(Tib. uma chenpo, Sanskrit mahamadhyamaka):

Madhyamaka: Rantong and Zhentong

Zhentong is different from the General Madhyamaka, known as "Rantong Madhyamaka". The general Madhyamaka includes both Svatantrika and Prasangaka Madhyamaka.

Indian teachers who developed the Rantong view include Buddhapalita, Bhavaviveka, Chandrakirti, Shantarakshita and their students.

Mahamadhyamaka is based on the Madhyamaka teaching about the Perfection of Wisdom (Sanskrit “Prajna-paramita”) of the Great Path (Mahayana), set out in detail by the Indian scientist Nagarjuna (1st–2nd centuries AD) and other, later masters.
Representatives of the early Great Madhyamaka are Lord Maitreya, Arya Asanga, his brother Vasubandhu, Dignaga, Dharmakirti and their disciples. Although Nagarjuna clearly taught the General Madhyamaka Rantong in his Collected Discourses, in In Praise of the Absolute Aspect of Reality, he also clearly expresses the view of the Great Madhyamaka Zhentong. Jetsun Taranatha, in the title to “The Establishment of Two Systems,” wrote:
“Accordingly, those who hold the rantong view hold that the first turning of the Wheel of the Buddha's Doctrine, which teaches the Four Noble Truths, is preliminary in meaning, the second turning of the Wheel of Dharma, which teaches the absence of characteristics, is absolutely final in meaning, and the last, in perfection flawless, the turning of the Wheel of Dharma is indirectly final in meaning. Those who support Zhentong take the first turn of the Dharma Wheel as preliminary, the second turn of the Dharma Wheel as clarifying the indirect final meaning, and the last turn of the Dharma Wheel as showing the absolute final meaning.”

Supreme Teachings of Buddha

It is believed that there are three great systems of the Supreme Teachings that were given by the Buddha, these are:

Tibetan Jonang Tradition

Mahamadhyamaka, or the Great Middle Way, is a view most deeply developed in the Jonang school of Tibetan Buddhism.

Yumo Mikio Dorje (11th century) is considered the Tibetan founder of the Zhentong doctrine, an expression of the radiant absolute nature of reality, which reflects the third “turn of the wheel” of Buddha Shakyamuni. It was the philosophy of Zhentong, along with the practice of Kalachakra Tantra, that later became a characteristic feature of the Tibetan Jonang school.

Philosophy of Mahamadhyamaka

- a view that shows how the absolute nature of reality is free or empty of anything “other” than its own nature.

Zhentong views relative reality as empty of its inherent existence. This emptiness of self-existence or "rantong" is seen solely as the nature of relative reality, while absolute reality is understood to be empty of everything other than itself. Therefore, our transient felt experience remains devoid of any innate nature, while the boundless, clear Buddha-nature inherent in all living beings remains unchanged and constant - it is the true reality.

Literature: Taranatha “A Brief Commentary on the Heart Sutra” by Dolpola Sherab Gyaltsen “Buddhist teachings from the times of the Krita Yuga. The Fourth Council", Shechen, 2007, 192 pp. Taranatha "The Essence of Para-Shunyata Madhyamaka (emptiness from the other, zhentong)"

There are a huge number of misconceptions in understanding what the Middle Way is in modern society. Many so-called intellectuals interpret the middle path as a balancing act between good and evil, although, in fact, the golden mean has nothing to do with antagonistic opposites (Good and Evil), between which there is no harmony and peace, but only struggle and confrontation .

Although the definitions given in the same Wikipedia are basically correct: To follow the “middle path” means to keep the golden mean between the physical and spiritual world, between asceticism and pleasures; means not going to extremes.

What is the middle path and what is it not?

The middle way is the measure of things, and the questions of Good and Evil are a system of values. These are fundamentally different things.

Let's take a closer look:

Questions and are a value system. Negative values ​​and ideals (anger, hatred, violence, etc.) and positive values ​​and ideals (Love, Goodness, Justice, non-violence, etc.). And in every situation a person always chooses either one or the other. These are questions of honor. They have nothing to do with the middle path, with moderation.

The value system is Light or Darkness and what corresponds to either one or the other. Negativity will always come into conflict with positivity, there can be no golden mean, harmony and peace between them, it is always war and the desire for mutual destruction. Negative emotions such as and will always destroy the love and kindness in a person’s heart, always! You cannot hate in moderation, it will still be hatred. You cannot be moderately honest; such a person will still be a liar, no matter how you look at it. Just as it is impossible to be moderately conscientious or moral (the same dishonesty and immorality).

The middle way, the golden mean, is the measure of things:“If you pull the string too hard, it will break; if you pull too weak, it won’t sound.” The middle path is a matter of efficiency, expediency, rationality, and not of Good and Evil. Although, in fairness, it must be said that going to one extreme or another can be a product of evil, that is, carry destructive consequences for the person himself and for the people around him.

For example. An athlete puts loads on his body; if the loads are calculated correctly, his strength increases. If the loads are weak, not sufficient, then there is no progress, the goal is not achieved. If he puts excessive load (overload), then most likely he will strain himself, injure the body, and then the goal will definitely not be achieved. In this situation there is no moral choice, no questions of good and evil, but only questions of finding a measure to achieve the best result. Playing sports in itself is wonderful, but then there should be a calculation of loads and a search for optimal proportions, that is, the ideal measure for the highest result.

It's the same with human desires. Desires can be different - positive, negative, natural. Positive– the desire for development, creation, good deeds. Negative– to kill someone, frame them, betray them, slander them, hurt them. Natural desires – to eat, have sex, etc.

When it comes to negative desires, the middle path has nothing to do with it. As the Buddha would probably say, “this is what is initially wrong by its nature.” The key principles of Buddhism are right and wrong (Eightfold Path).

But when we are talking about the natural desires of a person, which in themselves are neither good nor bad, then yes, moderation is extremely important.

Another misconception– call the gray path the middle one. It's not the same thing. The gray path is the path of an egoist who chooses not between good and evil, but how it benefits him. He doesn’t care at all, he may not even ask the question - do good and evil exist or not? Therefore, such a person will act badly if it is necessary for him or well if it is in his interests. And trying to find a measure between Good and Evil is the same as trying to stand during a battle right on the front line, where you will receive both from one and the other at the same time. What is the measure here and what is the wisdom there? This is complete idiocy and masochism.

The same applies to the inner world of a person. If you try to build harmony between good and evil within yourself, the contradictions will be broken!

Therefore, it is important to learn to see in your life where you need to make a moral choice between good and evil, and make it in such a way that you can then respect yourself for it, and where you need to find a middle ground and observe moderation in order to get the best results.

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The Kashyapaparivartasutra quotes the following words of the Buddha: “O Kasyapa! What is called eternal is one of the opposites. What is called transitory is the second opposite. What lies between these two opposites is not subject to research, ineffable, not manifested, incomprehensible and has no duration. O Kashyapa! This is the Middle Way, called true knowledge of the phenomenon of being.”

Following the Middle Path we avoid any extremes, but this does not mean that we are paralyzed, we are between them, not moving in one direction or the other. The usual “yes-no” logic does not apply to the concept of the Middle Way.

Following the Middle Path, we get rid of dualism, we are not between opposites, but, as it were, above them. We see the problem comprehensively, from all sides, without for a minute forgetting the relativity of each position.

Thus, we receive a single, inseparable impression, without qualities and attributes, inseparable from ourselves - “... we touch space, like our palms to our cheeks.”

Having reached the goal of the Middle Way, we will be able to say with the Buddha: “Now, if someone asks whether I recognize any point of view at all, then in response he will hear the following: The Perfect One is free from any theory, for the Perfect One has realized that there is a body how it arises and how it disappears. He understood what feeling is, how it arises and how it disappears. He realized that there are mental structures (samkhara), how they arise and how they disappear. He understood what consciousness is, how it arises and how it disappears. Therefore, I say, the Perfect One has achieved complete liberation by fading, smoothing, disappearing and getting rid of all opinions and assumptions, from all inclinations to the vain concept of “I”, “Mine”.

In relation to the "I" or "self", the concept of the Middle Way is usually interpreted by Buddhists as follows. From the point of view of empirical reality, “I” exists, otherwise who is improving? When a swell appears on the surface of the ocean of existence, when a complex of dharmas (elementary psychophysical states - the basic elements of existence) is formed, which has its own characteristic that distinguishes this complex from another, we say that “I” is manifested. But from the point of view of true reality, the “I” does not exist, since it is not eternal, changeable and empty in nature. This duality of conscious existence, this uncertainty is extremely painful, it is characterized by the antitheses “is - is not”, “eternal - non-eternal”, etc., which is a kind of formulation of the first noble truth. The reason for this painful duality is the susceptibility of existence to defilement, the beginningless agitation of dharmas, supported by the constant activity of desecrating elements, kleshas. To end this painful uncertainty, there is a Middle Path called true knowledge of the elements of being, a path that leads to Nirvana, which is not subject to research, not involved in any speculative constructions (the third noble truth).

Thus, the question of “I” is not removed, but is transferred to the plane of practice, to the realm of the “path” - it is only stated that “I” or “not-I” is something indefinite, at least indefinable by rational knowledge, and they believe that this uncertainty is completely resolved at the final stage of the journey.

O.O. Rosenberg expressed the Buddhist concept of the non-existence of “I” this way: “We do not have the right to isolate parts of the general pattern and say: here is the sun, here is “I.” There is no sun, there is no “I”, in the sense of something independently existing. There is only a pattern: “a person seeing the sun,” one inseparable picture.”

So ignorance in Buddhism is the cause of egoism or the sense of “I”. It makes the individual feel separate from everything else that exists, unconnected to the world order. We cling to our little selves, fighting hard to extend it, to continue it through all eternity. Individual existence is evil, desire is the outer expression of this evil. People are unhappy simply because they are alive. The source of all sadness is the affirmation of life. The power of ignorance is so great that people, despite the most severe suffering, stubbornly cling to life. The thirst for life is considered by the Buddha as an ignoble, stupid desire, as moral slavery, one of the four spiritual poisons. As Nietzsche wrote: “In relation to life, we must allow some daring and risk, especially since in the worst case, as in the best case, we will still lose it. Confidence in the inevitability of death should have mixed a precious, fragrant drop of frivolity into life, but you, pharmaceutical souls, have made it a bitter drop of poison, as a result of which all life becomes disgusting.”

According to Buddhism, in reality there are neither subjects nor objects, there are only instantaneous combinations of constantly arising and disappearing elementary psychophysical states - dharmas. But the false sense of “I” leads to the isolation of objects in this continuous flow of existence and their opposition to the conscious subject. This in turn leads to the emergence of sensations - the subject perceives the object. From sensations arises thirst, a desire that leads from birth to birth. She represents the powerful cause of life and suffering. We exist because we long to be. We suffer because we crave pleasure. “Everyone who thirsts is held in subjection by this thirst, this despicable thing that pours out its poison on the whole world, the suffering of this person grows like grass grows. And from the one who subdues thirst, suffering falls from him, like water dripping from lotus flowers.”

“Just as, if the root is not damaged, a felled tree grows again with mighty strength, so if the excitement associated with thirst is not completely dead, suffering arises again and again.”

From thirst comes attachment. The flame of thirst is related to the fuel of attachment. The extinction of thirst is liberation, and attachment to things is slavery.

From attachment to existence comes becoming, which is interpreted as karma causing rebirth. From becoming comes birth, from birth come old age and death, torment and lamentation, sadness, melancholy and despair.

To break this circle of birth and death, to get rid of suffering, you need to destroy all desire. Desire can be destroyed only by destroying ignorance (avidya) - the illusion of the existence of the individual “I” as some kind of self-determined, permanent substance, separated from the world. The Noble Eightfold Path is used to destroy this imperfection.

The Buddha's first sermon at Sarnath, which we quoted in the last section as the "classical passage" for the formula of the Four Noble Truths, speaks of the two extremes which should be avoided by one who has entered upon the path of the wanderer, and proclaims the Middle Path he has discovered, which leads to penetration and knowledge, leads to peace, higher comprehension, Enlightenment and Nirvana. This Middle Path is then explained as the Noble Eightfold Path. Before speaking about the Fourth Truth, the Truth of the Path, within the triad of morality, meditation and wisdom, it is necessary to first explore the Middle Way.

We have already encountered difficulties in trying to clarify the difference between transcendental truths and their worldly designations or symbols, both abstract and concrete. Taking it a step further, every truth may be said to have, according to the plane of existence on which it is perceived, the aspect or angle of view, the level of experience to which it is applied, not one but many symbols. The Middle Way is such a truth, and therefore defining it is an extremely difficult task. On our terms we can only hint at the general principle involved in it, and the nature of some of its most important consequences.

The Middle Way in the highest sense is synonymous with the goal of the disciple's path. Since Nirvana goes beyond both affirmative and negative definitions, it can be considered to occupy an intermediate position "between" or rather "above" the two extreme concepts of existence and non-existence. Metaphysically, this is tantamount to denying nihilism and eternalism and, accordingly, their consequences or false views. The teachings and methods which occupy an intermediate position between conflicting extremes are manifestations, in one limited sphere or another, in their higher or lower level of application, of the Middle Way in that highest, transcendental aspect. All extremes of one-sided views and practices are manifestations of either eternalism or nihilism, two key errors. In every sphere of thought and action we are confronted with more or less the same tripartite principle; in every stage of spiritual life we ​​are confronted with the necessity of making a choice between two extremes, on the one hand, and a means that reconciles the contradiction by going beyond it. Following the Middle Path, in the sense of the word that corresponds to the content of the Fourth Noble Truth, the Truth of the Path, essentially consists of making this supremely important decision at increasingly higher levels of existence. At each level, the extremes become more seductive, more “spiritual.” On the one hand, this is eternalism in the most subtle and fundamental forms (the Absolute, pure Being, Divinity, Divine Ground), on the other – the archetypes of nihilism (the disappearance of the soul in God, the dissolution of the lower ego in the Higher Self, the merging of a drop with the Ocean). And above and between them both, like the full moon between the piercing brightness of the eastern and western stars, is the pillar of the Middle Way in all its purity, unclouded by even the shadow of a positive or negative concept.

Descending step by step from higher to lower levels of application, we find that from a spiritual point of view the most important manifestations of the principle of the triad are threefold: there is a modality of the Middle Way in metaphysics, psychology and ethics. At every level there is a correspondence, in the strictly Hermetic sense of the word, not only between the higher and lower manifestations of the Middle Way itself, but also between the higher and lower modalities of both extremes. There is, so to speak, a vertical alignment of hedonism with the lack of belief in a soul independent of the body, and therefore with the false view that Nirvana is a state of absolute annihilation, on the one hand. On the other hand, asceticism is associated with the belief in an immortal soul separate from the body, and therefore with the false belief that Nirvana is a state of absolute existence. The lower, that is, the relatively more concrete and more accurately differentiated manifestation of the principle, can only be understood superficially if there is no understanding of that manifestation that is an order of magnitude higher than this, while the knowledge of the higher, in fact, contains the knowledge of the lower, and the comprehension of the highest leads to to comprehend everything. Few modern expositors of the Dharma, especially those who rely solely on Theravada texts, do not make the mistake of commenting on this aspect of the Fourth Truth from a purely ethical point of view. What is the result? One of the deepest teachings of Buddhism is being reduced to the practice of vague mediocrity.

The doctrine of the Middle Way is, in fact, equivalent to Dharma, so to understand one is to simultaneously understand the other. Phenomena arise depending on conditions. This thesis, as we are again forced to insist, is the essence of the teaching, and its comprehension constitutes Enlightenment. Since phenomena arise depending on conditions, they cannot be described as either existing or non-existent: they Shunya , empty of self-existence. This shunyata or emptiness of phenomena corresponds to the reality denoted by the word Nirvana, since the attainment of Nirvana depends on realizing the conditionality of all phenomena.

Since the true nature (which, within the framework of existence and non-existence, is non-nature) of phenomena is indefinable, goes beyond the extremes of existence and non-existence, it can be spoken of as madhyama-marge . Following the Middle Way in metaphysics is the understanding that reality cannot be expressed in terms of existence and non-existence, and the recognition that positive and negative references to Nirvana, concrete or abstract, sensory or conceptual, have not absolute but only relative validity.

This is the case not only with phenomena in general, but also with phenomena, both physical and mental, of the so-called personality. Even consciousness, as the enumeration makes quite clear vijnanas as third nidanas , far from being an unchanging essence, arises, like any other phenomenon, depending on conditions.This is not a principle of personal identity, but only a continuous sequence of mental states of a certain kind, each of which is infinitesimal in duration. These causal “flashes” of consciousness, together with other equally fleeting mental states and functions, constitute “personality” from the point of view of the psyche. Since each of the five-fold personality phenomena (rupa, vedana, samjna, samskaras and vijnana - pancha-skandha or five skandhas) arises depending on causes and conditions, and we call personality, individuality or self only the totality of these causal and conditioned psychophysical phenomena, constant , the unchanging soul, self or ego-entity is not the core of these five sandhis. Anatmavada , the categorical denial that there is any phenomenon of personality, apart from the operation of the law of conditioning, psychologically corresponds to the great metaphysical concept sunyata and constitutes the Middle Way in the field of the science of mind. It avoids the false extreme of identifying the personality with the body, which would be tantamount to materialism, and, therefore, is a form of nihilism, be it in its mechanistic or dialectical variety, and the no less fatal mistake of affirming an immortal soul, an unchanging “I”, behind the flow of psychophysical phenomena. ” or some other static “spiritual” entity, which would be tantamount to going to the extreme of eternalism.

By now it should be obvious to us how absolute the dependence of the Middle Way in ethics is on the Middle Way in metaphysics and psychology, how inseparable is the understanding of the former from the understanding of the latter. The belief that behind the sweet bitterness of human life only the all-consuming maw of a gigantic Nothing has opened up inevitably reduces a person to his body, and the body to sensations. Pleasure will be elevated to the pedestal of the sole object of human aspiration, self-absorption will skyrocket, abstinence will become an object of contempt, and sensualists will be called the best and wisest of the sons of men. Likewise, the opposite belief that the basis of the macrocosm is an absolute being, personal or impersonal, automatically echoes in the field of psychology with the belief that above or beyond the microcosm, the little world of the human personality, there exists a soul or self, which, on the one hand, connected with the absolute Being, whether by way of absolute identity, as in the non-dual Vedanta, or as a part or creation of it, as other schools assert, and which, on the other hand, is completely different from and independent of the physical body. In this case, matter will be considered illusory or bad (or both at the same time), and the body will become the fundamental reason that man does not realize his identity with or dependence on the Divine. The object of spiritual life will be reduced to the desire for a perfect dissimilarity of spirit and matter, the real and the unreal, God and the world, temporary and eternal, which will be followed by mortification of the flesh in the most extreme and disgusting forms. In the East, especially in India, various exaggerated forms of asceticism have been extremely popular for a long time. Even Buddhism, despite the general soundness and moderation of its methods, could not completely escape this influence. However, in the West, mortification as a religious practice lost its significance centuries ago and now attracts only minor historical interest. Modern clergy read about hair shirts and “penances” with a grin. Apart from certain orders of the Roman Catholic Church, Christianity as a whole, both in theory and practice, lags far behind the healthy asceticism which the Greeks in better times considered essential to the moral life. It seems that the only agreement that Christianity could lead to was peace between God and Mammon.

Having now described the Middle Way in this elementary introduction, we must proceed to a somewhat more extensive examination of the Fourth Truth, the Truth of the Path, within the framework of its fundamental tripartite division into successive stages sila, samadhi and prajna.

Sheila in the original sense is defined as "nature, character, habit, behavior" in general: for example, a person with a stingy or intolerant character is said to be adanashile . The secondary meaning of this word, more important from the point of view of doctrine, is “moral practice, good character, Buddhist ethics, code of morality.” Without imposing Christian and especially Protestant meanings on the English word, the Sanskrit term can be rendered as"Morality" (Morality), and the initial capital letter indicates its significance. (Morality comes from the Latin moralis, from mos, moris , which means “manner, custom, habit, way of life, behavior,” and, therefore, in the original classical sense it is practically identical to the primary definition awls .) Like other traditions, Buddhism, for practical convenience, reduces the ethical part of its teaching to various sets of rules or precepts, most of which are prohibitive or negative in nature. These ethical formulas are common to all branches of Buddhism, and whether it is Tibet or Sri Lanka, Burma or Japan, when morality is talked about, it is usually about these specific ethical requirements. Dasha-shila or ten traits of good character (not "commandments" as the Pali Text Society's Pali-English Dictionary strongly defines them), and panca-sila , the five traits of good conduct or exercise, which are the most famous codes or formulas of this kind, are here given in their Pali formulations. Firstgroup includes (we give traditional interpretations) abstinence from taking life (panathipata veramani), from taking what is not given of one’s free will (adinnadana), from inappropriate behavior in the field of sexual desires (kamesu micchacara) - or, if we are talking about monks and nuns or laymen on holy days, from any involvement in it, from lies (musavada), from rude speech (pharusavachaya), from slander (pisunavacaya), from playful and meaningless chatter (samphappalapa), from greed (abhijaya), from malice (byapada) and from false views (micchaditthiya). WTO paradise formula contains the first four points dasha-shily , as well as the instruction to “abstain from any state of intoxication resulting from the use of intoxicating substances” (surameraya-madja-pamadatthana veramani). This fivefold formula embodies the minimum moral requirements in Buddhism, which all practicing Buddhists (nominal followers of the Dharma - not followers at all) should strive to implement in every possible way.

Strictly speaking, a Buddhist is one who takes the Three Refuges of the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha and observes or attempts to observe the Five Precepts. The roots of our goodness, planted in past lives, are weak, and our evil tendencies are strong, so it is not surprising that we are often unable to strictly observe even these simple rules. Therefore, in many Buddhist countries, the prevailing practice is to “accept” Refuges and Instructions from a member of the Sangha on festival days, for example, on the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month. Although in such countries the practice is followed by the entire Buddhist community, including those whose vows have not been broken, it can be considered a more or less formal and outward recognition of the fact that failure to observe the instructions is equivalent to ceasing for the period of failure to observe them , to be a Buddhist. New acceptance and renewed observance of these rules is required to return to our original, authentic Buddhist status.

Also worth mentioning are the Eight Precepts observed by lay followers on full and new moon days and other auspicious days, and the Ten Precepts for the Novice. The first consists of the Five Precepts and three additional rules, which prescribe abstinence from eating at inappropriate times, from dancing, singing, playing musical instruments, shows, garlands, perfumes, cosmetics and various decorations of the appearance, as well as from a large and soft bed. These eight precepts, together with the rule to abstain from handling gold and silver, constitute the Tenfold Preparation of the Novice, and the seventh precept in this formula is divided into two different rules. Observance of the 227 monastic rules followed by members of the Theravada branch of the Sangha, and the 250 rules followed by Mahayana monks, can be postponed until we have guarded ourselves from two misconceptions that arise in the course of our consideration of this aspect - the first of three stages of the Path.

The fact that groups of numbered rules occupy such an important place in Buddhist religious life and literature should not lead us to interpret sewed or Morality as a purely ethical formalism. Nor should we assume that the exclusively negative nature of these rules means that Buddhist morality consists only of abstaining from evil, without the need to do good. Although it appears to be different on the surface, Buddhist ethics is essentially an ethics of intention, and taken as a whole, its requirements contain both negative and positive elements. Actions in themselves are neither good nor bad: for the Buddhist, even more than for Shakespeare, “thinking makes everything so.” Kushala (bite in Pali) and akusala , literally skilful and unskilful, the more precise Buddhist expressions for what is morally good and evil, are terms applicable only to karma-creating acts of will and associated mental phenomena.Despite the figure of speech, where qualities belonging to the cause are attributed to the effect, the action n is said to be immoral if it begins with a state of mind (actually a set of states) governed by the three unskillful or "unwholesome" roots of greed ( lobha), hatred (dvesha) and ignorance (moha ), and moral if it originates in states of mind characterized by their opposites, that is, in the absence of greed, hatred and ignorance.

However, the attitude of Buddhism to ethics is by no means the position of antinomianism. He is not saying that we can do what is conventionally considered a sin if we do it with the best intentions. If this were the position of Buddhism, it would turn to questions of psychology and leave the uninteresting work of developing lists of ethical rules and norms limiting behavior to less emancipated teachings. The connection between thoughts and actions, between actions at the level of the mind and the level of the body, is not accidental. In fact, one is a continuation of the second. It is impossible to commit murder with a good heart, since the deliberate taking of life is only an outward expression of a state of mind consumed by hatred. Actions condense from thoughts, just as water condenses from steam. They are manifested thoughts and proclaim from the rooftops actions only what has already been done in the quiet and secret chambers of the heart. One who commits an immoral act, therefore, declares that he is not free from unwholesome states of mind, and, on the contrary, a being with a pure and luminous consciousness, in which all unskilful thoughts and feelings are eradicated, is not capable of committing such an act. The Buddha says quite categorically to the monk:

“So, Kunda, you must answer, if we are talking about the Arhat, to people of other views:

“Friend, brother-Arhat, one in whom the ashravas are destroyed, who has lived life, who has fulfilled his task, who has left the burden, who has achieved his own well-being, who has completely destroyed the fetters that bind to becoming, who has been liberated through Knowledge - such is not capable behave in nine ways, namely:

Deliberately taking the life of a creature,

Take the path of stealing what is not given,

Practice sexual intercourse

Telling deliberate lies

Take intoxicants

Stock up on food to indulge in excess food, as he did

Before, when I was a householder,

Take the wrong path of hatred,

Take the wrong path of ignorance,

Taking the wrong path of fear».

(“Digha-nikaya”, iii , 133. Woodward translation).

Although the Arhat is “beyond good and evil” only in the sense that he has gone beyond the limits of beneficial volitional acts, the result of which is a “good” rebirth, as well as beyond the limits of unwholesome ones, which result in “bad” rebirths, and not in the sense that he is capable of both virtuous and sinful actions, there is still a huge difference between shila of Arhat and shila an ordinary person. It is not simply a difference of degree, between perfect and imperfect. Sheila An Arhat or any other noble disciple is the spontaneous outer expression of a liberated mind, and sewed a worldly person - compliance with regulations. A poem or any other work of art is the embodiment of a certain mood that we catch while reading a poem. The poet moves from a strong emotion to its embodiment in the imagery, rhythm and words of the poem; his reader, on the contrary, moves from the words of the poem to the feeling that inspires it. Morality is, so to speak, the words of the most perfect of all poems, virtuous life is the language that allows you to express the secrets of spirituality. Meditation and Wisdom, the two remaining stages of the Path, are its rhythm and imagery. An Arhat, like a poet, moves from “inspiration” to “expression,” and an ordinary person, like a reader, moves from “expression” to “inspiration,” from sila, samadhi and prajna - to Enlightenment. Thus, a person who is unable to express an emotion in poetry on his own can feel it by repeating the words of a great poem. Since action is the embodiment of thought, thought is the source of action. Behavior affects states of mind, just as states of mind determine behavior. An angry person instinctively grabs a stick, and someone who grabs a stick will naturally want to hit someone. When the mind is immersed in meditation, the spine automatically becomes straight, the eyelids close, the gaze becomes fixed, breathing becomes easier, and the hands rest freely on the knees. Conversely, adopting such a posture, even without any further training, tends to calm the mind. Sila is prescribed for ordinary people not only as an end in itself, but also as a means of weakening unwholesome states of mind from which wrong speech and wrong bodily actions arise: Morality is a necessary step on the path to Meditation. Since our mind is usually in a completely unwholesome state and blazing in the threefold flames of greed, hatred and delusion, the actions we perform are inevitably almost always unskillful. Therefore, abstinence from evil is the first stage of spiritual advancement, and it is for this reason that it is the primary and most urgent moral requirement in Buddhism, as expressed in the formulations just described, which have a predominantly negative form. In the words of a famous verse from the Dhammapada, we must “remove evil” before we “learn to do good.” . The literal meaning of the second half of the line in the Pali original iskusalassa upasampada, “the acquisition of benefit,” which refers to the development of beneficial states of mind through the practice of Meditation, the second stage of the Path.

For Buddhism, the importance of Morality lies mainly in the fact that without a good life it is impossible to achieve the basis for the state of superconsciousness or samadhi , which, in turn, is the basis of Wisdom. Start practicing MEditing without first clearing your morals is like grabbing the oars and trying to row without unmooring the boat.This principle that ethics is an integral tool is accepted by all schools of Buddhism. Those texts that condone even the slightest violation of the moral law must be understood symbolically, as in the case of the biography of Padmasambhava, or as a purely exaggerated glorification of compassion, as when it is said that the Bodhisattva (of whom strict practice of morality is required as the second of the Six Perfections!) in the thirst to save all beings, he is even ready to commit sin. This may be a reaction against the establishment of an ethical code as an end in itself, a restoration of the principle of assistance: such an attitude is sometimes found necessary by some of the followers of certain tantric schools. The teaching as a whole makes a clear distinction between what the Theravada tradition calls pannatti-sila and pakati-sila , conventional morality and natural morality. And while the first is declared karmically neutral, the second, which constitutes all the important precepts, including the Five Precepts, with the above exceptions, is considered by all to be an integral part of the eternal and unchanging order of the universe, at once physical and mental, natural and supernatural, which is one aspect of the meaning of the all-encompassing reality , called Dharma, according to which a person must live in order to achieve the Supreme.

That the observance of Morals is a preparation for the practice of Meditation can be inferred from what are known as the "four moralities of purity" (in Pali parisuddhi-sila ): abstinence in relation to (monastic) vows (patimokkha samvara-sila), restraint of feelings (indriya-samvara-sila), purity of earnings (ajiva-parisuddhi-sila) and morality in relation to the four (monastic) subjects (paccaya-sannisita-sila). These four types of morality, which, at least in theory, must be practiced by all who sincerely desire to advance on the Path, and which all monks must strictly observe, take us to the boundaries of ethics and bring us closer to the boundaries of the second stage, the stage of Meditation. On it, the mind, purified by the discipline of observing ethical instructions from the most unwholesome states of mind, gradually establishes itself in states of superconsciousness. The following brief overview of the four moralities of purity may be considered as an introduction to the study of meditation that will immediately follow.

1) “Vows” is the name given to the set of rules of the Vinaya Pitaka, the Book of Discipline. This codex was read by the monks on the days uposatha (new and full moons) in order to repent of any violations. As contained in the Theravadin Sutta-vibhanga, this code consists of 220 precepts, divided into eight groups according to the punishment that follows for failure to observe them. The first and most important group are the four rules, the violation of which leads to final expulsion from the Sangha.These are rules prohibiting sexual intercourse, taking what is not given freely, intentionally taking a person's life or causing suicide, and boasting of having supernatural powers. Violation of the remaining seven groups of rules implies punishments such as convening a meeting of the Sangha (all monks living in a certain area gathered for these purposes), confiscation of property, atonement for the offense (the most extensive group) and repentance. In addition to the 220 rules that a monk must follow individually, there are seven rules that apply more to the Sangha as a whole.

Other Hinayana schools, such as the Mahasanghikas and Sarvastivadins, developed similar sets of rules. As the Chinese pilgrim I-Qin notes, Mahayanists who did not have their own Vinaya followed the Hinayana Vinaya . This state of affairs continues to prevail in Mahayana countries. For example, in Tibet the Gelug branch of the Order follows the Vinaya, which originally belongs to one of the varieties of Sarvastivada. These minutiae of doctrine, which are unlikely to be to the taste of most readers, must be remembered if we are to understand the vital fact that in Buddhism there is in fact only one Sangha. A Mahayana bhikkhu is not one who belongs to the Mahayana Order as a separate religious organization, but only one who, observing essentially the same monastic rules as his Hinayanist brother, devotes himself to the study and practice of the Mahayana sutras. Similarly, a Hinayana monk is only one who follows the Hinayana sutras. No Buddhist country, regardless of the school to which it belongs, has a monopoly on Vinaya. But it must be admitted that between the Mahayana schools, on the one hand, and certain modern representatives of Theravada, the only surviving Hinayana school, on the other hand, there does exist a significant difference in attitude towards the observance of the monastic rule.

Mahayanists, whose spiritual life is governed by the absolute altruism of the Bodhisattva ideal, are generally more deeply aware of the role of ethics as an instrument, and, when circumstances require it, do not hesitate to soften, change or even discard small rules, especially if the achievement of the spiritual well-being of the living requires it. creatures Most Theravadins view this completely differently. Fully convinced that each of their 220 rules was proclaimed by the Buddha himself, they tend to insist on strict adherence to the entire rule. In practice this usually means that observance of the letter of the Vinaya becomes an end in itself. Quite minor rules are given exaggerated importance, while violations of basic instructions, if done quietly, go unnoticed. Monks from Sri Lanka have repeatedly told the author that in this monastery of purest Buddhism, eating after noon is considered a more serious violation than sexual relations with a woman. We must regret to admit that in the countries of Theravada Buddhism the first kind of morality, that of purity, has fallen into decay, with a few worthy exceptions. It has become a systematic practice of hypocrisy as one of the Buddhist fine arts, an ostentatious parade of empty and meaningless ecclesiastical formalism of the lowest kind. Only when there has been a radical change in attitude towards the Vinaya and the need to radically revise some of the smaller instructions is recognized - in short, only when there has been a return to the original traditional understanding of ethics - can it be hoped that abstinence in respect of vows will again become a help, not a hindrance, in the spiritual life of the Theravada Sangha.

2) The second type of morality, which consists in purity, raises to a higher level the practice of abstinence, begun at the first stage. Having learned to abstain from unskillful actions, the monk must now trace evil even closer to its source and notice it even at an early stage of its origin. It is worth protecting the senses not only from grasping objects, but also from addressing them. It is necessary to divert attention from his natural tendency to strive for the external and turn it inward. It is only when there is no longer any reaction to external stimuli, physical or mental, that the mind can, so to speak, rest in itself, and that expansion, elevation and intensification of consciousness can occur which transcends the personal and in which the essence lies. meditation. The Pali scriptures contain the following account of how one should practice restraint of the senses: “Now, perceiving a form with the eye, a sound with the ear, a smell with the nose, a taste with the tongue, an impression with the body, an object with the mind, he is not attached to either the whole or the details. And he tries to turn away from what, if not feared in his feelings, can give rise to bad and unwholesome states, greed and sadness; he monitors his feelings, keeps them in check. By practicing this noble Temperance of the Senses, he feels perfect happiness in his heart" (Majjhima Nikaya 38. Nyanatiloka Translation, revised) .

As the text indicates, before achieving self-restraint of feelings, one must track their direction. This practice of observing feelings is a preliminary exercise in mindfulness. Changing in imperceptible steps, Morality is now almost completely dissolved in Meditation. The two remaining moralities of purity, which are of lesser importance, will therefore not take up much of our time.

3) Purity in relation to lifestyle usually means that a monk should not obtain his livelihood in a way incompatible with his occupation. More loosely interpreted, this means that Right Livelihood—the fifth stage of the Eightfold Noble Path, as we mentioned in Section 15—is necessary for the successful practice of meditation.

4) Morality in relation to the four (monastic) objects, which, according to the strictest form of teaching, are the only material objects necessary for a holy life, is described in the texts as follows: “Thinking wisely, he uses his robes ... only to protect yourself from cold, heat, and so on. Wisely thinking, he uses his alms... only as a support and support for the body... Wisely thinking, he uses his home only to avoid the dangers of the weather and enjoy solitude... Wisely thinking, he uses the necessary medicines only to suppress the feeling of weakness and achieve perfect freedom from suffering" (Majjhima Nikaya, 2. Translation of Nyanatiloka, abridged) .

This type of morality, which consists in purity, can also be interpreted more loosely: we can talk about the wise and prudent use of all material possessions. However, for d homeowners surrounded by all sorts of worldly things and possessions, this principle will be much more difficult to apply than for a homeless and almost propertyless wanderer, especially since the former often has many things that can only be used in an unwise manner. How much It is therefore more difficult for him to practice meditation!