VISTAS: Buddhist Insights Into Immortality By Terry Magness

The Contemplative Response

Due to lack of adequate perspective, there are various misconceptions in the negative interpretations of Buddhist orthodoxy, fallacies existing in abundance. This has been made more acute by the ancient commentators, on whom present-day scholars rely for elucidation, who carry things to the extreme by making such remarks as: 'the path exists but not him who walks it'. This is a contradiction in terms. The scriptures abound with positive dialogue and admonitions such as: 'which is better, to go in search of a woman or to go in search of your self? One can wade on and on through all these fallacies which have accumulated down the ages, clotting the truth until it has become unrecognizable. This seems to be the sad fate of all religions once their founders have left the scene. Thus the true seeker has to wade through all the rubble before he can the crystal find.

Misconceptions are particularly rampant in students of Abhidhamma, who infer that they by memorizing the written word have penetrated to the core of the matter, and therefore are full-fledged to air their views on the matter, especially insight (vipassana) meditation. Insight is regarded as being composed of reflecting and analyzing in the mind whatsoever contacts it, as being either form (rupa) or mentality (nama). It is never realized that it is insufficient for the peripheral mind to analyze phenomena, whether physical or mental, because the peripheral mind does not possess the refinement for such a process. This method is in great vogue today because of its facility of approach, for indeed even a child can do it. The main disadvantage of this line of approach is that it is susceptible to a great many pitfalls, particularly because the mind is constantly jumping about from one thing to the next, and what it gains in agility it loses in the steadfastness of an inner calm.

Body-mindfulness (sati) meditation is an elementary method of combating the dominion of sense-passion holding the emotions in thrall. Mental awareness at the human level, however proves to be inadequate, because at the most it only controls the lower peripheral instincts, leaving the subtler defilements and emotions to roam at large because they are out of sight. The bodily functions are easily seen, whereas the emotions lurk furtively without check within. The eradication of impurity and insidious emotions requires a highly refined method, involving meditation in depth. This process of concentrated in-fighting, so to speak, reduces the inner personality level by level, shell by shell, to its dregs. It is not merely the peripheral personality, but the innermost instincts with their turbidity lying dormant that are to be reduced to ash. In relative order, distorted views, doubt, pernicious rites, sensuality, malice, jhanic intoxication, formless ecstasies, conceit, excitement, and ignorance, have their hash settled for good. Physical pleasure, celestial intoxication, jhanic rapture, and formless infatuation, are witnessed for what they are, so many impediments on the path to perfect purity, a heady hindrance to the goal of relinquishment in its totality. It will be appreciated therefore, that the higher levels of attachment are much more difficult to erase than their physical counterparts, for these appertainances being subtle are consequently more difficult to dispose of, being regarded by the uninitiated as assets rather than as liabilities.

It is in view of this difficulty in getting to the inner personality that the method of mere body-mindfulness proves inadequate, for the attention is limited only to the peripheral level. The method of attaining to inner calm (samatha), even if more difficult, is a more rewarding method, that is why it is recommended. Vipassana meditation properly commences with the Gotrabhu, not with the human level as is commonly supposed. The human stage is too crude to achieve anything worthwhile in this respect and must content itself with mere mindfulness. Some forrn of inner stability - as represented by the Gotrabhu - must first be established before the mind can review form in form, feelings in feelings, consciousness in consciousness, mental properties in mental properties, in ever ascending scale of refinement. The human peripheral level of perception in reviewing psycho-physicality fails to penetrate and extricate itself from crudity, for crudeness does not perceive its own crudity, possessing no standards of comparison. A more refined perception is required to recognize crudity for what it is. This is supplied by the Dhammakaya Gotrabhu as a first start. Reviewing the human level, the Gotrabhu perceives the inadequacy therein and thereby extricates itself from attachment thereto. It then ascends to the next higher stage of Sotapanna. The Sotapanna reviews the celestial (deva) level, and finding it a little less crude than the human level nevertheless perceives its inadequacy, and weans itself from attachment thereto, attaining the next stage of Sakadagamin. The Sakadagamin reviews the Brahma form and perceiving its inadequacy, extricates itself therefrom and attains the next higher stage of Anagamin. The Anagamin-then reviews the arupa-brahma form and perceiving its inadequacy extricates itself from attachment thereto, attaining the Arahatta stage of emancipation. This is genuine Vipassana process.

Another thing. It is inferred that any psychic attainment such as the Gotrabhu, Sotapanna, and so on, takes place in a flash and vanishes. These attainments are not mere flashes but are forms (kaya) which remain in the subconscious (bhavanga) and may be reasserted at will by the practitioner proficient to do so. They are no mere flashes in the psychic-pan, but vehicles of emancipation in ever-ascending scale, and through which ultimate experiences are realized, as said:

When misconceptions such as these are the order of the day, it becomes obvious how difficult it is for a noble truth to come into its own and be understood by the world at large, when even those whose mission it is to know better are unable to grasp the implications in depth and are content to remain smugly in the dark. And what is even worse, continue to aid that darkness spread. What is really at the root of the problem concerning Buddhism today, as it has been for the last thousand years, is the undue emphasis being laid on the negative rather than the positive aspects. This is because knowledge passed on in this way is never firsthand experience, only second-hand repetition, gained from literature and talk. Thus a gradual multiplication of misinterpretations piles on, until the whole structure staggers under the load.

Over-emphasis on the negative rather than the positive aspects of Buddhism have done it a great disservice. For the positive lustre, the very kernel of its message, has been diminished in the process and attenuated beyond recognition. It is somewhat like the six-hued radiance which issued from the Buddha's presence during his life, but which at death strangely evaporated into thin air! What is really a pious hope, is that the day will come when a total revision, by those competent to do so, of what actually constitutes the kernel, sees the light of day. Until such time, there isn't much that can be done except stand around and wait. This calls for fortitude. Such is the nature of things. Thus, not merely the necessity for a true comprehension of what ultimate truth consists of, but the age-old problem of communication, remains.