Table of Contents
Teachings of Master Man Sang:
Sutra of the Eight Realizations of Great Beings
Buddhism in China: The Influence
of Master Dao’an
Pilgrimage to India: From Kushinagar to Vaishali
Dharma Transmitter: Practicing
All Six Paramitas
Cornucopia: A Lesson in Accommodation
Changing With
Circumstances: On the Post-80s Generation
Story From the Sutras: In
Search of Treasure
Zen Talk: Persuasion and the Spiritual
Path
By Ven. Yin Chi
There was
once a monk who practiced in a quiet, old monastery in the mountains. At first
he was very diligent. He did his morning and evening practices with the assembly,
recited Amitabha Buddha’s name and performed chores. As the days passed, he
began to feel that his life was dry. He wasn’t getting much, he thought, out of
his routine practices and odd jobs such as cleaning the courtyard. He made up
his mind to leave the monastery and seek a breakthrough in his practice
elsewhere.
The monk
took leave of the abbot, packed his belongings and happily made his way down
the mountain. It was nearly dusk when he reached the mid-levels, so he
quickened his pace, hoping to reach flat ground before night fell. As he
approached the foothills, he was suddenly halted by a bitter, plaintive sound.
His curiosity piqued, the monk peered around in the dim light. He made out the
form of a ragged old woman, sitting beside a big rock by a tree. She was
weeping softly.
The monk was
puzzled and began to question the old woman. “I no longer have anywhere to go!”
she exclaimed. “I was originally a hapless little ghost and it was hard enough
to find any food. Later, I encountered a group of auspicious and powerful
deities. They said because I had a son who was practicing the Dharma in the
mountains, they had come specially to look after and protect me. But today they
told me my son had left the monastery and feared that he would veer further and
further from the path of the Dharma. So they chased me away. Everyone who goes
down the mountain must pass through this place. I have been waiting here for my
poor boy, so I can advise him to turn back. Unfortunately, it’s now too dark
and I haven’t been able to see my child. I’m afraid I have missed him!” she
sighed despairingly.
The monk was
deeply ashamed. He told the old woman, who was weeping with bowed head: “Please
go back and don’t worry. The deities will continue to care for you.” After saying
these words, he turned around and headed back to the monastery. He practiced
earnestly and performed his assignments.
This story
highlights imponderable aspects of taking monastic vows and practicing
accordingly. On the surface, the everyday life of a monastic is no different
from that of a householder. Both busy themselves with mundane activities. But
the value of a monastic life is that it helps nurture minds that are firmly
rooted in the Dharma. Inside a monastery, even tasks such as making tea and
sweeping the grounds are performed in accordance with the Buddha’s teachings.
A monk or
nun is a member of the Sangha. Living in a monastery, whatever he or she does
is a part of the Three Gems (Buddha, Dharma and Sangha). It is a form of
practice – and this is as true of householders as it is of monastics.
Householders should be close to the Three Gems. When they step into places that
are a part of the Three Gems, everything they do accords with the Three Gems.
Whether they are reciting the Buddha’s name, reverencing the Buddha, listening
to Dharma talks or doing volunteer work, they are in harmony with the Dharma.
They will be blessed by the Three Gems.
The Buddha Dharma is of the
world,
It is not separate from
awakening in the world.
To seek enlightenment
outside the world
Is like looking for horns on
a rabbit.
The Dharma
is to be found in our mundane activities. Hidden in everyday life is practical
self-cultivation. How do we practice amid our usual activities? Resolving to be
close to the Three Gems is to practice, and so is chanting the sutras, reciting
Amitabha Buddha’s name, doing penitence, practicing collectively and
undertaking volunteer work. Even applying the compassion taught in the
scriptures to care for our family and work with others is practice. Practice is
also to elevate our ethics and work towards wholesomeness. Its aim is to help
ourselves while benefiting others.
Practitioners
should learn to overcome their afflictions with Dharma teachings and subdue
their minds. Only by elevating their mindfulness and seeking wisdom can they
purify themselves and make progress on the path to enlightenment through
helping others.
Practice is
a kind of learning, learning how to be in accord with the Dharma. When we
dedicate the merit of our sutra recitals and reverencing the Buddha to other
sentient beings, we are learning the Buddhas’ and Bodhisattvas’ capacity for
unconditional compassion. When
volunteers sacrifice their time for the sake of Dharma institutions or to the
performance of good deeds, they are doing the Buddha’s work and forming
positive ties with others. They are giving of themselves and practicing
generosity. These are practices that accord with the Dharma. What we do may
seem ordinary, but so long as it benefits people and draws them towards the
Dharma, it has an imponderable power, even if we cannot perceive it.
Practice
requires a lengthy process of immersion. It may seem ordinary and boring after
a while. We may feel we have accomplished little, or we may become lazy or seek
a change. Even so, the ancients said: “Do not think reciting the Buddha’s name
tasteless; the day will come when the flower blossoms and the Buddha appears.”
This reminds us that practice is like making fire from wood: We need faith,
persistence and patience in order to succeed.
The Lunar
New Year has just passed. This year is the Year of the Tiger. The tiger
symbolizes a fierce bravery, as well as intense industriousness. In the Year of
the Tiger, may we all be fiercely diligent in our Dharma practice. We should
learn from the Bodhisattvas’ tireless spirit, and industriously do good and
make merit. We ought to perform positive deeds, speak wholesome words and think
good thoughts. If we support the Three Gems and act in harmony with the Dharma,
we will surely gain the Buddha’s blessings and experience good fortune. May we
encourage one another in such pursuits.
Sutra of the Eight Realizations of Great Beings
THE
FOURTH REALIZATION: To know that indolence leads to regression. Diligence
overcomes afflictions. It subdues the four evils and frees us from the prisons
of the realms of aggregates.
In the Sutra of the Eight Realizations, there
are eight insights that Buddhists should strive to achieve. We have come to the
fourth one. Practitioners should not be indolent. Only by being diligent can
they overcome the roots of evil. Diligence is the basis for defeating evil.
Indolence
means that we feel physically tired and are loath to do things. It could also
involve a mental laxity; we cannot muster the will to get anything done.
Indolence is an unhealthy state of body and mind. If we wallow in it, we will
retrogress. We mentioned before that “to have many desires is to suffer” and
“the absence of desire leads to contentment.” Unfortunately some people may
misinterpret that latter statement as implying that we should not apply
ourselves at all and needn’t do anything. That would lead to laziness. That’s
why the Fourth Realization teaches us not to be indolent but to strive
diligently, for that is the only way we can overcome our afflictions.
If a people
are industrious, their nation will readily become strong and prosperous. In the
home too, we need to be diligent. Combined with frugality, diligence produces
thriving families. The individual needs to be industrious as well. “Diligent
effort is worthy, while play amounts to nothing,” says a proverb. If we want to
succeed at something, we must work hard at it. In particular, Dharma
practitioners must always be diligent. Consistent effort is needed to fend off
indolence.
In the Residual Teaching Sutra, the Buddha
says: “Nothing is difficult if we apply diligence. Therefore you should be
industrious. A small but constant flow of water eventually penetrates even a
rock face.” So long as we work hard on our Dharma practice, we will definitely
make gains over time. Nothing is too difficult for the resolute person;
anything can be achieved, as even a bar of iron can eventually be fashioned
into a needle. If we apply ourselves and avoid indolence, we can surely attain
any goal. As the saying goes, “Where there is a will, there is a way.”
If we are determined
to improve our practice and apply ourselves diligently, we are bound to reap
benefits. “Diligence” means to improve, to move ahead in a focused manner. It
has ten benefits. The first is that we will not be easily sidetracked by
others. People who are lax have weak wills; they are readily deflected from
their objectives by others. If we are firmly resolved to do what we consider
meaningful, that would not happen. Secondly, we more readily receive the blessings
of the Buddhas, as well as respect and protection from the Dharma’s guardian
deities.
The third
benefit is that we will be esteemed by people and celestial beings. If a person
diligently practices the Dharma and reads the sutras to gain wisdom, he or she
will win the respect and praise of earthly and heavenly beings – and have a
bright life. Fourthly, such a person will be able to learn anything. For
example, if one listens intently to the Buddha’s teachings, one understands
them more readily and benefits from them. Fifth, we will be able to master
technical skills easily. So we must diligently learn what we do not know.
The sixth
benefit: We will be able to speak more persuasively. With focused practice, we
will be able to attain great eloquence. Seventhly, we will gain concentration
and wisdom. Eighth, we will even suffer fewer illnesses and bodily pains.
Regular exercise makes our bodies strong, while diligent work anchors our minds
so that we often forget completely about our physically ailments. The ninth benefit is to our digestive
systems. Diligent work helps our bodies, as well as our digestion, to function
normally. Finally, diligence is like the blooming of the rare and precious udumbara flower.
People who
apply themselves to their work and often serve others bring benefit to
themselves as well as others. Their hearts will be light and easy, and they
will find favor with everyone they meet. In whatever we do, the first
precondition for success is diligence.
The Influence of
Master Dao’an
During the Wei-Jin and Six
Dynasties periods, the Wei royal family moved south and Buddhist culture
followed. The political division between the Hans in the south and the non-Hans
in the north facilitated the random and widespread dispersal of Buddhist ways. In
this issue, we introduce the representative advocate of the Dharma in northern
China – Master Dao’an.
Though the
north suffered foreign invasions during the Wei-Jin and Six Dynasties, it
retained its economic and cultural importance. The foreigners embraced Buddhism
and it was respected among both officials and citizens. In fact, the north
produced many prominent monastics. One of them was Buddhacinga,
a non-Han monk whose virtuous conduct attracted many disciples. Dao’an took monastic vows under Ven. Buddhacinga
and learned the Dharma from him. Dao’an would later
become the central figure in the development of Buddhism during the Eastern Jin
period.
Dao’an was born in C.E. 312 to a family of Confucian
scholars. Starting his studies at age 7, he had a prodigious memory and could
recite classic texts after having read them twice. He took monastic vows at 12.
Because of his dark complexion and ungainly features, it is said, people were
reluctant to associate with him. His monastic teacher allowed him only to work
in the fields.
After a few
years, Dao’an asked to be allowed to read the sutras.
One morning his teacher gave him a text of 10,000 characters. Dao’an used the breaks from his work in the fields to read
it. That evening, he returned the sutra to his teacher, saying he had already
memorized it. His master didn’t believe him, so he proceeded to recite the
entire text – without missing a single character. Stunned, his teacher realized
that he had an extraordinary disciple. He soon administered the full vows to Dao’an, who thereafter became a fully ordained monk. He
then dispatched his disciple to various places so he could advance his monastic
learning. So began Dao’an’s life as an itinerant
practitioner.
Master Dao’an excelled at both worldly and spiritual learning, and
his practice and observance of the precepts were outstanding. Even so, people
tended to underestimate him because of his unprepossessing appearance. It was
left to Ven. Buddhacinga, who was reputed to be a
“divine monk,” to appreciate him and accept him. Buddhacinga
told his followers: “This man has extensive knowledge; he cannot be rivaled by
those around him.”
From then
on, Dao’an stayed on as a disciple of Master Buddhacinga. Whenever the former gave a Dharma discourse,
he would have the latter repeat it to the assembly. Master Dao’an
had remarkable debating skills and always defeated the doubters; everyone
admired and submitted to his talent. His dark complexion prompted people to
refer to him as “the dark monk who startles everyone.”
In the 15
years following Buddhacinga’s death, Ven. Dao’an was active in the regions of Hebei
and Shanxi, practicing Ch’an as he taught the Dharma. He later crossed the
Yellow River to Luhun (today’s Song county in Henan
province) while fleeing the upheavals of
the time. Homeless and harassed, Dao’an nonetheless
sought stability amid the prevailing chaos and continued to teach the Dharma. Some
500 monks became his followers, including Ven. Huiyuan;
they constituted the first Chinese-led
Sangha.
As Dao’an’s reputation continued to grow, he was esteemed by
many senior Eastern Jin Dynasty officials, including Heng
Langzi, Zhu Xu, Yang Hongzhong, Xi Chao and Lu Xin. Some
invited him to give discourses, others offered him food and cash, still others
built him monasteries or Dharma centers. Emperor Xiaowu
of the Eastern Jin even issued an edict commending Master Dao’an
and asked local authorities to grant him a salary equal to that of a prince or
a duke.
Fujian,
ruler of the Former Qin kingdom, knew well Dao’an’s
name and often said to his officials: “Xiangyang has Shi
(Ven.) Dao’an, whose name is Shenqi.
I would like to invite him here to help me rule the kingdom.” Fujian got his
wish after the battle of Xiangyang, and thereafter
relied heavily on Master Dao’an.
All Chinese
monastics bear the surname of Shi, a practice first promoted by Master Dao’an. His reason for doing so, he explained, was that
“all who take monastic vows follow in the lineage of Shakyamuni Buddha [Shi-jia-mou-ni-fo], so they should all be surnamed Shi.” After Master Dao’an, all monks and nuns in China proper took the Dharma
surname of Shi.
(to be continued)
From Kushinagar
to Vaishali
(Day 5, Oct. 26, 2008)
By Ven. Yin Chi
It took our
coach about seven hours to get to Vaishali, which is located in one of India’s
poorer areas. Vaishali is a familiar name from the Buddhist sutras. Today we
have come to see the memorial stupa to the Buddha.
Beside the
stupa is a pond, and an interesting story connects the two. The Buddha, it is
said, once passed the spot. He was thirsty and wanted something to drink. A
group of monkeys promptly dug up the ground to offer water to him. To
commemorate the Buddha’s drinking at the site, King Ashoka later built a stupa
with red brick and erected a memorial pillar beside it. The story is recorded
in Pali on the column, which reportedly is the best-preserved Pillar of Ashoka
in all India.
When we
arrived, a group of youths resembling workers was busily moving things about.
We made use of the surrounding grassland to do circumambulations and recite
Amitabha Buddha’s name. After we had paid our respects at the stupa, toured the
grounds and taken pictures, I led the group in a session of simple meditation
under the shade of trees at this sacred spot. We felt a serenity and joy in the
Dharma. Ten minutes went by too quickly, and we reluctantly proceeded to our
next destination.
On our way
to the coach, we passed a group of
impoverished children, who looked at us longingly as we boarded the shiny new
vehicle. The sight of some raggedly dressed older children carrying younger
ones inspired sympathy. While waiting in the coach for our group to arrive, I
asked the guide to have the children queue up. Their numbers weren’t large at
first, but just as we started distributing some biscuits and snacks to them,
another few dozen suddenly appeared, including adults and elderly people as
well as youngsters. Their smiling faces, full of anticipation as well as
satisfaction, made us share portions of our personal snacks with them all the
more enthusiastically, practicing generosity as the circumstances warranted.
Indeed, we regretted not being able to provide them with more food. Our guide
stressed that they were not beggars, just poor children who wanted food items
that went beyond staples. Taking our leave of them, we had lunch at a
restaurant in Vaishali. It was reasonably clean, though the town was backward.
After lunch,
we soon arrived at a destination nearby – the Buddha Relic Stupa. Ruined since
the 12th or 13th century, the site was found by an
archeologist in 1958 to hold relics of the Buddha. They were later removed to a
museum. The site is now located inside a park, reconstructed in a rock
enclosure. When we arrived, a Vietnamese Buddhist delegation was reciting
sutras there. After they left we circumambulated the enclosure three times.
Though the relics have been removed, places touched by the Buddha are most
auspicious. We paid our respects at the site as though the Buddha were present.
It was already dusk when we left. Our next stop, two hours away by coach, was Patna, which was said to be relatively prosperous. Sure enough, we saw multi-story buildings for the first time near our hotel. The hotel was considered luxurious by local standards. Located at a busy thoroughfare, it was a bit noisy but sanitary standards were quite adequate.
Practicing All Six Paramitas
Master Kuang Chin once said something well worth pondering. “When
you have worked yourself half to death and people still find fault,” he said,
“that is to practice all Six Paramitas at once.” What
he meant was that if you have tried your very best to do something and others
still criticize you for it, it is like practicing all the six disciplines of
the Bodhisattva path simultaneously.
I didn’t
understand the saying very well when I first heard it. On further reflection, however,
I thought it made a lot of sense. Dharma practitioners should know that the Six
Paramitas are practices that enable us to extricate
ourselves from the suffering that accompanies the cycle of rebirth. The
practices are generosity, observance of the precepts, forbearance, diligence, concentration
and wisdom.
What does
“working yourself half to death” mean? It is to spare no effort in doing
something on behalf of others. That encompasses generosity – giving of our
physical and mental capabilities. It means to do our utmost, even to our last
breath. Only this qualifies as “working yourself half to death.” Such
generosity is not the ordinary type. We must be extremely diligent in order to
“work ourselves half to death.” Applying such industriousness to our giving
means practicing both generosity and diligence.
What if our
efforts only meet with criticism? Then we must practice forbearance! If we are
incapable of concentration, we will be hurt or unhappy when others find fault
with us. By doing so, they therefore help us to practice concentration. If we
lack wisdom, we would simply try to suppress our anger – in vain. And if we do
not observe the precepts, we would answer back, cursing anyone who finds fault
with us. That’s why it really is to
practice the Six Paramitas when we put everything
into a task, only to find our efforts totally unappreciated.
Even so, we
often fail to make use of opportunities to “practice the Six Paramitas together.” Instead, we “end our practice of the
Six Paramitas,” giving up whatever merit we might
have gained. If we have done something – far short of “half to death” – and
someone finds fault with our effort, we promptly finish with the Six Paramitas and lose all our merit. We cry as though we have
been abused; we are angry that our critic has no verbal restraint, that he or
she has no appreciation of the pains we took. We criticize the person as
deficient in personal cultivation. Bodhisattva Guanyin
may be testing us, yet we fail to recognize the situation, despite our lip
service. As Master Kuang Chin said: “Someone gives
you the chance to make easy money. You not only pass it up, but sit there
crying as well.”
Actually,
this easy money is not so easy after all. I was once a fool too, weeping before
finally asking myself why – why should I feel hurt? The root of the problem was
an injured sense of self, an ego that refused to “practice all Six Paramitas.” People who do not wish to practice will cry
their hearts out. Those who do, however, will take the opportunity to smile,
recite Amitabha Buddha’s name and make some easy money.
— Excerpted
from Master Tao Cheng’s The Caterpillar Becomes a Butterfly
A Lesson in Accommodation
There was a
pair of sisters who would patronize our convenience store after school. At
first glance, they didn't seem any different from other people. They looked so
ordinary, in fact, that one would forget them immediately after. That was until
the moment I noticed how they related to each other.
The elder
sister looked quiet and subdued on the outside, but she had an explosive
temper. Every time she stepped inside our store, she would administer
“opportunistic education” to her sister in a severe tone. Most common was: “Are
you stupid? This is near its expiry date, and you still take it!” Or: “What an
idiot you are! 'Buy one and get one free,' it says clearly, and you still take
only one!” Or, even more viciously: “You pig! The sum is already too big –
can't you count?” The chastised sister didn't say a word. Instead, she
continued enthusiastically to choose the items she wanted to buy, seemingly
unaffected.
One day
after school, the younger girl came into our shop alone. I started chatting
with her, seeing that her ill-tempered sister was absent. “How come you're here
by yourself?” I asked. “Elder sister has the flu, so she took leave,” the girl
smiled sweetly at me. “I think your sister is really bad-tempered,” I said,
testing the waters.
“Oh, it's
not so bad,” replied the younger sister. “Just ignore her and everything will
be fine.” She continued to look around happily. “But she scolds you every day,”
I pressed on, my curiosity piqued. “Aren't you angry?”
“She's the
one who likes to get angry, not me,” replied the younger sister. “Besides, it
doesn't hurt to be scolded.”
Is that so?
It's hard to believe that a girl so young could be so accommodating. Perhaps
because I'd been used to being treated with respect from an early age, I am
mortified even when being mildly told off. If I feel the slightest bit disadvantaged,
I would press my case vigorously. Her spirit was much stronger than mine in
this respect.
“I would
like to have this please,” said the younger sister, getting ready to pay for a
popsicle.
I quickly
saw that the item was on promotion, so I said to her: “You can get one free if
you buy one! So you can go take another
one.”
I thought
she would react like all the other children, whose eyes would light up with
delight. To my surprise, she only said: “But I only want to eat one now. Just
give the other one to someone else.” She waved goodbye and left.
Watching her
skip away, I was struck by how special she was. I felt I needed to learn from
her in certain respects. Verbally abused, she can slough it off. Having too
much of something, she is not greedy for it. If people can deal with the world
with such a pure and simple heart, there would be no more conflict and tragedy!
Our
happiness does not depend on how much we possess, but on how uncalculating we
are.
- From the
internet
On the Post-80s Generation
By Ru Zang
In recent
years, members of the younger generation have actively participated in
political and social issues. Some have adopted radical, uncompromising
approaches and attracted much attention. They have also sparked much interest
in understanding the “post-1980 generation.”
The term
“post-80s” originated in mainland China. It refers to those who were born in
the 1980s. Growing up under the influence of the one-child policy and the country’s
economic takeoff, they are a privileged generation. In Hong Kong the term
refers loosely to people born in the 1980s. Those born after World War II are
divided into three groups – the “baby boomers” (aged 45-63), the “X generation”
(29-44) and the post-80s generation.
After the
difficult period of reconstruction following the war, Hong Kong’s British colonial government followed its accustomed
trajectory in the 1960s and 70s. It favored Britain and its associated business
interests, and ruled Hong Kong through a class of local Chinese who had
undergone elitist education. Through education, ordinary citizens also had the
chance to move into society’s middle and upper reaches. Another small group was
brought into the governing elite by virtue of their achievements in industry or
commerce.
Amid the
uncertainties of mainland politics and the international situation, the Hong
Kong government adopted a laissez-faire policy. Society developed along with
the economy, and most people pursued their dreams within this relatively stable
environment. Their goal was a peaceful life with secure employment. This was
the case with the first two generations. By means of diligent effort, they
overcame many difficulties to achieve their goals. They are seen by some among
the post-1980s generation as representatives of vested interests.
In the 1980s
the government adopted a policy of “three highs” – high land prices, high
inflation and high salaries. It coincided with economic reforms in the mainland
and various international events to produce an “economic miracle.” Hong Kong
became one of the “Four Little Dragons” of Asia. The post-80s generation was
born in such an environment. Its members grew up during such historic
developments as the Sino-British negotiations over Hong Kong’s future, the 1989
democracy movement in China, the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe, the
emigration tide, political and educational reforms before 1997 and efforts to
achieve political continuity after 1997.
Different
people had different views on these events. The dramatically changing
environment made it impossible for them to help the younger generation develop shared
values. More unfortunately, the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s and
the recent global financial tsunami forced them to face ever greater
competition. Before they had time to cultivate resilience and persistence,
those who had grown up during a time of relative peace and prosperity were
severely tested by economic turmoil, intense competition and uncertain
prospects. They were hard put to find a way out of their despair; what their
elders taught them seemed no longer applicable to the challenges they faced.
As a result,
some among the post-80s generation transformed their anxiety and fears into
anger. Others abandoned the traditional economics-first ideology in favor of
environmental activism and promotion of sustainable development. Applying their
own perspectives to social and political problems and inequities, they
expressed themselves in new and radical ways. They sought personal involvement
in the issues, seeking to create their own futures.
Hard work is
essential, but success is not guaranteed. Every generation faces its own
problems and meets with successes as well as failures. The difference is one of
attitude. Some people (from every generation) focus only on rights, ignoring personal
factors as well as basic responsibilities. Blaming their failures on other
people or the government, they overlook their own input as well as various
objective conditions.
It is our common karma to be born into this environment. We can see – and believe – that the bulk of the post-1980s generation are trying to forge their futures through their own efforts. They are also capable of adopting rational and open attitudes, and accommodating different viewpoints. They can work with previous generations to find solutions, fostering harmony in our society and avoiding polarization of issues and sustained decline. The reason is simple: This is their home.
In Search
of Treasure
A son was
born into the household of a wealthy man. The boy was not only blessed with
good looks, but could speak as soon as he was born. “I wish to make donations
everywhere,” he said, “so that the elderly and the destitute can live happy
lives.” His parents were alarmed and thought they had given birth to either a
demon or a celestial dragon. The child said: “Do not fear. I am no demon, but
simply want to help the poor from the moment of my birth.” Impressed by his
determination, his parents named him “Great Aspiration.”
When he was
17, Great Aspiration told his parents: “The destitute of the world are truly
pitiful. I really wish to help them, so they can be happy.” His parents
replied: “There are boundless riches in our home. You can make use of them.”
“Though our riches are plentiful,” said Great Aspiration, “the poor of the
world are even more numerous. Our assets are definitely insufficient. I wish to
go to sea to seek a rare treasure, so I can use it for giving.”
Great
Aspiration bid his parents farewell and set out. As he was traveling through a
certain country one day, a wealthy Brahmin was impressed by his good looks and distinctive
deportment. Hoping that Great Aspiration would become his son-in-law, he told
the young man: “My only daughter is attractive and well-behaved, and I have
enough riches for your entire lifetimes. Why not stay here and become my
son-in-law?” Great Aspiration replied: “I took leave of my parents to seek a
great treasure so that I can help the poor. Since I have not achieved my goal,
I dare not agree to your request.”
Great
Aspiration sailed out to sea and found many treasures. Each time he had
collected a certain amount of treasure, he sent it back home and went farther
out to sea. One day, he saw a big tree
emerging from the water and a silver city in the distance. Its palaces and
pavilions were made of silver, but it was carefully guarded by a huge,
poisonous serpent. When the serpent saw Great Aspiration, it eyed him
vigilantly. Great Aspiration crossed his legs and began to meditate. When the
serpent saw that he had no ill intentions, it relaxed and even fell asleep.
Great
Aspiration took the opportunity to enter the silver city. The local
inhabitants, who had never encountered an outsider, were happy to see him and
the king personally led the welcome. Great Aspiration stayed for 90 days and
then took his leave. Seeing that the visitor would not be detained, the king
sent him off warmly. He instructed his men to bring a treasure-collecting pearl
and made a gift of it to Great Aspiration. The king told his guest: “This pearl
is capable of attracting treasures within 30 miles.”
Carrying the
pearl, Great Aspiration went back to his ship and started his journey home. But
the dragon kings of the ocean, having heard that he had the gem, wanted it for
themselves. Certain maritime deities assumed human form and boarded the ship.
They obtained the pearl by means of through deception and tossed it into the
sea. When he realized he had been tricked, Great Aspiration cried out: “If you
don’t return my pearl, I will ladle your ocean dry!” The maritime deities only
laughed when they heard this. “The ocean is more than 3 million leagues deep
and without boundaries. How can you ladle it dry? The sun isn’t going to fall
out of the sky, not can you restrain the wind with a rope. Similarly, the oceans
cannot be made dry by ladling!”
“I undertook
a vow while I was making offerings to the Buddhas,” replied Great Aspiration,
laughing out loud. “My determination is firm and I fear no difficulty. I will
not budge from moving Mount Sumeru or ladling dry the oceans.” He then took out
his ladle and went to work.
Day in and
day out, Great Aspiration ladled the waters. His resolve moved the celestial
beings and the Four Heavenly Kings came to help him. Before long, only a third
of the oceans were left. Terrified, the dragon kings had little choice but to
return the treasure-attracting pearl.
Great
Aspiration took the pearl to the home of the Brahmin and married his daughter.
He then returned home with his wife and gave from an endless supply of treasure
to the needy of the land, so they could have better lives.
Prompted by
his determination to help the poor of his country, Great Aspiration went to sea
to seek treasure. He labored to ladle dry the oceans, fearing no peril. His
persistence moved the gods. With such principles and faith, what good deed
cannot be accomplished!
Persuasion
and the Spiritual Path
One day
while practicing in Nanyang, Ven. Huizhong
found himself surrounded by a band of robbers. He remained unruffled, focusing
only on his sutra recitation. Impressed by Huizhong’s
composure, the bandit chieftain asked: “Are you a man or a god?”
“Gods are
created by men,” replied Huizhong calmly. “By doing
so a man becomes a god, so a god is also a man. This is why men and deities are
one. It is as the saying has it, ‘the Buddha lies in the mind.’ Each person has
Buddha-nature and can become a Buddha. You too have a mind that is pure and
good, only it has been defiled by desire and attachment. So your true nature
has been obscured and you take the perilous path, robbing and killing people
and torching their property. You have fallen into the trap of greed and are
unable to free yourself. Your sin is great!”
“We have
been obliged to do these things by circumstances beyond our control,” insisted
the head bandit. “We cannot avoid stealing, robbing and killing …” Huizhong pressed on: “That is a great evil! Don’t you know
that by harming others, you invariably hurt yourself? By robbing someone, you
rob yourself. When you kill another person, you only kill yourself.”
The bandit
chief was stunned. “How’s that?” he demanded. Huizhong
explained: “Because you lose your originally good heart, you steal from
yourself when you rob others. If you kill another person, you also slay your
own pure mind. That is called bringing trouble upon yourself!”
“That’s
right,” acknowledged the bandit leader. “I harm myself by killing others, and I
know that heaven will not tolerate that. My conscience is uneasy, but what can
I do?”
Said Huizhong: “Throw away the butcher’s knife and become a
Buddha forthwith!”
“Is that
possible?” asked the bandit. “Can the Buddha forgive me?”
“That
depends entirely on you,” replied Huizhong. “All the
Buddhas are present in your mind. The fruits of good and evil acts are all
empty, devoid of substance.”
When he
heard that, the bandit chief felt like he had just awakened from a dream. He
quickly tossed his sword onto the ground and knelt before Huizhong.
After repeated kowtows, he begged the monk: “Master, please accept me as your
disciple!”
“Wonderful,
wonderful,” said Huizhong. “Homage to Amitabha Buddha.”
Ven. Huizhong once said: “To cease evil and promote good is the
test of whether we can enter the world of the Dharma. We can see that our true
nature, our Buddha-nature is revealed as we awaken from the mind that
distinguishes between good and evil. The Mahayana Bodhisattva’s path is rooted
in perfecting the practice of benefiting others even as we benefit ourselves.”
Our
spiritual practice requires support and progress. Heeding the advice of others is
a sign of our maturity. Persuading and influencing others is a pointer to
mutual advancement.
By Ven. Yin Chi
QUESTION: What are karmic creditors? Can husband and
wife, or children be considered karmic creditors?
ANSWER: The karmic aspect refers to the
positive and negative relationships we have had, ties of closeness and intimacy
as well as of enmity. Good or bad, they are formed through past contacts, with
people we have known. Perhaps there were blood ties between us, or maybe they
were our partners or our friends. Our harmful connections can only result from
close ties in the past that were subjected to intensely negative circumstances.
If we had no such past links, how could enmity have formed?
From the
perspective of cause and effect, there is always a karmic element when people
meet and form relationships. Emotionally or materially, we all put out to a
greater or lesser degree. Karmic bonds result if the balance is unequal. We can
call them debts, and debts must be repaid. So we have the notion of karmic
creditors.
Husbands and
wives, parents and children – these are the closest relationships in our lives.
Our family members all give of themselves, some more, others less. It would be
highly vexing if we were to look at our relationships from the perspective of
paying off debts. However, if our attitude is one of grateful giving and
generating positive karma, we would be able to benefit others happily.
Buddhism often teaches that positive and negative relationships are equal, encouraging us to open our minds and hearts. Letting go of the notion of confronting our enemies, we should regard all people with whom we share karmic bonds the same way we would our nearest and dearest. When circumstances require us to give of ourselves, we will do so willingly and serenely.