Harsha/Merton

[Guest guest]

"Gloria Lee" <glee

 

 

Buddhism seems to allow for many

contradictions, due to the many paths or dharma doors available.

snip................

 

Yet very few feel like a Buddha the moment they first sit to meditate. Its

important to recognize when experience is being described and when absolute

truth of reality is being described. (Gee,

these apparent contradictions should be no problem to a nondualist..ha,ha.)

 

In the Tibetan Buddhist context of the original quote, the Dharma Body

(dharma-kaya) referred to

is the true nature of Buddhahood, symbolic of the completion of the path..

There are 3 manifestation bodies, 1)Nirmana Kaya (the actual physical

Buddha, the historical one) 2) Samboga Kaya (embodiment of an ideal teacher

such as Amida, the Buddha of infinite love and compassion) 3) Dharma Kaya

("truth body" is a universal principle, an absolute reality, formless)

 

To say one IS a Buddha is considered immodest at the very least. So..

attainment may not be the best word choice for

this.. but it seems understandable that for a monk to claim attaining

Buddhahood might

show a lack of humility. The Dali Lama is considered by his followers to be

an incarnation of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion. ( A Sambog

a Kaya type of incarnation) He himself always describes himself as a "a

simple Buddhist monk."

 

 

The previous quote in the Merton passage was:

"but all leading back to dzogchen, the ultimate emptiness, the unity of

shunyata and karuna, going 'beyond the dharmakaya' and 'beyond God' to the

ultimate perfect emptiness.

 

Here, shunyata is already emptiness, in the relative and phenomenal sense

meaning insubstantiality and dependent origination..and karuna is

compassion, yet it means a compassion based on the enlightened experience of

the oneness of all beings... these two in unity become ultimate emptiness.

"True emptiness is not empty."

 

SO..The short answer perhaps lies in that we have only the one word

"emptiness" to translate both phenomenol and absolute realities. To me its

like

blueberries are good, until you taste those wild, Maine blueberries. The

difference is indescribable, yet we call them both blueberries.

__________________________

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Thanks Gloria! Your analysis is brilliant and insightful; especially so as

it is based on much experience, reading, and reflection and having spent

time with the Dalai Lama.. I appreciate your pointing out all the subtleties

and nuances as they are easy to miss by someone just being exposed to

Buddhism. You bring much richness and many gifts to this fellowship Gloria.

I am entering you into the Swami Contest! :-).

 

Love to all

Harsha