R4B Mastery: Introducing Dharma Paradigm and Practices
The most recent previous post briefly clarified three stages of the R4B method and introduced a fourth stage: Mastery. The learning process in this fourth stage involves dharma practices that dissolve unnecessary attachments and negative emotions as they arise. The mastery stage adds a motivational component: learning more about dharma. This includes directly applying nuanced meditative practices that have endured the test of time over many centuries, in some cases for more than a millenium. Directly experiencing the results of these practices provides a validation of their benefit as it accrues over time.
Much of the dharma wanderer’s reporting has been as a witness to a variety of such practices and their results in his own life. Fundamental dharma concepts and principles underlying these practices have been sparingly shared.
The translations of vast and complex dharma texts containing obscure vocabulary can be confusing to a western audience. Entering this content space can be likened to peeling the first onion at the top of a bushel of sweet ripe onions. Peeling this introductory sweet onion can bring tears to a practitioner’s eyes. Rather than tears of discomfort, they are more likely to be tears of happiness. As those with emotionally wounded hearts apply the dharma paradigm and practices in their own lives, healing of the heart’s emotional scar tissue is more likely to occur. That scar tissue can be healed over time through the direct experience of meditative practices associated with the dharma.
Individuals with a distinctly materialist mindset will also benefit from applying the dharma paradigm and its practices. How might this be so? Scientific materialism has arisen from a philosophical paradigm of reductionism that posits only what is measurable is what is real and therefore worthy of consideration. This materialist mindset has enabled the design and construction of our elaborate material world. It has, however, primarily ignored the psychological realm of consciousness, emotion and intention. These are fundamental elements of the dharma paradigm.
The strategic value proposition of the dharma paradigm is that it enables an understanding of the causes of suffering and how to dissolve suffering and dissatisfaction. Understanding the causes and conditions contributing to personal suffering involves repeated observation and inquiry into the nature of one’s mind. This observation of thoughts, feelings and behavior eventually reveals an enlightening pattern that enables the observer to connect the dots of what were presumed to be previous random events.
What may have been previously thought to be fate or a random occurrence can morph into a hypothesis, such as, “when I thought, felt or did ABC, did that somehow contribute to XYZ?”
What may have been previously thought to be fate or a random occurrence can morph into a hypothesis, such as, “when I thought, felt or did ABC, did that somehow contribute to XYZ?”
This hypothesis can mark the beginning of a practitioner’s reflections about the nature of perceived reality and its associated personal suffering and dissatisfactions. Mindfulness meditation cultivates practitioners’ observational self awareness. These observations can reinforce practitioner beliefs about I/me/mine as a separate isolated self and how to get what I want for my-self.
As described in the most recent previous post, the “I am…” input programming stem of the R4B method may strengthen practitioner ego. This can reinforce a practitioner ego’s wanting, attachments and negative emotions. Dharma principles proclaim these aspects of an egotistical self are obscurations to perceiving the true nature of individual reality. Dharma practices are intended to gradually dissolve individual ego.
The aphorism, “We create our own individual reality,” has a depth of truth that is concealed by its apparent simplicity.
As individual ego is gradually dissolved, moments of a deeper more response-able awareness tend to arise. This can morph into a deeper recognition of personal responsibility. A fresh view can then arise. Constructive meditative practices are available to counteract the causes and conditions that have been contributing to personal suffering and dissatisfaction.
Exploring these practices does not involve faith, belief or adherence to any ritual. An open mind can enable the opening of a closed [and previously wounded] heart. An open heart can arise spontaneously in a poignant memory such as that described in a previous post from several months ago. It can arise in response to almost anything, any stimulus. When it does arise, it is an unmistakable feeling or perception of energetic expression in the body, such as warmth in the chest, chills or tingling skin. There is a specific dharma practice for just such a moment. 👇
Open Heart Dharma Practice: Consciously share open hearted moments by repeatedly sending that energetic vibration out of the body as long as it lasts. Inhaling into the chest, visualizing blue or white light emanating out from the chest into the six directions [up, down, front, back, left, right]. Send it out as far as you can imagine, into the vast stretches of the expanding universe. Enjoy this feeling. Savor the moment. You have now entered a dharma space that will pull you deeper, beyond your apparent self, into the selfless core of your being. Your life will never again be the same.
🙏💕🌎