Chapter 9 eighth lecture

content summary. Practice fruition. From the first meditation to the fourth meditation. The Knot Envoy and the Great Arhat. Meditate on the body and bones. Chanting Buddha and Pure Land Buddhism. Thought and theory practice. Recite monks and recite sages and sages. Read the precepts and keep the precepts. Nian Shi Nian She. Think of heaven and heaven. Everyone's notes must be handed in, but the notes are not records, not to record every word I say, but to remember the main points, plus your own experience.The diary is to make a record of the key points in line with your own cultivation and experience, plus your understanding of the problem.

I mentioned last time that since the introduction of Buddhism to China, there were so many people who practiced fruition after the Eastern Han Dynasty and before the Sui and Tang Dynasties; but after the Song and Ming Dynasties, the number of people who achieved fruition became less and less. The main reason is the problem of practice. When it comes to the question of how to cultivate and realize the facts, we must specifically mention the Hinayana classics—the Si'ahhe Sutra.Chinese Buddhism likes to talk about Mahayana, but the real Chinese Buddhism is a fusion of Mahayana and Hinayana; and Mahayana is based on Hinayana.Later Sutra and Esoteric Buddhism practices are also inseparable from this principle.That's why this time, I specially draw out the key points of the "Ten Thoughts" of Zeng Yi A He Sutra.Before the Sui and Tang Dynasties, there were many people who studied Buddhism and practiced Taoism to achieve fruition, because they paid attention to this aspect of practice.

Among the ten recitations, recitation of "Anpan" is the most important. The "Anpan" cultivation method was introduced in the later Han Dynasty: the Daanpan Shouyi Sutra was translated by An Shigao during this period. Continuing with the report made by Rahula last time, practice with the method of Anpan and mindfulness, and reach the state of meditation without exhalation or inhalation.The secret has been told here: we must reach the state of neither exhalation nor inhalation before we can attain the first jhana. "At that time, Luo Yun, if you think like this, your desires will be liberated." Desires for fame, profit, wealth, food, and sleep belong to the scope of Mahayana.Desire in the Hinayana category refers to sexual desire.This point will be discussed further.Three thousand years ago, the Buddha knew all the sexual tricks of today's people, and the Buddha talked about them in the scriptures.If you can't stop your desire, you won't be able to prove the Arhat status.This desire even includes nocturnal emission, such as the nocturnal emission caused by desire in dreams; it also includes various methods of masturbation; masturbation, including masturbation, masturbation methods purely psychological imagination.The meaning of the above sentence is to say that only when the breathing reaches the point where you can’t go out and can’t go in, can you be liberated from desire. This is the liberation in the Hinayana realm.

"Having awareness and insight, thinking and holding joy and peace, wandering in the first meditation." At this time, I have entered the realm of the first meditation. "Jue" refers to the physiological state of feeling, such as cold, heat, swelling and hunger. "Guan" is a state of mental awareness, knowing the coming and going of every thought.At this time, the breathing does not come and go, it does not mean that the breathing has stopped completely, because the pores are still breathing, the pulse is still beating, and when the pores of the whole body are "quiet" (not really stopped), it is called non-breathing.

At this time, you know that your breathing has completely stopped. This is the state of "Guan". "Awareness and observation" comes from the reaction of feeling and perception, and this reaction is called "one thought". "Remembering and maintaining joy and peace" means that incomparable joy occurs in the heart. "Happiness" refers to the physiology, and "an" refers to the ease of mind. At this time, the body and mind are like sitting in emptiness, and only at this time can we enter the state of the first meditation. Having attained the state of the first jhana, it is not necessarily the attainment of the fruit position of the first jhana.The attainment of the fruit position of the first meditation can be called "the first fruit Arhat".As for what conditions can be called the first fruit Arhat, there are many records in the Tripitaka. If you take the time to integrate them, you will naturally know.

The practice part is the main essence of Theravada classics; the academic part is "thinking like this". The views of the Mahayana are slightly different, and the Hinayana has the views, practice, and practice of the Hinayana. This point must be clarified. Learning Zen is inseparable from meditation, but it does not have to start with meditation.Zen Buddhism pays attention to insight and Prajna.Of course, you still need to practice, without the foundation of gradual cultivation, how can you talk about the achievement of sudden enlightenment! Going one step further with awareness and contemplation: "With awareness and contemplation, you are joyful within yourself, and concentrate on one mind. Without awareness and without contemplation, you can enjoy the samadhi, and wander in the second meditation."

From the realm of consciousness and observation, one can further prove the inner joy.This is not just a verbal pleasure, but to see that all sentient beings, anyone, even enemies, etc., are peaceful in their hearts; even if they are wrong, they are worthy of pity.Kindness is a natural expression of the heart.It is not out of compulsion, so the joy in the bodhisattva's "compassion, joy and giving" is very important.If you are in a state of unhappiness for a long time, the whole body will become rigid and the Qi channels will not be able to flow through. At this time, "concentrate on one mind", focus on the state obtained in the first meditation, "mind and hold joy and peace", and maintain a state of not emitting energy.When the qi stops, it is the Taoist "doing without fire (no + four points)", and gradually realizes: "No awareness, no concept, samadhi and joy", the incomparable joy in my heart.This state of joy is "mindfulness".At this time, the second jhana has been realized.

The Zengyi Agama Sutra was introduced in the late Eastern Han Dynasty of the Three Kingdoms period. At that time, Buddhism focused on practice, and Buddhism was easy to accept, because once it was practiced, it would be effective.At that time, the culture of the Western Jin Dynasty was quite high.If Buddhism came into the world solely on the basis of academic principles, it might not be accepted, but once concentration and supernatural powers came, the intellectual world would have to surrender.And now people who study Buddhism, how can there be supernatural powers!Only nerves.If you start from meditation, you will have supernatural powers, and it is not surprising that everyone has them.

Asanga Bodhisattva has been descended from the lineage, focusing on the practice of only consciousness and dharma. Under this theoretical system, what we just said, "There is awareness and insight, mindfulness and joy, and wandering in the first meditation" is still "having In the realm of "Seeking and Serving", you are still in the state of the sixth consciousness.When you reach the point of "serving without seeking", it is the "no feeling, no conception, samadhi, joy, wandering in the second meditation" mentioned here.Psychological thoughts are no longer beating like electrons, but enter the realm of "seeking and waiting".But at this time there is still a state, and it has not yet reached the state of "no seeking, no waiting" and "no heart", it is still very early. "Unintentional" is easier said than done!If we think that everything is over and don't pay attention, it is called "unintentional", and everyone will.The Zen master said: "There is no Tao without heart, and there is another barrier between heartless."

"No more joyful thoughts, self-awareness, knowing body and happiness, what all sages always seek to protect joyful thoughts, wandering in the three meditations." There is a change here again, and in the third meditation, the joyful thoughts in my heart are gone, and I am guarding a state-" Awareness of physical pleasure".All the qi mechanisms, qi channels, every cell and nerve in the body have undergone major changes.It is possible to get rid of diseases only after reaching the state of the Three Zens.So don't think that crossing your legs is Zen.To be able to reach the Three Dhyanas requires immeasurable merit and kindness, which must be cultivated slowly.Before this, we can only slightly improve the physical condition and achieve fewer diseases.After entering the Three Dhyanas, looking at the previous state of joy, you are just like ordinary people.Because it is only now that the joy of perfection is reached, which is the realm of the sages.

"The pain and happiness are gone, there is no more sorrow, no suffering and no joy, the mind is pure, and you are wandering in the four meditations." At this time, you are going further, and you have realized that there is no suffering, no happiness, no sorrow, and no depression.Everyone should pay attention to the state where suffering and happiness have ceased, and it is still "mindfulness". Therefore, when we continue to say "protecting mindfulness and purity", the body and mind are melted inside and outside, and we have attained the state of the Four Zens. This is Luo Houluo, the son of the Buddha, reporting his experience. "With this samadhi, his mind is pure and free from dust and dirt, and his body is soft."At this time, the body and mind are free from scum, just like the state of a baby. This state can only be realized after the third jhana.In the past, eminent monks and great virtues could predict in advance when they would die, and their bodies were as soft as babies when they were dying.Or more cleverly, turn into a piece of light, and the person disappears; at best, leave a few nails, or a lock of hair as a souvenir. At this time, the wisdom has arrived: "Know what has been done, remember what you have done, and know your destiny for countless kalpas."At the same time, you get rid of life and death in stages, and enter into the life and death of change, knowing how you come and how you go; you can know the infinite memories of kalpas when you get the destiny.The Arhat of Four Fruits can only know five hundred lives, but the Arhat of Great Fruit can know many more.Rahula has reached this state. "With this samadhi, his mind is pure and free from blemishes, and there are no knots." All the knots of troubles have been untied. "Renew your intentions, and make your hearts go away."Pay attention to these eight characters. The Four Dhyanas are the state of meditation, like a knot that has not been cut off. Therefore, the Fourth Dhyana is not a great arhat, who has not yet attained fruition. , to practice more. "Create a heart full of leaks" means a mind without leaks. However, if you can't move your thoughts, wouldn't you become a piece of wood?No, it's just a matter of thinking, it's not leaking, it's not sticking.A person with concentration, even though he is busy all day long, his original mind in a state of concentration does not move, and it is still bright and pure.When dealing with troublesome things, troubles appear at that time, but the light of the state of mind does not change at all. "He sees it as such, and the mind of desire leaks is liberated."At this time, all the leaks of desire, leaks, and leaks of ignorance will be liberated.When you reach this state, "the mind is liberated, and once you have liberated, you will gain the wisdom of liberation. Life and death are over, the holy life has been established, what you have done is done, and there is no future." Only when the four meditations have reached this level can one be considered liberated.Everyone pay attention, "get liberation of mind", this liberation is a realm in practice, and "get liberation wisdom" is a view.Wisdom does not belong to kung fu, nor does it belong to realm; but kung fu, realm and wisdom are complementary to each other.Therefore, after reaching the state of liberation, we must continue to work hard to slowly obtain the "wisdom of liberation".Everyone should pay attention again, in this part of the certification process, it finally comes down to the "wisdom of liberation".It can be seen that the Hinayana is still based on the liberation of wisdom, not to mention the Mahayana.In Mahayana terms, it is the complete liberation of Prajna. After reaching this state, the Arhat's fruit status has come, and this life is called the "last body", and it will not come again in the future. (Where are you going?) In this life, the status of tranquility has been established; all the debts in the world have been paid off, and I will never come to the world of desire again.This is the ultimate fruit of Hinayana.However, according to the principles of Mahayana, this kind of achievement must go through 84,000 great kalpas at most, and must come back again.If you don't turn your heart to the Mahayana, you can't completely get rid of life and death, you can only break through life and death in stages, and enter the realm of changing life and death. This is Rahula's practice report. It is not recorded in the scriptures how many years or months he practiced.However, when the Buddha was alive, there were indeed people who attained Arhat fruit immediately, some in three days, and some in seven days. Luo Hula reported the practice process to the Buddha. The Buddha was very happy and rewarded him a lot.Then he said: "With the law of prohibition, all the roots will become sinking, gradually and quickly, and all knots will be exhausted" (Zengyi Aghan Volume 7).The Buddha said that to practice Anpan, you start with the method of breath adjustment; after you complete the practice, you will have enough precepts, concentration and wisdom, and you don't need to deliberately keep the precepts, and you have completed the merits of keeping the precepts.The roots of the gods can be liberated by connecting them.For example, in Buddhism, the four elements are all empty. Only when all the roots are accomplished can the "emptiness" be lost, hunger, cold and heat will not be invaded, and the four elements will be turned around. In order to become a great arhat, one must break the "Three Bonds". The "three existences" are the desire realm, the form realm, and the formless realm. The three knots are psychological behaviors, that is, behaviors composed of psychological conditions and thoughts.Only when all these habitual tendencies are cut off can one attain the great arhatship. Among the ten thoughts put forward by the Buddha, the most talked about is to use the breath to prove the fruit, and the Buddha's young master also reported the experience of this aspect. In the eleventh and twelfth chapters of the Zengyi Agama Sutra, filial piety is advocated, emphasizing that parents' kindness is hard to repay.Because of this commonality in the basic cultural ideology of China and India, after Buddhism was introduced to China, it was quickly absorbed by Chinese culture and flourished. The ninth is "mindfulness of the body".The mindfulness-of-the-body method here is in terms of explicit teachings, not esoteric teachings.Later generations of Chinese Taoism and Esoteric Buddhism followed the Esoteric Buddhism line, focusing on self-cultivation methods.But in the end, people often don't know how to get rid of this method, and they are too attached to self-cultivation, which is heretics.If you know how to unlock this method, you are not heretics. The mindfulness of the body mentioned here is the method of the Hinayana. For example, in the "four mindfulness", "mindfulness of the body is impure, mindfulness is suffering, mindfulness is impermanent, and mindfulness has no self." The non-self mentioned in the Hinayana is the present For some life phenomena, it is to remind people to transcend this level and achieve Nirvana.However, after entering the academic world, especially after entering the West, people think that the non-self of Buddhism is a categorical view, denying the existence of a soul, and some say that Buddhism is atheism. This is really a joke. Before the Tang and Song Dynasties, there were many people who practiced fruition, and there were also a lot of people who practiced mindfulness of the body, such as the meditation on impurities and the meditation on white bones, both of which are mindfulness of the body.The Tiantai sect uses the method of breathing, plus the meditation on impurity and bones. Master Taixu in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province has a disciple who is very knowledgeable. He has completed the meditation on bones in three months. He visualizes people as skeletons, visualizes everyone as a skeleton, and reaches the second Zen state.Later he told me that even though he became a monk, he still had desires.Although I have completed the concept of white bones, I feel that "even bones are romantic". Therefore, the meditation on white bones and the meditation on impurity should be practiced until there is no desire. The ancients could do it, but it makes people feel unsatisfied.It makes people feel that the bones are also pretty good-looking. Mindfulness of the body, contemplation of body impurity, mainly lies in the elimination of desires.The first precept of the Mahayana is abstinence from killing; the first precept of the Hinayana is abstinence from sexual intercourse. Why is it different? In order to obtain the ultimate fruit of Arhat, one must first quit lust.However, no matter whether it is the meditation on white bones, the meditation on impurity, or the meditation on counting breaths, almost all of them have no way to deal with lust.There is such a difficulty in cutting off lust.Only after transforming the desire can we talk about the practice of attainment and meditation. The tenth is mindfulness of death.People are going to die, especially the elderly. Only when they understand life and death can they let go, and at the same time spur themselves to practice hard.Master Yinguang of the modern Pure Land family paid special attention to the practice of mindfulness of death. Now let's revisit the Ten Thoughts.It is integrated with this topic "Integrating the Obscure, Secret and Yuantong Cultivation Procedures". The first "Buddha-recitation": This recitation of Buddha is not the Buddhist-recitation method of the Pure Land School. Although it has the same principle as the Pure Land School, the practice method is different.According to the Ahe Sutra, this is a method of admiring, following, believing in, and pursuing the achievement of Buddha, and using Buddha to warn oneself. Master Huiyuan founded the Pure Land School and adopted the Three Pure Land Sutras, with the aim of seeking immortality.Huiyuan studied Taoism before becoming a monk to study Buddhism. Later, he felt that Taoism’s cultivation method of seeking immortality was not thorough enough, so he turned to Buddhism to search, and finally found that a single thought of sincerity can lead to rebirth in the Paradise of Ultimate Bliss, so he adopted this method. Founded the Pure Land sect. To be reborn in the Western Paradise of Ultimate Bliss can also be said to be immortal, but life and death have not been completely "broken".You have to go to the place where you are reborn and continue to practice. After you have achieved it, you will go to the hundred thousand worlds to save sentient beings.This is the way of the Mahayana, and it also includes the method of reciting Buddha's name in the Hinayana. In addition, Esoteric Buddhism has the most methods of reciting Buddha, such as the practice of Vairocana Buddha, the practice of Samantabhadra, the practice of Shangle Vajra, the practice of Hevajra, etc., are all methods of chanting Buddha. The Buddha-recitation I am talking about here is in a broad sense and covers a wide range.In a narrow sense, it is the method of reciting Buddha's name of the Pure Land School, which is just a method. The second "thinking method" can also be achieved.Nowadays, ordinary people cannot integrate the study of Buddhism, Buddhist studies, and Buddhism into one. If they can really be integrated, that is to read the Dharma.For example, we all know that "impermanence, suffering, emptiness, no self, twelve karmic conditions, all things are impermanent, it is the law of birth and death, birth and death have already ceased, and silence is the most joyful."These theories are the law.We only know these theories, but do not apply these theories to our own body and mind, and do not cooperate with the practice, so there is no "recognition method". Confucius said, "Pursuing principles, exhausting one's nature, and reaching fate." That is to read the law.Applying the principles of Buddhism to the body and mind, this is the method of "recitation". The third is to "recite monks", to recite sages and sages.For example, how did Zen masters Matsu and Baizhang become monks?How to practice Zen?How to become a Taoist, or Master Hanshan’s practice process, we admire them and imitate them, which is the method of chanting the monks. The sages and sages of the ancestors, what path they took and what achievements they achieved, we practice according to the law, that is, "remembering the monk".But people nowadays, not only do not read the biographies of their predecessors, but also do not learn their practice; even after reading their biographies, they study them objectively and even criticize them. This is not the attitude that practitioners should have. The fourth is "reading the precepts".It is not easy to recite the precepts. In the past, on the mainland, every first and fifteenth day of the lunar calendar had to recite the precepts, which was very solemn.Every monk has violated the precepts and repented one by one, hoping not to commit them again.As for reciting the precepts, it is different from reciting the precepts. One by one must be memorized by heart, and even walking or doing anything must be done by recitation.In this way, your behavior is in line with the law everywhere, and you think so in your heart, can you do it?Precepts are also different from concealed precepts and sexual precepts.The precepts that can be changed expediently due to different times and regions are called Zhe precepts.But the three precepts of killing, stealing, and sexual intercourse can never be violated. These are the precepts of sex. To recite the precepts is to tell yourself seriously at all times to observe the precepts, to watch your own thoughts and thoughts, and only have the best thoughts; as for bad thoughts and evil thoughts, you must not move them, so as not to violate the precepts. If young people really do it and recite the precepts in a regular manner for seven days, they will definitely prove the recluse fruit.After proving this fruit position, the path of practice will be easy.However, there are very few people who practice precepts in later generations. The four immeasurable minds are also within the precepts, and the scriptures and precepts are one.People who study Tantric Buddhism are more rigorous in observing the precepts.Every time you practice the Dharma, you should cultivate the four immeasurable minds first: bear all the sufferings of sentient beings by yourself; do not practice the Dharma for yourself, and hope to save sentient beings after you complete the practice; dedicate all the merits to sentient beings, and don’t want them at all.Arousing the Bodhi mind, the four immeasurable minds, etc., all belong to the method of reciting precepts.Recently, esoteric methods are popular everywhere, and one is spread eastward.There is one in the west, but there is no basic truth.It made me "but irrelevant but related", so I had no choice but to stop watching it, I really couldn't watch it anymore. The real secret method is very serious in terms of psychological behavior and moral reflection.Ordinary people, when they hear Tantrism, think of dual cultivation of men and women, which has ruined Tantrism and also ruined Buddhism.It is not so simple for any denomination. The fifth is "Nian Shi".To give is to give, to think of giving up, to give up everything, Ru Shide quotes Maitreya Bodhisattva's gatha: "Someone scolds the old clumsy, and the old clumsy only says yes; someone beats the old clumsy, and the old clumsy falls asleep." This is also giving.It's easier said than done!Mahayana Buddhism first talks about giving, and giving is the most difficult to practice.In Chinese culture, it is mentioned that rangers donate money through righteousness, and it is not a big deal to give away the property; if you have no money, but you want to give it to others, this can also be regarded as giving.Our general giving is often conditional, either for merit or for fame and fortune.If you can give up everything, until the end, you will be empty, then you will have attained emptiness.This practice also includes many things. The sixth is "remembering the sky".Western religions talk about heaven. That is the correct way to cultivate heaven. It is not wrong. Don’t look down on the Western method. People who study Buddhism should not have prejudice against Western religions.The Diamond Sutra says: "All sages are different based on the Dharma of Inaction." The truths of all religions are correct, but the degree of proving the Tao is different, and the way of expression is different.Moreover, Hinayana Buddhism also has the method of mindfulness of heaven. How to cultivate "Remembering the Heaven"?It's embarrassing to say, but it's still a question of whether we ordinary people can go to heaven after death, let alone reborn in the West.Su Manshu said: "How can I ascend to heaven and become a Buddha, Youmeng Wuyi hates it." First, from the perspective of "mind heaven", it has an absolutely personal relationship with us; the highest fruit position of the four jhanas and eight samadhis does not break away from the three realms.So if you really want to become a Buddha and jump out of the Three Realms, it is really not easy.