Dear Kalyanamittas,
Below are the audio links to our last Sunday’s recording for sharing by all. Its outline notes are as follows:
Outline short notes for the 6th Patriarch’s Dharma Jewel Platform Sutra dated 24th June 2018. (Page 386-395 Chapter X Final Instructions):
- Duality is created by the mundane mind via words. E.g. If you arise the concept of “darkness” (the cause), then the opposite which is “brightness” will arise (effect).
- Whatever that can be created, is false because it is dependent originating, a causal phenomenon hence it is impermanent.
- When there is wisdom, one sees things as they are. Without wisdom, one sees things through one’s views and opinions and one’s conditioning (false).
- When one does not understand, one will indulge in duality.
- Within movements, there is non-movement. This is the similar to those sayings, “in the midst of activities, there can be stillness (true mind) and ‘in the midst of sound and vibrations there can be silence (of mind).
- When one does not create via the mundane mind, there is silent.
- Bro Teoh shared his understanding on how one can deal with the death of someone close (can be one’s loved ones or one’s teacher):
- Death is just a separation of the consciousness from the physical body of the form and mind. There is no reality behind the death process. There is no such thing as ‘my’ parents, Teacher, Buddha etc. in the ultimate sense.
- But within the conditioned world, the segmented (form and mind) life does exist and it has its own ‘reality’ within the existential world. There is such a thing as Life even though it (the human being) is impermanence (dependent originating) and is subject to Karma.
- They only become like ‘real’ when one gives meaning to this segmented life’s form and mind (the human being) via self-delusion borne of ignorant. The mundane mind via ignorant cling on to them then all these: “my parents, Teacher, Buddha etc.” exist and hence emotions can arise in one who is deluded.
- What we can do is to expressed our gratitude (via wisdom) towards our deceased loved ones and teachers by recalling to mind all the blessing, protection, guidance, love and sacrifice etc. that they had given us. We can also share and invoke the power of merits for our loved ones to have a better life in the hereafter instead of lamenting.
- How do you thank your Teacher? The best way to thank them is by cultivating diligently and sincerely. As per the Buddha’s advice ‘he who sees the dharma sees me’.
- The form and mind is just a ‘tool’ for us to use but do not be deceived by them. When the causes and conditions for their arising have come to past, they will cease to be. So no amount of sorrow and lamentation will bring back the dead.
8. Formal meditation is mainly just to train the mind to be mindful until it is very stable(ever mindful) even in the midst of life.
9. Sis Padmasuri’s requested Bro Teoh to explain the meaning of the sentence “to use the mind but yet not be deceived by it”. Bro Teoh explained that this form and mind is karmically conditioned for us to come to this conditioned world for us to use but we should not be deceived by it (the thoughts and duality that the mundane mind creates). To live life, we need to arise the thought to perceive, arise concepts etc. but the user of thoughts is most important and it must have the wisdom connected to it to enable it to have the understanding to avoid all evils, develop right views, right thoughts etc. to free the mind via the 4 right efforts. Cultivating these noble 8-fold path factors is most important.
10. Wrong thoughts are thoughts that condition one’s evil roots, fear, worry, anxiety etc. We must be able to be aware of all these wrong thoughts that will make us evil as they arise within our mind states.
11. Right thoughts are thoughts that bring about love, compassion, sincerity, contentment, gentleness, pleasantness, kindness, generosity, understanding leading to harmony etc. – thoughts which are free of the 3 evil roots.
12. Wanting things your way = grasping and clinging.
13. Committing the Teachings to memory = knowledge, which is not the same as wisdom which is to be realized and awaken to.
14. Real Meditation only starts after mindfulness is established. Constantly reflect and contemplate on the essential dharma to understand clearly (pariyati) before one can cultivate the N8FP correctly to cease all suffering in the here and the now.
15. The objective of Mahayana chanting is to cultivate the 5 spiritual faculties of saddha, viriya, sati samadhi and panna to understand spiritual teaching.
(Above draft outline short notes are prepared by Sis. Mun Yuen)
Bye! and with metta always,
Teoh
