vajra (diamond) sutra april 15, 2011 lecture
TRANSCRIPT
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The Vajra (Diamond) SutraApril 15 lecture as outlined by a Buddhist monk(Listen live or recorded audio explanations at
www.wondrousdharma.org)
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eac ng peop e n s con use wor .Q&A If everything is empty, what about the hells?Q&A Why is greed mentioned here in section 28
and not elsewhere in the Vajra Sutra?S 29 The quiescence of his awesome demeanor
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Verse for opening a sutra Homage to the Vajra Prajna Paramita Sutra and the
Vajra 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 and
actual meaning.
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Teaching Common People in not empty world to let go
Teachings Reasons Methodology
S 25 Self doesnt exist This body is notour true body
Contemplation
S 28 Everything else is justappearances Our self nature isalready perfectand complete
Patience andrecognizingReality
teaching on planting ofblessings and wisdomis put down.
attachment toDharma
and recognizeReality
S 27 Refuting annihilation When sweepingaway allappearance there
is still the eternalself nature.
Comprehendand recognizeReality
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Q&A pertaining to s 28
Question: If all dharmas are devoid of self (if everything is empty) whatabout the hells?
Answer:Great Master Yung Chia,
When one is certified to the characteristic of Reality, The karma of the avichi is cancelled in a kshana, If I were deceiving living beings with untrue words, Id invite upon myself the Ripping Out of Tongues for eons as
many as dust and sands.
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Q&A on section 28
Great Master Yung Chia,
In a dream, very clearly, there are six destinies;
After enlightenment, completely empty, there is no universe.
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Q&A on section 28
Explanation by Venerable Master Hsuan Hua : While people are confused in a dream, the six paths of gods,
humans, asuras, hells, hungry ghosts and animals are distinctlyevident.
After one becomes Enlightened and is roused from theconfused dream, emptiness is pulverized, home is broken and
people vanish. Then how could there the Three ThousandGreat Thousand World system exist?
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Q&A on section 28Question: Why is greed mentioned here in section 28 and not
elsewhere in the Vajra Sutra?
It is because greed is the problem in this not empty world .
Section 28 is in the section which ertains to the not em t
world of common people which is from sections 25 to 28. Why does the not empty world starts with section 25? Section 25 states that common people think that they have
a self .
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Q&A on section 28
From sections 3 to 24, the Buddha was explaining the principlein empty world of Sages; and subtle attachment is an issuewhilst greed was not the main issue in the empty world ofSages.
Those entering the flow of the Sages have no problem withgreed; section 3 to 24 addresses the principle to let go of the
thought of attachment and false thinking.
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Q&A on section 28
The principles in section 3 to 24 guides the Two Vehiclesinto the Bodhisattva path by emptying attachment to
emptiness as these sections teaches the principle ofanuttarasamyaksambodhi.
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Question on section 28
Question : How could the absence of self reduce afflictions?
Answer:
A 3 step approach: .
2. Contemplate and recognize Reality3. Gradually or suddenly accepting Reality
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Question on section 28Step 1 Understand Reality S 25 Although the Thus Come One speaks of a self, there
is really no self that exists. and s 28 realize that
everything is devoid of self and attain patience .
Patience is demonstrated by the Buddha in s 14 When I was
cut limb from limb, if I had an appearance of a self, anappearance of others, an appearance of living beings or anappearance of a life, I would have been outraged .
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Question on section 28
S 16 ..a good man or good woman who accepts,upholds, reads, or recites this Sutra, is ridiculed, thatis because that person has karmic offenses frompast lives explains the Reality of cause in this notempty world and
To see matters in the ositive outlook, but as a result
of the ridicule he receives from others in this presentlife, his previous karmic offenses are destroyed andhe will attain anuttarasamyaksambodhi. thusexplains the inevitable of the functioning of cause andeffect .
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Question on section 28
If only we accept Reality that
The truth of the matter is the Appearance of Reality iswithout appearance (s 14) and the key is not set up appearance (s 31) to discontinue this
thoughts (s 18).
From absolute nothingness comes appearances isillustrated
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Question on section 28a) In a crowded place, when a small group of people start to point
upwards and look upwards, what happens?
b) Eventually more will look upwards and point upwardswandering what it is.
c) It is the same case as the whole world now is confused and
everyone is following his or someone elses false thinking.
The tendency is the ease to false think, and the tendency is tofollow along with the crowd just like flowing with the current.
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Question on section 28Steps 2 and 3 contemplate and see Reality and
accepting Reality
Yet the ultimate expression of absence of self whilst we live in this world of ignorance is1. not grasping at appearances and
. by contemplating that everything is like a dream, an
illusion.. (s32)
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Question on section 28
Step 2 contemplate and recognize Reality. The method to accept that the self doesnt exist is by the
power of contemplation and it can only be effective if andonly if
1. We constantly contemplate and recognize the nature ofe a y
2. We constantly examine our minds whether we are livingin accord with this contemplation.
The proof is that we are patient and unmoving and notattached to our emotions and thoughts.
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Question on section 28
And while we have not turned around our mind, we canpractice these expedients:
1. Able to discriminate but remain unmoving in the primarysense in speech and behavior avoid debate, take loss
. the right and wrong, good or bad of others
3. Avoid expectations or outcomes
4. Avoid lingering thoughts move on!
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Question on section 28
5. Contemplate on wise sayings on Reality such as this verse: Recognize ones own fault, Others fault is ones fault, To be one with all living beings Is truly great compassion
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Question on section 28
Because the verse on great compassion connotes
equality of one and all, it is also prajna wisdom.
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S 29 The quiescence of his awesome demeanor
Sutra: Subhuti, if someone says that it seems as if the ThusCome One comes and goes, sits or lies down, such aperson does not understand the meaning of my teaching.
Comments: The Buddha does not come or go nor does he sits or lies down
because his Dharma body Vairochana Buddha pervades
everywhere yet he is nowhere attached.
But didnt his transformation body Shakyamuni Buddha satbeneath the bodhi tree and spoke in the Jeta Grove?
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S 29 The quiescence of his awesome demeanor
The transformation body Shakyamuni Buddha is an illusion, atransformation of sorts just like a body in a dream manifested toteach living beings in this not empty world.
S 25 says, Subhuti, although the Thus Come One speaksof the existence of a self, there is really no self that exists
Hence this section 29 is the beginning of the section which Iclassify as empty and yet not empty wherein it seems as ifthe Thus Come One comes or goes, sits or lies down .
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S 29 The quiescence of his awesome demeanor Neither comes nor goes is analogous to neither empty nor
existent; this is the world apart from dualities.
Dualities or discrimination is the world we live in.
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S 29 The quiescence of his awesome demeanor
Being apart from dualities is the concept of absolute.
But we know that wonderful existence comes from withintrue emptiness.
n so ea y s s mp y one rue appearance or o a yof appearance mentioned in s 30 - this is RealAppearance prajna!
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S 29 The quiescence of his awesome demeanor We live in a world built upon discrimination or dualities which
seems real; the fallacy is that we perceive dualities as real but
yet it is not so because fundamentally there was nothing at all.
it seems as if the Thus Come One comes and goes, sitsor es own wou ere ore means a appears ere aredualities but it is not so.
S 29 onwards introduces the concept of empty and yet notempty which essentially is nothing at all but appearances of themind whilst we are in this world.
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S 29 The quiescence of his awesome demeanor To illustrate transformation body, here is an extract of
the Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra: I (Shakyamuni Buddha) will also send transformed
bhikshus, bhikshunis, upasakas and upasikas tolisten to the Dharma being spoken .
Venerable Master Hsuan Hua explains transformed:
There are two ways to explain it. First perhaps theBuddha will appoint gods to transform themselves intopeople. Or perhaps right when the lecture is going on,the people will show up in the audience and nobodyknows where they came from or where they went.
Some transformed people are born in the world just forattending your Dharma lecture when it comes. Others
appear on a temporary basis now and then. 25
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S 29 The quiescence of his awesome demeanor
There are also millions of transfomation bodies ofShakyamuni Buddha.
You can read them also in the Chapter on Vision of theJeweled Stupa of the Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower
.
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S 29 The quiescence of his awesome demeanor
The Thus Come One neither comes nor goes, neither sits norlie down is illustrated in the experience of Great Master Zhi Zhewho saw that the Magic Mountain Dharma assembly was still inprogress. Shakyamuni Buddha was still present in the VulturePeak speaking the Dharma Flower Sutra.
Question: Arent Shakyamuni Buddha sitting and speaking and theVa ra Sutra sa s, If someone sa s the Thus Come One has
spoken Dharma, he slanders the Buddha due to hisinability to understand what I teach (s 21)?Answer:
It was again a transformation body speaking, an appearance ofthe mind.
It is just like when enlightened, you take yourself across and
therefore the Buddha did not speak. 27
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S 29 The quiescence of his awesome demeanor
When confused, the teacher takes you across. That isthe teacher is speaking when you are confused.
Ultimately and eventually you will find that you are in the
not empty world and basically there was nothing at all(without appearance).
Time and space and all appearances in the final analysisis after all a creation of false thinking.
This is the Dharma of no Dharma. 28
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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 theirgrief and pain;
May this boundless light break the darkness of theirendless night. Because our hearts are one, this world of pain turns into
paradise;
May all become compassionate and wise (2x)