Buddhist News

The Sino-American Buddhist Association happily announces the purchase of a new building, located at 1731 15th St. (between Valencia and Guerrero). The new Bodhimandala will be ready for occupation next month, and when completed, the Great Hall will hold 800 people for lectures, ceremonies, and meditation.

(The following is a letter sent to the Venerable Master Hua from a student of the Dharma studying to be a doctor at the School of Medicine, University of California at San Diego.)

Tripitaka Master:

Something happened last night at a meditation session that has crystallized my deepest feelings to follow the Way.

While sitting with a number of others at the home of Dr. Ray Jordan in San Diego, I was looking into the hua-t'ou "who am I?" My concentration was good and I became aware of my legs and arms tightening and my body quivering. Then my throat began to tighten and a deep sadness came welling up out of me—I began to cry. I just let the sobs come--I didn't repress them or cherish them—it suddenly appeared very clear to me that all of the suffering that I’ve endured, especially over the last two months, has been caused by the delusion of the "I" and "not I". I was certain that I am more than this body and mind, but that it is the "I" that shackles me.

Even after I regained my composure, this sadness would come back and sweep through me—I don't fear it and I don't cherish it 1 just try to continue holding my hua-t'ou—even now as I ask myself "who is sad?" it comes back and my throat tightens and I sob with few tears. Dharma Master, it is my deepest wish to return to San Francisco over the Thanksgiving holidays to sit in the Ch'an Session for 2-3 days, and, if you will receive me, I want very much to take refuge with you as a disciple.

Respectfully yours in Dharma,
Roger May

May all the Dharma-protecting gods rain showers of flowers and sandalwood-powder, may heavenly instruments play of themselves, may all the millions and thousands of world-realms applaud your magazine! Short of that, anyway, I will applaud it !

As a long-time and earnest student and practitioner of Mahayana (and having received your magazine here in Mysore quite miraculously, all of a sudden, at a time when I didn't even know it existed), I really want to express my deep appreciation of your magazine and your other work described therein. I am always suffused with indescribable warmth when reading the Vajra Bodhi Sea, and greatly refreshed by its salty, billowing waves. All the more so as the only other Buddhist text I have within here is The Astasahasrika Prajnaparamita, which, of course, is quite enough in itself.

It would be marvelous if I could continue to receive copies of the Vajra Bodhi Sea, but as I possess only rupees it is difficult for me to subscribe, unless you have any use for rupees, that is. (Rupees are much more colorful currency than dollars, and certainly as far as buying-power is concerned, a rupee is worth more here than a dollar is in the Holy American Empire.)

Eventually, you may wish to receive some contributions from me. My own visista-gurus are the Bodhisattva Maitreya, the Bodhisattva Vasubandhu, and Vajra- sattvais Aryadeva, Indrabhuti, Saraha, and the Vajrasattva Laksroinkara.

May the Dharma be spread to remote corners with your help!

Stefan Anacker
The Place of the Buffalo Demon
Mysore, India

Previous translations of The Sixth Patriarch's Sutra, in spite of their eloquence, have occasionally missed the original intention and have not penetrated the meaning. As a remedy for these failings, members of the Buddhist Text Translation Society are working together to make a complete and accurate translation. The cultivating Bhiksus and Bhiksunis, laymen, and students and scholars of Chinese are carefully editing the work and its detailed commentary. If you want to investigate the genuine Buddhadharma, this is the Sutra to study.

Even though others may have lectured this Sutra, this is the first time the mind seal Dharma-door of the Great Master, the Sixth Patriarch, has been opened and spoken clearly for the benefit of all who hear. Those who wish to cultivate, to actually do the work, do not want to miss this publication of the best translation and commentary ever compiled. Those who have not digested it have not adequately investigated the Buddhadharma.

Those who wish to subscribe for advance copies may do so at the rate of $10 per book. After publication in 1971 the books will be sold for $15 each Write: Sutra Printing, S.A.B.A., 125 Waverly Place, San Francisco, California, U.S.A. 94108.

Plans are now being made for the 1971 Summer Lecture and Cultivation Sessions. Next year there will be three separate sessions, each one month in lengthy. Lectures will be given on The Avatamsaka Sutra, as well as other Sutras and sastras. More information concerning these sessions will be given in the following issue of Vajra Bodhi Sea.

Shortly after the conclusion of the Winter Meditation Session, The Great Universal Vastness Buddha's Flower Adornment Sutra (Avatamsaka Sutra) Dharma Meeting will begin. The text of this Sutra which now exists in the human world is the third of three volumes; the first and second are stored in the Dragon Palace. The first volume is made up by chapters equal in number to one world of fine dust particles, and contains gathas equal in number to the fine particles of dust of 13,000 great thousand worlds. The 1,200 chapters of the second volume contain 498,800 gathas, and the 48 chapters of the last volume contain 100,000 gathas. The Bodhisattva Nagarjuna, after having exhaustively studied all worldly literature, went to the Dragon Palace to get Sutras. He had the ability to remember anything, even if it passed his eyes but once. He read The Avatamsaka Sutra while in the Dragon Palace but brought back only the last volume, however, because the first and second volumes were too long. It is said, "If you haven't studied The Avatamsaka, you do not know the Dharma-body of the Buddha."

Names of the Contributors Who Have Generously Aided in the Spreading of
the Good Dharma:

Bodhimandala

S.A.B.A. will establish Bodhimandala at which Buddhists of all countries will gather to practice Buddhism. People who wish to support the growth of Buddhism in the West should generously contribute. Contributors of U.S.$100,000 or more will be recognized as founders; those who give U.S. $10,000 or more as trustees; those who give us. $1,000 or more as patrons. To accomplish this task $1,500,000 is needed.

Vajra Bodhi Sea

Coming Features:

Om Mani Padme Hum, "The Patient Immortal"; continuation of The Sixth Patriarch's Dharma Jewel Platform Sutra, The Prajna Paramita Heart Sutra, and The Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra; a new translation of The Amitabha Sutra suitable for recitation, "The Thirty-seven Limbs of Enlightenment"; and more of the biography of Great Master Ch'ang Jen.

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