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BIONA Books Proudly Presents:

Dream World
A Commentary on The Lankavatara Sutra
By Stephen L. l!"k and Charley L!nden Thorp

"All that is seen in the world is devoid of effort and action because all things in the world are like a dream, or like an image miraculously projected."
--From hapter !ne "his is not an introductory te#t. $f you are having difficulty understanding this teaching the fault is mine. %owever, reading the following books will make up for my shortcomings and fill in whatever gaps there might be in your &harma education. "hese books are all free and available in the '$!(A on-line library. "hey should be read in the order in which they are listed. $f you do not want to read them on-line or cut and paste them into your word processor then e-mail me at the e-mail address provided on the '$!(A website and $ will send the books to you. '$!(A can be found on-line at) www.buddhistinformation.com *1+ $ntroduction "o 'uddhism *,+ 'uddha -mile *.+ &ay 'y &ay */+ -top -uffering) A 'uddhist 0uide "o %appiness *1+ A %ouse !n Fire *2+ "he -earch 3ithin *4+ A 5lace !f 5ractice

Stephen L. Klick
"his commentary is lovingly dedicated to harley 6inden "horp, the hardest working member of the '$!(A -angha. 7y earnest prayer for you is that you e#ceed my own, modest accomplishments and become an illustrious natural leader in the great Kosen Rufu movement of the "wenty-First century.

!ther '$!(A 'ooks

Temple Tales

. The #o!"e o$ Charley L!nden Thorp

Introdu"t!on
6ives pass through a grand marble s8uare clutching the bright packages of their desires. "he significance of their costumes, ways of walking, their companions, eludes time and space, their wheelchairs and other perceptions of their world.

"ricked into self-grasping they fail to sweep the dark corners of their lives clean, but anger and ignorance combat the dark, doubt and delusion are good bed mates, and they busy themselves building and demolishing concepts.

'ut there are some lives, which dawdle in small colored temples unblinking before candles and incense, suffused with light and beyond belief. "hey are alone, empty-handed and motionless.

&ear -teve, -ome years ago $ visited my mother in the north of 9ngland whom $ had not seen for some time. 3e e#changed news and ate together, and then she told me in a rather e#cited way that she had something to show me. -he brought a newspaper cutting which she had neatly preserved under glass and framed in a simple manner-- her latest hobby. 3e

/ looked together at a religious temple of some kind, beautifully and opulently decorated with gold and precious stones, its lofty halls and chambers giving an impression of austere grandness. -he watched me carefully as $ peered into the rather pale newsprint photos beneath reflective glass and waited for the reali:ation to dawn. $t came 8uickly and $ blurted out various e#pletives, and we then sat back and marveled together in a kind of leisurely way that people who have shared each other;s lives for a long time are able to do. "he building in 8uestion was indeed a genuine temple, not a 0reek imitation or a 'aptist aberration, but of oriental origin with all the attendant large 8uantities of color, te#ture, and precious metals, a mountain of sensual offerings piled on to cluttered altars, with the possibility of eating and drinking inside its confines, unlike inside the dried-out, hardfaced churches of 9urope. 'ut there was an anomaly) this temple had been converted from an old red-brick <ictorian edifice, its enormous plain windows allowing passers-by to view e#traordinarily all these temple treasures in deepest suburban 7anchester. $ had shared this building with my mother and father and brother for all of my young life. $t had been our home and my memories of high half-tiled rooms and endless lengthy flights of stairs, and above all a large ballroom with a sprung wooden floor, which would rise in the summer warmth and fall in the cold creating valleys of shiny wood, became immediately vivid to me. $ remembered so clearly how much care this dance floor needed from my father, and how most -aturday nights dancers would come in their highly polished shoes and negotiate the undulations which si::led with the rhythms of cha-chacha and samba and fo#trot. %ow strange to imagine religious rituals and esoteric energies settling along this floor now. $t is easy for you to imagine, -teve, having been told only a little about my life during our si# months of studying together that this is some 'aronial residence and $ am a displaced 'aroness. 'ut that is not the case, far from it. 7y father, dead now, was a caretaker, a species of live-in janitor, and it was his job to keep the whole building working. $n those days it functioned as a library, a secondary school and education center, and he was the infallible and ruthless keeper of enormous bunches of keys that he carried around, endlessly and conscientiously unlocking and locking again the heavy doors, always checking at the end of the day that all his rooms were tightly secured in case intruders got in and played havoc in the acres of space. 7y mother and $ both agreed that he would have been thrilled to see what the hinese 'uddhist community of the city had done to his monster of a building, complete with its clock-tower and turrets. And at this point once again rapid frames of my memory were called up. 3hen $ was 8uite young, maybe si# or seven, $ finally got the courage to climb the gigantic ladder that led to the trap door into the clock tower. $ had spent a lot of time craning my neck looking up the completely vertical angle of that ladder and waiting for someone or something to open the trap door and look down at me. $ had seen my father disappear up this ladder several times to reset the mechanism of the clock, but $ had always been forbidden to even touch the ladder that was firmly secured to the wall. $n my child;s mind the fact that the big clock was up inside the trap door meant that this was where all the minutes and seconds and hours and days lived. "hey were sorted out by the long pointed fingers of the clock and so time became represented by this ladder and trap door, which were "ime;s body. !f course $ had my own idea what the inside of the head, which had the sorting fingers, looked like, but $ was keen to see e#actly for myself.

1 !ne morning during the decade of a school summer holiday $ waited until no one was around and crept through the pink door that led to the clock room at the back of the bowllike stage in the ballroom where the band musicians played. "he door was unlike any normal door because it did not look like a door and it was covered with the same pink lumpy wall covering as the rest of the gaudy hemisphere. "he clock mother was 8uiet and $ stood waiting at the bottom of the ladder taking shallow and rapid breaths, my little legs trembling. "hen $ started to pull my body up with difficulty because the rungs of the ladder, her backbone, were spaced out for adults and not for small children. $ do not remember feeling any fear about the height of the ladder but the effort of pulling myself up made me perspire a little. Finally $ got near the top and freed a hand to push up the trap door. $ pushed and pushed but $ could not move it. $ glanced down with a feeling a doom because $ was doing something completely forbidden and would undoubtedly be punished. %owever, my curiosity provided a sort of aspirin-in-advance for that suffering, and $ continued to try to budge the trap door. -oon it was becoming obvious that it was too heavy for me and that $ would have to be disappointed this time, but $ promised myself to wait until $ was bigger and stronger, which $ would ask the black fingers to arrange as soon as possible. $ began to disengage my ga:e from the flat white mouth of the door and prepared to begin the relatively easy task of lowering myself down as opposed to pulling myself up. "hen something made me have one last try, but $ decided to use my breath this time instead of the arduous shoving of my small limbs. $ closed my eyes and summoned up a deep breath and asked very politely that the "ime 7other let me into her head, and added that it was crucial that $ know how to organi:e time for myself. $ was ready and began to let the breath out slowly from my pursed lips, and as $ did so there was a great deal of white light, which flooded my eyes and warmed them. All my breath gone $ waited for a few seconds still believing that my breath would have completed the task, and then delicately opened my eyes. $t had worked and $ felt my e#citement like a gong inside my chest= $ slowly placed my fingers on the rim of the trap door feeling the fine dust of her beneath them and the strange smell of time filled my nostrils. "he first thing $ saw were great dusty shafts of sunlight coming in through the numerous tiny diamond windows around the edge of her round clock face. "he first thing $ heard was her regular and deep tick and $ remember thinking that it was a pity that this could not be heard from outside. $ smiled and cast my huge delighted eyes around all the mechanical workings, springs and cogs and pendulums, all alive and shiny with clean oil as slowly as $ could. $t was a marvel, which $ thought $ would never see again. $ sat continuously cocooned by mother time;s gentle beating and swinging and turning, making many unconscious preparations for my life ahead. And no one ever knew of my magical adventure until this day with my flesh mother. -he listened to my story attentively making occasional mock tongue noises of disapproval. %er word for my behavior was "crafty." "hat day with my mother $ remember feeling pleased and not really surprised that $ had spent the happiest times of my childhood being allowed to play in these intriguing spaces. At the time $ had some tenuous connections with 'uddhism in the form of the occasional introductory talk at the university, reading a number of books on the subject, and even doing a day course on the practice of -erene 7editation. 3e looked together at the newspaper photos again. "here was one of the ballroom, which had been my favorite place of all. $ would take my friends there and we would convert the tall wooden tea

2 trolleys on castors into romantic gondolas with old blankets so we could ensconce ourselves inside, and then push each other up and down the wooden waves interminably. $ somehow knew what it would be like to be there now with all the 'uddhas radiantly smiling down on me and my chums. -teve, under your caring supervision, $ begin to reali:e now the meaning of my life and its strangeness, and that spending my childhood in what became a 'uddhist temple has great significance. A few of "ime;s days or months or years after $ first saw these photos $ watched myself walking into the 7anchester 'uddhist enter, a beautifully converted old warehouse in the heart of the old city. $ became immediately involved in the -angha there and people who had never met me before would often come up and say that they had met me before, or ask how they knew me. $ would rack my brains to remember if $ had known them before and never was able to know for sure. 'ut now $ know that $ had known them all in other lives, and at the time it did not feel uncomfortable to become at once at ease with veritable "strangers." "hen one evening $ arrived at the center or a Full 7oon 5uja and joined a large group of -angha members having tea before the ceremony began. -omeone asked me if $ was local and $ responded by recounting the fact that $ had been born in what was now a 'uddhist temple. >ou can imagine perhaps that $ soon had a crowd around me, the news rippling through the community punctuated by gasps, some of incredulity, others of delight. (ow $ can see how auspicious it is, and $ know that $ have been a 'uddhist in other lives. $t is simply a coming home. $ write this in response to "&ream 3orld," a commentary on "he 6ankavatara -utra, which you so lovingly dedicate to me and my spiritual journey. $t is very special indeed to have such a dedication and $ am enthusiastic to demonstrate the seriousness of my apprenticeship to the &harma and the acceleration of my small steps, and the growth of my confidence along the way as a result of your love and vigilance. !nce more as $ write $ find myself within the confines of the temple. "his time a "ibetan temple on the outskirts of 7ontpellier on the 7editerranean coast of southern France. %ow $ found my way here is perhaps a story for another occasion. 'ut it is sufficient to say that $ work each day in the 0arden of &harma pruning and tidying my life, and that "emple 6ife is no stranger to me.

%ay all &e!n's have the opportun!ty to (ork !n the 'arden o$ the!r l!ves)

Authors Note:
The Te*t O$ +The Lankavatara Sutra+ appears &e$ore ea"h "hapter,s "ommentary $or the "onven!en"e o$ the student.

The Lankavatara Sutra

Chapter One
Discrimination
Thus have I heard: The Blessed One once appeared in the Castle of Lanka, which is on the summit of Mt Mala!a in the midst of the "reat Ocean # "reat man! Bodhisattvas$ Mahasattvas had miraculousl! assem%led from all the Buddha$lands, and a lar"e num%er of Bhikshus were "athered there The Bodhisattvas$Mahasattvas with Mahamati at their head were all perfect masters of the various Sam&dhis, the tenfold Self$master!, the ten 'owers, and the si( 's!chic )aculties *avin" %een anointed %! the Buddhas own hands, the! all well understood the si"nificance of the o%+ective world, the! all knew how to appl! the various means, teachin"s and disciplinar! measures accordin" to the various mentalities and %ehaviors of %ein"s, the! were all thorou"hl! versed in the five Dharmas, the three Sva%havas, the ei"ht -i+nanas, and the twofold ."o$less$ness The Blessed One, knowin" the mental a"itations "oin" on in the minds of those assem%led /like the surface of the ocean stirred into waves %! the passin" winds0, and his "reat heart moved %! compassion, smiled and said, 1In the da!s of old the Tath&"atas of the past who were #rhats and full!$enli"htened Ones came to the Castle of Lanka on Mount Mala!a and discoursed on the Truth of 2o%le 3isdom that is %e!ond the reasonin" knowled"e of the philosophers as well as %ein" %e!ond the understandin" of ordinar! disciples and masters, and which is reali4a%le onl! within the inmost consciousness, for !our sakes, I too, would discourse on the same Truth #ll that is seen in the world is devoid of effort and action %ecause all thin"s in the world are like a dream, or like an ima"e miraculousl! pro+ected This is not comprehended %! the philosophers and the i"norant, %ut those who thus see thin"s see them truthfull! Those who see thin"s otherwise walk in discrimination and, as the! depend upon discrimination, the! clin" to dualism The world as seen %! discrimination is like seein" ones own ima"e reflected in a mirror, or ones shadow, or the moon reflected in water, or an echo heard in a valle! 'eople "raspin" their own shadows of discrimination %ecome attached to this thin" and that thin" and failin" to a%andon dualism the! "o on forever discriminatin" and thus never attain tran5uilit! B! tran5uilit! is meant Oneness, and Oneness "ives %irth to the hi"hest Sam&dhi, which is "ained %! enterin" into the realm of 2o%le 3isdom that is reali4a%le onl! within ones inmost consciousness Then all Bodhisattvas$Mahasattvas rose from their seats and respectfull! paid him homa"e and Mahamati the Bodhisattva$Mahasattva sustained %! the power of the Buddhas drew his upper "arment over one shoulder, knelt and pressin" his hands to"ether, praised him in the followin" verses: #s !ou review the world with !our perfect intelli"ence and compassion, it must seem to !ou like an ethereal flower of which one cannot sa!: it is %orn, it is destro!ed, for the terms %ein"s and non$%ein" do not appl! to it #s !ou review the world with !our perfect intelli"ence and compassion, it must seem to !ou like a dream of which it cannot %e said: it is permanent or it is destructi%le, for the %ein" and non$%ein" do not appl! to it

? #s !ou review all thin"s %! !our perfect intelli"ence and compassion, the! must seem to !ou like visions %e!ond the reach of the human mind, as %ein" and non$ %ein" do not appl! to them 3ith !our perfect intelli"ence and compassion, which are %e!ond all limit, !ou comprehend the e"o$less$ness of thin"s and persons, and are free and clear from the hindrances of passion and learnin" and e"oism 6ou do not vanish into 2irvana, nor does 2irvana a%ide in !ou, for 2irvana transcends all dualit! of knowin" and known, of %ein" and non$%ein" Those who see thee thus, serene and %e!ond conception, will %e emancipated from attachment, will %e cleansed of all defilements, %oth in this world and in the spiritual world %e!ond In this world whose nature is like a dream, there is place for praise and %lame, %ut in the ultimate 7ealit! of Dharmaka!a, which is far %e!ond the senses and the discriminatin" mind, what is there to praise8 O !ou who are most 3ise9 Then said Mahamati the Bodhisattva$Mahasattva: O %lessed One, Su"ata, #rhat and )ull!$.nli"htened One, pra! tell us a%out the reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom which is %e!ond the path and usa"e of philosophers, which is devoid of all predicates such as %ein" and non$%ein", oneness and otherness, %oth$ness and non$ %oth$ness, e(istence and non$e(istence, eternit! and non$eternit!, which has nothin" to do with individualit! and "eneralit!, nor false$ima"ination, nor an! illusions arisin" from the mind itself, %ut which manifests itself as the Truth of *i"hest 7ealit! B! which, "oin" up continuousl! %! the sta"es of purification, one enters at last upon the sta"e of Tath&"ata$hood, where%!, %! the power of his ori"inal vows unattended %! an! strivin", one will radiate its influence to infinite worlds, like a "em reflectin" its varie"ated colors, where%! I and other Bodhisattvas$Mahasattvas will %e ena%led to %rin" all %ein"s to the same perfection of virtue Said the Blessed One: 3ell done, well done, Mahamati9 #nd a"ain, well done, indeed9 It is %ecause of !our compassion for the world, %ecause of the %enefit it will %rin" upon man! people %oth human kind and celestial, that !ou have presented !ourself %efore us to make this re5uest Therefore, Mahamati, listen well and trul! reflect upon what I shall sa!, for I will instruct !ou Then Mahamati and the other Bodhisattva$Mahasattvas "ave devout attention to the teachin" of the Blessed One Mahamati, since the i"norant and simple$minded, not knowin" that the world is onl! somethin" seen of the mind itself, clin" to the multitudinous$ness of e(ternal o%+ects, clin" to the notions of %ein"s and non$%ein", oneness and otherness, %oth$ ness and non$%oth$ness, e(istence and non$e(istence eternit! and non$eternit!, and think that the! have a self$nature of their own, and all of which rises from the discriminations of the mind and is perpetuated %! ha%it$ener"!, and from which the! are "iven over to false ima"ination It is all like a mira"e in which sprin"s of water are seen as if the! were real The! are ima"ined %! animals who, made thirst! %! the heat of the season, run after them #nimals not knowin" that the sprin"s are merel! hallucinations of their own minds, do not reali4e that there are no such sprin"s In the same wa!, Mahamati, the i"norant and simple$minded, their minds %urnin" with the fires of "reed, an"er and foll!, findin" deli"ht in a world of multitudinous forms, their thou"hts o%sessed with ideas of %irth, "rowth and

@ destruction, not well understandin" what is meant %! e(istence and non$e(istence, and %ein" impressed %! erroneous discriminations and speculations since %e"innin"$ less time, fall into the ha%it of "raspin" this and that and there%! %ecomin" attached to them It is like the cit! of the :andharvas which the unwittin" take to %e a real cit! when in fact it is not so The cit! appears as in a vision owin" to their attachment to the memor! of a cit! preserved in the mind as a seed, the cit! can thus %e said to %e %oth e(istent and non$e(istent In the same wa!, clin"in" to the memor! of erroneous speculations and doctrines accumulated since %e"innin"$less time, the! hold fast to such ideas as oneness and otherness, %ein" and non$%ein", and their thou"hts are not at all clear as to what after all is onl! seen of the mind It is like a man dreamin" in his sleep of a countr! that seems to %e filled with various men, women, elephants, horses, cars, pedestrians, villa"es, towns, hamlets, cows, %uffalos, mansions, woods, mountains, rivers and lakes, and who moves a%out in that cit! until he is awakened #s he lies half awake, he recalls the cit! of his dreams and reviews his e(periences there, what do !ou think, Mahamati, is this dreamer who is lettin" his mind dwell upon the various unrealities he has seen in his dream, is he to %e considered wise or foolish8 In the same wa!, the i"norant and simple$minded who are favora%l! influenced %! the erroneous views of the philosophers do not reco"ni4e that the views that are influencin" them are onl! dream$like ideas ori"inatin" in the mind itself, and conse5uentl! the! are held fast %! their notions of oneness and otherness, of %ein" and non$%ein" It is like a painter s canvas on which the i"norant ima"ine the! see the elevations and depressions of mountains and valle!s In the same wa! there are people toda! %ein" %rou"ht up under the influence of similar erroneous views of oneness and otherness, of %oth$ness and not$%oth$ness, whose mentalit! is %ein" conditioned %! the ha%it$ener"! of these false$ima"inin"s and who later on will declare those who hold the true doctrine of no$%irth which is free from the alternatives of %ein" and non$%ein", to %e nihilists and %! so doin" will %rin" themselves and others to ruin B! the natural law of cause and effect these followers of pernicious views uproot meritorious causes that otherwise would lead to unstained purit! The! are to %e shunned %! those whose desires are for more e(cellent thin"s It is like the dim$e!ed ones who seein" a hairnet e(claim to one another: 1It is wonderful9 Look, *onora%le sirs, it is wonderful91 But the hairnet has never e(isted, in fact, it is neither an entit!, nor a non$entit!, for it has %oth %een seen and has not %een seen In the same manner those whose minds have %een addicted to the discriminations of the erroneous views cherished %! the philosophers which are "iven over to the unrealistic views of %ein" and non$%ein", will contradict the "ood Dharma and will end in the destruction of themselves and others It is like a wheel of fire made %! a revolvin" fire%rand which is no wheel %ut which is ima"ined to %e one %! the i"norant 2or is it a not a wheel %ecause it has not %een seen %! some B! the same reasonin", those who are in the ha%it of listenin" to the discriminations and views of the philosophers will re"ard thin"s %orn as non$ e(istent and those destro!ed %! causation as e(istent It is like a mirror reflectin" colors and ima"es as determined %! conditions %ut without an! partialit! It is like

1A the echo of the wind that "ives the sound of a human voice It is like a mira"e of movin" water seen in a desert In the same wa! the discriminatin" mind of the i"norant, which has %een heated %! false$ima"inations and speculations, is stirred into mira"e$like waves %! the winds of %irth, "rowth, and destruction It is like the ma"ician 'isaca, who %! means of his spells makes a wooden ima"e or a dead %od! to thro% with life, thou"h it has no power of its own In the same wa! the i"norant and the simple$minded, committin" themselves to erroneous philosophical views %ecome thorou"hl! devoted to the ideas of oneness and otherness, %ut their confidence is not well "rounded )or this reason, Mahamati, !ou and other Bodhisattvas$Mahasattvas should cast off all discriminations leadin" to the notions of %irth, a%idin", and destructions, of oneness and otherness, of %oth$ness and not$ %oth$ness, of %ein" and non$%ein" and thus "ettin" free of the %onda"e of ha%it$ ener"! %ecome a%le to attain realit! reali4a%le within !ourselves of 2o%le 3isdom Then said Mahamati to the Blessed One: 3h! is it that the i"norant are "iven up to discrimination and the wise are not8 The Blessed One replied: it is %ecause the i"norant clin" to names, si"ns and ideas, as their minds move alon" these channels the! feed on multiplicities of o%+ects and fall into the notion of an e"o$soul and what %elon"s to it, the! make discriminations of "ood and %ad amon" appearances and clin" to the a"reea%le #s the! thus clin" there is a reversion to i"norance, and karma %orn of "reed, an"er and foll!, is accumulated #s the accumulation of karma "oes on the! %ecome imprisoned in a cocoon of discrimination and are thenceforth una%le to free themselves from the round of %irth and death Because of foll! the! do not understand that all thin"s are like Ma!a, like the reflection of the moon in water, that there is no self$su%stance to %e ima"ined as an e"o$soul and its %elon"in"s, and that all their definite ideas rise from their false discriminations of what e(ists onl! as it is seen of the mind itself The! do not reali4e that thin"s have nothin" to do with 5ualif! and 5ualif!in", nor with the course of %irth, a%idin" and destruction, and instead the! assert that the! are %orn of a creator, of time, of atoms, of some celestial spirit It is %ecause the i"norant are "iven up to discrimination that the! move alon" with the stream of appearances, %ut it is not so with the wise

Temple Tales One

The #o!"e o$ Charley L!nden Thorp

D!s"r!m!nat!on: Oneness (!th my -ather and the %us!"

"he silence before si::les with data and the dotted lies of discrimination.

11

9ach of their myriad sparks snatch at the seconds. "hat;s mine= (o= "hese are mine= "heir time is a frantic rummage sale. %ere the opening note is played and all words fall away. "he sounds have no meaning or memory. "hey are ceaseless, divine and undiluted. &ear -teve, 7y young life and initial training was fretted with discrimination and attachment-- $ suspect more than the lives of most westerners, for $ had not one but two cocoons of discrimination in which $ was imprisoned. "he first $ believe was the nature of my birth and parenting, and the second was the course my education took. 7y birth was very difficult because it was a aesarean section. $ am told that my mother suffered horrifically as a result of bringing me into the world. $ was the first-born and everyoneBs pride and joy, but apparently it took me no time at all to reali:e that $ could not tolerate my mother but adored my father and always wanted him near me. $n my early adult years $ wrote a series of poems about my birth and early relationship with her. "hey were the product of my own memory and not recounted to me by others. "hey are indeed nightmarish, even when $ read them now having read them before countless times. "hey were inspired by a series of vivid dreams to which $ am treated often and which teach and show me much, but nevertheless are frightening. 5erhaps it is not appropriate to place them in this te#t but $ assure you that they are full of images, which $ am sure come from my lives in the %ell Cealms. !f course, in reality, enmeshed as $ was in the samsaric web of an island mi#ture of hristianity, which was for the most part dominated by a Dueen and backed up by a tepid strain of Coman atholicism that often disguised itself as the hybrid Anglicanism, $ felt great guilt as a result and was told by many psychological bodies to forgive my mother and embrace her. "his $ seemed incapable of doing until just a few years ago, and now, you will be pleased perhaps to know, $ respect and love her dearly. 'oth of us forgive and are forgiven. &uring these early years $ perceived my mother as hypercritical, both of me and everyone else, but especially so of my beloved father. -he was controlling, idealistic and restless, and above all, negative and an obsessive worrier. -he wanted her first daughter to be a cardboard cut-out of herself with a family and a safe totally undemanding job, and it seemed she did her best to knead me into a paste and stuff me into her mould. !f course

1, $ constantly pushed her away and screamed until $ was blue in the face, even at the age of twenty-si#. At that time she was an e#cellent teacher of &iscrimination. 9verything, but everything, depended on appearances= 9ven though we didnBt have much money she was a talented seamstress so my brother E1? months younger than meF and $ could be mistaken for young royals with our hand-made velvet collared coats and snug matching hats. "hereBs no doubt that she was incredibly visual, her eye had been developed to a high level, and being of $rish descent she was both fiery and proud. -he had no problem at all about unleashing her tongue both in anger and in intense criticism of others, especially my father. %e was undoubtedly a 'uddhist, like me, who just needed to come home. -adly he never got the chance because of his demanding wife, and he died, happily despite terrible health problems about which he never complained, some four years ago. %e was never negative= %e was un-flappable, insightful, non-materialistic, and just 8uietly got on with his rich inner life, which of course made him seem rather self-contained $ suppose, especially to my mother who was not that way at all. $t is through my father, though we never talked of matters such as faith that $ am able to continue in my practice and studies now. %e always appears in my meditations at my side. "hankfully my mother is there also. 'ut for my father $ may never have found my true path, and probably would have become a professional discriminator, critic or perhaps a literary pundit. $f left to my mother;s guidance $ would have become a bank clerk. $t seems that $ was unable to cope well with state education with all its competitiveness and academic pressure. $t was in my early years in 5rimary -chool Eage four to elevenF that $ recall very clearly how $ learned to control time. $ hesitated about using the e#pression of Bnotion of timeB here, but $ am sure because time is e#clusively a product of the mind that each one of us is in a position to actually control time in our own uni8ue way. 7other "ime of the lock "ower certainly did show me the proper method. "his e#cellent skill, which $ now recogni:e 8uite clearly in $chinen -an:en, first showed itself to me during class time and especially when the concept of numbers was being beaten into us. 'y using my eye to absorb myself in the teacher, all intimate details of him or her - the pores of the skinG 8uality of air - as if $ was about to paint a photographic representation of them and write a biography, $ was able to become totally transfi#ed. As you can imagine this antic landed me in a great deal of trouble. 'ut now $ am sure that this was definitely a meditative state, a trance of some kind during which each second was telescoped into a lifetime of 5roustian proportions. And accompanying this microscopic detail were linear lines of silvery light, which dissected my image, and pastel-colored reflections from fabrics, skin tones and especially eye-color in abundance. 7y meditations of three thousand thoughts, at least in class, were invariably terminated violently and ended in tears. And so the persistent sparking of time would crackle on dragging me by the hair into the world of acute, life-threatening discrimination, where $ was instructed to pull myself together like a mechanism made of metal which had temporarily fallen into pieces. 6A(H= !nly in this way would $ be good at spelling

1. rules and mental arithmetic. Although our family came from atholic stock my parents had lost their way and seemed not to care for any religious sentiments. 'ut my maternal grandmother, a vigorous atholic suffused with the velvet 8uality of unshakeable faith, was a great influence in my life. -he e#posed me to her faith constantly by a combination of her 8uietly positive behavior and the more dramatic visits to church so she could make her confessions and pay respect to a multitude of saints. $ reveled in the sung 6atin 7ass, the genuflections and crossing, but best of all the swishing of the e#otic robes of the priest as he walked past purifying us with divine-smelling incense. $n the candlelight $ felt holy and special, another escape from the world of compulsive talk of good and bad things= 7y life-long addiction to incense and candles makes my devotional life now seem very natural, and these religious rituals meant a great deal to me when $ was very young, and $ felt that they were in some way connected to my trance states. 'oth my saving grace as a scholar and a 'uddhist Ein a roundabout mannerF was when $ sang, which $ did often. $n fact $ became the school soloist winning lots of competitions that restored my credibility as a pupil of the school. From out of the silence $ would sing a note and my defeat of the frantic snapping and rushing of time was instant. "his was sublime and at the same time greatly praised. "he problem was that $ did not ever want to stop my song, and indeed this became a real problem as $ went on to study music at conservatoire level and then in a professional forum. $f a piece of music was particularly beautiful to me $ was not sure that $ would ever be able to get back from it. $t was the million snapping jaws of time, which would flood into the silence after a song or sonata, which repelled and frightened me. 9specially with my adoration of the piano, cello and vocal music of -erge Cachmaninov this problem caused a period of great mental instability. $t was simply too beautiful and $ had no desire to come back to samsara, for in hindsight perhaps $ had reached some high state of <ipassana or -amatha. As an aspiring musician, and something of an autodidact and prodigy, $ became 8uickly utterly absorbed into the dramatic and grueling world of the classical concert platform. And this is where discrimination goes mad. $ might easily spend three or four hours working to perfect every fine detail of just one phrase of a fifty-page sonata. "his would then run into five or si# hours of practice every day. "hen $ would go to my lessons with 8uite legendary teachers in lofty rehearsal rooms complete with mammoth sleek 'oesendorfer si#teen feet grand pianos and would, without any word of greeting, perform what $ had worked on. "he maestro would invariably stride around the room in his bow tie and tweeds, opening a window or sipping a cup of tea, and $ would plough on, mistakes and all or not, which depended on what sort of a day $ was having. "hen suddenly he might bellow some triple negative like, "(o= (o= (o=" Duickly followed by "-tart all over again=" "here were repeated dressing downs and 8uite abusive pep talks, and the odd smidgen of praise. $n my chosen sphere criticism was usually of the non-constructive sort. $n fact, we were taught how to rigorously and systematically tear apart the performances of our peers or even worse those younger than us. "hankfully despite the horror and humiliation, and the

1/ obsessive discrimination, $ was still able to bask in the retreat of a melody or a rhythmic se8uence, and simply e#ist there in the concentrated bliss of timelessness and space-lessness. 'ut of course it still ended abruptly and led to tears more often than not. !nce more here in the temple grounds which are somewhat overgrown after a hot and unusually wet summer in the 7editerranean, $ am able, now a mature adult or at least a promising trainee, to bask in a timeless state, though $ only sing occasionally for the moment, and have put my classical instruments to rest in favor of gongs and bells. "he temple is under my care so $ must dust its shining deities and make large bowls of water offerings each morning. $ have finally gone forth from the territory of others, from the manic frittering away of time in various anaestheti:ed states, from the attachment to word and meaning and the eternal discrimination of individual marks, now well-endowed thanks to all my friends, lovers and family, with e#perience and incentives to work towards 9nlightenment for all sentient beings. And my $chinen -an:en is flooding back, enabling me to take large and creative steps along the way in no rush whatsoever. $ offer these tales to fellow travelers who may perhaps find a little comfort or even inspiration to help build up their stamina and their striding muscles. %ay all &e!n's $!nd a "alm re$u'e $rom the $rant!" rumma'e sale o$ t!me)

Chapter One
&ear harley, ""he 6ankavatara -utra" is an important 7ahayana te#t that is often overlooked by 'uddhist students. Intil recently, it was impossible to locate a copy of this te#t anywhere on the web. Infortunately, when it did finally appear it was in a lamentable condition. "he te#t we received was so riddled with misspellings, errors and omissions that we were forced to devote numerous hours to its restoration. "he result of our work can be found in the '$!(A libraryG the relevant chapter also appears at the beginning of each section of this book for the benefit of the student. ""he 6ankavatara -utra" is seldom seen on modern study lists but as American 'uddhist culture develops perhaps this trend will change. A brief historical overview of the development of worldwide 'uddhist culture clearly shows us the importance that this sutra played in the formation of hinese 7ahayana thought. $ have already written elsewhere about the importance of hinese scholarship in the development of "modern" schools of 'uddhism so $ will not belabor the point here. $t is, perhaps, enough for us to know that ""he 6ankavatara -utra" was almost always taught in tandem with ""he &iamond -utra," considered by many as the most important 3isdom -utra. 5lease notice that this sutra takes place in a mythical location. !ne of the major themes of this teaching is the unreality of all phenomena so it is appropriate that 6anka astle will not be found on any map. "he territory e#plored in ""he 6ankavatara -utra" is the human mind of the student as she wanders through the unreality of the -aha world. $t is not that

11 the world lacks a foundation in realityG it is the mistaken way we view things and the improper labels we stick on all phenomena that causes many people to e#ist in a nightmarish land. $n 'uddhist thinking all phenomena can be said to be like a dream world because all phenomena are dependent on cause and conditions for e#istence. "he -utras opening paragraph begins by informing us that a great number of perfected 'odhisattvas E'odhisattva-7ahasattvasF led by 7ahamati assembled to hear this teaching from the 'uddha -hakyamuni. 7ahamati and his fellow students had mastered various states of samJdhi. -amJdhi is defined as contemplation, meditation or complete concentration of the mind. "hese students were masters of themselves because they practiced the ten precepts, which are) E1F do not kill E,F do not steal E.F do abstain from improper se#ual contact E/F do not lie E1F do not drink into#icants E2F do not decorate the body or wear jewelry E4F avoid the mental distraction caused by e#posure to music, dancing or the theatre E?F sleep in a low, narrow bed E@F eat only at regulated times Eunless illF E1AF do not hoard money, jewels or any kind of material wealth. "he te#t continues by telling us that 7ahamati and his associates had also mastered the ten powers. "he ten powers are possessed by all enlightened beings. "hese ten powers are) E1F to know right from wrong states E,F to know the conse8uences of karma E.F to know all meditations and contemplations E/F to know the capabilities of the student E1F to know what the student understands E2F to understand the basic nature of the student E4F to know the causes and effects of sentient beings in all world states E?F to know the result of karma from a past life E@F to have knowledge through supernatural insight E1AF to be free from error, infallible in the knowledge of the &harma. Finally, the te#t states that these perfected 'odhisattvas also possessed the "si# 5sychic Faculties," which means that their si# senses had been purified. As a result of this purification each had developed E1F the elestial 9ye Ethe ability to view any object in the universeF E,F the elestial 9ar Ethe ability to hear any sound from any universeF E.F the ability to know the minds of others Eintuitive knowledgeF E/F the destiny of all karma bodies Ea complete knowledge of all former lives, not only for yourself but also of anyone in the -aha world system that you might encounterF E1F freedom of will Ethe power of spirit over matterF E2F the elimination of all faults. "he paragraph concludes by telling us that these students were thoroughly versed in the five dharmas, which in the sutra are defined as) E.F appearance, E/F name, E0F discrimination, E1F right-knowledge and E2F reality, but from this list you should reali:e) E.F $ am of the nature to grow old, which means that there is no possible escape to growing old no matter how long human life is e#tended by the "marvels" of science. E/F $ am of the nature to have ill health and there is no escape from eventual sickness. E0F $ am of the nature to die and no one leaves this -aha world system alive. E1F 9veryone $ love and all that is dear to me are of the nature to change and there is no escape from being separated from them. E2F 7y deeds are my closest companions. $ am the beneficiary of my deeds and my deeds are the ground on which $ stand. E""he five dharmas" will be discussed in hapter FourF

12 As well as these five &harmas, the 'odhisattvas also completely understood the three -vabhavas. $n -anskrit the word "-vabhavas" means "being, or the substance that gives substance to it self." "he meaning of this somewhat esoteric sounding statement will become clearer as we e#amine just what it was that these students had reali:ed. E1F "&harmakaya-svabhava" simply means that the &harmakaya Eor truth body of the 'uddhaF is available to all sentient beings. 3hen you read in various commentaries statements like, "the &harmakaya of the "athJgata pervades all beings" this is referring to the potential that e#ists within all sentient beings to be positively affected by the teachings of the 'uddha. E,F ""athata-svabhava" indicates that the ""athata" of the 'uddha is in no way inherently different from that of any other sentient being because they are both defined by emptiness. ""athata" is usually defined as "-uchness." "he only actual difference between the "athata of a 'uddha and an "average" human being is the 'uddhas lack of defilement and this can be altered by "polishing the mirror of your life" with practice and study to remove the impurities that blind you to truth. E.F "0otra-svabhavaG" "gotra" means, "seed nature" and therefore gotra-svabhava implies that all beings have an inherent 'uddha nature. "here is a two-part e#planation of the 0otra conceptG "innate gotra" is possessed by all beings and this is why the statement made above "the &harmakaya of the "athJgata pervades all beings" is trueG all beings inherently posses the first "truth body" or &harmakaya, if this were not so then no amount of "polishing" would ever allow us to improve spiritually. "he other part of this e8uation is "ac8uired 0otra," that which is obtained through constant practice and study. "he development of wisdom leads you to develop great compassion, causing you to ac8uire vast oceans of merit, which gives you access to the remaining truth bodies, the -ambhogakaya and (irmanakaya. "he final point for us to e#amine in this opening paragraph is the statement, E"they were thoroughly versed in theK"F e!'ht #!3nanas. According to one source, "<ijnana" is a -anskrit word that means, "%igher mind." %owever, when we take the word apart, "<i" is found to mean "to split or divide," while the rest of the word would best be translated as "to know or to reali:e." <ijnana is the ability to differentiate or distinguish between objects. $f you purchase a piece of fruit from a street vendor, it is the capability to ascertain that for e#ample, although you re8uested and paid for an apple what you have been given is a pear. As the vender hands you the piece of fruit, your "4ar5#!3nana" would hear him e#plain to you that this is Lthe newest kind of apple and you will really enjoy it=; >ou would use your "4ye5#!3nana" to see that the pear is yellow in color and is also pear-shaped, not round. "he "Nose5#!3nana" would announce to you that this fruit does not smell of apple, rather it smells suspiciously like pear. "he "Body5#!3nana" provides us with a sense of touch and this would simply confirm to us that the apple we are holding is shaped like a pear, while the "Ton'ue #!3nana6" which provides us with the sense of taste would confirm to us that this is, indeed, a pear that we are currently chewing. Finally, our "Thou'ht5 #!3nana6" which is where thought is produced, would conclude that the vender was either mistaken or possibly out of apples. "hese first si# <ijnanas are used by all beings to interact with the outside, -aha world, unless there is some medical problem that limits them. !f these si#, the most important is ""hought <ijnana" because it is directly connected to an inner function of the mind called

14 "%anas6" which is the defiled part of your mind that make dualistic distinctions between phenomena. "he final <ijnana is called "Alaya6" or the storehouse level where all of the energy created by the causes we make is stored. "he eight <ijnanas are sometimes referred to as the eight onsciousnesses. At this point, you now have the same knowledge available to you as the 'odhisattvas did when -hakyamuni began this teaching. As the 'uddha looked out at the beloved faces of his students he saw that although they had attained a certain level of reali:ation, their minds were still disturbed. "he sutra tells us that their mental agitation was "like the surface of the ocean stirred into waves by the passing winds." "he 'uddha felt great compassion for their suffering, so he began to preach this sutra to them. -hakyamuni begins by telling his students that all enlightened beings eventually come to 6anka astle to teach the truth that can only be reali:ed within the "inmost consciousness." "his inner consciousness is the actual physical location of 6anka astle. 9verything we see or interact with is "like a dream" or an image projected in the theatre. "he ignorant do not understand this and falsely discriminate between phenomena, thus they engage in dualistic thinking that leads only to suffering, pain and misery. 5eople would do not free themselves from this dualism have the potential to make fallacious distinctions for all of eternity and as long as they continue to follow this path they will never e#perience tran8uility. "he 'uddha tells us that by tran8uility he means that the student e#periences a feeling of oneness with the universal 6aw that runs everything. 3hen the student becomes one with this 6aw she enters into a state of "highest samJdhi" that can only be reali:ed at 6anka astle, or the innermost level of your own conscious mind. At this point in the te#t all of the 'odhisattva students show their deep respect for the 'uddhas accomplishments and then the perfected 'odhisattva 7ahamati makes the following seven statements praising the 'uddha 3isdom in verse) *1+ As you look at the world through the prism of your perfected intelligence and immense compassion it must seem to you to be insubstantial because you see through the illusion of birth and death. >ou know there is no being that suddenly appears from nonbeing because all things are dependent on causes and conditions. *,+ Again, this universe must seem a flimsy construction to your enlightened eyes because it is clear to you that no phenomena is everlasting and yet no phenomena has ever been truly destroyed. *.+ "o your eyes all things must seem translucent as a vision that cannot be grasped by the untrained human mind. 3ithout &harma training any individual human will lack the wisdom and compassion to see reality unaided. */+ $t is because your acumen and 'odhicitta are without limit that you recogni:e the false nature of the ego. $n your great wisdom you do not make the mistake of believing the 7ano level of consciousness to be Lself.; >ou are also emancipated from the suffering of human passions because you are filled with an e8ual love for all beings. Finally, you are liberated from the burden of learning because you already know everything that is important. "o be free from learning also means that you are not living in the worlds of 6earning and Ceali:ation. E5eople who do live in those two world states often look down on the beings around them, which must be viewed as the opposite of what the 'uddha taught.F

1? *1+ >ou do not vanish into (irvana, nor does (irvana reside within you, for those who view the world dualistically will never e#perience (irvana. *2+ "hose students who possess wisdom will perceive your mind to be tran8uil and your 8ualities to be beyond limited human comprehension. "hose scholar-practitioners who arrive at this level of reali:ation will be cleansed of all defilement. *4+ $n your measureless wisdom you clearly perceive that this -aha world is like a dream so it is juvenile to be concerned with praise or blame. -ince all beings have 'uddha potential, you can see the identical nature of all beings and recogni:e that they all want the highest possible happiness and do not want even the slightest bit of suffering. 7ahamati then asks -hakyamuni to e#plain his reali:ation on the non-dualistic nature of reality. 7ahamati also points out that this reali:ation leads the student through various stages of purification into the stage of 'uddhahood. -hakyamuni responds by telling 7ahamati that his asking for instruction on this topic is "well done" because the teaching the 'uddha now offers will bring benefit to many beings. $t is at this point that the formal instruction begins. "he uninformed and uneducated do not reali:e that the world they are so emotionally involved with is a series of phenomena that is being seriously misreported, misinterpreted and therefore misunderstood by their untrained mind. For this reason, they pursue foolish things, which are limited to the physical E-ahaF world. 7oney, honors, and fame are all the kind of things that are left behind us at the moment of death, so ultimately they have little value. 5eople also adhere to the idea of being and non-being) $ have spoken to numerous individuals about the things that trouble their minds over the seven years that $;ve spent answering the telephone at 'uddhist $nformation !f (orth America, and it has been shocking to me how few students actually prepare themselves for inevitable things like changing circumstances, sickness and death. -hakyamuni taught that his students should begin their practice by undertaking a serious contemplation of death because the nature of all phenomena is transitory. hange is inevitable and if you do not reali:e that fact then you can never be happy. 3hen you do learn to see and understand the nature of reality then you embrace change because it is the best and kindest of all possible systems. harley, there is no birth or death. >ou do not first e#ist and then later not e#ist. 6ife is eternalG each moment of mind is the cause of the ne#t moment of mind. >our last thought in this life will be the cause of your first thought in the ne#t life. 7ost Lworldly; people seem to believe that they have a Lself,; which has come to be called the ego and they also believe that they are somehow separate from others. "his notion of Lself; is a serious mental errorG your Lself; or 7ano onsciousness is simply a combination of causes and conditions formed by the karma you created in the past. "he eternal part of you can be called "'uddha (ature" or Amala onsciousness and all beings e8ually possess it. harley, you are connected to all these beings because you are composed of the same life essence that the universe itself is comprised of. 3e have created an enormous force of habit energy that causes us to view life in a seriously distorted manner. 3e spend our time judging the people around us and never seem to reali:e that we are the cause of all our own problems. As 3alk Helly wrote, "we have met the enemy and he is us=" "he world around us is like a mirage, not because the world is somehow unreal but because our minds are filled with anger, greed, lust and jealousy. 3hen we begin a chain

1@ of reasoning from a position of one of these mental afflictions everything we see, hear or think will be distorted. "he chapter concludes with -hakyamuni re-emphasi:ing the point that ignorant people cling to concepts and labels, thus causing us to see a world that does not actually e#ist. 3e judge some things as Lgood; and grasp at what we find and label Lpleasurable.; !ther phenomena are labeled Lbad; or merely Lneutral; and we wish to limit or avoid all contact with them. $t is because we constantly fill our mind with false discriminations that we continue to needlessly suffer. "he final paragraph mentions people who do not even reali:e that cause leads on to effect, so they assert that the universe must have a beginning and that some god or powerful spirit must therefore have created them. -ince $ know that you have advanced well beyond this point $ will not belabor the obvious. For other students who also read this te#t, this is a middle-level 7ahayana teaching, if you are still dealing with these kinds of issues, you should probably be reading introductory level teachings until you have a solid reali:ation on the subject. -uch students would do well to read "$ntroduction "o 'uddhism," and "-top -uffering) A 'uddhist 0uide "o %appiness," both free from '$!(A 'ooks. "he rest of us will move on to chapter two. *7uest!on:+ >ou write that this ""he 6ankavatara -utra" was taught in "a mythical location" and also state, "6anka astle will not be found on any map." 3asn;t this -utra taught in -ri 6ankaM *Ans(er:+ "here is a tradition that ""he 6ankavatara -utra" contains the words spoken by -hakyamuni when he arrived on the island of eylon E(ow -ri 6ankaF. 3hile some scholars assert various definitions for the word L6ankavatara; E"%e who entered 6anka" or "entering into 6anka" are e#amplesF nobody has demonstrated ade8uate proof of the correctness of their interpretation.

Chapter Two
)alse$Ima"inations and ;nowled"e of #ppearances
Then Mahamati the Bodhisattva$Mahasattva spoke to the Blessed One, sa!in": 6ou speak of the erroneous views of the philosophers, will !ou please tell us of them, that we ma! %e on our "uard a"ainst them8 The Blessed One replied, sa!in": Mahamati, the error in these erroneous teachin"s that are "enerall! held %! the philosophers lies in this: the! do not reco"ni4e that the o%+ective world rises from the mind itself, the! do not understand that the whole mind$s!stem also arises from the mind itself, %ut dependin" upon these manifestations of the mind as %ein" real the! "o on discriminatin" them, like the simple$minded ones that the! are, cherishin" the dualism of this and that, of %ein" and non$%ein", i"norant to the fact that there is %ut one common .ssence On the contrar! m! teachin" is %ased upon reco"nition that the o%+ective world, like a vision, is a manifestation of the mind itself, it teaches the cessation of i"norance, desire, deed and causalit!, it teaches the cessation of sufferin" that arises from the discriminations of the triple world

,A There are some Brahman scholars who, assumin" somethin" out of nothin", assert that there is a su%stance %ound up with causation, which a%ides in time, and that the elements that make up personalit! and its environment have their "enesis and continuation in causation and after thus e(istin", pass awa! Then there are other scholars who hold a destructive and nihilistic view concernin" such su%+ects as continuation, activit!, %reakin"$up, e(istence, 2irvana, the 'ath, karma, fruition and Truth 3h!, %ecause the! have not attained an intuitive understandin" of Truth itself and therefore the! have no clear insi"ht into the fundamentals of thin"s The! are like a +ar %roken into pieces, which is no lon"er a%le to function as a +ar, the! are like a %urnt seed, which is no lon"er capa%le of sproutin" But the elements that make up personalit! and its environment, which the! re"ard as su%+ect to chan"e are reall! incapa%le of uninterrupted transformations Their views are %ased upon erroneous discriminations of the o%+ective world, the! are not %ased upon the true conception #"ain, if it is true that somethin" comes out of nothin" and there is the rise of the mind$s!stem %! reason of the com%inations of the three effect$producin" causes, we could sa! the same of an! non$e(istin" thin": for instance, that a tortoise could "row hair, or sand produce oil This proposition is of no avail, it ends up in affirmin" nothin" It follows that the deed, work and cause of which the! speak is of no use, and so also is their reference to %ein" and non$%ein", if the! ar"ue that there is a com%ination of the three effect$producin" causes, the! must do it on the principle of cause and effect, that is, that somethin" comes out of somethin" and not out of nothin" #s lon" a world of relativit! is asserted, there is an ever$recurrin" chain of causation, which cannot %e denied under an! circumstance, therefore we cannot talk of an!thin" comin" to an end or of cessation #s lon" as these scholars remain on their philosophical "round their demonstration must conform to lo"ic and their te(t%ooks, and the memor! ha%it of erroneous intellection will ever clin" to them To make the matter worse, the simple$minded ones, poisoned %! this erroneous view, will declare this incorrect wa! of thinkin" tau"ht %! the i"norant, to %e the same as that presented %! the #ll$knowin" One But the wa! of instruction presented %! the Tath&"atas is not %ased on assertions and refutations %! means of words and lo"ic There are four forms of assertion that can %e made concernin" thin"s not in e(istence, namel!, assertions made a%out individual marks that are not in e(istence, a%out o%+ects that are not in e(istence, a%out a cause that is non$e(istent, and a%out philosophical views that are erroneous B! refutation is meant that one, %ecause of i"norance, has not e(amined properl! the error that lies at the %ase of these assertions The assertion a%out individual marks that reall! have no e(istence, concerns the distinctive marks as perceived %! the e!e, ear, nose, etc , as indicatin" individualit! and "eneralit! in the elements that make up personalit! and its e(ternal world, and then, takin" these marks for realit! and "ettin" attached to them, to "et into the ha%it or affirmin" that thin"s are +ust so and not otherwise The assertion a%out o%+ects that are non$e(istent is an assertion that rises from attachment to these associated marks of individualit! and "eneralit! O%+ects in themselves are neither in e(istence nor in non$e(istence and are 5uite devoid of the alternative of %ein" and non$%ein", and should onl! %e thou"ht of as one thinks of

,1 the horns of a hare, a horse, or a camel, which never e(isted O%+ects are discriminated %! the i"norant who are addicted to assertion and ne"ation, %ecause their intelli"ence has not %een acute enou"h to penetrate into the truth that there is nothin" %ut what is seen of the mind itself The assertion of a cause that is non$e(istent assumes the causeless %irth of the first element of the mind$s!stem, which later on comes to have onl! a Ma!a$like non$ e(istence That is to sa!, there are philosophers who assert that an ori"inall! un%orn mind$s!stem %e"ins to function under the conditions of e!e, form, li"ht and memor!, which functionin" "oes on for a time and then ceases This is an e(ample of a cause that is non$e(istent The assertion of philosophical views concernin" the elements that make up personalit! and its environin" world that are non$e(istent, assume the e(istence of an e"o, a %ein", a soul, a livin" %ein", a 1nourisher1, or a spirit This is an e(ample of philosophical views that are not true It is this com%ination of discrimination of ima"inar! marks of individualit!, "roupin" them and "ivin" them a name and %ecomin" attached to them as o%+ects, %! reason of ha%it$ener"! that has %een accumulated since %e"innin"$less time, that one %uilds up erroneous views whose onl! %asis is false$ima"inations )or this reason Bodhisattvas should avoid all discussions relatin" to assertions and ne"ations whose onl! %asis is words and lo"ic 3ord$discrimination "oes on %! the coordination of %rain, chest, nose, throat, palate, ton"ue, teeth and lips 3ords are neither different nor not different from discrimination 3ords rise from discrimination as their cause, if words were different from discrimination the! could not have discrimination for their cause, then a"ain, if words are not different, the! could not carr! and e(press meanin" 3ords, therefore, are produced %! causation and are mutuall! conditionin" and shiftin" and, +ust like thin"s, are su%+ect to %irth and destruction There are four kinds of word discrimination, all of which are to %e avoided %ecause the! are alike unreal )irst there are words indicatin" individual marks which rise from discriminatin" forms and si"ns as %ein" real in themselves and, then, %ecomin" attached to them There are memor!$words, which rise from the unreal surroundin"s, which come %efore the mind when it recalls some previous e(perience Then there are words "rowin" out of attachment to the erroneous distinctions and speculations of the mental processes #nd finall!, there are words "rowin" out of inherited pre+udices as seeds of ha%it$ener"! accumulated since %e"innin"$less time, or which had their ori"in in some lon" for"otten clin"in" to false$ima"ination and erroneous speculation Then there are words where there are no correspondin" o%+ects, as for instance, the hares horns, a %arren womans child, etc , there are no such thin"s %ut we have the words, +ust the same 3ords are an artificial creation, there are Buddha$lands where there are no words In some Buddha$lands ideas are indicated %! lookin" steadil!, in others %! "estures, in still others %! a frown, %! a movement of the e!es, %! lau"hin", %! !awnin", %! the clearin" of the throat, or %! trem%lin" )or instance, in the Buddha$land of the Tath&"ata Samanta%adra, Bodhisattvas, %! a Dh!ana transcendin" words and ideas, attain reco"nition of all thin"s as un$%orn and the!, also, e(perience various most e(cellent Sam&dhis that transcend words .ven in this world such speciali4ed %ein"s as ants and %ees carr! on their activities

,, ver! well without recourse to words 2o, Mahamati, the validit! of thin"s is independent of the validit! of words Moreover, there are other thin"s that %elon" to words, namel!, the s!lla%le$%od! of words, the name$%od! of words, and the sentence$%od! of words B! the s!lla%le$ %od! is meant that %! which words and sentences are set up or indicated: there is a reason for some s!lla%les, some are mnemonic, and some are chosen ar%itraril! B! name$%od! is meant the o%+ect dependin" upon which a name$word o%tains its si"nificance, or in other words, name$%od! is the 1su%stance1 of a name$word B! sentence$%od! is meant the completion of the meanin" %! e(pressin" the word more full! in a sentence The name for this sentence$%od! is su""ested %! the footprints left in the road %! elephants, horses, people, deer, cattle, "oats, etc But neither words nor sentences can e(actl! e(press meanin"s, for words are onl! sweet sounds that are ar%itraril! chosen to represent thin"s, the! are not the thin"s themselves, which in turn are onl! manifestations of mind Discrimination of meanin" is %ased upon the false$ima"ination that these sweet sounds which we call words and which are dependent upon whatever su%+ects the! are supposed to stand for, and which su%+ects are supposed to %e self$e(istent, all of which is %ased on error Disciples should %e on their "uard a"ainst the seductions of words and sentences and their illusive meanin"s, for %! them the i"norant and the dull$witted %ecome entan"led and helpless as an elephant flounderin" a%out in the deep mud 3ords and sentences are produced %! the law of causation and are mutuall! conditionin" the! cannot e(press hi"hest 7ealit! Moreover, in hi"hest 7ealit! there are no differentiations to %e discriminated and there is nothin" to %e predicated in re"ards to it *i"hest 7ealit! is an e(alted state of %liss, it is not a state of word$ discrimination, and it cannot %e entered into %! mere statements concernin" it The Tath&"atas have a %etter wa! of teachin", namel!, throu"h self$reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom Mahamati asked the Blessed One: 'ra! tell us a%out the causation of all thin"s where%! I and other Bodhisattvas ma! see into the nature of causation and ma! no more discriminate it as to the "radual or simultaneous risin" of all thin"s8 The Blessed One replied: There are two factors of causation %! reason of which all thin"s come into seemin" e(istence: e(ternal and internal factors The e(ternal factors are a lump of cla!, a stick, a wheel, a thread, water, a worker, his la%or, and the com%ination of these produces a +ar #s with a +ar which is made from a lump of cla!, or a piece of cloth made from thread, or mattin" made from fra"rant "rass, or a sprout "rowin" out of a seed, or fresh %utter made from sour milk %! a man churnin" it, so it is with all thin"s which appear one after another in continuous succession #s re"ards the inner factors of causation, the! are of such kinds as i"norance, desire, purpose, all of which enter into the idea of causation Born of these two factors there is the manifestation of personalit! and the individual thin"s that make up its environment, %ut the! are not individual and distinctive thin"s: the! are onl! so discriminated %! the i"norant Causation ma! %e divided into si( elements: indifference$cause, dependence$cause, possi%ilit!$cause, a"enc!$cause, o%+ectivit!$cause, manifestin"$cause Indifference$ cause means that if there is no discrimination present, there is no power of com%ination present and so no com%ination takes place, or if present there is

,. dissolution Dependence$cause means that the elements must %e present 'ossi%ilit!$ cause means that when a cause is to %ecome effective there must %e a suita%le meetin" of conditions %oth internal and e(ternal #"enc!$cause means that there must %e a principle vested with supreme authorit! like a soverei"n kin" present and assertin" itself O%+ectivit!$cause means that to %e a part of the o%+ective world the mind$s!stem must %e in e(istence and must %e keepin" up its continuous activit! Manifestin"$cause means that as the discriminatin" facult! of the mind$s!stem %ecomes %us! individual marks will %e revealed as forms are revealed %! the li"ht of a lamp #ll causes are thus seen to %e the outcome of discrimination carried on %! the i"norant and simple$minded, and there is, therefore, no such thin" as "radual or simultaneous risin" of e(istence If such a thin" as the "radual risin" of e(istence is asserted, it can %e disapproved %! showin" that there is no %asic su%stance to hold the individual si"ns to"ether which makes a "radual risin" impossi%le If simultaneous risin" of e(istence is asserted, there would %e no distinction %etween cause and effect and there will %e nothin" to characteri4e a cause as such 3hile a child is not !et %orn, the term father has no si"nificance Lo"icians ar"ue that there is that which is %orn and that which "ives %irth %! the mutual functionin" of such causal factors as cause, su%stance, continuit!, acceleration, etc , and so the! conclude that there is a "radual risin" of e(istence, %ut this "radual risin" does not o%tain e(cept %! reason of attachment to the notion of a self$nature 3hen ideas of %od!, propert! and a%ode are seen, discriminated and cherished in what after all is nothin" %ut what is conceived %! the mind itself, an e(ternal world is perceived under the aspect of individualit! and "eneralit! which, however, are not realities and, therefore, neither a "radual nor a simultaneous risin" of thin"s is possi%le It is onl! when the mind$s!stem comes into activit! and discriminates the manifestations of mind that e(istence can %e said to come into view )or these reasons, Mahamati, !ou must "et rid of notions of "raduation and simultaneit! in the com%ination of causal activities Mahamati said: Blessed One, to what kind of discrimination and to what kind of thou"hts should the term, false$ima"ination, %e applied8 The Blessed One replied: So lon" as people do no understand the true nature of the o%+ective world, the! fall into the dualistic view of thin"s The! ima"ine the multiplicit! of e(ternal o%+ects to %e real and %ecome attached to them and are nourished %! their ha%it$ener"! Because of this s!stem of mentation$mind and what %elon"s to it$is discriminated and is thou"ht of as real, this leads to the assertion of an e"o$soul and its %elon"in"s, and thus the mind$s!stem "oes on functionin" Dependin" upon and attachin" itself to the dualistic ha%it of mind, the! accept the views of the philosophers founded upon these erroneous distinctions, of %ein" and non$%ein", e(istence, and non$e(istence, and there evolves what we call, false$ima"inations But Mahamati, discrimination does not evolve nor is it put awa! %ecause, when all that is seen is trul! reco"ni4ed to %e nothin" %ut the manifestation of mind, how can discrimination as re"ards %ein" and non$%ein" evolve8 It is for the sake of the i"norant who are addicted to the discriminations of the multiplicit! of thin"s, which are of their own mind, that it is said %! me that discrimination takes its rise owin" to attachment to the aspect of multiplicit!, which is characteristic of

,/ o%+ects *ow otherwise can the i"norant and simple$minded reco"ni4e that there is nothin" %ut what is seen of the mind itself, and how otherwise can the! "ain an insi"ht into the true nature of mind and %e a%le to free themselves from wron" conceptions of cause and effect8 *ow otherwise can the! "ain a clear conception of the Bodhisattva sta"es, and attain and 1turnin"$a%out1 in the deepest seat of their consciousness, and finall! attain an inner self$reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom which transcends the five Dharmas, the three Self$natures, and the whole idea of a discriminated 7ealit!8 )or this reason it is said %! me that discrimination takes its rise from the mind %ecomin" attached to the multiplicities of thin"s, which in themselves are not real, and that emancipation comes from thorou"hl! understandin" the meanin" of 7ealit! as it trul! is )alse$ima"inations rise from the consideration of appearances, thin"s are discriminated as to form, si"ns and shape, as to havin" color, warmth, humidit!, motilit! or ri"idit! )alse$ima"ination consists in %ecomin" attached to these appearances and their names B! attachment to o%+ects is meant, the "ettin" attached to inner and outer thin"s as if the! were real B! attachment to names is meant, the reco"nition in these inner and outer thin"s of the characteristic marks of individuation and "eneralit!, and to re"ard them as definitel! %elon"in" to the names of the o%+ects )alse$ima"ination teaches that %ecause all thin"s are %ound up with causes and conditions of ha%it$ener"! that has %een accumulatin" since %e"innin"$less time %! not reco"ni4in" that the e(ternal world is of mind itself, all thin"s are comprehensi%le under the aspects of individualit! and "eneralit! B! reason of clin"in" to these false$ima"inations there is multitudinous$ness of appearances, which are ima"ined, to %e real %ut which are onl! ima"inar! To illustrate: when a ma"ician dependin" on "rass, wood, shru%s and creepers, e(ercises his art, man! shapes and %ein"s take form that are onl! ma"icall! created, sometimes the! even make fi"ures that have %odies and that move and act like human %ein"s, the! are variousl! and fancifull! discriminated %ut there is no realit! in them, ever!one %ut children and the simple$minded know that the! are not real Likewise %ased upon the notion of relativit! false$ima"ination perceives a variet! of appearances, which the discriminatin" mind proceeds to o%+ectif! and name and %ecome attached to, and memor! and ha%it$ener"! perpetuate *ere is all that is necessar! to constitute the self$nature of false$ima"ination The various features of false ima"ination can %e distin"uished as follows: as re"ards words, meanin", individual marks, propert!, self$nature, cause, philosophical views, reasonin", %irth, no$%irth, dependence, %onda"e and emancipation Discrimination of words is the %ecomin" attached to various sounds carr!in" familiar meanin"s Discrimination of meanin" comes when one ima"ines that words rise dependin" upon whatever su%+ects the! e(press, and which su%+ects are re"arded as self$e(istent Discrimination of individual marks is to ima"ine that whatever is denoted in words concernin" the multiplicities of individual marks /which in themselves are like a mira"e0 is true, and clin"in" tenaciousl! to them, to discriminate all thin"s accordin" to such cate"ories as warmth, fluidit!, motilit!, and solidit! Discrimination of propert! is to desire a state of wealth, such as "old, silver, and various precious stones Discrimination of self$nature is to make discriminations accordin" to the views of the philosophers in reference to the self$nature of all thin"s which the! ima"ine and

,1 stoutl! maintain to %e true, sa!in": 1This is +ust what it is and it cannot %e otherwise 1 Discrimination of cause is to distin"uish the notion of causation in reference to %ein" and non$%ein" and to ima"ine that there are such thin"s as 1cause$si"ns 1 Discrimination of philosophical views means considerin" different views relatin" to the notions of %ein" and non$%ein", oneness and otherness, %oth$ ness and not$%oth ness, e(istence and non$e(istence, all of which are erroneous, and %ecomin" attached to particular views Discrimination of reasonin" means the teachin" whose reasonin" is %ased on the "raspin" of the notion and e"o$su%stance and what %elon"s to it Discrimination of %irth means "ettin" attached to the notion that thin"s come into e(istence and pass out of e(istence accordin" to causation Discrimination of no$%irth is to see that causeless su%stances which were not, come into e(istence %! reason of causation Discrimination of dependence means the mutual dependence of "old and the filaments made of it Discriminations of %onda"e and ima"ination is like ima"inin" that there is somethin" %ound %ecause of somethin" %indin", as in the case of a man who ties a knot and loosens one These are the various features of false$ima"ination to which all the i"norant and simple$ minded clin" Those attached to the notion of relativit! are attached to the notion of the multitudinous$ness of thin"s, which arises from false$ima"ination It is like seein" varieties of o%+ects dependin" upon Ma!a, %ut these varieties thus revealin" themselves are discriminated %! the i"norant as somethin" other than Ma!a itself, accordin" to their wa! of thinkin" 2ow the truth is, Ma!a and varieties of o%+ects are neither different nor not different, if the! were different, varieties of o%+ects would not have Ma!a for their characteristic, if the! were not different there would %e no distinction %etween them But as there is a distinction these two$$Ma!a and variet! of o%+ects$$are neither different nor not different, for the ver! "ood reason: the! are one thin" Mahamati said to the Blessed One: Is error an entit! or not8 The Blessed One replied: .rror has no character in it makin" for attachment, if error had such a character no li%eration would %e possi%le from its attachment to e(istence, and the chain of ori"ination would onl! %e understood in the sense of creation as upheld %! the philosophers .rror is like Ma!a, also, and as Ma!a is incapa%le from producin" other Ma!a, so error in itself cannot produce error, it is discrimination and attachment that produce evil thou"hts and faults Moreover, Ma!a has no power of discrimination in itself, it onl! rises when invoked %! the charm of the ma"ician .rror has in itself no ha%it$ener"!, ha%it$ener"! onl! rises from discrimination and attachment .rror in itself has no faults, faults are due to the confused discriminations fondl! cherished %! the i"norant concernin" e"o$soul and its mind The wise have nothin" to do either with Ma!a or error Ma!a, however, is not an unrealit! %ecause it onl! has the appearance of realit!, all thin"s have the nature of Ma!a It is not %ecause all thin"s are ima"ined and clun" to %ecause of the multitudinous$ness of individual si"ns that the! are like Ma!a, it is %ecause the! are alike unreal and as 5uickl! appearin" and disappearin" Bein" attached to erroneous thou"hts the! confuse and contradict themselves and others #s the! do not clearl! "rasp the fact that the world is no more than mind itself, the! ima"ine and clin" to causation, work, %irth and individual si"ns, and their thou"hts are characteri4ed %! error and false$ima"inations The teachin" that all thin"s are

,2 characteri4ed %! the self$nature of Ma!a and a dream is meant to make the i"norant and simple$minded cast aside the idea of self$nature in an!thin" )alse$ima"ination teaches that such thin"s as li"ht and shade, lon" and short, %lack and white are different and are to %e discriminated, %ut the! are not independent of each other, the! are onl! different aspects of the same thin", the! are terms of relation and not of realit! Conditions of e(istence are not of a mutuall! e(clusive character, in essence thin"s are not two %ut one .ven 2irvana and Sams&ras world of life and death are aspects of the same thin", for there is no 2irvana e(cept where is Sams&ra, and no Sams&ra e(cept where is 2irvana #ll dualit! is falsel! ima"ined Mahamati, !ou, and all Bodhisattvas should discipline !ourselves in the reali4ation and patience acceptance of the truths of the emptiness, un$%orn$ness, no self$nature$ ness, and the non$dualit! of all thin"s This teachin" is found in all the sutras of all the Buddhas and is presented to meet the varied dispositions of all %ein"s, %ut it is not the Truth itself These teachin"s are onl! a fin"er pointin" towards 2o%le 3isdom The! are like a mira"e with its sprin"s of water, which the deer take to %e real and chase after So with the teachin"s in all the sutras: The! are intended for the consideration and "uidance of the discriminatin" minds of all people, %ut the! are not the Truth itself, which can onl! %e self$reali4ed within ones deepest consciousness Mahamati, !ou and all the Bodhisattvas must seek for this inner self$reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom, and not %e captivated %! word teachin"

Temple Tales T(o

The #o!"e o$ Charley L!nden Thorp

-alse Ima'!n!n's and

no(led'e o$ Appearan"es:

A (orld truly made o$ Words

"he dancers move. "heir bodies are wordsG "stretch," "soften," "open." Arms move in phrases the intonation of which they follow with their eyes. 6egs move in sentences

,4

the logic of which they feel with their minds. Arms and legs, the synta# and semantics, which hook into the spine, have constantly available to them a swirl of alphabet from which to make "me." &ear -teve, 7y relationship with words improves each day as $ inch along the path. $t has a strange history though, its roots firmly embedded in the eccentric and rich language patterns of my parents, for which $ am at the same time eternally grateful and a little regretful. "he warrior-poet elt e#ists in everyone but in some itBs a powerful force, and my family is of the larger-than-life eltic variety. 3ords were always plentiful and oo:ing with images that were at once funny or frightening, depending on the conte#t into which they were liberally sprinkled, but at the same time conveyed a message of impermanence. $n other words we were not people who took language too literally, and we certainly, in most cases anyway, didnBt allow it to be tattooed into our consciousness. For us it was a kind of game) there were winners and losers, and occasionally someone would upset the board in a rage. 7y mother employed language energetically like confetti, or honey on hot buttered toast. -he was mostly verbose, her main position always center stage. 7y father was elo8uent and used it like a glow-worm, his place in a crevice. "here were fre8uent and immense rows between them, which sent my brother and $ under the table with fingers in ears. $nsults and indignation, oratory and hysteria were rapid arrow shots and cannon balls, hurled through the air. "hen there would be a lull of suspicious silence, which varied in length ranging from minutes to days, and eventually complete reconciliation. "he anger and frustration was vented and the words and phrases used as ammunition completely spent. 7usic was far more important than words in our family environment and $ grew up with a strong instinct that they were so much food and water, swallowed and transformed into waste products to be e#pelled as 8uickly as possible. 7usic was a different kind of energy. $t lingered. $t lasted. $t wasnBt at all easily evacuated. $t continued to gently drip into the system but didnBt accumulate in the same way. 7y father had the ability to actually become the sounds and their rhythms as he listened. %e was utterly engaged with them and would use his whole body in an attempt to copy their characteristics. "his concentration was a great inspiration for me as a child. $ loved the seemingly impossible combination of stillness and rhythm. %e showed this skill to my mother and she too had the ability of absorption but failed to master the stillness element, so she used her body

,? e#clusively to dance 6atin American rhythms compulsively. "hey danced well together, and practiced the complicated se8uences all around the house. $t was not uncommon to ring the doorbell, to be greeted on the doorstep and danced through the hallway into the lounge where the 65s of 9dmundo Coss and his 'ig 'and were playing full-blast. "hen one had to wait until the end of the number to get any sense out of either of them. $t was this type of concentration, which $ gravitated towards. As a child $ learned the words of hundreds of songs in languages $ did not know. 5eople pressed me to tell them why $ was not interested in knowing the meaning of the lyrics in some kind of precise translation. $ believe now that $ used them as mantras, e#ploiting the sounds in a nonintellectual way. 3ords simply as sounds without meaning or description, and of course this led to my musical studies. -ound is "not fi#ed, not movable. $t has no supportG" E"he Idana ?)1F &espite the fact that music and sound represented a freedom that words did not possess $ became a scribbler. $ often found solace in writing thoughts that $ didnBt feel confident in speaking aloud because of the devastating effect they seemed to have on other people. $ soon learned that outside my family those vocal arrows and cannonballs could maim or badly wound, and that there were always scars. 9specially when e#pressing emotional matters. $ steadily retreated from using speech and instead preferred to sing, do something practical, or better yet, fill up blank paper with my thoughts. $nevitably this led to problems. 5eople became so desperate for my crucial words that they were even prepared to trespass on my private journals without permission. "here was a lot of trouble in my personal relationships as a result of this, shock and loss of trust being the main ones. (ow $ have developed more courage and say what $ think, but people are unhappy with that degree of honesty and invariably interpret what $ say negatively, becoming in some way impaled on my words. "hey seem to be impervious to both the intention behind the words and the intonation, obsessively attaching themselves to words as objects, owning them, collecting them, and no longer interested in looking behind them. $t seems that words have the ability to mystify, nullify or completely eliminate trust. $n emotional situations they take on a life of their own, the speaker becoming irrelevant to the interlocution. &espite this $ still think it is possible to write and truly influence or affect people. $t is "a narrow and limited means," but for the moment it is the only way we have of communicating the &harma, and $ will continue to strive towards reaching out to people with these baubles and bonbons we call Lwords.; $ offer them here with confidence from the light of my &harma e#perience. $ am certain that they will be accepted as glow-worms, the 8uiet depths of the intention behind them being more important than the symbols themselves. "he professional world of music was a huge struggle for me and my moments of "$chinen -an:en" were hard earned as the era of the super musician, shored up with psychological tricks and as good as pumped full of steroids, came into full view. $ bowed out gracefully, although $ still perform from time to time, and started to teach on a very serious basis. $ enjoyed teaching and had success, but there were great problems in inspiring pupils to enter the concentrated all-or-nothing state, which $ had so easily

,@ learned from my father, and which $ believe is necessary for the pure e#pression of musical sound. And of course it was always difficult to e#plain this in words. $ could demonstrate but that often led to great frustration and despair on the part of the pupil. $t seemed that there was a lot of inner verbal babble going on in their heads which constantly distracted them, and $ soon discovered that a great deal of it was negative. At that time "meditation" was a vague notion to me, but $ became attracted to it first of all as a teaching aid in the form of something called the F. 7. Ale#ander "echni8ue. Ale#ander was also a "conceptual genius" like the 'uddha. %e reali:ed entirely by himself that human beings at around the age of seven start to develop faulty perceptions of themselves that lead to bad physical habits rooted in their emotions, and that eventually, at an increasingly early age, they become pre-disposed to disease and deformation. %e developed practices of re-education based on the premise that the body and mind are one, and the notion that it is possible that one negative thought, in the form of words, can ripple through every cell of the body and produce an effect. $ spent three years training to become an Ale#ander teacher during which time one has to transform ways of thinking. $t is a kind of radical ceasing of habits, which drive humans towards something, which Ale#ander called "end-gaining," a frantic focusing on results rather than process, and their replacement by something he called "non-doing," a serene meditative state in which physical actions are effortless. "his of course entails not only physical changes, but changes in thinking patterns and therefore language. And when one begins to work on helping people to release muscles that have been tightly held--often for years--as a teacher it is obvious that there is constant inner dialogue going on which asserts and negates, compares and contrasts, which e#presses, or suppresses, or even compresses= "his constant stream of mostly negative words ripples through their muscles and bones reeking havoc which produces back pain, tight joints, Cepetitive -train $njury, or worse still, arthritis, rheumatism and then the more ravaging and mysterious conditions such as 7. 9. E5ost <iral -yndromeF, 7.-. and even cancer= 3ords become trapped in cells. -omehow they must be freed. Ale#ander students learn to "inhibit" their habitual movements and to streamline them, but above all to think into their bodies. "hey talk to their bodies giving gentle instructions like "lengthen," "soften," "release," always with a "please," and learn a great deal of anatomy and physiology which they employ as imagery to create re-educative visuali:ations. "his is a kind of meditation and it has transforming affects. $t gives people tran8uility when they reali:e that they consist of a certain strain of energy instead of solid flesh and bones, over which they may take control in the proper conditions. "his is the point in my life at which $ reali:ed how people have bodies made out of words. 5eople are capable of using advertising slogans to construct their self-images and then spend all their psychological energy in an attempt to live up to that. "$ am fat." "$ am thin." "$ am poor." "$ am rich." "$ am single." "$ am married "etc. "hey pluck words out of the air like choosing a toy to play with, constantly trying to make "seductive" and "illusive" things mean something because there is nothing else to believe inG always seeking a distraction outside because they are afraid to look insideG constantly using the mind to locate self by comparing and contrasting, by relating, etc.

.A -o it was with &on 'urton, an e#traordinary Ale#ander teacher who trained me to teach, that $ first learned to still the mind and the body by talking gently to it. %e had started out life as a physiotherapist steeped in traditional anatomy and physiology who was looking for new applications of his e#pertise. %e found them whole-heartedly in the Ale#ander techni8ue. $n addition he was well on his way down the spiritual path, having spent many years involved with 7anjushri 'uddhists of the Hadampa lineage and this was yet another connection with 'uddhism for me. %is specialty was meditation, so our training always began with a group meditation. !ne of his favorite e#pressions was "give yourself permission," so we would still our minds and then go journeying through jungles of nerve connections and crystal forests of cells, asking permission for a certain muscle, for e#ample in the calf, to "soften and release," or the cartilaginous discs between the vertebra of the spine to "bulk up" and "flood with fluid" from their previously compressed and dry state. As teachers we would use our hands in place of words, "non-doing" hands that gradually encouraged length in studentsB spines, softness and openness in their joints and freedom in their ribs, which allowed them to breathe more efficiently. "his was in its way e#cellent work and many of our students once having accessed minds and bodies in this way emerged into their spiritual environments for the first time as well. "he symphony of 0reek anatomical words was very attractive to me, like the lyrics of foreign songs had been as a child. $ was not interested in making meaning out of them, nor of possessing their hidden objects down below the organ of the skin. %owever, there were some who became totally attached to them and conse8uently more and more egotistical. "hey saw "the techni8ue," as it came to be known, as an insurance that would save them from the deterioration of old age and disease, and desperately chased after this mirage, worshipping first Ale#ander and then the temple of the body. For me personally, it served as a stepping-stone both to "healing," another aspect of the work, and advancement in meditation, and ultimately to liberation. $ applied the techni8ue to many of my musicians and aspiring musicians, which helped them to function more naturally as channels through which music could be conveyed. "hey were more able to coalesce with the sounds, to forget some, at least, of their "habit formations," and just flow into the stream. And for split seconds of time they would empty away their minds and bodies of words and simply become the sounds they were emitting. %ay all &e!n's have the opportun!ty to &e"ome empty o$ (ords so that the sound o$ the un!verse may $lood !n and &reak the!r &oundar!es o$ separateness)

Chapter T(o
As -hakyamuni finishes preaching what is now referred to as hapter !ne it becomes apparent that 7ahamati has been reflecting on the very first words spoken by the 'uddha

.1 in this teaching. %is 8uestion deals with the mistaken views of various popular 5hilosophers of -hakyamuni;s era. 7any of these views are still prevalent in our era. "he 'uddha replies to this 8uestion by pointing out that one of the major flaws in these popular doctrines is that they do not teach that all things come from mind. "his includes the "organic operating system" of the mind. $nstead, these misguided people continue to embrace dualistic thinking, making comments such as "$ like this but $ don;t like that=" "he teacher, having embraced such views, leads the student who follows into a state where both will remain ignorant of the true nature of reality. "hey also fail to understand that all life forms share a "common essence." -hakyamuni contrasts these views with his own teachingsG the entire universe is a manifestation of mind and the only way to end the suffering found in samsJra is to stop deluding yourself with dualistic falsehoods. "he 'uddha now briefly touches on several schools of thought that taught false or misleading doctrines. -ome of these scholars asserted that an effect could sometimes occur without a corresponding cause, others claimed that cause occasionally led to effect but under certain circumstances did not. 7any teachers assured their pupils that all beings possess an eternal soul that would be reborn continuously until such time as they ac8uired enough merit to be reunited with god E'rahmaF. -till other instructors claimed that e#istence ended in the grave and any talk of rebirth or some form of after-life was simply absurd. -hakyamuni maintains that these teachers were misguided because they did not have a direct, personal reali:ation of the fundamental nature of reality. "heir views were based on dualistic distinctions that could only lead to error. "he 'uddha continues by arguing that if, as some philosophers taught, an effect can be produced without a cause then anything would be possible= 7agic would replace science, why build machines when some ritual or spell will allow you to do anything re8uiredM -hakyamuni uses as e#amples growing hair on a tortoise Ein the modern vernacular we would say Lgrowing hair on a billiard ball;F or causing sand to produce oil. 3hile it seems to be true that oil deposits are fre8uently found beneath sandy terrain it is never the case that the sand creates or causes the oil to e#ist. 3e must rid ourselves of magical thinking. 3hile it is true that you and $ have progressed beyond many of the prevalent superstitions of our day, we still often blame others, or Loutside influences; for the things that happen to us, when clearly we are the cause of all of our own problems. "he -utra te#t points out that the chain of cause and effect cannot be "denied under any circumstances," a statement that any competent modern scientist would agree with. -ince that is manifestly the case how can people still assert that the universe must have had a beginning and that surely someday it will have to come to some kind of final endM %owever, the 'uddhas teaching is not based on simple assertion or clever arguments based on "words or logic," all &harma students are told to doubt, test and seriously 8uestion what they are being taught because this is the only path that leads to personal reali:ation. "he sutra now begins an analysis of four commonly misunderstood categories of erroneous thinking, which occur because of "ignorance." "his ignorance remains in the mind of the individual because they fail to discover the erroneous link in whatever chain of reasoning that they might be following.

., "he first category to be discussed is "individual marks," which will be analy:ed in two parts. "he first part is an e#amination of the thirty-two marks or features of a great being. !riginally this was a 'rahmanical concept applied to Lgreat beings; called "wheel-turning kings," who were universal monarchs that ruled from a position of compassionate benevolence. After the parinirvana of -hakyamuni his followers also applied this concept to him in an attempt to demonstrate to the rest of the world the greatness of the 'uddha. harley, this is not an off-topic ramble, the point $;m leading up to is that people often glorify the 'uddha as if he were some deity, but this is completely improper behavior. -hakyamuni was a human being just like you and while we should have great respect for the man who showed us the path to freedom, it is wrong to worship him, it merely demonstrates that we have not even begun to grasp his message of individual liberation. "he second part of the analysis is that you should not make distinctions between people based on their appearance. 3e take these superficial appearances for realityG therefore we become attached to some people, repelled by others and remain uninterested in the rest. $ watch people pretend that the beings around them labeled "strangers" simply do not e#ist when $ am in the cityG they look away from each other, carefully do not smile at one another or even say hello. "his is a disturbing thing to observe, when people become isolated from humanity their behavior often become inhuman. %ow sad to reside among millions of people and yet e#ist in a state of loneliness and isolation= "he second category is material objects. "he sutra e#plains that these objects are "neither in e#istence nor in non-e#istence," which means that any object that you may e#amine is merely a combination of partsG it is not inherently anything. harley, $ say that a chair is not inherently a chair because if you take the chair apart looking for the essence that makes this object we label Lchair,; you will never find it. After all of the effort used to dismantle the object what you will be left with is a pile of parts that when assembled form the artifact called chair. "he word Lchair; is only a label stuck on the artifact, chair is an abstract concept, it is a mental category and a subtle part of the mental confusion that keeps us locked in samsJra Eor the -aha worldF. "he third category is producing effects without cause, or magical thinking. %ere the sutra uses the e#ample of philosophers who insist that life is somehow created and then later destroyed. hristian philosophers assert that a divine being created men from nothing Eor possibly from dustFG this god judges these individual humans according to the merit of their actions. $f these individuals are members of the hristian establishment and lead moral lives then they will be rewarded by an eternity of what we are assured will be bliss. %owever, if the individual misbehaves then they will either be thrown into hell for all eternity or simply become nothing. "his philosophy ignores what we know to be true about the universe both as 'uddhists and as members of a modern civili:ation with some level of scientific understanding. "he fourth category is the "assertion of philosophical views" that teach the e#istence of the ego, the soul and some kind of guiding spirit or deity. "he sutra flatly states) ""his is an e#ample of philosophical views that are not true." "he te#t also declares that the only basis for these "erroneous views" is "false imagination." 5lease notice that this category would also apply to 5ure 6and teachings as well. "he 5ure 6and student believes that Amida 'uddha will save her after death by taking her to the 3estern 5ure 6and where she may continue her practice while living in a state of

.. great bliss. -hakyamuni is now revealing to students that the 5ure 6and teachings are intended to be introductory. 3e should pay careful attention to the final sentence in this paragraphG "For this reason 'odhisattvas should avoid all discussions relating to assertions and negations whose only basis is words and logic." "his means that we should not argue with people about &harma or any kind of philosophical or religious belief. $n your case &harma study is concerned with making harley the best person she can be. >ou will achieve this with a combination of practice and study, which will be the fuel to provide you with personal reali:ations. As we continue with this sutra analysis we encounter the statement "words are neither different nor non-different from discrimination," which means that words are an improper means of discrimination because words are based on mental constructs that arise in the mind. %owever, the untrained mind is filled with dualistic nonsense based on faulty information provided by inferior analysis. -mall wonder that we are confused= "he ne#t paragraph informs us that "there are four kinds of word discrimination, all of which are to be avoided" because they are all e8ually unreal. 'riefly, the first improper discrimination is the distinction people make when viewing others. As we have already noted all beings possess 'uddha potential so it is never a good idea to think that other people are beneath you. $t is considered normal in this society to put other people into categories and then to treat them accordingly. !ne of the first things people ask when they meet you is Lwhat do you do for a livingM; %ow you respond to that 8uestion will determine the way that you will be treated. "o this kind of person it just does not make sense to treat somebody rich or influential the same way that you would a janitor but this is animal behavior and not at all appropriate for human beings. "he ne#t category to be avoided consists of words that are spoken because of memories that are stored in the mind. -o much misery and suffering comes from the uncontrolled human mind and all of it is unnecessary. 3hen your mind wanders away from the present moment gently guide it back to now. "his will help you to eliminate unnecessary mental suffering and keep you from having to deal with this type of problem behavior. $f you have ever gotten "wrapped-up" in painful thoughts about incidents from your past and then displayed rudeness or anger to the ne#t person who approached you then you properly understand why it is better to stay in the present moment. "he person who behaves this way has e#perienced mental suffering that could have been skillfully avoided and caused suffering to the mind of another person, which creates negative karma that will only bring further suffering in the future. "he third category is improper attachment to speculative philosophies or theories. Any kind of philosophy or religious theory should be held to the same high level of proof as a scientific e#periment. $f a religion cannot prove the things it teaches then it has very little practical value. "he final category deals with words that are based on "inherited prejudices." A good e#ample of this kind of situation would be a person born into a family that believes in the superiority of whatever racial group they happen to belong to. A person is born into this type of situation because of long standing habit energy. "he best way for this person to free herself from this kind of horrific negativity is to make a steady effort to generate

./ self-less love and compassion for all beings, making certain to leave nobody out. 5roper 'uddhist practice and study are also necessary. -hakyamuni continues the discourse by pointing out the unreliable nature of language. >ou might recall that we had a similar discussion when we first met. "he 'uddha comments that we have words for things that have no correspondence with realityG one e#ample given is Lthe horns of a rabbit.; "o my knowledge there is at this time no such animal as the "horned rabbit" but in spite of this accepted truth we still have the words. 7en of course invented the spoken language and it has come to be the primary communication tool for most of the human race but the sutra informs us that there are 'uddha worlds in the universe where this kind of language does not e#ist. Anyone who has lived very long on this world knows that the words people speak do not always have to correspond to reality. harley, if you think back to that earlier conversation you might recall that $ commented on the unreliable nature of words. As the 'uddha points out, words or even complete sentences do not "e#actly e#press" the thoughts of the speaker. "his is because a word is necessarily abstractG it is not the object itself. 9ven the object in your mind is being interpreted by your mind= "herefore, we begin to see that the dualistic discrimination we engage in is the sheerest folly= "he sutra tells that the improper discrimination between meanings is based on "the false-imagination" of words, which are abstract constructions that supposedly represent what we observe with our senses and then falsely interpret with our mind. %owever, our untrained mind turns reality into dualistic garbage so perhaps Lfolly; is a bit of an understatement. 6anguage cannot e#press the "highest reality" of enlightenment, which is here described as "an e#alted state of bliss." "his is something every student must e#perience for herself. 'efore we move on, it is important to note that the 'uddha taught his students using words, so it is should be clear to us that the study of &harma can only proceed through the use of words. 7y "eacher wrote) E"he Nen -choolF "speaks of transmitting something apart from the teachings. 'ut apart from the teachings there are no principles, and apart from the principles there are no teachings. &on;t you understand the logic of this, that principles are none other then teachings and teachings none other then principlesM" E(ichiren "A -age And An Inenlightened 7an" 5art "woF From this we can conclude that language is limited but necessary for spiritual advancement at least until the stage is reached where we directly perceive the true nature of things unaided. "he ne#t section begins with 7ahamati asking the 'uddha how he can learn to see reality without making dualistic distinctions. -hakyamuni responds by telling us, "there are two factors of causation." "hese factors cause things to seemingly e#ist in the -aha world and they are called "e#ternal and internal." -everal e#amples of e#ternal factors are given in the te#t but $ have chosen to use only one) a craftsman, a potters wheel, clay, water, and whatever other tools are preferred will produce an artifact we label "jar." An internal factor is described as "ignorance or desire." 3hat does all this meanM "he potter we mentioned makes a jar and then offers it for sale. As you pass his stall in the market place you see this certain jar and it is different to your mind because it is more beautiful then the do:ens of other jars around it. >ou think, "$

.1 need a jar and this one is very attractive, the color is perfect and it is e#actly the desired shape= $;ll buy it and put in on the mantle in the front room." "he jar now becomes "my jar" and it might even be viewed as a pri:ed possession, so its inherent value has already changed. $f this jar is handed down from one generation to another, the passage of time will guarantee that the value changes again when it is considered to be an anti8ue. $f we could somehow prove that say, 9lvis once owned and used this jar to age and store special blue suede that he later had made into shoes then the jar becomes almost priceless, at least to some people. "his now almost priceless 9lvis-jar is not inherently real. $t is simply an artifact, dependent on causes and conditions for its appearance in the -aha world. %owever, the sad truth is, that we could still further enhance the value of our 9lvis-jar by having reliable, or at least popular, sources "reveal" to the world that on certain full moon nights you can actually see the face of 9lvis and if you listen really closely you can even hear him sing selections from his greatest hits= "his doesn;t just sound silly it truly is ridiculous but is it any different then a famous gem with a creepy curse, which is considered far more valuable then a similar stone without oneM (one of this is real, it is all-dualistic mental discrimination made by the untrained, ignorant mind. -hakyamuni ne#t tells us that causation can be divided into si# parts) $ndifference-cause, dependence-cause, possibility-cause, agency-cause, objectivity-cause and manifestingcause. $ndifference-cause means that mental discrimination does not take placeG dependencecause means that the object or item involved must be present. For e#ample, a jewel theft cannot occur without a gemstone that is considered valuable. 5ossibility-cause means that an event cannot occur without both cause and proper conditions being present. Agencycause means that there must be a primary cause that is not only present but also "asserting itself." $n other words, there can be no jewel theft without a jewel thief. (o matter how la# or even none#istent the security some person must decide to steal the gem or the theft cannot occur. !bjectivity-cause means that to be a part of the -aha world system you must possess an active, functioning mind. Finally, manifesting-cause occurs because you start to discriminate between phenomena and behave as though things e#isted inherently. "he ne#t paragraph begins with -hakyamuni stating, all causes are the result of improper dualistic mental discrimination carried out by the ignorantG therefore there is "no such thing as gradual or simultaneous rising of e#istence." $f you wish to support the gradual school of thought, the sutra responds by telling us "while a child is not yet born, the term father has no significance." $f you then conclude that e#istence must be simultaneous we are told that under those circumstances "there would be no difference between cause and effect." harley, don;t be confused by this, causal activities are not gradual or simultaneous because they are dualistic nonsense. "he discourse continues as 7ahamati asks the 'uddha to define the term "falseimagination." -hakyamuni responds by telling us that it is because of habit energy that individuals believe the objects in the -aha world to be real. "his dualistic view causes oceans of suffering that only be cured by learning to see the real world as it actually is. $ can already hear you asking me to describe to you what the real world actually looks like= Fortunately $ can easily do that. -everal of the numerous -utras $ sent you as part of

.2 the '$!(A & contain the description you are looking for. ""he 6arger Amida -utra," ""he Amitabha -utra," which is also known as ""he -maller 5ure 6and -utra" Eall three te#ts are available in the '$!(A library, free of chargeF tell you e#actly what the world really looks like when you remove the dualistic blinders from your eyes. "his is not just an opinion or a repetition of something $ have read. $ have walked in the 5ure 6and on occasion and if you continue to advance along the 5ath you are now following $ have no doubt that you will do the same. "he 'uddha also tells us that it is this same habit energy that causes people to create or endorse philosophies or religions that teach) *1+ the e#istence of an immortal soul *,+ the reality of phenomena *.+ the creation and destruction of phenomena Eor being and then non-beingF. "his type of belief system, which can be found in various places around the world, is clearly defined by -hakyamuni as "false-imagination." harley, your mind will not stop making improper dualistic mental discriminations just because you have studied this -utra and commentary. $f you study &harma for many years your views will "evolve" to a certain e#tent but if you do not "polish the mirror of your mind" with practice as well you will never attain the reali:ation you seek. "he 'uddha used words to teach because without them the "ignorant and simple minded" could never reali:e that all phenomena "is nothing but what is seen of the mind itself." As we develop wisdom we begin to e#perience deep compassion for all the beings trapped in hellish suffering and this leads us to feel love for everyone. "his is actual love without any attachmentG it means that we live by a moral code and have very good manners because we respect the 'uddha potential present in all beings. False-imaginations occur when we mentally discriminate by appearanceG the sutra lists form, shape, color, warmth, mobility or rigidity as some of the things that can cause us to e#perience attachment or aversion. "he final section of the chapter tells us that error has no nature or ability to operate on its own. 9rror can sometimes be personified in our minds but error is not an entity. $t cannot be responsible for your lack of understanding. 9rror is likened to 7aya in the sutra. 7aya is a word used in the %indu religion in reference to deities like -iva and <ishnu, who have the ability to distort or hide the true nature of reality. 7aya, the -utra tells us, "is not an unreality, because it only has the appearance of realityG all things have the nature of 7aya." $t is because people have never analy:ed their circumstances that they do not understand the true nature of the situation they are in. $f you never investigated the nature of the being that you commonly refer to as Lself,; Lme,; L$,; or the environment you e#ist in, then you are still standing and trembling before the curtain that hides the "0reat !:," unaware of the tremendous hoa# being perpetrated on you. 3ith our pitiful lack of mental clarity we see distinctions that do not actually e#ist. 3e view phenomena as independent, inherently e#istent, and certainly not connected to Lus.; 3e also see the people around us as separate and different from Lus; even though all of these phenomena are aspects of the same thing. harley, you must practice correct morality, view the world with eyes of love and compassion as well as proceed with daily study and practice to attain this reali:ation of prajOa. "he final sentence in the chapter warns us not to be "captivated by wordteaching." "his is good adviceG the &harma we are studying is often compared to a raft, which we can use to cross the river of samsaric suffering to reach the opposite shore of

.4 enlightenment. 3hen you cross a river with a raft you discard it when you reach the other shore because it would be foolish to strap it onto your back and carry it along the road with you. $f we become improperly attached to the &harma then we still have an attachment problem. Iltimately, the &harma must be reali:ed in your mind but not dualistically clung to.

Chapter Three
7i"ht ;nowled"e or ;nowled"e of 7elations
Then Mahamati said: 'ra! tell us, Blessed One, a%out the %ein" and the non$%ein" of all thin"s8 The Blessed One replied: 'eople of this world are dependent in their thinkin" on one of two thin"s: on the notion of %ein" where%! the! take pleasure in realism, or in the notion of non$%ein" where%! the! take pleasure in nihilism, in either case the! ima"ine emancipation where there is no emancipation Those who are dependent upon notions of %ein", re"ard the world as risin" from a causation that is reall! e(istent, and that this actuall! e(istin" and %ecomin" world does not take its rise from a causation that is non$e(istent This is the realistic view as held %! some people Then there are other people who are dependent on the notion of the non$ %ein" of all thin"s These people admit the e(istence of "reed, an"er and foll!, and at the same time the! den! the e(istence of the thin"s that produce "reed, an"er and foll! This is not rational, for "reed, an"er and foll! are no more to %e taken hold of as real than are thin"s, the! neither have su%stance nor individual marks 3here there is a state of %onda"e, there is %indin" and means for %indin", %ut where there is emancipation, as in the case of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, masters and disciples, who have ceased to %elieve in %oth %ein" and non$%ein", there is neither %onda"e, %indin" nor means for %indin" It is %etter to cherish the notion of an e"o$su%stance than to entertain the notion of emptiness derived from the view of %ein" and non$%ein", for those who so %elieve fail to understand the fundamental fact that the e(ternal world is nothin" %ut a manifestation of mind Because the! see thin"s as transient, as risin" from cause and passin" awa! from cause, now dividin", now com%inin" into the elements which make up the a""re"ates of personalit! and its e(ternal world and now passin" awa!, the! are doomed to suffer ever! moment from the chan"es that follow one after another, and finall! are doomed to ruin Then Mahamati asked the Blessed One, sa!in": Tell us, Blessed One, how all thin"s can %e empt!, un$%orn, and have no self$nature, so that we ma! awakened and 5uickl! reali4e hi"hest enli"htenment8 The Blessed One replied: 3hat is emptiness, indeed9 It is a term whose ver! self$ nature is false$ima"ination, %ut %ecause of ones attachment to false$ima"ination we are o%li"ed to talk of emptiness, no$%irth, and no self$nature There are seven kinds of emptiness: emptiness of mutualit! which is non$e(istence, emptiness of individual marks, emptiness of self$nature, emptiness of no$work, emptiness of work,

.? emptiness of all thin"s in the sense that the! are unpredicta%le, and emptiness in its hi"hest sense of <ltimate 7ealit! B! the emptiness of mutualit!, which is non$e(istent, is meant that when a thin" is missin" here, one speaks of it %ein" empt! here )or instance: in the lecture hall of Mri"arama there are no elephants present, nor %ulls, nor sheep, %ut as to monks there are man! present 3e can ri"htl! speak of the hall as %ein" empt! as far as animals are concerned It is not asserted that the lecture hall is empt! of its own characteristics, or that the monks are empt! of that which makes up their monk hood, nor that in some other place there are no elephants, %ulls, nor sheep to %e found In this case we are speakin" of thin"s in their aspect of individualit! and "eneralit!, %ut from the point of view of mutualit! some thin"s do not e(ist somewhere This is the lowest form of emptiness and is to %e sedulousl! put awa! B! emptiness of individual marks is meant that all thin"s have no distin"uishin" marks of individualit! and "eneralit! Because of mutual relations and interactions thin"s are superficiall! discriminated %ut when the! are further and more carefull! investi"ated and anal!4ed the! are seen to %e non$e(istent and nothin" as to individualit! and "eneralit! can %e predicated of them Thus when individual marks can no lon"er %e seen, ideas of self, otherness and %oth$ness, no lon"er hold "ood So it must %e said that all thin"s are empt! of self$marks B! emptiness of self$nature is meant that all thin"s in their self$nature are un$%orn, therefore, it is said that thin"s are empt! as to self$nature B! emptiness of no work is meant that the a""re"ate of elements that makes up personalit! and its e(ternal world is 2irvana itself and from the %e"innin" there is no activit! in them, therefore, one speaks of the emptiness of no work B! emptiness of work is meant that the a""re"ates %ein" devoid of an e"o and its %elon"in"s, "o on functionin" automaticall! as there is mutual con+unction of causes and conditions, thus one speaks of the emptiness of work B! emptiness of all thin"s in the same sense that the! are unpredicta%le is meant that, as the ver! nature of false$ima"ination is ine(pressi%le, so all thin"s are unpredicta%le, and, therefore, are empt! in that sense B! emptiness in its hi"hest sense of the emptiness of <ltimate 7ealit! is meant that the in the attainment of inner self$reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom there is no trace of ha%it$ener"! "enerated %! erroneous conceptions, thus one speaks of the hi"hest emptiness of <ltimate 7ealit! 3hen thin"s are e(amined %! ri"ht knowled"e there are no si"ns o%taina%le which could characteri4e them with marks of individualit! and "eneralit!, therefore, the! are said to have no self$nature Because these si"ns of individualit! and "eneralit! are seen %oth as e(istin" and !et are known to %e non$e(istent, are seen as "oin" out and !et are known not to %e "oin" out, the! are never annihilated 3h! is this true8 )or this reason, %ecause individual si"ns that should make up the self$nature of all thin"s are non$e(istent #"ain in their self$nature thin"s are %oth eternal and non$ eternal Thin"s are not eternal %ecause the marks of individualit! appear and disappear, that is, the marks of self$nature are characteri4ed %! non$eternalit! On the other hand, %ecause thin"s are un$%orn and are onl! mind$made, the! are in a deep sense eternal That is, thin"s are eternal %ecause of their ver! non$eternalit! )urther, %esides understandin" the emptiness of all thin"s %oth in re"ard to su%stance and self$nature, it is necessar! for Bodhisattvas to clearl! understand that

.@ all thin"s are un$%orn It is not asserted that thin"s are not %orn in a superficial sense, %ut that in a deep sense the! are not %orn of themselves #ll that can %e said, is this, that relativel! speakin", there is a constant stream of %ecomin", a momentar! and uninterrupted chan"e from one state of appearance to another 3hen it is reco"ni4ed that the world as it presents itself is no more than a manifestation of mind, then %irth is seen as no$%irth, and all e(istin" o%+ects, concernin" which discrimination asserts that the! are and are not, are non$e(istent and, therefore, un$%orn, %ein" devoid of a"ent and action thin"s are un$%orn If thin"s are not %orn of %ein" and non$%ein", %ut are simpl! manifestations of mind itself, the! have no realit!, no self$nature: the! are like the horns of a hare, a horse, a donke!, a camel But the i"norant and simple$minded, who are "iven over to their false and erroneous ima"inin"s, discriminate thin"s where the! are not To the i"norant the characteristic marks of the self$nature of %od!$propert!$and$a%ode seem to %e fundamental and rooted in the ver! nature of mind itself, so the! discriminate their multitudinous$ness and %ecome attached to them There are two kinds of attachment: attachment to o%+ects as havin" a self$nature, and attachment to words as havin" self$nature The first takes place %! not knowin" that the e(ternal world is onl! a manifestation of the mind itself, and the second arises from ones clin"in" to words and names %! reason of ha%it$ener"! In the teachin" of no$%irth, causation is out of place %ecause, seein" that all thin"s are like Ma!a and a dream, one does not discriminate individual si"ns That all thin"s are un$%orn and have no self$nature %ecause the! are like Ma!a is asserted to meet the thesis of the philosophers that %irth is %! causation The! foster the notion that the %irth of all thin"s is derived from the concept of %ein" and non$%ein", and fail to re"ard it as it trul! is, as caused %! attachments to the multitudinous$ness which arises from discriminations of the mind itself Those who %elieve in the %irth of somethin" that has never %een in e(istence and, comin" into e(istence, vanishes awa!, are o%li"ed to assert that thin"s come to e(ist and vanish awa! %! causation such people find no foothold in m! teachin"s 3hen it is reali4ed that there is nothin" %orn, and nothin" passes awa!, then there is no wa! to admit %ein" and non$%ein", and the mind %ecomes 5uiescent Then Mahamati said to the Blessed One: The philosophers declare that the world rises from causal a"encies accordin" to the law of causation, the! state that their cause is un%orn and is not annihilated The! mention nine primar! elements: Ishvara the Creator, the Creation, atoms, etc , which %ein" elementar! are un%orn and not to %e annihilated The Blessed One, while teachin" that all thin"s are un$ %orn and that there is no annihilation, also declares that the world takes its rise from i"norance, discrimination, attachment, deed, etc , workin" accordin" to the law of causation Thou"h the two sects of elements ma! differ in form and name, there does not appear to %e an! essential difference %etween the two positions If there is an!thin" that is distinctive and superior in the Blessed Ones teachin", pra! tell us, Blessed One, what is it8 The Blessed One replied: M! teachin" of no$%irth and no$annihilation is not like that of the philosophers, nor is it like their doctrine of %irth and impermanenc! That to which the philosophers ascri%e the characteristic of no$%irth and no$ annihilation is the self$nature of all thin"s, which causes them to fall into the

/A dualism of %ein" and non$%ein" M! teachin" transcends the whole conception of %ein" and non$%ein", it has nothin" to do with %irth, a%idin" and destruction, nor with e(istence and non$e(istence I teach that the multitudinous$ness of o%+ects have no realit! in themselves %ut are onl! seen of the mind and, therefore, are of the nature of Ma!a and a dream I teach the non$e(istence of thin"s %ecause the! carr! no si"ns of an! inherent self$nature It is true that in one sense the! are seen and discriminated %! the senses as individuali4ed o%+ects, %ut in another sense, %ecause of the a%sence of an! characteristic marks of self$nature, the! are not seen %ut are onl! ima"ined In one sense the! are "raspa%le, %ut in another sense, the! are not "raspa%le 3hen it is clearl! understood that there is nothin" in the world %ut what is seen of the mind itself, discrimination no more rises, and the wise are esta%lished in their true a%ode, which is the realm of 5uietude The i"norant discriminate and work tr!in" to ad+ust themselves to e(ternal conditions, and are constantl! pertur%ed in mind, unrealities are ima"ined and discriminated, while realities and unseen and i"nored It is not so with the wise To illustrate: 3hat the i"norant see is like the ma"icall!$created cit! of the :andharvas, where children are shown, street and houses, and phantom merchants, and people "oin" in and comin" out This ima"inar! cit! with its streets and houses and people "oin" in and comin" out, are not thou"ht of as %ein" %orn or %ein" annihilated, %ecause in their case there is no 5uestion as to their e(istence or non$e(istence In like manner, I teach, that there is nothin" made nor un$made, that there is nothin" that has connection with %irth and destruction e(cept as the i"norant cherish falsel! ima"ined notions as to the realit! of the e(ternal world 3hen o%+ects are not seen and +ud"ed as the! trul! are in themselves, there is discrimination and clin"in" to the notions of %ein" and non$ %ein", and individuali4ed self$nature, and as lon" as these notions of individualit! and self$nature persist, the philosophers are %ound to e(plain the e(ternal world %! a law of causation This position raises the 5uestion of a first cause, which the philosophers meet %! assertin" that their first cause, Ishvara and the primal elements, are un$%orn and un$annihilate, which position is without evidence and is irrational I"norant people and worldl! philosophers cherish a kind of no$%irth, %ut it is not the no$%irth, which I teach I teach the un$%orn$ness of the un$%orn essence of all thin"s which teachin" is esta%lished in the minds of the wise %! their self$reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom # ladle, cla!, a vessel, a wheel, or seeds, or elements these are e(ternal conditions, i"norance, discrimination, attachment, ha%it, karma, $ these are inner conditions 3hen this entire universe is re"arded as concatenation and as nothin" else %ut concatenation, then the mind, %! its patient acceptance of the truth that all thin"s are un$%orn, "ains tran5uilit!

Temple Tales Three

The #o!"e o$ Charley L!nden Thorp

8!'ht

no(led'e or

no(led'e o$ 8elat!ons

/1

"he 'each
'reath laden with salt and sun is shared like a non-specific kiss which is passed around as we walk. 'reaths are choristers among pebbles. -oles of feet assume them, and we reel out fine strings of tight gold which vibrate to coalesce with each uni8ue energy &ear -teve, 7y duties at the temple involve organi:ing the water offerings every day and keeping the butter lamps lit, and this $ do with great pleasure. "he altar occupies a whole wall of the temple and is ingeniously sectioned up into a mass of small glass-fronted cupboards, painted deep "ibetan red, each containing an effigy of a deity in gold or bron:e. $t could not really be more comple#, more alluring, and yet one is somehow not drawn to ga:ing at it. 6ate at night when $ go to empty the various sets of seven water bowls, some in raw silver others in aged bron:e, and three water bowls of seven for other offerings like food, music, perfume, etc in ceramic style, $ feel a presence, a sense of ancient Asiatic eyes softly ga:ing at me. "hey do not betray their fierce protector-ship of the most intricate of rituals and esoteric knowledge. And to the left of the altar the huge photograph of Halou Cinpoche above the splendid throne which is always kept free for him despite his death ten years or so ago, and always loaded with offerings. 7y small garden room is by the side of the temple, at the end of a block of functional buildings, bathrooms, a small windowless library, and from there $ can keep a check that the butter lamps are still burning. -ometimes $ must go and trim the cotton wicks and pour off e#cess wa# to prevent them from drowning. $ watch the 6ama make these lamps, pouring wa# into metal chalices and fashioning tapering wicks by rubbing his palms together vigorously. 7y surveillance of the lamps is wonderful, always providing light and as $ concentrate my life into these symbolic acts $ feel $ become a butter lamp and the still water in the metal semi-spherical bowls filled right to their meniscus. $ am so aware of the comfort these ancient ideas bring in this difficult time for -amsara, although some would call them crutches. "he 6ama, who;s living is made from donations only, gives a third of his money to make these butter lamps. $ am honored that he has chosen me to keep them burning. 9ach day he makes some new offering which catches my eye. A set of new statues, their heads covered in muslin for protection, waiting their turn to be blessed. A ,A-euro note stuffed into a bowl of rice. Ced roses. A new plate of jaunty biscuits - chocolate-covered, jamspotted, pink wafer, their colors shocking against the dark red of the altar. "he faith and the superstition are awe-inspiring in our time of agnosticism. "here is so much $ do not understand, but intellectual stockpiling is not necessary. Hnowing why and how are 8uestions $ have ceased to ask. "he temple is an ornately decorated wooden structure in "ibetan style with a central tower lined with windows. $ remember the first time $ saw it with its stunning red and

/, gold eves and pagoda style-roof. $ had been used to places of 'uddhist worship in 'ritish cities insinuated into established buildings, like abandoned warehouses or libraries, which were a great credit to interior designers but which left cultural bones to sort out and discard. -o this freestanding purpose-built structure in 9urope was breathtaking to me the first time $ saw it, daubed with a thick cream of faith in its own sparsely planted tree garden. $ts situation is interesting, just at the edge of the sprawling university campuses of 7ontpellier where there is a forest of pines and spruce with broad sandy pathways traversing it. "he building ne#t to it is a conventional semi-detached villa-style house with a garage underneath it and a recreation room and kitchen for use during retreats and teachings. "his is also where the resident 6ama has his apartment and office. $n high summer the massed bands of cicadas, the scent of hot dry earth and the prolific oleanders could convince us that we are in Asia. 9ven the busy road running alongside the temple is somehow masked. +They !ma'!ne eman"!pat!on (here there !s no eman"!pat!on+ $t is so difficult to follow one;s intuitions in life. -ociety;s bouncers round on the individual, s8uare-shouldering their choices, and most people allow themselves to be bullied into conforming. 3hether linked to my ability to concentrate and become absorbed in whatever $ set my sights on, which $ learned from my father, or a simple matter of karma, $ managed for the most part to avoid these brutish demons. !f course this meant that $ collected all manner of epithets along the way like "black sheep," "bohemian," "fly-by-night" and worse, but that $ stayed true to my own integrity at least. $t also meant that $ have had a very colorful and 8uirky life which for some years was tinged with a kind of rootless-ness, due to my moving around so much, which my attachment tricked me into believing was a reason to be sad. $t was a dirty trick for it was in this way that $ discovered the direction of the path. $n hindsight it seems very much to me that like the 'uddha $ "went forth" fearlessly and invariably physically alone, always prepared to be critici:ed or envied, or both, immune to guilt-mongers and always tasting life in large spoonfuls. $ had a strong sense of 8uesting and was determined not to look in the places everyone else seemed to be looking. "he 'uddha;s words "they imagine emancipation where there is no emancipation" ring true in my ears, especially when $ reflect on the 6atin root of this wordG "mancipa" is slave, and "e" is to set free. $n my case $ have only relatively fleetingly been a slave to convention, and then mainly to ease the discomfort of onlookers. "his began when $ was a child sadly with the rejection of my mother and my bid for total independence of her. $t is inevitable that my actions and my behavior have caused sadness and an#iety for others because $ was constantly stepping outside the s8uare in which they had incarcerated themselves with their own minds. +There !s ne!ther &onda'e6 &!nd!n'6 nor means $or &!nd!n'.+ "his 8uotation rings loud bells for me also. "hese are strong words the 'uddha has chosen. "'ond", if the translation from -anskrit is accurate, is a slave, and of course bondage has come to have other very specific connotations. After my nightmarish birth and my bi:arre estrangement from my natural mother, as $ grew and developed, it was clear that $ did not seem to slip into any of the social moulds which were awaiting me. (ow $ regularly do the 9arth meditation of continuing one;s parents by communing with the 9arth and $ sense the continuation of her very strongly. Celatives and friends of the family were surprised at how different and independent this new daughter was. $, in my

/. long memory, remember a redolent sense of not belonging. "he family stories testify that from the word go every word $ uttered was different, was "posh" Emy family has a broad northern 9nglish accentF, and there was a continuing sense that $ was from another planet. $ grew up as a satellite child who responded mainly to her father, and who was happy singing and dancing rather than talking. 7eanwhile mother and son, -imon, were invariably locked in "talk" often until the wee small hours, seemingly curing all after long bouts of word treatment. $t is very difficult from a socio-se#ual level to know why one evolves the way one does. !f course, as you say -teve, it could be simply a matter of a mi# of conditioning and karmic debt, along with continuing where one;s parents left off. $ soon discovered that the usual channels were not available to me, and that $ was not destined to live and work the way they did and still do. 7y mother wanted security and a high level of living for me, and of course, being a woman that involved a strong, wealthy knight in shining armor who would carry me off to bear his progeny. 'ut $ knew that $ was intended for something different even though at that stage $ had no idea what. 'iology is interesting. $ was endowed with a strong tall body with which to navigate the world single-handedly. $ knew $ had the strength, and that it was essential that $ was not made to be submissive, my potency subverted. "his is connected in a strong way with my belief in myself, which $ have always had, and my innate resistance to being dependent or enslaved in any fashion. After several rough encounters with lusty men who seemed totally uninterested in me as a person $ had a strong vision of "the 'each," a type of 5ure 6and where people moved around easily with loose joints, not just limited to one perfected way of e#pressing themselves, and rarely indulged in mundane spoken communication. $nstead they would dance with their eyes closed moving fearlessly in infinite sandy space, or build towers with luscious pebbles, make intricate sand paintings, or sing melodies to the steady percussion rhythms of the waves. %ere on the beach people had no need of clothes so erotic images were not necessary and se#uality merely an irrelevant concept. 'eautiful naked bodies, bron:ed by the sun, their pores scoured by salt, had the ability to pass in and out of each other, borrowing each other;s gifts and the 8ualities of the environment, able to transcend all physical edges. $ later wrote my vision as a short story, which seemed to perple# people and which now $ see even $ did not have a complete understanding of, even though $ have worked with many people with this image in my capacity as therapist and leader of meditations to rekindle creative e#pression. ""he 'each" acted as a resource to enable me to choose my partners, to choose who $ bonded with, and perhaps it will come as no surprise that for the most part $ chose women. "his personal pure land enabled me to go forth and to stay outside the s8uare, which so clearly imprisoned a great, many people around me. $t also $ believe enabled me to put all the energy others put into striving for emancipation from the enslavement of their minds, into an unusual kind of creativity born of being "gay," being always different, always judged, usually in a minority, and often on the receiving end of prejudice. 'eing honestly able to love one;s own se#, in whatever form that takes, without prescription, is truly liberating, is noble and courageous ""here are two kinds of attachmentG attachment to objects as having a self-nature, and attachment to words as having self-nature."

// -ociety invests heavily in all the machinery and housings to keep things steady, to palliate change. $t seems that it knows e#actly how to build something purposely to foster attachment. !n the 'each there are no words spoken e#cept those written in the sand, or in the sky with driftwood torches, or in the water by formations of fish or stray lotus petals. !ne is never attached to sound. $ts fluent nature will not permit it. Fine strings of twisted gold are plucked by supple fingers and thumbs. "hey vibrate freely and rapidly, so much so that words and the Lhouse-of-cards; concepts they build cannot catch them. "hey are neither objects nor words and therefore sentient beings cannot possess them, only tame them a little perhaps and have a ride. "hen they gallop off, pure energy that they are. And we, with the cessation of words, can easily become energy too and join them. %ay all &e!n's have the opportun!ty to &reak $ree and allo( the!r l!m!tless ener'y to "ourse6 to (alk naked on the &ea"h and to e*press the!r un!9ueness (!thout $ear o$ "r!t!"!sm.

Chapter Three
hapter three begins with 7ahamati asking about "the being and non-being of all things." harley this will be easier to understand if we e#amine modern e#amples. A school of thought you would be familiar with that endorses the Lbeing; side of the argument is hristianity. "hey teach that the world was created from nothing by a god and they whole-heartedly believe that the phenomena around them are real because they see all Lcreation; as the will of god. "hey also insist that the only possible route to salvation is by a mystical union with some part of their god. Actually, most if not all deity religions fit within this definition. For the other side of the argument, lets look at the writings of a popular psychologist, '. F. -kinner. %e taught that people behave the way they do because of conditioning, to the e#clusion of almost everything else. "he -kinner model makes a human being little more then a flesh covered robot, responding mechanically to various social stimuli. $n this system of thought greed and anger are not moral problems, they are the result of improper or bad conditioning. Actually, harley, $ like -kinners book "3alden "wo" very much and $ have used it to as a resource to teach people for years. "3alden "wo" is about a utopian society, which is built on -kinners concepts. "his is the only fiction -kinner ever published and it is certainly the most accessible of his writings. "o -kinner man was a clever, fairly successful mammal, with no such thing as a Lsoul; and life definitely ended in the grave. "he 'uddha points out that both of kinds of thinking are incorrect. All of the reasoning, on both sides of the issue is wrong because they start from the premise that what people e#perience is real and not the dualistic nonsense that we discussed in chapter two. As the -utra states "Kthe e#ternal world is nothing but a manifestation of mind." "he first section of chapter three ends by reminding us of the suffering of the untrained beings living in samsJra. "hey believe that all the things around them are real and they suffer terribly when change inevitably occurs. 5eople in this stage of development also

/1 greatly fear death so they carefully avoid the subject until they are faced again with what is inevitableG and when they can see what they understand to be the end of everything, their suffering and terror is frightful. $t is difficult to provide comfort to people at such times. "hat;s why it so important to train your mind in the &harma now. "he ne#t part of the discourse is in the same format, 7ahamati asks how can you say "all things" are "empty, unborn, and have no self nature" and -hakyamuni;s response is the rest of the section. $f you have read "The :eart Sutra," "The D!amond Sutra," and ""he <imalakirti -utra," as well as a few commentaries on these wisdom te#ts then we can safely proceed. $f you have not read all of these works please do so before you continue with this study. "here are numerous versions of ""he %eart -utra" in the '$!(A library Ewww.buddhistinformation.comF and many e#cellent versions of ""he &iamond -utra" as well. !ne of my students, 7r. arlton arr has written commentaries on both of these te#ts, they are entitled "Ins!de The :eart Sutra," and "Ins!de The D!amond Sutra." E'oth of these works are e#cerpts from his first book, "Walk!n' On The Path."F "he best translation of "The #!malak!rt! Sutra" into 9nglish can be found in any good bookstore. $t is from olumbia Iniversity 5ress, the translation is provided by 'urton 3atson E$-'( A-,.1-1A212-/F. $f you do not have access to this version, there is a different but serviceable translation of the -utra in the '$!(A library and a commentary can be found in my first book "Day By Day." "he subject under discussion is very important and the material you need to correctly understand is freely available, so please use this opportunity wisely. At this point in the -utra the 'uddha tells us that there are seven kinds of emptiness) *1+ emptiness of mutuality *,+ emptiness of individual marks *.+ emptiness of self-nature */+ emptiness of no-work *1+ emptiness of work *2+ emptiness of all things and *4+ emptiness as Iltimate Ceality. "4mpt!ness o$ mutual!ty (h!"h !s non5e*!sten"eG" "his is an awkward way of saying that something is physically empty, one more demonstration of the limitations of language. "he e#ample in the sutra is easy to understandG as you might e#pect, there are many monks present in the 7onastery lecture hall but at the same time we can accurately state that the hall is empty of wild or domesticated animals because none are present. "4mpt!ness o$ !nd!v!dual marksG" 3hat is described in the sutra as "mutual relations and interactions" are what we misinterpret as marks or signs of individuality. 3e behave as though each person inherently e#isted as an individual entity but nothing is actually further from the truth. All beings are the sameG we all want the highest possible happiness without the slightest amount of suffering and we are manifestations of Llife energy; that is the very essence of the universe itself. "4mpt!ness o$ natureG" "he sutra tells us "all things" are "un-born." &ependent !rigination is a basic 'uddhist concept, which means that every effect is produced by a cause and that therefore you can never have a first or Loriginal cause.; "4mpt!ness o$ no (orkG" "his is a message that $ try to spread everywhereG there is no difference between the -aha world and the "5ure 6and" of nirvana. harley, when you have devoted sufficient time to practice and study the day will come when you will suddenly reali:e "$;m walking in the 5ure 6and=" 3hen that happens just accept it, don;t grasp or clutch at it because as soon as you do it will vanish. "his e#perience will be brief at first and marked by great bliss. &o not become attached to this e#perience and do not

/2 go "looking for it." $t is a state that will re-occur naturally and last for greater periods of time as your practice grows. "4mpt!ness o$ (orkG" "his is an important point especially for newer students, because it can happen that the initial, fundamental understanding of emptiness fills them with fear. "hey see their body and mind just vanishing and seemingly e8uate the e#perience to death. "his has happened on a couple of occasions with students that are almost Labnormally; advanced in that they e#perience this level of reali:ation in the first year of their practice= "he illusion of Lself; is actually a shared ju#taposition of causes with the proper conditions. harley, your Lself; is the result of the combined sum of your aggregates mi#ed with the appropriate conditions. 3hen a student reali:es emptiness there is nothing to fear because these aggregates continue to function in the same way. "his is really an irrational apprehension because everything worked just fine when you were operating from a position of ignorance, how could it be that a proper understanding of your situation would cause problemsM $f you were going to e#perience difficulties wouldn;t they occur while you are confusedM "4mpt!ness o$ all th!n's !n the sense that they are pred!"ta&leG" !f course things are only unpredictable for Lworldly people; because they base their decisions on faulty reasoning. "his reasoning is empty in the sense of being wrong and therefore having a :ero-sum value. "4mpt!ness !n the h!'hest sense o$ ;lt!mate 8eal!tyG" "his is referring to the complete reali:ation of highest wisdom, the sutra adds that it is the total removal of habit energy caused by "erroneous conceptions." "he highest wisdom referred to is also taught in ""he %eart -utra," ""he &iamond -utra," and ""he <imalakirti -utraG" the emptiness of all phenomena is the "Iltimate 3isdom" referred to in the te#t. All phenomena are empty by nature because they are dependent on causes and conditions. harley, the world as you now perceive it is "no more then a manifestation of mind." 9ach moment of mind is the cause for the ne#t moment, it has always been, and will continue to be that way for all eternity. !nce you begin the process that leads to the complete reali:ation of emptiness improper attachment fades away and the mind becomes stable and tran8uil. "he final section of chapter three points out the differences between -hakyamuni;s teaching and other schools of philosophy or religious thought. 3hile theistic religions teach that life is eternal, they also teach that some superior being created everything from nothing that phenomena at one time did not e#ist and can also return to nothing. $t is because these -chools or hurches teach dualistic discrimination that its members and followers suffer mental disturbances. "he chapter concludes with the 'uddha telling us that when the universe is seen to be a chain of linked events, which is viewed with the knowledge that there is no birth or death, then mental peace and tran8uility inevitably result.

Chapter )our
'erfect ;nowled"e or ;nowled"e of 7ealit!
Then Mahamati asked the Blessed One: 'ra! tell us, Blessed One, a%out the five Dharmas, so that we ma! full! understand perfect knowled"e8

/4 The Blessed One replied: The five Dharmas are: appearance, name, discrimination, ri"ht$knowled"e, and 7ealit! B! appearance is meant that which reveals itself to the senses and to the discriminatin"$mind and is perceived as form, sound, odor, taste, and touch Out of these appearances ideas are formed, such as cla!, water, +ar, etc , %! which one sa!s: this is such and such a thin" and no other, this is name 3hen appearances are contrasted and names compared, as when we sa!: this is an elephant, this is horse, a cart, a pedestrian, a man, a woman, or, this is mind and what %elon"s to it, the thin"s thus named are said to %e discriminated #s these discriminations come to %e seen as mutuall! conditionin", as empt! of self$ su%stance, as un$%orn, and thus come to %e seen as the! trul! are, that is, as manifestations of the mind itself, this is ri"ht$knowled"e B! it the wise cease to re"ard appearances and names as realities 3hen appearances and names are put awa! and all discrimination ceases, that which remains is the true and essential nature of thin"s and, as nothin" can %e predicated as to the nature of essence, it is called the 1Suchness1 of 7ealit! This universal, undifferentiated, inscruta%le, 1Suchness1 is the onl! 7ealit!, %ut it is variousl! characteri4ed as Truth, Mind$essence, Transcendental Intelli"ence, 2o%le 3isdom, etc This Dharma of the ima"eless$ness of the .ssence$nature of <ltimate 7ealit! is the Dharma, which has %een proclaimed %! all the Buddhas, and when all thin"s are understood in full a"reement with it, one is in possession of 'erfect ;nowled"e, and is on his wa! to the attainment of the Transcendental Intelli"ence of the Tath&"atas Then Mahamati said to the Blessed One: #re the three self$natures, of thin"s, ideas, and 7ealit!, to %e considered as included in the )ive Dharmas, or as havin" their own characteristics complete in themselves The Blessed One replied: The three self$natures, the ei"htfold mind$s!stem, and the twofold e"o$less$ness are all included in the )ive Dharmas The self$natures of thin"s, of ideas, and of the si($fold mind$s!stem, correspond with the Dharmas of appearance, name and discrimination, the self$nature of <niversal Mind and 7ealit! corresponds to the Dharmas of ri"ht$knowled"e and 1Suchness 1 B! %ecomin" attached to what is seen of the mind itself, there is an activit! awakened which is perpetuated %! ha%it$ener"! that %ecomes manifest in the mind$ s!stem, from the activities of the mind$s!stem there rises the notion of an e"o$soul and its %elon"in"s, the discriminations, attachments, and notion of an e"o$soul, risin" simultaneousl! like the sun and its ra!s of li"ht B! the e"o$less$ness of thin"s is meant that the elements that make up the a""re"ates of personalit! and its o%+ective world %ein" characteri4ed %! the nature of Ma!a and destitute of an!thin" that can %e called self$su%stance are therefore un$%orn and have no self$nature *ow can things %e said to have an e"o$soul8 B! the e"o$ less$ness of persons is meant is that in the a""re"ates that make up personalit! there is no e"o$su%stance, nor an!thin" that is like an e"o$su%stance nor that %elon"s to it The mind$s!stem, which is the most characteristic mark of personalit!, ori"inated in i"norance, discrimination, desire, and deed, and its activities are perpetuated %! perceivin", "raspin", and %ecomin" attached to o%+ects as if the! were real The memor! of these discriminations, desires, attachments and deeds is stored in <niversal Mind since %e"innin"$less time, and is still %ein" accumulated where it

/? conditions the appearance of personalit! and its environment and %rin"s a%out constant chan"e and destruction from moment to moment The manifestations are like a river, a seed, a lamp, a cloud, the wind, <niversal mind in its voraciousness to store up ever!thin", is like a monke! never at rest, like a fl! ever in search of food and without partialit!, like a fire that is never satisfied, like a water$liftin" machine that "oes on rollin" <niversal mind as defiled %! ha%it$ener"! is like a ma"ician that causes phantom thin"s and people to appear and move a%out # thorou"h understandin" of these thin"s is necessar! to an understandin" of the e"o$less$ness of persons There are four kinds of ;nowled"e: #ppearance$knowled"e, relative$knowled"e, perfect$knowled"e, and Transcendental Intelli"ence #ppearance$knowled"e %elon"s to the i"norant and simple$minded who are addicted to the notion of %ein" and non$%ein", and who are fri"htened at the thou"ht of %ein" un$%orn It is produced %! the concordance of the triple com%ination and attaches itself to the multiplicities of o%+ects, it is characteri4ed %! attaina%ilit! and accumulation, it is su%+ect to %irth and destruction #ppearance$knowled"e %elon"s to wordmon"ers who revel in discriminations, assertions, and ne"ations 7elative$knowled"e %elon"s to the mind$world of the philosophers It rises from the minds a%ilit! to consider the relations which appearances %ear to each other and to the mind considerin" them, it rises from the minds a%ilit! to arran"e, com%ine, and anal!4e these relations %! its powers of discursive lo"ic and ima"ination, %! reason of which it is a%le to peer into the meanin" and si"nificance of thin"s 'erfect$knowled"e /jnana0 %elon"s to the world of the Bodhisattvas who reco"ni4e that all thin"s are %ut manifestations of mind, who clearl! understand the emptiness, the un$%orn$ness, the e"o$less$ness of all thin"s, and who have entered into an understandin" of the )ive Dharmas, the twofold e"o$less$ness, and into the truth of ima"eless$ness 'erfect$knowled"e differentiates the Bodhisattva sta"es, and is the pathwa! and entrance into the e(alted state of self$reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom 'erfect$knowled"e %elon"s to the Bodhisattvas who are entirel! free from the dualisms of %ein" and non$%ein", no$%irth and no$annihilation, all assertions and ne"ations, and who, %! reason of self$reali4ation, have "ained an insi"ht into the truths of e"o$less$ness and ima"eless$ness The! no lon"er discriminate the world as su%+ect to causation: the! re"ard the causation that rules the world as somethin" like the fa%led cit! of the :andharvas To them the world is like a vision and a dream, it is like the %irth and death of a %arren$womans child, to them there is nothin" evolvin" and nothin" disappearin" The wise who cherish 'erfect$knowled"e, ma! %e divided into three classes, disciples, masters and #rhats Common disciples are separated fro masters as common disciples continue to cherish the notion of individualit! and "eneralit!, masters rise from common disciples when, forsakin" the errors of individualit! and "eneralit!, the! still clin" to the notion of an e"o$soul %! reasons of which the! "o off %! themselves into retirement and solitude #rhats rise when the error of all discrimination is reali4ed .rror %ein" discriminated %! the wise turns into Truth %! virtue of the 1turnin"$a%out1 that takes place within the deepest consciousness Mind, thus emancipated, enters into perfect self$reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom

/@ But, Mahamati, if !ou assert that there is such a thin" as 2o%le 3isdom, it no lon"er holds "ood, %ecause an!thin" of which somethin" is asserted there%! partakes of the nature of %ein" and is thus characteri4ed with the 5ualit! of %irth The ver! assertion: 1#ll thin"s are un$%orn1 destro!s the truthfulness of it The same is true of the statements: 1#ll thin"s are empt!1, and 1#ll thin"s have no self$nature,1 %oth are untena%le when put in the form of assertions But when it is pointed out that all thin"s are like a dream and a vision, it means that in one wa! the! are perceived, and in another wa! the! are not perceived, that is, in i"norance the! are perceived %ut in 'erfect$knowled"e the! are not perceived #ll assertions and ne"ations %ein" thou"ht$constructions are un$%orn .ven the assertion that <niversal Mind and 2o%le 3isdom are <ltimate 7ealit!, is thou"ht construction and, therefore, is un$%orn #s 1thin"s1 there is no <niversal Mind, there is no 2o%le 3isdom, there is no <ltimate 7ealit! The insi"ht of the wise who move a%out in the realm of ima"eless$ness and its solitude is pure That is, for the wise all 1thin"s1 are wiped awa! and even the state of ima"eless$ness ceases to e(ist

Temple Tales -our

The #o!"e o$ Charley L!nden Thorp

-a!th and Con"ept5less5ness !n the South Austral!an Desert

"he first real "turning about" in the deepest reaches of my consciousness took place about twelve years ago. $t was from this point that $ re-prioriti:ed my life, placing my spiritual 8uest above everything. $ was a successful music teacherPtherapist in the north of 9ngland, having studied the Ale#ander "echni8ue and thus brought a holistic aspect to my teaching, working more and more with the handicapped where music is a real lingua franca. $n my personal life $ wanted for little e#cept time, but despite all this $ felt that in the "bed rock" of my material security, which included my emotional and social life, there was a deep fissure. !f course there was a certain disillusionment with the mounting intensity of gratuitous musical criticism around, and the inhibiting affect this had on human e#pressionG in other words $ wished everyone could inhabit ""he 'each," and that the beach could inhabit them. oupled with this was the debilitating lack of self-belief and concentration students of music invariably hadG $ encountered these blocks most of the time and felt $ needed a stunning new approach to teaching. -o, $ decided to close my practice, to sell up and give a lot of things away, and to put a pack on my back and go traveling. 7y decision, as you can imagine, was met with openmouthed shock, especially by a great many of my students who had, mostly to my surprise, become rather dependent on me to stimulate them. &espite opposition $ was determined and set about amassing travel information and making the important decision of which direction to go in, east or west. $n the end $ decided east was the best, spending time in 9astern 9urope Ethe 'erlin 3all had just been brought down and the -oviets were slowly moving outF and then on to $ndia and (epal, -outh 9ast Asia and the Antipodes, and eventually (orth America and anada. !f course from the more obvious aspects of 'uddhism the temples and stupas of (epal, "hailand, ambodia and $ndonesia made an

1A indisputable impact on me. %owever, on my return two years later when people asked me, which was the favorite country of my travels, $ had no hesitation in saying Australia and (ew Nealand. Australia is an incredible, vast country. $ts strange geomorphology, which is the most ancient in the world, its e#8uisite flora and fauna, and the sheer space inhabited by a small population, make it an ideal place to become one with the 9arth. &uring the time $ was there $ e#perienced many instances of a strong numinous feeling of being an integral part of the planet. "hey are too numerous to describe here, but one stands out above the others for me. "he (orthern "erritories, its capital town &arwin, consist of large tracts of unspoiled rain forest complete nowadays, thankfully, with indigenous aboriginal peoples who are making a good recovery from the meddling of white man and their capitalist temptations. $t was deep in the interior of Hakadu (ational 5ark that $ first encountered the incredible natural phenomena of "the 3et" and "the &ry." "here are dramatic e#tremes of climate here, the land baking so hard in "the &ry" that when the cataracts of incessant rain come in "the 3et," the water cannot drain away so rapidly builds up. $t is possible, if one has an e#perienced guide, to go crocodile watching in these enormous flooded areas, in small steel cruisers, and there are indeed many crocodiles to see. "hey swim in and out of the top branches of huge paper-bark trees, which are wholly submerged. "he rainwater is limpid so it is easy to see the thick ragged trunks .A meters below, and the craft can be woven in and out of their top branches, which stick out above the water. $t is a strange upside down world where the deluge stimulates everything to grow overnight. 9lated mangroves push up through the water, sinuous and dense, tangling with the shaggy shed bark of the paper-bark trees, and in certain places, bright pink water lilies in their millions float on the still surface of the flood water. 'ellbirds fill the air with their ringing and the huge black and white Qabaroo flying low flaps hard to negotiate the dense growth. $n certain other places the waters have mysteriously subsided. 3alking in the forests the incredible debris of the maniacal growth festooned everywhere is impressive. 3edged into thick limbs of one tree an abandoned steel cruiser, tilted at a steep angle, and in another the twisted corpse of an adult crocodile tightly roped in to a lower limb by mangroves, a jabaroo pecking at its swollen belly. !f course the human tourist presence is evidenced by the glinting of a coke tin at the top of one tree, and nearby a plastic sandal dangling in the gentle bree:e, which often follows the rains. (owhere have $ seen such an e#cellent e#ample of the manifestations of mind, and the presence of "a magician that causes phantom things and people to appear and move about," although at the time $ e#perienced a sort of enthrallment at this topsy-turvy world which impinged the memories of this magical place forever. After a period of touring around the popular west coast $ could put off the pilgrimage to Ayer;s Cock no longer, so $ started the journey almost to the center of the continent, my destination the sleepy desert town of Alice -prings. $ climbed Ayer;s Cock, and poked around the caves full of rock art, and was thinking of moving on to the south coast and possibly western Australia, when $ saw an advertisement for project members to help "rehabilitate" aboriginals who wanted to return to their traditional lives and lands. $ rang the project leader and we arranged to meet. "o my delight and bewilderment my music therapy background fitted the bill as he was looking for white 9uropeans with e#perience in e#pressive arts and the environment. $t would be my responsibility to learn their songs

11 bringing them back to western white civili:ation and record and annotate them. -o it was planned that we would leave Alice the following week. $t;s true that $ had become very interested in these primitive peoples, reading a good deal and talking to them as they gathered in groups in and around Alice. $ knew that the songs were an important part of their natural lives, and $ was e#cited at the prospect that their musical lives could act as an inspiration for westerners for whom vocal e#pression had been for the most part superseded by a deference to the recorded sounds of so-called "stars." $ traveled for a grueling 11 hours by land cruiser loaded with supplies due south into the desert with my fellow project team-membersG an acupuncturist, an environmental architect, a primary education teacher, a landscape painter and an anthropologist. "he red dust and the incessant shaking during this journey as the vehicle skimmed the drifting banks of red earth at enormous speed was salutary. 3e arrived e#hausted and disheveled at a remote settlement of tin buildings flanked by a simple airstrip and dotted with heaps of abandoned cars, clothes and all manner of paraphernalia. (inija, the aged female traditional landowner of this area, and her people received all these gifts from white Australian do-gooders and then threw them aside, like children with too many toys to choose from, preferring to live outside the sweltering tin houses, and to be naked rather than dressed in white man;s cast-offs. (inija is a tiny toothless woman who it was rumored was well into her nineties. -he is a visionary. $t was her idea to set up the project to invite white people to come to learn the ways of the traditional life as part of a 5eace $nitiative. -he was clearly able to see what a mess modern man was in, and although life in the desert is physically hard, spiritually for the most part, the aboriginal is integrated unlike "sophisticated" westerners. $n other words daily life is not something to get through and then to find a reward for, not something to be anaestheti:ed, not the result of their incessant thinking. $n their natural state they are fully involved deep in their psyches in "he &reaming, the stories of the land and the people, flora and fauna on her surface. "hey have total faith in their place in the universe, unless corrupted by the drink, drugs and greenbacks of white men, and in living many lives. "heir e#istence is far beyond the primitive concepts of space and time, and the limitations of the intellect. $t was our job to physically support this group of elderly aboriginals and a small group of their grandchildren as they made this journey back to their lands from which they had been cleared forcibly to a "safer" environment by white charity directivesG this particular area of the south Australian desert is reputedly the hottest place on 9arth. A large number of the elderly were sick and massively overweightG they suffered mainly from heart disease and diabetes, all symptomatic of stressful white life with its stimulants and tran8uilli:ers, unhealthy reliance on white sugar, coffee, alcohol, nicotine and barbiturates, which are anathema to primitive people. "he acupuncturist put all his energy into treating their complaints, and meanwhile the rest of us busied ourselves building shade shelters. 3e would go ahead every two or three days to build a new simple shelter out of treated wood with a chicken-wire roof piled with spinife# grass, a tough wild grass which thrives in incredible temperatures, to create shade. "hen we would help them to move during the cooler night. $n the end they chose to take few of white man;s gifts, preferring the nine sacred possessions hand-made from desert materials such as carved digging sticks, wooden carrying bowls, boomerangs, etc. and of course a collection of their ancestors; bones stored in highly decorated hollow logs. 3hile they waited for the

1, ne#t move we would accompany them out into the landscapes of the stories which they delighted in narrating by song, using simple percussion instruments as accompaniment, the women creating drums out of the full skirts, stretched across their crossed legs, of their outlandish crimplene dresses donated by white hristians with a desperate mission to cover their embarrassing nakedness. !r take us to find the special 7ulghar tree which harbors delicious 3hichetti grubs in its roots, collect and cook them in hot sand. !nce the women, who are the architects, showed us how to build a natural shelter, "wilcha," a tunnel of special selected tree limbs interwoven with canes which creates a rough framework into which wodges of -pinife# grass are stuffed. $t was out there in the desert that $ first had a glimpse of life without thoughts and their constructions, concepts. $nstead of the obsessive inner and outer dialogues, which developed people, fill their lives with, the aboriginal lives and breathes faith and positive beliefs mi#ed in with a balance of fear and joy. !ne night sitting around a big campfire on which 7able and -andy, the elders of this settlement, were cooking two kangaroos in their skins newly killed by boomerangs, surely a leap of faith, $ was marveling at the stars which are far more numerous in the southern hemisphere. 7able, through an interpreter, asked me what $ was looking at. $ told her "the stars." -he nudged me in the ribs with her bony elbow, slapped her thigh and gave a guffaw, "starsM" "(o=" ""hose are the campfires of the travelers going on their way." "he word "star" does not e#ist in most Aboriginal languages. $t is an intellectual concept, a "belonging" of an "ego-soul." "his was an incredible and privileged insight into a rich spiritual world where human potential in harnessed into miracle powers like clairvoyance, levitation, the resuscitation of the dead, and many others. Aborigines have a real need to go "walkabout." "hey will walk for hundreds of miles on mysterious pilgrimages and sit at their destination for days in the same position becoming one with the 9arth, one with their lands. "hey have no perpetual inner dialogues nor are they making constant comparisons with others or judgments. "hey have the ability to be completely still, content, ever in the moment despite hunger or thirst, violent sandstorms, disease. ""he insight of the wise who move about in the realm of image-less-ness and its solitude is pure." "hey are enlightened people who know well how to look after their creator, 7other earth, and live integrated e#istences if left to their own devices. 3e so-called developed people have so much to learn from them. 7y life was dramatically upended by a glimpse into their insights. -ome time after $ had returned from my travels, as the wealth of my e#periences began to settle into a massive reservoir of inner resources, $ had a series of striking dreams about (inija. -he became my spiritual guide and $ her amanuensis. 0radually she led me into further insights, which culminated in a novel. $ tried to get it published but was unsuccessful at the time. $ know that spiritually speaking $ was not sufficiently grown to really understand what had happened to me out there in the desert. (ow in the great light the 'uddha sheds on my inner life $ feel $ am ready to revise my (inija book, to weed out the arrogance, and to push out the walls and roof of my intellect so that my energy can be sublimated.. %ay all &e!n's 'l!mpse the (orld &eyond the !ntelle"t and let the ener'y o$ the $!re and spa"e o$ the desert !nto the!r hearts.

1.

Chapter -our
7ahamati now asks the 'uddha for a definition of the five dharmas. %e e#plains that this knowledge is necessary for a correct understanding of "5erfect Hnowledge" Eor Anuttara -amyak -ambodhiF. As $ pointed out in hapter !ne the sutra defines the five dharmas as) E.F appearance, E/F name, E0F discrimination, E1F right-knowledge and E2F reality but from this list you should reali:e E.< $ am of the nature to grow old, which means that there is no possible escape to growing old no matter how long human life is e#tended by the "marvels" of science. E/F $ am of the nature to have ill health and there is no escape from eventual sickness. E0F $ am of the nature to die and no one leaves this -aha world system alive. E1F 9veryone $ love and all that is dear to me are of the nature to change and there is no escape from being separated from them. E2F 7y deeds are my closest companions. $ am the beneficiary of my deeds and my deeds are the ground on which $ stand. "he first of these dharmas or truths is appearance. -hakyamuni defines appearance as misinformation produced by the dualistic discrimination of the untrained mind. (ame is the label we put on things in the mistaken belief that it allows us to comprehend the nature of the object being e#amined. All discriminations are "mutually conditioning," "empty of self-substanceG" they are merely "manifestations of the mind itself," and if you really understand this then you are already in possession of right-knowledge. Ceality is defined as the "true such-ness" of thingsG reality, therefore, is that which is left over when improper dualistic interpretation has been completely eradicated from your assessment of the environment. "his is 8uite correct but e#ceedingly abstract, which is why $ wanted you to also view this from a more personal point of view. harlie, like all beings in the -aha world you can never really Ldie; but you will grow old, become sick and this life will eventually end. All of your loved ones and friends will eventually leave you because change is inevitable. $f you couple this knowledge with the understanding that everything that happens to you or in your environment is the direct result of the causes you have made in the past then you are seeing the face of reality. 3hen you seriously understand that all of your family, friends, and even enemies will one day be gone then you are learning to be free from improper attachment. !nce you recogni:e the truth that all of the events in your life, which you have mislabeled as problems, are caused by your own actions and activities then you begin the process of freeing yourself from dualistic thinking. 3hen you start to see the world, as it actually is then your mind becomes filled with compassion and the determination to free all beings from suffering. "he general definition of the "the five dharmas" is of course 8uite correct however, that definition is telling you to reali:e these five truths in order to ac8uire Anuttara -amyak -ambodhi, while the second list $ supplied you with contains what you will actually reali:e when you do begin to have this awakening. harley, you become attached to the data produced by your mind and after a time, you become comfortable with certain kinds of thought so that you return to it instinctively.

1/ "his is known as habit energy and la:y thinking is the cause of it. $t is simpler for us to throw things into mental categories by slapping labels on everything but this kind of mental la:iness leads to confusion and endless wanderings in the -aha world. "he direct reali:ation of the emptiness of all phenomena is a big step forward on the path to liberation. ""he 6otus -utra" defines emptiness in this manner, "K"he 'odhisattva or 7ahasattva should view all phenomena as empty, that being their true entity. "hey do not turn upside down, do not move, do not regress, do not revolve. "hey are like empty space, without innate nature, beyond the reach of all words. "hey are not born, do not emerge, do not arise. "hey are without name, without form, without true being. "hey are without volume, without limits, without hindrance, without barriers. $t is only through causes and conditions that they e#ist, and come to be turned upside down, to be born. "herefore $ say that one should constantly delight in viewing the form of phenomena as this." E hapter FourteenF "he 'uddha tells 7ahamati that the memory of all the dualistic discriminations, desires, improper attachments, as well as all of his actions are stored Eas energyF in "Iniversal 7ind," which is something every being possesses. "his is also known as "Alaya onsciousness." -ince $ have discussed the subject of "Alaya onsciousness" in two previous books E"&ay 'y &ay," and "-top -ufferingG A 'uddhist 0uide "o %appiness"F $ will not go into great detail here. "he sutra tells us that this level of consciousness is defiled by habit-energy but daily practice will help purify this negative energy, which is why regular effort is necessary. "he chapter ends with an e#amination of the four kinds of knowledge, which are) appearance-knowledge, relative-knowledge, perfect-knowledge and "ranscendental 3isdom. Appearance-knowledgeG this is the way untrained, superstitious people view the worldG to them birth is a great, joyful mystery, a gift from the gods, while death is a tragic end to everything, a defeat that must be avoided for as long as possible. "his is not a skillful way to live, because as a result your mind is filled with seemingly random improper discriminations, which inevitably lead to great suffering. Celative-knowledgeG -hakyamuni e8uates relative-knowledge to the Lmind-world; of philosophers. "o me, relative-knowledge is similar to an e#perience $ had years ago in an actor;s workshop while watching shadow puppets. "he artists who had mastered this ancient form of entertainment could tell ama:ing stories with their simple tools but as an observer $ noticed that the audience never became absorbed in the material, they were always aware that what they were watching was a skillful play of shadow and light. "he crowd was ama:ed by the skill of the puppeteers but never did they seem to believe that the stories being told to them were Lreal.; 7editation training when mi#ed with daily &harma study will soon open your eyes so that this relative-knowledge appears as unreal to you as shadow puppets once did to me. 5erfect-knowledgeG the 'uddha states "perfect-knowledge belongs to the world of the 'odhisattva" who reali:es that all things are "manifestations of mind," or "all that we are is the result of what we have thoughtG it is founded on our thoughts, it is made up of our thoughts." "he sutra tells us that this "perfect-knowledge" is the entrance and the path that we must follow to reach highest enlightenment. 3hen we make the statement, Llife is like a dream

11 or vision; it does not mean that life is not real. "hink about the last dream you remember, it seemed very real to you at the time you were e#periencing it because it was real in the sense that whatever happened to you really occurred in your mind. "hen, you woke up and saw that much of what seemed 8uite reasonable to you asleep was seriously misperceived and misconstrued by your mind. Although you are said to be awake this is e#actly what transpires as you go through your daily activities, and "dualistically interpret" the events around you. "ranscendental $ntelligence is discussed later in chapter si#.

Chapter -!ve
The %!nd System
Then Mahamati said to the Blessed One: 'ra! tell us, Blessed One, what is meant %! the mind /citta08 The Blessed One replied: #ll thin"s of this world, %e the! seemin"l! "ood or %ad, fault! or faultless, effect producin" or not effect$producin", receptive or non$ receptive, ma! %e divided into two classes: evil out$flowin"s and the non out$flowin" "ood The five "raspin" elements that make up the a""re"ates of personalit!, namel!, form, sensation, perception, discrimination, and consciousness, and that are ima"ined to %e "ood and %ad, have their rise in the ha%it$ener"! of the mind$s!stem, the! are the evil out$flowin"s of life The spiritual attainments and the +o!s of the Sam&dhis and the fruita"e of the Samapatis that come to the wise throu"h their self$ reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom and that culminate in their return and participation in the relations of the triple world are called the non out$flowin" "ood The mind$s!stem, which is the source of the evil out$flowin"s, consists of the five sense or"ans and their accompan!in" sense$minds /Vijnanas) all of which are unified in the discriminatin"$mind /manovijnana0 There is an unendin" succession of sense$concepts flowin" into this discriminatin" or thinkin"$mind, which com%ines them and discriminates them and passes +ud"ment upon them as to their "oodness or %adness Then follows aversion to or desire for them and attachment and deed, thus the entire s!stem moves on continuousl! and closel! %ound to"ether But it fails to see and understand that what it sees and discriminates and "rasps is onl! a manifestation of its own activit! and has no other %asis, and so the mind "oes on erroneousl! perceivin" and discriminatin" differences of forms and 5ualities, not remainin" still even for a minute In the mind$s!stem there are three modes of activit! distin"uisha%le: the sense$ minds functionin" while remainin" in their ori"inal nature, the sense$minds as producin" effects, and the sense$minds as evolvin" B! normal functionin" the sense$ minds "rasp appropriate elements of their e(ternal world, %! which sensation and perception arise at once and %! de"rees in ever! sense$or"an and ever! sense$mind, in the pores of the skin, and even in the atoms that make up the %od!, %! which the whole field is apprehended like a mirror reflectin" o%+ects, and not reali4in" that the e(ternal world itself is onl! a manifestation of mind The second mode of activit! produces effects %! which these sensations react on the discriminatin" mind to

12 produce perceptions, attractions, aversions, "raspin", deed and ha%it The third mode of activit! has to do with the "rowth, development and passin" of the mind$ s!stem, that is, the mind$s!stem is in su%+ection to its own ha%it$ener"! accumulated from %e"innin"$less time, as for instance: the 1e!e$ness1 in the e!e that predisposes it to "rasp and %ecome attached to multiple forms and appearances In this wa! the activities of the evolvin" mind$s!stem %! reason of its ha%it$ener"! stirs up waves of o%+ectivit! in the face of <niversal Mind, which in turn conditions the activities and evolvement of the mind$s!stem #ppearances, perception, attraction, "raspin", deed, ha%it, reaction, condition one another incessantl!, and the functionin" sense$minds, the discriminatin"$mind and <niversal Mind are thus %ound up to"ether Thus, %! reason of discrimination of that which %! nature Ma!a$like and unreal false$ ima"ination and erroneous reasonin" takes place, action follows and its ha%it$ ener"! accumulates there%! defilin" the pure face of <niversal Mind, and as a result the mind$s!stem comes into functionin" and the ph!sical %od! has its "enesis But the discriminatin"$mind has no thou"ht that %! its discriminations and attachments it is conditionin" the whole %od! and so the sense$minds and the discriminatin"$ mind "o on mutuall! related and mutuall! conditioned in a most intimate manner and %uildin" up a world of representations out of the activities of its own ima"ination #s a mirror reflects forms, the perceivin" senses perceive appearances which the discriminatin"$mind "athers to"ether and proceeds to discriminate, to name and %ecome attached to Between these two functions there is no "ap, nevertheless, the! are mutuall! conditionin" The perceivin" senses "rasp that for which the! have an affinit!, and there is a transformation takes place in their structure %! reason of which the mind proceeds to com%ine, discriminate, apprise, and act, then follows ha%it$ener"! and the esta%lishin" of the mind and its continuance The discriminatin"$mine %ecause of its capacit! to discriminate, +ud"e, select and reason a%out, is also called the thinkin"$mind, or intellectual$mind There are three divisions of its mental activit!: mentation which functions in connection with attachment to o%+ects and ideas, mentation that functions in connection with "eneral ideas, and mentation that e(amines into the validit! of these "eneral ideas The mentation, which functions in connection with attachment to o%+ects and ideas derived from discrimination, discriminates the mind from its mental processes and accepts the ideas from it as %ein" real and %ecomes attached to them # variet! of false +ud"ments are thus arrived at as to %ein", multiplicit!, individualit!, value, etc , a stron" "raspin" takes place which is perpetuated %! ha%it$ener"! and thus discrimination "oes on assertin" itself These mental processes "ive rise to "eneral conceptions of warmth, fluidit!, motilit!, and solidit!, as characteri4in" the o%+ects of discrimination, while the tenacious holdin" to these "eneral ideas "ives rise to proposition, reason, definition, and illustration, all of which lead to the assertions of relative knowled"e and the esta%lishment of confidence in %irth, self$nature, and an e"o$soul B! mentation as an e(aminin" function is meant the intellectual act of e(aminin" into these "eneral conclusions as to their validit!, si"nificance, and truthfulness This is the facult! that leads to understandin", ri"ht$knowled"e and points the wa! to self$reali4ation

14 Then Mahamati said to the Blessed One: 'ra! tell us, Blessed One, what relation e"o$personalit! %ears to the mind$s!stem8 The Blessed One replied: To e(plain it, it is first necessar! to speak of the self$ nature of the five "raspin" a""re"ates that make up personalit!, althou"h as I have alread! shown the! are empt!, un$%orn, and without self$nature These five "raspin" a""re"ates are: form, sensation, perception, discrimination, consciousness Of these, form %elon"s to what is made of the so$called primar! elements, whatever the! ma! %e The four remainin" a""re"ates are without form and ou"ht not to %e reckoned as four, %ecause the! mer"e impercepti%l! into one another The! are like space, which cannot %e num%ered, it is onl! due to ima"ination that the! are discriminated and likened to space Because thin"s are endowed with appearances of %ein", characteristic$marks, perceiva%le$ness, a%ode, work, one can sa! that the! are %orn of effect$producin" causes, %ut this cannot %e said of these four intan"i%le a""re"ates for the! are without form and marks These four mental a""re"ates that make up personalit! are %e!ond calcula%ilit!, the! are %e!ond the four propositions, the! are not to %e predicated as e(istin" or as not e(istin", %ut to"ether the! constitute what is known as mortal$mind The! are even more Ma!a$like and dream$like than are thin"s, nevertheless, as discriminatin" mortal$mind the! o%struct the self$reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom But it is onl! %! the i"norant that the! are enumerated and thou"ht of as an e"o$personalit!, the wise do not do so This discrimination of the five a""re"ates that make up personalit! and that serve as a %asis for an e"o$soul and "round for its desires and self$interests must %e "iven up, and in its place the truth of ima"e$less$ness and solitude should %e esta%lished Then said Mahamati to the Blessed One: 'ra! tell us, Blessed One, a%out <niversal Mind and its relation to the lower mind$s!stem8 The Blessed One replied: The sense$minds and their centrali4ed discriminatin"$ mind are related to the e(ternal world, which is a manifestation of itself and is "iven over to perceivin", discriminatin", and "raspin" its Ma!a$like appearances <niversal Mind /Alaya-Vijnana0 transcends all individuation and limits <niversal Mind is thorou"hl! pure in its essential nature, su%sistin" unchan"ed and free from faults of impermanence, undistur%ed %! e"oism, unruffled %! distinctions, desires and aversions <niversal Mind is like a "reat ocean, its surface ruffled %! waves and sur"es %ut its depths remainin" forever unmoved In itself it is devoid of personalit! and all that %elon"s to it, %ut %! reason of the defilements upon its face it is like an actor and pla!s a variet! of parts, amon" which a mutual functionin" takes place and the mind$s!stem arises The principle of intellection %ecomes divided and mind the functions of mind, the evil out$flowin"s of mind, take on individuation The sevenfold "radation of mind appears: namel!, intuitive self$reali4ation, thinkin"$ desirin"$discriminatin", seein", hearin", tastin", smellin", touchin", and all their interactions and reactions take their rise The discriminatin"$mind is the cause of the sense$minds and is their support and with them is kept functionin" as it descri%es and %ecomes attached to a world of o%+ects, and then, %! means of its ha%it$ener"!, it defiles the face of <niversal Mind Thus <niversal Mind %ecomes the stora"e and clearin"house of all the accumulated products of mentation and action since %e"innin"$less time

1? Between <niversal Mind and the individual discriminatin"$mind is the intuitive$ mind /manas0, which is dependent upon <niversal Mind for its cause and support and enters into relation with %oth It partakes of the universalit! of <niversal Mind, shares its purit!, and like it, is a%ove form and momentar!$ness It is throu"h the intuitive$mind that the "ood non out$flowin"s emer"e, are manifested and are reali4ed )ortunate it is that intuition is not momentar! for if the enli"htenment, which comes %! intuition, were momentar! the wise would loose their 1wise$ness1 which the! do not But the intuitive$mind enters into relations with the lower mind$ s!stem, shares its e(periences and reflects upon its activities Intuitive$mind is one with <niversal Mind %! reason of its participation in Transcendental Intelli"ence /Arya-jnana0, and is one with the mind$s!stem %! its comprehension of differentiated knowled"e /Vijnana0 Intuitive$mind has no %od! of its own nor an! marks %! which it can %e differentiated <niversal Mind is its cause and support %ut it is evolved alon" with the notion of an e"o and what %elon"s to it, to which it clin"s and upon which it reflects Throu"h intuitive$mind, %! the facult! of intuition, which is a min"lin" of %oth identit! and perceivin", the inconceiva%le wisdom of <niversal Mind is revealed and made reali4a%le Like <niversal Mind it cannot %e the source of error The discriminatin" mind is a dancer and a ma"ician with the o%+ective world as his sta"e Intuitive$mind is the wise +ester who travels with the ma"ician and reflects upon his emptiness and transienc! <niversal Mind keeps the record and knows what must %e and what ma! %e It is %ecause of the activities of the discrimination mind that error rises and an o%+ective world evolves and the nation of an e"o soul %ecomes esta%lished If and when the discriminatin" mind can %e "otten rid of, the whole mind s!stem will cease to function and universal Mind will alone remain :ettin" rid of the discriminatin" mind removes the cause of all error Then said Mahamati to the Blessed One: 'ra! tell us, Blessed One, what is meant %! the cessation of the mind$s!stem8 The Blessed One replied: The five sense$functions and their discriminatin" and thinkin" function have their risin"s and complete endin" from moment to moment The! are %orn with discrimination as cause, with form and appearance and o%+ectivit! closel! linked to"ether as condition The will$to$live is the mother and i"norance is the father B! settin" up names and forms "reed is multiplied and thus the mind "oes on mutuall! conditionin" and %ein" conditioned B! %ecomin" attached to names and forms, not reali4in" that the! have no more %asis than the activities of the mind itself, error rises, false$ima"ination as to pleasure and pain rises, and the wa! to emancipation is %locked The lower s!stem of sense$minds and the discriminatin"$mind do not reall! suffer pleasure and pain the! onl! ima"ine the! do 'leasure and pain are the deceptive reactions of mortal$mind as it "rasps an ima"inar! o%+ective world There are two wa!s in which the ceasin" of the mind$s!stem ma! take place: as re"ards form, and as re"ards continuation The sense or"ans function as re"ards form %! the interaction of form, contact and "raspin", and the! cease to function when this contact is %roken #s re"ards continuation, when these interactions of form, contact and "raspin" cease, there is no more continuation of the seein", hearin" and other sense functions, with the ceasin" of these sense functions, the

1@ discriminations, "raspin" and attachments of the discriminatin"$mind cease, and with their ceasin" act and deed and their ha%it$ener"! cease, and there is no more accumulation of karma$defilement on the face of <niversal Mind If the evolvin" mortal$mind were of the same nature as <niversal Mind the cessation of the lower mind$s!stem would mean the cessation of <niversal Mind, %ut the! are different for <niversal Mind is not the cause of mortal$mind There is no cessation of <niversal Mind in its pure and essence$nature 3hat ceases to function is not <niversal Mind in its essence$nature, %ut is the cessation of the effect$ producin" defilements upon its face that have %een caused %! the accumulation of the ha%it$ener"! of the activities of the discriminatin" and thinkin" mortal$mind There is no cessation of Divine Mind, which in itself, is the a%ode of 7ealit! and the 3om% of Truth B! the cessation of the sense$minds is meant, not the cessation of their perceivin" functions, %ut the cessation of their discriminatin" and namin" activities, which are centrali4ed, in the discriminatin" mortal$mind B! the cessation of the mind$s!stem as a whole is meant, the cessation of discrimination, the clearin" awa! of the various attachments, and, therefore, the clearin" awa! of the defilements of ha%it$ener"! in the face of <niversal Mind which have %een accumulatin" since %e"innin"$less time %! reason of these discriminations, attachments, erroneous reasonin"s, and followin" acts The cessation of the continuation aspect of the mind$s!stem, namel!, the discriminatin" mortal$mind the entire world of Ma!a and desire disappears :ettin" rid of the discriminatin" mortal mind 3ith the cessation of mortal mind the entire world of Ma!a and desire disappears :ettin" rid of the discriminatin" mortal$mind is 2irvana But the cessation of the discriminatin"$mind cannot take place until there has %een a 1turnin"$a%out1 in the deepest seat of consciousness The mental ha%it of lookin" outward %! the discriminatin"$mind upon an e(ternal o%+ective world must %e "iven up, and a new ha%it of reali4in" Truth within the intuitive$mind %! %ecomin" one with the Truth itself must %e esta%lished <ntil this intuitive self$reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom is attained, the evolvin" mind$s!stem will "o on But when an insi"ht into the five Dharmas, the three self$natures, and the twofold e"o$less$ness is attained, then the wa! will %e opened for this 1turnin"$a%out1 to take place 3ith the endin" of pleasure and pain, of conflictin" ideas, of the distur%in" interests of e"oism, a state of tran5uili4ation will %e attained in which the truths of emancipation will %e full! understood and there will %e no further evil out$flowin"s of the mind$s!stem to interfere with the perfect self$reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom

Temple Tales -!ve

The #o!"e o$ Charley L!nden Thorp

+-lour!sh+ =Creat!ve >u!dan"e to Sel$ 4*press!on<

&ear -teve, 3e clean the temple. "here are certain procedures related to this that $ am in the process of learning. 7artine is my teacher. -he is so devout, lifting each of the heavy metal statues out of their glass cases with incredible reverence. -he tenderly dusts them with a

2A pure white silk cloth, and then lifts them even higher to touch the top of her head, a sign of total respect used for te#ts and artifacts, before placing them back into their cases with trembling arms. "aking out the glass covers in their ornate wooden frames decorated with "ibetan red and golden fronds is not easy. "hey must be slid upwards a little so that the bottom edge is freed to lift forward and so let the whole thing drop in the handsG 7artine is terrified that she will break a precious component of the altar, so she is tense and pale, and constantly muttering "!m 7ani 5adme %um." -he knows this temple so well, and tells me with tears in her bespectacled eyes that she dreams of the day when she can live by it like $ do, attending daily to its maintenance. %er recently deceased mother;s ashes are always here in a corner of the altar in a neat stone urn. 7artine suffers greatly for this loss and in addition is forced to live and work in another city far away from her beloved temple and -angha. -he works frantically when she comes, sleeping little, and filling every moment with the appropriate mantras. "he 6ama is delighted that we clean. %e comes in from time to time, sitting cross-legged among the vacuum cleaner, products and dusters, watching, directing, and then suddenly he jumps up and opens one of the many cupboards in the edifice of the altar to find a half empty bottle of red wine used for offerings, which he shares between us in white plastic cups. "hen he opens a packet of crisps left over from a full-moon 5uja. 3e talk of polishing copper and brass, of replenishing offering bowls with rice and then repositioning lotus and biscuit and cymbals, pushing them firmly down into the rice. $ get up enthusiastically to go towards the altar, taking my wine with me and putting it down carefully on one of the dark red shelves beside the large bowl of rice from which $ am filling the smaller ones. "(o= (o=" "he 6ama leaps forward to urge me not to put my cup down there. "emple eti8uette. -acred and secular wine which $ fail to know the difference between. -uperstitions and keeping the deities happy. $ have never been a superstitious person and do not respond too well to this primitive way of teaching that always uses negative reinforcement. -uddenly $ see myself between 7artine and the 6amaG 7artine filling her waking moments with continual repetition of ancient "ibetan mantras and rituals which perhaps provide "a way to hide, a way to totally separate the mind from difficult areas of heart and body," EQack Hornfield "9ven the best meditators have old wounds to heal," pp,F, and which perhaps prevents her from making "a balanced engagement with all aspects of life." And 6ama, given by his father, also a 6ama, to the care of Halou Cinpoche at the age of three, steeped all his life in the 'odhisattva;s way, and as a late teenager completing the "three year, three month, three day" retreatG then at Halou;s death sent to the south of France to run this center without a single word of French, having been cloistered away all his life in a male dominated monastery high in the %imalayas, at the tender age of twenty-one. 5erhaps neither of them is able to be fully human, to, as Qack Hornfield says "e#perience the deep joy that comes when we stop denying the painful aspects of life, and instead allow our hearts to open and accept the full range of our e#perience) life and death, pleasure and pain, darkness and light." At this moment in this temple in the south of France $ see myself as above all human, as not wanting to lose contact with that at any cost, something the 'uddha also thought. >our words -teve that "the 'uddha was an ordinary human being like me," ring out in the midst of this e#traordinary cultural collision. $ feel my heart opening, unaided by countless rituals, by painted temples, by a craving for the cloistered life. And as $ clean glass panels which

21 protect the mystical deities there is, unbidden, a resurgence of the impulses that brought about the consultancy $ developed with a like-minded colleague which we called "Flourish" E reative 0uidance to -elf 9#pressionF, the impulse to share my skills and insights with people who are imprisoned by their &iscriminating 7inds, and who will not allow themselves to walk on "the beach," who are desperately afraid of letting go. "Flourish" came into being when $ had just come back from my world trip filled to the brim with notions of change. $t represented the coming together of two professionals whose skills overlapped and who each had a strong vision of e#pressive freedom in a climate of acute criticism and gratuitous judgment, and the condemnation of the e#pressive efforts of others. As $ have said in earlier "ales it is easy to play other people;s music, but difficult to play your own. Fiction writers, poets, improvising musicians, dancers, painters, sculptors must create something from their very viscera, giving some fragments of their own fabric, a little blood, drops of sweat, and inevitably tears. 0aynor 0abriel and $, sole directors and founders of Flourish, had both studied classical music at the same conservatoire, though different generations, both e#periencing the tyranny of 1@th century style teachers and their whims, and more latterly the Ale#ander techni8ue, a system of body re-education. $n between times she became a psychologist and (65 7aster 5ractitioner E(euro-6inguistic programmingF, and $ worked with foreigners teaching 9F6, living abroad, and finally becoming more and more interested and committed to music therapy. At the outset we agreed that the le#ical item "music" be replaced by the more universal concept of "sound," and that this kind of sound therapy or healing become one of the foundations of our approach. 9ncouraging our clients gently into a truly listening place with beautiful sounds by helping them close down the overdeveloped and dominant visual sense, and open both their inner and outer ears and eyes, we also found a meditative place. 'ut of course there were those clients in whom the "dancer" and "magician" of &iscriminating 7ind were entrenched, all-powerful, and the very suggestion that this was the source of their suffering, posed a huge threat. 3e found many varied ways into &iscriminating 7ind but always the two initial approaches were through bodywork andPor through guided meditation and visuali:ation. $t is well known that the body is skilled at collecting and storing away in crevices negativity and intolerable emotions, and that in its natural state it is an energetic vessel which functions easily and is healthy, but that the critical and compulsive activities of &iscriminating 7ind cause it to tighten and eventually, with habitual patterning, often start to malfunction and to cause ill health. "wo famous innovators influenced us in our choice of approach to bodywork, F. 7. Ale#ander and 7oshe Feldenkreis, and each had considerable insight into how to distract the mind from its usual mundane inner dialogue, and to coa# it to concentrate on the physical job in hand. $n brief each knew how to stimulate a deep concentration on the detail of physical operations which we have learned to take for granted. Ale#ander reali:ed the imperative nature of the spinal column and its relationship to gravity, and that human beings could be encouraged to talk to the body, aided by anatomical visuali:ation. "he lynchpin of this process was regular practice of an e#ercise he called the "semi-supine" for ,A minutes at least twice a day. "his allows discs of the spine to decompress, creating much needed space to promote muscular and neuronal freedom. "he Ale#ander "echni8ue resembles in fact a gentle meditation, stillness providing an opportunity to break circuits of conditioning and to set up something new.

2, Feldenkreis was a physiologist who viewed the human organism as designed e#clusively for movement. %e saw repetition as a techni8ue for re-education. A basic Feldenkreis e#ercise would be to lie on the floor with knees raised, feet flat on the ground, and slowly to get a sense of the areas of contact of the body against the ground, e.g. back of the head, back of the rib-cage, feet, shoulders, etc., and so to gently begin to move the head in a smooth arc from side to sideG then after .A repetitions, at least, to re-e#amine the impact of this movement throughout the body as a whole, and so on. Absorption in the details of these physical tasks is also a kind of meditation so fascinating that there is no space for mundane obsessive thoughts. $n addition, intuitively $ liked breathing work long before $ knew of the 'uddha;s 7indfulness of 'reathing meditation under the 'odhi "ree. "ension, suppressed emotions can drastically change breathing patterns in a detrimental way. 5eople become habituated to hardly using the capacity of their lungs, and in some cases there is only just enough breath to vibrate their vocal chords. !nce this is released through a combination of hands-on work Ethis depends entirely on the skill of the body-work teacherF and placing a new demand on the breath, for e#ample, by asking the client to sing a note, then at this point often there is an avalanche of tension and tears. $ recall one client who was only able to sing , notes at the beginning so weak was her breath-flow and terrified was she of e#pressing herself. 'ut after a do:en sessions and building trust between us she gained three more notes and was delighted. $n a similar way it was wonderful to watch people giving themselves permission to 8uiet their minds through guided meditations. 3e used many modelsG anatomical, chakra, light, color, and of course sound, discovering first with the client the pitch which attracted him or her, and that which repelled him or her. $n this way we could establish their base pitch as an organism, then use this to help to tune them up, so to speak. 3e found the pioneering healing work of &eepak hopra, mainstream oncologist combined with Ayurvedic practitioner, inspiring. "9very thought affects every cell of the body" is one of his ma#ims which we adopted wholeheartedly. "his notion was especially powerful with clients written off by allopathic practitioners as "incurable," for e#ample, despairing clients with aggressive cancers, 7.9., 7.-., 7otor-(euron &isease, and psychiatric disorders. 3e developed a ripple meditation in which the client is made aware of all the cells of the body by various means, and then is encouraged to systematically fill each cell with white light, or color, or sound, depending on the preference or inclination of each client. 3e worked with many children with chronic conditions usually brought on by stress either at school or at home, and often were able to see them through an emotional catharsis and so on to new ways of e#pressing themselves. $n a way this work was too varied and diverse and moving to even attempt a description in this short tale, and one day we will write a book about it, which will hopefully inspire other therapists, or light workers, as they are more popularly known. lients were often referred to us as a last resort because the medical establishment was tearing out its hair. 3e of course looked holistically at each client with a large palette of possible therapies or approaches, and it was this that enabled us to help people make the necessary changes in their minds, in their habitual way of seeing the world and conse8uently their health. "his applied also to mentally and physically handicapped or disabled, to be politically correct, clients.

2. -urprisingly perhaps it was from our work with disability that we learned so much. "he clientele ranged from mildly disabled through to acute cases of autism with potential psychoses. 3e took what seemed to be tiny steps with them, first of all building trust and learning their comple# modes of communication much of which would appear like psychotic behavior to an uninformed onlooker. 5atience, compassion and respect were the pre-re8uisites of this work. -ome clients were severely epileptic so one had to learn how to manage fits, and whole sessions may seem to pass them by as they led up to and recovered from a substantial episode. 'ut in fact they missed little. !ne such client, Andrew, was one of our real successes. %e was profoundly cerebral palsied from birth and had spent all his life in a <ictorian mental handicap hospital. "his had been recently closed so he was being trained to live in the community. %e was to all intents 8uadriplegic, having been all his time strapped into a chair, fed and kept clean, with very little stimulation. $t was music that awoke him. 7iraculously, after many sessions, he made his first ever voluntary movement R a tiny gesture to take hold of an egg shaker, a form of maracas, and his first ever attempt to speakPsing. At those almost imperceptible attempts his carers, having watched how we worked with him over the weeks and who always had to be present in case of fits, were in tears, and he himself could do nothing but smile the most enormous smile $ have ever had the pleasure to be witness to. 3ith both sets of clients, those with health problems and those with deficits of some kind, it seemed at the time that we were helping them in some way to be happy both with themselves and with others around them. 5erhaps 'uddhist thinking may misconstrue our intentions as bolstering the ego soul, and in fact sometimes it did seem to work out like that as people became even more self-absorbed. $t is true to say that we were largely attempting to rekindle badly damaged self-esteem, to help empower them to believe in themselves when destructive criticism slapped them in the face at every turn. 'ut often, in hindsight, $ think it was more a 8uestion of getting them to believe in something, to get some faint trace of faith back in the overgrown porches of their hearts, so that one morning they would throw open the doors. (owadays $ think that Flourish was about generating faith, promulgating trust, which has become so scarce in these dark times, and giving people some sense of community. $ also know now that despite any formal psychotherapeutic background or any fi#ed approach to the clients, we were in fact getting in touch with our own intuitive minds, as we assessed each client and started a recovery program. $n other words that our fle#ibility allowed us to adapt our skills and e#perience to each clientG the specialty, the discipline, did not dictate or prescribe the programs we created, which were often a rich mi#ture of approaches. 6ike the 'uddha, in some small way we reali:ed that only the clients were the e#perts on themselves, and that if we listened and watched carefully we could learn how to guide them each on to the right track. -o often their blockages and problems were due to the restrictions and inade8uacies of language. "his is where (65 helped them to change the language patterns they had become habituated to which hemmed them further and further in to the madness brought about by &iscriminating 7ind. -ound also, being a totally concrete type of language without ambiguities, aided enormously. !nce clients felt in a safe place, even the most musically inhibited of them would pick up a drum or join in with a song they knew well. And certainly autistics possess the sheer talent of becoming a drumbeat, or a plucked note of a cello string, or all the hammers of the piano.

2/ !ften clients who had elected not to develop language, with no conditioned compulsion to name things and continually make distinctions between subject and object, had a wonderful way of becoming "aesthetically absorbed." "hey had an inspiring freedom about them. A blind child, Cachel, had the ability to become a song, dissolving her physical self into the energy of the lyrics that she had no real way of understanding intellectuallyG visually dependent words like "moon" or " hristmas tree" or "mountain top," which mean little to a child who has never seen. -he would jumpG spring high into the air, as she became the contours of vibration of the piano accompaniment. And $ as therapist or guide was an inseparable part of the whole e#perience, which, and this often led to the most violent tantrums, she never wanted to end. For at the end of each song she was plunged back into the somber and terrifying world of visual language, of normative behavior, and the tyranny of &iscriminating 7ind. -he taught us so much through her deficit of sight, so much about energy and its mobile nature. 3hen she sprang so joyously into the air her small blond form blended with both the sounds and stars. !f course, the accountants and education authorities which paid our fees were totally unable to accept that this pure joy and sublimation had any real value to a congenitally blind child like Cachel. "hey preferred that she learn the social rules and stopped this therapy that encouraged her to be "wild" and e#traordinary in any way. "Flourish" tragically lost a great deal of its work when 5rime 7inister "hatcher drastically cut back funding for disabled children and adults. And so, massively in debt because we often worked without being paid, we were forced to close down our operations. (ow, as $ search for a way in which to make a right-livelihood contribution to the world $ am considering the possibility of running healing Flourish holidays for such incredible clients in the French 5yrenees where $ presently live. 3hat a privilege to have had such teachers. %ay a&solutely all sent!ent &e!n's have the opportun!ty to &e"ome aesthet!"ally a&sor&ed !n sounds and stars and "ello str!n's6 and to revel !n the!r puls!n' ener'y und!stra"ted &y D!s"r!m!nat!n' %!nd.

Chapter -!ve
hapter five begins in the middle of our e#amination of the four kinds of knowledge. 7ahamati asks the 'uddha to define the term Lmind.; -hakyamuni begins his e#planation by telling us that all things can be viewed as falling into two "classes," effects that produce bad karmic "out-flowing" and things that produce good karmic results described here as "non-out-flowing good." harley, you are composed of five aggregates, form, sensation, perception, discrimination, and consciousness. "his is a very basic teaching that is discussed at length in "&ay 'y &ay" and "-top -uffering) A 'uddhist 0uide "o %appiness" so $ will not waste your time by e#plaining them here. "he sutra states that the habit energy you have fashioned since the beginning-less past because of improper dualistic discriminations has

21 been the creative force for these aggregates, which are descriptively referred to in the te#t as "five grasping elements." 3e are like children, grasping for things that we think will make us happy but because we are just simple minded children the things we desire are often very bad for us. $ raised my son, 'art, and when he was very young it was not uncommon for him to ask for wildly inappropriate things, like a rocket-launcher or a couple of cannons for the front lawn. $ didn;t give him the weapon systems for obvious reasons and as he matured he no longer wanted them. Cight now it seems important for us to ac8uire all kinds of things that are just as silly as 'art;s lawn cannons. 3orldly people seek e#orbitant amounts of money, fame and political power. "hese worldly goals were once described to me by a very venerable "eacher as "shit wrapped in silk," an image that has stayed with me ever since. $t is because we have wasted our time in pursuit of juvenile things that we are still looking for the peace and freedom of 9nlightenment. "he troublesome parts of whatever life condition you now e#perience is the result of the "evil out-flowings" that you have created for yourself. "-piritual attainments," the "joys of samJdhis" and the reali:ation of wisdom come only to those who practice. "he "fruitage" of "-amapatti" is a way of saying that as you proceed with your &harma practice you will attain reali:ations. "-amapatti" literally means Lthe attainment of Esome level ofF jhana,; jhanas are various levels of samJdhi or intense concentration that produces mental stability and great bliss. harley, your mind is the source of "the evil-out-flowings" that keeps you locked in the endless cycle of samsJra. "he sutra dissects the "mind-system" into sections for easier comprehension. "his analysis is not as complete as that found in later sutras, here we see discussed the five sense-minds that form the conscious mind. $nformation constantly flows through our mind but instead of merely being aware of this process and simply observing, we wreak havoc on our own sanity by judging things as good or bad. $f something is judged good we crave it and sometimes go to great lengths to ac8uire more. $f we feel aversion we strive to avoid or at least not think about those things judged as unpleasant. "his kind of childish misinterpreting of basic data keeps us locked in the circle of samsJra, like a hamster running on an e#ercise wheel. Qust like the hamster, the more effort we put into the pursuit of what we perceive to be pleasure and the greater effort we make to avoid things judged to be unpleasant, the faster the wheel spins around but ultimately, we go nowhere. 9verything discriminated in your mind and anything grasped at as desirable is "only a manifestation" of your own mental activity. "he mind-system is now e#amined and we are told that there are "three modes of activity" to be distinguished. "he first is "the sense minds functioning while remaining in their original nature," a cryptic sounding statement that means because you see and feel things you have always behaved as if the phenomena viewed is inherently real, instead of reali:ing that "the e#ternal world is only a manifestation of mind." "he second manner or Lmode; of activity is called "the sense minds as producing effects," which means that the sensation caused by the phenomena, whether perceived as good, neutral, or bad causes a reaction in the discriminating mind that e#presses itself as attraction or aversion and is the causal agent of all habit energy.

22 "he third mode of activity is the evolution of the sense minds. -ince the beginning-less past you have created habit energy by inappropriate dualistic discrimination. "his habit energy not only obscures the face of Iniversal 7ind E7yoho Cenge HyoF but also determines the activities you will be involved with and the course of your mental evolution. >our mental delusions, fueled by habit energy are mi#ed with the intellect and Iniversal 7ind, perhaps the best definition of a sentient being that $ have yet seen. "he sutra states, "the discriminating mindKis also called the thinking or intellectual mind." $ntellectual mind is now divided into three sections for easier comprehension) E1F mental activity, "which function in connection with attachment to objects and ideas," E,F mental activity "that functions in connection with general ideas," and E.F mental activity "that e#amines the validity of these general ideas." "he first section, mental activity "which function in connection with attachment to objects and ideas," is a direct result of dualistic discrimination, the being views all phenomena as inherently real, becomes improperly attached, which leads to grasping and the creation of habit energy. "his gives rise to "general conceptions" concerning the nature of these objects being viewed discriminatively, which leads to the assertion of knowledge and, as the sutra states, "the establishment of confidence in birth, self-nature and an ego-soul." Infortunately, this conclusion is wrong but since the answer in this case is the sum of its parts it is hardly surprising. $n other words, if your initial premises are wrong you cannot hope to reason your way to an accurate conclusion. $t is the third section, mental activity "that e#amines the validity of these general ideas" that lead us from this morass of misinformation towards correct perception and self-reali:ation. !f course, this assumes that you actually make the re8uired effort to do so. "his is something that everyone must want to do for herself. Far too often religious practitioners embrace irrational beliefs and defend them or even aggressively assert them with no evidence to support their views e#cept blind faith. %owever, religion is not by definition necessarily concerned with illogical beliefs and superstitious speculationG a religion is a philosophy that teaches a proper moral code and concerns itself with more then just a single lifetime. Qudaism and its various offspring, %induism and even 3icca fit under this definition although they all assert that different things occur after Ldeath.; A proper moral code is here defined as a value-system that brings long-term benefit to the person who embraces it. "he ne#t section of the sutra deals with the relationship between "ego-personality and the mind-system." -hakyamuni returns to the e#ample of the aggregates but first carefully establishes that they are inherently empty because they are dependent on causes and conditions. "he first of these aggregates, form, is made up of "primary elements" or individual atoms. "he remaining four have no material form and really should not be thought of as four separate things because "they merge imperceptibly into one another." !ther phenomena have perceivable characteristics but this is not true of "these four intangible aggregates." -ince these aggregates are not visible it can be argued that they do not e#ist, but since they form the "mortal mind," it can also be argued that they obviously do e#ist. "hus, the sutra states that these four aggregates are even more illusion-like then physical objects.

24 %owever, these aggregates only seem to be an illusion. harley, when you discriminate between phenomena you are doing the opposite of practice. $f you think of your mind as a mirror then practice polishes the surface, making it clean and bright but dualistic discrimination covers it with an oily filth. "o see the world as it truly is you must rid your mind of irrational nonsense and give up the idea of an "ego-personality," along with all the self-interest and grasping that is intimately connected to this kind of mistaken cognition. At this point in the te#t 7ahamati asks -hakyamuni about the relationship between LIniversal-mind; and "the lower mind system." "he 'uddhas answer is the rest of the section and he offers a straightforward e#planation but sometimes it is helpful to have things e#plained in different ways. $n essence, the 'uddha states that the sense-minds feed data to the conscious mind, referred to here as the Ldiscriminating mind; because this intellect habitually differentiates and grasps after phenomena that are manifested by it-self. Iniversal mind EAlaya consciousnessF is present in all beings. EFor more information on Alaya consciousness see "&ay 'y &ay," or "-top -uffering) A 'uddhist 0uide "o %appiness."F Iniversal mind is always pure and can never be sullied even if you commit all of the five cardinal sins. harley, the mind is being divided into three sections so that it is easier for you to comprehend. "he lower mind system is formed by the five sense minds working in unisonG the Iniversal mind is your "direct connection" to universal life because Alaya consciousness is composed of the same energy that is the universe itself. "he third section fits in between these two and efficiently interacts freely with both if you make the proper causes and if you actually allow it to function= $t is called Lintuitive-mind.; "he development of intuitive-mind is the result of proper study and practice, coupled with the desire to bring benefit to as many beings as possible. $ have directly e#perienced this for myself and so does every person who studies with '$!(A. "he development of intuitive-mind is the natural result of proper practice and you must learn to trust and act on the intuition received if you are ever to fully utili:e this skill. "his is essential to your progress as a 'uddhist student because it is through intuition that you will attain Anuttara -amyak -ambodhi. $n the first years of your practice you will have Lflashes; of intuition and as you progress spiritually so will the length and fre8uency of these occurrences. 5lease understand that $ am not referring to trivial things, like the color of someone;s socks, the information you receive through intuition will always be &harma related and it will always be important. "his section concludes by informing us that intuitive mind is never incorrect and this has un8uestionably been my e#perience. "he sutra e#plains, "intuitive-mind is one with Iniversal mind by reason of its participation in "ranscendental $ntelligence," which certainly e#plains why this kind of intuition can be depended upon. E"ranscendental $ntelligence will be e#amined in the ne#t chapter.F "o be free from all error we must stop improper dualistic discrimination and we do that by eliminating the lower mind system. "he final section of chapter five has 7ahamati asking the 'uddha what he means by the termination of the mind-systemM -hakyamuni responds by saying this level of mind rises and ends from one moment to the ne#t. *"his is another way of saying that each moment of thought is the cause of the ne#t moment of thought, which should sound very familiar

2? to '$!(A students.+ "his statement of the 'uddhas is very important, you should not simply hear or read thisG you should directly e#perience this for yourself. -it in 8uiet contemplation and simply observe the thoughts that arise in your mind. &o not judge the 8uality of these thoughts, thinking, Lthis is good,; Lthis is boring,; and so onG instead simply observe these thoughts in silence. (otice that each thought arises from nowhere, linger for a moment and then disappear if we do not become attached. "he sutra becomes almost poetic when describing dualistic thought) "they are born with discrimination as cause," while Lform, appearance, and objectivity unite as conditionG the will-to-survive is mother and ignorance, our ancient enemy, is the father. "his lower mind does not just improperly discriminate, it also forms attachments or aversions to what it thinks it sees and this keeps the wheel of samsJra turning. 5leasure is not inherently real, this is an idea that is fairly easy for my 3estern students to grasp almost immediately but the reverse is also true and they do not seem to understand or believe this concept for a long time. 5ain is something they have lived in fear of for many years but it is as inherently unreal as pleasure. harley, when we discussed my other work-in-progress "A %ouse !n Fire," $ remember that you asked me to include techni8ues for dealing with intense, or chronic pain because you knew that $ had medical problems that cause pain. -ince $ plan to discuss this further in "A %ouse !n Fire" $ will just say that reali:ing the truth of the inherent unreality of pain, even on an elementary level will greatly reduce your mental suffering. $f you can see through the unreal nature of pain, learn to rela# and not respond dualistically then pain simply becomes sensation, nothing very important. "o free Iniversal mind from the confusion caused by the lower mind system it is necessary to eliminate this supplier of misinformation completely. "he sutra tells us that there are two ways for a student to accomplish this) *1+ through form or *,+ through continuation. *1+ "he sense organs observe form, which leads to contact. ontact leads to grasping or aversion, thus fueling the fire of dualistic discrimination. %owever, if you break one of these links then the system ceases to function and the face of reality is revealed. *,+ L ontinuation; means that we do not just view phenomena, we add all kinds of assumptions, deductions, and emotional judgments. $f we simply view things as they are, adding nothing and taking nothing away then reality becomes visible as defilement is removed from Iniversal mind. "here is no cessation of mind when the lower mind system is removed, what is left is Iniversal mind, described here as "the abode of reality" and "the womb of "ruth." "he senses continue to function because it is only the improper dualism that is done away with. !ne of our goals as 'uddhist students is to directly reali:e the emptiness of all phenomena but this cannot occur until there is a fundamental change in us at the deepest level of our psyche. 9very day we face the same challenge and we have to make a decision because remaining neutral is just a different flavor of evil. "he challenge) am $ a good personM &o $ stand for somethingM Am $ willing to take action based on my moral principles because talk can be oh, so cheap= "rue speech can have great value but it is the action we take in our daily life that demonstrates e#actly what is in our hearts and minds. $f you are not firmly centered in compassion with a burning desire to aid all sentient beings then make this your first goal because you absolutely must start from a position of total love.

2@ !nce you are successful in this practice you must learn to stop looking outside of your self for information, the truth e#ists within you, harley, and it always has. &aily practice and study will naturally cause you to develop the intuitive mind, which will eventually lead you to a direct reali:ation of Iltimate "ruth. "his is a state of tran8uilityG there are no great emotional highs or lows, it is a state of mental peace and your mind will be filled with &harma 3isdom.

Chapter S!*
Trans"endental Intell!'en"e
Then said Mahamati: 'ra! tell us, Blessed One, what constitutes Transcendental Intelli"ence8 The Blessed One replied: Transcendental Intelli"ence is the inner state of self$ reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom It is reali4ed suddenl! and intuitivel! as the 1turnin"$ a%out1 takes place in the deepest seat of consciousness, it neither enters nor "oes out it is like the moon seen in water Transcendental Intelli"ence is not su%+ect to %irth or destruction, it has nothin" to do with com%ination or concordance, it is devoid of attachment and accumulation, it transcends all dualistic concepts 3hen Transcendental Intelli"ence is considered, four thin"s must %e kept in mind: words, meanin"s, teachin"s and 2o%le 3isdom /Arya-Prajna0 3ords are emplo!ed to e(press meanin"s %ut the! are dependent upon discriminations and memor! as cause, and upon the emplo!ment of sounds or letters %! which a mutual transference of meanin" is possi%le 3ords are onl! s!m%ols and ma! or ma! not clearl! and full! e(press the meanin" intended and, moreover, words ma! %e understood 5uite differentl! from what was intended %! the speaker 3ords are neither different nor not different from meanin" and meanin" stands in the same relation to words If meanin" is different from words it could not %e made manifest %! means of words, %ut meanin" is illumined %! words as thin"s are %! a lamp 3ords are +ust like a man carr!in" a lamp to look for his propert!, %! which he can sa!: this is m! propert! =ust so, %! means of words and speech ori"inatin" in discrimination, the Bodhisattva can enter into the meanin" of the teachin"s of the Tath&"atas and throu"h the meanin" he can enter the e(alted state of self$reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom, which, in itself, is free from word discrimination But if a man %ecomes attached to the literal meanin" of words and holds fast to the illusion that words and meanin" are in a"reement, especiall! in such thin"s as 2irvana which is un$%orn and un$d!in", or as to distinctions of the -ehicles, the five Dharmas, the three self$ natures, then he will fail to understand the true meanin" and will %ecome entan"led in assertions and refutations =ust as varieties of o%+ects are seen and discriminated in dreams and in visions, so ideas and statements are discriminated erroneousl! and error "oes on multipl!in" The i"norant and simple$minded declare that meanin" is not otherwise than words that as words are, so is meanin" The! think that as meanin" has no %od! of its own that it cannot %e different from words and, therefore, declare meanin" to %e

4A identical to words In this the! are i"norant of the nature of words, which are su%+ect to %irth and death, whereas meanin" is not, words are dependent upon letters and meanin" is not, meanin" is apart from e(istence and non$e(istence, it has no su%stratum, it is un$%orn The Tath&"atas do not teach a Dharma that is dependent upon letters #n!one who teaches a doctrine that is dependent upon letters and words is a mere prattler, %ecause Truth is %e!ond letters and words and %ooks This does not mean that letters and %ooks never declare what is in conformit! with meanin" and truth, %ut it means that words and %ooks are dependent upon discriminations, while meanin" and truth are not, moreover, words and %ooks are su%+ect to the interpretation of individual minds, while meanin" and truth are not But if Truth were not e(pressed in words and %ooks, the scriptures, which contain the meanin" of Truth, would disappear, and when the scriptures disappear there will %e no more disciples and masters and Bodhisattvas and Buddhas, and there will nothin" to teach But no one must %ecome attached to the words of the scriptures %ecause even the canonical te(ts sometimes deviate from their strai"htforward course owin" to the imperfect functionin" of sentient minds 7eli"ious discourses are "iven %! m!self and other Tath&"atas in response to the var!in" needs and faiths of all manner of %ein", in order to free them from dependence upon the thinkin" function of the mind$s!stem, %ut the! are not "iven to take the place of the self$ reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom 3hen there is reco"nition that there is nothin" in the world %ut what is seen of the mind itself, all dualistic discriminations will %e discarded and the truth of ima"e$less$ness will %e understood, and will %e seen to %e in conformit! with the meanin" rather than with words and letters The i"norant and simple$minded %ein" fascinated with their self$ima"inations and erroneous reasonin"s, keep on dancin" and leap a%out, %ut are una%le to understand the discourse %! words a%out the truth of self$reali4ation, much less are the! a%le to understand the Truth itself Clin"in" to the e(ternal world, the! clin" to the stud! of %ooks which are a means onl!, and do not know properl! how to ascertain the truth of self$reali4ation, which is Truth unspoiled %! the four propositions Self$reali4ation is an e(alted state of inner attainment which transcends all dualistic thinkin" and which is a%ove the mind$s!stem with its lo"ic, reasonin", theori4in", and illustrations The Tath&"atas discourse to the i"norant, %ut sustain Bodhisattvas as the! seek self$reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom Therefore, let ever! disciple take "ood heed not to %ecome attached to words as %ein" in perfect conformit! with meanin", %ecause Truth is not in the letters 3hen a man with his fin"er$tip points to somethin" to some%od!, the fin"er$tip ma! %e mistaken for the thin" pointed at, in the like manner the i"norant and simple$ minded, like children, are una%le even to the da! of their death to a%andon the idea that the fin"er$tip of words there is meanin" itself The! cannot reali4e <ltimate 7ealit! %ecause of their intent, clin"in" to words, which were intended to %e no more than a pointin" fin"er 3ords and their discrimination %ind one to the drear! round of re%irths into the world of %irth$and$death, meanin" stands alone and is a "uide to 2irvana Meanin" is attained %! much learnin", and much learnin" is attained %! %ecomin" conversant with the meanin" and not with words, therefore,

41 let seekers for truth reverentl! approach those who are wise and avoid the sticklers for particular words #s for teachin"s: there are priests and popular preachers who are "iven to ritual and ceremon! and who are skilled in the various incantations and in the art of elo5uence, the! should not %e honored nor reverentl! attended upon, for what one "ains from them is emotional e(citement and worldl! en+o!ment, it is not the Dharma Such preachers, %! their clever manipulation of words and phrases and various reasonin"s and incantations, %ein" the mere prattle of a child, as far as one can make out and not at all in accordance with truth nor in unison with meanin", onl! serves to awaken sentient and emotion, while it stupefies the mind #s he himself does not understand the meanin" of all thin"s, he onl! confuses the minds of his hearers with his dualistic views 2ot understandin" himself, that there is nothin" %ut what is seen of the mind, and himself attached to the notion of self$nature in e(ternal thin"s, and una%le to know one path from another, he has no deliverance to offer others Thus these priests and popular preachers who are clever in various incantations and skilled in the art of elo5uence, themselves never %ein" emancipated from such calamities as %irth, old a"e, disease, sorrow, lamentation, pain and despair, lead the i"norant into %ewilderment %! means of their various words, phrases, e(amples, and conclusions Then there are the materialistic philosophers 2o respect nor service is to %e shown to them %ecause their teachin"s, thou"h the! ma! %e e(plained usin" hundred of thousands of words and phrases, do not "o %e!ond the concerns of this world and this %od! and in the end the! lead to sufferin" #s the materialists reco"ni4e no truth as e(istin" %! itself, the! are split up into man! schools, each of which clin"s to its own wa! of reasonin" But there is that which does not %elon" to materialism and which is not reached %! the knowled"e of the philosophers who clin" to false$discriminations and erroneous reasonin"s %ecause the! fail to see that, fundamentall!, there is no realit! in e(ternal o%+ects 3hen it is reco"ni4ed that there is nothin" %e!ond what is seen of the mind itself, the discrimination of %ein" and non$%ein" ceases and, as there is thus no e(ternal world of o%+ect of perception, nothin" remains %ut the solitude of 7ealit! This does not %elon" to the materialistic philosophers, it is the domain of the Tath&"atas If such thin"s are ima"ined as the comin" and "oin" of the mind$ s!stem, vanishin" and appearin", solicitation, attachment, intense affection, a philosophic h!pothesis, a theor!, an a%ode, a sense$concept, atomic attraction, or"anism, "rowth, thirst, "raspin", these thin"s %elon" to materialism, the! are not mine These are thin"s that are the o%+ect of worldl! interest, to %e sensed, handled and tasted, these are thin"s that are the o%+ect of worldl! interest, to %e sensed, handled and tasted, these are the thin"s that attract one, that %ind one to the e(ternal world, these are the thin"s that appear in the elements that make up the a""re"ates of personalit! where, owin" to the procreative force of lust, there arise all kinds of disaster, %irth, sorrow, lamentation, pain, despair, disease, old a"e, death #ll these thin"s concern worldl! interests and en+o!ment, the! lie alon" the path of the philosophers, which is not the path of the dharma 3hen the true e"o$ less$ness of thin"s and persons is understood, discrimination ceases to assert itself, the lower mind$s!stem ceases to function, the various Bodhisattva sta"es are

4, followed one after another, the Bodhisattva is a%le to utter his ten ine(hausti%le vows and is anointed %! all the Buddhas The Bodhisattva %ecomes master of himself and of all thin"s %! virtue of a life of spontaneous and radiant effortlessness Thus the Dharma, which is Transcendental Intelli"ence, transcends all discriminations, all false$reasonin">s, all philosophical s!stems, and all dualism Then Mahamati said to the Blessed One: In the Scriptures mention is made of the 3om% of Tath&"ata$hood and it is tau"ht that that which is %orn of it is %! nature %ri"ht and pure, ori"inall! unspotted and endowed with the thirt!$two marks of e(cellence #s it is descri%ed it is a precious "em %ut wrapped in a dirt! "arment soiled %! "reed, an"er, foll! and false$ima"ination 3e are tau"ht that this Buddha$ nature immanent in ever!one is eternal, unchan"in", and auspicious It is not this, which is %orn of the 3om% of Tath&"ata$hood the same as the soul$su%stance that is tau"ht %! the philosophers8 The Divine #tman as tau"ht %! them is also claimed to %e eternal, inscruta%le, unchan"in", and imperisha%le Is there, or is there not a difference8 The Blessed One replied: 2o, Mahamati, m! 3om% of Tath&"ata$hood is not the same as the Divine #tman as tau"ht %! the philosophers 3hat I teach is Tath&"ata$ hood in the sense of Dharmaka!a, <ltimate Oneness, 2irvana, emptiness, un%orn$ ness, un5ualified ness, devoid of will$effort The reason wh! I teach the doctrine of Tath&"ata$hood is to cause the i"norant and simple$minded to la! aside their fears as the! listen to the teachin" of e"o$less$ness and come to understand the state of non$discrimination and ima"eless$ness The reli"ious teachin" of the Tath&"atas are +ust like a potter makin" various vessels %! his own skill of hand with the aid of rod, water and thread, out of the one mass of cla!, so the Tath&"atas %! their command of skillful means issuin" from 2o%le 3isdom, %! various terms, e(pressions, and s!m%ols, preach the twofold e"o$less$ness in order to remove the last trace of discrimination that is preventin" disciples from attainin" a self$reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom The doctrine of the Tath&"ata$wom% is disclosed in order to awaken philosophers from their clin"in" to the notion of a Divine #tman as transcendental personalit!, so that their minds that have %ecome attached to the ima"inar! notion of 1soul1 as %ein" somethin" self$e(istent ma! %e 5uickl! awakened to a state of perfect enli"htenment #ll such notions as causation, succession, atoms, primar! elements, that make up personalit!, personal soul, Supreme Spirit, Soverei"n :od, Creator, are all fi"ments of the ima"ination and manifestations of mind 2o, Mahamati, the Tath&"atas doctrine of the 3om% of Tath&"ata$hood is not the same as the philosophers #tman The Bodhisattva is said to have well "rasped the teachin" of the Tath&"atas when, all alone in a lonel! place, %! means of his Transcendental Intelli"ence, he walks the path leadin" to 2irvana Thereon his mind will unfold %! perceivin", thinkin", meditatin", and, a%idin" in the practice of concentration until he attains the 1turnin"$a%out1 at the source of ha%it$ener"!, he will thereafter lead a life of e(cellent deeds *is mind concentrated on the state of Buddhahood, he will %ecome thorou"hl! conversant with the no%le truth of self$reali4ation, he will %ecome perfect master of his own mind, he will %e like a "em radiatin" man! colors, he will %e a%le to assume %odies of transformation, he will %e a%le to enter into the minds of

4. all to help them, and, finall!, %! "raduall! ascendin" the sta"es he will %ecome esta%lished in the perfect Transcendental Intelli"ence of the Tath&"atas 2evertheless, Transcendental Intelli"ence /Arya-jnana0 is not 2o%le 3isdom /Aryapraja0 itself, onl! an intuitive awareness of it 2o%le 3isdom is a perfect state of ima"eless$ness, it is the 3om% of 1Suchness,1 it is the all$conservin" Divine Mind /Alaya-Vijnana0, which in its pure .ssence forever a%ides in perfect patience and undistur%ed tran5uilit!

Temple Tales S!*

The vo!"e o$ Charley L!nden Thorp

Intu!t!on and Sp!r!tual Con$!den"e

"3ait." $ no longer need this word. 3ords like sparks from a stone, neat labels of ownership, signposts of diversion. $n their place $ move closer to a flame. Ced incense smokes inside me and all the rectangular air of the sleeping temple room. 9verything, everyone is here. still, fragrant, cosmological. "he earthen perforations of my skin let light and air and fire and me come and go. All breathe. "hen "skin," "doors," "rituals," "6ama," e#plode to bomb the four walls, and the grand fires of "the solitude of reality" rocket into the sky. &ear -teve, "ranscendental $ntelligence is directly at work for me right nowG this is evidenced by the above vision-like e#perience that has come about at the crucial crossroads in my life as a 'uddhist. !ne of the four roads which meet this junction is that of my disenchantment with "ritual and ceremony" and "priests and popular preachers" which came to a head the morning $ felt $ had to leave the temple and was waiting to inform the 6ama, who had recently stopped communicating with me, of this. $n my poem, written while so-called "waiting," the opening word "3ait" and a later reference to other words that "e#plode" to liberate my spirit into the sky, are my direct e#perience of the transcendence of this situationG a stopping and listening to a deeper knowing, to my intuition, and at the same time a stopping of my ears to the entreaties of my -angha friends and the 6ama who want me to stay and become even more involved in the center. !n a mundane level $ had

4/ strong confidence that $ must proceed in my own way despite what others would like me to do. Another road is my studying closely this particular chapter, ""ranscendental $ntelligence" of the 6ankavatara -utra at this e#act crucial moment, the te#t and my notes lying on the bed ne#t to me at the timeG the 'uddha;s profound words and your wise commentary -teve, fermenting, preparing me to write my response. Another is my vision of and commitment to the color red and my vow to wear it or surround myself with it as a symbol of my creative fire blowing the roof off the house, or "sleeping temple room," of "&iscriminating 7ind," and so sublimating my energy. And yet another is my wholehearted "taking up" of the 0ohon:on, in the startling reali:ation that it is the "true object of devotion for observing mind," and the chanting of "(am 7yoho Cenge Hyo" my calling out into the cosmos and becoming part that cosmos. $ can best account for this as nothing other than a "turning about" in my deepest conscience. 9verything, everyone seems to be in the right place at the right moment, and the right te#ts, images, opportunities, and thus insights are there. At that moment my perforated skin allowed "me" out and the cosmos in, like a cosmos tide. And then 8uite suddenly the tight walls, corners, and angles of &iscriminating 7ind were blasted down by word bombs, and the energy of fire shot up into the sky. 7y blood, skin and bones were as e#ploded particles of the universe, the pranks and habit-patterns of the mind flattened smoldering ruins. !n that morning as $ "waited" to leave $ sat in meditation in my small room at the side of the temple, a downloaded 0ohon:on now dominating my practice place. !f course whilst living at the temple of the Hagyu lineage $ had felt my allegiance was to the Hagyupa and so $ displayed the appropriate images out of respect, and, it must be added, curiosity. 'ut that morning the power of the 0ohon:on, which represented my indisputable link with the osmos, was positively luminous, and my voice, hesitant and air locked at first, called out "(am-7yoho-Cenge-Hyo" which rang out down the passageway between my 8uarters and the painted wooden elegance of the temple. $ had been inhibited for so many weeks. (ow $ was certain that the 'uddha;s last teachings were his will and that $ am his daughter. &espite the emotional flu# and the sensation $ have created among members of the devoted -angha by leaving, everything is clear at last. $ have taken up my place. $ had also, at random it seemed, been studying a te#t on <ipassana meditation. $t was simply plucked from a stack of 'uddhist papers waiting to be read. !ne of your responses to "the drama" of my decision to leave the temple -teve was to work harder on <ipassana meditation. "he karmic link between us has been so strong that from the start of our collaboration, less than a year ago in real time, $ have repeatedly selected te#ts from the mountain you have sent to me, at random, to which you have directly referred, unprompted, in our ensuing discussions on right view and other ethics. $n addition these te#ts were always absolutely apposite to the stage $ had then reached and the 8uestions $ needed answering. "his is no accident. $t is the fine-tuning of transcendental intelligence, the going beyond "words" and "dependence on letters," combined with your tireless vigilance and supervision of my "self-reali:ation of (oble 3isdom." As $ have intimated in previous "emple "ales, my temple life of the last months has been rich R the grand "sok Eenormous offerings of sumptuous food and wineF, the lengthy incantatory rituals crammed with deities and >iddams and elaborate visuali:ations, the

41 loud beating of drums and cymbals, and all under the guidance of an $ndo-"ibetan 6ama, spiritual son of the great Halou Cinpoche. $t has been an honor, but perhaps too rich for my particular journey. All of this provides a tremendous refuge and nourishment for many of my -angha friends who are eager to serve and do whatever needs to be done. $ was always a willing helper but felt instinctively that $ was becoming increasingly distracted from my own inner work, that a dependence was being set up, perhaps by both the association and me, and that ultimately $ was not ready for this type of commitment. 5erhaps, to put it in a different way, this particular fingertip of this organi:ed religion was beckoning me, beguiling me, and $ was mistaking it for the moon. "here have been other occurrences of this kind of intuition in my life, which at the time $ could not listen to fully because of my lack of spiritual confidence. Five years ago, once "Flourish" was temporarily defeated, e#hausted, $ came to the French 5yrenees, the eastern foothills which appear to walk out into the placid 7editerranean for a dip. $ write there now, having withdrawn from temple madness, from lineage infighting, from the restrictions of rigidly prescribed practice, the downside of my e#perience and other reasons to leave. $t is here amidst the forested vales and vineyards and limestone ridges that $ first found my own personal 'uddha and learned how to recogni:e and control my ego. $t was a retreat, a retiring with my partner to whom $ paid back an enormous karmic debt during this time, a topic for a later tale perhaps. 3e chose to fling ourselves into remote village life and to be almost totally dependent on each other, as we only vaguely knew people whom we encountered when we were here on holidays. !n top of all this we had only a tiny fi#ed income. "he holiday house had served as an idyllic "bohemian" kind of hideaway from working life. $t had an attractive basic-ness that was e#citing once or twice a year as an adventure, situated in a position blessed with an e#cellent climate and good food and wine. 'ut living here all year round was another story, especially during the short but unpredictable winter. "his was e#emplified by the floors of the houseG wonderful e#panses of large terra cotta tiles on the ground floor and bare wooden boards hewn from the surrounding forests on the first floor, which were cool on the bare feet of summer but disturbing for the scantily clad feet of winter. 3e each had our own writing projects, $ had some "bricolage" skills Edo-it-yourselfF that my 8uiet capable father passed on to me, and we were both keen gardeners. !ne of the objectives was to become self-sufficient, growing all our own produce Ethe "jungle," or garden as it is now we;ve tamed it, is a good si:eF, and getting in our winter fuel from the forest margins and riverbanks where ruthless winds and torrential storms bring down old or weak trees just for the picking. "he summer months were sublime, lasting almost twothirds of the year, hot and dry, unceasing unpolluted blue skies and star encrusted warm nights where we could live outside, always looking out on to the lush hillsides running with wild boar and deer. "he house is one of the few in the village that has a front door that opens almost on to the main street but the majority of it, including the garden, is overlooked by no-one. 7y partner, Francophile and gourmet, chose this house specially and it had always been her dream to live here permanently. $, not then a Francophile but also a gourmet, arrived here with school French and little real knowledge of life in France. "here was and is so much to discoverG historicallyG despite the pro#imity of our native 'ritain, the French culture has been determined to be the antithesis of the 'ritish even though we have

42 shared monarchs, and it still, 1 years on, seems e#otic to me. "his particular southeastern corner, not far from the -panish border, called 6anguedoc-Coussillon, is the biggest wine growing area in France nowadays. $t has hundreds of wonderful restored Coman sites, hidden chapels, a8ueducts, and priories. $t was the hub of the Albigensian rusades when the dominant atholic hurch attempted to root out the heretical athars who had retreated for safety to the mountains, and it was the inspiration of the "roubadours, prolific poet-musicians who also walked the high passes from castle to castle to entertain their patrons. A rich and supple history slinks among the rocky outcrops and lichencovered slabs. $t is palpable. %ere, in medieval times, faith and ancient, native intelligence were essential for survival, and still is to this day in the villages. $ tussled with my own faith in the early days here as $ struggled with the climate, "le travail des hommes"-the work of men, as this basically chauvinist society views home improvement and self-sufficiency, and the sense of isolation, both socio-cultural and geographical. "he lives of the medieval folk in this area were a real inspiration because like the aboriginals, their lives were integrated. "hey lived close to their precious animalsG this house has a "cave" in which animals would have lived generating heat for the bedrooms above. "hey harvested all they needed to survive from the land, and had a highly absorbing communal life filled with gossip, frolic and stories. Celigion of the godfearing type was their base, and up here in the villages this is often still the case, but the medieval people were disenchanted with the corruption and greed of the arrogant atholics and attracted to the pragmatism swathed in mystery of the itinerant, humble athars. "he "good men," as they were called, moved, usually under cover of darkness, along the precipitous mountain paths of the shepherds spreading their faith. (ot too much is known about atharism in hard intellectual facts, but my intuition, having trodden their paths and lingered in the camouflaged castles perilously perched on high ridges in which they took refuge together, is that they had a strong sense of humans as configurations of energy or spirit and worked to eliminate dualistic thinking. "hey lived simply or reclusively, were not materialistic in any way, and were well-provided for by their following with stout shoes, warm woolen cloaks, and a simple meal of fish and turnips with a little local wine. As the muscular atholic $n8uisition stalked even into remote mountain places and converts were imprisoned, tortured and put to death, these hardy mountain people lived through it in a strongly integrated way, not constantly reacting to their circumstances unmindfully, living and dying with the land and their faith, transcending. !f course they had fears but they had not yet become purely psychological ones like those of our modern societies. 7y partner and $ had little contact with the outside world, the church clock measuring each 8uarter of an hour, our rising and retiring, deaths and births, and our physical might defining how hungry or cold we were, and our survival which was often e#acerbated by drought. 3ithin living memory occasionally villages have been abandoned here because of the drying up of all water supplies, or due to earth8uakes. 3e had to learn 8uickly to fight for our rights for water which was collected off the hillsides and conveyed through ancient channels with tiny sluice gates into the village, an ancient battle here which because we are island dwellers we are not accustomed to. $n the past this was the only water supply in the village. (ow it is garden water. %owever, once the garden was planted up with precious vegetables and flowers, often grown from seed to save money, we had to fight for our turn to draw off our allocation of water. "his involved getting up

44 before dawn in high summer to wait your turn to let water in. $f supplies were low then you had to stand by and let young plants burn to death in the blistering heat. $n my life $ had already had had several glimpses of humanity in terms of pure blocks of uni8ue energy R musicPsound, bodywork, healing, the handicapped, etc., but once $ started to work day in day out with the elements in this magical eerie, $ became totally convinced of it. As $ focused my energy on our survival, fully e#posed to the elements, usually using "primitive" hand tools, $ often had a clear sense that $ myself was simply a composition of the elements. Cock. %ot and free:ing winds. &eluging rain. -earing heat. 5ure air, which scours out the lungs. 3hite soil like dust which easily blows away. $ntense storms, which create, fire balls of lightning. 9ndless blue skies and healing sunshine which one hated to miss one second of. $ found great joy in simple physical tasks which were often repetitiveG digging, watering by hand which entailed filling buckets and carrying them down the length of the garden, weeding R things grew so rapidly most of the year, rubbing down paintwork which was in thick layers and decades old, gla:ing R almost every window pane in the house had to be replaced. And more. 3e had no money to just buy what we needed so it was often a case of improvising. $n this hard life there was simply no time for the entanglements of "assertions and refutations," for "discriminations," for the particularity of "words." 5ure "meaning" was there lodging itself in my blisters and aching joints and face baked by the sun. Faith was in the belief that the fierce destructive winds to which we were e#posed relentlessly would eventually cease after . or / days and nights, and that the roof would in fact stay on. 3e had to transcend our doubts, our fears and lack of skills, and listen carefully to the butterflies of an ancient kind of intelligence which modern folk have sadly lost contact with. 3e were jobless, without a "<, so had a great deal of time for contemplation, our daily rhythms following the sun. $t was in this medieval life that $ finally found my personal 'uddha and so was in a position to honor a few of my karmic debts. And in taking some control of my wild environment $ started to learn how to control the wild horse of my own mind. "here were of course clouds from time to time, but the infinity of a:ure sky was always there, and the sun appeared almost every day. $ planted miniscule seeds in dusty soil in discarded yogurt pots. "hen carried them endlessly to shelter from the wind, then the sun, then from being drowned by torrents, always believing in their energy to thrive, and in time there was a garden filled with shiny aubergines and stout melons, ruby chilies and giant peppers R the path and the fruit. %ay all &e!n's stoke the $!res o$ the!r "reat!v!ty and &e"ome the stone that the sparks o$ (ords $ly $rom.

Chapter Si(
$n chapter four the sutra began an analysis of the four kinds of knowledge) *1+ appearance-knowledge, *,+ relative-knowledge, *.+ perfect-knowledge and */+ "ranscendental 3isdom. hapter si# begins with -hakyamuni defining L"ranscendental

4? $ntelligence; as the "self-reali:ation of noble wisdom." "his reali:ation occurs suddenly because it is the result of intuition, not a chain of logical deductions. "his intuitive leap is the result of humanistic development in the deepest realm of the psyche. ""ranscendental $ntelligence" is a different way of e#pressing the concept of L'uddha (ature.; 'uddha (ature is also called Amala onsciousness. EAmala means pure.F "his level of consciousness is possessed by all life forms and all beings are worthy of great respect because during each life moment they have the potential to manifest this innate goodness. EFor a complete discourse on the nine consciousnesses see "&ay 'y &ay"F 'uddha (ature is not subject to birth or death, it is never affected by our karmic activities and it is truly above all the dualistic impurities that pass through our minds. "o properly understand 'uddha (ature Eor "ranscendental $ntelligenceF the sutra tells us that it is necessary to keep four things in mind) *1+ words *,+ meanings *.+ teachings */+ (oble 3isdom. *1+ Words are the mechanism we use to communicate with others but we often fail to e#press our true meaningG as you become alert through study and practice you will notice that people often fail to communicate although they seem blissfully unaware of the fact. "his e#plains why number *,+ is mean!n', which is clearly not always the same as words. 'ooks filled with words can e#press truth but they can also be misunderstood. A &harma book like this one can help you attain higher states of reali:ation but this spiritual progress occurs because you have determined to work for the benefit of all sentient beings and because you are purifying your life with practice and study. harley, you will eventually learn to see that you already have all the answers you need because all the suffering, joy or even 9nlightenment that you e#perience will come from your own mind. *.+ "he tea"h!n' category refers to popular preachers or other skillful performers who ply their trade in an effort to generate personal revenue. "heir speeches and lectures are entertaining but do not help anyone in a meaningful way because their instructions do not lead to the end of suffering. */+ No&le W!sdom is not based on material objects or knowledge taught to us by others, rather, this wisdom can be attained by anyone who sets out to ac8uire it because it is internally reali:ed in an intuitive manner. 9go is a delusion that keeps us trapped in the cycle of endless sufferingG it is a snare for those who are unaware. 3hen $ was a young child $ watched a rabbit struggle to escape from a snare-trap and the suffering the rabbit endured marked my mind with a lasting memory. $t seems to me that humans suffer in much the same way from the poisons of ego. "here was nothing $ could do for the rabbits pain, however, $ have dedicated the rest of my life to helping those people who want to break their own cycle of suffering and walk in the 5ure 6and of (irvana. "he first section ends by telling us that dualism vanishes when we see through the illusion of the ego and reali:e the dependent nature of all phenomena. "he final section of this very short chapter asks the 8uestionG what, if any, is the difference between eternal, unchanging 'uddha nature and the personal, eternal soul that some religions teach as revealed truthM "he 'uddha responds that there are many differences between the two concepts. "he religion that taught about the eternal soul in -hakyamuni;s time was the forerunner of the %indu faith Efor more information see the final chapters of "A :ouse On -!re"F. -ome of

4@ the differences between the two teachings) for various sects only males possessed souls, women could never be reborn in heaven. %owever, the 'uddha revealed in ""he 6otus -utra" that all phenomena have 'uddha potential and to prove the truth of his words an eight-year-old non-human female attains enlightenment in front of -hariputra Esee Chapter T(elve of "The Lotus Sutra"F. A soul is supposedly a being with an eternal identity. $f this were true we could say that you have always been harley and you always would be. $n contrast, the 'uddha taught that you are energy, but the part of Lyou; that continues eternally is Amala onsciousness. "he karmic energy you create will be inherited by whatever being you are reborn as when this life energy runs out. $ was traveling by train when it occurred to me that the procedure you go through when checking your luggage was a great e#ample of this simple karmic process. $ handed my bags to the attendant, received a tag with a number on it and then boarded my train. "his train ride represents my current life. 3hen my life began $ was handed baggage from the past and when this train ride ends, and my current body dies, the ne#t body my lifeenergy manifests will turn up at the station and claim the same baggage, only now my present-day actions will have been added to the mi# as well. %owever, there is no Lme; or L$.; "he concept of self is dualistic nonsense. 3e must use words to communicate but we should also remember that inherently all things are empty because all things are dependent on causes and conditions. "he chapter concludes by informing us that the being with an enlightened mind is in harmony with the Iniverse because she sees things just the way they are. "he enlightened mind is pure, has perfected patience and dwells in undisturbed tran8uility.

Chapter Seven
Sel$58eal!?at!on
Then said Mahamati: 'ra! tell us, Blessed One, what is the nature of Self$ reali4ation %! reason of which we shall %e a%le to attain Transcendental Intelli"ence8 The Blessed One 7eplied: Transcendental Intelli"ence rises when the intellectual$ mind reaches its limit and, if thin"s are to %e reali4ed in their true and essence nature, its processes of mentation, which are %ased on particulari4ed ideas, discriminations and +ud"ments, must %e transcended %! an appeal to some hi"her facult! of co"nition, if there %e such a hi"her facult! There is such a facult! in the intuitive$mind /Manas0, which as we have seen is the link %etween the intellectual$ mind and <niversal Mind 3hile it is not an individuali4ed or"an like the intellectual$mind, it has that which is much %etter, direct dependence upon <niversal Mind 3hile intuition does not "ive information that can %e anal!4ed and discriminated, it "ives that which is far superior, self$reali4ation throu"h identification

?A Mahamati then asked the Blessed One, sa!in": 'ra! tell us, Blessed One, what clear understandin"s an earnest disciple should have if he is to %e successful in the discipline that leads to self$reali4ation8 The Blessed One replied: There are four thin"s %! the fulfillin" of which an earnest disciple ma! "ain self$reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom and %ecome a Bodhisattva$ Mahasattva: )irst, he must have a clear understandin" that all thin"s are onl! manifestations of the mind itself, second, he must discard the notion of %irth, a%idin" and disappearance, third, he must clearl! understand the e"o$less$ness of %oth thin"s and persons, and fourth, he must have a true conception of what constitutes self$reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom, provided with these four understandin"s, earnest disciples ma! %ecome Bodhisattvas and attain Transcendental Intelli"ence #s to the first, he must reco"ni4e and %e full! convinced that this triple world is nothin" %ut a comple( manifestation of ones mental activities, that it is devoid of self$ness and its %elon"in"s, that there are no strivin"s, no comin"s, no "oin"s *e must reco"ni4e and accept the fact that this triple world is manifested and ima"ined as real onl! under the influence of ha%it$ener"! that has %een accumulated since the %e"innin"$less past %! reason of memor!, false$ima"ination, false$reasonin", and attachments to the multiplicities of o%+ects and reactions in close relationship and in conformit! to ideas of %od!$propert!$and$a%ode #s to the to second, he must reco"ni4e and %e convinced that all thin"s are to %e re"arded as forms seen in a vision and a dream, empt! of su%stance, un$%orn and without self$nature, that all thin"s e(ist onl! %! reason of a complicated network of causation which owes its rise to the discrimination and attachment and which eventuates in the rise of the mind$s!stem and its %elon"in"s and evolvements #s to the third, he must reco"ni4e and patientl! accept the fact that his own mind and personalit! is also mind$constructed, that it is empt! of su%stance, un%orn and e"o$less 3ith these three thin"s clearl! in mind, the Bodhisattva will %e a%le to enter into the truth of ima"e$less$ness #s to the fourth, he must have a true conception of what constitutes self$reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom )irst, it is not compara%le to the perceptions attained %! the sense$mind, and neither is it compara%le to the co"nition of the discriminatin" and intellectual$mind Both of these presuppose a difference %etween self and not self and the knowled"e so attained is characteri4ed %! individualit! and "eneralit! Self$ reali4ation is %ased on identit! and oneness, there is nothin" to %e discriminated nor predicated concernin" it But to enter into it the Bodhisattva must %e free from all presuppositions and attachments to thin"s, ideas and self$ness Then said Mahamati to the Blessed One: 'ra! tell us, Blessed One, concernin" the characteristics of deep attachments to e(istence and as to how we ma! %ecome detached from e(istence8 The Blessed One replied: 3hen one tries to understand the si"nificance of thin"s %! means of words and discriminations, there follow immeasura%l! deep$seated attachments to e(istence )or instance: there are the deep$seated attachments to si"ns of individualit!, to causation, to the notion of %ein" and non$%ein", to the discrimination of %irth and death, of doin" and of not$doin", to the ha%it of discrimination itself upon which philosophers are so dependent

?1 There are three attachments that are especiall! deep$seated in the minds of all: "reed, an"er and infatuation, which are %ased on lust, fear and pride Back of these lies discrimination and desire which is procreative and is accompanied with e(citement, avariciousness, and love of comfort and desire for eternal life, and, followin", is a succession of re%irths on the five paths of e(istence and a continuation of attachments But if these attachments are %roken off, no si"ns of attachment or of detachment will remain %ecause the! are %ased on thin"s that are non$e(istent, when this truth is clearl! understood the net of attachment is cleared awa! But dependin" upon and attachin" itself to the triple com%ination which works in unison there is the risin" and the continuation of the mind$s!stem incessantl! functionin", and %ecause of it there is the deepl!$felt and continuous assertion of the will$to$live 3hen the triple com%ination that causes the functionin" of the mind$ s!stem ceases to e(ist, there is the triple emancipation and there is no further risin" of an! com%ination 3hen the e(istence and the non$e(istence of the e(ternal world are reco"ni4ed as risin" from the mind itself, then the Bodhisattva is prepared to enter into the state of ima"eless ness and therein to see into the emptiness which characteri4es all discrimination and all the deep$seated attachments resultin" there from Therein he will see no si"ns of deep$rooted attachment nor detachment, therein he will see no one in %onda"e and no one in emancipation, e(pect those who themselves cherish %onda"e and emancipation, %ecause in all thin"s there is no 1su%stance1 to %e taken hold of But so lon" as these discriminations are cherished %! the i"norant and simple$ minded the! "o on attachin" themselves to them and, like the silkworms, "o on spinnin" their thread of discrimination and enwrappin" themselves and others, and are charmed with their prison But to the wise there are no si"ns of attachment nor of detachment, all thin"s are seen as a%idin" in solitude where there is no evolvin" of discrimination Mahamati, !ou and all the Bodhisattvas should have !our a%ode where !ou can see all thin"s from the viewpoint of solitude Mahamati, when !ou and the other Bodhisattvas understand well the distinction %etween attachment and detachment, !ou will %e in possession of skilful means for avoidin" %ecomin" attached to words accordin" to which one proceeds to "rasp meanin"s )ree from the domination of words !ou will %e a%le to esta%lish !ourselves where there will %e a 1turnin"$a%out1 in the deepest seat of consciousness %! means of which !ou will attain self$reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom and %e a%le to enter into all the Buddha$lands and assem%lies There !ou will %e stamped with the stamp of the powers, self$command, the ps!chic faculties, and will %e endowed with the wisdom and the power of the ten ine(hausti%le vows, and will %ecome radiant with the varie"ated ra!s of the Transformation Bodies Therewith !ou will shine without effort like the moon, the sun, the ma"ic wishin"$+ewel, and at ever! sta"e will view thin"s as %ein" of perfect oneness with !ourself, uncontaminated %! an! self$consciousness Seein" that all thin"s are like a dream, !ou will %e a%le to enter into the sta"e of the Tath&"atas and %e a%le to deliver the discourses on the Dharma to the world of %ein"s in accordance with their needs and %e a%le to free them from all dualistic notions and false discriminations Mahamati, there are two wa!s of considerin" self$reali4ation: namel!, the teachin"s a%out it, and the reali4ation itself The teachin"s as variousl! "iven in the nine

?, divisions of the doctrinal works, for the instructions of those who are inclined toward it, %! makin" use of skilful means and e(pedients, are intended to awaken in all %ein"s a true perception of the Dharma The teachin"s are desi"ned to keep one awa! from all the dualistic notions of %ein" and non$%ein" and oneness and otherness 7eali4ation itself is within the inner consciousness It is an inner e(perience that has no connection with the lower mind$s!stem and its discriminations of words, ideas and philosophical speculations It shines out with its own clear li"ht to reveal the error and foolishness of mind$constructed teachin"s, to render impotent evil influences from without, and to "uide one unerrin"l! to the realm of the "ood non$ out$flowin"s Mahamati, when the earnest disciple and Bodhisattva is provided with these re5uirements, the wa! is open to his perfect attainment of self$reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom, and to the full en+o!ment of the fruits that arise there from Then Mahamati asked the Blessed One, sa!in": 'ra! tell us, Blessed One, a%out the One -ehicle which the Blessed One has said characteri4es the attainment of the inner self$reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom8 The Blessed One replied: In order to discard more easil! discriminations and erroneous reasonin">s, the Bodhisattva should retire %! himself to a 5uiet, secluded place where he ma! reflect within himself without rel!in" on an!one else, and there let him e(ert himself to make successive advances alon" the sta"es, this solitude is the characteristic feature of the inner attainment of self$reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom I call this the One -ehicle, not %ecause it is the One -ehicle, %ut %ecause it is onl! in solitude that one is a%le to reco"ni4e and reali4e the path of the One -ehicle So lon" as the mind is distracted and is makin" conscious effort, there can %e no culmination as re"ards the various vehicles, it is onl! when the mind is alone and 5uiet that it is a%le to forsake the discriminations of the e(ternal world and seek reali4ation of an inner realm where there is neither vehicle nor one who rides in it I speak of the three vehicles in order to carr! the i"norant I do not speak much a%out the One -ehicle %ecause there is no wa! %! which earnest disciples and masters can reali4e 2irvana, unaided #ccordin" to the discourses of the Tath&"atas earnest disciples should %e se"re"ated, disciplined, and trained in meditation and Dh!ana where%! the! are aided %! man! devices and e(pedients to reali4e emancipation It is %ecause earnest disciples and masters have not full! destro!ed the ha%it$ener"! of karma and the hindrances of discriminative knowled"e and human passion that the! are often una%le to accept the twofold e"o$less$ness and the inconceiva%le transformation death, that I preach the triple vehicle and not the One -ehicle 3hen earnest disciples have "otten rid of all their evil ha%it$ener"! and %een a%le to reali4e the twofold e"o$less$ness, then the! will not %e into(icated %! the %liss of the Sam&dhis and will %e awakened into the super$realm of the "ood non$out$flowin"s Bein" awakened into the realm of the "ood non$out$flowin"s, the! will %e a%le to "ather up all the re5uisites for the attainment of 2o%le 3isdom, which is %e!ond conception and is of soverei"n power But reall!, Mahamati, there are no vehicles, and so I speak of the One -ehicle Mahamati, the full reco"nition of the One -ehicle has never %een attained %! either earnest disciples, masters, or even %! the "reat Brahma, it has %een attained onl! %! the Tath&"atas themselves That is the reason

?. that it is known as the One -ehicle I do not speak much a%out it %ecause there is no wa! %! which earnest disciples can reali4e 2irvana unaided Then Mahamati asked the Blessed One, sa!in": 3hat are the steps that will lead an awakened disciple toward the self$reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom8 The Blessed One replied: The %e"innin" lies in the reco"nition that the e(ternal world is onl! a manifestation of the activities of the mind itself, and that the mind "rasps it as an e(ternal world simpl! %ecause of its ha%it of discrimination and false reasonin" The disciple must "et into the ha%it of lookin" at thin"s truthfull! *e must reco"ni4e the fact that the world has no self$nature that it is un$%orn, that it is like a passin" cloud, like an ima"inar! wheel made %! a revolvin" fire%rand, like the castle of the :andharvas, like the moon reflected in the ocean, like a vision, a mira"e, a dream *e must come to understand that mind in its essence$nature has nothin" to do with discrimination nor causation, he must not listen to discourses %ased on the ima"inar! terms and 5ualifications, he must understand that <niversal Mind in its pure essence is a state of ima"e$less$ness, that it is onl! %ecause of the accumulated defilements on its face that %od!$propert!$and$a%ode appear to %e its manifestations, that in its own pure nature it is unaffected and un$affectin" %! such chan"es as risin", a%idin" and destruction, he must full! understand that all these thin"s come with the awakenin" of the notion of an e"o$soul and its conscious mind Therefore, Mahamati, let those disciples who wish to reali4e 2o%le 3isdom %! followin" the Tath&"ata -ehicle desist from all discrimination and erroneous reasonin" a%out such notions as the elements that make up the a""re"ates of personalit! and its sense$world or a%out such ideas as causation, risin", a%idin" and destruction, and e(ercise themselves in the discipline of Dh!ana that leads to the reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom To practice Dh!ana, the earnest disciple should retire to a 5uiet and solitar! place, remem%erin" that life$lon" ha%its of discriminative thinkin" cannot %e %roken off easil! or 5uickl! There are four kinds of concentrative meditation /Dhyana0: The Dh!ana practiced %! the i"norant, the Dh!ana devoted to the e(amination of meanin", the Dh!ana with 1Suchness1 /Tathata0 for its o%+ect, and the Dh!ana of the Tath&"atas The Dh!ana practiced %! the i"norant is the one resorted to %! those who are followin" the e(ample of the disciples and masters %ut who do not understand its purpose and, therefore, it %ecomes 1still$sittin"1 with vacant minds This Dh!ana is practiced, also, %! those who, despisin" the %od!, see it as a shadow and a skeleton full of sufferin" and impurit!, and !et who clin" to the notion of an e"o, seek to attain emancipation %! the mere cessation of thou"ht The Dh!ana devoted to the e(amination of meanin", is the one practiced %! those who, perceivin" the un$tena%ilit! of such ideas as self, other and %oth, which are held %! the philosophers, and who have passed %e!ond the twofold$e"o$less$ness, devote Dh!ana to an e(amination of the si"nificance of e"o$less$ness and the differentiations of the Bodhisattvas sta"es The Dh!ana with Tathata, or 1Suchness1, or Oneness, or Divine 2ame, for its o%+ect is practiced %! those earnest disciples and masters who, while full! reco"ni4in" the twofold e"o$less$ness and the ima"eless$ness of Tathata, !et clin" to the notion of an ultimate Tathata

?/ The Dh!ana of the Tath&"atas is the Dh!ana of those who are enterin" upon the sta"e of Tath&"ata$hood and who, a%idin" in the triple %liss, which characteri4es the self$reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom, are devotin" themselves for the sake of all %ein"s to the accomplishment of incomprehensi%le works for their emancipation This is the pure Dh!ana of the Tath&"atas 3hen all lesser thin"s and ideas are transcended and for"otten, and there remains onl! a perfect state of ima"eless$ness where Tath&"ata and Tathata are mer"ed into perfect Oneness, then the Buddhas will come to"ether from all their Buddha$lands and with shinin" hands restin" on his forehead will welcome a new Tath&"ata

Temple Tales Seven

The vo!"e o$ Charley L!nden Thorp

Wr!t!n' @ An O$$er!n'
3ords and stars float together In-distinguishably. "A"s and "b,"s "$"s and "t"s become sand inseparably, then mi# again with waves and salt. -8uare keys and the tappings shake significance into infinite space, caught on the other side of the planet by s8uare keys that shake it back. 'ison and reindeer are charcoal on the walls of a subterranean cave. A dribble of energy leaves de#terous imprints in a pure land which indicate the moon then vanish.

?1

+It !s only (hen the m!nd !s alone and 9u!et that !t !s a&le to $orsake the d!s"r!m!nat!ons o$ the e*ternal (orld and seek real!?at!on o$ an !nner realm (here there !s ne!ther veh!"le nor one (ho r!des !n !t+ =Lotus Sutra< &ear -teve, 3hen we have the opportunity to be "alone," or to find our own inimitable mode of solitude, $ find, and $ have always found, writing to be not only a comfort but rather more a form of offering, like incense, or water, or the constantly burning flame of a butter lamp. 5erhaps no one will ever read what you writeG in fact it is sometimes liberating to screw it up and throw it away so that you do not become too attached to it. As we sit before an empty page, or scrap of newspaper on which there is a space, or even an old bus ticket, we can offer ourselves through the nib of our pen, the flow of ink, or the lead of a pencil. $t is akin to filling an empty water vessel, or striking the match that will light a wick and then an incense stick, or placing a shiny apple in our practice place. 3e have to face the fact that in this 6atter &ay of the 6aw we do not live in an aural tradition unlike the 'uddha. 3riting and reading are intrinsic to our cultures, and $ believe that this is no accident, for, as our societies, in the west especially, become more and more intellectual and our memories atrophy as a result, writing is something special, a remarkable way of making a direct e#pression of one;s view of the world, unobstructed. !f course, critics and common hacks must not gain access to this precious form of e#pression, and there must be no threat of their interference in the process. $ believe that we can learn to write directly from the heart. "his kind of writing has a 8uality that concerns meaning directly like a melody, or a dribble of energy, or even a hieroglyphic of sense. $t can be simple and self-honest, addressing a 8uiet compassionate witness who has no interest in rearranging, or responding to our words. "his is one very possible way of being kind to ourselves. $t is a modern-day meditation, and with careful guidance provides a way of calming "discriminating mind" and enticing "intuitive mind" to come out into the open. -adly, writers and writing itself are so heavily pressuri:ed nowadays. "hose who pressuri:e, do so with no reason. $t seems that they have nothing better to do but twiddle their thumbs and pluck their whims out of the air with fussy white-gloved fingers. $n fact, critics are "&iscriminating 7ind" taken to e#tremes. "hey are 9mperor silk worms weaving on, entangling their often innocent victims until they are asphy#iated and never lift a pen again. 3hat is confusing is that often the silk worms can do nothing e#cept spinG they have rarely written from their hearts to a silent witness, but instead spend all their time angling at a huge audience. "hey are waiting constantly for a bestseller to drop into their laps, which will temporarily allay their fears of living, and plump them up like a cushion. "his is not real writing. And these so-called critics are truly 7ara, soaked in the deluded world of the intellect. $ have always loved both the act of writing, and the effect it has. 3hen $ was 4 or ? years old $ got hold of a complete table of the physical elements and copied it endlessly into a large ledger. $ had no idea what it all meant, but the symbols were some kind of mantra that $ felt connected me with the cosmos. $ loved them, their form and compatibility with each other, in a way that my peers loved their pink teddy bears or their comfort rags. $ dreamed about them and could easily visuali:e them even when separated from my

?2 precious ledger, which $ took everywhere with me. A little later $ spent a lot of time perfecting my own style of handwriting that was a kind of copperplate, considered flamboyant for an ? year-old. "here was a magical 8uality about making symbols with a beautiful sharp pencil or, even better, a fountain pen flowing with rich steady ink, on the pristine perfection of paper. 6ater still $ became attracted to languages that had non-6atin scripts like 0reek and Cussian and Qapanese, and of course one of the most esoteric of all languages, music manuscript. $ enjoyed copying these symbols, and still do. $t absorbed me totally for hours, and $ believe, a little like the production of musical sound itself, that it provides a way in to the "inner sanctum of mental peace and serenity." E-. Hlick "&ream 3orld"F "he domination of the intellect results in the constant inner dialogue that negates, appraises, asserts, discriminates, without cease. $t creates an artificial world where habit formations are constantly at work, like the silkworm, to create so-called stability and sameness. "houghts get sticky, congealed, like the snippet of elastoplast which "in-"in can never shake off his fingers. 3e cannot get rid of them. 'ut a blank page and a writing implement can allow a slow washing away of all the stickiness, a means of releasing it. 3e create a special type of environment when we write. "here is sufficient space and 8uiet to be respectful, to be honorable, making patterns, whether with words or images, which come directly from the psyche. $t is a safe and elegant way of communicating. $t is solitude itself, a place where we "may reflect within" "without relying on anyone else." $n a way, -teve, $ believe we can reach the limits of our intellects by writing from the heart. $n time it ceases to be at all frivolous. Ceali:ations start to crystalli:e when we take up the pen and some paper, and wisdom shines a very special light on those reali:ations. (ichiren is surely a good e#ample of a writer who used the act of writing in this way, and in addition reached out to so many people with his moving letters of appreciation that awoke their faith. $f we learn to write from the heart with a sharp stick in the sand, remaining vigilant about the conditioned compulsion to make concepts, there is nothing to loseG there are no critics, no judgments. $n time we will catch sight of the glamorous rare creature of reali:ation. %owever, we must be certain not to try to catch or sei:e it eagerly, for, of course, we are that creature as we are also the "participant" who perceives it. $t is possible to write in our natural capacity as a particle of the fabric of the universe, without ego. $f one looks at haos "heory and nature in general it is perhaps possible to make analogies with human beings writing in a microcosmic way. reatures and plant forms congregate in ways that create patterns on the surface of the earth. 5erhaps human consciousness uses this as a model, making certain energetic marks in the environment. 5aper is an environment which has become e#tremely important to man, and writing is undoubtedly an e#pression of that consciousness, but it is essentially energy in the same way that millions of pink flamingos line up along the 7editerranean coast not far from here. 3hen $ write $ like to visuali:e thousands of sentient beings writing with me, ineluctably e#pressing the human spirit or mind continuum. $t seems that we can take risks when we write which we would not take with the spoken word. 5erhaps this is because our individual voice is established in a different way. $t has much more in common with non-verbal communication because it is not bound up with the mores of social interaction, e.g. eye contact, pro#imity, gender, status, behavior in general. $nstead it is the use of ancient symbols that, with practice and the right kind of

?4 reflection, can be used to contact our intuitive mind. 3e can e#press things that often we wouldn;t dare to e#press face to face. "his is probably due to the reflection time both before composition, and after composition when we await a reply or a comment. And usually we can apply ourselves to our turn of phrase and choice of vocabulary in a respectful 8uasi-reverential way. $ think that this is especially important when writing to oneself in private e#clusively for oneself. 3e can observe a modicum of these phenomena in the act of emailing and $nternet interaction. 9mail allows those kind of intimate voices that seem as if they are communicating in the darknessG we are not able to see the whites of the eyes of our interlocutor and yet it is possible to be fairly pragmatic and make bold declarations at the same time. "here is a different kind of honesty. Add to this the fact that we do not usually preserve emails, so it is a kind of communication that doesn;t promote attachment. "he $nternet, as $ can heartily testify, allowed me to communicate with someone about intimate matters of faith, almost at random. $ was socially alone with my 'uddhism here in the remote 5yrenees and by virtue of a modem reached out to you -teve. "his radically changed the course of my life. 5erhaps in some way mutually attracted psyches are able to tap out messages to each other across the airwaves, or even to rattle each others; karmic cagesM 'y cultivating the right approach to "body-property-and-abode" we can draw in the sand of a tidal beach. "here is no owning what we write in my view. $t is really a means to an end. $f the pages we write, sprinkled with their symbols, whether written or typed, are of any true value they will be committed to memory or retained by the heart in a non-verbal way. $ndeed, maybe in this way we can scratch out immaculate messages on the dirty mirror of our lives and help to recogni:e our true natures. "he symbols serve as e#pedient means towards insight, but once freed from the psyche they become almost universal, a species of cosmological dust. $n a world consumed with fear and loneliness, lack of faith, and emotional confusion, a lot of people are afraid to be alone. "hey are too nervous to meditate and attempt to empty their minds sitting in the dark. 'ut writing a journal can be a comfort and a guide to finding the route back to their position in the universe. 9ven starting by keeping a meditation diary that addresses the problems involved in meditating can clarify and calm enormously. !f course, $ am not suggesting that this is some kind of substitute for practiceG but it can help to access that practice. Finally, when we have had an e#perience of self-reali:ation, whether through meditation or writing, it is possible to step back into the heat of the fire of society and offer an account of that insight for the benefit of others, as $ am doing here, and as you, -teve, do so readily and honestly. Ising our study of the transcribed wisdom of -hakyamuni $ believe we can write in an inspired way to help the emancipation of others. %ay all &e!n's p!"k up the!r pens and (r!te $rom the!r hearts. %ay they &e truly (!th themselves !n the oneness o$ sol!tude. %ay they 9u!"kly 'a!n !ns!'hts that d!ssolve D!s"r!m!nat!n' %!nd.

Chapter Seven

?? As their dialogue continues 7ahamati asks the 'uddha to e#plain the nature of selfreali:ation. $t is self-reali:ation that enables the practicing 'uddhist student to attain "ranscendental $ntelligence. harley, the point will arrive when you reach the limits of your intellect and it is then that intuition allows you to connect to Iniversal 7ind, or 'uddha 3isdom. $n the ne#t section 7ahamati asks the very important 8uestionG e#actly what is it that followers of the 'uddha are supposed to reali:eM -hakyamuni tells us that there are four things that must be completely understood before a student can be considered to be a 'odhisattva-7ahasattva) *1+ all things are manifested by your own mind *,+ birth and death is an illusion *.+ the ego is unreal */+ the student must understand what self reali:ation of true wisdom actually is. *1+ All of your loves or hatreds come from improper dualistic thinkingG in fact, the entire world system does not e#ist the way most people believe that it does. Intil you reach the proper level of development everything you see or e#perience is the result of habit energy, false imagination, bad reasoning, attachment or aversion. *,+ >ou must completely understand that cause and effect is the absolute law of the universe. $f you really comprehend this then the idea of a beginning or an end to any phenomena will come to be seen as the absurdity that it is. *.+ "he ego is unreal because the notion of a BselfB is wrong. "here is no eternal essence of harley that can be found anywhere. Actually, what you are identifying as self is the seventh level of consciousness, E7ano consciousnessF which is the home of the ego. %owever, there is nothing eternal about the 7ano consciousness, it is simply the product of causes and conditions. EFor more information on the nine consciousnesses please see "Day By Day."F */+ -elf-reali:ation of 'uddha wisdom is not similar to any sense perceptionG it is not logical deduction or any result of the mentation of the intellectual mind because all of these are based on deluded, dualistic thinking. "he 3isdom we must each make our own is simpleG ultimately there is no difference between self and others. $f you continue to follow the course of study and practice that $ have shown you, one day very suddenly it will strike you that you are directly connected to all phenomena. Duickly following this e#perience you will actually see the connections running from you to all beings on this world. $n the meantime, please consider these facts) all beings are the same, we manifest the same life force and we all want the highest possible happiness without the slightest amount of suffering. "he successful student will learn to compassionately observe all phenomena and to help others when asked, if it is possible. Finally, you must strive to free your mind of inappropriate, dualistic responses, like anger, frustration, jealousy, and hatred because these behaviors are based on ignorance and habit energy. "hey lead only to suffering and continued rebirth in the samsaric realm. $t soon becomes obvious to every &harma student that there are serious attachment problems that must be identified, e#amined, and eliminated from the thought processes of the successful practitioner. -hakyamuni mentions obvious problem areas, like the concept of the individual, or the idea of birth and death, which implies that a being comes into e#istence from nothing and then returns to this same nothingness. "he root cause of much, if not all of this

?@ destructive behavior is improper dualistic mental discrimination that we frivolously engage in during every waking moment. "he 'uddha points to three attachments that he states are problems for all beings) *1+ greed *,+ anger, and *.+ infatuation, which are based on lust, fear and pride. "he driving force behind these states of mental illness is discrimination between the phenomena that occur around us. B$ like this, but $ donBt like thatB is an e#ample of the kind of reasoning that causes us to continue to be reborn in unfortunate circumstances with a mind already loaded with unhealthy attachment and bad habit energy from a very early age. "he universe does not inherently e#ist because all things are dependent on causes and conditions but at the same time, the universe does actually physically occur around us. %owever, ultimately, all things come from the mind. 9verything you will ever encounter comes from mind, when you finally reali:e this in the deepest reaches of your psyche then you will at last begin to attain 'uddha 3isdom and you will find yourself walking in the 5ure 6and of all the 'uddhas. "his section of chapter seven concludes by telling us, "there are two ways of considering self-reali:ation," the first is "eachings about it, which are intended to guide beings away from dualistic discrimination, and the second is the reali:ation itself. "his reali:ation takes place in the innermost consciousness and is not connected to the lower mind system with its discriminatory ideas. Ceali:ation shines with the light of inner wisdom showing us the error of dualistic thought. "his ne#t section of the -utra is of especial interest to the aspiring student because 7ahamati asks -hakyamuni how to actually attain the self-reali:ation of 'uddha wisdom. $n ""he 6ankavatara -utra" the practice that leads to the development of this great stage of inner reali:ation is called the "!ne <ehicle." "he careful student will note that -hakyamuni took pains to be certain that we comprehend that this is only a provisional term used to make this "eaching easier to understand. "he 'uddha states) "$ call this the one vehicle, not because it is the one vehicle, but because it is only in solitude that one is able to recogni:e and reali:e the path of the one vehicle." E hapter -evenF $t was not until -hakyamuni preached chapter two of ""he 6otus -utra" that the one 'uddha vehicle was actually revealed) "$n the 'uddha 6ands of the ten directions there is only the 6aw of the !ne <ehicle, there are not two, there are not three, e#cept when the 'uddha preaches so as an e#pedient means, merely employing provisional names and terms in order to conduct and guide living beings and preach to them the 'uddha wisdom." E""he 6otus -utra" hapter "wo, page .1) the 'urton 3atson "ranslation from olumbia Iniversity 5ressF -hakyamuni tells us that only in solitude do we avoid distractions and the serious error of making conscious effort. $t is impossible to achieve reali:ation of 'uddha 3isdom merely through deliberate intention or sheer force of will because if you havenBt made the cause you cannot get the effect. !n the other hand, if you apply steady effort to practice and study then reali:ations will spontaneously occur without further effort on your part. $t is important to be alone in a place where you can practice, study, and contemplate on a regular basis. $t is at these times that you will make the greatest strides as a 'uddhist student. $t is not necessary for you to travel to some e#otic retreat location or to spend months living in a cave. $t is usually possible to schedule regular 8uiet time in the

@A environment you live in if you are really determined to succeed. 3e make time for the activities that we consider importantG if you seriously consider yourself to be a follower of the 'uddha then you will find a way to follow these simple instructions. "he final part of this section is devoted to the topic of the one vehicle. "he repetition demonstrates the importance -hakyamuni placed on this subject. "he 'uddha states) "$t is because earnest disciples and masters have not fully destroyed the habit-energy of karma and the hindrances of discriminative knowledge and human passion that they are often unable to accept the twofold ego-less-ness and the inconceivable transformation death, that $ preach the triple vehicle and not the !ne <ehicle." E hapter -evenF ompare this to the above 8uotation from hapter "wo of ""he 6otus -utra." harley, when you become a student of ""he 6otus -utra" you reali:e that all the sutras -hakyamuni preached are part of the same great "eaching. $f these sutras are not read as a unified whole then they will never be coherent to you and you will not reali:e Anuttara-amyak--ambodhi. $f you are not familiar with the 'uddhas "eaching on the !ne 'uddha <ehicle revealed in ""he "hree-fold 6otus -utra" then you should make this a priority in your studies. ""he 6otus -utra" is the single most difficult te#t for any student to master but there are numerous works available that will help you understand the only secret "eaching the 'uddha ever taught. !n the $nternet, my second book "$nside "he 6otus -utra" is freely available to any one who wants to read it. "he 'uddha also states) "'ut really, 7ahamati, there are no vehicles, and so $ speak of the !ne <ehicle." E hapter -evenF "he 'uddha makes this statement because, first, it is important to remember that everything in the universe is inherently empty because everything is dependent on causes and conditions. "his statement also means that only 'uddhas have attained the !ne <ehicleG "$ do not speak much about it because there is no way by which earnest disciples can reali:e (irvana unaided." E hapter -evenF $n hapter "wo of ""he 6otus -utra" we find the same statement) ""he true entity of all phenomena can only be understood and shared between 'uddhas." E""he 6otus -utra" hapter "wo, page ,/) the 'urton 3atson "ranslation from olumbia Iniversity 5ressF $n the final section, 7ahamati asks, Bwhat must we do to reali:e (oble 3isdomMB -hakyamuniBs answer to this 8uestion is the rest of chapter seven. %e tells us that the beginning of the process is the reali:ation that all phenomena are manifestations of mind. "he student must be willing and able to look at and face realityG she must reali:e that there is no phenomenon anywhere that possesses self-nature. "his world is like a dreamG therefore it is foolish to pursue things that ultimately bring us only misery. harley, are you the same person now that you were when you were four years oldM "he answer is yes and no. >es, you are the same mind continuum but you have also been une8uivocally changed by the years that have passed. 3hen you closely e#amine your own nature it will become apparent to you that there is no permanent B harley,B you are changing every minute that you are alive. "he 'uddha states, Bto practice &hyana, the sincere student should retire to a place of 8uiet,B but this does not mean that we should leave society and go to live in isolation, although there are entire communities of believers who have taken this suggestion in a literal manner. Alan 3atts 8uotes the story of a hinese wise man that was asked, "Bhow shall we escape the heatMB - meaning, of course, the heat of suffering. %e answered, Bgo right into the

@1 middle of the fire.B B'ut how then shall we escape the scorching flameMB B(o further pain will trouble you.B" E""he 3isdom !f $nsecurity" 'y Alan 3. 3atts p. @AF &oes this seem confusingM $t is perhaps ironic that freedom from suffering will only be found in the heart of the fire, but in much the same way, the place of 8uiet and tran8uility you must find e#ists only in the midst of society because that is where you can bring benefit to as many beings as possible. 3hen you begin to work for the benefit of others you will suddenly discover that you posses an inner sanctum of mental peace and serenity. $f this is what you truly desire then your goal must be the same as every 9nlightened 'eing) "At all times $ think to myself) how can $ cause living beings to gain entry to the unsurpassed way and 8uickly ac8uire the body of a 'uddhaM" E""he 6otus -utra" hapter -i#teen, page ,.,) the 'urton 3atson "ranslation from olumbia Iniversity 5ressF

Chapter 4!'ht The Atta!nment O$ Sel$58eal!?at!on

Then said Mahamati to the Blessed One: 'ra! tell us more as to what constitutes the state of self$reali4ation8 The Blessed One replied: In the life of an earnest disciple there are two aspects that are to %e distin"uished: namel!, the state of attachment to the self$natures arisin" from discrimination of himself and his field of consciousness to which he is related, and second, the e(cellent and e(alted state of self$reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom The state of attachment to the discriminations of the self$natures of thin"s, ideas, and selfhood is accompanied %! emotions of pleasure or aversion accordin" to e(perience or as laid down in %ooks of lo"ic Conformin" himself to the e"o$less$ness of thin"s and holdin" %ack wron" views as to his own e"o$ness, he should a%andon these thou"hts and hold himself firml! to the continuousl! ascendin" +ourne! of the sta"es The e(alted state of self$reali4ation as it relates to an earnest disciple is a state of mental concentration in which he seeks to identif! himself with 2o%le 3isdom In that effort he must seek to annihilate all va"rant thou"hts and notions %elon"in" to the e(ternalit! of thin"s, and all ideas of individualit! and "eneralit!, of sufferin" and impermanence, and cultivate the no%lest ideas of e"o$less$ness and emptiness and ima"eless$ness, thus will he attain a reali4ation of truth that is free from passion and is ever serene 3hen this active effort at mental concentration is successful it is followed %! a more passive, receptive state of Sam&dhi in which the earnest disciple will enter into the %lissful a%ode of 2o%le 3isdom and e(perience its consummations in the transformations of Samapatti This is an earnest disciples first e(perience of the e(alted state of reali4ation, %ut as !et there is no discardin" of ha%it$ener"! nor escapin" from the transformation of death

@, *avin" attained this e(alted and %lissful state of reali4ation as far as it can %e attained %! disciples, the Bodhisattva must not "ive himself up to the en+o!ment of its %liss, for that would mean cessation, %ut should think compassionatel! of other %ein"s and keep ever fresh his ori"inal vows, he should never let himself rest nor e(ert himself in the %liss of the Sam&dhis But, Mahamati, as earnest disciples "o on tr!in" to advance on the path that leads to full reali4ation, there is one dan"er a"ainst which the! must %e on their "uard Disciples ma! not appreciate that the mind$s!stem, %ecause of its accumulated ha%it$ener"!, "oes on functionin", more or less unconsciousl!, as lon" as the! live The! ma! sometimes think that the! can e(pedite the attainment of their "oal of tran5uili4ation %! entirel! suppressin" the activities of the mind$s!stem This is a mistake, for even if the activities of the mind are suppressed, the mind will still "o on functionin" %ecause the seeds of ha%it$ener"! will still remain in it 3hat the! think is e(tinction of mind, is reall! the non$functionin" of the minds e(ternal world to which the! are no lon"er attached That is, the "oal if tran5uili4ation is to %e reached not %! suppressin" all mind activit! %ut %! "ettin" rid of discriminations and attachments Then there are others who, afraid of the sufferin" incident to the discriminations of life and death, unwisel! seek 2irvana The! have come to see that all thin"s su%+ect to discrimination have no realit! and so ima"ine that 2irvana must consist in the annihilation of the senses and their fields of sensation, the! do not appreciate that %irth$and$death and 2irvana are not separate one from the other The! do not know that 2irvana is <niversal Mind in its purit! Therefore, these stupid ones who clin" to the notion that 2irvana is a world %! itself that is outside what is seen of the mind, i"norin" all the teachin"s of the Tath&"atas concernin" the e(ternal world, "o on rollin" themselves alon" the wheel of %irth$and$death But when the! e(perience the 1turnin"$a%out1 in their deepest consciousness, which will %rin" with it the perfect self$reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom, then the! will understand The true functionin" of the mind is ver! su%tle and difficult to %e understood %! !oun" disciples, even masters with all their powers of ri"ht$knowled"e and Sam&dhis often find it %afflin" It is onl! the Tath&"atas and the Bodhisattvas who are firml! esta%lished on the seventh sta"e who can full! understand its workin"s Those earnest disciples and masters who wish to full! understand all the aspects of the different sta"es of Bodhisattva$hood %! the aid of their ri"ht$knowled"e must do so %! %ecomin" thorou"hl! convinced that o%+ects of discrimination are onl! seen to %e so %! the mind and, thus, %! keepin" themselves awa! from all discriminations and false reasonin"s, which are also of the mind itself, %! ever seekin" to see thin"s trul! /!atha%hutam0, and %! plantin" roots of "oodness in Buddha$lands that know no limits made %! differentiations To do all this, the Bodhisattva should keep himself awa! from all turmoil, social e(citements and sleepiness, let him keep awa! from the treatises and writin"s of worldl! philosophers, and from the ritual and ceremonies of professional priest$ craft Let him retire to a secluded place in the forest and there devote himself to the practice of the various spiritual disciplines, %ecause it is onl! %! so doin" that he will %ecome capa%le of attainin" in this world of multiplicities a true insi"ht into the workin"s of <niversal Mind in its .ssence There surrounded %! his "ood friends

@. the Buddhas, earnest disciples will %ecome capa%le of understandin" the si"nificance of the mind$s!stem and its place as a mediatin" a"ent %etween the e(ternal world and the <niversal Mind and he will %ecome capa%le of crossin" the ocean of %irth$and$death, which rises from i"norance, desire and deed *avin" "ained a thorou"h understandin" of the mind$s!stem, the three self$natures, the twofold e"o$less$ness, and esta%lished himself in the measure of self$reali4ation that "oes with that attainment, all of which ma! %e "ained %! his ri"ht$knowled"e, the wa! will %e clear for the Bodhisattvas further advance alon" the sta"es of Bodhisattva$hood The disciple should then a%andon the understandin" of mind which he has "ained %! ri"ht$knowled"e, which in comparison with 2o%le 3isdom is like a lame donke!, and enterin" on the ei"hth sta"e of Bodhisattva$hood, he should then discipline himself in 2o%le 3isdom accordin" to its three aspects These aspects are: )irst, ima"eless$ness, which comes forth when all thin"s %elon"in" to discipleship, master$ship, and philosoph! are thorou"hl! mastered Second, the power added %! all the Buddhas %! reason of their ori"inal vows includin" the identification of their lives and the sharin" of their merit with all sentient lives Third, the perfect self$reali4ation that thus far has onl! %een reali4ed in a measure, as the Bodhisattva succeeds in detachin" himself from viewin" all thin"s, includin" his own ima"ined e"o$ness, in their phenomenalit!, and reali4es the states of Sam&dhi and Samapatti where%! he surve!s the world as a vision and a dream, and %ein" sustained %! all the Buddhas, he will %e a%le to pass on to the full attainment of the Tath&"ata sta"e, which is 2o%le 3isdom itself This is the triplicit! of the no%le life and %ein" furnished with this triplicit! the perfect self$ reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom has %een attained Then Mahamati asked the Blessed One, sa!in": Blessed One, is the purification of the evil out$flowin"s of the mind which come from clin"in" to the notions of an o%+ective world and an empirical soul, "radual or instantaneous8 The Blessed One replied: There are three characteristic out$flows of the mind, namel!, the evil out$flowin"s that rise from thirst, "raspin" and attachment, the evil out$flowin"s that arise from the illusions of the mind and the infatuations of e"oism, and the "ood non$out$flowin"s that arise from 2o%le 3isdom The evil out$flowin"s that take place from reco"ni4in" an e(ternal world, which in truth is onl! a manifestation of mind, and from %ecomin" attached to it, are "raduall! purified and not instantaneousl! :ood %ehavior can onl! come %! the path of restraint and effort It is like a potter makin" pots that is done "raduall! and with attention and effort It is like the master! of comed!, dancin", sin"in", lute pla!in", writin", and an! other art, it must %e ac5uired "raduall! and la%oriousl! Its reward will %e a clearin" insi"ht into the emptiness and transienc! of all thin"s The evil out$flowin"s that arise from the illusions of the mind and the infatuations of e"oism, concerns the mental life more directl! and are such thin"s as fear, an"er, hatred and pride, these are purified %! stud! and meditation and that, too, must %e attained "raduall! and not instantaneousl! It is like the amra fruit that ripens slowl!, it is like "rass, shru%s, her%s and trees that "row up from the earth "raduall! .ach must follow the path of stud! and meditation %! himself "raduall! and with effort, %ut %ecause of the ori"inal vows of the Bodhisattvas and all the Tath&"atas who have devoted their merits and identified their lives with all animate

@/ life that all ma! %e emancipated, the! are not without aid and encoura"ement, %ut even with the aid of the Tath&"atas, the purification of the evil out$flowin"s of the mind are at %est slow and "radual, re5uirin" %oth 4eal and patience Its reward is the "radual understandin" of the twofold e"o$less$ness and its patient acceptance, and the feet well set on the sta"es of Bodhisattva$hood But the "ood non$out$flowin"s that come with the self$reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom is a purification that comes instantaneousl! %! the "race of the Tath&"atas It is like a mirror reflectin" all forms and ima"es instantaneousl! and without discrimination, it is like the sun or moon revealin" all forms instantaneousl! and illuminatin" them dispassionatel! with its li"ht In the same wa! the Tath&"atas lead earnest disciples to a state of ima"eless$ness, all the accumulations of ha%it$ener"! and karma that had %een collectin" since %e"innin"$less time %ecause of attachment to erroneous views which have %een entertained re"ardin" an e"o$soul and its e(ternal world, are cleared awa!, revealin" instantaneousl! the realm of Transcendental Intelli"ence that %elon"s to Buddhahood =ust as <niversal Mind defiled %! accumulations of ha%it$ener"! and karma reveals multiplicities of e"o$ souls and their e(ternal worlds of false$ima"ination, so <niversal Mind cleared of its defilements throu"h the "radual purifications of the evil out$flowin"s that come %! effort, stud! and meditation, and %! the "radual self$reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom, at lon" last, like the Dharmata Buddha shinin" forth spontaneousl! with the ra!s that issue from its pure Self$nature, shines forth instantaneousl! B! it the mentalit! of all Bodhisattvas is matured instantaneousl!: the! find themselves in the palatial a%odes of the #kanishtha heavens, themselves spontaneousl! radiatin" the various treasures of its spiritual a%undance

Temple Tales 4!'ht

The #o!"e o$ Charley L!nden Thorp

"he -eed "eacher E-elf-Ceali:ationF

&ear -teve, "he first volume of the 7aka -hikan states ""here has never been anything to compare to the brightness and serenity of concentration and insight." $t is perhaps impossible to be taught how to concentrate, in the same way that it is impossible to be taught how to attain insight and therefore self-reali:ation, and, in reality, how to meditate. "hese are all things we must do for ourselves. "hey are beyond the high walls of the temple of the intellect and conse8uently outside the scope of language, so cannot be e#plained or "taught" by another being, e#cept in an obli8ue way or often by what is not said. 3e may observe people as models who have achieved or been able to

@1 access these "subjects." 3e may even crave their "special" presence as in the case of spiritual leaders and heroic or strikingly compassionate people. 'ut although this may inspire us or on the other hand create dependence, it will do us no good because the "subjects" are hidden and assume a form that is uni8ue to each participant. "he route to true learning is through contemplation in the radiant silence of our practice place, or when looking into the eyes of a fellow being with full compassion with not a word to be found anywhere. -ome say that our teacher is the heart and that the breath fosters insight. For me it is all these accompanied by light, the "brightness" of concentration. 7istakenly, and partly as a result of our cultural conditioning in the west, we seek these things and someone to show us how to do them outside ourselves. 3e persist in this and so are always imitating and being reflected in others. "he dirtied mirrors of the temple continually glint at us and we grasp at them to try to possess them, increasingly deluded, convinced that they are solid. !nce we accept that we must be our own true teachers and must cease to abdicate responsibility for ourselves to others, and agree not to live our precious human e#istence always at a distance from our own direct and uni8ue e#perience, self-reali:ation and insight become our most e#cellent and natural teachers. 3e each have all the resources we need inside us to be fully human. (ichiren in "the !pening of the 9yes" cites a 8uotation from the &ainichi -utra which says, ""he 'uddha <airochana addressed the 7aster of -ecrets saying L7aster of -ecrets, what is the meaning of enlightenmentM $t means to understand one;s own mind as it truly is.;" $t is easy in a religious sense to be driven into a situation by the e#pectations of others. "his tyranni:es the ego and forces it into an obligatory performance. $ see now in hindsight that this happened to me at the "emple. Ama:ingly my instinct and a dream led me there without a single scrap of information e#cept the address and time of public ritual that was volunteered by a nearby incense seller. "hen after that first ritual, which seemed surprisingly formal and austere, something drove me to ask the 6ama who conducted the ritual, who incidentally $ had never before met in real life, if $ could stay there. %e agreed and so, unknown to me, $ became a servant of the "emple, the -angha and the 6ama, indeed a representative of the lineage. (othing was stated e#cept the financial terms of my stay, in other words the daily rate for my small room, and some basic housekeeping duties which $ would share in. $ allow that in the minds of devout <ajraySna 'uddhists, this was an e#traordinary honor. 9ven in the minds of non'uddhists it was e#ceedingly kind and trusting to invite me in off the street like that, a socalled total stranger. "his was seductive, almost historical, as if $ was an outcast led in some mysterious way to a spiritual oasis or identified as an immediate disciple of the 'uddha. -adly, the jealous and devious antics of the -angha, the monastic strictness of "emple life e#pected of me, and eventually the suffocation of being an unknowing representative of the lineage in public life, meant that $ had virtually no opportunity to "understand" my own mind, and that practice and religious eti8uette seemed much more of a priority. "his marked my disillusionment with a "visible" religious life. "he e#perience taught me a great deal about the value of my own "concentration and insight" shedding light on "one;s own mind as it truly is," and in fact, the necessity of being "a lamp" for oneself as well as all sentient beings. "hat above all we are all e8ual, not divided up into a religious hierarchy, and we are all e8ually capable of becoming enlightened.

@2 -ociety is structured in such a way that it is difficult to maneuver oneself into a position where we can take a long hard look at our authentic minds alone. 3e are constantly surrounded by influences that tug at the hem of our coat, by ardent group members out conscripting. "&ependence" and "membership" whether in families, skill or gender groups or political parties seem compulsory, and if we decide to stand alone we are immediately branded "aloof" at best, or "weird" at worst. "o my surprise $ recently found just such dependence among the close disciples of the 'hodisattva Halou Cinpoche. &espite a high level of spiritual evolution, spiritual teachers and leaders, all of whom had themselves achieved the . years, . months, . days retreat not once but twice in some cases, had become dependent on their 7aster Halou so that when his physical body died they panicked. $t was said that this "panic" meant that they must forsake their chance of enlightenment in this life. $s it a 8uestion of bad memory or simply cowardice that enabled his devotees to ignore the fact that it was Halou who entirely motivated himself to live in the forest for 11 years, and there, completely alone, became enlightenedM As the 'uddha did we must know and learn to control our own minds before we can truly practice the kind of altruism needed in the bosom of a society fretted with passions and aversions in this latter &ay of the 6aw. "9nlightenment" becomes steadily demystified when we reali:e how essential it is that each of us learn to control the "mad elephant" of our mind. Although it is not possible to be "taught" the things that matter by someone, e#cept of course a 'uddha in person or the written record of his teachings, $ have found that there are natural phenomena that can when studied in detail unveil their mysti8ue and so bring about changes in perception and promote wisdom and insight. $ found such a thing when $ first came to the 5yrenees living a relatively primitive e#istence. !f course there were the obvious and incredible climatic, rock and water phenomena to learn from, undoubtedly potent forms of mountain energy, but it was a more common phenomena of reproduction that taught me so much. And it was direct e#perience of this, in other words my uni8ue energy interacting or mi#ing with another type of energy to create something new, which provoked this unusual teaching. And it was all precipitated by a need to survive in adversity. "he "teacher" $ speak of was the -eed teacher. $n our simple mountain residence we had to make the land produce something that would sustain us, and when setting about planning this we discovered that it was cheaper and more e#pedient to buy or collect seeds than young plants. 3hat really e#cited us was that in this way we could create an organic garden, obviating the use of e#pensive pesticides and feeds and also doing the right environmental thing. 5erhaps this last consideration might not seem so important in the remote mountains but our dynamic weather was entirely capable of disseminating unwanted chemicals in the far corners of 9urope, and beyond, although unfortunately our more traditional gardening neighbors clearly did not deem this important. 3e ac8uired organic first generation seeds to create a stock and converted a large ancient rabbit hutch into a potting shed in which to rear them. "his was a big task because we had no money to purchase wood to shelve it out and close it to the weather. 3e had to use what we could find which consisted of a large tarpaulin and endless clumps of rotten wood, some of which were probably several hundred year old and hardly recogni:able as wood at all. 3e lined the entire inside of the small rectangular building with the tarpaulin for insulation and attached the wood using nails, most of which were rusty. 6ater when

@4 friends visited they christened it "shanty-town" with its plaid frontage of mountain driftwood. "o germinate these seeds would be impossible in our "new" potting shed as during those early months of the year we are hit by the harshest winter weather of all, so we converted a bedroom into an incubator, filling it with trays and roasting tins in large sealed plastic bags to house polystyrene containers filled with a light "tilth" of seed compost, lightly misted with tepid water, which were left to warm ready for sowing. "he shanty-town would warm up with the spring and therefore be ready to receive the juveniles. "he packets of seeds were a delight. $ catalogued them and stored them in dry bo#es in the dark. $ was reluctant to open the packets at all until the actual moment of sowing. $t was like dealing with atoms of light or heat or images on celluloid that would disappear if e#posed to the air. -ome of them, e.g.. parsley, had to be soaked in warm water to activate them, and they varied incredibly in si:e from big cucurbits the si:e of a finger nail to flower seeds which were virtually dust and totally untouchable. $ became totally absorbed for hours on sowing day, a date governed by the moon, unaware of the free:ing cold or of anything in fact, deep in meditation. 9ach precious packet was opened carefully so that it could easily be resealed and put back in its place in the library, and then the prayer began. 9ach seed had a sort of unspoken benediction whether it was gently placed in a shallow trench or broadcast in the moist warm earth. "here was a strong sense of the blending of energy between us, the seed and meG given the right conditions $ could sprout and push up through the earth in the same way as a tiny crescent carrot seed that had an une#pected perfumed odor, or a microscopic lobelia seed that was black and perfectly smooth. !nce these tiny particles of the cosmos were sown and labeled the bag was loosely closed and their energy at work in the soil would begin to give off lots of vapor, a signal that they were active and not dead. "hen each day, usually first thing in the morning, $ made my rounds of the sweating plastic bags to inspect or mist them a little with warm water, or open the bags to allow them to breathe a little. "he more vigorous plants could "strike" as gardeners say, within several daysG whereas others like lavender or more e#otic plants may take weeks. 5lanting or sowing is a huge act of faith, and, as we might e#pect, the intention with which we plant or sow is very important. As a seeds-woman $ became the minute plants themselves, sprouting in their moist cribs, reali:ing that the light of the sun and the moon would shine e8ually on me, and that each separate seed was uni8ue, as $ am a uni8ue being living on the earth under the same influence of the same sun and moon. 3hen germinating, those early days of close contact and vigilance allow time for 8uality reflection, for active meditation akin to walking meditation. $ work steadily, if $ have created the right conditions. "here is no outside stress or pressure. And one is constantly aware of thousands of burstings of energy happening under one;s roof, a little like the uncountable moments of close awareness if we are mindful, if we are engaged, and if we sustain our faith. reating plants, after the initial choices to be made, is beyond a sense of pleasure or aversion. $t is something resembling filial duty in that once you have the motivation in place you must tend these energies in minute detail until they are strong and durable and planted out in full earth. $ found that making organic plants, though re8uiring more work than the slick biologically engineered ones which resist temperatures of ,A degrees below free:ing and virtually need no human assistance, felt like a good and honest contribution to the

@? environmentG almost like the effect of smiling at a stranger. $t can have a great "knockon" effect which ripples throughout the world. Also, $ always plant more than enough for our needs, and this is prudent because some seeds will thrive and others will not. onse8uently there is a great opportunity to give of the produce to others, an act of generosity that is parallel to spreading the &harma. $ found the ruthless process of selection of the strongest seedlings impossible to e#ecute, and always ended up nurturing the weak seedlings which usually perished despite my efforts, but which sometimes surprisingly flourished into rather unusual plants, with all the eccentricities of latedevelopers. "hus "planting roots of goodness in 'uddhaRlands," and in effect, respecting all forms of life. "he "earnest disciple" is able to make "discrimination of himself and his field of consciousness." As a gardener, and a mountain gardener, my field was out in the cosmos, tending the land day-long, with infinite unpolluted skies and usually very few clouds. 7y energy e#tended from my physical precincts out into the sky and the enormity of the mountains, and down into the living earth where the nurtured seedlings were eventually carefully placed. 5lanting out was another time of great concentration. 7arking out the plots carefully east to west, making sure that just the right conditions awaited the tender babies, then careful watering and protection from pests and pets with fine netting to be painstakingly unraveled and pinned out. 3alking out into the air with trays of clean beautiful seedlings is a very special moment. And gently lifting out clusters of seedlings which one must separate carefully with supple fingers so that single seedlings can be handled each with their own nursery root clad in compost, and then inserted in just the right shape and si:e of hole. "hen, outside the confines of the potting shed, the work of weather watching begins. And here in the 5yrenees the climate can transform dramatically within .A minutes, the "ramontane, a violent wind from the %igh 5yrenees, being the most alarming. And so the plants develop each at their own rateG each right of passage is carefully surveyed by the conscientious gardener. %e should "hold himself firmly to the continuously ascending journey of the stages." "he timing of fruiting and blossoming is crucial to the appearance of a garden, but there are times when the massive underground activity of root growth is invisible, and one is almost willing plants to push out from their subterranean paradise. 5atience or forbearance is easily learned out in the garden, the span of time from seed sowing to fruiting lasting in some cases for many months, and during these lives we must practice every day, listening to the mastery of nature, resisting the arrogant drive to magically make flowers and fruit appear, and totally suspending the ego. 3e have to "attain a reali:ation of truth that is free from passion and is ever serene." 'ut on the other hand the gardener "must not give himself up to the enjoyment of its bliss." 3e must continue to work, polishing away at the mirror, dealing with the habit formations of weeds or invasive plants, of adored cats who long to dig in the soft soil you have prepared, and turning away the incessant nature of negative thought which come with the blistering sun and the aggression of wind that can easily blow an adult over. "here are untold opportunities to be mindful in the garden. Cepetitious actions like digging or pruning, picking berries or transplanting tiny carrot plants to give them enough room ne#t to each other to thrive. !r carrying heavy containers of water down the full length of the plot in full heat because one cannot afford a hosepipe long enough. $n these situations, alone with the elements and the forward relentless motion of growth, one can

@@ deal with and play around with the "mediating agent" of the "mind system," being aware of both its devious tricks and its unreali:ed talents, getting more and more familiar with it, and ultimately "understanding" it. "his understanding of the mind "gained by right knowledge" is crucial to one;s spiritual emancipation. "e#t books and our western educational methods are all very well, but in this wild mountain garden we must take risks, e#periment and listen to the local wisdom, to those who have inherited skills from their medieval ancestors. And we can never possess anything. "ransformation and disintegration are the main components of the wild garden environment. 3e can learn from its energetic wisdom and from the miracle of infinity. $n addition we can tangibly e#perience compassion amongst neighbors who rush to share their produce with you, or to give you cuttings of rare plants without being asked, or to lend a hand with rotivating large areas or felling dead or dangerous trees. $n fact, the nourishment of this wind-blown soil was all brought about by the generosity of the local itinerant shepherd. $ went to see him for a few bags of his well-rotted sheep manure. %e told me he was ?? and had run the same herd or race of sheep since he was @ years of age here in these mountains, and his ancestors before him for hundreds of years. %e told me in some detail of the annual "transhumance," an epic walk which shepherds and cattle breeders still make with their stock along traditional ancient pathways, to the high cool pastures of the -panish 5yrenees when the blistering heat strikes the foothills. %e helped me to dig out what $ wanted from a colossal manure heap and to load my car with it. "hen he invited me to see the 2 pairs of twin lambs and , sets of triplets he had just assisted in delivering before making strong coffee for me in his derelict caravan, his only home. "here is much to be learned from people who live with the land, who can neither read nor write, but who are enlightened and happy and comfortable in their cosmological place. "heir lives are truly "bright" and "serene," and their "insight and wisdom" largely unspoken. %ay all &e!n's kno( the 3oy o$ understand!n' the true Buddha nature o$ the!r m!nds.

Chapter .i"ht
hapter eight begins with a dissertation on self-reali:ation. "here are two parts of selfreali:ation that should be recogni:ed) the first is attachment to the illusion of self, which is the result of discrimination between your field of consciousness and the rest of the universeG the second is the states of bliss connected to reali:ation of &harma 3isdom. $t seems to me that we have covered the first topic more then ade8uately, however, all this talking about non-discriminative dualism is somewhat abstract. harley, when you want to really see what you are looking at, avoiding dualism, just lookG if you begin to think about what you are looking at then the truth will have already been missed. 3hen you look correctly, you are what you see. >ou are one with everything in the universe but at the same time the entire universe is contained within you. All things are connected to each other and are mutually dependent

1AA on one another. "herefore, while it is true that you could not manifest without the universe, it is also true that the universe could not manifest without you. !nly the truly dedicated student will follow the path that leads to total peace and serenity. "he mind of such a student will be free of improper attachment and never make dualistic distinctions. (irvana is to be obtained now, in this human lifetimeG the -utra tells us that (irvana is the direct reali:ation of Iniversal 7ind. "he way forward for you, harley, is simple. >ou must continue to practice and study everyday. "his is where you must put your effort. &aily practice and study will "polish the mirror of your mind," which will allow you to see things as they truly are and also "plant the roots of goodness" the -utra tells us are beneficial to spiritual progress. $t is important to free your mind from conflict and you should also avoid needless social entanglements. Anything that will serve to disturb your mind should be avoided. Fill your day with practice, &harma study and whatever work you do to bring benefit to all sentient beings. "he second and final section of hapter eight deals with the 8uestion of the purification of karmaG when this cleansing occurs, is it a gradual process or does it occur in an instantM -hakyamuni e#plains to 7ahamati that there are three sets of "out-flows" common to all sentient beings. "hey are) *1+ evil karma that arises due to improper attachment *,+ evil karma that arises due to the illusion of a self and the rise of egoism and *.+ "good nonout-flowings that arise from (oble 3isdom." *1+ 9vil karma that arises due to improper attachment) the student reali:es that all phenomena are manifestations of mind, and gradually stops the improper attachment with the aid of purification and mind training. "he attachment is replaced by a genuine, universal love for all sentient beings. "his is a process that takes time and patience. *,+ 9vil karma that arises due to the illusion of a self and the rise of egoism) we are now dealing with the garbage your mind produces on a daily basis) pride, hate, anger and fear. "he cure for this disease of the mind and mouth is steady, constant practice as well as daily &harma study. Avoid material that fills your mind with ugly images and work constantly to bring benefit to all sentient beings. "his is also a gradual process. *.+ "0ood non-out-flowings that arise from (oble 3isdom)" "hese "out-flows" are "nonoutflowings" because they do not cause pain or suffering. Ceali:ations of course, occur instantaneously but they are the fruit of the effort that we make every day. "here are many times when you will not want to practice, but please do it anyway. "here will be many days when you will not want to study &harma, so its all right if you only read a little bit, as long as you actually do read and learn. 5lease remember to make up for all the days you have already missed by la:y behavior= 9ventually the habit energy and negative karma that we have been producing from the beginning-less past will be purified and 'uddha 3isdom will bla:e forth like the rising sun on a beautiful spring morning.

Chapter IA
The -ru!t o$ Sel$58eal!?at!on

1A1 Mahamati asked the Blessed One: 'ra! tell us, Blessed One, what is the fruita"e that comes with the self$reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom8 The Blessed One replied: )irst, there will come a clearin" insi"ht into the meanin" and si"nificance of thin"s and followin" that will come an unfoldin" insi"ht into the si"nificance of the spiritual ideals /Paramitas0 %! reason of which the Bodhisattvas will %e a%le to enter more deepl! into the a%ode of ima"eless$ness and %e a%le to e(perience the hi"her Sam&dhis and "raduall! to pass throu"h the hi"her sta"es of Bodhisattva$hood #fter e(periencin" the 1turnin"$a%out1 in the deepest seat of consciousness, the! will e(perience other Sam&dhis even to the hi"hest, the -a+ravim%opama, which %elon"s to the Tath&"atas and their transformations The! will %e a%le to enter into the realm of consciousness that lies %e!ond the consciousness of the mind$s!stem, even the consciousness of Tath&"ata$hood The! will %ecome endowed with all the powers, ps!chic faculties, self$master!, lovin" compassion, skilful means, and a%ilit! to enter into other Buddha$lands Before the! had attained self$reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom the! had %een influenced %! the self$interests of e"oism, %ut after the! attain self$reali4ation the! will find themselves reactin" spontaneousl! to the impulses of a "reat and compassionate heart endowed with skilful and %oundless means and sincerel! and wholl! devoted to the emancipation of all %ein"s Mahamati said: Blessed One, tell us a%out the sustainin" power of the Tath&"atas %! which the Bodhisattvas are aided to attain self$reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom8 The Blessed One replied: There are two kinds of sustainin" power, which issue from the Tath&"atas and are at the service of the Bodhisattvas, sustained %! which the Bodhisattvas should prostrate themselves %efore them and show their appreciation %! askin" 5uestions The first kind of sustainin" power is the Bodhisattva s own adoration and faith in the Buddhas %! reason of which the Buddhas are a%le to manifest themselves and render their aid and to ordain them with their own hands The second kind of sustainin" power is the power radiatin" from the Tath&"atas that ena%les the Bodhisattvas to attain and to pass throu"h the various Sam&dhis and Samapattis without %ecomin" into(icated %! their %liss Bein" sustained %! the power of the Buddhas, the Bodhisattva even at the first sta"e will %e a%le to attain the Sam&dhi known as the Li"ht of Maha!ana In that Sam&dhi Bodhisattvas will %ecome conscious of the presence of the Tath&"atas comin" from all their different a%odes in the ten 5uarters to impart to the Bodhisattvas their sustainin" power in various wa!s #s the Bodhisattva -a+ra"ar%ha was sustained in his Sam&dhis and as man! other Bodhisattvas of like de"ree and virtue have %een sustained, so all earnest disciples and masters and Bodhisattvas ma! e(perience this sustainin" power of the Buddhas in their Sam&dhis and Samapattis The disciples faith and the Tath&"atas merit are two aspects of the same sustainin" power and %! it alone are the Bodhisattvas ena%led to %ecome one with the compan! of the Buddhas 3hatever Sam&dhis, ps!chic faculties and teachin"s are reali4ed %! the Bodhisattvas, the! are made possi%le onl! %! the sustainin" power of the Buddhas, if it were otherwise, the i"norant and the simple$minded mi"ht attain the same fruita"e 3herever the Tath&"atas enter with their sustainin" power there will %e music, not onl! music made %! human lips and pla!ed %! human hands on various

1A, instruments, %ut there will %e music amon" the "rass and shru%s and trees, and in the mountains and towns and palaces and hovels, much more will there %e music in the heart of those endowed with sentienc! The deaf, dum% and %lind will %e cured of their deficiencies and will re+oice in their emancipation Such is the e(traordinar! virtue of the sustainin" power imparted %! the Tath&"atas B! the %estowal of this sustainin" power, the Bodhisattvas are ena%led to avoid the evils of passion, hatred and enslavin" karma, the! are ena%led to transcend the Dh!ana of the %e"inners and to advance %e!ond the e(perience and truth alread! attained, the! are ena%led to demonstrate the 'aramitas, and finall!, to attain the sta"e of Tath&"ata$hood Mahamati, if it were not for this sustainin" power, the! would relapse into the wa!s and thou"hts of the philosophers, eas!$"oin" disciples and the evil$minded, and would thus fall short of the hi"hest attainment )or these reasons, earnest disciples and sincere Bodhisattvas are sustained %! the power of all the Tath&"atas Then said Mahamati: It has %een said %! the Blessed One that %! fulfillin" the si( 'aramitas, Buddhahood is reali4ed 'ra! tell us what the 'aramitas are, and how the! are to %e fulfilled8 The Blessed One replied: The 'aramitas are ideals of spiritual perfection that are to %e the "uide of the Bodhisattvas on the path to self$reali4ation There are si( of them %ut the! are to %e considered in three different wa!s accordin" to the pro"ress of the Bodhisattva on the sta"es #t first the! are to %e considered as ideals for the worldl! life, ne(t as ideals for the mental life, and, lastl!, as ideals of the spiritual and unitive life In the worldl! life where one is still holdin" tenaciousl! to the notions of an e"o$soul and what concerns it and holdin" fast to the discriminations of dualism, if onl! for worldl! %enefits, one should cherish ideals of charit!, "ood %ehavior, patience, 4eal, thou"htfulness and wisdom .ven in the worldl! life the practice of these virtues will %rin" rewards of happiness and success Much more in the mind$world of earnest disciples and masters will their practice %rin" +o!s of emancipation, enli"htenment and peace of mind, %ecause the 'aramitas are "rounded on ri"ht$knowled"e and lead to thou"hts of 2irvana, even if the 2irvana of their thou"hts is for themselves In the mind$world the 'aramitas %ecome more ideal and more s!mpathetic, charit! can no lon"er %e e(pressed in the "ivin" of impersonal "ifts %ut will call for the more costl! "ifts of s!mpath! and understandin", "ood %ehavior will call for somethin" more than outward conformit! to the five precepts %ecause in the li"ht of the 'aramitas the! must practice humilit!, simplicit!, restraint and self$"ivin" 'atience will call for somethin" more than for%earance with e(ternal circumstances and the temperaments of other people: it will now call for patience with ones self ?eal will call for somethin" more than industr! and outward show of earnestness: it will call for more self$control in the task of followin" the 2o%le 'ath and in manifestin" the Dharma in ones own life Thou"htfulness will "ive wa! to mindfulness wherein discriminated meanin"s and lo"ical deductions and rationali4ations will "ive wa! to intuitions of si"nificance and spirit The 'aramita of 3isdom /Prajna0 will no lon"er %e concerned with pra"matic wisdom and erudition, %ut will reveal itself in its true perfect$ness of #ll$inclusive Truth, which is Love

1A. The third aspect of the 'aramitas as seen in the ideal perfection of the Tath&"atas can onl! %e full! understood %! the Bodhisattva$Mahasattvas who are devoted to the hi"hest spiritual discipline and have full! understood that there is nothin" to %e seen in the world %ut that which issues from the mind itself, in whose minds the discrimination of dualities has ceased to function, and sei4in" and clin"in" has %ecome non$e(istent Thus free from all attachments to individual o%+ects and ideas, their minds are free to consider wa!s of %enefitin" and "ivin" happiness to others, even to all sentient %ein"s To the Bodhisattva$Mahasattvas the ideal of charit! is shown in the self$!ieldin" of the Tath&"atas hope of 2irvana that all ma! en+o! it to"ether 3hile havin" relations with an o%+ective world there is no risin" in the minds of the Tath&"atas of discriminations %etween the interests of self and the interests of others, %etween "ood and evil, there is +ust the spontaneit! and effortless actualit! of perfect %ehavior To practice patience with full knowled"e of this and that, of "rasp and "raspin", %ut with no thou"ht of discrimination nor of attachment, that is the Tath&"atas 'aramita of 'atience To e(ert oneself with ener"! from the first part of the ni"ht to its end in conformit! with the disciplinar! measures with no risin" of discrimination as to comfort or discomfort, that is the Tath&"atas 'aramita of ?eal 2ot to discriminate %etween self and others in thou"hts of 2irvana, %ut to keep the mind fi(ed on 2irvana, that is the 'aramita of Mindfulness #s to the 'ra+na$'aramita, which is 2o%le 3isdom, who can predicate it8 3hen in Sam&dhi the mind ceases to discriminate and there is onl! perfect and love$filled ima"eless$ness, then an inscruta%le 1turnin"$a%out1 will take place in the inmost consciousness and one will have attained self$reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom that is the hi"hest 'ra+na$'aramita Then Mahamati said to the Blessed One: 6ou have spoken of an astral$%od!, a 1mind$vision$%od!1 /manomayakaya0 which the Bodhisattvas are a%le to assume, as %ein" one of the fruits of self$reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom: pra! tell us, Blessed One, what is meant %! such a transcendental %od!8 The Blessed One replied: There are three kinds of such transcendental %odies: )irst, there is one in which the Bodhisattva attains en+o!ment of the Sam&dhis and Samapattis Second, there is the one, which is assumed %! the Tath&"atas accordin" to the class of %ein"s to %e sustained, and which achieves and perfects spontaneousl! with no attachment and no effort Third, there is the one in which the Tath&"atas receive their intuition of Dharmaka!a The transcendental personalit! that enters into the en+o!ment of the Sam&dhis comes with the third, fourth and fifth sta"es as the mentations of the mind$s!stem %ecome 5uieted and waves of consciousness are no more stirred on the face of <niversal Mind In this state, the conscious$mind is still aware, in a measure, of the %liss %ein" e(perienced %! this cessation of the minds activities The second kind of transcendental personalit! is the kind assumed %! Bodhisattvas and Tath&"atas as %odies of transformation %! which the! demonstrate their ori"inal vows in the work of achievin" and perfectin", it comes with the ei"hth sta"e of Bodhisattva$hood 3hen the Bodhisattva has a thorou"h"oin" penetration into the Ma!a$like nature of thin"s and understands the dharma of ima"eless$ness, he will e(perience the 1turnin"$a%out1 in his deepest consciousness and will %ecome a%le to e(perience the hi"her Sam&dhis even to the hi"hest B! enterin" into these

1A/ e(alted Sam&dhis he attains a personalit! that transcends the conscious$mind, %! reason of which he o%tains supernatural powers of self$master! and activities %ecause of which he is a%le to move as he wishes, as 5uickl! as a dream chan"es as 5uickl! as an ima"e chan"es in a mirror This transcendental %od! is not a product of the elements and !et there is somethin" in it that is analo"ous to what is so produced, it is furnished with all the differences appertainin" to the world of form %ut without their limitations, possessed of this 1mind$vision$%od!1 he is a%le to %e present in all the assem%la"es in all the Buddha$lands =ust as his thou"hts move instantl! and without hindrance over walls, rivers, trees, and mountains, and +ust as in memor! he recalls and visits the scenes of his past e(periences, so, while his mind keeps functionin" in the %od!, his thou"hts ma! %e a hundred thousand !o+anas awa! In the same fashion the transcendental personalit! that e(periences the Sam&dhi -a+ravim%opama will %e endowed with supernatural powers and ps!chic faculties and self$master! %! reason of which he will %e a%le to follow the no%le paths that lead to the assem%la"es of the Buddhas, movin" a%out as freel! as he ma! wish But his wishes will no lon"er %e self$centered nor tainted %! discrimination and attachment, for this transcendental personalit! is not his old %od!, %ut is the transcendental em%odiment of his ori"inal vows of self$!ieldin" in order to %rin" all %ein"s to maturit! The third kind of transcendental personalit! is so ineffa%le that it is a%le to attain intuitions of the Dharmaka!a, that is, it attains intuitions of the %oundless and inscruta%le co"nition of <niversal Mind #s Bodhisattva$Mahasattvas attain the hi"hest of the sta"es and %ecome conversant with all the treasures to %e reali4ed in 2o%le 3isdom, the! will attain this inconceiva%le transformation$%od! which is the true nature of all the Tath&"atas past, present and future, and will participate in the %lissful peace which pervades the Dharma of all the Buddhas

Temple Tales N!ne

The vo!"e o$ Charley L!nden Thorp

Bl!nd -a!th
&ear -teve As $ feel $ have e#pressed my view of things on the structure of life which the intellect is oblivious of, the magical way it unfolds if we allow it to, on my "turning about" and first e#periences of going beyond the mind system, it seems fitting that now $ should e#plore the sustaining powers of the "athJgatas. $t is the 8uestion of faith in this troubled period of the 6atter day of the 6aw which, as $ awake every morning and wish for the happiness and liberation of all sentient beings, $ see as a major impediment to their ever letting in the light of their own wisdom. $t disturbs me that they do not seem able to see the wood for the trees. "he majority of people have no idea that they are their own "7aster of

1A1 -ecrets" if only they could have the confidence and commitment to looking into their own minds. $ pu::le fre8uently over at what point in history and for what reason human beings decided that the real treasure must be hidden somewhere outside themselves, and that by implication therefore, someone else had hidden itM 7y formal education tells me that this must have had a connection, for westerners at least, with hristianity and the whole idea of the great creator of all things, omnipotent, a mysterious chess player moving the pieces around with his own secret strategies in mind. "he concept of sin certainly has done a lot of damage to peoples; beliefs and has created deep-seated fear which paralyses and entrenches the habitual response of stubborn resistance. 'ut $ think it is something more fundamental than a 8uirk of religious history. $n evolutionary terms, physiologists and body re-educationalists, have become very interested in the moment at which the human species raised itself up from all fours into a vertical position and took its very first "tottering biped" steps. "his rising up is thought to have an indisputable connection with the development of the human intellect, the departure from the "animal" state, and perhaps the birth of the ego. 3as it at this moment that we separated ourselves from the cosmos and became "arrogantM" E!.9.&. R to claim for oneself without justificationF. 3as it this raising up above the animals, apart from the few giants like elephants and giraffes, and that close 8uadruped relationship with the earth, this "visibility," which made us go off in search of things further afield than hunting or foraging territories, and to develop speech R to ask ErogareF for things for ourselves without justificationM "here is no doubt that speech has developed as a barrier to direct e#perience of ourselves, perhaps as a ruse of the intellect to distract us from our spiritual 8uest, and combined with the over-development of the eye or visual sense, does not promote contemplation and just "being" in a contented creaturely way. "he 'uddha;s conceptual genius not only saw into the future development of the human species but provided a means whereby those who have become lost to the cosmos, in other words pulled out of their natural place into a turbulence of duality, are able to take up that place again. -ome years ago $ became fascinated by the relationship between the eye and language, and that reaching out to possess what we see outside ourselves which seems to be the origin of all our suffering, disappointment and disillusionment, in fact of our negativity. At that time $ was a "Flourish" worker Emy consultancy R guidance to creative e#pressionF becoming more and more involved with handicapped E"learning disabled"F children and adults, and especially so with the blind Eor "visually impaired"F. $ have earlier made a small mention of some of my clients from which $ learned so much. At that time also $ was doing a 7asters &egree in 6inguistics and decided to e#plore speech and vision in detail as my research project. 7y attempts to get under the skin of children and adults who had never known sight were fascinating and to this day when $ close my eyes whether to sleep or in meditation $ recall them. $t was my contention that the blind could never have that "arrogance" because their worlds are so circumscribed, and that they do not make concepts of the world using linguistic tools. $n other words they cannot ask for what they cannot see. $ndeed, their will to survive and their actual survival is wholly dependent on "faith," both in their "invisible" carers and in a kind of transcendental e#istence. !f course, they can be intensively trained to become reasonably "normal" in order to deal with the society in which they must live, but there are some blind who refuse to comply.

1A2 all them rebels, "deviant," "disturbed," or --( Eseverely sub-normalF, but $ learned to tune into their unusual way of being, to listen to and adapt to them, instead of immediately wading in and reinventing them as model, card-carrying members of society. Cachel was my most unusual client, and in these "emple "ales it perhaps is not appropriate to relate the nature of her musical gifts which are truly e#traordinary. 7ore useful here is to try to describe my insights into her mind and so the way she views e#istence. -he was 4 when $ began to work with her on a weekly basis, blond-haired and classically beautiful, the eldest daughter of two from a humble background, and $ continued my work with her for . years. %er musical gifts constituted her raison d;etre and thus her Lmodus vivendi; in all aspects of behavior and interaction. $magine inhabiting a world designed almost e#clusively for see-ers EseersF, an ironic turn of etymology, as a non-see-er. 3e would have so little control over our e#ternal lives, actually not able to become attached to things because we put them down and lose them so easilyG this could even apply to food and drink, to a favorite tactile toy, and to mother or father who may have "gone in the garden," but what is "the garden" and where is itM 3e would be unable to make any real concepts about certain natural phenomena, i.e. "a" or "the" mountain, the sun, the or an ocean, a forest or the forest, the or a world Efrom the phrase La world of her own;F. !ur grasp of emotions would be very tenuous because of being unable to see facial e#pressions and the choreography of a situation, which may be the conte#t of that or those emotions. !f course, we would be very skilful in deciphering vocal e#pression and the noises that things make, probably at imitating them in an eerie, realistic way, but we rarely need to be able describe these phenomena in detail as we would the visual. $magine the disembodiment of sounds without a visual hook to hang them on, e.g.. someone drops a glass on a concrete floor, then mother shouts, and father "tuts," and someone, we could not be certain who, screams and cries and slams the door. $n this scenario how could we truly know what had happened and therefore how to reactM Faith in essence is a concoction of trust and truth. At the beginning of our work together due to her blindness Cachel had immediate faith in me, which was misplaced in a way because she had no e#perience of me. $t was as if she had always known me, and perhaps indeed she had. -he merged into me musically, echoing rhythms $ improvised at the big grand piano, her favorite among the instruments $ played to her, by jumping on the spot with perfect rhythmic accuracy, her small sturdy body measuring the vibrations of the notes $ used. -he jumped higher for acoustically richer chords and reduced the height of the jumps for scanter sounds. After much testing on my part, $ reali:ed that dynamics, i.e. loudness or softness, had no connection to the range of her jumping. Qumping on the spot, if the landing place could be guaranteed each time was infallibly safeG in other words there was no possibility of her colliding violently with some obstacle she had not seen. $n affect in this way she became the strings of the piano, the longest of which were bass notes, the shortest soprano. -he had tremendous faith in me as her musical guide and supplier of endless acoustic nourishment, but in reality, in terms of the seeing world, she hardly knew me. As a 7usic "herapist one avoids all use of pragmatic language, so $ rarely talked to her e#cept in our common language of music. "his is interesting in respect of energy R we can eminently well detect energy without sight, and if compatible energies meet and blend, there is no 8uestion of trust. "rust is a non-concept to energies.

1A4 3e played a little game which entailed guessing when $ was ready to play or sing. Cachel sitting close by my side greatly enjoyed our shared silence, so those moments before a song or an improvisation were as glorious to her as a piece of chocolate or the sight of a rainbow to a seeing child. "hen, after sensing the atmosphere, she would recogni:e that $ was ready the moment $ closed my eyes. <ision was superfluousG indeed an interference to our sessions, and invariably my eyes remained closed for as much of the session as possible. (othing else mattered as pure energy functioned between us. $t was direct e#perience. "here was absolutely no need to describe or comment, to admire or reassure, to assert or discriminate. !urs was a concrete world filled with all manner of vibrations as each of us delved inside ourselves to find we had everything we needed there. Cachel taught me a different way of being. -he was content in a world, which did not rely on language, on appearances and image, on projections into the future or the past, on speculation and devious indirect ways of communicating. "he following story is perhaps a good e#ample of this. %er closest parental relationship was with her father. %e showed incredible patience with her interminable 8uestioning and illogical manipulation of the sound of language to help her make sense of the world. !ccasionally though this would wear thin and on one occasion when they were at home together he must have said, probably in e#asperation, "$ haven;t got a clue=" -oon after she came for a session with me and as soon as she knew $ was within earshot as she came down the lane to my front door where $ always waited for her, she shouted an#iously, " harley= %ave you got a clueM 7y &ad needs it." 3e e#plored on and on together this sublime country of 7usic, but life outside this could be suffused with violent tantrums, stubbornness, deviousness, indeed nightmarish suffering. 6ike me she did not want ever to leave the sphere of energy and cope with normali:ation, the ordinary deluded minds, the suffering, guilt and stigma that her e#istence brought to her parents. $n these states Cachel would always refer to herself as "she." "his failure of the visually impaired to recogni:e and integrate their personality is the result of having no visible self-imageG one could beg the 8uestion of what sort of society we would create if we were all non-seeing. Although she reali:ed under duress that she was an entity, it was always transferred to this character called "she." "he 8uestion of ego with children like Cachel is also an interesting one. $t is rarely integrated. -he was totally content as no one, nestled in the here and now of a sound cornucopia. "his was where she found her version of faith, but of course this notion of "faith" is a non-concept for her. Cachel knew she was her own 7aster of -ecrets, if only people would cease interfering. 0iven the enlightened aspects of this small blind girl, putting aside for a moment her "she" persona which suffered agoni:ingly in the world of delusion, does it really take some sort of sensory deficiency or grave illness to force us as a last resort to have faith, trust or truth in our livesM ertainly our so-called "normal" Flourish clients were often only jolted by fear, which manifested as illness into trying to reframe their lives, and sometimes it was too late. $s it so difficult to accept that the 'uddha, a human being like us, attained enlightenment and then eventually saw the enormous need to guide other human beings through great sufferingM $t seems to me that the majority of people $ have encountered are so self-cherishing that they are unwilling to take any risks at all, to open their hearts and grow in any way, to change. "he two non-religious elements involved in having faith in the 'uddha as the supreme spiritual guide, those of non-dependence and

1A? the opportunity to test his wisdom and accept or reject it, are, $ would have thought, so practical for a society swathed in fear and doubt= 7aybe it is that "arrogance," talked of earlier in this "ale, that erodes humility and does not allow the majority of people to accept that the conditions in the -aha world are so bad at this time that we do not have the strength to swim naked across the rapids. 3e must have the protection of a raft, and we must take control of our minds. 7any-faceted and complicated fear is the main motivation in the lives of most people in the west. "ragically human society has made for itself a system in which appearances and approval are most important, in which we constantly measure and are measured by eagle eyes. $t stands to reason that if visual acuity has developed so much more than our other senses then the rich and the beautiful set all the standards. Fear of falling short of standards or even having a single hair out of place, and conse8uently of disease, ageing, handicap and eventually death, a horror not to be allowed to be seen so 8uickly hidden away in hermetically sealed coffins, is a sulphurous fuel which maniacally drives our behavior and our thinking. (aturally only fanatical evangelical religions are in fashion or are successful, and unfortunately 'uddhism is so little understood that it is automatically lumped under that same heading, and is terrifying to a great many people. $t is the gods of money and beauty, which we must be "seen" to worship. $ndeed, we must be "seen" to be doing everything, to be witnessed, for even when we are alone the evil eye surveys all, constantly measuring and adjusting. -pending time with visually impaired people is a breath-taking e#perience of the absence of "'ig 'rother" eye. "hey have no care for what they look like, how they are dressed, their class, the sort of home they live in and often for what is said. "hey reali:e the indirectness of most human communication and lay store by much more direct e#perience. $n my own life now steady 'uddhist study, the slow 8uotidian unveiling of the whole story of human e#istence, and practice, awareness, mindfulness during each of my waking moments, is the single abiding taste in my mind. "hey are my buoyancy aids in an unruly ocean. $n respect of my inner life this craft is a one-person vessel, it is watched over only by me. $ rely on no-one. "here is privacy and the opportunity to use it, and the story of the &harma threads its way through my mind, each episode more surprising than the last. 7y life in -amsara takes place in meditation breaks. 3hat more could one ask forM 7y faith deepens each day, as you have said it would, -teve, as $ repeatedly take up my rightful place in the osmos. $t is undoubtedly faith that has enabled the integration of my life, a magnetic force that has pulled together all the disparate parts to make it whole and fearless. As 7r. $keda says, "to a person of faith, everything that happens in life becomes a benefit." %owever, faith, trust, truth can become into#icating. $ saw this only too clearly in my time at the "emple where $ observed a kind of death wish, a desire to be submerged in sumptuous deities, a heady swaying with ancient melodies and mantras. $ saw a desperation of faith which weakened people;s native strength, obsessed them, engulfed them with e#tended and e#otic rituals, so that they rarely looked into their own minds. 5erhaps the <ajrayana "sok, mountainous offerings to a deity of food and wine arranged in the most alluring way possible, then offered to all participants and finally thrown into a natural environment for the >iddams, is one such ritual which may make or break one;s mindfulness. $ am certain that this fervor is not what the 'uddha intended for modern westerners, and is what puts a lot of people off 'uddhism,

1A@ "As a bee gathering nectar does not harm or disturb the color and fragrance of the flower, so do the wise move through the world." E&hammapada R 7unindoF $t is important not to become attached to intricate and eye-alluring rituals, dependent on the saffron robes and full skirts of "ibetan 7asters, losing oneself in clouds of incense and 8uaint superstitions grasped at for attaining a holy path. $f one were truly able to live a contemplative and secluded life with plenty of time for personal e#amination, solitary study and meditation, rituals would be a highly decorated selection of the same fabric. $t would be integrated practice. $t would not be distracting, esoteric, a cultural spectacle. !ne could continue to be mindful, tasting just the right amount of nectar without being either deprived or over-indulged. "he slow dive to the depths of the mind in this time of mental sickness and surface splashing must be the priority. "he bee must feed imperceptibly yet diligently. $f we have e#perienced the spiritual life of Asia where most people continually return to an environment suffused with ritual observations and charged with the attainment of enlightenment, then they become practiced in fitting in other social and money-earning activities around this prevailing flavor. $n the west the situation is the reverse of this. $f we do come across the opportunity of hearing our first &harma, of 8uietening the mind in meditation for even a split second, of e#changing ideas with fellow spirits searching for the light, then there is perhaps a danger that our desperation is e#posed, recogni:ed, and we grasp at, develop passions for, the source of this hope which will save us. $t is for the most part an e#travagance. -omething which we buy into. Another substance to 8uaff down to subdue the pain of our cosmic e#ile. $n the mind-world the 5aramitas are deep inside each of us, and we must work towards the "spiritual perfection" which is right for us. $f we cultivate the talents of "humility, simplicity, restraint and self-giving," learn to be patient and generous first with ourselves, then our contribution to humanity, each ripple we make on the pool of life, will bring light, generate positive energy. As the great yogis and CinpocheBs did we need to work on getting total control of our own minds in seclusion before we can be truly altruistic, to recogni:e "All-inclusive "ruth, which is 6ove." "his happened to me in the remote 5yrenees, and it is something $ have chosen to continue with despite the allure of smoldering rituals and a master to live through. 3e, western egos, are vulnerable to dependence and idolatry, which is promulgated by "e#otic" spiritual traditions, and a great many of us are desperate to find something to believe in. (owadays there is a plethora of distractions available to us. 3e are able to dabble, to nibble and then move on to "something different," weighing up for e#ample all the aspects of Hagyupa against 0elugpa, or F3'! against Hadampa, this master against that master, but above all it is our personal relationship with the 'uddha that matters, and our personal journey towards knowing our own minds in an e8uanimous state. "$t is easy to follow the path of mentor and disciple but e#tremely difficult to follow the path of the oneness of mentor and disciple." E$keda, "he %uman CevolutionF. &ear -teve, it is this "oneness in the depths of their 7ind," which $ immediately recogni:ed in our relationship, which has launched me right into the middle of the stormy seas on a small boat of tran8uility. 3e are the 'uddha;s children working together to preserve the teachings, and to spread them, remembering that all beings learn in a different way, and $ am the continuation of you and you of me. 3e are energies handing the precious energy of the teachings between us and in ever increasing circles to all sentient beings.

11A $ wish for all beings with sensory and physical deficits to have the opportunity to make this inward bound journey in peace. 3e have so much to learn from them and owe them much respect. 3e must find a universal way of avoiding cramming them into the tight trap of society without any real e#change being possible. %ay all &e!n's &e allo(ed to e*pose the!r $a!th and true Buddha nature6 to l!ve $earlessly and !n e9uan!m!ty6 and to 9u!"kly real!?e that they are ea"h Bodh!sattvas o$ the 4arth.

Chapter N!ne
7ahamati continues the dialogue by asking the 'uddha to describe the results of the selfreali:ation of &harma 3isdom. -hakyamuni states that first the student will gain insight into the meaning of things and also why events occur the way they do. (e#t she will gain insight into why it is important to practice the si# paramitas) T*1+ &ana paramita or charity *,+ sUla paramita or virtue *.+ ksanti paramita or patience */+ virya paramita, which means to be energetic and persevering *1+ &hyana paramita or meditation and concentration and *2+ prajOa paramita or wisdomV. &harma wisdom is cumulative and you can soon be in the higher stages of 'odhisattva hood. After a direct reali:ation of the emptiness of all phenomena the 'odhisattva will e#perience other samJdhis before they finally attain the highest level of enlightenment. -ince $ have written a lengthy commentary on this aspect of the subject E-ee) "$nside ""he 6otus -utra"F $ see no reason to discuss it again here. "he ne#t section of the chapter asks about the helpful powers of the 'uddhas, which aid 'odhisattvas make the final necessary reali:ations that lead to enlightenment. "his is briefly mentioned in chapter eight E"'ut the good non-out-flowings that come with selfreali:ation of (oble 3isdom is a purification that comes instantaneously by the grace of the "athJgatas."F but not discussed until section two of chapter nine. 3hat are these powers that help 'odhisattvas attain the final stages of 'uddhahoodM "he 'uddha states that there are two powers that specifically benefit 'odhisattvas) the first is the result of the 'odhisattvas own faith and the second is the spiritual power radiating from the bodies of the 'uddhas in ten directions. $t is essential for every student at any level of development to have some degree of faith. %owever, 'uddhist faith is not blind trustG rather, faith is ac8uired over time as a result of 8uestioning, doubting and testing the &harma. "he depth of your faith will be tested. %ow deep is itM 3ill you continue to practice &harma for the sake of all sentient beings or will you wander away looking for "something different" the first time you encounter real difficultyM $f you persist on the path you now follow, you will face difficult times. "here are many ways to meet defeat, but there is only one path that leads to victory. "he spiritual power radiating from the bodies of 'uddhas is more difficult to e#plain because this power can take so many forms. "he 'uddhist who studies on a daily basis is fre8uently the benefactor of one version of this gift. $f $ have a 8uestion in my mind the very ne#t book $ pick up will address the issue and my difficulty is solved= "his has gone on for so long that $ am now 8uite accustomed to it and there are other benefits as well, but most of these are things that should be

111 e#perienced, not written or talked about. $t is enough to know that spiritual help will be available to you when you need it. "he third section of chapter nine deals with the si# paramitas and how the 'odhisattva student actually fulfils them. -hakyamuni tells 7ahamati that the paramitas should guide all 'odhisattva students in their conduct. $n the beginning stages of practice, and at the absolute minimum, the 'uddhist follower must make certain that her outer conduct matches the ideals of the si# paramitas. (o matter what horrors are raging in your mind, it simply is not that difficult to match your behavior to this simple code of ethics. Adult humans respect each other and have manners. $f you are not virtuous and patient, if you do not practice charity, if you are not energetic and persevering about study and practice then you are not yet an adult human being. $n the middle stage of practice these ideals must become part of your mental life. For e#ample, instead of suppressing anger you transform it into the desire to bring benefit to all sentient beings. $t should be clear to you by this time that the things that happen to you are always the result of causes you have made in the past. "here is no one to blame for the bad things that happen to you but you, yourself. "he person who behaves badly towards you is actually performing a valuable service for you by destroying this negative energy that you yourself have created. 3hen you understand this you will never mindlessly respond to anger with anger again. 3hen you progress a little further you will come to understand that your problems only e#ist because you have chosen to label them as "problems." $f you eliminate the dualism from your philosophy you will never have another problem because problems are the result of bad thinking. "he awakened being recogni:es that all beings have been our parents, brothers, sisters, friends or lovers many times in the endless past so we owe these beings a great debt that can only be repaid by our attainment of enlightenment. $n the final stage the ideals of the paramitas become part of our deepest spiritual essence. 3e see the suffering in the world around us and reali:e that many people live and die but miss out completely on the greatest joy that life has to offer. 5eople waste their time in foolish pursuit of fame or money and then wonder why their life is so filled with suffering. "here is nothing inherently wrong with fame or money but these things are merely tools. $f your goal in life is to become rich and famous then you still have the mind of a child. Adult humans spend their time working to bring benefit to all sentient beings. Adult humans want to see the world united into one single harmonious unity because we all share the same planet and it is monstrous that we still gather together in tribes to kill one another. Finally, adult humans want all people to have the opportunity to grow and develop spiritually. "his can only be accomplished when all beings on this planet are free from the fear of violence and have ade8uate stores of food. "he final section of chapter nine has 7ahamati asking the 'uddha about the manomayakaya, an "astral-mind-vision-body" that advanced 'odhisattvas develop as a tool to help in their teaching missions. 7anomayakaya Eor (irmanakayaF can be defined as a mind-formed body that cannot be distinguished from the actual person but only if you are ignorant of the concept of what we now call $chinen -an:en.

11,

*"he concept of Ichinen Sanzen is often referred to as Lthe ten worlds; as a shorthanded way of e#pressing this comple# teaching. Ichinen literally means L one mind; or Llife moment;. Sanzen means three thousand, so together $chinen -an:en means three thousand realms in a single moment of life. "o begin to understand this principal, we must first understand the ten worlds. 9veryone possesses the ten worldsG these worlds are states or conditions that e#ist in our minds. "he ten worlds are) 1. %ell Erage, suffering, intense fearF ,. %unger Egreed never satisfiedF .. Animality Elack of wisdom, lack self of control, foolishF /. Anger Edirectly connected to the egoF 1. %umanity Ecalmness and reasonF 2. %eaven Edependent joyF 4. 6earning Eto understand some aspect of reality through hearing, reading or listeningG dependent on the efforts of othersF ?. Ceali:ation Eto understand some aspect of reality through your own effortsF @. 'odhisattva Eintense compassion and the desire to benefit all beings every whereF 1A. 'uddhahood Esomeone who is awake to the way things really areF "hese states e#ist Eat least potentiallyF in all of our minds. An individual is capable of e#periencing all of these states anytime from moment to moment. "he reality is, however, that people who do not have any kind of spiritual practice or mental training spend most of their time bouncing around in the lower si# realms) hell, hunger, animality, anger, humanity and heaven. -ometimes their environment treats them well and they have a good day. !ther times the environment is hostile and they have a bad day. 5eople with no spiritual practice at all consider this normal but, it isn;t normal, it is really unnecessary suffering. $f you live in the lower si# worlds, you are not in control of your own lifeWyour environment is in control. "he best way to climb into the upper four worlds and stay there is to chant (am 7yoho Cenge Hyo every day without fail. 'ut, be careful. $t is better to live in the state of hell then it is to spend all of your time in 6earning or Ceali:ation= 3hyM 'ecause those who

11. live in these worlds, called -homan and 9ngaku, tend to look down on other people and treat them with contempt. "his may very well be the worst cause you can make. 7r. $keda wrote, " committing such acts as ostraci:ing, bullying, or treating contemptuously the comrades of the 'odhisattvas of the earth who embrace the mystic law is an immeasurably grave offence. 5eople who are guilty of this type of conduct will without fail e#perience the hell of incessant suffering. "he outcome will be the same whether or not one practices this faith. 5erhaps this principle applies even more so in this case of the person who does embrace this faith." "o avoid this problem, always check your motivation before speakingWif you have any doubt at all about why you are saying somethingWbe 8uiet. $t;s very easy to control your mouth if it;s closed. 9very day make a determination in front of the 0ohon:on to benefit as many beings as possible. 0enerate a mind of love and compassion, this will make you happier and keep you from burning out, which can happen. (ow, the ten worlds mutually possess the ten worlds bringing the total to one hundred. "his now becomes somewhat subtler. 3hat we;re saying is that you can be in a state, of say, learningP'odhisattva, or humanityP'odhisattva or any combination you can think of. $ use learning, humanity, or any of the worlds and mi# it with 'odhisattva because this is the path that leads to the end of sufferingWto (irvana. 5resident $keda wrote, "!nly those who directly attain the world of the original 'uddha, or the embodiment of the 9ternal 6aw, can gain release from human suffering." 6et me make this clearerWlearning and reali:ation can be very dangerous, we need them, but we must be careful not to fall into the dreadful pit that treating other with contempt can create for us. $f you mi# learning or reali:ation with 'odhisattva Eor intense compassionF you will not have anything to worry about. -o, the ten world contain the ten worlds but reality is still more subtle then that. 9ach individual has ten factors that make him who he is. "he ten factors are) 1. Appearance Eor how you look, that;s simple isn;t itMF ,. Nature Eis what makes you who you are. $t is the reason you know that you are the same mind now that when you were when you were four years oldF .. Entity E hristians would call this your soul. "his life entity has e#isted foreverW from time without beginning. 9ntity will remain unchanged throughout your life and reappear with you after you are reborn.F /. Power Eyour life force, the strength you have to achieve something or effect your environment.F

11/ 1. Influence Eis the use of thought or deed to create good or evil.F 2. Internal Cause Eis the latent karmic seeds in your mind.F 4. Relation or External Cause Eany stimulus in our environment that causes us to react.F ?. Latent Effect: when we take action the latent effect is lodged in us as energy and will appear asK @. Manifest Effect when it meets the right circumstances in the future. E(o cause you make, good or bad is ever lostF Finally, 1A. Their consistency from e!innin! to en" Eall of these factors work togetherWif you are in the state of 'uddhahood your life condition will be high, you will not be depressed. $f you are in hell, your life condition will not be great.F -o, the ten worlds contain the ten worlds and ten times ten e8uals one hundred. "he ten factors make up the individual, so a hundred times ten e8uals a thousand. 3e need now to look briefly at the three realms of e#istence. "hey are 1F Self Ethe 'uddha taught that each individual is composed of heaps or aggregatesF these aggregates are) Form Feeling 5erception $ntellect and onsciousness, Eform has to do with your physical appearance, the other four are your mental makeup.F ,F The society we li#e in, or the other living beings around us. .F The lan" or en#ironment you live in. 1AAAX.Y.AAA realms in each moment of life. For more information on Ichinen Sanzen please read "Stop Su$$er!n': A Buddh!st >u!de To :app!ness" and then "Ins!de The Lotus Sutra," free from '$!(A books.+

111 -ince this sutra was preached before ""he 6otus -utra" -hakyamuni;s followers still believed that the ten worlds were literally different physical locations. %owever, the "rikaya, or three bodies of the 'uddha must be properly understood if you are to grasp the 'uddhas intended teaching. "he &harmakaya is the "ruth or 6aw body of any 'uddha. &harmakaya is the universal nature and truth of 'uddhahood potentially available to all sentient beings. -ambhogakaya is the reward bodyG it is the brilliant splendor of the enlightened state. (irmanakaya E7anomayakayaF is &harmakaya personified. 9#amples of this are the three historical 'uddhas, -hakyamuni, ";ien ";ai and (ichiren. %ow then could 7anomayakaya be considered a tool that would assist a 'odhisattva;s teaching missionM "he 'odhisattva did not use this ability to travel from one physical world to the ne#tG he used this subtle mental tool to communicate on the level of any being that asked for "eachings. "he method used to teach a man who lives in the base world of anger is 8uite different from the approach necessary for one who lives in the world of hunger or animality. 3ith the insight into the human mind gained by comprehension of the highest teachings of the 'uddha you are now much closer to the final intuitive reali:ation necessary for enlightenment.

Chapter A
D!s"!plesh!p: L!nea'e o$ the Arhats
Then Mahamati asked the Blessed One: 'ra! tell us how man! kinds of disciples there are8 The Blessed One replied: There are as man! kinds of disciples as there are individuals, %ut for convenience the! ma! %e divided into two "roups: disciples of the linea"e of the #rhats, and disciples known as Bodhisattvas Disciples of the linea"e of the #rhats ma! %e considered under two aspects: )irst, accordin" to the num%er of times the! will return to this life of %irth$and$death, and second, accordin" to their spiritual pro"ress <nder the first aspect, the! ma! %e su%divided into three "roups: The 1Stream$entered,1 the 1Once$returnin",1 and the 12ever$ returnin" 1 The Stream$entered are those disciples, who havin" freed themselves from the attachments to the lower discriminations and who have cleansed themselves from the twofold hindrances and who clearl! understand the meanin" of the twofold e"o$ less$ness, !et who still clin" to the notion of individualit! and "eneralit! and to their own e"o$ness The! will advance alon" the sta"es to the si(th onl! to succum% to the entrancin" %liss of the Sam&dhis The! will %e re%orn seven times, or five times, or three times, %efore the! will %e a%le to pass the si(th sta"e The Once$returnin" are the #rhats, and the 2ever$returnin" are the Bodhisattvas who have reached the seventh sta"e The reasons for these "radations is %ecause of their attachment to the three de"rees of false$ima"ination: namel!, faith in moral practices, dou%t, and the view of their individual personalit! 3hen these three hindrances are overcome, the! will %e a%le

112 to attain the hi"her sta"es #s to moral practices: the i"norant, simple$minded disciples o%e! the rules of moralit!, piet! and penance, %ecause the! desire there%! to "ain worldl! advancement and happiness, with the added hope of %ein" re%orn in more favora%le conditions The Stream$entered ones do not clin" to moral practices for an! hope of reward for their minds are fi(ed on the e(alted state of self$ reali4ation, the reason the! devote themselves to the details of moralit! is that the! wish to master such truths as are in conformit! with the undefiled out$flowin"s #s re"ards the hindrance of dou%t in the Buddhas teachin", that will continue so lon" as an! of the notions of discrimination are cherished and will disappear when the! disappear #ttachment to the view of individual personalit! will %e "otten rid of as the disciple "ains a more thorou"h understandin" of the notions of %ein" and non$ %ein", self$nature and e"o$less$ness, there%! "ettin" rid of the attachments to his own selfness that "oes with those discriminations B! %reakin" up and clearin" awa! these three hindrances the Stream$entered one will %e a%le to discard all "reed, an"er and foll! #s for the Once$returnin" #rhats, there was once in them the discrimination of form, si"ns, and appearances, %ut as the! "raduall! learned %! ri"ht$knowled"e not to view individual o%+ects under the aspect of 5ualit! and 5ualif!in", and as the! %ecame ac5uainted with what marks the attainment of the practice of Dh!ana, the! have reached the sta"e of enli"htenment where in one more re%irth the! will %e a%le to put an end to the clin"in" to their own self$interests )ree from this %urden of error and its attachments, the passions will no more assert themselves and the hindrances will %e cleared awa! forever <nder the second aspect disciples ma! %e "rouped accordin" to the spiritual pro"ress the! have attained, into four classes, namel!, disciples /Sravaka0, masters /Pratyekabu ha0, #rhats, and Bodhisattvas The first class of disciples means well %ut the! find it difficult to understand unfamiliar ideas Their minds are +o!ful when stud!in" a%out and practicin" the thin"s %elon"in" to appearances that can %e discriminated, %ut the! %ecome confused %! the notion of an uninterrupted chain of causation, and the! %ecome fearful when the! consider the a""re"ates that make up personalit! and its o%+ect world as %ein" Ma!a$like, empt! and e"o$less The! were a%le to advance to the fifth or si(th sta"e where the! are a%le to do awa! with the risin" of passions, %ut not with the notions that "ive rise to passion and, therefore, the! are una%le to "et rid of the clin"in" to an e"o$soul and its accompan!in" attachments, ha%its and ha%it$ ener"! In this same class the disciples are the earnest disciples of other faiths, who clin"in" to the notions of such thin"s as, the soul as an e(ternal entit!, Supreme #tman, 'ersonal :od, seek a 2irvana that is in harmon! with them There are others, more materialistic in their ideas, who think that all thin"s e(ist in dependence upon causation and, therefore, that 2irvana must %e in like dependence But none of these, earnest thou"h the! %e, have "ained an insi"ht into the truth of the twofold e"o$less$ness and are, therefore, of limited spiritual insi"hts as re"ards deliverance and non$deliverance, for them there is no emancipation The! have "reat self$confidence %ut the! can never "ain a true knowled"e of 2irvana until the! have learned to discipline themselves in the patient acceptance of the twofold e"o$less$ness

114 The second class of masters are those who have "ained a hi"h de"ree of intellectual understandin" of the truths concernin" the a""re"ates that make up personalit! and its e(ternal world %ut who are filled with fear when the! face the si"nificance and conse5uences of these truths, and the demands which their learnin" makes upon them, that is, not to %ecome attached to the e(ternal world and its manifold forms makin" for comfort and power, and to keep awa! from the entan"lements of its social relations The! are attracted %! the possi%ilities that are attaina%le %! so doin", namel!, the possession of miraculous powers such as dividin" the personalit! and appearin" in different places at the same time, or manifestin" %odies of transformation To "ain these powers the! even resort to the solitar! life, %ut this class of master never "ets %e!ond the seductions of their learnin" and e"oism, and their discourses are alwa!s in conformit! with that characteristic and limitation #mon" them are man! earnest disciples who show a de"ree of spiritual insi"ht that is characteri4ed %! sincerit! and undisma!ed willin"ness to meet all the demands that the sta"es make upon them 3hen the! see that all that makes up the o%+ective world is onl! a manifestation of mind, that it is without self$nature, un$%orn and e"o$less, the! accept it without fear, and when the! see their own e"o$soul is also empt!, un$%orn and e"o$less, the! are untrou%led and undisma!ed, with earnest purpose the! seek to ad+ust their lives to the full demands of these truths, %ut the! cannot for"et the notions that lie %ack of these facts, especiall! the notion of their own conscious e"o$self and its relation to 2irvana The! are of the Stream$entered class The class known as #rhats are those earnest masters who %elon" to the returnin" class But %! their spiritual insi"ht the! have reached the si(th and seventh sta"es The! have thorou"hl! understood the truth of the twofold e"o$less$ness and the ima"eless$ness of 7ealit!, with them there is no more discrimination, nor passions, nor pride of e"oism, the! have "ained an e(alted insi"ht and seen into the immensit! of the Buddha$lands B! attainin" an inner perception of the true nature of <niversal Mind the! are steadil! purif!in" their ha%it$ener"! The #rhats has attained emancipation, enli"htenment, the Dh!anas, the Sam&dhis, and his whole attention is "iven to the attainment of 2irvana, %ut the idea of 2irvana causes mental pertur%ations %ecause he has the wron" idea of 2irvana The notions of 2irvana in his mind are divided: he discriminates 2irvana from self, and self from others *e has attained some of the fruits of self$reali4ation %ut he still thinks and discourses on the Dh!anas, su%+ects for meditation, the Sam&dhis, the fruits *e pride$full! sa!s: 1There are fetters, %ut I am disen"a"ed from them 1 *is is a dou%le fault: he %oth denounces the vices of the e"o, and still clin" to its fetters So lon" as he continues to discriminate notions of Dh!ana, Dh!ana practice, su%+ects for Dh!ana, ri"ht$knowled"e and truth, there is a %ewildered state of mind, he has not attained perfect emancipation .mancipation comes with the acceptance of ima"eless$ness *e is master of the Dh!anas and enters into the Sam&dhis, %ut to reach the hi"her sta"es one must pass %e!ond the Dh!anas, the immeasura%les, the world of no$form, and the %liss of the Sam&dhis into the Samapattis leadin" to the cessation of thou"ht itself The Dh!ana practitioner, Dh!ana, the su%+ect of Dh!ana, the cessation of thou"ht, once$returnin", never$returnin", all these are divided and %ewilderin"

11? states of mind 2ot until all discrimination is a%andoned is there perfect emancipation Thus the #rhats, master of the Dh!anas, participatin" in the Sam&dhis, %ut unsupported %! the Buddhas !ields to the entrancin" %liss of the Sam&dhis and passes to his 2irvana Disciples and masters and #rhats ma! ascend the sta"es up to the si(th The! perceive that the triple world is no more than mind itself, the! perceive that there is no %ecomin" attached to the multiplicities of e(ternal o%+ects e(cept throu"h the discriminations and activities of the mind itself, the! perceive that there is no e"o$ soul, and, therefore, the! attain a measure of tran5uili4ation But their tran5uili4ation is not perfect ever! minute of their lives, for with them there is somethin" effect producin", some "rasped and "raspin", some lin"erin" trace of dualism and e"oism Thou"h disen"a"ed from the activel! functionin" passions the! are still %ound in with the ha%it ener"! of passion and, %ecomin" into(icated with the wine of the Sam&dhis, the! will have their a%ode in the realm of the out$ flowin"s 'erfect tran5uili4ation is possi%le onl! with the seventh sta"e So lon" as their minds are in confusion, the! cannot attain to a clear conviction as to the cessation of all multiplicit! and the actualit! of the perfect oneness of all thin"s In their minds the self$nature of thin"s is still discriminated as "ood and %ad, therefore, their minds are in confusion and the! cannot pass %e!ond the si(th sta"e But at the si(th sta"e all discrimination ceases as the! %ecome en"rossed in the %liss of the Sam&dhis wherein the! cherish the thou"ht of 2irvana and, as 2irvana is possi%le at the si(th sta"e, the! pass into their 2irvana, %ut it is not the 2irvana of the Buddhas

Temple Tales Ten

The vo!"e o$ Charley L!nden Thorp

49ual!ty
"at the start $ took a vow hoping to make all persons e8ual to me, without any distinction between us." E6otus -utra, ,,.2F

&ear -teve,

11@ For most of us life is a series of une8ual relationships. "his is the culture we live in. $n every day life as children and grandchildren, pupils and students, apprentices and juniors, the ine#perienced and novice, we are empty of knowledge and skill which must be injected into us by teachers or knowers. "his, of course, in part is because we have no e#perience of the thing we are aspiring to. 'ut this concept is fraught with ine8uality, the opportunism of thrusting egos to fill the role of authority, and in addition the restrictive nature of language. "his deference to someone who is an e#pert in their field, for sadly this kind of speciali:ation, or intellectual potenti:ing, has become the norm since knowledge replaced 0od, means that we may rarely bring to bear our native intelligence in learning situations. As $ have suggested in previous "ales, perhaps these "subjects" are not what we want to be learning anyway. %owever, in this une8ual relationship there is often pride and power on the part of the teacher because they have all the secrets in their possession, and a sense of inferiority and impotence on that of the taught, because they have nothing. -adly this is the teacherPtaught cultureG it makes little allowance for the individual. "he 'uddha says, ""here are as many kinds of disciples as there are individuals," when 7ahamati asks his first 8uestion in this first chapter. -urprisingly this model is e#tant in terms of spiritual progress today. "3orking" in groups, led by e#perienced teachers, long-service, incremental progress, and often still a situation where the e#pert unveils things, tells novices e#actly what they should do, and even makes use of negative reinforcement, are fre8uently used styles. "his is especially so in the "ibetan tradition, the one $ have most recent e#perience of, which has relatively recently enjoyed a da::ling renaissance in 9urope, and on other continents. 0reat store is laid by studying te#ts or mantras in ancient "ibetan which are elucidated by 6amas, and their subse8uent "initiations," "transmissions," or "empowerments" bestowed. $n this situation it is impossible to do little else but sit back and drink in these esoteric and e#oteric utterances which are presented as "teachings." !f course, it is possible that certain members of the taught will take anything that a particular 6ama does or says to heart without 8uestion because he is their root 6ama and evidently there is a strong karmic link between them. 'ut it is difficult for there to be an e8ual relationship, or for the student to e#perience a feeling of "oneness in the depth of mind," because of that ine8uality. $ have it on good authority that 6amas in general feel that they should keep a distance between themselves and the -angha, and that members of the -angha should e#press their respect in certain ways, e.g. by bowing in their presence, or standing when they come into a room, or bringing special offerings. And increasingly they address their "teachings" to vast audiences as they increasingly become colorful heroes from Asia with many published books to their names, and various merchandise for their enthusiastic followers to take away with them from the performance. &espite the fact that $ have had first-hand e#perience of "ibetan 6amas in both intimate temple life and glossy public life $ have never e#perienced the fusion of energy, which $ felt, when $ first contacted '$!(A 'ooks out of the blue, which was an "automatic and effortless" E7r. $kedaF collaboration. "here are many reasons for this lack. "hey may be karmic, cultural, perhaps related to stories of corrupt practices, power seeking, and all manner of strange "oriental" behavior played out in a western setting. Add to this the rather difficult position of women in "ibetanP$ndian 'uddhism and it is perhaps easy to see why some women take it seriously and others do not.

1,A $ could cite many anecdotes of attitudes and things said by "ibetan clergy, which position their e#ecutants a million miles away from the opening 8uotation of this chapter. $n their muscular attempt to preserve their direct lineage from the 'uddha, which $ am aware has been difficult especially during this last century e#iled in a materialistic world, they have come to view themselves as superior to ordinary lay men or women in their new status as precious spiritual ambassadors permanently e#iled in the west. "hey do not lead ordinary lives, all their needs are taken care of by the -angha, and $ believe they find it difficult to relate to lay people. "hey do consider themselves to be super-human which is e#emplified by the following e#ample. &uring a week;s summer retreat in the mountains a very e#perienced -angha member asked if a visuali:ation for a certain practice could be briefly e#plained again as her notes from the last time she received the teaching differed. "he 6ama indignantly asked to see the notes, which she didn;t have with her. "hen he shouted and e#pressed great anger that she should 8uestion his memory. %e added further that he had personally been entrusted with the transmission of this particular practice, which would thus be faultlessly delivered each time he did so. "he -angha member was publicly humiliated and reduced to tears. $ am aware that the 'uddha was known to scold his -angha one minute and praise them the ne#t, but as the supreme 3orld %onored !ne with his ability to perceive the precise state of being of each individual he taught, and given he was the original teacher of 'uddhism, he was perhaps in a position to school his successors. "o onlookers this display of more mortal arrogance was shocking in the middle of a long retreat intended as purification. 'ut the total dependence of this loyal though perhaps misguided member continued intact. hapter 1A of the 6ankavatara -utra is the first of the last / chapters, which describe in technical detail the eventual attainment of (irvana. "he 'uddha;s patience with the 8uestions of 7ahamati, his encouragement, his skilful matching him at his world, show the 'uddha;s incredible compassion, for he knows full-well that the so-called final fruit of (irvana he teaches here is not the (irvana of the 'uddhas. %e knows that the final "truth" is still to be revealed in hapter , of the 6otus -utra and that many of his disciples will lose faith in him at that point because their arrogance and superiority will be e#posed. "he notions of progress through the stages of the path as elo8uently outlined in the 6ankavatara -utra are important even today. $ have witnessed similar e#plications to that of the 'uddha;s on the lips of relatively young 6amas in answer to the desperate ascertaining of students of their spiritual level and their potential. 'ut these are only e#pedient means, and there was always a sense for me of a great deal of jumping through hoops at the snap of rather stern fingers until $ eventually reali:ed that ""he provisional sutras teach ine8uality, but the 6otus -utra teaches e8uality." E0osho Nenshu, p?12F (irvana is uni8ue for each of us and it is here and now in the -aha world, not in the rarefied world of >iddams, ornate deities or the beauties of "an8ua paintings. (irvana is not separate from us but a combination of the 1A worlds which each e#ist in each and all of us. As you once said -teve, "ibetan doctrine is all very well but it is incomplete. ""he attainment of 'uddhahood e#pounded in those early sutras is not of real substance, but only a "shadow" of the real thing." E(ichirenF "he 'uddha subtly hints towards the end of this chapter that aspiring 'odhisattvas need to become totally convicted that all physical matter, whether sentient or not, is formed from the identical fabric of the Iniverse. "hat is it energy manifested sometimes visually for the eye-consciousness to

1,1 perceive in form and color, sometimes as sound or rhythm for the ear consciousness, etc. "hat (irvana is "the cessation of all multiplicity and the actuality of the perfect oneness of all things." E6otus -utra p42F "his oneness, this e8uality, which is beyond description, beyond the intellectual filter, can be detected amongst musicians who are aware of the vibratory 8uality of their instruments, and especially the voice, or brush strokes on a canvas which create a composition, or the uncommented upon appreciation of a beautiful landscape. As $ have commented before, creativity is the one sure way of e#pressing each of our uni8ue views of the universe and our love for each particle of it. "he unbidden criticism of any sincere utterance, no matter in what form, is audacious, as one might critici:e the tail of a s8uirrel or the shape of an iceberg. $t is not only inappropriate to critici:e in this way the universe of which we are each a piece, but impossible to do so. 98uality then is the nestling together of atoms or some such description of energy, which the human intellect cannot detect, in the infinity of the ether, outside the intellectual constructions of time and space. "9mancipation comes with the acceptance of imagelessness," E6otus -utra p41F "his is what the 'uddha e#pressed finally as the truth with "the power of an attacking lion" in the 6otus -utra. $ have been privileged in the unfolding of my life to have had direct e#perience of the e8ual energy of the Iniverse, which $ have attempted to encapsulate in some of these "emple tales. "he concept-less-ness of the -outh Australian &esert and the presence of so-called "primitives" as my guide was highly inspirational in this regard. Aboriginals have no single doubt about their position in the osmos, that they are the osmos and the osmos is them. "heir involvement in the &reaming, their "naturalistic "faith," allows them to work magic. $ witnessed some of these feats during my stay with them. "hings such as telepathy, walking on hot coals, surefooted navigation of a desert with seemingly no discernable landmarks, were everyday occurrences. "heir ability to heal was e#ceptional too. $ had the good fortune of e#periencing this last gift when $ fell from one of our makeshift shade-shelters and badly gashed my leg, which started to bleed uncontrollably. 3e were so far into the bush that it was impossible to get medical help and although we carried some medical supplies they were inade8uate because the wound needed stitching to close it. "he aboriginals immediately went off in search of certain flower remedies, then came back and started to sing their &reaming story of a wounded wombat and his recovery as they built a fire where they would cook up a concoction. "hey kept singing, no spoken words were e#changed at all. "hen they filled this open wound with a paste without cleaning away the thick layer of orange dust, which constantly covered us all in the desert. "hey wrapped the wound tightly with big leaves and made me rest, staying with me while the others went on ahead to make the ne#t shelter, and feeding me aromatic leaves to chew as an anesthetic. $ fell asleep deeply and easily for many hours with the impression of their singing all the time. "hen they removed the dressing and to my ama:ement the gash had closed up and started to scab over. "his kind of recovery is often difficult in these dusty conditions with such heat. 9nergy can perform miracles. $t is only the limitation and cynicism of &iscriminating 7ind, which prevents it. "98uality" or "$ne8uality" are not concepts where pure energy is concerned. "hus we are the 'uddha and the 'uddha is us. As 5resident "oda said, "A blacksmith;s apprentice is a blacksmith) a fishmonger;s trainee is a fishmonger. $n the same way, the 'uddha;s disciple is a 'uddha."

1,, %ay all &e!n's learn to see the (orld as !t really !s6 may they learn not to d!s"r!m!nate &et(een people and to treat everyone they en"ounter !n the!r l!ves !n e*a"tly the same lov!n' (ay.

Chapter Ten
hapter ten begins with 7ahamati asking -hakyamuni "how many kinds of disciples are thereM" !f course, the only rational response to this 8uestion is the first one given by the 'uddha) there are as many kinds of disciples as there are individuals who are practicing &harma. %owever, it is clear to -hakyamuni that 7ahamati is asking for a reason. %is is not an idle 8uestion prompted by simple curiosity. %e is clearly trying to ascertain his own level of spiritual advancement. %ere we see an e#ample of the patience and compassion of the 'uddha. %e has just e#pended a great deal of effort in the attempt to e#plain that 7ahamati cannot see the face of reality because he engages in dualistic thinking. $n response to this repeated teaching 7ahamati;s ne#t 8uestion to -hakyamuni is about dualistic categories for students= "he 'uddha was very compassionate so he answers the 8uestion in a way that his listeners will understand and also find encouraging. !f course it is obvious that the categories the 'uddha defines in this chapter are improper dualistic thinkingG therefore they are merely an e#pedient means used to lead his disciples to the truth. "his ultimate truth had not yet been taught to anyone. 3hen -hakyamuni began to preach ""he -utra of $nnumerable 7eanings" he startled his disciples by stating) L$ knew that the natures and desires of all living beings were not e8ual and because this is so $ preached the 6aw to them in various ways.; "$n forty years and more, the "ruth has not been revealed yet." E hapter twoF !ne of the "ruths that had not yet been revealed was that there are not different classifications of studentsG that all beings have 'uddha potential so all 'uddhist practitioners are 'odhisattvas or 'uddhas-in-training. E-ee hapter two of ""he 6otus -utra"F

Chapter AI
Bodh!sattva5hood and Its Sta'es
Then said Mahamati to the Blessed One: 3ill !ou tell us now a%out the disciples who are Bodhisattvas8 The Blessed One replied: The Bodhisattvas are those earnest disciples who are enli"htened %! reason of their efforts to attain self$reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom and who have taken upon themselves the task of enli"htenin" others The! have "ained a

1,. clear understandin" of the truth that all thin"s are empt!, un$%orn, and of a Ma!a$ like nature, the! have ceased from viewin" thin"s discriminativel! and from considerin" them in their relations, the! thorou"hl! understand the truth of twofold e"o$less$ness and have ad+usted themselves to it with patient acceptance, the! have attained a definite reali4ation of ima"e$less$ness, and the! are a%idin" in the perfect$ knowled"e that the! have "ained %! self$reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom 3ell stamped %! the seal of 1Suchness1 the! entered upon the first of the Bodhisattva sta"es The first sta"e is called the sta"e of =o! /Pranu ita0 .nterin" this sta"e is like passin" out of the "lare of the shadows into a realm of 1no$ shadows1, it is like passin" out of the noise and tumult of the crowded cit! into the 5uietness of solitude The Bodhisattva feels within himself the awakenin" of a "reat heart of compassion and he utters his ten ori"inal vows: To honor and serve all Buddhas, to spread the knowled"e and practice of the Dharma, to welcome all comin" Buddhas, to practice the si( 'aramitas, to persuade all %ein"s to em%race the Dharma, to attain a perfect understandin" of the universe, to attain a perfect understandin" of the mutualit! of all %ein"s, to attain perfect self$reali4ation of the oneness of all the Buddhas and Tath&"atas in self$nature, purpose and resources, to %ecome ac5uainted with all skillful means for the carr!in" out of these vows for the emancipation of all %ein"s, to reali4e supreme enli"htenment throu"h the perfect self$reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom, ascendin" the sta"es and enterin" Tath&"ata$ hood In the spirit of these vows the Bodhisattva "raduall! ascends the sta"es to the si(th #ll earnest disciples, masters and #rhats have ascended thus far, %ut %ein" enchanted %! the %liss of the Sam&dhis and not %ein" supported %! the powers of the Buddhas, the! pass to their 2irvana The same fate would %efall the Bodhisattvas e(cept for the sustainin" power of the Buddhas, %! that the! are ena%led to refuse to enter 2irvana until all %ein"s can enter 2irvana with them The Tath&"atas point out to them the virtues of Buddhahood, which are %e!ond the conception of the intellectual$mind, and the! encoura"e and stren"then the Bodhisattvas not to "ive in to the enchantment of the %liss of the Sam&dhis, %ut to press on to further advancement alon" the sta"es If the Bodhisattvas had entered 2irvana at this sta"e, and the! would have done so without the sustainin" power of the Buddhas, there would have %een the cessation of all thin"s and the famil! of the Tath&"atas would have %ecome e(tinct Stren"thened %! the new stren"th that comes to them from the Buddhas and with more perfect insi"ht that is theirs %! reason of their advance in self$reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom, the! re$e(amine the nature of the mind$s!stem, the e"o$less$ness of personalit!, and the part that "raspin" and attachment and ha%it$ener"! pla! in the unfoldin" drama of life, the! re$e(amine the illusions of the fourfold lo"ical anal!sis, and the various elements that enter into enli"htenment and self$reali4ation, and, in the thrill of their new powers of self$master!, the Bodhisattvas enter upon the seventh sta"e of )ar$"oin" /Durangama0 Supported %! the sustainin" power of the Buddhas, the Bodhisattvas at this sta"e enter into the %liss of the Sam&dhi of perfect tran5uili4ation Owin" to their ori"inal vows the! are transported %! emotions of love and compassion as the! %ecome aware of the part the! are to perform in the carr!in" out of their vows for

1,/ emancipation of all %ein"s Thus the! do not enter into 2irvana, %ut, in truth, the! too are alread! in 2irvana %ecause in their emotions of love and compassion there is no risin" of discrimination, henceforth, with them, discrimination no more takes place Because of Transcendental Intelli"ence onl! one conception is present the promotion of the reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom This is called the Bodhisattvas 2irvana the losin" oneself in the %liss of perfect self$!ieldin" This is the seventh sta"e, the sta"e of )ar$"oin" The ei"hth sta"e is the sta"e of 2o$recession /Acala0 <p to this sta"e, %ecause of the defilements upon the face of <niversal Mind caused %! the accumulation of ha%it$ ener"! since %e"innin"$less time, the mind$s!stem and all that pertains to it has %een evolved and sustained The mind$s!stem functioned %! the discriminations of an e(ternal and o%+ective world to which it %ecame attached and %! which it was perpetuated But with the Bodhisattvas attainment of the ei"hth sta"e there comes a 1turnin"$a%out1 within his deepest seat of consciousness from self$centered e"oism to universal compassion for all %ein"s, %! which he attains perfect self$reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom There is an instant of cessation of the delusive activities of the whole mind$s!stem, the dancin" of the waves of ha%it$ener"! on the face of <niversal Mind are forever stilled, revealin" its own inherent 5uietness and solitude, the inconceiva%le Oneness of the 3om% of Tath&"ata$hood *enceforth there is no more lookin" outward upon an e(ternal world %! senses and sense$minds, nor a discrimination of particulari4ed concepts and ideas and propositions %! an intellectual$mind, no more "raspin", nor attachment, nor pride of e"oism, nor ha%it$ener"! *enceforth there is onl! the inner e(perience of 2o%le 3isdom, which has %een attained %! enterin" into its perfect Oneness Thus esta%lishin" himself at the ei"hth sta"e of 2o$recession, the Bodhisattva enters into the %liss of the ten Sam&dhis, %ut avoidin" the path of the disciples and masters who !ielded themselves up to their entrancin" %liss and who passed to their 2irvanas, and supported %! his vows and the Transcendental Intelli"ence which now is his and %ein" sustained %! the power of the Buddhas, he enters upon the hi"her paths that lead to Tath&"ata$hood *e passes throu"h the %liss of the Sam&dhis to assume the transformation %od! of a Tath&"ata that throu"h him all %ein"s ma! %e emancipated Mahamati, If there had %een no Tath&"ata$wom% and no Divine Mind then there would have %een no risin" and disappearance of the a""re"ates that make up personalit! and its e(ternal world, no risin" and disappearance of i"norant people nor hol! people, and no task for Bodhisattvas, therefore, while walkin" in the path of self$reali4ation and enterin" into the en+o!ments of the Sam&dhis, !ou must never a%andon workin" hard for the emancipation of all %ein"s and !our self$!ieldin" love will never %e in vain To philosophers the conception of Tath&"ata$wom% seems devoid of purit! and soiled %! these e(ternal manifestations, %ut it is not so understood %! the Tath&"atas, to them it is not a proposition of philosoph! %ut an intuitive e(perience as real as thou"h it was an amalaka fruit held in the palm of the hand 3ith the cessation of the mind$s!stem and all its evolvin" discriminations, there is cessation of all strain and effort It is like a man in a dream who ima"ines he is crossin" a river and who e(erts himself to the utmost to do so, who is suddenl! awakened Bein" awake, he thinks: 1Is this real or is it unreal81 Bein" now

1,1 enli"htened he knows that it is neither real nor unreal Thus when the Bodhisattva arrives at the ei"hth sta"e, he is a%le to see all thin"s truthfull! and, more than that, he is a%le to thorou"hl! understand the si"nificance of all dream$like thin"s of his life as to how the! came to pass and as to how the! pass awa! .ver since %e"innin"$ less time the mind$s!stem has perceived multiplicities of forms, conditions, and ideas, which the thinkin"$mind has discriminated, and the empirical$mind has e(perienced, "rasped, and clun" to )rom this has risen ha%it$ener"! that %! its accumulation has conditioned the illusions of e(istence and non$e(istence, individualit! and "eneralit!, and has thus perpetuated the dream$state of false$ ima"ination But now, to the Bodhisattvas of the ei"hth sta"e, life is past and is remem%ered, as it trul! was a passin" dream #s lon" as the Bodhisattva had not passed the seventh sta"e, even thou"h he had attained an intuitive understandin" of the true meanin" of life and its Ma!a$like nature, and as to how the mind carried on its discriminations and attachments !et, nevertheless, the cherishin" of the notions of these thin"s had continued and, althou"h he no lon"er e(perienced within himself an! ardent desire for thin"s nor an! impulse to "rasp them !et, nevertheless, the notions concernin" them persisted and perfumed his efforts to practice the teachin"s of the Buddhas and to la%or for the emancipation of all %ein"s 2ow, in the ei"hth sta"e, even the notions have passed awa!, and all effort and strivin" is seen to %e unnecessar! The Bodhisattvas 2irvana is perfect tran5uili4ation, %ut it is not e(tinction nor inertness, while there is an entire a%sence of discrimination and purpose, there is the freedom and spontaneit! of potentialit! that has come with the attainment and patient acceptance of the truths of e"o$less$ness and ima"eless$ness *ere is perfect solitude, undistur%ed %! an! "radation or continuous succession, %ut radiant with the potenc! and freedom of its self$nature, which is the self$nature of 2o%le 3isdom, %lissfull! peaceful with the serenit! of 'erfect Love .nterin" upon the ei"hth sta"e, with the 1turnin"$a%out1 at the deepest seat of consciousness, the Bodhisattva will %ecome conscious that he has received the second kind of Transcendental$%od! /Manomayakaya0 The transition from mortal$ %od! to Transcendental$%od! has nothin" to do with mortal death, for the old %od! continues to function and the old mind serves the needs of the old %od!, %ut now it is free from the control of mortal mind There has %een an inconceiva%le transformation$death /accintya-parinama-cyuti0 %! which the false$ima"ination of his particulari4ed individual personalit! has %een transcended %! a reali4ation of his oneness with the universali4ed mind of Tath&"ata$hood, from which reali4ation there will %e no recession 3ith that reali4ation he finds himself ampl! endowed with all the Tath&"atas powers, ps!chic faculties, and self$master!, and, +ust as the "ood earth is the support of all %ein"s in the world of desire /karma athu0, so the Tath&"atas %ecome the support of all %ein"s in the Transcendental 3orld of 2o$ form The first seven of the Bodhisattva sta"es were in the realm of mind and the ei"hth, while transcendin" mind, was still in touch with it, %ut in the ninth sta"e of Transcendental Intelli"ence /Sa humati0, %! reason of his perfect intelli"ence and insi"ht into the ima"eless$ness of Divine Mind which he had attained %! self$ reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom, he is in the realm of Tath&"ata$hood :raduall! the

1,2 Bodhisattva will reali4e his Tath&"ata$nature and the possession of all its powers and ps!chic faculties, self$master!, lovin" compassion, and skillful means, and %! means of them will enter into all the Buddha$lands Makin" use of these new powers, the Bodhisattva will assume various transformation$%odies and personalities for the sake of %enefitin" others =ust as in the former mental life, ima"ination had risen from relative$knowled"e, so now skillful means rise spontaneousl! from Transcendental Intelli"ence It is like the ma"ical "em that reflects instantaneousl! appropriate responses to ones wishes The Bodhisattva passes over to all the assem%la"es of the Buddhas and listens to them as the! discourse on the dream$like nature of all thin"s and concernin" the truths that transcend all notions of %ein" and non$%ein", that have no relation to %irth and death, nor to eternalit! nor e(tinction Thus facin" the Tath&"atas as the! discourse on 2o%le 3isdom that is far %e!ond the mental capacit! of disciples and masters, he will attain a hundred thousand Sam&dhis, indeed, a hundred thousand 2a!utas of kotis of Sam&dhis, and in the spirit of these Sam&dhis he will instantl! pass from one Buddha$land to another, pa!in" homa"e to all the Buddhas, %ein" %orn into all the celestial mansions, manifestin" Buddha$%odies, and himself discoursin" on the Triple Treasure to lesser Bodhisattvas that the! too ma! partake of the fruits of self$ reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom Thus passin" %e!ond the last sta"e of Bodhisattva$hood, he %ecomes a Tath&"ata himself endowed with all the freedom of the Dharmaka!a The tenth sta"e %elon"s to the Tath&"atas *ere the Bodhisattva will find himself seated upon a lotus$like throne in a splendid +ewel$adorned palace and surrounded %! Bodhisattvas of e5ual rank Buddhas from all Buddha$lands will "ather a%out him and with their pure and fra"rant hands restin" on his forehead will "ive him ordination and reco"nition as one of themselves Then the! will assi"n him a Buddha$land that he ma! posses and perfect as his own The tenth sta"e is called the :reat Truth Cloud /Dharmamegha0, inconceiva%le, inscruta%le Onl! the Tath&"atas can reali4e perfect Ima"eless$ness and Oneness and Solitude It is Mahesvara, the 7adiant Land, the 'ure Land, the Land of )ar$ distances, surroundin" and surpassin" the lesser worlds of form and desire /karma athu0, in which the Bodhisattva will find himself atonement Its ra!s of 2o%le 3isdom which is the self$nature of the Tath&"atas, man!$colored, entrancin", auspicious, are transformin" the triple world as other worlds have %een transformed in the past, and still other worlds will %e transformed in the future But in the 'erfect Oneness of 2o%le 3isdom there is no "radation nor succession nor effort The tenth sta"e is the first, the first is the ei"hth, and the ei"hth is the fifth, the fifth the seventh: what "radation can there %e where perfect Ima"e$less$ness and Oneness prevail8 #nd what is the realit! of 2o%le 3isdom8 It is the ineffa%le potenc! of the Dharmaka!a, it has no %ounds nor limits, it surpasses all the Buddha$lands, and pervades the #kanistha and the heavenl! mansions of the Tushita /*eavens0

1,4

Temple Tales 4leven

The vo!"e o$ Charley L!nden Thorp

The Bea"h 8ev!s!ted

&ear -teve, $n an earlier "emple "ale $ mentioned the 'each and all that it signified in my life. $ now feel ready to e#plore this further, in the light of what insights $ have had during this past year as a totally engaged 'uddhist. 3hen $ first conceptuali:ed this $ found that $ was continually blocked, but now my revelations of the 6otus -utra make me able to reali:e this scrap of an idea. As a writer or artist $ often get only glimpses of things like this, and clearly $ am not mature or insightful enough to pursue them at that time. (ow, in the light, $ am certain that the beach means "waking to the true nature of one;s own being." $t means having the courage to be oneself, the courage to e#press ourselves no matter what the weather, and being in tune with everyone, like the sands of the 0angesG we are all certain to have met before anyway. $t means living in confidence that there is a plan operated by the 7ystic 6aw of the Iniverse, which will gradually unfold if one allows itG this re8uires the utmost truth and trust, in other words faith. And it means living in an inspired way, not fearfully. 'each dwellers see everything in the clear light of optimism and universal unconditional love. !n beaches, e#posed to the climate, things change all the time. "he sand is shifted by the wind, or transplanted up and down the beach by the tide. "hings appear there brought up by the sea, and trees and plants on the margin shed their leaves in high winds or hurricanes or in autumn. $f it is a tropical or e8uatorial beach all the materials are there to make a shelterG there are fishing lines and nets to be made, and caves to retreat into. "emperate beaches have dunes and polders to dig up peat from and make warming fires when the north winds blow. "hese factors may seem rather self-evident, but perhaps not so when $ tell you that such beaches are right slap-bang in the middle of the -aha world, the middle of the great ocean of suffering, and they are as varied as the individual minds in which they are conceived, just like the disciples of the 'uddha are as varied as a world of individuals. As the 'uddha instructs the eager 7ahamati in this chapter, 'odhisattvas may well have passed ";out of the glare of the shadows into a realm of "no-shadows,"; in other words have gained access to the beach, but they "must never abandon working hard for the emancipation of all beings." "he beach dwellers can just "be" in a tran8uil state with the security of warm sun and soft sand, and the tide rhythmically transforming the character of the beach each time it rises and falls. 'ut they are not lethargic, in fact on the contrary. "hey can make use of the resources of the beach to sustain their lives, by building shade shelters, and making fishing nets, harvesting crabs and other sea-food, and constructing salt-flats so that they can both have fresh drinking water and cakes of salt dried by the sun. "hey are vigorous in the art of surviving not for the sake of doing so, but in order to serve all sentient beings and eliminate all their suffering. "he 'each dwellers have been able to find their paradise by virtue of this great compassion, which is a flow of subtle energy connecting them directly to the cosmos. $t is truly a place where suffering has ceased and there are no "mental agitations going on in the minds of those assembled" E6otus -utra h1,p1F !f course there are winds there, as

1,? always on sea shores, but they do not disturb the surface of the ocean of tran8uility, as there are distractions from all the 'odhisattvas who are still unable to know and take control of their own minds and who conse8uently behave badly and without compassion towards their fellow beings and their environment. 'ut though these "winds" blow, ferociously at times, the 'each &wellers cannot detect rough seas. "heir minds are still, detached from passions and enervating emotions because they understand fully the Iniversal 6aw of the osmos. "hey are content to be a configuration of energy, which has no name or visible form. 'eaches are places where self-reali:ation within the "inmost consciousness" can be appreciated, can be lived, in a way beyond the normal means of description because it defies the shallow constructs of words and sentences. "he self-reali:ed are able to be themselves perfectly. "hey are each e8ual part mentor and disciple working together, "unified in heart, mind and purpose, to transform the inner state of the life of all humanity." E$kedaF "his oneness, which they share, finds e#pression by smiles and sighs, a song and an arabes8ue, as they move their beautiful, genderless bodies around in the liberation of a sandscape in full sunlight. "hey often close their eyes and intermingle with each other, able to pass in and out of each others skins, adoring shared un8uestionable silence. "hey do not have names or status, no money, honors or fame, and everything that happens around them they are able to turn into benefit, something positive. All the merit they have amassed through their compassionate acts and thoughts are placed in a large glistening pool of energy available to generate love and kindness to all their kind. 'reath is very important to the beach dwellers. $t is birth and death, but above all it is love, the infinite breath of the universe. 'eaches provide ideal conditions in which to breathe as there is always space and light, and the healthy 8uality of salt to ingest. $t is breath that allows them to assume human form by blowing energy into matter and so breathing beautiful golden bodies into e#istence. $t takes care of all color and te#ture, form and potency. $t is the constant smiling attention to the breath, which keeps their lives flowing down the enormous river of humanity. $t is their true purpose in being, breathing in unison with all other manifestations of energy. 'reathing with rocks and trees, with animals and fish, with volcanoes and mountains, and with massed sentient beings all breathing and smiling as one. 3hen they have dealt with the problems of the -aha world which occur all around them, the dwellers need each day to return to the beaches and to sit beautifully poised in the sand or on a rock, and to smile and concentrate every atom of their energy on their breathing. $t is an endless source of fascination to them as each breath is new and different, as different and various as all sentient beings. "hey have been able to achieve oneness not only with each other but with the Iniversal law that runs everything and so they have special powers. 9ach of them is able to change places with a grain of sand or a pebble, or a droplet of sea spray, or to get into the skin of a sudden scudding dolphin that launches itself out of the deeps. For the total letting go of &iscriminating 7ind has allowed them to transform themselves into other phenomena, their Iniversal fabric, to assume other shapes and forms, energies and colors. "hey understand the universe thoroughly. "hey are gifted at breathing into it. $n addition they are familiar with the spirits of the animals which share their beaches, laying the eggs of green turtles, cross-stepping rapidly as crabs pursued by loud gulls, and coursing in the

1,@ repetitive joyous circles of a liberated dog. $t is common that when and as they sit or walk in meditation their skin becomes rock skin, sand skin, air skin, no longer in proud possession of personality, certain attitudes, or a handsome head. "here is one sole flavor of their energy that is humanity itself. "his has been given a name by those bodhisattvas who are still harnessed to their discriminating word-teaching minds. $t is education. "his word has come to mean many things as human form has become more and more developed intellectually, but in origin it means to "lead out," to give beneficial nourishment to, to develop, and in a basic physiological way to allow to move. 3ithout this 8uality the human form beings have breathed into e#istence would be static, would decay even more 8uickly than they already do, paraly:ed. $t is education, which enables them to move and grow. $t is a type of cosmological food. -adly with the loss of faith in human lives education has ceased to develop, has become fi#ed and narrow, limited to the confines of arbitrary thoughts obligatorily changed into words and sentences, locked away. From time to time then their human form disappears from the beach, but it is never very far away. 'each lovers will know full well that it is easy to find a cloud with a smile, or a pebble with a dimple, or even a wave with silver hair. "he presence of the beach dwellers in meditation, radiating their great compassion is essential, though for most of the time as incidents occur they must participate in them, must interact and transmit their uni8ue wisdom to the suffering and confused. A killer shark maims and kills a young boy. %is parents implore the beach dwellers who are always so composed to tell them why their son must be lost, but there are no real answers and it is difficult to console the doting parents. "he beach dwellers try ardently to stop a team of seething coast-guards launching their powerful speed boat to hunt and kill all sharks, but it is no use. Cevenge froths in their mouths. "hen colorful foreign women in seductive dresses come in groups carrying straw baskets on their heads full of their wares. "hey pin the dwellers down, force them to e#amine the wonderful 8uality of their things, insist that they buy for a "good price" because they have starving children to feed. "he dwellers search for money though they don;t have nearly enough, but the vendors snatch the coins and the fabrics out of their hands and rush off along the beach. "hen news is received of an oil tanker, which has discharged thousands of gallons of crude oil out to sea. Already it is rolling in thick welts into the rock pools and marooning sea birds, which just flap in the sticky mess dying for flight. And in the midst of this spoiling of the coastline suddenly a great row breaks out between the fishermen who fight to the death over fishing rights. "he beach dwellers can only offer their calmness, their altruism, and any physical help that may be useful. !ccasionally a grieving parent, or a vendor who has not been greedy enough and has made no money to buy bread for her children, or a defeated fisherman, wanders over to the meditating dwellers who sit smiling and breathing, golden like human sand. At first they watch stunned, bewildered, and maybe some of them turn and run in fear of these strange naked figures with eyes dreamily closed, but occasionally one of them may sit down in the sand, allow their tears or an#iety to be put aside for a moment, and just listen to a few seconds of letting go, to finger a few wisps of tran8uility. "his crumb of release will at some point in time constitute a whole loaf and then they will commence their inner voyage and aspire to the beaches.

1.A "he ocean tides bring new humans up every day, and those who are ready to discard their human form sit in the sand on and on until the beach absorbs it. "heir breath permits their e#istence or non-e#istence in physical form but has always occurred as eternal energy, as they go on inhabiting beaches beyond the reaches of time and space. As the incidents of the -aha world increase in their violence and horror, in their fre8uency, it becomes time for the beach dwellers to leave their own silent self-education and self-reali:ation, and to find ways of educating or helping to train the minds of the suffering and the simple minded. "hey create schools of &harma in bamboo groves near the beaches, and find ingenious ways of improving the capacity of humans to create value in and for themselves, and gain entry into each individual potential. "he art of transformation is the single most important subject to communicate, making sure that they do not create a system in which their charges become dependent or into#icated by their glimpses into tran8uility and self-reali:ation. $t is possible for everyone to live on a beach, sunlit littorals with authentic weather, in order to rest and generate compassion. $f we really know ourselves, can take control of the deluded and ignorant way we see the world, then compassion floods in like the bore wave of a spring tide. $t is our nature as humans. 9ventually they will learn how and where to find oneness both with themselves and with their mentor, for themselves and for others. "his guided journey into their own (oble 3isdom is "like the magical gem that reflects instantaneously appropriate responses to one;s wishes." E6otus -utra, p4@F %ay all &e!n's learn to l!ve !n the "erta!nty that there !s a 'reat and 'ood ;n!versal plan (h!"h (!ll un$old $or them !$ they allo( !t to.

Chapter .leven
-ince all followers of the 'uddha are 'odhisattvas this chapter applies to any one who takes refuge in the "riple 0em of 'uddha, &harma and -angha. "he definition of a 'odhisattva should also describe your life and personal ministry. A 'odhisattva should be serious and sincere in her effort to advance spiritually. After the 'odhisattva student attains a measure of mental peace and stability it becomes her obligation to teach others who wish to start on the &harma 5ath. 3hen a 'odhisattva begins to reali:e that the -aha world is like a dream, when she understands that all phenomena is inherently empty because everything is dependent on causes and conditions then she has begun to perceive the true -uchness of things. "he 'uddha taught) ""he "hus ome !ne perceives the true aspect of the threefold world e#actly as it is. "here is no ebb or flow of birth and death, and there is no e#isting in this world and later entering e#tinction. $t is neither substantial nor empty, neither consistent nor diverse. (or is it what those who dwell in the threefold world perceive it to be. All such things the "hus ome !ne sees clearly and without error." E"The Lotus Sutra6+ "hapter .BF harley, you will read that there are ten stages of 'odhisattva development but this is also dualistic thinking and should be abandoned. $f you are genuinely concerned about attaining 9nlightenment and you are seriously working at your practice on a daily basis then you will develop a loving heart filled with compassion for all sentient beings.

1.1 "his compassion is part of a natural evolutionary process that leads every 'odhisattva to make ten general vows) *1+ "o honor and serve all 'uddhas *,+ "o spread the knowledge and practice of the &harma *.+ "o welcome all arriving 'uddhas */+ "o practice the si# paramitas *1+ "o help all beings turn towards goodness *2+ "o attain a perfect understanding of the universe *4+ "o completely reali:e that all beings are like youG they want the highest possible happiness without the slightest amount of suffering *?+ "o totally understand that all 'uddhas have the same nature, purpose and spiritual resources *@+ "o become knowledgeable about the numerous skillful, e#pedient means necessary to teach &harma to the wide variety of sentient beings *1A+ "o reali:e 9nlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings "his vow taking does not have to occur in a formal setting or ceremony you can begin now to honor these basic vowsG as you continue to develop you will 8uite naturally find yourself adding personal vows of your own. $t is possible for a skillful practitioner to enter a blissful state in Hu Ethe "ibetan 'ardoF and to choose to remain there for varying lengths of time in the mistaken belief that she has attained (irvana. "his is not the ultimate state of (irvana taught by the 'uddhas= "he goal of 'uddhist practice is not to find some private heaven realm. 9nlightened beings teach others who are seeking &harma wisdom and the freedom of (irvana. 3hat then is (irvanaM (irvana is a state of mind that allows you to live in the -aha world system and yet not e#perience suffering. An enlightened being shares the same ten world system as the rest of us but she dwells in the tenth world of 'uddhahood and has access to the lower nine worlds. A 'uddhist practitioner lives in the lower nine worlds and has access Ethrough practice and studyF to the upper world of 'uddhahood. As your individual ministry develops so will your manomayakaya, which will allow you to reach people at various levels of development and help them to advance along the &harma path. $f you practice in front of one of the various versions of the great 7andala called the 0ohon:on left to us by (ichiren you will eventually discover that you are spending time in the 5ure 6and of the 'uddhas. At first these e#periences will be brief but as your practice progresses the length of time will increase. At such moments you will be one with 5erfect 3isdom.

Chapter AII
TathC'ata5hood6 Wh!"h Is No&le W!sdom
Then said Mahamati to the Blessed One: It has %een tau"ht in the canonical %ooks that the Buddhas are su%+ect to neither %irth nor destruction, and !ou have said

1., that 1the <n$%orn1 is one of the names of the Tath&"atas, does that mean that the Tath&"ata is a non$entit!8 The Blessed One replied: The Tath&"ata is not a non$entit! nor is he to %e conceived as other thin"s are as neither %orn nor disappearin", nor is he su%+ect to causation, not is he without si"nificance, !et I refer to him as 1The <n$%orn 1 There is !et another name for the Tath&"ata 1The Mind$appearin" One1 /Manoma!aka!a0 which his .ssence$%od! assumes at will in the transformations incident to his work of emancipation This is %e!ond the understandin" of common disciples and masters and even %e!ond the full comprehension of those Bodhisattvas who remain in the seventh sta"e 6es, Mahamati, 1The <n$%orn1 is s!non!mous with Tath&"ata Then Mahamati said: If the Tath&"atas are un$%orn, there does not seem to %e an!thin" to take hold of no entit! or is there somethin" that %ears another name than entit!8 #nd what can that 1somethin"1 %e8 The Blessed One replied: O%+ects are fre5uentl! known %! different names accordin" to different aspects that the! present, the "od Indra is sometimes known as Shakra, and sometimes as 'urandara These different names are sometimes used interchan"ea%l! and sometimes the! are discriminated, %ut different o%+ects are not to %e ima"ined %ecause of the different names, nor are the! without individuation The same can %e said of m!self as I appear in this world of patience %efore i"norant people and where I am known %! uncounted trillions of names The! address me %! different names not reali4in" that the! are all names of the one Tath&"ata Some reco"ni4e me as Tath&"ata, some as the self$e(istent one, some as :autama the #scetic, some as Buddha Then there are others who reco"ni4e me as Brahma, as -ishnu, as Ishvara, some see me as Sun, as Moon, some as a reincarnation of the ancient sa"es, some as one of 1ten powers1, some as 7ama, some as Indra, and some as -aruna Still there are others who speak of me as The <n$%orn, as .mptiness, as 1Suchness,1 as Truth, as 7ealit!, as <ltimate 'rinciple, still there are others who see me as Dharmaka!a, as 2irvana, as the .ternal, some speak of me as sameness, as non$dualit!, as un$d!in", as formless, some think of me as the doctrine of Buddha$causation, or of .mancipation, or of the 2o%le 'ath, and some think of me as Divine Mind and 2o%le 3isdom Thus in this world and in other worlds am I known %! these uncounted names, %ut the! all see me as the moon is seen in the water Thou"h the! all honor, praise and esteem me, the! do not full! understand the meanin" and si"nificance of the words the! use, not havin" their own self$ reali4ation of Truth the! clin" to the words of their canonical %ooks, or to what has %een told to them, or to what the! have ima"ined, and fail to see that the name the! are usin" is onl! one of the man! names of the Tath&"ata In their studies the! follow the mere words of the te(t vainl! tr!in" to "ain the true meanin", instead of havin" confidence in the one 1te(t1 where self$confirmin" Truth is revealed, that is, havin" confidence in the self$reali4ation of no%le 3isdom Then said Mahamati: 'ra! tell us, Blessed One, a%out the self$nature of the Tath&"atas8 The Blessed One replied: If the Tath&"ata is to %e descri%ed %! such e(pressions as made or un$made, effect or cause, we would have to descri%e him as neither made, nor un$made, nor effect, nor cause, %ut if we so descri%ed him we would %e "uilt! of dualistic discrimination If the Tath&"ata is somethin" made, he would %e

1.. impermanent, if he is impermanent an!thin" made would %e a Tath&"ata If he is somethin" un$made, then all effort to reali4e Tath&"ata$hood would %e useless That which is neither an effect or cause, is neither a %ein" nor a non$%ein", and that which is neither a %ein" nor non$%ein" is outside the four propositions The four propositions %elon" to worldl! usa"e, that which is outside them is no more than a word, like a %arren$womans child, so are all the terms concernin" the Tath&"ata to %e understood 3hen it is said that all thin"s are e"o$less, it means that all thin"s are devoid of self$ hood .ach thin" ma! have its own individualit!the %ein" of a horse is not of cow natureit is such as it is of its own nature and is thus discriminated %! the i"norant, %ut, nevertheless, its own nature is of the nature of a dream or vision That is wh! the i"norant and the simpleminded, who are in the ha%it of discriminatin" appearances, fail to understand the si"nificance of e"o$less$ness It is not until discrimination is "otten rid of that the fact that all thin"s are empt!, un$%orn and without self$nature can %e appreciated Mahamati, all these e(pressions as applied to the Tath&"atas are without meanin", for that which is none of these is somethin" removed from all measurement, and that which is removed from all measurement turns into a meanin"less word, that which is a mere word is somethin" un$%orn, that which is un$%orn is not su%+ect to destruction, that which is not su%+ect to destruction is like space and space is neither effect nor cause, that which is neither effect nor cause is somethin" unconditioned, that which is unconditioned is %e!ond all reasonin", that which is %e!ond all reasonin", $$ that is the Tath&"ata The self$nature of Tath&"ata$hood is far removed from all predicates and measurements, the self$nature of Tath&"ata$hood is 2o%le 3isdom Then Mahamati said to the Blessed One: #re the Tath&"atas permanent or impermanent8 The Blessed One replied: The Tath&"atas are neither permanent nor impermanent, if either is asserted there is error connected with the creatin" a"encies for, accordin" to the philosophers, the creatin" a"encies are somethin" uncreated and permanent But the Tath&"atas are not connected with the so$called creatin" a"encies and in that sense the! are impermanent If he is said to %e impermanent then he is connected with thin"s that are created for the! also are impermanent )or these reasons the Tath&"atas are neither permanent nor impermanent 2either can the Tath&"atas %e said to %e permanent in the sense that space is said to %e permanent, or that the horns of a hare can %e said to %e permanent for, %ein" unreal, the! e(clude all ideas of permanenc! or impermanenc! This does not appl! to the Tath&"atas %ecause the! come fourth from the ha%it$ener"! of i"norance, which is connected with the mind$s!stem and the elements that make up personalit! The triple world ori"inates from the discrimination of unrealities and where discrimination takes place there is dualit! and the notion of permanenc! and impermanenc!, %ut the Tath&"atas do not rise from the discrimination of unrealities Thus, as lon" as there is discrimination there will %e the notion of permanenc! and impermanenc!, when discrimination is done awa! with, 2o%le 3isdom, which is %ased on the si"nificance of solitude, will %e esta%lished

1./ *owever, there is another sense in which the Tath&"atas ma! %e said to %e permanent Transcendental Intelli"ence risin" with the attainment of enli"htenment is of a permanent nature This Truth$essence, which is discovera%le in the enli"htenment of all who are enli"htened, is reali4a%le as the re"ulative and sustainin" principle of 7ealit!, which forever a%ides The Transcendental Intelli"ence attained intuitivel! %! the Tath&"atas %! their self$reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom, is a reali4ation of their own self$nature, in this sense the Tath&"atas are permanent The eternal$unthinka%le of the Tath&"atas is the 1Suchness1 of no%le 3isdom reali4ed within themselves It is %oth eternal and %e!ond thou"ht It conforms to the idea of a cause and !et is %e!ond e(istence and non$e(istence Because it is the e(alted state of 2o%le$3isdom, it has its own character Because it is the cause of hi"hest 7ealit!, it is its own causation Its eternalit! is not derived from reasonin"s %ased on e(ternal notions of %ein" and non$%ein", nor of eternalit! nor non$eternalit! Bein" classed under the same head as space, cessation, 2irvana, it is eternal Because it has nothin" to do with e(istence and non$e(istence, it is no creator, %ecause it has nothin" to do with creation, nor with %ein" and non$%ein", %ut is onl! revealed in the e(alted state of no%le 3isdom, it is trul! eternal 3hen the twofold passions are destro!ed, and the twofold hindrances are cleared awa!, and the twofold e"o$less$ness is full! understood, and the inconceiva%le transformation death of the Bodhisattva is attained that which remains is the self$ nature of the Tath&"atas 3hen the teachin"s of the Dharma are full! understood and are perfectl! reali4ed %! the disciples and masters, that which is reali4ed in their deepest consciousness is their own Buddha$nature revealed as Tath&"ata In a true sense there are four kinds of sameness relatin" to Buddha$nature: there is sameness of letters, sameness of words, sameness of meanin", and sameness of .ssence The name of the Buddha is spelt: B$<$D$D$*$#, the letters are the same when used for an! Buddha or Tath&"ata 3hen the Brahmans teach the! use various words, and when the Tath&"atas teach the! use the ver! same words, in respect to the words there is a same$ness %etween us In the teachin"s of all the Tath&"atas there is a same$ness of meanin" #mon" all the Buddhas there is a sameness of Buddha nature The! all have the thirt!$two marks of e(cellence and the ei"ht! minor si"ns of %odil! perfection, there is no distinction amon" them e(cept as the! manifest various transformations accordin" to the different dispositions of %ein"s who are to %e disciplined and emancipated %! various means In the <ltimate .ssence, which is Dharmaka!a, all the Buddhas of the past, present and future, are of one same$ness Then said Mahamati to the Blessed One: It has %een said %! the Blessed One that from the ni"ht of .nli"htenment to the ni"ht of the 'arinirvana, the Tath&"ata has uttered no word nor ever will utter a word In what deep meanin" is this true8 The Blessed One replied: B! two reasons of deepest meanin" is it true: In the li"ht of Truth self$reali4ed %! 2o%le 3isdom, and in the Truth of an eternall! a%idin" 7ealit! The self$reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom %! all Tath&"atas is the same as m! own self$reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom, there is no more, no less, no difference, and all the Tath&"atas %ear witness that the state of self$reali4ation is free from words and discriminations and has nothin" to do with the dualistic wa! of speakin", that

1.1 is, all %ein"s receive the teachin"s of the Tath&"atas throu"h self$reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom, not throu"h words of discrimination #"ain Mahamati, there has alwa!s %een an eternall! a%idin" realit! The 1su%stance1 of Truth /Dharmadhatu0 a%ides forever whether a Tath&"ata appears in the world or not So does the 7eason of all thin"s /dharmata0 eternall! a%ide, so does 7ealit! /paramartha0 a%ide and keep its order 3hat has %een reali4ed %! m!self and all other Tath&"atas is this 7ealit! /Dharmaka!a0, the eternall! a%idin" self$orderliness of 7ealit!, the 1Suchness1 /tathata0 of all thin"s, the realness of thin"s /%hutata0, 2o%le 3isdom, which is Truth itself The sun radiates its splendor spontaneousl! on all alike and with no words of e(planation, in like manner do the Tath&"atas radiate the Truth of 2o%le 3isdom with no recourse to words and to all alike )or these reasons is it stated %! me that from the ni"ht of enli"htenment to the ni"ht of the Tath&"atas 'arinirvana, he has not uttered, nor will he utter, one word #nd the same is true of all the Buddhas Then said Mahamati: Blessed one, !ou speak of the sameness of all Buddhas, %ut in other places !ou have spoken of Dharmata$Buddha, 2ish!anda$Buddha and 2irmana$Buddha as thou"h the! were different from each other, how can the! %e the same and !et different8 The Blessed One replied: I speak of the different Buddhas as opposed to the views of the philosophers who %ase their teachin"s on the realit! of an e(ternal world of from and who cherish discrimination and attachments arisin" there from, a"ainst the teachin"s of these philosophers I disclose the 2irmana$Buddha, the Buddha of Transformations In the man! transformations of the Tath&"ata sta"e, the 2irmana$Buddha esta%lishes such matters as charit!, moralit!, patience, thou"htfulness, and tran5uilli4ation: %! ri"ht$knowled"e he teaches the true understandin" of Ma!a$like nature of the elements that make up personalit! and its e(ternal world, he teaches the true nature of the mind$s!stem as a whole and in the distinctions of its forms, functions and wa!s of performance In a deeper sense, the 2irmana$Buddha s!m%oli4es the principles of differentiation and inte"ration %! reason of which all component thin"s are distri%uted, all comple(ities simplified, all thou"hts anal!4ed, at the same time it s!m%oli4es the harmoni4in", unif!in" power of s!mpath! and compassion, it removes all o%stacles, it harmoni4es all differences, it %rin"s into perfect Oneness the discordant man! )or the emancipation of all %ein"s the Bodhisattvas and Tath&"atas assume %odies of transformation and emplo! man! skilful devices, this is the work of the 2irmana$Buddha )or the enli"htenment of the Bodhisattvas and their sustainin" alon" the sta"es, the Inconceiva%le is made reali4a%le The 2ish!anda$Buddha, the 1Out$flowin"$ Buddha,1 thou"h Transcendental Intelli"ence, reveals the true meanin" and si"nificance of appearances, discrimination, attachment, and of the power of ha%it$ ener"! which is accumulated %! them and conditions them, and of the un$%orn$ness, the emptiness, the e"o$less$ness of all thin"s Because of Transcendental Intelli"ence and the purification of the evil out$flowin"s of life, all dualistic views of e(istence and non e(istence are transcended, and %! self reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom the true ima"e$less$ness of 7ealit! is made manifest The inconceiva%le "lor! of Buddhahood is made manifest in ra!s of 2o%le 3isdom, 2o%le 3isdom is the self$nature of the Tath&"atas This is the work of the 2ish!anda$Buddha In a deeper sense, the

1.2 2ish!anda$Buddha s!m%oli4es the emer"ence of the principles of intellection and compassion %ut as !et undifferentiated and in perfect %alance, potential %ut un$ manifest Looked at from the in$"oin" side of the Bodhisattva, 2ish!anda$Buddha is seen in the "lorified %odies of the Tath&"atas, looked at from the fourth$"oin" side of Buddhahood, 2ish!anda$Buddha is seen in the radiant personalities of the Tath&"atas read! and ea"er to manifest the inherent Love and 3isdom of the Dharmaka!a Dharmata$Buddha is Buddhahood in its self$nature of perfect oneness in whom a%solute Tran5uilit! prevails #s no%le 3isdom, Dharmata$Buddha transcends all differentiated knowled"e, is the "oal of intuitive self$reali4ation, and is the self$ nature of the Tath&"atas #s 2o%le 3isdom, Dharmata$Buddha is the ultimate 'rinciple of 7ealit! from which all thin"s derive their %ein" and truthfulness, %ut which in itself transcends all predicates Dharmata$Buddha is the central sun, which holds all, illumines all Its inconceiva%le .ssence is made manifest in the 1out$ flowin"1 "lor! of 2ish!anda$Buddha and in the transformations of the 2irmana$ Buddha Then said Mahamati: 'ra! tell us, Blessed One, more a%out the Dharmaka!a8 The Blessed One replied: 3e have %een speakin" of it in terms of Buddhahood, %ut it is inscruta%le and %e!ond normal comprehension so we ma! +ust as well speak of it as the Truth$%od!, or the Truth$principle of ultimate 7ealit! /Paramartha0 This <ltimate 'rinciple of 7ealit! ma! %e considered as it is manifested under seven aspects: )irst, as !itta-gocara, it is the world of spiritual e(perience and the a%ode of the Tath&"atas on their out"oin" mission of emancipation It is 2o%le 3isdom manifested as the principle of irradianc! and individuation Second, as "nana, it is the mind$world and its principle of the intellection and consciousness Third as Dristi, it is the realm of dualism which is the ph!sical world of %irth and death wherein are manifested all the differentiations of thinker, thinkin", and thou"ht a%out and where$in are manifested the principles of sensation, perception, discrimination, desire, attachment and sufferin" )ourth, %ecause of the "reed, an"er, infatuation, sufferin" and need of the ph!sical world incident to discrimination and attachment, it reveals a world %e!ond the realm of dualism wherein it appears as the inte"ratin" principle of charit! and s!mpath! )ifth, in a realm still hi"her, which is the a%ode of the Bodhisattva sta"es, and is analo"ous to the mind$world, where the interests of heart transcend those of the mind, it appears as the principle of compassion and self$"ivin" Si(th, in the spiritual realm where the Bodhisattvas attain Buddhahood, it appears as the principle of perfect Love /#aruna0 *ere the last clin"in" to an e"o$self is a%andoned and the Bodhisattva enters into his self$reali4ation of no%le 3isdom, which is the %liss of the Tath&"atas perfect en+o!ment of his inmost nature Seventh, as Prajna$ it is the active aspect of the <ltimate 'rinciple wherein %oth the forth "oin" and the in$comin" principles are alike implicit and potential, and wherein %oth 3isdom and Love are in perfect %alance, harmon! and the Oneness These are the seven aspects of the ultimate 'rinciple of the Dharmaka!a, %! reason of which all thin"s are made manifest and perfected and then reinte"rated, and all remainin" within its inscruta%le Oneness, with no si"ns of individuation, nor %e"innin", nor succession, nor endin", we speak of it as Dharmaka!a, as <ltimate

1.4 'rinciple, as Buddhahood, as 2irvana, what matters it8 The! are onl! other names for 2o%le$3isdom Mahamati, !ou and all Bodhisattva$Mahasattvas should avoid the erroneous reasonin" of the philosophers and seek for self$reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom

Temple Tale T(elve

The vo!"e o$ Charley L!nden Thorp

%eet!n' People at The!r Worlds

&ear -teve, ""he 'uddha knows that the minds of loving beings are timid, weak and lowly, and so, using the power of e#pedient means, he preaches two nirvanas in order to provide a resting place along the road. $f living beings choose to remain in these two stages, then the "hus ome !ne will say to them, L>ou have not yet understood what is to be done. "his stage where you have chosen to remain is close to the 'uddha wisdom. 'ut you should observe and ponder further. "his nirvana that you have attained is not the true one. $t is simply that the "hus ome !ne, using the power of e#pedient means, has taken the one 'uddha vehicle and, making distinctions, has preached it as three. L" ELotus Sutra6 Ch DF -teve, $ feel that this 8uotation, which you cited so pertinently in your commentary to this chapter, needs to be repeated. $t is crucial for us to understand how ego and pride in human nature can lead us to resting on our laurels and, worst of all, feeling superior to others, feeling that the job is done which leads to disintegration and indolence. Also, speaking as a lifelong educationalist, to understand how e#pedient means must be used almost to trick or entertain the limited yet domineering intellect. 7ost of us are simply not integrated, always living a meta or indirect life held together with the abstract and watery glue of language, always pausing to judge or congratulate ourselves, to reward, to regret, to have one last drink, to defer. Although the above 8uotation is only reportedly what the 'uddha said, and is of course in translation, his patience and his greatest wish that all beings cease to suffer and attain enlightenment shine through. $n the 6ankavatara -utra there are also many instances of his encouragement and reassurance of 7ahamati as he asks unending and surprisingly naive philosophical 8uestions. "he 'uddha answers these 8uestions each with small hints of the truth of the 6otus -utra which is yet to be revealed, but somehow 7ahamati, and presumably the other 'odhisattvas-7ahasattvas, "all perfect masters" gathered to listen to the &harma, apparently are unable to glean what he is skillfully angling at. $t seems to be like a subtle game where one is asked to describe something without using the most obvious words. 5erhaps 7ahamati is not listening properly, is more intent upon his 8uestions than upon the careful answers. %is very first 8uestion concerning the Ceali:ation of (oble 3isdom is elo8uently e#pressed with didacticism, but seems like a song, which is complete with all its complicated lyrics, but lacks any trace of a melody,

1.? the melody of the Iniversal 6aw. %e seems to have totally ignored the 'uddha;s several attempts in his introduction to the -utra to e#plain that the "ruth of (oble 3isdom is "reali:able only within the inmost consciousness," and by implication that, as we are all uni8ue individuals, each of us has the responsibility to do this for ourselves. "his is our true work as humans. $t is obvious that even these highly evolved 'odhisattvas-7ahasattvas are very much involved with the comple# e#plications and elaborate lists of procedures for attaining (irvana which were prevalent at this time, the legacy of 'rahmin philosophy. -o much so that throughout the entire -utra there is no evidence in the 8uestions of 7ahamati, which presumably represent those of all his colleagues, that they have truly delved into their own inner consciousness. !r is it perhaps that this rather secular idea of knowing one;s own mind, is something more familiar to our time of mental sickness and delusion than $ndian society at the time of the 'uddha. $t is indeed an e#citing thought that we moderns may have more developed psychological tools to enable us to recuperate our faith in the spiritual wilderness most of us inhabit. As the above 8uotation from the 6otus -utra clearly states the 'uddha was constantly and deliberately softening the truth, or putting a spoonful of sugar with it, so that it would be more easily acceptable. 6ike the generous and doting father of the parable of the burning house the 'uddha promises the children three carts pulled by various creatures if they come out of the burning house, but when they do so in fact gives them instead the spectacular "single vehicle" pulled by a magnificent white o# and encrusted with precious gems. "he 6ankavatara -utra is so clearly a representation of the three smaller carts and the 6otus -utra the magnificent one. "his of course is all tied up with the reward for generating compassion for all sentient beings which is ultimate liberation from suffering. 'ut as you say, -teve, "the reality that 'uddhas e#perience cannot be transmitted in dualistic words or even concepts." E6ank. -utra, hapter 1,F "his is the trap the intellect continually takes us into, that of seeking all the answers outside of ourselves, and of depending on talk or treatise to guide us to the pinnacle of all intellectual knowledge. All the time, as $ have said before, we have the answers we each need to be fully human right there inside us. 3e may hitch a ride on the raft of &harma te#ts for a time, but in the end, once we have crossed to the shore of 9nlightenment, we no longer need that raft. "o go back for a moment to the crucial business of education, $ continually find that people are not able to face themselves, or are on the whole not even aware that they should. "hey are disconnected from themselves and from the universe. $t is therefore essential to find an acceptable way to inspire people and help them find the courage to really get to know their true "self" instead of all the manufactured images created by the ever-present media and the continual inner dialogue. As a "teacher" or "therapist" myself for many years, $ have often been critici:ed by others who work by the book for my somewhat unorthodo# approach. $n the role as facilitator, as $ prefer to see it, $ long ago decided that before pupils or students or clients Etheir titles have varied as $ myself have changed mine through the yearsF can find that tiny glimmer of their true nature showing through which motivates them to start to teach themselves, $ must take time to see how they learn, to listen to them. $n many psychological disciplines this is technically called "meeting people at their worlds," and this of course is e#actly what the 'uddha was so good at. "he outcome of this approach is fascinating. $ became 8uite skilled at constructing an imaginary handbook for each client $ worked with so that $ could guide

1.@ them with their subject matter, be it learning a musical instrument, learning a language, or learning to cope with epileptic fits, for e#ample. $n pedagogical terminology this approach would be termed "client centered" as opposed to "teacher centered," but "client centered free-fall" styleG no methodology, no procedures or contingencies, just lashings of patience and compassion. $ reali:e now of course that $ was far more interested in the inner world of each client and their becoming "balanced," as $ used to call it, than the subject or skill $ was guiding. "his was especially so teaching young children music. $t was important to learn about how they were "wired up," i.e.. what kinds of patterns their brains made in a learning situation. "his could be an assessment at a gross level, i.e.. if they were right or left hand dominant, or at a more subtle level, i.e.. if they were visual, auditory, kinaesthetic, gustatory or olfactory. $f they were left handed, which in a right-handed world can be an ostensible disability, then very often they had little muscular tone in their right hands when playing the piano, for instance. Duite often taking the child away from the piano to a big table loaded with paper and crayons and encouraging them to draw first with their left hand, and then with the right, created an awareness that the right hand was not necessarily weaker than the left but just did things rather differently. For years $ had a gallery of "different" hand paintings, which demonstrated that the Lweak; hand could produce ethereal, dreamy drawings, with an impressionistic 8uality. "his naturally boosted the confidence of the child. $n a way they started to pay special attention to their so-called deficit, to listen more carefully instead of writing it off as hopeless and relegating it to the scrap heap. And eventually to becoming more balanced. $n the case of a child who was clearly visually dominant for e#ample, $ used colorful and stimulating symbols written into their music or even on their hands to get them to watch what they were doing, or asked them to draw a piece of music as $ played. 6ater, when whole pieces had been learned, they could be taught to visuali:e the manuscript and to rehearse silently. (o matter what strategy $ decided upon the fact that a grown-up was listening to them and taking them seriously for a prescribed period of time each week, usually imbued confidence. ""each me how you do that please," was a plea $ often made which they delighted in. 'ut what was always da::ling was the inner journeying that was going on. 'y showing me how they learned it was brought to the surface of their consciousness as well, and they became habituated to looking inside the colorful wonderland of their own minds or imaginations to see what was there. $ suppose, looking back on what $ did then, $ was guiding them or introducing them to the value of contemplation. -essions invariably began with a moment;s silence perhaps sitting on some cushions, and then 8uestions as to what they imagined during that time. !ccasionally $ would light a candle and then ask them to go to their instrument and make a musical picture of that candle light, and other stimuli. $ made it very clear that their inner lives were essential to being good musicians and that $ as their audience was eager to learn about them. !f course one re8uisite to the producing of wonderful music is a meditative 8uality, both at a physical and a mental level. 3e must become open channels for beautiful sounds to resonate and flow through. 9ven now, although $ have long-since stopped teaching music, $ hear from those once young musicians who have become professionals nowadays, and who have embarked upon their own inner voyages. $t is apparent that they have benefited enormously from

1/A the concrete nature of music in which there is little or no place for the intellectual, or arbitrary symbols. "hese strategies really came into their own with profoundly handicapped children. "hen silence is a jewel, and allows them to e#perience their emotions. $t is paramount. "his all takes time, and one of the things $ fought for with parents and providers was the unimportance of immediate visual results. As far as money is concerned, this often did not go down too well, but in some cases it took months to get trust and even elicit eyecontact for one second. "his was colossal progress, the first minute step that would lead to more. "he 'uddha was able to meet people at their worlds and remain unattached and yet utterly compassionate. $n the emotional turmoil of the time modern man interprets "unattached" as cold and, ironically, inhuman, and "compassionate" as pitying. 9ffectively this means that we meet crude emotion and reactivity with the same and end up just as debilitated if not more so than the person we are trying to interact with or to comfort. "here can only be superficial comfort here which encourages a habitual state of e#ternal sentimentality, a kind of creative avoidance of going inside. 3e are such practiced judges of everything and everyone that we imagine that we are being assessed in our responses by such a judge, and woe betide anyone who is cold and heartless. $t is our ingrained reactivity, which de-centers and destabili:es us. "he 'uddha not only had perfect e8uanimity but held the master plans of the cosmos, so was truly able to guide towards goals which he was already informed of. %e was the vast tran8uil ocean undisturbed by emotional winds. "o react or to not react - this is a dilemma in modern life. $ have been accused on many emotionally charged occasions of being cold and heartless, or of coming out with "smug" or "smart" remarks or solutions. $ do not react to situations with anger or nail-biting an#iety, and invariably sleep the sleep of the just, as my mother always called it, whilst she stayed up most of the night worrying or speculating. $ found this native 8uality, though nowadays it is taught as a techni8ue or strategy in interpersonal relations, essential when dealing with the parents and siblings, or other family members of handicapped children. $t is useless to empathi:e with their intermittent bouts of sulphurous anger and "why meM=," of desperation mingled with inconsolable despair. "here is also such a lot of guilt involved. $ have talked to them of their profoundly handicapped offspring as spiritual teacher and magnanimous provider, of opportunities to work off their own negative karma, but neither of these suggestions go down too well. -o much for meeting them at their worlds. 3hat would the 'uddha do in this situation $ wonder. As arlton arr in his wonderful and courageous most recent book "A 5lace of 5ractice" says, when referring to bringing the &harma to prisons, the world of disability is a "completely different kind of society," and so-called "normal" methods do not work. $ would like to think that $ can find a 'uddhist way of reaching out to them one day. As $ ease into my own ministry of &harma "teacher" or "facilitator," $ marvel at e#actly how to inspire my fellow humans to identify the first perhaps insubstantial spark of selfreali:ation in the dark. $ must use words primarily, though images and sounds will hopefully come into play at a later stage, and yet, as 7ahamati says, "$t has been said by the 'lessed !ne that from the night of 9nlightenment to the night of 5arinirvana, the "athJgata has uttered no word nor will ever utter a word." ELotus Sutra Chapter ./F

1/1 3ith the skilful use of Cight -peech we may all breathe deeply and freely and look beyond those arbitrary symbols which tyranni:e us to the endless non-verbal vibrations of the song of the Iniverse, of unconditional and abounding love, of absolute selfreali:ation. %ay all &e!n's kno( and e*per!en"e e*ped!ent and sk!l$ul means !ssu!n' $rom the pla"e o$ pat!en"e and "ompass!on to "reate the ma'!" $ormula6 (h!"h (!ll allo( all sent!ent &e!n's to atta!n No&le W!sdom. %ay all &e!n's &ene$!t $rom these means.

Chapter T(elve
3hy are 'uddhas not subject to birth and deathM At the beginning of chapter twelve 7ahamati asks -hakyamuni if 'uddhas are entities, which is not such a strange 8uestion since one of the titles of an 9nlightened 'eing is "the In-born." A 'uddha is a human being, albeit a fully developed member of the species and therefore 8uite rare. 3hile it is correct to say that a 'uddha is not subject to causation because she is not driven by cause and circumstance, an 9nlightened 'eing is not a statue. "hings still happen to 'uddhas but these events do not disturb her mind because she dwells peacefully in the tenth world of 'uddhahood. An 9nlightened 'eing directly perceives the eternity of life. A 'uddha is un-born because she knows that birth is only an illusionary commencement while death is a time for renewal followed by a fresh start on her mission to bring the peace of 9nlightenment to all beings. A 'uddha has perfected 7anomayakayaG she reaches people on whatever level they are on and she also knows the correct treatment for each person;s spiritual ills without ever making a single error. -tudents cling to different titles and traditions concerning the 'uddha. "hey love the people who practice and believe as they do, while loathing and disparaging those students who belong to different traditions. $t is important to be endlessly patient with these students because they are very young in the practice and have yet to reali:e the emptiness of the inner and outer forms of practice. $t is not enough to rely on the words of a te#t, or the form of a practice. "he true meaning of the 'uddhas teaching must be personally reali:ed and directly e#perienced. -hakyamuni taught) " ome, -alha, do not be satisfied with hearsay or with tradition or with legendary lore or with what has come down in scriptures or with conjecture or with logical inference or with weighing evidence or with a liking for a view after pondering it or with someone elseBs ability or with the thought B"he monk is our teacher.B 3hen you know in yourself Bthese things are unprofitable, liable to censure, condemned by the wise, being adopted and put into effect, they lead to harm and suffering,B then you should abandon them." *And+ "3hen you know in yourself) B"hese things are profitable, blameless, commended by the wise, being adopted and put into effect they lead to welfare and happiness,B then you should practice them and abide in them." ESalha SuttaF "he second section of this chapter points out the impossibility of -hakyamuni;s disciples defining e#actly what the life condition of a 'uddha is in a non-dualistic and, therefore,

1/, accurate manner. 3hen he preached the second chapter of ""he 6otus -utra" -hakyamuni stated) "'ut stop, -hariputra, $ will say no more. 3hyM 'ecause what the 'uddha has achieved is the rarest and most difficult-to-understand 6aw. "he true entity of all phenomena can only be understood and shared between 'uddhas." &o 'uddhas e#ist foreverM Again, the difficulty with the 8uestion is the dualistic concept of a permanent identity e#isting within the body. "he being known to us as -hakyamuni was the result of causes and conditionsG when the karmic force that sustained him was e#hausted his body died and the energy that had been labeled -hakyamuni entered the state of Hu. -ince he was a being in a high-energy state he was 8uickly reborn but he was not -hakyamuni or even -iddhartha 0otama. "he pile of aggregates that formed the mind and body of the being known historically as -hakyamuni 'uddha is gone, and will never be seen again. "he energy that formed those aggregates, however, had no beginning and will never come to an end. %owever, the "ruth that he awakened to has always e#isted but the reality that 'uddhas e#perience cannot be transmitted by dualistic words or even concepts. "hat is why each practitioner must directly e#perience reality for herself. "he 'uddha affirms that he has not uttered a word since the day of his 9nlightenment. 3hat does he mean by thisM "he concept -hakyamuni is rather abstractly e#pressing is most clearly articulated in ""he &iamond -utra" when he states, "$t means that 'uddhas and 'odhisattvas are not enlightened by fi#ed teachings but by an intuitive process that is spontaneous and natural." All 'uddhas are enlightened to the same reality that we e#ist in but fail to recogni:e. 5ut your effort into daily practice and be certain to study as much &harma as you possibly can. "he rest of your efforts should be devoted to bringing benefit to as many beings as your mission will allow you to reach in a meaningful way. $f you seriously devote yourself to &harma practice the time will come when you will reali:e) ""oday at last $ understand that truly $ am the 'uddha;s daughter, born from the 'uddha;s mouth, born through conversion to the 6aw, gaining my share of the 'uddha;s 6aw=" E"The Lotus Sutra6+ Chapter ThreeF

Chapter AIII
N!rvana
Then said Mahamati to the Blessed One: 'ra! tell us a%out 2irvana8 The Blessed one replied: the term, 2irvana, is used with man! different meanin"s, %! different people, %ut these people ma! %e divided into four "roups: There are people who are sufferin", or who are afraid of sufferin", and who think of 2irvana, there are philosophers who tr! to discriminate 2irvana, there are the class of disciples who think of 2irvana in relation to themselves, and finall! there is the 2irvana of the Buddhas Those who are sufferin" or who fear sufferin", think of 2irvana as an escape and recompense The! ima"ine that 2irvana consists in the future annihilation of the senses and the sense$minds, the! are not aware that universal mind and nirvana are

1/. one, and that this life$and$death world and 2irvana are not to %e separated These i"norant ones, instead of meditatin" on the ima"e$less$ness of 2irvana, talk of different wa!s of emancipation Bein" i"norant of, or not understandin", the teachin"s of the Tath&"atas, the! clin" to the notion of 2irvana that is outside what is seen of the mind and, thus, "o on rollin" themselves alon" with the wheel of life and death #s to the 2irvanas discriminated %! the philosophers: there reall! are none Some philosophers conceive 2irvana to %e found where the mind$s!stem no more operates owin" to the cessation of the elements that make up personalit! and its world, or is found where there is utter indifference to the o%+ective world and its impermanenc! Some conceive 2irvana to %e a state where there is no recollection of the past or present, +ust as when a lamp is e(tin"uished, or when a seed is %urnt, or when a fire "oes out, %ecause then there is the cessation of all the su%strata, which is e(plained %! the philosophers as the non$risin" of discrimination But this is not 2irvana, %ecause 2irvana does not consist in simple annihilation and vacuit! #"ain, some philosophers e(plain deliverance as thou"h it was the mere stoppin" of discrimination, as when the wind stops %lowin", or as when one %! self$effort "ets rid of the dualistic view of knower and known, or "ets rid of the notions of permanenc! and impermanenc!, or "ets rid of the notions of "ood and evil, or overcomes passion %! means of knowled"e$$to them 2irvana is deliverance Some, seein" in 1form1 the %earer of pain are alarmed %! the notion of 1form1 and look for happiness in a world of 1no$form 1 Some conceive that in consideration of individualit! and "eneralit! reco"ni4a%le in all thin"s inner and outer, that there is no destruction and that all %ein"s maintain their %ein" forever and, in this eternalit!, see 2irvana Others see the eternal nature of thin"s in the conception of 2irvana as the a%sorption of the finite$soul in the supreme #tman, or who see all thin"s as a manifestation of the vital$force of some Supreme Sprit to which all return, and some, who are especiall! sill!, declare that there are two primar! thin"s, a primar! su%stance and a primar! soul, that react differentl! upon each other and thus produce all thin"s from the transformations of 5ualities, some think that the world is %orn of action and interaction and that no other cause is necessar!, others think that Ishvara is the free creator of all thin"s, clin"in" to these foolish notions, there is no awakenin", and the! consider 2irvana to consist in the fact that there is no awakenin" Some ima"ine that 2irvana is where self$nature e(ists in its own ri"ht, unhampered %! other self$natures, as the varie"ated feathers of a peacock, or various precious cr!stals, or the pointed$ness of a thorn Some conceive %ein" to %e 2irvana, some non$%ein", while others conceive that all thin"s and 2irvana are not to %e distin"uished from one another Some, thinkin" that time is the creator and that as the rise of the world depends on time, the! conceive that 2irvana consists in the reco"nition of time as 2irvana Some think that there will %e 2irvana when the 1twent!$five1 truths are "enerall! accepted, or when the kin" o%serves the si( virtues, and some reli"ionists think that 2irvana is the attainment of paradise These views severall! advanced %! the philosophers with their various seasonin"s are not in accord with lo"ic nor are the! accepta%le to the wise The! all conceive 2irvana dualisticall! and in some causal connection, %! these discriminations

1// philosophers ima"ine 2irvana, %ut where there is no risin" and no disappearin", how can there %e discrimination8 .ach philosopher rel!in" on his own te(t%ook from which he draws his understandin", sins a"ainst the truth, %ecause truth is not where he ima"ines it to %e The onl! result is that it sets his mind to wanderin" a%out and %ecomin" more confused as 2irvana is not to %e found %! mental searchin" The more his mind %ecomes confused the more he confuses other people #s to the notion of 2irvana as held %! disciples and masters who still clin" to the notion of an e"o$self, and who tr! to find it %! "oin" off %! themselves into solitude: their notion of 2irvana is an eternit! of %liss like the %liss of the Sam&dhis$for themselves The! reco"ni4e that the world is onl! a manifestation of mind and that all discriminations are of the mind, and so the! forsake social relations and practice various spiritual disciplines and in solitude seek self$reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom %! self$effort The! follow the sta"es to the si(th and attain the %liss of the Sam&dhis, %ut as the! are still clin"in" to e"oism the! do not attain the 1turnin"$a%out1 at the deepest seat of consciousness and, therefore, the! are not free from the thinkin"$ mind and the accumulation of its ha%it$ener"! Clin"in" to the %liss of the Sam&dhis, the! pass to their 2irvana, %ut it is not the 2irvana of the Tath&"atas The! are of those who have 1entered the stream1, the! must return to this world of life and death Then said Mahamati to the Blessed One: 3hen the Bodhisattvas !ield up their stock of merit for the emancipation of all %ein"s, the! %ecome spirituall! one with all animate life, the! themselves ma! %e purified, %ut in others there !et remain une(hausted evil and un$matured karma 'ra! tell us, Blessed One, how the Bodhisattvas are "iven assurance of 2irvana8 #nd what is the 2irvana of the Bodhisattvas8 The Blessed One replied: Mahamati, this assurance is not an assurance of num%ers nor lo"ic, it is not the mind that is to %e assured %ut the heart The Bodhisattvas assurance comes with the unfoldin" insi"ht that follows passion hindrances cleared awa!, knowled"e hindrance purified, and e"o$less$ness clearl! perceived and patientl! accepted #s the mortal$mind ceases to discriminate, there is no more thirst for life, no more se($lust, no more thirst for learnin", no more thirst for eternal life, with the disappearance of these fourfold thirsts, there is no more accumulation of ha%it$ener"!, with no more accumulation of ha%it$ener"! the defilements on the face of the <niversal Mind clear awa!, and the Bodhisattva attains self$reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom that is the hearts assurance of 2irvana There are Bodhisattvas here and in other Buddha$lands, who are sincerel! devoted to the Bodhisattvas mission and !et who cannot wholl! for"et the %liss of the Sam&dhis and the peace of 2irvana$for themselves The teachin" of 2irvana in which there is no su%strate left %ehind, is revealed accordin" to a hidden meanin" for the sake of these disciples who still clin" to thou"hts of 2irvana for themselves, that the! ma! %e inspired to e(ert themselves in the Bodhisattvas mission of emancipation for all %ein"s The Transformation$Buddhas teach a doctrine of 2irvana to meet conditions as the! find them, and to "ive encoura"ement to the timid and selfish In order to turn their thou"hts awa! from themselves and to encoura"e them to a deeper compassion and more earnest 4eal for others, the! are

1/1 "iven assurance as to the future %! the sustainin" power of the Buddhas of Transformation, %ut not %! the Dharmata$Buddha The Dharma, which esta%lishes the Truth of 2o%le 3isdom, %elon"s to the realm of the Dharmata$Buddha To the Bodhisattvas of the seventh and ei"hth sta"es, Transcendental Intelli"ence is revealed %! the Dharmata$Buddha and the 'ath is pointed out to them, which the! are to follow In the perfect self$reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom that follows the inconceiva%le transformation death of the Bodhisattvas individuali4ed will$control, he no lon"er lives unto himself, %ut the life that he lives thereafter is the Tath&"atas universali4ed life as manifested in its transformations In this perfect self$reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom the Bodhisattva reali4es that for the Buddhas there is no 2irvana The death of a Buddha, the "reat 'arinirvana, is neither destruction nor death, else would it %e %irth and continuation If it were destruction, it would %e an effect$ producin" deed, which it is not 2either is it a vanishin" nor a%andonment, neither is it attainment, nor is it of no attainment, neither is it of one si"nificance nor of no si"nificance, for there is no 2irvana for the Buddhas The Tath&"atas 2irvana is where it is reco"ni4ed that there is nothin" %ut what is seen of the mind itself, is where, reco"ni4in" the nature of the self$mind, one no lon"er cherishes the dualisms of discrimination, is where there is no more thirst nor "raspin", is where there is no more attachment to e(ternal thin"s 2irvana is where the thinkin"$mind with all its discriminations, attachments, aversions and e"oism is forever put awa!, is where lo"ical measures, as the! are seen to %e inert, are no lon"er sei4ed upon, is where even the notion of truth is treated with indifference %ecause of its causin" %ewilderment, is where, "ettin" rid of the four propositions, there is insi"ht into the a%ode of 7ealit! 2irvana is where the twofold passions have su%sided and the twofold hindrances are cleared awa! and the twofold e"o$less$ness is patientl! accepted, is where, %! the attainment of the 1turnin"$a%out1 in the deepest seat of consciousness, self$reali4ation of 2o%le 3isdom is full! entered into, that is the 2irvana of the Tath&"atas 2irvana is where the Bodhisattva sta"es are passed one after another, is where the sustainin" power of the Buddhas upholds the Bodhisattvas in the %liss of the Sam&dhis, is where compassion for others transcends all thou"hts of self, is where the Tath&"ata sta"e is finall! reali4ed 2irvana is the realm of the Dharmata$Buddha, it is where the manifestation of 2o%le 3isdom that is Buddhahood e(presses itself in 'erfect Love for all, it is where the manifestation of 'erfect Love that is Tath&"ata$hood e(presses itself in 2o%le 3isdom for the enli"htenment of all$ $there, indeed, is 2irvana9 There are two classes of those who ma! not enter the 2irvana of the Tath&"atas: there are those who have a%andoned the Bodhisattva ideals, sa!in", the! are not in conformit! with the sutras, the codes of moralit!, nor with emancipation Then there are the true Bodhisattvas who, on account of their ori"inal vows made for the sake of all %ein"s, sa!in", 1So lon" as the! do not attain 2irvana, I will not attain it for m!self,1 voluntaril! keep themselves out of 2irvana But no %ein"s are left outside %! the will of the Tath&"atas, some da! each and ever! one will %e influenced %! the wisdom and love of the Tath&"atas of Transformation to la! up a stock of merit and ascend the sta"es But, if the! onl! reali4ed it, the! are alread! in

1/2 the Tath&"atas 2irvana for, in 2o%le 3isdom, all thin"s are in 2irvana from the %e"innin"

Temple Tales Th!rteen

The vo!"e o$ Charley L!nden Thorp

Per$e"t Love -or All

&ear -teve, As $ rapidly come to the end of the "emple tales $ am aware that my life has interrupted their flow somewhat. At times $ wonder how they would have turned out if $ had written them in one sitting instead of passing in and out, living a little then reflecting, meditating then not meditating. $ muse a little on their title as one does in hindsight, which was eminently apposite when $ started but now perhaps not so. Although, in a way, there has simply been a change of scene from the precincts of the Hagyupa "emple on the 7editerranean, which $ almost mysteriously found my way to, to those of 7ount anigou in the 5yrenees and the temple of myself, the breathtaking 6otus -utra and (am 7yoho Cenge Hyo. "he intensity of each moment of my life, my own personal $chinen -an:en, has allowed me to fully e#perience and then walk away from the over-bearing mother of organi:ed religion and all her antics, and the vagaries of the clingy e#-catholic -angha. $ see now that $ needed to e#perience a formal temple and all that goes with that, although $ was perfectly happy practicing on my own with my intuitively created altar and store of candles and incense. $t was strange that $ received an invitation for a job interview in 7ontpellier, and as $ prepared to go my heart told me to seek out 'uddhists there. $ had never been to this small bustling city before but had a conviction that $ would find a -angha and a spiritual teacher, although $ was not 8uite sure what that was. "hrough my intensive reading which you -teve had provided and supervised, $ began to reali:e that $ must go far and near and listen to the &harma, and that really $ needed to be immersed in a more structured religious life with a formal teacher guiding me. At that stage $ felt so strong in my faith that $ was convinced that $ should become ordained and totally commit myself. $ was half thinking of returning to 'ritain and going into retreat with the F3'!, the lay organi:ation led by San'haraksh!ta whose work $ admire enormously. 'ut as $ had to go to 7ontpellier, and was aware that something was drawing me there, $ decided that $ would for the moment look no further. "hen a strange thing happened. 7y partner started acting in a tense way. ommunication had broken down between us long since, so $ had not had the opportunity to discuss my inclinations towards ordination. "his came to a raging head in a huge row during which, in pure anger, $ was ordered to leave. $n a state of shock $ packed a large suitcase, caught the once-daily bus from the village, and prepared to be away indefinitely. -uspending

1/4 one;s life in this way is inspiring because one is able to listen to its whispers and apprehend it more clearly. $ arrived in 7ontpellier in unbearable heat and found myself a small hotel near the station with difficulty as they were all full of tourists. $ had little money and so knew that $ could not live indefinitely in hotels. As it happened the interview $ had did not result in a suitable post so $ went into the busy center of the city and sat in the grand marble s8uare to watch the people go by and consider my ne#t course of action. -oon $ wandered through the narrow shopping streets of the old medieval town and found a shop selling incense. $ searched there also for a small 'uddha effigy as $ had been obliged to leave my altar behind. !nce $ had everything $ needed $ went to the desk to pay and the assistant asked me if $ belonged to the "ibetan $nstitute. 6earning that $ didn;t she rapidly gave me the address and times of henre:ig, the twice-weekly ritual open to the public. Armed with all $ needed $ went back to my small sweltering hotel room and meditated long and hard. "his was certainly the right thing to do. $ decided that $ would ask for lodgings there until $ could find a job and my own apartment. $ was e#cited about the prospects of finding a teacher and a -angha so arrived promptly at the $nstitute for the ritual. As you know from an earlier "ale $ was thrilled to find the pagoda style temple visible from the road, rang the gate bell and was shown in. "he highly styli:ed ritual in ancient "ibetan celebrated by 6ama -eunam was a little confusing though beautiful, but the people were warm and welcoming. Afterwards $ went to introduce myself to the 6ama, who spoke 8uite good 9nglish to my surprise, and asked if $ could stay as $ knew no-one in 7ontpellier. At first he hesitated, but soon after looking long and hard into my eyes, he asked me to come back the ne#t morning with my luggage. &ear -teve, now $ am so firmly a temple in my own right within your temple, and our -angha strolls through the cosmological cloisters of the $nternet. Citual is a slim presence in the dynamic e#change between hearts and the depths of consciences though our modems, as we write in the air. 3e will probably all never meet, but there is no need for such self-conscious social acts as this for we are all one, all cut from the same piece of cloth, the continuation of our parents and teachers. (am 7yoho Cenge Hyo connects us all to each other, and to the energy of the Iniverse. 7y personal (irvana is the constant presence of the 'uddha, watching over me and encouraging my mindfulness and my constant :eal for self-purification in order to inspire others to seek liberation and their own personal (irvana. 7y feet are more solidly on the ground than they have ever been as my mind becomes increasingly under my control, and with '$!(A, and my new responsibilities to the global communities of lay 'uddhas and 'odhisattvas of the 9arth, my direction is as clear as a bell. $ have e#perienced many transformations, both tiny and enormous, during this period of total focus on the spiritual path, but perhaps the most impressive has been at the level of close personal relationships. For many years now my long-term partner and $ have struggled violently at times with issues of pride, envy and jealousy, coupled with perfectionism within the relationship, all of which $ am now convinced was karmic. 3e were drawn together e#pressly to work out each other;s negativity, and to teach each other how to love unconditionally. "here were many battles to fight born of both our individual karma, and our joint karma which became entangled with each other. (either of us was able to accept that we must be separate to work on our own problems, and then

1/? come back together in a stronger position in order to address the problems that we created by being together. "he situation was greatly e#acerbated by the financial failure of Flourish, the e#hausting fighting for the rights of the disabled, and the overwhelming feeling of our revolutionary and holistic approach not being understood. "hen our medieval life in the French 5yrenees, where in a small mountain village we were very dependent on each other, and for entertainment and as a reward for our unaccustomed physical labor and our conse8uent emotional suffering, we took to systematically abusing alcohol, so cheaply ac8uired from nearby vineyards, alcoholism being common in these isolated parts. "he medieval life without medieval faith led us into the realm of furious slanging-matches, which occasionally degenerated into bouts of physical violence which neither of us had really known before. "he aftermath of these acts of barbarism on each other forced us to become hermetically sealed away from each other in separate rooms under the same roof. $n fact, we stopped communicating in any other way until it was clear that we must separate. $ left for 'ritain to find a job but instead found the 'uddha, and my partner stayed behind marooned alone with all the backbreaking medieval chores. $t was during this hellish time before our e#cruciating separation that $ started to write my Australian story of "(inija," which $ hope, if it is approved of as a testament to spiritual striving, $ may soon post on the site. >ou will perhaps remember that she was the "primitive" traditional landowner of the 5ydjanjara tribe of Aborigines with whom $ lived for a while some years ago. &uring my deepest pain and total despair of that period (inija appeared to me in dreams, both waking and sleeping. -he was my guide, goading me on to tip-toe outside the frontier of the intellect and dualism. "he resulting novel is a modern-day fable which describes the corruption and dispossession of thousands of Aborigines by evil white Australians whose ancestors incidentally were mostly 'ritish like me, and the attempted eradication of savage traditional life in favor of civili:ation deep in the Australian outback. $n the fable which (inija guided me to write the corruption of nature and natural lives is symboli:ed by the character 6uma6uma, a swaggering whoring drunkard who woos (inija and attempts to lure her away from her beloved lands to his city with money and jewels, and as much alcohol as he can force her to drink. 6uma6uma - a veritable 7ara who came to be transformed at that time into my partner as $ wrote. $ am horrified to think now that my mind distorted everything and that $ was often sitting writing 6uma6uma whilst opposite my partner during the long evenings in our mountain retreat. -uch sickness. $ will insert two e#tracts here to give you the feeling of the piece. "his is the opening. L$t no good 6uma6uma. $ won;t listen.; (inija puts her fingers into her ears so that she cannot her 6uma6uma;s whispering. L>ou can;t get me listen the way 0inger did. E0inger is her dead sonF $ too old. $ too clever. $ never leave the 6ands like he.; -he is badly afflicted by both this intrusive presence and the words that are flushed into her ears. LAnd $ woman, strong woman. $ push away bottle you push to my lips. Away= $ throw away needle like serpent;s fang to ground. -tamp on it=; -he stamps realistically on an imaginary syringe, its metal and glass unlikely in the desert. %er voice is unusually angry and her tongue bitter. L>ou whisper again with your silky white voice. >ou 8uestions. >ou white-fella bossy with "ought" and "if $ were you." And you promises. Always you offer of money, greenbacks. $ got better things listen to. >ou white ghost not belong (inija 6ands.;

1/@ -he fle#es one arm hard against the smart corrugations of the Ldog bo#,; white fella;s name for the housing provided for her people, her other arm lolling limply. -he is dressed up in a pink taffeta dress donated by 6uma6uma;s churchwomen dogooders, which has been color-washed by the orange dust of the desert. %er large breasts and bloated stomach are loaded inside the synthetic fabric which almost si::les in the unimaginable heat of the desert day, her meager legs emerging from a full skirt which is impractical here. -he looks down, hanging her head as if broken, fla# hair lank and roughly cut. L6ook at the red dust of the 6and.; -he looks deep into the 9arth through black eyes shot with 6and red and flies, which are constantly in search of moisture from their corners during the &ry season. L-ee it there between my black toes. $ just keep on talking to that red powder Ltil $ can;t hear 6uma6uma him whisper no-more.; 'lack tears. A symmetry of anger and sadness unknown to her before. L"his my 6and. $ see it. (ow $ try hard hear it sing again. 'ut you always fill my face, my sounds, 6uma6uma. >ou always think you clever, you know-best.; -he absently fingers the hot and smooth metal, flattening her palms to match white fella;s "flat" and "straight," then flinches with anger that this article is holding her up, has been provided by 6uma6uma;s boss men to "protect," to "give shelter." "hey were installed on her 6ands without permission. Anger in the lands has mostly been the prerogative of the &reaming %eroes, the mythological beings who helped create everything on the 9arth;s skin, (inija and her people only being aroused to it by threats of tribal war. 'ut since the advent of white fella there anger and irritation punctuate their daily lives. "hey are rarely directly angry with the white presence, their passivity curious, but instead with the objects and articles fi#ed by them into their 6ands. (inija tugs at the alien fabric of her frock which she is obliged to wear to cover her nakedness as she speaks, L$f dog-bo# not here (inija lean one of her Cocks she share with &reaming %eroes. 7an-li:ard (intucka;s pointy pink elbow. -mooth lump on end Cainbow -erpent;s tail. %e 0reat giver of 3ater. 3hite round !nion rocks 'ijada 9mu sicked up.; Z L>ou steal our young straight-backs 6uma6uma= "ake them your city. 3hyM 3hyM; 3hite fella;s "why." "he 8uestion "why" has no place in the &esert. %er talking in this way is also incongruent and forbidden at this time Eher son 0inger has just died tragically of boo:eF. And again. 'ang= "he corrugations 8uiver. (inija;s hand smarts. -he moves her head swiftly looking and shouting in his direction, shifting all her weight on to her right side as if she is about to sprint, her innate litheness dulled only by emotion and white fella;s meddling. L3hy your friends e#pect me live in tin house 6uma6umaM $ never live inside like you where $ not see -ky. $ not breathe in nothing but poison of roof, of window, of door. $ not become dark holding hand of -un when she ready to sleep. (o. $ dark soon $ through door, soon $ inside.; -he steps away and notches the backs of her hands into her sides. L>ou tell me, "open window," "open door," "step outside for a moment," ""ake it e-e-e-ee-asy."; -he mimics his voice. L>ou silky voice smooth like you metal, straight like corner and roof and s8uare you draw with magic wood.; -he slices and cleaves the Air with frantic hori:ontal and vertical movements to describe white fella;s predilection for

11A angles and straight lines as she talks, the constriction and geometry of the way he lives galvani:ing her gestures. L$nside $ hot when it cool outside. $ cool it hot outside. $nside= $t change what like outside.; -he bends her knees using her hands, their palms facing upwards, to represent white fella;s roof, pushing hard up against the -ky. L9arth hot. $ hot. 9arth cool. $ cool. $ not separate. (ot different like you inside walls where you hide.; -he shifts her weight on to her other leg and growls. L0rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr= 3hy $ do what you friends tell meM; Z $ began to find my way in my imagination through the therapeutic writing of (inija, and the inspirational world view of primitives. $n 'ritain, well the restKyou know from the beginning of the "emple "ales. 7y development to date has allowed me at last against all odds to restore my relationship with my partner. "his is the "(irvana" which $ truly thought was impossible, given the damage that was done, but now we are together again in the mountains living the unconditional love we dreamed so hard of. !ur minds are tran8uil and all is forgiven. "o be able to love unconditionally and share a life is one of the most difficult things $ believe we come into human form to do. 7y studies and practice have allowed me to overcome my wrong views and have had an undoubted effect on my partner like any ripple on a pool. $ hope to encourage my partner to contribute to the site one day so that the other side of the story may come to light. $ have reali:ed very clearly during these last few years that it is true that there is nothing to strive for in our lives other than self-reali:ation. $n this way we will influence the population of the globe to live in a balanced way. "his is the best possible contribution we can make. $f we attend to this our lives will take care of themselves. !f course, it is important to have limitless energy to get as much as possible done, but that is really :eal, not striving, which implies struggling with things over which we can have no control. !ur main work is with ourselves for we should never underestimate the power we have in the universe. 9ach smile, each kind word to a stranger, each droplet of patience we can practice does not go unnoticed in the world at large as our energies mingle and course around the planet. "(irvana" says the 'uddha, "is where the thinking mind with all its discriminations, attachments, aversions and egoism is forever put away." "(irvana" the 'uddha says again, "is where the manifestation of (oble 3isdom that is 'uddhahood e#presses itself in perfect 6ove for all." (irvana for me, if $ am driven to define it, though $ am well aware that it is simply a product of the mind, is the mass opening of all valves and channels to allow human energy to flow freely like the energy of the natural world, and the universal human spirit to sing a great chorus in unison of (am 7yoho Cenge Hyo out into all the gala#ies. %y utmost 'rat!tude to my &eloved tea"her6 Steve l!"k6 >reat Bodh!sattva o$ the 4arth6 $or $!nd!n' my ele"tron!" plea $or support6 and $or al(ays &e!n' there (!th t!reless love and (!sdom. Nam5%yoho5 8en'e5 yo6 Nam5%yoho58en'e5 yo6 Nam5 %yoho58en'e5 yo6 may all &e!n's &ene$!t $rom h!s relentless ener'y to l!&erate all sent!ent &e!n's (!th the Dharmakaya.

Charley Linden Thorp

111

Chapter Th!rteen
hapter "hirteen of ""he 6ankavatara -utra" concludes the dialogue between -hakyamuni and his disciple 7ahamati. 7ahamati asks two 8uestions in this chapter, both are concerned with what occurs after the final reali:ation that leads to (irvana. "he disciple;s first 8uestion is the eminently logical Lwhat is (irvana;M "his is a great 8uestion because there were a variety of viewpoints being e#pressed by small groups within the -angha. "he 'uddha tells 7ahamati that the word L(irvana; can mean many different things to people. Iltimately, how each student views (irvana depends upon the perspective she obtains and the clarity of her vision. harley, your concept of what constitutes ultimate 6iberation will also change and evolve as you advance along the &harma path. -hakyamuni understood that his students were not all at the same level of spiritual development. %e offered teachings that would benefit people and connect them karmically to the &harma. As each student grew to be a more mature human being her ability to understand became further developed and she proceeded from one lifetime to the ne#t advancing steadily on the 5ath. 7odern teachers have also defined (irvana in a variety of ways) Halu Cinpoche, a gifted author and teacher wrote, "(irvana, which is beyond illusions and -amsJra;s suffering, is the level of ultimate truth." E"6uminous 7ind" p. /1F "he &alai 6ama said, "(irvana is true peace" E""he 3orld of "ibetan 'uddhism" p. .@F and '$!(A "eacher 'artholomew 7. Hlick stated) "(irvana is a state of mind where we do not e#perience mental sufferingK" E"he 6oving %eart" 'ook !neF hapter -even of ""he 6otus -utra" tells us what the 'uddha intended in his own words) ""he 'uddha knows that the minds of living beings are timid, weak and lowly, and so, using the power of e#pedient means, he preaches two nirvanas in order to provide a resting place along the road. $f living beings choose to remain in these two stages, then the "hus ome !ne will say to them, L>ou have not yet understood what is to be done. "his stage where you have chosen to remain is close to the 'uddha wisdom. 'ut you should observe and ponder further. "his nirvana that you have attained is not the true one. $t is simply that the "hus ome !ne, using the power of e#pedient means, has taken the one 'uddha vehicle and, making distinctions, has preached it as three." 3ith the above passage in mind, now re-e#amine these lines from chapter thirteen again) ""he "ransformation-'uddhas teach a doctrine of (irvana to meet conditions as they find them, and to give encouragement to the timid and selfish. $n order to turn their thoughts away from themselves and to encourage them to a deeper compassion and more earnest :eal for others, they are given assurance as to the future by the sustaining power of the 'uddhas of "ransformationK" EFrom ""he 6ankavatara -utra"F From this we can see that the 'uddhas teach according to the capacity of the student to understand. -hakyamuni e#pressed this in his own words in the te#t now known to us as ""he -utra !f $nnumerable 7eanings." "0ood -ons= After si# years right sitting under the 'odhi tree of the 3isdom throne, $ could accomplish 5erfect 9nlightenment. 3ith the 'uddhaLs 9ye $ saw all the laws and understood that they were ine#pressible. 3hereforeM $ knew that the natures and desires of all living beings were not e8ual. As their natures and desires were not e8ual, $ preached the 6aw variously." EFrom chapter "wo, "5reaching"F

11, 5erhaps even more important than the ability to understand is the amount of time and effort dedicated to &harma practice and study over many lifetimes. $n ""he &iamond -utra" we find this passage) "9ven at the remote period of five hundred years after the nirvana of the "athJgata, there will be those who, practicing charity and keeping the precepts, will believe in sections and sentences of this -cripture and will awaken within their minds a pure faith. >ou should know, however, that such disciples, long ago, have planted roots of goodness, not simply before one 'uddha shrine, or two, or five, but before the shrines of a hundred thousand myriad asamkhayas of 'uddhas, so that when they hear sentences and sections of this -cripture there will instantly awaken within their minds a pure true faith." EFrom the oncluding hapterF 3hile at the present time you cannot know with any great certainty e#actly how many lives you have already dedicated to the attainment of 'uddha 3isdom, it is clear that numerous lifetimes must have concluded successfully or you would not have the karmic connections to receive this "eaching. $ndeed, if this were not the case, you would never even hear the name of ""he 6otus -utra=" >ou have not only received the complete te#t of ""he "hreefold 6otus -utra" but also a commentary on itG this means that you are close to the end of the 5ath and will soon become a 'uddha. >ou are therefore worthy of great respect= &aily &harma practice is absolutely essential for your continued emotional and spiritual growth. 5lease reali:e that whether we call our practice "observing the mind" or "insight meditation" is merely a 8uestion of semantics. %owever, when you practice please remember to chant the mantra of ""he 6otus -utra," (am-7yoho-Cenge-Hyo. "here are many mantras that you could chant but in this time and place the mantra of ""he 6otus -utra" is the medicine you need for the sicknesses in your mind and heart. All -chools of 'uddhism chant because the practice is so beneficial. 6ama >eshe, one of my favorite "ibetan teachers, wrote) "7antra recitation makes the mind focus singlepointedly, thereby counteracting scattering and other distractions." E""he "antric 5ath of 5urification" p. 1,F "he <enerable Ajahn -anong Hatapunyo, an e#cellent "heravadin "eacher wrote) "3hen we have real understanding, we will be confident about chanting and worshipping the triple 0em, which makes our body, speech and mind peaceful." EFrom "!neness"F "he final 8uestion that 7ahamati asks clearly demonstrates that he does not yet comprehend the (irvana that -hakyamuni has reali:ed. 7any 'odhisattvas at an early stage of development make a vow not to enter (irvana until all sentient beings have already done so. "hey do this in the mistaken belief that attaining (irvana means that they enter into a separate "heaven" realm somehow outside the -aha world system. "he -utra tells us "all things are in (irvana from the beginning." $f this were not so, then you would never be able to attain 9nlightenment. 9very person reading this commentary has the potential to climb into the four noble worlds of learning, reali:ation, 'odhisattvahood and 9nlightenment. As the 'odhisattva continues to develop she reali:es "that for 'uddhas there is no (irvana." EFrom ""he 6ankavatara -utra"F "his means that we can e#ist in the life condition of the tenth world of (irvana or 'uddhahood while living in the -aha world and working to bring benefit to all sentient beings.

11. "o want to "bring benefit to all sentient beings" sounds so ethereal, doesn;t itM 3hat we;re talking about here is an absolute love for all beings. "his love must be a genuine thing, not just some abstract concept. 3e have never met yet my love for you is strong. 7y hope for you is that you grow to become a mature human being. 7ay you 8uickly gain entry into the unsurpassed way and gain the golden body of a 'uddha. (am-7yoho-Cenge-Hyo, (am-7yoho-Cenge-Hyo, (am-7yoho-Cenge-Hyo, may all beings benefit from the merit of this teaching=

Stephen L. Klick
"he twelfth day of August ,AA,