What is most precious in this world? What is it that truly makes you happy? If you think it is love, you are already a Vijñaptimatrin. Buddha's love is unconditional. It has no barriers, no limitations. This selfless love which is unconditional, without any limitations, devoid of any expectations is true love. All you need is love. This love ends all sufferings. Happiness is experiencing love.
Vijñaptimatrins learn to love like this, so they can be happy and they can bring joy to others. Vijñaptimatra Buddhism is the path of love, the path of Maitreya - the Buddha of love.
Like you go to a medical school to become a doctor. Here you become a Buddha. Until you have become a doctor, you are a student. Here, you are a Bodhisattva until you become a Buddha. Much like school, here too we have grades - Bodhisattva bhoomis.
Vijñaptimatra (pronounced vigyapti-maatr) means manifestation-only. It means that there is no birth, no death. We are not created or destroyed. We manifest. Everything around us is a manifestation. A rose manifests when the required conditions are present. The seed, water, earth etc. It is not born and it never dies. When conditions are right, we manifest. A manifestation is an appearance of signs. It is not birth. The absence of conditions supporting manifestation is not death.
The Geography Of Samsara and Nirvana
According to Vijñaptimatra Buddhism, there are two minds and three natures of reality. The deluded mind is the cause of all sufferings - the first link of the twelve links in the cycle of Interdependent Co-arising. This cycle is know as the cycle of birth and death and the nature of reality perceived under the influence of the deluded mind is known as parikalpit svabhav - Samsara. In Samsara there is parting, dissatisfaction and misunderstanding.
The other mind, the true mind, creates a world of suchness. There is no birth and death. No coming, no going. No after, no before. No one, no many. No existence, no non existence. It is complete, lacking nothing. This nature of reality is known as nishpanna svabhav - Nirvana. In Nirvana, there is no parting. There is satisfaction and understanding.
Deluded mind creates suffering. True mind creates happiness. The link between the two is paratantra svabhav - interdependence. So in order to reach the shores of nishpanna svabhav, we must go through the world of interdependence. We must constantly learn to see everything in the light of interdependence. We develop our mindfulness to enable us to constantly see the interdependent nature of things.
The Science Of Samsara and Nirvana
According to my teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, "The Three Dharma Seals of impermanence, nonself, and nirvana are the keys to understanding the Manifestation Only teachings. The first key is impermanence, and it is used to open the door of reality concerning time. Nonself, the second key, is used to open the door of reality concerning space. They are spoken of as different but in truth they are one. Time and space are one. One cannot be without the other. The third key, nirvana, is the fulfilled nature, the reality of no birth, no death; no coming, no going; no one, no many; no existing, no not-existing. This is the world of Interdependent Co-Arising, where nothing exists as a separate, permanent entity. Impermanence and nonself go together with the nature of interbeing.
To touch nirvana, to see the interdependent nature of reality, we have to touch impermanence and nonself. The nature of imaginary construction goes together with our deluded beliefs in permanence and a separately existing self. We see the world around us as permanent and consisting of separate self-existing entities. That is why when we begin the practice we need to use the two keys of impermanence and nonself to shine light on the Interdependent Co-Arising nature of all things."
Our Toolkit
In the words of my perfect teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, "The Buddha taught that there are Five Powers. First is the power of faith. We need to have faith in the possibility of touching nirvana, of awakening to suchness. This is not blind faith, it is based on our understanding, insight, and experience. Faith leads to energy, the second power. Without faith and confidence, we easily get tired. To have the energy to look deeply into things, we need to have confidence in our capacity for awakening, and faith in the awakened understanding of the Buddha. We transform our energy into mindfulness, the third power. Where there is mindfulness, there is concentration, the fourth power.
When we live in mindfulness, everything takes place in the concentration of looking deeply. We can see the interdependent co-arising nature of things within and around us. When our concentration is weak, we might be able to see their interdependent nature for a short time, but we soon fall back into seeing things as permanent and having a separate self. But with strong and steady concentration, we can continue to see the nature of interbeing of things within and around us. When our concentration is great, it leads to the fifth power, understanding. With understanding we don’t spend time dreaming of the future or dwelling in the past. We wake up to our true mind. With one mindful step, we enter the Realm of Suchness. Understanding, in turn, strengthens our faith. The Five Powers help each other."
Our Curriculum
Samadhi of Emptiness - Emptiness is interdependent co-arising, impermanence and nonself. We are empty of a separate, independent self. A rose is not separate from water, earth, sunlight etc. We practice nourishing this insight all day long.
If we think that we or others are separate from each other then we create conditions for selfishness and expectations. We must free others, not enslave them. True love is devoid of selfishness and expectations. True love is empty.
Text that I follow - Heart Sutra (commentary by Thich Nhat Hanh).
Samadhi of Signlessness - A rose is made of non-rose elements. Looking at a rose we see the elements that produce a rose. Learning to see in this manner, we learn to go beyond time and space. We learn to not get caught in the four signs - self, person, living-being and lifespan.
If we think that we or others are persons or things, or have a lifespan, we will experience parting. In true love there is no parting. True love is signless.
Text that I follow - Diamond Sutra (commentary by Thich Nhat Hanh).
Samadhi of Aimlessness - Aimlessness is learning to live in the here and now. We practice mindful breathing, mindful eating, walking etc.
If we are not present, we cannot show our love. If the mind is elsewhere then we miss the present moment. What is more important that to love and be loved? There is nothing to attain. Nothing to become. True love is aimless.
Texts that I follow - Discourses on the full Awareness of Breathing (Majjhima Nikaya Sutra # 118, and Samyukta Agama Sutra # 803, 810 and 815 commentaries by Thich Nhat Hanh) and Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings as taught by Thich Nhat Hanh.
Our Mantra
No coming, no going,
No after, no before.
I hold you close to me,
I release you to be so free.
Because I am in you,
And you are in me.
(The author, Saurabh Singh, is a student of the Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh. He is a Foreclosure Prevention Activist and a vegan. He is also a member of People for Ethical Treatment of Animals(India), Consumer Advocates in American Real Estate, UNITES Professionals and supports charitable causes and crowdfunding.)
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