No Way to "Jimmy the Machine"

One of the joys in my life is to hear people express clearly a deep understanding of the Dharma. The following was written by someone who is experiencing two painfully difficult events. Although his causes and conditions led him to be where he is today, the two—his father's sudden illness and now a trusted advisor’s all-too-human weaknesses—are not the direct result of his personal actions and neither occurrence could have been foreseen. It is not unusual for sudden shocks to cause a practitioner to have serious doubts as to his own capabilities.

The individual I am speaking of has written that if such a lack of judgment can be committed by a person who has reached a higher level in his practice and then experienced such a fall…

…what does that augur for me, an "ordinary" joe? The answer must be to keep practicing. Since both pleasing & unpleasant occurrences are guaranteed in life, one's job must be to learn to endure it all with wisdom, compassion & equanimity. There is simply no alternative. Positive & negative karmas will generate the future. The only choice is to progressively court positive growth through right thought, speech & action. There is no way to "jimmy the machine" and obtain a free lunch, or "jump the turnstile" and get a free ride.

The best refuge for these dharma-declining times is Pure Land Buddha remembrance. But even Great Cosmic Amituofo cannot do it for us. One must always walk the path oneself. Though assisted by other-power and sangha support, one is alone in practice.

That's quite a pill to swallow. So, despite the trials and tribulations of my life, I alone am responsible for my progress. And, no one owes me anything. In fact, I owe gratitude to all people and circumstances for acting as dharma instructors, wittingly or unwittingly. This will require serious commitment and maturity on my part. As I think on these things, the Bodhisattva vows echo in my mind.

So, no, there is no way to “jimmy the machine.” We have to do the hard work. But we can gain comfort knowing that if we plant the good seed, we will—without doubt—gain our reward, and be able to help all beings.  

Don't Look at Others

 

The Buddha told us to do no harm and to purify our minds. He did not tell us to instruct others to correct their faults. He did not say we should force others into thinking as we do or belittle others to make ourselves look superior or wiser. He told us that if we wish to awaken, we would need to stop blaming others for our problems, to stop arguing with others, and to stop judging others.

Instead, we need to look at ourselves, understand our situations, and assume full responsibility for what happens to us. We reap what we sow. Our lives today are the result of what we thought, said, and did in the past. What we think, say, and do today will, likewise, shape our future. If we harm others, we will be harmed. If we love others, we will be loved. If we have peaceful thoughts, we will have peace. Everything will come back to us full circle.

Thus, everything we do matters.

How do I Begin a Daily Pure Land Practice?

Question: I'd really like to start some kind of daily Pure Land practice and to be honest I'd be very grateful for some suggestions.

Response: First, you can place a container of clean water on the gongzhou (the table or shelf with you Buddha image, incense, etc.) if you have not already done so. Next, if you wish, light a stick of incense. If you have respiratory problems, there are some very nice smokeless varieties available. After lighting the incense, do not blow on the incense but fan it gently with your hand to put out the flame and allow it to burn slowly. Raise the lower tip of the incense to lightly touch your forehead with the incense pointed towards the Buddha and then place the incense in the holder.

In the following ceremony, which we follow sequentially, we first pay respects to Sakyamuni Buddha for teaching us about the unsatisfactory reality of our existence and of the happiness and liberation of the Pure Land. We then pay our respects to Amitabha Buddha for his compassionate vows to help all beings who request that help. Next, we begin chanting “Amituofo,” which is the main part of the session. Continue this chanting for the time you have set aside for your practice.

After chanting, we pay our respects to the bodhisattvas Avalokitesvara and Mahasthamaprapta for their exemplary teachings of compassion and wisdom respectively, and then to all the bodhisattvas in the Pure Land for having progressed on the path of awakening. Next is the Verse of Repentance to express our deep regret for having harmed innumerable beings throughout our countless lifetimes. We conclude with the Dedication of Merit to pass on the goodness that has resulted from our chanting to help all beings end suffering and attain lasting happiness.

The following is the format for the practice. 

(Put palms together. Do one bow, three prostrations, one bow.
Place container of water in front of Amitabha Buddha image. Light incense if desired.
Put palms together, bow once, and say what is in quote marks.)

“Homage to our original teacher Sakyamuni Buddha.” (One bow)
(Repeat three times)

“Homage to Amitabha Buddha.” (One bow)

(For as long as time permits, do sitting or walking meditation while mindfully chanting )
“Amituofo”

( When finished, stand and put palms together)

“Homage to Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva.” (One bow)

“Homage to Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva.” (One bow)

“Homage to the great pure sea of bodhisattvas.” (One bow)

“All evil actions committed by me since time immemorial,
stemming from greed, anger, and ignorance,
arising from body, speech, and mind,
I deeply repent having committed.”
(One bow)

“May the merits and virtues accrued from this work adorn the Buddha’s Pure Land,
repay the Four Kindnesses above, and relieve the sufferings of those in the Three Paths below.
May those who see or hear of this bring forth the Bodhi mind,
and at the end of this life,
be born together in the Land of Ultimate Bliss.”

(One bow, three prostrations, one bow)

My Resolve is Firmly Fixed

Periodically, I receive a letter or an email recounting something that has happened and the individual's reaction to that event. Like the following, such correspondence often shows remarkable clarity and dedication in spite of much personal pain.

In painful times, we realize again that the wish to alleviate the suffering of all beings is the underlying source of strength for our practice. 

Dear Venerable,

Amituofo. My father was rushed to the hospital today. He has contracted a virulent, drug-resistant staph infection. I fear for his life. Life has conspired, along with sundry books, to teach me living, breathing lessons about karma, impermanence and no-self, attachment and aversion. Death is our constant companion from birth; patiently walking beside us, watching and waiting. Lord Yama cares not for our plans, our schedules, our level of preparedness.

Events of late have prompted a thorough inner inventory-taking. I've observed my faults, frailties and failures; witnessed the lack of compassion and wisdom, the surplus of selfishness, self-absorption and lack of empathy, of charity, of genuine concern for the well-being of others. The result of this insight is a strengthening of my commitment to strive for, not simply rebirth in the Pure Land, but the manifestation of enlightenment, of mind-only Pure Land, here and now.

Toward that end, the number of morning and evening recitations (liturgy) will be increased to 1,008 (10 malas) per sitting, with additional chanting, sans mala, throughout the day when possible. I will continue my study of sutras and AMTB [Amitabha Buddhist Societies] center books regularly, hoping and praying that my resolve remains firmly fixed. With Amituofo's irresistible power, my Faith, Vows and Practice must flourish; growing from a small seed into a magnificent Bodhi tree, for my sake and the welfare of all sentient beings. By Amituofo's 48 vows we are liberated, through 9 lotus stages we reach the other shore.

Caught Again...and Again...

The Buddha often spoke of the poisons of greed, anger, ignorance, and delusion. These poisons are still very much with us today.

Greed is our endless craving, and anger is what arises when our greed is unfulfilled. Ignorance is our lack of understanding the truths that underlie what is happening to us and around us. Delusion is mis­taking wrong ideas for the truth. Due to our ignorance and delusion, we believe in ideas that are wrong and reject those that are correct and beneficial. But we do so not because we are bad people. Lazy? Yes. Easily dis­tracted? Yes. Impatient and judgmental? Yes.

But because we are bad people? No.

Lacking the ability to clearly discern right from wrong, we automatically react out of our bad habits and, consequently, we are impatient and inconsiderate. In most instances, our intentions are not to harm others. We are just so easily caught up in our desires, wishes, and expectations. When these are unfulfilled, in our impatience and disappointment, we give in to anger, which rises from within us, uninvited and unnoticed.

So easily, so automatically, we feel resentment and irritation, if not outright rage. And in so feeling, we are again immersed in our greed, anger, ignorance, and delusion.