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Post by Shi Da Dao on Oct 6, 2004 12:56:08 GMT 1
In order to teach Ananda and the assembly, the Buddha asked manjusri for his opinion on these twenty-five methods. Manjusri praised the method used by Avalokitesvara saying that he himself had also used it for his own enlightenment and that it was the most suitable one for human beings.
The following is a commentary on the verse of the Sarangama Sutra:
I) At the start, by directing the hearing Into the stream, this organ became detached from its Object.
This was the turning of the ear inwards on the self-nature to hear it so that hearing and its object, i.e. the sound, became detached. When hearing was brought under control in this manner, the other five senses had no chance of wandering outside to get in touch with the corresponding external objects. Stream here means the inward stream of meditation, or correct concentration.
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Post by Shi Da Dao on Oct 6, 2004 14:33:03 GMT 1
The mind was brought under control to free it from external disturbance. Could it really be controlled by using it to direct the ear inwards to hear the self-nature? The mind was already disturbed when it was directed inwards. Therefore, efforts should be made to free it from disturbances so that stillness can prevail.
II) By wiping out (the concept of) both sound and Stream-entry, Both disturbance and stillness Clearly became non-existent.
As the sound and stream were realised to be non-existent, both disturbance and stillness also became non-existent. The mind was thus disentangled from the gunas, or sensation-data.
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Post by Shi Da Dao on Oct 6, 2004 14:39:43 GMT 1
III) Thus advancing step by step, Both hearing and its object came to an end; But I did not stop where they ended.
By making additional efforts I advanced further step by step, unil both hearing and sound came to an end. However, I did not stop there. Thus the mind was disentangled from the sense-organs. The voidness of which the meditator was aware then appeared. This incomplete or partial awareness should also be wiped out.
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Post by Shi Da Dao on Oct 6, 2004 15:09:21 GMT 1
IV) When the awareness (of this state) and this state Itself (were realised as) non-existent, The awareness of voidness became all-embracing. Then the elimination of object and subject relating To voidness. Then the disappearance of creation and annihilation (Realised in) the state of Nirvana becoming manifest.
With further progress, the meditator perceived that both the incomplete awareness (subject) of voidness and the voidness itself (object) were non-existent. After the elimination of both subject and object relating to false conception of relative voidness, the complete awareness of the absolute voidness became all-embracing, ensuring the end of the dual conception of creation and annihilation of even subtle phenomena, perceptable only at this last stage of meditation, such as relative voidness and incomplete awareness, which were only creations of the mind.
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Post by Shi Da Dao on Oct 6, 2004 15:17:08 GMT 1
As creation existed only as a relative term and was followed by annihilation, so long as this duality existed, the mind was still held in bondage. Now as this pair of opposites was non-existent, the awareness became complete. When this last stage was reached the resultant state of Nirvana became manifest. This stage ensured the instantaneous leap over both the mundane and supramundane when the meditator attained the all-embracing illumination of absolute wisdom.
Master Han Shan also followed this method and attained Samadhi during his stay at the Five Peaked Mountain.
The holding of a hua t'ou also enables a Ch'an student to realise the disentanglement of mind from gunas (or external objects), sense-organs, incomplete awareness (or inner subject) and relative voidness for the same purpose of attaining the absolute voidness of complete awareness, or wisdom.
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Post by Shi Da Dao on Oct 6, 2004 15:21:42 GMT 1
Day 3.
This is the third day of this second Ch'an week. Those who are already familiar with this teaching, can always control their minds no matter where they happen to be either in the midst of disturbance or of stillness. To them, there is no difference between the first and second week or between the second and third day. But those who are beginners should endeavour to make progress in their training which they should not undergo in a careless manner, in order not to waste their (precious) time. I will now tell the beginners another story and hope they will listen to it attentively.
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Post by Shi Da Dao on Oct 6, 2004 15:29:12 GMT 1
In every Ch'an hall, there is (a statue of) a Bodhisattva called the 'Holy Monk'. He was a cousin of the Tathagata Sakyamuni and his name was Ara Ajnan-Kaundinya. When the World Honoured One left home, His father sent three paternal and two maternal clansmen to go with and look after Him in the Himalyas. This cousin was one of the two maternal clansmen. After the World Honoured One had attained enlightenment, He went to the Mrgadava park where He expounded the Four Noble Truths and where this cousin was the first disciple awakened to the truth. This cousin was also one of His great disciples and the first to leave home. For this reason, he was called the 'Holy Monk'. He was also known as the Sangha Head.
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Post by Shi Da Dao on Oct 6, 2004 15:35:23 GMT 1
His method of self-cultivation is clearly described in the Surangama Sutra which says:
'After I had attained enlightenment, I went to the Mrgadava park where I declared to Ajnata-Kaundinya and the other five bhiksu as well as to you, the four varga, that all living beings failed to realise Enlightenment (Bodhi) and attain Arhatship because they were misled by foreign dust which (entering the mind) caused distress and delusion. What, at the time, caused your awakening (to the truth) for your present attainment of holy fruit?'
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Post by Shi Da Dao on Oct 6, 2004 18:07:19 GMT 1
After saying this, he gave the followingexplanation (of these to words) to the World Honoured One:
'World Honoured One, (foreign dust) is like a guest who stops at an inn where he passes the night or takes his meal, and as soon as he has done so, he packs and continues his journey because he has no time to stay longer. As the host of the inn, he has nowhere to go. My deduction is that one who does not stay is a guest and one who does stay is the host. Consequently, a thing is 'foreign' when it does not stay.
Again, in a clear sky, when the sun rises and its light enters (the house) through an opening, the dust is seen moving in the ray of light whereas the empty space is unmoving. Therefore, that which is still is void and which moves is the dust.'
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Post by Shi Da Dao on Oct 6, 2004 18:19:28 GMT 1
How clearly he explained the two words 'host' and 'guest'! You should know that this illustration shows us how to begin our training. In other words, the real mind is the host who does not move and the moving guest is our false thinking which is likened to dust. Dust is very fine and dances in the air. It is visible only when the sunlight enters through the door or an opening. This means that false thought within our minds are imperceptible in the usual process of thinking. They become perceptible only when we sit in meditation during our training. In te midst of the unending rise and fall of mixed thoughts and in the tumult of false thinking. If your training is not efficient, you will not be able to act as a host; hence your failure to attain enlightenment and your drifting about in the ocean of birth and death, wherein you are a Smith in your present transmigration and will be a Jones in the next one. Thus you will be exactly like a guest who stops at an inn and will not be able to remain there forever. However, the true mind does not act in this way; it neither comes nor goes, is not born and does not die. It does not move but remains motionless, hence the host. This host is likened to the immutable voidness in which the dust dances. It is also like the host of an inn who always stays there for he has nowhere else to go.
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Post by Shi Da Dao on Oct 6, 2004 18:28:17 GMT 1
Dust is like one of the passions and can be wiped out completely only when one reaches the Bodhisattva-stage. By falsehood, is meant illusion. There are eighty-eight kinds of illusionary view and eighty-one of illusionary thought. These (misleading) views come from the five stupid temptations, and in self-cultivation, one wipe out all of them in order to attain the first stage of Arhat (srota-apanna). This is the most difficult thing to do, for the cutting of illusory views is likened to the cutting (or stopping) of the flow of a forty-mile stream. Thus we can see that we should have a great measure of strength in our training. We can attain Arhatship only when we have succeeded in cutting out all misleading thoughts. This kind of self-cultivation is a gradual progress.
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Post by Shi Da Dao on Oct 6, 2004 18:36:20 GMT 1
(In our Ch'an training), we have only to make use of the hua t'ou which should be kept bright and lively and should never be allowed to become blurred and which should always be clearly cognisable. All misleading views and thoughts will thus be cut off (by the hua t'ou) at a single blow leaving behind only something like the cloudless blue sky in which the bright sun will rise. This is the brightness of the self-nature when it manifests itself.
This saint (arya) was awakened to this truth and recognised the original host. The first step in our training today is to be cognizant of the fact that foreign dust (the guest) is moving whereas the host is motionless. If this is not clearly understood, we will not know where to begin out training, and will only waste time as heretofore.
I hope all of you will pay great attention to the above.
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Post by Shi Da Dao on Oct 6, 2004 18:43:21 GMT 1
Day 4.
It is very difficult to meet with the unsurpassed Profound Dharma in a hundred, thousand or en thousand aeons, and the present opportunity of our gathering for a Ch'an week in this Monastery of the Jade Buddha is really afforded by an unsurpassed co-operating cause. The fact that lay men and women have come from all directions in an increasing number to attend this meeting for the sowing of the direct cause of the attainment of Buddhahood, proves that this opportunity is rarely available.
The Buddha Sakyamuni said in the Lotus Sutra:
'If men, with minds disturbed, Enter a stupa or a temple And call: namo Buddhaya! Buddhahood they will attai.'
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Post by Shi Da Dao on Oct 7, 2004 7:23:47 GMT 1
In short period of several decades, worldly men are not aware of the passing of time. Those who have money, pursue wine, sex and prosperity. Those who have no money, have to work hard for their food, clothing, shelter and travel. Thus (all of them) rarely have a moment's leisure and comfort and their sufferings are beyond description. However, if they happen to enter a Buddhist temple, they will find happiness in the majesty of its quiet. They will behold the statues of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and may repeat at random the Buddha's name: or they may be impressed with the sudden quiet of their (temperarily) purified minds, praise the Tathagata's bliss which is so rarely found (elsewhere). All this comes from their having acquired very deep good roots in their former transmigrations and provides the cause of their future attainment of Buddhahood. For, in general, what their eyes want to see is only merry-making; what their ears want to hear is only songs and music; and what their mouths want to taste is only succulent dishes and rare delicacies. All this soils their thinking and this defiled thinking produces a disturbed mind, the deluded mind of birth and death. Now, if while in a stupa or temple, one has a chance of calling the Buddha's name, this is the awakened mind, the pure mind and the Bodhi seed leading to attainment of Buddhahood. The Sanskrit word 'Buddha' means the Enlightened One, that is one who is (completely) enlightened and is no more deluded. When the self-nature is pure and clean, one possesses the awakened mind.
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Post by Shi Da Dao on Oct 7, 2004 7:32:23 GMT 1
Today, we do not come here for fame and wealth and this is our awakening power which manifests itself. However, many are those who hear of the Ch'an week but do not know anything about its real meaning. They come to see this bustling meeting to satisfy their curiosity and this is (certainly) not the highest mind. Now that you have come to this place, you are like those who arrive at the mountain of precious gems and you should not return empty handed. You should develop the highest Truth-Mind, and sit in meditation during the time of the burning of an incense stick, in order to sow the direct cause of attainment of Buddhahood and to become Buddha later on.
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