Wisdom and samadhi cannot be separated, just as wisdom and compassion cannot be separated. The wisdom that is without samadhi and/or compassion is not the wisdom of the buddhas, but rather some ideology, emptiness grasped incorrectly.
I don't mean ultimately. It is more a matter of how those words are defined. On the one hand, there is the path of sila-samadhi-prajna. On the other hand, there is the unity of samadhi-prajna in the Platform Sutra, or Keizan's statement "Zazen is also not based upon discipline, practice, or wisdom. These three are all contained within it." And even the PP8000 (3.4) says, "The five perfections are in this manner contained in the perfection of wisdom, and the term ‘perfection of wisdom’ is just a synonym for the fulfillment of the six perfections. In consequence, when the perfection of wisdom is proclaimed, all the six perfections are proclaimed." At the same time, Dazhu Huihai writes, "People who are confused or deluded do not understand that the other five paramitas all evolve from the dana-paramita. Therefore, in practicing the dana-paramita, one also fulfills the practice of the other five paramitas." How does all this work? Nagarjuna explained it in the MPPU (p 41-45) that one can cultivate any one of the six that includes all the others, or can focus on one or two paramitas and thus cultivate the rest, or it is also possible to cultivate none and thus realise all.
In the case of the immediate enlightenment of Zen, there are no stages or levels, everything is included in the single realisation of no-mind. Talking of the general teachings for bodhisattvas is another matter.
As Dogen said, zazen is dropping body and mind. It means that, as you can always see for yourself, that all physical and mental experiences are impermanent, they don't last even for a second. Dropping them is not creating an issue, not taking a position. On the other hand, if one takes up a gradual training, instead of practising enlightenment, then I think it should be done properly, following the well established tradition, like the instructions found in Zhiyi's Smaller Samatha-Vipasyana treatise or some others. It is better to be clear about the methods being used, otherwise they bear no fruit.
I don't mean ultimately. It is more a matter of how those words are defined. On the one hand, there is the path of sila-samadhi-prajna. On the other hand, there is the unity of samadhi-prajna in the Platform Sutra, or Keizan's statement "Zazen is also not based upon discipline, practice, or wisdom. These three are all contained within it." And even the PP8000 (3.4) says, "The five perfections are in this manner contained in the perfection of wisdom, and the term ‘perfection of wisdom’ is just a synonym for the fulfillment of the six perfections. In consequence, when the perfection of wisdom is proclaimed, all the six perfections are proclaimed." At the same time, Dazhu Huihai writes, "People who are confused or deluded do not understand that the other five paramitas all evolve from the dana-paramita. Therefore, in practicing the dana-paramita, one also fulfills the practice of the other five paramitas." How does all this work? Nagarjuna explained it in the MPPU (p 41-45) that one can cultivate any one of the six that includes all the others, or can focus on one or two paramitas and thus cultivate the rest, or it is also possible to cultivate none and thus realise all.
In the case of the immediate enlightenment of Zen, there are no stages or levels, everything is included in the single realisation of no-mind. Talking of the general teachings for bodhisattvas is another matter.
As Dogen said, zazen is dropping body and mind. It means that, as you can always see for yourself, that all physical and mental experiences are impermanent, they don't last even for a second. Dropping them is not creating an issue, not taking a position. On the other hand, if one takes up a gradual training, instead of practising enlightenment, then I think it should be done properly, following the well established tradition, like the instructions found in Zhiyi's Smaller Samatha-Vipasyana treatise or some others. It is better to be clear about the methods being used, otherwise they bear no fruit.
No comments:
Post a Comment