Theos-Talk Archives (November 1999 Message tl00106)

In a message dated 11/11/99 9:04:05 AM Central Standard Time,
gschueler@iximd.com writes:

> According to the proponents of the sudden path
>  (and probably Zen is the best known), the gradual
>  path is itself sort of a prerequisite or training period.

This is a compromise view sometimes found in Nyingmapa
circles combining Atiyoga with Mahayoga (or the Anuttara
of new schools) or combining sudden and gradual paths.
It should not be confused with the sudden view strictly
speaking.

This combined approach arises because some need a
prerequisite training stage.  But all such training, if
unenlightened (which it is), still has the problems of
unenlightenment, so to speak.  That is,
unenlightenment is malfunction, period.  Training
may lessen the severity of unenlightened malfunctioning
but it is still fundamentally malfunctioning just as a disease
can have milder symptoms in some yet they are still
infected.

The pure sudden path view says there is no need for
preliminary training.  Rather, training comes after
basic enlightenment.  Instead of training, wrongly, the
mind, thoughts, emotions to malfunction less severely,
one first finds the enlightened state of mind that is
self-healing and self-correcting.  Then subsequent to that,
there is training in the enlightened state within which the
training of awareness, thought, and emotion is directly
a practice of their enlightened correct functioning.

In essence, gradual path says training comes first, then,
enlightenment.  By contrast, sudden path, in its pure form,
says enlightenment comes first, and then, enlightenment
training or practice.  Namkhai Norbu once said it this way.
Sudden view is first step is to be born a Buddha.  Now
imagine a Buddha baby born in a perfect Buddha-world.
Whereas we, in samsara, learn all sorts of bad ways
to get along in this world via awareness, thought, and
emotion, the baby Buddha learns all the enlightened
ways to function via awareness, thought, and emotion.
To train awareness, thought, emotion to be the
awareness, thought, emotion of a Buddha, one must
first be a Buddha, who subsequently, practices
the awareness, thought, and emotions of Buddhahood.
That is sudden view, first BE a Buddha, then practice
it.

Even in Zen, the practice of zazen (samadhi) is to
realize satori.  But, satori or enlightenment experience
is not complete Buddhahood.  After one finds satori,
one has to practice it dynamically in situations, and
this practicing of satori after it has been reached is
kensho.  Kensho is the real training that comes
after satori.  Again, the gradual view is training,
then, enlightenment.  The sudden view is
basic enlightenment (satori) first, and then, training
in that state to deepen, consolidate, and perfect it
(kensho).

In Dzog chen, the best or luckiest way is the
direct transmission of the enlightened state
from the mind of the master to the mind of the
student, who then, subsequently,
practices that state under the improvising
conditions of life as on-going drama.
If that is not possible, then something like
the practice of Zazen (samadhi) is done.
But when the pure state of mind is found,
THEN begins the training in being that
state of mind in all conditions.

Grigor