Buddhism is not Mysticism

Buddhism is not a mysticism. Rather, Buddhism is a toolkit to relief psychic suffering. As part of that relief, it teaches transcendence of ego — the self which arises through ignorant craving.

That transcendence of ego is called the transcendent Self and is also known as the Diamond Mind.

Rejection of the transcendent Self is rejection of the Diamond Mind, and of the Buddha himself.

For the true Reality of the Self is often occulted by academics whose commentaries on the Buddhist sutras sometimes leads the skeptics to the false belief that Buddhism is a form of mysticism.

By hiding the fact that Adi Buddha is reflected in the Five Wisdom Buddhas, so too is the fact that personal experience is reflected in the experience of everyone.

Yet academics who have no experience in Buddhism, who have not heard the Buddhadharma, and who then write of the Diamond Mind and the transcendent Self, suggest that each of us has the potential to become bodhisattvas and ultimately Buddhas.

For the fallacy of potential nirvana is that the average person is often adverse to exercise his potential under the mistaken assumption that it's not for him and that it's all a bunch of hogwash, too.

However, I beg to differ and present you with the following analogy to encourage the willing among you to exercise your potential to become awakened and achieve Nirvana.

When we were children, we had the potential to graduate from high school. We learned to read and write, and to do math. Today, we are able to read and write, as well as add, subtract and multiply.

Likewise, in learning about the Four Noble Truths, and dependent arising, it is then possible to go on to learn about the Diamond Mind and the transcendent Self. It is even possible to understand that the spiritual nature of Adi Buddha is reflected in the 102 Buddhas of Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana).

For Buddhism is not mysticism, for the Four Noble Truths is proof of that.

Learning about the Diamond Mind and the transcendent Self helps us to go beyond meditating to achieve the clear mind to see that the Diamond Mind is achieved through meditation and study of the sutras. Such learning is also not mysticism.

As well, Adi Buddha is not mysticism.

For mysticism requires only one thing: a mind confused by the ego lost in ignorant craving. Since the purpose of Buddhism is to remove confusion by pacifying ignorant craving through meditation to achieve the mind of clarity and the heart of peace, the result is the true heartmind which is able to see that Buddha-Nature is in all sentient beings.

Indeed, the heartmind is able to see that all sentient beings are originally bodhisattva who have the potential to become Buddha.

The Reincarnation of the Buddha and His Diamond Mind

Always it puzzles me that of all the Buddhas, the historical Buddha has rarely been said to reincarnate.

However, I am mistaken, and apologize for giving the impression that the Buddha never reincarnates.

For he does...

Reflection Means Both Incarnation and Reincarnation

Imagine the Adi-Buddha sitting in contemplation with the 108 Buddhas in a field. Imagine further that all Buddhas possess the diamond mind which reflects upon the all the Buddhas.

With respect to the term "diamond", it refers to the unwavering mind which arises from the depths of deep meditation that is known as the clear mind of contemplation and is admired for its clarity and pureness.

Indeed, the diamond mind of the Buddha is the pure mind of Amida Buddha, which is one ofthe 108 Buddhas.

Thus all Buddhas in reflecting Adi-Buddha, reflect on the primordial wisdom of the Buddha.

For the diamond mind of the Buddha is indeed unwavering, unyielding in the face of evil yet yielding to good, and hard to fathom yet soft as a lotus petal.

As the Adi-Buddha is reflected in all the 108 Buddhas, so too is the Buddha Gautama reflected in all the Buddhas

Yet these Buddhas are but reflections of Great Compassion and Great Wisdom, and thus reflect on Amida Buddha.

For the qualities of compassion and wisdom as reflected by Amida Buddha represent the compassion and wisdom of the Buddha.

Therefore, Amida Buddha represents both compassion and wisdom of the Buddha. Thus, Amida is an incarnation of the Buddha, representing the dual aspects of compassion and wisdom.

With respect to the incarnation and reincarnation of the Buddha, it is not the soul that incarnates in the Five Wisdom Buddhas, but the spiritual qualities of the Buddha. This is why the term "reflection" is used in accurately describing the Buddha's relationship with all the Buddhas including Amida Buddha.


Great is the Life of Amitayus and Great is the Light of Amida

In a previous essay I wrote about the Boundless Wisdom of Amida as represented by Infinite Light and the Boundless Compassion of Amitayus as represented by Infinite Life.

With respect to the Buddhist principle of non-self, the term "infinite" implies permanence as in the phrase "that which never goes out."

However, because the wisdom of Amida Buddha and the compassion of Amitayus Buddha are two aspects of the Buddha, the words, "infinite" and "boundless" imply that the Buddha"s wisdom and compassion are everywhere.

For wherever the Buddhist follower sees the words Infinite or Boundless, their actual meaning is "great as the diamond mind of the Buddha, great as the pure mind of Amida", which in its short form is "Great", which has no misleading implications of permanence.

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Adi-Buddha is introduced in the following essay: http://gandhara.blogspot.com/2013/01/buddhism-isnt-about-king-in-heaven.html

Avatamsaka Sutra: Offerings to All Buddhas

Flower garlands, supreme and wonderful,
Music, perfume, parasols, and canopies,
And other decorations rich and rare,
I offer to every Buddha.

Fine clothing, superior incense,
Powdered and burning incense, lamps and candles,
Each one heaped up as high as mount Sumeru,
I offer completely to all Buddhas.

With a vast, great, supremely liberated mind,
I believe in all Buddha’s of the three periods of time,
With the strength of Samantrabhadra's conduct and vows
I make offerings to all Buddhas everywhere. — Avatamsaka Sutra 3