The Saturday morning discussions for LFBCS students started again at 9:00 am, January 14, 2023, on the title of the Prajna Paramita Heart Sutra with the second of many sessions on “Prajna,” one of the most important and central features of the entire sutra. We finished the questions for Lesson 3 and will hopefully be able to to start Lesson 4 with our first class on the three kinds of prajna at the same time on January 21.
We learned about the form of formlesssness from the Buddha Master who told us that “When we know this state of formlessness, we know the wisdom that has no awareness. The entity that is illuminated by the wisdom that has no awareness is a formless entity. Thus, there is no function that can illuminate. There is neither the functional ability of illumination nor any form being illuminated. That is, there is neither a subject that is illuminating nor an object that is illuminated. There is neither. That is because the state illuminated by our wisdom that has no awareness is a formless state. I am referring to turning our light inwards to look within ourselves. Turning our light inwards is also a metaphor.”
The Buddha Master expanded this to add that “The reality state is not a thing that is illuminated. Prajna wisdom is not a type of thing that is able to illuminate. When the wisdom that has no awareness illuminates the formless state, state and wisdom fuse. The concepts of subject and object are naturally left behind. State and wisdom naturally fuse. With such a holy mind, state is wisdom, and wisdom is also state. There is natural detachment from subject and object. In this holy state of mind, state and wisdom are identical. Having reached such realization, one understands that this is the truth of prajna wisdom and the reality state. After we understand prajna wisdom and the reality state, we hold to this correct view in whatever Buddha Dharma we practice so as to enter dhyana. We are thereby able to enter the state of samadhi. From this, we are able to transcend the seventh, or manas consciousness, as well as the eighth, or alaya consciousness, and attain liberation.
Our discussion on prajna also considered whether or not Shakyamuni Buddha had a master to help Him become enlightened and if we had the same virtuous qualities to enable us to likewise become liberated. How do ordinary beings differ from holy beings? We considered the Buddha Master’s advice on how we can attain our untaught, natural wisdom that we all possess to become liberated. There was also considerable discussion over the differences between “prajna wisdom” and “samadhi” and what was meant by “dhyana”.
When we continue our discussion next week we will look at the three kinds of prajna and what each of them is–language prajna, contemplative-illumination prijna, and intrinsic-reality prajna. The Buddha Master tells us that: “Language prajna means reliance on language as an expedient means to thoroughly understand the principles in the sutra text to be contemplated; then using the state of contemplative illumination to bring together and completely awaken to such principles; and finally to realize, awakening to, and thoroughly understand true-thusness through intrinsic-reality prajna. Intrinsic-reality prajna is the unobtainable form or essence of prajna. This lesson is to help us understand how to go from delusion to awakening and liberation. It is doubtful that we will be able to cover the 56 questions to be covered in this class, so that the schedule has been expanded to include another session on January 28.
Those who are enrolled in either the Buddhist Studies or Xiuxing Seminary programs can still register for the class and watch videos of today’s and other sessions as well as download all the questions for DCB121 “Imparting the Absolute Truth through the Heart Sutra: Forwards, Introductions, & Title.”
January 07, 2023: for article on Lesson 3A (118-139) and HERE for recording of that class.
December 17, 2022: for article on Lesson 2 (82-117) and HERE for the recording of that class.
December 10, 2022: for article on Lesson 1 (54-81) and HERE for the video recording of that class.
December 03, 2022: for article on Lesson 0B (28-53) and HERE for the video recording of that class.
November 26, 2022: article on 0A (1-27) and HERE for the video recording of that class.
November 21, 2022: for earlier article introducing Lesson 0A.
I am working on a new course, C41-Three Principal Stages or Paths, which I hope to have ready very soon. If you are interested, you should locate the text books that are listed in the article on the course.
Thank you SO much 🙏 🙏 🙏