razor
to cut through ignorance
The world of spirituality and personal development is full of colourful and frivolous activities. Some have the opposite effect of what they promise. The HOTB razor is a set of criteria to demarcate practices we believe lead to genuine, existential transformation and distinguish them from all other activities.
waking up
We follow the mahamudra definition of awakening as outlined by Daniel Brown:
“Though never made explicit in the commentaries, the Mahamudra meditation texts presuppose a very particular model of the mind, which may be called a deconstructivist model. What follows is a critical summary of this model. The key to meditation is the development of self-awareness, by which the correct view of the mind and its relative functioning is made possible. Yet, self-awareness is obstructed by the "constructions" (bcos pa) of the mind, and the mental activities which cause these constructions to form. The process of meditation is designed to dismantle the mental constructions and the mental activities which reinforce these activities. The technical term, "non-artificial construction" (ma beos pa), has these dual referents. It is designed to negate both mental constructions and mental activity. The way of meditation advocates a deconstructivist theory and practice.
The central categories in the Mahamudra model of the mind are: (1) interrelations between constituents of body and mind; (2) activity; and (3) knowledge. Each of these categories interacts. That is, the type of mental activity determines the type of interrelationship between the body and mind, and in turn, the knowledge about self and world that is possible. There are correct and false views corresponding to each of these categories. The ordinary individual adheres to a false view. The yogi, who has perfected his practice, embodies the correct view.
An enlightened yogi has perfected his “self-awareness” (rang rig pa). This awareness is embodied in the very structure of his existence. That structure is called Simultaneousness. He correctly views his body/mind and the entire universe as nothing more than a vast interconnectedness. In an ultimate sense, this vaste system of interrelatedness has no substance. Nor do the interrelations interact in a causal sense. Existence , ultimately, is “unborn” and “empty” of substance. Yet in a relative sense, “activity” seems to occur. For the enlightened yogi, who embodies the Simultaneous View, this activity is described as “naturalness” (gnyug ma). The relative structures must also seem to occur, through which natural activity manifests its own spontaneity. Thus, the body, mental continuum, and sense-system must also seem to exist in a relative sense. They are, however, “put-in-order” or re-arranged. His body is an aggregation of the Five Skandhas, but no self can be found within those Skandhas. The body is merely an “artiface”, whose activity occurs in an orderly fashion within the energy channels. Each of the six sense-systems is composed of a sense object, organ, and perceiver. These exist only in interrelation to one another. They exist when spontaneous activity occurs, but only in a relative sense. The former perceptions of the world appear like dancing emanations. The seemingly various events become calm immediately as they occur. The mental continuum is known to be a vast interconnected system of potential formations, each of which can only be specified in relation to something else. The underlying assumption is that relative activity, naturalness, when coupled to the ultimate, emptiness, will transform the interrelationship of body/mind/cosmos, so that it becomes the embodiment of wisdom. The three Buddha-Bodies are an example of the “fruit” of this process.” (dissertation Daniel Brown, 1981, "Mahamudra meditation stages and contemporary cognitive psychology")
In more simple words: When all constructions of mind are seen through as insubstantial and the activity of constructing comes to an end, you recognise yourself as open, boundless, timeless presence, always right here. The self remains, but looses grab, and becomes a servant to the incomprehensible. Your conditionings cease to have grab over you, and all is seen through as an expression of timeless boundless awareness, showing itself to itself. Even though the world now is experienced as empty or insubstantial, it is still vividly appearing. To stay in awakened awareness requires to simultaneously hold the views of emptiness (insubstantial) and appearance (vividly occurring). It’s a vibrant oscillation between emptiness and appearance, the great void and compassionate engagement.
cleaning up (healing)
When it comes to practices that have "healing" as their goal, we propose a systematic process of evaluating (theoretically and empirically) whether the practice leads to the effects it purports to have. As a demarcation methodology we propose careful empirical (scientific) observation and experimentation, without denying or rejecting what is not yet known or what cannot be empirically investigated.
To balance for scientific classification rigidity, we propose to combine this with an anti-psychiatric framework (i.e., a focus on functionality rather than classification/diagnosis).
growing up
Our approach to teaching and learning is radical, engaged pedagogy, a fusion of critical, feminist, and anti-colonial educational approaches, with a strong emphasis on well-being. This means that teachers also commit to a process of self-development and self-recognition, promoting their own well-being and enabling them to teach in a way that makes students free and autonomous, inspired by bell hooks, Paulo Freire, Riane Eisler, Thich Nhat Hanh, Carl Rogers, and Jacques Rancière, among others. It creates an environment built on values such as inclusion, freedom, expression, equality, care, and creativity instead of dominance, coercion, fear, and inequality.
At the core of our pedagogy is the transmission of presence, which indirectly supports the development of skills required to express your own way of being human.
showing up
Showing up refers to the embodiment of awakening, the expression of your own way of being human. It is a selfless agency that is radically free from the power structures that dominate its environment. We propose critical theory as a framework to evaluate the independence of a person's expression of their own way of being human from the dominant, societal values and norms.