27 Lessons A Brief Introduction Guidelines

In the "Short Comments" on Philosophy, Grandmaster Zong inherits the thoughts of the two major systems of deep contemplation and wide practice, and organically combines them, which has practical guiding significance for study.

Edited at 2024-02-10 21:57:32

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27 Lessons A Brief Introduction Guidelines

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Lesson 27 "A Brief Introduction" guides you to move forward with bodhicitta

"Short Commentary" is to serve bodhicitta

Maming Bodhisattva said: The lower path, the middle path, and the upper path together constitute the path to becoming a Buddha. Lower Nakajiro Road is the first step to enter Upper Nakajiro Road.

"The Lotus Sutra" says: "In the Buddha lands of the ten directions, there is only one vehicle, neither two nor three, except for the Buddha's expedient teachings." This is the way to unite the three vehicles into one and become a Buddha.

In "The Stages of the Path", the purpose of the lower path is not to achieve happiness in human and heavenly realms; nor is the practice of the middle path aimed at leading everyone to the holy fruit of liberation, cessation and nirvana. The upper path is the right path, and the lower path is the advance path of the upper path.

The excellence of consciousness only

It is better to unify liberation and Bodhisattva path in the Consciousness-Only Sutra.

"Yogi Earth Treatise: Local Part" establishes the three vehicles, the state and fruit of the Sravaka vehicle, and the state and fruit of the Bodhisattva path.

"Yoga Bodhisattva Precepts" also advocates that Bodhisattva should study the sravaka classics.

In the consciousness-only sutras such as "Mahayana Sutra" and "Bianzhongbianlun", they not only praise the Mahayana as being taught by the Buddha, but also more superior than the Shravakayana. At the same time, they also include the contents of the Shravakayana.

"Bianzhongbianlun" integrates the contents of the Shravakayana and the Bodhisattvayana, and highlights the excellence of the Mahayana.

In "Short Commentary", Grand Master inherited the two major systems of thought of deep contemplation and wide practice, and organically combined them, which has practical guiding significance for study.

"Short Commentary" makes up for the shortcomings of Chinese Buddhism. It not only pays attention to the relationship between the lower spiritual path, the middle spiritual path and the upper spiritual path, but also tells us how to correctly understand the basic connotation of the Bodhisattva path.

Chinese Buddhism is Mahayana, but few people truly implement the Mahayana teachings and spirit into their mind.

The shortcomings of Chinese Buddhism are as follows: the motivation often remains verbal. Very few people develop bodhicitta. Most people passively avoid the world and have a strong sense of self-interest. There is also a lack of complete understanding of the elements of Mahayana Buddhism such as convenience and assembly.

Understanding bodhicitta

What is the door to Mahayana? It is the most extraordinary bodhicitta. Practicing Mahayana begins with generating bodhicitta.

"The Theory of Entering the World": If one develops bodhicitta, one can be regarded as a true Buddha even in the three realms. A person who develops bodhicitta is a Bodhisattva and can inherit the Tathagata's family legacy.

Whatever we think about will be what we achieve. What kind of heart we have is what we are. Once you develop a strong bodhicitta, you are a disciple of the Buddha and a Mahayana disciple.

Once you lose bodhicitta, you are no longer a Mahayana scholar or a Bodhisattva practitioner.

Characteristics of bodhicitta

There is a difference between what bodhicitta does and what ordinary people do: what bodhicitta does is to benefit all sentient beings and to practice infinite contemplation. Ordinary minds are limited. Everything we do and every object we think of are limited. There is no infinite object as an object. Everything is made from the heart. Mainly lies in the heart.

Motivation standard

Huayan: When bodhicitta is fully developed, one becomes a Buddha.

"Lam Rim" or Consciousness Only: Motivation is only the starting point, and there is still a distance between the end and the end.

The desire to generate bodhicitta is strong, and what governs the mind and actions is the desire to benefit all sentient beings. If the desire is weak, it will be difficult to escape from the ordinary mind.

How to initiate bodhicitta