Dharma Talk,  2022

Secret Dharma is in Wonderful Functions

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Secret Dharma is in Wonderful Functions

Dec /03/ 2022 – Dec /04/ 2022

Hello everyone, welcome to our Dharma talk at Dharma Rain Meditation Center.

Last week, we talked about why there is no secret from Buddha’s secret teaching, we discussed the most important secret Dharma from Buddha Sakyamuni and how to sense the secret of Zen, of Pure Land Dharma. We also learned about the relationship between the Zen, Pure Land Dharma and Buddha’s speechless teaching.

Some people said, since the secret teachings from Buddha actually have no secret at all, then what is the significant meaning of it? In other words, why we need the secret teachings from Buddha, and how can we use it for practice? This is the topic we will discuss today.

As we said before, the way we practice Dharma is to go to the resource of the river to learn the teachings from Sakyamuni Buddha, to learn the noble behaviour of Buddha. Today, we will study Buddha’s teaching through Buddhism scriptures.

According to Mahayana Philosophic Sutra by the Six Paramita, Buddha told Maitreya what the third Dharma treasure is, he said: “what was the uncountable Buddhas from past said is what I am saying now. We have 84000 magic Dharma to tame all beings with connection with, my students like Ananda must hear before and remember them, it could be divided to 5 parts: 1, Sutta Pitaka; 2, Vinaya-piṭaka;3, abhidharmapi; 4, Prajñāpāramitā; 5, dhāraṇī.”

This is a scripture that the Buddha talked to Bodhisattva Maitreya
by chance, he taught Bodhisattva Maitreya to spread the Sacca Dharma because Bodhisattva Maitreya going to be next Buddha who came to the world and to be our teaching host. Buddha divided the Dharma to five different kinds：
1, Sutta Pitaka, which is Buddhism scriptures Dharma;
2, Vinaya-piṭaka, which is Buddhism precepts Dharma;
3, Abhidharmapi, which is Buddhism reading notes;
4, Prajñāpāramitā, which is Panja Dharma;
5, Dhāraṇī, which is secret Dharma.

After that, Buddha said, “The five different Dharma is to teach and tame sentient beings in accordance with their aptitude. If someone would like to live at the forest alone and meditate, you should teach them Buddhism scriptures Dharma; If someone like the ceremony practising, keep and protect Sacca Dharma, you should teach them Buddhism precepts Dharma; If someone would like to study and research the scriptures, Sacca Dharma, you may teach them Abhidharmapi; If someone like the great wisdom from Buddha and self-nature Dharma gate, you can teach them Panja Dharma; If someone made too many evil karmas such as five sins of immediate effect and slander the Buddha, you might teach them Dhāraṇīto distinguish their evil karma and sins which will help them to attain the enlightenment soon.

Talking to the fifth Dharma, Buddha specially mentioned that’s that for; he said it is for two kinds of beings, one does not have enough wisdom and blessing in the past, could not get liberation from karma by Sutta Pitaka, Vinaya-piṭaka, abhidharmapi and Prajñāpāramitāin this life; two is who had too many bad habits and blocks for their cultivation or did too many evil karmas. Those two kinds of people are suitable for the Dhāraṇī Dharma, which will help them to distinguish their evil karma and sins, which will help them to attain the enlightenment soon.

However the most brilliant part of this sutra is the Buddha’s metaphor, he said: the five Dharma treasure like five different dairy products, Buddhism scriptures Dharma is like fresh milk; Buddhism precepts Dharma is like cheese; Buddhism reading notes is like butter; Panja Dharma is like mature butter, and secret Dharma is like finest cream. The taste of the finest cream is the best of five, it is so brilliant and magic, it spares people from sick, made all beings feel quite and equanimity. It wipes out the evil; it free people from chains of death and birth and attain the Nirvana Dharmamkaya.

It is interesting and appropriate, isn’t it? This verse is a fantastic metaphor for five Dharma treasures: Sutta Pitaka, Vinaya-piṭaka, abhidharmapi, Prajñāpāramitā, dhāraṇī. Now we can realize the compassion and wisdom of Buddha Shakyamuni; we also understood one thing: secret Dharma has its own magical effects.

When we talk about Buddha’s metaphor, have you ever you thought: Wow, such wonderful. I will just go the finest cream from today. Is that okay? But remember what the Buddha said is: Buddhism scriptures Dharma is like fresh milk; Buddhism precepts Dharma is like cheese; Buddhism reading notes is like butter; Panja Dharma is like mature butter, which means different dairy products for a different person, different ways for treat different roots and causes. If you have good root and wisdom enough why you pay a lot for the finest cream, a bottle of fresh milk could be nourishing enough for fresh up your body. Therefore, the answers are different for each being. It depends on your own roots and the different power of understanding. This is the secret part of Dharma, isn’t it? You have to practice Kung Fu quietly on your own heart, just like a person who has to choose his own food: milk, cheese or finest cream, which is suitable for you? You can only sense and tell by yourself; nobody can help you.

Let’s go back to the Dharma treasures, Buddhism scriptures Dharma, Buddhism precepts Dharma, Buddhism reading notes, Panja Dharma and Dhāraṇī. Do you think Buddhism scriptures Dharma is all about sutras and precepts Dharma is filling with different precepts? Panja Dharma is all about Prajna Paramita? Definitively not. We just read a sutra named Mahayana Philosophic Sutra by the Six Paramita before, do you think it is all about secret Dharma? But you have to know, Mahayana Philosophic Sutra by the Six Paramita is also from Tripitaka which is belong to the Buddhism scriptures Dharma treasure from Buddha Sakyamuni. Talking about the Panja Dharma, Buddha said it suits for the beings that want to approach the great wisdom from Buddha and self-nature Dharma gate, which is the most important secret from Buddha Sakyamuni–self-nature Dharma gate, do you think is not secret Dharma? In this way, we can see that there are secret Dharma in the Buddhism scriptures Dharma, some secret Dharma contents were written in the Panja Dharma, Buddhism scriptures Dharma was inherited by scriptures Dharma and protected by precepts Dharma, so Buddhism scriptures Dharma, Buddhism precepts Dharma, Buddhism reading notes, Panja Dharma and Dhāraṇī are the ones, and they are interdependent and rely on each other, each of them has their magical uses.

Since Dhāraṇī has its own magical use, how can we use it?

In an Essay on Buddha’s Heart Sutra, Datong Asked the Buddha to open his memory to all living beings without a long robbery and to establish the Buddha’s heart. The Buddha said, “Good and good! Good! If you want to know, I want to know. Said Ananda! The worlds of Buddhas are known to all beings, and all beings are rooted in the Buddha, and only Buddhas are able. There are all living beings who are self-initiated, tired and humiliated, and Fang Cheng Bodhi. There are all living beings, relying on Buddha power, or curse power. The body is smoked and repaired and Suddenly is super-conscious. The subtlety, the Buddha and the Buddha are the essences. Ananda! This heart is a curse, but with mercy, the day is held a thousand times, and it is full of thousands of days. Into.” Ananda Fu Bai’s saying: “The world respect! When this law is repaired, how should Tan end, how should we choose the place, and even the protection of medicines, fragrant flowers, and support, all kinds of solemnity, and what should each be? “. The Buddha then replied: “Ananda! The Buddha’s heart is not a phase, nor is it from the phase. There is no phase between the phase and the phase. It is true that it is not a place. It was originally dyed as a drug. It was a pure fragrance, and it was a sense of devotion. Nothing can be solemn. To use empty fires to burn off troubles for protection. If you go to repair, you will be able to get the right person.

In the Heart of Buddha Sutra and Maha -pratisa ravidya-dha rani, Ananda asked Buddha to show his mercy to tell all living beings Dharma gate that could enlighten Buddha’s heart and Buddha’s nature without a long lifetime struggling. The Buddha said, “Sadhu, sadhu! If you would like to know, I can tell you today. Ananda! No beings can understand the realm of Buddhas; however, Buddhas understood the different roots and behaviours of beings. There are living beings who are self-initiated, cultivated ascetic practices for lifetimes and attained the biddhichitta, there are living beings, relying on Buddha’s blessing power or mantra power to cultivate themselves to attain the higher class of Bodhisattva. The delicacy from those process only Buddha would understand. Ananda! This mantra the heart of Buddha’s heart; if you were chanting 1000 times per day with mercy and chanting for 1000 days, you will see Buddha’s heart naturally. Then Ananda asked: “The world respect! When we cultivate this Dharma, how should we set up the mandala, how should we choose a place to cultivate, how to set up the protection of medicines and fire offering, fragrant flowers and offerings, all kinds of solemnizing? “. The Buddha then replied: “Ananda! The Buddha’s heart is not a phase, nor is it from the phase. There is no phase between the phase and take that for the mandala, take the real self-nature as your cultivation place, take your originally clean and muyom as a cure. It was pure heat as fragrance and flowers, take not leaving the enlightenment as an offering, take the no cognition and attainment as solemn. Using empty wisdom fires to burn off troubles as protection.

From this verse, we see that the Buddha not only talked about the practice of external secret Dharma, which in the first part of the scriptures, but he also said how to use hand-printing to pray for the blessings of the Buddha and the Bodhisattva. As for how to cultivate the spiritual practice and corresponds to the Buddha’s heart, Buddha emphasized the internal secret, The Buddha’s heart is not a phase, nor is it from the phase. What is “take the real self-nature as your cultivation place, take your originally clean and muyom as a cure. It was pure heat as fragrance and flowers, take not leaving the enlightenment as an offering, take the no cognition and attainment as solemn”? You have to understand the real exist self-nature, corresponding to the Buddha, cultivate both external and internal Dharma, your cultivation would work only by this way. External and internal secret Dharma are indispensable, only practice internal secret Dharma diligently and clean yourself totally, with the secret cultivation method from the teaching of Buddha Shakyamuni, then you will achieve the real secret Dharma.

Today, we are basically talking about secret Dharma. However, I would like to tell a Zen story still. It is called “Have answer I hit you 30 sticks, having no answer I will beat you 30 sticks also.” It is the story of the Zen master Xuanjian in the Tang Dynasty. According to the story, he said to all who came to visit: “tonight I will not answer any questions, if there is anyone who asks me, I will beat him 30 sticks.” There was a young monk who came to worship master and master took the zen stick to hit him badly, the young monk surprised and asked: “I did not ask anything yet, why you hit me?” Then the master asked “where are you from?”, the young monk said: “Xinluo County”.The master said: “you even did not get broad of the boat, you deserve 30 sticks!”

Master DeShan used stick hitting very often; he took it as the method of training students, which, is a special style of his temple, people call it “Deshan stick”. Its function is to cut off the intellectual activities of the students and allow the students to think without hesitation. I want to ask you, is the stick hitting a secret Dharma? Did master Dejian use secret Dharma wonderfully?

There is one common action, with your palms clasped together, with a slight gap in the middle, like a lotus flower. You may simply think this is a manner of salute, show some respect and sincerity, but when we put our hands together, the distracting thoughts naturally disappeared and easy to find the composure, we can sense our humble and respectful heart, we become sincerity to the Buddha. I believe that everyone has experienced that before. But why? This is the magical use of secret Dharma. We may not understand the theory however we can feel it easily, just like we take a bite of the apple, we don’t know how it is shined, we do not know the nourishment of it, but knew it is sweet.

In conclusion, I would like to say that our cultivation is practising for our upset and restless heart. We talked about Zen, pure land and secret Dharma, we pursue the wonderful functions of secret Dharma, our ultimate goal is to make our hearts closer to our true colour, our true heart and Buddha-nature. The fantastic services of secret Dharma are in the moment that we put our palms together and worshipping Buddha. The excellent features of secret Dharma are in the moment that we are chanting peacefully, The excellent functions of secret Dharma are in the moment that we watching the flowers bloom and fade and enlightenment the non-arising Dharma. The wonderful functions of secret Dharma are in the moment that we observe our life and cultivation by seeing our self-nature.

Thank you for listening!

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