To which self grasp? Of yesterday? Yesteryear or more? Thee steadfast or thee who lapses? How much peripheral, of what core? To which self grasp? And what for?
Selflessness Reflection
Where has the ticket gone?
Campbell reads Seattle (Mythos 1.2)
Freedoms and Advantages
From “Words Of My Perfect Teacher” ( A guide to the preliminaries for the “Heart-essence of the Vast Expanse” from the Great Perfection)
By: Patrul Rinpoche
Chapter 1 “The difficulty of finding the freedoms and advantages” herein outlined
I. The proper way to listen to spiritual teaching
The proper way to listen to spiritual teachings has two aspects: right attitude and right conduct.
1. Attitude
Right attitude combines…
(1.1) the vast attitude of the mind of enlightenment, bodhichitta,
While doing what is positive, whether of major or minor importance, apply the three supreme methods. Arouse skillful means of bodhichitta to ensure accumulation of positive merit, avoid conceptualization so merit is not destroyed by circumstance, seal action by dedicating accumulated merit.
(1.2) the vast skill in means of Secret Mantrayāna.
“The teacher is the Buddha, the Dharma, the Sangha. The teacher is the one who accomplishes everything. The teacher is Glorious Vajradhara.”
“All beings are Buddhas, but this is concealed by adventitious stains. When their stains are purified their Buddhahood is revealed.”
2. Conduct
Right conduct is described in terms of what to avoid and what to do.
2.1 What to avoid
2.1.1 The three defects of the pot: listening but distracted (pot that leaks), listening without remembering (pot upside down), listening with wrong attitude (pot tainted)
2.1.2 The six stains: pride, lack of faith and effort, outward distraction, inward tension, discouragement
2.1.3 The five wrong ways of remembering: remembering the words but forgetting the meaning, remembering the meaning but forgetting the words, remembering but not understanding, remembering out of order, remembering incorrectly
2.2 What to do
2.2.1 The Four Metaphors: Think of yourself as someone who is sick, the Dharma as the remedy, of your spiritual friend as a skillful doctor, and as diligent practice as the way to recovery
2.2.2 The six transcendental perfections, the application of: generosity, discipline, patience, diligence, concentration, wisdom
2.2.3 Other modes of conduct: all forms of disrespectful behavior should be avoided
II. An Explanation of how difficult it is to find the freedoms and advantages
The main subject of the chapter, explained in four sections
1. Reflect(ing) on the nature of freedom
In general, here, “freedom” means to have the opportunity to practice Dharma, not born in one of the eight states without that opportunity:
“Being born in the hells, in the preta realm, as an animal, a long-lived god or barbarian, having wrong views, being born when there is no Buddha, or being born deaf and mute; these are the eight states without freedom .”
2. Reflect(ing) on the particular advantages related to Dharma
2.1 The five individual advantages
Reflect on the particular advantages of Dharma.
As Nārgājuna explains them, “Born a human, in a central place, with all one’s faculties, without conflicting lifestyle and with faith in the Dharma”
2.2 The five circumstantial advantages
“A Buddha has appeared and has preached the Dharma, His teachings still exist and can be followed, There are those who are kind-hearted towards others.”
2.3 The eight intrusive circumstances that leave no freedom to practice
2.4 The eight incompatible propensities that leave no freedom to practice.
3. Reflect(ing) on images that show how difficult it is to find the freedoms and advantages
”The Buddha declared that like a blind sea turtle that once every one- hundred years surfaces can perchance place its head within a yoke adrift upon a shoreless sea, this human birth is more difficult to obtain.”
4. Reflect(ing) on numerical comparisons
…
Human life is called a “precious human life” only when it is complete with all aspects of the freedoms and advantages. These freedoms and advantages do not come by chance or coincidence. They are the result of an accumulation of merit and wisdom. This present life is the turning-point at which you can choose between lasting good or lasting evil. If you do not make use of it right now to seize the citadel of the absolute nature within this lifetime… it will be hard to obtain such freedom again.
“Although I have won these freedoms, I am poor in Dharma, which is their essence.
Although I have entered the Dharma, I waste time doing other things.
Bless me and foolish beings like me
That we may attain the very essence of the freedoms and advantages.”
Infinite Dark In Light
At all time,
recall as you go about,
That in finite time,
soon even the stars
shall all go out.
The Mojave, Colorado & Sky
Mojave Sunrise
There and Back Again: Queer Lodgings
To bee…
‘Neath autumnal shade, Hibernal solstice portend, Last feast before fast.
On a Deep Vast Ocean
“… the dualistic appearances of delusion are the play on the surface of the mind, like waves on a deep and vast ocean… the uncontrived, nondual appearances of the nature of mind are the display of its innate creative dynamics, similar to the totality of water’s movement throughout the entire ocean.”
from “Milarepa’s Kungfu” by K. Brinnhölzl
What Was as What Is
“Teacher you say “When present in mind what was, and lamenting what shall not be, nescient mind of what is.” Could you elaborate?”
“When we see the empty glass once filled with water we see just that, the empty glass once filled with water.”
“Yet, on deeper reflection comes realization that the empty glass once filled with water is remainder of thirst fulfilled.”
“Likewise, body bereft of spirit is not but reminder of the fulfillment of spirit, that only temporarily embodied its earthen vessel.”
“And as water freed eventually returns to the greater ocean, so too does spirit return to that greater, when freed of self-notion.”
“Mourn not for the body bereft of spirit but rejoice in the fulfillment of the spirit.”
”Do you understand?”
The student upon some reflection replies.
“Mourn not for temporal passing,
Find peace in that everlasting.
Realize the spirit ascending,
Fulfilled by transcending.”
“Good. Good. Very good.”