Comments on: Tibetan Chan II: the teachings of Heshang Moheyan

By: gregorywonderwheel

gregorywonderwheel — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:54:44 +0000

This false equation, between transcending duality and polarity on the one hand and shutting down all mental activity on the other hand, is the reason that Chan’s non-dual prajna awareness is called “anti-social.” IF a person believes that seeing through the false opposition of the two poles of what are conventionally called “the opposites” means having a blank mind or shutting down all mental activity, THEN for sure the conclusion would be that such a meditation method is anti-social and to be avoided. But Chan/Zen has always emphasized this very same view–that shutting down all mental activity is NOT the method.

So the false equation of Chan with “blank meditation” becomes the “emblem” for a movement of political hegemony disguised as religious debate.

This is a very informative blog. Thanks!

By: Dab

Dab — Mon, 19 May 2008 16:08:42 +0000

Yeah, I do get your point. Where exactly does space leave off and leave only … ?

… absence of space?

Ain’t it more like Hebrew Ain Soph?

And what about the words in that prayer, “As long as space endures”?

By: earlytibet

earlytibet — Sun, 18 May 2008 17:28:32 +0000

Dear Dab,

Gee thanks, but I have to wonder how many multi-part Buddhism blogs there were last year. Anyway I’m keeping the day job.

Does the sky have a limit? The Tibetan phrase (nam mkha’i mtha’) has always been slightly puzzling to me…

By: earlytibet

earlytibet — Fri, 16 May 2008 20:56:09 +0000

Dear Andrej,

Thanks for pointing out Namkhai Norbu’s book (actually a transcription of a talk with notes by Kennard Lipman). I do have a copy, and it is a nice overview of the way the different approaches are distinguished in the Samten Migdrön. As he points out, the fault attributed to Chan is basically a grasping at ultimate truth. It’s clear that Nub Sangye Yeshe, the author of the Samten Migdrön, had access to the same kind of Chan manuscripts that were preserved at Dunhuang. In fact, he quotes the same lines that I quoted above from IOL Tib J 468.

According to Luis Gomez, IOL Tib J 468 along with several other Dunhuang manuscripts can be pieced together to reconstruct an complete (or almost complete) work of Mohyehan, and it’s this that Nub Sangye Yeshe had access to. He called it ‘The Meditation Treatise of Moheyan’ (Ma ha yan gyi sgom lung), and although the title that appears at the beginning of IOL Tib J 468 is ‘The Introduction to Instantaneous Contemplation of Abbot Moheyan’ (Khen po ma ha yan gi bsam gtan cig car ‘jug pa’i sgo), they seem to be one and the same work.

As well as acknowledging Namkhai Norbu’s book, I should point out that several Japanese scholars have done sterling work in studying Tibetan Chan, especially Daishun Ueyama.

By: Andrej

Andrej — Fri, 16 May 2008 12:22:16 +0000

Hi
I suggest a book by Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche, Dzogchen and Zen. Rinpoche brilliantly explains what Hwashang taught and how it fits into the Tibetan frame of teachings and practice, based on the text of Nubchen Sanggye Jeshe called Samten Migdron (I see in that older article that you read that one). I don’t know where to purchase this book though.

all the best

Andrej

By: Dab

Dab — Thu, 15 May 2008 17:23:19 +0000

Congratulations on receiving the highly uncoveted Blogisattva award! You really have it coming. More people should notice it. You’ve had it for months. Who exactly knew?

Best Multi-Part Blog Post [post series; blog; blogger]: Dharma from the sky “I: legends and history”, “II: Indian or Chinese dharma?”

Look here:
http://blogisattva.blogspot.com/

Now the sky is the limit! Or is it?

Your
Dab