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N E N E S SOSELFLESSNESSBy Ven. Gyomay M. KuboseThe purpose in Buddhism is toovercome the self, overcome theduality of things, overcome multi-A stronger way of stating this is,not become ourselves; that is, weSelflessness is something likethe bottle half full, cork and shakeit, you can hear the noise of thecompletely, leaving no air space,then there is no sound when youis no noise, but there is no watereither.The self can be compared toa bottle, partially filled, or com-pletely filled. Which are you? Nowater in the bottle? Half filled? Orcompletely filled which is “empti-to the top. The bottle has weightis when you are filled to the top. Itis when you are fulfilled. There isno noise, no self.filled to the top. You become self-less. All the small, petty things inare the sensations, perceptionsside and make noise in you. Yousense of the word, but you shouldattain complete fullness; this isBuddhist emptiness or Buddhistoccupies the whole world. So no there is no noise. When you areT Legacy New Year’s EveCelebration. The annualBonno bash. Page 3.T The Monk Who Dared.A book review. Page 4.T Dharma Talks. On video.Page 5.T www.brightdawn.org.And the contest winner is...Leslie Chow. Page 6.even forget that fulfillment. Forgetenlightenment. Forget Buddha.You become one with this wholeuniverse. This is enlightenment;As we greet the year 2000, may our efforts to follow the teachings deepenand our lives lived with understanding and compassion for others and ourselves.Seasons Greetings, Rev. Gyomay and Minnie Kubose

Universal Teachings For Everyday Living Page 1

Quarterly Newsletter of the Rev. Gyomay M. Kubose Dharma Legacy Vol. 3 No. 4 Winter 1999

plicity and become one’s true self.

one should become totally selfless.

We have trouble because we can-

cannot become selfless.

putting water into a bottle. If you fill

water. However, if you fill the bottle

shake it. No matter how you toss it

there is no noise. Of course, when

the bottle is completely empty there

these three conditions: no water in

ness”? Yes, this kind of emptiness

is when the water goes completely

but there is no noise. Selflessness

You must be all empty, or in other

words, you must be fully, wholly ful-

you make up your “small” self. They

and ideas that come from the out-

should not be empty in the ordinary

selflessness. You are the one who

one can crush you.

There is no small, petty self to be

disturbed. Even

if you are shaken,

completely fulfilled, then you must

Then you are like a bottle filled with

water— so settled down, so heavy.

this is selflessness.