During the fourth ZOOM discussion of LFBS course P10 on September 9, we continued reading from a very early translation of Dorje Pamu’s The Dharma of Concentration (DCCV), Contemplation, and Visualization. We discussed “What Is Concentration?” with its one-pointedness of mind and resting the tranquil mind in one realm of cause; the “Three Prerequisites for Cultivation of Concentration:” 1-Establish a pure, clean mind, 2-Achieve a content heart, and 3-Adhere to the rules of concentration; and started the various “Methods of Concentration” including physical posture and entering murky forms of contemplation.
Tuesday September 23 at 6:00 pm Pacific Time, we will continue Lesson Five of our study of concentration (Samatha) and contemplation (Vipashyana) in Pamu’s DCCV as background material to help us better understand the zen meditation methods provided by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III in the Great Dharma of Zen Meditation. This class will continue to look at the various “Methods of Concentration,” including murky and wild forms of contemplation and dealing with obstructions. If there is time, we will also explore what Dorje Pamu says about the “Nine Stages of Mental Abiding” that happen while we progress in our meditations.
There were no videos made of this class. You may still enroll in the course and request a ZOOM link to join us for the next discussion on September 9. There will be no class on September 16.
HOMEWORK P10-The Great Dharma of Zen Practice, Lessons Two & Three: We deferred discussing the rest of Lesson Two on zen mantras and Lesson Three on the actual zen practices until after we finish the background material on concentration and contemplation provided by Dorje Pamu in her book The Dharma of Concentration, Contemplation, and Visualization. Because of the nature of the translation, these session s are not being recorded.
The following are some of the matters covered in the Buddha Master’s writings on “Initial Breakthrough” in Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Heart Sutra. They are provided to help understand what happened at Gaomin Monastery discussed in a previous class on P-10.
Comments on “Initial Breakthrough” in DCB21-Forewards, Introductions, & Title:
1-2. As I have been saying these many things, it can be said that the untaught, natural state of wisdom has glittered a number of times in the mind of each of you disciples here. However, you have not seen it because it is a state where your prior thought has gone, and your next thought has not yet jumped forward. You might say, “I just experienced it. I went searching for that state.” You went to search for it, but the time you went searching for it was exactly the time you were engaging in delusive thought. This is like searching for a baby who is on your very own back. Doing that is incorrect. You should truly attain the state where the prior thought has gone, the next thought has not yet arisen, yet in such an in-between state you are not attached to anything. You enter what is called “a state of awareness of clear emptiness that is free of thought and is without attachment to being free of thought.” That is your original appearance. That is the dharmakaya of the Tathagatas. That dharmakaya is not inside your body, nor is it outside your body. You should earnestly try to comprehend what I am saying through experience.
At this time, you are free of delusive thoughts and have thoroughly clear awareness. You left behind delusive thoughts and have thorough understanding and awareness, but there is no understanding or awareness to be attained. That means you are unattached to such understanding or awareness. Without being attached to it, you engage in a myriad of activities but are not attached to any of them.It is this that is prajna wisdom. Prajna wisdom does not entail you sitting there in a trance. That would be a type of dhyana state or samadhi. You might confuse that with prajna wisdom. The dhyana state of samadhi should not be confused with prajna wisdom. You should engage in a myriad of activities but not be attached to any of them. We still go about handling all kinds of matters as usual, while abiding in the state of prajna. One could even expound the sutras and Dharma yet still abide in the state of prajna. Only this can be called true prajna wisdom.
Now, before you realize this state, you must first understand the state of initial breakthrough into the truth of your original appearance. What is called “initial breakthrough” is divided into seeing, awakening, dhyana, and wisdom. This is very profound. There are those who first see this original appearance and then awaken to it. After first seeing it, they do not recognize what they saw. Eventually, some happenstance moves them to introspect, and they immediately understand. There are those who first awaken and then see. They first understand this truth of original appearance. Most of you now belong to this category of those who first awaken and then see. I am talking about you who are sitting here. As I said a moment ago, you have a little bit of related understanding, but you have still not seen it. That is what is meant by first having a state of awakening to and later seeing and realizing the truth.
However, after seeing and awakening, have you succeeded? No. You still need dhyana. You still have to imperturbably abide in this state. Only if you can imperturbably abide in it are you in dhyana. This dhyana is called the dhyana of samadhi. If you can, in a state of brightness, be a body that pervades all of space and the entire dharma realm, yet not be attached to it, then you have attained what is called “samadhi of limitless and profound brightness.” This is the dhyana that the World-Honored Shakyamuni Buddha entered when He was practicing.
However, this is very difficult to attain. It would be remarkable if you were even able to stay in a dhyana of no awareness. All states of dhyana require putting forth effort.
When you can engage in a myriad of activities but not be attached to any of them, then you have attained untaught wisdom, natural wisdom. Thus, it would not have been taught to you by me, your master. Is this clear to you? It appears on its own when your own delusive thoughts stop. If your Master in a forceful way, orders this wisdom to appear, it will not appear. If you yourself do not stop your delusive thoughts, it will not appear. [3-130] pp. 91-92
3. This type of situation sometimes also occurs with respect to eminent monastics and people of great virtue in modern times. As I said to you disciples yesterday, some of them lecture on Mahayana, some lecture on Hinayana, some lecture on the initial breakthrough,[1] some talk about the heavy barrier,[2] some talk about the firm barrier,[3] some talk about their macro view of the universe, some speak of the non-dual fundamental truth of human life, some speak of transforming material and conditioned existence into a path to realize prajna, and some speak of transforming “formlessness is emptiness” into a path to realize prajna. Thus, their theories are not uniform. Before you have reached the highest state, it is often not easy to thoroughly understand them. In such case, you do not know that although it appears on the surface those theories are not uniform, in essence they are almost unified. Additionally, there are differences in the levels of those theories due to the knowledge of each master. [7-381] pp. 204-205
Comments on “Initial Breakthrough” in DCB25-Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Text of the Sutra-IV
4-5. As an example, during the Qing Dynasty, there was a greatly accomplished master who was very amazing. His name was Mr. Zhang Fengchi. Mr. Zhang Fengchi was from this place of ours, Chengdu. He practiced Dharma very well. He was amazing. At that time, he was a holy one who had achieved the initial breakthrough and had already realized the pure dharmakaya associated with the initial breakthrough. One day, his attendants were carrying him in a sedan chair. It was at Yanshikou[4] in Chengdu. Suddenly, he broke through and realized the heavy-barrier state, which is, just as the Buddha said, “like a dream, illusion, bubble, or shadow, like dew and also like lightning.” [97] p. 905
6. So, getting back to Mr. Zhang Fengchi, although he had previously made the initial breakthrough, illuminated his mind and saw his original nature, he still needed to realize the cultivated powers of marvelous existence. Only after he had realized the principle of emptiness at a certain stage did he penetrate the heavy-barrier state at Yanshikou. At Yanshikou, he suddenly saw that those people were only shadows moving back and forth. It was very strange. He then used his hand to grab a horizontal carrying bar of the sedan chair. Without causing that sedan chair bar to break, his hand passed right through it. I am talking about one of the bars of the sedan chair used to carry him. He then decided that he might as well just sneak out from below. Once he did that, he disappeared. An empty sedan chair was being carried along. He then quickly made his way sideways to a home located in what is now the People’s Shopping Plaza. Only then did he realize that nothing could obstruct him. Thus, one who has reached the heavy-barrier state is able to walk through brambles, thistles, and thorns without a single scratch. That is, one can go through thorny bushes without any obstruction. It is this very principle by which Venerable Ananda entered the room of Mahakasyapa through the keyhole in the door lock. [32-099] p.908
7. The next category is those whose state of realization is that of a practitioner of one of the two vehicles. That means the state of realization of an Arhat within the two vehicles. They understand the principles of the absolute truth. They know the principles of the absolute truth. They know the principle of Buddha-nature. They understand that there is a common truth among humans and the universe, among all living beings and the universe. They realize that most basic truth of abiding in between the prior thought that has already gone and the next thought that has not yet arisen yet not being attached to the intermediate emptiness. Through this basic truth, they cross over to the initial breakthrough and then to the heavy-barrier state. Of course, I am talking about states of realization in exoteric Buddhism. After that, they enter the firm-barrier state, realizing the emptiness of self or personhood. However, they are still attached to dharmas. They have not severed that attachment to realize the emptiness of dharmas. They think that everything they have realized was realized by themselves. They therefore become attached to dharmas. [33-130] pp. 922-923
[1] This is when one illuminates one’s mind and sees one’s nature, one’s original appearance, one’s dharmakaya that was not born and does not perish.
[2] One breaks through the heavy barrier when one who already abides in the dharmakaya starts to apply marvelous functions that surpass the functions of ordinary people, such as walking through brambles, thistles, and thorns without a single scratch.
[3] One breaks through the firm barrier when one can at any time apply marvelous functions from the dharmakaya state and will never retrogress.
[4] This is the name of a street in Chengdu, China located in one of the most prosperous areas of that city. It literally means Gate of the Salt Market.
September 9, 2025: P10-Lesson Four- Shamatha/Concentration- Prerequisites and Methods
September 2, 2025: P10-Lesson Three- Shamatha/Concentration-What Is Concentration?
August 26, 2025: P10-Lesson Two-Examples of Zen Practice, Video of ZOOM discussion (Questions 10-16).
August 19, 2025: P10-Lesson One-Background & Introduction, Video of ZOOM discussion (Questions 1-9).
CLICK for introduction and actual text used for The Great Dharma of Zen course-P10.
CLICK to enroll in P10 at LFBS.
CLICK to register for ZOOM.
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