I would really appreciate your help with this, and please, don´t think that I am playing with words here: I have concerns regarding mantra chanting. There is no doubt that I benefit from them (I mainly use other type of mantras than the ones you show today), but I feel like they start from/reify a view where there is a poor human entity down here who asks for something to another supernatural entity beyond. It looks like it reinforces duality.
So how can I reconcile its benefits and disputable base? I mean, does mantra chanting make sense from the point of view of a practitioner who feels that he is the Aware Space that is precisely the "context" where the mantra is chanted?
Thank you for your comment. In this talk, I mention that there is a different way that a Spiritual Practitioner approaches the Vajrasattva mantra, depending upon if they are a beginner or if they are more advanced, like a Dzogchen or Mahamudra practitioner. When we are more on the dualistic relative level, we look at Varasattva as being above our head, bestowing blessings that way. When we are more advanced, then we realize that Vajrasattva is who we are, the blessings come from our own heart center. There is no difference between us and primordial wisdom and no difference between us and Vajrasattva. On a relative level, when we are first learning, we are discovering aspects of who we are. Later, we discover through direct experience that there are no aspects, that our Real Nature is all-pervasive.
So, we live in a physical existence, with all the distractions inherent with being human. Mantras bring us back when we are distracted. That is the point of chanting mantras. We're not asking for blessings outside of ourselves, we are cultivating these blessings within. Mantras are meant to utterly destroy duality . . . which cannot be done until we have investigated mind sufficiently and practiced in ways that uncovered this tremendous benefit and unlimited potentiality.
If we are able to remain at ease, no matter what, in both dreams and daily life, then there is no point to mantras; except, mantras can still be chanted as part of our lives, because we are not rejecting such things when we are completely at ease, no longer distracted, being fully present no matter what appears, as it is.
I’d like to participate In a zoom practice
Thank you very much, Robert, I appreciate this.
I would really appreciate your help with this, and please, don´t think that I am playing with words here: I have concerns regarding mantra chanting. There is no doubt that I benefit from them (I mainly use other type of mantras than the ones you show today), but I feel like they start from/reify a view where there is a poor human entity down here who asks for something to another supernatural entity beyond. It looks like it reinforces duality.
So how can I reconcile its benefits and disputable base? I mean, does mantra chanting make sense from the point of view of a practitioner who feels that he is the Aware Space that is precisely the "context" where the mantra is chanted?
Thank you in advance.
Thank you for your comment. In this talk, I mention that there is a different way that a Spiritual Practitioner approaches the Vajrasattva mantra, depending upon if they are a beginner or if they are more advanced, like a Dzogchen or Mahamudra practitioner. When we are more on the dualistic relative level, we look at Varasattva as being above our head, bestowing blessings that way. When we are more advanced, then we realize that Vajrasattva is who we are, the blessings come from our own heart center. There is no difference between us and primordial wisdom and no difference between us and Vajrasattva. On a relative level, when we are first learning, we are discovering aspects of who we are. Later, we discover through direct experience that there are no aspects, that our Real Nature is all-pervasive.
So, we live in a physical existence, with all the distractions inherent with being human. Mantras bring us back when we are distracted. That is the point of chanting mantras. We're not asking for blessings outside of ourselves, we are cultivating these blessings within. Mantras are meant to utterly destroy duality . . . which cannot be done until we have investigated mind sufficiently and practiced in ways that uncovered this tremendous benefit and unlimited potentiality.
If we are able to remain at ease, no matter what, in both dreams and daily life, then there is no point to mantras; except, mantras can still be chanted as part of our lives, because we are not rejecting such things when we are completely at ease, no longer distracted, being fully present no matter what appears, as it is.
That´s such a helpful reply, Robert:) It clarifies a lot the question.
Have a wonderful Sunday.