Buddhist meditation has to overcome consciousness or vijñâna, which can be thought of as a refraction (= alteration or distortion) of pure Mind, always attended with subject/object modality. It does this by a subtle penetration through the veil of objective consciousness by a conscious subject which has become, itself, progressively more subtle in its penetration. A gross conscious subject, on the other hand, cannot penetrate through the veil of objective consciousness. Meditation is of no value. He ever remains a naive realist; a slave to his own crudeness.
By overcoming the distortion of consciousness, the real aim of meditation is to reach the gnosis of pure Mind which can be thought of as the universal substance or essence. It is from where the universe begins and ends. Here one has also arrived at nirvana or the support. There is no more conditioning.
With the realization of pure Mind, consciousness no longer has an abiding place (thiti) with regard to Mind. The magicians trick is revealed (consciousness is described by the Buddha as a magician’s trick). An important point not to be overlooked, the trick cannot be revealed unless there is the immediate and direct acquaintance with pure Mind. As some might note, faith is required that consciousness can be transcended.
On the flip side of this, we are guaranteed to be trapped in rebirth in one womb after another since consciousness can only express itself in a show of impermanence and dissatisfaction. This is non-finality from which craving increases instead of ceasing. The proper goal for consciousness, however, can be for the pure subject to know the pure object which cancels it out. This is, at once, to leave the box of conditionality and with it, unending rebirth.
One of the best posts of the Zennist, ever.
Posted by: Methexis | August 28, 2013 at 10:37 PM