On September 27, 2025 we continued our discussion of DCB26-“How to Realize Prajna.” You may still join that class (See instructions at bottom of this article along with links to previous lessons.) and do the following homework. Listening to the same material we discussed last year may be helpful.
HOMEWORK-DCB26: Watch video from May 4, 2024. Those attending previous classes all have specific assignments from these questions, but all should be prepared to answer questions 53-75B in Lesson 37 during ZOOM Class. You may also submit your answers via course procedures.
The following are brief summaries of part of our discussion on September 27. 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 are the steps to follow in cultivation?
“People who seek liberation first must 1-have a mind truly cognizant of impermanence, a mind truly determined to leave samsara; 2-must have true faith, vows, and practice; and 3-must have true precept-observance, dhyana, and wisdom. These things must be true, not false. If they are false, they will be of no effect, disciples. They must be true. Only with such determination can you truly carry out what the Buddha taught. . . it is very possible that you will not be able to learn Buddha Dharma in your next life. That is why you must become liberated in this life. . . Without a mind cognizant of impermanence, everything is false.”
DCB12-The Dharma of Cultivation, provides more details and the discourse given for Westerners on “What Is Cultivation?”.
Why must one have a mind truly cognizant of impermanence?
“The reason is that if one does not understand the state of impermanence, I could speak on and on and it will be of no use. A mind cognizant of impermanence knows that our lives are incessantly in the process of dying. Each second and each minute incessantly passes. With the passing of one second, one’s life decreases by that one second.”
And what else must you have?
“. . . you must have a mind that is truly determined to leave samsara. The reason one does not have a mind that is truly determined to leave samsara is that one has not established a mind cognizant of impermanence.”
The Buddha Master tells a very graphic and tragic story about a man who cuts off his penis after he becomes a monk to explain this principle, because although he did have a mind determined to leave samsara, he did not have a mind cognizant of impermanence. In this part of the text, the Buddha Master only explains the first steps to follow in cultivation, but the others follow. These steps evolved into His Dharma of Cultivation that we received in 2008 as a special discourse to bring the true dharma to Westerners.
The Buddha Master also explained how no sand could be mixed into the process of learning Buddha Dharma, how all Buddhist sects need cultivation to realize prajna and avoiding cultivation is a foolish practice as it violates the laws of cause and effect as do the attempts at sudden awakening. He also emphasized the practice of “dual application,” which combines the principles of the sutras with your continual cultivation and with your Dharma practice. He said that:
“All of the practices that the Buddha expounded are for practitioners to practice themselves so that they can transform causality and conform with truth of the principles contained in the sutras. Then, through the perfectly interfused dual application, prajna will naturally appear.
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 start a discussion of Lesson 37-“Preliminary Practice Dharma” at our November 1, 2025 ZOOM session at 9:00 am. There will be no classes during the month of October.
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 September 27, 2025 DCB26-Lesson 36E 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.
September 27, 2025: Lesson 36E–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, (44-46, 47-52) and (HERE) for recordings of the class.
September 6, 2025: Lesson 36D-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, (37-43) and (HERE) for recordings of the class.
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, (28-36) 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 September 21, 2025 class held at Hesperia on Lessons 5 & 6: Three kinds of Prajna.
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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