Dear friends:
Let me make it clear, first of all, that the joy I refer to here is not the temporary
joy that can be the cause or source of later suffering. For example, one does
have a sensation of joy and being carefree when one is drunk. But the actions
might commit while intoxicated could be so foolish that one might feel deep regret
afterward, or they could cause such irreparable damage that the suffering created
thereby would be much greater and longer lasting than the temporary joy that accompanied
the drinking. That kind of joy, if you still wish to call it joy, is classified
in Buddhism as suffering ?it is not joy, because it is the beginning of suffering.
The joy I refer to her can be better defined as the opposite of suffering, or,
the cessation of suffering. An example is the kind of feeling one enjoys when
one can fall asleep quickly and soundly without drugs, after suffering insomnia
for many years, or when one is able to rest after a number of hectic days in a
political campaign or a demanding day in the business world. One might find oneself
enjoying that relaxation in a mountain-lake region. As one gazes at the high,
snowcapped mountains and the huge pine trees, the world and its worries seem a
thousand miles away; one feels so small, yet at the same time so great, that one
feels alone in the universe.
In Buddhism, there are several ways to classify human suffering. The most common
is a listing of eight categories of suffering:
1. Suffering because of birth.
Although no one remembers the pain experienced upon leaving the mother's womb,
the very fact that a newborn cries rather than smiles indicated that there is
no bliss at birth.
2. Suffering because of age.
Although aging is a slow process that takes place over a number of years, the
sometimes sudden realization of the reduction of youthful strength and ability
is a painful experience for most people past the age of sixty. Evidence of this
feeling could be found on a visit to a home for the aged, or simply by speaking
to any older person on the subject.
3. Suffering because of sickness.
Very few people can claim immunity to sickness or injury. I do not have to elaborate
on the painful experience of being sick. This kind of suffering is particularly
prevalent among people who live in places where nutrition and medical care are
inadequate.
4. Suffering because of death.
The majority of human beings suffer painfully because of their awareness of the
inevitability of death. Such suffering is particularly severe for those who have
a strong ego, great power, or great wealth, as it is very difficult for them to
contemplate giving up these things.
5. Suffering because of separation from loved ones.
Death is considered by most to constitute permanent separation. One who has had
the experience of losing a loved one knows how painful that experience can be,
and that the suffering it brings can hardly be remedied. Heartbreak, worry, the
expectation of bad news ?all these kinds of suffering are expressed through grief
and tears by those whose loved ones have been kidnapped or imprisoned in concentration
camps, who have faced the danger of death, been sent to war, or been forced into
an indefinite period of separation because of political circumstances.
6. Suffering because of an undesirable confrontation with another person or thing.
Some occasions for this kind of suffering might be an unexpected meeting between
two people who hate each other; a beautiful woman being chased by a man she does
not like; suddenly coming face to face with a robber or maniac; turning a corner
and finding a rabid dog or other animal on the attack ?all these encounters can
be sources of great suffering.
7. Suffering caused by denial of one's desires.
A child will cry when he or she wants a piece of candy and the mother says no.
Other examples are failure to win the heart of the one you love, or failure in
business. One can also suffer a great deal if one needs money desperately and
is unable to get it.
8. Suffering because of the burning characteristics of the human body and mind.
In Buddhism, this suffering refers to the five aggregates that form the human
experience which is the body and mind. These five aggregates are form, sensation,
perception, conditioned function, and consciousness. Examples of the burning characteristics
of these five aggregates are anger, anxiety, excessive sexual desire, hatred,
jealousy ?all these can be sources of suffering.
Since the joy I refer to is defined as the cessation of suffering, it becomes
clear from the above description of the eight categories of suffering that the
root of suffering is our concept of body and mind. If we do not have body and
mind, there is no birth and therefore no suffering because of birth. Without body
and mind, aging, sickness, death, and the other four kinds of suffering have no
base from which to operate. Therefore, the root of all human suffering is the
human concept of, and attachment to, body and mind. As in the case of the concept
of birth and death, and the concept of karma, the complete cessation of suffering
can only be achieved by the realization of our basic nature. This means the realization
that the body and mind, which appear to our sensory organs to exist, are changing
from moment to moment, and are impermanent and unreal. It is as if one saw oneself
in a dream, or were an actor playing a part. All comes to be defined as emptiness.
Therefore, the realization of basic nature means complete cessation of suffering,
which means ultimate joy. The conclusion of this theoretical analysis, which I
have earlier referred to as Path 3, is that our own basic nature is the source
of true joy. May I repeat that: Our own basic nature is the source of joy.
Now that sounds great, but it is just like saying the clear autumn sky is the
source of cheer at a time when the sky is heavily overcast and it is raining,
if not storming. Buddhism is not just a philosophical study. One who knows everything
in theory about swimming but has never practiced in the water will still face
the possibility of drowning if he or she falls into deep water. Buddhism places
much emphasis on practice. So, to realize basic nature one must practice according
to those methods that I have called Path 1 and Path 2.
Path 1 is designed for the person who is able to divorce himself or herself entirely
from the worldly affairs and to practice vigorously the concentration of the mind
on one point. This method is analogous to launching a rocket from crowded Times
Square in New York City on a stormy day with thick clouds. Now just imagine how
difficult it would be to fire a rocket under such conditions. Many rockets, even
when launched successfully, probably would fall back to earth without ever having
reached the upper level of clouds. Only the ones that have enough strength to
ascend nonstop can penetrate the heavy cloud cover. The instruments in those rockets
that do make it will suddenly detect bright sunshine and the endless deep blue
sky in all directions. At that time, what the instruments will detect is vast
space, quietness, clarity, and emptiness. Crowded and noisy Times Square in New
York City, and even the whole earth, will become so small by comparison that they
lose their significance entirely.
A similar breakthrough in the human mind, according to Buddhism, is called enlightenment.
At the moment of enlightenment, our basic nature reveals vastness, limitlessness,
and an incomprehensible nature beyond description. All the habits, desire, discriminations,
and attachments of human beings become insignificant. The concepts of birth and
death, karma, and suffering are therefore inapplicable. One who achieves this
status is said to be enlightened. Buddha Shakyamuni was a human being born more
than 2,500 years ago in the land known today as Nepal. He achieved enlightenment
at the age of thirty-five and thereby set an excellent example for all human beings.
As I said before, Path 1 is designed for one who is able to divorce himself or
herself entirely from worldly affairs and to practice vigorously, just like the
Buddha who gave up the king's throne that awaited him and went to the mountains
to take up difficult ascetic practices. Such a path is like attempting to dig
out the root of a big tree without first cutting down the branches. It should
be understood to be the highest standard that a human being can possibly achieve
according to the Buddha's teachings. Path 1, however, is not for everyone. Buddha
therefore taught many other methods to enable human beings to realize their basic
nature. I include these methods under Path 2.
All the methods in Path 2 can be described as aiming at one principle, that is,
harmony with our basic nature. Here we should note that the concept of self is
still in existence. It is 'I?who am in harmony with basic nature. In other words,
at the stage of cultivation which I have called Path 2, the self and basic nature
are still experienced as separate entities. All the methods of Path 2 are therefore
aimed at the goal of identifying the self with basic nature. Also bear in mind
that basic nature is a term chosen for the convenience of people at the mundane
level.
When the principle of harmony with basic nature is clear in our minds, every action
and every thought in our daily life can offer us abundant opportunities to develop
that harmony. At the mundane level, basic nature can be defined as non-duality,
nondiscrimination, and no-self; or even more condensed, as nonattachment. Therefore,
in our daily life, those actions and thoughts which can be qualified as non-duality,
nondiscrimination, no-self, or nonattachment are those in harmony with basic nature.
On the other hand, actions and thoughts that involve duality, discrimination,
the concept of self, or attachment of some sort are not in harmony with basic
nature.
Now I wish to give you a few examples of how to practice in harmony with basic
nature. These techniques have been useful in my personal practice. But, since
each person has different karma, you may find another method more effective.
1. Fifteen minutes a day of meditation on vast space.
You look at the open sky on a clear day. Concentrate your effort to see as far
out as you can. If a bird, an airplane, a wisp of cloud, or any other object comes
into view, ignore it and don't let it distract you. If your eyes become tired,
close them, but your mind should continuously "look" at the vast sky
without wavering. The key to this practice can be found in the following verse
taken from The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa, translated by Garma C.C. Chang:
Like the sky devoid of edge or center,
Meditate on vastness and infinity.
That is the teaching Milarepa gave to his female disciple, Sahle Aiu. It clearly
emphasizes nonduality, nondiscrimination, and no-self.
2. Fifteen minutes a day of meditation on energy.
First, think of the outer skin that covers your entire body. Skin is matter and
is therefore a form of energy. Next, think of your flesh. Flesh is matter and
therefore also a form of energy. The bones are also a form of energy. Further,
your lungs, heart, stomach ?every part of your body from the outside to the inside,
and then from the inside to the outside ?is a form of energy.
When you first begin this practice, repeat the process several times. You will
reach the conclusion that everything in your body, as well as your body as a whole,
is energy and nothing else.
Then realize that whatever you are sitting on is matter, and thus energy. The
air is energy. The warmth of the air is energy. Light is energy. People and animals
are energy. The room, the house, the village, the city, the earth, the moon, the
sun ?everything in boundless space that you can think of is all energy. All is
characterized by nonduality and nondiscrimination.
Whenever your mind wavers and you cannot keep expanding your vision of energy
while meditating thusly, retreat to a point where your vision of energy is clear.
Since energy is a good analogy for basic nature, this practice can be very effective.
It is simple, yet in harmony with the profound level of basic nature.
I presume that you all know how to sit in meditation, so I shall not describe
it here. My essay "What We Can Learn From Buddhism" gives a brief description
of the sitting positions. You might like to use it as a reference.
3. Practicing the perfection of giving (dana paramita).
Giving means to help or benefit others. Twenty-five years ago, when I first came
to this country, I had the distinct impression that the people of this great nation
have, in general, a warm generosity and willingness to help other people. I must
admit, however, that this good impression has been gradually fading in recent
years. I sincerely hope that this trend will be reversed. It is entirely up to
each of us. Don't forget that our social environment is the effect of our common
karma.
According to Buddhism, there are three kinds of giving:
a) To help or benefit others by giving them material objects.
Food, clothing, shelter, vehicles, money, and many other items of a material nature
are included in this category.
b) To help or benefit others by giving them right knowledge and correct view.
In Buddhism this refers especially to Dharma, i.e., the Buddha's teaching, because
according to Buddhism, Dharma is the most important knowledge that can help people
to rid themselves of suffering. Broadly speaking, the teaching of the knowledge
and skill to enable people to be productive members of society is also classified
as giving under this category.
c) To help or benefit others by protecting them from various kinds of danger,
and by alleviating their fears.
This is called the giving of fearlessness. People who contribute to keeping a
place, say, Central Park in New York City, secure and peaceful are performing
the act of giving as defined in this category. To save people from a ship in distress
or from places hit by earthquakes, hurricanes, tidal waves, or other disasters
are also good examples of this kind of giving. A doctor or nurse who comforts
a patient who has great fear is also performing meritorious giving.
All of the above is giving, but it may not be the perfection of giving. You may
remember that when we talked about karma, I said at one point that one who does
good deeds with selfish motives receives limited merit, while one who does the
same good deeds with no specific purpose or desire receives infinitely greater
merit. Let me now describe the perfection of giving, which is one of the six paramitas,
or perfections, taught by Buddha.
Perfection of giving means giving without duality, without discrimination, and
without concept of self. To put it another way, perfection of giving is giving
without any idea as to who is the recipient, what is being given, or who the donor
is.
Giving conditionally, or with strings attached, is not the perfection of giving.
Giving with the expectation of reward is not the perfection of giving.
Giving with discrimination regarding the recipient, thinking, "I only donate
to the church but not to the school," is not the perfection of giving.
Giving for selfish reasons is not the perfection of giving.
The perfection of giving demands a mind of equality, nonduality, and nondiscrimination,
and no-self. Such giving is in harmony with basic nature.
For those who have not achieved the ability to be in harmony with their basic
nature, intensive prayer to a tangible supramundane authority may sometimes be
helpful. In Christianity, the Holy Mother Mary and Jesus Christ; in Buddhism,
Buddha Amitabha and Bodhisattva Kuan-yin; the gods of other religions, etc.; all
serve effective purposes when one is seriously ill, in danger, desperate, approaching
death, and so forth. Prayer, particularly for those who have had faith in one
or more of these gods during their lives, can help to restore one's concentration.
The unwavering tranquility of mind is itself a process in harmony with basic nature
?the source of joy.
I thank you for your patience in listening so intently during these four sessions.
You have probably noted that the key expression in these lectures has been 'basic
nature.?It may be helpful to offer you, as a conclusion, the following quotation
from chapter nine of The Holy Teaching of Vilamakirti, entitled "The Dharma-Door
of Nonduality," as translated by Prof. Robert A.F. Thurman.
Then, the Licchavi Vimalakirti asked those bodhisattvas, "Good sirs, please
explain how the bodhisattvas enter the Dharma-door of nonduality!"
Thereupon, thirty-one bodhisattvas expressed their views on nonduality. I quote
three of these expressions as examples:
The bodhisattva Srigandha declared, " 'I?and 'mine?are two. If there is no
presumption of a self, there will be no possessiveness. Thus, the absence of presumption
is the entrance into nonduality."?/P>
The bodhisattva Tisya declared, " 'Good?and 'evil?are two. Seeking neither
good nor evil, the understanding of the nonduality of the significant and the
meaningless is the entrance into nonduality."?/P>
The bodhisattva Suddhadhimukti declared, "To say, 'this is happiness,?and
'That is misery?is dualism. One who is free of all calculations, through the extreme
purity of gnosis ?his mind is aloof, like empty space; and thus he enters into
nonduality."
And near the end we read:
When the bodhisattvas had given their explanations, they all addressed the crown
prince Manjusri: "Manjusri, what is the bodhisattva's entrance into nonduality?"
Manjusri replied, "Good sirs, you have all spoken well. Nevertheless, all
your explanations are themselves dualistic. To know no one teaching, to express
nothing, to say nothing, to explain nothing, to announce nothing, to indicate
nothing, and to designate nothing ?that is the entrance into nonduality."
Then the crown prince Manjusri said to the Lichavi Vimalakirti, "We have
all given our own teaching, noble sir. Now, may you elucidate the teachings of
the entrance into the principle of nonduality!"
Thereupon, the Licchavi Vimalakirti kept his silence, saying nothing at all.
The crown prince Manjusri applauded the Lichavi Vimalakirti: "Excellent!
Excellen, noble sir! This is indeed the entrance into the nonduality of the bodhisattvas.
Here there is no use for syllables, sounds, and ideas."
Dear friends, why have I used so many words?
[At this point, Dr. Shen suddenly raised his voice.]
NOW ANSWER MY QUESTION, QUICK! QUICK!
[The audience kept silent.]
Excellent! Excellent! We have so many more Vimalakirtis here.
[The audience burst into laughter.]
Now you have experienced it. The very moment that you laughed was the moment that
you were in harmony with your basic nature. Perhaps you would all like to go home
now and practice harmony with basic nature.
I thank you very much.