I follow Steve Jobs - A Zen practioner

After plumvillageindia news of vesak 2022, the community practicing mindfulness near Mysore, is back to life. On the traditions of Thich Nhat Hanh with basics of nonviolance, compassion, (ahimsa and karuna) retreats have begun. This WordPress site is a practicing center, a true home away from home. A monastery as well as a short stay place. 

I have been teaching mindfulness to our brotheren Indians for quite some time.

Now most of my friends know what mindfulness is and what sangha (a practice center) is. 

But I don't see any visible change in their quality of life. Day by day they get annoyed in their family matters, worried about the failing health and anxious about the diminishing peace of mind. 

Arthritis, forgetfulness and a feel of discard.

For your symptoms of corona, you would consult a doctor, clarify your doubts, take a decision about the right treatment and get well. 

It is not so with your other problems. I am talking to you now as a loving friend, not as a head master. 

You can not do the same thing that you did for corona kind of problems here. These are problems concerned with your very attitude, understanding, your way of life and your beliefs and convictions.about what you are.

Now when you come to me I speak of mindfulness as the panacea for human problems. You with your usual self, You will do what you usually do for corona kind of problems. You would sit before me as you would sit before an architect/ advocate or a doctor. Here that approach will not work. That is the point. You have to adopt a different strategy here. 

You can know many things. You can learn driving a car and playing guitar. You can not do that to mindfulness. It is not an intellectual subject at all. You have to come here as a fresher or a child or a curious beginner. Most of the time that does not happen here in India.

India is a land of yoga and meditation and gurus and swamis. So, most people have a preliminary knowledge of meditation. So they come as a graduate with an idea of doing a post graduation. In the west you find many novices. But not in India.

For various historical reasons there is a visible apathy for teachings of Buddha.  So, many Indians look at this with an eye of awe and suspicion.  Indians tend to compare these teachings with other teachings and lose their fresh minds.

Indians appreciate Steve Jobs for his bold and adventurous ways of business and free thinking. Indian mind tries to follow the way of Steve Jobs.

  The  Indian mind does not want to see that Steve Jobs was a convinced, honest and faithful follower and practitioner of Buddhism. He continuously practiced the Zen way of life without a break till his death. 

He practiced under the guidance of  a Zen master, Otogawa, who was in turn a disciple of  Japanese Zen master Shunryu Suzuki.

Incidentally, I have always followed this aspect of Steve Jobs rather than the other aspect of him.

- This is a Dharma talk by Br. Ranga Nath Master







    

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