Dharma as usual

Several interesting articles in the summer issue of "Buddhadharma". Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche discusses death as a wonderful opportunity to discover enlightened mind. Quote:

"When we truly know that with every ending there is also renewal, we begin to relax. Our minds become open to the process of change. We feel we can actually touch reality and are no longer afraid of death. We can learn to live well and fully now, with the understanding that death is not something apart from life. So from the Buddhist point of view, we have a choice: to direct our story of living and dying now, or to wait, closing our eyes to the message of impermanence, until death itself opens them. Since we value happy endings, why choose to gamble with the Lord of Death?"

Jack Kornfield takes a look at the complexity and diversity of Buddhist teachings, both East and West, reminding us of their experimental nature. Quote:

"This diversity is one of the central dilemmas in my own spiritual life and has deeply informed how I have been teaching... I had many teachers, but the most central were two of the wisest Theravada teachers of the past century: one in Thailand, Ajahn Chah, and one in Burma, Mahasi Sayadaw. While they were both considered deeply enlightened, these teachers did not agree at all on what enlightenment was or how you attained it. In fact, they disagreed, each believing that the other was not teaching the real way to enlightenment."

Ch'an master Sheng-yen writes on rddhi, the exceptional powers, and briefly ennumerates the steps known as "enhanced phenomena" - heat (ushmagata), summit (murdhana), forbearance (kshanti), and the highest worldly events (laukikagra-dharma) - immediately after which the limbs of awakening (bodhyanga) occur. Quote:

"The Mahayana path to buddhahood can be likened to a journey of five stages. In the first stage, we gather the provisions we will need for the journey. In terms of the path, this means practicing the four foundations of mindfulness and the four proper exertions. In the second stage, we actually set off on the path to buddhahood. This stage consists of practicing the four steps to magical powers, and it is characterized by the four enhanced phenomena. The third stage is realizing dhyana (jhana in Pali), whereby one directly perceives that the true nature of the self is that of a buddha. This is the stage of the arhat, or saint. The fourth stage is to actualize the bodhisattva path, in which one practices dhyana to realize samadhi and wisdom. This enables one to use skillful means to deliver sentient beings; that is, to help them enter or follow the path. The fifth stage of the journey is complete liberation in buddhahood."