Selected Lectures of Dharma Master Fa-Fang
By Dharma Master Fa-FangTranslated by Dharma Master Lok To
Edited by Dr. Frank G. French
We respectfully acknowledge the assistance, support and cooperation of the following advisors, without whom this book could not have been produced: Rev. Dayi Shi, Rev. Chuanbai Shi, Rev. Rubin Shi, Amado Li, Cherry Li, Hoi-Sang Yu, Dr. Wei-Wu Tan, Tsai Ping Chiang, Vera Man, Way Zen, and Freddy S. Hatathlei. They are all to be thanked for editing and clarifying the text, sharpening the translation and preparing the manuscript for publication. Special thanks are extended to Dr. Frank G. French for his immeasurable dedication to and tremendous effort in the editing of this text, to Prof. John Chen for his scholarly insights, and to Kara Chan for taking time out of her very busy schedule to type the text. Also, special thanks are extended to Tony Aromando and Ling Wang for the formatting and graphic design of the book. Their devotion to and concentration on the completion of this project, on a voluntary basis, are highly appreciated.
I have chosen to translate The Selected Lectures of Master Fa-Fang because of his superb treatment of the human condition. The lectures are a way of understanding the nature of our minds through a variety of Bodhisattva practices and Buddhadharma approaches that instruct us how to live a more compassionate and tranquil existence.
The Buddha teaches us that the spiritual and physical realms reside within us as one being. When we live in harmony with the spiritual and the physical world, we can lead more fulfilling lives. Today, however, individuals seem to care more about the material world, and so we tend to neglect our spiritual counterpart. We harbor anxieties, and our lives suffer the ills of a material world that seldom makes sense. We find ourselves looking for answers to and quick solutions for problems that originate from within. The law and the moral code alone cannot be the answer to these ills. Rather, a better relationship between the individual and his or her inner self would be more beneficial. Through the cultivation of the mind, we can come to the realization that everything that the material world offers is fleeting and empty of substance.
I believe that the lectures of Master Fa-Fang teach us to understand our own minds, which, at times, might seem to be as unpredictable as the weather. As he points out, everything that a human being does in this world reflects on his or her life and on the lives of others. The possibility of chaos can ensue at any moment, for our lives can spin out of control and our own selfishness can devastate our humanity. Master Fa-Fang explains that Buddhism is not a magic antidote to an individual's moments of either suffering or happiness but, rather, a way of learning to be compassionate first to ourselves and consequently to others. Through this realization, we can learn to detach ourselves, however gradually, from the ills and attachments of the material world, and, thereby, gain insight and wisdom.
Dharma Master Lok To
Young Men's Buddhist Association of America
May 15, 2001 (Buddhist Year: 2546)
Bronx, New York
A Biographical Introduction to the Author Dharma Master Fa-Fang
By Dharma Master Yin-ShunDharma Master Fa-Fang was born in the Ching Dynasty in the thirtieth year of Emperor Kuang-Hsu (1904 C. E.). He was the son of a farmer, Chin-Ching, of Hobei Province.
When he was young, he went to Beijing to escape a drought, and there he got a chance to study free at the school of Fa-Yuan Temple. He was moved by the kindness of that Buddhist organization, and he became a monk under Dharma Master Nan-Yueh Shih-An in 1921. The following year, he learned that the Buddhist Academy was going to recruit new students in Wuchang, so he went south with some friends. Under the guidance of Grand Master Ta'i-Hsu (1889-1947 C.E.), he studied there for two years. After that, he studied at the Tibetan Language School in Beijing, and then he went to Tibet with some other students. He stopped over in Kangting, the capitol of Sikiang Province, for awhile and studied esoteric Tibetan Buddhism. However, for some unknown reason, he returned to Wuchang, where he studied and practiced by himself for a few years and made steady progress. He mastered the Theory of the Mere Consciousness, the Abhidharma, and the Sastras; and he was highly respected by his contemporaries.
In 1930, he taught at the Buddhist Institute of Pai-Lin Temple in Beijing and also worked as the secretary of the World Buddhist Academy. His teaching and administrative work made him very famous in the Buddhist world. On September 3, 1931, the Grand Master called him back to Wuchang to head the World Buddhist Library, where he founded and edited a monthly publication titled Voice of the Ocean Tide in order to generate new ideas for modern Buddhist organizations and to spread the Buddhadharma. In addition to these responsibilities, the Grand Master asked him to lead the Preparatory and the Graduate Departments of the aforementioned World Buddhist Academy, and he worked there for five years. While staying in Wuchang, he was also invited by some other Buddhist organizations to give lectures; and he always obliged, giving them the Dharma medicine that would benefit them the most. Since the Buddhist Academy in Wuchang was founded by Grand Master T'ai-Hsu as a Sangha education center and since the Voice of the Ocean Tide magazine was its official publication, one can see how important his job was and how vast his responsibilities were during that period of his life.
During the Sino-Japanese War (1937-45), he retreated to Sichuan. Having been invited by Dharma Master Fa-Tseng (d.1980) of the Sino-Tibetan Doctrine Academy, he worked there for the next three years and did an excellent job.
After the Grand Master came back from abroad, he asked the Ministry of Education to send Master Fa-Fang to Ceylon to spread the Mahayana Dharma. On his way to Ceylon, he made a stopover in Burma. However, because of the transportation problem during wartime, he had to stay in Burma for more than one year. In February 1943, he arrived in India and studied at the International University of India. He also had a chance to study Hinayana Buddhism in Ceylon at a later date. Since he had to follow the Hinayana doctrine, he hid his Mahayana background to accord with the local custom and to avoid any trouble. At that time, the Pali Tripitaka Buddhist Academy, which had been established in Xian (Chang-An) in China, started an exchange-student program between China and Ceylon, that was made possible by Master Fa-Fang.
The Grand Master passed away in the spring of 1947, which made Master Fa-Fang very sad; but he was also worried about the Buddhist Academy in Wuchang as well as the Pali Tripitaka Buddhist Academy in Xian, so he stopped his study in Ceylon and returned to China. On his way home, he visited Malaysia and Hong Kong. He gave lectures in many places, where people always welcomed and respected him.
In the summer of 1948, he arrived in Shanghai via Amoy. The first thing he did was to visit the sarira of the Grand Master at Hsueh-Tou Temple in Feng-Hua, Chekiang Province. There, he was elected Abbot of the Temple to succeed the Grand Master and, thus, assumed a position of leadership. Thereafter, he returned to Wuchang to continue the training program left behind by the Grand Master.
In the spring of 1949, he was invited to Changsha to lecture at the Prajna Assembly there and was appointed Abbot of the Ta-Kuei-Shan Temple. Even though the country, at that time, was gripped by war and he could do nothing to help the Sangha or Buddhism, all the Buddhists, Sangha members and lay believers alike respected him nevertheless and trusted his leadership.
Later that year, he went to Hong Kong, spreading the Dharma in five different places; and he also published the Abhidharma, which he had translated. Later, he was invited by the University of Ceylon to teach there. Thus, he went to Ceylon again, and he taught the Mahayana Dharma there for two years. He also lectured in Malaysia and Thailand during his short stays in those places.
Talking about the Grand Master T'ai-Hsu's work-i.e., all his published books-I must give him great credit, for without his effort and constant assistance, we would have had no way to finish the collection within such a short period of time.
When I heard that he had high blood pressure, I did not pay too much attention to it, because I thought he was still quite healthy. Thus, it was completely unexpected when he passed away on October 3, 1951, due to a cerebral hemorrhage, at only 47 years of age.
Alas! The Dharma Master, who understood the English, Japanese and Pali languages, and had an excellent background in Fa-Hsiang (Mere Consciousness) and very broad general knowledge, departed all too soon. He was a wonderful Dharma Master! He spread the Buddhadharma in Southeast Asia for so many years, and established his incomparable reputation day by day. He wanted to translate the complete Hinayana Dharma into Chinese and to revive the Buddhadharma in China to fulfill the Grand Master's wish to glorify Buddhism. Who knows why we, the least blessed of sentient beings, had no chance to see him complete his work? It was such a great loss for us! The king of elephants had just passed away, and his son followed him so quickly! Alas! The Great Vow has not yet been realized. All Buddhists who knew him feel an incalculably great loss and will remember him forever.
A Procedure for Learning and Practicing the Buddhadharma
By Dharma Master Fa-FangThe topic I am speaking about here today is "A Procedure for Learning and Practicing the Buddhadharma." To make clear the meaning of this topic, I shall divide the subject into various sections.
The Dharma is the collection of the teachings of Sakyamuni Buddha (563-483 B. C. E.), which is commonly called Buddhism. Also, it contains the theory of the Buddhadharma. Even though there are different names for it, the meaning is the same, which is the truth of the universe and human life. The Buddhadharma is different from other learning, such as philosophy, science, metaphysics, the teachings of Confucius, and Mohism, etc. All of these are called teachings, and even Buddhism is, also, a kind of teaching similar to other ordinary teachings. However, the Buddhadharma, we can say, is a kind of teaching that seeks to cultivate both the body and the mind as well as a method to show us how to depart from suffering and to arrive at happiness. Thus, it is a teaching different from all the others, and so cannot be labeled, like the others, as merely a teaching. Therefore, to spread the Buddhadharma, we should teach people how to learn and practice the Dharma, and each of us must depend on the Dharma to learn and to practice how to purify one's own body and mind, how to purify one's own thought and how to correct one's own life. We should also teach people to do reasonable things, to get first-hand experience, to use the Buddhadharma in daily life, and to let the Buddhadharma actively work in society. This is the true meaning of spreading the Buddhadharma. Thus, there were many great Dharma masters and patriarchs, who, using the Buddhadharma in their daily lives, enjoyed themselves in their work. Even when doing hard work, such as moving firewood or carrying water, they did not separate their work from the Buddhadharma. This is the truly interesting part about learning the Buddhadharma: The learning itself will free us from the suffering of human life in society and, instead, give us absolute happiness. The most important reason to study and practice the Buddhadharma is to end the continuous turning of the Wheel of Birth-and-Death. All sentient beings in the six states of existence are bound to the Wheel of Life, suffering birth after birth and death after death. If anyone wants to be free from suffering, he or she must learn and practice the Buddhadharma. This, then, is the true purpose of learning and practicing the Buddhadharma.
To be free from the suffering of human life and to end one's own birth and death just to benefit oneself is the view of the sravakas and pratyekabuddhas of Hinayana. However, if one really wants to learn the Bodhisattva doctrine, he or she must take one more step and generate his or her Bodhi mind, cultivate the action of the Bodhisattva, and follow the Way of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
a) The most important procedure for the practice of the Buddhadharma. We must have a reason and a purpose to practice the Buddhadharma, and we should also understand how important it is for us to learn and practice the Buddhadharma. We can ask how we should learn and how we should practice and, thus, come to understand the procedure for learning and practicing the Buddhadharma. If one finds and follows the right Way, it is easy to achieve the maximum benefit with little effort. Take ordinary people's schooling for instance: It follows a strict order and procedure -- namely, primary school, junior high school, high school, college and graduate school. People must follow this order, step by step. Learning the Buddhadharma is no exception to this rule. This is especially true for lay-Buddhist men and women, who must follow the traditional order and procedure to learn the Buddhadharma. First, they should study the Buddhist doctrine, then understand the method of practice, and, finally, avoid going the wrong way.
b) How to practice the Bodhisattva Dharma. The procedures for learning and practicing the Buddhadharma, about which I am speaking, follow the Grand Dharma Master T'ai Hsu's teaching The Practice of the Bodhisattva Dharma, which he wrote to guide and direct all people. He wanted all people to practice the Buddhadharma and become Mahayana Buddhists in order to penetrate and influence society deeply to benefit all sentient beings. He felt that they should not learn the Hinayana, wherein the individual just cares for one's own self and one's own salvation. The teaching of this essay reflects his last words before his death, and the instruction therein is of really primary importance. His purpose was to instruct not only all monks but also all lay Buddhists who wish to follow The Practice of the Bodhisattva Dharma.
The Buddhadharma was translated from Sanskrit to Chinese about two thousand years ago. All translations of the sutras are expressions of the truth of the Buddhadharma, exalt the spirit of the Bodhisattva, and benefit all sentient beings in the world. Therefore, the Grand Master established a method to practice the Mahayana Bodhisattva Dharma. Someone may ask, "Since the Buddhadharma came to China almost two thousand years ago and since there are so many Mahayana sutras, why should all people understand Bodhisattva action and practice the Mahayana Dharma? Why should we again promote The Practice of the Bodhisattva Dharma at this time?" These are important questions and, also, good questions. If we think carefully, we shall realize that, even though the Mahayana Dharma was spread in China for such a long period of time, there were only very few Buddhists who followed the doctrine of Mahayana in practice. Most Buddhists in traditional society only practiced the Dharma for the benefit of themselves alone instead of for the benefit of others. Since they practiced by themselves on high mountains or behind closed doors, they forgot about the great Bodhisattva action and the Mahayana spiritual goal to save the world. Buddhism and society became separated. Buddhists and common people became divided from each other like two places separated by a great river that have no communication with each other. For this reason, the common people lost the chance to accept the Buddhadharma and, thus, misunderstood the truth of the Buddhadharma. Sometimes they fell into error, coming to think that the Dharma was pessimistic and disgusted with the world.
On the other hand, among those Buddhists who left home to become monks, the best were those who practiced Ch'an or recited the name of Amita Buddha to benefit themselves. The worst were those who conducted seances to raise ghosts or conducted ceremonies of repentance. That was like taking the supreme Dharma and trading it for food and clothing. That is why monks were looked down upon and were ridiculed and slandered by people. Sometimes, even the whole Buddhist system was destroyed by the authorities; for if Buddhists did not understand the morality of the community, how could they be allowed to spread the spirit of Mahayana and promote The Practice of the Bodhisattva Dharma? Those Buddhist monks who had left home in this way, as well as lay Buddhists in similar conditions, learned the Buddhadharma; but they only understood how to recite the Buddha's name and go to high mountains to practice for themselves. They did not care about anything whatsoever in the present world, and some of them even abandoned their families. Therefore, the Grand Master wanted to promote The Practice of the Bodhisattva Dharma to set up the Bodhisattva action and the spirit of Mahayana to save the world and to benefit all sentient beings. Some of them, being young, did not want to learn the Buddhadharma and said, "When I grow older, I shall learn the Buddhadharma." Also, they said, "I am waiting for my son and my daughter to get married. As soon as I finish my responsibilities, I shall start to learn the Buddhadharma and to practice."
These are all lame excuses and wrong views! To learn the Buddhadharma there is no fixed time or fixed place. The only thing one must do is to understand the doctrine of the Buddhadharma. If you have right faith, you can learn about the Buddha at any time and practice the Dharma in any place. This does not mean that you have to leave home or separate yourself from society by going to high mountains or by living in deep forests. How, then, can you reasonably say that you will wait until you are older and then learn about the Buddha? The proverb says: "To learn the Tao, one should not wait until one is old, because many graves are filled with persons who died young." Moreover, the principles of the Buddhadharma are so hard to understand that even though we use all our effort to study, they are still difficult for us to comprehend. Thus, if you wait until you become older and then try to learn the Buddhadharma, that is really not right! Everybody should understand that to learn the Buddhadharma one should have no time factor; right faith alone is the most important factor to learn about the Buddha and to practice the Dharma at any time and in any place. It is not necessary to wait or to become older, and it is not necessary to go to high mountains or to deep forests. All of us have the same opportunity, no matter who we are -- scholar, farmer, worker, merchant, male, female, old or young person -- to learn the Buddhadharma. Therefore, in the light of this awareness, the Grand Master told us to promote The Practice of the Bodhisattva Dharma.
II. An Explanation of the Practice of the Bodhisattva Dharma
Now, someone may have a question and might like to ask, "When the Grand Master talked about the practice of the Bodhisattva Dharma, was his purpose the same as or different from that of the Buddha?" I would like to answer that question here and now. In short, their purpose is the same in many ways. Both the essay of the Grand Master and the Buddha's teaching have exactly the same meaning and purpose. He just used his own language to explain, update and make clear and relevant the meaning of the Buddha's teaching to us. Now, let me explain the purpose of the practice of the Bodhisattva Dharma.
a) What is the meaning of Bodhisattva? Many people have misunderstood and misinterpreted the word Bodhisattva. Long ago, when people saw the idols of gods in temples or saw paintings of kings in hell or spirits or ox-headed and horse-faced demons in Hades, they called them Bodhisattvas. They were totally wrong! Before the Buddhadharma came to China, people already had some kind of idolatrous belief in gods and spirits. Most people could not distinguish this kind of idolatry from believing in the Buddha. They sought divine guidance from drawings or consulted fortunetellers in the temple of the city gods. Sometimes they said that they went to the Buddhist temple to worship the gods. When they worshipped Buddha, they asserted that they were also worshipping God. They were not correct! Some of them went to a temple and saw images of Buddhas or Bodhisattvas made of wood, stone, or other materials and thought those images were real; they thought that without images, there existed no Buddha or Bodhisattva. Again, they were incorrect! Then, people gradually came to understand that images made of wood or stone were just symbols of respect for memorials of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Again, they were once more incorrect! Therefore, I would like to explain the meanings of Buddha and Bodhisattva to wipe out all misunderstanding and to reveal the real meanings of Buddha and Bodhisattva.
The word Bodhisattva is Sanskrit. Bodhi means enlightened, and Sattva means person. The meaning, then, of the whole word is enlightened person. Such a one is a person having blessings and wisdom, not some strange monster or some kind of god. So-called Enlightenment, means that one is enlightened to the truth of human beings in the world and about all things in the universe. If one understands the theory of all things clearly and without confusion, then such a being can truly qualify to be a Bodhisattva. The condition of the Bodhisattva is to seek the Tao from the Buddha upward and to convert all sentient beings downward. To seek the Tao of the Buddha is to seek the wisdom to understand the truth thoroughly, and to convert all sentient beings is to plant the blessings fixed by one's own conduct. The former is wisdom and employs the principle of benefiting oneself; the latter is compassion and employs the principle of practice for the benefit of others. With both wisdom and compassion in practice -- i.e., with both theory and practice -- the Bodhisattva will benefit himself and others. This, then, is the most important point about the Tao of the Bodhisattva: If one can sacrifice oneself completely on entering society, save all sentient beings from suffering, and help all people eliminate suffering and attain happiness, then such a one really is a Bodhisattva. Thus, you can readily understand the noble character and manner of a Bodhisattva. If one does not understand what a Bodhisattva really is and, instead, thinks that the gods of the city are Bodhisattvas, he or she is committing a ridiculous error!
b) What is the Bodhisattva practice? In one sense, it is the place where the Bodhisattva practices. Also, you can say that it consists of the subjects, or courses, whereby the Bodhisattva practices the Buddhadharma. Also you can define it as a method -- i.e., the method utilized by the Bodhisattva to practice.
c) What is the Practice of the Bodhisattva Dharma, or what Dharma does the Bodhisattva practice? The first Dharma for the Bodhisattva to practice is the Vinaya. The Buddhist Vinaya is just like the constitution of a country. If all people follow and uphold the law, then they are good citizens. Likewise, if Buddhists can follow and uphold the Vinaya, then they are good Buddhists. Therefore, to say that following and upholding the Vinaya is Bodhisattva practice is correct. The Dharma of Bodhisattva practice, the Dharma of Bhiksu practice, and even the practices of the upasaka, upasika and the remaining classes of disciples have their individual methods. Thus, we should understand that the seven classes of disciples learn the discipline in order to liberate themselves from evil.
The second Dharma for the Bodhisattva to practice is action. Action means conduct, or enterprise, in the career of the Bodhisattva, which includes the six paramitas, the four all-embracing virtues and the four immeasurable minds -- all of which constitute the fields of Bodhisattva practice.
The third aspect of Bodhisattva practice is the five studies that enable him to seek the Dharma. What, then, are these five studies for the Bodhisattva to concentrate on and master? The first is the study of medicine; the second is the study of the arts and mathematics; the third is the study of logic; the fourth is the study of sound; and the fifth is the study of philosophy. The purpose of medical study is to learn the medical sciences, to become a physician and to treat the diseases of people with various medicines. The purpose of studying the arts and mathematics is to learn literature, the fine arts, painting, engineering, etc. This is an expedient method for spreading the Buddhadharma. The purpose of the study of logic is to learn the logic of India, which is like the logic of both China and the Western World; and the Bodhisattva must learn it. The purpose of the study of sound is to learn philology, phonology, etc. Finally the purpose of philosophical study is to learn the Buddhadharma. The first four studies are the knowledge of the worldly sciences, and they are, thus, easier to understand. The last one involves philosophy and the Dharma of Supramundane Practice. The latter will come from insight, whereby one is able to attain Absolute Reality. Thus, all kinds of mundane and supramundane learning can be studied by the Bodhisattva as expedients to save the world. Accordingly, the Buddha has said, "The Bodhisattva should seek Dharma from the five studies." We need to know and to learn the Buddhadharma. The Dharma is not only for the one who leaves home but also for lay Buddhists. All of them can learn the Dharma and learn to be Bodhisattvas.
In the light of the three aforementioned purposes of the practice of the Bodhisattva Dharma, it doesn't matter whether one leaves home or is a lay Buddhist; he or she can still learn the Buddhadharma as well as practice Bodhisattva action. Then, and only then, can the Buddhadharma be established throughout the world for the benefit of every individual human life.
There are five levels of realization in the Buddhadharma, as follows: the human and the heavenly being, the sravaka, the pratyekabuddha, the Bodhisattva and the Buddha. We say that the Buddhadharma in the world is the teaching of all the Buddhas, describes right action for human beings and all other sentient beings, is the basis for a good society, and is the very foundation of the world. Thus, to learn to be a Bodhisattva, you should start by learning to be a human being. After having, established the foundation of human morality, then you can start to learn The Practice of the Bodhisattva Dharma, and the five studies, or sciences, and, thereafter, go out into society to spread the Dharma. If the Buddhadharma is harmonious with society, then the Buddhadharma will influence the world; and, thereafter, the Buddhadharma can be established throughout the world. Actually, the Buddhadharma is already established in the world, but many Buddhists do not have the enthusiastic spirit of the Bodhisattva to spread the Dharma among people to benefit society and to convert people. Thus, there is a division between the Buddhadharma and society, and they are, in effect, separated.
Let's now examine the typical Buddhist of today, the one who leaves home but only takes part in the service for the dead. Most lay Buddhists do not study the Buddhadharma; instead, they only recite Amita Buddha's name and wait for death. This kind of practice makes Buddhism seem gloomy and focused on dying. Actually, however, the message of Buddha's teaching is really for human beings who are now alive; but, at present, it is in danger of becoming a Buddhism for the dead. Therefore, the Grand Master promoted the Buddhadharma in the world, just aimed directly at people's problems, fervently wishing to save the Right Dharma. His purpose was to let people learn the Bodhisattva path and practice the Buddhadharma, as well as to learn how the spirit of the Bodhisattva desires to benefit all human and sentient beings. Furthermore, the Grand Master wanted the Buddhadharma to touch people so that they could actively relate to it. He sincerely wanted all of us to realize that after we get rid of all kinds of gloomy thoughts and helpless actions, the original face and real spiritual power of Buddhism will become manifest.
A Bodhisattva who sacrifices himself or herself, sincerely entering society and bringing blessings for the benefit of all people, corresponds with the purpose of the Buddha. Therefore, I would like to urge all of you to follow carefully the procedures for and the steps of practice.
a) The First Step: Establishing Faith
To establish faith is the first step in learning the Buddhadharma. To learn and to practice the Buddhadharma, we must have faith, and then we can manifest the practice of the Buddhadharma in action. This sequence is what not only Buddhists have to follow but also followers of all other religions, philosophies and other beliefs have to follow: That is, establish faith first and then move to practice; otherwise, there will be no interest in doing anything. Even average people who wish to do something need faith. A person without faith is deficient and will have difficulty accomplishing anything whatsoever. Thus, a common saying asserts, "One who is without faith cannot establish anything." Another proverb says, "The Buddhadharma is like an ocean, and only one who has faith can enter." The Avatamsaka Sutra says, "Faith is the source of the Tao and the mother of merit, which produce all kinds of good roots." If one believes in the Buddhadharma and participates in the larger society and if people come to know he or she is a Buddhist, then the position and personality of that person will be different; and this difference is due to faith. Since this is the case, to show one's faith in Buddhism there should be some kind of ceremony, or ritual, to prove it -- that is, an indication that one has become a real disciple of the Three Precious Ones. In the Buddhist world, this ceremony is called taking the Three Refuges. After taking the Three Refuges, a person becomes a real disciple of Buddha.
The taking of the Three Refuges can be divided into two stages:
1) The ceremony for the taking of the Three Refuges is the first step; that is, one learns the basic, introductory Buddhadharma at the beginning and wishes to approach the profound Dharma. To learn thusly and then to take the Three Refuges from a Dharma master in a formal ceremony enables one to become a real disciple of the Three Precious Ones. Contained in these causes and conditions are two meanings: the first is to raise faith, and the second is to put that faith into practice. Taking refuge means to return to or to rely upon one's final settling place, like a son or a daughter depends on parents or like a student depends on a teacher. That a disciple relies upon the master means that his or her life depends on the final settling place. There, and only there, will one's spirit be settled down and comforted. After taking refuge, we must raise our faith and allow our minds to be quiet, sincere and settled in the faith with no doubt whatsoever. This is just like a child who comes down with a serious illness and needs and depends on his parents to take care of him. Without parents, the child cannot be helped or saved.
After one takes refuge, one will think about how the Three Precious Ones can help and save him or her. What, then, are the Three Refuges? They are as follows:
i) For all this life, I take refuge in the Buddha;The purpose of declaring "For all this life" is to take the Three Refuges for one's whole life and, at the same time, never to take refuge in the heterodox. Everyone must have sincere faith, and take and keep these vows to the very end of his or her life.
ii) For all this life, I take refuge in the Dharma;
iii) For all this life, I take refuge in the Sangha.The first vow is to take refuge in the Buddha. The Buddha, also called Anuttara-Samyak-Sambodhi, is an enlightened person with perfect wisdom, who understands all things in the universe. The Buddha uses his great compassion to save all sentient beings and to convert them equally. All religions in the world also talk about kindness and fraternity, but they do not come near the great compassion of Buddha, because the compassion of the Buddha is not only for human beings but also for all the other kinds of living beings. Furthermore, all people and all other sentient beings have the same Buddha Nature, compassion and wisdom; that is the reason why all sentient beings can, ultimately, become Buddhas. All people's minds are deluded by many different kinds of desires; but if they can purify their own minds, then they can become Buddhas. Therefore, we can say that taking refuge in the Buddha is just like taking refuge in one's own Buddha Nature. This is different from deistic religions, in which one takes refuge in God but cannot become God, or takes refuge in Brahma but cannot become Brahma. These religions, then, are totally different from Buddhism.
The second vow is to take refuge in the Dharma. The Dharma means The Teachings. All the sutras, vinayas and sastras of The Tripitaka constitute the Dharma. Since these writings reflect wisdom and represent the thought of the Buddha, as well as manifesting the truth of the universe, they are called the Dharma. Another meaning of the Dharma could be stated as The Method. The Tripitaka teaches people how to establish and manage themselves, how to get along in the world, and how to separate suffering from daily life and attain happiness. If one can understand this meaning, then he or she understands the meaning of all parts of The Tripitaka. Such a lively awareness can be used to understand human life in our society at present.
The third vow is to take refuge in the Sangha. The Sangha means a community, or an order, of monks or nuns. They uphold the six principles of harmony and respect, and they live in monasteries, observing the lifestyles of monks. Every Buddhist following the Three Refuges takes refuge in the community of the Sangha, in which, there must be at least three or four monks living together. This does not mean to take refuge in a single monk. Many Buddhists hold some kind of wrong view, thinking that one takes the Three Refuges in one master only or only that master is one's own master or that any other monk is not one's master. This view is not correct! Since our minds have too much discrimination, they do not correspond to the doctrine of equality of Buddhism. All lay Buddhists should respect equally all members of the Sangha.
There are many Buddhist countries in the world today, which still observe the traditional rules and where believers live like those in the Buddha's lifetime. They take the Three Refuges differently than those in other countries. In places such as Burma, Ceylon, Thailand, etc., any monk can give the Three Refuges to any lay Buddhist. The ceremony of taking the Three Refuges is very simple and takes only a few minutes. Furthermore, if one wishes to attend another ceremony by another monk, he or she can take refuge again. Therefore, any monk can be a master for any person. In short, taking refuge from any monk, is taking refuge from and in the community of the Sangha. I wish all Buddhists would learn the Buddhadharma and take the Three Refuges in this manner in order to get rid of the wrong idea of having one's own master. Thus, to take the Three Refuges is just taking refuge from and in the community of the Sangha and understanding that all monks will be one's teachers.
The Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha are called the treasures of the Three Precious Ones. Because treasures are valuable and very rare things in the world, we use the word treasures to represent the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. Just think about the Buddha, who has a surpassing personality, perfect wisdom, and who is complete in both compassion and blessings. Isn't he, then, most highly respected by people? The purpose of the Dharma is to teach us about the truth of human life in the universe and to open a bright path for humanity that leads to the kindest and highest culture. Isn't this, then, most valuable? The Sangha is a community of purified people who live by the Vinaya, and such persons represent the Buddhadharma equally as instructors and models of morality. Isn't this most highly honorable? For these reasons, they are called the Three Precious Ones. To take the Three Refuges we need a Dharma Master to officiate. Then, we have to go through a kind of ceremony in order to receive the real and pure merit of the Three Precious Ones and, thereafter, to become real and sincere disciples of the Buddha. After taking the Three Refuges, during the reciting of the sutra or the reciting of the name of Amita Buddha, we again have to recite the Three Refuges. This means that we will never forget the Three Precious Ones.
2) After taking the Three Refuges and the arising of faith, we should practice the doctrine of the Buddhadharma. Only from practice and action can we manifest the Buddhadharma in the world. This is the very work a real and honest disciple of the Three Precious Ones has to do. The Buddhadharma is not only inseparable from the world but also is a part of the world. If one wants to learn the Buddhadharma, he or she does not necessarily have to leave home. The teachings of the Buddha for human beings and the function of the Buddhadharma are established here with us in the world. Therefore, if one wants to learn the Buddhadharma, no matter what background he or she has -- scholar, farmer, worker, merchant, etc. -- one should not change his or her status. Thus, if you are a teacher, you can still teach after learning the Buddhadharma. If you are a merchant, you can still do business after learning the Buddhadharma. There is no obstacle to work after learning the Buddhadharma. However, after one has learned the Buddhadharma, one will surely change the viewpoint of his or her own individual life as well as of his or her social life. Furthermore, even though you were a teacher or a merchant before, you may well change your attitude toward making a living after you learn the Buddhadharma. For example, a merchant makes money to benefit himself; but after he takes the Three Refuges and learns the Buddhadharma, he most likely will change his attitude of benefiting only himself to that of benefiting others or even the whole society. If you are going to teach, you should be responsible and do your best, using your job to benefit both your country and the broader worldwide society. You have to consider your own living to be secondary. If you are a merchant, you must have a standard of morality to benefit others: You should never cheat people. After learning the Buddhadharma, you have to change your viewpoint for the benefit of the whole society. All of us should understand that we are born into this world; and it does not matter where we go to live -- to the mountains, to the forest, to the city -- nothing can separate us completely from our society. Because we depend upon society to supply all the things of our daily life -- clothes, food and all kinds of other necessities -- it is difficult to find peace for ourselves if our society is not calm. Therefore, from now on, we should understand that no one can live completely separated from society. For this reason, we should make some effort for all the other people. After learning the Buddhadharma, we should make much more effort for others. Then, and only then, can we manifest in action the true spirit of having learned the Buddhadharma.
There are two kinds of conduct for action especially recommended for one who seeks to practice the Bodhisattva Dharma: First, one must be willing to do good and help the poor. There really is no fixed definition of the word good. For example, even while parents are teaching their children, they punish them. Such an action may seem cruel and evil, but the purpose is good. Also, the act of killing people in a revolution is very evil, but the idea that it is done to save the country and liberate people is good. In this light, it is difficult and, perhaps, even incorrect to declare an absolute standard for the words good and evil.
Let us now talk about the good from both sides: One side is negative -- that is, to do good for oneself and never to obstruct others. The other side is positive -- that is, not only never to obstruct others but also to create benefit for people and to sacrifice oneself to help others. This, then, is the real meaning of good. How can we realize and perform this kind of good? We can actualize it by making charitable contributions to the poor -- that is, by giving to others with no thought of recompense. It does not matter what one gives: clothes, food, shelter or anything else that people need to live better. In this sense, then, one has to devote one's full energy to support others. This is called real contribution. Another meaning of genuine contribution is to give up things to and for those who depend on us for a living. In addition, to use knowledge as a gift for one who needs it is called Dharma-giving. If, in the giving of either material goods or knowledge, the purpose is to benefit people, that is real contribution.
Second, one must be willing to reduce calamity and create benefit and blessings: In this context, reducing calamity and creating benefit and blessing mean to pray. As far as we know, all religions utilize various methods and ceremonies to reduce or reverse suffering: services for pacifying ghosts in Taoism, the mass in Catholicism, prayer in all Christian sects; and, to reduce or end calamity, an assembly for worship and chanting is held in Buddhism. Since people of all religions fear that something that has not yet happened may happen, they pray to the founders of their religions for help. Calamity comes about due to natural disasters or because of man-made problems. Take war for instance: A few ambitious people start it, even using atomic bombs to destroy other countries. If we want them to understand that war is cruel and evil, then we must appeal to their reason to change their minds. Then, and only then, can calamity be ended. Thus, we can understand that natural disasters and man-made calamities can be avoided by man's power, which is not controlled by any gods or ghosts. People can be saved and obtain blessings by themselves through their own efforts. Such benefits are the effect and retribution that come from the cause of real contribution. Thus, Confucius said, "The household that accumulates enough good deeds will have more than enough blessings." The Grand Master T'ai Hsu, also, said, "To obtain the goodness and the blessings of both human and heavenly beings is to prepare perfect action for the One-Vehicle Bodhisattva." Such is the meaning of obtaining blessings. To end calamity and to obtain blessings are benefits both for oneself as well as benefits for others. These two kinds of practice, then, are the first step in Bodhisattva practice.
After taking the Three Refuges, we should embrace right faith -- that is, a rational faith, not a superstitious or a heterodox faith. At this point, I am going to speak about the topic of faith in two parts the more easily to explain it. First, one should advance his or her faith. One may already have taken the Three Refuges, but his or her faith is not yet fixed. At that time one has to take action to form right faith for the Three Refuges. However, to establish one's faith is not easy, so we must learn the Buddhadharma first, and then come to understand the doctrine, recognize its truth and comprehend the real and pure merit of the Three Precious Ones. Next, we must come to understand the truth of faith clearly -- that is, that this is a reasonable and right faith. After we have established our faith, we will never again regress. If we have followed the right faith in our practice, we will enjoy the reality of the Buddhadharma; and we should not change our faith under any circumstances whatsoever. If one does not have a secure faith, he or she will be easily shaken by circumstances; and one may well change his or her belief day after day. There may be the case of someone who once only half believed in Buddhism because he was affected by some adverse conditions such as a disease or other defilement or saw some Buddhist engage in some incorrect action. Thus, he may hold some antipathy and, thus, reject his faith; or he may lose his Buddhist faith and change his belief to another religion. The reason is that he has never really understood the Doctrine deeply and, also, does not understand that his original conversion was due to his own karma. Thus, he took refuge too easily and so regressed too quickly. However, if you ever see some monk or nun do something wrong, just do what the Buddha taught you to do: "Depend only on the Dharma; do not depend on a person." If you understand that he or she is still a worldling, then you need not let any antipathy arise. If one understands this, then even if some reason to convert to another religion or some evil condition appears to him, his faith will not be shaken. Also, to re-affirm his faith he can take the great vow, as follows:
To the end of time, I take refuge in the Buddha;To the end of time is different from to the end of life, which merely means to take refuge in the Three Precious Ones to the end of this life. On the other hand to the end of time means not only to the end of this life but also to the end of many lives in the future -- that is, one vows to take refuge always in the Three Precious Ones. This is possible and reasonable because the Buddhist believes that life continues forever, life after life, without termination. This is the opposite of the belief of ordinary people, who think that life after a person dies is totally and finally ended. For them, there is nothing whatsoever that continues. This is because they do not understand the theory of the six paths of life. Thus, we should understand that the life cycle of birth-and-death in the Three Realms continues ceaselessly. Even though we escape from the Three Realms after attaining Buddhahood, the Dharmakaya (Dharma Body) and wisdom will still not be terminated. Therefore, we say, "To the end of time, we take refuge in the Three Precious Ones."
To the end of time, I take refuge in the Dharma;
To the end of time, I take refuge in the Sangha.Speaking of the Three Precious Ones previously, we saw that the Buddha is the Enlightened One, that the Dharma is the Tripitaka, and that the Sangha is the assembly of monks in a monastery -- all of which you can see because of their appearances. However, now I am talking to you about taking the refuge of Right Faith, which means to take one more step ahead, to take refuge in the Three Precious Ones for the sake of the fundamental principles of one's own nature. The absolute nature of everybody is inherent; therefore, to take refuge in the Buddha means to take refuge in one's own nature -- that is, to believe that one's own nature is the Buddha. To take refuge in the Fundamental Principle is to take refuge in the nature and equality of the Dharma. To take refuge in the Sangha is just to take the refuge in the six principles of harmony of the Sangha and to understand oneself to be a part of the Sangha. If one wants to live alone, he or she must be separate from the Sangha. However, if one lives in the Sangha, then he or she should follow the rules laid down in the Vinaya, taking the vow to uphold the fundamental principles of living together in harmony.
The second condition is to establish right understanding and right view. This means that we must have reasonable, or right, thought; otherwise, we have only heterodox views and wrong thoughts. Therefore, the condition of right view should tally with the fundamental principles and correspond with right action. In other words, to tally with the fundamental principles is to accord with Buddhist philosophy; and to correspond with right action is to accord with science. Then, and only then, can we say that our understanding is logical and not against the Buddhist philosophy. Also, when what we think and hold tallies with logic, that is right view. In the Buddhist world, then, such is the nature of what are called right understanding and right view.
There are four different conditions that lead to right understanding and right view. The first condition is to break away from and end delusion and to destroy unreasonable superstitions in order to get rid of all kinds of wrong views. Let me give you a few examples of wrong views: believing in the Buddha but thinking of him as a god; believing in gods or believing in ghosts; believing in ghosts and seeking divine guidance by drawing lots; and seeking guidance from divination. All of these are wrong views. Also, if one is sick, he or she should go to the doctor or take some medicine. However, if he or she goes to seek out some demon, ox-head ghost or serpent spirit, that is not what we should do in modern society; and this is not right thought. No Buddhist with right understanding and right view would ever hold this kind of thought.
The second condition is to establish faith. We should have correct and right faith to realize truth and to correspond to the reality of modern society. This only is right thought; otherwise what we have is superstition. Only after eliminating superstition can we produce right faith. The yardstick by which we measure correct thought versus superstition is whether the thought under consideration depends on the Dharma or on an individual person. The Dharma is the Absolute Principle. If one uses this measurement for his thought and action, no matter whether he is a monk or not, he is right and tallies with the Principle. We should respect such a person; but if he doesn't tally with the Principle, we cannot believe him.
The third condition is to respect the Right Doctrine and honor all the principles of the Buddhadharma. Any doctrine that goes against the right Principle and right action is heterodox. There are very many different organizations that have stolen Buddhist terms to publicize their own ideas, which give people the wrong impression. That, however, is not real Buddhadharma! We should recognize this clearly and not be fooled into going the wrong way.
The fourth condition is to remove delusion and to get rid of all kinds of unreasonable thought about the Buddhadharma. All Buddhist disciples who understand the Right Dharma should think about a method to eliminate wrong views or try, at least, to correct them. There are many people who have misunderstood the Buddhadharma. Novels, or even textbooks, have often given incorrect explanations about the Buddhadharma. Even some well-educated news reporters have published their reports with worldly views of the Buddhadharma. Again, the standard for removing delusion is "to rely only on the Dharma, or truth, and not to rely on the false interpretation of people." Simply and directly, the truth means Right Doctrine, while the false means incorrect doctrine. Let's root out all incorrect doctrine now, and respect the correct Right Doctrine always!
b) The Second Step: Performing the Right Action of the Bodhisattva
The Bodhisattva is an enlightened person who carefully employs correct thought and action at all times, as I have mentioned heretofore. Thus, if one has already learned the Buddhadharma, one should compare his or her standard of thought and action to that of the Bodhisattva and make corrections, as necessary, in one's own thought and action. If we want to be good people, we must fulfill some fundamental conditions. If one does not fulfill such fundamental conditions of humanity, then how can he or she become a teacher for other people or a Bodhisattva or a Buddha? One ancient sage has said, "A man should become a perfect man." Thus, if one who wants to learn Buddhism, he must have fundamental morality. Average people have many common faults because many of them do not understand the Buddhadharma deeply. After having learned the Dharma, they aim high but care nothing about the fundamentals. They admire themselves, but they have not started strongly from fundamental morality. They just want to be Buddhas or Bodhisattvas. Finally, however, not only can they not learn to be Buddhas or Bodhisattvas but they also even lose what little fundamental morality they might have had. If such people want to learn Buddhism, they cannot derive any benefit from it. Therefore, the Grand Master advised that if we wish to learn the Buddhadharma, we should start learning to be good people by focusing on the moral problems of our time. The doctrine of Confucius focused on the principles of human relationships, kindness and morality. Christianity and Islam also teach people to become good. All religions and saints had and have the very same idea -- to teach their followers to be good. The Grand Master said, "The perfection of a man is the perfection of the Buddha." This means that if one has a perfect personality and morality, then he is a perfect Buddha because the Buddha is a perfect and complete personality; and he is a fully enlightened one. Therefore, if a person has a personality complete with wisdom and morality, then he is a Buddha.
In Buddhism, there are five fundamental commandments of morality as follows: Do not kill; Do not steal; Do not commit adultery; Do not lie; Do not consume any intoxicants.
The first moral commandment forbids killing. This simply and directly means that you should not kill any life whatsoever, including people, animals, insects, etc. One Chinese proverb says, "The great morality of heaven is life." Another proverb says, "Do not do to others what you don't want to be done to you." Confucius said, "Do not harm the law of heaven"; and Buddhism says, "Do no harm. Be compassionate." Thus, the first and most fundamental commandment of morality requires us to observe the discipline of not killing any living being.
The second moral commandment forbids stealing. This simply and directly means that anything which does not belong to you, you cannot take without permission.
The third moral commandment forbids adultery. This simply and directly means that only a married couple should engage in sexual intercourse. This commandment also forbids having sexual relations with another's wife or daughters.
The fourth moral commandment forbids lying. This simply and directly means that you are not allowed to lie or to engage in reckless talk. Those who speak falsely or utter untruths knowingly are lying. Sometimes, however, certain Buddhists are allowed to use expedient words to benefit both themselves and others. Otherwise, lying or gossiping to benefit oneself or to have a hidden purpose in what is said goes against morality.
The fifth moral commandment is to refrain from consuming all intoxicants. Most people wonder why, since wine is made from rice, it is not allowed to be drunk. The answer is simply that because wine is an intoxicant, it confuses people and causes them to lose their natural self-control, thus destroying their good roots. If you have done many good deeds and gained much merit in the past but now become intoxicated by wine, then you will, most likely, do something evil and destroy all your merit. For this reason, you should refrain from consuming any intoxicants whatsoever.
These five precepts, or fundamental moral commandments, forbidding the first four actions -- killing, stealing, adultery and lying -- are called the natural moral law, and any violations of it are very serious and grave. If you violate any of these precepts at any time or in any place, you will be committing a sin. These acts are prohibited not only in the Buddhist religion but also in all other religions throughout the world. The fifth moral commandment -- forbidding the consumption of intoxicants -- is a secondary prohibition. Because intoxicants can cause people to do evil things, we should, therefore, prohibit them. For the prohibition of drinking wine, we have a text in the Vinaya, but there is no text in the Vinaya prohibiting the smoking of cigarettes. Then should we stop smoking or not? I am talking about the drinking of wine as a secondary prohibition, but the purest Buddhist discipline should not indulge in any sort of intoxicant, even though many worldly Buddhists have always done so. However, using intoxicants creates no benefit for oneself and also causes people to slander or defame others in society. For this reason, the Buddha instituted many different secondary disciplines, which caution that all things or habits that are not good for the body and mind should be discontinued. According to this idea, for example, we know that if smoking is no good for one's own body and mind, it might also cause people to slander and degrade society. For this reason alone, everybody should stop smoking. Because it is a secondary disciplinary rule, the Buddha allowed the Sangha to set up such a regulation at any time and in any place. Smoking, as such, is not really such a big problem. However, if anyone consumes opium or other addictive drugs, it must be absolutely prohibited because such practice harms not only oneself but also degrades society. Thus, a secondary disciplinary rule can be set up at any time and in any place. Moreover, all kinds of bad habits should be stopped.
I have said previously that the primary and fundamental condition required to be a human being is to give emphasis to and live by the rules of morality. Now, however, I am going to talk about the secondary fundamental conditions -- that is, place some emphasis on action and, also, on the rules of mentality. There are ten good karmic actions, as follows: 1) not killing; 2) not stealing; 3) not committing adultery; 4) not lying; 5) not using double-tongue, or equivocation; 6) not speaking with an evil mouth; 7) not engaging in sexual talk leading to unethical actions; 8) not desiring; 9) not being angry; 10) not being ignorant or stupid. These good karmic actions create good thoughts for correct mentality. The commandments against killing, stealing, adultery and lying are the primary moral disciplines, which we have already talked about. The fifth good karmic action, not using double-tongue, or equivocation, means not talking strategically, but deceptively, from two sides -- that is telling A, that B is bad and telling B that A is no good. This is the so-called two-headed snake. It is not morally right! The sixth good karmic action is not speaking with an evil mouth, or an abusive tongue, by swearing at others. The seventh good karmic action is not engaging in sexual talk -- that is, not uttering bad or dirty words, not using ironic and ambiguous statements and avoiding nonsensical prattle. All such practice should stop! The eighth good karmic action is not having desire -- that is, to get rid of all kinds of desire by changing selfish thoughts and acts into benefit for others. The ninth good karmic action, not being angry, means trying to stop angry thought. Ancient wisdom says, "Once the fire of anger arises, one burns one's own heart; and before one hurts others, one hurts first oneself." Then, how can we not care? The tenth good karmic action is not to be ignorant. Ignorance is the other side of wisdom, and without wisdom there is merely stupidity. Thus, if one does not want to remain stupid and ignorant, one must cultivate and maintain wisdom. You should always understand these good karmic precepts and actions clearly. Also, if one can hold and follow these ten kinds of discipline, he or she creates a good foundation for morality. However, one cannot ever practice the ten good virtues if one insists on embracing the actions of the ten evils. And why not? Just because he will lose fundamental morality. Then he will become a bad person with no virtue and no respectability.
c) The Third Step: Embracing the Eight Prohibitory Precepts
We have just talked about and explained the five fundamental precepts and ten good karmic virtues. All of them together constitute the fundamental conditions of personality. Having understood this, then we can say we have learned some Buddhism and, also, about Bodhisattva practice. Now, let me talk about the eight prohibitory precepts for lay Buddhists, which they can practice at home just like those who have left home practice them in monasteries and temples. With the eight prohibitory precepts, devoted Buddhists can live a calm and pure life without leaving home. That is to say that even though the body remains at home, both the body and mind have already left home. The practice of the eight prohibitory precepts means to close the door to all evil ways and to allow only good thoughts to arise as quickly as possible. The eight precepts are also known as being near the Buddha, which means that if one takes these precepts, he or she is very near the monk's position. And just what are the eight prohibitory precepts? The first five are the same as the five fundamental moral precepts. However, the second prohibitory precept, regarding adultery, is a little different than the no-adultery prohibition in the five fundamental precepts, which states that a man cannot commit adultery with another's wife or daughter and that a woman cannot commit adultery with another's husband, but permits the normal sexual relations between a husband and a wife. However, when they practice the eight prohibitory precepts, the married couple cannot even live together. They have to practice sexual abstinence, or purity. The sixth prohibitory precept forbids indulgence in cosmetics, personal adornment, dancing, and music. The purpose of this precept is to reduce one's desires in order to allow the mind to become concentrated, not letting it drift aimlessly along with no fixed abode. The seventh prohibitory precept does not allow sleeping on fine and luxurious beds and bedding but only the use of a mat on the floor. Finally, the eighth prohibitory precept does not allow one to eat outside of the regular hour -- namely, the hours after noon. If a practiser eats after the noon hour, or midday, it is known as eating outside of regular hours. There are a few good reasons to have this prohibition. First, the Buddha and the devas eat at noonday, and the hungry ghosts eat in the afternoon. When the hungry ghosts see food, they feel starvation, like fire, gripping and burning their throats. Therefore, if a Buddhist eats in the afternoon, he or she is not only not observing compassion but is also, indeed, violating it. Second, India is a tropical country, so if anyone takes too much food in the afternoon, that is not good for one's health. Third, if too much food is taken in the afternoon, it is not good for meditation. Fourth, it is better for bhiksus to collect food in the morning hours. Begging for food during the afternoon hours most likely will give people more bother and inconvenience. For these reasons, then, one practicing the eight prohibitory precepts also cannot eat during the afternoon hours. If one practices these eight prohibitory precepts, he or she should do so during the six monthly posadha, or fast, days -- namely, the 8th, 14th, 15th, 23rd, 29th and 30th of every month. The important things should be taken care of. It doesn't matter whether we practice for one or two days, we should hold to the precepts for at least one day and one night, exactly as they are stated. Only if we absolutely hold to these precepts can we be called pure and clean.
d) The Fourth Step: The Bodhisattva Takes Action for the Benefit of All Others
The fundamentals of morality for all people, which we have talked about previously, involve practicing the five fundamental precepts and learning the ten good karma-producing virtues to benefit oneself. These involve one's own method of self-cultivation that allows one to become a good person and a perfect man or woman. The fourth step, then, in Bodhisattva practice is that the Bodhisattva takes action for the benefit all of other sentient beings. After you learn to become a good man or woman, then you can take even more steps and learn to become a Bodhisattva. The zealous man or woman can move even faster and further ahead to become a Bodhisattva to benefit all other sentient beings. If this is the case, then one simultaneously benefits oneself by benefiting all others.
First, however, he must generate the correct mind; that is, he must generate the Bodhisattva Mind and the spirit of Mahayana for the benefit of the whole world. In other words, this is to take the Great Vow, which includes great wisdom, supreme Bodhi and universal compassion to save all sentient beings. To seek the Bodhi upward means that one can complete the journey to Buddhahood, which, in turn, benefits and converts the society downward. We have to take the Great Vow, which reaches far and broadly: " If the world is in disorder, I shall make a vow to improve it; if all human beings are suffering deprivation and hardship, I shall take a vow to save all of them. My vow is fixed and inexhaustible. If I cannot finish my work in this life, I will continue it in my next life." If one can do this, then he is really and truly generating the Bodhisattva Mind.
Second, he must generate action. After generating the Bodhi Mind, the next step is to generate Bodhisattva action. Even if we have vowed but have never taken action, the vow is false. Therefore, if we want to complete the vow, we must begin to perform the action. Bodhisattva action can be divided into two kinds. One is fundamental action, and the other is great, broad action. What is fundamental action? It involves the following: 1) Do not do anything to hurt sentient beings; 2) Do not praise yourself and slander others, and do not boast about yourself and, thus, get trouble from others; 3) Don't be stingy with your property or the Dharma -- that is, give up your belongings to benefit others. Also, If you understand the Buddhadharma by yourself, you should teach others to benefit from your knowledge; 4) Never establish a similar, or alternate, Buddhadharma that is seemingly correct but really is incorrect like the doctrine of the White Lotus Society, an outlawed, quasi-religious secret society in China (circa 14th-17th Centuries). Also, do not be like those who use the Buddhist sutras to spread belief in gods, to read palms, to tell fortunes, etc. None of them are Buddhists! These four kinds of action, then, are the primary disciplines of the Bodhisattva. A real Buddhist must hold to them strictly! Finally, if one is committed to merely a part of them, then the Bodhisattva action will remain incomplete.
Great and broad action is the great work of Bodhisattvas which benefits all sentient beings. On the other hand, even the tiniest thing which does not benefit all sentient beings the Bodhisattva does not give one iota of attention to. We should understand right from the start that the vows and actions of Bodhisattvas are great and boundless.
There are six paramitas and four all-embracing virtues that characterize Bodhisattva action. If one learns the Bodhisattva action and practices the six paramitas, he can cross the ocean of birth and death and reach the other shore of holiness. Otherwise, he will remain floundering in the ocean of birth and death forever. What are the six paramitas?
The first paramita regards alms giving, which means to give goods, Doctrine or fearlessness to others. To give property to others is called a contribution. To use one's own knowledge in the world to teach others, even using the Buddhadharma to convert all people, is called giving the Dharma; and if someone's life or freedom is threatened by others, the Bodhisattva should think of how to help, how to remove his intimidation and how to save his life. This is called giving fearlessness. Actually, both giving property to others and sacrificing one's own self for the benefit of others could be called contribution.
The second paramita regards holding the discipline. Discipline, here, means to cease to do evil and to do only good. Thus, one must not only cease to do evil but also make every effort to do good. There are three kinds of discipline, which are called the three cumulative disciplines: the first is the most formal of all the disciplines and must be strictly upheld, according with the Vinaya; the second is to do whatever works for goodness; the third is to do whatever works for the welfare or salvation of all living, sentient beings.
The third paramita regards patience, especially to bear insult and distress without resentment, to generate the Bodhi Mind and to practice Bodhisattva action. Patience, here, means to hold on to one's determination and to put into practice the doing of good. Whenever adverse circumstances strike, one can bear them and will never regress no matter what the problem is. Therefore, if one can really practice and hold patience, that in itself is strong wisdom. Great patience depends on the understanding of all things, which are produced by causation and which have no self-nature. If we make use of great compassion, then the Great Vow can be accomplished.
The fourth paramita regards progress, which means devoting oneself to improvement and never to regress. Thus, both the little effort involved in raising a hand and the great effort involved in the big responsibility of governing a country should be put forth without even the tiniest hint of selfishness. Thus, one must always dedicate oneself to progress, ridding himself of every kind of evil thing. In the same manner, one must practice the other five paramitas and never stop, unflinchingly forging ahead despite repeated setbacks. This, then, is the action of the Bodhisattva.
The fifth paramita regards dhyana, which means meditation or concentration; and it could involve reaching to that ultimate state beyond emotion or thinking. One who learns the way of the Bodhisattva should concentrate on his or her own mind and stop disordered thought. This is the meaning of the saying "Concentration on one's own mind brings success." With this goal in mind, one should practice Ting, which means not only to sit crosslegged with closed eyes in a quiet place but also to cultivate and purify one's own mind. The result of the practice of Ch'an Ting is wisdom. Ch'an Ting and wisdom are both concentrated in one area, which can produce great power and great functions. Thus, the power of Ch'an Ting can destroy all the defilements of birth and death, which is the key point of the practice.
The sixth paramita regards prajna, or the acme of wisdom. However, all worldly learning and knowledge are also called wisdom. From the Buddhist point of view, most worldly wisdom is related to knowledge, and from this knowledge the theories that are called the truth arise. This is a generally accepted argument. At this point in history, the knowledge of western science and philosophy is highly developed, and their theories of truth are promoted by them, no matter whether they promote idealism or materialism; also, all of them change quite often. Earlier theories of truth are stultified by later ones, and they are, in turn, stultified by what comes later. Thus, they seem to be clarifying the truth of the universe and human life without a definite standard. However, the wisdom of the Buddhadharma is not like that worldly wisdom, because its wisdom is produced by Ch'an Ting (meditation or concentration on one-mind), which produces thorough and complete understanding. The truth of the universe and human life is permanent. It never changes, applies thoroughly and completely to all things in the world, and is the essence of all action, enterprise, and creativity in the world. Moreover, it is never wrong nor does it ever move erroneously. To understand this and to practice Ch'an Ting enable one to gain right wisdom, or moral wisdom. In Buddhism, there are three ways of attaining moral wisdom: the first one is by reading and hearing instructions; the second one is through reflection; and the third one is from the practice of meditation. The first step is to seek knowledge, learn the Dharma, and then, after thinking carefully and clearly, to practice.
There are three kinds of wisdom: that gained from hearing, that gained from reflection and that gained from practice. Among these three, reflective wisdom is the reward of Ch'an Ting meditation. Thus, Ch'an Ting should not be likened to a withered old tree or to the cold ashes of a dead fire. To seek without thought means to concentrate on one area and to let that area and wisdom merge, becoming one. Then, at that moment, absolute wisdom, which is also called original wisdom, appears. That wisdom which focuses on things like the conversion and salvation of all sentient beings is called differentiating wisdom as well as specific wisdom. However, original wisdom is the recognition that all things and all sentient beings are produced by casual conditions and are without self-nature. Also, it is the awareness that all things in the universe only change their forms but never change their nature.
On the other hand, discriminating knowledge, after recognizing the original Doctrine, produces the wisdom that can distinguish among people with all kinds of roots with their desires and different potentialities. According to their diseases, one then administers to them the appropriate medicine of the Dharma. Original wisdom is also called wisdom as Suchness, wherein the theory attained is the truth; in effect, they are one. Discriminating knowledge is also called wisdom as ability, which attains the truth but does not ignore the functions. If one can understand and arrive at this state, then we can say that the effort to seek wisdom and truth has been completely and successfully accomplished.
What are the four all-embracing virtues? The first all-embracing virtue is giving others what they like. If they come to seek property, give property to them. If they come to seek knowledge, give the Buddhadharma to them. Thus, if a Bodhisattva is intimate with sentient beings, it is easy to convert them. The second all-embracing virtue is loving speech. According to the different characters of sentient beings, if you use kind and comforting words, it is easier to let them be happy and, thence, guide them to learn the Buddhadharma enthusiastically. The third all-embracing virtue is drawing all beings to Buddhism by blessing them in both word and deed. Thus, the words and will, the body and mind of the Bodhisattva should serve no other purpose than to benefit others. Then, such action can be used to produce the strong effort required to encourage people to come to the Buddhadharma Way naturally. The fourth all-embracing virtue is working together with others. If a Bodhisattva converts sentient beings, he should go into society and deal with all classes of people and establish harmony with them. In summary, then, these four all-embracing virtues are the expedient Dharma by which the Bodhisattva can convert all sentient beings.
In other words, the six paramitas and the four all-embracing virtues contain the blessings and wisdom for Bodhisattva practice. However, you must be careful during the practice of each paramita and each all-embracing virtue, for you should neither discriminate nor grasp. For example, to practice giving, you should not use the discriminating mind; and you should not grasp, but give to all equally. The Diamond Sutra says: "Give alms without attachment." The meaning of this is "to develop a mind which does not abide in anything." Because the mind of giving does not abide and is without attachment, then the blessings and wisdom of the giver are unlimited. Otherwise, it is just like one has to do a good thing and grasps his merit. If he always thinks about what is gone or lost, then, even if he has some merit, it is really very little. On the other hand, if one has great tolerance, his blessings are also great; and if one has a great capacity for giving, his blessings are, likewise, also great.
Regarding such capacity for giving, however, all Buddhists must be careful! Once, in India in ancient times, King Prasenajit, was making a great offering to the Buddha and Sangha, thinking that he was gaining great merit for himself. However, the Buddha said that his merit was no better than that of a poor beggar woman who used a small sum of money to buy a little oil to light a lamp as an offering to the Buddha. Also, Emperor Wu of the Liang Dynasty in China (464 - 549 C. E.), who built many temples for and made many great offerings to numerous Sanghas, thought that he had gained great merit. However, Patriarch Bodhidharma (d.532 C.E.) said, "There is no merit whatsoever!" Just understand that merit comes from nature, not from form. Thus, if one thinks that he has completely attained pure wisdom but has, in reality, merely used his limited mind to conceive and grasp his own merit, such merit will be just like his thinking -- that is, the merit of form, not the merit of nature, which, alone, is great and immeasurable merit. He is, in effect, one who can never attain unlimited merit, even in his wildest dreams.
The Grand Master spread the Buddhadharma throughout his life. The central point was and is to establish the Buddhism of human life -- that is, to comprehend intuitive views of the Buddha, to practice the Buddhadharma, and to understand the reality of the Buddhadharma as being useful in the reality of social life. To encourage people to understand the authentic meaning of the Buddhadharma and the spirit of the Bodhisattva is the real practice and enjoyment of the truth of the Buddhadharma. This important method of spreading the Dharma starts from and has its root in The Practice of the Bodhisattva Dharma. Only by using this method can one learn the Buddhadharma and generate the Bodhi Mind. To learn the action of the Bodhisattva in order to manifest the spirit of the Bodhisattva is to benefit all people in the world and is to understand, as well, that all the Buddhadharma is useful for the reality of human life in society. Then and only then can the Buddhism of human life be established in the world and all vulgar views and forms of Buddhism be eradicated. The Grand Master, then, who promotes The Practice of the Bodhisattva Dharma, has given a number of procedures whereby lay Buddhists can learn the Buddhadharma. If all Buddhists and all their friends follow this method to learn and practice, we definitely could establish the Buddhism in the world. I sincerely advise all Buddhists and all their friends that, since the fundamental work for establishing Buddhism in the world starts in their own families, they should teach their own children to do good and cease to do evil. Following these procedures for learning and practice, then, the Buddhism of human life most certainly can be established in the world.
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Buddhism and Human Life
By Dharma Master Fa-Fang
Buddhism: This word, for some scholars, can be illustrated by comparing it with Confucianism and Taoism in China, especially during the Sung and Ming Dynasties. Usually, they define Buddhism as referring to the clan of Buddha or the clan of Sakya, but that is just the viewpoint of the Ch'an Sect. Actually, however, Buddhism merely refers to the Buddhist teachings. Much of the time, people confuse Buddhism with Confucianism, which implies a deeply biased, prejudiced view.
Buddhism also refers to the schools, or systems, of belief. There are many schools of Buddhism. To put it briefly, there are, broadly, the Hinayana and the Mahayana schools. The Hinayana has twenty different sects in India, while the Mahayana has eight great sects in China. These eight sects have spread broadly and have great popularity in China; and, right up to the present, they are still being developed and expounded. Thus, the history of Buddhism in China goes back about two thousand years.
Buddhism, as an intellectual doctrine, includes the teachings of the Buddha and Sangha, the disciplinary system of the Vinyana, and the Tripitaka with its twelve divisions of the Mahayana canon. Even sculptures, paintings, and the way to build pagodas and temples -- all of them can be called Buddhism because they are all symbols of Buddhism. From those people and those things, we can recognize that the Buddhism is a kind of faith as well as the study of and research into the doctrine of the Buddhadharma. Those persons and things that represent Buddhism in its formal, or imagistic, period can be called the teachers because without them there may well have been no Buddhism. Moreover, in some Asian countries -- Afghanistan, Malaysia, Java, etc. -- traditional formal images and symbols of Buddhism have almost all vanished. Furthermore, in a few hundred years, the images and symbols of Buddhism in China will almost all be destroyed if we do not protect, preserve and maintain them well.
The Buddhadharma, which was introduced by the Buddha, explains what the truth is. It was also introduced in the form of the Tripitaka by many disciples of the Buddha and Buddhist students during many later dynasties. Ordinarily people do not clearly recognize or comprehend what Buddhism really is. They see only the temples, pagodas, statues, monks and nuns, and they think those things are Buddhism. Many of them recite the sutras, worship the Buddha, and try to save souls from suffering in the next world, even burning paper money for the dead. If that is Buddhism, why, then, do we have doctrines to learn and practice? Many even think that the doctrines of Buddhism are good, but too profound, too difficult to understand. They feel powerless and frustrated about studying. Actually, however, they have misunderstood the situation. People should realize that the Buddhadharma, which truly is lofty, deep, subtle and hard to comprehend, is really useful for present; for the Buddhadharma never separates itself from human life in the world.
Buddhism has existed in China for about two thousand years, but many people just consider it to be some kind of philosophy that came from India. They do not think that it is a perfect and useful religion, nor do they consider that the Buddhadharma is a good method for human beings to understand and reduce their suffering in the world. However, since they cannot generate any faith to promote and practice it, their study of the Buddhadharma merely increases their knowledge. Therefore, they can neither comprehend the profound theory of the Buddhadharma nor the deep faith and understanding of enlightened people in the world.
Buddhism is a religion and, more specifically, a wisdom religion designed to prompt and promote mental development, open the door of wisdom for people, and solve the problems of human life. Thus, Buddhism is not separate from human beings. The Old Master said, "Buddhism is not only inseparable from the world but also from the awareness of the world; thus, to seek Bodhi outside the world is as futile as seeking a horned hare." Therefore, it follows that to try to seek or spread the Dharma outside of the human realm is not only really useless, but it is also not real Buddhadharma.
What is human life? While there are many different answers and explanations, I am assuming that there are three definitions, as follows: The first is the life of human beings; the second is the life of human living; the third is the life of the cycle of the birth-and-death of human beings. If we have life, then we shall have living; if we have living, then we shall have the cycle of birth-and-death. Therefore, the three -- life, living and birth-and-death -- are one substance. Life is the continuation of human beings. Living is existing in the activity of life. Therefore, since we wish human life to continue, we must then seek something to support living, which is the condition of living in the present: clothing, food, shelter and various activities. The Ancient Master said, "Food and sex are the two fundamental elements of human nature." Sex is the nature of living as male and female to mate in order to seed generation after generation of descendants. There are two kinds of food: The first is material and constitutes eating and drinking to nourish the body to preserve and continue life; the second is intellectual and spiritual -- that is, seeking knowledge and learning about culture. This is a very important condition of human living. Ordinary people only seek living but do not pay much attention to their lives. If one has more and higher knowledge, he may, besides merely seeking living, also seek the intellectual and spiritual contents of life; but he may not pay much attention to the cycle of birth-and-death and may even fear talking about it.
Chinese philosophy holds life to be extremely important. Taoism directs us to seek longevity and cultivate ourselves for long life. Confucius (551-479 B.C.E.) said, "Maintain your life!" Western philosophy also considers living to be important but seeks mainly material enjoyment. All the wonderful innovations of the great material civilizations are directed at improving life for all, and even the great wars were fought for the betterment of our lives. Indian philosophy, however, considered birth and death to be important and, therefore, sought the way to solve the problems of the cycle of birth-and-death. This point of view is also clearly detailed in the Svetasvatara Upanishad. The Buddhist philosophy as reflected in both the Mahayana and the Hinayana schools, considers transcending everything worldly and materialistic and attaining holiness like that described in the Dharmas of the Three Vehicles, which are important because they describe the ending of the cycle of birth-and-death and how to arrive at that stage.
Let us now talk about human life. Some people are happy while others are not. Those people who have happy lives consider their lives to be meaningful. They are optimistic. Oppositely, those who are not happy with their lives consider their lives to be meaningless. They are pessimistic.
Such considerations -- to label their lives as being happy or not happy -- depend strictly upon the material elements. Such people are materialistic. They are controlled by the outside environment and its things. Since they are not satisfied with what they have now, they remain forever unhappy. They will never be satisfied with what the environment surrounding them offers nor with the material objects they possess.
From the viewpoint of a Buddhist, however, both of these views are wrong because they do not consider the deeper meaning of human life. In Buddhism, then, there is neither optimism nor pessimism. The Buddha, the Enlightened One, has told us that both optimism and pessimism are wrong because they are both forms of prejudice. Thus, his teaching followed the Middle Way and, furthermore, gave Indian society correct instruction, which guided his followers to the Right Way.
Westerners considered material objects to be important for life, so they invented, the sciences to help people to improve their material lives; and they enjoyed that kind of life. Confucianism, however, considered that ethics was important, understanding that we can use this philosophical view to harmonize society. This ethical view is very close to Buddha's teaching, but it is less perfect than Buddhism.
Buddha used the Middle Way, or Right Way, to teach his followers. There are eight Right Ways: correct view; correct thought; correct speech; correct deed; correct livelihood; correct zeal; correct remembrance; and correct meditation. The most important of these eight are correct view and correct livelihood. Correct view will give you wisdom and correct judgment, which will help you attain the Right Path of Buddhism. Correct livelihood is the Right Way to live in this world and is, also, highly important for all of us.
Ordinary people talk only about life in this world. They have no interest in searching for the origin of life, the future of life, or the meaning of life. Buddhists, however, have an active interest in investigating all these topics.
If you want to know and understand the problems of human beings, you should know and understand the problems of the universe because the universe contains everything that Buddhism calls Dharma. Philosophers focus on this topic when they discuss ontology.
Buddhism also discusses the dharma of the universe in three categories: (1) ontology; (2) phenomena; (3) relationships among phenomena. Together, these constitute conditional causation. Buddhists consider that everything arises from conditions and that nothing, no matter whether it is spontaneous or self-contained, has a separate and independent nature.
Let me clarify what caused the universe to arise in terms of conditional causation, for which even Buddhists have many different explanations. Now, however, I only want to consider two of them: the causation of karma and the causation of alaya consciousness. Karma is caused by the action of human beings, and karma has some kind of power because it, in turn, further influences human action.
Referring to the causation of alaya consciousness, the School of Mere Consciousness asserts that the mentalities of all human beings have eight consciousnesses. The five senses (five organs) produce the first five consciousnesses; the sixth is mind consciousness; the seventh is manas (the active mind) consciousness; and the eighth is alaya consciousness. Alaya consciousness, which means store consciousness, can and, indeed, does contain and store the seeds of all things. These seeds are the causes, which, sooner or later, produce the fruits (effects). Thus, there are both good and evil seeds stored in the alaya consciousness, which, sooner or later, retributively crystallize as suffering and happiness in the world. This, then, is the alaya consciousness.
From the first causation (karma), we can understand that the substance of all things in the universe is due to the power of karma. Also, due to our own power and actions, all things are created by our own karma. Where, then, does the universe come from? It is created by people themselves. From the second causation (alaya), we can understand that the substance of all things springs from seeds. There are two kinds of seeds with their causations. The first causation is activated by the seeds of karma, and the second is activated by the seeds of consciousness. So, where do all things come from, and what appears from the seeds of consciousness? Why is the universe like this, and why are human beings also like this? Who created the universe? The answer is that everything is created by our own consciousness. Therefore, we can reasonably assert: "The three realms are or are created by mere mind, and all things are or are created by mere consciousness." Thus, the substance of the universe is the effect of karma and alaya. It is likewise with the substance of human beings, and even life itself also comes from karma.
What is the meaning of "All things are produced by correlatives"? It means simply that all things are produced by correlatives or conditions, which is to say that all dharmas are produced by causation. There are two different meanings of causation, which is produced by conditions. In one sense, causation means causes can give rise to all things. In another sense, all things are produced by conditions, which are the dharmas of effect. The cause is the substance, and the effects are the phenomena. Therefore, some one has said: "From the theory of causation, we have the School of Mere Consciousness; and from the theory of producing things by conditions, we have the Dharmalaksana School. We know that all the phenomena of all shapes and colors are created by conditions; other than conditions, there is nothing else. The Madhyamika Sastra says: "All things are produced by causes and conditions, which, I say, are voidness." Thus, the clear meaning here is that all things are produced by causes and conditions, which are nothing other than voidness.
What does the completion of conditions mean? The completion is the production of conditions: From nothing to have something come into being, or exist, is called production, which is the beginning of all things. After things are produced, they are in the cycle of birth-and-death. Birth and death are moment-to-moment change without surcease. However, average people, who do not understand the subtlety of this region of thought, cannot witness this with their fleshly eyes. When we see all kinds of phenomena produced, we should realize that they have only a short period of time to exist, and then they vanish gradually. How do all things come to exist? Just because all conditions exist! Of course, all things are produced by conditions; and this is why we say that all things are completed by each other. For this reason, we say: "Since this exists, that exists." The word exist here means both completion and existence. Therefore, all things in the universe never have a single existence, but depend on and interweave with each other. The Avatamsaka School has an adage, which says: "The Dharmadatu has no hindrance." This declaration tells us that all things are completed by conditions.
I have used the horizontal way -- that is, the space factor -- to explain the meaning of causation. I now think that you have some idea of causation. Next, I am going to use the vertical way -- that is the time factor -- to explain the meaning of life.
Everybody knows that human life lasts for only a few decades. It begins with the birth of a baby when the mother delivers the new life in a certain year and month, on a certain day and at a certain time; and that life will end with the death of that person. For anyone's death, we also know the year, month, day and time. Finally, we always hear people say, "So and so has passed away," which means that someone has died.
Now, let's take a little time to think about the following questions: If our lives start from the moment of birth, then what was there before our birth? If our lives end at the moment of death, then what will be after our death? Does life go on after the death of this body, or does life end at the moment of the death of this body?
According to Christian belief, the soul never dies. Before materialism became firmly established, Western idealism had declared that the soul never dies. Rather, the soul just returns to God and lives with God forever. This view is similar to that of the Vedic School of India, which held that the self and Brahma merge and become one. This is to say, in effect, that the self is permanent, that there is no beginning and there is no ending.
Chinese scholars had no interest in discussing these kinds of questions because Confucius had pointed out, "We should not discuss death before we understand life well." If we do not clearly know life in the present world, then how can we possibly know anything whatsoever beyond this life and this world? This, then, is why Buddhism discusses the Wheel of Life-and-Death while Confucianism does not.
The theory of the Wheel of Life-and-Death originated in India, and it interprets transmigration in six different ways. Birth-and-Death is like a turning wheel: death follows birth; after death then comes birth again; after rebirth, then comes death again. That is, there is a seemingly endless series of births and deaths, deaths and births. Buddhists and the people of India hold this philosophy to be of primary importance. Thus, many people desire to leave this world by practicing Buddhism.
According to Buddhism, life has no beginning and no end, which can be compared to rushing water in a river, which never stops but ever changes. From the time out of mind, life has changed moment after moment, like rushing water in a river, never stopping but ever changing. Furthermore, things in the universe are, also, like birth and death, never stopping, but ever changing. The cycles of birth-and-death, change after change, are called the stream of life. These cycles of birth-and-death, that are always and ever changing, are known as impermanence. If all things in the universe were permanent and never changed, then there would be no progress in the world, no need to improve our circumstances and lives, no need to talk about the end of birth-and-death, no need to transcend the worldly to attain holiness, and no need to do good and practice Buddhism. However, because there is neither a beginning nor an end and because everything is impermanent, then we have time to learn and to make some progress.
In short, everyone has life and spirit-that is, consciousness. According to the above explanation, this kind of life is produced by many conditions, and without those conditions there would be no self. Therefore, the life of human beings is without a beginning or an end, is impermanent and, also, without self. This, then, is the Buddhist view of human life.
There are two views of human life, one of which, as I have said earlier, is profound. How so? Just because human life fills every part of in the world, and conditions and results interact with and complete each other. Thus, one is all and all is one! This is an incalculable world just like the number of sand grains in the Ganges River. Likewise, even though human life is very short, it is also very long. That life, as I have said, is without beginning or end actually means that life is endless and interminable. It is infinite! If so, then why do we need to seek longevity? Taking the view of neither beginning nor end, however, you should not think about the past and the future. You should take care of the present, and alert yourself to what are you doing now? Are you doing good or evil? Using the worldly view, look at life as short but also as great and meaningful.
Everyone knows that Buddhism is a religion the goal of which is to save human beings and the world. The Buddha often said, "Enlighten yourself, enlighten others and attain complete enlightenment." He also said, "Benefit self and benefit others." Again, he said, "Spread the Dharma to all sentient beings." Finally, he said, "Deliver all sentient beings to nirvana." These great words appeared again and again in many sutras. If Buddhist monks or lay Buddhists do not understand the Buddhadharma, then how can they possibly benefit other sentient beings? From now on we ought to understand clearly that benefiting others is very important. To deliver all sentient beings widely is to benefit others at any time and in any place. Also, we should all understand clearly that to benefit others is benefiting oneself, and that to deliver others is delivering oneself. The great message of the Buddhadharma is that one should not only benefit human beings but also benefit all other living beings. Thus, the Doctrine, as reflected in the sutras says, "Convert all sentient beings after attaining enlightenment." It also says, "Being and non-being all attain perfect wisdom." Finally, it says, "We are one with all sentient beings and all become Buddhas." These great, wonderful views of saving the world are, indeed, remarkable!
The idea of benefiting others and benefiting all shows great compassion. If one has this mind and action, he can attain enlightenment. Therefore, we should clearly understand that human life is meaningful and extraordinary. The great, compassionate mind, totally sympathetic and empathic, shows unqualified love. Although people in the world, in their self-centeredness, are generally lacking in sympathy and compassion, I would like to urge you to have and practice this mind-the mind of sympathy and compassion. This is the way to create all kinds of enterprises to benefit all people. Many people find it difficult to start holding this view and this thought. Ordinary people do not usually want to benefit others. However, if one can generate the mind that tries to do something good to benefit all sentient beings, he or she will no longer be an ordinary person in the world.
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How to Use the Truth of the Buddhadharma
By Dharma Master Fa-Fang
The teaching of the Buddha constitutes the Buddhadharma. The word Buddha, in Sanskrit, means the Enlightened One. Simply stated, Buddha is an enlightened person. After he attained enlightenment, his teaching became known as the Buddhadharma. The Buddhadharma is the collected words, teaching and action of the Enlightened One. The Buddhadharma also discloses his expedient way to save all living beings. Therefore, the sutra says: "The Buddha is a person who enlightened himself, enlightened others and ultimately attained Complete Enlightenment." Usually, we say we study the Buddhadharma, which means that we learn the way to enlighten ourselves, to enlighten others and to reach Complete Enlightenment. If one arrives at this stage, then he is an Enlightened One, a Buddha. The purpose and goal of learning the Buddhadharma is based on the desire to become a Buddha. The Buddha taught people to practice the highest wisdom, which is perfect and enables a person to transcend the human stage or level. The Buddha is a perfect, great Enlightened One. Therefore, the Buddhadharma is also known as the teaching of Great Enlightenment. Furthermore, the Buddha is a perfect person of great and total compassion, and he is one who uses the mind of great compassion to convert all sentient beings. Without great enlightenment, one cannot talk about perfect wisdom; without great compassion, one cannot talk about the transcendent, totally realized personality. Also, to use the truth of the Buddhadharma in action, we must employ perfect wisdom.
The phrase the truth of the Buddhadharma is known as the essential characteristic of reality. It includes two kinds of meanings: The first one is the truth, and the second one is the phenomena, which together are also called the nature of things or the nature of all things. In consideration of these two kinds of reality, two is one and one is two. And why? Just because the truth is made manifest by phenomena, and the phenomena, in turn, need the truth to explain them clearly. However, we must clearly understand that phenomena are phenomena, not the truth, and that the truth is the truth, not phenomena. Phenomena are concrete forms, and the truth is abstract. Thus, while the two terms refer to different things, existence is the phenomena of universe, and the substance of the universe is truth. Therefore, the phenomena of existence cannot be separated from the substance of truth; and even though they are two, they are not different. Conversely, substance is substance and not phenomena; and phenomena are phenomena and not substance. Thus, they are two, not one. Similarly, the great Enlightened One is the Buddha. Thus, a man whose wisdom is supreme, perfect and exhaustive and who has attained the truth is also a Buddha. Therefore, we can safely assert that the Buddhadharma is rooted in reason, not in superstition.
a) All Things Are Produced by Causation
All things in the universe, even though their range is, indeed, infinitely broad and deep, are objects of study by natural and social scientists. Astrologists study the sun, moon, stars and heavenly bodies; geologists, biologists and zoologists -- all of them -- have their fields of study. Just how are all these innumerable things produced? This question is usually dealt with by philosophers. From ancient times to the present, many philosophers both east and west, have offered different answers to this question. They had their own views, because each of them had his own background and experience and, thus, different wisdom. Some of them with religious faith believed that all things in the world had been created by God, as stated in the Judeo-Christian Bible. In India, Brahmanism held that Brahma had created all things in the world. In those religions, God and Brahma are conceived to be universal, eternal, and absolute; therefore, they can create all things. However, all things which they have created are, in reality, not universal and not eternal but, indeed, very complicated and transitory.
Western idealism holds that all things in the universe are created by the spiritual mind, and this spirit of God expresses itself as and becomes one with becoming, or the ongoing creation of the world. In contrast, dialectical materialism is a very new idea, advocating that all phenomena in the universe are produced materially. Like our thinking, consciousness is a function of the cerebrum and the cerebellum, that reflect external phenomena. From that reflection, we develop thinking. Thus, materialism holds that all spirit and consciousness are produced materially. Furthermore, to hold that the material is eternal is known as the theory of a single cause. In contrast, Buddhism does not speak about a single cause. Both Hinayana and Mahayana Buddhism hold that all things in the universe are produced by causation. What, then, is causation? It indicates precisely that all things in the universe are produced by causes and conditions. They are not created by God, no matter how small they are: a tiny dust mote, an atom, or an electron. They are not created by God, no matter how large they are: the earth, stars and galaxies. Rather, they are produced by causes and conditions. For example, millet seeds are causes, while light, air, fertilizer, soil and human labor are conditions. All things in the universe are produced by causes and conditions and are also destroyed by causes and conditions. There is a gatha in one Buddhist sutra that says, "This exists, so that exists; this is produced, then that is produced." This means that if certain things exist (or are present) then other things will necessarily exist (or be present). Also, if certain things are produced, then other things will necessarily be revealed. Consequently, all things in the universe depend on and interact with each other, and they have neither a creator or nor a destroyer. According to the Buddhadharma, where there are created subjects, there must be created objects. Where there is birth, simultaneously there must be death. The simultaneous co-existence of birth and death is a universal phenomenon. Such is the truth attained by Sakyamuni Buddha.
b) All Things are Changing and Impermanent
Average people think that all things in the universe are permanent and eternal; therefore, they desire to stay in this world, and they love their lives. However, if one thinks about it a little or has studied to be a scientist, he or she will understand that all things in the universe are always changing and that nothing is permanent. The Buddhadharma holds that all things are impermanent, which means that nothing is eternal. Change is impermanence. If anything were permanent, it would not change. For example, the water that flowed by in the river yesterday is not the same as today's water since it is continually on the move. Likewise, the I of today is not the I of yesterday. Furthermore, things of today are not the things of yesterday. All things in the universe are flowing, and even birth and death are ever moving and changing. The Buddhadharma holds that things are born and die in each and every moment. It is possible to analyze impermanence and change, as well as birth and death, temporally. According to the Buddhadharma, there are ninety ksanas in one thought moment, and there are nine hundred births and deaths in one ksana. The theory of impermanence and change, as well as birth and death, is the truth that the Buddha attained.
c) The Things of Void Nature and the Nature of Void Things
All things are impermanent, and birth and death are produced by causes and conditions. All things, as well as birth and death, are impermanent, are void. The truth -- Absolute Voidness -- was the great discovery and realization of the Buddha. The word void in the Buddhadharma signifies not obstinate, aerial space but the natural voidness of things. That is real voidness. Nature is substance and substance is the universe, which is the natural voidness of all things. The substance of voidness itself is the voidness of reality and the voidness of self-nature. Therefore, the Heart Sutra says, "Form is void." And why? Just because all forms are produced by conditions and are, thus, impermanent. Chuang-Tze said, "The void means that which is not destroyed, and that is reality." Since all things are produced from voidness, the Heart Sutra also says, "Voidness is form." If all things were permanent and voidless, then this thing would always be this and that thing always that, the poor always poor and the rich always rich, etc.; and the world would become fixed and inmovable. Thus, there would be neither cause nor effect. Also, it would not be necessary to practice, and there would be nothing to attain. Then, there would be no more evolution in this world. Actually however, this is not the case. Thus, again, the Heart Sutra asserts that all things are produced from voidness. Without voidness, nothing whatsoever can be produced; so, conversely, since there is universal voidness, all things can be produced. However, most people in the world really do not understand the completely profound meaning of voidness.
There are two different meanings of the nature of voidness in causation: The first signifies the original voidness of nature -- that is, all things are produced by conditions and are without self-nature; The second signifies the voidness that terminates grasping. People do not have enough wisdom to recognize the truth, but can use illusion to reverse and end grasping. Originally, all dharmas are without any form, self, personality, sentience or life, but people grasping and hold on to the concepts of form, self, personality, sentience and life. However, to break attachment is a very important idea in the Buddha-dharma. Breaking false attachment is to realize voidness because the very idea of voidness means to void attachment. False attachment is a kind of mental abnormality. Therefore, the concept of voidness is a kind of method for obtaining wisdom, a kind of strategy for reducing defilement, and, also, a kind of a prescription for a medicine to cure such an illness. If all sentient beings were without such false attachment, then the medicine of voidness would not be needed. Of all the different kinds of attachment, the self is the original and strongest attachment. Self-attachment is also called self-view, which, when self-attachment exists, is called selfishness. All defilements and disputes arise from self-attachment. Therefore, self-attachment and self-view are the chief offenders. Thus, the teachings of both the Hinayana and the Mahayana explain clearly the problem of self-attachment, and the question of how to use some expedient Dharma method to break self-attachment becomes very important. The process that starts from the understanding of the void nature of causation and arrives at understanding and attaining the void nature of selflessness is the wonderful Truth attained by the Buddha.
The foregoing Dharma explanation gives us an account of the reality of all things, or phenomena. Furthermore, that process which begins by recognizing truth and goes all the way to the attainment of reality is merely a subjective view, or insight, about Reality. There are two different types of recognition:
(1) The first type is recognition through general knowledge. This makes truth easier for us to understand. General knowledge is common or popular knowledge about the world for everybody. The view of ordinary people holds that a white horse is a white horse, not a black horse; and a black horse is a black horse not a white horse; also, water is water, not fire, and fire is fire, not water. In short, this is this, not that; and that is that, not this. The Yoga Sastra says, "This is this; it is not that. Yes is yes; it is not no." This is a kind of relative truth; and this is the truth which is generally called real in the world.
(2) The second type is the recognition through thinking or experience. Thinking leads us to philosophy, from which truth arises, which, in turn, distinguishes clearly what is right from what is wrong. In one ancient Chinese book, The Analects, Confucius says, "After thinking ceases, one gains stability; after stability, silence arrives; after silence, peace comes about; after peace, consideration; after consideration, comes attainment." This, then, is the result of the effort of thinking. Lao-Tzu said, "The Tao that can be talked about is not the real Tao. The Name that can be spoken is not its true name." This kind of Truth cannot be understood by ordinary people, nor can it be comprehended by common sense. Even the knowledge and experience of science -- for example, the knowledge of he