We finished Lesson 18 of Learning from Buddha College & Seminary course DCB23 with a discussion of the truth of emptiness as expressed in the lines from the Heart Sutra that says, “. . . no eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, or mind; . . . ” Some of the questions discussed are summarized here:
What are the the six sense bases or roots?
“The eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind are the six sense bases or the six sense roots. The meaning of root is the basic cause of something coming into being and living.”
What are eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mind consciousnesses?
“The eyes are a kind of sense base. They come in contact with their corresponding sense objects. . . The eye sense base is able to produce eye consciousness. Consciousness distinguishes everything of which it becomes aware. Mind consciousness seeps into the eye sense base and, using that sense base, gives rise to differentiation. That is called eye consciousness. . . The ear sense base is able to produce ear consciousness. The body sense base is able to produce body consciousness. The mind sense base produces mind consciousness. The mind sense base is able to produce mind consciousness. All six sense bases produce. Because they are able to produce, they are called bases or roots. They can produce a consciousness. Each of the sense bases can produce a consciousness. Thus, they are called bases or roots.”
What are the transcendent (pure-form) sense bases and who can see them?.
“The transcendent sense bases are called the pure-form sense bases. That means the transcendent sense bases have completely extinguished any characteristic of form and are free of attachment. The transcendent sense bases are derived from purity. They are a kind of entity derived from Buddha-nature and dharmakaya. They dependently exist on the five sense bases of the physical body. It is those five sense bases on which the transcendent sense bases dependently exist. . . The transcendent sense bases have the functions of capturing states and generating consciousness. They can simultaneously perform the functions of capturing states and generating consciousness. Ordinary eyes are unable to see them. Only divine eyes can observe them. The eyes of ordinary people cannot see the transcendent sense bases. The transcendent sense bases are things of specific form. They are not visible to ordinary eyes. They are naturally visible to divine eyes.“
How does the mind sense base differ from the other five?
“The mind sense base is the governing master of the first five sense bases. That means it is even more amazing than the other sense bases. . . It mainly plays the role of differentiating. It accompanies the other sense bases when they make contact with their respective objects. Accompanying the other sense bases when they make contact with their respective objects, it simultaneously produces the corresponding consciousness and thereby knows. That is, when any of the other sense bases become active, the mind sense base immediately starts to become active.”
What is the meaning of the term ”nature” as used here?
“When the six sense bases come into contact with their objects and consciousness does not differentiate, then that is nature. Nature is the illumination of prajna wisdom. That nature is your original appearance. Nature is not some very peculiar thing. It is not something that has to be described with colorful, high-flown terms, like flowers dropping from the sky, to separately come up with something strange. That is why some of the patriarchs told us that the simple and plain mind is the way.”
How does one attain Great Liberation and greatly utilize marvelous existence?
“There is still a number of layers within nature. You should still strive to attain higher states of realization. As I have told you, even when the mind consciousness is unmoving, there is still the manas consciousness. Even when the manas consciousness is unmoving, there is still the alaya consciousness. Only when the alaya consciousness, the mind-king, is imperturbable can one enter the state of pure dharmakaya. Only in the pure dharmakaya state that entails not breaking away from form to pursue nature can one greatly utilize marvelous existence. Only when supernormal powers are manifested in the state of pure dharmakaya yet one is unattached to even supernormal powers can one attain great liberation.“
Does non-attachment mean seeing but not knowing?
“However, non-attachment does not mean seeing but not knowing. . . Being free of attachment does not mean that you see something but do not know anything about it. It does not mean that. Rather, it means that every participating sense base has clear understanding without the slightest discrepancy.”
Articles included on two LFBCS courses this week: the advanced course for practice, P04X-Green Tara Dharma, and D44-Esoteric Dharma, a course for beginners given in China in the 1990s. All of the courses required for the Green Tara Dharma have been revised to reflect the new requirements except three, which I am still developing: DCB25-Heart Sutra IV, B44-Master Thangtong Gyalpo’s biography, and G36-PaMu’s “Dharma that Every Buddhist Must Follow.”
Next:
We will start Lesson 19 of DCB23 at our October 19, 2024 ZOOM session at 9:00 am discussing the Heart Sutra, starting with question #177.
The class is still open to anyone who wants to join. If you have enrolled in C41 or DCB22 (or DCB21 or DCB26) you may continue to use the same ZOOM link to attend the Saturday morning discussions. You will need to enroll in DCB23 to be able to watch the video recordings of the classes, download study materials, or study the related questions.
TO DATE: DCB23-Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Heart Sutra: PART TWO–II and C41-Three Principal Stages & Paths of Buddhist Practice
The recording of the October 5, 2024 DCB23-Lesson 18 class is now available. You must be enrolled in DCB23 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.
“Sariputra, Form Does Not Differ from Emptiness; Emptiness Does Not Differ from Form. Form is Emptiness; Emptiness Is Form. 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. 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 realm of eyes, up to and including no realm of mind consciousness; no avidya and also no ending of avidya, up to and including no aging and death and also no ending of aging and death; . . .”
October 12, 2024: Lesson 18B-The Great Stage–Wisdom Path of the right view of emptiness, Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Text of the Heart Sutra–II, “. . . no eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, or mind; . . . ” (155-176) and (HERE) for recording of class.
October 5, 2024: Lesson 18A-The Great Stage–Wisdom Path of the right view of emptiness, Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Text of the Heart Sutra–II, “The same is true of feeling, conceptualization, action, and consciousness. Sariputra, . . .” (133-154) and (HERE) for recording of class.
September 28, 2024: Lesson 17B-The Great Stage–Wisdom Path of the right view of emptiness, Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Text of the Heart Sutra–II, “The same is true of feeling, conceptualization, action, and consciousness. Sariputra, . . .” (122-132) and (HERE) for recording of class.
September 21, 2024: Lesson 17A-The Great Stage–Wisdom Path of the right view of emptiness, Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Text of the Heart Sutra–II, “The same is true of feeling, conceptualization, action, and consciousness. Sariputra, . . .” (86-89 and 90-121) and (HERE) for recording of class.
September 14, 2024: Lesson 16B-The Great Stage–Wisdom Path of the right view of emptiness, Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Text of the Heart Sutra–II, “. . . Sariputra, Form Does Not Differ from Emptiness; Emptiness Does Not Differ from Form.” (71-85) and (HERE) for recording of class.
September 7, 2024: Lesson 16A-The Great Stage–Wisdom Path of the right view of emptiness, Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Text of the Heart Sutra–II, “. . . Sariputra, Form Does Not Differ from Emptiness; Emptiness Does Not Differ from Form.” (49-70) and (HERE) for recording of class.
August 31, 2024: Lesson 15B–The Great Stage–Wisdom Path of the right view of emptiness, Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Text of the Heart Sutra–II, “. . . Sariputra, Form Does Not Differ from Emptiness; Emptiness Does Not Differ from Form.” (34-48) and (HERE) for recording of class.
August 24, 2024: Lesson 15A-The Great Stage–Wisdom Path of the right view of emptiness, Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Text of the Heart Sutra–II, “. . . Sariputra, Form Does Not Differ from Emptiness; Emptiness Does Not Differ from Form.” (1-33) 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 8 ZOOM discussions.
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 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 2022 to April 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 2024 to June 2024.
CLICK for Background information on Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Heart Sutra and why it is such an important text.
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