(The following is my english translation. Note: this is an
ok-article, but don't take the 'bodhisattva view' and 'buddha view'
too literally, and it only manages to describe the realization up
to
Thusness Stage 4. But it is quite important to go through these
insights.
If your view is still dualistic (as in the first two level), you
are certainly not even a first stager Bodhisattva! It may be
considered great realization in Advaita/Hinduism, but one cannot be
said to have entered the gate in Buddhism. In fact even non-dual
experience is insufficient as one may have a tendency to fall into
the one mind of substantial non-duality - the peak of Hindu
realization. Bodhisattva goes one step further and realizes twofold
emptiness.)
One who embarks on the path of cultivation, from the stage of
ordinary being to a Bodhisattva who "observes one's freedom',
roughly goes through three steps:
1. Observing "freedom". Stage of observing "object"
Reading these words, the emphasis is on the word "freedom".
"Freedom" is the objective target of observation. When an ordinary
being cultivates, initially the practitioner observes mind and
body's movement, from action, standing, sitting and sleeping, one
acts without obstruction. This is the most crude level of
"observing one's freedom".
This "observation" is a verb, "freedom" is an object, so it is of a
verb-object structure. At this point of view, the emphasis is on
the objective target of observation, it is the object of mind, it
is all the "dust" of phenomena!
This stage of practice is the stage of "turning one's back on
Awareness and uniting with the dust [of phenomena]", the aim of
practice is to cultivating a focused mind and attain inner silence
and tranquility. It belongs to the area of cultivating
concentration.
This form of "observation" still belongs to the observation of
worldly beings.
2. "Observe" freedom. Stage of observing "subject"
Reading these words, the emphasis is on the word "observing". In
this stage the emphasis is on the pure Subject. This is another
level of evolution in "observing one's freedom", as one begins to
observe the Mind's Subjectivity or Source, that is the unchanging
Subject/Self amidst change.
In this case, the nature of the word "observe", which was initially
a verb has now turned into a noun, "observe" is the host, "freedom"
is the guest, it is of the host-guest structure. The emphasis at
this point of practice is on Mind's Essence of Awareness, that
Mirror-Mind that manifests/reflects when facing the dust of
phenomena.
This stage of observation is called "turning one's back on the dust
of phenomena to unite with Awareness", and this is what
practitioners often call "turning the perceiving around to perceive
one's Self-nature", "Observing the Observing", "Seeing the Seeing",
"Hearing the Hearing", "Awareness Watching Awareness", etc. At this
point one begins to enter into the cultivation of wisdom.
This sort of observing belongs to the observing of the
bodhisattvas.
3. Observe freedom. The period of leaving subject-object
dichotomy
At this time, observing does not fall into the two poles of subject
and object. There is no observer nor the object of observation,
there is only purely one Mind-Luminosity. Mind is like a mirror and
attains to the Great Perfect Mirror Wisdom.
In this phase, "observing freedom" is "observe - only this exists",
meaning "only 'observing' exists". This statement is no longer of
the guest and host nor the verb-object structure, it is only a
declarative sentence, it is without action.
This is the period of leaving "subject and object", entering into
the period of "unconditioned dharma", attaining the phase of "Great
Bodhisattva", the phase of experiencing the "bliss of quiescent
cessation", the phase of "unoccupied man", the period of realizing
that "all dharmas are without self-nature".
At this period one deeply understands "all dharmas's are empty of
substance, all dharmas' appearances are only consciousness", and
one directly experiences "all dharmas are empty-apppearances".
Heart Sutra's statement of two hundred and sixty words are all
realized within the words of "observing freedom".
This is the vision of the Buddha who has crossed over to the other
shore.
With regards to the three levels of observing that has been
described, some people attained them in linear steps, while some do
not. Those practitioners of low-evolutionary level who are of the
gradualists can only see as far as what he has realized thus-far
and all that he has realized before, while those practitioners who
are of high level evolutionary level can simultaneously know all
states.