Many self-professed W. Buddhists have what I shall call transcedophobia; moreover espousing there is not another world (para loka) beyond this one. One must ask, how do these same people deal with passages like this found in the Buddhist canon?
“Since there actually is another world, one who holds the view ‘there is no other world’ has wrong view. Since there actually is another world, one who intends ‘there is no other world’ has wrong intention. Since there actually is another world, one who makes the statement ‘there is no other world’ has wrong speech. Since there actually is another world, one who says ‘there is no other world’ is opposed to those arahants who know the other world. Since there actually is another world, one who convinces another ‘there is no other world’ convinces him to accept an untrue Dhamma; and because he convinces another to accept an untrue Dhamma, he praises himself and disparages others. Thus any pure virtue that he formerly had is abandoned and corrupt conduct is substituted. And this wrong view, wrong intention, wrong speech, opposition to noble ones, convincing another to accept an untrue Dhamma, and self-praise and disparagement of others—these several evil unwholesome states thus come into being with wrong view as their condition. — M. i. 402 MN 60 Apaṇṇaka Sutta
And what about the the passage?
“Again, some person, with the subsiding of thought and examination, enters and dwells in the second jhāna.... (3) With the fading away as well of rapture... he enters and dwells in the third jhāna. ... (4) With the abandoning of pleasure and pain, and with the previous passing away of joy and dejection, he enters and dwells in the fourth jhāna, neither painful nor pleasant, which has purification of mindfulness by equanimity. He contemplates whatever phenomena there pertain to form, feeling, perception, volitional activities, and consciousness as impermanent, as suffering, as a disease, as a boil, as a dart, as misery, as an affliction, as alien, as disintegrating, as empty, as non-self. With the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in companionship with the devas of the pure abodes. This is a rebirth not shared with worldlings” (A. ii. 128).
Notice that all four jhānas (S., dhyāna) are mentioned. In the fourth jhāna the adept sees that the five aggregates, viz., form, feeling, perception, volitional formations and consciousness are corrupt. They are empty and not our self. And where does adept go who has attained the fourth jhānas when he or she dies? It is certainly a world beyond this one.
It's so sad that, in regards to most people, it always comes back around to the mesmerizing view of one-sided emptiness. They refuse to accept that The Young Prince never told a lie! And even if they never heard of Manjushri, and only heard of the Buddha; they refuse to accept that the Blessed One's teaching is only to their benefit. But not only are they not able to accept the dharma as it is, they aren't even able to accept their own minds. People with such huge amounts of scepticism and/or mistrust, are not fit to study Buddhism, and even much less so fit to study dhyana. I always tell people, even if you have a job and a significant other or a family, and you are curious about "this thing", then take a leave from work and kiss your family or s/o good-bye and go into a cabin or rent a remote house some place for a short while. Even an apartment in a quiet neighbourhood where nobody knows you will suffice, if in a tight spot. There you must strip yourself of all comforts and all your likes and dislikes. Take no meals during the day, and do at least 5 hours of meditation daily. Only take your one meal at the end of the day, after your last meditation session. If you have never done long sessions, then force yourself. Does it hurt? Good! Is it boring? Fuck you! Are you frightened? Keep going! Are you hungry? Yeah, well so is everybody else, now shut up! LOL.
Most of us really have no idea just how lazy and wrong our minds are. But still we share our watered down bull-crap opinions on matters we have no place speaking on in the first place. Unless a person is willing to force themselves to go into these "difficult" situations and try to become intimiate with their own mind in a way they never have been before, then what else is there to talk about? Are you going to try and convince people that you know something, or just keep babbling on about stuff you've read? That sounds like a wasted life.
There is a level of maturity needed prior to studying both Buddhism and dhyana. But the kicker is, even if you don't have the required level of maturity needed, you will acquire said level of maturity shortly after you start studying. And that is the miraculous function of dāna, as displayed by Vairocana. But only a sincere heart can attain it. So -- having acquired a newfound level of maturity, can you now still take the teaching for granted? No? Better start saving up for that self-retreat.
Posted by: Adasatala | July 17, 2018 at 07:10 AM