Spiritual Encounters and Responses with Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva - Ven Hui Lu's Commentary

Very good explanation by a great master. Unfortunately I'm too lazy to translate it now.. so if anyone wants to give translation a try, please do so and let me know.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkEN2k1EAKw&t=4526s
[1:28 AM, 2/23/2020] Soh Wei Yu: http://www.fodizi.net/huilvfashi/7447.html
再来，第一，令诸众生获得十四种无畏功德，即【1、不自观音以观观者，】因为观世音菩萨修耳根圆通的。不自观音就是不会拿这个音声……以观观者，第一个“观”叫做能观，“观者”就是所观。他不会拿这个音声，来变作一个能观跟所观。意思就是：观世音菩萨已经证得金刚三昧，就是心境一如的意思。不自观音就是不拿这个外在的音声，化为一个能观，一个所观，因为音声就是清净自性的缘起相，没有二相，缘起相就是真如相。所以，不自观音以观观者，观世音菩萨不会拿外面的这个音声，化作一个能观、所观。众生都是这样，听到美好的音声，心都跑掉了，一个能听，一个所听，心就跑掉了，就迷迷茫茫了。观世音菩萨知道，音声是幻灭的，幻灭就是实相的显现，缘起就是实相。【使受苦众生即得解脱，】让受苦的众生就得到解脱，【是为无畏。】
2、【知见旋復，】我们平常叫做知见立知，旋复就是回归涅槃妙心，旋复就是回光返照，转过来、转回来叫做旋复。所以，知见旋复，众生就是有知有见，佛无知无见，就是不立知见的意思，叫做知见旋复。众生的知见往外奔；佛菩萨知见，统统化为没有。所以，知见旋复，就是回归到无知无见，一个人不头上安头，知见立知就是无明本，佛菩萨知见不立知，头上不安头。所以，知见旋复就是无知无见，就是涅槃妙心。观世音菩萨证得无知无见，不立任何知见，证得金刚三昧，能起无作妙力。
[1:28 AM, 2/23/2020] Soh Wei Yu: 【3、观听旋復，能使众生，设为水所漂，水不能溺，是为无畏。】什么叫观听旋复呢？就是我们的众生，“听”就是能听的，耳朵就是耳根，听，是听到外面的音声，众生听外面的音声，就被迷惑了。现在怎么样？回过头来，转过头来，这音声到底从哪来的呢？从耳根来吗？找不到。从外面的境界来？也找不到，找不到起源。耳根是无声，怎么样子呢？外面音声也是无声啊，找到一个声，找不到；可是，因缘，声音就显现，耳根就听得到。喔！缘生就是无生，原来万法都是无生，缘起就生。缘生就是无生，原来清净自性都在缘起里面，六根不可得，境界不可得，身心俱如幻，身心就像幻化的一样，缘生，音声出来了，这个音声，你实在去找，找不到一个实体，你找不到来处，也找不到去处，缘起就现，这个就是观听旋复，就是证得自性。能使众生，设为水所漂，水不能溺，是为无畏。
【4、断灭妄想心无杀害，】观世音菩萨断灭了妄想，心当然不会残害众生，我们要学菩萨，不能残害众生，【能使众生入于罗刹鬼国，鬼自灭恶，是为无畏。】
5、【熏闻成闻】，诸位！这个“闻”后面加一个字，就是“性”的意思，所谓“闻”，熏闻就是用本性修行，用闻性修行，熏习久了，全部都变成本性。记得！用不生不灭的清净心修行，不要落入意识形态，不要落入语言、不要落入文字。熏闻成闻，就是熏这个闻性，变成清净自性，【六根消复】，六根就是指意识形态，这些意识形态统统化为没有。【同于声听，】就是在音声一样，真如自性就是音声，真如自性就是六根，就是六尘里面，不必找，它是不二，尘自生灭，自性不动。【能使众生之当被害者，刀刃所加，段段折坏，是为无畏。】有人伤害你，段段折坏，是为无畏。
【6、闻熏精明明遍法界，众生虽被药叉诸幽暗者来近其侧，然菩萨之精明能使药叉之目受明夺，】师父解释一下：闻熏精明就是熏习，闻，这个闻性一直熏习，精明就是见性。见性以后，明遍法界，这个大智慧、光明、清净自性周遍法界，就是处处见性的意思，叫做明遍法界。所以，你哪里念观世音菩萨，观世音菩萨就降临。众生虽被药叉诸幽暗者来近其侧，然菩萨之精明，能使药叉之目受明夺，他眼睛睁不开，受到菩萨的光，药叉看不到，害不到众生，【自不能视，是为无畏。】所以，记得！念观世音菩萨，在家居士、出家也好，师父主张：念一万声的阿弥陀佛，要念五千声的南无观世音菩萨，要这样念比较好。
[1:28 AM, 2/23/2020] Soh Wei Yu: - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkEN2k1EAKw&t=4526s
[1:29 AM, 2/23/2020] Soh Wei Yu: 【13、六根圆通明照无二，】六根圆通，明照无二，眼、耳、鼻、舌、身、意，完全通达清净自性。不二就是根尘不二、性相不二、理事不二、心境不二，不二就是真如，万法皆如，就是不二。【以此无畏，施诸无子众生，欲求女者，即得生女。】
[7:52 AM, 2/23/2020] John Tan: Very good explanation. Must also emphasize 不二 does not mean 一. 无二也无一。
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Anatta is Not Just Non-Doership

 Non-doership is just one of the aspects of anatta, by itself it is not the anatta realization. (Thusness Stage 5: "...Phase 5 is quite thorough in being no one and I would call this anatta in all 3 aspects -- no subject/object division, no doer-ship and absence of agent...") One can experience non-doership during the I AM phase, or for some people even before the I AM realization. Hence non-doership is not equivalent with anatta realization.

 

Although the aspect of non-doership itself does not indicate the realization of anatta, this does not mean it is not important. Particularly, non-doership becomes clearly experienced when the John Tan's first stanza of anatta is penetrated and clearly realised. However, the first stanza of anatta is not merely non-doership, as explained in the conversation below. The first stanza of anatta conveys both absence of agent and non-doership, and not just non-doership. Commenting on someone's breakthrough, John Tan said, "More towards second stanza [of anatta], non-doership is equally important." and on someone else, "Non-dual but can't discern clearly the difference between conventionalities and ultimate. Did it talk about natural spontaneity? [In] The 2 stanzas of anatta, the non-doership will lead to natural spontaneity. Currently it is talking about freedom from observer and observed, but the second part of realising appearances are just empty clarity isn't there. Therefore effortlessness of vivid presence will not be possible without these 2 insights as base."

 

Session Start: Saturday, March 07, 2009

 

(1:47 AM) AEN:            i just read kiloby's article on no doer... his anatta insight is mostly on the Stanza 1 rite?

 

(1:49 AM) AEN:            i tink wat he said is like wat you said in stanza 1... except that its more on spontaneous arising but without mentioning conditions

(1:50 AM) AEN:            actually he did mention conditioning a bit also

(1:52 AM) Thusness:    yes more on that but only the no doership. not seeing that there is no agent as a phenomena. and not seeing DO

(1:53 AM) AEN:            oic..

what do you mean 'no agent as a phenomena.'

(1:54 AM) Thusness:    means seeing there is no agent, that is without the subject in experience. than there is no controller, no co-ordinator, no agent that links. means on phenomena. not only doership. that there is no agent and phenomena. only phenomena exist. get it? that is different from no doership. means one, just that doing. means seeing the actual phenomena that there is no agent, just phenomena. get it?

(1:57 AM) AEN:            oic..

ya i tink longchen realised no doer first rite b4 seeing non dual the no agent is the non dual?

(1:58 AM) Thusness:    no agent as no doership...means in terms of controlling, coordinating

(1:59 AM) Thusness:    means there can be an agent, but that agent has no control

this means no doership. the other is the absence of an agent in phenomena. usually there are 2, the subject and the object

(1:59 AM) Thusness:    get it?

(2:00 AM) AEN:            oic..

yea i remember

galen sharp talked about

u are the watcher, but there is no doer

so thats only seeing the no doer aspect rite

(2:00 AM) Thusness:    not no doer. no doership

(2:01 AM) AEN:            ya

(2:01 AM) Thusness:    one is referring to the phenomena as an entity. one is referring to whether we have control over anything that is different

(2:01 AM) AEN:            oic..

(2:02 AM) Thusness:    means i do not see 2, i only see 1, in no doer

(2:02 AM) Thusness:    while no doership is seeing spontaneity without control. get it?

(2:03 AM) AEN:            yeah

so no doer = no agent + no doership

(2:03 AM) AEN:            ?

(2:03 AM) Thusness:    yeah

(2:03 AM) AEN:            icic

(2:03 AM) AEN:            kiloby talks about an agent?

(2:04 AM) Thusness:    actually both but not clear.

[Soh: Scott Kiloby became quite clear about anatta in the following years]

In Soh’s I AM phase, John Tan told him not to mistaken anatta with [mere] non-doership:


“Not to talk too much about me, just focus on your experience. Also what you said about the no observer can be quite misleading. It does not mean there is 'no one doing anything' and 'everything is arising spontaneously'. You should understand anatta from below quotations taken from 'The Sun My Heart' by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh:

 

"When we say I know the wind is blowing, we don't think that there is something blowing something else. "Wind' goes with 'blowing'. If there is no blowing, there is no wind. It is the same with knowing. Mind is the knower; the knower is mind. We are talking about knowing in relation to the wind. 'To know' is to know something. Knowing is inseparable from the wind. Wind and knowing are one. We can say, 'Wind,' and that is enough. The presence of wind indicates the presence of knowing, and the presence of the action of blowing'." ~ Thich Nhat Hanh, The Sun My Heart

"..The most universal verb is the verb 'to be'': I am, you are, the mountain is, a river is. The verb 'to be' does not express the dynamic living state of the universe. To express that we must say 'become.' These two verbs can also be used as nouns: 'being", "becoming". But being what? Becoming what? 'Becoming' means 'evolving ceaselessly', and is as universal as the verb "to be." It is not possible to express the "being" of a phenomenon and its "becoming" as if the two were independent. In the case of wind, blowing is the being and the becoming...." ~ Thich Nhat Hanh, The Sun My Heart

"In any phenomena, whether psychological, physiological, or physical, there is dynamic movement, life. We can say that this movement, this life, is the universal manifestation, the most commonly recognized action of knowing. We must not regard 'knowing' as something from the outside which comes to breathe life into the universe. It is the life of the universe itself. The dance and the dancer are one." ~ Thich Nhat Hanh, The Sun My Heart

Comments by John Tan in 2009 on these paragraphs from “The Sun My Heart” (see excerpts in Sun of Awareness and River of Perceptions),

 

"...as a verb, as action, there can be no concept, only experience. Non-dual anatta (no-self) is the experience of subject/Object as verb, as action. There is no mind, only mental activities... ...Source as the passing phenomena... and how non-dual appearance is understood from Dependent Origination perspective."

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The Natural State of I-lessness

Session Start: Mon Jan 03 20:15:44 2005
Session Ident: ^john^
[20:18] hello John... have u heard about drugs like LSD which can cause ppl to feel "united with the universe", and realise that we are all "one organism"?
[20:18] 122. The sixth type of psychedelic experience has been called by such names as psychedelic-peak, cosmic, transcendental, or mystical. Some of the psychological phenomena which are said to characterize this experience, are: a sense of unity or 'cosmic oneness' with the universe; a feeling of transcendence of time and space; a deeply felt positive mood of joy, blessedness, love, and peace; a sense of sacredness, awe and, wonder; a feeling of profound theological or religious awareness; a feeling of insight into reality at an intuitive, nonrational level; an awareness of things which seem logically contradictory and paradoxical; and a belief that the experience is beyond words, non-verbal and impossible to describe. The full peak experience, in its entirety, does not occur in the majority of individuals, is usually transient, and does not last for long in its full intensity, although it may have persisting effects on attitudes an
[20:18] http://www.near-death.com/experiences/lsd01.html
[22:01] <^john^> yes.
[22:02] <^john^> But it is far from what it is being described.
[22:02] <^john^> I have told Sangha about OBE too when he told me his friend is able to see his own body during meditation.
[22:05] <^john^> In fact Baba Ram Dass (not exactly sure whether is it him) used to be a Harvard Lecturer in psychology. He experimented using LSD to induce mystical experience.
[22:06] <^john^> He was dismissed because of that.
[22:19] oh.. icic
[22:19] <^john^> Zennith, the experience of Thusness is not what that is described by them.
[22:20] <^john^> It is nothing close if u believe me.
[22:20] <^john^> how is one able to understand.
[22:21] <^john^> I just written something today.
[22:21] icic
[22:21] har?
[22:21] written wat
[22:21] <^john^> my meditation.
[22:22] oh icic.. wat is it about?
[22:22] <^john^> 03.01.2005
[22:22] <^john^> How could anyone understand?
[22:22] <^john^> The crying, the sound, the noise is buddha.
[22:22] <^john^> It is all the experience of Thusness.
[22:22] <^john^> To know the true meaning of this
[22:22] <^john^> Hold not even the slightest trace of 'I'.
[22:22] <^john^> In the most natural state of ILessNess,
[22:22] <^john^> All Is.
[22:22] <^john^> Even if one said the same statement,
[22:22] <^john^> the depth of experience differs.
[22:22] <^john^> The is no point convincing anyone.
[22:22] <^john^> Can anyone understand?
[22:22] <^john^> Any form of rejection
[22:22] <^john^> Any sort of division
[22:22] <^john^> Is to reject buddhahood.
[22:22] <^john^> If there is a slightest sense of a subject, an experiencer
[22:22] <^john^> we miss the point.
[22:22] <^john^> Natural Awareness is subjectless
[22:22] <^john^> The vividness and clarity
[22:22] <^john^> Feel, taste, see and hear with totality
[22:22] <^john^> There is always no 'I'.
[22:22] <^john^> Thank you Buddha, You truly know.
[22:23] <^john^>
[22:23] <^john^> It is difficult to understand the subtlety.
[22:23] icic... v nice
[22:25] <^john^> 02/1/2005
[22:25] <^john^> Without 'self' oneness is immediately attained.
[22:25] <^john^> There is only and always this Isness. Subject has always been the Object of observation.
[22:25] <^john^> This is true samadhi without entering trance.
[22:25] <^john^> Completely understanding this truth. It is the true way towards liberation.
[22:25] <^john^> Every sound, sensation, arising of consciousness is so clear, real and vivid.
[22:25] <^john^> Every moment is samadhi.
[22:25] <^john^> The tip of the fingers in contact with the keyboard, mysteriously created the
[22:25] <^john^> contact consciousness, what is it? Feel the entirety of beingness and realness.
[22:25] <^john^> There is no subject...just Isness.
[22:25] <^john^> No thought, there really is no thought and no 'self'. Only Pure Awareness.
[22:25] <^john^>
[22:26] <^john^> Zennith, it is meaningless to talk about anything. Just practice hard.
[22:27] icic...
[22:27] <^john^> The depth of emptiness cannot be measured.
[22:27] ok
Session Close: Mon Jan 03 23:30:08 2005
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禅
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Dying to be Me by Anita Moorjani



Dying to be Me by Anita Moorjani

-- I bought this book from a neighbourhood bookstore and have only glanced through it. Would recommend it. Not about Buddhism, anatta or emptiness, rather it is about a fascinating account of how someone got stage 4 cancer, died, had NDE (near death experience) and paranormal experiences such as accurately witnessing and being aware of what was said in other rooms and locations, entering other realms and visiting dead relatives, realized I AMness during the NDE, came back alive and was in a PCE-like state afterwards, and talked about how she healed herself (from stage 4 cancer to cancer being undetectable in 2 weeks) with cosmic energy (similar to Reiki), etc etc. Like I said I have only glanced through but it is quite fascinating that I bought it.

This is a New York Times Bestseller book.

Oh I also bought the Chinese version for my mom. I know she will like it.

https://www.amazon.com/Dying-Be-Me-Journey-Healing/dp/1401937535?fbclid=IwAR2lonTvYEqcRJiRKFHzDhonIpzDSlWiYr6xZ48j_GDzzx8HY9qVAtM7zbI
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Meditation method suitable for those with chronic pain
Someone I know recently asked me for a suitable meditation method as that person is experiencing chronic pain and mindfulness of breathing and body have caused more awareness of that pain that is hard to bear. Although an advanced practitioner may choose to remain mindful of pain until one experiences a state of transcendence devoid of duality and fabrications, I do not think it is a suitable advice for beginners.

For someone with such conditions as chronic pain (and even those without may choose to practice this), I recommend that they practice Awareness Watching Awareness. Turn your attention away from body, mind and world towards Awareness being aware of itself as I AM alone. John Tan (Thusness) confirmed with me that this method is suitable for the person.

Basically, if one sense door is not suitable (say, bodily sensation) you may need to choose another sense door. The I AM door is the subtlest mind of clear light, formless and unperturbed by the pain and afflictions of other sense doors. It is therefore a suitable candidate for meditation and contemplation, for realization and developing mental stillness and stability.

Told that person to read this and get this book:

https://albigen.com/uarelove/

https://www.amazon.sg/Direct-Means-Eternal-Bliss/dp/1937995895/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?keywords=eternal+bliss&qid=1578027429&s=gateway&sr=8-5

This is also similar to the “turning the radiance around” of Shurangama Sutra and Zen Master Chinul, et al.
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How conventional is the ATR progression through the 7 stages?


    Soh Wei Yu
    Soh Wei Yu Myriad Objects: "How conventional is the ATR progression through the 7 stages? Does it relate to any established Buddhist, (ex: Chan or Zen) training significantly?"

    Some correlation, maybe the details are different.

    For example, Dzogchen has many pointers to Awareness and descriptions that are no different from I AM. Which is not exactly 'bad', because IMO the I AM is important. Same for Zen. Same for Thai Forest. It is just that one should be pointed further than that in order not to get stuck there.

     For example, the Dzogchen teacher Malcolm Smith said that in the Dzogchen path, one is first introduced to recognise the clarity aspect of Rigpa, and realization of emptiness only comes much later. John Tan said more than 10 years ago that based on what he understands, Dzogchen practitioners also goes through the 6 phases. However it should be understood that this is just his opinion and may not apply to everyone. There are also some people who did not go through the I AM phase before anatta, as you know, people like Daniel M. Ingram, and Kyle Dixon ( https://awakeningtoreality.blogspot.com/2014/10/advise-from-kyle_10.html ).

     In Mahamudra teachings, different masters give slightly interpretations of maps, but Dakpo Tashi Namgyal's description (source, recommended: Clarifying the Natural State) of the first Yoga of One Pointedness roughly corresponds to the I AM as it describes certainty of Mind, and the descriptions are roughly similar, although not very long descriptions in that book. The rest of the four Mahamudra yogas are about further penetration into the nondual and empty aspect of Mind into non-meditation and spontaneous perfection, therefore many parallels with the Thusness seven phases. I AM realization is precisely the first time you have certainty about what Mind is and thus go beyond mere experiences and glimpses, therefore it is a very important breakthrough -- it is a realization that puts you beyond all doubts. Many years after Thusness wrote the 7 stages (first six in 2006, seventh in 2009), I found that Mahamudra books describe the phases of insights "All is Mind, Mind is Empty, Emptiness is Spontaneous Presence". You can see some kind of similarities to the 7 phases there as well. Of course, these Buddhist traditions do not necessarily go through a phase of reifying a universal consciousness like Vedanta or Kashmir Shaivism (however you might be surprised -- many Zen/Ch'an masters I have seen are stuck at reifying universal consciousness, holding views no different from Brahman), nonetheless many still goes through the I AM, nondual anatta, emptiness to spontaneous perfection. The problem of being stuck at certain phases applies to all traditions, people of any tradition can get stuck anywhere, something I mentioned in https://awakeningtoreality.blogspot.com/2018/12/different-levels-of-awakening-among.html

    In the five ranks of Tozan of Zen ( http://awakeningtoreality.blogspot.com/2008/02/tozan-ryokais-verses-on-five-ranks.html ), the I AM is the first rank (roughly thusness stages 1 to 3), while second rank is nondual and mind body drop (thusness stage 4 to 5), but still on the passive perceptual level. Further stages correspond to spontaneous arising and integration of anatta into activity and total exertion, and entering the marketplace.

    Many modern Zen teachers have also distinguished two distinct phases of I AM realization then nondual-anatta realization, such as Phillip Kapleau Roshi (he calls it Formless Self/Witness realization, and then the collapse of that into nondual anatta, I can't remember which book), Charlotte Joko Beck also spoke of these two stages (see: http://awakeningtoreality.blogspot.com/search/label/Charlotte%20Joko%20Beck ), etc etc. However they do not write very elaborate maps.

    Soto Zen, due to influence of Dogen, is good at pointing to anatta and total exertion. However, most practitioners, even Buddhist practitioners, be it in Zen, Tibetan, or Thai Forest Theravada, are very often stuck at I AM stages, or up to one mind. Thai Forest Tradition's Ajahn Maha Boowa describes two distinct phase in his practice - the I AM/radiant center of being phase and the collapse of the Knower into nondual (One Mind), but still not quite anatta. My previous Buddhist teacher is very much I AM. But it is good that they have ways to point out, introduce Awareness in a direct way.

    Anatta and emptiness insights are rarer, but can be found in each tradition
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    Soh Wei Yu
    Soh Wei Yu Also, on the different classes of Zen koans:

    “...In Zen tradition, different koan were meant for different purposes. For example the experience derived from the koan “before birth who are you?” is not the same as the Hakuin’s koan of “what is the sound of one hand clapping?” The five categories of koan in Zen ranges from hosshin that give practitioner the first glimpse of ultimate reality to five-ranks that aims to awaken practitioner the spontaneous unity of relative and absolute.
    Similarly different techniques can also be devised to allow a practitioner to experience the different qualities of Awareness. The experience of “impersonality” is not the same as the experience of the “pristineness” of our nature; the experience of “oneness” is also not the same experience as spontaneity; the experience of non-dual without a subject and object split does not necessary result in the thorough insight of anatta; the experience of anatta is also not the same experience when a practitioner thoroughly sees the emptiness nature of phenomena. Thus, the master that prescribes the medicine must have deep clarity and wisdom of the view, path, fruition and conditions of the students. It is not a one for all sort of medicine...” - john tan/thusness 2009

     http://awakeningtoreality.blogspot.com/2009/01/syncing-of-view-path-and-fruition.html

    Strength of Bonds and the Syncing of View, Path and Fruition
    awakeningtoreality.blogspot.com
    Strength of Bonds and the Syncing of View, Path and Fruition
    Strength of Bonds and the Syncing of View, Path and Fruition
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    Soh Wei Yu
    Soh Wei Yu Alan Watts, Way of Zen, on the classes of koans:

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    Soh Wei Yu

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    Soh Wei Yu
    Soh Wei Yu

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    Soh Wei Yu
    Soh Wei Yu

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    Soh Wei Yu
    Soh Wei Yu The ten oxherding pictures, I have also commented before previously on how it relate to the stages

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    Soh Wei Yu
    Soh Wei Yu Also I often recommend Ch'an Master Hsu Yun's writings for those practicing Self-Enquiry

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