The Truth According to Buddha

The ego is devious because it tells you about the lie called the "self", which is actually alaya conscioousness.

What is alaya consciousness but the place where karmic action is stored with each action done in this life?

He who denies the truth about ego is indeed deluded!

Mistaking alaya for the soul, only a fool would deny the truth, so that his reality alone prevails.

Yet such a reality is nonexistent, but only exists as a hallucination that the courageous would dare escape. Yet few of us try.

If I were lying to you about Truth, I'd call it a lie, for 'self' is empty of all existence, due to ego-delusion.

Delusion itself arises out of ignorance.

Can you see where this is going?

Ego lies to you, and claims the "self" is the immortal soul. What poppycock!

When will all sentient beings awaken to Truth? Only the seeds of karma transmigrate, due to Buddha Nature.

If I were to say anymore, then I'd only be repeating myself and contribute to rebirth in Samsara.

Buddha Recitation as Mind Tool

With each breath I take, I let go of attachment, and cease constructing in my mind all conceptions detrimental to understanding the nature of reality as it is.

Thus, "I, me, mine" are pronouns that describe the person writing these words, yet this person is not attached to such words. For "I, me, mine" are empty of inherent permanent reality.

Then, being the practice to prepare the mind, Buddha Recitation is also empty of permanent reality.

Also, the desire to be reborn in the Pure Land of Bliss is impermanent.

Thus the desire for rebirth inspires me to practice Buddha Recitation, a mindful practice.

Being a mindful practice, it settles my mind and helps me to prepare for meditation.

Thus Buddha Recitation ceases to be a pervasive mental construction, and becomes one of many tools in the Buddhist's tool kit to free the mind.

For it helps me to develop the Pure Mind that is pacified by the pure heart of compassion. This compassion is reflected in the idea that when I call out to Amida, it is actually him calling to me. Realizing this, I will continue to maintain the practice of Buddha Recitation before meditation.

Buddha Recitation helps me to remember the Buddha. As Buddha Remembrance is essential to my meditation, I practice daily.

As well, having realized the importance of always maintaining happy thoughts through understanding the essence of Master Hui-Neng's advice on the topic, I endeavour to remain in the present moment.

For all of this I am grateful to Amida Buddha.

How to Damage Samsara

Samsara and Nirvana are
empty of permanence and
full of impermanence.
Thus Emptiness aligns with
the no-self principle.
Develop doubts about Samsara
as real to understand Emptiness.
Developing doubts about Emptiness
will damage Samsara until
only Nirvana remains.

Emptiness is Full of Impermanent Existence (poem)

Emptiness is empty of nothing,
for nothingness is empty of
nothing, and the void is full
of emptiness, that freedom
from permanence and non-existence.
Thus emptiness is empty of
permanence, and of non-existence.
He who is certain of this
understands Buddhist logic,
and his mind is empty of
the confusion called doubt.

In becoming an enlightened being

In becoming an enlightened being,
this does not destroy the living being,
or take it away, or lose it;
nevertheless, it does mean having shed it.

---Dogen, "Rational Zen"

One has to shed the living being in order to become an enlightened being.

This is similar to an ugly caterpillar that turns into a beautiful butterfly.

The metaphor of the butterfly is close to the original Buddhist meaning of enlightenment, since even the enlightened being is a temporary form of existence.

What truly exists then?

Reality as we think it is supposed to be exists for most people. Yet the true reality of existence is that existence is empty of permanence.

By viewing the world through the lens of impermanence, it is possible to "not destroy the living being, take it away, or lose it" i.e. the Middle Way.

The Dew on The Grass

A person getting enlightened is like the moon reflecting in the water. The moon does not get wet, the water is not disturbed. Though it is a great expanse of light, it reflects in a little bit of water; the whole moon and the whole sky reflect even in the dew on the grass; they reflect even in a single drop of water. Enlightenment not disturbing the person is like the moon not piercing the water. A person not obstructing enlightenment is like the dewdrop not obstructing the heavens.

-Dogen, "Flowers Fall"

"The moon" represents the person who is spiritually awakened, who is on the path to enlightenment.

"Reflecting" represents the art of active meditation, where the spiritually awakened contemplates reality as bright and clean.

"The expanse of light" refers to the sky, and is a metaphor for the light of compassion, Amitayus.

"Water, "the dew in the grass", "the dewdrop" and "the single drop of water" refers to the transient nature of being. It also refers to the material essence of life.

"The heavens" refers to the spiritual essence of life.

"Enlightenment" refers the spiritual state of mind where the Pure Land practitioner is freed of the bonds of existence by accepting the material and spiritual essence of life as one.

Thus "getting enlightened" means letting go of attachment to the Saha world, this world of birth-life-death called samsara.

Namu Amida Butsu.

True emptiness and wonderful existence (the doctrine of the Middle Way)

Buddhist sutras speak of true emptiness and wonderful existence, the doctrine of the Middle Way. They avoid the extreme doctrines of existence and non-existence, being and non-being. They begin with "Thus I have heard" to distinguish them from non-Buddhist texts. - Shurangama Sutra, Testimony of Faith

Before the Buddha passed onto Paranirvana, Ananda was told by him to preface his lectures based on what the Buddha said with "Thus I have heard."

In this way, they are distinguished from non-Buddhist texts which discuss existence and non-existence.