Monthly Archives: March 2013

How to Be a Householder-Bodhisattva

  This affair is a matter of people of sharp faculties and superior wisdom who do not consider it difficult to understand a thousand when hearing one. It requires a stand that is solid and true and faith that is … Continue reading

Posted in Wisdom from the Masters | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The Surangama Mantra

  “Ananda bowed at the Buddha’s feet and said, “After I left the home-life, I relied on the Buddha’s affectionate regard. Because I sought erudition, I still have not been certified to the unconditioned. “When I encountered that Brahma Heaven … Continue reading

Posted in The Śūrańgama Sūtra | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Dharma Tools for Silencing the Skandhic Demons

Of course the most meritorious means for dispelling the effects of the Skandhic Demons is The Heart Sutra. Chanted daily by millions in the Buddhist milieu it serves as a mantra that diurnally reminds one of the efficaciousness of the … Continue reading

Posted in Spirituality, The Śūrańgama Sūtra | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Demons of Mortal Consciousness

“Ananda, when that good person, in cultivating samadhi, has put an end to the formations skandha, the subtle, fleeting fluctuations – the deep, imperceptible, pivotal source and the common foundation from which all life in the world springs – are … Continue reading

Posted in The Śūrańgama Sūtra | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Demons of Volition

“Ananda, when the good person who is cultivating samadhi has put an end to the thinking skandha, he is ordinarily free of dreaming and idle thinking, so he stays the same whether in wakefulness or in sleep. His mind is … Continue reading

Posted in The Śūrańgama Sūtra | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Tozen: The great mystery of the everlasting

The great mystery of the everlasting What is everlasting is healing to the soul. Nothing made by sentient beings or offered by sentient beings, has an everlasting value. Pursuing, what is not everlasting, is a cause to great suffering. The … Continue reading

Posted in Tozen Teaching | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Demons of Thought

  “Ananda, when the good person who is cultivating samadhi has put an end to the feeling skandha, although he has not achieved freedom from outflows, his mind can leave his body the way a bird escapes from a cage. … Continue reading

Posted in The Śūrańgama Sūtra | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Demons of Sensation

  “Ananda, when the good person who is cultivating samadhi and shamatha has put an end to the form skandha, he can see the mind of all Buddhas as if seeing an image reflected in a clear mirror. “He seems … Continue reading

Posted in The Śūrańgama Sūtra | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The Demons of Form

  “Ananda, you should know that as a cultivator sits in the Bodhimanda, he is doing away with all thoughts. When his thoughts come to an end, there will be nothing on his mind. This state of pure clarity will … Continue reading

Posted in The Śūrańgama Sūtra | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

They’re Here….

  At that time, the Tathagata was preparing to leave the Dharma seat. From the lion throne, he extended his hand and placed it on a small table wrought of the seven precious things. But then he turned his body, … Continue reading

Posted in The Śūrańgama Sūtra | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments