Essence of the Infinite Life Sutra, Excerpt Fifty

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Essence of the Infinite Life Sutra, Excerpt Forty-nine

Trivial matters can develop into matters of great angst and extreme severity. This is all due to a desire for wealth, lust, and an unwillingness to give. Each one thinks of nothing but one’s own enjoyment and disregards what is right or wrong. Compelled by ignorant desires, people want to benefit themselves and compete for gains. During the time of enjoying rank and riches, they cannot endure insults and do not cultivate virtuous deeds. Power and influence will not last long and will soon disappear. The law of nature will prevail and will eventually set things right.

“Trivial matters can develop into matters of great angst and extreme severity.” This sentence is a general statement. “Trivial matters” refers to minor delusions. These will gradually become great evils if we do not awaken in time. Hatred very often starts as a very tiny, trivial grudge. In “great angst and extreme severity,” “angst” refers to tribulation and “severity” refers to harsh vengeance.

We should see through this and not take things to heart. If in our interaction with others we suffer minor unjustified treatment, we should not take it too seriously, get attached to it, or mind it. We should absolutely not harbor any thought of vengeance.

“This is all due to a desire for wealth, lust, and an unwillingness to give.” This points out the root cause of the predicament of the beings in the Six Paths. In many of our past lifetimes, we learned Buddhism, chanted the Buddha-name, and made offerings to and served infinite Buddhas. Why have we not been able to attain rebirth in the Western Pure Land? Because we cannot let go! After infinite kalpas of cultivation, we are unable to succeed, done in by wealth and lust. If we still cannot completely let go of them in this lifetime, we will continue to stay in the cycle of birth and death.

“Each one thinks of nothing but one’s own enjoyment.” One craves wealth. One is lustful. One does not practice giving. One fusses over one’s enjoyment.

One “disregards what is right or wrong.” One cannot tell proper from improper, right from wrong, and good from bad.

“People want to benefit themselves and compete for gains.” They are selfish. They scramble for fame and gain.

“The time of enjoying rank and riches” cannot last forever. Moreover, when one depletes one’s wealth and prestige, evil karmas will come forth.

“They cannot endure insults.” If the rich and prestigious are moderate in their enjoyments and are frugal, their endurance will enable them to maintain their wealth. If they live thriftily and practice giving, their good fortune will last for a long time. Cultivating good fortune and accumulating merits while enjoying one’s wealth—this is the right thing to do. If they cannot restrain themselves and quickly deplete their wealth, their good fortune will soon be used up.

They “do not cultivate virtuous deeds.” When people are in an environment where they are enjoying a good life, it is very easy for them to be deluded and thereby lose their true nature. They cannot restrain themselves and are unwilling to do good deeds. They commit offenses.

“Power and influence will not last long.” The time during which they can dominate others is very short. It “will soon disappear.”

“The law of nature will prevail and will eventually set things right.” “The law of nature” refers to principles of morality. “Will eventually set things right” refers to the ways of the world. “Set things right” is commonly known as feeling the prick of conscience. In Buddhism, this is called consciousness.

Those who often do good deeds have minds and behavior that are virtuous. Those who often commit evil deeds have minds and behavior that are evil. Good deeds will bring about good retributions; bad deeds will bring about bad retributions. Retributions will occur naturally. They are not controlled by spirits, deities, God, Buddhas, or bodhisattvas. Karmic results take place naturally.

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

Essence of the Infinite Life Sutra, Excerpt Forty-eight

If in that environment, one can single-mindedly suppress one’s thoughts, correct one’s behavior and mind, have one’s deeds match one’s words, have one’s actions be of the utmost sincerity, do only good deeds, and commit no evils, then one will be liberated and obtain virtues and good fortune from these.

“If in that environment, one can single-mindedly suppress one’s thoughts.” “In that environment” refers to today’s evil world of the Five Corruptions, which is full of complications and vileness. The most important thing is to “single-mindedly suppress one’s thoughts.” All the evil thoughts must be subdued. This is where we start concentrating our efforts in our cultivation. What should we do when an evil thought arises?

The wondrous thing about the Pure Land method is the inconceivability of the merit of the Buddha-name. When an evil thought arises, we chant “Amituofo” to transform the evil thought into a thought of Buddha. We can also think about the wondrous merits of Amitabha Buddha or the various deeds of Amitabha Buddha, such as how he cultivated at the causal stage to establish the Western Pure Land to help all beings in the ten directions leave suffering forever behind and perfectly attain Buddhahood.

If we study the sutras well and concentrate on thinking about the magnificent direct and circumstantial rewards in the Western Pure Land, all wandering thoughts will cease. When we truly seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land and truly achieve in cultivation—when we are in this state—our every thought will be of Amitabha Buddha and the Western Pure Land. We will undoubtedly attain rebirth there. This is the best way to “single-mindedly suppress one’s thoughts.”

One should “correct one’s behavior and mind.” “Correct” means being upright, and following etiquette and laws. We need to follow all the teachings of the Buddha and practice accordingly. “Correct one’s mind” means that at all times, in all places, and in all situations, our every thought never deviates from “Namo Amituofo.” This is having proper thought.

If we do not have proper thoughts, we have evil thoughts. When there is improperness, there is evil. When there is neither proper nor improper thought, we fall into undefinable delusion. Delusion is ignorance. The retribution is rebirth in the animal path. We will not be able to transcend the Three Evil Paths. Therefore, it is very important to correct one’s behavior and mind.

One should “have one’s deeds match one’s words.” One should not say one thing and mean another.

“Have one’s actions be of the utmost sincerity.” One should be sincere when interacting with beings, engaging in tasks, and handling objects. One should not be afraid of being deceived or being taken advantage of. If one is not willing to be taken advantage of or to be deceived now, one will continue to transmigrate endlessly in the Six Paths, life after life, to repay or collect debts.

One should only use the true mind. One should have the same regard towards all beings, situations, and objects as one has towards the Buddhas and bodhisattvas. This way, one is truly generating the bodhi mind. The bodhi mind is a sincere mind. Whether chanting the Buddha-name or contemplating the magnificent direct and circumstantial rewards and merits of Amitabha Buddha, one should maintain a sincere mind. Even in daily life, one should also use a sincere mind. This is “generating the bodhi mind and single-mindedly focusing on chanting.”

“Do only good deeds, and commit no evils.” Learning Buddhism is learning to be awakened and wise, and not to do foolish things. When we see others make mistakes, we should try to skillfully and expediently remind them, alert them, or advise them. When we do good deeds, we must do so earnestly and not fear that others will laugh at us or obstruct us. Good deeds are beneficial to society.

As to “commit no evils,” not only do we not do any evil deed, we should not even give rise to any evil thought.

“One will be liberated and obtain virtues and good fortune from these.” Who liberates whom? One liberates oneself. It is truly as stated: “The Buddha did not liberate the beings.” The Buddha only explained the truth to us. When we understand, we have to walk the path ourselves.

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

Essence of the Infinite Life Sutra, Excerpt Forty-seven

 

Between heaven and earth, the Five Paths are separate and distinct. Good retribution, bad retribution, good fortune, and misfortune intermingle continually with one another. One has to bear them alone. No one else can take one’s place.

“Between heaven and earth, the Five Paths are separate and distinct.” “Between heaven and earth” refers to the universe. In the universe, there are infinite planets where human beings and advanced living beings live. The entire Dharma Realm is a place of our activity.

“The Five Paths” refers to the Six Paths. Asuras are found in four paths—the heavenly path, the human path, the animal path, and the path of hungry ghosts—but not in the hells path. So, these paths are called the Five Paths as the asura path is not counted as an additional path. When we talk about the Six Paths, we are referring to these paths: heavenly, human, asura (this refers specifically to the heavenly asuras), animal, hungry ghosts, and hells. The Surangama Sutra talks about the Seven Paths, which are the Six Paths plus the path of immortals.

The heavenly path, the human path, the animal path, the path of hungry ghosts, and the hell path are the Five Paths that are separate and distinct.

“Good retribution, bad retribution.” This talks about the origin and the phenomena of the Five Paths. A virtuous mind and conduct will bring about rebirth into the heavenly or the human path. These are the good paths. An evil mind and conduct will bring about rebirth into the Three Evil Paths. Although people are in the human path, they are all different: there are those who are rich and those who are poor, those of high position and those of low position. This is because people have different individual karmas.

People born in the human path have the same shared karma. But in past lifetimes, they cultivated different goodness and good fortune. Those who cultivated great good fortune enjoy a good life in this lifetime. Those who cultivated little good fortune suffer many hardships and difficulties.

Causes and their resultant effects are very complex. Transmigration in the Six Paths is entirely the result of one’s good and bad deeds. If one’s physical, verbal, and mental karmas are virtuous, one will be reborn in the Three Good Paths. If the three karmas are bad, one will fall into the Three Evil Paths.

“Good fortune, and misfortune intermingle continually with each other.” There is good fortune in misfortune and misfortune in good fortune. Only a person with wisdom can clearly see this and adeptly make use of this.

An example of good fortune in misfortune is one who lives in poverty and is not sure when the next meal will be. As a result, this person feels that life is filled with suffering and wants to get out of this world—he or she lets go of all worldly concerns, sincerely chants the Buddha-name, attains rebirth in the Western Pure Land, and eventually attains Buddhahood. Thus, this person has good fortune.

[The Buddha said:] “Discipline oneself with a hard life.” As a result, one will have no attachment to this world and will be even more earnest in seeking rebirth in the Western Pure Land and meeting Amitabha Buddha. Oftentimes, one obtains good fortune because of misfortune.

One who enjoys wealth and prestige in this world may chant the Buddha-name but this person’s every thought is still attached to the Saha world—thus causing the opportunity of attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime to slip by.

“One has to bear them alone. No one else can take one’s place.” No one can do these matters for us. Everyone must cultivate for themselves. We must understand this and practice diligently.

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

Great Master Yinguang on Taking the Three Refuges

One must be aware that Taking the Three Refuges is to return to and rely on the three jewels: the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. It is not to return to and rely on an individual. For example, all of you are Taking the Three Refuges today; I am simply here to represent the three jewels to certify that you take the Three Refuges. You are not returning to and relying on me.

Many monastic and laypersons misunderstand the meaning of Taking the Three Refuges. A layperson often says that I return to and rely on so and so venerable; a monastic often says that so and so is my student through Taking the Three Refuges. They miss the big picture and take the narrower view, damaging the meaning of Taking the Three Refuges and mistaking it for a private engagement. It is a pity.

I take this opportunity to explain and clarify it so that there is no confusion in the future. I hope everyone pays attention to this.