The essence of Buddhism

[Nikolai1]

"If original spirit were truly your sole occupation you would see all that alters and dies in the same way that you perceive the movements that dancers give to their streamers, and would resolve to seek that which in you neither varies nor dies."

[Seeker of Wisdom]

I agree that impermanence is central - but according to Buddhism there isn't a thing in us which neither varies nor dies. That's the dizzying thing, and it can seem disturbing. But I think that's where really profound freedom comes in, because with absolutely nothing to hold on to, there is nowhere to stand. So you don't take a stand, you don't put yourself anywhere and so nothing can fall out from beneath you.

 

When for you there will be only the seen in reference to the seen, only the heard in reference to the heard, only the sensed in reference to the sensed, only the cognized in reference to the cognized, then, Bāhiya, there is no you in connection with that. When there is no you in connection with that, there is no you there. When there is no you there, you are neither here nor yonder nor between the two. This, just this, is the end of stress.

 

And what is the nature of the seen, heard, sensed and cognized?

 

At Savatthi. "Monks, form is inconstant, changeable, alterable. Feeling... Perception... Fabrications... Consciousness is inconstant, changeable, alterable."

[...]

"One who knows and sees that these phenomena are this way is called a stream-enterer, steadfast, never again destined for states of woe, headed for self-awakening."

Edited November 10, 2015 by Seeker of Wisdom

[Apech]

@Nikolai - where is that quote from?

[Nikolai1]

@Nikolai - where is that quote from?

The Old Man Tcheng stuff

[Apech]

The Old Man Tcheng stuff

 

 

No idea who that is - but the quote does not sound Buddhist to me.

[Nikolai1]

No idea who that is - but the quote does not sound Buddhist to me.

Its an impermanence thing I guess, like SoW said.  I think he was a Buddhist.

[Seeker of Wisdom]

I would guess either Daoist, or a Zen paradoxical reference to Buddha-nature.

 

If all things are impermanent, how can you seek and find something invariable? Well, Buddha-nature is not a thing, but the principle that we can awaken, and this can't change or be destroyed if the essence of awakening is standing nowhere. The process of standing somewhere ('becoming') has to be fueled. What if it stops (i.e. the person awakens)? That lack of becoming doesn't need to be fueled. That absence of standing somewhere is then 'permanent'. Can the absence of something be considered permanent? In a way, perhaps. It's a very interesting flip in perspective.

[forestofclarity]

Evidently, this is from Jean Klein's the book of listening. Jean Klein was an Advaita master. 

[Nikolai1]

Evidently, this is from Jean Klein's the book of listening. Jean Klein was an Advaita master. 

He was but I think the Old Man Tcheng stuff was Buddhist.  Klein used all religions in his teaching: Christian, Islam, Hindu

[rex]

I've been taught that the essence of Buddhism can summed up in the three lines:

 

Do not harm.

 

Cultivate a wealth of virtue.

 

Train/tame the mind.

Edited November 11, 2015 by rex

[Bodhicitta]

From the Dhammapada:

 

183. Not to do any evil, to cultivate good, to purify one’s mind,

this is the teaching of the Buddhas.

 

185. Not insulting, not harming, restraint according to the Pāṭimokkha,

moderation in food, secluded abode, intent on higher thoughts — this is

the teaching of the Buddhas.

Edited November 11, 2015 by Bodhicitta

[Bodhicitta]

• Before treading the Mahayana path, one needs some native inclinations,  Ju Mipham comments on four essentials:

  There are a great number of signs, or marks, of potential. In brief, there are four signs that, when present in individuals, reveal their Great Vehicle potential, just as fire is revealed by smoke. What are these four?

  (1) Even before entering or engaging in the Great Vehicle—that is, before turning the mind toward supreme enlightenment—compassion spontaneously wells up when seeing the suffering of sentient beings.

  (2) When merely hearing the vast and profound Dharma of the Great Vehicle, one is naturally inspired, even though one may not understand its meaning.

  (3) When hearing about the hardships undertaken for the welfare of others, there is no feeling of discouragement. One does not think, “How could this possibly be?” Rather, the teaching is embraced with a sense of wonder.

  (4) There is a feeling of spontaneous joy in the virtues of the six transcendences and a wish to practice them.

  These are said to be definite signs of the Great Vehicle potential. Those without such a potential display the opposite signs.

   

  Excerpt From: Maitreya. Ornament of the Great Vehicle Sutras, 4:5

Edited December 24, 2015 by Bodhicitta

[ion]

The essence of Buddhism is without a doubt, Ignorance; Capital "I".

 

That is because the dharma is is mutually contingent with illusion, suffering and ignorance. The dharma does not exist of its "own" nature but purely a dependently originated response to ignorance. A lamp is used to dispel darkness only.

 

When the dharma is known, it is not proclaimed as being, or having it's own existence.

 

It's said that all things are impermanent, but when the dharma is known, it is known that no thing has ever been established as existing or abiding. When it is known that nothing has ever been established as existing, it becomes known that no thing is birthed, no thing abides and no thing perishes; no thing has ever been established as existing. So how could anything have an essence? And how could something with no existence come or go?

 

Shunya-dependent origination exposes concepts like impermanent, and permanent to be completely inapplicable terms to describe presence.

 

The dharma of shunya-dependent origination, reflects that no thing has essence or nature. Illusion can not have a nature, or an essence because it has know existence either subjective or objective, it is the fruit of delusion. So if the dharma is born of an illusion, how can the dharma have an essence or nature?

Edited December 30, 2015 by ion

[gatito]

The essence of Buddhism is without a doubt, Ignorance; Capital "I".

 

That is because the dharma is is mutually contingent with illusion, suffering and ignorance. The dharma does not exist of its "own" nature but purely a dependently originated response to ignorance. A lamp is used to dispel darkness only.

 

When the dharma is known, it is not proclaimed as being, or having it's own existence.

 

It's said that all things are impermanent, but when the dharma is known, it is known that no thing has ever been established as existing or abiding. When it is known that nothing has ever been established as existing, it becomes known that no thing is birthed, no thing abides and no thing perishes; no thing has ever been established as existing. So how could anything have an essence? And how could something with no existence come or go?

 

Shunya-dependent origination exposes concepts like impermanent, and permanent to be completely inapplicable terms to describe presence.

 

The dharma of shunya-dependent origination, reflects that no thing has essence or nature. Illusion can not have a nature, or an essence because it has know existence either subjective or objective, it is the fruit of delusion. So if the dharma is born of an illusion, how can the dharma have an essence or nature?

 

WOW!!!

 

There's very little here that I find elegant but that is a beautifully elegant dissertation!!

[Tibetan_Ice]

From The Vajra Prajna Paramita Sutra

A General Explanation

by

The Venerable Master Hsuan Hua

English translation by the Buddhist Text Translation Society

Buddhist Text Translation Society Dharma Realm Buddhist University Dharma Realm Buddhist Association Burlingame, California U.S.A.

 

 

Chapter 17. Ultimately There Is No Self

 

Actually there is not the slightest dharma which can be attained. There is no dharma of Unsurpassed, Proper and Equal, Right Enlightenment which the Buddha can attain.

 

The Anuttarasamyaksambodhi which the Tathagata attains. If you force it and say that the Tathagata attains something called Anuttarasamyaksambodhi, that Anuttarasamyaksambodhi is neither true nor false. Being neither true nor false, it is the final meaning of the Middle Way; it is real mark prajna.

 

Therefore the Tathagata says that although there is no dharma which can be attained, all dharmas are Buddhadharmas. There is nothing outside the Buddhadharma. Therefore all teachings are Buddhist. They do not go beyond the Buddha's teaching, because the Buddha's teaching contains all things. Buddhadharma is the totality of all dharmas. Buddhism is the totality of all other teachings. All schools and teachings are born from within the Buddha's teaching. Since they are all born from Buddhism, in the future they will again return to Buddhism. Therefore it is unnecessary to ask to what religion a person belongs. No matter what school, or sect, or teaching, or religion one believes—none goes beyond Buddhism. The essential point is to have faith in something. Then although you may believe various teachings, switching back and forth from this one to that one, in the end you will certainly return to Buddhism. The Buddhadharma is that great. Although it says there is no dharma which can be attained, nonetheless there is not one dharma which is not the Buddhadharma. And since the Buddhadharma is ultimately unattainable, how could a single dharma be attained?

 

Subhuti, all dharmas are spoken of as no dharmas. When spoken from the point of view of common truth, dharmas exist. If spoken of from the point of view of actual truth, no dharmas exist. Therefore they are called dharmas. When spoken from the point of view of the Middle Way, dharmas are false names and nothing more, and in that way they are the final meaning of the Middle Way.

 

 

Edited December 30, 2015 by Tibetan_Ice

[Tibetan_Ice]

[RigdzinTrinley]

_/|\_

 

Three bows to ions words

[Bodhicitta]

In Praise of the Incomparable by Nagarjuna, first five verses:

 

Homage to you, Incomparable One,

Who knows the actuality of the lack of a nature

And makes efforts to benefit this world

That is ruined by its views. [1]

 

Nothing whatsoever is seen

By your Buddha-eye,

But your unsurpassable vision, O protector,

Beholds the actuality of true reality. [2]

 

In ultimate reality, there is neither a realizer

Nor something to be realized in this world.

Ah, you have realized the nature of phenomena

That is most difficult to realize. [3]

 

Nothing has been produced by you,

Nor did you terminate any phenomenon.

Through just beholding equality,

You have attained the unsurpassable state. [4]

 

You did not aim at nirvāṇa

Through removing cyclic existence.

It is through cyclic existence being unobservable

That you have found peace, O protector. [5]”

 

Excerpt From: Karl Brunnhölzl. Straight from the Heart

Edited January 2, 2016 by Bodhicitta

[RigdzinTrinley]

I can't really say how much I'm humbled into silence by nagarjunas enlightened mind!

[Apech]

I can't really say how much I'm humbled into silence by nagarjunas enlightened mind!

 

 

You were almost silent

[9th]

Obsessive use of meditative disciplines
or perennial study of scripture and philosophy
will never bring forth this wonderful realization,
this truth which is natural to awareness,
because the mind that desperately desires
to reach another realm or level of experience
inadvertently ignores the basic light
that constitutes all experience.
The one who fabricates
any division in consciousness
betrays the friendship of Mahamudra.
Cease all activity that separates,
abandon even the desire to be free from desires
and allow the thinking process to rise and fall
smoothly as waves on a shoreless ocean.

 

- Tilopa

[RigdzinTrinley]

Dear apech,

 

I just had a plain dosa, vada and two southindian coffees at the Indian coffeehouse in Pondicherry

 

While eating there I remembered Gandhi being shot and dying with the words "ram,ram,ram" on his lips

 

Its a special place India and it made some interesting human beings

 

Happy western new year - I tried to be less silent

[Apech]

Dear apech,

 

I just had a plain dosa, vada and two southindian coffees at the Indian coffeehouse in Pondicherry

 

While eating there I remembered Gandhi being shot and dying with the words "ram,ram,ram" on his lips

 

Its a special place India and it made some interesting human beings

 

Happy western new year - I tried to be less silent

 

 

Happy New Year to you too.

 

Two coffees?  careful with those caffeine levels won't you.

 

yes India is a fascinating place - though I've only read about it.

 

Hope to hear lots from you this year.

[RigdzinTrinley]

I had 5coffees today I'm blazing, and I don't mean my insight into the essence of Buddha-Dharma

[Apech]

I had 5coffees today I'm blazing, and I don't mean my insight into the essence of Buddha-Dharma

 

 

5 coffees ...respect!