By the word “Buddha” we generally mean one who is awakened which is the past participle of bujjhati (√BUDH). Bujjhati can mean ‘to know’, ‘recognize’ ‘to understand’ which means that buddha, to be more precise, means ‘known’, ‘recognized’, ‘understood’. To help put this together, from the Dhammasangani commentary we learn awakening (bodhane [√BUDH]) “is to rise from the slumber of the continuum of the lower nature, or a penetrating the Aryan truths, or a realizing Nibbana.”
In modern pop Buddhist circles the not infrequent use of the word ‘awakening’, which is an intransitive verb, is not without its problems. Awakening is difficult to pin down or characterize. What do I know or recognize? Is it nirvana? Maybe awakening is just an experience unique to me—purely subjective.
To become awakened (buddha), that is, to know or to recognize nirvana, is not the same as someone awakening. Reading one of Tricycle’s Internet articles, The Science of Awakening takes us to the problem with a free floating, intransitive awakening. Nirvana is never mentioned. The Buddhist Geeks conference, this article addresses, probably never mentioned the word nirvana!
What I believe to be unconscious disrespect for Buddhism, the idea of awakening appears to be unfolding its dark wings, more and more, by which to hide nirvana and all this powerful term represents to the human spirit. I would not be surprised to find that in the not to distant future of westernized Buddhism there will be little or no mention of nirvana—yet, lot of instances of awakening.
Oh snap! I bet you dont have these two books yet!!
Opuscula platonica: The three fundamental ideas of the human mind
http://books.google.com/books?id=j7Lnyf1WYo4C&oe=UTF-8
Bibliotheca platonica: anexponent of the Platonic philosophy: Volume 1
http://books.google.com/books?id=LHo3AAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=editions:HAagPnlxGNEC&hl=en&sa=X&ei=dwA7T627M-XX0QG2vdW3Cw&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=editions%3AHAagPnlxGNEC&f=false
Posted by: Java Junkie Junebug Julius | February 14, 2012 at 07:52 PM
"In order to save living beings,
as an expedient means I appear to enter nirvana
but in truth I do not pass into extinction.
I am always here, preaching the Law.
I am always here,
but through my transcendental powers
I make it so that living beings in their befuddlement
do not see me even when close by. (Lotus Sutra,Lifespan chapter 16)
Nirvana, or the 'formalized' notion of 'nirvana' is one such expedient means. By this teaching method, the primordial condition is seemingly subtracted from the equation, but, in fact, it pervades everything that is added.
Posted by: CL | February 14, 2012 at 01:00 PM