4. AVAIVARTIKA SUPPORT
Actually few of those upon the Dharma Path have even heard of Avaivartika, but it is essential for the path, although unfortunately it has been converted into an impediment due to the way it is taught and promoted.
Avaivartika is a Sanscrit word which is derived from the negative prefix "a-" and the root "vi-vrit", which signifies "return".
The Theosophical Dictionary transltes it as referring to "a person who does not return". While this is used in a number of esoteric senses, the true utility is in understanding that the practices of Avaivartika lead a person to the point upon the Dharma path where there is no possibility that the Identity can force a return to the Mundane Stained Samsara in the way that he was previously chained.
But when starts one is only an embryo and even though walking upon the path of a Bodhisattva he is not in the Avaivartika state until he has reached a level where there is no return.
As a guide to the advances upon the Path of Avaivartika ten levels or Bhumis were presented to early Buddhists in the Avatamsaka Sutra and they serve even today as a general guide to progress. However, it is useful only to those who have advanced well upon the Dharma Path. They do show however the levels which can be attained.
Here we arrive at the most important understanding of Avaivartika and you can see why understanding the Avaivartika Motivation is so important.
What is MUNDANE MOTIVATION ?
It is a force that impulses someone to do "something". That is correct, but if we examine that "something", we find that it is a fruit of the action. We can say then that motivation generates an impulse to get some recompense.
Who is it that is recompensed? Identity, of course.
The great problem is that the motivation must be not only initiated but maintained and requires both determination and persistence and in the end all one accomplishes is a reinforcement of the product which declares, for example, "do not smoke". But it does not change the basic anxiety which provoked smoking in the first place.
Now ask yourself why you have not asked the obvious question.
How does Avaivartika Motivation work, for we cannot admit Identity into the process and expect to get away unscathed?
AVAIVARTIKA MOTIVATION
Avaivartika Motivation has no OBJECTIVE. What happens is that when a trait is cultivated a door is opened to another natural advance. There then in most cases need be no cognitive motivation for the entry into another stage of development.
Assuming that there is a clear subliminal appreciation of Awakening without Identity Motivation, perhaps through internalizing the Shantideva text, then there is automatically generated the impulse to EXAMINE the PRESENT IMPEDIMENTS in your life. In doing this INTROSPECTION must be guarded against the interference of any Identity evaluation.
Now all the above events entailed cognitive intelligence, but well guarded against Identity presence.
DEVELOPING OTHER-DIRECTEDNESS
This other-directedness forms the basic meditational advance in the development of the Sublime States which is investigated here in terms of its important place in the circularity or cyclic nature of the Dharma Path.
Then what one does is begin with a careful COGNITIVE GENEROSITY which involves one's apparent self in the process more than real objects.
Now that COGNITIVE GENEROSITY is stained, but by continued guarding of INTROSPECTION that GENEROSITY takes on a new aspect. It becomes less and less mental and objective-oriented. NATURAL GENEROSITY then arises and eventually reinforces itself.
You can perhaps see that this GENEROSITY is to be both mental and generated as active behaviour. It is, of course, BENEVOLENT AFFECT. At that point it is no different than that recommended as one of the Sublime States by Buddha. But when it is internalized and does not require a mental generation, then something else begins to happen.
THE ZEAL CONTEMPLATIONS
This NATURAL GENEROSITY begins to strengthen what we term in Chan Dharma the ZEAL component and there arises without a CONSCIOUS INTELLECT a NATURAL IMPULSE which is an INTENTION TO CULTIVATE VIRTUE. It is not to be forced in any way. The INTENTION just seems to manifest itself.
You can perhaps deduce what the consequence will be.
That is correct; a greater impulse activating further development of ZEAL Contemplations.
You will then notice a certain arising of the germs of EQUANIMITY that is not forced and it reveals itself in the arousal of a NATURAL PATIENCE.
As you continue to cultivate that NATURAL PATIENCE, without Identity management, then you cognitively introduce the observation of instances of your own annoyance, anger, aversion and like experiences... It is then that you must begin cognitively to EXAMINE THE CONSEQUENCES.
Gautama explained then what happens: COMPASSION and BENEVOLENT AFFECT are generated.
This once more impulses a reinforcement of correct ZEAL contemplations.
What one begins to notice then through the opening of the door, is that one's INTENTIONS are purified and CORRECT EFFORT in the natural and correct development of ACTION is generated.
Those correct INTENTIONS and now CORRECT ACTIONS feedback within the system and automatically MEDITATIONS and CONTEMPLATIONS become finer (particularly the ZEAL Contemplations).
You can imagine the consequence: the arousal of Perfect Wisdom which must be cultivated.
One great part of PERFECT WISDOM is the deep realization that there are indeed two truths. This serves to prevent the elementary intellectual mistake of Clinging to NON-EXISTENCE, which is as foolish as Clinging to the belief in a REAL EXISTENCE.
But now what happens when this realization is complete and is not just an intellectual appreciation, one knows how to use the ILLUSIONS which are correctly Balanced and in Harmony with the Life Force of the right hemisphere. It is effectively in this moment that CORRECT ATTITUDES are manifested and the ZEAL Contemplations, working maximally, open the way to communication with the masculine expressions of the Life Force.
Note also how the BODHICHARYAVATARA links within this process of Liberation.