"What is here is elsewhere, what is not here is nowhere" (quote, believe)

[brianberkeley]

" What is here is elsewhere, what is not here is nowhere."

I first heard this saying at a Dhamma talk at the Berkeley Zen Center. The second time I had heard this statement was chatting with a Hindu Holy man, a Saddhu, at Varanasi, India.

This saying, or koan, is common in Mahayana Buddhism. I have never heard it used at a Theravada Monastery, either here or in Thailand/Cambodia.

A little research reveals that it pre-dates Buddhism and is from the Mahabharata. an ancient Brahmanic epic poem. As such, it pre-dates both modern Hinduism and Buddhism.

What does it mean? That is up to you. But for me, I believe it says you take yourself with yourself. That no matter where you are, you are the same. But this koan is very deep, with many levels. I find myself thinking about it, on occasion.

Comments

[phetaroi]

That's very Zen-ish.

I prefer teachings that are more straight forward that leave less room for different individuals to bring in all sorts of self-interpretation.

But, to each his own.

[ukrkoz]

" What is here is elsewhere, what is not here is nowhere."


There is only one Reality. It is same everywhere. Any Now in Reality is everywhere, as reality is omnipresent.


What is not here, is not in reality. Ergo, it is not, or is in nowhere.


Don't complicate this unnecessarily. Also, entire mess with religions, bloodbaths of religious wars included, came from interpretations.

[Tzaphkiel]

as above, so below

[ukrkoz]

Well, of course. Reality is ONE and SAME everywhere. It does not mean that Reality here is not different from Reality somewhere we can't see it. It simply means - there is only ONE Reality everywhere. As whatever is, is reality.

It's like ocean. It is combined from myriads of drops of water - all forming One ocean. So is Reality.


It is basic principle. Not its various manifestations. Same everywhere is manifested differently yet, it is same reality. Same NOW. There is nothing else. As there is only Now.

[cb2008]

Originally Posted by brianberkeley

" What is here is elsewhere, what is not here is nowhere."

I first heard this saying at a Dhamma talk at the Berkeley Zen Center. The second time I had heard this statement was chatting with a Hindu Holy man, a Saddhu, at Varanasi, India.

This saying, or koan, is common in Mahayana Buddhism. I have never heard it used at a Theravada Monastery, either here or in Thailand/Cambodia.

A little research reveals that it pre-dates Buddhism and is from the Mahabharata. an ancient Brahmanic epic poem. As such, it pre-dates both modern Hinduism and Buddhism.

What does it mean? That is up to you. But for me, I believe it says you take yourself with yourself. That no matter where you are, you are the same. But this koan is very deep, with many levels. I find myself thinking about it, on occasion.

Comments

This sentence is part of the introduction to the Mahabharata. It is extolling its own excellence, a blurb if you will. It is well deserved blurb as it is an amazing epic, and the work also includes the Bhagavat Gita which is a pop version of the essence of the Vedas.