The Sixfold Sublimation of Limitless-Oneness

In Mahayana Buddhism teachings on practice center around the Six Paramitas. They are labeled as Giving, Law-abiding, Tolerance, Diligence, Meditation and Wisdom. There are already many works in English expounding this important topic; and the usual terminology used in translation for paramita is perfection.

In this work I am presenting, besides the traditional teachings, a new perspective on the Six Paramitas in the light of Enlightenment as Original Purity in Limitless-Oneness. Also I am using sublimation instead of the common perfection to spotlight an important function of Buddhist practice--it is not a completion at the original level but a transformation resulting in essential change.

The materials gathered here can be traced back to my books A Golden Ring: An Introduction to Buddhist Meditation and The Buddhist Practice of Chanting "Amitabha." Nevertheless, the importance of this new perspective on the Six Paramitas calls for a special treatment.

May the readers gain insight into the unity underlying all Buddhist practices and apply the principles presented here to improve their particular practices!

Yutang Lin
August 16, 1994
El Cerrito, California

1. Original Purity in Limitless-Oneness

The fundamental principle of Buddhism is that the whole universe is in Limitless-Oneness, it is originally so, and pure, i.e., free from artificial limits of concepts, values and judgments.

This is an abstract idea and seems to be far from reality, even contradictory from a logical point of view. How could we accept it, and how could we adopt it in daily life?

The concept of Limitless-Oneness is contradictory from a logical point of view because when we talk about one, there is implied some defining limitation of it, otherwise we could not refer to it. Hence, if we say oneness and limitless, it is the same, from a logical point of view, as saying something unknowable or practically non-existent.

Nevertheless, from limitless and oneness respectively we can learn the fundamental aspects of Buddha's Enlightenment. Buddha's Enlightenment is essentially undefinable and inexpressible, therefore, when we resort to concepts in explaining that experience, either we are limited by the concepts used or we have to go beyond the concepts used. If we stay within logical limits we can hardly transmit the essential aspects of Buddha's Enlightenment. Hence I introduce the paradoxical notion of Limitless-Oneness.

How could we accept this notion of Limitless-Oneness? When Sakyamuni attained Enlightenment he had the experience of everything in Limitless-Oneness. Its truth has been witnessed by Buddhist practitioners over the ages. It is not stated here as a dogmatic doctrine to be blindly followed, rather it is a spiritual insight revealed to guide practitioners on the path toward Enlightenment. Its truth can be experienced by devoted practitioners as they continue on the path, thus it is not a dogma based on blind faith.

This notion of Limitless-Oneness serves a twofold function: on the one hand, it points out that Buddha's Enlightenment transcends all limits--is beyond languages, concepts, senses, and even the natural limits of space and time; on the other hand, it points out that this transcendence is not beyond or above, but one with all, and all are one.

From our ordinary point of view the two aspects of Limitless-Oneness may seem all too abstract, metaphysical and lacking in substance in the reality we know. Hence, I need to explain them in more detail.

First, let me explain the meaning of oneness when I say that all are one. For example, our bodies have many different parts--eyes, ears, hands, etc. All of them form one body because they are all connected. Similarly, although the world consists of so many things, they are all connected as one. This seems to contradict the fact that in the world, it is survival of the fittest. In the human world, we have wars against one another; how could we be one? Buddha's experience of the oneness of all is beyond our ordinary experience, yet it is possible for any one of us to share this experience through the cultivation of Buddhist practice. Only when one has some taste of this oneness can one see clearly that hostility and selfishness are wrong.

The Buddhist Practice does not aim at establishing a new conceptual perspective which would inevitably bring about the duality of right and wrong. If it were such, then it would be only trying to replace one set of artificial standards with another, and consequently cannot free people from prejudice. Rather, Buddhist practices aim at freeing us from the delusive limitation of concepts and senses, and help us regain our innate spiritual purity. In the light of our original purity, we will realize that selfishness and hostility are ill-founded, but not simply because we are subscribing to certain ideals.

Furthermore, it is of utmost importance that we understand this oneness, because if we are limited by our conceptual selves, then our lives are certainly miserable. When all things are constantly subject to change, how could we keep our tiny selves above water all the time? It would seem that the whole world is running against our will most of the time if we are self-centered. Our lives are so fragile--what guarantee do we have for our safety and subsistence?

Second, as to limitlessness of Buddha's Enlightenment, I offer the following explanation: We know that concepts have limited applicability to reality and that the range of human senses is limited; how, then, could Buddha transcend such limits? Buddha transcends conceptual limits by returning to the original state of no concepts, which is freedom from concepts even in the subconscious. This does not mean that Buddha is incapable of using concepts; it simply means that Buddha's mind is not confined or directed by concepts. The possibility of transcending normal human senses is shown by reports of people with supernatural abilities. From the Buddhist point of view, such supernatural abilities are within the reach of all human beings, provided that they free themselves from cultural barriers that prevent the development of innate subtle abilities. Since Buddha is one who has attained freedom from all artificial barriers, no matter how subtle they are, his innate abilities are fully developed. Hence, he naturally transcends the limitation of normal sensation.

How could Buddha transcend the basic framework of the Universe--the space-time continuum? We are accustomed to the limits of space and time; omnipresence, omniscience and eternity seem unreal to us mortals. Did not Buddha die at the age of eighty even though in Buddhist terminology it is labeled as "entering Nirvana"? Yes, from our ordinary point of view, no matter what you call it, Buddha died at eighty, and so it seems that he is at least subject to death, if not rebirth. Nevertheless, when he attained Full Enlightenment, he lost his identification with the mortal body and life, he was at once in eternal union with the whole universe--the universe not limited by our concepts of space and time, and it is precisely in this way that he achieved his transcendence of space and time. Furthermore, his transcendence is not just a psychological event, it has been witnessed by Buddhists over the ages that as long as a Buddhist is sincere in taking refuge in Buddha and devotes himself to Buddhist practice, he will receive numerous inspirations from Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and protectors. The only reasonable explanation for all those miraculous inspirational events is that Buddha and holy beings have achieved omnipresence, eternity and omniscience.

There is no way that I can advocate the above to people simply because it is my belief. Any one who adopts the Buddhist practice will sooner or later experience the truth of the above statements. It is only because it is based on such a general fact that I dare to advocate Buddha's transcendence to the world.

When one, through the cultivation of Buddhist practices, experiences the Original Purity in Limitless-Oneness, his life is no longer limited by his mortal existence. Even the concepts of space and time become meaningless in the sense that they are no longer operative in the usual way. If we study the basis of science, we will realize that the basic measurement and hence operational significance of space and time are indeed defined by man. When Buddha was able to free himself from all concepts that were consciously or subconsciously present to him, spatial and temporal distinctions faded away, and all became one. This is not just theoretical projection of what Buddhahood should be like, be it realizable or not. Buddhists through the ages can testify that, as a result of their practice, many extraordinary phenomena have occurred which baffle scientific explanations, but can be reasonably accounted for according to the Buddhist teaching of Limitless-Oneness. The working of prayers that affect people thousands of miles away is one such miraculous phenomenon. Even if someday science may be able to explain supernatural phenomena, it will still be unlikely that science can have the power to reproduce such extraordinary events.

Science is built on theoretical systems which in turn are built on concepts, and concepts by their nature divide and define limits. Even the concept of infinity hinges on the concept of finiteness and can be understood only as being non-finite. Buddha's Enlightenment, on the contrary, is completely beyond conceptual confinement. Here lies the fundamental reason why science can never achieve Buddhist Enlightenment and its accompanying supernatural powers.

Science can provide us with instruments and technology that help us hear and see things thousands of miles away, but it cannot do so without those instruments and energy sources; whereas telepathy and clairvoyance come to practitioners naturally.

Human knowledge today is based on the fundamental duality of subject and object, the observer and the observed. Nevertheless, in quantum mechanics we have come to recognize the Uncertainty Principle which illuminates the limit of a dualistic approach. In using the concept of a field to establish General Relativity Theory, Einstein is approaching the Buddhist teaching of all are one. In Limitless-Oneness the fundamental characteristic of human cognitive activities, the subject/object distinction, has been transcended.

The Buddhist practice will help us realize our original state of Limitless-Oneness. As we gradually approach Enlightenment, the broadening of our horizons and the openness of our lives will enable us to face the difficulties of life with a proper perspective. Consequently we will be able to handle things more satisfactorily and even enjoy a spontaneous feeling of peace and happiness. As we turn the center of our attention from selfish interests to the well-being of all sentient beings, we will naturally live a life of service and find such a life meaningful and spiritually rewarding. Besides, as we gain experience of Limitless-Oneness, we will be able to use such experience to help others in many extraordinary ways.

The future seems to lie beyond the scope of human knowledge. However, a Buddhist practitioner may sometimes know future events in advance. It is revealed to him in dreams or through heavenly voices. Ordinarily we lack the ability to see the causal consequences of events, hence the future is full of surprises. Nevertheless, phenomena occur according to the Law of Causation and Consequence, hence the future is, to some extent, predictable. This does not imply fatalism because events that are bound to happen due to past events, may still be changed by additional efforts before they actually happen. This and the fact that all are connected as one are the reasons why prayers can help people who are suffering the consequence of past negative activities. Theoretically we can explain as above the fact that practitioners do sometimes know things in advance; practically, we have no mechanical way to achieve such results. It remains a mystical spiritual reality known to devoted practitioners through the ages.

To say that this Limitless-Oneness is originally pure, we mean that it is not the result of practice or cultivation, rather, it is naturally free from artificial limitations. Usually we are not aware of this fact because we are accustomed to being limited by concepts and the senses. To people who are able to free themselves from the limiting effect of concepts and senses, the truth of Original Purity in Limitless-Oneness will become self-evident simply because it is so. What Buddhist practice does is simply help remove our prejudice and habits so that we may return to the original state of purity which is beyond value systems and judgments. It is a process of unlearning our cultural differences--we are born American, French,... or Chinese, which is an accidental event but it affects our upbringing and outlook on life. Only when we are free from cultural prejudice can we see that essentially we are all the same. Whatever we do to others based on cultural prejudice is simply due to ignorance of the fundamental unity and equality among all beings; when we hurt others we are indeed hurting ourselves. These are not abstract religious ideals--the modern awareness of ecology and of the need for environmental preservation testifies to the truth of these wise teachings.

Another aspect of original purity is that when we achieve Full Enlightenment we are simply returning to a natural state; it will not be something foreign to our nature and thus needs some effort to keep. Were Full Enlightenment an object to pursue and preserve with effort, it could not bring complete liberation because then we would need always to be on the watch for it and never able to relax. Just the opposite; we need to learn to let go. We have been holding on to the notion of a self for too long. Our minds are constantly running with thoughts: I am like this, you are like that, and our relationship is such and such,..., without end. When our minds are so conditioned and complicated, we simply cannot relax. We need to unlearn all this and return to the state of simplicity and childlike innocence. Only then will we find freedom and happiness in life.

Returning to our innocent state does not mean that we need to abolish our culture and social structures. It is an obvious fact that social structures have their limits--the peace of a society is basically maintained by its people's goodness and mutual trust, rather than by police and lawyers. It is important to cultivate the spiritual innocence of people so that laws and law enforcement agencies will not be misused but can serve properly as tools to help the innocent.

Original purity is beyond our judgments and preferences. All our values and propensities relate to our cultural backgrounds; what is considered good in one culture may be considered bad in another. For example, in America, people name their children after someone they love, hence a child may be given the name of a grandparent. In the Chinese culture, it is disrespectful to use the name of a parent in naming a child. Original purity is beyond these cultural differences and relative judgments.

2. No Attachment and Opening Up

How can we apply Limitless-Oneness in real-life situations? It does not mean that we could intrude into others' rights and properties and act simply as we please. Rather, we should give up our prejudices and attachments, open our mind to the world, and be tolerant and considerate to one another. In this way, we will gradually approach Limitless-Oneness even in our daily lives.

As a Buddhist practitioner, I used to ask myself the question: how do I apply Buddha's teachings in my daily life? There are so many theories and rules of conduct in Buddhism, and it would be very difficult to know how to apply them to our daily lives. Furthermore, new elements of the modern world and the complications of each individual's situation cannot be given full treatment in any religious treatise. Real-life situations often require immediate attention and responses; we may not have the chance to consult a spiritual teacher in advance. Hence, in order to apply Buddha's teachings to our daily lives, it is necessary that we use very simple and fundamental principles to guide our considerations and activities.

How do I obtain such workable guidelines? I look directly at Buddhahood which is in Limitless-Oneness, and our situation which is limited in all practical aspects, then it becomes obvious that our approach to Buddhahood is a process of transcendence from finiteness to limitlessness. Thus, the main principles to guide our activities and practices are, on the active side, to open up, and, on the reductive side, to let go of attachments. What I have learned for my own use are the two basic principles of Opening Up and No Attachment. I offer them to all Buddhist friends who also want to apply Buddha's teaching to their daily lives.

These two principles are complementary to each other and interconnected. Without letting go of attachments, there is no real opening up. Without opening up, one can hardly let go of attachments. Opening up means to see things from all angles, to love all equally, and to consider things in long term instead of the immediate result. No attachment means to give up one's prejudices, preferences and partialities. We need to let go of our limited views, desires, emotions, and habits, and open up to the openness, impartiality and tranquility of Limitless-Oneness.

Let us consider, for example, opening up in space. Please imagine you are in the center of a big balloon, and try to expand this balloon as much as possible. Could you please tell me how large your balloon is?

The answers that I have received are as follows: Some says that he feels some curvature, a boundary, but he can not specify where it is. Another says that as his balloon enlarges he gradually loses feeling of it. A woman says that she feels that the balloon is limited by the room, so she closes her eyes and has a mental image of a big balloon in the sky, with herself in the center.

In all three answers, we find a sense of boundary, and the woman points out that the walls are limiting her imaginary space. Once I had an answer from a man that the sphere was not only limited by the walls, but stayed in front of him, although he was told to think of himself as being in the center of the sphere. These responses show that our sense of space is unconsciously limited by the room we are in or by the habit of looking forward.

Thus to open up in space means to adopt Buddhist practices so that our minds will not be limited as in the above examples and will have the freedom to transcend sensual and habitual limits. It also means that we should transcend the views and customs of a locality.

Opening up in time means not to be confined by the present situation, but to have a perspective that sees the continuity of past, present and future, an overall view of life, a sense of history and even beyond history.

Opening up in emotions means to be kind and considerate to people you meet and adopt an attitude of service in your work. If we confine our love, goodwill and generosity to a certain few, then we may never achieve peace of mind because life is impermanent and all those we care for are not free from life's ups and downs. However, if we enlarge our caring and loving to all beings, then we will live in peace that comes from a commitment to serve all equally with love. Of course, we can actually help only those we happen to encounter, nevertheless, to each one we equally offer what is appropriate with the awareness that the underlying love transcends worldly considerations and is in the light of Limitless-Oneness.

Opening up in perspectives means to see things from all angles, with an overall view, and free from personal and cultural prejudices.

Opening up in perceptions means to go beyond the normal sensory limits and develop our potential for supernatural powers. This is not something sought after by Buddhists, but it may develop naturally as one advances on the path toward Enlightenment. When one's worldly worries and attachments fade away, one's innate subtle abilities will automatically exhibit their functions.

The teachings of Confucius were respected and followed in China because they teach a broader view--how to live a life so that society is harmonious, instead of a primitive, self-centered view of life. The teachings of Taoism, Hinduism, Christianity and many other religions all aim at harmony between man and nature, or man and heaven; they offer a even broader view than the social order of Confucianism. Nevertheless, it is only Sakyamuni who became aware of the subtle attachment to an illusive notion of self in the realizations of heavenly religions, and became free from such illusions thereby attaining Limitless-Oneness. Thus, Buddhism is most thorough in teaching one how to open up and let go. Consequently, it is only Buddhism that teaches that even its teachings are simply means to help one become liberated, and that in the final liberation one should not be confined by these teachings.

3. The Sixfold Sublimation--One by One

In English works on Mahayana Buddhism one frequently encounters mentioning of the Six [Kinds of] Perfection. Perfection in such cases is a translation of Paramita which in Sanskrit means to reach the other shore. When you are in transmigration you are on the shore of endless recycling of life and death. In order to be safe, you have to sail across the ocean of sorrows to reach the other shore which is the Enlightenment of Buddha. There, you are eternally free from transmigration and its suffering. Through engaging in the sixfold practices, you will be able to reach the other shore; therefore, they are called paramita. However, once you become a Buddha, you will not remain idle on the shore. You will be working as a lifeguard, trying to help other beings out of the ocean of suffering. This is the profound meaning of paramita--to reach the other shore in order to save all beings from suffering.

Traditionally the Bodhi-mind, the dedication to help all sentient beings reach Enlightenment, is distinguished into three types:

(A) Resembling a shepherd--wishing to reach Enlightenment only after all sentient beings have done so.
(B) Resembling a ferryman--wishing to reach Enlightenment simultaneously with all sentient beings.

(C) Resembling a prince--wishing to become enlightened first, like assuming the throne with full authority, in order to save all sentient beings from transmigration.

A shepherd is capable of goading the flock of sheep; a ferryman is capable of maneuvering the ferryboat; and a prince will assume the throne in time. In all three cases the underlying assumption is that one should first become capable of helping others before conducting the salvation activities. Therefore, the first priority of a sincere practitioner should be to reach the other shore by devoting himself to Buddhist practice and service.

The usual translation of Paramita as Perfection, I think, means that by adopting these practices you will become perfect. Following the precedence of my late Guru, Yogi Chen, I choose instead to use Sublimation for the following reasons: Whenever there is a change from a state of imperfection to a state of perfection, there may still be lacking a change in essence. For example, polluted water after distillation is still water. However, the final result that Buddhist practice may bring about is not just a "perfect" person, but an indescribable state labeled "Enlightenment." There is a fundamental change in essence from manhood to Buddhahood. In order to bring out this essential distinction sublimation is used to indicate that the purification process of Buddhist practice may vaporize our attachment to a physical existence into the thin air of Limitless-Oneness, and thereby enabling us to fully utilize our temporary existence to participate in the endless salvation activities of Compassion.

What is this Sixfold Sublimation? It consists of Giving, Law-abiding, Tolerance, Diligence, Meditation and Wisdom. All of them are central practices of the Bodhisattva path. Is there some significance in the sequential order they are mentioned? Yes, it is as follows.

At the first stage, they want to free you from self-centeredness through the practice of giving. If you have attachment to material or non-material things, then it would be difficult for you to observe the Buddhist rules of conduct. These rules are designed in such a way that, on the one hand, they keep you from getting into trouble, and on the other hand, they nourish you by guiding you to do service for others. For people with strong attachments to personal well-being or belongings, it is very difficult to do more for others because their self-interests always come first. That is why the first stage is to practice giving.

Practice giving will free you from attachments, on the one hand, and broaden your horizons, on the other hand. You will gradually realize the spiritual truth that we are all one. Your attachment to self-interests forms a big blockade between you and the rest of the world. Through giving, such a wall will gradually crumble, and only after its removal will you see that we are all one. Originally the wall did not exist; it was built by your self-centeredness. That is why the first stage is giving. Only those who can give freely can observe the rules of conduct; whenever there is conflict, one becomes accustomed to giving up self-centered considerations. Then it is easier to follow the rules of conduct, even when it is against one's selfishness.

Why does tolerance come next? The "tolerance" here is not the kind of tolerance that an adult has when he endures receiving an injection of medicine. The whole thing is directed toward Buddhahood; the tolerance here is rather difficult. If you want to live a life of renunciation of worldly pursuits so as to concentrate your efforts on Buddhist practice and service, you have to give up all worldly, social activities. Your relatives and friends may not agree with you and you will have to face the consequences of their possibly disliking you. In order to practice Buddhism, you have to tolerate many things; for example, if you are the only Buddhist in a Christian family, others may laugh at, criticize or try to convert you. You need to practice tolerance in order to continue your quest. The tolerance you developed during the stage of practicing law-abiding will enable you to face many difficulties that you may encounter later in life. One who has this kind of tolerance can use its strength to practice diligence. It is not easy to remain constantly diligent. Ordinarily one may be able to remain diligent for a period of a few months, however, traversing the path toward