Introduction

It is indeed a natural ability of human beings to be able to concentrate on activities that interest us. When we are doing something, it is our natural ability to concentrate with a clear mind, without distractions. However, due to the complexity of our worldly lives and the holding on to our desires and views, as we grow older, we often find our minds to be narrow and scattered—narrow in the sense that we are prejudiced by fixed views and confined by our attachments; scattered in the sense that while doing something we cannot help stopping the rise of judgments and other thoughts. We have lost the ability to act in a pure, natural way. For example, we tend to eat only certain foods cooked in certain ways, and while eating; our minds tend to engage in making judgments and other thoughts that have nothing to do with our eating. In order to carry on our daily lives with ease, concentration and clearness of mind, it is important for us to train our minds so that we may regain our natural ability to concentrate with a clear mind. Nevertheless, even if we adopt certain practices to train our minds and thereby regain our ability to concentrate with a clear mind, it is no guarantee that such practices would free us from prejudice. Furthermore, unless we are able to reflect upon our views, the more we learn to concentrate, the stronger our attachment to prejudice may become. Therefore, meditation in general does not necessarily bring about reasonable and desirable results. This is also why my topic is not on meditation but rather on Buddhist meditation. Without an open and broad view of the world, meditation may cultivate ignorance and prejudice. Buddha taught us to use our concentration ability to engage in observations and wise reflections, thereby gradually eradicating the roots of our prejudices and consequently enjoying an open and clear way of life. In emphasizing Buddhist meditation, on the one hand we would like to develop our ability to concentrate, and on the other hand, we would like to set our efforts into the enlargement of our minds toward clarity and infinite openness.

The basic teaching of Buddhism is to recognize the essence of life through the viewpoint of impermanence, suffering and selflessness. These three concepts, like the three legs of a tripod, constitute the central idea of the Buddhist teaching. On the one hand, they are used to explain the phenomena of transmigration and suffering, which are rooted in our ignorance of the fact of impermanence and selflessness. On the other hand, they are used to explain how liberation from suffering and transmigration is achievable—one needs to practice Buddha"s teachings so that one may live in the awareness of impermanence and selflessness. Hence these three concepts are essential to the Buddhist teaching.

To help you understand why there is suffering, let us consider the following: We are accustomed to being led by our familiarity with concepts into thinking that we have certain knowledge. Let"s say for example, we have a friend named David and when we talk about David we think that we know him. Nevertheless, we know far less about David than what he knows about himself, and even he does not know everything about himself because he hardly recognizes all the desires, emotions and thoughts that are underlying his actions. The point is, the things that we do know are far fewer than the things that we do not know, and yet we are often led by concepts into action as if we have full knowledge. Our conceptual world tends to be stable and concrete and keeps us from realizing the fact of impermanence and selflessness. Such ignorance is the root of all our suffering.

Using the concepts of suffering, impermanence and selflessness we can point out the way to liberation from suffering, namely that we should be aware of the impermanence and selflessness of all phenomena and thereby free ourselves from ignorance and its consequential attachments and prejudices. We should not be fooled by the limiting effect of concepts; rather we should live a life of natural purity and openness.

In fact, these three concepts can be deduced from one another:

(1) Things are impermanent, hence there is no security and consequently suffering will arise. Things are impermanent; hence they are selfless—with nothing therein for us to hold onto.

(2) Things are selfless; hence there is no permanence. Things are selfless, hence subject to change and decay and ending in suffering.

(3) Suffering prevails in life, which shows that there is no stability and permanence. Nothing is free from the condition of suffering; hence there is no self that has an independent existence.

It is like looking at a crystal ball from three sides; from any one side you will see the other two. But in the crystal ball itself, it is just a whole.

In Buddhism we say that Buddha is one who has achieved the unification of Wisdom and Compassion. This is because when we describe a Buddha, we can do so only from certain perspectives. Hence we make the distinction of Wisdom and Compassion, and then emphasize that Buddha has unified the two aspects. Nevertheless, in Buddha himself, there is no distinction of Wisdom and Compassion. Buddha is a whole, and there are no aspects to be unified. It is only due to the relative ness of our concepts that we artificially draw the distinction of wisdom, the rational aspect, and compassion, the emotional aspect.

Similarly, we should understand that suffering, impermanence and selflessness are artificial distinctions made by us with respect to the phenomena. The phenomena do not bear such distinctions.

It is Buddha"s way of leading us to understand reality that phenomena are viewed from the three aspects of suffering, impermanence and selflessness. When one sees the interconnection of these three aspects and realizes the Limitless Oneness of phenomena, it is liberation of Buddhahood; when one does not see through the interconnection of these three aspects, they serve to describe the causes of sorrows, insecurity and transmigration. Thus we see that these three concepts are essential to the Buddhist theoretical teachings, both with regard to explaining the bondage of worldly lives and the path and fruit of Buddhist liberation.

At this point I would like to explain further the reality that Buddha wants to show us through the interconnection of these three concepts.

Buddha had the actual experience of everything in Limitless Oneness. In the concept of oneness, some limit is implied because, without some limitation, how could we point out a certain one? Nevertheless, I introduce the seemingly contradictory term of Limitless Oneness to help explain Buddha"s experience, which is indeed inconceivable and indescribable. This notion of Limitless Oneness serves a two fold function: on one hand, it points out that Buddha"s Enlightenment transcends all limits—is beyond our language, our concepts, our sensation, and even the natural limits of space and time; on the other hand, it points out that this transcendence is not beyond or above, but one with all, and all are one.

From our ordinary point of view the two aspects of Limitless Oneness may seem all too abstract, metaphysical and lacking in substance in the reality we know. Hence, I need to explain them in more detail.

First, let me explain the meaning of oneness when I say that all are one. For example, our bodies have many different parts—eyes, ears, hands, etc. All of them form one body because they are all connected. Similarly, although the world consists of so many things, they are all connected as one. This seems to contradict the fact that in the world, it is survival of the fittest. In the human world, we have wars against one another; how could we be one? Buddha"s experience of the oneness of all is beyond our ordinary experience, yet it is possible for any one of us to share this experience through the cultivation of Buddhist practice. Only when one has some taste of this oneness can one see clearly that hostility and selfishness are wrong.

The Buddhist Practice does not aim at establishing a new conceptual perspective, which would inevitably bring about the duality of right and wrong. If it were such, then it would be only trying to replace one set of artificial standards with another, and consequently cannot free people from prejudice. Rather, Buddhist practices aim at freeing us from the delusive limitation of concepts and senses, and help us regain our innate spiritual purity. In the light of our original purity, we will realize that selfishness and hostility are ill founded, but not simply because we are subscribing to certain ideals.

Furthermore, it is of utmost importance that we understand this oneness, because if we are limited by our conceptual selves, then our lives are certainly miserable. When all things are constantly subject to change, how could we keep our tiny selves above water all the time? It would seem that the whole world is running against our will most of the time if we are self centered. Our lives are so fragile—what guarantee do we have for our safety and subsistence?

Second, as to limitlessness of Buddha"s Enlightenment, I offer the following explanation: We know that concepts have limited applicability to reality and that the range of human sensations is limited; how, then, could Buddha transcend such limits? Buddha transcends conceptual limits by returning to the original state of no concepts, which is freedom from concepts even in the sub consciousness. This does not mean that Buddha is incapable of using concepts; it simply means that Buddha"s mind is not confined or directed by concepts. The possibility of transcending normal human sensations is shown by reports of people with supernatural abilities. From the Buddhist point of view, such supernatural abilities are within the reach of all human beings, provided that they free themselves from cultural barriers that prevent the development of innate subtle abilities. Since Buddha is one who has attained freedom from all artificial barriers, no matter how subtle they are, his innate abilities are fully developed. Hence, he naturally transcends the limitation of normal sensation.

How could Buddha transcend the basic framework of the Universe—the space time continuum? We are accustomed to the limits of space and time; omnipresence, omniscience and eternity seem unreal to us mortals. Did not Buddha die at the age of eighty even though in Buddhist terminology it is labeled as entering Nirvana? Yes, from our ordinary point of view, no matter what you call it, Buddha died at eighty, and so it seems that he is at least subject to death, if not rebirth. Nevertheless, when he attained Full Enlightenment, he lost his identification with the mortal body and life, he was at once in eternal union with the whole universe—the universe not limited by our concepts of space and time, and it is precisely in this way that he achieved his transcendence of space and time. Furthermore, his transcendence is not just a psychological event; it has been witnessed by Buddhists over the ages that as long as a Buddhist is sincere in taking refuge in Buddha and devotes himself to Buddhist practice, he will receive numerous inspirations from Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and protectors. The only reasonable explanation for all those miraculous inspirational events is that Buddha and holy beings have achieved omnipresence, eternity and omniscience.

There is no way that I can advocate the above to people simply because it is my belief. Any one who adopts the Buddhist practice will sooner or later experience the truth of the above statements. It is only because it is based on such a general fact that I dare to advocate Buddha"s transcendence to the world.

When one, through the cultivation of Buddhist practices, experiences the original purity of Limitless Oneness, his life is no longer limited by his mortal existence. Even the concepts of space and time become meaningless in the sense that they are no longer operative in the usual way. If we study the basis of science, we will realize that the basic measurement and hence operational significance of space and time are indeed defined by man. When Buddha was able to free himself from all concepts that were consciously or subconsciously present to him, spatial and temporal distinctions faded away, and all became one. This is not just theoretical projection of what Buddhahood should be like, be it realizable or not. Buddhists through the ages can testify that, as a result of their practice, many extraordinary phenomena have occurred which baffle scientific explanations, but can be reasonably accounted for according to the Buddhist teaching of Limitless Oneness. The working of prayers that affect people thousands of miles away is one such miraculous phenomenon. Even if someday science may be able to explain supernatural phenomena, it will still be unlikely that science can have the power to reproduce such extraordinary events.

Science is built on theoretical systems, which in turn are built on concepts, and concepts by their nature divide and define limits. Even the concept of infinity hinges on the concept of finiteness and can be understood only as being non finite. Buddha"s Enlightenment, on the contrary, is completely beyond conceptual confinement. Here lies the fundamental reason why science can never achieve Buddhist Enlightenment and its accompanying supernatural powers.

Science can provide us with instruments and technology that help us hear and see things thousands of miles away, but it cannot do so without those instruments and energy sources; whereas telepathy and clairvoyance come to practitioners naturally.

Human knowledge today is based on the fundamental duality of subject and object, the observer and the observed. Nevertheless, in quantum mechanics we have come to recognize the Uncertainty Principle, which illuminates the limit of a dualistic approach. In using the concept of a field to establish General Relativity Theory, Einstein is approaching the Buddhist teaching of all are one. In Limitless Oneness the fundamental characteristic of human cognitive activities, the subject/object distinction, has been transcended.

The Buddhist practice will help us realize our original state of Limitless Oneness. As we gradually approach Enlightenment, the broadening of our horizons and the openness of our lives will enable us to face the difficulties of life with a proper perspective. Consequently we will be able to handle things more satisfactorily and even enjoy a spontaneous feeling of peace and happiness. As we turn the center of our attention from selfish interests to the well being of all sentient beings, we will naturally live a life of service and find such a life meaningful and spiritually rewarding. Besides, as we gain experience of Limitless Oneness, we will be able to use such experience to help others in many extraordinary ways.

The future seems to lie beyond the scope of human knowledge. However, a Buddhist practitioner may sometimes know future events in advance. It is revealed to him in dreams or through heavenly voices. Ordinarily we lack the ability to see the causal consequences of events; hence the future is full of surprises. Nevertheless, phenomena occur according to the law of causation and consequence, hence the future is, to some extent, predictable. This does not imply fatalism because events that are bound to happen due to past events may still be changed by additional efforts before they actually happen. This and the fact that all are connected as one are the reasons why prayers can help people who are suffering the consequence of past negative activities. Theoretically we can explain as above the fact that practitioners do sometimes know things in advance; practically, we have no mechanical way to achieve such results. It remains a mystical spiritual reality known to devoted practitioners through the ages.

In light of the explanations given above, Buddhist meditations may be classified into two types. One type is called concentration practice (Samatha) and consists of training leading to one pointed concentration which is free from distractions, drowsiness and absent mindedness; the other type is called observation practice (Vipassana) and consists of observation in the light of Buddhist teachings such as impermanence, suffering and selflessness. Practicing only concentration meditation, even though it may improve clarity of one"s awareness, cannot help one reach the ultimate goal of Buddhism—complete liberation from bondage. Practicing only observation in the light of Buddhist principles, even though theoretically that might help one gain some transient experiences of Enlightenment, will bring about Full Enlightenment only after one"s ability to concentrate has become perfected. Therefore, it is necessary for us to practice both kinds of meditation until we have unified and harmonized these two aspects of Buddhist meditation and realized the ultimate liberation. The transcendence of Buddhist teaching over other religions lies fundamentally in its wisdom to cut through the root of bondage—the dualistic concept of an independently existing self; the Buddhist teaching of the wisdom of no attachment will help us see through the subtle bondage of heavenly meditative states and thus free us from the achievements of other religions. Hence, Buddhist meditation is different from the meditative practices of other religions.

There are already many detailed and comprehensive expositions on Buddhist meditation in print. Nevertheless, detailed and complicated theoretical discussions are difficult to understand and too much teaching may render the beginner at a loss as to how to practice. In order to provide a practical manual for beginners in this article, I mention only briefly the essential points of many aspects of Buddhist meditation, while with regard to the actual steps of practicing meditation I go into detail. For example, the definition and classification of achievements in meditative states such as the four Dhyanas, the eight Dhyanas, the four approaches and the four fruits are important; nevertheless, these are not immediately within the reach of beginners, therefore, in this article only a general rather than subtle description of the essential characteristics of meditational achievements is provided to serve as a goal for beginners to improve themselves. Details such as the appropriate time, place, clothing, food and preparatory and corollary details for practicing meditation are fully explained in their natural order.

The Basic Buddhist principle adopted in this presentation is the view of the original purity of the whole Dharmadhatu (i.e., the collection of all phenomena). The whole Dharmadhatu is in Limitless Oneness. To say that this Limitless Oneness is originally pure, we mean that it is not the result of practice or cultivation; rather, it is naturally free from artificial limitations. Usually we are not aware of this fact because we are accustomed to being limited by concepts and the senses. To people who are able to free themselves from the limiting effect of concepts and senses, the truth of Limitless Oneness and original purity will become self evident simply because it is so. What Buddhist practice does is simply help remove our prejudice and habits so that we may return to the original state of purity, which is beyond value systems and judgments. It is a process of unlearning our cultural differences—we are born American, French... or Chinese, which is an accidental event but it affects our upbringing and outlook on life. Only when we are free from cultural prejudice can we see that essentially we are all the same. Whatever we do to others based on cultural prejudice is simply due to ignorance of the fundamental unity and equality among all beings; when we hurt others we are indeed hurting ourselves. These are not abstract religious ideals—the modern awareness of ecology and of the need for environmental preservation testifies to the truth of these wise teachings.

Another aspect of original purity is that when we achieve Full Enlightenment we are simply returning to a natural state; it will not be something foreign to our nature and thus needs some effort to keep. Were Full Enlightenment an object to pursue and preserve with effort, it could not bring complete liberation because then we would need always to be on the watch for it and never able to relax. Just the opposite; we need to learn to let go. We have been holding on to the notion of a self for too long. Our minds are constantly running with thoughts: I am like this, you are like that, and our relationship is such and such,... without end. When our minds are so conditioned and complicated, we simply cannot relax. We need to unlearn all this and return to the state of simplicity and childlike innocence. Only then will we find freedom and happiness in life.

Returning to our innocent state does not mean that we need to abolish our culture and social structures. It is an obvious fact that social structures have their limits—the peace of a society is basically maintained by its people"s goodness and mutual trust, rather than by police and lawyers. It is important to cultivate the spiritual innocence of people so that laws and law enforcement agencies will not be misused but can serve properly as tools to help the innocent.

Original purity is beyond our judgments and preferences. All our values and propensities relate to our cultural backgrounds; what is considered good in one culture may be considered bad in another. For example, in America, people name their children after someone they love; hence a child may be given the name of a grandparent. In the Chinese culture, it is disrespectful to use the name of a parent in naming a child. Original purity is beyond these cultural differences and relative judgments.

The principle of the original purity of the Dharmadhatu and the trinity system of impermanence, suffering and selflessness are different theoretical approaches to the presentation of Buddhist teachings. The outstanding feature of the trinity system is its function as an antidote to worldly ignorance, bewilderment and attachments. In contrast, the main emphasis of the principle of original purity of the Dharmadhatu is on opening up to the original clarity and purity. In fact, struggling away from ignorant attachments and opening up to enlightened awareness are two aspects of one process. Depending on the situation, either one of these two aspects may be emphasized in practice and application.

Observational meditation may be classified into two types: one type aims at producing antidotal effects, e.g., visualizing the nine stages of decay of a corpse so as to free one from attachment to human bodies; while another type constitutes pure observation, e.g., watching the breath. In my presentation the visualizations chosen belong to the pure observation type for the following reasons. Unless one has been well indoctrinated by the Buddhist philosophy, it is rather difficult for beginners to willingly adopt an antidotal practice such as visualizing a decaying corpse. The second reason is that pure observations are more in line with the chosen basic principle of the original purity of Limitless Oneness. The third reason is that pure observation may readily lead to freedom from conceptual bondage without creating a new barrier. Although there are antidotal practices in Buddhist teaching, they serve only as corrective measures to our bad habits and attachments, and final Enlightenment should be free from any trace of a one sided, antidotal practice. Nevertheless, it is not uncommon that practitioners become limited by their practice, and so it seems that their practice has become a new barrier to their returning to the original purity of Limitless Oneness. Pure observation is less likely to result in such unintended and undesirable consequences. The final liberation as taught by Buddha is not escaping from reality; rather, it is liberation amidst real life situations. Pure observation trains us in facing the reality, not as we think it to be, but as it is.

As an example of the misapplication of Buddhist teaching, let us consider the case when someone, after learning the concepts of Bodhisattva and Mara (devil), claims himself to be a Bodhisattva and denounces his opponents or people who are not in agreement with him to be Maras. The dualistic concepts are used in Buddhist teaching to show us models for imitation and improvement, but not to provide labels and tools for criticism and fighting. Nevertheless, constructive criticism is not excluded from a Bodhisattva"s behavior. A Bodhisattva is forever ready to help and holds no grudges against people. Hence, for beginners, in order to avoid this kind of mistake, it is safer to start with practices that are neutral, rather than antidotal. Antidotal practices usually will take a long time to produce obvious effects and might form new partialities; hence I do not recommend them to beginners. Some advanced practitioners use one sided practices to correct their bias because they are experienced and know when and where to stop.