Thursday, December 31, 2015

Buddhist meditation

Watch the following Thay's video.


Quote:
Buddhist meditation is a practice of looking deeply into the nature of reality. Because we don't have enough concentration, mindfulness, we cannot look deeply. We can be deceived by what we see and by what we hear. It's like a science. Science is also an attempt to look more deeply. You look at a sky and you see a star. You strongly believe that the star is there. But it may be that the star had already disappeared one thousand-year of light ago. And that is why you can be deceived  by what you see and by what you hear. And science helps us to be more careful. And Buddhism does the same. If you look deeply, and then you can be free from wrong perceptions, from illusions. Like the illusion that life is permanent, there is a permanent soul inhabiting in each living being. These kind of things. 

The Buddha did have a teacher. He followed a number of teachers. And he practiced with a community. And he had made some progress in his path of looking deeply. But he realized finally that these kinds of realization was not enough for his liberation. And that is why he had to continue by himself. And sitting at the foot of a Bodhi tree, he was able to make a breakthrough. He discovered the nature of interdependence, the nature of interbeing. He discovered a way of looking deeply and he could transcend the idea of birth and death, coming and going, being and non-being. And he was completely liberated from suffering. The happiness, the salvation of the Buddha was possible thanks to Maha Prajna (great understanding). And when you get the great understanding, you are no longer afraid of being born, of dying. And that is why you want to share your insight and your practice with other people.
:Unquote

(My commentary)
A way of looking deeply Buddha discovered is to attain insight through mindfulness and concentration. First of all, we need to revive awareness, or transform ourselves from ego (separate self) to true self (non-separate self = awareness) through mindfulness. Secondly, we need to concentrate our mind to understand the true nature of reality or the root cause. This great understanding is attained as insight, not as knowledge through thinking. So, the key for insight is to stop thinking through mindful breathing. Non-thinking sounds easy but may not be so easy for ego, especially for intelligent ego.

(Cf.) http://www.amazon.com/dp/B014NYEP04

Thích Nhất Hạnh

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Supernatural power

Watch the following Thay's video.


Quote:
There is a view of eternalism. Eternalism, that means you have a soul that is eternal. And after you die, that soul remains intact and go to another body and continue like that. That is the eternalism. And then, the other extreme is that after you die, well there is nothing left. Nihilism. And nirvana is the extinction of these two views, nihilism and eternalism. And even in a life of a person, the lifetime of a person, when you grow a ten-year old, you are no longer the same with when you were five. So, you were five and you are ten. You are neither the same nor different person. So, the notion of the same and different should be transcended also. 

So, if you don't see that kind of light, you don't really understand the rebirth in Buddhism. You may get caught in the view of eternalism. And you are not different from strange man who hold the view that there is an immortal soul. In the light of the teaching, everything is impermanent. Nothing in the five skandhas can remain exactly the same in two consecutive moments. But nothing is lost. And creation in Buddhism means the manifestation. And from nothing you can't become something. So, creation, if we look deeply, it is really a continuation of manifestation. If you don't manifest in this way, and then you manifest in that way like the cloud and the snow. 

So, if you get that, you are no longer afraid. That is your supernatural power already. If you have non-fear, and then you are quite different from other people. Because we are subjected to our fear, fear of dying, fear of being nothing. But with non-fear in you, that deep wisdom in you, you become supernatural. You are no longer mortals. You don't need to be a God because a God is not supposed to be a human being. So, to say that the Buddha has a supernatural power, that is true also. But he doesn't need to be a God in order to have that. He needs only to have freedom. Freedom from wrong view, and freedom from fear. 

It's like the birth and death are like waves. And you are riding on a wave of birth and death and you go without fear. It's a wonderful, that is a supernatural power. And the Buddha did not encourage his disciples to perform miracles. He said that the greatest miracle is the miracle of teaching and transforming people. And that is the miracle that he do every day.
:Unquote

(My commentary)
We can never die but we just stop manifestation at the time of so-called death. Our disintegrated bodies keep existing in different forms such as water, air, earth (minerals), heat (energy). And when conditions are sufficient, they will manifest again in new forms. And each particle enfolds into consciousness (subconscious). Then, consciousness unfolds into new forms. So, our mind or spirit also continues. When we understand this mechanism, we will have non-fear.

(Cf.) http://www.slideshare.net/compassion5151/spiritual-ancestors

Thích Nhất Hạnh

Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Nirvana

Watch the following Thay's video.


Quote:
In Buddhism, we speak of nirvana which is the cessation of all suffering. Nirvana, first of all, it means the cessation, the extinction of all suffering. But our suffering come from our wrong perceptions, avidya, misunderstanding. And that is why the practice of meditation, the practice of looking deeply has the purpose of removing wrong perceptions from us. If you are able to remove wrong perceptions, you will be able to be free from the afflictions and the sufferings that always arise from wrong perceptions. You have wrong perception on yourself and on the other, and the other has wrong perception on themselves and on you and that is the cause of fear, of violence, of hatred. That is why trying to remove wrong perceptions is the only way to peace. And that is why nirvana is, first of all, the removal of wrong perceptions. And when you remove wrong perceptions, you remove the suffering. 

And to meditate deeply, you find out that even ideas like being and non-being, birth and death, coming and going, are wrong ideas. If you can touch reality in that, you realize that suchness, ultimate reality is free from birth, from dying, from coming, from going, from being, from non-being. That is why nirvana is, first of all, a removal of notions, of ideas that serve the ways of misunderstanding and suffering. If you are afraid of death, of nothingness, of non-being, because you have wrong perceptions on death and on non-being. The French scientist, Lavoisier, said there is no birth, there is no death. He had just observed reality around him and come to the conclusion that "Rien ne se crée, rien ne se perd." ("Nothing is created, and nothing is destroyed." (Nothing is born, nothing dies.))

When you look at a cloud, you think that the cloud is a being. And later on when the cloud become the rain, you don’t see the cloud anymore and you say the cloud is not there. And you describe the cloud as non-being. But if you look deeply, you can see the cloud in the rain and that is why it’s impossible for a cloud to die. A cloud can become rain, snow or ice, but a cloud cannot become nothing. And that is why the notion of death cannot be applied to reality. There is a transformation, there is a continuation, but you cannot say that there is death because in your mind to die means from something, you suddenly become nothing. From someone, you suddenly become no one, and so the notion of death cannot apply to reality, whether to a cloud or to a human being. 

And the Buddha did not die. The Buddha only continued by his Sangha and by his Dharma. And you can touch the Buddha in the here and the now. That is why ideas like being born, dying, coming and going, being and non-being should be removed by the practice of looking deeply. And when you can remove these notions, you are free and you have non-fear. And non-fear is the true foundation of great happiness. As far as the fear is there in your heart, happiness cannot be perfect. And that is why nirvana is not something that you get in the future. Nirvana is the capacity of removing wrong notions, wrong perceptions, which is the practice of freedom. Nirvana can be translated as freedom, freedom from views. And in Buddhism, all views are wrong views. When you get in touch with the reality, you no longer have views. You have the wisdom. You have a direct encounter with the reality. And that is no longer called "views".
:Unquote

(My commentary)
All afflictions and the sufferings arise from wrong perceptions. And wrong perceptions are, in other words, ideas, notions, views, or ignorance which cause delusions, illusions and misunderstanding. Furthermore, afflictions and sufferings arise because wrong perceptions, ideas, notions and views are for distinctions, separations, discrimination, or the duality. And all of these are human creations. That's why nirvana is the extinction of wrong perceptions, all views, or all notions. For that, mindfulness, concentration and insight are the effective methods.

(Cf.) http://www.amazon.com/dp/B014NYEP04

Thích Nhất Hạnh

Monday, December 28, 2015

阿頼耶識

以下は、ティク・ナット・ハン著「太陽、我が心臓」からの抜粋です。

引用:
(偉大且つ完璧な鏡)
1956年、ケンブリッジのトリニティ・カレッジでの「心と物質」についての講演で、理論物理学者のエルヴィン・シュレーディンガーは、意識は単数か複数かどちらであるべきかを問いました。外部からは、多くの心があるように見えるが、現実には一つだけであると彼は結論付けました。シュレーディンガーは、ヴェーダーンタ哲学の影響を受けていました。彼は、心の「算術逆説」と呼ばれるものに非常に興味がありました。私たちが見てきたように、一つと複数の分離は、知覚によってなされた測定です。私たちがその分離の囚人である限り、算術逆説の囚人なのです。私たちが全ての物の相互依存相互浸透を理解する時にのみ、自由になることができます。現実は、一つでも複数でもありません。

Vijftanavadins(仏教の一派)は、「心と対象の完全な統一」を「全ての現象が映し出される鏡」として説明しました。現象なしでは反射はあり得ず、反射なしでは鏡はあり得ません。心を説明するために使用される映像は、「何も覆い隠すことができず、何も隠すことができない、大きな丸い鏡です。全ての現象は、「宝庫」(阿頼耶識)に格納されていると言われています。この宝庫の内容と所有者(知識の主体)は一つです。 Vijftanavadinsの教えでは、阿頼耶識は全ての物理的、生理的、心理的現象の種子(bija)を含んでいます。同時に、阿頼耶識は知識の主体と客体が生じる基盤として機能します。阿頼耶識は空間で区切られたり、時間に限定されるものではありません。実を言うと、空間と時間さえ阿頼耶識から生じます。 

Vijftanavadaの教えに不可欠なのは、知覚の対象について理解することです。知覚の対象は三つのタイプがあります。即ち、純粋な対象またはあるがままの現実(svabhava)心象または概念化された心に浮かぶ対象(samanya-Iaksana)、記憶に残り正しい条件が存在する時に再現する純粋な映像または概念化された対象です。 

(阿頼耶識は一つか複数か?)
もし、私たちが、「誰もが自分独自の阿頼耶識を持っているのか、または私たち全員が共通の阿頼耶識を共有しているのか?」と尋ねる状態であるなら、それは私たちがまだ相互依存相互浸透の本質を実感していないことを示すのでしょう。私たちはまだ、シュレーディンガーが「算術逆説」と呼んだものによって当惑しています。その後、「各人が独立した阿頼耶識を持っていないなら、どうして独立した、個々の記憶を持つのだろうか?」と私たちは尋ねるのかもしれません。

ある子供は経験で教えられ、別の子供はそらでそれを知っていると私たちは言えるでしょうか?の表面で壊れますが、水から離れて存在することはできず、独自の形と独自の場所を持っています。多くの小川は、へ流れ込むかもしれませんが、全ての小川は川と一つになっています。現象というの表面に、多くのが輝くのを私たちは見ますが、各々の波にとっては、形成され、破壊されているのであり、各々の波は他の各々の波に依存しているに違いありません。私たち各人の記憶は、私たち個々人の独自の宝物ではありません。私たち各人の記憶は、他の全ての生きた現実に関連している生きた現実なのです。私たちの体がそうであるように、各人の記憶は終わりのない変容を経験します。それぞれのものが現実なのですが、現実は「一つ」か「複数」かという考えには依存しないのです。  
:引用終わり

(解説)
現象界においては、私たちの体は皆全宇宙からできており、全宇宙は私たちの体全てからできていると私は理解しています。ですから、全宇宙は私たちの体の内部にあり、私たちの体は全宇宙の内部にあるということです。そして、本体の世界においては、私たちの体は、目覚めた意識(阿頼耶識)へ包み込んでおり、その目覚めた意識(阿頼耶識)は私たちの体へ(包み込んだものを)開いていると私は理解しています。言い換えると、私たちの体と心は目覚めた意識(阿頼耶識)に包み込まれており、原因と条件が十分である時に目覚めた意識(阿頼耶識)から生じるということです。

(参考)http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B012YZBHHS
http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B00WBP308Q
http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B01816ZRD4

ティク・ナット・ハン

Sunday, December 27, 2015

真の「空」

以下は、ティク・ナット・ハン著「太陽、我が心臓」からの抜粋です。

引用:
(生と死の網はバラバラに引き裂かれ得る)
真の「空」の瞑想の代わりに使用することができるもう一つの瞑想があります。それは存在の奇蹟についての瞑想と呼ばれています。 「存在」とは、現在あることを意味します。 「存在の奇蹟」とは、「宇宙がそれぞれの物の中に含まれていること、そして宇宙がそれぞれの物を含んでいなければ存在できなかったことに気付くことを意味します。相互関連性相互浸透相互依存についてのこの気付きは、私たちが何かが「ある」とか「ない」とか言うことを不可能にしますので、「奇蹟的存在」と呼ぶのです。

オッペンハイマーは、電子の性質についての質問に4回「いいえ」と答えたにもかかわらず、電子が存在していないことを意味したのではありませんでした。仏陀は、「あなたは今生の中でさえ、如来を見つけることはできない」と言ったにもかかわらず、如来が存在していないことを意味したのではありませんでした。大般若波羅蜜多経(大般若経)は、この状態を説明するために「非空(空でない)」という単語を用います。「非空(空でない)」とは、 「存在の奇蹟」と同じです。「真の空」と 「存在の奇蹟」は、私たちが存在と非存在の間で差別する罠に陥らないようにすることができます。

電子と如来のどちらも、存在と非存在の概念を超えています。電子と如来の真の「空」と存在の奇跡の性質は、存在と非存在の罠から私たちを救い、非概念の世界へと直接私たちを導きます。存在の奇跡の瞑想を私たちはどのように実践できるでしょうか?相対性理論を理解している人は誰でも、空間が時間と物質の両方に密接に関係していることを知っています。そのような人にとっては、まだ空間が時間と物質から独立して存在すると信じている人より、空間は大きな意味を持ちます。私たちが蜂を見る時、まず私たちは相対性理論を理解する物理学者の目を通して蜂を見てみたいかもしれないし、その後蜂の中の真の「空」存在の奇跡を見るために、物理学者の目を超えてさえ行きたいかもしれません。もし、あなたの全存在で(全宇宙として)、定期的にこれを行うことを試みるなら、生と死の網内のもつれからあなたは解放されると私は確信しています。禅の世界では、生と死の問題は常に最も緊急なものであると見なされてきました。白隠禅師は非常に大きく死の文字を達筆で書き、より小さな一筆で「この言葉(死)の奥底まで理解する者は皆、真の英雄である」と付け加えました。
:引用終わり

(解説)
真の「空」は現象と本体の間の究極の真理であると私は理解しています。真の「空」は、量子物理学の内在的(包み込まれた)秩序と外在的(開かれた)秩序によって説明することができます。現象(体)は本体(意識)へ包み込んでいます。本体(意識)は現象(体)へ(包み込んだものを)開いています。私たちが現象に深く触れると、本体に触れることができます。要するに、本体の世界は時間と空間や、全ての概念のない世界です。マインドフルネス、集中、洞察は、真の「空」を理解する手法です。

(Cf.) http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B012YZBHHS
http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B00WBP308Q
http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B01816ZRD4

ティク・ナット・ハン

Saturday, December 26, 2015

真の愛

真の愛って何?
次のティク・ナット・ハンのビデオをご覧ください。


マインドフルネス(念)
 ↓
思考停止 = 非分離、非差別、非二元性 = 坦懐, 包括性 = 自由 
 ↓                  
目覚めた意識を復活させる = 本当の自分(非独立自己)へ戻る
 ↓
生命の奇跡に触れる
 ↓
喜びと幸せを発生させる  = 慈愛
 ↓
苦しみを認識する
 ↓
苦しみを抱きしめる
 ↓
苦しみを和らげる
 ↓
苦しみを深く見る = 集中
 ↓
苦しみの根源を理解する = 洞察
 ↓
思いやりを発生させる
 ↓
苦しみを平和や幸せへ変容する
 ↓
現実の本質を理解する = 「空」相互依存
 ↓
全ての概念の絶滅 = 涅槃(完全な悟り)

真の愛を実践する方法をご存知ですか?

慈愛、思いやり、喜び、坦懐は真の愛の4要素です。

最初にすべきことは、マインドフルな呼吸を通して目覚めた意識を復活させることです。

マインドフルな呼吸は、思考を停止して目覚めた意識を復活させることを可能にします。

非思考は、非分離、非差別、非二元性、坦懐、包括性、即ち自由と同じです。

目覚めた意識が復活すると、生命の奇蹟に触れることができます。

生命の奇蹟に触れることは、あなたに喜びと幸せ(慈愛)をもたらします。

あなたがマインドフルなら、マインドフルネスのエネルギーによって苦しみを認識し、抱きしめ、和らげることができます。

あなたが集中して苦しみを深く覗き込めば、洞察を通してその根本原因を理解するでしょう。

根本原因を理解することは、思いやりを発生させ、苦しみを平和と幸せへ変容することを可能にします。

あなたが現実の本質(空)を理解すると、全ての概念を投げ捨てることができます。

全ての概念の絶滅が涅槃、即ち完全な悟りです。

(参考)http://compassion5151.blogspot.jp/2015/09/blog-post_16.html 

Friday, December 25, 2015

True love

What is true love?
Watch the following Thay's video.


Mindfulness
 ↓
Stop thinking = Non-separation, Non-discrimination, Non-duality 
 ↓                   = Equanimity, Inclusiveness = Freedom
Revive awareness = Return to true self (non-separate self)
 ↓
Touch the wonders of life
 ↓
Generate joy and happiness  = Loving kindness
 ↓
Recognize suffering
 ↓
Embrace suffering
 ↓
Relieve suffering
 ↓
Look deeply into suffering = Concentration
 ↓
Understand the root cause = Insight
 ↓
Generate compassion
 ↓
Transform suffering to peace and happiness
 ↓
Understand the true nature of reality = Emptiness, Interbeing
 ↓
Extinction of all notions = Nirvana (Full enlightenment)

Do you know how to practice true love? 

Lovingkindness, Compassion, Joy and Equanimity are four elements of true love.

First thing to do is to revive awareness through mindful breathing.
Mindful breathing enables you to revive awareness by stopping thinking.

Non-thinking is equal to non-separation, non-discrimination, non-duality, equanimity, inclusiveness, or freedom.

When awareness revives, you (awareness) can touch the wonders of life.

Touching the wonders of life brings you joy and happiness (lovingkindness).

If you are mindful, you can recognize suffering, embrace it and relieve it by the energy of mindfulness.

If you are concentrated and look deeply into suffering, you will understand its root cause through insight.

Understanding the root cause enables you to generate compassion and transform suffering to peace and happiness.

When you understand the true nature of reality (emptiness), you can throw away all notions.

Extinction of all notions is nirvana, or full enlightenment.

(Cf.) http://compassion5151.blogspot.jp/2015/09/the-four-immeasurable-minds.html

Thursday, December 24, 2015

生と死

この現象界では、質量・エネルギー保存の法則によって、生も死もないと私は理解しています。私たちの体は無にはなれません。私たちの体はその形を変えるだけであり、永遠に継続します。

質量・エネルギー保存の法則は、既に科学的に証明済みです。死とは、私たちの現在の体の顕現の終わりを意味するただの概念です。私たちの現在の体が崩壊したとしても、水、鉱物、熱等に形を変えながら、永遠に存在し続けます。

ティク・ナット・ハンは、「雲でさえ決して死ぬことはできません。どのように私たちが死ねるというのでしょうか?」と言っています。
(・・・ ⇒ 蒸気 ⇒ 雲 ⇒ 雨、雪 ⇒ 海、陸 ⇒ 蒸気 ⇒ 雲 ⇒ ・・・)人間は「蒸気 ⇒ 雲」を雲の誕生または蒸気の死と名付けました。そして、「雲 ⇒ 雨、雪」を雲の死または雨、雪の誕生と名付けました。しかし、それらはただ水として、永遠に存在し続けているだけです。

人間の場合、雲は体に例えることができ、水は全宇宙に例えることができます。もし、私たちが生と死の概念を使用するなら、私たちの体は生まれて死ぬ必要があります。しかしながら、私たちが自分は全宇宙であると分かったなら、生まれて死ぬ必要はありません。究極の真理は不生不死ですから、私たちは生と死の概念を使用する必要はありません。私たちは、始まりのない時点からずっと全宇宙でしたし、終わりのない時点まで、即ち永遠に全宇宙なのです。ですから、私たちはもはや死を恐れる必要はありません。

(Cf.) http://www.slideshare.net/compassion5151/ss-43851275


Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Birth and Death

I understand that there is no birth and no death in this phenomenal world according to the law of conservation of energy and mass. Our body can't become nothing. It just changes its form and will continue eternally. 

The law of conservation of energy and mass is already scientifically proved. Death is just a notion which means the end of manifestation of our present body. Even if our present body disintegrates, it continues to exist eternally by changing its form as water, minerals, heat...etc. 

Thay says, "Even a cloud can never die. How can we die?" 
(... ⇒ vapor ⇒ cloud ⇒ rain, snow ⇒ ocean, land ⇒ vapor ⇒ cloud ⇒ ...) Humans named "vapor ⇒ cloud" as the birth of a cloud or the death of a vapor. And we named "cloud ⇒ rain, snow" as the death of a cloud or the birth of rain or snow. But they just keep existing as water eternally.

In case of humans, a cloud can be liken to a body and water can be liken to the whole cosmos. If we use notions of birth and death, our body needs to be born and die. However, if we understand that we are the whole cosmos, we don't need to be born or die. The ultimate truth is no birth and no death, so we don't have to use the notions of birth and death. We have been the whole cosmos since the non-beginning and will be the whole cosmos till non-end, or eternally. So, we don't have to be afraid of death anymore.

(Cf.) http://www.slideshare.net/compassion5151/spiritual-ancestors

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

二つの真理と二つの世界

正反対の全てのペア(対)は、二元性、即ち分離に基づいています。 「生と死」や「存在と非存在」がその例です。ですから、非二元性、即ち非分離とは、「不生不死」や「存在もなく非存在もない」のことです。つまり、これは正反対の全てのペア(対)、両極端の否定です。 要するに、「生と死」や「存在と非存在」は現象界の一般的真理(人間がでっち上げた概念)であり「不生不死」や「存在もなく非存在もない」は現象界の究極の真理(現実の本質)です。

しかしながら、本体の世界では形あるものはありません。なぜなら、時間と空間がなく、概念もないからです。本体の世界では、物は存在し得ず、現象は顕現できません。ですから、「生と死」や「存在と非存在」は論外です。これが、本体の世界の究極の真理です。

現象と本体は相互に依存し共同発生しており、表裏一体であると私は理解しています。ですから、現象または本体のいずれか一方というのは不可能です。有が無になることはできません。無が有になることもできません。もし、現象が取り除かれるなら、本体もまた取り除かれます。もし、本体が取り除かれるなら、現象もまた取り除かれます。それは正に、光と闇のようなものです。

それ故に、私たちは現象と本体の両方、即ち私たちの心身と意識の両方の世話をよくする必要があります。私たちが目覚めた意識を復活させたなら、現象界と本体の世界を同時に生きることができ私たちの心身と意識の両方をよく世話することができます。

(参考)http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B012YZBHHS 


ティク・ナット・ハンの書

Monday, December 21, 2015

Two truths and two worlds

All pairs of opposites are based on the duality, or separation. "Birth and death" and "being and non-being" are such examples. So, non-duality, or non-separation is "no birth and no death" or "no being and no non-being". In other words, this is the negation of all pairs of opposites, both extremes. In short, "Birth and death" or "being and non-being" is the conventional truth (human-made notions) in the phenomenal world, and "no birth and no death" or "no being and no non-being" is the ultimate truth (true nature of reality) in the phenomenal world.

However, in the noumenal world, there is no form. That's because there is no time and space, nor notions. Nothing can exist and no phenomena can manifest in the noumenal world. So, "Birth and death" or "being and non-being" is out of question. This is the ultimate truth in the noumenal world.

I understand that the phenomenal and the noumenal are interdependent co-arising and are two sides of the same coin. So, either the phenomenal or the noumenal is impossible. Something can't become nothing. Nothing can't become something, either. If the phenomenal is removed, the noumenal is also removed. If the noumenal is removed, the phenomenal is also removed. It is just like the light and the darkness.

Therefore, we need to take good care of both the phenomenal and the noumenal, or both our body-mind and consciousness. If we revive awareness, we can live in the phenomenal world and noumenal world at the same time, and take good care of both our body-mind and consciousness.

(Cf.) http://www.amazon.com/dp/B014NYEP04

Thay's calligraphy

Sunday, December 20, 2015

悟りに関する質問への回答


悟りに関する質問への私の回答は、以下の通りです。

質問1) 現象と本体の間の「違い」を識別することができた時は、どのような状態でしたか?
回答1)それは、私が現実の本質(全ての現象の不生不死の性質=非二元性)に触れて、全ての概念を投げ捨てた時でした。私が目覚めた意識で(マインドフルに)生きながら、集中していた時、この現実の本質の洞察を得ました。

質問2) 時間と空間、そして概念がはずれた時は、どのような状態でしたか?
回答2) 回答1と同じです。特に、量子物理学の内在的(包み込む)秩序と外在的(包み込んだものを開く)秩序を理解できた時でした。即ち、内在的(包み込む)秩序は外在的(包み込んだものを開く)秩序、つまり独立した全ての物へ(包み込んだものを)開いています。そして、外在的(包み込んだものを開く)秩序は内在的(包み込む)秩序へ包み込んでいます。

質問3) 「個人的人格」、「エゴ」の感覚(意識)はいつ消えますか?
回答3) それは、目覚めた意識が復活する時、即ちエゴ(独立した自己、偽の自分)から目覚めた意識(独立していない自己、本当の自分)へ自分自身を変容する時です。ティク・ナット・ハンの手法は、マインドフルな呼吸(思考停止)によって達成するマインドフルネスです。そして、私自身の手法は、苦しみ(恐れや不安)の根本原因を理解することによって達成する無条件の自己受容です。とにかく、目覚めた意識が復活すると、自分の傷ついたインナー・チャイルド(内なる子供)を癒し、喜んでエゴを手放します。私は両方の手法を経験しましたが、この段階は一時的な悟りであり、完全な悟りではありません。

質問4) 「主体と客体」が異なっていないと理解するのはいつですか?
回答4) それは、マインドフルである時、即ち考えるのを止める(思考停止)時です。マインドフルな呼吸や歩行などの自動詞の行動が(思考停止に)役立ちます。

質問5) あなたの経験上、「客観的な」世界は本当にありますか?
回答5) はい、私の経験上、「客観的な」世界は本当にあります。それは、非思考が達成された(考えるのを止めた)時です。その状態では、心の対象、即ち心の投影がありません。ティク・ナット・ハンは、「意識の対象があるがままの現実であるのは、純粋な感覚の場合のみです。(中略)ですから、宇宙の完璧な究極の現実は、偉大な理解の目でのみ観察できますが、その目はマナス(エゴ)を構成する概念と誤った見方が根こそぎにされた時にのみ開くことができます。その場合にのみ、アラヤ(阿頼耶識)が全宇宙を映し出す素晴らしい、完璧な鏡として自ら正体を現わすことができます。」と言いました。

非分離、非差別、即ち非二元性が鍵です。なぜなら、これらは完全な自由を意味するからです。私はあなたであり、あなたは私です。現実は全体性(完全性)です。

(Cf.) http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B012YZBHHS

ティク・ナット・ハンの書

Saturday, December 19, 2015

Answers to questions regarding enlightenment

The followings are my answers to questions regarding enlightenment.

Q1) At what state were you able to discern the "Differences" between these two (Phenomena and Noumenon)? 
A1) It was when I threw away all notions by touching the true nature of reality (the no birth and no death nature of all phenomena = non-duality). I attained this insight of the true nature of reality when I was living in awareness and concentrating.

Q2) At what state do Space and Time depart, and Conceptuality? 
A2) Same as above. It was especially when I could understand the implicate (enfolded) order and the explicate (unfolded) order in quantum physics. Namely, the implicate, or the enfolded order unfolds into the explicate order, or everything separate. And the explicate, or the unfolded order enfolds into the implicate order.

Q3) When does "individuality," the sense of "ego" disappear? 
A3) It is when awareness revives, or transformation of ourselves from ego (separate self, or fake self) to awareness (non-separate self, or true self). Thay's method is mindfulness by mindful breathing (stopping thinking). And my own method is unconditional self-acceptance by understanding the root cause of sufferings (fear and insecurity). Anyway, when awareness revives, awareness will heal his wounded inner child and release ego with pleasure. I experienced both methods but this stage is temporary enlightenment, not full enlightenment.

Q4) When are "Subject and Object" seen as not-different? 
A4) It is when we are mindful, namely when we stop thinking. Intransitive actions such as mindful breathing and walking will help.

Q5) Is there really, according to your experience, an "Objective" world? 
A5) Yes, there is an "Objective" world, according to my experience. It is when non-thinking is achieved. In that state, there is no object of mind, or projection of mind. Thay said, "It is only in the case of pure sensation that the object of consciousness is reality in-itself. --- Therefore, the perfect ultimate reality of the universe can only be observed with eyes of great understanding, but these eyes can only open when the concepts which compose the manyana and attachment to wrong views are uprooted. Only then can the alaya reveal itself as a great, perfect mirror reflecting the whole universe."

Non-separation, non-discrimination, or non-duality is the key because it means the perfect freedom. I am you and you are me. The reality is wholeness.

(Cf.) http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B012YZBHHS

Thay's calligraphy

Friday, December 18, 2015

あるがままの現実

以下は、ティク・ナット・ハン著「太陽、我が心臓」からの抜粋です。

引用:
(理解の目で現実を見るために)

既に述べたように、意識の対象があるがままの現実であるのは、純粋な感覚の場合のみです。感覚は現実に浸透することにおいて相対的な価値しか有していません。ですから、あらゆる感​​覚の内容そのものはあるがままの現実であっても、感じられたものはその完全さにおいて決して現実であることはありません。例えば、人間の目は電磁スペクトル(存在し得る全ての電磁波の周波数(または波長)帯域)の微小部分のみを認識することができることを、科学は示しました。ラジウムと宇宙線は周波数が高すぎて、私たちが見ることのできない多くの波長の一つです。私たちが光を見、音を聞く時、特定の周波数内の波長のみを知覚します。赤外線は私たちが見ることのできる波長より長い波長を持っていますので、私たちには見えません。X線は可視光よりも短い波長を持っていますので、私たちはX線も見ることができません。もし、私たちがX線を見ることができるなら、宇宙の全てが全く異なって見えるでしょう!私たちはまた、犬や他の動物の耳が敏感である高音を聞くことができません。地球上の動物の多くが、私たち人間ができるよりずっと多くの現実を知覚することができます。

ですから、宇宙の完璧な究極の現実は、偉大な理解の目でのみ観察できますが、その目はマナス(エゴ)を構成する概念と誤った見方が根こそぎにされた時にのみ開くことができます。その場合にのみ、アラヤ(阿頼耶識)が全宇宙を映し出す素晴らしい、完璧な鏡として自ら正体を現わすことができます。
:引用終わり

(解説)
私たちがエゴ(独立した自己)であるなら、私たちが見るものは自分の心の投影ですので、幻想であると私は理解しています。しかし、目覚めた意識(本当の自分、即ち独立していない自己)が復活した時、私たち(目覚めた意識)は現実の本質に触れることができます。なぜなら、もはや心の投影がないからです。目覚めた意識(阿頼耶識)は、完璧な鏡としてあるがままの現実を映し出すことができます。一時的な目覚めた意識を復活させる方法は、マインドフルな呼吸を通して心(思考)を停止するマインドフルネスです。そして、永遠の目覚めた意識を復活させる方法は、洞察を通して究極の真理を理解する完全な悟り、即ち全ての概念の絶滅です。

(Cf.) http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B012YZBHHS
http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B00WBP308Q
http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B01816ZRD4

ティク・ナット・ハン

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Alaya

The followings are excerpts from Thay's book titled "The Sun My Heart".

Quote:
(The Great and Perfect Mirror)
In 1956, in a lecture on Mind and Matter at Trinity College in Cambridge, the physicist Erwin Schrodinger asked whether consciousness should be singular or plural. He concluded that from the outside, there seem to be many minds but that in reality there is only one. Schrodinger had been influenced by Vedanta philosophy. He was very interested in what he called "the arithmetical paradox" of mind. As we have seen, the separation of one and many is a measurement made by perception. As long as we are prisoners of that separation, we are prisoners of the arithmetical paradox. We can only be free when we see the interbeing and interpenetration of everything. Reality is neither one nor many.

The Vijftanavadins described "perfect unity of mind and object" as "a mirror in which all phenomena are reflected." Without phenomena, there can be no reflections, and without reflections, there can be no mirror. The image used to describe mind is "a large, round mirror which nothing can cover and nothing can hide." All phenomena are said to be stored in a "store-house" (alaya). The contents and the proprietor (subject of knowledge) in this store are one. In the teachings of the Vijftanavadins, alaya contains the seeds (bija) of all physical, physiological, and psychological phenomena. At the same time it functions as the ground from which the subjects and objects of knowledge arise. Alaya is not bounded by space or limited by time. In fact, even space and time arise from alaya.

Crucial to the Vijftanavada teaching is understanding the object of perception. They are of three types: pure objects or reality in itself (svabhava), representations or conceptualized visible objects (samanya-Iaksana), and pure images or conceptualized objects that remain in memory and may reappear in the mind when the correct conditions are present.


(Is Alaya One or Many?)
If we were to ask, "Does everyone have his or her own alaya, or do we all share a common alaya?," it would show that we have not yet realized the true nature of interbeing and interpenetration. We are still bewildered by what Schrodinger called the "arithmetical paradox." We may then ask, "If we do not each have separate alayas, why do we have separate, individual memories?" 

Can we say that one child learns his lesson and another knows it by heart? Waves break on the water's surface, and although they cannot exist apart from the water, they have their own form and their own place. Many streams may flow into a river, but all of them are one with the river. On the surface of the sea of phenomena, we see many waves glistening, but for each wave to be formed, for each to be destroyed, it must be dependent on every other wave. The memories of each of us are not just our own personal treasures. They are living realities that are related to all other living realities. They undergo ceaseless transformation, as do our bodies. Each thing is reality, but reality is not subject to ideas of "one" or "many."
:Unquote

(My commentary)
In the phenomenal world, I understand that all of our bodies are made of the whole cosmos and that the whole cosmos is made of all of our bodies. So, the whole cosmos is inside of our bodies in the phenomenal world, and our bodies are inside of the whole cosmos in the noumenal world. And in the noumenal world, I understand that our bodies enfold into awareness (alaya) and that awareness (alaya) unfolds into our bodies. In other words, our bodies and mind are enfolded in awareness (alaya) and arise from awareness (alaya) when the causes and conditions are sufficient. 

(Cf.) http://www.amazon.com/dp/B014NYEP04
http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B00WBP308Q
http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B01816ZRD4

Thích Nhất Hạnh

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Reality in-itself

The followings are excerpts from Thay's book titled "The Sun My Heart".

Quote:
(To See Reality with the Eyes of Understanding) 
As already mentioned, it is only in the case of pure sensation that the object of consciousness is reality in-itself. The senses are only of relative value in penetrating reality. That is why, although the content of any sensation is reality-in-itself, what is sensed is never reality in its entirety. Science has shown, for example, that human eyes can perceive only a minute portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Radium and cosmic rays are among the many waves which are of too high a frequency for us to see. We cannot see radio waves. When we see light and hear sounds, we perceive only waves within certain frequencies. Infra-red rays are invisible to us, as they have longer wave lengths than are visible to us. Since x-rays have shorter wave lengths than those of visible light, we cannot see them either. Everything in the universe would appear quite different if we could see x-rays! Nor can we hear the high-pitched sounds to which the ears of dogs and other animals are sensitive. Among animals on the earth, many can perceive much more of reality than we humans can. 

Therefore, the perfect ultimate reality of the universe can only be observed with eyes of great understanding, but these eyes can only open when the concepts which compose the manyana and attachment to wrong views are uprooted. Only then can the alaya reveal itself as a great, perfect mirror reflecting the whole universe.
:Unquote

(My commentary)
I understand that if we are ego (separate self), what we see is an illusion because it is the projection of our mind. But when awareness (true self, or non-separate self) revives, we (awareness) can touch the true nature of reality. That's because there is not projection of mind anymore. Awareness (alaya) can reflect the reality as it is as a perfect mirror. The method to revive temporary awareness is mindfulness by stopping mind through mindful breathing. And the method to revive eternal awareness is full enlightenment, or the extinction of all notions by understanding the ultimate truth through insight.

(Cf.) http://www.amazon.com/dp/B014NYEP04
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WBTLNEU
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WBTLPUM

Thích Nhất Hạnh

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

True emptiness

The followings are excerpts from Thay's book titled "The Sun My Heart".

Quote:
(The Net of Birth and Death Can be Torn Asunder)
There is another meditation which can be used in place of the one on true emptiness. It is called the meditation on the miraculousness of existence. "Existence" means being in the present. "The miraculousness of existence" means to be aware that the universe is contained in each thing, and that the universe could not exist if it did not contain each thing. This awareness of interconnectedness, interpenetration, and interbeing makes it impossible for us to say something "is" or "is not," so we call it "miraculous existence." 

Even though Oppenheimer replied "No" four times to the questions about the nature of electrons, he did not mean that electrons are nonexistent. Even though the Buddha said, "You cannot find the Tathagata even in this life," he did not mean that the Tathagata is nonexistent. The Great Prajna Paramita Sutra uses the word "not-empty" (asunya) to describe this state. "Not-empty" is the same as "the miraculousness of existence." "True emptiness" and "the miraculousness of existence" can keep us from falling into the trap of discriminating between being and non-being.

Both electrons and Tathagata are beyond the concepts of being and non-being. The nature of true emptiness and the miraculousness of existence of the electrons and the Tathagata save us from the traps of being and non-being and lead us
directly into the world of non-conceptualization. How can we practice the meditation on the miraculousness of existence? Anyone who understands the theory of relativity knows that space is intimately connected with both time and matter. For such persons, space has a larger meaning than for persons who still believe that space exists independently of time and matter. When we look at a bee, we may like to see it first through the eyes of a physicist who understands relativity, and then go even beyond that to see true emptiness and the miraculousness of existence in it. If you attempt to do this regularly, with your whole being, I am sure that it will free you from entanglement in the net of birth and death. In Zen circles, the problem of birth and death has always been regarded as the most urgent. Zen Master Hakuin calligraphed the character for Death quite large and then added in smaller strokes: "Anyone who sees to the depths of this word is a true hero."
:Unquote

(My commentary)

I understand that true emptiness is the ultimate truth between the phenomenal and the noumenal. True emptiness can be explained by the implicate (enfolded) order and the explicate (unfolded) order in quantum physics. The phenomenal (body) enfolds into the noumenal (consciousness). The noumenal (consciousness) unfolds into the phenomenal (body). If we touch the phenomenal deeply, we can touch the noumenal. In short, the noumenal world is the world without the time and space, or all notions. Mindfulness, concentration and insight are the methods to understand true emptiness.

(Cf.) http://www.amazon.com/dp/B014NYEP04
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WBTLNEU
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WBTLPUM

Thích Nhất Hạnh

Sunday, December 13, 2015

The Tathagata

The followings are excerpts from Thay's book titled "The Sun My Heart".

Quote:
(The Tathagata Neither Arrives Nor Departs) 
This non-conceptualizable reality, or true emptiness, is also called "suchness" (bhutatathata). Suchness, sometimes translated "thusness," means "it is so." It cannot be conceived or described through words and concepts but must be directly experienced. Suppose there is a tangerine on the table and someone asks you, "What does it taste like?" Rather than give an answer, you have to section the tangerine and invite the questioner to have a taste. Doing this, you allow him or her to enter the suchness of the tangerine without any verbal or conceptual description.

To remind his disciples of the unconditioned, beginningless and endless nature of reality, Buddha asked them to address him as the Tathagata. This is not an honorific title. Tathagata means "one who thus comes" or "one who thus goes." It means he arises from suchness, abides in suchness, and returns to suchness, to non-conceptualizable reality. Who or what does not arise from suchness? You and I, a caterpillar, a speck of dust all arise from suchness, all abide in suchness, and some day will return to suchness. Actually, the words "arise from," "abide in," and "return to" have no real meaning. One can never leave suchness. 

In the Anuradha Sutra, the Buddha replied to a question which was troubling many monks: "What happens to the Tathagata after death? Does he continue to exist? Does he cease to exist? Does he both continue and cease to exist? Does he neither continue nor cease to exist?" 

The Buddha asked Anuradha, "What do you think? Can the Tathagata be recognized through form?"
"No, master."
"Can the Tathagata be found outside of form?"
"No, master."
"Can the Tathagata be recognized through feeling, perception, mental formations, or consciousness?"
"No, master."

"Anuradha, you cannot find the Tathagata even in this life, why do you want to solve the problem of whether I will continue to exist or cease to exist, or both continue and cease to exist, or neither continue nor cease to exist after death?"

Robert Oppenheimer, the physicist known as the father of the first atomic bomb, had a chance to read this section of the Anuradha Sutra. He understood it based on his observations of particles, which cannot be confined by concepts of space, time, being, or not-being. He wrote: 

To what appeared to be the simplest questions, we will tend to give either no answer or an answer which will at first sight be reminiscent more of a strange catechism than of the straightforward affirmatives of physical science. If we ask, for instance, whether the position of the electron remains the same, we must say "no;" if we ask whether the electron's position changes with time, we must say "no;" if we ask whether the electron is at rest, we must say "no;" if we ask whether it is in motion, we must say "no.”

As you can see, the language of science has already begun to approach the language of Buddhism. After reading the above quote from the Anuradha Sutra, Oppenheimer said that until this century scientists would not have been able to understand the Buddha's replies of 2,500 years ago.
:Unquote

(My commentary)
My answers to the Buddha's questions are as followings.
Q1) Can the Tathagata be recognized through form?"
A1) No. The Tathagata is the nature, not a form.
Q2) Can the Tathagata be found outside of form?
A2) No. The Tathagata is inside of form. (Form enforlds into the Tathagata. The Tathagata unfolds into form.) The Tathagata transcends the time and space, so can live in the phenomenal world and the noumenal world at the same time.
Q3) Can the Tathagata be recognized through feeling, perception, mental formations, or consciousness?
A3) No. The Tathagata recognizes feeling, perception, mental formations and consciousness. The Tathagata is awareness, or awakened consciousness.
【Tathagata = suchness = true nature of reality = cosmic body = store consciousness = awareness = awakened consciousness

(Cf.) http://www.amazon.com/dp/B014NYEP04
http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B00WBP308Q
http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B01816ZRD4

Thích Nhất Hạnh