Buddhism, Blue Cliff Record, Meditation, Koan

1. Buddhist Association of Canada Cham Shan Temple 加拿大佛教會 湛山精舍 禪修學佛入門 Introduction to Buddhism and Meditation 2011/03/05

2. Buddhist Association of Canada Cham Shan Temple ná mó fó tuó 南 無 佛 陀 Namo Buddha ná mó dá mó 南 無 達 摩 Namo Dharma ná mó sēng qié 南 無 僧 伽 Namo Sangha

3. Meditation禪修 Towards a Liberated and Enlightened Life 煩惱輕智慧長

4. Walking with Appreciation The miracle is to walk on the earth The miracle is to walk on empty space. The miracle is to walk on empty space with energy balance. The miracle is “you are walking and breathing”.

5. Walking on Earth You are walking in the moon Walking with one foot on the ground. You are landing on earth with another foot. You re-gain your freedom. Your foot is a king’s seal. A lotus flower blossoms from each footstep The earth emerges.

6. Walking with one major object at a time Breathing呼吸 Steps步行 Counting數 Keeping a half-smile微笑 This can generate: Mindfulness正念 Concentration 專注 One-pointedness一心 Peace和平 Happiness and Appreciation.愉快感謝心

7. Walking with a Phase as an object of Attention NamoAmitoufo, 往生咒,Pure Land Rebirth Dhāraṇī 陀羅尼 namoamitābhāyatathāgatāyatadyathāamṛtod-bhaveamṛta-siddhaṃbhaveamṛta-vikrānteamṛta-vikrāntagāminigaganakīrta-kāresvāhā 南無阿彌多婆夜。 哆他伽多夜。 哆地夜他。 阿彌利都婆毗。 阿彌利哆。 悉耽婆毗。 阿彌唎哆。 毗迦蘭帝。 阿彌唎哆。 毗迦蘭多。 伽彌膩。 伽伽那。 枳多迦利。 娑婆訶。

8. Sitting Meditation Counting Breaths Very relaxingly and unconcernedly count from 1 to 10. Count your breaths, calling one exhalation and inhalation just on breath. When you have reached ten, resume counting from 1 again. As your skill develops, you will be able to count to 100 in 10 groups of ten, without having your mind wander and without dropping off to sleep.

9. Achievements in Counting Breaths Your breath is slowing down. Your mind is becoming more peaceful. Confusion and sleepiness decrease. You trace your breath as if the breath is felt to enter and leave through your pores. You experience yourself dissipating like a cloud and melting away like a fog.

10. Cultivating Mindfulness To be friend with your breath. Feel the air moving in and out of your nose. Locate the most vivid sensations - moment by moment. Rest in the awareness of breathing - outside of time. Don’t judge when your mind is wandering. Just note what is on your mind as bystander. Let the thought be part of your awareness in the moment; no need to stop it. Sitting on the bank of the thought stream, listening to the gurgling but not so caught up in the torrent.

11. Cultivating Mindfulness Remember don’t fall into the thought stream and get caught up in the future (worrying, planning) and the past (remembering, blaming, pining) and in reactive and often painful emotions. Just as if you are sitting on the bank of water stream with appreciation of your breathing and scenery. Upon the moment of appreciation, you aware automatically once again that you’re breathing, listening and meditating. Repeat this a million times with smiles.

12. Chapter TwoGautama Buddha (1) When was Siddhartha born and where? What is the Queen Maya’s dream? Why does Siddhartha want to leave the palace and become a monk? Did the ascetic practices help Siddhartha? How did he attain enlightenment?

13. Chapter ThreeGautama Buddha (2) The Five Periods of Buddha Teaching by Tientai School (天臺宗) The Flower Garland period(華嚴時), which only lasted a few weeks from the enlightenment of the Buddha. He taught the Flower Garland Sutra, speaking directly from his enlightenment, but people couldn't understand him, so he realized he had to apply skilful means in his teaching.

14. Chapter ThreeGautama Buddha (2) The Five Periods of Buddha Teaching 2) The Deer park (鹿野苑時) period, which lasted for 12 years after the Flower Garland period. The early Pali (巴利文) Canon and the Chinese Agamas recorded his teachings belonging to this period(阿含時).

15. Chapter ThreeGautama Buddha (2) The Five Periods of Buddha Teaching 3) The Vaipulya (方等時)period, covering the following 8 years, where certain Mahayana Sutras (大乘經典) were taught, created the foundation for the next, very challenging period. In this period, he taught the Vimalakirti Sutra (維摩詰經), the Pure Land (淨土)Sutras, and the esoteric tantras (密宗).

16. Chapter ThreeGautama Buddha (2) The Five Periods of Buddha Teaching 4) The Prajnaparamita period (般若時); 22 years of teaching the Prajnaparamita Sutras and their doctrines shunyata (空性)and non-dualism(不二).

17. Chapter ThreeGautama Buddha (2) The Five Periods of Buddha Teaching 5) The Lotus and Nirvana Sutras, (法華涅槃時) in his final teaching period, were given in his last 8 years. His teaching came to a full circle and back to his first period in which he spoke directly from his enlightenment experiences.

18. Questions and Comments 討論 www.ChamShanTemple.org www.shengguangshi.blogspot.com ShengguangShi@hotmail.com Shengguang Shi 釋聖光 Tom Cheung 張相棠 Kam Cheung 張仁勤 Dennis Yap 葉普智