Highest Yoga Tantra and Mahamudra By Master
Sheng-yen Lu This was translated from Grandmaster Lu's 51st book, 無上密與大手印. CHAPTER 11 - The Dual Functioning of Tranquility and Contemplation What is tranquility (Samatha, or Chih in Chinese)? Tranquility is concentration. What is contemplation (Vipasyana, or Kuan in Chinese)? Contemplation is wisdom. This approach of tranquility and insight serves to calm and eliminate discursive thoughts, thereby achieving the stage where one gains wisdom through contemplating that all things are empty, or that all things are unreal and temporary, or that all things are of the Middle Way. Another name for the Tien Tai School is Chih Kuan School, for tranquility and contemplation are the main practices of Tien Tai School. The Ten Contemplations or Views are the contemplations of affliction, the netherworld, the karmic signs, illness, meditative absorption, mara interference, extreme arrogance, various views, the bodhisattva, and the two vehicles. The dual functioning of tranquility and contemplation is also the dual functioning of concentration and wisdom. At the northwest corner of Seattle is Carkeek Park which sits beside the Pacific Ocean. I love to listen to the sound of the ocean. Staring at the ocean blue water swaying like a gigantic bed, I find the blue of the sky meets the blue of the ocean. I really like this magical world where its water forever moves and rolls, constantly being the same in nature, and constantly renewing itself. How much do we as humans know about the ocean? Who is able to understand it? The sound of the ocean comes to me as a thunderous roar. I feel that it is not just the ocean making its noise, but more like the sound of life itself. At times, the sound is soft, resembling that of a tender hand. Other times, it seems to let out a laugh of mockery, scorning the foolishness of men. Sometimes, the ocean sound appears furious, sounding like the galloping of thousands of horses. At times, it sounds like a longing, a kind of murmur, consuming itself in an immeasurable wound. The ocean is indeed a great cosmos, expressing itself in infinite forms, while being endowed with endless causes and effects, endless thoughts, and endless sounds. I like to look at the ocean and listen to its roar, to think and contemplate upon it, for the ocean holds the waters from all rivers in one place, summing up all the emotions as one single body. The rivers are always flowing past swiftly, unlike the ocean, which collects all their thoughts, pains, desperation, reliance, wounds and many desires. In the quiescence of my meditation, I realized the ocean is reciting mantras. The sound of the rolling waves signifies the pinnacle of all mantras, for the ocean is repeatedly chanting the syllable OM, OM, OM, which supercedes all other mantra sounds. The ocean is one with all things, and I am merged with the ocean. Everything in the universe is merged as one combined body of life, which exists in perfect harmony. I have realized what is tranquility and what is contemplation. My heart is merged with the ocean, just as all my books live in me at the same time, changing ceaselessly in endless permutations of manifestation. This is how the ocean rests, flows and reemerges. What is the true reality of my being? It is the nirvana of the Buddha, a holy presence which experiences and contemplates, that combines all that is divine. I have come to understand everything, for the ocean has given the very wisdom to carry out wondrous things. If the readers can truly understand what this language of the ocean means, they will have reached the maturity of being able to understand the heart teachings of the dual functioning of tranquility and contemplation. The practice of tranquility and contemplation in Mahamudra involves three levels:
In our meditative absorption, we must first cut our thoughts so that we are not subjected to the interference of discursive thoughts. When a single thought arises, we must cut it away at once. This is the first key to practising meditative absorption. This is the first stage of the cutting of thoughts. However, those in meditation soon realize that it is fruitless to attempt to eliminate thoughts, for try as one may to avoid thinking, ones thoughts simply keep arising and flowing like a continuously rolling river of water. When one comes to this stage, it is best to simply let the thoughts flow at will without attempting to stop them. This constitutes the second stage. Upon arriving at the third stage, the Mahamudra practitioner, while in meditative absorption, must visualize his thoughts as a flowing river. The practitioner sits beside the river and allows his thoughts to flow past. While the thoughts flow ceaselessly, he observes in stillness without being affected by the thoughts. When the Mahamudra practitioner manages to depart from his thoughts and become an observer of the thought stream, his mind finds self mastery and reaches the realm of true reality. The first spiritual stage is cutting the thought when it arises, which is tranquility. The second spiritual stage is allowing the thoughts to wander at will without attempting to stop the thought stream. This is letting it be, which is being natural. The third spiritual stage is going beyond thoughts, and standing beside the thought stream without clinging to it. Thus, it is contemplation. The meditative Mahamudra heart teachings train the individual to continuously abide in the quiescence of the third spiritual stage. It is a world of complete purity free from worries, for one is unaffected by the influence of wandering thoughts. The sage who arrives at this spiritual state of Mahamudra finds his mind abiding in an unchanging spiritual realm. And regardless of changes in the environment, he is able to perform the dual functions of tranquility and contemplation, through which he attains realization and maintains his state of nirvana. According to my experience: The first spiritual stage is being too tight, where the control of thoughts is overly restrictive, resulting in the mind being stubborn. The second spiritual stage is being too loose, where the mind may be prone to laziness if it is too relaxed. Thus the mind simply goes with the flow. The third spiritual stage is being in balance, where one ceases from thinking at times, and contemplates at times. This is the dual functioning of tranquility and contemplation, where the interchange of tightening and loosening is the dual functioning of concentration and wisdom. To separate the mind from thoughts is in important key, for one will make substantial spiritual advancement if one trains the mind this way. I have personally studied the concepts of the Tien Tai School, whose teachings of the Three Contemplations (or Three Views) are known by many names. Some called them the Perfect Three Contemplations, while others called them the Incomprehensible Three Contemplations. Yet there are some who referred to them as the Non-Procedure Three Contemplations. The Three Contemplations are: Contemplation on Emptiness to eliminate delusions arising from incorrect views and thoughts, through which one attains prajna or wisdom. Contemplation on the temporary nature of all phenonmena (unreality) to eliminate the numerous delusions that hinder knowledge, through which one attains the wisdom of types of paths and gains liberation. Contemplation on the Middle Way, which eliminates delusions arising from ignorance, through which one attains the all-inclusive wisdom and gains the virtues of the Dharmakaya. The three contemplations can be defined respectively as the Three Contemplations of Tian Tai School (Tendai Sect), the Three Contemplations of the Hua Yen or Avatamsaka School, the Three Contemplations of the Southern Mountain, and the Three Contemplations of Compassion and Gratitude (pronounced as Ci-en). Whether it is through the wisdom of omniscience which understands the principle of emptiness, the wisdom of types of paths which understands unreality, or the all-inclusive wisdom which understands the Middle Way, eventually all three wisdoms will appear simultaneously, and present themselves as one reality that validates Emptiness, Unreality, and the Middle Way. The dual functioning of tranquility and contemplation is a primary heart teaching of Tantrayana. It is also the quintessence of the Yoga practice of India. Master Hui-wen of the northern chi period (550-577AD) learned the practice and taught it to Master Hui-si, who transmitted it to Master Chih-I, at which time the teachings flourished. The Tien Tai School thus became the Singular Round Teaching of Contemplation, where the practice of tranquility and contemplation was first established [in China]. Master Chih-I merged the principles of Emptiness, Unreality and the Middle Way into one mind, and thus eliminated the delusions arising from incorrect views and thoughts, the numerous delusions which hinder knowledge, and the delusions of ignorance. Through this one mind arises the wisdom of omniscience [wisdom of the sravaka and pratyeka-buddha], the wisdom of types of paths [the wisdom of the bodhisattva], and the all-inclusive wisdom [the wisdom of the Buddha]. And it is in this same one mind that the virtues of prajna, liberation and dharmakaya are achieved. This requires one to contemplate on emptiness and unreality, through which is revealed the meaning of the Middle Way. Nagarjuna`s approach - It eliminates all grounds of opposites to reveal the truth of emptiness. Master Chih-I's approach - It accepts all grounds of opposites to reveal the truth of the Middle Way. The philosophy of the Tien Tai School evolved from a system of thought based on the Prajna Sutra, and many views are presented as linguistic display. My personal view is that the teaching is presented as a form of knowledge that is not readily understood or accepted by most people, and does not produce the intended effect of mass deliverance of sentient beings, as readers find it difficult to digest the knowledge. I feel deeply that although this teaching may rank as the highest supreme truth, those without actual experience will not be able to attain it. Today, my article on the dual functioning of tranquility and contemplation is written in a way that is clear and comprehensive. Whether the approach is philosophical or based on experience, the knowledge is made easily accessible to all. Master Chih-I's exposition of the dharma was inconceivable, and my elucidation [of his dharma] is likewise inconceivable. I am an accomplished adept of Mahamudra who is able to work wonders with wisdom. This is not some big talk on truth, but the very light of wisdom itself. |
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