Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara sometime refers as Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva. The name means Self Awareness. Avalokitesvara also means observing the sound of the world. We all know this bodhisattva, because this Bodhisattva is the most compassionate, like the love of the mother gives the hope to all beings. Therefore, in Asia there is a saying that: Avalokitesvara house, Amitabha gate. Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara is a great disciple of Amitabha Buddha. Amitabha is the Western Buddha in the Land of Ultimate Bliss. On his left is Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, His right is the Great Bodhisattva. That is the three western holy trinity. When Amitabha Buddha leave the position, the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara replaced him as the lead dharma teacher. Then when the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara leaves the position the Great Strength Bodhisattva took over as the lead dharma teacher.
Because Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, often manifests into countless bodies to save the sentient beings from suffering, he has the title of Great Compassionate Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara. He uses thousands of eyes to illuminate sentient beings floating in the sea of misery, and uses thousands of hands to save sentient beings from the sea of misery, made them return to self peace and happiness.
The twenty-fifth chapter in the Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra is The Universal Door Of Guanshiyin Bodhisattva, which speaks of the inconceivable divine power of this Bodhisattva. The sixth chapter in the Shurangama Sutra speaks about the technique of entering samadhi through a process of hearing and reflecting.
— o0o —
Illusory Daily Reflecting Diamond Samadhi
Illusory: means that the nature of consciousness is illusory. There is no certain object, like the spotted flower in the empty space. From the object arises the known. The distinction arise from the view of the objects. From our eye we see the objects. The physical object of the material arise from our organs. The material and the views can’t created by itself, like the grass leaning among each other. The view here is the view of the object. The physical appearance apears because our eyes see the object. That is why it is just the illusory. The view is also illusory
Daily: means daily cultivation
Reflecting: means cutivate throught a process of hearing and reflecting until you have total control over sound.
Diamond: sometimes refer as the Prajna Paramita. It has 3 meanings: solid, bright and sharp. The physical of the diamond is solid and indestructible. The property of the diamond is clear and brightness, it can illuminate the darkness of the world. The use of the diamond is its sharpness.
Samadhi: means montionless or stable. The absence of delusions is samadhi. This is the dharma of diamond samadhi. When the practitioner cultivate this samadhi, he will be able to attain accomplishments. This is one of 25 Samadhi methods of cultivation in the Shurangama Sutra, is also the method of Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara.
— o0o —
Illusory Daily Reflecting Diamond Samadhi
I entered the flow through hearing and forgot objective states. Since the sense-objects and sense-organs were quiet, the two characteristics of movement and stillness crystallized and did not arise. After that, gradually advancing, the hearing and what was heard both disappeared. Once the hearing was ended, there was nothing to rely on, and awareness and the objects of awareness became empty. When the emptiness of awareness reached an ultimate perfection, emptiness and what was being emptied then also ceased to be. Since production and extinction were gone, still extinction was revealed.
— o0o —
Open the six tied knots
Sense-objects and Sense-organs: Your mouth chanted “Namo Amitabha Buddha”, your ears listen to the sound. Ignored the rest of the world, just chant and listen to your own voice.
The first knot – Quiet state. After haft an hour chanting “Namo Amitabha Buddha”, you stop chanting using your mouth, instead you start chanting in your mind. At this time, there is no sound (the defiling object) so you don’t hear the sound with the ear drum anymore, but only listening to the chanting sound inside. At this time the practitioner does not let the mind wandering to the sound from the mouth, but turns his hearing toward his own true nature, so that the Buddha’s name, Amitabha, is flowing constantly and endlessly into a flow of mind. Hearing and Reflecting means that you don’t listen to the outside sound, but instead, return back, listen inside, to hear your own nature. It also means that the sound flows thru out the body and the mind. Special attention should be given to this stage: not listening to the mouth consciousness, not in the ear consciousness, not in mind consciousness …, but your own nature.When you stop listening to the noise outside, your self-nature is still and quiet. It also mean you have reach the first stage, Escape the sound. Escape means freedom. Sound is noise around you. Also mean you are free from the noise of the world. When this quietude reaches an ultimate point, the appearance of movement and stillness cease as well. At this point, you have untie the first knots of sound restriction
The second knot of stillness: Skandha of Form – When reaching the peak of silence, the sense-objects and sense-organs are calm, the two characteristics of movement and stillness crystallize and will not rise. That means the source of the six sense-organs and six sense objects cease as well. It was severed. Here one enters the flow of his own self-nature. When that happens, your self-nature is still and quiet. When this quietude reaches an ultimate point, the appearance of movement and stillness cease as well. Basically, movement appears as movement and stillness as stillness. But now, although these two characteristics are as clear as crystal, they do not arise. At this point, you have untie the second knot of stillness. The movement and stillness are no longer exist means you are no longer restricted by the skandha of form.
The third knot of organ – Skandha of Feeling – After that, gradually advancing, the hearing and what was heard both disappear. As this pure and clear state of quiet increase. Day by day, it became more full and complete. The hearing that was capable of hearing the self-nature eventually disappeared. It too is gone. The ability to hear and the objects of hearing both vanish. The organ of the ear that capable of hearing, and the self-nature of what was being heard, but now they are also gone. Once the hearing ends, there is nothing to rely on. Since the hearing-nature is gone, there is no attachment. At that time the mind that does not dwell by the sound, your feeling and reaction to negative sound start ceasing to exist. At this time, you have untie the third knot of the organ. Free from negative feeling.
The fourth knot of awareness – Skandha of Thinking – At the stage, you should not stop at this moment. When the ability to hear and the objects of hearing both vanish, the thing that remain is the “Awareness”, your own ego. That is why you must continue to cultivate to the point of no place to reside, to the point of awareness and the objects of awareness become empty. Even the perception of awareness vanishes, is emptied out. At that time, you have untie the fourth knot. You are free from random thinking, dreaming when sleep
The fifth knot of emptiness – Skandha of Activity – When the emptiness of awareness reach an ultimate perfection stage, you still continue to cultivate. At this time, you reflect on what is empty and what is being emptied, to the point that emptiness and what was being emptied then also cease as well. The emptiness of the nature of awareness reaches an ultimate state of perfection. At this point there isn’t even any emptiness, then you have untie the fifth knot of emptiness.
The sixth knot of the mind – Skandha of Consciousness – Since production and extinction are gone, still extinction is revealed. Emptiness and what was being emptied then also cease as well. At this point the only left is the thought of extinction. But if there is extinction, there is production. That is why you can’t give up. Continue to cultivate to the point that the mind subject to production and extinction vanished. At this point the thought of extinction is no longer exist, then you have untie the sixth knot of the mind.
Production and extinction vanished, the genuine bliss of still extinction manifested. The two word, production and extinction are the knots of life and death. These six knots is the dharma of production and extinction. The knots are not easy to untie, you have to eliminate all of the thought of extinction before you can reach the point of production and extinction completely vanished. Now, the six knots are untied, the six skandha are completed destroyed, dream is not longer exist, the truth has revealed, meaning the Production and extinction vanished, the genuine bliss of still extinction manifest. That state is inexpressibly blissful.