The First Step

The Eight-fold Path is a road map for traveling from suffering to awakening. From a certain perspective, it is about traveling to Nirvana. But from another perspective, it is not a journey since there is nowhere to go from and nowhere to go to. This sounds like double-speak, but it is not. The keyword in these statements is perspective.

Suppose we are at a destination but don’t know. For whatever reason, we are confused. Maybe it is a case that we awaken from a dream into a fog bank so thick that it is impossible to see the nose on our face. In the dream, we imagined that we were at some other place, and when we awaken, we retain this dream. In such a state, we travel out of one dream into another. There seemed like a far-distant destination from this deluded perspective, but when the fog lifts and a new perspective emerges, we realize we have never left.

This is a non-journey or a journey depending on the perspective, either with or without the delusion of dreams and fog. It is important to know our beginning, as well as our destination. In the vast majority of cases, suffering results from being lost in the fog of delusions without realizing that we are already home. We lust for what we have already, but in ignorance, we are like people who die of thirst while in the vast sea of bliss. It is worth noting that to know you’re crazy, you must be sane. And to think you are sane, you must be crazy since you can neither think your way into sanity nor know you are crazy when you are.  “A fool who knows his foolishness is wise at least to that extent, but a fool who thinks himself wise is a fool indeed.”  

We imagine ourselves in poverty only because we are not aware of our source. In such an imaginary state, we have no ability to harness abundance. Abundance, continuously available through the dharmakāya, can only be accessed through our physical form. And our physical form is nothing without the infinite, always-full, never-ending, well-spring of dharmakāya. 

These “aspects” of Buddha-Nature are inexorably joined and glued together through our spiritual aspect. The confluence of these three aspects is known in Buddhism as the “Trikaya”—the unseen/ever-lasting dharmakāya physical embodiment and spiritual dimension. From the perspective of dharmakāya, nothing is lacking. There is no suffering and nothing but the unending bliss of Nirvana. This is the Eight-fold Path destination, yet it has always been with us. Our beginning point for the journey is the dream-state and fog, and it is the task of the Path to remove the delusions which obscure the truth of our existence and allow us to see that we are already home.

Like any road map, it’s important to have the correct perspective or “viewpoint,” which is why the first step on this journey is the Right View. Without the correct view, it will be a case of the blind leading the blind, traveling forever and getting nowhere. From one perspective, this is non-dharma dharma. It is not a truth or teaching since there is no truth lacking, no teaching to be taught, no teacher to teach, and no student to learn. These entities do not exist independently. They are empty of intrinsic substance. 

This is the perspective of empty-emptiness—the ultimate non-truth truth. But most of us begin far away from this lofty goal of blissful Nirvana. For us, there is dharma—a partial truth which we pursue so long as the teaching retains merit. When we learn what we need to learn, we must release the teaching, as we must release everything. To embrace dharma is critical. To become attached is death. With one hand, we grasp, and with the other, we let go.

Critical to this first step of Right View is attachment and attaches, the principle of resistance, and one who resists. The Buddha preached a doctrine of non-self and a doctrine of Self depending on the object of attachment and the nature of the one who attaches. Those who concluded that nothing exists were taught the dharma of self. For those who concluded that everything exists, he taught the dharma of non-self. The nature of identity and the object of attachment determined which “medicine” was administered.

In truth, neither self nor non-self exists as independent entities. Both are subject to dependent origination. The self majesty as the Tathagatagarbha (Buddha-womb), the ultimate, non-differentiated source spoken of in the Heart Sutra and the Mahaparinirvana Sutra, is one dharma. The impermanent non-self/ego is a dharma that teaches about the other side. Such conclusions as “All conditioned things are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, shadows; Like dew and also like lightning. Thus should they be contemplated,” are central to the teaching of the Diamond Sutra.

There is conditioned reality and unconditional reality. They exist as two book-ends propping up the dharma of dependent origination. Likewise, the premise that nothing exists (Nihilism) is the flip side of everything that exists (Absolutism). These, too, are likewise subject to dependent origination. To cling to one view (or another) at the other’s exclusion is still a form of attachment that perpetuates suffering. To cling to, resist, a non-self (ego) or a self is still attachment. It is not an issue of establishing the validity of one view vs. another view—which will involve never-ending speculation since both are true (dependently) and neither is true (independently). The issue is seeing all views, being rid of all views, and clinging to none.

The Soil Beneath our feet

Before taking our first step down the Eightfold Path, it will be worth considering the soil beneath our feet, upon which this path lies. According to Ch’an Master Han-shan Te-ching (1546-1623), “All Buddhas come from prajna (wisdom).” 

That is a statement of source. The question is what, or where, is that source? It is obviously in our minds but not the divided mind we with which we are accustomed. The source lies in our transformed, integrated and balanced mind. Master Te-ching was one of the pre-eminent commentators on the Diamond Sutra, which is perhaps the most important Buddhist sutra on Wisdom, thus the name: “The Diamond Sutra-The Perfection of Wisdom.”

If nothing else, this sutra is a manual for Bodhisattvas to follow in honoring their vow. That vow is to strive for as long as saṃsāra endures to emancipate all sentient beings from saṃsāra and deliver them into Nirvana—The incomparable state of bliss. The Bodhisattva does not seek bodhi (awakening) solely for him/herself, but chiefly for the sake of freeing all other beings and aiding them into the bliss of Nirvana. 

Members of a Mahayana sangha recite this vow as a pledge, unfortunately often times without understanding how such a mission can be approached and realized. The Diamond Sutra is the manual for understanding the ground of wisdom upon which their path lies.

Bodhisattvas maintain prajnaparamita
Then their heart is without hindrance
And since without hindrance, without fear
Escaping upside-down, dream-like thinking
And completely realizing nirvana
All buddhas of all times maintain prajnaparamita Thus attaining anuttara-samyak-sambodhi (incomparable awakening).

In the eighth chapter of the sutra, The Buddha says to Subhūti that grasping and teaching a four-line gāthā from this sutra will result in merit greater than billions of worlds filled with the most precious of jewels. The four-line gāthā referred to is, “no perception of self, no perception of being, no perception of life and no perception of the soul,” and the meaning of that gāthā lies at the very heart of Buddhism. Until that gāthā is fully grasped (and taught) the mission of the Bodhisattva is doomed.

This gāthā is fundamental but not complete. The meaning is that every aspect of life and beyond from internal (self) to external (beings), in this time frame (life) and beyond the grave (soul) are empty of independent and intrinsic substance. These aspects: self, being, life and soul—do not exist separate and apart from context. All four aspects are forms, and every aspect of form depends upon corresponding aspects of emptiness. Dependent origination is the foundation of wisdom upon which the Eightfold Path lies.There is just one hair left that transforms this premise into majesty and converts this observation into the power of wisdom, and that hair is using the premise of dependent origination to destroy itself. What is the balance point upon which dependent origination depends? 

That “nothing”—absolutely nothing (including dependent origination itself)—has independent status. Wisdom that lies mired in a fixed status, while life itself is constantly in motion, is not wisdom. Such fixed wisdom is dead on arrival and the same must be said for the dharma of interdependent origination: it too can’t be a fixed teaching.

Yes, this juncture can get confusing. A dharma is supposed to be a truth-teaching of The Buddha. But this sutra says that while prajñā gives rise to Buddhas and their teachings, prajñā itself is not a dharma. In fact it goes further (and this can be very confusing) and says that Buddha dharmas are no Buddha dharmas. Dependent origination is the premier Buddhist dharma, but this sutra says that even this dharma is no dharma.

To fathom this conundrum we must move the discussion to the matter of attachment and clinging. At the center of the human dilemma, which produces suffering, lies attachment, which is a manifestation of the ego desiring stability. We resist change and aspire to stability. The problem is that, as this four-line gāthā points out, every aspect of life and beyond is moving and de-constructing. 

The illusions (which we create in our minds) is in one of two directions. Either we see total impermanence and conclude with nihilism (full of despair—nothing exists substantially) or the opposite of permanence, (full of denial—everything exists substantially). Neither of these two extremes exists independently. They too are subject to dependent origination. While it is true that one aspect of life is impermanent (self, being, life and soul) this aspect doesn’t exist independently any more than anything else. To cling to this realization will just continue saṃsāra and strip the bodhisattva of essential power. Neither aspect is real (by itself) but both aspects are real (interdependently) and to acknowledge this is to travel the Middle Way—The Eightfold Path.

What can it mean to use dependent origination to destroy itself? It means empty-emptiness or the fusion of opposites—total and complete destruction of discrimination and opposition. Dependent origination says that “this” arises with “that”—“is” arises with “is not”—nothing exists by itself. Thus to push the point, it means that dependent origination arises with non-dependent origination. If the premise has validity (any validity at all) the rule must apply to everything, one aspect of which is dependent origination. 

Form is not independent. Emptiness is not independent. Form is emptiness and emptiness is form. The separation of these into discrete divisions of dualism is a delusion which we create in our minds, which in turn produces irresponsibility, isolation, estrangement, opposition, blame, anger, frustration and bad karma. And the only place where this delusion can be undone is where it originated: “in our minds.” A dharma is a manifestation in our minds. A dharma is a teaching of The Buddha which The Diamond Sutra says is not a dharma. If it is not a dharma/teaching, what can be learned and how is it possible to use a non-teaching to teach?

The answer is incredibly simple yet incredibly profound! And the answer must begin in faith—faith that Buddha-Nature and prajñā are ubiquitous and ever-present. A Buddha is forever an already fully realized (awakened) being. Prajñā is likewise ubiquitous and ever-present. A Buddha does not need a dharma, nor wisdom since a Buddha is already perfect and complete. Either we accept the ubiquitous and ever-present dimension of Buddha-Nature and prajñā or we don’t. It is a matter of faith. If it is true, then nothing is lacking in us (self), others (being) life (this life) or beyond (soul). It is not a matter of becoming enlightened or attaining some transcendent state since such is ever-present. The task is to begin with this understanding and proceed with the task of removing obscurations, defilements and delusions which block this inherent wisdom. The removal will reveal what is already there—enlightenment is not created, it is realized. As it says in the Heart Sutra...

Because nothing is attained

The question is (in today’s terms)—What’s the bottom-line? In other words, what difference does it make? Five points:

Wisdom can’t be taught. It can only be intuited. There are no hard and fast rules, regulations nor precepts which will cover all circumstances with the blanket of justice since life is ever-changing. True wisdom: prajnaparamita—is a continuous unfolding that perfectly reflects change. Removing obscurations that block access is like removing clouds that obscure the sun. The sun is always present, just as prajñā is.

Trying to attain what is ever-present is like trying to catch your horse while riding on the back of your horse.

Choosing one-side against another side is just trading one delusion for another delusion. Life is not divided into discrete, dualistic mutually exclusive, independent states. It is our mind which creates such divisions. We say, “form” and “emptiness” but these are not two things with independent status. They are obviously different and just as obviously the same. One can’t be separated from the other.

Integration (dependent origination) is the prevailing wisdom of life (but not an independent rule). We are inexorably linked with all sentient life, thus interdependent. To avoid that linkage is to live a lie and invite bad karma.

Non-dependent origination is the necessary condition to validate dependent origination. We use this non-dharma dharma to aid ourselves and others in the quest to gain emancipation and then we lose it. It too can become a source of clinging. True wisdom: prajnaparamita—is the same thing as emancipation.

Surrendering from all clinging sets us free. Wisdom, dharmas, The Buddha, self, beings, life, soul—All are fabrications of the mind. By removing all fabrications and living by the ever-present body of Buddha-Nature and wisdom, as it emerges and unfolds—is the supreme act of faith, and there is no greater bliss!

Having thus laid out the soil upon which the Eightfold Path lies, we’ll now begin to trod the path. “Buddhas say emptiness is relinquishing opinions. Believers in emptiness are incurable.”— Nagarjuna