SIMPLEBUDDHISM

AGuidetoEnlightenedLiving

SIMPLEBUDDHISM

AGuidetoEnlightenedLiving

C.AlexanderSimpkinsPh.D.•AnnellenSimpkinsPh.D.

TuttlePublishingBoston•Rutland,Vermont•Tokyo

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Wededicatethisbooktoourparents,CarmenandNathanielSimpkinsandNaomiandHerbertMinkin,andtoourchildren,AluraL.SimpkinsandC.AlexanderSimpkinsJr.,andtoallthetruebodhisattvaswhose

compassionateactionshavehelpedimproveourworld.

CarmenZ.Simpkins’abstractexpressionistpaintingssuggestmood,movement,andmysticism.Simpkinshasbeenpaintingforseventy-fiveyears.HerfirstsoloshowtookplaceinCamden,Maine,in1962attheBroadlawnGallery.Shehasexhibitedthroughouttheworld,andherworksareinprivatecollectionsinEuropeandAmerica.ShecontinuestodisplayherworkathergalleriesinSebastian,FloridaandClinton,

SouthCarolina.

CONTENT

Introduction

PARTI:BUDDHISMINTIME1:TheFounderPlantstheSeeds2:BuddhismTakesRoot3:TheBlossomofMahayana4:BranchingOut5:FlowersfromBuddha’sGarden

PARTII:BUDDHISTTHEMES6:TheFourNobleTruthsandtheEightfoldPath7:BuddhistPsychology:AwakeningfromtheDream8:Nirvana:ANewExperience9:TheBodhisattvaWay:LifeIsGood

PARTIII:LIVINGBUDDHISM10:Meditation:BeginningwithYourOwnMind11:ParadiseNow:ActionIsThought12:MindfulWork13:EnlightenmentThroughArt14:Psychotherapy:ThePaththatHeals

ConclusionTimeLineBibliography

INTRODUCTION

Buddhismisaphilosophythatoffersadifferentwaytobehappy.Everydaylifecan be filled with frustration and difficulties. And while we may experiencepleasures and satisfactions at times, they rarely last. Buddhism helps peopleovercomethishumanconditiontofindtruehappiness.CalledenlightenmentbyBuddhists, this happiness is a transformation that takes place within, and isfollowed by deep calm, clarity of perception, and a feeling of compassion forothers. Everyone has the ability to change, because, according to Buddhism,enlightenmentisalreadythere,it’sjustlyingdormantandunrecognized.

Buddhismoffers a clearmethod to follow,which it calls theMiddlePath.Thispathbringswisdomandunderstandingofthesourceofproblems,enablingus to gain control of our thoughts and actions. When this happens, we canrecognizethingsjustastheyareandunderstandhowweareapartofthewhole.When we step out of the shadows of illusion, there is nothing in the way ofpositive accomplishmentsorofbeingwhoweare.From thisnewperspective,wecanendureandtranscend—andliveanenlightenedlife.

ABOUTSIMPLEBUDDHISMThisbookisdesignedtohelpyouunderstandanduseBuddhismasameans

of inner transformation. The book is divided into three parts. Part I gives thebackgroundanddevelopmentofBuddhism,tointroduceyoutotheideas.PartIIexplains key themes, guidingyou along the path to becomingwiser andmorecompassionate.PartIIIshowshowtomeditatetheBuddhistwayandthenhowtoapplytheseabilitiestoeverydaylife.

YoumaychoosetoapplypersonallyrelevantBuddhistconceptstoyourlife,oryoumaydecide to follow thepathmoredeeplyandcomprehensively.Startwithwhereyouare.Howeveryoudecide to integrateBuddhismintoyour life,letitopenyourpotentialtobecomethebestpersonyoucanbe.

HOWTOUSETHISBOOKMeditateregularlyandthinkcarefullyabouttheideaspresentedhere—thisis

thebasis fordiscoveringBuddhismforyourself.Deepcontemplationwillhelp

youunderstandBuddhistconceptsbetter.Buddhism isnot justa setofconceptsora theory to learn; it is something

youmustdiscoverforyourselfthroughyourownexperience.Weencourageyoutodotheexercises.Readthroughthedirectionsonceortwice,thensetthebookasideandtrythem.Giveyourselftimetoreflectonthenewideasandskillsasyoufindwaystointegratethemintoyourlife.Bepatientwiththeprocess:Thejourneyofself-discoverymayhaveitsupsanddowns,butwithanopenattitude,youwilldiscoveryourownenlightenment!

PARTI

BuddhisminTimeAvisionawakensus

FromthedepthsofancienthistoryBuddha’senlightenment

Dispelstheshadowsofmystery—C.AlexanderSimpkins

Buddhist philosophy spans twenty-five centuries, with millions of adherentsthroughout the world. The journey began in a shadowy past, before recordedhistory,whenalegendarymannamedSiddharthaGautama,theBuddha,throughdedicated effort and commitment to all human beings, made a wondrousdiscovery:thatlifecanbegood,andsocanwe.Asyoufollowtheevolution,theveil over these shadowy beginnings lifts, revealing a brightly lit pathway ofinnerdiscovery,openforalltowalk.

CHAPTER1

TheFounderPlantstheSeedsBealampuntoyourself.

—Buddha

EARLYYEARSBuddhismcanbetracedbacktooneman,knowntotheworldastheBuddha,

“The Awakened One” (563-483 B.C.). He began his evolution as SiddharthaGautama, a member of the Sakya clan of a small republic in northern India.

During this time, India was divided into many small, independent kingdoms,eachruledbyclans.Buddha’s fatherwas the raja,or leader,of theSakyaclanarea,andhisfamilywaswealthy.

Suddhodana,Buddha’s father, gave his son every opportunity to learn andgrow,teachinghimalltheskillsaprinceshouldhave,bringinginthebesttutors,who taught young Siddhartha the Hindu classics. He rode his own horse,practicedmartialarts,andplayedthepopularsportsoftheday.Heledtheactiveandhappylifeofachildofprivilege.

Siddhartha’s gentle-hearted nature began to emerge early.One day, youngSiddharthawasplaying in thegardenwithhiscousinDevadatta.Asa flockofwildswansflewoverhead,Devadattadrewhisbow,aimedatoneoftheswans,andshot.Thearrowhitthebird’swing,bringingitdown.Siddhartharanovertothestruckbirdandgentlyheldthebleedingcreatureuntilitbecamecalm.WhenDevadatta claimed the bird as his conquest, Siddhartha refused to give it up.Theyargued,but in the end,Siddharthawon.He tookcareof thebirduntil itwashealedandthensetitfreetorejoinitsflock.

Siddharthacontinuedtorememberthebird’ssuffering.Suddhodanasawhisson’smood and tried to protect him evenmore from anything unpleasant.Helavished on Siddhartha all that he could give, including beautiful houses anddelicious foods. He arranged Siddhartha’s marriage to Yosadhara, the mostbeautifulgirlinthekingdom.

DISCONTENTSiddhartha livedhappilywithYosadhara,never leaving theconfinesofhis

comfortable palace.Although he doubted the importance of the pleasures thatfilledhiseverydaylife,hecontinuedtofeelhappy.

OnedaySiddharthawentoutsidethepalacegateswithhisservant,Channa.Anemaciatedman,wrackedwithpain,appearedontheroadside.“Almsforthepoor!” theman called out. Siddhartha stopped the chariot and asked Channa,“Whatiswrongwiththisman?Whydoeshesufferso?”

Channaanswered,“Thismanisill,myprince.Manysufferfromillness.Thisisthewayoflife!”

Siddhartha, who had only known good health, felt deeply troubled. Theycontinued along and came to an old man, bent over, shaking, leaning on atwisted cane. “Now, what is wrong with this man?Why does he suffer so?”askedSiddharthaagain.

“Thismanisold,myprince.Weallgrowoldanddieeventually.Thisisthe

wayoflife!”Siddhartha returned to his palace but felt no peace ofmind.He could not

stopthinkingaboutthesufferinghehadencountered.Allthebeautyandjoyoflifewasonly transitory!Peoplegrowold, perhaps evenbecome sick, anddie.Wastherenothingmorepermanent,morerealtolife?Dayafterday,nightafternight, hewrestledwith theproblemof suffering.Despitehis love forhiswifeand their babyboy,Rahula, he resolved that hemust leave the palace to seekanswersforhispeople,tohelpthem.

YEARSASANASCETICAttheageoftwenty-nine,Siddharthacrossedthroughthepalacegateforthe

lasttime.Hejoinedagroupofasceticswhohaddenouncedworldlypleasurestoseekhigher truth througha formofHinduism.Theasceticsviewed thehumanbody as the enemy of the soul. They believed that the body could be tamedthroughabsolutedenialofphysicalpleasures,freeingthesoultosoar.

Siddharthafoundateacher,AlaraKalama,whotaughtaformofmeditationthat attempted to reach beyond the everyday world to a state of nothingness.Siddhartha soonmastered this technique, achieving a state of nothingness, butfoundthateventhoughhecouldachievethisstate,itdidnotsolvetheproblemsofsufferinganddeath.

Disappointed, Siddhartha sought a new teacher, Uppaka Ramaputta.SiddharthahadheardthatUppakataughtameditationsystemthatbroughtabouta state of neither consciousness nor unconsciousness. Siddhartha workeddiligentlyatthismethodandeventuallyreachedthisstate,buthedidnotfeelanyclosertoeradicatingsuffering.

So Siddhartha decided not to look for another teacher and traveled aloneinstead.HewalkedsouthwardintothekingdomofMagadhawherehemetfiveotherseekers.Theyrecognizedhisintensityanddecidedtojoinhiminhopesoflearningfromhim.Theyalllivedinthewoods.

Siddharthaexperimentedwithmanykindsofmeditation,alwayspushingthelimit.He triedausterepractices, restraininghisbody, reducinghis food toonegrain of rice per day. He tried suppressing his breathing to the point ofconvulsive pains. Day after day he sat motionless in meditation. He enduredheat, rain,wind, hunger, and fatigue.He sat so still that birds perched on hisshouldersandsquirrelssatonhisknees.

ENLIGHTENMENTSevenyearspassed.Siddharthahadenduredtheelementswithoutwavering

inhisself-denial,yethefelthehadmadenoprogress.Insteadoffindingtruth,hismental powerswere dimming, his lifewas slipping away.One eveninghewasstruckwitharealization:Ifhecontinued,hewoulddiewithoutrelievinghispeople’ssuffering.Howcouldhismindreachfarther?

ThatnightSiddharthatooksomefreshmilkandricefromakindlywoman.Hesatdownunderabodhitree,atypeoffigtreeknownasficusreligiosos,thathascometomean“wisdomtree.”Withrenewedstrengthandhope,hesatdownandresolvedtomeditateuntilhefoundtheanswertosuffering.

Asthesunrose,Siddharthawasilluminatedwithinnerwisdom.Theanswerstoallhisquestionsbecamecrystalclear.Heexperiencedawordlessrealization,adissolvingofsuffering,anintuitiveunderstandingoflifeanddeath.Hearoseradiantandstrong,fullyenlightened.Fromthenon,SiddharthaGautamabecameknownastheBuddha.

DEVOTIONTOTEACHINGASBUDDHISMGROWSBuddhahesitatedat thebodhi tree followinghis enlightenment.At first he

considered remaining silent. He knew that most people, because they wereentangledinworldlyattachments,wouldbeunwillingtotakehisadvice.Buthiscompassionforhumanitydrovehimbacktotheworld.Afterall,hehadfinallyfoundtheanswertosuffering.Hisenlightenmentbroughthimabsolutereliefandhappiness.Hewantedtosharehiswisdomwithothers.

BuddhasoughtthefiveasceticswhohadsharedmanyyearswithHefoundthem living in the Deer Park, located threemiles north of Benares.When heapproached them, they refused to recognize him as enlightened. From theirperspective,hehadprovenhimselftooweaktoadheretothestrictasceticpath.ButBuddhaconfidentlyexplainedhisbasicinsights,andwhathesaidhascomedownthroughthecenturiesashisfirstteaching,theSermonatBenares.Neitherthe ascetic path of deprivation that made him sick, he said, nor the way ofcompleteindulgencethatmadehimdull,couldbringanendtosuffering.Hehadcometorealizethatthebodymustbeoptimallyfitandhealthytowithstandthemental rigors required to reach enlightenment. The Middle Way, the pathbetween,wasthetruepath.BuddhalaidoutthemethodbywhichtofollowthismiddlewayintheFourNobleTruthsandtheEightfoldPath(seeChapter6).

Buddha.China,NorthernWeidynasty,Limestone,500-525.GiftoftheAsianArtsCommittee,SanDiegoMuseumofArt

Four of the five ascetics reluctantly sat around him to listen, yet after heexpressedhisrealizationtothem,theywereallconverted.Theyjoinedhimandbeganteachinghispath,thusmarkingthebirthofBuddhism.

Buddha and his small band of disciples walked from place to place,spreadingthemessageandgatheringfollowers.Theirdayswerespenttraveling,beggingforfood,eating,bathing,andthenlisteningtotalksfromBuddhabeforetravelingon.

On the journey from Benares to Rajagriha, another large city in northernIndia, Buddhamet Kasyapa. Kasyapa and his two brothers were leaders of alargefire-worshipingsectofoverathousandascetics.Atfirst,KasyapadidnotbelievethatBuddhaheldanyspecialknowledge.Buddhaconvincedhimwithadiscourse thathascome tobeknownas theFireSermon.TheentiregroupsattogetherinanareacalledElephantRockoverlookingRajagrihavalley.Justthen,

afirebrokeoutinthejungleonanearbyhill.Buddhaseizeduponthisnaturaloccurrencetoteach.

Like the fire that was consuming the trees, plants, and animals, so ourpassionsconsumeus,hesaid.Wheneverweseesomething,itignitesaninwardreaction of either pleasure or pain. Our sensations fuel these inner fires,consumingusinanever-endinginfernoofdesireforpleasureandfearofpain.Buddha taught that theFourNobleTruthsand theEightfoldPath freeus fromthese fires. Then we can see without craving, free to be happy. This sermonconvincedKasyapathatBuddhismofferedatruepathforhim.

Kasyapa, along with his two brothers and many of his followers, joinedBuddha in his travels. Kasyapa became Mahakasyapa, one of the primarydisciples who organized the Order after Buddha’s death. Through his travels,Buddhacontinuedtogatherfollowersandsupportersfromalllevelsofsociety.His willingness to accept anyone, no matter what their caste, was a radicaldeparture from traditionalHinduprotocol.Usually religionhadbeen taught inVedic Sanskrit, a language used only by the upper castes. Buddha felt thatteaching in Vedic Sanskrit would make it impossible for anyone from lowercastestounderstandhissermons.Thushealwaysusedthecommonlanguage.

WhenthegrouparrivedinRajagriha,theyweremetbytherulerofthearea,King Bimbisara. On hearing Buddha lecture, the king offered Buddha aresidence inoneofhisnearbybamboogroves.Buddhaandhisdisciples spentmanyrainyseasonsinthisgrove,anditwasherethatBuddhadeliveredsomeofhis most complex speeches. During his first year there, Buddha convertedSariputra,whowaslaterinvolvedinmanyconversationswithBuddha,recordedinthesermons.Sariputrajoinedthecommunity,calledthesangha.

Buddha’sfatherhadkepttrackofhisson’sprogressthroughtheyears,andeventuallyhesentamessageaskingBuddhatomakeavisit.Buddhadecidedtoreturntohishomewithhisentirecompany.Theyarrivedinalocalparkand,aswas their custom, went from house to house begging for food. The townwatched, somewhat horrified to see their prince dressed in simple robes,extendinghisbeggingbowl.Suddhodanawalkedup tohis sonandconfrontedhim,“Whydoyoudisgracethefamily?”

Buddha replied, “Your lineage is of princes; my lineage now is frombuddhaswhohavealwaysbeggedfortheirfood.”Still,Buddhadidnotwanttohurt his father, nordidhewish to showhimdisrespect.He continued, “Whensomeonefindsatreasureitishisdutytogiveittohisfather.Andso,Ioffertoyou,Father,mymostprecioustreasure:mydoctrines.”

Afterlisteningcarefully,Suddhodanacouldseethathissonwasfollowinganhonorablepath.Withoututteringaword,Suddhodana tookhis son’sbowlandgestured for him to enter the palace. The entire household honored him,solidifyingtheirbondsinanewway.Eventually,manyofthemjoinedBuddha’sgroup.

For forty-five years Buddha preached, traveled by foot around the area ofnorthern India, and returned during each rainy season to the bamboo grove.Although many people accepted his teachings without question, some voicedobjections. Devadatta, Buddha’s childhood companion, tried to convinceBuddha to become stricter. He believed monks should be required to liveoutdoors,wearrags,eatnomeat,andneveracceptinvitationstojoinpeoplefora meal. Buddha said this was unnecessary. As long as people were notoverindulgent,itwasnotimportantwheretheyslept,howorwheretheyate,orwhattheywore.DissatisfiedwithBuddha’sanswer,Devadattafoundedhisownconservativeorder,andgatheredmanysupporters.ThroughoutBuddha’scareerheencounteredpeoplewhoobjectedtoaspectsofhismessage.ThesedissentersweretheprecursorstothedivisionsthatwouldtakeplaceyearsafterBuddha’sdeath.

BUDDHA’SFINALDAYSDuringtherainyseasonofhiseightiethyear,Buddhabecameillandrealized

thathis lifewasdrawing toaclose.Hegatheredallhis followersaroundhim.Speakingearnestly,hedirected themtocontinue following thewayhehadsetoutsothattheteachingscouldliveon.Hetoldhisdisciples,“Mendicants,Inowimpress upon you, decay is inherent in all component things; work out yoursalvationwithdiligence!”(RhysDavids1890,83).Thesewerethelastwordshespokebeforeheslippedaway,peacefully.Theyearwasrecordedas483B.C.

CHAPTER2

BuddhismTakesRootThedisciplesofGotamaarealwayswellawake,andtheirminddayandnight

alwaysdelightsinmeditation.

—Dhammapada

THEFIRSTCOUNCILThe funeral ceremoniesbegan,but themonks in attendanceagreed towait

forMahakasyapatoreturnfromhistravelsbeforetheyperformedthecremation.Meanwhile, Mahakasyapa met a group of monks in the village of Pava whoinformedhimthatBuddhahaddied.Oneofthemremarked,“Don’tbeunhappy.Wearefinallyfreetodoaswewishwithoutbeingreprimandedandcorrectedallthetime!”Concernedabouttherebellioussentiment,Mahakasyapahurriedbacktothefuneralsitetocompletetherites.

Following Buddha’s death, many members of the Order dispersed. Therewasnothingtokeepthemtogether.Mahakasyaparecognizedthatsomethinghadto be done to formally set out the rules and teachings of Buddha to keep theOrder gathered. Three months after Buddha’s death, Mahakasyapa calledtogetherthefivehundredwhoremained.TheygatheredataplacenearRajagrihaintowhathascometobecalledtheFirstBuddhistCouncil.

All who gathered had reached enlightenment except Ananda. Ananda hadbeencontinuallyatBuddha’ssideforthepasttwenty-fiveyearsandknewallofBuddha’ssermonsbyheart.Therefore,themonksagreedthatAnandashouldbeincludedatthecouncil.

Anandadesperatelywantedtobecomeenlightened.Accordingtolegend,thenight before the council convened he stayed up all night trying to reachenlightenment.Unsuccessful,hefinallydecidedtogiveupandgotobed.Whenhelaydownonhisbed,sothelegendgoes,hisheadmysteriouslyliftedoffthepillowandhisfeetraisedfromthebed.Hebecameenlightened.

ThefivehundredmonksspentthethreemonthsoftherainyseasongatheringBuddha’steachings,preservingtheminthreesections:thewordsoftheBuddha,calledtheDoctrinesoftheElders(TheraVada),therulesoftheOrder(Vinaya),and the general precepts for both the monks and the laity (Dharma). Anandarecitedthesermonsasherememberedthem,beginningeachonewiththewords:“ThushaveIheard,”whichishowtheearliestsermons,laterknownassutras,begin.

The entire council recited all the information together to commit it tomemory.According to thecustomof the time,nothingwaswrittendown.Ourrespect for thewrittenwordwas not shared by early civilizations. Originally,peoplebelievedthatsacredwordswouldbetrivialized,theirdeeperintentlost,iftheywerewrittendown.Importantinformationwasbestpreservedwhenlearned

byheart.Asaresultofthisbelief,forseveralcenturiesBuddha’slectureswereperpetuatedsolelyinthememoryofthemonks.

Themonks continued towalk the Eightfold Path that Buddha had shown.Through meditation that helped them recognize impermanence and give updesires, they sought to find enlightenment. They became known as arhats,followersof the saintly, nobleway, and they lived in seclusion so as to fosterand develop their enlightenment. Through deep meditation on the EightfoldPath,theyescapedtheproblemsofsickness,death,andsuffering.Thereputationofarhatsasabsolutelypurebeingsgrew.

BUDDHISMDIVIDESINTOSECTSFor thenexthundredyears,differences thathadalwaysbeenpresent, even

duringBuddha’slifetime,becamemorepronounced.Somefollowersfeltthatthetraditional rules and practices set out by the First Council were too strict. Asecond council of seven hundred monks was called at Vaisali to resolve thedivisions and set down the rules and teachings as they had developed. Onecontingent of more liberal monks requested what was called the “TenIndulgences,” asking for the looseningof the rules and restrictionsonalcohol,money,andbehavior.

Intheend, thecouncilupheldtheconservativeversionof theruleswithoutchange.Dissatisfiedwiththecouncil’sdecision,membersoftheliberalfaction,under their leaderMahadeva,held theirownmeeting,which theycalledMahaSangiti(theGreatCouncil).ThiswastheoriginofanewsectofBuddhism,theMahasanghikas,whichpavedthewayforMahayana.

After the Second Council, the monks continued to wander around thecountrysideingroups,teachingthedoctrinefrommemory.Eachmembertendedtospecialize,becomingexpertinonesutra.Inevitably,variationsbegantooccur.People and groups not only lived in different parts of the country, but alsolearneddifferentdoctrines.Atfirst,thegroupsgotalongamicably,recognizingthattheyweresimplytravelingdifferentpathstothesamegoal.Butgradually,distinctions became disputes that grew more frequent and intense. At leasteighteenseparatesectsformed.

Since all the orders depended on the general population for support, theliberal Mahasanghikas wanted to relax the strict rules about who could beenlightenedsothateverydaypeoplecouldbeincluded.Mahadevaargued,“Whynot put your faith in the Buddha who achieved perfect enlightenment andremainsforeverinNirvana?”

The conservative sect adversarial to theMahasanghikas called themselvesSthaviras,meaningElders.InSanskrit,thisnametranslatesasTheravadins,oneof the Buddhist groups that continues today in Southeast Asia. Theravadinsclaimed that they had seniority and were the keepers of Buddha’s originalorthodoxy.Theytriedtostaywiththeearlytraditionswithoutchangingthem.Tolet go of passions, discover wisdom inmeditation, and then become an arhatcontinuedtobethehighestgoalforthesefollowers.

The sects disputed other issues, but the major division was between theEldersandthosewhopreferredamoreliberaldoctrine.

ASOKA,THEBUDDHISTKINGAsoka (ruled 274-236 B.C.) began his career as a military leader. After

conqueringMagadha,Asokawascrownedking,andeachofhissixbrotherswasgivenhisowncitytorule.Asoka,however,didnotgetalongwithhisbrothersandattackedtheirkingdomsrepeatedly.Eventually,hewasvictorious,brutallykillingallsix.Hecontinuedhismurderousrampageuntiltheentireterritorywashis.

Many legends tellofAsoka’scruelty.Hebelieved that themorepeoplehekilled, the stronger his kingdom would become. He built a sacrificial housewhere executions were performed and decreed that anyone who entered thehousewas tobekilled.Hewassaid tohaveslaughtered thousandsof innocentpeople(Chattopadhyaya1981,54).

OnedayayoungBuddhist seekernamedSamudra,whohadnotyet foundenlightenment, wandered into the sacrificial house by mistake. Raising hissword,theexecutionerapproachedthemonk.Samudraaskedinnocently,“Whyareyouattackingme?”

The executioner explained, “Now that you have entered this house, I amobligedtokillyou.”

Samudrasaid,“Iwillacceptthat,butleavemehereforsevendays.Iwillnotmovefromthisspot.”Theexecutioneragreedandleft.Themonksatdownamidallthebloodandbegantomeditate.Hecouldseetheremainsofthemanylivesthathadbeencutshort.Suddenly,asherealizedtheimpermanenceofallthings,hewasenlightened.

Ontheseventhday,theexecutionerreturnedtokillSamudra.Thinkingofanewwaytoaccomplishthischore,theexecutionerplacedSamudrainacauldronof burning oil for a whole day, but Samudra was now impervious to harm.Hearing about this strange event, the king strode into the house to see for

himself. The executioner looked visibly upset. “Sire! You have entered thehouse,andnowbyyourownorder,Imustkillyou!”

ButAsokacleverlycountered,“Ah,butyouenteredfirst,soImustfirstkillyou.”

The monk interrupted their arguing. “I have miraculously been able toendurethisburningoilbecauseofmymeditation!”InapersuasivespeechaboutthebenefitsofBuddhism,heurgedthekingtorepentofhissins.Deeplymoved,thekingunderwentacompleteconversion.HedestroyedhisslaughterhouseandputallhiseffortsintolearningandpracticingBuddhism.

KingAsokadidmorethananypreviousrulertospreadBuddhism.Heurgedhiscitizens to follow theguidelinesofBuddhism: tobecomemoral,act justly,andlivelivesfilledwithloveandcompassion.Peopleshouldobeytheirparents,respectlivingcreatures,tellthetruth,andreveretheirteachers.NotonlydidhebuildBuddhisttemplesandmonasteriesallaroundIndia,buthealsoestablishedhospitalsforbothpeopleandanimals,andplantedgardens.Heevendenouncedwar, asserting firmly that the only conquest left for him was the dharma,Buddhistteachings.Asoka’sstorycanbeaninspirationtoanyoneonthewrongPath.Redemption ispossible.Somehistoriansbelieve that a thirdcouncilwascalledbyAsokaand tookplacearound237B.C.,atPataliputra, lastingforninemonths.AsokadonatedfundstoallowtheTheravadinstowritedownthesutrasandrulesoftheorderforthefirsttime.ThesutrasweregroupedtogetherintheSutta-pitaka(sutrabasket)andwereactuallykeptinabasketatfirst.Therulesof the Order were collected into the Vinaya-pitaka (ordinance basket). ThecommentarieswrittensoonafterBuddha’sdeath,explaininganddevelopinghisteachings, were called the Abhidharma-pitaka (treatise basket). The threebaskets togetherwere known as theTipitaka, theLaw Treasure of Buddhism.These texts, written in the Pali language, became the literature of earlyBuddhism, which included Theravada. They are considered the record of theteachings of Buddha and are the oldestwrittenworks ofBuddhism. They areseparate from the later Sanskrit writings of the Mahayana, done in the firstcenturyA.D.

Asoka sent missionaries throughout India and neighboring countries toconvert people. Even his eldest son, Mahinda, was a devout Buddhist monk.KingAsokasenttheprinceandhisdisciplessouthtotransmitBuddhismtoSriLanka.MahindaandeightotherdelegationsspreadTheravadaBuddhisminthePalilanguage.ItwaswidelyacceptedandspreadtoBurma,Thailand,Laos,andCambodia,where this form,Theravada(Hinayana)Buddhism, isstillpracticedwidelytoday.

BUDDHISMOFTHEELDERSSPREADSAccording to most accounts, the first country outside of India to receive

BuddhismwasCeylon,nowSriLanka.However, theSinhalesechroniclesandcommentaries on the Pali scriptures,written by the ancient people of Ceylon,relate howBuddhapersonally traveled toCeylon three times to give them theteachings directly. Early Burmese and Thai Buddhist writings also containlegends, much like the Sinhalese, that claimed Buddha had visited theircountries. They believed some of the Indian Pali sutras secretly referred topeopleandplacesinSoutheastAsia.

Despitethesestories,historiansbelievethefirstcontactwithBuddhismcamewell after Buddha’s death, when King Devanamispiya was introduced toBuddhism by Asoka’s son (Lester 1973, 68). The Ceylonese king likedBuddhismsomuchthathebuiltamonasteryat thecapitalcity,Anuradhapura,andestablishedTheravadaastheofficialformofBuddhism.

Later, King Asoka’s daughter, Sanghamittla, brought to Ceylon a branchfrom the original bodhi tree where Buddha attained enlightenment.With thisimportant symbol of the Buddha himself, she founded an order of nuns thatlastedformanycenturies.However,nunsweregivenalesserroleinSoutheastAsianBuddhism,andtheordereventuallydiedout.

Over the centuries, Buddhism enjoyed royal patronage. The sangha had aclose relationshipwith thegovernmentsofCeylon,Burma,andThailand.ThisstronginterdependencyhelpedTheravadaBuddhism,laterrenamedasHinayana,todevelopinnewdirections.

HINAYANA’SNEWROLEFORMONKSANDTHELAITYThe tradition that developed over the centuries alteredHinayana’s original

narrow application as a philosophy only formonks.Hinayana became a largereligion with a definite place for the general population.Monks continued topursue the Path to become arhats. But a new way developed for people topracticeBuddhismeveniftheystayedwiththeirfamilies,ownedproperty,andpursuedacareer.HinayanaBuddhismguidedthegeneralpublictoliveethical,fulfilling, and happy lives with the promise that they would be reborn in ahappierstateintheirnextlife.

Goals for the layperson were more modest than were the goals for themonks.First,justlikethemonks,peoplemustsincerelyfollowthepreceptsnottokill,steal,belustful,lie,ortakeintoxicants.Theyalsoweretotakerefugeinthe Buddha, the dharma, and the sangha. Taking refuge in the Buddhameant

theyweretorespectandrevereBuddhaasanenlightenedguidetowisdom.Taking refuge in the dharma involved learning about the teachings of

Buddha,althoughlaypersonsdidnotgointoasmuchdetailasthemonks.Theydidlearnaboutmindfulnessmeditationandcontrolofdesires,buttheyfollowedthese teachings more moderately. The monks taught people meditation andrituals that could set them on a gradual path to enlightenment. Once a weekpeoplewent to themonastery tomeditateandperformrituals thathelped thembecomemorealertandaware,calmerandhappier.Onthisdaytheyweretoeatnothingafternoonandwearsimpleclotheswithoutanyjewelry.Theysatonthefloor,refrainingfromthecomfortsofplushfurnitureormodernconveniences.Inamoderateway,peoplelearnedtoovercometheirsufferingbylesseningdesiresandbecomingmoreaware.

Takingrefugeinthesanghainvolvedhelpingthemonksandthemonasterywith financial support.When people gave food andmoney, they earnedmerittowardahigher rebirth in theirnext life.Thus, laypersonswereencouraged toworkandaccumulatewealth,solongastheirworkdidnotviolatetheprecepts.Commensuratewiththeamountofwealthpeopleacquired, theywereexpectedtosharesomeofitwiththesangha,whoreliedentirelyonthepublicforsupport.

Kings, like the common people, were expected to give generously to thesangha, buildingmonasteries and donating financial support. In return,monkstaught meditation to the kings and offered an enlightened perspective to helpthemrulewiselysothatthekingdomcouldthrive.

Theclose relationshipbetween themonasteryand thegovernmentputnewresponsibilitiesonthemonks.Therulersexpectedthemonkstohelpthepeopleby running Buddhist schools where children could learn reading and writingalongwithBuddhism.Duringtherainyseason,whennofarmingcouldbedone,sonsweresenttothemonasterytoliveasmonks.Theyshavedtheirheadsandworetherobes.Sometimestheyevengaveuptheirregularformoflivelihoodtojoin the sangha and become monks. Usually they returned home, but oftenenrichedbytheexperience.

Hinayana Buddhism is still practiced in many Southeast Asian countriestoday, where centrally located monasteries are an important part of everydaylife.Butalongtheway,Buddhism’spathtookadramaticturnastheliberalformdevelopedintoMahayana.

CHAPTER3

TheBlossomofMahayanaWhatmakesthelimitofNirvanaIsalsothenthelimitofSamsaraBetweenthetwowecannotfindTheslightestshadeofdifference.

—Nagarjuna

BUDDHISMEVOLVESAtfirst,conservativeandliberalinterpretationswerenotfullyopposed.The

monks from both perspectives lived and taught side by side for close to fourhundredyears.Gradually,though,Buddhistdoctrinebegantochange;byaroundA.D. 100, a new literature and a new rationale for the dissenting doctrineemerged.

This new literature revealed a doctrine that creatively reinterpreted thehistorical words of Buddha. Over time, these interpretations became moreclearlydefined,andsentimentgrewamongtheliberalmonkstomakeaformalseparationfromtheconservativeElders.

The liberal groups proposed an explanation for how their ideas wereauthenticBuddhistdoctrine.TheysaidthatwhiletheHinayanasutraswerebeingcodifiedattheFirstCouncil,anotherassemblyofmonkshidanumberofnew,moreprogressivesutrasforsafekeeping.Fivecenturieslater,thesehiddensutraswererediscoveredandbroughtforthastheMahayanascriptures.

MuchlikeKingAsoka,whochampionedtheolderformofBuddhism,KingKanishka (A.D.78-103), a conqueror fromnorthern India, helped to spread thenewBuddhismwithpassionatezeal.Hecalledacounciloffivehundredmonksand collected their new texts into a group. They called their new formMahayana,theGreatVehicle,formallyseparatingfromthetraditionalBuddhismof the Elders, naming the older group of Buddhists Hinayana, the LesserVehicle. Now Mahayana Buddhists distinguished themselves as their ownseparateformofBuddhism.

In northwestern and southern India, Buddhismwas exposed to Hellenisticinfluencesaswellas IranianandMediterraneancultures.Themore liberalandinclusiveMahayanawas open to other cultures, helping it to spread toChina,Japan,Tibet,Nepal,Mongolia,andKorea.

DOCTRINAL CHANGES FROM HINAYANA TO MAHAYANA Mahayana Buddhists

developedwhattheyconsideredtobeanexpanded,superior,andhigherdoctrinethan that of Hinayana. The new doctrine replaced Buddha as the center andoriginator of Buddhism with a wider conception of Buddha. In Mahayana,Buddha, temporarily incarnated in the earthly person of Siddhartha Gautama,became Dharmakaya, the embodiment of the dharma within a succession ofBuddhas over the millennia, to be followed by other Buddhas in the future.BuddhabecameallBeing,themeaningwithinallphenomena,nowsupernatural,timeless,andspaceless.Buddhacouldnotbefoundinspokenwords,doctrines,or learning. The dharma body, or Dharmakaya, was transcendent, and thusBuddha’sexactwordsandrulesasmemorizedbyAnandaandtheearlydiscipleswereonlyatemporaryembodiment,notthepermanentone.

Thebodhisattvareplacedthearhatastheidealrolemodel.Bodhisattvaslivewithcompassion,kindness,andpatience.AccordingtotheMahayana,wisdomisvirtue, and thus being compassionate, kindly, and patient was the correctinterpretation of the Buddha’s teaching, not that of becoming a wise,dispassionatearhat.Bodhisattvasdidnotwithdrawfromsocietytofindnirvana.Theiraltruisticethicsencouragedgoodworksintheinterestofthewholeworld.

Mahayanaaddedmany longdiscoursesonmetaphysicalsubjects, replacingBuddha’s silence in the earlier sutras. Our experience of an apparently realworld, Mahayana taught, is illusion. The true nature of reality is emptiness,whichisexplainedinthenexttwosectionsontheMadhyamikaandYogacarinSectsofMahayanaBuddhism.

Thehighestvaluewasplacedonwhat theMahayanacalledupaya,skill inmeans,whichmeantthatthereweremanywaystoreachsalvation.Thisallowedforamuchbroaderrepertoireoftheories,techniques,andmethodsthatcouldbeincluded in Mahayana Buddhism than had been allowed in Hinayana. Forexample, people were permitted to worship images of Buddha with rituals,thereby finding enlightenment with faith and not simply by wisdom as inHinayana.

Mahayana tended to be more charitable and warmer than Hinayana.Practitioners could be more emotional, personal, and interactive with otherpeople.Theyproducedornateart,literature,andritual.Hinayanacontinuedtobemoremonastic,secluded,conservative,andlessemotional,viewingallpassionsasdelusions.

Mahayana now could appeal to a larger variety of situations and people.Theywerelessstrict,moreinclusivewithregardtowomenandmonksoflesserattainment,aswellasopeningthepotentialforenlightenmenttohouseholders.

TWO SCHOOLS OFMAHAYANATwomajor schools ofMahayana developedwiththeir own doctrines, called Yogacara and Madhyamika. The Yogacarinphilosophy, ormind-only school, believed that ourminds create reality asweexperienceit.Theothermainroot,Madhyamikaormiddlewayschool,heldthatwecannoteverknowwhetherrealityreallyexists.Peopleshouldremaininthemiddleandtakeneitherside.Mahayanadoctrinebecameformalizedassystemsthrough these two schools. They would become the taproots for all laterMahayanaformsofBuddhismthatwouldbecarriedaroundtheworld.

NAGARJUNAANDTHEMADHYAMIKASCHOOLNagaljuna (b. A.D. 200) was an Indian philosopher who founded the

MadhyamikaschoolofBuddhism.Nagarjuna’s school taughtphilosophyasanalternative to meditation, for breaking the chains of becoming. Correctphilosophicalunderstandingistheapproachtofreedomfromattachment,tofindtheMiddleWay.Nagaljuna’swritings led away from idealist separation fromtheworld,andawayfromclassicaldisputesinphilosophy.Nagaljunaofferedanalternativetothetwomainstreambeliefsofhistime,whichweretheonenessoftheuniverseandthedenialoftheuniverse.

TheFourfoldNegationLeadstoEmptinessNagarjuna proposed a dialectic method of questioning called the Fourfold

Negation. Itconsistedof fourpossiblepositions: (1)noposition is tenable; (2)absoluteversusrelativeexistenceaccountsfor thephenomenaofexistence;(3)the foundation for phenomena is emptiness; (4) codependent origination ofphenomena accounts for the existence of phenomena. The Fourfold Negationcanberestatedasalogicalparadigm,bestshowninthischart:

Is IsNot

Is is,is is,isnotIsNot isnot,is isnot,isnot

Nagarjunabelievedthatconceptswereinadequate toconveytheessenceofenlightenment, yet concepts were still essential—that is, concepts were bothinadequateandessential.Paradoxically,allfourcombinationsofisandisnotareequally possible and impossible at the same time. Recognizing that allphenomena are interconnected, nophilosophical position canbe takenwithoutbeing refutable. Nagarjuna showed how no philosophical position can be

supported without question, without bias. No ultimate certainty exists. Thisleavesuswithonlyoneoption:emptiness,whichwecannotevencallemptinesswithout error!Emptiness is theunifyingbasis for all philosophies, anultimategroundthatallphilosophiesshare.

Nagarjuna’s critique of theories was neither conceptual nor cognitivebecausewordsand thoughts inevitablydeceiveus.Nagarjuna’sapproach leadstogivingupthought,lettinggoofconceptualboundariesanddefinitions,indeed,ofexistenceornonexistenceitself.Bytheuseofthoughtandlogic,heleadsthemindofhisstudenttorecognizethefutilityofthoughtandlogic.Ifnobasisfortakingaphilosophicalpositioncanbeconclusivelydemonstrated,thenwhytakeone?Madhyamika is criticalof all positions, includingHinayana.ThisopenedthewayforlaterdevelopmentsinMahayana.

VASUBANDU,ASANGA,ANDTHEYOGACARINSCHOOLThefoundersoftheYogacarinmovementweretwobrothers,Vasubanduand

Asanga. They lived in A.D. 400 in northwestern India. Asanga believed inMahayana from the start.ButhisbrotherVasubandubeganasaHinayanan. Itwaswhile translatingsomeHinayana texts thatVasubandubegan tofindfault.HethenfoundnewinspirationinMahayanaandbecameaspokesmanwithhisbrotherforYogacarin.

Both brothers believed that mind is the basis for enlightenment. TheYogacarin view of theworld of phenomena is that it is all in ourminds.Ourthoughtsmaketheworldseemreal.Yogacarinsusedmeditationtoreachastateofno-thoughttoescapetheillusion.

Vasubandualsoworkedoutaninterestingnewlogic.Hedefinedanexistentthing by a specific example of what it is, what it does, and then he gave anillustrationofwhat it is like andwhat it isnot like.Healwaysused specifics,nevergeneralorabstractcategories.Forexample:(1)Thisfireplacehasafireinit(whatitis);(2)becausethereissmoke,thereisfire(whatitdoes);(3)soitisawoodburningfurnace(whatitislike)andnotapond(whatitisunlike).

ThisexamplereflectsaBuddhistperspectiveofunderstandingeachthingasit is in its particularity, not as amember of a class or category, as is done inAristotelian logic. Lists of attributes are only temporary and relative. InBuddhism,abstractionisanillusion.ThuswhenwereadBuddhistdescriptions,it is puzzling from theWestern perspective,where the class of something canhelpclarifyasingleindividualcase.FromtheBuddhistpointofview,theclassisempty,andthe individualcase isanexample,anexpressionof theuniversalBuddha nature, which is empty of distinction. A form of logic known as

BuddhistlogicevolvedtheimplicationsofYogacarinfurtherintoasystem.

PARAMARTHA:FINDINGTRUEMINDParamartha (499-569) is one of the more renowned later Yogacarins who

camefromeasternIndia.HebroughttheschooltoChina(A.D.546)andtranslatedseventy-fivesutrasandworksofYogacarinsintoChinese.Hewasveryoutgoingandtraveledaroundthecountrylecturingandteaching.Asaresult,hegatheredmanydevotedstudentswhocarriedforththetradition.

One hundred years later, Hiuen-tsiang (650), who was taught by one ofParamartha’s students, taught Chi-k’uei (632-685), who brought Yogacara toJapanandcalledittheHossosect.

Theessenceofthedoctrineisthatdefiningthingsasreal,separateobjectsinandofthemselvesisaphenomenonofconsciousness.Theworldisanillusion,subjective—anextensionofourinnerconceptions.Perceptioncanbetrickedordistorted,aswhenweseeamirageoraconjuringillusion.

Paramartha believed that how we perceive, interpreted through language,sets up barriers to our understanding the world and the things that we areconcernedabout.Inordertochangebehavior,wemustchangethemeaningswegivetothings,includingourdependenceonlanguage.Meaningistrueessence,not thewordsweuse.Wemust still themindandwithdraw fromour sensoryperceptionoftheworldinordertofindthetrueMind.

“Mind-only”isthe“suchness”ofanobject,undifferentiated,initstruestate.There are threeways to view an object. First is the imagined as real—simplyitself, distinct from others. Second is the dependent aspect—how one thing isconditioned by other things. The third is that suchness or mind is the trueessenceofallthings.Intruth,therearenoseparateobjects,andultimately,evenconsciousnessisillusion.Onlymindexists.Youcanunderstandthetrulyreal,orsuchness,throughmeditation.

STOREHOUSECONSCIOUSNESSButtheapparentconstancyofphenomenaandtheworldmustbeexplained,

and in fact was explained by the Yogacarins as alaya, the storehouseconsciousness. Sense perceptions accumulate in a deeper core region ofconsciousnessknownas the storehouse,where theygather relatedperceptions,which, like a rolling snowball, produceother perceptions and conceptions thataredrawninandgatherevenmore.

Storehouse consciousness permeates everything we experience in an all-

pervasiveway.Forexample,whenyouvisit aclothingstore, theclothesoftenhaveaperfumedsmellcharacteristicofthatstore.Whileyouarethere,itaffectsyour sense of smell.Youbring an itemhome, and itmaintains the odor for awhile.Thestorehouseconsciousnessissimilar,aheavyperfumethatpermeateseverythingwedoandthinkallthetime.

Asa resultof thestorehouseconsciousness,ouractions, forgoodandbad,areaffected.Theseactions,inturn,influencetheworld,whichinevitablyaffectsus,andmoresnowballingofperceptionsandconceptionstakesplace.Thereisafeedback loop of mutual influencing, based on the storehouse consciousness.Thisgivesconstancytoourworld,andmakesithardtochange.

The storehouse consciousness canbedissolvedbymeditation.We learn torecognize the relativity of the world. Al is mind andmind is empty, withoutsubstance.

Illusionseemsreal,realityisillusion.Thusmeditationshowsthepractitionerthatthoughillusionsseemreal,nothingisreal.

CONCLUSIONYogacarins led their studentsdeeply into illusionand thenoutof it to free

them with meditation. Madhyamikans led their students with reason andphilosophy and then freed them by showing them that reason and philosophywerefutile.Theywereleftwiththemiddleway.BothschoolswerepersuasiveandeffectiveinofferingtheMahayanaperspective.EachpresentedapartoftheMahayanawhole.SubsequentdevelopmentinBuddhismusedtheirconceptsasaspringboardintoemptiness,thefoundationofMahayana.

CHAPTER4

BranchingOutFormisemptinessandemptinessisform.

—HeartSutra

BUDDHISMISTRANSLATEDINTOCHINESEThoughIndiawasthebirthplaceofBuddhism,ChinagaveBuddhismaplace

todevelopandgrow.Sutratranslatorsandtravelingmonksbroughtthedoctrinefrom India to China and from there it spread to Korea. Korea introducedBuddhism to Japan in 552 during the reign of Emperor Kinmei. The rulerssoughtconcepts,rules,rituals,andprinciplestoguideandinspiretheirsubjects,to create order and purpose, and to help develop their lands and people.Buddhismfulfilledthesepurposes.Theleaderspatronizedmonksandendorsedtranslationcenters.

Kumarajiva (344-413)wasabrilliant scholarandmonkwho facilitated thespreadofBuddhismto theChinese—inhiscase throughhis translationsof thesutras. Kumarajiva headed an official translation bureau in China where hesupervised a thousand monks in the translation of ninety-four works intoChineseforhisroyalpatron,YaoHsing.

Kumarajiva’sdiscipleSeng-Chao(374-414)wasastudentofTaoismbeforeconvertingtoBuddhism.HeinterpretedMadhyamikaphilosophythroughTaoistlenses, and thus developed a clear and unique system of conceptualizing theinconceivable, to communicate Buddhism to the Chinese in familiar terms.Through Kumarajiva and his disciples, many Mahayana sutras were madeunderstandabletotheChinese.Thenheandhisfollowers,especiallySeng-Chao,skillfullyrenderedtheMadhyamikaandYogacarasutrassothattheseideas,too,couldcontinuetogrow.

NEWBRANCHESGROWTheYogacaraandMadhyamikaschoolsmayhavebeenthesolidtreetrunk

of Mahayana. But as Mahayana took root in other countries, it grew newbranches.

The first branchproduced twoChinese sects,T’ien-t’ai (Tendai, Japanese)and Hua-yen (Kegon, Japanese)—both systematically classified as Buddhism.Theseschoolsheldthatrealitycanbeconceptualizedincertainways.T’ient’aidevelopedacomprehensivesystemtoreunitethinkingwithenlightenment.Hua-yen’sgrandschemewasbasedonintuitivesuddenenlightenmentovertheuseofreason.

AsecondbranchproducedPureLandBuddhism,andtheJapaneseformsofJodoandShin.PureLandmade thechant thenembutsu,“Namu-amida-butsu,”which loosely translated means meditate on Amitabha Buddha, into a sacredaction.

According to the third branch, reality is unspeakable, unthinkable: Alltheories are false. Some Mahayana Buddhist sects, such as Zen, follow this

tradition.Words,concepts,andtheories,atbest,onlypointtowardthetruth,butlanguage cannot express it. Ludwig Wittgenstein, a renown Europeanphilosopher,stateditwell:“Beyondthisissilence.”

AmidaBuddha,thebodhisattvaAmitabha.Japan,EarlyEdoPeriod,Wood,seventeenthcentury.BequestofMrs.CoraTimkenBurnett,SanDiego

MuseumofArt

Afourthbranchrejectedthedirectuseofreasoningtoleadtotruthinfavorof other ways, such as mandalas and mantras. Tibetan Buddhism and otherTantric sects such as Shingon follow this mystical path, using elaboratevisualizations and rituals as themeans to enlightenment. (These formswill bedevelopedinSimpleTibetanBuddhism,anotherbookin thisseries.)T’IEN-T’AIBUDDHISM

T’ien-t’ai began in China and was named after the mountain monasterywhere themaster resided.Chih-i (538-597) isconsidered thefounderofT’ien-t’ai.Althoughhewasnotitsoriginator,hewrote,organized,anddevelopedthe

concepts his teacher helped him to realize. Chih-i’s formulations became themeans of conceptualizing T’ien-t’ai’s vision of Buddhism. He institutedconceptstosystematizeandincorporatethevarietiesofBuddhistdoctrineintoaunified,rationalhierarchy.Eachwasgivenaplaceandacategory.

T’ien-t’aididnotblendandsynthesizeallofBuddhismasone.Eachretaineditsseparateidentityasareflectionofthewhole.

TheThreefoldTruthThethreefoldtruthisthebasicstatementoftheT’ien-t’aidoctrine.Thefirst

truthisthattheworldwethinkofasrealisactuallyanillusion.Webelieveitisrealbecauseweexperienceit,butitisnotreal.Theexperiencedworldisemptyofanylastingsubstance;itistransitory,anillusiongiventousbyoursensesandmind.

Thesecondtruthisthatthisworldofexperiencehasatemporaryexistence.It is only partially or temporarily real. Things are real for now, due to theirapparent, momentary existence. The second truth says we cannot say thatnothingispresentatall, for ifwedo,howcouldthesensesandmindperceivethings?Realityisfleeting,likeaflashoflight,buttheflashdoeshappen.

The third truth says there is something, but then askswhat is it? It is not“nothing,” but neither is it “something.” A middle path emerges from theinteraction between, a synthesis that includes them but also transcends them.This third truth is a mysterious fusion, so there is no distinction possible.Absolute mind is completely integrated with the universe. Everything is afunctionofthetruestate.

Suchness:TheUltimateUnityAtthehighestlevelofunderstanding,inagrandsynthesis,allarepresentin

onethought.ThisonethoughtiswhattheT’ien-t’aicallsSuchness,theultimatecategory.Everythingisjustasitis.

For example, consider the common foodproduct butter.Different kindsofbutter vary in their subtle flavors, dependingupon the brand,whether salt hasbeen added, and how it ismanufactured.But in its essence, all forms are stillbutter.Differentflavorsmighttastedifferentlytodifferentpeople,butultimatelyallbutterisofthesameessence.

Thisworldisreal.Thereisnoother.Thephenomenaweseeandexperienceare a function of their conditions, causes and effects, nature, and substance,whichareintimatelyinterrelatedwiththeinnertruthoftheuniverse.

Whether we look at the world from the absolute (nirvana) or the relative(samsara)frameofreference, it is thesameat its innercoreyetdifferent in itsouterexpression.Thecoreisempty.Likeadoughnut,whosenaturedependsonthehole,bothdoughandholearenecessary:Nowholewithoutthehole.Similartophysics’modern theoryofmatter, nothing is constant; everything is alwayschanging.Yetthecentralnothingnesswithineverythingiseternalandsharedbyall.

In theabsolutesense,everythingandeveryone isofone root,oneessence.Boundariesareonlyrelative,dependingonyourpointofview,alwayschanging.Whenwecanexperiencethis,wecanacceptthatthingsarejustastheyappear.We feel the interconnectedness of all reality and liveour lives accordingly, inharmony,whichisthetruenatureofreality.

TheFivePeriodsAs theChinese becamemore knowledgeable about Buddhism, they began

arranging, classifying, and systematizing sutras and doctrines. Students ofBuddhism questioned how itwas possible that one individual (Buddha) couldhavetaughtsomanysutras,sowidely,withsomanyapparentcontradictionsandinconsistencies.T’ient’aiexplaineditbydividingBuddha’steachingsintofiveperiodsandeightmethods.

ThefirstperiodwastheHua-yenorAvatamsaka.Immediatelyfollowinghisenlightenment(528B.C.),Buddhaattemptedtoexpress thewisdomthroughtheAvatamsakaSutra.Buttheunderstandingsweretooadvanced,andsohesavedthissutraforlater.ThesecondperiodincludedtheearlyscripturesandtheFourNoble Truths that made up the Pali Canon of Hinayana Buddhism (528-200B.C.). During the third period (200 B.C.-A.D. 100), the basic Mahayana sutrasintroduced the new concepts of Mahayana Buddhism. The PrajnaparamitaSutrasofPerfectWisdomwerethefourthperiod(A.D.100-200),withtheconceptofemptinessandnodistinctionsbetweendoctrines.The fifthperiod (A.D.200-600) presented theLotus Sutra,with its comprehensive unity of all teachings.T’ien-t’ai believed this period represented the most profound level ofunderstanding.

TheEightMethodsThe wisdom from each period was communicated using four teaching

methodsandfoursetsoftexts.TheFourMethodswereSuddenEnlightenment,the most sophisticated; Gradual Enlightenment, using step-by-step Vipassanainsightmeditation;SecretDoctrine,incorporatingritualsandmysticism;andthe

Indeterminate, an indirect, subtle way of teaching. In the fourth method, allstudents thought they were being spoken to and personally addressed by theBuddha,indirectly,throughsymbols,gestures,andteachings.

The doctrines includedmany collections of Buddhist texts. First were theearly procedures laid out in the Tipitaka.The Shared Doctrine, used by bothHinayana and Mahayana Buddhists was next. The Distinctive Doctrineexplainedaboutbecomingabodhisattva, and theCompleteDoctrine, from theLotusSutra,gavethedimensionsofpracticeforBuddhahood,whereeverythingisunified—allthingsarecontainedineachindividualthing.

TheFivePeriodsandEightMethodsshowedhowallofBuddha’steachingsfrom different times and places could be true. Buddha had used differentapproaches to teach people at varying levels of sophistication. T’ien-t’aiwelcomedalltheteachingsasadiverseresourcefromwhichthestudentscoulddraw,dependingontheirtalents,capacities,andneeds.

T’ien-t’ai’s clear and exacting formulations were used to teach ChineseBuddhism for many centuries. Later, T’ien-t’ai was brought to Japan andbecame known as Tendai Buddhism. Tendai Buddhism had a long andinfluentialeffectonJapan.

HUA-YEN:ONEINALLPHILOSOPHYHua-yenBuddhismaroseintheseventhandeighthcenturies.Fa-Tsang(643-

712)isusuallyconsideredthefounder,dueinparttothevolumeofhiswritings.Heissaidtohavewrittenoveronehundredworks.Hesystematizedandcreatedacoherent,orderlyphilosophyunderthepatronageofEmpressWu.Hewasalsoa dynamic speaker who could move audiences with his words. According tolegend, once, after delivering a dynamic lecture, the earth shook! His mostpopular writing was theCommentary on the Heart Sutra, still read today bypractitionersfromdifferingsects.

WeavingtheflowersofMahayanaintoabeautifulgarland,theworksofFa-Tsang and the other great thinkers in the lineage helped to communicate thisformofBuddhism.Eventually,Hua-yenwasbroughttoJapanwhereitbecameknownasKegon.

TheGreatUnificationThere were three important principles in Hua-yen. The first principle,

Realms of theWhole, was a unique contribution that allowed Hua-yen to beinclusive.Hua-yenmade sense of the varied sects, synthesizing them togetherinto one whole. On the surface, the many varied teachings of Buddha might

seem different, but in their essence, they are all the same. Each sect actuallypresentsonlyoneviewofthelargerpanorama,therealmofdharmadhatu.

Emptiness, the second principle, was central to all Mahayana sects. ButHuayen doctrine included form within the formlessness. Emptiness wasexpressedintermsofitsrelationtofullness.Everything,eachindividualobject,is bothmirror and reflection, reflecting all other objects, and in turn, only thereflectioninanothermirrorfromanotherperspective.Forexample,thepartsofanautomobilegain theirmeaningunitedasacar,butarenot, in themselves,acar. In the sameway, the individual parts of the universe gain their essentialmeaningfromtheuniverseaspartofthewhole.

Acalm lakequietly reflects the surroundings. Inperfect stillness,which isthe true imageandwhichthereflection?Withoutacalmlake,no imageof thesurroundings can be reflected. Without the surroundings, there could be noreflectioninthecalmlake.Theycomeintoexistencetogetherinaflash.

Aperson sees the lake and the reflection as an experience.Theperceptiontakes place bymeans of the mind of the person viewing it. Therefore, is theperceptiononlyinthemind,orisitmorethanmind?

The third principle is Totality, mutual interdependent interaction amongeverything. Hua-yen included reality and substance as part of the totality, thewhole.Hua-yenreintroducedlogicandreasonaspartoftheenlightenedreality,essentialwithinthegrandsynthesisofallthatis.Italldependsonyourpointofview, your level or realm of understanding, and your frame of reference.Therefore,Hua-yenwas a round doctrine,without an edge or boundary. Eachpartcomplementedtheother.Noonepartwascompletewithouttheother.Hua-yen’sperspectivewasnotone-sided.

Each had its place, its part. Hua-yen’s realm is a totality, an integratedorganicwhole.Itwasanaffirming,positivephilosophythatincludedeverythingas threads in the tapestry of enlightenment. There is no obstruction sinceeverythinghasmutualinterpenetrationandmutualidentity,fusedintheonenessofthedharmadhatu.

Althoughdetailsmayvaryandemphasesmaydiffer,theessence,thecentralprinciplewithinallsystems,wasidenticalaccordingtoHua-yen.

PURELAND:THEEASYPATHPureLandBuddhismwasaMahayanasectthatevolvedgradually,beginning

formally in China. Inspiration came from India, from sutras composed aboutthreehundredyearsafterthedeathofBuddhacalledthePureLandSutras.

The school that developed in China was led by Hui-yuan (336-416), whofounded theWhite Lotus Society, named after a lotus-covered pond near hismonastery. Itwas this society that became the basis for thePureLand sect inChina. They retired from society to seek seclusion and live according to thedharma.TheteachingsfromthePureLandperspectivespreadthroughoutothersectsinChina.InJapan,theideaswereorganizedandcodifiedbyHonen(1133-1212) into Jodo Buddhism, which arose in reaction to the often demandingeffortsrequiredforBuddhistpractice.

Honenwasacharismatic,warm,andinclusivemanwhohadadeepdesiretoattainenlightenment.Yethefoundittoodifficulttopracticethethreedisciplinesofprecepts,meditation,andknowledgeonhisown.OnedayHonencameacrosswritingsfromthePureLandsectthattaughttheuseofthenembutsu.Honenwasoverjoyed,forherewasaneasywaytoenlightenment.

ThePureLandadherentsbelievedthatBuddha’senlightenmentwastimelessand spaceless, beyond the confinesofhis life.Enlightenment is personified asmanyBuddhasandbodhisattvas.The lovingbodhisattvaAmitabhavowed thathewouldrefusetobefullyenlighteneduntilallenteredintonirvana.Thisvowcommittedhimtoaltruisticandselflessdevotiontoothers,permittinganyonetogainfromhim.Amitabha’sgreatsacrificeofhisownpersonalnirvanawasforothers. Themerit of a positive action can be transferred to another instead ofbeingusedbythepersonwhoearnedit.Therefore,Amitabhacouldsaveanyonethrough transferring his merit. By sincerely calling his name, saying thenembutsu“Namu-amida-butsu,”heopenshisparadisetoanyone.

Pure Land puts faith in the power of Amitabha. Faith in “other power,”joriki,isthepreferredpathofPureLandpractitionersratherthanfaithinone’s“ownpower,” tariki. Joriki is an alternative to strivingbyyourownefforts toreachenlightenment.

Honen’s student Shinran (1173-1262) developed his own sect, known asJodo-ShinorShinBuddhism.OneofShinran’sstudentsevolvedthePureLanddoctrineofnembutsu’spower tobeevenmorepure,acompleteself-containedpracticethatguaranteedenlightenmentifwholeheartedlyperformedevenonce.

ThoughHonenandShinranexclusivelyfocusedonthenembutsuasallthatwas necessary, followers latermodified the doctrine to permit involvement inBuddhism’sotherpractices.ManyofthesectsofBuddhismhavenowincludedaspectsofthisdoctrine—especiallythechantingofthenembutsuandfaithinthebodhisattvaidealaspersonifiedinAmitabha—asadjunctstoMahayanapractice.

Everyone who practices, whatever their situation, may be reborn in the

Buddhist paradise. This easy way to achieve peace and enlightenment isinclusive and positive toward all. No one is excluded, regardless of formermisconduct,weakness,ordeficit,iftheyfaithfullypracticeAmitabha’svow.

Thiscompletefaithwassosimpleanddramaticallypowerfulthatitappealedtomany.EventhoughHonenhimselfemphaticallydeclaredthatnembutsuwasnotaformofmeditation,othersuseditasameditationandstilldo.

The Pure Land is a sentiment within the heart of Buddhist doctrine. In asense,weareallinthePureLand,hereandnow.Thisisourparadiseifweletitbecomeparadise.

ZENBUDDHISMBuddha held up a flower at Vulture Peak and smiled, communicating the

spirit of enlightenment. All the monks sat solemnly, watching Buddha. OnlyMahakasyapa understood, and smiled. This was the first recorded directtransmissionofenlightenment,frommindtomind,withoutwords.Zenbeganatthis moment. Zen tradition carried the experience of enlightenment forwardthroughtwenty-eightpatriarchsinIndiatoBodhidharma,whotransmittedZentoChina.Thistraditionoftransmittingenlightenmentwithoutusingwords,mindtomind,isthecornerstoneofZenandcontinuestothepresentday.

Since Zen’s doctrine emphasizes the essence within sutras and rituals ofBuddhism, Zen has in whole or part been integrated with many otherphilosophies,religions,andactivities,includingart,martialarts,psychotherapy,and Christianity, among others. Our books, Simple Zen and Zen Around theWorlddescribetheZenwayindetail.

TRANSMISSIONFROMBODHIDHARMATOTHEWORLDBodhidharma (440-528) traveled to China, taught monks to meditate, and

alsotaughtthemmartialartstohelpthemactivelylearn.Bodhidharmabelievedthat the elaborate rituals and doctrines in Buddhism were a distraction thatprevented people from recognizing that their own nature here and now isenlightenment.“Tofindabuddha,”hesaid,“youhavetoseeyournature....Ifyoudon’tseeyournature, invokingbuddhas,recitingsutras,makingofferings,andkeepingpreceptsarealluseless”(Pine1989,11).

Hui-neng (638-713) changed Zen by emphasizing the idea of suddenenlightenment.HeisconsideredthefounderofmodernZen.Sinceourmindisthebuddha,wearealreadyenlightened.Thereisnothingtoseek,nothingtofind.Meditationcanhelpyourealizethis,butdoinganythingwithintensitywillhavethesameresult.Walking,eating,sleeping—allareopportunitiestopracticeZen.

The practice of enlightenment is interpreted in many ways, but the core,accordingtoZen,ismeditation.

Zen evolved into various schools and branches, Soto andRinzai in Japan,knownastheTsao-TungandtheLin-chi linesinChina,weremostsignificant.Theyhaddifferentemphases,yetbothcarry thespiritofZen.Sotofocusedonpracticing clear-minded meditation, zazen. These practitioners deemphasizedenlightenment in favor of the practice of meditation itself. They believedpracticeisinseparablefromenlightenmentratherthanapathleadingtoit.

The Rinzai approach fervently strove for enlightenment and continuallysought to deepen the experience through the practice ofmeditation on koans,storiesfromZenmastersthatportraytheenlightenedmindinteachingsituations.

Koans, zazen, and Zen arts evoke the open-minded inclusive awarenesscharacteristicofZenBuddhism.Butparadoxically,inZen,notonesutraorkoanexplicitlydescribesenlightenment,yetallillustrateitthroughtheultimatefusionofenlightenmentwitheverydaylife.

CHAPTER5

FlowersfromBuddha’sGardenTheworldisthemovieofwhateverythingis,itisonemovie,madeofthesame

stuffthroughout,belongingtonobody,whichiswhateverythingis.—JackKerouac,ScriptureoftheGoldenEternity

There is avast collectionof literature that conveys the ideas andpoints to theexperience of Buddhist enlightenment. Those that express the words of theBuddhahavebeencollectedintotwoseparategroups: theHinayanaPalisutrasandtheMahayanaSanskritsutras.

HINAYANASUTRASThe early sutras expressBuddhist concepts through stories, analogies, and

lectures. They portrayed the teacher, Buddha, guiding people with real-lifeproblems and questions. These sutras expressed Buddha’s ideas aboutimpermanence, reducing desires, and developing wisdom. Throughout, they

encouragedpeopletotakethemoralpathtofindenlightenment.

MustardSeedSutraOne of the most well-known sutras, theMustard Seed Sutra explains the

verydifficultphilosophicalconceptofimpermanencethroughastory.AmothernamedKisaGotamiwasgrief-strickenwhenheryoungsondied inchildhood.Rather than face the tragedy, she carried the dead child from door to doorseeking medicine to cure him. People laughed at her for trying to find atreatment for death, but one person took pity and told her to go see Buddha.Filledwithhope,shequicklysoughtoutBuddha.TheBuddhacouldseethatinorder forKisaGotami toacceptwhathadhappened, sheneeded tounderstandimpermanence. “Go and find grains ofmustard seeds,” he told her, “but onlyfromahouseholdwherenoonehaseverdied.”

She agreed and set off to find the cure she sought. But every house shevisitedhad the same answer:Someone in the family, either a child, parent, orgrandparent, had died. Gradually she began to realize the sad truth: For allpeopleintheworld,allthingsareimpermanent.

TheDhammapadaThe concepts of Buddhism were expressed in many sutras. As more and

more people wanted to learn about Buddhism, teachers gathered the insightstogether into a single teaching sutra that expressed the essentials. TheDharmapada(Sanskrit)broughtmanylessonstogetherbythemeintoonesutra.The words were ascribed to Buddha, taken directly from his many sermons.TherewereanumberofdifferentversionsoftheDharmapada,dependinguponwhichsectcollectedthem,butthesameideaswerecommontoall.

TheDharmapada emphasizes that the only path away from suffering andtowardhappinessisthroughpersonalefforts.“Rousethyselfbythyself,examinethyselfbythyself,(Yutang1942,322).

Buddha’s argument to stop doing what you should not and do what youshouldwasnotbasedjustonmoralgrounds,itwasalsopragmatic.Hebelievedthat wrongdoing brings suffering and discomfort to the doer. “Fools of poorunderstandinghavethemselvesfortheirgreatestenemies,fortheydoevildeedswhichbearbitterfruits”(Yutang1942,331).

Buddhadidnotsimplyaskpeopletostopengaginginnegativeconduct,heurged them to engage in conduct that was positive. Acting with love andcompassion brings true happiness and fulfillment. Most of us are well-intentioned,butwefinditdifficulttofollowthrough.Buddhaprovidedamethod

to tame the mind and take control of action by awakening to enlightenment.Withthisawakeningcomesthehappinessofnirvana.

BUDDHA’SFAREWELLSERMONAsBuddha felt himself slipping into death, he exerted a strong effort and

broughthimselfbacklongenoughtospeaktohisstudents.“Iamoldnow,”hetoldthem.“Myjourneyisending.Buteventhoughmybodyceasestobe,youhave what you need within.” His most famous words were “Be a lamp untoyourselves.. .seeksalvationaloneinthetruth”(Burtt1955,49).Thus,inthissutra,BuddhalefthisdiscipleswiththewisdomofBuddhism.Salvationcomesfromdelvingdeeplyintoyourownawareness,exploringyourthoughts,feelings,and sensations.Only by holding steadfastly to the light of truth shed by yourownlampcanyouendsufferingtofindpeaceandhappiness.

MAHAYANASUTRASMahayana Sutras reflect improvements, developments, and insights from

Buddhist practice: wordless insight of enlightenment, the bodhisattvas ideal,ultimateemptiness,interpenetrationofallthings,andfaith.

Theseworks, likeall sutras,werewrittenas thewordsof theBuddha.TheMahayana legendwas that immediately followingBuddha’s enlightenment, hepreached the doctrines of these sutras.However, no one could understand themessage. So he decided to beginwith a simpler doctrine and save the deepersutrasforlater,whenpeoplewouldbebetterabletoreceivemoresophisticatedteachings.Thus, theHinayanasutraswere taught inorder toprepareBuddha’sfollowersforMahayana.

PerfectWisdomSutrasThe group of teachings, known as the Prajnaparamita, Perfect Wisdom

Sutras,marksthenewpathofMahayana.Perfectwisdomisnoteasytograsp.Itlies beyond descriptions and cannot be thought about. “Where there is noperception,appellation,conception,orconventionalexpression,thereonespeaksof‘perfectwisdom’”(Conze1995a,150).

Perfectwisdom is quiet, empty, goal-less, and nonexistent. This definitionmightseemcontrarytotheusualconceptionofwisdominourfact-hungry,data-crunchingworld.But the sutras explainhow the enlightenedperspectivehas acallingbeyondeverydayconcerns,thoughaffectingthem.

The Heart Sutra, one of the most famous sutras of the Prajnaparamita,describes the relationshipbetweenemptinessandeverything inourworld.The

sutrastates thatformisemptinessandemptiness isform.Everythingweknowandexperienceintheworldiswithoutlastingsubstanceeventhoughitexiststousinthemomentofexperience.Whenweacceptultimateemptinessandgraspthe transitory nature of our existence, we comprehend the Buddhist logic offreedom.MostZensectschantthewordsoftheHeartSutradailytohelpcleartheirmindsofthought,openingthewaytoenlightenment.

The Diamond Sutra (Diamond Cutter) is another key sutra in thePrajnaparamita.Adiamondisthehardeststoneandcancutthroughallothers,butwhenpolished, it shinesbrilliantly.Like thediamond, this sutracutsawayour limited, small-minded, everyday perspective and allows us to discover ashining light—the all-encompassing wisdom of enlightenment. As Saint Paulsaid, “The things that are seen are temporal; the things that are unseen areeternal”(PriceandWong1990,5).

TheDiamondSutramakesanumberofpointsthatseemparadoxicalatfirst,suchasenlightenmentisperfectwisdom.Itstatesthatthereisnothingtoattainandnothing tograsp,but thatwemustdevoteourselves to trying toattainandgraspit.Ifwearetoexperienceenlightenment,thesutrasayswemustdevelop“A pure, lucid mind, not depending upon sound, flavor, touch, odor, or anyquality...amindthatalightsuponnothingwhatsoever”(PriceandWong1990,28). Ifnothing is there,howcanwisdombegrasped?Wisdom isnot found inobjects of any kind, neither in the outer world nor of thought itself. Peopleshould recognize this truth and reject illusion. We should look for theenlightenedtruthofperfectwisdomingoingaboutourliveswithaclear,calmmind.

AvatamsakaSutraTheAvatamsaka Sutra (Hua-yen) is another large collection of sutras that

wereembracedanddevelopedbytheHua-yenschoolinChinabetweenthefirstandfourthcenturies.Thename“Avatamsaka”means“garland”or“wreath,”andthiscollectionissometimesreferredtoastheFlowerGarlandSutra.Itisknowntous throughChinese translations ranging insize fromforty toeightypartsof30,000linestotal.Thesixty-booktranslationdonebyBuddhabhadra(418-421)wasusedbytheHua-yenschooltoguidetheirpath.

The Avatamsaka Sutra combines the understandings from the two earlierMahayana schools:Madhyamika andYogacarin. FromMadhyamika, the sutraembraced emptiness as the ultimate nature of all things. From Yogacarin, itadoptedthemind-onlyperspectivethatallbeingisillusion.

Integration, knownas the “All inone andone in all”doctrine, is aunique

contribution of this sutra. All things contain reflections of everything else,nothingexistswithoutbackgroundandboundaries.Soontheabsolutelevelthereisnodistinctseparationbetweenthings.Thusthereisnoseparationbetweenallthat we actually experience in everyday life and transcendent enlightenment.Each thing relateswitheverythingelse.Theycoexist, allmerge intoone.Thisidea was difficult for people to understand. Fa-Tsang, the most importantpatriarchofHua-yen,usedaningeniousdemonstrationtoexplain the theorytoEmpressWu, a great patron of Buddhism. One day, the empress said to Fa-Tsang,“Iamstrugglingwiththeideaoftotality.SometimesIfeelasifIalmostgrasp it, but then other times I’m not sure again. Can you give me a clearillustration?”Fa-Tsangpromisedhewould.

Afewdayslaterhereturnedandsaid,“Yourdemonstrationisready.Followme? He led her to a small room where he had attached mirrors to the floor,ceiling,andallfourwalls.Whileshewaswatching,heplacedastatueofBuddhaat the center. Suddenly, the empress could see Buddhas appear, infinitelyreflected ineverydirection. “Howmarvelous!” sheexclaimed,as theconceptsbecamerealforher.Shecouldliterallyseehowallwasreflectedineverythingelse, all exhibiting Buddha everywhere. She could also see how things werecodependent,allcomingintobeingsimultaneouslyatthemomentthatFa-Tsangplacedthestatuedownonthefloorinthemiddleoftheroomofmirrors.

The Avatamsaka Sutra illustrates in many forms how all beings, objects,moments, and places merge, uniting with one another while retainingindividuality,inemptiness.

VimalakirtiSutraTheVimalakirti isoneof themostpopularMahayanasutras.Basedon the

insights of a wealthy businessman named Vimalakirti, who attained Buddhistenlightenment, this sutra showshowanyone canbe enlightened.Apersondidnothavetogiveuphiseverydaylifeandbecomeamonk,astheearlierdoctrinerequired.

Vimalakirtiwasalivingexampleofthis.Hissuccessfulcareershowedhowapersoncouldexpressthesilenceofenlightenmenteveninthemidstofactivity,thatmeditationwasnotsomethingseparate.AsheexplainedtoSariputra,oneofthemonksofBuddha’s innercircle,“Tosit isnotnecessarily tomeditate. . . .Not toabandon thewayof the teachingandyet togoaboutone’sbusinessasusualintheworld,thatismeditation”(Dumoulin1988,50).

Awakened living is what Vimalakirti urged. People do not have to avoidproblemsorchallenges;fromanenlightenedperspective,difficultiesdonothave

to cause anxiety and suffering. “Not to cut [off] disturbances and yet to enternirvana,thatismeditation”(Dumoulin1988,51).Sittingquietlyinmeditationtoempty themind of all disturbances is unnecessary. Enlightenment is a part ofeverydaylife.

The Vimalakirti Sutra illustrates how enlightenment is both filled withpotential and yet empty. One day, Vimalakirti went to bed, sick. A largeassembly of Buddhist monks were planning to visit him. Sariputra, who hadarrived early, asked Vimalakirti, “How can this small room possiblyaccommodateallthehostsofmonkswhowanttovisityou?”

Vimalakirti answered, “Are you here to seek chairs or Dharma?” (D. T.Suzuki1978,99).Thesutragoesontosaythatonehundredthousandcelestialchairswerebroughtin,andwhenallthethousandshadassembled,itwasnotatall crowded. Vimalakirti explained that such a miracle was possible becauseenlightenmentisfilledwithpotential,unboundedbyspaceandtime.

WhenManjusri,thebodhisattvaofwisdom,arrivedatVimalakirti’sbedsidealongwiththegroupofbodhisattvas,heaskedthemall,“Whatdoesnondualitymean?”

Eachinturnsteppedforwardtoofferintellectualexplanations.Onesaidthatnondualitywastheresolutionofopposites.Anotherclaimeditwaspurityversusimpurity.Finally,Vimalakirtiwasasked togivehis insightson the subject. Inresponse,Vimalakirti sat silently.Manjursi applauded the answer. “Well done,welldone,”hesaid.“Ultimatelynottohaveanylettersorwords,thisisindeedto enter into the doctrine of nonduality” (Ch’en 1973, 384). Zen Buddhismfollowed thisemphasisonwordless,unspeakable, indescribableenlightenment.Silencecanbeapath to follow.Thesutraencourages stillness inone’shouse.Everyday life flows from this enlightened silence, bringing happiness andfulfillment.

LankavataraSutraTheLankavataraSutraisoneofthemostpsychologicalofMahayanasutras.

Originating around the second or third century A.D., this sutra was basic toYogacara.Itdescribesthementalchangesthattakeplaceasanindividualtravelsthe path to enlightenment.One of the key points is that enlightenment comeswhenapersonrealizeshowhisorhermindinfluencesperception.Atthatpoint,thepersonseesthroughillusion.

Thefollowingparablefromthesutraillustratesthisidea.KingRavanaaskedthe bodhisattva Mahamati to explain Buddha’s enlightenment experience.

Suddenly,thekingnoticedthathishomewasornatelydecorated.Thenitseemedtomultiply into infinite numbers of lavishly decorated palaceswithMahamatisittinginfrontofeachoneaskingBuddhatodescribehisinnerexperience.Next,the king heard one hundred thousand delicate voices answering. Then, assuddenlyas it appeared, theentire scenevanished, and theking foundhimselfstanding alone in his palace. Confused, he said, “Am I dreaming?”Then herealizedthatjustliketheimageshehadimagined,everythingisacreationofthemind.Uponthatthoughtheseemedtohearvoicessay,“WellyouhavereflectedOh king! You should conduct yourself according to this view” (D.T. Suzuki1978,101).

Meditation is recommended to help people clear their consciousness ofillusions.Thesutradescribesfourdhyanas(meditations)totakethepractitionerfrombeginningmentalskillstofullyenlightenedself-realization.Throughthesemeditations, a change in thinking takes place until illusion dispels andenlightenmentdevelops.

LotusSutraTheLotusoftheGoodLaw(Saddharmapundarika),oneofthecentralsutras

fortheT’ien-t’aischoolinChinaandTendaiandNichirinschoolsofJapan,wascomposedaroundthefirstcenturyA.D.ThissutravividlyportraystheMahayanaconception of the Buddha, who is described as more than the mortal manGautamaSiddhartha,whofoundenlightenment;Buddhaisthelivingexpressionofallenlightenedbeings,frominfinitetime—past,present,andfuture.

ThesutrabeginsonVulturePeakwhereBuddhameditates.Heissurroundedby many gods, people, and bodhisattvas. The peak is illuminated by raysemanatingfromBuddha,andthehillsideisstrewnwithbeautifulflowers.ThisscenepaintsanewpictureofBuddha,asanall-wisebeingwithgreatpowersandvision. Buddhist artists often used this sutra as inspiration. The sutra clearlydescribesBuddha’snewstatus:“ThetrueTathagata,theembodimentofcosmictruth,neitherisbornnordies,butlivesandworksfrometernitytoeternity”(Ch’en1973,380).

SkillfulMeansThesutraexplainswhyBuddhismseemstooffermanydifferentwaystofind

enlightenment through the concept of skillful means. When Buddha wasteaching, he always tried to make each lesson relevant to the student. Herecognized that people differ in their personalities, needs, motivations, andintelligence.Thushislessonscouldsoundverydifferent,dependingonwhomhe

wasteaching.Thisparablewasincludedinthesutratoillustrateskillfulmeans.Afatherstoodoutsidehishomewatchinginhorrorasitbecameengulfedin

flames.Heknewthathisthreeyoungchildrenwereplayinghappilyinside,butrealizedthattherewasnotenoughtimeforhimtoruninsideandcarryeachoneout. The onlyway to save them allwas to get them to come out themselves.Knowing how much they loved carts, he called to them, “Children, comequickly.Ihaveabeautifulcartoutsideforeachofyou.Comesee!”Thechildrenranout laughing,fullofexcitement tosee theprettycarts.Thefatherdidhavesomecartstogivethem,soeachchildwasnotonlysavedbutalsohappy.Likethe father, Buddha promises something to motivate everyone to let go of alimitedperspectiveandseekenlightenment.

ThesutragoesontoshowhowBuddha’steachingsarelikerainshoweringdown on all varieties of plants.Water ismade of one constant substance, buteach plant receives nourishment from the rain in whatever way it needs.Buddha’smanylecturescontainedBuddhistwisdom,dharma,tohelppeopleinavarietyofways,dependinguponwhatwasbestforeachindividual.

So the nature of Dharma always exists for the weal of the world, and itrefreshesbythisDharmatheentireworld,andthen,refreshed,justliketheplants,theworldwillburstforthintoblossoms.(Conze,1995a,140)

PURE LAND SUTRA Faith and devotion are expressed strongly in theSukhavativyuha, or Pure Land Sutra. The Pure Land sect (Shin and Jodo inJapan) as well as the Tendai sect adopted deep faith as a viable pathway toenlightenment.

The pure land is the paradiseworld of theBuddhaAmitabha. The land isfilledwith radiantcolors, jeweledmountains, fragrantaromas,andharmonioussounds.Everyonethereexperiencespeacefulcalm.

No evil can exist in this place, only the happiness that comes from anenlightened state ofmind.Enlightenment allows all the inhabitants to practicegoodness.Everyoneiswelcomehere.AllthatisrequiredisabsolutefaithintheBuddha.

Thesutrareassurespeoplethatiftheytrulyhavefaith,theywilltakeonthebestqualitiesofenlightenedbeings.Theirmindswillbecomepure, filledwithfeelingsofcompassionandlove.DeepunderstandingdevelopsoutoffaithanddevotiontotheBuddhapresence—aneternalspiritualessence.

PARTII

BuddhistThemesTime’sseparatemoments

LetobjectsseemIntruth,eventhisIsonlyadream

—C.AlexanderSimpkins

ThepathofBuddhismtakesusonajourneyofinnerawakening.Timeandspacearedimensionsoftheillusionofobjectivereality.Webelieveobjectsexistwhenwecanlocatethemintimeandspace.Butrealitychangeseverymoment.Whenweseebeyondtheobvious,perceptionclearsandawarenessopensinthedeepestrecessesofourbeing.

The themes of Buddhismmust be personally discovered and felt, not justcomprehended intellectually. As you continue your journey into Buddhism,allow yourself to explore these themes deeply. Then you will find yourselfquestioning and understanding yourself from a new perspective and open topossibilitiesthatwillimprovethequalityofyourlife.

CHAPTER6

TheFourNobleTruthsandtheEightfoldPath

Ifonemanconquerinbattleathousandtimesathousandmen,andifanotherconquerhimself,heisthegreatestofconquerors.

—Buddha

AlthoughBuddhismisdividedintomanydifferingsectsandschools,onesetofthemeswasacceptedasthestartingpointforall:theFourNobleTruthsandtheEightfoldPath.Howitisinterpretedandpracticedtodayvaries,butthesebasicpremisesarethefoundation.

Buddha’soriginalquestwastofindasolutiontoaconditionhebelievedwascentraltoallhumanbeings:suffering.ThedoctrineoftheFourNobleTruthsisBuddha’s diagnosis and prescription for treating human suffering and findingtrue happiness. “He compared life and passion to disease—human life, like adiseasedbody,requiresacurebyaproperregimen”(Eliot1957,194).

TRUTHONE:LIFEISSUFFERINGLife is fraughtwithdukkha,which is translatedmost literally as suffering.

The true meaning of dukkha, though, is much broader and encompasses ourexistentialcondition.Buddhatookaruthlesslookattheinevitabilitiesoflifeanddeterminedthatweareallonano-exitpathtodeath.Theyearspassquickly,andeven though there arehappymoments, thegood timesnever endure.Thus thefirststepontheBuddhistPathistorecognizeandfacethatlife,whenlookedatwithrawrealism,issuffering.TheseareBuddha’swordsexplainingthisidea:

Birth is attended with pain, decay is painful, disease is painful, death ispainful.Unionwiththeunpleasantispainful,painfulisseparationfromthepleasant, and any craving that is unsatisfied, that too is painful. (Yutang1942,361)

At first glance, Buddha’s description of life seems to be an example ofnegative thinking. But Buddha viewed suffering as the starting point, not theconclusion.Hefirstmadewhatheconsideredarealisticdiagnosisofthehumanconditionandthenproceededtoofferadefinitesetoftreatments.

TRUTHTWO:THEROOTOFSUFFERINGBuddha’s second Noble Truth is that there is a root of suffering: tanha,

which translates literally as desires. Buddha is not advocating the end of alldesires;heistalkinghereaboutegocentricdesires,basedonanincorrectwayofviewingourselvesandourworld,thatbringaboutsuffering.Themoreweseektogratifyourownego,themoreconstrictinganddemandingtheegobecomes.

Attemptingtoacquireandholdontothingsisliketryingtograspandhold

air in your hand. Life is impermanent. The world in which we are living isconstantly changing. No one can stop the inevitable flow of time. Buddhabelievedthatourself-centereddesirescanneverbefulfilled,andweinevitablywillbefrustrated.

TRUTHTHREE:YOUCANENDSUFFERINGSuffering is the doorway to deeper insight. Understanding that we can

transcend suffering is the third truth. This requires an inner transformation.Throughakindofawakeningwecancomprehendthetruth,justasBuddhasawit,andbecomeenlightened.

TRUTHFOUR:THEEIGHTFOLDPATHThefourthtruthsetsoutacourseofactiontoputanendtosuffering.Called

the Eightfold Path, it guides people to resolve their difficulties, find freedomfromsuffering,anddiscoverhappinessandfulfillmentinenlightenment.

“RightViews”isthefirststeponthePath.“Rightviewswillbethetorchtolight his way” (“Sermon at Benares” in Stryk 1968, 51). To begin an innertransformation,peoplemustfirstorientthemselves.Theydothisbyintroducingthemselves to what lies ahead. Psychotherapy research at Johns HopkinsUniversityHospital(Frank,Hoehn-Saric,etal.,1978)foundthatgivingpeoplerightviewsaboutpsychotherapyhelpedthemdobetterwiththeirtreatment.Theresearchers had their best results when subjects were given an introductoryinterview to help them understand what their real problem was and what thetreatment would involve. This “role induction interview,” as the researcherscalledit,helpedraiseclients’hopesforcuresandsetthemintherightdirection.

The first steps introduce people to the right views offered by the NobleTruths.They learn that there ishopeforchange,sincemanyof theirproblemsareactuallyillusionstheyhavecreatedthemselves.Lifewillbebetterwhenyoupointyourselfintherightdirection—byfollowingtheEightfoldPath.

“Right Intention” is the second step. “Right aimswillbehisguide” (Stryk1968,51).Toseriouslycontemplate takingBuddha’scure,peoplemust feel intheir heart that this is what they want to do. Harold Greenwald, a renowntherapist of the 1980s who created Direct Decision Therapy, believed that inordertogetoverproblems,peopleneedtomakethedecisiontodosoonaveryfundamental level. This commitment begins the process of change. Buddhismasks not only that peoplemake the decision, but that they also promise to dotheirbesttoperseverealongthejourney.

“RightSpeech” isnumber three.Weare ready toenter theprocess.“Right

Wordswillbehisdwellingplacealongtheroad”(Stryk1968,52).WebegintopracticeBuddhismby turningour attention to ourselves andnoticingwhatwesay. If you have ever listened to yourself on a recording, you were probablysomewhatsurprisedbyhowyousoundedandwhatyousaid.Observeandlistentowhatyousay,andyoucanbegintoknowyourself.

Just listening, though, is not enough. People should be aware when theyspeakwithmalice,andtrytounderstandwhytheydidso.Whenpeoplegossipabout a friend, for example, they are being defensive, alienated from theirdeeper, purer being. By questioning why they said something negative, theybegin to uncover their deeper motivations. Continued awareness and self-examinationcanhelpyoucommunicatemorepositively, inharmonywithyourtruenature.Rightspeechisanessentialstepalongthepathtochange.

“RightConduct”isthefourthsteponthepath.“Hisgaitwillbestraightforitisrightbehavior”(Stryk1968,52).Justaspractitionersobservetheirspeechtobecomeawareof theirmotivations, theymust alsopay close attention to theirconduct. When people begin to pay attention to what they do, they may besurprised to learn that many of their actions occur unconsciously. Sometimeshabits are helpful, like driving a car or tying shoelaces. But at other times,unconsciousactioncangetone into trouble.Recognizing thedifferencebeginswithobservation.Buddhabelievedthatwhenpeopledotherightthingandliveaccordingtorightconduct,theirsufferingdiminishes.

Next, reflect on these observations and ask yourself what motivated thisaction.Buddhiststrynottobemotivatedbyegoandinsteadopentheirheartstocaringaboutthewelfareofothers,thepathofthebodhisattva.

“RightLivelihood”isthefifthsteponthepath.“Hisrefreshmentswillbetheright way of earning his livelihood” (Stryk 1968, 53).When people considerhow they spend their lives,most will recognize that they spend a lot of timeworking.Buddhabelievedthatbecauseworkoccupiessomanyhoursoftheday,peopleshouldnothopetofindinnerpeaceiftheyareengagedinanoccupationthatiscontrarytoBuddhistvalues.Buddhaaskseveryonetoexaminetheirworkandmakesureitiscompatiblewithanenlightenedlife.

“RightEffort”isthesixthstep.“Righteffortwillbehissteps”(Stryk1968,53). Buddha believed that when people make efforts in the right direction,positivechangesbegin to takeplace.But if they tryfor thewrongthings, theyare following a path that will inevitably lead to unhappiness and suffering.Buddha encouraged his followers to put themselves into what he calledwholesomeefforts—suchashelpingothers—andtoavoidunwholesomeefforts—things that involvegreedandcrime. Ifyoualwaysmake thecorrect efforts,

youwilleventuallysucceed.“Earnestamongthethoughtless,awakeamongthesleepers, the wise man advances like a racer, leaving the hack behind”(DhammapadainYutang1942,329).

Righteffortalsomeanscorrectpacing.Marathonrunnersknownot tostartouttoofast.Theymustpacethemselvescorrectlyinthebeginning;iftheydon’t,theymay find themselves out of energy before they reach the halfwaymark.Similarly,becomingsodeeplyawareofeverywordandactcanbetaxing,evendisturbing at times. Buddha encouraged his followers not to overexertthemselves before theywere ready.Be diligent, but always be in accordwithyourpersonalreadiness.

“Right Thought” is the seventh step. “Right thoughts [will be] his breath”(Stryk1968,54).Correctthinkingisasimportanttolifeasbreathing.Buddha’sprimaryobjectivewas toovercome ignorance.Butchangecannothappenuntilpeople gain control of their minds, using awareness. “It is good to tame themind,which isdifficult tohold in, flighty, rushingwherever it listeth;a tamedmind brings happiness” (Dhammapada in Yutang 1942, 329). Awarenesscontinues tobeaprimarytool inpsychotherapytoday.Gestalt therapyfounderFritzPerlslikedtotellhispatients,“Awarenessiscurative.”

Ifpeoplepayattentiontoeachthought,feeling,andsensation,theybegintonotice how fleeting and transitory these experiences are. The concrete sensepeoplehaveof themselvesismerelyaseriesofexperiencesthatseemtoblendtogether into one. In reality, the ego is nothing more than this series ofexperiences.Theideaofafixedegoisanillusion.Oncepeoplerecognizethis,they canbegin to engage inRightThought, to see life as it truly is.Sufferingdisappears.Themindbecomescalm.

“Right Concentration” is the eighth and final step. Right concentration“obtains a sense of freedom, of knowledge immediate and unbounded, whichsees the whole world spread below like a clear pool in which every fish andpebble is visible” (Eliot 1957, 222). In this stage, the practitioner puts all theskills built up along the path into the practice of meditation, just as Buddhafoundenlightenmentbymeditatingunderthebodhitree.Then,likeaknifethathas been recently sharpened, the meditator’s concentrated awareness cutsthrough illusion to perceive the world directly. Buddhists believe that directperceptionisnotonlypossiblebuttrue.AsBuddhasaid,“Hewhoordershislifearight passes beyond the transitory and gains the Real, the highest fruit. Andwhen he has gained that, he has realized Nirvana” (Eliot 1957, 226). Onceenlightened,sufferingisnomore.

CHAPTER7

BuddhistPsychology:AwakeningfromtheDream

Whatwecall“I”isjustaswingingdoorwhichmoveswhenweinhaleandexhale.

—ShunryuSuzuki,SotoZenmaster

Like modern-day psychologists, Buddha developed a sophisticated view ofconsciousness that included perception, emotions, and motivation—typicaltopics of study in psychology today. The mind not only holds answers toexistential questions about ourselves and our world, but it is also the key toovercomingtheeverydayproblemsofliving.

SENSEPERCEPTIONBuddhadistinguishedsixsenses: the traditional five—sight,hearing,smell,

taste,touch—plusthemind,asixthsense.Eachsensehasitsownawareness.AsBuddhaexplained:Theelementofeye,ofvisibleobject,ofeyeawareness;

Theelementofear,ofsound,ofearawareness;Theelementofnose,ofodor,ofnoseawareness;Theelementoftongue,oftaste,oftongueawareness;Theelementofbody,oftangibles,ofbodyawareness;Theelementofmind,of ideas,ofmindawareness. (deSilva1979,23)Weexperiencetheworldthroughoursensoryawareness.Allthedatawereceivefrom our senses bring about a response in our consciousness. Modernpsychologydescribes theconnectionbetweenconsciousnessand thesensesasacloseinteraction,withthestimulus(S),takeninbythesenses,followedbytheresponse(R),whichisprocessedbytheconsciousnessandreferredtoastheorganism(0).Sensorystimuliandtherelatedresponseisaffectedbyconsciousness in an S-0-R relationship. Buddha believed that the S-0-Rinteractionissointimatelyinterconnectedthatwithoutsensorystimulitobeaware of there is no consciousness or response. Consciousness is always

consciousnessofsomething.Buddha extended this even further when he said that consciousness is

actually caused by stimuli. Without any stimuli, consciousness ceases to be.Consciousness and the sensory world need each other to exist. A sensorydeprivation tank can demonstrate that we need varied experiences. After anumber of hours with only minimal stimulation, subjects lose touch witheveryday reality, hallucinate, and slip into an altered state. Our experience ofreality is partly a function of our senses and perceptual processes.Without aworldtoexperience,thereisnoconsciousness.

THECHAINOFBECOMINGEarlyBuddhismproposedatheoryofmotivationthathelpedtoexplainhow

people become unhappy in their lives. As Gordon Allport, a famouspsychologist, once said, “Motivation is the ‘go’ of personality.” In a sense,Buddhawouldhaveagreed.

Perception is an active process, involving both objective and subjectiveexperience.Thesensationswehavefromcontactwiththeworldleadtoadesiretofillourwants.Wedesirepleasantsensationstocontinueandunpleasantonesto stop. These desires bring about a desiring state of mind, which leads tograspingafterthingstosatisfythedesire,creatingagraspingstateofmind.Suchthoughtscan leadus intodifficulty.Falsebeliefsandassumptionscreatestatesofmindthatbiasandlimitourperception.Buddhaexpressedthisidea:

Whatone feelsoneperceives;whatoneperceivesonereasonsabout;whatonereasonsaboutobsessesone;whatobsessesoneistheoriginofanumberofconceptsandobsessionswhichassailaman.(deSilva1979,24)

At the moment something is perceived, Buddha believed that ego alsoappears. For example, a tennis player who evaluates how he is doing as heswingstheracquetwilllikelyinterferewiththeshot.Thethoughtsabouttheselfarewhatleadtodifficulty,nottheflowingactofcorrectlyswingingtheracquet.

Justasafireisdifferentaccordingtothekindoffuel...Doyesee,bhikhus,that this is [something that has] become?Do ye see that the becoming isaccording to the stimulus?Do ye see that if the stimulus ceases, then thatwhichhasbecomeceases.(RhysDavids1914,16)

The world as we know it is in a continual rhythm between coming intoexistenceandpassingaway.Everyeventistheresultofacausethatbringsabout

otherresults,actinginachain.At first, this chainmight seem to bind us to a bleak fate: If everything is

determined by this logic, bound for misery, what can we hope for? Buddhapainted a grimpicture for theunenlightened, but he firmlybelieved therewashope:Thepathofenlightenment.Peoplecanchangetheirdestiny.Throughself-awareness gained from study and meditation, people can break the chain ofcausation and become free to re-create their lives in an atmosphere of infinitepossibilities.

NON-EGOBuddha argued that a real and lasting ego is not possible because

consciousness is ever changing alongwith the content.Whatwe call our self,our ego, is in flux. “But thatwhich is calledmind, thought, or consciousness,dayandnightkeepsperishingasonethingandspringingupasanother”(Eliot1957,190).

Any sense of an ego is only an apparent unity created by the mind.Westernersfindthisdifficulttoacceptastrue.Butthenon-egoperspectivetakenin Buddhism is a means to let go of mistaken ideas about self. Clarifyperceptionsabouttheegoanditbecomestransparent;youseerightthroughit.Aluminouswindowopensthroughwhichyoucanseetheworldasitis.Youmakeaperceptualshiftthatallowsyoutorecognizethatyouarenotjustyourconceptofself.

MAHAYANAEMPTIESTHESELFFURTHERThe laterMahayana reinterpreted the idea of non-ego to mean emptiness.

Whetherornotouregomattersisnotasimportantasrecognizingthatourrealnature is empty.Mahayanans see stimulus-response as themoment-to-momentexperiencethathappensinthehereandnow.Buddhismencouragesstayingwithpureexperiencing,nottomakeobjectsofthingsnorofoneself.Ourtruenatureisfilledwithopenpotential,transcendentexpressionofabsoluteprocess.

This passage, from one of theMahayana sutras, shows the importance ofemptiness.

WhentheMindisdisturbedthemultiplicityofthingsisproduced;whentheMind isquieted themultiplicityof thingsdisappears. In spiteofdefilementtheMindiseternal,clear,pure,andnotsubjecttotransformation.(B.Suzuki1969,123)

Weare freed from the chainsof false ideas about ourselves and theworldthat binds us to sufferingwhenwe experience the emptiness of consciousnessreflected in our everyday world. “It is through absolute emptiness thatBodhisattvas, practicingperfectwisdom, cleanse the road to theknowledgeofallmodes”(Conze1995a,173).

CHAPTER8

Nirvana:ANewExperience

Iftheyonlyrealizedit,theyarealreadyintheTathagata’sNirvana,for,inNobleWisdom,allthingsareinNirvanafromthebeginning.”

—TheNirvanaSutra

Ifrelieffromsufferingseemsnegative,istherenothingpositiveinlifetoseek?Is everythingmerely illusion, or is somethingmore to be found in our lives?Buddhismoffersthehopeofsomethingbetter.Adifferentviewoflifeappearsonthehorizonofconsciousness.Anewwaytoexperienceisbornthatenhancestheabilitytocopewithsuffering,eventranscendit:nirvana.

Whatisthisnewexperience?Whatmakesitsodifferent,souniquethattheimpossiblebecomespossible,theunsolvablecanbesolved?TheanswerisfoundinBuddhism’suniquelogic.

We have a long tradition in theWest of problem-solving that is based inscientific reasoningandAristotelian logic.Our culture is firmly rootedon thisbasis. An object or situation exists or does not exist. Cause leads to effect,premisesleadtoconclusions.Forexample,Iamsittinginachair,writing.Fromthe usual perspective, this chair is solid and belongs to a certain class orcategory:ahandcraftedmodernchair.Webelieveweunderstandanobjectwhenwe can define and classify it in a category.We take this for granted.We candescribethechairtoothers.Theyknowwhattodowithit—sitinit—aswithallmembers of the category chairs. And as the renowned philosopher BertrandRussell explained, a category is not amemberof itself.So I donot sit on thecategorychairs,anabstraction.Iamsittingonthisparticularhandcraftedchair.

Itisanactualchair,anobject,notanabstraction.But Buddhist doctrine suggests that when we classify and reason about

chairsinthisway,weareperceivingourthoughts,nottherealworld.Wethinkweknowanobjectbyitscategory,butwedonot.Weonlyknowthecategory.Wecouldsitonadesk,onthefloor,orontheground.

A wonderful experience awaits us when we free ourselves from thelimitationsofourcategories.Sinceallarechairs,thereisnochair!Thecategorychairsisanillusion.Anythingcanbeachairwhenwesitinmeditation.

Problems occur when consciousness attempts to grasp a situation with anarrow, limitingperspective.Enlightenmentpromises to liberateus from theseconfines,toallowustousemoreofourpotential.

LIFEISCHANGENothing is able to exist for more than a fraction of time. We look at

ourselves in themirror today and feel an identity, but soonwe grow old.Wechange.Wemaydiscussourviews,asserting“This iswhat I think, really,andthisiswhoandwhatIam.”Butayearfromnow,ortenyearsfromnow,willwestill think the same? Or do we change our views as we travel through thedevelopmentalstagesoflife?Atonepointinhistory,noonebelievedthatpeoplecould fly. Yet today, anyone can fly using an airplane. Computers and theinternetmake aworldwide linkage possible. But even as recently as themid-twentieth century few people could imagine technology’s possibilities. Theproblemisthatwebelievethesetemporaryassumptionsaretrueforalltime,andinsodoing,welimitourselves.

Eachmomentofeachexperienceiscomplete.Whenwecanappreciateandembrace the goodness of each moment, suffering can be transcended andpositivepotentialcanbediscovered.

ENLIGHTENEDNATUREBuddhismassuresus thatwe share enlightenednature.Allworldlyobjects

and beings have the same inner nature at their core. Sharing this nature incommon,nothingornoonecanbeseparatedfromanythingoranyoneelse.Thisis what is meant by saying we all have buddha-mind or that everyday life isenlightening.Fromthisfoundation,thisfundamentalnaturethatweallsharein,everythingwethinkanddo,literally,isenlightenment.

ZenmasterDogentoldhisstudentsthatpracticeisenlightenment.Practiceofmeditation helps us to realize what is already there: the enlightened nature

within.Toliveitcompassionatelyistruewisdom.

NIRVANAISFOUNDINTHISWORLDTemporary existence is the ground, the stage on which the drama of

enlightenedlifetakesplace.Thelightofawarenessappearsthroughthelensofnothingness,dissolvingtheshadows,showingusthetrueworld.

The essential element of nirvana is found in compassionate relationships,interaction between persons and events. An intelligent, self-correctingconsciousness develops in interactionswith others and theworld. So in a realsense, mind is world: The universe, as Buddha said, is mind, and mind isuniverse, in a pattern of interaction, of interrelationship. Mind cannot beseparated frombodyorworld, andyet noworldor livingbody existswithoutmind.

Weexpressnirvanawithcompassionate love forothers asourselves in thepeacefulharmonyoftheMiddleWay.Thisharmonyisapatternofmeaningthatisnotcausal,notbasedinspace,time,ormatter.Nirvanaishowthisispossible.

Everything is unique, perfect, just as it is, while also inseparably part ofeverythingelse.Weexistinmanyrealms,ontherelativeplaneofbeingaswellastheabsolute,andyetbotharepartofeachother.Withoutoureverydaylives,jobs,relationships,andwaysofplay,wewouldnotbewhoweare.Butwearemorethanjustthat.Withoutenlightenment,wewouldhavenoidentity,nobasisfor our relative existence. Each is part of the other. The Middle WaymysteriouslyemergesintheOnenessbetween.

Nirvana is beyond any possible frame of reference, transcending allboundaries.Everythingispossiblebecausenothingispossible.Eachmomentisnew.

CHAPTER9

TheBodhisattvaWay:LifeIsGoodThehumanmindpossessestheBuddha-nature,unobtainablefromothers.Itcanbecomparedtoamanwhohasajewelinhisclothesheknowsnotof,ortoa

manwhoseeksafterfoodwhenhehasatreasureinhisownstorehouse.—SurangamaSutra

ARHATS,THEHINAYANAIDEALHinayana Buddhists believe that the path to discovery is a long personal

journey, taken step-by-stepalong theEightfoldPath.Throughcareful,mindfulself-observation, combinedwith inner calming, people trace the roots of theirsuffering and bring an end to it. This meditative discipline brings about self-control,sothattheycanchoosetodogoodandrejectevil.AstheNirvanaSutrastates,Toavoidevilactions

TodoactionsthataregoodAndtopurifythemindIstheessenceofBuddha’steaching.(Luk1991,111)

Eventually,arhatsletgoofdesires.Theyarenolongerpushedandpulledbywishes and wants. Excess thought stops, suffering ends. What remains is afeelingofcompletewell-being,otherwiseknownasnirvana.Thisisthepathforthearhat,amethodofperfectingcharacterandobtainingthefreedomtobeabletofollowtheTruth.

MAHAYANA’S PATHWAYS: THE BODHISATTVA The arhat’s journey is only for theselect fewwho arewilling to renounce everyday life for a secluded,monasticexistence.Mostpeoplewouldliketoimprovethemselves,butnotattheexpenseof family and profession. They would prefer to integrate wisdom into theirlifestyle.MahayanaBuddhismrecognizedthatinordertoappealtotheeverydayperson, anotherpathwasneeded.For this reasonanew idealwas created: thebodhisattva,whichmeansenlightened(bodhi)being(sattva).

The bodhisattva offers us a role model to follow. All people have theopportunity,nomatterwhattheirshortcomings,toelevatethemselvesalongthisnoble path that perfects character. For example, when you walk into a darkroom,youmustfirstturnonthelight.Similarly,bodhisattvasbeginwithaflashofenlightenment.

Anyone can be enlightened, but once there, the process that cultivates theexperienceisgradualbydegrees.Throughintensestudy,meditation,andcorrectpractice,apersonevolvesthisfirstglimmerofinsight.Intime,oneovercomesthenegativequalitieswithintobecomewiseandcompassionate.

Bodhisattvasdonotallowthemselvestoattainnirvanaandthensitbackandenjoytheirenlightenment.Thiswouldbeanegativepassion.Instead, theyturn

awayfromthepotentiallyself-centered,secludedlifeofanenlightenedarhatanddevotethemselvestoimprovingeverydaylifebyhelpingothers.Forexample,ifyou find something wonderful, do you keep it for yourself or share it withothers?Thebodhisattvachoicewouldalwaysbetoshare.Thebodhisattvapathis an altruistic one. Instead of seeking personal enlightenment, they seeksupremeenlightenmentbyguidingotherstoenlightenment.

BodhisattvaHead.China,SuidynastyStone,581-618.BequestofMrs.CoraTimkenBurnett,SanDiegoMuseumofArtFOLLOWINGTHEBUDDHISTVIRTUES

First, the bodhisattva makes four vows: (1) to save all beings, (2) to notindulge in negative passions, (3) to learn the Truth, (4) to teach the Truth toothers,leadingthemtoenlightenment.

Bodhisattvas attempt to perfect themselves according toparamitas,perfectvirtues.TenvirtuesgivethemdefinitecriteriaforaligningtheirpersonalidealstothoseofBuddhism.

Originallytherewereonlysixparamitas:generosity(dana),morality(sila),

patience(ksanti),effort(virya),andmeditation(dhyana),culminatinginintuitivewisdom (prajna). Later, four more were added: skillful means (upaya),resolution (pranidhaina), strength (bald), and knowledge (jhana). As in theEightfold Path, bodhisattvas fill their consciousness with pure thoughts,practicingmeditationthathelpstokeeptheirmindsclearlyattunedtothisintent.Practicehelps toperfect avirtuous life.Thusbodhisattvas train themselvesbyexpandingwisdomandknowledgewhilealsodevelopingcompassionandlove.

Living in tune with the paramitas has its rewards, and theDasabhumikaSutra (partof theAvatamsakaSutras)describes thebenefitsas tenstages: joy,immaculate, illuminating, radiant, meditation, turned toward, going far,steadfast, sharing, and cloud of the law. According to this sutra, all whowholeheartedly practice the paramitas will feel happy. Even if you are notperfectinyourpractice,youwillprogressifyouaresincereinyourefforts.

THEBODHISATTVATRANSFORMATIONIn following the vows they make, bodhisattvas embrace selflessness.

Concerns of the ego become of less consequence. Bodhisattvas are free fromfear,worry, and insecurity because they have let go of ego concerns, such asconcern over reputation, comparing themselves to others, judging theiraccomplishments.Aswebegin to letgoof illusoryconcerns,wecan focusonwhatreallymatters.

Eventually, all theefforts in livingwell,meditation, andgoodworksbringabout a transformation in the personality: the wish to help others. Thebodhisattvacanintuitivelyreachouttosomeoneinawaythatwillmakesensetothatindividualbyusingskillfulmeans.Bodhisattvashaveappearedintheworldas people from all walks of life, illustrating how wisdommay sometimes befoundinunexpectedplaces.

Ourhypnosisteacher,MiltonH.Erickson,wasamasterofskillfulmeansintheserviceofhispatients.Hespecializedinhelpingpeoplewhohadfailedtogethelp from other therapists. Erickson believed that the helper must start frompatients’ own understandings and utilize their resources to help them helpthemselves. One patient came to Erickson because he had never been able towrite.Ericksonsaidtohim,“Youmaynotbeabletowritewordsorletters,butcanyoumakealine?”

Thepatientanswered,“Yes,Icandrawaline.”ThenEricksonsaid,“Canyoudrawacircle?’’Thepatientanswered,“Yes,Icandrawacircle.”

“Wellthen,”saidErickson,“youalreadyknowhowtowrite.Justputthelineand the circle together, with some parts going above the line and some partsgoingbelowtheline.Thenyouhavetheletterb,orp,ord.”Hewentontoshowthe patient that, by using what he already knew, he could write the entirealphabet(Erickson1978).

Likethemanwhothoughthedidnotknowhowtowrite,mostofusdonotrealizethatwecanbeenlightened.Thebodhisattvameetspeoplewheretheyareand helps them to understandBuddhist truths startingwith the understandingstheyalreadyhave.

Bodhisattvas develop the ability to determine their actions. In Zen arts,enlightenment is expressed directly as will in action. The calligrapher cancontrol the exactmoment thebrushmeets thepaper to create aperfect stroke.Thereisnoseparationbetweenthoughtandaction.

Sometimes circumstances present barriers to positive action. For example,some studentswill say, “I have to cheat if Iwant toget ahighgradebecauseeveryoneelsecheats.”Thebodhisattva response is to stickbyone’sprinciplesregardless. Bodhisattvas develop the inner strength to make the wise andcompassionatechoicenomatterwhatthecircumstances.

FINDINGYOURPATHThebodhisattva followsapath thatcastspersonalconcernswithina larger

context.When you accept a bodhisattva orientation, your life takes on greatermeaning,transformingasmall,ego-centeredexistenceintoonethatenhancesallexistence.

Sincenirvanaand thisworldareunited, there isnoneed torunawayfromyourlife.Youdonotlosenirvanabyturningbacktohelpothers.Allarepartofthe oneness. Many doctrines become one doctrine that you learn by doing.Livingwellbringshappinesstoyouaswellastothoseyouhelp.

Sincerelyperfectyourowncharacterinactiontobekindtoothers,notjustaselectfew.Thisisthewayofthebodhisattva.AstheZenBuddhistMumonsaid,“The gate is wide open and nothing blocks your way” (paraphrased fromMumonkaninSekida1977,137).

PARTIII

LivingBuddhismSand,breeze,andsunJoinwithprimevalseaTosynthesizeasoneExperienceofunity

—C.AlexanderSimpkins

TheseaofBuddhismisvastanddeep,yetyoumustsearchwithintodiscoverit.Everythingyoudo reflects thewisdomofBuddha,aseverydropofwater isadropofthesameessenceasthewatersoftheocean.Drawyourinspirationfromthesamewellspringthathasnourishedgenerationsofbuddhasandbodhisattvas.Now,plungeintoyourinnernature,anaturesharedbyall.Withthisexperiencecomesawonderfulsenseofunity,well-being,andcalm.

CHAPTER10

Meditation:BeginningwithYourOwnMind

Itisthereadinessofthemindthatiswisdom.—ShunryuSuzuki,SotoZenmaster

Wisdom begins with awareness, and awareness can be enhanced withmeditation.Meditationwillhelpyougainboththecontrolandreleaseofmentalprocesses,leadingtoyourownunderstandingofenlightenment.

There are two distinct types of meditation, each offering a pathway toenlightenment:dhyana,meditation toclear themind;andprajna,meditation tofill the mind. The two methods are best performed in conjunction with eachother.TheLotusSutrastatesthisprincipleofneedingtwoforms:

TheBuddhawhiledwelling inMahayanaused the transcendentalpowerofthedhyanaandprajnawhichhehadrealizedtoliberatelivingbeingsfrombirth and death. . . . The practice of dhyana alone, while wisdom isdisregarded [causes] stupidity, and the practice ofwisdom (prajna) alone,whiledhyanaisdisregarded,causesinfatuation.(Luk1991,111)

TheT’ient’aipatriarchChih-itaughtthatthemeditativepracticeofclearingthemindshouldbebalancedbyfilling themind inequalproportions.Hesaid,“This twin realization is like thewheelsofacartand the twowingsofabird.Partialpracticeofthemiswrong”(Luk1991,111).

Weoffer several variations of each technique, drawn frommanyBuddhisttraditions. You will find some methods of meditation easier than others.Experimentwith thedifferent formsandnoticeyour reactions.Allow time foryourskillstodevelop.Choosethevariationthatworksbestforyou,ordothemall.

GETTINGSTARTEDPickatimewhenyouwillbeundisturbedforatleastfiveminutes.Youwill

nodoubtincreasethedurationofyourmeditationlater;whatismostimportantnowisthatyoubegintodoit.Intoday’sfast-pacedworld,peopleoftenfeeltheyjustdon’thaveenoughtimetofitmeditatingintotheirschedules,butmostofuscanfindafewfreeminuteshereandthere.

Find a relatively quiet place.At first soundsmaybedistracting; later, youwon’tnoticethem.Manypeoplehavearoomoranareasetasideformeditation.Havingameditationcornermayinfacthelpyoutogetinthemood.Youmightburn pleasant-smelling incense, hang a picture ofBuddha or another inspiringimage on the wall, or place a statue nearby. All of these are optionalenhancements. Keep in mind that the essential component is you and yourwillingnesstotry.

Meditationistraditionallydonesittingonthefloor,perhapsonameditationpillowIfyouareabletositcomfortablyonthefloor,doso.Ifnot,sitonalowbench or in a chair.Where and exactly how you sit should not interferewithyour meditation. Buddha did not believe in taking a restrictive meditation

posture.Becomfortable.Sitcross-leggedorinahalf-lotusposition(onefootisbroughtuptorestontheotherleg).

MistyEvening.China,Ch’ingdynasty,Inkonsilk,hangingscroll,seventeenthcentury.Donorunknown,SanDiegoMuseumofArt

There are several classicways to hold your hands. One is to sit with onehandrestingpalmupontheotherinyourlap,thumbslightlytouching.Anotheristoleteachhandrestcomfortablyoneachknee,palmsdown.Athirdpositionis to rest your hands on your legs, palm upwith the thumb and index fingertouching.

DHYANA:MEDITATIONSTOCLEARTHEMINDTheuntrainedmindjumpsfromthoughttothought,oftencausingaseesaw

of emotional reactions. A calm mind can perceive clearly and is capable offlexibly coping with life’s inevitable challenges. You can learn to tame the

“monkeymind”bypracticingthesethreeformsofdhyana.

Dhyana:ClearingtheMindMeditationIBeginyourmeditationbyconcentratingonyourbreathing.Closeyoureyes.

Situprightsothatyourbreathingpassagesarefreeandopen,butdonotstrain.Allowyourselftorelaxandbreathenormally.Focusyourattentiononbreathing,inandout.Giveonecounttoeachcompletebreathingcycle,inhaleandexhale.Continuetobreathenormallyandcountuptoten,thenreturntooneandcountagain.Dothisforseveralminutesthefirsttime.Graduallyincreasethetimeuntilyou can sit comfortably for increments of fifteen minutes. Meditating in thismannereachdaycanhaveacalmingeffect.

Dhyana:ClearingtheMindMeditationIIPicksomething—astatue,avase, apicture—asanobjectofconcentration.

Youcanalsouseanyordinaryhouseholdobject.Wehavedonethismeditationusingsuchvarieditemsasasodacan,abladeofgrass,andamuralonthewall.

Placetheobjectbeforeyou.Sitcomfortablyandfocusallyourattentiononit.Trynottothinkaboutanythingelse.Noticeeverythingabouttheobject—itscolors, texture, features, shape. After several minutes, close your eyes andvisualize the object in yourmind. Picture it as vividly as possible.Keep yourattention focusedon the image inyourmemory.Whetheryousee itvividlyorvaguelydoesnotmatter.Theimportantpointistostayfocusedonit.

Openyour eyes and lookagain.Doyounotice things thatyoudidnot seebefore?Closeyoureyesandagainpicturetheobjectinyourmind.Istheimagedifferentnow?

Ifyoufindyourselfdistractedbyanotherthought,gentlybringyourattentionback to the object. Keep returning to your focus whenever your attentionwanders.Eventually,youwillbeabletofocuswithoutbecomingdistracted.

Dhyana:ClearingtheMindMeditationIllNow that you have practiced focusing your attention, you can experiment

withlettingyourfocusgo.Imaginethatyourmindislikeastreamflowingdownamountain. Your thoughts are the branches and leaves that are being carrieddownstream.Youarestandingontheshore,watching.Canyouletthebranchesandleavesflowpastwithoutstoppingthem?Canyoustayontheshore,quietlywatching?Let the flowof your thoughts go by.Do not identifywith any onething. Gradually, less branches float past. The stream clears. Stay with theclarity,quietlymeditating.

When you are ready to stop thesemeditations, open your eyes and noticehowyoufeel.Areyoucalm?Doyourvisualperceptionsseembright?Enjoytheclarityandcalmness.

PRAJNA:FILLINGTHEMINDMEDITATIONSPrajna meditations teach how to fill the mind with moment-to-moment

experiencing.ThesemeditationsallowpeopletodiscoverBuddhistconceptsforthemselves.Throughdirectobservationoftheirownthinkingprocesses,peoplecome to understand impermanence, and these understandings become aspringboard for lettinggoof cravingsanddesires. Ifyoucarefullywatchyourthoughts,youwillhaveyourownpersonalexperienceofthesetruths.Keepyourmindopenandtryforyourself!

Prajna:FillingtheMindMeditationISit quietly. Close your eyes at first to lessen any distracting stimuli. Turn

yourattentiontoyourbreathingonceagain,butthistimeyouwillmeditateonitinadifferentmanner.Insteadofcountingyourbreaths,focusyourattentionontheprocessofbreathing.Asyoudrawairin,noticehowtheairfillsyourlungsandcausesyourribcagetoexpand.Followtheairasyoupushitoutanditexitsthroughyournose.

Noticehoweachbreath, inandout, isauniqueexperience.Even thoughanewbreath follows immediately, each breath is a separate action.We call theprocess“breathing,”but that isonlyaconceptualabstraction.Ifyoureallypaycloseattention,youwillobserveandfeeltheairgoinginthoughyournoseanddown into your lungs as your rib cage expands. Then the air goes back upthroughyournoseandoutasyourribcagecontracts.Thisfullbreathisreallyaseries of separate actions repeated over and over. Nothing more is present.Followeachbreathinandout;trytobecomeawareofhowthebreathcomesintobeingandthenisgone.Stayintheabsolutenowwitheachnewbreath.

Prajna:FillingtheMindMeditationIISitquietlywithyoureyesclosedandpayattentiontoyoursensations.Notice

eachoneasitoccurs.Forexample,supposeyouhearthesoundofacarpassingoutside.Payattention tohowthesoundcomesand thendisappears.Trynot tothink about it. Simply notice. Observe the sound but do not let yourself startthinkingfurtherabout it—perhapswonderingwhatkindofcar it is,howmanypeopleareinit,andsoon.Justrecognizethesound.Thentrytonoticehowthesoundcomesand thengoes.Keep followingeachexperienceas itappearsanddisappears.Payattentionto thiscomingandgoingofsensations,noticing their

transitorynature.

Prajna:FillingtheMindMeditationIIIWhenyouareabletofollowyoursensationswhilesittingquietlywitheyes

closed, try to expandyour awareness even farther.Openyour eyes andnoticeyour experience as you did before. Try to stay aware of each experience, butalwaysletgowhenitends.Donotconceptualize,judge,oraddtoitinanyway.Inotherwords,refrainfromthoughtssuchas“Thisisanicefeeling,”or“Ihatewhenthathappens!”or“Ihopethatwillhappenagain.”

PrajnainActionIExpandyourpracticeofprajnameditationevenmorebypayingattentionto

every waking action, no matter how commonplace. The Vimalakirti Sutraencourages meditation in action. You do not have to withdraw to meditate:Enlightenment is here and now. Practice the earliermeditations until you feelcomfortablewiththem.Thentrythisexercise.

Pickasmalltaskyouneedtodo,suchaswashingthedishesorwashingthecar.Asyoubegin,turnyourfullattentiontothetask.Noticeeveryaspectoftheexperience; thefeelingof thesoapywater, theclothmovingalong thesurface,thesmellofthesuds,thesoundofthewater.Keepnoticingeachsensationasitoccurs.Trynottothinkaboutanythingbeyondthedirectexperience.Bringyourthoughtsbackfromanyassociationsthatcarryyouawayfromyourexperience.Stayfocuseduntilyouarecompletelyfinished.

Onceyouareabletodothismeditationonasingle,time-limitedtask,trytoextend yourmeditation over a longer period, perhaps for an hour or an entireafternoon.

PrajnainActionIIYou have probably had a time in your lifewhen youwere so involved in

what you were doing that for that moment, you let go of your ego. Withmeditation,youcandeliberatelyforgetyourlimitedselftofindyourdeepertrueself,yourbuddhanature.

Pickanactivitythatyoufindfulfillingandmeaningful.Perhapsitisplayinga musical instrument, practicing a martial art, fixing something, or makingsomething. Engage in the activity as fully as you can. Let go of any egoconcerns: Do not think about how well you are doing, whether you areprogressing, or what other people might think. Simply do the action fully.Afterward,youwillnoticeapleasantfeelingofrelief,calm,orinnersatisfaction.

EMPTINESSMEDITATIONS:PRAJNAANDDHYANAASONEOnce you realize the impermanence of the world and the ego, you open

yourself to emptiness. With practice, dhyana and prajna meditations blendtogether in the wisdom of emptiness, a spiritual sense of Oneness that cantransform you. The next series of meditations will guide you toward theenlightenedperspective.

EmptyThoughtEnlightenment does not ultimately rest on analytical reasoning. You must

move beyond rational thought.Ask yourself, “Can I let go of distinctions andsimplyexperiencewithoutanalysisorjudgment?”Likeexperiencingsomethingfortheveryfirsttime,beforeyouhavebuiltupexpectationsabouthowitwillorshouldbe,canyousimplyexperiencethismoment?Posethequestionandthensitquietly.Staywitheachmomentandwaitforyouranswer.

Hua-yenTotalityMeditation:OneinAllandAllinOneThismeditationdrawsuponHua-yen’sconceptoftotality.Sitquietly.Think

abouthowonethingistheboundaryforanother.Forexample,ourskinformsaboundarywiththeair;ourskincellsentertheatmosphereandtheairpenetratesourskin.Anotherexampleistheinteractionbetweenplantsandtheearth.Thinkabout other possibilities. Now take one of these ideas and extend it outward.How does the root of the plant interact with the earth? How is the earthconnected to the atmosphere? Keep expanding until you can conceive of theentireuniverseinone,all-inclusivesinglethought.Meditateonthis.

ZenMeditation:DiscoveringYourBuddhaNatureHereandNowYoudonothavetogoanywhereelseforenlightenment;itcanbefoundhere,

now. According to Zen, enlightenment is in every moment. All forms ofmeditationdissolveintooneform,intheAbsoluteNow.Situpright.Eyescanbeclosed or kept half open. Sit quietly until your breathing becomes steady andcalm.Donot thinkaboutanything.Ifa thoughtarises, takenoteof itandthendismissit.Ifyoufeelasensation,takenoteofitandthendismissit.Continuallyreturn to full attention.AsDogen said, “Ifyoupractice in thisway for a longtime,youwillforgetattachmentsandconcentrationwillcomenaturally.Thatisthe art of zazen. Zazen is theDharma gate of great rest and joy!” (Dumoulin1990,76).Observeeachmomentwithfocusedawareness,asifforthefirsttime.

NembutsuMeditationIfyou find itdifficult tomeditate,youmight like to try the“easyway” to

enlightenment, nembutsu. Repeat the name of the bodhisattva Amitabha:“Namu-amida-butsu.”Thinkofnothingelse.Repeatthewordsoften.

BODHISATTVACOMPASSION:PERFORMINGGOODDEEDSThehighest formofmeditation for thebodhisattva involveshelpingothers

withoutthinkingofoneselforreceivinganythinginreturn—thishastraditionallybeen part of the practice. You can turn compassionately to the world withpositive action. Pick something positive that matters to you—for example,volunteering at a local nursing home, becoming a big sister or brother,participating in a community cleanup. Make the time for it. Perform eachmomentmindfully and fully.When complete, let go of it, and continue on tosomethingelse.

Ifyouhaveexperimentedwiththemeditationsinthischapter,youhavefeltBuddhismforyourself.Inmeditation,sittingquietly,focusingwithawarenessorengagedinselflessaction,youcanexperienceenlightenment.

CHAPTER11

ParadiseNow:ActionIsThoughtEverythingharmonizeswithmewhichisharmonioustoThee,ohUniverse.

—MarcusAurelius

Buddhist doctrine expressed what science now confirms, that everything isinterrelated.As theAvatamsakaSutra tellsus, eachgrainof sandcontains theten thousand things. Like the ripples from a pebble thrown into a quiet pond,anythingwedoreverberatesthroughtheentireworld.

People, their situation, and their reactions are in a flowing unity. Yourpositive actions make a difference. Your actions affect others. Consider whatyoudo andhowyoudo it.What youdobecomesyour input into theworld’ssystem.Youcanaffecttheworldinmanypositiveways.

ENVIRONMENTISONE

Thehousekeepingofourplanetrequiresaninneraswellasanouteraspectofecologicalconsciousness.(TuckerandWilliams1997,291)

Modern biological theory recognizes that everything is interrelated in anecosystem—thatis,allspeciesdependuponeachother.Scientistshavecometothinkofthismutualinterdependenceastheweboflife.“Muchasthestrandsofsilkinaspider’swebbindonesegmenttoanother,feedingandotherinteractionsbind all organisms to one another” (Milani 1992, 5).Biologists arrived at thisconclusion through careful empirical observation. Similar to our modernscientificmethod,Buddhismusesmindfulobservationasthemethodtodiscernthetruenatureoftheworld.

DevelopingYourSenseofUnityWhenweareintouchwithourtruemind,wenaturallyfeelmorerespectful

ofalllifeaswerespectourselves.Themotivationcomesfromwithinasadeeplyfeltunderstanding,notfromanexternal“youshould.”AccordingtohumanisticpsychologistAbrahamMaslow,whenweareintunewithourtrueinnernature,wewillwanttodowhatisbest.“Thesearesituationsinwhich,sotospeak,headand heart, rational and nonrational speak the same language, in which ourimpulsesleadusinawisedirection”(Maslow1971,210).

LivinginEnlightenmentAfter youbecome aware that there is no separationbetweenyou andyour

world, you may notice things that others overlook. Senses and nerves aremagnified. You become more sensitive to addressing the perceived needs ofyour environment as they truly are for you. Marcus Aurelius’s insight at theopeningofthischapterencouragesustotaketheharmonyoftheworldaroundusseriously:seekharmonywithouttofindharmonywithin.

EXPANDINGYOURBOUNDARIES

Onegreatsplittingofthewholeuniverseintotwohalvesismadebyeachofus,andforeachofusalmostalltheinterestgoestooneofthehalves,butwealldraw the lineofdivisionbetween them inadifferentplace.When I saythatweallcallthetwohalvesbythesamenames,andthatthosenamesare“me” and “not me” respectively, it will at once be seen what I mean.(WilliamJamesinShim1995,46)

Asyoubecomeopentoalargerperspective,awarenessextends.Whenyou

look at a tree, you can experience the tree as it truly is. There is a blendingbetweenyouandthetree.AsDogensaid,“Delusionisseeingallthingsfromtheperspectiveofself.Enlightenmentisseeingtheselffromtheperspectiveofthemyriadthingsoftheuniverse”(TuckerandWilliams1997,168).

You become more sensitive as your perspective expands to include theobjectofyourperception.Youdevelopempathy,notjustwithotherpeoplebutwith all living things. For example, in Zen flower arranging, the practitionercommunes with the flower nature. Deep calm and comfort are obtained byallowingconsciousnesstodissolveintoanexperienceofOnenesswithnature.

EarthMeditationWehavedonethisexercisewithmanystudents,andtheyhaveoftenfound

thatithelpedthemtoexperiencetheirinterconnectionwiththeearth.Gooutsideandsitontheground.Placeyourhandspalmdownontheland.Closeyoureyes.Sensethemassiveearthbelowyou.Doyoufeelapulsingfromtheactivityofallwho share this earth as their support? Allow yourself to notice what youperceive.

When you become more aware, you may sometimes sense events takingform before they quite happen. This can be useful.A black beltmartial artisttrained his awareness for many years. One day he was sitting in the frontpassenger seat as his friend drove. The martial artist said, “Slow down!”Mystified,hisfriendcompliedanddeceleratedthecar.Thenheasked,“Whydidyousaythat?”Suddenlyacardartedoutacrosstheintersectiontheywereabouttoenter.Hesmiledashis friendsighed inrelief,“Thanks!Howdidyouknowthat?”“Idon’tknow,”themartialartistanswered.“Ijustfeltitwasimportanttoslowdownjustthen.”Hehadnoideahowheknew,butthetimelysensingwasthere.

OnewithNatureMeditationFindapeacefulplaceoutdoors.Itcouldbealocalpark,abeach,oryourown

garden.Beforeyoubegin,sitquietly forseveralminutesandbecomeawareofyour breathing, then focus on what you are experiencing, including yourawarenessof theenvironment.Onceyour thoughtshavesettled,beginwalkingaround.Letyourattentiontoyourexperienceincludeyoursurroundingsasyouwalk.Beawareofall thatyousee,hear,smell,andfeel.Donotconceptualizeaboutit.CanyoupermittheboundariestomergeandfeelyourOnenesswiththeworld?

AbilitytoRespondNoseparationbetweenyouandyourenvironmentalsomeansnoobstruction

topositiveactions.Thereneedbenohesitation.Nothingstandsinyourwaybutyourself.Heroesresponddirectlytoaneed.“Iwasthere,”acommonphrase.“Isawwhat needed to be done, so I did it!”Without hesitation or thought, thesecourageous people let go of the boundaries between self and other. Theyperceivedasituationwheresomeoneorsomethingneededhelp,andbeforetheyeventhoughtaboutit, theactionwasdone.Wecanallbeheroesbyhelpinginsmallways,byrespondingtowhatisthere.

ResponsivenessMeditationStartsmall,withoneofyourhouseplants.Readuponplantstolearnabout

their needs. Then bring your plant near andmeditate on it. Notice everythingaboutit:thecoloroftheleaves,thequalityofthesoil,whetheritgrowsstraightor tilted, and anything else you observe. As you observemindfully, youmaybegintosensewhatneedstobedone.Youfeelfor theplantasafellowlivingbeing.Ifyourplantisdry,providewater.Ifdusthasbuiltupontheleaves,cleanthem.If theleavesareyellow,addfertilizer.Asyourawarenessincreases,youwillfeelaspontaneousresponse.Letyourselfattendtotheplantasneeded.

Afteryouhavebeensuccessfulwithonething,expand.Trytobecomemoreaware of your environment with direct awareness. Allow yourself to respondappropriatelybasedonmindfulexperiencing.

Practice mindfulness of your environment wherever you are. You do nothavetodeliberatelythinkofOneness;simplyfeelitnaturally.What’simportantis theattitude;after that,correctactionflows.Youcanexpress thesevalues inyourownway,respectingyourworldjustasyourespectyourself.AsyoutravelthePath,youwillfindyourownwaystohelpyourworldthrive.

NODISTINCTIONS

InthemysteriousOnenessoftheuniverse,Noneisbetter,Noneisworse.

—C.AlexanderSimpkins

Riseabovedualitytomakenodistinctions.Donottakesidesandsay“Thisisgood.Thatisbad.”Whenwethinkaboutourenvironment,weshouldalwaysbeawareofnotfavoringone thingoveranother.Everythinghasaplace in the

webof life.Forexample,weoften thinkof insectsassomethingunpleasantorfrightening,butsomebugshelptheenvironment.Ladybugscanbeaneffectivesolution to white flies, a tiny insect that attacks plants such as hibiscus. Theladybug is nontoxic,without the negative byproducts that a commonpesticidewouldhave.Besensitivetothebalanceofnature.Recognizingtherelationshipsbetweenallthings,yourresponsescanbemorecomplexandall-inclusive.

FINDINGPEACEPuttingastoptofightingisaproblemthatconcernsourworld,fromentire

nationstoindividualrelationships.Tobeatpeacewithothers,wemustfirstbeatpeace with ourselves. In our interdependent world, peacefulness within willinevitablyleadtopeacewithothers.

FindingInnerPeaceExerciseObserve how you relate to others and how they relate to you. Are you

argumentative? When your partner says something, do you disagree withouteventhinking?

Observehowothersrelate.Aretheyactuallyasargumentativeastheyseem?Lookdeep.Areotherpeoplereallyarguingwithyouorareyouprojectingyourownhostilefeelingsontothem?

Doyoujudgeyourselforotherpeopleharshly?Doyoucompareyourselftoothers?Doyoufeelthatyouarebetterorworsethanthey?Doyoutrytojudgeyour neighbors’motives? From the enlightened perspective, no comparison iscorrectorpossible.Questionyourself.

Recall your meditation practice—letting go of judgments, concepts, andopinions.Feel thedeeperreactionbehindyourannoyanceor judgment.Acceptyourself andaccept theotherperson.Trust that,within,youshare in the samecompassionate nature. Dig until you find the quiet mind beyond anger orjudgment.Allowthisshared,peacefultruenaturetoemerge.

Aclearmindislikeanopensky.

PeaceIsNowSitquietly andcalmyourmind.Thinkof aplacewhereyou feel atpeace.

Pictureitasbestasyoucan.Trytoimagineyourselftherenow.Allowthecalm,peacefulfeelingsyounaturallyfeeltheretoemerge.

Notice how you become calmer, here and now, even though you are notactuallyinthispeacefulplace.Enlightenmentishereandnow,beyondtimeandspace.Youcanbringpeacewithyou,whereveryouare.Thefeelingcomesfromwithin.Itisalwayspresent,readytoemerge,wheneveryouallowit.Continuetomeditate,completelyatpeacewithyourselfnow.

PeacefulSolutionsThewelfare of othersmatters asmuch as your ownwell-being, because if

someone else is suffering, somehow, it affects you, too. Thus,working things

out in a mature way is a positive basis for action. Buddhism has a definiteapproach:Peacehappenswhenyouopenlyandsincerelyapproachyourlifewithcompassionforothersasyourself.

Anewcreativeperspectiveopenstoyou.Youperceivemoredirectly.Beginfromclearawareness.Feelthereciprocalinteractionwithothers.Recognizethattheperceptionsofothersarejustasrealandcorrecttothemasyourperceptionsare toyou.Bothsidesmatterequallyaspartof thewhole.Fromthisempathicunderstandingyouhavethebasisforworkingoutconflicts.IfIhurtyou,Ihurtme.Thisisthecompassionateview,inthecenter.

ConflictResolutionExerciseFirst, face thesituationas it is,momentbymoment.Useyourmindfulness

skillstocarefullyobservewhatishappening.Donottrytoconceptualizeaboutthe conflict in order to comprehend it. Do not add personal opinions orjudgments.Pauseandsimplyobservehowyouarebehaving.Aninwardglancehelps.Howdo you feel?Howdoes the other person feel?What are you bothdoing?

Consideryourpart in thesituation.Whatareyoudoingtoextendorrepeattheconflict?Observeyourconductasiffromadistance,fromtheother’spointofviewaswellasyourown.Forexample,ifyouhadadisputewithsomeone,whatareyoudoingthatcontinuesthedispute?Isthisdisputetheonlyalternativeinthissituation?

Areyouviewing theconflict in termsofyourself,orareyou including theotherperson’sneedsaswell?Expandyourboundariesofselfandsensetheotherperson as if he or she were you. How do you seem from the other person’sperspective?Canyou imagine theneedsof theotherpersonas real to themasyourown?Isthereawaytocometotermstogether,mutually?

Fromthisbroadperspective,new,moreinclusivepossibilitiesmaycometomind.

CONCLUSIONFace the present openlywith awareness.Develop yourworld in your own

way,asfullyasyoucan.Donotcreateproblemsorobstructionsforyourselforothers.Youdonotneed toholdyourselfbackwithconflict.Developyourself.Meditatedeeplyonthepresentandyouwillfindafutureopeninguptoyouthatispeaceful,compassionate,andfilledwithpotential.Theripplesofyouractionswillhelpcreatethebestpossibleworld.

CHAPTER12

MindfulWorkThereisnothingeithergoodorbadthatthinkingmakesitso.

—WilliamShakespeare,Hamlet

Everyday life is enlightening. If you accept this, your approach to everythingyoudochanges.Little thingswillbringhappiness.Each relationshipyouhavewill be rewarding in its ownway. This feelingwill inevitably filter into yourwork.Day-to-day interactionswith coworkers and projects you are doingwillbringgreatsatisfactionandjoy.Withdeeperunderstanding,youwill transformyour time at work. As you grow as a person, the quality of your work willimprove,andyouwillenjoyitmore,too.

WORKMATTERSBuddha considered work an important aspect of living. He believed that

work could be done in harmonywith theBuddhist lifestyle:He called it rightlivelihood.Weallneedtofindourownwaytoearnalivingwhilewecontributetosociety.

Buddhaspecifiedthatmostformsofearningalivingarehonorable,butjobsthat involve cheating and greed are not. Any job that is in harmony withBuddhistpreceptsisaformofrightlivelihood.Itisevenbetteriftheworkyoufind helps the world as well. Think about the work you are doing and askyourselfhowitrelatestotheworld.Thisleavesawidelatitudeforpossibilities:business, law, the helping professions, engineering, architecture, construction,sales,thefoodindustry,transportation,andmanyothersallcontributetolifeintoday’sworldandcanbeperfectlyappropriatetotheBuddhistpath.

FINDINGRIGHTLIVELIHOODNotedBuddhistactivistThichNhatHanhsaid,“Thewayweearnourliving

can be a source of peace and joy and reconciliation, or [it] can cause a lot ofsuffering” (Whitmyer 1994, 244).Work can be an opportunity for people toexpressthemselves,butsometimestheyhavedifficultydiscoveringwhatisbest

forthemtodo.Ideally, your work should be an outward expression of your inner being.

Generally,whenyoufeel interestedandenjoy theeverydayprocessofdoingajob, you are in the right field. There will always be unpleasant times andfrustrations, but ultimately, the bad days are to be experienced rather thanjudged.

Thebest guide to your personal right livelihood comes fromwithin, and averygoodwaytobecomeawareofyourinnersenseisthroughmeditation.

SensingCorrectLivelihoodIfyouareuncertainaboutwhat todowithyour life, experimentmindfully

with options. Put yourself into a situationwhere people are doing the kind ofworkyouthinkyouareinterestedin,learnwhatitislikeandnotehowyoufeel.Dosomeresearchonthefield,eitherfrombooks,ontheInternet,orbytalkingto people in the field. Notice your reaction to the research. Imagine yourselfdoing the work. Is this something you would be comfortable doing for longhours?Openyourawarenessandyourpathbecomesclear.

MINDFULWORKASPRACTICERightlivelihoodismorethanjustyourchoiceofwork.Italsoinvolveshow

youbringyourselftoyourwork.Sometimespeoplefeelasifworkisjustawaytogetbyuntiltheweekend,whentheycanhavefunandtrulyenjoylife.Butlifeis happening all the time, and happiness can—and should—be found in everymoment.

Somepeoplebelievethattheonlywaytobetrulyhappyistodonothing,toloaf. Yet even the most devout couch potato becomes restless after a while.BuddhismagreeswithpsychologistAlbertEllis that it is irrational to thinkwearehappiestwhenweareinactive(EllisandHarper1971,173).

Zen Master Loori said, “Work is an opportunity to practice” (Whitmyer1994,31).TheBuddhistwaytohappinessisthroughmindfulawareness.Whenyou open your perceptions and fully experience activity itself, you undergo atransformation.Themostmundane task can become fascinating.Whenpeopleare not working in their chosen field but are instead just trying to earn theirlivelihoodtheycanstillfindopportunitiestopracticemindfulness.Evenboring,repetitiveworkcanbemorepleasantifitisapproachedwithmindfulawareness.Youmay not have thought of the positive role of yourwork, or expanded itsscopeintotheworldasonlyyoucan.

ActiveInvolvementMeditationImaginesomekindofworkwithoutactuallydoing it.Concentrate fullyon

allitsaspects.Whatisyourpartinit?Howcanyoubringyourownuniquenessto it? How can you do the work more fully? Allow yourself time forcomprehensionandinsights.

MeditationonActionApproach a small task. If you feel uncomfortable trying this exercise at

work, pick a common household chore, such as cleaning out a desk drawer.Whateverthetask,doitenergetically.Letyourselfbecomefascinated.

Beginwithcarefulpreparation.Setoutthematerialsyouwillneed:cleaners,rags,dusters,atrashbag.Readyyourselfwithafewminutesofmeditation;clearyourmindofalldistractions,centeryourawarenessinthemoment.

Fullyfocusyourattentiononthejobbeforeyou.Nowbeginyourwork.Trytomaintain yourmindful awareness. Feel, see, and think about what you aredoing. If your thoughts wander, gently bring them back as you do in sittingmeditation.Allowthe task to inspireyou.Try to learnfromany intuitionsyoumightbehaving.Donothurry.Responddirectlytowhatneedstobedone.Donot judge yourself.Attend to all the details until you are completely finished.Thenputeverythingaway.Leavenotrace.Finishcompletely.

Meditate again on the present moment. Sit quietly. Can you let go ofcleaning andbe fully present in thismoment, emptyof purpose, simplybeingherewithyourself?Doyoufeelcalmand/orenergized?

Practice approaching other tasksmindfully until you feel comfortablewiththe process. You may find interesting and challenging aspects that youoverlookedbefore.

MASTERYWhenyoucanabsorbyourselffullyinyourwork—whateveritis—youwill

find yourself becoming better at it.Whether your tasks involve basic manuallaborormoreabstractintellectualwork,mindfulnessisthesureroadtomastery.Mindfulworkersbecomeadept; aZenmaster of archery, for example, canhitthemarkevenwithhiseyesclosed.Amastermechaniccantuneanengineanddiagnoseproblemsusinghissensesandonlysimpleinstruments.

Theway toachievemastery is to first learnwhatyouneed toknow, tosetasideunnecessarythoughts,andtothenfocusondoingthework.Approachyourwork with full awareness. Stay with the task and keep your mind clear ofeverythingelse.Workwithoutgettingonanemotionalrollercoaster.Walkaway

orpausetomeditateifyoubecomefrustrated,thenreturntoyourtask.Beatoneandmasterywillcome.

WORKINGTOGETHERASATEAMPeopleoftenassumethatrewardsarelimited.Ifonepersongetsmore,others

willgetless,likedividingupapizza.Wecanbecometrappedinourconcepts,imprisonedbyourindividualtastes—somewantextracheese,otherspepperoni.But everything is empty, without lasting substance, so no limitations shouldconstrainus.Weareallpartofalargerwhole,onethattranscendsusevenaswecreateit.Wecanallhavepizza—thereisenoughforeveryone.Variationscanbeaccommodated.

AlthoughtheWesternperspectivetendstodefinesituationsaseither/or,thebusinessorinstitutionthatcantranscend“either/or”thinkingwillmakeroomforeveryoneinthecompanytothrive,therebyimprovingeachperson’ssatisfactionandproductivity.

WorkingasOneExerciseIf you are working with others, you can incorporate meditation to help

enhance your group projects. Meditating together, even if only for a fewminutes,canbringmorecohesivenessandcooperationtoagroup.

GroupMeditationGathereveryonetogether,perhapsinaconferenceroombeforeameeting.If

possible, sit in a circle either in chairs or on the floor.Ask everyone to closetheireyesfortwotofiveminutes.(Youcansetthetimeronyourwatch.)Beginby asking the group to focus on clearing their minds. Explain that if anotherthoughtappears,theyshouldletitgoandreturntoclearingthemind.Ifsomeinyourgroupareinexperiencedinmeditation,suggestthattheybeginbyfocusingon theirbreathing.Whenyoumeditate silently together, newpossibilitiesmayemergethatwillenableyourgrouptoworktogethermorecohesively.

ManagementEnhancementIfyouhavemanagementresponsibilities,youhaveprobablyoftenlookedfor

waystoenhancetheproductivityandsatisfactionofyourworkers.Buthaveyouthoughtaboutyourownlinkswithothers?Thesmoothoperationofthegroupisaninteractionofeveryonetogether.Byguidingeachpersontoaddresshisorhertaskfully,youwillfindthatthewholeorganizationbenefits.Aunitedcompany,working harmoniously together, develops a supportive, trusting atmosphere.

Peoplewillfeel theycanbehonestwitheachother,supportiveofoneanother,able to follow through on commitments. Stay open to possibilities, let go oflimitedassessmentsofothers.Seekthepositivepotentialyouhavetogether.Youwillundoubtedlyfulfillit.

CHAPTER13

EnlightenmentThroughArtThere are always new sounds to imagine, new feelings to get at. Andalways,thereistheneedtokeeppurifyingthesefeelingsandsoundssothatwecanreallyseewhatwe’vediscoveredinitspurestatesothatwecanseemoreandmoreclearlywhatweare.Inthatway,wecangivetothosewholistentheessence,thebestofwhatweare.Buttodothatateachstage,wehavetokeeponcleaningthemirror.

—JohnColtrane,OnMeditations

TheHeart Sutra states that form is emptiness, emptiness is form.Form is theopening to emptiness and the mirror in which formlessness may be seen.Through this opening you can enter into the arts. The medium you choosedependsonyourinterestsandtalents.Artisticcreationisameansofexpressingenlightenment. Form’s looking-glass shows us an illusion we learn to seethrough.Then, likeAlice,we can enter through the looking-glass. Form leadsbacktocreation,thecreative,theartoftheformless.

Lotus.ChangTa’ch’ienChinese(1899-1983),Inkandpigmentonpaper,hangingscroll,1958.GiftofAmbassadorandMrs.EverettF.Drumright,

SanDiegoMuseumofArt

MARTIALARTS:ARTINMOVEMENT

Artisticallydesigned, themartialartsholda firmplaceamongallart.Theoutstandingmartialartistsarethoseendowedwithsomethingakintopoeticimagination, critical acumen, natural piety, and spiritual insight. (Shim1995,46)

Formandthebasicpatternsofmartialartsmaybeusedasawaytoexpressemptiness. The practitioner is offered an opportunity to meditate with form,precision,andexactness soas todevelopmind.Thepractitioner thenbecomesattunedtoadeeperunderstandingoftheartandofhim-orherself.

STUDYOFFORMS

Forms and sets in kung fu, known as kata in Japanese martial arts, arepatterns of movement. Exact placement of hands, balanced posture, correctconcentrationofattention,andspiritualintensityarecentraltoperformingwell.Throughforms,martialartistslearncontrolandtheapplicationofthebasics,aswellasinsightintothenatureoftheartanditssolutionstosituations.

Theprinciplesforstudyingformscanhelppeople tomastermanykindsofmovement arts, whether you prefer dance or sports.With forms, you learn tointegrateouterprecisionwithinnermindfulness.Applythefollowingexercisestowhichever art you practice. Integrate the inner and outer together; fill yourmind with each detail and then let go of thought to discover perfection inemptiness.

MeditationonFormPickaforminyourmartialart,adanceroutine,oraparticularmovementin

yoursport,suchasatennisserveorabenchpress.Sitquietlyinmeditationforseveralminutestofocusyourattention.Whenyoufeelready,dothemovementslowly,keepyourattentiondirectedtowhatyouaredoing.Feelthemovement.Noticeyourbalance,yourmuscletone.Areyoutootight?Tooloose?Beprecisein the placement of each action. Repeat the movements several times withattentiontodetail.

ClearMindMovementAfter you have done the previousmeditation, sit quietly for a moment to

clearyourmindofallthought.Thenperformthesamemovementswithoutanythought,withouthesitating,unconsciously.Movequickly,precisely.Allowyourtraining to express itself.Donot think about anything, just let themovementsflownaturally.

BUDDHISM’SLINKSTOTHEMARTIALARTSAsianmartial arts have a long tradition of descent fromBodhidharma, the

founder of Zen Buddhism. Whether or not scholars agree on actual facts,Bodhidharma isstill thesymbolof intensityandcourage.Buddhistphilosophyinspireskarate,kungfu,andtaekwondoattheirinnermostcore.

Buddhist monks were also a resource for the shogun’s military, calledsamurai, in feudal Japan. Zen monks trained the samurai in koans andmeditation to enhance the speed of their reflexes and extinguish their fear ofdeath. InKorea,monksalso tookuparms tohelp fightagainstoppression.Asmen of peace, they became adept in unarmed combat, used to defend their

principles.

DefenseOnlySelf-defensedoesnotonlymeandefenseofoneself,italsoincludeshelping

others andminimizing violence.Many of the strikes, blocks, locks, and holdsfound in martial arts can be applied to safely and compassionately preventviolence while preserving life. A properly applied defense can stop anaggressor’sattackwithoutcausinganyharmtoeitherperson.

Self-defense should be performed with control. The correct approach to asituationwith thepotential foraggression is toperceivewhat ishappeningbutnot to add to it by losing your temper or becoming afraid. The Buddhistorientation is not to engage but at the same time to face what is before you.Angermayaddfuel toanaggressorandworsenasituation.Fearoftenhas theparadoxical effect of eliciting aggression. It is a well-known fact that bulliesbecomemoreaggressivewithafrightenedvictim.Hostilitydoesnotresultfromstrengthandconfidence.

Thefollowingaccount illustrates thispoint.Astoreclerkwasarguingwithanacquaintanceinfrontofthestore.Theownersteppedoutside,andafterloudlyinsulting the acquaintance, demanded that he leave. The acquaintance becameevenmoreenragedatthis,threwtheownertotheground,andkickedhim.

A martial artist who was passing by saw what was happening andimmediatelyintervened.Choosingnottothreatenorconfronttheassailantwithmoreanger,hecalmlysaid,“Youdon’twanttodothis!”Theattackerrespondedby trying to kick and punch themartial artist, who blocked the attacks as hecontinued to talk calmly to theman. “Think of the consequences.Youwill bearrestedandgo to jail fora trivial fight.This isnotagoodway to settleyourdifferences.”

Eventually, themancalmeddownandleft.Hisangerwasdiffusedbecausethemartialartistpeacefullyfaced thesituationandinterjectedhisdefensewithcompassion.Theskillofthemartialartistpreventedharmtohimselfandotherswithouthurtingtheattacker.Later, thestoreowneradmittedthatheshouldnothavespoken to theclerk’sacquaintance in suchan insulting,challengingway.He unintentionally contributed towhat happened, though of course he did notmeritthebeating.

Themartialartsofjujitsuandaikidoexpressthespiritofharmony.Theyrelyon staying in the center point, transforming the defender and attacker into aharmonious interaction. Thus, what one person does is reflected in another.

Aggressionbreakstheharmony;correctinterventionrestoresit.Martialartscanhelptoneutralizeaggression.

In the martial art of tae chun do practitioners are taught to keep an openmind,tomeetthesituationasitis,notaddtoitandmakeitworse.Themartialartisteitherdeflectsoffensiveforceorextendsforcetocopewiththeencounter,butthepractitioneralwaysrespondswithcompassionfortheother.Compassionrequiresnotpermittingharmtooneselfortheother:noattacker,novictim.

Themartialartistshouldneverinitiateaggression,norshouldheretreatfromit.Thereisanoldsayingamongmartialartists:Nofirstpunch,nosecondpunch.What thismeans is that themartialartist shouldneverbe theone to throwthefirstpunch,tostartafight.Butifsomeonehasattacked,themartialartiststopsthefightbeforeasecondpunchcanbethrown.High-levelmartialartistsseekthepeacefulsolutionwithoutputtingthemselvesorothersunnecessarilyatrisk.

Applying Buddhism to self-defense, you know that if there is no attackerthereisnoneedforadefender.Stepoutsidetheroleandinvitetheaggressortodo the same. Do not engage in a duel. Experience the nameless, formlessprocess;seekharmonyandOnenesswithinthesituationandyourmartialart;beat peace. Try to return others to their best possible conduct rather than theirworst.

ENHANCINGYOURCREATIVITYCreativityinvolveslettinggooftheknowntocreatetheunknown.Youcan

discovertheuncreatedinspirationforyourowncreativityinemptiness.Emptinessispositive,filledwithpotential.Itisnotjustadesolatevacuum;it

ismorelikethepauseinbreathing,betweentheinandoutbreath.Therhythmofmusicincludesbothsoundandthesilencebetween.Ifthereisnosilence,thereisalsonomusic.Nonotesarepossible,onlyasteadytonethatsoonisnotnoticed.We need rhythms to experience anything.We resonate with our experiences.Withoutspace,wecanhavenoboundaries,noobjects,notime.Yourimmersionintheartisticexperiencecanbecomeyourteacher.Guidedbytheunknown,youmakediscoveries.NaomiMinkinwasanartistandart teacher to theblind, thedeaf, and the elderly.When she learned that she had been accepted as an artinstructorfortheblind,shewenthomeandputonablindfold—notmerelyforafewhoursbut foranentiremonth.Whileblindfolded,she tried tocreatesomecrafts.Shefelttexturesandshapesthathereyeshadnotallowedhertosee,andshe made some surprising discoveries. Everything she tried to create withoutsight came out larger than it was supposed to be. With the help of her newunderstandings, she inventedways to compensate for that and sowas able to

guide her blind students to be accurate and create as they intended. Bytemporarilybecomingblind,shelearnedtoseeastheydid.Thisapproachcanbevariedinmanyways.

CREATIVITYANDENLIGHTENMENTOne well-accepted model of creativity describes four stages: preparation,

incubation, illumination, verification. The stage of illumination is creativeenlightenment;itisherethatideasorpatternsemerge.Howthiscomesaboutisamystery. Buddhism would predict this moment of enlightenment as a gift ofgrace,completeinitself.

In Jack Kerouac’s theory of creation, drawn from his interpretation ofBuddhism, spontaneity is the key, permitting and following the flow of freeexpression. When Kerouac wanted to create, he carefully set the stage,immersing himself in the ideas and the preparation, and then allowed histhoughts to emerge. As they formed their own patterns, he expressed themwithoutinterference.

Attimes,Kerouacandotherbeatartistsperformedtheircreativewritingstoaudiences—with and without jazz playing in the background. The truly beatrecitalwasspontaneous,free,andunpredictable,expressedasitwasthought.

Creativity requires immersion in the true self andunitywith theunknown.Creative persons continue to evolve in their understanding of what they havecreated.Forexample,wealllistentoourfavoritesongsandcometolikethemastheyare.Someyearslaterinaliveconcert,therecordingartistchangesthesong.Sometimeswelikethenewversionbetter,butmoreoftenweprefertheoriginal.The enlightened perspective teaches us to appreciate both versions. Value thecreativepotentialineachmoment.Donotgetstuckinanyoneinterpretation.

ExerciseinPreparationBeforeyoubegin tocreate, engage inaperiodofpreparation.Learnabout

thetopic,practicetechniques,lookatinspirationalart.Immerseyourselfinwhatyouwillbedoing,butdonotbeginuntilyouhavegivenyourselfplentyoftimetolivewiththesepreparations,toincubate.

ExerciseinCreativeEnlightenmentWhenyoufeelreadytocreate,setasideallthetechniquesyouhaveacquired

andallowyourself to letgoof thecreativeact.Beginwithmeditation toclearyour mind, then approach your work sensitively. Allow yourself to begin tocreatewithoutanypreconceivedideasinmind.Youmaysurpriseyourselfwith

somethingnew.

RELEASEFROMTHESELFSelf-surrenderhelps creativity.Tocreate,youmust letgo, releaseyourself

fromtheillusionofselftowardunknown,unrealizedpotential.Linksarebegunbytheartist,butthen,asthepaintingorthepoemtakesonformandshape,itscompositiondemandsachangehereorthere.Theworktranscendstheegooftheartist.Theartistmustallowthisandgivetothecreationwhatisneededuntilthework is complete. Each creation has its own uniquemini-enlightenment, in asense.Thepoem,painting,orstoryhasauniqueexistenceasitis,andtranscendsitsoriginorpersonalmeaning.Genuinecreationmeanssomethingnewtoeachpersonwhoexperiencesit.

The state of deepmeditation opens up creative potential. In the gap— theopenness—newpotential canemerge to enhancecreativity.Learn to stepbackandfullygiveyourself tothesituation.Letgoofpreconceptionsandconcepts.Enlightened perception shows the way; no certain or absolute concept trulyexists.Noconceptcanpossiblyencompassthecomplexmysteryoflife.Nothingispossible,everythingispossible.Themiddlewayisthecreativeway,notjustconscious, not just unconscious, but somewhere in between, accepting andincludingbothwhiletranscending.

BUDDHISTARTBuddhistarthasalwayshadadualpurpose,bothpragmaticandevocative.

This dual purpose has been present since its beginnings in many countries.During the first and second centuries,Buddhism’s early recorded transmissionandacceptancefromIndiaintoChinawasbymeansofstatuesofBuddha.ThesestatuesshowedBuddhasittingorstanding,oftenwearingelaborateclothingandjewelry. The art was displayed in urban centers during ceremonies that themonks performed to inspire interest and curiosity. Once interest was aroused,Indian monks began to teach the doctrine. The Koreans followed the sameprocedureswhentheyintroducedBuddhismtoJapanin552withagoldenstatueofBuddhaasagift.

ImagesofBuddhameditating,whetherinsculpturesorpaintings,havebeentransmitted to every country that received Buddhism. Buddhas and famousbodhisattvas have been depicted by artists as an integral part of Buddhism tohelpconveyanexperiencewithoutwords.Settingsofthesutrashavealsobeendepictedinpaintingsandsculptures,especiallytheLotusSutra,whereBuddhaispictured as a deity with rays of light emanating from him, seated on lotus

flowers,andsurroundedbyfollowers.Buddhist templeswere built to provide a sanctuary formeditation.Unlike

someofthefrighteningimagespresentinHindutemples,Buddhisttempleshadanatmosphereof serenity, light, andopen space,with largewindows toallowsunlighttoenter.TheywerebuilttoinvitepeopletofeelcomfortablesharinginthespiritofBuddhism.

Buddhist art evokes the viewer’s potential consciousness of calm and joy.WhenwelookatastatueofBuddhadeepinmeditation,wecanfeelcompletepeace ofmind resonatingwith our own.WassilyKandinsky (1866-1944), thefatherofabstractpainting,believedart is likea tuningforkwhosenotecausesresonance in the soul. Whether the creation is abstract or representational isirrelevant—resonance is the importantcore, theexperienceofart.BuddhistartresonateswiththespiritofBuddhistenlightenment.

CHAPTER14

Psychotherapy:ThePaththatHeals

Thispuremind,thesourceifeverything,shinesonallwiththebrillianceifitsownperfection.

—HsiYun(840),ChineseZenmaster

FREEDOMFROMLIMITATIONSTheEightfoldPathdetailsaclearwaytolearnaboutyourselfbyexamining

howyou speak, think, feel, andbehave.Psychotherapy takes a similar course,guiding people to become aware of themselves. Buddhism can be usedtherapeuticallytohelpyouonyourpathtodiscoveringyourdeeperbeing.

RIGHTSPEECHASATHERAPEUTICTOOLLanguage has a powerful influence on thoughts, emotions, and subsequent

conduct.Mankind points out and defines theworldwith language. If you uselanguageinaccurately,youmayperceiveandrespondinaccurately.

Derogatorylanguageisbasedonjudgments—forexample,thispersonisbadorthatbehaviorisridiculous.Usingthesekindsofjudgmentswhenreferringtoasignificant other leads to reactions that do not reflect the true nature of thesituation.Distinctionssuchas thisperson isgoodor thatperson isbad leadusawayfromdirectcontact.Wemovefartherfromtherealintoanillusoryworldofabstraction.Becorrectinhowyouuselanguage.Donotusewordsthatcreateillusions.Seektruthinthesituation.Meditationcanbringyoubackintouch.

ListeningtoLanguageUseListentoyourselfasyouspeaktoapersonwhoannoysyou.Doesyourvoice

soundharsh?Loud?Grating?Listentothewordsyouuse.Areyoujudgmentalorcritical?Whatareyouthinkingasyoulistentothisperson?

Listen toyourself asyou speak to aperson aboutwhomyou feel positive.Listen to the sound of your voice as you speak. Compare this to how yousoundedwhenyouspokewiththepersonwhoannoysyou.Also,takenoteofthewordsyouuse.Isyourlanguageinfluencingtheotherperson’sperceptionofthisrelationship?Does your choice ofwords correctly express howyou feel?Canyoudescribeyourfeelingsbetter?

ReviewingRelationshipsConsider theBuddhist idea that all living beings share in the samenature,

andthatallarethereforeequallyunited.Nowthinkabouttherelationshipsyoujustobserved.Aretheytrulyastheyshouldbe?Canyouappreciateandcherishothersasyourself?

RIGHTTHOUGHT,RIGHTACTIONContemporary psychotherapymodels usually include restructuring patterns

ofthoughtsandactions.Changesinourthoughtsleadtochangesinourfeelings.The same is true of conduct. If we change our behavior, our feelings andthoughtstendtochangeaswell.Thebasisforchangeissimpler thanitseems.Behavior, feelings, and thoughts are linked together in such a way that eachaffectstheotherandeachcanchangetheother.

Wecreateourexperiencebyhowwe thinkandfeel. Ifyou thinknegative,hostile thoughts, youwill feel as if theworld is a hostile and negative place.Often, such thoughts are outside awareness, occurring as subvocalizingundercurrents.Youcanexploreyourinnerthoughtsbymeditatingmindfully.

Exercise:NoticingYourInnerCritic

Sitquietlyandclearyourmindforafewminutes.Onceyoufeelcalm,thinkaboutsomethingthathasbeenonyourmindlately:apersonorasituation.Whatareyoutellingyourselfaboutit?Doyousaythingslike“Thatpersonisawful”or “This is unfair”? Allow yourself to become aware of what you are tellingyourself,butdonotthinkanythingaboutit,simplyobserve.Whenyoubegintoexplore your inner self, it is very important that you do not judge yourselfharshly. By allowing awareness, you will begin to change. Nonjudgmentalmindfulnesshasahealingeffect.

OVERCOMINGSTRESSFear,worry,andtensionoftenaccompanystress.Buttheseemotionsmaybe

intensifiedbythoughtsaboutthestress.Fearinvolvesrunningawayoravoidingthreatening or uncomfortable situations. But what lies behind fear may bethoughtslike“Ican’t toleratethis”or“Thisisscary.”Worryingofteninvolvesrepetitive reviewingofconcernswithoutbeingawareof it.Tensioncan result,leading tosecondarydifficulties suchashighbloodpressureorpsychosomaticills.Donotaddtoyourstress.Userightthinkinginstead.

A better attitude can help you cope with stress. Courage, as ErnestHemmingwayusedtosay,is“graceunderpressure.”Buddhismoffersapositivewaytothinkaboutyourlifesituation.Throughmeditation,youcanstayawareof moment-to-moment processes, and do whatever is needed to stay relaxed.Eachexperienceiscomplete.Althoughyoucannotknowforcertainwhatwillbenext,norwhatitwillmeantoyouorothers,youcanbefullyalertandattunedinthe here and now. Then you can discover your resources to handle stressgracefully.

MeditationonFearandDiscomfortDon’ttrytoavoidstress—embraceit.Meditateonthediscomfortfromyour

stressful situation. Notice the feelings, body experiences—tightness in yourstomach or shortness of breath. Accept these feelings for what they are—sensations.Noticehow theychange frommoment tomoment.Rememberhoweachexperienceisimpermanent,risingandfalling.Payattentiontodistinctionsovertime.Canyourecognizethatthediscomfortisaseriesofexperiences?

Staywithyourmoment-to-momentawareness.Stopimaginingthefutureorruminating about the past. Now is the only reality. Do not add to it withsecondaryassessments.Appreciateeachmomentofeachexperienceasunique,withoutprecedent.

Giveyourself toyour stressful situationwholeheartedly,withouthopingor

despairing. Simply trust in each moment’s fullness and each moment’semptiness.

DISSOLVINGANGERAnger,cravings,aswellasotherinnerstrugglescanbedissolvedbyshifting

yourpointofview.It ishelpful to thinkof thingsfromtwoperspectives—therelative and the absolute—and then to grasp the interrelatedness. We areindividuals,yetwearealsocitizensofourcountryandcitizensoftheworld.AstheAvatamsakaandLotusSutrasteach,wearepartoftheOneness,partofeachother.IfIamangrywithyou,Iamalsoangrywithmyself.

Butinarealsense,whatistheretobeangryabout?Ifnothingexistsfromtheabsolute perspective, we cannot be absolutely angry, only relatively. Anger from the relativeperspectivemayseemtocallforaparticularaction.Wemaywanttopreventtheother from doing something we don’t like.Wemay even feel like chastisingthem,evenifitwon’tresolvethesituation.

From the perspective of the absolute, however, everything changes. Weknowthatangerisatransitoryemotion.Wecanletgoofourangerandlookforthecompassionatesolution,whatever thatmaybe.Thisunderstandingchangeshowangerisexperiencedbyreducingittoamoremanageablelevel.

Angeralsoinvolvesjudgment.Forexample,theyshouldnotbedoingthistome,orthingsshouldbedifferent.Sometimeswewishtheworldwereotherwise,but to insist that it should be is not a reflection of true nature. According toBuddhism, the world just is. If you can accept this, you will have a morebalanced and tolerant reaction. Situations may annoy you, but they need notenrageyou.

LESSENINGCRAVINGSCareful attention to eachmoment can bring release from compulsions and

controlimpulses.Thisisthecorrectuseofmindfulnessinprogramsfordrugandalcohol abuse. When the person becomes aware of the true nature of theirsituation,amiddleway,apathofmoderation,opensup.

Clear, mindful awareness permits control of behavior. As people becomemore aware, they gain a moderate perspective. By facing their actions withawareness,thepathtofollowforchangeisclear:justdothecorrectthing.Theylearn to accept responsibility for actions and their consequences. Opennessgainedfrommeditationmakesitpossibletolearnfromconsequencesandmakebetterchoicesinthefuture.

MeditationforImpulseControlIf you are strugglingwith control of an impulse—smoking, nail-biting, an

Internet addiction, excessive alcohol or drug use—you can help yourselfwithmeditation. Practice the meditation exercises in Chapter 10 until you cancomfortably followyourexperienceandhavesomesuccesswithclearingyourmind. Meditate on your difficulty. Notice all the sensations and thoughtsassociated with it. Analyze them according to insight meditation, as distinctexperiences, arisingandpassingaway.Embrace the feelings as sensations andnothingmore.Donotaddyourusualthoughts,whichprobablymakeyouwanttoengage in theaction.Donotdo theaction.Afteryouhavespentsome timereflecting in this way, relax and clear your mind of thought. Repeat thismeditation several times each day. Eventually, as you gain natural control ofyouractions,youwillfindyourimpulsesweakening.

Ifyoucannotgaincontrol,facethisandacceptit.Recognizeyourneedforhelp, and seek help so you can return to the path. The important thing is tofollowthepathofrightconduct.

ACTUALIZINGFROMWITHINWeseekbalance inour lives.Buddhismoffersguidance inhowtoachieve

thisbyfollowingtheMiddleWay.Onemodernlearningtheoristhasfoundthistobetrueinhisresearchonthesetpoint(Timberlake,1984).PrevioustheoriesheldbyE.L.ThorndikeandB.F.Skinnerbelievedthatsatisfactionandrewardwereacontinuing,positiveexperiencethatencouragesbehavior:Moreisbetter.Rewardforbehaviorwasthoughttorestorecomfort.

Timberlake found that toomuch reward forbehavior canbediscomfortingand, paradoxically, unsatisfying. Buddhism’s Middle Way would predict thisunlikelyseemingoccurrence.Forexample,bytheendofalongvacation,manypeople begin to feel impatient to return to work. Relaxation should be in thecorrect amount: not too much, not too little. As another example, if we areunrewardedforourefforts,neverreceivingpositivefeedbackforwhatwedo,weareunhappy.Butifwegettoomuchpraise,eventhoughwemighttheoreticallylike the idea,wealsofeeluncomfortable.Wehaveabuilt-incapacity toknowwhatisright.

Carl Rogers, one of the founders of humanistic therapy, believed that thecapacityto instinctivelyknowgoodandbadcanbeusedtoguideourconduct.Thiscapacityisacompassforaction.Thesourceoftrueethicsiswithin.Ifwefollow the pathBuddha set out,wewill act compassionately toward others astowardourselves.Thenwewillfindourselvesabletohelpothersovercometheir

sufferingaswellasourown.Actualizationisanimportantpartofhealthy,positiveliving.Wefeelgood,

energetic,andhappywhenweare fulfillingourselves.Wecopewithadversitybetterwhenwetrustthatstressisatemporarystateofaffairs,partoftheprocessofactualization.

The light of the path is within, beyond concepts and abstractions. A deepheartfeltvowtodowhatittakestofulfillourworldlygoalsandtohelpothersispart of developing an enlightened lifestyle. To actualize ourselves we mustactualize potential in all. This is the psychological aspect of the doctrine ofMahayana, that self-actualization means other-actualization.We are one, notseparable from the world.Where is the exact boundary? There is none; eachrequirestheother.Theselfincludesothers.Beginwiththoseforwhomyoucare,thenwidenthecircle.

THEFAITHTHATHEALSFaith can evoke a positive transformation. Researchers in psychotherapy

havefoundthis,too.Asoneofourteachers,JeromeD.Frank,M.D.,Ph.D.,said,“Faithisthemostpreciouscommoditywithoutwhichweshouldbeverybadlyoff”(Frank1975,1).

Muchresearchhasbeenconductedtomeasuretheeffectsoffaithonhealing.Inonestudy,agroupofpatientsundergoingsurgeryfordetachedretinasweregivenatesttomeasuretheirfaithintheoperation.Thosewhoscoredhighonthetesthealedmuchfasterthanthosewhoscoredlow.Inacommencementspeechto doctors, Frank said, “By fostering the faith that heals,we can enhance ourtherapeuticpower,agoaltowardswhichweallcontinuetostrive”(Frank1975,12).Faithcanhelpyoutotapresourcestoliveahealthy,happylife.

FaithMeditationMeditate deeply to quiet yourmind.Think about your source for strength.

Feel the connection and allow yourself to draw from it.When you let go ofdoubts,youopenyourselftonewpossibilities.Viewyourselfandyourhealthinthebroadercontextofenlightenmentanddiscoveraharmonious integrationofmindandbody,society,nature,andthecosmos.

CONCLUSION

Ifyouchangeyourpatternsofthought, theconceptsyouholdtosodearly, theworldwill disclose newpotential to you.Thoughyou cannot change the past,youcanchangethepresentandchangethefuture.

LoveforallbeingsisatthecenterofBuddhismandoflife.Onceyouclearawaynegative,judgmental,criticalthoughts,whatisleft?Aclearmind,opentothepositivepotentialineachmoment,eachsituation,eachperson.

Peace ofmind is founded on compassion, caring in a deep sense,withoutclingingtowhathasbeenorwhatmustbe.Enterthevoidwithfaith.Emptinessisfilledwithpotential:Maytheclearlightofenlightenmentshineforyou.

EternaltruthsTheirspectrumoflight

MakesshadowstransparentDissolvingthenight

—C.AlexanderSimpkins

TIMELINE

BUDDHISMININDIA

563-483B.C. SiddharthaGautama,theBuddha

528B.C. Buddha’sEnlightenment

483B.C.-thepresent BuddhismoftheElders(Theravada,latercalledHinayana)

483B.C. FirstBuddhistCouncilatRajagriha

383B.C. SecondBuddhistCouncilatVaisali&dissentingMahasangitiCouncil

274-236B.C. RuleofKingAsoka,GreatsupporterofTheravadaBuddhism

237B.C. ThirdBuddhistCouncilatPataliputra&TpitakagatheredandwritteninPali

200B.C.-A.D.100 MahayanasutrasintroducedandwritteninSanskrit

A.D.78-103 KingKanishka,GreatsupporterofMahayanaBuddhism

A.D.200 Nagaljuna,FounderofMadhyamikaSchool

A.D.400 AsangaandVasubandu,FoundersofYogacarinSchool

•

BUDDHISMSPREADS

240B.C. Ceylon(nowSriLanka)firstcountrytoreceiveBuddhism.BroughtbyMahinda(KingAsoka’sson)

A.D.100 TheravadaBuddhismtransmittedtoBurmaandThailandfromSriLanka

A.D.317-372 ThethreekingdomsofKoreareceiveBuddhismfromChina

•

BUDDHISMINCHINA

A.D.100-400 IndianBuddhistmissionariesbringBuddhismtoChina

A.D.336-416 Hui-yuan,FounderofWhiteLotusSociety,basisforPureLand(Amida)BuddhisminChina

A.D.344-413 KumarajivaandhisbureautranslatesBuddhisttextsintoChinese

A.D.374-414 Seng-Chao,Kumarajiva’sstudentandtranslator

A.D.418-421 BuddhabhadratranslatesAvatamsakaSutraintoChinese

A.D.440-528 Bodhidharma,FounderofCh’anBuddhism(ZeninJapanese)

A.D.499-569 ParamarthabringsYogacaratoChina

A.D.538-597 Chih-i,founderofT’ien-t’aiBuddhism

A.D.638-713 Hui-nengintroducesInstantEnlightenmenttoZen;consideredfatherofmodernZenBuddhism

A.D.643-712 Fa-Tsang,MostimportantpatriarchofHua-yenBuddhism

•

BUDDHISMINJAPAN

A.D.552 KoreaintroducesBuddhismtoJapan

A.D.632-685 Chi-k’ueibringsYogacaratoJapan

A.D.800 T’ien-t’aibroughttoJapan,becomesTendaiBuddhism

1133-1212 HonenfoundsJodo(PureLand,AmidaBuddhism)1141-1215EisaiintroducesRinzaiZentoJapan

1173-1262 ShinranfoundsShinBuddhism

1200-1253 DogenintroducesSotoZentoJapan

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