We don’t see pure Mind, i.e, Mind-as-Thusness. How can we? We are completely caught up in what The Awakening of Faith Shastra (Mahayanasraddhotpadashastra) calls the Mind-as-samsara—completely asleep to Mind-as-Thusness, in other words.
This Mind-as-Thusness is like a buried treasure beneath our house of which we know nothing. It is hidden by the frightening veiling power of birth and death which is the Mind-as-samsara; but more so it is hidden by avidya or non-knowledge.
From our Mind-as-samsara, as hard as we might try to see the Mind-as-Thusness, phenomenal appearance and avidya block our apperception of it. No matter by what means we try to approach the Mind-as-Thusness, the Mind-as-samsara confronts us. We might read several Sutras, or discuss the nature of Thusness with our teacher. But we really haven’t comprehended it. We are only making up an imaginary Thusness which falls within samsara—it’s not the real one.
Even the term ‘Thusness’ is inadequate. It is merely symbolic. It is like a finger pointing to the moon which transcends the finger. Every time we conceptualize or think “Thusness” it serves to hide true Thusness. It causes the Mind-as-Thusness to stir which then becomes the Mind-as-samsara.
Yet, for a Buddha or a great Bodhisattva Mind-as-Thusness is not only realized, it is also productive but purely so. This is what is so astonishing. With the Mind-as-Thusness, both a Buddha and a Bodhisattva have the power to animate us so that our corporeal body experiences being mysterious induced which causes us to have great faith in the Buddha’s teaching. If you can imagine a great Lama who every time you entered his presence you experienced bliss, you’re close to understanding the real power of Mind. It is an effective power—not passive.
When Mind is in its pure state, and sufficiently self-acquainted through the perfection of prajñâ (wisdom) Mind's power is also an overcoming power which is behind the Buddha’s great compassion (mahakaruna). However, this is scarcely addressed in Buddhist literature for the reason that it is almost impossible for the human mind to wrap itself around the idea of pure beneficent power except to frame it with good intentions and good works. But pure beneficent power has nothing to do with either good intentions or good works. It works to make it easier for us to become authentic Bodhisattvas (not just aspirants) and eventually, Buddhas.
The Mind-as-Thusness realized, which is the truth of One Mind (ekacitta) is not only capable of exerting itself upon the being of the realizer but, also, it bears down upon the world in an unimaginable way mysteriously reaching out to those whose minds yearn for more than the life of birth and death. This is the only way Buddhism could have survived so long eventually influencing all of Asia.
To most beings, a proper spiritual faith in the Buddha nature is a very slow process. A kind of spiritual evolution, taking place in a mysterious and indestructable body, as such far beyond the reach of the human animal (ultra humanus bestia ); to which an entire age of a universe is like a second to a human being. Yet it is a wondrous miracle, glowing like faint ember in the soul not yet self fullfilled with its own incomparable beauty, once fully awaken.
Posted by: minx | January 15, 2010 at 11:36 AM