Today at the Hammerstein theatre in NYC, I witnessed the Dalai Lama’s teachings on “A Commentary on the Awakening Mind” composed by the great master Arya Nagarjuna. The Sanskrit title: is Bodhicittavivarana, and comes from the Tantric tradition. It’s important to note that in the Tantric tradition, God is Consciousness. There is an important distinction here, because Arya negates on more then one occasion the teachings of the dualistic approach, mind scholars, and other non-Buddhist views.
I would recommend seeing the Dalai Lama when you get a chance. I also highly suggest that you have studied some eastern philosophy before hand.
It has been stated:
Awakening Mind…
Devoid of all real entities; Utterly discarding all objects and subjects; Such as aggregates, elements and sense-fields; Due to sameness of Selfless of all phenomena, One’s mind is primordially unborn; It is the nature of emptiness.
The Dalai Lama commented on the text in several profound ways. First, by explaining the importance of emptiness and it’s different definitions, second dualism and impermanence, and finally how happiness, altruism and emptiness end human suffering.
“Devoid of all real entities” is the first line in the introduction. The concept of emptiness has an object and subject. Both contain a clear light, but the objective is emptiness, and the subjective is wisdom. -The truth, however, is independent; in other words, devoid of all real entities. In Line 39-it states “ the cognizer perceives the cognizable… The mind is still attached to cognitive thought, and therefore can’t be considered truth, or real, because it needs the support of the cognitive thought to exist. Furthermore, in statement 26 and 27 it was considered that Buddha never intended to teach the mind as final truth. He taught that selflessness in perfect equanimity; and that the mind is primordially unborn.
Arya gives critiques on the Indian traditions of Atman, the permanent, and prakriti, impermanent. In line five it states that ‘A permanent and impermanent cannot exist as the support and supported.’ This indivisible union means its must be supported somehow. One cannot exist without the other; therefore it is not devoid of all entities. My understanding to this teaching was that truth is impermanent and so in order for the permanent (Atman) to exist, impermanent ceases and support exists.
Lastly, we mused over lines 70-73; that a happy mind is tranquil indeed; not confused, and attains freedom! As long as we seek emptiness and altruism then a meaningful human existence will be real. This comes about with much practice in training the mind in meditation and service toward others in action to help alleviate suffering.
Enjoy
http://www.dalailama.com/ You can view a list of the teachings online.
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