Your Actions Are Your Only Belongings | The 5th Remembrance

40:06

Your Actions Are Your Only Belongings | The 5th Remembrance

by Meredith Hooke

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4.9

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talks

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Meditation

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Everyone

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190

In this dharma talk, we reflect on the fifth remembrance: 'I am the owner of my actions, heir to my actions.' We explore the interconnected nature of our actions and the conditions that shape them, uncovering how mindfulness empowers us to create a path toward wisdom and peace.

Mindfulness Karma Interconnectedness Wisdom Peace Buddhism Letting Go Compassion Ego Mindful Breathing

Meet your Teacher

23232 El Sgto, B.C.S., Mexico

Meet your Teacher

23232 El Sgto, B.C.S., Mexico

Transcript

We have been going over the five remembrances for the last five weeks. The five remembrances that the Buddha gives us that we should reflect on every single day. So we are up to the fifth remembrance, Which is, My actions are my only true belongings. I cannot escape the consequences of my actions. My actions are the ground upon which I stand. So what the Buddha is saying here is that our thoughts, Our speech, Our actions, Everything that we are thinking and saying and doing is having a direct effect on this one here. That the consequences of my actions are in fact my continuum. So the actions that were done in the previous moment are giving rise, The consequences to me in this moment. And the actions that come out of this moment are going to be the consequences of how I am arising in the future. And so what he's saying is that we should be very mindful of our actions because we have a direct effect on this one, How we are arising in each moment based on our actions. So if I eat a giant bag of potato chips, I'm the one that's going to feel sick. Not Peter, Not Neda. Meredith is going to feel the repercussions of that. If I drink a big cup of coffee before I go to bed, I am the one that's not going to be able to fall asleep. Not Annalise, Not Emma. That it's going to have an effect here. So in one sense, This is very straightforward, It's very simple. What you sow is what you reap. And this isn't revolutionary. This isn't a revolutionary idea for any of us. But again and again, We reach for the chips versus the Apple, Or the iPhone versus the book, Or Netflix versus meditating. Again and again, We keep reaching for the things that aren't actually bringing us what we want. And so what is important for us to understand is that while our actions are directly affecting each one of us, We are not living in a closed system. While each of us appears independent, Solid, Arising independently, But in fact, This is not reality. That each of us is arising based on trillions of previous causes and conditions, And arising right now based on each other. The words that are coming out of this mouth having an effect on you. The comments that you send in having an effect back here, That you are here, And I see your avatar going across, Having an effect here. And so there's a lot, Particularly in a Sangha, We've been meeting here for a while, We know there's a lot of kindness, There's a lot of compassion. There's a lot of people being vulnerable and sharing what's going on. It's a very safe place for us. So there's a lot of love, There's a lot of compassion in this setting. And so we're all arising based on these conditions. And so the thoughts and the way that we act out of this is all quite pleasant. It feels good. It feels nice. So we like this. But then later, Our conditions are going to change. And maybe our conditions are that we're tired, And we're stressed. We've been running around, And we're hungry. And then in that moment, In our being tired, In our being stressed, In our being hungry, Even though we told ourselves that morning, I'm not going to eat the potato chips, I'm not going to go on social media. We find ourselves reaching for the potato chips, Reaching for our phones, Scrolling through, Eating the chips, Not even aware of what we're doing, Scrolling, Not even aware of what we're consuming, Not even aware of how these acts are affecting us until it's too late. And we feel horrible. And we think, Why did I do that again? I told myself I wasn't going to do this. I understand that when I do these things, I don't feel good. Why do I keep doing these things? And so it feels like there's a bit of a conundrum here with the fifth remembrance. Because the Buddha is telling us, My only true belongings are my actions. I cannot escape the consequences of my actions. Whatever actions are happening here are directly affecting this one. And yet, I am arising based on trillions of other conditions, What other people are doing, What other people are saying, Based on the weather, Based on what I ate before, Based on my hormones, My biology, Based on the culture that I'm living in, Based on the values of my culture, That in fact, All of these conditions that I'm arising in are affecting, Deeply affecting the actions that come out of this one that then have a direct effect back here. And so it kind of feels a little hopeless. Like, What are we going to do? Like, We're just being carried along as though there's nothing we can do to change the course, To change the direction. Because apparently, I'm just the sum of all of these conditions and then the habits here, That that's all that I am. And so it can feel kind of helpless, Like there's not a lot we can do. But then we've tried, We've tried many times, We think, You know, We pretend and we think we have free will, Or that we can use our willpower, Our determination, That no, In fact, Next week, Next Wednesday, New Year's Day, How many people will be trying to make change? All of a sudden saying, You know what, No more cakes and cookies, Only, You know, Kale and blueberries from here on out, Right? No more staying up late, No more watching Netflix, YouTube. I'm going to meditate at night, I'm going to go to bed early, I'm going to get up in the morning and go to the gym, I'm going to meditate before I go to work. Right? We have all these grand ideas about all of these changes that we're going to make. And some people make it through the whole day with those changes. Most don't. Some people make it a few days, Some people make it a few weeks, Not all of the changes, Maybe the gym, Maybe the meditation, Maybe those two things stuck. But the social media starts creeping back in, Maybe some of the potato chips start creeping back in, The news starts creeping back in. Because the conditioning of our habits is so strong. We cannot escape the consequences of our actions. And yet it feels like our actions are just doomed to repeat themselves. Because we make the mistake of thinking that we can make changes outside of the conditioned world. And this is why we keep repeating the same mistakes over and over again, Acting in ways that keep causing harm for us. And then not seeing, Not paying attention to the main condition, The primary condition that is causing all of this suffering to begin with. That we are not seeing reality, That in fact, The way we see ourselves through the ego, That little, Just that little voice that's always out back there talking, I want this, I want to get over there. I don't want that. Oh, They better get out of my way. They shouldn't be doing that. I shouldn't be doing this. Just that little voice that's been going our whole lives. Out of that little voice is a belief that I am a solid, Independent being, That I am the center of the universe. Not a part of the universe, But the center of it. What I want matters most. And so out of that belief, The actions that cause the suffering, And we keep repeating it again and again and again, Because we don't look and see the reality of the conditioned world that we live in, That each of us is arising interdependent, Interconnected. As Thich Nhat Hanh says, Interbeing. None of us is independent here. We don't see that. And to understand that when the conditions arise of our meditation practice, Our mindfulness practice, The wisdom teachings, The compassion practices, When they arise, That in a moment of being frustrated, You're trying to load an internet page, Sorry, Trying to load a page on the internet. And in that moment of being frustrated, That the conditions of meditation and mindfulness and the wisdom teachings can arise in that moment, That you can remember in that moment to take a mindful breath and breathe. Instead of going down the path of getting frustrated and, Oh, This shouldn't be happening to me because I need to get on this call, I need to do something, I need this information, Going down the cycle of suffering, Repeating the same habits, That mindful breath, Just the condition of one mindful breath and understanding in that moment, I'm not controlling how this webpage is loading right now. And in that letting go of the controlling for a moment, In that breath, In that pause, In the seeing that I'm simply not controlling that, We let go of the grasping, We let go of the control, We let go of this belief that I am making everything happen. And in letting go of the grasping of a me, That this is happening to, And instead seeing the reality of what it is that's actually happening, Wisdom, Understanding, Insight arising. And so, The actions that now take place out of wisdom, Understanding I'm not controlling the internet, And I can either take a pause, Take a breath, Maybe I can just restart my computer, Mindfully, Peacefully, No problem, Because that might be a good action to take. Maybe I can text someone that was waiting for me on the other end to get on a zoom call and just let them know I'm having some trouble. So we're still acting, But now we're acting in alignment with reality, In tune with harmony, In tune and in harmony with reality. So our continuum now because we are the continuum of our actions, Is we're more peaceful, We're more at ease, We're more equanimous. Because the actions that took place were coming out of wisdom, Instead of grasping. And we say that we want to flow with life. We see all the little memes about it, The bumper stickers, The t-shirts, You know, Let it go and flow. And we all say, Oh, This is what I want. I want to let it go and I want to flow. But we're seeing the letting it go, Actually, Sorry, We're not seeing the letting it go part, We're seeing the flowing part, As though it's being viewed through our ego, Through the grasping. Yeah, I'll flow as long as everything's going my way. As long as I'm getting what I want, As long as no one's bothering me, As long as I'm not getting what I don't want. Sure, That's how I want to flow. Right? And that's how we take this teaching, How we take the fifth remembrance at a very superficial level, Right? Where we start to think, Well, If I just do good things, Then good things will happen. Right? I'm the consequences of my actions. So if I just do good things, Only good things will happen. If I'm kind to people, People will only be kind to me. If I'm generous, And I donate, And I give of my time, Then I will receive in an abundance back. And it looks kind of good on the outside. But it's still grasping, It's still trying to control an outcome. And then inevitably, That wrong view of reality meets reality. And someone is unkind to me. And we're like, That shouldn't have happened. I'm being kind, I'm only supposed to receive kindness in return. Right? We get the big bill, We get the flat tire, And we think that wasn't supposed to happen, I'm being generous. I'm doing good things, I'm not supposed to have things like this happen. And so we go right back into our default, Into the habit of pushing back and complaining, And resisting what's happening. And we're suffering again. Our actions continuing to lead to suffering. Because we won't let go of control. We keep thinking that we are controlling this. Because we think we are controlling all of this, We think that if I were to let go, Then everything would fall apart. And that's terrifying to us. And yet, Every time we're having some moment of frustration, Of irritation, Of judging someone, Of judging ourselves, Of being stressed, And the conditions arising, Of just that little condition that you heard it on a Dharma talk earlier, You were reading in a book, You were meditating earlier, And you were thinking about it. Right? And you were thinking about the conditions that are more conducive to peace. And like we asked in the meditation, When I ask you that second question, What could you be doing that would move you closer to what it is you most want? And what could you be giving up? And not with the idea of saying, And you must do it. Simply that we are planting seeds, That you're being honest with yourself about it, And that you're planting seeds. So that in that moment, The right conditions arise, You're frustrated. And you remember, Oh, Yeah, Mindful breath. Right? Oh, Yeah, Just take this one mindful breath, Just that one mindful breath. We bring our attention in, And we breathe, The letting go, The grasping falls away. And in its place, Wisdom, Insight, Understanding. We're still here. We haven't fallen apart. We're still talking, Still listening, Still thinking, Still feeling, Still planning, Doing all the same things. But our actions are aligned with reality, Instead of the illusion that I am controlling all of this. So in planning, As we're planning something, We do what we can do. We make the plan, The conditions have arisen, A thought has arisen for a plan to appear. A trip, A business, Whatever the plan is, A night out, You're planning all the conditions for it. Great. But then after you're done planning, You recognize, Okay, Now let's see if this happens. Because I realized from here, All the conditions were for a plan arising. But now this plan is going to meet all these other external conditions. And I don't know if it's really going to work out exactly like this. And the more open I am to seeing maybe there's a better plan, Right? Maybe I didn't think of everything at that time. Maybe there's a better plan. Maybe the plan actually starts to go awry where it starts to become, The whole plan starts to get blown out. And if we fall back into our old patterns, Well, I was controlling all of this, This shouldn't be happening. We suffer. So out of the actions, The resisting, The complaining, The judging, We suffer. Or the wisdom, The compassion, The understanding that, You know, I'm not really controlling all of this. Let's make the best of this that we can do. And let's see how this can play out. So now, Because of those actions coming out of wisdom, Not sitting back and saying, I can't do anything, But recognizing what can I do, The resisting isn't helping. It's only making me suffer. And I'm just trapped back in that cycle of suffering again. But no, Still doing something. But in alignment with reality, Flowing with reality, Through letting go of the grasping, Letting go of the outcome. And when we have a moment, When we're feeling stressed, Right? The conditions are, Stress is rising, Because it will still happen. It will still happen. We will still have moments. Maybe you're running a little bit late. Everyone's kind of rushing along. You're all trying to catch a plane. Something's happening like, Okay. And in that moment where you can feel the grasping and, Oh no, What if this goes wrong? And this is horrible. And how did this happen? And I should make sure this never happens again, Right? Instead of all of the complaining, The actions, The thoughts that are happening that are creating more suffering. We just remember again, That mindful breath, That mindful breath. To remember, Oh yeah, I'm not controlling any of this. I can run to try and catch the plane. Great. Enjoy the running to the plane. I can move a little more quickly. No problem. No problem. But in that moment, The grasping is gone because there's a realizing, I am not controlling this. I am arising based on these conditions and the conditions are a little fast right now. And that's okay. Just go a little faster because it won't stay like this forever. And so in the letting go of the grasping, We're able to be in the moment and just move with what's happening, Flow with what's happening. So we're still acting, But we're acting out of wisdom, Compassion, Insight, Understanding. Or when we're feeling something unpleasant, Right? Not just the stress, But we're feeling some sadness, We're feeling some grief, We're feeling some anger. And because of all of the conditions of the Dharma talks that you've been on and all the meditation and all the mindfulness, And how many times you've heard come out of this mouth, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Feel your feelings. And the conditions arise, Still conditioned. The condition arises, Oh yeah, Feel this. Accept what's here, Breathe into it, Welcome it, Nurture it. Because those are the conditions that are arising for whatever reason, Sadness is arising, For whatever reason, Grief is arising, Anger is arising. And instead of acting on it in our heads with our thoughts that are creating suffering, I shouldn't feel this, This shouldn't be happening, I'm so angry about that happening. Instead, The conditions now, Because just that one mindful breath, That one mindful breath, The grasping goes away and the wisdom arises. And we recognize, I'm not controlling how I feel. None of us knows how we're going to feel in two minutes, In 20 minutes, In 20 hours. It's all these millions and billions and trillions of previous conditions. But the way we respond in that moment, Whether we act out of wisdom or out of grasping is what determines the effect here. We cannot escape the consequences of our actions, But how we are acting based on wisdom or based on delusion is what determines how we are feeling. That becomes our continuum. So this isn't passive, Right? That's what we think letting go means. Oh, I just, I let go, I'm a piece of paper floating in the wind. I have absolutely no, Well, It's tricky to say this. I don't have any control over this. And yet, In the recognizing that there's no one, No thing independent here controlling this, In the recognition of that, The grasping falls away. And it's not grasping and then you, Especially because if you're on a spiritual path, Right? It's wisdom that's arising. Now we're acting out of wisdom. So our actions aligned with what it is that we most deeply want, That feeling of connection, Of belonging, Of peace, Of contentment, Of tranquility, All of that, Of what it is that we want. Our actions start aligning with our intentions because we are acting out of wisdom instead of out of grasping. So the difference is that we understand this is a conditioned, Everything is conditioned. Everything leading up to enlightenment is conditioned as well, Up to enlightenment, Enlightenment itself, The enlightened mind, Unconditioned mind. But leading up to it, It's all conditioned. And we understand that and we say, Okay, This is all, I can't control the awakening process either. But what I do know is that my practice, Those are the conditions that lead me to it. As the wise Zen master says, Enlightenment is an accident, But practice makes you accident prone. And so we understand our practice, Meditation, Mindfulness, The wisdom teachings, Compassion practices, It's all still conditioned. Everything leading up to this, Into enlightenment is all still conditioned. We can't try and live outside of the conditioned world because that is in fact what we're trying to do right now in the grasping. That's the delusion that we're all living under and why we keep repeating the same patterns and habits over and over again and go, Why do I keep getting stuck? Why do I keep doing the things that do not bring me peace and happiness? Because we think there is a part of us that is not a part of the conditioned world. So it is in seeing reality, Even just seeing glimpses of reality, Every time you take a mindful breath and that frustration, That irritation, That judging, Whatever it was that was happening, There's a letting go in that moment and a recognition, Oh yeah, All this is arising and happening. And in the letting go, The wisdom and the insight arises. And then we're acting based on wisdom and insight. So when we remember the fifth remembrance, When we reflect on this, My actions are my only true belongings. I cannot escape the consequences of my actions. My actions are the ground upon which I stand. We remember, Yes, These actions, Whatever actions are coming out of this are having a direct effect here. And the more that I think I am controlling this, The more that I think I live outside of the conditioned world, The more that I will suffer the consequences of my actions. And the more that I start remembering and paying attention to how the world is arising in each moment and how I am arising in each moment, And even just to take, Just if you were to take away the main practice, The main thing, Just to remember one mindful breath, One mindful breath. That is enough. Bring your attention in. Breathing in, Feeling the breath moving through the body, Letting go. That is enough for the grasping to fall away and the wisdom and the insight to guide the next step and the next step and the next step. But it is so critical that first mindful breath that so often gets forgotten. And so if we can just remember the more that we can breathe mindfully in that first condition, When the wisdom and insight and compassion arises with the mindful breath, Then we're knowing what it is that we need to do. We're responding more in tune with reality. We may even just be recognizing, You know what, I'm just tired. Yeah, I'm starting to judge myself again. I'm starting to doubt myself again. Because even in the awakening process, Which is what's happening on the path that's being taught here, It is a gradual path. In the awakening process, As you're seeing reality more and more, You're getting glimpses into reality, You're letting go. Old conditions are still playing out, Old habits are still playing out, But they're playing out under new conditions. And so even if you have this big moment, This aha moment, And you think, Oh my gosh, And we do, We have these big insights and it's like, Feels like everything's been obliterated. And for that moment, Those hours, Those days, Those weeks, It is. But then the conditioning starts to come back up again. To even recognize that and to say, Okay, Old conditioning is still going to be playing out. So not to fear that, But to recognize, Yes, It's still going to happen. So when the doubts arise, When the fear arises, When the self-judging arises, I'm not good enough, I'm hopeless at this, When that arises, And you remember, Oh yes, Just one mindful breath. That's all I need right now is one mindful breath to break the pattern. So then it then turns into two mindful breaths and three mindful breaths. And as you're breathing mindfully, The grasping falling away, The grasping, I'm a bad practitioner, Oh, I doubt myself, I'm not very good at this, All that goes away. And the wisdom that arises, And then you're also the wisdom, And you might be remembering this talk and said, Yes, Meredith said this was going to happen. And now you're remembering, Now you're, You're again in tune with reality. Yes, This is still going to happen. And I can be okay with this and I can breathe and I can feel this. Because those are the conditions that are arising. If, If for the first 40 years of your life, There was a lot of doubt, A lot of self-judgment, A lot of self-criticism, You know, 10 years on the path isn't going to wipe that away. It's still going to be arising, But it's for you to see that and to realize even in those conditions, That's still conditioned, All this is still conditioned. And I am still the consequences of my actions. And so one mindful breath, And I start going down a different path, Because that leads to two mindful breaths, To three mindful breaths. And we're no longer grasping, We're no longer having aversion for the unpleasant thoughts, Feelings and emotions that are arising. We're like, Oh yes, This too, No problem. No problem. Let me breathe, Let me be with this and it moves through us. And so the consequences of our actions in that moment are not more suffering, Are not more delusion, Not more ignorance. It's wisdom. And it is compassion. Compassion is being with pain, Right? Compassion is feeling it, Not hiding from it. It's, It's welcoming, It's, It's opening our hearts with kindness to what it is that we're experiencing. And then those conditions, Because of the consequences of those actions, Right, That becomes our continuum. Because we truly are, As the Buddha said, Our only true belongings are our actions. That is the only thing that has this direct effect right back here. Still has an effect on others as well, Because all this is meshing together. But it's having this direct effect here. And the more that we can get in tune with reality, This isn't about, We don't want to take this teaching at a superficial level, We want to take it what the Buddha is saying. Look at reality. Look at how you are arising based on causes and conditions. Look at how the grasping, The causes and conditions of grasping of the ego, Conditioned, Right? Conditioned in our culture, The values of our culture, Making it a superego, Right? Just something conditioned. But now these other conditions have come along for everyone that is here on this call, Or listening to this talk later. The conditions are that you have been brought on a spiritual path. You have the good conditions of being pointed in the right direction of reality, To see what is really going on, To break the cycle of suffering, This pattern of suffering. So that we truly do understand, Yes, I am the continuum of my actions. And if my actions are rooted in grasping, I am suffering. If my actions are rooted in reality, I am acting out of wisdom, And I am living more peacefully, More harmoniously. I am flowing with reality. And every single mindful breath that you take is a condition that is leading you closer to enlightenment. Each mindful breath is leading you closer. It's breaking the cycle. Don't minimize that first mindful breath, How powerful it is in that moment of our suffering, Of our frustration, Of our irritation, Of our stress. It's still conditioned, But now the conditions are taking us where we want to go. To live more peacefully, More harmoniously. So the Buddha gave us the five remembrances. So we've been going over this the last five weeks, Just to recap the first remembrance. And all of these talks are up on Insight Timer for those of you that are first time here. I am of the nature to grow old, I cannot escape growing old. That we have to accept we're getting old. Don't fight it. That's not reality. I am of the nature to get sick, I cannot escape getting sick. Don't fight it. That is not the nature of reality. To fight it. I am of the nature to die. Every single one of us is impermanent. And the more that we reflect on that, The more that we stop taking for granted each moment, We appreciate each moment, And we recognize what we do in this moment is our continuum, Whether in this life or the next one. And the fourth remembrance, Which we did last week, Everything that is dear to me and everyone that I love is subject to change. I cannot escape being separated from them. And again, Something that we find, You know, We don't want to think about because we don't want to feel, We don't want to let the heart open up. But the more that we do that, The more that we appreciate being with those that we love, We don't take it for granted. There is a gift in every single one of these remembrances. And then the fifth remembrance, My actions are my only true belongings. I cannot escape the consequences of my actions. My actions are the ground upon which I stand. Knowing this, Our actions are taking place in a conditioned world. Don't think that you are outside the conditioned world and that you are independent and somehow making this happen. That is the whole illusion that is keeping us caught in the cycle of suffering. And recognizing that this is all conditioned and it is all interconnected and interdependent is what allows us to let go of the grasping and start acting out of wisdom and compassion and understanding and insight. And the more that we do that, The more that we recognize our practice is the best condition for waking up. I should say suffering is also a pretty good condition for waking up as well. It's what brought us here. But now, Remembering practice, Your practice, Your practice. Don't spend time lost in your head trying to have a thought-created problem, Come up with a thought-created solution. Where's your practice? Where's that mindful breath? Come back to your practice. You're not going to, This is what we do all day, Thought-created problems, Looking for thought-created solutions to create, To appease a little thought-created me that will only be satisfied for a moment and then it will come up with something else, Right? We're living in the cycle of suffering, Of ignorance. So the Buddha suggested that we say these five remembrances every day, Say them at the beginning of your meditation, At the end of your meditation, Say them at some point when you wake up, When you go to bed, In the middle of the day, Reflect on these things. These are the realities. Every one of these teachings is pointing us to reality, The truths that we don't want to face and that also keep us trapped in the cycle of suffering. Every single person is capable of seeing this. You don't need a PhD, You don't need an MD, You don't have to be a neurosurgeon, You just have to pay attention to how each moment is arising. Remember that mindful breath to keep coming back to it, Just to keep coming back to it, To keep coming back to it. Those are the conditions that will lead you to enlightenment. Not as a light enlightenment as out there, But really, In fact, What it is, Is it's just all the delusions start to fade away. And then you see that in fact, Your Buddha nature, Your true nature was never gone from you. It was just obscured through this false view, Through this incorrect view of reality, Of yourself and of reality. And so we use these remembrances to start living more in line with reality, To bring us into the present moment, To pay attention to what's going on, To wake up in each moment, To wake up again and again and again. And not to worry if you had a moment where you weren't awake, No problem, You're not controlling that. The moment you can recognize that, Oh yeah, Just that mindful breath again, And you're back, And you're back. You can't control that either. But we can, Through wisdom, Through the conditions that keep having wisdom and compassion arise, We are setting the right conditions for it, For peace and harmony. Not through trying to force it to happen, But understanding the conditions of how it does happen. And then we are living in tune with the fifth remembrance as well. And the cycle of suffering is over. That we can finally live and be happy, Still be here, Nothing happens, You don't disappear, You don't fall apart. You just start living more in tune with reality, More peacefully, More harmoniously.