[22/4/18, 8:40:51 PM] John Tan: Lately I kept seeing articles and conversations relating to "nothingness" wonder y.
[22/4/18, 8:41:13 PM] John Tan: The mysterious gate of taoism.
[22/4/18, 8:42:32 PM] Soh Wei Yu: Oic.. maybe u should write something about it.. lol
[22/4/18, 8:44:36 PM] John Tan: Lol...Taoist valley spirit is the opposite of clarity...it attempts to express the depth "source" of life.
[22/4/18, 8:47:18 PM] Soh Wei Yu: Oic.. sounds like Christianity? Was reading some Christian mystic website I think based on Father Thomas keating. They are aware of I AM and witnessing but states that the goal of Christian contemplation is beyond that, is the source of that and will and doing
[22/4/18, 8:47:21 PM] Soh Wei Yu: Or something like that
[22/4/18, 8:47:45 PM] John Tan: Nothingness
[22/4/18, 8:47:59 PM] Soh Wei Yu: Oic..
[22/4/18, 8:48:08 PM] John Tan: Even nisargadatta
[22/4/18, 8:49:22 PM] John Tan: There is nothing to contemplate as it cannot be approached through a known mind.
[22/4/18, 8:49:45 PM] Soh Wei Yu: They call it contemplative prayer
[22/4/18, 8:49:56 PM] Soh Wei Yu: More like prayer.. or meditation.. dunno what is it. Maybe surrendering
[22/4/18, 8:50:08 PM] John Tan: Yes
[22/4/18, 8:50:23 PM] John Tan: The tao is the way
[22/4/18, 8:51:00 PM] John Tan: The way of always in Union with the "source"
[22/4/18, 8:51:12 PM] John Tan: Or even yoga
[22/4/18, 8:51:39 PM] John Tan: One has to be aware of this dimension but nothing to seek.
[22/4/18, 8:52:18 PM] John Tan: It is rather only in daily encounter and manifestation
[22/4/18, 8:55:01 PM] Soh Wei Yu: Union with source is like divine happening?
[22/4/18, 8:55:08 PM] Soh Wei Yu: Not my will but the source
[22/4/18, 8:56:12 PM] John Tan: Yes but we cannot approach the  "unfathomable depth" through "knowing".  only moment to moment gnosis in seeing, feeling, thinking, tasting, hearing and smelling.
[22/4/18, 8:57:31 PM] Soh Wei Yu: Knowing as in intellect?
[22/4/18, 8:58:51 PM] John Tan: Yes intellect.  The way to understanding the nature of aliveness and clarity is to fully "live" and "express".
[22/4/18, 8:59:00 PM] Soh Wei Yu: Ic..
[22/4/18, 9:00:01 PM] John Tan: Taoism is unique in this sense in expressing this dark illumination
[22/4/18, 9:03:33 PM] Soh Wei Yu: How is it unique?
[22/4/18, 9:09:19 PM] John Tan: it is not really interested in presence
[22/4/18, 9:10:25 PM] John Tan: But what is behind presence...when in deep sleep, where is awareness?
[22/4/18, 9:11:00 PM] John Tan: So the valley spirit is often described as dark
[22/4/18, 9:14:16 PM] Soh Wei Yu: Oic..
[22/4/18, 9:15:56 PM] John Tan: How is this different from anatta?
[22/4/18, 9:24:31 PM] Soh Wei Yu: Anatta does not see something behind presence but source is none other than manifestation
[22/4/18, 9:25:10 PM] John Tan: What does source is none other manifestation mean to u?
[22/4/18, 9:26:42 PM] Soh Wei Yu: Means when hearing sound, I don’t see it arising out of a nothingness but sound springs from right where it is fully aliveness and full expression of life
[22/4/18, 9:27:59 PM] John Tan: First u must differentiate between experiential insight that there is nothing behind and directly experiencing presence as the 6 entries and exits.
[22/4/18, 9:28:35 PM] John Tan: From seeing through conventions and how the mind mistaken.
[22/4/18, 9:30:10 PM] John Tan: How the mind mistakes and reify conventions.  How the mind attempt to fix and fit and explain in a "known" pattern according to it's existing paradigm.
[22/4/18, 9:31:28 PM] John Tan: What r the difference?  And only when these 2 insights arise, practitioner can clearly understand and experience.
[22/4/18, 9:34:31 PM] Soh Wei Yu: Insight that there is nothing behind is realising anatta, directly experience presence is all six senses is just pce (pure consciousness experience, as in http://www.actualfreedom.com.au/library/topics/pce.htm)

https://www.nalandatranslation.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/heart-sutra.pdf

THE SUTRA OF THE HEART OF TRANSCENDENT KNOWLEDGE

Thus have I heard. Once the Blessed One was dwelling in Råjagôiha at Vulture Peak

mountain, together with a great gathering of the saðgha of monks and a great gathering of

the saðgha of bodhisattvas. At that time the Blessed One entered the samådhi that expresses

the dharma called “profound illumination,” and at the same time noble Avalokiteshvara,

the bodhisattva mahåsattva, while

practicing the profound prajñåpåramitå, saw in this way:

he saw the five skandhas to be empty of nature.

Then, through the power of the Buddha, venerable Shåriputra said to noble Avaloki-

teshvara, the bodhisattva mahåsattva, “How should a son or daughter of noble family train,

who wishes to practice the profound prajñåpåramitå?”

Addressed in this way, noble Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva mahåsattva, said to

venerable Shåriputra, “O Shåriputra, a son or daughter

of noble family who wishes to

practice the profound prajñåpåramitå should see

in this way: seeing the five skandhas to

be empty of nature. Form is emptiness; emptiness also is form. Emptiness is no other than

form; form is no other than emptiness. In the same way, feeling, perception, formation, and

consciousness are emptiness. Thus, Shåriputra, all dharmas are emptiness. There are no

characteristics. There is no birth and no cessation.

There is no impurity and no purity. There

is no decrease and no increase. Therefore, Shåriputra, in emptiness, there is no form, no

feeling, no perception, no formation, no consciousness; no

eye, no ear, no nose, no tongue,

no body, no mind; no appearance, no sound, no

smell, no taste, no touch, no dharmas; no

eye dhåtu up to no mind dhåtu, no dhåtu of dharmas, no mind consciousness dhåtu; no

ignorance, no end of ignorance up to no old age and death, no end of old age and death; no

suffering, no origin of suffering, no cessation of suffering, no path, no wisdom, no

attainment, and no nonattainment. Therefore, Shåriputra, since the bodhisattvas have no

attainment, they abide by means of prajñåpåramitå. Since there is no obscuration of mind,

there is no fear. They transcend falsity and attain complete nirvåïa. All the buddhas of the

three times, by means of prajñåpåramitå, fully awaken to unsurpassable, true, complete

enlightenment. Therefore, the great mantra of prajñåpåramitå, the mantra of great insight,

the unsurpassed mantra, the unequaled mantra, the mantra that calms all suffering, should

be known as truth, since there is no deception. The prajñåpåramitå mantra is said in this

way:

OÎ GATE GATE PÅRAGATE PÅRASAÎGATE BODHI SVÅHÅ

Thus, Shåriputra, the bodhisattva mahåsattva should train in the profound prajñå-

påramitå.”

Then the Blessed One arose from that samådhi and praised noble Avalokiteshvara, the

bodhisattva mahåsattva, saying, “Good, good, O son of noble family; thus it is, O son of

noble family, thus it is. One should practice

the profound prajñåpåramitå just as you have

taught and all the tathågatas will rejoice.”

When the Blessed One had said this, venerable Shåriputra and noble Avalokiteshvara,

the bodhisattva mahåsattva, that whole asse

mbly and the world with its gods, humans,

asuras, and gandharvas rejoiced and praised the words of the Blessed One.



Lotsåwa bhikúhu Rinchen De translated this text into Tibetan with the Indian païçita Vimalamitra.

It was edited by the great editor—lotsåwas Gelo,

Namkha, and others. This Tibetan text was copied

from the fresco in Gegye Chemaling at the glorious Samye vihåra. It has been translated into English

by the Nålandå Translation Committee, with reference to several Sanskrit editions.

© 1975, 1980 by the Nålandå Translation Committee. All rights reserved.

Available on our website for personal use.