Table of Contents
Teachings of Master
Man Sang: Sutra of the Eight Realizations of Great Beings
Buddhism in China: Master Huiyuan – First Patriarch of the Pure Land School
Pilgrimage to India: Saptaparni
– Where the Sutras Were Compiled
Zen Talk: Of Awareness and Conclusions
Dharma Transmitter: How to
Make Prostrations Before the Buddha
Changing With Circumstances:
Turning on a Thought
Story From the Sutras: Reaping
What We Sow
Reader’s Corner: Hope Springs
Eternal
Cornucopia: Smiling Is a Form of
Giving
By Ven. Yin Chi
There was a
young man who had been working for a while. Because of his proactive, committed
approach to his work, he managed to accumulate more than $10,000,000 worth of assets
after a number of years. He had a wife, a home and a car. Life was good.
While he was
enjoying his good fortune, a global financial storm suddenly broke out. It
decimated his wealth, and his marriage hit the rocks. His well-being evaporated
in an instant. He fell from heaven into hell and became despondent.
One day, as
the man was wandering aimlessly in the street, he felt a chill gust of wind on
his face. He found that he had arrived at the edge of a hilly precipice. A few
more steps, he thought, and his life would be over. As he pondered the
prospect, he saw an elderly man nearby. Their eyes met amid the silent
surroundings.
The elderly
man suddenly waved to him. “You are unhappy? So am I,” said the old man. “Are
you looking for death here? I don’t want to live either. But since it is our
karma to meet, let’s talk a little before going ahead.”
“I was a
favored son of fortune,” said the young man bitterly. “I had great wealth and a
happy family. But the financial catastrophe has robbed me of my riches and my
family. I’m now deep in debt …”
“I have a
loving wife who cares for me as well as filial children and grandchildren,”
said the old man, picking up the story. “We were a happy family. Then my
illness struck and consumed the savings of my wife and children. See, I’ve lost
my shoes but I can’t bear to let them know. Every day that I live is a burden
to my family …”
The pair
wept together. Just as they were about to throw themselves over the cliff, they
heard the sound of sweet singing. The two men reflexively turned towards the
source of the sound. They saw another man coming towards them from a distance,
with dance-like motions. Before long, a monk stood before them. He did not wait
for the pair to speak before addressing them: “What a wonderful environment up
here in the hills! The air is good; it is such a delight to be walking here.
Have you come to enjoy such pleasures as well?”
The two men
looked carefully at the cheerful monk, who had lost the use of a leg. He had
hopped into the hills by making use of his other foot and a crutch. “Though I
have no possessions,” the monk went on, “I get along well with people. The
residents down there gave me lots of cakes. I was looking skyward to express my
gratitude to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas when I saw you two up here. Since
you’re still not home at this late hour, you must be hungry. I’ve come to bring
you these cakes.”
As the monk
spoke and turned out the cloth bag on his shoulder, the two men saw clearly for
the first that that their benefactor had only one arm. “Come,” said the monk,
“eat some of this. After we have created this positive karma, hurry on home,
lest your families worry!”
The monk’s
appearance, words and deeds gave the two men food for thought. The young man
mused: “Though my money is gone, I still have a young and healthy body. I can
start over again. What’s the big deal? Though he is all alone, the monk cares
for people he doesn’t know. My wife may be gone, but doesn’t that only mean my
children need my care more than ever?”
The elderly
man thought to himself: “Although I am ill, my family cares about me. I may
have lost my shoes, but I still have whole feet. The monk is without an arm and
a foot. What right do I have to take my own life?”
When There Is Life, There Is Hope
Buddhism
teaches us to refrain from killing and to release living creatures so as to
cultivate a respect for life. We should adopt a constructive attitude towards
life and allow it to blossom. Our society has material abundance, but
spiritually we are extraordinarily deprived and fragile. Faced with setbacks,
many people readily relinquish their lives.
In such
times, we need the nurture of the Dharma more than ever. We should treasure any
opportunity to hear it. By learning and practicing the Buddha’s teachings, we
can come to know life and help it shine forth.
The Dharma
teaches that while suffering accompanies life, we should not remain passive. By
illuminating reality, the teachings encourage us to understand it clearly and
to deal with it courageously. We all encounter difficulties; so long as we face
them bravely, they will pass. When there is life, there is hope. As long as we
are alive, we have the ability to create our own happiness.
The Buddha
teaches us to recognize the causes of happiness and suffering. Since we reap
what we sow, when we encounter negative circumstances we should earnestly
repent and perform wholesome acts so as to alter the karmic balance.
It is
precisely because everything is impermanent that there is always hope in life.
Neither positive nor negative situations last long. We should learn to
appreciate positive circumstances when they arrive. At the same time, we
needn’t feel too despondent when encountering negative conditions. So long as
we apply correct thinking, maintain a proper attitude towards life and are
guided by the light of the Dharma, the dark night will surely pass and we will
experience a new dawn.
Sutra of the Eight Realizations of Great Beings
THE
FOURTH REALIZATION: To know that indolence leads to regression. Diligence
overcomes hindrances and wickedness. It subdues the four evils and frees us
from the prisons of the realms of aggregates.
Last time,
we discussed the six fundamental afflictions – greed, anger, ignorance, pride,
doubt, and wrong views – and their deep negative impact on our actions and
lives. The six in turn give rise to 20 derivative afflictions. I would like to
review briefly these vexations, which shadow us constantly and affect our
lives.
The 20 derivative
afflictions are indignation, hatred, anger, unease from wrongdoing, deception,
flattery, arrogance, infliction of harm, jealousy, stinginess, shamelessness,
lacking qualms, disbelief, laziness, indulgence, mental numbness,
scatter-mindedness, wrong-headedness, disorderliness and being misinformed.
Indignation: To feel turbulent, in a
constant state of irritation.
Hatred: To be full of vengefulness,
always thinking about how to take revenge on others. Many movies play on the
theme that a person “cannot coexist with someone who has killed his or her
father.” The Dharma teaches us that hatred is an affliction, and that we should
be calm and avoid getting embroiled in vengefulness. All acts that give rise to
such feelings are the result of cause and effect, or karma. If everyone were to
take revenge, when will the karmic chain be broken? Only by letting go can we
feel at ease and be free.
Anger: Upon encountering something that goes
against our wishes, we seethe inside and are
perturbed.
Unease from wrongdoing: This happens
when we cover something up. When we do something wrong, instead of repenting
and confessing the deed we try hard to hide it. We constantly fear being
exposed by others and feel uneasy.
Deception: To dissemble. We seem
friendly on the surface, but the reality is different.
Flattery: This is when we flatter and
fawn upon others, making hypocritical remarks and gestures.
Arrogance: When we are too full of
ourselves.
Infliction of harm: To harbor resentment
all the time, wishing to harm others.
Jealousy: When others are better than
ourselves, we are envious and troubled.
Stinginess: We are grudging, unwilling
to lend a hand when we see others in trouble. We are reluctant to give any money
for the benefit of others.
Shamelessness: An inability to feel any
shame after doing wrong.
Lacking qualms: We are unable to admire others’
positive qualities. When other people do good, we are incapable of reflecting
on how we might be able to emulate them even a little. Those who are without
shame or qualms are incapable of turning away from evil towards good.
Disbelief: To disbelieve the truth. The
Dharma is as vast as the ocean, it is said; only those who believe can enter
it. If we do not hear the Dharma, we will not be able to develop wholesome
thoughts. And if we hear but do not believe it, we will be wasting the treasure
that is human life.
Laziness: It is laziness that makes
someone unable to accomplish anything.
Indulgence: To give full rein to one’s
desires, lacking a sense of discipline.
Mental numbness: We seem to be in a
stupor. We cannot muster up the mental and physical energy necessary to get
things done.
Scatter-mindedness: Our minds are always
confused and our thoughts scattered.
Wrong-headedness: When we succumb to
mistaken thinking, losing sight of correct thoughts.
Disorderliness: Our minds are constantly
restless, and we cannot settle down to accomplish anything.
Being misinformed: Taking falsehood for
truth, we have lost touch with right views.
The six
fundamental afflictions and the 20 derivative vexations can easily make us lose
our inner balance and commit negative deeds. That is why the afflictions are
unwholesome. We must realize that they are like thieves. Thieves rob us of our
wealth and our lives. The afflictions are thieves within our minds, capable of
taking away our Dharma bodies and even lives.
It is these
mental thieves that are the hardest to overcome. As the ancients said, the
thieves in our own homes are always the hardest to guard against. The thieves
in our homes are our mental afflictions, as hard as wild horses to tame. We
must constantly and vigilantly monitor our thoughts, and discipline them
through diligent practice.
The “four
evils” are the four kinds of suffering that trouble people the most – birth,
aging, sickness and death. As for “freeing us from the prisons of the realms of
aggregates,” the prisons are associated with the three realms of desire, form
and formlessness. Because the afflictions lead them to commit negative deeds,
sentient beings take physical bodies and are reborn repeatedly in those realms.
If we want
to leave the prisons of the three realms, we need to be diligent and practice
the precepts, mindfulness and wisdom, so as to eradicate the afflictions from
our minds. Having done so, we would no longer undertake unwholesome acts – or
continue entering the prisons of the three realms to suffer continued rebirth.
We would then be “free from the prisons of the realms of aggregates.”
Master Huiyuan: First Patriarch of the Pure Land School
During the Eastern Jin period,
Master Kumarajiva was the representative figure of Chinese Buddhism in the
north. In the south it was Master Huiyuan, the First
Patriarch of the Pure Land school.
Originally,
Master Huiyuan also studied and practiced in the
north under Master Dao’an. Factors such as the
upheavals of war later obliged Master Dao’an to
disperse his disciples to different places to teach the Dharma. He made no
arrangements for Huiyuan, however. The younger man
felt uneasy and asked his teacher about it. “They all need me to organize their
affairs,” said Master Dao’an. “But that’s not
necessary for you. You can make your own arrangements!”
In fact,
Master Dao’an thought highly of his disciple. He knew
well that he needn’t worry about someone with Huiyuan’s
knowledge and wisdom. So he allowed Huiyuan to set
his own course.
Huiyuan soon recalled a Dharma brother who was based at Xilin Monastery on Mt. Lu in Jiangxi province. He set out
to pay him a visit. Because Huiyuan was Master Dao’an’s favorite disciple, his reputation preceded him.
The monastics at Xilin Monastery were happy to
discuss and study the Dharma with their visitor. They invited him, together
with the dozen or so monks who followed him, to stay at their monastery.
A growing
stream of monastics, officials and scholars came to call on Master Huiyuan. So local officials decided to build a new
monastery for him. They found a scenic and tranquil spot to the east (dong) of Xilin Monastery and named the new facility Donglin Monastery.
Founding of the Pure Land School
Master Huiyuan was a very proactive person. He was concerned not
only about matters relating to the Dharma, but also about public affairs.
Because of advances in transportation, more and more foreign monks were
traveling to China. Master Huiyuan invited those he
encountered to teach the Dharma, or he would entertain them and ask them to
translate sutras.
After
settling down in Donglin Monastery, Master Huiyuan decided to focus on studying the scriptures. He
hosted numerous visitors every day, but would not step beyond the creek that
marked the perimeter of the monastery. He did not leave Mt. Lu the rest of his
life.
How did the
Pure Land school come to be formed? During Eastern Jin times, both monastics
and householders practiced recitation of Amitabha Buddha’s name. At Donglin Monastery, Master Huiyuan,
who emphasized practice, joined with a band of like-minded people and made Pure
Land practice their chief goal. They formed a recitation group and called it
the White Lotus Society, as white represented good deeds while a lotus
symbolized the Pure Land. Later they decided to hold regular meetings and drew
up rules for the proceedings. To show their seriousness, the 123 practitioners
formulated an oath. They would read the text together, to highlight their
determination to recite Amitabha Buddha’s name and seek rebirth in the Pure
Land. Thus was born the Pure Land school, with Master Huiyuan
as its founding patriarch.
Masters Huiyuan and Kumarajiva were monks who flourished in the
same period, though their ages differed. They never met, but it is said that
they often exchanged information and news of their own whereabouts. In northern
China Kumarajiva focused on activities to propagate Buddhist teachings. He
established the Garden of Leisure in Chang’an for the
translation of sutras and the teaching of the Dharma. Though engaged in religious
work, Master Kumarajiva was nonetheless deeply engaged with ordinary folk. He
was relatively active and like taking the initiative.
In the south
Master Huiyuan was influenced by the political environment
of the time. He was close to the intelligentsia, with their reclusive manners.
Their style inclined towards the traditions of rustic Buddhism. Even so, Master
Huiyuan had a significant influence on contemporary
society as well as on Buddhism, simply because he had so many visitors.
As First
Patriarch of the Pure Land school, Master Huiyuan
laid special emphasis on practice all his life. He promoted recitation of
Amitabha Buddha’s name and urged people to take Amitabha’s Land of Bliss as
their ultimate refuge. The Pure Land school that he founded has flourished till
today. It has had a deep impact on the development of Buddhism.
(to be continued)
Saptaparni: Where the Sutras Were Compiled
(Day 7, Oct. 28, 2008)
By Ven. Yin Chi
The places
we visited today were the most beautiful and most numerous – all important
places of pilgrimage. We travelled from Rajagriha to the Saptaparni Caves, Bodh Gaya, the Great Japanese Buddha, the Tibetan Monastery
and the Mahabodhi Temple. Rajagriha is a very familiar name from the sutras. It
is where the Buddha gave the most teachings, a key center of discourse. We were
especially excited.
We started
out early from Rajgir (Rajagriha) to Bodh Gaya. To
make the journey we had to change our mode of transport to six small vehicles. A
bridge had collapsed on the way to Bodh Gaya, making
it necessary for the large coach to take another route that added more than 10
hours to the trip. So our travel agency arranged to take us in six smaller
vehicles. The coach driver got up at 4 a.m. to take his vehicle via the detour
to rendezvous with us at our hotel.
We asked our
guide first to take us to the Saptaparni Caves. After the Buddha entered
nirvana, the 16 kings of the time each took home a portion of his relics to
honor. Ven. Maha Kassapa led the effort to compile
the Buddha’s teachings into sutras. The Saptaparni Caves were the site of the
First Buddhist Council.
The venue is
situated on top of a hill. It was also a favored place of assembly of Hindus,
who presently occupy it. The public area at the foot of the hill was full of
activity. There were lots of beggars and passers-by. Mule carts stood ready for
those who wanted transport. Besides hawkers offering a variety of goods, there
were many women, children and elderly folk selling wooden sticks for
hill-climbing at 10 rupees apiece. Many in our group were happy to buy one. And
why not, as doing so would make the climb easier – as well as create a positive
karmic bond?
The area,
inhabited largely by the poor, was quite dirty. All sorts of people gathered
there. While preparing for the pilgrimage, we already heard that it was
necessary to hire local police to accompany us up the hill. Sure enough, our
guide had engaged four policemen for security. Carrying rifles, they escorted
us up the hilly terrain. Our guide also arranged sedan-style transport for
those who preferred not to make the hike.
Exotic Scenes
At the very
outset, a chaotic scene greeted us at the public area. People of all ages, male
and female, were bathing by the stairway, rendering the steps wet and slippery.
Escorted by the policemen and our guide, we made our way up the stone steps. We
saw many Hindus changing and bathing. Some had on not a shred of clothing,
others were running around dripping wet. Yet others were praying and making
prostrations. As we watched the spectacle, they seemed completely oblivious to everything
around them. Perhaps by force of habit, they were focused solely on the task at
hand. The bustle matched that of a food market in the morning, but without the
noise. Was it because of custom, or a religious requirement? Whatever the
reason, the scenes were eye-opening for us.
We made our
way forward cautiously. Eventually, we left the steps behind and headed onto
the mountain path. The air felt refreshing and seemed to have a spiritual aura.
The trail meandered more than the one at Vulture Peak. There were lots of
beggars, both young and old, male and female. Some stayed still and waited,
while others followed their potential benefactors. One could see why there was
a need to hire a police escort; there was a latent danger.
Even so, it
didn’t affect our pilgrims’ sense of awe. Near the top of the hill were several
large Hindu temples that seemed new. Though they lacked the usual colors of
such structures, their pure-white marble edifices were beautiful and intricate,
reflecting the design and style of traditional Indian architecture. From what
we had seen those few days, they could be considered luxurious.
Looking down
from the flat summit, we saw green plains stretching into the distance. It was
an exhilarating view. The scenery at the top was splendid too. After descending
about 100 meters, we arrived at the Saptaparni Caves.
It is said
that there are seven caves, one of which had sentries. Some local youths had
arrived ahead of us. The policemen inspected the scene and we were told that we
could enter. The mouth of the cave was very narrow. After about 10 steps, the
passageway constricted dramatically, allowing only a single person to pass. Beyond
the bottleneck lay another space, where someone – perhaps the sentries on duty
– had placed a small Buddha statue for pilgrims to pay respects to. We laid
wreaths, then assembled outside the cave to pay homage to this place where the
Buddhist sutras had been put together. After the Buddha entered nirvana, Maha Kassapa proposed that 500 Arhats gather
to collect the Buddha’s teachings of a lifetime into sutras, so that they could
be passed on to posterity.
Someone
asked how a cave so small could accommodate 500 Arhats.
We can consider some answers that seem reasonable. According to our guide, the
cave had larger spaces, though they were not easily accessible. Besides, he
added, Saptaparni had seven caverns. Ahead of us were bigger caves, but they were
not open to the public. The hilltop site had been chosen because it was quiet
and not readily subject to disturbances. The plateau at the summit is big
enough to hold several hundred people, making it a good place of assembly. At
night, participants could sleep inside the caves.
Besides, all
500 attendees were Arhats. That meant they had
special powers, so the question of space did not really apply to them. Remember
how Vimalakirti’s tiny hut could expand and contract as needed?
Of
Awareness and Conclusions
After heavy
rains, a spider was struggling to climb the back wall of a monastery towards
its tattered net. As the wall was wet and slippery, the creature invariably
tumbled back as soon as it had reached a certain height. Repeatedly it climbed,
only to fall back again and again …
Disciple A
saw this and said: “How stupid of the spider. If it made use of the dry areas
nearby, it would have been able to climb up. From now on, I must avoid doing
things in such a rigid and stubborn manner!” So he became more clever.
Disciple B,
on the other hand, was moved by the spider’s indefatigable spirit in the face
of failure. He also experienced a revelation. He became stronger.
Disciple C
observed the scene, sighed and muttered to himself: “Hasn’t my life been much
like the spider? I am always busy with this and that, but I never get anything
done.” He turned passive.
The three
saw the same spider, but reached different conclusions because they had dissimilar
perspectives. It’s a bit like life, which treats every person in a fair and
unbiased manner. Because their understanding of life and their attitudes
towards it vary, however, people have different assessments as well as
achievements.
How to Make Prostrations Before the Buddha
Master Changong used to say that making prostrations before the
Buddha was a very effective form of exercise and qigong, better even than tai chi. I wasn’t able at first to experience it for myself.
Later I discovered many good things about the act of prostration, as well as
the relationship between its guiding principles and those of medicine. Only then was I able to appreciate
Master Changong’s words.
To prostrate
ourselves before the Buddha is an exercise that purifies our body, mouth and
consciousness. It also allows us to connect with the Buddha, and of course it
can heal illnesses. We set up a special group to discuss the links between
prostration and medicine.
What
follows, briefly, are some key conclusions. In modern society, people are
stressed and under great pressure. They may not be aware of it, but their
muscles become hard to flex. In medical terms, the gaps between the segments of
our spine are where our nerves and blood vessels pass through. The nerves
coming out of the interior of our spine regulate the workings of our organs. If
our spinal segments are pressed too tightly together, they will put pressure on
our nerves and blood vessels. Problems will arise, as the functions of the
relevant organ become impaired. When the spinal segments are constricted, the
flow of blood will be impeded and cells in the organ will not receive adequate
supplies of oxygen and nutrients. If cells lack sufficient oxygen, they easily
become cancerous. So our posture, movements and breathing have a significant
influence on the course of disease!
If done
correctly, prostration before the Buddha can be a kind of therapy. The exercise
requires that we lower our head gently, so that our chin and breastbone are
just about touching. This action stretches the segments of our upper spine,
facilitating an abundant supply of blood to our brain. When we bow down, we use
our heels for support. We bend at the waist, preferably down to stomach level,
all the while touching our legs. This movement flexes the muscles on both sides
of our spine. It gives a major boost to our internal blood circulation and
nerves.
At the start
of the prostration exercise, our palms are joined together. Just before bowing
down, we separate them, relax and put them on the ground for support. Then we
kneel down. After doing so we turn the soles of our feet skyward, as we sit on
our heels. We bring our upper body downward and touch our forehead to the
ground. Our eyes must remain open at this point.
This
movement can straighten out our spine. To maintain a standing posture, human
beings have to pay a price in the form of backaches. A person usually puts
pressure on her back when she stands, collapsing the spinal segments around her
waist towards her stomach. Those segments are squeezed tightly together,
creating an obstruction.
Through
prostration we can eliminate this obstruction, which is also to eradicate negative
karma. By rectifying the position of the spinal segments and pushing them back
outward towards our back, we relieve the pressure on them. We then bend down
and extend our arms and hands gently to receive the Buddha’s feet, stopping
about a fist’s length beyond our head. We should ensure that our armpits open
outward, a gesture that signifies the opening of our hearts. It also bolsters
the air circulation in our lungs.
As we extend
our hands beyond our head, we turn our palms upward. The motion suggests that
have decided to turn over, or change, our way of thinking as we receive the
light of the Buddha. It means we are ready to make offerings to the Buddha with
all our heart, holding back nothing. At this point, we should envisage our
fingertips as the petals of a lotus – soft, relaxed and completely devoid of
force. With the two lotuses of our hands, we receive the feet of the Buddha.
The movement reminds us that the opening of the lotus is not due to any
external force, but stems from the power of an inner self-awareness. It is the
same with the flower of our heart!
We should
now imagine that the infinitely compassionate Buddha is standing on the lotuses
of our palms, ready to accept our prostration. We are able to encounter the
Buddha face to face – what a joy! At this point, a smile radiates naturally
from our heart. We visualize the pure and compassionate light from the Buddha
entering the top of our head, so that our entire body becomes full of purity
and light. Whatever ails us is like the darkness; when there is light, darkness
disappears. We envisage all sentient beings joining us as we bathe in the light
of the Buddha!
— Excerpted from Master Tao Cheng’s The Caterpillar Becomes a
Butterfly
Turning on a Thought
By Ru Zang
The recent
news about worker suicides in the Shenzhen factories of the Foxconn
Technology Group has refused to die away. For various reasons, the number of
suicides seem to be growing in Hong Kong among different class and age groups
as well. The public has been actively debating the incidents, while the media
have criticized the government and relevant circles, demanding an accounting. As
one incident cools off and things begin to settle down, people look to the next
one, ready to unleash a new round of recriminations. The repeated attempts to
focus on accountability have been no help in actually solving the problem of
suicides.
In the past,
news about suicides focused mainly on the cause and course of each case, as
well as the relevant government departments and their responsibility. After
proposals had been made, the matter would end soon enough. Nowadays the
spotlight is on accountability, which unconsciously places the blame on
society, the government or the organization involved. The person who took his
or her own life is seen as a victim. It is an approach that completely ignores
any part that personal factors might have played the tragedy. It also
encourages some people to think, when faced with adversity, that death can
serve as an accusation and gain for them a measure of justice. Such erroneous
thinking leads them to choose suicide.
Life is a
process of encountering difficulties, facing them and seeking solutions. We
constantly confront new challenges. We meet with success and failure, laughter
and tears. Whether the going is easy or tough, we have no choice but to move
on. When we have done so we find that there has been no failure, for every
setback is a stepping stone for out next success. It is such an experience that
allows us to move steadily forward.
Each time we
face adversity, we can choose where and how we want to go. We have no right to
stop or to back out, however. Some might think: My life is mine, so I have
every right to abandon it, to give up and stop living. But please step back and
reconsider. Life is a continuation of the past, as well as a factor in the
future. All suffering and happiness have their causes, and each decision we
make during the process has its own consequences. In the continuous flow of
life, we alone bear those consequences. Those who see suicide as a solution to
problems may not be aware that the act only postpones the day of reckoning to
the next life. By then, the difficulty will inevitably have become weightier.
What is the
aim of life? Master Yin Chi once drew a simple conclusion: “The purpose of life
is to serve.” The objects of our service should include ourselves; we should
live to serve ourselves as well as others. To live is every person’s right –
and responsibility.
In positive
or negative circumstances, we form associations with others. And we share our
joys and sorrows with them. If we should give up and depart, we not only leave
behind our unresolved problems, we would be adding to others’ difficulties and
sorrow, as well as dumping our burdens on them. That would be extremely
irresponsible behavior.
Buddhists
say that life is impermanent. It is this very impermanence that brings hope.
For there is no unending darkness, just as night gives way to daylight. Life
always contains hope, and the future is in our own hands. At the same time, we
should appreciate those around us and fulfill our responsibilities towards
them. We should resolve the problems of the present and work actively for the
future. May we all have happy lives.
Reaping
What We Sow
The Buddha
had just finished his lunch one day when a merchant came up and asked him for
advice on matters that were troubling him. The Buddha took his visitor into a
quiet room and listened patiently to the man’s woes.
The merchant
spoke for a long time. He was regretful about the past and worried about the
future. Eventually, the Buddha gestured for him to stop and asked him: “Have
you had lunch?” The merchant nodded: “Yes.”
“Have the
cooking and eating utensils been cleaned?” asked the Buddha. “Yes, they have,”
the merchant quickly replied. He impatiently queried the Buddha: “Why are you
asking me about these irrelevant things? Please give me proper answers to my
questions!” But the Buddha only smiled and said: “You have already answered
your own questions.” He then showed his guest out of the room.
A few days
later, the merchant finally figured out what the Buddha was talking about and
came to thank him. Only then did the Buddha say to him, as well as his own
disciples: “A person who constantly frets about the past and regrets what
happened, or worries and fantasizes about what might happen tomorrow – he will
surely turn as dry as tinder!”
The Buddha
tells us that we can only live today – that is, in the present moment. No one
can return to “yesterday” or experience “tomorrow.” That is because “yesterday”
is something that existed and is now out of our reach. “Tomorrow” is what may
exist and is similarly beyond us. So the most important thing is to live today
well, to execute properly the tasks at hand.
Hope
Springs Eternal
By Lau Mei Mui
Like a
raging storm, a recent spate of suicides has alarmed and troubled the community
in Hong Kong.
Life is
unpredictable. When we hit a low point and suffer setbacks, we often feel
devoid of hope and our emotions easily spiral downwards. It is extremely
important that we manage our own sentiments properly when facing adversity. We
must find ways to ease our inner tensions. If we can develop some sense of
security, we will not be so readily influenced by external events. When our
mind is still, it becomes at ease. Peace then follows.
The
management of emotions is rooted in the wisdom we have gained from life. Such
wisdom enables us to face hardship readily and tackle all issues calmly. As
soon as we change our attitude, our experience of reality will immediately be
different. In the end, suffering and joy, success and failure, beauty and
ugliness all depend on the way we think. If we alter our attitude, we can face
hard times with a smile and resolve even the thorniest problems.
A prominent
monk, the late Ven. Sheng Yen of Taiwan, prescribed the
“Four Its” as a remedy for our troubles. The four are “face it, accept it, deal
with it and let go of it.” That is to say, we should not run away even from the
toughest problems, since avoidance doesn’t solve anything. Only when we take up
our responsibility and apply wisdom to our difficulties can we truly free
ourselves from them.
By absorbing
the wisdom of the Buddha’s teachings, we can have a happier, more serene
journey along the path of life. We will come to understand that even the worst
situations will get better, and there is hope even amid even the gloomiest days.
Life, indeed, is pregnant with opportunity.
Smiling Is a Form of Giving
Everyone
encounters setbacks in the course of life. No matter what, we should cultivate
an ability to smile in order to create an atmosphere that makes people happy.
What we should not do is put on a long face. If we learn to smile often, we
will find others responding to the warmth in our hearts.
As a certain
plane was preparing to take off, a passenger asked a cabin attendant for a
glass of water so he could take his medicine. The attendant promised to do so
once the aircraft was cruising steadily.
Long after
the plane had done so, however, the water had still not arrived. So the
passenger pressed the service buzzer once again. As soon as she heard the
buzzer, the flight attendant realized her oversight. She quickly brought the
water to the passenger and said with a smile: “I’m really sorry, sir. Because
of my oversight, you have missed the proper time for your dose of medicine. My
sincere apologies.”
The passenger
did not accept her apology and wished to lodge a complaint. To make up for her
error, the attendant would smile and ask the passenger whether he required
anything whenever it was time to service the cabin. The man simply ignored her.
When the
plane arrived at its destination, the passenger asked the attendant for an
opinion form. She thought he was going to make a complaint against her.
When the
passenger had left, the attendant opened the form. What she saw was this: “All
along, your sincerely apologetic attitude – and the dozen times that you smiled
– touched me deeply. I decided not to complain about you, but to commend you.
The quality of your service is excellent. Given the chance, I will certainly
take your fight again.”
The second
time she smiled, said the passenger, he thought it natural that she should
apologize. He had no other feelings. When she smiled a third time, he found
himself wavering in his intention to lodge a complaint. By the time of her
fourth smile, she had completely forgiven her.
The story
illustrates the power of a smile. It is capable of dissolving many
difficulties. “One never hits a smiling person,” it is said. That’s why we
should learn to smile under all circumstances.
A professor
at the University of Michigan once concluded: “In business, sales and
education, people with a smile on their faces are more effective than those who
have tense expressions. A smile produces higher returns than a frown.”
Such is the
power of a smile. Dear friends, let’s greet life with a smile. Not only will
you feel happier, you will transmit your happiness to others.
— From the internet
By Ven. Yin Chi
QUESTION: After we die, is there really such a thing
as reincarnation? If so, do we come back in human form? Do men remain men, and
women stay women?
ANSWER: When Buddhism refers to
reincarnation, it means to say that sentient beings are reborn after death.
They are reborn into one of the three wholesome realms, or one of the three
unfortunate realms. That’s why we speak of the six realms of rebirth.
The good and
evil deeds we have committed – or karma – are what determine the conditions of
our rebirth. We may be reborn in human or celestial form, according to our
wholesome acts. Unwholesome actions may lead to rebirth as an animal, a hungry
ghost or a being in hell. Beings go from life to death, and from death back to
life. They rise and sink endlessly in the six realms, according to the positive
or negative karma they have accumulated. It is wrong to think that a human
being will forever remain a human being, or that men and women will retain
their respective sexes.
To free
ourselves from the six realms and transcend the cycle of rebirth, we must
practice according to the Buddha’s teachings. If we wish to be reborn in the
wholesome realms, we need to perform good deeds and accumulate merit. Then we
will naturally end up in the human or heavenly realms. If we commit offenses
and harm others, we will suffer rebirth in realms of animals or hungry ghosts.
When the
karmic conditions are ripe, we always reap what we have sown. Therefore where
we will go and what happens to us is always firmly in our own hands.