The nature of the separate self, duality
-
How can you use "'awareness' and 'observing' synonymously" ????Originally posted by An Eternal Now:I already said, quantum leap of perception is not the same as awareness/observing. I use 'awareness' and 'observing' synonymously.
Awareness comes from observing... observing does not necessarily lead to awareness...
You tell people, you need to be aware and people ask you, how to be aware?
Of course you tell them, well you need to observe carefully and when you observe details that you did not notice previously, you become aware.
This is called explaining.
Not awareness is awareness.
How would anyone know that the first awareness is awareness and the second awareness in that sentence is observation?
Whereas you tell people, when you meditate, you are trying to observe things that you did not notice before.... people can have a meaningful meditation practice.
or you can tell people, when you meditate you become relaxed, and to meditate for relaxation, you focus on one thing and only one thing, you are NOT trying to become aware of things that you did not notice before. If you trying to become aware, you mindfully observe the smallest details of the thoughts in your head.
For relaxation, you focus only on one thing and in so doing, you relax your mind and your body becomes relaxed.
When you are confused between observations and awareness, you cannot tell people this. -
Aiya I know what you mean lah. But I use 'awareness' cos it has meaning of 'clarity' and 'alertness'. For example, when you hear a sound, it is heard very clearly, so clearly. In fact so clearly that the hearer dissolves into the heard. That is what I mean by 'awareness'. And it applies to everything.Originally posted by AndrewPKYap:How can you use "'awareness' and 'observing' synonymously" ????
Awareness comes from observing... observing does not necessarily lead to awareness...
You tell people, you need to be aware and people ask you, how to be aware?
Of course you tell them, well you need to observe carefully and when you observe details that you did not notice, then you become aware.
This is called explaining.
Not awareness is awareness.
How would anyone know that the first awareness is awareness and the second awareness in that sentence is observation?
Whereas you tell people, when you meditate, you are trying to observe things that you did not notice before.... people can have a meaningful meditation practice.
or you can tell people, when you meditate you become relaxed, and to meditate for relaxation, you focus on one things and only one thing, you are trying to become aware of things that you did not notice before, by mindfully observing the smallest details of the thoughts in your head.
When you are confused between observations and awareness, you cannot tell people this. -
Originally posted by An Eternal Now:
~ Ven. Shen Kai -
ok lah quite challenging but manageableOriginally posted by AndrewPKYap:hehehe so you are "xsurf"
Those people there, they ask very tough questions and that would help you clarify all the issues in your own mind...
-
btw i agree this term is very confusing. Awareness can mean many things, for example, intuitive leap of perception. It can also mean mindfulness and clarity. It can also mean ever-present awareness, as in our buddha nature. It can also mean something like wisdom...Originally posted by An Eternal Now:Aiya I know what you mean lah. But I use 'awareness' cos it has meaning of 'clarity' and 'alertness'. For example, when you hear a sound, it is heard very clearly, so clearly. In fact so clearly that the hearer dissolves into the heard. That is what I mean by 'awareness'. And it applies to everything.
But as long as you get it, that's fine! -
oh please... I was testing you and you fail!
-
Originally posted by AndrewPKYap:oh please... I was testing you and you fail!
Fail what? -
You always cut and paste and I wanted to test if you really understand what you cut and paste or not...
and then it turns out, you do not have the basic understanding of HOW the things you recommend people to do will help them...
and don't forget huh, you haven't answered HOW the other practice, the do parts, not the meditation parts, help people to become aware of emptiness... -
What?!?Originally posted by AndrewPKYap:You always cut and paste and I wanted to test if you really understand what you cut and paste or not...
and then it turns out, you do not have the basic understanding of HOW the things you recommend people to do will help them...
and don't forget huh, you haven't answered HOW the other practice, the do parts, not the meditation parts, help people to become aware of emptiness...
I explain already wot. -
You think you explained already hor, is not the same as you explained already ok?
-
....Originally posted by AndrewPKYap:You think you explained already hor, is not the same as you explained already ok? -
I am not trying to win points, whatever for? But think about it, if I did not come out and say this:
we will still after so many pages be wondering how meditating, yes HOW meditating helps people to become aware.Originally posted by AndrewPKYap:Awareness comes from observing... observing does not necessarily lead to awareness...
You tell people, you need to be aware and people ask you, how to be aware?
Of course you tell them, well you need to observe carefully and when you observe details that you did not notice previously, you become aware.
This is called explaining. -
And I said the exact same things before you said it, except that we used different terms. For 'observing' i meant 'awareness', and for you, 'awareness' meant 'intuitive' perception. When I said 'awareness leads to intuitive preception' it will be more like 'observing leads to awareness' in your terms.Originally posted by AndrewPKYap:I am not trying to win points, whatever for? But think about it, if I did not come out and say this:
we will still after so many pages be wondering how meditating, yes HOW meditating helps people to become aware. -
Originally posted by An Eternal Now:And I said the exact same things before you said it, except that we used different terms. For 'observing' i meant 'awareness', and for you, 'awareness' meant 'intuitive' perception. When I said 'awareness leads to intuitive preception' it will be more like 'observing leads to awareness' in your terms.
a·ware (ə-wâr') pronunciation
adj.
1. Having knowledge or cognizance: aware of the difference between the two versions; became aware of faint sound.
2. Archaic. Vigilant; watchful.ob·serve (əb-zûrv') pronunciation
How can it be the same? How can they have the same meanings?
v., -served, -serv·ing, -serves.
v.tr.
1. To be or become aware of, especially through careful and directed attention; notice.
2. To watch attentively: observe a child's behavior.
3. To make a systematic or scientific observation of: observe the orbit of the moon.
4. To say casually; remark.
5. To adhere to or abide by: observe the terms of a contract.
6. To keep or celebrate (a holiday, for example): observe an anniversary. -
Please note that one is an adjective and the other is a verb... look up the difference yourself....
-
Aware: 2. Archaic. Vigilant; watchful.Originally posted by AndrewPKYap:How can it be the same? How can they have the same meanings?
Observe: 1. To be or become aware of, especially through careful and directed attention; notice.
2. To watch attentively: observe a child's behavior.
How can it not be the same -
Originally posted by An Eternal Now:
and what is "To be or become aware of", ? What is that?
Aware: 2. Archaic. Vigilant; watchful.
Observe: 1. To [b]be or become aware of, especially through careful and directed attention; notice.
2. To watch attentively: observe a child's behavior.
How can it not be the same [/b]
"To be or become aware of", is awareness?
This phrase: "To be or become aware of", explains Awareness?
This phrase: "To be or become aware of",
Is the explanation of what? -
Your ability to cut and paste shows that you know where to get the information... now what you need to do is to understand the material, to be able to make sense of it.
If you cannot understand the difference in meaning between the words "awareness" and "observe", how do you think you are going to understand what you cut and paste? -
If you explain in your own words, at least give a summary of what you cut and paste, that will help you to understand what you cut and paste is trying to say....
-
Originally posted by AndrewPKYap:
Yes that is awareness in one sense.
and what is "To [b]be or become aware of", ? What is that?
"To be or become aware of", is awareness?
This phrase: "To be or become aware of", explains Awareness?
This phrase: "To be or become aware of",
Is the explanation of what? [/b] -
...These paths all have the common aim of seeking to overcome the problem that arouse when the individual entered into dualism, developing a spurious 'subjective self' or 'ego' that experiences the world as separate from itself, external and objective, and which continually tries to manipulate that world in order to obtain satisfaction and security. In truth, one will never manage to attain satisfaction and security this way, because the cause of suffering and dissatisfaction is none other than the fundamental sense of incompleteness that is the inevitable consequence of being in the state of dualism - and, moreover, all the seemingly external phenomena on which we try to base our satisfaction and security are impermanent.Originally posted by An Eternal Now:[b]Self is merely a mental construct...it is the belief that there is this central entity that is thinking, doing, experiencing and watching things. The belief in the self as the central agent, thinker, doer, experiencer, watcher, existing separately from existing objects (‘things’ being done, thought, witnessed) etc.
For all unenlightened beings, there is the belief in the story of 'me' and that i am my body, and my mind and my story, which also comes with the fear and the protection of the self-image and self's 'possessions'.. and which craving for more possessions arise... forming greed, hatred, ignorance, and all the countless sufferings.
The Buddha was a totally realized being who manifested a human birth in India in the fifth century B.C.E. in order to be able to teach other human beings by means of his words and the example of his life. Suffering is something very concrete, which everyone knows and wants to avoid if possible, and the Buddha therefore began his teaching by talking about it in his famous formulation of the Four Noble Truths.
The first truth draws our attention to the fact that we suffer, pointing out the existence of the basic dissatisfaction inherent in our condition; the second truth explains the cause of dissatisfaction, which is the dualistic state and the unquenchable thirst (or desire) inherent in it: the subject reifies its objects and tries to grasp them by any means, and this thirst (or desire) in turn affirms and sustains the illusory existence of the subject as an entity separate from the integrated wholeness of the universe. The third truth teaches that suffering will cease if dualism is overcome and reintegration achieved, so that we no longer feel separate from the plenitude of the universe. Finally the fourth truth explains that there is a Path that leads to the cessation of suffering, which is the one described by the rest of the Buddhist teachings...
~ Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche
Also compare with Dharma Dan's explanation of the Four Noble Truths in All About Buddhism ~ For Non-Buddhists and Buddhists -
From To convince me...Originally posted by An Eternal Now:No amount of positive thinking can make you be liberated at all times. Liberation comes from seeing our true nature. Even if you are a person with a v care-free, take-it-easy kind of perspective, you cannot therefore by freed from all distresses and the pain of sickness, death, etc.
In Buddhism, there are 8 kinds of distresses that we go through. See http://www.jenchen.org.sg/vol4no1a.htm
The fundamental point here is that, without liberating from the basic dualistic assumption of subject-object, you will always be trapped in tanha (desire), and the 2nd noble truth states that tanha (desire) causes suffering (such as lack, fear, anxiety, and dissatisfaction, etc).
What kinds of desires? There are three kinds. Desire for sense pleasure (kama tanha), desire to become (bhava tanha) and desire to get rid of (vibhava tanha).
The problem is that when we desire something, lets say sense pleasure, the more we seek, the wider we split the subject and the object (and as you know there really is no subject apart from object), the more painful and dissatisfactory it is. We then become discontent with life as it is, we cannot see that what is arising now is already self-perfected as it is, we cannot see that all there is is simply conditioned arising -- and a perfect expression of our primordial nature, our Buddha Nature.
Similarly, if something unpleasurable arises, we try to widen the gap between subject and object, we try to shut off, manipulate, get rid of the undesired object from a phantom subject (you) which will not work because there is really no such thing as a subject-object split. There only is the universe manifesting as it is in itself, conditioned arising, a mere happening that happens to no-one. Whatever arises at that moment, is as it is. If pain arises, it is not 'your pain' from 'your body'. The universe is pain and it is happening to no one because there is no self apart from manifestation.
And the problem of clinging to a desired object then becomes that it is ultimately impermanent, and there is no way that a 'subject' (which never existed) can grasp onto the 'object', since it is empty and ungraspable (utterly transient and ephemeral), being merely only conditioned arising, the aggregation of causes and conditions, and having no reality apart from it.
If you see a colourful flower and a dog and an insect too sees it, you and the dog and the ant are not going to see the same things. The dog is only going to see black and white. Why? Because all there is is conditioned arising, merely the aggregation of causes and conditions, having no reality apart from it! Whatever arises is the whole universe manifesting as that moment. The nature of the flower is Empty.
If we can understand the the nature of the object we are seeking is in essence empty of any inherent existence, being merely conditioned arising, and that the subject-object relationship is false, there will be complete resting and contentment in the moment of arising. You will not fall under the false dualistic relationship of a 'subject' trying to manipulate the 'external universe', trying to get away from or stop/manipulate what is presently arising, trying to get something better than what is here, trying to shut off yourself from the world, etc.
It is seen that all there is is conditioned arising -- that what you are is simply the scenery, sound of bird chirping, sound of keyboard typing, words appearing on the screen.. That is your nature -- conditioned arising that is empty of any fixed forms, shapes, attributes, etc. Emptiness that has a luminous heart giving rise to infinite potentiality.
There are lots of various descriptions of our Buddha Nature -- all pervading, brighter than a thousand suns, mirror-like, indestructible. And all conditioned arising is an expression of the unconditioned Buddha Nature. All that is arising is the Buddha. They are all your pristine awareness at that moment with its nature empty -- never the same and never remain (having no existence and reality apart from conditioned arising), nothing apart from the crystal clear manifestation of appearances. Completely and fully real and gone.
A bird is chirping happily outside... just that sound. The whole universe is just that sound. Completely real, but never staying... gone as it arises. Merely a conditioned manifestation that is empty.
Just like patterns of clouds appearing in the sky -- they are all conditioned arising.
...We call it weather, but what is it really? Wind. Rain. Clouds slowly parting. Not the words spoken about it, but just this darkening, blowing, pounding and wetting, and then lightening up, blue sky appearing amid darkness, and sunshine sparkling on wet grasses and leaves. In a little while there'll be frost, snow and ice covers. And then warming again, melting, oozing water everywhere. On an early spring day the dirt road sparkles with streams of wet silver. So—what is weather other than this incessant change of earthly conditions and all the human thoughts, feelings and undertakings influenced by it? Like and dislike. Depression and elation. Creation and destruction. An ongoing, ever-changing stream of happenings abiding nowhere. No real entity weather exists anywhere except in thinking and talking about it....
...Now, is there such an entity as me or I? Or is it just like the weather—an ongoing, ever-changing stream of ideas, images, memories, projections, likes and dislikes, creation and destruction, that thought keeps calling I, me, Toni, and thereby solidifying what is evanescent?...
...How are we to come upon the truth if separateness is taken so much for granted, feels so commonsense?
The difficulty is not insurmountable. Wholeness, our true being, is here all the time, like the sun behind the clouds. Light is here in spite of cloud cover.
What makes up the clouds?... (see Emptiness and No-Self)
All gain and loss is also simply that -- conditioned arising. The sense of a 'controller' is let go of, no 'self' is in control. This does not mean we must not exert effort to get good exam results (we must exert our fullest effort), it just means that gain and loss must be seen as conditioned arising.
We'll come back to to this topic again later. -
You summarized very well.Originally posted by An Eternal Now:Originally posted by An Eternal Now:
No amount of positive thinking can make you be liberated at all times. Liberation comes from seeing our true nature. Even if you are a person with a v care-free, take-it-easy kind of perspective, you cannot therefore by freed from all distresses and the pain of sickness, death, etc.
In Buddhism, there are 8 kinds of distresses that we go through. See http://www.jenchen.org.sg/vol4no1a.htm
The fundamental point here is that, without liberating from the basic dualistic assumption of subject-object, you will always be trapped in tanha (desire), and the 2nd noble truth states that tanha (desire) causes suffering (such as lack, fear, anxiety, and dissatisfaction, etc).
What kinds of desires? There are three kinds. Desire for sense pleasure (kama tanha), desire to become (bhava tanha) and desire to get rid of (vibhava tanha).
The problem is that when we desire something, lets say sense pleasure, the more we seek, the wider we split the subject and the object (and as you know there really is no subject apart from object), the more painful and dissatisfactory it is. We then become discontent with life as it is, we cannot see that what is arising now is already self-perfected as it is, we cannot see that all there is is simply conditioned arising -- and a perfect expression of our primordial nature, our Buddha Nature.
Similarly, if something unpleasurable arises, we try to widen the gap between subject and object, we try to shut off, manipulate, get rid of the undesired object from a phantom subject (you) which will not work because there is really no such thing as a subject-object split. There only is the universe manifesting as it is in itself, conditioned arising, a mere happening that happens to no-one. Whatever arises at that moment, is as it is. If pain arises, it is not 'your pain' from 'your body'. The universe is pain and it is happening to no one because there is no self apart from manifestation.
And the problem of clinging to a desired object then becomes that it is ultimately impermanent, and there is no way that a 'subject' (which never existed) can grasp onto the 'object', since it is empty and ungraspable (utterly transient and ephemeral), being merely only conditioned arising, the aggregation of causes and conditions, and having no reality apart from it.
If you see a colourful flower and a dog and an insect too sees it, you and the dog and the ant are not going to see the same things. The dog is only going to see black and white. Why? Because all there is is conditioned arising, merely the aggregation of causes and conditions, having no reality apart from it! Whatever arises is the whole universe manifesting as that moment. The nature of the flower is Empty.
If we can understand the the nature of the object we are seeking is in essence empty of any inherent existence, being merely conditioned arising, and that the subject-object relationship is false, there will be complete resting and contentment in the moment of arising. You will not fall under the false dualistic relationship of a 'subject' trying to manipulate the 'external universe', trying to get away from or stop/manipulate what is presently arising, trying to get something better than what is here, trying to shut off yourself from the world, etc.
It is seen that all there is is conditioned arising -- that what you are is simply the scenery, sound of bird chirping, sound of keyboard typing, words appearing on the screen.. That is your nature -- conditioned arising that is empty of any fixed forms, shapes, attributes, etc. Emptiness that has a luminous heart giving rise to infinite potentiality.
There are lots of various descriptions of our Buddha Nature -- all pervading, brighter than a thousand suns, mirror-like, indestructible. And all conditioned arising is an expression of the unconditioned Buddha Nature. All that is arising is the Buddha. They are all your pristine awareness at that moment with its nature empty -- never the same and never remain (having no existence and reality apart from conditioned arising), nothing apart from the crystal clear manifestation of appearances. Completely and fully real and gone.
A bird is chirping happily outside... just that sound. The whole universe is just that sound. Completely real, but never staying... gone as it arises. Merely a conditioned manifestation that is empty.
Just like patterns of clouds appearing in the sky -- they are all conditioned arising.
...We call it weather, but what is it really? Wind. Rain. Clouds slowly parting. Not the words spoken about it, but just this darkening, blowing, pounding and wetting, and then lightening up, blue sky appearing amid darkness, and sunshine sparkling on wet grasses and leaves. In a little while there'll be frost, snow and ice covers. And then warming again, melting, oozing water everywhere. On an early spring day the dirt road sparkles with streams of wet silver. So—what is weather other than this incessant change of earthly conditions and all the human thoughts, feelings and undertakings influenced by it? Like and dislike. Depression and elation. Creation and destruction. An ongoing, ever-changing stream of happenings abiding nowhere. No real entity weather exists anywhere except in thinking and talking about it....
...Now, is there such an entity as me or I? Or is it just like the weather—an ongoing, ever-changing stream of ideas, images, memories, projections, likes and dislikes, creation and destruction, that thought keeps calling I, me, Toni, and thereby solidifying what is evanescent?...
...How are we to come upon the truth if separateness is taken so much for granted, feels so commonsense?
The difficulty is not insurmountable. Wholeness, our true being, is here all the time, like the sun behind the clouds. Light is here in spite of cloud cover.
What makes up the clouds?... (see Emptiness and No-Self)
All gain and loss is also simply that -- conditioned arising. The sense of a 'controller' is let go of, no 'self' is in control. This does not mean we must not exert effort to get good exam results (we must exert our fullest effort), it just means that gain and loss must be seen as conditioned arising.
[/url]
-
hehe thanks
Updated slightly (the front has also been cut short bcos as it became too long to be displayed):
The fundamental point here is that, without liberating from the basic dualistic assumption of subject-object, you will always be trapped in tanha (desire), and the 2nd noble truth states that tanha (desire) causes suffering (such as lack, fear, anxiety, and dissatisfaction, etc).
What kinds of desires? There are three kinds. Desire for sense pleasure (kama tanha), desire to become (bhava tanha) and desire to get rid of (vibhava tanha).
The problem is that when we desire something, lets say sense pleasure, the more we seek, the wider we split the subject and the object (and as you know there really is no subject apart from object), the more painful and dissatisfactory it is. We then become discontent with life as it is, we cannot see that what is arising now is already self-perfected as it is, we cannot see that all there is is simply conditioned arising -- and a perfect expression of our primordial nature, our Buddha Nature.
Similarly, if something unpleasurable arises, we try to widen the gap between subject and object, we try to shut off, manipulate, get rid of the undesired object from a phantom subject (you) which will not work because there is really no such thing as a subject-object split. And because it can never be done, the more you try to avert it, the more suffering and dissatisfaction you experience.
In reality, there only is the universe manifesting as it is in itself, conditioned arising, a mere happening that happens to no-one. Whatever arises at that moment, is as it is. If pain arises, it is not 'your pain' from 'your body'. The universe is pain and it is happening to no one because there is no self apart from manifestation.
And the problem of clinging to a desired object then becomes that it is ultimately impermanent, and there is no way that a 'subject' (which never existed) can grasp onto the 'object', since it is empty and ungraspable (utterly transient and ephemeral), being merely only conditioned arising, the aggregation of causes and conditions, and having no reality apart from it.
If you see a colourful flower and a dog and an insect too sees it, you and the dog and the ant are not going to see the same things. The dog is only going to see black and white. Why? Because the nature of the flower is Empty -- there is no graspable 'Essence of Flower' or the 'Flowerness of the Flower' -- Flower is empty of any inherent existence, being only conditioned arising, merely the aggregation of causes and conditions, and having no reality apart from it!
Whatever arises is the whole universe manifesting as that moment. Know that the universe is giving its very best for this moment to arise. All conditions and causes are just right for the birth a moment of manifestation. When this is understood, the 'conditioned arising' is really unconditioned, all spontaneously arise.
If we can understand the the nature of the object we are seeking is in essence empty of any inherent existence, being merely conditioned arising, and that the subject-object relationship is false, there will be complete resting and contentment in the moment of arising. You will not fall under the false dualistic relationship of a 'subject' trying to manipulate the 'external universe', trying to get away from or stop/manipulate what is presently arising, trying to get something better than what is here, trying to shut off yourself from the world, etc.
It is seen that all there is is conditioned arising -- that what you are is simply the scenery, sound of bird chirping, sound of keyboard typing, words appearing on the screen.. there is no observer apart from the observed. As Buddha said, in seeing, only the seen, no seer. In hearing, only the heard, no hearer. (this goes for all other six senses including thinking) And the seen, the heard, the felt, the thought, the taste, all are simply conditioned arising that is empty of any fixed forms, shapes, attributes, etc. Emptiness that has a luminous heart giving rise to infinite potentiality. And that is your nature.
So Buddha Nature is not one! There is no 'The Absolute' but all moments are a reality/'absolute' in itself! (just like there is no 'Essence of Flower', only conditioned manifestation according to causes and conditions) Because Buddha Nature really is the manifold -- the whole universe, everything, as conditioned arising that is empty and never fixed, everchanging. Yet it is not many either! Because all that is inseparable in One Taste, being all the manifestation of our pristine awareness, and being an inseparable wholeness, also known as One Reality or One Mind but really it does not have a single nor multiple realities because its nature is empty. (See the recent topic, the last few posts, A nightmare)
There are lots of various descriptions of our Buddha Nature -- all pervading, brighter than a thousand suns, mirror-like, indestructible. And all conditioned arising is an expression of the unconditioned Buddha Nature. All that is arising is the Buddha. They are all your pristine awareness at that moment with its nature empty -- never the same and never remain (having no existence and reality apart from conditioned arising), nothing apart from the crystal clear manifestation of appearances. Completely and fully real and gone.
A bird is chirping happily outside... just that sound. The whole universe is just that sound. Completely real, but never staying... gone as it arises. Merely a conditioned manifestation that is empty.
Just like patterns of clouds appearing in the sky -- they are all conditioned arising.
...We call it weather, but what is it really? Wind. Rain. Clouds slowly parting. Not the words spoken about it, but just this darkening, blowing, pounding and wetting, and then lightening up, blue sky appearing amid darkness, and sunshine sparkling on wet grasses and leaves. In a little while there'll be frost, snow and ice covers. And then warming again, melting, oozing water everywhere. On an early spring day the dirt road sparkles with streams of wet silver. So—what is weather other than this incessant change of earthly conditions and all the human thoughts, feelings and undertakings influenced by it? Like and dislike. Depression and elation. Creation and destruction. An ongoing, ever-changing stream of happenings abiding nowhere. No real entity weather exists anywhere except in thinking and talking about it....
...Now, is there such an entity as me or I? Or is it just like the weather—an ongoing, ever-changing stream of ideas, images, memories, projections, likes and dislikes, creation and destruction, that thought keeps calling I, me, Toni, and thereby solidifying what is evanescent?...
...How are we to come upon the truth if separateness is taken so much for granted, feels so commonsense?
The difficulty is not insurmountable. Wholeness, our true being, is here all the time, like the sun behind the clouds. Light is here in spite of cloud cover.
What makes up the clouds?... (see Emptiness and No-Self)
All gain and loss is also simply that -- conditioned arising. The sense of a 'controller' is let go of, no 'self' is in control. This does not mean we must not exert effort to get good exam results (we must exert our fullest effort), it just means that gain and loss must be seen as conditioned arising.
Practice is about losing oneself and all merely happens as if 'you' never existed. One must eventually undergo a complete psychological death, and be completely dead in the living. As the saying goes -- die before you die. At that moment, deep dreamless sleep where the self completely subsides, is no longer different from conscious state. There is no more attachment, no more unwillingness and grasping to the need to 'exist' consciously. One requires fearlessness to dissolve this habit of 'self-preservation'... and when that is done, samatha and insight becomes one. -
Yes, it is the split, the separation that causes suffering as well the arising of desire. Without the insight that there is no-split, the mind continues to divide. Desire is an inner deficy of the mind created to bridge the gap of separation.Originally posted by An Eternal Now:No amount of positive thinking can make you be liberated at all times. Liberation comes from seeing our true nature. Even if you are a person with a v care-free, take-it-easy kind of perspective, you cannot thereby be freed from all distresses and the pain of sickness, death, etc.
Â…
The fundamental point here is that, without liberating from the basic dualistic assumption of subject-object, you will always be trapped in tanha (desire), and the 2nd noble truth states that tanha (desire) causes suffering (such as lack, fear, anxiety, and dissatisfaction, etc).
Â…
The problem is that when we desire something, lets say sense pleasure, the more we seek, the wider we split the subject and the object (and as you know there really is no subject apart from object), the more painful and dissatisfactory it is. We then become discontent with life as it is, we cannot see that what is arising now is already self-perfected as it is, we cannot see that all there is is simply conditioned arising -- and a perfect expression of our primordial nature, our Buddha Nature.
Similarly, if something unpleasurable arises, we try to widen the gap between subject and object, we try to shut off, manipulate, get rid of the undesired object from a phantom subject (you) which will not work because there is really no such thing as a subject-object split. And because it can never be done, the more you try to avert it, the more suffering and dissatisfaction you experience.