Awakening is an upriver journey.
Sensei talks about going against the flow by meditating, reflecting and taking on the challenge to let go, abandon, renounce, and give up the idea that samsara is resolvable.
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Doug Sensei says: “Your journey to awaken is upriver! Samsara is noted for being endless. You are not going to awaken by keep makin’ the same choices, goin’ down the same stream. Unless, of course, the choice you’re making is to meditate, contemplate, reflect, study, listen to your mentor. But fundamentally you have to take the challenge — not just to meditate or contemplate, but to take the challenge to go upriver for you! And no Buddha can do this for you.” “It’s not about rebelling against society. It’s not about fixing or destroying society. It’s irrelevant. Your challenges are irrelevant to what society is doing. Your challenge is to leave it behind, to walk on, to let go, to abandon, to renounce, to give up the idea that samsara is resolvable!” Term: skandhas For a good explanation: https://tibetanlama.com/buddhism/The_Five_Skhandas.asp
Text used: “Gems of Dharma, Jewels of Freedom,” the classic handbook of Buddhism, by Gampopa (This podcast episode now contains the corrected sound file — no sound dropouts.)
