The “Salvation” of the Buddha

  In Chapter 3’s parable, for his many children who refuse to come out of the burning house, the father doesn’t offer sack cloth and ashes, nor great sacrifices for them to be saved, but a distinctly different kind of salvation. The children in the burning house do not apprehend nor perceive, nor are they even aware of the suffering that will accrue by remaining in the burning house; neither alarmed nor afraid that their “greed for gain” will never be satisfied. Nor are they distressed that they are in danger of separating themselves from loved ones, “never seeking to escape but in the burning house of the triple world running about thither and thither, and although they will meet with great suffering, count it not a cause for anxiety.”

  How then shall father save them? How shall he motivate them to escape? He offers them splendid bejeweled carts for them to play with, promising far greater rewards than are ever to be found in the burning house.

  How different this “salvation” is from other religious teachings in today’s world. In the parable, the father easily could round all his children up in a cage and drag them unwillingly from the burning house, insisting on rigid obedience, and that they blindly follow his precepts if they wish to be saved. Rather he uses the tactful method of promising pleasures far exceeding what’s to be found in the burning house, if only they will come out.

  The Buddha asks Shariputra if this method is deceitful, if the elder in giving great carts of precious substances to his children equally, has been somewhat guilty of falsehood? Shariputra answers with a resounding NO! – recalling the impact his answer had when I first read it.

  “No, World-honored One! that elder only caused his children to escape the disaster of fire and preserved their bodies alive—he committed no falsity. Why? He has in such a manner preserved their bodies and also they have obtained those playthings; how much more by tactful means has he saved them from that burning house! World-honored One! even if that elder did not give them one of the smallest carts, still he is not false. . . That elder from the first formed this intention: I will by tactful means cause my children to escape.’ For this reason he is not false. How much less seeing that this elder, knowing his own boundless wealth and desiring to benefit his children, gives them great carts equally!”

  The Buddha replies, "Good! Good! it is even as you say. Shariputra! the Tathagata is also like this, for he is the father of all worlds, who has forever entirely ended all fear, despondency, distress, ignorance, and umbrageous darkness and has perfected boundless knowledge, powers, and fearlessness; is possessed of great spiritual power and wisdom; has completely attained the paramitas of tactfulness and wisdom; who is the greatly merciful and greatly compassionate, ever tireless, ever seeking the good, and benefiting all beings. And he is born in this triple world, the old decayed burning house, to save all living creatures from the fires of birth, old age, disease, death, grief, suffering, foolishness, darkness, and the three poisons, and teaches them to obtain Perfect Enlightenment.

  The Buddha doesn’t force the children to come out of the burning house, he motivates them to come out of their own free will—not to depend upon gods or enlightened ones to deliver them. Salvation is achieved through self-motivation and personal practice, and the ultimate goal of such practice is to go beyond the little self—the ego (in the parable, the one door open for escape), and become obedient only to the universal truth, one with the great life-force of the universe. Faith comes from the power within—our own will and effort taking refuge in that absolute power that causes us to live.

Discarding ego-centered actions

  His house is spacious and large, having only one door – later described as only one narrow, small gate, symbolizing how difficult it is to escape a dominating egoistic self. Discarding the ego, releasing it, is the great revolution of mind and heart. Paraphrasing Nikkyo Niwano: “The first stage of releasing the illusory power of the ego is awakening to the simple truth that human suffering is brought about by collection of greeds and wants—desires, all graphically described in the parable. But this is not enough.

  “At the second stage, we realize that in accordance with the Law of Causation, all that we so urgently desire and are attached to is a temporary appearance brought about by coming together of primary and secondary causes. The origin of these desires is ignorance, a basic misapprehension that the flesh is oneself. What we cling to has no real substance. Realizing this, automatically removes us from self-centered thinking and suffering.”

  The Buddha describes the treasures received by the children for coming out of the house for the sake of the goat and deer carts—although he has surprised them by giving all of them the great bullock cart:

  “If there are living beings who, following the Buddha, the World-honored One, hear the Law, receive it in faith, diligently practice, and zealously advance, seeking the complete wisdom, the wisdom of the Buddha, the natural wisdom, the wisdom without a teacher, and the knowledge, powers, and fearlessness of the Tathagata, who take pity on and comfort innumerable creatures, benefit gods and living beings, and save all beings, these will have the vehicle named the Great-vehicle. Because the bodhisattvas seek the vehicle, they are named mahasattvas. They are like those children who come out of the burning house for the sake of a bullock cart.”

from Chapter 3, A Parable:

  “Shariputra! just as that elder seeing his children get out of the burning house safely to a place free from fear, and pondering on his immeasurable wealth, gives each of his children a great cart, so also is it with the Tathagata. Being the father of all living creatures, if he sees infinite thousands of countless creatures by the teaching of the Buddha escape from the suffering of the triple world, from fearful and perilous paths, and gain the joys of nirvana, the Tathagata then reflects thus: ‘I possess infinite, boundless wisdom, power, fearlessness, and other law-treasuries of buddhas.

  “’All these living creatures are my sons and daughters to whom I will equally give the Great-vehicle, so that there will be no one who will gain nirvana alone but all gain nirvana by the same nirvana as the Tathagata. All these living creatures who escape the triple world are given the playthings of enlightened ones, the buddhas—concentrations, emancipations, and other playthings, all of one form and one kind, praised by sages and able to produce pure, supreme pleasure.’

  “Shariputra! even as that elder at first attracted his children by the three carts and afterward gave them only a great cart magnificently adorned with precious things and supremely restful, yet that elder is not guilty of falsehood, so also is it with the Tathagata; there is no falsehood in first preaching three vehicles to attract all living creatures and afterward saving by the Great-vehicle only. Wherefore? Because the Tathagata possesses infinite wisdom, power, fearlessness, and the treasury of the laws and is able to give all living creatures the Great-Buddha-vehicle, but not all are able to receive it. Shariputra! for this reason know that the enlightened ones, by their tactful powers, in the One Buddha-vehicle discriminate and expound the three.” / / /

  This, the first of seven parables of the Lotus Sutra, is a significant one, for it explains the value of practicing in the realms of the three vehicles—learning, becoming self-enlightened, reaching toward the world of the universally compassionate ones. However, the ultimate reward for escaping from distresses of the burning house is the attainment of absolute awareness—peace of mind even in the midst of illusion and suffering—ultimately, Perfect Enlightenment; to realize that since all living beings, including human beings, are manifestations of the great life-force of the universe, all are equal in terms of the fundamental value of their existence.

  Thus a sense of unity arises—all equally may partake of the great life-force of the universe which causes us to live. When one has come this far, the self vanishes.

  The Buddha desired that all equally attain that which he possesses—infinite wisdom, power, fearlessness, and the treasury of the law. These, he proclaims are accessible to everyone.

  From Zen Master Hui-neng: This remarkable doctrine of self-salvation centers on the identity of one's own nature with the Buddha. It is the Buddha (or the Tathagata) in the minds of the aspirants who save themselves. From this insight a charity and a morality arise, because the individual and the totality are one ecological organism, mutually dependent.

The Nature of

Promises Made in Past Lives

Mars at 9° Libra

Three “Old Masters” hanging on the wall

of an art gallery’s special room

  The need to return to source during any confused search in a chaotic society, regrounding ourselves in great achievements of the past, returning to source to reindentify ourselves with these achievements as inspirations for new beginnings.

  The seeds of tomorrow salute the seeds of yesteryear.

  Mars cycles – doing, causes we make—acts, for which we are personally responsible, gaining new perspectives, transforming the way we think and act.

  A few words about recent posts, “Promises Made in Past Lives” – have nothing to do with me personally. They prove not a jot about “who I am.” As the Buddha advised Ananda, “Make yourself the light.” These are perceptions, discoveries that came to that guy called Dana years ago when his in-depth study of Dane Rudhyar’s Humanistic-Transpersonal Astrology found remarkable resonance with an in-depth study and practice of the teachings of the Buddha. It has taken this individual many, many years to realize how much these discoveries have become part of his heart, mind, and soul. Recent Full Moon at 3°37’  Gemini, and today’s Mars transit, were startling reminders, instilled within the very fabric of what I desire my life, thinking, “doing” to be, and to become.

  “The Bodhisattva practice is  not to cut off binding and driving, nor to abide in the ocean of driving. In meditating on one’s mind, there is no mind one can seize, except the mind that comes for one’s distorted thought attached to appearances. The “mind” presenting such a form rises from one’s false imagination like the wind in the sky that has no foothold. Such a form of the law neither appears nor disappears.

  “What is sin? What is blessedness? As one’s own mind is void of itself, sin and blessedness have no existence. In like manner all the laws are neither fixed nor going toward destruction. The Law also does not dwell  in the Law. [it dwells in life itself]

  “All the laws are emancipation, the truth of extinction, and quiescence. Such an aspect is called the great repentance, the greatly adorned repentance, the repentance of the non-sin aspect, and the destruction of discrimination.

  “Those who practice this repentance have the purity of body and mind not fixed in the law, but free as flowing water.”

  It is time for all of us to celebrate civilization’s great achievements, past and present, a need to return to source during a confused search in a chaotic society.

  As Jim Morrison hoped (and sadly never found) – to “break on through to the other side.”

Touching upon the Inexplicable

“The aspect of the Buddha Way is like this,

it is pure, boundless, and unthinkable”

Wednesday’s Full Moon

at 3°20’ Gemini

  For those of you who have read or will read recent post at Ancestral Well, “Daily Attention to The Five Realms of Human Destiny,” we offer the “inexplicable,” as we consider this Wednesday’s Full Moon at 3°20’ Gemini – “The Holly and the Mistletoe awaken old memories of Christmas.”

From recent post: Giving daily attention to The Five Realms of Human Destiny:

Recognizing Intent – 3°37’ Gemini – The Holly and Mistletoe awaken old memories of Christmas: an emotional search for pre-intellectual state of consciousness. Holly’s magical and brilliant primary colors contrasted in red and green as in Tibetan art and green in mistletoe used in ancient Druid rituals

Nostalgia for more natural and feeling-oriented values, resurgence of deeper values and aspirations, return to source, contact with archetypes.

Moon over Stonehenge

Daily Attention to

The Five Realms of Human Destiny

Intention 10° Capricorn – An albatross feeding from the hand of a sailor.

Continuing – 22° Pisces – Bringing peak experiences, inner revelations “down from the mountain” into the real world to share with others.

Recognizing – 4° Gemini – The Holly and Mistletoe awaken old memories of Christmas.

Participating – 16° Leo – The storm ended, all nature rejoices in brilliant sunshine.

Constructing – 28° Libra – Becoming aware of unseen spiritual forces, assisting and surrounding one.

Intention  communion of love and compassion brings together disparate lives.

Every living entity plays a role in the world’s ritual of existence.

Continuing  sharing with others, here and now, inner revelations.

Recognizing  emotional search for pre-intellectual state of consciousness. Holly’s magical and brilliant primary colors contrasted in red and green as in Tibetan art and green in mistletoe used in ancient Druid rituals, nostalgia for more natural and feeling-oriented values, resurgence of deeper values and aspirations, return to source, contact with archetypes.

Participating joy and power of new beginnings.

Constructing  realization one is never alone, communities visible and invisible sustain one’s efforts producing state of inner assurance, rejecting the one heresy – the dark path of ego isolation.

  The Five Realms of Human Destiny derive from Dane Rudhyar’s Astrological Mandala, although Rudhyar did not propose them. They were made clear to me one rather extraordinary morning on December 5, 1977 after a long period of chanting Nam-Myoho-Renge Kyo (devotion to the Lotus Sutra), and discovering in a moment twenty-two hours after I was born at full Moon, thus degree points are certain and exact, as degrees at birth moment are not—we can’t be sure of the exact moment of “first breath.” I call this moment of full moon after birth moment, “Promises Made in Past Lives” to fulfill destiny. The “Realms” are a 5 division, 72° each of the Tropical Zodiac.

  In Buddhism’s “ten worlds” the fifth world is the world of Humanity. Also, the “five roots” possessed by those who seek enlightenment are “”Faith” (Original Intent), “Zealous Progress” (Continuing), “Memory” (Recognizing), “Meditation” (Participation), and “Wisdom” (Constructing).

  I now view these Five Realms of Human Destiny quite beyond the personal, and see them as a daily guide for all of us—what might be called “mindfulness of intent”—as one fulfills one’s destiny in life’s experience. 

The Buddha’s Enlightenment,

Our Enlightenment in Today’s World

  Siddhartha, when he “came forth from the Palace of the Shakya clan, sitting at the training place of enlightenment not far from the city of Bodh Gaya” attained Perfect Enlightenment. Forty years later, preaching the Lotus Sutra, he asks, “how shall I cause all the living to enter the same way along with me and attain Perfect Enlightenment?”

  The story of Siddhartha attaining Perfect Enlightenment is a powerful guide to follow to attain that goal, for the Buddha and his teachings are with us now—here in the Lotus Sutra, as is the Buddha’s presence—not in some heavenly abode, but within us as the all-pervading life-force, the universal, eternal energy, causing everything to live. In today’s world, Perfect Enlightenment may be attained by those who celebrate this cause to live—life itself, and for  those with longing hearts who aspire to attain it, and the time is now.

From Shakyamuni Buddha, a Narrative Biography by Nikkyo Niwano:

  Although there is no way of determining the date now, according to Chinese and Japanese Buddhist tradition it was on the morning of December 8, just as the morning star appeared in the sky [this would be the planet Venus, also currently transiting, as morning star, or “giver of light”], when Siddhartha’s mind was as clear as the breaking day, that he at last attained Perfect Enlightenment. From that time on his ability to look at all things was different from that of ordinary people. He was able to perceive clearly the real state of all things, unhindered by superficial phenomena. He had gained the eyes of an enlightened one—of a buddha.

  Upon attaining enlightenment he said, “Wonderful! Wonderful! All living beings possess the wisdom and the virtuous sign of the Tathagata [the highest epithet of a buddha], but they do not realize this because of their attachment to desires and illusions.” / / / /

  In the film, “Little Buddha” the following exchange between Siddhartha and the mirror image of himself in the form of Mara, the evil one who has tempted Siddhartha, and has failed. Mara emerges from the mire and clutches Siddhartha’s arm:

MARA: You who will go where no one else has gone, will you be my guide?

SIDDHARTHA: Architect.

MARA: But you are my house, and you dwell in me.

SIDDHARTHA: Oh, Lord of my own Ego, you do not exist, you are pure illusion. The earth is my witness.

The face of Mara changes back to the evil one. He slowly vanishes.

 Lama Norbu describes the nature of Siddhartha’s enlightenment, dispelling all illusions, seeing beyond himself, no judgments, realizing there is no salvation without having compassion for all living beings . . . “and from that moment on, Siddhartha was called the Buddha, the Enlightened One.”

Niwano continues:

  When Shakyamuni looked on the world through the eyes of a buddha, he noticed that everything appeared completely changed. Animals, plants, and human beings all seemed bathed in such glory and brilliance that it was as if they were pervaded by the same life as the Buddha. His spontaneous “Wonderful! Wonderful!” was uttered out of his great joy at discovering the real state of all existence, immediately observing that the cause of all living beings suffering derived from their attachment to desires and illusions. / / / /

  Begin each day in meditation which instills the presence of the Buddha in your heart and mind, and causes you to exclaim “Wonderful! Wonderful! Namas Buddha!” In my world today, this is attained, more and more consistently as I connect with the Threefold Lotus Sutra, stories of the Buddha’s life and his teachings, his “former lives” and the struggles of his disciples to attain the same way along with him to attain the Buddha-way. “For this one Great Cause” all enlightened ones appear in the world.

Loire Valley

All life is sacred

  ”Great vehicle teachings (Mahayana) see all existence as supremely sacred, it needs no other-worldly injunction to validate this sanctity, no God on High; and most important of all, it sees the plain and mundane things of daily existence—when viewed from the right perspective—as sanctified as the loftiest ideals. In short, in this enlightened awareness, we can all see the marvelous wonder of our universe, blemishes and all, and find our home and comfort in a cosmos that is magically a part of us, and us a part of it. This interpenetration of the individual in the universe is what the teachings of the Buddha are all about—this is their scope and majesty.” – from Hui-neng’s Enlightenment, Here and Now.

  This article in Rissho Kosei-kai’s “Dharma World,” 1982, was found in 1990 when I was a member of  Rissho Kosei-kai in Los Angeles, a layperson’s organization devoted to the Lotus Sutra which informs their practice. It tells the story of the 7^th Century Chinese Zen Patriarch, Hui-neng.

  In the light of the chaos and fractured conditions in our current political climate, and throughout the world, it might be good to bring this to mind again as a defense against allowing such conditions to inflict their pain on us. Individually, we have the potential to instill this simple truth in our hearts and minds and act upon it, finding our home  and comfort as we discover the marvelous wonder of the universe within each moment and know unquestionably that all life is indeed sacred.

  What a revolution this would be! – to transform our thinking and actions imbued with this simple truth.

Equally along with me . . .

  The Buddha in the Lotus Sutra offers many instances for “following the Buddha-way.” His desire is to fulfill a vow made long ago:

Long ago I made a vow,
wishing to cause all creatures
to rank equally without difference with me.
According to the vow I made of old,
now all has been perfectly fulfilled
for converting all living beings
and leading them to enter the Buddha-way.
Whenever I meet any creatures
I teach them all by the Buddha-way.
The unwitting remain confused
and going astray, never accept my teaching.

  Following the path of the Buddha is quite simple. It’s not to stand outside his offerings of mindfulness, but to instill them within our hearts and minds and practice them. Here, a stunning example resonating to our lives in today’s world:

  With one transcendent voice I proclaim this meaning, constantly taking the Great-vehicle as my subject. I look upon all living beings everywhere with equal eyes, without distinction of persons, or mind of love or hate. I have no predilections nor limitations nor partiality; ever to all beings I preach the Law equally; as to one person, so to all. Constantly I proclaim the Law, never occupied with aught else; going or coming, sitting or standing, I never weary of pouring it abundantly upon the world, like the rain enriching universally. Honored and humble, high and low, law-keepers and law-breakers, those of perfect character and those of imperfect, orthodox and heterodox, quick-witted and dull-witted, with equal mind I rain the rain of the Law unwearyingly.

Facing Face Book

  Monday morning meditation with the Lotus Sutra, reading the following verses from Chapter 1, Introductory, suddenly struck with the thought – this is what I search for when I go to Face Book news feed each day, and what I desire to discover there; also my own intent in posting. These verses display the wonders that accrue from following the Buddha-way. I wanted to share them with you, although they’re quite lengthy. I hope you’ll contemplate them and more hopefully, that you’ll “make the connection.”

  We all have the potential for casting light into the lives of others, “to participate in our day and age with renewed effect. In doing so, we might assist in reviving vigor and hope in a troubled world. This was the Buddha’s intention, this is our duty here and now.” (Zen Master Hui-neng)

The ray between his brows illuminates the eastern quarter
of the eighteen thousand lands, coloring them all with gold. . . .

I see them all from here,
I see also the buddhas,
the holy masters, fearless in teaching the Law, the lions,
expounding the sutra,
mystic and supreme;
their voices clear and pure
send forth softly, sounding tones,
teaching the bodhisattvas
in numberless countless myriads;
their sacred voices, deep and mystic,
cause living beings to rejoice in hearing;
each in their own world,
proclaiming the good Law
by various reasonings
and innumerable illustrations,
reveal the Buddha-law
and open the understanding of all creatures. . . .

Again I see bodhisattvas
profound in wisdom, firm in will,
able to question the enlightened ones
and receive and retain all they hear;
and I see buddha-sons and daughters
perfect in meditation and wisdom
with innumerable illustrations
proclaiming the Law for the multitude,
cheerfully and gladly preaching the Law
to transform the bodhisattvas . . .

I see also bodhisattvas calm in perfect meditation,
who, though honored by gods and dragons, count it not a joy.
Again I see bodhisattvas, who, dwelling in forests,
emit radiance that saves the sufferers
and causes them to enter the Buddha-way. . . .

I see also bodhisattvas who seek association with the wise,
and with all their mind get rid of distraction.

Moreover, there are bodhisattvas who preach the Law of tranquility,
teaching in various ways the numberless living beings.
Also I see bodhisattvas who observe that the nature of all laws
is not in opposing forms, but like space.

Again I see Buddha sons and daughters with minds free from attachments,
by this mystic wisdom seeking after the supreme Way.

Mañjushri!

All the Buddha sons and daughters

for worshiping the relics so splendidly adorn the stupas

that all the domains are thereby made extraordinarily wonderful and fine,

like the king of celestial trees in full bloom.
The Buddha sends forth but a single ray
and I with all the assembly see that these domains
are extraordinarily wonderful.
Rare are the divine powers and wisdom of the enlightened ones;
sending forth a single pure ray,
they illuminate innumerable domains.

We, beholding this, attain that which has never been before.

The Buddha shows us all the buddha-lands
ornate and pure with precious things,
and we see the buddhas there;
this is not for any trivial reason. . . .

The Visitor

Shakyamuni Buddha, the Original Buddha

and the great life-force causing us to  live

  “The Divine Power of the Tathagata” – Chapter 21, the Lotus Sutra: one of my favorite chapters in the sutra, the verse section beginning with: All the buddhas saviors of the world, dwelling in mighty divine penetration, in order to save all creatures, reveal their infinite powers divine. . . I remember the time I was memorizing this verse section in 1984, standing in the small, elevated kitchen, in our single apartment, Martin Kain and I, in West Hollywood. (Martin was quite tolerant of my verbal “celebrations” although he would have none of it . . . except later, totally turned on by the parable of the man who saves his sons from the burning house in Chapter 3.

  Nikkyo Niwano in his “Guide to the Threefold Lotus Sutra” begins his interpretation of the “divine powers” with: “Here the mysterious powers of Shakyamuni Buddha and multitudes of other buddhas [perfectly enlightened ones] are displayed, and the point is powerfully made and impressed upon the assembled hearers that though until now the preaching in the Lotus Sutra has been various, there is just one single truth. . .

  “. . . at first Shakyamuni had appeared in the suffering world, and as an enlightened one inhabiting that world, taught a derived or apparent truth to guide human conduct. People had looked up to  him and had worshiped him with heartfelt devotion.

  “But then he taught the full original truth that he was the Eternal Buddha, which is to say, the great life-force of the universe, and true deliverance rested in firm awareness that this Original Buddha without beginning or end was the life-giving energy. . .”

  Thus it is in today’s world, here and now, in this and every moment, we may feel and become aware of the Buddha’s existence in our lives, every moment that we celebrate the life-force, the energy that exists eternally, causing us to live . . . without compromise, celebrating life in all of its manifestations.