what if

An Eternal Now SG

1) Without all what?

2) A person with 'awareness'* knows ultimate reality. He is liberated and free. He may not necessarily be very intelligent in mundane things, but generally enlightened people are much more mature and wise than normal people. Especially, if you are a bodhisattva you will gain wisdom (both aspects) superior than that of an arhat, and you will know how to save sentient beings with skillful means.

*note: it is not refering to luminosity or pure awareness as I mentioned above. more of refering to trasnscendental knowledge.

Eric Cartman SG

so why dont you talk about the pure awareness then

An Eternal Now SG

Because it doesn't mean sense saying "a person with pure awareness".

Everyone "HAS" Buddha Nature, or rather, Buddha Nature is the ever-present reality just that we didn't realise it.

Eric Cartman SG

"have awareness" as in knowing whats going on and everything under control.

An Eternal Now SG

Mindful?

Mindfulness can lead to development of wisdom, but not necessarily cleverness. Some people's logic ability, IQ, and amount of knowledge is higher than others. Mindfulness may not help much.

Eric Cartman SG

yeah so I have wisdom.

An Eternal Now SG

Anyway just a note, enlightenment is beyond all mental perceptions and knowledge. Don't have the idea that you will gain some special knowledge in the form of mental perception and knowledge.. all these have to be let go of, released before you can enter into the realm of emptiness. Reality cannot be found on the level of mental knowledge and perception. Don't try to attain something special, like supernatural powers, or etc. That's why Zen Master Seung Sahn always says, "I hope you only go straight - don't know, get Enlightenment, and save all beings from suffering." Like Dharma Dan say, all you have to "do" is just follow the dharma, practise moronically and get enlightened.

According to Lao Tzu, the greatest calamity is in having a body, thus he teaches the way of extinguishing the body* to attain the realm of wu or non-being. Moreover, the greatest cause that burdens the body is in having knowledge, thus he teaches the way of abandoning knowledge to enter the realm of hsu or emptiness.

* extinguishing attachment to body, not suicide

An Eternal Now SG

Don't think you are mindful enough yet. Even if you truly think you are, continue to practise hard to enlightenment.

Eric Cartman SG

That's why Zen Master Seung Sahn always says, "I hope you only go straight - don't know, get Enlightenment, and save all beings from suffering." Like Dharma Dan say, all you have to "do" is just follow the dharma, practise moronically and get enlightened.

That sounds like turning into a zombie and turning everyone else into a zombie.

An Eternal Now SG

Zombies are ignorant and scary.

"Only go straight" means being down-to-earth, sincere in practising and not having too much of your own attachment and obsessed with your neurotic stuff.

An Eternal Now SG

Anyway cenarious, it's good to have a sincere wish for truth, but not to project an egoic image of attaining something. That is false and illusionary. Lots have been said about the notion that there is a self to attain enlightenment is false.

All images of self attaining something, whether it is supernatural powers, enlightenment or transcendental body, whatever, is just a dream of an unenlightened person. When you wake you, it is not "you" who wakes up, because when you wake up you will realise that so called "you" who you thought will one day attain enlightenment is just a fictitious dream character. Nobody ever attained anything.

Let go of all that is illusory, all the attachment to the illusory ego, image of self.

Eric Cartman SG

And so the suffering continues

An Eternal Now SG

Question

What are you talking about?

When the illusions are completely seen through, there will be no more sufferings.

An Eternal Now SG

Please read the entire Diamond Sutra

"Why is this so? If, Subhuti, a bodhisattva holds on to the idea that a self, a person, a living being, or a life span exists, that person is not an authentic bodhisattva."

"What do you think, Subhuti? Does a Stream-Enterer think, 'I have attained the fruit of stream-entry.'?"

Subhuti replied, "No, World-Honored One. Why? Stream-Enterer means to enter the stream, but in fact there is no stream to enter. One does not enter a stream that is form, nor a stream that is sound, smell, taste, touch, or object of mind. That is what we mean when we say entering a stream."

"What do you think, Subhuti? Does a Once-Returner think, 'I have attained the fruit of Once-Returning.'?"

Subhuti replied, "No, World-Honored One. Why? Once-Returner means to go and return once more, but in truth there is no going just as there is no returning. That is what we mean when we say Once-Returner."

"What do you think, Subhuti? Does a Non-Returner think like this, 'l have attained the fruit of No-Return.'?"

Subhuti replied, "No, World-Honored One. Why? No-Return means not to return to this world, but in fact there cannot be any Non-Returning. That is what we mean when we say Non-Returner."

"What do you think, Subhuti? Does an Arhat think like this, 'I have attained the fruit of Arhatship¹?"

Subhuti replied, "No, World-Honored One. Why? There is no separately existing thing that can be called Arhat. If an Arhat gives rise to the thought that he has attained the fruit of Arhat-ship, then he is still caught up in the idea of a self, a person, a living being, and a life span. World-Honored One, you have often said that I have attained the concentration of peaceful abiding and that in the community, I am the Arhat who has most transformed need and desire. World-Honored One, if I were to think that I had attained the fruit of Arhat-ship, you certainly would not have said that I love to dwell in the concentration of peaceful abiding."

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