Shantideva on How to Live a Good Life

Dear reader: I am trying a new long format post once a month. If you would like to see more of this type of post please let me know. I will still be posting shorter posts but wanted to try something new as well. Thanks for reading!

“Today my life has given fruit. This human state has now been well assumed. Today I take my birth in Buddha’s line, and have become the Buddha’s child and heir. ”

 

Shantideva (c. 685- 763) was an eighth century Indian master who wrote the Way of the Bodhisattva (Skt. Bodhicaryavatara), the treasured guide to generating the awakened mind for the sake of all beings. Shantideva was generous to all and cared tenderly for the poor, sick and destitute. He was a monk who upheld the monastic vows and contemplated the vast range of the Buddha’s teachings, condensing them into various digests, such as the Digest of All Disciplines (Skt. Shikshasamucchaya).

Though he had boundless qualities and realization, other monks believed that he was frittering away his time in distraction and meaningless activity. They would call him Bhusuku (bhuj means ‘eating’, sup means ‘sleeping’, and kutim gata means ‘walking around’) as an estimation of what they thought he did all the time. Many of the other monks thought that he was wasting his precious human life caught up in worldly activities and trivial pursuits. In an effort to make Shantideva look foolish, they invited a large congregation to listen to him expound the scriptures, during which time Shantideva expounded the Bodhicaryavatara on how to engage in the practice of the bodhisattva. It is said that when Shantideva was teaching the ninth chapter on wisdom that he began rising higher and higher into the sky, so he is often portrayed in thangkas as floating above his meditation seat.

We too find ourselves caught up in trivial pursuits and busy activity. We wander through life in search of purpose and meaning, struggling to reconcile the meaningless activities of our normal day to day with the path of liberation. How do we make this life meaningful? What does it mean to live a good life? These are questions that Shantideva resolves with his complete and unmistaken presentation of the practice of the bodhisattva.

In the first chapter, the Excellence of Bodhicitta, Shantideva writes:

To those who go in bliss, the dharmakaya they possess, and all their heirs,
To all those worthy of respect, I reverently bow.
According to the scriptures, I shall now in brief describe
The practice of the bodhisattva discipline.

Shantideva pays reverence to those who go in bliss, the Sugatas. ‘Sugata’ means one who goes well or beautifully, or one who has gone perfectly without turning back. A Sugata is one who has lived life well, a life of meaning and purpose. What do these Sugatas possess? The dharmakaya. The dharmakaya is the ‘body of truth’, one of the three bodies or kayas of the Buddhas. Dharmakaya is the body of realization that is the true nature of the mind. As Longchenpa writes in his Finding Rest in the Nature of the Mind:

The spotless dharmakaya, luminous and clear, is the buddha nature of all beings.

Shantideva describes in great detail in this present work how to actually practice this, how we can bring together all the teachings of the Buddha into an easy to understand and practical guide so that we too may possess this body of truth.

Next, Shantideva pays reverence to all the heirs and those worthy of respect, namely the community of sravakas and pratyekabuddhas, but mainly those bodhisattvas who are already practicing this path. Those worthy of respect includes everyone in the Sangha, the Dharma community of teachers, students and those supporting the activity of the Sangha.

Shantideva clearly states his purpose for sharing this work: to describe the practice of the bodhisattvas according to scripture. This isn’t something that he made up. This isn’t a path based on his own conjecture or pretense. This path of the bodhisattvas is in accord with the scriptures of the Buddha. Dharmakirti writes in his Pramanavarttika:

The teachings of Buddha we may trust.
For since he is exempt from fault,
There is in him no cause for lies.
Know therefore that the scriptures are exempt from error.

This practice of the bodhisattvas that Shantideva sets out to describe is threefold in nature. It consists of doing no harm to others, cultivating a wealth of virtue, and working to benefit others. Shantideva sets out to describe this practice in a way that is easy to understand and practical to everyday life.
In the second verse of chapter one, Shantideva continues:

Here I shall say nothing that has not been said before,
And in the art of prosody I have no skill.
I therefore have no thought that this might be of benefit to others;
I wrote it only to habituate my mind.

Shantideva starts by taking a humble attitude, saying that he wrote this work only to meditate upon and habituate his own mind. He isn’t worried about the result of his generosity, his is simply engaging in the practice of doing the work and engaging in the path. We too should emulate this behavior of engaging in study, contemplation and meditation so that we can habituate our own mind to the practice of the bodhisattvas. Through this practice of reflecting and contemplating the practice of the bodhisattvas we give rise to enthusiasm and strengthen our yearning and confident faith in the bodhisattvas activity. Shantideva writes that with a joyful and enthusiastic mind he is more able to meditate upon and cultivate bodhicitta, the awakened mind:

My faith will thus strengthen for a little while,
That I might grow accustomed to this virtuous way.
But others who now chance upon my words
May profit also, equal to myself in fortune.

Khenpo Kunzang Pelden, one of Patrul Rinpoche’s foremost students and spiritual son wrote in his detailed commentary to Shantideva’s work, The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech:

When these four features are present (the homage, promise to complete the work, humility, and enthusiasm), everything one embarks upon will be brought to a worthwhile fulfillment.

The humble practitioner pays reverence to great teachers, profound teachings, generous acts and all those who are striving to make a difference.  The act of paying reverence is a display of humility. Humility and reverence rely on values like integrity, determination, self-respect and service. Our minds infused with humility and reverence we naturally form a commitment to the work, recognizing our own innate potential and responsibility. With enthusiasm we seek to take full advantage of this life of freedom and opportunity that is so hard to find. As Shantideva writes:

So hard to find the ease and wealth
Whereby the aims of beings may be gained.
If now I fail to turn it to my profit,
How could such a chance be mind again?

When searching for consummate meaning in our lives, time and time again we go outside ourselves, always asking ourselves what we should do now. Should we travel, go out for dinner, meet new friends, find a better job, volunteer? We either seek out escape in a spa, vacation or lazy Sunday; or we seek out illusion in food, fun, goals and experiences. None of these have satisfied our thirst. If we fail to apply ourselves to the practice now, when should we find this opportunity again? For too long we have wandered after trivial pursuits and kept ourselves nice and busy. We have been living in a situation where we have been confused about what we should do and what we should avoid. When a moment such as this arises, where we recognize our potential and purpose, we should seize that opportunity. Shantideva continues:

Just as on a dark night black with clouds,
The sudden lightening glares and all is clearly shown,
Likewise, rarely, through the Buddha’s power,
Virtuous thoughts rise, brief and transient, in the world.
Virtue thus, is weak; and always
Evil is of great and overwhelming strength.
Except for perfect bodhicitta,
What other virtue is there that can lay it low?

If we find in our hearts and minds that we want to accomplish something good, at that time we should apply ourselves diligently to practice. But what practice? It is bodhicitta, the mind of enlightenment that seeks to secure for countless beings immediate benefit and the ultimate supreme joy of perfect awakening. In our practice we strive to free ourselves from our own suffering and discontentment, but also to bring about the welfare and benefit of others. Bodhicitta is the single practice that encompasses all the Buddha’s teachings. We should reflect always on one thing- bodhicitta. Practice one thing- bodhicitta. As Shantideva writes:

Those who wish to crush the many sorrows of existence,
Who wish to quell the pain of living beings,
Who wish to have experience of myriad joys
Should never turn away from bodhicitta.

Those of us who give rise to this jewel-like bodhicitta find new meaning in our life. We assume a new identity, perhaps the truest representation of who we are and what we are here to do in this world. We take our place in the Buddha’s line and are named a “child of the Sugatas.” You become a bodhisattva, a heroic warrior set on the journey to enlightenment. Khenpo Kunpel writes in his commentary, “They are moreover said to be worthy of reverence even by the Buddhas themselves, for the latter have bodhicitta as their master.” As Shantideva writes:

Should bodhicitta come to birth
In those who suffer, chained in prisons of samsara,
In that instant they are called the children of the Blissful One,
Revered by all the world, by gods and humankind.

With bodhicitta as the anchor for our practice, we guard it constantly with mindfulness, vigilant awareness and carefulness without ever letting it go. Everything that we do revolves around this single intention to gain awakening for the benefit of others. Gradually, through effort bodhicitta becomes stable and gives rise to a powerful mind of initiative and resourcefulness to secure the two aims of oneself and others. Through the method aspect of compassion, we fulfill the welfare of others; and through the wisdom aspect we recognize the true nature of our own mind and the true nature of reality. As Maitreya says in his Sutralankara: “It is a mental state endowed with the two aims”.

There are many ways to understand bodhicitta, but in brief we should understand it as bodhicitta in intention and active bodhicitta. As Shantideva writes:

Bodhicitta, the awakened mind,
Is known in brief to have two aspects:
First, aspiring, bodhicitta in intention;Then active bodhicitta, practical engagement.

Bodhicitta in intention is the aspiration to attain enlightenment. It is a wish or intention that focuses on the result. Active bodhicitta is the practical engagement in the activities of a bodhisattva. It is the practice and effort that focuses on the path. Longchenpa says “The commitment to achieve the result of Buddhahood is bodhicitta in intention, while the commitment to the cause is active bodhicitta.” Shantideva writes:

As corresponding to the wish to go
And then to setting out,
The wise should understand respectively
The difference that divides these two.

Just as when we set out on a journey, we must first form an intention, so too in order to engage in the practice of the bodhisattva we must first form the aspiration. Once we set out on the journey, we do not abandon our intention to go there; so in active bodhicitta we also have bodhicitta in intention.
This powerful initiative mind that works for the benefit of beings is the jewel of the mind. Of all thoughts and intentions it is the most sublime and profound. This noble intention of bodhicitta is beyond the conception of even the gods, as Shantideva writes:

If with kindly generosity
One merely has the wish to soothe
The aching heads of other beings,
Such merit knows no bounds.
No need to speak, then, of the wish
To drive way the endless pain
Of each and every living being,
Bringing them unbounded excellence.
Could our father or our mother
Ever have so generous a wish?
Do the very gods, the rishis, even Brahma
Harbor such benevolence as this?
For in the past they never,
Even in their dreams,
Wished something like this even for themselves.
How could they do so for another’s sake?
This aim to work for the benefit of beings,
A benefit that others wish not even for themselves,
This noble, jewel-like state of mind
Arises truly wondrous, never seen before.
The pain-dispelling draft,
This cause of joy for those who wander through the world,
This precious attitude, this jewel of mind-
How shall we calculate its merit?
If the simple thought to be of help to others
Exceeds in worth the worship of the Buddhas,
What need is there to speak of actual deeds
That bring about the weal and benefit of beings?

Whatever happens in our life, whatever our circumstances or past, we must have this intention of bodhicitta. When it has arisen clearly in our minds, we must practice so that it will intensify and gain strength in our lives. It is not enough to simply understand this conceptually, we must take it to heart and practice diligently.

Then no matter what comes up in our life, whether we experience sickness or disease, harmful situations, problems or obstacles; everything becomes fuel for our practice and we learn to carry obstacles as the path. Shantideva writes:

Even in great trouble, Bodhisattvas
Never bring forth wrong; their virtues naturally increase.

The present times are a call to practice. For bodhisattvas, difficulties and challenges are no hindrance to their Dharma practice. Adversity becomes a means to purify confusion, negative emotions and karma. Asanga has said: “Even when the world is full of evil they turn hardship into the enlightened path.”

Your boots will get muddy. Your socks wet. There will be dirt underneath your fingernails and you might suffer some scratches. Working in the fields means getting dirty.  Your work will be the same.
The bodhisattva knows that their time on this earth is very short.  They know that the road ahead will be long.  Knowing the truth of suffering they plunge into the fields.  Knowing liberation upon arising, they do not fear getting covered in mud.  At the end of the day, they dedicate their work for the benefit of others.  Tomorrow, they rise again.

That is how you practice on the path. This is how you living a meaningful life. A lifelong commitment to practice is how you live a good life.

Lighting up the world.

The other day I was reflecting on one candle lighting another candle. A single candle can light dozens of other candles and nothing is lost in the process. The candle doesn't become weary and doesn't concern itself with the results of lighting other candles. It just lights up the world that it interacts with. That reminded me of this verse by Shantideva:

May I be a guard for those who are protectorless, 

A guide for those who journey on the road.

For those who wish to cross the water, 

May I be a boat, a raft, a bridge.

May I be an isle for those who yearn for land, 

A lamp for those who long for light;

For all who need a resting place, a bed;

For those who need a servant, may I be their slave.

May I be the wishing jewel, the vase of wealth,

A word of power and supreme healing,

May I be the tree of miracles,

For every being the abundant cow.

Just like the earth and space itself,

And all the mighty elements,

For boundless multitudes of beings

May I always be the ground of life, the source of varied sustenance.

Thus for everything that lives,

As far as the limits of the sky,

May I be constantly their source of livelihood

Until they pass beyond all sorrow.

A bodhisattva is someone who has made a commitment to waking up in the world in order to better serve and benefit others. The bodhisattva relies on a set of principles that are focused on elevating our individual and collective dignity. Part of the bodhisattvas commitment is making a daily choice to be of benefit to others, not simply ourselves. That daily commitment can take many forms, both in intention and action. A simple way to set your intention for the day is to recite this verse of Shantideva's aspiration prayer for the bodhisattva vow.

The result of your practice is the consummation of your character, your willingness to be the reservoir of presence and dignity in a world that desperately needs more thoughtful, compassionate and caring people. Be the candle, the bridge, the guide. Dedicate the time and energy to learning how to do that so you don't wear yourself thin, but that you can commit to making it a daily practice for the rest of your life. 

So much more work to do.

We have made great strides. 

We have overcome a lot of strong negative emotions, disrupted bad habits and eliminated mistaken bias and perception.  We have started to act with patience and generosity, applied ourselves joyfully to virtuous actions and our practice of meditation.  Our wisdom and insight has begun to blossom and we can appreciate and see the connections we have with our communities and environment. 

Our life has been impacted by our practice.  This is important work, and we have so much more work to do. 

As we continue to develop our intention to benefit all beings, the aim of our meditation is to cut through layer after layer of fixation and grasping. 

Layer after layer we eliminate our self-cherishing behavior. 
Layer after layer we shed neurosis and confusion. 
Layer after layer we become more open and vulnerable, opening our hearts and minds. 

Bodhisattvas on the path to pure and total presence progress through ten bhumis or stages in their training. 

First is Great Joy.  Having eliminated the coarse layers of self-grasping, they generously dedicate their life and energy to benefit others without suffering from regret or dissatisfaction. 

Second is Stainless, where the bodhisattva never falls back or gives up.  Their intention is stainless.   

Third is Luminous, where bodhisattvas perfect the practice of patience, willing to work for countless eons to bring benefit to others. 

Fourth is Radiant.  Having cut through layer after layer of self-grasping and fixation on negative emotions and outer circumstances, the bodhisattva works joyfully even in the worst hell realms for the benefit of others.  

All progress is made by cutting through self-grasping and fixation on whatever is coming up in our experience.

Fifth is Difficult to Conquer, which is our own mind.  Our own bias and distorted perception.  Our own wandering and confused mind is difficult to conquer. 

Sixth is Manifest.  Wisdom and insight arise naturally.  We see truly, connections are seen and insight is shared for the benefit of others.

Seventh is Gone Afar.  The bodhisattva has gone far in developing their qualities and realization, and they tirelessly work to benefit others through skillful means.  They are adaptive and teach according to the needs of beings.

Eighth is Immovable.  All negative emotions and afflictions have been purified and one is able to effortlessly and spontaneously act for the welfare of beings. 

Ninth is Perfect Intellect.  Clear, concise, direct knowing and the ability to connect and teach others in whatever way is necessary for their benefit.

Tenth is Dharma Cloud.  Taking on any form in any direction, they continually act for the welfare of all beings. 

All of this stems from the intention to benefit others.  All of this grows and progresses from cutting through our own fixation and grasping. 

Strengthen your intent.
Clarify your practice. 
Accomplish your own aims and the aims of others simultaneously. 

Entering the stream.

The journey of self-awakening and discovery takes many forms. The way of the bodhisattva is that of the great vehicle, with the intention to awaken for the benefit of all beings. It is the intention of bodhicitta that makes this a superior vehicle, because the scope of the practice is greater than traveling the path for your own benefit.

Until you take the bodhisattva vow, you traverse the common stages of the path, known as the four stages to enlightenment. These four stages are the stream-enterer, once returner, non-returner, and arhat. These stages can be traversed either as an upasaka, or lay person, or as a monk/nun.

Stream-enterer

The stream-enterer is said to have 'opened their dharma eye', meaning they have an intuitive grasp of the dharma and unshakeable confidence in the Three Jewels. The stream-enterer has abandoned the first three of the ten fetters that bind oneself to the repetitive existence of samsara.

The first fetter is the belief in a permanent identity, what we would call a soul or self. The stream-enterer has given rise to the wisdom of selflessnes, or anatman.

The second fetter is doubt or skepticism about the Buddha and his teachings. The stream-enterer has gained experience and knows first hand the benefit of practicing the teachings.

The third fetter is attachment to rituals or rites. The fixation here is that something outside of ourselves is going to save us, some ritual, some event. The stream-enterer knows that it is their own effort that will enable them to traverse the path and experience liberation.

The stream-enterer is said to have no more than seven rebirths before they achieve the state of cessation.

Once-returner

The once-returner is the second stage to enlightenment. The once-returner is so called because they will only have one more rebirth before they attain the state of cessation. The once-returner has abandoned the first three fetters and has significantly weakened the three poisons of attachment, aversion and ignorance. Through their practice they have gained familiarity with letting go of the arising of the three poisons, thus having a glimpse of the state of cessation in their own practice. In regard to the fetters, the fourth fetter is attachment and the fifth fetter is aversion or malice.

Non-returner

The non-returner is the third stage of enlightenment. The non-returner has taken their last human birth, and is destined to attain the state of cessation in the intermediate state after death. The non-returner has completely abandoned attachment and aversion, but has not completely eliminated ignorance and the higher fetters of meditative equipoise.

Arhat

The arhat is the fourth and final stage of enlightenment. The arhat has actualized the state of cessation and has severed the cycle of repetitive existence. To actualize the state of cessation the arhat has abandoned the five higher fetters, which are fixation to meditative experiences of the form realms, fixation to experiences of the formless realms, arrogance, excitement and ignorance.

The form and formless meditative absorptions, or dhyanas, are absorptions in the state of samadhi that lack the liberating aspect of insight into the true nature. The Buddha actually learned the eight dhyanas from his Jain teacher Ramaputta after he had set out on his own journey of awakening. The Buddha saw through his own experience that these absorptions lacked the liberating aspect. As skilled experts in meditation, we need to recognize when we are falling into these meditative states and strive to uproot our fixation.

After one has let go of the fetters of fixating on meditative experience, one can fall prey to arrogance and pride due to one's 'accomplishment'. This is the slippery slope of spiritual materialism and is sure to trip us up on the path.

Excitement is the ninth fetter, for at this point one can become elated or overjoyed with the prospects that lie just ahead. This excitement can lead to restlessness and agitation and further delay complete fulfillment.

The last fetter to be abandoned is ignorance, confusion about who we are and the nature of the world around us. It is the root of samsara, the last tether to be undone.

I hope you can recognize the connection of these four stages of enlightenment with the way we move through the four noble truths in our practice. If you understand how these are connected and develop then the journey ahead becomes clear.

Fully understand dukkha.
Let go of the arising of the three poisons.
Actualize the state of cessation.
Practice the path.

Bodhisattva.

བྱང་ཆུབ་སེམས་དཔའ་
Tibetan: Jangchub Sempa
English: Bodhisattva

The Tibetan byang chub (pronounced Jangchub) means enlightened or awakened.
byang means to clear away, purify or awaken (notice the action to as opposed to the Tibetan sangs).
chub means totally or perfectly.

The Tibetan sems means mind, dpa' means heroic, courageous, or warrior.

Sempa is a courageous mind.  Courageous because it seeks enlightenment.  It seeks to purify, clear away and awaken.  Heroic because she is willing to bear the hardship of pushing through resistance, breaking through fear and doubt, and persevering amidst uncertainty.

Why?

Because they have something to share and they are sick of holding back, sick of consuming.  They are tired of hiding.  Disillusioned with indulging themselves with the mundane affairs of this world.

So they commit.  They decide.  They act.  They do it for themselves, and they do it for others.  They do it for themselves so that they can actually do it for others.

When their practice is perfected, they become Buddhas, fulfilling their own aims and benefiting others simultaneously.

The work of a bodhisattva.

The bodhisattva ideal is often compared to a warrior. We live in a time in which it takes great courage and determination to be more present in the world. Our culture is encouraging us all to fit in and comply, lulling us back to sleep with entertainment and distraction. Trying to wake up in that world is no easy task, and yet it presents an opportunity worth fighting for.

We cannot truly be deeply present in the world or contribute in meaningful ways until we can get past our own hesitation, fear and uncertainty. Our narrow conception of who we are and what we are capable of limits our experience of the world and what we have to give.

Doing the inner work of uncovering our natural buddha heart requires a lifelong journey of self-discovery. Our most meaningful work is to awaken in such a way that the gifts we have to share are seen as irreplaceable. That is work worth investing in and showing up for. That is work that we can spend our entire life doing, and work that will genuinely make a difference in creating a better world.

To be successful in our work does not require accomplishing some outer goal. Rather, it is to reconnect with our own nature in such a way that we reveal own our buddha heart and have the courage to bring it out into the world for the benefit of others.

Precious Human Life

This week a few of my vajra brothers and sisters have begun a year long contemplation on Mind Training, or Lojong in Tibetan.  The benefit of the mind training teachings is that they are very simple and precise. You can read the whole text or a portion of the text and then actually practice it. There is a directness to the teachings that each time you read it, there is something that cuts through misconceptions or internal struggles we are having. These teachings represent the simplicity of the Mahayana tradition.

First, train in the preliminaries.

The first preliminary is the contemplation on this precious human life.  The key point is that we need to take advantage of this precious human life endowed with freedom and opportunity.  

There are several implications to consider regarding this precious human life.  The first is the rarity of obtaining a precious human life.  By some strange chance we have stumbled upon this situation, much like a blind person stumbling upon a treasure.  If we do not use this great opportunity now, when will we have the chance again in the future?  

Take a look at the people around you.  People are extremely busy, many of them over stressed with work, chasing after momentary illusions for entertainment and satisfaction.  Many people in this world have opportunity- the presence of favorable conditions.  More and more people are coming to have freedom- the absence of negative conditions.  But it is extremely rare that a person has both opportunity and freedom.

We can look at our own life to see the rarity of having both opportunity and freedom.  How many times have we had extra time on our hands but we have lacked either the resources or the physical health to actually use that time effectively?  How many times have we had an abundance of resources and energy, but no time to actually meditate or enjoy the simple things in life?  How often have we wasted away days, nights and weekends caught up in worry, anger or scheming; no freedom from negative mental states to actually cultivate positive qualities. 

The second implication is that this life has great purpose.  We have somehow stumbled upon this great treasure, so we must put it to good use or like a fool we will squander it and return empty handed.  

When we understand both the rarity of this precious human life and its great purpose, then we can embrace a larger scope.   The Buddha taught that all beings have buddhanature, the inherent potential to attain awakening.  In the Sutra of the Great Parinirvana:

For example, just as butter permeates milk, likewise buddhanature pervades all beings.

In the Uttaratantra-shastra:

If buddhanature were not present, there would be no remorse over suffering;

There would be no longing for peace, nor striving and devotion towards its aim.  

When we are able to acknowledge our own capacity to achieve awakening, complete and utter enlightenment, it is like a seed taking root in our heart.  As that seed blossoms and grows stronger through the conduct of compassion and loving kindness, it spreads its branches out to shelter beings suffering from the heat of the afflictions.  As it reaches maturation it yields a cool ambrosia fruit that quenches the thirst of beings, establishing them in bliss and contentment. 

Recognizing this innate quality in ourselves, we see the great purpose that this life can accomplish.  It is with this recognition that we generate aspirational bodhicitta, or the aspiration to attain awakening for the sake of all sentient beings.  Just as Shantideva says in the Way of the Bodhisattva:

May I be a guard for those who are protectorless, 

A guide for those who journey on the road.

For those who wish to cross the water, 

May I be a boat, a raft, a bridge.

May I be an isle for those who yearn for land, 

A lamp for those who long for light;

For all who need a resting place, a bed;

For those who need a servant, may I be their slave.

May I be the wishing jewel, the vase of wealth,

A word of power and supreme healing,

May I be the tree of miracles,

For every being the abundant cow.

Just like the eart and space itself,

And all the mighty elements,

For boundless multitudes of beings

May I always be the ground of life, the source of varied sustenance.

Thus for everything that lives,

As far as the limits of the sky,

May I be constantly their source of livelihood

Until they pass beyond all sorrow.

It is with such an aspiration that we embrace the larger scope of this precious human life.  We cannot afford to waste more time, we must use such a rare opportunity at this very moment.

We then come to the decisive experience of having obtained a precious human life, bodhicitta in action, or traveling the path to awakening.  Again, in the Way of the Bodhisattva:

Today my life has given fruit.

This human state has now been well assumed.

Today I take my birth in Buddha's line,

And have become the Buddha's child and heir.

In every way, then, I will undertake 

Activities befitting such a rank.

And I will do no act to mar

Or compromise this high and faultless lineage.

For I am like a blind man who has found

A precious gem inside a heap of dust.

For so it is, by some strange chance,

That bodhicitta has been born in me.

This is the supreme draft of immortality

That slays the Lord of Death, the slaughterer of beings, 

The rich unfailing treasure mine

To heal the poverty of wanderers.

It is the sovereign remedy

That perfectly allays all maladies.

It is the tree that gives relief

To those who wander wearily the pathways of existence.

It is the universal bridge that saves

All wandering beings from the states of loss,

The rising moon of the enlightened mind

That soothes the sorrows born of the afflictions.

It is the mighty sun that utterly dispels

The misty ignorance of wandering beings,

The creamy butter, rich and full,

That's churned from milk of holy teachings.

Living beings!  Wayfarer's upon life's paths,

Who wish to taste the riches of contentment,

Here before you is the supreme bliss.

Here, O ceaseless travelers, is your fulfillment!

Again and again contemplate the meaning of this precious human life.  We are extremely fortunate, but we cannot remain idle, the days, weeks and months move too fast.  Now is the time to act!

 

For Rent: Artist's Studio

Do you need more space in your life to perform your art?

Every artist needs a space to work.  A space for bringing intentions to life, working out problems and exploring new possibilities. 

For the bodhisattva, that space is their meditation seat.  Their meditation practice is their laboratory, their seat to explore the mind and train in removing habitual tendencies, negative emotions and obscurations to omniscience.  

This royal seat creates openness and flexibility in the mind.  It engenders an unbiased and uncontrived platform upon which their creative display can manifest itself as loving kindness, compassion and generosity.  

Here are the keys to developing your own space:

1. Set aside a time of day that you want to meditate.  For most people this is going to be either first thing in the morning or before bed.  I have tried both times and for me usually the evenings work better because I often succumb to snoozing my alarm. 

2. Start small.  Meditate for 5 minutes a day.  Start with opening prayers or a motivational quote.  When you have been meditating for five minutes a day you will notice a natural momentum building that keeps you on the seat longer and longer.  No rush, just take the time to sit mindfully each day.  

3. Watch your breath.  Breathe naturally.  Just watch the inhale and exhale of the breath.  Be mindful as you inhale and exhale.  Don't expect anything, don't judge.  The meditation is simply to be aware of the breath and always come back to the breath when you realize you are distracted.  

4. Dedicate your practice.  Don't be the sole benefactor.   Dedicating your practice removes the boundaries to your meditation seat and allows the practice to ripen throughout your daily life.  This is where we plant the seeds of generosity, compassion and kindness, and with dedication those seeds ripen in unimaginable ways. 

A Simple Discipline

Commit not a single unwholesome action, 

Cultivate a wealth of good qualities, 

To tame this mind of ours,

This is my doctrine.

Buddha Shakyamuni

Discipline is meant to simplify our life.  It provides direction and rights our course if we go astray.  Discipline is not moral righteousness with its attendants of arrogance and guilt.  Shantideva wrote in his Way of the Bodhisattva that it is we who corrupt ourselves, it is in this sense that we apply the practice of discipline.

Commit not a single unwholesome action

The essence of this practice is simple- do no harm.  The application of this practice is not easy at all.  We should strive to do no harm with our body, speech and mind.  Make effort because it does not come easy.

There is a story of a monk who would use black and white stones to track his actions throughout the day.  For every good action he would put a white stone in his right pocket, for every harmful action he would put a black stone in his left pocket.  At first he found his pockets only full of black stones and everywhere he turned he encountered conflict in the world.  As he applied effort to the practice he began to have a balance of black and white stones, and while he still encountered conflict he was beginning to see how he could act in certain situations.  In the end, he only found white stones in his pockets, his mind was peaceful and there were no threats to be found.


Cultivate a wealth of good qualities

Our mind is an open plain of pure potential in which anything at all can arise.  Cultivate qualities that will bring benefit to you and others.

Develop the mind.  Habituate the mind.  Train the mind.  

The qualities that we can develop are endless, but the qualities that the Buddha taught bring  fulfillment are the four immeasurables and six perfections.  In the battlefield of afflicted emotions within our own mind, the six perfections- generosity, discipline, patience, joyous perseverance, meditative equipoise and wisdom- function like an impenetrable armor and the four immeasurables- love, compassion, joy and equanimity- are the equipment we carry.  It is these qualities that the Victor's before us have cultivated on the path and likewise it is in this way that we should train.

To tame this mind of ours

Cultivate an open, calm and clear mind that is free from afflictive emotions, negative habitual tendencies and cognitive obscurations.  All of the teachings are meant to reveal the naturally liberated state, our own authentic condition, but they need to be applied to our life and our mind.

Where would I possibly find enough leather
With which to cover the surface of the earth?
But just the leather on the soles of my shoes
Is equivalent to covering the earth with it.

Likewise it is not possible for me
To restrain the external course of things.
But should I restrain this mind of mine
What would be the need to restrain all else?

Shantideva

A Fruitful Life

You could be a guard for those who are protectorless, 

A guide for those who journey on the road.

For those who wish to cross the water, 

You could be a boat, a raft, a bridge.

You could be an isle for those who yearn for land, 

A lamp for those who long for light;

For all who need a resting place, a bed;

For those who need a servant, you could be their slave.

You could be a wishing jewel, the vase of wealth,

A word of power and supreme healing,

A tree of miracles,

For every being the abundant cow.

Just like the earth and space itself,

And all the mighty elements,

For boundless multitudes of beings

You could always be the ground of life, the source of varied sustenance.

Thus for everything that lives,

As far as the limits of the sky,

You could be constantly their source of livelihood

Until they pass beyond all sorrow.

But if you are going to do those things, then you need to train.  You need to train hard, following in the footsteps of those who have gone before you.  

You need to show up, do the work.  It is not going to be easy, but no one is going to do this for you. 

Adapted from Shantideva's Way of the Bodhisattva

Getting dirty in the fields.

Your boots will get muddy.  Your socks wet.  You are going to stain your jeans.  There will be dirt underneath your finger nails and you might suffer some scratches.  

Working in the fields means getting dirty. 

Your work will be the same. 

The bodhisattva knows that their time on this earth is very short.  They know that the road ahead will be long.  Knowing the truth of suffering they plunge into the fields.  Knowing liberation upon arising, they do not fear getting covered in mud.  At the end of the day, they dedicate their work for the benefit of others.  Tomorrow, they rise again. 

That is how you practice on the path. 

How does wisdom lead to love?

The fundamental truth that the Buddha discovered upon his enlightenment was the truth of dependent origination. Everything is born of causes and conditions, and being dependently arisen they are empty of their own inherent existence.

The Buddha's insight into emptiness, or non-self, is critical to properly understanding dependent origination. We all acknowledge the causal nature of reality, causes produce effects. Out of our own confusion about the way things exist, we believe things we experience to be truly established and to exist from their own side. Conceiving of a truly existing self and truly existing phenomena, we get caught up in a web of rigid beliefs and perceptions.

Perceiving the world as existing in a very fixed way, we react very strongly to our experience. Our emotional responses to the world become very strong and often take control of our thoughts and actions. Instead of responding to our situation with intention and mindfulness, we act out unconscious behaviors based on past conditioning.

The Buddha explained this cycle of reactivity as the cause of suffering. The fundamental cause is ignorance, or believing in a fixed identity. To eliminate that ignorance he taught dependent origination and the teachings on emptiness.

A common question, and a good question, is how does this insight into dependent origination lead to the practice of love and compassion?

When the Buddha taught the four noble truths, his instruction for the truth of suffering was that suffering was to be understood. When we understand dependent origination and emptiness, we understand our nature and the nature of reality. When this understanding is no longer conditioned by emotional reactivity, we develop acceptance and tolerance for the way things are.

Understanding the truth of the human condition leads to acceptance and openness. Acceptance and openness lead to kindness and love for others. When our minds are no longer conditioned by strong negative emotions, we find that even in difficult situations we can extend kindness and respect to others.

This potential is always available to us. Wisdom into our true nature greatly benefits us and frees our minds, but it also benefits others and the communities in which we work and live.

Wisdom reveals our shared humanity and practicing this opens our hearts and minds to living with more understanding and acceptance. These are values that our communities need. The world is a better place when we act with kindness.

May I be a guard for those who need protection,
A guide for those on the path,
A boat, a raft, a bridge for those who wish to cross the flood.
May I be a lamp in the darkness,
A resting place for the weary,
A healing medicine for all who are sick
A vase of plenty, a tree of miracles.
And for the boundless multitudes of living beings
May I bring sustenance and awakening,
Enduring like the earth and sky
Until all beings are freed from sorrow
And all are awakened.

 - Shantideva, from the Way of the Bodhisattva

The Plague of Indifference.

We are suffering from one of the worst epidemics in recent human history.  It has the potential to spread to every corner of the land and to infect every person.  It leaves its victims lifeless, like wandering zombies.

It is the plague of indifference.

It strikes those who care.  Those that are trying to make a difference, to bring benefit to others.  It has a slow onset, germinating in those who time and time again go the extra mile.  It reproduces and gains its strength as kindness and generosity are taken advantage of, exploited and disrespected.

The infection starts to display signs and symptoms as the victim gets worn out, angry at themselves for trying so hard and for caring so much.  They may feel guilty for wanting to help others, for repeating this cycle again and again only to end up in states of loss.

The infection has reached its full measure when the victim no longer cares, when they just go through the motions and do what they are told.

One remedy for this infection is to show appreciation and respect to those who aren't infected.  To rejoice in their efforts.  This remedy can delay or offset the progression of the disease, but it is not necessarily a cure.

The only cure is to protect your own mind, and the only way to do that is to cultivate bodhicitta, the awakened mind.  It is only by cultivating bodhicitta that you can bear the burden of unpleasant and painful circumstances.  It is only by cultivating bodhicitta that you can abandon your own susceptibility to 'woe is me'.

One who cultivates bodhicitta is a bodhisattva, a courageous awakened warrior.

They don't fight others, they fight to establish them in peaceful, happy states.
They fight to bring them benefit.

They fight for those who care, and to help those who don't to regain their purpose.

It is a battle worth fighting for.

As it states in the Heart Sutra:

There is no attainment, and even no non-attainment.  Therefore, Shariputra, since bodhisattvas have no attainments, they rely on this perfection of wisdom and abide in it.  Having no obscurations in their minds, they have no fear, and by going utterly beyond error, they will reach the end of nirvana. 

The way of the bodhisattva.

Alert.
Attentive.
Calm and composed.
Generous.
Insightful.
Responsive.
Patient.
Undaunted, persisting amidst fatigue.
Empathetic and compassionate, they think about the needs of others and strive diligently to bring them happiness and joy.  

Free from the attachment of holding some close and others distant, they wholeheartedly wish to establish all beings in health, happiness and well being.

They are like a father and mother for the world. 

Letter to a young practitioner.

Dear friend,

It is a great joy and pleasure to see you so eagerly engage in the practice and the curiosity with which you inquire about the path. I implore you to never temper this curiosity and to always ask questions of your teachers and other Dharma practitioners whom you hold in high regard.

I have little advice to offer save this- search inside yourself. Everyone around you is looking outwards, building up their image and their status. Our culture revolves around gain and loss. Our culture orients us towards what is easy, and it is clear to me that the path ahead of you is difficult, but that is all the more reason for you to travel it. You must learn to set aside everyday concerns and look within. Dig deep into your own thoughts, feelings and perceptions. Yearn to understand the human condition. Everything in you is played out in the world around you. What you struggle with is what we all struggle with.

There is something that burns in you. Something you must know. Something you must resolve and figure out. Use that, don't deny its necessity. Your urgency will carry you far on the path, use it to fuel your study and practice. Don't waste it on meaningless activity or distracted impulses. Accept the fact that you are called to the practice, with all of the responsibility and heaviness that it requires.

If you think that you do not have what you need, that your situation is too rough or that it is not the right time; question yourself, not your life. The practitioner uses all situations as the practice, all obstacles as the path. From where you stand, there is no map. You can only take one step forward and look for guides along the way. The Buddha himself said that all he can do is open the door, you must walk through.

You must know how much your example inspires us. Your effort and dedication will always give your fellow practitioners and teachers much joy. But also know that you will often feel alone on the path. Padampa Sangye told his student Machig Lapdron, that in the deepest and darkest of places you must find the Buddha within. You must follow that example.

There are a few teachings with which you must make your constant companion. When all seems lost and you feel that you are reaching about in the darkness, they will be like beacons of light on the horizon calling you forth. They are the Dharmachakrapravatana on the four noble truths, Shantideva's Way of the Bodhisattva, and Garab Dorje's Three Words that Strike the Essential Point. Rely on them always and let them inspire you and be a source of rest and abundance. Let these teachings infuse your mind and shape your practice. Learn from them what seems relevant now, but return again and again as they will never stop revealing themselves in your practice. They will naturally give rise to devotion for the lineage and deepen your contemplation.

Be attentive to that which rises up in you. Learn to be comfortable with yourself. Find peace and joy in solitude. When you can sit for hours and not do anything, you have made friends with yourself in a way that few among us can appreciate. The practice never gets easier, you simply learn to be more comfortable with the truth of suffering. As you learn to more fully understand the human condition, you learn to be less reactive and you will find that you don't have to respond to every little impulse. You will learn to rest in openness, to be more receptive and to embrace the vulnerability of what it means to be human. In that space, where we can see clearly without getting caught by the hook of attachment or aversion, reification or denial, there is an opportunity that we will see the truth of cessation and recognize our true nature. Cessation isn't extinction, it isn't a nothingness. What ceases is our false self, our confused notion of who we are. What is revealed is our true nature, what the Buddha called the tathagatagarbha, the buddha heart. This is a legacy available to you, something you have the opportunity to carry forward into your life.

Be patient with yourself. Fight the urge to expect a quick result. The result is the path, and the journey ahead is long. What you want you cannot give birth to now, you must live it. It must live through you. Each experience, each impression gives it shape and form. The practice creates the form of your life. As you sit with the inexpressible, that which is just beyond the reach of your mind, you will give birth to clarity. Recognize the freedom in that arising. Everything is arising. That is the way the practitioner moves through the world.

When you are lost for meaning and purpose, wondering what is the point, know that there is purpose in carrying something. Carry the practice into every nook and cranny of your life. The practice will give your life meaning and from it you will engender a much broader scope of the world and your place in it. Let it inform your intentions, your actions and your livelihood. Carry this as a special gift to yourself, and should you dare, and of course you must, share your time, energy and heart with others.

Faithfully yours, and with much confidence in you as you set out on this journey.

Gregory Scott Patenaude

Order Now: Heart Advice by Younge Khachab Rinpoche

For the past six years a team of generous students and myself have been working to put together a book from Rinpoche's teachings on the essence of the path of liberation. The result of much work is Rinpoche's first published book, Heart Advice: Essential Instructions on the Path of Liberation. In this book Younge Khachab Rinpoche explores the Buddha's teachings in a way that makes them practical and accessible to the modern Western practitioner. Rinpoche distills the very essence of the traditional textual tradition so that these teachings become meaningful to our own life and mind.

Heart Advice is for students who have explored the Buddha's teachings to some extent but want a firm foundation upon which they can build their own practice. It is for all practitioners of Buddhist tantra, Mahamudra and Dzogchen, to give an overview and context for understanding all of the Buddha's teachings.

Available to order now.











 Some of the topics in the book include:

• Understanding how the perception of the self gives rise to suffering in this life. 
• Examining the two truths and how they relate to our own mind.
• How to come to a correct understanding of the view of emptiness.
• How shamatha and vipasyana work together in meditation to actualize the view.
• Learn about the path of the bodhisattva and how to progress along the path.
• Understand the significance of the teachings on buddha nature.
• Explore how our innate buddha nature is obscured from the perspective of the different practice traditions.
• Learn how the Prajnaparamita, or perfection of wisdom sutras for the heart of all the Buddha's teachings.
• Explore the history of tantra and the significance of the ripening empowerment in the tantric path. 
• Understand the significance of the teacher in the Vajrayana.
• Explore the generation and completion stage yogas and how the wisdom of the tantric view gives rise to buddhahood in this very lifetime. 
• Explore the history of Mahamudra and some critical distinctions between Mahamudra and Dzogchen. 
• Learn about the Six Yogas of Naropa and their place in the realization of Mahamudra. 
• Understand how Mahamudra is realized through the four yogas. 
• Learn how to carry the essence of all practice instructions into one meditation session.

Rinpoche has a remarkable ability to see how all of the Buddha's teachings are connected in our own practice. In Heart Advice, he teaches us how to carry these various practice traditions onto our own path by understanding all of the Buddha's teachings as instructions for practice.

The teachings contained in this book have been of immense benefit in my own practice, and I find myself returning again and again to examine sections and to build connections to new material I am studying.

I hope that you will check it out.

Join the Movement

Our communities have changed.

We are no longer surrounded by like-minded individuals who share our worldview.

We are no longer surrounded day and night by people who can help us get up when we fall, guiding us in the right direction. 

Our communities don't revolve around anything sacred.  They revolve around 'me', which is often caught up in a lot of mundane activity, meaningless work and a lifetime of distraction.

You are out in the battlefield all by yourself. 

You have your practice.  Keep it.  I am not asking you to buy in.  

I am asking you to own it.  And it ain't a show man.

I am asking you to take your stand, to cut away the frills and the fraud.

Once you can stand, take a step forward with your heart.  Be an artist who uses reality, people and interactions as their canvas.  If your a bodhisattva, your art is generosity, love and kindness. 

As you learn to walk with confidence, you will find that the world no longer fights you.  Every interaction is a support for your practice, an opportunity to dig deeper and to practice your art. 

You'll find you are not alone anymore. 

You are surrounded by community.  Join the movement. 

Essay: Actualizing the Profound View of the Middle Way

            In the First Turning of the Wheel of Dharma, the Buddha gave teachings on the Four Noble Truths, laying a foundation and framework by which all of his teachings could be understood.  In the Four Noble Truths, the Buddha identified ignorance as the root of all suffering.  Ignorance is a state of confusion about how the self exists.  We perceive of an independent, autonomous self, one that is the basis for all experience and continues from moment to moment.  Through the teachings on the skandhas, ayatanas and dhatus, the Buddha broke down the self, revealing the wisdom of selflessness as well as the path to the cessation of suffering. 

            The teachings of the Second Turning of the Wheel of Dharma don’t depart from the teachings of the First Turning.  The understanding of the truth of origin and the abiding reality of the truth of cessation become more subtle and profound in the Second Turning. 

            The basis for the Second Turning of the Wheel of Dharma are the Prajnaparamita Sutras.  The 8000 verse Prajnaparamita Sutra is the earliest known sutra from around 100 BCE.  This was later expanded into the 10,000, 18,000, 25,000 and 100,000 verse sutras, which bear close resemblance to the 8,000 verse sutra but expand on abbreviated sections and enumerate lists.  The shorter Prajnaparamita Sutras include the Heart Sutra, also called the 25 verse sutra, as well as the Diamond Sutra, also called the 300 verse sutra. 

            We can see in the Heart Sutra how the understanding of the truth of origin becomes more subtle and profound in the Second Turning.  Remember, in the First Turning we use the skandhas, ayatanas and dhatus to deconstruct self-grasping and realize the wisdom of selflessness.  In the Second Turning we find Avalokiteshvara exploring this even futher in the Heart Sutra:

At that time, the Blessed One entered the meditative absorption on the varieties of phenomena called the appearance of the profound.  At that time as well, the noble Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva, the great being, clearly beheld the practice of the profound perfection of wisdom itself and saw that even the five aggregates are empty of intrinsic existence.

            The Heart Sutra starts by stating that the Buddha entered into meditative absorption called the appearance of the profound.  Profound here is emptiness, the appearance of emptiness.  It is profound because it is not easily realized, that it is beyond concepts and ideas about how things exist.  In the First Turning, we used the five skandhas to uproot self-grasping, but here Avalokiteshvara is saying that even the five skandhas or aggregates are empty of intrinsic existence.  The teachings of the Second Turning examine not only the selflessness of the person, but also of all phenomena. In order for bodhisattvas who aspire to realize this perfection of wisdom Shariputra and Avalokiteshvara engage in discussion on how to practice the perfection of wisdom.  Avalokiteshvara expands on the practice saying bodhisattvas should see clearly in this way:

Form is emptiness, emptiness is form;

Emptiness is not other than form, form too is not other than emptiness.

            This famous verse describes the Middle Way free from extremes.  We should analyze that form is empty of inherent existence, eliminating the extreme of eternalism or existence.  We should also analyze that emptiness is form, eliminating the extreme of nihilism or non-existence.  The last two verses reiterate this union of appearance and emptiness. 

            In order to clarify the view of emptiness as presented in the Prajnaparamita Sutras, Nagarjuna wrote his famous Mula-Madhyamakakarika, or the Fundamental Verses of the Middle Way.  In it, he presents the teachings on the two truths, conventional and ultimate truth, so that we can eliminate doubt and uncertainty about the view of emptiness.  In Nagarjuna’s Mula-madhyamakakarika:

The Buddha’s teaching of the Dharma

Is based on two truths:

A truth of worldly convention,

And an ultimate truth.  XXIV.8

Those who do not understand

The distinction between these two truths

Do not understand

The Buddha’s profound teaching.  XXIV.9

Without depending on the conventional truth,

The meaning of the ultimate cannot be taught.

Without understanding the meaning of the ultimate,

Nirvana is not achieved.  XXIV.10

            Nagarjuna’s presentation of the two truths reveal our confusion about the way that things appear versus the way that they actually exist.  Things appear very solid, concrete and independent.  We appear as independent autonomous selves.  But if you examine the nature of the self or of phenomena, you find that self is actually dynamic, connected and interdependent. 

            Traditionally there are Four Great Arguments of the Madhayamaka or Middle Way that logically establish all phenomena as being empty of inherent existence.

1.     Vajra Splinters, investigating the cause.

2.     Investigation of the result.

3.     Chariot argument, being neither one nor many.

4.     Great Interdependence.

            Nagarjuna’s famous tetralemma forms the basis for the Vajra Splinter argument and refutes production or arising from any of the four alternatives:

Neither from itself, nor from another,

Nor from both,

Nor without a cause,

Does anything anywhere, ever arise. I.1

            For our purposes, the easiest and perhaps best method of establishing emptiness is the Argument of Great Interdependence.  This king of reasonings includes all of the other logical arguments because it examines the seemingly real appearances of dependent origination.  According to the Middle Way as presented by Nagarjuna, all the illusory appearances of dependent origination and emptiness arise as the union of the conventional and ultimate truths.  In the Mula-Madhyamakakarika:

That which is dependent origination

Is explained to be emptiness.

That, being a dependent designation,

Is itself the middle way.  XXIV.18

There does not exist anything

That is not dependently arisen.

Therefore there does not exist anything

That is not empty.  XXIV.19

            Nagarjuna makes it clear that whatever is dependently originated is empty of inherent existence, form is emptiness.  To be dependently originated and to have some kind of independent existence are logical contradictions that cannot be maintained once they are revealed.  The wisdom of the two truths illuminates our confusion about how phenomena exist versus how they appear to us.  This simple insight that all phenomena arise dependently based on causes and conditions reveals the nature of suffering, how that suffering arises and whether we are able to eliminate it, as well as the actual path to be free from suffering.  As Nagarjuna states in his Mula-Madhyamakakarika:

Whoever sees dependent arising

Also sees suffering,

And its origin,

And its cessation, as well as the path.  XXIV.40

For whom emptiness makes sense,

Everything makes sense.

For whom emptiness does not make sense,

Nothing makes sense.  XXIV.14

            The correct view of emptiness is not that complicated.  Logically we can see that it is relatively easy to establish that all phenomena are empty of inherent existence.  But to fully appreciate this profound wisdom we have to move beyond a simple intellectual understanding, beyond mere logic and conceptual analysis.  We need to apply this view of emptiness to our own mind and our own experience.  Like the Buddha in the Heart Sutra, we need to meditate on the appearance of the profound.

            In the Heart Advice, Younge Khachab Rinpoche encourages us to apply the two truths to our own mind and experience, for this is truly the doorway to the Middle Way.  It is not necessary to undergo extensive philosophical and logical analysis, we simply need to carry a direct understanding of the union of dependent origination and emptiness, or appearance and emptiness, into our own meditation. 

            Focusing on our own mind, Rinpoche teaches the view of emptiness with five features- profound, peaceful, free of elaboration, luminous clarity, and uncompounded.  By recognizing this view of emptiness with five features in our own meditation and relying on the union of shamatha and vipassana, we can enter into absorption on the appearance of the profound and realize the perfection of wisdom, the essence of the Middle Way.