Subhuti, what do you think? May the Tathagata be perceived by the thirty-two marks [of a great man]?

Subhuti answered: Yes, certainly the Tathagata may be perceived thereby.

Then Buddha said: Subhuti, if the Tathagata may be perceived by such marks any great imperial ruler is the same as the Tathagata.

Subhuti then said to Buddha: World-honoured One, as I understand the meaning of Buddha’s words the Tathagata may not be perceived by the thirty-two marks.

Whereupon the World-honoured One uttered this verse:

Who looks for me in form

Who searches for me in sound

His footsteps go astray

He cannot find the Tathagata.

(Text based on: The Diamond Sutra tr. AF Price & Wong Mou-Lam)

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In this podcast:

• The role of the 32 marks in early Buddhism and later Mahayana
• Representations of Buddha and changing conceptions of who/what Buddha is?
• The function of Buddhist art and images in Buddhist practice
• Contemplation and meditation and embodied realisation
• Discussion around using images for practice without attachment and idolotry.

Sam van Schaik is an English Tibetologist. He obtained a PhD in Tibetan Buddhist literature at the University of Manchester in 2000, with a dissertation on the translations of Dzogchen texts by Jigme Lingpa. Since 1999 he has worked at the British Library in London, and is currently a project manager for the International Dunhuang Project, specialising in the study of Tibetan Buddhist manuscripts from Dunhuang. He has also taught occasional courses at SOAS, University of London.

In this podcast we discuss his new book Buddhist Magic a translation of spells from a Tibetan monk-magician of 10th century whose manuscript was part of the collection at Dunhuang.

Now in the midst of the assembly was the Venerable Subhuti. Forthwith he arose, uncovered his right shoulder, knelt upon his right knee, and, respectfully raising his hands with palms joined, addressed Buddha thus: World-Honored One, if good men and good women seek…  [Complete and Perfect Enlightenment], …by what criteria should they abide and how should they control their thoughts?

… Buddha said: Subhuti, all the Bodhisattva-Heroes should discipline their thoughts as follows: All living creatures of whatever class, born from eggs, from wombs, from moisture, or by transformation whether with form or without form, whether in a state of thinking or exempt from thought-necessity, or wholly beyond all thought realms all these are caused by Me to attain Unbounded Liberation Nirvana. Yet when vast, uncountable, immeasurable numbers of beings have thus been liberated, verily no being has been liberated. Why is this, Subhuti? It is because no Bodhisattva who is a real Bodhisattva cherishes the idea of an ego-entity, a personality, a being, or a separated individuality.

(The Diamond Sutra - tr. by A.F.Price and Wong Mou-Lam)

…

In this podcast:

• The Diamond Sutra in its historical context
• Who is Subhuti?
• An explanation of the four modes of birth and its relationship to dependent origination; its links to No-Self and Emptiness
• Investigating consciousness beyond the notion of ‘myself’.
• Nesting selves and extended being
• Corporeal and incorporeal beings as interacting and interpenetrating.
• What this means in practice.

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Q)  If the philosophical underpinnings of Chan (emptiness & oneness and so forth) came out of the Huayen school, were these Buddhists in close contact with Chan Buddhists? Did Chan Buddhism come to these similar ideas by coincidence, or is it possible that Chan itself emerged out of the the Huayan school?

In this podcast:

• The development of Chinese Buddhism.
• Emptiness sunyata and oneness samadhi from Indian Buddhism
• The inter-relationship of Chan/Huayen
• Dependent origination and Indra’s net a Chinese rendition of relationship
• Fa-tsang (3rd patriarch of Huayen), the rafter and the house, sameness and difference
• Five ranks of koans
• Book recommendations.

If I didn’t obey my hunger I would starve. Animals obey their instincts in order to survive. Why did the Buddha link desire to unhappiness and dissatisfaction?

This, O Monks, is the Truth of the Arising of Suffering. It is this thirst or craving (tṛṣṇā) which gives rise to rebirth.which is bound up with passionate delight and which seeks fresh pleasure now here and now there in the form of thirst for sensual pleasure, thirst for existence, and thirst for non-existence. (First Sermon of Buddha)

In this talk the term 'tṛṣṇā" is investigated and we see how the compulsive nature of blind thirst narrows our perspective and outlook on life and can trap us into harmful ways of thinking and being.

How is 'desire' different from the aspiration for Nirvana or Buddha-hood? Why do the Zen masters say that desire-based intention 'misses the target'?

These questions are covered in this talk

Tim Barlow is an actor of stage, film and TV. He has worked in Hollywood and the UK from 'Hot Fuzz' to Dr Who. He is also a Zen Buddhist practitioner. In this interview he discusses the spiritual side of life and lessons that he has learned over the years in this frank and wide-ranging discussion.

Q) I have read that Buddha was a man not a deity and yet some of the stories from the scriptures make him sound god-like. Who or what is he? ………………….

In this podcast:

• The Buddha is asked about himself… who is he? The development of the notion of Buddha from man to transcendent figure Buddha, buddhas and bodhisattvas What is a dhyani Buddha Development of the notion of Buddha nature

In this podcast:

• Aeons, kalpas and the re-making of Genesis
• Myth, memory and history: The contrast between the literal and metaphor, perfuming the present
• Impermanence, karma and The Wheel of Life
• Re-making the future

1.

Bare-chested and bare-footed he enters the market,

Face streaked with dust and head covered with ashes,

But a mighty laugh spreads from cheek to cheek.

Without troubling himself to work miracles, suddenly dead trees break into bloom.

2.

In friendly fashion this fellow comes from a foreign race,

with features like those of a horse, or again like a donkey.

But on shaking his iron staff, all of a sudden

All gates and doors fly wide open for him.

3.

From out of his sleeve the iron rod jumps right into the face.

Genially and full of laughter,

He may talk Mongolian, or speak i Chinese.

Wide open the palace gates to him who, meeting himself, yet remains unknown to himself.

(The Bull and his Herdsman by Zen Master D.R. Otsu, pub. Zen Centre London 1989)

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In this podcast:

• The Great Bodhisattva returns home having completed his journey and brings with him great gifts.
• The gift of fearlessness as the source of liberation.
• The Bodhisattva is motivated by wu-wei the secret of non-intentional activity.
• In alignment with the Dharma helping hand now appear.
•  

This month:

You have mentioned the ‘alaya’ which you call ‘store’ consciousness a few times in your talks. What is this exactly?

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In this podcast:

• The definitions of the terms ‘alaya’ and ‘vijñana
• The problem of the seeds - bijas
• The genesis of the Yogacara school: Asanga and Maitreya in the Tushita heaven
• From 18 Dhatus to 8 Consciousnesses via the dharma samtana - stream of conscious elements
• The feedback loop:  seeds  >  ripening fruit > karmic action > seeds: Pratityasamutpada
• Theories of alaya vijñana - from several to one - Vasubandhu to Huayen
• Theory of Mind: Buddhism v. Cartesian Dualism
• Gambira Dharma: mantras, koans, how the seed mix draws necessary conditions
• Satori stories: inner and outer alignment for awakening