On August 26, 2025 we continued a series of ZOOM discussion on P10-The Great Dharma of Zen Practice and will do this again on September 2 from 6-7:00 pm Pacific Time. CLICK for an article reporting on that class and how you can join.
On August 30, 2025 we continued our discussion of DCB26-“How to Realize Prajna.” You may still join that class (See instructions at bottom of this article) and do the following homework. Listening to the same material we discussed last year may be helpful.
HOMEWORK-DCB26: Watch videos from April 27, 2024 and May 4, 2024. Those attending last weeks class all have specific assignments from these questions, but all should be prepared to answer questions 37-52 during ZOOM Class. You may also submit your answers via course procedures.
The following are brief summaries of part of our discussion on August 30. The large bold blue quotes are from a preliminary translation of Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Heart Sutra by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III. Please note that in this class we heard the understanding expressed by the various participants. To hear the actual quotes from the Buddha Master you need to listen to the classes held in 2024. Also please remember that we are still working with a preliminary and unauthorized translation of the Buddha Master’s teachings so they can only be used for reference.
What did the Buddha Master tell us about chanting mantras to see our original nature?
“We want to chant mantras and rely on the resulting empowerment to illuminate our mind and see our original nature. Our mouths are able to chant the mantra, but our minds are scattered. . . All of your searching over and over again turns out to be illusory, delusive thought. Right when you are about to unite all of your thoughts as one thought, you suddenly feel drowsy. This is the time when your mind is free of thoughts. However, it is frequently the case that it is easy to fall asleep at such time.”
Can we cut off or extinguish our karmic forces just because we want to do so?
No.
“Therefore, karmic forces born of avidya are absolutely not what you are able to cut off or extinguish just because you want to do so. . . Could it be that the law of cause and effect does not count? Should a person who killed another person not be sentenced? One has to pay back for the killing with one’s own life. When you do a bad thing, other people will likewise do a bad thing to you. If the karmic retribution does not come today, it will come later. Who is exempt from karmic retribution? If you do not experience karmic retribution, it is because the time has not yet come. When the time comes, there will be karmic retribution.”
Can you understand the three types of prajna just by wanting to do so?
No.
“Similarly, language prajna is not what you can understand just by having the wish to understand it. Can you understand it just because you want to? No, that is also not the case. Contemplative-illumination prajna is likewise not something you can successfully contemplate just because you wish to. You are, after all, wishing. Likewise, intrinsic-reality prajna is not something you can realize just because you have the wish to realize it. What is the reason? The reason is that obstructions born of avidya since beginningless time have covered your perfectly sublime and perfectly bright true mind.”
What MUST we do to realize enlightenment?
“. . . if you want to realize enlightenment, you must exert effort in the karma of conduct. That means transforming karma through cultivation. Hence, if you want to realize enlightenment, you must realize prajna. If you want to realize prajna, you must first extinguish your karmic forces stemming from beginningless avidya. Without prajna, you cannot realize the state of the great nirvana of no abiding. If you want to acquire prajna, you must first extinguish your karmic forces. If you want to extinguish your beginningless karmic forces, you must start from causality. If you want to wipe out your karmic forces, you must begin with cause and effect.”
Why do you still want good causes if both bad causes and good causes are types of karmic forces and since they are karmic forces, they will obstruct the path of prajna?
“As for the relationship of cause and effect, a bad cause and a good cause are both a type of karmic force. Since they are karmic forces, they will obstruct the path of prajna. Why do you want good causes, not bad causes? The reason is that only if you have good causes will Buddhas and Bodhisattvas direct Their light upon you. That is also called empowerment. Why is that the case? Only if you have good causes will special Dharma-protecting Bodhisattvas and Dharma-protecting holy and non-holy beings help you out in what you do. I will give you a very simple example. Suppose that we do not act according to how the Dharma-protecting Bodhisattvas want us to act and do not respectfully pray to them. They may not necessarily be happy with us. This is especially true for the Dharma protectors for undertakings.”
Now that you understand the law of cause and effect, what will you rely on to realize it?
“You should realize it through cultivation as expounded by the Buddha. You should realize it by following the practice of cultivation that the Buddha expounded. . . Thus, all realization in the ultimate sense cannot be separated from cultivation. That is, whether you want to cultivate accomplishment, cultivate wisdom, attain great supernormal powers, great abilities to shape-shift, and great liberation, or even the abilities to evoke responses from three continents of the universe, summon Dharma-protecting holy and non-holy beings, manifest states through your internal cultivated powers, or other abilities, for all of these you must rely on your own cultivation to realize such status.”
The Buddha Master also explained why the Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra was taught to Sariputra and not one of the other monks and why why different disciples receiving this Dharma receive different benefits. We also discussed the various types of Dharma Protectors and how we can pray to them.
Be sure and enroll in DCB26-Realizing Prajna, if you want to join our long term study of the Heart Sutra or the broader study of C41(A)-the Three Principle Stages & Paths of Buddhist Practice. There is an expanded article on C41(A) that explains its scope and content. CLICK for video of that discussion and revised maps of this roadmap to C41(A). DCB26 is one of the Learning from Buddha Seminary (LFBS) courses that are included in C41(A). There is also another article that discusses G03(A) and G03 Evolution of Buddhism, two additional courses that are also part of C41(A).
CLICK for a list of available classes in each of the programs: Auditing, Buddhist Studies, and Xiuxing Seminary. Those with membership in the Xiuxing Seminary Program who are only interested in serious practice and not opening a Dharma Center may also elect to follow the Xiuxing Practice Program and take a seven or thirty-day Solitary Retreat.
Next:
The next class on DCB26 will continue our discussion of Lesson 36-“Causality & the Methods of Continual Practice” at our September 6, 2025 ZOOM session at 9:00 am.
If you have enrolled in C41(A) DCB26 or DCB25 or DCB24 or DCB23 or DCB22 or DCB21, you may continue to use the same ZOOM link to attend the Saturday morning discussions. However, you will need to enroll in the appropriate course to be able to watch the video recordings of the classes, download study materials, or study the related questions.
TO DATE: DCB26-How to realize Prajna and C41-Three Principal Stages & Paths of Buddhist Practice.
The recordings of the August 30, 2025 DCB26-Lesson 36C class is now available. All of the recordings and summary of ZOOM discussions for DCB21, DCB22, DCB23, DCB24, and DCB26-Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Heart Sutra are now available. You must be enrolled in each of these classes in one of the full membership programs at the LFBS 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 LFBS with your membership identification number AND are enrolled in this class. CLICK for information on LFBS class P10 or CLICK for Hesperia classes.
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 LFBS classes and how to register for the ZOOM discussions.
August 30 2025: Lesson 36C-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, (37-46) and (HERE) for recordings of the class.
August 23 2025: Lesson 36B-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, (18-28) and (HERE) for recordings of the class.
August 9, 2025: Lesson 36A-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 recordings of the class.
CLICK for article on August 17, 2025 class held at Hesperia on Lessons 3 & 4: Introduction to Prajna.
CLICK for article on July 20, 2025 class held at Hesperia on Lessons 1 & 2: Background and Introduction to the Heart Sutra and H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III’s Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Heart Sutra.
CLICK for article on last class held on DCB26 in 2024 and links to videos of all 8 ZOOM class discussions held on DCB26 held from April 20, 2024 to June 22, 2024.
CLICK for article on the last class held on DCB25 and links to all 15 ZOOM class discussions on DCB25 held from April 5, 2025 to August 2, 2025,
CLICK for article on the last class held on DCB24 and links to all 13 ZOOM class discussions on DCB24 held from January 4, 2025 to March 29, 2025,
January 4, 2025: Roadmap to C41(A)–Three Principal Stages & Paths of Buddhist Practice. Video of class discussion.
CLICK for article on the last class held on DCB23 and links to all 13 ZOOM class discussions on DCB23 held from August 24, 2024 to November 16, 2024,
CLICK for article on the last class held on DCB22 and links to videos of all 21 ZOOM class discussions on DCB22 held from February 10, 2024 to April 20, 2024 and from June 29, 2024 to August 3, 2024.
CLICK for article on the last class held on DCB21 and links to videos of all 18 ZOOM class discussions on DCB21 held from November 21, 2022 to April 1, 2023. Note: not all of the forwards, notes, and introductions are complete.
CLICK for Background information on Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Heart Sutra and why it is such an important text.
CLICK for information on S01-Supreme and Unsurpassable Mahamudra of Liberation (SAUMOL) Seminar.
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