Page 24 - EH70

22 EASTERN HORIZON | TEACHINGS

the word emptiness when speaking people, but he never used the perceptions and intentions in
in these modes. word emptiness when speaking their minds in the present—in
in these modes. He recounted the other words, to get them into
And even if we need training to
stories of people’s lives to show how the emptiness mode. Once there,
get back to our ground of being,
suffering comes from the unskillful they could use the teachings on
what’s to keep us from coming out
perceptions behind their actions, emptiness for their intended
of it and suffering all over again?
and how freedom from suffering can purpose: to loosen all attachments
So in all these scenarios, the whole
come from being more perceptive. to views, stories, and assumptions,
idea of training the mind seems
And he described the basic leaving the mind empty of all the
futile and pointless. By focusing
principles that underlie the round of greed, anger; and delusion, and
on the question of whether or not
rebirth to show how bad intentional thus empty of suffering and stress.
there really is something behind
actions lead to pain within that And when you come right down to
experience, they entangle the mind
round, good ones lead to pleasure, it, that’s the emptiness that really
in issues that keep it from getting
while really skillful actions can rake counts.
into the present mode.
you beyond the round altogether.
Source: Tricycle, Spring 1997.
Now, stories and worldviews do
In all these cases, these teachings www.tricycle.com EH
serve a purpose. The Buddha
were aimed at getting people
employed them when teaching
to focus on the quality of the