Page 49 - EH54

AS
TERN

E
ON
4
ORUM
|

HORIZ
TEACHINGS | EASTERN HORIZON 477
F
can go or enter it. Nirvāṇa is beyond space, time, and karmas accrued through them. Given the strength of
definition, and so language is by definition inadequate their meditation, wisdom, and altruistic attitudes such
to discuss it. It can only be experienced. as loving kindness, compassion, and bodhicitta, they do
not fall into mental sufferings either.
Dadul Namgyal: There are references in certain sūtras
whereby an arhat (while still possessing the remainder
of his or her skandhas from past karma) upon death, Venerable Āyasmā Aggacitta is
enters into Nirvāṇa without remainder. In this instance, the founder of the Sāsanārakkha
the continuum of the skandhas is severed for eternity Buddhist Sanctuary (SBS) in
with no trace of anything whatsoever remaining, Taiping, Perak, a Pāli scholar and a
including their consciousness skandha. However, meditation teacher.
other schools of philosophical systems interpret these
references as provisional teachings. As such, there is
special resonance with the questioners or listeners for Ven. Ming Wei is a teacher of e-learning at the
long-term benefit from these teachings, but they do not International Buddhist College (IBC) and an
reflect the reality on the ground. independent translator of Buddhism.

So, attaining Nirvāṇa, thus becoming arhats, irrespective Geshe Dadul Namgyal is a Geshe
of with or without their saṃsāric skandhas, marks Lharampa and senior resident
accomplishing total freedom from the dictates of teacher at Drepung Loseling
afflictive emotions and actions induced by them, rather Monastery in Atlanta, Georgia, USA
than finding oneself in a separate location or becoming
extinct. So, one still continues to be in existence, and EH
may, by the force of mastery of meditative stabilization,
be born into the Pure Lands, if one chooses so as to
continue the journey to Buddhahood. Or one may
remain in the state of meditative bliss for as long as one
may wish, but no longer under the dictates of afflictions,
and thus no longer subject to their limiting influences,
either on the body or mind. In most such cases, they
remain in mental bodies, rather than in the same old
corporeal bodies generated from the afflictions and
polluted karmas.

In the case of arhat bodhisattvas or even arya
bodhisattvas, they typically choose to be born into
the realms of sufferings by the force of compassion
and prayer, or by the force of mastery in meditative
stabilization, or even take mental bodies produced
from the combination of unpolluted karma and the
subtle remnant-latencies of ignorance, but they no
longer find themselves subject to the physical sufferings
associated with bodies produced from afflictions and