Mahabodhi Sunyata

While it must remain always clear that the Dharma of Buddha is the base, new ideas and concepts which do not conflict with the method and ideals of Buddha Dharma must not be rejected with folly.

Clearly Samathaa and Vipassana is the base of meditation upon the gradual path (concentration and absorpcion). But the concept of using symbolic representations of the aspects of the buda nature, the life force, that is within every human creature as a vehicle for absorption, is a valid approach. However, ome must be careful not to fall into the traps of clinging and craving to rituals, dogma and ceremonies or believe for one moment that the figures of Tara, Vajrasattva, Avolokiteshvara, Manjushri or Maitreya are real deities that are external to ones own mind. Beware, for it is easy to turn the tools into external masters, developing a product that is no better than religion.

In Avaivartika we laud Shantideva who was the founder of the order and also Atisha, both great contributors to the gradual path. Both were practitioners of Tara orations and firm advocates of Avolokiteshvara principles. Notwithstanding then there are three choices available upon the Avaivartika path.

1. Use only Samatha and Vipassana to eliminate the Identity poisons.
2. Use the Sadhana orations of the natural Attributes in Deity form as auto re-conditioning.
3. Use both in careful and descrete combination.
The option is open and neither should be depreciated. But beware of all the traps of the intellectual mind on one hand and emotional entrapment on the other.