The Truth of the Altar Sutra: What is "Prajnaparamita"?

Good knowledge, what is the name of Prajna? Prajnaparamita, Tang Yan wisdom also. In all places, in all times, thoughts are not foolish, and wisdom is always practiced, that is, pranayama. One thought of foolishness is pranayama; one thought of wisdom is pranayama. The world is foolish and does not see Prajnaparamita, but if it is spoken of, it is always foolish in its heart. I often say to myself that I am practicing Prajnaparamita, and I think of emptiness, but I do not know the vacuum. If pranayama is formless, the wisdom mind is. If it is interpreted as such, it is called Prajnaparamita.

【Read this】

Good knowledge, what is "Prajnaparamita"? Prajnaparamita is Sanskrit, in our Middle-earth words, wisdom. This wisdom is that in all places, in all times, the mind is not lost, the mind is self-conscious, this is wisdom, that is, Prajnaparamita.

If one thought is lost, it is like a loss; if one thought is enlightened, it is like a birth. But the world is foolish and does not know Prajnaparamita, and even if it is said in its mouth, it will not be pranayama in its heart. Therefore, some people often say that they are practicing Prajnaparamita, but they don't know what Prajnaparamita means. As a result, the thoughts failed, but they did not know the vacuum.

It must be understood that if there is no form, there is no description, it refers to the conscious and unmistakable mind of each person. If you can understand Prajnaparamita in this way, it is Prajnaparamita wisdom.

【Relief】

This passage of Huineng is devoted to Prajnaparamita, explaining to people what the concept of "Prajnaparamita" means.

In all places, in all times, thoughts are not foolish, and wisdom is always practiced, that is, pranayama.

Prajnaparamita is wisdom; wisdom is always and everywhere "thinking is not foolish"; and mindfulness is not foolishness is "pranayama".

Hui can say "stupidity", that is, ignorance, that is, unconsciousness. The "wisdom" that Huineng can say is awareness, that is, self-conscious mind. The so-called "mindfulness is not foolish" means mindfulness. So "Prajnaparamita" is the knowledge of self-realization. The mind can consciously think of itself, that is, Prajnaparamita; the mind can consciously think of itself at all times and in every place, that is, pranayama; the mind is not confused in self-consciousness, it is mindful of self-consciousness, it is free to come and go, that is, pranayama wisdom.

One thought of foolishness is pranayama; one thought of wisdom is pranayama.

The confusion of the mind is only in the consciousness of a single thought. If you are confused, you are foolish, and if you are enlightened, you are wise.

The mind is also where the heart is. The so-called "one thought is foolish", that is, it is unconscious when it is born. If you do not perceive the thoughts of the original mind, you only know what you are thinking, so you lose your original mind, and the mind loses this consciousness "that is, it is absolute." The so-called "one-minded wisdom" means that it is consciously read when it is born and thought, not related to the thing being read, because it is not in the trance, so it does not lose its original mind, and the realization of this realization is "that is, Prajnaparamita".

The world is foolish and does not see Prajnaparamita.

The world knows, is obsessed with things, and does not feel the original mind, so it does not know Prajnaparamita. Those who know Prajnaparamita are rare in the world. Only those who know Prajnaparamita can do Prajnaparamita, and the one who can always do Prajnaparamita is a Buddha. Therefore, buddhahood in sentient beings is to enable sentient beings to generate Prajnaparamita wisdom from their original minds and turn foolishness into Prajnaparamita.

If you speak of Prajnaparamita, your heart is always foolish.

Many people just put enlightenment on their lips and don't have enlightenment in their hearts. Speaking without doing with the heart, so Prajnaparamita becomes a concept, speaking smoothly, even speaking with the head of the Tao, but there is no Prajnaparamita in the mind. Such a person says that he is practicing Prajnaparamita, but in fact he has only practiced one mantra.

Thinking about emptiness, not knowing the vacuum.

It means that the mind is in vain, but it does not know the vacuum. Because enlightened beings often refer to the true mind as emptiness, practitioners are attached to emptiness, so their thoughts fall into emptiness and cling to emptiness. But emptiness is not hollow, hollowness is vacuum. Therefore, those who see the void realm do not know the truth.

"Thinking of emptiness, not of emptiness" is the opposite of "speaking with one's mouth, but being foolish in one's heart." One falls into phases and one falls into the void phase. One speaks without doing, and one does not act with the heart, but the other fails in vain. Therefore, these two sentences of Huineng refer to the disease of emptiness and both sides of the practice that is often easy to fall into. Falling on both sides of emptiness is not pranayama; not falling on both sides is pranayama; being born without staining, emptiness without silence, and turning both sides into one is pranayama.

If pranayama is formless, the wisdom mind is.

"Prajnaparamita" is a concept that cannot be phased, positioned, or fixed, and it is misunderstood no matter what the Prajnaparamita is. For if pranayama is fixed as something, it falls into separation, into a state of being, that is, not as a pranayama. So Prajnaparamita is neither existence nor emptiness, but only the enlightened mind of everyone. This mind is the mind of wisdom, and this knowledge is called Prajnaparamita.

Author Cheng Dong: Founder of Modern Psychology. Graduated from Nankai University, he is a director of the Chinese Yanhuang Culture Research Association and a professor of Beijing Tanzhu College. He has published monographs such as "TheOry of True Nature", "Talking on the Clear Heart", "Awakening at Ease", "The Truth of the Diamond Sutra", "The Truth of the Tantra", "The Revelation of the Heart Sutra", "The Essence of transmission and Practice", "The First Chapter of Explaining Laozi" and so on.

Modern psychology: It is the study of establishing oneself as a learning and knowing oneself. I am a real being, and my existence is recognizable. Modern psychology is a new science, through the way of understanding and empirical evidence, open the door of the heart, grasp the law, realize the original, solve the self-perception and existing problems, so as to solve the confusion and truly autonomy.