Podcasts about arhats

Buddhism Reference – The Three Clarities. Early teachings for Arhats become the Mahayana of Three Illuminations of Bodhisattvas and Buddhas. “Buddhism Reference” – Now Available   Threefoldlotus.com/home/Ebooks.htm

TLK Lotus Sutra - part 28 – Predictions for the Arhats. Ultimately for the entire assembly, Shakyamuni states the ever present potential in all sentient minds to attain enlightenment, the realization of Tathagata, to course (live) as Bodhisattvas with Buddha mind. E-books – “Threefold Lotus Dharma Sutra” –  Artist's Proof   Threefoldlotus.com/home/Ebooks.htm

A Chinese tea chain has stopped the sale of its recently released range of merchandise that features depictions of Buddhist artwork due to it potentially violating Chinese law concerning the commercial promotion of religion.由于涉嫌违反宗教事务条例，一家中国奶茶连锁店已经下架其最近推出的一系列以佛教艺术为特色的商品。On Nov 28, Hey Tea released co-branded tea and merchandise with the Jingdezhen China Ceramics Museum in Jiangxi province featuring images of ceramic Luohan sculptures. The collaboration, named Hey Buddha, featured three of the ceramic sculptures exhibited at the museum depicting the 18 Arhats, or Luohan in Chinese, from Buddhism.11月28日，喜茶与江西景德镇中国陶瓷博物馆联名发布了以陶瓷罗汉雕塑为主题的联名茶拿铁及周边产品。此次合作名为“佛喜杯”，以博物馆展出的三件陶瓷雕塑为特色，描绘了佛经中的十八罗汉。Among them, the Thinking Luohan gained internet notoriety earlier this year after memes of a photo of it with the added text "speechless" went viral. Taming Tiger Luohan and Happy Luohan from the series also went viral, becoming the other two designs from the collaboration.今年早些时候，一张配有“无语”的“沉思罗汉”照片在网络上疯传，引发了网友的谴责。在该系列中，此次合作的另外两款设计“伏虎罗汉”和“欢喜罗汉”也在网络上走红。Hey Tea printed the images of the three Luohan ceramic sculptures on special paper cups designed for its tea latte beverages in the series. Other merchandise included fridge magnets and stickers. With the younger generation increasingly interested in Buddhist culture, the collaboration quickly became a hit on social media.喜茶为此系列的奶茶拿铁设计了专门的纸杯包装，并将三罗汉陶瓷雕塑的图像印在这些包装上。参与联名的商品还有冰箱贴和贴纸。随着年轻人对佛教文化越来越感兴趣，此次联名很快在社交媒体上引起热议。On Friday, the Shenzhen Ethnic and Religious Affairs Bureau informed the tea chain, which is headquartered in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, that the collaboration could be seen as an act of commercial promotion in the name of religion, which is in breach of China's Regulation on Religious Affairs, media outlet ThePaper.cn reported on Sunday.据澎湃新闻周日报道，上周五，深圳市民族宗教事务局通知总部位于广东省深圳市的喜茶公司，此次联名涉嫌以宗教名义进行商业宣传，违反了中国《宗教事务条例》。A directive introduced in 2017 to specifically tackle the issue of the commercialization of Buddhism and Taoism also prohibited commercial promotion in the name of Buddhism and Taoism.2017年，一项专门针对佛教和道教商业化问题的规定出台，明令禁止以佛教和道教的名义进行商业推广。A bureau staff member said Hey Tea had been very cooperative. By Sunday, it had removed all paper cups and merchandise from the collaboration from its outlets across the nation.民族与宗教事务局一名工作人员表示，喜茶积极配合整改。截至周日，喜茶已经下架了全国各地门店的所有纸杯包装和联名商品。Hey Tea's alleged violation of regulations on religious affairs became one of the most discussed topics on social media on Monday.喜茶涉嫌违反宗教事务规定的话题成为周一社交媒体上热议话题之一。Li Yanqin, who bought a tea latte from the collaboration, said she thought the paper cup with a Thinking Luohan was just for a laugh at first, but then she found herself in an awkward situation when she finished the drink.购买了联名款拿铁的李艳琴（音译）表示，起初，她以为带有“沉思罗汉”的纸杯只是为了搞笑，喝完拿铁才意识到事情没那么简单。"I don't know if I should throw away the cup or not," she said. "I am not a follower of Buddhism, but I don't think it's a respectable thing to just toss the cup in the bin because there is an image of Luohan on it. Now, I still have it on my desk." She said companies should be respectful of all religions and their followers.“我不知道我该不该扔掉纸杯，”她说。“我不是佛教徒，但我觉得把印有罗汉像的纸杯扔进垃圾桶会亵渎神明。直到现在，我还把这个纸杯放在桌上。”她认为，商业公司应该尊重所有宗教及其信仰者。Some people said Hey Tea only used the images of ceramic Luohan sculptures, which are just works of art from the perspective of many people, meaning the allegation of a breach of regulations could be flawed.也有人认为，喜茶只是使用了陶瓷罗汉雕塑的图案。对很多人来说，这些罗汉雕塑只是艺术品，不赞同指控喜茶违反宗教事务条例。Jingdezhen China Ceramics Museumn. 景德镇中国陶瓷博物馆

BDK – Lotus Sutra – part 23. Closing the “500 Predictions” the remaining Arhats in the audience finally realize that they had not achieved nirvana at all; as they declare to Shakyamuni that they will now pursue the Bodhisattva path to attain full enlightenment. E-books including the “Buddhism Reference” are available at  Threefoldlotus.com/home/Ebooks.htm

BDK – Lotus Sutra – part 15. In closing this chapter, Shakyamuni reminds those Sravakas, Pratyekabuddhas, and Arhats that they have been in fact practicing steps on the path of Bodhisattva practice without realizing it. E-books available at  Threefoldlotus.com/home/Ebooks.htm

Dogen Zenji is a dual patriarch of both Rinzai and Soto Zen  and his writing a Dharma activity changed Japan and the world forever .  To celebrate his life a work I'll be doing a reading of chapters of his Shobogenzo intermitently.  I do a a brief bio of his life and enlightenment story, and then read a chapter entitled Space or Koku in Japanese, and I finish with the Prayer in Praise of the 16 Arhats for the well fare of all Dharma teachers and the flourishing of the Dharma. buddhaversepodcast.comFor my updates follow me  here: instgram.com/harddrive

In what could be described as Korea's ‘terracotta warrior' moment, a farmer digging in a vacant field discovered scores of stone statues depicting arhats – or disciples of the Buddha. Unearthed from their hiding place, the Arhats now part of a luscious display touring around the world. In Sydney, a Bosnian refugee describes how she fled war in her home country and built a new life for herself after coming to Australia.

We discuss Jordan Hall Twitter and ideology critique, from developmental to ideological blindness, conservative naturalization, leftist contextualization/epistemologization, deep diving ontology, MIP and integral post metaphysics, and shared ontological grounds, Ryan doesn't like “what comes next” stuff, Epistemes and ideological granularity, Fred Turner and the necessity of historical literacy, ideology critique, 5 pillars of meta-ideological awareness, ideology is a scary word and left/right appeal, having discernment when choosing the right analytic frame, disciplinary polarization and the need for consilience, myopic divisions of knowledge, ideological dismissal, platform socialism, ideological non-exclusivism and DEI trainings, integrating class analysis with the “meaning crisis”, diversifying the meaning crisis, Bodhisattva vs Arhats, bridge-building, escapism, meta-tribal politics.

Beloved Bhagwan Among Shakyamuni's ten greatest disciples, Ananda was foremost in learning. But he didn't know the buddha. All he did was study and memorize. Arhats don't know the buddha. All they know are so many practices for realization, and they become trapped by cause and effect. Such is a mortal's karma: no escape from birth and death. By doing the opposite of what he intended, such people blaspheme the buddha. Killing them would not be wrong. The sutras say, “Since icchantikas are incapable of belief, killing them would be blameless, while people who believe reach the state of buddhahood.” … People who see that their minds are the buddha don't need to shave their heads. Laymen are buddhas too. Unless they see their nature, people who shave their heads are simply fanatics. But since married laymen don't give up sex, how can they become buddhas? I only talk about seeing your nature. I don't talk about sex simply because you don't see your nature. Once you see your nature, sex is basically immaterial. It ends along with your delight in it. Even if some habits remain, they can't harm you. Because your nature is essentially pure. Despite dwelling in a material body of five aggregates, your nature is basically pure. It can't be corrupted. … Once you stop clinging and let things be, you'll be free, even of birth and death. You'll transform everything. You'll possess spiritual powers that can't be obstructed. And you'll be at peace wherever you are. If you doubt this, you'll never see through anything. You're better off doing nothing. Once you act, you can't avoid the cycle of birth and death. But once you see your nature, you're a buddha, even if you work as a butcher. But butchers create karma by slaughtering animals. How can they be buddhas? I only talk about seeing your nature. I don't talk about creating karma. Regardless of what we do, our karma has no hold on us. … In India, the twenty-seven patriarchs only transmitted the imprint of the mind. And the only reason I've come to China is to transmit the instantaneous teaching of the Mahayana: this mind is the buddha. I don't talk about precepts, devotions or ascetic practices. … Language and behavior, perception and conception are all functions of the moving mind. All motion is the mind's motion. … The mind neither moves nor functions. Because the essence of its functions is emptiness. And emptiness is essentially motionless. Hence, the sutras tell us to move without moving, to travel without traveling, to see without seeing, to laugh without laughing, to hear without hearing, to know without knowing, to be happy without being happy, to walk without walking, to stand without standing. And the sutras say, “Go beyond language. Go beyond thought.” … I could go on, but this brief sermon will have to do.

Today's Talk will reflect on Further Passages from the Vimalakirti Sutra, chapter III (the Arhats) ... We will see further examples of how this tale seeks to blend an idealized view of the Bodhisattva with life on earth, in this complicated world. Further reading and discussion for this talk are available on the Treeleaf forum: {Oct. 1st-2nd, 2021 - OUR MONTHLY 4-hour Treeleaf ZAZENKAI - Dedicated to Reiyu Payen} »

Here is a Manly P. Hall clip on  the lineage of Saints, Sages, Arhats, Adepts, and Philosophers that have dedicated themselves to Wisdom's perpetuation over the long ages of Man's evolution.* * * The Wisdom Tradition, simply defined, is a framework of sacred knowledge that is guarded and maintained by a vast, albeit unseen, network of secret societies and sacerdotal groups who are responsible for developing, maintaining, cultivating, perpetuating, and implementing this sacred knowledge. This they do as an act of service to the species itself. The existence of the "Illuminati" - this sacerdotal tradition and community - is archetypal, meaning that its existence is hardwired into the chemistry of our species. Just as the Queen Bee has her archetypal existence in the Bee species, mankind has its most vital knowledge held within the custodianship of the Illuminati. The Illuminati, in other words, are an inherent, in-born aspect of Mankind, produced by Mother Nature herself. For this very reason, this lineage of wisdom-keepers have often been nicknamed "The Sons of the Widow". 

Warning, practicers:Spawn of the Five Aggregates —Don't be fooled again!* * *The original plan for this podcast series comprised a condensed commentary in six segments. This turned out to be impossible, given the scope and importance of the teachings therein. I decided to add a coda, as is often done in musical composition, to include the appendix on Buddha's warnings to practitioners, or “practicers.” I find them compelling and affirming, in terms of my own experience in zazen. The last section boasts the cheerful title, “Fifty Demonic States of Mind,” with a similarly comforting subtitle, “Dangers May Arise with Advanced Practice.”Here we are, trying to encourage people to practice meditation, and suddenly we have graphic content alerts. Buddha himself cautions that you may find these experiences unsettling, and your interpretation of them can lead to disaster. The fifty mainly warn you to avoid getting stuck, thinking are enlightened.This puts me in mind of Carl Bielefeldt's “Dogen's Manuals of Meditation,” a line-by-line comparison of the two extant versions of Fukanzazengi, and the Chinese version from which he adapted the text. One line he chose not to use in his translation for his Japanese students says something like “As the path grows higher, demons flourish.” Bielefeldt speculates that Master Dogen wanted to accentuate the positive, and eliminate the negative. To say nothing about mister in-between.Finally we get to the good stuff, Buddha's descriptions of various experiences that may occur at the far reaches of meditation, when the barriers of discriminating sense faculties he has been detailing begin to break down. These are grouped as Ten Demonic States of Mind associated with each Aggregate, namely Form, Sense-Perception, Cognition, Mental Formations, and the Aggregate of Consciousness. In conclusion, he reminds us once again that all five arise from delusion.We will not be able to go into all fifty of these demonic states of mind. But I would like to touch on a few that caught my attention many years ago. When I first read the Surangama Sutra, I was gobsmacked by its direct relevance to zazen, and its descriptive power, illustrating the analogy of the Zen Mind to the limitations of one-sided interpretation of the nature of the senses. When I came to the fifty warnings, however, I could see that several of them dealt with issues that had arisen for me in my practice of Zen, and that have since come up with many of my students, in dharma dialog. This section features an unusual description of Buddha's behavior at the beginning. Buddha rises from his seat, seeming ready to bring the dialog to a close, but then apparently changes his mind and reseats himself, saying:You who still need instruction, you Hearers of the Teaching and you Solitary Sages, have now dedicated yourselves to attaining a great awakening — the supreme and wondrous enlightenment. I have now taught you the right method for practice. But you are still not aware of the subtle demonic events that can occur when you undertake the practices of calming the mind and contemplative insight. If you do not purify your mind, you will not be able to recognize demonic states as they arise. You will not find the right path, and you will fall into the error of wrong views.He points out that “Demons may arise within you from the five aggregates. If your mind is not clear when this happens, you may well take a burglar to be your own child. Or you may feel satisfied with a small accomplishment, as did that monk who was ignorant of the Dharma. Having only reached the level of the fourth dhyāna, he made the false claim that he had become a sage. When his reward of celestial life had run its course and the signs of decay had appeared, he vilified the Arhats' enlightenment, and so he was reborn in the Unrelenting Hell.” So the stakes could not be higher.Buddha insures Ananda and the others that the demons have limited power, and cannot harm you unless you let them. The power of your meditation will protect you from possession. Then he takes us through the five Aggregates in order, outlining 10 such demonic episodes that may occur in each. The first, in Form, is that you may have an out-of-body experience. Then he issues a boilerplate admonition:This state is called “the essential awareness being able to emerge into one's surroundings.” What the practitioner has gained is temporary. It does not indicate that he has become a sage. There is nothing unwholesome about his state unless he thinks that he is now a sage. If he does think he is a sage, he will be open to a host of deviant influences.This introduces the essential warning: Don't be fooled. You are not done yet. Keep on keepin' on. He goes on to cover such events as hearing voices preaching the Dharma, cosmic visions of all sorts, seeing in the dark, the cessation of all sensation, clairvoyance and clairaudience at great distances, visions of oneself as a “good and wise teacher,” and a chameleon-like ability to change form and appearance. And all this, just in the Skandha of Form.Next, transcendence of the skandha of Sense-Perception elicits depressive and manic reactions, confusion, the superiority complex, and/or becoming overjoyed and arrogant, sometimes arising simultaneously. Unchecked, these inevitably lead to erroneous and extreme behaviors. Such views as illusory infinite serenity, that there is no existence after death, and license to indulge all levels of satisfaction of desires may follow, along with indulging in the power to sway others. All end badly.In Cognition, the litany of afflicted states continues, with dire consequences, even though one is now free of harmful anxiety, which brings about a state of wonder. It is as if Buddha is reporting recent scandals in televangelism, and misguided leadership of various sects and cults, including some Zen lineages. In every case, gravely misinterpreting implications of meditative states leads to reckless and lawless behavior. Misidentification of self or others as Bodhisattvas or Buddhas appearing in the world is familiar, as in the false prophets of other religions. Claims to enlightenment, and guaranteeing success or salvation to others, at a price, are contemporary examples. Buddha faults the power of wielding mass hypnosis, owing to delusional charisma, or gravitas, stemming from deep meditation.Various paranormal powers, siddhis in Sanskrit, such as reading minds, knowing previous lives, levitating, walking on water, passing through walls, performing magic or miracles, etc., may indeed be achievable in meditation, but they are not to be valued or pursued. They are no more miraculous than the ordinary senses, and may lead to severe psychic dysfunction, including overweening infatuation for one's teacher, and visions of living together in a better world. Think David Koresh, or Jim Jones.Introducing Mental Formations, Buddha makes a startling statement:Ānanda, when a good person who has been practicing samādhi has reached the end of the aggregate of cognition, the usual cognitive processes involved in dreaming will disappear from his mind. For him there will no longer be any difference between waking and sleeping… He will view all the phenomena in the world — the mountains, the rivers, and everything else — as mere reflections that briefly appear in a clear mirror… Only the true essence of consciousness remains.”This resonates throughout the teachings of Zen, as in Dongshan's Precious Mirror Samadhi, wherein “Form and reflection behold each other.” This section also gets into first causes of existence and life, and the ending of life; falling into the mistake of non-causality; denying the principles of rebirth and evolution across species; or that the mind and experience are everlasting, eternal. Or conversely, that all comes to a permanent end. Or that some entities are permanent, others impermanent, e.g. that your mind is permanent and everlasting but the beings within it are not. The same delusion applies to whole worlds. After confusing eternity versus impermanence, comes infinity versus finiteness, e.g. of one's own mind. Such speculations regarding spacetime rarely result in anything positive. As Master Dogen says in Genjokoan:Similarly, if you examine the myriad things with a confused body and mind, you might suppose that your mind and nature are permanent. When you practice intimately and return to where you are, it will be clear that nothing at all has unchanging self.Forewarned is forearmed. The special confusion that may arise in wannabe sages is: “If someone seeking to learn his methods should come to ask him about his theories, he will reply: ‘I both come into being and cease to be. I exist and yet do not exist. I both grow and diminish.' What he says is so confusing that no one can understand what he means.” Matsuoka Roshi once commented, with great irony, that, “There are people who can talk themselves out of existence.”The good news is that we have the capacity to penetrate to this inner sanctum of reality; the bad news is that we can misinterpret it based upon self-striving desires. Buddha becomes minutely descriptive:… he will be able to perceive the origin that is common to all lives. This origin will appear to him as a subtle, glimmering, vibrating mirage. This is the ultimate point, the pivotal point, at which the faculties and their objects meet… He will have reached the end of the aggregate of mental formations. He will be able to transcend the turbidity of individual beings… None of the ten kinds of celestial demons will have any chance to influence him.Master Dogen points to this same inflection point in Jijuyu Zammai; Self-Fulfilling Samadhi: “In stillness, mind and object merge in realization and go beyond enlightenment.” Mental Formations also representing the underlying motives, intent and desire impelling our behavior, at this point one sits in zazen with no identifiable reason for doing so. It is the “…making effort without aiming at it… sitting without relying on anything” of Master Dogen's Zazenshin, Lancet for Zazen. This being liberated from our demons is what is meant by becoming “unassailable” in Zen.However, even at this point the practitioner may be assailed by internal confusions, such as denying causation, for example that of all beings coming and going, or for the ending of life, or distortions of the principle of rebirth, all of which are clarified in full awakening. And on again reprising confusions that yet may arise regarding the Four Elements, as well as the sixth, seventh and eighth consciousnesses, the 10 dhyanas, entering nirvana, etc. Terminal confusion. Again, too soon. Going to hell.Finally transcending Mental Formations, our intrepid explorer enters the aggregate of Consciousness, or consciousness only, having left the other four skandhas far behind:… when a good person who has been practicing samādhi has reached the end of the aggregate of mental formations, he may observe, within the clear light in the deep recesses of his mind, the vibrations which are the shared foundation of the nature of all beings in the world. Then suddenly the tiny hidden knot that holds together the intricate net of karma of his individual being during his many lifetimes will burst open, and he will lose his connection to the vibrating resonances of that karmic net.Free at last, free at last! Sounds a bit like string theory, those “vibrating resonances,” the foundation of all beings. Then Buddha describes the shift in awareness in no uncertain terms:He will now be on the verge of experiencing a great illumination in the sky of nirvana. It is as if he is gazing at the pale light of dawn in the eastern sky just as the rooster has finished crowing… The duality of observer and observed will have ceased… The pale light that he observed will not fade, and it will illuminate what has heretofore been hidden. This is the region of the aggregate of consciousness.This recalls Master Dogen's later expression in Jijuyu Zammai, that “When even for a moment you express the Buddha's seal in the three actions by sitting upright in Samadhi, the whole phenomenal world becomes the Buddha's seal and the entire sky turns into enlightenment.” Note that here we finally witness the “tiny hidden knot” of the net of karma bursting open, liberating us from entanglement. “The pale light that [s]he observed will not fade, and it will illuminate what has heretofore been hidden. This is the aggregate of consciousness.” We know that Dogen read the Surangama, but suspect that his effusive description, so similar to Buddha's, is based on his own direct experience, not mere parroting.The last about illuminating what has been hidden reminds me of an odd statement by Matsuoka Roshi, that “The light by which you see things comes from you.” This internal light pops up from time to time in the literature, but never as explicitly described as in the original mention here by Buddha himself. But wait, there's still more:At this point, although he has already done away with the coming into being and perishing of mental formations, he has not yet completed the journey to the wonder of his essential nature, which is nirvana. However, he will be able to merge his perceptual faculties so that they can function as one or function interchangeably.This claim is attested to by a stanza in Sekito Kisen's Sandokai, Harmony of Sameness and Difference. “All the objects of the senses transpose and do not transpose. Transposing they are linked together; not transposing each keeps its place.” It is as if the senses overlap like a Venn diagram, and we are all syntesthetes at base.But alas, even at this point the advanced practitioner can fall into insidious beliefs leading to rebirth, for example that his consciousness is immortal, becoming “one of the adherents of the doctrines of the god Ishvara,” which I take to be the equivalent of some theism's notion of the immortal soul. Or that awareness is universal, or that the elements are the source of existence, and thus appropriate to make “ritual offerings to water and to fire.” These beliefs were apparently touted by other teachers of the day.Running down another litany of such erroneous interpretations of the teachings, Buddha mentions one that may apply most directly to us today, which is mistaking realization of the cessation of suffering as the end goal, missing the whole point of the Bodhisattva Path. “His companions will be ignorant members of the Sangha and supremely arrogant practitioners.” We have been witness to this effect, in the propagation of Zen to America. This is one form of Trungpa Rinpoche's “spiritual materialism.”Then following reassurances that in spite of all these barriers to overcome, everybody has the capability of transcending them, Buddha once again recommends the Surangama Mantra, and a cautionary tale:If they cannot learn to recite it from memory, teach them to write it out and to place it in their meditation halls or else to wear it close to their bodies. Then no demon will be able to disturb them… You should hold in the greatest reverence all the teachings of the Thus-Come Ones of the ten directions. These are my final instructions.Final instructions? Ananda summarizes briefly his eidetic memory, and Buddha recapitulates much of what has gone before, including detailing the delusory nature of each of the Five Aggregates in turn:The Five Aggregates Arise from Delusion… In the subtle, true, wondrous understanding, in the fundamental, awakened, perfect purity, no death or rebirth remains, nor any defilement, not even space itself. All these arise out of deluded mental activity… The notion that things come into being due to causes and conditions and the notion that they come into being on their own are mere speculations born of beings' deluded minds.Finally, finally, Buddha closes with “The Merit of Teaching the Śūraṅgama Dharma,” similar to plugging the Surangama Mantra earlier in the program. In sum, the merit is incalculable.Perhaps one of the most directly relevant implications to contemporary Zen practitioners, as outlined in the Surangama Sutra, is that the process of zazen progresses through the aggregates one at a time, leaving behind the prior, which “have already ceased functioning.” It suggests that we segue from sitting in the realm of Form to that of Sensation, then Sensation-only, leaving Form behind. Then on through Perception and Formations until we find ourselves sitting in Consciousness only, transcending the prior four. You could say that Consciousness is the uber-aggregate, subsuming the others, in that we are conscious of Form, conscious of Sense-Perception, of Cognition, Mental Formations, and ultimately conscious of consciousness itself. But there comes a turning point in which even consciousness no longer obtains.In the original translation of the Hannya Shingyo into English that we used at the Zen Buddhist Temple of Chicago, was the concluding line at the end of the long list of “given emptiness,” no this, no that, which said “… until we come to no consciousness also.” This is the singularity of Zen practice, that end-state that is not at all a state, but entry into the inconceivable. The point of awareness in which we cross the even horizon, and all known laws of reality collapse inward of their own mass. At this point, all such words as “awareness” and “inward” require quotation marks. The Way is beyond language, as well as concept. Please allow your mind to surrender to this possibility, especially when you are in meditation.* * *Elliston Roshi is guiding teacher of the Atlanta Soto Zen Center and abbot of the Silent Thunder Order. He is also a gallery-represented fine artist expressing his Zen through visual poetry, or “music to the eyes.”UnMind is a production of the Atlanta Soto Zen Center in Atlanta, Georgia and the Silent Thunder Order. You can support these teachings by PayPal to donate@STorder.org. Gassho.Producer: Kyōsaku Jon Mitchell

What is illusion?Not what you may think it is —Thought is delusion* * *Before we launch into the next section of the sutra on how the world of illusion comes into being, one more point on “The Matrix of the Thus-Come One” may be in order. The term “matrix” was popularized by the sci-fi movie of the same title, wherein the proposition that our perceived reality is actually a projection of a simulation controlled by others for nefarious purposes, links to ongoing conspiracy theories of the world actually being run by cabals of behind-the-scenes powers-that-be, seriously subscribed to by otherwise normal-seeming groups of people. But the meaning of matrix in Buddhism, and in general, is a bit different. A few examples from a dictionary include:ma·trix| 1 an environment or material in which something develops; a surrounding medium or structure: free choices become the matrix of human life.2 a mass of fine-grained rock in which gems, crystals, or fossils are embedded: nodules of secondary limestone set in a matrix of porous dolomite | such fossils will often be partly concealed by matrix.• the substance between cells or in which structures are embedded: the lipid matrix of olfactory cells.• fine material used to bind together the coarser particles of a composite substance: the matrix of gravel paths is raked regularly.3 a mold in which something, such as a record or printing type, is cast or shapedORIGIN late Middle English (in the sense ‘womb'): from Latin, ‘breeding female', later ‘womb', from mater, matr- ‘mother'.The matrix in which something is imbedded may be physical or conceptual, then. Interesting that it has the original connotation of “mother.” Buddhism has the term tathagatagarbha, defined as “the eternal and immutable matrix of all reality: the womb of the absolute and the essence of Buddhahood.” It is sometimes called the womb of the tathagatas, and is symbolized in ceremony by red drapery.In the Buddhist context, the idea of the matrix seems even more outrageously speculative than in the film, in terms of its implications. If and when you do come into full awareness of the matrix of the true causes and conditions of your existence, it enables you to recover your original mind consciousness, “the wondrous, everlasting understanding — the unmoving, all-pervading, wondrous suchness of reality.” Nothing so mundane and paranoid as unseen forces controlling your world, determining your destiny, and robbing you of your birthright.The most likely derivation of the idea of a matrix in Buddha's time would have been from the mining and smelting of metals such as gold, from ore chiseled from veins in the stone matrix. The smelting process Buddha also likened to the process of meditation. Heating the ore, then scraping off the impurities, letting it cool completely; heating again, scraping again, etc. Repetition is key. And you have to let it cool completely before heating again, to achieve greater and greater purity.Now to “The Coming into Being of the World of Illusion,” subtitled “Adding Understanding to Understanding,” which becomes a key point: Does enlightenment include understanding, or not?Purnamaitrayaniputra gives Ananda a break by asking the leading questions in this exchange. The near unpronounceable names of some of Buddha's disciples is partly owing to the German-like stringing of words together. For example, “putra” at the end, means “son of.” You are permitted to abbreviate. Purna, for short, claims to be one of those in the assembly who are “free of outflows,” meaning bad habits, and one that Buddha himself has praised as being most skilled in expounding the Dharma.Nonetheless he confesses to not being able to understand the Dharma that Buddha is now preaching. Incidentally, it should be noted — and a source of some comfort — that others, such as Ananda, are considered enlightened, even though they have not put an end to their outflows. Thus, enlightenment is not perfect, nor final. Both people and phenomena, in general, are empty of a permanent, self-existent self. That august assembly was very much like our diverse audiences today, in other words.Purna challenges Buddha's assertion that all elements extend throughout the “Dharma-Realm,” which we may take to indicate the whole universe. If they did so — water and earth, say — then they could not come into being separately; and further, would commingle and annihilate each other. Think fire and water. And remember, these worthies did not have the advantage of the findings of modern science.Before answering, Buddha qualifies his audience in terms of those Hearers, or Arhats, “who have no further aspirations,” and those who have not yet experienced the “two kinds of emptiness,” namely that of people and that of phenomena. He also states his purpose, to allow all to enter the “true aranya, the still and quiet place, the state of genuine practice that will lead you to become Buddhas.”This idea of the true place of genuine practice resonates in Master Dogen's Genjokoan:When you find your place where you are, practice occurs, actualizing the fundamental point.When you find your way at this moment, practice occurs, actualizing the fundamental point.For the place, the way, is neither large nor small, neither yours nor others'.The place, the way, has not carried over from the past, and is not merely arising now.Here is the place, here the way unfolds.Thank you, Dogen. He understood the matrix of spacetime in the most intimate sense.Buddha pivots from Purna's concern — not understanding how the various features of the earth have come into being — to the basic issue of the relationship of enlightenment to that of understanding:B: When we talk about this understanding which characterizes enlightenment, do we mean an understanding that is intrinsic to our inherent enlightened nature? Or does our inherent enlightenment lack understanding until we gain it when enlightenment is realized?P: Our inherent enlightenment is characterized by understanding only when that understanding is added to it.B: But an enlightenment to which an understanding is added cannot be a true enlightenment. Such an enlightenment would indeed lack understanding if understanding were not added. But an enlightenment that lacks understanding cannot be the true intrinsic enlightenment that is inherently pure and endowed with understanding. Therefore, if you think that an understanding must be added to your inherent enlightenment, you are falsifying the true understanding, the true enlightenment.Then Buddha clarifies that along with enlightenment, what it is that needs to be understood, is namely, delusion itself: “That is, nothing need be added to true enlightenment, but once an understanding is added nevertheless, that understanding must understand something.” That something is the matrix.Then he goes on to detail the subtle and coarse aspects of delusion. Again, Master Dogen reprises this idea in Genjokoan:Those who have great realization of delusion are buddhas;Those who are greatly deluded about realization are sentient beings.Further there are those who continue realizing beyond realization,[those] who are in delusion throughout delusion.When buddhas are truly buddhas,They do not necessarily notice that they are buddhas.Yet they are actualized buddhas who go on actualizing buddhas.Buddha goes into an even more extended, some might say rambling, riff: on how the fundamental elements interact and generate the world as we know it; onto the human world of reproduction, touching on stages of fetal development; other species' modes of birth, i.e. the biology of the day; karma; then into the distortions and perpetuations leading to karmic entanglements over eons of successive lives. It is an exhaustive monologue that covers many of the major tenets of Buddhism, as codified and recorded in later centuries. Subheads reveal some of the highlights: “The Buddha's Enlightenment is Irreversible; The Interfusing of the Primary Elements; Delusion Has No Basis: The Parable of Yajnadatta.” And remember, poor Ananda is the memory prodigy who recollected all this for posterity.In the end, it seems the Buddha cannot resist throwing Ananda's transgression up in his face again, as we would say today. Sometimes true compassion looks like cruelty:For you, awakening and nirvana are still so distant that you will have to spend eons in difficult practice before you will reach them. Your ability to memorize all twelve types of discourse spoken by the Buddha… has merely helped you to indulge in idle speculation. Certainly you have the ability to speak about causes and conditions and about things coming into being on their own with such understanding that people call you foremost in erudition; yet despite your many eons of accumulated learning, you were not able escape your difficulty with the young Mātaṅga woman… In the young Mātaṅga woman's heart the fires of lust were extinguished, and instantly she became a sage who is free of rebirth. Now she has joined a group of vigorous practitioners of my Dharma. In her, the river of love has gone dry, and so now you are free of her.We may be forgiven for being somewhat skeptical as to Ananda's appreciation for being “free of her.” But we have to be circumspect regarding any contemporary interpretation of Buddha's intent. The state of healthcare in those days, including especially the consequences of sexuality, was quite primitive. The young woman joined others who represented the early embrace of gender diversity in the Order:Therefore, Ānanda, the many eons you have spent committing to memory the Thus-Come One's esoteric, inconceivable, wondrous, and majestic Dharma are not equal to a single day spent cultivating karma that is free of outflows and is far removed from the two worldly torments of hate and love. The young Mātaṅga woman was a courtesan, and yet her love and desire were dispelled by the spiritual power of the mantra; now she is a nun named Prakṛti. She and Rāhula's mother, Yaśodharā, have both become aware of their previous lives, and they know that, among the causes of their actions during many lifetimes, their craving for emotional love was the cause of their suffering. Now they have escaped their bonds and have received predictions. Why do you then continue to cheat yourself by standing still, merely watching and listening?So, a few things of interest here. Remembering that this discourse was committed to writing centuries later, mitigates the apparent self-aggrandizement of Buddha's characterization of his own teaching, words crafted later by his dharma heirs. We like to think that Buddha had some modicum of humility.My understanding is that Ananda led the charge, in getting Buddha and the elders of the Order to accept women into the community. So this narrative seems out of sequence with that history. Being released from “emotional love” would not typically be recognized as a value in modern society. But here, it is presented as a part of slipping the bonds of earthly existence, and receiving “predictions” — i.e. of future buddhahood, from Buddha himself. Sounds a bit like transcendental credentials.Rahula was Buddha's son, whose name means, “fetter.” Having a son, amounted to one more attachment to this world, that Siddhartha, at that time, was trying to renounce. That Rahula was later ordained, apparently represents a father-and-son rapprochement. This was, and is, a known issue.By “cheat yourself,” Buddha is referring to looking for the wrong kind of love in all the wrong places. Standing still, in this case, means not practicing the essential methods of meditation, and thus, not progressing along the path to liberation. Ananda is not fully engaged. But then again, he is young.When Matsuoka Roshi was asked about “engaged Buddhism,” which in the modern context connotes a social level of engagement — taking up altruistic causes, whether in the private, charitable, or political arena — he would take the zazen posture and declare, “This is the most you can do.” In the context of this section of the Surangama, it is also the most you can do about the dilemma of delusion. Good luck.* * *Elliston Roshi is guiding teacher of the Atlanta Soto Zen Center and abbot of the Silent Thunder Order. He is also a gallery-represented fine artist expressing his Zen through visual poetry, or “music to the eyes.”UnMind is a production of the Atlanta Soto Zen Center in Atlanta, Georgia and the Silent Thunder Order. You can support these teachings by PayPal to donate@STorder.org. Gassho.Producer: Kyōsaku Jon Mitchell

(Chinese) Do you want to know the special reason why Shakyamuni Buddha gave the sermon of the Shurangama Sutra? Is the Surangama Sutra related to Ananda? To find out, listen to Supreme Master Ching Hai talking about the origin of Buddha’s preaching of the Surangama Sutra. The Supreme Master said that many Bodhisattvas, Pratyeka Buddhas and Arhats had never heard about the Quan Yin Method at that time because it was not that easy to hear about it; people did not know about the Quan Yin method until Manjusri ...

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, we're talking about the history and layout of Edo with one of the world's foremost experts on the subject: Dr. Timon Screech. About Dr. Timon Screech Dr. Timon Screech is a professor of the history of art at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London. He is a specialist in the art and culture of the Edo period and has written extensively on the subject. His most recent book is titled Tokyo Before Tokyo: Power and Magic in the Shogun's City (Reaktion Books). Topics Discussed The story behind Dr. Screech's latest book Tokyo Before Tokyo: Power and Magic in the Shogun's City of Edo The history of Nihonbashi (日本橋) in Tokyo Nihonbashi as the city center of Edo The possible etymological origin of Nihonbashi What was in and around the original Nihonbashi bridge when it was built Nihonbashi's status as the start of the famous Tokaido highway The mountainous geography of Japan and how it made it challenging to keep the country united Edo era maps, their evolution, and how reliable they were Why certain areas of Edo's maps were often blocked out Early Edo Period maps and how usable they would have been The extensive documentation of urban ephemera of the Edo Period How folding screens intended for the elite would depict areas of Edo that commoners were not supposed to be able to see The amusing story of the peculiar way Emperor Go-Mizunoo is said to have had his portrait paited Portrait drawing customs in Japan versus the West The official name of Edo Castle Why Edo Castle was officially names Chiyoda Castle The location of Edo Castle The Shogunate's decision to not choose Kamakura as their base of power About the destruction of Chiyoda Castle/Edo Castle and reasons for why it was never reconstructed The recently restored paintings of Kyoto's Nijo Castle Edo's 40 meter tall Buddha made of wicker (Kappa Ōbotoke) Dr. Timon Screech's recommendations for temples to visit in Tokyo The story of the Octopus Medicine Buddha at Tako Yakushi Jōjuin Temple in Meguro The Temple of the 500 Arhats in Meguro (Gohyaku Rakanji) The deification of Tokugawa Ieyasu How Tokugawa Ieyasu's body was moved a year after his death Disagreement over where Tokugawa Ieyasu's body is today And much more! Support on Patreon If you enjoy Japan Station and want to ensure that we're able to produce more episodes, then please consider becoming a patron on Patreon.com. For a minimum pledge of $1 a month you'll get early access to all JapanKyo podcasts, bonus content, and more. And for $3 a month, you'll get access to Japanese Plus Alpha, a podcast produced by me (Tony Vega) that focuses on the Japanese language and all of its fascinating quirks. Also, all pledges get a shout-out on the show and my undying gratitude. Thank you in advance! Support Japan Station on Patreon Links, Videos, Etc. You can use the link below to purchase Tokyo Before Tokyo: Power and Magic in the Shogun's City of Edo on Amazon. The link is an Amazon affiliate link so using it will support the show without costing you anything extra. Tokyo Before Tokyo: Power and Magic in the Shogun's City of Edo by Dr. Timon Screech You can use the Amazon affiliate link below to purchase The Shogun's Silver Telescope and the Cargo of the New Year's Gift: God, Art, and Money in the English Quest for Japan, 1600-1625. The Shogun's Silver Telescope and the Cargo of the New Year's Gift: God, Art, and Money in the English Quest for Japan, 1600-1625 by Dr. Timon Screech To listen to the latest episode of Ichimon Japan, use the link below. How do Japanese names work? | Ichimon Japan 28 And here are the two episodes of Japan Station mentioned at the end of this episode. Japan Station 11: Sacred High City, Sacred Low City (Dr. Steven Heine) Japan Station 27: The Bells of Old Tokyo (Anna Sherman) If you would like to check out the Kimito Designs shop, then use the link below. Remember to use the coupon code OPENING10 when you check out to get 10% off (valid until the end of 2020). Visit KimitoDesigns.com Special Thanks Opening/Closing song: Oedo Controller (大江戸コントローラー) by Yunomi featuring Toriena (Used with permission from Yunomi) To listen to more of Yunomi's music, check out his Soundcloud page or YouTube channel. Japan Station cover art: Provided by Erik R. Featured image: Courtesy of Dr. Timon Screech Featured image: Courtesy of Dr. Timon Screech Follow Japankyo on Social Media Facebook (@JapankyoNews) Twitter (@JapankyoNews) Full Show Notes Get full show notes at www.japanstationpodcast.com  

Kapitel 2, Über die wahre Natur der Dinge, das Wesen des Geistes und die Mittel der Befreiung Ausgewählte weitere Begriffe: Mahasattva - ehrender Beiname eines Bodhisattvas Manas - denkendes Ich-Bewußtsein Manovijnana - die durch das Denken hervorgerufenen Vorstellungen Maya - Trug, Illusion Prajna - Weisheit, Wissen der absoluten Wahrheit Pratyekabuddha - ein Buddha, der ähnlich wie Arhats seine Erkenntnis für sich behält und nicht teilt Sravaka - Synonym für Nicht-Mahayana-Anhänger, für Theravadins Tathagata - der "So-Gegangene" ohne Kommen und Gehen, Buddha Vijnana - auf die sichtbare Welt bezogenes Wissen Alayavijnana - zeitloses Speicherbewußtsein aus dem Vijnanas kommen und das von diesen genährt wird --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lankavatarasutra/message

Man muß die unübersetzten Sanskrit-Ausdrücke und Eigennamen nicht verstehen, da würde man nur den "Philosophen" gleichen, gegen die sich diese Streitschrift beständig wendet. Das Lankavatara-Sutra ist in den ersten Jahrhunderten unserer Zeitrechnung entstanden. Bodhidharma, der als der Begründer des Zen gilt, so wie wir es kennen, hat es von Indien nach China gebracht. Man nannte die ersten Zen-Praktizierenden auch "Lankavataras". Diese Lehrschrift in dichterischer Form ist in der Nachfolge des großen Zen-Philosophen Nagarjuna aus dem zweiten Jahrhundert, der mit seinem japanischen Namen Ryuju einer der Patriarchen des Zen ist. Nagarjuna ist der "Philosoph der Leere", derjenige, der diesen Begriff geprägt und definiert hat wie kein anderer. Wesentliches Merkmal ist der Dreischritt von "utpada" (Auftauchen), "stithi" (Verweilen) und "nirodha" (Verschwinden) aller Erscheinungen und somit deren Nicht-Vorhandensein in einer beständigen Existenz. Das Lankavatara-Sutra wendet sich gegen alle, vor allem nihilistischen Philosophien, die sich darum herumspinnen und verweist auf die unmittelbare Erkenntnis – auf genau das, was die chinesischen Zen-Meister in der Folge auf einen Schrei, auf einen Stoß, auf das Umstossen aller gewohnten Denkformen komprimierten. Die hier verwendete Übersetzung aus dem Sanskrit stammt von Karl-Heinz Golzio, O.W. Barth Verlag 1995 Das Lankavatarasutra hat 10 Kapitel, die sich in der deutschen Ausgabe auf 361 Seiten summieren. Acht dieser Kapitel sind wichtig, und ich werde sie nach und nach ergänzen. Ich habe sie in Teilen aufgenommen, um die Hör-Zeit in leicht konsumierbare Abschnitte zu teilen. Man sollte sie natürlich in der richtigen Reihenfolge hören und auf sich wirken lassen. Obwohl ich meine, dass sich der Inhalt auch so erschließt, hier ein paar wichtige Begriffe: Arhat - ein Mensch, der sich religiös verwirklicht ohne sich auch um andere Menschen zu kümmern Bodhisattva - ein Mensch, der seine Erleuchtung auch mit anderen zu teilen gewillt ist Citta - Geist Dharma - die absolute Wahrheit und gleichzeitig alle Erscheinungsformen Mahasattva - ehrender Beiname eines Bodhisattvas Manas - denkendes Ich-Bewußtsein Manovijnana - die durch das Denken hervorgerufenen Vorstellungen Maya - Trug, Illusion Prajna - Weisheit, Wissen der absoluten Wahrheit Pratyekabuddha - ein Buddha, der ähnlich wie Arhats seine Erkenntnis für sich behält und nicht teilt Sravaka - Synonym für Nicht-Mahayana-Anhänger, für Theravadins Tathagata - der "So-Gegangene" ohne Kommen und Gehen, Buddha Vijnana - auf die sichtbare Welt bezogenes Wissen Alayavijnana - zeitloses Speicherbewußtsein aus dem Vijnanas kommen und das von diesen genährt wird Mein bürgerlicher Name ist Paul, mein Dharmaname ist Ho-Gen. Er wurde mit von meinem Zen-Lehrer Eido Roshi verliehen und hat eine besondere Bedeutung für mich. Aber das ist eine andere Geschichte ... --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lankavatarasutra/message

Dois tipos de vacuidade e refutação da existência inerente dos agregados, um grosseiro, e um sutil. Estudo de o Farol da Certeza https://tzal.org/estudo-de-o-farol-da-certeza-de-mipam/#26 Mipham's Beacon of Certainty https://amzn.to/3aLUhqf Este podcast também está disponível em formato de vídeo em https://tzal.org/arhats-e-bodisatvas/ Por que o arhat não beneficia tanto os seres quanto um buda? https://tzal.org/por-que-o-arhat-nao-beneficia-tanto-os-seres-quanto-um-buda/ Os 10 níveis de bodisatva (Bhumis) https://tzal.org/os-10-niveis-de-bodisatva-bhumis/ Canal do Chagdud Gonpa Dordje Ling https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj1CGaDURter2MfcdKPFbEA (Por favor assine e faça a prática de Buda da Medicina com o Lama Rigdzin, toda terça feira). Para receber informações sobre a produção de Padma Dorje: https://tzal.org/boletim-informativo/ Por favor ajude esse canal: https://tzal.org/patronagem/ Lista completa de conteúdos no canal tendrel, com descrição: https://tzal.org/tendrel-lista-completa-de-videos/ Contribuições e perguntas podem ser feitas por email (padma.dorje@gmail.com)

Venha ser conduzido por Wilma Bolsoni do Atelie de Luz neste momento tão especial que a lua cheia de Wesak nos proporciona. O festival de Wesak marca o nascimento, iluminação e morte de Gautama, o Buda, é a mais poderosa lua cheia do ano, e às vezes é chamado "Aniversário do Buda”. O Wesak é um momento especial, pois renova nossas forças no sentido de acelerar nossa própria iluminação. O ápice desse momento é quando a Lua Cheia de Maio surge no céu trazendo energia adicional a cada pessoa que de puro coração se propor a renascer em si mesmo. Nesse ano será dia 7/05. Início às 06h45min do dia 07 de MAIO de 2020 (quinta-feira) (o horário de pico energético será às 07h45min do dia 07 de maio de 2020 - horário de Brasília) Wesak é especial, principalmente porque Buda assumiu o compromisso de manter contato com a terra e seus seres neste dia auspicioso. De acordo com a tradição, sobre o tempo exato de Wesak, Buda retorna à terra e praticantes espirituais, Santa mestres e os Arhats de todo o mundo se juntar a ele para um grande ato de serviço para a humanidade - ajudar a manifestar o plano divino na terra. Acredita-se que, neste momento sagrado, a energia de Shambala é lançada sobre a terra através do Buda. Por conseguinte, Wesak, é conhecido como o festival de Buda, divino intermediário entre o centro espiritual mais elevado, Shamballa, e a hierarquia espiritual Buda como a personificação da luz divina e expressão da sabedoria de Deus e de Cristo, como a personificação do amor divino são ativos durante este festival, ajudar e reforçar aqueles que servem a humanidade. Para receber esta energia é necessário entrar em meditação.

In this episode, the Venerable addressed the following questions from the audience, In the Sutra of the Great Extinction of the Dharma Spoken by the Buddha, the Buddha said that there will be an increase in evil as time passes, and Buddhism will soon cease to exist. People would be less compassionate, and it will be eventually hard to find goodhearted people, maybe two or three in every million. Why is that? Why does the world head to such a direction? How do we know that Arhats exist? Do we see them? How do we know that reincarnation exists? Buddhism seem to emphasize compassion. Don't love, kindness and awareness need to come before compassion?

In this episode, the Venerable addressed the following questions from the audience, In the Sutra of the Great Extinction of the Dharma Spoken by the Buddha, the Buddha said that there will be an increase in evil as time passes, and Buddhism will soon cease to exist. People would be less compassionate, and it will be eventually hard to find goodhearted people, maybe two or three in every million. Why is that? Why does the world head to such a direction? How do we know that Arhats exist? Do we see them? How do we know that reincarnation exists? Buddhism seem to emphasize compassion. Don't love, kindness and awareness need to come before compassion?

Diversas religiões da humanidade preservam uma tradição segundo a qual uma coletividade de grandes sábios inspira e conduz, silenciosamente, a nossa humanidade no caminho que leva à paz e à sabedoria. O taoísmo menciona estes sábios como Imortais, e o hinduísmo usa o termo Rishis. Para o budismo, eles são Arhats. Outros os chamam de Mahatmas, raja-iogues, mestres de sabedoria, Adeptos ou, simplesmente, Iniciados. Segundo a filosofia esotérica, estes seres atingiram o Nirvana e libertaram-se inteiramente do estágio atual do reino humano, mas permanecem ligados à humanidade por laços de compaixão e solidariedade. A psicóloga e teosofista Josy Mansur é nossa entrevistada.

A rich conversation with Swami Rahasya Advait , founder of Advait Tantra School of South Africa , author of THE ROCKY HORROR TANTRA BOOK ,and the most endearing Tan-Trickster that i have ever met ! Darling Rahasya engage us with a fascinating explanation of Tantra as an analogy to Martial Arts- The Apologia (that is not an apology , but could inspire one ! ).The difference between Awakening and Enlightenment , drift and flow, and Bodhisattvas and Arhats. As always, his conversation (as his teaching of Tantra ) is both deeply engaging and quite a stretch for the ordinary mind - not recommended to : the faint-hearted , the weak-minded or the emotionally troubled . If you would like more of him, please check out the bonus track where he answers one more question on the purpose of violence and sex... www.advaittantra.com - http://www.rockyhorrortantra.com School blog: blog.tantraschool.co.za - School Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/advaittantra

The Goals – Arhats & Bodhisattvas.   Higher RMPS – World Religions: Buddhism Unit 2 – The Goals Part 4 – Arhats & Bodhisattvas

Dharma talk: Meditative cultivation of Compassion and the Suffering of Change On the “most wanted” list of mental afflictions is hatred. Craving/attachment is the #1 culprit in the suffering of change. Craving and attachment are always carried by a conceptual line (i.e. they are one step removed from reality). There is the sense of “If only……” (I had this or that, I would be happy). The object of desire seems static (it is an object), but everything is in flux. Arhats are free of suffering because they are free of attachment. They feel pain, but the experience is different because there is not grasping at “my body.” The pain just arises in space. The two parts of Buddhist ethics are (1) doing no harm and (2) being of benefit. If we were all ethical, 95 percent of the blatant suffering in the world would vanish. Shamatha is one level of Samadhi. You achieve a more balanced mind and have the experience of bliss, non-conceptuality, and luminosity (it is moment to moment, but the experience is there). These three qualities are how craving/attachment, delusion, and hostility are experienced from the view point of rigpa. We can get glimpses of this in shamatha which is designed to lead us along our authentic intention and actually has a chance of success. There are three types of desires which can be expressed thus: “I want to feel good,” (pleasure), “I want to feel alive, alive, awake, excited,” and “I want to feel safe, unafraid, secure.” However, if you get what you want, it will eventually erode and change (therefore, the suffering of change). Our aspirations must be in the realm of possibility (e.g. to be free of unnecessary suffering via releasing attachment to the desire realm and to have a balanced mind; it is still not permanent and unchanging, but we can work in that direction). We will still have to experience natural catastrophes, sickness, old age, and death. Meditation on Compassion and the Suffering of Change (46:27), beginning with ourselves and moving to those whom we care about and eventually further and further out. Questions and Answers (71:10): 1. What are pointing out instructions? 2. When you are experience laxity and excitation at the same time, which do you tackle first?

In this talk, Alan encourages us to continue our practice in a spirit of loving-kindness for ourselves. He then answers questions about Arhats, colors of traditional monastic robes, and oracle to the Dalai Lama, Khandro La.

Dragon's Gift: Sacred Arts of Bhutan Audio Tour