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Ten Thousand Buddhas Column

What is the Difference between Consciousness Only and Prajna?

Q: What is Consciousness Only? What is Prajna? What is the difference between them?

A: Consciousness Only means that which the conscious mind knows; Prajna is wisdom which cannot be known by the conscious mind.

Q: What is meant by "dharmas not knowing one another"?

A: Does this need to be asked? Dharmas not knowing one another simply means they don't know one another. Do you think dharmas are able to know things? Do dharmas have awareness?

Q: The Taipei municipal government was going to move the statue of Guan Yin Bodhisattva in Municipal Park No. 7 to another place. This would not have harmed the statue. Why did the Venerable Master say that it would be very dangerous for the situation in Taiwan? I don't understand at all.

A: It's because the people don't want it to be moved. If they move it, they would be going against everyone's wishes, and that would be inauspicious. "The people are the foundation of a country. If the foundation is stable, then the country will be at peace." The people are the roots of a country, so the people's wishes should be respected. In this case, there is no harm if the statue is not moved, and there is nothing to be gained if it is moved. They want to move it only because those who are not Buddhists don't like to see the Guan Yin Bodhisattva statue there. If they move it, you could say it will be a great disappointment for the people.

At that time a lot of people went on a hunger strike to petition that the statue not be moved. Although no one died from it, I know a lot of people were going to burn themselves to death if the Guan Yin Bodhisattva were moved away. That would be very unfortunate. If they insist on moving it, then it could be said that the moving of the Guan Yin Bodhisattva statue may result in the loss and damage of life and property, and is that really necessary?

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