Question:
Nowadays monks all say, "We follow the Buddhist teaching, and study a scripture, a treatise, a meditation, a rule, a knowledge, an understanding - we should receive the offerings of the four necessities of life from patrons."
Do you think they can digest the offerings?
Baizhang said:
. . . If you create a view of Buddha or a view of Dharma, or views of anything at all, existent, nonexistent, or whatever, these are called the (illusory) visions of the eye-diseased; because of what is seen, they are also called the enclosure of views, the lid of views, and also the affliction of views.
. . . If you do not have even a single thought giving rise to ideas of others and self, yet abide in the absence of even a single thought and consider that right, this is called defilement by the dust of the Dharma. Even people in the tenth stage of bodhisattvahood cannot get rid of this completely, and flow into the river of birth and death. This is why I always urge everyone to fear the affliction by the dust of Dharma as you would fear the states of hell beings, hungry ghosts, and animals - they you will have a share of independence
Another checklist time, let's see how it jibes with the notes you dutifully took when reading.
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Affliction of Views--Religions are 'enclosures of views' about reality, about Buddha, enlightenment, anything whatsoever that depend on subservience to them. Buddhism, therefore, is a mortal affliction of those unable to digest the teaching of Zen Master Buddha.
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Affliction of Dharma--Absently dwelling in a state of quietude and chasing after emptiness is a far greater affliction than having demons, ghosts, or animals in your background. This is truly the affliction of the Level 5 Laser Lotus that Buddhists aspire to one day achieve.
The "flow into the river of birth and death" in the second portion is interesting. One of you give us a sermon on that.
Submitted May 02, 2021 at 04:09PM by ThatKir https://ift.tt/3e96MRi
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