He told me that he was advised to read this book, and he told me that I might be interrested in this as well.
He wanted me to review this book for him and I'll gladly do this for him, for myself, and for others. I hope that I'll find time for that soon.
As a buddhist, I work with my friends, my connections. if this book is of interrest for them, it's important for me too, afterall.
I've found a fairly cheap seller, so I've ordered this book. It has arrived and I've started reading.
--
Summary & Comments/Review (by chapters):
PART I: PRINCIPLES
1. Varieties of Ascesis.
In the first chapter, author explains that in various religions and views (book's author - as well as many others - say that buddhism is NOT a religion), there are different types of ascesis. From self-punishment to absolve from sins - as is done in Religions of Faith, to disciplined training and practice for Mind's development, as the ascetism is explained in Buddhism.
In Buddhism, ascetic practices are like a science, are means to perfect the Mind, to reach Calmness and Liberation (from suffering). In Religions of Faith, ascetics are often mixed with feelings to extreme, and are often too sentimental, often not-so logical and not very scientific.
Blog author's notes:
- In Buddhism, feelings also have their very important place, but should be controlled to not cause harm to oneself and/or to others,
- The early Buddhism teaches the simplest, the most basic lessons, and leads to Liberation. Later lessons that came from Buddha were more advanced, dedicated for the people with better karma, and lead to Liberation & Enlightenment.
2. The Aryan-ness of the Doctrine of Awakening.
The book's author explains that in modern days, the typical translations of the word: 'Aryan' are: 'Noble', 'Sublime', 'Saint', etc... In the Early Pāli Canon, however, the word: 'Aryan' meant: 'Awakened', 'Liberated'.
Author explores 'spirit of common origins' between Western and Eastern Aryans, considers not only the intermarriages, but also spiritual excellence, worldly greatness and worldly nobility of certain famous individuals / Philosophers included / both in the East and in the West. He points out to the supposed Aryan origins of many of these famous people.
Book's author says that it was generally held that the bodhisatta, those who may one day be awakened, are never born into a peasant or servile caste, but into warrior or brahman (priesthood) caste, into the two purest and highest of Aryan castes. Analogies between the Buddhist ascesis and war, between the qualities of an ascetic and the virtues of warrior and of a hero recur frequently in the canonical texts, as well as themes of nobility, liberty, and 'spiritual conquest' (of one's own weaknesses).
According to Buddhist texts, Buddha himself said: 'I serve no man, I have no need to serve any man'. Buddha - being himself kingly - was also kingless. Book author also mentions about Buddha's 'spiritual race', the 'autonomous and immaterial race'.
Buddha had too much respect for himself to allow himself to impose his ideas on others, even that he knew that these ideas are true. He did not convert people, he just allowed people to come to him of their own will, and instructed those who were ready for the lessons, and let them see results of following his doctrine. Having then recognized the existence of a few individual of a nobler nature, with clearer vision, he expounded the doctrine with compassion, maitaining, however, his distance, his detachment, his dignity.
Blog author's notes:
- The book was released in 1943 in Italy, during the World War 2nd. It's when the Hitler Nazis used so-called 'Scientific Occult' to justify the superiority of Ayran people. Perhaps this book would never been printed, if it did not refer to the superiority of the so called Ayrans, Ayran Race,
- The Pāḷi Canon is the standard collection of scriptures in the Theravada Buddhist Tradition (Theravada Buddhism is Early Buddhism), as preserved in the Pāli language,
- Despite above claims, the Buddhist Path to Liberation & Enlightenment is open to any caste/occupation, not only to warriors and priests - at least in the modern times,
- Buddha was born as a Prince (Prince Siddhartha Gautama), then left the palace and became ascetic because of his Spiritual Aspirations.
3. The Historical Context of the Doctrine of Awakening.
In this chapter, book's author explains that - like other religions or views - Buddhism was shaped by the historical, spiritual context in which it emerged.
Buddhism was influenced by other religions & views of the east, but also - criticized these, introducing new explainations for ideas that were popular and strong in Buddhism's early age.
Many of the ideas from that period / like the belief in reincarnation, or study of ego, 'I' * / are present in today's, modern Buddhism. These ideas include beliefs and thoughts of other religions and views that were popular in Buddhism's early days. Would these ideas be present now, in our modern world, if not the Buddhism?
Julius Evola, book's author, also mentions that Buddha criticized not so much the ancient spiritual wisdom, but more the priests who were often too decadent in his time. Buddha also said that spirituality is not tied to the caste in which one was born, the spiritual greatness results from one's actions, not from one's birth-karma. Buddha did not tell that one should escape his or her responsibilities, men and women should still perform services required by their caste, told that they should still serve their superiors.
Buddha's said that one's karma is like a river that loses it's name and qualities once reaching the ocean, that one's karma and whole life changes greatly when one meets and experiences the great spiritual lessons. Despite saying that, Buddhism succesfully coexisted and coexists with cultures in which castes and traditions are the cornerstones.
Blog author's notes:
- As I understood / going beyond the reviewed book /, the ideas and questions about ego, popular
in Buddhism's early days in that part of the world, included:
- Does ego go to heaven or hell after death?
- Does ego merge with deity after death?
- Is ego permanent?
- Does ego exist eternally in heaven by God's side?
- Can ego be conquered?
4. Destruction of the Demon of Dialectics.
In this chapter, book's author explores buddhist approach of denying importance of speculation and opinions. In buddhism, one values knowledge gained by experience, by experience to which the meditation leads / quoting book's author: 'this is the ideal: knowing-seeing in conformity to reality' /.
Author mentions that Buddha himself said:
- 'The supreme form of knowledge is knowledge conforming to reality'.
- The wise man, the Ariya, is not a follower of systems, he does not recognise dogmas, and having penetrated the opinions current among the people and being indifferent in face of speculation, he leaves it to others, he remains calm among the agitated (...),
- 'There are, O disciples, other things, profound things, things difficult to apprehend, hard to understand, but that beget calm; joyful things, things not to be grasped simply by discursive thought, things that only the wise man can understand. These things are expounded by the Accomplished One, after he himself has known them, after he himself has seen them'.
We already know that the title of 'Buddha', given to Prince Siddhattha and then extended to all who have followed his path, means 'awakened'. The term atakkāvacarā often recurs, a term that means just what cannot be apprehended by logic. Instead the doctrine is presented in an 'awakening' and as an 'awakening'.
The Buddha speaks of his own experiences, we find references to the pure presentation of knowledge, either directly or 'in similies never before heard or thought of'.
'As something never heard before, vision arose in me' (...) and that is manifested in a 'knowledge by seeing'.
This is naturally an achievement only through gradual process.
'One cannot, I say, attain superior knowledge all at once; only by a gradual training, a gradual action, a gradual unfolding, does one attain perfect knowledge (...)'.
This does not signify a falling back into 'belief'. (blog author's note: what appears in mind is not always the truth, the things appearing should be checked first, before accepting them as 'real or true'. How to check for truth? In the books, in the internet, by talking with others etc).
It's said that meditation and ascesis (see chapter 1) are the training, for achieving the truth.
It's also said that one should not become detached from his or her real life and ignore it's conditions. Like a man shot by poisoned arrow, should seek the surgeon immeditately, without asking a'priori who was one who struck him or her, what his/her name would be, who his/her people are, what his/her appearance, if his/her bow was great or small, of what wood it was made, with what it was strung, and so on. The man or woman would not succeed in learning enough to satisfy him or her before he or she died.
Blog author's notes:
- The wisdoms that 'awaken in mind', 'as something never heard before, vision arose in me', is something that I've really experienced in my life. I think meditation leads to such experiences, so.. it's not something like 'obscure wisdom from Buddha' that not many felt,
- 'Self-arisen Wisdom' / pl: 'Samopowstała Mądrość' / is term often used in buddhism, and I think most of buddhists experienced it in some form or another, sooner or later,
- Self-arisen Lessons, or Lessons from 'Inner Teachers' gradually build up one's Knowledge, explain how Reality - Inner and Outer - really works. Step after step, Wisdom Awakens and Deepens with time, as one progresses with learning. It's not possible to learn in a few seconds the whole 5-year Computer Sciences Course taught in Colleges and in Universities. The Lessons that gradually Awaken can be both about Worldly Wisdoms (including Sciences), and about Enlightening, Spiritual Wisdoms... but in either case, should be checked: how much of it is True, what make sense, and what doesn't. I'll repeat it again: not everything that appears in Mind is Real or True,
- Working with Miracles can be part of Buddhism. Miracles can enable otherwise-impossible 'things' to happen, but there's still cost involved with making miracles work. It's simpler, easier and cheaper to learn for 5 years on University than preparing for learning the whole course in few seconds. Time spent on preparing for miracle to happen is just part of the cost. There's lesson that states: 'Mind knows Everything, and enables Anything', but there's the catch - there's cost and effort involved.
Or I think so... for now, at least.
5. The Flame and Samsaric Consciousness.
This chapter starts by bringing the idea of immortal and immutable 'I', that a man had in mind, and that was questioned by the Buddha's wisdom. Buddha's Doctrine of Awkaening aims at being entirely realistic. Buddhism proceeds to analyze the Consciousness and to determine the 'truth' corresponding to it, summarized in the theory of universal impermanence and insubstantiality (anatta).
The word: 'becoming' is the truth Buddhism uses from start. In becoming nothing remains identical, there is nothing substantial, and nothing permanent.
It's also said that: 'everything is compunded', 'compounded' being the equivalent here of 'conditioned'. In samsara there are only conditioned states of existence and consciousness.
This view is valid for 'external' and 'internal' existence, as in buddhism everything is Mind, we are Mind and have bodies. Everything, including physical phenomena, is experienced by Mind, as the process, as 'continuum of lived experience'.
It is said: word: 'wagon' is used when the various parts of the wagon are found together. When the conditions that have determined the combination of elements and states are no longer effective, the wagon dissolves. Idea of wagon here is similar to idea of one's ego, conditioned and impermanent.
Consciousness and perception are inseparatble: 'these two things are joined, not separate, and it is impossible to dissociate them so as to differentiate between them'. It is meaningless to talk of consciousness in general, but only of consciousness that is visual, or aural or olafactive, or tactile or mental - 'through the eye, the object of visual consciousness, sight originates; so for hearing, smelling, taste and touch; and so through the mind and mental states, thought originates'. These sensory states, then, derive their origins from other causes and can claim no substantial beginning.
It is in relation to body, that the idea 'I am' arises, and not otherwise. And similarly with feeling, perception, the formations and consciousness - in relation to such causes the idea 'I am' arises, and not otherwise. But these causes are, however, impermanent.
Looking at things in this manner, it becomes quite evident that the idea of an atma, of a substantial unconditioned 'I' cannot be accepted.
Consciousness is thus 'Void of I', since consciousness always arises in the presence of any sensory or psychic content.
Like two planks cannot stand without one leaning against the other, there's idea of interdependence - body can live only as a whole of it's parts, people rely on each other to succesfully live, and many mind states exist as 'aggregations' that are 'functional' only as a whole. Interdependent beings and phenomena are 'compounds', are conditioned, thus impermanent.
All of this can be considered as a general introduction to the theory of the 'four truths of Ariya', and of 'conditioned genesis'. The two first truths of the Ariya corespond to the terms of dukkha and tanha.
The term dukkha is frequently translated as 'pain', whence the stereotypical notion in Buddhism is simply that the world is pain, but this is probably the profane interpretation of Buddhist doctrine. The deeper, doctrinal, and nonpopular significance of the term dukkha is a state of agitation, of restlesness, or of 'commontion' rather than 'suffering'.
The second truth of Ariya, deals with samudaya, with origin. It is said that experience of ours, which manifests itself as dukkha, as agitation, as anguished becoming, originate from tanha, from craving or thirst. 'thirst for life for ever renewing itself, thirst for sensual pleasure, thirst for existence, thirst for becoming'.
This is central force of samsaric existence. Thrist, craving, burning, according to Buddhist teaching, stand not only at the root of all states of mind, but also of experience in general, of the forms of feeling and perception. Thus we get the suggestive symbolism of the 'burning world'. 'The whole world is in flames, the whole world is consumed by fire, the whole world trembles'. All is in flames. And what is the all that is in flames? The eye is burning, what is visible is burning, consciousness of the visible is burning. The feeling - be it pleasure or pain, or neither pain or pleasure - which arises from the contact with what is visible is burning. And with what it is burning? With the fire of desire, with the fire of aversion, withe the fire of delusion.
And again there is the same theme for the 'fivefold stem of personality': materiality, feeling, perception, formations and consciousness. This flame burns not only with desire, aversion and delusion, but also in birth and death, in decay, in every kind of pain and suffering.
It's said that 'I' does not exist outside the process of burning, it is this very process. Ego craves for water, food, nourishment, for giving birth, to sustain itsel, to continue the life of living species, etc... . Without craving, the samsaric 'I' would collapse.
On ths basis the Buddhist theory of samsara has been able to develop as far as theory of 'instaneous existence', khana. In this sense, sctrictly speaking, life is instantaneous, has duration of a thought: 'the being of past moment has lived, but does not live; the being of future moment will live, but does not live, the being of present moment lives, but has not lived and will not live.'.
This is coup de grace delivered to Hindu concept of 'Reincarnation'. / blog author's comment: Panta Rhei, everything flows. One can't enter the same river twice. The mind states are unrepeatable, or almost unrepeatable' /. A continuity does indeed exist, but it is impersonal, it is continuity of 'craving', of the 'current' of the will to burn in order to be.
There exists 're-becoming', like the idea of a flame that moves from one branch (of a tree) to another tree-branch.
Blog author's comments:
- Liberation might lead to cessation of re-briths, and thus to cessation of 'suffering', but there are Buddhas who are reborn by their own decision. Sometimes it's worthwhile to be reborn, as after Liberation and Enlightenment one experiences 'highest bliss' and similar mind-states, and one can still help other beings, give them lessons.
TO BE DONE:
6. Conditioned Genesis.
7. Determination of the Vocations.
PART II: PRACTICE
8. The Qualities of the Combatant and the 'Departure'.
9. Defense and Consolidation.
10. Rightness.
11. Sidereal Awareness: The Wounds Close.
12. The Four Jhana: The 'Irradiant Contemplations'.
13. The States Free from Form and the Extrinction.
14. Discrimination Between the 'Powers'.
15. Phenomenology of the Great Liberation.
16. Signs of the Nonpareil.
17. The Void: 'If the Mind Does Not Break'.
18. Up to Zen.
19. The Ariya Are Still Gathered on the Vulture's Peak.
