Simple_Jack

Direct introduction, in all tantric systems, are a means to introduce one to the nature of the three kayas. Methods, which are classifiable as tantric practices, not as sutric practices, are employed in Dzogchen; that's the point I'm trying to get across.

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Perfect Wisdom: The Short Prajnaparamita Texts trans. by Edward Conze The Perfection of Wisdom In Eight Thousand Lines & Its Verse Summary trans. by Edward Conze Diamond Sutra Explained by Nan Huai-Chin Sutra of the Past Vows of Earth Store Bodhisattva trans. by Buddhist Text Translation Society The Scripture on the Explication of Underlying Meaning [Samdhinirmochana Sutra] trans. by Numata Center for Buddhist Translation Expository Commentary on the Vimalakirti Sutra by Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai A Comprehensive Commentary on the Heart Sutra by Numata Center for Buddhist Translation Zen's Chinese Heritage: The Masters and their Teachings by Andy Ferguson The Record of Linji [2009 edition] trans. by Ruth Fuller Sasaki The Sayings of Layman Pang: A Zen Classic of China trans. by James Green Treasury of the True Dharma Eye: Zen Master Dogen's Shobo Genzo trans. by Kazuaki Tanahashi Secrets of the Blue Cliff Record: Zen Comments by Hakuin and Tenkei trans. by Thomas Cleary The Gateless Gate: All 48 koans with commentary by Ekai, called Mumon The Weaving of Mantra: Kukai and the Construction of Esoteric Buddhist Discourse by Ryuichi Abe Shingon Texts trans. by Numata Center for Buddhist Translation Tantric Buddhism in East Asia by Richard K. Payne Basic Buddhism: Exploring Buddhism and Zen by Nan Huai-Chin An Introduction to Buddhism: Teachings, History and Practices by Peter Harvey What The Buddha Taught: Revised and Expanded Edition with Texts from Suttas and Dhammapada by Walpola Rahula The Way to Buddhahood: Instructions from a Modern Chinese Master by Venerable Yin-shun

It has abhisheka/direct introduction which is a shared feature between all tantric systems. It employs methods which work with tantric anatomy as these are classifiable as 'tantric practices' i.e. togal, guru yoga, semzin, rushan, dream yoga, karmamudra, phowa, etc. Many Dzogchen tertons also revealed mahayoga and anuyoga terma revelations which are a part of such nyintig cycles such as the Longchen nyintig cycle.

http://www.thedhamma.com/buddhaslists.pdf - PDF download of The Complete Book of Buddha's Lists - Explained by David N. Snyder. http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=S.N.%20Goenka&sm=3 - Youtube videos of S.N Goenka's teachings. http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=madawela%20punnaji&sm=3 - Youtube videos of Ven. Mandawela Punnaji's teachings. http://www.jhanasadvice.com/ - Site by Tina Rasmussen and Stephen Snyder who are students of Pa Auk Sayadaw.

http://dharmaconnectiongroup.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-all-creating-king-and-implications.html "Right, the emptiness of inseparable clarity and emptiness refers to the fact that you cannot point to clarity with your finger. You cannot find clarity, nor get rid of clarity. This has nothing to do with kadag." ~ alwayson Malcolm Smith: Alwayson is correct in this instance. This is a general statement about the nature of the mind common to all mahayana traditions. We can find ka dag in the sutras such as perfection of wisdom, but this is a quite limited and indirect reference....Generally speaking, tregcho means relaxing into one's knowledge of the basis.

There are plenty of tantric methods within Dzogchen. Only non-initiates would assert the above. Blame, steve, he's the one who started bringing up how he doesn't like the translation of rig pa as 'knowledge'.

JLA himself basically admitted, that he uses the term 'Awareness' when translating rigpa in his translations, because Westerners are already so deeply conditioned with the association of this concept, that the damage had already been done; there was no point in attempting to reintroduce a different translation of this term. No one's demanding anyone to agree with how ChNN teaches Dzogchen.

@ steve It's not just Malcolm's preference per se, but how ChNN himself translates and teaches Dzogchen concepts. ChNN translates 'rigpa' either as 'knowledge' or 'instant presence'; 'dran pa' as 'mindfulness' or 'presence'.

Buddhadharma, has only widely entered the Western ethos a little over a century ago, so it's going to be a continual process of acclimation. This is just derived from how ChNN teaches Dzogchen. The same goes for Malcolm's posts on dharmawheel and vajracakra forums.

These same issues came up on dharmawheel from time to time, Malcolm, as a translator himself, said this a about 3 years ago: http://www.dharmawheel.net/viewtopic.php?f=48&t=4238&hilit=Dravidian&start=20 kalden yungdrung wrote: But I cannot help it that many Geshelas, Khenpos, Lopons, Rinpoches etc. maintain the meaning of Awareness when in the Natural State as a word to express Rigpa. Malcolm wrote: Sure, they do. They are not native English speakers. Not their fault. They do the best they can. The reason every one in the bonpo world uses awareness is mainly due to John Reynolds. But now more and more people are moving away from that translation, in the Buddhist world at any rate. The bon world is much smaller, and therefore, it will be more resistant to change. Also fewer western translators.

'Rigpa' just means the 'knowledge' of one's actual state, but I can understand why you would take issue with this translation. It won't make much of a difference to our generations how the usage of terms such as "awareness", "non-duality", etc.. are ending up being used in buddhadharma, because the association of these concepts are already ingrained in our mind's. In a few decades this may change as people learn how to more accurately translate and convey these lexicons in our language. it's a natural progression, much like how China first used the lexicon of their native philosophies to translate Buddhist sutras into Chinese, which they later changed, when they started developing a specialized form of Chinese Buddhist lexicon to more accurately convey the meaning from the source materials.

From Swampland Flowers: The Letters And Lectures Of Zen Master Ta Hui, trans. by J.C. Cleary To Chang Yang-shu: Power ...Thus it is said that the abode of bodhisattvas is inconceivable, but therein thought is inexhaustible. When you've entered this inconceivability, thought and no-thought are both quiescent and extinct. Yet you should not abide in quiescent extinction, for if you do, you are are being absorbed by the experience of the Dharma realm. In the Teachings this is called affliction by the dust of the Dharma. Only when you have annihilated the experiences of the Dharma realm and all sorts of wonders are cleared away at once, should you look at such sayings as "What is the meaning of the coming from the West? -- The cypress tree in the garden." "What is Buddha? -- Three pounds of hemp -- A dry piece of shit." "A dog has no Buddha-nature." "Who does not keep company with the myriad things? -- Swallow all the water in the West River in one gulp, and I'll tell you." Where do all the buddhas appear? -- East Mountain walks on the water." "When suddenly you can penetrate at a single phrase, only then is it called turning to the Dharma realm without experience. When you see it as it really is, practice according to reality and act according to reality, then you can manifest the Jewel King's realm on the tip of a hair and turn the Wheel of the Great Dharma while sitting within an atom of dust. Then creating all things or destroying all things is entirely up to oneself. Like a strong man flexing his arm, you don't depend on the strength of others; like a lion strolling along, you won't seek companions. When all sorts of states of surpassing wonder appear before you, you won;t marvel at them; when all sorts of states of evil deeds appear before you, you won't fear them. In the conduct of your daily activities, you will be abandoned and expansive, free and independent wherever you go. Only if you arrive at this stage can you say there is no heaven or hell, and such things. Yung Chia said, "There are neither humans nor buddhas: the universe is like a bubble in the ocean, all the sages are like flashes of lightning." If he hadn't gotten to this stage, how could Yung Chia have said this? But with these words, those who misunderstand are many. Without penetrating to the source, you'll only produce verbal understanding and say that everything is nonexistent, denying cause and effect, considering the teaching expounded by all the buddhas and ancestral teachers as false and empty, saying they deceive and confuse people. If this disease is not removed, then you're "confused and reckless, inviting calamity." Buddha said, "False and fickle minds multiply their various clever views. If they don't apply existence, then they apply nonexistence. If they don't apply these two, then they try to figure it out somewhere between existence and nonexistence." Thus the former sages took pains to admonish us, to have us detach from the four phrases and cut off their hundred negations, to make a clean break directly, think no more of before and after, and cut off the heads of the thousand sages. The four phrases are "it exists," "it doesn't exist," "it neither exists nor doesn't exist," and "if both exists and doesn't exist." Having penetrated these four phrases, when I see someone saying that all things really exist, I go along with it and talk existence, but without being obstructed by this "it really exists"; when I see someone saying that all things are really nonexistent, I go along with it and talk nonexistence, but not the nonexistence of the world is totally empty; when I see someone say that all things both exist and don't exist, I go along with it and talk both existence and nonexistence, but this is no sophistry; when I see someone say that all things neither exist nor don't exist, I go along with it and talk neither existence and nonexistence, but this is no contradiction. It's this that Vimalakirti said: "Where the six outsiders fall, you fall along with them." ... To Hsieh K'uo-jan: Thought After Enlightenment When studying worldly things, one relies totally on verbal meanings and mental thoughts. But if you use verbal meanings and thoughts to study the world-transcending Dharma, you are way off. Didn't Buddha say so? -- "This Dharma is not something that thought and discrimination can understand." And Yung Chia said, " The loss of the wealth of the Dharma and the demise of virtue all stems from mind's discriminating consciousness." This is because the mind's discriminating consciousness is the home of thought and discrimination. If you're determined to take up this great affair, I ask you to boldly apply your spirit, and make a clean break with this, the root of birth and death and delusion, which comes as the vanguard and leaves as the rearguard: this is the time to appear. At just such a time, you can finally use verbal meanings and mental thoughts to effect. Why? Because once the Storehouse Consciousness has been cleared away, then birth and death and delusion have no place to stay. When birth and deathand delusion have no home, then thinking and discrimination themselves are nothing but transcendent wisdom (prajna) and subtle knowledge: There's not the slightest thing further to obstruct you. Thus it is said: Observing the sequence of phenomena, Using wisdom to discriminate, Judging right and wrong -- This doesn't go against the Seal of Truth. When you've reached this stage, then even if you act smart and expound principles, it's all the great perfect peace of nirvana, the great ultimate, the realm of great liberation -- there isn't anything else. So P'an Shan's saying, "A complete mind is buddha; a complete buddha is human" -- means this. If you're not yet like this, don't let your mind's discriminating consciousness have its way when you're walking, standing, sitting, and lying down. Over a long long time it will become completely purified; naturally, you shouldn't apply to push it away. ... To Fu Li-shen: Knowledge as a Barrier and as a Companion; pg. 81-82 You tell me you've had faith in this Path since your early years, but in later years you've been obstructed by your knowledge and understanding, and have never had an enlightened entry. You want to know an expedient method for fully comprehending the Path day and night -- since we're being perfectly conscientious, I wouldn't presume to judge the case from outside, but a few creeping vines may be permitted: This very one seeking enlightenment and entry has been the knowledge and understanding that obstructs the Path. What other knowledge is there to obstruct you? Ultimately, what is being called knowledge? Where does the knowledge come from? And who is being obstructed? In this one statement of yours, there are three mistakes: saying you are obstructed by knowledge is one, saying you are not yet enlightened, and willingly being deluded is another, and going on within delusion to use mind to wait for enlightenment is another. These three mistakes are the root of birth and death. You must stop producing them for a moment, so the mind of these errors is cut off; only then do you realize that there is no delusion to be smashed, no enlightenment to be expected, and no knowledge that can cause obstruction. You'll be like a man drinking water, who knows for himself whether it is cold or warm. After a long time, naturally you won't entertain this view. Just go to the mind that can know knowledge to see if it too can cause obstruction, to see if in the mind that can know knowledge there are so many kinds or not. Since ancient times, people with great wisdom have all taken knowledge as expedient means, practiced the compassion of equanimity in knowledge, and done all the business of buddhas in knowledge, like dragons reaching the water, like tigers taking to the mountain -- they never considered this knowledge an affliction, because they thoroughly understood the origin of knowledge. Once you recognize the origin of knowledge, then this very knowledge is a field of liberation, the place to get out of birth and death. Since it's the site of liberation, the place to escape birth and death, the knower is quiescent and extinct in his own essential nature. Since the knower is quiescent and extinct, the one who can know knowledge cannot but be quiescent and extinct. What else is there that can cause obstruction? Where else will you seek enlightenment and entry? ... To Li Hsien-ch'ien: One Suchness To take up This Great Affair, you must have a determined will. If you're half believing and half in doubt, there'll be no connection. An ancient worthy said, "Studying the Path is like drilling for fire. You still can't stop when you get smoke: Only when sparks appear is the return home complete." Want to know where it's complete? It's the worlds of self and and the worlds of others as One Suchness. ... To Nieh, an official: Cut It Off Directly Master Chao Chou said, "For twenty years, except for the two mealtimes of gruel and rice which were mixed application of mind, I've had no other points of mixed use of mind. This is how I really act." Don't understand it as the Buddha Dharma or the Ch'an Path. Impermanence is swift, the matter of birth and death important. In the world of sentient beings things which go along with birth and death are (numerous) as hemp or millet -- every time you've disposed of them properly, they come back again. If you don't stick the words "birth and death" on the tip of your nose as a countermeasure, then when the last day of your life arrives, your limbs will be in panic and confusion, like a crab dropped in boiling water -- then you'll finally know repentance, but too late. If you want to be direct, then cut it off immediately starting right now. ... To Teng Tzu-li: Faith If you want to study this Path, you must have settled faith, so your mind does not waver whether favorable or adverse environments are encountered -- only then do you have some directions in the Path. Buddha said, "Faith can forever destroy the root of afflictions; faith can focus you on the virtues of buddhahood. Faith has no attachments to objects; far removed from all difficulties, you get so there is no difficulty." He also said, "Faith can transcend the numerous roads of delusion, and display the Path of unexcelled liberation." In the teachings there are clear passages like the above: how could Buddha deceive people? If you're half light and half dark, half believing and half not believing, then whenever you meet with situations and encounter circumstances, your mind produces doubts about this Path, to destroy the root of affliction and get away from all difficulty, is entirely due to lack of settled faith, to being confused by the delusions of one's own personal existence. If you can be birthless for a moment amidst causal origination, then without going beyond this moment you instantly transcend the roads of delusion. What are being called "roads of delusion" are nothing else but dimming this mind: outside this mind you falsely produce all differentiated views, so this mind immediately flows along after the false differentiating thoughts, thus forming objects of delusion. If you can believe directly that this mind has definitely attained enlightenment from the beginning, and abruptly forget all your views, then these roads of delusion themselves are the route of enlightenment by which the person escapes from birth and death.

I prefer to use the translation of 'rigpa' as 'knowledge', because translating 'rigpa' as 'awareness' gives a sense of a substantial entity or an abiding 'Consciousness/Awareness' along the lines of neo-advaita, though translating it as 'knowing' is acceptable, IMO. Of course, some translators still choose to translate 'rigpa' as 'awareness', and since this way of translating it is ingrained in the mind's of Westerners: JLA chooses 'awareness' when doing translations. Chogyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche sometimes chooses to translate rigpa as 'knowledge' or 'instant presence'; he translates 'dran pa' i.e. 'mindfulness' as 'presence'.

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Sorry about that, here's the quotes from dharmawheel: This is my response to you:

I'm going by second hand info because I have not read his books or listened to his retreat podcasts yet. This is where I came across that piece of info: http://www.dharmawheel.net/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=15735&hilit=Allan+Wallace Pero wrote: Allan Wallace wrote: I have also heard of many people who say they have achieved shamatha and dhyana, many claiming to have done so within a matter of days, weeks, or just a few months. But despite such reports, few appear to be able to effortlessly maintain flawless samadhi for at least four hours, with their senses fully withdrawn, while abiding in a luminous state of blissful samadhi. Malcolm, is your first dhyana the same as Wallace's first dhyana? I haven't read everything available about Dzogchen or Vajrayana but in what I have I haven't seen such a requirement for practice. Seems a bit odd really.... Sherlock wrote: Wallace is following the Visuddhimagga, where that is not even the first dhyana yet. It's a bit hard to read, but you can also read Longchenpa's description of the dhyanas here ... There is a tangible difference between the criteria for "visuddhimagga jhanas" and "sutta jhanas" with a division between this emphasis by those who follow the criteria of the commentarial traditions (which includes Ajahn Brahm even though he claims to strictly follow the suttapitaka) and those who follow the criteria of the suttapitaka. There is some debate about these differences within the Theravada community, but I recommend doing a search on Leigh Brasington since his website covers these differences. In the suttas, 'nimitta', is not strictly defined as being visual [http://measurelessmind.ca/nimitta.html] i.e. different color lights, images, etc., but its not about one or the other "being the real thing"; though according to the Visuddhimagga it is. Some of the controversy, involving the level of absorption into the object of meditation required to enter and abide in jhana, according to those who follow the suttapitaka, is that these levels of absorption aren't needed to give rise to the jhanic factors and are a hindrance to the engagement of vipassana while being absorbed in jhana. This does not invalidate the approach of those traditions which follow the Visuddhimagga nonetheless. http://www.dharmawheel.net/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=15624&start=20 Tom wrote: Someone correct me if I'm wrong but from what I can work out (from friends who attended a couple of his retreats) is that Alan has put together his own system and draws on different teachings in the Pali, Gelug and Nyingma with a particular emphasis on shamatha. I am not sure what lineage this would then qualify as but what smcj says makes sense since he teaches "dzokchen retreats." Does any one know what he teaches in these. I heard Gyaltrul Rinpoche gave him authorization to translate and teach the śamatha section of Vajra Essence. I heard also that he taught Dudjum Rinpoche's Instructions on Mountain Spirituality. However, I'm wondering what else he has been authorized to teach. For example, does he give his students pointing out etc. Or are his students advised to go to Gyaltrul Rinpoche for further instructions? monktastic wrote: Yes, he has a heavy emphasis on shamatha, and most of his retreats are (or were) shamatha-focused. He places an emphasis of attaining the first dhyana (jhana) at the level indicated in the visuddhimagga, and says he finds it odd that modern masters do not place emphasis on this attainment. He does not give pointing out instructions or teach trekcho (AFAIK). His Dzogchen retreat podcasts can be found online:https://archive.org/details/Introductio ... allace2012. I highly recommend them.... I attended a shamatha retreat in person, and the Dzogchen one only over webcast, and I want to be clear that I am in no way claiming to represent his actual perspective on the issue, but... He makes it clear that connection with a real master of the lineage is essential, and emphasizes that it's crazy for people attend short retreats and think of themselves as Dzogchenpas. He then goes on to quote much Padmasambhava and Karma Chagme on View, Meditation, and Conduct (again, emphasizing that this can only truly be appreciated when one is familiar with rigpa). Most of the actual practice is of formless shamatha and of shamatha of mental objects. He also teaches a method of guru rinpoche to repeatedly "invert and release" awareness, which supposedly occasionally (if rarely) causes people to "break on through" from alaya-vijnana to rigpa. I know people will take issue with this for more than one reason, but hey, that's what I remember.

Experiences and insights are highly subjective, but I think its possible between individuals to gauge the other's realization if they have gone through it themselves, otherwise teachers or lineage gurus wouldn't themselves be able to gauge the progress of their disciples. The sutras (e.g. Shurangama Sutra, Lankavatara Sutra, etc.), Chan, Mahamudra, and Dzogchen, each have their own rankings or describe general signposts for the purpose of gauging one's progress on the path; so whoever put it down to writing must not have thought it impossible to do so. I agree for the most part, but the bold is a totally emotions based way of indicating someone's realization. Anyways, in Mahayana, the only actual stage of awakening is buddhahood, there are no exceptions to this.

You need concepts in order carry out and explain the parameters for practice. I don't buy into the notion of 'enlightenment' as being a black and white affair: there are degrees to which an individual is no longer deluded about their nature and I think that most instances of people's experiences with or without formal training and meditation do not genuinely correspond to that of say the realization of anatta; not to take away from these life changing experiences, but I don't think its very common to come across an individual, who has genuinely realized anatta or emptiness in comparison to the crop of neo-Advaitans out there giving satsangs....each of us has our biases though. Which is why there's a distinction between namtog and nangwa: the latter by definition corresponds to an individual who is resting in the knowledge (rigpa/vidya) of their natural state; thoughts continue to arise, but they don't become concepts. http://dharmaconnectiongroup.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-all-creating-king-and-implications.html ...Then according to the intermediate one, all discursive thoughts arise as Wisdoms. It does not mean that thoughts disappear; on the contrary they continue to arise but they are left as they are and we do not follow after them. At that time they simply arise but are seen as empty. Still their potential for arising is there and since it is not tainted by ego-grasping, then this potential manifests its enlightened side which is that of Wisdoms. In other words, thoughts arise as Wisdoms. They are exactly the same as before, exactly and precisely the same as before, with the cosmic exception that there is no grasping at them anymore.

My stance differs somewhat as to the role of correct inference gained from studying, but this is due to starting out in sutrayana, as well as influence from the Gelugpas. In both, familiarity with right view, although on the basis of conceptual inference, leads to non-conceptual realization. The same principle applies to meditation on a koan, which is conceptual by nature, but can eventually lead to a non-conceptual "awakening", which is then continually refined until the moment of "great awakening". In Gelug, due to Tsongkhapa's formulation of conventional and ultimate levels of emptiness, though emptiness is an ultimate truth: it also exists conventionally as the characteristic of an object, which in turn is the ultimate nature of the object; therefore, being that emptiness is a characteristic of an object, it merely exists as what's designated by the mind and is ascertainable by means of logic and analysis. Basically, emptiness is an ultimate truth, but it exists conventionally, which means that emptiness can be continually apprehended conceptually, as the object of a mental consciousness, up until the moment of non-conceptual realization. In Dzogchen, after the recognition of the nature of mind, one continually refines, familiarizes, and integrates with the 'View' through the practice of tregcho, togal, etc.: http://dharmaconnectiongroup.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-all-creating-king-and-implications.html Jean-Luc Wrote: Hi Daygo, It's a subject that we've been discussing quite a lot in other Yahoo lists. I personally think that "Presence" is the worst word ever to use in order to translate Rigpa. Presence is a sensation, so it belongs to the aggregate of sensations. It, of course, involves consciousnesses (both sensory and mental) and that's precisely where the problem lies. Rigpa is beyond sensations and consciousnesses. It does not depend on these. It is the knowledge of the natural state. What does that mean really? It means that the Natural State has two qualities : Emptiness and Clarity. Emptiness means absence of inherent existence and Clarity means that this state is self-discerning ("it knows itself by itself", as Lopon [Tenzin Namdak] often puts it). In other words, the Clarity of the natural state corresponds to what Rigpa is. This Rigpa is that through which one knows the natural state (when being introduced to it by the master) and that through which our natural state knows itself (just like a lamp illuminates both itself and what is around). And how does it know itself since it's not a mental consciousness? It precisely discerns (rig) itself from the ordinary mind (sems), from consciousness (rnam-shes), intellect (blo), intelligence (blo gros), mental (yid), etc. So when you are in the state of Rigpa, you clearly discerns (rig) what pertains to Mind (sems-nyid, the ultimate nature of Mind) from what pertains to ordinary, conditioned mind (sems). In Thogel context, Rigpa corresponds to the fourth Lamp — the Lamp of the Self-Arisen Sublime Knowledge (shes-rab rang-byung gi sgron ma) — which is, precisely, the Sublime (rab) Knowledge (shes) corresponding to the state of Trekchö. In all of this, there is a very active and dynamic aspect of total Discernment (rig-pa) or real Knowledge (shes rab) of the natural state, not a mere state of sensing a presence (of what by the way?).... ...There exists 15 forms or modalities of Rigpa (which we may discuss in another post, right now I lack time to enter details), but basically when explaining what it is in Bon, we use mainly these three modalities: 1. Khyab-rig (All-Pervasive Discernment) which is the same as the Sugatagarbha, the potential for Buddhahood (it is nothing else, just this potential). What it pervades is the heart of all beings; in other words, all beings have this Pervasive Discernement which embraces each being endowed with a mind; 2. bSam-rig (Knowing Discernment) which is the knowledge you generate when you study and get experiences of the teachings (it is a fluctuating phenomenon according to the capacities of the individual; the more you study correctly, the more your Knowing Discernement is developed); 3. Ye-rig (Primordial Discernment) which is, precisely, the Rigpa that is referred to in Dzogchen texts. There exists three modalities indicating whether or not you are in this state : an outer one, an inner one and an intermediate one. According to the outer one, you know (you realize, you discern) that the outer manifestations are really non-substantial (you realize their absence of tangible reality). According to the inner one, you are in the experience of Mind itself (sems-nyid) and you realize it as being devoid of self (bdag-med). In other words, you discerns your real nature as being empty of a conditioned self. Then according to the intermediate one, all discursive thoughts arise as Wisdoms. It does not mean that thoughts disappear; on the contrary they continue to arise but they are left as they are and we do not follow after them. At that time they simply arise but are seen as empty. Still their potential for arising is there and since it is not tainted by ego-grasping, then this potential manifests its enlightened side which is that of Wisdoms. In other words, thoughts arise as Wisdoms. They are exactly the same as before, exactly and precisely the same as before, with the cosmic exception that there is no grasping at them anymore. All this comes from the teachings of Shardza Rinpoche and the oral instructions associated with the Trekchö section of the Kuzang Nyingthik.

I heard that Alan Wallace's criteria for jhana aligns with the "visuddhimagga jhana" (with visual nimitta, shutting down of external sense contact even in 1st jhana, etc.), in contrast to that of the "sutta jhana", which is generally not as deeply absorbed into the meditation object as the former. This is not a detriment, but this emphasis should be kept in mind.

From Sun Face Buddha: The Teachings of Ma-tsu and the Hung-chou School of Ch'an by Cheng Chien Bhikshu, pgs. 62-78: The Patriarch said to the assembly, "All of you should believe that your mind is Buddha, that this mind is identical with Buddha. The Great Master Bodhidharma came from India to China, and transmitted the One Mind teaching of Mahayana so that it can lead you all to awakening. Fearing that you will be too confused and will not believe that this One Mind is inherent in all of you, he used the Lankavatara Sutra to seal the sentient beings' mind-ground. Therefore, in the Lankavatara Sutra, mind is the essence of all the Buddha's teachings, no gate is the Dharma-gate. Those who seek the Dharma should not seek for anything. Outside of mind there is no other Buddha, outside of Buddha there is no other mind. Not attaching to good and not rejecting evil, without reliance on either purity or defilement, one realizes that the nature of offence is empty: it cannot be found in each thought because it is without self-nature. Therefore, the three realms are mind-only and 'all phenomena in the universe are marked by a single Dharma. Whenever we see form, it is just seeing mind. The mind does not exist by itself; its existence is due to form. Whatever you are saying, it is just a phenomenon which is identical with the principle. They are all without obstruction and the fruit of the way to 'bodhi' is also like that. Whatever arises in the mind is called form; when one knows all forms to be empty, then birth is identical with no-birth. If one realizes this mind, then one can always wear one's robes and eat one's food. Nourishing the womb of sagehood, one spontaneously passes one's time: what else is there to do? Having received my teaching, listen to my verse: The mind-ground is always spoken of, Bodhi is also just peace. When phenomena and the principle are all without obstruction, The very birth is identical with no-birth. ... "...The Buddha is merciful and has wisdom. Knowing well the nature and characters of all beings, he is able to break through the net of beings doubts. He has left the bondages of existence and nothingness; with all feelings of worldliness and holiness extinguished, [he perceives that] both self and dharmas are empty. He turns the incomparable [Dharma] wheel. Going beyond numbers and measures, his activity is unobstructed and he penetrates both the principle and phenomena. Like a cloud in the sky that suddenly appears and then is gone without leaving any traces; also like writing on water, neither born nor perishable: that is the Great Nirvana. In Bondage it is tathagatagarbha; when liberated it is called the pure dharmakaya. Dharmakaya is boundless, its essence neither increasing nor decreasing. In order to respond to beings, it can manifest as big or small, square or round. It is like a reflection of the moon in water. It functions smoothly without establishing roots. Not obliterating the conditioned; not dwelling in the unconditioned. The conditioned is the function of the unconditioned; the unconditioned is the essence of the conditioned. Because of not dwelling on support, it has been said, 'Like space which rests on nothing.' ... One day as Ch'an Master Pao-ch'e of Ma-ku was accompanying the Patriarch for a walk, he asked, "What is the Great Nirvana?" "Quickly!" exclaimed the Patriarch. "What quickly?" asked Pao-ch'e. "Look at the water." said the Patriarch. ... When Ch'an Master Fa-ch'ang of Ta-mei Mountain went to see the Patriarch for the first time, he asked, "What is Buddha?" The Patriarch replied, "Mind is Buddha." [On hearing this] Fa-ch'ang had great awakening. Later he went to live on Ta-mei Mountain. When the Patriarch heard that he was residing on the mountain, he sent one of his monks to go there and askFa-ch'ang, "What did the Venerable obtain when he saw Ma-tsu, so that he has come to live on this mountain?" Fa-ch'ang said, "Ma-tsu told me that mind is Buddha; so I came to live here." The monk said, "Ma-tsu's teaching has changed recently." Pa-ch'ang asked, "What is the difference?" The monk said, "Nowadays he also says, 'Neither mind nor Buddha." Fa-ch'ang said, "That old man still hasn't stopped confusing people. You can have 'neither mind nor Buddha,' i only care for 'mind is Buddha.' The monk returned to the Patriarch and reported what has happened. "The plum is ripe," said the Patriarch. ... When Venerable Shui-lao of Hung-chou came to see the Patriarch for the first time, he asked, "What is the meaning of [bodhidharma's] coming from the West?" The Patriarch said, "Bow down!" As soon as Shui-lao went down to bow, the Patriarch kicked him. Shui-lao hasd great awakening. He rose up clapping his hands and laughing heartily, and said, "Wonderful! Wonderful! The source of myriad samadhis and limitless subtle meanings can all be realized on the tip of a single hair." He then paid his respects to the Patriarch and withdrew. Later he told the assembly, "Since the day I was kicked by Master Ma, I have not stopped laughing." ... Layman P'ang also asked, "Water has no bones and sinews, and yet it can support a boat of ten-thousand hu. What is the meaning of this?" The Patriarch said, "There is neither water nor boat here; what bones and sinews are you talking about?" ... A monk asked, "Why does the Venerable say that mind is Buddha?" The Patriarch said, "To stop small children's crying." The monk asked, "What do you say when they have stopped crying?" The Patriarch said, "It is neither mind nor Buddha." The monk asked, "And when you have someone who does not belong to either of these two, how do you instruct him?" The Patriarch said, "I tell him that it is not a thing." The monk asked, "And how about when you suddenly meet someone who is there?" The Patriarch said, "I teach him to directly realize the Great Way."

No one's forcing you to adopt Buddhist teachings, much less to even agree with its tenets, but it cannot be denied that the historical Buddha distinguished his teachings of dependent origination from the prevalent views of the different schools of thought during his time The only way to avoid acknowledging this is by proverbially burying your head in the sand. This is called perennialism: http://www.religioperennis.org/documents/Fabbri/Perennialism.pdf "...They claim that the historically separated traditions share not only the same divine origin but are based on the same metaphysical principles, sometimes called philosophia perennis." Buddhadharma is antithetical to periennalist views.

Master Yunmen: From the Record of the Chan Teacher "Gate of the Clouds", trans. by Urs App, pgs. 103-194: Having entered the Dharma Hall, Master Yunmen said: "If, in bringing up a case I cause you to accept it instantly, I am already spreading shit on top of your heads. Even if you could understand the whole world when I hold up a single hair, I'd still be operating on healthy flesh. At any rate, you must first truly attain this level of realization. If you're not yet there, you must not pretend that you are. Rather, you ought to take step back, seek under your very feet, and see what there is to what I am saying! In reality, there is not the slightest thing that could be the source of understanding or doubt for you. Rather, you have the one thing that matters, each and every one of you! Its great function manifests without the slightest effort on your part; you are no different from the patriarch-buddhas! [but since] the root of your faith has always been shallow and the influence of your evil actions massive, you find yourselves all of a sudden wearing many horns. You're carrying your bowl bags far and wide through thousands of villages and myriads of hamlets: what's the point of victimizing yourselves? Is there something you all are lacking? Which one of you full-fledged fellows hasn't got his share? Though you may accept what I am saying for yourself, you're still in bad shape. You must neither fall for the tricks of others nor simply accept their directives. The instant you see an old monk open his mouth, you tend to stuff those big rocks right into yours, and when you cluster in little groups to discuss [his words], you're exactly like those green flies on shit that struggle back to back to gobble it up! What a shame, brothers! The old masters could not help using up their whole lifetime for the sake of you all. So they dropped a word here and half a phrase there to give you a hint. You may have understood these things; put them aside and make some effort for yourselves, and you will certainly become a bit familiar with it. Hurry up! Hurry up! Time does not wait for any man, and breathing out does is no guarantee for breathing in again! Or do you have spare body and mind to fritter away! You absolutely must pay close attention! Take care!" The Master once said: "Do you want to know the founding masters?" Pointing with his staff, he said: "They are jumping around on your heads! Do you want to know their eyeball? It's right under your feet!" He added: "This [kind of guidance] is offering tea and food to ghosts and spirits. Nevertheless, these ghosts and spirits are not satisfied." ... The Master one day held up his staff and mentioned a teaching that goes: The ordinary person in all sincerity says that this [staff] exists, [representatives of] the two vehicles of Buddhist teaching explain that it doesn't exist, the pratyeka buddhas say it exists as an illusion, and the bodhisattvas empty it as it is. Then Master Yunmen said: "When a patch-robed monk sees this staff, he just calls it a staff; when he walks, he just walks; and when he sits, he just sits. In all of this he cannot be stirred." ... Once, when the Master had finished drinking tea, he held up the cup and said: "All the buddhas of the three periods have finished listening to the teaching; they have pierced the bottom of this cup and are going away. Do you see? Do you see? If you don't understand, look it up in an encyclopedia!" ... Master Yunmen cited Panshan's words: When the light [of the knowing subject] is not one that confronts objects and the objects are not existent things either: when both subject and object are forgotten, what further thing is there? Master Yunmen said: "If the whole world is the light [of the subject]: what are you calling your 'self'? But even if you had managed to know that light, the objects would still be out of your reach. What shitty light and objects are there? And if neither subject nor object can be grasped: what else is there?" He added: "These are collected and condensed anecdotes uttered out of compassion by the men of old. Realize [what they are about] right here with the utmost clarity! It won't do if you let go. Yet if you don't let go...!!" Then the Master raised his hands and said: "Su-lu! Su-lu!" ... Master Yunmen quoted the words of Fu Dashi: The river of meditation follows the currents yet is calm; the waters of samadhi go along with the waves yet are limpid. The Master seized his staff, pointed at the lantern, saying: "Well, do you see it? If you say that you see it, you're an ordinary Joe. If you say that you don't see it: you've got a pair of eyes, don't you? How do you understand this?" After a long pause he again took his staff and said: "The whole world is not a wave!" ... Master Yunmen once seized his staff, banged it on the seat and said: "All sounds are the Buddha's voice, and all forms are the Buddha's shape. Yet when you hold your bowl and eat your food, you hold a 'bowl-view'; when you walk, you hold a 'walk-view'; and when you sit you have a 'sit-view.' The whole bunch of you behaves this way!" The Master took his staff and drove them all away at once. ... Master Yunmen cited the words of the Overnight Enlightened One: The spiritual action of the six senses is empty without being empty; the perfect shine of the singular [mani jewel] is formless form. The Master help up his fly-whisk and said, "This is the perfect light, it is formless form. What do you call form? Come on, try taking it up with me!" ... Citing the Wisdom Sutra, Yunmen said: [Oh purity of all-encompassing wisdom,] non-dual, undivided, without difference, not separate... He pointed to a pillar and said, "How much has this to do with the Wisdom Sutra?" ... The Master cited a scripture that says, The sutras and magic spells, indeed all letters and words, are not at all in conflict with the true form. Yunmen held up his staff and asked, "What is this? If you say it is a staff, you go to hell. If it isn't a staff, what is it?" ... At a donated meal, the Master took one bite of a sesame bun and said: "I bit Indra's nose. Indra is in agony!" Then he pointed with his staff [to the monks' feet] and said: "he is right under your feet, transformed into old Shakyamuni! Do you see? Do you see? The King of Hell, Yama, hears my talk and is laughing out loud saying: 'Ha ha, monk, you're quite up to it, I can't do a thing with you! But if someone's not up to it, he's completely in my hands!'" ... Master Yunmen related the following conversation: A monk asked Xuansha, "What is my self?" Xuansha answered, "Just your self!" Master Yunmen remarked, "immeasurably great men have gotten caught up in the stream of words." A monk asked Yunmen, "What is my self?" The Master said, "[The one who,] when a man in the street invites you monks to a donated meal, is joining the queue to get some food!" ... Master Yunmen cited the following story: Xuefeng said, "A man next to a rice basket is starving to death, and a fellow by a river is dying of thirst." Xuansha commented, "A man sitting in a rice basket is starving to death, and a fellow up to his head in water is dying of thirst." Master Yunmen said, "His whole body is rice, his whole body is water!" ... Master Yunmen cited an ancient [poem]: In perfect tranquility the form of emptiness is reflected. The Master extended his hands and said, "Where can one attain the mountains, the rivers, the earth?" He added, All-embracing wisdom pervades and knows no hindrance. Master Yunmen said, "The staff goes to India and comes back to Korea." Then he hit the platform and said, "This is your nose!" ... A monk asked, "What is my self?" Master Yunmen said, "I, this old monk, enter mud and water." The monk exclaimed, "So I will crush my bones and tear my body to pieces!" The Master shouted and said, "The water of the whole great ocean is on your head. Quickly, speak! Quickly, speak!" The monk was left without words. In his place, the Master said: "I know that you, Master, fear that I'm not quite genuine." ... One day the Master said: "Picking up the mallet and raising the whisk, snapping one's fingers and raising one's eyebrows, questioning and answering -- all this does not match the teaching tradition of 'going beyond.'" A monk asked, "How about the teaching tradition of 'going beyond'" The Master replied, " [Even] the families of Jambu could all answer this. But when you're for example sitting in an animated town district: do the pieces of pork that are displayed on the tables in the morning, and the vermin in the privy, hold conversations about transcending the Buddha and going beyond the founders?" The monk said, "I wouldn't say that they do." The Master exclaimed, "You wouldn't say that they do! if they do hold such discussions, simply saying 'they do' will not do; and if they don't hold discussions, saying 'they don't' will not do either. Such words and even what you have yourself experienced, I say this straight out, have not made it: your view is biased." ... Once the Master said, "I used to say that all sounds are the Buddha's voice, all shapes are the Buddha's form, and that the whole world is the Dharma body. Then I quite pointlessly produced views that fit into the category of 'Buddhist teaching.' Right now, when I see a staff, I just call it 'staff,' and when I see a house, I just call it 'house.' ... The Master brought up the saying: All worthies without exception go by the law of wuwei -- yet they do have differentiation. The Master added, "This staff is not the teaching of wuwei, nothing whatsoever is the teaching of wuwei." ... Master Yunmen mentioned the following ancient saying: The moment a word is brought up, the world is completely contained in it. The Master said, "Well, tell me, what word is it?" He answered himself, "When the birds sing in springtime, they do so on the western mountain range." Then the Master told a monk to ask him. The monk asked, " What is that word?" The Master said, "Hic!" ... Master Yunmen said, "The long is by nature long, the short by nature short." Again, the Master said: "A thing occupies its position, and its mundane aspect always remains." Then he held up his staff and said, "This staff is not a thing that always remains, is it?" ... Master Yunmen mentioned an old saying: "Even a single thought contains perfect wisdom." The Master held up his staff and said, "The whole universe is on top of this staff. If you can penetrate it, there isn't any staff in sight either. Even so, you'd still be in bad shape."

By Master Zongmi (tr. by Ven. Huifeng): "If one suddenly realizes that the essence of one's own mind is originally pure, solitary and without defilements, itself originally endowed with the nature of undefiled wisdom, that this very mind is buddha, absolutely no difference, and thus cultivates based on that, this is the supreme unsurpassed Chan, also named the pure Chan of the Tathagatas, also named the Single Act Samadhi, also named the Suchness Samadhi. This is the fundament of all samadhis." (CBETA, T48, no. 2015, p. 399, b16-20) "Direct (sudden) realization of the essential purity of ones own mind, originally without defilements, itself endowed with the influx-free (non-afflicted) gnosis - this mind is Buddha, ultimate with nothing else beyond - cultivating in this manner, is the Supreme Vehicle Dhyana. It is also known as the Pure Dhyana of the Tathagatas." (CBETA, X64, no. 1276, p. 808, c9-15 // Z 2:18, p. 494, c7-13 // R113, p. 988, a7-13)