The Blooming of a Lotus
Page 11
Seeing that the human species cannot
No human species
exist without the animal, vegetable,
without other
and mineral species, I breathe out.
species
4.
Seeing the presence of the human
Humans in animal,
species in the presence of the animal,
vegetable, and
vegetable, and mineral species,
mineral species
I breathe in.
Seeing that my idea of myself as
Separate species,
belonging to a separate, independent
erroneous idea
species is in error, I breathe out.
5.
Aware of all animal species as subject
Animal species
to birth and death, with feelings and
have consciousness
consciousness, I breathe in.
Seeing that the animal species cannot
No animal species
exist without the presence of the
without vegetable
vegetable and mineral species, the
and mineral species
sun, the water, and the air, I breathe out.
6.
Seeing the presence of the animal
Animals in
species in the presence of the
nonsentient species
nonsentient species, like plants,
minerals, sun, water, and air, I breathe in.
Seeing that my everyday perception
Everyday
of an animal is in error, I breathe out.
perception of
animals erroneous
7.
Aware of my life beginning at my
My beginning,
birth and ending with my death,
my ending
I breathe in.
Seeing that I was already present
No beginning,
before my birth in many different
no ending
forms and that I shall be present when
I die in many different forms (the sun,
the water, the air, the earth, ancestors,
descendants, habits, society, economics),
I breathe out.
8.
Seeing that my life span is not
Life unbounded
bounded by the span of my birth
and death, I breathe in.
Seeing that my perception of a life
Life span,
span is in error, I breathe out.
erroneous
perception
This exercise originates in the Vajracchedika Prajñāpāramitā sutra (in English, the Diamond sutra), whose purpose is to help us break through our habitual thought patterns, in this case, the following four conceptions:
1. The conception of myself as a separately existing entity (parts 1 and 2)
2. The conception of the human species as a separately existing species (parts 3 and 4)
3. The conception of animal species as separately existing (parts 5 and 6)
4. The conception of a life span beginning with birth and ending in death (parts 7 and 8)
The quintessential Buddhist teaching is the teaching on emptiness (Sanskrit śūnyatā). Emptiness is a way of expressing that all species exist in connection with and in dependence upon each other. Our meditation practice breaks down the barriers between us and what seems to be other: the human species and all the other species, the animal species and the so-called non-sentient species, a short life span limited by space and time and a life span not limited in that way. If we can break through our habitual conceptions and thought patterns, we will emerge in a state of fearlessness, and our love for all species will be like our love for ourselves. Our practice will include the protection of all species, whether vegetable, animal, or mineral. Anyone who works to protect the plants, the animals, the environment of our earth, can take the Vajracchedika sutra as a fundamental text.
Acting in accord with its teachings, we shall not give way to anger, chagrin, and despair. If we base our actions on perceptions that open wide our mental frontiers, we shall know to use only the materials of understanding and love in our work for all species. In this task, we will feel happy and at peace.
Exercise Thirteen
Looking Deeply
1.
Aware of myself picking up an
Picking up leaf
autumn leaf, I breathe in.
Touching the wonderful
Interdependent
interdependent nature of that leaf,
nature
I breathe out.
2.
Aware of myself alive here and now,
Alive here, now
I breathe in.
Touching the wonderful
Interdependent life
interdependent nature of life in me
in and around me
and around me, I breathe out.
3.
Aware of the leaf returning to the
Leaf to earth,
earth and arising as a new leaf,
earth to leaf
I breathe in.
Seeing the leaf in ten thousand
Ten thousand
different forms of birth and death,
different forms
I breathe out.
4.
Aware of myself as a part of the
Part of
wonderful, interdependent existence,
interdependence
I breathe in.
Seeing that I become manifest under
Many different
many different forms, I breathe out.
forms
5.
Seeing that the leaf is not really born,
Leaf only appears
does not really die, but only appears
to be born and die
to be born and die, I breathe in.
Seeing that I do not really pass
I only appear to be
through birth and death but only
born and die
appear to, I breathe out.
6.
Seeing that the leaf functions in
Leaf functions in
multiple universes, I breathe in.
multiple universes
Seeing that I function in multiple
I function in
universes, I breathe out.
multiple universes
7.
Seeing that the leaf has accomplished
Leaf’s work
its work from beginningless time,
beginningless
I breathe in.
Seeing that I have accomplished my
My work already
work from beginningless time,
accomplished
I breathe out.
8.
Seeing that the leaf is already what
Leaf is what it
it wants to become, I breathe in.
wants to be
Seeing that I am already what I want
I am what
to become, I breathe out.
I want to be
9.
Seeing that the leaf can call up all
Leaf’s past lives
its past lives from beginningless time,
without beginning
I breathe in.
Seeing that I can call up all my past
My past lives
lives from beginningless time,
without beginning
I breathe out.
This exercise is based on the insights of the Avatamsaka and Saddharmapundarīka sutras. In the practice of mindfulness, the meditator can be in touch with the wonderful aspect of reality called the Dharma realm (Sanskrit dharmadhātu). Here he will discover that neither he himself nor anything that exists is subject to birth or death. The realm of birth and death is called the world (in Sanskr
it, lokadhātu). In the Dharma realm, birth, death, being, and nonbeing do not truly exist. Birth is only an appearance, and the same is true of death. To be born is to appear to be born, and to die is to appear to die. The appearance of a Buddha is not really a new arising: it is just an appearance, like that of an actor on a stage. The life of a leaf too is only apparent. Although it seems to be born and to die, it does not really do so. When it falls from the tree, it is only appearing to pass away, just as a Buddha appears to pass away into nirvana. If a meditator can see this, she will also see that her own birth and death are only apparent. In the Saddharmapundarīka sutra (the Lotus sutra), there is a chapter on the life span of a Buddha and one on the powers of a Buddha. Someone who has learned to look at a Buddha in terms of the Dharma realm can see the birthless and deathless nature of the Buddha and realize that Buddha only appears to be born and to die.
The life span and the powers of a Buddha cannot be measured. The life span of a leaf and the powers of a leaf are, like those of a Buddha, immeasurable. The same can be said of each one of us.
The Saddharmapundarīka sutra teaches us to distinguish three dimensions: the historical dimension, the ultimate dimension, and the dimension of action. The historical dimension is the dimension in which we can say that the Buddha is born, is enlightened, teaches the Dharma, and passes away into nirvana. The ultimate dimension is the dimension where Buddha has been Buddha since beginningless time and has been teaching the Dharma and passing away into nirvana since beginningless time. The tower in which Buddha Prabhūtaratna sits—in the Saddharmapundarīka sutra, we are told that this tower appears whenever and wherever the teachings of this sutra are given—refers to the ultimate dimension. The Buddha Prabhūtaratna of the past can be touched in the present moment. Sakyamuni Buddha is indeed Prabhūtaratna Buddha. The dimension of action is that of the bodhisattvas, such as Samantabhadra, Avalokiteshvara, Bhaishajyaraja, Gadgadasvara, and Sadāparibhūta. All these bodhisattvas voyage in the historical dimension, teaching and helping all beings. Each has been a Buddha since times long past, and from the basis of the ultimate dimension, they open up the dimension of action, which means that they appear in the historical dimension, too, for that dimension is the framework for their actions.
If Buddha Sakyamuni and all other Buddhas only appear to come to give the teachings, while in fact their life spans and their powers are immeasurable, then we can say the same of the leaf and of ourselves.
The Saddharmapundarīka sutra shows us that the Buddha is not a lone image arising within the framework of space and time. The chapter called “Appearance of a Stupa” in the Saddharmapundarīka shows us that the Buddha has countless transformation bodies arriving in countless worlds to give the teachings. The leaf can also be described this way, as can we ourselves. Each of us has a transformation body in all places, and every action, thought, and word we speak has an influence on the ten directions. This exercise brings us a wonderful concentration. That concentration is called the saddharmapundarīka samādhi.
Chapter VI. Representing the Buddha
When we take refuge in the Buddha, it is the Buddha of our own consciousness. Buddha is not a personal name. It is an epithet meaning “awakened.” All beings have the capacity to be awake and to realize understanding and compassion. The question is how to be in touch with our Buddha nature and how to keep it alive. These guided meditations help us to do that. Some of the exercises in this chapter have very short sentences and do not need key words.
Exercise One
Mindfulness of the Buddha-nature
1.
Breathing in, I let the Buddha sit.
Buddha sits
Breathing out, I do not have to sit.
I do not have to sit
2.
Breathing in, I let the Buddha breathe.
Buddha breathes
Breathing out, I do not have to breathe.
I do not have to
breathe
3.
Breathing in, the Buddha is sitting.
Buddha is sitting
Breathing out, I enjoy the sitting.
I enjoy the sitting
4.
Breathing in, the Buddha is breathing.
Buddha is breathing
Breathing out, I enjoy the breathing.
I enjoy
the breathing
5.
Breathing in, the Buddha is the sitting.
Buddha is
the sitting
Breathing out, I am the sitting.
I am the sitting
6.
Breathing in, Buddha is the breathing.
Buddha is the
breathing
Breathing out, I am the breathing.
I am the breathing
7.
Breathing in, there is only the sitting.
Only the sitting
Breathing out, there is only
Only the breathing
the breathing.
8.
Breathing in, there is no sitter.
No sitter
Breathing out, there is no breather.
No breather
9.
Breathing in, there is peace
Peace while sitting
while sitting.
Breathing out, there is joy
Joy while breathing
while breathing.
10.
Breathing in, peace is the sitting.
Peace is the sitting
Breathing out, joy is the breathing.
Joy is the breathing
This exercise takes us from the historical to the ultimate dimension. At the beginning of the exercise we see that the Buddha and the meditator are two separate entities. Perhaps the meditator is feeling a little lazy or at an impasse and so she does not try to practice any more but lets the Buddha take over. It is just as when you, who are not a computer expert, have difficulty with your computer. You have to ask someone who knows about computers to come along and sort the problem out for you. The meditator, instead of struggling, allows the innate Buddha nature to take over. This exercise is based on the teaching that the Buddha nature is not something acquired from without but is always available in consciousness.
When we come to the sixth part of the exercise we see that the agent is no longer separate from the action. The agent and the action have become one. It is like the sentence, ”The wind is blowing.” We see that it is a tautology. If it is wind, it must be blowing. A wind that does not blow is not a wind at all. All we need is the word “wind.” At this point we touch the ultimate dimension where there is no separate self.
This exercise shows us that we can allow the Buddha nature to take over in any practice. As we brush our teeth or urinate we can also witness that the Buddha is brushing our teeth or urinating.
Christian practitioners have enjoyed doing this exercise, since Buddha does not refer only to a historical personage but to an enlightened state of body and mind. However, a Christian practitioner could also use: “Let Jesus walk. Let Jesus breathe,” since, according to Christianity, we are all children of God.
Exercise Two
Relaxation
1.
Breathing in, Buddha
Buddha breathing
is breathing gently.
Breathing out,
I enjoy breathing
I enjoy breathing gently.
2.
Breathing in, the Buddha
Buddha is
is lying down comfortably.
lying down
Breathing out, I enjoy
I enjoy lying down
lying comfortably.
3.
Breathing in, there is peace
Peace while
while breathing gently.
breathing
Breathing out, there is joy
Joy while
while lying comfortably.
lying down
4.
Breathing in, peace
Peace is
is the gentle breathing.
the breathing
Breathing out, joy is the relaxation.
Joy is the relaxation
5.
Breathing in, Buddha
Buddha
is breathing gently.
breathing gently
Breathing out, Buddha is resting.
Buddha is resting
6.
Breathing in, I enjoy breathing gently.
I enjoy
breathing gently
Breathing out, I enjoy resting.
I enjoy resting