20110416 six paramitas and fourth patriarch

Updated Mar 2010

Buddhist Association of Canada

Cham Shan Temple

Updated Mar 2010


Cham Shan Temple

ná mó fó tuó

南無佛陀

Namo Buddha

ná mó dá mó

南無達摩

Namo Dharma

ná mó sēng qié

南無僧伽

Namo Sangha

加拿大佛教會 © 2006 Buddhist Association of Canada


The Fourth Patriarch Dàoxìn was a native of Hénèi (河內, 今河

南沁陽縣). His lay surname was Sīmǎ (司馬) . Born on

March 3rd (according to the Lunar Calendar) in 580CE. He

demonstrated exceptional ability and interest in the Mahāyāna

( ) school of Mādhyamaka ( ) at a young age, as

though he had studied it in previous lives. He became a

novice monk at the age of seven. Despite repeatedly advising

his teacher to do so, his tonsure Master did not uphold the

monastic precepts. To no avail, he upheld the precepts on his

own for five years without his Master’s knowledge. Hearing

of two hermits practicing in Wǎngōng Mountain (皖公山, 今

安徽潛縣), he went off to follow them. The two hermits,

who happened to be the Third Patriarch Sēngcàn and Chán

Master Ding (定禪師), were hiding from the Buddhist

Prosecution in Northern China. There he studied Chán from

Sēngcàn and became enlightened.

The Fourth Chán Patriarch Dàyī Dàoxìn(580–651, 四祖大醫道信大師)



According to the first scroll of TheCompendium of Five Lamps:In 592, as a novice, Dàoxìn came topay respect to the Third PatriarchSēngcàn and asked: “GreatCompassionate Master, please teachme the Way of Liberation.”

Sēngcàn asked: “Who is constrainingyou?”Dàoxìn replied: “No one.”Sēngcàn said: “Then why asking forliberation?”Dàoxìn was awakened with suchwords.

The Fourth Chán Patriarch Dàyī Dàoxìn (580–651, 四祖大醫道信大師)



Actually, our feeling of pressure and stress isnot caused by the outside world, but by ourown mind. We feel not free because ourmind is inverted and deluded. That is, themind is stuck scheming, discriminating, andgrasping. If we can break through suchdelusions, realizing that they come fromnowhere and go nowhere, without anyessence whatsoever, then we would findourselves free from their bindings -liberated right there and then. If our mind isnot free, we are not at ease no matterwhere we go. The matter of liberation hasto do with the mind and nothing about theoutside world.




Dàoxìn stayed and served Master Sēngcàn for aboutnine years to repay the kindness, as well as tostrengthen his practice. Master Sēngcàn hammeredhis understanding to perfection, then transmitted theBowl and Robe to him with the following verse:

華種雖因地，從地種華生。With the earth as a condition, flower grows from theflower seed,

若無人下種，華地盡無生With no one (ātman) sowing the seed, no flower grows -ever.

Sēngcàn also said, “My Master (Huìkě) transmitted tome the Dharma and then went to Yèdū (邺都) to teachfor over thirty years until he died. I have taught you, sowhy dwell here any longer!” Sēngcàn told Dàoxìn tostay behind and earnestly promote Chán, then left forthe South and went to Luófú Mountain (羅浮山).




Dàoxìn remained at Wǎngōng Mountain (皖公山) and didsolitary practice with great diligence, not even lyingdown on his bed. With the government’s permission, hewas fully ordained in 604CE and assigned to a temple inJí Province (Jí'ānxiàn in Jiangxi Province, 吉州, 今江西省吉安縣), but he also did some travelling aroundinvestigating the teachings in other temples.According to The Continuation of Biographies of EminentMonks (Scroll 20):In 617, the Suí (隋) Dynasty was crumbling and Jízhōu (吉州) city was under siege by bandits. For over seventydays it was without water. The Master wascompassionate and went into the city - suddenly, watersprung up from a dried well. The mayor of the city wasvery grateful and asked him when the bandits wouldleave. Dàoxìn replied, “Just chant Mahaprajnaparamita”.The mayor instructed the whole city to do it together.After a while, the bandits saw that the city walls wereguarded by Vajra solders and were scarred away,abandoning the siege.




In 617, he was invited to stay and teach in DàlínTemple in Lúshān (廬山大林寺) which was a templethat practiced the Mādhyamaka and TiāntáiSchools. In 621CE, in the early Táng (唐) Dynasty,he went and stayed in Shuangfeng Mountain inHuangmei (Twin Peaks, 黃梅雙峰山, 又稱破頭山)where he established the first Chán monastry, nowcalled the Fourth Patriarch Temple (四祖寺), andstayed there for thirty years and had over five-hundred students, among the ranks of whomincluded the Fifth Patriarch Hongren ( ) and CuiYixuan, the Governor of Qí Province (蘄州刺史崔義玄). He also had a student, Fǎróng 法融禪師 ChánMaster in Niútóu Mountain (牛頭山) who started aseparate branch called Niútóu Chán 牛頭禪.Furthermore, Dàoxìn had a Korean student monk,Beopnang Chán Master (法朗 632–646) who wenton to establish the Chán (Seon in Korean) teachingin Korea.




In 643, Tang Emperor Taizong admired his teachingand invited him to go the Capital three times. Heturned the invitation down for being old and sick. Inthe fourth Imperial Order, his head was to be takenif not being compiled. He stretched out his neckcalmly hearing the Order, the emissary wassurprised and went back empty handed. EmperorTaizong was impressed by his integrity and sent himluxury offerings instead.

He transmitted the Bowl and Robe to Hongren andtold his students to build him a stupa. On 651 LeapSeptember 4th (Lunar Calendar), he instructed hisstudents: “Let go of all the dharmas. Each of you,protect and be mindful of this, carry it into thefuture.” He meditated in the stupa and passed awayat the age of 72. He was posthumously honoredwith the title Dàyī (Great Healer, 大醫) ChánMaster.




The teachings of Dàoxìn are recorded as TheExpedient Means of Entering the Way andEasing the Mind (入道安心方便法門)contained within the compendium TheRecord of the Masters and Disciples of theLankavatara Sutra (楞伽師資記). It teachesabout Single Mode Samadhi, (一行三昧,skt. ekavyuha-samadhi ), True MarkRepentance, Practice both Samadhi andVipasyana, Mutual dependence of Theoryand Practice, Focus on One without Moving(守一不移). He also wrote The Way of theBodhisattva Precepts (菩萨戒法) which isnow lost.




His Chán style is a significant milestone in thefollowing ways:

The teaching is based on the Lankavatara Sutra.“All the different Dharmas are destinated in thesame spot. All the wonderful virtues are source fromthe mind (百千法门, 同归方寸; 河沙妙德, 总在心源。).” He included more Sutras in his teachings, whichcan be seen as the precursor to the subsequenttradition of utilizing the Diamond Sutra in lieu of theLankavatara Sutra.

Emphasized sitting meditation. Teach expedient means to enter the Way such asMindfulness of the Buddha, Chanting Buddha’sname. “Buddha is the mind. Outside of the mindthere is no Buddha (离心无别有佛,离佛无别有心; 念佛即是念心,求心即是求佛。)”

Re-integrated Chán practice back with the Vinayapractice.




Re-integrated Chán practice back with theVinaya practice.

The first Chán master to replace thewandering ascetic practice with a stablemonastic community-style living which drew alarge number of followers. The Chánmonastery is a self-sustaining farm, whichdiffers greatly from other Teaching or Vinayamonasteries (which are patronized byroyalties or the laity). This self-sustaininglifestyle helped the Chán school survive andthrive throughout centuries of political andsocial turmoil, ever enduring, ever practicing.

Chán practice extends beyond seatingmeditation to the daily duties as well, andbecame a central theme in Chán teachings.




Towards a

Liberated and

Enlightened Life

煩惱輕智慧長

Meditation禪修



Initial Stages of Meditation



1. In ―Alice in Wonderland‖, the smiling

cat's head had completely disappeared

but the smile still remained in the sky.

2. Breath completely disappeared but the

beautiful breath still remained.

3. It is the mind consciousness freed for the

first time from the world of the five

senses.

4. Descriptive thoughts (inner speech) are

totally absent – Pure Enjoyment.

5. This pure mental object is called a

nimitta.

Nimitta – Mental Image



It appears only after you has experienced

the beautiful breath for a long time;

It appears when the breath disappears;

It only comes when the external five senses

of sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch are

completely absent;

It manifests only in the silent mind, when

descriptive thoughts (inner speech) are

totally absent;

It is delightful and powerfully attractive;

It is a wonderful mental object – feeling of

miracles happening at the present moment.

Nimitta – Mental Image



Six Paramitas

The Six Paramitas are:

Generosity ,

Ethics ,

Patience ,

Diligence ,

Meditation

Wisdom



Six Paramitas

The Sanskrit word paramita means to cross over to the other

shore. Paramita may also be translated as perfection, perfect

realization, or reaching beyond limitation. Through the practice

of these six paramitas, we cross over the sea of suffering

(samsara) to the shore of happiness and awakening (Nirvana);

we cross over from ignorance and delusion to enlightenment.

This is the path of the Bodhisattva—one who is dedicated to

serving the highest welfare of all living beings with the

awakened heart of unconditional love, skillful wisdom, and all-

embracing compassion.



1) The Perfection of Generosity (Dana Paramita) ( )

This paramita is the enlightened quality of

generosity, charity, giving, and offering. The

essence of this paramita is unconditional

love, a boundless openness of heart and

mind, a selfless generosity and giving which

is completely free from attachment and

expectation.



2) The Perfection of Ethics (Sila Paramita)( )

This paramita is the enlightened quality of

virtuous and ethical behavior, morality, self-

discipline, impeccability, personal integrity,

honor, and harmlessness. The essence of

this paramita is that through our love and

compassion we do not harm others; we are

virtuous and harmless in our thoughts,

speech, and actions.



3) The Perfection of Patience (Kshanti Paramita)( )

There are three ways to practice patience:

1.to refrain from hurting those who have caused

one grief and pain , it means not retaliating,

2.to deal with any suffering one experiences

without fighting it uselessly or feeling

intimidated ,

3. to have confidence in the ultimate truth.



4) The Perfection of Diligence (Virya Paramita)( )

Diligence is the power to transform what is impure into what

is pure. It includes right effort, enthusiasm, and the energy

needed to overcome unwholesome thoughts and attitudes as

well as the cultivation of positive virtues, study of Dharma

and the choice of right actions. Diligence requires eagerness

and sharp interest in pursuit of the good. It requires active

bodily or mental strength to improve our personality for

individual enlightenment and supreme Buddhahood for the

sake of all sentient beings.



5) The Perfection of Meditation (Dhyana Paramita)( )

This paramita is the enlightened quality of concentration,

meditation, contemplation, mindfulness, mental stability. Our

minds have the tendency to be very distracted and restless,

always moving from one thought or feeling to another. The

perfection of concentration means training our mind so that it

does what we want it to. We stabilize our mind and emotions by

practicing meditation, by being mindful and aware in

everything we do. The ability to concentrate and focus the mind

brings clarity, calmness, illumination. Concentration allows the

deep insight needed to transform the habitual misperceptions

and attachments that cause confusion and suffering to directly

experience the joy, compassion, and wisdom of our true nature.



6) The Perfection of Wisdom (Prajna Paramita)( )

Wisdom is a central concept in Buddhism. Wisdom is an

immediately experienced spontaneous knowing that cannot be

conveyed by concepts or in intellectual terms. The defining

moment of Prajna is insight into emptiness, seeing the true

nature of reality. The experience of wisdom penetrates the empty

nature of reality that leads to greater freedom and peace.

Therefore wisdom is the door to awakening and to Buddhahood.

Wisdom overturns ignorance and the attitudes that lead to those

negative thoughts, feelings, words and behaviours. Upon

enlightenment, compassion arises as the natural expression of

emptiness and of the deepened unselfish attitude of the

Bodhisattva toward all living beings.



Presentation Topics and Schedule

April 16 - Six Paramitas presented by Kitty Cheung

April 23 – Ten Titles of Tathagata presented by Mike Feeley

April 30 – Four Persuasions presented by Wai Fun Lai

May 7 - Four Elements presented by Doris Lau

May 14 - Five Iniquities of Mundane World presented by Elena

Morelli

May 21 - Five Aggregates (skandhas) presented by Grace Lau

May 28 - Eightfold path presented by Shirley Lew

June 4 - Ten realms presented by Winnie Tsang

June 11 – Ten Virtuous Actions by Brandilee Maxwell



www.ChamShanTemple.org

www.shengguangshi.blogspot.com

[email protected]

Shengguang Shi 釋聖光

Tom Cheung 張相棠

Kam Cheung 張仁勤

Dennis Yap 葉普智

Questions and Comments 討論



yuàn xiāos ā n

zhàng zhū fán năo

願消三障諸煩惱We wish to rid ourselves of the three hindrances and all klesas.

yuàn dé zhì huì zhēn míngl ĭ a o

願得智慧真明了We wish to gain wisdom and real understanding.

pŭ yuàn zuì zhàng xīx i ā o

chú

普願罪障悉消除 We wish all sinful hindrances to be totally eradicated.

shì shì cháng xíng pú sà dào

世世常行菩薩道In one life after another we always follow Bodhisattvas’ paths.

回向Parinamana (Transfer of Merit)

20110416 six paramitas and fourth patriarch

Spiritual