Essence of the Infinite Life Sutra, Excerpt Eight

The Thus Come One commiserates with the beings in the Three Realms with infinite great compassion. This is why he appears in the world: to expound Buddhist teachings and spread them everywhere, like light; to help all beings; and to bring true benefit to them.

“Light” has the meaning of reaching places far and wide. “Expound” means to teach and to propagate. “Buddhist teachings” refers to the way to transcend life and death and to perfectly attain Buddhahood. “Help” means to save and to rescue. “True benefit” refers to fulfilling the wishes of all beings.

This excerpt explains the reason why the Buddha came to this world. Why did he appear in India and not in China? Although Chinese culture had already existed for a long time, the highest aspiration of the Chinese was to be reborn in the heavens. They did not have the thought of transcending the Three Realms. For rebirth in the human or heavenly paths, Confucian teachings and Taoist teachings were sufficient. Therefore, the Buddha did not need to go there.

At the time in India when Sakyamuni Buddha appeared, many religions were flourishing. The sutras mentioned six major non-Buddhist masters. The practitioners of Brahmanism, the Yoga system, and Samkhya were able to attain very high levels of meditative concentration: they were able to be reborn in the Fourth Formless Heaven, a feat that the Chinese had not been able to accomplish. Frankly, when the Chinese were reborn in the heavens, they could only get to the heavens in the Desire Realm. They could not get to the heavens in the Form Realm.

Indians could be reborn in the heavens in the Form Realm and even in the Formless Realm, but they could not transcend them. They thought that the Fourth Meditation Heaven or the Fourth Formless Heaven was the state of nirvana. It was a great misconception.

Therefore, at that time, only the people in India, out of all the people in the world, had the right capacities and mature conditions. The Buddha “commiserated with the beings in the Three Realms” and appeared there to help them transcend the Six Paths and attain the true Bodhi and nirvana.

The Buddha was impartial. When the conditions of the beings in a place were mature, he would use the most appropriate method to teach them. As stated in “Universal Door Chapter”:[1] “For those who will only be liberated upon the manifestation of a Buddha, then the manifestation in the form of a Buddha will appear to present the teachings.” In India, they needed a Buddha to teach them and in China, they needed a bodhisattva. The manifestations were different but the objective was the same. The objective was “to help all beings; and to bring true benefit to them.”

If a person wants to be reborn in the heavens, the Buddha will teach the method to that person, and he or she will be truly reborn there. This is bringing true benefit to that person.

The absolutely perfect, true benefit is attaining Buddhahood. Becoming a Bodhisattva of Equal Enlightenment is not yet ultimate and perfect. The Infinite Life Sutra teaches us the method of seeking rebirth in the Western Pure Land through belief, vow, and mindful Buddha-name chanting. It is the ultimate and perfect true benefit.

As mentioned in the three Pure Land sutras, we can perfectly accomplish the goal of rebirth in the Land of Ultimate Bliss in one lifetime—without waiting until the next lifetime. There, in the four lands, each with nine grades, the environment as well as all the beings are wondrously magnificent.

The teaching of Sakyamuni Buddha at this Dharma assembly is absolutely true. The Buddha mentioned “true” three times in this sutra. It is very rare for the word “true” to be mentioned three times in a sutra.

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[1] This chapter is from the Lotus Sutra.—Trans.

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

Essence of the Infinite Life Sutra, Excerpt Seven

Great compassion arose from these bodhisattvas. They empathized with all sentient beings. With a heart of compassion, they lectured on the teachings, taught by example, and also imparted the Dharma Eyes. They blocked all evil paths and opened the door of virtuousness. They regarded all beings as themselves. They rescued and helped living beings and shouldered the burden of helping them all cross over to the other shore.

“Arose” means came forth. The words “taught by example” mean to demonstrate through behavior. “Lectured on” means to speak the Dharma. Not only did the bodhisattvas teach with words, but they also taught by example. In “imparted the Dharma Eyes,” “imparted” means to pass on, “Dharma” means method of practice, and “Eyes” is a metaphor. This metaphor refers to helping others understand the truth of all phenomena and principles.

In “blocked all evil paths,” “blocked” means to prevent and be on guard and “evil paths” means the Bad Realms. “The door of virtuousness” means, simply put, the virtuous teachings that enable one to be reborn in the human or heavenly path.

Sentient beings are deluded. They indulge in the Five Desires[1] and the Six Dusts[2]—in worldly pleasures. We should generate a mind of great compassion, empathize with sentient beings, and introduce the Pure Land method to them. Compassion and empathy must be put into action. This is enthusiastically propagating the Pure Land method. With all our hearts we must do our best—we must treat this task as the most important thing in this lifetime.

“With a heart of compassion, they lectured on the teachings, taught by example, and also imparted the Dharma Eyes. They blocked all evil paths and opened the door of virtuousness.” These sentences describe the method of teaching. We do not need to be onstage to expound on Buddhism, but we should do so whenever and wherever we encounter someone. We introduce Buddhism to that person in a way that is most suitable for that person. If he or she cannot accept Buddhism at all, simply say “Namo Amituofo.” As time goes by and the person gradually understands, that person will also say “Namo Amituofo” the next time we meet. In this way, we will have accomplished our goal. This is just one of many ways.

For example, a practitioner is always happy and healthy, something everyone very much envies. If we are truly healthy and happy, others will surely ask us, “Why are you always happy?” We tell them, “Because I mindfully chant the Buddha-name.” Practicing Buddha-name chanting will lead to true happiness and good health. If they feel happy in listening to our explanation, then we are making good use of the opportunity to teach them. “Taught by example” refers to us living a happy, satisfied, and joyful life. This is a good signboard for the Buddha’s teaching. When people see this, they will like it and will want this happiness for themselves. Hence, they will want to learn Buddhism.

How does one avoid falling into the evil paths? If one does not create evil karmas, naturally one will not fall into the evil paths. Evil paths are due mainly to evil thoughts—evil thought is the cause. Evil conduct is unvirtuous karma and bad retributions will surely follow. The law of cause and effect never fails.

If we do not want to have any bad retributions, we should not have any bad thoughts. With pure and proper thoughts, we will definitely not have any bad retributions.

The words “opened the door of virtuousness” mean urging people to end wrongdoings and to practice virtuous conduct. When people end wrongdoings and practice virtuous conduct, the benefit will go to them; the benefit does not involve us. Those who do this will receive the benefit. It is not that others practice and we benefit. Definitely, when we practice we benefit. When this happens, we are proving to others that good rewards come from ending wrongdoings and practicing virtuous conduct.

There are people who become scared when we tell them about transcending the Three Realms[3] and attaining Buddhahood. But they get happy when we talk about them becoming immensely rich and important in their next lifetime. When we encounter such people, we should teach them the methods of being born as a human or a heavenly being.

There are also people who have great aspirations. They know that the Three Realms are filled with sufferings, and that even in the heavenly path—where good fortune is great and the life span is long—the heavenly beings will still die one day. For these people with great aspirations, their wish is to transcend the Three Realms. We should teach them the methods of transcending the Three Realms. This is a door of great virtuousness.

Frankly, the only method of practice that allows one to succeed in one lifetime is the Buddha-name chanting method. In all my forty-plus years of learning Buddhism, this is what I have realized. The Buddha-name chanting method is truly wondrous. If we introduce it to others, we are opening the door of utmost virtuousness. Nothing is more virtuous than this.

“They regarded all beings as themselves. They rescued and helped living beings and shouldered the burden of helping them all cross over to the other shore.” When we treat others like we would treat ourselves, that is, with no difference whatsoever, it is “unconditional compassion for all others as we are all one entity” as taught in Mahayana Buddhism. We should treat all impartially. As long as a person accepts our help, we should wholeheartedly help this person.

Buddhist practitioners should have this vow: help all beings far and wide, uphold the proper teachings, and pass on the Buddha’s wisdom to future generations.

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[1] The Five Desires are wealth, sex, fame, food, and sleep.—Trans.

[2] The Six Dusts are pollutants of the Six Senses of sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, and thought.—Trans.

[3] Three Realms: Desire, Form, and Formless realms. The Desire realm consists of the paths of hells, hungry ghosts, animals, humans, asuras, and desire heavens.—Trans.

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

Essence of the Infinite Life Sutra, Excerpt Six

To all living beings they were friends,

[who would help] without being asked.

When teaching all beings, the bodhisattvas have this vow of compassion: on their own accord, they become good friends to all beings. When we emulate the bodhisattvas, we should learn to perceive the suitable way and the right time to teach a being. If we do not help this being when the condition is mature, then we would be failing the being. By helping the being when the condition has not matured, we are courting a rebuff.

Every being is different in capacity; additionally, the condition for learning Buddhism is not the same for every being. If a being likes Zen meditation, let the being sincerely cultivate Zen meditation. If a being likes to recite mantras, let the being do so respectfully. All methods are equal, and no one method is superior or inferior to another. To accommodate people with different capacities, the Buddha taught many methods. If a method could help every being, then there would be no need for Sakyamuni Buddha to teach all these methods.

We Pure Land practitioners cannot make people practice the Pure Land method. When someone’s condition has matured, we should voluntarily introduce Buddhism to help the person. There are many stages in learning Buddhism. As the person gradually advances in practice, he or she will naturally find the most direct route—the wondrous Pure Land method. Therefore, to help all beings skillfully and expediently, we should be patient.

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

Essence of the Infinite Life Sutra, Excerpt Two

With the power of meditative concentration and wisdom,

they subdued Mara’s enmity.

“Mara” does not refer to demons but to various afflictions that torture and torment us. The sufferings in this world are so painful that they are even more terrifying than encountering demons.

“Enmities” refers to enemy. The sutras talk about “ten evils the enemy.” The ten evils are the physical activities of killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct; the verbal activities of using false speech, divisive speech, harsh speech, and enticing speech; and the mental activities of greed, anger, and ignorance. These are the ten kinds of enemies within us. All beings are unwilling to do away with these “Mara’s enmities,” so the beings’ every thought and every deed strengthen and increase the ties to them. The knot of enmity becomes very hard to unravel and evil karmas continue to be committed. Consequently, the beings suffer in this lifetime and will suffer even more in the next lifetime.

This is why when one transmigrates within the Six Paths, one’s future lifetimes will get worse and worse, and one will sink into a lower and lower path. This is the truth. If we observe calmly, it will not be hard to see this.

“Subduing Mara’s enmities” is to teach us how to elevate our states and how not to retrogress any more. The Diamond Sutra talks about subduing one’s mind. This mind [in the Diamond Sutra] is “Mara’s enmities” mentioned above. What is this mind? The mind of the ten evils. The mind of wandering thoughts. The mind of afflictions. The mind of delusion. How do we subdue it? With meditative concentration and wisdom.

Therefore, we must cultivate meditative concentration. Only when we have meditative concentration will wisdom arise. When the Buddha taught all beings, his aim was for people to achieve the Three Learnings of precept observation, meditative concentration, and wisdom. Observation of the precepts leads to the achievement of meditative concentration. And from meditative concentration, wisdom arises.

Meditative concentration is pivotal to one’s learning and cultivation of Buddhism. Observation of the precepts is the means to achieve meditative concentration. Meditative concentration is the means to uncover wisdom. Uncovering wisdom is the true objective because only wisdom can help us solve all problems. Meditative concentration helps us suppress, subdue, and control Mara’s enmities; wisdom helps us eliminate them. Therefore, when our wisdom comes forth, the Ten Evil Karmas will become the Ten Virtuous Karmas and one’s enemies will become one’s great teachers and great supporters. This way, one is transformed from an ordinary person into a sage; suffering is transformed into happiness; and the Ten Dharma Realms are transformed into the One True Dharma Realm.

For every Buddhist school and Dharma door, wisdom is the objective of cultivation and meditative concentration is the key.

The Buddha-name chanting method is the most wondrous method of the eighty-four thousand methods. But after chanting the Buddha-name for a long time, why haven’t we achieved meditative concentration? The reason is that we do not have the foundation of precept observation. So, how can we attain the Buddha-name Chanting Samadhi when we have not even achieved Constant Mindfulness of Amitabha Buddha? From this we can see that observation of the precepts is immensely important. The precepts, however, are not limited to the Five Precepts, the Ten Precepts, the bodhisattva precepts, or the monastic precepts.

Some people think that they are abiding strictly by the precepts and thus feel great about themselves. They often criticize others for breaking the precepts. If this is how they “observe” the precepts, then they will never achieve meditative concentration. Why? Because when they see others transgressing the precepts, afflictions arise, and their minds become disturbed and are no longer pure.

Master Huineng put it aptly, “If one is a true practitioner, one will not see the faults of others.” We should strictly adhere to the precepts with a pure mind. We should not be concerned whether others are pure or not, we should just keep our own mind pure.

If we think that we are observing the precepts and yet daily sees the faults of others, such cultivation will bring, at the most, only a little good fortune for us in the next lifetime. In addition, the good fortune may not be enjoyed in the human or heavenly paths because we may not be reborn as a human or heavenly being.

Even animals, such as the pets kept by wealthy families, can have good fortune. In the path of hungry ghosts, there are also those with good fortune. For example, city gods, village gods, and mountain gods all enjoy offerings from people every day. [Good fortune notwithstanding,] when one’s cultivation leads one to such a plight, all of one’s efforts will be wasted!

Since ancient times in China, there were practitioners, both lay and monastic, who succeeded in their cultivation after three to five years of practice. Why is it that we don’t have any success today, even after twenty or thirty years of effort? If we say that it is because our intelligence or wisdom cannot compare with theirs, I don’t believe it. If we say that our good fortune cannot compare with theirs, I believe it even less.

What is the reason? It is that the practitioners in the past listened to their teachers, but nowadays we do not. They inherited their teachers’ lineage; today, people forsake their teachers.

When one’s teacher indicates a path for one, a path that will lead to success, [and if one follows that path accordingly,] one then “inherits the teacher’s lineage.” The teacher would help one lay a foundation for learning and practice. This is the teacher’s duty. If one does not have the foundation, one must not leave the teacher, just like a child must not leave its parents. When the child grows up and becomes independent, then he or she will be allowed to leave home.

In the past, one could leave one’s teacher only when one had attained fundamental wisdom. Fundamental wisdom is meditative concentration. When one attains meditative concentration, wisdom will arise. When empowered with meditative concentration and wisdom, one will then be allowed to leave one’s teacher and travel all over to learn from others.

Take Sudhana’s visits to fifty-three teachers, for example. Under the guidance of Manjusri Bodhisattva, he attained fundamental wisdom, which is “with the power of meditative concentration and wisdom.” With this ability, he was then allowed to visit fifty-three teachers. His visiting all fifty-three teachers is “subduing Mara’s enmities.”

The fifty-three teachers represent the fifty-three categories under which all walks of life are subsumed. In other words, we can interact with anyone, whether male or female, young or old, and from any occupation. By doing this, we are perfecting our acquired wisdom.

Remaining unaffected and giving no rise to greed in a favorable situation, and remaining unmoved and not tempted in an adverse situation—this is attaining meditative concentration. In any situation, when one understands and is clear about everything—this is attaining wisdom. Thus, the “power of meditative concentration and wisdom” is the true basis of one’s learning and practice.

Nowadays the teacher’s lineage is broken. The only remedy is to take an ancient accomplished practitioner as our teacher.

In my life, my greatest good fortune was coming into contact with the tradition of a teacher’s lineage. When I was studying Buddhism in Taichung, Mr. Li Bingnan said modestly, “With my knowledge and virtue, I am not qualified to be your teacher.” He advised me to take Great Master Yinguang, who was his teacher, as my teacher.

Great Master Yinguang had already passed away, but his writings were still available. Single-mindedly learning and practicing the Collection of Great Master Yinguang’s Writings is becoming his student. Reading the great master’s books, following his teaching, and practicing accordingly is inheriting the teacher’s lineage.

As Pure Land practitioners, we take Amitabha Buddha as our teacher. Where is Amitabha Buddha? He is in the Infinite Life Sutra, the Amitabha Sutra, and the Visualization Sutra. When we single-mindedly and earnestly study these three sutras, we are taking him as our teacher and are his good students.

Chanting the sutras is cultivating the precepts, cultivating meditative concentration, and cultivating wisdom. When chanting a sutra we simply read the words, without thinking of their meaning. Chanting sincerely this way is cultivating the precepts, meditative concentration, and wisdom.

The spirit of the precepts is “do nothing that is bad and do everything that is good.” “Do nothing that is bad” is the essence of the Theravada precepts. “Do everything that is good” is the essence of the bodhisattva precepts. In all the precepts, nothing falls outside of “do nothing that is bad and do everything that is good.”

When we respectfully and single-mindedly chant a sutra without wandering thoughts, discrimination, and attachments, then nothing bad is being done. The Theravada precepts are fulfilled. The sutras are words of truth flowing from the Buddha’s true nature. Nothing surpasses these words in virtuousness. Therefore, chanting a sutra is “doing everything that is good.” All the precepts are thus fulfilled.

Single-mindedly chanting a sutra without wandering thoughts, distractions, or doubt—this is cultivating meditative concentration. From start to finish, enunciating clearly every word without mistake or omission—this is cultivating wisdom: fundamental wisdom. Thus, chanting a sutra is cultivating simultaneously the precepts, meditative concentration, and wisdom.

If we think about the meaning of the sutra while chanting it, it will ruin the cultivation of precept observation, meditative concentration, and wisdom. This is treating the sutra as a worldly book.

Chanting a sutra is cultivating the precepts, meditative concentration, and wisdom, as is sitting in meditation in the Zen school and reciting mantras in Tibetan Buddhism. The methods are different, but the results to be attained are the same. As it is said, “All Dharma doors are equal, and no one Dharma door is superior or inferior to another.”

When chanting a sutra, one should focus on chanting. If one wants to study it, one should find another time to do so and should not mix chanting with studying. Otherwise, one will fail completely in both.

When one attains meditative concentration and wisdom, the daily interaction with people and handling of matters and affairs will go smoothly. Obstacles will decrease naturally. One will be able to turn the ten evil thoughts into the ten virtuous thoughts and truly subdue Mara’s enmities. Buddhism often talks about “breaking through delusion and attaining enlightenment, and leaving suffering behind and attaining happiness.” These effects will truly manifest.

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

Bodhisattvas Fear Causes, Sentient Beings Fear Effects

(The following is from a lecture series I have started giving at the Pure Land Learning College in Toowoomba, Australia. It is based on a talk by my teacher, Ven. Master Chin Kung, who based it on the writing of his teacher's teacher, Great Master Yin Guang, the thirteenth patriarch of the Pure Land Buddhism.)

It has been said that bodhisattvas fear causes while sentient beings fear effects. Consequently, bodhisattvas fear committing ill effects and take steps to avoid creating all negative causes. In so doing, they eradicate the debts; the karmic obstacles generated from their previous wrongdoings as well as accumulate perfect merits and virtues until they reach the state of Buddhahood. Whether worldly phenomena or the teachings of the Buddhas, nothing is exempt from the Law of Cause and Effect. It is said that everything is empty and unreal, an eternally impermanent element. But the Law of Cause of Effect is unchangeable and real, an eternally permanent element.

Both cause and effect are closely related as they continuous and cyclic. A cause becomes an effect, which in turn gives rise to another cause. From this endless cycle, we can see that a particular cause is not fixed. Neither is a single effect the only effect. The combination of cause and effect forms a vicious cycle, the cycle of rebirth.

A bodhisattva is an awakened, understanding being and is therefore well aware that every single cause produces an effect. Because of this, they are very cautious in their every thought, word and action, understanding that a negative cause will bear a negative karmic effect in the future. They understand they will have to personally bear their consequences.

But unlike bodhisattvas, we sentient beings do not understand the principles and the realities of life. The little knowledge we may have is limited and vague, far from complete. Consequently, we carelessly commit causal actions and do not understand, when the effects occur later, why they happened. By then it is too late for regret. Cause and effect are constantly being played out all around us. If we are unable to connect the occurrences, it is because we are not mindful. Rather we are impulsive and careless, not yet truly understanding. So for our own sake, we do not want to create any more bad deeds or causes, to only cultivate good deeds, which is what ancient masters, sages, and the patriarchs tried so hard to encourage us to do.

Regardless of the method we practice, the method of practicing Buddha-name Chanting while seeking rebirth in the Western Pure Land adheres to the Law of Cause and Effect. The Pure Land method allows us to carry our existing karma to the Western Pure Land. But it is crucial that we understand that existing karma refers to the “old” and not the “new.” This “new” existing karma, which is created in the present, cannot be brought to the Pure Land. Actually, this new karma will be one of the impediments obstructing us from reaching the Pure Land. Carrying over our “old” existing karma means carrying over the negative karma that was created before we began to learn and practice Buddhism. 

With this understanding, we must resolve not to create any more negative karma. Only if we do so can we be totally liberated. It would be wrong to think that we can still be born in the Pure Land even if we continue to do bad deeds, that chanting alone will be enough. One of Venerable Master Chin Kung's teachers, Mr. Li Bingnan, said that out of ten thousand people, who practice the Buddha-name Chanting Method, only a handful are able to obtain birth into the Pure Land. The remaining 9995 could not obtain birth into the Pure Land. Why? They did not stop creating negative karma in the present lifetime. In the end, regardless of all their chanting they were unable to obtain birth in the Pure Land. They still bore their consequences in the Six Paths of rebirth. It is crucial that we understand this.

To practice Buddhism, we need to bring forth the Bodhi mind. What is the Bodhi mind?  The awakened mind. The mind that clearly understands the principles and true reality of life and the universe. The mind with perfect determination to cease committing all wrongdoings, to cultivate only good deeds, to practice only virtuous ways. Practicing with this Bodhi mind, our karmic debts can be eradicated.

The Buddha has explained it in this manner so that we are able to understand. In truth, our karmic debts cannot be eradicated; they can only be transformed into good fortune. Unfortunately, since good fortune is the great benefit of the human and heavenly realms, it is both temporary and still subject to birth and death. But transformation is equivalent to elimination to transform our afflictions into the Bodhi mind. It is to transform the cycle of birth and death into the state of Nirvana. In the process of transformation, our merits and virtues become flawless and reach completion as we attain Buddhahood, the ultimate perfection.

In The Flower Adornment Sutra, the Buddha told us that all sentient beings inherently possess the virtuous abilities and innate wisdom of the Buddhas. To uncover this original nature is to attain Buddhahood—to attain the state of perfect wisdom. Our virtues, talents, abilities, and good fortune are also perfect. Thus, when our every aspect is perfect, we become Buddhas.

Why then are we presently leading such difficult lives? Because of wandering thoughts, discriminations, and attachments. In other words, because of afflictions. The Buddhas taught us that the universe is generated from our wandering thoughts and discriminations, is created from our attachments. These obstacles represent false beliefs and erroneous viewpoints and have created the forty-one Dharma Body Bodhisattva stages of enlightenment Ten Abodes, Ten Conducts, Ten Transferences, Ten Grounds, and Equal-Enlightenment. Why are there different levels? They manifest from our different degrees of ignorance and wandering thoughts. 

Where do the Ten Dharma Realms come from? They appear due to the lack of equality, from our discriminatory thoughts. When we harbor one single differentiating thought toward other beings and situations, the Ten Dharma Realms will appear. The highest of these are the Four Sage Realms of Sound-hearer, Pratyekabuddha, Bodhisattva, and Buddha. 

When we cling to attachments, the Six Realms of Rebirth will appear. And, as our attachments increase, the Three Bad Paths, being the lower of the realms will appear.  Finally, when our attachments are the most serious and tenacious, the hell realms will appear. Why are we unable to transcend the cycle of birth and death? Unable to sever our karmic obstacles? Not only do we not yet want to correct our faults, we are constantly increasing them!

How then do we rid ourselves of these deluded and illusory thoughts to uncover the original capabilities and virtues of our true nature? The only way is by letting go of our wandering thoughts, discriminations, and attachments. When we have eliminated all of these, we will not only overcome the cycle of birth and death in the Six Paths but will surpass the Ten Dharma Realms as well. And when this happens, we will dwell in the One True Dharma Realm, the state of the Buddhas. And it is within this reality that the Law of Cause and Effect lies.

Wandering thoughts, discriminations, and attachments are causes. Greed, anger and ignorance are causes.  The Ten Dharma Realms, comprised of the Four Sage Realms and the Six Paths of Rebirth, are effects. Since wandering thoughts, discriminations, and attachments generate negative karma, they ought to be eliminated so that our merits and virtues can then be perfect and complete. The accumulation of merits depends on our cultivation. What is this cultivation? The ability to let go of wandering thoughts and discriminations, to let go of attachments, to correct our erroneous thoughts and behavior. What are virtues? Virtues arise from having accomplished deep concentration, wisdom, and the One True Dharma Realm. The attainment of these beneficial merits and virtues is the perfect attainment of Buddhahood.