he only thing you'll ever know is what you knew in life

[C T]

Yup - my teacher calls it the tranquil mind.

 

 

 

Believe it or not, my view of existence is much closer to Emptiness and Dependent Origination than it is to any form of Monistic Idealism.

 

I'll answer your question with another question -

If the "stilled center" always exists, if "this relative condition of mutual arising is transcended" are we still within the realm of dependent origination or are we treading into Vedantic territory?

Can mutual arising be transcended?

Similarly, if this is possible

"Are we then able to touch and form some sort of connection with this primordial, deathless, changeless, empty yet tangible (so the masters tell us) space beyond words?" - is this not also suggestive of something akin to Brahman? Dao?

Hi Steve,

 

Tranquil mind is an apt description! Wonderful in fact! To have a mind that is tranquil is the desire of desires, and one who attains it has nothing more to do.

 

Yes, there is a transcended aspect of mutual co-arising, because once it can be seen as a dynamic that permeates all of existence, it can be worked in reverse, and in so doing, can lead one out of cyclical samsara. From ignorance to full extinction of ignorance. If you have the time, these two articles explain the process very clearly -

http://www.buddhanet.net/cmdsg/coarise9.htm

http://www.dharma.org/ij/archives/1999a/christina.htm

 

If we can move beyond labels, the understanding of DO can be a very practical and valuable tool to use as a format to deepen one's view of how suffering comes about, and subsequently, how, by following the Twelve Links, this same Dukkha can be booted out of existence. Those who get a good grasp of DO will see that suffering is not a fundamental requisite to life - with Right View, it becomes visible that dissatisfaction arises due to something else arising, and its cessation is also directly related to the cessation of this something else. Its a workable premise, not only from the buddhist perspective, but, IMO, from a universal one.

 

Too much space has already been taken up here on the forum with regards to DO. I must apologize for once again dragging it in here, but its all Steve's fault for hauling it up from the baneful depths!! (sorry my learned friend... )

Edited June 15, 2011 by CowTao

[doc benway]

Hi Steve,

 

Tranquil mind is an apt description! Wonderful in fact! To have a mind that is tranquil is the desire of desires, and one who attains it has nothing more to do.

 

Yes, there is a transcended aspect of mutual co-arising, because once it can be seen as a dynamic that permeates all of existence, it can be worked in reverse, and in so doing, can lead one out of cyclical samsara. From ignorance to full extinction of ignorance. If you have the time, these two articles explain the process very clearly -

http://www.buddhanet.net/cmdsg/coarise9.htm

http://www.dharma.org/ij/archives/1999a/christina.htm

 

If we can move beyond labels, the understanding of DO can be a very practical and valuable tool to use as a format to deepen one's view of how suffering comes about, and subsequently, how, by following the Twelve Links, this same Dukkha can be booted out of existence. Those who get a good grasp of DO will see that suffering is not a fundamental requisite to life - with Right View, it becomes visible that dissatisfaction arises due to something else arising, and its cessation is also directly related to the cessation of this something else. Its a workable premise, not only from the buddhist perspective, but, IMO, from a universal one.

 

Too much space has already been taken up here on the forum with regards to DO. I must apologize for once again dragging it in here, but its all Steve's fault for hauling it up from the baneful depths!! (sorry my learned friend... )

I have a bit more to say but I'll pm you so as not to belabor the point.