Originally posted by An Eternal Now:I have read all these before. Western Pure Land has 4 types.
There is:
「凡圣�居土�方便有余土�实报庄严土�常寂光土�
If you are not yet enlightened, after you die you will be reborn in the 1st type of pure land and you will still have a ä¸é˜´ç”Ÿ to reborn there.
If you realise your Buddha Nature, you can simply enter into 寂光净土 immediately. In fact if you realise your Buddha Nature then 寂光净土 which is equivalent to your self-nature (自性) and your Dharmakaya (法身) is available right here. This is the Pure Land that Zen Master Hui-Neng is talking about. For such a person after death there is no ä¸é˜´ç”Ÿ to take rebirth, there is simply the recognition of Buddha Nature, one's 法身. One immediately recognises and abides in 寂光净土.
yes, it's say that the 4 Abodes in the cosmo are seperated , but not in Amitabha's PL which are united and equal.
There are four kinds of Nirvana equivalent to the 4 Abodes of PL:
Nirvana of pure, clear self-nature = Pure Abode of Good people and good Saints living together 凡圣�居土.
Nirvana with residue = Pure Temporary Abode with residue of Not Knowing 方便有余土, more for Arahants.
Nirvana without residue = Pure Abode of Permanent Reward å®žæŠ¥æ— éšœç¢�土, more for Bodhisattvas.
Nirvana of no dwelling = Pure Abode of Eternal Light and Tranquillity 常寂光土, more for Buddhas.
/\
Originally posted by sinweiy:Are the Mind-only Pure Land and the Self-nature Amitabha the same as or different from the Western Pure Land and Amitabha in the Pure Land ?
It is because the Mind-only Pure Land exists that we are reborn in the Pure Land of the West. If the mind is not pure, it is impossible to achieve rebirth in the Pure Land. Even when those who have committed cardinal transgressions achieve rebirth through ten recitations, such rebirth is due to their reciting the Buddha's name with a pure mind, thus eliciting a response from Amitabha Buddha. Ordinary people generally think that if the Pure Land is Mind-Only, then it does not exist. This is the understanding of demons and externalists. Such a deluded view, which appears correct but is in reality wrong, affects more than half of all people and causes practitioners to forfeit true benefits.
It is precisely because of the Self-Nature Amitabha that the practitioner must recite the name of Buddha Amitabha of the West seeking rebirth in the Pure Land - so as to achieve the Self-Nature Amitabha through gradual cultivation. If he merely grasps at the Self-Nature Amitabha but does not recite the name of Buddha Amitabha of the West, he cannot achieve immediate escape from Birth and death - not even if he is truly awakened, much less if (like most people who ask this question) he is pretentious and just indulges in empty talk without engaging in practice.
Thus the answer to your question [are the mind-Only Pure Land and the Self-Nature Amitabha the same as or different from the Western Pure Land and Amitabha in the Pure Land?] is that they are one yet two before Buddhahood is attained, two yet one after Buddhahood is attained.
so make it straitforward, do you think it's mind-only? And even it's mind only does not deny it's existence, because it's so realy in mind, hell symbolise endless suffering ,paradise symbolise ultimate joyfulness, but i cannot exist in the way some sutra described,holy flag, holy water ,holy bird,golden ground,
and i like the quote
"It is better to be attached to Existence, though the attachment may be as big as Mount Sumeru, than to be attached to Emptiness, though the attachment may be as small as a mustard seed."
it show that middle way thinking,
ç�€äº†æœ‰è§�å�³ä½¿å¤§å¦‚须尼山，也是å�¯ä»¥æ¸…除，若是ç�€äº†ç©ºè§�，å°�如芥å�，也没招。but the emptiness here mainly means people see everything in this world is empty, subject, even dharma, i think the middle way think is a great explanation of æ— ä¸ºæ— ä¸�为
The Zen Teaching of Instantaneous Awakening By Hui Hai
http://www.dharmaweb.org/index.php/The_Zen_Teaching_of_Instantaneous_Awakening_By_Hui_Hai
38. Q: The Vimalakirti Nirdesha Sutra says: ‘Whosoever desires to reach the Pure
Land must first purify his mind.’ What is the meaning of this purifying of the mind?
A: It means purifying it to the point of ultimate purity.
Q: But what does that mean?
A: It is a state of beyond purity and impurity.
Q: Please explain it further.
A: Purity pertains to a mind, which dwells upon nothing whatsoever. To attain to this without so much as a thought of purity arising is called ‘absence of purity’; and to achieve that without giving it a thought is to be free from absence of purity also.
/\
Originally posted by rokkie:so make it straitforward, do you think it's mind-only? And even it's mind only does not deny it's existence, because it's so realy in mind, hell symbolise endless suffering ,paradise symbolise ultimate joyfulness, but i cannot exist in the way some sutra described,holy flag, holy water ,holy bird,golden ground,
and i like the quote
"It is better to be attached to Existence, though the attachment may be as big as Mount Sumeru, than to be attached to Emptiness, though the attachment may be as small as a mustard seed."
it show that middle way thinking,
ç�€äº†æœ‰è§�å�³ä½¿å¤§å¦‚须尼山，也是å�¯ä»¥æ¸…除，若是ç�€äº†ç©ºè§�，å°�如芥å�，也没招。but the emptiness here mainly means people see everything in this world is empty, subject, even dharma, i think the middle way think is a great explanation of æ— ä¸ºæ— ä¸�为
Pure Land is Mind-Only, is a manifestation of Buddha Mind. America is also Mind-Only, a manifestation of Buddha Mind. Does that mean America doesn't exist?
Pure Land is as real as America.
My Master visited Pure Land and saw Amitabha before.
Disciple: Master, how do we
witness Sukhavathi?
Master Shen Kai: That's easy. But Sukhavathi is very far away. How
far? It's passing through hundreds of thousands of millions of
Buddhalands. In between this hundreds of thousands of millions of
Buddhalands are not Buddhalands but Hui Tu. Buddhalands are pure
where Buddhas dwell. Sukhavathi is hence very very far away. Far
does not mean we don't believe.
In the sutras, Buddha used to explain that it's very very near. So
near that nobody believe it's true. There's no choice as sentient
beings are too greedy, hence say it's very very far away and not
easy to go or reach. So He expound the Amitabha Sutra, where Buddha
spoke without people asking. If a person is not greedy, then
Dharmakaya is very near as it encompass everything.
Since it's entire existence, it's so near to reach like space
everywhere exist Dharmakaya. Without Dharmakaya, Earth cannot be in
the space. Cars cannot works. Every thing is benefited by
Dharmakaya.
When people do business, they need an initial funding, now Buddha
say you don't need that initial funding, you believe in Amitabha
and recite His name.
When one see people wearing a gold necklace, but it's just a piece
of metal chain like the one you see in jail to chain prisioners.
Then Buddha told sentient beings not to be obsess with gold, you
just need to recite Amitabha and don't need any initial funding and
you can reborn in a place where gold is use for building
constructions.
So does Sukhavathi really exist? Yes. Don't think Buddha is lying.
You can GO NOW and witness yourself and come back to tell people.
Master tell you I been there before, you all might disbelieve. So I
will describe it to you.
Sentient beings on Earth are very small, Bodhisattvas of Sukhavathi
are really Big and tall. A person standing next to Amitabha only
reach the height of Amitabha's toe! When I reached Sukhavathi, only
wish to pay homage to Amitabha, and adore Amitabha.
Amitabha Buddha reply: What do you seek here in Sukhavathi?
Shen Kai: Honored One, i came to seek Dharma.
Amitabha Buddha ask: What kind of Dharma?
Shen Kai: i'm not sure. Seeing Amitabha's forehead is adorned with
a curled hair. i wisk to seek that Dharma, Honorable One.
(Back to reality.) That's how I cultivate and got my curled hair,
but this Dharma method cannot anyhow expound to people. It's is
because you people have doubt in Sukhavathi. Thinking it doesn't
exist. Hence I tell you my experience. Due to the busy schedule,
the white hair is curled. When it grew longer to 3 inch, it will
extend when i'm washing the face. That's the proof.
How did Ocean of suffering (ku hai wu bian) come about? Because
beings of samsara cannot sever emotion, love and greed. Sentinet
beings cry a lot. Separation from friend, family, love ones, people
cry. Son is leaving, mother crys, so does the son. Mother is dying,
sons also crys. When people want's to eat, the mouth starts to
water. This is greed. People need to work, they swear. In a life
them, people generate so many water. One person, say one bucket of
water, 100 pax, 100 bucket form a pool of water. If millions of
millions of people cannot sever emotion, love and greed, form an
Ocean of water.
In our world there's male and female. Those who goes to jail, 99%
are involve with female. But in Sukhavathi, there's not male nor
female form.
(translated by Sinweiy)
Originally posted by An Eternal Now:Pure Land is Mind-Only, is a manifestation of Buddha Mind. America is also Mind-Only, a manifestation of Buddha Mind. Does that mean America doesn't exist?
Pure Land is as real as America.
But America is out there, it's not mind only, but if you talk like seeing reality way, it will disappear, but pure land is in Mind, if it's really out there like America does, i think it's not pure land, it's ET's hometown,
And some say doing dana is not chasing benefit, if you doing dana is for chasing benefit, it's wrong, the right way is u should love to do that, if you do good thing just for residing in paradise, it's attachment,
I remember some buddhist is scarified when telling him dharma is empty, they find they can resort on nothing hold nothing, but the whole buddhism teach empty.Of course, paradise is empty.
So you see, there are many wrong doing in buddhism, so i think the how point of buddhism is achieving some state of mind, you can do meditation or reading sutra, but first of all i think buddhism should be interesting. People only sit there for hundred years, it's not buddhism, it's dying ,or sleeping. Buddism is the deepest thing ever, meanwhile it's interesting.
i am not saying it does not existed, but in mind only, by mind maybe you can travel thousand of mile, maybe you will reside on some place, but it's mind only, meanwhile it's real, because it's in your mind, why some master pinpoint some stone ,then the stone become gold, because it's in mind, gold is nothing different to stone
the essence of Diamond Sutra is in this very paragraph (often the first para):-
Thus I have heard. Once, the Buddha was staying in the Jetavana Grove in Śr�vastī with a community of 1250 monks. Then, at mealtime, the World Honored One put on his robe, took his bowl, and went into the great city of Śr�vastī to seek alms food, going from house to house within the city. Finishing, he returned home and took his meal. He then put away his robe and bowl, washed his feet, arranged his seat, and sat down.
-- Diamond Sutra
this is the realisation of things as they are.
the essence of Amitabha Sutra is in this very paragraph (first para as usual) :-
At that time, the Buddha told the elder Shariputra:
"Passing from here through hundreds of thousands of millions of Buddha-lands to the West, there is a land called Ultimate Bliss. In this land, at this moment, a Buddha named Amitabha teaches the Dharma.
--Amitabha Sutra
When Buddha say something like this, Buddha do not say this for any Additional meaning nor Subtract any meaning from it.
It Just Simply mean Passing from here through hundreds of thousands of millions of Buddha-lands to the West, there is a land called Ultimate Bliss. In this land, at this moment, a Buddha named Amitabha teaches the Dharma.
/\
Originally posted by sinweiy:the essence of Diamond Sutra is in this very paragraph (often the first para):-
-- Diamond Sutra
this is the realisation of things as they are.
the essence of Amitabha Sutra is in this very paragraph (first para as usual) :---Amitabha Sutra
When Buddha say something like this, Buddha do not say this for any Additional meaning nor Subtract any meaning from it.
It Just Simply mean Passing from here through hundreds of thousands of millions of Buddha-lands to the West, there is a land called Ultimate Bliss. In this land, at this moment, a Buddha named Amitabha teaches the Dharma./\
u must be in pure land sect, yes passing from here through hundreads of thousands of million, someone have using some tapeline to measure it? In mind very thing travel fast, even thousand mile could be travelled in just one shine, yes there is somewhere called ultimate bliss, but it's not a mansion,building or country, 西方有佛，�啊弥驼佛，�方，西方，北方，上方，下方都有佛，but definitely it's not like the head of parliment point the next person to take over his place, buddhism have been involved too much with mysticism, yes someone said after you practice buddhism you could attain 神通，but no actual real master of buddhism emphasize of that, compare to the huge joyfulness people get from buddhism, it's nothing, like 净空法师，said the ultimate joyfulness, i have got it already, with a subtle and solid smile on his face, i think that's what buddhism should be like
indeed..真空�空, 妙有�有.
TRUE Emptiness isn't empty. Brilliant Existence isn't existing. middle way.
mind-only(ie Recognise that the objective world rises from the mind itself). it must not also reject the objective world(s).
as only thru emptiness and absolutly no form is even more dangerous, which is outside the mind path, btw.
Both the Lankavatara and Esoteric Adornment Sutras Stated:
"It is better to be attached to Existence, though the attachment may be as big as Mount Sumeru, than to be attached to Emptiness, though the attachment may be as small as a mustard seed."
since pureland ferry the beings of the lowest capacities, thru a form of deep faith, one can be born in PL even if they attached to the form of PL while without thoroughly understand the emptiness of PL. that's still ok, skillful mean(can read Master Yin Kuang's qna for detail).
for those who attached to emptiness and Reject form, one will not be born in PL but into the formless realms.
for the advance/complete(round) level, of realising the non-dual between form and emptiness, one can be reborn in PL.
ps: form is emptiness; emptiness is form --heart sutra
The Ultimate BuddhaDharma doesn't exclude the provisonal dharma. Excluding the provisonal dharma is not the Utlimate BuddhaDharma.
/\
Originally posted by sinweiy:indeed..真空�空, 妙有�有.
TRUE Emptiness isn't empty. Brilliant Existence isn't existing. middle way.mind-only(ie Recognise that the objective world rises from the mind itself). it must not also reject the objective world(s).
as only thru emptiness and absolutly no form is even more dangerous, which is outside the mind path, btw.
Both the Lankavatara and Esoteric Adornment Sutras Stated:
"It is better to be attached to Existence, though the attachment may be as big as Mount Sumeru, than to be attached to Emptiness, though the attachment may be as small as a mustard seed."
since pureland ferry the beings of the lowest capacities, thru a form of deep faith, one can be born in PL even if they attached to the form of PL while without thoroughly understand the emptiness of PL. that's still ok, skillful mean(can read Master Yin Kuang's qna for detail).
for those who attached to emptiness and Reject form, one will not be born in PL but into the formless realms.
for the advance/complete(round) level, of realising the non-dual between form and emptiness, one can be reborn in PL.
ps: form is emptiness; emptiness is form --heart sutra
The Ultimate BuddhaDharma doesn't exclude the provisonal dharma. Excluding the provisonal dharma is not the Utlimate BuddhaDharma./\
ic,
Originally posted by rokkie:
But America is out there, it's not mind only, but if you talk like seeing reality way, it will disappear, but pure land is in Mind, if it's really out there like America does, i think it's not pure land, it's ET's hometown,
First of all, do not be mistaken that 'Mind' here is talking about thoughts, i.e. if I don't think of America then there is no America. The 'Mind' here is not talking about this, it is *Not* saying that "it is actually your thoughts that is important, your perception, they are just perception of what you are thinking". Instead, the 'Mind' here is talking about your Buddha-Nature.
Thusness: Transcript of the Lankavatara Sutra sharing by Thusness
...Now, the entire thing about Lankavatara Sutra can be summarised into something like Reality is only Mind. That is, when we talk about Reality is only Mind, those who study Buddhism will know that there is the Cittamatra and then there is the Vijnaptimatra. We have to be very very careful about this thing. It is not going to be very scientific because you will sound stupid, you see. How can the external objects, the external reality, the objective reality that is so clearly outside, out there, be said to be the Mind? The manifestation of the Mind? How can you say that? ArenÂ’t you talking something that is not scientific? How is it possible? When you hear the sound, it is very obvious it is out there. When you touch the table, it is very clear that it is out there. The objective world exists with or without your intervention. Now, this casts many doubts of how do we account for these experiences, for experience the Lankavatara Sutra is stating all these. And I am only interested in this. And we have to differentiate this experience with another experience by what we call the Realists, by saying that everything is Perception. By saying No, it is actually your thoughts that is important, your perception, they are just perception of what you are thinking. Lankavatara Sutra is Not talking about this. DonÂ’t misunderstand. These are the concepts of philosophers. These are not the real experiences of one that has entered Non-Duality....
...First of all we have to understand that what is meant by All is Mind is different from what is meant by All is Perception. Wei-Xin-Lun (Mind-Only Doctrine) is not the same as Wei-Shi-Lun (Consciousness-Only Doctrine). When we say that you are young till now. LetÂ’s say you are an old person. Everything that you experience, and everything that you touch, feel, or experience from an experiential point of view is the Mind. This means every single thoughts, every single things, including when you scoop the sand, when you touch the sand, and when you feel the texture of the sand, is the Mind. This is the kind of experience that Lankavatara Sutra is talking about. So do not confuse that hey, it is a thought in your mind. No it is not talking about this. Many people misunderstand this. It is not talking about this. So first, we must be very clear that it is this experience that they are talking about. It is the experience that is Non-Duality...
Next, America is Mind-Only. Everything is the manifestation of Mind. And everything you see, hear, smell, is empty of any inherent, objective existence 'out there', and is beyond the extremes of existence, non-existence, both existence and non-existence, or neither existence nor non existence. While appearing vividly as the luminous display of Buddha-Nature, it is empty of any findable essence or location, i.e. everything is non-local.
Like a red flower that is so vivid, clear and right in front of an
observer, the “redness” only appears to “belong” to the flower, it is
in actuality not so. Vision of red does not arise in all animal species
(dogs cannot perceive colours) nor is the “redness” an attribute of the
mind... and in Buddhism we recognise that there are other realms' (or
you can call 'dimensions') beings who can see something completely
different. If given a “quantum eyesight” to look into the atomic
structure, there is similarly no attribute “redness” anywhere found,
only almost complete space/void with no perceivable shapes and forms.
Whatever appearances are dependently arisen, and hence is empty of any
inherent existence or fixed attributes, shapes, form, or “redness” --
merely luminous yet empty, mere Appearances without inherent/objective
existence. What gives rise to the differences of colours and
experiences in each of us? Dependent arising... hence empty of inherent
existence. (缘起性空) In the same way that colours and flowers are empty of inherent/objective existence, everything else in the world, including America, is empty of inherent/objective existence. This is the nature of all phenomena. They are not existing
in a 'really-out-there' kind of way. (For more info read
The `No-Self' Nature of People and Things) They are Mind-Only, they are Buddha-Nature only... they are the luminous manifestation of Buddha-Nature that are dependently arisen according to conditions.
As you've seen, there is no ‘The Flowerness’ seen by a dog, an
insect or us, or beings from other realms (which really may have a
completely different mode of perception). ‘'The Flowerness' is an
illusion that does not stay even for a moment, merely an aggregate of
causes and conditions. Analogous to the example of ‘flowerness’, there
is no ‘selfness’ serving as a background witnessing either -- pristine
awareness is not the witnessing background. Rather, the entire whole of
the moment of manifestation is our pristine awareness; lucidly clear,
yet empty of inherent existence. This is the way of ‘seeing’ the one as
many, the observer and the observed are one and the same. This is also
the meaning of formlessness and attributelessness of our nature. But
this does not mean that awareness is void or nothing, it is full of
forms, full of colours, as Emptiness is Form... just empty of 'inherent
existence'. So Emptiness, in Buddhism, strictly means Dependent
Arising.
Buddha taught in Lankavatara Sutra,
There are two kinds of attachment: attachment to objects as having a self-nature,
and attachment to words as having self-nature. The first takes place by not
knowing that the external world is only a manifestation of mind itself; and
the second arises from one's clinging to words and names by reason of habit-energy.
In the teaching of no-birth, causation is out of place because, seeing that
all things are like maya and a dream, one does not discriminate individual signs.
That all things are un-born and have no self-nature because they are like maya
is asserted to meet the thesis of the philosophers that birth is by causation.
They foster the notion that the birth of all things is derived from the concept
of being and non-being, and fail to regard it as it truly is, as caused by attachments
to the multitudiousness which arises from discriminations of the mind itself.
----------------
THEN MAHAMATI the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva spoke to the Blessed One, saying: You speak of the erroneous views of the philosophers, will you please tell us of them, that we may be on our guard against them?
The Blessed One replied, saying: Mahamati, the error in these erroneous teachings that are generally held by the philosophers lies in this: they do not recognise that the objective world rises from the mind itself; they do not understand that the whole mind-system also rises from the mind itself; but depending upon these manifestations of the mind as being real they go on discriminating them, like the simple-minded ones that they are, cherishing the dualism of this and that, of being and non-being, ignorant of the fact that there is but one common Essence.
On the contrary my teaching is based upon the recognition that the objective world, like a vision, is a manifestation of the mind itself; it teaches the cessation of ignorance, desire, deed and causality; it teaches the cessation of suffering that arises from the discriminations of the triple world.
Something Thusness sent me a few days ago,
The true face of our pristine nature
Manifests unreservedly and
miraculously,
As the transience that arises and subsides.
Thoroughly real,
discrete and complete,
Arises but not arising from,
Subsides but not
subsiding to,
Completely free from the erroneous view of a who, where and
when,
Fully unsupported, unfindable and essence-less
Luminous yet
empty,
This alone is liberation!
Originally posted by rokkie:So you see, there are many wrong doing in buddhism, so i think the how point of buddhism is achieving some state of mind, you can do meditation or reading sutra, but first of all i think buddhism should be interesting. People only sit there for hundred years, it's not buddhism, it's dying ,or sleeping. Buddism is the deepest thing ever, meanwhile it's interesting.
Buddhism is not about all about meditation, but meditation is an important aspect of Buddhism, of the 8 fold path.
But also, to be meditative does not necessarily mean just sitting. Sitting meditation is important, but so is the meditative mind in our everyday lives important. The point is to extent your practice throughout your daily lives.
Song by my Master (圣开法师):
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修修修，���，
得到了��，宇宙的富�，
é�žç©ºé�žæœ‰ä¸ï¼Œæ³•æ€§é��虚空，
还有什么人我是é�žï¼Œè¿˜æœ‰ä»€ä¹ˆçƒæ�¼è½®å›žï¼›
二å…æ—¶ä¸ï¼Œå…‰æ˜Žè§‰ç…§ï¼Œ
éš�缘生æ»å�³äº†ï¼Œæ— 处ä¸�是圆通，
çœ‹ç ´æ”¾ä¸‹ï¼� 自由自在ï¼�
粗衣淡食，茅屋蔽身，
白雪当阳，万里长空，
晚上一轮明月，冬天处处和风，
å››å£ç™¾èŠ±å¼€æ”¾ï¼Œé£˜æ’万年馨香，
醒��
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高山的暮鼓，远处的晨钟。
Originally posted by sinweiy:indeed..真空�空, 妙有�有.
TRUE Emptiness isn't empty. Brilliant Existence isn't existing. middle way.mind-only(ie Recognise that the objective world rises from the mind itself). it must not also reject the objective world(s).
as only thru emptiness and absolutly no form is even more dangerous, which is outside the mind path, btw.
Both the Lankavatara and Esoteric Adornment Sutras Stated:
"It is better to be attached to Existence, though the attachment may be as big as Mount Sumeru, than to be attached to Emptiness, though the attachment may be as small as a mustard seed."
since pureland ferry the beings of the lowest capacities, thru a form of deep faith, one can be born in PL even if they attached to the form of PL while without thoroughly understand the emptiness of PL. that's still ok, skillful mean(can read Master Yin Kuang's qna for detail).
for those who attached to emptiness and Reject form, one will not be born in PL but into the formless realms.
for the advance/complete(round) level, of realising the non-dual between form and emptiness, one can be reborn in PL.
ps: form is emptiness; emptiness is form --heart sutra
The Ultimate BuddhaDharma doesn't exclude the provisonal dharma. Excluding the provisonal dharma is not the Utlimate BuddhaDharma./\
Buddha, in Shurangama Sutra:
"Ananda, you have not yet understood that all the defiling objects that appear, all the illusory, ephemeral phenomena, spring up in the very spot where they also come to an end. Their phenomena aspects are illusory and false, but their nature is in truth the bright substance of wonderful enlightenment. Thus it is throughout, up to the five skandhas and the six entrances, to the twelve places and the eighteen realms; the union and mixture of various causes and conditions account for their illusory and false existence, and the separation and dispersion of the causes and conditions result in their illusory and false extinction. Who would have thought that production and extinction, coming and going are fundamentally the eternal wonderful light of the Tathagata, the unmoving, all-pervading perfection, the wonderful nature of True Suchness! If within the true and eternal nature one seeks coming and going, confusion and enlightenment, or birth and death, one will never find them."
(note: As Thusness always say, 5 Skhandas, 18 Dhatus is Buddha-Nature.)
.
.
"You still have not realized that in the Treasury of the Tathagata, the nature of form is true emptiness and the nature of emptiness is true form. That fundamental purity pervades the Dharma Realm. Beings’ minds absorb itaccording to their capacity to know. Whatever manifests does so in compliance with karma. Ignorant of that fact, people of the world are so deluded as to assign its origin to causes and conditions or to spontaneity. These mistakes, which arise from the discriminations and reasoning processes of the mind, are nothing but the play of empty and meaningless words."
净空法师题
“三 界唯心，万法唯识。是心是佛，是心作佛。”如是如是，若悟å…æ ¹ä¸ºä¸€å¿µã€‚å¿µä½›æ˜¯å¿µè‡ªæ€§ï¼Œè‡ªæ€§å¦™ç©ºï¼Œæ€§ç©ºçœŸè‰²ï¼Œæ¸…å‡€æœ¬ç„¶ï¼Œå‘¨é��法界，å�³æ€§é‡�也，一真法性ä¸å…·è¶³ å��法界。念佛是ä¸�二空妙，å�³æ˜¯å¿µä¹Ÿï¼Œå¿µè€Œæ— 念。å…æ ¹è§�一切众生ä¸�生。一切法ä¸�生，诸法平ç‰ã€‚æ…§è€…æ— æ€�é‡�。全是阿弥陀佛，都摄å…æ ¹ï¼Œå‡€å¿µç›¸ç»§å”¯ä¸€ã€‚å¿µå¾—ç›¸ 应，当下å�³å¾—å…æ ¹æ¸…å‡€ã€‚å”¯çŽ°ä¸€ä¹˜ï¼Œä¸�äºŒäº¦æ— ä¸‰ã€‚å�³å¿ƒæ˜¯ä½›ï¼Œå�³ä½›æ˜¯å¿ƒã€‚å�³å¿ƒæ˜¯åœŸï¼Œå�³åœŸæ˜¯å¿ƒï¼Œå�³å¿ƒæˆ�佛。如是虽未生净土，已如生净土。
å…æ ¹å¦‚æ˜¯ï¼Œå�³å¿ƒå…¨æ˜¯é˜¿å¼¥é™€ä½›ï¼Œéƒ½æ‘„净念唯一。天上天下，唯我独尊，如是如是。悟入妙观察智，平ç‰æ€§æ™ºã€‚å�³æ˜¯å…¥é—¨ã€‚å��相真如方便之言。
善知识�如是我闻。
sometimes i think i am back to square one, like i start to have negative thots, i will think of those pple who piss me, i will lose temper easily, etc. all the buddhism teachings that i read for a beginner like me has gone wasted. :( tht's y i tell myself i must read and practice everyday! canot like "3mins hot degree". anyway, i am still a very new beginner.
Originally posted by winnie^_^:sometimes i think i am back to square one, like i start to have negative thots, i will think of those pple who piss me, i will lose temper easily, etc. all the buddhism teachings that i read for a beginner like me has gone wasted. :( tht's y i tell myself i must read and practice everyday! canot like "3mins hot degree". anyway, i am still a very new beginner.
The people might have pissed you off but it is not happening right now and the past is already over. Why does one has to be angry with something that is already over ?
Sometime, life isn't easy. Have a little patient, with the situation, with others and yourself. May you be well and happy.
Originally posted by Isis:
The people might have pissed you off but it is not happening right now and the past is already over. Why does one has to be angry with something that is already over ?
Sometime, life isn't easy. Have a little patient, with the situation, with others and yourself. May you be well and happy.
i agree and i also know, but sometimes i just canot help it, only until i calm down then i think abt it, i think it is very silly to react in this way.
I need to learn and practice more.
Thanks! May you be well and happy too!
Originally posted by winnie^_^:i agree and i also know, but sometimes i just canot help it, only until i calm down then i think abt it, i think it is very silly to react in this way.
I need to learn and practice more.
Thanks! May you be well and happy too!
Thank you too.
Originally posted by An Eternal Now:净空法师题
“三界唯心，万法唯识。是心是佛，是心作佛。”如是如是，若悟å…æ ¹ä¸ºä¸€å¿µã€‚å¿µä½›æ˜¯å¿µè‡ªæ€§ï¼Œè‡ªæ€§å¦™ç©ºï¼Œæ€§ç©ºçœŸè‰²ï¼Œæ¸…å‡€æœ¬ç„¶ï¼Œå‘¨é��法界，å�³æ€§é‡�也，一真法性ä¸å…·è¶³å��法界。念佛是ä¸�二空妙，å�³æ˜¯å¿µä¹Ÿï¼Œå¿µè€Œæ— 念。å…æ ¹è§�一切众生ä¸�生。一切法ä¸�生，诸法平ç‰ã€‚æ…§è€…æ— æ€�é‡�。全是阿弥陀佛，都摄å…æ ¹ï¼Œå‡€å¿µç›¸ç»§å”¯ä¸€ã€‚å¿µå¾—ç›¸åº”ï¼Œå½“ä¸‹å�³å¾—å…æ ¹æ¸…å‡€ã€‚å”¯çŽ°ä¸€ä¹˜ï¼Œä¸�äºŒäº¦æ— ä¸‰ã€‚å�³å¿ƒæ˜¯ä½›ï¼Œå�³ä½›æ˜¯å¿ƒã€‚å�³å¿ƒæ˜¯åœŸï¼Œå�³åœŸæ˜¯å¿ƒï¼Œå�³å¿ƒæˆ�佛。如是虽未生净土，已如生净土。
å…æ ¹å¦‚æ˜¯ï¼Œå�³å¿ƒå…¨æ˜¯é˜¿å¼¥é™€ä½›ï¼Œéƒ½æ‘„净念唯一。天上天下，唯我独尊，如是如是。悟入妙观察智，平ç‰æ€§æ™ºã€‚å�³æ˜¯å…¥é—¨ã€‚å��相真如方便之言。
善知识�如是我闻。
�心是土，�土是心，�心�佛。如是虽未生净土，已如生净土。
does this support my point?
Originally posted by rokkie:�心是土，�土是心，�心�佛。如是虽未生净土，已如生净土。
does this support my point?
No, because you have the wrong understanding of Mind-Only.
You think that "it is actually your thoughts that is important, your perception, they are just perception of what you are thinking".
This is not the Mind-Only that Buddha is talking about. This is the false concepts of philosophers.
The Mind that Buddha is talking about is the Pure Mind, the Buddha Mind. And the purity of Mind pervades all dharma realms: 清净本然，周�法界
This is the experience of non-duality.
If you realise this Mind, you attain pure vision and see that Mind and Universe are not two, Universe is the manifestation of the Pure Mind. And in seeing that Pure Buddha Mind is all there is, that is as if you are living in pure land.
As Zen Master Han-Shan said,
57. The clearer the body, the brighter one’s Buddha Nature shines. In the beginning, we still need the body. It’s like a lamp. The Buddha Nature is this flame. But we may still be conscious of shadows. As we progress we feel that the body is the universe itself and that our Buddha Self shines throughout it like the sun.
~ Zen Master Han Shan
http://www.hsuyun.org/Dharma/zbohy/Literature/HanShan/hanshan-maxims.html
The next thing is, although if you may realise that this place is pure land, it cannot also be denied that there is an Amitabha's pure land in the west, which is manifested due to Amitabha's vows as expedient means for sentient beings.
As I said, America is also Mind-Only, but you can't say it doesn't exist. It is beyond the extremes of existence, non-existence, both and neither. It appears as the manifestation of Mind along with causes and conditions.
Originally posted by An Eternal Now:No, because you have the wrong understanding of Mind-Only.
You think that "it is actually your thoughts that is important, your perception, they are just perception of what you are thinking".
This is not the Mind-Only that Buddha is talking about. This is the false concepts of philosophers.
The Mind that Buddha is talking about is the Pure Mind, the Buddha Mind. And the purity of Mind pervades all dharma realms: 清净本然，周�法界
This is the experience of non-duality.
If you realise this Mind, you attain pure vision and see that Mind and Universe are not two, Universe is the manifestation of the Pure Mind. And in seeing that Pure Buddha Mind is all there is, that is as if you are living in pure land.
As Zen Master Han-Shan said,
The next thing is, although if you may realise that this place is pure land, it cannot also be denied that there is an Amitabha's pure land in the west, which is manifested due to Amitabha's vows as expedient means for sentient beings.
As I said, America is also Mind-Only, but you can't say it doesn't exist. It is beyond the extremes of existence, non-existence, both and neither. It appears as the manifestation of Mind along with causes and conditions.
you know that's why to continue this topic,it's so obvious what's the meaning of this sentence,�心是土，�土是心，�心�佛。如是虽未生净土，已如生净土。 means mind is land, land is mind, mind is buddha,
Maybe i have a wrong understand
Pure Mind, the Buddha Mind , i don't know what's the pure mind, buddha mind means, anyway when people who know chinese, read the line, the first impression, they get is what i said, this is not western philosophy, and theology, not involve of logic, the more you use logic to examine it, the more you confused, just like one guru said,æ— æˆ‘ç›¸æ— äººç›¸ï¼Œæ— ä¼—ç”Ÿç›¸ï¼Œæ— å¯¿è€…ç›¸ï¼Œæœ‰å¾ˆå¼ºçš„æ„Ÿåº”èƒ½åŠ›ï¼Œwhat's he is talking about, he is saying, when the first time you read it, without any conceptulisation you feel you r attracted, and you will resonate with it when you read it, even Huineng cannot read, he can understand, it's called manifestation of alaya conciousness
Originally posted by rokkie:you know that's why to continue this topic,it's so obvious what's the meaning of this sentence,�心是土，�土是心，�心�佛。如是虽未生净土，已如生净土。 means mind is land, land is mind, mind is buddha,
Maybe i have a wrong understand
Pure Mind, the Buddha Mind , i don't know what's the pure mind, buddha mind means, anyway when people who know chinese, read the line, the first impression, they get is what i said, this is not western philosophy, and theology, not involve of logic, the more you use logic to examine it, the more you confused, just like one guru said,æ— æˆ‘ç›¸æ— äººç›¸ï¼Œæ— ä¼—ç”Ÿç›¸ï¼Œæ— å¯¿è€…ç›¸ï¼Œæœ‰å¾ˆå¼ºçš„æ„Ÿåº”èƒ½åŠ›ï¼Œwhat's he is talking about, he is saying, when the first time you read it, without any conceptulisation you feel you r attracted, and you will resonate with it when you read it, even Huineng cannot read, he can understand, it's called manifestation of alaya conciousness
Mind is Buddha... but what is Buddha?
Thought cannot grasp that. It has to be an intuition... that resonance comes from intuitive awareness, not from the conceptual mind. All concepts are just symbolic definitions, words, language, that we impute on ourselves.
I'm this, I'm that... I'm Singaporean... I'm male... I'm Chinese (race)... I'm of this political view... I'm Buddhist... etc etc
Some are so called 'facts' but they are really just our projected symbolic representations, it is not reality itself.
It
is not found in direct experience... 'Singaporean' is not a thing that
can be found in our experience, it is just a thought! Ultimately 'I' am
not the definitions I project unto myself, I am not what the birth
certificate tell me, I am not the definitions I project unto myself.
And these definitions change along with times and circumstances, one day if I migrate to somewhere else, the country tells me I am of a new nationality, I project a new definition, a new view of 'myself'.
But none of these definitions are 'my self' -- they are just thoughts arising in your mind, that can be re defined any moment. It cannot be found in your own direct experience.
Before you knew anything, when you were a baby, before you learnt to define yourself, who are you?
As Thusness said, “Without using any languages, ‘I’, ‘me’ or any signs or symbols, how is ‘I’ experienced?”
What is the I AM before I am this or I am that?
If you can feel the truth intuitively, you are closer to what it is.
No language, no logic, no theory, no philosophy can answer that for you. They just give you new definitions, and all the definitions are your mental projection, they are not who you are.
Let go all of them, let go all thoughts, before all thoughts... and language.... who are you? How is 'I' experienced?
Of all teachings, no teaching is more important then a direct ‘touch’ of our Buddha essence; but of all dangers, none is more dangerous than misinterpreting our essence after the ‘touch’.
The ‘touch’ of the pure sense of existence is often wrongly understood due to our karmic tendencies. Use the doctrine of Anatta and Emptiness as antidote.
Zen Patriarch Bodhidharma said,
Only the wise knows mind, this mind call nature, this mind called liberation. Neither life nor death can restrain this mind. Nothing can. It’s also called the Unstoppable Tathagata," the Incomprehensible, the Sacred Self, the Immortal, the Great Sage. Its names vary but not its essence. Buddhas vary too, but none leaves his own mind. The mind’s capacity is limitless, and its manifestations are inexhaustible. Seeing forms with your eyes, hearing sounds with your ears, smelling odors with your nose, tasting flavors with your tongue, every movement or state is your entire mind. At every moment, where language can’t go, that’s your mind.
若智慧明了，æ¤å¿ƒå�·å��法性，亦å��解脱。生æ»ä¸�拘，一切法拘它ä¸�得，是å��大自在王如æ�¥ï¼›äº¦å��ä¸�æ€�议，亦å��圣体，亦å��长生ä¸�æ»ï¼Œäº¦å��大仙。å��虽ä¸�å�Œï¼Œä½“å�³æ˜¯ä¸€ã€‚
圣人ç§�ç§�分别，皆ä¸�离自心。心é‡�å¹¿å¤§ï¼Œåº”ç”¨æ— ç©·ï¼Œåº”çœ¼è§�色，应耳闻声，应鼻嗅香，应舌知味，乃至施为è¿�动，皆是自心。一切时ä¸ä½†æœ‰è¯è¨€é�“æ–，å�³æ˜¯è‡ªå¿ƒã€‚
.
.
.
Buddha is Sanskrit for what you call aware, miraculously aware. Responding, arching your brows blinking your eyes, moving your hands and feet, its all your miraculously aware nature. And this nature is the mind. And the mind is the Buddha. And the Buddha is the path. And the path is Zen. But the word Zen is one that remains a puzzle to both mortals and sages. Seeing your nature is Zen. Unless you see your nature, it’s not Zen.
佛是自心，莫错礼拜。佛是西国è¯ï¼Œæ¤åœŸäº‘觉性。觉者ç�µè§‰ï¼Œåº”机接物，扬眉瞬目，è¿�手动足，皆是自己ç�µè§‰ä¹‹æ€§ã€‚性å�³æ˜¯å¿ƒï¼Œå¿ƒå�³æ˜¯ä½›ï¼Œä½›å�³æ˜¯é�“，é�“å�³æ˜¯ç¦…。禅之一å—，é�žå‡¡åœ£æ‰€æµ‹ã€‚å�ˆäº‘：è§�本性为禅。若ä¸�è§�本性，å�³é�žç¦…也。
Originally posted by An Eternal Now:
Zen Patriarch Bodhidharma said,
Only the wise knows mind, this mind call nature, this mind called liberation. Neither life nor death can restrain this mind. Nothing can. It’s also called the Unstoppable Tathagata," the Incomprehensible, the Sacred Self, the Immortal, the Great Sage. Its names vary but not its essence. Buddhas vary too, but none leaves his own mind. The mind’s capacity is limitless, and its manifestations are inexhaustible. Seeing forms with your eyes, hearing sounds with your ears, smelling odors with your nose, tasting flavors with your tongue, every movement or state is your entire mind. At every moment, where language can’t go, that’s your mind.
若智慧明了，æ¤å¿ƒå�·å��法性，亦å��解脱。生æ»ä¸�拘，一切法拘它ä¸�得，是å��大自在王如æ�¥ï¼›äº¦å��ä¸�æ€�议，亦å��圣体，亦å��长生ä¸�æ»ï¼Œäº¦å��大仙。å��虽ä¸�å�Œï¼Œä½“å�³æ˜¯ä¸€ã€‚
圣人ç§�ç§�分别，皆ä¸�离自心。心é‡�å¹¿å¤§ï¼Œåº”ç”¨æ— ç©·ï¼Œåº”çœ¼è§�色，应耳闻声，应鼻嗅香，应舌知味，乃至施为è¿�动，皆是自心。一切时ä¸ä½†æœ‰è¯è¨€é�“æ–，å�³æ˜¯è‡ªå¿ƒã€‚
After some discussion with Thusness, there should be some corrections with the above translation I've gotten from the internet:
若智慧明了，æ¤å¿ƒå�·å��法性，亦å��解脱。
A better way to translate this should be:
With the illumination of wisdom (prajna), mind is known as Dharma Nature, mind is known as Liberation.
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comments: It is important to know that mind is itself liberation. That is why knowing the nature of our mind is the way of liberation. If Liberation is not experienced, then the clarity is still not there. There is no true understanding of what mind is.
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应眼�色，应耳闻声，应鼻嗅香，应舌知味，乃至施为�动，皆是自心。
A better way to translate should be:
With the condition
of the eye, forms are seen, With the condition of ears, sounds are
heard, With the condition of nose, smells are smelled, With the
condition of tongue, tastes are tasted, every movement or states are
all one's Mind.
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comments:
Although Advaita Vedanta spoke of Awareness, awareness is not the transience (thoughts, sound...etc) But here there are 2 important points to take note. First is that Buddha Nature is the transience. Second it is more of '应'. Means with the condition of the eye, forms arise. With ears, sound arises.
Awareness is not like a mirror reflecting but rather a manifesation. Luminosity is an arising luminous manifestation rather than a mirror reflecting. The center here is being replaced with Dependent Origination, the experience however is non-dual.
One must learn how to see Appearances as Awareness and all others as conditions. Example, sound is awareness. The person, the stick, the bell, hitting, air, ears...are conditions. One should learn to see in this way. All problems arise because we cannot experience Awareness this way.
Conventionally we experience in the form of subject and object interaction taking place in a space-time continuum. This is just an assumption. Experientially it is not so. One should learn to experience awareness as the manifestation. There is no subject, there is only and always manifestation, all else are conditions of arising. All these are just provisional explanations for one to understand.
After one have intuitive experience of anatta (no-self), one should give up all views and conceptual and enter into direct vivid experiences. Before that, right view is important. After the experience of anatta, do not dwell too deeply into conceptual views, it will only serve as a disservice.