THE TIBETAN LAMA LOOKS AT CONSCIOUSNESS, AND RELATED ISSUES
The back cover of this 1975 book states, “The Abhidharma is a collection of Buddhist scriptures that investigate the workings of the mind and the states of human consciousness. In this book, Chögyam Trungpa discusses the development of go as it is explained in the Abhidharma. From the Buddhist perspective, the creation of ego is a neurotic process based on fundamental ignorance of our true situation. This book shows how an examination of the formation of the ego leads to a realization of confusion and also provides an opportunity to develop real intelligence. The practice of meditation is represented as the means that enables us to see our psychological situation clearly and directly.”
He wrote in the Introduction, “I have decided to present the abhidharma because I feel it is necessary in studying the Buddhist tradition to start from scratch, to begin at the beginning and present the pure, immaculate, genuine teaching. We have been doing that so far in terms of the practice of meditation and in terms of the theoretical understanding of the teaching as well… In getting back to the basic principles, there could be two approaches. Some people feel inclined to work purely on the intuitive or emotional level; others feel that approach is not fundamental enough and want to work on the scholarly or theoretical aspect. I would not say that these two ways conflict, but rather that they are two channels through which to approach the subject. What we are trying to do here is to neglect either the intellect nor the intuition, but to combine the two together.” (Pg. 1-2)
He continues, “Many modern psychologists have found that the discoveries and explanations of the Abhidharma coincide with their own recent discoveries and new ideas; as though a Abhidharma, which was taught 2,500 years ago, had been redeveloped in the modern idiom.” (Pg. 2)
He explains, “The abhidharma … is based on the point of view of egolessness. Then we talk about egolessness, that does not mean simply the absence of ego itself. It means also the absence of the projections of the ego. Egolessness comes more or less as a by-product of seeing the transitory, transparent nature of the world outside. Once we have dealt with the projections of the ego and seen their transitory and transparent nature, then ego has no reference point, nothing to relate to. So the notions of inside and outside are interdependent---ego began and its projections began. Ego managed to maintain its identity by means of its projections. When we are able to see the projections as nonsubstantial, ego becomes transparent correspondingly.” (Pg. 9)
He asserts, “Feeling involves the pretense that you are involved with somebody, but actually you are just beating your head against a wall. You constantly search further and further thinking you are going to get at something, but ultimately, still, you are beating your head against a wall. There is no answer to feeling’s search, no savior for it. That is why the buddhadharma is an atheistic teaching. We have to accept that ours is a lonely journey. Studying the second skandha of feeling can be extremely important in helping us to realize that the whole journey is made alone, independent of anybody else. Still we are trying to beat ourselves against something all the time.” (Pg. 22-23)
He says, “Perception is based on that which is manifested by form and feeling and that which is not manifested by them. These are the two basic qualities in perception. In the first case, something is manifested via the six sense organs. You perceive something and you relate to is, you hold onto certain senses and their perceptions, and then from there you relate with that content. This is the first touching and feeling process. Feeling is like a radiation radiating out. Within that radiation, perception takes place as the radiation begins to function as definite details of that and this.” (Pg. 31-32)
He states, “The study of samskara skandha can teach us that all phenomena of human psychology, whatever types of thought patterns occur, all have these good and bad and indifferent qualities. Therefore we cannot really define one thought pattern as being the only right kind---there is no such thing as absolute aggression or absolute passion or absolute ignorance. All of them have the slight tendency of the other types. The whole idea is that therefore one cannot just condemn one type and totally accept another, even if it is the spiritual virtuous type of thoughts. They are questionable as all the other kinds of thought are questionable. That is a very important thought---nothing is really to be condemned or accepted.” (Pg. 50-51)
He clarifies, “I think a fundamental problem that we all have is that we are very critical of ourselves to the point where we are even our own enemies. Meditation is a way of making up that quarrel, of accepting ourselves, making friends with ourselves. We may find we are not as bad as we have been told we are. We will also find that meditation practice is not something exotic and high and out of reach so that we cannot grasp it. Meditation practice is something that takes place on a personal level. It involves an intimate relationship with ourselves. Great intimacy is involved. It has nothing to do with achieving perfection, achieving some absolute state of other. It is purely getting into what we are, really examining our actual psychologic process without being ashamed of it. It is getting into what we are properly and thoroughly. It is just friendship with ourselves.” (Pg. 65-66)
He explains, “Another point that needs to be made clear here is the distinction between ‘mind’ and ‘consciousness.’ In the Buddhist tradition, mind is purely that which perceives. It does not require brainwork; it is simple perception, just on the level of the nervous system. This simple instinctive function is called ‘mind.’ … Consciousness, on the other hand, is articulated and intelligent. It is the finally developed state of being that contains all the previous elements. It contains all of the fundamental subtleties of ‘mind’… and it also includes thought patterns. It includes any kind of thinking process. But here the thinking process is on a subconscious level, whether it be discursive, pictorial or instinctive. Consciousness is that sort of fundamental creepy quality that runs behind the actual living thoughts, behind the samskaras.” (Pg. 73-74)
He notes, “So what we are actually studying is the whole process of karmic development without particular reference to which developments are the good ones and which are the bad ones. We are just studying the karmic situation as it is. It is fitting; all aspects of the process coincide in their particular unique ways in each and all situations. This does not mean that everything is prearranged, that you have no choice at all---because everything happens in the present moment. Buddhist philosophy says that the future is vacant rather than prearranged. You cannot have a prearranged future; ‘future’ means nothing has happened yet. Everything, as far as it exists, is in the present situation. The potential of the future is in the present moment.” (Pg. 92-93)
He concludes, “There is a general misconception about Buddhism … People wonder who, is there is no ego, is attaining enlightenment, who is performing all one’s actions? If you have no ego, how can you eat, how can you sleep? In that case ego is misunderstood to be the physical body, rather than what it is---a paranoid insurance policy, the fortified nest of ego. You[r] being can continue without your being defensive about yourself. In fact you become more invincible if you are not defending yourself.” (Pg. 117)
This book will be of keen interest to students of Tibetan Buddhism and Buddhist psychology.