Non-Duality: The Way of Liberation Part 5 By Anthony Court ‘Being Awake’ is the Non-Dual State- Dependant Origination Analytical Meditation-Practice-Contemplation‘Being Awake’ is the Non-Dual State The words enlightened, awake, self-realised are often used to describe saints, mystics and sages that have come to realise the nature of mind, and reality. This of course creates a great deal of confusion. Basically, all these words point to the experience of the nondual state. Once this non-dual state is experienced, it is irreversible, and who ever reaches this point will not fall back into the stage of un-enlightened ignorance (fall back asleep regarding the nature of reality). Let us take for example the word ‘Enlightenment’ this has become the Standard English translation for word Bodhi. Bodhi, is both a Pali, and a Sanskrit word which means to be ‘awake’. The word ‘Buddha’ means awakened one. It is possible that because of using the word ‘enlightenment’ instead of ‘bodhi’ in early translations of Buddhist, and other texts such as Advaita Vedanta, a great misunderstanding has arisen. We tend today to think of becoming an ‘enlightened being’ as something unobtainable, and far beyond our capacity to reach, so it would be more beneficial and more appropriate to use the word ‘realised’ or ‘awake’ as to be ‘realised’ or ‘awake’ this does not seem so unobtainable. To ‘wake up’ is within every one’s field of possibility. We can also say that after a tremendous struggle and effort, the historical Buddha reach the full enlightened state, which is unobtainable for us (but not impossible) without a similar effort. However it is possible for anyone to suddenly ‘awaken’ in Zen Tradition this is called ‘Satori’ or a ‘little enlightenment’. So how can we attain a state of ‘awakening’ and why would we want to? It is very simple really, to remain in the state of ‘ignorance’ as to the nature of mind and reality produces endless suffering. You may consider that you are already on a ‘spiritual path’ in fact this may be a complete delusion, as this ‘idea’ is created by thought (causes and conditions) and as we do not truly know the nature of mind and reality, we may believe that our ‘spiritual’ quest has some solid reality. To find that out, first we must inquire, so it is best to start with some analytical contemplation as to the how things are, and not how we think things are, or how other beings tell us things are….we have to question, analyse and remain independent Dependant arising and origination. Everything is interconnected. Everything affects everything else. Everything that is, is because other things are. This is the teaching of Dependent Origination. This teaching has many names. It is called Interdependent Origination, or (Inter) dependent Arising, or CoArising, or variations thereof. Dependent Origination is a core teaching of all schools of Buddhism-Nothing Is Absolute.
No beings or phenomena exist independently of other beings and phenomena. All beings and phenomena are caused to exist by other beings and phenomena. Further, the beings and phenomena thus caused to exist cause other beings and phenomena to exist. Things and beings perpetually arise, and perpetually cease, because other things and beings perpetually arise and perpetually cease. All this arising, being and ceasing go on in one vast field, or core of Beingness. And there we are. So what does that mean for us? What does this mean in plain English? It means all things that arise are based on cause and conditions. It means that everything that arises as phenomena have no independent existence, and do not exist independently from causes and conditions, or exists from their own side. All phenomena are no more that appearances, which we mistakenly take for a fixed, permanent, reality, and that includes us. We used a car as an example in the last article, so let’s make it simpler in this one. First the question…has a table any independent existence, or does it truly exist? No it does not truly exist. Why? Because it depends on causes and conditions to come into being. Some one to design it (creative imagination) some one to collect the material to built, it say in this case wood, the wood itself. The natural conditions for the wood to grow, soil, earth, water etc. the machines to shape the wood, or the skill to shape it (if it is hand made).The knowledge to put the parts together, etcetera. So anything that comes into being dependant on cause and conditions is impermanent and will eventually dissolve back into the ‘original primordial ground of being’. Our ‘Table’ only exists ‘relatively’ or sometimes it is said ‘conventionally’ in other words we all agree on what a table is, and how it is labelled (called, or named) In Buddhism, there is no teaching of a First Cause. How all this arising and ceasing began, or even if it had a beginning, is not explained. The Buddha emphasized understanding the nature of things as-they-are over speculation of what might have happened in the past or what might happen in the future. It might be said that the Buddhist version of Genesis is: Stuff happens, because other stuff happens. Also, things are the way they are because they are conditioned by other things. You are conditioned by other people and phenomena. Other people and phenomena are conditioned by you. As the Buddha explained, When this is, that is. This arising, that arises. When this is not, that is not. This ceasing, that ceases. Nothing Is Permanent Dependent Origination relates to the doctrine of ‘No-Self’ no "self" in the sense of a permanent, integral, autonomous being within an individual existence. What we think of as our self, our personality and ego, are temporary creations of the form, sensation, perception, mental formation and consciousness. So there you are, an assembly of phenomena generating the idea that there's a permanent "you" separate and distinct from everything else. The reason I quote Buddhist and Taoist teachings is because they have gone beyond Monotheistic Religion which has created a ‘Creator God’ as the original source in some ways this is a cop-out. As all phenomena arise from cause and conditions…one has to ask “What created the Creator”. A similar question in Science would be “What created the Big Bang”?
These phenomena (form, sensation, etc.) were caused to arise and assemble in a certain way because of other phenomena. These same phenomena are perpetually causing other phenomena to arise. Eventually, they will be caused to cease. Everything in the phenomenal world is suffering or unsatisfying (the Sanskrit word is Dukkha), impermanent, and without individual essence; egoless. Put another way, "you" are a phenomenon of the Causal Nexus in much the same way a wave is a phenomenon of ocean. A wave is not a piece of the ocean in the same way a brick is a piece of a wall. A wave is ocean. Although a wave is a distinct phenomenon it cannot be separated from ocean in the way a brick can be taken out of a wall. When conditions cause a wave, nothing is added to ocean. When the activity of wave ceases, nothing is taken away from ocean. Commenting on Dependent Origination the Dalai Lama states that the teaching of Dependent Origination precludes two possibilities. "One is the possibility that things can arise from nowhere, with no causes and conditions, and the second is that things can arise on account of a transcendent designer or creator. Both these possibilities are negated." In other words they make no sense. His Holiness also said, "Once we appreciate that fundamental disparity between appearance and reality, we gain a certain insight into the way our emotions work, and how we react to events and objects. Underlying the strong emotional responses we have to situations, we see that there is an assumption that some kind of independently existing reality exists out there. In this way, we develop an insight into the various functions of the mind and the different levels of consciousness within us. We also grow to understand that although certain types of mental or emotional states seem so real, and although objects appear to be so vivid, in reality they are mere illusions. They do not really exist in the way we think they do." So at this point you may say “So what?” Well! At this point I am going to upset a lot of people-all religions, spiritual paths, ideologies, philosophies etc. only exist in conventional reality….they have no ultimate reality whatsoever! If you seriously believe that your spiritual path is valid, then please consider again. ‘Spiritual Paths’ may bring so kind of temporary relief, pleasure, interest and excitement initially, but as all these ‘Paths’ arise on cause and conditions; they are simply another distraction from waking-up.
Longchenpa the Great Dzogcghen Yogi
Analytical Meditation So let us begin by analysing the above statements, and by asking pertinent questions to try and get a clearer picture, O.K., Google recons that there are approximately 2.1 billion Christians in the World. So let me ask some questions…of these 2.1 billion, who’s got it just right? Do they all believe EXACTLY the same thing? At what point (because of socalled sin) does one cease to be a Christian? What is the ‘cut off’ point for getting into heaven…being a bit naughty, being a bit naughtier, or being downright sinful? The ‘concept’ of heaven and hell, good and evil is of course the epitome of DUALISTIC thinking. By asking these questions we begin to see that there is no such thing ultimately as Christianity (in fact it’s all a bit silly) Christianity only exists based on causes and conditions….i.e. the bible, people who wrote the bible, people who believe, in fact billions and billions of causes and conditions (minds, people, nature, environment etc) created the ‘Concept’ the ‘Idea’ of Christianity. You can apply this analysis to any belief system be belief in angels, unicorns, spirit guides or Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, Communism the list is infinite. But because we believe that our particular Religion or Spiritual Path is right, and then we create chaos in the world and suffering for ourselves and others. It is not that these paths do not bring comfort, peace of mind, abilities, or results of various kinds….it is just that they do not bring ultimate freedom from the prison of conditioning, because these paths have no inherent reality. We need to have a ‘practice’ that brings clarity, spaciousness, wisdom and insight. To give an example of ‘dependant origination’, let me make a statement….”Nothing special will happen on 21st of December 2012. This whole idea of the Apocalypse, or coming into new level of consciousness has no reality whatsoever” etc it is being hyped up on causes and conditions. Here are some of the causes-The Mayan Calendar itself, the new age movement, interpretation of the Bible and other similar books, creative imagination, commercial interests, subject of books and articles, topic of interest and conversation, and television, book and magazine articles etc. Wishful thinking that some how a ‘Golden Age’ will begin and the people will somehow become ‘beings of love and light’. Walk through your city centre on a Friday or Saturday night and tell yourself that all these people will become multidimensional light beings on 21st December 2012....”Now that would be a miracle” all that is happening is an event is being forecast, but this event has no inherent reality….it depends on the above causes to appear as an objective reality, but this is saying our Table is real in the ultimate sense. Remember the recent hype about 11/11/2011. Practice I think it’s as well to state here that our Western Culture does not have a tradition of ‘spiritual practice’ it has a religious tradition, a scientific tradition, a system of reason, logic, and philosophy. When I was growing up in the sixties and seventies, meditation was mentioned in the same breath as hippies, beards, sandals, drugs and weirdo’s. Today there is much scientific research into meditative and brainwave states (I hope to cover Non-duality and Science in the next issue) should you wish to look into some of the best research around go to www.mindandlife.org. Many people say they ‘meditate’ daily, usually this is not for very long periods, ten or twenty minutes a day is hardly serious practice. One thing I have learnt in my 40 years of research, practice and study is, without a strong energetic practice there is very little chance of real transformation. The Taoist (Daoism) tradition has Qigong, Taiji, Bagwa, and Hsing I. The Tibetan (Buddhist) tradition has Tsa lung, Trul khor and Kum Nye various forms and practices of Tibetan Spiritual Yoga (very different to what we normally understand as yoga) such as the Six Yoga’s of Naropa-these are restricted teaching and not taught without completion of the
foundation practices-( Ngöndro) and empowerment, transmission and instruction given by a qualified Tibetan Lama. Transformation into the awaked state of Non-Duality is a mental, physical and energetic change which is irreversible, but needs effort to realise. Contemplation In Dzogchen the highest pinnacle of Tibetan Buddhist practice, contemplation is as important as meditation. In the Tibetan Tradition there is a saying: “Meditation isn’t, getting used to is” so what is this pointing to? It means getting used to the ‘Nature of Mind’ your inherent natural state. Ultimately there is no one who meditates, there is only the natural primordial ground of being on which everything arises. This is your natural state. There is only ‘empty cognizance’; this is your natural state, a state of potentiality (Emptiness) and awareness (luminosity-knowingness). To ‘wake up’ is to realise this natural state, and that your ultimate nature is a knowing potentiality- free from all conditioning. All so-called spiritual paths and religions are a distraction from ‘what is’ and from which we need to free ourselves, so you can experience the awakened state of non-duality, free from a centre and having no circumference, without limits, unbounded. Many people have a great deal of difficulty with the Buddhist idea of ‘EMPTINESS’ but the great Tibetan translator Vairocana changed the Sanskrit word for ‘emptiness’ into the Tibetan word for potential, this makes more sense. An empty glass is ready to receive new contents, the full glass of rigid ideas, (such as religious dogma) is not, so meditate to clear the mind of obscuration’s this is the calm-abiding, stabilizing meditation, or Shamata. Then Vipashyana or insight can arise, and bring about non-duality or oneness, eventually leading to the state of non-meditation. Samsara (the dimension of suffering) has no beginning, but has an end. Nivana (liberation) has a beginning, but no end. A. Court-Tony runs a three hour workshop each month on energetic and non-dual practice.