vajra (diamond) sutra april 15, 2011 lecture

8/7/2019 Vajra (Diamond) Sutra April 15, 2011 Lecture

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The Vajra (Diamond) SutraApril 15 lecture as outlined by a Buddhist monk(Listen live or recorded audio explanations at

www.wondrousdharma.org)

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eac ng peop e n s con use wor .Q&A If everything is empty, what about the hells?Q&A Why is greed mentioned here in section 28

and not elsewhere in the Vajra Sutra?S 29 The quiescence of his awesome demeanor


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Verse for opening a sutra Homage to the Vajra Prajna Paramita Sutra and the

Vajra assembly of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas (3x)

The unsurpassed, deep, profound, subtle, wonderfulDharma,

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In a hundred thousand million eons, is difficult toencounter, 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.


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Teaching Common People in not empty world to let go

Teachings Reasons Methodology

S 25 Self doesnt exist This body is notour true body

Contemplation

S 28 Everything else is justappearances Our self nature isalready perfectand complete

Patience andrecognizingReality

teaching on planting ofblessings and wisdomis put down.

attachment toDharma

and recognizeReality

S 27 Refuting annihilation When sweepingaway allappearance there

is still the eternalself nature.

Comprehendand recognizeReality

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Q&A pertaining to s 28

Question: If all dharmas are devoid of self (if everything is empty) whatabout the hells?

Answer:Great Master Yung Chia,

When one is certified to the characteristic of Reality, The karma of the avichi is cancelled in a kshana, If I were deceiving living beings with untrue words, Id invite upon myself the Ripping Out of Tongues for eons as

many as dust and sands.

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Q&A on section 28

Great Master Yung Chia,

In a dream, very clearly, there are six destinies;

After enlightenment, completely empty, there is no universe.

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Q&A on section 28

Explanation by Venerable Master Hsuan Hua : While people are confused in a dream, the six paths of gods,

humans, asuras, hells, hungry ghosts and animals are distinctlyevident.

After one becomes Enlightened and is roused from theconfused dream, emptiness is pulverized, home is broken and

people vanish. Then how could there the Three ThousandGreat Thousand World system exist?

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Q&A on section 28Question: Why is greed mentioned here in section 28 and not

elsewhere in the Vajra Sutra?

It is because greed is the problem in this not empty world .

Section 28 is in the section which ertains to the not em t

world of common people which is from sections 25 to 28. Why does the not empty world starts with section 25? Section 25 states that common people think that they have

a self .

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Q&A on section 28

From sections 3 to 24, the Buddha was explaining the principlein empty world of Sages; and subtle attachment is an issuewhilst greed was not the main issue in the empty world ofSages.

Those entering the flow of the Sages have no problem withgreed; section 3 to 24 addresses the principle to let go of the

thought of attachment and false thinking.

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Q&A on section 28

The principles in section 3 to 24 guides the Two Vehiclesinto the Bodhisattva path by emptying attachment to

emptiness as these sections teaches the principle ofanuttarasamyaksambodhi.

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Question on section 28

Question : How could the absence of self reduce afflictions?

Answer:

A 3 step approach: .

2. Contemplate and recognize Reality3. Gradually or suddenly accepting Reality

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Question on section 28Step 1 Understand Reality S 25 Although the Thus Come One speaks of a self, there

is really no self that exists. and s 28 realize that

everything is devoid of self and attain patience .

Patience is demonstrated by the Buddha in s 14 When I was

cut limb from limb, if I had an appearance of a self, anappearance of others, an appearance of living beings or anappearance of a life, I would have been outraged .

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S 16 ..a good man or good woman who accepts,upholds, reads, or recites this Sutra, is ridiculed, thatis because that person has karmic offenses frompast lives explains the Reality of cause in this notempty world and

To see matters in the ositive outlook, but as a result

of the ridicule he receives from others in this presentlife, his previous karmic offenses are destroyed andhe will attain anuttarasamyaksambodhi. thusexplains the inevitable of the functioning of cause andeffect .

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If only we accept Reality that

The truth of the matter is the Appearance of Reality iswithout appearance (s 14) and the key is not set up appearance (s 31) to discontinue this

thoughts (s 18).

From absolute nothingness comes appearances isillustrated

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Question on section 28a) In a crowded place, when a small group of people start to point

upwards and look upwards, what happens?

b) Eventually more will look upwards and point upwardswandering what it is.

c) It is the same case as the whole world now is confused and

everyone is following his or someone elses false thinking.

The tendency is the ease to false think, and the tendency is tofollow along with the crowd just like flowing with the current.

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Question on section 28Steps 2 and 3 contemplate and see Reality and

accepting Reality

Yet the ultimate expression of absence of self whilst we live in this world of ignorance is1. not grasping at appearances and

. by contemplating that everything is like a dream, an

illusion.. (s32)

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Step 2 contemplate and recognize Reality. The method to accept that the self doesnt exist is by the

power of contemplation and it can only be effective if andonly if

1. We constantly contemplate and recognize the nature ofe a y

2. We constantly examine our minds whether we are livingin accord with this contemplation.

The proof is that we are patient and unmoving and notattached to our emotions and thoughts.

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And while we have not turned around our mind, we canpractice these expedients:

1. Able to discriminate but remain unmoving in the primarysense in speech and behavior avoid debate, take loss

. the right and wrong, good or bad of others

3. Avoid expectations or outcomes

4. Avoid lingering thoughts move on!

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5. Contemplate on wise sayings on Reality such as this verse: Recognize ones own fault, Others fault is ones fault, To be one with all living beings Is truly great compassion

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Because the verse on great compassion connotes

equality of one and all, it is also prajna wisdom.

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S 29 The quiescence of his awesome demeanor

Sutra: Subhuti, if someone says that it seems as if the ThusCome One comes and goes, sits or lies down, such aperson does not understand the meaning of my teaching.

Comments: The Buddha does not come or go nor does he sits or lies down

because his Dharma body Vairochana Buddha pervades

everywhere yet he is nowhere attached.

But didnt his transformation body Shakyamuni Buddha satbeneath the bodhi tree and spoke in the Jeta Grove?

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The transformation body Shakyamuni Buddha is an illusion, atransformation of sorts just like a body in a dream manifested toteach living beings in this not empty world.

S 25 says, Subhuti, although the Thus Come One speaksof the existence of a self, there is really no self that exists

Hence this section 29 is the beginning of the section which Iclassify as empty and yet not empty wherein it seems as ifthe Thus Come One comes or goes, sits or lies down .

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S 29 The quiescence of his awesome demeanor Neither comes nor goes is analogous to neither empty nor

existent; this is the world apart from dualities.

Dualities or discrimination is the world we live in.

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Being apart from dualities is the concept of absolute.

But we know that wonderful existence comes from withintrue emptiness.

n so ea y s s mp y one rue appearance or o a yof appearance mentioned in s 30 - this is RealAppearance prajna!

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S 29 The quiescence of his awesome demeanor We live in a world built upon discrimination or dualities which

seems real; the fallacy is that we perceive dualities as real but

yet it is not so because fundamentally there was nothing at all.

it seems as if the Thus Come One comes and goes, sitsor es own wou ere ore means a appears ere aredualities but it is not so.

S 29 onwards introduces the concept of empty and yet notempty which essentially is nothing at all but appearances of themind whilst we are in this world.

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S 29 The quiescence of his awesome demeanor To illustrate transformation body, here is an extract of

the Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra: I (Shakyamuni Buddha) will also send transformed

bhikshus, bhikshunis, upasakas and upasikas tolisten to the Dharma being spoken .

Venerable Master Hsuan Hua explains transformed:

There are two ways to explain it. First perhaps theBuddha will appoint gods to transform themselves intopeople. Or perhaps right when the lecture is going on,the people will show up in the audience and nobodyknows where they came from or where they went.

Some transformed people are born in the world just forattending your Dharma lecture when it comes. Others

appear on a temporary basis now and then. 25


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There are also millions of transfomation bodies ofShakyamuni Buddha.

You can read them also in the Chapter on Vision of theJeweled Stupa of the Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower

.

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The Thus Come One neither comes nor goes, neither sits norlie down is illustrated in the experience of Great Master Zhi Zhewho saw that the Magic Mountain Dharma assembly was still inprogress. Shakyamuni Buddha was still present in the VulturePeak speaking the Dharma Flower Sutra.

Question: Arent Shakyamuni Buddha sitting and speaking and theVa ra Sutra sa s, If someone sa s the Thus Come One has

spoken Dharma, he slanders the Buddha due to hisinability to understand what I teach (s 21)?Answer:

It was again a transformation body speaking, an appearance ofthe mind.

It is just like when enlightened, you take yourself across and

therefore the Buddha did not speak. 27


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When confused, the teacher takes you across. That isthe teacher is speaking when you are confused.

Ultimately and eventually you will find that you are in the

not empty world and basically there was nothing at all(without appearance).

Time and space and all appearances in the final analysisis after all a creation of false thinking.

This is the Dharma of no Dharma. 28


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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 heart 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 theirgrief and pain;

May this boundless light break the darkness of theirendless night. Because our hearts are one, this world of pain turns into

paradise;

May all become compassionate and wise (2x)

vajra (diamond) sutra april 15, 2011 lecture

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