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Meditation and the 'Sky-like' nature of mind
anataman
Who needs a title?Where am I? Veteran
in Philosophy
Following on from a previous thread. I would like to discuss further the 'sky-like nature of mind'
It is apparent that 'pure awareness' is not necessarily an 'acceptable view' of our true nature, especially to our self-concept, but for whatever reason or obstruction that comes to mind, there must be something we can truly relate to, and say, 'I am not this but, but I can be this but I am also not this', even though it may be paradoxicall.
The above may even be construed as a 'conceited untruth' or delusion, but regardless of a persons intelligence or ability, they can experience through the practice of meditation this thing that is at the same time nothing but can completely fulfill them with hope, understanding, insight and even, dare I say it a wisdom experience, that is fulfilling and liberating and spur them on, especially when they have completely understood the 3 marks of conditioned being.
I may be completely wrong but I would like to offer this: if one chooses to deny or admit in their meditative experience that they can evoke, or experience that they have buddha nature this should should not be instantly dismissed, but analysed and questioned. It is the buddha's way.
Meditation is bringing the mind home (sometimes kicking and screaming) to its natural state. When you are in a meditative state I merely suggest that you are abiding in the field of awareness where phenomena with its properties that are prescribed by the three marks of existence have profound and significant meaning - annatta (the concept of no self), dukkha (the concept of suffering, or unsatisfactoriness) and anicca (impermanence), and see them for what they are.
You can then listen to the monkey mind, or reside in peace and stillness with the monkey-mind chattering away.
Buddhism, is not about about clinging on to 2500 years of interpretations of what buddhism is, its about what you are and wish to be, for the benefit of you and everyone else.
Sky like nature of mind is being open to everything, and letting it be.
Mettha
xxx
It is apparent that 'pure awareness' is not necessarily an 'acceptable view' of our true nature, especially to our self-concept, but for whatever reason or obstruction that comes to mind, there must be something we can truly relate to, and say, 'I am not this but, but I can be this but I am also not this', even though it may be paradoxicall.
The above may even be construed as a 'conceited untruth' or delusion, but regardless of a persons intelligence or ability, they can experience through the practice of meditation this thing that is at the same time nothing but can completely fulfill them with hope, understanding, insight and even, dare I say it a wisdom experience, that is fulfilling and liberating and spur them on, especially when they have completely understood the 3 marks of conditioned being.
I may be completely wrong but I would like to offer this: if one chooses to deny or admit in their meditative experience that they can evoke, or experience that they have buddha nature this should should not be instantly dismissed, but analysed and questioned. It is the buddha's way.
Meditation is bringing the mind home (sometimes kicking and screaming) to its natural state. When you are in a meditative state I merely suggest that you are abiding in the field of awareness where phenomena with its properties that are prescribed by the three marks of existence have profound and significant meaning - annatta (the concept of no self), dukkha (the concept of suffering, or unsatisfactoriness) and anicca (impermanence), and see them for what they are.
You can then listen to the monkey mind, or reside in peace and stillness with the monkey-mind chattering away.
Buddhism, is not about about clinging on to 2500 years of interpretations of what buddhism is, its about what you are and wish to be, for the benefit of you and everyone else.
Sky like nature of mind is being open to everything, and letting it be.
Mettha
xxx
5
This discussion has been closed.
Comments
during that period of time what have you been doing to get this understanding?
without reading or listening to Buddha's Teaching (from whatever tradition) do you think you could come to the above understanding?
I have had this understanding or misunderstanding for some time but never formally written it down. 20 years I have stated I am a buddhist after I learned what Buddhism was.
I have watched myself and studied everything around me
No I would never have had something to concentrate my mind enough to reach any conclusion unless Buddhism had entered my awareness
The Buddha Nature as wide as the sky . . .
We nurture people and our environment and we 'let be there spaciousness'. In other words not constricting their nature to the dumber dharma but encouraging their potential, their way and their solution.
http://www.buddhanet.net/nutshell02.htm
. . . well that is my plan :wave:
How could it be a subject for practise ?
That isn't a zenny conundrum
If the nature of mind is skylike how could any practice do anything but cloud it ?
However maintaining the View of its sky like nature..that takes work and the support of Sangha.
Which implies that practice is required to experience the sky-like nature of mind.
Interestingly the more I have learned to let things go and be the easier it is to be 'sky-like'. That is why letting go of the dharma is important as well - it can cloud things a little too much at times wrestling with concepts causes stress. Obviously to see things more clearly will require further practice and study, but perhaps that is for the pure land and not this one. Too much karma to deal with. Lol
Fleas have smaller fleas to irritate and bite em. Smaller fleas have even smaller fleas and so ad infintum.
Big fleas and little fleas alike arise in Great Emptiness and return to Great Emptiness.
Mettha
C.T.R.
Yes, let's go for infinite space!
Who or what experiences our state of mind ? If there is an experiencer it would be an infinite regression.
Sky like mind is always the case. It is a priori.
' Experience ' happens in the absence of that View.
sky like awareness must be within our awareness or we wouldn't be able to talk about it. How can something outside our awarenesss be noticed by us?
No it is still there calmly abiding and settled whilst I get distracted again and again.
But isn't there always experience of some sort, however subtle?
The idea of the 'skylike' nature mind is not found in the Theravada.
I don't see the point of dragging it in through the back door.
Afraid this might set @Citta off when he realises that the view is conditioned. SO he has had an erroneous view all the time :-)
In Dzogchen the "View" has a specific meaning - I can't remember what it is but hopefully Citta or somebody else can explain what it in a clear and non-jargony way.
Personally I have said all I want to say on the subject.
If anyone wants to pursue the matter of the Dzogchen View then I would recommend w.w.w.vajracakra.com.
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_/\_
It's really good because it all depends on your view?
What does
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_/\_
mean - are we playing hangman Holmes?
This is the view (from my perspective)
http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Buddha_Samantabhadra
http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Sogyal_Rinpoche
(have I missed something?)
"Imagine your ordinary thought ridden emotional self as a block of ice left out in the sun. Allow the ice of confusion to melt away in the sunlight of your meditation. Let the peace of 'calm abiding' work on you by gathering your scattered mind through mindfulness and awaken in you the wisdom of 'clear seeing'. And you will find all your negativity disarmed and your confusion will evaporate like mist into the vast and stainless sky of your true nature."
~ Sogyal Rinpoche
Look up kama - god of love and opposite of Mara
What is the meaning of a sutra - something to be understood by the general public or laity.
Mettha
Sounds like you are sticking your head out of the car window on a hot summers day with the wind blowing through your curly locks and with the stereo blaring out. Just grateful to be alive sometimes!
However there are those on www.vajracakra.com who are neither constipated nor proud.
Why not put your questions to them Norman ?
As I have said, I have opinions of my own worth considering.
And I was wrong to introduce the topic into the thread.
But this really is the artistic impression of my view of the ultimate being of human awareness:
but maybe I just like sexing it up a bit too much.