Dear Kalyanamittas,
Below are the audio links to our Sunday class dated 15th July 2018 recording for sharing by all. Also attached is the outline short notes as below:
Outline short notes for Sunday class dated 15.7.2018 on
Lesson 80 of the 6th Patriarch’s Dharma Jewel Platform Sutra Pages 395-408 Chapter X Final Instructions
1. Many cultivators makes the mistake of ‘practising’ or trying to blank or empty their mind. Cultivators should just relax and allow the mind to return to its natural state without ‘doing’ anything.
2. Samadhi is not concentration. Samadhi is when one is able to has an “unwavering“ and “collected mind” while in the midst of life (normal living).
3. Samadhi of one mark arise when one can live a life without “mark” while in the midst of marks as proclaimed by the 6th Patriarch; i.e. no mark of a self cultivating, no mark of others and no mark of life/existence.
4. Brother Teoh relate the story of Bodhidharma and the 2nd Patriarch.
5. If you want to know your karmic past, then you should look at what your sufferring is. If you want to know your future karma, you should look at what you are doing now/in this life.
6. The law of karma states that ‘you reap what you sow. Do good begets good and do evil begets evil. If you plant the seed of virtue you will reap the fruit of virtue.’ So accept the reality of your current life. Don’t get angry or blame anyone. There must be heedfulness borne of right view to cut off negativity and the stirring of one’s mind.
7. Be at peace so that the mind has clarity to handle the perceived situation with wholesomeness. ‘Problem only arise’ when we perceived the issue or situation with negativity then through this ignorance or delusion fear, worry, anxiety and anger may arise.
8. One should then via right view act with wisdom and understanding. If you need to seek for forgiveness, then ask for forgiveness and repent to break one’s Karmic obstruction. Cultivate all virtues and then invoke power of merits for causes and conditions to turn around or recover from the situation.
9. Sister Karen (Tammy’s mother) shares her earlier experience of her relatives and office colleagues taking advantage of her kindness. Brother Teoh advised her not to be calculative when cultivating the N8FP. Instead to act with good conduct, righteous conduct, wise conduct and dutiful conduct.
(The above draft outline notes were prepared by Sister Mun Yuen)
Bye! and with metta always,
Teoh
From: Ms Lee Siew Gaik. Audio links: