the sixth patriarch's sutra february 17, 2012 lecture

8/3/2019 The Sixth Patriarch's Sutra February 17, 2012 Lecture

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The Sixth Patriarchs SutraFebruary 17, 2012 lecture

as outlined by a Buddhist monk

at 1777 Murchison Drive, Burlingame, California 94010, open to public(phone 650-6925912)

(Listen live or recorded audio explanations atwww.wondrousdharma.org)

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Q&A How could it be emptiness when you get hitby tsunami?

Chapter 2 Prajna the meaning and practice of prajna

and paramita

[Subscribe to the free Dharma newsletter atwww.wondrousdharma.org]


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Verse for opening a sutra

Na Mwo Fundamental Teacher Shakyamuni Buddha (3x)

Homage to the Dharma Jewel Platform Sutra (3x)

The unsurpassed, deep, profound, subtle, wonderfulDharma,

In a hundred thousand million eons, is difficult to

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encounter, Now that Ive come to receive and hold it, within my sight

and hearing, I vow to fathom the Thus Come Ones true and actual

meaning.

Exhortation to uphold the Buddhadharma:

Shariputra said, Of the host of Sound Hearers, the Buddha declared meforemost, and yet now with my wisdom, I cannot resolve my doubts: Is this

Dharma ultimate? (the Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra)


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Q&A

Question: How can it be emptiness when you get hit by a tsunami?Answer:

If you do get hit by a tsunami and you lost all your property,your family and friends; yet you are peaceful inside and yourmind is not the least disturbed, then you have already emptied

the tsunami in our mind and seen our ori inal face.

The reason you dont blame heaven and earth, people and

mother-nature is because you truly comprehend the universalprinciple of the law of karma(action); who creates it, whoendures it

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Q&A

Thereafter you are also not stuck with the tragedy and do not

harbor any distasteful thought pertaining to the tragedy; this is

the meaning of emptying the tsunami and moving on with life.

You proceed to carry on doing what you should do and thismatter does not deter you to continue to make this world abetter place.

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Q&A

This matter does not deter you to continue to make this world abetter place.

Are you not then a living dead person?

No, you do what you should do after the aftermath of a disasterlike tsunami which is to recover whatever there is to bring life to

normal but there is no affliction in the mind at any time.

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Q&A

The reason being you truly comprehend that Mind is themyriad phenomena; myriad phenomena is the mind and the

tsunami is just one of the phenomena that ceased to exist inyour mind.

You would then have recognized your original mind and seeyour original self nature; you would have put down the falseself.

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Q&A

Is this just a fantasy and analogy where you wont encountersuch a person in real life?

No, one such example is Venerable Master Xu Yun when he

was 115 years o an got eaten up y a gang o ntru ers, yethis mind was unmoved despite having physical injuries.

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Q&A

Nothing will then move one who comprehends the teaching that

points to the mind.

cause and be unmoving in our minds when retribution comes.

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Chapter 2 Prajna

Sutra: Good Knowing Advisors, the capacity of the mindis vast and great, encompassing the Dharma realm. Itsfunction is to understand clearly and distinctly. Its correct

function is to know all. All is one; one is all.

Coming and going freely, the minds substance isunobstructed. That is Prajna.

Comments: When we get involved in trivialities, we fail to comprehend the

big matter of ultimate Reality which the mind is capable ofcomprehending clearly and distinctly everything.

The ultimate Reality is

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Chapter 2 Prajna

All is one, one is all everything is one, one is everythingbecause

.

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Chapter 2 Prajna

Sutra: Good Knowing Advisors, the capacity of the mindis vast and great, encompassing the Dharma realm. Itsfunction is to understand clearly and distinctly. Its correct

function is to know all. All is one; one is all. Coming and going freely, the minds substance is

unobstructed. That is Prajna.

When we understand that all is one; one is all the mind will no

longer be deceived by the myriad phenomena. Why is this so?

It is because myriad phenomena is the mind and being turnedby the myriad phenomena and grasping them is just graspingour own mind a case of

creating a mind within a mind or putting a head on top of anexisting head.

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Chapter 2 Prajna

Sutra: Good Knowing Advisors, all Prajna wisdom isproduced from ones own nature; it does not enter from theoutside.

Comments:

The understanding that all is one, one is all comes from thew s om o un ers an ng a s m n s w n our se na ure.

There is no need to seek this mind from outside; the originalmind is just our inherent self nature.

Therefore our self nature contains inherent prajna wisdom.

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Chapter 2 Prajna

Sutra: Good Knowing Advisors, all Prajna wisdom isproduced from ones own nature; it does not enter from theoutside. Using the intellect correctly is called the natural

function of ones true nature. One truth is all truth.Comments:

Using the intellect correctly is to turn the confused intellectual

understanding ultimate Reality.

In one penetration, suddenly everything is understood. What is

being penetrated in one truth is all truth?

The ultimate Reality that all dharmas are empty of

characteristics because mind is myriad phenomena; myriadphenomena are the mind.

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Chapter 2 Prajna

Sutra: The mind has the capacity for great things, and isnot meant for practicing petty ways. Do not talk aboutemptiness with your mouth all day and in your mind fail to

cultivate the conduct that you talk of. That would be like acommon person calling himself the king of a country,which cannot be. People like that are not my disciples.

Now that you know that you have the inherent prajna wisdom,do not engage in cultivation that does not point to the mind.

Do not have inferiority complex: go for the essential teaching toreturn to your original mind because your self nature is no less

perfect than the Buddha.

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Chapter 2 Prajna

Sutra: The mind has the capacity for great things, and isnot meant for practicing petty ways. Do not talk aboutemptiness with your mouth all day and in your mind fail to

cultivate the conduct that you talk of. That would be like acommon person calling himself the king of a country,which cannot be. People like that are not my disciples.

Talking of emptiness without practice is intellectual Chan; it is ofno use.

At all times and in all places, keep your mind empty ofafflictions and clear of attachments.

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Chapter 2 Prajna

Sutra: Good Knowing Advisors, what is meant byPrajna? Prajna in our language means wisdom.Everywhere and at all times, in thought after thought,

remain undeluded and practice wisdom constantly; that isPrajna conduct.

Comments:

is prajna wisdom.

Literary, contemplative and real appearance prajna.

Real appearance is the one appearance that does notdistinguish emptiness from existence.

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Chapter 2 Prajna

Sutra: Prajna is cut off by a single deluded thought. Byone wise thought, Prajna is produced.

Comments:

Prajna originate from our mind and finds expression is how wethink

When our thoughts are without appearance of self, others,living beings and a life that is exercising prajna wisdom.

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Chapter 2 Prajna

Sutra: They speak of it with their mouths, but their mindsare always deluded. They constantly say of themselves, Icultivate Prajna! and though they continually speak of

emptiness, they are unaware of true emptiness.Comments:

discrimination in your mind.

Delusion is when you cant let go of the appearance of the ego

self, others, living beings and a life in your thought.

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Chapter 2 Prajna

Sutra: Prajna, without form or mark, is just the wisdommind. If thus explained, just this is Prajna wisdom.

Comments:

Prajna is the wisdom mind that is altruistic; without appearanceof a self and others.

It is when you understand reality of the myriad phenomena asjust the mind.

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Chapter 2 Prajna

Sutra: What is meant by Paramita? It is a Sanskrit wordwhich in our language means arrived at the other shore,and is explained as apart from production and extinction.

Comments:

From the position of common person, we arrived at the shore of.

A common person is one who ceaselessly make discursive

thoughts; thereby creating the karma (action) that binds in the

turning wheel of birth and death.

A sage is one apart from production and extinction who is

apart from producing discursive thoughts. 20


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Chapter 2 Prajna

Sutra: When one is attached to states of being, productionand extinction arise like waves on water. That is what ismeant by this shore.

Comments:

A common person is stuck in this shore

A common person ceaselessly make all manner of discursivethoughts, imaginations, speculations, idle thoughts, jealous

thoughts, angry thoughts, thoughts of attachments, random

thoughts, thoughts of contention, thoughts of scheming andplotting, frivolous thoughts, thoughts of desire and all the host

of thoughts that are like continuous waves hitting the shore.

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Chapter 2 Prajna

These countless thoughts are the very reason why

1. we remain in the 6 destinies of gods, asuras, humans,

animals, ghosts and hell and unable to get out the flow of the

karma and

2. we cannot return to the source and see our original self nature.

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Chapter 2 Prajna

Sutra: To be apart from states of being, with noproduction or extinction, is to be like freely flowing water.That is what is meant by the other shore. Therefore it is

called Paramita.Comments:

It is said that a turn of the head is the other shore

From the usual habit of producing ceaseless thoughts thatbinds us in the 6 destinies, we turnaround to the liberation of

no thought.

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Chapter 2 Prajna

From being muddled and cluttered by ceaseless thoughts, our

minds become free.

From production and extinction, we turnaround to neither

produced nor extinction.

From birth and death we turnaround to neither born nor die.

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Chapter 2 Prajna

Sutra: Good Knowing Advisors, deluded people recitewith their mouths, but while they recite they live infalsehood and in error. When there is practice in every

thought, that is the true nature.Comments:

Delusion is knowing about mahaprajnaparamita and yet do not.

The point we live is accord with the principle of emptiness of

mahaprajnaparamita is the point we abide in our true original

self nature.

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Chapter 2 Prajna

Sutra: Good Knowing Advisors, common people areBuddhas and affliction is Bodhi.

Comments:

A common person can attain the position of a Buddha when heunderstands affliction is Bodhi.

When you stop being afflicted that itself is bodhi orenlightenment.

When you dont know how to cease affliction, you remain in

confusion.

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Chapter 2 Prajna

Sutra: Past thoughts deluded are the thoughts of acommon person. Future thoughts enlightened are thethoughts of a Buddha. Past thoughts attached to states of

being are afflictions, and future thoughts separate fromstates of being are Bodhi.

Comments:

Why are past thoughts delusion?

It is because the very reason you have past thought is just

attachments.

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Chapter 2 Prajna

Sutra: Past thoughts deluded are the thoughts of acommon person. Future thoughts enlightened are thethoughts of a Buddha. Past thoughts attached to states of

being are afflictions, and future thoughts separate fromstates of being are Bodhi.

Comments:

Future thoughts that are attached to states such as anxiety,worry are delusion.

Future thoughts become enlightened or wise thoughts providedthey are free of attachments.

The key point is to embody the principle of emptiness of allphenomena.28


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Chapter 2 Prajna

Sutra: Good Knowing Advisors, Maha Prajna Paramita isthe most honored, the most supreme, the foremost. It doesnot stay; it does not come or go. All Buddhas of the three

periods of time emerge from it.Comments:

Mahaprajnaparamita is the wisdom of the Buddhas, those who.

Mahaprajnaparamita does not stay; a Buddha is not fixated in

his views.

Mahaprajnaparamita does not come or go; neither come norgo, neither produced nor extinguished, being thus, thus

unmoving. 29


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Chapter 2 Prajna

Sutra: Good Knowing Advisors, Maha Prajna Paramita isthe most honored, the most supreme, the foremost. It doesnot stay; it does not come or go. All Buddhas of the three

periods of time emerge from it.Comments:

e u a n e ear u ra says: u as o e reeperiods of time attain anuttarasamyaksambodhi through

reliance on prajna paramita.

Mahaprajnaparamita is the mother of all Buddhas.

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Dedication of merit

May every living beings,

Our minds as one and radiant with light

Share the fruits of peace, with hearts of goodness

luminous and bright. If people hear and see, how hands and hearts can find in

giving unity

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, ,

and to joy. May kindness find reward; may all who sorrow leave their

grief and pain;

May this boundless light break the darkness of theirendless night.

Because our hearts are one, this world of pain turns intoparadise;

May all become compassionate and wise (2x)


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Dedication of merit

I vow that merit made from this deed will become,

Adornments for the Pure Land of Bu-ddhas. Repaying the four kinds of kindness above,

And aiding those in three paths below.

May all who see and hear of this deed Bring forth the resolve to reborn

In the Land of Ultimate Bliss.

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the sixth patriarch's sutra february 17, 2012 lecture

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