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Immortality or Enlightenment- the differenceFrom: Max
Subject: General
Date/Time 2006-04-10 23:30:07
Remote IP: 69.86.147.116
MessageB: Maybe you can present a clear explanation of what you mean by immortality and how it is different than what the Buddha or Jesus acheived.
Here is the best explanation I've heard. Came from Alve Olson, a long-time student of taoist master T.T. Liang, in his translation of 'The Jade Emperor's Mind Seal Classic':
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"Something should also be said here about the differences in the terminology of immortality and enlightenment, as so many of us confuse these two and tend to lump them into the same basket. The highest stage in Taoism is called kung hsing (Void Nature), called sunyata in Buddhism. This stage ends in the fourth heavenly realm above Mt. K'un-lun, but is still in the realm of form as it is only the nature of voidness, not voidness of itself.
This is the level of heavenly immortals and is indeed enlightenment (chio), but not the level that Buddha attained and called, annutarasamyaksambodhi, which leads to Nirvana, wherein all realms are surpassed and extinguished..." p.64
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I've heard the simular explanation from Nan Huai-Chin, although he doesn't talk about Mt. K'un-lun, which probably came from a religious version.
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