The meaning of Vijñaptimātra

When translated into English Vijñaptimātra means "manifestation only". Understanding the meaning of this term alone can rid us of many anxieties. It is critical that the meaning be explained in a manner that liberates us from fear and anxieties. Hence, I will reproduce the words of my teacher, the Buddha Thich Nhat Ha Hanh without any deviation to ensure flawless transmission. Please relax and take a few minutes to read this carefully.

In the words of Buddha Thich Nhat Hanh:

"Our greatest fear is that when we die we will become nothing. Many of us believe that our entire existence is only a life span beginning the moment we are born or conceived and ending the moment we die. We believe that we are born from nothing and when we die we become nothing. And so we are filled with fear of annihilation.

The Buddha has a very different understanding of our existence. It is the understanding that birth and death are notions. They are not real. The fact that we think they are true makes a powerful illusion that causes our suffering. The Buddha taught that there is no birth; there is no death; there is no coming; there is no going; there is no same; there is no different; there is no permanent self; there is no annihilation. We only think there is. When we understand that we cannot be destroyed, we are liberated from fear. It is a great relief. We can enjoy life and appreciate it in a new way.

The same thing happens when we lost any of our beloved ones. When conditions are not right to support life, they withdraw. When I lost my mother I suffered a lot. When we are only seven or eight years old it is difficult to think that one day we will lose our mother. Eventually we grow up and we all lose our mothers, but if you know how to practice, when the time comes for the separation you will not suffer too much. You will very quickly realize that your mother is always alive within you.

The day my mother died, I wrote in my journal, "A serious misfortune of my life has arrived." I suffered for more than one year after the passing away of my mother. But one night, in the highlands of Vietnam, I was sleeping in the hut in my hermitage. I dreamed of my mother. I saw myself sitting with her, and we were having a wonderful talk. She looked young and beautiful, her hair flowing down. It was so pleasant to sit there and talk to her as if she had never died. When I woke up it was about two in the morning, and I felt very strongly that I had never lost my mother. The impression that my mother was still with me was very clear. I understood then that the idea of having lost my mother was just an idea. It was obvious in that moment that my mother is always alive in me.

I opened the door and went outside. The entire hillside was bathed in moonlight. It was a hill covered with tea plants, and my hut was set behind the temple halfway up. Walking slowly in the moonlight through the rows of tea plants, I noticed my mother was still with me. She was the moonlight caressing me as she had done so often, very tenderly, very sweet... wonderful! Each time my feet touched the earth I knew my mother was there with me. I knew this body was not mine along but a living continuation of my mother and father and my grandparents and great-grandparents. Of all my ancestors. These feet that I saw as "my" feet were actually "our" feet. Together my mother and I were leaving footprints in the damp soil.

From that moment on the idea that I had lost my mother no longer existed. All I had to do was look at the palm of my hand, feel the breeze on my face or the earth under my feet to remember that my mother is always with me, available at any time.

When you lost a loved one, you suffer. but if you know how to look deeply, you have a chance to realize that his or her nature is truly the nature of no birth, no death. There is manifestation and there is the cessation of manifestation in order to have another manifestation. You have to be very keen and very alert in order to recognize the new manifestation of just one person. But with practice and with effort you can do it.

So, taking the hand of someone who knows the practice, together do walking meditation. Pay attention to all the leaves, the flowers, the birds and the dewdrops. If you can stop and look deeply, you will be able to recognize your beloved one manifesting again and again in different forms. You will again embrace the joy of life.

A French scientist, whose name is Lavosier, declared, "Rien ne se cree, rien ne se perd." "Nothing is born, nothing dies." Although he did not practice as a Buddhist but as a scientist, he found the same truth the Buddha discovered.

Our true nature is the nature of no birth and no death. Only when we touch our true nature can we transcend the fear of non-being, the fear of annihilation.

The Buddha said that when conditions are sufficient something manifests and we say it exists. When one or two conditions fail and the thing does not manifest in the same way, we then say it does not exist. According to the Buddha, to qualify something as existing or not existing is wrong. In reality, there is no such thing as totally existing or totally not existing.

We can see this very easily with television and radio. We may be in a room that has no television or radio. And while we are in that room, we may think that television programs and radio programs do not exist in that room. But all of us know that the space in the room is full of signals. The signals of these programs are filling the air everywhere. We need only one more condition, a radio or television set, and may forms, colors and sounds will appear.

It would have been wrong to say that the signals do not exist because we did not have a radio or television to receive and manifest them. They only seemed not to exist because the causes and conditions were not enough to make the television program manifest. So at that moment, in that room, they do not exist. Just because we do not perceive something, it is not correct to say it doesn’t exist. It is only our notion of being and non-being that makes us think something exists or doesn’t exist. Notions of being and non-being cannot be applied to reality."

#विज्ञप्तिमात्र #Vijñaptimātra #VijñaptimatraBuddhism #ThichNhatHanh #Vasubandhu #Asanga #Yogacāra #Yogacara #ManifestationOnly #Vigyaptimatra #Xuanzang #Ayodhya #India #Linji #Rinzai #Zen #Bodhidharma #Hinduism #Buddhism #Buddha #Mahayana  #Prajñapāramitā #Vijnaptimatra #IndianBuddhism #IndianPhilosophy #UttarPradesh

The Vijñaptimātrins

When Vasubandhu embarked upon the study of the Prajñapāramitā Sutras along with his elder brother Asanga, he instantaneously knew why she was the mother of all Buddhas. Prajñapāramitā means the perfection of wisdom and it is the perfection of wisdom which gives birth to a bodhisattva and nurtures her to buddha-hood. He quickly became as proficient in wisdom sutras as his elder brother and dedicated the rest of his life to practicing and promoting the Buddha's teachings.

However, before we learn more about Vasubandhu, Asanga and the Vijñaptimātrins here's a bit of historical background on Buddhism. One hundred years after Buddha's parinirvāna, his "Order of Enlightenment" split. This happened because a large majority of the monks were dissatisfied with the manner in which Arhats were being recognized. They felt that many vinaya rules needed revision and that the Bodhisattva ideal needed to be promoted over arhat-ship as seeking happiness for others was a more desirable quality than seeking happiness for oneself and because it is, after all, the Bodhisattva who goes on to become a Buddha. These monks were greater in number and hence called themselves the Mahāsanghikās (the greater community) and their sect was later termed as Mahāyāna (the greater vehicle). Those who opposed them were termed Sthaviras (elders) and their sect was to be known as Sthavirvāda. As the Sthaviras were minority, they had to move to Kashmir. From Sthavirvāda originated many schools like Sarvāstivāda and modern day Theravāda.

Vasubandhu was born in the Gāndhāra province (now in Afghanistan and Pakistan). There were many philosophical schools in his time. The smartest among the youth preferred to study philosophy. They would study in monastic universities and practice vegetarianism and celibacy. Those who accepted the authority of the Vedās were termed āstikas (theists) and those who didn't were known as nāstikas (atheists). Prominent among the nāstika schools were Cārvāka, Buddhist and Jain schools. Prominent among the āstika schools were Mimāmsa, Sankhya, Yoga, Nyāya, Vaisheshika and Vedānt. They studied together in the same universities despite the contrasting beliefs. There were two prominent Sarvāstivāda (the school that teaches that everything exists) schools in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Kashmir regions - the Sautrāntikas (those who uphold the sutras) and the Vaibhāshikas (those who uphold the Abhidharma Mahāvibhasha).

Vasubandhu first studied the Sautrāntika philosophy and then moved to Kashmir to study the Vaibhāshika philosophy. He then taught philosophy at a monastery in Sialkot before settling down in Ayodhyā, Uttar Pradesh. At that time the King of India was Vikramāditya (Chandra Gupta ll) of the Gupta dynasty. When Vasubandhu's elder brother, Asanga, realized emptiness after twelve years of meditation he hurried to Ayodhyā to share his wisdom with his sibling. That is how Vasubandhu came into contact with the Prajñapāramitā teachings. Together, the two brothers founded what was later known as the Yogacāra (the practice of Yoga) group of schools. Among the many texts that Vasubandhu wrote were the verses on Vijñaptimatra (manifestation only) theory. Those who upheld the Vijñaptimatra theory were termed Vijñaptimātrins - the ones who believe that everything is a manifestation.

It was common in those days for scholars to debate. Through debate one would know the shortcomings of one's view. The scholar who would win the debate would share his insights with one who lost. Using the insight the he had acquired from studying the Prajñaparamita sutras, Vasubandhu defeated all prominent scholars on the debate ground. Thus Ayodhyā became the home of Yogacāra/Vijñaptimatra philosophy. One of the famous arguments put forward by Vasubandhu shattered the Sarvāstivad belief that everything exists. Vasubandhu argued that there was no evidence to suggest that anything existed. If an object was deemed to be existent because it is cognizable, then all objects in a dream are also cognizable. Vasubandhu pointed out to the Sarvāstivādins that their idea of reality was no better than a dream. Vasubandhu created the foundation for the development of logical thoughts for the future generations.

Finally when the most prominent Sankhya scholar admitted defeat, a delighted King Chandra Gupta ll awarded Vasubandhu 300,000 gold coins. Vasubandhu used this money to build two monasteries for monks and a nunnery. One monastery he gifted to the Sarvāstivādins and the other to those who focused on the Prajñapāramitā teachings.

The Vijñaptimatra teachings were transmitted to China through monks like Bodhidharma and Xuanzang (Huen Tsang). From China the teachings traveled to Japan, Korea and Vietnam. Today, thanks to the kind and benevolent Buddha Thich Nhat Hanh, we all have access to Vijñaptimatra teachings. We are forever grateful to him.

#विज्ञप्तिमात्र #Vijñaptimātra #VijñaptimatraBuddhism #ThichNhatHanh #Vasubandhu #Asanga #Yogacāra #Yogacara #ManifestationOnly #Vigyaptimatra #Xuanzang #Ayodhya #India #Linji #Rinzai #Zen #Bodhidharma #Hinduism #Buddhism #Buddha #Sthavirvāda #Sarvāstivada #Theravada #Vaibhāshika #Mahasanghikas #Mahayana  #Prajñapāramitā #Vijnaptimatra

The Fourteenth Mindfulness Training: Right Conduct

[For lay members]: Aware that sexual desire is not love and that sexual relations motivated by craving cannot dissipate the feeling of loneliness but will create more suffering, frustration and isolation, we are determined not to engage in sexual relations without mutual understanding, love, and a deep long-term commitment made known to our family and friends. Seeing that the body and mind are one, we are committed to learning appropriate ways to take care of our sexual energy and to cultivating loving kindness, compassion, joy, and inclusiveness for our own happiness and the happiness of others. We must be aware of future suffering that may be caused by sexual relations. We know that to preserve the happiness of ourselves and others, we must respect the rights and commitments of ourselves and others. We will do everything in our power to protect children from sexual abuse and to protect couples and families from being broken by sexual misconduct. We will treat our bodies with compassion and respect. We are determined to look deeply into the Four Nutriments and learn ways to preserve and channel our vital energies (sexual, breath, spirit) for the realization of our bodhisattva ideal. We will be fully aware of the responsibility of bringing new lives into the world, and will meditate upon their future environment.

[For monastic members]: Aware that the deep aspiration of a monk or a nun can only be realized when he or she wholly leaves behind the bonds of sensual love, we are committed to practicing chastity and to helping others protect themselves. We are aware that loneliness and suffering cannot be alleviated through a sexual relationship, but through practicing loving kindness, compassion, joy and inclusiveness. We know that a sexual relationship will destroy monastic life, will prevent us from realizing our ideal of serving living beings, and will harm others. We will learn appropriate ways to take care of sexual energy. We are determined not to suppress, to mistreat our body or to look upon our body as only an instrument, but to learn to handle our body with compassion and respect. We are determined to look deeply into the Four Nutriments in order to preserve and channel our vital energies (sexual, breath, spirit) for the realization of our bodhisattva ideal.

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(The four nutriments as explained by our teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh : The first kind of nutriment is edible food. We have to eat in such a way to preserve compassion in us and not to eat the flesh of our own sons and daughters. The second kind of nutriment is sensory impressions. This comes from eye, ear, nose, ear, body, and mind. When we watch television, we consume. When we use the internet, we consume. Even conversation can be very toxic. Educators and parents should practice mindful consumption to set an example for our young people to preserve our well being. The third kind of nutriment is intention/volition. This is the deepest desire in us – our deepest desire may be good or it may be destructive. Helping young people to suffer less or to work for the environment or work for peace, these are good intentions. Last year at Google, they asked Thay to talk about intention. What do we want to do with our life? Our deepest desire? Is it to practice to help people to suffer less, then that is a good intention. And the fourth kind of nutriment is consciousness – consciousness as food. There is individual consciousness. We carry with us the suffering of our parents and our ancestors. We should have a teacher or friend to help us come out of the dark corner of the past. Practicing appropriate attention, that is good food. There is also collective consciousness. We can feel the collective energy of mindfulness and compassion in a positive environment. To help young people, we should reflect on the kinds of nutriments we are providing them. Nothing can survive without food.)

#ThichNhatHanh #14Mindfulness #VijñaptimatraBuddhism #Interbeing

The Thirteenth Mindfulness Training: Generosity

Aware of the suffering caused by exploitation, social injustice, stealing and oppression, we are committed to cultivating generosity in our way of thinking, speaking, and acting. We will learn better ways to work for the well-being of people, animals, plants and minerals and practice generosity by sharing our time, energy, and material resources with those who are in need. We are determined not to steal and not to possess anything that should belong to others. We will respect the property of others, but will try to prevent others from profiting from human suffering or the suffering of other beings.

#ThichNhatHanh #14Mindfulness #VijñaptimatraBuddhism #Interbeing

The Twelfth Mindfulness Training: Reverence for Life

Aware that much suffering is caused by war and conflict, we are determined to cultivate nonviolence, compassion and the insight of interbeing in our daily lives and promote peace, education, mindful meditation, and reconciliation within families, communities, ethnic and religious groups, nations, and in the world. We are committed not to kill and not to let others kill. We will not support any act of killing in the world, in our thinking or in our way of life. We will diligently practice deep looking with our Sangha to discover better ways to protect life, prevent war, and build peace.

#ThichNhatHanh #14Mindfulness #VijñaptimatraBuddhism #Interbeing

The Eleventh Mindfulness Training: Right Livelihood

Aware that great violence and injustice have been done to our environment and society, we are committed not to live with a vocation that is harmful to humans or nature. We will do our best to select a livelihood that contributes to the wellbeing of all species on earth and helps realize our ideal of understanding and compassion. Aware of economic, political and social realities around the world, as well as our interrelationship with ecosystem, we are determined to behave responsibly as consumers and citizens. We will not invest in or purchase from companies that contribute to the depletion of natural resources, harm the earth; and deprive others of the chance to live.

#ThichNhatHanh #14Mindfulness #VijñaptimatraBuddhism #Interbeing

The Tenth Mindfulness Training: Protecting and Nourishing the Sangha

Aware that the essence and aim of a Sangha is the practice of understanding and compassion, we are determined not to use the Buddhist community for personal power or profit or transform our community into a political instrument. However, as members of a spiritual community, we should take a clear stand against oppression and injustice. We should strive to change the situation, without taking sides in a conflict. We are committed to looking with the eyes of interbeing and learning to see ourselves and others as cells in one Sangha body. As a true cell in the Sangha body, generating mindfulness, concentration and insight to nourish ourselves and the whole community, each of us is at the same time a cell in the Buddha body. We will actively build brotherhood and sisterhood, flow as a river, and practice to develop the three real powers – love, understanding and cutting through afflictions – to realize collective awakening.

#ThichNhatHanh #14Mindfulness #VijñaptimatraBuddhism #Interbeing

The Ninth Mindfulness Training: Truthful and Loving Speech

Aware that words can create happiness or suffering, we are committed to learning to speak truthfully, lovingly and constructively. We will only use words that inspire joy, confidence and hope as well as promote reconciliation and peace in ourselves and among people. We will speak and listen in a way that can help ourselves and others to transform suffering and see the way out of difficult situations. We are determined not to say untruthful things for the sake of personal interest or to impress people, nor to utter words that might cause division or hatred. We will protect the joy and harmony of our Sangha by refraining from speaking about the faults of another person in their absence and always ask ourselves whether our perceptions are correct. We will speak only with the intention to understand and help transform the situation. We will not spread rumors nor criticize or condemn things of which we are not sure. We will do our best to speak out about situations of injustice, even when doing so may make difficulties for us or threaten our safety.

#ThichNhatHanh #14Mindfulness #VijñaptimatraBuddhism #Interbeing

The Eighth Mindfulness Training: True Community & Communication

Aware that lack of communication always brings separation and suffering, we are committed to training ourselves in the practice of compassionate listening and loving speech. Knowing that true community is rooted in inclusiveness and in the concrete practice of harmony of views, thinking and speech, we will practice to share our understanding and experiences with members in our community in order to arrive at collective insight. We are determined to learn to listen deeply without judging or reacting, and refrain from uttering words that can create discord or cause the community to break. Whenever difficulties arise, we will remain in our Sangha and practice looking deeply into ourselves and others to recognize all the causes and conditions, including our own habit energies, that have brought about the difficulties. We will take responsibility for all the ways we may have contributed to the conflict and keep communication open. We will not behave as a victim but be active in finding ways to reconcile and resolve all conflicts however small.

#ThichNhatHanh #14Mindfulness #VijñaptimatraBuddhism #Interbeing

The Seventh Mindfulness Training: Dwelling Happily in the Present Moment

Aware that life is available only in the present moment, we are committed to training ourselves to live deeply each moment of daily life. We will try not to lose ourselves in dispersion or be carried away by regrets about the past, worries about the future, or cravings, anger, or jealousy in the present. We will practice mindful breathing to be aware of what is happening in the here and now. We are determined to learn the art of mindful living by touching the wondrous, refreshing, and healing elements that are inside and around us, in all situations. In this way, we will be able to cultivate seeds of joy, peace, love, and understanding in ourselves, thus facilitating the work of transformation and healing in our consciousness. We are aware that happiness depends primarily on our mental attitude and not on external conditions, and that we can live happily in the present moment simply by remembering that we already have more than enough conditions to be happy.

#ThichNhatHanh #14Mindfulness #VijñaptimatraBuddhism #Interbeing

The Sixth Mindfulness Training: Taking Care of Anger

Aware that anger blocks communication and creates suffering; we are committed to taking care of our energy of anger when it arises, to recognizing and transforming the seeds of anger that lie deep in our consciousness. When anger manifests, we are determined not to do or say anything, but to practice mindful breathing or mindful walking to acknowledge, embrace, and look deeply into our anger. We know that the roots of anger are not outside of ourselves but can be found in our wrong perceptions and lack of understanding of the suffering in ourselves and the other person. By contemplating impermanence, we will be able to look with the eyes of compassion at ourselves and those we think are the cause of our anger, and to recognize the preciousness of our relationships. We will practice Right Diligence in order to nourish our capacity of understanding, love, joy and inclusiveness, gradually transforming our anger, violence, fear and helping others do the same.

#ThichNhatHanh #14Mindfulness #VijñaptimatraBuddhism #Interbeing

The Fifth Mindfulness Training: Compassionate, Healthy Living

Aware that happiness is rooted in peace, solidity, freedom and compassion, we are determined not to accumulate wealth while millions are hungry and dying nor to take as the aim of our life fame, profit, wealth, or sensual pleasure, which can bring much suffering and despair. We will practice looking deeply into how we nourish our body and mind with edible foods, sense impressions, volition and consciousness. We are committed not to gamble or to use alcohol, drugs or any other products that bring toxins into our own and the collective body and consciousness such as certain websites, electronic games, TV programs, films, magazines, books and conversations. We will consume in a way that preserves compassion, peace, joy, wellbeing in our bodies and consciousness and in the collective body and consciousness of our families, our society, and the earth.

#ThichNhatHanh #14Mindfulness #VijñaptimatraBuddhism #Interbeing

The Fourth Mindfulness Training: Awareness of Suffering

Aware that looking deeply at our own suffering can help us cultivate understanding and compassion, we are determined to come home to ourselves, to recognize, accept, embrace and listen to our own suffering with the energy of mindfulness. We will do our best not to run away from our own suffering or cover it up through consumption but practice conscious breathing and walking to look deeply into the roots of our suffering. We know we can only find the path leading to the transformation of suffering when we understand the roots of suffering. Once we have understood our own suffering, we will be able to understand the suffering of others. We are committed to finding ways, including personal contact and using the telephone, electronic, audiovisual, and other means to be with those who suffer, so we can help them transform their suffering into compassion, peace and joy.

#ThichNhatHanh #14Mindfulness #VijñaptimatraBuddhism #Interbeing

The Third Mindfulness Training: Freedom of Thought

Aware of the suffering brought about when we impose our view on others, we are determined not to force others, even our children, by any means whatsoever – such as authority, threat, money, propaganda, or indoctrination – to adopt our views. We are committed to respecting the rights of others to be different, to choose what to believe and how to decide. We will, however, learn to help others let go of and transform narrowness through loving speech and compassionate dialog.

#ThichNhatHanh #14Mindfulness #VijñaptimatraBuddhism #Interbeing

The Second Mindfulness Training: Non-Attachment to Views

Aware of the suffering created by attachment to views and wrong perceptions, we are determined to avoid being narrow-minded and bound to present views. We are committed to learning and practicing non attachment to views and being open to other’s insights and experiences in order to benefit from the collective wisdom. Insight is revealed through the practice of compassionate listening, deep looking, and letting go of notions rather than through the accumulation of intellectual knowledge. We are aware that the knowledge we presently possess is not changeless, absolute truth. Truth is found in life, and we will observe life within and around us in every moment, ready to learn throughout our lives.

#ThichNhatHanh #14Mindfulness #VijñaptimatraBuddhism #Interbeing

The First Mindfulness Training: Openness

Aware of the suffering created by fanaticism and intolerance, we are determined not to be idolatrous about or bound to any doctrine, theory, or ideology, even Buddhist ones. We are committed to seeing the Buddhist teachings as a guiding means that help us learn to look deeply and develop understanding and compassion. They are not doctrines to fight, kill, or die for. We understand that fanaticism in its many forms is the result of perceiving things in a dualistic or discriminative manner. We will train ourselves to look at everything with openness and the insight of interbeing in order to transform dogmatism and violence in ourselves and the world.

#ThichNhatHanh #14Mindfulness #VijñaptimatraBuddhism #Interbeing

Mindful Consumption

Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful consumption, I am committed to cultivating good health, both physical and mental, for myself, my family, and my society by practicing mindful eating, drinking, and consuming. I will practice looking deeply into how I consume the Four Kinds of Nutriments, namely edible foods, sense impressions, volition, and consciousness. I am determined not to gamble, or to use alcohol, drugs, or any other products which contain toxins, such as certain websites, electronic games, TV programs, films, magazines, books, and conversations. I will practice coming back to the present moment to be in touch with the refreshing, healing and nourishing elements in me and around me, not letting regrets and sorrow drag me back into the past nor letting anxieties, fear, or craving pull me out of the present moment. I am determined not to try to cover up loneliness, anxiety, or other suffering by losing myself in consumption. I will contemplate interbeing and consume in a way that preserves peace, joy, and well-being in my body and consciousness, and in the collective body and consciousness of my family, my society and the Earth.

#ThichNhatHanh #VijñaptimatraBuddhism #5Mindfulness #Interbeing

Khadija expands her business

Khadija, a single mother, has expanded her clothes shop to include sewing machines so that she can make alterations for her customers.

Her village of Haris, in the West Bank, only had one clothing store.  When she overheard people in her community talk about the need for variety, Khadija responded by raising the capital for a new clothing business with her brother. But she soon saw an opportunity to expand.

“I noticed most of the women who come to buy from my shop also need their clothes altered,” she said. “I realized that a sewing machine would give me a competitive advantage in the market.”

Khadija participated in NEF’s program – creating a business plan to grow her business and successfully securing a start-up grant for expansion.

“Having your own business is not only about money,” she says. “It is also about achieving your social, psychological, and financial independence. My business makes me feel that I’m an active and useful person in this community.”

NEF is supporting disadvantaged women in Palestine and Jordan to create businesses and achieve economic security. Each year NEF provides 250 women with training and coaching to build business management and leadership skills and helps them access start-up funding. With this support, they are able to earn money, lead change in their communities, and break the cycle of poverty to create better lives for their families.

http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/empower-women-entrepreneurs-in-jordan-palestine/

Mindful Communication

Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful speech and the inability to listen to others, I am committed to cultivating loving speech and compassionate listening in order to relieve suffering and to promote reconciliation and peace in myself and among other people, ethnic and religious groups, and nations. Knowing that words can create happiness or suffering, I am committed to speaking truthfully using words that inspire confidence, joy, and hope. When anger is manifesting in me, I am determined not to speak. I will practice mindful breathing and walking in order to recognize and to look deeply into my anger. I know that the roots of anger can be found in my wrong perceptions and lack of understanding of the suffering in myself and in the other person. I will speak and listen in a way that can help myself and the other person to transform suffering and see the way out of difficult situations. I am determined not to spread news that I do not know to be certain and not to utter words that can cause division or discord. I will practice Right Diligence to nourish my capacity for understanding, love, joy, and inclusiveness, and gradually transform anger, violence, and fear that lie deep in my consciousness.

#ThichNhatHanh #5Mindfulness #VijñaptimatraBuddhism #Interbeing

True Love

Aware of the suffering caused by sexual misconduct, I am committed to cultivating responsibility and learning ways to protect the safety and integrity of individuals, couples, families, and society. Knowing that sexual desire is not love, and that sexual activity motivated by craving always harms myself as well as others, I am determined not to engage in sexual relations without true love and a deep, long-term commitment made known to my family and friends. I will do everything in my power to protect children from sexual abuse and to prevent couples and families from being broken by sexual misconduct. Seeing that body and mind are one, I am committed to learning appropriate ways to take care of my sexual energy and cultivating loving kindness, compassion, joy and inclusiveness – which are the four basic elements of true love – for my greater happiness and the greater happiness of others. Practicing true love, we know that we will continue beautifully into the future.

#ThichNhatHanh #5Mindfulness #VijñaptimatraBuddhism #Interbeing

True Happiness

Aware of the suffering caused by exploitation, social injustice, stealing, and oppression, I am committed to practicing generosity in my thinking, speaking, and acting. I am determined not to steal and not to possess anything that should belong to others; and I will share my time, energy, and material resources with those who are in need. I will practice looking deeply to see that the happiness and suffering of others are not separate from my own happiness and suffering; that true happiness is not possible without understanding and compassion; and that running after wealth, fame, power and sensual pleasures can bring much suffering and despair. I am aware that happiness depends on my mental attitude and not on external conditions, and that I can live happily in the present moment simply by remembering that I already have more than enough conditions to be happy. I am committed to practicing Right Livelihood so that I can help reduce the suffering of living beings on Earth.

#ThichNhatHanh #5Mindfulness #VijñaptimatraBuddhism #Smriti #Interbeing

Reverence For Life

Aware of the suffering caused by the destruction of life, I am committed to cultivating the insight of interbeing and compassion and learning ways to protect the lives of people, animals, plants, and minerals. I am determined not to kill, not to let others kill, and not to support any act of killing in the world, in my thinking, or in my way of life. Seeing that harmful actions arise from anger, fear, greed, and intolerance, which in turn come from dualistic and discriminative thinking, I will cultivate openness, non-discrimination, and non-attachment to views in order to transform violence, fanaticism, and dogmatism in myself and in the world.

#ThichNhatHanh #5Mindfulness #VijñaptimatraBuddhism #Interbeing

Mother's Day Meditation

Just like human mothers, cow mothers also love their children. They cannot be happy when their children are unhappy. Cow's milk is meant for the calf, not humans. Cows produce milk after childbirth. They are repeatedly impregnated so they give birth and produce milk, so we humans can enjoy milk tea, butter, ghee (clarified butter), milk sweets, milk chocolates, cheese, paneer (cottage cheese) etc. The calves are taken away and sold to butchers so some people can eat beef and wear leather shoes/bags/jackets. The cow mother spends all her life as a slave. She is repeatedly raped and helplessly watches the killing of her children.
Buddha taught that we cannot be happy by making others suffer.

The first mindfulness training is reverence for life. We cannot kill or let others kill if we have reverence for life. The second mindfulness training is to practice and promote true happiness. We cannot be truly happy by stealing from others, by exploiting others.

Has the Altisource AMC bubble burst?

The Altisource Asset Management Company stock has fallen by over 25% in the last six trading days. Not long ago a (Hitler) video was posted on YouTube and articles were circulating on the internet referencing that video. The general sense one got from these articles was that it may be a good idea to short AAMC stock and those who did must be pleased with themselves.

However, AAMC's woes run much deeper than their "sweetheart deals" with Residential (RESI). They depend on Ocwen and Altisource (ASPS) for too many things. I have provided evidence to suggest that Ocwen and Altisource function in a manner that benefits them at the cost of investors. It is impossible, then, that AAMC and RESI benefit using the same staff and approach.

The relationships which were meant to benefit AAMC will now begin to haunt them. ASPS will take AAMC and RESI down along with Ocwen. Hiring Shrek or any other fairytale character may not help much. Buddha taught that the intent is most important and AAMC-RESI set out with the intention of evicting people from their homes.

Ocwen are a menace to society. They push borrowers towards foreclosure by adding additional costs and not appropriately dealing with loss mitigation requests. Altisource provide to Ocwen malfunctioning software and an inefficient mechanism to deal with short sale requests. They are both deliberately designed in a manner that they increase foreclosures. The foreclosed properties are sold through Altisource who also earn listing commissions, Buyer's Premium, title and escrow fees, web tech fees, property preservation fees and more. This helps people like William Erbey and Ronald Faris make more money.

The investors however don't benefit from all this. Altisource sell properties at low prices due to a business-illiterate Asset Management team and remotely-located in-house real estate agents. As if that was not enough they are ably assisted by PPI (who damage properties more than preserving them), Asset/Title Resolution (who hope issues get resolved by themselves), HOA Coordination (who cannot identify HOAs) and Premium Title (who have been certified the worst escrow/title ever by at least 80% of the homebuyers who had the misfortune of dealing with them). It is a deliberately flawed system that benefits many individually but not investors, not homeowners, not homebuyers (unless you take into account companies like California Kingdom Builders who are provided "attractive" deals).

With increased regulatory scrutiny on Ocwen, it will be challenging for AAMC-RESI to get properties foreclosed. Altisource's high quality global workforce will make it challenging for them to successfully complete alternatives like deed-in-lieu. Altisource will hinder information gathering and delay resolutions. With Premium Title in the picture, it can get worse.

Ocwen stock is at its 52 week low. They missed earnings estimates. They blamed increased regulatory scrutiny for lower earnings.

AAMC-RESI obtain funds from institutions like Credit Suisse who are being investigated for money laundering. I have already mentioned that the flow of funds to and out of Ocwen subsidiaries (like Blue Valley Apartments, RESS etc.) must be investigated. Real estate transactions are an attractive option for money laundering and channelizing "unearned" fees.

Investors should avoid Ocwen-Altisource and look for better opportunities elsewhere in the market. The going will be very tough for all these companies. Sooner or later government agencies will act against these companies.

(The author has never traded in OCN, HLSS, ASPS, RESI and AAMC shares.)

Elizabeth Warren to the rich - This battle isn't over yet

The Mantra of the Buddha Thich Nhat Hanh

No coming, no going,
No after, no before,
I hold you close to me,
I release you to be so free,
Because I am in you,
And you are in me.