True Realization Transcends Establishing and Refuting

The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch L34 True Realization Transcends Establishing and Refuting

In this teaching on the Platform Sutra, Khenpo Sodargye elaborates on the Sixth Patriarch's explanation of the threefold training of discipline, meditation, and wisdom for those of great capacity, emphasizing that true realization transcends both establishing and refuting. The lecture explores how a person who has seen their self-nature acts with unhindered freedom in worldly life. The session then recounts the dramatic story of Xingchang, an assassin sent by the disciples of the Northern School to kill the Sixth Patriarch. Surviving the assassination attempt unhurt, the Master displays immense compassion by forgiving Xingchang and sending him away with gold. Xingchang later repents, becomes a monk, and returns, leading to a profound discussion on the best way to repay a master's kindness: by propagating the Dharma and benefiting sentient beings. Finally, the class touches upon a complex debate regarding the concepts of "permanence" and "impermanence" in the Nirvana Sutra, challenging conventional understanding.