The Views and Path of the Buddha

The Views and Path of the Buddha

When we look at any spiritual path how can we understand the main purpose and the ways to approach the path? Whatever spiritual path we consider to learn and apply, it is important to understand how it looks at the world, at reality, because that is the basis of the path. From that basis arises the understanding of what it is that we are trying to reach as a final result.
Finally, then we would look at how to apply the path in order to reach the result. These points can be expressed as: The view, the practice, the conduct and the result. The view basically means how we look at the world and reality from the point of view of this spiritual path.
The result is of course what we are aiming to reach. The practice constitutes the exact application of spiritual practice based on the view so that we move towards the result. The conduct means the ways in which the path is integrated into life. If we look at the Buddhist spiritual tradition we will find many different ways to understand and express these four aspects depending on the different levels of teaching and depth of understanding. However, regardless of these differences there are some common main points that represent the essence of this path and that all practitioners should understand clearly.

The View

The view, or the way we look at reality, is the most important point, because if our view of reality is very distant from the way things really are, no matter what kind of practice we do it becomes very difficult to reach any direct experience of the ultimate nature of reality. There are many ways, at different levels of depth and subtlety, to express the Buddha’s view, but in general as it says in the Lankavatara Sutra: “As all things are unreal, there is neither defilement nor purity; things are not as they are seen, nor are they otherwise”

Those words from the Lankavatara Sutra represent the essence of the Buddhist view regarding reality. Which in short means that the ordinary perception of reality as things really existing, substantial and made of separate things, like the world, phenomena and beings, is not correct. The dualistic and biased way of seeing things as good and bad, pure and impure also is incorrect, based on delusion. Just as a rainbow appears clearly in the sky, and yet there is no substance or real existence as a ‘thing’ in the rainbow, in the same way all phenomena appear but lack true, independent and substantial existence.

Buddha Nature

On the other hand, all beings are endowed with Buddha-nature, the pure and luminous mind heart of awakening. As it says in Tilopa's verses:

Just as the bright and clear heart of the sun Cannot be obscured by the darkness of a thousand eons, The luminous heart of your own mind Cannot be obscured by this saṃsāra of [infinite] eons

And in the Uttaratantra it says:

The luminous nature of the mind
Is changeless, just like space.
It is not defiled by adventitious stains,
Such as desire, born from false imagination

and in Prajnapradiptika it says:

The essence of mind is natural luminosity. To put an end to this
[mind being ensnared by itself] means the freedom from adventitious
stains and the fundamental change of state

That is to say that the state of awakening, which is the cessation of all obscurations and ignorance, is not a state of nihilism, a mere and total negation, instead it is primordial wisdom, the pure luminous mind endowed with the complete qualities of awakening, the fundamental ground or basis of reality itself which abides beyond all extremes of existence, non-existence both and neither. This is sometimes referred through the metaphor of the vast luminous sky. This should not be understood in such a way that the 'personal self' becomes something supreme and awakened, that is not the meaning. The personal self is illusory, empty of true existence. When all the defilements, including the illusion of the personal self are seen through and dissolved, it is then that the teachings speak of the 'pure luminous heart of awakening'.

A way to summarize the distinctive feature that represents the Buddha’s view and is unique to Buddhism is through the four seals: 1) all compounded things are impermanent 2) all emotions are suffering 3) all phenomena are empty (they lack true independent existence) including the self of the individual 4) Nirvana is true peace and is freedom from extremes (extremes of: things truly exists, nothing at all exists, both or neither).

If we truly want to understand the Buddha’s teaching and view it is important to go deeply and understand each of these points fully with all that they imply. These four aspects are not some philosophical inventions or dogmas, they are markers that are in accordance with the way things really are. If our meditation and spiritual practice, and also our conduct in the world is informed and based on a clear understanding of the view, then our path leads to freedom, to liberation from duality and confused ways to perceive reality. On the other hand, if we do not have a clear understanding of the view, and if this understanding of the view is not integrated into our mind, no matter what meditations or spiritual practices we do, they may bring some relative temporary well being, but it will be very difficult to go beyond confusion and duality.

The Practice

How can we then actualize the view and come to the direct discovery of the way things really are? Even though in the ultimate sense there is no impurity or imperfection anywhere, while we remain in delusion some relative spiritual practice is needed in order to mature the mind and to discover our real condition. Fundamentally the practice is that which leads us beyond the dualist and confused ways in which we perceive ourselves and reality. In the Buddhist path there many approaches to practice, from the most relative and elaborated levels up to the most simple and direct. These many approaches are needed because not everyone enters the path in the same way and with the same individual situation. However, in essence the main point is to break free from illusory ways of knowing reality, to dissolve grasping to a self, and break down the veil of duality. Another way to understand practice is as the way we bring the understanding of the view into a practical experience, so we come to discover the ultimate view directly, beyond thought and concept.

In general the practice can be said to be the union of the two aspects of shamata and vipasyana. Through the practice of shamata the mind is freed of grasping and rejection, it is freed of disturbing emotions and stops chasing after the objects of delusion, discovering peace. Through the practice of vipasyana the mind comes to know directly its luminous nature. The union of these two aspects of shamata and vipasyana brings the direct seeing of the empty, clear and luminous nature of mind itself. The exact meaning and practice of shamata and vipasyana varies, it depends on which type of approach is being applied, so in this way we can learn exactly how to practice based on the approach we are following.

Conduct

As we move about in the world, as spiritual practitioners aiming at awakening, how are we to orient our behavior in a way that supports our path and practice? As practitioners we understand that the path is a whole, a totality of experience and is not just limited to a short session of spiritual practice or study done once in a while. The way to integrate our path into all aspects of life is the aspect of conduct.

In general conduct can be summarized as: Not falling into extremes, acting according to causality and with compassion.

Not falling into extremes means that we act in the world without falling into extreme views regarding the existence of things. That means we understand that everything lacks true and independent existence. However, the conduct or way of behavior needs to follow the principle of cause and effect – that is – positive and virtuous actions lead to positive results and happiness. Negative and destructive actions lead to suffering and confusion. As we try to apply our path to free ourselves from deluded ways of knowing reality and suffering, we cultivate a feeling of compassion for all beings that are also in that situation, with the aspiration that all might come to discover their true nature and experience the happiness and peace of Buddhahood. In this way our conduct will not fall into extremes and becomes part of the totality of the path.

Result

The result that we aim for in the Buddhist context is not some fabricated idea, a place or situation. The result is not an object that can be conceptualized, because if it was then it would be just another mind-made idea. The result is an ‘elimination’. It is the removal of all disturbing emotions and of all delusions that prevent the mind from knowing the true condition of reality. It is the collapse of duality, and of perceiving things in deluded ways. It is the removal of all suffering and of the illusory ‘I’ that is the subject of relative experience. The actual condition of ‘how it is’ once all these things dissolve and disappear, that ultimate condition, is impossible to describe or express, it is the fully awakened state.

The Yanas

The explanation of the view, practice, conduct and result that was just described is only a general summary, which can be said to describe the Buddhist path in general. However it’s important to understand that within Buddhism there many different approaches, and each approach would explain these aspects in its own way. The different ways in which each approach presents the view, practice, conduct and result, are not contradictory, but different levels or approaches of understanding. There are different ways to classify the approaches to awakening based on different levels of teachings from the Buddha, and each one is referred to as a Yana, or ‘way’. One such method to classify the different approaches is the division into nine yanas, or nine ways to attain enlightenment, which are: Shravakayana, Pratyekabuddhayana, Mahayana, Kryatantra-yana, upatantra-yana, yogatantra-yana, mahayogatantra-yana, anuyogatantra-yana and Atiyoga-yana. Each of these nine ways provides a complete path to total awakening, and would presents its own complete presentation of the View, Practice, Conduct and Result.

In the case of Atiyoga-yana for example, and in a very brief way, these aspects could be explained as:

All phenomena of the relative world and of nirvana are in the nature of the inseparability of emptiness and intrinsic primordial wisdom. The primordially pure intrinsic wisdom of the mind itself is the View.

The practice is to recognize the natural state of the mind and intrinsic awareness, free from fixations, allowing the spontaneous self-liberation of all thoughts and appearances.

The conduct is to act in the world without losing the natural state, free from fixation or grasping, and in harmony with the cause and effect.

The result is the complete realization of the intrinsic ultimate nature which was always perfect since the beginning, free from any obstacle.

In the case of Severance or Chod, they could be summarized as:

The view as Machik Labdron said is “Intrinsic awareness is the awakened mind that has been present since forever.”

The path is as explained by Aryadeva: "To sever the root of mind itself, And sever roots of five toxic emotions; And sever extreme views, disturbed meditation; And hopes and fears about results in activity – To sever all inflation (self-grasping) – That is the definition of severance."

The conduct was very elegantly summarized by Milarepa: ''External chod is to wander in fearful places where there are deities and demons. Internal chod is to offer one's own body as food to the deities and demons. Ultimate chod is to realize the true nature of the mind and cut through the fine strand of hair of subtle ignorance.''

The result as Machik Labdron herself said is "The fruit of my tradition is the great perfection of all phenomena, for all apparent phenomena of samsara and nirvana can only be perfected in the mind. In this way, if one knows how to accomplish the ultimate meaning of mind itself, that guarantees one's knowledge of the meaning of the perfection of all phenomena, in other words the Great Perfection"

The Views and Path of the Buddha

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