Posts
https://www.reddit.com/r/Buddhism/comments/vgra29/for_my_vajrayana_people_how_do_we_view_intrinsic/
Subreddit Icon
r/Buddhism
•Posted by
u/truuseeker
12 days ago
For my Vajrayana people: How do we view "intrinsic awareness" without a self?
Vajrayana
Hey all, So recently I've been trying to break out of thinking that awareness "needs" a "self" behind it. But it's been hard to conceive of pure, intrinsic awareness(not the alayavijnana) as a phenomena that doesn't automatically involve a living self. We're so used to thinking: "well, if awareness is present, there has to be somebody/a soul that's making that awareness alive.'
What's a good way to see intrinsic awareness as a phenomena that doesn't need a self behind it? How can pure awareness "be" without a dualistic self behind it?
0
1
10
Comments
Award
Share
Save
Comment as xabir
Comment
Markdown Mode
Sort By: Top
User avatar
level 1
Type_DXL
·
12 days ago
Not from a Vajrayana source in particular, but from the Bahiya Sutta:
"Then, Bāhiya, you should train yourself thus: In reference to the seen, there will be only the seen. In reference to the heard, only the heard. In reference to the sensed, only the sensed. In reference to the cognized, only the cognized. That is how you should train yourself. When for you there will be only the seen in reference to the seen, only the heard in reference to the heard, only the sensed in reference to the sensed, only the cognized in reference to the cognized, then, Bāhiya, there is no you in connection with that. When there is no you in connection with that, there is no you there. When there is no you there, you are neither here nor yonder nor between the two. This, just this, is the end of stress."
Note that the Buddha here is playing on an Upanishad that Bahiya is believed to have followed, where it says, "In reference to the seen, it is the atman that sees. In reference to the heard, it is the atman that hears. Etc."
6
Reply
Give Award
Share
Report
Save
Follow
User avatar
level 2
nyanasagara
·
12 days ago
mahayana
In reference to the seen, it is the atman that sees. In reference to the heard, it is the atman that hears. Etc."
Kena Upaniṣad?
"That which is not seen by the eye, but by which the eye is able to see: know that alone to be the Brahman, not this which people worship here."
Etc.
3
Reply
Give Award
Share
Report
Save
Follow
User avatar
level 3
Type_DXL
·
12 days ago
For some reason I thought it may have been from the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upanishad, but you may be right.
4
Reply
Give Award
Share
Report
Save
Follow
User avatar
level 1
krodha
·
12 days ago
When your awareness is deluded, it takes on the expression of being an internal observer of observed external phenomena. This predicament creates many misconceptions and misperceptions, even the small inclination that there could feasibly be a self behind awareness or that awareness is a reference point that could have anything behind it at all.
All of these spatial distinctions, temporal occurrences, these all emerge as a result of ignorance. The self is just a delusional aggregation of various causal conditions that manifest what seems like a monolithic entity, including assumptions of distance and the seeming flow of consecutive thoughts that appear to reference one another. The self is a truly incredible illusion, and it creates many issues. Luckily the mindstream can be purified of these limitations. And the buddhadharma is the means to accomplish this.
6
Reply
Give Award
Share
Report
Save
Follow
