The Seed of BuddhaDhamma

[THACS]

“Dependent Arising of Interdependent Impermanence through Designation.”

 

Let’s explore the above quote.  Dependent Arising means everything arises from a Cause, so nothing is independent. So, remove “Dependent Arising” and replace it with the word:  Cause.

“Cause of Interdependent Impermanence through Designation.”

What is Impermanence? What is Interdependent Impermanence? Reality.  Replace “Interdependent Impermanence” with the word:  Reality.

“Cause of Reality through Designation.”

What is Designation? As it is.  Remove “Designation” and replace with the words:  As it is.

“Cause of Reality through as it is.”

Reality as it is?  Dependent Arising of Interdependent Impermanence through Designation.

 

Attachment to Impermanence is a Cause of Suffering.  As in the above, Impermanence or Interdependent Impermanence are Reality.  So, the Cause of Suffering is Reality.  So, use the following phrases:

“Cause of Reality through Designation.” – The Dream

“Cause of Suffering through Designation.” – Self, The Phantom

Designation deals with the Senses. So, remove “Designation” and replace it with:   Senses.

“Cause of Reality through Senses.”

“Cause of Suffering through Senses.”

“Through the Senses, the Cause of the Reality of Suffering.”

“Through the Senses, the Cause of the Dream of Self.”

 

You should be able to see The Four Noble Truths, the beginning of the Path, even The Four Seals.  No matter what the Lineage, it holds truth.  What use's the Senses?  The Mind.  What counters the illusions of the Mind? Wisdom and Compassion is Union.  If you believe you already know this: Why have you not shared it? Why do you not have Inner Peace? and Why did you read this post?

[ChiForce]

Ha....then, you should ask why the mind can't penetrate to the origin of the suffering as the dependent arising??  What suffering in which you can not grasp the cause??? And tracing back to its source??      That's the question.........  The answer is suffering arising from a particular social paradigms and norms...which are often mixed with human emotional instincts....     

[THACS]

Well, since your Primordial Mind is a "blueprint" of your Consciousness, hence why you believe your awareness is your consciousness, The cause of suffering isn't the Primordial Mind, since within Enlightenment there is no suffering.  As the Mind develops "Cause of Reality through Senses", that is the roots of suffering.  The seed of suffering, is the Mind itself. There is a Chinese phrase:  "When you stand behind one's mind does the golden flower blossom", "to stand behind one's mind" = Primordial Mind, "Golden flower blossom" = Enlightenment.  BuddhaDharma destroys the seed and roots of suffering, leaving the Primordial Mind "Cause of Reality through as it is."

 

If you knew the Four Seals, the foundation of The Great Dharma Treasury, the second seal:  "All contaminated phenomena causes suffering." you should know "contaminated" means the lack of "Reality as it is".  This is all fundamental BuddhaDharma, without the contamination of Lineages.

Maybe the diagram below will help you.

 

 

[ChiForce]

I am afraid you don't understand.  You can not liberate individuals using abstract concepts and thoughts.  You need to explain to the suffering individuals about the root cause and source of their suffering.  If their sufferings are the result of some societal conditional norms such as racism and sexism, how can they liberate themselves not knowing that, being a minority nonwhite individuals in America (usually) or a nonwhite minority woman, aren't the source of their emotional anguish and inferiority complex???  That is...societal conditional norms are the source of their suffering, not they themselves and by themselves.      

Edited September 10, 2017 by ChiForce

[ChiForce]

I have another example.....falling out of love.  Your emotional anguish of being dumped and being misunderstood by your ex.  Or getting fired from you job in which you have worked with the company for over 10 years.  Real Dharma works in the world.  Not charts and diagrams. 

[THACS]

Liberation comes through realization, realization comes from practice, practice comes from understanding, understanding comes from Wisdom and Compassion.

 

Root Cause;  “Cause of Suffering through Senses.” - That means the perception of the Mind.  Perception caused by education and personal experiences (upbringing, interactions) both of which create personal identity (independent) or Self Bias (non-realization).  When the Bias of one person conflicts with the Bias of another, there is suffering.  Emotional disorders that are environmental (created through interactions) are caused by the distortion of Reality. 

 

If you have a basic understanding of Emptiness, everything is interdependent and impermanent.  Which means, every action and non-action you do is interdependent on impermanence and also impermanence. Otherwise, once you became angry, you would be angry till the end of Samsara.

 

The Easy Way:

If you are looking for something that you just read, then instantly be granted that realization and become liberated from suffering, you should take the easy way out and put the blame solely on society, but remember you are not independent, just like One, you are a part of society.  By the part of the definition of Compassion, all are equal, unless you wish to say "you have Ego",  Since Emptiness governs you as it governs all existence, you have to deal with the interdependent impermanence (the change of everything) unless you believe you are Immortal, in immortality there is No Change.

 

The hard way (Many years of practice)

So, if you have the understanding of Compassion, you practice Compassion through Selflessness and loving-kindness to everyone, when you choose who is deserving of your Compassion, suffering arises and you walk the three evil paths of Self (Selfish, Self-centered and Self-righteous) then the three poisons arise.  And if you do not know what loving-kindness means, it's the following Metta: 

"May I be happy. May I be well. May I be peaceful. May I be free.

May all beings be happy. May they be well. May they be peaceful. May they be free."  

 

If you notice, the Metta is internal and external, inner and outer, directed at you and those around you.  Compassion is both inner and outer.

 

Add in the basic understanding of Emptiness along with single point and analytical meditation, you start to understand you choose to suffer through your perception, through your Senses, through your bias.  Analytical Meditation can be used to figure out the "Causes" and single point meditation used to dissolve those "Causes".

 

And for the charts, it helps to know how your mind is working, since only when you free yourself from the shackles of your mind will you find liberation and Sentient Beings have different capacities of learning or ways of learning.

 

The Secret of Dharma:

You read Dharma out loud, use the Senses (Eyes,Ears and Speech), the three senses that most suffering arises from. You teach yourself: " Right View, Right Resolve, Right Speech, Right Conduct, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Samadhi" 

 

All the above comes from the beginning of this thread, maybe it is not Real Dharma or maybe your Lineage is Contaminated or the better answer would be, you have no Lineage meaning you are self taught.

 

Buddhas are not Gods, they don't carry Magic Wands, they don't transfer their realization to you.  Since Realization arises from Dharma Practice or your Effort in cultivating Buddha Nature.

 

[ChiForce]

You know you didn't answer my questions, right?  Instead, you went on about writing a lengthy post on many subjects relating to Nibbina and the skillful means to achieve realization..hoping something would work.  A highly realized being, a sambhogakaya buddha, can manifest themselves in this world and be able to liberate the suffering individuals with a single word or a single phrase or no words at all at the right time and place.  Because they KNOW. 

 

Is called self realized Buddha (not self taught)..pratyekabuddha,.during the time when sutras were lost or not taught.  The individuals realize his own enlightenment by knowing the 12 links of interdependent origination in his own life without being taught.  How???  His realization is a testament of the Dharmakaya and all prevailing from one life time to another!!!!!!! 

 

http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Pratyekabuddha

 

Real Dharma works in the real world. 

 

 

 

Edited September 11, 2017 by ChiForce

[ChiForce]

To answer your question...the seed of Dharma is not in the sutras and is not something can be taught.  Is everywhere and nowhere.  Dharmakaya is all prevailing from one life time to another.  From one life to the next.  It has no fixed point and fixed body.  That's the ultimate reality and non-reality of the Dharmakaya.  

 

As we all know, your understanding or lack of the understanding of the Dharma teaching is pointless if you can't liberate your own suffering and others.  You become a parrot repeating the teaching you heard but don't understand what they mean.       

[THACS]

There is a Seed and Roots of the Cause of Suffering, it is the two things you have in common with All Sentient Beings across this Universe, hence the ability to Liberate All Sentient Beings.  You start with intelligent Sentient Beings since they Destroy their Habitat, causing Animals and Insects to Suffer (All Interdependence).  The Seed:  Perception  The Roots:  Designation.  Perception and Designation create Reality.  Through the Sense organs of Perception, designations are created.  Designations create Thought and Emotions.  Thoughts and Emotions both inner and outer.  Through Designations of the untrained Mind you create your own "Reality".  Designations are Memories within the Brain and constructs of the Mind.  You replace Designations with Compassion, if you look at the meanings of Compassion, find Designations.  Perceptions, Thoughts, Emotions, Actions/reactions all become Compassionate.  Replace Designation with Selflessness, "There is no "I", no "me", just "One or Oneness". 

 

"No Name, No Thought, No Formulation is there for the Wisdom that has Gone Beyond" - Liberation of Mind - Awakened Awareness - Reality as it is

 

By your Designation of Dharmakaya, Perception and Designation prevails lifetime after lifetime. Designation is seen and unseen, Neither Perception nor Designation are fixed in anyway. Nothing in Existence is fixed in anyway.

 

What say you?

 

 

 

 

[Stosh]

THACS, Can you tell me what the arrows and labels in those diagrams mean ?  Re System mind and awareness mind, and between the squares?

Edited September 21, 2017 by Stosh

[Limahong]

On 9/10/2017 at 10:19 PM, ChiForce said:

I am afraid you don't understand.

 

Hi ChiForce,

 

I am scratching my head. I am almost a newborn when it comes to the Buddhist Dhamma.

 

On 9/10/2017 at 10:19 PM, ChiForce said:

You can not liberate individuals using abstract concepts and thoughts.

 

Also hard to liberate with complex concepts and thoughts.

 

On 9/10/2017 at 10:19 PM, ChiForce said:

You need to explain to the suffering individuals about the root cause and source of their suffering. 

 

Any link to the Four Noble Truths?

 

On 9/10/2017 at 10:19 PM, ChiForce said:

If their sufferings are the result of some societal conditional norms ... That is...societal conditional norms are the source of their suffering, not they themselves and by themselves.      

 

Agree. Remove root cause(s).

 

I like your simplicity and clarity.

 

Abstraction and complexity can seed suffering in understanding?

 

 

 

 

 

- LimA

Edited September 21, 2017 by Limahong
Enhancement of sentence.

[C T]

Rather perplexing, some of the posts here. 

[Stosh]

36 minutes ago, C T said:

Rather perplexing, some of the posts here. 

Me? I dont get what it means when the arrows point at these minds I never heard of, though I do like the use of flow charts.

[C T]

8 minutes ago, Stosh said:

Me? I dont get what it means when the arrows point at these minds I never heard of, though I do like the use of flow charts.

Neither do i, Stosh 

[Sudhamma]

The seed of the Buddha-Dhamma is the potential to be 'Awakened', Bodhicitta. If humankind do not possess this potential, then the Buddha-Dhamma is useless and meaningless. Opposing this potential is  "Ignorance", the root cause to Dependent Origination, and is the target to be removed by the practice of the 8-Fold Path which itself can be categorized into: Effort, Knowledge, and Concentration.

[THACS]

The arrows are merely "paths".  As Emptiness deals with all existence, The Mind must also conform to Emptiness.  The Mind as a whole is very complex, the whole is made up of parts.  Those diagrams are between the whole and parts, used in analytical meditation.  With liberation it deals with the phrase:  "Reality as it is", most would see a full phrase (Whole), but it's made up of parts, but also has Cause and Effect.  There is a phrase in "White Lotus" - "No Name, No Thought, No Formulation is there for the Wisdom that has Gone Beyond" that is "as it is" or Perception.  If Perception is a Cause, what's the effect?  Designation.  What is Designation?  Reality.  Reality as it is - Designation, Perception.  Most view "Cause is just Cause and Effect is just Effect, Cause is no other than Cause and Effect no other than Effect", that phrase is independence.  If everything has both Cause and Effect, you get "Karma Chains", interdependence.  Perception and Designation are both contain Cause and Effect.

 

Perception (Cause) creates Designation (Effect)- Inner and Outer

Designation (Cause) creates Perception (Effect) - Inner and Outer

 

You can take the above and plot multiple interdependent impermanent Karma chains of your lifetime.

 

The difference in Sentient Beings:  Lower levels use "as it is", just perception, Human Beings use Reality, as it is, both perception and designation.

 

The following has only been released to the two Tenzins, a lot of this work requires the realization of Emptiness.

Replace Designation with Compassion, Selflessness and Emptiness. Each alter designation and perception remains "as it is".

 

 

 

[Limahong]

6 hours ago, Sudhamma said:

The 8-Fold Path

 

Hi Sudhamma,

 

The 8-fold Path is linked to the fourth Noble Truth?

 

- LimA

[Limahong]

7 hours ago, THACS said:

The difference in Sentient Beings:  Lower levels use "as it is", just perception, Human Beings use Reality, as it is, both perception and designation. ... Each alter designation and perception remains "as it is".

 

Hi THACS,

 

As it is ...

 

 

 

As it is ... Friday, 

A great weekend.

 

- LimA

Edited September 22, 2017 by Limahong
Enhancement of sentence.

[Sudhamma]

Yes, Limahong, the 8-Fold Path is the 4th Noble Truth. Not all sentient beings possess this Buddha-nature, the potential to be a Buddha. A person exist within a situation, he has to grasp with reality as it affects his mental and physical state, though reality as it is, is in a state of flux changing from moment to moment. If his target is to seek happiness and bliss within the Buddha-Dhamma, then realization must come with wisdom and knowledge, and the eradication of anger and greed. And that type of happiness and bliss is long lasting. For instance, the Limahong, who asked for an affirmation whether the 8-Fold Path is linked to the 4th Noble Truth is not the same Limahong who after reading this knows that indeed, the 8-Fold Path is the 4th Noble Truth. However, the reality of the Limahong asking the question exist within a context, yet that reality do not exist anymore as a new reality forms as of now. It is this impermance of all phenomena that exist because of conditions that there is no definitive permanency and hence, 'emptiness' in the end. But on the other hand, you are not 'emptiness' now. You exist. Besides the bio-skeletal self, you are a sum total of your memory, prejudices, emotions, value-system, character, ego, behaviour, psyche, and things of that sort that differentiate you from other people. It is because you have all those qualities which I shall group as Mind, that you have the potential to be enlightened, a Buddha. 

[ChiForce]

On 9/22/2017 at 5:47 AM, Sudhamma said:

The seed of the Buddha-Dhamma is the potential to be 'Awakened', Bodhicitta. If humankind do not possess this potential, then the Buddha-Dhamma is useless and meaningless. Opposing this potential is  "Ignorance", the root cause to Dependent Origination, and is the target to be removed by the practice of the 8-Fold Path which itself can be categorized into: Effort, Knowledge, and Concentration.

Not exactly.  Ask yourself this question...have you broken through the first skandha of Form????  Considering you understand the meaning of the 4 noble truths and the 8 fold paths.  That is, have you relieved yourself from your own emotional afflictions and attachment to your world, ever?  

 

Well, I have and I didn't even need to know the 4 noble truths and 8 fold paths.  You have to work within the existing human conditions and context to liberate yourself and other individuals.  Suffering from social injustice because of racism?  Reciting the 4 noble truths and the 8 fold paths won't work.  They aren't magical sutras.  You would try to prove to the world that racism can't keep you down.  You would eventually realize that your race isn't the cause of your suffering, but a social construct designed to create racial inequality in the society.  You would then begin to embrace your race and ethnicity and would no longer try to become something or someone that causes your suffering.  This works well with sexism and gender politics too.  If you have really exhausted the mind to penetrate the root cause of your suffering by working within your own human conditions and context, you have broken the first skandha of Form.  Your Kundalini energy would rise, period, speaking from experiences.  You are then awakened and to have discovered your Dharma Gates.  LOLOLOLOLOLOL............    

 

It depends on the human conditions in which these suffering are being manifested.

 

When I see all these charts and arrows, I am like...sh-t, you are kidding me right.  Charts and arrows can lead to liberation and the advancement of the human mind???  LOL.....      

[ChiForce]

On 9/21/2017 at 3:13 PM, Limahong said:

 

Hi ChiForce,

 

I am scratching my head. I am almost a newborn when it comes to the Buddhist Dhamma.

 

 

Also hard to liberate with complex concepts and thoughts.

 

 

Any link to the Four Noble Truths?

 

 

Agree. Remove root cause(s).

 

I like your simplicity and clarity.

 

Abstraction and complexity can seed suffering in understanding?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

- LimA

Is simple because I am speaking from experiences, not because I like simplicity.  Is simple because my mind has been liberated or awakened not knowing the 4 noble truths and 8 fold paths.  LOL LOL LOL.......  I broke through the first skandha of Form by working within the context of my own human condition and social context.  As a result, I became very well versed in social issues and geopolitical politics.  I can even sense and have visions about the political changes in another countries!!!!!!! 

[Limahong]

58 minutes ago, ChiForce said:

Reciting the 4 noble truths and the 8 fold paths won't work.

 

Hi ChiForce,

 

I don't recite the "4" and "8". But I need to understand them.

It took me quite a while to understand the "4".

After I do, I can connect the "4" to the "8".

Henceforth my life becomes better.

I revisit/revise the "4" and "8" now and then - going forward.

 

To each his/her own. 

Do what one knows best.

Each life - a road less traveled.

All good wishes to all and one.

 

- LimA

 

 

[Sudhamma]

 

In reply to ChiForce,

Not exactly.  Ask yourself this question...have you broken through the first skandha of Form????  Considering you understand the meaning of the 4 noble truths and the 8 fold paths.  That is, have you relieved yourself from your own emotional afflictions and attachment to your world, ever?

Reply:

1.    For the purpose of readers like Limahong, ‘skanda’ (Sanskrit) or’ Khandha’ (Pali) means,  the 5 groups of Existence or groups of ‘clinging’. And the 5 groups sum up all the phemenoma of existence and which result in the (ignorant) man’s ego or personality. These 5 groups have to be experienced at once, not one after another. What are these 5? Rupa, corporeality of form, Vedana, feelings, Sanna, perception, Sankhara, mental-formation, and Vinnana-kkhandha, consciousness. All these 5 make up an individual like you, ChiForce, Limahong and me. Rupa, is the body  with all the hairs, skin, eyes, face, limbs, torso, etc... and what is meant that you have broke through your bodily form?

2.    I’ve not fully relieved myself from emotional afflictions and attachment to my world, but I’ve progressed much, from an emotional beast to a mellowed thinking less-of-a-beast. I’m happy for you for having removing all the fetters and you should be at least an arhant then.

 

Well, I have and I didn't even need to know the 4 noble truths and 8 fold paths.  You have to work within the existing human conditions and context to liberate yourself and other individuals.  Suffering from social injustice because of racism?  Reciting the 4 noble truths and the 8 fold paths won't work. 

Reply:

The 8-Fold Path can be sub-divided into Effort, Knowledge and Concentration, and none of these comes from intense recitation of suttas. One must practice, understand the practice, and how practice can bring about Happiness and Bliss. i can agree with you here is that recitation for the purpose of mere recitation do not work. However, if recitation is a form of meditation or concentration, than it is a good and perfect tool to perfect one's one-pointedness (mental focusing).

 

They aren't magical sutras.   

Reply:

There seems to be a gross misunderstanding as to what sutras or suttas is or is not. Basically, suttas are Teachings of the Buddha, and each teaching centres on a problem or matter in the preaching. Some are direct, and some indirect as the Buddha crafted His teaching according to the audience. I’m of course referring to teachings as recorded in the Pali Canon. Yet, some are ‘magical’ in its content as the sutta calls on Dieties and Gods, as in the First Sermon to bear witness to the Buddha’s Enlightenment.

 

You would try to prove to the world that racism can't keep you down.  You would eventually realize that your race isn't the cause of your suffering, but a social construct designed to create racial inequality in the society.  You would then begin to embrace your race and ethnicity and would no longer try to become something or someone that causes your suffering.  This works well with sexism and gender politics too.  If you have really exhausted the mind to penetrate the root cause of your suffering by working within your own human conditions and context, you have broken the first skandha of Form.  Your Kundalini energy would rise, period, speaking from experiences.  You are then awakened and to have discovered your Dharma Gates.  LOLOLOLOLOLOL............

Reply:

I’m very, and very ignorant of what you are talking about ‘kundalini’ and ‘dharma gates’. The rest of what you wrote in the above paragraph is understandable. And as said, you can’t break through 1 form of khandha without breaking through the rest at the same time as we are dealing with a form called Man. But, if you said you could and have broken through the 1^st form, so be it.  

 

Edited September 26, 2017 by Sudhamma
adding clarity

[ChiForce]

All skandhas intertwined but Form is the most powerful and the most sticky one.  It binds you to this world from the moment of your birth and to your death.  It is the first because it is the first thing you work with when dealing with suffering.  What do you think you work with when dealing with suffering....initially???  Broke through Form, your kundalini energy will rise.  Or the wind energy in Tibetan Buddhism.  Or Chi or MCO in Taoist internal alchemy.       

Edited September 26, 2017 by ChiForce

[Sudhamma]

Ok, now I know where you are coming from. The original post asked what is the seed of the Buddha-Dhamma, a very typical Buddhist topic. Though the Buddha Sakyamuni was an Indian born into a Hindu family, there was no Hindu philosophy in His Teachings, even in the 40 objects for meditation, there is no 'kundalini', the energy-serpent, or MCO, or Chi. Though in His Teachings, there are numerous Indian or if you like, Hindu terms, he has given them new meanings which bears no semblance to Hinduism, and Yoga is part of Hinduism. You asked me a question on how I dealt with suffering. It is important here to understand the Buddhist term, dukka, which is very conveniently translated as 'suffering'. Dukka arises when there is unpleasantness from the lack of fulfilment of a desire. It is a broad term relating to mere dissatisfaction (like still hungry after a meal) on one extreme of dukka to mental anguish and physical pain on the opposite extreme end of dukka. The short answer is that I will deal with that unpleasantness there and then, but the most important mental aspect at that moment is being aware of the rising tension. Last word, all 5 khandha binds the person to this world and the next, and the next...

Edited September 26, 2017 by Sudhamma