Breaking Free: Questioning and Seeking Answers - Part 3: Teacher Huang's Guidance

Author: Huang Shengchang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1998-01-01
Features: If one sentence could summarize the key points of this book, it would be "to rest the mind in Prajna and act on vows (fulfilling all responsibilities)." This sentence can be said to be a concise, practical, powerful, and highly beneficial summary of practice for those studying Buddhism. The first half is the mind, the second half is the form; the first half is wisdom, the second half is the realm; the first half is the essence, the second half is the manifestation; the first half is to find peace, the second half is to take action; the first half is to seek the path, the second half is to practice the path; the first half is internal, the second half is external; the first half is based on principle, the second half is based on action; the first half is the meaning of emptiness, the second half is the meaning of practice; the first half is the truth, the second half is the conventional truth; the first half is to open wisdom, the second half is to cultivate blessings. The wonderful aspect of this summary lies particularly in the "while" () in the middle. With this "while," it ensures that the mind and form are one, the principle and the affair are not obstructive, emptiness and existence are not two, the truth and the conventional truth are integrated, and blessings and wisdom are cultivated together, thus avoiding falling into extremes or being split into two parts. If matched with the Three Views of Tiantai, resting the mind in Prajna is the view of emptiness, acting on vows is the view of illusion, and the "while" in the middle is the Middle View. If paired with the Three Sections of True Word, resting the mind in Prajna is the Vajra Section, acting on vows is the Womb Section, and the "while" in the middle is the S. In summary, the first half is Prajna, the second half is karma, and the "while" in the middle is the integration of Prajna and karma.