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ChatGPT 翻译,原文: https://wwzc.org/dharma-text/all-around-all-once-part-3-unfabricated


全方位,全程:第三部分:“无造作”


由尊敬的仁明莲花法师讲授


大念寺,2017年11月17日


每个瞬间都展现出丰富的色彩、形态和声音,如同无数的感觉。真诚的修行是让整个身心活在见性的光明、声音的深邃、不断变化的感觉中,作为整体体验的光明。当我们允许自己做到这一点时,就有了一种质疑的品质,对所经历的一切感兴趣和亲密。但要做到这一点,我们需要选择停止追随注意力凝结成造作,这些造作导致进一步的收缩,并最终导致痛苦。


安山宏心老师在“八千行般若波罗蜜多经”系列课程中说:


恐惧是自我形象的基本机制,试图以最基本的方式将现实具体化,简单地冻结和收缩。那些未学过、未听闻佛法、未实践过的人们,他们的生活基于一种本身就建立在收缩上的文化理解,将让自己陷入恐惧,并让恐惧阻碍他们获得自由。


这指出我们必须无言地审视一切,无所假定:不论是我们认为的自我、我们的记忆、我们认为的身体、我们认为的心、我们的倾向和习性告诉我们要做的事,我们的愤怒或恐惧告诉我们要做的事。你经历的任何状态、任何姿态、任何你经历的注意力结构都是不必要的。它们都是反弹,都是自我造成的伤害。


如老师在“佛教心理学发展”系列的第四课中解释的:


所有有为的存在都会引起苦或不满意、痛苦、收缩、混乱;这种痛苦、苦,是由抓取的机制所驱动的,试图在无法持有时抓住某物,并持续误解我们的经验性质。


“苦”并不仅描述一种特定的状态,而“痛苦”不一定是创伤性或戏剧性的。我之所以提及这一点,是因为有时学生会将某种状态,如无聊,描述为苦。例如,学生可能会描述一种沉闷的心态、缺乏兴趣,而他们真正的意思是无聊,而无聊是愚痴烦恼的结果。换句话说,无聊是一种通过你正在造作、追随、传播的注意力的平坦化而中毒的体验方式。这不如愤怒或贪求的发作戏剧性。但它仍然是一种幼稚的策略。


但“苦”指的是所有由有为的经验引起的状态,所有状态都产生痛苦、不满意和束缚。


巴利文“苦”的根是“jur”和“kha”,意为“坏”和“空间”。这背后的根本隐喻是车轮的孔被阻塞。因此,这个词的意思是阻塞的空间。


我们需要了解的是,作为看和听及仅仅是体验这一事实,我们的存在空间本就是开放的。当你处于某种状态时,你认为自己没有选择,但事实是你没有选择。你在追随强迫。选择实际上的修行并开放注意力,轴将自由转动。


修行时很容易培养状态——无聊的状态、平静的状态、安静的状态、欣喜的状态、闪闪发光的状态。但所有这些都是死胡同,因为在状态中所经历的一切只能是状态的产物。内容被限制在适合它的种类的环境中。这就是为什么这些状态看起来如此令人信服和迷人。这就是你对它们着迷的原因。没有人比你更擅长对你撒谎,而被谎言说服的东西就是撒谎的东西。一旦你理解了这个把戏的工作原理,它就不是魔法。状态定义了被想象为自我的身份和内容,但实际上这只是阻碍和造作的过程。


然而在禅修中,我们所做的是开放地关注,而不是固定。你不能从状态内部‘修复’一个状态。你必须先围绕它开放并释放它。当注意力以一种结构(状态)排列时,你经历的任何事物都将是有偏见的,因此不能是真实的。看到这些结构并学习更加开放地关注它们,用你的整个体验来关注它们,这是禅定揭示的许多真理的一部分。在“佛教心理学发展”系列的第六课大纲中,老师说,佛陀已经清楚地看到苦的根源是对无法抓住的东西的执着。这种执着是由将瞬息万变的经验努力认为是一系列真实和永久的对象和实体的构想所驱动的,认为这种执着将带来快乐和满足,而实际上只会导致痛苦和混乱,而无我和超越个人自我的东西当作是自我和个人的。他称这些抓住和困惑的连续瞬间为“轮回”,称这种无用的奋斗和对经验的战略性方法的终结为“涅槃”,意为“熄灭”。在许多早期文本中,我们反复发现佛陀再三要求学生放弃他们的精神和世俗策略,只是理解一些如此明显以至于经常被忽视的东西。


这就是为什么我们要求学生按照时间表入坐,为什么老师经常说“时间表即是佛”。那些令人畏惧的固定打坐和你承诺遵循的时间表很重要,因为你必须做出超越强迫的选择才能做到这一点。这是你生活中的某件事,将坚持要求你走得比你的习性和倾向所指示的更远,并可以邀请你进入佛陀的世界。佛陀的世界是无造作的、无生的,你通过将自己释放进入它而到达那里。


我们坐禅,我们进行这种修行,因为一刻又一刻,我们不理解。来来去去的理解片段是不够的。我们不能用我们的状态、我们的思想、我们的解释、我们的造作来娱乐自己。这些都是我们如何误解的一部分,都无助于我们澄清理解。我们不能负担得起懒惰。所以今天早上和整个法会期间,请努力真正地修行色彩和形态和声音的丰富性,感觉的细微差别。让整个身心活在看的明亮、声音的深邃、不断变化的感觉中,作为整体体验的光明,通过全方位、全程地开放。


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ChatGPT 翻译,原文:https://www.awakeningtoreality.com/2010/04/tada.html / https://wwzc.org/dharma-text/tada


塔达!


法会开始:2010年4月30日,星期五


(上午9:38) 如实(Thusness/John Tan)说:塔达(Tada)非常好。无瑕也很好,但若要挑剔……必须消除‘它’……无瑕(Stainlessness)是不可得的生灭现象。没有任何生起的自性和地点……内外皆无。


(上午9:38) 如实(Thusness/John Tan)说:引用的所有表达都很出色。


(上午9:38) 如实(Thusness/John Tan)说:所有这些洞见的阶段都是为了让你理解塔达和无瑕文章中所表达的内容。这是无我和空性变得过时的地方。🙂


(上午9:38) 如实(Thusness/John Tan)说:把这个放在博客上……表达得很好。


John Tan 在我悟到无我之前告诉我(当时我在‘本我’阶段):


(晚上11:20) 如实(Thusness/John Tan)说:你从未经历过任何不变的东西


(晚上11:21) 如实(Thusness/John Tan)说:在后期阶段,当你体验到非二元时,仍然有这种专注于背景的倾向……这将阻碍你直接洞见塔达,如塔达文章中所描述。


(晚上11:22) 如实(Thusness/John Tan)说:即使你已经证悟到那个层次,仍有不同程度的强度。


(晚上11:23) AEN:非二元?


(晚上11:23) 如实(Thusness/John Tan)说:塔达(一篇文章)超越了非二元……它是第五至第七阶段


(晚上11:24) AEN:原来如此..


(晚上11:24) 如实(Thusness/John Tan)说:这是关于无我和空性洞见的整合


(晚上11:25) 如实(Thusness/John Tan)说:体验到无常的生动感觉,我所说的‘临在明觉的纹理和面料’作为形式是非常重要的


然后是空性


(晚上11:26) 如实(Thusness/John Tan)说:光明与空性的整合


法会:“塔达!”


由尊敬的仁明莲花法师讲授的法语


大念寺,2009年10月24日


人们对生活有各种期待,不仅是对未来的生活,甚至是对今天,对这一刻的期待。但现实不是一个想法。它是什么就是什么。塔达。


在寒冷的秋天,树木正在变色,落叶铺满了街道的沟渠。看到这些,我们知道冬天将至。但尽管我们大多数人今天在这里都年复一年地看到这种情况发生,我们实际上并不知道冬天的寒冷将会是什么样。我们有冰冷的手指的记忆,脚下雪地发出的嘎吱声,还有为了保护自己免受冰风侵袭而穿上多层衣物的记忆。但对寒冷的记忆不是寒冷的现实。它是什么就是什么,我们会在寒冷时知道寒冷……塔达。现在,在雪来之前,我们看到周围世界的颜色正在褪去,树木掉落叶子,光秃的树枝在灰暗的天空下显得格外突出。街上的落叶中混杂着丢弃的纸杯、口香糖包装纸、用过的面巾纸和偶尔的三明治包装纸,都在风中旋转。它是美丽的吗?是丑陋的吗?都不是。是好是坏?也都不是。它就是塔达。


“塔达”是一个日语词,意思是“正是、当然、正如它是的。”在永平道元禅师和安山宏心禅师的教学中,有时用作“如是”(tathata)这一更技术性术语的同义词,意思是“真如”/如是。真如是所有法,所有事物或经验的现实性。另一个技术术语是“实相”,意味着每个事物都是空的,空缺我们对任何事物的所有想法和知识,它是无常的,它是体验的光明的辐射。


无常是非常明显的。我们看到我们的祖父母去世,随着我们自己的年龄增长,我们看到我们的父母去世。我们看到周围的其他人去世。我们知道全世界每天都有无数的人去世。但当我们身边的某个人去世时,我们会感到非常惊讶。我们对关系的变化、经济的变化、环境的变化感到惊讶,我们也对自己必须改变,我们的行为因这些变化而必须改变感到惊讶。我们对自己生病感到惊讶,对自己放任事情而导致困难感到惊讶。而这种惊讶大多是因为我们对现实的想法与现实的真实不符所引起的冲突。现实就是塔达:事物的真实状态。如是/真如。塔达。


你耳后的痒?塔达。就是这样。你双手安放在手印的感觉?就是这样。你舌头上感受到的湿润?就是这样。呼吸的动作?正如其是。旁边坐着的人的形态?就是这样。当你矫正姿势时,颈部和脊椎的释放?就是这样。我的声音和话语间的静默暂停?正是如此。在从思维中醒来的瞬间,认识到流动的思维永远不能定格在任何一个确切的“真理”上,因为它们只能是不断变化的流动?就是这样。塔达。


每件事的细节都清晰而明确地展现出来,就如它们本来的样子,体验是新鲜的,时刻更新。无需修饰、沉思、策划或抓住任何东西,因为每一个被知道的事物都简单地作为细节在知觉中出现。塔达。如此简单。


但当然,如果你让注意力变窄并集中,那么集中所产生的扭曲远非简单。我们对我们的琐事大惊小怪……


我们可以对一个呵欠大惊小怪:“呵-呵-呵-呵-呵-呵-欠”。


对一个喷嚏大惊小怪:“啊-啊-啊-啊-啊-啾!”


对一种感觉大惊小怪:“我有......头痛”;“我累了”,“我的膝盖疼”。


对一种情感语调(哀怨、恳求的声音)大惊小怪:“哦,但我以为我应该......”。“但你告诉我......”


对一种立场大惊小怪:“我是对的,我知道我是对的,就这么回事”。


对一个琐碎的记忆大惊小怪:“我记得你做过那件事,它是如何让我感觉的,我永远也不会原谅你”。


我们可以对早上必须起床大惊小怪。


对晚上必须上床睡觉大惊小怪。


对到了吃饭时间必须吃饭大惊小怪。


对必须上班大惊小怪。


对等待公交车大惊小怪,


对我们在公交车上得到的座位大惊小怪,


对简单的坐下或站起大惊小怪。


我们对最简单的任务大惊小怪。


在我们做之前:“呃,我得做呀呀”。


当我们在做的时候:“呃,这什么时候能结束?”


即使在我们做完之后:“我做得太好了。从来没有人能像我这样做得这么好,任何地方的任何人都应该承认这一点。”


我们对我们如何看待其他人以及他们如何看待我们大惊小怪,因为我们认为这一切“意味着”些什么。这“意味着”关于“我”的某些东西。


“我很悲伤。看我的哀伤的眼睛,多么深邃而充满感情”。


“我很愤怒,看我如何瞪你”。(这个可能相当有趣)。


“我病了,看我多么憔悴,多么接近死亡”。


就停止那些“呀呀呀”。只是塔达。只是修行。


但我们可以对任何事情,包括我们的修行,大惊小怪。我们可以对正念修行大惊小怪,以至于不是简单的修行,而是“我”在修行。塔达!


 


但那是错误的塔达。我们体验的丰富性、尊严、亲密性,正如其本身,无需我们的造作、收缩和操纵,是不可思议的。它实际上和完全超越了概念、想法和故事。为了实现这一点,我们需要放下身心所表现的所有注意力习性。


禅师指出,一个“我”的感觉更直接基本上是一个“定位感”,与此同时还有一个方向性,因为它似乎我们的注意力是从一个中心点,一个“我”,向外及对经验移动。当这种定位感最初形成时,它是一个无言的假设,认为认知从“这里”移动到“那里”以便认知。然而,这种定位感作为自我本身就可以被认知,因此显然不能是一个“认知者”或“自我”。它是注意力的冻结或结晶,很像一个框架,从这个框架中,注意力似乎向外移动并指向所知的东西。这就是为什么,而不是简单地修行,我们似乎是一个“我”在修行。


在《节奏与歌》中,一系列关于东山良价大师文本《宝镜三昧》的提唱中,安山宏心禅师讲述了东山大师和他的学生之间的许多公案对话。其中一个学生是雪峰,后来在从德山接受传法后成为了伟大的教师,与东山不同,德山不介意用他的禅杖打学生。但在雪峰与东山学习时,他仍然充满了自我和关于真如和空性的想法。这里有一个故事:


有一次,雪峰搬运一捆柴火。当他到达师父面前时,他将柴捆扔下。


师父问:“它有多重?”


雪峰说:“世上无人能举起它!”


东山问:“那它是怎么来的?”


雪峰无话可说。


可怜的雪峰。他是一个傻瓜,因为他试图利用他周围的一切作为扩大自我的傻瓜。即使是一捆柴火。即使是搬运的简单行为。对他来说,连侍僧的修行,也关于他对空性理解的深刻性。真是个傻瓜。


在《节奏与歌》中,安山宏心禅师从我们的宗派所有佛陀和觉祖所实现和修行的地方呼唤我们,


当我们放下时,亲密性被揭示。我们在意识到自己无法摆脱自己不希望拥有的所有事物、所有想法和情感以及策略时放下;有时我们厌倦了它们,有时我们又深信不疑。


这并不简单。


它比那简单得多。


这是最简单的事。


关于我们的一切都不是真的。我们的好想法不会使我们变好。我们的狡猾想法不会使我们变得狡猾。我们的坏想法不会使我们变坏。


一个想法不能造成任何事。


无处可藏,因为没有藏身之需。


关于我们的没有什么是真的,因为我们就是那个真实。我们是那在一切地方呈现为一切事物,却本身无处可寻,也无实体可言。


你就是这种深刻的亲密。


你去了哪里?


所以,请加入我,不仅仅是说,而是真正地成为:塔达。




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ChatGPT 翻译,原文: https://wwzc.org/dharma-text/stainless




无染(Stainless)


由仁明莲花禅师讲述


大念寺,2007年6月9日


抽象数字艺术


一切本已开放。每一刻体验或“法”的特征是它是无常的(annica)和空(sunya),透明和开放。另一种说法是,一切都是“无染”。


这一刻的无染不仅仅是因为色彩和形态就是如此,感觉就是如此;事实是,这一刻无法被把握。你无法从任何特定角度理解这一刻,因为它太广阔,它在不断变化。你在其中出现,我在其中出现,我们都在其中出现。当我们通过修行实现这一点时,我们也会认识到我们自己同样是无染的。


坐在坐禅的姿势中,没有什么可以抓住。即使你试图抓住坐垫以使其或自己稳固,下面还有座垫和地板,周围是房间以及透过开窗飘进的空气、光线和声音。这一刻是无染的,无条件(无为)的,没有界限,这是你可以释放所抓持之物的地方。没有人能够持有,没有什么可以被持有。


佛陀关于无常的教义不是对事物的一种感觉,也不是理论上的。它不是事物发生的事情,更不是可能或可能不会发生在事物上的事情。这是事物一直的状态。无染不是一种神秘的闪光虚空,一个特别的地方,一种特别的体验。它是每一个瞬间已经是的样子。


身心体验体验发生在心念之间。当你坐在这里面对墙壁时,有多少细节呈现出来?当你注意到它们时,即使你注意到的很少,你的注意也是非常非常快的。快到你无法思考它们。


如安山宏心禅师在《此刻之心》中所说:


“在这个开放的空间里,我们几乎没有什么可以被迷惑的;我们没有在扮演我们的造作和自欺欺人,因此我们可以非常清楚地看到它们。由于它们几乎没有什么可以固定的,它们也没有太大的重量,所以我们发现它们可以非常快地转变。看到这种转变是调查的一个重要部分。看到注意力如何停留在一个对象上,然后又转移到另一个和另一个对象上。看到这些并不是一件事物,尽管注意力持续地通过习惯和冲动向局部化倾斜,但也存在转变的品质。尽管注意力持续地拉扯和推动,所持有的、所推动的并无连续性。只有这种转变,这种改变。法的无常公开地展示了自己。在每一个心念的瞬间,在呈现自身的任何事物中,根本的无常被揭示。”


当我们在修行时,我们可以看到注意力向习惯性思想和感觉的移动,当我们选择通过正念修行打开注意力,当我们与现实一致时,我们的行为越来越多地被开放本身引导。但当我们停止修行时,开放体验的空间被故事线和感觉色调弄乱;过去体验的片段;当前故事线的碎片;零散的思想和感觉的块和块。收缩导致进一步的收缩。有时你会生气。你感到被误解。你认为你知道一切,知道发生了什么,会发生什么。一个故事线引入另一个和另一个。它看起来像“这个”和“这个”。但你什么也没看见。它听起来像“这个”和“这个”。但你什么也没听见。它感觉像“这个”和“这个”。但你什么也没感觉。除了状态。


在所有的细节中 - 你可能注意到的无限范围的细节 - 为什么这个想法如此重要?为什么是这种感觉?为什么是这种状态?


这就像这样:假设你在一个美丽的春天,你正看着窗外,看到树叶和树枝、阳光和飘动的云朵以及鸟儿。然后你注意到窗户上的一只苍蝇。你开始关注它,你关注得越多,它在你眼中看起来越大。你可以将注意力缩得很小,以至于你觉得只有苍蝇存在,而你之前看到的背后的世界和周围的世界似乎完全消失了。但如果你释放这种聚焦,苍蝇并没有消失;相反,你看到苍蝇和窗户、树木、天空和鸟儿一起 - 你在上下文中看到苍蝇。


同样,如果你专注于一个故事线,世界似乎会消失。如果你释放这种聚焦,世界似乎会重新出现。但当然,世界并没有真正“重新出现”。它一直在那里。当你从一个思想中醒来时,“你”并没有让世界重新出现。你只是停止了聚焦,看见就是看见。


但无论你选择坐在那里专注于一只苍蝇或一个思想,还是选择围绕它打开,看到苍蝇与整个世界一起出现,无论你的注意力在那一刻如何,世界、苍蝇、你、你所坐的房间和广泛的其他细节都已经存在,已经同时发生。即使你选择将注意力收缩,使自己变得愚蠢,这一刻仍然是无染的。你所需要做的就是放开聚焦,开放只是事物的本来面目。


在现实中,你永远无法与开放分离。但你不能使事物开放。你能做的就是将自己整体释放到这一刻的无染中。你不能通过思考无染来将自己释放到无染中。如果你坐在那里思考无常,这就是“愚人禅”。空或无染不能被一个思想包含,因为不仅思想是空的,无染本身也是空的。它不是某种“东西”或其他的“东西”。这是一切事物的状态,你能做的就是闭嘴,让开,向它开放。你如何向现实开放?通过以身心实践现实。向呼吸的感觉、看和听的现实开放。向你在这一刻体验的现实开放。通过全身正念和向身体周围的物理空间的细节开放来释放注意力。与现实保持一致。


在“佛教心理学发展”系列课程中,禅师说:


“从一个心念到另一个心念的连续是如此迅速,这些心念之间的内容互动(例如嗅到某物、不喜欢它、责怪某人使洗手间变得如此糟糕、思考那个人的其他缺点,然后绊到脚趾、对此感到恼火等)也是如此迅速,以至于从一种状态转变到另一种状态的实际序列通常无法被认识,更不用说从一个心念到另一个心念的转变了。


通过直接关注我们如何体验我们所体验的,就会清楚地看到,对体验的常规理解是简单和原始的,因为它将真正的知觉瞬间的过程构建成了单一的大块内容。然后我们开始绊倒自己对这些块和结构的想法,并感觉到情况具有使真正的改变变得不可能的永久性。


无论我们如何在其中隐藏,无论我们多么确信这种立场、这种感觉、这种状态,它们都在升起和消退,一次又一次地将我们暴露于无常、于无常之中。”


当我们沉溺于自我形象,并从贪、嗔、痴三种烦恼中行事时,我们对自己和周围世界的感知变得纠缠和阻塞。体验堆积在一起,紧紧地捆绑在扭曲的思想和感觉色调的脆弱结构中。就像不匹配的拼图片,被强行压入形状,形成阴暗的图画。当这种情况发生时,我们无休止地对自己说话,寻找黑暗,计算,绘图,传播问题和分离的感觉。但正如一首由圣约书亚大念禅师所写的赞美诗中所说,


“注意,注意。


一切永远无染,


每一相永远无相。


与道相符,


每一法永远是佛法。”


我们对自己和周围世界的自我叙述形成了对这个和那个的“观点”的凝固,但在这些“观点”的周围,世界向四面八方延伸。只有通过聚焦和缩小注意力并选择忽略思想发生的背景,我们才能说服自己任何观点是真实的,是最终的,是合理的。


如果你看到有人坐在路中央,自言自语,用石头打自己,你可能会说:“别自言自语了。看看你在哪里。”你会非常清楚地认识到这种行为是完全疯狂的。但当你坐在坐垫上时,如果你没有向现实开放,而是在自言自语,用你的故事线折磨自己,你实际上在做着同样的事情。


在大约17年前作为禅师的学生开始修行不久后,我在拥挤的街道上看到一个给我留下深刻印象的人。那是夏天,所以他穿着短裤和T恤。但此外,他还穿戴着各种包和许多带子交叉绑在他的身上。从这些包里伸出各种小玩意和电线。他有诸如电话、晶体管收音机等许多我无法辨认的小物件 - 数十个。这些物件上还缠绕着许多电缆和线,也绕在他的身上。他确实是一个令人震惊的景象,街上的人们都绕着他走,因为他看起来像一个即将爆炸的行走炸弹。除了他的大部分电子设备显然已经损坏到不可能工作的程度。完全不顾周围人的反应,他在一个长椅上停下来坐下。当我等待一家商店开门时,我站在不远处观察了他大约十到十五分钟,他断开和重新连接电线,但很明显没有任何东西会或能工作。


我对这个人印象深刻,并对他如何陷入这种可悲状态产生了各种想法。我看着他,然后看着我自己,然后看着其他人,当我意识到通过聚焦注意力,他已经变成了一个沉迷于修理自己电线的人。任何人,任何地方,都可以通过聚焦注意力同样与现实脱节。然后我突然想到了我即使坐在坐垫上也会出现的一系列思想、感觉、故事线,意识到这些 - 这些思想、感觉和故事线,反复宣扬它们、排练它们、一次又一次地回顾它们是如何使“我”凝固成我认为的“我”,所有这些都必须被质疑和释放。看似“正常”的只是变得习惯性的东西。


正如《自在三昧歌》所说,“不要跟随并成为注意力的形式。”


我们开始修行是因为我们认识到我们自己的某些方面应该改变,尽管我们对此并不一定非常清楚。无论我们想改变什么,如何想改变,或者我们想改变的事物不断变化的事实,有一件事是明确的:我们想要改变。我们可能开始修行是因为我们想改变一两个细节,一些我们不喜欢的关于自己的事情,但我们会保留其他的。所以我们试图按照自己的条件来修行,试图将修行弯曲成对我们可接受的形状。我们专注于我们喜欢或不喜欢的东西,但随着我们继续修行,我们开始发现不仅仅是我们认为丑陋、坚硬、不舒服的部分需要改变,一切都需要改变。随着它的改变,它变成的东西也需要被释放,以腾出空间进行进一步的改变。我们“舒适”的东西和我们“不舒服”的东西一样奇怪。


我们刚开始修行时的许多行为基本上是在交换一个状态以换取另一个状态。出现了我们不喜欢的状态,然后我们提升一种开放感来对抗它。我们迷失在思想中,注意到这一点,不喜欢我们看到的,所以我们尝试提升一个沉默的状态(禅那状态)来对抗它。但偶尔我们真正记得去实践指令,实际感受呼吸、身体,开放于看和听。起初,我们不断检查修行对我们有什么作用,想知道我们如何“进步”,但最终我们意识到所有这些自我考虑也必须被释放。试图衡量自己的修行有点像在后院用木尺试图测量太阳或月亮。如果你注意到自己在做这个,停止关于自己的自言自语并修行。为什么?因为时刻是无法衡量的但短暂的,你正在浪费时间。


当禅师说“如果它是封闭的,围绕它开放;如果它看似开放,更进一步开放”,他是在指导我们在这一刻中围绕这一刻的无染性开放。这是真正的改变。他所说的“围绕它开放”是什么意思?他的意思是你应该使用对任何体验细节的注意作为一个提醒,释放专注于该细节的倾向并开放于该细节发生的背景。如果你专注于一个思想、一种感觉、你听到的无数声音中的一个声音、你可以看到的无数视觉细节中的一个方面,通过回归全身正念、开放视觉、开放听觉的修行来围绕那一个事物开放注意力。禅师所讨论的是将习惯性的思想和感觉以及与它们相关的注意力动作释放到无染性中,不断开放和进一步开放,不在任何地方停留,不安定,不让自己舒适。


真正奇怪的是,当我们变得收缩时,我们真的认为没有其他人能看到我们的状态;没有人能看到或感觉到我们如何扭曲和压缩我们的注意力,没有人能看到或感觉到我们用来切割自己和他人的锋利刀片的圈。但事实是,我们一直在展示我们的状态,并且如果我们沉浸并传播一种状态,它将使自己显现出来。没有什么是与其他事物分离的。一切事物同时发生,彼此互相渗透,在这一刻的无染性中。在你经历的状态周围,世界向四面八方延伸,但当你沉浸在一种状态中时,你会让自己看到的只是那个状态。不要愚蠢。围绕它开放。停止自言自语关于你对一切的看法和感受。如果你像你认为的那样有趣,当你坐下时你不会让自己这么无聊。


每天太阳升起和落下;月亮出现并在太阳再次升起时消失。天空是蓝色和明亮的,然后云层聚集,将雨雪或冰雹洒向地面。地球转动,山脉增长和后退,海岸线改变。生物出生和死亡,一波又一波的生物来去匆匆。在这一切中有什么是固定的?当你的经验向你展示所有事物的明显无常时,你怎么可能是固定的?在这种无常之中,你所经历的任何状态怎么可能是固定的?


我曾经与禅师谈论我的父亲,他已经去世很久了,谈论他的生活,他认为重要的事情,并评论说我们是如何努力和忍耐,希望和恐惧,而最终什么都不剩。禅师说,“就像在水上写的等式,正当它被写下的时候就已经消失了”。


禅坐不仅仅是改变我们自己的这个或那个方面。它使我们暴露于并揭示了一个事实:改变是我们本来就是的状态。


我说话,我的话语已经消失。你不需要追逐它们,因为你已经在它们被说出的那一刻理解了你所理解的。你看到墙壁,但不需要注意力向外移动并朝向墙壁,也不需要你尝试“组织”看见。只需看。你不需要进一步探究那看见的瞬间,因为那一刻已经过去,你已经看过了。你不需要在所看到的事物中找到“意义”,因为意义已经很明显,现在是这一刻的看见。它是什么就是什么。它就是墙壁。开放到周边视野。只是看。你感受到感觉,但注意力不需要跟随它们。只是感受。你注意到一个想法,并且你不需要进一步探究它。只是开放于整个身心坐在垫子上的体验。现在。又现在。愉快的感觉,不愉快的感觉被感受到,明亮,鲜明,消失。现在呢?坐在这一刻无染中的感觉实际上是什么?


所有的体验在注意力不被扭曲时都是无染的。所有法都在一个人的世界中生、住、灭。穿透每一个体验的瞬间。穿透这一刻的呼吸;穿透这堵墙,这个地板,这个心,这个世界。当你从坐垫上起身行走时,你仍在这个世界中行走。所有生命体都被遇见,所有事件都在兴衰中,这种对自己世界的穿透是我们修行的本质。我们的修行不是与世界分离的。我们的修行是心以世界无染地出现,世界以心无染地出现的修行。

Soh

https://www.facebook.com/groups/AwakeningToReality/posts/25816541247960628/?__cft__[0]=AZUcg2fbsrjcHAAuVCuCuCEf7S7cAuYWyL2sVIBsw4cAinM60e0A6UuFWe8J06mBSFzn4vePrLYrXkIsaRrW9qUrgM8gyQD7xE2taxjDPb5qCAAigBlRPzBiDHRqGhSjvIWkiQV1qUTjAWBOgLlzfCNG7i92Zh7Oe3i7ZaLs6ATzpA&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R


Michael Sky


Rising contributor

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What is this groups opinion on actualism / actual freedom? On the site he makes grand claims about how it’s superior to enlightenment. But Daniel Ingram said when he practiced it, it developed him in a different direction than his meditative path.

Dean Paradiso

I revisited it not long ago, and came to the conclusion that the enquiry itself can be useful up to a point and as a nice pointer to return back to direct experiencing. I used it myself at different times. But like any pointer that gets repeated often, it loses its magic after a while. However it’s an incomplete path in itself and needs other ingredients that are missing. They dismiss meditation for instance or ethics. The website is a mess and the ideas expressed on it are purely opinions and some downright ridiculous.

2h2 hours ago

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Tommy McNally


Rising contributor

A few of us here have experience with Actual Freedom, and also with Richard and his original AF Trust people like Vineeto, etc..

There are some useful techniques and some of Richard's writings - some which was verifiably plagiarized and reframed from other authors, including Buddhadharma teachers - are pretty good in describing some of the territory beyond what Daniel Ingram describes as 4th Path.

However, AF is an incomplete path. It lacks bodhicitta, amongst other important aspects, and their claims of being "happy and harmless" not only do not appear to be true based on the observed behaviors of its progenitor and friends; but their method of eradicating "affective feeling" (which also appears to be bullshit) encourages repression, denial of emotions and, in at least one case I know of personally, led to psychological issues that required psychotherapy to resolve.

Soh has a good article on Actual Freedom on the AtR site.

If you're curious about it, then by all means explore and experiment; but keep in mind that the allegedly affective emotion-free founder has been seen, in person by several people, in various states of distress, anger and other, quite clearly still active and functioning emotions.

The HAIETMOBA technique can be useful, but ultimately it's just a way to incline attention back towards your immediate sensate experience. The mental posture involved only goes so far and lacks the depth to truly penetrate the skandha of feeling, or to disentangle our mistaken identification with it.

In short, it's not remotely superior, or even equal to Buddhadharma. Yes, it can be a fun and potentially useful developmental trajectory to explore, but it ain't ending suffering for all sentient beings.

Edited to add: Daniel Ingram's criteria for 4th Path, and his descriptions of his current experience, don't align with Arahatship. It's a complex topic, and one I'm not remotely capable of addressing, but I'd suggest taking the MCTB 4-Path model as a useful adaptation by Daniel, rather than as an actual representation of the classical 4-Path model of the Tripitika. I say all of this as someone who has been friends with Daniel for probaby 15+ years, and who has spent time with him in person. I love the guy, but the claims of Arahatship were misguided and caused many, including me, massive confusion over the years.

Hope this helps.

2h2 hours ago

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Edited

Nafis Rahman

Admin


Top contributor

There are prior threads in the group that discuss Actual Freedom along with its founder, Richard Maynard:
He has realized anatta and experiences total exertion, but ends up reifying external reality due not having insight into emptiness and dependent origination. He is still very far from realizing traditional Arhatship/Buddhahood.
Regarding Daniel Ingram, since he skipped I AM, he lacked sufficient luminosity/vividness which is why he felt that he was entering a new phase of development when he practiced Actual Freedom (in reality he was simply realizing anatta stanza 2). MCBT 4th path/’Arhatship’ is only anatta realization, and is equivalent to Pali Canon Stream-Entry/ATR Stage 5. This article by Myriad Objects goes into further detail:

2h2 hours ago

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Soh Wei Yu

Admin


All-star contributor

You asked at the right place.

In addition to Nafis’s links which you should read and I think Tommy is quite right in his post, I wrote a 100+ page document commenting what’s good and what is wrong about actual freedom richard’s understanding (particularly his misinterpretation of buddhism) here: https://www.awakeningtoreality.com/2024/02/actual-freedom-and-buddhism.html

I appreciate his teachings (albeit its flaws).

By the way AF Richard died two weeks ago.

I shared on whatsapp: “Af richard died two weeks ago: http://actualfreedom.com.au/.../actualvin.../claudiu2.htm...

Vineeto revealed that richard suffered intense anxiety and was on all kinds of psychotic medications for the first 3-4 years after his “actual freedom”

http://an.actualfreedom.com.au/.../a-statement-of-events.htm

He wrote this three years after actual freedom

“Dr. Wright has tried me on clonazepan (Rivortril) and a reduced dosage of trifluorperazine (Stelazine), but the side effects of the clonazepan (Rivortril)—(I felt like a walking Zombie)—have proved too much so I am currently taking an increased dose of trifluorperazine (Stelazine) (15 mg.) and diazepam (Valium) (10 mg.) and benztropine (Cogentin) (4 mg.).

The medication makes life barely tolerable, it does not take the symptoms away, it only reduces their severity.

To this day I feel like an alien in a strange and eerie world. I suffer from Depersonalisation and Derealisation—I experience everything as being unreal—and I have nightmares of being back in the Army again and back in Vietnam (strangely enough the nightmares have expanded to include all of South-Eastern Asia). I find anxiety to be too mild a word as I experience life in a state of abject fear.

I have no social life nor friends. My wife (Mrs. Irene [redacted]; pron. ee-ray-nuh) is my only companion. She used to be a registered nursing Sister and is well equipped to be with me in my distress.””

John Tan: “Poor fellow

So don't over claimed”

Soh: “Ya he said he became suicidal (in 1993) which was after attaining actual freedom

But the website also said by 1997 or something he became ok”

Yin ling: “Sounds like very bad anxiety or PTSD”

Soh: “Yeah

Some of his descriptions i could relate during my energy imbalance period

I think its a mix of that and ptsd”

Yin ling: “Ya ptsd sometimes very hard to treat one, veterans especially”

Actual Freedom and Buddhism

AWAKENINGTOREALITY.COM

Actual Freedom and Buddhism

Actual Freedom and Buddhism

19m19 minutes ago

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Soh

Mr E posted:


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Sometimes I feel like I'm animating life as I go and everything is happening in my awareness and this awareness is imagining itself to be this body. It's playing all the roles and others are actors. When i see people in traffic, once they're out of my sight and I'm not aware of them, that's it, they're gone as they never existed. Although I could have assumptions that they're going somewhere real.

Also past historic events are all made up by my mind and they never happened. It feels like solipsism but even what I identify myself as body and mind aren't real. Like I'm God and I'm playing with myself and this time I had to forget it and now I'm using all sorts of spiritual practices to wake myself up. Just like how it is in a dream

Has anyone else experienced this? Kind of depressing . Intense meditation is what sets me free from these thoughts.



Soh replied:

Admin


All-star contributor

There's a whole chapter in the long/original AtR guide that is a thorough refutation and negation of solipsism that you should read. The third document in https://www.awakeningtoreality.com/2022/06/the-awakening-to-reality-practice-guide.html . It's too long to post here so I'll only paste a few short excerpts.

[1:07 PM, 11/25/2020] John Tan: Only when you subsume into one, it turns solipsistic. So either freedom of extremes or you see DO and total exertion and emptiness. Then you do not fall into extremes.

“Although Bhāviveka doesn’t struggle that much, he is quite clear:

“Since [the tīrthika position of] self, permanence, all pervasiveness and oneness contradict their opposite, [the Buddhist position of] no-self, impermanence, non-pervasiveness and multiplicity, they are completely different.” – Kyle Dixon, 2020

“Bhāviveka demonstrates the proper way to view buddhanature:

The statement "The tathāgata pervades" means wisdom pervades all objects of knowledge, but it does not mean abiding in everything like Viśnu. Further, "Tathāgatagarbhin" means emptiness, signlessness and absence of aspiration exist the continuums of all sentient beings, but is not an inner personal agent pervading everyone.” – Kyle Dixon, 2021

Jake Karat

I once slipped into a solipsistic state - admittedly after consuming to much cannabis over a summer after graduating high school - and it was terrifying. I look back and have realized after reading more on Buddhism that there was something missing to the "approach".

This is where "No-Self" is so important to understand. Solipsism could be the result of "non-duality" IF there is still an attachment to a sense of "Self", in which case non-dual is still not fully understood.

When there is no "Self", there is no, "There's only me.", perspective. There are just "happenings", which include the stream of conceptualizations that give an appearance and feeling of a "Self" in the first place.

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Soh Wei Yu

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Jake Karat

John Tan wrote:

Yes solipsistic state can be overcome by:

1. What he said.

2. Overcoming the sense of "mine".

3. Also by de-constructing via dependent designation into kadag, primordial purity.

4. Essencelessness

Solipsisim is an extreme of deducing a conclusion using our existing dualistic and inherent paradigm. Negation without affirming anything will not.

Likewise de-construction does not lead into an all encompassing space, that too is an abstraction and extrapolation. It is to slowly allow us to see through the faulty premise and open up the entire field.

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...

“The subsuming of everything into one's mind took place because one's mind seems to be the common factor in the mode of enquiry in solipsism.

However if using the same line of reasoning, it is in others’ mind as well. If everything is in everyone's mind, then mind is no more the common factor but "Everything". If you see this common factor of everything and shift your attention to everything, then experience turns very "physical".

Prasangika overcomes such issue by inquiring into its "inherentness". Taking the “seed-plant-tree" example, why is the seed "growing"? Is there anything at the side of the "sprout" that is saying it is growing? It can be understood as a decaying process as well.” - John Tan, 2019

John Tan on how the tendency of solipsism arises post non-dual: “Characteristics of internal and private not deconstructed. Just like when the line that demarcates left and right dissolved, it does not mean all of left has become right or all of right has become left.” – John Tan, 2021

...

Some conversations with John back in 2012 are quite illuminating on this subject:

John: To me is just is "Soh" an eternal being...that's all. No denial of Soh as a conventional self. All is just him is an inference too. There is no other is also an assumption.

Soh: That's what I said, lol. He didn't see it.

John: But other mindstreams is a more valid assumption. Don't you think so? And verifiable.

Soh: Yeah.

John: Whatever in conventional reality still remain, only that reification is seen through. Get it? The centre is seen through be it "subject" or "object", they are imputed mental constructs. Only the additional "ghostly something" is seen through. Not construing and reifying. Nothing that "subject" does not exist. This seeing through itself led to implicit non-dual experience.

Soh: "Nothing that "subject" does not exist." - what you mean?

John: Not "subject" or "object" does not exist. Or dissolving object into subject or subject into object… etc. That "extra" imputation is seen through. Conventional reality still remain as it is. By the way, focus more on practice in releasing any holdings.... do not keep engaging on all these.

Soh: I see.. Conventional reality are just names imposed on non-inherent aggregates, right.

John: Yes. That led to releasing of the mind from holding...no subsuming of anything. What you wrote is unclear. Do you get what I mean? Doesn't mean Soh does not exist… lol. Or I am you or you are me. Just not construing and reifying.

Soh: I see. Nondual is collapsing objects to self, thus I am you. Anatta simply sees through reification, but conventionally I am I, you are you.

John: Or collapsing subject into object. You are still unclear about this and mixed up. Seeing through the reification of "subject", "object", "self", "now", "here". Get it? Seeing through "self" led to implicit non-dual experience. Because experience turns direct without reification. In seeing, just scenery. Like you see through the word "weather". That weather-Ness. Be it subject/object/weather/...etc. That is mind free of seeing "things" existing inherently. Experience turns vivid direct and releasing. But I don't want you to keep participating idle talk and neglect practice… always over emphasizing unnecessarily. What happens to experience?

Soh: you mean after anatta? Direct, luminous, but no ground of abiding (like some inherent awareness).

John: And what do you mean by that?

Soh: Means there are only transient six sense streams experience, in seen just seen, etc. Nothing extra.

John: Six stream experiences is just a convenient raft. Nothing ultimate. Not only must you see that there is no Seer + seeing + seen… you must see the immense connectedness. Implicit Non-dual in experience in anatta to you means what?” - Soh, 2014

“Buddha never used the term "self" to refer to an unconditioned, permanent, ultimate entity. He also never asserted that there was no conventional "self," the subject of transactional discourse. So, it is very clear in the sutras that the Buddha negated an ultimate self and did not negate a conventional self.” – Dzogchen teacher Acarya Malcolm Smith, 2020

“Anatman is the negation of an unconditioned, permanent, ultimate entity that moves from one temporary body to another. It is not the negation of "Sam," "Fred," or "Jane" used as a conventional designation for a collection of aggregates. Since the Buddha clearly states in many Mahāyāna sūtras, "all phenomena" are not self, and since everything is included there, including buddhahood, therefore, there are no phenomena that can be called a self, and since there are nothing outside of all phenomena, a "self," other than an arbitrary designation, does not exist.”

- Dzogchen teacher Acarya Malcolm Smith

The Awakening to Reality Practice Guide and AtR Guide - abridged version

AWAKENINGTOREALITY.COM

The Awakening to Reality Practice Guide and AtR Guide - abridged version

The Awakening to Reality Practice Guide and AtR Guide - abridged version

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 Also see: Transcript of Lankavatara Sutra with Thusness 2007

Transcript with Thusness 2012 - Group Gathering


Second transcription done! Read at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MYAVGmj8JD8IAU8rQ7krwFvtGN1PNmaoDNLOCRcCTAw/edit ChatGPT's summary: Synopsis and Timeline of AtR Meeting, March 2021


I. INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXT (00:00–05:00)

Setting and Opening Remarks

  • The conversation begins informally with John Tan recalling an interaction many years prior with a 15-year-old who seemed to be talking about concepts related to emptiness (Nagarjuna and the Heart Sutra).
  • John expresses surprise that someone so young would discuss “emptiness here, emptiness there” and highlights the challenges of clarity in such discussions.

Early Dharma Exposure

  • Soh briefly mentions his own exposure to Dharma teachings, reading the Heart Sutra at a young age and developing an “intuitive understanding” that turned out later to be incomplete.
  • There is an indication that these early experiences planted the seeds for subsequent insights: “That was six years later… after my I Am, then non-dual, then I realized anatta.”

II. FIRST MAIN SEGMENT (05:00–20:00)
Early Insights, Anatta, and Schools of Buddhism

Phases of Insight

  • John Tan references writing about “phases of insight” years ago and notes how, beyond a certain phase, it becomes very difficult to articulate clearly.
  • He suggests anatta (no-self) is comparatively straightforward to realize, but “after that it may not be that easy.”

Yogacara vs. Madhyamaka

  • Discussion turns toward two major Mahayana schools:
    1. Yogacara / Wei Shi (Consciousness Only) – Emphasis on three natures (imagined, dependent, and perfect) and how we mistakenly treat conceptual constructs as independently real.
    2. Madhyamaka / Nagarjuna’s Emptiness – Key focus on seeing through inherent existence and extremes.
  • John highlights how Yogacara is not “just consciousness” but deeply about emptiness; it arose partly as a reaction to purely “nihilistic” readings of emptiness.

Constructs and Direct Experience

  • The speakers explore how anatta is the first instance of “seeing through construct,” dropping the sense of a background self.
  • The difference between direct experience (appearances, sensations) and our conceptual overlay is underscored.
  • John Tan warns that simply having a non-dual experience can still leave people clinging to a “universal Self” or “pure subjectivity.” True Buddhist insight (anatta) instead dissolves the background self altogether.

III. SECOND MAIN SEGMENT (20:00–35:00)
Deconstructing Inherent Existence, Cause and Effect, and the Nature of Appearances

Cause and Effect, Existence/Non-existence

  • John delves into classical Madhyamaka reasoning: analyzing production (whether things can arise from themselves, from others, both, or causelessly) and concluding that all such positions fail under ultimate analysis.
  • He highlights how language imposes constructs—like “in” vs. “out,” or “arising” vs. “ceasing”—and how we habitually assume an inherent reality behind those labels.

Seeing Through Constructs

  • The conversation emphasizes the subtlety of seeing through constructs for phenomena (not just for “self”).
  • John distinguishes the direct, intuitive taste of non-duality (where “in hearing, only sound”) from the thorough philosophical analysis that uproots the most deeply held beliefs about arising, abiding, and cessation.

Practice and Gradual Refinement

  • Even after initial realization of anatta, fully grasping the emptiness of causality or the emptiness of phenomena typically requires deeper study and contemplation.
  • John notes it is “not so simple” and “there is a lot of subtlety” when confronting conceptual proliferation at every level.

IV. THIRD MAIN SEGMENT (35:00–55:00)
Practice Methods, Non-dual Experience, and Overcoming Subsuming Tendencies

Practice Approaches

  • Koans (gong an) in Zen: forcing the mind to confront paradox (“Before birth, who are you?”), possibly leading to a powerful insight.
  • The difference between a fleeting experience of non-duality (“entry and exit”) and a stable wisdom that does not revert (meaning it does not revert to dualistic grasping).

Vipassana and Actionless Action (Wu Wei)

  • One speaker asks how simple body-sensation practices yield insight. John replies that in Buddhism, “wisdom” arises through seeing through constructs—yet certain practice styles (Vipassana, or Taoist “Wu Wei”) can also erode the sense of self in day-to-day life.
  • Taoism is mentioned (Chuang Tzu’s “sitting and forgetting,” merging with action) and paralleled with the Buddhist notion of anatta (Soh: although the former is a state of no-mind while the latter is a realisation into one's nature as a dharma seal, see Anatta is a Dharma Seal or Truth that is Always Already So, Anatta is Not a State). Buddhism, however, lays out the mechanics of emptiness more explicitly.

Buddhist Texts and Real-Life Application

  • John and others stress how some traditional Buddhist texts—especially those analyzing emptiness—provide a precise, systematic way to deconstruct mental constructs.
  • This clarity can help unify daily activity (like archery, dancing, or simply working) with a sense of no-agent, or “actionless action,” dissolving the doer–doing gap.

V. FOURTH MAIN SEGMENT (55:00–70:00)
Original Enlightenment vs. Practice Enlightenment, Dogen, and Further Nuances

Dogen and “Practice Enlightenment”

  • John references the Zen master Dogen’s famous question: If there is “original enlightenment,” why do we suffer? Dogen’s solution is “practice enlightenment,” meaning enlightenment is discovered only in and as each moment of activity.
  • John resonates with this as identical in spirit to the anatta insight: apart from walking, sitting, hearing, there is no separate, static “background purity.”

Buddha Nature and Subtle Clarity

  • Tibetan Dzogchen lines of thought appear, discussing “clear light” in deep meditation or at the final dissolution (bardo).
  • However, John clarifies that from the anatta perspective, any notion of an unchanging background presence is still a conceptual overlay. Realizing “presence is empty” is pivotal.

Solipsism vs. Emptiness

  • Subsuming everything into a single “Self” can lead to solipsism or idealism.
  • Buddhist non-duality denies a separate observer but also does not reduce the world to one’s private mind.

VI. FIFTH MAIN SEGMENT (70:00–END ~90:00)
Dreams, Deeper Practices, and Concluding Reflections

Dream Experiences and Advanced Stages

  • The conversation shifts to remarkable dream states, where insights or teachings arise that the individual does not fully grasp in waking life.
  • John and Soh share stories of vivid dream experiences in which they experience non-duality, “pure presence,” or even instructions on Kundalini-like energy work.

Phases Beyond Anatta

  • John references continuing stages: from anatta insight to deeper freedom from constructs (the “seventh phase” or “spontaneous presence” in his personal notes).
  • He points out such experiences can arise spontaneously in dreams or contemplations, offering further clarity.

Cautions and Remarks

  • John cautions against turning 'Awakening to Reality' (AtR) into a cult or rigid system. He emphasizes that it is intended for informal sharing rather than as an authoritative doctrine. However, he adds that what is expressed in AtR is authentic, meaning it is based on truths verified through personal experience.

VII. KEY THEMES AND INSIGHTS

  1. Seeing Through the Background Self

    • True anatta involves recognizing that the “background presence” is itself a mental or linguistic construct. Dropping this background yields effortless, non-dual perception.
  2. Distinction Between Temporary Experience and Lasting Insight

    • One may experience a flash of non-duality, but sustaining liberation requires deeper “prajna” (wisdom) that deconstructs all constructs.
  3. Yogacara and Madhyamaka

    • Both point to emptiness but approach it differently. Yogacara emphasizes the “three natures” (imagined, dependent, perfect), while Madhyamaka uses rigorous logic to dismantle inherent existence.
  4. Practice Enlightenment

    • Dogen’s teachings highlight that enlightenment is found precisely in ongoing practice—there is no hidden, original consciousness waiting; “apart from practice, there is no enlightenment.”
  5. Practical Methods

    • Day-to-day incorporation of non-dual awareness: merging with action (no “actor”), eliminating ideas of success/failure, abiding in the immediate moment without conceptual overlays. (Note by Soh: This part wasn't summarized well by ChatGPT, the practical methods go far beyond this and therefore I highly recommend reading the AtR Practice Guide at least: The Awakening to Reality Practice Guide and AtR Guide - abridged version)
  6. Dream States and Spontaneous Realizations

    • Dream experiences can reveal deeper insights or help articulate subtleties that the waking mind struggles to formulate.

VIII. CONCLUSION

Closing Remarks

  • The conversation tapers off with emphasis on not over-intellectualizing or turning the discussion into a dogma.
  • A final reminder is given that while reading texts, engaging reason, and reflecting on experiences are crucial, real transformation stems from one’s direct insight and ongoing practice.

Action Items / Takeaways

  • Continue contemplative and analytical approaches (e.g., Vipassana, Zen koans, Madhyamaka analysis) to break down conceptual clinging.
  • Appreciate that deeper stages of insight move beyond a simple flash of awakening and include embodying emptiness in every moment, including dreams and daily life.
  • Stay vigilant against reifying new insights into dogmas—personal verification is key.


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