and the Diamond Sutra
Both Advaita and Buddhism stress the 'dissolution of the ego' as a precondition for enlightenment. To those raised in a Jewish, Christian or Islamic tradition, this may sound like a mere moral admonition. In fact, it goes far deeper than this. In Advaita and Buddhism, the ego is closely associated with the mind and with our consequent perception of reality. It is because of the stranglehold of the mind that we discriminate consciousness into subject and object, a distinction so engrained that we take it for granted.
Both Indian traditions make the important and interesting claim that this very mind-imposed dualism alters consciousness in such a way as to hide or destroy the natural state of bliss that is intrinsic to consciousness in its primordial nondual purity. The restoration of this blissful unitary state is called 'moksha' or liberation by Advaita and 'nirvana' or a 'blowing out' [of the mind] by Buddhism. This is the true heaven, available here and now, provided the clouds of ignorance are dispelled by the illumination of wisdom.
In such an enlightened state, there is no awareness of being an 'enlightened soul', since all discriminations of the mind have been abandoned. This is to be contrasted, for example, with the Christian notion of being saved by Jesus, where one is acutely aware of being a distinct soul who has been saved. If heaven were merely a reward for good behavior, as traditionally claimed by the Middle Eastern religions, then our wisdom and insight into reality would have little to do with it. The Eastern traditions claim otherwise, with a clear emphasis on insight and wisdom as preconditions for reaching the higher states of consciousness known as enlightenment. Salvation is a state of consciousness realized through the purification and neutralization of mind, rather than a pleasant location reached through good action.
This view will be illustrated with excerpts from two important scriptures of Advaita and Mahayana Buddhism, respectively, namely the Yoga Vasistha and the Diamond Sutra.
The Yoga Vasistha has been discussed already, for example in Yoga Vasistha on the Mind. Its origins are obscure, but it is held in great respect by many prominent Advaitins. The following excerpt makes the point that ego and mind are essentially the same. The 'ego-sense' or feeling of being a distinct and independent entity is a manifestation of our discriminating mind, which divides the immediate reality of awareness into subject and objects. Advaita claims that this very distinction is the root of our trouble.
A similar view is echoed in the famous Diamond Sutra of Mahayana Buddhism, where the Buddha informs disciple Subhuti that after leading all sentient beings to enlightenment, no sentient being has been led to enlightenment. This statement is intended to sound paradoxical, and the point is that if consciousness still discriminates distinct beings, even presumably enlightened beings, then that consciousness is not in a state of enlightenment. Indeed, the lack of conceptual discrimination that is intrinsic to enlightenment extends far beyond the mere dissolution of the ego-sense, since it is claimed that the enlightened being or Buddha does not discriminate any characteristics of things whatsoever. This is entirely consistent with the Yoga Vasistha's equation of ego and mind. Clearly, we are far beyond the realm of mere 'good behavior' and into a fundamental transformation of consciousness, from the dualistic to the nondualistic.
Of course, the enlightened being in both traditions does interact with the illusory world, as did Buddha, Shankara and all the great saints. But they saw all distinctions as mere illusions painted on the face of a vast, infinite, pure and blissful Consciousness which is Reality. They no longer believed in nor identified with nor grasped at the discriminations. The ego-sense was gone and with it the conceptual prison which prevents the One Nondual and Universal Consciousness from manifesting its inherently pure and blissful nature.
One should also compare the passages below with similar ideas from the Lankavatara Sutra, another important scripture of Mahayana Buddhism.
Yoga Vasistha, trans. Swami Venkatesananda, p. 296
The self playfully seeing a body entertains the notion that it has become the body. All these that constitute the world-illusion come into being like a mirage in the desert. This illusion spreads out like waves in the ocean, assuming various names like mind, the faculty of discrimination, the ego-sense, the latent tendencies and the senses. The mind and the ego-sense are not in fact two but one and the same: the distinction is verbal. The mind is the ego-sense and what is known as the ego-sense is the mind. Only ignorant people think that one is born of the other, even as ignorant people might say that whiteness is born of snow.Thus of the mind and the ego-sense - if one ceases the other ceases to be. Hence, instead of entertaining the notion of bondage and that of liberation, abandon all cravings and through wisdom and dispassion, bring about the cessation of the mind. If even the wish, 'May I be liberated' arises within you, the mind is revived; and the mind entertaining other notions creates a body. Then there arise other concepts such as 'I do this', 'I enjoy this' and 'I know this'. All these concepts are unreal like a mirage in the desert. However, since their unreality is not realized, the illusion attracts the mind, even as the mirage deludes and attracts the animal. But, if it is realized as an illusion it does not attract the mind, even as a mirage does not attract one who knows it to be a mirage. Just as a lamp utterly dispels darkness, the knowledge of truth completely dispels concepts and conditioning.
Diamond Sutra, trans. A.F. Price and Wong Mou-Lam
Subhuti, all the Bodhisattva-Heroes should discipline their thoughts as follows: All living creatures of whatever class, born from eggs, from wombs, from moisture, or by transformation, whether with form or without form, whether in a state of thinking or exempt from thought-necessity, or wholly beyond all thought realms -- all these are caused by Me to attain Unbounded Liberation Nirvana. Yet when vast, uncountable, immeasurable numbers of beings have thus been liberated, verily no being has been liberated. Why is this, Subhuti? It is because no Bodhisattva who is a real Bodhisattva cherishes the idea of an ego-entity, a personality, a being, or a separated individuality.[. . .]
Subhuti, what do you think? Is the Tathagata (Buddha) to be recognized by some material characteristic?
No, World-honored One; the Tathagata cannot be recognized by any material characteristic. Wherefore? Because the Tathagata has said that material characteristics are not, in fact, material characteristics.
Buddha said: Subhuti, wheresoever are material characteristics there is delusion; but whoso perceives that all characteristics are in fact no-characteristics, perceives the Tathagata.
[. . .]
Because if such men allowed their minds to grasp and hold on to anything [my emphasis] they would be cherishing the idea of an ego-entity, a personality, a being, or a separated individuality; and if they grasped and held on to the notion of things as having intrinsic qualities they would be cherishing the idea of an ego-entity, a personality, a being, or a separated individuality. Likewise, if they grasped and held on to the notion of things as devoid of intrinsic qualities they would be cherishing the idea of an ego-entity, a personality, a being, or a separated individuality. So you should not be attached to things as being possessed of, or devoid of, intrinsic qualities.
[. . .]
Therefore, Subhuti, all Bodhisattvas, lesser and great, should develop a pure, lucid mind, not depending upon sound, flavor, touch, odor, or any quality. A Bodhisattva should develop a mind which alights upon no thing whatsoever; and so should he establish it. [Compare with the famous Buddhist scripture or prayer called the Heart Sutra, especially the line, 'Therefore, in the Void There Are No Forms, No Feelings, Perceptions, Volitions or Consciousness'.]
[. . .]
Therefore, Subhuti, Bodhisattvas should leave behind all phenomenal distinctions and awaken the thought of the Consummation of Incomparable Enlightenment by not allowing the mind to depend upon notions evoked by the sensible world - by not allowing the mind to depend upon notions evoked by sounds, odors, flavors, touch-contacts, or any qualities. The mind should be kept independent of any thoughts which arise within it. If the mind depends upon anything it has no sure haven.
[. . .]
Subhuti, it is the same concerning Bodhisattvas. If a Bodhisattva announces: I will liberate all living creatures, he is not rightly called a Bodhisattva. Wherefore? Because, Subhuti, there is really no such condition as that called Bodhisattvaship, because Buddha teaches that all things are devoid of selfhood, devoid of separate individuality. Subhuti, if a Bodhisattva announces: I will set forth majestic Buddha-lands, one does not call him a Bodhisattva, because the Tathagata has declared that the setting forth of majestic Buddha-lands is not really such: "a majestic setting forth" is just the name given to it. Subhuti, Bodhisattvas who are wholly devoid of any conception of separate selfhood are truthfully called Bodhisattvas.
[. . .]
The sutra ends with the following poetic lines, which sum up the wisdom of this scripture.
Thus shall ye think of all this fleeting world:
A star at dawn, a bubble in a stream;
A flash of lightning in a summer cloud,
A flickering lamp, a phantom, and a dream.