No ritual, no sound, no form, no prayer, no scripture, can ultimately free the mind from ignorance and suffering. Only the Unborn Mind recognizes its own becomings (divisions of self) and re-attunes to its true self nature, like an ocean swallowing its own waves. It is not for your present state of divided awareness power to ponder this paradox, but more to cease the resistance towards the truth body continuously striving to realign with itself. Without this act of complete surrendering to the noble wisdom of the supreme body (Buddha), nibanna cannot be known.
No exoteric platforms that caters to the senses could possibly free mind when it’s entrenched by such phenomena in the first place. Self-recognition is the only means by which this self-division can be forestalled when Mind returns to Its own Essential Stature as the Unborn. This cannot be comprehended by the body consciousness and its divided allegiance held captive by the allures of illustrious and kaleidoscope like imagery forever flashing before its soiled and diseased mind’s eye. Forsaking such defiled garbha is the only way in which the Noble Wisdom of the Supreme Truth Body (Dharmakaya) can be Self-realized:
The Buddha’s Parinirvāna can be considered as such: The Buddha’s nirvāṇa— which is referred to in the sūtra as “great nirvāṇa” (mahānirvāṇa) or “great final nirvāṇa” (MAHĀPARINIRVĀṆA)— differs from that of the ARHAT. The nirvāṇa of the arhat is said to be merely the state of the absence of the afflictions (KLEŚA) but with no awareness of the buddhadhātu. The nirvāṇa of the buddha is instead eternal, pure, blissful, and endowed with self, a primordially existent reality that is only temporarily obscured by the kleśa; when that nirvāṇa and buddhadhātu are finally “recognized,” buddhahood is then achieved…(Lopez, et al The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism)
The Tathagata glistens with Deathless Suchness Itself. His own Bodhipower is now attuned at full-peak and securely undivided as to the great significance of his passage into the Nirvanic Kingdom of Self. This is known as the Bliss of Nirvana. This Nirvanic-Kingdom of Self is what constitutes the Dharmakaya—the very Dharma-realm of the Buddhas. Thus, in order to understand the Real Nature of the Tathagata one needs to transcend all nominalized categories and begin to SEE with the Eyes of Liberation, of which the Mahāparinirvāṇasūtra is the Root-Source of such a Dharmatic-Realization.
Essentially, it is a question of spiritual cultivation and rehabilitation from the bad dream known as samsara and all its illusory images, that used to tempt the higher to sink into the binding itself to bodies and realms of the lower. One cannot force such a necessary nexus of appropriate conditions for proper first awakening. One can only apply, patiently, the specific cure as advised by the buddhas and maha-bodhisattvas. Here we speak of; balance, regularity, patience, skillfulness, clarity and reason. If you do not put your mind in balance, the mood swings from interacting with worldly affairs will prohibit your mind to reach the nexus of awakening.
The discharge of bad karmic associations can only be won through patiently adhering to one’s own spiritual cultivation in Light of the Unborn. It cannot be forced. Skillfully and spiritually working with divine Buddhaic agencies is the best recourse in empowering Self-release.
If you do not practice dhyana regularly, your mind will never have the chance to
sense the nexus arriving because all the noise of the body consciousness will
continuously make it unaware of the nature and moment of this possibility.
If your mind does not exert the virtue of proper patience, you will be like a
man passing by the right tree in a great forest because you dwell more in the
sensation of hunting the prey, instead of looking for the prey. If your mind does not take time to contemplate the various states from dhyana and sutra reading (for confirmation) there will not emerge any skill to avoid the false enlightenments in order to encounter the true. You only need one, in order to see the other shore. The rest is just practice to build the raft and ride the rapids over to the shining land of the buddhas.
Regular Mind-based mediation and contemplative practices, accompanied with diligent sutra-reading, is the means of strengthening the impetus to rise above all phenomenal outflows. The imagery here of the raft is most apropos, however one needs to jettison the raft (devices) once union with the Unborn Mind is assured.
If there is no clarity in your mind, it means that the light of the Unborn Mind
doesn’t shine through. The filter is not the right one. You are probably using
the one shutting out the true and allowing the false passing through and fueling
your present mind to believe it is the apex of creation. If you do not use proper reason (e.g., questioning your actions) there will be errors due to lack of power to proceed towards the right goal. Hence you will experience many moments of sloth, laziness, fear, insecurity, unworthiness, anger and many other creations of the body consciousness as it filters the light of the Unborn in accordance with its own current settings.
Right-reason also needs to be employed to strike that necessary balance between spiritual common-sense and cultivating supernal and unalterable truths pointing to final release and liberation of Mind and Spirit.
The Mind is a beautiful thing. It is unprecedented in all ten directions of
samsara (e.g.. it is not to be found there). To know the true nature of the Mind
is far better than to seek to know and worship gods, men and other creations of
samsara. But like all beautiful things you have to work hard to get it. Yet, when you have it, what work is there to speak of? In that unworldly moment, when the real looks at the real, you will know the nirvana of effortlessness.
The Unborn Mind in Itself is indeed unprecedentedly beautiful and unequaled in majesty. Anything less than IT is akin to worshiping false-gods and idols. Over the years I have come to clearly discern this truism. Worshiping something other is always secondary and lesser-than THAT which is sufficient unto Itself. When the Real looks at the Real and no-thing else, what else is necessary?
Never compromise the fundamental tenet of your being which is your true self. Let no being of any power make you abandon this sacred body of pure noble wisdom that dwells within you, whatever they may offer or threaten you with.
Remember, that in the end, the mightiest of demons and most supreme gods had to bow before the fully awakened Buddha and confess their impermanent wisdom and powers, in comparison to the permanent splendor of this—the supreme, Unborn Mind.
Best regards,
Tozen
Once one knows and fully aligns with the Self-realization of Noble Wisdom, no consideration of compromising Such undivided awareness (Bodhi) will even dare to assert its position over and above the Unborn. All manner of spiritual agencies, both high and low, bow at the feet of the Tathagatas.