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Saturday
Jun252011

Essence of the Infinite Life Sutra, Excerpt Twenty-six

[Those Bodhisattvas] have a mind of great compassion and of bringing benefits to all beings. They discard all attachments and accomplish infinite merits and virtues.

 

“Great” refers to a pure and impartial mind—such a mind is free of discrimination and attachment. Great compassion is compassion from a pure mind and an impartial mind.

This excerpt tells us that the bodhisattvas of the Western Pure Land have the ability to travel to all the Buddha Lands and to any place in the entire Dharma Realm. The sutras teach that the past has no beginning and the future has no end. From this, we know that space (in Buddhism it is called Dharma Realm) is immensely vast. This is the area the bodhisattvas cover in their travels—the vastness of the Dharma Realm. If they have an affinity with a place, they will manifest themselves there to benefit the beings.

The conditions are mature for some beings but are not for others. If a being does not have the conditions, one should help the being develop the conditions. If the conditions of a being are not yet mature, one should help them mature. If the conditions of a being have matured, one should guide that being to attain rebirth in the Western Pure Land.

The standard for mature conditions in the Pure Land school is different from those in other schools. In other schools, a practitioner needs to completely eradicate all afflictions and attain great awakening. In the Pure Land school, a practitioner needs to have true belief, be willing to make the vow, and sincerely chant the Buddha-name. Such a practitioner is a being whose conditions have matured. This cultivation is easier than in other schools.

Throughout the boundless worlds in the ten directions, the bodhisattvas of the Land of Ultimate Bliss (1) seek the Buddha-dharma and (2) help all beings. When they seek the Buddha-dharma, they are not attached to the act of seeking. When they help beings, they are not attached to the act of helping. They discard all attachments and teach all beings. This way, they are able to attain infinite merits and virtues.

In “merits and virtues,” “merits” refers to effort, and “virtues” refers to result. “Merits” is the cause; “virtues” is the result. How does one cultivate merits? The Buddha taught us these three principles—which are the Three Learnings to preserve [our merits and virtues]: precepts, meditative concentration, and wisdom.

One practices according to the precepts, meditative concentration, and wisdom. For example, if one observes the precepts and attains meditative concentration, precept observation is “merits” [effort], and meditative concentration is “virtues” [result]. If one cultivates meditative concentration and attains awakening, the cultivation of meditative concentration is “merits,” and awakening is “virtues.”

If one observes the precepts but does not have meditative concentration, then this is not considered as “merits and virtues.” There is “merits” [effort] but no “virtues” [result]. Here, precept observation will turn into good fortune—one will have good fortune in the human or heavenly path in the next lifetime.

If one cultivates meditative concentration but does not attain awakening, one will have the karmic result of being reborn in the heavens, in the Form Realm or the Formless Realm—one will not transcend the Three Realms. This good fortune [of being reborn into the heavens] is minuscule. If one attains enlightenment and uncovers one’s true nature, one will transcend the Three Realms.

“Infinite merits and virtues” signifies the attainment of Buddhahood. Only when one is a Buddha will one be replete with “infinite merits and virtues.” This is our ultimate goal in learning Buddhism.

How do we accomplish infinite merits and virtues? By discarding all attachments. From this we can see that the reason why we cannot succeed in our practice is due to our not being able to let go of our attachments. Therefore, we should not be attached to either worldly phenomena or supramundane teachings. If we can discard all wandering thoughts and attachments, we will attain infinite merits and virtues.

If there is even one thing that we cannot discard or let go of, we will not have any achievement. But to let go is truly hard. Because of this, infinite great compassion arose in Amitabha Buddha, and he established a special cultivation place in the Dharma Realm for learning and practice—for beings like us who cannot let go to also have achievement. This is inconceivable!

With the cultivation places of all the other Buddhas in the ten directions, one must let go of both worldly phenomena and supramundane teachings before one can be reborn there. But, only in the land of Amitabha Buddha, [while letting go is ideal,] not letting go is also alright. This way, everyone will be truly helped and awakened.

When we get to the Western Pure Land, Amitabha Buddha and the beings of superior goodness (in other words, the great bodhisattvas) will help us discard all our attachments so that we can attain supreme enlightenment.

Essence of the Infinite Life Sutra by Venerable Master Chin Kung  

 

Monday
Jun202011

Buddha-name Chanting Practitioners Should Dedicate Merits From Chanting to the Pure Land

 

…(Buddha-name chanting practitioners) must dedicate all merits accrued from reciting sutras and mantras, from prostrating to Buddhas, from repenting one’s karmas, and from charitable actions such as rescuing victims and refugees in disasters and helping the poor to the Pure Land. One should not cultivate for the good fortune for one’s next life as a heavenly or human being.

If one has such a mind for the good fortune of one’s next life, one will not be reborn in the Pure Land. If one has not broken out of cyclic death and rebirth, the better one’s good fortune, the worse the karmas one will commit. It will be inevitable that one will fall into the three evil paths—hungry ghost, animals, and hell—in one’s very next life. After that, it will be even more difficult for one to recover the life form of a human being and have the affinities to receive and believe in the Pure Land teaching to end the cycle of death and rebirth.

The Buddha taught us to make the vow to be reborn in the Pure Land; it is for our present life. If one cultivates for the good fortune of the next life, one is violating the Buddha’s teaching. This is just like trading a priceless jewel for a piece of candy: what a waste! A foolish Buddha-name chanting practitioner who does not make the vow to be reborn in the Pure Land, but rather cultivates for the good fortune of the next life instead, is no different from this example.

~ Great Master Yinguang

 

Wednesday
Jun152011

Essence of the Infinite Life Sutra, Excerpt Twenty-five

They travel to all the Buddha Lands. There is none that they like or dislike; and there is no thought of wanting or of not wanting. Neither do they have thoughts of “others” or of “I,” nor thoughts of dissatisfaction and enmity.

 

The bodhisattvas of the Western Pure Land go often to the Buddha Lands in the ten directions to teach and help all beings. Some Buddha Lands are magnificently adorned with seven jewels, but others are very polluted or unpleasant. When there is affinity, the bodhisattvas will go there, whether a situation is favourable or not. Moreover, they do not like or dislike any situation. In other words, they travel around all the Buddha Lands without feeling attachment or aversion. They do not give rise to any thought, discrimination, or attachment.

When we go abroad to visit other countries, if we feel like or dislike, then our minds are polluted. We should cultivate meditative concentration and wisdom during the trips. When we see and understand everything clearly, we have wisdom. When we do not have any like or dislike, we have meditative concentration. Therefore, when we visit other countries we should simultaneously cultivate meditative concentration and wisdom.

Furthermore, in daily life when we interact with people and engage in tasks, we should also cultivate meditative concentration and wisdom. For example, if someone tries to anger us and we are able to not give rise to any thought, we are cultivating One Mind Undisturbed. The person who tries to anger us is a good teacher for us. Without him or her, how can we achieve the paramita of patience?

These situations—someone says charming words to us but we do not attach to the words, or someone tries to stir up trouble but we feel no anger—help us to cultivate and attain meditative concentration and wisdom.

One Mind Undisturbed and the Buddha-name Chanting Samadhi taught in Pure Land Buddhism are both attained in this way. If one’s mind is perturbed by others gossiping or starting rumors about us, one should immediately feel remorse: “I am wrong again. I am affected by the external environment again.”

Daily, in every thought, stay awakened and do not be deluded when interacting with others and engaging in tasks. Any situation at any time is a good teacher for us.

“And there is no thought of wanting or of not wanting.” It is erroneous to wish for something. When one wishes for something, suffering follows. When one gains something, something will be lost. Both are painful.

It is also erroneous to [have thoughts of] not wishing for something, because one would reject all opportunities. [Thoughts of] wishing for something is seeking affinities. [Thoughts of] not wishing for something is also seeking affinities. Therefore, bodhisattvas practice the Middle Way: when they teach beings, they are according with conditions, not seeking affinities.

“Neither do they have thoughts of ‘others’ or of ‘I,’ nor thoughts of dissatisfaction and enmity.” The thoughts of “others” and “I” are in the four marks taught in the Diamond Sutra: the Mark of Self, the Mark of Others, the Mark of Being, and the Mark of Life Span. “Dissatisfaction and enmity” means that one bears resentment and hatred when others go against one’s wish, and one forms attachment when they go along with one’s wish.

Therefore, we should be impartial to all people in any situation, whether they are good or bad. An impartial mind will lead to a pure mind. Attachment as well as dissatisfaction and enmity are wandering thoughts. When one is free of all wandering thoughts, all discriminations, and all attachments, one will attain a pure and impartial mind. When the mind is pure and impartial, one will definitely be awakened, not deluded. One will then realize the goal of “purity, impartiality, and enlightenment.”

Essence of the Infinite Life Sutra by Venerable Master Chin Kung  

 

Saturday
Jun112011

We Need Permission???

Question: I'd love the idea to go to Pure Land after living here on Earth. But I am having a hard time to believe that this is possible only to chant the name of Buddha Amithaba. Could you help me, please? I also would like to know more about the Dharma ending-age, please. Do you think what happened on Tibet was because of this Dharma ending-age that we are living? I also read on the internet that Buddha Amitabha has to give permission to people here on Earth to believe in him. Thank you so much!

Response: Thank you for the questions!

First, for almost two millennia, Chinese Buddhist patriarchs and masters have stressed the importance of adhering to a code of morality. The Buddha spoke of the importance of moral behavior in the Visualization Sutra (one of the Pure Land sutras) explaining that the Three Conditions were “the true causes of pure activities of all Buddhas of the three time periods.” In other words, all Buddhas of the three time periods of the past, the present, and the future, rely on the Three Conditions as the foundation for their cultivation and attainment of Buddhahood.

The First Condition is be filial to and care for one’s parents; be respectful to and serve teachers; be compassionate and not kill any living beings, and cultivate the Ten Virtuous Karmas, which are as follows. Physically, we are to refrain from killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct. Verbally, we are to refrain from false speech, harsh speech, divisive speech, and enticing speech. Mentally, we are to refrain from giving rise to greed, anger, and ignorance.

The Second Condition is take the Three Refuges; abide by the precepts; and behave in a dignified, appropriate manner.

The Third Condition is generate the Bodhi mind; believe deeply in causality; study and chant the Mahayana sutras; and encourage others to advance on the path to enlightenment.

As we learn from the Pure Land sutras, to attain rebirth in the Western Pure Land, we need belief, vow and practice. “Practice” comprises mindfully chanting the name of Amitabha Buddha and living morally. “Living morally” includes adhering to the Five Precepts and the Three Conditions. Living morally is vitally important because without doing so, we will not have the conditions to encounter Pure Land Buddhism, practice it, and attain rebirth in the Pure Land.

Second, regarding your next question, as I am not awakened, I do not know the causes of “what happened on Tibet.” Not knowing the causes, I do not speculate.

The Dharma-ending Age is a time when people do not understand the teachings and when misinformation abounds. The Internet can be a source of valuable information. It is also a fount of misinformation where anyone can post all manner of silliness and much, much worse.

To address your third question, why would Buddhas—awakened beings who have made the vow to help all beings end suffering and attain enlightenment—say we needed “permission” to practice? What sutra does this come from? We do not need “permission” to believe in Amitabha Buddha; we need to have planted the right causes and conditions! The Buddhas teach selflessly and tirelessly. They have done and continue to do everything they can to teach us. We have to do the hard work to live morally and practice so we will have those right causes and conditions. Believing in Amitabha is up to us!

I strongly encourage all readers to do the good deeds in the Three Conditions so you will have the right cause and conditions to learn the correct teachings. Find a qualified teacher to learn from, and read the sutras to learn what the Buddha taught. 

 

Friday
Jun102011

From a Reader: Observation - Folks are Funny

Amituofo. I'm amazed at the dynamics that arise among people in various groups, be they families, groups of friends, political groups, social groups, religious groups, etc., It seems the human tendency to consider oneself wholly correct and others less so, in varying degrees, can cause strife even among cultivators. Further, if a group largely professes one viewpoint, a few dissenting voices are looked at with disfavor, perhaps hostility. Are you an American or a foreigner, a Republican or Democrat or Independent,man or woman, straight, gay or bi, vegetarian or eater of three-pure-meat,Mahayana or Theravada, Pure Land, oh great-what sect-Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese -Jodo Shu or Jodo Shinshu?

It seems the universe between one's ears has the potential to (frequently) rub someone else 's universe the wrong way. Such episodes cause arguments, disunity and can escalate to poisonous thinking and emotions, as well as outright violence in different forms. Clearly, the goal of cultivation, any variety, is the transcendence of attachment to views that limit one's ability to interact in a civil, compassionate manner with other sentient beings. For Pure Land cultivators, mindfulness of Amituofo, and the remembrance of one's true identity that accompanies it, can overcome this human tendency; allowing one to be a Buddha moment-by-moment.

Just an observation from an average cultivator with a lot of work to do.