Tag Archives: Emptiness

Spiritual Aphorisms of Meister Eckhart

Posted on January 12, 2022 by Vajragoni

It would take a lifetime to cover every aspect of Meister Eckhart’s thought. We have covered dominant insights in this series but would also like to leave you with assorted spiritual aphorisms from the Meister which covers a wide-range of his mysticism. Am indebted to the Kidadl Team for compiling them, which incidentally they just completed this past November, 2021—one of those interesting synchronicities. Have chosen the ones that parallel most favorably with our own teachings here at Unborn Mind Zen. A commentary for each one follows—one (as always) in light of the Unborn. Certainly, Meister Eckhart has entered the ranks of that elite group of mystics known as the Black Dragons, joining the likes of Huang Bo, Bodhidharma, Tsung Mi, and John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila—all whose invincible presence and incomparable Wisdom have enlightened the minds of all who are ready to receive such rare Bodhi-pearls for the fulfilment of their spiritual quest. read more

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The Mind of Emptiness

Posted on February 23, 2021 by Vajragoni

[Section 3: The Emptiness of External Objects]

There are yet other people who, when practicing the contemplation of dust, do not even [3.24] see any dust; from the very beginning they straightaway see the emptiness of all things. This is most excellent. Such people need not [3.25] contemplate things as dust any further. read more

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Birthing the Bodhichild

Posted on January 20, 2020 by Vajragoni

Within you is the Buddha-seed or gotra, which we refer here to as the Bodhichild. But this child cannot be birthed in a forced or worse yet, in an artificial manner. Its potentiality is already there, it just needs a little coaxing through proper nourishment via the Buddhadharma. It’s there but you have been carrying it for so long that it may result in a still-birth. This is the direct cause of your inner-anguish, you sense something is there inside that wants to come out, that wants to be born, but your resistance is killing it; it’s like a woman carrying a fetus for more than nine-months—it’s not natural and this unnaturalness is malignancy itself.  Only a monstrous tumor is the end result. It seems to be a contradiction, but you first need to be empty before this transcendent birth can occur. Emptied of all that is in opposition to the Unborn. Emptied of emptiness itself. read more

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Emptiness on a Thursday Afternoon

Posted on January 22, 2015 by Vajragoni

Mahāratnakūṭa Sūtra
46. Mañjuśrī Teaches Prajñāpāramitā
Translated from Taishō Tripiṭaka volume 11, number 310 read more

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Indra’s Net

Posted on February 2, 2014 by Vajragoni

When all mind-discriminations cease,
The Unborn shines with no-thing arising nor cessating.
Subjective allusions vanish as objective patterns subside,
Thus the two dissolve-away in deep quiescence. read more

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The Void of IT

Posted on January 24, 2014 by Vajragoni

In ITs Totality IT is like the Great Void,
Lacking nothing, and not self-indulgent.
When you discriminate, you miss IT,
As such, IT’s Suchness is lost. read more

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The Pathless Path

Posted on May 5, 2013 by Vajragoni

Form is emptiness, emptiness is form 

“Form is emptiness, emptiness is form. Emptiness does not differ from form, and form does not differ from emptiness. Likewise, feelings, recognitions, volitions, and consciousnesses are empty.” “So, Shariputra, all dharmas are empty, lacking differentiating marks; they are not produced nor stopped, not defiled and not immaculate, not deficient and not complete.”  read more

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Nothing ended, Nothing destroyed

Posted on November 27, 2012 by Vajragoni

Twenty-seven: Nothing ended, Nothing destroyed

Subhuti, you should not assume that the Tathagata has attained Anuttara-Samyak-Sambodhi by virtue of his possession of the thirty-two bodily marks. Why? Because the Tathagata could not have attained the Anuttara-Samyak-Sambodhi through possession of bodily marks alone. read more

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The Cave

Posted on April 29, 2012 by Vajragoni

Wake-up Sermon, part 2

Using the mind to look for reality is delusion. Not using the mind to look for reality is awareness. Freeing oneself from words is liberation. Remaining unblemished by the dust of sensation is guarding the Dharma. Transcending life and death is leaving home.” read more

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The Void is devoid of Void

Posted on March 7, 2012 by Vajragoni

5. The Consolation of the Invalid, cont’d

Manjusri: Householder, why is your house empty? Why have you no servants?
Vimalakirti: Manjusri, all buddha-fields are also empty.
Manjusri: What makes them empty?
Vimalakirti: They are empty because of emptiness.
Manjusri: What is “empty” about emptiness?
Vimalakirti: Constructions are empty, because of emptiness.
Manjusri: Can emptiness be conceptually constructed?
Vimalakirti: Even that concept is itself empty, and emptiness cannot construct emptiness.
Manjusri: Householder, where should emptiness be sought?
Vimalakirti: Manjusri, emptiness should be sought among the sixty-two convictions.
Manjusri: Where should the sixty-two convictions be sought?
Vimalakirti: They should be sought in the liberation of the Tathagatas.
Manjusri: Where should the liberation of the Tathagatas be sought?
Vimalakirti: It should be sought in the prime mental activity of all living beings. Manjusri, you ask me why I am without servants, but all Maras and opponents are my servants. Why? The Maras advocate this life of birth and death and the bodhisattva does not avoid life. The heterodox opponents advocate convictions, and the bodhisattva is not troubled by convictions. Therefore, all Maras and opponents are my servants.
Manjusri: Householder, of what sort is your sickness?
Vimalakirti: It is immaterial and invisible.
Manjusri: Is it physical or mental?
Vimalakirti: It is not physical, since the body is insubstantial in itself. It is not mental,
since the nature of the mind is like illusion.
Manjusri: Householder, which of the four main elements is disturbed – earth, water, fire,
or air?
Vimalakirti: Manjusri, I am sick only because the elements of living beings are disturbed by sicknesses. read more

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