A Galaxy whose light

took 10 billion years to reach us

Symmetry

Returning to “The Blazing Fireplace”

Life

  The universe began, we are told by cosmologists, after the break-up of perfect symmetry, in a huge, hot cauldron of energy governed by forces we do not understand.  We do not understand these forces, but we know they caused the begin­ning of time, and exist today in our world,  Without them there would be no existence.  We know that human life came into existence as a result of a chain of causes and effects governed by these forces.  And, “Implied in new theories of physics (Timothy Ferris in “Beyond Newton and Einstein” – N.Y. Times, 9/26/82) all the known forces in nature, are manifestations of one basic interaction and that once, long ago, were part of a single, universal process.” [emphasis added]

  Perhaps, in our spiritual endeavors, we are reaching back to this perfect symmetry – to Mind that’s neither created nor annihilated, but simply is.  In the teachings of the Buddha – particularly in his “great vehicle” teachings (Mahayana) – the “Original Mind” is called tathata, or the ultimate nature without any attributes.  From the Tripitaka – Chinese Canon of Buddhist sutras - Hui-Ssu:

Tathata

  One Mind – the same as the mind of pure self, nature, true tathata without any attributes, buddha-nature, vesture of pure, unqualified reality (dharmakaya ~ the soul of nirvana), the realm of conditioned existence (dharma).  The substance of One Mind cannot be differentiated.  [Is One Mind – pure energy – perfect symmetry?]

  All dharmas, or elements of conditioned existence, depend on the Mind for their being and have Mind as their substance.  From this standpoint, all dharmas are illusory and imaginary, and their being is in reality non-being.  By contrast with these unreal dharmas, the Mind may be called true.

  Yet even though these dharmas have no being in reality, because they originate in illusion and fancy, they nevertheless appear to be created and annihilated.  But when such unreal dharmas are created, the Mind is not brought into existence, and when they are annihilated, the Mind does not perish.  Uncreated, Mind is never augmented; imperishable, it is never diminished.  And as it never increases or decreases, Mind is called tathata – ultimate nature, without attributes.

Concentration means knowing that all dharmas, having from the beginning no tathata of their own, are never created or annihilated by themselves, but arise as productions of illusion and imagination.  They have no real existence.  The existence of these created dharmas is, in truth, non-existence.  They are only the One Mind, the substance of which cannot be differentiated.  If one seizes this standpoint, then in total mental calm one can stop the flow of false ideas.  This is concentration.

Insight means knowing that dharmas are neither created nor annihilated, but that they originate in and arise out of the Mind to serve an illusory and fanciful worldly purpose.  They are like the illusions of dreams – seeming to exist when they do not.  To know this to attain insight.

  When concentration is achieved, the Pure Mind is merged through insight with non-dual Nature, and is harmoniously united with all beings as a body of one single character. . . There is calmness, tranquility and purity, depth, stability and quietude.  The inner silence is pure and pellucid.  It moves without the appearance of movement.  It acts without the appearance of action.  Thus it is, for all dharma are originally the same everywhere without differentiation and the nature of Mind is dharmas.  This is the root of the most profound dharma nature.

  When insight is attained, the root of Pure Mind and the activity of the phenomenal world are manifest without obstacle, spontaneously showing forth the capability of all things pure and impure.

  When there is concentration, one’s mind is everywhere the same . . . When there is concentration one dwells ever in nirvana . . . When there is concentration one is not polluted by the world . . . When there is concentration, one attains eternal silence in the process of acting . . .

.   .   .   .   .   .   .   .

The One Reality – the fundamental oneness of energy – non-differentiation at the heart of things – is the one law that calls all things into being and moves them.  This is called the real aspect of things.  We are all one substance with this law and caused to live by it.  One’s own mind is intrinsically one with primordial energy – the imperishable life-force of the universe.

How shall we proceed?  Releasing the personal ego, releasing ourselves might be the first and fundamental step – enabling us to find the imperishable life-force which exists in all things, in all beings.  Serving this life-force is the great true compassion – none other than buddhahood itself.

  The Buddha-wisdom is pure and minute,
  faultless and unhindered,
  penetrating through infinite kalpas.