Running away from Samsara while in it: The Nirmanakaya revisited

Sometimes as I go throughout my day I ponder my own practice and the suffering styles of those around me.

My experiences in Asia have taught me that Asians by and large, have an easier time with the worldly sides of religious life and practices. They are not nearly as tormented by contradictions between religious ideals and the human displays of religious leaders that expound them. The householder Buddhists in Asia, for example, know that they cannot really avoid sin completely if they are to live in this world and etc. I’m not saying they are as bad as evangelicals who believe in gun worship and keeping poor people and libtards off their lawns, but I think you get the point.

Regardless, one of the most common problems I see is a strong disconnect between an intellectually understood set of beliefs and the realities of our physical phenomenon. It’s something akin to trying to be so godly that the next stop on the train is emersion in pornography or perhaps a mass shooting at a few nail salons. At its root, the notion that saintliness or holiness somehow requires the renunciation of the lower half of our physical bodies and everything that goes with it, is tremendously flawed, dangerous and sad as well.

Tibetan yogas were designed to make sure that we take the lower half with us on the complete journey to enlightenment. After all, you may have heard of great practitioners attaining the rainbow body right? But you never heard of a single one of them that left their lower half with us here on the planet.

So, I offer one humble piece of advise to westerners here and whatever Asians find it useful. Spend some time practicing while moving your body. Ironically, I’m doing this while I’m on my treadmill, the epitomy of samsara and going nowhere quickly. Walk quickly and energetically towards enlightenment. Say the seven line prayer like you really mean it. Make sure your lower half comes with you when you go to the pure lands.

Eighty four thousand tantras have arisen from the compassionate nature of all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to assure you take your lower half with you. They are designed to make sure that you more than intellectually understand that the nerves are essentially an expression of the Nirmanakaya and nothing else. But if you treat these nerves like shit, they will be more than happy to oblige you and turn into shit on your watch. Don’t expect to run to the fatherly Dharmakaya without first engaging the Son-like phenomenon of the Nirmanakaya, and bringing yourself to threshold of the pearly gates of the Samboghakaya.

So don’t look at the dried leaves and expect them to rake themselves. Don’t take your TV remote control out of your house and try to change the channel by pointing at the government official at the town hall and pushing a different number. Don’t expect that mantra alone is going to do all the polishing needed. Everyone, just bust a move.

This was written as a pat on my own back for today’s exercise session and as a way of sharing the joy and any realization that came out of it. Man, Son of Peace