A time when our certainties pass into relative truths

What about the problem of illusory enlightenment which is about believing that we know when in reality we don't know?  This question is like asking ourself can I deceive myself? 

We live in a time when our certainties or convictions pass into relative truths.  It would seem that there is no certainty of what is right and true; much less what is wrong and false.  For example, is pedophilia or homosexuality right or is it wrong?  We cannot say.  All this tends to carryover when we look at the problem of illusory enlightenment.  But it shouldn’t.

The Zen adept under the illusion of enlightenment has not even come to the place where they can understand that spirit or Mind is unthinkable; that it cannot be constructed into a thought.  The implications of this are scarcely understood whereby one is able to transcend the world of thought.  Yes, Zen is not without clues providing the adept with a better picture of how to transcend thought.  The Lankavatara says in just one small example, “There is an essence entirely covered by thought-constructions and hidden inside all that which has body.”  One teacher of Zen wrote:

What is your Original Face and what is Hua Tou 話頭?  Your Original Face is without discrimination.  Hua Tou is the Reality before the arising of a single thought.

One more example.  It was Zen master Huineng who said:  “True Reality is the substance of thoughts; thoughts are the function 用 (manifesting) of True Reality.” As we can see, Huineng‘s true reality is spirit or Mind before it becomes manifest (or congealed) into a thought.

Illusory enlightenment never gets beyond thought, that is, never awakens to pure spirit or Mind before it congeals into thought.  And no matter how convinced the adept is of their awakening they cannot get past Mumon’s barrier 關.  This adept will spend their time trying to convince others but in seclusion without the presence of others, this illusory enlightenment fades back into doubt.

Comments

[john j]

"For example, is pedophilia or homosexuality right or is it wrong? We cannot say."

This is why Buddhism is failure. Just shove reincarnation into Christianity along with meditation and you have a way better Buddhism, because you have a real grounds for morality. Atheist Buddhism is for losers who hate morality, pure and simple.

[n. yeti]

In Western Zen there are those who have spent as many as 50 years trying in vain to penetrate the dark principle, only to convince themselves that because they have spent so much time doing it, they must already be a Buddha. With a little bit of luck they may break down the feeling skandha and, still subject to the karmic outflows of pride, they may even begin to tell others that everyone is already enlightened, and cling to teachers who also affirm such things. Although unable to expound even a little of the Buddhadharma when asked to do so, these poor sentient beings fall under a spell of their own making which is very difficult to break free of. Ch'an Master Hsuan Hua said "with that one mistaken thought, he is already possessed by a demon."