Flight

An Existential Conception of Buddhism

by
Stephen Batchelor
(Gelong Jhampa Thabkay)
Buddhist Publication Society
Kandy Sri Lana
!he "heel Publication #o$ %&'(%&)
First published: 1984
All rights reserved by the author
Digital Transcription Source: BPS
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redistributed in any $ediu$ &o"ever% any such republication and redistribution is to be
$ade available to the public on a !ree and unrestricted basis and translations and other
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be ac#no"ledged as the original publisher
Contents
Pre!ace '
Flight 4
( A Description o! the Proble$4
Fear4
An)iety *
+)istential Flight,
(( A Buddhist -esponse1.
The /i!e o! the Buddha1'
Ta#ing -e!uge1*
The Practice o! Buddhis$19
0isdo$ .1
About the Author .*
.
Preface
The !ollo"ing essay is an atte$pt to e)press a Buddhist response to certain aspects o! our
hu$an condition in a conte$porary language and "ay o! thin#ing So$e o! the ter$inology
and concepts ( have used are loosely based upon sections o! 1artin &eidegger2s Being and
Time, in particular his e)planations o! 3!alling2 4das Verfallen), an)iety and death 1oreover%
the present te)t see#s to elaborate on several the$es introduced in $y boo# Alone With
Others: Outlines for an Existential Approach to Buddhism 45e" 6or#: 7rove Press% 198'8
( "ould li#e to than# both Bhi##hu Bodhi and 1ichael -oeh$ 4Sr9$a:era ;he$a8 !or
their assistance in bringing this te)t to publication
Stephen Batchelor
47elong <ha$pa Thab#ay8
Song ;"ang Sa
;orea% 198.
'
Flight
I. A Descrpton of the Problem
&o" $uch o! our li!e is spent in avoiding "hat "e really are= 6et in a >uiet corner o!
ourselves% do "e not secretly recognise the deceptive strategies o! such avoidance= &o"
o!ten do "e !ind ourselves happily indulging in so$e trivial pursuit% even though a deeper
a"areness is "hispering to us o! its !utility= &o" o!ten do "e observe ourselves engaged in
serious conversation "hile another part o! us silently ac#no"ledges our "ords to be a vain
atte$pt to uphold a co$!ortable illusion that "e do not really believe in= +ven as "e try to
turn our thoughts in"ard to con!ront ourselves% ho" $uch o! that ti$e is passed in
uncontrolled eruptions o! recollections and !antasies= (n each o! these cases "e can perceive
the pheno$enon o! flight. This perception gives rise to the !ollo"ing >uestions: 0hat is
!light= 0hat are "e !leeing !ro$= 0hy are "e !leeing= Does such !light have any real value
or $eaning= (! not% ho" can "e co$e to ter$s "ith it and reduce its hold over us=
Fear
0hen !aced "ith danger% an ani$al "ill instinctively react in one o! t"o "ays (! possible% it
"ill !lee? i! not% it "ill !ight (n both cases% though% the response is provo#ed by !ear
&o"ever% !light is usually the initial reaction (t see$s pre!erable to standing ground and
!ighting Perhaps because !leeing a!!ords an i$$ediate sense o! escape !ro$ "hat is !eared%
"hereas in standing to !ight% the !ear is co$pounded "ith and aug$ented by aggression (n
si$ilar situations o! danger% hu$an beings respond in a li#e $anner But being endo"ed
"ith superior intelligence they can resort to a "ider range o! tactics to avoid or de!eat their
!oe 5evertheless% the basic pattern o! reaction is the sa$e: !ear resulting in either !light or
!ight
Ani$al !ear is an instinctive reaction to a threatening ob@ect or set o! circu$stances
present "ithin the horiAons o! the i$$ediate environ$ent So$ething is seen% heard%
scented or bodily !elt through the physical senses Such sense perceptions then trigger a
signal o! danger "hich auto$atically gives rise to !ear Although hu$an beings are also
sub@ect to such !ears% in addition they are sub@ect to !ears o! another order This is so because
hu$an consciousness is not restricted to the horiAons o! an i$$ediate environ$ent &u$an
consciousness is distinguished !ro$ ani$al consciousness through having access to concepts
and "ords "hich enable it to transcend the environ$ental boundaries o! the senses As
hu$an beings "e no longer live $erely in an environ$ent but in a "orld Bur "orld is
spatially broader than our environ$ent thoughts inclusion o! places not i$$ediately
present These places e)tend !ro$ a neighbouring to"n% to other countries% to the planet as a
"hole% and even to the solar syste$ and the universe Further$ore% the "orld "e live in
e$braces the transphysical real$s o! social% econo$ic and political structures% religion%
philosophy% la" and so !orth /i#e"ise our "orld is e)tended through ti$e: it reaches bac#
into a past co$posed o! personal $e$ories and a collective history% and it stretches !or"ard
into a !uture o! plans and possibilities
As a conse>uence o! living in a "orld% "e !ind ourselves !aced "ith a !ar "ider range o!
dangers Threatening conditions are no longer restricted to "hat "e can physically perceive
in our environ$ent? they have beco$e invisible% inaudible and intangible Danger is in!erred
!ro$ the behaviour o! our ene$ies in other countries Di!!icult ti$es are !oreseen in the
4
!uture 0ith trepidation "e anticipate the e!!ects o! our actions co$$itted in the past (n
contrast to ani$als% !ear has ceased to be a thing o! the $o$ent !or us (t has assu$ed a !ar
$ore pervasive >uality The ob@ects o! our !ear no longer leap at us out o! the bushes They
are largely contained "ithin our o"n $inds They are present in our a"areness o! ourselves
as social beings belonging to certain national% political or religious groups They are
constantly brought to our attention through $e$ory and guilt They loo$ ahead o! us "hile
"e plan !or the !uture
This particularly hu$an !or$ o! !ear $ay be less sudden and violent than the terror o!
ani$als% but it is all the $ore insidious !or its abstractness (t can erupt at the $ention o! a
"ord% or its presence $ay constantly haunt us no $atter "here "e are or "hat "e are
doing (ts ob@ects are al"ays potentially present They only have to be brought to conscious
attention in order !or !ear to arise
(n dealing "ith these !ears it see$s that "e resort to a $ore co$ple) strategy than si$ple
!light or !ight &o"ever% one o! these t"o reactions can still usually be traced as the
underlying pattern behind our response to the !ear Bur !leeing and !ighting assu$e a $ore
psychological character 0e can no longer al"ays eli$inate such !ears by physically running
a"ay !ro$ the ob@ects that cause the$ Bne can only run beyond the boundaries o! an
environ$ent? one can never leap over the horiAons o! a "orld 5or can "e physically
eradicate the ob@ects o! our !ear 5o one can destroy an i$pending oil crisis% !or e)a$ple
Since the ob@ects o! such !ear are not i$$ediately present but e)ist pri$arily as contents o!
the $ind% our corresponding responses to the !ear% li#e"ise ta#e place pri$arily in the $ind
To illustrate ho" "e deal "ith our hu$an !ears% let us consider an e)a$ple Bne realises
that one2s li!e is threatened by the possibility o! a nuclear "ar This thought produces !ear
To deal "ith this !ear t"o basic alternatives present the$selves Bn the one hand one can try
the strategy o! avoidance This could ta#e the !or$ o! actual !light% e$igrating to 5e"
Cealand% !or e)a$ple% "ith the belie! that the e!!ects o! radiation "ould not reach that !ar Br
it could ta#e the !or$ o! $ental !light% convincing onesel! that no nation "ould be !oolish
enough to ris# starting such a "ar% that the "orld leaders are sane% rational beings "ho
"ould never allo" such a horri!ic thing to happen Br one could si$ply discard such !ears
as irrelevant and turn one2s attention to other $atters The second alternative "ould entail
con!ronting the issue and adopting a strategy that hope!ully "ould lead to the reduction or
even the eli$ination o! such a danger This $ight ta#e the !or$ o! endorsing the antiD
nuclear policies o! a certain political group (t $ight entail supporting those in po"er "ho
believe that only by $aintaining the capacity o! 3$utual assured destruction2 can peace be
preserved Br one $ight consider that the only real re$edy is to practise and encourage the
re$oval o! sel!ishness and hatred% the psychological !actors that "ould $otivate the !inger
to !inally press the button
1
These t"o alternatives o! avoidance or responsible con!rontation are the hu$an
corollaries o! the instinctual reactions o! !light or !ight &o"ever% "ith either alternative the
adopted course o! action is never as de!initive as it is in the clearDcut responses at the ani$al
1
Shortly a!ter this passage "as "ritten a 7allup poll on nuclear "ar "as published in 5e"s"ee#
4Bct E% 19818 To the >uestion% F0hich o! these categories best describes you=%G the response "as as
!ollo"s:
( !re>uently thin# and "orry about the chances o! a nuclear "ar 18H
0hile ( a$ concerned about the chance o! a nuclear "ar% ( try to put it out o! $y $ind 4,H
( donIt thin# a nuclear "ar is too li#ely so ( donIt "orry about it '.H
DonIt #no" 'H
According to this poll it "ould see$ that the $a@ority o! A$ericans 4,9H8 adopt the strategy o!
$ental !light in the !ace o! the possibility o! such a "ar
E
level At any ti$e one $ay be sub@ect to the sudden reDoccurrence o! the original !ear
Previously un!oreseen ele$ents $ay e$erge% causing one2s vie" o! the situation to change
Br one $ay be s"ayed by the argu$ents o! those holding opinions contrary to one2s o"n
The !ears that arise in a hu$an "orld e)tending !ro$ the past into the !uture have to be
dealt "ith through the $ediu$ o! concepts "hich are ever prone to the vacillations o! the
hu$an intellect
0ith ani$alistic responses to !ear% !light is usually the initial reaction But in such cases
neither !leeing nor !ighting can be regarded as in any "ay morally pre!erable to the other
The reaction is purely deter$ined by the given e)ternal circu$stances (! possible% !lee% i!
not% !ight &o"ever% in a hu$an "orld o! ethical values and social responsibility% unless
con!rontation o! the !ear!ul situation and the adoption o! a course o! action designed to
eli$inate the source o! !ear see$ i$possible% avoidance o! !ear through !light is generally
considered to be a sign o! $oral "ea#ness Thus here our instinctual nature co$es into
con!lict "ith our ethical conscience (nstinctively "e "ant to !lee but $orally "e !eel
co$pelled to stand our ground and con!ront the danger
Anxiety
Flight% as "e have e)a$ined it so !ar% is one o! the t"o basic responses to !ear% "hich% in
turn% is a reaction to a danger or a threat Bn the ani$al level !light ta#es the !or$ o!
physical escape% "hereas on the hu$an level it beco$es $ore o! a $ental !or$ o! escape
&o"ever% even as a $ental escape in response to !ear% the !light is still conditioned to so$e
e)tent by an ob@ective situation in the outside "orld The !light strategy $ay consist o!
hiding a"ay in a $ental "eb o! e)planations% @usti!ications and pretences% but% in $ost cases%
that !ro$ "hich one is !leeing has an actual or possible reality outside o! onesel! An
e)ception to this "ould be the neurotic evasion or repression o! unacceptable traits "ithin
one2s o"n personality But even in this case% "here the ob@ect o! !ear% the !ear itsel! and the
!light are all psychic events% "e are still dealing "ith a particular entity in our "orld !ro$
"hich "e can try to !lee or "hich "e can try to con!ront and eli$inate
(t is no" necessary to consider an even $ore basic !or$ o! !light For !light is not only a
response to !ear% it is also a response to anxiety. &ere "e $ove beyond the physical and
$ental patterns o! !light to the level o! existential !light +)istential !light is not a response to
any particular entity in the "orld% it is a uni>uely hu$an response to our e)istence as such
(t is not $otivated by !ear o! any particular thing? it is $otivated by the an)iety "hich arises
in the !ace o! the over"hel$ing presence o! li!e and death
As has been pointed out by several e)istentialist philosophers% !ear and an)iety are >uite
distinct pheno$ena Fear al"ays has a particular entity in the "orld as its ob@ect The
sensation o! !ear can be eli$inated either through re$oving onesel! !ro$ the ob@ect 4!light8%
or through disposing o! the ob@ect itsel! 4!ight8 Thus a peculiar characteristic o! !ear is that
its presence is contingent upon the presence o! a particular entityJbe it a dangerous ani$al%
the possibility o! nuclear "ar% or a neurotic co$ple)Jand its absence is contingent upon the
absence o! that particular entity (t is @ust a $o$ent "ithin the strea$ o! li!e
An)iety% on the other hand% never has a particular entity in the "orld as its ob@ect (n this
sense it is said to be 3ob@ectless2 The sensation o! an)iety occurs as a disclosure o! the !act
that "e e)ist at all% (t e$erges "hen "e gli$pse our li!e standing out o! nothingness%
hovering precariously bet"een birth and death Knli#e !ear% an)iety cannot be eli$inated
through re$oving onesel! !ro$ its source% !or the si$ple reason that "e can never re$ove
ourselves !ro$ the !act o! our o"n e)istence 5o $atter "here "e !lee "e "ill al"ays be
con!ronted "ith "hat "e are Knli#e !ear% an)iety cannot be $eaning!ully eli$inated
*
through disposing o! "hat provo#es it For to dispose o! "hat provo#es it% our e)istence as
such% "ould entail co$$itting suicide And unli#e !ear% an)iety is not si$ply a $o$ent
"ithin the strea$ o! li!e% rather it is a !unda$ental "ay in "hich "e !eel ourselves to e)ist
An)iety grasps us in those rare $o$ents "hen "e sense the a"eso$eness o! having been
born into the "orld only to be !inally e)pelled !ro$ it at death 0e did not choose to co$e
into e)istence (t is as though "e "ere choicelessly thro"n here 0e have no recollection o!
"hat% i! anything% preceded birth 1oreover% "e hardly see$ "ell e>uipped !or this
pheno$enon called 3li!e2 0e !ind it inco$prehensible% be"ildering and o!ten pain!ul And
"here does it lead= To an irreversible process o! ageing and death 0ith each $o$ent o!
li!e% death co$es one $o$ent closer Death is all that "e can loo# !or"ard to "ith any
certainty 6et the ti$e o! its occurrence is utterly uncertain Beyond death% as be!ore birth% is
@ust an i$penetrable "all covered "ith a con!using array o! contradictory speculations
1ore than birth% "hich lies behind us as an inalterable given% our i$pending death is
$ainly responsible !or precipitating an)iety Bur death should not be regarded as a
particular entity in the "orld% as @ust one event a$ong $any others Death is a constantly
present possibility Bur li!e is inescapably a $ove$ent to"ards death 0hether consciously
or unconsciously% every $o$ent o! our being in this "orld is !elt to be overshado"ed by the
possibility o! our not being here at all (n the $ood o! an)iety occasioned by our death% nonD
being reveals itsel! to us And only against the in!inite bac#drop o! nonDbeing are "e able to
e)perience the !ull e)tent o! our being in its essential !initude
Such deeplyDrooted an)iety erupts into consciousness only rarely (ts occurrences are
li#e"ise not predictable (t can seiAe us at any ti$e &abitually it is dis$issed as an
irrational% ungrounded !ear or >uic#ly covered over "ith our usual screens o! $ental and
verbal chatter Thus "hat it reveals to us is seldo$ brought to the light o! articulate clarity
A!ter its departure little re$ains but a vague recollection o! so$ething ine)plicable and
!oreboding For the $ost part this an)iety is unconscious and repressed But it is
nevertheless present (n the "ords o! &eidegger% 3(t is only sleeping (ts breath >uivers
perpetually through $an2s being2
.
Existential Flight
An)iety% being a !unda$ental "ay in "hich "e sense ourselves to e)ist% li#e"ise evo#es an
e>ually !unda$ental response This response is "hat ( have called 3e)istential !light2
Further$ore% since "e are nor$ally unconscious o! this an)iety% "e are also nor$ally
unconscious o! our response to it in !light And @ust as an)iety is constantly present%
e)istential !light is li#e"ise present as a deeplyDrooted characteristic o! our being
Flight in the !ace o! an)iety is said to be 3e)istential2 because it constitutes an underlying
pattern or structure o! our present e)istence Such !light is neither a physical nor a $ental
reaction to a given !ear!ul event "ithin our e)istence (t causes no adrenalin to rush into our
bloodstrea$ and does not provo#e the $ind into devising co$ple) strategies o! @usti!ication
or escape (t is not an occasional device that "e resort to only under certain conditions (n
!act it di!!ers !ro$ ordinary !light to the sa$e degree that an)iety di!!ers !ro$ !ear (t is a
deeplyDrooted $ode o! responsiveness that deter$ines the "ay our e)istence itsel! is
characterised
Any state o! !light entails there being a threat from hich one !lees and a place "here that
threat is absent to hich one !lees (n the case o! !light as a response to !ear these t"o
.
1artin &eidegger What is !etaphysics" (ncluded in Basic Writings. /ondon: -outledge and ;egan
Paul% 19,8% p 1L8
,
conditions are usually !airly easy to deter$ine Bne !lees !ro$ a dangerous ani$al to a place
o! sa!ety such as a tree Bne !lees !ro$ the possibility o! nuclear "ar to a country beyond the
anticipated radiation Aone? or one retreats to a point o! vie" that e)plains a"ay such a
possibility as highly i$probable Bne !lees !ro$ a disturbing psychological proble$ into an
attitude o! repression But "here does one !lee in the case o! e)istential !light= Bne% is !leeing
!ro$ the over"hel$ing i$$ensity o! e)istence that plunges uncontrollably to"ards death
This occasions an)iety that causes us to recoil in !light But "here can "e !ind a place to !lee
"here e)istence itsel! together "ith its threat o! death are absent=
Existential flight precipitates us into a#sorption ith the particular entities of the orld. (n this
"ay "e are able to divert our attention a"ay !ro$ the uncanniness o! li!e and death 0e are
!ree to concern ourselves "ith the $uch $ore $anageable reality o! "ellDde!ined things
enclosed in li$ited situations (n the real$ o! particular entities "e appear to have so$e
control over e)ternal events as "ell as our o"n lives 0e can i$$erse ourselves in the
accu$ulation o! $aterial things% the ac>uiring o! a na$e !or ourselves and the gaining o!
in!luence over others 0e thus set about to construct a situation o! security and per$anence
1oreover% this basic attitude to e)istence is tacitly approved and supported by such
anony$ous yet respected authorities as 3co$$on sense3 and 3public opinion2 Thus any
>ual$s "e $ay have about so$eho" not being >uite true to ourselves are put to rest% and
"e !eel !ully @usti!ied in our relentless pursuit o! things
Absorption in the "orld o! particular entities is the principal characteristic o! e)istential
!light (t provides us "ith an apparent place o! sa!ety "here the al$ost e$barrassing
realities o! li!e and death no longer see$ so threatening &ere "e !ind a real$ "here the
revelatory "eight o! an)iety is no longer !elt Bne reason !or the e!!ectiveness o! such
absorption in providing this sense o! security is its >uality o! reducing all pheno$ena to the
level o! li$ited% $anipulatable entities Knder its in!luence even birth% li!e and death are @ust
seen as particular entities a$ong nu$erous others Although "e observe the$ constantly
ta#ing place% they see$ so$eho" distant% ob@ecti!ied% and disconnected !ro$ our inner
selves 0e beco$e nu$b to their signi!icance They enter our everyday conversation
unac#no"ledged% $ingling inconspicuously "ith the neighbours% the ne"s and the "eather
+)istential !light causes us to lose sight o! "hat "e really are The !urther "e !lee !ro$ the
reality o! our e)istence% the $ore "e beco$e i$$ersed in a !ictional e)istence (nstead o!
accepting our conditioned% i$per$anent nature% "e resort to the belie! in an unconditioned%
!i)ed ego Absorbed in a "orld o! li$ited% $anipulatable entities% "e vie" ourselves too as
li$ited and $anipulatable 0e naturally tend to regard others in a si$ilar "ay (n !act the
"orld as a "hole in "hich "e beco$e absorbed con!ronts us as an e)panse o! independent%
unrelated entities% all o! the$ potentially available $erely !or use and $anipulation
(t $ust be borne in $ind that e)istential !light is not really co$parable to !light in the
usual sense o! the "ord% ie as a $ove$ent !ro$ a threatening situation in one place to a
secure situation else"here (n e)istential !light "e do not actually turn a"ay !ro$ birth and
death and retreat into a "orld o! particular entities else"here A "orld o! particular entities
is not% as it "ere% "aiting so$e"here !or us to !lee into (t is al"ays present% @ust as our
e)istence as such is al"ays present The act o! !light is perhaps $ore a#in to a 7estalt s"itch%
but one in "hich "e loc# into one possible con!iguration to the e)clusion o! the other (n the
process o! !light and absorption "e re!use to ac#no"ledge our e)istence as such and instead
insist on the e)clusive reality o! the "orld o! particular entities (n the very act o! insistent
absorption "e ascribe a $ode o! being to particular entities that does not properly belong to
the$ 0e consider the$ as ulti$ate% sel!De)istent realities (n such a do$ain% a$idst
predictable% ob@ecti!ied entities% "e believe ourselves to be sa!e and secure
8
Although the origins and conse>uences o! e)istential !light have been described here in a
linear causal se>uence% it should not be assu$ed that thereby a series o! events is being
portrayed that ta#es place one a!ter the other% over a given period o! ti$e (t is not as though
at $o$ent one% an)iety occurs? at $o$ent t"o% !light? at $o$ent three% absorption in
particular entities? and at $o$ent !our% the ascribing o! sel!De)istence to those entities (n
accordance "ith the te$poral character o! thin#ing% "e resort% !or the sa#e o! description% to
the te$poral categories o! cause and e!!ect &o"ever% an)iety is only logically antecedent to
!light% and absorption is only logically subse>uent to it (n reality there is no such distinct
te$poral se>uence These pheno$ena can never actually be !ound in isolation !ro$ one
another 0herever there is an)iety% there "ill be e)istential !light% absorption in particular
entities% and the ascription o! sel!De)istence /i#e"ise% "herever there is the ascription o!
sel!De)istence% there "ill be an)iety% e)istential !light and absorption in particular entities
They can only be logically separated in ti$e and placed in se>uence? in actuality they are
!our si$ultaneous aspects o! a single pattern o! e)istence
+arlier e)istential !light "as spo#en o! as an 3underlying pattern or structure o! our
present e)istence2 5o"% i! "e reconsider this underlying pattern !ro$ a $ore enco$passing
perspective% "e can see that e)istential !light is @ust one !acet o! a $ore co$ple) structure o!
e)istence Depending on our intention and vantageDpoint "e could% "ith e>ual @usti!ication%
regard this sa$e underlying pattern as a state o! an)iety% or as an attitude o! insistent
absorption in particular entities% or as a tendency to ascribe to things the >uality o!
independent sel!De)istence (t $ay be $ore accurate% ho"ever% to spea# o! an)iety as the
$ood% e)istential !light and absorption in particular entities as the dyna$ic% and ascription
o! sel! e)istence to things as the cogniti$e attitude o! this one underlying pattern or
structure o! e)istence Alternatively% "e could consider the$ as the $ood% the dyna$ic and
the cognitive attitude o! each other Thus in the case o! e)istential !light% !or e)a$ple% its
$ood "ould be an)iety and its cognitive attitude "ould be to ascribe sel!De)istence to
things
For the si$ple reason that one can never succeed in escaping !ro$ one2s o"n e)istence%
e)istential !light is conde$ned !ro$ the outset to !ailure and !rustration By its very nature it
is !utile &o"ever insistently "e absorb ourselves in the $anipulation o! things and
situations% "e "ill al"ays be sub@ect to the unpredictable irruptions o! an)iety 5o $atter
ho" !ir$ly "e have convinced ourselves that the ulti$ate values in li!e are e$bodied in
personal success% the ac>uisition o! "ealth% respect and #no"ledge% the shado" o! our o"n
death can suddenly interrupt and declare our belie!s ban#rupt As long as our actions are
i$pelled by !light !ro$ the i$$ensity o! birth and death% "e "ill be !aced "ith those
uneasy $o$ents "here all that "e have done see$s to a$ount to nothing% "here all our
e)ertions and toil see$ to have succeeded in bringing us no"here (t is as i! "e are running
!orever in circles and al"ays !inding ourselves bac# "here "e started: in an an)ious
con!rontation "ith our o"n !inite e)istence
(! "e "ere to ac#no"ledge the pheno$enon o! e)istential !light "ithin ourselves% "e
"ould thus also be !orced to ac#no"ledge the presence o! error and con!usion For to live
and act as though one could avoid the threat o! death is un>uestionably erroneous and
con!used Further$ore% this error is not "ithout conse>uences (t causes us to co$e into
!rustrating con!licts "ith reality "henever our illusory "orld o! !i)ed% sel!De)istent entities
!ails to live up to our e)pectations o! it as an an)ietyD!ree haven &o"ever% our e)istential
!light is predo$inantly unconscious and at best only di$ly articulated +ven on those
occasions "hen "e are shoc#ed into a realisation o! its actuality% "e are only too eager to
!orget about it a!ter"ards -arely do "e $a#e an e!!ort to observe this !light !ro$ ourselves
9
in the light o! consciousness 6et such conscious a"areness "ould be one o! the !irst steps in
reducing the negative hold it has over us
As "as indicated at the beginning o! this essay% there are $o$ents "hen probably $ost
o! us have observed this !light in one !or$ or another Bn occasions a >uiet inner a"areness
allo"s us to gli$pseJo!ten @ust !leetinglyJour o"n !renAied absorption in so$e trivial
concern 0e $ay have noticed ho" "e so$eti$es !eel ill at ease and try to shy a"ay !ro$
the sub@ect "hen death is d"elt upon in conversation At ti$es "e $ay even have been
une)pectedly seiAed by an un!a$iliar perception o! our "orld that causes us to "ithdra"
!ro$ our absorption !or a "hile and conte$plate the uncanny pheno$enon o! people busily
!orgetting the$selves 1ost stri#ingly% "e $ay have atte$pted to still the $ind in
$editation only to !ind that our attention re!uses to d"ell in the actuality o! the present and
uncontrollably !lees !or the security o! "hat has been and "hat $ight be (n all o! these cases
"e beco$e conscious% ho"ever di$ly% o! this deepest !or$ o! !lightJe)istential !light For
"ithin us there is the possibility o! a still% detached a"areness that can illu$inate and @udge
even our inner$ost attitudes and behaviour "ithout being caught up in the uncontrolled
!renAy o! activity 5evertheless% such a"areness is usually absent and "e are unconsciously
s"ept along in the strea$ o! racing thoughts and events &o"ever% to cultivate and learn to
d"ell in such a state o! detached a"areness is a #ey !actor in co$ing to ter$s "ith the
co$pulsive >uality o! !light Such consciousness opens the "ay to a $ore realistic and
!ul!illing approach to e)istence
Another i$portant point in developing a conscious a"areness o! e)istential !light is to
recognise clearly that it is not a response to !ear but to an)iety A principal source o! the
error and !utility o! e)istential !light can be traced to the assu$ption that an)iety is @ust
another aspect o! !ear and can thus be re$oved by responding to it as though it "ere !ear
As "ith !ear our initial reaction to an)iety is to !lee This is the pri$al ani$al response that
"e discussed earlier But being pri$arily an unconscious reaction% e)istential !light is not
chec#ed either by conscious re!lection or $oral restrictionsJas is the case in a response to
!ear at the speci!ically hu$an level. &ence this !light is allo"ed to continue uni$peded
unless "e are a"a#ened to a conscious realisation o! its !utility But such realisations are
usually brushed aside and !orgotten For the alternative to !light in this case% in trying to
destroy the ob@ect or our supposed !ear rather than !leeing !ro$ it% "ould have too $any
devastating i$plications (t "ould i$ply the destruction o! our e)istence as such (n other
"ords "e "ould be led to entertain the notion o! suicide At such $o$ents "e reach an
i$passe Bur habitual "ay o! living see$s !utile and senseless% yet "e cannot possibly
conceive o! ending it The "ay out o! this i$passe is to recognise that an)iety is essentially
di!!erent !ro$ !ear and cannot be e!!ectively dealt "ith as though it "ere !ear Flight or !ight%
in their grosser and subtler $ani!estations% $ay be able to subdue our !ears but "ill only
lead us into an insoluble con!lict "hen it co$es to dealing "ith an)iety To e!!ectively
resolve the e)istential proble$ o! an)iety "e need to adopt an entirely di!!erent approach
The !ollo"ing >uestions $ay no" arise: F(s it actually possible to e!!ect any real change in
such basic e)istential pheno$ena as an)iety in the !ace o! death and the ensuing !light into
absorption "ith particular entities in the "orld= &ave these pheno$ena not been described
as underlying 3patterns2 and 3structures2 o! our e)istence= (s it not our destiny as hu$an
beings to be sub@ect to these things as part o! our condition in li!e=G Although an)iety and
e)istential !light characterise our li!e as "e #no" it no"% this does not i$ply that they are
inherent properties o! hu$an e)istence as such There is no need to regard the$ as intrinsic
>ualities pertaining to so$e inalterable essence o! $an 4(n !act such a vie" o! inalterable
essences is itsel! indicative o! our being under the s"ay o! e)istential !light and its cognitive
attitude o! ascribing sel!De)istence to things8 Despite their deeplyDrooted character% an)iety
1L
and the !light it provo#es are nevertheless conditioned responses As such they can be
changed% although such change "ill re>uire a correspondingly pro!ound reDorientation o!
our present attitude to e)istence
11
II. A B!""hst #esponse
Kp to no" ( have tried to describe certain aspects o! our present situation "ithout e)plicitly
resorting to any concepts that are i$$ediately recognisable as 3Buddhist2 (n !act $uch o!
the ter$inology e$ployed hereJ3an)iety2% 3!light%2 3absorption in particular entities2Jis not
to be !ound at all in the traditional e)planations o! Buddhis$ 1y ai$ has been to give a
description o! our e)istential proble$ in accordance "ith a "ay o! thin#ing that is perhaps
$ore accessible to our present 0eltanschauung
(t is al"ays i$portant to have in $ind a clear picture o! the proble$ be!ore proceeding to
the solution This is particularly true "hen the solution is phrased in a language and "ay o!
thin#ing that is in so $any respects !oreign to us The teachings o! Buddhis$ need to be
approached !ro$ 3belo"%2 that is% !ro$ the concrete !acts o! our o"n e)istence There are
considerable dangers in approaching the$ instead !ro$ 3above2 by starting "ith the speci!ic
doctrines and then subse>uently trying to !it the$ to hu$an e)istence
Such an approach !ro$ 3belo"2 is especially called !or in the present situation "here
Buddhis$ is still in the process o! !inding its !eet in a $odern secular culture (t is not viable
to si$ply transpose an entire ideology that has developed under conditions >uite di!!erent
!ro$ our o"n into the present $oral and intellectual cli$ate Through un>uestioning
adherence to a set o! alien belie!s there is the danger o! beco$ing isolated !ro$ active
participation in the concrete situations o! li!e around one (n other "ords% the adoption o!
Buddhis$ can also beco$e @ust another !or$ o! !light !ro$ onesel!%
This approach !ro$ 3belo"2 is itsel! characteristically Buddhist (t is evident in the
presentation o! the !irst and central teaching o! the Buddha% that o! the Four %o#le Truths.
&ere he pointed out that it is !irst o! all necessary to beco$e a"are o! the proble$Jie the
!irst truth o! su!!eringJbe!ore proceeding to the re$aining truths that o!!er a solution to the
proble$ &e then outlined the solution in three stages: understanding the origin o! the
proble$: realising that the proble$ "ill cease once its origin ceases? and learning o! and
!ollo"ing the "ay that "ill lead to such a cessation &o"ever% the $eaning o! the ter$
3su!!ering2 constantly undergoes shi!ts in e$phasis
(n general% o! course% the hu$an condition re$ains al"ays bound to such su!!erings as
sic#nesses% ageing and death that are the unavoidable conse>uences o! being born But
no"adays% especially in the 0est% the physical su!!erings o! this li!e as "ell as such things
as the !ear o! hell in the !uture are !or the $a@ority no longer such a predo$inant "orry
(nstead people !ind the$selves tor$ented by su!!erings o! a $ore $ental or e)istential
nature These "ould include such thing% as !ear and an)ietyJas described aboveJas "ell
as a sense o! $eaninglessness% alienation% loneliness and despair Su!!ering% as it is
e)perienced today% is no longer !elt to be solely a conse>uence o! physical e)istence: it is
perceived as a spiritual $alaise
(n the preceding pages "e have described the speci!ic proble$s o! !ear% an)iety and !light
5o" let us consider "hat #ind o! a response can be elicited !ro$ the teachings o! Buddhis$
Since $any o! the concepts% such as 3e)istential !light2 are not current in Ftraditional
Buddhist thought% it "ill be necessary to dig beneath the i$$ediate sur!ace o! doctrine in
order to unearth the patterns o! e)istence described so !ar As ( "ill try to de$onstrate%
3e)istential !light2 and its related !actors are not such alien concepts as $ay at !irst be
i$agined 0ith a little re!lection "e can see ho" several o! the principal !eatures o!
Buddhis$ ate inti$ately connected to these pheno$ena (n this "ay not only "ill "e be
able to establish a co$$on ground bet"een our o"n situation and the Buddhist teachings%
1.
but "e $ay also be able to shed so$e additional light on the $eaning and practice o!
Buddhis$
The aspects o! Buddhis$ "e "ill !ocus on here in order to illustrate the response to the
underlying the$es o! an)iety and !light "ill be the li!e story o! the historical Buddha% the
ta#ing o! re!uge in the Triple 7e$% and the practice o! Buddhist $editation (n addition to
allo"ing us to vie" these three central !eatures o! Buddhis$ !ro$ another perspective% the
concept o! !light "ill also provide us "ith a thread "ith "hich to connect the$ together in
an e)istentially signi!icant "ay
!he Life of the Buddha
For the !irst t"entyD!ive or so years o! his li!e it is said that Prince Siddhartha re$ained
i$$ured "ithin !our e)>uisite palaces% one !or each season o! the year This li!estyle "as
i$posed upon hi$ by his !ather% the #ing% "ho did not "ish hi$ to be distracted !ro$
"orldly a$bition by the disturbing aspects o! li!e outside the palace "alls Although the
prince had everything he could desire in ter$s o! sensory en@oy$ent% he nonetheless beca$e
restless in his incarceration and "ished to see the "orld outside So on !our separate
occasions he "as allo"ed to visit the surrounding to"n and countryside Be!orehand%
though% the #ing ordered that no unpleasant sights% such as people dis!igured by sic#ness or
oldDage% be visible along the prince2s route But in spite o! his !ather2s e!!orts the prince
happened to encounter a sic# person% an ageing person% a corpse and a "andering
$endicant These e)periences caused hi$ to put into >uestion the values o! li!e that had
been instilled "ithin hi$ during his princely upbringing +ach ti$e he returned to the
palaces !ro$ one o! his e)cursions% he !elt $ore and $ore ill at ease and less and less able to
en@oy the pleasures that surrounded hi$ +ventually this inner con!lict reached a brea#ingD
point and one night he stole a"ay !ro$ his ho$e in order to pursue the li!e o! a "andering
$on# &is search !or the true $eaning o! li!e led hi$ to a nu$ber o! di!!erent teachers and
spiritual disciplines &o"ever% !or si) years his basic >uestions still re$ained unans"ered
Finally% deter$ined to resolve his dile$$a% he sat do"n all alone at the !oot o! a large tree
and a!ter several days o! unbro#en e!!ort e)perienced enlighten$ent Thus he discovered
the ans"er to the >uestions o! li!e and death that had been troubling hi$
5o" "hat bearing does this account o! the !ounder o! Buddhis$ have on our discussion
o! an)iety and e)istential !light= Bn the sur!ace "e are presented "ith a so$e"hat
legendary tale that lac#s $uch reliable scriptural authority and is di!!icult to ascertain as
historical !act Although this story has usually been accepted as authoritative in the
traditional schools o! Buddhis$% it has never given rise to $uch serious conte$plation o!
any $eaning other than the literal one As such it has been used to edi!y the popular i$age
o! the Buddha by de$onstrating his e)ceptional virtues o! renunciation% detach$ent%
perseverance and enlighten$ent But beyond serving this !unction it has not% as !ar as (
#no"% been traditionally used as an ob@ect o! !urther re!lection &o"ever% i! "e e)a$ine the
account a little $ore closely% "e can discover a description% in largely sy$bolic ter$s% o!
an)iety% e)istential !light and absorption in a "orld o! particular entities 1oreover% the
story indicates an alternative "ay o! responding to an)iety: one that leads us beyond the
dichoto$y o! !light or !ight
The prince2s condition o! being i$$ured in !our palaces as part o! his !ather2s ploy to
#eep the distressing realities o! e)istence hidden !ro$ hi$ e)presses% through the i$agery o!
those ti$es% t"o i$portant aspects o! e)istential !light Firstly% absorption in a "orld o!
particular entities is depicted in the i$age o! a palatial li!e "here attention is !ocused
e)clusively on e)ternal sensual pleasures (n such a situation it is i$possible to see% ie to see
1'
the signi!icance o!% sic#ness% ageing and death Bne is blind to everything but a relentless
pursuit o! $aterial "ellbeing and personal aggrandise$ent Secondly% the #ing sy$bolically
represents the invisible authority that encourages and acts as a @usti!ication !or such an
attitude This authority also appears under the guises o! 3co$$on sense2 and 3public
opinion2 (t is an authority that belongs to no one individual but is nevertheless respected
and obeyed by each individual
The tour e)cursions into the "orld beyond the palace "alls can be understood as !our
occasions "hen the reality o! his e)istence as such bro#e through to consciousness (t "ould
be unrealistic to assu$e that he had literally never seen sic#ness% old age% death or
renunciates be!ore (nside the palace "alls it is said that he never encountered the$ But
"hen "e interpret the palace li!e as a sy$bol !or absorption in a "orld i! particular entities%
surely "hat is $eant is that he only encountered sic#ness% old age and death as particular
entities a$ong other particular entitles and thus !ailed to be struc# by their e)istential
signi!icance (t "as only through going beyond the palace "alls% in other "ords through
suspending has absorption in particular things% that he "as able to gli$pse% !or the !irst
ti$e% the deep personal $eaning o! these !acts o! e)istence
These e)periences gave rise to pro!ound an)iety A!ter each successive encounter he
returned to his palaces only to !ind that they had lost their attraction !or hi$ Thus he began
to understand that the realities o! birth and death cannot be evaded through !light and
absorption in a "orld o! things The !utility o! such a li!e beca$e evident to hi$ &e no"
e)perienced a gro"ing sense o! an)iety !ro$ "hich he #ne" he could no longer escape
through !light
So ho" did the Prince Siddhartha !ind his "ay out o! this i$passe= &is an)iety in the !ace
o! the over"hel$ing reality o! li!e and death dis$issed the possibility o! his ever regaining
any content$ent or security through absorbing hi$sel! in the palace li!e Suicide% too% "ould
have !ailed to provide a $eaning!ul solution For the inescapable proble$ o! li!e and death
cannot #e sol$ed through one2s death? it can only be cancelled (n the !inal analysis% suicide is
revealed to be @ust another !ro$ o! !light 0hen the $eaning o! li!e beco$es a pressing
>uestion% it can only be satis!ied by a $eaning!ul ans"er 5o >uestion can be ans"ered
$erely through the negation o! the >uestion Suicide provides no ans"ers? it $erely puts an
end to the >uestions
Siddhartha2s "ay out o! this con!lict "as to abandon his princely e)istence in order to
devote hi$sel! to discovering a solution to the >uestions o! li!e and death This decision
involved a radical trans!or$ation in his previous attitudes (nstead o! evading the
underlying realities o! hu$an e)istence by absorbing hi$sel! in concern "ith particular
things% he courageously !aced these realities and absorbed hi$sel! in untangling their
$ystery There!ore% his actual !light !ro$ the palace had as a psychological counterpart the
!inal re@ection o! the attitude o! e)istential !light as an e!!ective response to an)iety
Although a!!ording hi$ a previously un#no"n sense o! spiritual !reedo$% this decision
cannot have been "ithout its hardships For instead o! te$porarily suppressing an)iety
through !light% it entailed acceptance o! an)iety as an unavoidable co$ponent o! the
spiritual >uest !or $eaning
(nstinctively "e recoil !ro$ the peculiar uneasiness present in $o$ents o! an)iety The
sensation it produces o! 3hovering2 in nothingness is interpreted as so$ething purely
negative and there!ore undesirable and bad (n this "ay "e overloo# the special revelatory
>uality o! an)iety An)iety is a $ood in "hich our e)istence as such can be presently !elt in
its totality and !initude And it is not the result o! $ere theoretical speculation? it is a lived
concrete e)perience (t brings us !ace to !ace "ith the >uestion o! our o"n e)istence (t gives
14
us the chance to secure that >uestion at the starting point !or a radically ne" approach to
li!e 1oreover% it sets the tone !or this no" approach: na$ely% it creates a constant inner
tension% a co$bination o! uneasiness and urgency that acts as a spiritual catalyst But this
uneasiness and urgency are not at all co$parable "ith the nervous con!usion !ound in !ear
3An)iety%2 re$ar#s &eidegger% 3does not let such con!usion arise 1uch to the contrary% a
peculiar cal$ pervades it
'
A!ter renouncing the palace li!e Prince Siddhartha spent si) years undergoing various
$editative and ascetic disciplines until !inally he achieved the goal o! his >uest%
enlighten$ent As the goal o! his >uest% his enlighten$ent $ust have had a direct bearing
on the origins o! the sa$e >uest These origins "e traced to the e)istential >uestions posed
to hi$ upon realising the signi!icance o! sic#ness% ageing and death Through these
encounters his e)istence as such beca$e a >uestion !or hi$ &e e)perienced an inescapable
sense o! an)iety that could no longer be placated through !light and absorption in a "orld o!
things This being the case "e can con!idently assu$e that his enlighten$ent ca$e as an
ans"er to the >uestion o! his very e)istence (t revealed to hi$ the $eaning o! li!e in the !ace
o! ageing and death Thus his an)iety "as dispelled and any re$aining tendency to"ards
e)istential !light and absorption in a "orld o! things "as transcended
(t is $ost i$portant to $aintain a clear a"areness o! the conte)t in "hich the Buddha2s
enlighten$ent too# place As Prince Siddhartha set out on his >uest he "as not deliberately
see#ing a speci!ic pheno$enon called 3Buddhahood%2 3Arahatship%2 or 3Satori2 &e "as
si$ply see#ing an ans"er to the >uestion o! his e)istence as a hu$an being posed to hi$
through his encounters "ith sic#ness% ageing and death A!ter a great a$ount o! hardship
and e!!ort he a"a#ened to the ans"er This e)perience he subse>uently re!erred to as #odhi,
"hich $eans 3a"a#ening2 or 3enlighten$ent2
The content o! the ans"er he discovered through #odhi can neither be e)pressed in "ords
nor conveyed in any "ay !ro$ one person to another 1erely a path that leads to it can be
indicated (ts actual realisation depends solely upon the individual2s o"n e!!orts &o"ever%
the conte)t o! hu$an e)istence in "hich this indescribable e)perience o! enlighten$ent
occurs can be described +nlighten$ent is nothing but the ans"er to the deepest >uestions
o! hu$an e)istence Thus "ithout a vivid consciousness o! these >uestions ho" can there
really be a genuine striving !or enlighten$ent= Surely the depth o! any 3enlighten$ent2 can
only be $easured by the depth at "hich the corresponding >uestions resound "ithin one
5o"adays concern "ith these >uestions is o!ten overloo#ed in !avour o! elaborate
descriptions o! the path to enlighten$ent and the various stages and #inds o! a"a#ening
The danger here is that enlighten$ent beco$es subtly uprooted !ro$ the concrete realities
o! hu$an e)istence (t co$es to be seen as the endDproduct o! a certain techni>ue But can
the $ystery o! a being as co$ple)% irrational and individual as $an be unravelled by the
si$ple application o! a techni>ue= By al"ays #eeping in $ind the !unda$ental $ystery and
>uestion o! e)istence% "e can prevent the practice o! Buddhis$ and enlighten$ent !ro$
beco$ing ends in the$selves (nstead "e "ill see the$ as $ere $eans to"ards the end o!
providing an ans"er to that >uestion
(n the $ood o! an)iety the >uestion o! our e)istence is posed to us &o"ever% our habitual
response to that >uestion is to shy a"ay !ro$ it in !light and to lose ourselves in a pursuit o!
things Further$ore% "e concretise and secure our absorption through ascribing sel!D
e)istence to the ob@ects o! our pursuit (n the story o! Prince Siddhartha "e are sho"n an
alternative response to the >uestion o! e)istence (t is one that does not lead us into
!rustration% con!lict and despair% but accepts the >uestion revealed in an)iety and sets out to
'
1artin &eidegger op cit p 1L.
1E
discover an ans"er The ans"er is !inally disclosed in the e)perience o! enlighten$ent (n
this "ay ( have tried to de$onstrate the preDe$inence o! an a"areness o! the >uestions o!
li!e in deter$ining the course o! the path to enlighten$ent The practice o! Buddhis$ has
been sho"n to be rooted solely in the patterns o! our everyday hu$an e)istence 1oreover%
the li!e o! its !ounder can no" be understood not only as an inspiring story% but also as
sy$bolic depiction o! a process that each and every Buddhist $ust undergo in the depths o!
his or her being
Fro$ the $o$ent the Buddha decided to try and teach others "hat he had discovered
and set out on his long "al# !ro$ Bodh 7aya to Benares% the history o! Buddhis$ has been
essentially nothing but a continuous atte$pt to describe the "ay to enlighten$ent Despite
its inclusion o! the $ost diverse approaches% ranging !ro$ e$piricis$ to $etaphysics% !ro$
logic to parado)% !ro$ scepticis$ to piety% and !ro$ rationalis$ to $ysticis$% the central
!ocus o! Buddhis$ has al"ays been the enlighten$ent e)perience Throughout the
centuries% in $any di!!erent countries and cultures% Buddhis$ has adopted nu$erous !or$s
6et underlying the$ all is this one truth o! enlighten$ent that the Buddha grasped over t"o
thousand years ago +ach tradition that arose developed its o"n vie"s concerning the
nature o! the path to enlighten$ent and usually highlighted certain !eatures that it
considered to be o! particular signi!icance The various schools e$erged both as reactions
against earlier trends in Buddhist thought% "hich had beco$e stagnant or had succu$bed to
e)tre$is$% as "ell as innovative $ove$ents designed to re$odel the !or$ o! the religion in
accordance "ith the prevailing ti$es Thus% a rich yet o!ten be"ildering array o! di!!erent
practices and philosophies ca$e to be included under the single heading o! 3Buddhis$2
5o"% dra"ing upon the legacy o! this $aterial% let us consider so$e o! the $ore central
aspects o! this path to enlighten$ent% paying special attention to their bearing on an)iety
and !light
!aing *efuge
At the conclusion o! $any Buddhist Sutras% especially those recorded in the Pali te)ts% the
person or people to "ho$ the discourse "as addressed ac#no"ledge their conversion to the
Buddha and his teachings by uttering the three!old !or$ula o! re!uge:
&' ta(e refuge in the Buddha,
' ta(e refuge in the )harma,
' ta(e refuge in the *angha.+
The act o! ta#ing re!uge% as e)pressed in this !or$ula% is the basis o! all subse>uent practices
included along the Buddhist path (t is so$eti$es described as the 3gate"ay2 to Buddhis$ (t
is regarded as the decisive $o$ent at "hich one enters the Buddhist co$$unity o! !aith
Through ta#ing re!uge in the Buddha% Dhar$a and Sangha one thus beco$es a Buddhist
0hat does it really $ean to 3ta#e re!uge2 in so$eone or so$ething= Ksually "e
understand this as "ithdra"ing to a place o! sa!ety !ro$ so$e danger or entrusting
ourselves to so$eone !or his protection (n a spiritual conte)t it "ould presu$ably entail
adopting certain belie!s and $a#ing certain resolutions in return !or an inner sense o!
security and $eaning But is this all that is i$plied by ta#ing re!uge in the Buddha% Dhar$a
and Sangha= (s it @ust a preli$inary state$ent o! one2s con!idence in the Buddhist teachings=
Br does it% as "ould be e)pected o! the !oundation o! all !urther practices% entail so$ething
$ore=
(n the conte)t o! this present en>uiry the ety$ology o! the "ord 3re!uge2 proves to be
>uite illu$inating (t is derived !ro$ the /atin "ord fugere, "hich $eans to !lee (n 7er$an
1*
this connection bet"een 3!light2 and 3re!uge2 is even $ore e)plicit in the "ords ,lucht 4!light8
and -uflucht 4re!uge8 Thus a re!uge is a place to "hich one flees in ti$es o! danger &ere
again "e encounter the pheno$enon o! !light
(n the case o! !ear "e !lee to a place o! sa!ety: Thus "e ta#e re!uge in a tree% a country%
another person or an attitude that provides us "ith security and protection (n the case o!
an)iety "e resort to e)istential !light As "e have already seen% this is an underlying pattern
o! $uch o! our present lives Knder its in!luence "e !lee !ro$ the threat o! death% !or
e)a$ple% to the re!uge o! absorption in a "orld o! particular things Thus the act o! ta#ing
re!uge is not so$ething essentially !oreign to us The proble$ is that our usual re!uges are
not !inal Bur re!uges !ro$ !ear are e!!ective only "hile a certain set o! circu$stances
prevails And our re!uge !ro$ an)ietyJabsorption in a "orld o! particularsJis ulti$ately
unable to provide us "ith the security "e had hoped to !ind in it At any ti$e an)iety $ay
interrupt our co$placency% and death% ho"ever hard "e try to ignore it% "ill al"ays
intervene in the end
5o"% ho" does ta#ing re!uge in the Buddha% Dhar$a and Sangha co$pare to our
habitual !or$s o! ta#ing re!uge !ro$ !ear and an)iety= (n see#ing re!uge in the Buddha%
Dhar$a and Sangha% "hat is it that "e are see#ing re!uge !ro$= And in "hat "ay are they
able to provide us "ith an e!!ective re!uge=
Bnly "hen these >uestions are ans"ered "ill a clear picture o! ta#ing re!uge in the Triple
7e$ e$erge (n the "ritings o! the thirteenth century Tibetan 1aster Tsong ;hapa one o!
the causes !or ta#ing re!uge is recognised as ./igs.pa.% in Sans#rit bhaya% a ter$ "hich is
usually translated as 3!ear2 &o"ever% in traditional Buddhist ter$inology no e)plicit
distinction is $ade bet"een !ear and an)iety &ence "e should reconsider in this case
"hether ./igs.pa.% denotes a nor$al state o! !ear or "hether it re!ers to the $ore e)istential
condition o! an)iety Tsong ;hapa $aintains that the ob@ect o! 0/igs.pa. is not so$e particular
entity "ithin the "orld but the cycle o! birth and death itsel! This being so% "e can sa!ely
conclude that here ./igs.pa should be rendered as 3an)iety2 rather than 3!ear2 For the cycle o!
birth and death 4saMs9ra8 does not i$ply a particular entity in the "orld% but a certain
pattern or $ode o! e)istence Thus the an)iety that $otivates us to ta#e re!uge in the
Buddha% Dhar$a and Sangha is none other than the an)iety to "hich "e habitually respond
by !leeing into a "orld o! particulars
To ta#e re!uge in the Triple 7e$ is a conscious response to an)iety (t is a radical
alternative to the pri$arily unconscious response o! e)istential !light (!% in accordance "ith
its ety$ology% "e still consider it as a !or$ o! !light% then such !light "ould have to be
conceived as a controlled and centred act o! the entire person% resulting in integration as
opposed to the disintegration that ensues !ro$ e)istential !light (nstead o! re@ection it entails
acceptance o! one2s hu$an condition in all its over"hel$ing !initude and perple)ity And it
is this total acceptance o! onesel! that !or$s the basis !or a $ore $eaning!ul response to
one2s e)istence (n addition% such acceptance is !irst $ade possible by a realisation o! the
!utility o! e)istential !light
(n contrast to e)istential !light% ta#ing re!uge in the Triple 7e$ does not lead us into the
real$ o! particular entities e)ternal to ourselves This "ould perhaps happen i! ta#ing
re!uge "ere understood as a response to !ear as opposed to an)iety (n that case there "ould
also be the danger o! regarding the Buddha re!uge as $erely a particular individual% the
Dhar$a re!uge $erely as the teachings o! such individuals% and the Sangha re!uge $erely as
a co$$unity o! $on#s (t is o! course true that the Buddha% Dhar$a and Sangha are thus
present in the "orld o! particulars They are e$bodied in !inite persons% doctrines and
institutions Bnly in this "ay are they $ade accessible to the concrete hu$an situation But
1,
it "ould be a $ista#e to identi!y the$ "ith their !inite representations Thereby one "ould
$iss their true e)istential relation to one2s o"n li!e
Since an)iety discloses our e)istence in its totality% a $eaning!ul response to an)iety $ust
li#e"ise ta#e into account this totality The re!uge "e see# !ro$ an)iety cannot be e)ternal
or only partially related to our lives (t $ust stand in a direct dyna$ic relation to ourselves
There!ore% to be e!!ective ob@ects o! re!uge% the Buddha% Dhar$a and Sangha $ust be
connected to us in an e)istentially signi!icant "ay
To ta#e re!uge in the Buddha does not pri$arily $ean to ta#e re!uge in the historical
Buddha Sha#ya$uni (t $eans to ta#e re!uge in Buddhahood% ie the $ode o! being realised
initially by Sha#ya$uni and later on by his !ollo"ers Buddhahood is the opti$u$ $ode o!
being that can be reached "ithin hu$an e)istence (t is a state in "hich the >uestions o!
hu$an li!e are e!!ectively solved and the possibilities o! our e)istence brought to their
highest level o! actualisation Thus Buddha% or Buddhahood% is not a particular entity
unrelated to ourselves (t is the opti$u$ $ode o! being to "hich "e ourselves are capable
o! evolving As such it is a living possibility i$$ediately related to our present e)istence
Bnly secondarily is re!uge sought in the historical Buddha and his !ollo"ers For it is
through the$ that Buddhahood is brought into the concrete sphere o! hu$an consciousness
By their e)a$ple Buddhahood is established as a living possibility 6et to ta#e re!uge in
Sha#ya$uni% !or e)a$ple% is not to ac#no"ledge hi$ as possessing any $iraculous saving
po"er (t only ac#no"ledges hi$ as one "ho indicates the "ay to Buddhahood through his
e)a$ple and teaching
Ta#ing re!uge in the Dhar$a is not e>uivalent to placing one2s belie! in a certain set o!
doctrines and dog$as (t involves co$$itting onesel! to a process o! sel!Dactualisation that
cul$inates in Buddhahood% the opti$u$ $ode o! being As such the Dhar$a re!uge is the
path o! develop$ent itsel! But this path is not an abstract series o! steps !ro$ here to
Buddhahood (t is co$prised o! the actual stages o! insight and the enact$ent o! that insight
in a concrete "orld o! relations that "e ourselves have to realise and% as it "ere% beco$e (t is
the Dhar$a in this sense that provides us "ith the real re!uge% na$ely% the "ay out o! our
present predica$ent to a state o! greater !reedo$ and !ul!il$ent Thus the Dhar$a in "hich
"e see# re!uge is inti$ately related to our o"n lives: it is a dyna$ic pattern o! e)istence that
"e co$$it ourselves to actualise &o"ever% "e also ta#e re!uge in the teachings and advice
given by the Buddha and his !ollo"ers These are the verbal and "ritten instructions that
describe !ro$ personal e)perience the "ay to realise the Dhar$a (n the$selves they a!!ord
us no re!uge But since they act as the indispensable $ediu$ through "hich "e gain the
#no"ledge necessary !or our o"n practice% they are considered as part o! the Dhar$a
re!uge
The re!uge "e !ind in the Sangha is that o! a supportive co$$unity o! !aith This
co$$unity is co$posed o! those $en and "o$en "ho are li#e"ise engaged in the
realisation o! Dhar$a in their lives The !aith that unites the co$$unity is not $ere belie! in
a set o! shared ideals but a shared e)istential co$$it$ent% a shared 3ulti$ate concern%2 to
use a ter$ o! Paul Tillich The support received !ro$ such a co$$unity is derived !ro$
standing in a living relation to the un!olding o! spiritual e)perience "ithin that co$$unity
Traditionally the Sangha has been e$bodied in co$$unities o! $on#s that have acted as the
core and !ocus !or the Buddhist co$$unity at large &o"ever% to ta#e re!uge in the Sangha
does not $ean to si$ply rely upon and ensure the continuity o! $onastic co$$unities To
truly !ind re!uge in the Sangha is only possible through one2s o"n active participation in the
inner li!e o! the Buddhist co$$unity as a "hole
18
By ta#ing re!uge in the Buddha% Dhar$a and Sangha "e $ove to a place o! security and
protection !ro$ an)iety as "ell as !ro$ the vicissitudes o! the cycle o! birth and death But
here such security is not a pseudoDsecurity achieved through turning one2s bac# on these
pheno$ena Bn the contrary: in such a re!uge a sense o! security or protection is !ound only
because o! our adopting a clearly de!ined !ra$e"or# "ithin "hich "e can con!idently begin
to con!ront an)iety and e!!ectively "or# to overco$e our negative responses to it The
Buddha% Dhar$a and Sangha are essentially three 3principles2 that stand in direct relation to
ourselves as the ob@ects o! our ulti$ate concern Buddha is the innerDai$ o! our e)istence%
Dhar$a is the process o! realising that ai$% and the Sangha is the supportive co$$unity
"ithin "hich such a process is $ade possible There!ore% "e head toards Buddha% by
$eans o! Dhar$a% ithin the Sangha By thus structuring our lives around these three
principles% "e are able to adopt a $ode o! living that !ully accepts the !initude and con!licts
o! our e)istence yet endeavours to actualise its potentials to the opti$u$ degree
Ta#ing re!uge involves a particular e)istential co$$it$ent that is co$pletely opposed to
e)istential !light This !or$ o! co$$it$ent is not $erely an intellectual acceptance o! a
certain "orldDvie" supported by a belie! syste$ 5either is it an e$otional upsurge o! pious
conviction (t is a co$$it$ent that de$ands the participation o! one2s entire being? not @ust
one individual !aculty% such as the intellect% the "ill% or the e$otions (t is in this sense that it
is said to be 3e)istential2 Such co$$it$ent con!ronts us !ir$ly and consciously "ith the !ull
reality o! our e)istence as opposed to the unconscious evasion o! responsibility !or our
destiny that is characteristic o! e)istential !light (t then proceeds to pattern our e)istence
according to a de!inite set o! nor$s and possibilities 0e co$$it ourselves to a certain
course o! thought and action "ith a speci!ic ai$% speci!ic guidelines and a speci!ic
co$$unal setting The co$$it$ent involved in ta#ing re!uge is a 3centred personal act2
concerned "ith our li!e in its totality as it is given to us !ro$ the past% as it is in the present
and as it could be in the !uture There!ore% ta#ing re!uge is $ore than @ust an initial
state$ent o! belie! and resolve (t involves a co$plete trans!or$ation o! our approach to
hu$an e)istence as such
!he Practice of Buddhism
The account o! the Buddha2s li!e% "hen understood as a paradig$ o! spiritual develop$ent%
con!ronts us "ith the basic >uestions o! hu$an e)istence and inspires us to search !or their
ans"ers The Buddha2s o"n enlighten$ent li#e"ise serves as an inspiration that gives us
con!idence that such ans"ers can be !ound Through ta#ing re!uge in the Buddha% Dhar$a
and Sangha "e are provided "ith a $ore !or$al !ra$e"or# "ithin "hich to secure and
pursue our >uest But the ta#ing o! re!uge is only the !oundation "hich helps us to
e!!ectively engage in spiritual gro"th (t does not sol$e the proble$ o! an)iety% it $erely
responds to it in a constructive "ay (t does not auto$atically eli$inate the pheno$enon o!
e)istential !light% it $erely gives us the i$petus to $ove in a $ore $eaning!ul direction
(n order to actually resolve the proble$ o! an)iety and overco$e the tendency to !light% it
is necessary to put the Dhar$a into practice This entails not only #no"ing and accepting
onesel! but also changing onesel! This is easier said than done (t is a process that a!!ects the
"hole o! one2s li!e: behaviour% thin#ing and a"areness (t involves a discipline co$posed
not only o! $editation% but also o! a ne" social a"areness and ethical conduct
Throughout the practice o! Buddhis$ "e are !aced "ith the tas# o! counteracting the
tendencies o! e)istential !light and absorption in a "orld o! things These tendencies reveal
the$selves in our overall attitude to li!e and death% under conditions o! di!!iculty and
su!!ering% as "ell as on a $o$ent to $o$ent psychological level Their hold over us can be
19
e!!ectively reduced through the various $ethods o! conte$plation and $editation
prescribed in the Buddhist teachings
(nitially it is i$portant to cultivate a conscious a"areness o! the basic realities o! birth%
sic#ness% ageing and death Such a"areness can be brought about through syste$atic and
regular conte$plation o! these topics Developing a consciousness o! death is particularly
valuable in this regard &ere one is encouraged to re!lect repeatedly on the !acts that death is
certain? that the ti$e o! death is uncertain? and that only Dhar$a "ill have any $eaning
"hen death occurs The over"hel$ing signi!icance o! death and the o$nipresence o! its
possibility is only e>ualled by the co$pulsiveness o! our atte$pt to ignore the$ and
continue living as though they did not e)ist By $eans o! such conte$plation% ho"ever% an
a"areness o! death gradually penetrates into consciousness and actually begins to alter the
"ay "e !eel ourselves to e)ist (t has the e!!ect o! $a#ing us $ore conscious o! the !act that
"e are alive at all Thus the >uestions o! li!e and death beco$e ever $ore predo$inant%
rein!orcing the >uest !or $eaning through the path o! Dhar$a By !ocusing our attention on
the pheno$enon o! deathJas "ell as birth% sic#ness and ageingJthe $ind2s e)clusive
preoccupation "ith particular things is "ea#ened The tendency to !light is thereby
di$inished and "e beco$e $ore rooted in an a"areness o! our e)istence as such
A si$ilar e!!ect is also achieved through syste$atic conte$plation o! the $eaning o! the
Buddha2s li!e and the ta#ing o! re!uge in the Buddha% Dhar$a and Sangha 0ithout
repeated re!lection on these sub@ects there is the danger that they "ill degenerate into $ere
theory and ritual Bnly by constantly bringing the$ to $ind "ill their $eaning be able to
re$ain alive and e)istentially signi!icant As soon as the account o! the Buddha2s li!e
beco$es @ust a story% and the ta#ing o! re!uge beco$es @ust the $echanical repetition o!
!or$ulae% then they "ill no longer be able to serve their dual purpose o! countering
e)istential !light and o!!ering us a ne" perspective on li!e (nstead% they too "ill dissolve
into particular things alongside other particular things and their real $eaning "ill beco$e
lost to us
The tendency to e)istential !light is not only characteristic o! our overall attitude to li!e
and death% but can also be observed as a psychological reaction occurring $o$entarily
Ksually "e are una"are o! this pheno$enon (t is o!ten only "hen "e $a#e a conscious
e!!ort to concentrate the $ind in $editation% !or e)a$ple% that "e realise ho" little control
"e actually have over our o"n $ental processes As "e try to !ocus our attention on a
speci!ic ob@ect% such as the breath% "e discover ho" di!!icult it is to #eep the $ind !ro$
dri!ting o!! into $e$ories% unrelated thoughts and !antasies Fre>uently $any $inutes go
by be!ore "e even notice that "e have "andered a"ay !ro$ our ob@ect o! $editation The
$ore "e beco$e conscious o! our $ental processes% the $ore "e co$e to realise that "hat
"e previously regarded as a coherent and integrated psychic continuu$ is actually a
!rag$ented and discontinuous entity !ull o! con!licting and contradictory ele$ents
1oreover% it beco$es abundantly clear that the $ind pre!ers to d"ell any"here but in the
actuality o! the present $o$ent 5o $atter ho" irrelevant or absurd their content% "e !eel
!ar $ore co$!ortable "hile absorbed in recollections o! the past% speculations on the !uture%
or !antasies about a situation else"here 5o"% "hy should this be so=
(t see$s as though the present $o$ent $ust appear to us as so$eho" undesirable or
threatening Bther"ise "hat "ould be the need to co$pulsively re!use to d"ell in it= &ere
again the pheno$enon o! !light beco$es >uite evident But in this case "hat is it that "e are
!leeing !ro$= (n the sa$e "ay that our e)istence as such% standing out o! nothingness% is
disclosed as "e survey the !ull e)tent o! our li!e !ro$ birth to death% li#e"ise our e)istence
as such is revealed in the present $o$ent% standing out o! the 3nothingness2 o! past and
.L
!uture The present $o$ent is a $icrocos$ o! birth and death (t una$biguously sho"s to
us the sa$e inescapable actuality o! our e)istence Thus this $o$entary psychological !light
!ro$ the here and no" is essentially a !acet o! the $ore deeplyDrooted e)istential !light !ro$
our e)istence as such
To deal "ith !light at this subtler level% conceptual re!lection alone is not su!!icient (t is
necessary to develop a heightened state o! $ind!ulness Such $ind!ulness should ideally
e)tend not only to our o"n bodyD$ind co$ple) but also to the total con!iguration o! events
present "ithin any given situation The ai$ o! this $ind!ul a"areness is to centre our
attention in the present $o$ent% thereby counteracting uncontrolled indulgence in
$e$ories% !antasies and pro@ections Further$ore% it gives us greater control over the
unpredictable eruptions o! !light% since "e are able to perceive these tendencies the $o$ent
they arise and can then cut the$ o!! be!ore they get out o! control Through a syste$atic
cultivation o! such $ind!ulness% "e can gradually learn to overco$e the habitual
psychological tendency to !light "hile si$ultaneously beco$ing $ore rooted in an
a"areness o! our e)istence as such
&ere $ind!ulness 4sm1ti sampra/anya8 should be clearly distinguished !ro$ concentration
2sam3dhi). (t is true that the develop$ent o! concentration upon a single ob@ect can e!!ectively
reduce and !inally put a atop to all uncontrolled $ental "andering But it does not have the
e!!ect o! inducing a heightened consciousness o! the un!olding presence o! our e)istence as
such (t $erely !i)es the $ind on one point in a state o! passive absorption Although it
thereby re$oves the sy$pto$s o! !light it does not proceed to tac#le the root o! the proble$
in order to e!!ect a cure 1ind!ulness% ho"ever% in addition to containing the ele$ent o!
concentration% also e$braces the >uality o! insight or "isdo$ 4pra/438 (t is only through the
!aculty o! "isdo$ that the $eaning o! our e)istence can !inally be understood (t is by
$eans o! "isdo$% in union "ith concentration% that enlighten$ent is possible and an
ans"er to the >uestion o! li!e itsel! can be discovered
"isdom
The heart o! Buddhist practice consists in the cultivation o! "isdo$ (t is "isdo$ that
counteracts and thereby overco$es the ignorance "hich #eeps us bound to the !rustrating
cycle o! birth and death% saMs9ra Thus "isdo$ is the #ey !actor in triggering the
enlighten$ent e)perience "hereby the nature% $eaning and purpose o! one2s e)istence are
clari!ied
(n order to gain a clear picture o! the nature and !unction o! "isdo$% it is help!ul to
understand the nature o! "hat it dispels% na$ely% ignorance 4a$idy38 (n this "ay "e "ill be
better able to describe the trans!or$ation it can e!!ect in our lives (n Buddhis$ ignorance is
traditionally regarded as the root proble$ o! hu$an e)istence Knder its in!luence "e are
deceived into assu$ing that "e ourselves% others and the "orld in "hich "e live e)ist in a
"ay that does not in !act con!or$ to reality (gnorance thus distorts our perception and
gives rise to erroneous vie"s o! the "orld Bn the basis o! these vie"s "e naturally act in
such a "ay that see$s to accord "ith the $anner in "hich our !ictitious reality appears to
us Such actions only lead us into !rustration and con!lict% !or the si$ple reason that they are
!ounded on erroneous assu$ptions that cause us to e)pect resultsDthat the real "orld is by
nature incapable o! producing Thus as long as "e re$ain oblivious to the distorting e!!ects
o! ignorance% "e "ill re$ain bound to a certain course o! thought and action that "ill
inevitably result in undesired conse>uences &ence ignorance not only distorts the "ay "e
see things% but also binds us to a particular pattern o! behaviour
.1
There are three basic erroneous conceptions that characterise ignorance: to regard "hat is
i$per$anent as per$anent? to regard "hat is unsatis!actory as satis!actory? and to regard
"hat is not sel!De)istent to be sel!De)istent These conceptions create the illusion that "e
ourselves and the "orld are co$posed o! inherently per$anent% satis!actory and sel!D
e)istent entities (ntellectually "e $ay #no" that this is obviously not true% but%
nevertheless% "e instinctively react to circu$stances and conduct our lives as though it "ere
true (t is these deeplyDrooted distortions that give rise to the !ictitious reality through
assenting to "hich "e constantly co$e into con!lict "ith the actual reality o! i$per$anent%
unsatis!actory and non sel!De)istent pheno$ena
(n the conte)t o! ignorance as it has been described here% "isdo$ can be understood as
that "hich recognises the presence o! error and proceeds to dispel it through co$ing to a
veridical cognition o! reality This it is able to achieve by concentrating on the characteristics
o! i$per$anence% unsatis!actoriness and nonDsel!De)istence The deeper an a"areness o!
these aspects o! reality beco$es% the less "ill our thoughts and actions be instinctively
bound by the dictates o! ignorance Thus as our behaviour begins to con!or$ $ore and
$ore "ith a correct vie" o! reality% "e "ill cease to e)perience the con!lict and !rustration
"hich arose through our previous distorted conceptions o! the "orld (n this "ay "isdo$
does not $erely serve to dispel error% but% "hen integrated into li!e through the discipline o!
$editation% also has the e!!ect o! liberating us !ro$ the bondage to the particular course o!
action and e)perience i$posed by ignorance
There is no" a certain danger that the !oregoing description $ight give rise to the notion
that ignorance and "isdo$ are solely episte$ological categories transpiring "ithin an
isolated sphere o! 3$ind2 &o"ever% in lived e)perience% do ignorance and "isdo$ really
ta#e place in so$e isolated $ental sphere= Br do they not rather e)tend beyond such
boundaries and characterise a !unda$ental pattern o! our e)istence as such To raise such
>uestions is not to doubt the signi!icance o! their episte$ological and psychological
character% but to en>uire into the nature o! their e)istential di$ension (s the essence o!
ignorance and "isdo$ !ully grasped by understanding their !unction as respectively
binding and liberating cognitive !unctions= 5ot entirely A !uller picture $ay e$erge by
trying to shed so$e light on the a!!ective and e)istential ele$ents that acco$pany the$ To
do this let us no" consider their roles in relation to the pheno$enon o! !light
As "as $entioned above% "e habitually respond to our basic an)iety in the !ace o! birth
and death through e)istential !light This !or$ o! !light precipitates us into absorption "ith
the particular entities o! the "orld And in the very act o! insistent absorption "e consider
these entities to be unchanging% sel!De)istent realities This vie" then provides us "ith an
i$pression o! security 5o" "e "ill recognise this !alse "ay o! vie"ing things to be "hat
"e have described here as ignorance Thus% in accordance "ith the preceding discussion 498%
ignorance can be seen to correspond "ith the cognitive attitude o! that pattern o! e)istence%
the $ood o! "hich is an)iety and the dyna$ic e)istential !light and absorption in particular
entities Alternatively% "e could regard an)iety to be the $ood o! ignorance% and e)istential
!light and absorption in particular entities as its dyna$ic 1oreover% this pattern o! e)istence
"e can no" understand to be e>uivalent to the Buddhist concept o! saMs9raJthe soDcalled
3cycle o! birth and death2
(n this "ay the e)istential di$ension o! ignorance beco$es clearer to us (gnorance is not
$erely an isolated cognitive attitude but an inseparable !acet o! a deeper pattern or
$ove$ent o! e)istence This $ove$ent does not @ust ta#e place in the 3$ind2 but
characterises our entire being in the "orld &o"ever% as a possible pattern o! e)istence% it is
one that is un!ul!illing and basically !rustrating The price "e have to pay !or evading the
..
responsibility o! "hat "e are through !light is that o! co$$itting ourselves to an endlessly
repetitive se>uence o! dra$as and scenarios that only succeed in bringing us bac# to "here
"e started out This is characteristic o! the 3cyclic2 nature o! saMs9ra The pattern that !light
sets in $otion is one that @ust #eeps repeating itsel! &ence there (s no possibility o! gro"th%
o! !urther actualising the potentialities o! hu$an e)istence Bne is trapped in a vicious circle
o! an)iety% !light% absorption in things% con!usion and ignorance
The circle that sa5s3ra describes is one o! estrange$ent (t is a pattern o! e)istence in
"hich "e are constantly one step re$oved !ro$ the i$$ediacy and presence o! our being as
such 0hile an)iety and !light propel us a"ay !ro$ ourselves% absorption in things and
ignorance !reeAe and !i) a separate do$ain o! apparent security apart !ro$ the "orld as it
really is Again it should be e$phasised that the 3spatial2 i$agery being used here Fbeing
propelled aay from ourselvesJinto a do$ain apart from the "orldGJis% "ithin the con!ines
o! our linguistic !ra$e"or#% unavoidable as a $eans o! description (n actual !act% there is no
literally 3spatial2 character to this state o! estrange$ent 0e are never actually re$oved !ro$
the i$$ediacy o! our being as such (t is @ust that as soon as "e see# "ords "ith "hich to
describe an a"areness o! this e)istential condition% "e have no choice but to resort to the
predo$inantly spatial and te$poral concepts that $a#e up our le)icon Thus estrange$ent
is spo#en o! in ter$s o! 3distance%2 "hen in reality no distance is covered at all This
parado)ical state o! a!!airs is !re>uently e)pressed in religious "ritings For e)a$ple% the
Cen 1aster Ta &ui re$ar#s:
F<ust because it2s so very close% you cannot get this Truth out o! your o"n eyes N But i!
you try to receive it by stirring your $ind% you2ve already $issed it by eighteen
thousand $ilesG
4

1oreover% "hen atte$pting to describe sa5s3ra by e$ploying the category o! ti$e% the
e)pression 3beginningless2 is used Although this >uality o! beginninglessness can be
understood as a purely te$poral characteristic of sa5s3ra, it can also be interpreted in a $ore
sy$bolic sense *amsara can be vie"ed as beginningless in the sa$e "ay that all circles are
beginningless To say that it has no beginning could thus also be a "ay o! e)pressing an
e)periential >uality o! its e)istential structure by $eans o! the category o! ti$e (gnorance%
an)iety% e)istential !light and absorption in things never 3began2 at a particular $o$ent in
ti$e in the sa$e "ay that other events in our lives began As !ar bac# as "e can conceive o!
our e)istence they "ere present as constitutive !actors Their beginninglessness is perhaps
$ore a#in to the 3beginningless2 >uality o! that #ind o! guilt "hich is unrelated to any
speci!ic $isdeed% as described in ;a!#a2s novel The Trial.
&aving outlined the e)istential di$ension o! ignorance as consisting o! an)iety% !light and
absorption in things% "e should no" be able to trace a co$parable di$ension !or "isdo$
As "ith ignorance% "isdo$ is essentially regarded as a cognitive attitude &o"ever% this
attitude is not @ust an isolated pheno$enon that $erely serves to correct an opposing
erroneous attitude (t is also an inseparable act o! a particular pattern or $ove$ent o!
e)istence
(! ignorance is acco$panied by !light a"ay !ro$ onesel! and absorption in a real$ o!
particular things% it !ollo"s that "isdo$% as the reversal o! this process% "ould be
characterised by a return to onesel! and an openness to the presence o! being as such &ence%
concurrent "ith "isdo$% there is not $erely the correction o! a cognitive distortion% but a
!unda$ental reDorientation o! the "ay "e are in the "orld "ith others The vision o!
4
Ta &ui *ampland ,loers: The 6etters and 6ectures of -en !uster Ta 7ui. Trans O Oleary% 5e"
6or#? 7rove Press% 19,,% p ,1
.'
pheno$ena as they are !orever changing and interdependently arising% ho"ever !leeting%
un!reeAes the "orld o! isolated things and brings us bac# to an i$$ediate% !resh encounter
"ith ourselves% others and the "orld (nstead o! an)iously responding to the perple)ity o!
birth and death through e)istential !light% "e co$e to !eel at ho$e in a cal$ acceptance o!
our !initude And% !reed !ro$ the co$pulsive habit o! absorbing our attention in particular
entities to the e)clusion o! the "hole o! "hich they are but a part% our $ind opens to
enco$pass the vast net"or# o! relationship that so$eho" i$bues the$ "ith $eaning
The i$age o! 3return2 occurs !re>uently in descriptions o! religious e)perience (t is even
i$plied by the ety$ology o! the "ord 3religion2 itsel!% "hich $eans to be 3connected again2
4"ith that !ro$ "hich one has strayed8 (t is especially evident in the <udaeoDOhristian
tradition% "hich spea#s o! the !all o! $an !ro$ his original state into sin and his subse>uent
return to 7od at a higher level o! unity (n Buddhis$% too% the notion o! return can be !ound%
!or e)a$ple% in the "ritings o! the Cen tradition "hich spea# o! a"a#ening to one2s original
nature and discovering one2s !ace be!ore one "as born The inherent danger o! a concept
such as 3return2 is that it co$es to be conceived as part o! a process that literally occurs over
periods o! historical ti$e% "hen it is really describing "ithin the li$itations o! language the
e)istential e)perience o! 3returning2 !ro$ a condition o! un#no"ing to an understanding o!
"hat one is and has al"ays been
Through "isdo$% in particular through the insight that all pheno$ena% including onesel!%
are devoid o! being independent% sel!De)istent entities% the $ood o! an)iety is dispelled and
replaced by serenity (t is precisely because "e apprehend things as e)isting in this sel!D
su!!icient% unrelated $anner% that an)iety is able to occur 0e only e)perience an)iety% as "e
!eel ourselves to be standing out o! nothingness% because "e cling to the !iction o! our being
per$anent% independent and sel!De)istent As soon as this !iction is dissolved "e are able to
gli$pse that being and nonDbeing% li!e and death do not contradict but necessarily
co$ple$ent each other An)iety is the product o! a $ind entrenched in duality% "hich can
only see things in ter$s o! an irreconcilable eitherDor 0hen% through "isdo$% "e grasp the
principle o! nonDduality% it beco$es clear that any a!!ir$ation i$plies its opposite and can
have no e)istence apart !ro$ it 5onDduality should not be si$plistically interpreted% to
$ean that there are really no opposites in li!e and that everything is @ust 3one2 Bpposites are
an inescapable co$ponent o! hu$an e)istence &o"ever% the proble$ is not created by the
pairs o! opposites the$selves% but by our clinging to each pole as inherently separate !ro$
the other% instead o! realising the$ to be $utually inseparable
&ence "isdo$ is the cognitive attitude o! an alternative pattern o! e)istence to saMs9ra
This "ay o! being has as its dyna$ic a sense o! returning and opening% and as its $ood a
!eeling o! serenity Further$ore% this e)perience is !elt to be liberating% in contrast to the
binding and restrictive character o! saMs9ra But as long as the theoretical content o!
"isdo$ re$ains $erely as an ob@ect o! intellectual speculation% then% no $atter ho" "ell
versed one $ay be in Buddhis$% this e)istential di$ension "ill be $issing To incorporate
the content o! "isdo$ into li!e% it is necessary that it be continually integrated into one2s
e)perience through $ind!ulness% conte$plative re!lection and $editation Bther"ise it "ill
persist $erely as an alienated and disconnected body o! #no"ledge% devoid o! any
trans!or$ing po"er
1oreover% this process is constantly resisted by the habitual counterD!orce o! ignorance%
!light and absorption in things: 1o$ents o! insight% acco$panied by a sense o! return%
openness and @oyous serenity% $ay !lood into one2s li!e only to be suddenly and ine)plicably
lost again 0hat "as clear a $o$ent ago again beco$es be"ildering% "hat previously
revealed a $ysterious yet !a$iliar depth reassu$es its !acade o! nor$ality% and "hat "as
.4
then >uietly reassuring again $a#es one !eel uneasy The practice o! Buddhis$ is !orged% as
it "ere% out o! the tension bet"een these t"o patterns or $ove$ents o! e)istence: the one
#eeping2 us bound to a repetitive and pain!ul cycle% the other brea#ing us out o! this cycle
along the path o! Dhar$a
This path is one that no one else can tread !or us At ti$es it see$s !raught "ith
hindrances and irresolvable con!licts And at ti$es it is illu$inated "ith hope and the "ay
ahead see$s clear 6et ho"ever insur$ountable the obstacles con!ronting us $ay appear%
"e should recall that there is no one hindering our progress but ourselves For every
situation in li!e o!!ers us the possibility o! either succu$bing to the !a$iliar !orce o! habit or
atte$pting to trans!or$ that $o$ent into the unrepeatable present that it al"ays is
.E
Abo!t the A!thor
Stephen Batchelor 47elong <ha$pa Thab#ay8 "as born in Scotland (n 19E' A!ter co$pleting
gra$$ar school in +ngland he studied !or three years at the /ibrary o! Tibetan 0or#s and
Archives in Dhara$sala% (ndia &e continued his study o! Tibetan Buddhis$ in -i#on
1onastic (nstitute and Tharpa Ohoeling% Oentre !or Tibetan Studies% in S"itAerland !ro$
19,EP198L The !ollo"ing year he "ent to Song ;"ang Sa 1onastery in ;orea to pursue a
training in Cen Buddhis$ &e beca$e a Sr9$a:era in 19,4 and received higher ordination
in 19,, &e has translated and edited Shantideva% A 8uide to the Bodhisatt$a9s Way of 6ife
2Bodhicary3$at3ra), Dhara$sala% 19,9? 7eshe -abten% Echoes of Voidness, /ondon% 198'% and is
the author o! Alone With Others, 5e" 6or#% 198'
.*