Table of Contents
Teachings of
Master Man Sang: Sutra of the Eight Realizations of Great Beings
Dharma
Transmitter: The Meaning of Buddhism
Changing With Circumstances: Searching,
Searching …
Cornucopia: Transforming Bad Karma
Story From
the Sutras: Wealth Through Worship?
By
Ven. Yin Chi
There was a man who had been born
into a poor family. As he grew up, he resolved to improve his lot and worked
hard towards his goal. He was good at managing his finances, and fortune smiles
on the determined. He quickly made a fortune and became one of the richest
people in the city.
Yet wealth did not bring him
happiness. Because he had to protect his assets, increasing wealth only led to
greater anxiety. The man did not know where to put his earnings, so they would
be safe. At home he worried about internal thieves. If he buried his riches in
the ground, he feared that robbers or other rogues might get at them. If he
left his money in the care of his wife and children, he fretted that they
wouldn’t appreciate how hard he had worked to earn it and would squander it.
As a result, the man was
apprehensive by day and slept fitfully at night. He harbored secret suspicions
of everyone and wracked his brains to come up with ways to conceal his fortune.
He decided to store it in gold coins as much as possible. He would sew the
coins into his belt pockets or trouser trunks, no matter how busy he might be.
That way, no one else would come into contact with his coins. So the wealthier
he became, the heavier the burden he carried and the greater his own mistrust
and anxiety.
One day, the man walked wearily as
usual to the village to collect what was due him. On the way he came upon a
large group of people making their way forward briskly and excitedly. Curious,
he asked them what they were doing. “We are hurrying to cultivate good
fortune!” came the answer. The rich man asked them how they would do that. But
in their rush, no one stopped to give him an explanation.
Struck by the joy on the faces of
the travelers and prompted by his own curiosity, the man decided to follow them
to see for himself. The crowd stopped in front of a monastery. The rich man saw
them happily toss coins, goods and even valuables into a large bowl. Unable to
restrain himself, he asked, “What are you doing?” Someone told him, “The monks
in this monastery are very kind. Every winter, they raise funds to help the
poor. That’s why at this time each year, we bring our surplus cash, goods and
valuables here and make offerings to the Buddha and the Sangha, and to give to
the poor.” Another explained that generosity led to abundance for the giver –
the karmic principle behind the cultivation of good fortune.
Affected by the assembly’s joy in
giving, the man was joltingly reminded that despite
his wealth, he was never happy. So he removed his heavy belt and tossed it into
the alms bowl. Immediately he felt a sense of lightness and freedom he never
experienced before; joy welled up in his heart.
It is understandable that people are
weighed down by the need to make a living. Yet it is after getting rich that
they become prisoners of their own wealth and lose their way. The Sutra of Legacy Teachings says, “Those
who are satisfied with what they have sleep soundly even on the ground. Those
who are not, are disenchanted even in heaven.”
People pray for wealth and status.
We must learn to be happy with what we have and avoid being too calculating
with others. We should give generously to the poor and form positive karmic
bonds with sentient beings. Our good name will naturally spread far and wide
and blessings will flow our way. We should esteem and uphold the Three Gems,
honor and support our parents and teachers, and respect and help other people.
Those who respect others will always
be respected in turn. To be constantly grateful and satisfied with what we have
is to possess a true happiness and wealth that no one can take away. To do so
is to be a paragon of wealth and status.
The Year of the Dragon began not
long ago and our hearts are still full of the joy and blessings of the New
Year. The dragon oversees an especially esteemed and auspicious year, in the
minds of Chinese. Within the local Buddhist community, this Year of the Dragon
is indeed particularly propitious, as two major events will take place in Hong
Kong during the Buddha’s Birthday holiday. First, the Third World Buddhist Forum
will be held here. Then we will welcome the Buddha’s Parietal-Bone Relic to
Hong Kong and believers can make reverences. The arrival of the relic is like a
personal visit by the Buddha to bless and support us.
Buddhist circles are busily and
happily preparing for the events, which stem from the abundant virtuous roots
and good karmic fortune of Hong Kong’s people. I hope we will all resolve make
these major events a great success.
Sutra of the Eight Realizations of
Great Beings
THE
SEVENTH REALIZATION: To be aware that the five
desires lead to nothing but trouble. Though ordinary people, we do not immerse
ourselves in the pleasures of the world. Always on our minds are a monk’s
garments, a clay bowl and ritual instruments. We set our minds on leaving the
householder’s life and following the Dharma. We live a clean, pure and
dignified life, and are compassionate to all.
The Great Treatise on the Perfection of Wisdom
says, “The five desires are called arrows, as they rupture all manner of
virtuous deeds.” It also says, “Alas, sentient beings are constantly vexed by
the five desires, endlessly indulging them. Once they arise, these five desires
turn virulent. The effect is like applying fire to scabies.”
What it
means is that the five desires, like arrows, are highly destructive of virtuous
endeavors. Gripped by the desires, people pursue things insatiably. The more
they get, the more they want – like treating a body wracked by scabies with
fire. The hotter it gets, the greater the itching. The Great Treatise adds, “The five desires bring no benefits. Instead,
they increase conflicts.” The desires foster struggles among people. Those who
win and get what they want believe themselves to be clever or capable, while
the losers become despondent.
This is
likened to “birds fighting over carrion” – when certain birds see a carcass,
they scrabble over it. It also resembles “carrying a torch into a headwind.” If
we hold up a torch and stride into the wind, we will surely get ourselves
burnt. The Great Treatise says,
“People are ignorant and deluded. They chase the five desires throughout their
lives.” Being ignorant and deluded, people pursue only what they feel at any
moment. As a result, they unknowingly fall into a deep pit from which they
cannot extricate themselves. They do this until they die – a great pity!
Therefore
not only should monastics temper the five desires, but householders too should
avoid excessive pursuit of worldly pleasures, for such behavior reduces our
good fortune. Worldly pleasures can be divided into ten categories. They are
the enjoyment of beauty, wealth, fame, food and drink, sleep, family, home,
clothes, relatives and honor. As Dharma practitioners, we should know that the
pleasures of the world are impermanent, empty and accompanied by suffering.
Though pleasures can be enjoyed, we mustn’t lose ourselves in worldly delights.
Though we are of the world, we should not become besotted by its pleasures.
Consider
the householder Vimalakirti, who was rich, powerful and esteemed within his
community. Though he was a lay practitioner, he did not indulge in worldly
pleasures. As a result the king and his ministers all respected him. We are of
this world, yet we should cultivate a lofty character. We should avoid becoming
tangled in the desires and pleasures of the world, like a lotus that rises out
of the mud but is uncontaminated by it.
Our actions
should not be dictated by the five desires and we should always face our
desires with equanimity. We would then enjoy a special peace of mind, joy and
feeling of freedom.
The
pleasures of the five desires are rough-hewn, fleeting and contaminated. By
exposing ourselves often to the Dharma and practicing as it teaches, we
naturally attain joy of the Dharma. Such joy harbors neither resentment nor
vindictiveness, and it does not discriminate. It is peaceful and pure.
Therefore followers of the Buddha should substitute joy in the Dharma for sensual
pleasures and combat the delights of the five desires with their practice.
The
foundation of practice is the precepts. The Five Precepts are the most basic
undertaking of all Buddhists. The five are abstention from killing, theft,
sexual misconduct, lying and drinking alcohol.
Avoid killing: It is a form of joy not
to take other beings’ lives and not to owe them blood debts.
Avoid theft: In department stores, some
people see things they like but don’t have the money to pay for them, so they
just steal them. Sometimes, they may even have the money but the thought of
theft nonetheless enters their minds. Someone who practices the precepts would
not take what belongs to others. Their minds are serene.
Avoid sexual misconduct: Proper sexual
conduct is between legally married couples. But many people succumb to sexual
desire and become besotted with members of the opposite sex outside their
marriages. This is sexual misconduct. If everyone upheld the precepts and
avoided sexual misconduct, families would be harmonious and society stable.
Avoid lying: if we do not lie and
deceive others, we would not undercut our own trustworthiness.
Avoid drinking alcohol: Drinking
undermines a person’s mental clarity and affects his or her thinking, judgment
and ability to react. The resulting befuddlement makes it easy to lose the
discipline needed to uphold the first four precepts.
So the
Buddha taught his disciples to undertake all Five Precepts. Those who do so
will not be full of desire and greed. They will naturally meet with fewer
misfortunes. They will also enjoy peace of mind and body, and a sense of being
free and at ease. That is joy of the Dharma.
The Meaning of Buddhism
Most
Chinese still harbor many misunderstandings about Buddhism. I will focus today
on the basics, so people will understand their meaning. Hopefully I can at
least clear up some of the errors, so that Buddhism’s fundamental tenets will
become clear. Otherwise, even if we have strong faith in the Dharma, we may
incorporate various misunderstandings. Our faith would then be skewed, which
would justify society’s skepticism.
At
the heart of the Dharma is bodhicitta.
The term means “the mind that seeks to benefit others.” Therefore those who
believe in the Buddha’s teachings must actively show great compassion and
resolve to save or help sentient beings. He or she should tirelessly undertake
charitable acts that benefit others. That is to be a true Buddhist.
Those
who practice according to the Pure Land school especially should undertake the
vow of bodhicitta first. Otherwise, people will mistakenly think that Buddhism
is passive, world-weary and concerned only with death. If one makes the
bodhicitta vow, naturally the misunderstanding would not arise.
There
may also be doubts about the frequent use of the word “sunyata” (emptiness) in the sutras. Does
the notion not contradict what I have said? Actually, bodhicitta has the dual
meaning of compassion and wisdom. Compassion, as mentioned, is “actively to
show great compassion.” Wisdom means not being attached to the idea of self;
that is emptiness.
The
import is to undertake acts that benefit others with a spirit of selflessness.
If we understand this, we will know that by helping others while being attached
to self, our capacity will be weak and our scope limited. Our efforts will
neither be sustained nor thorough. If we want them to be strong, extensive,
sustained and thorough, we must learn the Dharma and understand the
significance of compassion and wisdom. Only then can our efforts to help others
be complete.
Emptiness
therefore means to break down and sweep away the self-focused notions that most
people are so attached to. Then we should act diligently, with a spirit of
selflessness. To take an example from the realm of worldly affairs: We need to
clear away our bad habits before we can build up achievements.
If we
understand the true spirit of the Dharma, we would know how mistaken people are
to think that Buddhism is superstitious or passive. Even if we call Buddhism
the loftiest among religions or its thought the most profound philosophy in the
world, that would not be thoroughgoing enough. The reason is that Buddhism can
truly –
i) Illuminate why life and the universe
are the way they are
ii) Dispel all erroneous views and
replace them with correct ones. It can also dispel superstition and supplant it
with correct action. And it can replace all delusions with correct perceptions
iii) Embrace all the world’s teachings
and knowledge, as well as supplement their deficiencies
iv) Apply to sentient beings of all
dispositions, bar none.
Not only
Chinese, but people in Europe and America, are enthusiastically studying and
propagating the Dharma. They have published many books and magazines relating
to Buddhism. So I hope those who already are Buddhists will thoroughly
investigate the truths of the Dharma and work hard to apply them. Such efforts
would make us Buddhists worthy of the name.
Those who do
not yet believe in the Dharma should, with a humble spirit, do their best to
study it. Only then should they make comments on Buddhism. Such are my hopes;
what I have given is a brief account of the meaning of Buddhism.
-
From Master Yin Shun’s “Do
Not Misunderstand Buddhism”
Searching, Searching …
By Ru Zang
Recently I
received a phone call from an old friend. He asked me when our Dharma center
might hold a Three Refuges initiation ceremony, as he wished to participate.
I have known
this friend for nearly 40 years. In the early days, when I was still chasing
footballs in the playing field and worrying about my future because of my
mediocre grades, he was already contemplating and investigating the meaning of
life in various ways.
After
secondary school, we went our separate ways. I left for Taiwan while he stayed
in Hong Kong to continue his studies. Following graduation, different vocations
and interests meant we no longer crossed
paths. As we got married and raised families, we learned of each other’s career
paths only through mutual friends.
We met again
several years ago in a class at the Hong Kong Buddhist College. My friend was
enrolled in a doctoral program of Zhongshan
University in Guangzhou, and I happened to have the time and interest to audit
the course. He told me he had found a spiritual harbor after many years of
seeking. In recent years, he had benefitted from his study of Buddhism. I asked
him what school he was practicing, which Dharma master he was following and
where he was going for collective practice. He replied that he only studied
various texts and meditated at home. Nor did he follow any master.
After many
years of abstruse “Buddhist studies” (fo xue), my friend had come
down to earth. He decided to take the Three Refuges and “learn from the Buddha”
(xue fo). To take the Refuges means to entrust oneself to
the Buddha and to rely on him. They provide us with an inner anchor. Only by
acting according to the teachings can we derive benefits from the Dharma.
Over many
years at our Dharma hall, I have encountered some long-time believers who would
go to various Dharma centers around town, seeking an ideal, worthy master to
follow. As a result they have remained outside Buddhism’s doors, not having taken
the Refuges. Some were seeking a type of Buddhism compatible with their
capabilities. The Dharma, however, is as vast as the ocean. Since everyone’s
abilities and inclinations are different, the important thing is to know the
Dharma’s basic concepts and how to apply them to our daily lives.
It’s like
the truth that however tall a skyscraper, its construction invariably starts at
ground level. Having been in contact with Buddhism for a while, some people
think they are no longer making progress. But they do not wish to re-learn the
fundamentals. Instead, they believe that what they hear at various Dharma
centers, as well as different masters, is unsuitable for them. So they continue
to waste time and energy “searching.”
One of the
Dharma’s main goals is to eliminate our vexations. There are diverse means to
accomplish this. “The Buddha speaks a single Dharma, but sentient beings
understand it in different ways,” goes the saying. People with disparate
capabilities come into contact with different levels of the Dharma. Though some
levels are more difficult than others, they have but a single aim: to alleviate
our vexations, so that beings can rid themselves of suffering and attain
happiness.
Similarly,
all the Buddha’s teachings have a single purpose, which is to serve as a basis
for the different schools of practice. Since beings have 84,000 varieties of
affliction, the Buddha taught 84,000 ways of practice to meet all needs. There
isn’t a vexation whose antidote cannot be found within the Dharma.
Each school
of practice is wonderful. The key is to find one that suits us. At the same
time, we need humbly to set aside our biases and join the Buddhist community.
If we practice according to the teachings and thus rectify our behavior, the
Dharma’s practical benefits will follow naturally.
Transforming
Bad Karma
Once, a
monk was making his way back to his monastery when twilight fell. Thunder
suddenly erupted and it began to rain. The intensity of the downpour suggested
it wouldn’t let up soon. “What should I do?” the monk thought, looking around
anxiously. Luckily, he saw a farmstead not far away. He picked up his pace and
decided to seek a night’s shelter there.
The estate
was huge. When the servants saw the monk knocking on the door, they asked him
what he wanted. He told them. “Our master does not take up with monastics,”
they replied coldly. “You’d better think of other options!”
“The rain is
so heavy and there aren’t any other places around,” said the monk. “I’m only seeking
a little convenience.”
“I’m not in
a position to decide,” responded one of the servants. “Let me ask my master.”
He went inside and soon returned. The answer was till no. The monk asked if he
could take shelter overnight from the rain underneath the eaves of the house.
The servant shook his head.
Unable to
do anything more, the monk asked the servant the name of his master, then
headed into the rain. By the time he reached his monastery, he was soaked
through.
Three years
passed. The master of the farm took a concubine and doted on her. When the
young woman wanted to visit the temple to offer incense and pray for good
fortune, the master accompanied her. Inside the temple he saw his own name on a
prominently displayed longevity tablet and felt a little uneasy. He spotted a
young monk doing some cleaning and asked him what the display meant.
The monk
smiled and said, “Our abbot made the inscription three years ago. One day he
returned amid pouring rain and said a certain person had no positive karmic
connections with him, so he wrote the tablet for the man. Our abbot recited
scriptures every day and dedicated the merit to that person, hoping to clear
the bad karma and build some good karma with him. I’m not so clear about the
details, though.”
The estate
master understood immediately. He was both ashamed and uncomfortable … Later,
he became a dedicated patron of the temple, which attracted lots of devotees
all year long.
This was the
elderly monk’s favorite tale about transforming bad karma.
The world is
neither too big not too small. People meet all the time. Those who are
accommodating understand the principle that “deep gratitude and intense
resentment, as well as self and others, were originally one.” But the positive
and negative things we receive from the environment and other people can edify
us and help us develop. Gratitude and resentment are auxiliary karma in our
journey towards awakening.
On the other
hand, those who are intolerant accumulate bad karma and repel good karma for
the sake of momentary satisfaction. They only seal themselves off from paths
leading to greater possibilities.
Perhaps it
is hard to practice in the spirit of the abbot in this story. Yet to “aspire to
the truly lofty, even though we may not attain it” is surely a benchmark for
our personal growth.
Harboring
positive thoughts and performing good deeds can indeed transform bad karma.
Justice overlooks nothing and the laws of cause and effect always apply.
Generosity is the karmic cause of wealth and stinginess that of poverty.
We must
bequeath virtue to our descendants, not just wealth. Riches often cause
conflict; family members can become enemies because of money. If our children
have talent, why do we need to leave them material assets? The greatest wealth we
can give our children is our trust and confidence.
-
From the internet
Wealth
Through Worship?
There was once a pair of brothers
who were extremely poor. The elder brother believed in the Hindu God of Wealth.
Day and night he worshipped the deity, imploring the god to make him rich. The
younger brother made his living as a farmer.
After a long
while, the God of Wealth was moved by the elder brother’s entreaties. He took
on the younger brother’s form and approached the elder sibling. “I want to do
as you do,” he said. “I wish to undertake purifying practices and beseech the
deities so I can become rich. I don’t want to toil in the fields any more!”
When the
elder brother heard this, he reproached his sibling, “How can you get rich if
you don’t work the fields?” The god, in the younger man’s guise, responded,
“Must I work in the fields to reap my reward? If so, why are you so
persistently going to the temple to pray for wealth?” The elder brother was
suddenly speechless.
The God of
Wealth resumed his real form. “Because you failed in a previous life to
practice generosity and perform good deeds,” he told the elder brother, “you
are poor in this one. It would not be hard for me to help you with my powers.
But because you lack virtue, you still wouldn’t be able to enjoy what I give
you. Why not practice generosity and correct your behavior starting today, so you
might be rich one day?”
The god told
a story to illustrate his point. “Suppose a man plants a mango tree and wants
to harvest its fruit in the winter,” he said. “Even if he sincerely worshipped
a thousand deities, he still wouldn’t be able to harvest mangoes in winter,
simply because the timing – the karmic cause – isn’t right! So is it with you.
Because you did not cultivate the positive cause in a previous lifetime, you
will not be able to enjoy sudden wealth.”
-
From the Sajyukta-ratna-pitaka Sutra
By Ven. Yin Chi
QUESTION: I am a married woman. More than ten years
ago, I got to know a married man. It has struck me that everything I did then
was a big mistake and I will feel guilty for the rest of my life. I went to a
Dharma center to repent my actions. Each time I made reverences before the
Buddha, I felt a great sense of comfort and release. So I have decided to take
the Five Precepts.
The problem is that we two are still
seeing each other, though it is only to share a meal or movie, or to go walking
in the hills. We no longer have intimate relations and seem more like friends.
Can I still undertake the Precepts?
If not, can I take the Three refuges? I want very much to do this.
ANSWER: The scriptures say, “Let go of
the butcher’s knife and start at once on the path to Buddhahood.” And a popular
proverb goes, “There is no greater good than to recognize our wrongdoings and
to put them right.” Since you know what you did was wrong, you should repent
sincerely and regularly. The important thing is to remember not to repeat it.
In today’s
society, it is normal to continue as friends. But since there was an
inappropriate relationship, are you both fully aware of its wrongful nature,
definitely contrite and determined not to repeat it?
Relationships are not one-sided. If you continue your contact, you need to be especially vigilant and contrite so as not to duplicate your mistake, deceiving yourself as well as others. If a person genuinely repents her bad past karma and resolves not to repeat the action, she can certainly take the Three Refuges and the Five Precepts.