The Story of Maitreya

Maitreya appears as a layperson in India but as a monastic in China. The image of Maitreya is modeled on the monk Budai. Budai was a monk of the Southern Song dynasty. Nobody knew his real name. He carried a big cloth bag (budai) every day. When people made offerings to him, he would put the offerings in the bag. This is why people called him Budai Monk, and he became well known by this name.

He roamed the streets every day. When someone asked him what Buddhism was, he smilingly put the cloth bag on the ground, indicating that Buddhism teaches letting go. When asked what one should do after letting go, he picked the bag up, put it on his shoulder, and left. In other words, Buddhism teaches one to first let go of everything, and then, after one has let go, one takes up the helping of all beings. Budai was a bodhisattva. He answered the question without saying a word, and his answer carried a very deep meaning.

Budai did not die of any illness. He revealed his real identity as Maitreya incarnate at the end of his life, just before he died. Since then, in China, the image of Maitreya has been modeled on the monk Budai.

Ancient sages praised Budai as “having generated an impartial mind and having developed a joyful look.” This praise teaches us to be impartial to all beings and to look happy. “A joyful look” means that someone has a tender loving heart. It means the person has affection. Mahayana Buddhism often talks about compassion, which is affection. But this affection is not based on emotions. This is why Buddhism uses the term compassion instead of affection to avoid misunderstanding.

If the affection is sincere, pure, and impartial, and is based on wisdom, Buddhism calls it compassion. We can see that the affection of people of this world is insincere, impure, partial, and is not based on wisdom. Their affection is fickle, not everlasting. The affection of Buddhas and bodhisattvas towards all beings is eternal because they are not selfish, and they do not have wandering thoughts, discriminations, and attachments. Their affection flows from the true nature and accords with sincerity, purity, non-discrimination, and wisdom. So we should start our practice with generating an impartial mind and developing a joyful look.

~ From Ven. Master Chin Kung's 2003 lecture series on the Amitabha Sutra

Convenience is a Dangerous Thing

In the US when I wanted to buy something online, I conveniently charged it. (Don't worry; I'm a compulsive payer who pays even before the statement comes out.) Living in Australia now, I just ordered a solar oven from an online store, but there was no charge option.  Instead, the company's bank account was given so I could transfer the amount due from my bank account to theirs. Not quite as convenient.

But infinitely better. Because with this system, if you don't have the money, you can't spend it.

Unlike in the US, where if you don't have the money, you just borrow it from your friendly bank that's happy to send you a little piece of plastic. Dangerous plastic. When the statement comes in, you realize that you can't pay it off because, as you suddenly remember, you don't have the money. So you make a partial payment. And are charged an excessive rate of interest on the remaining balance.

As the interest and balance start to go up, you begin making minimum payments. And use your charge card more often. Then all the time. Then you start missing payments.

And you know the rest.

In a culture that scoffs at the idea of "living within one's means" as something one’s grandparents did, where an advertising industry spends millions of dollars a year to learn the subtleties of how to addict people to shopping, buying for cash has become an a rarity.  

Why is this on a Buddhist blog?

Because the Buddha lived a balanced life, a simple life. A life of contentment. A life without worry or fear. A life focused on selflessness and giving, not self-indulgence and instant gratification.  

From what I’ve seen, overall, life in Australia isn’t as convenient as life in the US. And that’s probably a very good thing. 

Better than TV – The Equine Perspective

We’re having a yard sale. Okay, okay, it's Charles and Celine who are having the yard sale and Nancy and Kelly are helping them. Don’t know where the nun is. Must be working on that silly computer again.

But we’re the official greeters! We don’t usually linger at the gate like this but honestly, all these people! It’s fascinating. They just keep coming. The upper pasture has become a parking lot with all the trucks and cars.

All this activity must be something like that TV that people stare at for hours every day. But this has to be soooo much better. TV is just a silly box that doesn’t even know you’re there.

This, on the other hand, is real! People keep talking to us and petting us and telling us how beautiful we are. Just wish they’d have thought to bring some carrots. Oh well, nothing is perfect.

But this has to be close.

Everybody is talking to one another and laughing. We’re all enjoying the beautiful clear weather after some wonderful days of rain. The dew is still on the grass and it’s all sparkly. (Probably like those stones people call diamonds but this sparkly grass can be enjoyed by everyone, and hey, it’s free!) The grass tastes yummy (although if anyone is reading this, a few carrots would make it even yummier, hint, hint!) The cats are lolling around on the verandah. We’re all breathing the beautiful, clean air.

And no one is watching that dumb TV.

~ By Jess and Chamele (for those who can't remember names, the black horse and the white horse)

But That's Not What I Said!

Question: I work in a small office and recently one of my co-workers told the others I had asked why something was done in a certain way. Saying this made me sound really dumb. What I had said was that I knew why something was done in a certain way but thought another way would be more helpful to our customers and then asked the person what she thought about changing.

This is not the first time something like this has happened and I feel like I should set the record straight and let the others know what I really said. I'm the only one she does this to and it's really bothering me.

Response: When something like this happens our first reaction is often to become angry and defensive. Largely because we're embarrassed. We know the person isn't reporting what happened correctly. If this is a singular instance, we can credit it to the other person's not remembering accurately. But when it happens a few times, we become more irritated because it feels like the person is acting intentionally.

To "set the record" straight, you might go to the other person and try to settle the situation amicably. To do this we first need to let go of our anger. This would be easier to do if it was just the first or second time something like this happened. The more this has happened and the more we tell ourselves how unfair and wrong this person is, the more difficult it will be for us to speak calmly and wisely. And the greater the risk of making a difficult situation worse!

Usually in such a situation it is our ego that is hurt. No one likes to appear "dumb." We worry about what our other co-workers will think of us. We tell ourselves it's not fair and wonder what we did to deserve this mistreatment. After all, we've always been nice to this person!

The situation mentioned is most likely karmic. We need to calm down and tell ourselves that we must have done something to deserve this. Basically, the person is not being a loyal co-worker. If we honestly believe we have never been disloyal to this person (and we need to be completely honest in examining our behavior here), we can ask whether we have been perfectly loyal to all our other co-workers. To all our family members? To all our friends? Did we ever exaggerate something about them or speak unkindly about them because we were irritated with something they did, or didn't do?

If we did—and most of us will have done so—then we're not the complete innocent we thought we were in the above scenario. Realizing this, it will be easier to let go of our sense that what happened is unjustified and unfair.

We also need to remind ourselves that our co-workers will not think less of us based on a few things someone says about us. Instead of trying to defend ourselves—and thus create more problems for the future—we can remain quiet. Out energy will be better spent on being a loyal co-worker and a competent, not dumb, employee.

Difference Between Buddhas and Bodhisattvas

Master Chin Kung tells us that in his early years of learning Buddhism, he asked Zhangjia Living Buddha about the difference between Buddhas and bodhisattvas. They were in Zhangjia Living Buddha’s living-room where there was a clock hanging on the wall.

In those days, clocks required winding for them to work. The part that required winding was a spring, a piece of flexible metal that was wound very tightly. The gradual unwinding of the spring made the clock tick. Even when the spring was unwound completely, it still curved and did not straighten out completely.

Zhangjia Living Buddha used this spring as a metaphor. Bodhisattvas are like that spring, which does not straighten out completely even when unwound. In the case of Buddhas, however, the spring has completely straightened out when unwound. Zhangjia Living Buddha meant that bodhisattvas have not turned their sentience to wisdom 100 percent.

Take Equal-enlightenment Bodhisattvas for example. They have turned 99 percent of their sentience to wisdom, but there is still 1 percent of sentience left, unlike Buddhas who have turned their sentience to wisdom 100 percent. Therefore, sentience and wisdom are one, not two. When we are awakened, it is called wisdom. When we are deluded, it is called sentience. Equal-enlightenment Bodhisattvas still have one last part of ignorance: the ignorance of Mark of Arising. This ignorance is sentience. If that part of ignorance is eradicated, their wisdom will be ultimate and perfect.

~ Based on Ven. Master Chin Kung's 2003 lecture series on the Amitabha Sutra