10am Sunday, May 15, 2015 Dharma Talk by Huyen Kham, - 4 Elements: Air, Earth, Fire, Water
We are made of the Four Elements: Air, Earth, Fire, Water. Have you ever really needed to empty your bladder? What a relief when you finally do! Or if you are really, really hungry, then even crackers and juice tastes delicious! How lovely to take a deep breath in a forest or out in nature! And when we are cold in an ice storm, then a soft blanket brings warmth and returns the "fire" to our bodies. Everyday we breathe. We hardly notice our inhale and our exhale. Breath is "Life!" Pay attention and enjoy this breath. Right now! The world is full of little pleasures. Little breaths of air. When we are aware of our thoughts, then this awareness, itself, can be pleasurable. A Zen Master once said, "Return to the self for self-observation." We already have everything we need inside of us. All "sentient beings" so deserve happiness and comfort. With science we can now look deeply into the nature of things. We are made of the "Four Elements." With the technology of the sonogram, we now can see the fetus during the pregnancy. Life starts at the cellular level - at a level that we don't see. The "Four Elements" begin at the cellular level. Even during pregnancy, we borrow and return air, earth, fire, and wind. It is what we are made of, and yet we use it and return it to the stream of life. This cycle is continuous. This is "impermanence." It begins prior to conception. Even the mother's health, and what she breathes in and consumes affects the health of the baby. Even our internal organs "borrow" things. In the case of an organ transplant we see the "borrowing" concept. When there is an organ transplant, then the person has "borrowed" a kidney, a lung, or even a heart from someone else. A kidney has a mind of it's own. Despite the fact that all factors look really good, the organ can assess it's environment within the recipient or "host" body and may recognize it as unfamiliar and the transplanted organ rejects itself. What is true to us is already within us. We can view "impermanence" as positive or negative. As when a person is unable to eat on their own, or unable to void on their own. Medical professionals insert tubes or perform other invasive treatments. This may be considered as negative. Yet if this is my illness, then it is significant for me to know that I am not the illness, and I am not the pain or infirmity. Rather I strive to be the observer, who sits in the center and observes the process of illness and what is happening with my body. "Hidden transformation" is always happening. From yearly birthdays, to monthly shifts, to daily transitions, to moment to moment changes. Even though in the process, something is extinguished, something also remains constant. Remember today to disengage the "self" and become the "observer."
We are made of the Four Elements: Air, Earth, Fire, Water. Have you ever really needed to empty your bladder? What a relief when you finally do! Or if you are really, really hungry, then even crackers and juice tastes delicious! How lovely to take a deep breath in a forest or out in nature! And when we are cold in an ice storm, then a soft blanket brings warmth and returns the "fire" to our bodies. Everyday we breathe. We hardly notice our inhale and our exhale. Breath is "Life!" Pay attention and enjoy this breath. Right now! The world is full of little pleasures. Little breaths of air. When we are aware of our thoughts, then this awareness, itself, can be pleasurable. A Zen Master once said, "Return to the self for self-observation." We already have everything we need inside of us. All "sentient beings" so deserve happiness and comfort. With science we can now look deeply into the nature of things. We are made of the "Four Elements." With the technology of the sonogram, we now can see the fetus during the pregnancy. Life starts at the cellular level - at a level that we don't see. The "Four Elements" begin at the cellular level. Even during pregnancy, we borrow and return air, earth, fire, and wind. It is what we are made of, and yet we use it and return it to the stream of life. This cycle is continuous. This is "impermanence." It begins prior to conception. Even the mother's health, and what she breathes in and consumes affects the health of the baby. Even our internal organs "borrow" things. In the case of an organ transplant we see the "borrowing" concept. When there is an organ transplant, then the person has "borrowed" a kidney, a lung, or even a heart from someone else. A kidney has a mind of it's own. Despite the fact that all factors look really good, the organ can assess it's environment within the recipient or "host" body and may recognize it as unfamiliar and the transplanted organ rejects itself. What is true to us is already within us. We can view "impermanence" as positive or negative. As when a person is unable to eat on their own, or unable to void on their own. Medical professionals insert tubes or perform other invasive treatments. This may be considered as negative. Yet if this is my illness, then it is significant for me to know that I am not the illness, and I am not the pain or infirmity. Rather I strive to be the observer, who sits in the center and observes the process of illness and what is happening with my body. "Hidden transformation" is always happening. From yearly birthdays, to monthly shifts, to daily transitions, to moment to moment changes. Even though in the process, something is extinguished, something also remains constant. Remember today to disengage the "self" and become the "observer."
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