Let me begin here with a poem by William Blake
I wander thro' each charter'd street,
Near where the charter'd Thames does flow,
And mark in every face I meet
Marks of weakness, marks of woe.
In every cry of every Man,
In every Infant's cry of fear,
In every voice, in every ban,
The mind-forg'd manacles I hear.
How the Chimney-sweeper's cry
Every blackning Church appalls,
And the hapless Soldier's sigh
Runs in blood down Palace walls.
But most thro' midnight streets I hear
How the youthful Harlot's curse
Blasts the new-born Infant's tear
And blights with plagues the Marriage hearse.
In this modern world, where social progress has been made, there are still marks of weakness and woe in every face. Oftimes well camouflaged, that is certain, but none the less they are still there.
In every voice indeed the mind-forged manacles are there. Blood still flows upon untainted soil and young women in forced prostitution continue their curses. Newborn infants learn fear quickly and the seduction of mundane love indeed becomes a marriage hearse, though many with dissonance must deny it.
It is no wonder that many seek solutions in psychiatry and psychology, the modern opium of the people. Religions continue without viable answers dispensing the need for blind faith.
Some fare better and come across Buddhism and happily stand with their feet held tight by the bog of words and empty meditations. A few find
Buddha Dharma. Thay are fortunate and with diligence, calm, patience, determination, perseverance, free critical enquiry within the teachings and a clear identity-less introspection advance towards Awakening.
What do they find within that Awakening?
According to the Diamond Sutra, Buddha informed everyone what to expect, recounting there his own experience.
Accepting then that the Awakening can be attained, what is the benefit?
In the Sutra we get Buddha's answer.
Then Subhuti asked Buddha:
"World-honored One, in the attainment of the Consummation of Incomparable Awakening did Buddha make no acquisition whatsoever?"
Buddha replied:
"Just so, Subhuti. Through the Consummation of Incomparable Awakening
I acquired not even the least thing; therefore it is called "Consummation of Incomparable Awakening."
There you have the answer.
You cannot acquire the least thing.
I can hear some of you now crying:
"Son of a bitch! Then what am I doing following Buddha Dharma?"
Frankly I don't know, because if it is certain that your quest is Awakening and later Enlightenment, then just the presence of that quest is sufficient to ensure that you will attain nothing.
Buddha was even more specific with regard to the seeking of Awakening
At that time Subhuti addressed Buddha, saying:
"World-honored One, if good men and good women seek the Consummation of Incomparable Awakening, by what criteria should they abide and how should they control their thoughts?"
Buddha replied to Subhuti:
"Good men and good women seeking the Consummation of Incomparable Awakening must create this resolved attitude of mind: I must liberate all living beings, yet when all have been liberated, verily not any one is liberated.
Wherefore? If a Bodhisattva cherishes the idea of an ego-entity, a personality, a being, or a separated individuality, he is consequently not a Bodhisattva, Subhuti. This is because in reality there is no formula which gives rise to the Consummation of Incomparable Awakening."
Mark that point well ... There is no individual to be liberated. Accepting the existence of an individual is to allow individual existence.
We may even ask how Buddha attained an Awakening where nothing was acquired?
Buddha declared "... In case anyone says that the Tathagata attained the Consummation of Incomparable Awakening, I tell you truly, Subhuti, that there is no formula by which the Buddha attained it. Subhuti, the basis of Tathagata's attainment of the Consummation of Incomparable Awakening is wholly beyond; it is neither real nor unreal.
"Hence I say that the whole realm of formulations is not really such, therefore it is called 'Realm of formulations'."
So, in the first place we can say, without at this time entering into explanations, that there is no formula by which anyone can attain it...
Yet something can be attained.
Let us then declare with clarity that what is attained is the Truth regarding the Realm of Formulations.
All Formulations regarding the search, an attainment, that which is acquired and the presence of Awakening itself is neither real nor unreal.