The arising and ceasing is called the Transience,
Is self luminous and self perfected from beginning.
However due to the karmic propensity that divides,
The mind separates the ‘brilliance’ from the ever arising and ceasing.
This karmic illusion constructs ‘the brilliance’,
Into an object that is permanent and unchanging.
The ‘unchanging’ which appears unimaginably real,
Only exists in subtle thinking and recalling.
In essence the luminosity is itself empty,
Is already unborn, unconditioned and ever pervading.
Therefore fear not the arising and ceasing.

-------------

There is no this that is more this than that.
Although thought arises and ceases vividly,
Every arising and ceasing remains as entire as it can be.

The emptiness nature that is ever manifesting presently
Has not in anyway denied its own luminosity.

Although non-dual is seen with clarity,
The urge to remain can still blind subtly.
Like a passerby that passes, is gone completely.
Die utterly
And bear witness of this pure presence, its non-locality.


~ Thusness/Passerby


And hence... "Awareness" is not anymore "special" or "ultimate" than the transient mind.
Comments by Soh:

Hakuin mischaracterized the realization of Arahants and Pratyekabuddhas with the Hindu Atman-Brahman level of realization or Thusness Stage 1. Also see: A Common Wrong Explanation of Hinayana vs Mahayana

Mahayana Buddhism often invents a straw-men version of arahants and pratyekabuddhas. Apart from this mischaracterizing, it is a good map.


The Five Degrees of Tozan, also known as the Five Ranks of Tozan, are different levels of Realization formulated by Zen master Tozan Ryokai, known as Tung-shan Liang-chieh in Chinese (806-869). Tung-shan Liang-chieh (Chinese: 洞山良价; pinyin: Dòngshān Liángjiè; Japanese: Tōzan Ryōkai) (806-869) was an ancient Chinese Ch'an (Zen, Jap.) master who is the credited founder of the Tsao-tung Cha'n lineage, also known as Soto Zen which was brought to Japan by Dogen Zenji. He was the dharma successor of Ungan Donjo (781? - 841). He is said to have attained enlightenment when, wading a river, he glimpsed his reflection in the water. He appears in Case 43 of the Blue Cliff Record.
The comments and introduction was written by Hakuin Zenji. Hakuin is often considered the father of modern Rinzai Zen. He was one of the most influential figures in Japanese Zen Buddhism. He revived the Rinzai school from a moribund period of stagnation, refocusing it on its traditionally rigorous training methods integrating meditation and koan practice. Hakuin's influence was such that all Rinzai Zen masters today trace their lineage through him, and all modern practitioners of Rinzai Zen use practices directly derived from his teachings. (Also see http://www.kaihan.com/hakuin.htm and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hakuin)
Following article's source: http://www.kaihan.com/fives.htm

The Keiso dokuzi

Hakuin Zenji

Keiso dokuzui
The Five, Ranks of The Apparent and the Real:
The Orally Transmitted Secret Teachings
of the [Monk] Who Lived on Mount To

Introduction to the Five Ranks


We do not know by whom the Jeweled-mirror Samadhi was composed. From Sekito Osho, Yakusan Osho, and Ungan Osho, it was transmitted from master to master and handed down within the secret room. Never have [its teachings] been willingly disclosed until now. After it had been transmitted to Tozan Osho, he made clear the gradations of the Five Ranks within it, and composed a verse for each rank, in order to bring out the main principle of Buddhism. Surely the Five Ranks is a torch on the midnight road, a ferry boat at the riverside when one has lost one's way!
But alas! The Zen gardens of recent times are desolate and barren. "Directly-pointing-to-the-ultimate" Zen is regarded as nothing but benightedness and foolishness; and that supreme treasure of the Mahayana, the Jeweled Mirror Samadhi's Five Ranks of the Apparent and the Real, is considered to be only the old and broken vessel of an antiquated house. No one pays any attention to it. [Today's students] are like blind men who have thrown away their staffs, calling them useless baggage. Of themselves they stumble and fall into the mud of heterodox views and cannot get out until death overtakes them. They never know that the Five Ranks is the ship that carries them across the poisonous sea surrounding the rank o f the Real, the precious wheel that demolishes the impregnable prison-house of the two voids. They do not know the important road of progressive practice; they are not versed in the secret meaning within this teaching. Therefore they sink into the stagnant water of sravaka-hood or pratyeka-buddhahood. They fall into the black pit of withered sprouts and decayed seeds. Even the hand of Buddha would find it difficult to save them.
That into which I was initiated forty years ago in the room of Shoju I shall now dispense as the alms giving of Dharma. When I find a superior person who is studying the true and profound teaching and has experienced the Great Death, I shall give this secret transmission to him, since it was not designed for men of medium and lesser ability. Take heed and do not treat it lightly!
How vast is the expanse of the sea of the doctrine, how manifold are the gates of the teaching! Among these, to be sure, are a number of doctrines and orally transmitted secret teachings, yet never have I seen anything to equal the perversion of the Five Ranks, the carping criticism, the tortuous explanations, the adding of branch to branch, the piling up of entanglement upon entanglement. The truth is that the teachers who are guilty of this do not know for what principle the Five Ranks was instituted. Hence they confuse and bewilder their students to the point that even a Sariputra or an Ananda would find it difficult to judge correctly.
Or, could it be that our patriarchs delivered themselves of these absurdi ties in order to harass their posterity unnecessarily? For a long time I wondered about this. But, when I came to enter the room of Shoju, the rhinoceros of my previous doubt suddenly fell down dead... Do not look with suspicion upon the Five Ranks, saying that it is not the directly transmitted oral teaching of the Tozan line. You should know that it was only after he had completed his investigation of Tozan's Verses that Shoju gave his acknowledgment to the Five Ranks
After I had entered Shoju's room and received transmission from him, I was quite was satisfied. But, though I was satisfied, I still regretted that all teachers had not yet clearly explained the meaning of " the reciprocal interpenetration of the Apparent and the Real." They seemed to have discarded the words "reciprocal interpenetration," and to pay no attention whatsoever to them. Thereupon the rhinoceros of doubt once more raised its head.
In the summer of the first year of the Kan'en era (1748-1751), in the midst of my meditation, suddenly the mystery of "the reciprocal interpenetration of the Apparent and the Real " became perfectly clear. It was just like looking at the palm of my own hand. The rhinoceros of doubt instantly fell down dead, and I could scarcely bear the joy of it. Though I wished to hand it on to others, I was ashamed to squeeze out my old woman's stinking milk and soil the monk's mouths with it.
All of you who wish to plumb this deep source must make the investigation in secret with your entire body. My own toil has extended over these thirty years. Do not take this to be an easy task! Even if you should happen to break up the family and scatter the household, do not consider this enough. You must vow to pass through seven, or eight, or even nine thickets of brambles. And, when you have passed through the thickets of brambles, still do not consider this to be enough. Vow to investigate the secret teachings of the Five Ranks to the end.
For the past eight or nine years or more, I have been trying to incite all of you who boil your daily gruel over the same fire with me to study this great matter thoroughly, but more often than not you have taken it to be the doctrine of another house, and remained indifferent to it. Only a few among you have attained understanding of it. How deeply this grieves me! Have you never heard: " The Gates of Dharma are manifold; I vow to enter them all?" How much the more should this be true for the main principle of Buddhism and the essential road of sanzen!
Shoju Rojin has said: "In order to provide a means wher eby students might directly experience the Four Wisdom's, the patriarchs, in their compassion and with their skill in devising expedients, first instituted the Five Ranks." What are the so-called Four Wisdom's? They are the Great Perfect Mirror Wisdom, the Universal Nature Wisdom, the Marvelous Observing Wisdom, and the Perfecting-of-Action Wisdom.
Followers of the Way, even though you may have pursued your studies in the Threefold Learning continuously through many kalpas, if you have not directly experienced the Four Wisdoms, you are not permitted to call yourselves true sons of Buddha.
Followers of the way, if your investigation has been correct and complete, at the moment you smash open the dark cave of the eighth or Alaya consciousness, the precious light of the Great Perfect Mirror Wisdom instantly shines forth. But, strange to say, the light of the Great Perfect Mirror Wisdom is black like lacquer. This is what is called the rank of " The Apparent within the Real."
Having attained the Great Perfect Mirror Wisdom, you now enter the rank of "The Real within the Apparent." When you have accomplished your long practice of the jeweled-mirror Samadhi, you directly realize the Universal Nature Wisdom and for the first time enter the state of the unobstructed inter-penetration of Noumenon and phenomena.
But the disciple must not be satisfied here. He himself must enter into intimate acquaintance with the rank of " The Coming from within the Real." After that, by depending upon the rank of " The Arrival at Mutual Integration," he will completely prove the Marvelous Observing Wisdom and the Perfecting-of-Action Wisdom. At last he reaches the rank of " Unity Attained," and, after all, comes back to sit among the coals and ashes."
Do you know why? Pure gold that has gone through a thousand smeltings does not become ore a second time. My only fear is that a little gain will suffice you. How priceless is the merit gained through the step-by-step practice of the Five Ranks of the Apparent and the Real! By this practice you not only attain the Four Wisdoms, but you personally prove that the Three Bodies also are wholly embraced within your own body. Have you not read in the Daijo shogongyo ron: "When the eight consciousnesses are inverted, the Four Wisdoms are produced; when the Four Wisdoms are bound together, the Three Bodies are perfected?" Therefore Sokei Daishi composed this verse:
"Your own nature is provided
With the Three Bodies;
When its brightness is manifested,
The Four Wisdoms are attained."
He also said: "The pure Dharmakaya is your nature; the perfect Sambhogakaya is your wisdom; the myriad Nirmanakayas are your activities."
TOZAN RYOKAI'S VERSES ON THE FIVE RANKS
The Apparent within the Real:
In the third watch of the night
Before the moon appears,
No wonder when we meet
There is no recognition!
Still cherished in my heart
Is the beauty of earlier days.
The rank of "The Apparent within the Real" denotes the rank of the Absolute, the rank in which one experiences the Great Death, shouts "KA!" sees Tao, and enters into the Principle. When the true practitioner, filled with power from his secret study, meritorious achievements, and hidden practices, suddenly bursts through into this rank, " the empty sky vanishes and the iron mountain crumbles." "Above, there is not a tile to cover his head; below, there is not an inch of ground for him to stand on." The delusive passions are non-existent, enlightenment is non-existent, Samsara is non-existent, Nirvana is non-existent. This is the state of total empty solidity, without sound and without odor, like a bottomless clear pool. It is as if every fleck of cloud had been wiped from the vast sky.
Too often the disciple, considering that his attainment of this rank is the end of the Great Matter and his discernment of the Buddha-way complete, clings to it to the death and will not let go of it. Such as this is called it stagnant water " Zen; such a man is called " an evil spirit who keeps watch over the corpse in the coffin." Even though he remains absorbed in this state for thirty or forty years, he will never get out of the cave of the self-complacency and inferior fruits of pratyeka-buddhahood. Therefore it is said: "He whose activity does not leave this rank sinks into the poisonous sea." He is the man whom Buddha called " the fool who gets his realization in the rank of the Real."
Therefore, though as long as he remains in this hiding place of quietude, passivity and vacantness, inside and outside are transparent and his understanding perfectly clear, the moment the bright insight [he has thus far gained through his practice] comes into contact with differentiation's defiling conditions of turmoil and confusion, agitation and vexation, love and hate, he will find himself utterly helpless before them, and all the miseries of existence will press in upon him. It was in order to save him from this serious illness that the rank of " The Real within the Apparent " was established as an expedient.
The Real within the Apparent:
A sleepy-eyed grandam
Encounters herself in an old mirror.
Clearly she sees a face,
But it doesn't resemble her at all.
Too bad, with a muddled head,
She tries to recognize her reflection!
If the disciple had remained in the rank of "The Apparent within the Real," his judgment would always have been vacillating and his view prejudiced. Therefore, the bodhisattva of superior capacity invariably leads his daily life in the realm of the [six] dusts, the realm of all kinds of ever-changing differentiation. All the myriad phenomena before his eyes-the old and the young, the honorable and the base, halls and pavilions, verandahs and corridors, plants and trees, mountains and rivers-he regards as his own original, true, and pure aspect. It is just like looking into a bright mirror and seeing his own face in it. If he continues for a long time to observe everything everywhere with this radiant insight, all appearances of themselves become the jeweled mirror of his own house, and he becomes the jeweled mirror of their houses as well. Eihei has said: "The experiencing of the manifold dharmas through using oneself is delusion; the experiencing of oneself through the coming of the manifold dharmas is satori." This is just what I have been saying. This is the state of " mind and body discarded, discarded mind and body." It is like two mirrors mutually reflecting one another without even the shadow of an image between. Mind and the objects of mind are one and the same; things and oneself are not two. " A white horse enters the reed flowers snow is piled up in a silver bowl."
This is what is known as the jeweled-mirror Samadhi. This is what the Nirvana Sutra is speaking about when i t says: " The Tathagata sees the Buddha-nature with his own eyes." When you have entered this samadhi, " though you push the great white ox, he does not go away"; the Universal Nature Wisdom manifests itself before your very eyes. This is what is meant by the expressions, "There exists only one Vehicle," "the Middle Path," " the True Form," " the Supreme Truth."
But, if the student, having reached this state, were to be satisfied with it, then, as before, he would be living in the deep pit of " fixation in a lesser rank of bodhisattvahood." Why is this so? Because he is neither conversant with the deportment of the bodhisattva, nor does he understand the causal conditions for a Buddha-land. Although he has a clear understanding of the Universal and True Wisdom, he cannot cause to shine forth the Marvelous Wisdom that comprehends the unobstructed interpenetration of the manifold dharmas. The patriarchs, in order to save him from this calamity, have provided the rank of "The Coming from within the Real."
The Coming from within the Real:
Within nothingness there is a path
Leading away from the dusts of the world.
Even if you observe the taboo
On the present emperor's name,
You will surpass that eloquent one of yore
Who silenced every tongue.
In this rank, the Mahayana bodhisattva does not remain in the state of attainment that he has realized, but from the midst of the sea of effortlessness he lets his great uncaused compassion shine forth. Standing upon the four pure and great Universal Vows, he lashes forward the Dharma-wheel of " seeking Bodhi above and saving sentient beings below." This is the so-called "coming-from within the going-to, the going-to within the coming-from." Moreover, he must know the moment of [the meeting of] the paired opposites, brightness and darkness. Therefore the rank of " The Arrival at Mutual Integration " has been set up.
The Arrival at Mutual Integration:
When two blades cross points,
There's no need to withdraw.
The master swordsman
Is like the lotus blooming in the fire.
Such a man has in and of himself
A heaven-soaring spirit.
In this rank, the bodhisattva of indomitable spirit turns the Dharma-wheel of the non-duality of brightness and darkness. He stands in the midst of the filth of the world, "his head covered with dust and his face streaked with dirt." He moves through the confusion of sound and sensual pleasure, buffeted this way and buffeted that. He is like the fire-blooming lotus, that, on encountering the f lames, becomes still brighter in color and purer in fragrance. " He enters the market place with empty hands," yet others receive benefit from him. This is what is called to be on the road, yet not to have left the house; to have left the house, yet not to be on the road." Is he an ordinary man? Is he a sage? The evil ones and the heretics cannot discern him. Even the buddhas and the patriarchs cannot lay their hands upon him. Were anyone to try to indicate his mind, [it would be no more there than] the horns of a rabbit or the hairs of a tortoise that have gone beyond the farthest mountain.
Still, he must not consider this state to be his final resting-place. Therefore it is said, "Such a man has in and of himself a heaven-soaring spirit." What must he do in the end? He must know that there is one more rank, the rank of " Unity Attained."
Unity Attained:
Who dares to equal him
Who falls into neither being nor non-being!
All men want to leave
The current of ordinary life,
But he, after all, comes back
To sit among the coals and ashes.
The Master's verse-comment says:
How many times has Tokuun, the idle old gimlet,
Not come down from the Marvelous Peak!
He hires foolish wise men to bring snow,
And he and they together fill up the well.
The student who wishes to pass through Tozan's rank of " Unity Attained " should first study this verse.
It is of the utmost importance to study and pass through the Five Ranks, to attain penetrating insight into them, and to be totally without fixation or hesitation. But, though your own personal study of the Five Ranks comes to an end, the Buddha-way stretches endlessly and there are no tarrying places on it. The Gates of Dharma are manifold.
Thusness's reply to Longchen at http://buddhism.sgforums.com/forums/1728/topics/305606.

Also see a newer post in this blog of Longchen's realisation of Emptiness, The non-solidity of existence
Originally posted by longchen:
In my case, nondual is easier to experience when there are bodily movement. This is when i am walking or eating. The mind rest and just feeling the sensations.
However, when thinking kicks in... it is not so easy. This can be liken to a dog trying to bite its own tail. The habitual tendency to let go of these thoughts becomes the arising of the dualistic perception. 'Let go' becomes the very effort. and a loop cycle ensues. However, there are also time when the 'let go effort' drops and restfulness follows. ... and one wonders just how silly the 'let go' effort is. LOL.
The guess is that one must sustain a 'deeper' level of 'knowing' non-efforting.... that cannot be sought after.
Precisely so and well experienced!

Non-dual brings u out of the mental loop, directly experiencing whatever touched, sensed, seen as IT. Before perception intervenes, it is thoroughly experienced. Non-dual eliminates the constant need of falling back to a source and see manifestation as source.

However in a practical world, there is no way we can avoid dirtying our hands and remain free from conceptualization; we have to face 'thinking'. It seems that whenever thinking steps in, the 'sense of self' surfaces and division is again experienced. The ‘background’, the ‘ultimate source’ will arise and there is no way of getting rid of this split for this is the nature of dualism. Every time we recall or think there will always be a division; the background, the source will surface. And as long as our fundamental way of analyzing and thinking rest on a subject-object paradigm, there will always be a mismatch between non-dual experience and the 'views' for a non-dualist.

Although non-dual insight eliminates the split between the observer and observed experientially, it does not dissolve the deeply rooted dualistic framework. We continue to think and analyze using a subject/object dichotomy. Even though there is sufficient non-dual experiences, when attempting to orientate in terms of ‘views’, a non-dualist can still be confused himself and at times appears incoherent. This is the de-synchronization between views and meditative experiences.

In Buddhism there is a complete system of thought to orientate ourselves non-dually, that is, the viewless-view of Emptiness. It is a raft but it is the antidote for the conventional mind to orientate itself in a non-dual and non-local context. It also led to the amazing insight that ‘duality’ is really the result of seeing and taking things ‘inherently’ (You may want to the take up the challenge of re-engaging in thoughts penetrating this viewless view of Emptiness and thoroughly understand how this affect us into seeing things dualistically).

At present, we experience our world through the lens of seeing things as existing dualistically and inherently. We deeply believe that entity possesses certain form of attributes. Deep in us we believe that ‘redness’ belongs to the flower and ‘blueness’ belongs to the sky. We were trained to see things not only dualistically but also objects consisting of attributes and functions. But in truth, there is no such ‘redness’ that belongs to the ‘flower’. There is no the ‘redness’ outside, nor inside us. There is no properties 'inherently' attached or attributed to any objects. The formation of the 'center' and the tendency to grasp is not just the problem of seeing things 'dualistically' but also 'inherently'. When we see in this way, all 'letting go' are mere illusions; For we are really 'holding' in our deep most consciousness and so the 'letting go' is only superficial. When we see things inherently, whatever state, whatever experience, no matter how profound, how blissful, how vivid, how mystical, will be objectify into an object for seeking; the tendency operates subtly. It is similar to how the experience of the Source "I AM" is distorted and later non-dual insight that sees the fundamental problem of the source.

Lastly, as stated in the Bahiya Sutta,

In seeing, (there is always) just the seen.
In hearing, (there is always) just sound.

The seen, sound are the non-dual luminous experience; but direct experience of non-dual luminosity is not sufficient. Though perfectly clear and vividly present as in non-dual experience, the 'seen' is radically different from the 'sound' -- this is its emptiness nature. This viewless view must be fused into our non-dual insight. When views are firmly established and non-dual experience thoroughly authenticated, a practitioner will see everything as Awareness without conflict in both views and experiences. Not bounded within an inherent and dualistic paradigm, he will not be confused. When the real cause and the empty nature of our pristine awareness are understood, this ‘Emptiness’ view too must be discarded.

Happy CNY!

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Update - Comments by Thusness:

Blogger PasserBy said...
The reply to Longchen may sound confusing but it is a reflection of the journey I have gone through.

After the experience of anatta, there is a period of desync between what is experienced and the existing paradigm we used to orientate the world. That is, a practitioner will find great difficulties when trying to express the experience based on a subject/object dichotomy. It can be quite frustrating and the practitioner may get himself confused during the process.

It is not uncommon to find practitioners totally giving up this attempt to synchronize "views" and experience and conclude that it is an absolute futile endeavor to do that. They prefer to rest fully in naked awareness.

By doing so, the practitioner will miss something valuable -- the insight of the importance of "non inherent existence".

In fact, dualistic view is merely a subset of seeing things 'inherently'. Further understanding will also reveal that the bad habit of 'searching' is the result of seeing things 'inherently'. Our inability to sustain a non-dual experience is also the result of it. The formation of a 'center' that we are so unwilling to give up is merely a natural phenomenon of our deeply held 'inherent' views.

When the view and experience are harmonized, the practitioner can then progress further. He rest neither in concepts nor non-conceptuality. He frees himself from erroneous views like "I am You and You are me". He sees “Everything as Awareness” but that is because in the world of Empty Luminosity, the practitioner is not bounded in a subject/object or object/attributes paradigm. “Awareness as Everything” should never be understood from a dualistic perspective.

Lastly whatever said is really “already is”.

In seeing, there is always only the seen. In hearing there is always only the sound. Never was there a seer or hearer.



All “already is”. Anatta is truly a seal. How amazing!

Homage to Buddha.

PS: Modified a lil from Bahiya Sutta
February 5, 2008 10:07 AM
-------------------------
What is "Self"?

3+ years ago, Thusness/Passerby wrote this to explain a text to someone:

Life (Self) is nothing other than the continuous flow of the Now Moment.
The Now Moment ceases as it arises. This moment must completely ceased
and serves as the CAUSE for the next moment to arise.
Therefore Self is a process of series Self1, Self2, Self3, Self4, Self5, Self6...etc
A fixed entity 'Self' does not exist, what really exists is a momentary Self.
Under deep meditation, one is able to observe and sense the karmic and mental factors from moment to moment,
it is these factors that are succeeded from moment to moment and life and life but not a fixed entity.

He further adds a clarification two weeks ago:

After cycles of refining and stabilizing non-dual experiences,
karmic propensity too reveals itself as empty.
Momentum arises spontaneously and subsides instantaneously;

Yet has never in anyway obscured its own luminosity.
All experiences though diverse are always so,
this is the unborn always found present in all diversities.
Never personify or objectify 'unborn' into an entity,
but see all phenomena that dependently originates as luminous and empty.
If any non-dualist finds difficulty in sustaining non-dual experiences,
this the pathless path of spontaneous presence and natural clarity.

As Thusness mentioned, do note that an equal emphasis must be place on its 'empty nature' apart from its luminosity.

Another great article on "What Is The Me?" by Toni Packer can be found at http://www.springwatercenter.org/teachers/packer/articles/whatisme/.

Regarding the link between how we perceive a separate self and our karmic propensities (deep conditionings/momentum), please read The Spell of Karmic Propensities.
Related: The Breakthrough

(The following is written by Ajahn Amaro on the teachings of Non-Duality, Anatta and Emptiness by Buddha. Also see: Thusness/PasserBy's Seven Stages of Enlightenment)

Ancient Teachings on Nonabiding


This principle of nonabiding is also contained within the ancient
Theravada teachings. It wasn’t just Ajahn Chah’s personal insight
or the legacy of some stray Nyingmapa lama who wandered
over the mountains and fetched up in northeast Thailand 100
years ago. Right in the Pali Canon, the Buddha points directly
to this. In the Udana (the collection of “Inspired Utterances”
of the Buddha), he says:

There is that sphere of being where there is no earth,
no water, no fire, nor wind; no experience of infinity
of space, of infinity of consciousness, of no-thingness,
or even of neither-perception-nor-non-perception; here
there is neither this world nor another world, neither
moon nor sun; this sphere of being I call neither a coming
nor a going nor a staying still, neither a dying nor
a reappearance; it has no basis, no evolution, and no
support: it is the end of dukkha. (ud. 8.1)

Rigpa, nondual awareness, is the direct knowing of this. It’s
the quality of mind that knows, while abiding nowhere.

Another teaching from the same collection recounts the story
of a wanderer named Bahiya. He stopped the Buddha on the
street in Savatthi and said, “Venerable Sir, you are the Samana
Gotama. Your Dharma is famous throughout the land. Please
teach me that I may understand the truth.”

The Buddha replied, “We’re on our almsround, Bahiya. This is
not the right time.”

“Life is uncertain, Venerable Sir. We never know when we are
going to die; please teach me the Dharma.”

This dialogue repeats itself three times. Three times over, the
Buddha says the same thing, and Bahiya responds in the same
way. Finally, the Buddha says, “When a Tathagata is pressed
three times, he has to answer. Listen carefully, Bahiya, and
attend to what I say:

In the seen, there is only the seen,
in the heard, there is only the heard,
in the sensed, there is only the sensed,
in the cognized, there is only the cognized.
Thus you should see that
indeed there is no thing here;
this, Bahiya, is how you should train yourself.
Since, Bahiya, there is for you
in the seen, only the seen,
in the heard, only the heard,
in the sensed, only the sensed,
in the cognized, only the cognized,
and you see that there is no thing here,
you will therefore see that
indeed there is no thing there.
As you see that there is no thing there,
you will see that
you are therefore located neither in the world of this,
nor in the world of that,
nor in any place
betwixt the two.
This alone is the end of suffering.” (ud. 1.10)

Upon hearing these words, Bahiya was immediately enlightened.
Moments later he was killed by a runaway cow. So he was
right: life is uncertain. Later Bahiya was awarded the title of
“The Disciple Who Understood the Teaching Most Quickly.”

“Where” Does Not Apply

What does it mean to say, “There is no thing there”? It is talking
about the realm of the object; it implies that we recognize that
“the seen is merely the seen.” That’s it. There are forms, shapes,
colors, and so forth, but there is no thing there. There is no real
substance, no solidity, and no self-existent reality. All there is,
is the quality of experience itself. No more, no less. There is just
seeing, hearing, feeling, sensing, cognizing. And the mind naming
it all is also just another experience: “the space of the
Dharma hall,” “Ajahn Amaro’s voice,” “here is the thought,
‘Am I understanding this?’ Now another thought, ‘Am I not
understanding this?’”

There is what is seen, heard, tasted, and so on, but there is no
thing-ness, no solid, independent entity that this experience
refers to.

As this insight matures, not only do we realize that there is
no thing “out there,” but we also realize there is no solid thing
“in here,” no independent and fixed entity that is the experiencer.
This is talking about the realm of the subject.

The practice of nonabiding is a process of emptying out the
objective and subjective domains, truly seeing that both the
object and subject are intrinsically empty. If we can see that both
the subjective and objective are empty, if there’s no real “in
here” or “out there,” where could the feeling of I-ness and meness
and my-ness locate itself? As the Buddha said to Bahiya,
“You will not be able to find your self either in the world of this
[subject] or in the world of that [object] or anywhere between
the two.”

There is a similar and much lengthier exchange between the
Buddha and Ânanda in the Shurangama Sutra, which is a text
much referred to in the Ch’an school of the Chinese tradition.
For pages and pages the Buddha asks Ânanda, in multifarious
ways, if he can define exactly where his mind is. No matter how
hard he tries, Ânanda cannot establish it precisely. Eventually
he is forced to the conclusion that “I cannot find my mind anywhere.”

But the Buddha says, “Your mind does exist, though,
doesn’t it?”

Ânanda is finally drawn to the conclusion that “where” does
not apply.

Aha!

This is the point that these teachings on nonabiding are trying
to draw us to. The whole concept and construct of where-ness,
the act of conceiving ourselves as this individual entity living
at this spot in space and time, is a presumption. And it’s only by
frustrating our habitual judgments in this way that we’re forced
into loosening our grip.

This view of things pulls the plug, takes the props away, and,
above all, shakes up our standard frames of reference. This is
exactly what Ajahn Chah did with people when he asked, “If you
can’t go forward and you can’t go back and you can’t stand still,
where can you go?” He was pointing to the place of nonabiding:
the timeless, selfless quality that is independent of location.

Interestingly enough, some current scientific research has
also reached a comparable conclusion about the fundamental
nature of matter. In the world of quantum physics, scientists
now use such terms as “the well of being” or “the sea of potential”
to refer to the primordial level of physical reality from
which all particles and energies crystallize and into which they
subsequently dissolve. The principle of non-locality in this realm
means that the “place where something happens” cannot truly
be defined, and that a single event can have exactly simultaneous
effects in (apparently) widely separated places. Particles can
accurately be described as being smeared out over the entirety of
time and space.

Terms like “single place” and “separate places” are seen to
apply only as convenient fictions at certain levels of scale; at the
level of the ultimate field, the sea of quantum foam, “place” has
no real meaning. When you get down into the fine, subatomic
realm, where-ness simply does not apply. There is no there there.
Whether this principle is called nonabiding or non-locality, it’s
both interesting and noteworthy that the same principle applies
in both the physical and mental realms. For the intellectuals and
rationalists among us, this parallel is probably very comforting.

I first started to investigate this type of contemplation when I
was on a long retreat in our monastery and doing a lot of solitary
practice. It suddenly occurred to me that even though I might
have let go of the feeling of self—the feeling of this and that
and so on—whatever the experience of reality was, it was still
“here.” There was still here-ness. For several weeks I contemplated
the question, “Where is here?” Not using the question to
get a verbal answer, more just to illuminate and aid the abandonment
of the clinging that was present.

Recognizing this kind of conditioning is half the job—
recognizing that, as soon as there is a here-ness, there is a subtle
presence of a there-ness. Similarly, establishing a “this,” brings
up a “that.” As soon as we define “inside,” up pops “outside.”
It’s crucial to acknowledge such subtle feelings of grasping; it
happens so fast and at so many different layers and levels.

This simple act of apprehending the experience is shining the
light of wisdom onto what the heart is grasping. Once the defilements
are in the spotlight, they get a little nervous and uncomfortable.
clinging is the focus of our awareness, it can’t function properly.
In short, clinging can’t cling if there is too much wisdom around.
Clinging operates best when we are not looking. When
clinging is the focus of our awareness, it can’t function properly.
In short, clinging can’t cling if there is too much wisdom around.
Here are some recommendations of books and authors who/which I found to be insightful. Some are recommended to me by Thusness/PasserBy. Note that I am not an avid reader, so the books I have read are limited.

This post will be updated time to time, when I have found new books worth mentioning.


Books list updated: 17th October 2012




Me: AEN's E-Journal


(Arranged Alphabetically)


Aaron:
Any articles and books by Aaron:
http://www.deepspring.org/

Ajahn Brahmavamso:
Topic: Theravada; jhana meditation

Mindfulness, Bliss, and Beyond: A Meditator's Handbook
Website: http://www.bswa.org/ (many of his talks are available for download there)

Actual Freedom/The Third Alternative/Richard/etc:
Topic: Actualism

Good articles on 'No-Self': http://actualfreedom.com.au/

Bernadette Roberts:
Topic: Christian contemplative tradition

What is Self: The Study of the Spiritual Journey in Terms of Consciousness



Bhante Henepola Gunaratana
Topic: Theravada; essential Buddhist mindfulness meditation

Mindfulness in Plain English
The Four Foundations of Mindfulness
Book available for free reading online: http://www.urbandharma.org/udharma4/mpe.html



Bernie Glassman:
Topic: Zen

Infinite Circle: Teachings in Zen


Buddha:
Topic: Buddhism

What The Buddha Taught (by Walpola Rahula)
 In the Buddha's Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon (Teachings of the Buddha) by Bhikkhu Bodhi
The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Majjhima Nikaya (Teachings of the Buddha)  
Basic Teachings of the Buddha (Modern Library Classics) (by Glenn Wallis)

Related websites:
http://www4.bayarea.net/~mtlee/

Very good presentation of Buddha's teachings: http://measurelessmind.ca/


Charles Genoud:
Topic: Awareness Practice/Emptiness/Anatta  

Gesture of Awareness: A Radical Approach to Time, Space, and Movement

Website: http://www.vimalakirtiusa.org/index.html

Charlie Singer:
Topic: Buddhism/Dzogchen

Reflections in a Mirror: The Nature of Appearance in Buddhist Philosophy


Charlotte Joko Beck:
Topic: Zen

 Everyday Zen: Love and Work
Nothing Special: Living Zen

Chogyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche:
Topic: Dzogchen

The Supreme Source: The Fundamental Tantra of the Dzogchen Semde KUNJED GYALPO
The Cycle of Day and Night: An Essential Tibetan Text on the Practice of Dzogchen
The Crystal and the Way of Light: Sutra, Tantra, and Dzogchen
Dzogchen: The Self-Perfected State
The Mirror: Advice on the Presence of Awareness (See excerpts from http://buddha-inside.blogspot.com/2007/06/mirror-advice-on-presence-and-awareness.html)
Dream Yoga and the Practice of Natural Light, Revised
Dzogchen Teachings
Dakpo Tashi Namgyal:
Topic: Mahamudra (seriously recommended meditation manuals!)
  
Clarifying the Natural State: A Principal Guidance Manual for Mahamudra
Mahamudra: The Moonlight: Quintessence of Mind and Meditation


Dalai Lama:
Topic: Buddhism; Dzogchen


How to See Yourself As You really Are
Lighting the Way 

Dzogchen: The Heart Essence of the Great Perfection

Website: http://www.dalailama.com/


Darryl Bailey:
Dismantling the Fantasy
Essence

Website: http://darrylbailey.net/
David:
Good articles on 'No-Self': http://justperception.net/

David Carse:
Topic: Advaita

 Perfect Brilliant Stillness: Beyond the Individual Self


David Loy:
Nonduality: A Study in Comparative Philosophy

A list of his written articles and interviews can be found at: http://www.holosforum.org/davidloy.html - many of his articles such as Nondual Thinking are well written on the aspect of Non-Duality.



Dharma Dan (Daniel M. Ingram):
Topic: Theravada; Mahasi Sayadaw style meditation
Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha (available for free download here).
Dogen:
Topic: Zen

Moon in a Dewdrop: Writings of Zen Master Dogen, edited by Kazuaki Tanahashi
Enlightenment Unfolds
Sounds of Valley Streams

Douglas Harding
Topic: Advaita
 
On Having No Head: Zen and the Rediscovery of the Obvious
Website: http://www.headless.org/

Dudjom Lingpa

Topic: Dzogchen

Buddhahood Without Meditation: A Visionary Account Known As Refining One's Perception (Nang-jang)

Eckhart Tolle
Deeply transformative and inspirational even for beginners.

The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment
A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose
Stillness Speaks
Website: http://www.eckharttolle.com/

Godfrey Devereux:
Commentary of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: http://www.yogadarshana.com/

Greg Goode:
Topic: Advaita
 
The Direct Path: A User Guide
Standing as Awareness: Dialogs from Nondual Dinners
Nondualism in Western Philosophy

Hakuun Yasutani
Topic: Zen; Dogen studies

Flowers Fall: A Commentary on Zen Master Dogen's Genjokoan

Hee-Jin Kim
Topic: Zen; Dogen studies

Eihei Dogen: Mystical Realist

Articles: http://hsuyun.budismo.net/en/dharma/index.html


Hsu Yun:
Zen; Good self-inquiry advice.

Articles: http://hsuyun.budismo.net/en/dharma/index.html

Huang Po:
Topic: Zen

The Zen Teaching of Huang Po: On the Transmission of Mind, transl. by John Blofeld

Hui Hua:
Topic: Zen

Ch'an Master Hui Hua: Zen teachings of instantaneous awakening, transl. by John Blofeld

James M. Corrigan:
Topic: Advaita
 
An Introduction to Awareness
Jean Klein:
Topic: Advaita
 
I Am
Excerpts from books available for reading at: http://www.nirvikalpa.com/content.php?page=klein

Jeff Foster:
Topic: Advaita
 
The Wonder of Being: Awakening to an Intimacy Beyond
An Extraordinary Absence: Liberation in the Midst of a Very Ordinary Life

Jiddu Krishnamurti:
Freedom from the Known

Joan Tollifson:
Awake in the Heartland: The Ecstasy of What Is
Painting the Sidewalk with Water

John Astin:
This is Always Enough
Out Beyond Ideas (Downloadable: Free eBook)

John Myrdhin Reynolds:
Topic: Dzogchen

Self-Liberation Through Seeing with Naked Awareness
The Golden Letters
Website: http://vajranatha.com/

John Wheeler:
Topic: Advaita

Clear in Your Heart: The Radiant Mirror of Self-Shining Awareness

Judith Blackstone:
The Empathic Ground: Intersubjectivity and Nonduality in the Psychotherapeutic Process 
Belonging Here: A Guide for the Spiritually Sensitive Person

Keith Dowman:
Topic: Dzogchen

The Flight of Garuda
Natural Perfection: Longchenpa's Radical Dzogchen
Original Perfection: Vairotsana's Five Early Transmissions
Ken Wilber:
Topic: Advaita
A Simple Feeling of Being: Embracing Your True Nature
A Brief History of Everything 
One Taste: Daily Reflections on Integral Spirituality

Website: http://www.kenwilber.com/

Kenneth Folk:
Topic:  Advaita, Buddhism, Theravada, Meditation


Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche:
Topic: Mahamudra

Essentials of Mahamudra: Looking Directly at the Mind 
Pointing Out the Dharmakaya
Crystal Clear: Practical Advice for Mahamudra Meditators
Vivid Awareness: The Mind Instructions of Khenpo Gangshar

Leo Hartong:
Topic: Advaita
 
Awakening to the Dream: The Gift of Lucid Living
From Self to Self: notes & quotes in response to 'Awakening to the Dream'
LIberation Unleashed:
Topic: No-self; affiliated with Ruthless Truth

Website: http://liberationunleashed.com/

Mu Soeng
Topic: Buddhism/Emptiness teachings

The Heart of the Universe: Exploring the Heart Sutra


Nathan Gill
Topic: Advaita

Being - The Bottom Line
Already Awake

Website: http://www.nathangill.com/

Padmasambhava:

Topic: Dzogchen; Vajrayana; Buddhism
 
Treasures from Juniper Ridge: The Profound Treasure Instructions of Padmasambhava to the Dakini Yeshe Tsogyal

Ramesh S. Balsekar:
Topic: Advaita
 
Consciousness Speaks: Conversations With Ramesh S. Balsekar




Ramana Maharshi:
Topic: Self-inquiry

Be as You Are: The Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi
The Spiritual Teaching of Ramana Maharshi
Rupert Spira:
Topic: Advaita
 
The Transparency of Things: Contemplating the Nature of Experience


Ruthless Truth/Ciaran/etc:
Topic: No-self

Website: http://www.ruthlesstruth.com/

'Sailor' Bob Adamson
Topic: Advaita
 
Only That: The Life and Teaching of Sailor Bob Adamson
One Essence Appearing as Everything
Presence-Awareness: Just This and Nothing Else
What's Wrong with Right Now, Unless You Think About It?
Articles available for reading at: http://www.theendofseeking.net/Sailor%20Bob%20-%20About.html

Seung Sahn:
 

Topic: Korean Zen

Dropping Ashes on the Buddha: The Teachings of Zen Master Seung Sahn

Website: http://www.kwanumzen.org/

Steve Hagen:
Topic: Buddhism and Zen

Buddhism Is Not What You Think: Finding Freedom Beyond Beliefs
Meditation Now or Never
Buddhism Plain & Simple
How the World Can Be the Way It Is: An Inquiry for the New Millennium into Science, Philosophy, and Perception

 
Tan Kheng Khoo:
Topic: Varied
 
List of articles written by long time meditation teacher Dr. Tan on meditation and various teachings by different teachers and religions, recent articles (e.g. those on Taoism I - General., Theravada Buddhism, Tony Parsons, etc.) are well-written on the experience of Anatta/No-Self: http://www.kktanhp.com/

Ted Biringer
Topic: Zen; Dogen studies

The Flatbed Sutra of Louie Wing: The Second Ancestor of Zen in the West
Website: http://dogenandtheshobogenzo.blogspot.com/


Tejananda John Wakeman:


Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche:
Topic: Bon, Dzogchen

The Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep
Website: https://www.ligmincha.org/


Thich Nhat Hanh:
Topic: Buddhism, Zen
 
The Sun My Heart
Peace Is Every Step
No Death, No Fear
Breathe! You Are Alive


Toni Packer: 
Topic: Awareness Practice, Anatta
 
The Silent Question: Meditating in the Stillness of Not-Knowing
The Wonder of Presence: And the Way of Meditative Inquiry
The Light of Discovery


Tony Parsons:
Topic: Advaita
Nothing Being Everything
All There Is
The Open Secret



U.G. Krishnamurti
The Mystique of Enlightenment (Part Two)
Available for reading here: http://www.well.com/user/jct/mystiq2.htm
Website: http://www.well.com/user/jct/


Venerable Yin Shun
Topic: Buddhism


The Way to Buddhahood

Walpola Rahula
Topic: Buddhism


What The Buddha Taught