The Dharma Door of Guan Yin
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http://www.mountainrainzen.ca/zoketsu_06.html
The last of the twenty five stories is the most important one. The best of all. The most ultimate of ultimate stories. Guan Yin Bodhisattva rises from her seat, bows before Buddha, and says "World Honoured One, I remember, when as many kalpas ago as there are sands in the Ganges, there was a Buddha in the world named "Hearing the World's Sounds."
"It was under that Buddha that I brought forward my resolve to practice. That Buddha taught me to enter Samadhi through a process of hearing and listening. Initially, I entered the flow through hearing and forgot objective states. In other words, I entered through hearing and I let go of the idea of objects. I didn't experience objects anymore. Since sense objects require motion, my sense organs were quiet. So two characteristics of movement and stillness crystallized and did not arise. The whole world became quiet. After that, gradually advancing, hearing and what was heard both disappeared. Once hearing was ended, there was nothing to rely on and awareness and the objects of awareness became open. When the emptiness of awareness reached ultimate perfection, emptiness and what was being emptied then also ceased. Since production and extinction were gone, still extinction, in other words, complete total extinction that was not the opposite of production, arose."
"Suddenly, I transcended the mundane, and transcended all worlds. And throughout the ten directions, a perfect brightness prevailed. I obtained two supreme states. First, I was united with the fundamental, wonderful enlightened mind of all the Buddhas in the ten directions, and I gained the strength of compassion equal to that of all the Buddhas, the Thus Come Ones."
"Second, I was united below with all living beings on the six paths. There were even beings in terrible suffering in hell realms with whom I united. In all the realms, I was united with them and I gained a kind regard for all living beings, equally. World Honoured One, because I served and made offerings to the Thus Come One, Guan Yin, who I am also, I received the transmission of the Vajra Samadhi as one becomes permeated with hearing and cultivates hearing. Because I gained a power of compassion equal with that of all Buddhas, the Thus Come Ones, I became accomplished in thirty two response bodies and entered all realms."
Guan Yin goes on to describe all of the powers and accomplishments and all the ways she has to help sentient beings. Just calling out the name of Guan Yin can avert disasters and bring help in all kinds of ways. Because Guan Yin has these powers through perfection of the meditation of hearing, as described here. You call and she hears. And as soon as she hears, there is help.
You see that this practice of listening, deeply listening, Guan Yin's practice is deep and profound. Who would have imagined that the fountainhead of compassion comes from simply listening deeply to the profundity of the world? That the best way of untying the knots of the senses and seeing that the world of confusion really is the world of liberation is listening? The best way to be enlightened is to hear the sounds of the world, to listen with receptivity to the world's sounds and to the cries of suffering in the world.
In the end, this is what compassion really is; just that deep, deep, open listening. Without outflows, without grasping. When you listen, really deeply listen, in the sense that Guan Yin speaks of in the sutra, then compassion and activity follow from this very naturally. Really, you can't point out something as compassion and something that's not compassion. Based on this practice of listening, you see that the unfolding of life itself is just compassion. The whole drama of the universe in all of its colour and tragedy is just a drama of compassion. Life itself is compassion.
I hope that you have already found and will continue to find that the practise of listening to the world, of finely listening to the world without outflows, without grabbiness, without running away, is a true, true practise. To listen to yourself with that same kind of spaciousness and to listen to others, with that same kind of spaciousness. And if you can listen with a sympathetic, loving presence to yourself and to others, knowing that everything is compassion, that everything, however negative it may seem, has the power to heal. If you can listen with that sense, even in impossible situations, and goodness knows, there are impossible situations in this life, there can be some sense of peace and healing.
One example may be where you yourself or someone else is ill, or on their deathbed or in deep despair or confusion. We think right away, "We can fix that, we can run around. Let's do something and make that better. What can we do here?"
If you can, stop fussing. Stop trying to make things better. Just listen with a sympathetic loving presence. Be willing to be there without outflows, accepting conditions as they are, and you may transform the conditions, deepen them, and then something may happen. It's not about doing something. Just listen - really listen. This is Guan Yin slipping in to offer her aid. This practise of listening is wide and broad and has that capacity. You can find that dimension not only on the meditation cushion. Maybe if you can develop that listening heart, it could really help you in your own life in many ways.
Here's my poetic commentary to the sutra passage:
This world,
So natural,
Disguised by sadness and desire -
A transcendence built of light
Within the surrounding darkness.
Water, earth and sky
Hold each other atilt
The world is grey
And islands proliferate
This seems rhetorical
Cut and spliced
Into a breathtaking panorama
That denies pretense
But admits artifice
Almost requires it
So that contemplation allows it for a moment to be self-forgotten and free
Till a moment later
The calculator,
Inspired by clock notions
Schemes its way towards intersecting establishments
Borders and bridges abound. -
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From The Shurangama Sutra:
The Buddha said to Ananda, “The Thus Come Ones of the ten directions cultivated by
means of all of the eighteen realms and obtained perfect, unsurpassed Bodhi. All of them were generally adequate. But you are at an inferior level and are not yet able to perfect comfortable wisdom among them. Therefore, I shall give you an explanation, so that you will be able to enter deeply into one door. Enter one without falseness, and the six sense organs will be simultaneously pure.”
Ananda said to the Buddha, “World Honored One, how do we oppose the flow, enter deeply into one door, and cause the six organs to simultaneously become pure?”
The Buddha told Ananda, “You have already obtained the fruition of a Shrotaapanna. You have already extinguished the view-delusions of living beings in the three realms, but you do not yet know that your organs have accumulated habits that are without beginning. It is through cultivation that one severs not simply these habits, but also their numerous subtleties as they pass through arisal, dwelling, change, and extinction.
“You should now contemplate the six organs further: are they one or six? If you say they are one, Ananda, why can’t the ears see? Why can’t the eyes hear? Why can’t the head walk? Why can’t the feet talk?
“If the six organs are definitely six, then as I now explain this subtle, wonderful dharma-door for you in this assembly, which of your six organs is receiving it?”
Ananda said, “I hear it with my ears.”
The Buddha said, “Your ears hear by themselves, what, then, does it have to do with your body and mouth? And yet you ask about the principles with your mouth, and your body displays veneration.
“Therefore, you should know that if they are not one, then they must be six. And if they are not six, they must be one. But you can’t say that your organs are basically one and six.
“Ananda, you should know that these organs are neither one nor six. It is from being upside-down and sinking into involvements throughout time without beginning that the theory of one and six has become established. As a Shrotaapanna, you have dissolved the six, but you still have not done away with the one.
“It is like emptiness fitting into differently shaped vessels. The emptiness is said to be whatever shape the vessel is. But if you get rid of the vessel and look at the emptiness, you will say it is one and the same.
“But how can that emptiness become alike and different at your convenience? Even less can it be one or not one. Therefore, you should understand that the six receptive functioning organs should be the same way.
“Seeing occurs because the two appearances of darkness and light, and their like, firmly adhere to quietude in what originally was wonderful perfection. The essence of seeing reflects form and combines with form to become an organ. In its pure state the organ of the eye is the four elements. And yet it takes the name ‘eye-organ’ and is shaped like a grape. Of the superficial sense-organs and the four defiling objects, this one races out after form.
“Hearing occurs because the two reverberations of movement and stillness, and their like, firmly adhere to quietude in what originally was wonderful perfection. The essence of hearing reflects sound and resounds with sound to become the organ of the ear. In its pure state, the organ of the ear is the four elements. It takes the name ‘ear organ’ and is shaped like a fresh, curled leaf. Of the superficial sense-organs and the four defiling objects, this one is loosed upon sound. -
[And so on for all the six senses.]
Ananda said to the Buddha, “World Honored One, as the Buddha has said, ‘The resolve for enlightenment on the causeground which seeks the eternal must be in mutual accord with the ground of fruition.’
“World Honored One, the ground of fruition is Bodhi; Nirvana; true suchness; the Buddha-nature; the Amala- Consciousness; the Empty Treasury of the Thus Come One; the great, Perfect Mirror-Wisdom. But although it is called by these seven names, it is pure and perfect, its substance is durable, like royal vajra, everlasting and indestructible.
“If the seeing and hearing are apart from light and darkness, movement and stillness, and penetration and obstruction and are ultimately devoid of substance, they are then like thoughts apart from sense-objects: they do not exist at all.
“How can what is ultimately destroyed be a cause by which one cultivates in the hope of obtaining the fruition of the Thus Come One’s sevenfold permanent abode?
“World Honored One, when it is apart from light and darkness, the seeing is ultimately empty, just as when there is no sense-object, the essence of thought is extinguished.
“I go back and forth in circles, minutely searching, and basically there is no such thing as my mind or its objects. Just what should be used to seek the Unsurpassed Enlightenment?
“The Thus Come One previously said it was a tranquil essence, perfect and eternal. His present contradiction defies belief and is a resort to idle theorizing. How can the Thus Come One’s words be true and actual?
“I only hope the Buddha will let fall his great compassion and will instruct us who do not understand and who are holding on tightly.”
The Buddha told Ananda, “You study and learn much, but you have not yet extinguished outflows. In your mind you know only the causes of being upside down. But when the true inversion manifests, you really cannot recognize it yet.
Lest your sincerity and faith remain insufficient, I will try to make use of an ordinary happening to dispel your doubts."
Then the Thus Come One instructed Rahula to strike the bell once, and he asked Ananda, “Did you hear that?”
Ananda and the members of the Great Assembly all said, “We heard it.”
The bell ceased to sound, and the Buddha again asked, “Do you hear it now?”
Ananda and the members of the Great Assembly all said, “We do not hear it.”
Then Rahula struck the bell once again. The Buddha again asked, “Do you hear it now?”
Ananda and the Great Assembly again said, “We hear it.”
The Buddha asked Ananda, “What do you hear and what do you not hear?”
Ananda and the members of the Great Assembly all said to the Buddha, “When the bell is rung, we hear it. Once the sound of the bell ceases, so that even its echo fades away, we do not hear it.”
The Thus Come One again instructed Rahula to strike the bell, and he asked Ananda, “Is there sound now?”
Ananda and the members of the Great Assembly all said, “There is a sound.”
After a short time the sound ceased, and the Buddha again asked, “Is there a sound now?”
Ananda and the Great Assembly answered, “There is no sound.”
After a moment, Rahula again struck the bell, and the Buddha again asked, “Is there sound now?”
Ananda and the Great Assembly said together, “There is sound.”
The Buddha asked Ananda, “What is meant by ‘sound,’ and what is meant by ‘no sound?’”
Ananda and the Great Assembly told the Buddha, “When the bell is struck there is sound. Once the sound ceases and even the echo fades away, there is said to be no sound.”
The Buddha said to Ananda and the Great Assembly, “Why are you inconsistent in what you say?”
The Great Assembly and Ananda then asked the Buddha, “In what way have we been inconsistent?”
The Buddha said, “When I asked you if it was your hearing, you said it was your hearing. Then, when I asked you if it was sound, you said it was sound. I cannot ascertain from your answers if it is hearing or if it is sound. How can you not say this
is inconsistent?
“Ananda, when the sound is gone without an echo, you say there is no hearing. If there were really no hearing, the hearing nature would be extinguished. It would be just like dead wood. If then the bell were sounded again, how would you know?
“What you know to be there or not there is the defiling object of sound. But could the hearing nature be there or not be there depending on your perception of its being there or not? If the hearing could really not be there, what would perceive that it was not?
“And so, Ananda, the sounds that you hear are what are subject to production and extinction, not your hearing. The arising and cessation of sounds cause your hearing-nature to be as if there or not there.
“You are so upside-down that you mistake sound for hearing. No wonder you are so confused that you take what is everlasting for what is annihilated. Ultimately, you cannot say that there is no hearing nature apart from movement and stillness and from obstruction and penetration."
http://online.sfsu.edu/%7Erone/Buddhism/Sh...0526.screen.pdf -
http://www.humanbliss.com.sg/ques_ansdetails.asp?articleNo=63
(Translated - if any errors please kindly inform me.. thanks)
The Soundless Sound
Question: What is the dharma door of Guan Yin (Avalokitesvara)?
Answer: What is the dharma door of Guan Yin? In Buddhism, there is this term called "The Four Immeasurables - love, compassion, joy and equanimity". Love must have boundless love, Compassion must have boundless compassion, Joy must have boundless joy, Equanimity must have boundless equanimity. Within the Four Immeasurables, Love and Compassion is a very important dharma door, within the Bodhisattvas, many Bodhisattvas are representations of qualities. For example, Great Wisdom Manjusri Bodhisattva represents Wisdom, Great Action Samantabhadra Bodhisattva represents Great Action, Great Vow Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva represents Great Vows, Great Strength Bodhisattva represents Joyful Equanimity. Whereas, what Guan Yin Bodhisattva represents is the great Love and Compassion. The Primordial substance of the universe has the heart of Great Love and Compassion, and Guan Yin represents this Great Love and Compassion.
Guan Yin Bodhisattva is a bodhisattva at the Western Sukhavati (Western Pure Land), in future will succeed Amitabha in his 'Buddha seat'. Actually, Guan Yin Bodhisattva has through past lifetimes over many eons already attained Buddhahood, his Buddha name is 'Brightness of True Dharma Thus Come One'. There is a phrase "Because compassion is too strong, he treats Samsara as his place of practise" (zi ying ci bei xin tai qie, que ba suo puo dang dao chang - did I translate wrongly?) Because Guan Yin is too compassionate, he never discriminates who to save, so his place of practise (dao chang) is right in Samsara. Guan Yin Bodhisattva resides in Western Sukhavati (The Western World of Utmost Bliss), as the name suggests, that place is too joyful. However we in Samsara have too much sufferings. This is because the world of samsara is full of sentient beings with suffering minds, Guan Yin Bodhisattva has a special affinity with us, therefore relieves our sufferings. Whoever has sufferings, you just have to chant the name of the Bodhisattva, Guan Yin Pu Sa will come to aid you.
Buddhism talks about equality of 'friends and foes' (yuan qing). Not only Buddhists venerate Guan Yin, even deviant cults and outer paths venerate Guan Yin Bodhisattva, Guan Yin Bodhisattva will equally relieve their sufferings. Our society has a lot of deviant cults, outer paths, ghost-deity temples, they all venerate Guan Yin Bodhisattva. That is because Guan Yin Bodhisattva is too compassionate, he never discriminates who he should save, who he shouldn't save, he will save (du4 hua4) all of them, therefore Guan Yin Bodhisattva is venerated everywhere.
Guan Yin Bodhisattva manifests his appearance according to categories. There are billions of manifest-bodies. For example: if a man needs to be saved by a 'zai guan', he will appear as a 'zai guan' to speak the dharma. If one needs to be saved by the form of the King of Ghosts, Guan Yin will appear as the king of ghosts to him and speak of the dharma. If one needs to be saved by the appearance of male or female children, Guan Yiin will appear as a male or female child and speak of the dharma. Not only will Guan Yin manifest as 'zai guan', male or female children, Bhikkhu as well as Bhikkhuni, manifest as various bodies to speak of the dharma, Guan Yin Bodhisattva can also manifest as 'Grass-Wood Deity' and speak of the dharma. E.g. in hell, there are many rulers of hell, who are manifestations of Guan Yin in manifest-bodies, because Guan Yin Bodhisattva's 'compassionate form' does not work in saving these difficult-to-reform sentient beings. Therefore, Guan Yin will manifest as 'Vajra vengeful eyes' (Jing1 Gang1 Nu4 Mu4) to save the sentient beings. There are also many 'small ghosts' who are not afraid of compassionate and virtuous looks, Guan Yin Bodhisattva has great love and compassion, so he manifests as King of Ghosts to save them. As for Guan Yin Bodhisattva manifest as 'zai guan sheng' to speak the dharma, what is zai guan sheng? That is to the masses there are officials who have the authority to judge/sentence people on trial, these are called 'zai guan', doesn't necessarily have to be mean the appearance of 'zai xiang'. There are many 'small ghosts' who are hard to reform, Guan Yin Bodhisattva then manifests as King of Ghosts, for example, manifest as police, or even as a a judge of court to deal with it, this will be able to save (du hua) these 'small ghosts'.
Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva practises "Ear Faculty Complete/Rounded Penetration" dharma door, this is because he practises till "turning perceiving inwards to perceive self-nature". What is "turning perceiving inwards to perceive self-nature"? That is not like ordinary people who listens to sounds outside, then follow the sound away. In contrast, his hearing faculty listens to self-nature, therefore he could succeed when practising this dharma door, irregardless of where sentient beings reside in the universe, suffering from whatsoever disasters, only if you chant his name, he will hear it. Actually, the dharma door he practises is very simple, everyone can practise it, let us all now discuss how to practise dharma, let everyone learn Guan Yin Bodhisattva, I will state an example.
Once, there is a small child who is eating rice, suddenly he puts down his chopsticks and said "Shi Fu! Shi Fu! I heard it!" I asked, "What did you hear?" He said "I heard the sound of no sound." May I ask, have all of you heard of the sound of no sound? Shen Kai is talking here, you all can hear, hear what? Heard Shen Kai talking. Now Shen Kai stops talking, does everyone hear it? Three minutes later everyone answer this question. Ok! Three minutes passed, does everyone hear it? If you hear, raise your hands. Good! Please say, (one of the audience said: at this place other than Fa Shi's voice, there are no other voices.) Wrong! Wrong! When Fa Shi is talking, you hear the voice of Fa Shi speaking the dharma. When Fa Shi is not speaking, you hear the sound of "no speaking dharma". This is called awareness-nature, awareness-nature does not change, when talking about 'ear faculty complete/rounded penetration' dharma door, that is called 'perceiving nature not changing', other than perceiving external sounds, you perceive your self-nature, that is the sound of no sound. You only need to go back, everyday with your ear faculty attend to self-nature and not move, 'turning inwards and perceive self-nature', if you practise this way, one day you will succeed. If everyone practises 'ear faculty complete/rounded penetration', everyone will be able to be Guan Yin Bodhisattva.
Because Guan Yin Bodhisattva has great love and compassion, we also should learn Guan Yin Bodhisattva's great love and compassion. When we hear about society's whatever sufferings, we should also be Guan Yin Bodhisattva, and relieve all the sufferings. If we do not learn from Guan Yin Bodhisattva, then why are we asking this question? Since we want to ask this question, we should venerate Bodhisattva, respect Bodhisattva, learn from Bodhisattva, be a Bodhisattva, congratulations to everyone who shall be Guan Yin Bodhisattva.
(Ven. Shen Kai) -
The Essentials of Ch'an Practice
5. Taking Care of hua to and Turning Inward to Hear One's Self-nature:
Someone might ask, "How is Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara's method of turning inward to hear self-nature considered investigating Ch'an?" I have previously explained that taking care of hua to is being, moment after moment, with only one thought, single-mindedly shining the light inward on "that which is not born and not destroyed." Inward illumination is reflection. Self-nature is that which is not born and not destroyed. When "hearing" and "illuminating" follow sound and form in the worldly stream, hearing does not go beyond sound and seeing does not go beyond form. However, when one turns inward and contemplates self-nature against the worldly stream, and does not pursue sound and form then he becomes pure and transparent. At that time "hearing" and "illuminating" are not two different things.
Thus we should know that taking care of the hua to and turning inward to hear self-nature does not mean using our eyes to see and our ears to hear. If we use our ears to hear or our eyes to see, then we are chasing sound and form. As a result we will be affected by them. This is called submission to the worldly stream. If one practices with one thought only, single-mindedly abiding in that which is not born and not destroyed, not chasing after sound and form, with no wandering thoughts, then one is going against the stream. This is also called taking care of the hua to or turning inward to hear one's self-nature. This is not to say you should close your eyes tightly or cover your ears. Just do not generate a mind of seeking after sound and form
- Zen Master Xu Yun -
can guan yin be in a trance?
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How you know this person is guan yin?Originally posted by NT2:can guan yin be in a trance? -
No. They are communicating with worldly spirit-deities (gui shen). Bodhisattvas and Buddhas are beings that transcended samsara realms and do not participate in these kind of activities belonging to that of worldly spirits-deities. Buddhas and bodhisattvas guide people through the dharma, leading people to liberation and enlightenment.Originally posted by NT2:can guan yin be in a trance?
they can also claim to communicate or jump with any particular figure - not necessarily is 'jumping' that particular figure.
Again these are the views of Buddhists, hopefully other folks practitioner followers will not be offended. -
hw come the helper on the left giggling.....
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yah loh the helper on the left like laughing at the medium,haha,the medium make-up like ru-hua..jkjk
but anyway,buddhas and bodhisattvas will appear in any form any way to guide beings and liberate them,means guan yin can appear as a dog or a cat too.. -
but according to Buddhism. They cannot appear in the form to possess spirit mediums.Originally posted by faithx:yah loh the helper on the left like laughing at the medium,haha,the medium make-up like ru-hua..jkjk
but anyway,buddhas and bodhisattvas will appear in any form any way to guide beings and liberate them,means guan yin can appear as a dog or a cat too..