We finished our discussion of “consciousness” and the Five Aggregates in DCB22 with a mandate from the Buddha Master that we must immediately begin our cultivation, starting right where we are.
When Do You Begin Your Cultivation?
He told us that “When you hear the sounds of these words is when you should begin your cultivation. There is no need to wait until this class ends to begin your cultivation. There is all the more no need to begin your cultivation only after you go back home and discuss it with someone tonight. There is all the more no need to wait until tomorrow or the day after. There is all the more no need to wait until this year ends. There is all the more no need to wait until you make enough money before you cultivate yourself or to wait until after you retire to cultivate yourself.“
The Buddha Master also told us that as long as we cultivate ourselves according to the Dharma, we can avoid painful karmic retribution.
With these instructions in our hearts we decided to take a break in just studying the text of Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Heart Sutra (ETATTTHS) and review the Buddha Master’s discourse at the end of that book on how to adopt the rules and methods of continual practice and switch to DCB26-How to Realize Prajna, Lessons 36-40. We will return to Lesson 11 and finish the rest of ETATTTHS later, but for now we will focus on practice.
Why Are Most People Unable to Reach the State of Prajna?
The Buddha Master told us in “How to Realize Prajna” that although many people know, study, and even practice the Prajna-Paramita Heart Sutra, very few are able to reach the state of prajna and be liberated from samsara.
The Buddha Master said: “candidly speaking, the answer can be stated in only two sentences: In holiness, the law of cause and effect cannot be ignored. Ordinary beings are tied up by the law of cause and effect. To say that in holiness the law of cause and effect cannot be ignored means that even holy ones, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, cannot ignore the principle of cause and effect. Not ignoring does not mean not believing in. Not ignoring also does not mean believing in, not denying, or understanding the principle of cause and effect. Not ignoring means turning the wheel of Dharma according to causes. As to those at the level of ordinary beings who are not liberated, first of all, they are tightly bound by cause and effect. That is, they are tied up by causality. They turn round and round within this law of cause and effect. With the arising or movement of thoughts in their mind, they constantly fall into causality. Such is the situation of ordinary beings. Although holy people are not tied up by causality, they nonetheless do not ignore causality.”
What Is the Essence of the 84,000 Dharma Methods taught by Shakyamuni Buddha?
To put it explicitly, these Dharma methods “are nothing other than two words: cause and effect” and solving the matter of cause and effect is cultivating yourself.
And What Then Is Cultivation?
“Cultivation is to change the order of the maturing of causes and effects. The goal of cultivation is to actually transform causality. You decide which should mature earlier and which should be made to mature later. You have to transform causality.” This is, of course, the “retaining wall” that we were taught to construct when we studied The Dharma of Cultivation.
Why Doesn’t the Buddha Just Use His Great Supernormal Powers to Liberate Human Beings?
“He cannot convey you there that way. He is unable to transport you there. That is because learning from Buddha is a matter of the relationship between cause and effect. Only through your own efforts can you attain realization, attain awakening, and reach that destination. The Dharma expounded by the Buddha is like a revelation. It opens the gates to the Dharma and presents the absolute truth. After you see its principles, you yourself penetrate into the truth, awaken, and transform causality. Only then can the Buddha convey you there. Do you understand?“
Next:
We will continue DCB26 with a discussion on Dharma practice and how to realize prajna at our April 27, 2024 ZOOM session starting at 9:00 am. We will consider various obstructions to practice, group initiations, benefits, karmic forces, Dharma Protectors, and more.
The recording of the April 20 DCB26 class is now available. You must be enrolled in DCB26 in one of the membership programs at the LFBCS to access the course materials, questions covered (in parenthesis), and/or the class recordings. Please note that these links will only work if you are logged into LFBCS with your membership identification number AND are enrolled in this class.
DCB26-Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Heart Sutra: How to Realize Prajna
April 20, 2024: Lesson 36.1-H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III Imparts Buddha Dharma-Causality and the Rules and Methods of Continual Practice, Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Text of the Heart Sutra-How to Realize Prajna, (1-17) and (HERE) for recording of class.
DCB22-Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Heart Sutra: PART TWO–I and C41-Three Principal Stages & Paths of Buddhist Practice
The recording of the April 20 DCB22 class is now available. You must be enrolled in DCB22 in one of the membership programs at the LFBCS to access the course materials, questions covered (in parenthesis), and/or the class recordings. Please note that these links will only work if you are logged into LFBCS with your membership identification number AND are enrolled in this class. Please note that Lessons 6A and 6B are part of Course C41.
“Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, when practicing deeply the prajna-paramita, illuminated the five aggregates, saw that they are all empty, and crossed beyond all suffering and adversity.”
April 20, 2024: Lesson 11a.2-The Great Stage–Wisdom Path of the right view of emptiness, Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Text of the Heart Sutra–I, “Consciousness”, (171-180) and (HERE) for recording of class.
March 30, 2024: Lesson 11a.1-The Great Stage–Wisdom Path of the right view of emptiness, Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Text of the Heart Sutra–I, “Consciousness”, (155-170) and (HERE) for recording of class.
March 23, 2024: Lesson 10B-The Great Stage–Wisdom Path of the right view of emptiness, Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Text of the Heart Sutra–I, “Five Aggregates”, (144-154) and (HERE) for recording of class.
March 16, 2024: Lesson 10A-The Great Stage–Wisdom Path of the right view of emptiness, Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Text of the Heart Sutra–I, “Five Aggregates”, (114-143) and (HERE) for recording of class.
March 16, 2024: Lesson 9E-The Great Stage–Wisdom Path of the right view of emptiness, Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Text of the Heart Sutra–I, “Two Levels”, (108-113) and (HERE) for recording of class.
March 9, 2024: Lesson 9D-The Great Stage–Wisdom Path of the right view of emptiness, Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Text of the Heart Sutra–I, “Two Levels”, (87-107) and (HERE) for recording of class.
March 9, 2024: Lesson 9C-The Great Stage–Wisdom Path of the right view of emptiness, Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Text of the Heart Sutra–I, “Practicing Deeply”, (78-86) and (HERE) for recording of class.
February 24, 2024: Lesson 9B-The Great Stage–Wisdom Path of the right view of emptiness, Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Text of the Heart Sutra–I, “Practicing Deeply”, (59-77) and (HERE) for recording of class.
February 17, 2024: Lesson 9A-The Great Stage–Wisdom Path of the right view of emptiness, Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Text of the Heart Sutra–I, “Practicing Deeply”, (51-58) and (HERE) for recording of class.
February 17, 2024: Lesson 8C-The Great Stage–Wisdom Path of the right view of emptiness, Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Text of the Heart Sutra–I, “Bodhisattva”, (37-50) and (HERE) for recording of class.
February 17, 2024: Lesson 8B–The Great Stage–Wisdom Path of the right view of emptiness, Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Text of the Heart Sutra–I, “Avalokiteshvara”, (31-36) and (HERE) for recording of class.
February 10, 2024: Lesson 8A-The Great Stage–Wisdom Path of the right view of emptiness, Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Text of the Heart Sutra–I, “Avalokiteshvara”, (1-30) and (HERE) for recording of class.
February 3, 2024: Lesson 6B-The Great Stage–Wisdom Path of the right view of emptiness, Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Heart Sutra-Prajna(Wisdom) & Dhyana(Ta), (355-369) and HERE for recording of class.
January 20, 2024: Lesson 6A–The Great Stage–Wisdom Path of the right view of emptiness, Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Heart Sutra-Prajna & Dhyana(Ta), (317-354) and HERE for recording of class.
CLICK for article on the entire text of Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Heart Sutra.
CLICK for article with instructions on how to enroll in LFBCS classes and how to register for the ZOOM discussions.
CLICK for course DCB21-Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Heart Sutra: Forwards, Introductions, & Title.
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