THE MASTERY
OF YOUR ATTENTION WILL COME
WHEN YOU WILL START SEEING the truth..
Lead me from dreaming to waking.
Lead me from opacity to clarity. Lead me from the complicated to the simple. Lead me from the obscure to the obvious. Lead me from intention to attention. Lead me from what I'm told I am to what I see I am. Lead me from confrontation to wide openness. Lead me to the place I never left,
Where there is peace, and peace - The Upanishads 
http://www.chronicleproject.com/stories_88.html
(from http://kriptodanny.blogspot.com/2011/06/if-there-is-point-or-center-of-knower.html Maha Boowa the forest monk explaining ) I had reached a stage where nothing else was left for me to investigate. I had already let go of everything—only that radiance remained. Except for the central point of the citta’s radiance, the whole universe had been conclusively let go. So, can you understand what I mean: that this point is the Ultimate Danger?
At that stage, supreme-mindfulness and supreme-wisdom converged on the focal point of the citta to call it to account, concentrating the force of the whole investigation on that point.
All other matters had been examined and discarded; there remained only that one small point of “knowingness”. It became obvious that both sukha and dukkha issued from that source. Brightness and dullness—the differences arose from the same origin. Why was it that one citta had so many different characteristics?
Then, in one spontaneous instant, Dhamma answered the question. Instantaneously—just like that! This is called “Dhamma arising in the heart.” Kilesas arising in the heart are forces that bind us; Dhamma arising in the heart frees us from bondage. Dhamma arose suddenly, unexpectedly, as though it were a voice in the heart: Whether it is dullness or brightness, sukha or dukkha, all such dualities are anattã. There! Ultimately, it was anattã that excised those things once and for all. This final, conclusive insight could arise as any one of the ti-lakkhaõa, depending on a person’s character and temperament. But for me personally it was anattã. The meaning was clear: Let everything go. All of them are anattã.
Suddenly, in comprehending that these differing aspects—dullness, brightness, sukha, and dukkha—are all anattã, the citta became absolutely still. Having concluded unequivocally that everything is anattã, it had no room to maneuver. The citta came to rest—impassive, still, in that level of Dhamma. It had no interest in attã or anattã, no interest in sukha or dukkha, brightness or dullness. The citta resided at the center, neutral and placid. But it was impassive with supreme-mindfulness and supreme-wisdom; not vacantly impassive, gaping foolishly like the rest..
Speaking in mundane terms, it seemed inattentive; but, in truth, it was fully aware. The citta was simply suspended in a still, quiescent condition.
Then, from that neutral, impassive state of the citta, the nucleus of existence—the core of the knower—suddenly separated and fell away. Having finally been reduced to anattã, brightness and dullness and everything else were suddenly torn asunder and destroyed once and for all.
In that moment when avijjã flipped over and fell from the citta, the sky appeared to be crashing down as the entire universe trembled and quaked. For, in truth, it is solely avijjã that causes us to wander constantly through the universe of saÿsãra. Thus, when avijjã separated from the citta and vanished, it seemed as if the entire universe had fallen away and vanished along with it. Earth, sky—all collapsed in an instant. Do you understand?
No one sat in judgment at that decisive moment. That natural principle arose on its own and passed its own judgement. The universe then collapsed on its own. Originating from a neutral state of the citta, the happening took place all so suddenly: in an instant the entire cosmos seemed to flip over and disappear. It was so brilliant! Oh my! Really and truly magnificent! Too extraordinary to be captured in words. Such is the amazing nature of the Dhamma that I now teach.
Tears flowed when I experienced it. Look at me even now! Even now my tears are flowing at the recollection of that event....
If there is a point or a center of the knower anywhere, that is the nucleus of existence.
To nourish the vital energy, keep watch in silence;
In order to subdue the mind, act with non-action.
Of movement and stillness, be aware of their origin;
There is no work to do, much less someone to seek.
The true and constant must respond to phenomena;
Responding to phenomena, you must be unconfused.
When unconfused, the nature will stabilize by itself;
When the nature stabilizes, energy returns by itself.
When energy returns, the elixir crystallizes by itself;
Within the pot, the trigrams of heaven and earth are joined.
Yīn and yáng arise, alternating over and over again;
Every transformation comes like a clap of thunder.
White clouds form and come to assemble at the peak;
The sweet nectar sprinkles down Mount Sumeru.
Swallow for yourself this wine of immortality;
You wander so freely—who is able to know you?
Sit and listen to the tune played without strings;
Clearly understand the mechanism of creation.
It comes entirely from these twenty lines;
A true ladder going straight to Heaven.-Daoist text -
To us all towns are one, all men our kin. Life's good comes not from others' gift, nor ill. Man's pains and pains' relief are from within. Thus have we seen in visions of the wise !." - Tamil Poem-
Lead me from opacity to clarity. Lead me from the complicated to the simple. Lead me from the obscure to the obvious. Lead me from intention to attention. Lead me from what I'm told I am to what I see I am. Lead me from confrontation to wide openness. Lead me to the place I never left,
Where there is peace, and peace - The Upanishads *note* this is a formidable subject..but..I will try to explain you what Chögyam Trungpa meant..
It will take me eons to explain you that you,grasshoppers from heaven...,,that YOU ARE ROBOTS..
Even if I told you you'd not believe me.
Even if I explain you,you'd not believe me,since I see the future.
Therefore..I WILL NOT EXPLAIN YOU AT ALL..TILL I SENSE YOU'D UNDERSTAND.
Comprende?..Capish?..Anybody home?
Good..
But this guy was real..
Check out his views on the alaya consciousness .......I have spokenth!
-added by danny-
ps..to read more about alaya...a topic so difficult that even Buddha itself said about it..
The storehouse consciousness ( that is alaya) is very profound and subtle;
All its seeds are like a torrential flow.
I do not explain it to the ignorant,
For fear they will cling to it and consider it a self.
ps..to read more about alaya...a topic so difficult that even Buddha itself said about it..
The storehouse consciousness ( that is alaya) is very profound and subtle;
All its seeds are like a torrential flow.
I do not explain it to the ignorant,
For fear they will cling to it and consider it a self.
from http://www.meditationexpert.com/zen-buddhism-tao/z_highest_states_in_buddhism_versus_hinduism.html
site,the bodhisava Bill(or he might be a buddha in disguise..remember one can NOT know a higher level then it's own state..that's why faith and teachers are needed..and since I am not a buddha,I can't tell if he is a buddha,since only a buddha(completely enlightened one..not partially like me,the mighty mahayogi..loved in the 3 worlds..worshiped in 10..celebrated in the 18th also by himself,since I am the only mahayogi in sahaja yoga tradition,as far as I know... I am the cotton eyed Kripto indeed
since only a buddha can recognize other buddha. ..or only a Kripto can recognize a kripto...quote"The eighth consciousness, also known as the alaya consciousness or storehouse consciousness, is a particularly complicated, difficult subject to discuss. Shakyamuni Buddha taught for several decades and had many highly advanced practitioners as his disciples, yet despite disciples of high prajna wisdom and high samadhi attainments, Shakyamuni rarely spoke of the alaya consciousness in order to prevent any entries into error. That’s how important this topic is, and how difficult it is to discuss. As Shakyamuni said,
The storehouse consciousness [alaya] is very profound and subtle;
All its seeds are like a torrential flow.
I do not explain it to the ignorant,
For fear they will cling to it and consider it a self.
Many in history have reached the stage where they were able to claim “I and the Father are one,” but this was also only reaching the alaya -- if that far -- without fully transforming it or overturning its basis. And many of those sages were killed by people who did not understand what they were saying. To overturn the alaya and produce a revolution in its basis, turning all its seeds into wisdoms – that’s the stage of true enlightenment taught by Shakyamuni Buddha. Many masters since then have been able to reach to the alaya by cultivating the seventh consciousness to the stage where they silenced the sixth and first five consciousnesses by turning away from the senses and phenomena. Many yoga concentration techniques will help you do this. But many of these also made the mistake of holding on to the alaya as the object of the seventh consciousness and clinging to it as a Self. In Zen a master would have to break up someone’s stage of realization in order to get them to perceive this (awaken) and go beyond. Afterwards, as long as they had attained the right view and understanding, a master would not worry about what particular cultivation practices a student would thereafter choose to follow.
This is so important to understand these various fine distinctions that we should review this in more detail. If you do not understand this, you cannot understand the real meaning of enlightenment and how it puts an end to transmigration (as well as sorrow, misery, etc.) or why it involves cultivating prajna transcendental wisdom. Those things are just words until you understand the whole picture and grand scheme of things.
In the Brahmanism and other religious streams that were created by the Vedas and which predated Shakyamuni, Vedic philosophy originally held that a great being named Brahman was the creator of all beings, including man. Brahman was revered as the lord of all creation, but was not apart from ourselves. In Vedic literature, it was asserted that there was no difference, no duality between the true self of human beings, called the “atman,” and the true self of Brahman. Brahman is “One Without a Second” and fully present in each and every individual being.
"
...........since only a buddha can recognize other buddha. ..or only a Kripto can recognize a kripto...quote"The eighth consciousness, also known as the alaya consciousness or storehouse consciousness, is a particularly complicated, difficult subject to discuss. Shakyamuni Buddha taught for several decades and had many highly advanced practitioners as his disciples, yet despite disciples of high prajna wisdom and high samadhi attainments, Shakyamuni rarely spoke of the alaya consciousness in order to prevent any entries into error. That’s how important this topic is, and how difficult it is to discuss. As Shakyamuni said,
The storehouse consciousness [alaya] is very profound and subtle;
All its seeds are like a torrential flow.
I do not explain it to the ignorant,
For fear they will cling to it and consider it a self.
Shakyamuni threfore gave very few teachings on the alaya consciousness in order not to provide people with another false source of fixation of something as the ultimate. He didn’t want to talk extensively about something that sentient beings, lacking wisdom, might take as a higher Self or final Reality. In particular, he worried that beings might take the alaya as a big Self, or true atman. In fact, the Hindu sages who were able to reach to the alaya body of consciousness before him all made this very mistake, taking the alaya as the Great Self (Brahman) when it is only the essence of consciousness. They would reach this stage of cultivation and claim, “I am He, I am He” or “I am Brahman, I am Shiva.” Similarly, “All this is Brahman,” “I know the Supreme Brahman; there is nothing higher than that (Prasna Upanishad VI.7),” “All this Universe is Brahman. The Self is Brahman. (Mandukya Upanishad, Verse 2).”Contrast this with Buddha’s discourse in the Diamond Sutra where he says that there is no such real thing as a world system or agglomeration of world systems, for if such a thing existed in reality it would be the oneness of all phenomena. Neither any components nor the whole should be regarded as real. No stage of attainment should be regarded as real either. If one even considers themselves an ego, identity, being or real self, they are not correct either. No stage of attainment is really existing or ever really attained.
Many in history have reached the stage where they were able to claim “I and the Father are one,” but this was also only reaching the alaya -- if that far -- without fully transforming it or overturning its basis. And many of those sages were killed by people who did not understand what they were saying. To overturn the alaya and produce a revolution in its basis, turning all its seeds into wisdoms – that’s the stage of true enlightenment taught by Shakyamuni Buddha. Many masters since then have been able to reach to the alaya by cultivating the seventh consciousness to the stage where they silenced the sixth and first five consciousnesses by turning away from the senses and phenomena. Many yoga concentration techniques will help you do this. But many of these also made the mistake of holding on to the alaya as the object of the seventh consciousness and clinging to it as a Self. In Zen a master would have to break up someone’s stage of realization in order to get them to perceive this (awaken) and go beyond. Afterwards, as long as they had attained the right view and understanding, a master would not worry about what particular cultivation practices a student would thereafter choose to follow.
This is so important to understand these various fine distinctions that we should review this in more detail. If you do not understand this, you cannot understand the real meaning of enlightenment and how it puts an end to transmigration (as well as sorrow, misery, etc.) or why it involves cultivating prajna transcendental wisdom. Those things are just words until you understand the whole picture and grand scheme of things.
In the Brahmanism and other religious streams that were created by the Vedas and which predated Shakyamuni, Vedic philosophy originally held that a great being named Brahman was the creator of all beings, including man. Brahman was revered as the lord of all creation, but was not apart from ourselves. In Vedic literature, it was asserted that there was no difference, no duality between the true self of human beings, called the “atman,” and the true self of Brahman. Brahman is “One Without a Second” and fully present in each and every individual being.
"
http://www.chronicleproject.com/stories_88.html
The character and style of translation meetings with the Vidyadhara were often fairly straightforward and businesslike. There was a job at hand, translating a dharma text, usually from Tibetan into English. So we all followed our teacher's lead and generally stayed on task, unless of course he leaned out into the wind a bit, which sometimes resulted in a gem of a conversation like the following. In the midst of digitizing and archiving our old tapes of translation meetings, Tingdzin Ötro rediscovered this jewel, and we are happy to present it to you here.
The following discussion took place during a translation meeting on The Rain of Wisdom at the 1979 Vajradhatu Seminary. Present at the meeting were the Vidyadhara (VCTR), Robin Kornman (RK), Jud Levinson (JL), Larry Mermelstein (LM), John Rockwell (JR), and Scott Wellenbach (SW). This edited transcript represents only a fraction of the entire discussion, which will appear soon on the Nalanda Translation Committee's website under Translation Offerings.
According to the Tibetan understanding of the yogachara view, there are eight consciousnesses. The eighth, called the alaya-vijnana, is the basis for the other seven. The ati tradition presents an ultimate alaya (San.; "abode, receptacle"; Tib. künshi; "ground of all"), which is the basis of both samsara and nirvana. The Vidyadhara described this ultimate alaya and the split from it in this way:
This basic ground does not depend on relative situations at all. It is natural being which just is. Energies appear out of this basic ground and those energies are the source of the development of relative situations. Sparks of duality, intensity and sharpness, flashes of wisdom and knowledge—all sorts of things come out of the basic ground. So the basic ground is the source of confusion and also the source of liberation. . . . As for ego's type of ground, the eighth consciousness, this arises when the energy which flashes out of the basic ground brings about a sort of blinding effect, bewilderment. That bewilderment becomes the eighth consciousness, the basic ground for ego. [Garuda IV: The Foundations of Mindfulness; p. 58]
In addition to the alaya of the eighth consciousness and the alaya of the basic ground, the Vidyadhara here presents a third type of alaya, a knowing that is self-aware and self-luminous (Tib. shepa rang rik rang sel).
VCTR: Generally, there are different types of alaya: a lower level, or storehouse consciousness, and a higher level, which is basic brilliantness.
JL: It is pure tathagatagarbha.
VCTR: So to speak.
JL: If the higher level of alaya is brilliance, is there also a dharmakaya level of alaya? Is there a formless purity before it becomes luminous?
VCTR: Yes. According to vajrayana, there is the dharmata itself, which you return to at the moment of your death. It is just dissolving. After the moment of death, there is the bardo of dharmata, which goes beyond the alaya, even beyond the brilliance. It is just a kind of blankness—dead. JL: So the vajrayana seems to say that there are three types of alaya: complete purity or dharmata, luminosity, and the alaya that gives birth to grasping.
VCTR: Yes.
RK: I take it that the lower alaya, which is responsible for our ego, is not still.
VCTR: It is fickle.
RK: In shamatha practice, it seems that thoughts are being thrown out, and I am bubbling and throwing them out. There is no sense of complete peace, but there is a sense of being behind the thoughts as they come out. Is that the lower alaya?
VCTR: It could be seeing the lower alaya, though connected with the luminous aspect a little bit. If you are in the state of fickleness, you cannot see it because you are it. You begin to see it because you are beginning to be a little more steady; therefore you have a reference point. The reason you see the fickleness might be because the luminous aspect allows you to step back a little.
At that stage, supreme-mindfulness and supreme-wisdom converged on the focal point of the citta to call it to account, concentrating the force of the whole investigation on that point.
All other matters had been examined and discarded; there remained only that one small point of “knowingness”. It became obvious that both sukha and dukkha issued from that source. Brightness and dullness—the differences arose from the same origin. Why was it that one citta had so many different characteristics?
Then, in one spontaneous instant, Dhamma answered the question. Instantaneously—just like that! This is called “Dhamma arising in the heart.” Kilesas arising in the heart are forces that bind us; Dhamma arising in the heart frees us from bondage. Dhamma arose suddenly, unexpectedly, as though it were a voice in the heart: Whether it is dullness or brightness, sukha or dukkha, all such dualities are anattã. There! Ultimately, it was anattã that excised those things once and for all. This final, conclusive insight could arise as any one of the ti-lakkhaõa, depending on a person’s character and temperament. But for me personally it was anattã. The meaning was clear: Let everything go. All of them are anattã.
Suddenly, in comprehending that these differing aspects—dullness, brightness, sukha, and dukkha—are all anattã, the citta became absolutely still. Having concluded unequivocally that everything is anattã, it had no room to maneuver. The citta came to rest—impassive, still, in that level of Dhamma. It had no interest in attã or anattã, no interest in sukha or dukkha, brightness or dullness. The citta resided at the center, neutral and placid. But it was impassive with supreme-mindfulness and supreme-wisdom; not vacantly impassive, gaping foolishly like the rest..
Speaking in mundane terms, it seemed inattentive; but, in truth, it was fully aware. The citta was simply suspended in a still, quiescent condition.
Then, from that neutral, impassive state of the citta, the nucleus of existence—the core of the knower—suddenly separated and fell away. Having finally been reduced to anattã, brightness and dullness and everything else were suddenly torn asunder and destroyed once and for all.
In that moment when avijjã flipped over and fell from the citta, the sky appeared to be crashing down as the entire universe trembled and quaked. For, in truth, it is solely avijjã that causes us to wander constantly through the universe of saÿsãra. Thus, when avijjã separated from the citta and vanished, it seemed as if the entire universe had fallen away and vanished along with it. Earth, sky—all collapsed in an instant. Do you understand?
No one sat in judgment at that decisive moment. That natural principle arose on its own and passed its own judgement. The universe then collapsed on its own. Originating from a neutral state of the citta, the happening took place all so suddenly: in an instant the entire cosmos seemed to flip over and disappear. It was so brilliant! Oh my! Really and truly magnificent! Too extraordinary to be captured in words. Such is the amazing nature of the Dhamma that I now teach.
Tears flowed when I experienced it. Look at me even now! Even now my tears are flowing at the recollection of that event....
If there is a point or a center of the knower anywhere, that is the nucleus of existence.
To nourish the vital energy, keep watch in silence;
In order to subdue the mind, act with non-action.
Of movement and stillness, be aware of their origin;
There is no work to do, much less someone to seek.
The true and constant must respond to phenomena;
Responding to phenomena, you must be unconfused.
When unconfused, the nature will stabilize by itself;
When the nature stabilizes, energy returns by itself.
When energy returns, the elixir crystallizes by itself;
Within the pot, the trigrams of heaven and earth are joined.
Yīn and yáng arise, alternating over and over again;
Every transformation comes like a clap of thunder.
White clouds form and come to assemble at the peak;
The sweet nectar sprinkles down Mount Sumeru.
Swallow for yourself this wine of immortality;
You wander so freely—who is able to know you?
Sit and listen to the tune played without strings;
Clearly understand the mechanism of creation.
It comes entirely from these twenty lines;
A true ladder going straight to Heaven.-Daoist text -
To us all towns are one, all men our kin. Life's good comes not from others' gift, nor ill. Man's pains and pains' relief are from within. Thus have we seen in visions of the wise !." - Tamil Poem-
