Seeing, Recognising & Maintaining One's Enlightening Potential

[C T]

 

[C T]

~ MATSU ~ 

 

The Way does not require cultivation - just don't pollute it. What is pollution? As long as you have a fluctuating mind fabricating artificialities and contrivances, all of this is pollution. If you want to understand the Way directly, the normal mind is the Way. What I mean by the normal mind is the mind without artificiality, without subjective judgments, without grasping or rejection.

 

[C T]

~ KHANDRO RINPOCHE ~ 

 

Practice on the path of hinayana — or sutrayana as it’s called nowadays — is based on self-discipline. Through awareness, discipline, and the ability to discern what is useful and what is harmful, we abandon useless and harmful activities. We could say that the hinayana path of practice is about morality, or self-discipline.

 

Practice on the Mahayana path, the “path of transformation,” not only keeps us from harming others, it allows us to develop the potential for helping them. Having developed self-discipline, we can expand a disciplined attitude towards the world and begin to involve others on our path. In this way, we can tap into qualities that might actually be helpful and allow us to be of some use to others. Such practices are referred to as the Mahayana path.

 

Practice on the vajrayana path, the “path of transcendence,” is about training the mind in such a way that transcendence arises. It is training the mind by knowing the nature of mind; and it is knowing the nature of mind by developing awareness of what the mind is. Simply put, the vajrayana trains in awareness of the true nature, such that all falsity collapses. When the true nature is revealed, the ability to transcend our constant attachment to “self” spontaneously arises — thus allowing genuine compassion to spontaneously pervade. This is the vajrayana path of practice.

[C T]

Kobu's musings

 

Quote

 

I recall how, as a child, I would experience short but very frequent episodes of awareness, during which I would feel myself as an observer looking at the entity I called 'me.' These episodes would wash over me, a little like deja-vu; and there was a disconcerting detachment during these moments, a discomfort that bloomed with the recognition of my consciousness, as it were, and a sense of inhabiting a vehicle, of separateness from the physical. I struggle to find the right words to describe the experience and what I have just written does not adequately convey it.

 

What was this recurring experience all about? I was always intensely 'spiritual.' I had always felt like an outsider, and on reflection, no doubt some of this was due to my introverted and painfully shy personality which translated into my metaphysical worldview, leading me to imagine myself as not of this world, as a star child, and so forth. On the other hand, while psychological factors were at play, I also find it interesting to reflect upon the experience from my perspective now as a Pure Land and Shingon Buddhist.

 

What is awakening? To wake up, to employ such a term, means that one must first be sleeping. So what do we mean by sleeping? Who is asleep? It's a metaphor of course for the ignorance that veils our eyes from true reality, meaning that by comparison with the Ultimate, this conventional realm is a dream state we mistake for the real thing. In this dream state we find ourselves exercising, and being deceived by, wrong views, thoughts, actions, and speech etc. It's similar to the dreams we have all had, in which we enact some drama or fantastic episode, believing all the time that it is real, to the extent that we wake up in a sweat or surprised or disappointed that it was NOT real. But our waking dream, this life we are living in this conventional realm, is being dreamt by Another, the True Self that we have forgotten ourselves to be.

 

My belief is that this universe is both a projection and manifestation of the Ultimate Reality that may be called dharmakaya, or Vairocana, or the Tao. As a Pure Land practitioner, I would personify it as Amida Buddha. But the name we give it is unimportant. Indeed, we cannot name it; any moniker we give it is simply a pointer to something beyond itself that exhausts words. Words frame ideas, concepts, but the dharmakayic source is infinitely distant from any and all attempts to conceptualise it. There is, I believe, a grave misunderstanding about the so-called power of words. They are said by some to be themselves an actualising force, a creative medium. But words are merely noise, like thunder that is the audible manifestation of lightning. It is the lightning wherein the primary act is embodied, not in the thunder. Similarly words are conditioned things, and the names of buddhas or deities, or the syntax of mantras is only the smoke of an ignition that gives it birth.

 

All things are mind-made. So declares the Twin Verses of the Dhammapada. All things are not verbally-constructed. The origination is thought, and words are merely an interface where origination expresses itself as conventional sound, a medium of affirmation that simply vocalises the alignment of our mind with the mind of the Buddhas. Indeed, in one of my favourite passages in the Tannisho, the verbal Nembutsu is itself interpolated to the originating mental state, affirming that, 'when the mind that is set upon saying the Nembutsu arises within you, it is then that you are grasped, never to be abandoned.'

 

How do we tie this all together? As a projection and aperture of infinite light, we build conventional reality based on input from the sense doors. Our attachment to sensory data results in a kind of amnesia that causes us to forget our real dharmakayic nature. This nature is a non-nature, a non-self in the sense that it is beyond our own definitions of nature and self. Awakening is to begin to realise the dream state of this reality we have drawn by means of the palette of the senses. It is to experience the dissolution of convention and to see through it to our own original state, to our inherent Buddha nature. The observer and that which is observed are not separate. They are the same. The Buddha nature that burgeons as we strive to live mindfully is the same as the nature that strives, so that it brings itself back into the centre, into the focus.

 

As I wrote some time ago in another post, it is as though aeons ago, Amida fell asleep and dreamed of himself as a trillion sentient beings, and as we realise that we are Amida, it is as though one part of his dream has ended.

 

Back in my childhood, my detached observation of myself was the first glimmer of awakening, the fluttering of eyelids that perceived a sliver of infinite light. I did not understand it then. My later life found me wandering in decades of spiritual and psychological confusion, anxiety and finally depression, damaged by years of spiritual abuse that mired me in guilt and frustration. In the dharma I have found a peace like no other. I still have a long way to go. My eyelids are still only fluttering, the full realisation of Amida's light yet to burst nova-like. But I press on more confidently, by no means a Buddha, but 'aspiring to evolve the awakened mind' as our liturgy states, entrusting myself to Buddha, dharma and Sangha.

 

How many lives have we lived, trawling through Samsaric ignorance? It's a question I've often pondered. Too many to count. But nothing is permanent, not even Samsara. Eventually you, me and all sentient beings in all realms of existence will realise Bliss and our true selves as beings of unlimited and unconditional compassion, generosity and wisdom.

 

Namo Amida Butsu 🙏

 

 

 

Edited August 7, 2019 by C T

[manitou]

What a beautiful post.  Down to earth in one way, flying in the heavens in another.

[C T]

~ Paramito Ladakh ~ 

 

Much of our discontent and dissatisfaction arises from our habitual concern

with the maintenance and control of what is inherently uncertain.

[manitou]

5 hours ago, C T said:

~ Paramito Ladakh ~ 

 

Much of our discontent and dissatisfaction arises from our habitual concern

with the maintenance and control of what is inherently uncertain.

  

 

I couldn't agree more.  But what I like even better is your signature line that says 'The human psyche is essentially an ongoing locus of resistance requiring continuous maintenance & monitoring'.  It says pretty much the same thing, but your signature line points to the action required to relieve the situation Paramito Ladak describes.  I'm not sure about this, but I think the symbol of the man riding the ox, in Daoism, is exactly that.  I could be dead wrong here, but that's what I get out of it.  Riding the ox of our own character; maintaining a check on our motives; purposely acting 'to the opposite' when we are tempted to engage in a negative reaction.

 

Finding the folks who are serious about their own actions and motives is not easy to do.  That's why I love this forum.  There are actually people  here that take it seriously enough to check their own behavior and modify it if appropriate.

[C T]

~ Mahasi Sayadaw ~ 

 

A bubble bursts soon after it has been formed. A mirage conjures up an image of reality which disappears on close examination. There is absolutely no substance in either of them. This is common knowledge. As we know their true nature, so also must we know the true nature of the phenomena. When a meditator acquires knowledge of concentration through the observance of the dissolution of the aggregates (khandha), he will discover that the known object and the knowing mind are all in a state of flux, now appearing, now vanishing. They are transitory. There is no essence or substance worthy to be named "mine" in them. They signify only the processes of becoming and dissolution.

[manitou]

The dissolution of aggregates.  That has a nice ring to it.  Does that mean the ceasing of thought-form in the mind?  An aggregate connotes complexity, whereas the pure unadulterated meditative state does not; it is pure.  Am I on the right track?

[C T]

~ Tsoknyi Rinpoche ~

Meditators' Wind Imbalance (Lung) 

 

https://www.meditatorswindimbalance.org/advice-page/advice-on-the-path-tsoknyi-rinpoche/

 

"Its very important to do ngondro, lojong practice, and the generation of compassion and bodhicitta. If a Dzogchen practitioner practices like this, I have no worries for the person. If a student doesn't practice lojong and bodhicitta and only practices a dry kind of Dzogchen, this is not so good. Dzogchen needs to be juicy. But without an understanding of emptiness, Dzogchen is still dry, and liberation will be difficult." 

Edited August 15, 2019 by C T

[C T]

11 hours ago, manitou said:

The dissolution of aggregates.  That has a nice ring to it.  Does that mean the ceasing of thought-form in the mind?  An aggregate connotes complexity, whereas the pure unadulterated meditative state does not; it is pure.  Am I on the right track?

 

Master Sayadaw is drawing attention to the purpose and usefulness of investigating what he calls the true nature of phenomena, including the mind that observes the phenomenal world. He claims that everything is in constant flux, varying only in terms of gross or subtle states of manifestation and dissolution. If it has been determined that indeed all things are in a state of flux, how then should one relate the ideas we have of a self to that determination?

 

The master then asks if establishing a correct understanding is the way to loosen the grip of reflexive habits where tendencies to impute an "I" onto things observed happen with a steady frequency. In the teachings that clarify what is termed as The Chain of Interdependent Origination, one will be informed that this tendency to associate "mine-ness" is quite stubborn, and it is also the root of ignorance that keeps recycling because "mine-ness" is effectively a flawed basis with which most use as an approximation to inform their relationship with the external world. Whether or not it is actually flawed, as claimed, is where meditation (comprising the combined effort of Vipassana and Shamatha) enters the practice and hopefully clarifies the investigation. Such an undertaking is the precursor to the realization of Sunyata, and the realization of Sunyata paves the way for the dissolution of the first link in the chain that binds one to the cyclical wheel of existence (aka suffering aka samsara). 

 

 

late edit: The Aggregates explained https://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Five_skandhas

 

Edited August 15, 2019 by C T

[C T]

~ Paramito Ladakh ~ 

 

Of course the Dharma can be confrontational...how else could it challenge

and cut through the habitual flow of afflictive emotions. 

[manitou]

22 hours ago, C T said:

 

 

 

late edit: The Aggregates explained https://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Five_skandhas

 

 

 

Thanks for that nice reply, CT.  And this popped out at me from the wiki article;

 

Perception is non-discerning when the sense organ in question is fully functional but there is no object. This occurs in states of deep meditative absorption, and also when the mind is unable to identify and name objects, as, for example, when you encounter something for the first time and therefore do not recognize it. This is the common experience of children.

 

This reminds me that the tendency to recognize the faults in others is only because we have them ourselves to some degree.

[C T]

29 minutes ago, manitou said:

 

 

Thanks for that nice reply, CT.  And this popped out at me from the wiki article;

 

Perception is non-discerning when the sense organ in question is fully functional but there is no object. This occurs in states of deep meditative absorption, and also when the mind is unable to identify and name objects, as, for example, when you encounter something for the first time and therefore do not recognize it. This is the common experience of children.

 

This reminds me that the tendency to recognize the faults in others is only because we have them ourselves to some degree.

 

The idea is not just about becoming aware of faults, but to investigate why the default response is usually one of attaching an "I" to them, as in, "I am so damn angry" vs "There is anger", or "I'm thirsty" vs "There is thirst". Much can be said about the usefulness of being mindful of such patterns of association and identification with arising feelings, emotions, thoughts, perceptions, and so on. 

[manitou]

On 8/16/2019 at 9:44 AM, C T said:

 

The idea is not just about becoming aware of faults, but to investigate why the default response is usually one of attaching an "I" to them, as in, "I am so damn angry" vs "There is anger", or "I'm thirsty" vs "There is thirst". Much can be said about the usefulness of being mindful of such patterns of association and identification with arising feelings, emotions, thoughts, perceptions, and so on. 

 

Excellent point, IMO.  Yes, all awareness of the faults is still a point of duality, the ego-individual is transcended by a state of no-desire where existence is really just bliss and awareness of just being alive.  That's quite a connector, that ego.  But apparently the only acceptable vehicle in which to express Itself to this degree is the human vehicle (whatever you want to call Itself, or the Intelligence), and ego is an important part of it; that which contains our conditioning and viewpoint up to this point.

 

I find it odd that the Intelligence has evolved to a point where it wants to experience itself through us.  I sometimes wonder if we aren't sharing 'space' with others on different wavelengths.

 

There is thirst.  It will be getting pomegranate Bai water.

 

 

 

 

Edited August 17, 2019 by manitou

[C T]

~ Paramito Ladakh ~ 

 

The illusion of "self" is established on the basis of the five skandhas, and thus it possesses no intrinsic reality of its own. We may be entertained by the illusion for a while, but eventually we will be left disappointed, because there is an obvious discrepancy between the illusion and reality itself.

[C T]

~ Paramito Ladakh ~ 

 

 

 

Consider this: 

 

Is Wisdom a direct product of age, or of the breadth of our life experience? Or is it a direct product of our insightful engagement with all of life's many and varied experiences, throughout all stages of our life? "Insightful engagement" requires us to be fully present with whatever experience is arising in the moment, unencumbered by the array of habitual assumptions and conditioned attitudes that would otherwise inevitably jaundice our view of that experience. We can invest huge amounts of time, energy and money in learning new things, but very little, or perhaps even none, of that is ever directed at investigating the mechanism or process of learning itself.

 

Wisdom is so much more than mere knowledge and understanding - it is the very mechanism or process of knowing or understanding. Therefore, Wisdom is not that which is held in awareness, but is awareness itself.

 

[C T]

Integrating mind & body the Drukpa Kagyu way. 

Heartening to note how this tradition departs from stuffy norms in its quest to empower nuns.  

 

 

 

[C T]

~ Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche ~ 

 

Unless we connect with the two types of precious bodhicitta, we will not approach enlightenment even in the slightest; this is certain. The two types of bodhicitta are relative bodhicitta, compassion, and ultimate bodichitta, the insight into emptiness. Without these two, there is absolutely no way to take even one step closer towards buddhahood. Any Dharma practice devoid of these two kinds of bodhicitta will not bring the practitioner even one step toward enlightenment - I will swear to that.

[manitou]

On 8/21/2019 at 6:54 AM, C T said:

Integrating mind & body the Drukpa Kagyu way. 

Heartening to note how this tradition departs from stuffy norms in its quest to empower nuns.  

 

 

 

 

 

This is absolutely fantastic.  If I get another life I would like to do this.

[C T]

2 hours ago, manitou said:

 

 

This is absolutely fantastic.  If I get another life I would like to do this.

 

There's no need to wait for another life  

Intent is what matters most. Intent is the child of bodhi. 

One does not have to become a bodhisattva in order to visualise joyful, altruistic bodhisattva activities. 

With the increasing clarity & strength in visualisation, eventually the imaginary veil that seems

to separate existences will fall away, and one touches reality as is, in the present. 

[C T]

~ Sara Isayama ~ 

Why Voicing the Dharma Matters

 

Have you ever been in a discussion in a Buddhist group, or witnessed one, where two people were going back and forth, and one of them was making valid points, but the other just wasn’t willing to listen?

 

And then finally after this has gone on for some time, the latter finally instead of conceding the points, responds with something to the effect of, “Well all positions are just aspects of the ego mind. When we truly see nothingness, we realize no such positions exist.” This is what I like to call the “Ultimate erases the relative” fallacy, that is common in Buddhist discussions. It’s a kind of cop out—a way of preserving the ego, and changing the discussion from dialogue about a relative topic to one of an Ultimate one, in an attempt to distract from the main point someone is making by saying relative subjects don’t exist.

 

Paradoxically, the person saying this will often passive-aggressively imply that the other person is in their “ego mind” meanwhile they, the enlightened profound person, have understood a wisdom so deep and profound that the other person just simply doesn’t understand. And “one day” perhaps the other person will reach their own level of profundity.

 

This is a fallacy, and there are important reasons why it does not work. Because it is so common in Buddhist discussions, I thought I would address it here. I see this most often in Zen circles, though it appears in Vajrayana ones as well.

 

Essentially the argument boils down to this: that because the Ultimate nature of reality can never fully be expressed, we shouldn’t speak (Never mind the fact that the person saying this has usually done quite a bit of speaking before this, up until this point!). If this perspective were true, then the Buddha would never have given voice to the Dharma, and indeed, even the person’s own teacher wouldn’t have given them the practices that they currently practice. The problem with this is that All is One, and all is different at the same time. The Two Truths does not mean one truth and one lie.

 

Right Action doesn’t mean “no action” just because everything is Ultimate. If that were true there would be no reason for training whatsoever, or speaking about anything, (and no Bodhisttvas) and everyone can go right on continuing being miserable.

 

The irony is that while those who express these kinds of views often have very strong opinions about the Dharma themselves (which they usually are quite happy to share and argue), when someone else expresses a view on the Dharma they disagree with; they seem to be saying: “Well nothing can be truly expressed anyway, so stop talking.”

 

 

Edited August 22, 2019 by C T

[manitou]

2 hours ago, C T said:

 

There's no need to wait for another life  

Intent is what matters most. Intent is the child of bodhi. 

One does not have to become a bodhisattva in order to visualise joyful, altruistic bodhisattva activities. 

With the increasing clarity & strength in visualisation, eventually the imaginary veil that seems

to separate existences will fall away, and one touches reality as is, in the present. 

 

 

I truly love you.

[C T]

 

 

~ Karl Brunnholzl ~

 

"The embrace between Samantabhadra and Samantabhadri represents the inseparable union of the pure awareness of self-arising, luminous wisdom, and the vast open expanse of the dharmadhatu, or emptiness. The vibrantly clear insight and awareness of this wisdom arises naturally within the open spaciousness of the expanse of emptiness, radiating throughout it and pervading it.

 

Their inseparable union is not just a nonconceptual cognitive dimension; its affective dimension or tone is the experience of the inexhaustible great bliss that is completely unconditional and free from all mundane emotions, such as desire, attachment, clinging, and pride. Their lotus seat symbolizes their freedom from all stains of conditioned phenomena and characteristics. Just as a mother gives birth to children, all phenomena arise from and within the open yet fertile and luminous space of emptiness.

 

Thus, the symbolism of the feminine principle makes it clear that emptiness is not a blank voidness, an utter nonexistence, a negative, or some static state, but the indeterminate yet dynamic dimension of infinite potentiality. The masculine principle refers to the awareness of nonconceptual wisdom that is accomplished by the warm heart of compassion; this is what moves within, permeates, and is aware of the spaciousness of this boundless realm, manifestly expressing all its enlightened and enlightening possibilities and qualities."

 

Edited October 13, 2019 by C T

[C T]

~ Yang Gonpa ~ 

 

The essence of thoughts that suddenly arise is without any nature. Do not inhibit their appearance in any way, and without thinking of any essence, let them arise clearly, nakedly, and vividly. Likewise, if one thought arises, observe its nature, and if two arise, observe their nature. Thus, whatever thoughts arise, let them go without holding onto them. Let them remain as fragments. Release them unimpededly. Be naked without an object. Release them without grasping. This is close to becoming a Buddha. This is the self-extinction of samsara - samsara is overwhelmed; samsara is disempowered; samsara is exhausted. Knowledge of the path of method and wisdom, appearances and emptiness, the gradual stages, the common and special paths, and the 84000 entrances to the Dharma is made perfectly complete and fulfilled in an instant. This is self-arisen, for it is present like that in the very nature [of awareness]. Natural liberation is the essence of all the stainless paths, and it bears the essence of emptiness and compassion.