眾生無邊誓願度
煩惱無盡誓願斷
法門無量誓願學
佛道無上誓願成

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Dharma Teachings

20 Jul 2018    Friday     1st Teach Total 755

The Four Great Zen Illnesses

The Four Meditative Maladies: Stopping, Making, Letting Be, and Extinguishing.

Stopping: The meditation on Tathāgatagarbha is not something that exists when mental distractions are stopped and ceases when they are not. Tathāgatagarbha inherently exists regardless of whether the mind is stilled or not.

Making: The meditation on Tathāgatagarbha is not something cultivated through practice; it is inherently present. No matter how the conscious mind struggles, Tathāgatagarbha naturally exists.

Letting Be: Tathāgatagarbha cannot be found or sought by letting the conscious mind wander freely, following conditions at will, without cultivating merit, meditative concentration, or the six pāramitās. Although Tathāgatagarbha is not cultivated, it cannot be realized without cultivation.

Extinguishing: Tathāgatagarbha inherently exists, constantly manifesting and functioning at all times. It is not revealed or made present by extinguishing or annihilating the conscious mind.

——Master Sheng-Ru's Teachings
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