用即遍一切處，亦不著一切處。但淨本心，使六識出六門，於六塵中無染無雜，來去自由，通用無滯，即是般若三昧、自在解脫，名無念行。若百物不思，當令念絕，即是法縛，即名邊見。

Employed, it pervades everywhere, yet does not cling to anything. Just purify self mind, make the six consciousnesses exit the six gates, without being defiled in six dusts. To come and go freely, functioning without hindrances, is prajna samadhi; is being free and liberated; is no-thought practice. However, to not think of anything, quashing all thoughts, is dharma bondage; is an extreme view.

When we exercise our wisdom, it is applied fully in all places; and yet, our wisdom, being alive and unfettered, does not stay or dwell in any place. As long as your mind is purified, the use of your six consciousnesses (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch and dharma emanating from your eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and consciousness, respectively) will not contaminate or obscure you. This way your wisdom, your Buddha nature may come and go freely and without hindrance or obstruction. This is Prajna Samadhi, a perfection of wisdom. This level of achievement is free and liberated, also known as “the no-thought practice”.

If you think that “no-thought” means not thinking at all, or the banishment of all thoughts, then you are bound or trapped by the dharma, and such a view is an extreme view. This is not a Buddha’s righteous view. Like a child at an art exhibit looking at paintings, the child does not have the mind or the capacity to understand the paintings; rather, s/he can only sense the richness and beauty of colors. They soon afterwards forget what they just saw. Such can be likened to the practice of no-thought.

Our society is full of worldly affairs and constant changes be they interpersonal, family, and/or between nations. If you are a practitioner, you may quickly dismiss these affairs, even though at the time you are touched by what you see. But these thoughts quickly dissipate. Why? Because you know the world is what it is. What you read and see in the media these days almost always revolves around money, sex, fame, food, and sleep. We practitioners are not attached to these things because we see through them. When you don’t make a big deal out of something, then it is “the practice of no-thought”.

According to the Sixth Patriarch, it is wrong to think that no-thought means completely devoid of thoughts (like a rock). We might as well knock you unconscious so you really have no thoughts. This kind of “unconsciousness” is different from the Six Patriarch’s notion of “no-thought”. The notion of “no-thought” is when you clearly understand and see through all things with complete lucidity such that your mind is incapable of being contaminated. This is the true meaning of “no-thought”.

Everyone has a discriminating mind thus we are all bound by attachments. For the practice of no-thought, the true dharma is that no matter what environment you are in, you never discriminate nor differentiate. Your mind will not be contaminated nor obscured by anything. This level of lucid wisdom can be called the highest level of the state of mind. It is as if you’re seeing things through the eyes of the Buddha: people from all walks of life are seemingly different and yet they all have the same Buddha nature. If you can achieve this through cultivation, then you will be enlightened by having what the Sixth Patriarch called the Prajna Samadhi.

We should learn that all human beings are equal. This applies to animals and other biological organisms as well. Buddha views all the above as equal and the same. This is the Sixth Patriarch’s point on “the practice of no-thought”. Only this kind of thinking can lead to freedom and liberation.

The statement of people abandoning a cultivating mind is not correct. If you have obtained a cultivating mind, you will never give it up. Those who give up a cultivating mind should know that they never had or accepted it in the first place. Such people’s main goal in life is gold, money or material possessions.

It is my hope that everyone takes care of their body and soul. Be happy every single day. Our emotions should not be affected or influenced by others’ words or stare, or by anything else. Being able to see through everything and not be affected or contaminated is called “the practice of no-thought”, also known as the Prajna Samadhi.

Digg

Stumble Upon

Del.icio.us

Buzz

善知識！智慧觀照，內外明徹，識自本心。若識本心，即本解脫；若得解脫，即是般若三昧；般若三昧，即是無念。何名無念﹖知見一切法，心不染著，是為無念。

Virtuous and knowledgeable friends, contemplate with prajna, brighten within and out. Recognize self nature, then liberated. This liberation is prajna samadhi. Prajna samandi is no-thought. What is no-thought? Grasping all dharma, mind not defiled or clings to anything, is no-thought.

Those who listen to the dharma, use your own wisdom to observe your heart. At this time your heart and the environment are all very clear. If you understand your own heart, you are enlightened. In other words, it is no-though. It is you see everything in this world, but your heart is not attached to them or polluted. You have to observe your own thoughts whether they are right or not right. If you have great wisdom, such observation would be very clear. Then you would be enlightened.

If your heart is not defiled by stress, then you won’t be tied down by them. An enlightened person would not be bound by whatever stress. He would be naturally free no matter what. Everything would be perfect, as I do not put the thought of 2012 on my mind. And the H1N1, even if you have it, it is good. No fear. How can you be totally attachment and stress free? This is what you must contemplate to attain. This is what the Sixth Patriarch grasped to be enlightened.

Every person in this world is useful. When a good person joining the True Buddha School, we welcome him. When a person with bad habitual seeds enter the True Buddha School, we welcome him too. Likewise, every being has Buddha nature. But we know they just haven’t changed their habitual behaviors. We hope now that they are here, they are able to transform the habitual seeds.

Digg

Stumble Upon

Del.icio.us

Buzz

若起邪迷，妄念顛到，外善知識雖有教授，救不可得。若起真正般若觀照，一剎那間，妄念俱滅。若識自性，一悟即至佛地。

If clouded by deviant confusion, perverted by defiled thoughts, despite mentoring by an outside virtuous and knowledgeable teacher, relief is unlikely. If genuine Prajna contemplation emerges, defiled thoughts extinguished in an instant. Grasp self-nature to enlighten and reach the Buddhaland.

In simple words, if suddenly your mind is consumed by tidal waves of delusions where you have lost yourself, even though your guru has taught you the buddha dharma, your guru would not be able to liberate you in that situation. It is only if at that moment you truly calm your mind down and use your wisdom to observe your heart will your unclean thoughts dissipate. You need to have wisdom. That is why I often say you need to use your wisdom to examine your heart.

It is difficult for outside powers to save you. To save yourself, you need to use your wisdom to examine your mind and actions. No outside power is able to help you. That is why we often say whether you are going down the right or wrong path is only off by the difference of one thought. We are all good people but the problem is “that one thought.” Just like when you get angry, a moment before you were just fine and your mind was calm but then you hear couple of words that aggravate you, you jump up and make the wrong judgment. The Sixth Patriarch says when you are in situations like this you must use your wisdom to examine: should you do it or not? what are the outcomes of either way? You must use your wisdom. Listening to Buddha’s teachings. Buddha does not dwell on the outside or sit in the Seattle temple. Buddha is in your heart where your wisdom arises.

You need to rely on your wisdom. Prajna is a very important. “Your fate is determined by the difference of one thought.” When you are in a tough situation, this one thought, what you are supposed to do, is very important in life. At that moment, you must look at your heart, hear the voice of your guru and remember what your guru has taught you. Calm your mind, examine your heart; then decide if you should proceed with your actions. You must contemplate. That way you will not make decisions that you might regret.

If you are the type of person who utilizes his wisdom then you will not have any attachments when dealing with any given situation. Both having or not having something, good or bad, having or not having problems in your life, everything should be treated as “good”. When you don’t take any of these to heart, you are able to free yourself and are able to have access to the limitless wisdom that you can utilize. You are also able to free yourself from all emotional sufferings as well as seeing clearly. Whether you feel you live an easy or difficult life, what you believe your views to be incorrect or correct, your opinions of what is good or bad, all will eventually pass and transform into emptiness. At that time, you will unlock, within you, the limitless wisdom.

Digg

Stumble Upon

Del.icio.us

Buzz