Tag Archives: puthujjana

The Five Rogues

PART THREE

As Evan and Pamela traversed the illustrious path of the Unborn Odyssey, Evan found himself lost in thought, reminiscing about his own journey towards Self-realization within the Unborn scheme of things. He began to share his experiences with Pamela, recounting his initial encounters with the Primordial. Evan spoke of his former Ch’an Master, who had guided him towards a deeper understanding of the Unborn, and the gnome-like entity that resided within his own mysterious Tower of Illumination, who had imparted further teachings upon him. read more

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Creepy Crawlies

Before reaching the First Tower, or Teresa’s First Mansion, some more preliminary observations are in order. Towers 1-3 manifests the Active phase of Recollection, while Towers 4-7 constitute the Passive Phase of Recollection. Also 1-3 establishes what is known as the Purgative Phase of the spiritual journey, likened unto what John of the Cross would classify as the Dark Night of the Senses; 4-5 presents the Illuminative Stage, wherein the adept enters into a more supernal-realization of what still needs to be shredded (Dark Night of the Spirit) in order for union with the Absolute to occur; Towers 6-7 represent the Unitive Phase, or Absolute Coitus with the Unborn Mind. Throughout all of this, the self must continue ever-onward towards its goal of Absolute Recollection—Recognition of its self AS Self. read more

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Ariyasāvaka and Puthujjana

Perhaps the most vivid illustration that transcends traditional categories is how Masefield distinguishes the ariyasāvaka* and puthujjana: it does not involve “religious monks” and “secular layman”, but a higher manifestation of the Noble Spirit that is present or absent in each. Firstly, he defines the ariyasāvaka as one who is empowered to discern right view* and in so doing has become emboldened to traverse the ariyan ten-fold (Masefield includes “right knowledge” and “Right Release”) path in the company of the Noble Ariya—thus establishing themselves as one in the same. He defines the puthujjana as an assutavant—one devoid of the Self-realization of Noble Wisdom and thus devoid of insight into the Four Noble Truths: “The puthujjana is thus one who has not heard [and has not internalized, inclusion mine] the teaching or the tradition (MLS i 3 n 8; cp Dhs trans 258 n 2), that is to say, the Dhamma; it is in this crucial knowledge that he is deficient.” (Masefield, pg. 3) The puthujjana does not see Reality AS IT Really IS: Yathābhūtaṁ. Whereas the Noble Ariyasāvaka is one who has heard AND internalized the Holy Dhamma. It can also be shown that the ariyasāvaka can discern another ariyasāvaka and those who are not: read more

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Divine Revelation in Pali Buddhism

Dr. Peter Masefield’s groundbreaking study, Divine Revelation in Pali Buddhism, has become a standard-bearer for those who approach the early narratives of Buddhism, not exclusively through the torch of Historical-Critical-Analysis, but through a direct and synthesized correlation of what transpires in those sacred chronicles via a series of recurring themes and general non-sectarian mystical vantage points. Masefield contends that his study is a revaluation and a re-mythologization of what mainstream academia shuns and holds as anathema to their rigid methodologies. One reviewer writes: read more

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Absence of Malice

The Anūnatvāpūrṇatvanirdeśaparivarta
The Scripture on the Absence of Increase and the Absence of Decrease [in the Realm of Beings]. read more

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Die Weltkinder

As specified by The Zennist, the most accurate word describing “puthujjana (S., prithagjana) is, in one word, profane. In the religious sense a puthujjana is someone who has not entered the supermundane path—someone who is not a srotāpanna (a current winner).” This is the common “worldling” that embraces not Authentic Buddhism as taught by Gautama Buddha, but rather that of a secular variety. This is a far cry from the ariyan whose sole allegiance is to Spiritual Reality: read more

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Arjuna’s Despondent Dilemma

Arjuna see’s before him a forest of familiar faces: uncles, cousins, grandfathers, teachers and counselors, and familiar friends—all arrayed before him who certainly will be slain at his command. So, he grows very despondent as he cries-out to Krishna: read more

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The Mind Gem

9. “This pure Mind, the source of everything, shines forever and on all with the brilliance of its own perfection. But the people of the world do not awake to it, regarding only that which sees, hears, feels and knows as mind. Blinded by their own sight, hearing, feeling and knowing, they do not perceive the spiritual brilliance of the source-substance. If they would only eliminate all conceptual thought in a flash, that source-substance would manifest itself like the sun ascending through the void and illuminating the whole universe without hindrance or bounds. Therefore, if you students of the Way seek to progress through seeing, hearing, feeling and knowing, when you are deprived of your perceptions, your way to Mind will be cut off and you will find nowhere to enter. Only realize that, though real Mind is expressed in these perceptions, it neither forms part of them nor is separate from them. You should not start REASONING from these perceptions, nor allow them to give rise to conceptual thought; yet nor should you seek the One Mind apart from them or abandon them in your pursuit of the Dharma. Do not keep them nor abandon them nor dwell in them nor cleave to them. Above, below and around you, all is spontaneously existing, for there is nowhere which is outside the Buddha-Mind.” read more

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Seeds of Light

Twenty-five: Seeds of Light

“Subhūti, what do you think? You should not claim that the Tathāgata thinks ‘I will save sentient beings.’ Subhūti, do not think such a thing. Why? There are in fact no sentient beings for the Tathāgata to save. If there were sentient beings for the Tathāgata to save, it would mean that the Tathāgata holds the notions of an ego-self, person, sentient being, and life span. Subhūti, when the Tathāgata says ‘I,’ there is actually no ‘ I.’ Yet immature beings take this to be an I. Subhūti, as far as immature beings are concerned, the Tathāgata says that they are not immature beings.” read more

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