dear empty mountains,
like your name, we could say the mountains are empty yet appear.
we could say, because they are empty, they can appear.
we could say they don't appear at all except within our deluded dream.
the middle way says emptiness and dependent arising non-dual, non-contradictory, the same.
many teachers therefore advise beginners like me that it's enough to contemplate cause and effect and dependent arising,
this way we won't get caught up in abstract or confused views.
so, in our 'world', everything definitely arises from intention.
it's true that it is said if your lama tells you 'this tree is tara' and you meditate like this, you will get blessings.
but that tree is now filled with the lama's intention, so to speak.
it is said the various buddhas manifest various 'specific' or characteristic qualities for our sake, and these are the result of their prayers on the way to buddhahood, so i think we best take what's given freely and is already available.
otherwise, unless we have attained ultimate pure view, we might start inventing funny phenomena nobody needs and
whose milk is sour...
