Tag Archives: Prajñā

The Puppeteer

Posted on April 5, 2022 by Vajragoni

“Wise Protector, a wooden puppet strung up somewhere can give a variety of performances, such as walking, prancing, jumping, throwing, playing, and dancing. What do you think? By whose power can the wooden puppet do so?” read more

Posted in The Elucidation of Consciousness | Tagged dharmadhatu, Prajñā, Puppeteer | Leave a comment

Unborn Mind Zen on Vulture´s peak.

Posted on June 6, 2019 by Tozen

Finishing the ritual sharing of the green tea, the Master put down his cup, picked up his staff and pointed at my face. The gesture was so fast and perfectly executed, I failed to see where the staff started and ended up a mere inch in front of my nose as if it had materialized from a seemingly nowhere into a sudden somewhere. read more

Posted in Tozen Teaching, Zen | Tagged Prajñā, Self, True Self, Unborn Mind, Zen | Leave a comment

Prajñā

Posted on January 1, 2019 by Vajragoni

Image by Lori Gardi

As long as there is something attained, there is so much error rising; when the Mind itself is thoroughly understood, error neither rises nor ceases.

The perennial problem often with zen-adepts is that some form of objective needs to be met—something to strive after and thus something attainable. Mystically this is very faulty reasoning because there really is no-thing out there to be attained, it’s a form of objective fallacy. The great Hui Hai once put this to rest by proclaiming, knowing that there is nothing attainable or achievable is the Self-Realization of the Dharmakaya of the Buddhadharma. Furthermore, Anuttarasamyaksambodhi is thus a Self-Perfection that is beyond both the attainable/ [Un]attainable. read more

Posted in A Mystical Odyssey through the Sagathakam | Tagged Bodhiprajñā, Heart Sutra, Hui Hai, Prajñā, prajnaparamita, Tozen | Leave a comment

Having Faith in the Tathāgata-garbha

Posted on November 14, 2017 by Vajragoni

Within this series we have encountered the seven Vajra-points that essentially constitutes the main leitmotiv of the Ratnagotravibhāgaśāstra, which is the core make-up and teachings of the Tathāgata-garbha: read more

Posted in The Ratnagotravibhāgaśāstra | Tagged Adhimukti, Amitayus, faith, kleśa-jñeyāvaraṇas, Prajñā, prajna-paramita, sambodhi, Śuddhasattva, tathagata-garbha, The Wise-Ones | Leave a comment

The Dharmakaya of the Buddhadharma

Posted on February 12, 2017 by Vajragoni

15. Q: It states in The Vaipulya Sutra that there are five kinds of Dharmakaya: The Dharmakaya of the Absolute; the Dharmakaya of merit; the Dharmakaya of the Dharma-nature; the Dharmakaya of Infinite Transformations; and the Dharmakaya of voidness. Which of these is in reference to our own bodies?
A: To arrive at the awareness that Mind can neither be created nor destroyed is the hallmark of the Dharmakaya of the Absolute. To awaken to the realization that Mind encompasses all things is known as the Dharmakaya of merit. Discerning that Mind is not mind and its discriminations is to Self-realize the Dharmakaya of True Dharma-nature. Teaching the Buddhadharma to sentient beings according to their potential (through expedient means) is the Dharmakaya of Infinite Transformations. The comprehension that Mind is neither being nor non-being, formless and imperceptible is the Dharmakaya of the void. Once again, to fully absorb this teaching, remember that it is not something to be achieved. Thus, knowing that there is nothing attainable or achievable is the Self-Realization of the Dharmakaya of the Buddhadharma. Therefore, anyone who assumes that they can grasp and somehow self-accomplish this without Noble Buddha-gnosis are those who uphold such perverted heterodox belief-systems and are thusly anathema to the Way of the Unborn. The Vimalakirti Nirdesha Sutra states that when Shariputra inquired of a devakanya, “What is it that you have attained that has afforded you supernatural powers?”…the devakanya responded, “even though I have not gained or achieved anything in such matters, I am who I truly am in the Unborn.” read more

Posted in The Zen Teaching of Instantaneous Awakening | Tagged Buddhayana, Diamond Sutra, ekabuddhayāna, no-Dharma to expound, One-Vehicle, Prajñā, Tathagata's five-fold vision | Leave a comment

Coming in March 2016: Korean Sŏn

Posted on February 20, 2016 by Vajragoni

Sŏn is the Korean pronunciation of the Sanskrit, Dhyāna. Sŏn is also comparable with samādhi although it takes on a different connotation from our usual rendering. Tsung-mi expounds that it is a comprehensive equation for both samādhi and prajña. Sŏn’s primary task is the recollection of the original Mind Source, one’s own Buddha-nature. One’s awakening in this endeavor is akin to prajña, while the cultivation of this Mind-ground is samādhi. Chinul, whose teachings are the spotlight this series, asserts that samādhi and prajña are constitutive of the threefold training of śīla, samādhi and prajña just outlined. read more

Posted in Korean Sŏn, Spirituality | Tagged Chinul, Prajñā, samadhi, sīla, Sŏn | 1 Comment

This great mystery called Mind

Posted on April 3, 2014 by Tozen

When pursuing your Minds true nature, what you review as precious experience born out of decades of trial and error, is all but an illusion. read more

Posted in Tozen Teaching | Tagged Karma, luminous body, Mind, Prajñā, Unborn, Unborn Mind, Zen | 4 Comments

The Generation of the Bodhibindu

Posted on August 29, 2013 by Vajragoni

SIX: THE GENERATION OF THE BODHIBINDU

Beloved and Immaculate Arya Tārā is the Sacred Vessel through which the Buddha-potential originates and is nurtured. She is ARYA—the Noble Liberator—and her Blessed Bodhi-Womb—GARBHA—houses the Self-Liberating activity. Like a mother she knows her children’s potential as Buddha-nature, and her activity as the Holy Matrix houses the Primordial Wisdom (Prajñā) that removes the veil of ignorance from all future children destined for Tathagatahood. She is the Mediatrix of all Buddhaic Blessings and as such embodies the bodhipower of all Buddhas. She is Arya Tārā—the Tārā beyond time, space and all conceptualizations. Her Bodhi-Womb is made of Unborn Light—transparent—yet always Vibrantly Productive in its Luminous Actuosity. As the Hallowed Ground of the Tathagatas she is the very nature of the Dharmadhatu Itself. read more

Posted in The Tathāgatagarbhatārā Tantra | Tagged Abhisambodhi, bindu, Bodhi, Dharmadhatu Itself, EVAṀ, Mediatrix, Prajñā, Tathagatas, upaya, Vishvavajra | Leave a comment

Tozen: Dharma from the other shore…3

Posted on August 21, 2013 by Tozen

Master, please explain the difference between Enlightenment and practice [of it],…and the difference between Prajna and Prana?” read more

Posted in Tozen Teaching | Tagged Avatamsaka Sutra, deathless, Dharma, India, Prajñā, Prana, Tozen | Leave a comment

Foundations: The Tathāgatagarbhatārā Tantra

Posted on August 15, 2013 by Vajragoni

The Vajrayana essentially follows the old principle of hermetic magic, ‘as above so below’. By manipulating the mundane consciousness, it effectively induces change on the spiritual level. By reconstructing the mundane environment as a reflection of the Enlightened Mind, it imbues ordinary mind with a sacred quality. Although this reconstruction of the normal channels of consciousness is by no means an easy affair. One can easily get burned in the practice of Tantra. Unless one’s karma is somehow immaculately pristine and devoid of adventitious defilements—an unlikely scenario—then long time preparation in the foundation of Sutrayana, as well as many years spent experiencing Dhyāna and Deep Samādhis, is a good prerequisite before embarking on the spiritual trek of the Vajrayana. read more

Posted in The Tathāgatagarbhatārā Tantra | Tagged Arya Tārā, Completion Stage, Diamond Being, Five Wisdom Tathagatas, Generation Stage, Govinda, Holy Matrix, Luminative Princple, Prajñā, Sacred Gnosis, Sādhana, Tantric Body, Tathāgatagarbha, Ten Stages, upaya, Vajradhara Buddha, Vajrasattva | Leave a comment