by Harvey Kraft
Although ancient visionaries lacked the advanced technical facts, tools, and methods used by modern knowledge seekers, they displayed superior skills in non-local viewing and in-depth communications. To people of the Buddha's time the search for the meaning of life was more important than factual information. Seeking divine protection for their voyage through life, they looked toward aligning with the cosmos through harmonic resonance, a critical aspect for safe passage through existence and to a rewarding afterlife. In an effort to solve the mysteries of life, Egyptians, Sumerians, Babylonians collected cosmic data, and their seers were the first to explore cosmic space and time.
The Buddha took their findings to unexcelled levels.
He took it upon himself to convince humanity of its optimum potential. He extended the scope of Existence from the emergence of the Universe to the enlightenment of distant world-systems by innumerable Buddhas. Furthermore, he uncovered the underlying foundation of Existence and explained it as the Threefold Field of Form, Formlessness, and Desire. He saw the manifestation of life across vast, inconceivable distances, time and dimensional folds. He probed the inner workings of the human mind, and defined the distinctions of conscious, unconscious and super-conscious. He understood relativity, perception, and the process of overcoming the default patterns of the self. He divulged the dynamic process of manifestation, transience, and renewal, and the conditional states that shaped behavior and destiny.
Finally, he proposed a self-transforming portal for resurrecting the original enlightenment of a human being and the prospect of evolving into a light being, a futuristic concept that even by modern standards sounds like science fiction.
The eye of science has shown the world a physics-based vision of the macro- and micro-cosmic Universe. It has opened a portal in time to look back at the "big bang" and has peered into black holes. It has theorized about unseen multiple dimensions, quantum laws, parallel Universes, and sub-atomic strings. It has explored the beginning of the solar system, the evolution of our species from life-bearing chemistry, the development and mutation of genetic information, and the mysteries of the human brain. Science has provided the foundation for persistent creativity and progress towards prosperity and convenience for many. Telescopes and microscopes have replaced the cosmic and infinitesimal visions of the once great seers. Theoretical mathematicians and psychologists have replaced applied philosophy. Digital technology has given people new channels for global communications.
But modern knowledge has not solved issues arising from war or human ego. The suffering of people continues unabated across the world.
In modern times civilization straddles the median between destruction and evolution. Humanity is at a crossroads. Many people live with more conveniences than in the past, but life is still hard for most. Suffering, violence, ethnicity, domination, and religious aspirations for immorality continue as before. Industrialization and the growth of population have also added an assault on nature. The planet suffers from chemical pollution of water and air. Animal species and trees have been decimated.
If the world continues on its current path, future generations will be sorrowful about the ruin left to them. Will they be inspired to strive onward, as humans have done always, against all odds?
When Sakamuni took his seat in the Treasure Tower he asked the assembly: "Who among you would board the One Vehicle in that future time so that all may be delivered?" To illustrate the difficulty of this undertaking, the Buddha used various similes.
It would be easier, he said . . . (1) to pick up the Golden Cosmic Mountain and hurl it to another world-system, or (2) to move the entire Great Three-Thousand-fold-Universe with your toes, or (3) to stand on the highest summit and in a single breath expound all the countless meanings the Buddhas teach, other than that of the Lotus Cosmology, or (4) to grasp the sky and fold it into your hand, or (5) place the Earth on your toenail and ascend with it to Heaven without it falling off, or (6) carry a load of dry hay on your back and walk safely through a world-consuming fire . . . then it would be in the Age of Decayed Truth to embrace the Lotus Cosmology, express it out loud, and share it with another person.
Considering the high degree of difficulty in achieving peace and stable joy within oneself, there can be no underestimating the degree of difficulty required to reverse the direction of the world. It will require millions of individuals to open the gate to higher consciousness before the constructive aspirations of all humanity can be addressed.
However, the good news is imprinted within all of us. Should people, one by one, choose to challenge their full potential for personal awakening, the way forward will emerge in synchronicity with peace, harmony, and mutual joy.
THE CONVERSATION
Studying history provides the benefit of hindsight. Wisdom drawn from it can be used to further the future of humanity, but only if its lessons are applied.
The world's religions share a common heritage, although differences and niches abound. Hopefully the time has come to start discussing the shared roots of our beliefs. Such a conversation could be used to build bridges among faiths.
The Magi Order, the first to seek an interfaith exploration of Universal Truth, produced from their midst Siddhartha Gautama. Undeterred by the purge in Babylon, he went on to unveil a universal vision that transcended religious boundaries. His views were meant to inspire all of humanity to evolve to higher consciousness.
The Buddha first engaged his disciples in a conversation about overcoming suffering. Having embarked on that course he urged them to question everything.
Why do we exist?
Did the Universe manifest for a reason?
Are we really in control of our free will or are we programmed to think so?
The Buddha did not address these questions because he was fixated on philosophical topics. His purpose was to reveal the pathways, programs and systems that could be used to uplift the human condition and elevate minds.
Whether aware of life's inner workings or bewildered by its circumstances, he saw in each person the endowment of life's greatest potential for happiness and wisdom.
Looking deep into their own minds, his disciples asked:
What is below the surface of my mind?
Why do I have fears, anxieties, frustrations, and pains?
How can I use my mind to explore?
Looking far into the cosmos, his disciples wondered:
Can I speak with the Universe?
Will it speak back to me?
Entering the Perfectly Endowed Reality, they questioned:
Who am I?
Who can I become?
Where do I come from?
Why do I exist?
What is the purpose of my life?
What is the meaning of my life?
The moment they asked these questions, the conversation started. Always the answer was the same. Life is best lived when it is fully explored.
Glossaries
DOCTRINES, KEY TERMS, AND SACRED AND HISTORICAL FIGURES
Legend of terms, language abbreviations: Egyptian = Egy., Greek = Grk., Hebrew = Heb., Pali = Pali, Persian = Per. (may include Avestan), Sanskrit = Skt., Sumerian = Sum.
DOCTRINES
Doctrine of the Afterlife – the Zoroastrian view that the fate of a human being in the afterlife depended on one's allegiance to the correct god, and the rejection of the devil god, was later adopted by Western religions.
Doctrine of Cycles – the view that the natural order is cyclical and therefore can be used as the basis for divination readings.
Doctrine of Divine Bloodlines – a special status available exclusively to kings to join their forbearers in an immortal afterlife.
Doctrine of Deliverance – the principle that the condition of Buddhahood can be achieved directly and universally through the grace of the Buddha without the pre-requisite of long-term spiritual skills mastering.
Doctrine of Divine Judgment – in the name of divine order, the soul is judged in the aft
erlife based upon status, merits or sins accumulated during mortal existence.
Doctrine of Forgiveness – Buddhist denial of eternal punishment applies the principle of "Redemption Through Atonement." The process of expiating Karmic debt provides a path for recovery to all who had lost their way in the journey of Transmigration.
Doctrine of Good versus Evil – a Zoroastrian concept that defines believers as good, and non-believers as possessed by evil demons.
Doctrine of Human Accountability – the view that the human beings are responsible for behaving properly in order to hold on to a good spirit until the time of death.
The Doctrine of Impermanence – everything changes. Nothing is absolute. Nothing is ever the same twice.
Doctrine of Living Gods – an Egyptian idea that earthly kings were divinely selected to sit on the throne and would return to sit on an eternal throne in the afterlife.
Doctrine of the Middle Path – reality is neither on this or that side, but is inclusive of both sides. It is neither physical nor transcendent, neither cognitive nor absolute, neither mortal nor eternal, neither substantive nor spiritual.
Doctrine of Non-Differentiation (aka Doctrine of Inseparability) – no separation exists between matter and energy, mind and body, beings and their environment, here and there, or now and then. Any phenomenon exists only relative to other phenomena in a singularly integrated, composite Reality. As all phenomena are composite forms, there can never be such thing as an absolute form.
Doctrine of the One Vehicle (Ekayana) – the vehicle of Buddhahood that Buddhas use to deliver beings into the state of Perfect Enlightenment.
Doctrine of Oppositional Dualism – the idea that the divine realm was divided into opposing camps.
Doctrine of the Perfectly Endowed Reality – any manifestation by its very nature must be temporary, coming into being only when components bonded or composites engaged, and ceasing to exist when the relationships could no longer hold together.
Doctrine of Perpetual Transience – everything changes, without exception, nothing in Existence is absolute.
Doctrine of Rebirth – the belief in multiple number of lifetimes, an alternative view to one life, one afterlife.
Doctrine of Reward and Punishment – the view that ties the burden of sin to every human being, and, determines reward or punishment based on sin.
Doctrine of Self-Determination – self-transformation can be accomplished by determination and training focused on reforming one's inner self.
Doctrine of Soul Reincarnation – the type of sin one cultivates in their present life determines their soul's destination in the next life. Each lifetime the soul reincarnates in a form and a world reflective of it's moral standing.
Doctrine of Mutual Interpenetration – an enlightened, counter-intuitive view that everything is inside of everything else.
Four Noble Truths – the means for awakening people to the underlying causes of suffering by coming to terms with these causes, vowing to change, and adopting thoughts and actions to alleviate suffering through accomplishment of higher consciousness.
Principle of the Golden Mean – a Greek view that recognizes the synergy inherent in perfect balance, a reflection of the Buddhist Middle Path.
Threefold Field of Form, Formlessness and Desire – the Buddhist view that Existence is possible due to three inseparable fields composed of form (matter, energy, etc.), formlessness (thought, transcendent reality, etc.), and desire, linking the other two.
KEY TERMS
A
Afterlife – the view of life after death in an eternal realm.
Ahimsa – peace, non-violence due to the purification of the soul.
Anu (atom) – An Anu (atom), a basic binary structure constituting the nuclear unit of form, was composed of two non-form units, each a monad (Skt. Paramanu). In ancient languages, Anu was Heaven and Manu was Man, with both derived from the Sumerian view that linked Heaven to Human.
Arhat – a disciple of the Buddha who is Worthy of Enlightenment.
Assura – the Vedic and Buddhist designation for demons. These beings were rooted in rage, jealousy, and abusive behavior they would transform into ferocious- looking, wrathful demons.
Ahtman – the mortal soul (in Brahmanism).
Avici – Hell of No Intervals.
B
Bhagava – title meaning Lord Buddha, Dispenser of Sacred Goods, modified from Bhagapa, "Lord Dispenser of State Goods," a Babylonian state official overseeing the dispensation of welfare.
Bhiksus – mendicants who depend on the charity of civil community to support their religious pursuits.
Brahma – Supreme God in Brahmanism.
Brahman – Soul, self or essence of God.
Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas – enlightening beings from above and below. They have attained a level of enlightenment equal to Buddhahood, but choose to work behind the scenes.
Bodhicitta – desire for Perfect Enlightenment.
Bodh Gaya – an Enlightened Biosphere.
Buddha-Dharma – the Universal Truth according to the Buddha.
Buddhahood – the state of Perfect Enlightenment.
c
Chief Magus – the leader of the Magi Order.
Cosmos of Relativity – Phenomena exist only in relation to other phenomena, and yet, in essence all phenomena are fundamentally empty of relativity, or, non-existent.
Cosmology of Infinite Wisdom – birth of the star-studded Universe in Flower Garland sutra.
D
Dharma – the Reality, Truth, Laws, Teachings, and Cosmology of All Existence.
Dual Cosmology – existence divided into a physical and a spiritual domain.
E
Eight Mortal Sufferings – the pain that comes from birth, aging, sickness, death, pain of parting from loved ones, pain of encountering those whom they hate, pain of failing to obtain what they desire.
Eight Worldly Winds – four pairs of desired-undesirable outcomes that permeate human endeavors: (1-2) praise or blame, (3-4) success or failure, (5-6) pleasure or pain, and, (7-8) fame/good reputation or disrepute.
Eternal Soul – the belief in an indestructible Soul, the vehicle of immortality, that separates from the mortal body in death.
Everlasting Omnipresence – boundless presence within all time-space and beyond.
F
Five Eyes – five strata of cognition and scope of consciousness, including Mortal (common) Eye, Divine (Heavenly) Eye, Wisdom (Arhat) Eye, The Eye of Universal Law (Dharma Eye), The Eye of the Buddha.
Five Pledges – renounce the taking of life, stealing, telling falsehoods, sexual misconduct, or consuming intoxicants.
Four Lands – reflect the four cosmologies, including the Land of Mortality (aka, the Golden Mountain Cosmology and Samsara), The Land of Wisdom (aka, Cosmos of Relativity and Land of Transition), The Land of Universal Compassion (aka, Cosmology of Infinite Wisdom, and Land of Actual Reward), and The Land of Perfect Enlightenment (aka, Lotus Cosmology and Buddha-land).
G
Gates of Liberation – a portal to freedom, such as a sutra or wisdom teaching.
Great Three Thousand-Fold Universe – cosmos consisting of: one thousand world-systems (chiliocosm), one million world-systems (dichiliocosm), and one billion world-systems (trichiliocosm).
Great Crossing – mythic migration symbolic of a journey from suffering to paradise.
H
Hellions – beings characterized by violent and destructive instincts.
Hungry Ghosts – beings characterized by their insatiable appetites.
I
icchantika – one who believes that they have attained what they have not attained.
Immortality – living forever in one's present identity, either physically or in the afterlife.
Individual-Mind – a self-identity based on internal thoughts, feelings, and sensations, consciousness, volition, behavior, and experiences that separate "me from other."
K
> Karma – non-local information about a subject or object and their circumstances, includes memory state (past), potential state (future), and active state (present). In its present manifest state Karma is updated based on one's actions.
Karman – (Jainism) sin as a spiritual Dark Matter that sticks to the soul.
L
Law of Cause and Effect – the universal law that the present moment manifests simultaneously as the effect of prior causes and the cause for future moments.
Liberation – the achievement of freedom from suffering.
Lotus Cosmology – the cosmology of the Buddha that reveals his Buddha-land.
Lotus Treasury Mind-World – the formless Universal-Mind where all things incubate in a potential state prior to their manifestation into Existence.
M
Manifestation or Dependent Origination (Pali paticcasamuppada) – Buddhist view that all things are composites, therefore, any phenomenon that originates into Existence is dependent on a coming together of related phenomena in order to manifest.
Moksha – (Jainism) transcendent homeland of Immortal Transcendence.
Magi Order – ancient interfaith religious order from Medes and Babylon.
Mindfulness – uplifting one's consciousness by paying attention and becoming aware in the present moment of your state of mind, circumstances, and the original causes underlying your experiences.
Mondial Cosmology – the shamanic vision of a cosmic mountain at the center of a six-direction world, and a visionary axis that links it above and below.
Mortal – a being with a limited lifespan.
N
Nirvana – a transcendent state of blissful peace, perfect stillness, and pure state of being free of suffering. Literally, it means where the "winds no longer blow." The winds refer to sufferings in life or breath in death. An advanced afterlife state called the Nirvana of Non-Birth (Skt Parinirvana) denoted retirement from the cycle of mortal rebirth, indicative of a Buddha. In the Lotus Sutra, Sakamuni introduced what he called "Real Nirvana" which he equated with enlightenment in the present moment.
