Master Chi Chern: Self Nature is Immaculate and official start for Comox Valley meditation is Sept. 10

...."Buddha-Nature is a generality while self-nature is realized through individual practice. Thus in the Platform Sutra, he (Venerable Dao Sheng) talked especially about “self-nature” as immaculate, which is our Buddha-Nature. Many people think that this teaching of his belongs to the Tathagathagabha system. However, we find that when he talks about it, in addition to the fact that all Buddhist sects established in China emphasize this idea in Mahayana Buddhism, he also marvelously integrated the thoughts of both Mādhyamika School and Consciousness-Only School. When people study about Tathagathgarbha system, often there are discussions regarding the question, “The nature of all sentient beings is pure and immaculate, but why do we suffer and transmigrate?” The explanations are that “this Buddha-Nature is covered by defilements and therefore Buddha-Nature cannot manifest”. In traditional teachings, we often hear that our practice is to realize our original nature, or if we constantly clean our vexations, at the end, our Buddha-Nature will become apparent. Our understanding about Buddha-Nature has the two opposing aspects of pure and impure. But in the thoughts of the Sixth Patriarch, it is not that there is a “pure nature” being covered and unable to manifest. Rather, he said that the commonly believed “pure” or “impure” nature is only in a thought of clarity or delusion — When one is awakened and enlightened, one’s self-nature is pure; when one is deluded, it is impure. Thus, enlightenment and ignorance are the manifestation of pure or impure functions."...more from The Writings of Master Chi Chern at http://masterchichern.org/

Chan Meditations will continue at 1460 Grieve Ave 7 to 9pm Thursday evenings until the schools open. 

When the tomatoes are ripe, it's salsa time. When causes and conditions are ripe...

1. MAIN WEBSITE: Cosmos Chan Zen Community at http://www.cosmoschan.org/

2. Master Cheng Yen in Facebook;

3. Listen to dharma talks with Gilbert Gutierrez http://dharmatalks.riversidechan.org/

4. Listen/download audio talks from the Tallahassee   Chan group at http://www.tallahasseechan.com/talks.html

5. the Western Chan Fellowship at  http://www.westernchanfellowship.org/

6. Questions?  Adrian at 250 650 9055; adrian2@shaw.ca and this blog http://comoxvalleyzenchan.blogspot.ca/