Teachings of the Buddha
Catching the Ox
THE MYSTIC PATH
Padmasambhava was the great Buddhist yogi believed to be the founder of Tibetan Buddhism. He is said to have subdued the local deities, demons and spirits and to have converted them to be protectors of the Dharma. Tibetan Buddhism uses images of him, other beings, and various buddhas as meditation objects for visualizations and the safe channeling of released archetypal energies when the energy of the unconscious becomes conscious. Padmasambhava was a tantric teacher and taught many practices including those of the bardo, the experience of the after-death plane. The following statement of method about the path that cultivates the special class of experiences forming the basis of spiritual traditions and pursuits is common to mystic traditions found in many parts of the world.
Although I did not know of Padmasambhava or this summary of the Path when I began my own quest it does reflect the path I took. Dogma has no place in a search for truth. There can be no consensus reality, only openness to the experience of being. No pasteurization and homogenization of the immediacy of being can remain for the conditioned mind to experience the transcendent Mind. Each person must make the query, engage in the observation and determine their own assessment of reality, then chose their course for interacting with the world and the components of being. They must go beyond their reason to what lies outside the realm of the rational, outside their concepts of self and reality and the conditioning of a lifetime. Religious traditions do not speak of miracles, angels, demons and other realms without reason. They are spoken of because they have always been a feature of mind’s nature, thus they are the experience of many. Christian missionaries in Tibet found that when they tried to convert the people by telling them of the miracles of Christ the Tibetans would nod and smile and say, “Yes, that was Padmasambhava.” The missionaries gave up when they realized they could not make the Tibetans see any difference between Padmasambhava and Jesus. Much to the consternation of the Christians, they were seen as identical in the compassionate miracles they wrought and in the wisdom they shared. Padmasambhava’s synopsis of the mystic path:
“Read many books on various religions and philosophies and choose one doctrine among those one has studied.” This is knowledge gained by learning, sutamaya panna.
“Remain in a lowly condition. Do not seek to be conspicuous or important in the eyes of the world. Behind one’s insignificance, let the mind soar high above all worldly power and glory. Be indifferent to all. Be like a dog or pig that eats whatever chance brings. Not making choices among things and abstaining from any effort to acquire or avoid anything. Accepting with equal indifference whatever comes; riches or poverty, praise or contempt; giving up distinctions between virtue and vice, honour and shame, good and evil. Being neither afflicted by nor repenting what one has done, nor elated or proud by what one has accomplished.” This develops knowledge by contemplation, cintamaya panna.
“Consider with perfect detachment and equanimity the conflicting opinions and activity of Beings. Understand the inevitable nature of things and remain serene. Look at the world as a person on top of a mountain looking at all below. Realize the ‘Void,’ Emptiness, the Inexpressible Truth.” This is the goal: knowledge that comes by experience of the Path, bhavanamaya panna.
There are three kinds of knowledge listed here and Buddhism applies these kinds of knowledge to understanding relative and absolute truths. It is extremely important to understand this particular aspect of Buddhist teaching. Knowledge of the type being discussed is not simply a matter of compiling ideas or theories or in any way solely as conceptual knowledge. It is the result of a process of cultivation that may last one’s entire life. Whether we come to it naturally or through deliberate cultivation, it is the highest perception that affords the total view. How we get to the top is not as important as getting there at all. This is about life and death, living and dying, and not just a mere myth or some frivolous philosophical indulgence. Spirituality, religion, ethics, philosophy and ancient psychologies may be some of the most fruitful means of preparing for the vicissitudes of living and dying.
In this brief synopsis, we find the goal of the quest expressed as Emptiness, or the Void. This emptiness is not nothing but the potentiality of everything, the “Ground of Being,” or in Christian theology, the Godhead. Referred to as sunnata in Pali, it is Mind’s essential nature, the backdrop for all that we experience, all we are, and out of which everything proceeds. The Tibetans say this Mind is like the sky. It is in finite, clear, and calm. It contains all things yet its expanse is not diminished. Mind is seen as more infinite than space since space is contained in Mind! This is more significant than mere sophistry. In this view, “reality” is the occurrence of Mind. Tibetans use the term rigpa to denote this state of profound clarity. In The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, Sogyal Rinpoche relates a description of a yogi walking through a garden who is fully present and awake to the beauty around him. The scents, colors, shapes and fragrances of the flowers are relished, but there arises no clinging or attachment to them. Everything is left in its splendor, the pure immediacy of it. This is like the view of a child not yet jaded to the world and its things. He quotes Dudjum Rinpoche:
“Whatever perceptions arise, you should be like a little child going into a beautifully decorated temple; he looks, but grasping does not enter into his perception at all. So, you leave everything fresh, natural, vivid and unspoiled. When you leave each thing in its own state, then its shape doesn’t change, its colour doesn’t fade and its glow does not disappear. Whatever appears is unstained by any grasping, so then all that you perceive arises as the naked wisdom of Rigpa, which is the indivisibility of luminosity and emptiness.”
Sogyal Rinpoche declares, “The confidence, the contentment, the spacious serenity, the strength, the profound humour and the certainty that arise from directly realizing the View of Rigpa is the greatest treasure of life, the ultimate happiness, which once attained, nothing can destroy, not even death.” He then quotes Dudjum Rinpoche:
“Once you have the View, although the delusory perceptions of samsara may arise in your mind, you will be like the sky; when a rainbow appears in front of it, it’s not particularly flattered and when the clouds appear, it’s not particularly disappointed either. There is a deep sense of contentment. You chuckle from inside as you see the facade of samsara and nirvana; the View will keep you constantly amused, with a little inner smile bubbling away all the time.”
The joy, deep compassion, and wisdom that can be seen displayed by developed contemplatives in all the great spiritual traditions who have glimpsed this state are ample testimony to its reality and effectiveness.
The Buddhist monastic order was founded to promote the practices of meditation and contemplation, to preserve the Dharma (teachings), and to maintain a community of like-minded individuals for mutual support and development. This was founded on the principles of renunciation: leaving the pleasures and distractions of the world and the senses; maintaining rules of conduct founded on principles of virtue and compassion; celibacy in most orders and the original order lead by the Buddha; and subsistence by silent begging. The rules of the order are for the purpose of mental training and to promote harmonious relationships within the order and with lay and non-Buddhist people. Originally, the Buddha did not have rules. He simply stated that all beings suffer and that there is a method for overcoming the propensity for creating it by maintaining a suitable vigilance of the mind, its reactions to the senses, and by closely scrutinizing the constituents of reality while living in harmony with those truths. A monk was called a bhikkhu, meaning a beggar, because they subsist through the charity of others, originally by silently collecting alms each morning at dawn. Theravadin monks are not allowed to ask anyone for anything unless the person has given them a special dispensation to do so. This is valid for one year and the monk can only ask for things determined to be appropriate for the monastic life.
Buddhist orders vary greatly in the forms of methods they employ, but they refer to common teachings about the nature of mind and reality. The profusion of different styles can be intimidating to those unfamiliar with the core teachings of Buddhism and the manner in which Buddhism has been amalgamated into the local customs, traditions, language, and psychology of a people. In general, people are confused by the apparent differences between religions and the myths and stories they use to illustrate their respective teachings. This can all be cleared away if we begin to look more closely not at what they are saying, but at what they are doing. Spiritual techniques are remarkably similar in all the major religious traditions. Let us then focus on the techniques and the experiences they engender rather than worrying too much about explanations. Buddhism in particular does not value intellectual understanding over personal experience. It states from the outset that its purpose is to lead the mind beyond mere intellection.
The Buddhist monastic order could be thought of as a sanctuary in which to begin the work of mind development or recovery from the trauma of living. It is a refuge from the tumult, distractions, and obligations of ordinary life. It is, of course, not suitable for everyone’s temperament, but the principles it illustrates can be integrated into daily living and the Tibetans have created many practices that are especially suitable for lay people. The present work draws extensively on my experience as a monk and the practices I engaged in while wandering about Southeast Asia as a homeless ascetic. Working people may have more difficulty because of their responsibilities, but these techniques can still be applied by anyone and there is no need to leave ordinary life in order to practice them. Most people though, would derive a great deal of benefit by going into some form of prolonged, if temporary retreat. Ten days is a common time period and there are many places that cater to those interested in doing retreats. Renunciation is one of the central and defining characteristics of monastic practice. Other elements are simplicity, virtuous conduct, and honesty. For most monastic orders, celibacy and other practices that work to promote changes of perception are included.
Of special relevance to some of the immediate problems of our modern world is the forest tradition propagated by the Buddha twenty-five hundred years ago and still practiced to this day. There is an ease and simple beauty to this practice with its capacity to renew the spirit and draw the mind to the inexorable rhythms of nature. Living alone in the forest promotes loss of anger and the yogi can more easily practice undisturbed. Allow nature to teach Her secrets and confirm your insights. There is no burden of things, no bustle and tumult. Each day blends into another spectacle of the drama and dance of form and emptiness. There is the blue sky, clouds, animals, birds, the sun and wind, basic chores and pleasant musings while viewing the sun rise and set. There is the kindness, delight, and friendship of lay supporters and the beauty of ceremonial life where everything becomes meaningful yet can remain empty of any artifice. The play of being-awareness delighting in its own radiance and its remove from the insanity of politics, commerce, dysfunctional relationships, crime, pollution, taxes, the house-holder’s fears and burdens. Many people think this is hedonistic or escapist. This is not so. This is directly confronting reality both in the deepest aspects of oneself, in beliefs, self-identity and patterns of thought and behaviour, and in complete harmony with the reality of nature and emptiness, the suchness of things. The purpose is to develop tranquility and insight, to cut through defilements, to live in harmony with all, injure nothing, and guide others to the states beyond self-created and needless suffering, beyond the wrong-views of conditioned perception.
Poverty, except where the lack of money or resources prevents the acquisition of life’s requirements, is largely a perception. A person who has no interest in wealth is already rich. Sustaining life is cheap if one is resourceful. It is paying for pleasures, security, reputation and importance that add up. These include luxuries like big houses, higher educations, personas, cars, and almost everything the consumer world has to offer. Pleasures and artificial needs, the standards of living that have been indoctrinated into so many people, and even just the minimum of what a person must have to subsist without having to live in the street demand in some fashion, our attention and effort. This fact is inescapable which is why cultures have systems, institutions, and traditions to sustain people devoted to the quest. A monk’s poverty is not seen or felt as poverty. It is taking what is required to care for life. It needs no more than the least possible and can still know contentment. With the liberation from desire there is nothing lacking hence, no feeling of impoverishment. The world appears to be consuming itself. It could easily stop if people chose not to consume it. If you find free pleasures, distractions, and fulfillments, if you learn the joys of a mind free from conditioning, from indoctrinated desires, you will have no need of the toys that trick you into the web of samsara and the misery it sows. You can then exercise your true freedom to use or change things for the benefit of everyone. This form of renunciation is a monk’s or a yogi’s path though and not suited to most people. The house-holder can however, adopt a lifestyle that promotes the same principles. This was always the Buddha’s teaching. There is no need to be a monk or nun. They are just simpler vehicles for some because they avoid so many difficulties and one’s time may always be turned in the direction of comprehension, detachment, compassion and mental training.
The cultural aspects linked to the traditional sects can make it very difficult for the Western Buddhist monk or nun. All the negative elements that can exist in samsara can exist within the monastic sangha, the congregation of monks, nuns, and lay people. It is quite common for groups of Buddhists to shun or disparage ea