1 Liberation Within This Life Preface I bow to the 3 Jewels I take refuge to Buddha, Dharma, Sangha I bow to and take refuge to three Jewels because without Buddha, Dharma (Buddha Teachings) and Sangha, I was not be able to practice and experience the miracle and the unimaginable of Dharma. If we say Dharma are unimaginable then we should not spend a lot of time to discussing the nature of Buddha, the illusion of the mind, or the middle way... In the Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment, Buddha teaches that whoever has illusions (like we do right now,) what they say is also within the illusion. Therefore, if we have not obtained enlightenment like Buddha did in the last night of the 49 days that he sat under the Bodhi tree for meditation, then our discussion about things that are out of our vision is invalid. Consequently, whatever is written in this little book is just the individual experience of a Yogi that practiced Dharma and wanted to share with those who know him so they can practice Dharma in order to liberate themselves from the Samsara (the cycle of existence.) If this information is found to be useless to you, then you can trash this little book with no regret. In the Shurangama Sutra Buddha said that due to the state of illusion in the mind (in Buddhism the term “illusion” and “ignorance” have been used with the same meaning) we see the mountains, the earth and the living beings… All that we see, and we know is just an illusion. We cannot understand why the illusion of the mind (intellectual material) can make our mind see mountains, earth, the living beings … which are physical materials? A hint has been given to us: like in a dream we see mountains, earth, living beings… A similar question arises when Buddhism says illusive mind is created by pure mind? Base on those two teachings from Buddha that we cannot understand, I draw the conclusion: If we believe in what Buddha teaches us, practice to eliminate our illusion of the mind then the true nature of our mind (pure mind, Buddha nature) will be appeared. At that moment we understand clearly the meaning of the two examples I mentioned above. This way we can verify what Buddha teachings are true or false. I am a Yogi who believes in Buddha’s teachings and I have been practicing the Dharma in the following ways to some stage that I can have a strong belief of the Buddha Teachings and I devoted my live to be monk: 1.I have created a Mandala of the Medicine Buddha and experienced the miracles of the Medicine Buddha. In many cases, Doctors in the hospital have said “your Buddha is miracle” because some Buddhists were in the coma state and they have been declared by doctors that their brain already damaged. Nothing we can do for them but just praying Medicine Buddha, and what a miracle those Buddhists recovered and got their health back to normal after three months practicing physical therapy. 2.I have Created the Mandala of the Cundi Avalokitesvara (Chuẫn Đề in Vietnamese) and experienced the elimination of bad Karmas and ease of to meditation (not to remove spirit from 2 haunted person as most people have wrong thought.) Nagarjuna Bodhisattva (Long Thọ Bồ tát in Vietnamese) quoted in one poem that “if you do the chanting of the Cundi Avalokitesvara’s mantra, you will get Samadhi and Enlightenment.” 3.I have created the Shurangama Mandala to practice and it helps us to understand and experience what Buddha teaches in the Shurangama Sutra ( ex. Paradise light web – in Vietnamese is Lưới Đế Châu - and many other dimensions described in the Avatamsaka Sutra - in English is Flower Garland Sutra, in Vietnamese is Kinh Hoa Nghiêm – where Buddha and Bodhisattvas living…) Learning Dharma will help us not to attach to this current life and we know where we wish to come, then we can get out of samsara (cycle of existence) when we pass away. What is listed is what we practice. It is intended for someone who thinks that they want to follow and practice Buddhism. Reading through this text will be enough if you want to practice badly enough. You never know good condition leads you to reading this book and then allow us to meet each other and discuss about Buddhism. Dharma is forever the correct path to get out of the samsara. Sincerely, Sramana Di Tung -------- Journey of the practicing Buddhism When we begin our journey of the practice of Buddhism, normally the practitioner has to find out the founder of Buddhism and His teachings. Therefore, we have to know who Shakyamuni Buddha is, because He was the one who provided the Dharma (His teachings) for the Saha1 world. There are two different views about His appearance in this world. First, the so-called “the historical Buddha” have been told He was a prince, got married, had a kid, and then left the palace to go look for freedom from suffering of birth, oldness, illness and death. Second, from the Mahaparinirvana sutra (kinh Đại Bát Niết Bàn in Vietnamese,) it was said that He was already a Buddha and manifested to this life to teach us and save us from suffering if we practice His Dharma. From our view point of finding the way to liberate us from the samsara, we don’t mind how He has come to this world, but we focus on His teachings. Buddha spent 6 years of meditation with the two famous teachers of that time Kalama and Uddhaka. He obtained the highest level of meditation that His two teachers practicing. He reached the two highest levels of heaven when He practiced those kinds of meditation “The Sphere of the Conception of Nothingness,” and “The Sphere of neither Perception nor non-perception.” But He realized those highest levels of heaven were still within the illusion of mind, that means still within samsara. He was not satisfied with the results, so He went and sat at the Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya, 1 Saha world: The trichiliocosm where the present Buddha Shakyamuni has manifested. 3 India, for 49 days to practice His own way of meditation. Then He reached enlightenment, and became Buddha. When He became Buddha, his vision allowed him to see the origin of the universe and living beings... For more information about the origin of the universe and living beings we can read the Shurangama Sutra. The ultimate goal of Practicing Buddhism When He became Buddha, the first lesson of Dharma was given to the five old friends who practiced meditation with him (five friends: Kaundinya, Bhadrika, Vaspa, Mahanaman and Asvajit.) These five friends became His first disciples and that was the beginning of His sangha. For either Theravada or Mahayana includes the Vajrayana we Buddhists agree that Buddha teaches the following three: 1. Do not create bad karma (do evil things) to avoid reincarnating to the realm of hell, hungry ghost, or animal. 2. Create good karma (do good things) in order to get good merits and to reincarnate in the realm of human beings, or demi-god or haven. 3. Purify your mind so that you can get out of the samsara2 (cycle of death and reborn.) Most Buddhists, however only try to practice the first two teachings, completely ignoring or talking but not practicing the third one. Buddha spent more than 40 years traveling to many places to teach followers to purify their minds in order to get out of the state of samsara. During the period He was alive and until during this time, many people would have gotten out of the samsara if they had thoroughly followed Buddha’s teachings. Yes we have to focus on purifying our minds in order to get out of the samsara. But the question is how do we purify our mind? Buddha taught in all of His sutras different techniques for various levels of practitioners. These 84,0003 teachings (many discourses) were gathered by His disciples throughout many generations in the form called sutras. Today, in general practicing, we see the three common branches (triyana): The Theravada, Mahayana, and the Vajrayana Buddhists. The difference ways of the practices of the three branches are not very important. What is important is finding a branch that suits our current living condition, our level of thinking and knowledge, in order for us to be able to practice and reach the goal of liberating from the rebirth cycle (samsara.) Theravadayana or Sravakayana Goals for those who want to practice the Theravada method are as follows: 1. To reach Arhat Nirvana, no more rebirth. 2 Samsara: cycle of death and reborn in three realms: Desire realm, Form realm, Formless realm. 3 The number 84,000 means several, many in Indian language. 4 2. In order to reach Arhat the practiced meditation should be focused on one point. Through meditation one should be able to verify that five aggregates (skandhas)4 have three characteristics: impermanence, suffering and no self (ego.) 3. You can use the Samatha method of meditation to avoid wandering thoughts, keep your mind focusing at one point through your breathing, or chanting a mantra, a Buddha’s name… 4. You can use Vipassana and through meditation, you contemplate on Body, Feeling, Mind and Phenomena (smṛtyupasthāna.) The interpretation of Vipassana in Theravada is different from in Mahayana. 5. The 37 Qualities (37 Phẩm Trợ Đạo in Vietnamese) are the basics or foundation to practice Theravada. 6. The belief of Theravada is the only people can obtain Nirvana are Monks and Nuns.