The Learning from Buddha College and Seminary will begin weekly ZOOM class discussions on Part Two of the magnificent Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Heart Sutra next Saturday, February 10, 2024. We will start with DCB22, which covers the first sentence of the Heart Sutra: “AVALOKITESHVARA BODHISATTVA, WHEN PRACTICING DEEPLY PRAJNA PARAMITA, ILLUMINATED THE FIVE AGGREGATES, SAW THAT THEY ARE ALL EMPTY AND CROSSED BEYOND ALL SUFFERING AND ADVERSITY.” In addition to discussing in detail each word or phrase in this sentence, we will cover the eight types of consciousness, dual-use or two-body Dharma (yam-yum), the four great elements, time, the ten illusory things, the eighteen kinds of emptiness, and other topics. There are over 300 questions asked to cover this part of the sutra, Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Heart Sutra.
Preliminary English Translation Available
I will continue to ask questions about the sutra to introduce what we have as a preliminary translation of this amazing transmission of holy Dharma. I must stress that this translation has not been approved for distribution in any form. At present, you can only read the text at the Holy Vajrasana Temple. As you may know, His Holiness Dorje Chang Buddha III did give me permission to read Ruzan Bodi Wentu’s translation, but did not agree to have copies of that translation released to the public. However, because this work is so dense and contains so many critical concepts and principles that must be understood, I wanted to do all I could to share what I could with as many as possible. I hope that these weekly discussions will enable us to begin to penetrate the meaning of this awesome sutra as we all await the formal release of the text in English.
Release of Chinese Text
The sutra was formally released in Chinese at a Grand Assembly in Hong Kong in 2014 and again as part of the “Namo Dorje Chang Buddha III Complete Sutra Collection” in 2023 at the Dharma Assembly honoring the Holy Birthday of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III.
CLICK for article with instructions on how to enroll in LFBCS classes and how to register for the ZOOM discussions.
CLICK for Background information on Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Heart Sutra and why it is such an important text.
The following is the outline of what is included in each of the six courses, each one covering around 100 of the almost 600 pages of the text: DCB21 covers the introductions and PART ONE whereby the Dharma is imparted through the title of the Sutra. DCB22-DCB25 cover PART TWO or the Dharma expounded by using the actual text of the Prajna Paramita Heart Sutra itself, and DCB26 is a discourse given at the end on how to realize prajna and a concluding dharma practice. There are also several testimonials by students on what they learned from listening to Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Heart Sutra.
DCB21-FOREWARDS, INTRODUCTIONS, & PART ONE:-TITLE
CLICK for link to article on the last class held on DCB21 and links to videos of all 18 ZOOM class discussions on DCB21 held from November 2022 to April 2023. Note: not all of the forewards, notes, and introductions are complete.
Publisher’s Foreword, Foreword by Five Persons of Holy Virtue, & Editor’s Note; Note from the True Dharma Translation Group.
1-EXPOUNDING THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH THROUGH THE HEART SUTRA: HHDCBIII IMPARTS DHARMA-Introduction.
PRAJNA-PARAMITA HEART SUTRA. English translation of Dharma Master Xuanzang’s Chinese translation from the original Sanskrit.
PART ONE: EXPOUNDING DHARMA THROUGH THE TITLE OF THE SUTRA
Expounding Dharma through the Title of the Sutra: Introduction to the Title of the Sutra, PRAJNA (Three Types of Prajna), PARAMI, TA, HEART, SUTRA, and History of Dharma Master Xuanzang with commentary by H H Dorje Chang Buddha III on three ancient schools of Buddhism and how we should study them.
DCB22-EXPOUNDING THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH THROUGH THE HEART SUTRA: PART TWO-I
AVALOKITESHVARA BODHISATTVA, WHEN PRACTICING DEEPLY PRAJNA PARAMITA (Two Levels of Wisdom Based Insights), ILLUMINATED THE FIVE AGGREGATES, SAW THAT THEY ARE ALL EMPTY (Consciousness, Dual-use/Two-body Dharma/Yam-Yum, Four Great Elements, Time, the Ten Illusory Things & the Eighteen Kinds of Emptiness) AND CROSSED BEYOND ALL SUFFERING AND ADVERSITY.
DCB23-EXPOUNDING THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH THROUGH THE HEART SUTRA: PART TWO-II
SARIPUTRA, FORM DOES NOT DIFFER FROM EMPTINESS; EMPTINESS DOES NOT DIFFER FROM FORM. FORM IS EMPTINESS; EMPTINESS IS FORM (Second-Phase Principles). THE SAME IS TRUE OF FEELING, CONCEPTUALIZATION, ACTION, AND CONSCIOUSNESS. SARIPUTRA, EMPTINESS IS THE CHARACTERISTIC OF ALL DHARMAS. THEY DO NOT ARISE OR PERISH, ARE NOT DEFILED OR PURE, DO NOT INCREASE OR DECREASE. THE SAME IS TRUE OF FEELING, CONCEPTUALIZATION, ACTION, AND CONSCIOUSNESS. THEREFORE, IN EMPTINESS THERE IS NO FORM, NO FEELING, CONCEPTUALIZATION, ACTION, OR CONSCIOUSNESS; NO EYES, EARS, NOSE, TONGUE, BODY, OR MIND; NO FORMS, SOUNDS, SMELLS, TASTES, TOUCHES, OR OBJECTS OF MIND; NO AVIDYA AND ALSO NO ENDING OF AVIDYA, UP TO AND INCLUDING NO AGING AND DEATH AND ALSO NO ENDING OF AGING AND DEATH (Twelve Links of Conditioned Origination: Avidya, Action, Consciousness, Name & Form, Six Entrances, Contact, Feeling, Craving, Grasping, Existence, Birth, Aging & Death) . . .
DCB24: EXPOUNDING THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH THROUGH THE HEART SUTRA: PART TWO-III
. . . NO SUFFERING, NO ACCUMULATION, NO CESSATION, AND NO PATH (The Four Noble Truths, Methods Used by Different Schools & Traditions) . . . ; NO WISDOM, ALSO NO ATTAINMENT. WITH NOTHING TO ATTAIN, THEREFORE, (Prajna is Unequaled Dharma; Qigong; the Five Vidyas; Repentance, Causality, Great Bliss, & Sexual Desire; Venerable Vimalakirti & Master Milarepa and Other Examples of great Supernormal Powers) . . . ,
DCB25-EXPOUNDING THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH THROUGH THE HEART SUTRA: PART TWO-IV
. . . BODHISATTVAS RELY ON PRAJNA PARAMITA, AND THUS THEIR MINDS HAVE NO HINDRANCE. BECAUSE THERE IS NO HINDRANCE, THEY HAVE NO FEAR. HAVING FOREVER LEFT INVERTED DREAM-THINKING, THEY DWELL IN ULTIMATE NIRVANA (Different Levels of Nirvana). ALL BUDDHAS OF THE THREE TIMES RELY ON PRAJNA PARAMITA AND THEREBY ATTAIN ANUTTARA-SAMYAK-SAMBODHI (The Perfection of a Buddha). THEREFORE, KNOW THAT PRAJNA PARAMITA IS THE GREAT SUPERNORMAL MANTRA, THE GREAT BRIGHT MANTRA, THE SUPREME MANTRA, THE UNEQUALED MANTRA, WHICH CAN REMOVE ALL SUFFERING AND IS TRUE, NOT FALSE. SO RECITE THE PRAJNA PARAMITA MANTRA, RECITE THE MANTRA THAT SAYS: GATE GATE PARAGATE PARASAMGATE BODHI SVAHA.
DCB26-HOW TO REALIZE PRAJNA
CLICK for article on the final ZOOM discussion of DCB26 and links to 7 videos of September 2022 to November 2022 ZOOM discussions of DCB26. Note: not all of the ZOOM discussions were recorded.
H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III Expounds Buddha Dharma—Causality and the Rules and Methods of Continual Practice, Preliminary Practice Dharma, The Three Categories of Pure Precepts and Other Dharmas, Dharma to Pass Thru Barriers (Receiving Formal or Main Practices), Concluding Dharma, Disciples Report What They Learned from Listening to This Sutra.
CLICK for video of formal release of Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Heart Sutra and link to Chinese video of the nectar ceremony blessing the publishing of the book.
CLICK for article and link to videos of 2023 Dharma Assembly in Glendale, California honoring the birthday of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III that unveiled the first three volumes of the “Namo Dorje Chang Buddha III Complete Sutra Collection.”
CLICK to read Nagarjuna’s Maha Prajnapamita Shastra for more information on the Heart Sutra.
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