Essence of the Infinite Life Sutra, Excerpt Fifty-four

To your elders and juniors, men and women, family members, and friends, you should impart my teachings. Discipline and reflect upon yourself. Be in harmony and conform with justice and truth. Be happy, compassionate, and filial. If your action is a transgression, feel remorse about the offense. Eradicate evil and cultivate virtue. When you learn about a fault of yours in the morning, correct it by evening.

“To your elders and juniors, men and women, family members, and friends, you should impart my teachings.”

“Elders” refers to our parents or seniors. “Juniors” refers to our children, nephews and nieces, or anyone younger than ourselves. “Men and women, family members, and friends” refers to our relatives, from our family to the family clan, and then to distant relatives and friends.

When we follow the Buddha’s teachings, practice accordingly, and receive the true, wondrous benefits of Buddhism, we should also do our best to introduce Buddhism to others and urge them to learn. When they benefit from the learning, they will also teach others. This way, we will truly repay the kindness of the Buddha. Urge and encourage others to learn this true teaching. Introduce and recommend it to a town, a city, a country, and even the world. Then society will be in harmony and the world will be at peace.

Great Master Yinguang once held a “Protecting the Country and Averting Disasters Dharma Ceremony” in Shanghai. He clearly explained how to protect the country and avert disasters—mindfully chant the Buddha-name and maintain a vegetarian diet. When everyone maintains a vegetarian diet and mindfully chants the Buddha-name, disasters will naturally be averted and the country will naturally be protected. Therefore, we should spread this teaching to the whole world. This is truly repaying the Four Kinds of Kindness above, and relieving the suffering of those in the Three Paths below. This is protecting the world and eliminating disasters.

There are many ways to spread the Buddha’s teachings. For example, one could print the sutras and give them to others or circulate cassette tapes, video tapes, CDs, and video discs on Dharma lectures. One does one’s best to help others. As for oneself, one should sincerely chant the Buddha-name and seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land. But one should not force others to have the same aspiration. One only needs to help others to (1) have a good heart, (2) say kind words, (3) do good deeds, and (4) have a happy family.

“Discipline and reflect upon yourself. Be in harmony and conform with justice and truth. Be happy, compassionate, and filial.” These words are well said. They are not only for our cultivation. When introducing Buddhism to others, we should teach not only with words but also with exemplary behavior. If we teach only with words but cannot practice what we teach, others may not believe us or accept the teachings. We must truly practice the teachings so as to really help others build confidence.

“Discipline and reflect upon yourself.” One’s thoughts, spoken words, and behavior should accord with the teachings in the sutras. One should discipline oneself and reflect on one’s behavior and thoughts.

“Be in harmony and conform with justice and truth.” One should be amiable and get along harmoniously with others. “Harmony” refers to the Six Harmonies. “Conform” refers to being in accordance with all beings. Harmony and conformity should not be based on emotions but on justice and truth. There is a principle that one should follow when one accords with others: while according with others, one should inspire and change them. If one cannot help others awaken and reform, one should not indulge them.

“Be happy, compassionate, and filial.” Children should be filial to their parents, and parents should love their children. The family will be happy. This is the foundation. Families make up a society. Societies make up a country. Countries make up the world. Therefore, we should know that the origin of happiness is family.

Happiness is also the most basic requirement in one’s interacting with others and engaging in tasks. As the Mahayana sutras say: wherever bodhisattvas go, they make all beings happy. The bodhisattvas absolutely do not have any thought of, let alone commit any act of, harming others. This is why they are happy, and so is everyone else.

“Compassion” is impartial and pure. All of Buddha’s teachings are developed from filial piety. In Buddhism, filial piety, since the past, has no beginning and into the future, has no end. It extends through time in the three time periods and through space in the ten directions. The entire universe is oneself. It is one entity.

“If your action is a transgression, feel remorse about the offense. Eradicate evil and cultivate virtue. When you learn about a fault in the morning, correct it by evening.”

“As people are not sages, how can they be faultless? When a person becomes aware of a fault and corrects it, there is no virtue greater than this.” [This Confucian quote tells us that] the greatest virtue is correcting faults, which is the teaching of the sages. If one is aware of one’s faults, one is awakened. Cultivation is correcting one’s faults, and correcting one’s faults is cultivation. Being aware of one’s faults is awakening, and correcting one’s faults is true cultivation. When our thoughts, views, spoken words, and behavior are wrong, we should repent. Repentance is not about seeking the forgiveness of Buddhas and bodhisattvas. Rather, sincerely admit one’s wrongdoings, completely correct them, and never make the same mistakes again.

“Eradicate evil and cultivate virtue. When you learn about a fault of yours in the morning, correct it by evening.” This describes truly regretting one’s mistakes. One should awaken quickly and correct one’s faults quickly. When one realizes a fault, one should correct it immediately.

~ Essence of the Infinite Life Sutra by Venerable Master Chin Kung 

Essence of the Infinite Life Sutra, Excerpt Fifty-three

 

Only in this world are there little good and plenty of evil. What people drink is suffering and what they eat is poison. There is no peace or ending.

“This world” refers to the Saha world. An evil world of the Five Corruptions—this is what our present society is. In today’s society, there is little good and a lot of evil. Everyone can see this.

“What people drink is suffering and what they eat is poison. There is no peace or ending.” Food is essential to us ordinary beings in the Six Paths. But what are we consuming today? Suffering and poison.

Great Master Yinguang earnestly urged us to maintain a vegetarian diet. Why?

Generally when people are angry, their sweat is poisonous. Therefore, anger and hatred are poisons. When anger or hatred arises, every part of the body is filled with poisonous liquid. In the past, there was a woman who breast-fed her baby when she was angry. The baby died after a few days, poisoned by the milk.

Let’s look at animals. When an animal is being killed by a human, would it be very happy about it? No. It is just that the animal is unable to resist! In addition, with extreme anger, how can it not become poisonous? Therefore, when one eats meat over a long period of time, poison will accumulate in one’s body. When the poison takes effect, one will have strange diseases. As it is said, “Illness enters through the mouth.” If we wish for good health and longevity, we should start to have a vegetarian diet. This is very important. Frankly, there are also toxins in vegetarian food: there are pesticides in vegetables. But a vegetarian diet is still better than a meat diet because it is less toxic.

~ Essence of the Infinite Life Sutra by Venerable Master Chin Kung 

Essence of the Infinite Life Sutra, Excerpt Fifty-two

 

Extensively plant roots of virtue. Do not violate the precepts of the Way. Practice patience and diligence. Be compassionate and single-minded.

“Extensively plant roots of virtue.” “Plant” means to plant and nurture. As to “roots of virtue,” for Mahayana bodhisattvas, the basis of all virtues is the Six Paramitas. For Theravada practitioners, it is the Three Learnings of precepts, meditative concentration, and wisdom. For Pure Land practitioners, mindfully chanting the Buddha-name accords with Buddha—one uses  the Buddha-name to awaken oneself and to make one’s mind, vows, understanding, and practice the same as those of Amitabha Buddha. The merit of the Buddha-name is completely revealed. It is the root of all virtues.

One can sincerely chant the Buddha-name even if one is not familiar with the teachings or the principles. Because one chants the Buddha-name, no wandering thoughts and attachments arise. One’s mind is pure and clear. This also accords with the meaning of “roots of virtue.”

Simply put, everything in this world and beyond is invariably about conditions. Conditions may be favorable or adverse. How do conditions come about? They are created by us, initiated by us. Buddhas and bodhisattvas constantly teach us to have a good heart, say kind words, and do good deeds. This is planting and nurturing roots of virtue.

“Virtue” here refers to good fortune. One not only has to plant and nurture but do so extensively. When one broadens one’s mind and practice, one’s good fortune will be profound and great. Even in this corrupt and evil world, one will still be able to enjoy good fortune. Those who do not cultivate good fortune are the most miserable people in the world. They are pitiable! The truest, greatest, ultimate, and perfect good fortune is mindfully chanting the Buddha-name and seeking rebirth in the Western Pure Land.

The world is filled with suffering. What people drink is suffering and what they eat is poison. There is no solace, nor does it end. Even if one gets all the wealth and prestige that one wants—just like the effect of a cardiac stimulant being injected into a patient, a spark from a flint, or a flash of lightning—they will soon be gone.

Besides, when people are enjoying their good fortune, committing transgressions is unavoidable. More often than not, the offenses they commit are more extensive than those committed by the poor.

Hence, people should know to cultivate good fortune.

“Do not violate the precepts of the Way.” In a restricted sense, “precepts of the Way” refers to the precepts taught by the Buddha. We should be clear about what the Buddha taught us: what not to do, what not to say, and what thoughts not to have. In a broader sense, “precepts of the Way” encompasses laws, customs, and taboos. We should not violate any of these.

Also, for example, we should never go to other people’s cultivation centers to post notices, hand out flyers, or get their followers to come to our cultivation center. These are all within the scope of “the precepts of the Way.” In particular, we should not do these things at cultivation centers that give talks.

“Practice patience and diligence.” We should be patient and diligent in everything. If there is no patience, there is no diligence. We should have endurance when facing natural disasters. We should be even more patient in human relationships.

When there is a group of people, there will be differences in views and thoughts on an issue. If every one of us has very stubborn attachments, conflict is inevitable. If we can each yield a little, the problem will be resolved. That is why it is said, “Under the heavens, there were originally no problems.” Give in, even just a little, and there will be no problems. Therefore, we should be patient and diligent.

“Be compassionate and single-minded.” “Compassion” means that we need to have great compassion towards beings and help those who are suffering by relieving their suffering and giving them happiness. What is the gravest suffering for people today? Being deluded and ignorant! If one is wrong about the truth of life and the universe in one’s thoughts, views, speech, and deeds and yet still seeks to have good fortune, this is the gravest suffering!

“Repay the Four Kinds of Kindness above, and relieve the suffering of those in the Three Paths below.” This is our obligation. This is what we should do. How do we repay kindness? How do we save those who are suffering in the Three Paths below? What ability do we have to relieve the suffering of those in the Three Paths below? We do not have this ability!

Relieving the suffering of those in the Three Paths below means that we should help people today who have created these karmic causes but have not yet fallen into the Three Evil Paths. We cannot do anything to help those who have fallen into the Three Evil Paths. Frankly, it is difficult to help those in the Three Evil Paths, even for Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, let alone for us.

Who will undergo suffering in The Three Evil Paths? Those who are heavily afflicted with greed, anger, or ignorance. Ignorant people cannot tell right from wrong, and are confused about proper and improper, and good and bad. This is the karmic cause for the animal path.

In other words, when we see someone heavily afflicted with greed, anger, or ignorance, this is a person who will fall into the Three Evil Paths. We should do our best to help and remind this person, which will allow this person to awaken and reform on his own. This is great compassion.

“Single-minded” refers to ourselves. It means to be One Mind Undisturbed. One should not only have One Mind Undisturbed as the goal of one’s daily routine practice, one’s mind should also be undisturbed at all times, in all places, and whenever one is helping others. One’s mind should still be undisturbed when one is applying great compassion, repaying kindness, and relieving suffering.

If one’s mind is disturbed when helping others, one should stop helping and just chant the Buddha-name diligently and unquestioningly. One is not at fault in doing so.

The Surangama Sutra says: “If you can change the environment, then you are the same as the Thus Come One.” If one is able to change the environment and be unaffected by it, then one has the ability to help others. If one does not have this ability, one should first cultivate oneself, seeking to achieve in cultivation, before helping others to change. This is very important!

Some bodhisattvas generate the great mind of helping others before they achieve in their own cultivation. They can do so because their minds are focused and are not affected by the environment. They do not change according to the environment. Not achieving in their own cultivation means not attaining Buddhahood, but they are able to become arhats or bodhisattvas. If in helping others, we still fall into the Three Evil Paths, then this is wrong.

We should learn diligently and should not misunderstand the teachings in the sutras.

~ Essence of the Infinite Life Sutra by Venerable Master Chin Kung 

Essence of the Infinite Life Sutra, Excerpt Fifty-one

 

Rectify your mind. Rectify your behavior. Rectify your ears, eyes, mouth, and nose. Behavior and mind should be pure and clean, and accord with virtuousness. Do not let your leisure pursuits or desires take control. Do not commit any evil deed. Speech and facial expressions should be gentle. Cultivation should be focused. Body and eye movements should be calm and composed. Doing things in haste will result in failure and regret.

This excerpt teaches us how to correct our wrong actions in daily life. There are many kinds of actions. Generally, they are grouped into three categories: physical, verbal, and mental. This passage teaches us that through body, speech, and mind, we correct our thoughts and behaviors.

“Rectify your mind.” “Your” shows that in the matter of cultivation, no one can do it for us—we need to make the effort to restrain ourselves in order to have any result.

“Mind” refers to mental karma, thoughts, and thinking. They are the sources of all evils. The Buddha taught us to cultivate from the root. The root is the mind. “Rectify” means to correct. When the mind is not proper, we should immediately correct it—be honorable and open. This is how we begin learning Buddhism.

From the aspect of phenomena, a true Buddhist practitioner should have a mind of the utmost virtuousness. There is nothing that this person does in this lifetime which he or she cannot tell others. Sima Guang[1] in ancient China is a very good example. He was honest from childhood. Throughout his life, he did not do anything that he could not tell others. This was because his mind was proper, honorable, and open. He had nothing to hide.

But “rectify your mind” that the Buddha teaches here refers to a higher level state of mind. It refers to a pure mind. Evil pollutes the mind, but so does good. Both evil and good pollute the mind. Therefore, the good karmas lead to rebirth in the Three Good Paths and the evil karmas lead to rebirth in the Three Evil Paths. In other words, one cannot transcend the Six Paths. Only with a pure mind will one be able to transcend the Three Realms [Desire Realm, Form Realm, and Formless Realm. This also refers to the Six Paths.] With a pure mind in control, one’s thoughts, words and deeds will all be pure. When the mind is proper, the six sense organs will naturally be proper.

“Rectify your behavior. Rectify your ears, eyes, mouth, and nose.” This talks about bodily behavior, about someone’s demeanor. The mind of a beginning practitioner is easily affected by the external environment. This is why the Buddha taught beginners to start with observing the precepts and etiquette, and to gradually nurture a pure, sincere mind. When the mind is truly pure, the ears, eyes, mouth, and tongue, and body will naturally be set right.

“Behavior and mind should be pure and clean, and accord with virtuousness.” “Pure” describes the mind. “Clean” describes the body. The mind should be pure and the body should be clean. This is the key guiding principle. This sentence tells us the standard for cultivating one’s moral character. It teaches us to constantly examine ourselves when a thought arises and to ensure that the body and mind are clean and pure.

What kind of mind is a pure mind? When a mind has no wandering thoughts, it is pure. The standard for cultivating one’s moral character is purity, which means no filth or pollution.

“Virtuousness” here is not the good in good and bad. In our original nature, there is neither good nor bad. In a pure mind, there is also neither good nor bad. This is true virtuousness.

Confucianism says “Attain utmost virtuousness. Utmost virtuousness is the original nature. When the body and mind move away from relativity, one will attain great freedom—true purity and uprightness.

“Do not let your leisure pursuits or desires take control.” If we cannot let go of our outside interests and greed, no matter how well we clean the body, we are not considered pure.

“Do not commit any evil deed.” Simply put, evil deeds are the Ten Evil Karmas: the physical karmas of killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct; the verbal karmas of harsh speech, divisive speech, false speech, and enticing speech; and the mental karmas of greed, anger, and ignorance. Not committing evil deeds, cultivating the Ten Virtuous Karmas, and observing the Five Precepts—these accord with the Ten Virtuous Karmas.

“Speech and facial expressions should be gentle.” When we interact with others, our facial expressions and words should have a sense of conviviality. Analects says: “In practicing etiquette, harmony is paramount.” A Chinese proverb says, “When there is harmony in a family, all undertakings will be successful.” When there is harmony in a family, the family will definitely prosper. When there is harmony in a cultivation center, the proper teachings will be in this world. When there is harmony between the government and populace of a nation, the country will prosper. When all the people in the world get along harmoniously, the world will be at peace, in Great Harmony. Harmony is very important! Where do we start? We start with ourselves. Our speech should be gentle, so should our facial expressions.

“Cultivation should be focused.” This is particularly important. If we want to have any success, whether in worldly pursuits or in Buddhism, we should stay focused. When we learn many different things, our energy, strength, and time will be dispersed. This is why the six major guidelines of bodhisattvas’ practice tell us to be diligent [that is, making focused and diligent progress.] “Focused and diligent” means unadulterated. “Progress” means moving forward. Only when the learning is focused and unadulterated will we succeed.

“Body and eye movements should be calm and composed.” This is talking about one’s demeanor. “Calm” refers to one’s mind; one’s mind should be serene. “Composed” means steady. It also means being unhurried and not rash. We should learn this.

“Doing things in haste will result in failure and regret.” People today are in a hurry and are impatient. In the past, one would feel regret when one did not succeed in one’s studies, career, or cultivation. People today do not have regrets. They think that they have no faults. With no faults, they naturally will have no regrets.

We should calmly think about the Buddha’s teaching. From morning till night, from the first day till the last day of the year, is there a day we do not make mistakes? We are just not aware of them. Being aware of our mistakes and faults is awakening. Correcting our mistakes and faults is cultivation.

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[1] 1019-1086. A scholar, historian, and politician of the Song dynasty.—Trans. 

~ Essence of the Infinite Life Sutra by Venerable Master Chin Kung 

Essence of the Infinite Life Sutra, Excerpt Fifty

Honor the sages and respect the virtuous. Have compassion and loving-kindness.

“Honor the sages and respect the virtuous.” We should honor, admire, and emulate the sages of this world and beyond. We need to respect the people of virtue and good deeds in this world. We need to do our best to help others accomplish good deeds. “Respect” refers to innate virtues coming forth. This is true virtuous behavior.

The Avatamsaka Sutra teaches us to rejoice at the meritorious deeds of others. The effect is to end our afflictions of jealousy, anger, and hatred from infinite kalpas. If we become jealous when we see a virtuous person or when we see a good deed, we are committing an offense. The Buddha taught us to be happy when we encounter good people and good acts. In addition, we should do our best to help a person accomplish his virtuous actions. Helping others achieve goodness is the same as achieving our own goodness. Self and others are not two. When we rejoice at those who cultivate virtues and goodness, we will have the same karmic results.

“Have compassion and loving-kindness.” There are different types of compassion. In this world, people’s compassion is based on love and is emotional. To those they like, they show compassion. To those they dislike, they do not show compassion. This kind of compassion is called love-affinity compassion. It is based on worldly love.

The compassion of bodhisattvas is called dharma-affinity compassion. The bodhisattvas know that all dharmas are equal. The compassion that one has for sentient beings should be the same that one has for oneself. This compassion is based on a profound and true principle.

The compassion of Buddhas is called great compassion. It arises entirely from a pure mind, an impartial mind, and a mind that knows everything is one entity. This is true compassion and loving-kindness.

We must broaden our minds: everything in the entire Dharma Realm is ourselves.

We should nurture a mind of compassion and loving-kindness. This is the source of true happiness. If we want happiness, the root is compassion and loving-kindness. We should put ourselves in the position of others. When we think of ourselves, we should also think of others and of all the beings in the universe.

~ Essence of the Infinite Life Sutra by Venerable Master Chin Kung