One day an aged Zen master met an old lady who was unlike most that he'd encountered.
While most old people were glum and gloomy, this lady was happy and lively. On her arm was basket filled with pretty flowers.
"Hello, Ma'am," he said. "How are you doing?"
"Hello, honoured master. I am fine."
"Why are you so bubbly and full of cheer?"
"Well, though I am old and grey, I know that soon when I am gone, I shall be reborn in the Pure Land and will meet Amida Buddha, all my deceased relatives, and perhaps even Saint Shinran, too."
"Ah, but where is this Amida Buddha?"
"Right here," replied the old woman, pointing to her heart with a smile on her face. Then she gave the Zen master a flower, and went merrily on her way.
To himself, the master exclaimed, "Now that woman knows the Pure Land intimately."
One Zen koan that is posed to a Zen practitioner is the question, "What is the face that you had before you were born?"
While "Mu" would be the stereotypical Zen answer, I feel that the smile of peaceful bliss, constitutes the Shin Buddhist's answer.
In the Pure Land of Bliss, Buddha-essence incarnates as a bodhisattva. That bodhisattva receives instructions from Amida to prepare for the wonderful journey in the human realm.
In the human realm, that bodhisattva is transformed into Buddha-essence which is incarnated in a human being as a karmic seed being nurtured by positive life events in preparation for the spiritual mission which all Buddhists undertake: to be of service to others.
Thus it is the prime objective of a Shin Buddhist to be reborn in the Pure Land so that the Buddha-essence incarnated within is reborn as a bodhisattva to prepare for future rebirth in the human realm. Furthermore, the aspiration of a Buddhist is to be reborn in a Buddhist family.
Is this the same as reincarnation? No, because the Buddha-essence is not a soul. It is but a karmic seed which is nurtured by the positive life experience of the person within whom it incarnates. Most of the life experience is spiritual in nature, and suitably ought to be Buddhist.
If the Buddha-essence is incarnated in a person born to a family who is not Buddhist, then the karmic seed lies dormant until that person hears of Amida Buddha and his 48 Vows, and aspires to become a Buddhist. Otherwise, that seed lies dormant.
If, after hearing those 48 Vows, a person aspires to be reborn in the Pure Land, then iss there anything that he does to prevent rebirth? Because his aspiration to be reborn in the Pure Land is activated on hearing Dharmakara's 48 Vows, it still requires sincere practice on his part to prepare for rebirth. Therefore, the Buddhist is still required to practice the Five Precepts (non-violence towards other sentient beings, refraining from theft, appropriate sensual conduct, speaking the truth, and refraining from intoxicants which lead to loss of mindfulness).
However, reciting Nembutsu is supposed to generate spiritual merit and sow seeds of good karma to help undo failure to follow the Five Precepts, provided that the Buddhist practitioner follows the precepts.
Returning to the question "What is the face I had before I was born?", if the answer is "peaceful bliss", then the question then becomes, "What is the face of peaceful bliss?" The answer is, a smile.
To quickly achieve such bliss, the Buddhist practitioner is advised to practice the Name-that-calls (the Nembutsu) with utmost devotion and sincerity.
This makes it easier to visual the thirteen contemplations found in the Amitāyus Meditation Sūtra. However, not everyone is able to complete the contemplations without a visual guide.
Such a visual guide is found in the Taima Mandala.
Since the thirteen contemplations are not for the average layperson, usually the Nembutsu suffices, provided that the practitioner knows why: to hear Amida's call to be reborn in the Pure Land of Bliss. This is why it is called the Name-That-Calls.
In Chinese Pure Land Buddhism, the Nembutsu is known as as Nianfo, and the practice of reciting the Nianfo is called Buddha Remembrance.
Since this Pure Land is the Buddha world of Amida Buddha, it is both a state of mind (peaceful bliss) and an afterlife (the Pure Land of Bliss). Knowing that I go there after my death relieves me of all anxiety about death. Being relieved of such anxiety, I still recite the Nembutsu to achieve the state of mind called "peaceful bliss".
For a mind bathed in the calm waters of such bliss is freed of anxiety about death. Being freed of such anxiety, I am able to realize that happiness is a journey, not a goal. Knowing happiness is a journey, the practitioner is free to enjoy life as it is.
What is life as it is? Well, for one thing, it surely is not life as it is supposed to be, which for most people is disappointing. If life is supposed to be easy, then people experiencing hardship would be disappointed. If life is supposed to be hard, then people should be relieved that it is sometimes easy. In any case, life as it is supposed to be is a life that is so unsatisfactory that a person may wish for a life more satisfactory. In the end, experiencing life as it is is satisfactory.
For life as it is is a life which is enjoyed, and the path to such a life is obtained by reciting the Nembutsu mindfully, with the aspiration of being born in the Pure Land.
Returning to the question, "What is the face I had before I was born?", I can only answer "peaceful bliss" and claim not to know what that face looks like. It is not the Nembutsu's purpose to know that.
Yet, on deeper examination of the question, it becomes possible to see the only similarity between my face and the face I had before I was born is a smile!
When I smile while reciting Nembutsu and when I smile while meditating, my mind is becalmed and peaceful bliss arises.
For the smile is the result of bliss.
So the more precise answer to the question "What is the face I had before I was born?" is to smile and hand the Zen master a flower.
Showing posts with label Buddha-essence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Buddha-essence. Show all posts
20121102
Jodo Shinshu and the Afterlife
"Those patients who have not been able to vocalize or come to terms with their conceptions of the afterlife are consistently glummer, grimmer, and gloomier than those who speak with conviction about looking forward to meeting the Buddha Amida, their relatives, or other saints in the world to come." — Carl Becker, "Aging, Dying, and Bereavement in Contemporary Japan"
For some time I have held a repressed belief that "I" will be reborn in the Pure Land to receive further instruction in preparation of rebirth in the human realm. That "I" is not the ego, since it fears death; rather, it is the Buddha-essence which is incarnated in my present form.
I too look forward to meeting with Amida Buddha, my father and relatives who died before me, or even Shinran, the founder of Jodo Shinshu!
However, that Buddha-essence could provide the answer to the Zen koan "What is the face you had before you were born?".
Since I am not an advanced student of meditation, it is impossible for me to answer this question as I have yet to encounter the Buddha-essence which has incarnated within my body.
As well, Jodo Shinshu provides no training in this respect since it was founded mainly to help settle the mind of the Buddhist practitioner regarding the afterlife. Once settled, the mind is able to accept death and not fear it. Without such a fear, all anxiety about death is forgotten. Being freed of this anxiety, the practitioner is able to carry on with life in a manner that is positive, happy and full of joy.
Thus is it possible for me to view death, not as the end of life, but as the gateway to the Pure Land.
Having said this, I feel that a separate blog entry is necessary for me to discuss Buddha-essence with respect to the koan I mentioned.
Reference:
Carl Becker: http://nirc.nanzan-u.ac.jp/publications/EJPhilosophy/PDF/EJP4-Becker.pdf
For some time I have held a repressed belief that "I" will be reborn in the Pure Land to receive further instruction in preparation of rebirth in the human realm. That "I" is not the ego, since it fears death; rather, it is the Buddha-essence which is incarnated in my present form.
I too look forward to meeting with Amida Buddha, my father and relatives who died before me, or even Shinran, the founder of Jodo Shinshu!
However, that Buddha-essence could provide the answer to the Zen koan "What is the face you had before you were born?".
Since I am not an advanced student of meditation, it is impossible for me to answer this question as I have yet to encounter the Buddha-essence which has incarnated within my body.
As well, Jodo Shinshu provides no training in this respect since it was founded mainly to help settle the mind of the Buddhist practitioner regarding the afterlife. Once settled, the mind is able to accept death and not fear it. Without such a fear, all anxiety about death is forgotten. Being freed of this anxiety, the practitioner is able to carry on with life in a manner that is positive, happy and full of joy.
Thus is it possible for me to view death, not as the end of life, but as the gateway to the Pure Land.
Having said this, I feel that a separate blog entry is necessary for me to discuss Buddha-essence with respect to the koan I mentioned.
Reference:
Carl Becker: http://nirc.nanzan-u.ac.jp/publications/EJPhilosophy/PDF/EJP4-Becker.pdf
20121101
Belief in Buddha Nature Root of Transmigration
Sometimes I get asked, "Do Buddhists believe in an immortal soul?" by Christians.
As a Buddhist, "immortal soul" is like blasphemy. This is different from an afterlife in heaven eternally with Jesus. The eternal life Paul wrote of does not suggest an immortal soul. Rather, it appears to be a guarantee of living with Jesus in heaven eternally in the afterlife.
Except for the "eternal life" part, that afterlife is painted with similar elements in the Pure Land tradition.
Additionally, most Christians and all atheists find the tradition of Pure Land hard to swallow, because for Christians, the Pure Land is a benign Purgatory where every "soul" (a spark of Buddha Nature actually) is there to receive instructions before being reborn in the human realm. As for atheists, they cannot stomach religion, despite its influence on the body politic both now and in the past.
Yet the Buddhist heavens extend beyond a Buddha's Pure Land. In layman's terms, Pure Land refers to the state of mind a practitioner aspire towards, be it love, happiness, compassion, justified wrath, etc. Ergo, the Buddhas of Mahayana bring life to a Buddhist's emotions and feelings, and to the mind itself.
As I have written before on my blog, the word for God for most Buddhists is the Absolute. Some commentators mistake Heaven for it. Yet the Absolute too is a temporary thing. Most Buddhists believe that even their Buddhas have a finite lifespan, even in their respective Buddha worlds / Pure Land.
Indeed, the Buddhist afterlife extends from heaven down to hell. Our human realm (reality) is just one of those after-lives. This belief does not suggest the soul is immortal since that violates the non-self ideal i.e. self is impermanent with limited life span. A reborn "soul" evolves through successive life times. Ergo the original essence is but a part of the Buddha i.e. Buddha-essence. Thus, Buddha-essence replaces the soul for most Buddhists.
Buddha-essence is the sacred nature that is the inspiration for sentient beings becoming Buddhas. This is why Sokka Gokai call its members bodhisattvas, which means more than "angel". It also means "a person aspiring to be a Buddha".
Yet Buddha-essence has less to do with a soul and more to do with the nature of human consciousness and the means of spiritual awakening, i.e. becoming aware that one's purpose in life is to be of service to others.
To sum up, Buddhists do not believe in an immortal soul. They may have a belief in the Buddha-essence which is the fruit of the karma of the Buddha, freely given to all sentient beings at birth. Indeed, it is not the soul that transmigrates in a new incarnation, it is the karma that bears fruit in a new birth.
For all the actions of an infant's parents and their parents before them bear fruit in that child. As a Japanese person, this is important to me as my ancestors before me worshipped their ancestors, not due to pagan ideals, but out of respect to them. Thus ancestor worship is the ideal of respect for the dead.
Hopefully the gentle reader now knows that I do not believe in an immortal soul but in the Buddha-essence that incarnates first in a Pure Land and then returns to this human realm, despite being given the choice of the many heavens of Buddhist cosmology.
For Buddhists soon wish to be reborn in the human realm because it is the home of human suffering. Indeed, on this shiny blue planent is where we find the face before we, as bodhisattvas, were born.
As a Buddhist, "immortal soul" is like blasphemy. This is different from an afterlife in heaven eternally with Jesus. The eternal life Paul wrote of does not suggest an immortal soul. Rather, it appears to be a guarantee of living with Jesus in heaven eternally in the afterlife.
Except for the "eternal life" part, that afterlife is painted with similar elements in the Pure Land tradition.
Additionally, most Christians and all atheists find the tradition of Pure Land hard to swallow, because for Christians, the Pure Land is a benign Purgatory where every "soul" (a spark of Buddha Nature actually) is there to receive instructions before being reborn in the human realm. As for atheists, they cannot stomach religion, despite its influence on the body politic both now and in the past.
Yet the Buddhist heavens extend beyond a Buddha's Pure Land. In layman's terms, Pure Land refers to the state of mind a practitioner aspire towards, be it love, happiness, compassion, justified wrath, etc. Ergo, the Buddhas of Mahayana bring life to a Buddhist's emotions and feelings, and to the mind itself.
As I have written before on my blog, the word for God for most Buddhists is the Absolute. Some commentators mistake Heaven for it. Yet the Absolute too is a temporary thing. Most Buddhists believe that even their Buddhas have a finite lifespan, even in their respective Buddha worlds / Pure Land.
Indeed, the Buddhist afterlife extends from heaven down to hell. Our human realm (reality) is just one of those after-lives. This belief does not suggest the soul is immortal since that violates the non-self ideal i.e. self is impermanent with limited life span. A reborn "soul" evolves through successive life times. Ergo the original essence is but a part of the Buddha i.e. Buddha-essence. Thus, Buddha-essence replaces the soul for most Buddhists.
Buddha-essence is the sacred nature that is the inspiration for sentient beings becoming Buddhas. This is why Sokka Gokai call its members bodhisattvas, which means more than "angel". It also means "a person aspiring to be a Buddha".
Yet Buddha-essence has less to do with a soul and more to do with the nature of human consciousness and the means of spiritual awakening, i.e. becoming aware that one's purpose in life is to be of service to others.
To sum up, Buddhists do not believe in an immortal soul. They may have a belief in the Buddha-essence which is the fruit of the karma of the Buddha, freely given to all sentient beings at birth. Indeed, it is not the soul that transmigrates in a new incarnation, it is the karma that bears fruit in a new birth.
For all the actions of an infant's parents and their parents before them bear fruit in that child. As a Japanese person, this is important to me as my ancestors before me worshipped their ancestors, not due to pagan ideals, but out of respect to them. Thus ancestor worship is the ideal of respect for the dead.
Hopefully the gentle reader now knows that I do not believe in an immortal soul but in the Buddha-essence that incarnates first in a Pure Land and then returns to this human realm, despite being given the choice of the many heavens of Buddhist cosmology.
For Buddhists soon wish to be reborn in the human realm because it is the home of human suffering. Indeed, on this shiny blue planent is where we find the face before we, as bodhisattvas, were born.
20110822
Patience is the Beginning of Wisdom (poem)
Patience is the beginning
of all known wisdom,
for she who waits patiently
reaps the benefits
of her fortitude.
He who waits will gain
much from patience than from haste,
that each little pain
is the bitter fruit of waste,
whose black juice his heart does stain.
Yet patience has as reward
the sweetest wisdom,
worth far more than gold itself —
to savor with ease
with plenty of time to spare.
20110702
Listen to the Heart-mind (poem)
When in meditation, listen
to the heart-mind —
the discriminating mind working
together with the discerning heart.
In the heart-mind
is the seed of Buddha-essence.
Cultivate that seed
with meditation, and nourish it
by being helpful and of service
to all living beings,
for they are all Buddhas.
In doing so, you cultivate compassion
with the heart-mind.
20110610
Self-Disclosure as Therapy
Writing about my life is therapeutic.
In my family of origin, I was deemed the problem child.
At the root of it was the shame my mother experienced when it was learned I was born with two birth defects. Much of this shame was due to her mother-in-law and my father, despite the fact that his brother was born with epilepsy and died of it.
In reaction to being shamed, my mother developed anxiety about it and passed that onto me. I recall being shamed by her, too. Also, my father used to shame me, too.
I remember one incident of being told by my father to straighten out my arms, and being made to feel as though it was abnormal not to have my right arm be straight.
In reporting this, by exposing this hurt to light, it will be impossible to feel ashamed for being born less than perfect.
For I know it to be true that no one thinks of himself as being perfect, for we are all human and prone to error.
Yet there is still room for spiritual healing to help me recover from the childhood years of neglect and abuse, and especially to remain forgiving towards my parents.
In my family of origin, I was deemed the problem child.
At the root of it was the shame my mother experienced when it was learned I was born with two birth defects. Much of this shame was due to her mother-in-law and my father, despite the fact that his brother was born with epilepsy and died of it.
In reaction to being shamed, my mother developed anxiety about it and passed that onto me. I recall being shamed by her, too. Also, my father used to shame me, too.
I remember one incident of being told by my father to straighten out my arms, and being made to feel as though it was abnormal not to have my right arm be straight.
In reporting this, by exposing this hurt to light, it will be impossible to feel ashamed for being born less than perfect.
For I know it to be true that no one thinks of himself as being perfect, for we are all human and prone to error.
Yet there is still room for spiritual healing to help me recover from the childhood years of neglect and abuse, and especially to remain forgiving towards my parents.
20110604
Meditation and Buddha Nature
As a Buddhist I cannot suppress my original nature.
My original nature is Buddha Nature. For all sentient beings are born good.
Living life without spiritual guidance leads to behavioral and mental negativities which hide my original nature.
I find this Buddhist truth liberating.
Yet knowing of this truth is not enough: the Buddhist practises meditation to clear the mind of those negativities daily.
In clearing your mind, you see the origin of jealousy, anger, envy, greed, sloth, shame, guilt and other mental negativities.
You also see the origin of positive emotions such as joy, gratitude, serenity, interest, hope, pride, amusement, inspiration, awe, and love.
Then you learn how to stop clinging to your emotions by letting go of each one you experience. For emotions and feelings rise and fall with your mood.
Having seen their origins, you choose to experience both the negative and positive emotions without clinging to them so that you live your life fully.
In this way are the behavioral and mental negativities seen for what they are: afflictions which are easily remedied once we stop clinging to them.
Having let go of such negativities, the wise ones enjoy positive emotions, being freed of their afflictions.
Through the mindful use of meditation, you learn to use your emotions and feelings wisely.
When used unwisely, both the negative and positive emotions are but mental negativities which give rise to behavioral negativities. Indeed, unwise use is when emotions are experienced excessively to extremes or suppressed needlessly.
When used wisely in moderation, emotions, feelings and the intellect are expressions of Buddha Nature.
My original nature is Buddha Nature. For all sentient beings are born good.
Living life without spiritual guidance leads to behavioral and mental negativities which hide my original nature.
I find this Buddhist truth liberating.
Yet knowing of this truth is not enough: the Buddhist practises meditation to clear the mind of those negativities daily.
In clearing your mind, you see the origin of jealousy, anger, envy, greed, sloth, shame, guilt and other mental negativities.
You also see the origin of positive emotions such as joy, gratitude, serenity, interest, hope, pride, amusement, inspiration, awe, and love.
Then you learn how to stop clinging to your emotions by letting go of each one you experience. For emotions and feelings rise and fall with your mood.
Having seen their origins, you choose to experience both the negative and positive emotions without clinging to them so that you live your life fully.
In this way are the behavioral and mental negativities seen for what they are: afflictions which are easily remedied once we stop clinging to them.
Having let go of such negativities, the wise ones enjoy positive emotions, being freed of their afflictions.
Through the mindful use of meditation, you learn to use your emotions and feelings wisely.
When used unwisely, both the negative and positive emotions are but mental negativities which give rise to behavioral negativities. Indeed, unwise use is when emotions are experienced excessively to extremes or suppressed needlessly.
When used wisely in moderation, emotions, feelings and the intellect are expressions of Buddha Nature.
20110305
This Body Be Weak Though This Heart Be Willing
I am, yet am limited
By this old body;
yet this mind is all I know —
Ah, but still I reach
for the stars with mortal arms!
By this old body;
yet this mind is all I know —
Ah, but still I reach
for the stars with mortal arms!
20101219
The Vast Ocean of Life Divine (Poem)
Think of life as a vast ocean,
with fearsome shoals yet many ports.
You travel on a raft
which is rebuilt as a boat
when times are good,
but becomes a raft again
when shipwrecked on the shoals.
Once your vessel is repaired,
you are able to return to the sea of life divine,
and share of your adventures with others.
with fearsome shoals yet many ports.
You travel on a raft
which is rebuilt as a boat
when times are good,
but becomes a raft again
when shipwrecked on the shoals.
Once your vessel is repaired,
you are able to return to the sea of life divine,
and share of your adventures with others.
20101024
Buddhism with a Radical New Attitude
In America, Pure Land Buddhism is incorporating meditation so as to win new converts.
Indeed, each of the sutras have a new meaning, once the Buddhist Church of America priests adapt contemporary changes to meet the changing demographics of their members.
For me, I am adapting my view of the Buddha to widen my open-minded view of God. This is why panentheism appeals to me.
IMHO seeing the multiverse as divine implies that God is great because He created such diversity from the microscopic to the macroscopic level, from quanta to galaxies and every thing.
Although God is beyond oneself, and beyond being itself, in transcending every concept of what I think God is, He too imparts a divine spark to all life.
In my heart-mind, my view of God thus inspired by nature to be more than just the embodiment of the universe.
For God is both the Creator and created as one yet His essence is reflected in each and every creature under the sun. Though He is one, His works are many.
Yet, to be honest, the Godhead is the unknowable, and each of us knows only a small portion of knowledge.
Returning to Pure Land Buddhism, Amida Buddha is not a god but is an anthropomorphical representation of the boundless light of wisdom and the boundless life of compassion.
For it is both wisdom derived from experience which aids us in sharing our lives in a warm and loving way that promotes compassion. Likewise, compassion inspires us to share our spiritual experiences with others so that they too may be inspired to live a fuller life.
Thus I place my faith in Amida.
Indeed, each of the sutras have a new meaning, once the Buddhist Church of America priests adapt contemporary changes to meet the changing demographics of their members.
For me, I am adapting my view of the Buddha to widen my open-minded view of God. This is why panentheism appeals to me.
IMHO seeing the multiverse as divine implies that God is great because He created such diversity from the microscopic to the macroscopic level, from quanta to galaxies and every thing.
Although God is beyond oneself, and beyond being itself, in transcending every concept of what I think God is, He too imparts a divine spark to all life.
In my heart-mind, my view of God thus inspired by nature to be more than just the embodiment of the universe.
For God is both the Creator and created as one yet His essence is reflected in each and every creature under the sun. Though He is one, His works are many.
Yet, to be honest, the Godhead is the unknowable, and each of us knows only a small portion of knowledge.
Returning to Pure Land Buddhism, Amida Buddha is not a god but is an anthropomorphical representation of the boundless light of wisdom and the boundless life of compassion.
For it is both wisdom derived from experience which aids us in sharing our lives in a warm and loving way that promotes compassion. Likewise, compassion inspires us to share our spiritual experiences with others so that they too may be inspired to live a fuller life.
Thus I place my faith in Amida.
Never Alone (poem)
Just sitting serenely,
with Oya-sama nearby,
never alone is this heart-mind.
すぐ近くおやさまと、
穏やかに座って、
この心心であることだけ。
Sugu chikaku oya-sama to,
odayaka ni suwatte,
kono kokorogokorodearu koto dake.
with Oya-sama nearby,
never alone is this heart-mind.
すぐ近くおやさまと、
穏やかに座って、
この心心であることだけ。
Sugu chikaku oya-sama to,
odayaka ni suwatte,
kono kokorogokorodearu koto dake.
20100828
Buddha Nature and Enlightenment
In Mahayana Buddhism, the true nature in each person is Buddha Nature, which represents the potential in each and every one of us to reach full enlightenment. This is an intrinsic and immortal potential which exists in the mind of every sentient being. Such a potential is actualized through meditation.
First, through breath meditation, one clears the mind of defilements so that it becomes the pure mind that is essential to experience and show compassion for other sentient beings. Second, insightful meditation requires the clear mind to validate the Four Noble Truths and dependent arising in one's life through mindful practice.
"Sentient" is derived from the word "sentience" which means "the ability to feel and/or perceive". Thus "every sentient being" means "all living beings which are able to feel and/or perceive". Furthermore, Eastern thought views sentience as "the metaphysical quality of all things that require care and respect." Even nonhuman lifeforms are sentient.
In Buddhism, sentient beings made of pure consciousness are possible. Hence, the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and other gods exist in their respective Buddha-fields.
Each one of these Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and Buddhist deities represent various states of minds i.e. Amida represents wisdom and compassion, Sakyamuni Buddha represents enlightenment and/or spiritual awakening, Kuan Yin represents compassion, the devas represent aspects of enlightenment, and so on.
Indeed, the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Buddhist deities also also have a spiritual existence where they exist within the heart-mind of each and every sentient being.
Buddhists who practice meditation will then realize these internalized sentient beings as various aspects of their mind.
For each Buddha, Bodhisattva and Buddhist deity represents the pure form of each mental and emotional quality of the mind, the qualities of enlightenment such as overt and latent power ( the deities Agyo and Ugyo), latent might (Naraen / Ugyo), day and night (the Bodhisattvas known as White Tara and Blue Tara), the pure mind and body (Kuan Yin), and the power aspect of complete enlightenment (Vajrapani / Mahasthamaprapta).
Thus, the sentient beings made of pure consciousness are reflections of that intrinsic potential to reach enlightenment known as Buddha Nature .
Buddha Nature itself also is empty of defining characteristics related to sunyata and nondualism. Insightful meditation helps in understanding sunyata and nondualism.
Sunyata is known as suchness, nothingness, emptiness, and voidness, and refers to the impermanent nature of reality within context of egolessness, the concept of non-self that all things perceived by the senses including the mind are not really "I" or "mine".
Buddhist nondualism is reflected in that concept of non-self, which is the nonduality of subject and object. Thus is self and other an illusion. Nondualism is also reflected in the concept of two truths, the ultimate reality that there is no self in contrast to the conventional reality where each person speaks of himself. As well, the view of nonduality is known as wisdom while the experience of duality is known as compassion.
In this way is our ordinary dualistic experience, full of all living beings, nurtured with care always experienced as "now". Thus the Mahayana path tempers wisdom with compassion to cut through the confusions of duality.
Therefore, wisdom helps one to transform one's growing understanding of nonduality into compassion for all sentient beings in the present moment.
My own personal understanding of nonduality is that egolessness is the ultimate reality of the pure mind, which is a reflection of Buddha Nature. With the pure mind attained through meditation, I experience compassion for other people by listening to them. This is known as mindful practice.
Thus, breath meditation helps clear the mind and realize the pure mind. With the pure mind, one is able to use insightful meditation to validate the Four Noble Truths and dependent arising by experiencing one's life fully. Through insights derived from meditation, one is inspired to experience compassion for other living beings. By experiencing compassion for others, one develops mindful practice.
Reference:
Buddha Nature: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddha_Nature
Japanese Buddhist Photo Dictionary: http://www.onmarkproductions.com
Sunyata: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunyata
Nondualism: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nondualism
20100619
Pure Land Sunset
Today I saw sunset approach, and was reminded of the glorious sunset I dreamt about the night before, which lit up the sky with its redness.
Rather than reach for my camera, I just looked at it, and reflected on my dream.
Why is it that that dream stays in my mind at that time, but I did not spend more time gazing at that glorious sunset?
If it is because reality pales before the monkey mind, then it is due to me treasuring my mind over the five senses.
For I value my mind because of the desire that it be prepared for the next life.
According to Vajrayana, the color red is associated with Amida Buddha and the Pure Land.
Thus my dream of the red sunset symbolizes the afterlife, and future rebirth in the Pure Land.
20100517
All Living Beings Are Buddha (Poem)
All living beings are buddha,
for everyone we encounter in this life -
from father and mother, brother and sister,
friends, teachers, and loved ones -
teach us the sacredness of life, and thus
verify the truth of the Buddhadharma.
20100426
Buddha-Nature (poem)
I. The Essence of Buddha-Nature
Tathagatagarbha simply is
that Buddha-essence which has come,
and having arrived, is not gone;
yet gone is previous spiritual ignorance.
For Tathagatagarbha is the Buddha womb,
Sugatagarbha simply is
incorruptible, uncreated, and indestructible;
yet, it is no-self, and is not a soul.
For Sugatagarbha is Buddha-Nature
II. Buddha-Nature in All Beings
Hidden by mental and behavioural negativities
in every single being,
even the worst of sentient beings,
is that timeless, and
inherently transcendental Buddha-essence.
Indeed, all of us have
within us Buddha-Nature,
but few of us are able to realize it.
III. Buddha-Nature and the Luminous Mind
Unstained is the Luminous Mind,
by nature brightly shining and pure
for it is originally and naturally pure.
Yet it is enveloped in the garments of worldliness,
and soiled with the dirt of
attachment, hatred, delusion
and false imagining.
That stillness of mind
uncovered by the calm insight
of breath meditation
develops too by mindful meditation
this purity of heart
to realize the Luminous Mind,
which sees the original edge of reality
known as Buddha-Nature.
References:
Tathagatagarbha: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tathagatagarbha
Sugatagarbha: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddha-nature
"Garments of worldliness" refers to skandhas, dhatus and ayatanas, specifically:
the Five Aggregates: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skandha
the Eighteen Dhatus: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhatu, and
the Twelve Ayatanas: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayatana
20061229
Mind Alone Exists in All Creation
How could a man deny what does not exist except as concept (self) when he cannot be certain of what exists (reality) yet claims that reality only exists?
If only reality existed, then even thought itself would not exist.
That thought and concept exists prove that self exists.
And the reason why reality exists is due to man's ability to think about it.
This is not to say that no-thought leads to unreality but that reality is not independent of thought.
For even if man did not exist, mind is not alien to lesser beings. It's just that they have no need for self-awareness. For mankind is not the only being capable of thought; he is merely capable of self-awareness.
Hence the declaration that "mind alone exists" refers to the spiritual essence which manifests itself in all creation.
If only reality existed, then even thought itself would not exist.
That thought and concept exists prove that self exists.
And the reason why reality exists is due to man's ability to think about it.
This is not to say that no-thought leads to unreality but that reality is not independent of thought.
For even if man did not exist, mind is not alien to lesser beings. It's just that they have no need for self-awareness. For mankind is not the only being capable of thought; he is merely capable of self-awareness.
Hence the declaration that "mind alone exists" refers to the spiritual essence which manifests itself in all creation.
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