SECOND DAY: MAY 4, 1993
Master, fellow cultivators, good afternoon. Today is the second day of my discourse on An Overview of the Buddhadharma and I would like to begin with a brief review of what I discussed yesterday.Yesterday I covered the issues of “Faith,” “Impermanence,” and “Comprehension.” Regarding the issue of “Faith,” some people are correctly of the opinion that a “right faith” is superior to a superstitious faith,” and that the latter is preferable to not having any faith at all. People who do not believe in anything face the greatest obstacles in entering the door of Buddhism. After all, a faith that is “superstitious” is still a beginning faith. When one enters the door of the Buddhadharma and gains “comprehension,” one’s “superstitious faith” can gradually transform into the “right faith.” Therefore, regarding the issue of Faith, right faith is superior to superstition while superstition is preferable to total disbelief or indifference. Some people claim that they do not believe in anything but, when you confront them with the fact that there must be at least one thing that they believe in (which is “money”), they will definitely concur with you. Money is still something everyone believes in. After all, truth is invisible but money is visible. People are enamored with the physical, materialistic aspects of the world, and are unaware of the invisible, transcendental aspects of mind and consciousness. Therefore, in practicing the Buddhadharma, the most important key is to have the right faith, the Wisdom Faith.
Regarding “Comprehension,” one must gain access to virtuous and knowledgeable teachers and then listen to their teachings. One has to penetrate deeply into the treasury of sutras. One also must do contemplation. To comprehend is to hear and to contemplate. It is of utmost importance that one arrives at the right kind of comprehension, as any misunderstanding of the Buddhadharma will not lead to any fruition. The Buddhadharma that we are practicing is the holy teachings of the Tathagata (one of the epithets of the Buddha) and it will bring us great benefits when we are able to understand it correctly.
It can be quite troublesome if one misunderstands the Buddhadharma. Many people have only a smattering of knowledge of the Buddhadharma. You have come to hear my discourse because you want to obtain the right Buddhadharma which is the holy teachings of the Tathagata. When you understand this discourse, you will have obtained a very correct view of the Buddhadharma.
Although our school is being attacked by many people on the outside, the fact is they have only been able to attack my clothes, (audience laughter) my car, and my house. They cannot find anything in the True Buddha Dharma to attack. Isn’t this true? There has never been anyone who has found fault with the True Buddha Dharma. No one has dared to claim that there is anything wrong with the True Buddha Dharma. Why? Because the True Buddha Dharma is the Right View! It is the authentic stuff! It only urges one to do practice. It does not ask one to wear this dress, to buy that car, or to do anything else! Outsiders can only aim their targets at the surface. They cannot say anything about the real contents of the True Buddha Dharma because the True Buddha Dharma is the holy teachings of the Tathagata, which has been passed to us from previous lineage holders. When you practice according to the True Buddha Tantric Dharma, you will attain the Right Fruition. So why should you be bothered by what kind of car your guru is driving, what clothing he is wearing, or what kind of rice – short grain rice from Japan or long grain rice from Thailand – he is eating? Why be bothered by what he eats? Those things do not really concern you! After all, you will be well fed when you attain the Dharma Taste! You will attain the Right Fruition! Therefore, when you have the Wisdom Faith, the Rational Faith, the Right Faith, and the Right Comprehension, it will be very easy for you to attain a tacit understanding and know what the Dharma Taste is.
Some people stop practicing because they cannot get along well with other people. This has much to do with the human relationships but nothing to do with the Buddhadharma! There are always disagreements among people! How many people are there who could truly live in harmony with everybody? One should ignore such affairs and not let them interfere with one’s practice of the Buddhadharma. In the past, my guru, the Reverend Liao Ming, told me this, “In one stroke, myriad worlds are shattered.” What does this mean? It means that all the things that have happened in your past, including all the things people have said and done to you, and all your disputes, have to be completely swept away in one stroke. Go, take a nap. When you wake up, let bygones by bygones and start afresh. Renew everything on a fresh basis. A cultivator has to have this kind of boldness of vision. My guru, the Reverend Liao Ming, has sometimes reprimanded me. It made me very uneasy and I would get upset and declare that I would not make any more offering to him. (audience laughter) a few days later, I would mull over his words, “In one stroke, myriad worlds are shattered” and be reminded of his teachings to let bygones be bygones. We remained good friends and continued to have a guru/disciple relationship. He continued to teach me and I continued t learn from him. To forget everything in the past – a cultivator has to have this breadth of spirit! This way one will obtain the wonderful Dharma Taste! Can you forget yesterday? Not just yesterday, but all of the past? Let go of everything and you are instantly the Buddha, the Free and Sovereign Buddha. If you cannot forget, you will be forever bound.
Start right now to understand and believe and give some thought to Impermanence, which I discussed yesterday. Every phenomenon is fundamentally impermanent. My mother is sitting over here. In the past I found her to be very young. (audience laughter) I don’t know if she still sees me as a child. (audience laughter) But my mother is looking like this, actually she is quite still beautiful. (audience laughter) I heard that she still purchases clothing designed for people in their twenties. (audience laughter) This is impermanence! The flight of time is very terrifying. One passes from infancy to childhood, through one’s teens, youth, middle and old age, and then finally one lies down and is gone. This is the procession of life’s changes.
The holy teachings of the Tathagata says: Life is short an one must quickly contemplate impermanence and transcend the world. This is what the Buddha told us in the past. Contemplate on Impermanence and Transcendence and one will very soon be released from bondage and have in hand that which is most valuable. Of course one can go and study for one’s doctorate, but two decades will be wasted in its pursuit (laughter), and then one will want to get married and have children! Much of one’s life is spent pursuing a career, marriage, and raising children. How much time is left for spiritual cultivation? Therefore, the Tathagata teaches us to be mindful of Impermanence and to rise above the world. This is the significance of yesterday’s teachings.
Amituofo
Lotuschef
Pure Karma
True Buddha School
No comments:
Post a Comment