Self-Immolation

“The greater and greater awakening of consciousness and its climb to a higher and higher level and a wider extent of its vision and action is the condition of our progress towards that supreme and total perfection which is the aim of our existence.” ~ Sri Aurobindo #consciousness 💖 @OfLoveAndGrace 💖

Prayer to the Moon: OM Som Somaya Namaha

"Buddhahood is inconceivable, permanent, steadfast, at peace, and immutable. It is utterly peaceful, pervasive, without thought, and unattached like space. It is free from hindrance and coarse objects of contact are eliminated. It cannot be seen or grasped. It is virtuous and free from pollution." Mahāyānottaratantra Śāstra

"Rid of pollution [and] all-pervasive, [true buddhahood] has an indestructible nature since it is steadfast, at peace, permanent, and unchanging. As the abode [of qualities] a tathagata is similar to space. For the six sense-faculties of a saintly being it forms the cause to experience their respective [pure] objects [of perception]." Mahāyānottaratantra Śāstra

[Enlightenment, of which the Buddha] said: “It is by nature clear light,” is similar to the sun and space. It is free from the stains of the adventitious poisons and hindrances to knowledge, the veils of which obscured it [like] a dense sea of clouds. Buddhahood is permanent, steadfast, and immutable, possessing all the unpolluted buddha qualities. It is attained on the basis of [two] primordial wisdoms: [one is] free from ideation with regard to phenomena, [the other is] discriminative. Buddhahood is indivisible, yet can be divided according to its property of [twofold] purity. [Thus] it has two features, which are abandonment and primordial wisdom, similar to space and the sun. Luminous clear light is not created. It is indivisibly manifest [in the nature of beings] and holds all the buddha properties outnumbering the grains of sand in the river Ganges. By nature not existent, pervasive, and adventitious, the veils of the poisons and of the hindrances to knowledge are described as being similar to a cloud. Mahāyānottaratantra Śāstra

The True Nature of Mind By Tulku Thondup To understand how the world can be a creation of the mind, it is useful to recognize that our mind has two aspects: ordinary mind and enlightened mind. Ordinary mind, also known in Mahayana teachings as deluded mind, is conceptual, dualistic, and emotional. Enlightened mind also known as the awakened state or Buddha-nature is the true and pure nature of the mind. For most of us, the dualistic concepts, unhealthy emotions, and obsessive sensations (particularly strong clinging and craving) of our ordinary mind cover the enlightened aspect of our mind. These thoughts are like coverings that obstruct us from realizing and manifesting our true nature like clouds covering the sun. Consider the difference between how an awakened person and an ordinary person view a flower. When an awakened person sees a flower, they see it through their enlightened wisdom-eyes that are free from the shrouds of duality, emotions and sensations, and that dwell instead in the nature of boundless openness, also known as “emptiness” nature. By contrast, when an ordinary person sees a flower, they see it through the eyes of their deluded mind, which is characterized by duality. Duality leads to attachment and aversion, which, as they become increasingly tight and obsessive, result in the familiar cycle of fireworks and misery.

"The nature of mind as the element of space does not [depend upon] causes or conditions, nor does it [depend on] a gathering of these. It has neither arising, cessation, nor abiding. This clear and luminous nature of mind is as changeless as space. It is not afflicted by desire and so on, the adventitious stains, which are sprung from incorrect thoughts. It is not brought into existence by the water of karma, of the poisons, and so on. Hence it is also not consumed by the cruel fires of dying, falling sick, and aging." Mahāyānottaratantra Śāstra;

"The [dharmakaya] is purity, since its nature is pure and [even] the remaining imprints are fully removed. It is true self, since all conceptual elaboration in terms of self and non-self is totally stilled. It is true happiness, since [even] the aggregates of mental nature and their causes are reversed. It is permanence, since the cycle of existence and the state beyond pain are realized as one." Mahāyānottaratantra Śāstra;

"The perfect buddhakaya is all-embracing, suchness cannot be differentiated, and all beings have the disposition. Thus they always have buddha nature. The Buddha has said that all beings have buddha nature since buddha wisdom is always present within the assembly of beings, since this undefiled nature is free from duality, and since the disposition to buddhahood has been named after its fruit." Mahāyānottaratantra Śāstra;

"This mind being by nature clear light, they have seen the poisons to be essenceless and therefore truly realize [the nature of] every being as peace, the ultimate non-existence of a self. They perceive that the Perfect Buddha pervades them all. They possess the understanding that is free from the veils. Thus seeing that beings are utterly pure and that [this purity pervades] their limitless number, they are endowed with the vision of primordial wisdom." Mahāyānottaratantra Śāstra;

"Buddha is without beginning, middle, or end. He is peace itself, fully self-awakened and self-expanded in buddhahood. Having reached this state, he shows the indestructible, permanent path so that those who have no realization may realize. Wielding the supreme sword and vajra of knowledge and compassionate love, he cuts the seedling of suffering and destroys the wall of doubts along with its surrounding thicket of various views. I bow down to this Buddha. Being uncreated and spontaneously present, not a realization due to extraneous conditions, wielding knowledge, compassionate love, and ability, buddhahood has [the qualities of] the two benefits. Its nature is without beginning, middle, or end; hence [the state of a buddha] is uncreated. Since it possesses the peaceful dharmakaya, it is described as being “spontaneously present.” Since it must be realized through self-awareness, it is not a realization due to extraneous conditions. These three aspects being realized, there is knowledge." Mahāyānottaratantra Śāstra

Prof. Alexis Sanderson - Readings in the Tantrāloka I ___________ In these lectures Professor Sanderson will introduce the opening verses of the Tantrāloka of Abhinavagupta, that author's monumental exposition of the Saiva Tantras from the standpoint of the Śākta Śaiva tradition known as the Trika and the philosophical non-dualism of the Pratyabhijñā texts. Alexis Sanderson began his Indological career as a student of Sanskrit at Oxford in 1969, studying the Kashmirian Śaiva literature in Kashmir with the Śaiva Guru Swami Lakshman Joo from 1971 to 1977. He was Associate Professor (University Lecturer) of Sanskrit at Oxford and a Fellow of Wolfson College from 1977 to 1992 and then the Spalding Professor of Eastern Religions and Ethics at Oxford and a Fellow of All Souls College from 1992 to 2015. Since then, he has been preparing a critical edition of the Tantrāloka with a translation and commentary. His field is early medieval religion in India and Southeast Asia, focusing on the history of Śaivism, its relations with the state, and its influence on Buddhism and Vaishnavism. https://youtu.be/hxaz7FbtPFk - Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies

“Pure mind is like the empty sky, without memory, supreme meditation; it is our own nature, unstirring, uncontrived, and wherever that abides is the superior mind, one in buddhahood without any sign, one in view free of limiting elaboration, one in meditation free of limiting ideation, one in conduct free of limiting endeavor, and one in fruition free of limiting attainment. vast! spacious! released as it stands! with neither realization nor non-realization; experience consummate! no mind! it is open to infinity.” - Longchenpa

Feliz Natal/ Dies Natalis a todos.

"If you wish to attain unsurpassed enlightenment, Which has inconceivable greatness, Be intent on practice and achieve its heart, For enlightenment depends upon practice. As this body of perfect leisure and opportunity Was very difficult to obtain, and once obtained Will be very difficult to possess again, Make it meaningful by striving at practice." Mahāyāna-patha-sādhana-saṃgrāha

"Since it is even more difficult to obtain a human life from an animal life Than for a sea turtle's head to enter The aperture of a yoke floating upon the great ocean, o King, lord of humankind, make this life fruitful by practicing the sublime teaching. One who is born as a human, And then becomes involved in wrongdoing Is even more foolish than one who fills A golden vessel adorned with jewels with vomit." Nagarjuna

"With behavior such as mine I will not attain a human body again. If I do not attain it, I will commit sin and never be virtuous. If I do not cultivate virtue Even when I have the chance to do so, What virtue will I cultivate in a miserable realm, Completely confused and suffering? If I cultivate no virtue And accumulate sins, I will not hear even the name "Happy realms" for a billion eons. Thus the Bhagavan said That this human life is as difficult to obtain As it is for a sea turtle to put its neck Into a yoke tossing about on the vast ocean. If even a single moment's wrongdoing Causes you to abide in the Unrelenting Hell for an eon, It goes without saying that you will not enter a happy realm Due to sins heaped up since beginningless time." Engaging in the Bodhisattva Deeds

"Human life plants the seed For going beyond cyclic existence, The supreme seed of glorious enlightenment. Human life is a stream of good qualities Better than a wish-granting jewel. Who here would attain it and then waste it?" Āryaśūra

“Since everything is but an illusion, Perfect in being what it is, Having nothing to do with good or bad, Acceptance or rejection, One might as well burst out laughing!” Excerpt From, The Natural Freedom of the Nature of Mind (Tib. སེམས་ཉིད་རང་གྲོལ་, Semnyi Rangdrol, — part of Longchenpa's Trilogy of Natural Freedom. It has three chapters, related to the Ground, Path and Fruition, which contains these oft-quoted lines. Artist: Nicholas Roerich