Soh
John Tan wrote:
André A. Pais Similar to no-self of ATR, if the pointing does not result in the direct recognition of suchness (pure appearances) free from apprehender and apprehended or recognition of appearances as one's radiance clarity, then it is not anatta proper. Which is what imo Shentong Madhyamika is trying to emphasize with affirming-negation.
However to me, for a path that is based on reasoning and analysis, negation should be non-implicative because practitioners along the path are always dealing with a dualistic and inherent mind. If there is no dualistic and inherent mind, then there is no need for any path as there is nothing to sever. Hence, affirming-negation imo is less skillful as that would promote rather than sever the habitual tendency which is not the import of the analytical path.
If one wants to talk about the self-arising wisdom, it should not be by way of reasoning and analysis, the padaegogy will have to be radically different. It will probably have to be like dzogchen that takes the result as path. Then emphasis should not be just non-referential ease and space-like emptiness but includes all the magic of clarity's radiance.
Soh
John Tan answered someone on contemplating emptiness:
John Tan:
Hm... There r 4 parts to really penetrate... If he really keen to penetrate. He should contemplate:
1. non-arisen
2. Dependent arising of a vivid hearing of sound from hitting a bell... Where is that sound? Not found in any of the conditions, not found even if all conditions added yet when conditions are there, sound is heard. How is the world now articulated this way understood as compared to the dualistic and inherent paradigm then how is experience like?
3. Then how to apply these insight emptiness, non-arisen, dependent arising relate to the world of delusory, the world of dreams, the world of pure appearances free from conceptual taints, what does it tell us about these 3 "worlds"?
4. Lastly after he understands 3, how he understand freedom comparing to how he sees now, freedom from conceptualities.
[9:40 pm, 15/05/2022] John Tan: For 1 he can contemplate:
[9:41 pm, 15/05/2022] John Tan: We seldom realize the baggage of notions that thoughts carry. They are extremely "weighty" and tie down tremendous energy. In addition to the notion of "self" that some have seen through, the next set of heavy weighty notions are "arising, abiding and ceasing".
There are several times the cryptic phrase "non-arisen" has been asked and even though explanations are being made that conceptual notions are "empty and non-arisen", they do not exist much like a rope being mistaken as a "snake". "Snake" never existed despite its "delusory appearance" when in confusion.
But it can't trigger the "aha" moment that can free the mind and releases its energy much like in anatta. Why? Because “uprooting" of our deeply hypnotic spell cannot come from textbooks; the entire "weight" of these deeply ingrained notions must be felt so that we can feel the "weight" that spell-bound us to samsara. So for those that r interested, they can contemplate:
1. This moment ceases as it arises, does it arise or does it cease.
2. Past does not exist since it is already gone. Future does not exist since it is yet to arise and present is merely the intersection of past and future, then "present" also does not exist. So "present" that is undeniably "here", does it exist or not exist?
Soh
Due to a discussion with a Theravadin, a thought came to mind to find out what is the Theravadin term for supramundane samadhi of an arya where vipassana/insight and samatha is conjoined.
Someone resourceful informed me:
there is “lokuttara jhāna” in abhidhamma
aka supramundane jhāna
“Suññatā samādhi is listed a few times in the suttas, along with signless samādhi (animittā samādhi), and undirected samādhi (appaṇihitā samādhi). For example, SN 43.4:
And what monks, is the path leading to the not-fabricated? The emptiness samādhi (suññatā samādhi), the signless samādhi (animittā samādhi), the undirected samādhi (appaṇihitā samādhi). This is called the path leading to the not-fabricated.
The development of suññatā samādhi is the same as the development of the emptiness liberation of mind (suññatā cetovimutti). MN 43 Mahāvedalla Sutta:
What is the emptiness liberation of mind? Here a monk goes to the forest, to the root of a tree, or to an empty place and reflects: 'This is empty of a self or that which belongs to a self.' Friend, this is said to be the emptiness liberation of mind.
These terms (suññatā, animittā, and appaṇihitā) are presented in more detail in the Abhidhammapiṭaka and the Paṭisambhidāmagga. The Dhammasaṅgaṇī mentions entering and abiding in emptiness as one of the alternate designations of supramundane jhāna (e.g. lokuttaraṃ jhānaṃ ... paṭhamaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja viharati suññataṃ), where calm (samatha) and liberating clear seeing (vipassanā) are coupled together and balanced within jhāna. And as already mentioned, the Paṭisambhidāmagga makes frequent use of this triad (suññatā, animittā, and appaṇihitā), where the method of development of emptiness deliverance is stated in exactly the same terms as the above excerpt from MN 43 regarding the emptiness liberation of mind.
Stated simply, these various designations related to suññatā samādhi are the supramundane development of the recognition/contemplation of selflessnesss (termed anattasaññā in the suttas and anattānupassanā in the Paṭisambhidāmagga).”
lots of posts by Geoff about this topic
supramundane jhana
measureless samadhi
emptiness samadhi
signless samadhi
measureless liberation of mind
etc
“And what is the emptiness awareness-release (suññatā cetovimutti)? There is the case where a monk, having gone into the wilderness, to the root of a tree, or into an empty dwelling, considers this: 'This is empty of self or of anything pertaining to self.' This is called the emptiness awareness-release.” [MN 43, SN 41.7]
another good post:
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