vajra (diamond) sutra january 21, 2011 lecture

8/7/2019 Vajra (Diamond) Sutra January 21, 2011 Lecture

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The Vajra (Diamond) SutraJanuary 21 lecture

as explained by a Buddhist monk(Listen live or recorded at www.wondrousdharma.org)

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ow o we requ e a re ar s ng romoppression?

Q&A Applying prajna wisdom to relief you of painwhilst sitting in full lotus

S 24 Blessings and wisdom beyond compareS 25 Transforming without there being anyone

transformed


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Verse for opening a sutra

Homage to the Vajra Prajna Paramita Sutra and theVajra assembly of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas (3x)

The unsurpassed, deep, profound, subtle, wonderfulDharma,

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In a hundred thousand million eons, is difficult toencounter, Now that Ive come to receive and hold it, within my

sight and hearing,

I vow to fathom the Thus Come Ones true andactual meaning.


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S 23 a pure mind does wholesome deeds

Knowing the ten realities is simply about Cause and

Effect, then we should familiarize ourselves with how tomake the best use of this knowledge of and equal choicebetween confusion and awakening.

Reality is having a friend with a first name called Causeand a last name called Effect.

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S 23 a pure mind does wholesome deeds

When we have a friend Cause and Effect working for us,we will be able to quiet our mind because:

1. We know that Cause and Effect will not shortchange us so

we always try our level best.

2. We know that Cause and Effect is impartial, so there is no

need to contend or fight for justice. Our friend will do thejustification, needless to say.

3. We know that whatever problems arise from us is causedby ourselves; this is what my friend Cause and Effect

teaches me.

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Q&A

Question: There were captive women who were forced to serve thesoldiers of the Japanese Imperial Army during WW2. How

would we apply Buddhadharma in this terrible oppression?Answer:

It is not going to be easy to emulate the Buddha in past life but

if we could do however much then we will obtain that much ofimmeasurable and boundless merit and virtue

S 14 says, In the past when the King of Kalingadismembered my body, I had no appearance of a self, of

others, of living beings or of a life. Why? If I was cut limb from limb, if I had an appearance of self,

an appearance of others, an appearance of living beings oran appearance of a life, I would have been outraged

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Q&A S14 says, A Bodhisattva should relinquish all

appearances and bring forth the appearance ofunsurpassed, proper, equal awakening.

S 14 goes on to say, Such people will be without the

How do we requite anger or avert hatred in adversities or

oppression?

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Q&A

Great Master Patriarch Bodhidharma says the practitionershould think or contemplate thus:

1. During the immeasurable past ages, I have wanderedthrough multiplicity of existences, all the while attendingto trivialities of life at the expense of essentials,

2. And thus creating infinite occasions for hate, ill will, andwrong doing.

3. While no violations have been committed in this life, thefruits of evil deeds in the past are gathered now. Neither

gods nor men can predict what I will encounter.

4. I will submit myself willingly and patiently to all theadversities that befall me, and I will not bemoan or

complain. 7


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Q&A

5. The Sutra teaches me not to worry over the adversities

that may happen to me. Why is this so?

6. Because when things are looked upon intelligently, thecause planted is clear.

7. When this thought is awakened in person, he will accord

w ea y ecause e ma es e es use o a reand turns it to advanced his cultivation.

This is the way to requite anger and avert hatred.

It is a matter of understanding the cause behind;

Recognizing that adversities is fertile ground for

cultivation

Difficulties brings out our patience, how else could it come out.

When perfected, we become worthy leaders! 8


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Q&A Great Master 5th Patriarch says, Do not speak too soon,

for the Buddhadharma arises from difficulty.

Great Master 6th Patriarch says,

Simply cast out the mind that finds fault,

Once cast away, troubles are gone; When hate and love dont block the mind,

Stretch out both legs and then lie down.

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Q&A

Question: I feel very painful in my legs when I sit in fulllotus. How do I ease the pain?

Answer:

When we sit in full lotus as a beginner, the pain comesbecause of muscle aching as we are not used to sittingsuch a position

But when the pain arises and you begin to notice it, youwill feel more pain.

Because you pay attention to the pain, you areeffectively grasping the pain.

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Q&A

S 14 says, He should bring forth thoughts which donot rely (attach) to anything.

Here as you notice the pain, the thought that it is painful

arises.

S 18 says, The Thus Come One says that all thoughtsare not thoughts meaning you have to empty thisdiscriminating thought.

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Q&A Pain is a discriminating thought.

S 6 says, You must let go of dharmas. meaning let go of

this thought.

Ultimately the lesson here is pain and pleasure comes

rom t e scr m nat ng t oug t.

Not thinking of pain or pleasure is your true mind!

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S 24 Blessings and wisdom beyond compare

Sutra: Subhuti, suppose someone were to take moundsof the seven precious gems piled as high as all theSumerus, kings of mountains, in a threefold, great

thousand world system and give them as an offering.And further suppose someone else were to accept,uphold, read or recite and speak for others as few as

our nes o verse rom s ra na aram a u ra.Observation:

Here the sutra compares extensive offerings or giving

and holding as few as a four line verse.

We know the substantial value of making offerings of

precious gems; that it brings abundant blessings.

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Yet s 24 did not mention the recipient to the offerings. Why is

this?

It simply imply dont discriminate when making offerings.

S 11 of The Sutra in 42 Section begins by saying that theblessin s of ivin to a virtuous erson is hi her than the

blessings of giving to a not so virtuous person.

The Sutra in 42 Sections is explaining the truth of the matter

that a more virtuous person is more worthy of offerings andtherefore it begets more blessings and virtue yet ultimately itis also teaching us to give without discrimination when itended by saying:

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S 11 of the Sutra in 42 Sections says: Giving food to ahundred billion Buddhas of the three periods of timeis not as good as giving food to a single personwithout thoughts, without dwelling, withoutcultivation, and without accomplishment.

This person is just someone who just realizes or uniteswith his Dharma Body; a true cultivator without mind.

And so ultimately when giving, Give as if not givingwithout a thought of giving thereby embodying

impartiality or without discrimination.15


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Q&A

That person without thought, without dwelling, withoutcultivation, and without accomplishment is just onewho upholds the principle of the Vajra Sutra.

Hence s 24 goes to say, The former persons blessings

persons blessings and virtues, neither one tenth of apercent, nor one hundredth of a percent, nor onethousandth of a percent, nor any fraction that could becalculated by analogy.

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Q&A

Therefore s 11 of The Sutra in 42 Sections supports and tallieswith s24 of the Vajra Sutra.

The principle in s 24 is that giving of precious material is not asgood as supporting or upholding the principles of prajnawisdom.

s 24 is appropriately described as Blessings and wisdombeyond compare

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S 25 Transforming without there being anyone transformed.

Sutra: Subhuti, what do you think? None of you shouldmaintain that the Thus Come One has this thought:

I shall save living beings. Subhuti, do not thinkthat way.Comments:

I shall save livin bein s I is me Livin bein s is

others. When there is a self and others, it is no longer level and

equal, without high or low..

To save means to enter nirvana without residue andbe taken across to Cessation. (s 3)

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Sutra: Subhuti, what do you think? None of you shouldmaintain that the Thus Come One has this thought: Ishall save living beings. Subhuti, do not think that way.

Comments:

The above also reveals living beings habit of looking outwardsand then having false thinking.

Here it means that living beings look at the Buddha doing his

work and then giving rise to a false thought.

If we keep looking outwards and finding others fault, how

could we be in stillness?

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Sutra: Why? In fact the Thus Come One does not save anyliving beings. If the Thus Come One saved living beings,then the Thus Come One would have a sense of a self,others, living beings and a life.

Comments:

Equivalent in s 3 Yet of the immeasurable, numberless,

Cessation, there is actually no living beings taken acrossto Cessation. Why? Subhuti, if a Bodhisattva has anappearance of self, others, living beings or a life, he is nota Bodhisattva.

Equivalent in s 17Yet when all living beings has been takenacross to Cessation, actually no living beings has beentaken across to Cessation. Why? Subhuti, if a Bodhisattva

has an appearance of self, others, living beings or a life, heis not a Bodhisattva.

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Sutra: Subhuti, although the Thus Come One speaks ofthe existence of a self, there is really no self thatexists.

Comments: When the Buddha speaks of the existence of a self he

is referring to the self without a self.

.

Why is there no self?

This retribution body is a possession; not our true self.

We change our retribution body from life to life

depending upon the karma but our true self remains thesame.

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Sutra: However, common people think they have a self.Comments:

People mistakenly think that this body is a true self.

And so they guard their reputation as if a yak caring for

Getting out of the samsaric cycle of birth and rebirthrequires us to revamp our thinking. We have to put down

the false and the true will be revealed by itself.

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Sutra: Subhuti, the common people that the Thus ComeOne speaks of are not common people. Thereforethey are called common people.

Comments:

Common people are not really common people; they arejust confused people.

Common people are capable of becoming awakened as

a Buddha but now they are in confusion.

Whilst still in confusion, they are referred to as common

people.

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Sutra: Why? In fact the Thus Come One does not save anyliving beings. If the Thus Come One saved living beings,then the Thus Come One would have a sense of a self,others, living beings and a life.

Comments:

Equivalent in s 3 Yet of the immeasurable, numberless,

Cessation, there is actually no living beings taken acrossto Cessation. Why? Subhuti, if a Bodhisattva has anappearance of self, others, living beings or a life, he is nota Bodhisattva.

Equivalent in s 17Yet when all living beings has been takenacross to Cessation, actually no living beings has beentaken across to Cessation. Why? Subhuti, if a Bodhisattva

has an appearance of self, others, living beings or a life, heis not a Bodhisattva.

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If the Buddhasaved livingbeings, he

would have the4 appearances.

S 3 Orthodoxdoctrine of theGreat Vehicle

S 17 Ultimately there isno self

(there is no self)

S 25 Transformingwithout therebeing anyone

transformed(there is no others)

He is not abodhisattva if hehas 4appearanceswhen saving livingbeings.

He is not a bodhisattva ifhe has 4 appearanceswhen saving living beings.

There is really noself that exists.This is just a falseretribution body.Perceive livingbeings as no beings.

beings have the inherentwisdom; so there shouldnot be 4 appearances.There is no such thingas bodhi resolve in the

first placeNote: the 4appearances arethe mark of self,others, livingbeings and a life

Not only there is no 4appearances, there is nosuch thing as abodhisattva in the firstplace. 25


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Dedication of merit

May every living beings,

Our minds as one and radiant with light

Share the fruits of peace, with heart of goodness

luminous and bright. If people hear and see, how hands and hearts can find in

giving unity

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and to joy. May kindness find reward; may all who sorrow leave their

grief and pain;

May this boundless light break the darkness of theirendless night.

Because our hearts are one, this world of pain turns intoparadise;

May all become compassionate and wise (2x)

vajra (diamond) sutra january 21, 2011 lecture

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