http://sites.google.com/site/gdptchuabaoquang
http://gdptchuabaoquang.blogspot.com/
http://picasaweb.google.com/gdptChuaBaoQuang
http://groups.google.com/group/gdptchuabaoquang

Popular Vietnamese Buddhist beliefs are firm on the notion of cultivating prosperity. They feel that a life without material gains is a life not worth living. They make big efforts to make sure that there will be plentiful to be had in this and the next life. The focus was put on counting how many dollars spent on building how many temples. The temples are built but they contain no dharma teaching. Instead, the temples are displaying more acts of buying blessings.

This then turns out to be the opposite of the original intention. So much money spent to ward off evil diseases can actually contribute to more evil ends. So pitiful for those who engage in these wasteful efforts. I have seen monks bent on displaying new ways to make money but so limited on ways to gain more spirits. The lectures from the prosperity sects usually remind the audience how hard it is to achieve the goal and that it is best to buy off the blessing of the others. I would have been more enthusiastic had I heard about helping the followers become more diligent but that was not what I heard. I have witnessed the head monks reminding followers to watch for their sins and repent. But the more one tries to monitor the sins, the more they are produced.

Cultivating Buddhist wisdom is different. This is not the worldly wisdom for material gains but the wisdom to be enlightened in this lifetime. The wisdom to impart from the dualist mindset. The wisdom to be brave and faithful to the end. No attaching to the five senses. No attaching to the notion of attaching. Use the orthodox teaching and practice until ripe enlightenment. While cultivating wisdom, all of ones capacity will be expanding. The little self will disappear and the true self will be exposed.

I tell my reader to walk away from delusion and instead make an effort to row to the other shore. Leave pain and suffering and arrive at the shore of enlightenment.

How do you do it? Stick to the teaching of the orthodox zen teaching and add nothing to it. So many mouths have added meanings that have bent the patriarch's original purpose into something else. STOP.

practice zen inquiry. Let this inquiry continues for all the hours in the day and all the hours in the night. Let the inquiry run the course of the daily events. Do it in the dark, do it in the bright daylight. Do it in the noise and do it in the quiet. Don't stop doing it.

Walk away from evil lectures that discourage one from believing in one's true self. Walk away from evil teachings that put prosperity blessing over wisdom practice.

Had my relatives gained the wisdom, they would not have passed away empty handed. A life living in perfect wisdom cultivation is a life living in full. Every minute and second is accounted for. The horizons open up for the enlightened.

Walk away from teachings that say enlightenment cannot be done in this lifetime. That is evil talk. One must refrain from listening to such talk.

Lean forward to teachings that encourage one to dare the false thoughts. Conquer all delusions at the next nano second. So many colorful words but it is very simple to do.

Zen inquiry is asking and looking at the not knowing. Choose one of the five questions and engage in continuous inquiry days and nights. Note that inquiries must end in a question word.

1. Before earth and sky were formed, I am what?
   Khi chưa có trời đất, ta là cái gì?
   
2. All teachings merge to one, one goes to where?
   Muôn pháp về một, một về chổ nào?
   
3. Before father and mother were born, my original face look like what?
   Trước khi cha mẹ chưa sanh, mặt mũi bổn lai của ta ra sao?
   
4. What comes before birth, death continues to where?
   Sanh từ đâu đến, chết đi về đâu?
   
5. Not mind, not Buddha, not material, is what?
   Chẳng phải tâm, chẳng phải Phật, chẳng phải vật, là cái gì?
   

Some rules must be kept in mind:

1. Break away from dualist mindset. PHÁ NGÃ CHẤP. Dualist mindset is attaching to the haves and the havenots, the is and the isnot, without refraint, one can't hope for an end to the cycle of reincarnation. To refrain from dualist mindset, one needs to practice the nine words: "Vô sở đắc, vô sở cầu, vô sở sợ" No set goal, no expected blessing, knows no fear.
2. Make distinction between false inquiry and truthful inquiry. PHÂN BIỆT HỔ NGHI VÀ CHÁNH NGHI. Inquiry is a search for an unkown answer. To keep the inquiry active, one must let go of assumptions and acquired knowledge. False inquiry or qualified inquiry is inquiry based on the needs of the self. False inquiry is just a rising thought that will end as a fading thought. A false inqury brings no hope for liberty from cycle of incarnation. A truthful inquiry or an unqualified inquiry allow the mind to arrive at a state of not knowing. No effort is made to find an answer. Truthful inquiry will ends all suffering as well as cycle of incarnation.
   
3. Maintain level of intense inquiry. CHẲNG CHO KHỞI BIỆT NIỆM. A pause in the inquiry will allow false thoughts to rise. Put focus to the inquiry and let it be the only focus.
4. Inquiry is the cause and enlightenment is the effect. NHÂN QUẢ, NGHI NGỘ. Without cultivation, there is no hope for the wisdom fruit.
5. Make no distinction of walk of life - CHẲNG PHÂN BIỆT TƯ CÁCH. There is no preference for age group nor intellectual maturity. All are equally qualified to practice Zen inquiry.
6. Believe in true self. THÂM TIN TỰ TÂM. Believe that there is an awakened mind in this false self waiting to be exposed.
7. Don't stop at merits, must go for enlightenment. PHẢI NGỘ TỰ TÁNH. Some are so thrilled to have gained some merits and lost the diligence after some progress was made. Don't be so short sighted. Go for the whole length and get the whole enlightenment package.
8. Avoid a blank mindset. KHÔNG LỌT VÔ KÝ. Some other sects my encourage a blank mindset but not this practice. Falsethoughts are preferred if intense inquiry is not possible. Blank mindset is comparable to death by drowning in water.
9. Once zen begins, all explanations are irrelevant. HÀNH KHỞI GIẢI TUYỆT. Other sects may have provisions for facts and reasons but not with Zen. All facts and reasons will end once Zen practice had begun.
10. Put focus on practice. CHÚ TRỌNG THỰC HÀNH. Discourage in depth dharma talks and put emphasis on the actual Zen inquiry practice.

I did not plan to translate the zen inquiry guide and I ended up doing it anyway. What a day.

--
Posted By readerweb to hua-tou apprentice at 8/06/2008 11:03:00 PM

plan for random kindness each day of your life.  Meet people that you have no plan to meet.  Be compassionate to people without a reason why.  Practice authentic zen inquiry. 

7 day zen retreat coming up in santa ana, ca,usa - June/9/2008

If you are on the path to enlightenment, you may want to sign up for a 7-day retreat in Santa Ana, CA, USA. It will start monday June 9, 2008 to Sunday June 15th, 2008 at the following location:

Tu An Zen Temple
4310 W 5th Street
Santa Ana, CA 92703

Phone: (714) 265-2357
http://www.tuanthienduong.com/


This is an advanced session to walk for 20 minutes and sit for 40 minutes. Repeat the routine from 4 am to 9 pm for seven days. The format was used for several decades and had produced many Buddhist talents. If you are up to it, by all means, be there. Call in advance if you need lodging and or translation from Vietnamese to Chinese or Vietnamese to English. Let me know if want more information.

Main practice: Inquiry on the head word and look at the not knowing. Simple as that. Anyone can do it. Can you? See you there in June. There is no interviews, no explanation, no stopping, no letting go. Just keep on inquiring and looking at the not knowing.

this community is wonderful.  I can see mountain tops and peaceful valleys in these pages.