Enlightenment is often described as reaching the shores of Nirvana. Buddhist and Zen Masters have mapped the journey of Enlightenment calling it “Arriving” and “Returning”. This mapping avoids collecting attributes and goals- it looks at how Truth and Enlightenment are experienced.
A paraphrase of these four conditions from the perspective of Master Dogen is below:
1) there is a time of deliberately training with the intention of realizing what the Truth is but, not yet having arrived at that state, being unable to express what that Truth is; Intending
2) there is a time of realizing what Truth is and spontaneously (that is, without intention) giving expression to It, but without necessarily being fully conscious that one has done so; Arriving
3) there is a time after having realized this Truth when expression is deliberately given to It; Having Arrived
4) there is a time of simply going on training without deliberately attempting to ‘make a point of It’; Having Not Arrived.
When hearing of the ultimate teachings of ‘not arriving’ and ‘no training’ which are called non-dual teachings, the beginner feels comforted and believes he’s reached the final stage before he has reached the first.
The Master’s ‘not arriving’ is after the realization of Truth, living in accordance with that Truth, knowing he is Truth. The beginner, processes this teaching from a truth-less base, from within Ego, and as a result does not begin to train, and does not reach his True Enlightenment.
Both beginner and Master contain the exact same Buddha Nature. We train not to learn, but to remove the weeds from the garden of Mind. We train to unlearn and to come home to our own Buddha Nature.
(photo, Somewhat Related Dharma Talk; Stream Entry/Intending)
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Wade,
Thanks for this, I think you are right. The practice is sort of a backwards step taken to return to our organic state. whatever that really means, beat me? I have no way of putting that into words, other than to say I think we touch it during Zazen.
In the original Theravada teachings of the Buddha, the Blessed One taught about the conditioned (sankhata) and the unconditioned (asankhata), or Nibbana. Seeing things as they truly are involves seeing that they are impermanent (anicca), unsatisfactory (dukkha), and not self (anatta). Nibbana is permanent (nicca), and is also called Amata (= ‘the Deathless’). It is satisfying, but is also not self. It is empty (sunna) – sunyata in Mahayana Buddhism.
Seeing the unconditioned and unborn (ajata), is to be the unconditioned, the unborn. The five khandhas are all conditioned states (form, feelings, perceptions, thoughts, and consciousness), and are therefore not Nibbana. But enlightenment (Bodhi) isn’t found ‘outside’ these conditioned states. ‘It’ is to be experienced right in their midst. The great, if eccentric, Japanese Zen master Bankei often referred to the Unborn being realized any time that we care to look. It’s the way that we look that will determine what we see. Look in the conventional sense, and we see the conditioned realm, but look detached from identifying with any of the five khandhas, and the unborn will be known.
That we may all see the unborn!
Gary
‘not arriving’ is where I am. After the realization of some of th truth, enable and unwilling to move forwards.
If you stop learning and training, turning backwards sometimes is the process of going forwards
How can I begin to meditate. Should I have a mantra?
What are the basic premises of Buddhism?