Author: Derek
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Diamond Sutra – Neither the past, the present nor the future mind can be found – 金刚经 – 过去心不可得，现在心不可得，未来心不可得
After learning that the Buddha possesses 5 eyes, which penetrate different levels of truth of this world, the Buddha explains how this penetration works. He explained, there are many worlds he sees, as numerous as the sands in the Ganges River, and there are many beings in each of these numerous worlds with different minds. Yet,…
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Website Maintenance completed – 网站维护完成
Dear readers/subscriber, lisiming.net has just undergone website maintenance, weekly online class and newsletter will resume this coming Sunday (Nov24) . Thank you for your attention and ongoing support! Blessings, Derek亲爱的读者， lisiming.net刚刚完成了网站维护，我们的每周在线课堂和通讯将会于本周日（十一月二十四日）继续。谢谢您的关注和支持！ 平安， Derek
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Diamond Sutra – 5 eyes of the Buddha – 金刚经 – 佛陀有5眼
The Buddha has 5 eyes: 1) Human eyes – what we ordinarily use to see 2) Deva eyes – sight that transcend ordinary time and space 3) Wisdom eyes – mental/psychic discernment that aligns with truth 4) Dharma eyes – perception of one’s innate unchanging reality 5) Buddha eyes – perfect perception as the Buddha…
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Diamond Sutra – Real vs. Fake Bodhisattva – 金刚经 – 真假菩萨
We have learnt that there is no Buddha who “obtained” enlightenment, as enlightenment is beyond the notion of something that could be obtained by someone. In this section the Buddha furthers that there is no Bodhisattva who could save any beings. Why? Because the notion of “Bodhisattva” is absence in a real Bodhisattva when carrying…
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Diamond Sutra – Everything is Teaching to Enlightenment – 金剛經 – 一切法皆是佛法
After learning how to set spiritual intention (beyond form) and how to pray (quieting our self), the Buddha reminded us through his own example that enlightenment could not be obtained (as it is beyond the dualistic paradigm of a separate someone who obtain a separate something), there is no teaching which leads one to enlightenment…
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Diamond Sutra – How to Pray – 金剛經 – 如是祈祷
So far, we have learnt the importance of setting our spiritual intention beyond form, and we also learnt the importance of not following the notions of a self, others, beings, and immortality in our practice. One may ask, without the notion of the self, how can we set our spiritual intention? Careful examination of one’s self…
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Diamond Sutra – The Dissolving of Negative Karma – 金刚经 – 罪业之消灭
This chapter describes the process of letting go negative karma. From individual karma point of view, where everything we experience now is a consequence of our past actions and habits, the experience of attacks and insults from others are the results of our past actions and habits. If, at the moment of experiencing attacks/insults/unpleasant situation,…
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Diamond Sutra – The Setting of Spiritual Intention – 金刚经 – 菩萨发心
In the Buddhist tradition, the most important part of spiritual cultivation is the first step and also the ongoing step – the setting of intention (发心）. As the Chinese Classics describes, the superior man is prudent in the beginning, as an error of millimeter in beginning will eventually lead to an error of thousands of…
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Diamond Sutra – Transcending vs. Enduring Hatred – 金刚经 – 忍辱与超辱
One day, when the Buddha was meditating as a Bodhisattva, king Kaliraja came test the Buddha. He said, ok, now you are practicing the 6 paramitas (charity, precepts, endurance, diligent, concentration, wisdom), let see how enduring and charitable you are! And he start cutting off Buddha’s limbs one by one. The Buddha did not resist, and let Kaliraja…
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Diamond Sutra – There is no Buddha who teach anything – 金刚经 – 没佛说法
Further to the earlier part of the Sutra “Buddha beyond form and appearance” and “There is no Buddha who attained enlightenment“, this chapter further describes that real Buddha cannot be recognized by its specific 32 characteristics in appearance, and that Buddha has not taught anything. While some Buddhist scriptures describe Buddha to have 32 characteristics…
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Happy Mid-Autumn Festival – 中秋节快乐
May man last long, so we can meet our missed (但愿人长久，千里共婵娟)。 * * * If you are thinking about their family, may you be re-united with your loved ones; If you are thinking about truth, may you realize that Truth have always been with you. * * * Thinking of you on this special day.…
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Diamond Sutra – the mystical presence of this Sutra – 金刚经 – 佛罗汉天人护法与此经同在
When one align to the truth of this Sutra, either through reading, reciting, or sharing, celestial beings will offer their protection and blessings, and one is at one with all Buddhas and their disciples. How can it be so? It is because all Buddhas and teachings arise from the truth of this Sutra, therefore when…
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Diamond Sutra – Buddha’s teacher, Buddha land – 金刚经 – 佛陀的老师，佛土是什么
Further to the early teachings of – There is no Buddha who attained enlightenment, and there is no enlightenment to be attained, this chapter explains that the Buddha did not obtain any teachings from his teachers, and Bodhisattva does not adore any describable Buddha land. For a teaching that can be obtained is not the…
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Autumn Health Tips – 秋季养生
Today is the Chinese weather date Bailu (白露), which indicates weather is well into the Autumn/Fall season. After the long hot summer, the active hot energy is almost over and is slowly declining downwards and inwards back to the earth. With every rain shower the temperature gets cooler, leaves are falling, and everything is going…
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Diamond Sutra – The 4 levels of Arhat – 金刚经 – 四果罗汉
Arhats are enlightened beings who attained individual liberation in Buddhism. They are 4 levels of Arhats: 1. Srota-apanna (须陀洹) – partial enlightenment, still need 7 returns to earthly life before full liberation 2. Sakrdagamin (斯陀含) – partial enlightenment, still need 1 return to earthly life before full liberation 3. Anagamin (阿那含) – partial enlightenment, no need to return…
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Diamond Sutra – All Buddhas and their Supreme-Enlightenment-Dharma originate from this Sutra – 金刚经 – 一切诸佛，及诸佛阿耨多罗三藐三菩提法，皆从此经出
“All Buddhas and their teachings originate from this Sutra” said the Buddha. The Sutra here, refers to not the printed Sutra, nor the spoken or written words, nor the teachings therein, but to the historical and on-going source of all the above. The Sutra here, refers to the realization that Mahakasyapa had when Buddha raised the Lotus…
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Diamond Sutra – There is no Buddha who attained enlightenment – 金刚经 – 佛没得道，因大道不能得故
There is no Buddha who obtained enlightenment. Why? Because real enlightenment cannot be obtained by anyone, as such implied the dualistic paradigm of “someone” obtaining something called “enlightenment”. While in ordinary perception there appear to be a historical Buddha who obtained a state called enlightenment, in reality, or at least in Buddha self-described reality, this…
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Diamond Sutra – 2 Stages of Surrender – 金刚经 – 两个阶段的放下
There are 2 levels of surrender: First level pertains to the transcendence of the “self”, second level require one to transcend the notion of there is a fixed “teaching”, to be followed towards the ultimate reality. The second level of transcendence, requires a solid work in the first level before it can mean anything. Otherwise,…
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Lecture at AAAOM on May 15, 2013
Cultivating Peace of Mind Li SiMing Presents Lecture at AAAOM “Man follows earth; earth follows heaven; heaven follows Tao; Tao follows its own path.” (Tao Te Ching, Chapter 25). On May 15, 2013, Taoist philosopher and Qi Gong master Li SiMing, from Wudang Mountain in China, presented some of his views on the Taoist basis…
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Diamond Sutra – Solid foundation leads to real faith – 金刚经 – 一念生净信
If you heard of teachings of this Sutra and there is a sudden realization and resonance in you which brings you faith in the truth described. Congratulations! Your good effort has led to right karma and wisdom which leads you to come in touch with this impenetrable wisdom. Learn thoroughly what this Sutra has to…