Today we finished our discussion on Lesson 24 of DCB24-Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Heart Sutra-III with the meaning of the line from the Heart Sutra that says “. . . no wisdom and also no attainment.” This discussion involved the Buddha Master telling us what He needed to do while in this world and why that was also true for Shakyamuni Buddha. He had to learn our language and understand our habits and tendencies in order to bring about our awakening and calm our minds. Most of the discussion, however, focused on the nature of the World of Ultimate Bliss and the Tusita Heaven.
We also began Lesson 25, focusing on “Prajna Is Unequaled Dharma” and exploring why this is so, why the Buddha manifested the Pure Land, “Phowa Dharma, and other related matters.” The following are some of the questions addressed during this ZOOM session:
What is the highest Dharma that we must follow?
“Disciples, simply chanting the name of Amitabha Buddha is not enough. You disciples must develop yourself deeply. In the future when The Supreme and Unsurpassable Mahamudra of Liberation is published, that will be the highest Dharma! That incomparable Dharma is the greatest among great Dharmas. It is unsurpassably high among the highest Dharmas!”
Why did the Buddha manifest the Pure Land?
“The wondrous doctrine of prajna is very profound. For this reason, the Buddha manifested the Pure Land, which is like an illusory city, and spoke words as a skillful means to take in living beings in the three spheres. When one arrives at the World of Ultimate Bliss, one still must progress to higher levels. One must listen to the ultimate truth as expounded by Buddhas. This ultimate truth is the prajna being expounded today, not another Dharma independent of this prajna. . . The World of Ultimate Bliss is not the ultimate destination. Rather, it is an illusory-city place. Holy and ordinary people live there together. However, ordinary people who inhabit there will not descend into samsara. That is, they will never again be shackled by cyclic birth and death in samsara. Relying upon Buddha-power, they are not fettered by transmigration in samsara. However, learning Dharma there is very difficult. Learning from Buddha at that place there is not like learning from Buddha at our place here, where if you cultivate yourself well you can realize prajna in one lifetime.”
What is it like to learn Dharma in the World of Ultimate Bliss (Pure Land)?
“The world of Amitabha Buddha is called the World of Ultimate Bliss. Learning the Dharma is very difficult in the World of Ultimate Bliss. It is very difficult to achieve accomplishment there. One day of practice here in our world takes at least a few decades of practice there in that world to accumulate the same amount of merit. Thus, one who learns Dharma in the World of Ultimate Bliss has to be taught many hundreds of millions of years or many trillions of years before one can become a Buddha. Now that you disciples understand this truth, you should earnestly practice, with your three karmas in correspondence, and strive to realize in this world the ultimate truth, the truth of prajna.”
What is Phowa Dharma and why should you practice it?
“The phowa Dharma is called the Dharma of transferring consciousness upward. It is mainly used just in case you do not have the cultivated power to end the cycle of birth and death, do not have the ability to freely control your own birth and death when the bardo state appears before you at the time of your death. At that time you can use the method of phowa Dharma to transfer your own consciousness to the World of Ultimate Bliss. . . It is a Pure-Land Dharma with esoteric Dharma. . . Disciples, you now know that phowa Dharma is great. However, it is far inferior to a holiest Dharma, Vajra Dhyana. . . I will not tell you about that Dharma in detail now. It is a Dharma in The Supreme and Unsurpassable Mahamudra of Liberation. It is an unequaled, great Dharma of Buddhas.”
How should you regard other Dharma methods?
“Furthermore, one may not speak slanderously about the differences among any three, four, five, or six Dharma methods. One may not slander the Chan school, the Huayan school, the Dharma Characteristics school, the Yunmen school, the Caodong school, or any of the other schools and sects. As long as the school or sect is based on Buddha Dharma from the Buddha, we should respect it and not engage in sectarian slander.”
What should you consider in determining which Dharma is the best for you?
“The main thing is that the Dharma one practices should accord with the extent of one’s spiritual capacity, with the depth of one’s wisdom. It should correspond to the opportunity of karmic conditions coming together for one to become a Bodhisattva or Arhat. By choosing the type of Dharma that corresponds to the coming together of karmic conditions and matches the opportunity, correspondence will naturally be achieved in learning the Dharma. As a result, one will very quickly attain beneficial effects.”
Why are there so many methods of Dharma practice?
“Those Dharma teachings were established to express different practices that correspond to practitioners who are at different levels in their quest to realize the position of Buddhahood. They are also the inexorable laws for reaching liberation, becoming a holy one, and attaining Buddhahood. One can also say that they are the results of the Buddha’s clear observation of cause and effect. They are true treasures established and handed down by the Buddha. . .The Buddha Master also explained how the esoteric dharma practices came to us and the types of Tibetan esoteric dharma and the types of Buddhists that we should believe in and avoid.”
How do we eliminate attachment to self and phenomena?
“Anyway, my point of view is that one can eliminate attachment to self only after one eliminates selfishness, and that one can eliminate attachment to phenomena only after one eliminates attachment to self. To eliminate selfishness, one must start from the Four Limitless States of Mind.”
Be sure and enroll in DCB24-Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Heart Sutra: Part TWO-III, if you want to join our long term study of the Heart Sutra or the broader study of C41(A)-the Three Principle Stages & Paths of Buddhist Practice. There is an expanded article on C41(A) that explains its scope and content, which was discussed before starting DCB24 last Saturday. CLICK for video of that discussion and revised maps of this roadmap to C41(A). DCB24 is one of the Learning from Buddha College & Seminary (LFBCS) courses that are included in C41(A). There is also another article that discusses G03(A) and G03 Evolution of Buddhism, two additional courses that are also part of C41(A).
CLICK for a list of available classes in each of the programs: Auditing, Buddhist Studies, and Xiuxing Seminary. Those with membership in the Xiuxing Seminary Program who are only interested in serious practice and not opening a Dharma Center may also elect to follow the Xiuxing Practice Program and take a seven or thirty-day Solitary Retreat.
Next:
We will continue our discussion of Lesson 25-Prajna Is Unequaled Dharma . . . of LFBCS Course DCB24 at our February 8, 2025 ZOOM session at 9:00 am discussing the Heart Sutra.
If you have enrolled in C41(A) or DCB24 or DCB23 or DCB22 or DCB21 or DCB26) you may continue to use the same ZOOM link to attend the Saturday morning discussions. However, you will need to enroll in the appropriate course to be able to watch the video recordings of the classes, download study materials, or study the related questions.
TO DATE: DCB24-Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Heart Sutra: PART TWO–III and C41-Three Principal Stages & Path[;s of Buddhist Practice.
The recordings of the February 1, 2025 DCB24-Lesson 24B and Lesson 25A class are now available. All of the recordings and summary of ZOOM discussions for DCB21, DCB22, DCB23. and DCB26-Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Heart Sutra are now available along with the questions for DCB25. You must be enrolled in each of these classes in one of the full 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.
“. . . no suffering, no accumulation, no cessation, and no path; no wisdom, also no attainment. With nothing to be attained, therefore, . . .”
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.
February 1, 2025: Lesson 25A-The Great Stage–Wisdom Path of the right view of emptiness, Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Text of the Heart Sutra–III, Prajna Is Unequaled Dharma (77-92) and (HERE) for recording of class.
February 1, 2025: Lesson 24B-The Great Stage–Wisdom Path of the right view of emptiness, Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Text of the Heart Sutra–III, No Wisdom, Also No Attainment (71-76) and (HERE) for recording of class.
January 25, 2025: Lesson 24A-The Great Stage–Wisdom Path of the right view of emptiness, Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Text of the Heart Sutra–III, No Wisdom, Also No Attainment (57-70) and (HERE) for recording of class.
January 18, 2025: Lesson 23B-The Great Stage–Wisdom Path of the right view of emptiness, Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Text of the Heart Sutra–III, Methods Used by Different Schools & Traditions (31-56) and (HERE) for recording of class.
January 11, 2025: Lesson 23A-The Great Stage–Wisdom Path of the right view of emptiness, Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Text of the Heart Sutra–III, Methods Used by Different Schools & Traditions (15-30) and (HERE) for recording of class.
January 4, 2025: Lesson 22–The Great Stage–Wisdom Path of the right view of emptiness, Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Text of the Heart Sutra–III, “. . . no suffering, no accumulation, no cessation, and no path; . . .” (1-14) and (HERE) for recording of class.
January 4, 2025: Roadmap to C41(A)–Three Principal Stages & Paths of Buddhist Practice. Video of class discussion.
CLICK for article on the last class held on DCB23 and links to all 13 ZOOM class discussions on DCB23 held from August 24, 2024 to November 16, 2024,
CLICK for article on the last class held on DCB22 and links to videos of all 21 ZOOM class discussions on DCB22 held from February 10, 2024 to April 20, 2024 and from June 29, 2024 to August 3, 2024.
CLICK for article on the last class held on DCB21 and links to videos of all 18 ZOOM class discussions on DCB21 held from November 21, 2022 to April 1, 2023. Note: not all of the forwards, notes, and introductions are complete.
CLICK for article on last class held on DCB26 and links to videos of all 8 ZOOM class discussions held on DCB26 held from April 20, 2024 to June 22, 2024.
CLICK for Background information on Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Heart Sutra and why it is such an important text.
CLICK for information on S01-Supreme and Unsurpassable Mahamudra of Liberation (SAUMOL) Seminar.
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