Table of Contents
Teachings of Master Man Sang: On Avoidance of Killing and the Release of Beings
Story From the Sutras: The Man Who Would Not Die
Changing With Circumstances: Buddha or
Demon?
Dharma Transmitter: Spiritual Basketball
By Dharma Master Yin Chi
Two men left their home village to do
business. After spending many years in various places they made a lot of money.
They had been away a long time, and both felt it was time to go home and enjoy
their golden years. So they wound up their businesses and returned with their
abundant wealth.
When they reached the entrance to
the village they saw a strange-looking man with a bronze gong in his hand; he
was taking their measure. The pair asked simultaneously, “Who are you? Why are
you sizing us up with your bronze gong?” The stranger replied, “I am death’s
messenger. When I come across people who are about to die, I beat my gong to
alert officials of the underworld and show them the way.”
The two travelers turned pale. The
messenger comforted them by saying, “This is an inevitable part of life!” “Will
we come to harm?” “It’s not time yet! But since we have met, I might as well
give you early warning. When you hear the sound of a gong this time next year,
you must report to me.” The two men broke into a cold sweat and walked home uneasily.
At home, the matter weighed on their
minds. “I’ve been away many years,” the first man thought, “leaving home and
friends behind. I made money but paid with the best years of my life. Now there
is only a year left. Since I cannot take my money with me, I’ll have to make
time to do a few things. That way I’ll be able to take something good with me
and won’t have lived in vain.”
To make up the good times he didn’t
spent with family and friends, the man passed every day happily with the former
and visited the latter to reminisce about the old days. One day he called on
the village head, who was constantly busy. Though advanced in years, the chief
looked energetic and always smiled. “We have both grown old,” the first man
said. “You should look after your health and find more time to rest.” The
village head replied, “But the busier I am, the happier and more energetic I
become.”
Struck by his old friend’s words the
man asked, “Can I help with anything?” Said the chief, “We have lots of
children in our village but not enough schools, and the ones we have are simple
and crude. We have many villagers but they lack knowledge and are
unsophisticated. There is much to be done!” After that, the first man funded
and personally helped with the construction of a school. Moreover, because he
was knowledgeable and fond of helping others, many came to ask him questions
and seek his assistance. The man took the opportunity to guide the villagers in
forming a mutual-help association. Thus did he busy himself every day. He was
happy and seldom tired.
For his part, the second returnee
was depressed by his appointment with death. He was unable enjoy his food, and
lacked energy to do anything. He spent every day mired in anxiety, which made
his family uneasy. As the year-long appointment drew nearer, he became
inordinately sensitive to sounds and irritated by them. Soon he heard what
seemed like the sound of a bronze gong. He gave up his earthly form and went
off to his appointment.
Meanwhile, the other man was so
happily busy that he forgot all about his date with death. The anniversary of
his return happened to coincide with the opening of the new school. The sound
of the netherworld official’s gong was drowned out by the joyous din of the
school’s opening ceremony. The haze of death was covered up by the sea of celebratory
flags. The messenger of death was pushed into a corner by the excited crowd, which
comprised people of all ages. No match for the tide of gratitude and blessings,
he turned tail and left.
Life has a beginning and certainly
an end. Its value and meaning are not measured by its length, but by our
attitude towards it. If we understand that death can come quickly, we should
live in the present and make good use of it. We should not make too much of life’s
length or brevity, but merely focus on how to live it to the fullest. Ordinary
people seek good fortune and long lives. The Dharma teaches that “those who are
busy have the most time.” It is a marvelous way to extend our lives in terms of
both time and space. Other good ways to increase our fortune and wisdom are to
serve and comfort others, and to give generously of our material assets and
abilities.
The destinies of the two men who
went home should have been alike, yet they ended up very different. The reason
is the returnees’ dissimilar attitudes towards life. The first man was happy to
help others, contributing what he could. In assisting others, he gained great
benefits himself. The second man feared death and was unreconciled
to it. Passing his days meaninglessly, he walked the path of impermanence
towards death.
Buddhism speaks often of
“impermanence” and “letting go.” Many misunderstand that as passivity or a lack
of initiative. In fact, Buddhism’s attitude towards life is most proactive and
forward-looking. Impermanence reminds us to make use of our karmic
circumstances, live in the present and boost our positive energy. And letting
go means to abandon negative emotions such as our desire for fame or profit and
our worries.
The first man’s wise approach to
life is a model for Dharma learners. Followers of the Buddha should be grateful
that they have obtained human form and heard the Dharma. They should work to
increase the well-being of sentient beings through their resolutions and
actions. By doing so, they also create for themselves a future of unlimited
brilliance.
On Avoidance
of Killing
and the Release of Beings
Our topic today is On Avoidance of Killing and the Release of Beings. This is a text
in traditional meter, composed by Master Lianchi of
the Ming Dynasty. It is very well written.
Master Lianchi’s
lay name was Shen Zhuhong.
Because he lived in Hangzhou’s Yunqi Monastery, he
was also known as Master Yunqi. Before becoming a
monk, he was a man of letters with substantial literary achievements. Later he
realized some fundamental truths about life and took monastic vows.
Master Lianchi
was the 8th Patriarch of the Pure Land school and specialized in
practicing the Pure Land teachings. He single-mindedly and exclusively recited
the name of Amitabha Buddha and sought rebirth in the Pure Land, with its lotus
ponds (lianchi).
That’s why people called him Master Lianchi.
The Land of Bliss has lotus ponds of
seven jewels. People who aspire sincerely to be reborn there will sprout lotus
buds in the ponds. If their Amitabha-recitation is truly earnest, their buds
will blossom fulsomely. For instance, if you enjoy hearing about the Pure Land
teachings and recite Amitabha’s name, a lotus flower belonging to you will
sprout in the Land of Bliss. The health of the lotus will depend on how
diligently you recite. It will bloom fulsomely if you recite with diligence.
When your life ends, you will be reborn in the Land of Bliss within that lotus.
When we dedicate the merit from our
Amitabha-recitation, we say: “The nine-tiered lotus is our father and mother.”
That’s because we are transformationally born in that
flower when we gain rebirth in the Pure Land. It’s not like in this world,
where we are womb-born from the union of our father’s semen and mother’s blood.
What is the most important thing in
life? Some people think it is to study, as that leads to a good future. Others
believe it is to make money, buy a home, get married, have children and bring
them up. But Master Lianchi thought it was the
question of life and death, so he wrote the words “life and death” on his study
desk. He saw that what people considered important was related to either fame
or fortune. And while creating a business was also a “significant issue,” it
was all impermanent, involved suffering and was ultimately empty.
Before becoming a monk he had a
teacup that he always kept with him. One day, as he was drinking tea, he
carelessly dropped it. It shattered on the floor and couldn’t be repaired. His
pain made him realize that things of this world were like images in a dream or
floating clouds – impermanent and beyond our grasp. So he resolved to take
monastic vows and became an itinerant seeker.
Once he called on a certain Chan
Master Xiaoyan and sought his instruction. Master Xiaoyan said to him, “You came 3,000 li to ask me for advice. I don’t
know how to advise you. Perhaps it is you who should instruct me!” He then fell
silent. Master Lianchi didn’t know what to make of
this, so he left. Some years later in a city, Master Lianchi
heard the sound of a drum, marking the time. He suddenly understood the Chan
principle behind Master Xiaoyan’s refusal to give him
instruction.
Chan cannot be put into words; it
must be experienced. It is like Shakyamuni Buddha on Vulture Peak in ancient
times, when he suddenly held up a flower without saying anything. The assembly
didn’t know what to make of his gesture. Ven. Kasyapa
alone smiled. His mind and the Buddha’s crossed, and the Buddha transmitted the
marvelous teaching of the Chan mind to Kasyapa. That
is the wordless, mind-to-mind instruction of Chan.
When Master Lianchi
heard the drumbeat, he immediately understood Xiaoyan’s
teaching-without-a-teaching and composed a gatha:
“Full of doubts 20 years ago, I had a wondrous encounter 3,000 li away. I burned
incense and forsook idle matters; demon or Buddha, we vainly dispute right and
wrong.”
Master Lianchi
recalls in his verse that before becoming a monk, he was troubled by many
things that he didn’t understand. If he hadn’t come upon the Dharma, he
wouldn’t have grasped life’s meaning; like other people, he would have lived a
busy but empty life. The “wondrous encounter” was Lianchi’s
meeting with Master Xiaoyan. After taking vows, Lianchi left behind the idle preoccupations of the world.
Finally, he reflects that both “demon” and “Buddha” are creations of the mind.
Those who don’t appreciate that will invariably come into conflict with others.
Master Lianchi
was an understanding and insightful person. In his later years, he had great
accomplishments in Amitabha-recitation and knew the time he would pass away. He
bid his followers farewell and said he would be reborn in the Land of Bliss half
a month later. Soon enough he fell ill. He passed away peacefully on the day he
predicted, facing West and in a sitting position. The text for our present
discourse, On Avoidance of Killing and
the Release of Beings, was a famous work by Master Lianchi,
showcasing his lifelong efforts to urge people to avert killing and release
living beings bound for slaughter.
-
To be continued
The Man Who Would Not Die
There was a wealthy prime minister in
Rajgir whose wife gave birth to a son in his old age. The couple were very
happy and named the child Hengada. As a young boy, he
was clever and well-behaved, earning the deep affection of his parents. They
couldn’t have known he would one day resolve to seek the Way and ask their
permission to become a monk.
The minster
was angry and said, “You are my only son. You have to take over our family
enterprise. How can you join the monkhood?” His mother wept copiously. Whatever
Hengada said, she wouldn’t allow him to become a
monk.
“I’m unable
to have my wish because I was born into a rich family,” Hengada
thought to himself. “If my family were poor, it would have been much easier to
leave the worldly life.” He decided to end his life, so he could be reborn into
a poor family. One night he climbed a cliff and jumped off. Amazingly, he was
unhurt. He went to a river and jumped, but somehow did not sink in the water. Then
he swallowed poison, but it would not take effect and was excreted from his
body.
Vexed, Hengada had a flash of inspiration. “If I broke the law of
the land,” he reckoned, “the King would
be angry and put me to death.” So he sneaked into the palace and went to the
spot where the palace ladies bathed. He took all their clothing, which they had
hung on a tree, and made his way out of the palace, all the time waving the
clothes conspicuously. The guards shouted, “Who are you? Arrest him!”
After Hengada’s capture, the King was furious and wanted to put
him to death. He personally shot arrows at Hengada,
but they all flew back towards him. Shaken, the King asked: “Are you some
celestial monarch or dragon king? Or a demon or deity?” Hengada
replied, “I am neither god, dragon king nor demon, but the son of Rajgir’s prime minister. I asked to become a monk, but my
parents wouldn’t agree. So I tried to take my own life, in hopes that in the
next life I could join the monkhood. I jumped off a cliff, then into the river.
I also took poison, but nothing worked. I had no recourse but to break Your
Majesty’s law, so I would be executed. I never thought that would be in vain as
well. I beg you to pity me and allow me to be a monk.”
After
hearing this the King immediately allowed Hengada to join
the monkhood, and went with him to see the Buddha. Hengada
made his prostrations and the Buddha explained the Dharma to him, whereupon his
mind opened and he achieved Arhathood. The King
respectfully asked the Buddha, “What karmic circumstances allowed Hengada to escape death repeatedly and to gain saintly
status so quickly after meeting you?”
The Buddha
told the King, “A long time ago there was a king of Pollonai.
Once he took his palace ladies on an excursion into the woods, where they sang
beautifully. Suddenly, someone sang in harmony with them. The women were
delighted and applauded. But the king was angry and instructed that the singer
be caught and executed. At that moment, a senior minister went up to the monarch
and said, “This person is rude indeed, daring to sing along with the ladies!
But he hasn’t done anything treacherous or evil, so his offense shouldn’t be
punished by death. I hope Your Majesty can curb your anger, forgive his
ignorance and punish him lightly.”
The king
thought his minister’s words were reasonable, so he spared the stranger.
Grateful to the minister for saving him, the man asked to become the official’s
servant. Many years later, as he reflected on his own past and future, he
developed a wish to become a monk and practice the Dharma. He said to the
minister, “My benefactor, I hope you will allow me to fulfil
my wish and join the monkhood.” “Good idea,” the official replied. “I won’t
stop you. In future, when you have accomplished what you want, I hope you will
return and we can meet again.”
The man went
into the mountains and practiced diligently. Before long, he attained the status
of a Pratyekabuddha. He kept his word and returned to the home of the minister.
The official heard of his accomplishment and said happily, “My good saint! You
remember our relationship and have come back to see me. By relying on the power
and merit of your practice, I hope I can be reborn life after life in a
well-to-do family, avoid calamity, and enjoy good fortune and long life.”
The Buddha
told the King, “Because of a moment’s compassion, the minister saved a man’s
life, enabling him to realize saintly status in his practice. This person, with
his extraordinary virtues and merit, is the one who has now avoided disaster
and enjoys good fortune and longevity – Hengada. That
he is able encounter me in this life means that he should truly be able to free
himself from the cycle of rebirth!”
Buddha or Demon?
By Ru Zang
I had long
resisted changing to a smartphone. In today’s world
of advanced technology, I wished to maintain some personal time and private
space. That was until my daughter got married and went on honeymoon, during
which they used WhatsApp or Facebook to send pictures
of themselves to a group of family members. As parents, we had to rely on them
for news of her movements. So we quickly got ourselves a smartphone.
That
technology could reduce the distance among people has long been a conversation
topic, but it had never felt so real. This simple application, WhatsApp, has allowed countless parents to break
communication barriers with their children and enter the latter’s world. Downloading
pictures of kisses and hugs enables the reticent among us, who aren’t used to
taking about such things, to open our hearts. Through a single message or image
on our smartphones, we can break the ice with friends
we have long been out of touch with. On Facebook, we can upload a special
moment in our lives. By pressing “like,” we not only express our appreciation
and support but, more importantly, feel one another’s presence. The various
functions of our smartphones permit us to organize
friends and relatives from different periods of our lives into groups and
communicate with them instantly.
Besides connectivity,
smartphones provide information and entertainment. Their
spread and portability have greatly changed contemporary lifestyles. Traditional
boundaries among work, rest and play have been blurred. Whether taking
transportation, eating, engaging with friends or even walking, Hong Kong people
often use their smartphones actively to do work, play
games or browse randomly. More amusing, we see a family or group of friends at
the dinner table, all with their heads lowered and busily “chatting” on their smartphones, seemingly oblivious of their companions. Do
the devices actually reduce, or increase, the distance between people?
We may have
different reasons for using a smartphone. But busy,
stressed Hong Kong people consider gaming, browsing and chatting on their
devices ways to reduce pressure, as well as a necessary means to keep in
contact with their social circles. Yet this is just another way to fill a
spiritual void, to escape having idle time. Such amusements can indeed allow
people to derive some pleasure without having to use their brains. But they
also ensnare many, making them unable to control themselves. Health issues such
as shoulder and neck pains, stiff hands and impaired vision are common. A
bigger problem is that information overload and the dazzling, multicolored
games make people’s already unsettled minds even more confused.
The ancients
said: “Water can carry a boat along, as well as overturn it.” And Buddhists
believe that “the mind creates everything.” The underlying point is the same. On
the one hand, a smartphone is a multi-functional
tool; it can help us in our work or studies, and its games can brighten our day
and pass time. For many, though, it can also be a curse.
Wise learners of the Dharma can overcome the inner demon that makes people unable to put down their smartphones. If they can consistently and silently maintain their practice, they will be in the ranks of the outstanding. Even those who cannot should be able to use their phones’ functions to enhance their own sutra-chanting, Amitabha-recitation and mantra-intonation, or to connect with others online for collective practice. They could then keep their minds tranquil and pure amid the turbulence around them. Buddha or demon – it is our minds that determine whether our smartphone is one or the other.
Spiritual
Basketball
A graduate student from People’s
University called on me. When he saw other visitors making venerations, he was
puzzled. “Why are so many people prostrating themselves before you?” he asked.
“Isn’t that a bit superstitious? Chinese people like to worship everything. I
have never worshipped anyone, except myself!”
I asked: “You must have played
basketball, badminton or ping pong?”
He replied: “Yes, of course.”
I asked again: “What are you doing
when you play basketball? If you didn’t play, would the basketball suffer? Is
the purpose of so many people manhandling the ball to wear it out more
quickly?”
Said the young man: “No, it is to
exercise the body and for pleasure.”
I said: “You can get the same type of
exercise without using a ball.”
He responded: “That would be
meaningless, and onlookers would think I was crazy!”
I told him: “Well said! The
basketball is merely a tool for exercising the body. But if the body needs a
workout, what about the spirit?”
He said: “In principle, yes. Buy how
do you exercise the spirit?”
I replied: “When someone engages in
worship, he presses his head and limbs to the ground. He is expressing
humility, submission, repentance, entreaty, gratitude and acceptance. At the
same time, he is connecting and merging his spirit with that of the entity
being worshipped. This is how you exercise the spirit.
“In my own mind, when somebody
venerates me, I am also like a tool, comparable to a basketball being tossed
around. Only I am not a real basketball, but a spiritual one.
“Similarly, the purpose of
worshipping ancestors if to nurture our filial spirit and to take in the
accumulated energy of our forebears. Revering the earth is to show our
gratitude towards it and to treasure it. For we grew up on the earth, which has
given us all manner of food and goods; all we return to it is garbage. And to
venerate a dragon king is be grateful for the source of our water, as the
liquid constitutes 70-80% of our bodies …
“There is great wisdom and subtle
effects in Chinese people’s worship. In the course of sincere veneration, the
worshipper and the object of worship become a single entity. Where is there any
superiority or inferiority? Some people criticize without understanding. They
have neither performed not experienced the process of veneration. To slander
groundlessly is entirely foolish!”
Said the young man: “How profound
and wise! Please accept my three prostrations!”
From Master Jijing
Wisely Answers the Skeptics
By Ven. Yin Chi
QUESTION: Last year I suffered an accident at work
that affected my daily activities. I was treated by many doctors, to no avail. A
fellow practitioner said that sutra-chanting or Amitabha-recitation can have
miraculous effects. For more than a year, I chanted and recited sincerely but
did not get well. Why were my actions ineffective? The practitioner said it was
because my chanting wasn’t powerful enough and it could only be accomplished
properly by a Dharma master of standing. Is that how it is?
ANSWER: If we are sick we should obtain
proper treatment. If we have a stubborn illness, we should all the more seek
medical advice and find an appropriate remedy. In religious terms,
sutra-chanting and Amitabha-recitation can facilitate the healing of stubborn
illnesses or at least lighten their effects. But because we don’t know to what
degree you “chanted and recited sincerely,” it’s hard to determine why you “did
not get well.”
Buddhism
teaches that nothing can be detached from karmic cause and effect. Even if
there is to be a miracle, it must accord with reason and sentiment. Effective
sutra-chanting or Amitabha-recitation depends on your karma as well as your
faith and practice capabilities. If you are diligent and sincere, you will
succeed. But how can you achieve results if you chant or recite haphazardly and
skeptically?
You
shouldn’t believe entirely in your fellow practitioner’s words. In reminding
you that chanting and recitation can cure illnesses, he has told only half the
story. If he understands the principles of the Dharma, he should urge you to recognize
karmic cause and effect. The suffering of sickness is also a karmic
consequence, which you should accept calmly.
I don’t know
your situation, but the newspapers and internet are full of accounts about afflicted
people who surmounted their difficulties with firm confidence and diligence.
They are able to have interesting and fulfilling lives, setting inspiring
examples. So you should have confidence in yourself. Since your ailment is not
light, it will take time to heal. You should patiently follow your doctor’s
instructions and cooperate in your treatment. Maintain a positive and
optimistic attitude and live in the present moment. Show penitence and hold
fast to your practice, and things should improve in time. As for miracles, we
can only go by karma and avoid having specific expectations.
Sutra-chanting
by a monastic has its effects, but it is no substitute for your own practice. As
the saying goes, “Every person satisfies his hunger by eating his own meals;
each person fulfils her karma through her own actions.” Differences in the
effects of the Dharma stem from differences in the diligence and earnestness of
practice.
Since there are some flaws in your fellow practitioner’s thinking, I suggest that you frequent proper Dharma centers to hear discourses on the Buddha’s teachings. You would then be able to grasp the basic tenets of Buddhism. If you have questions, you could approach monastics or Dharma friends to seek instruction or advice.