Bennie Master’s Lecture: （8）Stopping Delusions with Ten Good Deeds, Awakening the Spirit—From Delusion to Enlightenment

Dear friends, hello everyone! Today, we’re diving into how to halt the momentum of delusions and awaken the spirit. This is the heart of practice. We’ll draw from the Shurangama Sutra, the Ten Good Deeds Sutra, and other classics, breaking it down in plain language to guide us from confusion to clarity.

The Momentum of Delusions and the Brake of Ten Good Deeds

Stopping the momentum of delusions is like hitting the brakes—those who’ve perfected the Ten Good Deeds can stop instantly. The Ten Good Deeds Sutra says: “When you master the Ten Good Deeds, your eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind all follow your intentions precisely. When you want to brake, you stop completely, because your mind is in charge.” What does this mean? Your six faculties obey you, halting when you say so. But most beings indulge in wrongdoing—their faculties are a mess, their mind runs wild. They try to brake but hit the gas and swerve toward pleasures like eating and drinking. Most are driven by greed—faculties weak, unable to persist. That’s why the Buddha said: “From discipline arises concentration; from concentration arises wisdom.”

The Fruit of Ten Good Deeds: Freedom of the Six Faculties, Ripened by Conditions

How long does it take to see results from the Ten Good Deeds? Stick to them, and you’re free right away—but when do the fruits show? Cause and effect follows three rules: first, the seed determines the fruit; second, it needs conditions; third, a cause planted now bears fruit later. Like a plant, a seed with the right conditions sprouts, roots, stems, branches, leaves, flowers, and fruits—each step has its signs. In human terms, intent and effort create karma, forming a cause with info and vitality. When conditions align, it grows—sprouting, rooting, stemming—unfolding step-by-step in body and mind. Good karma brings faculties that obey you, flowing freely; bad karma leaves body and mind chaotic, needs unmet, delusions spiraling. This is about the six faculties—elevate them, and your study, work, and life naturally improve. Timing? It varies by person and karma—when conditions ripen, fruits appear.

The Nature of Spirit: Uncovered, Overlooked by Inattention

Some say the spirit is covered by delusions—wrong. It can’t be covered. Imagine a screen playing a movie: if one frame blocked the next, it’d be a jumble—no story. Saying “chasing illusions loses the aware spirit” is off too—without the spirit, how could you chase? The very act of chasing illusions is the spirit; the oversight is not noticing the spirit. The Shurangama Sutra explains: It’s like a lost person—someone points the way, and the confusion vanishes. Delusion and awareness are both the spirit—without it, there’s no delusion or awakening. The true self is the spirit—its essence fills the universe, boundless; its form is empty, not a void of nothing; its function holds perception, awareness, and the power to create all. The Sixth Patriarch exclaimed: “How wondrous—the self-nature gives rise to all phenomena!” Without spirit, nothing exists; all is its manifestation.

Delusion vs. Enlightenment: Two Fundamental Roots

The Shurangama Sutra outlines two roots: the root of birth and death is recognizing delusions as oneself, not noticing the spirit, thus spinning in samsara. The root of no-birth, no-death is the empty spirit-body, capable of manifesting everything. Beings chase illusions without realizing this essence. Ananda took reasoning for the spirit; the Buddha called it delusion. Every thought is delusion—a function of the mind, or “mind-use.” Beings see everything as real, endlessly thinking, trapped in muck, unfree. The Buddha, with wisdom, knows it’s all virtual—mere information—thus acting freely. Delusion is recognizing delusions as oneself; enlightenment is awakening to the spirit’s essence. The Shurangama Sutra is for this realization, dubbed “the sutra of enlightenment.”

Straight Heart Through Discipline: A Path to Spirit

What’s a straight heart? Precise knowing. How do you train it? It’s a matter of habits. Hold to no false speech—don’t say uncertain things—and a straight heart emerges. The Shurangama Sutra says: “From discipline arises concentration; from concentration arises wisdom.” Discipline curbs habits, straightening the mind to awaken the spirit. Zen masters warn: Don’t ride a donkey to find a donkey—the seeker is the spirit; don’t use it to chase itself.

Conditions and Fruits: Ten Good Deeds Manifest Freedom

Stick to the Ten Good Deeds, and when conditions ripen, fruits show—six faculties free, like the wheel-turning king’s thirty-two marks and eighty graces, stunningly majestic, a reward of good deeds when conditions align. Some, tied to Buddhas by unique karma, even if breaking core precepts, can still succeed by aiding at the Buddha’s side—like Ananda, blessed by the Buddha’s light, aided by all Buddhas to clear three obstacles and gain strength for awakening. This is “the inconceivable power of the Dharma, boundless compassion.”

Conclusion: Ten Good Deeds Awaken the Spirit

Dear friends, halt delusions with the Ten Good Deeds—discipline births concentration, concentration births wisdom. The spirit isn’t covered; chasing illusions is the spirit itself—overlooking it is simply not noticing the spirit. The root of birth and death recognizes delusions as oneself; the root of no-birth, no-death is the empty spirit-body. Uphold the Ten Good Deeds, and with faculties free, body and mind align. May we practice the Ten Good Deeds, awaken the spirit, and walk the path to Buddhahood. Thank you all!