23-6-2011 The Spirit of Upholding the Precepts

The Aura of Wisdom 

By Living Buddha Sheng-yen Lu
Translated by True Buddha Foundation Translation Team

This was translated from Grandmaster Lu's 154th book, 智慧的光環.

CHAPTER 15 - The Spirit of Upholding the Precepts

Since time immemorial, the spirit of keeping precepts has been emphasized so that people see the importance of observing precepts and the Buddhadharma can be preserved on earth.

When receiving the precepts, the Master would ask his disciple, `Can you tolerate the Ten Acts?`
The disciple replied, `Yes, I can.`

What are these Ten Acts? They are, in fact, rather appalling:
1. Cutting one's flesh to feed the eagles.
2. Giving one's body to feed to a tiger.
3. Cutting off one's head to thank the heavens.
4. Breaking one's bone to extract the marrow.
5. Cutting parts of one's body to light a lamp.
6. Digging out one's eyes to give them to someone.
7. Slicing one's skin to provide material on which to write the sutra.
8. Piercing one's heart to ascertain the extent of one's determination.
9. Setting one's body in flames to offer to the Buddha.
10. Piercing one's body so that one's blood may be sprinkled on the floor.

These Ten Acts are depicted in the Mahayana Bodhisattva Vows to illustrate the spirit of sacrificing oneself.

Of course, I am not asking you to do these things, for these are self-abusive acts which I feel are inappropriate for our times.
Yet, should you be required to keep and uphold the precepts, if you have tolerated acts such as the Ten Acts, you will not easily break any vows.
I mean, you would at least have learned the spirit of the past adepts who could uphold precepts in the strictest manner!

Today, many in the True Buddha School have taken the Bodhisattva Vows, and a number of disciples follow the Monastic Codes.
Yet few could truly uphold and sustain the discipline of keeping precepts.
This is something that makes me feel disappointed.
I could not detect the slightest spirit of discipline in them, and this really hurts!

I say this honestly to you:
One who is well versed with the precepts, strictly abiding in them, is known as a Vinaya Master.
One who practises Zen meditation, and attains Self Realization is known as a Zen Master.
One who is clear about both Sutric and Tantric doctrines, and cultivates and propagates them, is known as a Dharma Master.
When you combine all three roles in one, you become a true Vajra Master.

Amituofo

Lotuschef

TBS

Pure Karma Vihara