Sunday, July 08, 2007

Essentials From Cha'n Master Chien Harne and the Practice Lineage

The Perfection of Wisdom What I can tell you is not esoteric. If you turn your light inwardly, you will find what is esoteric within. To meditate means to realize inwardly the imperturbability of the essence of mind. Those who train themselves for imperturbability should, in their contacts with all types of men, ignore the faults of others. As to the dharma, [teaching, path] this is transmitted from heart to heart, and the recipient must realize it by his own efforts. All depends on self-practice....

The Sutra Spoken by the Sixth Patriarch on the High Seat of the Treasure of the Law, otherwise known as The Platform Sutra of Hui-neng. Hui-neng's life-story was fortunately preserved for us in the sutra text, in the record of his first public talk, which he began as follows: Learned Audience, our essence of mind [literally, self-nature], which is the seed or kernel of enlightenment [bodhi], is pure by nature, and by making use of this mind alone, we can reach buddhahood directly. Now let me tell you something about my own life and how I came into possession of the esoteric teaching of the Dhyana school. Hui-neng said that when he heard the sentence "One should use one's mind in such a way that it will be free from any attachment," he "at once became thoroughly enlightened and realized that all things in the universe are the essence of mind itself." http://www.selfdiscoveryportal.com/ChanMasters.htm http://www.empty-universe.com/prajnaparamita/heartsutra.htm