THE ARISING OF COMPASSION WITH CORRECT INTENTIONS
We are pose
We are faced now with an interesting apparent problem, the answer to which explains fully one of Buddha Dharma’s important teachings.
If one has a correct intention to eat a banana or wash one’s hands in a stream, does there arise natural Compassion? The answer is clearly yes. It arises in every condition where there is a correct intention approved by the Buddha Nature of the life force. Thus Compasion is not just something reserved for those with suffering or those in pain.
Why is this so important? If you are alert you will see.
What does the life force confirm? That the intention is correct. Correct for what? For the perpetuation of one’s own survival AND FOR THE FUTURE SURVIVAL OF ALL SENTIENT CREATURES.
Thus one washes ones hands not just for oneself, for anything that is for oneself that is natural and correct benefits all sentient creatures. The Bodhisattva realizes this. The early Mahayanas saw this, so it was easy to dedicate every task (every intention) for the benefit of other seres. Thus it helps kill dissolve the Identity perching on any Arahat’s shoulder.
If one dedicates our behaviour and benefits to others, then we are told that this brings merit. Here again this merit is generally misunderstood. One gains no merit in the sense that the word is usually used. Who is there after all to gain Merit? … It cannot dissolve the tension of the Karmic formation.
What then is it and what can it do?
Merit really is the attainment of a state of worthiness, but there is no one who posseses that state. Worthiness is an idea about a state of being. To increment MERIT is to gain Worthiness. What for? There are no medals or trophies in Buddha Dharma. One goes to no Heaven because one is worthy. One goes to no Hell because one is not. Worthiness is an aura of ENERGY that is positive… By gaining MERIT you simply increase your aura of worthiness. But no one can see it and declare…” Oh what a worthy person.” There is no Identity to see it and say “I am worthy” for if there is an Identity saying that then there is no worthiness.
It is an internal signal (you may experience a physical warmness, an experience of well being). What does it signal’
Perhaps you can see.
You will remember that we declared that we posses a Life Force and it is the natural function of that life force to perpetuate apparent being. Its impulse is threefold:
To bring about present correct survival attitudes, intentions and actions to perpetuate the individual life.
To generate a force for natural and correct reproduction (different in men and women) to bring about the continuation of the species.
To generate a correct ambit for those future human creatures.
In terms of our Human Compassion it is the third that is relevant.
The Mahayana movement arose as a result of the observation that many rahats fell from their attained position and that therefore the attained state was not permanent. Their opposition group, much larger, declared that the state of Arahat was clearly un-reversable. Evidence shows that the minority were in fct correct.
The two problems then had to be faced.
Why was it not permanent despite the excellent meditations available and great dedication on the part of the arahats?
What could be done to alleviate the temptations of Mara (Identidad) to regress to mundane behaviour, which was generally of a sexual or greedy nature?
After serious reflection the idea was presented that the only solution was to keep the Identity constantly at bay by constantly devoting ones meditations, studies and daily comportment to other sentient beings.
Thus was born the concept of advances on a Bodhichitta path.
What they did not realize at the time was that the state of Arahat was only a partial solution to the human condition of suffering, because the real root of all human problems is the presence of a Dual Thinking Mind.
What is this Dual Thinking Mind. It is rooted I the natural differentiation of PERCEPTION which is transformed in the mind from a mental differentiation of the apparent separation of all things, which is effectively used in the system as a healthy and useful tool, to a mental differentiation which believes that this separation is real. The physiological stimulus for this was the increment of the intellectual capacity to think in abstract terms and apply words.
Thus it is words and form applied to perception that permits discrimination to arise in Volition causing faulty and debilitating perceptions based upon a mistakenly believed separation of all things into apparent individual entities.
Make sure now that you get that straight.
Differentiation permits the perception of a useful separation which is known to be artificial, but provides correct and efficient responses. All sentient creatures posess that capacity.
Discrimination permits a separation that appears real and this apparent separation allows desire for and clinging to particulars to take hold.
The later Mahayana groups who understood the concept of “All is mind” or All is Stained Consciousness”, which Buddha actually predicated saw that the correct path was towards a state of a NON DUAL MIND.
Now the interesting thing about that non dual mind is that when it is achieved the third point of our trio: “o generate a correct ambit for those future human creatures.” becomes revealed. In fact when the NON DUAL STATEor AWAKENING is attained the life force insists upon this behaviour. Thus the realized Bodhisattva is by his nature unable to avoid helping all sentient creatures.
Why all sentient creatures? It is because the sophisticated human creature, when his or her true sensitivity, discrimination, and perception is revealed can see at a level more profound then mere intellect that the interdependence of all life on this planet, and indeed the universe. He can also see the interdependence upon non-animate substance like heat, water, earth and air.
Thus, generating a future ambit which protects the mind and bodies of all sentient creatures becomes more than a mere precept. That is why it is declared that when one becomes a Bodhisattva there are no more rules or precepts to be governed by. Nature itself rules correctly.
But to reach that point one requires a guide or precept. Thus there are two levels of dispensed compassion.
The first is to generate Compassion to all individual sentient creatures
The second is to continue that practice, but add to it the clear objective to attain Bodhisattvahood and attain the noble human perspective which is for all sentient creatures, namely all humanity.
But the actual perception of a Bodhisattva is not simply the understanding beyond intellect that we all form a part of one whole. It is the experience of the totality of humanity in which the splitting off into parts as individuals is clearly only an illusory tool. There are no parts only “One”. That one is nota god or being, for that concept generates a new Absolute Duality “God and the rest”.
Perhaps the Indians were closest considering God to be all and not apart from all as other Religions believe.
The question then arises. What is Buddhahood. Is there a difference in perception? In most groups of Buddha Dharma a central idea is presented related to the Bodhisattva Ideal.
It becomes a matter of a resolution to give up the attainment of Buddhahood in order to remain a bodhisattva to help all sentient creature.
We present here a different concept in which it is suggested that one has to renounce Bodhisttvahood to become a Buddha. That appears to be more consistent with the truth.
If that was indeed understood to be the truth why was the reverse idea presented?
Perhaps to present an incentive for the Bodhisattva Path, for it is clear that if one makes a sacrifice to be upon a path, ones resolution to renain on that path is stronger. Perhaps we can claim that the Buddha Sacrifice is an expedient means to maintain ine upon the Bodhisattva path..
We are left anyway with two critical , perhaps unanswerable, question?
Does a Buddha then have no more compassion for all sentient creatures since, at least in theory, his Karmic protection of future creatures is eliminated when his full energy dissolves and returns to the boundless and formless energy of all universes?
What contribution does a Buddha then make after death for the benefit of all sentient creatures ?