Criticism is futile.  The only way to get people to do things is by making them want to do it.

Some wisdom I have taken from this:

Allowing yourself to be distracted by thoughts, fears, appetites, anger, etc... will drag you away from the correct path.

Most torments spring from yourself in one way or another. Fears, hatreds, monsters, demons, shackles, pain, all that... most comes from within.  Not counting things like physical illnesses/cancers etc.

The All-Determining Influence of Thought... cool chapter name!

Let not attraction or repulsion be the impetus for your actions.

Day 1:  Blue wisdom light of the creation/wisdom/universe shows itself, as well as white light from the devas (other supernatural beings/false buddhas).  Lack of wisdom or bad karma cause the soul to flee the light of creation and be attracted to the devas.  The setting face-to-face this day wards against this.

Day 2:  If the soul has fled from the Light, Hell will come for the soul.  The recitation wards against the soul fleeing from the Light and going to the smoke-colored light of Hell.

Day 3:  If soul has fled the Light still, because of lingering pride, the earth realm and human realm will come for the soul.  The chants try to turn the soul to the Light and away from the other realms.  If the soul goes for the human realm it will reincarnate and suffer the birth, life, death cycle again.

Day 4: Attempts to undo the bad karma from greed and attachment.  Failure to meld with the Light of Wisdom, the soul will be dragged down by attachment to sangsaric existence.

Day 5:  Wards against bad karma because of an evil/jealous nature.  Failure to meld with the Light, the soul will be forced to endure the realm of quarreling and warfare.

Day 6:  Failure still and all the Buddhas and Lokas come.  Failure to recognize the wisdom of the Buddhas will result in the soul entering one of the Lokas and re-entering sangsaric existence and all its miseries.

Day 7:  Knowledge deities and the brute realms of stupidity and obscuring passion.

Day 8 starts a new cycle... according to the book most people should have attained liberation at this point, however a few still might not have.  This is the beginning of the Bardo where the previous Peaceful deities reappear as blood-drinking Wrathful deities.  They aren't really, they just appear that way to the soul.

AKA: Tibetan Book of the Dead
Just for shits.  Let's see what this book is all about.

So a Bardo is like a phase of awareness.  Let's say you zone out and are day-dreaming.  That could be described as a Bardo... a state of awareness.  This book lists 6:  When you are in the Womb, When you are dreaming, When you are Meditating/Focused, The Bardo of the Moment of Death, The Bardo of experiencing reality, and the Bardo of experiencing the opposite of this realm of suffering, Enlightenment? I guess.

 First stage of this dying Bardo:  Near death, recite the reminders to the dying.  Remind the dying one of their practice in facing the light during life.  It will remind them that the naked mind is the light.  Remind them to recognize themselves when face-to-face.

IF THAT FAILS TO GUIDE THEM


Second Stage of this Bardo: After death the vitality/essence leaves the body and doesn't recognize that it is dead.  Depending on the level of enlightenment of the deceased, speak the proper words to remind them. Kind of a psychic bonk on the head.  The deceased will have attained a light-body but is confused.  With proper recitation of the reminding words and guidance, karma will not affect the deceased and he will recognize the clear light face-to-face.  Apparently karma, how you lived your life, affects how much time and effort is needed to bonk the person into recognizing enlightenment.

IF THAT FAILS TO GUIDE THEM

Third Stage of this Bardo: The deceased will be hanging around aware of what is going on but being unable to communicate with the mourners and will become displeased and try to leave, go beyond help.

Then begins the 49 days of ritual... at least that what I have gathered.  Each day is a step.  Looking forward to seeing what they have to say.  Of course I don't really think any of this happens BUT

BUT

I do like the view they have of coming face-to-face.  You die, your consciousness becomes void, but not empty void. The void they speak of is like the essence of reality.  The light.  The truth.  You have to realize this void, this light is YOU.  Your intellect is gone, but the essence is there.  You are an aspect of reality looking upon itself.  Face-to-face.  Any illusions, dreams, pleasures, torments, etc. that you encounter on the voyage are just aspects of yourself that you need to recognize, understand, and move through with understanding and growth.

I have to give it to these guys, the rituals aren't for "conjuring" spirits or some sort of arcane spell casting.  The rituals are really just reminders to the souls of the dead that "Look, this is what you learned or didn't learn during life, this is what is happening, don't be afraid it happens to everyone, this is what you need to keep in your mind while you face yourself and are given the opportunity to move on."

Beautiful and caring.  Kneeling over a corpse and reciting words of wisdom in the chance the dead can hear and be helped by it.  Most likely the dead can't hear the words, because they are dead, but the thought and respect afforded to the dead is staggering compared to our culture.


That's a lot better than digging a 6 foot hole and throwing a funeral and getting drunk.

I respect the hell out of this.

While you are doing something, always ask yourself how you will feel about the deed afterwards.

To rouse yourself in the morning for work, remember that men and beasts sleep, only men get up and do work which betters the world around them.

Nothing wrong with changing your mind, provided the reasons are solid.

Aurelius really seems to think that Nature provides purpose to things.  And that those things should not fight their designated purposes, but take comfort in them.  I don't know if I agree with that fully.

Receive blessings without ostentation and you will find it easier to part with them if they are taken away.

Past or future can't harm you, only the present. Just take a moment to reflect on the present and it will pass.

I'm done with it. Finally.  It got a little repetitive near the end, esp. when Aurelius kept saying things like (paraphrasing) "life is short, great men and small men all die and are reabsorbed by the earth"


There are some things I disagree with Aurelius on:  Namely his continued insistence that the universe subscribes a nature onto you and that what is mean to be will be.  "The rock doesn't care if it goes up or down or hits the ground"... well that is all well and good but... rocks are not men.  Easy for Aurelius to say, he was born into some rich families, given opportunities and education... I will reflect on this a while.

One thing I found interesting is that both As a Man Thinketh and Meditations stressed the importance of calmness of mind, rationality and well tended thought.




Sordes = debris, especially bodily crust

Ho boy.  This book is a real brain burner.  Not exactly fun reading but real work.  Still I am slogging through it.  On "Book 7" a little more than halfway through.

Aurelius says if you wish to cheer yourself, think of all the good qualities of those you daily interact with.  The generosity of this person, the smile of that person.  Etc.

If you aren't happy with your body... just remember you only inhabit it for a short period of time.  Focus on the time you have left in it and how you are going to make the most of it.

Ambitious fools consider the praise of others to be the source of happiness; wise men consider their own actions the source.

If I have the ability to figure out a situation, I will use my ability to do so.  However if I lack the ability, I will leave it alone or work through it with the guidance of those more skilled than I.

Material things soon rot away.

Whatever anyone else does, you must do good for your own honor.

Why fear change when change is the root of all new and good things?

Pity those who commit sins against you; when you pity their ignorance, you will not get angry and will maintain your rational good nature and honor.

A person is better looking or stronger than I; what of it?  Do they handle themselves better?  Are they wiser, more modest, calmer than I?  How one IS is what matters.

Anything that doesn't better our nature is unworthy of our nature.

Big boy words:
Dissimulation = form of deception, commonly concealing one's own ability to gain advantage over another
Vainglory = unjustified boasting

One really important point that I just came across:  Aurelius drives home the point that you must always consider that on this day you are closer to death than any other day before.  Furthermore you must always be aware that your faculties may fail you before you die, should you live a long life, so do not waste a moment.  As for the fear of death he says that you must calmly accept the fact that you will die.  Death is just the conversion of the matter you are temporarily made of into another form.  The matter itself does not fear this change, which happens unending, so why should you?  Do what you are doing, be what you say you are going to be with the gusto of a person who may die at any moment.


Another good point:  Consider the right path and stick to it.  Don't turn away for even momentary indulgences as they will lead you astray.  If others say a venture or action is profitable, and to a rational man it is, stick to it.  If others mean profitable in that man is a base creature looking to indulge, reject it.

Yet another:  Meet the world calmly.  Reject anger and violence.  Meet others with love.  If forced to endure ignorance in others, which is a type of blindness, meet it  with pity and compassion.


The world is change and this life is merely opinion.  Consider the chaos of eternity before and after this moment and just how short and meaningless human experience and praise is.

Don't ever change your mind to gain praise or approval, only change your mind if the evidence justifies it.

Don't be a gossip or busybody.  Worry only about your own life.  Don't judge others, worry about being good yourself.

Strive for mastery in whatever profession you practice.

Pay attention to the rational part of yourself.  Learn what it is afraid of and what it wants.  Know yourself.  Don't blame your bad behaviors on others, it dwells in you alone.

What are you, if you lack honor and divinity, but a soul carrying a carcass around?

There is a time for rest, even nature rests... however never rest longer than is required.  Nature has put you here for a reason, not to experience pleasure.  Get to work on that reason before indulging in pleasure.

Be content to do good deeds because they are right.  Do not expect praise or repayment.

To what use am I putting my soul?  Often ask yourself this.

One's soul is colored by one's thoughts. Make sure your soul is dyed properly.

You must ask yourself how you have treated those around you.  Have you wronged them in any way?  Even if not, have you brought truly good things to them?

The best kind of revenge is to not become like them.

Big Boy Words:
Excrescence = diseased growth
Aposteme = swelling filled with putrid matter
Contumely = insulting language/treatment
Pusillanimous = timid, no determination
Compendious = comprehensive yet concise

Starting this one today.  This is not going to be a fun one... Marcus Aurelius writes in a very old Shakespeare manner.  Slow going and sometimes I have to re-read the entire paragraph slowly out-loud to get what he is saying.  Let you know how it goes.

All achievements are the result of directed thought.  Dream big, you will become it.  Dreams are the seedlings of realities.  Everyone realizes their deep desires, so think good things.  Always be calm and exercise self control. Self control is strength.  Right thought is mastery.  Calmness is power.

Well that was a good essay that I am glad I read.  I will have to read it again I think.