When we taste the great way, we know that falsehood is an impossibility – all is already revealed, in intimacy and completeness.
This piece continues Henry’s discussion of the six paramitas.
Each paramita is a pointer to the great way. It perfectly embodies it. By following its guidance, we can find the reality of the great way. Just by refraining from the kinds of harm indicated in the second paramita, sila, we can get a taste of the reality they “secretly” point to: namely, for example, that whatever we might kill is actually our self, and can’t be killed. And that everything that might be stolen is part of our own body, part of our very mind, and therefore is already ours, and everyone’s, and no stealing is possible.
As Mumon said, “a holy hermit does not wish to be appointed Lord.” A person with a clear eye has no need for great wealth or power – they already are everything, the whole cosmos, including any position they might be appointed to.
When we taste the great way, we know that falsehood is an impossibility – all is already revealed, in intimacy and completeness.
There is no room for such a thing as falsehood.
The same can be said of all the precepts, and our practice surely points toward the fulfillment of a life spent in examining the precepts and their operation and meaning, and using them as a guideline toward offering our life for the benefit of all beings.
Message from Henry is from our March 21 Newsletter
Image: Night Sky, by Skeeze, CC0 Public Domain, from Pixabay.com