The Buddha Represented by The Three Jewels and the Three Kayas

In the Eight Thousand Verse Prajñāparamitā, Sakyamuni Buddha said:
"The mind is devoid of mind, For the nature of mind is clear light."

The Three Kayas — the Three Bodies of the Buddha, the Trikaya — describes both the truth in us, as three aspects of the true nature of mind, and to the truth in everything.

According to the Rigpa school, "Everything we perceive around us is nirmanakaya, its nature, light or energy is sambhogakaya; and its inherent truth, the dharmakaya."

"Imagine a sky, empty, spacious, and pure from the beginning; its essence is like this. Imagine a sun, luminous, clear, unobstructed, and spontaneously present; its nature is like this. Imagine that sun shining out impartially on us and all things, penetrating all directions; its energy, which is the manifestation of compassion, is like this: Nothing can obstruct it and it pervades everywhere." — Sogyal Rinpoche

Regarding the nature of the mind, Nirmanakaya represents the energy manifested in compassion, unobstructed and present in everything; sambhogakaya, the nature of the unobstructed clear light of luminosity that is spontaneously present; and dharmakaya, the essence of the truth that is empty, spacious, and pure from the beginning.

Having taken refuge in the Three Jewels, the disciple actually takes refuge in the qualities of realization, as embodied in the Three Bodies of the precious Buddha who is the identity that embodies all three kayas.

Foremost, the Dharmakaya, which arises from accumulation of wisdom — the Truth Body of Tathagata, who is the embodiment of Truth.

It represents the Absolute nature of all things, and embodies the very principle of enlightenment and knows no limits or boundaries, being the unconditioned truth that is empty of conditions, the emptiness in which the mind and all phenomena are originally empty of any identity as the Unborn, into which illusion and ignorance, and any kind of concept, have never entered,

Thus it is empty of a conceptualizable essence of mind which has potential.

That potential takes the form of luminosity recognized as the Sambhogakaya, which arises from accumulation of merit — the Enjoyment Body, the body of mutual enjoyment, the embodiment of form that only appears to bodhisattvas as the aspect of the Buddha, or the Dharma, that the disciple meets in visions and in deep meditation as a body of bliss or clear light manifestation.

Being beyond dualistic limitation and beyond space and time, it pervades everything.

This is the basis for the arising of the Nirmanakaya, which also arises from accumulation of merit — the created body which manifests in time and space, the dimension of ceaseless manifestation, the physical body of the Buddha, appearing as the tamer of various beings, both pure and impure, and is the manifestation of enlightenment, in an infinite variety of forms and ways, in the physical world.

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Originally posted: February 23, 2013 7:35 PM

References:

• Prajna
  
• Prajna or transcendent wisdom: http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Prajna
  
• Prajna: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prajna
  

Prajnaparamita

• Quote on clear light: http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Quotations:_Prajnaparamita_in_Eight_Thousand_Verses
  
• Prajnaparamita: http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Prajnaparamita
  
• Prajnaparamita: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prajnaparamita
  
• Heart Sutra: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_Sutra * The Heart Sutra is known as Prajnaparamita Hrdaya.
  

Vajrasattva: http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Vajrasattva * Since he represents the 100 Buddhas of Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana), Vajrasattva is one of the precious Buddhas mentioned in the text of this blog entry.

Three Jewels / Three Gems

• Refuge in the Three Jewels: http://www.darahasa.ca/buddhism-doctrines/refuge-in-the-three-jewels.shtml
  
• Three Jewels: http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Three_Jewels
  
• Clear light: http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Clear_light
  

Three Bodies of the Buddha:

• Trikaya: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trikaya
  
• Three kayas: http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Three_kayas
  

The Four Nevers (Samaya)

The Bodhi Mind (bodhicitta) is the cause.
Great Compassion is the root and foundation.
Skillful means are the ultimate. — Mahavairocana Sutra

Through skillful means, the view of enlightenment is fulfilled in compassion towards other sentient beings.

For all sentient beings, be they Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, gods and demons, humans, hungry ghosts, and all of suffering the hells are primordial pure.

Thus they were born basically good, but, due to conditioning, all beings appear to be sentient.

Like a mirror in a sandstorm, the mind is subject to mental and physical negativities as a result of conditioning. No matter how much we wipe the mirror clean, the dust of worldliness soon shall settle on it.

Thus, the disciple commits to the Four Nevers:

• Never to abandon the True Dharma.
  
• Never to negate bodhicitta.
  
• Never to withhold or be selective of Buddhist teachings toward others.
  
• Never to cause any sentient being any harm.

Holding the True Dharma dear, the disciple consistently remembers the Buddha. Holding the bodhicitta dear, the disciple is caused by it to become Buddha. Holding the Buddhist teachings dear, the disciple shares the wisdom of the Buddhadharma that he has gleaned only with his fellow disciples. Holding life dear, the disciple refrains from harming any sentient being.

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Reference:

Samaya: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samaya

The Finest Place to Practice (poem)

It is because of attachment
to the many distractions of worldliness
that, despite decades of meditation,
many devotees of the Middle Way fail
to develop even a single siddhi.

Therefore, do not become attached at all
to anything in this world,
lest you give up meditation in haste
and return to worldliness,
only to obtain rebirth in the Hells.

However, even if you develop
a siddhi, try not to show off,
lest your attachment delude you.
It is better to take up Vajrayana,
and devote yourself to a Tibetan guru.

Yet, it is said that the Nembutsu
will surely lead to Amida
and his Pure Land of Bliss. O!
The Name-that-calls is
all that the Pure Land practitioner needs!

For the Pure Land is
the finest place to practice and decide
if you wish to return
to help others by being of service
to other sentient beings in Samsara.

The Medicine Buddha Mantra

Slightly enigmatic is the medicine Buddha Bhaiṣajyaguru, who cuts a figure from the early Buddhist days.

Though his origins are obscure, sutras about the medicine Buddha might have been based on descriptions of the historical Buddha as a physician who cures the ills of the world.

Bhaiṣajyarāja is a Bodhisattva described in the Saddharma Puṇḍarīka or White Lotus Sūtra who immolates himself as an offering to the Buddha.

Depicted as deep blue in colour, the Bodhisattva is dressed in the robes of a Buddhist monk, holding his begging bowl in his left hand while his right hand makes the varada mudra where varada means "granting wishes, conferring a boon, ready to fulfil requests or answer prayers".

"Sometimes, particularly in East Asian iconography, the begging bowl is replaced by a medicine jar. In Tibetan images, a myrobalan plant, thought to be a cure-all, grows out of his bowl."

The Medicine Buddha mantra is:

auṃ bhaiṣajye bhaiṣajye mahābhaiṣajya-samudgate svāhā
om beh ka dze-yah beh ka dze-yah ma ha beh ka dze-yah la dza sah mo kyah deh sowa ha

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Reference:

Medicine Buddha: http://www.visiblemantra.org/medicine-buddha.html

Shunyata: The True Nature of Reality (poem)

The wise Buddhist teacher,
Nagarjuna once said:
"To whomever emptiness is possible,
All things are possible."
That emptiness is known to Buddhists
as shunyata, which the Tibetans
know is free from permanence
and non-existence; indeed, it is
'empty' of permanence and
'empty' of non-existence.
Emptiness goes beyond nihilism and
eternalism, and thus is
the true nature of Reality.
Shunyata is like space,
the complete openness,
which allows anything to occur,
for reality is 'empty'
and not fixed in any way.
Thus, anything is possible.

Four Popular Bodhisattvas of Compassion

In Buddhism, the devoted practitioner develops the Bodhi Mind on hearing the Dharma.

The Bodhi Mind consist of the determination to achieve Buddhahood and the aspiration to rescue all sentient beings.

Arising from the aspiration to rescue all sentient beings is the concept of the bodhisattva.

According to certain schools of Buddhism, the four most popular bodhisattvas are Avalokiteshvara, the Taras, Manjusri, and Ksitigarbha.

Avalokiteshvara is the most popular bodhisattva, being the symbol of compassion. In his female form, popular in China, she is called Kuan-yin; and in Japan, as Kwannon or Kannon. She is known as the spiritual mother of all sentient beings.

In Tibetan Buddha, Avalokiteshvara is the essence of the speech of all the buddhas and the incarnation of their compassion.


The Taras are most popular in Tibet. They range from two (the white Tara, which is represented by the white lotus symbolizing day, and the green Tara, which is represented by the blue lotus symbolizing night) to as many as 21 Taras.

In all of her many forms, Tara represents compassion and enlightened activity.

One form of White Tara in Tibetan Buddha is White Tara Wishfulfilling Wheel. She is associated with longevity and one of the three deities of long life.

Green Tara is the popular form of Tara in Tibetan Buddhism. She represents protection of the disciple by the Buddhas.

Overall, Tara presents prosperity.

Today, Tara practice has been introduced to the New Age religions in the West.

It is said that in ancient Tibet that every virtuous and pious woman is the incarnation of Tara.


Manjusri is another popular bodhisattva in Buddhism. He represents wisdom, intelligence and willpower. In Buddhism, Manjusri is the spiritual father and mother of bodhisattvas.

Known as the King of all tantras in Tibetan Buddhism, Chanting the Names of Manjushri is a famous praise of the bodhisattva.

Adoration of Manjusri empowers his devotee with divine wisdom, mastery of the Dharma, an infallible memory, mental perfection, and eloquence.


Ksitigarbha is known as the bodhisattva of hell. He consoles the beings in hell.

Motivated by compassion, he delayed becoming a buddha so that he could help the beings destined through their karma to rebirth in hell.

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References:

Bodhisattvas of Compassion: http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/history/b_fbodi.htm
Avalokiteshvara: http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Avalokiteshvara
White Tara Wishfulfilling Wheel: http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=White_Tara_Wishfulfilling_Wheel
Tara: http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Tara
Chanting the Names of Manjusri: http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Chanting_the_Names_of_Manjushri

Medicine Buddha Magical Thinking in Tibetan Buddhism

"The Medicine Buddha mantra is held to be extremely powerful for healing of physical illnesses and purification of negative karma. One form of practice based on the Medicine Buddha is done when one is stricken by disease. The patient is to recite the long Medicine Buddha mantra 108 times over a glass of water. The water is now believed to be blessed by the power of the mantra and the blessing of the Medicine Buddha himself, and the patient is to drink the water. This practice is then repeated each day until the illness is cured." &smash; Wikipedia entry for Medicine Buddha.

This only works via the placebo effect after a lot of Buddhist mindful practice including hours of meditation and receiving tantric rituals regarding the Buddha i.e. the long process involved in becoming one with the Buddha.

It does not work if the disciple has doubts about the practice, but since she has already found her riot Vajra master, all doubt has been removed.

Nothing in the text quoted is that magical.  For with belief anything is possible.

Bodhi Mind as The Mother of Liberation

Clearly aspiring for buddhahood, the disciple arouses the Bodhi Mind, for the sake of all sentient beings — like a bodhisattva incarnated as a Buddhist worthy of nirvana who postpones it to help others — with the determined longing to attain complete enlightenment — like a buddha who has achieved the state of perfect enlightenment, nirvana.

Compassion is the cause of Bodhi Mind, while the root of compassion is loving kindness.

Through the practice of loving kindness, the Bodhi Mind is aroused with clear determination for buddhahood and aspiration to be a bodhisattva to help all sentient beings.

To develop loving kindness, imagine your mother right before you while the following thought is brought to mind,

"My kind mother produced this body I have, an effort which caused her a lot of hardship and trouble. She gave me this precious life, taken care of me, and performed every single action needed for my survival in this world.

"Regarding me with a love greater than she had for her self, she protected me, and gave me all the help and support that I needed to grow up. When threatened by harm, she protected me, which is a great kindness. It would be truly amazing if my mother was happy and at ease, but it is not just my present mother — in all my countless lives, I have had mothers who have done exactly the same, loving mothers who have bestowed on me the same kind of help and love.

"This happened not only once, as a mother, but also countless times as a friend, a lover, and a companion. All these people have helped me in all kinds of ways. Thinking of my mother who is very dear to me and helped me, I now want to return her kindness."

Aroused in our hearts by such a thought, loving kindness should become a distinct and truly real feeling.

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References:

• Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche & Tulku Adeu Rinpoche, Skillful Grace: Tara Practice for Our Time
  

Mixing the Stream of Rebirth

It's been said that the mixing of Tibetan Buddhism with Pure Land Buddhism may lead to confusion. For when studying both the Vajrayana and the Mahayana, the disciple may lose all faith in the Dharma due to the chaos such mixing makes to understanding your purpose in the life into which you were born. That purpose is, once awakened spiritually to the Bodhi Mind, the disciple aspires to rescue all sentient beings with the determination to attain Buddhahood.

In the case of the dedicated Buddhist born into the faith who has heard of the Buddha from an early age, and who has regularly practiced Buddha Recitation, he learned how to use breath meditation to calm his mind, and achieves more gains than losses in his faith. Though his speech may become incoherent when fatigued, his mind still remains as sharp as ever, all thanks to Buddha Recitation and insightful meditation.

The Nine Paths of the Ancient School

According to the Ancient School of Tibetan Buddhism,
there are nine paths or Yanas, and this text begins
with praise for the Basic Vehicle of Hinayana,
the Greater Vehicle of Mahayana, and
the Diamond Vehicle of Vajrayana.
Next comes the description of Hinayana,
followed by the description of its two paths
of Disciples and Hermit Buddhas.

Goodness at the start is to be
found in the teachings that are
the stepping stones for the path.
Goodness in the middle is to be
found in the basis for the path itself.
Finally, goodness of the end is to be
found in the main part of the path.
Connected to these three kinds
of goodness are teachings —
the stepping stones — which describe
how to attain the skillful grace of gods
using the basic goodness of humans to pursue
the state of liberation and enlightenment.

It is said the motivation for those monks who travel
the Path of the Basic Vehicle — the Fundamental Vehicle
and the Individual Vehicle — is to aim for
the personal liberation of nirvana, for they lack the courage
to pursue the enlightenment of all sentient beings.

Faith and renunciation are the stepping stones
for shravakas — who are Auditors, Disciples,
Hearers, Listeners and Pious Attendants,
and pratyekabuddhas — who are solitary realizers,
intermediate buddhas, hermit buddhas and self-realized ones.
For devotees of lesser and medium capacity,
it is called the gradual path.

In Tibetan Buddhism, the Path of the Basic Vehicle,
the Greater Vehicle of Mahayana, and the Diamond Vehicle,
together form the nine Yanas consisting of
the two paths of Hīnayāna, Śrāvakayāna and Pratyekayāna,
and the path of Mahāyāna consisting of Bodhisattvayāna —
the three previous paths being Sutrayāna —
and Vajrayāna, which consists of the Outer Tantras of Kriyatantra,
Upatantra / Ubhayatantra, and Yogatantra; and
the Inner Tantras of Mahāyoga, Anuyoga and Atiyoga / Dzogchen.

References:

• Nyingma: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyingma
  
• Basic Vehicle: http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Basic_vehicle
  
• Shravaka: http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Shravaka
  
• Pratyekabuddha: http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Pratyekabuddha
  
• Nine Yanas:
  
  • Nine Yanas: http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Nine_Yanas
    
  • Yana - Nine Yanas: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yana_%28Buddhism%29#Nine_y.C4.81nas
    

The Tibetan Buddhist Afterlife As Metaphor

In the Tibetan Buddhist afterlife, a pious devotee — rich or poor, laity or priest, men, women or children — will be escorted by a deity who protects him and carefully explains what is happening.

Together, they travel until they come before Yama — the Lord of Death. His actions in this life are then measured by Yama, who counts out black and white seeds representing negative and positive karmic actions.

If there are more black seeds of negative actions, then he will be led to the hell realm by Yama.

If there are more white seeds of positive actions, then he will be escorted to the many paradises and Buddha worlds,

From the figurative and symbolic aspect, the Tibetan afterlife is the metaphor for the disciple's initiation by his guru. Death refers to the figurative death of the disciple's worldly life.

The hell realm refers to anger and its destructiveness to a person's psyche.

The deity who protects symbolizes the yidam of the disciple, which is the root of spiritual accomplishment.

All those many paradises and Buddha worlds represent the perfect purity of all phenomena.

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References:

Description of afterlife:

• Delok: http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=D%C3%A9lok
  
• Buddhist afterlife beliefs: http://www.near-death.com/experiences/buddhism04.html
  
• Lingza Chokyi's Near-Death Experience: http://www.near-death.com/experiences/buddhism02.html
  

Four Great Kings:

• Four Great Kings: http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Four_Great_Kings
  
• Four Heavenly Kings: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Heavenly_Kings
  
  • Guardian King of the South: http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Virudhaka
    
• Lokapala: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lokapala
  
  • The Four Heavenly Kings "are invoked ... and exhorted to behave ... and protect the Dharma and its practitioners in the Shurangama Mantra".
    

The Eighteen Hells: http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Eighteen_hells
Yidam : http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Yidam

Bodhi Mind Defined (poem)

Bodhi Mind is the wish to become enlightened
to help free all other sentient beings
from the sufferings of existence and lead them
to the unsurpassable bliss of Enlightenment.

My Dharma is Against the Stream

Buddha said: my dharma is against the stream.
This old fool says: I have no dharma but Buddha's,
And even that, I practice poorly and incorrectly.


Were I to have my own dharma, it is certain that it would be New Age, even though most of my practice would bee similar to Chinese Pure Land Buddhism.

Since I only have an intellectual understanding of Tibetan Buddhism, it boggles my mind to consider practicing any of it on my own without a Vajrayana guru to guide me.

That is, if I could afford the cost of going for Vajrayana.

However, I see Vajrayana through Buddha eyes too. From what they could see, Tibetan Buddhism is similar to Shingon School of Japanese Buddhism.

What this means is mysticism combined with something called mikkyo, which consists of chanting dharanis and mantras.

Hopefully that that's all done in Shingon for the same reason why I chanting: to prepare myself for rebirth in the Pure Land of Bliss.

The Four Powers of Shantideva

Shantideva is the author of the ancient Buddhist sutra Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life.

In his guide, readers are introduced to the way of life of a Bodhisattva.

In contrast, Christian sources are mum on how children who die young become angels. Perhaps their soul returns to the Godhead to be be reborn in a new incarnation. This return of the soul is known under the euphemism "gone to heaven".

Returning to the Guide, which is called Bodhicaryavatara, I recall reading it over five years ago. Today I can't remember a word from the text. This appears to happen when I read anything from another Buddhist tradition, but that could be because when I read it, I neglected to meditate on what I just read.

Here are his four powers:

1. Aspirations: the wish to practice Dharma.
   
2. Steadfastness; the determination to become Buddha.
   
3. Joy: the willingness to engage with others wholeheartedly with a joyful mind.
   
4. Rejection: ability to move on with the mindful practice once one of your goals are met i.e. the ability to realize when doing the same thing over and over just is not going to get a different result.
   

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If you think that"s it then it is, because I'm all out of repeating myself for 1000 characters. >::)

Shantideva's Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life: hhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shantideva#Bodhicaryavatara

Two Extremes of Non-Buddhist Thought

Nihilism and eternalism are the two extremes, which are bedeviling thinkers of today.

When you throw Buddhism at them, they suddenly get excited and either call it BS or call it "cheating" when you throw Pure Land practices into the mix.

Furthermore, they tend claim it is attachment to get deeply into Pure Land practice on the premise that it's done for the reward of rebirth in the Pure Land. This show that they have misunderstood what Pure Land Buddhism is about, by using their Buddhist practice of the long way to Nirvana as the ideal.

Against this ideal, the easy practice of Buddha Remembrance by chanting the Nembutsu looks like cheating because it is the short way to Nirvana.

However, rebirth in the Pure Land is empty of reward due to sincere belief in the Pure Land and faith in the Primal Vow.

For reward implies the working of ego (desire to be reborn in the Pure Land). This is why it is important that Pure Land practitioners develop the Bodhi Mind before engaging in Pure Land practice. For the Bodhi Mind is empty of ego i.e. devoid of self power. Instead, it is full of the other power of Amida.

Thus the desire of rebirth in the Pure Land, being empty of ego, is empty of reward,

Hence, there is no cheating in following the easy way to the Pure Land. For it will still take time in the Pure Land to achieve Nirvana.

Likewise, the two extremes are empty of non-self, and arise due to ego's influence on the mind.

For both nihilism and eternalism is based on the assumption of a permanent soul or self. Nihilism assumes that if the soul does not really exist, then nothing exists. This is a fallacy. Eternalism assumes that everyone lasts forever,. This too is a fallacy.

Therefore the two extremes are based on permanence.

In contrast, Buddhism is based on impermanence and the non-self principle. It destroys ego delusion, and allows the thinker to clearly see the truth of impermanence and non-self principle whic arises from dependent arising and the Four Noble Truths.

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.

Virtue and Non-virtue Points to Self & Other and No-Self

Gewa == virtue

Mi-gewa == non-virtue

Virtue is when noble acts
performed spontaneously
prepare you for the good life.
Which one you for?

Avidya == ignorance
Vidya == wisdom

Ignorance is not seeing the truth;
Wisdom is seeing with a clear mind.
Which one you for?

Skandha == the five aggregates

When one believes he has wisdom
while faith in self and other is strong,
ignorance coalesces
in each of five simple steps of
form, sensation, perception,
impulses, and consciousness.
Thus is suffering understood
within the context of experience.

Experience thus prepares
each of us to realize
primordial wisdom,
the mind pure and serene.
All it takes is meditation.

Atman == self and other
Anatta == no-self

Smash faith in self and other
until it is like finely ground sesame;
this is the essence of no-self.
This is the reason for meditation.
Which one you for?

:updated 20111127.1041

Stereotypes in Buddhism: Karma, Reincarnation and Meditation

"Stereotyping" in Buddhism happens when one considers all the types of creatures to be reborn as, yet feels that being born human is the ideal rebirth.

Of course, that's for Buddhists who believe in reincarnation, mainly Tibetan Buddhists.

The stereotype in this case is the Western interpretation of reincarnation.

From the Christian view, reincarnation is explained as "the work of the devil". The reincarnated persona is considered to be a "daemon" out to fool people.

That's stereotyping in its dark form.

From the Eastern view, the reincarnated persona is "real", and it's best accept the person who claims to be a reincarnation of a deceased person.

For some, reincarnation may be considered as the result of a wish to live on beyond one's lifespan.

In traditional Buddhism it is the fruit of one's actions which get passed on to later generations.

Thus reincarnation is in conflict with the concept of "no-self" i.e. that the self is impermanent and does not exist after death.

One stereotype that comes to mind at this point regards meditation, which is stereotyped as "sitting while thinking about nothing, & doing nothing".

Sometimes meditation is even discounted as a "non-productive way of spending one's quiet time".

Overall, meditation promotes clarity of thought which leads to deeper insights about life.

It can be done anywhere, and be useful to anyone, precisely because it promotes calm and peace, the essence of serenity.

After long and careful thought it may be possible to see that reincarnation is not about a permanent soul existing after death, but about the effects of a person's spiritual actions after her death.

These effects are known as karma.

And it is up to each of us to act in such a manner as to overcome our anxieties about karma and reincarnation through meditation.

Translations - Ever-present Good's Prayer of Intention

Translations - Ever-present Good's Prayer of Intention:
Ever-present Good's Prayer of Intention

Ho
All experience, potential or actual, patterned or free,
Has one ground, two paths and two results.

It is the play of awareness and ignorance.

Through this prayer of Ever-present Good
May everyone come to full and complete awakening
In the palace of the realm of totality.

The ground of everything is not made of anything.
In this indescribable naturally present expanse
There are not even the concepts of patterned or free.

Know this and you are awake.
Do not know this and you are a sentient being wandering in samsara.
May all beings in the three realms
Know the indescribable ground.

I, Ever-present Good,
Am the ground, without genesis or conditioning.
I am ground natural awareness — what is.
Internal and external distortions do not touch me.
The stupor of mindlessness does not conceal me.
Projections do not contaminate me.

As awareness itself is resting naturally,
I experience no fear, even if the three worlds are destroyed.
I experience no longing for the five sensory pleasures.

In natural non-conceptual awareness
Neither solid form nor the five poisons are present.
The five aspects of pristine awareness
Are all present in the unceasing clarity that is awareness.

From the ripening of the five aspects of pristine awareness
The five families of original buddhas arise.
Through the further expansion of pristine awareness
The forty-two buddhas arise.

Through the dynamism of the five aspects of pristine awareness
The sixty blood-drinkers arise.
Ground awareness is never confused.

Because I am the original buddha,
Through my intention
Beings in samsara's three realms
Recognize natural awareness.
Thus, may great pristine awareness be complete.

My expressions arise continuously,
Radiating in inconceivable trillions of forms,
Teaching in different ways all who are to be trained.

Through my compassionate prayer of intention
May all beings in samsara's three realms
Rise out of existence as the six kinds of beings.

First, for confused beings
Ground awareness does not arise.
That blankness, in which there is no idea of anything,
Is the genesis of confusion and ignorance.

Suddenly, from that unconsciousness
A terrified and unclear knowing stirs.
From that, I and then other, the enemy, arise.

Through the momentum of patterned propensities
Samsara unfolds in its usual way.
The five poisons, the reactive emotions, spread.
Reactions based on the five poisons just go on and on.

Therefore, since the basis of confusion in beings
Is mindless ignorance,
Through my awakened intention
May they all recognize awareness itself.

Naturally inherent ignorance
Is a distracted mindless knowing.
Ignorance that conceptualizes everything
Is a holding of self and other as two.
The two ignorances, inherent and conceptual,
Are the ground of confusion in all beings.

Through my awakened intention
May all beings in samsara
Wake up from their thick mindless stupor.
May their dualistic fixation become transparent.
May they recognize the nature of awareness.

Dualistic thinking is doubt.
When the slightest attraction forms,
Habituated tendencies grow increasingly stronger.

Food, wealth, clothing, places, companions,
The five sensory pleasures and loving families —
Attraction to the pleasant torments beings:
This is the confusion of the world.

Dualistic actions have no end.
When attraction's fruit ripens,
They become hungry ghosts, tormented by craving —
Wretched in their hunger and thirst.

Through my awakened intention
May all beings who yearn and want
Neither avoid the discomfort of desire
Nor act on the yearning or want.

When they let knowing relax in its natural place
Awareness also finds its natural place.
May they attain distinguishing pristine awareness.

When an object appears externally,
A subtle fear-ridden knowing arises.
Habituated tendencies of aversion grow
And hatred, violence, and murder arise.
When aversion's fruit ripens,
Oh, the scalding burning pain of hell!

Through my awakened intention
When strong aversion arises
In any being in the six states,
May they let it be, without doing anything with it.
As awareness finds its own place,
May they attain the pristine awareness of clarity.

When they are all puffed up with pride
They become competitive and critical of others
And aggressively arrogant.
Disputes with others cause them to suffer.
When the fruit of those actions ripens
They become gods and experience death and downfall.

Through my awakened intention
May beings inflated with self-importance
Let knowing relax in its own place.
As awareness finds its own place,
May they know the meaning of balance directly.

The habituated tendencies that reinforce dualism
Lead to the pain of self-praise and criticism of others.
They become increasingly quarrelsome and cutthroat,
Titans, slashing and killing,
And as a result, fall into the hell realms.

Through my awakened intention
May all who are quarrelsome and competitive
Stop their hostility and relax where they are.
As knowing finds its own place,
May they attain the pristine awareness of effective action.

Distracted by mindless indifference
They are dull, depressed and forgetful.
Oblivious, lazy and confused,
They wander like animals without a home.

Through my awakened intention
May the light of clear attention shine
In the darkness of dull confusion.
May they attain non-conceptual pristine awareness.

In all beings of the three realms
The basis of everything is the same as in me and all buddhas.
It became the ground of mindless confusion.
Now, they engage in meaningless actions.

The six actions are like the confusion of dreams.
I am the original Buddha.
I give rise to this intention of Ever-present Good,
So that I take form and teach the six kinds of beings.
May all beings wake up
To the totality of experience.

Ah ho
From now on, whenever a contemplative
Forms this powerful intention
From the natural clarity of unconfused awareness,
All beings who hear it
Will be fully awake within three lives.

When the sun or moon is seized by Rahu2,
When the earth rumbles or shakes,
At the solstices or the change of the year,
If he or she generates the sense of being Ever-present Good
And recites this prayer for all to hear,

Through the intention of that contemplative
All beings in the three realms
Will be freed from suffering step by step
And, in the end, will attain complete awakening.


This prayer is taken from the ninth chapter of The Tantra that Teaches Transparently the Vision of the Great Completion Ever-present Good, which says that when this intention is sincerely formed, all beings have no choice but to become fully awake. This translation was made by Ken McLeod.


Sanskrit:
Samantabhadra; Tibetan: kun.tu.bzang.po (pronounced Kuntu-zangpo). Ever-present Good is the original buddha in the dzogchen tradition. Good, in this context, is the good beyond such concepts of good and evil. The text is written in the first person, so that you read this prayer feeling that you are Ever-present Good (which you are but may not know so right now).

Rahu is the mythical planet or monster that causes eclipses by swallowing the sun and the moon.

Compassion without Dogmatism

A good motivation is what is needed: compassion without dogmatism, without complicated philosophy; just understanding that others are human brothers and sisters and respecting their human rights and dignities. That we humans can help each other is one of our unique human capacities. — His Holiness the Dalai Lama

This quote displays the humanistic atheism in Tibetan Buddhism, and in monastic Buddhism proper.

Yet the Absolute that I have refered to elsewhere on my blog is the closest to describing Heaven.

Though the Pure Land is not a Buddhist heaven, but is its own world apart from reality as it is, and very remote from the reality as it is supposed to according most-non-Buddhists, especially atheists, theists, Deists, and even pagans and devil-worshipers.

I'm excluding satanists, as I only believe LaVey satanists exists.

Furthermore, the so-called satanists who practice any kind of ritual sacrifice involving animals and sometimes humans, are not satanists but devil worshipers who practice diabolism, which includes the violent sacrifice of innocent sentient beings, be it a goat or a pretty naked woman.

The atheists and their complements tend to have problems distinguishing reality that they suppose exists from reality as it is.