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Buddhist-Meditation-Systematic-and-Practical

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they accept as ultimately real, whereas the Mahayana<br />

sees this earth itself as without abiding entity; all the<br />

dharmas are empty. Even in our bodies there is no self.<br />

<strong>Buddhist</strong>s are agreed about that but what about these<br />

things: noses <strong>and</strong> eyes, what is their true nature? The<br />

Hinayana seems to take up the self in the form of<br />

dharmas, into nirvana.<br />

We will talk later of the st<strong>and</strong>ards of choice to apply in<br />

selecting meditations <strong>and</strong> philosophy in Buddhism.<br />

Therefore, when we meditate on this principle of the<br />

egolessness of dharmas, the student should follow the<br />

philosophy of the sunyata school: Breathing out touch<br />

the dharma (object); breathing in, think of sunyata. Thus<br />

the two remaining sharp drivers are altogether finished.<br />

2. Why follow the above sequence?<br />

Just because we have finished the five meditations in<br />

the last chapter, where the main ideas fostered were<br />

renunciation <strong>and</strong> impermanence, so first in this chapter<br />

we discuss the rough meditations on the body, for this<br />

seems nearest to us.<br />

Then, because of the body's existence, comes the<br />

perverse idea of its beauty (subha). Dependent on this,<br />

we may experience loving feelings. With the<br />

consideration of the feelings, we have progressed a little<br />

inwards, for the body is "outside" compared with<br />

feelings. We should then think about the painful things<br />

288

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