Table of
Contents
Teachings of Master Man Sang: Sutra of the Eight
Realizations of Great Beings
Story From the Sutras: Forming Good Karmic Ties
Changing With Circumstances: An Angel, a Shooting
Star
Dharma Transmitter: Master Mengcan
on Rejoicing in Good Deeds
Chan Talk: A Good Thing Is Not as Good as Nothing
By Dharma Master Yin
Chi
The Lunar
New Year is a very important occasion to Chinese people. Amid the joyous
atmosphere of the Spring Festival, relatives and friends habitually visit one another
to exchange New Year greetings and give blessings. Even family members living
together would wish one another good luck first thing in the morning. A festive
and meaningful time, the New Year is precisely when people engage in what
Buddhism calls “making positive karmic connections.”
Following
the common custom, every Spring Festival I also call on my elders and close
relatives to pay respects and exchange New Year greetings. On the first day of
the New Year, I visited a certain elder. He sat in the hall, in high spirits.
It was a relatively quiet moment, as most of his well-wishers had departed. I
said, “Your health seems fine. After such a busy day, you are still in good
spirits ...” He nodded a bit reluctantly and smiled. “I am old and useless, just
waiting to die,” he said with resignation.
I responded
in a natural manner, “It's precisely at this age that one is most useful, with
all those years of practice and Dharma propagation. At this time, one is most
experienced and influential, with the greatest prestige and drawing power. We
can't ignore the positive energy you've accumulated all these years! For
example, Venerable Elder So-and-So has been bedridden for many years and hardly
sets foot outdoors. But his prestige functions all the time, guiding his
disciples in their practice as well as the development of Dharma activities.
“I once
heard Old Master Mengcan say, ‘When I was in my
twenties, I was youthful and good-looking, and my reflexes were quick. But
believers didn’t even look at me. Now I’m over 90, old and ugly. Yet people
come from far away to pay their respects. They even kneel before me and make
offerings …’ This is the priceless treasure that comes from practice!” The
elder smiled with complete spontaneity, his previous sense of helpless
resignation gone.
During my
return trip, someone asked why I was able so deftly to manage the situation. In
fact, I had only spoken my true feelings, straight from the heart. An old maxim
goes, “A family with an elderly member possesses a treasure.” That’s because
elders have devoted their entire lives to their families, work or politics and
made many contributions.
There’s
also a saying in Buddhism: “The older, the more valuable.” Many elders and aged
practitioners have taught the Dharma and brought benefits to others all their
lives. Besides practicing quietly, they constantly serve the public and make
contributions selflessly. Dharma learners should show them respect and regard
them as they would the Buddha.
Though time
spares no one and erodes their physical strength and capabilities, the virtue
and positive energy they have accumulated through their lifelong Dharma
practice and learning, as well as benefitting beings, are greater than many
others’. Their efforts are not in vain, and they deserve our admiration. As
their juniors, we should value the examples they have set for us.
Many people
like to read the biographies of famous people. Apprentice monks and nuns also
enjoy tales about prominent monastics, as acquaintance with the deeds of the
latter through the verbal medium bolsters the learners’ own practice and
elevates their religious sentiments.
Students of
the Dharma should always learn from the Buddha. Besides making contact through
the texts with leading monastics of ancient times, we can readily learn from
the lives and experiences of upstanding Buddhists of the past century. These
moderns are living Bodhisattvas and their behavior serves as role models for
us. They are fully worthy of our respect and emulation. Karmic circumstances permitting,
we must value them and resolve to approach them and learn from them.
I have
always respected teachers and their teachings. Towards my own teacher I am
especially appreciative, respectful and grateful. I feel the same regarding the
great practitioners of contemporary times. The Dharma is to be sought
respectfully – that should be the attitude and aspiration of all students of
the Buddha’s teachings.
Following
in our predecessors’ footsteps, we seek to learn what the Buddha learned and do
what the Buddha did. We should undertake to learn the Dharma and teach sentient
beings, placing their deliverance from suffering above our own quest for
happiness. That is the Bodhisattva spirit. We should accomplish the
Bodhisattva’s practice of both compassion and wisdom. By so doing, our resolve
will be strong and we will be able to make progress along
the Dharma path. The flame of Buddhism would then pass from generation to
generation.
Sutra of the Eight
Realizations of
Great Beings
THE EIGHTH REALIZATION: To know that the inferno of life and death brings endless
anguish and affliction. We must develop the Mahayana mind to deliver all
beings. We are willing to bear untold suffering on their behalf, so they might
experience ultimate joy.
Develop
the Mahayana mind to deliver all beings: To develop the Mahayana mind is to
undertake the Four Great Vows to deliver all sentient beings. It’s as if we
were rich and bought a big car. It can accommodate not just ourselves but also
many others, so they can share the benefits. Dharma learners must not only save
themselves but deliver all beings.
These
include not just people but also celestial beings, ghosts and spirits, even
insects. That’s because the Buddha taught that all beings have Buddha-nature,
so we mustn’t make light of them. The Treatise on the Perfection of Wisdom says
that an ant could gain Buddhahood ahead of a human being because people
regularly do evil and do not practice. Since an ant possesses Buddha-nature, it
can practice and become a Buddha when its positive karma ripens.
All
sentient beings have awareness. If you don’t believe that, just consider the
fact that ants’ organizational and cooperative capabilities exceed those of
human beings. That’s why compassion in Buddhism is known as “universal
compassion.” As in a family, the suffering of my brothers or sisters means that
I also suffer. So when we see sentient beings suffer, we do too. This is the
great spirit of a Bodhisattva.
As
Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha says, “Before the hell realms are empty, I vow not to
attain Buddhahood. Only after all beings are saved shall I gain enlightenment.”
With reference to Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara’s vow to
deliver all beings from suffering, the Universal
Gateway Chapter says, “If countless sentient beings, in their suffering,
hear the name of Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara and recite it single-mindedly, the
Bodhisattva instantly hears their voices and frees them” from their travails. If
you respectfully recite Avalokitesvara’s name, your
action will resonate with the Bodhisattva’s resolution to save suffering
beings.
The Universal Gateway Chapter goes on,
“Whatever is the form that can deliver a sentient being, Avalokitesvara will appear
in that form to teach the Dharma” to the being in question. The Bodhisattva
knows what form can best save a certain sentient being and manifests in that
form to give Dharma instruction. Avalokitesvara may appear as a man, a woman or
an animal to deliver beings who are karmically connected.
Perhaps
some people will say, “Only Bodhisattvas have the power to save all beings.
Avalokitesvara can do so by manifesting in 32 different forms, while
Ksitigarbha can swear not to become a Buddha until the hells realms have been
emptied. But what power do we have to save sentient beings? Ordinary beings
like ourselves always hope to be delivered by Bodhisattvas; how can we save
others?”
Though we
do not yet have great capabilities, we must still be determined to achieve the
Mahayana mind and aspire to help others according to circumstances as well as
our own ability. Such an attitude echoes that of the Bodhisattvas and we will
receive real assistance and protection from them.
That’s why
we must develop the Mahayana mind. “Develop” means to generate. It doesn’t
require that we immediately have to go into the hell domains and save beings,
like Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha. It means we should cultivate the Mahayana mind
and learn from the Bodhisattvas. For example, there are many community projects
which require our joint efforts to bring off. We can donate according to our
circumstances and abilities, pooling resources and talents to benefit other
beings.
We must be
of a mind to help others, not harm them. To be mindful of helping other people
is to form positive karmic links with them. When we have accumulated enough
good fortune and wisdom, we would truly be able to help all sentient beings,
releasing them from the cycle of rebirth and the anguish arising from the inferno
of life and death.
Some may
ask: I myself am caught up in the suffering of life and death. How am I able to
help deliver others from this cycle of rebirth?
The Buddha
taught that beings like ourselves can undertake two kinds of resolution. The
first is to deliver ourselves before saving others. There is nothing wrong with
this. As the scriptures say, “No one can loosen the bonds of others without
first untying his own.” If we are tied up along with others, how can we untie
them even if we want to?
As for the
second type of resolution, the Ven. Ananda says in
the Surangama Sutra, “To deliver others before saving
ourselves is to have the mind of a Bodhisattva.” Even though we ourselves have
not achieved deliverance, we set our minds on saving others. That is the
resolve of a Bodhisattva.
(to
be continued)
Forming Good Karmic Ties
Whether two people get along
happily or annoy each other depends on whether they formed positive karmic connections
in the past. Giving, mutual concern and care are good karma. The Buddha always
taught his disciples to develop positive links with others at all times. Once he spoke of a connection he had formed
with Ananda in the past, hoping his followers would
use it as an example to nurture good relationships.
Many
kalpas ago, an elderly Dharma master led some young sramenera in practicing at an
ancient temple. He was very strict in his methods, requiring that the novice
monks be diligent and avoid slackening off and wasting time.
The
old master told the sramenera, “Always be industrious. Whether you are moving, staying still,
sitting or lying down, you must keep up with the sutras. While doing your alms
rounds, be sure to recite the scriptures as you walk.”
One
of the young novices, remembering his teacher’s instructions, did as he was
told. During his alms round one day, he focused his eyes on his bowl and
recited the scriptures as he walked. An elder of the community, seeing him,
opened his door to receive him and make an offering. But the sramenera was so absorbed in his recitation that he had
forgotten he was seeking alms. He passed by one household after another.
On
his return trip, the elder saw the novice pass his home once again, still
chanting the scriptures and entirely oblivious to his surroundings. The elder
thought the sramenera quite adorable. He called out
to the young man, “Come, come, young sramenera! Your
bowl is still empty. Why are you passing by my house without coming in?” As
though waking from a dream, the novice said, “Elder, I was too absorbed in my
recitations. That’s why I passed your home without even knowing it!
“Since
you are so diligent,” said the elder, “why don’t you come into my house every
day from now on? I will fill your bowl with food, so you won’t have to continue
on your alms round.”
From
that day on, the elder provided him with the daily necessities of life without
fail, so he could practice without worrying about them. The sramenera
was most grateful. He focused even more intently on his study of the
scriptures.
When
the Buddha finished telling this story, he told his disciples, “The sramenera at the time was me, and Ananda
was the elder. Over many lifetimes, Ananda supported
and protected me, while I guided him to take a correct view of things. This is
all the result of positive karma created in the past!”
In human relationships, cause always produces
effect. Only with karmic connections will we have the results of inter-personal
relationships and feel the mutual payback involved. This is a part of everyday
life. Human beings cannot live alone, separate from the community. They must
depend on one another for their livelihoods. So we must “be at ease in society”
and develop good karmic ties with others.
After
Shakyamuni Buddha abandoned palace life in his itinerant quest for the true
path, there was a period in which he underwent ascetic practice in remote
areas. After attaining enlightenment, however, he necessarily returned to the
community in order to teach and transform sentient beings. If our practice
should bear fruit one day, we could help others only if we had nurtured good
karmic ties with them.
In
everyday life, we need to be thoughtful and careful about our words and
actions. When we speak, for example, we should be considerate of others in our
expression and gestures. Are we putting them at ease – or making them agitated?
We must not let a slip of the tongue or a flare-up of temper cause others
unease. If we do, we would have formed a negative karmic link. This not only
produces obstacles in this life – mutual hostility and resentment – it will
also do so in future lives. That would impede our relationships and practice.
Dharma
learners must take this lesson to heart – and not frustrate the Buddha’s basic
intentions by appearing in our world to teach us.
Travelling Light
There was a young monk who wanted
to travel, but he kept putting off his departure. Half a year passed and he was
still there. The abbot summoned him and asked, “You wished to travel, but why
haven’t you set out?” The young monk replied wistfully, “My journey will be
long, covering tens of thousands of li.
I’ll be crossing thousands of streams and rivers as well as mountains and hills.
The winds will blow and the rains will fall. That is why I must prepare myself
well!”
The
abbot fell silent for a moment. Then he nodded and said, “Right. You will
journey far. It’s best to make thorough preparations.” Next he asked the young monk,
“Do you have enough grass shoes? In going so far, it wouldn’t do if you didn’t
have enough shoes.”
The
abbot instructed each monk in the temple to supply the would-be traveler with
ten pairs of grass shoes. The monks soon brought the shoes into the meditation
hall, with each carrying a pair. A hundred or so of them brought a thousand-odd
pairs; they formed a small mountain on the ground.
“Your
younger brother in the Dharma is traveling far,” the abbot told them. “He will
often encounter wind and rain. Each of you, please bring him an umbrella.” Soon
enough, the monastics had brought more than a hundred umbrellas, heaping them
in front of the young monk.
Seeing
the piles of shoes and umbrellas, the young monk said uncomprehendingly, “I
wish to travel. But with so many things, I won’t be able to take even a single
step, not to mention go a great distance!”
“Don't
worry,” the abbot smiled. “Perhaps the preparations are still insufficient. You
will be crossing countless hills and a thousand rivers. Without a boat, how
will you get over to the other side? In a while, I will ask every person here
to make you a little boat.”
On
hearing that, the young monk dropped to his knees and said in a low voice,
“Abbot, I've got your message. I understand now. I will set out at once!”
The
abbot smiled. “To travel,” he said, “all you need is a pair of shoes and an
alms bowl. With too much baggage, you won't be able to move. Isn't our life a
lengthy journey? If we stuff too many things into our minds, how can we go far?
Only by traveling light will we get far, and
only with a pure mind can we sustain our travels.”
The
young monk felt ashamed after hearing the abbot’s words. Gratefully, he paid
his respects to this teacher. He packed lightly and began his journey.
An Angel, a Shooting Star
By Ru Zang
With a heavy
heart I arrived at the farewell room attached to the mortuary of Queen May
Hospital. I was attending the goodbye ceremony of a former student, a woman of
only 28 who passed away from cancer.
The room was packed with people.
Besides the loved ones and elders of the deceased, the assembly included former
teachers, schoolmates and their parents, as well as mentors from her workplace.
The numbers were greater than expected. The room had no special decorations. On
the wall hung a portrait of the deceased; she wore a faint smile, displaying a
youthful air. Besides traditional offerings, her favorite snacks and picture
cards were laid on a table.
While giving an account of her short life, her former class captain
described her as being touched by an angelic purity and goodness. Her life was
compared to a shooting star. From her family’s grief, we could see that though
her life was short, the journey that they shared had been a sweet one. These
sentiments would forever be imprinted in the hearts of her family members.
I remembered that she had entered
our school when she was 7, enrolling in Primary 2. She was a bit taller than
her classmates, and she had plump cheeks. She didn’t say much. During recess
she liked to stroll in the playing field, holding her teacher’s hand.
At graduation she was my height, but
her child-like appearance had not changed. During recess she still enjoyed
being at the side of teachers, informing us how certain classmates had broken
the rules. Good-heartedly, she would even feel sorry for the teachers on duty.
When I told her we would punish those students, she would say with a shy smile,
“Ah, just let it go, Mr. Chan!”
During the farewell ceremony, her
mother spoke tearfully of her courage during chemo-therapy. She had been
neither bitter nor fearful of death, and just bore the pain that accompanied
her illness. Once when the agony was too great, she merely sat silently,
kneading her belly. When her mother saw that, she knew only too well how she
was suffering! She felt helpless amid her daughter’s torment. Her mother
momentarily lost control of her emotions and kicked a nearby closet forcefully.
Seeing her reaction, her daughter
knew it stemmed from her mother’s anxiety about her condition. She hugged her
mother and said, “Why are you angry?” She then comforted her mother, asking her
not to worry. How could anyone not treasure such a good-natured, understanding
child?
“Only a pure mind points in the
right direction; to take a step backward is actually to go forward.” This
well-known Buddhist saying is a good snapshot of the girl’s life. In her 20-odd
years, her sole contacts, besides her family, were school and her workplace, a
social enterprise. She did not mix with the dog-eat-dog world and always
maintained a purity of heart and mind. She did not hanker after things and was
not contaminated. Adaptable to circumstances, she possessed a peace of mind
that eluded others.
Some people may regret that she was
somewhat lacking in intellectual ability and others feel sorry she had such a
short life. Still others may be pained because of her understanding character.
Even so, her story jolts awake those of us who, believing ourselves intelligent,
are constantly embroiled in vexations.
We realize that life can actually be so pure, without attachment and
calculation or discrimination between self and others. We can see, when it is
time to go, that departure can be without rancor and fear – that we can set off
with hearts at ease, wearing the spotless halo of an angel!
Master
Mengcan on
Rejoicing
in Good Deeds
People aren’t
very mature when it comes to taking delight in the good deeds of others. When
someone is said to be good, they try to find some fault with the person. Even
monastics are guilty of this.
The fifth of Bodhisattva
Samantabhadra’s Ten Great Vows is to “rejoice in the virtues of others.” It
teaches us to celebrate the positive actions of others, even though they may be
small. However bad the world is said to be, I think there are many good things
in it.
If you think about it, the virtuous
deeds we can delight in are innumerable, their merit incalculable. Whether
people are participating in a service, engaging in Dharma-related activities,
helping others or doing even a tiny bit of good, we should praise them and say,
“I’m very happy! I commend and rejoice in your virtuous deed!”
The merit from this is unfathomable.
All the other person’s merit becomes yours, because you appreciate and express
joy in his or her action, planting the seed of this particular deed in your
mind. As the proverb says, “If you apply perfume to others, a drop or two rubs
off on you.”
Are you lacking merit? If you
rejoice in others’ good deeds, their merit is yours. On the other hand, if you
respond with slander, their demerits are also yours. The same principle is at
work.
Some people find fault with many
things. They could never accomplish this practice. If your head is filled with
negative things, how can it be pure or at ease? Your mind becomes contaminated.
You will have to pay a karmic price: perhaps you will be without a tongue, so
that you cannot speak. If your mouth is plagued by pimples or your tongue often
festers, it could be that your body is internally overheated. You know it is
time to pay attention.
The greatest advantages could be had
from rejoicing in others’ good deeds, in all worlds of the ten directions. The
Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are constantly delivering beings. You need not be able
to see any of this. All you need do is resolve to rejoice in their virtuous
actions.
As it says in The Deeds and Vows of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, why don’t you
visualize Amitabha Buddha teaching the Dharma in the Land of Bliss and rejoice
in the act? You can also delight regularly in Bodhisattva Maitreya doing the
same in Tusita Heaven. In fact, all Buddhas are teaching in the various worlds.
Why not rejoice in this – rather than focus on the shortcomings of beings all
day long?
We need to pay attention. Do not
malign others, but praise them. If someone is able to survive, there must be
some good in him or her. If you can go along with this idea and think that
there is a measure of good in the person, that would be fine. You will
accumulate merit.
- Excerpted from the
Concentrated Mind Forum
A Good Thing Is Not as Good as Nothing
There was a
prominent monk in Zhaozhou called Chan Master Congnian. He had been reclusive from youth and avoided the
company of others. When he was a little older, he left his parents and took
monastic vows at Longxing Monastery.
Once, Master mentioned a Chan
saying: “The Buddha is vexation, and vexation is the Buddha.”
His disciples did not understand it
at all; one after another, they sought an explanation from Master Congnian. “What was the Buddha vexed about?” they asked.
Master Congnian
replied, “He was vexed about all sentient beings!”
The disciples asked again, “How can
such vexation be avoided?”
Solemnly, Master Congnian
demanded of his students, “Why avoid vexation?”
On another occasion Master Congnian had just entered from the courtyard full of fallen
leaves when he saw his disciple Wenyan prostrating
himself before the Buddha. Tapping the latter with his staff, he asked, “What
are you doing?”
Wenyan
replied, “Paying my respects to the Buddha!”
Reprimanded Congnian,
“Is the Buddha for paying respects to?”
Responded Wenyan,
“It’s a good thing to pay respects to the Buddha.”
Said Congnian,
“A good thing is not as good as nothing.”
The Buddha is vexation, and vexation
is the Buddha … Do Buddhas and Bodhisattvas really have vexations? Of course
not! They are vexed on behalf of sentient beings. From Bodhisattva
Avalokitesvara, who delivers beings from suffering, and the Buddha, who
manifested in our Saha world, to Bodhisattva
Ksitigarbha, who vows not be gain Buddhahood until the hell realms are empty –
all have great compassion for sentient beings. Why do they practice so
painstakingly? To free beings from their vexations!
Although paying respects to the
Buddha is a good thing, we should not attach ourselves to the merit from this
“positive deed.” The truly good thing is to benefit beings according to
circumstances, without being conscious of doing so.
By Ven. Yin
Chi
QUESTION: This is the Year of the Snake. My mother
says my year of birth means I will “contravene the year” and face negative
consequences. She says I must go to the temple to seek good fortune. Should I
go with her? Does Buddhism believe in “contravening the year”?
ANSWER:
If you are a Buddhist, you can tell your mother that you will go to a Buddhist
monastery to pay respects to the Buddha and recite the sutras. Moreover, you
can ask you mother to accompany you as you seek good fortune in a Buddhist
temple and ask for the Buddha’s protection from adversity. By doing this, you
would be able to make your mother feel at ease, as well as expose her to the
Dharma and plant positive seeds.
“Contravening the year” is entirely
a part of Chinese folk custom; it has nothing to do with the teachings of the
Buddha. Buddhists only need to have positive thoughts and do good actively to
accumulate merit, for positive actions always bring positive consequences. So
they don’t need to worry about “contravening the year.”
Even so, some Buddhists have been
influenced from an early age by folk customs and cannot escape having such
worldly views and vexations. A Buddhist who is still worried about
“contravening the year” can recite the Universal
Gateway Chapter once a day, or the Heart
Sutra or “Great Compassion Mantra” thrice daily, throughout the year, and
ask for support of the Buddha and the protection of the Three Gems. Doing so
sincerely will help you ward off adversity, so that things will go smoothly and
auspiciously.