When joy disturbs the mind by arousing anxiety [3]
Then we should meditate on the great equanimity,
Free from all desire for anything near or far.
(i.e. This is like meditating on non-duality, or like stopping all thoughts in Dhyana meditation.
This is like using monism as an antidote to too much dualism. All is equal in emptiness.)
If we are sad because of longing for joy in the happiness of others, it will be cleared away by meditating on objectless equanimity.
5. Stopping the obstacles to equanimity with kindness:
[If everything seems to become indifferent, arouse kindness and meditate on that.]
When equanimity is neutral and indecisive [i.e. indifference],
Meditate on kindness and so forth, as before.
Training in that way grows stable and effortless.
(i.e. This is like discriminating between wholesome actions and unwholesome actions, or like using enough mindfulness in meditation.
This is like using dualism as an antidote to too much monism. Even though everything is empty, there is still dependent origination, some causality, some control, and some possibility to use skillful means to help others.)
If everything seems to become indifferent, arouse kindness and meditate on that.
These are the general antidotes. In particular, as an antidote for each object, meditate as taught in the corresponding objectless way. By meditating in that way, one will attain immeasurable peace within one's being and quickly attain stability.
6. The way of meditating when we have become increasingly familiar:
[meditate in a different order, or jump about]
Yogins for whom this practice is fully stabilized
May meditate in a different order, or jump about.
(i.e. Use any antidotes when appropriate. The important point is to combine both method and wisdom, the two accumulations, the two truths. Using a skillful means, but not getting attached to it either. Using a raft, and knowing that it is just a raft.)
After the four immeasurables are stabilized, so that their benefits may arise, after kindness, we may meditate on the others in order, or after equanimity go back and meditate without any particular order. That is, after meditating serially on kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity, after equanimity, meditating on compassion and kindness is the lesser. After kindness, meditating on joy is the middle. After equanimity meditating on kindness is the greatest. Jumping directly up and down after resting between objects is the meditation. The Middle Length Prajñápáramitá says:
Subhuti, then meditate on kindness. Meditate on joy. Rest in compassion, Practice equanimity.
7. The virtues of meditating in this way
[By that the meditation will gain the advantage of freshness. Its steadiness will grow to the very greatest degree.]
What is the purpose?
By that the meditation will gain the advantage of freshness.
Its steadiness will grow to the very greatest degree.
(i.e. The important point is to stay away form the four extremes, using one to fight the extreme tendency of another. No absolute, only adapted skillful means. "Freshness" here means not falling into another pattern, another conditioning, getting attached to a raft.)
In particular the mind of the four immeasurables will gain freshness, unsteadiness will be steadied, and steadiness will become supremely great steadiness.
I. The fruition [The usual four categories of results from wholesome actions. Plus the kayas, wisdoms, and Buddha qualities. -- The four immeasurables are imitation of four Buddha qualities; bringing the results into the path. The goal is to arise Bodhicitta, and thus diminish self-preoccupation and its consequences.]
There are ten parts:
·
1. How the higher realms and truth and goodness are established [Ripening: rebirth in one of the higher realms].·
2. The benefits of according with the cause [having experiences similar to the cause, the wholesome action: repeating the same situation, living the same consequences].Ø
a. General [a self-amplifying virtuous process].Ø
b. The decisive condition or power [rebirth in favorable conditions].·
3. The benefits of performing this.[The fruition of action: By performing this, the four immeasurables will increase immensely, growing greater and greater. By that the wealth of the two benefits for oneself and others will become spontaneously present. By the increase in merit of the karma of meditating on the four immeasurables, happiness and goodness will be established.
·
[4. The fruition of power: the particular results of each virtues:]Ø
The benefit of kindness.[After kindness has transformed aggression into the mirror-like wisdom,
one attains Sambhogakaya.]Ø
The benefit of compassion.[Compassion pure of desire is discriminating awareness wisdom
and Dharmakaya.]Ø
The benefits of joy.[By immeasurable joy one attains the all-accomplishing wisdom, whose nature is perfect Buddha activity.
Purifying jealousy makes Nirmanakaya manifest.]Ø
The benefits of equanimity.[When equanimity has purified pride and ignorance, the wisdom of equality and the Dharmadhatu wisdom are established.
Svabhavikakaya, the unchanging vajra kaya and the kaya of the manifestation of enlightenment manifest.]·
5. As for the praise of the virtues [the way of the victorious ones].·
6. As for the four immeasurables [the path of liberation].·
7. As for the teaching of how to attain the two ultimate realities [combining upaya and prajña; removing the two obscurations; in order to produce or reveal the two kayas. -- The meaning is the same: Emptiness is compassionate.]·
8. As for summarizing the meaning of this meditation.[Both sutras and tantras are in accord, as outer and inner aspects of a single path:
The dhatu is naturally pure and possesses the Buddha qualities primordially. At the time of having practiced the path, the Buddha qualities appear to arise, and are proclaimed to appear. In the mantra Ana all beings naturally exist as the mandala.
In the path, the two accumulations of upaya and prajña are also the same;
In the fruitions, the kayas and wisdoms are the same.]
1. How the higher realms and truth and goodness are established.
[Ripening: rebirth in one of the higher realms].
Now, as for the teaching of the fruition of the four immeasurables, the following words explain how it is:
There are four fruitions of doing this meditation.
By ripening we gain the exalted and truly good.
In the desire realm we have a divine or human body,
In a situation producing happiness and benefit.
(i.e. In practicing them we develop both method and wisdom, perfecting the two accumulations, working for the two kayas. So the minimum is a rebirth in a higher realm.)
Those who do not attain an exalted state attain the body of a god or a human being. They perfect the two accumulations, benefit beings, and become inseparable from the four immeasurables. Even if they are careless or fall asleep, they will not fall prey to serious harm. The Mahayanasutralankara says:
Having the mind of these four Bhrama-viharas
We will always take birth in realm of desire.
Because these perfect the two accumulations,
They produce ripening for sentient beings.
Never separated from purity
And free from what does not accord with it,
The condition of future carelessness and mishap,
Impatience, too, will never be found there.
As the ultimate fruition, enlightenment is established. The same text says:
What is harmful is banished, and happiness is produced.
With the seed of enlightenment, and the cause of longing desire,
The essence ripens; and sons of the Victorious One
Relying on Dharma, are not far from the light.
Abandoning what is harmful is a fruition of separation. Producing the seed of liberation is a fruition of the predominant condition of empowerment by the master. Because one produces happiness for others, being patient about our own trials and hardships is a produced fruition. By meditating on these four within this life, they ripen in other lives as a fruition according with the cause. The nature of these four immeasurables always arises in sons of the Victorious One. It is born from previous familiarity, from seeing its objects, and by seeing the faults of what does not conform to them. The same text says:
This kindness, having the nature of compassion
Attains the nature and discrimination
By formerly having become familiar with that
And seeing it spoiled by what does not accord.
2. The benefits of according with the cause:
[Having experiences similar to the cause, the wholesome action: repeating the same situation, living the same consequences].
From the two sections of the fruition according with the cause:
Ø
a. General [a self-amplifying virtuous process].Ø
b. The decisive condition or power: [rebirth in favorable conditions].
a. General [a self-amplifying virtuous process]
From according to the cause, such action is self-performing.
The happiness attained is free from contrary experience.
By action according with the cause, we always spend our time meditating on the four immeasurables. By experience according with the cause malice, harmfulness, unhappiness, passion, loving and hating will be absent. As for the benefits of the power of this.
(i.e. Like for wholesome actions: in short, they are like good habits, the more you do them, the more you will do them again with even more ease -- like developing a skill. So happiness will come more and more. So we have more freedom and conditions to be able to develop concentration and insight, and more opportunity to use this precious human life in order to transcend all conditioning / directly see our real Buddha-nature.)
b. The decisive condition or power: [rebirth in favorable conditions]
The power is birth in a pleasant, happy, and joyful country,
Where there are compatible people and amenities of wealth.
By kindness one is born in a pleasant country, by compassion in a happy one, and by joy in a joyful one with many flowers, medicinal herbs, and so forth. By equanimity one is born among many compatible people and is without harm.
(i.e. Like for wholesome actions: having experiences similar to the cause: repeating the same situation again and again, living the same consequences.)
3. The benefits of performing this:
[The fruition of action: By performing this, the four immeasurables will increase immensely, growing greater and greater. By that the wealth of the two benefits for oneself and others will become spontaneously present. By the increase in merit of the karma of meditating on the four immeasurables, happiness and goodness will be established.]
The person:
By performing this these four will grow immensely greater.
The wealth of the two benefits becomes spontaneous.
By performing this, the four immeasurables will increase immensely, growing greater and greater. By that the wealth of the two benefits for oneself and others will become spontaneously present. By the increase in merit of the karma of meditating on the four immeasurables, happiness and goodness will be established.
(i.e. So it is a self-amplifying process of cultivating good virtues. The most important benefit being the precious human life and the capacity to develop calm of the body and mind, the deep concentration, insights, and then the opportunity of directly seeing the real unborn non-dual nature of our own mind and thus transcending all conditioning.)
[4. The fruition of power: the particular results of each virtues:]
a. The benefit of kindness:
[After kindness has transformed aggression into the mirror-like wisdom,
one attains Sambhogakaya.]
When perfect enjoyment of kindness is without aggression,
Then the mirror-like wisdom will have been fully attained,
As Sambhogakaya adorned with the major and minor marks.
After kindness has transformed aggression into the mirror-like wisdom, one attains Sambhogakaya.
(i.e. Kindness is the result brought to the path; using words based on loving-kindness (with wisdom), instead of harsh words out of anger (with ignorance) is the result of seeing the real non-dual nature of the objects of the form realm. Speech is purified when experiences of life are reflected without obstructions (transcending karma seeds) like on a pure mirror, when our concepts and assimilation scheme are seen for what they really are: conditioning. -- Acting like this right now, kind words or wishing that all beings have happiness and its causes, is wholesome because it is more in accord with the real non-dual nature of everything (compared to aggressive reactions based on accumulated karma seeds). So it necessarily brings more and more peace, happiness, and the right conditions to be able, with its perfection, to see through and transcend all conditioning.)
The Lotus Peak says:
By kindness aggression will be purified
As mirror-like wisdom and Sambhogakaya.·
(i.e. Kindness is the antidote used to purify the speech.Ø
The form realm.Ø
Hell's anger -- lying, divisive speech, sophistic speech. harsh words.Ø
Thinking words, concepts are real (being hurt by some, desiring others, using them as weapons to hurt or control others).Ø
Idealism - non-existence.Ø
Being slave of accumulated conditioning or concepts (alaya-vijnana's karma seeds).·
Kindness is:Ø
"May all sentient beings have happiness and its causes."§
Remembering their kindness, because all have been a mother to us in previous lives.§
Because we are all equal in desiring happiness, and not suffering.§
Because we all have Buddha-natureØ
The desire to return unconditional loving-kindness to all sentient beings without any discrimination.Ø
Kindness makes us pleasant.Ø
"Pleasant speech," not hurting others.Ø
Inner (mental) offerings.Ø
Seeing everything as pure.Ø
Perfecting it is wholesomeness in using objects of the form realm and combining it with the wisdom realizing their real nature, with the emptiness of the three.·
It leads to:Ø
Realizing that obstacles (concepts, characteristics) are fabrications of the mind (conditioning, taints on the mirror).Ø
Seeing the real nature of the objects of the form realm / seeds (abstract, conceptual, symbolic).Ø
Inseparability of emptiness and sounds.Ø
Simplicity (no need to over analyze, escape from conceptualizing).Ø
The heaven of universal purity -- Then again [it may be explained that when one cultivates] the mind of loving kindness, one aspires to cause beings to gain pleasure. The resultant retribution [from such cultivation] ought naturally to be that one experiences pleasure. It is because the [heaven of] universal purity is the most pleasurable place in the [entire] triple world that it was stated, "the blessings culminate in [the heaven of] universal purity.·
The results are:Ø
Pleasant words brings a pleasant world and pure pleasure.Ø
Mirror-like wisdom (knowing the real nature of the seeds, of concepts, of the form realm, of conditioning; not falling for the conditioning, luminous emptiness; not adding or withdrawing anything, without defilements / obstructions) -- eighth bhumi.Ø
Sambhogakaya (pure speech).·
Through kindness, we are pleasant to everyone.·
By the karma of aggression we are born in Hell.·
Alaya Vijnana is transformed into the mirror-like wisdom. Mirror-like wisdom is the source of luminous emptiness. As such it is the great source of all the later wisdoms. Alaya Vijnana is the ground of arising and proliferation of all the other consciousnesses. The wisdom of subsiding into space is the ground of arising of the remaining three [wisdoms]. It is like the surface of a pure mirror, without defilements of grasping and fixation. As for the mirror-like wisdom, for example, although reflections of things appear in the surface of a mirror; those things do not exist there. This is effortless, and such things have no conditional formations at all. Similarly, though the various reflections of omniscience arise within the mirror-like wisdom, they do not exist, are effortless, and are unconditioned.·
For aggression the Dharma of the mirror-like wisdom of Akshobhya is taught. On the precious eighth bhumi, the seeds of aggression, the pain of conceptualization, and alaya Vijnana are transformed into the mirror-like wisdom so that one attains complete non-thought and sees Akshobhya.·
The first of these is the "mirror-like Gnosis" / the mirror-like wisdom, which is the portion of Gnosis that is free of both apprehending subject and apprehended object. -- Ven. Khenpo Appey Rinpoche, The Qualities of Buddhahood: A Brief Sketch.·
Mirror - like awareness: When our anger is transformed, the resultant insight is clear like a mirror. It neither adds nor withdraws anything.·
The profound state of emptiness crumples the mountain of anger.·
If one cultivates assiduously and cultivates well the mind of loving - kindness, the blessings [accruing there from] culminate in the heaven of universal purity. -- Prajñápáramitá.·
Purification of speech.·
Antidote to aggression (hell beings), the insubstantial Mara,·
Purification of the speech (lying, divisive speech, sophistic speech. harsh words --> pleasant words, nice speech, loving-kindness -- pleasant words brings a pleasant world and pure pleasure).·
The secret empowerment is that which purifies the speech.·
Planting the seed for the Sambhogakaya,·
Seeing the real nature of the form realm (abstract, conceptual, symbolic) (as in the first four Dhyanas) (inseparability of speech or sounds and emptiness),·
Purification of the occasion of the Alaya Vijnana (with conditioning without producing more conditioning -- slave of accumulated conditioning of concepts).·
Which is transformed into the mirror-like wisdom (the portion of Gnosis that is free of both apprehending subject and apprehended object. The resultant insight is clear like a mirror, without defilements of grasping and fixation. It neither adds nor withdraws anything. -- Mirror-like wisdom is the source of luminous emptiness. As such it is the great source of all the later wisdoms. The basis for the accumulated aggressive conditioning is seen for what it is: empty conditioning; so there is no more resistance, no more taints, no more obscurations, obstructions in the mirror.)·
For aggression the Dharma of the mirror-like wisdom of Akshobhya is taught.·
Just so by removing aggression, there is the field of Akshobhya. -- On the precious eighth bhumi, the seeds of aggression, the pain of conceptualization, and alaya Vijnana are transformed into the mirror-like wisdom so that one attains complete non-thought and sees Akshobhya.·
Akshobhya - water initiation.·
Antidote to non-existence (idealism, nihilism -- thinking words, concepts are real and the rest non-existent).·
The perfection of kindness is using objects of the form realm - words, concepts - while knowing their real non-dual nature, without falling into the belief of non-existence, idealism or nihilism. Not accepting them as absolute, not rejecting them as meaningless. Thus transcending the accumulated conditioning that motivates the aggressive reactions toward others, and using kind words instead. -- Refecting the experiences while knowing the emptiness of it, without seeing it as an obstacle equals a mirror like wisdom.·
Living the experience with the wisdom that have seen the real non-dual nature of everything: Instead of feeling insulted or threatened by a certain experience, and reacting aggressively with harsh words, etc, the mirror-like wisdom consist of living the experience while seeing the real non-dual nature of all the three: subject. Object, action. The mind acts like a mirror without taints, without resistance, without adding or withdrawing anything.·
Instead of reacting out of anger (with ignorance), we talk with loving-kindness (with wisdom), because we know the non-dual nature of the objects of the form realm, because we can transcend our assimilation schema, our accumulated karma seeds.)
b. The benefit of compassion:
[Compassion pure of desire is discriminating awareness wisdom
and Dharmakaya.]
When compassion is desire-less, there is Dharmakaya,
Producing the manifestation of discriminating wisdom.
Its dharmas like the ten powers are utterly distinct.
Compassion pure of desire is discriminating awareness wisdom and Dharmakaya.
(i.e. Compassion is the result brought to the path; putting others first out of compassion (with wisdom), instead acting egoistically thinking we exist independently of others and in opposition (with ignorance) is the result of seeing the real non-dual nature of the objects of the non-form realm (like our self). Mind is purified when we discriminate (acting with compassion) with wisdom, when we see the real nature of our subtle self. -- Acting like this right now, putting others first or wishing that all beings be free from suffering and its causes, is wholesome because it is more in accord with the real non-dual nature of everything (compared to thinking that we are separate and in opposition to others; egotism, desire for self, miserliness, greed). So it necessarily brings more and more peace, happiness, and the right conditions to be able, with its perfection, to see through and transcend all conditioning.)
The same text says:
By compassion desire is fully purified
As discriminating wisdom and ultimate Dharmakaya.·
(i.e. Compassion is the antidote used to purify the mind.Ø
The formless realm.Ø
Pretas's greed, egotism-- covetousness, ill-will, wrong views.Ø
Thinking there is an opposition between self and others.Ø
Dualism - both existence and non-existence.Ø
Slave of the belief in a self separated from the world (alaya).·
Compassion isØ
"May all sentient beings be free of suffering and its causes."§
Because we care for them, love them, and know what suffering is, understand their situation.§
Because all have been a mother to us in previous lives.§
Because we are all equal in desiring happiness, and not suffering.§
Because we all have Buddha-nature.Ø
Having a feeling of empathy and wish to help all of those in need.Ø
Compassion makes us beneficial.Ø
Putting others first in our preoccupation.§
Because self-preoccupation is the root of our suffering.Ø
Seeing the ego as the cause of suffering.Ø
Secret offerings.Ø
Perfecting it is wholesomeness in using objects of the formless realm and combining it with the wisdom realizing their real nature, with the emptiness of the three.·
It leads to:Ø
Realizing that the self is not separated or different from the world, not the same.Ø
Seeing the real nature of the objects of the formless realm (intuitive).Ø
Inseparability of emptiness and awareness (mind).Ø
One taste (escape from all -- but temporarily).Ø
The station of empty space -- When one cultivates the mind of compassion one contemplates the suffering of old age, sickness, and cruel injury experienced by beings. A mind of pity arises on the part of the practitioner and he thinks, "How can I cause them to succeed in transcending suffering? If one acts for the sake of getting rid of inner suffering, then the external suffering will come yet again. If one acts for the sake of getting rid of external suffering, then the internal suffering will come yet again." The practitioner ponders, "If one possesses a body it is definite that one will experience suffering. It is only in the absence of a body that one will then succeed in being without suffering." The station of empty space is capable of breaking the constraints of form. Therefore it was stated that the blessings of cultivating compassion culminate in the station of empty space.·
The results are:Ø
Feeling compassion for others brings a mind without injurious malice.Ø
Discriminating wisdom (knowing the real nature of the formless realm, discrimination between self and beings knowing their real nature; understanding nature and extent; objects are distinct; discriminating all the Buddha qualities with their causes and effects)-- on the middle three [Bhumis].Ø
Dharmakaya (pure mind).·
Compassion makes us beneficial. Through compassion we perform limitless benefits.·
by the karma of seduction and desire we are born as prêtas.·
By the subsiding of passion into space, discriminating awareness wisdom knows the empty nature of know-ables as it is, and knows the extent of all the essences of various appearances, along with their causes and effects. For discriminating wisdom objects are distinct.·
For discriminating wisdom objects are distinct. The visions of nature and extent are completely pure. By the subsiding of passion into space, discriminating awareness wisdom knows the empty nature of know-ables as it is, and knows the extent of all the essences of various appearances, along with their causes and effects.·
By removing desire, there is the field of Amitabha. For passion, the discriminating awareness wisdom of Amitabha is taught. On the middle three, transforming all kinds of passion into discriminating awareness wisdom, one sees Amitabha.·
The third is the "discriminative Gnosis" discriminating awareness, which is the portion of Gnosis that understands objects in their multiplicity and variety. -- Ven. Khenpo Appey Rinpoche, The Qualities of Buddhahood: A Brief Sketch.·
Discerning awareness: Our attachment becomes the ability to see situations both singly and as part of a totality.·
The profound state of emptiness dries up the ocean of passion.·
If one cultivates assiduously and cultivates well the mind of compassion, the blessings [accruing there from] culminate in the station of empty space. -- Prajñápáramitá.·
Purification Of Mind.·
Antidote to desire for self, attachment (humans), greed, miserliness (hungry ghosts), the Mara of elation,·
purification of the mind (covetousness, ill-will, wrong views -- putting others first in our preoccupations, compassion -- feeling compassion for others brings a mind without injurious malice).·
The prajña jnana empowerment is that which purifies the mind.·
Planting the seed for the Dharmakaya,·
Seeing the real nature of the non-form realm (intuitive) (as in the four formless Dhyanas) (inseparability of awareness or mind and emptiness),·
Purification of the occasion of the Alaya (the neutral alaya of the various habitual patterns -- slave of the belief in a self separated from the world) (without conditioning and without producing more conditioning).·
Which is transformed into the discriminating wisdom (the portion of Gnosis that understands objects in their multiplicity and variety. The ability to see situations both singly and as part of a totality. For discriminating wisdom objects are distinct. The visions of nature and extent are completely pure. By the subsiding of passion into space, discriminating awareness wisdom knows the empty nature of know-ables as it is, and knows the extent of all the essences of various appearances, along with their causes and effects. -- The basis for the accumulated passion (desire for self, discrimination between self and others) conditioning is seen for what it is: empty conditioning, empty self and others; so there is no more unconscious discrimination between individual, between self and others.),·
For passion the discriminating awareness wisdom of Amitabha is taught.·
By removing desire, there is the field of Amitabha. -- On the middle three, transforming all kinds of passion into discriminating awareness wisdom, one sees Amitabha.·
Amitabha - vajra initiation.·
Antidote to both existence and non-existence together (dualism -- thinking there is an opposition between self and others).·
The perfection of compassion is using objects of the non-form realm - self vs. others - while knowing their real non-dual nature, without falling into the belief of both existence and non-existence, dualism. Not accepting them as absolute, not rejecting them as meaningless. Thus transcending the accumulated conditioning that motivates selfishness, discrimination in favor of the self, and exchanging self for others instead. Discriminating while knowing the emptiness of the self vs. others, of any discrimination equals discriminating wisdom. Using the dualism of existence and non-existence without falling for it.·
Living the experience with the wisdom that have seen the real non-dual nature of everything: Instead of doing everything from an egoistic perspective based on ignorance, instead of being slave of desire, attachment, passion,, and reacting egoistically in accord with our accumulated conditioning, the discriminating wisdom consist of discriminating while seeing the real non-dual nature of all the three: subject. Object, action. It knows that the self is like an illusion, and that it is not different or separate from others, while still not the same.·
Instead of discriminating out of egotism (with ignorance), we discriminate out of compassion for others (with wisdom), because we know the non-dual nature of the objects of the non-form realm, because we can transcend our dualistic intuition (of a self in opposition to the world).)
c. The benefits of joy:
[By immeasurable joy one attains the all-accomplishing wisdom, whose nature is perfect Buddha activity.
Purifying jealousy makes Nirmanakaya manifest.]
When joy eliminates jealousy, there is Nirmanakaya.
The holy all-accomplishing wisdom is attained.
Nirmanakaya is nothing fixed, but of various forms.
This self-existing kaya is spontaneous Buddha activity.
By immeasurable joy one attains the all-accomplishing wisdom, whose nature is perfect Buddha activity. Purifying jealousy makes Nirmanakaya manifest.
(i.e. Joy is the result brought to the path; feeling joy for others and helping them on the path with skillful means (with wisdom), instead of feeling jealous and competing with them (with ignorance) is the result of seeing the real non-dual nature of the objects of the sense realm (objects of the senses). Body (the senses) is purified when our perceptions and actions are based on wisdom, when appearances are seen for what they really are-- Acting like this right now, feeling joy for others' happiness or wishing that they would never be separated form the true happiness and its causes, is wholesome because it is more in accord with the real non-dual nature of everything (compared to feeling jealous and competing with others for the desirable objects of the senses). So it necessarily brings more and more peace, happiness, and the right conditions to be able, with its perfection, to see through and transcend all conditioning.)
The same text says:
By joy all jealousy is fully purified,
As all-accomplishing wisdom and Nirmanakaya.
Action becomes spontaneous and excellent.
(i.e. Various essays in trying to get to the essence of this:
·
Joy is the antidote used to purify the body.Ø
The desire realm, the realm of the senses.Ø
Asuras's jealousy -- killing, stealing, sexual misconduct.Ø
Thinking objects of the senses are real and that we should compete for them.Ø
Realism - existence.Ø
Thinking things exist independently of the mind (seven consciousnesses) and have absolute characteristics.·
Joy is:Ø
"May all sentient beings not be separated from sorrow-less bliss."§
Because we know that there is a way to escape samsara.§
Because we care for them, love them, and know what suffering is, understand their situation.§
Because all have been a mother to us in previous lives.§
Because we are all equal in desiring happiness, and not suffering.§
Because we all have Buddha-nature.Ø
Joy also means taking delight in others' success, good qualities and positive actions.Ø
Being happy of the accumulated merit of others (knowing it is the work of their karma -- the law of causes and effects).Ø
Joy fulfills.Ø
Not trying to compete unwholesomely with others, feeling joy for their merit.Ø
Outer offerings.Ø
Seeing everything as dependent on karma; seeing the whole samsara as suffering.Ø
Perfecting it is wholesomeness in using objects of the desire realm and combining it with the wisdom realizing their real nature, with the emptiness of the three.·
It leads to:Ø
Realizing that objects of the senses are all like illusions.Ø
Seeing the real nature of the objects of the desire realm (objects of the senses).Ø
Inseparability of emptiness and appearances (body).Ø
Stable shamatha (escape from the desire realm).Ø
The station of consciousness -- When one cultivates the mind of sympathetic joy one aspires to provide beings pleasure on the level of the mind and consciousness. As for pleasure on the level of the mind and consciousness, it corresponds to the mind succeeding in leaving the body just as a bird escapes from a cage. Although at the station of empty space the mind does succeed in escaping from the body, the mind is still tied to abiding in empty space. The station of consciousness is immeasurable. The mind and consciousness exist in all dharmas and so the consciousness gains unlimited independence. It is for this reason that [it was stated that] the blessings of cultivating sympathetic joy culminate in station of consciousness.·
The results are:Ø
Absence of envy jealousy competitiveness stabilize joy.Ø
all-accomplishing wisdom (knowing the real nature of the sense realm, understanding personalities (particular five aggregates); perfectly adapted Buddha activities not obstructed by knowing everything all the time) -- on the ninth and tenth Bhumis.Ø
Nirmanakaya (pure body).·
Joy fulfills. Joy brings perfect wealth.·
Those who have equal parts of goodness and jealousy are born as asuras.·
By the subsiding of envy into space, ... All accomplishing wisdom is perfect Buddha activity. The subsiding of the consciousnesses of the five gates into space is the all-accomplishing wisdom.·
The subsiding of the consciousnesses of the five gates into space is the all-accomplishing wisdom. All accomplishing wisdom is perfect Buddha activity. It is not obstructed by knowing everything all the time. By the subsiding of envy into space, as for the wisdom that unremittingly acts to accomplish benefit for sentient beings.·
By removing jealousy, the field of Amoghasiddhi. Jealousy is purified by showing the all-accomplishing wisdom of Amoghasiddhi. On the ninth and tenth Bhumis, purifying the seeds of jealousy, the fields of the five gates are purified by the four modes of genuine individual awareness. Perfect Buddha activity produces benefit for sentient beings, the all-accomplishing wisdom is attained, and seeing Amoghasiddhi, one is empowered by great light rays. This is perfection of the great deeds of the Buddhas.·
The fourth is "action-accomplishing Gnosis" all- accomplishing wisdom, which is the portion of Gnosis through which the Buddha understands the personalities and dispositions of sentient creatures. Ven. Khenpo Appey Rinpoche, The Qualities of Buddhahood: A Brief Sketch.·
Spontaneously fulfilling awareness: Our jealousy manifests the wisdom of experience.·
The profound state of emptiness calms down the gale of jealousy.·
If one cultivates assiduously and cultivates well the mind of sympathetic joy, the blessings [accruing there from] culminate in the station of consciousness. -- Prajñápáramitá.·
Purification Of The Body·
Antidote to jealousy, envy, competitiveness (asuras), the substantial Mara,·
Purification of the body (killing, stealing, sexual misconduct -- not trying to compete unwholesomely with others, joy for their success -- absence of envy jealousy competitiveness stabilize joy),·
The vase empowerment is that which purifies the body.·
Planting the seed for the Nirmanakaya,·
Seeing the real nature of the sense realm (physical, perceptible, desire realm) (as in everyday experiences) (inseparability of appearances and emptiness),·
Purification of the occasion of the seven consciousnesses (the consciousnesses of the five gates, the mental consciousness, the Klesha-mind -- thinking things exist independently of the mind) (with conditioning and producing more conditioning).·
Which is transformed into the all-accomplishing wisdom (the portion of Gnosis through which the Buddha understands the personalities and dispositions of sentient creatures. The wisdom of experience. The possibility to use adapted skillful means to help other sentient beings. -- All accomplishing wisdom is perfect Buddha activity. It is not obstructed by knowing everything all the time. -- By the subsiding of envy into space, as for the wisdom that unremittingly acts to accomplish benefit for sentient beings... -- The objects of the sense world are seen for what they really are: empty and dependently arisen. So there is no more need to compete for them.),·
Jealousy is purified by showing the all-accomplishing wisdom of Amoghasiddhi.·
By removing jealousy, there is the field of Amoghasiddhi. On the ninth and tenth Bhumis, purifying the seeds of jealousy, the fields of the five gates are purified by the four modes of genuine individual awareness. Perfect Buddha activity produces benefit for sentient beings, the all-accomplishing wisdom is attained, and seeing Amoghasiddhi, one is empowered by great light rays. This is perfection of the great deeds of the Buddhas.·
Amoghasiddhi - bell initiation·
antidote to existence (realism -- thinking objects of the senses are real and that we should compete for them).·
The perfection of joy is acting using objects of the sense realm - perceptible objects - while knowing their real non-dual nature, without falling into the belief of existence, realism. Not accepting them as absolute, not rejecting them as meaningless. Thus transcending the accumulated conditioning that motivates the jealous reactions and competitiveness toward others, and using skillful means to help others instead. Accomplishing while knowing the emptiness of the three: subject, object, action = all-accomplishing wisdom. Using existence (dependent origination) without falling for the extreme of realism.·
Living the experience with the wisdom that have seen the real non-dual nature of everything. Instead of being jealous of other's happiness, or competing with them, the all-accomplishing wisdom consist of acting while seeing the real non-dual nature of all the three: subject. Object, action. Instead of being jealous or competing with others, we understand that happiness comes from wholesomeness, and want to help them on this path.·
Instead of reacting out of jealousy (with ignorance), we act out of joy (with wisdom), because we know the non-dual nature of the objects of the sense realm, because we can transcend the illusion-like appearances offered by our senses.)
d. The benefits of equanimity:
[When equanimity has purified pride and ignorance, the wisdom of equality and the Dharmadhatu wisdom are established.
Svabhavikakaya, the unchanging vajra kaya and the kaya of the manifestation of enlightenment manifest.]
When equanimity has eliminated pride
As well as stupidity, there is the essence of things
Through equality Dharmadhatu wisdom will manifest.
The simplicity of dharmata is svabhavikakaya.
(i.e. dharmin, the realm of dharmas, and dharmata, their real nature)
When equanimity has purified pride and ignorance, the wisdom of equality and the Dharmadhatu wisdom are established. Svabhavikakaya (inseparable Trikaya), the unchanging vajra kaya (indestructible kaya) and the kaya of the manifestation of enlightenment manifest.
(i.e. Equanimity is the result brought to the path; experiencing life with equanimity (with wisdom), instead of continually discriminating and analyzing (with ignorance), instead of continually jumping from one extreme to another while being unaware of the absurdity, while being slave of our conditioning, is the result of seeing the real non-dual nature of the objects of the three realms, and their inseparability. Body, speech and mind together are purified when their inseparability is rightly understood, when one sees that they are not different or separate, and still not the same, when one realize the perfect Union of the Two Truths, the luminous space of Dharmadhatu, the inseparability of appearances and emptiness, the non-dual nature of everything (not one, not two), when emptiness doesn't deny dependent origination, and vice versa. Here, inseparability or equality is non-duality (not one, not two), and vajra (unchanging, indestructible) is about the unborn Buddha-nature, the unchanging real nature of everything: luminous space, ocean of interdependence without any inherently existing entities in it. It means that it has always been like this, perfectly pure. And that becoming a Buddha doesn't mean to reject all kindness, compassion, and skillful means; those become perfected in Buddha qualities and activities when The Two Truths are perfectly united. Living like this right now, with equanimity or wishing that all beings have this equanimity, is wholesome because it is more in accord with the real non-dual nature of everything (compared to believing in inherently existing objects and characteristics, discriminating, analyzing, classifying, controlling, desiring, fearing, etc, jumping here and there). So it necessarily brings more and more peace, happiness, and the right conditions to be able, with its perfection, to see through and transcend all conditioning.)
The same text says:
By equanimity and great equanimity
Pride and envy and ignorance will be purified.
One masters the Dharmadhatu and equality wisdoms.
These are the vajra kayas and those of enlightenment.
As for the nature of passionless-ness, arising from the four actions of these four immeasurables, the Mahayanasutralankara says:
Those who have kindness completed by compassion
If they do not desire to dwell in peace
Why even to speak of worldly happiness
Or the wish to further their lives and their careers?
As for their not desiring their own happiness, the same text says:
Compassion produces happiness for those who suffer.
After the kind produce these others' happiness,
Their own happiness is not produced like that.
As for overpowering their happiness for others, the same text says:
The suffering produced by kindness
Overwhelms all their worldly happiness.
If the benefactor is without this,
What greater wonders can be?
The Letter to Students says:
For beings with unbearable sufferings, without a refuge
Those who are happy to suffer for others' benefit,
Are said to be wondrous beings who are truly excellent.
Diligent ones who delight in striving to benefit others
How shall they ever have enjoyments in happy countries?
They will not attain to youth and happiness.
They will not have the implements of power and wealth
With no spouse or companions, not born among gods or asuras.
As for the action of samsara not arising, the former text says:
The attitude of compassion is without the nature of egocentric suffering, the best sign of samsara.
Completely knowing it one is not a sentient being.
Nor will one be badly harmed by samsaric faults.
Holy beings who have this immeasurably will be without faults. The same text says:
Those who have desire have corresponding faults.
They will not be without them, nor beyond the world.
Those who have this attitude, by their loving-kindness
Will be without any faults and go beyond the world.
Those who are kind to their literal fathers, mothers, and children have desire. Bodhisattvas do not have such desires in regard to sentient beings. This is because they are liberated from samsara. The same text says:
If worldly enlightened ones and the Arhats
Among the Pratyekabuddhas are without this kindness,
What need is there even to speak of any others?
But world-transcending ones are not like that.
If one does not meditate on the four immeasurables, there will be many faults. The same text says:
A bodhisattva who possesses ill-will
And malice due to pain and unhappiness
And resulting from attachments of desire
Is sure to come in contact with many faults.
As for its being said that those who are born in the desire realms have the attachments of desire, those who are born in the first two realms of desire and form are said to have samsaric desire. The Abhidharmakosha says:
Those born in those two realms have attachments of samsaric desire.
As for the fault of increasing kleshas, in regard to this immeasurable the former text says:
Kleshas conquer the self. They conquer sentient beings. They conquer discipline. By receiving their corruption one is lowered, and stays that way. By manifesting in that way one is degraded. Do not listen to the arguments of others who will be beings without leisure. Harmed by attaining and non-attaining, the mind will attain great suffering.
Attainment damages the happiness of this life and non-attainment damages later happiness. As for the benefits of meditating on the four immeasurables, one does not have such faults, one grasps the possibilities of benefiting beings, and since one is not whirled in samsara by the kleshas, suffering does not arise. The same text says:
For one who rests in kindness and the rest
The faults that have been described will not arise.
Having no kleshas, one will benefit beings,
And will not pass into samsaric birth.·
(i.e. Equanimity is the antidote used to purify the body, speech and mind.Ø
The three realms together.Ø
God's pride and animal's ignorance of the real nature of everything - partiality.Ø
Thinking everything is one.Ø
monism - not existence and not non-existence.Ø
believing in inherent existence (eight consciousnesses).·
Equanimity is:Ø
"May all sentient beings abide in equanimity, free of bias, attachment and anger."§
Because we know that nothing is permanent, that all discrimination are merely imputed by the mind, conditioned and conditioning, causes of more suffering.§
Because we know that there is a way to escape samsara.§
Because we care for them, love them, and know what suffering is, understand their situation.§
Because all have been a mother to us in previous lives.§
Because we are all equal in desiring happiness, and not suffering.§
Because we all have Buddha-nature.Ø
Desire for all to be free from the ups and downs of love, hate, indifference.Ø
Equanimity makes us sublime.Ø
more mature actions of the body, speech and mind; or the removal of the last traces of obscuration (discriminating while knowing of emptiness, equanimity).Ø
Suchness offerings.Ø
Seeing everything with equanimity, as non-dual.Ø
Perfecting it is wholesomeness in using objects of the three realms and combining it with the wisdom realizing their real non-dual nature, with the emptiness of the three (subject, object, action).·
It leads toØ
Realizing that everything is non-dual, luminous space.Ø
Seeing the real nature of the objects of the three realms, of the three together (of our own mind and of everything, of all discrimination).Ø
Inseparability of emptiness and D.O., of the Two Truths, of body and mind.Ø
No meditation (transcending everything).Ø
The station of nothing whatsoever -- As for the mind of equanimity, one develops equanimity with respect to the suffering and pleasure among beings. It is on account of developing equanimity with respect to suffering and pleasure that one realizes the dharma of true equanimity, the so-called station of nothing whatsoever. It is for this reason that it was stated that the blessings of cultivating the mind of equanimity culminate in the station of nothing whatsoever.·
The results areØ
Being beyond discrimination (love, hate, indifference -- no friends or enemies - not accepting samsara or seeking Nirvana) brings an undisturbed mind, the natural stateØ
Equality wisdom (equality of self and others, equality of all dharmas in emptiness; equality of samsara and Nirvana; all empty of inherent existence because dependently arisen, composite, merely imputed by the mind...) on the lesser three paths BhumisØ
Dharmadhatu wisdom (inseparability of the three worlds; knowing the real nature of the mind and of everything; beyond conceptualization; Union of the Two Truths) at the time of the path of seeingØ
Svabhavikakaya (pure body speech and mind), vajra kaya, the kaya of the manifestation of enlightenment)·
Equanimity makes us sublime. Equanimity makes the mind workable.·
By the karma of ignorance we are born as animals. Those who have pure merit, but also an equal amount of pride, are born as gods or human beings.·
When these eight consciousnesses are transmuted or transformed, they become the Five Wisdoms. Alaya is transformed into the wisdom of Dharmadhatu. By pacifying ignorance into space, there is simple, space-like wisdom.·
By pride being pacified into space, the equality of self and other is known, and samsara and nirvana are non-dual. Within the equality wisdom all the dharmas are equal.·
Alaya is transformed into the wisdom of Dharmadhatu. By pacifying ignorance into space, there is simple, space-like wisdom. As for the Dharmadhatu wisdom, for example, if everything has gone into space, though it exists in some sense, it is inexpressible. Everything is of one taste with no variety. Similarly in the Dharmadhatu wisdom, all knowables exist inexpressibly without variety, in one taste.·
Within the equality wisdom all the dharmas are equal. Here samsara and nirvana are non-dual. This is the equality of the great perfection. By pride being pacified into space, the equality of self and other is known, and samsara and nirvana are non-dual. In the wisdom of equality, all dharmas enter into markless equality, so that pleasure and pain are of one taste. Therefore, they are established as equality/equanimity.·
Thus, when their powerful ignorance has been removed, The field is Akanishta and the teacher Vairochana. The Dharma is Dharmadhatu wisdom, completely pure. At the time of the path of seeing, the ignorance of imputed false conceptions is transformed into the Dharmadhatu wisdom. Attaining the first bhumi, "supremely joyful," one sees Vairochana.·
By removal of pride there is the field of Ratnasambhava. For pride, the wisdom of equality of Ratnasambhava is taught. On the lesser three paths of meditation, transforming pride into the wisdom of equanimity, one sees Ratnasambhava.·
The second is the "Gnosis of equality" / the wisdoms of equality, which is that portion of Gnosis that abides neither in cyclic existence nor in the extinction of Nirvana. -- Ven. Khenpo Appey Rinpoche, The Qualities of Buddhahood: A Brief Sketch.·
Even awareness: Our pride returns as a recognition of the composite nature of all things.·
All - encompassing awareness. Our confusion reappears as all-pervading intuition.·
The profound state of emptiness illuminates the darkness of stupidity.·
It destroys conceit in joy.·
If one cultivates assiduously and cultivates well the mind of equanimity , the blessings accruing there from culminate in the station of nothing whatsoever." Prajñápáramitá.·
Purification Of Body, Speech And Mind Together.·
Antidote to pride (gods), the Mara of fixation, to ignorance (animals),·
Purification of the body, speech and mind together (the ten unwholesome actions, discriminating with ignorance discriminating while knowing of emptiness, equanimity -- being beyond discrimination (love, hate, indifference no friends or enemies - not accepting samsara or seeking Nirvana) brings an undisturbed mind, the natural state).·
The word empowerment is that which cleanses habitual patterns.·
The empowerment of Dharmadhatu wisdom; This is the ultimate empowerment. This arises from perfecting the two accumulations.·
Planting the seed for the Svabhavikakaya, the changeless Vajra kaya, the kaya of the manifestation of enlightenment -- The changeless nature of the ground, primordially luminous Dharmadhatu, the final destination of the Buddhas, is called the unchanging vajra kaya. The kaya of the manifestation of enlightenment is the essence of ultimate renunciation or realization. This is the ground of arising of the Buddhas' exclusive qualities.·
Seeing the real nature of the three realms together (the ultimate realm) (inseparability of dependent origination and emptiness, the union of the Two Truths),·
Purification of the occasion of the eight consciousnesses (believing in inherent existence).·
Which is transformed into the equality wisdom (the portion of Gnosis that abides neither in cyclic existence nor in the extinction of Nirvana. Recognition of the composite nature of all things. -- Within the equality wisdom all the dharmas are equal. Here samsara and nirvana are non-dual. This is the equality of the great perfection. -- By pride being pacified into space, the equality of self and other is known, and samsara and nirvana are non-dual. -- All objects of the three realms are seen for what they really are. There is no more preference for the higher realms or Nirvana vs. samsara.)·
For pride the Dharma of the wisdom of equality of Ratnasambhava is taught.·
By removal of pride there is the field of Ratnasambhava. -- On the lesser three paths of meditation, transforming pride into the wisdom of equanimity, one sees Ratnasambhava.·
Ratnasambhava - crown initiation·
Which is transformed into the space-like wisdom (Dharmadhatu wisdom) (all-pervading intuition. In the Dharmadhatu wisdom, all knowables exist inexpressibly without variety, in one taste.),·
At the time of the path of seeing, the ignorance of imputed false conceptions is transformed into the Dharmadhatu wisdom. Attaining the first bhumi, "supremely joyful," one sees Vairochana.·
Vairochana - name initiation·
Antidote to neither existence nor non-existence (monism, oneness -- thinking everything is one).·
The perfection of equanimity is using objects of the three realms while knowing their real non-dual nature, and the real nature of their inseparability, without falling into the belief of neither existence nor non-existence, monism or oneness. Not accepting them as absolute, not rejecting them as meaningless. Thus transcending all accumulated conditioning, transcending all views, and realizing the perfect Union of the Two Truths instead. -- Seeing the equality (emptiness) and knowing the emptiness of this equality equals equality wisdom. Seeing the space nature (emptiness) without rejecting the luminosity (dependent origination).·
Living the experience with the wisdom that have seen the real non-dual nature of everything: Instead of feeling proud of ourselves, because we think we are right and others wrong, because we think there are inherently existing characteristics, the equality wisdom consists of acting while seeing the empty nature of all the three: subject. Object, action. Also, instead of falling for the other extreme of "monism or oneness" thinking everything is the same, it can combine perfectly the two aspects because it has realized the Union of The Two Truths.·
Instead of continually jumping from one extreme to another (with ignorance), we stay with the Middle Way away from all extremes (with wisdom), because we know the non-dual nature of the objects of the three realms (no absolute, only adapted skillful means), because we can transcend all conditioning.)
5. As for the praise of the virtues:
[The way of the victorious ones]
Unequaled with limitless qualities, kindness and the rest
Are given the highest praise by the teacher of gods and men.
The Glorious Garland Sutra says:
Whoever meditates on the four immeasurables
Will be considered with kindness by all the Tathágatas.
All the immeasurable good qualities of this
Are even more limitless than endless space itself.
As for the teaching that the four immeasurables is the way of the victorious ones.
6. As for the four immeasurables: the path of liberation
Any path that is without them is in error.
It is an evil path to take refuge in other teachings.
The path that has them leads to spotless liberation.
This is the way that was traveled by Buddhas of the past.
It also will be traveled by those who are to come.
The Commentary of the Teacher of the Bhumis says:
The four immeasurables are the path of liberation. Others are wrong paths.
(i.e. It is also because:
·
Although one employs the mind of loving - kindness in aspiring to cause beings to experience pleasure, still, one is unable to cause them to experience pleasure.·
Although one employs the mind of compassion in aspiring to cause beings to transcend suffering, still, one is unable to cause them to succeed in transcending suffering.·
Nor when one cultivates the mind of sympathetic joy is one able to cause beings to achieve great joy. These are only reflective contemplations.
They have not yet become actual circumstances. If one desires to cause beings to be able to achieve these as actual circumstances, one must bring forth the mind to become a Buddha, cultivate the six paramitas, and bring to completion the dharmas of a Buddha whereby one may cause beings to gain real happiness. It is on account of this that one develops equanimity with respect to these other three immeasurable minds and accesses the mind of equanimity.
Moreover, this nature of being-hood exists on account of delusion. It is not actually a fixed dharma. Even if all of the Buddhas of the three periods of time and ten directions sought to find some reality in being-hood, still, it could not be found. How then could there be a complete bringing to deliverance of all of them.
Moreover, if looked at from the standpoint of the true character of all dharmas and the supreme meaning then there are not only no beings, but there is no "bringing to deliverance" either.
-- Kalavinka, Prajñápáramitá - The Four Immeasurable Minds
[Fruition of the four immeasurables]
Question: What sorts of resultant retributions are gained from the practice of the four immeasurable minds?
Reply: The Buddha stated that if one enters this samádhi of loving - kindness, one gains five types of merit in the present:
·
One can enter fire and not be burned,·
Be poisoned and yet not die,·
Be attached by the blades of the army and not be injured,·
Be immune in the end from violent death,·
And be guarded by good spirits.
On account of benefiting an immeasurable number of beings one gains these
immeasurable blessings and qualities.
On account of employing this outflow - level immeasurable mind while taking
beings as the [objective] condition, one is born into a pure place, the
so-called form realm.
Question: Why did the Buddha state that it is the retribution for loving - kindness to be reborn in the Brahma heaven?
Reply: This is because the Brahma heaven is revered and prized by beings and because everyone has heard of it and everyone knows of it. The Buddha resided in the country of India. In India, the Brahmans are always numerous. According to the dharma of the Brahmans, all blessings and merit are entirely dedicated to the aspiration to be born in the Brahma heaven. If beings hear that cultivating loving - kindness results in being reborn in the Brahma heaven, then they will have faith in and cultivate the dharma of loving - kindness. It is for this reason that it is said that cultivating loving - kindness results in being born in the Brahma heaven.
Then again, those heavens in which sexual desire is cut off are all referred to as "Brahman." When one speaks of "Brahman" it subsumes the entire form realm. It is for this reason that the dharma of cutting of sexual desire is referred to as "Brahman conduct" while transcending desire is also referred to as "Brahman." If one speaks of "Brahman" this subsumes then the four Dhyanas and the four formless absorptions.
Then again, because initial and discursive though are difficult to extinguish, he did not mention the names of higher grounds. This is analogous to the case of the five precepts where in speaking of the regulations regarding verbal conduct one speaks only of one type, "false speech," while actually subsuming therein three other matters* (*abusive speech, duplicitous speech, and frivolous speech).
Question: The practice of loving - kindness is possessed of five meritorious qualities. Why is there no discussion of meritorious qualities with respect to compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity?
Reply: It is just as with the above analogy wherein one matter subsumes three others. If one speaks of loving - kindness one has already thereby spoken of compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity. Moreover, loving - kindness is truly immeasurable. Loving - kindness is like a king whereas the other three follow along like [the king's] subjects. How is this so?
·
One first employs the mind of loving - kindness and so aspires to cause beings to gain pleasure.·
Because one observes that there are those who do not succeed in gaining pleasure one develops the mind of compassion.·
Because one wishes to cause beings to transcend suffering so that their minds gain Dharma bliss one develops the mind of sympathetic joy.·
Because with respect to these three matters one wishes to be without aversion, without affection, without desire and without worry one develops the mind of equanimity.
Then again, one may explain that it is because the practice of loving - kindness involves taking that which is pleasurable and bestowing it on beings that it is singled out as possessing meritorious qualities.
The Item Added Agama does speak of the mind of compassion being possessed of five meritorious qualities. Its meritorious qualities are spoken of in many places in the Mahayana scriptures. For instance, in The Brilliant Net Bodhisattva Sutra it states, "The bodhisattva dwells among beings and carries on the practice of thirty-two kinds of compassion. This practice gradually increases, becomes vast and transforms into the great compassion. The great compassion is the root of the meritorious qualities of all Buddhas and bodhisattvas. It is the mother of the Prajñápáramitá and the grandmother of the Buddhas. It is on account of the mind of great compassion that the bodhisattva realizes the Prajñápáramitá and it is on account of gaining the Prajñápáramitá that he realizes Buddhahood." In all manner of cases such as these praises are proclaimed for the great compassion. In other places the mind of sympathetic joy and the mind of equanimity are also praised. Because the two matters of loving - kindness and compassion are universal and great the Buddha praised their meritorious qualities. This is because the meritorious qualities of loving - kindness are rare and because it is on account of compassion that one perfects the great karma.
Question: In discussing the meritorious qualities of the four immeasurables, the Buddha stated,
·
"If one cultivates assiduously and cultivates well the mind of loving - kindness, the blessings [accruing there from] culminate in the heaven of universal purity.·
If one cultivates assiduously and cultivates well the mind of compassion, the blessings [accruing there from] culminate in the station of empty space.·
If one cultivates assiduously and cultivates well the mind of sympathetic joy, the blessings [accruing there from] culminate in the station of consciousness.·
If one cultivates assiduously and cultivates well the mind of equanimity, the blessings [accruing there from] culminate in the station of nothing whatsoever."
Why then is it said that the resultant retribution of loving - kindness corresponds to birth in the Brahma heaven?
Reply: The Dharma of the Buddhas is inconceivable and ineffable. It is explained like this to accord with what is appropriate for bringing particular beings to deliverance.
·
Furthermore, it is because when one arises from the loving - kindness based meditative absorption it is easy to return towards the third Dhyana.·
[It is because] when one arises from the compassion - based meditative absorption one tends towards the station of empty space.·
[It is because] when one arises from the sympathetic joy based meditative absorption one enters the station of consciousness.·
[And it is because] when one arises from the equanimity based meditative absorption, it is easy to enter the station of nothing whatsoever.·
Then again it may be explained that when one cultivates the mind of loving kindness, one aspires to cause beings to gain pleasure. The resultant retribution from such cultivation ought naturally to be that one experiences pleasure. It is because the heaven of universal purity is the most pleasurable place in the entire triple world that it was stated, "the blessings culminate in the heaven of universal purity.·
When one cultivates the mind of compassion one contemplates the suffering of old age, sickness, and cruel injury experienced by beings. A mind of pity arises on the part of the practitioner and he thinks, "How can I cause them to succeed in transcending suffering? If one acts for the sake of getting rid of inner suffering, then the external suffering will come yet again. If one acts for the sake of getting rid of external suffering, then the internal suffering will come yet again." The practitioner ponders, "If one possesses a body it is definite that one will experience suffering. It is only in the absence of a body that one will then succeed in being without suffering." The station of empty space is capable of breaking the constraints of form. Therefore it was stated that the blessings of cultivating compassion culminate in the station of empty space.·
When one cultivates the mind of sympathetic joy one aspires to provide beings pleasure on the level of the mind and consciousness. As for pleasure on the level of the mind and consciousness, it corresponds to the mind succeeding in leaving the body just as a bird escapes from a cage. Although at the station of empty space the mind does succeed in escaping from the body, the mind is still tied to abiding in empty space. The station of consciousness is immeasurable. The mind and consciousness exist in all dharmas and so the consciousness gains unlimited independence. It is for this reason that it was stated that the blessings of cultivating sympathetic joy culminate in station of consciousness.·
As for the mind of equanimity, one develops equanimity with respect to the suffering and pleasure among beings. It is on account of developing equanimity with respect to suffering and pleasure that one realizes the dharma of true equanimity, the so-called station of nothing whatsoever. It is for this reason that it was stated that the blessings of cultivating the mind of equanimity culminate in the station of nothing whatsoever.
Only the sages are capable of realizing the four immeasurables in this fashion described above. It is not the case that common people are capable of this.
Additionally, the Buddha was aware that the disciples of future generations, on account of their dull faculties, would make discriminations and become attached to dharmas and on account of this they would engage in erroneous explanations of the characteristics of the four immeasurables, claiming that these four immeasurable minds are only in effect on the level of those with outflows because they take beings as the objective condition, claiming that because they can only take the desire realm as the objective condition they are nonexistent in the form realm. Why? Because in the form realm one does not take the desire realm as an objective condition.
In order to cut off erroneous views on the part of people such as these the explained that the four immeasurable minds are even in effect in the formless realm. Because in the Buddha's implementation of the four immeasurable minds, he universally takes all beings of the ten directions as objective conditions, it ought to be the case that he also takes [beings abiding] in the formless realm as objective conditions. This is as in The Questions of Inexhaustible Intellect Bodhisattva wherein it states, "Loving - kindness is of three kinds: That which takes beings as the objective condition, that which takes dharmas as the objective condition, and that which takes nothing whatsoever as the objective condition."
In this regard, the author of this commentary declares, "Where beings are taken as the objective condition, that is on the level of outflows. Where nothing whatsoever is taken as the objective condition that is on the level of no outflows. Where dharmas are taken as the objective condition, that is sometimes on the level of outflows and sometimes on the level of no outflows."
And so all kinds of explanations such as these offered above collectively constitute a summary explanation of the four immeasurable minds.
-- Kalavinka, Prajñápáramitá - The Four Immeasurable Minds)
Vimalakirti Sutra:
The domain of the four immeasurables, where one does not accept rebirth in the heaven of Brahma, such is the domain of the bodhisattva.
7. As for the teaching of how to attain the two ultimate realities. [4]
[combining upaya and prajña; removing the two obscurations; in order to produce or reveal the two kayas. -- The meaning is the same: Emptiness is compassionate.]
The causal vehicles hold that as a seed produces a sprout,
Upaya and prajña are the producers of the two kayas.
The fruition vehicles proclaim these as being mere conditions,
Removing the two obscurations that veil these same two kayas.
But since upaya depends on the limitless path of compassion,
The meaning is the same: Emptiness is compassionate.
In that, both cause and fruition practice are in accord.
The vehicles of characteristics mostly proclaim that the two accumulations are the producing cause of the two kayas. The Sixty Stanzas on Reasoning says:
By this merit all beings
Accumulate merit and wisdom.
Arising from merit and wisdom,
May we attain the two absolutes.
In the secret mantra, it is maintained that clearing away the two obscurations of the kayas occurs through practicing the two accumulations as upaya and prajña, and therefore this is proclaimed to be a condition. Both are in accord, since practice having the essence of emptiness and compassion is what is established.
(i.e. Loving-kindness and compassion are the essence of the Buddha's wisdom, and the nectar which transforms everything into the medicine that cures the disease of the mind. They are the light of wisdom, which dispels the darkness of ignorance.
-- Khenchen Konchog Gyaltsen Rinpoche, Practicing Loving-Kindness and COMPASSION as an antidote to attachment to the pleasure of peace)
8. As for summarizing the meaning of this meditation:
[Both sutras and tantras are in accord, as outer and inner aspects of a single path:
The dhatu is naturally pure and possesses the Buddha qualities primordially. At the time of having practiced the path, the Buddha qualities appear to arise, and are proclaimed to appear. In the mantra-yana all beings naturally exist as the mandala.
In the path, the two accumulations of upaya and prajña are also the same.;
In the fruitions, the kayas and wisdoms are the same.]
The sutras say that the unborn seeds of happiness
Have existed primordially and never were created.
The mantrayana is in accord with this, because it claims
To clear away the incidental obscurations
That are the primordial obscurations of Trikaya.
To summarize briefly, learned and accomplished ones
Explain that sutra and tantra are a unity,
As outer and inner aspects of a single path.
Therefore, following after the holy Buddha sons,
We should strive to practice the four immeasurables.
The final teaching says that the dhatu is naturally pure and possesses the Buddha qualities primordially. At the time of having practiced the path, the Buddha qualities appear to arise, and are proclaimed to appear. In the mantrayana all beings naturally exist as the mandala, as explained below. Since these two are without distinction, it amounts to the same thing. In the path, the two accumulations of upaya and prajña are also the same. In the fruitions, the kayas and wisdoms are the same. Therefore former great masters like Padmasambhava have explained their relationship as inner and outer. Therefore, we should strive to meditate on the four immeasurables.
J. The tenth part of the general meaning, the dedication of merit
Now the merit is dedicated for the benefit of sentient beings:
Thus by the nature of this peace that was so well-taught,
When the roiling silt in the mind of all beings is pacified,
Fatigued by having strayed into wrong and descending paths,
May our minds today find ease for their weariness.
By the power of this auspicious way of presenting the Dharma, like the host of undefiled rays of the autumn moon, may whatever beings are dwelling on the paths of the shravakas and Pratyekabuddhas, and others dwelling on the paths of the heretics, and those who are wearied by dwelling on paths that are less than perfect, and all those worn out by dwelling on the great path of samsara, whose minds are disturbed by the roiling kleshas be completely pacified. In the wondrously arisen grove of liberation, carpeted with an array of various flowers, in the pond of Buddha qualities may they ease themselves.
As when the full moon of autumn ornaments the sky
Having a perfectly rounded, brilliantly shining disk,
And hundreds of night-blooming lotuses open in its light
May these fully blossom in the faith of sentient beings.Lapping the motionless Meru of a mind of sanity
Is the play of the ocean of happiness and benefit.
The four immeasurables are the ornaments of mind
As the four continents adorn that central mountain.May happiness beautify the world to its farthest horizon.
May beings without remainder perfect their livelihood.
From the peaceful wreath of clouds of the play of the three levels,
May the heavens wondrously open with the rain of happiness
With flashing illumination and the thunder of victory
May these four immeasurable benefits reach to the end of time.
Equanimity |
Kindness |
Compassion |
Joy |
|
The training is complete when either self or others, |
The sign of success is supreme and all-pervading kindness. |
The sign is that the suffering of beings, arising within us, becomes unbearable. |
The sign is the arising of joy that is free from envy. |
|
Then go on to the equanimity without object. |
Then rest everything in equanimity. The sign is the unity of kindness and emptiness. |
Then meditate on compassion without a reference point. The sign is the unity of compassion and emptiness. |
Then meditate on joy without a reference point. Body, speech and mind have spontaneous peace and bliss. |
|
The fruition is that for mind, undisturbed by near and far, |
The visible result is experience of pure pleasure. |
The fruition is a mind without injurious malice, |
By the wealth of the fruition joy is stabilized. |
|
When equanimity is neutral and indecisive [i.e. indifference], |
If kindness attaches you intimately to all beings, |
When a lesser compassion attaches to reference points, |
When joy disturbs the mind by arousing anxiety |
N/A |
When equanimity has eliminated pride As well as stupidity, there is the essence of things Through equality Dharmadhatu wisdom (compatibility original awareness) will manifest. The simplicity of dharmata is svabhavikakaya. When equanimity has purified pride and ignorance, the wisdom of equality and the Dharmadhatu wisdom are established. Svabhavikakaya, |
When perfect enjoyment of kindness is without aggression, Then the
mirror-like wisdom (mirror-like original awareness) will have been fully
attained, As Sambhogakaya adorned with the major and minor marks. After kindness has transformed aggression into the mirror-like wisdom, one attains Sambhogakaya. |
When compassion is desire-less, there is Dharmakaya, Producing the
manifestation of discriminating wisdom (specificity -initiating original
awareness). Its dharmas like the ten powers are utterly distinct. Compassion pure of desire is discriminating awareness wisdom and Dharmakaya. |
When joy eliminates jealousy, there is Nirmanakaya. The holy
all-accomplishing wisdom (task-posed-and-accomplished original awareness)
is attained. Nirmanakaya is nothing fixed, but of various forms. This
self-existing kaya is spontaneous Buddha activity. By immeasurable joy one attains the all-accomplishing wisdom, whose nature is perfect Buddha activity. Purifying jealousy makes Nirmanakaya manifest. |
|
BODY, SPEECH and MIND TOGETHER (inseparability) The union of bliss and emptiness, The union of the two truths The union of body and mind Purification of Body, speech and mind - Vajra Holder Body |
SPEECH Purification of the Speech - |
MIND Purification of the Mind - |
BODY Purification of the Body - By transforming fixation, the consciousness of the five gates, we attain the empowerment of the pure Buddha fields. By transforming the mind-consciousness we attain mastery of the four modes of genuine individual awareness, and by attaining the empowerment of perfect Buddha activity, we ripen sentient beings. This is the ninth bhumi. By transforming the klesha-mind we attain the empowerment of complete non-thought (w2) |
|
The natural state - Dharmadhatu - Union of the Two Truths - |
Form realm - |
Non-form realm - |
Sense realm - The consciousnesses of the five gates The mental consciousness The Klesha-mind |
|
Not neither existence nor non-existence |
Not non-existence |
Not both existence and non-existence |
Not existence |
|
Antidote to pride (god). |
Antidote to aggression (hell beings. |
Antidote to desire, attachment, passion (humans), greed, miserliness (hungry ghosts). |
Antidote to jealousy, envy, competitiveness (jealous demi-god, asuras). |
Antidote to ignorance (animals), analysis, discrimination. antidote for attachment and aversion |
Alaya is transformed into the wisdom of Dharmadhatu. |
Alaya Vijnana is transformed into the mirror-like wisdom. |
Spotless Buddhahood possessing all good qualities, Discriminating awareness wisdom truly discriminates all the world transcending perfections with their causes and effects; and the shravakas, Pratyekabuddhas, and bodhisattvas. |
The subsiding of the consciousnesses of the five gates into space is the all-accomplishing wisdom. |
|
Within the equality wisdom all the dharmas are equal. Here samsara and nirvana are non-dual. This is the equality of the great perfection. |
Mirror-like wisdom is the source of luminous emptiness. As such it is the great source of all the later wisdoms. |
For discriminating wisdom objects are distinct. The visions of nature and extent are completely pure. |
All accomplishing wisdom is perfect Buddha activity. It is not obstructed by knowing everything all the time. |
By pacifying ignorance into space, there is simple, space-like wisdom. |
By pride being pacified into space, the equality of self and other is known, and samsara and nirvana are non-dual. Within the equality wisdom all the dharmas are equal. |
Alaya Vijnana is the ground of arising and proliferation of all the other consciousnesses. The wisdom of subsiding into space is the ground of arising of the remaining three [wisdoms]. It is like the surface of a pure mirror, without defilements of grasping and fixation. As for the mirror-like wisdom, for example, although reflections of things appear in the surface of a mirror; those things do not exist there. This is effortless, and such things are have no conditional formations at all. Similarly, though the various reflections of omniscience arise within the mirror-like wisdom, they do not exist, are effortless, and are unconditioned. |
By the subsiding of passion into space, discriminating awareness wisdom knows the empty nature of knowables as it is, and knows the extent of all the essences of various appearances, along with their causes and effects. |
By the subsiding of envy into space, as for the wisdom that unremittingly acts to accomplish benefit for sentient beings. |
As for the Dharmadhatu wisdom, for example, if everything has gone into space, though it exists in some sense, it is inexpressible. Everything is of one taste with no variety. Similarly in the Dharmadhatu wisdom, all knowables exist inexpressibly without variety, in one taste. |
By removal of pride there is the field of Ratnasambhava. For pride, the wisdom of equality of Ratnasambhava is taught. |
For aggression the Dharma of the mirror-like wisdom of Akshobhya is taught |
By removing desire, there is the field of Amitabha. For passion, the discriminating awareness wisdom of Amitabha is taught. |
By removing jealousy, the field of Amoghasiddhi. Jealousy is purified by showing the all-accomplishing wisdom of Amoghasiddhi. |
Thus, when their powerful ignorance has been removed, The field is Akanishta and the teacher Vairochana. The Dharma is Dharmadhatu wisdom, completely pure. |
On the lesser three paths [bhumis] of meditation, transforming pride into the wisdom of equanimity, one sees Ratnasambhava. |
On the precious eighth bhumi, the seeds of aggression, the pain of conceptualization, and alaya Vijnana are transformed into the mirror-like wisdom so that one attains complete non-thought and sees Akshobhya. |
On the middle three [bhumi], transforming all kinds of passion into discriminating awareness wisdom, one sees Amitabha. |
On the ninth and tenth bhumis, purifying the seeds of jealousy, the fields of the five gates are purified by the four modes of genuine individual awareness. Perfect Buddha activity produces benefit for sentient beings, the all-accomplishing wisdom is attained, and seeing Amoghasiddhi, one is empowered by great light rays. This is perfection of the great deeds of the Buddhas. |
At the time of the path of seeing, the ignorance of imputed false conceptions is transformed into the Dharmadhatu wisdom. Attaining the first bhumi, "supremely joyful," one sees Vairochana. |
The second is the "Gnosis of equality" / the wisdoms of equality, which is that portion of Gnosis that abides neither in cyclic existence nor in the extinction of Nirvana. -- Ven. Khenpo Appey Rinpoche |
The first of these is the "mirror-like Gnosis" / the mirror-like wisdom, which is the portion of Gnosis that is free of both apprehending subject and apprehended object. -- Ven. Khenpo Appey Rinpoche |
The third is the "discriminative Gnosis" / discriminating awareness, which is the portion of Gnosis that understands objects in their multiplicity and variety. -- Ven. Khenpo Appey Rinpoche |
The fourth is "action -accomplishing Gnosis" / all- accomplishing wisdom, which is the portion of Gnosis through which the Buddha understands the personalities and dispositions of sentient creatures. -- Ven. Khenpo Appey Rinpoche |
|
Even awareness: Our pride returns as a recognition of the composite nature of all things. |
Mirror - like awareness: When our anger is transformed, the resultant insight is clear like a mirror. It neither adds nor withdraws anything |
Discerning awareness: Our attachment becomes the ability to see situations both singly and as part of a totality. |
Spontaneously fulfilling awareness: Our jealousy manifests the wisdom of experience. |
All - encompassing awareness. Our confusion reappears as all-pervading intuition. |
Those who have pure merit, but also an equal amount of pride, are born as gods or human beings. |
By the karma of aggression we are born in Hell. |
By the karma of seduction and desire we are born as prêtas |
Those who have equal parts of goodness and jealousy are born as asuras. |
by the karma of ignorance we are born as animals. |
Equanimity |
Kindness |
Compassion |
Joy |
|
Domains: speech (form realm), mind (formless realm), body (sense realm), the three together (ultimate realm).
Impure or degenerated states: speech (Hell's anger -- lying, divisive speech, sophistic speech. harsh words), mind (Pretas's greed, egotism -- covetousness, ill-will, wrong views), body (Asuras's jealousy -- killing, stealing, sexual misconduct), the three together (God's pride and animal's ignorance of the real nature of everything - partiality).
Extremes: thinking words concepts are real (idealism - non-existence), thinking there is an opposition between self and others (dualism - both existence and non-existence), thinking objects of the senses are real and that we should compete for them (realism - existence), thinking everything is one (monism - not existence and not non-existence).
Consciousnesses: slave of accumulated conditioning of concepts (alaya Vijnana), slave of the belief in a self-separated from the world (alaya), thinking things exist independently of the mind (seven consciousnesses), believing in inherent existence (eight consciousnesses).
Purification or Antidotes: speech (pleasant words, nice speech, loving-kindness), mind (putting others first in our preoccupations, compassion), body (not trying to compete unwholesomely with others, joy for their success), the three together or the last traces of obscuration (discriminating while knowing of emptiness, equanimity).
Offerings: Inner (mental), secret, outer, such-ness offerings.
Wishes: desire to return love, desire to help others in need, being happy of the accumulated merit of others, desire for all to be free from love, hate, indifference.
Conditioning: with conditioning without producing more conditioning, temporarily without the influence of conditioning and without producing more conditioning, with conditioning and producing conditioning, transcending all conditioning.
·
Solution: seeing the real nature of the objects of the form realm / seeds (abstract, conceptual, symbolic), of the formless realm (intuitive), of the sense realm (objects of the sense), of the three together (of our own mind and of everything, of all discrimination and the inseparability of emptiness.·
Reason: obstacles (concepts, characteristics) are fabrications of the mind (conditioning, taints on the mirror), the self is not separated from the world, the objects of the senses are all like illusions, everything is non-dual, luminous space.·
Results: pleasant words brings a pleasant world and pure pleasure, feeling compassion for others brings a mind without injurious malice, absence of envy jealousy competiteness stabilize joy, being beyond discrimination (love, hate, indifference -- no friends or enemies - not accepting samsara or seeking Nirvana) brings an undisturbed mind, the natural state.·
Pure states / wisdoms: perfectly combining method and wisdom:Ø
mirror-like (knowing the real nature of the seeds, of concepts, of the form realm, of conditioning; not falling for the conditioning, luminous emptiness; not adding or withdrawing anything, without defilements / obstructions) eighth bhumiØ
discriminating (knowing the real nature of the formless realm, discrimination between self and beings knowing their real nature; understanding nature and extent; objects are distinct; discriminating all the Buddha qualities with their causes and effects), -- on the middle three [Bhumis]Ø
All-accomplishing (knowing the real nature of the sense realm, understanding personalities (particular five aggregates); perfectly adapted Buddha activities not obstructed by knowing everything all the time) -- on the ninth and tenth BhumisØ
Equality (equality of self and others, equality of all dharmas in emptiness; equality of samsara and Nirvana; all empty of inherent existence because dependently arisen, composite, merely imputed by the mind...) on the lesser three paths [Bhumis]Ø
Dharmadhatu wisdom (inseparability of the three worlds; knowing the real nature of the mind and of everything; beyond conceptualization; Union of the Two Truths) -- at the time of the path of seeing
·
Kayas: Sambhogakaya (pure speech), Dharmakaya (pure mind), Nirmanakaya (pure body), svabhavikakaya (pure body speech and mind), vajra kaya, the kaya of the manifestation of enlightenment.·
Colors are used to represent the elements: white is water; red is fire; green is air; yellow/earth; blue or black is space.·
Inseparability of emptiness and: sounds, awareness (mind), appearances (body), dependent origination (the Two Truths).·
Mahamudra stages: simplicity (no need to over analyze, escape from conceptualizing), one taste (escape from all -- but temporarily), stable samatha (escape from the desire realm), no meditation (transcending everything)·
States: the heaven of universal purity, the station of empty space, the station of consciousness, the station of nothing whatsoever
Purification Of The Speech - Alaya Vijnana - Purification Of The World
Does this mean that:
·
"impure loving-kindness" is aggression, anger and hate,·
"pure loving-kindness" is "the mirror-like wisdom,"Ø
Or "pure speech,"Ø
Or knowing the real nature of "the form world?"·
The direct knowledge of emptiness reveals aggression as a degeneration of "the mirror-like wisdom."The perceived obstacles are just taints on the surface of the mirror; seeds on the Alaya Vijnana; they are not the real mirror or real objects independent of those filters.
·
Alaya Vijnana is transformed into "the mirror-like wisdom."·
On the precious eighth bhumi, the seeds of aggression, the pain of conceptualization, and alaya Vijnana are transformed into "the mirror-like wisdom" so that one attains complete non-thought and sees Akshobhya.·
When our anger is transformed, the resultant insight is clear like a mirror. It neither adds nor withdraws anything.·
The wisdom of subsiding into space is the ground of arising of the remaining three wisdoms. It is like the surface of a pure mirror, without defilements of grasping and fixation.·
As for the mirror-like wisdom, for example, although reflections of things appear in the surface of a mirror; those things do not exist there. This is effortless, and such things have no conditional formations at all. Similarly, though the various reflections of omniscience arise within the mirror-like wisdom, they do not exist, are effortless, and are unconditioned.·
If one cultivates assiduously and cultivates well the mind of loving - kindness (a), the blessings accruing there from culminate in the heaven of universal purity--PrajñápáramitáMeaning that the reason why we get angry under certain circumstances is because of our acquired conditioning, the karma seeds. But, we think some people (or things) are bad in their essence; they have the absolute characteristic of being non-desirable, bad, or of causing anger. Seeing the real nature of those obstacles, their purity, emptiness crumbles the mountain of anger.
Once those seeds are removed, or deactivated by seeing their real nature, there is only pure mirror-like wisdom with no obscurations or obstructions. Once the anger is dropped, there is only naturally existing loving-kindness already present as one aspect of the unborn Buddha-nature. That is reflections without the uncontrolled influence of previously acquired karma (conditioning) or any involuntarily creation of new karma (conditioning). The mirror is clean.
Meanwhile loving-kindness is the antidote more in accord with the real nature of everything, since everything is already pure, non-dual.
·
So when one feels anger, hatred, animosity, enmity, cruelty, one has to use the antidote of loving-kindness.·
When one sees obstacles, negativities, one should try to see everything as pure.·
When one feels bad, one should generate as the Yidam.·
All obstacles are merely imputed by the mind, and self-liberating, once one directly see their real nature as they arise.·
Do inner offerings. (The five hooks, five lamps and so forth) (Our body transformed into a Pure Land)Offerings are made in association with the secret empowerment of the Highest Yoga Tantra. During the secret empowerment, the Vajra Master gives the disciples nectar that is derived from the inner drops of the male and female Deities.
In a similar fashion, the inner offering involves the transformation of ten substances - the five meats and the five nectars - into nectar, which is then offered to the holy beings. The inner offering is so called because the basis of the offering, the five meats and the five nectars, are inner substances, that is substances that are derived from the continuum of living beings. ... The five meats are called the "five hooks" and the five nectars are called the "five lamps" because they are the means for swiftly gathering and illuminating all the Highest Yoga Tantra attainments.
Ø
Produce the formless DhyanasØ
The sign of success is supreme and all-pervading kindness. Greater than a mother's love for her only child.Ø
The visible result is experience of pure pleasure.Ø
Mahamudra stage of "Simplicity beyond elaboration"Ø
Not only are we not producing any new karma, but we are disarming the pain caused by already existing karma; we don't feel the pain of seeing that which was seen as offensive before; we are not slave to the filters (conditioning) anymore.By being pleasant with others, the fruit is similar to the cause. Love is disarming hate and anger. By seeing everything as pure, everything is pure; one lives in a pure realm. This virtue is self-amplifying. Loving-kindness becomes as natural as washing one's own face, since it is fully in accord with the real non-dual nature of everything.
The opposite would be self-amplifying hell.
Ø
Then rest everything in equanimity. This is the great kindness without a reference point.Ø
The sign is the unity of kindness and emptiness.Ø
By transforming alaya Vijnana, the basis of arising of concepts and the mind consciousness, within the tenth bhumi, we attain the empowerment of the mirror-like wisdom (the secret empowerment). By the great Buddha activity, Buddhahood and the Buddha activity existing in the sphere of activity become reconcilable.Ø
The meaning of the speech-secret empowerment is that sound (concepts) and emptiness are inseparable. All sounds and all mantras are in essence empty.Ø
The secret empowerment is that which purifies the speech. Speech is the subtle, the form realm, the realm of fine materiality - abstract, conceptual, symbolic -- the conditioning stored as karma seeds - the insubstantial Mara.Ø
When perfect enjoyment of kindness is without aggression, Then the mirror-like wisdom (mirror-like original awareness) will have been fully attained, As Sambhogakaya adorned with the major and minor marks.Ø
After kindness has transformed aggression into the mirror-like wisdom, one attains Sambhogakaya.Ultimately there is wisdom or Gnosis that is free of both apprehending subject and apprehended object. The great Loving-kindness as a method perfectly united with the wisdom of realizing the ultimate nature of the three. Perfect union of dependent origination and emptiness, inseparability of the Two Truths.
Not idealism or nihilism: affirmation of dependent origination, the methods, the inseparable luminosity of space, the luminous nature of the mind, the luminous clarity of a mirror, luminous awareness.
Ø
Mirror-like wisdom is the source of luminous emptiness. As such it is the great source of all the later wisdoms.Ø
The purification of the speech permits to go beyond simple idealism, beyond the acquired karma, the scheme of assimilation, by creating an artificial situation where there is nothing concrete to assimilate, or to filter using the karma seeds. What is seen then is the alaya, the very subtle mind without the influence of the karma seeds.
Purification of the mind - alaya
Does this mean that:
·
"Impure compassion" is desire,·
"Pure compassion" is "discriminating wisdom,"Ø
Or "pure mind,"Ø
Or knowing the real nature of "the non-form world?"·
The direct knowledge of emptiness reveals desire as a degeneration of "discriminating wisdom."The perceived desired objects are just a normal luminosity, and shouldn't be fixated and grasped as if inherently existing.
Meaning that the reason why we desire object (or beings) is because of fixation and grasping. We think they have absolute characteristics. Once the real nature of the objects is directly perceived as they arise, the objects are self-liberating. Then there is just the pure "discriminating wisdom" without fixation, grasping, attachment...That is discrimination while knowing the ultimate nature of all discrimination. Meanwhile thinking about the universality of the suffering of all sentient beings in samsara helps to fight miserliness, and it is more in accord with the real nature of everything: impermanence, unsatisfactory-ness, the universal nature of suffering of everything.
Purification of the body -
Does this mean that:
·
"Impure joy" is jealousy,·
"Pure joy" is "the all-accomplishing wisdom,"Ø
Or "pure body,"Ø
Or knowing the real nature of "the desire world?"·
The direct knowledge of emptiness reveals jealousy as a degeneration of "the all-accomplishing wisdom."The normal activity of helping others, Buddha activities, have degenerated into obsessive competitiveness and jealousy.
Meaning that the reason why we are jealous of some others is because we desire to be better than them, to have more qualities, more happiness. As if those qualities, or this happiness, were not the effects of wholesome causes, some accumulated good karma (merit). By doing this we get confused about what is wholesome and unwholesome. Once the real nature of the qualities, the effects, are seen: empty of inherent existence because dependently arisen, but still functional and efficient because more in accord with the real nature of everything, then there is no more reason to feel jealous, and we can use the pure "discriminating wisdom" to work toward liberation and to help efficiently other sentient beings. Meanwhile using joy as an antidote to jealousy is efficient because more in accord with the real nature of everything: happiness is necessarily caused by having previously accumulated merit; it is not un-caused, or un-deserved. So if someone is happy, then we should rejoice for their good virtues and their good qualities; they necessarily deserve it.
Purification Of Body Speech And Mind
Does this mean that:
·
"Impure equanimity" is pride and stupidity,·
"Pure equanimity" is "the equality Dharmadhatu wisdom,"Ø
Or "pure body speech and mind inseparable,"Ø
Or knowing the real nature of "the three inseparable worlds?"·
The direct knowledge of emptiness reveals pride and stupidity as degeneration of "the wisdom of equality (even awareness) and the Dharmadhatu wisdom (all-encompassing awareness)."Instead of the perfect Union of The Two Truth, we have the belief in inherent existence, and in the duality self vs. world. Instead of a flow of interdependence with no inherently existing entities in it, we have degenerated relativity, with real causes, effects, and causal relations. Instead of seeing all appearances of the three worlds as merely imputed by the mind; everything is though as existing independently of the mind. Instead of seeing the circumstantial dependent origination of all characteristics, their relativity, and their impermanence, there is the belief in absolute characteristics, discrimination and pride based on those.
The root cause of all suffering is the ignorance about the real nature of our own mind, and of everything. Because of this there is fixation, and grasping. Because of that there is discrimination, love, hate, indifference, pride, etc. Once we have directly seen the real nature of our own mind, and thus of everything, they we see that there is no objective absolute basis for any kind of discrimination. Then everything is seen as pure and equal in emptiness. That is the "wisdom of equality." Everything is seen as inseparability of appearances and emptiness, inseparability of opposites, inseparability of the two truths, inseparability of body and mind, omniscience. That is the "Dharmadhatu wisdom," Buddhahood. Meanwhile, until we have directly seen this truth in meditation, we use equanimity as an antidote to pride and discrimination based on ignorance, because it is more in accord with the real nature of everything: the emptiness of any characteristic or classification, the relativity of any judgment.
Kindness |
Compassion |
Joy |
Equanimity |
Feeling love toward everybody. |
The suffering of beings, arising within us, becomes
unbearable. |
Feeling joy that is free from envy. |
Not seeing enemies or friends. |
Seeing everything as pure |
Sacred / Secret Offerings |
External / Outer Offerings |
Suchness Offerings |
Aggression, anger, hate --> hell |
Desire, greed --> prêtas |
Jealousy --> asuras |
Pride and stupidity --> gods, animals |
Alaya Vijnana |
Alaya |
Seven consciousnesses: |
The Eight consciousnesses |
Speech |
Mind |
Body |
Body, speech and mind |
Form realm: |
Non-form realm: |
Desire realm: |
The three worlds inseparable |
The insubstantial Mara |
The Mara of elation |
The substantial Mara |
The Mara of fixation |
Desire for kind words, love. |
Egotism (to satisfy self, to relief our own suffering). |
Desire for material things, to have the best. |
Everything is based on the duality self vs. others, giving priority to
self. |
Ordinary intermediate stage - basic enjoyment body |
Ordinary death - basic Truth body |
Ordinary rebirth - basic emanation body |
The separation of body and mind |
Mirror-like wisdom |
Discriminating wisdom |
All-accomplishing wisdom |
Wisdom of equality Dharmadhatu wisdom / space-like wisdom |
Secret initiation |
Wisdom initiation |
Vase initiation |
Word initiation |
"Simplicity beyond elaboration" |
"One taste" |
"Stable Shamatha" |
"No meditation" |
The visible result is experience of pure pleasure. |
The fruition is a mind without injurious malice, |
By the wealth of the fruition joy is stabilized. |
The fruition is that for mind, undisturbed by near and far, There is the spontaneous presence of the natural state. This is the actual nature of reality. |
the heaven of universal purity |
the station of empty space |
the station of consciousness |
the station of nothing whatsoever |
Kindness |
Compassion |
Joy |
Equanimity |
Antidote to aggression (hell beings), the insubstantial Mara,
Purification of the speech (lying, divisive speech, sophistic speech. harsh words --> pleasant words, nice speech, loving-kindness -- pleasant words brings a pleasant world and pure pleasure).
The secret empowerment is that which purifies the speech.
Planting the seed for the Sambhogakaya,
Seeing the real nature of the form realm (abstract, conceptual, symbolic) (as in the first four Dhyanas) (inseparability of speech or sounds and emptiness),
Purification of the occasion of the Alaya Vijnana (with conditioning without producing more conditioning -- slave of accumulated conditioning of concepts)
Which is transformed into the mirror-like wisdom (the portion of Gnosis that is free of both apprehending subject and apprehended object. The resultant insight is clear like a mirror, without defilements of grasping and fixation… It neither adds nor withdraws anything. -- Mirror-like wisdom is the source of luminous emptiness. As such it is the great source of all the later wisdoms. The basis for the accumulated aggressive conditioning is seen for what it is: empty conditioning; so there is no more resistance, no more taints, no more obscurations, obstructions in the mirror.),
For aggression the Dharma of the mirror-like wisdom of Akshobhya is taught.
Just so by removing aggression, there is the field of Akshobhya. -- On the precious eighth bhumi, the seeds of aggression, the pain of conceptualization, and alaya Vijnana are transformed into the mirror-like wisdom so that one attains complete non-thought and sees Akshobhya.
Akshobhya - water initiation
Antidote to non-existence (idealism, nihilism -- thinking words, concepts are real and the rest non-existent)
The perfection of kindness is using objects of the form realm - words, concepts - while knowing their real non-dual nature, without falling into the belief of non-existence, idealism or nihilism. Not accepting them as absolute, not rejecting them as meaningless. Thus transcending the accumulated conditioning that motivates the aggressive reactions toward others, and using kind words instead. -- Reflecting the experiences while knowing the emptiness of it, without seeing it as an obstacle equals mirror like wisdom.
Living the experience with the wisdom that have seen the real non-dual nature of everything: Instead of feeling insulted or threatened by a certain experience, and reacting aggressively with harsh words, etc, the mirror-like wisdom consist of living the experience while seeing the real non-dual nature of all the three: subject: object, action. The mind acts like a mirror without taints, without resistance, without adding or withdrawing anything.
Instead of reacting out of anger (with ignorance), we talk with loving-kindness (with wisdom), because we know the non-dual nature of the objects of the form realm, because we can transcend our assimilation schema, our accumulated karma seeds.
·
Antidote to desire for self, attachment (humans), greed, miserliness (hungry ghosts), the Mara of elation,·
Purification of the mind (covetousness, ill-will, wrong views -- putting others first in our preoccupations, compassion -- feeling compassion for others brings a mind without injurious malice)·
The prajña jnana empowerment is that which purifies the mind.·
Planting the seed for the Dharmakaya,·
Seeing the real nature of the non-form realm (intuitive) (as in the four formless Dhyanas) (inseparability of awareness or mind and emptiness),·
Purification of the occasion of the Alaya (the neutral alaya of the various habitual patterns -- slave of the belief in a self separated from the world) (without conditioning and without producing more conditioning)·
Which is transformed into the discriminating wisdom (the portion of Gnosis that understands objects in their multiplicity and variety. The ability to see situations both singly and as part of a totality. -- For discriminating wisdom objects are distinct. The visions of nature and extent are completely pure. -- By the subsiding of passion into space, discriminating awareness wisdom knows the empty nature of knowables as it is, and knows the extent of all the essences of various appearances, along with their causes and effects. -- The basis for the accumulated passion (desire for self, discrimination between self and others) conditioning is seen for what it is: empty conditioning, empty self and others; so there is no more unconscious discrimination between individual, between self and others.),·
For passion the discriminating awareness wisdom of Amitabha is taught.·
By removing desire, there is the field of Amitabha. -- On the middle three, transforming all kinds of passion into discriminating awareness wisdom, one sees Amitabha.·
Amitabha - vajra initiation·
Antidote to both existence and non-existence together (dualism -- thinking there is an opposition between self and others)·
The perfection of compassion is using objects of the non-form realm - self vs. others - while knowing their real non-dual nature, without falling into the belief of both existence and non-existence, dualism. Not accepting them as absolute, not rejecting them as meaningless. Thus transcending the accumulated conditioning that motivates selfishness, discrimination in favor of the self, and exchanging self for others instead. -- Discriminating while knowing the emptiness of the self vs. others, of any discrimination equals discriminating wisdom. Using the dualism of existence and non-existence without falling for it.·
Living the experience with the wisdom that have seen the real non-dual nature of everything: Instead of doing everything from an egoistic perspective based on ignorance, instead of being slave of desire, attachment, passion,, and reacting egoistically in accord with our accumulated conditioning, the discriminating wisdom consist of discriminating while seeing the real non-dual nature of all the three: subject: object, action. It knows that the self is like an illusion, and that it is not different or separate from others, while still not the same.·
Instead of discriminating out of egotism (with ignorance), we discriminate out of compassion for others (with wisdom), because we know the non-dual nature of the objects of the non-form realm, because we can transcend our dualistic intuition (of a self in opposition to the world).
·
Antidote to jealousy, envy, competitiveness (asuras), the substantial Mara,·
Purification of the body (killing, stealing, sexual misconduct -- not trying to compete unwholesomely with others, joy for their success -- absence of envy jealousy competitiveness stabilize joy),·
The vase empowerment is that which purifies the body.·
Planting the seed for the Nirmanakaya,·
Seeing the real nature of the sense realm (physical, perceptible, desire realm) (as in everyday experiences) (inseparability of appearances and emptiness),·
Purification of the occasion of the seven consciousnesses (the consciousnesses of the five gates, the mental consciousness, the Klesha-mind -- thinking things exist independently of the mind) (with conditioning and producing more conditioning)·
Which is transformed into the all-accomplishing wisdom (the portion of Gnosis through which the Buddha understands the personalities and dispositions of sentient creatures. The wisdom of experience. The possibility to use adapted skillful means to help other sentient beings. -- All accomplishing wisdom is perfect Buddha activity. It is not obstructed by knowing everything all the time. -- By the subsiding of envy into space, as for the wisdom that unremittingly acts to accomplish benefit for sentient beings... -- The objects of the sense world are seen for what they really are: empty and dependently arisen. So there is no more need to compete for them.),·
Jealousy is purified by showing the all-accomplishing wisdom of Amoghasiddhi.·
By removing jealousy, there is the field of Amoghasiddhi. -- On the ninth and tenth bhumis, purifying the seeds of jealousy, the fields of the five gates are purified by the four modes of genuine individual awareness. Perfect Buddha activity produces benefit for sentient beings, the all-accomplishing wisdom is attained, and seeing Amoghasiddhi, one is empowered by great light rays. This is perfection of the great deeds of the Buddhas.·
Amoghasiddhi - bell initiation·
Antidote to existence (realism -- thinking objects of the senses are real and that we should compete for them)·
The perfection of joy is acting using objects of the sense realm - perceptible objects - while knowing their real non-dual nature, without falling into the belief of existence, realism. Not accepting them as absolute, not rejecting them as meaningless. Thus transcending the accumulated conditioning that motivates the jealous reactions and competitiveness toward others, and using skillful means to help others instead. -- Accomplishing while knowing the emptiness of the three: subject, object, action equals all-accomplishing wisdom. Using existence (dependent origination) without falling for the extreme of realism.·
Living the experience with the wisdom that have seen the real non-dual nature of everything: Instead of being jealous of other's happiness, or competing with them, the all-accomplishing wisdom consist of acting while seeing the real non-dual nature of all the three: subject: object, action. Instead of being jealous or competing with others, we understand that happiness comes from wholesomeness, and want to help them on this path.·
Instead of reacting out of jealousy (with ignorance), we act out of joy (with wisdom), because we know the non-dual nature of the objects of the sense realm, because we can transcend the illusion-like appearances offered by our senses.
·
Antidote to pride (gods), the Mara of fixation, to ignorance (animals),·
Purification of the body, speech and mind together (the ten unwholesome actions, discriminating with ignorance leads discriminating while knowing of emptiness, equanimity -- being beyond discrimination (love, hate, indifference -- no friends or enemies - not accepting samsara or seeking Nirvana) brings an undisturbed mind, the natural state)·
The word empowerment is that which cleanses habitual patterns.·
The empowerment of Dharmadhatu wisdom; this is the ultimate empowerment. This arises from perfecting the two accumulations.·
Planting the seed for the Svabhavikakaya, the changeless Vajra kaya, the kaya of the manifestation of enlightenment -- The changeless nature of the ground, primordially luminous Dharmadhatu, the final destination of the Buddhas, is called the unchanging vajra kaya. The kaya of the manifestation of enlightenment is the essence of ultimate renunciation / realization. This is the ground of arising of the Buddhas' exclusive qualities.·
Seeing the real nature of the three realms together (the ultimate realm) (inseparability of dependent origination and emptiness, the union of the Two Truths),·
Purification of the occasion of the eight consciousnesses (believing in inherent existence)·
Which is transformed into the equality wisdom (the portion of Gnosis that abides neither in cyclic existence nor in the extinction of Nirvana. A recognition of the composite nature of all things. -- Within the equality wisdom all the dharmas are equal. Here samsara and nirvana are non-dual. This is the equality of the great perfection. -- By pride being pacified into space, the equality of self and other is known, and samsara and nirvana are non-dual. -- All objects of the three realms are seen for what they really are. There is no more preference for the higher realms or Nirvana vs. samsara.),·
For pride the Dharma of the wisdom of equality of Ratnasambhava is taught.·
By removal of pride there is the field of Ratnasambhava. -- On the lesser three paths of meditation, transforming pride into the wisdom of equanimity, one sees Ratnasambhava.·
Ratnasambhava - crown initiation·
Which is transformed into the space-like wisdom (Dharmadhatu wisdom) (all-pervading intuition. In the Dharmadhatu wisdom, all knowables exist inexpressibly without variety, in one taste.),·
At the time of the path of seeing, the ignorance of imputed false conceptions is transformed into the Dharmadhatu wisdom. Attaining the first bhumi, "supremely joyful," one sees Vairochana.·
Vairochana - name initiation·
Antidote to neither existence nor non-existence (monism, oneness -- thinking everything is one)·
The perfection of equanimity is using objects of the three realms while knowing their real non-dual nature, and the real nature of their inseparability, without falling into the belief of either existence nor non-existence, monism or oneness. Not accepting them as absolute, not rejecting them as meaningless. Thus transcending all accumulated conditioning, transcending all views, and realizing the perfect Union of the Two Truths instead. -- Seeing the equality (emptiness) and knowing the emptiness of this equality is equality wisdom. Seeing the space nature (emptiness) without rejecting the luminosity (dependent origination).·
Living the experience with the wisdom that have seen the real non-dual nature of everything: Instead of feeling proud of ourselves, because we think we are right and others wrong, because we think there are inherently existing characteristics, the equality wisdom consists of acting while seeing the empty nature of all the three: subject. object, action. Also, instead of falling for the other extreme of "monism or oneness" thinking everything is the same, it can combine perfectly the two aspects because it has realized the Union of The Two Truths.·
Instead of continually jumping from one extreme to another (with ignorance), we stay with the Middle Way away from all extremes (with wisdom), because we know the non-dual nature of the objects of the three realms (no absolute, only adapted skillful means), because we can transcend all conditioning.
The Reason We Practice Meditation, By V.V. Thrangu Rinpoche' Shenpen Osel (also)
The way that we cultivate compassion is called immeasurable compassion. And, in fact, to be precise, there are four aspects of what we would, in general, call compassion, that are called, therefore, the four immeasurables. Now, normally, when we think of something that’s called immeasurable, we mean immeasurably vast. Here, the primary connotation of the term is not vastness but impartiality. And the point of saying immeasurable compassion is com-passion that is not going to help one person at the expense of hurting another. It is a compassion that is felt equally for all beings. The basis of the generation of such an impartial compassion is the recognition of the fact that all beings without exception really want and don’t want the same things. All beings, without exception, want to be happy and want to avoid suffering. There is no being anywhere who really wants to suffer. And if you understand that, and to the extent that you understand that, you will have the intense wish that all beings be free from suffering. And there is no being anywhere who does not want to be happy; and if you understand that, and to the extent that you understand that, you will have the intense wish that all beings actually achieve the happiness that they wish to achieve. Now, because the experience of happiness and freedom from suffering depend upon the generation of the causes of these, then the actual form your aspiration takes is that all beings possess not only happiness but the causes of happiness, that they not only be free of suffering but of the causes of suffering.
The causes of suffering are fundamentally the presence in our minds of mental afflictions " ignorance, attachment, aversion, jealousy, arrogance, and so on " and it is through the existence of these that we come to suffer. Now, through recognizing that there is a way to transcend these causes of suffering " fundamentally, through the eradication of these causes through practicing meditation, which may or may not happen immediately but is a definite and workable process " through this confidence, then this love " wishing beings to be happy " and the compassion of wishing beings to be free from suffering, is not hopeless or frustrated at all.
And, therefore, the boundless love and boundless compassion generate a boundless joy that is based on the confidence that you can actually help beings free themselves.
So boundless love is the aspiration that beings possess happiness and the causes of happiness. Boundless compassion or immeasurable compassion is the aspiration that beings be free of suffering and the causes of suffering. And the actual confidence and the delight you take in the confidence that you can actually bring these about is boundless joy. Now, because all of these are boundless or immeasurable or impartial, then they all have a quality, which is equanimity. Which is to say that if these are cultivated properly, you don’t have love for one being and not for another, or less for another; you don’t have compassion for one being but none for another, and so on. Now, normally, when we experience these qualities, of course, they are partial; they are anything but impartial. In order to eradicate the fixation that causes us to experience compassion only for some and not for others, then you can actually train yourself in cultivating equanimity for beings through recognizing that they all wish for the same thing and wish to avoid the same thing, and through doing so you can greatly increase or enhance your loving-kindness and compassion.
A Teaching on the Chenrezi Sadhana, KTD
The visualization of Chenrezig in this practice, unlike many other deities, has four arms and four hands. The four arms and hands signify the four immeasurables: immeasurable loving-kindness, immeasurable compassion, immeasurable joy, and immeasurable equanimity. Chenrezig, the Bodhisattva of Boundless Compassion, is the very embodiment and realization of the four immeasurables. The four immeasurables are the vehicles through which Chenrezig benefits beings; therefore, Chenrezig has four arms.
Vimalakirti Nirdesa Sutra - Right motivation / resolve: how to generate the Four Immeasurables ...
"A bodhisattva's Buddha-field consists of the four immeasurables.
When he attains enlightenment, living beings who live by love, compassion, joy, and impartiality
will be born in his Buddha-field.
"Friends, the body of a Tathágata is the body of Dharma, born of gnosis...
It is born of love, compassion, joy, and impartiality. (Four immeasurables)
'A Dharma-sacrifice is that which develops living beings without beginning or end, giving gifts to them all simultaneously. What is that?Four Immeasurables
Ø
It consists of the great love which is consummated in enlightenment;Ø
Of the great compassion which is consummated in the concentration of the holy Dharma on the liberation of all living beings;Ø
Of the great joy which is consummated in the awareness of the supreme happiness of all living beings;Ø
And of the great equanimity which is consummated in concentration through knowledge.
Therefore, the bodhisattva should live neither in control nor in indulgence of his mind. Not living in either of the two extremes is the domain of the bodhisattva. ...
The domain of the four immeasurables, where one does not accept rebirth in the heaven of Brahma, such is the domain of the bodhisattva.
Right motivation / resolve: how to generate the Four Immeasurables
(Great Love, Great Compassion, Great Joy and Equanimity)
Manjusri then asked further, "Noble sir, if a bodhisattva considers all living beings in such a way, how does he generate the great love toward them?"
Vimalakirti replied,
"Manjusri, when a bodhisattva considers all living beings in this way, he thinks: 'Just as I have realized the Dharma, so should I teach it to living beings.' Thereby, he generatesØ
The love that is truly a refuge for all living beings;Ø
The love that is peaceful because free of grasping;Ø
The love that is not feverish, because free of passions;Ø
The love that accords with reality because it is equanimous in all three times;Ø
The love that is without conflict because free of the violence of the passions;Ø
The love that is non-dual because it is involved neither with the external nor with the internal;Ø
The love that is imperturbable because totally ultimate."Thereby he generates the love that is firm, its high resolve unbreakable, like a diamond;
Ø
The love that is pure, purified in its intrinsic nature;Ø
The love that is even, its aspirations being equal;Ø
The saint's love that has eliminated its enemy;Ø
The bodhisattva's love that continuously develops living beings;Ø
The Tathágata’s love that understands reality;Ø
The Buddha's love that causes living beings to awaken from their sleep;Ø
The love that is spontaneous because it is fully enlightened spontaneously;Ø
The love that is enlightenment because it is unity of experience;Ø
The love that has no presumption because it has eliminated attachment and aversion;Ø
The love that is great compassion because it infuses the Mahayana with radiance;Ø
The love that is never exhausted because it acknowledges void-ness and selflessness;Ø
The love that is giving because it bestows the gift of Dharma free of the tight fist of a bad teacher;Ø
The love that is morality because it improves immoral living beings;Ø
The love that is tolerance because it protects both self and others;Ø
The love that is effort because it takes responsibility for all living beings;Ø
The love that is contemplation because it refrains from indulgence in tastes;Ø
The love that is wisdom because it causes attainment at the proper time;Ø
The love that is liberative technique because it shows the way everywhere;Ø
The love that is without formality because it is pure in motivation;Ø
The love that is without deviation because it acts from decisive motivation;Ø
The love that is high resolve because it is without passions;Ø
The love that is without deceit because it is not artificial;Ø
The love that is happiness because it introduces living beings to the happiness of the Buddha.Such, Manjusri, is the great love of a bodhisattva."
Manjusri: What is the great compassion of a bodhisattva?
Vimalakirti: It is the giving of all accumulated roots of virtue to all living beings.
Manjusri: What is the great joy of the bodhisattva?
Vimalakirti: It is to be joyful and without regret in giving.
Manjusri: What is the equanimity of the bodhisattva?
Vimalakirti: It is what benefits both self and others.
·
Four immeasurables (Skt. apramanani, Tib. tse me shi) these are four qualities one achieves with complete enlightenment that help others. They are inconceivable because ordinary persons cannot conceive of them. They are limitless loving-kindness, limitless compassion, limitless joy, and limitless equanimity.·
Four immeasurables: The four infinite meditations, the four limitless thoughts, the four boundless contemplations, used to develop bodhicitta by cultivating: love, 'may all beings have happiness'; compassion, 'may all beings be free from suffering'; joy, 'may all beings have sorrow-less joy,' and equanimity, 'may all beings be free from attraction and aversion.'·
The Bardo of Dharmata, His Eminence Beru Khyentse Rinpoche: The attitude of the Four Immeasurables is the attitude of enlightenment.Kurukulla Center Prayers - The Four Immeasurables
SEM CHEN TAM CHE DAY WA DANG DAY WAY GYU DANG DEN PAR GYUR CHIG
SEM CHEN TAM CHE DUG NGEL DANG DUG NGEL KYI GYU DANG DREL WAR GYUR CHIG
SEM CHEN TAM CHE DUG NGEL ME PAY DAY WA DANG MI DREL WAR GYUR CHIG
SEM CHEN TAM CHE NYE RING CHAG DANG NYI DANG DREL WAY TANG NYOM LA NAY PAY GYUR CHIG
May all sentient beings have happiness and its causes.
May all sentient beings be free from suffering and its causes.
May all sentient beings never be parted from sorrow-less bliss.
May all sentient beings abide in equanimity, free from bias, attachment and hatred.·
The Four Immeasurables:
How wonderful it would be if everyone had equanimity, free from hatred and attachment! May they have equanimity! I will cause them to have it. Please, guru-Buddha, bless me to be able to do this.
How wonderful it would be if everyone were free from suffering and its causes! May they have freedom from suffering and its causes. I will cause them to have it. Please, guru-Buddha, bless me to be able to do this.
How wonderful it would be if everyone had happiness and its causes! May they have happiness and its causes. I will cause them to have it. Please, guru-Buddha, bless me to be able to do this.
How wonderful it would be if everyone were never separated from good rebirths and full liberation! May they never be separated from these. I will cause this to happen. Please, guru-Buddha, bless me to be able to do this.
From "The Sadhana Of The Inseparability Of The Spiritual Master And
Avalokiteshvara" -
The Limitless Equilibrium Meditation
SEM-CHEN TAM-CHE NYE-RING CHA-DANG-DANG
How wonderful it would be if all beings were in Equanimity
DREL-WAI TANG-NYOM LA-NE-NA CHI-MA-RUNG
Free from attachment and hatred which keeps some beings close and others
far
NE-PA GYUR-CHIG, NE-PA DAG-GI CHA-WO
May they be in equanimity, I myself will make them be in equanimity
DE-TAR CHE NU-PAR LAMA-LHA JIN-GYI LAB-TU-SOL
Please Guru Deities bless me to be able to do this
The Limitless Love Meditation
SEM-CHEN TAM-CHE DE-WA-DANG
How wonderful it would be if all sentient beings had happiness and
DE-WAY GYU-DANG DEN-NA CHI-MA-RUNG
the cause of happiness. May they have happiness and its cause
DEN-PA GYUR-CHIG DEN-PA DAG-GI CHA-WO
I myself will make them have happiness and its cause
DE-TAR CHE NU-PAR LAMA-LHA JIN-GYI LAB-TU-SOL
Please Guru Deities bless me to be able to do this
The Limitless Compassion Meditation
SEM-CHEN TAM-CHE DUG-NGEL-DANG
How wonderful it would be if all sentient beings were released from
suffering
DUG-NGEL-GYI GYU-DANG DREL-NA CHI-MA-RUNG
And the cause of suffering. May they be released from suffering and its
causes
DREL-WAR GYUR-CHIG DREL-WAR DAG-GI CHA-WO
I myself will release them from suffering and its causes
DE-TAR CHE NU-PAR LAMA-LHA JIN-GYI LAB-TU-SOL
Please Guru Deities bless me to be able to do this
The Limitless Joy Meditation
SEM-CHEN TAM-CHE TORE-DANG
How wonderful it would be if all sentient beings were never separated
TAR-PEY DE-WA DAMPA-DANG MA DREL-NA CHI-MA-RUNG
From the sublime happiness of release and the happiness of higher
rebirths.
MI-DREL-WAR GYUR-CHIG MI DREL-WAR DAG-GI CHA-WO
May they not be separated from these, I myself will make them not be
separated from these.
DE-TAR CHE NU-PAR LAMA-LHA JIN-GYI LAB-TU-SOL
Please Guru Deities bless me to be able to do this.
(Recite the immeasurables three times)
·
Equanimity //upekkha// (antidote for attachment and aversion),·
Loving-kindness //mettá// (antidote for anger), is a sincere wish for the welfare and genuine happiness of all beings, without exception; Goodwill, loving-kindness, benevolence and universal love; Another very important point that should be clearly understood is that in exercising mettá, do not ignore yourself.·
Compassion //karuna// (antidote for aggression),·
//Mudita// appreciative joy at the success and good fortune of others (antidote for jealousy);·
//Dharma// (antidote for ignorance: Self-destruction, depression, a sense of hopelessness, despair, gloom, pessimism, meaninglessness of life, are some of the symptoms of this dreaded disease which leads to so much unhappiness. The cure for the disease (ignorance) is the substitution of the opposite virtues for each of the latent vices. This will lead to the recognition of the beauty of life, its worthwhile-ness, its purposefulness. The substitution of wholesome pleasant thoughts is a recognized form of mental therapy. These virtues tend to elevate man. If cultivated with diligence, man will realize that the earth is such a beautiful place, that human life is noble, and that it is still possible to gain peace for oneself and for others.·
The Limitless Equilibrium Meditation - (i.e. equality based on impermanence, emptiness, and relativity; antidote to duality and the three sensations)·
The Limitless Love Meditation - (from equality, reciprocity and as a tool to fight the ego; antidote of hatred)·
The Limitless Compassion Meditation - (based on the wheel of life; antidotes to hurting)·
The Limitless Joy Meditation - (appreciating good examples and teachings of cause and effect; antidote for jealousy)
From "Medicine Buddha Sadhana," by Shenpen Osel
Following the consecration of the offerings is meditation on the four immeasurables. The four immeasurables are four attitudes that are to be cultivated without limit, which is why they are known as immeasurable, or unlimited. Unlimited means no limit on "how much" and no limit on "for whom." The first immeasurable, in the usual enumeration, is love. Immeasurable love means no limit on how much love and how much compassion you generate, and especially no limit on for whom you generate it.
May all beings be happy and free of suffering.
May their happiness not diminish.
May they abide in equanimity.
Intrinsic to all four of these attitudes is impartiality. When enumerated separately, impartiality is the fourth of the four immeasurables - love, compassion, empathetic joy, and impartiality. However, when you actually practice them, you need to begin with the cultivation of impartiality. We all have some degree of love, some degree of compassion, and some degree of empathetic joy. But in order to make these genuine and to make them immeasurable we need to cultivate impartiality, which is why it is to be cultivated first. When we say that we all have some degree of love, we mean that we all wish that some beings be happy and possess causes of happiness. We all also have some degree of compassion - we all wish that some beings be free from suffering and the causes of suffering. The problem is that we generally wish these things only for certain beings and do not particularly care about what happens to other beings. Although our love and compassion are indeed love and compassion, they are partial; and because they are partial, they are impure and incomplete. If you cultivate impartiality, they become unlimited - which means that they become perfect. So the first stage in the cultivation of the four immeasurables is to cultivate impartiality towards beings, which means cultivating the attitude that you have the same amount of love and the same amount of compassion for all beings. And then, on that basis, you can strengthen the attitude of love - the desire that beings be happy and possess causes of happiness - and by strengthening it you will strengthen that attitude towards all beings in general. If you do not cultivate impartiality in the beginning, by strengthening your love for some you may generate aggression for others. Therefore, you need first to cultivate impartiality, and then, on the basis of impartiality, to cultivate the other three - love, compassion, and empathetic joy. However, in the text they are listed in the usual order, which places impartiality - here referred to as equanimity - at the end.
Essentially love consists of wanting others to be happy, and compassion consists of wanting others not to suffer. These two attitudes, of course, are excellent. But if they are present without any way to bring about what you wish - if your love is without any way to bring about the happiness of beings and your compassion is devoid of any way to remove the sufferings of beings - then they will actually become a cause of greater suffering and sadness for you. You will be more sensitive to the sufferings of others because of your attitude, but will feel unable to help. And so, instead of just the other being suffering, two beings will suffer - you will suffer as well. If, however, the attitudes of love and compassion include the understanding of how you can actually bring about happiness and freedom from suffering, then these attitudes do not become sources of depression. Therefore we expand the attitude of love from "may all beings be happy" to "may all beings be happy and possess causes of happiness," and expand the attitude of compassion from "may all beings be free from suffering" to "may all beings be free from suffering and free from causes of suffering."
While you cannot confidently expect to be able to make all beings happy on the spot, you can gradually cause beings to accomplish or accumulate causes of happiness and to avoid and get rid of causes of suffering. And because you understand that in the long term you will be able to make beings happy and free beings from suffering, then these attitudes of love and compassion become not only confident but actually joyous. In this way, the effect of love and compassion is no longer sadness and depression but empathetic joy, which is the third immeasurable. In this way, you train or cultivate the four immeasurables as a preliminary for meditation on the Medicine Buddha.
From: Prayer to the four immeasurables in Refuge
Of these, the most foundational is boundless equanimity
It is an attitude that involves having equal respect and concern for every being regardless of where they stand in relation to us.
This involves gradually overcoming the three attitudes that run counter to it:
Ø
Possessive-attachment,Ø
Uncaring indifference,Ø
And anger and ill will.·
One of the best ways to overcome possessive-attachment to loved ones is to meditate on impermanence...By living with the awareness of our inevitable separation·
To overcome uncaring indifference towards strangers... same meditations that are used to develop immeasurable love, such as thinking about the kindness of others. ... It is also good to reflect that a stranger may not always be a stranger.·
To overcome anger and ill will towards enemies...we can reflect on the possible causes and conditions of the harm they give us.·
(Desire and attachment are based on the belief in the separation of self and other, on "ego" -- Boundless equanimity is the opposite of this self/other contrivance because it is the realization of the loved one and the hated one as essentially equal.)
Another way to develop equanimity is to remind ourselves that our present relationships will not last forever. From one life to the next, a friend can become an enemy, an enemy can become a friend, a stranger can go either way. Even in this present life our relationships can turn 180 degrees! This happens because our minds are possessed by self-centered attachment, anger and indifference rather than equanimity. Realizing this encourages us to generate the strong wish for ourselves and all beings to abide in equanimity.
Equanimity becomes necessary, then, in order to have a profound and continuously stable experience in one's meditation or practice, not floating on the ups and down's of attraction and repulsion. Through equanimity one understands the equality of all phenomena. ... The way that the Buddha teaches us to establish equanimity in the mind is to realize true nature, which is the underlying reality of all phenomena, including self nature...
How do you begin to attain this pure view of equanimity? First of all you should look at yourself in the mirror and ask, which part is self? ... If self is not real, maybe I should look and see if I can find "other." Do the same thing with all the "others" in the world...
How is it then that one's loved one and one's enemy become essentially the same? It is because they are understood to be the same nature, the same taste. ...
The equality of all sentient beings allows the arising of the purely loving viewpoint found in the other three Immeasurables.
(Note: Attributing the quality "good" to something or someone is an extreme; attributing the quality "bad" to something or someone is the other extreme. Not thinking about it is just ignorance. The middle path is realizing that there is "good" and "bad" in everything, depending on the point of view; and the best point of view is "no point of view", just equanimity, being aware of the impermanence, of the no-self nature, of the no-characteristics. Until then, see the parts; see the coming together, the ever-present change, the degradation, destruction, death; see that there is just a name given to processes, that there is no inherent existence there. See that there is no reason to get attached to these impermanent phenomena, that are so unsatisfying. Turn to the "permanent" instead. )
Love wants others to be happy; Love comes from appreciating others' kindness, or just respecting them as fellow beings.
Loving-kindness frees us from self-centeredness and self- importance which disturb our peace of mind.
Loving-kindness helps us to overcome these problems and paves the way for good relations with friend and foe alike.
i.e also based on equality
"Remembering the Kindness of Others" -- realizing the important role people play in our lives
There are many people who contribute to our well-being without our realizing it. By thinking about what they do for us we can feel loving-kindness for them
Other beings are also important from the point of view of our spiritual development
"Equality of Self and Others" -- realizing that all beings are the same in wanting happiness and not wanting suffering
Every being has Buddha-nature, the potential to become free and enlightened.
Whenever we meet another living being, then instead of feeling, "you
are different from me," we will feel," you are just like me"
and loving-kindness will arise naturally.
Love also involves wishing everyone to have the causes of happiness. That means we wish them to cultivate positive, wholesome attitudes and behavior.
The love we develop should be pure and unselfish, expecting nothing in return
Pure love also transcends boundaries
We should also be careful to avoid the opposite problem: developing
loving-kindness for "all beings" while overlooking the ones around
us.
(Note: In Tibetan there are two different words for "love". One is ordinary love, which is based on attachment. The other is the love talked about in the dharma, which is not partial or interested. It applies equally to all sentient beings. Hating them is one extreme based on an egoistic point of view. Loving them, in the ordinary sense, is the other extreme, based on attachment, also based on an egoistic point of view. Not loving is ignorance. The middle path is to realize that we are all in the same boat, having the same illusions, having the same sufferings, turning again and again in the samsara. We are all equal in our misery.)
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Love wants others to be happy, while compassion wants them to not have pain, problems or unhappiness. Love comes from appreciating others' kindness, or just respecting them as fellow beings, whereas compassion comes from realizing that they suffer – three kinds of suffering ... inherent characteristic of samsaraØ
Our own experiences of suffering are the basis for compassion (plus direct knowing of impermanence and emptiness later) ... When we then see or hear of others experiencing these things, our heart opens with a feeling of empathy and a wish to helpØ
True compassion balances loving-concern with clear wisdom...enables us to stay calm and think clearly how best to help, without being carried away by our emotionsØ
Remember, everybody is trapped in the cycle of death and rebirth; -- even the wealthiest people, even the beings in the highest heavenly realms -- everybody has problems and therefore deserves our compassion.Ø
If you have no awareness of the impermanence of your situation, then you have no awareness of the fact that even though you may be happy at the moment, you are likely to suffer at some point in your life.Ø
Compassion wishes all beings to be free not only from suffering but from its causes as well: karma and disturbing attitudes that keep us in this cycle, or samsara.Ø
Compassion stops us from harming others.Ø
Compassion involves understanding the situation of others. It asks us to put ourselves in the other person's shoes. Maybe he...is not happy, that he is not in control of his own mind but rather that he is under the control of his own delusions, which only cause him suffering. This will help us to understand that it is more appropriate to respond with calm patience than with anger and the wish to retaliate.Ø
Compassion is really crucial for spiritual life and also in our turbulent times. It is something we can cultivate and practice. It is not something we have to wait for to come and land on us one day. We can train our attitude to be more gentle, kind, compassionate, and empathetic. Feel what the others feel; that's compassion. Then we treat them as we would like to be treated, as Jesus says. So this is a practice path. We can actually practice this and develop in this way. It is doable!Note: It's all right to say "no" if we feel that the request is unreasonable, if we feel we are incapable of fulfilling it, or if the person is simply trying to use us for her own selfish ends. It's also OK to speak up or take action against harm done to ourselves or others, provided we do so with compassion, not anger and aggression.
Without compassion one lives one’s life with the ego, the motivation is the ego. Then depending on the ego, dissatisfied, disturbed and unhealthy states of mind --- attachment, anger and harmful thoughts --- arise. They motivate negative karma, which harms oneself and harms others. So from life-to-life, one harms all sentient beings, directly or indirectly. So there is this danger of oneself, one person, giving harm to numberless sentient beings.
When the mind becomes un-peaceful, dissatisfied and disturbed, when strong attachment, anger, jealousy, pride and so forth arise, then the vehicle of the mind, which is the winds, gets disturbed. Because of that, the four elements in the body get disturbed and unbalanced. When the four elements get unbalanced, disease comes. The imprints left on our consciousness due to past negative karma then manifests (as disease).
The best way to fulfill all one's own wishes for happiness now and in the future is by practicing compassion. The most reliable friend that helps you all the time, who never cheats you, is your mind of compassion --- bodhicitta, the good heart.
Especially when one has a problem, when one's life is in a difficult state, compassion transforms it into happiness. Practicing compassion is the best way to have a long life, the best way to achieve wealth, the best way to quickly purify and create the cause of happiness, the best method to achieve all happiness up to the ultimate state of enlightenment.
The Compassionate-Eye-Looking Buddha, Avalokiteshvara, or Kwan Yin, is the embodiment of all the Buddhas' compassion, aimed specially at granting the blessing to generate compassion within the minds of sentient beings and to develop bodhicitta. Only through this is one able to achieve all the realizations of the Mahayana path to full enlightenment, the non-abiding sorrow-less state. Only then can one give perfect service, do perfect work for all the sentient beings who equal the infinite space, without the slightest mistake.
Working for others without the slightest mistake and without any problem, one will be able to bring sentient beings from happiness to happiness, to the highest full enlightenment --- the cessation of all the mistakes of the mind and all the obscurations, and the completion of all the realizations.
Even if one doesn't have any intellectual wisdom or knowledge, and even if one hasn't studied Dharma or can't read Dharma books, still if one spends the life reciting the Compassionate Buddha's mantra, Om Mani Padme Hum, then just from this practice, the mind naturally gets transformed into compassion. And one will be able to develop greater and greater compassion towards other sentient beings. By reciting the Compassionate Buddha's mantra, devotion also develops. Then because of devotion to the guru and the Triple Gem, other realizations come very easily. One will be able to generate wisdom and realize emptiness, the ultimate nature. (Lama Zopa Rinpoche, 28 Jan 95)
Joy is wishing all beings to have pure happiness, not only in this life but in the future as well. We wish that as long as they are in cyclic existence, they may take rebirth in fortunate states as humans, or devas (celestial beings) or in pure realms. Beyond that, we wish them to attain the sublime peace and happiness of liberation, never again to suffer death and rebirth. To be able to attain that, they must follow the path to liberation, which consists of ethics, concentration and wisdom. Therefore, we wish all beings to learn, understand and practice the Dharma, the path.
Also means taking delight in others' success, good qualities and positive actions.
Same for our actions
Antidote for jealousy... Think: Whatever happens is due to causes and conditions...Being jealous won't change anything.
However, if we can accept ourselves as we are with our faults and limitations and then get on with the work of self-improvement, things will change for the better.
Rejoicing actually helps bring about this change. To appreciate others' positive qualities and deeds is to encourage ourselves to be like them.
Without the Four Immeasurables and the pure view that's implied by them, there is no enlightenment. They can be developed in the same way that you have cultivated any of the talents or abilities you have developed during your life --
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Through determination,Ø
Through taking the time to really examine the emptiness of self nature and the emptiness of phenomena,Ø
Through meditation and stabilizing the mind through pure perception of the natural primordial wisdom state,Ø
Through the determination to attain compassion.
It does not happen effortlessly. So it does no good to throw your hands up and say, "I can't do this, I just can't think that way." Neither can anyone else.
The ground from which you arise thinking that you are self and thinking that self and other are inherently real and separate, that ground is the same ground that gives rise to the most pristine compassion, the most glorious of spontaneous celestial awareness when realized with pure view. That ground is your nature, and in potential you are the same as all the Buddhas and bodhisattvas. Holding that in your mind, continue with determination, knowing that all things are possible.