Path of Accumulation - Heat

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Konchog1
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Path of Accumulation - Heat

Post by Konchog1 »

What few books that give details about the Path of Accumulation say that the Path of Accumulation is completed upon the attainment of the 'heat' or 'warmth' of wisdom. Yet 'heat' is never defined. What is 'heat'?

Also, what books are there that go into great detail of the Five Paths? So far I've read Jewel Ornament of Liberation and Niguma's Gyuma Lam Rim, neither of which had as much details as I would have liked.

Thanks.
Equanimity is the ground. Love is the moisture. Compassion is the seed. Bodhicitta is the result.

-Paraphrase of Khensur Rinpoche Lobsang Tsephel citing the Guhyasamaja Tantra

"All memories and thoughts are the union of emptiness and knowing, the Mind.
Without attachment, self-liberating, like a snake in a knot.
Through the qualities of meditating in that way,
Mental obscurations are purified and the dharmakaya is attained."

-Ra Lotsawa, All-pervading Melodious Drumbeats
Jinzang
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Re: Path of Accumulation - Heat

Post by Jinzang »

"Heat" is a metaphor. When rubbing two sticks to make a fire, the sticks will get warm before they catch flame. Similarly, before attaining a direct experience of emptiness on the path of seeing, one has intimations on the path of juncture, and so one of the stages on the path of juncture is called heat.

The best discussion of the stages of the path that I've seen in in Chapter 7 of Khenpo Karthar's book, Dharma Paths.
"It's as plain as the nose on your face!" Dottie Primrose
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Konchog1
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Re: Path of Accumulation - Heat

Post by Konchog1 »

Jinzang wrote:"Heat" is a metaphor. When rubbing two sticks to make a fire, the sticks will get warm before they catch flame. Similarly, before attaining a direct experience of emptiness on the path of seeing, one has intimations on the path of juncture, and so one of the stages on the path of juncture is called heat.
So heat is an intellectual understanding of Emptiness?
Equanimity is the ground. Love is the moisture. Compassion is the seed. Bodhicitta is the result.

-Paraphrase of Khensur Rinpoche Lobsang Tsephel citing the Guhyasamaja Tantra

"All memories and thoughts are the union of emptiness and knowing, the Mind.
Without attachment, self-liberating, like a snake in a knot.
Through the qualities of meditating in that way,
Mental obscurations are purified and the dharmakaya is attained."

-Ra Lotsawa, All-pervading Melodious Drumbeats
Jinzang
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Re: Path of Accumulation - Heat

Post by Jinzang »

No, it's more than an intellectual understanding, it's an actual experience, but it has traces of dualism and conceptualization. It's like, "oh, that is really profound!" There's still a separation between you and your experience.
"It's as plain as the nose on your face!" Dottie Primrose
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Huifeng
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Re: Path of Accumulation - Heat

Post by Huifeng »

Not sure if you've looked already or not, but since this system comes from the northern Abhidharma traditions, that would probably be a good place to look for more extensive details. Eg. in the Kosa analysis of the aryas, there is quite some discussion. Naturally, this is all part of the four wholesome roots from become heated, to summit, to receptivity, and then highest mundane dharmas; before the path of vision. Pruden's English of the Kosa, Vol. III, pg. 930ff.

If you can get your hands on Ven. Dhammajoti's book "Sarvastivada Abhidharma" (try Scribd), and / or his student, Ven. Dhammapala's, PhD thesis from HKU, the former has a chapter, and the latter is entirely devoted to the subject of these paths.

~~ Huifeng
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Konchog1
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Re: Path of Accumulation - Heat

Post by Konchog1 »

Jinzang wrote:No, it's more than an intellectual understanding, it's an actual experience, but it has traces of dualism and conceptualization. It's like, "oh, that is really profound!" There's still a separation between you and your experience.
Hmm, well I'll understand heat when I get there. I'll look for your book. Huifeng's too.
Equanimity is the ground. Love is the moisture. Compassion is the seed. Bodhicitta is the result.

-Paraphrase of Khensur Rinpoche Lobsang Tsephel citing the Guhyasamaja Tantra

"All memories and thoughts are the union of emptiness and knowing, the Mind.
Without attachment, self-liberating, like a snake in a knot.
Through the qualities of meditating in that way,
Mental obscurations are purified and the dharmakaya is attained."

-Ra Lotsawa, All-pervading Melodious Drumbeats
5heaps
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Re: Path of Accumulation - Heat

Post by 5heaps »

studying the lower schools to understand this topic is almost useless, since they dont even know how to posit direct perception of negatives ie. they are always implicitly known.
they are uselful to study only for people who are actually on the path of preparation and want to compare the precise and subtle machinations of their meditation, whereby these manuals become extremely subtle and precise historical accounts / guides.

the best and most complete tenet book is translated by jeffrey hopkins: Maps of the Profound
also check: http://www.berzinarchives.com/web/en/ar ... advan.html

according to the gelug position which uniquely asserts that emptiness on the path of preparation is actual emptiness, the beginning of the path of preparation is what the mind-only school call the path of seeing. so the vipashyana is extremely strong and conceptuality is extremely subtle relative to us, but still very coarse relative to actual emptiness (ie. absence of ignorance and conceptuality)
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Re: Path of Accumulation - Heat

Post by Ayu »

In the visualization fire is an appliance for to empty out all hindrances. It is all burned away by the purifying fire of wisdom, and what is left is pure thusness.
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kirtu
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Re: Path of Accumulation - Heat

Post by kirtu »

From The Treasury of Precious Qualities, Kyabje Kangyur Rinpoche, Jigme Lingpa, and Longchen Yeshe Dorje, pg 392:
As a result of meditation on the mundane level, nonconceptual wisdom will gradually gain in strength, and this will “join” the practitioner to the path of seeing. This phase is therefore called the path of joining and consists of four stages. According to the Mahayana, the first stage of this path, in which the understanding of phenomena as mere mental projections (yid kyi snang ba) acts as an antidote to clinging, is called meditative Warmth.
So on the stage of Heat the understanding of emptiness acts as an antidote to clinging.

Kirt
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Zen Master Seung Sahn said, “That’s simple. Atomic bombs come from the mind that likes this and doesn’t like that.”

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