From Limited Mind and Body to Our True (No) Self

Abstract: There exist many interpretations to the term “consciousness”. In some of the Eastern and Western spiritual traditions, the consciousness is referred to as the highest meditative attainment and it is frequently equated with the “Godly” or the enlightened nature of our mind. However, in the Buddhist tradition, such an enlightened state is referred to as the “cessation of consciousness” in which, the gross-level human mind disappears. There’s no individuality or self-notion to grasp in it. However, our mind, when it operates with the five senses in day-to-day life, is also called consciousness in science, albeit this is the gross-level operation. There’s a contradiction in the usage of this term. This article demystifies the term “consciousness” and explains different meditative states one can attain with respect to our day-to-day mind. It is also worthwhile to study about the “illusion game” created by our consciousness and to navigate through its dramatic narratives. Fig. 1. ...

Abstract: Many of us are familiar with the movie called 'The Matrix,' which was released in 1999. Directed by the Wachowskis, it is a groundbreaking science fiction film that feels remarkably relevant to our current reality. The story follows Thomas Anderson, a computer hacker who discovers that the reality he perceives is a simulated construct created by sentient machines to subjugate humanity. Surprisingly if you are a spiritual practitioner on the bodhisattva path, you may find yourself navigating a similarly strange and unfamiliar territory at a certain stage of your spiritual evolution. Many ascended masters throughout history have faced challenges during this phase of their journey, but Gautham Buddha stands out as he was the only master to completely transcend the Matrix control system in its entirety. One could say this is the real evil of this world. All Buddhist masters who followed the footsteps of Gautham Buddha are enemies to this control system and this post speak...

Abstract: Concepts such as heaven and hell exist in almost all religious traditions. Abrahamic traditions believe that, once you're liberated on this planet earth, you can go to heaven. Buddhist traditions mostly deny this claim and believe that we must reincarnate into this human world again from these celestial realms. Some believe that, these are merely mind-made concepts and in reality do not exist. Abrahamic traditions rely on the attainments such as ego-death, resurrection at their enlightenment while Buddhist traditions state, "Nirvana" is the highest goal leading to the final liberation. So there is a conceptual and a practical difference between the two. However a meditator who followed the bodhisattva path may have been exposed to both of these spiritual traditions and might have a different perspective, entirely based on his meditative experience. This post is about that. Fig. 1: Depiction of heaven in an old painting (left), heaven as a meditative vision and a...

Abstract: Different spiritual traditions present different interpretations to the complex mechanism called "karma". Sometimes people label that everything happens around us is due to our karma, and this statement is against the general Buddhist view. This is what the human mind is generally capable of, making unsubstantiated speculations on the things it doesn't comprehend. However, only an enlightened being knows whether something is really due to our karma or not. Based on his extraordinary understanding, Sakyamuni Buddha had revealed, certain universal principles called "niyama dharma" that do not fall under this "karmic" category. But whoever appears in this world in a physical form, is bound by these universal principles. Therefore, Buddha has introduced a new concept called "cause & effect", which is, in principle, more scientific, more liberating and universal. This article will explain why "Karma & Effect" is just a ...

Abstract: In one of the previous posts we discussed that the great philosopher and the bodhisattva Nagarjuna helped revitalizing Buddhism by presenting the Madhyamika philosophy to the world. Sadly many Buddhists do not accept his teachings due to its philosophical depth and the later timeline of his work. Sometimes his work is considered as heresy by certain sects. However real yogis and intellectuals from both Theravada and Maha-(Tantra)-yana traditions consider his work as a masterpiece that reflects the Buddhist wisdom. Did he really commit heresy ? Then whatever the practice that springs from his teachings should be heretical too. If so, why our root guru, Gautham Buddha had prophesized Nagarjuna's coming ? Let's analyze this issue. Fig. 1: Nagarjuna presenting his teachings to his heart disciple, Aryadeva . We have spoken about the topic "emptiness" in many occasions, to the level that is too overwhelming. In the west, this term became so popular thanks to Mahay...

Abstract : There are three ways to practice; practicing under a lineage, just following oral instructions, and doing all the work alone. What is the difference ? What does a lineage even mean ? There are oral lineages as well as energetical lineages. Generally you may find oral lineages in Theravada tradition and the energetical ones in Maha-(Tantra)-yana tradition. Is   passing down knowledge or energy, like passing a baton in a relay race ? Do masters have preferences when passing down their lineages to the students ? Is Sakyamuni’s energy still alive in these lineages ? We try to explore these topics and answers to these burning questions.   Fig. 1: Lineage transmission is a sacred (right-hand figure) process. With the mass awakening of the humankind in this era, more and more people are interested in practicing meditation, reaching higher consciousness levels, doing yoga and becoming enlightened. This is a positive sign in my opinion. Although it may sound overwhelming to ...