21-10-2011 GM on Hinayana & Mahayana [1]

Original Script : GM, Living Buddha Liansheng

Translated in English : Venerable Lotuschef.

Hinayana & Mahayana [1]
1997-10-29  

Let’s talk about Hinayana & Mahayana. Buddhist student knows that Hinayana is small vehicle whereas Mahayana is large vehicle. Thus the small vehicle can transport less beings or even only self. On the other hand, the large vehicle can transport more or succor more beings.
These 2 yana often conflict with each other.

Hinayana’s like to say that Mahayana student : “Like to give empty promises of succoring many beings? Can’t even Succor self!”

Mahayana’s also like to criticize Hinayana: ”You only care for Self, too selfish, self-settle man, only succor self, don’t care for others.”  

Actually this is what I think, when you cultivate Buddhism, cultivate Hinayana or Mahayana, all depend on Affinity. All matters from my viewpoint, which path sentient beings choose to cultivate all depend on Affinity, cannot force. Can conclude that all have Individual affinity and can’t be force to do otherwise.

Why do I conclude this way? Because I see sentient beings all behave this way. Some sentient beings can’t even cultivate well themselves, so they don’t cultivate Hinayana, what else to cultivate? He has difficulties in cultivation. Thus you ask him to go succor sentient beings, isn’t that uttering garbage? He has no way to succor sentient beings.
Therefore there is affinity for succoring sentient beings, you must possess such affinity to sentient beings for them to listen to you, you can bring them Joy, Honesty and Trust. When they treat you with a respectful heart then you can succor them, you need to have this type of Sentient Beings Affinity.

Therefore cultivating Mahayana must possess Mahayana’s affinity. When he randomly sing a song, the applause from below stage is like Thunder and audiences clapped till palms are red and painful. When you sing very well, and audiences see you out of place, feel uncomfortable from hearing you sing, you don’t have Sentient Beings Affinity. You can only cultivate Hinayana. Both yana depends on affinity.

Cultivating Hinayana, I feel that it is suitable for those with “self-locking” [reclusive] problem because they always lock themselves up. Cultivating this one must have much will power and they go cultivate in the mountains, staying there 40 years or half a life time also won’t return. There are those that do so for a whole lifetime. Whoever invite them, they won’t surface.
　　
[Home in the white clouds], his home is where the white clouds are, he won’t care about sentient’s conflicts? This belongs to Hinayana, he likes it.

Therefore Hinayana do not criticize Mahayana, to each his own and to each his own affinity.
What is Dharma? It main pointer is to break away from Sufferings, life and death, find one’s own Buddha Nature. Breaking up sufferings, one can easily find one’s own Buddha Nature.
　　
Within Dharma there is [No Self], cultivate Hinayana must cultivate [No Self]. Doing so, Sufferings will almost be gone. Add on [No Him]. [No Him] is don’t have sentient beings too.

Since there is No self & No Him, where do sufferings come from? Think carefully, where did sufferings come from? It arises from between Self & Sentient Beings. Today without Self, and also without Sentient Beings, try telling where do Sufferings come from?
Tracing to the source/origin, you will find that Sufferings arises from between [Self] & [Him].  Cultivated to [No Self] , [No Him], you are an Arahat. Very simple, cultivation is just like this.
Of course for Hinayana to cultivate to this stage is quite difficult. But this target is a bit easier to achieve to this level (comparing with Mahayana) of [No Self] , [No Him]. You can admire the world’s scenery and everything is beautiful and good.

Once you attained this level, everything in the sentient realm is very amazing and no more sufferings. Without sufferings the realm will overturn and transform to good & beautiful.
You can tour the world, admire the scenery, any bad matter will transform to good, this is a very high level.　
　　　　
Hinayana is an affinity. Those that suitable to succor sentient beings come cultivate Mahayana and those that are reclusive, cultivate Hinayana.

When you ask the reclusive to come succor sentient beings? That is not possible for they like to lock themselves in their own room daily. This is affinity, some like sentient beings and some don’t.
　　
Looking through the pass cultivators, lineage gurus, some have Reclusive behavior. Upon hearing your words of coming out to succor sentient beings, they would go wash their ears as these words too Dirty.
There is another Recluse drinking water downstream and upon hearing someone from upstream asking them to come out to succor sentient beings, so he washed his ears, drank the water, and immediately went to knock out all his teeth, because he felt even more dirty. Drinking water from downstream, he felt even dirtier. They belong to the reclusive, this is Arahat or self settle man.
Let us stop here today.

Om mani pad me hom.