The Essence of Faiths
Whispers from everywhere
Mirror Mind
When the ordinary mind is confronted with forms (ie people, objects, concepts) it thinks of them as having an objective existence. Also, dualistic feelings arise eg love or hate, good or bad, right or wrong etc. These dualistic feelings are added by the mind, they do not belong to that which is perceived.
When the holy mind is confronted with forms it beholds them but does not stain them with thoughts of love or hate etc. The holy mind knows that there can be no wrong without right and that thus the two are mutually arising from the same source. And so with good v bad, beauty v ugliness etc. The opposites are socially conditioned discriminations which are void of ultimate reality.
The holy mind rests peacefully on its true foundations and is not clouded over by the stains of socially conditioned judgement. The holy mind is like a mirror which reflects without any sensation being experienced. When it is confronted by objects it reflects them, when unconfronted, it reflects nothing. In such holy minds the fearless clarity of the true foundation is unwavering like the sun which shines equally on saint and sinner.
The “Diamond Sutra” is one of the classic Buddhist texts. In it the historical Buddha is reported as saying:
Words cannot explain the real nature of a cosmos. Only common people fettered with desire make use of this arbitrary method. (30) |
Thus shall ye think of all
this fleeting world: A star at dawn, a bubble in a stream; A flash of lightning in a summer cloud, A flickering lamp, a phantom, and a dream. (32) |
Notions of selfhood, personality, entity and separate individuality, as really existing, are erroneous - these terms are merely figures of speech. (31) |