For today's class,
I thought that I would speak more in depth on the concepts of the natural state or true nature,
Which is something that I reference a lot in these classes.
When I was at Harvard Divinity School,
I did an independent study with my advisor,
Janet Giazzo,
That focused on the concept of the natural state in Buddhism and Daoism,
Which are two of the main traditions that have elaborated and discussed this concept in depth.
I would like to begin with a poem that I wrote quite a few years ago entitled,
The Natural State.
Cultivate love and compassion,
And truth will prevail.
Being true to oneself,
The energy flows freely,
And happiness ensues.
Allow happiness to flourish,
And love becomes the natural state between and among beings in the universe.
The all requires nothing and offers everything.
This is the natural state.
In Buddhism,
What we term the natural state is sometimes called Buddha nature,
And it is understood to be an innate potential that we all have.
There is not a single being that does not have it within us.
In Tibetan,
This term that is translated as Buddha nature is the tathagata garbha.
Tathagata is translated as the one who has come,
And is the term used for the Buddha,
And garbha means embryo.
So the tathagata garbha is the embryonic nature of the Buddha that is within all of us.
The term garbha connotes embryo,
But it also means womb,
Thus giving this idea that it is both the womb and the embryo that we have within us that is continually moving towards unfolding.
So we are continually growing this Buddha nature within us,
And in the perspective of Buddhism,
This may take many,
Many thousands of lifetimes,
But we are always in process of moving towards that unfoldment and allowing it to come.
Another term that helps with understanding the concept is tathada,
Which means suchness,
And tathada is basically everything,
Seen and unseen,
In existence.
It is the all from which we emerge as individuated beings,
But from which we are never separate from,
As written by Brian Edward Brown in his book on Buddha nature.
It is in the person of the Buddha that suchness,
Tathada,
Overcoming all duality,
Has come to tathagata,
To possess itself in total awareness.
So again,
It conveys this idea that everything is suchness,
And we are all moving towards becoming,
Towards this state of non-duality.
The garbha,
Being both embryo and womb,
Is said to be both empty and non-empty.
So the womb,
Being empty,
Is what provides the space for the fullness,
The non-emptiness,
Of the embryo to grow,
To come to fruition.
And it is only with the simultaneous presence of both aspects,
Of womb and embryo,
Of emptiness and non-emptiness,
That this process occurs.
Brown also writes that tathada,
Absolute suchness,
May be characterized as the dynamic movement within phenomenal existence,
Towards its own self-manifestation.
So this is the concept of the All experiencing and becoming,
In all the different forms that we perceive.
So although we see ourselves as individuated beings that are separate from all else that we perceive,
We are truly never separate.
We are part of the All in its own evolution,
Towards self-manifestation.
We sometimes use the metaphor of the fish in water to convey this idea.
So tathada,
Suchness,
Is the water,
And tathaga garbha is the individual fish that is simultaneously distinct and yet not separate from the water,
That is born within the water from the water and lives its entire existence in the water as part of it.
In Taoism,
The term that is often used to,
Or that is often translated as the natural state is zitran in Chinese.
And zitran means to be so of itself.
It means to be natural in the highest sense,
To nourish within oneself one's own nature that is one's own profound and true sprout of life,
As it's defined in the Encyclopedia of Taoism.
So when we have this idea of zitran,
Being so of itself,
It's very similar to the idea of the tathaga garbha in Buddhism,
That it is our own nature that is continually becoming.
In Taoism,
They sometimes term this as flowing with the Tao,
And it's when you're in the state of zitran,
When you're in the natural state,
You are immersed in an experience of an ecstatic oneness with all there is.
There's no separation.
Rebin Yang,
In his commentary on this concept,
Says that it refers to an emergence and circulation of the spiritual energy together with the world in a kind of super experiential state.
Its basis thus lies in the observer's elevation of himself to enter into a kind of mystical state of coexistence with the existential basis of all things.
So at this point,
You're probably realizing that today's talk is a little bit more academic,
More so than usual.
But I know that all of you that have,
That are here today have been with me through many classes,
And so I thought it would be worthwhile to go a little bit more in-depth,
Because we use these terms,
And sometimes extrapolating them more concisely can give us a deeper understanding,
Because we're continually working with this balance of the mind and its need to comprehend and understand,
And letting go of the mind to relax into our true nature.
And so it takes both.
We work with the conceptual to achieve the non-conceptual.
All of the conceptual,
All of the words,
Are fingers pointing to the moon that guide us to something that is beyond what the words can convey,
And yet without the pointing of the words,
We can pass it by without even realizing it.
So in Taoism,
When we achieve this state of zitran,
Of being so of itself,
Being so of ourselves,
One could say,
It's conveyed as a type of harmony within oneself,
As well as a harmony with everything in existence.
And this is in part why Taoism is a very nature-based philosophy and practice,
Because when we immerse ourselves in nature,
When we're in the mountains,
When we're in the forest,
When we're in the ocean,
It's easier to touch into this essence of life that we are all a part of,
That is always there,
And we can find that harmony.
It naturally balances us and allows us to release tension and experience the world as it is and ourselves as we are.
Because when we're in a forest,
If we look at an individual tree,
We never typically,
I don't know about everyone,
But typically for myself,
When I look at a tree,
I never think,
Oh,
That tree should be different than it is.
That branch shouldn't move in that way.
It should be coming out here instead of there.
For most of us,
When we see nature,
We accept it as it is.
We allow it to be so of itself.
And so it allows us that space as we accept things around us as they are.
And it makes room for us to accept ourselves as we are and to sink into our own natural state.
In both Buddhism and Taoism,
Moving toward the natural state is often considered synonymous with becoming more fully human.
In other words,
For an individual human being to attain the natural state is to fulfill their potential as a human being.
In Taoism and Chinese medicine,
This ability to become more fully human is closely associated with the development of the heart.
You know,
It's a really interesting thing in the Chinese language,
The word for heart is xin,
But really it's often translated as heart-mind because it's this coming together of the heart and the mind that allows us to attain that state.
If you'll permit me to be a little bit liberal with conflating terminology from various traditions,
This is where we also sometimes think of the heart as the soul or the seat of the soul.
And so it is the soul which is always connected to the underlying oneness,
The suchness,
And the mind which is the filter that interprets all of our experiences at the realm of duality as an individuated being immersed in suchness.
It's only through the coming together and the harmony of those two aspects of being,
Of unity and duality,
That we immerse ourselves in an ecstatic oneness with all that is,
Experiencing it as an individuated being that is not separate from it.
As I said at the beginning,
This is said to be,
In both Buddhism and Taoism,
An innate potential for all of us.
We all have the ability to experience and actualize the natural state within us.
It's also important to say that we already have everything that we need to achieve this state and we do not have anything that we don't need to achieve it.
We are already whole,
We are already complete.
It's just a matter of shifting our perspective,
Our view,
To experience it as such.
To achieve the natural state does not mean that we have to move towards something else.
It's relaxing into what already is.
So I'll quote a few verses from an older Buddhist text,
The Uttaratantra Shastra,
And in this they use the word buddha-khaya,
Which is kind of the actualized body of the Buddha.
The perfect buddha-khaya is all-embracing.
Suchness cannot be differentiated,
And all beings have the disposition.
Thus,
They always have Buddha-nature.
Likewise,
A precious treasure is contained in each being's mind.
This is its true state,
Which is free from defilement.
Nothing is to be added and nothing to be removed.
Nevertheless,
Since they do not realize this,
Sentient beings continuously undergo the manifold sufferings of deprivation.
In essence,
What this is conveying is that our experience of suffering is due to not seeing reality as it is,
Not realizing that we already have everything we need within us,
And that we are never separate from everything else that we perceive.
This is our true state.
It's merely the defilements or the obscurations of the mind which prevent us from seeing it as so.
What's interesting is that they'll also say in Buddhism that while buddha-nature is real,
The defilements and obscurations of the mind are not real.
And so the mistake we make is a cognitive one,
That we mistake that which is not real as real,
And we do not perceive the true real.
In this sentiment,
It is also echoed in Daoism.
Eva Wong in Cultivating Stillness writes that,
Although we speak of attaining the Tao,
There is really nothing to attain.
And then she elaborates on this saying,
Although it is said that you attain the Tao,
You are really receiving nothing at all.
All the treasures described are in the body and not anywhere else.
That is why it is said that you receive nothing.
You possess them from the beginning.
And then in an older Taoist text that's said to predate the Lao-tzu,
Which was written,
I believe they say around three or four hundred B.
C.
,
That way is not distant from us.
When people attain it,
They are sustained.
That way is not separated from us.
When people accord with it,
They are harmonious.
So all of these texts are reaffirming over and over again that we already have everything we need within us.
And there is nothing that we have that is preventing us from attaining that state.
In fact,
Even the obscurations,
Which are what's preventing us from attaining it,
Are said to be the fuel that allows us to gravitate towards that state.
In other words,
The obscurations,
The impurities of the mind,
Which is what causes the experience of suffering,
Are actually what are the fodder for all of the lessons that we need to learn throughout our lifetime or our various lifetimes,
Depending on your perspective,
To move towards that state.
And as they say in numerous different traditions,
There are as many paths as there are stars in the sky,
Because we are each a unique individuated point of suchness,
Of the all.
And so we are all different from each other,
And we will all have different obscurations,
Different challenges,
Different things to work through as we are continually moving toward our underlying Buddha nature.
They are the blessings on the path that are meant to continually carry us in that direction.
And this is why we practice.
It is not that we're trying to get somewhere else.
It's just that we're trying to move closer to perceiving ourselves as we are,
In reality as it is.
And for many people on a spiritual path or meditative path,
One of the pitfalls or traps can be believing that we have to get somewhere else,
That there's this goal we're trying to get to.
In Buddhism,
Many people get attached to trying to become enlightened,
Which actually prevents them from achieving the enlightenment that they already have.
It's one of the paradoxes of life.
And so it's about finding the place of effortless effort,
Of finding the right action in relation to ourselves,
Our mind,
Our perception,
And our experiences,
So that we can use every moment and every experience to move towards that unfolding that's already happening.
And the mind can be a powerful tool and a powerful ally in this journey.
And so much of the work is with training the mind,
And the training is often deconditioning,
Because as we live and go through life,
The mind becomes conditioned into perceiving duality,
Into perceiving that which is not real and mistaking it as the real.
And so we work with the practices as a way of honing and focusing the mind so that it can move towards perceiving ourselves as we are and reality as it is.
And here again,
One of the traps of the mind is that it will often,
As we're working with it,
Try to pull us into duality with its judgments,
With saying either,
That's not possible,
Or we're wrong,
Or we're not doing it right,
Or feeling guilty that we aren't doing it better.
And these are all the little games of the mind that are actually not real.
They're just experiences of duality.
They keep us in an experience of duality.
And so this is where discipline comes in,
Because we have to have discipline to not get caught.
When the mind has those thoughts,
It's fine,
And we can let the mind have those thoughts.
But our deeper consciousness needs to have the discipline to let those thoughts go,
To not believe that they're real,
That there is anything fundamentally wrong with us,
Or that we need to be better or different,
Or that we need to work harder.
The discipline is in realizing that the mind will have those thoughts,
And when they occur,
Not getting caught by them,
Not getting attached to them,
Because that's getting attached to obscuration and defilement,
And that which is not real.
And being human,
It's natural to get caught by it.
And we have to not be hard on ourselves when we do.
And we just have to cultivate the discipline to continually come back to the practice,
To trust that we are continually moving towards our natural state,
And to trust that all that we are experiencing,
Including all the thoughts based in duality that we have,
Are part of the process of this natural unfolding.
That every occurrence,
Every experience,
Every emotion,
Every thought that we have in each moment is exactly what we need in each moment to bring us towards our natural state.
To remember that our ignorance,
Our misperceptions of reality and of ourselves,
Are the fuel that in being burned through this continual practice and discipline,
Allow the flame of purity to shine all the more brightly.
This requires being gentle with ourselves and our experiences,
And softening into our true nature.
So for today's practice,
If you will,
If you have a space that is conducive for it,
I would encourage all of you to lie down or be as comfortable as you can.
If you fall asleep during the practice,
It's totally fine.
The meditation will continue to work in your subconscious.
And sometimes sleep is exactly what we need to soften a little bit more and let go.
Because when we sleep,
The mind can rest a little bit more,
Can let go of the attachment to trying to control and do.
Once you have found a stable,
Relaxed posture for meditation,
Become aware of the stability beneath you that is supporting you and holding you up.
And realize how this stability allows you to let go a little more completely.
Letting go of any unnecessary tension or holding or grasping.
Knowing that you are safe in this moment.
There is nothing you have to do.
Know where you have to go.
Just allowing your awareness to settle within the physical space of your body as it is in this moment.
Become aware of the natural movement of the breath,
Observing it as it moves in and out.
Noticing if it's long or short,
Rough or smooth,
Shallow or deep,
And simply allowing it to be as it is in this moment.
Now,
Allow the awareness to gently scan the body,
Starting at the top of the head.
Allowing the scalp to relax,
The forehead to relax,
The back of the head.
Allowing the eyes to release,
The jaw,
The ears.
Allowing the front of the neck to relax,
The sides of the neck,
The back of the neck.
The tops of the shoulders in trapezius,
The upper arms,
The elbows,
The forearms,
The wrists,
The hands,
And the fingers.
Letting go.
Relaxing the upper back,
The mid-back,
The lower back.
Relaxing the chest,
The lungs,
And the heart.
Relaxing the front of the abdomen,
The stomach and digestive organs,
The lower abdomen,
And the reproductive organs.
Relaxing the front of the hips,
Sides of the hips,
And gluteal muscles.
Bringing awareness through the hamstrings,
The quads,
And the femur bones.
Relaxing the knees,
The calves,
The shins.
Bringing awareness through the ankles,
The tops of the feet,
The bottoms of the feet,
And the toes.
Now gently,
At your own pace,
Just allow the awareness to ripple through the body from the top of the head down to the bottoms of your feet.
Feeling wave after wave of awareness.
Gently flow through your body.
There are any areas of tension or holding.
There's no need to fight against it.
Simply allow the awareness to flow around it and through it,
Experiencing each part of your body as it is in this moment.
Now,
Bring your awareness.
This is the awareness to the emotional body.
Every emotion is experienced and exists within the space of your physical body.
Gently allow your awareness to flow through the emotional body,
Softening and releasing into the present moment.
Bring your awareness to the mind.
All thoughts occur within the space of our physical body.
Allow the awareness to ripple through the mind as it exists within the body.
All thoughts occur within the body.
Now,
Allow this faculty of awareness to become aware of itself.
As you do so,
You may become aware of a stillness.
It underlies all sensation,
All emotion,
All thought.
Focus on the stillness that underlies awareness itself.
Focus on the stillness.
Focus into the stillness.
Focus on the stillness.
As you relax into the stillness,
You may become aware of a point of light within the stillness.
You may be located in a specific area of your body,
Such as the heart center or the lower abdomen,
Or it may not be located.
Allow your awareness to relax into the light,
Allowing the light to open and expand throughout your entire physical body.
As you relax into the light,
Allow your awareness to expand throughout your physical body.
As you continue relaxing into the light,
Allow it to expand beyond your physical body into the space around you,
Permeating all physical and non-physical suchness.
As you relax into the light,
Allow your awareness to expand beyond your physical body.
Realizing the ocean of ever-present awareness,
Sure immersed in and never separate from.
As you relax into the light,
Allow your awareness to expand beyond your physical body.
Become aware of the felt sense of the body as a whole.
Feeling the shape and contour.
Become aware of the solidity beneath you,
Supporting and holding you up,
And the air around you in which you are immersed,
Like a fish in water.
Allow your breath to become deeper.
When you're ready,
Gently and slowly begin to open your eyes,
Allowing the world to flow through you.
When you are ready,
You can gently and carefully begin to sit up if you like,
Or you can remain laying down.
The doctrines on the natural state teach us that we are all already perfect,
Not in some abstract conceptual way,
But that we are perfection in process,
Continually moving toward the unfolding of our innate potential,
Of the Buddha nature that we all have within us.
Thank you all for joining me today.
