Answering a forummer's question about Mind and Shurangama replied by Pegembara @ Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:50:18 +0800

Pegembara — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:50:18 +0800

Thank you for your kind attention and advice.

Answering a forummer's question about Mind and Shurangama replied by An Eternal Now @ Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:58:41 +0800

An Eternal Now — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:58:41 +0800

Originally posted by Pegembara:

In vipassana meditation, we are supposed to note body, feelings, thoughts and dhammas or mental objects. We note anything that passes through our 5 senses and mind without grasping. Just noting the rising and falling phenomenon of thoughts and sensations as impermanent, unsatisfactory and not self. That means we try to disidentify from these conditioned phenomenon and get into pure awareness without making any mental commentaries or judgements. ie. being aware just like a hotel owner watching guests coming and leaving the hotel. The "guests" are not the owner. One just watches feelings as feelings and thoughts as thoughts without clinging.

In a way the process of letting go is supposed to remove the defilements/kilesas bit by bit and uncover the naked awareness free from greed, hatred and delusion.

Hi Pegembara, welcome. I don't find any problem with your approach. It is important to first realise the naked pure awareness behind all experiences, the I AM. However, I do not consider this as Vipassana in the traditional Pali sutta or Mahasi Sayadaw approach. (the Thai forest tradition approach is a little different)

This is something I addressed to Emanrohe in the thread On Tibetan Buddhism. And also The Three Speed Transmission

The approach you are talking about is not the 1st Gear practice of Vipassana/Shamatha, but rather it is the 2nd Gear practice: Abiding as I AM/Witness or practicing Self-Inquiry of Who am I?

In this approach one lets go, sometimes with the aid of seeing phenomena's impermanence, and then as a result, disidentifying with all transient phenomena and as a result of letting go of our pinpointed fixation on objects (guests), one discovers oneself as not the guests but the Host, which isn't an object but this vast, unlimited luminous aware space behind All experiences and witnessing all experiences.

At this stage, though one feels a sense of freedom and release from identification to finite objects, there is still a duality between the Witness and the Witnessed. One hasn't gone beyond identification to this vast space to realise the non-duality of awareness and forms.

When one realises that the Witness isn't separate but is not other than all that is Witnessed, this is then realising Non-Duality, and one transitions to the 3rd Gear. Pure Awareness is no longer seen as 'behind' experiences, but arises AS the passing sound, the sight, the thoughts. The duality between guest and host is transcended.

The person who practices 2nd Gear, realises the I AM, can then move on to realise non-duality, but the 2nd and 3rd gear is not the same thing.

Similarly when we practice the 1st Gear of the classical Shamatha/Vipassana, awareness is still dualistic (a sense of standing back, watching), but when one gets to the Anagami stage, one realises non-duality. So all approaches eventually will result in Non Dual realisation if one practices rightly and have the right views. However, the approach is a little different, for example if you practice 1st Gear you may not have the I AM insight, but you will experience a moment of Fruition/Cessation when you reach Sotapanna. The 1st Gear emphasize investigating the nature of phenomena to attain progressive and developmental stages of insights (the 16 nanas), the 2nd Gear emphasize on realising one's nature as this vast witnessing presence, the I AM, and abiding in this timeless, non-developmental, ever-present I AMness behind all experiences.

Anyway my post to Emanrohe elaborates more.

I should also note that the realisation of non-duality (third gear) is also not the final realisation, as explained in Thusness/PasserBy's Seven Stages of Enlightenment

Answering a forummer's question about Mind and Shurangama replied by Pegembara @ Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:08:30 +0800

Pegembara — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:08:30 +0800

"Mind is like a vast field/opening of emptiness and pure awareness in which everything else arise, stays abit, and subsides. And because you Contain the world, you are not located 'in' the world. And this Mind, which isn't an object that arise and subside, itself is unborn and undying. It never moves. It has no coming nor going."

In vipassana meditation, we are supposed to note body, feelings, thoughts and dhammas or mental objects. We note anything that passes through our 5 senses and mind without grasping. Just noting the rising and falling phenomenon of thoughts and sensations as impermanent, unsatisfactory and not self. That means we try to disidentify from these conditioned phenomenon and get into pure awareness without making any mental commentaries or judgements. ie. being aware just like a hotel owner watching guests coming and leaving the hotel. The "guests" are not the owner. One just watches feelings as feelings and thoughts as thoughts without clinging.

In a way the process of letting go is supposed to remove the defilements/kilesas bit by bit and uncover the naked awareness free from greed, hatred and delusion.

Awareness Teachings replied by An Eternal Now @ Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:26:09 +0800

An Eternal Now — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:26:09 +0800

Natural Radiance [Paperback] (Lama Surya Das)
Awakening to Your Great Perfection: Integrated CD Learning

add to basket

Extract :
SkyGazing Meditation

When I dissolve into that vast expanse— empty and clear—without end, without limits— There is no diffèrence between mind and sky.

—LAMA SHABKAR

SkyGazing is the core practical application of Dzogchen meditation. It is how we learn to relax, let go, and let be in the natural state of things, just as they are. It is my favorite form of trekchod practice and natural meditation.

Through this practice of natural meditative awareness, our innate wakefulness completely unfurls and reveals itself. We gradually release our small, narrow, egotistical, dualistic minds into the nondual, skylike, infinite buddha mind, while meditating on the expansive, inclusive nature of rigpa: our natural wisdom-mind and innate wakefulness. In this practice, we merge the finite, thinking heart-mind with the absolute, unconditional infinity of essential buddha-like being.

The sky—which represents the element of expansive space in this meditation practice—is without shape or color. No one can say exactly where it begins or where it ends. It just is. This makes it an ideal subject or metaphor for Dzogchen meditation. SkyGazing meditation leads us into a way of being that is in perfect harmony, attunement, and oneness with nature, including everything and everyone around us—and with our own true nature, too. In SkyGazing meditation, we dissolve into the infinite by becoming one with the open sky.

There are three stages to SkyGazing meditation:

• Arriving

• Intensifying

• Allowing

ARRIVING

Sit on the floor, on a cushion, or in a chair. Your back should be erect, but not rigid. Rest your arms on your thighs, wherever they naturally fall. Your eyes remain open for this meditation.

INTENSIFYING

Bring your awareness to the out-breath. Do not change the rhythm or depth of your breathing—just notice how the air feels as it leaves your body. Your out-breath takes you outside of your small self and connects you with everything that is. Let the in-breath occur naturally, but without placing any special attention on it. Rest your gaze softly on your surroundings. About half of your attention should be on your breath, while the other half is aware of the sky.

ALLOWING

Lean back slightly and raise your gaze until the sky fills your field of vision. Open your senses to the elements. As thoughts, feelings, and perceptions arise—as they inevitably will—release them gently, without judgment. Neither follow nor suppress them. Just be a flow of pure energy in the infinite vastness of space.

It is important to keep in mind that there is no way to do this meditation “wrong.” Whatever you feel, whatever you are aware of, is simply what is. Your practice is to keep letting go of the speedy, judgmental, reactive everyday mind and return to this restful, innate awareness. If you find your mind wandering or your body tensing, stop and relax. Take a break, take a deep breath, chant “AH,” and start again—refreshed, vivid, wakeful. How long you manage to remain aware is not important: it is the quality of awareness not the quantity that counts. There need not be a struggle involved. You can start again every moment, every second. What is important is the quality of your experience. It might take a while to get used to this, but try to relax into it and let go of ordinary ideas about meditation and habitual reference points.

There is a guided session of SkyGazing meditation included as Track 5 on the enclosed CD. After you have learned the basic practice, I encourage you to practice on your own, gradually extending the periods of silent awareness, yet without forcing anything. Let the buddha within—your internal buddha nature—be your guide.

LISTEN TO TRACK 5 SkyGazing Meditation

INFORMAL SKYGAZING

SkyGazing means opening up and decontracting, space-mingling, dissolving in the infinite. You can practice it at any time: while resting at home, taking a break at work, or during transitions in your day. At these times, simply gaze into the sky or any undifferentiated expanse of space—such as a ceiling (if you are lying in bed), a blank wall, or a green lawn. Use this infinite panorama of emptiness as a metaphor for openness and awareness, release your fixations and preoccupations, breathe out—and simply let go into it.

PRACTICING SKYGAZING ON YOUR OWN

SkyGazing meditation can be done indoors or outdoors. You begin by taking your meditation seat. Close your eyes, rest your hands wherever comfortable, take a deep breath, and then let it out. Then take another breath and relax. Let go. Drop everything, settle naturally, and rest at ease. Let any thoughts, emotions, or physical sensations pass by like waves in the sea or like clouds in the sky, while simply observing their transparent, rainbow like nature. Be still and rest in the present moment, in nowness. When you find your thoughts drifting off, gently return to open awareness. For just this moment, relax into a feeling that there is nothing to do right now, nothing to figure out, understand, or achieve. Simply be present, attentive, aware.

Breathe in and out, deeply and slowly, letting go a little bit more with each out-breath. Let everything quiet down naturally, by itself. Let the body settle naturally in its own place, in its own time. Let the mind also settle naturally, in its own way, in its own time. Let everything go; let be. The three essential components of this first part of the SkyGazing meditation are to breathe, smile, and relax.

When you have settled down and feel a sense of alertness, calmness, and present awareness, open your eyes and raise your gaze to the sky. Gaze evenly into space with a soft focus. Do not force a stare; just rest your eyes on and in the vast and undifferentiated spacious expanse before you. Space, like mind, has no beginning or end, no inside or outside, no actual form, no color, no size, no shape. Mingle your gaze with this space; merge yourself and your mind with infinite, empty space. Dissolve into space until you become spacious awareness itself. As you exhale, exhale into space, following your out-breath into external space. Allow all of your thoughts, feelings, sensations, and emotions to come and go freely, letting everything that enters your awareness dissolve into vast space, and experience the radiant transparency of free-flowing present awareness.

Continue gazing freely into vast space, into the open sky, with the crystal clarity of naked awareness, and let everything go. Breathe the sky in and Out, and breathe and dissolve into the sky with your out-breath. Follow the out-breath all the way out into space. Mingle with the sky, and slowly dissolve totally into the spacious ,joy of meditation. When a thought arises, watch it come, and watch it go. ‘When a feeling presents itself, watch as it passes away by itself, without interference or manipulation. ‘When you become aware that the quality of your attention is fading, see if you can bring it back by returning your attention to the natural in-and-out motion of the breath, focusing your attention on following your out-breath and letting everything dissolve with it. Continue this process until you are resting evenly in luminous centerless emptiness.

On Tibetan Buddhism replied by An Eternal Now @ Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:42:51 +0800

An Eternal Now — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:42:51 +0800

Dzogchen is the main practice of Nyingmas, generally speaking, while for Kagyu it's Mahamudra. In Theravada, anapanasati can be practiced both way: as samatha, and as vipassana, depending on whether they are focusing on the in and out of the breathe or on the pure sensate reality and the 3 characteristics of the breathe. In Tibetan Buddhism however, even in Mahamudra, even if they are taught as the main practice for a beginner, they will at most be treated as a samatha technique to stabilize the mind before moving on to pointing out the nature of Mind. There is also less emphasis in samatha jhana in Tibetan Buddhism, where many teachers only advice their students to reach 1st Jhana and no more, before moving on to Insight. However to put it in perspective, Zen bashes samatha jhana even more than Tibetan Buddhism, sometimes even devaluing it into a state of Makyo (illusion). Anyway you can get a very good look at the Mahamudra meditation system in a book I and Thusness highly recommends: Clarifying the Natural State.

In my understanding, Theravadin Vipassana (Myanmar and Sri Lanka style -- Thai Forest is a little different) is not exactly similar as Zen koan training or Tibetan Dzogchen or Mahamudra system. Why? Vipassana emphasize the gradual unfolding insights, going through 16 nanas before culminating in a Fruition event which is a form of cessation. This is what I, Kenneth and Thusness calls the Gradual Path practice.

Then there is the Direct Path teaching, which emphasize pointing out and realising the nature of Mind. Since the nature of Mind is timeless instead of developmental, it is ever present regardless of what states, experiences, nanas you have been through, it can be discovered in the here and now. It is not the result of having progressed through certain experiences or insight stages and thus having achieved certain stage of experience, because it is always this Mind which is the basis of All experiences, that is why it is beyond effort but can only be realised or recognised. The methods of Koan also aim at this. This does not mean that there is just one final insight and that's it -- however, the practitioner of, for example the 'Who am I' koan will first get an initial realisation of the I AM and from there, they can do more koans and move on to Non Dual, etc. That is why Zen is known as 顿悟 (Instantaneous Awakening) -- there must be the sudden, intuitive, unshakeable 'eureka!'-sort realisation of the 'I'. Awaken to this ‘I’, the path of spirituality becomes clear; it is simply the unfolding of this ‘I’. The Vipassana practitioner of the Gradual Path (i.e. Mahasi Sayadaw style Vipassana, not Thai Forest style which did teach Direct Path in some way) however, will not realise anything of 'intrinsic luminosity of Mind', 'primordial Awareness', etc, until Anagami. That means the Fruition event in Sotapanna & Sakadagami has nothing to do with the I AM or Non-Duality. But more on that later.

I should also mention, the practice emphasized in Gradual Path (i.e. noting, observing 3 characteristics of phenomena) is also different from the practices emphasized in the Direct Path (depending on tradition: self-inquiry, koan, pointing out nature of mind and sustaining recognition, formless meditation, etc).

The Theravadin tradition, following the gradual system of samatha-vipassana combined, as I said earlier basically climbs up the 16 nanas, and then reaches the Fruition event and attains Sotapanna.

What is the difference between realising Mind, and attaining Fruition? It's different. I'll paste some excerpts from Kenneth Folk on the difference at the bottom of the post.

However where it all converges is: Anagami. An Anagami who followed the traditional Theravadin path may not go through certain stages of experience in the Direct Path, like the I AM, but at the Anagami level the person will realise non-dual awareness beyond subject and object division, even if he follows strictly the Gradual Path, similar to a practitioner who follows Direct Path and eventually lands up in Non Dual insight. That practitioner or Anagami will then be able to apply his insights more and more into daily lives rather than in the cessation event, and be able to perceive emptiness, impermanence, selflessness, non-dual intrinsic luminosity, etc. in real time in his entire sensate universe. The most subtle dualities and attachment to a Self agent in any subtle way/the final knot of the centerpoint is finally removed at Arhantship.

By the way, I do not think Direct Path is necessarily 'better' than Gradual Path, and it simply depends on the practitioner -- one must guage one's conditions. Kenneth recommends somehow ballancing both (though it is not the same as practicing both at once: you cannot possibly do that -- one is abiding as the Timeless I AM without investigation, whereas the other is investigating the three characteristics of passing phenomena, but you can flip flop between them), however for me right now, I am focusing on the 'Direct Path'. In terms of statistics, I do not have them, but basically I see very successful and highly attained Gradual Path practitioners as well as Direct Path practitioners. No matter what path you practice, you still end up having to practice 10-20 years and more to realise and mature the insights. The initial glimpse is faster but it is not the end.

p.s. about Fruition of traditional Vipassana vs Primordial Awakeness/Rigpa/Buddha-Nature/Fruition of Direct Path, Kenneth Folk says:

http://kennethfolkdharma.wetpaint.com/page/Q+%26+A+on+the+Non-dual

Question: What is the relationship between primordial awareness to fruition?

Answer: Experientially, not much. Fruition, according to the Mahasi school of Theravada Buddhism, is total cessation of the mind/body process. Subjectively, it's very much like being asleep. Primordial awareness is pure awakeness. It’s important to note here that Tibetan Dzogchen masters also use the word fruition, but they are not talking about Mahasi fruition; in Dzogchen, fruition is synonymous with rigpa, which is the recognition of primordial awareness.

Question: I just finished reading Sam Harris's book, The End of Faith, in which he claims to describe the universal essence of contemplative and mystical experience. It's strange, because what he calls the universal contemplative experience sounds like what people on this forum are calling primordial awareness or seeing emptiness, but he doesn't mention nirvana (cessation) at all in anything I've read by him. I'm wondering why he does that, if he really experiences emptiness but not cessation, or if he declines to write about nirvana in his mainstream writing career for other reasons (although, gee, writing about empty awareness is pretty weird on the scale of things).

Answer: This is an interesting question, and one that only someone well-versed in Theravada theory would ask. It would be difficult to find a reference to cessation/nibbana in the literature of any other tradition. Other traditions tend to emphasize the awake no-self experience over the erased-self experience of cessation. Assuming that people go through the same organic process of development whether they are targeting it or not, then everyone will experience the developmental landmark of cessation as defined by the Mahasi school. On the other hand, if you aren't looking for cessation and/or haven't been told that it is significant, it's just another of the thousands of things that can happen during a meditator's day.

Mahasi teachers love cessation because it helps them locate students on the map. Furthermore, Mahasi Sayadaw taught cessation as something to be cherished and cultivated. But even within Theravada there are teachers who don't believe that cessation should even be considered Nibbana. There is no one way to interpret these phenomena. What we know for sure is that First and Second Path, as defined by the Visuddhimaga, each culminate in a moment of cessation. So, for map-mongers, cessation is an important landmark.

I would not evaluate the enlightenment of people from other traditions based on whether they mention cessation, as to do so would lead to the mistaken impression that only Theravada Buddhists get enlightened. In fact, I used to read J. Krishnamurti and imagine that he was talking about cessation when he described his no-self experiences. He wasn't. I was just "shoehorning," i.e. trying to force other people's experience into the narrow framework of my own limited belief system.

.......

Answer: This is a matter of defining terms, and we'll need some serious disambiguation in order to make sense of all this. Two words in particular are problematic as they are used very differently in different traditions. The two words are fruition and vipassana.

Fruition, as defined by the Burmese Mahasi school, means cessation of the mind/body process. They also call this nibbana. It is a non-experience, a winking out of consciousness. It is nonetheless, very blissful; upon emerging from this state, you know you were someplace very nice, you just can't say where. It is this cessation that marks the Path moment and permanently changes your experience of the world and your meditation practice.

Fruition in the Dzogchen tradition is rigpa. Not at all the same as cessation. Rigpa is the wide-awake recognition, in the moment, of buddha nature within your own mind. Although it is the most highly prized of attainments according to direct path teachings, it does not represent any developmental milestone and does not complete any of the 4 Paths. Rather, it is the the perfect recognition and expression of what everyone already is—pure, untrammeled, primordial awareness. Direct path teachings consider this to be more significant than any developmental stage or phenomenon, as to recognize rigpa is to know the mind of all the Buddhas. It will be best if we can specify which definition of fruition we mean at any given time.

"Vipassana," as used by the Theravada tradition, is a technique for investigating the three characteristics of suffering, impermanence, and no-self. The same word (often spelled Vipashyana, which is Sanskrit as opposed to Pali), is used in the Dzogchen tradition to mean "letting be in the nature of dharmata" (Shri Singha, Quintessential Dzogchen, 113, ed.Kunsang & Binder Schmidt). In fact, the word "vipashyana" is used in various ways with various qualifiers within the Tibetan system, so it's important to know the context.

......

Question: I can't help but notice that your two fruitions are in fact mutually exclusive. If there is no consciousness, then there is no rigpa. Accordingly, rigpa is not unborn, for it ceases.

Answer: Yes, rigpa and cessation are mutually exclusive. One doesn't happen from the point of view of the other. But, remember, rigpa is the recognition of buddha nature in the moment. During that recognition, in my experience, cessation does not occur. But that does not mean that cessation does not happen within buddha nature; of course it does. It just happens at a time when buddha nature is not being recognized.

You can learn to access either kind of fruition, whenever you want. In the case of rigpa, the access is instantaneous, as soon as you remember to notice it. In the case of cessation, it may take a second or two, or, if you are very distracted, several seconds. Then you can compare rigpa and cessation side by side.

One practical detail is that you can let be in rigpa while you are driving, or eating dinner with the family, or in a meeting at work, whereas, at least for me, cessation usually requires closing my eyes. I usually roll my eyes up into my head, too, and flicker my eyelids, so I have to be discreet so people around me won't think I'm having a seizure. :-)

Back to the theory: you wrote, "rigpa is not unborn, for it ceases." If by ceasing, you mean that we aren't always aware of it, the same would apply to nibbana/cessation. So, I don't think that proves it ceases. Actually, buddha nature cannot be found to cease; since it is awareness itself, how would we know if it ceased? You can't be aware of not being aware.

Something I, Thusness and Daniel Ingram (who is Kenneth's best friend) do not agree with him is that Arhats and Direct Path are totally distinct insights. We also have a very different definition of 'Arhat' compared to Kenneth. However otherwise, he provides a lot of insights on all the systems. I have posted some of his articles at http://buddhism.sgforums.com/forums/1728/topics/378355

Sorry to have gone a bit off topic, but I think this should provide a general picture of the different systems of practice and how they relate to the traditions.

Oh and one more final thing... how about Tibetan Buddhism? Generally as I understand it, there is a balance of gradual and direct path, but for systems like Dzogchen and Mahamudra, especially Dzogchen, is very direct.

Are Mahayana Sutras Taught by Buddha? replied by An Eternal Now @ Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:58:33 +0800

An Eternal Now — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:58:33 +0800

BTW, I remember that Recollection of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha is part of the 40 subjects of samatha.

In the Thai Theravadin tradition there is an emphasis on this method.

http://www.amaravati.org/abm/english/documents/mindful/05ins2.html

Ajahn Sumedho

The Mantra 'Buddho'

If you've got a really active thinking mind, you may find the mantra 'Buddho' helpful. Inhale on 'Bud' and exhale on '-dho' so you're actually thinking this for each inhalation. This is a way of sustaining concentration: so for the next fifteen minutes, do the anapanasati, putting all your attention, composing your mind with the mantric sound, 'Bud-dho'. Learn to train the mind to that point of clarity and brightness rather than just sinking into passivity. It requires sustained effort: one inhalation of 'Bud' - fully bright and clear in your mind, the thought itself raised and bright from the beginning to the end of the inhalation, and '-dho' on the exhalation. Let everything else go at this time. The occasion has arisen now to do just this - you can solve your problems and the world's problems afterwards. At this time this much is all the occasion calls for. Bring the mantra up into consciousness. Make the mantra fully conscious instead of just a perfunctory passive thing that makes the mind dull; energise the mind so that the inhalation on 'Bud' is a bright inhalation, not just a perfunctory 'Bud' sound that fades out because it never gets brightened or refreshed by your mind. You can visualise the spelling so that you're fully with that syllable for the length of an inhalation, from the beginning to the end. Then '-dho' on the exhalation is performed the same way so that there's a continuity of effort rather than sporadic leaps-and-starts and failures.

Just notice if you have any obsessive thoughts that are coming up - some silly phrase that might be going through your mind. Now if you just sink into a passive state, then obsessive thoughts will take over. But learning to understand how the mind works and how to use it skilfully, you're taking this particular thought, the concept of 'Buddho' (the Buddha, the One Who Knows), and you're holding it in the mind as a thought. Not just as an obsessive, habitual thought, but as a skilful use of thought, using it to sustain concentration for the length of one inhalation, exhalation, for fifteen minutes.

The practice is that, no matter how many times you fail and your mind starts wandering, you simply note that you're distracted, or that you're thinking about it, or you'd rather not bother with 'Buddho' - 'I don't want to do that. I'd rather just sit here and relax and not have to put forth any effort. Don't feel like doing it.' Or maybe you've got other things on your mind at this time, creeping in at the edges of consciousness - so you note that. Note what mood there is in your mind right now - not to be critical or discouraged, but just calmly, coolly notice, if you're calmed by it, or if you feel dull or sleepy; if you've been thinking all this time or if you've been concentrating. Just to know.

The obstacle to concentration practice is aversion to failure and the incredible desire to succeed. Practice is not a matter of will-power, but of wisdom, of noting wisdom. With this practice, you can learn where your weaknesses are, where you tend to get lost. You witness the kind of character traits you've developed in your life so far, not to be critical of them but just to know how to work with them and not be enslaved by them. This means a careful, wise reflection on the way things are. So rather than avoiding them at all costs, even the ugliest messes are observed and recognised. That's an enduring quality. Nibbana[3] is often described as being 'cool'. Sounds like hip talk, doesn't it? But there's a certain significance to that word. Coolness to what? It tends to be refreshing, not caught up in passions but detached, alert and balanced.

The word 'Buddho' is a word that you can develop in your life as something to fill the mind with rather than with worries and all kinds of unskilful habits. Take the word, look at it, listen to it: 'Buddho'! It means the one who knows, the Buddha, the awakened, that which is awake. You can visualise it in your mind. Listen to what your mind says - blah, blah, blah, etc. It goes on like this, an endless kind of excrement of repressed fears and aversions. So, now, we are recognising that. We're not using 'Buddho' as a club to annihilate or repress things, but as a skilful means. We can use the finest tools for killing and for harming others, can't we? You can take the most beautiful Buddha rupa and bash somebody over the head with it if you want! That's not what we call 'Buddhanussati', Reflection on the Buddha, is it? But we might do that with the word 'Buddho' as a way of suppressing those thoughts or feelings. That's an unskilful use of it. Remember we're not here to annihilate but to allow things to fade out. This is a gentle practice of patiently imposing 'Buddho' over the thinking, not out of exasperation, but in a firm and deliberate way.

The world needs to learn how to do this, doesn't it? - the U.S. and the Soviet Union - rather than taking machine guns and nuclear weapons and annihilating things that get in the way; or saying awful nasty things to each other. Even in our lives we do that, don't we? How many of you have said nasty things to someone else recently, wounding things, unkind barbed criticism, just because they annoy you, get in your way, or frighten you? So we practise just this with the little nasty annoying things in our own mind, the things which are foolish and stupid. We use 'Buddho', not as a club but as a skilful means of allowing it to go, to let go of it. Now for the next fifteen minutes, go back to your noses, with the mantra 'Buddho'. See how to use it and work with it.

On Tibetan Buddhism replied by Emanrohe @ Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:00:41 +0800

Emanrohe — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:00:41 +0800

Dear all,

I recently came across this very interesting article on Tibetan Buddhism and what is 'in' and what is 'out' of Tibetan Buddhism and their view on the traditional samatha methods. Maybe someone with more indepth knowledge in Tibetan Buddhism could comment on it?

Do take a look!

_(|)_

http://blog.beliefnet.com/onecity/2009/11/why-i-am-not-a-tibetan-buddhist-anymore.html?source=NEWSLETTER&nlsource=13&ppc=&utm_campaign=Buddhist&utm_source=NL&utm_medium=newsletter

Are Mahayana Sutras Taught by Buddha? replied by An Eternal Now @ Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:02:06 +0800

An Eternal Now — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:02:06 +0800

Hi soul2soul,

thanks for clarifying. If I remember, some Theravadin teachers teach that chanting can lead up to 1st Jhana and no more.

From what I know, when you enter jhana, your verbal and physical activities generally stop as you become absorbed in the jhanic bliss. So basically the chanting is just an aid, eventually the person stops chanting as he enters into jhana.

Are Mahayana Sutras Taught by Buddha? replied by soul2soul @ Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:23:39 +0800

soul2soul — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:23:39 +0800

Originally posted by An Eternal Now:

Theravada also use chanting as a form of meditation, a way to gain samadhi. They also have parittas and sutta chantings, all taught by Buddha in the pali canon, supposed to provide protection, and so on.

What the Buddha was against probably was the use of mantras and spells for selfish, greedy, evil purposes, that only serves to increase one's three poisons. There were mantras used for killing, seducing, harming others, etc. Those are certainly unacceptable.

But if the mantra does not serve evil purpose and instead helps in one's path, then by all means practice that, there is no harm.

As for teachings that go against the Buddha's teachings, what are those you are refering to?

Are you familar with the 40 subjects of Samatha meditation in THeravada buddhism? Chanting is NOT one of them. Chanting has the ability to calm the mind, yes, but if you are talking about getting into mental absorption (jhanas) , it's not one of the Samatha meditation in Theravada.

The function of Parittas and Mantras are bit different. Mantras are invocations for certain boddhisattas to help a being , Parittas are just quotes from the Pali Suttas recited by the monks. If you translate the Parittas into English, you can actually understand what the chant is about For example, Metta sutta - monks chanted this parrita. It's actually better in theravada tradition for a person to understand the paritta while he chants it.

Are Mahayana Sutras Taught by Buddha? replied by Emanrohe @ Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:32:26 +0800

Emanrohe — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:32:26 +0800

Oh yup yup, if you did not learn it from a teacher, then just do your best with the pronunciations. It should also work!

Are Mahayana Sutras Taught by Buddha? replied by An Eternal Now @ Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:04:47 +0800

An Eternal Now — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:04:47 +0800

Originally posted by Emanrohe:

Dear all,

There is a big difference between mantras and parittas. Paritta chanting is also typically called protective chanting. The efficacy of the Paritta chanting of the Theravada tradition comes from the meaning of the truths held in the paritta passages. In the Buddha's teaching, it is always said that truth holds power. And that the truth will protect you. When you chant these parittas, you are supposed to reflect on the qualities or teachings in the paritta. Reflecting on these qualities, the practitioner generates good thoughts which protects him. As the saying goes, the 'Dhamma protects those who practice the Dhamma' (Dhammo have rakkhati dhamma cari).

That is root of the power that the parittas hold. This is different from mantras.

As I was taught, the power of mantras comes from the sounds. These are sacred sounds transmitted to us by the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. The power of the mantra first comes from the correct recitation of the mantra as it was taught to you by your teacher, the transmission lineage, the right visualisation and the altruistic mind of the practitioner when reciting the mantra.

_(|)_

Ah I see... thanks for clarifying! What you said made sense.

As for mantras, from what I've learnt, you don't have to pronounce it exactly to get its positive effects. It is actually the practitioner's sincerity and one pointedness that makes it powerful... there is a story of how an old lady chanted 'om mani peh meh niu' because she mis-read the last character of the mantra, but nevertheless there is auspicious clouds and signs surrounding her house.

Are Mahayana Sutras Taught by Buddha? replied by Emanrohe @ Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:03:14 +0800

Emanrohe — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:03:14 +0800

Dear all,

There is a big difference between mantras and parittas. Paritta chanting is also typically called protective chanting. The efficacy of the Paritta chanting of the Theravada tradition comes from the meaning of the truths held in the paritta passages. In the Buddha's teaching, it is always said that truth holds power. And that the truth will protect you. When you chant these parittas, you are supposed to reflect on the qualities or teachings in the paritta. Reflecting on these qualities, the practitioner generates good thoughts which protects him. As the saying goes, the 'Dhamma protects those who practice the Dhamma' (Dhammo have rakkhati dhamma cari).

That is the root of the power that the parittas hold. This is different from mantras.

As I was taught, the power of mantras comes from the sounds. These are sacred sounds transmitted to us by the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. The power of the mantra first comes from the correct recitation of the mantra as it was taught to you by your teacher, the transmission lineage, the right visualisation and the altruistic mind of the practitioner when reciting the mantra.

_(|)_

Answering a forummer's question about Mind and Shurangama replied by An Eternal Now @ Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:47:49 +0800

An Eternal Now — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:47:49 +0800

Post below is taken from http://buddhaspace.blogspot.com/. I have personally read one of Douglas's book.

Douglas Harding's 'Chiao's Dream'

Douglas Harding: no 'Chiao"

“Here, form is emptiness and emptiness is form.

Here is no eye, no ear, no nose, no tongue.

Here is no birth or decay or death.

Therefore the Bodhisattva ceases to tremble,

For what could go wrong?”

(‘To Be and not To Be’, p.171)

The above verse opens the short parable ‘Chiao’s Dream’ written by the British philosopher Douglas Harding, and found in his wonderful book ‘To Be and not To Be, that is the answer’. In the tale, the Buddhist monk Chiao has just finished reciting the Heart Sutra for the ten-thousandth time, and is very pleased with himself at this achievement. All this self-congratulating sentiment is dispersed by a novice called Tsung who has the temerity to ask what the sutra actually means. Chiao retorts by saying that much ‘hidden’ merit has been accrued through his endeavors, and that Tsung should go and sweep the floor of the meditation hall! That night, he has a dream in which the Buddha appears to him, and he makes the following appeal:

“Ten thousand times, O Holy One, I have recited your precious words announcing that form is emptiness. Ten thousand times! But the forms that this despicable monk comes across are full. Bark encloses solid timber, right to the heart of the tree. Broken stones turn out to be stone all through. Wounded men are plainly made of flesh and blood. Even empty pots are brim-full of air.”

(Ibid. p.172)

The compassionate Buddha promises to equip Chiao with his own “specimen form that is plainly empty” that will always be to hand, with many clues that will point the monk to it, even though others will not see it. Chiao is understandably overwhelmed with this enlightening gift, for as a Buddhist monk he would love to realize that which so many have failed to grasp over the many centuries since the Buddha had walked the Earth. Moreover, the Buddha arranges for Chiao’s eyes, ears, tongue and nose to be amputated, in line with the passage from the Heart Sutra quoted above. Although reassured that this will be beneficial and not painful at all, doubts remain in Chiao, in that he cannot comprehend exactly how his sample emptiness could be or contain anything without ceasing to be empty. In reply to the monk’s query, the Buddha reassures him with the following words:

“Only give it a trial, Chiao, and you’ll find it all makes good sense. Just now it may sound to you quite impossible, but I promise that you will be able clearly to see that your own absolutely speckles Void contains innumerable forms. Or rather that it is those forms, which are infinite in number and scope and variety. Your own personal parcel of emptiness, though small enough for you to handle all over, will be visibly packed with the blazingly colorful, gigantic, rip-roaring world. And therefore as big, if not bigger, than that world.”

(Ibid. p.173)

Here, the Buddha talks of how Nirvana is realized in the midst of Samsara, and that beyond the world of opposites they in fact merge into the seamlessness that is enlightenment. This Void contains all that is experienced, and because it is void of any separate substance, it is the very objects and processes that appear in it. On top of all this excellent news the Buddha reveals that wherever the monk goes he will be able to see the dissolving of duality whenever he chooses to observe the facts of the present moment. Chiao, however, has one more thing that troubles him regarding this matter, which is that the sutra states that there is no decay or death, and yet to his dismay he notices that he is made of “very perishable stuff indeed.” Indeed, the next morning when he awakes, the dream remains just a dream, and he fails to notice the “specimen form that is plainly empty” that the Buddha had promised would be his. He laments this to the novice Tsung who suggests that perhaps Chiao already possesses the boons offered in the dream, but that he fails to see them. The latter dismisses this idea as nonsense, preparing to recite the Heart Sutra for the ten-thousandth-and-first time, apparently incapable or unwilling of taking heed of the Buddha’s final words to him the night before:

“Instantly on waking, everything I have promised shall be yours, on these conditions. You must really want it, and you must let it in, open yourself to it, actually look at it and look out of it, instead of thinking about it and believing in it. In actual fact, it’s already yours anyway, unconditionally, whether you choose to let it in or not.”

(Ibid. p.175)

This charming tale of Douglas Harding’s is beautiful in its simplicity, which is most suitable when realizing the simplicity of the message it contains. This message hinges on the last quotation above, in which the emphasis is put on opening up to the way it is right now, focusing solely on the emptiness that lies at the heart of one’s being. But is Chiao correct in his assumption that this is no more than a pleasant dream, and that clinging to doctrines and rituals is more likely to lead to spiritual awakening than simply paying attention? Thanks to Douglas Harding, we neither have to rely on “thinking about it and believing in it” or disbelieving in it. We can test the hypothesis presented in this salient story by using techniques invented and promoted by a man that I was privileged to have met on several occasions. He was someone not so much full of himself, but full of the world, and because of this his words (and ‘experiments’) are all the more worthy of our attention.

Douglas Harding often used the word ‘experiment’ to describe his style of investigation into what he called “seeing who I really, really am.” These experiments do not require a laboratory or tertiary knowledge of the sciences; they do require an open mind, however, for if conducted in the shadow of long-held views & opinions, their results may well be misunderstood. Let’s start with one of the most basic experiments developed by Douglas, usually referred to, for reasons that will become obvious, ‘the Pointing Experiment’:

Point with a finger at what’s opposite you. Perhaps it’s a wall – or, considering this blog, a computer screen – and notice its shape, size, colors, and above all its opacity.
Next, point at your feet, carefully observing their shapes, sizes, colors, and whether you can see through them or not.
Then, point at your midriff, again noting its visual qualities.
Now, point to your face and – on present evidence, notice what you see. What colors lie at your end of that pointing digit? Can you discern a shape or size for what exists where ‘you’ are?
Finally, is this emptiness at your end of that pointing finger really empty? Look again, and see if it is filled with not only your raised hand, but also with everything else that you can see right now. On present evidence, is it true to say that where you thought your face was, there exists a myriad objects of varying colors, sizes, and shapes?

Do you get it, dear reader? At heart, you do not exist; instead there is a void that’s full of the world: “Form is emptiness, and emptiness is form.” The objects and creatures, not to mention people, that you encounter exist in the light of this naked awareness, that itself is not a thing as such, and was therefore described by Douglas as ‘No-thing.’ Everything lives in this knowing, which itself is simply capacity for things and processes to occur in, without any sense of individuality or separateness. (Of course, unless this awareness is completely surrendered to, the sense of self will continually be reborn, with what Douglas referred to as a ding-dong battle between selflessness & selfishness.) One objection to all this may be that it is centered on the sense of sight, and anything dependent upon a particular sense cannot lead to true spiritual freedom. A second experiment might help to answer this apparently powerful argument: ‘The Listening Experiment’:

Close your eyes (you might want to memorize these instructions first).
Listen to the sounds that are occurring in your surroundings. Listen to their rhythms, speed, volume, and melodies. Notice how each sound has its own separate characteristics.
Turn your attention around to the listener. What audible characteristics do you find here, if any? Is it true to say that conditioned sounds arise in what might be deemed an unconditioned silence that is capacity for those noises to appear in?

Again, as with visual data, does not the nature of sounds differ to that which hosts them, in that the sounds have specific qualities, whilst the emptiness only finds form in the arising of audible things? This silence has the same (lack of) qualities that we noticed with the pointing experiment; it is the knowing that accepts all sounds for what they are, neither liking nor disliking them, but simply being the spaciousness in which they find expression. (It is the ego that has likes & dislikes, and that too can be seen to exist in the context of this naked awareness.) Alongside vision & hearing, the third focus for these short series of experiments will be thoughts themselves:

Close your eyes (you might want to memorize these instructions as above).
Observe thoughts as they pop up in your mind. What are they about? Are they clear & concise in nature or rather vague meanderings? How long does each thought last for, and does it give immediate birth to another, or are there gaps between them?
And what of that which is aware of thoughts? Is that a thought, too? How long does that last, and is it connected to a particular subject like thoughts are, or is it a simple awareness that simply notes the thinking process?

Here, thoughts are seen as so many mental mirages appearing and disappearing in the quiet space that sees them. It is emptiness itself, the capacity for things & processes to occur in, and yet no division can be detected at all – it is the thoughts that it contains. If emotions are observed in the same manner, they too can be seen to exist in this dispassionate void, as can the remaining physical senses of taste, touch, and smell. All phenomena can be experienced as arising in this formless, soundless, and thoughtless awareness, that, paradoxically is the very things that occur in it, as no separation can be found. And, in this transcendence of one’s self that includes all others, genuine happiness and compassion can be found. A happiness that is not the result of certain people’s actions or particular events taking place, but a quiet bliss that accompanies experience, and a compassion that is independent of the biases of the personality, but which goes out to any being in need that is encountered.

If all this sounds way too good to be true, or just a bunch of airy-fairy ‘spiritual’ talk, the challenge is to try it out. Do the experiments described above, taking as much time as you need to see what they are getting at, and then take that awareness and apply it to everyday life. Don’t be like Chiao, who knows every word of the Heart Sutra by heart, but has no inkling of how to apply its teachings to his life. In doing so, you may find that ‘Buddha Space’ to which this blog’s title partially refers; at the very least, you’ll have a new & interesting mindfulness practice to experiment with. You might even be surprised what you can achieve without any ‘you’ to get in the way, engrossed in the realization that “emptiness is form and form is emptiness.”

'To Be and not To Be, that is the answer' by Douglas Harding can be obtained from The Headless Way website, a link to which can be found to the right of this page.

Daily Buddhist Verses replied by Isis @ Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:04:29 +0800

Isis — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:04:29 +0800

The mind of a Zen Master is perfectly straight-forward. He has neither front nor back and is without deceit or delusion. Every hour of the day, what he hears and sees are ordinary sights and sounds, but nothing is distorted. He is perfectly unattached to things, and thus doesn’t need to shut his eyes and ears. Because he has eliminated delusion, perverted views, and bad thinking habits, he is as clear and tranquil as an autumn stream. Someone who is like this is called a master of Zen, a man who has freed himself from all attachment. (Kuei- Shan 771-853)

Daily Buddhist Verses replied by Isis @ Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:41:38 +0800

Isis — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:41:38 +0800

All Buddhas and all ordinary beings are nothing but the one mind. This mind is beginningless and endless, unborn and indestructible. It has no color or shape, neither exists, nor doesn’t exist, isn’t old or new, long or short, large or small, since it transcends all measures, limits, names and comparison. It is what you see in front of you. Start to think about it and immediately you are mistaken. It is like the boundless void, which can’t fathom or measured. The one mind is the Buddha, and there is no distinction between Buddha and ordinary beings, except that ordinary beings are attached to forms and thus seek Buddhahood outside themselves. By this very seeking they lose it, since they are using Buddha to seek for Buddha, using mind to seek for mind. Even if they continue for a million eons, they will never be able to find it. They don’t know that all they have to do is put a stop to conceptual thinking, and the Buddha will appear before them, because this mind is the Buddha and the Buddha is all living beings. It is not any less for being manifested in ordinary beings, nor any greater for being manifested in Buddhas. This pure mind, which is the source of all things, shines forever with the radiance of its own perfection. But most people are not aware of it, and think that mind is just the faculty that sees, hears, feels and knows. Blinded by their own sight, hearing, feeling and knowing, they don’t perceive the radiance of the source. If they could eliminate all conceptual thinking, this source would appear, like the sun rising through the empty sky and illuminating the whole universe. Therefore, you students of the Way who seek to understand through seeing, hearing, feeling and knowing, when your perceptions are cut off, your way to mind will be cut off and you find nowhere to enter. Just realize that although mind is manifested in these perceptions, it is neither part of them nor separate from them. You should not try to analyze these perceptions, or think about them at all; but you shouldn’t seek the one mind apart from them.Don’t hold on to them or leave them behind or dwell in them or reject them. Above, below, and around you, all things spontaneously exist, because there is nowhere outside the Buddha mind. Your true nature is not lost in moments of delusions, nor is it gained at the moment of enlightenment. It was never born and can never die. It shines through the whole universe, filling emptiness, one with emptiness. It is without time or space, and has no passions, actions, ignorance, or knowledge. In it there are no things, no people and no Buddhas; it contains not the smallest hair-breadth of anything that exists objectively; it depends on nothing and is attached to nothing. It is all-pervading, radiant beauty; absolute reality, self-existent and uncreated. How then can you doubt that the Buddha has no mouth to speak and nothing to teach, or that the truth is learned without learning, for who is there to learn? It is a jewel beyond all prices – Huang-Po

Daily Buddhist Verses replied by Isis @ Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:27:32 +0800

Isis — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:27:32 +0800

When we are young and again when we are old, we depend heavily on the affection of others. Between these stages we usually feel that we can do everything without help from others and that other people’s affection is simply not important. But at this stage I think it is very important to keep deep affection. – HH Dalai Lama

mahayana & theravada replied by Isis @ Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:22:14 +0800

Isis — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:22:14 +0800

Hi, i'm thinking of setting up a mini altar in my bedroom but i'm not sure if it is appropriate? I don't have an alternative room or space at home to set up a mini altar. Is there any way for me to keep a mini altar in my room?

Answering a forummer's question about Mind and Shurangama replied by An Eternal Now @ Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:46:24 +0800

An Eternal Now — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:46:24 +0800

Just a reminder for forummers who may find this confusing: this is not about concepts or figuring out or understanding what this means. This is not about meaning, this is about who you truly are, and this cannot be understood through a theory but by your own direct experience through self-inquiry and investigation.

Don't try to mentally understand reality/awareness/buddha-nature/Mind, whatever you want to call it. Thoughts can never figure out the true nature of Mind, Awareness. However humans have from beginingless time have gained the habit to try to understand things using the mind. This is not about bashing the intellect or the mind -- it works wonders in life and is something we can't do without, and even as I write this I am using thoughts, but nevertheless what I am pointing out is that the mind is the wrong, irrelevant tool for Self-Knowledge. If you want to know your true nature, (fixation on) thoughts is an obscuration because then, you're lost in the realm of objects, thoughts, ideas, trying to figure things out in the realm of thoughts, where you really should be turning within towards its source. It's not about having the right thought, it's about, what is aware of that thought? When you look within and have a good look at yourSelf, you realise you have always been the Source, never separated from It. It never needed to be figured out by the mind. It isn't a puzzle to be solved. Even if you think you solved an intellectual puzzle concerning the teachings, reality, etc, does that mean anything in terms of truly resolving with conviction what your real nature is? Nope. If you recognise this yourself, then it's all clear as a cloudless sun lit sky, no explanation is needed. Otherwise, 10000 explanations is not enough.

During the course of self-inquiry, thoughts may come up, but is naturally negated and then dropped as a result of persistent investigation. As Rupert Spira says, "The very best that the mind can do is to explore its own limits and come to the conclusion that it does not and cannot know what anything really is."

We don't resolve the confusion of the mind by dealing with the mind, trying to replace one confused concept with clearer concepts. Whatever concepts we have, are simply thoughts arising and subsiding, nothing to cling to. The end of ignorance is not by having a clearer concept, rather, it is to cease all false identifications, including to all concepts, thoughts, feelings, body, etc. This is achieved only by clear knowing of our true nature, by realising what you truly are, and nothing less. And in case you think that since the answer isn't found in the mind, that it should therefore be found in thoughtlessness, that's not it either. No experience, even the experience of thoughtlessness, is going to resolve this. Self-realisation does not mean you cannot have thoughts, feelings, etc, (and you may be a master at entering deep meditative states without thoughts, but nevertheless it's impossible to not have them in daily living for practical purpose) it's just that you no longer identify yourself as those thoughts, concepts, feelings, etc, and thus life flow through more smoothly because you no longer grasp and chase after those phantoms. Then, whether you have thoughts or not is no longer an issue. Thoughts are just part and parcel of reality, no different from what you see, what you hear, etc. No need to reject any part of them.

Thoughts emanate out of the clear thoughtless, formless consciousness that underlies and gives rise to all thoughts and all forms. The objects that are perceived through consciousness can never grasp it's source. Thoughts can never grasp or know it's source. Thoughts are themselves objects perceived by and through consciousness. Only Consciousness knows, for IT is the all-knowing power. Consciousness perceives and manifests as thoughts, but thoughts don't perceive consciousness. Only The Source, Pure Consciousness knows itself.

What is the source of thoughts? What is it in you, that is the source of all your whole world (thoughts, feelings, sensory perceptions), without which nothing is? Know your innate luminosity that is the source of everything, by turning the light around and just be.

When we turn within, we won't find a particular object that we could point to and say, 'ah, that is Awareness' (all objects are displayed in and as awareness but awareness is not limited to/by any one object) -- for whatever objects perceived through awareness is not itself the all-perceiving Awareness -- so instead of finding an object which we can see, we actually discover our original nature as vast luminous space encompassing the entire universe. The Seer cannot be seen (for what's seen are objects seen by the Seer), but in it, everything is perceived. It's all-encompassing. It's not that it's 'everywhere in the universe' (it's not objective), but rather, the 'everywhere' is itself occuring in and as the all-encompassing Consciousness. Don't get stuck at any states and experiences and inquire relentlessly, 'to whom is this occuring?', 'Who is aware?', 'Who am I?' -- the purpose of this is not to answer it by concepts, otherwise it will lose its purpose, which is to look within than get stuck on the level of thoughts and experience. By the way to say that Awareness is a 'Seer' is not exactly right, because eventually the Witness will dissolve into all that is witnessed, or rather the practitioner realises that the Witness is not other than whatever is witnessed. There is just One Witnessing, not divided into witness/witnessed. However the first step is to first recognise and realise the I AM, the Witness.

This is actually so simple, direct, and close (not in a sense of short distance, but in a sense of having NO distance at all) and intimate: it is what you already are. Any attempt to grasp it is to miss the point: when you're already at the North Pole, any movement towards anywhere is a movement away from that center. Any seeking (to understand, to experience, etc) is a movement away from what we already are. When we realise what we are, we see why we've been missing it: it's too simple and direct. This is why it's constantly overlooked, because the mind is always 'looking outwards', even when it comes to spirituality -- still trying to figure out a way to understand or experience It (whatever it is seeking), while all the while going in the wrong directions -- looking Away from the True Source. It is because of our constant identification and fixation on our thoughts, feelings and perceptions, that we do not notice what has been always and already here.

Also... by attempting to mentally comprehend reality, we have reduced the ungraspable living reality it into a dead concept, an object of grasping, which is an illusion. A passage from the 6th Patriarch Hui-Neng's Platform Sutra came to my mind:

"One day the Master said to the congregation, "I have something with no head, no tail, no name, no label, no back, no front: do you recognize it?"

Shen-hui came forth and said, "This is the original source of all buddhas, my buddha-nature."

The Master said, "I just told you it has no name or label; then you immediately call it the original source, the buddha-nature. Later on, when you have a bunch of thatch covering your head, you will still just be a follower of intellectual understanding.""

Seeing the utter futility of the mind with regards to self-knowledge, keep the advise by Tilopa in mind:

Let go of the past.
Let go of the future.
Let go of the present.
Do not analyze.
Do not meditate.
Just be.

I hope the readers haven't learnt anything from this, but dropped everything. May the clouds of ignorance dissipate in all sentient beings and the pure sun of Awareness reveal itself.

“So many words you have learnt, so many you have spoken. You know everything, but you do not know yourself. For the self is not known through words, only direct insight will reveal it. Look within, search within.” – Nisargadatta Maharaj

如法不如法 replied by syncopation_music @ Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:49:11 +0800

syncopation_music — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:49:11 +0800

Originally posted by Mymail12505:

Is any one that can tell me whether is that any possible that thing can be happened in the Buddhist society . subject: 如法不如法 “女众可否带领男僧团吗”

During the Buddha's time ,Buddha stepmother Maha prajapati lead the Women fellowship

Lady Kshema expounded on the teachings of emptiness

Ven Tsang Hui carefully preserved Ven Yin Shun works till now

Which one is Bu ru fa ?

Its your differentiation of mind at work ..

If ,according to you , Buddhism will regress in the world of Human spiritual Development to 2900 years ago

如法不如法 replied by An Eternal Now @ Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:56:51 +0800

An Eternal Now — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:56:51 +0800

Can you elaborate what you mean by 女众可否带领男僧团吗

First of all, is the women monks or layman? And what do you mean by 带领

As far as I know, there is no such thing as women not being able to guide men in Buddhism.

Our Buddha Nature, present in all beings, is neither male nor female.

如法不如法 replied by Mymail12505 @ Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:36:53 +0800

Mymail12505 — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:36:53 +0800

Is any one that can tell me whether is that any possible that thing can be happened in the Buddhist society . subject: 如法不如法 “女众可否带领男僧团吗”

mahayana & theravada replied by Wongsanz @ Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:17:21 +0800

Wongsanz — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:17:21 +0800

anyway thanks AEN & SM.... you guys are really helpful. Cheers

mahayana & theravada replied by syncopation_music @ Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:26:05 +0800

syncopation_music — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:26:05 +0800

Originally posted by Wongsanz:

not sure about her traditions..... but i do know she knows most of her stuffs from 菩提道次第广论 lessons... I agree with you that it's important to understand the essence of that the Buddha teach... But just worry that there are Mahayana & Theraveda, wanna make clear that i'm not doing anything wrong in regards to the offering.....

Dear Wongsanz

if you were to ask me , i think i will feel whatever tradition of statue it is from ,still offering from your Bodhicitta ,and not the tradition it represents

i have sent you a pm ,will explain to you clearly some of the guidelines

may call you after 10pm .as i am busy with my work

Alm offering to the Sangha replied by knightlll @ Mon, 02 Nov 2009 06:56:08 +0800

knightlll — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 06:56:08 +0800

What to do on 01/01/2010 ?

Tada...

http://www.kmspks.org/ch/events/alms2010.htm

mahayana & theravada replied by An Eternal Now @ Mon, 02 Nov 2009 02:07:08 +0800

An Eternal Now — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 02:07:08 +0800

Here's an article for you to consider:

A Brief Introduction to
Setting up a Buddhist Altar

Writer in Chinese by Dr. Yutang Lin

Translated by Chien-Yun Hsu

This essay briefly presents Guru C. M. Chen's teaching on the meanings and principles of setting up a Buddhist altar so as to provide a practical manual for the beginners. References are listed behind for those who are interested in further studies.

A. The Meanings of Setting up a Buddhist Altar

a. To invoke holy beings to come down and stay so as to enrich the wisdom and compassion of the practitioner and his family daily until the Perfect Enlightenment is achieved.

b. All sorts of attendant practices such as prostrations, offerings, praises, etc. are included in the daily practices so that, firstly, the merits for achieving enlightenment are accumulated by deepening the relationship of Refuge; and secondly, the bodhicitta is nourished through extending the merits toward the attainment of Buddhahood for all sentient beings.

c. By means of gazing at Buddhas, lighting lamps, burning incense, offering flowers, prostrating, etc., the functions of the five sense-organs are completely absorbed in the Buddhist practices and hence the purification of the practitioner's mind is enhanced and accelerated.

d. It is easier to form an unalterable habit by doing the daily practices not only at a regular time but also at a definite place.

e. The grandeur and serenity of a Buddhist altar would demonstrate the practitioner's faith in taking the Refuge and give visitors chances of acquainting with and taking delight in such practices.

B. The Location of a Buddhist Altar

It is ideal to set up a Buddhist altar in a dedicated room. If the building is of two or more stories, it is proper to set it up on the top floor. If there is no dedicated room available, a quiet place or a room which can be closed up for quiet meditation at the regular practice time should be selected.

The orientation of a Buddhist altar depends on the main Buddha worshipped. If the practitioner majors in the Pureland school, the main Holiness should be Amitabha Buddha And hence the altar

should be oriented toward the East. In case of the Healing Buddha who eliminates misfortunes and prolongs lives, it should be orientated toward the West. (All notes below are added into the English translation by Dr. Lin. Note 1: Amitabha Buddha's Pureland is in the West, hence the altar ideally is to be set up such that when we face Him, we are facing the West. A similar remark applies to the case of the Healing Buddha whose Pureland is in the East.) If the wall available is not of the ideal orientation, it is also fine to ignore this point. It is proper to select a wall with sufficient illumination so that it is easier for the practitioner to concentrate on gazing at the holy images .

C. The Installation of the Images of Buddhas

The images of Buddhas selected should have been made according to correct rules. Try to avoid those made of fragile materials, such as porcelain, so that they will not be damaged in accidental falls.

In general, holy images complete with a seat are to be selected for an altar. However, in case of an antique image that had been worshipped by some virtuous Buddhist for a long time, even though it is scarred and cracked a little, it is still fine to welcome it home with respect and continue worshipping.

It is proper to ask a virtuous Buddhist practitioner to perform the invocation ceremony for a Buddhist image so as to bring in the body, speech, mind, merits and activities of the depicted holy being. If a Buddhist statue is hollow, it should be fully filled in advance with sutras, mantras, holy relics, jewels, dried pine or cypress leaves etc. by the practitioner who is going to conduct the invocation. If there is no virtuous Buddhist practitioner near by, it is also fine to install and worship the images first and get the invocation done in the future when chances arise.

The Buddhist images hung on the wall should be positioned according to their status. Usually, they are hung in rows from top down in the order of guru, yidam, dakini and protector. Again, in the rows, they should be arranged in the order of Dharmakaya, Sambhogakaya and Nirmanakaya or of Buddha, Bodhisattva, Pratyekabuddha and Arhat. There are two ways to arrange the images in a row:

1. The superiority is from right to left - the highest one starts from the right most side of the wall (i.e. the left-hand side of the practitioner when he faces the wall).

2. The superiority starts from the middle and then in turn to its right-hand side and its left-hand side as follows.

The shape and size of the images should also be taken into consideration so that the resultant combination would be symmetrical and nice looking. Hence one of the two ways introduced above can be chosen to produce the best arrangement possible. (Note 2: On one altar, the two ways introduced above may be applied respectively to different rows. For example, the images on the wall may be arranged according to the second way, while the holy statues on the table may be arranged according to the first way.) The image of a yidam and the image of its mandala should be hung in a column but not in a row. The mandala can be either over or under its yidam. For example, the picture of the Western Pureland may be hung over or under the image of Amitabha Buddha but not beside it. The superiority on the right as mentioned above is an ancient custom of Sakyamuni Buddha handed down in India and Tibet. The images of the three Holinesses of the Western Pureland as drawn by the Chinese painters usually follow the Chinese custom of superiority on the left, and hence with Avalokitesvara and Mahasthanaprapta on Amitabha's left and right respectively. If both Bodhisattvas are painted facing toward the Buddha, we are obliged to follow the underlying local custom in our arrangement. If the three images are not on one sheet of paper and the two Bodhisattvas are facing forward, then it is more proper to put Avalokitesvara on the right (Note 3: and mahasthanaprapta on the left of Amitabha Buddha) according to Sakyamuni's original custom.

If the wall chosen is not large enough for hanging all the images, some of them may be hung on the other three walls of the room. On each wall, the images should still be installed according to the principles explained above. The images of protectors may be hung on the wall opposite to the alter at lower positions so that they can pay attention to the instructions of Buddhas. It is also fine to add an offering table with offerings under the images of protectors to form an altar dedicated to these Dharma protectors.

Buddhist statues may be placed on the altar table. If there is only one table, arrange the statues near the wall and the offerings before them. (Note 4: Some altar uses two tables: a higher one set near the wall for placing the statues and a lower one in front for placing the offerings.) The order of arrangement is still determined as mentioned above. If there are two or more rows, do not let the bigger statues block the view of the smaller ones. It is proper to have the altar table and the offering table covered with majestic cloths or decorated with carved designs of auspiciousness.

It is proper to put the sariras (Note 5: i.e. relics of holy Buddhists) in a miniature sarira-stupa with transparent glass windows and place it on the altar table for worshipping.

D.The Location of the Bookshelves for Sutras

All Buddhas are born from the Dharma (Note 6: i.e. Enlightenment is achieved through following the Buddhist teachings), hence sutras and mantras may only be placed over or beside the Buddhist images or statues to show respect. It is a mistake to put sutras and mantras under the images of Buddhas or offering tables. Sutras or mantras may also be placed on the altar table for worshipping. Make sure that nothing is placed on top of them (Note 7: except protective or ornamental coverings.) If there is only one bookcase which is not for the exclusive use of sutras, sutras and mantras should be placed on the top shelves; Buddhist books and the audio cassettes of Buddhist hymns and Amitabha chanting, the middle ones; and books on other religions or worldly affairs, the bottom ones.

Those practitioners who intend to circulate, free of charges, Buddhist books and images may assign a part of a bookcase or set a dedicated bookcase near the Buddhist altar or in the parlor for that purpose so that visitors may select and pick up whatever they are interested in.

E. The Placement of the Dharma Implements

Dharma implements, such as a wooden fish, hand-bell, Dharma wheel, bell and vajra, etc., may be placed in front or on either side of the Buddhist images on an altar table. A Buddhist rosary may be coiled clockwise to form a lotus seat with three loops so that the father- and mother- beads stand upright on the seat. While picking up a set of bell and vajra, cross the hands with the right one over the left one and take the vajra with the right hand, and the bell, the left one. The way of putting down the bell and vajra is the same as the way of picking them up. Hence the bell is placed closely on the left of the vajra on the table. The female Buddha's face on the bell-handle should face the practitioner. If there is a Tantric drum (Damaru), it should be placed, standing on its side (instead of one drumhead flat on the table), to the right of a vajra. If a Dharma wheel can not stand steadily by itself, its handle may be inserted into a cup filled with rice. Tantric implements, such as ritual daggers and curved knives, should be placed close to the holy beings who use them. If they are set flat on the table, their sharp ends should face away from the images so as to defend against demons. If they stand upright, their sharp ends should point downwards. Hence daggers are sometimes inserted in a tube filled with rice. The counters for counting the numbers of chantings, offerings or prostrations may also be placed on the edge of an altar table. The board for prostrating and the cushions for worshipping or meditating may be placed in front of an offering table. If there is room under the table, they may be stored in there when they are not in use.

F. The placement of the Offerings

A censer may be placed in the middle of an offering table. The censer should be filled with incense ash or fine sand (Note 8: so that incense sticks may be inserted to stand upright.) It may also be filled with rice first, and then, after a fair amount of incense ash has accumulated, the contents thereof are sieved to preserve the ash. A censer may also be used for burning powdered or shredded sandalwood. The way is to bum the powdered sandalwood first, and then gradually add the shreds of sandalwood. In order to prevent the walls from getting smoked, a censer with cover for incense to lie in may be used. If an incense stick extinguishes before it is entirely burned up, it may not be lit again, but it may be placed in a censer for lying incense and be reused. (Note 9: An incense stick that stands up in a censer and fails to burn through is called a "beheaded" incense. It is considered irrespectful to offer the rest of that stick while it stands. When we use the remaining parts in a lying position, we consider it as mere incense powder.) Do not pull out and extinguish an incense which is still burning. Do not use the electric counterfeit incense sticks with tiny bulbs in place of the real ones. In case it is forbidden to burn incense in a rented house or room, at least, three or five pieces of sandalwood should be offered on the table.

A pair of lamps may be set on the left and right sides of the offering table in front of the Buddhist images. It would be better to have lamps that are majestically decorated with dragons or lotus-flowers. It is best to use small red bulbs for the lamps and leave them on all the time. Besides, butter lamps, peanut-oil lamps or candles may also be added as offerings.

A couple of flower vases should be placed on both sides of an offering table. Beautiful and decorative vases which are not fragile, for example, Cloisonne vases, are preferable. Fresh flowers in season are recommended. Artificial flowers which are well arranged would also be fine. In this case, whenever the fresh flowers become available, they may be offered in additional vases. Several peacock feathers may also be offered in the flower vases. Flowers of thorny plants should not be offered to Buddhas. They may only be offered to Dharma protectors who are brave beyond being afraid of thorns. When the flowers in a vase are well arranged, the best-looking side should be turned toward the Buddhist images.

In front of the censer, a row of offering cups may be set up. In Exoteric schools, three cups of clean water may be offered. In Tantric schools, seven, eight or nine cups may be used according to different traditions. The offerings in the cups are essentially the same for all traditions. Eight cups stand for eight offerings; they are, starting from the right side of the images, water (for washing), water (for drinking), flowers, incense (for burning), lamp, saffron (for perfuming), food and music respectively. Usually seven cups of water are offered. Food is offered beside them. (Note 10: In this case, although all seven cups contain only water, they are visualized as the seven kinds of offerings, besides food, mentioned above.) The sixth cup of water which stands for saffron may be added with a few drops of perfume (Note 11: instead of saffron, but not in addition thereto.) The distance between two adjacent cups (Note 12: measured from rim to rim) is about the length of a long grain of rice. On the offering table in a retreat room, two rows of offering cups may also be set up. The row nearer to Buddhist images is for Buddhas. The other row which is nearer to the practitioner is for the practitioner who possesses the Buddha Pride of his yidam. This row of cups start from the right-hand side of the practitioner for what they stand for as explained above.

Usually, a Tantric practitioner would offer a mandala. It consists of seven or thirty-seven offerings. In addition, The Nyingma School practitioners offer their special trikaya mandala.

All kinds of fruits in season or food may be offered. Generally, Exoteric practitioners make only vegetarian offerings. Tantric practitioners include meat in their offerings but they should not kill or ask other people to kill in order to get the meat. Only meat available from markets may be purchased for offerings.

G. The Adding and Replacement of the Offerings

It is proper to add or replace the offerings before each meal. Incense may be offered at any time, but at least twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. If the oil lamps or candles other than the unceasingly lit lamps can not be offered very often, they should be lit in the evening or during daily practices. The water in vases for the fresh flowers should be replaced every two or three days. The withered flowers should be removed when noticed. Artificial flowers may be replaced after several months. Before going to bed or after the evening practice, visualize the offering water to be nectar and then pour it away to feed hungry ghosts. Dry the cups, pile them up in two sets and put them upside-down on the table. (The sixth cup for the water added with perfume is placed alone. The others are all in one pile.) If the cups can not be piled up, they may be placed upside-down separately. After getting up in the morning, set the seven cups in place again. The forth one may first be placed before the censer as the central reference, and then set the left and right three ones respectively. Then pour the water into the cups from a teakettle and repeat "Om Ah Hum" while pouring. (Note 13: Fill the cups four fifth full.) Whenever one makes offerings, one should repeat "Om Ah Hum." The mandala should be added with rice. If there is no time to replace the rice in the mandala everyday, it should be done on the four days when offerings are made to gurus, yidams, dakinis, and protectors respectively. (In order, the four days are the eighth, fifteenth, twenty-fifth and twenty- ninth of each month in (Note 14: the Chinese or Tibetan) lunar calendar. For a Nyingma School practitioner, the eighth is replaced by the tenth which is a special day of Padmasambhava.) All food offerings should be removed after the period of burning up one incense or one or two days before they would become spoiled so as to avoid the contrary result of committing a sin. The value of offerings depends more on the sincerity of the offerer, hence offerings that are specially bought or prepared for Buddhas are best. Food for ourselves may also be offered to Buddhas before we take it so that we can obtain the Buddhas' blessings. While eating, one visualizes the food to be nectar. The offerings removed may be taken by ourselves or be given to the beings outdoors while repeating the Giving of Leftovers Mantra: "Om Woojeedza Palingda kaka Kasee Kasee" so that they can also share Buddhas' grace. All the rice removed from the mandala may be fed to birds. The incense, candles, rice, matches, etc. for making offerings may be stored in the drawers of the offering table or under it for convenience. Matches are poisonous, hence they should not be placed on the offering table. If there are small children in the family, the matches and candles should be stored at other higher places so that they cannot be reached and played by kids.

H.The Disposition of an Altar during Traveling or Moving

When you are out traveling, you had better ask someone else to do the offerings at the altar as usual and you yourself should also make a remote offering of food before each meal. (Note 15: Before each meal, chant "Om Ah Hum" three times and visualize the food has been offered to all Buddhas and their attendants, including the holy beings worshipped at your own altar.) If nobody else can do the offerings at home for you, you first visualize that all the holy beings on your altar melt into light and enter your heart cakra or the hand-held Dharma wheel that you usually use. Then remove the fresh flowers and those food that would become rotten, extinguish the candles and pour away the offering water. While traveling, offer your food to the holy beings in the Dharma wheel brought along with you before each meal, or visualize that you are offering the food to the holy beings in your heart while you are eating. After you have returned home, then visualize that the Holy beings come out as lights from your heart or the Dharma wheel and return to their images respectively.

When you are going to move or just to move the altar to another room, visualize that the Holy beings enter your heart cakra or a Dharma wheel in the form of lights before you move anything on the altar. After you have set up the Buddhist altar again at the new place, then visualize the Holy beings return to their images in the form of lights. If there is a virtuous Buddhist practitioner near by, an invocation ceremony may be performed again.

I. Concluding Remarks

The very brief introduction above is intended for practical applications so that explanations on the profound theoretical significances are omitted. I hope that the beginners would set up their Buddhist altars accordingly, start to do the preliminary practices, such as offerings and prostrations and form a habit of practising at a regular time and a definite place. And please do not be content with what you have learned from this, but study further the supplementary readings listed below so as to understand the differences between worshipping a Buddhist altar and a godly altar, the way to establish a proper relationship with the Buddhist images and the meanings and symbolizations at various levels of the multitude of offerings.

Written during an isolated retreat on December 16, 1986

Supplementary Readings

1. Yogi C. M. Chen, Chenian Booklet No.57 Images & Decorations.

2. Yogi C. M. Chen, Chenian Booklet No.73 Chenian Commentary on the Tantric Ritual of Avalokitesvara White and Red. Volume I.

The Grateful Commemoration Stanza to
Sakyamuni Buddha

Chinese Original by Yogi C. M. Chen
English Translation by Dr. Yutang Lin
May 12, 1989

Like thunders waking up beings in the hibernation of Ignorance, As moonlight shining through barred windows upon jailbirds, Buddha expounded the Tathagata-garbha luminously and fully; Remembering such grace of Sakyamuni Buddha makes our tears flow!

Like a silkworm imprisoned by its cocoon of selffabrication, we are caught in the illusive net of our Karmic threads; The more our efforts to untangle it, the deeper our entanglement therein; Buddha's transcendental wisdom clarified the nonexistence of such inherent sufferers; Remembering such grace of Sakyamuni Buddha makes our tears flow!

Buddha secretly realized the Bliss of Nirvana, Not arising through practices, but existing innately to be enjoyed; Buddha unconditionally presented the complete collection of His treasures to us; Remembering such grace of Sakyamuni Buddha makes our tears flow!

The Light of Victorious Significance is continuously omnipresent; Silently holding a flower to hint at the indescribable Truth, Buddha showed us the meaning of the oneness of Samsara and Nirvana; Remembering such grace of Sakyamuni Buddha makes our tears flow!

May All Be Auspicious!

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