Bodhisattva Hsuan Hua

General forum on the teachings of all schools of Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism. Topics specific to one school are best posted in the appropriate sub-forum.
Nicholas Weeks
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Re: Bodhisattva Hsuan Hua

Post by Nicholas Weeks »

One atmospheric effect of proper Chan meditation:

http://www.cttbusa.org/dharmatalks/electrotherapy.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
May all seek, find & follow the Path of Buddhas.
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Re: Bodhisattva Hsuan Hua

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Avatamsaka Sutra Lecture by Rev. Heng Sure, 6 October, 2012 Live Now
JKhedrup
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Re: Bodhisattva Hsuan Hua

Post by JKhedrup »

Ven. Heng Sure really delivers top quality discourses on very profound sutras. We are fortunate to have Western Sangha with qualities like this. Is is too bad they are so rare!
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Re: Bodhisattva Hsuan Hua

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Master Hua on bodhimandas on the West Coast of N. America:
The Dharma Realm Buddhist Association has established four Bodhimandas in the United States and Canada, which will serve as the bases for the propagation of the Buddhadharma.

1. The City of Ten Thousand Buddhas is Guanyin’s Bodhimanda, with Guanyin Bodhisattva in the primary position and Earth Treasury Bodhisattva in the secondary position.

2. Earth Treasury’s Bodhimanda is in Los Angeles, with Earth Treasury Bodhisattva in the primary position and Guanyin Bodhisattva in the secondary position.

3. Universal Worthy’s Bodhimanda is in Seattle, with Universal Worthy Bodhisattva in the primary position and Manjushri Bodhisattva in the secondary position.

4. Manjushri’s Bodhimanda is in Vancouver, with Manjushri Bodhisattva in the primary position and Universal Worthy Bodhisattva in the secondary position.

The four great Bodhisattvas have come to the Western nations to help the Buddha spread the Dharma and teach people, and to make Buddhism flourish. When all the people believe in Buddhism, they can dispel their thoughts of greed, anger, and delusion. With no greed, no anger, and delusion, the Mind Ground will shine, and the world will be in harmony, free of wars forever.

If someone wants to pay homage to Manjushri Bodhisattva, please come to Vancouver. To pay homage to Universal Worthy Bodhisattva, please come to Seattle. To pay homage to Guanyin Bodhisattva, please come to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. To pay homage to Earth Treasury Bodhisattva, please come to Los Angeles. I hope that all Buddhists will sincerely and reverently pay homage to these four great Bodhisattvas, and diligently study the Buddhadharma.
May all seek, find & follow the Path of Buddhas.
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Re: Bodhisattva Hsuan Hua

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May all seek, find & follow the Path of Buddhas.
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Re: Bodhisattva Hsuan Hua

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Here is how it begins:
Part One: The Road of Cultivation

In cultivating one must be "free of any particular motives in one's actions." Don't have thoughts of greed. Don't be thinking, "I'd like to have it be this way or that way. I'd like to become enlightened. I'd like to get spiritual powers." How could it be so rapid as this? Take the seeds and plant them down in the soil. Then it's necessary to wait for them to slowly grow forth. When the time arrives, then they will naturally ripen. (p.100)
*****
In cultivating, one must look upon it as one's basic responsibility. It's not necessary to be greedy. After a time then one's merit will naturally become perfectly full and the result of bodhi will be able to be perfected. Originally, it may have been that one should have experienced success, but because of excessive greed, on the contrary, one's unable to even chew it all. When one eats it's necessary to eat one bite at a time. If one takes a whole bowl of rice and stuffs all of it in one's mouth, jamming it into one's mouth so that there's no space in there at all, you tell us, how are you going to eat it? When you go to chew it, you won't even be able to move your mouth! How much the less would you be able to swallow it down. Eating is the simplest of similes. This is what's meant by, "When one's too greedy, one bites off more than he can chew." (p.101)
May all seek, find & follow the Path of Buddhas.
JKhedrup
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Re: Bodhisattva Hsuan Hua

Post by JKhedrup »

Why didn't the Master establish a temple in Toronto?

Bummer :(
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Re: Bodhisattva Hsuan Hua

Post by Nicholas Weeks »

Yep - I think the only one on the East Coast is near Washington DC.
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JKhedrup
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Re: Bodhisattva Hsuan Hua

Post by JKhedrup »

To me it is actually a shame that DRBA was not a little bit more ambitious with its founding of temples in the West. It is the only Chinese Mahayana organization that I think has the potential to appeal to Westerners on a broad scale.
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Re: Bodhisattva Hsuan Hua

Post by shaunc »

Thanks for posting this Will. I love the way a lot of Chinese Buddhism seem to mix & match from different traditions & dare I say it even different religions (Taoism & Confucionism).
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Re: Bodhisattva Hsuan Hua

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More on principles of Cultivation :
In cultivating the Way, if one is unable to change one's faults, then this is just the same as not cultivating the Way at all. In studying the Buddha Dharma, if one is unable to realize one's own faults and the necessity of change them, then this is just the same as not studying the Buddha Dharma at all. In this connection, there is the so-called, "Having gone through fifty years one then realizes the forty-nine years of faults." If one realizes the points where one has been wrong in what one has practiced and done in the past; anyone who experiences this kind of feeling is a person who possesses wisdom. The road of the future is then full of an immeasurable amount of brightness. If on the other hand one does not realize where one has been wrong in the past, this person will remain confused for the rest of his life.
May all seek, find & follow the Path of Buddhas.
JKhedrup
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Re: Bodhisattva Hsuan Hua

Post by JKhedrup »

Thanks Will for that last one, I will post the master's words on facebook as they bear repeating :twothumbsup: . Often we do not see the forest through the trees with our approach to the study and application of the Buddhist teachings. Dharma is not merely the accumulation of knowledge, the endurance of austerity, the accumulation of seniority, proximity or position. True dharma is necessarily a process of transformation and purification.

Geshe Sonam often presents practical dharma as 3 basic points in his introductory courses:

1. Purification of negativity
2. Accumulation of merit
then, based on the increased positive potential that comes from cultivating those two, the third point:
3. Recognizing and decreasing faults, and identifying and increasing positive mental qualities.
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jonaz108
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Re: Bodhisattva Hsuan Hua

Post by jonaz108 »

The first time I saw a picture of Venerable Master Hsuan Hua,
I become strangely attracted.
But after I read His teachings, I became very fond of Him.
All glories to Venerable Master Hsuan Hua! :bow:
Since I live in Portugal, I can only answer to posts between 9:00 and 20:00 (0º UTC).
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Re: Bodhisattva Hsuan Hua

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It is wonderful that some recognize the Noble Hua.
We people are all of the opinion that we are engaged in doing good works. But in reality, it is not certain that they really are good works. Why is this. It is because the seed is not pure. If you employ greedy thoughts in your doing of good works, this is what's known as a case of the seeds being impure. If you use a mind which takes pleasure in supremacy over others in the doing of good works, this too is a case of the seeds being impure. Then what is one to do? One just needs to be "free of any particular motives in one's actions." Whatever we are doing, it's just our basic responsibility. Don't engage in externally-directed seeking. Don't have anything which you are seeking to get out of it.
May all seek, find & follow the Path of Buddhas.
muni
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Re: Bodhisattva Hsuan Hua

Post by muni »

Will wrote:It is wonderful that some recognize the Noble Hua.
We people are all of the opinion that we are engaged in doing good works. But in reality, it is not certain that they really are good works. Why is this. It is because the seed is not pure. If you employ greedy thoughts in your doing of good works, this is what's known as a case of the seeds being impure. If you use a mind which takes pleasure in supremacy over others in the doing of good works, this too is a case of the seeds being impure. Then what is one to do? One just needs to be "free of any particular motives in one's actions." Whatever we are doing, it's just our basic responsibility. Don't engage in externally-directed seeking. Don't have anything which you are seeking to get out of it.
Own minds' opinions its suffering or wisdoms' compassion. May all be free from the first, all in equality.

"Don't engage in externally-directed seeking" *

With gratitude. :namaste:
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yan kong
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Re: Bodhisattva Hsuan Hua

Post by yan kong »

JKhedrup wrote:Why didn't the Master establish a temple in Toronto?

Bummer :(
Dharma Drum mountain has several centers in North America, even one in Toronto I believe.

Don't mean to derail the thread
FP
"Meditation is a spiritual exercise, not a therapeutic regime... Our intention is to enter Nirvana, not to make life in Samsara more tolerable." Chan Master Hsu Yun
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Luke
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Re: Bodhisattva Hsuan Hua

Post by Luke »

Here is a quote by Hsuan Hua, which I find beautiful and hugely inspiring!

"In Buddhism, we should unite the Southern and Northern traditions. From now on, we won't refer to Mahayana or Theravada. Mahayana is the "Northern Tradition" and Theravada is the "Southern Tradition." [...] Both the Southern and the Northern Traditions' members are disciples of the Buddha, we are the Buddha's descendants. As such, we should do what Buddhists ought to do. [...] No matter the Southern or the Northern Tradition, both share the common purpose of helping living beings bring forth the Bodhi-mind, to put an end to birth and death, and to leave suffering and attain bliss."


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hsuan_Hua

The wikipedia page says that this quote is from an address Hsuan Hua gave to Ajahn Sumedho and the monastic community at Amaravati Buddhist Monastery on October 6, 1990. Does anyone have a copy of his whole speech?
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Re: Bodhisattva Hsuan Hua

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Re: Bodhisattva Hsuan Hua, autobiographical notes

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Re: Bodhisattva Hsuan Hua

Post by Lotus415 »

Unfortunately his centers, at least the one in San Francisco doesn't seem very open to non Asians. I am white, practice pure land at home and have tried to go there but felt not very welcome. Any ideas why? I was a bit disappointed....
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