Page 8 - GFT Vol05
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followed by Huangdi, Yao, Shun, and manifested by self-nature is what
Yutang in the first thousand years. In the Buddhism calls the Paradise of Ultimate
next two thousand years, we have Bliss, and what other religions call
Confucius, Mencius, and Lao Zhuang. Heaven. This is the realization of
They taught us that everyone is a sage, self-nature. Habits and false thoughts
just like Shakyamuni Buddha taught us can be changed, sincerity can arise,
that everyone is a Buddha. Then why are false thoughts can be changed, and
we ordinary people now? It is because what results? This changeable reality
we lost our original nature. To leads to the Ten Realms of Dharma and
understand our original nature, deeply the Six Paths of Reincarnation.
and clearly, we must seek the origin of
Buddhism can be integrated with
the entire universe. Great sages have
Chinese traditional culture, and even
told us that this knowledge is awakened
with many other religions. Why? Reality
in our hearts.
is one, not two. Master Huineng said
One of these sages was Master true understanding is reached "when
Huineng, born in the sixth century the self-nature can produce all
during China’s Tang Dynasty. He could dharmas," meaning all things are true.
not read and he didn’t go to school, but This sentence is very important. ‘All
he became enlightened. The Buddhist dharmas’ are the entire universe. What
master, the Fifth Patriarch of Chan, does the entire universe have to do with
acknowledged that he was indeed me? Oneness, one Self. My body and life
enlightened. This was rare, but it was are born of my own nature, and the
not impossible. Like all the ancient entire universe is also manifested in my
Chinese sages, his enlightenment came own nature. One is not two. Who can
from his heart. He expressed his prove it? Only a sincere person can
understanding in just five sentences, prove it. Chinese traditional culture
explaining original nature. Original emerged from this place. The ancestors
nature is sincerity. Buddhism teaches saw that human nature is inherently
that we have a true mind and a false good, and original human nature is that
mind. The ancient Chinese sages also of the Buddha. Our ideal and happy life,
said that we have a ‘self-nature’ and a family, career, and society are
‘habitual nature.’ You see, self-nature is inseparable from this truth and are all
the true mind, and habitual nature is the born from it.
false mind. Sincerity is pure and
What do our higher religions teach
unpolluted throughout the universe.
us? To return to our own nature.
The emergence of the universe is true
Buddhists call it becoming a Buddha,
and unchanging; change is false. What
and the Chinese talk about becoming a
kind of change? The universe
saint. The saint is one who has perfectly
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