An ancient Indian text, the Visudhimagga, posed a very interesting question : -
"Precisely where is what we call a 'chariot' located? Is it in the axles, the wheels, the frame? Is it in the poles that connect with the horse?"
The answer? "Nowhere"
What we name as a chariot is just an illusion. It is made up of various component parts arranged to form a "chariot" - when it disintegrates into its various components, the "chariot" is no more. It is just a physical object that our mind recognizes as a chariot base on the label that we put on it.
It is the same as "I".
Where is the "I" inside you? Is it your mind? Is it located in your brain? Is it the physical form that you see reflected in the mirror?
Going to a more minute component, is it the billions of cells in your body? Is it the "intelligence" that govern how you behave, how your the various parts of your body behave?
Some people say that the "I" is your soul.
All these are just labels that we place on objects in an attempt to explain and categorize our physical world.
According to Buddhism, everything is an illusion. Nothing is permanent. All the physical objects that we see, touch or encounter are just form construct that our minds make up.
In the final analysis, all form is nothingness. And all void is form. This is what the Heart Sutra states.
If you can understand this profound idea, you will be free from all the illusions of life ...
This is my current favorite song, beautifully sung by Susan Boyle.
Ms Boyle has a voice that is angelic and so uplifting.
The song is really meaningful as it represents the story of Ms Boyle and who she is born to be.
How is it that she suddenly burst into our collective consciousness and grab our attention so fast and so easily?
Well, Susan Boyle has always have the talent to sing like an angel. However, the timing was not right for her to present her talent to the world until last year, when she appeared on the X-Factor talent show.
Think about this for a moment. If she had started her singing career when she was younger, she may not have made the impact that she did.
The Universe has to prepare the grounds for her to manifest her talents that she can share with the world and uplift our spirits during this troubling times.
If there were no YouTube, I doubt that she would have made such a world-wide impact. Her performance on X-Factor was shown on YouTube and there were hundreds of millions of viewing of her raw performance, singing "I Dreamed A Dream" from the Broadway show "Les Miserables". So her talent was exposed to the widest audience possible in the easiest way due to the existence of YouTube.
If Susan Boyle had started her singing career earlier, there would not have been a show like X-Factor that served as a platform for her to sing her songs to a huge audience. She would not have gotten the endorsement of Simon Cowell, giving her instance validity and celebrity status.
So, the Universe has the make sure that all the elements were in place before Susan Boyle could be launched into our collective consciousness at the critical time when we dearly need some inspiration.
The past 3 years have been brutal to many of us who had suffered due to the Great Financial Crisis. Morale is down with lots of people losing their jobs, their life savings and their dreams. In such a dark time, we all need some sunshine, some hope of better days ahead.
And the Universe deliver Susan Boyle to us, for her to share with the world her spectacular talent. Her soaring vocals and beautiful soul give all of us the inspiration, the hope and the energy to believe that tomorrow will be a better day.
Why is it that many talented people is presented to the collective consciousness just when we need them at the most critical point?
Why was Elvis Presley so famous just after the WW II when we need hope? Is it any surprise that we have the divas of the 80s and 90s with all their individual, beautiful voices?
Why did the Google founders, Sergey Brin and Larry Page, come together so appropriately at the perfect timing when the Internet world needs a good search engine?
Would our world have been very much different if there were no Bill Gates or Steve Jobs was born 20 years later? Can you imagine if there were no Google, Microsoft or Apple in your lives?
Why did Mylie Cyrus become such a big success at such a young age with Hannah Montana? It is because the Universe knows that she can serve as an inspiration to the many young people like her, that it is possible to follow your dreams.
So too is Susan Boyle serving as an inspiration to all of us. An inspiration that even when you are in your forties, it is still possible for all your dreams to come true.
So, please do not feel discourage that you have talents that are not recognized. Perhaps, the timing is not right yet and the Universe needs to prepare the sweet ground for you to be successful.
Therefore, do not give up your dreams. Continue dreaming and doing the things that you love. Your talents will be valued when the time is right.
Life is a dream Everything is like a dream What can be experienced is but a dream Dream is even more so a dream
Closing our eyes is a dream Opening our eyes is also a dream Although dreams can be long or brief They are dreams no less
Creating various karma in dream Will similarly experience karmic outcomes in the dream For the enjoyment of a moment Leads to suffering of immeasurable eons
We are all the same in the dream No distinction in wisdom or status The mind rises and dream arises The mind ceases and dream ceases
Recognizing dream as dream The realization awakens us from the dream Both the dreamer and dream cease The clear mind is not a dream
The above poem was found engraved on the wall of the Zhulin Monastery in Mount Wutai. It was written by Master Danxu when he was about 82 years old.
It states that life is all a dream and all of us live in the dream thinking it is the real reality.
As life is a dream, you can change how the dream unfolds. Therefore, no circumstances is unchangeable if you have the strong desire and intention to change for the better.
Only the truly wise person, who has cultivated and understand the mysteries of life, will become enlightened and awake to see the truth about this dream that is life...
Do not believe of what you have heard. Do not believe in the traditions because they have been passed down for many generations. Do not believe in anything because it is rumored and spoken by many. Do not believe merely because a written statement of some old sage is produced. Do not believe in conjectures. Do not believe in that as truth to which you have become attached by habit. Do not believe merely in the authority of your teachers and elders. After observation and analysis, when it agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and gain of one and all, Then accept it and live up to it.
- The Buddha
The above discourse was given by Sakyamuni Buddha when he was asked by one of his disciples, Ananda, on how to identify His true teachings from the fake teachings done by other teachers.
Since the Buddha had traveled all over India, given numerous discourses to uncountable number of people and disciples, Ananda was concerned that there may be lay people who will be misled by so-called teachers proclaiming the Buddha's teachings.
What the Buddha meant was that even though disciples may hear the Buddhist Sutra and teachings from the Buddha himeself, however, the disciple should not just accept it without questions.
The disciples should evaluate from his own experiences, understand from his values and internalize the wisdom before deciding to accept the teachings to be the truth.
