Zen Rants IV

I see myself as a two-part entity.

One the material self, the product of social programming. The "I think therefore I am" a.k.a the Ego.
The second part the immaterial, spiritual, immortal soul, The "I am therefore I think" a.k.a the "I"

Without that distinction all my arguments are nonsense. 

Without that duality the search for one true self or true nature is futile.

If you are that you are, then there is nothing else to it.

There is nothing else to figure out.

But the question still remains "What was “you” before you were born?"
Because nothing comes out of nothing and nothing turns into nothing.
Birth and death are transformations not sudden appearances from nothing.
What were you before you became “I”?

There is something more than meets the “I”

And your purpose in life is to find out who you really are.

I know the path is tough and convoluted.
I know sometimes it feels like you are being punished by an unfair God.

I know you sometimes just want to give up.

But pain and suffering are necessary.

How can you climb to the top if there is no mountain?

How could you overcome pain and suffering if you didn’t know what pain and suffering are?

You have to step out of your experience and look at it with a nonjudgmental mind.

What would your pain and suffering mean a hundred years from now?

Nothing, absolutely nothing.

Then you can look at pain and realize that pain is just an experience like anything else.

You may not like it but the way you react to it is up to you.

Pain is inevitable but suffering is a choice.

What good is suffering? It doesn’t change anything, it doesn’t solve anything.

It is just the Ego bitching and moaning, “why me, poor me!”

But you mustn’t let the Ego control your life.

It is the Ego that mostly gets you into trouble.

Enlightenment is a state of non-duality when a consciousness rises above good and evil above the duality.

An enlightened person sees pain and pleasure, suffering and joy as the two sides of a coin. As defining each other.
A buddha or a christ are consciousness returned to the source.
They are above gods and demons they are the ultimate realization of the universe

It is my life purpose to attain that state before another death.

These are my vows:

“There are innumerable sentient beings in the universe.

I vow to help them all to awaken

My imperfections are inexhaustible.

I vow to overcome them all.

The Dharma is unknowable.

I vow to know it.

The way of the Awakening is unattainable.

I vow to attain it.”