Christian Critique of A Daily Dose of Dharma
Chapter 8 – Detachment
Chapter 8 – Detachment
Page 172: You will not see Dharma, the Truth or the Reality, until you let go of attachment. One is easily blinded by attachment.
Note: Christians are attached to Jesus Christ.
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.” John 15:1-4.
Note: Buddhists do not believe that there is a God.
Page 173: Should one become attached to the Truth, one will be blinded to further Truth. As one sees the Truth, let go of each Truth, moment to moment, to see more Truth moment to moment.
Note: Christians are attached to Jesus Christ the Truth.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6.
Note: Buddhists do not believe that there is a God.
Page 174: The Truth, seen moment to moment, is no longer the truth once one gets attached to it. The Truth ceases to be the same Truth.
Note: Jesus Christ the Truth never changes or ceases.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8.
Note: Buddhists do not believe that there is a God.
Page 175: We live as though we will live forever. That is because of the attachment we have to life. The attachment we have to life causes us in turn to be attached to everything in the outside world, thus forming a connection between the false outside world and the false self.
Note: Christians are attached to Jesus Christ the Truth and have eternal life.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16.
Note: Buddhists do not believe that there is a God.
Page 176: Once there is life, there is death. One can be dead sure about that.
Note: Death is the portal into joyous eternal life with Jesus Christ.
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.” Matthew 16:24-27.
Note: Buddhists do not believe that there is a God.
Page 177: There is no death when there is no life, or when one is detached from life. How can one be injured in a car-crash when one is not in the car?
Note: Death happens to all human beings regardless of altered reality.
Death is the cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include biological aging (senescence), predation, malnutrition, disease, suicide, homicide, starvation, dehydration, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury. Bodies of living organisms begin to decompose shortly after death. Wikipedia Encyclopedia.
Note: Buddhists are delusional.
Page 178: Your attachments to life creates the false you. Whereas in reality, you are empty, you are naught.
Note: Christians are filled with the Holy Spirit and live dynamically.
And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. Acts 4:31.
Note: Buddhists do not believe that there is a God.
Page 179: When one meditates, one first learns to concentrate on life, one living, on breathing. Then one learns to observe life, living, breathing; and ultimately one learns a balanced detachment from life, from living, from breathing.
Note: Christians are filled with the Holy Spirit and live dynamically.
And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized. Acts 9:17-18.
Note: Buddhists do not believe that there is a God.
Page 180: Whenever you feel a sense, be mindful that it is an illusion, do not get attached. Whether the sense is seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, or thinking, do not get attached.
Note: Christians engage the outside world with the message of Jesus Christ.
“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8.
Note: Buddhists do not believe that there is a God.
Page 181: It is a natural (Dharma) reaction that when one senses a sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, or thought, one feels: pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral. The feeling is not real, let it go.
Note: Christians will experience joy. So why give it up?
And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. Acts 13:52.
Note: Buddhists do not believe that there is a God.
Page 182: When one does not let go of the initial feeling of neutral, pleasant, or unpleasant feelings caused by a sight, a sound, a smell, a taste, a touch, or a thought, one goes on to form a false perception. Let go of the perception.
Note: Christians are not under a false perception about Jesus Christ.
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us— that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full. 1 John 1:1-4.
Note: Buddhists do not believe that there is a God.
Page 183: When one forms a false perception following from a sight, a sound, a smell, a taste, a touch, or a thought, one goes on to stimulate the recollection, stirring up old, bad, painful memories of the past. That is an illusion. Let go of the recollection.
Note: Christians will remember the poor.
“So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. Yes, you yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities, and for those who were with me. I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:32-35.
Note: Have you ever seen a Buddhist outreach to the poor?
Page 184: One is left with a lot of thinking, when one is not mindful of the senses moment to moment. Let go of the false thinking. Do not dwell on it. Do not get attached to it.
Note: Christians are not under false thinking about Jesus Christ.
For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. 2 Peter 1:16-18.
Note: Buddhists do not believe that there is a God.
Page 185: When one thinks for a long time, one becomes conscious of the thinking. One is therefore conscious only of what one is thinking. Let go of mundane consciousness. Meditate and replace mundane consciousness with mindfulness.
Note: Christians will meditate on godly things and have peace.
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:8-9.
Note: Buddhists do not believe that there is a God.
Page 186: To be conscious of our body is a delusion; a delusion of a deluded body. Let go of attachment to the body.
Note: Christians will not worry about the body.
“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” Matthew 6:25-26.
Note: Buddhists do not believe that there is a God.
Page 187: To live and to survive in the mortal world, one is attached to everything. However to get enlightened and live forever in the spiritual world become detached.
Note: Christians are attached to Jesus Christ for eternal life.
But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Titus 3:4-7.
Note: Buddhists do not believe that there is a God.
Page 188: Human beings get so easily attached to everything because of the illusions of the senses and the resultant pleasurable feelings they feel from the senses. But with effort and practice, they can detach themselves from the senses. Even the pleasurable ones.
Note: Christians are attached to God who helps them in this lifetime.
Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, Who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen. Jude 1:24-25.
Note: Buddhists do not believe that there is a God.
Page 189: When you do not learn to look at what happens to your mind, the senses that are being felt and the senses that were felt in the past stay in the mind forever. You remain ignorant of these senses that dwell in the mind. Later on, they transform to greed from the pleasant senses, to anger or hatred from the unpleasant senses, and ignorance from the neutral senses.
Note: Christians are transformed by the Holy Spirit to do the will of God.
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:1-2.
Note: Buddhists do not believe that there is a God.
Page 190: Overcome anger, hatred, or greed in you by learning to look at the anger, hatred or greed in you. During meditation, when anger comes up in your mind, first concentrate and focus on the anger, hatred or greed. Then detach and observe the anger, hatred, or greed until it falls away naturally. That is the Dharmic way to resolve the anger.
Note: Christians are focused on Jesus Christ who helps them in this lifetime.
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2.
Note: Buddhists do not believe that there is a God.
Page 191: When one observes or is mindful of the anger or hatred or greed within the meditative mind, the anger falls away naturally. Do not run away from anger, hatred, or greed. Do not displace your anger, hatred, or greed. Do not hide your anger, hatred, or greed. Do not discharge your anger, hatred, or greed. Learn to observe your anger, hatred, or greed.
Note: Christians are focused on Jesus Christ who helps them in this lifetime.
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:30-32.
Note: Buddhists do not believe that there is a God.
Page 192: When one craves and craves and craves for a certain thing, one is blinded to the precepts. One is blinded to the mindfulness. One is blinded to the Truth; the Dharma.
Note: Christians are focused on Jesus Christ the Truth and do not crave.
Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple. For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf; but I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil. Romans 16:17-19.
Note: Buddhists do not believe that there is a God.
Page 193: When one craves, one becomes desirous. Desire becomes a stronger and stronger emotion through continued craving. To stop craving is to stop desire.
Note: Christians are focused on Jesus Christ the Truth and do not crave.
Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:1-5.
Note: Buddhists do not believe that there is a God.
Page 194: When one realizes that nothing lasts forever, one will stop worrying. Even fear does not last. So why worry? Worry does not help at all. Worry can never be justified. Worry has no reality.
Note: Christians will not worry about the body.
“So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” Matthew 6:28-30.
Note: Buddhists do not believe that there is a God.
Page 195: When there is pain in the body or pain in the mind, do not jump to the conclusion of “my” pain or “I” feel pain. Rather, be aware (or mindful) of the pain and just observe the pain in a detached manner until the pain goes away.
Note: Jesus Christ saves believers into heaven where there is no pain.
And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:3-4.
Note: Buddhists do not believe that there is a God.
Page 196: When you finally learn to give up, give in, and give away the senses, you will be on the way to Enlightenment.
Note: Christians are helped by Jesus Christ in this lifetime not to give up.
For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing. 2 Timothy 4:6-8.
Note: Buddhists do not believe that there is a God.
