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Reading The Flower Adornment Sutra, Book 16
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Book 16 - Religious Practice
Thomas Cleary translation.
The talk centers on a detailed analysis of religious practice from the perspective of the "Flower Adornment Sutra," Book 16, exploring whether specific elements such as body, speech, mind, and the traditional Buddhist doctrines can be considered pure religious practice. It argues for the importance of non-attachment and the contemplation of the formless truth, emphasizing the emptiness and non-duality inherent in religious practice. The discourse encourages understanding the Buddha's teachings as equanimous and suggests that fulfilling the qualities of Buddhahood can be understood as pure religious practice.
Referenced Work:
- "Flower Adornment Sutra," Book 16: Religious Practice, translated by Thomas Cleary
- This text is central to the discussion, where religious practice is examined through the lens of enlightenment and Buddhist teachings. It challenges conventional notions by questioning whether elements like the body, action, speech, and traditional Buddhist constructs form the essence of pure religious practice, advocating instead for contemplation that acknowledges emptiness and non-duality.
AI Suggested Title: Embracing Emptiness in Religious Practice
Book 16. Religious Practice. Then the godly right mindfulness said to the enlightening being truth wisdom. In all worlds, enlightening beings, following the teaching of the enlightened ones, dye their clothing and leave home to become mendicants. How can they attain purity of religious practice and from the state of enlightening reach the path of unexcelled enlightenment? Truth wisdom said, great enlightening beings, when performing religious practice, should attentively contemplate ten things objectively. The body, physical action, speech, verbal action, mind, mental action, Buddha, the Dharma, the Sangha, and the precepts. They should contemplate in this way. Is the body religious practice? And so
[01:07]
on down to, are precepts religious practice? If the body were religious practice, then religious practice would be not good. It would not be the true teaching. It would be defiled. It would be impure. It would be foul. It would be unclean. It would be disgusting. It would be intractable. It would be defined. It would be a corpse. It would be a mass of microbes. If physical action were religious practice, then religious practice would be walking, standing, sitting, lying down, looking around, up and down. If speech were religious practice, then religious practice would be sound and breath, chest, tongue, lips, exhalation and inhalation, constriction and relaxation, high and low, clear and unclear. If verbal activity were religious practice, then religious practice
[02:13]
would be greetings, summary explanations, extensive explanations, metaphorical explanations, direct explanations, praise, criticism, definitions, explanations accommodated to conventions, clear explanations. If the mind were religious practice, then religious practice would be consideration and pondering, discrimination, various discriminations, conception, various conceptions, thought, various thoughts, acts of illusion and dreams. If mental activity were religious practice, then religious practice would be ideas, cold and heat, hunger and thirst, pain and pleasure, sorrow and joy. If Buddha is religious practice, is material form to be considered Buddha? Is sensation Buddha? Is conception Buddha?
[03:19]
Is action Buddha? Our spiritual powers Buddha? Our works Buddha? Our resulting consequences Buddha? If the Dharma is religious practice, is extinction the Dharma? Is nirvana the Dharma? Is non birth the Dharma? Is non origination the Dharma? Is inexplicability the Dharma? Is non-discrimination the Dharma? Is non-action the Dharma? Is non-conjunction the Dharma? If the Sangha is religious practice, is heading for stream entering the Sangha? Is the fruit of stream entering the Sangha? Is heading for the state of once returner the Sangha? Is the fruit of once returner the Sangha? Is heading for the state of non returner the
[04:24]
Sangha? Is the fruit of non returner the Sangha? Is heading for sainthood the Sangha? Is the fruit of sainthood the Sangha? Are those with the three super-knowledges, the Sangha? Are those with the six paranormal powers, the Sangha? If the precepts are religious practice, is the ordination alter the precepts? Is asking about purity the precepts? Is teaching proper manners the precepts? Is the three-fold repetition the precepts? Is the instructor the precepts? Is the tutor the precepts? Is shaving off the hair the precepts? Is putting on monastic garb the precepts? Is begging the precepts? Is right livelihood the precepts?
[05:24]
Having contemplated thus, having no attachment to the body, no clinging to practice, no dwelling on doctrine, the past gone, the future not yet arrived, the present empty, there is no doer, no receiver of consequences, this time doesn't move, another time doesn't shift, what thing is therein to be called religious practice? Where does religious practice come from? Where is it? Who is the body? By whom is it performed? Does it exist? Does it not exist? Is it form? Is it not form? Is it sensation? Is it not sensation? Is it conception? Is it not conception? Is it action? Is it not action?
[06:27]
Is it consciousness? Is it not consciousness? Contemplating in this way, because the reality of religious practice cannot be apprehended, because the things of past, present, and future are all empty, because the intellect has no attachment, because the mind has no obstruction, because the sphere of operation is non-dual, because expedient means are free, because of acceptance of formless truth, because of contemplation of formless truth, because of knowing the Buddha's teaching is equanimous, because of fulfilling all qualities of Buddhahood is such practice called pure religious practice.
[07:21]
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