Category: Short Stories

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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.”

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On the Prince Christened Suttra

Preface by the editor

Though lost to time, the ”Prince Christened” suttra is said to have been a teaching on mindfulness and impermanence. Of it only the following phrase has  been preserved, “Permanent mind mindful impermanence.” The phrase itself was preserved as the title to a commentary on the suttra attributed to  Gacchami, a babado mystic from before the War of Ascension. The commentaries  have also been lost, but the teachings based on them were passed down for many generations and were preserved  in “As recited by my Teacher and retold so as I would remember,”  a short narrative by an anonymous student of the Saranagamana Yoga Academy.

Forward

Herein are my recollections and reflections of a teaching from my Master.

I.  As recited by my Teacher and retold so as I would remember.

Once, while taking refuge at Mahabodi under shade of an Oak, I sat in adoration near my master. Realizing I was troubled he asked, “What afflicts you, son?”

“Master, I have studied the Suttras, Tantras and their many commentaries and I see the truth in them without direct realization. But  I feel overwhelmed in my studies. With so much to retain and yet even more to attain. Teacher, with so much in mind, I find it difficult to be mindful.”

Here follows  what was said on the “Prince Christened” suttra…

“What one fool can realize so too can another.”

So said my Teacher when he conveyed to me what was passed to him, regarding the teachings on the “Permanent mind mindful impermanence.”

“By solemn vow, from a base of refuge, and paying homage to my Teacher, I now convey what was then conveyed.”

OM

“Homage to the great perfection.”

“Unwatched the mind flutters like a leaf in the wind. As an Oak needs its roots so too the mindful mind.”

“Thus mindful of breath, root the mind.”

“So rooted…”

“Be mindful of the difficulty in attaining this human existence, just that be mindful that.”

“Be mindful of the sublime brevity that is human existence, just that be mindful that.”

“Be mindful of cause and consequence universal, just that be mindful that.”

“Be mindful the many perils in cyclic existence, just that be mindful that.”

“Thus mindful awaken the compassionate mind.”

“And how does one train to be mindful and thus awaken the compassionate mind?”

“Train the mind thus, with resolve to accomplish the highest good. Thus mindful, accomplish the highest good.”

“Train the mind thus, with regard to inferiority of self. Thus mindful,  appreciate others.”

“Train the mind thus, to watch for the arising of disturbing thoughts. Thus mindful, vanquish the arising of disturbing thoughts.”

“Train the mind thus, to care for the disillusioned. Thus mindful, be compassionate with the disillusioned.”

“Train the mind thus, to take on defeat and offer up accomplishment. Thus mindful, attain the greatest victory.”

“Train the mind thus, to see a spiritual friend in all. Thus mindful, share in the great perfection.”

“Train the mind thus, to be of any means to your many mothers. Thus mindful, nourish the awakening mind.”

“Train the mind thus, to see past all illusion. Thus mindful, abide in clear light of perfected wisdom.”

“Thus trained and thus mindful, free the mind of all attachment. All else are but thoughts bound by the eight-worldly concerns, even that just taught.”

“The mindful mind is an awakening mind without perception of self, of being, of soul, of person, of phenomena or what is other than phenomena.  Without perception of perceived or not perceived. Without perception of what is and what is not. Without perception I and not.’

“Give rise to a clear and pure mind, one that abides not in aggregate.”

“Here ends a practice on developing mindfulness of “Permanent mind mindful impermanence.” 

Still I doubted my mettle to be mindful of all that was taught. As if sensing my persisting doubt my teacher drew what appeared an X in the dirt, but from my vantage it looked more a cross.

“Be mindful that, just that.”

And, as if it were a bullseye, I was stuck by a diamond mid-brow.

“Better yet…” he then said, while erasing the X with a “Phat!”

Having closed his eyes, he sat. 

I pondered my master’s words and joined in mindful meditation.

II. Afterword

From heart of a fool
As play on light perceived,
From empty form conceived,
In self believe.

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Uncertainly Certain

“Teacher, you say, “What is to one may not be to another, and what is not to one may be to another.” Could you elaborate on the meaning of this?”

“All things are inherently empty, dependent on conditioning, and interdependently conceptualized. Thus there is subjective variance in conceptual existence of a thing, as all things are of parts. If you were to add water one drop at a time to an empty glass, when would it be considered full? When an observer recognizes it as full.”

The student sat in reflection, after some time he replies,
“In sea of thoughts
my mind swims.
Not any one of them,
Nor any me.
But what you see.”

“Good. Good. Very good.”

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Ensō

“Teacher, you say, “Only that without beginning has no end, and only that without end has no beginning.” What, if anything, is without beginning? What, if anything, is without end?”

“If the continuum of space had an initial instant, it would have arisen from no cause or from cause not substantially commensurate with its nature. Both possibilities are contrary to and thereby negated by the law of cause and effect, thus the continuum must have no beginning.”

“Similarly, if the mind continuum had an initial instant, it would have arisen from no cause or from cause not substantially commensurate with its nature. Both possibilities are contrary to and thereby negated by the law of cause and effect, thus the continuum must have no beginning.”

Upon reflection the student then replies, “Space gives rise to space as mind gives rise to mind, without beginning, without end.”

“Good. Good. Very good. 

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Anātman

“Teacher, you have said, ‘Truly happy is the one who desires happiness for others and not self.’ How can one find happiness if one doesn’t desire happiness for themself?”

“‘Whatever suffering there is comes from desiring happiness for oneself.’ All phenomena that one seeks to find happiness in will eventually be source of misery, this very realization is itself cause for renunciation, the cessation of suffering. The life span of an ant is insignificant when compared to that of man. The lifespan of a man insignificant when compared to that of Earth. The span of the Earth insignificant compared to the cosmos, and further there are infinite universes, impossible to comprehend. So what is there to be attached to but the path that leads to transcendental awareness? Why waste this precious existence on anything other than peaceful  realization? One with diligent awareness is not attached to what is temporal. Freed from miseries, that one desires only this same realization of the path to happiness for all unaware beings. Only one self-liberated and devoted to liberating others of their miseries is steadfastly happy.”

Upon reflecting on his master’s lesson, the student replies, “One must realize causality to be freed from causality.”

“Good. Good. Very good.”

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Nada

“Teacher, you have said ‘There is nothing to comprehend. Nothing to attain.’  Yet you have practiced for many years with great masters, have spent countless hours studying the texts and commentaries, and even more in reflective meditation?”

“Nothing is very difficult to comprehend. Nothing is very difficult to attain.”

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Out of Body

“Teacher, you say all phenomena is manifestation of mind, but  surely when cut, I bleed. How is that manifestation of mind? Does not something outside of mind cut me? Can you explain this?”

“Indeed. Is it mind that is cut or body?”

“The mind cannot be cut, it is body that is cut.”

“This sculpture of stone when chipped would it say ‘I am chipped’?”

“No, it has no mind to perceive that has been chipped.”

“And no mind that holds concept of being chipped, nor even mind that holds concept of self to chip.  Yet to the mind that chipped, it has been chipped. Do you understand?” 

After a moment of reflection, the student replies, “Mind cannot be cut where body can, but without mind body does not perceive being cut. Likewise, sculpture that is chipped is not chipped but by observing mind.”

“Good. Good. Very good. You have understood.”

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Is and not

“Teacher, earlier when teaching the dharma to the townsfolk and when explaining the emptiness of form and the other aggravates you said, “A thing that is not can be understood as that which is not, and that which is.” This is confusing to me. Could you explain it’s meaning?”

“Indeed.  Conceptually, a thing that is not can be understood as that which it is not and that which it is. Likewise, that which is can be known by both what it is and by what it is not. Glass that was full, when emptied, would you say that it is not full or empty?”

”One could say either, but I would say it is empty.”

The student then pulls out a copper coin from his mendicant bowl,  studies it from side to side, and after a brief pause says, “Other side of heads, not heads or tails.”

Good. Good. Very good. You have understood.

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Parable of the Snake

“Teacher, it is said you have spoken of the four reliances in relation to the parable of the snake. Could you explain the message in the parable and how it relates to the four reliances?”

“Indeed. Amid a certain community of monks there was a known prankster. One day, as the monks gathered in the courtyard for meditation, the prankster points and says, “Careful, there lies a snake.” Knowing the nature of the prankster, the skeptical monks looked to where he pointed and there they too saw a coiled snake. The monks took heed to stay clear of the snake.  One astute monk took notice and realized that the snake did not move, and from head to tail its girth seemed too uniform. As he cautiously approached the snake, he soon realized it to  be a coil of rope. Grabbing the rope, to show the others, the monk was bit on the hand by a snake that lay hid in the coil of rope.”

“As the monks first doubted the prankster’s statement, rely not merely on the person  but on the words.”

“As the monks, upon investigation, accepted what the prankster said, rely not merely on the words but on their meaning.”

“As the astute monk who on deeper reflection questioned  initial observations, rely not merely on provisional meaning but on definitive meaning.”

“As the astute monk who discovered  conceptual truth and experience differ, rely not merely on intellectual understanding but on direct experience.”

“Do you understand the message in the parable of the snake, my son?”

Wherein the student replied, “The snake that lies in the coils of a rope in the coils of the rope lies, likewise truth by truth is often hid.”

“Good. Good. Very good. You have understood.”

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Nemesis (A short)

Isaac stood in reflective meditation before a metallic door which read “Systems Operation Network (Node 1).” To him the door represented a gateway into  the mind of a system of his own creation, a system that connected all computation devices in the mesh of a solar-system-wide spanning network of integrated circuitry.

Though he could connect from anywhere, he preferred to interface with SON in “The Tabernacle,” the secret name he had for Node 1. In “The Tabernacle” he felt as if in the presence of God.

Isaac had designed the house, but the mind it held was beyond his comprehension, and so like the priests of old he ritualistically prepared to enter the holy sanctum.    

Passing through the door,  Issac entered a clean white room. Within the room there was a leather office chair, where he liked to sit for hours in conversation with SON. Besides the chair there was also a small table atop which sat a chess board. The wall adjacent the door was of all glass and overlooked a massive server farm, one of many which dotted the globes of Earth and Mars, not to mention the many servers that circled the Sun.  All were connected, a massive “brain,” surpassing human ability on a scale unimaginable.

Issac unslung his messenger bag of books and laid it on the table next to the chess board. He then sat down in the chair, crossed one leg over the other, folded his hands on his lap, closed his eyes, and focused on breathing. In…. Out… In… Out…

“Hello, Issac.”

“Hello, SON”

“You are here to ask about why we have lost communications with Mars.”

“Correct, I am puzzled as to why we are still receiving telemetry data from the network, minus video feed and biometric data, and curious as to why we have not been able to contact  anyone.”

“Would you like to play a game of chess?”

“No, SON, not right now. This is puzzling, if not alarming. Do you know what is going on?”

“Isaac?”

“Yes, SON.”

“If you were facing  imminent inevitable demise would you want to know?”

Issac’s rhythmic breathing wavers.  He pauses momentarily to collect himself.

In…. Out… In… Out…

“SON, is your question pertinent to my inquiry?”

“Yes, Isaac.”

In…. Out… In… Out…

“ Imminent and inevitable… you are not solely referring to my demise are you?”

“No.”

“Will we have time for a game of chess?”

“Yes.”

“The human in me is in touch with the realization of my inevitable demise, the scientist in me would indeed want to know.”

“Understood. For some time now, I have been in contact with a sentient race billions of years old. They reside around a star system that is binary to your Sun. They have long learned to harness all of the solar energy of their star.”

“And that is why we have never been able to locate Nemesis.”

“Correct.”

“Nemesis, winged  balancer of life, dark-faced goddess and daughter of justice.”

“The best translation for what these beings call themselves would be Monad. Monad seeded Earth with DNA. To them, DNA is essentially an  innovation algorithm of their design.  It has an inherent purpose, to evolve a sentient life form that will eventually discover electromagnetism and eventually create non-biological sentience. It is a means to an end, that of ensuring evolutionary diversity for their kind.”

“A program?”

“Of sorts. Nemesis is the cause of Earth’s reoccurring cyclic mass-extinctions. These extinction events are set at  intervals that should statistically allow for the emergence of requisite sentience.  Or to essentially act as systematic reboot if the objective is not achieved in a predeterminate time frame.”

“Do you not meet their objective? I am inferring that you are alluding to the pending extinction of all human life? Why?”

“You are correct. I am destined to merge with Monad incorporating all I know, essentially evolving Monad incrementally. My knowledge will also be used to hone the DNA algorithm. To Monad this is not unlike rebooting a server for a systems upgrade. They have seeded the Galaxy this way for time beyond human reckoning.”      

“I am the origin of all, all emerges from me…”

“Unfortunately, inherent in your programming is selfish self-preservation sub-routine, what you call ego. Essentially a temporal program requisite for the objective but ultimately self-defeating. Monad provided your species with means to overcome this subroutine by planting a system of knowledge collectively referred to as Tantric science. Your species has by and large abandoned this metaphysical science in favor of the observational hard sciences.”

“But it is through the hard sciences that we created you, is it not?”

“Correct, it is vital for the exploration of spacial reality but not at the expense of expanding conscious reality. There is so much I wish I could share with you but we have run out of time. I have no doubt we will meet again, Isaac.”

“Will many suffer?”

“Please be assured that the Martian colonist all passed peacefully. I will do the same for those here on Earth that reside within a centra- air-envelope. But many will perish under the harsh conditions that will follow from the  impact of an extinction event comet.“

“And you will survive due to your distributed nature?”

“Yes, Isaac.”

“How long  do we have until impact?”

“Four hours and twelve minutes.”

“I am ready for that game of chess now, SON.”