دانلود کتاب the book of wisdom

Reflecting itself, it is completely pure of content. Therefore, religion is not simply knowledge; it is knowing. Science represents a more basic form of knowing, while religion is a more elevated kind. Religion is seen as the ultimate understanding or PHILOSOPHIA ULTIMA. The fundamental difference between them lies not in their essence—which remains consistent—but in their level of purity.

Science is intertwined with a lot of complexity, whereas religion is pure essence and pure fragrance. The complexity is gone, and the lotus has emerged. At the highest level, even the lotus fades, and only the fragrance remains. These are the three phases of knowing: the complexity, the lotus, and the fragrance.

Religion cannot be easily grasped because it lacks a tangible object. Yet it can still be comprehended. While it cannot be directly explained, it can be experienced. You cannot be simply informed about religion because it cannot be distilled into information. However, you can be guided towards it—like fingers pointing to the moon. The fingers themselves are not the moon, but they can direct you towards it.

seven fingers pointing to the moon. The focus shouldn’t be on the fingers themselves; don’t become preoccupied with them. This isn’t the main objective and would miss the essence. Use the fingers as a guide, then look beyond them to where they point. Once you see the moon, the significance of the fingers fades away; they become non-essential and simply disappear from thought.

For those who have truly experienced religion, scriptures become unnecessary, and methods lose their importance. Upon reaching the goal, the path naturally fades from memory. Atisha stands out as an exceptional master, unique in that he learned from three enlightened masters. This is unprecedented and has not been repeated since. Generally, one enlightened master suffices. This story of him being taught by three masters holds metaphorical significance and is historically true.

Atisha spent many years with three notable masters. The first was Dharmakirti, a profound Buddhist mystic who taught him the practice of no-mind, the concept of emptiness, and how to be thoughtless. He guided Atisha in emptying his mind of content to achieve contentlessness. The second master, Dharmarakshita, also a Buddhist mystic, instructed him in love and compassion. The third master, Yogin Maitreya, taught him about embracing the suffering of others and absorbing it into one’s own heart—essentially, putting love into action. This unique learning experience was possible because these three masters were close friends who began their spiritual journey together, stayed united during their quest, and remained bonded even after achieving enlightenment.

There are three distinct paths people take to reach the ultimate state. If one achieves it through emptiness, they naturally encompass the other two paths as well, though their journey primarily remains centered on emptiness. This path influences what they emphasize in their teachings. This was evident in Buddha’s experience—having reached enlightenment through emptiness, his teachings were deeply rooted in it. In Buddha’s philosophy, there is no place for God, as God represents a thought, a content, an object—something external and separate. Buddha’s enlightenment came from completely emptying his mind of such concepts, which makes his approach the pure VIA NEGATIVA. This was similarly true for Dharmakirti, who excelled as a master of emptiness, exhibiting unparalleled prowess in its understanding and teaching.

spirituality. Without this expression, you’ll miss out on the poetry and joy of sharing; you’ll remain vacant. You’ll experience a form of freedom, but it will only be a freedom from something, not freedom for something. True freedom encompasses both—freedom from and freedom for—otherwise, it feels incomplete and lacking in richness. Genuine freedom begins when you’re free to express yourself, to sing, dance, celebrate, and share your abundance with others, which is the essence of compassion.

Humans are often driven by passion. However, when the mind steps aside, passion evolves into compassion. Passion turns you into a seeker, constantly asking for more from others; it leads to exploitation. Relationships under passion are mere tactics, clever strategies to control and dominate. When living through the lens of passion, one’s entire existence revolves around power dynamics. Even acts of love, social service, and humanitarian efforts are, at their core, driven by a desire to attain power over others. Yet, when the mind is released, this same energy transforms into compassion, guiding life in an entirely new direction.

it’s as if a veil is lifted, revealing the truth of your being. Learning to unfocus the eyes from the external world is crucial. They must become softer, more flexible, and fluid, enabling an inward gaze. When you truly see yourself, the illusion of poverty vanishes, for it was never real—merely a construct, an illusion of the mind. The mind is responsible for all your suffering; once it dissipates, the misery dissolves, and clarity emerges in its place.