist of attachment to the transitory things of life, ignorance, hatred, greed, pride, envy, gluttony, lust and indolence. Soon the mistakes of these newly created sentient beings accumulate to the point that cause them to descend into the temporary lower six realms of reality. Earth is one of these temporary realms and Earth is where some newly created sentient beings like us presently find ourselves encumbered in these temporary and very frail human bodies. The mission of newly created sentient beings in these temporal realms is to address their mistakes, take full responsibility for their mistakes and correct their mistakes by becoming ENLIGHTENED so that they can ascend to that perfect state of pure energy in the Pure Land and achieve the only purpose for their creation which is to become Buddhas-Enlightened Beings. Buddha taught two paths that will enable them to accomplish this. The first path is the Self Power Path where sentient beings strictly follow the Noble Eightfold Path. The sooner they learn to use energy correctly by following this path, the quicker they will fulfill their purpose. The second path is the Other Power Path that Shakyamuni taught in the Three Sutras of Pure Land Buddhism to help sentient being who are not capable of vigorously following the Noble Eightfold Path to achieve the purpose for their creation and existence. This path involves totally trusting in Amida Buddha to bring them into His Pure Land where they will be free from all obstructions and quickly become Buddhas. I realize I am not capable of vigorously and perfectly following the Eightfold Path and therefore I follow and practice the Other Power Path of Amida Buddha.
The universe is programmed to leave no sentient beings behind. AMIDA BUDDHA WILL NOT REST UNTIL ALL SENTIENT BEINGS ARE REBORN INTO THE PURE LAND. No matter how evil a sentient being becomes, Amida Buddha will always be there to light a candle. No matter how far a sentient being may stray, Amida Buddha will always be there to show the way.
As the Ultimate Reality of the Universe is beginning less and beyond our comprehension so is the continuous process for the creation of new sentient beings beginning less, has continued through incalculable periods of time, is continuing in the present and will continue for eternity. I believe the intelligent beings presently occupying human bodies on our planet Earth are recent creations and probably created within the last 200,000 years.
In our current universe, there are different classes of sentient beings from beginners like we humans, intermediate like ones who have recently attained Buddhahood, advanced like those who have been Buddhas through many past eons of time and super advanced Buddhas who have been Buddha for timeless periods.
Am I a bad Buddhist for addressing this issue? I don’t think I am a bad Buddhist for addressing this issues. I think I have every right to do this and after doing critical thinking I am confident my conclusions are correct. Why am I so confident here? I give my answer to this question by using the scientific method to address the issues analyzed and discussed in this essay.
REBIRTH AND KARMA
BIRTH IS NOT THE BEGINNING, DEATH IS NOT THE END
Rebirth and Karma explain how this universe and all universes work. Both give a complete understanding on how the spiritual and physical laws that make up the totality of existence work. If we look upon our lives as a school for learning full spiritual development, then a Buddha is one who has graduated with full honors-MAGNDA CUM LAUDA. In his Enlightened moment, the Buddha reflected on his past rebirths and stated the following.
“I remembered many, many former existences I had passed through: one, two births, three, four, five….fifty, one hundred….a hundred thousand, in various world-periods. I knew everything about these various births: where they had taken place, what my name had been, which family I had been born into, and what I had done. I live through again the good and bad fortune of each life, and my death in each life, and came to life again and again. In this way, I recalled innumerable previous existences with their exact characteristic features and circumstances. This knowledge I gained in the first watch of the night.”
Karma, Dependent Co-Origination, the law of cause and effect explains that every volitional action produces an effect. Good actions produce good effects. Evil actions produce evil effects. Some karma is processed during the same lifetime it occurred. Karma that doesn’t get processed in the current lifetime is put into Karmic Storage when it will manifest in some future lifetime.
Rebirth explains Samsara and how Karma continuously places sentient beings in one of the six lower realms of existence until sentient beings awaken to their real purpose in life when they gain birth in one of the Pure Lands where they will become Buddhas, Enlightened Beings.
Will we ever become aware of all our specific lives we have had in the lower six realms of existence? The answer is yes and this is made clear in the fifth vow of Amida Buddha that states “If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should not remember all their former lives, not knowingly at least the events which occurred during the previous hundred thousand kotis of nayutas of kalpas, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.”
Understanding rebirth and karma are extremely important in understanding Buddhism. I advise all humans to be careful what they do in life, because no action will be left unaccounted for. Screw other humans around and you will be screwed around. If you were a serial killer in life, you will be held accountable for every person you killed. You will see the pain you caused to each person you murdered and to his or her family. If you were a rapist, you will be held accountable for every person you raped. You will see the pain you caused to each person you raped and to his or her family. If you swindled people out of their money, you will be held accountable for every person you swindled. You will see the pain you caused to the person you swindled and to his or her family. If you slandered people, you will be held accountable for every person you slandered. You will see the pain you caused to the person you slandered and to his or her family. If you are a government official and you used your office for self-gain at the expense of your citizens, you will be held accountable for the suffering you caused every citizen who suffered from your misdeeds. If you were a head of state and you knowingly took your country into an unnecessary and unjust war, you will be held accountable for every soldier in your country who was killed or wounded in this war, every civilian in your country who was killed or wounded in this war, every soldier in your enemy’s country who was killed or wounded in this war, and every civilian in your enemy’s country who was killed or wounded in this war. You will see the pain you caused to each casualty and the pain you caused to his or her family.
Continue to violate the laws of Karma and your eventual successful birth into the Pure Land is going to be delayed and your cycles of birth, death and rebirth in the physical worlds and non-physical dimensions are going to be painful ones.
How should we humans live our lives so that we can achieve our divine destiny for our existence? We should do the best we can to follow the Eightfold Noble Path and trust in Amida’s Primal Vow to complete the job for us. The Nembutsu provides us with the key that opens up for us the door to the energy field of the Pure Land where a sentient being can travel the Pure Path without distractions or suffering and fulfill the purpose for its creation and existence and that is to become a Buddha an Enlightened Being.
Buddhism teaches no sentient being gets left behind. We cannot escape our divine destiny which is birth in the Pure Land(Nirvana) where we fulfill the purpose for our creation and existence which is to become Buddhas-Enlightened Beings. An Enlightened Being is one who totally knows and understands the spiritual and physical laws of the Universe and lives in total 100% compliance with them. There are an infinite number of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas who will provide whatever events and relationships are necessary to fulfill our divine destiny.
END OF ESSAY
THIRD SECTION
BLESSINGS AND BENEFITS YOU CAN REASONABLY EXPECT IN THE PURE LAND OF AMIDA BUDDHA
Mahayana Buddhism teaches that there are many Buddhas with each Buddha having his own a Pure Land. The Large Pure Land Sutra informs us that Amida’s Pure Land is located in the West. Amazing and beautiful experiences happen in the Pure Land. Amida Buddha’s 32nd Vow states “If after I have obtained the Buddhahood, in that country of mine, there should be magnificent palaces towering up from the ground to the void, also the lakes, winding streams, blossoming trees, and all other properties which are compounded of various jewels and thousands of kinds of perfumes, minutely embellished in the most wondrous state surpassing all heavenly and human worlds. The scent of the perfumes should thoroughly pervade the worlds of ten quarters, whereof the Bodhisattvas, having smelt them thereby directed their minds to Bodhi; otherwise may I not attain the enlightenment.”
Here are a “FEW” of these experiences taken from Buddhist Scriptures that we can reasonably conclude will happen to us when we enter Amida’s Pure Land after our death:
In the Pure Land you will become a Buddha with all the supernatural powers of a Buddha
The Pure Land is a Pure Dimension of Consciousness-No evil can enter the Pure Land.
In the Pure Land, you are no longer subject to the laws of the physical world. Gravity has no effect on you. You are not limited by the speed of light the maximum speed a physical object can travel, 186,000 miles a second. In the Pure Land, you can travel anywhere in the spiritual realm as well as the physical realm in a second.
In the Pure Land the universe is yours to explore at will.
In the Pure Land, you will experience a land of magnificent eternal peace, eternal joy and eternal happiness
In the Pure Land, you will recall all your past lives.
In the Pure Land, you can instantly locate all those sentient beings that you had strong karmic relationships with in your journeys through the lower six realms. If they are in the Pure Land you will locate them and share in the beautiful experience of the Pure Land. If they are still in one of the lower six realms of reality you can also locate them and use the power of skillful means to help free them of their suffering and enter the Pure Land of Amida Buddha
In the Pure Land, you will never regress into any of the lower six realms.
In the Pure Land, you have no economic concerns as all your needs are immediately fulfilled.
In the Pure Land, you have no need for sleep as you are consciously awake 24/7.
In the Pure Land, there are no crimes, wars or environmental disasters to deal with.
In the Pure Land, there is no divisiveness as everyone wears the color of gold, the Buddhist symbol for equality and sameness.
In the Pure Land, you instantly become aware of your oneness and inter-connectedness to all that is, was or ever will be.
In the Pure Land, you will receive the correct answers to all the spiritual, philosophical and scientific questions you had in your last human life.
THE POWERS OF A BUDDHA
A Buddha is an Enlightened Being. He fully understands the Dharma, the reality of how the physical and spiritual laws of the Universe work and lives in 100% total compliance with them. He is aware of the Big Bang, the explosion that took place 13.8 billion years ago from an extremely small element that was many times smaller than an atom. He understands that the Big Bang led to the formation of the galaxies, the stars, the solar systems and the planets. He understands how the different forms of life evolved. He understands what caused the Big Bang and what existed before the Big Bang.
The powers of a Buddha are immense and exceed our human abilities to know and comprehend all His Powers but here are a few concrete ones that are easy to understand.
CAN MANIFEST ANYWHERE
CAN VISUALIZE ANYTHING AT ANY DISTANCE
CAN HEAR EVERY SOUND AT EVERY DISTANCE
CAN KNOW THE THOUGHTS OF ALL SENTIENT BEINGS
KNOWS THE DETAILS OF ALL HIS PAST LIVES AND THE PAST LIVES OF ALL SENTIENT BEINGS
KNOWS WHERE ALL THOSE SENTIENT BEINGS HE HAS HAD KARMIC RELATIONS WITH THROUGH MANY LIFETIMES ARE NOW AND HOW TO HELP THEM
KNOWS THE DHARMA THOROUGHLY
KNOWS HOW THE PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL LAWS OF THIS UNIVERSE OPERATE
KNOWS HOW THE PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL LAWS OF ALL UNIVERSES OPERATE
CAN MANIFEST AS FORM
HAS INFINITE LIGHT AND LIFE
HAS INFINITE WISDOM AND COMPASSION
CAN PROCESS INFORMATION AT AN INFINITE PACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HAS PERFECT HEALTH
IS INTERCONNECTED TO ALL OF EXISTENCE
KNOWS THE SPIRITUAL LEVELS OF ALL BEINGS
KNOWS THE SPIRITUAL NEEDS OF ALL BEINGS
HAS SKILLFUL MEANS TO ADDRESS THE SPIRITUAL NEEDS OF ALL BEINGS
ENJOYS AN ETERNAL LIFE OF JOY, BLISS AND PEACE
ENJOYS NON-RETROGRESSION
END OF ESSAY
FOURTH SECTION
BUDDHISM AND CONTROLLING ANGER
The chart below shows the various stages on how an episode of anger begins, escalates and ends
t!!!!!!!!CRISIS OUT OF CONTROL
STAGE!!!!!!!!
ESCALATION
STAGE EXHAUSTION STAGE
AMIDA BUDDHA
OTHER POWER
NEMBUTSU
“NAMU AMIDA BUTSU”
TRIGGERING STAGE CONTRITION STAGE
"Give up anger, give up pride, and free yourself from worldly bondage. No sorrow can befall those who never try to possess people and things as their own." (Dhammapada, Chapter 17, verse 1) Perhaps we can all recall times when anger got the best of us; saying or doing something we came to regret. Perhaps, we continue to encounter situations which tempt us to explode, saying or doing things we later regret. So, what should we do when anger tempts?
During my working years, I was employed as a detention officer at a state facility which houses individuals who are found unable to stand trial due to mental problems. One of my responsibilities was to teach Management of Assaultive Behavior, techniques which enabled staff to recognize signs of escalating anger behavior, both among staff and those in our care. The object was to control anger prior to any serious harm being done. Buddhist teachings have enabled me to refine these methods. Let’s look at the stages of Anger and how Buddhist teachings can help control it.
The TRIGGERING STAGE is the best place to regain control, for it is easier to put out a spark prior to it turning into a raging fire. Left uncontrolled, this spark can rapidly bring one to the Crisis Out Of Control Stage. As a Buddhist, when confronted with a situation which is making me angry, I call upon Amida Buddha, the Other Power, the Buddha of Infinite Light, Infinite Life, Infinite Wisdom, Infinite Compassion and quietly chant the Nembutsu, Namu Amida Butsu, to show me the Light and this usually brings my anger under control. I use the Other Power because it works for me. There are other interventions which also work in the TRIGGERING STAGE. The key is finding an intervention which works for you. I know several people who simply take a deep breath and count to 10. This simple intervention helps them regain control and prevents the impulse to strike out during the CRISIS OUT OF CONTROL STAGE.
In the ESCALATION STAGE, Anger is escalating, dominating your thoughts and becoming more intense and you recognize you are starting to lose control. However, there is still time to bring your anger under control before it escalates to the Crisis Out of Control Stage. Once again, I call upon the Other Power by quietly chanting the Nembutsu, Namu Amida Butsu, to show me the Light and this usually brings my anger under control before it escalates further.
Again, there are other interventions which work, the key being to find an intervention which works for you. Withdrawing from the environment provoking your anger can be very effective. While driving down I80 one of my friends was involved in a road rage incident where he and the other driver were making obscene gestures to each other and the anger was getting progressively worse. My friend had a gun in his glove compartment but fortunately he realized that if he did not do the correct thing immediately, some very serious damage could take place. So, he very wisely slowed down and let the other driver get a safe distance ahead of him. Then he withdrew from that provocative environment by getting off I80 at the next exit, and the encounter ended without anyone getting hurt.
In the CRISIS OUT OF CONTROL STAGE - You have totally lost control. Your emotions are dictating your actions and you are doing all the horrible things you do not want to do. People are very capable of doing extreme horrible things in this stage and are typically shocked when they see the evil they are capable of doing. You are now doing one or more of the following undesirable actions:
Striking out physically, verbally or both!
Engaging in a drinking binge!
Engaging in a drug binge!
Engaging in an eating binge!
Engaging in some other undesirable action or actions!
In the EXHAUSTION STAGE, you have fully engaged in doing all those things you wish you wouldn’t have done. Your emotions are now spent and you are too tired to continue these horrible actions that you were doing in the Crisis Out of Control Stage.
In the CONTRITION STAGE, you see the horrible effects of your actions and are sorry for what you have done. Hopefully you have learned something from your undesirable actions and take steps not to repeat them. Hopefully you will acquire the ability to do the necessary intervention while in the TRIGGERING STATE or the ESCALATION STAGE to prevent future encounters with your anger from escalating into the CRISIS OUT OF CONTROL STAGE. Those who take responsibility for the effects of their actions in the CRISIS OUT OF CONTROL STAGE and resolve not to repeat these angry outbursts and put in the necessary effort to control their anger find that the intervals between angry outbursts gets longer, the intensity of their anger gets less and the ability to control their anger gets stronger. Those who have not learned anything from the history of their angry outbursts and refuse to take responsibility for the effects of their angry actions, and do not resolve to correct and control their anger will find that the intervals between angry outbursts become shorter and that their angry outbursts become progressively more intense leading to progressively more horrible outcomes.
Although the techniques discussed in this chapter deals exclusively with controlling anger, it is important to realize that these techniques can also be used to control other obstacles which prevent us from crossing over to the Other Shore and entering the Pure Land, the Pure Path to becoming a Buddha, an Enlightened Being. These obstacles include attachment to the transitory things of life, ignorance, hatred, greed, pride, envy, gluttony, lust and indolence.
END OF ESSAY
FIFTH SECTION
THE SUPER BOWL OF SPIRITUAL GROWTH
Amida Buddha’s Team
VS
Mara’s Team
Welcome to the Super Bowl of Spiritual Growth where the powerful team of Captain Mara takes on the powerful team of Captain Amida. The stakes are high. Mara’s team wants to win this Super Bowl and keep Captain Amida’s team of sentient beings in Samsara. Captain Amida wants to win this Super Bowl and take his team out of Samsara and into His Pure Land (Nirvana) where His team will become Buddhas-Enlightened Beings and be freed of Samsara forever.
As we turn on our TV, we see the game is late in Fourth Quarter with 5 seconds left in the game. The score is 52 for Captain Mara’s team and 49 for Captain Amida’s team. This game has been ferocious and controversial as Captain Mara’s team has played with total disregard for the rules of fair play and have mauled Captain Amida’s team who have totally followed the rules of fair play. Where Captain Mara’s team often threatened the referees, or bribed them, often hit after the tackle, blatantly used illegal formations, often used the opponent’s face guard to complete a tackle, often ran out of bounds to complete a play and committed many other rule violations and acts of un-sportsmanship, Captain Amida’s team played with total compliance with the rules and displayed great sportsmanship throughout the game.
With 5 seconds left in the game, Captain Amida’s team has the ball on their own 45-yard line. At this point in the game His team looks tired and ready to give up and call it a day. Captain Amida wisely calls a timeout and huddles up with his teammates. Captain Amida looks confident and energetic. He appears to be telling his teammates that everything is okay. You guys are ok just the way you are. We are going to win this game. As the team breaks the huddle and approaches the line of scrimmage, they appear refreshed, energetic, and confident their leader will lead them to victory. And that is exactly what Captain Amida did when he threw a touchdown pass bringing his team to a 55-52 victory over a much disappointed and frustrated team of Captain Mara. Captain Amida’s team now enjoys the fruits of their victory in the Pure Land of Amida Buddha.
Honen said “For those who grasp the importance of life after death and single-mindedly recite the Nembutsu, nothing else is necessary.
NAMU AMIDA BUTSU
END OF ESSAYI
SIXTH SECTION
AMAZING AMIDA
Amazing Grace is my favorite hymn. I have
adapted this hymn with Jodo Shinshu Buddhism. Most of the words are from “Amazing Grace” while some are from Jodo ShinShu.
“AMAZING AMIDA”
By George Killoran-Buddhist-Creationist
Amazing Amida, how sweet the sound,
That Enlightens a sentient being like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
Amida taught my heart to love
And my Buddha Nature to feel.
How precious did Amida appear
The hour I first believe.
Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
Other Power brought me safe thus far
Other Power will lead me to the Pure Land
Amida’s vows promise good to me.
Eternal Dharma my hope secures.
Amida will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.
Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the Pure Land
A life of joy and peace.
When we've been in the Pure Land ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun.
We've no fewer days to chant the Nembutsu
Then when we've first begun.
Amazing Amida, how sweet the sound,
That Enlightens a sentient being like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
NAMU AMIDA BUTSU
NAMU AMIDA BUTSU
NAMU AMIDA BUTSU
NAMU AMIDA BUTSU
NAMU AMIDA BUTSU
NAMU AMIDA BUTSU
NAMU AMIDA BUTSU
NAMU AMIDA BUTSU
NAMU AMIDA BUTSU
NAMU AMIDA BUTSU
END OF ESSAY
SEVENTH SECTION
A SUGGESTED SCIENTIFIC STRATEGY FOR ATHEISTS AND AGNOSTICS TO DEAL WITH A POST DEATH REALITY
Does consciousness continue after death or does it end with the death of the physical body? That is the most critical question that we humans have to face in our very short lives. Examining this question objectively results in only two possibilities. The first possibility is that death ends our consciousness and our human existence is only a one-time occasion. The second possibility is consciousness continues after death. Thus, since it is possible for consciousness to continue after death, a wise man should be prepared to deal with this new dimension of consciousness. To deal with this possible post death reality, I suggest the following Scientific Strategy.
Observe the environment of this new reality you suddenly find yourself in.
Be fearless.
Be confident that you will figure out how this post death consciousness works.
Ask questions and gather facts.
Use your critical reasoning skills to test the facts you gathered.
Develop conclusions about the facts you have tested.
Test your conclusions by experiment.
Accept the conclusions that make sense to you. Reject the conclusions that don’t makes sense.
If your conclusions don’t check out, repeat the process until you get facts and conclusions that check out.
AS A JODO SHINSHU BUDDHIST HOW DO I DEAL WITH THE POSSIBILITY THAT THERE IS A POST DEATH REALITY WHERE CONSCIOUSNESS CONTINUES
Most important is that I am 100% confident a Post Death Reality Exists.
Through doing my best to practice the Eightfold Path and entrusting myself in the Primal Vow of Amida Buddha to complete the job for me, I am 100% confident that immediately after my death I will have birth in the Pure Land of Amida Buddha where I will become a Buddha-an Enlightened Being.
An Enlightened Being thoroughly knows how the spiritual and physical laws of the Universe operate and lives in 100% compliance with these laws.
In the Pure Land, I am 100% confident that I will get the correct answers to all those spiritual, physical and philosophical questions I had in my previous physical life.
NAMU AMIDA BUTSU
NAMU AMIDA BUTSU
NAMU AMIDA BUTSU
NAMU AMIDA BUTSU
NAMU AMIDA BUTSU
NAMU AMIDA BUTSU
NAMU AMIDA BUTSU
NAMU AMIDA BUTSU
NAMU AMIDA BUTSU
NAMU AMIDA BUTSU
SECTION EIGHT
HOW TO SAVE THE WORLD
I want to make a contribution that would help save the world. However, this contribution has to be simple and easy to do because quite frankly I am a lazy person and I don’t like doing things that are hard to do and require a lot of effort and time. I am happy to report that I have found a strategy that is simple, easy to do and requires little time. It does not make any difference what your spiritual practice is. Anyone can recite this prayer with equal effectiveness. Buddhists, Catholics, Protestants, Hindus, Mormons, Jews, all other religions, and even atheists and agnostics can practice this prayer with equal effectiveness. It consists of frequently reciting the following prayer every day. I learned Prayer One from a talk given by my Temple Master. I developed Prayer Two because I also needed the benefits of this prayer.
PRAYER ONE
May you be happy,
May you be free from harm,
May you receive boundless compassion,
May peace and harmony totally fill your heart
PRAYER TWO
May I and all sentient beings in the Universe be happy,
May I and all sentient beings in the Universe be free from harm,
May I and all sentient beings in the Universe receive boundless compassion,
May peace and harmony fill my heart and the hearts of all sentient beings in the Universe.
HOW TO APPLY THIS PRAYER TO OUR DAILY LIFE WITH THOSE WE LOVE
When you are thinking of someone you love or come in direct contact with that person, visualize that person and recite Prayers One and Two.
HOW TO APPLY THIS PRAYER TO OUR DAILY LIFE WITH THOSE WE DESPISE AND HATE
When you are thinking of someone who is breaking your balls and is really giving you a bad time, visualize that person and recite Prayers One and Two. This is extremely difficult to do but by making a commitment to do this and actually following up and doing it, you will become a better person, that person you despised and hated will become a better person and our world will become a better place to live in.
When we recite Prayers One and Two, we increase the positive energy of the Positive Collective Unconscious of Humanity and truly make our world a better place to live. When we screw up and think bad thoughts and do bad actions, we increase the negative energy of the Negative Collective Unconscious of Humanity and truly make our world a more stressful and a more painful place to live in.
NINTH SECTION
THE MIRACLE OF THE TEA
THE DETAILS OF THIS MIRACLE OF THE TEA
During the week of March 16, 2015, I experienced an unusual event that I conclude was miraculous. I can only conclude that this experience was due to the intervention of the Other Power of Amida Buddha and his two attendant companions Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara and Bodhisattva Seishi telling me what I state in this book is reasonable and correct. Here is what happened.
On Monday morning, March 16, 2015 at approximately 4:30 am I was at my desk in my den and opened my thermos and found that it was full of tea with cream and sweetener and made exactly the way I like it. This was unusual because what should have come out of my Thermos on that Monday morning should have been hot water and not a perfect mixture of tea with cream and sweetener. Let me review my regular system for making tea in the mornings when I get out of bed at 4;00 am. For the mornings of Tuesday through Sunday I go directly to the kitchen, heat up a quart pitcher of hot water, insert two tea bags in this heated pitcher of hot water and mix it with cream and sugar and then take my pitcher to my den and drink my tea during my spiritual reading and meditation from 4:30 am to 6:45 am. The one exception to this routine is Monday morning. On Sunday night I make a thermos of hot water and place it along with an empty tea cup, a creamer, two tea bags and two packages of sweetener in my den. Then when I get up at 4;30 am on Monday morning, I go directly to my den without going to the kitchen, put a tea bag in my empty cup, pour hot water from my Thermos into the tea cup and mix my tea with cream and sweetener. But much to my surprise and confusion on Monday morning of March 16, 2015, I found that when I opened my thermos hot water did not come out. What came out was hot tea with cream and sweetener made exactly the way I like it.
A very important question arises here pertaining to this incident. Why do I change my system for making tea on Monday morning compared to the way I make tea on the other six mornings Tuesday through Saturday? The reason for this change in making tea this way on Monday morning is not to disturb the sleep of my step daughter who stays with us on Sunday night. She sleeps in the living room next to an open kitchen. If I made my tea in the kitchen as I do on the other six mornings, I would awaken her and disturb her sleep. So, to avoid waking her Monday morning a 4:30 am, I make a thermos of hot water Sunday night and leave it in my den so I don’t have to enter the kitchen and disturb her sleep. Then in my den I make my tea by pouring the hot water from my Thermos into my cup with the tea bag and adding cream and sugar that I have placed in my den Sunday night. I have been doing this routine for a couple years now as a couple of years is about the time my step-daughter has been staying with us on Sunday nights. And during that time the same thing has occurred on Monday mornings and that is only hot water has come out of my Thermos. However, on Monday morning, March 16, 2015 instead of hot water coming out of my Thermos, tea with a perfect mixture of cream and sweetener came out.
Then to my surprise one week later on Monday morning March 23, 2015, I experienced a repeat occurrence. Only this time only black tea came out without a mixture of cream and sweetener. Since these two miraculous occurrences I have not experienced any repeat incidences.
WHY THIS MIRACLE OCCURRED
I believe this miracle occurred to teach me that it is okay for me to have the conclusions I reached on the Ultimate Reality of the World in Chapter 4, the Purpose of our Existence in Chapter 5 and the Correct Scientific Position on Death in Chapter 22 without compromising my salvation and preventing me from entering into Amida’s Pure Land immediately after the death of my physical body and attaining Buddhahood and Enlightenment and freedom from Samsara. My thinking about the issues presented in these three chapters have unfortunately caused me to have the delusion that I am a bad Buddhist for having these conclusions because they go against some generally accepted Buddhist teachings. The Miracle of the Tea has now enlightened me to realize it is okay to have these conclusions because they in no way affect my salvation and birth in the Pure Land because Amida accepts me just the way I am. All Amida asks is that I trust in His Primal Vow and express gratitude by reciting the Nembutsu. I do this daily and I am 100% confident I will enter Amida’s Pure Land immediately after my death.
SOME OTHER POSSIBLE EXPLANATIONS FOR THIS MIRACLE
In analyzing this miracle, I asked myself the following questions to search for some other possible explanations.
DID I ACCIDENTALLY MAKE THE TEA SUNDAY NIGHT? The answer is no. A few minutes after the incident on the morning of March 16, 2015 when I recovered from the shock and confusion of seeing the tea coming out of my Thermos when only hot water should have come out, I then thoroughly reviewed what I had done Sunday night. I remember clearly putting a pitcher of cold water in the microwave, heating it for four and a half minutes, and then taking the pitcher of hot water and immediately pouring it into the Thermos bottle and then immediately taking the Thermos bottle into my den where I had placed an empty cup, with two tea bags, two sweeteners and some powdered creamer. I have followed this procedure exactly the same way for two years. I would never have changed this procedure because I have learned from past experience when my wife and I go out on picnics that if I make the tea too early in the morning and we have our picnic in the afternoon, the tea combined with the sweetener and creamer gets lukewarm by the time I drink it at our afternoon picnic. However, if I put hot water in my Thermos just before we leave for our picnic, it will remain hot when we arrive at our picnic area where I then make my tea by pouring the hot water from my Thermos into a cup and then adding sweetener and creamer. I love tea especially in the morning when I wake up and I want it hot and not lukewarm. With this reality of tea making thoroughly ingrained in me, I would never have made the tea Sunday night and put that tea in the Thermos where it would be luke warm by the time I drank it on Monday morning.
Regarding the follow up incident of Monday morning March 23, 2015 when I found tea without cream and sugar pouring out of my Thermos, I immediately examined what I did Sunday night. I carefully checked my Thermos several times to ensure that it had hot water and not tea and there is no doubt it contained hot only water that night. But once again on Monday morning March 23, tea mixed with cream and sweetener came out and not just hot water. This follow up incident confirmed the incident of March 16, 2015 and assured me that a miracle had indeed taken place.
DID I WALK IN MY SLEEP AND UNCONSCIOUSLY MAKE THE TEA IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT? The answer is no. I have absolutely no incidents of ever walking in my sleep. There is no evidence to indicate that I walked in my sleep and made the tea in the middle of the night. If I did this, I would have had to get two additional tea bags out of the kitchen cupboard to have made the tea. That means I would have found the two tea bags I placed in my den the night before still in my den and they were still in the den. Thus, there must have been four tea bags involved this occurrence. The two unused tea bags that were still in my den and the two additional tea bags used to make my tea in the kitchen. If I made the tea in the middle of the night, I would have found those two additional tea bags in the garbage on that Monday morning and there were no used tea bags in the garbage and therefore I never made tea in the middle of the night.
DID I FABRICATE THIS THIS INCIDENT? The answer is no. I am a strict follower of scientific principles. I believe extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. To fabricate an incident like this goes against my scientific principles. It is inconceivable I would fabricate this incident. For me the evidence presented above satisfies me that I have the extraordinary evidence required to satisfy me that my claim that the Miracle of the Tea was truly a miracle. My analysis and investigation of this incident and my conclusions satisfy me that a miracle had taken place here. However, I realize if I was to present my experience to a true Scientific Inquiry they would not be able to confirm this miracle because of the subjective nature of the evidence.
THUS, I FEEL THIS MIRACLE CONIRMS THE VALIDITY OF MY CONCLUSIONS STATED IN THIS ESSAY!
THE END
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