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Buddhist Freedom from Dualistic Judgementalism

8/16/2024

Buddhist Philosophy Rejects Dualism and Eternal Damnation!

Strictly speaking, the philosophical Buddhist view is that human awareness (and consequential habit of thought and behaviour) is a product of a certain orientation of the onging stream of consciousness. This is to say that the Judeo-Chrstian habit of affixing a permanent identity to speech-patterns and bodily-actions does not apply - and herein lies the chasm which divides the Buddhist and Christian view of the world. The same can be said to be true even within a modern (secular) society that has evolved out of the Judeo-Christian tradition - which is dependent upon the false dichotomy of good and evil.

All thought, speech, and action is a result of a temporary congealing of conditions within the mind and body of the individual which generate certain modes of expression. If a particular cycle of expression keeps repeating within the life of a particular individual - then regardless of the nature, import, or complexity of these expressions - the individual should NOT be permanently associated with these behaviours - on the grounds that their expressions only seem permanent from a deluded viewpoint that is misunderstanding what is happening.

As the Judeo-Christian tradition does not understand the Buddhist assessment of the ever-changing Five Aggregates (a process occuring from moment to moment - according to the Abhidhamma) - such a theistic tradition cannot grasp the fact that an individual only temporarily exists - and that there is no underlying "soul" (psyche) or "atma" which serves to link materially living beings to an immaterial divine entity. There is no permanent spiritual foundation that can be punished by an unseen sky-spirit. Given that this is true, the entire edifice of Judeo-Christian dualistic notions of "justice", "law", and "punishment" simply does not make sense. How can an ever-changing being be punished - when there is nothing permanent to be punished?

Contemporary Western society insists that its citizens should be punished or "corrected" if their speech and action violates the current definition of what such a society thinks is acceptable. The consequence of Buddhist philosophy completely disagrees. Compassion and loving kindness recognises the continuously changing nature of an individual (which is a combination of ever-changing processes) and therefore never holds such a person as being negatively anchored to any (or specific) sets arising out of his or her own thought-stream, speech-pattern, or behavioural habit. Just as the Buddhist is free of all (dualistic) judgementalism - the non-Buddhist individual should be made free of all attachment to their own patterns of repetitive expressions that define their existence.

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Buddhist Meditation: The Pali-Sanskrit Term ‘Bhavana’

9/17/2021

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From the Interaction of Yin and Yang - All Things Are Manifest!

Author’s Note: In 2017, I wrote a short article about the Pali term ‘Bhavana’ and since then, I have been asked to write a more in-depth article regarding the meaning and application of this term in its Pali and Sanskrit context (both different and yet overlapping in places). Whereas in my earlier article (referenced below) I focused a great deal on the Chinese language term for ‘bhavana’ - in this outing I have limited myself to just the briefest of references to the Chinese equivalent – an act of considerable will-power considering Chinese Buddhism is one of my academic specialities (both ethnically and academically). However, I have always held the Theravada tradition in high regard and have been helped tremendously by its many practitioners and institutions around the world! From my Chinese Ch’an practice (and penetration of the empty mind ground) - I have come to see and appreciate how the many different branches of Buddhism (and reality in general) all manifest from the same stout trunk... Although what I convey to you is academically correct – you do not have to accept my conclusions. Always think for yourselves and make-up your own minds! ACW (17.9.2021)

Inner and Outer Boundless Space is the Key to Unifying 'Bhavana'!

When I was studying Theravada Buddhism in Sri Lanka (in 1996), a term I came across continuously was ‘bhavana’ (‘भावना’ Pali and ‘भवन’ Sanskrit) - this was invariably used to refer to the act of seated ‘meditation’ and all the psychological and physical discipline required to successfully carry-out this important Buddhist practice. Indeed, within the Chinese written language, ‘bhavana’ is referred to as ‘修習’ (Xiu Xi) - or a central method of mind-body transformation – literally ‘self-cultivation method(s) or ‘habits’’ or ‘disciplined paths which intersect at a certain point of development’. A more succinct translation could be ‘paths of self-discipline' with the caveat that what is being suggested is the strict disciplining of the mind and body through the correct application of the Vinaya Discipline and the Bodhisattva Vows. Therefore, the single act of seated meditation has a wealth of supporting disciplinary activities surrounding its application, and does not appear does not suddenly appear out of a vacuum of non-effort. In other words, ‘bhavana’ refers to an act of ‘meditation’ which is the summation of the entire Buddhist path! Although the emphasis was always upon seated meditation, of course, standing, sitting and lying-down is allowed in the Buddhist Suttas – which very much depends upon the meditation teacher and the practitioner involved. Compassion, loving-kindness and wisdom must always be the driving force behind the practice of ‘bhavana’.

The Great Theravada Masters Show the Way!

As a ‘noun’, the Sanskrit dictionary states that भवन (bhavana) refers to:

building, edifice

house, dwelling, residence

mansion, palace

place of abode

Although this Sanskrit term has a wide variety of meanings, it can also refer to act of ‘coming into existence’, through the process of birth and production, etc. In other words, something that was not once present now becomes present – with ‘bhavana’ used to describe the process of it ‘becoming’ real and visible within the material world. However, these terms are still ‘objective’ in nature and do not directly refer to the Buddha’s meaning of the term.

The Pali dictionary suggests that ‘bhavana’ (भावना) refers to 'mental development' (lit. 'calling into existence, producing') in what in English is generally referred to 'meditation'. The Theravada School of Buddhism distinguishes two types of bhavana:

development of tranquillity (samatha-bhāvanā), i.e. concentration (samādhi), and

development of insight (vipassanā-bhāvanā), i.e. wisdom (paññā).

The practice of self-cultivation is in fact the act of ‘self-building’. It is the act of constructing an ability or abode of being that was not previously existent. Once achieved, tranquillity and insight are destined to become permanent attributes of the character of one who has successfully trained in the practice of ‘meditation’ (bhavana). This is the new spiritual dwelling the mind and body inhabits from now on. There is some suggestion that this term could be related to the ancient forms of cultivating the fields, planting and growing the fruit and vegetables, and harvesting the resulting crops. For every step of this process to work – the farmers of North India must keep correctly contemplating the land, the weather and the time of year. Once all this is correctly established – then the farmers must apply correct timing to everything they do. Only then will there be a good harvest at the end of all this effort.

Clean the 'Inner' and 'Outer' World...

Interestingly, the very similar Sanskrit term ‘भावना’ (bhāvnā) refers to feeling, sensation, emotion and sentiment and is certainty moving toward the Buddhist (Pali) implications. Perhaps the Buddha modified a Pali term which once referred to the external practice of building houses and cultivating fields for farming – but changed its onus from this ‘objective’ meaning to a purely ‘subjective’ meaning relating to states of mind and patterns of thought and emotion. Just as rocks, weeds and stones are removed from the soil to make it fertile – the Buddhist practitioner uproots greed, hatred and delusion from the psychic fabric of the mind so that the mind becomes ‘fertile’ to receive the fruits of Buddhist self-cultivation. The Pali term appears to be referring to ‘that which arises from within’ - whilst the Sanskrit term is referring to ‘that which arises from without’. I would suggest that the inner perception of boundless space integrates with the awareness of boundless outer space – and that this is how the Buddha ultimately reconciles the two distinct meanings of this term. If a practitioner applies the Dhamma correctly – then like a plant growing from a seed into a might tree – the fruits of the Dhamma will manifest in the mind, body (and through behaviour) the environment!

The Theravada Tradition Preserves the Pali Canon!

References:
https://www.definify.com/word/भवन
https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/bhavana
https://thesanghakommune.org/2017/09/20/buddhism-pali-bhavana-and-chinese-chan/
http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_5d3204f50100btsz.html

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Being ‘Unmoved’ By Praise and Blame

1/29/2021

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Life and Death Are of Equal Worth

Many people are surprised to learn that Master Xu Yun (1840-1959) was subject to a more or less continuous stream of allegations claiming that he routinely ‘broke’ the Vinaya Discipline and the Bodhisattva Vows. These assertions were usually made by common people with an axe to grind for some reason or other. The fact that no one took these allegations seriously is simply because no one who mattered believed any of it to be true. Master Xu Yun was accused of seducing young girls and women, as well as pursuing homosexual relationships with young monks. When these reports were found to be groundless – Master Xu Yun was accused of amassing money and using it to lead a life of luxury and leisure! Again, no evidence was ever found and so these allegations were ignored like all the others. When he was married (in his late teens) Master Xu Yun never touched his two wives. Years later, this was confirmed by these (now elderly) ladies who had become ordained Buddhist nuns after their husband left to become a monk around 1858. These ladies were virginal when they entered the Buddhist nunnery.

A Genuine Master 'Sees Beyond' Surface Impressions

My personal experience of Chinese monastic communities, as well as from the memories of other Western people who also lived as a Buddhist monk in China, confirm that homosexuality (as well as any type of sexual expression) was not present. This is because the facility of human desire is ‘turned inward’ and transmutated into pure spiritual light and energy that emanates from the centre of the forehead and from there permeates the entire body and environment. This process detaches sexual energy from the sexual organs and diverts the imagination of the mind away from sexual fulfilment through the sexual organ, focusing on ‘returning’ all this sensation back toward the empty mind ground. There is no outward sexual reaction or perversion within the average Chinese Ch’an monastery because the subject-object dichotomy that drives the sexual drive within delusive society no longer exists.

Even Dangerous Wild Animals Can 'Sense' Motive

There is a point in this process where the sexual drive is transformed forever regardless of circumstance. Although a conducive environment is beneficially to start with, eventually, once the six senses are permanently ‘purified’ and ‘cleansed’, then a lay-men such as Vimalakirti and Hui Neng (prior to the latter’s eventual ordination) where able to live within ordinary society and yet never break their Vinaya Discipline. Vimalakirti had a number of wives and numerous children – and yet the Buddha stated that he ‘never’ broke the vow of celibacy. Vimalakirti also criticised the Buddha’s ordained disciple Upali (a Master of the Vinaya Disciple) for being attached (in the wrong) way to the ‘letter of the law’. Vimalakirti stated that being ‘attached’ to celibacy in such a one-sided manner was as bad as being mindlessly attached to sexual pleasure! The answer is that ‘pleasure’, ‘pain’ and ‘neutrality’ are all perceived to be equally ‘empty’ of any and all permanent reality. All emerge from the empty mind ground as karmic attributes that simply take the form that is implicitly conditioned within each strand of expression. This Mahayana penetrating of all phenomena is very different to Upali’s Hinayana notion of just avoiding ‘pleasure’, etc.

The Empty Mind-Ground is Always 'Pristine'

It is the same for ‘praise’ and ‘blame’, as both are equally ‘empty’ of any intrinsic or separate value. A practitioner who has penetrated the empty mind ground exists in a permanent state of divine indifference and are unmoved by either praise or blame. Reacting to the ignorance of others with the same ignorance does not happen because it cannot happen. Once the empty mind ground has been permanently penetrated, understood and integrated with, then there is never any slipping back to a more deficient position of understanding. People who operate through the ego are continuously attempting to make some kind of social gain through manipulating those around them. A Ch’an Master sees this straightaway and reveals the underlying reality of those who approach with ulterior motives. All is wisdom, loving kindness and compassion.

Human Discrimination Categories Phenomena into 'Good', 'Bad' and 'Indifferent' Categorisations

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Buddhist Freedom from Dualistic Judgementalism

Buddhist Meditation: The Pali-Sanskrit Term ‘Bhavana’

Being ‘Unmoved’ By Praise and Blame

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