Essence of the Infinite Life Sutra, Excerpt Nineteen

They should practice good deeds, such as (1) no killing, (2) no stealing, (3) no sexual desire, (4) no lying, (5) no enticing speech, (6) no harsh speech, (7) no divisive speech, (8) no greed, (9) no anger, and (10) no ignorance.

“They should practice good deeds” refers to the Ten Virtuous Karmas, which are the standards for our thoughts and for our interacting with others and engaging in tasks. If one behaves in accordance with the Ten Virtuous Karmas in one’s lifetime, one is a good person. The Ten Virtuous Karmas are the most basic standards for good and bad.

The Visualization Sutra teaches the Three Conditions. The first includes being filial to parents, and providing and caring for them; being respectful to and serving teachers; being compassionate and not killing any living beings; and cultivating the Ten Virtuous Karmas. This is the most important foundation for learning Buddhism. When we are filial to our parents, respect our teachers, and are compassionate, then the Ten Virtuous Karmas are fulfilled.

Of the Ten Virtuous Karmas, three are physical karmas, four are verbal karmas, and three are mental karmas.

The three virtuous physical karmas are no killing, no stealing, and no sexual desire.

The first virtuous physical karma is no killing. The scope of “killing” is very extensive. It includes personally doing the killing; killing verbally (in other words, telling someone to kill); feeling happy when seeing an act of killing; and giving rise to an intention to kill because of anger and hatred. These are all included in “killing.” In other words, no killing means that one has absolutely no thought of harming others. This way we nurture compassion.

The second virtuous physical karma is no stealing. The scope of “stealing” is very extensive. In Buddhism, stealing is defined as taking without permission. If we handle something that is owned by somebody else without their permission, then this is an act of stealing. Those who steal will have to repay the debt in the future.

It is said that one has to repay a life with a life and money with money. The law of cause and effect never fails.

When one steals from one person, the resultant offense is relatively light: the karmic ties are fewer. But, some things are owned by many people, such as the public facilities in a city. If one steals anything from a public facility, one has to pay back all the residents of this city, because they pay taxes and are thus the owners. If one steals from the facilities of a state or federal government, one will have to pay back the whole nation of people.

With stealing, the resultant offense of stealing “property of the Three Jewels”[1] is the most serious—such properties are things belonging to a temple or monastery. The Buddha-dharma is owned by the entire Dharma realm, which has no boundary. In other words, all the monastics are the owners. If one steals something from a cultivation center, the transgression is inconceivably grave. One who steals the property of the Three Jewels will surely fall into the hells realm.

Stealing is the easiest offense to commit and the one most frequently committed. For example, there are some in business who always try to pay less tax. This is stealing. Stealing in this manner is a very grave transgression. One must know that one should feel remorse and then make amends by cultivating goodness.

In the history of Buddhism in China, Great Master Yongming is the one most famous for doing good deeds with the use of public funds, funds he was not authorized to use. Before he became a monastic, he was a low-ranking government clerk in the taxation department. He often used government money to free captured animals. After it was reported that he had taken money, he was sentenced to death, according to the law.

When the emperor heard that he used the public funds solely to free captured animals, he gave these instructions to the official supervising the execution: “If he shows fear before the execution, execute him. But if he does not show the slightest fear, then bring him to me.”

When the clerk was about to be beheaded, he did not show any signs of fear. The supervising official asked him, “Why are you not afraid?” He said, “I exchange my life for tens of thousands of lives. It’s worth it! I am happy!” The official reported this to the emperor. The emperor asked the clerk, “Do you have any wish?” The clerk replied, “I want to become a monastic.” The emperor granted his wish and became his Dharma protector.

After Great Master Yongming attained great enlightenment through Zen meditation, he focused on the Pure Land teachings and concentrated on mindfully chanting the Buddha-name. His biography says that he was Amitabha Buddha manifested.

The master’s stealing is not the same as when we ordinary people do it. Ordinary people steal for personal enjoyment; he stole to benefit all beings. Hence, the Buddha-dharma truly is flexible. It adapts to circumstances, but there is only one objective: to benefit all beings and society. If we steal for our enjoyment, the transgression is inconceivably grave. This example is worthy of our deep contemplation.

The third virtuous physical karma is no sexual desire. Whether one is a lay practitioner or a monastic, sexual desire will increase one’s greed and deviated thoughts and obstruct one’s pursuit of the supramundane teachings. Therefore, in order to achieve true purity of mind and attain a higher rebirth grade, one must not have sexual desire. If one cannot end sexual desire, one must at least not commit sexual misconduct. The Ten Virtuous Karmas teach no sexual misconduct. This means having no sexual conduct with anyone other than with one’s spouse. This is absolutely forbidden.

The four virtuous verbal karmas are no lying, no enticing speech, no harsh speech, and no divisive speech.

The first virtuous verbal karma is no lying. In learning Buddhism, to generate the bodhi mind where should one start? One starts with no lying. If one keeps on lying, how can one’s true mind come forth? One must be sincere and not deceive oneself and others. This is the very foundation of the Buddha-dharma.

We want to truly understand the Buddha’s intention in laying down the precepts as well as know the spirit of the precepts. This way, we will know how to be flexible in observing the precepts in daily life. This is very important.

Here’s an example from a sutra. A hunter was chasing a rabbit and came to a crossing. He saw a person there and asked, “Did you see a rabbit?” “It went that way,” the person replied. The rabbit had actually run the other way but the person at the crossing, in order to save the rabbit, told a lie to keep the hunter away from it. His lying was lifting the precept, not transgressing it. What he did saved not only the animal but also the hunter. Although the hunter had intended to kill the rabbit, he did not succeed; so his offense was light.

This tells us that with all precepts, if what we do is to benefit beings, it is lifting the precepts, and if what we do is to benefit only ourselves, then we are transgressing the precepts and are guilty of offenses. When we benefit all beings, we have merit. When we sacrifice ourselves to benefit others, we are bodhisattvas.

The second virtuous verbal karma is no enticing speech. Enticing speech means using inviting words to deceive others or to lure them to commit bad deeds. Today’s songs, dance, dramas, movies, novels, and even some literature—known as art nowadays—are full of enticing speech from the viewpoint of Buddhism. They teach people to kill, to steal, and to commit sexual misconduct. The offenses are immensely grave. Let us carefully look at the karmic effects: many famous movies stars come to a bad end. That is their karmic retribution in this lifetime. Their future karmic retributions will be even worse.

I lecture on the Dharma and earnestly urge people to do good deeds, but few people come to listen. Those entertainment shows require entrance fees, and at very high prices too, yet many people attend them. From this we can see that people would rather listen to enticing words than to good advice.

The third virtuous verbal karma is no harsh speech, which is offensive language. It hurts people’s dignity.

The fourth virtuous verbal karma is no divisive speech. Divisive speech stirs up trouble, whether one does so intentionally or unintentionally. If one does so intentionally, the offense is grave. If one does so unintentionally, it is a fault, and the outcome determines the gravity of the offense. If one causes discord between two persons or two groups of people, the gravity of the offense depends on the extent of the discord. If one causes two countries to go to war, which results in the loss of many lives and damage to much property, then the offense is immensely grave.

From the above, when one’s divisive speech causes extensive damage and the damage lasts a long time, one will fall into the tongue-pulling hell or the Avici hell. Therefore, we must be very careful with our speech.

The three virtuous mental karmas are no greed, no anger, and no ignorance. These are also called the Three Good Roots. All the wholesome dharmas arise from them. Greed, anger, and ignorance are the Three Poison Afflictions, and all the evil dharmas arise from them. Therefore, the three mental karmas are truly the determinant and the root cause of one’s suffering and happiness. We must be careful.

People in this world crave fame, prestige, gain, wealth, the Five Desires, and the Six Dusts. If one gets something that one craves, it is because one is destined to have it. If one is not destined to have something, no matter what one does, one will not get it. After reading Liaofan’s Four Lessons, we will understand this: if one is destined to have something, one cannot get rid of it no matter what; if one is not destined to have something, one cannot get it no matter what.

Mr. Yuan Liaofan is a good example. The good thing about Liaofan was that he knew his destiny, and knowing his destiny made him content with his lot. Destiny is natural. He accepted his karmic retributions that he was destined to have. Therefore, he did not have any wandering thoughts. His mind was pure.

If everyone understands the law of cause and effect and is content with his or her present life, the world will be at peace. There will be no conflict. When everyone’s mind is calm, he or she will truly have happiness in this lifetime. This good fortune can be had by the rich and those in high position. And also by the poor and lowly. Everyone will be happy.

The most frightening thing is that people do not know the existence of destiny or understand the law of cause and effect, nor believe in it. Consequently, people behave as they like and commit wrongdoings every day.

Although one’s destiny is predetermined, it changes every day in accordance with one’s behavior. So, can one change one’s destiny? Yes, one can. If one’s behavior every day adds a little to or subtracts a little from good fortune—by one doing small good acts and committing small bad acts—then one’s life will be governed by one’s destiny, and there will be no change. But if one does major deeds—either good or evil—then one’s destiny will be changed.

Therefore, one’s destiny after one is forty years old is greatly influenced by one’s behavior in this lifetime. One’s destiny before one is forty years old is pre-determined, greatly influenced by one’s good and evil deeds done in past lifetimes. If one is truly awakened and diligently ends wrongdoings and practices virtuous conduct, one’s destiny will change for the better after one is forty years old. This is very important.

Buddhism can help us enjoy good fortune in this lifetime. If we truly believe it and diligently practice, we will become happier and happier in our old age. This depends on our cultivation. The Buddha taught us to practice the Ten Virtuous Karmas. If we practice diligently, worldly good fortune will naturally come to us without our seeking.

The first virtuous mental karma is no greed. In addition to worldly things, one should also not have greed for supramundane teachings. One must completely let go of everything before one’s mind can become pure. One should not be attached to what one has or crave for what one does not have. The most important thing is to maintain a pure mind—having is no different from not having.

People often say that one brings nothing with one at birth and one takes nothing with one at death. When we die, we cannot take anything that we own with us. We must clearly understand this truth. Does anything we have now belong to us? No. If we think that what we have belongs to us, this is ignorance! What we have we are just using temporarily, like when we stay in a hotel. Nothing belongs to us. If we can thoroughly understand this reality, we will not have greed. We will be at ease regardless of what we encounter in life and will not mind or take anything seriously.

When we understand the truth, we will have peace of mind. When we have peace of mind, we will surely see the truth. Therefore, we should let go of everything that is irrelevant—we should absolutely give no rise to greed. We should enthusiastically do more good deeds for all beings and society.

The second virtuous mental karma is no anger. When things do not go as one wishes, one usually gets angry and becomes unhappy. This is very harmful. We often talk about accumulating merits. Merits are like a forest. We cultivate a lot of merits, but when we get angry, the fire of anger will burn away all the merits. This is described as “Fire burns away the forest of merits.”

We should ask ourselves “How much merit do we have?” If we had lost our temper this morning, then we would end up, since that bout of anger, with only a few hours of merits. If we lose our temper at the end of our lives, then we will burn away completely all the merits accumulated in this lifetime.

Anything that causes us to lose our temper is a manifestation of Mara. Mara sees that we have accumulated many merits, and he cannot destroy them—so he induces us to burn our forests of merits.

Hence, when one who truly has wisdom and is awakened faces an adverse situation, this person will absolutely not burn away his or her merits, will absolutely not lose his or her temper. [To achieve this,] this person must practice patience.

When we have patience, we will have meditative concentration. When we have meditative concentration, we will have wisdom. Of the Six Paramitas, giving and precept observation allow us to cultivate merits. Patience allows us to preserve merits. If one cannot practice patience, one will destroy one’s own merits.

Merits are precept observation, meditative concentration, and wisdom. When one loses one’s temper, one will not have any precept observation, meditative concentration, and wisdom.

If one cultivates good fortune but loses one’s temper often, harbors hatred and jealousy, is arrogant, or loves to outdo others, one will have no merits but will still have great good fortune. This is because good fortune cannot be burned away. Which path will this kind of people be reborn in? The Buddha said that they will be reborn in the path of asuras. Asuras have good fortune but no virtues. They are prone to anger and lose their tempers easily, and hurt others. But when they use up their good fortune, they will fall into a bad realm. Buddhism often talks about “anger and resentment in the third lifetime”—one cultivates good fortune in the first lifetime, enjoys it in the second lifetime, and falls into a bad realm in the third lifetime.

We must know that our anger harms us more than others: it harms us 70 percent and others 30 percent.

The third virtuous mental karma is no ignorance. Ignorance means no wisdom. There are many smart people, eloquent in debate or skillful at talking or writing, but they do not have wisdom. What is wisdom? The ability to truly differentiate between true and false, proper and deviated, right and wrong, and beneficial and harmful.

If an old village lady, one who has never received any formal education and is illiterate, when told to mindfully chant “Amituofo” does so sincerely during the remainder of her lifetime, then she has true wisdom. Why? Because she chooses to mindfully chant “Amituofo” to seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land, which is true, not false; proper, not deviated; beneficial, not harmful; and good, not bad. Her choice is correct in every aspect. This is true wisdom!

Many intelligent people in this world doubt the Buddha-name chanting method. They even slander it. This act is totally without wisdom. This is ignorance! They do not get any benefit. Moreover, they obstruct others from learning and practicing this method, even to the point of causing them to stop their practice. This offense is very grave, and the future karmic retributions are unthinkable.

No greed, no anger, and no ignorance—these are the roots of all wholesome dharmas in the world. If one cultivates virtuousness from the root, then one is an intelligent person.

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 [1] “Property of the Three Jewels” is a Buddhist terminology that refers to the property of a temple or monastery. The statue of a Buddha, the worship hall, flowers, canopies—these are the property of the Buddha Jewel. Sutras, stationery, containers and linens for protecting sutras—these are the property of the Dharma Jewel. Dormitories and farms of monasteries; clothing, alms bowls, and other personal items belonging to monastics—these are property of the Sangha Jewel. The items for each Jewel must only be used for that Jewel and not otherwise. For example, the flowers in the chanting hall should not be used as a personal item.—Practical Buddhist Dictionary “Shi Yong Fo Xue Ci Dian” compiled by Gao Guan Lu, 1934 (Buddhist Book Store, China). 

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

Essence of the Infinite Life Sutra, Excerpt Eighteen

Brings forth the bodhi mind, observes all the precepts, firmly abides in them without any transgression, brings abundant benefits to sentient beings, and offers them all the good roots that one has cultivated to help them attain peace and happiness.

This excerpt sets the standard, throughout our lives, for interacting with people and engaging in tasks. “Bodhi” is Sanskrit, meaning “enlightenment.” “Bringing forth the bodhi mind” means bringing forth the mind to attain enlightenment and be free of confusion and delusion. An ordinary being is called an ordinary being because such a person is confused and deluded.

The excerpt also teaches us to interact with people and engage in tasks with a sincere mind. We should not deceive them or act falsely. Sincerity is the bodhi mind. The Visualization Sutra talks about “a mind of the utmost sincerity.” This is the noumenon of the bodhi mind.

How can one be truly free of confusion or delusion? Let us observe a truly awakened person. This person has a clear understanding of him- or herself as well as the living environment. Understanding is awakening. What is the standard for understanding?

The Buddha was a truly awakened person. He is our standard. The Buddha said that the truth of this world is “suffering, emptiness, and impermanence.” This is the truth of this mundane world. No one can escape from this.

This world is filled with suffering, is empty in nature, and is impermanent. We must clearly understand this. When we do, we should abandon “suffering, emptiness, and impermanence” in this world and seek the state of “permanence, joy, true self, and purity.” Achieving this, we are truly awakened. The state of “permanence, joy, true self, and purity” is the state of Buddhas and bodhisattvas.

Buddhism talks about “understanding the cycle of birth and death and transcending the Three Realms.” When one clearly understands the truth of life and death and of transmigration within the Six Paths, one is an awakened person. When one understands the truth, the next step is transcending the Six Paths and freeing oneself from samsara. This is what Buddhas and bodhisattvas do.

When one is clear about the truth, how should one cultivate? When the Buddha was in this world, which was during the Dharma-perfect Age, people had high capacities and the majority could succeed in any method that they chose to practice! After the Buddha’s time, during the Dharma-semblance Age, people did not have as high a capacity as earlier. With that, the quality of the Buddha’s teachings gradually deteriorated as they were passed down. But it was not that the sutras had degenerated; rather, it was the lecturers’ interpretation of the sutras that had worsened. As time went by, the lectures on the Dharma became more and more incorrect. Now it is the Dharma-ending Age, more than three thousand years after the Buddha’s parinirvana. The deterioration has reached a point where we do not know what to do. It gets more and more difficult for us to attain realization from learning and practicing Buddhism.

Three thousand years ago, the Buddha knew completely what was going to happen in society today! He did not fail those of us who truly sought transcendence, who truly sought enlightenment. The Buddha, in the Great Collection Sutra, said that in the Dharma-perfect Age, one could succeed in cultivation by observing the precepts; in the Dharma-semblance Age, one could succeed in cultivation by practicing meditative concentration; and in the Dharma-ending Age, one could succeed in cultivation by learning the Pure Land method. The Buddha was telling us, the people of today, that we will definitely succeed in our cultivation if we learn and practice the Pure Land method.

The Dharma-ending age lasts ten thousand years. One thousand years have passed, and there are nine thousand years to go. The Infinite Life Sutra says that at the end of that nine thousand years, the Dharma will be lost[1] to our mundane world. The Infinite Life Sutra, however, will remain in this world for another one hundred years. At the end of that one hundred years, even the Infinite Life Sutra will also be lost to the world. But there will still exist the six syllables “Namo Amituofo.”

From this we can see the inconceivable merit of “Namo Amituofo.” The people who live after the Dharma-ending Age will be able to attain liberation by relying on “Namo Amituofo.” Today, we have a better chance.

Great Master Daochuo of the Tang dynasty was a patriarch of the Pure Land school. During his lifetime, he lectured only on the three Pure Land sutras, and he did so more than two hundred times. From this we can see that practicing and propagating only one Dharma door is the perfect bodhi mind.

To understand the cycle of birth and death, one must first know that life is filled with suffering, and that the suffering in future lifetimes will become even worse than in the current lifetime. If one does not want to be reborn in the human path, can this wish be fulfilled? Unless one mindfully chants the Buddha-name and seeks rebirth in the Western Pure Land, one’s wish may not be fulfilled. Therefore, one must be determined to attain rebirth there in this lifetime. This is the true bodhi mind.

When one has an awakened mind, one’s behavior also needs to be awakened. In other words, one should lead the life of an awakened person. In daily life, when one interacts with people and engages in tasks, one’s every thought should be awakened, not deluded. The following sutra text is the Buddha’s teaching of the correct activities and practice for the bodhisattvas in this world.

In “…observe all the precepts, firmly abide in them without any transgression,” the meaning of observing the precepts, in a broad sense, is abiding by laws and the codes of behavior.

The spirit of the precepts is “do nothing that is bad and do everything that is good.” “Do nothing that is bad” is the spirit of the Theravada precepts. “Do everything that is good” is the spirit of the bodhisattva precepts.

There are various levels for good and bad. For example, in the Five Vehicles of Buddhism, there are five levels: the human vehicle, the heavenly vehicle, the sound-hearer vehicle, the pratyekabuddha vehicle, and the bodhisattva vehicle. The humans and heavenly beings are still within the Three Realms and have not yet transcended the cycle of rebirth. The sound-hearers and the pratyekabuddhas have truly transcended transmigration within the Six Paths.

The perfect Dharma, however, is founded on being a good human being. If one is not a good person, how can one become a Buddha? Where should one start with learning Buddhism? One starts with learning to be a good person.

The Visualization Sutra teaches the Three Conditions. The first condition includes being filial to and providing and caring for parents, being respectful to and serving teachers, being compassionate and not killing any living beings, and cultivating the Ten Virtuous Karmas. This first condition is the basis for being a good person.

The Five Precepts are the fundamental precepts, which Buddhas and bodhisattvas also abide in. When we expand the scope of the precepts, we have laws. All the laws, moral values, and customs of our countries should be followed. They are all within the scope of the precepts. In addition, we should control our sensual desires. We should firmly abide by the precepts and not transgress them.

This is “do nothing that is bad,” the spirit of the Theravada precepts.

“Brings abundant benefits to sentient beings” describes a Mahayana precept. “Sentient beings” encompasses not only people but also animals and plants. “Abundant benefits” refers to not just the most abundant but also the highest benefits.

We should do our best to perform deeds that will benefit others. Maybe there is a limit to what we can do, but if we perform deeds with a sincere, respectful, and pure mind and with patience, we will have the support of Buddhas and bodhisattvas. Our wishes will surely be fulfilled.

The Buddha said: “All dharmas are created by the mind.” When we think about a matter [that will benefit others] every moment of every day, never forgetting it, then this matter will be successfully accomplished. If we think “This is so difficult. I cannot do it. Forget it!” then this matter will not be accomplished. Why? Because when we stop thinking of benefiting others, we stop generating energy. Thoughts will truly generate inconceivable energy—this is continual mindfulness.

When one understands this principle, one sees that those who are mindful of Buddha will attain Buddhahood. A practitioner who chants the Buddha-name will definitely attain rebirth in the Western Pure Land—this is also the same principle. When one mindfully chants “Amituofo” and is mindful of the Western Pure Land—being diligently mindful without any interruption—Amitabha Buddha will definitely come to one.

We should wholeheartedly do things that will bring true, vast and great benefits to all beings. We must ensure that this thought does not cease.

“Offer them all the good roots that one has cultivated to help them attain peace and happiness” teaches us to broaden our minds. Before we began to learn Buddhism, we used to always think of ourselves—our happiness and our family’s. We seldom thought about the country or society. This means that we were not broad-minded.

After we began to learn Buddhism, we read about the great vows of Amitabha Buddha, whose state of mind encompasses the entire Dharma Realm. That is the perfect manifestation of the true mind. We should learn this.

In doing any deed, no matter how small, one should dedicate the merit accrued to all beings, wishing that all suffering beings could leave suffering behind and attain happiness. This is a form of Dharma offerings: by giving of ourselves for all beings.

One does not personally enjoy the good fortune one has cultivated but shares it with all beings. This is the meaning of dedication. One shares one’s wisdom, good fortune, skills, and abilities with all beings, wishing that all beings could have peace and happiness. This is a bodhisattva practice. Can this be done? Yes. If one truly practices, others will benefit. If these people are about to encounter a disaster, and there is someone who has great good fortune and merits, either they will not encounter the disaster or the severity of the disaster will be reduced.

To help avert world disasters, we must earnestly learn and practice. All we need to do is sincerely do our best, with our every thought of doing it for the suffering beings. We will definitely not want to enjoy the merits accrued but offer them universally to all beings.

Bodhisattvas are courageous and diligent. Where do they get their energy from? From this thought of great compassion, they work for all beings, not for themselves. An awakened person will surely behave this way. If one does not behave this way and thinks of oneself and one’s family, or even a small group of people, one is not awakened. One’s mind is still very narrow. An awakened person would undoubtedly have a very broad mind.

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

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[1] The Dharma will be lost because no one understands the teachings completely to teach us, because the teachings are misinterpreted, or because no one knows the existence of the sutra.—Trans.

Courageous Compassion

Compassion--the wish and intention to alleviate the suffering of others. It is the unconditional care and concern for all beings, the ability to realize and appreciate that everyone, not just ourselves, not just those we care for--but all beings--experience loss, disappointment, pain, and hence suffering. 

This explanation of the virtue of compassion with its double qualities of “wish and intention” is subtly different from what usually comes to mind when people think of compassion. Various dictionary definitions include the “sympathetic consciousness of other’s distress together with a desire to alleviate it” and “sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others.” 

So on one hand we have “sympathetic desire, pity, concern.” On the other, “wish and intention.”

As with so much in Buddhism, “intention” is vitally important. Intentions lead to karmic consequences. But the use of intention here is even more than cause and effect. We do not just have sympathy, do not just feel pity and concern. We do not even have just the desire or wish to alleviate the suffering of others. We have the intention--the determination to act in a certain way. We have resolve. We are not passively hoping, which is certainly better than not hoping or not caring, rather we committed to doing something to help.   

But before we rush out to “do something” in the name of compassion, we need two other virtues as well. First, we need  wisdom. Actually we already have wisdom. What we need is our wisdom to be accessible and to function. Currently, our wisdom lies buried deep within our true natures. Our problem is that due to our bad habits and wandering thoughts that seem to refuse to calm down, that wisdom has little opportunity to rise from within us and be active.   

In addition to wisdom, we need a second virtue--we need courage. Courage is the mental and moral strength to withstand fear and difficulty. It entails firmness of mind and will in the face of extreme difficulty. It is a quality of temperament that enables one to hold one’s own and to not be overwhelmed when encountering obstacles.

How easy is it to be overwhelmed? Can’t happen to me? It can happen to the very best of us.

In the Western Pure Land of Amitabha Buddha, there are uncountable bodhisattvas, awakening beings who are dedicated to helping all others end suffering not just to end it for themselves. Widely known in this world and often depicted standing to Amitabha’s left is Avalokitesvara, or Guanyin, Bodhisattva. Avalokitesvara is often translated as “Great Compassion Bodhisattva” and “She who hears the cries of the world.” 

A very long time ago, Avalokitesvara vowed that if she ever became disheartened in saving sentient beings, may her body shatter into a thousand pieces. Once, after liberating countless beings from the hell realms by telling them the teachings of the Buddhas, she looked back down into the hell realms. To her horror, she saw that the hell realms were quickly filling up again! 

In a fleeting moment of despair, she felt profound grief. And in that moment, in accordance with her vow, her body shattered into a thousand pieces. She beseeched the Buddhas to help and many did. Like a fall of snowflakes they came. One of those Buddhas was Amitabha. He and the other Buddhas helped to re-form her body into one that had a thousand arms and hands, with an eye of wisdom in the palm of each hand. In this way, she could more wisely reach out to help all beings.

Whether you view this as a true account or a legend, there are some very important lessons here that can help us in our practice of compassion. Before we can truly help, we need to use wisdom. Often when we try to help others, we act impulsively and erratically, not wisely. We rush in to help one day and then feel like giving up the next. Without a pure, calm mind, we can lose our balance and fall from great enthusiasm to mind-numbing discouragement. 

Only when our minds are calm and our wisdom functioning will we know how to truly benefit others. The reality is that as worthwhile as it may seem, it will not do us much good to sit around hypothesizing about what should be done in various situations because until we face that particular situation, we do not know how we will react. Without a calm clear mind, our emotions, habits, fears will all come thundering to the fore and we will find ourselves not helping, but very probably making things worse. All our good ideas will be forgotten. Or if remembered, they won’t help because this situation will not be just like the one we had imagined. We had a plan for that one. But not for this.

It would be far wiser to dedicate time to the practice of learning how to calm our minds so that our wisdom can arise. By doing so, when our minds are calm, we will intuitively know how best to act in any situation, how best to help any being, with wisdom. 

What we also learn from the account of Avalokitesvara is the importance of courage. With courage, we will have the moral strength to persevere and withstand difficulties and our own negative emotions. When Avalokitesvara’s body had shattered into a thousand pieces as per her vow, she didn’t give in to her grief over how, despite all her time and efforts, beings were again pouring into the hell realms. She didn’t in that moment of despair give in to feelings of insecurity and confusion, and doubt that she was capable of making any real, lasting difference. She didn’t give in to her feeling of horror and become paralyzed by the enormity of her chosen task. She didn’t just think how her own body was shattered and give in to fear of what would personally happen to her. 

She did none of these.

In an instant, she resolutely determined to move forward, and she humbly beseeched those who had preceded her in perfecting their compassion and wisdom to help her. She courageously refused to be overwhelmed by what had happened. She calmed and focussed her mind and asked for help. Her intention and wish was not to be made whole for her own sake. Her intention and wish was to help all beings forever end suffering and attain lasting happiness. And this is why so many Buddhas came to help, like a fall of snowflakes they came.

In Avalokitesvara’s hearing the cries of the world, she is the embodiment of courageous compassion. We can learn much from her example. As we learn how to develop the wish and intention to help others, we need to stop reacting from emotions for unless we stop, we will continue to be carried away by our feelings, desires, and expectations. It will be like trying to jump in the ocean to to rescue someone who is drowning forgetting that we ourselves are unable to swim! Drowning along with someone who is sinking in their suffering will do nothing to help them.

We also need to realize that an individual’s circumstances are the result of their past karmas. We all reap what we sow. We should not get wrapped up in egoistic thoughts, thinking that “I” can fix the problem. It may very well not be possible for us to positively affect another’s situation. This realization does not mean that we should stop caring about others or dismiss their difficulties as being their own fault or not help when we are able to wisely do so. After all, just as they have planted the causes for difficulties, pain, and suffering, we have planted the same causes. So we are in no position to judge or blame others. 

As we wisely, courageously help others we need to remember not to be discouraged when what we hoped and expected to happen fails to happen. Instead, we should let go of our expectations and egoistic viewpoints and instead focus on the other’s situation. So often, our wanting to alleviate their suffering may be of benefit to them in ways we cannot foresee.

With the wish and intention to alleviate the suffering of others, with the calm, clear mind that is free from self-interest, with the intuitive wisdom that will enable us to act for the best, and the resolve to not give up in the face of difficulties and rising emotions, we will have the moral resolve to do what is right. To do what is courageously compassionate.  

Lundeeria : Chapter Seven

Chapter 7: Hope for Earth

It was done. Justin and Emma had told the Lundeerians what they had needed to know. The two children were more tired than they had ever been in their lives. And they couldn’t remember a time when they had felt so sad.

Nightingale understood how hard this was for Justin and Emma. She led the twins to a nearby grassy spot that was shaded by some flowering trees so the two could rest. Seeds, nuts, and fruit were brought for them to eat. Fresh water was carried from the pond for them to drink.

Some of the animals stayed with them so they would not feel alone or be afraid. Exhausted, the two lay down after eating and drinking a little of what was brought for them.

Nightingale stayed as well and sang them to sleep. She sang to them of dreams, dreams of Lundeeria as it was now: a peaceful land where all animals respected and cared for one another.

As the two exhausted children rested under the loving care of Nightingale, all the other animals remained at the assembly.

After speaking with the other council members, Tortoise again came forward to address the assembly. “When we began the Dream Seeking, we did not know what would happen. We just knew that we had felt great fear. Now, with a sorrow so great we can hardly bear to even speak of it, we know the reason for that fear.”

“There is an animal on Earth that is not only eating other animals, but treating them without any thought for their welfare. The Earth animals, unlike we Lundeerians, are unable to speak up for themselves. Unable to tell the humans that factory farming and mistreating and eating animals is simply wrong.”

“Fortunately, there seems to be some humans, like Justin and Emma and their parents, who do understand this.”

“In our own ancient past, our ancestors learned that killing is wrong. And although it was not easy, they learned to change. And due to their courage, we have lived peacefully with one another since that time.”

Gazelle came forward and stood next to Tortoise.

“Dear Friends, although we live on different worlds, we are still one with our brothers and sisters on Earth. In our Dream Seeking, we brought two human children here from that world so very far away. Surely it was their goodness and their compassion that helped us reach out to them, to bring them here.”

“The council proposes that through them, we try to speak for all those who cannot speak for themselves. If our ancestors could change, surely so can these humans.”

“We need to dream Justin and Emma back to where they came from. And we need to do so now because their parents must be getting very worried about them.”

As Gazelle finished speaking, Nightingale flew toward the center of the crater. Justin and Emma followed behind her on the ground. As they moved through the immense crowd, the animals parted to make room for the two to pass. As they did so, the children reached out to the animals who nuzzled them, gave soft sounds of greeting, or simply looked on with love. They looked up as birds flew over their heads in encouragement.

“Yes, our parents will be worried,” Justin said.

“But can you dream us home safely?” asked Emma.

Gazelle looked thoughtfully into Justin’s eyes and then into Emma’s. “We dreamed you here without knowing who we were dreaming of. I believe now that we know you, we will be able to return you home safely. But my dear ones, we cannot promise this. If you would like to remain here with us, we will happily look after you and do everything we can to make your lives here good ones.”

Gazelle looked at both of them before adding, “That I can promise you.”

Emma and Justin turned to each other and seemed to know what the other was thinking.

Emma looked back at Gazelle and spoke first. “We heard you speaking of the courage of the ancient Lundeerians. We know it would be safer for us to stay here. And we’d love to live here. To us this is a world more wonderful than anything we could have imagined.”

“But we cannot stay,” Justin said with regret.  “We cannot stay even though we are not sure we can return safely home.”

“Tortoise, Gazelle, Nightingale, all the animals of Lundeeria, we will be your voice. We will find a way to speak for you on behalf of the animals on our world.”

“We have learned that humans are not the only ones who know fear. Not the only ones to feel pain, the sadness of losing mothers and fathers, children, and friends.

 Emma continued. “We now know that many animals, not just humans, want to live safely. Want to be happy. And free from pain. Like humans, they too love their children. Are loyal to those they love and to their friends.”

“People need to understand. It is wrong for us to think only of ourselves. Wrong to think we are more important than other animals. Wrong to make them suffer, to feel sad and afraid.”

Justin and Emma took each other’s hand. “We need to help others understand this. We are ready to go home.”

What could the Lundeerians say? They didn’t know the words to express how grateful they were to these two young humans. But really, they didn’t need to say anything. Justin and Emma could feel their thoughts. An overwhelming love and gratitude came into their hearts that just a while ago had felt so sad and empty. They looked out at the crater overflowing with animals, and spoke together.

“We know. Thank you. We will never forget.”

With that, they lay down in the same place where they had appeared just hours before.

Nightingale began to sing all the animals and the two humans to sleep. She sang of friendship and love. She sang of a world that needed help and of two human children returning home. She sang of courage and thinking of others not just oneself. And she sang of doing what is right even when ignored or even laughed at by others. As everyone slept, Nightingale guided the dreams of all the Lundeerians and of two small, brave children.

In a little while, Nightingale stopped singing. And again, as if one, the Lundeerians awoke. Then they all heard deep in their hearts the voices of Justin and Emma, “Thank you. We are safe. We are home. We will always remember you and what you taught us.”

The animals knew that somehow things would be better on the world called Earth. Justin and Emma would tell others what they had learned and more and more humans would understand that mistreating and killing, and eating other animals was wrong.

Between Earth and Lundeeria the air seemed to vibrate as all the creatures on Lundeeria and two small children on Earth thought as one: “Love all beings.” 

Lundeeria : Chapter Six

Chapter 6: Life on Earth

Justin and Emma looked at each other, dreading what they knew and didn’t want to say. How could they tell the Lundeerians about what happens on Earth? And yet, having been asked to tell the truth, how could they not?

Justin felt a lump in his throat and had to swallow hard. Not knowing what to say first, he just blurted out, “On Earth many animals, not just humans, eat other animals.”

The Lundeerians gasped. It was even worse than they thought. Animals just like them were eating other animals? It was unthinkable!

Emma continued when Justin hesitated. “But . . . but there are many animals on Earth that eat only plants. It’s just that the animals that eat other animals . . . they just don’t know better. And so they kill when they’re hungry. They just need something to eat.”

A groan went up from countless animals around them. First, they had learned that humans ate animals. Next, they learned that other animals also ate animals. And now they realized that all those animals that were eaten were, of course, killed first. How much worse could the children’s tale of Earth get?

Justin and Emma didn’t know what to say next. The more they tried to explain, the worse things became. They were both beginning to wish they had never awakened on Lundeeria. As exciting as it had first seemed, now they were confused and feeling lost. If only Mom and Dad were here, they would know what to do, what to say.  

That was it! They’d explain to the Lundeerians like Mom and Dad had explained to them.

 Justin began. “On earth, many animals used to live in the woods and fields. Like I guess you do here. Others flew in the sky or swam in the water. When they were hungry, many would catch something and eat it. Humans too hunted and fished for their food. And they also ate plants and nuts and seeds.”

“But now, people go to one place, called a store. It’s where they get all their food. And it’s so much easier than hunting or fishing. Humans can eat animals whenever they want since so many animals are raised on factory farms,” Emma continued.

Nightingale asked, “What is a factory farm? Is it a better place for animals to live than in the woods and rivers?”

“No way! It’s so much worse.” Justin shook his head and shuddered.

“Nightingale, how do animals live together here?” asked Emma.

Nightingale replied, ”We like living together with our families and friends. That way we can look after each other. Young animals can play with one another. Older animals take turns looking after younger ones. Many of us like living in large groups, so we have lots of friends. We live in the woods, the valleys, in oceans and streams, and in the sky. When the weather is bad we take cover. But mostly we feel the sun on our backs, or the air or water around us. All of this is very natural to us.”

“It’s natural to animals on Earth too,” Emma said. “That’s the same way they used to live.”

“But not now? Not on the factory farms?” Tortoise asked.

“No. On factory farms, animals live in buildings. They’re sort of like caves. And the animals never see the sky or the ground.” Justin replied.

“That’s terrible! Do many animals have to live like this?” Gazelle asked.

“Millions, billions, have to.”

“What’s a billion?” Tortoise asked.

“Mom and Dad say it’s a really a lot. Emma and I couldn’t begin to count that high. Even you and all the other tortoises couldn’t count that high,” Justin answered.

As Tortoise heard this, a single tear rolled slowly down his cheek that was lined with wrinkles.  

“What kinds of animals?” asked Gazelle.

“Well, do you have chickens or turkeys here?” Justin asked looking out at the immense crater that was filled with animals.

“I’m here. I’m Hen and this is Rooster,” cried out a chicken, as a rooster proudly escorted her to the front of the crowd.

Looking first at Hen and then at Justin and Emma, Rooster said, “We look after our children together. First, we both scout around and agree on a good place to build a nest. Then, I keep watch while their mother here sits on the eggs to keep our children warm before they hatch. I’ve even caught her clucking to the young ones before they hatch,” explained Rooster as he winked at the twins. “We love taking baths in the dust and pecking around to find things to eat.”

“I’m here, too,” gobbled Turkey. “Like Hen and Rooster, I love living in a group, the larger the better. My friends and I love to strut around showing off our feathers. We are very curious and good at solving problems. When we’re happy, we purr, like the cats. And at night, we fly up into the trees to sleep.”

Emma looked at the three birds. “I’m so very sorry. Many chickens on factory farms spend their lives in buildings that seem to go on forever. They never get to peck around. Or take a bath in the dirt. They don’t hatch and raise their children. Most don’t even see the sky or breathe fresh air. There are so many packed in together that they don’t have enough space to spread their wings.”

“And turkeys are made to eat so much, they become fat and can’t even fly. Sometimes they are so heavy and sick, they can’t even walk. And they certainly don’t play with friends. On factory farms, they don’t have friends,” Emma quietly said.

Hen and Rooster and Turkey froze. No dirt beneath one’s feet to explore? No flying in the air with the sun on one’s back? It was as if their feathers had suddenly become dull and the life had gone out of them. Their hearts ached and went out to their kind on Earth. Heads drooping, they took only a few steps before they collapsed, unable to move any further. 

“I don’t know what to say. I’m just so very, very sorry.” Emma bent down to stroke their feathers as she looked in their eyes and apologized for something she herself didn’t really understand.

“Who else?” asked Gazelle, closing her eyes and opening them again as she gave a deep sigh.

“Do you have ducks and geese?” asked Justin.

Duck and Goose came forward, but more slowly than Hen, Rooster, and Turkey had. What about their kind they wondered.

“Like turkey, we too love to fly. But we travel far in the sky over long distances. We fly with the seasons to warmer places in the winter and cooler places in the summer. We love to play and swim in the water and dive to eat the plants growing there,” explained Duck.

“We geese are very loyal. We look after each of our children until they can take care of themselves. When they become sick, we stay with them until they are well. We mate for life and mourn when we lose our spouse,” added Goose.

Justin swallowed and then spoke softly, barely able to look at Duck and Goose. “Ducks and geese are also forced to eat a lot. Like turkeys, they become too fat to fly. Ducks and geese live in fear. Because their lives are so hard, they easily become sick. They don’t live long. Or know the happiness that you know here on Lundeeria.”

Duck and Goose bowed their heads in shock. Their tears fell to the ground at their feet and they became very quiet. It was as if they had stopped breathing. They slowly moved to join the others.

Gazelle gazed at Justin. His eyes were so sad; she felt his sorrow as strongly as she felt her own. “Justin, I know this is very difficult for both of you, and I know you do not want to hurt us. But we must know the truth. And you and Emma are the only ones who can tell us that truth.”

Emma looked at Justin and took a deep breath.

“Are there pigs here?” she asked.

A soft squeal was heard as Pig came forward. “I am here. I love living with my parents and all my brothers and sisters. Mothers will carefully build a nest so their babies will be born in a safe area. When we are young, we call for help if we get into trouble. We know our mother will recognize our voice and coming as quickly as she can to help us.” 

“When we make friends with other pigs, we become friends for life. We all sometimes play in the mud because it keeps us cool in the summer. But other than that, we like being clean. And other animals often ask us for advice saying that we are very clever.”

Emma knelt on the ground and gently stroked Pig’s head. “Pigs are known to be clever on Earth, also. They’re as smart as three-year old human children!”

“How do we live on Earth, Emma? On factory farms like the others?” Pig held her breath as she looked up at Emma.

It was so hard to answer, to tell the truth. But these caring, peaceful animals honestly wanted to know about their kind a long, long way from here.

“Yes, Pig. On factory farms, pigs live in big, dark buildings where the air smells terrible. They live in cages so small they can’t turn around. These cages are not kept clean. Pigs never get to play with their brothers and sisters in the dirt.”

“Mother pigs do not have their babies in a safe nest, but on concrete, kind of like rock. The little piglets are separated from their mothers when they’re just a few weeks old. The piglets cry in terror for their mothers to come, but the mothers are in cages. They can do nothing for their crying babies.”

Pig gave a sob and then gained control of herself. She went over to Hen, Rooster, Turkey, Duck, and Goose, and lay down with them. The six could feel the love from their fellow Lundeerians, but even so their hearts felt numb with sadness over what they had learned.

“Who else?” asked Tortoise.

“Sheep?” Justin looked again at all the faces before him and saw a beautiful snow white sheep walking gracefully toward him. Her long lashes almost covered her downcast eyes. “I know it was very selfish of me, but I was so hoping not to be called,” she said, looking up at Justin.

“I love living with all my friends. The more the merrier. We show we care for one another by rubbing our heads together. We have very good memories and can remember many faces for years. Other animals say we’re quite clever.”

Justin sat down cross-legged in front of her and ran his hands over her thick wool coat.

“On factory farms, sheep are kept in pens with wire mesh bottoms. It’s like standing on tiny sticks that are loosely connected. They are kept in buildings all their lives. They never feel the sun on their faces or the grass beneath their feet. I am so sorry, but the babies are taken away from their mothers soon after they are born.”

Justin pressed his face to Sheep’s face and she rubbed against his. She felt his tears mix with her own. Then she too went slowly to join the others where she sank tearfully to the ground.

“Are there cows here?” Emma didn’t know how much longer she could do this.

A large brown cow moved carefully through the crowd so she wouldn’t harm any of the smaller creatures. She had a single white mark, which ran from between her eyes down her face. Her eyes, as dark as chocolate, were fixed on Emma’s blue eyes.

“We cows are very social. We stay together with family and friends all our lives. We live in fields where we can lazily chew the grass. We often groom others, especially if they are upset. We have very good memories and can remember a lot about where we live and how to find what we want. When our children are young, we mothers gather all the young ones into a group and take turns looking after them. This way the other mothers can go eat.”

With a tear in her eye, she continued, “If something happens to one of us, all the others become very sad. What about us, Emma?”

Emma stretched up to put her arms around Cow’s neck but she was too short. So she stroked Cow’s face instead.

“Cows too. Mothers and their children are also separated a day or two after the babies are born. Cows are crowded in with so many others they have no freedom. They easily become sick. Since there are too many to care for, the humans keep giving them medicine. It’s supposed to make them better. But often it just causes other problems.”

“Cows, too, often stand on concrete, not grass or the ground. Instead of the grass that cows love to eat, they are only given corn because it makes them fat.”

In grief for her kind on Earth, Cow bowed her head. Emma stood on tiptoe to gently kiss the white mark on Cow’s face. Then, Cow too joined the others.

“Who else?” Tortoise asked huskily.

“Sea creatures. They too are now beginning to be raised on factory farms.”

Justin peered into the water that was in the crater’s pond and saw countless fish in the deep water. He saw tunas, shrimp, lobsters, trout, and others. He looked up at Tortoise. “All of them, and many more. Once our world had loads of these and other sea creatures. But so many were caught that now there are fewer and fewer.”

Dolphin swam to the edge of the pond where Justin was standing and looked deep into Justin’s eyes. If he didn’t know better he would have thought Dolphin was crying. But dolphins can’t cry. Can they?

Justin continued. “Most people don’t know that fish can feel pain. They are very aware. And can even sense what is around them without touching it.”

“Thank you, children. We have heard enough. Now we know what is happening on the world called Earth,” announced Tortoise. 

(To be continued...)