Wake Up and Laugh!

Here’s another excerpt from the Dharma talk I’m helping with now. It’s a wonderful teaching, that helps ground us in the most fundamental aspect of spiritual practice. It may not seem so sexy or exciting, but it is the basis that can keep us growing and moving forward.

Questioner: Thank you for this opportunity to see you in person. My son (indicating the boy next to her) is about the enter high school, but I’m worried because he often feels uneasy and his attention seems to wander. Is there anything I can do to help this?

Daehaeng Kun Sunim: Young man, please listen carefully. Do you suppose that tree(pointing) has any roots, or not?

Boy: I’m sure it does.

Daehaeng Kun Sunim: Yes, although we can’t usually see them because they’re covered with dirt, right?

Well, each human being also has their own, unseen root. We call this foundation by lots of names, such as true self or the true doer, but it is this root that can guide you and take care of you.

Within your body there are untold numbers of other life-forms, and its their consciousnesses that disturb you and cause your attention to wander. These are karmic states of consciousness, like karmic echos, but when you have faith in your root and entrust everything to it, it can guide all the lives in your body and cause them to work together harmoniously.

Remind yourself that, “It’s you, true nature, my root, that can guide me, and it’s you that can help me get through school. You’re the one that can let me perceive what’s really going on, and respond as needed.” And entrust it with whatever situation you find yourself in.

This true nature is your root and your source. It’s your eternal, best friend, and is never apart from you.

(later, to a parent whose son showed no interest in spiritual practice)

Anyway, it would be better for you to entrust the following, “This true nature, Juingong, will help him find the bright light within himself.” If you truly let go and entrust this, then it will be communicated and he will start to see his own light.

A real understanding is more like electric current flowing without any hindrance when two wires have been connected to each other. Communication and understanding just flow back and forth.

I’m helping to translate a new talk by Seon Master Daehaeng, and I came across this great piece:

Some of you only pay lip service to the idea of your inherent nature, and then come and tell me things like your son hasn’t returned home, or a sick person isn’t getting any better. What am I, a doctor? No. It’s your own true foundation, that can manifest according to your need, so why wouldn’t it manifest itself as doctor?

If you are sick, it will become a doctor for you, if you need to live longer, it will become the god of the Big Dipper. If you need a guide in the realm of the dead, it will become Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva for you. If you are desperately poor or in trouble, it will become Avalokitesvara for you. If you are at sea and need help, it will become the dragon spirit in order to help you. It will become the kitchen god, the earth spirit, and so on, no matter what your need may be.

So then, what’s wrong with you? What’s missing? The only thing that was wrong was how you used your mind. So. How you want to use your mind is completely up to you, as is how you want to address the things you face. These are opportunities for you to grow and develop; don’t cheat yourself by looking for someone else to take care of them.

The English lectures on the Thousand Hands Sutra concluded last Thursday with a summary lecture over the last part of the book. I’m going to be traveling for a bit, so I won’t have time to record that lecture right away, but when I return, I’ll record another three lectures and cover the last section of this Sutra. I hope this has been helpful, and a learning experience!

Below is a link to a recording of the full sutra, without commentary.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BwEuidbLSTnhWnVKNjJUMGlUZzA

I realized that I forgot to post the recording for the seventh week of this series of talks, so here it is. This was a fun one, so I hope you enjoy it!

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BwEuidbLSTnhelR3Um9TQUw3c1U

My one mind is the Bodhisattva of
Compassion, so I return to my one mind
and rely upon it.

If I entrust everything I’m searching for
to my one mind,
I will realize that the path I seek is in
everything around me,
and inherently “I” does not exist,
so there is no need to obtain something else.
I will find the one who says
there is no need to obtain something else.

My one mind is the Bodhisattva of
Compassion, so I return to my one mind
and rely upon it.

“Living” “Dying”
Such things are not my true essence.
Thus I will achieve one mind,
which transcends all distinctions
such as realms of the living and the dead.

My one mind is the Bodhisattva of
Compassion, so I return to my one mind
and rely upon it.

Virtue, precepts, and actions in harmony
with the Dharma
are all done through mind.
I vow to attain these without delay.

My one mind is the Bodhisattva of
Compassion, so I return to my one mind
and rely upon it.

One mind,
the Way that isn’t a fixed path,
it’s inherent brightness is never troubled
by birth and death.
I vow to realize one mind without delay.

My one mind is the Bodhisattva of
Compassion, so I return to my one mind
and rely upon it.

Let me know that all Buddhas exist
within my one mind,
the place where enlightenment is attained.

My one mind hears and answers
all the cries of the world,
so I return to my one mind and rely upon it.

This weeks Dharma talk is about the core of the Thousand Hands Sutra, the Great Compassion Dharani. It’s a truly wonderful poem, and even more impressive teaching as well as signpost for which direction we need to go. This dharani has been popular across asia, and it was said that reciting it would bring blessings and protection from evil. I think you’ll agree that deeply inputing this within us would certainly bring good things!

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BwEuidbLSTnhQVZsY002Rlk2cWM

Here’s this weeks recording of my talk on the Thousand Hands Sutra. On one hand, the text is fairly straight forward at this point, yet on the other, it’s still incredibly deep. There are views and information here that are just so far beyond the usual, dualistic way we tend to think.

In the next episode, we’ll look at the heart of the Thousand Hands Sutra, the Great Compassion Dharani, so be sure to catch these last two talks. (It’s really good!)

This series of talks is only going until the start of the meditation retreat season, so there will only be two more episodes after this one – this coming week, and May 12th.

May 5th will be the fourth anniversary memorial service for Daehaeng Kun Sunim, so there won’t be an English Dharma talk that day. But this series of talks will pick up again with last part of the sutra.  
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BwEuidbLSTnhY3R4UDJjMlFSR2s

Through one mind I take refuge in
Buddha, who watches over and takes care
of all material and nonmaterial realms.

I take refuge in Buddha and one mind,
which encompasses the endless universe
and all things with life and without.

I take refuge in one mind,
with a thousand hands
it ceaselessly takes care of all things.

I take refuge in one mind,
remaining just as it is
it ceaselessly takes care of all things.

I take refuge in one mind,
with all-embracing harmony
it saves all beings everywhere.

I take refuge in one mind,
which completely looks after all beings
throughout the world and universe.

I take refuge in one mind,
with a single thought
transcending time and space,
it nurtures all.

I take refuge in one mind,
endlessly giving light to all.

I take refuge in one mind,
it guides all life to the bright path,
which is neither longer nor shorter,
sooner nor later.

I take refuge in one mind,
always protecting us,
it enriches us
and gives us the taste of the Dharma.

I take refuge in one mind,
free of all forms and shapes
it is able to become anything.

Like the love of a Bodhisattva,
the thoughts one mind gives rise to
embrace everything throughout all realms.

I take refuge in one mind,
the all embracing treasure of compassion.

I take refuge in Buddha-nature,
my center, foundation, and teacher,
which transcends existence and
nonexistence,
and through which enlightenment is attained.
(repeated three times)

Here’s this week’s talk on the Sutra of the Thousand Hands of Compassion. This week it features what I jokingly (sort of) call the “hell-set”, a series of verses about how the handle the hellish states of mind that arise. Take a listen and I hope you find it helpful.

with palms together,
Chong Go

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BwEuidbLSTnhazVoQUhISk1UU1k

My one mind hears and answers
all the cries of the world,
so I return to my one mind and rely upon it.

Mind freely manifests and functions everywhere.
Let me discover that all enlightened
teachers are my one mind.

Should the hell of knives arise within my mind,
let the all embracing energy of one mind
cause this hell to collapse.

A single thought causes my mind
to fall into the hell of boiling water,
but when that thought is dissolved,
this hell also collapses.

All of the hell realms within my mind
vanish
as the thoughts that gave rise to them
are extinguished.

When my mind acts like a hungry ghost,
my one mind can embrace that consciousness.
Experiencing oneness,
it is truly fulfilled.

When I rely upon my one mind for everything,
should the mind of an evil spirit arise within me,
it will willingly surrender to my one mind.

Should the mind of an animal arise within me,
let me learn the truth of non-duality
through the deep wisdom of one mind.

Through one mind I take refuge in
Buddha, who watches over and takes care
of all material and nonmaterial realms.

Here’s this week’s Dharma talk about the Thousand Hands Sutra (okay, it’s sort of last week’s talk, just finished now, but hey, I was busy! 🙂 )

The link to the audio file is below, but give the written text some time, go ahead and slowly write it down, and the meaning will sink down within you, reverberating inside. Really!

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BwEuidbLSTnhTkI5R21jQnN0QTg

Believing in my one mind
and following its profound truth,
I will become free from all attachments
and able to use
the infinite ability within me.

My one mind
is the Bodhisattva of Compassion,
so I return to my one mind
and rely upon it.

Believe and believe in this one mind,
give rise to firm intention,
and everything will be accomplished.

My one mind
is the Bodhisattva of Compassion,
so I return to my one mind
and rely upon it.

If I believe and believe,
and follow my one mind,
wisdom will burst forth
and the path to freedom will become clear.

My one mind
is the Bodhisattva of Compassion,
so I return to my one mind
and rely upon it.

If I believe and follow
only my one mind,
I can become one with continuously
arising unenlightened beings,
and in so doing, save them all.

My one mind
is the Bodhisattva of Compassion,
so I return to my one mind
and rely upon it.

If I entrust all of the vows I have made
to my one mind,
I will surely become a Buddha.

Hi everyone! Here’s the link and text to this week’s talk about the Thousand Hands Sutra.

( I’m working on putting together a system for better quality recordings, and I think I’m at the stage where I need to work on a sound booth of sorts. If anyone has any experience with this, suggestions are welcome! )

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BwEuidbLSTnhWXFsVmF0UGpkZVU

The foundation of the Earth
is our one mind,
The foundation of the sun
is our one mind,
How could there be something
not taken care of
by our one mind?

The source of the entire universe
is our one mind;
it guides every single thing
in this interconnected world.

All minds are one,
it manifests every moment
and shows me the path.

The foundation of the universe
is my one mind.
It manifests every instant
illuminating the path for all beings,
both those with life and without.

My one mind is the root of all things.
All things arise from it,
so all things I will completely entrust to it.
This letting go
fills my heart with light.

Inherently there is no path to find,
nor obstacles to overcome.
One mind is the foundation,
so just as it is,
it is truth
and fully present throughout my life.

Knowing that the wisdom
and enlightenment of all Buddhas
is my one mind,
I fully trust my one mind
and follow its compassionate guidance.

Here’s this week’s talk about the Thousand Hands Sutra. It goes back over the last three verses from last week, and after those I talk about the history of the Thousand Hands Sutra for a while. I was talking without notes, so if there’s some aspect you’d like to know about in more detail, go ahead and ask in the comments. Thanks!

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BwEuidbLSTnhTndHeG9HaUhWWm8