Since we did not have a ZOOM session either last Saturday or today, I have nothing to report on class activity. However, I have been busy and can report that I now have three printed volumes completed of the six I am working on to link our courses at LFBCS with the latest translation I have of Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Heart Sutra (ETATTTHS). Several months ago a couple of students requested that we have a printed copy of ETATTTHS as it was somewhat difficult to read the kindles and we cannot have the kindles in the Dharma Protector Chapel. Some like to do their solitary retreats in the chapel and want to be able to study the sutra there. We now have DCB21, DCB22, and DCB26 in print form to read at the temple or the chapel and I hope to complete the other three asap.
Practice and Blessings
As a result of the questions I have recently received from some of you on your practice and the boost to my own practice that I received from studying DCB26-How to Realize Prajna, I think we should take a break in DCB22 and focus again on our practice and redo the lessons on how to realize prajna. Let’s finish the ten questions we were covering on consciousness from the “Five Aggregates” and then look again at what the Buddha Master taught us about what we need to do to become enlightened by reviewing “How to Realize Prajna” in DCB26. We still need to continue to learn from the teachings contained in the text of the Heart Sutra, but we must do so by deepening our actual practice of those teachings. Implementation is everything.
Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Heart Sutra is a very profound work and we need time to assimilate what we have learned so far. If you like we can also devote some ZOOM sessions to review what we have learned to date.
You should enroll in DCB26 to get the revised questions and perhaps watch what we covered in the October-November 2022 ZOOM discussions of that discourse. Warning–we will be using a different translation and some of the questions have been revised. I found it very helpful revisiting this again, especially for the insights I gained on how and when the Dharma Protectors help us. Remember we are following the Practices and Blessings lineage and we need to correctly do the practices to receive the blessings necessary to achieve success.
To better understand how the Practices and Blessings lineage tradition came into being, I am reposting an updated version on my article on the “Evolution of Buddhism.“
Next:
We will continue the discussion on “Consciousness” at our April 20. 2024 ZOOM session starting at 9:00 am by further exploring the last of the Five Aggregates-consciousness, manifesting illusory existence, having good fortune and avoiding karmic retribution, eating meat, and more. Please note that after discussing this part of the text with the translator, Bodi Wentu, the text has been modified and I have also modified question #171. We may be able to start DCB26-How to Realize Prajna.
“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.”
DCB22-Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Heart Sutra: PART TWO–I and C41-Three Principal Stages & Paths of Buddhist Practice
The recording of the March 30 class is now available. Please note that the title designation for this discussion has been changed from 10C to 11a.1 and the course name has also been changed. You must be enrolled in DCB22 in one of the membership programs at the LFBCS to access the course materials, questions covered (in parenthesis), and/or the class recordings. Please note that these links will only work if you are logged into LFBCS with your membership Identification number AND are enrolled in this class. Please note that Lessons 6A and 6B are part of Course C41.
March 30, 2024: Lesson 11a.1-The Great Stage–Wisdom Path of the right view of emptiness, Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Text of the Heart Sutra–I, “Consciousness”, (155-170) and (HERE) for recording of class.
March 23, 2024: Lesson 10B-The Great Stage–Wisdom Path of the right view of emptiness, Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Text of the Heart Sutra–I, “Five Aggregates”, (144-154) and (HERE) for recording of class.
March 16, 2024: Lesson 10A-The Great Stage–Wisdom Path of the right view of emptiness, Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Text of the Heart Sutra–I, “Five Aggregates”, (114-143) and (HERE) for recording of class.
March 16, 2024: Lesson 9E-The Great Stage–Wisdom Path of the right view of emptiness, Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Text of the Heart Sutra–I, “Two Levels”, (108-113) and (HERE) for recording of class.
March 9, 2024: Lesson 9D-The Great Stage–Wisdom Path of the right view of emptiness, Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Text of the Heart Sutra–I, “Two Levels”, (87-107) and (HERE) for recording of class.
March 9, 2024: Lesson 9C-The Great Stage–Wisdom Path of the right view of emptiness, Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Text of the Heart Sutra–I, “Practicing Deeply”, (78-86) and (HERE) for recording of class.
February 24, 2024: Lesson 9B-The Great Stage–Wisdom Path of the right view of emptiness, Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Text of the Heart Sutra–I, “Practicing Deeply”, (59-77) and (HERE) for recording of class.
February 17, 2024: Lesson 9A-The Great Stage–Wisdom Path of the right view of emptiness, Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Text of the Heart Sutra–I, “Practicing Deeply”, (51-58) and (HERE) for recording of class.
February 17, 2024: Lesson 8C-The Great Stage–Wisdom Path of the right view of emptiness, Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Text of the Heart Sutra–I, “Bodhisattva”, (37-50) and (HERE) for recording of class.
February 17, 2024: Lesson 8B–The Great Stage–Wisdom Path of the right view of emptiness, Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Text of the Heart Sutra–I, “Avalokiteshvara”, (31-36) and (HERE) for recording of class.
February 10, 2024: Lesson 8A-The Great Stage–Wisdom Path of the right view of emptiness, Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Text of the Heart Sutra–I, “Avalokiteshvara”, (1-30) and (HERE) for recording of class.
February 3, 2024: Lesson 6B-The Great Stage–Wisdom Path of the right view of emptiness, Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Heart Sutra-Prajna(Wisdom) & Dhyana(Ta), (355-369) and HERE for recording of class.
January 20, 2024: Lesson 6A–The Great Stage–Wisdom Path of the right view of emptiness, Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Heart Sutra-Prajna & Dhyana(Ta), (317-354) and HERE for recording of class.
CLICK for article on the entire text of Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Heart Sutra.
CLICK for article with instructions on how to enroll in LFBCS classes and how to register for the ZOOM discussions.
CLICK for course DCB21-Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Heart Sutra: Forwards, Introductions, & Title.
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