The god said, “How is it then, Mañjuśrī, that the Dharma taught by the Thus-gone One is not false?”

Mañjuśrī said, “Divine son, on the ultimate level, the Thus-gone One does not speak falsely.

Nor does he speak truly. And why is that? Ultimately, divine son, the Thus-gone One has not arisen.

And so, ultimately he speaks neither falsely nor truly.

Divine son, what do you think?

Are explanations given by magical creations of the Thus-gone One true or false?”

The god said, “Mañjuśrī, explanations given by magical creations of the Thus-gone One are not true, nor are they false.

Why is that? Mañjuśrī, ultimately there is nothing truly established in that which is emanated by the Thus-gone One.”

Mañjuśrī said, “So it is, divine son, so it is.

The Thus-gone One knows that all phenomena are unestablished in the ultimate sense.

Whatever is unestablished in the ultimate sense should not be called true nor should it be called false in the context of the ultimate.

Why is that? Because ultimately all phenomena are unborn.”

—Saṃvṛti­paramārtha­satya­nirdeśa Sutra

Primera traducción al español del Brahmajala Sutra, o Discurso sobre la Red de Brahma.

“In the Mahayana, the three worlds are established to be only consciousness, according to the sutra that affirms: "O sons of the Victorious, the three worlds are only mind (citta) ... [The word] "only" is [used] with the purpose of denying (the existence of external) things.”

Vasubandhu

”Other sentient beings, not foolish, who have gained insight into the holy truth, who have attained the transcendent insight of the saints, do truly understand that in all things reality is apart from language. After they have seen and heard about conditioned
and unconditioned things, they think that what they have learned are most certainly not really existing conditioned and unconditioned things.

Rather they are denoscriptions engendered from imagination and are magical, confused understandings in which one produces concepts about the conditioned and the unconditioned, concepts about whether they exist or not. They do not tenaciously cling to verbal expressions that are engendered from what they have seen and heard or think that only [those expressions] are true and everything else false.

[But,] in order to express the meanings they know, they follow the accepted language. Afterwards they are not forced to reconsider. Thus, good son, the saints, being freed from language through their holy wisdom and insight in this regard, realize the perfect awakening that reality is truly apart from language. It is because they desire to lead others to realize perfect awakening that they provisionally establish names and concepts and call things conditioned or unconditioned.”

Ārya-saṃdhi-nirmocana-sūtra

“I have preached that ultimate meaning is realized internally by each saint, while reasoning is attained in the give and take [of joint discussion] among common worldlings.

Dharmodgata, from this principle you should understand that ultimate meaning transcends the denoscriptions of reasoned meaning. Furthermore, Dharmodgata, I have preached that ultimate meaning does not function through images, but the functioning of reason does move within the realm of images. From this principle, Dharmodgata, you should understand that ultimate meaning transcends the denoscriptions of reasoned meaning.

Furthermore, Dharmodgata, I preach that ultimate meaning is ineffable, but the functioning of reason moves within the realm of language. From this principle, Dharmodgata, you should understand that ultimate meaning transcends the denoscriptions of reasoned meaning. Furthermore, Dharmodgata, I teach that ultimate meaning severs all expression, but the functioning of reason moves within the realm of expression.

From this principle, Dharmodgata, you should understand that ultimate meaning transcends the denoscriptions of reasoned meaning.

In like fashion, Dharmodgata, reason is entirely unable to comprehend, evaluate, or appreciate the denoscriptive marks of ultimate meaning, which transcend the functioning of any reasoning.”

Ārya-saṃdhi-nirmocana-sūtra

It seems that the situation in all these worlds is unbearable. I need to find a source of Refuge that can protect me from being reborn there. Who can protect me? Not even Brahma, Indra, or the ruler of the universe, let alone all the others. Only the Three Jewels can. Therefore, I will turn to the Buddha as my teacher, put his teachings into practice, and consider the spiritual community as my companions on the path. As for refuge, although I take refuge in the Buddha, it is the Teaching that protects me. Even the Buddha cannot pluck me out of cyclic existence like a hair from a river. To gain protection, I must receive the Dharma teachings and then put them into practice.

Taranatha

“There are no phenomena, whether compounded or uncompounded (the ten directions, the three times, the three worlds, and so on), that exist separately from one’s own mind.”

Padmasambhava

“The Buddha said:

If a person commits many transgressions, but does not repent and immediately stop the will to commit them, then the consequences of the transgressions will return to him, like the sea broadening and deepening when water returns to it.

If one with evil knows it is wrong, rectifies one's faults and thereby attains goodness, then day by day the offences diminish, and eventually one attains the Way.”

The Sutra in Forty-two Chapters

“Someone had heard that the Buddha was incredibly humane and benevolent, and came dashing up to scold the Buddha. The Buddha pitied his foolish arrogance and thus kept silent, not responding to him. The Buddha waited for him to end his diatribe and then asked, “When you give a gift to someone and they do not accept it, what do you do?” He replied, “I take it home.” The Buddha then told him, “Today you scold me and I don't accept it, so please return and take it away with you!”.

When we slander or scold another person and if that person does not care, then not only are you unable to harm the other person, but instead you just harm yourself. It is just like giving a gift to someone who does not accept it, in that the only thing you can do is to return home with it, so we must be prudent and cautious.”

Master Sheng Yen

“Practice definitely requires one to have persistent and enduring patience, and to remain unaffected by the environment. As long as one unceasingly practices, then one will complete the path. It is just like an ox shouldering very heavy loads through a very deep mud. Though extremely exhausted, it cannot afford to be lazy and dares not gaze around; instead, it just wholeheartedly wants to quickly get out of the mire to where it can then rest. If it stops and stands still because it is tired, then it will certainly sink deeper into the mire until finally its whole body has sunk in.

Those who practice the path should also be like this, always fixing their thoughts on the path and not daring to be negligent or lazy. It is then that they are able to accomplish the path and be freed from various sufferings.”

Master Sheng Yen

“It is because the myriad phenomena are merely a reflection of the mind. When something exists in the mind, then it exists. When something does not exist in the mind, then it does not exist. If one is able to grasp one's mind, then one is able to grasp all myriad phenomena; one can make everything external to the mind exist, if he wants it; if he doesn’t want it, the things disappear immediately.”

Master Sheng Yen

“Vajra is a Sanskrit word which defies translation because of its numerous connotations, but essentially vajra is an indestructible substance, usually represented by diamond.

Vajra refers to the vajra mind, the vajra nature, and the vajra prajñā. The vajra prajñā is the vajra nature which in turn is the vajra prajñā. Vajra is identical with the self-nature, the essential life force of all living beings, because both are indestructible and adamantine.

Furthermore, the eternally dwelling mind all beings have in common is the same as the vajra nature, since it too cannot be destroyed. Prajñā, as the highest form of wisdom living beings can attain, is real mark prajñā, eternally indestructible. It is therefore referred to as vajra prajñā.

Ānanda thought the false-thinking mind was the real mind. The Buddha told Ānanda, “That is not your mind. What is it? It is just the empty false appearance of dust objects before you. Those appearances manifest from your false thinking and delude your true nature. From beginningless kalpas until now you have always taken that for your mind. To do so is like thinking a thief is your son, and it makes you lose the knowledge of your eternal source. That source is the eternally indestructible precious nature, the enlightened bright mind. For that reason you appear and disappear endlessly in the six paths of the turning wheel.”

The third mind is the true suchness mind which is real mark prajñā. The true suchness mind is so great there is nothing beyond it, and so small there is nothing within it. One will find nothing smaller or larger than true suchness. The true suchness mind is the vajra mind, the real nature of every one of us.”

Hsuan Hua

“With your present physical form you can prevent yourself from ever going to the lower realms again. Moreover, if you want to achieve the physical rebirth of a Brahma, an Indra, and so forth, you can achieve it through your present one. If you want to go to pure realms such as Abhirati, Sukhavati, or Tushita, you can do so by means of this present physical rebirth. And this is not all, for you can even achieve the states of liberation or omniscience through this present rebirth—unless you don’t practice.

Most important of all, through this physical rebirth you are able to achieve the state of Vajradhara [the unification of the illusory body and great bliss] within one short lifetime in this degenerate age; otherwise it would take three countless great eons to achieve. Thus, this rebirth is worth more than one thousand billion precious jewels.”

Pabongkhapa Déchen Nyingpo

“In short, as long as you are not free of samsara for good, you have not transcended the nature of suffering. You therefore must definitely become liberated from it; and you must do so with your present rebirth.

We normally say, “We cannot do anything in this rebirth,” and make prayers for our next rebirth. But it is possible to do it in this rebirth. We have gained the optimum human rebirth, and this is the most advantageous physical form to have for the practice of Dharma. We are free from adverse conditions—we have met with the Buddha’s teachings, and so forth. We have all the right conditions, and so if we cannot achieve liberation now, when shall we ever achieve it?

Thus you should feel, “Now I definitely must liberate myself from samsara, come what may. And liberation is achieved only by means of the precious three high trainings. I will therefore train myself in these three and gain my liberation from this great ocean of suffering.” This is setting your motivation at the level of the lamrim shared with the medium scope.”

Pabongkhapa Déchen Nyingpo

The most important questions you can ask yourself are, “Who am I?”, and “What am I really looking for?”

Most people are born, and then they live, and die, and they never once are aware of their breath, going in and out of their body. They are not aware of their body, their feelings, their thoughts, in the moment. That’s how far away they live from themselves.

People rarely seek to find themselves. They rarely seek to understand their mind. They mostly seek to learn about external things. People know more about external things, rather than their own mind.

People know more about the sun, the moon, planets, oceans, politicians, about their neighbours, relatives, celebrities, scientists, actors, actresses, sportsmen, and so on. But they do not know about their own thoughts and feelings. They are not aware they are breathing, within this moment. People will gossip about these things, but they do not like to talk about what really matters.

They try to learn about economics, science, archeology, history, politics, entertainment, and so on, but they are not interested in learning about their own mind. They are not interested in the very thing that helps them to interpret the external world. They are not interested in finding out about what puts their experiences together, which is the mind itself. Because it is the mind that is the root of what we can experience.

In the Kalakarama sutta, The Buddha says, this is like, going to see a magician perform tricks, and really enjoying the tricks he is showing, but not trying to find out how he is performing those tricks, in the first place. In this sutta, the Buddha compares the mind, to a very skilled magician, who is so good at tricking his audience, that they don't even know he's the one performing the tricks.

People try to find out about things that are far away, but fail to see what is right in front of them, what is right within them. So, don’t you think we should discover ourselves first? Don’t you think we should try to understand what’s right within us, first, before we try to understand about the external world?

If we want to find the reality, or the truth, shouldn't we first know about what puts that reality together? Which is our mind?

"Cittena nīyati loko, cittena parikassati"

The world is led on by the mind, by the mind it is swept away

"Cittassa ekadhammassa sabbe va vasam-anvagū."

They all follow the authority of that one thing: the mind.

Samyutta Nikaya - 1.1.62 (Cittasuttaṁ) - The mind


The Buddha’s Vipassana technique is fully about understanding ourselves. Once we understand ourselves, we can then understand our entire world, and then end your problems.

Dhammapada Verse 65:

Thirty youths were enjoying themselves with a prostitute in a forest, when the prostitute stole their valuable ornaments, jewellery, and ran away. While searching for her they came across the Buddha and asked him if they had seen a woman. The Buddha asked them whether it was better to search for a woman or to search for themselves. They sat down and listened to the Dhamma and instantly attained Sotapanna (first stage of enlightenment). All of them joined the Order of the Buddha and followed him to the Jetavana monastery.

Because when you search for yourself instead, when you ask 'who am I', and start looking inwards, instead of outwards, via the practice of Satipatthana, the Sakkaya-ditthi (view of a stable, and continuous 'me', that exists now, existed in the past, and will exist in future, from moment to moment, fades away), because you start to see, how that 'me' was put together by your mind. When you see the process of how 'you', and your experience of the external world, were put together by the process of the mind,, you realize that this is all just an illusion, just like a magic trick. But, now that you see that it's just a trick, just an illusion, the mind, the greatest magician, can no longer trick you. This will lead you to the realization that there is no actual self, and that it's just another illusion that your mind creates. Realizing this is the way to Sotapanna.

The Website is Up and Running, You may make donations to keep the website running at https://www.paypal.me/GavinSymahanou.

Here is the link to the website: https://www.esoterictheravada.com

“When you attend other teachings—initiations for example—you may think you will receive the power to subdue evil spirits by reciting the mantra, and so forth; or you may think you will subdue sicknesses or spirits, achieve wealth, acquire power, etc. Others, no matter how many teachings they have received, treat Dharma as if it were, for example, capital to start a business; they then go to places like Mongolia to peddle the Dharma. Such people accumulate enormous, grave sins through the Dharma. The Buddha, our Teacher, discussed the means to achieve liberation and omniscience. To exploit such teachings for worldly ends is equal to forcing a king off his throne and making him sweep the floor.”

Pabongkhapa Déchen Nyingpo

“The experience commonly called 'entering Nirvana' is, in fact, an intuitive realization of that Self-nature which is the true Nature of all things. The Absolute, or Reality, is regarded as having for sentient beings two aspects. The only aspect perceptible to the unenlightened is the one in which individual phenomena have a separate though purely transitory existence within the limits of space-time.

The other aspect is spaceless and timeless; moreover all opposites, all distinctions and 'entities' of every kind, are here seen to be One. Yet neither is this second aspect, alone, the highest fruit of Enlightenment, as many contemplatives suppose; it is only when both aspects are perceived and reconciled that the beholder may be regarded as truly Enlightened.

Yet, from that moment, he ceases to be the beholder, for he is conscious of no division between beholding and beheld. This leads to further paradoxes, unless the use of words is abandoned altogether. It is incorrect to employ such mystical terminology as 'I dwell in the Absolute', 'The Absolute dwells in me', or 'I am penetrated by the Absolute, etc.; for, when space is transcended, the concepts of whole and part are no longer valid; the part is the whole — I am the Absolute, except that I am no longer I. What I behold then is my real Self, which is the true nature of all things; seer and seen are one and the same, yet there is no seeing, just as the eye cannot behold itself.”

John Blofeld

“The Master said to me: All the Buddhas and all sentient beings are nothing but the One Mind, beside which nothing exists. This Mind, which is without beginning, is unborn and indestructible. It is not green nor yellow, and has neither form nor appearance.

It does not belong to the categories of things which exist or do not exist, nor can it be thought of in terms of new or old. It is neither long nor short, big nor small, for it transcends all limits, measures, names, traces and comparisons. It is that which you seek before you — begin to reason about it and you at once fall into error.

It is like the boundless void which cannot be fathomed or measured. The One Mind alone is the Buddha, and there is no distinction between the Buddha and sentient things, but that sentient beings are attached to forms and so seek externally for Buddhahood.”

Huángbò Xīyùn

“The substance of the Absolute is inwardly like wood or stone, in that it is motionless, and outwardly like the void, in that it is without bounds or obstructions. It is neither subjective nor objective, has no specific location, is formless, and cannot vanish. Those who hasten towards it dare not enter, fearing to hurtle down through the void with nothing to cling to or to stay their fall. So they look to the brink and retreat.

This refers to all those who seek such a goal through cognition. Thus, those who seek the goal through cognition are like the fur (many), while those who obtain intuitive knowledge of the Way are like the horns (few).”

Huángbò Xīyùn

“in the universal womb that is boundless space
all forms of matter and energy occur
as flux of the four elements,
but all are empty forms, absent in reality:
all phenomena, arising in pure mind, are like that.

just as dream is a part of sleep,
unreal in its arising,
so all and everything is pure mind,
never separated from it,
and without substance or attribute.

experience is neither mind nor anything but mind;
it is a vivid display of emptiness, like magical illusion,
in the very moment inconceivable and unutterable.
all experience arising in the mind,
at its inception, know it as emptiness!”
― Longchenpa