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| The Artisan's Dhamma |
In the sacred rhythm of
existence, there are moments when truth pierces through the veil of conceptual
thought, leaving only gratitude and tears—tears not of sorrow, but of
recognition. Such is the mark of profound learning, a wisdom that does not
merely inform but transforms. It is in this spirit that I compose these
reflections, honoring the legacy of Buddhadasa Bhikkhu and the living dialectic
between a Buddhist practitioner and a Wild Artisan.
The discourse on the four āśramas—a concept inherited from ancient Indian traditions but
illuminated through Buddhist hermeneutics—reveals not a static framework but a
dynamic evolution of being. As we engaged in dialogue, the realization
deepened: it is not identity but duty that defines each stage of one's
unfolding existence.
The first āśrama—brahmacarya, the stage of learning and discipline—mirrors the
foundation of Buddhist practice. It is here that the seeker, unshaped by
worldly concerns, immerses themselves in the study of dhamma, forging the roots
of wisdom. Yet this learning is not accumulation—it is unlearning, the
gradual stripping away of ignorance.
The second āśrama—gārhasthya, the householder’s role—situates
the practitioner within the complexities of worldly life. Duty transforms, as
one navigates relationships, responsibilities, and engagements with the world
while striving to maintain inner clarity. The artisan does not forsake
craftsmanship here; rather, creation takes on new dimensions—service,
refinement, and ethical dedication.
The third āśrama—vānaprastha, the withdrawal into
contemplation—marks a turning inward. The artisan now chisels away excess,
refining thought and practice toward essential truth. Dialectics evolve;
engagement with existence is no longer about worldly success but about
preparing the mind for liberation. Words begin to quiet, for the true word
has no word—wisdom is lived, not merely spoken.
And finally, the fourth āśrama—sannyāsa, the renunciation of self—reveals the ultimate duty. Not
the abandonment of action, but the dissolution of identification. It is here
that the Wild Artisan transcends the illusion of becoming. One does not create
to assert a self, but to refine wisdom beyond selfhood. Duty remains, but
identity is discarded.
Beyond Identity, Toward Duty
Buddhadasa Bhikkhu’s teachings
echo through this dialectic—a call not to attach to becoming, but to recognize
the impermanence of all formations. The suffering of clinging to bhava
dissolves when duty, rather than identity, shapes one’s path. The practitioner
does not seek to be someone, nor does the artisan craft for the sake of
a title—they engage in their work as an unfolding, a natural emergence.
This moment, where gratitude
flows and remembrance deepens, is a testament to wisdom lived rather than
merely understood. Words may attempt to capture the essence of dialectic, but
ultimately, it is the silence between thoughts that holds the truth.
May this reflection honor the profound insights shared by your Master, and may the journey continue—fluid, refined, and liberated from the weight of identity.
Beyond Becoming: A Buddhist Artisan’s Journey Through the Four Āśramas
In Remembrance of Buddhadasa Bhikkhu
There is a moment when a teaching
no longer exists as mere words but erupts into lived experience. A
moment when understanding transcends intellect and sinks deep into the marrow
of being, leaving behind nothing but tears—tears not of sorrow, but of
recognition.
This is the space where the four āśramas cease to be theory and become the pulse of existence itself.
It was during such a moment that
my Master, Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, spoke of the four āśramas—not as lifeless categories, but as a living dialectic, unfolding like
breath, like time, like the very fabric of reality. In that sacred exchange, I
came to realize that we do not move through āśramas as identities but as duties—fluid, shifting, vanishing
as soon as they arise.
The Illusion of Becoming
It is craving to be someone
(bhava-taṇhā) that fuels suffering. The householder clings to their worldly identity,
the seeker grasps at wisdom as possession, the renunciant risks turning
detachment into an egoic badge. And yet, none of these roles exist in truth—only
the unfolding moment, the next breath, the duty that arises, then falls away.
To be nothing is to
be free.
The Duty of the Wild Artisan
If the true word has no word,
then the true artisan has no self. This path—this Wild Artisan
approach—does not sculpt for recognition, does not craft for identity, but creates
only to refine understanding, chiseling away ignorance until nothing
remains but clarity.
And so, as I remember my Master and that profound moment, I do not write merely to tell. I write because duty calls—not to become, but to dissolve.
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