chotrul duchen

2008-02-21T01:26:00.009-05:00

Tonight's full moon marks the celebration of Chotrul Duchen, one of the four Buddhist holidays celebrating the "great deeds" of Buddha Shakyamuni 2,600 years ago. For the first fifteen days of the new year, the Buddha performed a miracle each day to increase the devotion and the merit of his students.

heart sutra

2008-02-11T15:02:00.000-05:00

The Victorious Conqueror's

Perfection of Wisdom Gone Beyond

Thus I have heard: The Victorious Conqueror was at the King's castle on Vulture Peak, together with a great gathering of monks and a great gathering of bodhisattvas.

At that time the great bodhisattva, exalted Avalokiteshvara, himself completely accomplished in the deep wisdom gone beyond, saw the five earthly heaps, and saw that they were, by their very nature, completely empty.

Thereupon, by the power of Buddha, honorable Shariputra spoke thus to the great bodhisattva, the exalted Avalokiteshvara, “Noble son, how should a person be taught in order to attain the deep knowledge gone beyond?” That said, Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara said to Shariputra: “Shariputra, noble men and noble women, a person who desires to attain the deep wisdom gone beyond shall see in exactly this way; he shall see that the five heaps are, in reality, by their very nature, completely empty.

“Form is emptiness. Emptiness is form. Form is not other than emptiness, emptiness is not other than form. Of this nature are also feeling, cognition, conception, and consciousness. Shariputra, in this way all dharmas are empty, without essential characteristics. They are not born, not ceasing, without defilement or expiation of defilement, undiminished, uncompleted. Shariputra, in this way, in emptiness there is no form, no feeling, no cognition, no conception, no consciousness. There is no eye, no ear, no nose, no tongue, no body, no mind, no shape, no sound, no color, no flavor, no feeling, nor any property. There is no dhatu of eye up to no dhatu of mind; nor is there mind-vijnana dhatu. No ignorance; from no cessation of ignorance to no old age and death; including no cessation of old age and death. Of that nature are also suffering, misery and sin, and cessation.

“There is no path, no wisdom, no attainment, and no non-attainment. Shariputra, in this way all buddhas, because of their non-attainment abide firmly by Prajnaparamita. They are without mental obscurations and are unafraid; they are truly passed beyond confusion and suffering. Buddhas residing in the past, present, and future, abiding in Prajnaparamita, have become buddhas of supreme and complete enlightenment. Thus the Prajnaparamita mantra, the mantra of great knowledge, the unexceeded mantra, the unequaled mantra, the mantra that truly assuages all suffering, true and wise, is said in this way:

tayatha. gate gate paragate para sum gate bodhi soha

Shariputra, this is how bodhisattvas teach Prajnaparamita.” Thereupon, the Victorious Conqueror arose from deep meditation and blessed Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara thus: “ Well done, well done! Noble son, that is so; noble son, that is ever so. By thus adhering to Prajnaparamita you shall become accomplished. You will look at everything this way and rejoice.” The Buddha having thus spoken, Shariputra and Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, the sangha, gods, men, asuras and devas were joyful, and praised the Buddha's speech.

liberation upon seeing

2008-02-09T11:35:00.000-05:00

happy losar

2008-02-07T00:01:00.000-05:00

happy losar
new moon
beginnings
ah

the last day

2008-02-06T13:05:00.001-05:00

& commencing on the last day of year,

according to Tibetan reckoning this is the day to come clean in

body, speech & mind,

(& dust-bunnies under the bed)

tomorrow starts a new year!

start fresh, earth rats!

(& other sentient beings)

not both, not neither

2008-02-04T12:25:00.000-05:00

this is the first blog of not~one~not~two
welcome &
SEE if you would like to enter into a stream of mindful interactions...
starting here & now

not one not two