On March 16, 2024 we finished our study of the deep and shallow wisdom-based insights we gain from DCB22- Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Text of the Heart Sutra-I by exploring what happens when you observe the Five Precepts, reviewing again the meaning of “ta”, and investigating the meaning of time itself as expressed in “when” in the passage “. . . when practicing deeply the prajna paramita. . .” We also began Lesson 10, which covers the next passage “. . . illuminated the five aggregates, saw that they are all empty. . .”
What is Time? Does it Exists?
The Buddha Master told us that “what time represents is the past, present, and future. That is, it represents what happened before and now as we sit here now. It represents time in the past, our present time at this moment, and the future, a time that has not yet arrived. It also represents the years, months, and days during which all conditioned phenomena arise, exist, decay, and vanish. Conditioned phenomena are all concrete images or forms and imagined states of mind consciousness in the world that can be seen, can be heard, can be perceived by the mind consciousness, or can be produced from any conceptualization arising from thought in the mind. These categories of time are all in the midst of impermanence as they change, evolve, and illusorily vanish. Still, they all abide in the process of arising, existing, decaying, and vanishing. They exist and actually abide, yet they will definitely decay and, in the end, completely vanish. They are impermanent in nature.“
Time is ” . . established according to different classifications of beings. It is relatively established. Frankly speaking, time arises from the differentiating minds of living beings. It can be as short as an instant or as long as many eons. All notions of time periods arise from the differentiating mind of an ordinary being.” When the mind of an ordinary being moves, one abides in time, but “when the mind stops, there is no time.”
What Are the Five Aggregates?
We learned that “the word ‘aggregate’ means a gathering or accumulation” or “coverings.” And what does this mean? It is used to explain “the essential nature and the truth of the characteristics of phenomena. . .” It refers to to “the fact that all of the physical body and differentiating mind consciousness of living beings are from the gathering of the five aggregates, also known as the five dharmas, which become a living body. That is, the body is composed from gathering of form, feeling, conceptualization, action, and consciousness (the five aggregates).”
What Is Actually Gathered into These Five Aggregates ?
“Actually, it is the karmic fruit of the gathering of all the sufferings related to the myriad wearying defilements and afflictions of cyclic existence. . . all of your sufferings. . .As long as one cannot awaken to the emptiness of the five aggregates, to the emptiness of this body, one cannot end the cycle of birth and death.”
What Must We Do to End the Cycle of Birth and Death?
We must illuminate the Five Aggregates and see that they are all empty of substance. The Buddha Master tells us that “if we illuminate the five aggregates as being empty, then we naturally have the illumination of wonderful wisdom without attachment. Since wonderful wisdom is prajna, the illuminating function of prajna takes effect.” Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Heart Sutra explains the nature of this wonderful wisdom and how to realize this state.
CLICK for article that explains the “State of Holy People when They Deeply Enter the True Mind of Wonderful Wisdom and Perfect Clarity.”
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What Is the Difference between Prajna Wisdom and Worldly Wisdom?
The Buddha Master warns us that “the illumination of prajna wisdom is different from analyzing using worldly wisdom. You should be very careful not to confuse prajna with thinking over or considering. The illumination of prajna wisdom is different from worldly wisdom or analysis of problems.” He further tells us that “. . . worldly wisdom naturally produces all kinds of differentiation, while prajna wisdom is illuminated seeing devoid of differentiation. It does not differentiate. With this illuminated seeing, no differentiation exists.”
This part of the sutra explains the true nature of reality and marvelous existence as well as what is meant by “illumination”, “seeing,” and “awakening” as well as other profound concepts.
Next:
We will continue this discussion at our March 23 ZOOM session starting at 9:00 am by continuing to explore each of the Five Aggregates–form, feeling, conceptualization, action (volition), and the eight types of consciousness (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind, manas, and alaya).
“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.”
DCB22-Expounding the Absolute Truth through the text of the Heart Sutra–I and C41-Three Principal Stages & Paths of Buddhist Practice
The recording of the March 16 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.
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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