Reflections in a Mirror: The Nature of Appearance in Buddhist Philosophy

By Charlie Singer

This distillation of important doctrines of Tibetan Buddhism includes a presentation of the four reflections that change the mind, bodhichitta, emptiness, the nature of mind, and Dzogchen. Also explores the nature of human embodiment and the apparitional nature of the world, with Buddha-nature as the common thread. A thought-provoking study.

This certainly is in the tradition of the wise ones."

From the Foreword by Ven. Lama Pema Wangdak

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Sep 7, 2011
• ISBN: 9781462046577

Charlie Singer

Charlie Singer was born in Brussels, Belgium in 1952, and moved to the United States with his family in 1954. In 1970, he began studying comparative religion and philosophy as a freshman at Pennsylvania State University, where he received a B.A. degree in General Arts and Sciences in 1973. Since 1974, he has studied Tibetan Buddhism with lamas from all four major schools of the Tibetan tradition. He has worked in the fields of Special Education and Early Childhood Education, and is also a blues musician with eight albums to his credit (see Blues Mandala at cdbaby.com). Currently he is the Buddhist instructor at the Wilkes-Barre, PA affiliated center of Donak Choling, under the direction of Ven. Lama Rinchen Puntsok.

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Copyright © 2011 by Charlie Singer.

Empty Blue Planet copyright ©1998

The No-Self Nature copyright ©1995

The Last Word in Shalom is OM copyright ©2001

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ISBN: 978-1-4620-4656-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4620-4657-7 (ebk)

Printed in the United States of America

iUniverse rev. date: 08/25/2011

Contents

Preface

Introduction

Empty Blue Planet

Chapter 1: Blue Planet

Chapter 2: Compassionate Planet

Chapter 3: Empty Planet

Chapter 4: Empty Blue Planet

Afterword

The No-Self Nature

Foreword

The Last Word In Shalom Is Om

Recommended Reading

Dedication

To H. H. the Dalai Lama, H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche,

and to all the people of Tibet;

To my parents and to my brother and sister;

And to all the bluesmen and women of the past,

present, and future.

Preface

Reflections in a Mirror was written largely for purposes of the author’s own edification, along with the intention of sharing some insights from Tibetan Buddhist tradition with people of various religious or spiritual backgrounds. While not intended as a scholarly presentation, this composition may be of interest to the general reader, who is interested in Buddhist philosophy. For those who wish to follow up their study of some of the topics discussed herein, a recommended reading list is included at the back of the book.

The author gratefully acknowledges the late Ven. Khenchen Palden Sherab for his encouragement, and also for the authorization to include the Vajrayana teachings in this presentation, as well as H. H. Sakya Trizin, Ven. Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal, Ven. Lama Pema Wangdak for kindly providing the Foreword, Ven. Lama Rinchen Puntsok, and all the lamas of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, for all their kindness and inspiration.

Finally, thanks are extended to Dr. Edwin Bokert, who is an esteemed psychotherapist and a long-time student of Tibetan Buddhism, for providing the introduction; to Marie Blizzard, for typing and preparing the original manuscript; to Dr. Steven Goodman and Jeff Cox for their advice; and to Joy Hansen and everybody at iUniverse; to Dan Menges and Bob Fierman for editorial assistance; and special thanks to Shelley Pearce for sponsoring the production of this book.

Introduction

In the Tibetan medical tradition, the doctors/lamas make small, precious pills that help heal their patients in various ways. Charlie Singer’s Reflections in a Mirror is like one of these pills—when you read and digest this small, precious book, it will undoubtedly help.

Like a skilled physician or therapist, the book diagnoses our problems with the blues of dissatisfaction, impermanence, and the inevitability of our own demise. The text, again like a good doctor, then prescribes the remedies we need. It discusses how we can begin to heal ourselves by taking refuge in the three jewels, developing a kind heart, awakening the mind of enlightenment, and practicing meditation. The treatment is complete with the realization of our non-dual wisdom.

In the western tradition, medical doctors diagnose and treat the patient’s body, and psychotherapists treat the client’s mind. These approaches are indeed helpful, and yet, without getting at the root cause of all physical illness and mental suffering: ignorance and the attachment to our ego, all other treatments are only temporary and relative. Reflections in a Mirror describes this ultimate healing state, which is none other than our own enlightened nature, the pure, pristine awareness or cognition, which is the true doctor and therapist within us all.

Edwin Bokert,

Ph.D.

March, 2000

Empty Blue Planet

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The Primordial Buddha, Samantabhadra, with consort, Samantabhadri

Chapter 1: Blue Planet

From the perspective of a traveler in outer-space, our planet, Earth, may be said to resemble a big blue marble, floating peacefully in space. If this traveler were a being from another part of the universe, as they approached the surface of the planet, they might be under the impression that they were beholding some sort of paradise, a heavenly realm, where the inhabitants all enjoy lives of complete peace and happiness and well-being.

Here on the surface of the Earth itself, however, this is not the case at all. One need only to pick up the daily newspaper, or watch the evening news, or merely live among other people, to learn of all the many types of problems besetting the inhabitants of our world.

When the historical Buddha, Buddha Shakyamuni, attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree in Bodhgaya, in India, regarded in Buddhist tradition as being the central axis of our world system, for some time afterward, he did not teach. Rather, he remained silent, regarding the truth of his realization as being beyond