Distinguishing Appearance and Essence
Maitreya’s Dharma-Dharmata-Vibhanga
Rime Shedra NYC www.rimeshedra.nyc
12 of the Tuesdays from September 17 - December 17, 20247-9:15 pm Via Zoom
Based on the book Distinguishing Phenomena and their Intrinsic Nature, with Commentaries by Khenpo Shenga and Ju Mipham, translated by Dharmachakra Translation Committee, supplemented by selected readings provided digitally.
The next Buddha, Maitreya, condensed the teaching s of the current Buddha, Shakyamuni, into five texts. This course on Dharmadharmatavibhanga, translated as “Distinguishing Phenomena and their Intrinsic Nature,” will be the third of these texts that we will have studied so far in the NYC Rime Shedra. This particular text presents the culmination of the view of the Mahayana, as presented in the third and final turning of the wheel of the dharma by the Buddha. As such, it represents the pinnacle of the gradual progression of the buddhadharma in this world realm.
As its title indicates, the main focus of the Dharmadharmatavibhanga is to clearly delineate the phenomena that comprise our ordinary, unenlightened existence and the intrinsic nature, or dharmatä, of these very same phenomena. In terse, cryptic verses the treatise shows how the mind enters into a state of confusion and how this process can be reversed through a fundamental transformation of the mind.
At the root of our confusion, Maitreya explains, is a deeply ingrained tendency to believe that the “external” objects that populate our experience exist independent of our consciousness. This reified split between perceiving subject and perceived object sets off a chain reaction of confusion and destructive emotions, a process that perpetuates the cycle of suffering. Inquiring into the nature of this apparently dualistic experience, however, allows us to see that it is, in fact, a false distinction. At the core of Maitreya’s message is the insight that this basic error of perception can be reversed by learning to see things as they are, rather than through the distorting lens of dualistic perception.
According to tradition, Maitreya dictated five texts, now widely referred to as the “Five Dharmas (of Maitreya),” to the noble Asanga after the latter had pleaded with Maitreya to him the sütras which are of definitive meaning. Along with the works of Nägärjuna and other masters of the Middle Way School, the teachings of Maitreya occupy a unique position in Tibetan Buddhism. In all four of Tibet’s primary Buddhist lineages, the writings attributed to Maitreya are considered essential reading and are held up as masterpieces of Buddhist literature. Countless commentaries have been written on these five texts over the centuries, each presenting a unique perspective and positioning Maitreya’s revelatory teachings within a broader context of Buddhist philosophy.
The book for this course also includes commentaries by Khenpo Shenga and Ju Mipham Rinpoche, two highly regarded masters, which are widely respected both for their profundity and for their clarity. Additional material will be provided as a pdf from Karl Brunnholzl’s Mining Wisdom within Delusion - the commentary by Vasubhandu, Asanga’s brother and major associate in presenting the teachings contained in the Five Dharmas, and the introduction.
Format: Please note that the format of our classes is that of a close reading with commentary and discussion, rather than a presentation with Q&A. If you would like to participate, please let Derek know by email at dkolleeny@gmail.com and obtain a copy of the reading..
First Timers: If you are new to Rime Shedra NYC please send Derek a short description of your background in Buddhist practice and study, and please attend a few classes to make sure you would like to continue with the course before you offer any donation.
Core Materials:
Prose Version of the Distinction Between Phenomena and the Nature of Phenomena
An Overview of the Five Texts of Maitreya by Karl Brunnholzl