By Victor M Fontane
The arising and ceasing of thoughts can be the arising and ceasing of a person.
The arising and ceasing of thoughts can be the arising and ceasing of a person, or it may not be. A single thought can create a world, and with a world comes arising and ceasing (samsara). Just as in Zhuangzi’s dream of the butterfly, there are two instances of birth and death.
Zhuangzi's butterfly dream blurs the boundary between Zhuangzi and the butterfly, leading him to question the fixed nature of the "self" (atman). If one cannot even be certain whether they are a human or a butterfly, then the very concept of "I" becomes less substantial. This dissolution of ego-centrism facilitates empathy (karuna), understanding, and acceptance of other beings.
The butterfly dream alludes to the interconnectedness (pratītyasamutpāda) between humans and nature, humans and other sentient beings. If "I" can be a butterfly, then "I" can be any other being. This idea of the "unity of all things" (Wanwu Qiyi) naturally leads to compassion (karuna) and respect for all beings.
The dream challenges the dualistic opposition between humans and nature, suggesting that this distinction is merely a limitation of human cognition. When this duality is broken, one can more easily transcend the narrow perspective of the self and embrace a broader perspective encompassing all existence (Dharmadhatu).
Dreams are fleeting, and so is life. The butterfly dream allows Zhuangzi to realize the illusory and impermanent (anitya) nature of reality, leading him to relinquish attachments (upādāna) and cultivate a sense of detachment (virāga) and tranquility (upekkhā). This detachment, paradoxically, allows one to cherish life more deeply and cultivate compassion (karuna) for all beings.
When one is no longer attached to the distinctions of the "self," no longer limited by dualistic thinking, but instead views the world from a broader perspective, compassion arises naturally. This is a compassion based on understanding, acceptance, and interconnectedness, rather than sympathy based on differentiation and judgment.
Zhuangzi's butterfly dream and the Heart Sutra (Prajñāpāramitāhṛdaya Sūtra) both speak of the distinction between the apparent and the real (samvṛti-satya vs. paramārtha-satya), as all dharmas are without inherent nature (nihsvabhāva). Zhuangzi, in his dream, relies solely on his non-reliance on form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and mental objects (rupa, śabda, gandha, rasa, spraṣṭavya, dharma) to discern himself from the butterfly.
The Daoist concept of Xiaoyao (freedom and spontaneity) and the Buddhist concept of liberation (moksha) are differentiated only by the surface meaning of words. For the awakened one, there is no distinction between the real and the illusory. The arising and ceasing of phenomena (pratītyasamutpāda) are both real and unreal, without distinction. The awakened one is not attached to form or appearance; form and appearance are merely skillful means (upāya) for those who teach the Dharma.
Sentient beings have created countless past selves, and our present selves create countless future beings. There is truly no distinction between you, me, and others. The above words are the blessings brought by past Bodhisattvas.
Everything in our world is part of the universal energy, differentiated only by appearance. This is the manifestation of karma through the eight consciousnesses (aṣṭavijñāna).
At the quantum physics level, every visible or invisible substance is a form of energy. Every animate and inanimate energy is within this karmic mechanism. All matter, through energy conversion, transforms chemical energy into other substances needed for the life activities of sentient beings. Inanimate energy within the karmic mechanism can be interpreted through quantum field theory. Quantum field theory posits that even seemingly empty space is filled with quantum fluctuations, containing immense energy. This could be the true nature (tathatā) of all things, or it may not be. This conforms to the law of conservation of energy. All energy in the universe, whether material or immaterial, is in constant transformation. From this perspective, life can be seen as a highly ordered energy structure, interacting with and influencing other forms of energy in the universe.
Our consciousness and the consciousness of matter are not isolated but interwoven, forming a vast network of consciousness, pervading the entire microcosmic universe within the Alaya consciousness (ālayavijñāna), also known as the collective unconscious. But this collective unconscious is no longer limited to humans or human-defined consciousness. Rather, all things possess consciousness.
Observe how humans imbue inanimate objects with life. For example, with the invention of silicone dolls, some people not only treat them as sex toys but also as companions. The owner creates the doll's consciousness. This explains why the karma arising from the Alaya consciousness is not solely from sentient beings.
Further, observe individuals diagnosed with multiple personalities or schizophrenia; they possess more than one consciousness. At a fundamental level, each person presents a different consciousness in the context of work, family, and friends. Observe also how we form attachments to characters in the intangible virtual world online. This is the shared karma (saṃskāra) of the animate and inanimate.
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