Dear Kalyanamittas,
Below are the audio links to our last Sunday (29th July 2018) recording for sharing by all. Also enclosed below are the outline short notes to assist you all to develop the understanding.
https://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/Short-Notes-Teoh-WPCS-180729.pdf
Outline short notes for lesson 81 of the 6th Patriarch’s Dharma Jewel Platform Sutra. Page 408-413 Chapter X Final Instructions
1. If we do not use the mundane mind, the silent mind will be there. 2. Use the silent mind to investigate and meditate. 3. The 3 hallmarks of Hui Neng’s unique Teaching are:
- (1) No thoughts borne of a free mind (Sainthood way)Without thought you are already aware (in sati) so don’t try to be aware. The silent mind which is the meditative mind is just aware. Cultivators must allow the mundane mind to naturally cease via not doing anything (wisdom) to realize the true mind. The mundane mind is the thinking mind which is dependent originating, i.e. dependent on ignorant, mental activities arise (avijja paccaya sankhara). Only need to maintain awareness via allowing the mundane mind to return to its original state of stillness and silent before the stirring.
- (2) No mark (Bodhisattva way)No mark of a ‘self’ cultivating, no mark of others and no mark of life, existence and dharma.
- (3) No dwelling (Bodhisattva way)(1) to (3) – the 3 hallmarks of Hui Neng’s teaching are Diamond Sutra’s cultivation.4. We grasp and cling onto the form and mind because of sakayaditthi or self-delusion. We think this form and mind or the human being is real and we exist as a permanent unchanging entity that we can call self. 5. The 5 aggregates of form and mind are empty because they are impermanent.
For notes 6 and 7 (notes with diagrams please refer to link attachment below for details)
https://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/Short-Notes-Teoh-WPCS-180729.pdf
| Source (S) —-> | Pure Awareness (P. A.)——–> |
| Mundane Mind (M.M.)—> | Phenomena World (P.W.) |
8. The phenomenon world is a world of consciousness and it is not real because it is dependent originating, hence impermanent and empty. And we created the phenomenon world with our mundane mind via our mundane consciousness. Reason why the Buddha said, ‘Mind is the forerunner of all things, mind is chief and when mind arise all things within the phenomena world arise’.
9. Trace the origination factors on why the mind stirs? For according to the Buddha, whatever that arise there are causes and conditions behind. When conditions are such(like that), things will be like that. Cannot be otherwise. So accept this reality as wisdomto deal with things in life for this is Suchness – Tathagata. The ‘Is-ness’ of things. The Truth, the Reality of our conditioned world which is govern by nature’s laws.
10. Silent the mundane mind to realize the true mind. The true mind is your meditative mind which is just aware, still and tranquil. It was there all the while but because of your delusion and heedlessness you are not aware of its existence.
11. Sister Eng Bee shared her recent holiday experience in France where her family encountered an unpleasant incident and how she was able to just stay aware withunderstanding and not get involved with what happened. She can accept the reality of the moment with understanding because things are just the way they are. She saw clearly why all parties involved were behaving just the way they are. Their anger, their emotions, leading to all the misunderstanding and commotions were so vividly expressed.
12. Brother Teoh advised that the most important thing in life is to resolve everything amicably via wisdom and understanding (without being egoic).
13. Sister Tammy shared an incident on how her ‘inner nature’ was able to suddenly spoke and shared from her heart and not from memory. Her mundane mind just cannot understand what happened.
14. Do not mistaken memory (which is knowledge) as wisdom. When we commit whatever ‘understanding’ to memory it becomes knowledge because memory is always the past – no more a reality.
15. Understand clearly what constitute evil (so that we can deal with them). The same goes for all the other essential Dharma (so that we know how to use them to develop the cultivation).
16. Develop wisdom via the direct seeing then we will be able to live in the world of marks and yet not be affected by them because we know they are illusionary and not real.
Dated: 1.8.2018
Notes: (Draft outline short notes was prepared by Sister Mun Yuen)
Bye! and with metta always,
Teoh
From: Sister Lee Siew Gaik
