Last weekend we held a mini-retreat with three socially distanced guests for an intensive study of Imparting the Absolute Truth through the Heart Sutra. We will try and do this once a month to enable as many as possible to have access to this profound sutra. CLICK for the temple protocols to be followed for visiting us during the Covid-19 era. We can only have 2-3 stay at the temple, but we can have a few more “local” guests who commute for the classes or who bring their own housings (RVs or tents). We have shared readings and discussion at 9:00 am and 7:00 pm and time for individual readings and/or practice the rest of the time. You can reserve space on a first-come first-served basis. We still have space for next month.
This time we went back to the beginning of the Buddha Master’s sutra text and focused for four days on the first line of the Heart Sutra: “Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva when practicing deeply the Prajna Paramita, illuminated the five aggregates, saw that they are all empty, and crossed beyond all suffering and adversity.” The Buddha Master gave a detailed discussion of both each word in that sentence-verse and provided an understanding of many of the principles contained in the entire Heart Sutra that will be discussed in even more detail later on. We considered several, sutras, shastras or commentary, and dharmas including The Diamond Sutra, the Maha-Prajna-Paramita Sutra, The Ekottaragama Sutras, The Yogacharabhumi Shastra, The Vijnaptimatratasiddhi Shastra, and The Vajra Yoga Perfection Dharma. We learned a simple and completely satisfying definition for each of the five aggregates including the nature of the manas and alaya consciousnesses. There was much discussion on the matter of intellectual frivolity (prapanca) as well as the two levels of prajna: the prajna of the emptiness of personhood and the prajna of the emptiness of dharmas. We explored the meaning of the word “emptiness” along with the emptiness of non-existence, the emptiness of space, the emptiness of mind, and the emptiness of dharmas. We considered both the Theravada and Mahayana Views of emptiness as well. We also studied the various types of suffering, certain Daoist practices, icchantikas, and reincarnation along with the ten illusory things, various supernormal powers, and a comparison of living beings and holy beings. There were many other concepts and dharmas discussed including aspects of initiation, the two-body (yam-yum) dharma, Great Perfection dharma, the rainbow body, incorruptible bodies, sarira-relics, Living Buddhas, and having a soul. There was more, but this gives you an idea.
If you would like to join us for our study session, please let me know asap. We need to keep the group small to meet our social distancing guidelines. We will determine what portion of the Buddha Master’s sutra we will study based on who comes. Frankly, you need to read and/or hear this many, many times.
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