Nirvana—Awakening

”Nirvana is this moment seen directly”

(from PBS Documentary, “The Buddha”)

As the morning star appeared, Siddhartha roared like a lion.  “My mind,” he said, “is at peace.” The heavens shook and the Bodhi tree rained down flowers. He had become the Awakened One, the Buddha.

Something new opens up for him, which he calls “nirvana,” which he calls, “awakening.” He said, “At this moment, all beings and I awaken together.” So it was not just him, it was all the universe. “As earth is my witness, seeing this morning star, all things and I awaken together. “

It’s  not like entering a new state. It’s uncovering or surrendering to the reality that has always been there. He realized he’d always been in nirvana, that nirvana was always the case. Your reality itself is nirvana. It’s the unreality, your ignorance that makes you think you’re this self-centered separate being trying to fight off an overwhelming universe, and failing. You are that universe. You’re already enlightened. He’s saying the capacity for enlightenment—that your awake-ness already exists within you.

Nirvana is this moment seen directly. There is nowhere else than here. The only gate is now. The only doorway is your own body and mind. There’s nowhere to go, there’s nowhere else to be. There’s no destination. It’s not something to aim for in the afterlife. It’s  simply the quality of this moment. / / /

“All existences from the beginning are ever of the  nirvana-nature. . . “ from the Lotus Sutra, ch. 2 Tactfulness.  (The “three-vehicle Law” is to teach the Law for persons of learning—“shrávakas,” for the self-enlightened—“pratyekabuddhas,” and for the compassionate ones—“bodhisattvas.”):

“All existences from the beginning
are ever of the nirvana-nature.
When sons or daughters of the Buddha
have fulfilled their course,
in the world  to come they become buddhas.
Only by my powers of tactfulness
do I manifest the three-vehicle Law.
All the world-honored ones
expound the One-vehicle Way.”

“the One-vehicle Way.” – the “Buddha-vehicle;” in the Lotus Sutra, the vehicle leading to Perfect Enlightenment and buddhahood (distinguished from “Nirvana” which exists “from the beginning”) and transcending both Hinayana (small) and Mahayana (great) teachings. After this absolute One Buddha-vehicle has been revealed, none of the other vehicles is to exist independently; all Buddhism is to depend upon and be unified in it. Only this sutra contains this doctrine and is therefore known as the One-vehicle sutra.

NEXT: “The one consciousness, one field, one force that moves through all.  You are the “U” of the universe. . .” from Daniel Schmidt’s documentary, “Inner Worlds, Outer Worlds.”