Showing posts with label Rebirth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rebirth. Show all posts

 

    Probably already addressed here somewhere but I don't understand how stream enterers can become Buddhas. I thought stream enterers have max 7 more births and it takes eons to become a Buddha? Or is the view that if you wish to become a Buddha and you are a stream enterer, this indicates you already spent eons working on the paramitas? If that is the case, why did Buddha never encourage anyone to become a buddha, in the suttas? Seems he must have thought it would be too long and difficult...

    20 comments


  • Geoffrey Levens
    I have a great respect for Buddhist literature as a general roadmap but in the end, it’s all stories. In the real world pretty much anything can happen. (And that’s another story)


    Alan Smith
    Geoffrey Levens - Yeah, it's shocking when you really see that anything can happen at any time.


  • Tyler Cochran
    Geoffrey Levens Always helpful to remember, words are not reality, and can never express its true nature.








  • Christopher Gilbert
    I'd be curious too to see a reference to the number of births needed after becoming a stream enterer.


    Joel Rosenblum
    Author
    Top contributor
    Christopher Gilbertmany suttas address this. If you wikipedia stream enterer you will see this mentioned and cited also




    • Soh Wei Yu
      Admin
      Top contributor
      AN 3.86: Sikkhā Sutta wrote:
      "[Some,] with the wasting away of the three fetters, are 'one-seed-ers' (ekabijin): After taking rebirth only one more time on the human plane, they will put an end to stress.
      "Or, not breaking through to that, not penetrating that, with the wasting away of the three fetters they are 'family-to-family-ers' (kolankola): After transmigrating & wandering on through two or three more families [according to the Commentary, this phrase should be interpreted as 'through two to six more states of becoming'], they will put an end to stress.
      "Or, not breaking through to that, not penetrating that, with the wasting away of the three fetters they are 'seven-times-at-most-ers' (sattakkhattuparama): After transmigrating & wandering on among devas & human beings, they will put an end to stress."
      AN 3.86: Sikkhā Sutta (Alt. translation) wrote:
      Even if he be unable to penetrate and realize it, destroying the three bonds becomes a human once more and makes an end of unpleasantness.
      Even if he be unable to penetrate and realize it, destroying three bonds, he goes from clan to clan, being born in two or three clans makes an end of unpleasantness.
      Even if he be unable to penetrate and realize it, destroying three bonds He limits his births to seven times the most, being born among gods or men makes an end of unpleasantness.
      SUTTACENTRAL.NET
      suttacentral.net | 502: Bad gateway
      suttacentral.net | 502: Bad gateway

        • Reply
        • Remove Preview







  • Rick Indie
    it takes eons if you havent entered the stream yet **and** you're only following the sravakayana path. then once you enter the stream (as a sravaka only), then thats when buddhahood is only a couple lifetimes away. But if you practice vajrayana, you can become a buddha in one lifetime, no matter your starting-point. it depends on the method(s) you're using.

    • Reply
    • Edited

    Joel Rosenblum
    Author
    Top contributor
    Rick Indiein that case why did Buddha never tell people to strive to become Buddhas? (in the Pali suttas)


  • Rick Indie
    Joel Rosenblum because not everybody had the merit to become a Buddha in one lifetime then, same as now. Alot of people had alot of karmic obscurations blocking them from buddhahood in that life, so stream-entry was the most feasible option for alot of people in that life. Ultimately, the goal was liberation. if the best path to liberation for you is a longer one, then thats you.

    • Reply
    • Edited

  • Joel Rosenblum
    Author
    Top contributor
    Rick Indieseems that back then people were getting enlightened a lot easier than now. 500 arahants by the time of his death, i wonder why he didn't advise any of them to become Buddhas?








  • Soh Wei Yu
    Admin
    Top contributor
    Tibetan Buddhism, and some Zen Buddhists, believe it is possible to attain full Buddhahood in one lifetime. Tibetan Buddhists may cite many modern and ancient examples of such attainers.
    Also, Malcolm: "It takes two incalculable eons to reach the eighth bhumi. One more to reach Buddhahood, according to common Mahāyāna.
    In all the śrāvaka schools, once one has attained stream entry, one will attain nirvana within 7 lifetimes."
    Acarya Malcolm Smith, being a Dzogchen teacher, teaches that Vajrayana and Dzogchen, the uncommon Mahayana system, leads to Buddhahood or rainbow body for many practitioners, in one life, else in the bardos.
    Also,
    "Nalanda wrote: ↑Thu Jan 27, 2022 5:45 pm
    Is it mainstream/majority Mahayana view that arhats are to walk the Bodhissatva path eventually?"
    Malcolm:
    Yes, this is the mainstream view.
    Nalanda:
    Does that mean then that they are reborn (inspite of what they expected: arhats = end of rebirth) reborn as regular sentient beings to become Bodhissatva?
    Malcolm:
    This is a difficult point. Some scholars assert that, once roused from the absorption of cessation (nirodhasamāpatti), arhats are basically equivalent to 7th stage bodhisattvas and some even assert they can enter the bodhisattva path on the eighth bodhisattva stage because it is asserted that arhats are equivalent to bodhisattvas in realizing the selflessness of phenomena that is the absence of inherent existence.
    Other scholars assert that once roused from the absorption of cessation (nirodhasamāpatti) arhats must begin at the beginning of the Mahāyāna path of accumulation since they have not generated Mahāyāna bodhicitta nor have they realized the profound emptiness free from extremes. I personally favor the latter position because the Abhisamayālaṃkāra clearly describes the superiority of the hearing and reflection on signlessness in the Mahāyāna path of accumulation, and so on. Gorampa summarizes it as follows in his Moonrays:
    Therefore, in our own system of Madhyamaka, although the selflessness of the three yānas is equivalent, the difference between whether freedom from proliferation, the two accumulations, the ultimate nature and reality are realized or not realized is clear in all Madhyamaka textual systems.
    Basically, arhats have a subtle grasping to true existence because they do not realize four-fold signlessness. Since they have this subtle grasping to true existence, they continue to grasp a self. Because they continue to grasp a self, they accumulate action. And since they continue to accumulation action, they can continue to take birth, having been roused from nirodhasamāpatti. And because of this arhats, in order to realize buddhahood, must begin at the beginning of the Mahāyāna path of application where one reviews through hearing and reflection signlessness, etc.
    After enlightenment, can a Buddha return/manifest/emanate to samsara? - Page 2 - Dharma Wheel
    DHARMAWHEEL.NET
    After enlightenment, can a Buddha return/manifest/emanate to samsara? - Page 2 - Dharma Wheel
    After enlightenment, can a Buddha return/manifest/emanate to samsara? - Page 2 - Dharma Wheel

    • Reply
    • Remove Preview

    Joel Rosenblum
    Author
    Top contributor
    Soh Wei Yuthis is veryyy interesting to me. Prior, i thought that Mahayanists all believed that what is taught in the Pali suttas is correct, but it is incomplete. Now, i see that a large part of Mahayana teaching directly ccontradicts the suttas w/r/t no rebirth for arahants and other things. Those arahants are in for a big surprise i guess!!! 😂😂😂😂


    Soh Wei Yu
    Admin
    Top contributor
    Joel Rosenblum
    All Mahayanists do believe that arahats overcome rebirth, but the first kind of rebirth. There are two kinds.
    Eighth bhumi bodhisattvas and arhats overcome the first kind (‘discontinuous death’ (S. pariccheda-cyuti, C. fenduan si 分段死), the death that happens repetitively in the revolution of lifetimes of restricted length.) while Buddhas overcome the second.
    In describing the manomaya-kāya as the special body of the three types of beings, i.e., arhats, pratyekabuddhas, and bodhisattvas-of-great-power, the Śrīmālādevī Sūtra says that these beings are subject to a special type of death, ‘inconceivable transformative death’ (S. acintya-pāriṇāmikī-cyuti, C. busiyi bianyi si 不思議變易死), whereas ‘the sentient beings who have reconnection (S. pratisaṃdhi) [of their lives]’ (viz., the sentient beings who are subject to rebirth) are subject to ‘discontinuous death’ (S. pariccheda-cyuti, C. fenduan si 分段死), the death that happens repetitively in the revolution of lifetimes of restricted length.
    There are two types of ‘death’. What are the two? They are [the ordinary] ‘discontinuous death’ (S. pariccheda-cyuti, C. fenduan si 分段死) and ‘inconceivable transformative death’ (S. acintya-pāriṇāmikī-cyuti, C. busiyi bianyi si 不思議變易死). The discontinuous death belongs to the sentient beings who have reconnection (S. pratisaṃdhi); the inconceivable transformative death belongs to the mind-made
    explanation of the passages in the context of the texts, see Tokiwa 1995. Also see Radich 2007, 281–283.
    30. 捨於世間中 所取能取見 轉依離麁重 智慧不思議 十種意生身 眾妙為嚴好 作三界之主 而來密嚴國 (大乘密嚴經 T681 728a10–13). The Sanskrit original of this text is not extant.
    31. Since the passage on the manomaya-kāya in the *Anuttarāśraya Sūtra’s (佛說無上依經 T 669 472a24–b05) is relatively short and mostly included in the equivalent part of the Foxing lun, I will confine my research to the Ratnagotravibhāga Śāstra and the Foxing lun among these three related texts. body (manomaya-kāya) of arhats, pratyekabuddhas, and bodhisattvas-of-greatpower, up to their reaching ‘the ultimate supreme enlightenment’ (C. jiujing wushang puti 究竟無上菩提).
    The sūtra continues to say that the reason why the manomaya-kāya of the arhats, pratyekabuddhas, and bodhisattvas-of-great-power are subject to the ‘inconceivable transformative death’ is because they still have uneliminated defilements. In other words, the Śrīmālādevī Sūtra describes the manomaya-kāya of these special beings as a sort of remaining undesirable existence resulting from the non-completion of their spiritual development. Indeed, the sūtra connects the manomaya-kāya with a specific type of defilement, that is, ‘entrenched ignorance’ (S. avidyāvāsa-bhūmi, C. wuming zhudi 無明住地), the most fundamental type of defilement, whereas it associates the beings of the three realms with the defilement of ‘grasping’ (S. upādāna, C. qu 取):
    With grasping as condition and contaminated activities (S. sāsrava-karma, C. youlou ye 有漏業) as cause, there arise [[[existence]] in] the three realms. In the same way, with entrenched ignorance as condition and uncontaminated activities (S. anāsrava-karma, C. wulou ye 無漏業) as cause, there arise the three types of the manomaya-kāya belonging to the arhats, pratyekabuddhas, and bodhisattvas-ofgreat-power.
    Here the mode of being of the three types of beings — arhats, pratyekabuddhas, and bodhisattvas-of-great-power — is described in contrast with existence in the three realms, and thus we may say that they are the beings who are freed from the three realms. These beings, however, are depicted as still imperfect, due to being still affected by ignorance.
    Such a view in the Śrīmālādevī Sūtra of the manomaya-kāya as the ‘body’ of a spiritually developed but still imperfect being is also explicated in the Ratnagotravibhāga Śāstra. Associating the manomaya-kāya with the four kinds of ‘impediments’ (S. paripantha), the Ratnagotravibhāga Śāstra describes the manomaya-kāya of the three types of beings as a defective mode of existence, which has not obtained the four kinds of ‘supreme virtue’ (S. guṇa-pāramitā) of the Dharma-body of the Tathāgata:” - http://tibetanbuddhistencyclopedia.com/en/index.php?title=The_Meaning_of_%E2%80%98Mind-made_Body%E2%80%99_(S._manomaya-k%C4%81ya,_C._yisheng_shen_%E6%84%8F%E7%94%9F%E8%BA%AB)_in_Buddhist_Cosmological_and_Soteriological_systems
    TIBETANBUDDHISTENCYCLOPEDIA.COM
    The Meaning of ‘Mind-made Body’ (S. manomaya-kāya, C. yisheng shen 意生身) in Buddhist Cosmological and Soteriological systems - Tibetan Buddhist Encyclopedia
    The Meaning of ‘Mind-made Body’ (S. manomaya-kāya, C. yisheng shen 意生身) in Buddhist Cosmological and Soteriological systems - Tibetan Buddhist Encyclopedia

    • Reply
    • Remove Preview
    • Edited

  • Soh Wei Yu
    Admin
    Top contributor
    Joel Rosenblum the Mahayana scripture Lankavatara Sutra states, “...Therefore, Mahamati, the assurances given to shravakas and bodhisattvas do not differ. Mahamati, what doesn’t differ is the taste of liberation when shravakas and pratyeka-buddhas or buddhas and tathagatas get rid of the obstruction of passion, not when they get rid of the obstruction of knowledge. Mahamati, the obstruction of knowledge is purified when they see that dharmas have no self. The obstruction of passion is removed prior to this when they become accustomed to seeing that persons have no self. It is when the seventh consciousness ceases that they are liberated from the obstruction of dharmas. And it is when the habit-energy of the repository consciousness ceases that their purification is complete.”


  • Soh Wei Yu
    Admin
    Top contributor
    Malcolm: " No one doubts that the Mainstream Buddhist path brings about freedom, in the sense of full freedom from afflictions, that is the awakening of an arhat or a pratyekabuddha. But that is not the awakening to which Vajrayāna refers. The awakening to which Vajrayāna refers is the full buddhahood that results from gathering the two accumulations as taught Mahāyāna. The bodhisattva path is not detailed in any of the Mainstream canons. For the Mainstream canons, it is extra-canonical."


  • William Albert
    Soh Wei Yu This feels like total nonsense. Like, no better than any of the dogma you'll find in Catholicism or elsewhere. This stuff was always meant metaphorically, not literally, and it is the downfall of our age that we interpret metaphors as literal "objective" truth. The problem with this is it is so un-credible that it actually casts doubt on the entire realization process for someone trying to figure out if there's anything "real" in all this enlightenment business. Faith is required to set out on this path seriously, and in my controversial opinion is that this kind of stuff is super destructive to building that faith and trust with those entering the spiritual path.


    Soh Wei Yu
    Admin
    Top contributor
    Most of us in AtR group believe in literal rebirth, and many have recalled past lives and verified its validity.
    On the other hand, Malcolm also said it is not a requirement to believe in rebirth. His point is that you can receive and practice Dzogchen teachings without believing in rebirth, and then at some point when your practice matures you will recall your past lives, verify rebirth/karma/etc.
    As Malcolm also said this year, " Belief is just belief. One can believe anything, like the Red Queen, believing 100 impossible things before breakfast.
    The point of Buddhadharma is verification. The Buddha invites us to verify his claims, testing them as a goldsmith examines a piece of gold. When one has tested something one believes might be gold, and finds out it either is gold or not, then there is no ore reason for the belief.
    As far as jatakas go, these are just so stories for moral edification. It is not necessary to believe they are actually past lives of the Buddha, just as it is not necessary to believe sutras and tantras are the literal words of the Buddha which sprang out of his living mouth.
    All that matters is that one recognizes the three afflictions drive karma, which results in suffering. And if one is a Mahayani, to have a commitment to benefit sentient beings in whatever ways one can. If one believes in rebirth, so much the better, but it isn’t necessary."


  • William Albert
    Soh Wei Yu Fair enough, I'm definitely in agreement about ending suffering and helping others. I'm pretty agnostic on the past lives part... it makes some intuitive sense and I know some people recall them, but even if they do it's not "proof", just an experience. If you start using temporary experiences as proof of reality you'll be in the same territory as crazy people and psychedelic messiah's. But these texts go well beyond statements about rebirth being a thing... they go into intense detail on numbers of lives and levels and heavens and the 4 this and the 20 that. There's absolutely no way anyone could know that stuff. It's pure religiousity, and that is in such epistemological conflict with the rest of realization (whose cornerstone is direct, continuous, undeniable experience), that it feels like a massive betrayal when people you trust start seriously talking about it. I'm sorry to react so strongly, but someone needs to call out this stuff. The human mind is so easily enslaved by belief, and this most assuredly IS just belief, even if it exists within Buddhist texts. I feel this causes real harm. If I'd seen this discussion 5 years ago I would have dismissed the entire path as nonsense. That would be a terrible shame.


  • Soh Wei Yu
    Admin
    Top contributor
    William Albert My view is that it is possible to find out for yourself, and I believe most of us here agree that it is possible to find out for yourself. I am not a secular Buddhist. This is why Buddha taught the three knowledges: https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/MN/MN36.html
    Also:
    [5/12/15, 8:23:33 PM] John Tan: Go read Dr. Sam Parnia
    [5/12/15, 8:26:27 PM] John Tan: He is very good like Ian Stevenson...a dr, cardiologists unlike a psychiatrist ...that deals with death everyday ... Dealing with cardio arrest and pronounced clinically dead...and a respected person in his field
    [5/12/15, 8:31:51 PM] John Tan: Instead of Sam Harris
    [5/12/15, 8:31:53 PM] John Tan: Lol
    [5/12/15, 8:31:59 PM] Soh Wei Yu: Lol
    [5/12/15, 8:32:11 PM] Soh Wei Yu: Am going to get ian stevensons book
    [5/12/15, 8:33:20 PM] John Tan: Just like when u do research on past life experiences documented by ian Stevenson and his assistant ... Read his assistant account...his assistant dead if I m not wrong just to get some real account
    [5/12/15, 8:33:30 PM] John Tan: Not those kind of bullshit
    [5/12/15, 8:34:54 PM] John Tan: Obe and nde r not those seeing light tunnels ... Feeling peaceful...or passing electricity to pineal gland region to induce certain experience ...
    [5/12/15, 8:35:43 PM] John Tan: I m interested in those accounts that dr Sam Parnia is talking abt
    [5/12/15, 8:37:45 PM] John Tan: Where blood stop...brain activities stop...there is no possibility of any registering of memories or any sensory function because it is clinically impossible because he is a cardiologist and dealing with how to get ppl back to life ... He needs to know all sort of signs there and then...
    [5/12/15, 8:38:34 PM] John Tan: We r talking abt life and death trying resuscitate life in emergency room...lol
    [5/12/15, 8:39:11 PM] John Tan: Not as an academician taking abt this and that as a story
    [5/12/15, 8:43:39 PM] Soh Wei Yu: Oic..
    [5/12/15, 8:49:50 PM] Soh Wei Yu: Sam harris said about ian stevensons,
    [5/12/15, 8:49:55 PM] Soh Wei Yu: elaborate fraud, or something interesting is going on," Harris says. "Most scientists would say this doesn't happen. Most would say that if it does happen, it's a case of fraud. ... It's hard to see why anyone would be perpetrating a fraud -- everyone was made miserable by this [xenoglossy] phenomenon." Pressed, he admits that some of the details might after all be "fishy."
    [5/12/15, 8:50:16 PM] Soh Wei Yu: Either he is a victim of truly elaborate fraud, or something interesting is going on," Harris says. "Most scientists would say this doesn't happen. Most would say that if it does happen, it's a case of fraud. ... It's hard to see why anyone would be perpetrating a fraud -- everyone was made miserable by this [xenoglossy] phenomenon." Pressed, he admits that some of the details might after all be "fishy."
    [5/12/15, 8:51:02 PM] John Tan: Meaning?
    [5/12/15, 8:51:55 PM] Soh Wei Yu: I think he thinks ian stevesons study might convincingly suggest reincarnation but still hs his doubts
    [5/12/15, 8:55:27 PM] John Tan: There will always b doubt becoz he is a sceptic ...
    [5/12/15, 8:56:45 PM] John Tan: And Ian Stevenson books r scientific studies, not science. He is a scientist but understand that science cannot prove anything like that besides verification.
    [5/12/15, 8:58:00 PM] Soh Wei Yu: Oic..
    [5/12/15, 8:59:16 PM] John Tan: How is one to prove past life except by verification? Unlike OBE experiences, where medical definition of "death" is clear and ppl start resuscitating ppl back to life... Hearing true expert in the field is imp.
    [5/12/15, 9:41:21 PM] Soh Wei Yu: Oic..
    [5/12/15, 9:42:57 PM] Soh Wei Yu: I guess the problem with obe is they may cast doubt whether the obe happened moments before of after the medical death. but i dont see how they can explain things like witnessing medical procedures accurately in obe
    [5/12/15, 9:43:26 PM] John Tan: Not what u to think lah
    [5/12/15, 9:43:47 PM] John Tan: Go listen to Sam parnia in YouTube
    [5/12/15, 9:43:56 PM] John Tan: There r some that I like
    [5/12/15, 9:44:03 PM] Soh Wei Yu: Ic.. ok
    [5/12/15, 9:45:35 PM] John Tan: There r only 3 ways, one is respected expert and one u, by religious faith and lastly practice experience urself.
    [5/12/15, 9:46:25 PM] John Tan: Sceptical is as bulshiting as taking by faith to me.
    [5/12/15, 9:46:39 PM] John Tan: My approach is neither
    [5/12/15, 9:46:54 PM] Soh Wei Yu: Ic..
    [5/12/15, 9:47:06 PM] John Tan: Practice and listening to respected experts
    [5/12/15, 9:49:14 PM] John Tan: I also like dr Peter Fenwick
    [5/12/15, 9:57:01 PM] John Tan: There is another one Dr Pim Van Lommel
    ...
    [3/12/15, 11:28:10 AM] John Tan: Supernatural is true
    [3/12/15, 11:28:47 AM] John Tan: But it is a complex issues and must b in line with science.
    [3/12/15, 11:29:11 AM] John Tan: Overclaiming is the problem
    [3/12/15, 11:30:39 AM] John Tan: Shamanism is one area I m always studying...but always involved in plants having psychedelic content in an extreme way.
    [3/12/15, 11:32:17 AM] John Tan: I prefer yoga and meditation. Oneness experience is a daily activity to me and intensity is there due to yoga and meditation. However to involve and control, visualization and concentration is key.
    [3/12/15, 11:34:47 AM] John Tan: Non-dual is doing away with the boundaries that r artificially created by the dualistic paradigm...but to invoke and control consciousness, u need to master concentration and visualization.
    [3/12/15, 11:37:25 AM] John Tan: Modern practitioners r not strong in this area due to lack of discipline and perseverance. So seldom we see results...making claims without right and genuine knowledge is unwise and unhelpful.
    [3/12/15, 12:16:08 PM] John Tan: Interesting article but I no more see consciousness as an entity
    [3/12/15, 12:18:52 PM] Soh Wei Yu: Oic.. ya dharma dan say he could visualise colours get into jhana and put out a flame via his intention and other siddhis like remember past life
    [3/12/15, 12:20:41 PM] John Tan: Concentration is a mental skill just like exercises...yogic Siddhis cannot b accomplished without mastering concentration.
    [3/12/15, 12:21:12 PM] John Tan: In almost all energy practices, this skill is required.
    [3/12/15, 12:22:29 PM] Soh Wei Yu: Ic..
    [3/12/15, 12:22:51 PM] John Tan: But I m not into that, I prefer clarity over concentration for now...
    [3/12/15, 12:23:06 PM] Soh Wei Yu: Oic..
    [3/12/15, 12:26:46 PM] John Tan: I believe intensity of luminous clarity can also alter the energetic frequencies or vibrations but may not b th right approach as compared to concentration and visualization which is much more rich and elaborate in this area.
    [3/12/15, 12:31:39 PM] Soh Wei Yu: Ic..
    [3/12/15, 12:48:46 PM] John Tan: For u now u r still young. Focus on ur body and health and improve ur clarity.
    [3/12/15, 12:49:12 PM] Soh Wei Yu: Oic.. ok
    [3/12/15, 12:51:06 PM] John Tan: Ur new house has a place for urself where u can hv a quality time to get in touch with ur bodily sensations in an intimate way....not just going through the steps but get in touch ...
    MN 36  Mahā Saccaka Sutta | The Longer Discourse to Saccaka
    DHAMMATALKS.ORG
    MN 36  Mahā Saccaka Sutta | The Longer Discourse to Saccaka
    MN 36  Mahā Saccaka Sutta | The Longer Discourse to Saccaka

      • Reply
      • Remove Preview
      • Edited













  • Soh Wei Yu
    Admin
    Top contributor
    Two obscurations (Tib. སྒྲིབ་པ་གཉིས་, dribpa nyi; Wyl. sgrib pa gnyis) — emotional and cognitive obscurations.
    ● Emotional obscurations are defined according to their essence, cause and function.
    In essence, they are the opposite of the six paramitas, as described in the Gyü Lama:
    "Thoughts such as avarice and so on,
    These are the emotional obscurations."
    Their cause is grasping at a personal ego, or the “self of the individual”.
    They function to prevent liberation from samsara.
    ● Cognitive obscurations are also defined according to their essence, cause and function.
    In essence, they are thoughts that involve the three conceptual ‘spheres’ of subject, object and action. The Gyü Lama says:
    "Thoughts that involve the three spheres,
    These are the cognitive obscurations."
    Their cause is grasping at phenomena as truly existent, or, in other words, the “self of phenomena”.
    Their function is to prevent complete enlightenment.”
    ——-
    Also:
    "PATHS TO ENLIGHTENMENT
    What follows is a short explanation of the way Mipam presents the structure of the Buddhist path to awakening. According to him, we can only go so far in the Lesser Vehicle, realizing the lack of a personal self based on its path, but without the Great Vehicle, we will not come to fully realize the lack of self (that is, emptiness) with respect to all phenomena. In other words, those in the Lesser Vehicle realize only part of emptiness (the lack of a personal self) but do not realize the entire scope of emptiness. They hang on to an ultimate foundation of reality (the fundamental elements of reality, or dharmas), whereas there is actually no such foundation. Therefore, according to Mipam, one cannot become a buddha based solely on the Lesser Vehicle path; becoming a buddha is the result of the Great Vehicle. Nevertheless, realizing the lack of a personal self is enough to free us from samsara, because in doing so, we relinquish the obscurations of the afflictive emotions. The afflictive emotions can be included within the “three poisons” of attachment, aversion, and delusion.
    These afflictive obscurations function to prevent liberation, and they are tied in with the apprehension of a personal self. Based on the notion of such a self, we become attached (to me and mine) and averse (to what is other). This notion of self keeps the wheel of samsara rolling, because it perpetuates the distorted framework through which we selfishly act out attachment and aversion, thus sowing the seeds of suffering. Afflictive obscurations have two aspects: a gross, imputed aspect and a more subtle, innate aspect. According to Mipam, the imputed aspects are relinquished on the first “ground” (Tib. sa, Skt. bhūmi) when you directly perceive the suchness of reality. This experiential realization is called “the path of seeing.”
    The imputed aspects of the afflictive obscurations are learned and not inborn like the innate aspects. Imputed aspects involve distortions that are explicitly conceptual, as opposed to the perceptual distortions that comprise the innate aspects. The difference between the imputed and innate aspects can be understood as something like the difference between software and hardware: the innate aspects are embedded more deeply in one’s mind-stream and are thus more difficult to eliminate. Imputed ego-clinging refers to imputing qualities to the self that are not there—namely, apprehending the self as a singular, permanent, and independent entity. This is overcome on the first bodhisattva ground in a direct, nonconceptual experience of reality that is the culminating insight of analysis. Nevertheless, the more subtle, innate aspect of ego-clinging hangs on.
    The innate ego-clinging, as the bare sense of self that is imputed on the basis of the five aggregates, is more difficult to remove. Rather than construing qualities to the self such as singularity or permanence, it is a more subtle feeling of simply “I am” when, for instance, we wake up in the morning. This innate sense of self is a deeply rooted, instinctual habit. It thus involves more than just imputed identity; it is a deeper experiential orientation of distorted subjectivity. Although analysis into the nature of the self paves the way for it to be overcome, it cannot fall away by analysis alone. Rather, it has to be relinquished through cultivating the path of meditation. According to Mipam, there are no innate aspects of the afflictive obscurations left on the eighth ground. However, the afflictive emotions are only one of two types of obscurations, the other being cognitive obscurations.
    Cognitive obscurations are nothing less than conceptuality: the threefold conceptualization of agent, object, and action. Conceptuality is tied in to apprehending a self of phenomena, which includes mistaking phenomena as real, objectifying phenomena, and simply perceiving dualistically. Such conceptualization serves to obstruct omniscience. Based on the Great Vehicle, these cognitive obscurations can be completely relinquished; thereby, the result of the Great Vehicle path culminates in not merely escaping samsara, as in the Lesser Vehicle, but in becoming an omniscient buddha. According to Mipam, up to the seventh ground, the realization (of the twofold selflessness) and abandonment (of the twofold obscurations) are the same in the Great and Lesser Vehicles.
    As with the Great Vehicle, he maintains that accomplishing the path of the Lesser Vehicle entails the realization of the selflessness of phenomena, to see that phenomena are empty. Those who accomplish the Lesser Vehicle path also realize the selflessness of phenomena, because their realization of emptiness with respect to a person is one instance of realizing the emptiness of phenomena. The final realization of the Lesser Vehicle path, however, is incomplete. Mipam compares it to taking a small gulp of the water of the ocean: we can say that those who realize emptiness in the Lesser Vehicle have drunk the water of the ocean, just not all of it.150 The final realization of the bodhisattva’s path in the Great Vehicle, however, is the full realization of emptiness, like drinking the entire ocean.
    - Jamgon Mipam: His Life and Teachings"
    Rigpa Wiki
    RIGPAWIKI.ORG
    Rigpa Wiki
    Rigpa Wiki

    • Reply
    • Remove Preview

  • Alejandro Serrano
    Perhaps the Buddha never encouraged anyone to become a Buddha because he considered arhatship an irreversible path to buddhahood, or buddhahood itself. Perhaps no self establishment of self includes the non establishment of all phenomena.

  • Reply
  • Edited
Labels: 3 comments | | edit post