UnbornMind Zen

Posts Tagged ‘merit’

At that time, Mañjuśrī addressed the Buddha, saying, “Bhagavān, I contemplate the true Dharma which is unconditioned and without characteristics, without obtaining and without benefit, without birth and without death, without coming and without going, without one who knows, without one who perceives, and without one who acts. There is no perceiving Prajñāpāramitā, nor perceiving a realm of Prajñāpāramitā, being neither realization nor non-realization. It is not composing conceptual Read more [...]

At that time, the Bhagavān spoke to Mañjuśrī, saying, “When you say I am the Tathāgata, do you mean that I have come from suchness?” Mañjuśrī said, “No, Bhagavān, I would not say that the Tathāgata is the one who has come from suchness. Why? There is no appearance of suchness which may be called suchness, and no Tathāgata wisdom which is able to know suchness. Why? The Tathāgata and wisdom are without characteristics of duality. Emptiness is the Tathāgata, only existing as Read more [...]

"It is said that when the Little Buddha is imprinted on the void and on the fragrance, one will receive unlimited merit. What does this mean?"  Bassui: "The student of the Way arouses a wise thought from his empty mind. This is the activity of the Buddha transformation body, the nirmanakaya, within his inherent nature. It is called the Little Buddha. When you turn the light inward, reflecting upon yourself, your analytical mind will return to the void. This is called imprinting the mark of Read more [...]

Upon hearing the Blessed One expound on his eternal-lifespan, the Lotus Sutra goes on to explain in the ensuing chapters how immeasurable sentient beings may draw merit from this realization. (from Chapter 17) At that time the Buddha addressed Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Maitreya, saying: “O Ajita! Those sentient beings who hear about the great length of the Buddha’s lifespan, and can awaken even a single thought of willing acceptance, will all obtain immeasurable merit. If there are sons Read more [...]

Relaxed… But focused… Like an eagle in the sky… With its clear and observant eye… The light-trainee walks the earth and does not allow her mind to depend on anything which is subject to birth and death… Very few, if any, situations affect her… Her keen, sharp dharma-eye can detect the tiniest of demons crossing her way… Revealing their foul nature by observing their petty actions… With a calm, detached and unshakable mind, she continues her life… Calmly and joyfully Read more [...]

Combined with my daily Eremitical Dhyani Buddha Meditations, I’ve been developing a personal breviary of sorts—encompassing daily reflections from Zen Masters as well as passages from both Mahayana and Vajrayana sources, from the Sutrayana and Suttayana. This perpetual series will offer selective passages as well as a brief commentary. First up—from the Mangala-sutta (translated from a work entitled, The Path of Light, by Śāntideva Jan 1, 1909) “Dwelling in a meet land, merit from Read more [...]

  Once a great Zen Master stopped by a money changers shop and asked for a good deal on some foreign coins. The money changer eager to make a fast profit by acts of deceit, regretted his first impulse and bowed deeply. He asked; "Master, I know I serve the lowliest of trades, one that most probably will send me to the unbearable hells of hungry ghosts, but please, I ask you, what do you see in this wretched soul, that in its heart, desires to find the path you walk so effortlessly?" The Read more [...]

Eight: No Merit "Subhūti, what do you think? If a person were to fill the three thousand chiliocosms with the seven kinds of jewels and give them away charitably, wouldn't the merit attained by this person be great?" Subhūti said, "Extremely great, Blessed One. And why? This merit has no nature of merit; therefore the Tathāgata says that this merit is great." The Buddha said: "But if there were a person well-attentive to this sūtra such that he or she could teach a four line verse Read more [...]