Introduction to Buddhahood

General discussion, particularly exploring the Dharma in the modern world.
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tomschwarz
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Introduction to Buddhahood

Post by tomschwarz »

Hello fellow humans, taking primary residence in Samsara,

There are Buddhist texts that relate directly to the end of the path of the 4th noble truth: enlightenment. Please share texts that describe actual enlightenment or the last doorway.... Here are two:

"...direct introduction to the spontaneous presence of the three kayas: the distict features of a crystal sphere, a mirror and rays of light represent the three aspects of inately limpid existance, nature and expression. Dharmakaya is by nature a state of complete purity comparable to the inherant purity of a flawless crystal sphere, Sambogakaya's mode of presence is by nature a state of utter lucidity comparable to a reflection in a polished mirror, Nirmanakaya's manifest mode is an embodiment that contains no division of inner and outer, like the rays of the moon or the sun...." Longchen Rabjampa, The Precious Treasury of Pith Instructions


"...the mahoraga king Benificent Wisdom found the door of liberation of using all spiritual powers and techniques to cause sentient beings to amass virtues..." The Flower Ornament Scripture, the Avatamsaka Sutra
i dedicate this post to your happiness, the causes of your happiness, the absence of your suffering the causes of the absence of your suffering that we may not have too much attachment nor aversion. SAMAYAMANUPALAYA
muni
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Re: Introduction to Buddhahood

Post by muni »

Thank you for these encouraging inspirations.

Mind itself is a vast expanse, the realm of unchanging space.
Its indeterminate display is the expanse of the magical expression of its responsiveness.
Everything is the adornment of basic space and nothing else.
Outwardly and inwardly, things proliferating and resolving are the dynamic energy of awakened mind.
Because this is nothing whatsoever yet arises as anything at all,
it is a marvelolous and magical expression, amazing superb.

Throughout the universe, all beings and all that manifests as form
are adornments of basic space, arising as the ongoing principle of enlightened form.
What is audible, all sounds and voices without exception, as many as there may be,
are adornments of basic space, arising as the ongoing principle of enlightened speech.
All consciousness and all stirring and proliferation of thoughts, as well
as the inconcievable range of nonconceptual states,
are adornments of basic space, arising as the ongoing principle of enlightened mind.

Longchenpa Basic Space.
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tomschwarz
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Re: Introduction to Buddhahood

Post by tomschwarz »

muni wrote: Sat Oct 21, 2017 9:55 am Thank you for these encouraging inspirations.

Mind itself is a vast expanse, the realm of unchanging space.
Its indeterminate display is the expanse of the magical expression of its responsiveness.
Everything is the adornment of basic space and nothing else.
Outwardly and inwardly, things proliferating and resolving are the dynamic energy of awakened mind.
Because this is nothing whatsoever yet arises as anything at all,
it is a marvelolous and magical expression, amazing superb.

Throughout the universe, all beings and all that manifests as form
are adornments of basic space, arising as the ongoing principle of enlightened form.
What is audible, all sounds and voices without exception, as many as there may be,
are adornments of basic space, arising as the ongoing principle of enlightened speech.
All consciousness and all stirring and proliferation of thoughts, as well
as the inconcievable range of nonconceptual states,
are adornments of basic space, arising as the ongoing principle of enlightened mind.

Longchenpa Basic Space.
)))))) how do you know about this book? did you find it or did someone give it to you? in what year did you find it?
i dedicate this post to your happiness, the causes of your happiness, the absence of your suffering the causes of the absence of your suffering that we may not have too much attachment nor aversion. SAMAYAMANUPALAYA
muni
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Re: Introduction to Buddhahood

Post by muni »

I do not have the book. I found it now in an old email, from 24 April 2012. The adornment of Basic Space.

Treasure.
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tomschwarz
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Re: Introduction to Buddhahood

Post by tomschwarz »

"The Precious Treasury
of the Basic Space of Phenomena"

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/274 ... -phenomena

has got to be the best introduction to Buddhahood/ enlightenment that there is.

But are there others?
i dedicate this post to your happiness, the causes of your happiness, the absence of your suffering the causes of the absence of your suffering that we may not have too much attachment nor aversion. SAMAYAMANUPALAYA
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Thomas Amundsen
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Re: Introduction to Buddhahood

Post by Thomas Amundsen »

tomschwarz wrote: Mon Oct 23, 2017 3:49 pm "The Precious Treasury
of the Basic Space of Phenomena"

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/274 ... -phenomena

has got to be the best introduction to Buddhahood/ enlightenment that there is.

But are there others?
Self-Liberation Through Seeing With Naked Awareness from Karma Lingpa's terma revelation of the Zabcho Zhitro Gongpa Rangdrol. It's been translated by Vajranatha -
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PuerAzaelis
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Re: Introduction to Buddhahood

Post by PuerAzaelis »

tomschwarz wrote: Sun Oct 15, 2017 7:25 pm ... the last doorway ...
9
Stop all physical activity: sit naturally at ease.
Do not talk or speak: let sound be empty, like an echo.
Do not think about anything: look at experience beyond thought.

10
Your body has no core, hollow like bamboo.
Your mind goes beyond thought, open like space.
Let go of control and rest right there.


http://www.naturalawareness.net/ganges.html
Generally, enjoyment of speech is the gateway to poor [results]. So it becomes the foundation for generating all negative emotional states. Jampel Pawo, The Certainty of the Diamond Mind

For posts from this user, see Karma Dondrup Tashi account.
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tomschwarz
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Re: Introduction to Buddhahood

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Thus the vajra pinnacle, the most excellent enlightened mind of Samantadhadra,
is the most sublime, spacious state, equal to space.
The most sublime meditation of all involves no differentiation or exclusion.
It is Spontaneously present as the superb, timelessly infinite monarch.

The ongoing flow of utter lucidity, timeless and omnipresent,
is spontaneously present within this context, in which nothing is discarded or adopted,
and so it is the most sublime enlightened intent - the basic space of phenomena, the nature of samsara and nirvana.
This vast expanse, unwavering, indescribable, and equal to space,
is timelessly and innately present in all beings
"The Precious Treasury of
The Basic Space of
Phenomena", Longchen Rabjam
i dedicate this post to your happiness, the causes of your happiness, the absence of your suffering the causes of the absence of your suffering that we may not have too much attachment nor aversion. SAMAYAMANUPALAYA
muni
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Re: Introduction to Buddhahood

Post by muni »

The Buddha asked, "How can one comprehend the basic nature of the defilements of all sentient beings?"

"Just as the state of Buddhahood neither increases nor decreases, so by their nature the defilements neither increase nor decrease."

The Buddha asked, "What is the basic nature of the defilements?"

"The basic nature of the defilements is the basic nature of the state of Buddhahood. World-Honored One, if the nature of the defilements were different from the nature of the state of Buddhahood, then it could not be said that the Buddha abides in the equality of all things. It is because the nature of the defilements is the very nature of the state of Buddhahood that the Tathágata is said to abide in equality."

The Buddha asked further, "In what equality do you think the Tathágata abides?"

"As I understand it, the Tathágata abides in exactly the same equality in which those sentient beings who act with desire, hatred, and ignorance abide."

The Buddha asked, "In what equality do those sentient beings who act with the three poisons abide?"

"They abide in the equality of emptiness, sign-less-ness, and wish-less-ness."

The Buddha asked, "Manjusri, in emptiness, how could there be desire, hatred, and ignorance?"

Manjusri answered, "Right in that which exists there is emptiness, wherein desire, hatred, and ignorance are also found."

The Buddha asked, "In what existence is there emptiness?"

"Emptiness is said to exist only in words and language. Because there is emptiness, there are desire, hatred, and ignorance. The Buddha has said, ‘Monks! Non-arising, non-conditioning, non-action, and non-origination all exist. If these did not exist, then one could not speak of arising, conditioning, action, and origination. Therefore, monks, because there are non-arising, non-conditioning, non-action, and non-origination, one can speak of the existence of arising, conditioning, action, and origination.’ Similarly, World-Honored One, if there were no emptiness, sign-less-ness, or wish-less-ness, one could not speak of desire, hatred, ignorance, or other ideas."

The Buddha said, "Manjusri, if this is the case, then it must be, as you said. That who abides in the defilements abides in emptiness."

Manjusri said, "World-Honored One. It a meditator seeks emptiness apart from the defilements, his search will be in vain How could there be an emptiness that differs from the defilements? If he contemplates the defilements as emptiness, he is said to be engaged in right practice."

The Buddha asked, "Manjusri, do you detach yourself from the defilements or abide in them?"

Manjusri said, "All defilements are equal [in reality]. I have realized that equality through right practice. Therefore, I neither detach myself from the defilements nor abide in them. If a sramaga or Brahmin claims that he has overcome passions and sees other beings as defiled, he has fallen into the two extreme views. What are the two? One is the view of Eternalism, maintaining that defilements exist; the other is the view of nihilism, maintaining that defilements do not exist.


World-Honored One, he who practices rightly sees no such things as self or other, existence or nonexistence. Why? Because he clearly comprehends all dharmas."
The Buddha asked, "Manjusri, what should one rely upon for right practice?"

"He who practices rightly relies upon nothing."

The Buddha asked, "Does he not practice according to the path?"

"If he practices in accordance with anything, his practice will be conditioned. A conditioned practice is not one of equality. Why? Because it is not exempt from arising, abiding, and perishing."

The Buddha asked Manjusri, "Are there any categories in the unconditioned? "

Manjusri answered, "World-Honored One, if there were categories in the unconditioned, then the unconditioned would be conditioned and would no longer be the unconditioned."

The Buddha said, "If the unconditioned can be realized by saints, then there is such a thing as the unconditioned; how can you say there are no categories in "Things have no categories, and the saints have transcended categories. That is why I say there are no categories."
http://buddhasutra.com/files/demonstrat ... ceivab.htm
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tomschwarz
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Re: Introduction to Buddhahood

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muni wrote: Wed Oct 25, 2017 8:18 am The Buddha asked, "How can one comprehend the basic nature of the defilements of all sentient beings?"

"Just as the state of Buddhahood neither increases nor decreases, so by their nature the defilements neither increase nor decrease."

The Buddha asked, "What is the basic nature of the defilements?"

"The basic nature of the defilements is the basic nature of the state of Buddhahood. World-Honored One, if the nature of the defilements were different from the nature of the state of Buddhahood, then it could not be said that the Buddha abides in the equality of all things. It is because the nature of the defilements is the very nature of the state of Buddhahood that the Tathágata is said to abide in equality."

The Buddha asked further, "In what equality do you think the Tathágata abides?"

"As I understand it, the Tathágata abides in exactly the same equality in which those sentient beings who act with desire, hatred, and ignorance abide."

The Buddha asked, "In what equality do those sentient beings who act with the three poisons abide?"

"They abide in the equality of emptiness, sign-less-ness, and wish-less-ness."

The Buddha asked, "Manjusri, in emptiness, how could there be desire, hatred, and ignorance?"

Manjusri answered, "Right in that which exists there is emptiness, wherein desire, hatred, and ignorance are also found."

The Buddha asked, "In what existence is there emptiness?"

"Emptiness is said to exist only in words and language. Because there is emptiness, there are desire, hatred, and ignorance. The Buddha has said, ‘Monks! Non-arising, non-conditioning, non-action, and non-origination all exist. If these did not exist, then one could not speak of arising, conditioning, action, and origination. Therefore, monks, because there are non-arising, non-conditioning, non-action, and non-origination, one can speak of the existence of arising, conditioning, action, and origination.’ Similarly, World-Honored One, if there were no emptiness, sign-less-ness, or wish-less-ness, one could not speak of desire, hatred, ignorance, or other ideas."

The Buddha said, "Manjusri, if this is the case, then it must be, as you said. That who abides in the defilements abides in emptiness."

Manjusri said, "World-Honored One. It a meditator seeks emptiness apart from the defilements, his search will be in vain How could there be an emptiness that differs from the defilements? If he contemplates the defilements as emptiness, he is said to be engaged in right practice."

The Buddha asked, "Manjusri, do you detach yourself from the defilements or abide in them?"

Manjusri said, "All defilements are equal [in reality]. I have realized that equality through right practice. Therefore, I neither detach myself from the defilements nor abide in them. If a sramaga or Brahmin claims that he has overcome passions and sees other beings as defiled, he has fallen into the two extreme views. What are the two? One is the view of Eternalism, maintaining that defilements exist; the other is the view of nihilism, maintaining that defilements do not exist.


World-Honored One, he who practices rightly sees no such things as self or other, existence or nonexistence. Why? Because he clearly comprehends all dharmas."
The Buddha asked, "Manjusri, what should one rely upon for right practice?"

"He who practices rightly relies upon nothing."

The Buddha asked, "Does he not practice according to the path?"

"If he practices in accordance with anything, his practice will be conditioned. A conditioned practice is not one of equality. Why? Because it is not exempt from arising, abiding, and perishing."

The Buddha asked Manjusri, "Are there any categories in the unconditioned? "

Manjusri answered, "World-Honored One, if there were categories in the unconditioned, then the unconditioned would be conditioned and would no longer be the unconditioned."

The Buddha said, "If the unconditioned can be realized by saints, then there is such a thing as the unconditioned; how can you say there are no categories in "Things have no categories, and the saints have transcended categories. That is why I say there are no categories."
http://buddhasutra.com/files/demonstrat ... ceivab.htm
So beautiful muni. Really helpful, thank you.

I agree with tge whole text, except ine point from Manjushri, i think it is not correct:
Because there is emptiness, there are desire, hatred, and ignorance.
...emptiness is the causal relationship of cause and effect, or the connection, or the interdependence itself, which is thought not to arise or to be itself uncaused or unconditioned.

That is also refered to as the absolute truth.

Then there is tge relstuve truth, conditioned truth,causes and effects themselves when individually observed. Herd we can desire one thing (and not the other), hate one, be ignorant of one, and so on. Now....

The cause of these three poisons is stated as emptiness. I would not say this. The cause of the three poisons is of course permeated by emptiness, but in this way emptiness (interdependence) can be seen in all conditioned (a.k.a. caused) things as well as in emptiness itself.

So if i were to try to say something meaningful about the cause of desire, emptiness would not come to mind. Rather, i would loint to the 12 links of dependant origination: ignorance. Emptiness + ignorance = relative truth = 12 links https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve_Nidānas

Disagree?
i dedicate this post to your happiness, the causes of your happiness, the absence of your suffering the causes of the absence of your suffering that we may not have too much attachment nor aversion. SAMAYAMANUPALAYA
muni
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Re: Introduction to Buddhahood

Post by muni »

...emptiness is the causal relationship of cause and effect, or the connection, or the interdependence itself, which is thought not to arise or to be itself uncaused or unconditioned.
The cause of these three poisons is stated as emptiness.
Thank you for this discerment, Tom.
Because there is emptiness, there are desire, hatred, and ignorance.
In that way it could be understood as okay, lets’ hate, desire, no problem, its' all empty ( i subject am empty and those rotten hateful objects are empty, so okay) .

I see it as whatever there seem to be, by the grace of emptiness all is possible, delusion is not inherent on our nature, at least it is possible to be freed from it. To know such has no any existence on its own, can be a step to wish to realize there is no truth at all in such emotion and it is delusion only.

Hatred is by strong clinging, it is experienced as being real, having real independent objects to make this destructive emotion to be real and even justified.
To ‘experience’ emptiness, and to experience desire / hatred are not the same, the last is a very confused conditioned state.
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Re: Introduction to Buddhahood

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III. From Samsara to Nirvana

Lastly, how to enter into the realm of Suchness from the realm of samsara will be revealed. Examining the five components, we find that they may be reduced to matter (object) and mind (subject). The objects of the five senses and of the mind are in the final analysis beyond what they are thought to be. And the mind itself is devoid of any form or mark and is, therefore, unobtainable as such, no matter where one may seek it.

Just as a man, because he has lost his way, mistakes the east for the west, though the actual directions have not changed place, so people, because of their ignorance, assume Mind (Suchness) to be what they think it to be, though Mind in fact is unaffected even if it is falsely predicated. If a man is able to observe and understand that Mind is beyond what it is thought to be, then he will be able to conform to and enter the realm of Suchness.
-Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana
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Re: Introduction to Buddhahood

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. If a (hu)man is able to observe and understand that Mind is beyond what it is thought to be, then (s)he will be able to conform to and enter the realm of Suchness.
this is how i feel, breaking out of the shell of me-o-ramic-world. In other words, i thought my mind was me, but actually it was not. True?

...dear muni, thank you for your kind words and wisdom.

To ‘experience’ emptiness, and to experience desire / hatred are not the same, the last is a very confused conditioned state.
Of course, you are right. So then how do we explain
Because there is emptiness, there are desire, hatred, and ignorance.
Of course, its not such a big deal ))) maybe the writer just made a mistake of was poorly translated. But for fun, let's assume it is actually in some way correct. So how could this be understood to be correct?
i dedicate this post to your happiness, the causes of your happiness, the absence of your suffering the causes of the absence of your suffering that we may not have too much attachment nor aversion. SAMAYAMANUPALAYA
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Re: Introduction to Buddhahood

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Because actually emptiness is what makes life logical. It is the actual indivisible chain that underlies the arising and fading phenomena. It is therefore the antidote for that typw of anger based in the question "how could you do that!!!??? You had no right???!!!" The speaker here means to say "your action was not caused and thetefor is not justified" and there comes the rejection of and resentment towards someones actions.

When my sister died at age 4, i at age nine, after a jamaican car accident, in the emergency room in some jungle i screamed "why me? God why me" so a lot of suffering in not knowing or accepting the logic and profundity of causation and dependent origination. The accident occured to "me" because of my karma. I actually brought the whole thing about, in cooperation with all the others involved.

Now. As to the opposite, because there is underlying profound causation, which both holds and destroys the individual identity of all things, also known as "emptiness" , because of that chain, there is hatred... but why? How so?
i dedicate this post to your happiness, the causes of your happiness, the absence of your suffering the causes of the absence of your suffering that we may not have too much attachment nor aversion. SAMAYAMANUPALAYA
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Re: Introduction to Buddhahood

Post by muni »

So how could this be understood to be correct?
I don't know. "Because there is emptiness, there are desire, hatred, and ignorance." And therefore they are not.
Now. As to the opposite, because there is underlying profound causation, which both holds and destroys the individual identity of all things, also known as "emptiness" , because of that chain, there is hatred... but why? How so?
As Self-idea is not, but experienced very vividly and maintained by training its' self by clinging to other, resulting in repulsion and attraction. It is its need and it is its suffering, like a drug state, always wishing to hold dearly and get rid of dislike. Its’ dream, being dream - empty of existence.
Ego/self-idea can actually affirm this. That is why I got to hear: I have no cleverness to say.
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Re: Introduction to Buddhahood

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))) me too. But all cleverness aside, i do think that i am beginning to (un)understand what could be meant, correctly, by

Because there is emptiness, there are desire, hatred, and ignorance.
Which reminds me, i am sure you have not(ever) forgotten that Buddhist idea of patience, that with simply the intention of enlightenment you are golden, because even if it takes billions upon millions of billions of years, you will get there )))

With that said.... ...."because there is emptiness..." seems absurd because there is none other than emptiness it is the absolute truth of all things. True.

But the human mind, as well, perhaps, as the minds of countless other types of beings tbroughout the countless universes of infinite time, can actually imagine and create a subjective experience in sharp contrast to emptiness. While that experience is itself empty, it can also base itself on the illusion of the opposite of emptiness, the sense of independent self.

So here the idea is that you can say, in this way, "because there is emptiness, there is anything", including all types of suffering.

So the statement does not work on the level of the 4th noble truth, the truth of the path to enlightenment. But it works, apropo to this thread, on the level of introduction to buddhahood ))))))) ....perhaps no?
i dedicate this post to your happiness, the causes of your happiness, the absence of your suffering the causes of the absence of your suffering that we may not have too much attachment nor aversion. SAMAYAMANUPALAYA
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Re: Introduction to Buddhahood

Post by muni »

Yes, it must be like that.
But the human mind, as well, perhaps, as the minds of countless other types of beings tbroughout the countless universes of infinite time, can actually imagine and create a subjective experience in sharp contrast to emptiness. While that experience is itself empty, it can also base itself on the illusion of the opposite of emptiness, the sense of independent self.
I try to understand what you say. Conventional apart result into independent idea this then resulting into clinging to it and its' characteristics, based on variety of karmic perception.

Conventional and absolute are never two, cannot be cut ( independence on one side and emptiness on the other is impossible), then whatever plays, perception of opposites like characteristics good and bad,'aren't' (since no conventional independence). Then such has not that power, the power is given by sense of independent self.

"Because of emptiness desire, there is hatred and ignorance". Because as conventionalities, or independences is illusion.

Or?
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Re: Introduction to Buddhahood

Post by tomschwarz »

Right, you ate talking about the 4th noble truth and the wisdom and meditation practices of Buddhism. So there we learn thst the two truths are not two.

Then lets look at suffering, my life)))). There at 17 years old i had a lot of anxiety. All was empty of inherant existance, that web of dependent origination was in and under and around all things. So why did i feel alone and unsafe and unsecure?

Because the mind of living beings, with karma, like a snail contracting can pull the fabric of space and time in around itself, not really, but really for them, they can (think that they) fool someone. Then always await decete and not trust others. The fabruc of emptiness is there but tge mind can very effectively create the illusion that it is gone.

That is the 2nd noble truth, the truth of the cause of suffering. So my point, because there is emptiness, there is anything.
i dedicate this post to your happiness, the causes of your happiness, the absence of your suffering the causes of the absence of your suffering that we may not have too much attachment nor aversion. SAMAYAMANUPALAYA
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Re: Introduction to Buddhahood

Post by tomschwarz »

Because there is emptiness there is happiness, suffering, the humanmind, everything and anything.... ....because if there was not emptiness (dependent origination and its implications) there would be nothing.
i dedicate this post to your happiness, the causes of your happiness, the absence of your suffering the causes of the absence of your suffering that we may not have too much attachment nor aversion. SAMAYAMANUPALAYA
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Re: Introduction to Buddhahood

Post by muni »

tomschwarz wrote: Fri Nov 10, 2017 7:23 am Because there is emptiness there is happiness, suffering, the humanmind, everything and anything.... ....because if there was not emptiness (dependent origination and its implications) there would be nothing.
Like metaphor space then perhaps; without space we and all our experiences, emotions, feelings, thoughts, animals, plants, earth, moon, mountain could not be. There would be nothing.

There is said: "by the grace of emptiness all is possible". That always sounded so nice in my ears. But not sure if it would be skilful to say by 'the grace' of emptiness 'suffering' is possible. However it is the possibility for freedom of it.
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