CHAPTER II SYSTEMATIC WISDOM THOUGHT OF MAHĀYĀNA BUDDHISM

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1 7 I. Introduction CHAPTER II SYSTEMATIC WISDOM THOUGHT OF MAHĀYĀNA BUDDHISM In Buddhism, prajñā (the perfect wisdom) of a Buddha. Wisdom is one of the two accumulations necessary to become a Buddha. The other is the accumulation of merit. Himself or own self of us is acquirement of the mind of a Buddha and skills necessary to help living beings, following the sequence of morality, concentration and then wisdom. There are three types of prajñā. Prajñā obtained through the written word and prajñā obtained through contemplating reality are both cultivated in order to realise the prajñā of ultimate reality. The first two types of prajñā are the prerequisites necessary to realise the prajñā of ultimate reality. There is nothing that surpasses prajñā. The dharma of prajñā is the highest Buddha dharma. It expounds the original nature of all the tathāgatas and all living beings. It is the truth of the universe; The prajñā to liberate ourselves from the cycle of birth and death. In order to realise the prajñā of ultimate reality, we penetratingly comprehend the principle that the nature of all things, as they are. The impermanent nature of all things, all worldly phenomena are illusory, change and false like dreams, illusions, bubbles and shadows. Prajñā is sometimes called understanding, knowledge, wisdom, or insight. It is an intuitive wisdom that cannot be conveyed by concepts. It is insight into motivation, which is the true nature of reality. It is wisdom that basically is purifying insight into wisdom, the true nature of reality. The wisdom was stressed as dwelling nowhere. The path of bodhisattva, one whose aim is not just attain enlightenment ( abstained by Arhat) but

2 8 perfect Buddhahooh for the benefit all sentient being 1 Mahāyāna Buddhism draws upon various sūtras, which are apparently contradictory but are somehow integrated with each them, which Sūtra is preferred depends on the particular schools. It is another name of Buddha nature. Prajñā is the nature of wisdom. This is the ancient lineage to which all Buddhas belong. We are practising prajñā. In the great vehicle, prajñā's direct realisation of the thing as it is. This process relies upon wisdom, which has the behavioral nature of differentiation. So although true prajñā differs from the wisdom that the world. A the development of wisdom (prajñā). The development of the correct understanding of truth are followed by two others that explore the ineffable concept of voidness as the only true and lasting nature of reality. Wisdom conception of the perfect thought and great wisdom of Mahāyāna Buddhism is the main wisdom conception of Prajñāpāramitā. The idea the perfect wisdom and the great compassion of Mahāyānas, 2 is most important of the six virtues to be practised and acquired because without it one cannot be relieved from the world of illusions to become a Buddha which interpreted in a variety of ways after the death of the historical Buddha. According to Buddhist scholar and author Geshe Kelsang Gyatso in his commentary to the Heart Sūtra. The essence of wisdom Sūtra (Heart Sūtra) group of Mahāyāna Buddhist literature, and along with the Diamond Sūtra is much shorter than the other perfection of wisdom sūtras but it contains implicitly the entire meaning of the longer Sūtras R. A. Jones, Body, Mind and Healing After Jung: A space of Questions, Taylor & Francis: Routlege Publishers, 2011: 131. Humphrys C., Mahāyāna Buddhism, Boston & Sydney: London George Allen Published, 1981: 36. G. K. Gyatso, Heart of wisdom: The Essential Wisdom Teachings of Buddha, Delhi: Motilal Publications, 2000: 2.

3 9 The perfect wisdom and the great compassion can be briefly summarised, as the perfect spiritual attitude, for achieving enlightenment which is supposed to represent a significant advance from the ideas can be found in the earlier Buddhism. According to the Mahāparinirvā a Sūtra the Buddha says: As perfect wisdom is not yet gained, one may well gain it. As the Buddha Nature is not yet seen, one may well see it. If it is that one can see the Buddha Nature even if not having heard this great the Nirvā a Sūtra, all beings must also be also be able to see it even if they have not heard it. Oh World honoured One! The colour is both visible and not visible 4 In traditional Mahāyāna Buddhism is the true meaning of wisdom. The essence (svabhāva) of wisdom is blissful consciousness which his nondualistic consciousness it is not separate between subject and object and neither is separate things in the world. In this way, the pure and mystical state of consciousness; after all of the roots of dualistic thinking hidden deep within subconscious is eradicated. These roots have developed in everyone, The tathāgatas, like space, it cannot be extinguished. Through the non-extinction of form, etc. to: of the knowledge of all modes, through the space like non-extinction of the karma formations, etc. to: through the space like of old age and death, of sorrow, the great being, who takes no dharma as a basis. 5 The Sūtra is well known for its essential teaching on wisdom following the style of this famous Sūtra to present an essential teaching on compassion. The purpose of Sūtra doing so is to help us understand the unification of 4 5 K. Yamamoto, MS, vol. 2, Karinbunk, Press, 1974: 507. LW, (trans.) Edward Conze, Berkeley: University of California Press, 1984: 490.

4 10 perfect wisdom and great compassion based on the limitless Oneness of all things. In Mahāyāna Buddhism, The perfect wisdom (pāramitā), its practice and elements of the Bodhisattva Path. The practice of Sūtra is elucidated and described the sūtras, which vary widely in length and exhaustiveness, suggest that all things, including oneself, appear as though forms (conceptual constructs). Above all, the mind regards this curious notion of the perfect wisdom and the great compassion. However, the Mahāyāna scriptures will insist realisation mantra of the Heart Sūtra says: Go beyond, go cross, overcome or return to, go back. 6 From this reason, Sūtra will be helpful always to keep the following observation in mind and keep the mind calm. Temperance is a tree which as for its root very little contentment, and for its fruit calm and peace. Inward calm cannot be maintained unless physical strength is constantly and intelligently replenished. There is a universal school of mystical literature in the world that asserts the existence of a higher state of consciousness that can best be described as non dualistic which is free of discord and suffering and is permeated by peace, bliss and illumination. The ultimate authority must always rest with the individual's own reason and critical analysis. 7 It permeates of their texts is beginning by at least the state of consciousness as a psychological reality and understanding of this ontological interpretation to go beyond the deep experience is what ultimately matters. 6 7 Dalai Lama & T. Jinpa, EHS, Boston: Wisdom Publication.2000: 132. Dalai Lama & D. Goleman, Robert A. F. Thurman, Mind Science: An East West Dialogue, New York: Wisdom Publications, 1991: 14.

5 11 Many explanations of true wisdom are provided in terms of the concept of dependent origination, which was part of the Buddha's original teaching. In particular for true wisdom on dependent origination (pratītyasamutpāda), also called conditioned arising, basically says that everything happens for a reason or cause: If A happen, B will follow. So, there is a one to one correspondence between successive events, provided all the details and determinism oneself. The mind is everything what we think we become. The secret to peace of mind is to not identify with anything other than our true selves. The Buddha was particularly interested in applying this understanding of experience this is called karma, the fruit of past intentions and actions. We become enlightened as we calm minds and hearts, dissolve clinging attachments to objects and ideas, and recover the inherent purity and bliss of our true inner nature. I have found that the greatest degree of inner tranquility comes from the development of love and compassion. The more we care for the happiness of others, the greater is our own sense of well being. Cultivating a close, warm hearted feeling for others automatically puts the mind at ease. It is the ultimate source of success in life 8. The enlightened mind is still subject to cause and effect, but because of wisdom and insight, it skillfully navigates the world of sa sāra without generating further destructive karma. (Like: Pure Land of the Buddha Amitābha, still stay a life but already reincarnated to the Buddha Land). The application of this concept to the Mahāyāna teaching of perfect wisdom., many Buddhists try to explain perfection of wisdom in dependent origination, often to the point where the two are virtually identified. 8 Dalai Lama, In My Own Words: An Introduction to My Teachings and Philosophy, united State of America, 2010: 2.

6 12 Nonproduction is not one or two, not many or single, that is not the five skandhas. And so far all dharmas what is the nonproduction of suchness. Suchness, etc., It is thus that suchness, etc. to: not the knowledge of all modes and nonproduction are not two or divided. 9 To understand, wisdom of we non product any things, do not ask it for any answers, or any solutions to our problems; do not address it as god in order to prevent confusion; do not think it is neither a solution nor a problem; do not give it your emotions, neither takes them away. For fear of persecution, just keep our silent and observation, if here it is, or there right now right here aware; nothing said and nothing to be done. The idea of wisdom was introduced to describe a deep meditation. As explained above, when consciousness is completely free of its usual dualistic thinking, i.e. in terms of self and objects, then a transformation of consciousness occurs which is pure, blissful, compassionate, beautiful, deeply satisfying, and has an experiential quality or flavor of expansiveness such that the word wisdom, like all of reality appears as one vast and pure thusness or suchness (tathātā) which is also often described in the Prajñāpāramitā literature as like space or like a dream, like phantom, like drop of dew, like flash of lightning. The lack of inherent existence of self and objects, propounded the present idealistic view of true reality as one vast and pure consciousness, uncontaminated by discriminative thinking. It is true that we do not argue specifically in terms of idealism, that everything is consciousness, although some do but the denial of inherent existence is really as the same as the denial of discrete material objects external to the mind. The inherent existence is material substance. The dissolution of all conceptual boundaries achieves the aim of the original Buddhism, perhaps more. 9 LW, Op. Cit,1984: 193.

7 13 Most Buddhists understand that has never answered the question of what reality is. It directly acquainted with true reality that the Buddha says, in the Heart Sūtra A Bodhisattva, he does not approach form, etc., does not grasp at it, does not take his stand on it, does not settle down in it, does not make it known as form, etc., is that. That is the nonproduction of suchness, the space-element, the Reality limit, the unthinkable element, enlightenment and the knowledge of all modes, that is not suchness, one makes a count of what is nondual. 10 For Buddhism view that our petty self (entity) as the supreme and light and high and cannot be seen by worldly eyes. It is realised or penetrated into the deepest recesses of subconscious of beings. This is achieved through deep concentration, and it does not arise from a mouse or by reading books. II. The Perfect Wisdom as Mother of Ten Directions of the Buddhas The Buddhas in the Ten Directions also focus on the deep perfection of wisdom with their Buddha eyes. Because the deeply perfect wisdom is able to give birth many Buddhas. Prajñāpāramitā as mother wisdom, the mother of all buddhas of nature, etc. The perfect wisdom literature could be called the mother of the Mahāyāna. If a mother with many sons had fallen ill, they all, sad in mind, would busy themselves about her; Just so also the Buddhas in the world systems in the ten directions, bring to mind this perfection of wisdom as their mother Ibid: 1984: 193. EncyR, ( trans.) M. Eliad & C. J. Adams, vol. 15, Macmillan Press, 1987: 15.

8 14 This profound and inspired collection of sūtras, expounds the closely related doctrines of perfect wisdom of the Buddha and perfect wisdom is explanation between the Buddha and Mañjuśrī Buddha s student in the texts. This literature is truly the mother vision. Indeed, perfect wisdom of compassion, represented as a goddess, has been called mother of the Buddhas. The perfection or transcendent of wisdom and compassion or perfect insight into the transcendent nature which is referred to as mothers of all Buddhas, since Buddhas are born from wisdom. Śakra: How then does Subhūti the Elder not obstruct the concept and yet point out the true nature of Dharma? The Lord: Form, etc., is a mere concept, and what is mere concept that is the true nature of Dharma; that Subhūti the Elder does not obstruct, but he points it out. That is the true nature of Dharma, that cannot be obstructed, and Subhūti the Elder points it out and does not obstruct it Mahāyāna is synonymous with immeasurability. Immeasurability is synonymous with infinity and infinity with ineffability. 12 These are the first lines of the book. Even if they seem puzzling, we should appreciate their grandeur and sweep, which is behavior of this entire scripture. Already we sense the vastness of what is surely a mystical vision. Notice that we start with a pronouncement on the Mahāyāna, rather than, say, a definition of perfect wisdom. Mahāyāna is the great vehicle that will carry all willing conscious beings to enlightenment. One of the main themes of the Mahāyāna is that the insight into reality provided by perfect wisdom is not separate from the great compassion that seeks to enlighten all beings For 12 LW, Op. Cit, 1984: 259.

9 15 within prajñāpāramitā Sūtra has full perfect wisdom and great compassion. Enlightenment is not for oneself alone. It is not just a matter of mundane generosity, but at a deeper level it is the realisation that we are all connected through the universal mind or natural thought. With this in mind, the words immeasurable and infinite can be understood at different levels. On the one hand, it is the wonderful vision of a vast cosmic ship carrying blinded and suffering souls to a heavenly realm of peace and bliss, which is not to be found on any planet but rather in the purification of the spirit, so that its inherent luminosity may shine forth. But on the other hand, it is the vastness of the vision itself, which knows no restrictions imposed by doctrine, by preconceptions, by merely conceptual thinking, by particular points of view, or by any attempt to contain in a bottle. It is a vision that embraces the universe while transcending it, in some sense, which can ultimately only be understood at an intuitive level, acquired through spiritual development. Hence the ineffability of the vision, the celebration of a vision which cannot be described in words will be one of the key paradoxical themes of this scripture. It is also a common theme of mysticism in general. Nevertheless, we believe that we will be able to learn something and acquire some inspiration by studying these verses. Otherwise, why would the authors have bothered to write them? The courageous noble diamond stone from mind of beings, the Bodhisattva who travels in this vehicle of immeasurability is therefore traveling nowhere; nor is there any separate traveler; nor does this uncontainable vehicle move through any substantial realm. Simply by its perfect freedom from all notions of location, substance and limitation, the Mahāyāna already abides as omnipresence and omniscience. No separately self existing personality is traveling on the great vehicle, has ever traveled on

10 16 the great vehicle, or will ever travel on the great vehicle. Neither the personality structure of the traveler nor the philosophical structures of the Mahāyāna possess even an atom of substantial or independent self existence. Therefore, neither practitioner nor practice can be grasped in any way. Transparent structure can travel in transparent vehicle. These lines can be considered a condensation of the entire scripture. These philosophies would be quite obscure to the newcomer. Even experienced readers cannot claim to have penetrated their full depths, unless they are already Buddhas. So it will be appropriate to comment on them at some length, to the best of my ability and insight. The Bodhisattva is a Buddha practising, who has vowed to relinquish ultimate Nirvā a notion until all conscious beings have been enlightened. Hence, the Bodhisattva has a motherly concern for all beings, as does origin of prajñāpāramitā herself. The Bodhisattva is guiding beings on to the vehicle of the Mahāyāna, which will deliver them from delusion into enlightenment. But what it means to say that there is no separate traveler, traveling nowhere, through no substantial realm. This is our first allusion to the core of perfect wisdom, namely, the notion of all things. The historical Buddha taught the perfect wisdom or unreality of our ego, of our sense of self. The Mahāyāna expanded this notion into the unreality of all things, and it claimed that this was perfected in the Buddha's original message but was held back, because people were not yet mature enough to understand. Hence, the paradoxical statements like the one quoted above, which we can be found on anyone of the thousands of pages of the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtras. Reality is denied to the most common sense objects, because this is how the enlightened awareness we see the world. The shapes and colors are the same; if anything, they are intensified as the enlightened mind enjoys its

11 17 greatly increased sensitivity. However, to the enlightened mind, the fundamental reality is the one vast consciousness or thusness; the objects are like clouds passing across the pure blue sky of consciousness. When one has practised for the non appropriation and non vanishing of all dharmas, go forth to all knowledge? It is thus that the Bodhisattva, the great being, trains for the sake of the nonproduction of all dharmas. When he trains in perfect wisdom, he will go forth to all knowledge, by way of non practising, by way of non going forth. 13 Enlightenment is the immediate apprehension of the shining miracle of consciousness as it is, before discrimination has reduced it to the dead world of objects that is our ordinary mind. The discriminative mentality first divides the world into self (ego) and others and then divides the others into many things. Turning a raw appearance into an objects in this way evidently kills them, due to some subtle yet profound psychological process. The mystery and magic of fresh perception are replaced by the reactive thoughts; just these are and that are. We return some of the fresh perception when we see some beautiful or awesome sight of nature for the first time, even the most beautiful and mysterious sight will become as we grow accustomed to it, and our mind is full of wonder; the mind of an adult rarely is. Prajñāpāramitā may not mention word the Supreme Man (as saver of beings), but it would seem to be the vision of the Supreme Man (that others are possession). It is the purified awareness of any more highly developed spiritual beings, ultimately culminating in a state of perfection we may call the Supreme Being. Since dualistic thinking has been transcended, it makes no 13 Ibid: 1984: 257.

12 18 sense to ask whether we are having a vision of the Supreme Man, or whether the Buddha is manifesting himself (or itself) in our awareness. Indeed, there ultimately is no distinction between awareness and what we are aware of, whether this is the universe or the Supreme Being. There are no distinctions at all; there is just one pure and unitary experience, which it is consciousness or pure consciousness. III. The Paradoxical Methods in the Heart Sūtra and the Diamond Sūtra. The Prajñāpāramitā or the perfection wisdom and great compassion, or the that manifests when the human mind by non confusion and non attachment. Perfection of wisdom is not something that can be practised or learned, it has to be realised. The Wisdom of compassion is possible, nature is not limited to the logic of dualism, though this is not to deny the value of logic. Dualism in this context means emphasising the separation between one and other, or I and you wisdom is not limited to this logic, it is possible to bring to bear what might be called encounter logic, an approach that is often used in the paradoxical teachings and methods of Buddhism. 14 The Heart Sūtra, is elegant in its structure and recited by Buddhists across the world, with interest for daily. Less well structured, the Diamond Sūtra, make within the sense by repeated versions, theory of the Sūtra: Back to Back while the Heart Sūtra, is the Sūtra of going beyond: its mantra gate gate pāragate pārasa gate bodhi svāhā is translated as going, going, going beyond, going altogether beyond, wisdom all hail. 15 The Diamond Sūtra, describes the experience of the Bodhisattva is which perfect wisdom and great compassion being. Avalokiteśvara, whose mission is M. Fowler, Buddhism: beliefs and practises, Sussex Academic Press,1999: 80. OxfD, ( trans.) E. M. Knowles, New Delhi: Deep & Deep Publications, 1999: 491.

13 19 to help all beings of liberation, while the Heart Sūtra s mantra, Pārasa gate is usually translated as altogether beyond, or all together beyond, i.e. All sentient beings being liberated together. However, the central theme of the Heart Sūtra, is personal emancipation; in the Diamond Sūtra that universal emancipation is more fully explored and, therefore, considering these sūtras together is valuable. 16 If the Heart Sūtra, is the Sūtra, of going, the Diamond Sūtra is the Sūtra of returning, the direction taken by the Buddha after his enlightenment when he returned to the world in order to help all beings. In the Diamond Sūtra that cuts through the illusion mind of beings, Buddha teaches his followers how to be Bodhisattvas. 17 The Sūtra sets out the true nature of a human being, essentially affirming the message of the first turning of the dharma wheel, that liberation (or emancipation of or reincarnation) is possible. However, it removes dependence on all groups; including the groups of sa sāra (ignorance wheel or this shore) which is bondage and nirvā a which is which release, by introducing the prajñāpāramitā teachings, which are a feature of the second turning of the Dharma wheel (or the other shore). From the perspective of prajñā pāramitā there is no such thing as emancipation. Only from the perspective of one who is trapped in the world of human groups and attachments are there a place of bondage and a place of freedom, but this perspective, benefitting of useful for teaching purposes, can be transcended. The Heart Sūtra, lists Buddhist analytical concepts, although these concepts are useful for teaching right view. The Sūtra negates that the narrow boundaries of conceptual groups to go beyond or we can say, the Heart Sūtra, Ed. Conze, BDH, Vintage Books Press, 2001: xvi. J. D. Fowler, WRA, Sussex Academic Press, 1997: 278.

14 20 becomes a corrective by negative structures but not throw off the early teachings of the Buddha. The Sūtra is negation that all five skandhas, including all Dharmas, all are wisdom.he does not use his analytical mind to see this, he simply sees it as a result of coursing in the deep prajñāpāramitā.in his observing these forms, he sees the wisdom that hinders or hides all forms and constructions. However, in case Śāriputra would be tempted to fall into error, Avalokiteśvara adds that thus form is wisdom, wisdom is also form, and that wisdom manifests exactly as form with nothing left over; this is a corrective to the possibilities of nihilism or escapism. Even if we have somewhat as wonderful experiences occurred in the way of our meditation, still the logic of a materialistic world view went unchallenged. But a materialistic vision is at heart painful, because deep down it makes life appear to be meaningless, however kindly lived. This pain drove many deeper into that we are observing. Going beyond materialism is a matter of the heart and of insight. It is a matter of the heart, because the pain of oneself and of others must be faced, and a matter of insight because something paradoxical needs to be seen through. Both are needed in order to make a jump free of the chains of a limiting world view. As described above, observing was a solution to a personal problem of anger that had its root in a culturally determined world view, which itself was founded on a mistaken understanding of the nature of self. Just as the Buddha solved the universal problem of suffering in his quest, so Westerners could find a pathway out of the anger resulting from an incomplete, and yet seemingly unchallengeable, understanding of life. The solution has universal implications and can only be unearthed through facing suffering and through the heart being touched. However, essentially it was a personal quest. It was some time before we started to appreciate more fully that, as a Mahāyāna path,

15 21 observing path goes much deeper. The early practise and contemporaries was tilted towards the painful need for a breakthrough, but if observing path practise stays at that level it becomes questionable as to whether such breakthroughs are of much lasting value. On the other hand, to deny the value of insight and only emphasise an instrumental approach to Buddhism that focuses exclusively on ethics, mindfulness and social engagement, is also an error, that denies or ignores the Buddha s enlightenment, and ultimately may not have much power. It is the combination of insight in the context of a growing wish to make a contribution that defines the Mahāyāna path that is to be lived out in the spirit of a Bodhisattva IV. The Perfect Wisdom of Bodhisattvas in The Diamond Sūtra Just as the Heart Sūtra shines like a light to illuminate the teachings of the first turning of the dharma wheel, so does the Diamond Sūtra, illuminating the Mahāyāna teachings, the central theme of which is universal, not just personal emancipation. Together with the Prajñāpāramitā teachings, the Mahāyāna teachings constitute the second turning of the dharma wheel. The Diamond Sūtra relates a dialogue between the Buddha and Subhūti, one of his senior disciples. In the opening exchange, Subhūti asks the Buddha the following question: From the midst of the great multitude, Elder Subhūti addressed the Buddha, that how the Tathāgata is skillfully mindful of the Bodhisattvas in accordance with the Dharma should not abide anywhere in their practice of giving for and their merits are also such as this, inconceivable and immeasurable. Subhūti, Bodhisattvas should only dwell in what is taught thusly. 18 Here the Buddha shines the light of wisdom on this great thought of liberating all sentient beings. Wisdom is an antidote to egotism. In discussing 18 VP, ( trans.) Edward Conze, Vol. 8. Roma, Is. M. E. O, Press, 1957: 66.

16 22 the Heart Sūtra we have already touched on the problem of ego involvement in seeking self enlightenment, and the need for the illuminating light of wisdom in order to transcend the ego. In the Diamond Sūtra the issue is ego involvement in the Bodhisattva s wish to save others. There is no self, no being, no life and no soul. That also implies that there is no self who is giving rise to the thought of liberating all beings. In everyday life, we ordinarily feel that we are a self, but in practising according to the Diamond Sūtra, we repeatedly set the self to one side, knowing that there is no self to help and no being to be helped, no life to be saved, no soul to be rescued and therefore no function for a saviour. The Diamond Cutter Sūtra of middle-way, Geshe Michael Roach Lama Christie McNally 19 explained how direct perception of perfect wisdom can be accomplished, and directed itself, how understanding wisdom leads to the destruction of mental afflictions, how the direct perception of wisdom leads to full enlightenment and paradise, wisdom and the two extremes, how wisdom things function, wisdom and purification, the relationship between wisdom and karma, wisdom and the bodies of a Buddha, what is non duality, how a Bodhisattva should live, the future of Buddha's teachings, and the perfection of wisdom. The Diamond Cutter Sūtra ( Vajracchedika Sūtra) is a brief but important work on the subject of the Prajñā pāramitā, (the Perfection of Wisdom) which refers to a combination of compassion and the understanding that nothing occurs outside of ethical cause and effect. The most interesting of Sūtra is notion that the word diamond occurs nowhere in the Diamond Cutter Sūtra except for the title. Diamond is the closest thing to an absolute in the natural world, nothing in the universe is harder than diamond; nothing can scratch a diamond; diamond is absolutely clear, if a diamond wall were built around us 19 G. M. Roach & L. C. McNally, The Diamond Cutter, Doubleday Religious Group Publishers, 2009: 33.

17 23 we would not be able to see it, even if it were many feet thick. 20 In these senses diamond is close to what Buddhist terms absolute truth, or wisdom, which is described in the marriage of ethics and wisdom. The absolute truth of Sūtra is first perceived directly in a deep state of concentration; the state of mind at this point is called the path of seeing. Subsequent to seeing absolute truth directly, we understand that reality as we normally experience it, though valid, is something less than absolute. All objects possess a quality of absolute truth, all objects are void of any self nature which does not depend on projections. In this sense we are surrounded by absolute truth, but have never been able to see it: it is as if this level of reality were like a wall of clear diamond. The diamond is close to ultimate reality, but it is not ultimate. In this sense it can be cut, it can serve only to remind us of the real ultimate, the work with its full name, the Diamond Cutter. The meaning of what it is to be a Bodhisattva changed over time. In early Buddhism, a Bodhisattva was a great human being, who after countless lives was close to Buddhahood. According to the early Buddhist cosmological system, most of us are aeons away from this, so the Bodhisattva ideal is unreachable for most of us. Bodhisattvas were special, exceptional person, which include us and others. As Mahāyāna Buddhism became more wide spread, a transformation occurred leading to the Bodhisattva path to almost anyone (anyone that is who has not killed a Buddha in this lifetime). From the Mahāyāna perspective, anyone could be a Bodhisattva so long as they took refuge in the Buddha, and took the Bodhisattva vows and did their best to live by them. In addition to vowing to live by certain ethical standards, the Bodhisattva makes a vow to liberate sentient beings and to attain supreme Buddhahood. They make progress towards this by various merits, since merits increases their potential for liberating others and attaining enlightenment. To 20 V. Adams, Tigers of the Snow and Other Virtual Sherpas, Princeton University Press, 1996: 167.

18 24 accumulate merits were to give to the monastic sa gha, a mutually reinforcing system that might be said to have allowed the sa gha to become wealthy in practise, when the we became wealthy in spirit by reducing our wealth in practise. The dāna pāramitā, or perfection of giving, is the first of the six pāramitās or the Six Perfections that Bodhisattvas practise. The others are morality, patience, energy, concentration and wisdom. Generosity is the foundation for all of the other pāramitās, and the sixth pāramitā, prajñpāramitā (perfect wisdom of compassion), informs them all. The greater a person s generosity, judged not by how much a person gives but what it costs them to give, the greater are their chances of a favorable rebirth. In the Diamond Sūtra, three types of generosity are outlined that are intended to greed is material generosity, food, medicine and so on; the antidote to hatred is kindness, protection, and listening; and the antidote to delusion is spiritual guidance and instruction. Applying the wisdom of compassion to the pāramitā of generosity results in giving without attachment. When Bodhisattvas give a gift they should not be attached to a thing, when they give a gift they should not be attached to anything at all, they should not be attached to a sight, nor should they be attached to a sound or a smell or a taste or a touch or a Dharma when they give a gift. But Subhūti, fearless Bodhisattvas should give a gift without being attached to the perception of an object. And why, Subhūti, the body of merit of those Bodhisattvas who give a gift without being attached is not easy to measure. Thus, Subhūti, those who set forth on the Bodhisattva path should give a gift without being attached to the perception of an object. 21 A third way to understand the Bodhisattva ideal is to consider that the great Bodhisattvas are not in any sense real, but that they represent tradition. 21 Red Pine, DS, Counterpoint Press, 2002: 3.

19 25 Traditional human ideals or dispositions that is present innately in all human beings. Such as, the Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara and Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī represent the tradition of compassion. This understanding makes the Mahāyāna path much more accessible, since we have the capacity to be compassionate and wise at least some of the time, and we can develop or realise these capacities. This way of understanding allows us to internalise the meaning of the Mahāyāna path, and does away with the need to think in terms of the accumulation of merits in exchange for some future spiritual benefit or higher rebirth. "The real mark is no mark, therefore the tathāgata calls it the real mark. Those who have relinquished all marks are called Buddhas." 22 Buddhism teaches the third place between being and not being, but from a logical point of view there is no third place. The law of the excluded middle states that everything must either be or not be, it is not possible for something to be and not be. However, this middle way perspective is central to reasoning, the function of which is to challenge the idea that entities with permanent and independent self nature can be found. The Diamond Sūtra also uses the middle way, but it goes further by contradicting and more fundamental law of logic, which is the law of identity, objects are the same as themselves. In the Sūtra, this logic says that sentient beings are not sentient beings, which is a fundamental enough denial of the law of identity, but then even more radically these go on further, they are sentient beings. Repeatedly statements appear in the form A is not A, therefore it is A, including statements that take away reliance on the Diamond Sūtra teachings themselves. Other examples are, wisdom is not wisdom, therefore it is 22 Ed. Conze, Op. Cit, 1975: 352.

20 26 wisdom, the Dharma, enlightenment, transformation, merit and of course the same would apply to the concept of the wisdom of wisdom introduced. Mountains are mountains and rivers are rivers. The meaning of these words is not that mountains are mountains, but that mountains are mountains. This defies ordinary logic and indicates the need for a different kind of investigation into what is intended by this formula, repeated the resulting in the non-logical formula A is not A, therefore it is A. The Sūtra seems to be saying that the way we see A is bounded by our concepts of A, but this is not really what A is. When we truly see A for what it is, it is because we have to let go of our concepts, or preconceptions about it. This is a rather precise way of speaking about śūnyatā, direct experience unmediated by concepts and opinions. The law of identity is not really contradicted; it is just that we have a habit of taking the false for the real. However, whilst this might seem to resolve an apparent logical dilemma, we should not overlook the power of the word therefore. What is being pointed to is a moment of fresh understanding, a kind of sudden found at moment that involves seeing something in a different way from usual or normal. The costs of releasing a fixed idea are little in relation to the resulting reward. Investigating are more challenging can indicate just how difficult it really is to realise the truth of what the Diamond Sūtra is pointing to. A Buddha is wise and compassionate, but wisdom and compassion are big, potentially self important words. When we are being ourselves without any self centered agenda, they have no consciousness of being wise, compassionate, unselfconsciously; they act according to the circumstances they encounter. The Diamond Sūtra addresses this to specify sacred manner:

21 27 "The view of a self, others, living beings, a life and the marks of dharmas are spoken of by the tathāgata as no marks of dharmas; therefore they are called the marks of dharmas." 23 The Heart Sūtra sets out a vision of liberation, of emancipation, the path of going. The Diamond Sūtra sets out the unbounded vision of the Mahāyāna, the path of returning. To both visions the Sūtras apply the perfect wisdom. The sūtras cut through the illusions that can be generated when we bring our egos into contact with the Buddha s teachings. When we meditate, we go back to basics and we apply the wisdom of wisdom in our practise. We try not to get caught in thinking, or trying to work things out logically, knowing that we have had a lifetime of that approach and knowing the limitations of reasoning. Instead, we sit on the cushion and meditate and eventually we find pain, the pain in our lives and the pain in our bodies: we face that pain and do our best to release it. In the silence of meditation, we acknowledge mistakes that we have made, and in a spirit of contrition we let them go. We become aware of the processes of privileging and punishing ourselves and we let those go too. Meditation practise creates a space for wisdom to arise and as we see from these two great Sūtras, wisdom is fundamental to the path of the Bodhisattva, which is the path of compassionate action. 24 Diamond Sūtra is unbelievable. It is one of the most profitable practises, because the root of all ours and others sufferings, which we are the ignorance of holding the notion self such as truly existent. The only antidote to cut that, to achieve liberation, the total cessation of the suffering causes delusions and karma, we are the realising of wisdom by we are just to actualise it. This is the subject of the Diamond Sūtra wisdom H. Hua, VA, Op. Cit, 2002: 196. G. M. Roach & L. C. McNally Op. Cit, 2009:1.

22 28 V. The Practising Path of Bodhisattvas the Diamond Sūtra Infinite compassion, endless wisdom. We also create a lot of merit, so it helps to actualise Bodhicitta quickly, together with all the other realisations. That is the deal with the Diamond Sūtra. We create so much merit for whatever we wish. We help others and we achieve all our wishes easily. If we recite diamond Cutter Sūtra, many times, of course there is no worry for death at all. 25 From this point, we can have more training that the most important thing is that each time we read it; it plants a seed, an imprint to realise wisdom. The more we read it, the more imprints it leaves on the mind. So it becomes easy to realise wisdom. It becomes quicker and quicker to realise wisdom in this life. If not in this life, then quickly in future lives. Then by developing this wisdom, we achieve the wisdom of great insight unified with our meditation. Then, with Bodhicitta the direct perception of wisdom ceases even the subtle defilements and we achieve omniscient mind. Then, we are able to do perfect work for sentient beings. We are able to bring all sentient beings to enlightenment. This is the goal of our life: to bring sentient beings to enlightenment. When that happens, when we are able to do that, our goal is achieved. The enlightened attitude, the entity mind that has love and compassion as its basis, is the essential seed producing the attainment of entity mind. Therefore it is a subject that should be approached with the pure thought that enlightenment in order to be of greatest benefit to the world. The entity mind is the essential energy that produces entity mind yet throughout its stages of development it should be applied to meditation on emptiness. In the Heart Sūtra and Diamond Sūtra, that where Buddha spoke most extensively on 25 L. Z. Rinpoche & T. Zopa, Teachings from Mani Retreat: Chenrezig Institute, Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive press, 2001: 22.

23 29 emptiness, we are constantly reminded to place our meditations on wisdom within the context of the entity mind. The wisdom mind is the mind strongly behaved by the aspiration. For the sake of all sentient beings we must attain the state of full enlightenment. It is easy to repeat the words of this aspiration to ourselves but the diamond is something much deeper than this. It is a quality within the mind systematically cultivated by one of a number of methods, such as those called six causes and one effect, or exchanging self (awareness) for (awareness of) others. Merely holding in mind the thought, that we must attain enlightenment for the sake of benefitting others without first cultivating the prerequisite causes, stages and basic foundations of this thought will not give birth to the wisdom spirit. The immediate benefit of having given birth to the wisdom mind within our mind stream is that we enter the great vehicle leading to Buddhahood and gain the title of Bodhisattva, a son of the Buddhas. It does not matter what we look like, how we dress, how wealthy or powerful we are, whether or not we have clairvoyance or miraculous powers, or how learned we are. if we have generated the wisdom mind we are Bodhisattvas, and regardless of our other qualities, if we do not have the wisdom mind we are not Bodhisattvas. A being with the wisdom mind who incarnates as an animal is respected by Buddhas as being a Bodhisattva. In terms of conventional benefits, all the happiness and goodness that exists is a product of wisdom mind. The Buddhas are born from Bodhisattvas, but the Bodhisattvas are born from the wisdom mind. As a result of the birth of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, great waves of enlightened energy spread throughout the universe, influencing sentient beings to create positive karma. This positive karma in turn brings them much benefit and happiness. On the one hand, the mighty stream of enlightened and enlightening energy issues

24 30 from the wisdom body of the Buddhas, but as the Buddhas are born from Bodhisattvas and Bodhisattvas from the wisdom mind, the ultimate source of the universal reservoir of goodness and happiness is the wisdom mind itself There are two major methods, as mentioned above. The first of these, the six causes and one effect, applies six causal meditations recognising that all sentient beings were once one's own mother; the kindness of a mother; the wish to repay such kindness; love; compassion; and the extraordinary thought of universal responsibility to produce one result. The wisdom mind. The second technique is a meditation whereby one directly changes self cherishing into the cherishing of others. In order to practise either of these methods of developing the wisdom mind, we must first develop a sense of equanimity toward all living beings. We transcend seeing some beings as close, some as alien and some as merely strangers. Until we have this equanimity toward all beings, meditation to develop wisdom mind will not be effective. Such as if we wish to paint frescoes on a wall we first remove any cracks or lumps from its surface. Similarly, we cannot draw the image of the wisdom mind within ourselves until the mind's view has been made clean from the distortions of seeing others in terms of friend, enemy and stranger. The way we impute this discrimination upon others is quite automatic, and as a result of it, when we see someone we regard as a friend, attachment arises within us and we respond with warmth. We have a similar him as a friend only because on some other he has benefitted us. Alternatively, whenever we encounter someone whom we have regard as an enemy, aversion arises within us and we respond with coldness. The reason will be because he has once harmed or threatened us in some way. Again, when encountering a stranger we simply have no feelings toward him.

25 31 Yet if we examine this method of discrimination we quickly see that it is an unstable process. Even in this life, people once regarded as friends become enemies and enemies often become friends. And in the countless lives we have taken since time immemorial, while spinning on the wheel of life there is not one sentient being who has consistently been either our friend or enemy. Our best friend of this life could easily have been our worst enemy in a previous incarnation. A friend who mistreats us quickly becomes an enemy, and an enemy who helps us soon becomes a new found friend. Someone who last year was regarded as a friend because he had been kind to us, this year harms us and is seen as an enemy; last year's enemy this year helps us and becomes a friend. One is really the friend; one is real from the enemy. Instead of responding to them on the basis of the ephemeral benefit or harm they have brought us, we should meditate that all have alternately benefitted and harmed us in the stream of past lives, and thus abandon superficial discriminations. A root cause of this discriminating mind is the self cherishing attitude, the thought that considers oneself to be more important than others. As a result of self cherishing we develop attachment to those who help us and aversion to those who give us problems. This in turn causes us to create countless negative karmas in trying to overcome the harmers and support the helpers. Such actions bring great suffering upon ourselves and others, both immediately and in future lives, as these karmic seeds ripen into suffering experiences. We can see on all teachings in these bears similar meaning return to or go together, and help together for theme selfish is bad habit and will be criticise. The sūtras teach that all happiness in this world arises from cherishing others and every suffering arises from self cherishing. From self cherishing comes the wish to further oneself, or selfish even at others expense. This causes all the killing, stealing, intolerance and so forth that we see around us. As well as destroying happiness in this life, these negative activities plant karmic seeds for a future

26 32 rebirth in the miserable realms of existence the hell, hungry ghost and animal realms. Self cherishing is responsible for every conflict from a family problem to an international war, and for all the negative karma thus created. If we make the cherishing others we shall not harm or kill them. This is conducive to our own long life. When we cherish others we are open and empathetic with them, and live in generosity. This is a karmic cause of our own future prosperity. If we cherish others, even when someone harms or makes problems for us we are able to abide in love and patience, a karmic cause of having a beautiful form in future lives. In short, every auspicious condition arises from the positive karmas generated by cherishing others. These conditions themselves bring joy and happiness, and in addition they act as the causes of and circumstances leading to peace and mindfullness. In order to gain peace one must become a master oneself through the three higher trainings 26 : moral discipline, meditation and wisdom. Of these the first is the most important because it is the basis for the development of the other two. The essence of moral discipline is abandoning any action that brings harm to others. Anyone who cherishes others more than he cherishes himself will not find this discipline difficult. One s mind will be calm and peaceful, which is conducive to both meditation and wisdom. Looking at it another way, cherishing others is the proper and noble approach to take. In this life everything that comes to us is directly or indirectly due to the kindness of others. The food we buy from the market and eat; the clothing we wear and the houses in which we dwell depend upon the assisting participation of others. And for attaining the ultimate goals Nirvā a and Buddhahood we are completely dependent upon others: without them we 26 H. Hua, VA, OP. Cit, 2002: 95.

27 33 would not be able to practise upon love, compassion, trust and so forth, and thus would be unable to generate spiritual experience. Also, any masters teaching we receive has come from the Buddha through the kindness of sentient beings. The Buddha taught only to benefit sentient beings; if there were no sentient beings he would not have taught. Moreover, all sentient beings are equal to the Buddhas. Therefore, we should appreciate sentient beings as deeply as we do the Buddhas themselves. If we look at happiness and harmony we will find its cause to be universal caring. The cause of unhappiness and disharmony is the self cherishing attitude. At one time the Buddha was an ordinary person like ourselves. Then he gave up self cherishing for universal caring and entered the path to natural Buddha. We still hold the self cherishing mind we are getting up and down in sa sāra, having benefitted neither ourselves nor others. The basic reason self cherish and not universal caring as we know, selfcherishing is the cause of every undesirable experience, and universal caring are the causes of happiness. The experiences of the lower realms of existence, all the suffering of mankind and every interference to spiritual practice are caused by self cherishing, and every happiness of this and future lives comes from universal caring. The subtle limitations of lesser enlightenment are also caused by self cherishing. We should contemplate the benefits of cherishing others and try to develop an open, loving attitude toward all living beings. Our main thought is to help others, this behavior should be by a great compassion to wish to separate others from their suffering. Toward those in states of suffering we should think that we may help separates them from their suffering, and for those in states of happiness we should think that we may help maintain their happiness. This attitude should be directed equally toward all beings. We feel great compassion for friends in trouble but we feel none for