xabir2005

In other words, the 100s only manifest in this lifetime if you are a practitioner of the gradual path which supposedly takes 3 aeons minimum (or up to 16 aeons) to achieve Buddhahood. Aeon as you know is a very large number of years, in the billions (some 4.32 billion years). A great amount of merit is accumulated as a result of such a long course of practice. The reason the bhumi scheme of gradual path states that such a long time is needed is based on the Jataka tales right in the pali canon. Because it takes such a long path of development, the ideal goal for most practitioners of original Buddhism was to strive for the attainment of arahantship (rather than Buddhahood), which was possible in one lifetime (thousands of Buddha's students achieved this goal). As we know, based on the jataka tales, the bodhisatta is known to have made the vow and practised the bodhisatta path for aeons. So when the bhumi scheme came up in the later development of Mahayana teachings, it is generally understood to involve aeons as well. Until we come to the Vajrayana tantras teachings (which is an even later development of Buddhism than the early Mahayana stuff) which purportedly suggests some ways to achieve Buddhahood in a lifetime. I think some famous lama once commented that if one follows the (gradual path) bhumi schemes with the 100s, right now literally no teacher at all in the world can be considered or qualified as a 1st bhumi bodhisattva. On the other hand, having the realizations of an arya (means minimum stream entry or 1st bhumi awakened person) is not that uncommon, if you are following direct path schemes like Mahamudra's four yogas. Rather than practicing one aeon to get path of seeing, you can have direct realization of emptiness this life. Rather than practicing two more aeons to get to the stage of no more learning, you can directly realize one taste and non-meditation in this life. But due to the nature of direct path practice, you will not manifest the 100s powers or the 32 marks, at least not in this life. Plus in the Sushima sutta, the Buddha clearly explained that not all (in fact, many or most dont) awakened and liberated arhats have powers because they were liberated by insight and do not have mastery of jhanas and powers.

I find the Mahamudra four yogas map as much more relevant to direct path practitioners. "Clarifying the natural state" by dakpo tashi namgyal is a must read. The direct path can be mapped to bhumis in terms of realization but not necessarily manifesting the 100s (all the powersy stuff) within this life.

Neither chicken nor egg can be posited as a 'first cause' to chicken. Chicken were evolutions from non-chicken birds. Non-chicken birds were evolution of... blah blah blah The process of evolution can be traced back... the process of the universe can be traced back... All the way back to the big bang. But even the big bang is not the ultimate beginning in Buddhism, as there were previous universes. In short: there is no first cause, as the Buddha clearly put forth: "there is no beginning to samsara". The flow of dependent origination has been going on without beginning.

This is a great read: http://sgforums.com/forums/1728/topics/447451 (The Meaning of Nirvana)

Buddhism unlike Advaita doesn't see awareness underlying consciousness, or consciousness underlying awareness, or awareness being the source of consciousness or vice versa. Post-yogacara Buddhism however makes a distinction between wisdom and consciousness. No such distinctions are made before yogacara. What is perceived dualistically (in subject-object dichotomy) and inherently are the six/eight consciousness, but when everything is perceived in their actual state, the six or eight consciousnesses transform into the five wisdoms/awareness. No super-awareness transcending phenomena here, just phenomena seen wrongly or correctly. As Namdrol points out: http://awakeningtoreality.blogspot.com/2009/10/dzogchen-rigpa-and-dependent.html Further, there is no rigpa to speak of that exists separate from the earth, water, fire, air, space and consciousness that make up the universe and sentient beings. Rigpa is merely a different way of talking about these six things. In their pure state (their actual state) we talk about the radiance of the five wisdoms of rig pa. In their impure state we talk about how the five elements arise from consciousness. One coin, two sides. And it is completely empty from beginning to end, and top to bottom, free from all extremes and not established in anyway.

Arhants also act, but they are self-liberated and thus do not leave karmic traces, just like drawing on water. As Pasdmasambhava said in http://awakeningtoreality.blogspot.com/2007/03/self-liberation-through-seeing-with.html?m=1 : If you understand (intrinsic awareness), all of your merits and sins will be liberated into their own condition. But if you do not understand it, any virtuous or vicious deeds that you commit will accumulate as karma leading to transmigration in heavenly rebirth or to rebirth in the evil destinies respectively. But if you understand this empty primal awareness, which is your own mind, the consequences of merit and of sin will never come to be realized, just as a spring cannot originate in the empty sky. In the state of emptiness itself, the object of merit or of sin is not even created. Therefore, your own manifest self-awareness comes to see everything nakedly.

Its not the Buddhist nirvana, but she discovered the I AMness: http://awakeningtoreality.blogspot.com/2007/03/thusnesss-six-stages-of-experience.html

Not bad, but I would put it this way: It is possible to wake up and realize your life is a lucid dream.

Yes, as I just wrote in the other thread: There are two kinds of nirvana. The first is the nirvana with remainder. This is attained by an arahant, whose awakening and liberation has put an end to the I and my-making, the delusion and conceit of a self, and has put an end to the three poisons of craving, aversion and ignorance. He has put an end to making karma which leads to rebirth in the afterlife. But being still alive, his body and senses are fully functioning and he is capable of being aware of sensations and feelings, even though he has no attachment at all for anything. He can still experience unpleasant physical feelings, but he has no mental suffering and aversion. The second is nirvana without remainder. This is when an arahant enters post-mortem state. An arahant has put an end to the cycling of rebirth in samsara, there is no more karmic causes for him to reborn in the 6 realms. So such a being has put an end to both physical pain and mental suffering - no more aggregates arise for him. Yes, an arahant still experiences physical feelings which can be pleasant or unpleasant, but do not experience mental suffering. The Buddha taught: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn36/sn36.006.nypo.html "But in the case of a well-taught noble disciple, O monks, when he is touched by a painful feeling, he will not worry nor grieve and lament, he will not beat his breast and weep, nor will he be distraught. It is one kind of feeling he experiences, a bodily one, but not a mental feeling. It is as if a man were pierced by a dart, but was not hit by a second dart following the first one. So this person experiences feelings caused by a single dart only. It is similar with a well-taught noble disciple: when touched by a painful feeling, he will no worry nor grieve and lament, he will not beat his breast and weep, nor will he be distraught. He experiences one single feeling, a bodily one. There are four levels of awakening, from stream entry to arahant. A stream enterer has gained the dharma eye (dhammacakkhu), the knowledge and vision of dharma, which is empty of self, and dependently originated. Such a person has ended the fetter of self-view, doubt, and attachment to useless rites and rituals. There are however further stages in which the remaining craving, aversion and ignorance are gradually eliminated, until arahant which is liberation. I speak about my experience in http://awakeningtoreality.blogspot.com/2010/12/my-e-booke-journal.html I was following the standard Buddhist terminologies, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vedan%C4%81 "Feeling," not "emotion" Regarding the relationship between vedanā and "emotions," American-born Theravada teacher Bhikkhu Bodhi has written: "The Pali word vedanā does not signify emotion (which appears to be a complex phenomenon involving a variety of concomitant mental factors), but the bare affective quality of an experience, which may be either pleasant, painful or neutral."[12] Similarly, Oxford-trained Vajrayana teacher Trungpa Rinpoche has written: "In this case 'feeling' is not quite our ordinary notion of feeling. It is not the feeling we take so seriously as, for instance, when we say, 'He hurt my feelings.' This kind of feeling that we take so seriously belongs to the fourth and fifth skandhas of concept and consciousness."[13] It is not very uncommon for someone who take psychedelics to chance upon some mystical experiences. Usually however, they simply have glimpses of the I AMness (see: http://awakeningtoreality.blogspot.com/2007/03/thusnesss-six-stages-of-experience.html ). This is not yet Buddhist enlightenment. One of the early things I discussed with my teacher Thusness in 2004 or 2005 is his views on LSD. 2007: (1:08 PM) Thusness: hmm...don't think i want to write about LSD in a forum. (1:09 PM) AEN: o haha how come (1:09 PM) Thusness: the reason is that it might mislead one into seeking altered state of consciousness by taking psychoactive drugs. (1:10 PM) Thusness: even if I said we shouldn't, but some might not be able to resist the temptation and opt for a try. (1:10 PM) Thusness: this is dangerous. (1:10 PM) AEN: icic.. (1:11 PM) AEN: but actually these kind of psychedelics can lead to a state of witnessing? (1:11 PM) Thusness: yes. (1:11 PM) Thusness: it is an altered state of consciousness (1:11 PM) Thusness: i would say similar to astral plane (1:12 PM) Thusness: not so much enlightenment. (1:12 PM) Thusness: but very similar form of experience. (1:12 PM) Thusness: as in the phase of "I AMness". (1:12 PM) Thusness: the insight is restricted to that level. (1:12 PM) Thusness: not the form of buddhist enlightenment (1:12 PM) Thusness: but very intense. Actually the author is a highly experienced practitioner and teacher, and I think he makes good points in the article. The idea of original enlightenment doesn't make sense at all. Our true nature is always already so, yet it does not mean we have realized it. A diamond hidden underneath your pillow is as good as useless unless you discover it.

The order is not so important. However, the suttas have explained the order in terms of how much pleasure/displeasure they feel in their lives. Animals often (of course there are pets, etc, that do not) need to experience hunger while searching for food, for example, they also often get hunted by predators. Because Nirvana is the end of the three poisons of craving, aversion and ignorance. It means the end of suffering, since suffering arises from craving. The end of suffering is the highest bliss. There is a reason for suffering. Suffering arises due to craving. Craving arises due to things like ignorance. If ignorance is ended by wisdom, then suffering will never arise again. Liberation is permanent. When you awaken, there is tremendous bliss even while you are alive. However, it does not mean you can avoid unpleasant feelings. If you get injured, or get cancer, you still have a lot of unpleasant feelings. No, it is realizing that there is no substantial self, a liver of life, an agent (self, perceiver, controller) behind life, that is awakening/enlightenment. I am not fond of such sayings. Check this article out: http://www.interactivebuddha.com/bullshit.shtml Everything happens due to a cause, but everything having some divine 'reason' is merely a (false) interpretation. There is no divine reason or whatever. There is causes and conditions. It is just like a doctor treating a patient, he doesn't tell his patient "you're meant to be sick", "your illness is a divine plan" or whatever bullshit. He simply diagnoses - this is your illness, this is the cause of your illness, there is an end to this illness, this is my prescription for treating this illness. Buddha's approach is similar: there is suffering, there is the cause of suffering, there is an end to suffering, there is a noble path which ends suffering. (the 4 noble truths) No, liberation means no more getting caught in endless future births. Obviously, an awakened person is still living. As I said - an awakened person is free here and now in this life, but also free from needing to come back endlessly. Actually, very very few people reach nirvana nowadays. I think from Buddha's dispensation to now, only tens of thousands of people attain nirvana. But the number of sentient beings in this universe and beyond are infinite/numberless, like the number of sands in the beach. Also Buddhism don't call them 'souls' but 'individual mindstream', but that is another matter.

I like your faith in Buddha. Indeed, the Buddha is the foremost teacher or devas and men, the omniscient one, worthy of homage... someone whose words I'd trust. I highly recommend reading the Buddha's original words, one can start with this: In the Buddha's Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon (Teachings of the Buddha Truly great selection of Buddha's teachings.

The point is not to get out of here, but to avoid returning again and again endlessly. If you are liberated, you are free here and now, and also free from coming back again and again. AN 10.65 PTS: A v 120 Pathama Sukha Sutta: First Discourse on the Pleasant translated from the Pali by K. Nizamis At one time, the Venerable Sāriputta was dwelling near the small village of Nālaka in Magadha. And then, there where Venerable Sāriputta was, there Sāmaṇḍakāni, the wanderer, approached. Having approached, he exchanged greetings with the Venerable Sāriputta. Having exchanged greetings, and courteous talk having passed between them, he sat to one side. Having sat to one side, Sāmaṇḍakāni, the wanderer, said this to Venerable Sāriputta: "Now, what, friend Sāriputta, is the pleasant, and what is the painful?" "Rebirth, friend, is painful; non-rebirth is pleasant. When, friend, there is rebirth, this pain is to be expected: cold and heat, hunger and thirst, excrement and urine, contact with fire, contact with punishment, contact with weapons, and anger caused by meeting and associating with relatives and friends. When, friend, there is rebirth, this pain is to be expected. "When, friend, there is no rebirth, this pleasantness is to be expected: neither cold nor heat, neither hunger nor thirst, neither excrement nor urine, neither contact with fire, nor contact with punishment, nor contact with weapons, and no anger caused by meeting and associating with relatives and friends. When, friend, there is no rebirth, this pleasantness is to be expected."

Absolutely. But not only avoiding 'lower realms' - the 3 realms of hell, animal and ghost... but also avoiding getting trapped in the 3 higher realms: human, asura, deva (heaven). Why? Even though heaven is relatively pleasurable, nonetheless they are impermanent and not free from death and suffering (especially towards the end of their life). In the end, they are still not outside the cycle of samsara. We strive to attain awakening, nirvana, liberation. No matter how wholesome your karma is, unless you attain awakening and liberation, you will end up getting stuck in the higher realms which are insecure - still binded by birth and death, still having the potential and tendency to one day fall back into the lower realms. Nothing in samsara is secure. Therefore we must not just strive for a higher realm, but to end the cycle of being reborn via ignorance. Here's a sutta for sharing: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn15/sn15.013.than.html SN 15.13 PTS: S ii 187 CDB i 658 Timsa Sutta: Thirty translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu © 2009–2012 Now on that occasion the Blessed One was dwelling in Rajagaha, in the Bamboo Grove. Then thirty monks from Pava — all wilderness dwellers, all alms-goers, all triple-robe wearers, all still with fetters — went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. Then the thought occurred to the Blessed One, "These thirty monks from Pava... are all still with fetters. What if I were to teach them the Dhamma in such a way that in this very sitting their minds, through lack of clinging, would be released from fermentations?" So he addressed the monks: "Monks." "Yes, lord," the monks responded. The Blessed One said, "From an inconceivable beginning comes transmigration. A beginning point is not evident, though beings hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving are transmigrating & wandering on. What do you think, monks? Which is greater, the blood you have shed from having your heads cut off while transmigrating & wandering this long, long time, or the water in the four great oceans?" "As we understand the Dhamma taught to us by the Blessed One, this is the greater: the blood we have shed from having our heads cut off while transmigrating & wandering this long, long time, not the water in the four great oceans." "Excellent, monks. Excellent. It is excellent that you thus understand the Dhamma taught by me. "This is the greater: the blood you have shed from having your heads cut off while transmigrating & wandering this long, long time, not the water in the four great oceans. "The blood you have shed when, being cows, you had your cow-heads cut off: Long has this been greater than the water in the four great oceans. "The blood you have shed when, being water buffaloes, you had your water buffalo-heads cut off... when, being rams, you had your ram-heads cut off... when, being goats, you had your goat-heads cut off... when, being deer, you had your deer-heads cut off... when, being chickens, you had your chicken-heads cut off... when, being pigs, you had your pig-heads cut off: Long has this been greater than the water in the four great oceans. "The blood you have shed when, arrested as thieves plundering villages, you had your heads cut off... when, arrested as highway thieves, you had your heads cut off... when, arrested as adulterers, you had your heads cut off: Long has this been greater than the water in the four great oceans. "Why is that? From an inconceivable beginning comes transmigration. A beginning point is not evident, though beings hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving are transmigrating & wandering on. Long have you thus experienced stress, experienced pain, experienced loss, swelling the cemeteries — enough to become disenchanted with all fabrications, enough to become dispassionate, enough to be released." That is what the Blessed One said. Gratified, the monks delighted in the Blessed One's words. And while this explanation was being given, the minds of the thirty monks from Pava — through lack of clinging — were released from fermentations. See also: SN 15.3.

Karuna

This description by Ajahn Brahm is the I AM: http://www.abuddhistlibrary.com/Buddhism/B%20-%20Theravada/Teachers/Ajahn%20Brahmavamso/Meditation%20The%20Heart%20of%20Buddhism/Meditation%20The%20Heart%20of%20Buddhism-%20Ajahn%20Brahm.htm When the Body Disappears. Remember "con men," "con women" as well. These con men can sell you anything! There's one living in your mind right now, and you believe every word he says! His name is Thinking. When you let go of that inner talk and get silent, you get happy. Then when you let go of the movement of the mind and stay with the breath, you experience even more delight. Then when you let go of the body ,all these five senses disappear and you're really blissing out. This is original Buddhism. Sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch completely vanish. This is like being in a sensory deprivation chamber but much better. But it's not just silence, you just don't hear anything. It's not just blackness, you just don't see anything. It's not just a feeling of comfort in the body, there is no body at all. When the body disappears that really starts to feel great. You know of all those people who have out of the body experiences? When the body dies, every person has that experience, they float out of the body. And one of the things they always say is it's so peaceful, so beautiful, so blissful. It's the same in meditation when the body disappears, it's so peaceful, so beautiful, so blissful when you are free from this body. What's left? Here there's no sight, sound, smell, taste, touch. This is what the Buddha called the mind in deep meditation. When the body disappears what is left is the mind. I gave a simile to a monk the other night. Imagine an Emperor who is wearing a long pair of trousers and a big tunic. He's got shoes on his feet, a scarf around the bottom half of his head and a hat on the top half of his head. You can't see him at all because he's completely covered in five garments. It's the same with the mind. It's completely covered with sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. So people don't know it. They just know the garments. When they see the Emperor, they just see the robes and the garments. They don't know who lives inside them. And so it is no wonder they're confused about what is life, what is mind, who is this inside of here, were did I come from? Why? What am I supposed to be doing with this life? When the five senses disappear, it's like unclothing the Emperor and seeing what is actually in here, what's actually running the show, who's listening to these words, who's seeing, who's feeling life, who this is. When the five senses disappear, you're coming close to the answer to those questions. What you're seeing in such deep meditation is that which we call "mind," (in Pali it's called Citta). The Buddha used this beautiful simile. When there is a full moon on a cloudy night, even though it's a full moon, you can hardly see it. Sometimes when the clouds are thin, you can see this hazy shape shining though. You know there is something there. This is like the meditation just before you've entered into these profound states. You know there is something there, but you can't quite make it out. There's still some "clothes" left. You're still thinking and doing, feeling the body or hearing sounds. But there does come a time, and this is the Buddha's simile, when the moon is released from the clouds and there in the clear night sky you can see the beautiful full disc of the moon shining brilliantly, and you know that's the moon. The moon is there; the moon is real, and it's not just some sort of side effect of the clouds. This is what happens in meditation when you see the mind. You see clearly that the mind is not some side effect of the brain. You see the mind, and you know the mind. The Buddha said that the mind released is beautiful, is brilliant, is radiant. So not only are these blissful experiences, they're meaningful experiences as well. How many people may have heard about rebirth but still don't really believe it? How can rebirth happen? Certainly the body doesn't get reborn. That's why when people ask me where do you go when you die, "one of two places" I say "Fremantle or Karrakatta" that's where the body goes! [3] But is that where the mind goes? Sometimes people are so stupid in this world, they think the body is all there is, that there is no mind. So when you get cremated or buried that's it, that's done with, all has ended. The only way you can argue with this view is by developing the meditation that the Buddha achieved under the Bodhi tree. Then you can see the mind for yourself in clear awareness - not in some hypnotic trance, not in dullness - but in the clear awareness. This is knowing the mind Knowing the Mind. When you know that mind, when you see it for yourself, one of the results will be an insight that the mind is independent of this body. Independence means that when this body breaks up and dies, when it's cremated or when it's buried, or however it's destroyed after death, it will not affect the mind. You know this because you see the nature of the mind. That mind which you see will transcend bodily death. The first thing which you will see for yourself, the insight which is as clear as the nose on your face, is that there is something more to life than this physical body that we take to be me. Secondly you can recognise that that mind, essentially, is no different than that process of consciousness which is in all beings. Whether it's human beings or animals or even insects, of any gender, age or race, you see that that which is in common to all life is this mind, this consciousness, the source of doing.

I don't equate I AM with jhana. I AM is described by Buddha as the mind that is luminous. However it is true that realizing I AM is not nirvana.

This is one way of practicing, but a gradual way. The direct path to self-realization is through inquiry/investigative methods like self-inquiry. As I wrote in my e-book ( http://awakeningtoreality.blogspot.com/2010/12/my-e-booke-journal.html ): "An important point here however: having the ability to stay (even if persistently) in wide perceptual openness is not the Realization of I AM, it is simply an 'experience' or 'recognition' and I experienced that since early 2009. Nevertheless, even after Realization of I AM, it does not mean that you will live the rest of your life free of egoic contraction. Go for the realization, not the experience - and to go for the realization means to practice self-inquiry. As Thusness told me the last time I met him, he doesn't like approaches that emphasize too much on the experience, like focusing to get the experience of the spaciousness of awareness, the mirror-like quality etc, all the various aspects. Why? Because that's like only accessing the fringe, but once you penetrate to the Core of the matter via Self-Realization, then all the aspects are accessible to you, like 一针见血 (go right to the heart of the matter). Not only self-inquiry, but koan practice can also lead to realization."

Realization transcends conceptual thoughts, it is a non-conceptual realization or awakening to your very fact of existence. Then there will not remain any more doubts. Self-inquiry is the investigative thought that when traced back to the source, the thought along with all concepts will dissolve itself in self-realization, like a stick on fire finally annihilating itself along with the fire.

it won't make much sense experientially for you right now. You can have some conceptual understanding of the twofold emptiness first (stage 5 and 6), but focus on the I AM first.

Yes the I AM is not the 5 senses. It is the luminous mind that Buddha talks about. It is the 6th sense in Buddhism. After realizing I AM, later you continue to contemplate and realize nondual and the one taste of luminosity in all six senses as described by Ken Wilber. But go through the I AM first. Who am I? Is a direct path contemplation that will lead to the direct unshakeable realization of the I AM.

Just found something from Ramana, said very well. http://www.messagefrommasters.com/Life_of_Masters/Ramana-Maharshi/I_Thought.htm Question : This `I'-thought rises from me. But I do not know the Self. Ramana Maharshi : All these are only mental concepts. You are now identifying yourself with a wrong `I', which is the `I'-thought. This `I'-thought rises and sinks, whereas the true significance of `I' is beyond both. There cannot be a break in your being. You who slept are also now awake. There is no unhappiness in your deep sleep whereas it exists now. What is it that has happened now so that this difference is experienced ? There was no `I'-thought in your sleep, whereas it is present now. The true `I' is not apparent and the false `I' is parading itself. This false `I' is the obstacle to your right knowledge. Find out from where this false `I' arises. Then it will disappear. You will then be only what you are, that is, absolute being. Question : How to do it? I have not succeeded so far. Ramana Maharshi : Search for the source of the `I'-thought. That is all that one has to do. The universe exists on account of the `I'-thought. If that ends there is an end to misery also. The false `I' will end only when its source is sought. Again people often ask how the mind is controlled. I say to them, `Show me the mind and then you will know what to do.' The fact is that the mind is only a bundle of thoughts. How can you extinguish it by the thought of doing so or by a desire? Your thoughts and desires are part and parcel of the mind. The mind is simply fattened by new thoughts rising up. Therefore it is foolish to attempt to kill the mind by means of the mind. The only way of doing it is to find its source and hold on to it. The mind will then fade away of its own accord. Yoga teaches chitta vritti nirodha [control of the activities of the mind]. But I say atma vichara [self-inquiry]. This is the practical way. Chitta vritti nirodha is brought about in sleep, swoon, or by starvation. As soon as the cause is withdrawn there is a recrudescence of thoughts. Of what use is it then? In the state of stupor there is peace and no misery. But misery recurs when the stupor is removed. So nirodha [control] is useless and cannot be of lasting benefit. How then can the benefit be made lasting? It is by finding the cause of misery. Misery is due to the perception of objects. If they are not there, there will be no contingent thoughts and so misery is wiped off. `How will objects cease to be?' is the next question. The srutis [scriptures] and the sages say that the objects are only mental creations. They have no substantive being. Investigate the matter and ascertain the truth of the statement. The result will be the conclusion that the objective world is in the subjective consciousness. The Self is thus the only reality which permeates and also envelops the world. Since there is no duality, no thoughts will arise to disturb your peace. This is realization of the Self. The Self is eternal and so also is realization. Abhyasa [spiritual practice] consists in withdrawal within the Self every time you are disturbed by thought. It is not concentration or destruction of the mind but withdrawal into the Self.