What does it mean, “not dwelling on the Non-conditioned”?
The bodhisattva contemplates the reality of Emptiness but does not take Emptiness as an object of attainment... He meditates on the truth of Impermanence but does not abandon his work to serve and save. He meditates on Suffering but does not reject the world of births and deaths. He meditates on Extinction but does not embrace Extinction. He meditates on Detachment but goes on realizing good things in the world…
He meditates on the reality of the Ultimate but still dwells in the world of interdependent origins. He meditates on Nonaction but continues always his acts of service and education. He meditates on Emptiness but does not abandon Great Compassion. He meditates on the Position of the True Dharma but does not follow a rigid path. He meditates on the Unreal, Impermanent, Unoriginated, Nonpossessed, and Markless nature of dharmas but does not abandon his career concerning merits, concentration, and wisdom.
Practicing in that way, the bodhisattva is described as “not dwelling on the Nonconditioned.” He has wisdom but does not end his action in the realm of the conditioned; he has compassion but does not dwell in the Nonconditioned; he wants to realize his great Vow but he will not abandon the conditioned world.
— From the Vimalakirtinirdesa Sutra (Translated from the Chinese by Thich Nhat Hanh)
May awakening be of service to the dream,
Simeon
Quote of the Week
“As long as space abides, and as long as the world abides, so long may I abide, destroying the sufferings of the world.”
— Śāntideva, Bodhicaryāvatāra
Emptiness Full to the Brim
In this video, we unfold the meaning of emptiness in Buddhist thought: not as a denial of life, but as a freeing of life from rigid grasping. Seeing emptiness clearly is not the end of action—it’s the beginning of a more open, loving way to move through the dream of existence.
Suggested Reading
The Way of the Bodhisattva (Bodhicaryāvatāra) by Śāntideva
How can wisdom and compassion walk hand in hand? In The Way of the Bodhisattva, Śāntideva offers luminous guidance for living with a heart that embraces emptiness without abandoning the world. His words light the endless path of service born from awakening.
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