Tag Archives: Five Dhyani Buddhas

The Four Wisdoms

28. Q: It’s stated that the eight consciousnesses are turned into the Four Wisdoms, and then the Four Wisdoms bind together forming the trikaya; which, then, of these eight states will pool together to form one Buddha-wisdom and then, which Wisdoms are then said to be the transformation into One Consciousness?
A: The five senses (smell, taste, etc.) relate to the five states of consciousness thereby forming the Perfecting Wisdom. Intellect (sixth state), or the mental consciousness, becomes the Wonderful Observing Wisdom. The seventh state with its discriminating awareness becomes the Universal Wisdom. Lastly, the eighth consciousness alone becomes the Mirror-Like Wisdom.
Q: Well, then, do the Four Wisdoms really differ from one another or are they the same?
A: In Substance they remain the same, only the names vary.
Q: Well if their Substance is identical, why do they bare different appellations? And if it is true that these designations are only used as expedients, what is it that is constitutive of one substance that is named “Great-Mirror Wisdom”?
A: That which is still and void—motionless—is the Great Mirror Wisdom. That which is capable of facing mind-defilements without attaching to them through love or aversion, is the Universal Wisdom. That which has the ability to discriminate and discern the wide-field of sensory impressions, while at the same time never experiencing unbridled and reactionary patterns of thought is Wonderful Observing Wisdom. That which can direct all the sense faculties into observing phenomena without being constrained by dualism is known as Perfecting Wisdom.
Q: When the Four Wisdoms combine to form the trikaya, which of them solely becomes one body, and which of them comes-together to form one Body?
A: The Great Mirror Wisdom solely makes up the Dharmakaya. Universal Wisdom exclusively constructs the Sambhogakaya. While both Wonderful Observing Wisdom and Perfecting Wisdom constitutes the Nirmanakaya. Of course, the three Bodies are only specified differently to expediently assist those worldlings who lack the necessary insight to comprehend their unifying nature. For those who are fruitfully endowed with Buddha-gnosis, their Absolute Nature is neither rooted in permanence nor non-permanence. read more

Posted in The Zen Teaching of Instantaneous Awakening | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Agni and the Brahman

Masefield’s final chapter, The New Brahmin, reinforces the truth that the Buddha did not condemn Brahmanism per-se, but that rather it was brought to fulfillment in the new Atman—the arahant: read more

Posted in Divine Revelation | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Unborn I Ching, or the Book of Transformations

In his seminal work on this ancient Chinese oracle, Inner Structure of the I Ching, Lama Govinda also refers to it as the “Book of Transformations”; he also states: read more

Posted in Spirituality, Unborn I Ching | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Part-Time Bodhisattvas


From: Sumeru-Books.Com

At that time, the Venerable Śāriputra thought, “The World-Honored One has just now discussed the merits of the Śrāvakas. May the Tathāgata also expound the complete merits of the Bodhisattvas. Why? Because all other merits come from them.” read more

Posted in Akṣhobhya’s Pure Land | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Contemplative Sojourn

Greetings from the blogger here at Unborn Mind Zen

It’s that annual-junction wherein my time apart from active blogging begins. Since my last contemplative sojourn a lot of new material has been blogged: the Diamond, Heart, Platform, and the Surangama Sutras have been covered. Series on the Zen Masters Huang Po and Bankei have been offered, along with the beginning of a perpetual-series on the Wisdom from the Masters. Teachings from Tozen have been added as well. This last blogging-season began last August with a singular series entitled, “The Lankavatarian Book of the Dead”, exploring in-depth the nature of the six “Bardo Realms” that also encapsulated a breakdown of the Five Wisdom Tathāgatas, or the Five Dhyani Buddhas; this provided a foundation for the Noble Ascent through the Ten Tathatic-stages of Mind Development, designed to better help navigate the final Bardo-stages of the Dharmatā thus avoiding the latter stages of Re-becoming or Rebirth. read more

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment