what Emptiness/sunyata mean to you
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One thought past, the next thought has not arise. In between the
two is a 'gap' which Sunyata reside.
Sunyata(emptiness) is when people insult me, i have no hatred. And when people praise me, i have no proudness.
The 'punch' had nowhere to land. And there's nothing to defend... and everyone to respect.
gate, gate, paragate, parasamgate, bodhi svaha!
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http://innerrave.org/books.html
When there's a gap between two thoughts, the intrinsic nature is revealed as self-existing awareness. When the past thought has ceased and the future thought hasn't occurred yet there's a gap, and in that gap you can discover your intrinsic nature. But this gap is not necessarily very long.
So since it is not very long, there is still a need to 'expand', expand means to expand the "length" (sustaining in a sense), but I really cannot explain it as I am not a dharma teacher! I shall not detail it, those who wish to know more may have to receive a special dharma transmission from my dharma teacher. -
SPAM
[p.s THATS NOT REFERING TO ME
]
and don't be jealous just bcos u dont have a gf
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Sorry ah
My friend here is just being lame here. Let's continue discussing on this topic. -
I have removed a line about Dzogchen because I've been told by my moderator who is a Tibetan Buddhism practitioner that it may lead to misunderstanding.
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Actually I think the gap between two thoughts does not mean Sunyata.
If I remember correctly, if in the middle between two thoughts, it is empty, then you can attain Arhant. If it is neither-existence (you3)-nor-empty, then you are a Bodhisattva.
In between two thoughts, neither-existence-nor-empty, boundless and limitless, this is our Dharmakaya/Buddha Nature.
Those who are interested, there are 6 different cds in the same series of dharma discourses after the dharma-transmission on this. -
Quite a good article I found from a quite well known Western Dzogchen teacher, Lama Surya Das.
http://www.dzogchen.org/teachings/talks/SustainAware10694.html
Sustaining Present Awareness
Tonight I'd like to talk about how to practice Dzogchen sky-gazing and the essential point of it. I will introduce this by reading to you a poem, a pith-instruction from the first Jamgon Kontrul Rinpoche, who lived 100 years ago. It is called "View and Meditation of the Great Perfection." Jamgon Rinpoche was one of the greatest lamas of the last century, who helped spread the Rimé (nonsectarian practice) renaissance in Eastern Tibet.
There are many techniques to help us ease into Dzogchen practice, this naked awareness practice called cutting through, seeing through, or sky-gazing. Techniques like breathing, opening into the natural awareness, devotional practices, chanting, shouting P'et, and so on. But don't forget-all of these are just like the doorway, the threshold at the door to cross over, to return to the natural state. If and when we are in natural awareness, we don't have to cross over. Then we don't have to turn the mind upon itself with the self-inquiry question: Who or what am I? We don't have to do a devotional practice. We don't have to surprise ourselves with P'et and awaken pure awareness. But when we are slightly distracted it is very helpful to do those practices, which are like introductory practices to help us come home again to the present awareness. But it is the present awareness that is crucial, is primary. That's the main practice. That's the heart of the matter, the heart practice. That's what this poem is about: That present awareness, which is the heart of the practice, and how to maintain it.
View and Meditation of the Great Perfection
Homage to the Guru, the teacher.
The View and Meditation of Dzogchen can be explained in many, many ways, but simply sustaining the essence of present awareness includes them all.
Your mind won't be found elsewhere.
It is the very nature of this moment-to-moment thinking.
Regard nakedly the essence of this thinking and you find present awareness, right where you are.
Why chase after thoughts, which are superficial ripples of present awareness?
Rather look directly into the naked, empty nature of thoughts; then there is no duality, no observer, and nothing observed.
Simply rest in this transparent, nondual present awareness.
Make yourself at home in the natural state of pure presence, just being, not doing anything in particular.
Present awareness is empty, open, and luminous; not a concrete substance, yet not nothing.
Empty, yet it is perfectly cognizant, lucid, aware.
As if magically, not by causing it to be aware, but innately aware, awareness continuously functions.
These two sides of present awareness or Rigpa-its emptiness and its cognizance (lucidity)-are inseparable.
Emptiness and luminosity (knowing) are inseparable.
They are formless, as if nothing whatsoever, ungraspable, unborn, undying; yet spacious, vivid, buoyant.
Nothing whatsoever, yet Emaho!, everything is magically experienced.
Simply recognize this.
Look into the magical mirror of mind and appreciate this infinite magical display.
With constant, vigilant mindfulness, sustain this recognition of empty, open, brilliant awareness.
Cultivate nothing else.
There is nothing else to do, or to undo.
Let it remain naturally.
Don't spoil it by manipulating, by controlling, by tampering with it, and worrying about whether you are right or wrong, or having a good meditation or a bad meditation.
Leave it as it is, and rest your weary heart and mind.
The ultimate luminosity of Dharmakaya, absolute truth, is nothing other than the very nature of this uncontrived, ordinary mind.
Don't look elsewhere for the Buddha.
It is nothing other than the nature of this present awareness.
This is the Buddha within.
There are innumerable Dharma teachings.
There are many antidotes to many different kinds of spiritual diseases.
There are many words in the Mahamudra and Dzogchen nondual teachings.
But the root, the heart of all practices is included here, in simply sustaining the luminous nature of this present awareness.
If you search elsewhere for something better, a Buddha superior to this present awareness, you are deluding yourself.
You are chained, entangled in the barbed wire of hope and fear.
So give it up! Simply sustain present wakefulness, moment after moment.
Devotion, compassion, and perfecting virtue and wisdom are the most important supportive methods for completely fulfilling this naked, nondual teaching about present awareness, the innate Dharmakaya.
So always devote yourself to spiritual practice for the benefit of others and apply yourself in body, speech, and mind to what is wholesome and virtuous.
Sarva mangalam.
May all beings be happy!
This is the heart teaching of Mahamudra, of Dzogchen, of Zen, of all the nondual teachings: Sustaining present awareness. Recognizing the Buddha-nature through the present moment, this very moment of awareness. If it's awareness taking the form of thinking, recognize the present awareness component of the thought. If you are remembering the past, recognize the present awareness component of the memory. You're not in the past. How could you be in the past? It is present awareness remembering. If you feel distracted when remembering, bring the mind back to the present awareness. You don't have to stop remembering. Recognize present awareness, which is remembering. If you are dreaming, fantasizing about the future, about what you are going to do when you leave here, how you are going to tell everybody how wonderful it was and how great Dzogchen view and meditation is, that's fine-recognize present awareness fantasizing, planning, dreaming. Recognize who or what is doing that present awareness. Know the knower; see through the seer; go beyond me and mine, and be free.
[continued in the website.....] -
check this website out on Emptiness
http://www.purifymind.com/drfu4.htm
THE PAGE OF EMPTINESS
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In this page we will learn the philosophy of emptiness and how to reach this idea in our daily life.
THE basic idea in philosophic system of Mahayana should contain two categories, one is the vast Heart of Bodhi (Mind of True Awakening), also is the limitlessly and vastly merciful wish of delivering all beings from worldly miseries. The other one is the profound truth of the Prajna, also is the profound truth of “Emptiness and Form are the same” that is built through the “Very truth emptiness” of all things.
THE mind of true awakening is the limitless mercy of sentiment developing to the utmost point or highest degree. The profound truth of Prajna is the vast wisdom of wisdom developing to the farthest point.
THE sentiment is intuitional, subjective, passionate, and persistent. And the wisdom is deliberate, objective, ruthless, and surpassing. These two look like contradictive but complementary mutually in fact.
WHEN the sentiment and wisdom are developing to the highest degree, will be melted together and become the whole (complete combination, the absolute in the relative and vice versa) in BuddhistÂ’s eyes.
FROM the “Chain of cause and effect” point of view, the ideas for all
.... continued in the website .... [/url] -
Guan Shi Yin Pusa concept of Emptiness best summarises what emptiness is or means.
From what I have read and interpret, its neither the same nor different, in form or formless, past, present or future.
we are not the same young infant we were, neither were we different.
in the ultimate reality, we were not, neither were we. we exists due to the 5 aggregates sustening through ignorance and desires. but when we extinguish them, we cannot say it did not happen, after all it did happened. so its like a dream and living the dream is reality to us cos we dunno the causes (ignorance and desires). once we uproot them, we realise its just empty phenomenon exists due to causes. we cannot say the dream is real cos its empty phenomenon arises and we cannot say its unreal cos it happened due to causes. -
A very enlightening article.Originally posted by An Eternal Now:Quite a good article I found from a quite well known Western Dzogchen teacher, Lama Surya Das.
...
Why chase after thoughts, which are superficial ripples of present awareness?
Rather look directly into the naked, empty nature of thoughts; then there is no duality, no observer, and nothing observed.
Simply rest in this transparent, nondual present awareness.
Make yourself at home in the natural state of pure presence, just being, not doing anything in particular.
Present awareness is empty, open, and luminous; not a concrete substance, yet not nothing.
Empty, yet it is perfectly cognizant, lucid, aware.
As if magically, not by causing it to be aware, but innately aware, awareness continuously functions.
These two sides of present awareness or Rigpa-its emptiness and its cognizance (lucidity)-are inseparable.
Emptiness and luminosity (knowing) are inseparable.
They are formless, as if nothing whatsoever, ungraspable, unborn, undying; yet spacious, vivid, buoyant.
Nothing whatsoever, yet Emaho!, everything is magically experienced.
Simply recognize this.
Look into the magical mirror of mind and appreciate this infinite magical display.
With constant, vigilant mindfulness, sustain this recognition of empty, open, brilliant awareness.
....]
Just a point to add, the prestine awareness "...is formless, as if nothing whatsoever, ungraspable, unborn, undying;..."
These characteristics arenÂ’t attributes peculiar only to pure awareness, all phenomenon existence posses this seemingly unknowable and ungraspable nature. It simply is how reality is where pure awareness has no monopoly at all. -
Yes Eternal Now,Originally posted by An Eternal Now:Actually I think the gap between two thoughts does not mean Sunyata.
If I remember correctly, if in the middle between two thoughts, it is empty, then you can attain Arhant. If it is neither-existence (you3)-nor-empty, then you are a Bodhisattva.
In between two thoughts, neither-existence-nor-empty, boundless and limitless, this is our Dharmakaya/Buddha Nature.
Those who are interested, there are 6 different cds in the same series of dharma discourses after the dharma-transmission on this.
The gap between two moment of thoughts refers to the lucidity and luminosity aspect of pure awareness. -
Thank you for telling usOriginally posted by Thusness:Yes Eternal Now,
The gap between two moment of thoughts refers to the lucidity and luminosity aspect of pure awareness.
Yup, I think only through attainment of Prajna Wisdom which understands Emptiness completely, is one considered truly awaken.