To Dream the Impossible Dream or realise Śūnyatā?

A few weeks ago I was contemplating on the 4 great Bodhisattva vows while driving through the city, the futility of the effort they demanded and the impossibility of ever being able to fulfil them. The vows as chanted at the end of each Dharma discussion at the monastery are as follows:

1. Countless are sentient beings I vow to liberate;
2. Endless are afflictions I vow to eradicate;
3. Measureless are the Dharmas I vow to master;
4. Supreme is the Buddha way I vow to attain.

I recall wondering at how futile is trying to liberate countless beings, how impossible is attempting to eradicate endless afflictions, how insurmountable is mastering measureless Dharmas!

There are some fundamental problems with unattainable objectives for a rational mind and for a philosophy based on observation and reason. Yet these impossible vows are chanted and the Buddha way is lauded as supreme. Are these vows calling the Buddha and all his followers’ masochists, I pondered? Are they imploring Buddhists to a Quixote like quest for virtue in pursuing an idealised yet unobtainable fantasy? In short, is this a mindless dogma that encourages people to suspend their reason and vow to follow an impossible dream?

Well, there is certainly the appearance of an unreasonable dogma in repeatedly chanting a vow that seems unobtainable, but if we look beyond the appearance and consider the vows in relation to the Buddhist realisation of Śūnyatā then it is possible to perceive an entirely different interpretation. One based not only on reason but also on experiential knowledge.

Śūnyatā is the principle that nothing in phenomenal existence has any intrinsic reality of its own. That is, all of experiential existence is interdependent, that nothing exists on its own and that all things come into being due only to the causes and conditions that precipitate them. Such psycho-physical manifestations initially grow while conditions promote growth, abide while conditions are supportive, decay when conditions deteriorate and then ultimately recede back to become insubstantial when the conditions and causes for their existence are exhausted. We see this lifecycle play out in every aspect of manifest reality: from waves on the ocean, solar flares on the sun, businesses, religions, cultures and societies, past and present biological species, architecture, fashion, fortunes, government welfare programmes, friendships, all of our individual endeavours and most intimately of all, we see this in our own mortality. All things are in a constant state of flux, moving through states of conception, increasing, abiding, decay and death.

Of course we may not perceive the temporal transience of our existence very well and may often work very hard to build and maintain the conditions that support the objects of our focus and attention. In Buddhist terms, the strength of our attention on these objects of desire is indicative of the strength of our attachment to them. This extends from not only the mundane world of everyday existence such as desires for chocolate cake, wealth, power or sex, but also to less material pursuits of wisdom and truth with desires to be charitable and compassionate, eradicate afflictions, to be skilful and aware, or even to achieve Buddhahood. But regardless of the degree or nature of one’s obsession, the intensity of one’s desire, or the exertion of one’s effort in favour of our attachments, inevitably things change and ultimately recede to become insubstantial.

Our inability to clearly perceive, accept and anticipate this inevitable change and inter-dependent nature of all things is what is termed our fundamental ignorance. This ignorance, through our relationships with these objects of our attachment, become the source of all sufferings as our expectations are ultimately revealed as nothing more than empty fantasies built on a deluded interpretation of reality. Even at the heights of one’s triumphs and in the moments of greatest happiness, the inevitable decline back to normalcy or despair lies waiting and any sense of satisfaction achieved is fleeting. Such achievements are potentially even a source of future suffering, as those once attained heights become the causes of dissatisfaction of a normal existence. If you have a background in Buddhist terms, you will identify that we are now discussing the Four Noble Truths, being:

1. The truth of suffering
2. The truth of the origination of suffering
3. The truth of the cessation of suffering
4. The truth of the path to the cessation of suffering

However, this is inevitable, as underpinning the Four Noble Truths as in all of Buddhist principles is the concept of Śūnyatā. Unfortunately, it is difficult to grasp the concept of Śūnyatā without experiencing it and the importance of meditation to cultivate the necessary level of understanding and provide that requisite experience to realise the truth cannot be overestimated. It is quite simply impossible to know the significance of Śūnyatā without developing Samādhi – meditative capability. Nonetheless, it is from a realisation of Śūnyatā that the Four Noble Truths are derived and it should be with a realisation of Śūnyatā that the Four Great Vows are interpreted.

That is, there is no independent thing that exists that can be called a Sentient Being, or an Affliction, or a Dharma, or even a Buddha. All such things are subjective conceptualisations of complex interactions that ultimately pass away and distil down to Śūnyatā - Emptiness. Hence it is said in the Heart Sutra that Form and Emptiness are the same. Not just equivalent, but the same.

“form is emptiness and the very emptiness is form ;
emptiness does not differ from form, form does not differ from emptiness, whatever is emptiness, that is form,
the same is true of feelings, perceptions, impulses, and consciousness.” - Heart Sutra

So to make sense, the Four Great Vows are to be interpreted from the perspective that Form is Emptiness. That the form of the vows are themselves Śūnyatā and are nothing but descriptive concepts of attaining the path and progressing on the way to Buddhahood.

I raised this in discussing at the monastery with my Shifu and confirmed this was indeed a valid approach. The Shifu observed that realising Śūnyatā is obtaining the Path, or the way of the Buddha, where delusions and ignorance are removed. With such a one, expressions of form are more perfect, carrying greater poignancy and purpose and naturally align to the Four Great Vows of the Bodhisattva. Or rather, the Four Great Vows become nothing more than the natural expression of a Bodhisattva, or in Chinese terms, a Sage, as they perfect their wisdom through a life of action without attachment or desire.

Buddha himself describes this in the 3^rd stanza of the Diamond Sutra from which the First Great Vow is derived:

3. All living beings, whether born from eggs, from the womb, from moisture, or spontaneously; whether they have form or do not have form; whether they are aware or unaware, whether they are not aware or not unaware, all living beings will eventually be led by me to the final Nirvana, the final ending of the cycle of birth and death. And when this unfathomable, infinite number of living beings have all been liberated, in truth not even a single being has actually been liberated.

Why Subhuti? Because if a disciple still clings to the arbitrary illusions of form or phenomena such as an ego, a personality, a self, a separate person, or a universal self existing eternally, then that person is not an authentic disciple.

4. Furthermore, Subhuti, in the practice of compassion and charity a disciple should be detached. That is to say, he should practice compassion and charity without regard to appearances, without regard to form, without regard to sound, smell, taste, touch, or any quality of any kind. Subhuti, this is how the disciple should practice compassion and charity. Why? Because practicing compassion and charity without attachment is the way to reaching the Highest Perfect Wisdom, it is the way to becoming a living Buddha. – Diamond Sutra

So in the above, we see the Buddha explaining the first of the Four Great Vows and confirming that the vow contains perspectives of both form and emptiness:

• The Form element – A Bodhisattva should form the concepts of compassion and charity by committing to liberate all sentient beings from the cycle of life and death;
• The Emptiness element – However, in that activity, a Bodhisattva should act without attachment or discriminative thought, realising both the acts and the beings are Śūnyatā.

That is, a Bodhisattva must both realise Śūnyatā and act with compassion towards others, purifying their essence and perfecting their wisdom on the path to Buddhahood. Importantly, to realise Śūnyatā through profound Samādhi is not enough, it is the work of this existence to demonstrate that realisation in the material world through one’s actions.

Yet the element of Emptiness is veiled in the Four Great Vow as chanted, alluded to only in the reference to “the Buddha way” and is easily overlooked. As a result, the Four Great Vows can easily lose significance and meaning, focusing as they appear to on the form of one’s behaviour in striving for impossible objectives. Repetitiously chanting these vows without appreciating the importance of Samādhi to provide a direct, experiential realisation of Śūnyatā, could well be dogmatic and induce a behaviour, that although very meritorious and virtuous, is nonetheless shrouded in ignorance.

Indeed, in stanza 6 of the Diamond Sutra, the Buddha goes on to say, that all the elements of form he conveys are not truths in themselves, but simply a means of conveying a truth and should be released from any dogmatic constraints.

When the Buddha explains these things using such concepts and ideas, people should remember the unreality of all such concepts and ideas. They should recall that in teaching spiritual truths the Buddha always uses these concepts and ideas in the way that a raft is used to cross a river. Once the river has been crossed over, the raft is of no more use, and should be discarded. These arbitrary concepts and ideas about spiritual things need to be explained to us as we seek to attain Enlightenment. However, ultimately these arbitrary conceptions can be discarded. Think Subhuti, isn't it even more obvious that we should also give up our conceptions of non-existent things? – Diamond Sutra (bottom of the 6^th stanza)

Here the Buddha says in very plain terms, that these forms of explanation, the vows and similar devices, are nothing but arbitrary concepts to be discarded once enlightenment is achieved. That is, all the means of explaining the path to attaining enlightenment, including the vows of the Bodhisattva, are concepts only. Used to illuminate the way to be travelled and that these concepts are only for the assistance of the unenlightened. They are nothing but arbitrary irrelevancies for one who has realised Anuttarasamyaksambodhi – the highest perfect wisdom.

Or to paraphrase somewhat and put this back into context of the Four Great Vows: Vowing to emulate the characteristics of a Bodhisattva will help one find the raft. To understand one’s ignorance through developing Samādhi and realising Śūnyatā is stepping onto the raft. To be transported to the further shore, one must remain steadily on the raft while their wisdom is perfected.

Hence, the concepts of unobtainable quantities, such as countless, endless and measureless, that seem to contradict reason in the Four Great Vows, are simply the subjectively conceived indicators of the infinite and unrestrained expression of a Bodhisattva who has transcended all subjective conceptualisation.

This conclusion might appear illusive and difficult to grasp, but as previously explained here, this is simply a fundamental limitation in describing objective reality with subjective language. In the Diamond Sutra again, the Buddha himself details the difficulties of explaining the truth of subjective concepts or objects using subjective language, as opposed to the actual experience of living in an enlightened state.

Tell me, Subhuti. Does a Buddha say to himself, 'I have obtained Perfect Enlightenment.'?

No, lord. There is no such thing as Perfect Enlightenment to obtain. If a Perfectly Enlightened Buddha were to say to himself, 'I am enlightened' he would be admitting there is an individual person, a separate self and personality, and would therefore not be a Perfectly Enlightened Buddha.

Subhuti then said, Most Honoured One! You have said that I, Subhuti, excel amongst thy disciples in knowing the bliss of Enlightenment, in being perfectly content in seclusion, and in being free from all passions. Yet I do not say to myself that I am so, for if I ever thought of myself as such then it would not be true that I escaped ego delusion. I know that in truth there is no Subhuti and therefore Subhuti abides nowhere, that he neither knows nor does he not know bliss, and that he is neither free from nor enslaved by his passions. – Diamond Sutra (bottom of the 9^th stanza)

Therefore, the Vows themselves have a dual purpose for the unenlightened:

1. As a tool to assist develop inspirational commitment to one’s Buddhist practice by exemplifying the virtuous characteristics of a Bodhisattva to emulate; and
2. As an opportunity to peer into the impossible nature of the vows and to transcend the mundane, personalised focus of interpretation by realising the nature of Śūnyatā held within.

The Four Great Vows challenge the individual practitioner to either dream the impossible dream of striving for unattainable objectives or to realise Śūnyatā.

May we each develop our Samādhi and attain the further shore.

Namaste.