Interestingly, what separates our direct access to the Buddha-nature are the layers and layers of āsrava: a lust for the flesh, a passion for existence, and the defilement of ignorance. This could be all summed up with one word which is materialism. This constitutes a drive within each person for what is not their self (anātam) rather than what is their true self or Buddha-nature (which by the way is immaterial).
As a result of this drive sentient creatures are bound down to samsara having to experience one rebirth after another. In fact, they don't have the slightest knowledge about rebirth and least of all how to break the terrible cycle of rebirths.
For several years I have been following what are called near death experiences or NDEs. What I have noticed with each one is that seems universally clear that the various people are in a state almost without āsrava after having left their body. They experience a kind of radiant embracing love that is all around them, almost like they are fish swimming in spiritual waters. Without the interference of āsrava the light of spirit shines through.
When they return to their human bodies, let us call them āsrava bodies, they seem to be affected by the NDE experience to work tirelessly to return to that state of utter bliss and well-being.
What we can gather, thus far from NDEs, is that the corporeal body acts like an interference barrier blocking spirit. From this we can gather that the life of human beings is about progressively building up this barrier to a point where spirit is absent (the dawn of evil). On the other hand religious teaching is how to bring this light into the world to give sentient creatures true hope and faith that beyond the temporal body there is truly a heaven (S., svarga).
Beautiful commentary, Zennist. This state can be attained in life but it requires faith for most sentients. In fact the time to train our minds is now before the attachments to karmas accumulated through time immemorial sweep us into our next existence. We are never alone however, although it may not seem that way. The sutras make it quite explicit that buddhas clearly perceive each sentient, but sentients are so ignorant and lost in the world of sense objects and thought-forms that if they came across a supremely powerful bodhisattva such as Avalokitesvara they wouldn't even notice. It would be like seeing one's own mother and not recognizing her. But those who are aware have no fear of death whatsoever and can jump instantly into her arms without a care in the world.
Posted by: n. yeti | August 30, 2022 at 08:37 AM