The Awakening to Reality Practice Guide and AtR Guide - abridged version

I would like to announce two things:


1) The Awakening to Reality Practice Guide by Nafis Rahman: https://app.box.com/s/zc0suu4dil01xbgirm2r0rmnzegxaitq


2) AtR Guide - abridged version by Pablo Pintabona [partially done, halfway done for Stage 5]: https://atr-abridgedguide.blogspot.com/2021/11/this-is-shortened-version-of-complete.html


I would like to thank these two individuals for their great and compassionate effort to make these compilations. I trust it will be of great benefit for spiritual aspirants who find benefit in the AtR materials.





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Sound, scent, flavor, feeling, are constant absorption [samadhi]

 

Soh Wei Yu

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Zen koan. Case 34 from 撃節録 Jijie lu
I hope to find the Chinese version of this text. It has nice phrases I like, such as 六尘不恶，还同正觉, and a phrase similar to "「见闻觉知无障碍，声香味触常三昧，如鸟空中只么飞，无取、无舍、无憎爱，若会应处本无心，始得名为观自在。」"
34. The ancestral teacher’s six sense data
An ancestral teacher said, “The six sense data are not bad—rather, they are the same as true awakening.” (Eyes see, ears hear—what’s wrong with that?)
Xuedou said, “The staff is a sense object—what’s wrong with that? (This old fellow wants a second ladle of foul water.) Since there’s nothing wrong, the host should be distinguished. (Tertiary—hiding his body, he reveals his shadow.) Therefore it is said that the sixteen-foot golden body is manifest in a pile of trash. Putting this aside for the moment, (An adept teacher of the school after all doesn’t hide his body while revealing his shadow.) Standing like a mile-high wall in the mass of naked flesh, still the first move is forgone. (What end is there to people who play with the spirit?) Even if all-sided, a repeated beating is in order.”
Yuanwu said,
The Poem on Faith in Mind says, “The six sense data are not bad—rather, they are the same as true awakening.” Seeing, hearing, perception and cognition have no obstruction; sound, scent, flavor, feeling, are constant absorption. Yunmen said, “The states of totality are not absorption: the entities having sound, scent, flavor and feeling are on one side; sound, scent, flavor, and feeling are on one side—understanding is biased.” He also said, “This very seeing and hearing itself is not seeing and hearing. There is no sound and form besides to present to you.”
Dongshan said, “One who is not stained in the midst of sense data is a great person.” Yunmen said, “A staff is just called a staff, everything is just called everything.” The companions of mundane toils are seeds of realization of thusness.
The six sense data only get the ignorant—people like those of the two vehicles are like sprouts of burnt seeds, which won’t regrow. Also, Benren said, “Form is not form, sound is not sound; the six sense data are all thus.” Ultimately how is it? “They are the same as true awakening.” Knowledge and noumenon merge, objects and spirit converge. Mind is thus, and objects are also thus—there is no substantiality and no vanity either.
Since there is no fault, it is necessary to distinguish host and guest at the staff. It will not do to be naïve.
“Manifesting the sixteen foot golden body in a heap of trash” is found in Wuben’s sayings. “Standing like a mile high wall in the mass of naked flesh” is a saying of Linji. These two men still had no sovereignty.
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Notes
The sixteen foot golden body refers to an idealized image of Buddha.
The two vehicles refer to Buddhists who remain content with the peace of nirvana.

  • Soh Wei Yu
    "Since there is no fault, it is necessary to distinguish host and guest at the staff."
    Not sure what the original text was. But the realisation of the whole case should be, there is not the slightest hairsbreadth of distinction nor substantial existence of a host and a guest.
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Naropa: 12 SIMILES DESCRIBING THE PHENOMENAL WORLD

 

NAROPA
12 SIMILES DESCRIBING THE PHENOMENAL WORLD
A magic spell, a dream, a gleam before eyes,
A reflection, lightening, an echo, a rainbow,
Moonlight upon water, cloud-land,
dimness before the eyes, fog, and apparitions;
These are the twelve similes of the phenomenal.
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A Critique of Xiao Ping Shi

 

    Soh Wei Yu

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    John tan brought to my attention a taiwanese buddhist cult that he said has infiltrated a lot of temples in Singapore.
    I heard of the name before, my impression is that they are the Chinese version of Dark Zen cult. Very critical and disrespectful of teachings and buddhist masters outside of their group while preaching their atman view as the true view of Buddhadharma, yet ironically not realising that they are holding erroneous tirthika views. I double checked and confirmed my suspicion is true.
    It is the 佛教正覺同修會 group by 萧平实 https://zh.m.wikipedia.org/zh-sg/佛教正覺同修會
    I like Ven Da Zhao’s criticism of this cult’s atman view.
    Excerpt
    http://www.yuanyinsi.cn/yuanyinfatang/fashilunwen/2015-06-22/11576.html
    达摩祖师的《少室六门？血脉论》也说：“问曰：若不见性，念佛、诵经、布施、持戒、精进、广兴福利，得成佛否？答曰：不得。又问：因何不得？答曰：有少法可得，是有为法，是因果，是受报，是轮回法，不免生死，何时得成佛道！成佛须是见性，若不见性，因果等语，是外道法。若是佛，不习外道法。佛是无业人，无因果。但有少法可得，尽是谤佛，凭何得成？但有住着一心、一能、一解、一见，佛都不许。佛无持犯，心性本空，亦非垢净，诸法无修无证，无因无果。”（T48，374a）又说：“佛者，亦名法身，亦名本心。此心无形相、无因果、无筋骨，犹如虚空，取不得，不同质碍，不同外道。”（T48，376a）�总之，在大小乘的各种经论中，决定都没有“第一因”能生一切法的邪见谬论。因为一切法众缘和合，如幻如化，从本以来不生不灭，真如法性如来藏与生死烦恼一切法，譬如水之与波，都是全体相即全体相具的，生即全生，灭亦全灭，当处出生，随处灭尽，离波无水可言，离水无波可得。不能说水为波之第一因，也不能说波是由水“衍生”出来，水与波不能成为能生所生之对立。诸法实相，本来如如；真如实性，也是如如；缘起现象，亦复如如。所谓“诸法如是相、如是性、如是体、如是力、如是作、如是因、如是缘、如是果、如是报、如是本末究竟等。”（T9，5c）如《首楞严经》卷第二说：“一切浮尘，诸幻化相，当处出生，随处灭尽，幻妄称相，其性真为妙觉明体。如是乃至五阴六入，从十二处至十八界，因缘和合虚妄有生，因缘别离虚妄名灭。殊不能知生灭去来，本如来藏常住妙明，不动周圆妙真如性，性真常中求于去来，迷悟死生了无所得。”（T19，114a）亦如《楞伽经》说：“凡夫无智慧，藏识如巨海，业相犹波浪，依彼譬类通。”又说：“譬如海水变，种种波浪转；七识亦如是，心俱和合生。”如是佛法不共外道之根本正见，亦即佛法世界观、人生观之究竟义理，更为大乘佛教之命根所在！�然而，萧平实却把“缘起诸法”与“如来藏阿赖耶识实相”对立起来，譬如把“海水与波浪”对立起来，把缘起诸法当作实相的“衍生物”，把真如实相当作缘起诸法的“生因”，并且认为：如来藏阿赖耶识是宇宙万物生灭现象的“第一因”，缘起诸法是由如来藏阿赖耶识“衍生”出来的。他说：�“你的真如出生蕴处界以后，再与蕴、处、界配合，就能出生一切法。”　（《大乘无我观》第39页）“由于你证得你的自身真如第八识，从这个第八识来观察祂的清净自在、遍一切时不断、能生一切法，而十八界全部由祂所生。”（《我与无我》第39页）“虽然这个色身不是真正的我，但他也不是跟‘真正的我’完全无关，因为他是由那个‘真正的我’生出来的——你的色身是你的第八识所创造出来的。”（《我与无我》第41页）“是故世出世间万法，皆唯八识心王所生，故说万法唯识。”（《宗通与说通》第216页）“故云宗通与说通不离八识心王所生一切法；而此一切法归结于八识心王后，复须归结于八识之根本——第八识阿赖耶。”（《宗通与说通》第217页）“十八界外别有自在心为十八界之因”（《宗通与说通》第82页）“诸法缘起缘灭之因——藏识实相。”（《宗通与说通》第54页）上述的“出生”、“能生”、“所生”、“生出来”、“所创造”等，在萧平实看来，都是“能生与所生相对立”的关系，第八识就是“能创造万物”者，所以就得出了第八识就是“第一因”的谬论。而此处所谓的“因”，就是明确地指“第一因”而言！
    yuanyinsi.cn
    达照法师：邪因外道——萧平实的“造神运动”-元音寺

    17 Comments


    • Yin Ling
    What do they criticise about .. i mean against those outside their group?
    I cannot imagine how can one criticise most of the Buddhist teachings out there 😂

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    Soh Wei Yu
    Yin Ling if i recall correctly he uses strong words and was rudely critical of other masters and teachers but i read it many many years ago so i cant remember what he said
    Also an excerpt from above article
    “后来渐渐看到，一切好事都跟作者本人联系起来，一切坏事都跟现今佛门大德联系起来，除了作者所说之外，已经没有任何佛法可学可修，除了作者创办的正觉同修会之外，根本没有任何地方是真正的佛教道场，这亦与佛法万德庄严相悖逆。再后来终于看清楚在以佛法名相义理为掩护的背后，深深隐藏着他自己“第一因”的邪因外道见，露出了狡猾的狐狸尾巴，实是佛教致深之伤害！”


    • Soh Wei Yu
    Yin Ling ”可见，此人所言之悟，为其自证，并非当代大德公认。相反的是当今台湾佛教界，佛光山开山宗长星云法师，法鼓山宗长圣严法师，台湾中台山惟觉法师，台湾慈济会证言法师，等台湾诸大德公认为"邪师"其见为"邪见"。按其自己在《佛教的危机·自序》中所说：＂．．．藏密各宗各派，以及法道同于藏密应成派中观的佛光山、慈济，法道同于藏密自续派中观的法鼓山、中台山，当然不肯承认自己正是外道，当然异口同声而在私下口耳相传中，诬指平实为外道。．．＂。赫然将当今台湾佛教界四大道场及诸位高僧大德定为外道，反倒只有他一人是正法，诸高僧大德对其异口同声的批评，反倒成了＂诬指＂。其中法鼓山圣严法师，还是他自己口口声声说是自己唯一的师傅。在传戒大会等场合，公开宣布其＂不如法＂。并一再强调＂要远离＂。”
    邪师萧平实、邪教“正觉会”被星云法师、证严法师、惟觉法师共斥为邪魔外道，联合抵制 - 佛教论坛 - 佛教论坛
    SHIXIU.ORG
    邪师萧平实、邪教“正觉会”被星云法师、证严法师、惟觉法师共斥为邪魔外道，联合抵制 - 佛教论坛 - 佛教论坛
    邪师萧平实、邪教“正觉会”被星云法师、证严法师、惟觉法师共斥为邪魔外道，联合抵制 - 佛教论坛 - 佛教论坛

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    • Yin Ling
    Ohhh.. thanks.
    This kind of “only my way is right” arrogance.. 80-90% problematic 😂


    • Soh Wei Yu
    Yeah anything that is not atman is non buddhism. That sort of extremism.
    I bet he read some sutras like mahayana mahaparinivarna sutra without understanding context and then thought the true self atman as I AM is the ultimate and then became like what malcolm said, “dark zen fools”.

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    • William Lim
    Soh Wei Yu, talking about extremism... that's why it's important for people to understand the stages of awakening.
    There is value in the right view of things and understanding the ultimate goal, but there is value in appreciating the various gradation of spiritual milestones too.


    • Soh Wei Yu
    I have aim to translate more things to chinese in future


    • William Lim
    Soh Wei Yu that's great. The stages of awakening (and more importantly, the practise of it) seems to be lacking in Chinese Buddhism.

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    • Glenda Gill
    I like Son (Korea) for the combination of sudden enlightenment and gradual practice. If Chan is focused on Sudden enlightenment that would be sort of the zen equivalent of Advaita. You get a lot of arrogance when you don't blend the conventional world back in to your intellectual understanding of Oneness. I guess that's a stage too though. ❤


    • Soh Wei Yu
    Glenda Gill Advaita can also talk about gradual practice, even if they may hold on to substantialist views. The concept of the need to liberate vasanas is present in the traditional Indian schools. Neo Advaita on the other hand... totally overlook these or the need for practice.

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    • John Tan
    That is y don't over emphasize and exaggerate about the ATR phrases of insights and ended up as one similar to 佛教正觉同会。🤦


    • Robert Dominik Tkanka
    Leaving a comment to bring more attention to the issue.


    • Max Ng
    How come so many of these come from.taiwan


    Soh Wei Yu
    Idk maybe taiwan has less control over religion than mainland
    Each country will have their mainstream and not so mainstream tho
    Even thailand etc
    In mainland they also had the problematic not so buddhist falungong etc


    • Max Ng
    Soh Wei Yu then taiwan is like the korea with regards to christianity. No control means many cults


    • Soh Wei Yu
    Max Ng something like that







    • Soh Wei Yu
    I read the above article by Da Zhao Fa Shi. It is an excellent rebuttal and critique of Xiao Ping Shi and worth going through if anyone has time.
    (I let my iPhone read the text to me, I always listen to long articles or listen to youtube videos when I'm doing things like driving, or taking a shower haha, I use my portable speakers linked to my phone)
    Would be even better if Da Zhao Fa Shi explained how the I AM realization, which is an actual spiritual realization although only on the Clarity aspect of Mind, and not its empty nature, leads to the sort of views that Xiao Ping Shi is holding. It is not just an 'imagined' state but a sort of spiritual realization, the realization of I AM, but not its empty nature, turning it into the ultimate source and ground of being.
    Or as John Tan said before in 2008,
    (3:56 PM) Thusness: There is no Awareness and Sound.
    (3:56 PM) Thusness: Awareness is that Sound. It is because we have certain definition of Awareness that the mind cannot sync Awareness and Sound together.
    (3:56 PM) AEN: icic..
    (3:57 PM) Thusness: When this inherent view is gone, it becomes very clear that Appearance is Awareness, everything is nakedly exposed and unreservedly experienced effortlessly.
    (3:57 PM) AEN: oic..
    (3:58 PM) Thusness: a person hit a bell, no sound is being produced. Mere conditions. 😛
    (3:58 PM) Thusness: Tong, that is awareness.
    (3:58 PM) AEN: icic..
    (3:59 PM) AEN: wat u mean by no sound is being produced
    (3:59 PM) Thusness: u go experience and think lah
    (3:59 PM) Thusness: no point explaining.
    (3:59 PM) AEN: no locality rite, its not produced from something
    (4:00 PM) Thusness: no
    (4:00 PM) Thusness: hitting, bell, person, ears, whatever whatever are summed as 'conditions'
    (4:00 PM) Thusness: necessary for 'sound' to arise.
    (4:00 PM) AEN: icic..
    (4:01 PM) AEN: oh the sound is not externally existing
    (4:01 PM) AEN: but just an arising of condition
    (4:01 PM) Thusness: nor internally existing
    (4:01 PM) AEN: icic
    (4:02 PM) Thusness: then the mind think, 'I' hear.
    (4:02 PM) Thusness: or the mind think I am an independent soul.
    (4:02 PM) Thusness: Without me there is no 'sound'
    (4:02 PM) Thusness: but i am not the 'sound'
    (4:02 PM) Thusness: and the ground reality, the base for all things to arise.
    (4:03 PM) Thusness: this is only half true.
    (4:03 PM) Thusness: a deeper realisation is there is no separation. We treat 'sound' as external.
    (4:03 PM) Thusness: not seeing that as 'conditions'
    (4:03 PM) Thusness: there is no sound out there or in here.
    (4:04 PM) Thusness: it is our subject/object dichotomy way of seeing/analysing/understanding that makes it so.
    (4:04 PM) Thusness: u will have an experience soon. 😛

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