N

March 1, 2012 Volume 1, Issue 24

Wondrous Dharma

Activities at the International Translation Institute, Burlingame, CA are free to the public:
Sixth Patriarchs Sutra lecture Fridays 7:45pm to 8:45pm Repentance ceremony Saturdays 1pm to 2pm Chan meditation Saturdays 2pm to 3pm Buddhism for beginners Saturdays 3pm to 4pm

Wondrous Dharma is the newsletter on the dharma events at the premise of the International Translation Institute, 1777 Murchison Drive, Burlingame, CA 94010 Telephone (650) 692-5912 E-mail: wondrousdharma@gmail.com; www.wondrousdharma.org

What is the meaning of life? (Part 2, to be continued)

What is the wonderful principle? It is expressed in the Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra: The Thus Come One knows the Dharma of one appearance, of one flavor, that is to say, the mark of liberation, the mark of separation, the mark of extinction, the mark of ultimate Nirvana which is constantly still and extinct and which in the end return to emptiness. Mind is the myriad phenomena; myriad phenomena are the mind. cosmos (the physics, chemistry, sciences, good, evil, disasters, mountains, rivers, planets, living beings, hells, heavens, and so on) are just appearances in our confused mind. When we are awakened and recognized the wonderful principle of the Reality of the minds and nature of the cosmos, there is no reason to attach, suffer, distress, afflict simply because the myriad phenomena are false appearances in our mind, being empty in nature. The stillness arising is ultimate nirvana, ultimate happiness! these appearances. The proper knowledge is to know that the original mind that is inherent within the self nature of every living being generates the myriad phenomena in the entire cosmos; not otherwise.

One flavor is the One Buddha Vehicle and certifying to the wonderful principle; the teaching of the real appearance Dharma recognizing the original mind which is empty and without appearances and the appearances of the myriad phenomena are The Dharma (teachings) of not separate entities. one appearance is the The wonderful principle Reality of the mind and the (wondrous Dharma) is to nature of living beings know that the myriad which essentially is this: phenomena in the entire

Individual Highlights:
Interpreting the Heart Sutra with the Vajra Sutra.. 2

Mind is myriad phenomena (proper knowledge)

The proper knowledge of a Buddha is that the empty and clear original mind moved resulting in the appearance of wind element, hardened attachment makes the earth element, friction and interaction makes fire and water, the four elements that pervade the entire cosmos. The myriad phenomena arose as a false self is created within these appearances that continually generate the emotion and ceaseless thinking that perpetuates

Meditation simplified lesson 22 ..3

Buddhism made easy Lesson 22 . ...3

Doing deeds in a dream ... .4

Myriad phenomena are the mind (universal knowledge)

The nature of the myriad phenomena in the entire universe is just the mind within the self nature of every living being and not two separate entities. Because the myriad phenomena came from the mind which is empty and clear, they are fundamentally empty. Myriad phenomena are empty and false appearances within the mind. Every living shares the same original mind; the difference is whether you recognize the wonderful principle or remain in confusion. When you attach to phenomena you are attaching to your own mind, thereby creating the phenomena of this illusory universe. Readers are exhorted to read this Dharma of the wondrous lotus flower in Shurangama Sutra .

Holding the Mantra part 7. .. .4

Wondrous Dharma
Heart of Prajna Paramita Sutra
and no attaining.

Page 2 of 4

Interpreting the Heart Sutra with the Vajra Sutra (to be continued)
Equivalent in the Vajra Sutra
Even the thought of having attained fruition has to be put down as s 9 says, World Honored One, if an Arhat had the thought I have attained the Way of the Arhat that would be an attachment to self, others, living beings and to a life. S 22 of the Vajra Sutra: Subhuti addressed the Buddha, World Honored One, is it true that the Thus Come One in attaining Anuttarasamyaksambodhi, did not attain anything? The Buddha said, So it is, Subhuti. As to anuttarasamyaksambodhi, there is not the slightest dharma which I could attain. Therefore, it is called Anuttarasamyaksambodhi. We have to remind ourselves that the objective of our practice is to arrive at utmost, proper, and equal enlightenment or Anuttarasamyaksambodhi. What is Anuttarasamyaksambodhi? S 23 says, Moreover, Subhuti, this Dharma is the common denominator; nothing is higher or lower. Therefore it is called Anuttarasamyaksambodhi. A person free of self, others, living beings and a life, who cultivates all wholesome dharmas, attains Anuttarasamyaksambodhi. S 23 of the Vajra Sutra continues to tell us that we have to move from conditioned dharmas to unconditioned dharmas by emptying the appearance in the mind of having done wholesome dharmas Subhuti, what are called wholesome dharmas, the Thus Come One says are not wholesome dharmas. Yet we should not cling to the unconditioned and deny the existence of conditioned by seeing the conditioned dharma of doing wholesome deeds as just a description for the conditioned dharma. Therefore, Anuttarasamyaksambodhi is the Middle Way of neither attaching to conditioned dharma nor the unconditioned when s 23 continues by saying, Therefore they are called wholesome deeds. the Bodhisattva through reliance on prajna paramita is unimpeded in his mind. Without impediment in the mind is the mind liberated from attachment when we are without the appearance of self, others, living beings and a life as explained in the foregoing. Without impediment in the mind is also neither clinging to the conditioned nor the unconditioned and abide in the Middle Way. The Middle Way accords with the principle of true emptiness and wonderful existence whereby emptiness is not totally empty as it gives rise to wonderful existence; yet existence does not really exist as it is fundamentally empty as it came from true emptiness. Because there is no impediment of the four appearances, one is able to cease the false thinking. This is the point where Venerable Elder Master Xu Yun said, Emptiness is pulverized and the mad mind ceased. The Buddha will give prediction to those who are able to cease the discriminating mind as s 17 says, Since I did not actually attain the dharma of Anuttarasamyaksambodhi, Burning Lamp Buddha gave me the prediction saying these words, You will in the future become a Buddha with the name Shakyamuni, Why? The Thus Come One means all dharmas are thus All dharmas are thus echoes the line in the Heart Sutra which says, Shariputra, all dharmas are empty of characteristics.

Because nothing is attained,

Because there is no impediment, he leaves distorted dream thinking behind.

Wondrous Dharma
Meditation simplified lesson 22
Various methods in meditation from the understanding or Wisdom of the Reality that all dharmas are empty in nature, to the stillness in mind that no longer engages with and finally putting down of dharmas Realizing that the mind and dharmas are empty, the practitioner should not leave it as just mere knowledge but proceed to refrain from being attached to form and make discriminating views about form. For example, the practitioner no longer makes an opinion whether he prefers a Rolls Royce over a Mercedes or not. The same applies that the practitioner henceforth no longer gives rise to feeling of anger or greed for dharmas. Nor does the practitioner engage in discriminating thoughts even at the subtlest level. Realizing such, the practitioner is mindful to avoid engaging in the false mind of the five skandhas and be mindful of the true reality that the self and dharmas are empty in nature. (The five
skandas comprise essentially the body and the mind; the latter being represented by feeling, thinking, formation and consciousness for dharmas.)

Page 3 of 4

Samadhi is attained not by suppressing thought but by getting rid of discrimination and attachments based on the understanding that all dharmas are empty of characteristics. Continually doing so, the sense organs are being effectively purified as the mind continually accords with wisdom of being separate from the defilement of dharmas. The foregoing paragraphs show the progress of the

practitioner from first understanding the Reality that all dharmas are empty in nature, to practicing the Samadhi of signlessness or the stillness in mind from nonacting or not engaging in dharmas. Eventually the practitioner attains the stillness or the Samadhi of wishlessness or the stillness of having no desire for dharmas; this is the stillness of the mind arising when the six sense organs no longer engage the six sense objects. Lessons 17 to 22 summarize roughly the Six Dharma Gates to turnaround and purify the six sense organs by the Great Master Chi Che of the Tien Tai School from counting of breath to following, stabilization, contemplation, turning and finally purification. An Arhat is one who no longer has love and desire for dharmas.

Figure 1 Understanding that all dharmas are empty, to the stillness of the mind in not engaging in dharmas to finally putting down the love and desire for dharmas.

Buddhism made easy lesson 22

Lessons 18 to 21 explain the Four Application of Mindfulness to contemplate the body is impure, feeling is suffering, thoughts are impermanent and dharmas are devoid of self. These contemplations are for the purpose of putting down the five skandhas comprising body and the to put down the five skandhas of body first and then mind. Without lessening emotions, we will not be able to lessen our thoughts. The five skandhas represent our false self. Consciousness is mentioned last implies that we have to empty the self before we can empty The sequencing of the four dharmas. application of mindfulness tells us the sequence how mind that engages in emotions, discursive thinking and the consciousness that always go chasing after sense objects. The reason why we are not able to return to the source is because we are preoccupied with the body and this false mind. The sequencing of the four application of mindfulness tells us the sequence how to put down the five skandhas of body first and then mind.

Wondrous Dharma
Doing deeds in a dream
When we have no mind to our discriminating thoughts, when we have no mind to our feeling, our random thoughts, and the environment that is the point we find the true mind of a Sage whilst in the body of a person. We have already made our false self no longer exist and found our true self! In analogy, we will then be like a living dead person. If this is the case, would it imply that we do not need to concern with the affairs of the world so long as we ourselves are happy and peaceful? No, we need to be concerned with the affairs of the universe because the entire Dharma Realm is just our mind. Mind is the Dharma Realm teaches the wisdom of nothingness in the mind as the affairs of the Dharma Realm is empty in nature because the Dharma Realm originates from the original mind which is empty and clear. Yet Dharma Realm is the mind because the Dharma Realm is our own mind and both are not separate entities. Because everything in the Dharma Realm emanates from our original mind and every living being share this original mind, in effect tells us that we are one with everything; the teaching of Great Compassion. How then do we reconcile the wisdom of nothingness in mind and the great compassion to be one with everything? Superficially wisdom and compassion may appear conflicting but in reality it does not conflict or obstruct each other. The true interpretation of wisdom and compassion is that we do deeds as if in a dream whilst we hold nothing in our mind. Because we have compassionate regard with everything including living beings, we do deeds to make this universe a better place. Yet we do not hold anything in our mind whilst we do

Page 4 of 4

we need to be concerned with the affairs of the universe because the entire Dharma Realm is just our mind.

Superficially wisdom and compassion may appear conflicting but in reality it does not conflict or obstruct each other the true Reality where wonderful existence of this universe does not obstruct true emptiness.

wholesome deeds. That is, we hold nothing in our mind that we have done wholesome deeds, we hold no attachments in our mind, we hold no afflictions of greed, anger and delusion such as jealousy, arrogance and anxiety, worries, vexation, distress in our minds. Whilst we try our best to make this universe a better place, our minds retained nothing at all as if we are living in a dream. In doing so, we abide in the true Reality where wonderful existence of this universe does not obstruct true emptiness. Mind is the universe; universe is the mind is the very reason why the Buddha said in the Vajra Prajna Paramita Sutra, A person free of self, others, living beings and a life, who cultivates all wholesome dharmas, attains the utmost, proper and equal enlightenment.

How to hold the Great Compassion Mantra part 7

The Sutra says: There they should regulate their mind to one point, with no other conditions and recite and hold the mantra in accord with Dharma. With no other conditions is to hold the mantra as if not holding it. This teaches the principle of emptiness whereby you practice yet you hold no appearances in your mind that you are practicing. Should you have a thought that you are focused whilst reciting the mantra then the concentration is second grade because it then becomes a conditioned dharma. We are reminded that sages dwell in the unconditioned and ultimately all teachings including the holding of mantra lead us to the unconditioned; yet we also have compassionate regard for all.

Medicine Master teaches the wisdom of awesome virtue; Amitabha teaches regard for kindness and compassion. Manjusri and Universal Worthy demonstrate wisdom and virtue; Guan Yin and Earth Store demonstrates kindness and compassion.