Link to Beacon of Certainty: https://www.amazon.com/Miphams-Beacon-Certainty-Illuminating-Perfection/dp/0861711572

[11:16 AM, 3/26/2021] Soh Wei Yu: Btw i told X its hard for Y to realise anatta, [snipped]
[11:20 AM, 3/26/2021] John Tan: I need to find a day to write abt mmk 2 truth model, the more I look at it the more beauty I see...lol
[11:21 AM, 3/26/2021] John Tan: It is fortunate that u have insight into anatta
[11:23 AM, 3/26/2021] John Tan: What u lack is a strong view to articulate the experiences and insights without falling into extremes.
[11:23 AM, 3/26/2021] Soh Wei Yu: Ic..
[11:24 AM, 3/26/2021] John Tan: So far I can't find a teacher or books that can beautifully blend the whole thing together.  Mipham is the closest I can get.
[11:26 AM, 3/26/2021] Soh Wei Yu: Oic.. was actually planning to read mipham book during my reservist
[11:35 AM, 3/26/2021] John Tan: Read beacon of certainty, dialectics u need to have some background
[12:14 PM, 3/26/2021] Soh Wei Yu: Ok
[7:24 PM, 3/26/2021] Soh Wei Yu: Andre wrote:

This [in the link] is a good introduction and "meaning commentary" to the text. I'm intending to read Beacon's root text and commentary, I've just read the long introduction by Petitt.

Soh Wei Yu also consider reading Mipham's introduction to Shantarakshita's Adornment of the Middle Way. I'm always saying this, I think it's pretty good. There's a lot of overlapping between these 2 texts.

https://www.amazon.com/Journey-Certainty-Quintessence-Dzogchen-Exploration/dp/1614290091/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Journey+to+Certainty&qid=1616755380&sr=8-1
[7:34 PM, 3/26/2021] John Tan: Shantarashita adorenment is also good..and introduction to the middle way since u always like to talk about bhumis since the middle way is  also chandrakirti's commentary on the bhumis.  🤣

 

 

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“[9:36 AM, 4/12/2021] John Tan: In Mipham beacon of certainty, there is a section of verses using cow and horse analogy to illustrate this point of watermoon.  He used this to refute shentong view.

[9:17 PM, 4/12/2021] John Tan: The cow and horse is at the 84 page

[9:17 PM, 4/12/2021] John Tan: Refuting shentong I think

[9:17 PM, 4/12/2021] Soh Wei Yu: oic..

[9:18 PM, 4/12/2021] John Tan: However it is a clear indication of no mirror insight, only reflection.

[9:18 PM, 4/12/2021] Soh Wei Yu: oic.. u mean mipham described the no mirror insight there?

[9:19 PM, 4/12/2021] John Tan: Unless u understand the illustration.

[9:19 PM, 4/12/2021] John Tan: It's is watermoon analogy.”


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Soh:

 

Before reading Beacon of Certainty, one may also start with the shorter book which is also recommended by John Tan: Jamgon Mipham https://www.amazon.com/Jamgon-Mipam-His-Life-Teachings/dp/1590306694

 

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Purity, primordial state, suchness

[5:11 PM, 5/22/2021] John Tan: Yes, whatever appears is naturally pure. However this purity is beyond verbalization, conceptualization and duality. Only when both self and phenomena are both exhausted then this primordial and natural state is self-evident.

[5:14 PM, 5/22/2021] Soh Wei Yu: Oic..

[5:16 PM, 5/22/2021] John Tan: Our mind is terribly confused by linguistic constructs yet raw and dry non-conceptuality with no insights can't relinquish conceptualization. So how to go about it?

[5:16 PM, 5/22/2021] John Tan: I mean thorough exhaustion.

[5:16 PM, 5/22/2021] Soh Wei Yu: Oic..

[5:17 PM, 5/22/2021] Soh Wei Yu: Some of the texts sounds like advaita unless understood as nature of mind or empty clarity

[5:17 PM, 5/22/2021] John Tan: Yeah also so.

[5:19 PM, 5/22/2021] John Tan: Translations always have this issue. Especially studying mmk with all the numerous explanations, translations and interpretations by scholars, masters and translators...lol

[5:20 PM, 5/22/2021] Soh Wei Yu: But it does say it is free from extremes:

[5:20 PM, 5/22/2021] Soh Wei Yu: Oic..

[5:22 PM, 5/22/2021] John Tan: So from practice perspective, I think just study one system and follow it's pedagogy, methodology and praxis otherwise it can be very confusing when studying the views of the various schools.

[5:24 PM, 5/22/2021] Soh Wei Yu: Oic..

[5:25 PM, 5/22/2021] Soh Wei Yu: These sounds like advaita unless clarified

[5:33 PM, 5/22/2021] Soh Wei Yu: Oic..

[5:33 PM, 5/22/2021] John Tan: Yeah I never appreciate all these as the important step is to realize how conventional constructs confuse the thinking mind. Purity, primordial state, suchness before creation all are referring to freedom and exhaustion of these mental proliferations.

So without clear understanding of the conventional, it is pointless to talk about the ultimate.

[5:37 PM, 5/22/2021] Soh Wei Yu: Ic..

[5:37 PM, 5/22/2021] Soh Wei Yu: But seems like malcolm books and translations on dzogchen are quite clear and distinct from advaita view

[5:37 PM, 5/22/2021] John Tan: Yes.

[5:37 PM, 5/22/2021] Soh Wei Yu: Like buddhahood in this life carefully goes through all the false views of basis and refutes them

[5:38 PM, 5/22/2021] John Tan: U have gone through the whole book?

[5:38 PM, 5/22/2021] John Tan: I just bought Mipham on Buddha nature

[5:40 PM, 5/22/2021] John Tan: I will buy and focus on books by Mipham as it is really inline with anatta insights and some Malcolm translations which I find more accurate.”

 

 

The beginning part about cause and effect is very important.  However 慧律法师 always only talk about highest teachings, not many will understand.  In Mipham "beacon of certainty" he spoke about "certainty" and this "certainty" comes from analysis, not simply from non-dual experiences and insights.  It is this step by step analytical certainty that brings about "cessation" of mind's proliferation -- analytical cessation.

 

For sutrayana I think 慧律法师 lacks these intermediate step by step analysis of the sutrayana.  The cessation of analysis into direct experience through insight is a different approach, much like the 2 stanzas of ATR.  Both are important.” – John Tan