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The Art of Living
HOUSTON, TEXAS Buddhism is an education about our living environment
and us. The Buddha teaches us to recognize ourselves; our thoughts, speech,
and actions and the consequences they evoke. Most importantly, the Buddha
wants us to restore our original and complete wisdom. He teaches that
everyone possesses the ability to attain complete understanding of life
and the universe, and it is only because of delusion that we are unable
to realize it. We are blinded by discrimination, wandering thoughts and
attachments, and forget the original pure mind of our self-nature. In
this way, we have caused ourselves much unneeded suffering. The Buddha also teaches us to view our environment clearly.
Environment refers to the people, matters, and objects we come across
everyday. When our hearts are free from discriminatory thoughts and attachments,
we will be able to view everything clearly and deal with them appropriately.
Thus, we can live in harmony with others and succeed in all our endeavors.
What did the Buddha mean when he taught us to cultivate?
His intent was mainly to rid us of our delusions and attachments. If we
drew together the Six Principles of practice taught by the Buddha, we
would only end up with the practice of giving. Giving simply means to
let go. If we can let go of our greed, anger, ignorance and arrogance,
then we would always dwell in purity of mind. If we can let go of all
discriminations, worries and attachments, then we would attain peace,
spiritual liberation, health and longevity. If we can let go of our own
views and work together for the benefit of others, then we can achieve
harmony with others, harmony in society, and ultimately, world peace.
From this, we can see that the main practice of the Buddha's teachings
is none other than giving. When Buddha Shakyamuni was in the world, he not only
used words to teach, but made an example of himself for all living beings
to follow. He let go of all desires, worldly enjoyments, fame and wealth
to lead the life of a left-home person. He lived a life of simplicity,
purity of mind and body, and happiness. Ordinary people might see this
as bitter and miserable, but this is only due to their lack of understanding.
One with wisdom would view things differently. The wise would see the
Buddha's life as one of true liberation, happiness and fulfillment. The
Buddha does not have useless thoughts, discriminations, attachments, or
worries. How at ease he is! He accords with all conditions and emanates
wisdom in every thought and action to teach sentient beings in this world.
The Buddhas live lives of wisdom, while ordinary people
live lives of affliction. Buddha Shakyamuni's teachings show us how to
change afflicted lives into ones of great wisdom. From these teachers,
we will learn how to restore the ultimate and complete wisdom and abilities
of our self-nature; allowing us to attain true happiness and prosperity.
This, is the Buddha's Education. In our world today, there are at least four different
types of Buddhism. The first is the authentic Buddhism, the education
of understanding the true reality of life and the universe originally
taught by Buddha Shakyamuni. Unfortunately, the authentic education is
rare and difficult to encounter nowadays. The remaining types of Buddhism
are more or less distortions of the original teachings. The second type is the religious Buddhism. Originally,
Buddhism was not a religion, but now it has become one. We can no longer
deny that there is a Buddhist religion because everywhere we look, especially
in Asia, it is displayed as a religion. Unlike the monasteries in the
past, which held eight-hour classes per day and provided another eight
hours for self-cultivation, today's Buddhist temples no longer uphold
such a perseverance of the Buddha's Teachings. Today we mainly see people
making offerings to the Buddha statues and praying for blessings and fortune.
In this way, Buddhism has been wrongly changed into a religion. The third type of Buddhism is the philosophical study
of the Buddha's teachings. Many universities today offer courses on the
study of Buddhist Sutras, considering the teachings as a philosophy. The
content of the Buddha's education is actually a complete university of
knowledge and wisdom. Philosophy is only one of its courses. Just as it
is wrong to recognize a university as a single course, it is also inappropriate
to think of and limit the Buddha's education to only a philosophy. The
Buddha's education can help us resolve our problems - from family difficulties
to the great issue of life and death. The Buddha's teachings are profound
and vast, and teach us the truths of life and the universe. It should
not be mistaken as only a philosophy. The fourth type of Buddhism we see in our world today
is the deviant and externalist Buddhism. This is an extremely unfortunate
distortion, which only came to be in the past thirty to forty years. Religious
Buddhism persuades people to be decent and philosophical Buddhism pursues
truth, neither cause much harm to society. However, if Buddhism is changed
into a deviant and externalist path, using the weakness of human nature
to cheat and harm living beings, disturbing the peace and safety of society,
then this conversion has gone too far. The speech and actions of these
deviant and external paths can be very attractive and enticing. One should
be very careful as not to be misled by these deviant ways or regretting
it would be too late. These four types of Buddhism exist in our society today,
we should recognize them for what they are and think carefully as to which
way is most beneficial to us and the one we will ultimately follow. Our goal in studying Buddhism is to open up our wisdom;
to attain this goal, we cultivate purity of mind. In today's society,
our greatest obstacles are TV, radio, newspapers and magazines - these
all contain contents that can pollute our minds. I often persuade people
not to read or listen to these things. When our hearts are free from these
unneeded afflictions, we can live each day in peace and happiness; thus,
allowing our minds to return to purity. With an undeluded mind, one will
see matters of life clearer, more deeply and farther than others. This
is because a settled and concentrated mind is a mind of wisdom. The key
in cultivating the Buddha's teachings is having a settled and concentrated
mind. In practicing the Pure Land method, purity of mind is of foremost
importance. The Infinite Life Sutra teaches us to cultivate
purity, equality and enlightenment. Being mindful of the Buddha is cultivating
the above, for Buddha Amitabha is purity, equality, and enlightenment.
When we recite the Buddha's name, we are reminded of these qualities.
In China, Buddhism can be divided into ten schools.
Aside from the two Small Vehicle schools, which have already declined,
the eight remaining schools belong to the Great Vehicle. Two schools (Zen
and Shing) enter the Buddha's teachings through the method of "Enlightenment."
They seek the great enlightenment, to understand the heart/mind and uncover
the self-nature. Usually, those of lesser capabilities to become enlightened
on their own have much difficulty in reaching their goals through this
method. Thus, to cultivate the Zen School requires a high level of wisdom,
ability and a considerably pure mind. Without these, one would have to
start learning from the basis of Buddha Shakyamuni's teachings. The study of these teachings is to help establish proper
understanding and viewpoints; thus, the method of "Proper Views and Knowledge"
is used here to enter the Buddha's teachings. There are four schools in
this category (Tian Tai, Shian Shou, Fa Shiang and San Lwun). The practitioners
of these schools study and follow the teachings of Buddha Shakyamuni to
correct their erroneous views, thoughts, and actions. Most people are
capable of learning this method, but it is a long journey, such as going
to school. One must start from elementary school, then gradually advance
grade by grade to junior high, high school, and college. In finishing
one grade, one attains the benefit of that single grade. The final two
schools are the Pure Land and the Esoteric. These stress the importance
of cultivating purity of mind; thus, their method of practicing the Buddha's
teachings is through purity. People of all capabilities, regardless of
whether they are intelligent or less able can practice the Pure Land School.
All can practice and succeed in cultivating Pure Land method. On the other
hand, the Esoteric School requires a high level of purity of mind, making
it very difficult to reach attainment. The difference between the cultivation of purity in
the Pure Land School and the Esoteric School is that the Pure Land School
teaches us to cultivate purity of mind away from pollution, while the
Esoteric School teaches us to cultivate purity of mind in the midst of
pollution. The latter involves a state of being immersed in pollution
but not being contaminated; naturally, this state is too difficult for
most people to attain. True wisdom arises from purity of mind, thus, the wisdom
spoken of in the Buddha's teachings is not attained from reading and studying
books; the wisdom we attain from reading and studying is only worldly
knowledge and not true wisdom. True wisdom is the function of our self-nature. Our
self-nature is complete with infinite wisdom, virtues and abilities; qualities
that are present in everyone's self-nature and we need to know how to
bring them out. "Buddha" is Purity, Equality and Enlightenment. The
Buddha's teachings can be summarized into ten simple phrases: True Sincerity The first five represent the Buddha's heart and the virtues
of our self-nature. Presently we are unable to completely manifest these
qualities due to our lack of cultivating the latter five. Diligent practice
is needed to bring out these virtues of the Buddha-nature within us. The ultimate goal in learning Buddhism is the great
Perfection. In all walks of life, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas act as role
models for all people to follow. Students of the Buddha can be good examples
for all others. Families that follow the Buddha's teachings can behave
in a way that is worthy of being the role model for all families. If one
is still a student, then one's schoolwork, conduct and health become an
example for one's classmates. This is being a student of the Buddha. In
going to work or running a business, one can be a role model for all businesspersons
to follow. Thus, everything in the Buddhadharma can be number one. A family
dwelling in perfect wisdom is the most content, fortunate and happy family
in the world.
Buddhism is the education of wisdom; it encompasses
all things and exceeds the boundaries between countries, races and religions.
Since Buddhism is an education, followers of all religions are welcome
and can learn and cultivate this education of true wisdom. In theVisualization Sutra, the Three Conditions
are the foundation of cultivation in Buddhism. Upon perfecting the Three
Conditions, one will have complete wisdom, fortune and virtue. The first condition consists of four practices based on the fundamental
morals of humankind:
The second condition consists of three practices based on cultivating
the self:
The third condition consists of four practices, which follow
the practices of Bodhisattvas:
Altogether, these eleven practices, each having its profound
and vast meaning, needs to be put to use in everyday life, for they are
the foundation of the forty-nine years of teachings given by Buddha Shakyamuni.
Great Vehicle Buddhism in China can be represented by
the great Bodhisattvas of the Four Famous Mountains. First is Earth Treasure
Bodhisattva of Jiuhua Mountain representing filial piety and respect.
Second is Guan Yin (Great Compassion) Bodhisattva of Putuo Mountain, representing
compassion. Third is Manjushri Bodhisattva of Wutai Mountain, representing
wisdom. Fourth is Universal Worthy Bodhisattva of Emei Mountain, representing
true practice. These four great Bodhisattvas represent the core of cultivation.
As beginners, we start learning from Earth Treasure, for the earth is
the root of life of all living beings. Because the great earth nurtures
all beings and is the treasury of all that is precious, the Buddha uses
it to represent our "mind ground" or "mind earth." Our true mind/original
nature is complete with infinite wisdom, virtuous abilities and talents;
we must know how to open this treasury in order to attain its benefits.
Earth Treasure Bodhisattva teaches us to be filial to our parents and
respectful to our teachers, for in these practices lies the key to opening
the treasury of our self-nature. The field of filial piety is vast. Our parents have
shown us great kindness in bringing us up and in educating us, therefore,
we should not only nurture their aging bodies, but we should also nurture
their spiritual well-being and minds thus helping them to be happy; this
is practicing filial piety. Regarding the practice of filial piety, we should strive
to do our best in living up to our parent's expectations. When they wish
us to be good persons and to benefit society, we should do so; to act
otherwise would be unfilial. For children going to school, it would be
unfilial to do poorly in schoolwork, causing one's parents to be worried
and disappointed. It would be unfilial if one's conduct was poor, or if
one's health was poor, or if one was disrespectful to one's teachers or
could not get along with others. After reaching adulthood and entering
society, it would be unfilial to be rebellious towards one's boss or unable
to cooperate with co-workers, causing one's parents to worry. From these,
we realize how vast the field of cultivating filial piety really is, and
that the entire Buddhadharma is actually just teaching the Way of Filial
Piety. In Buddhism, the perfection of filial piety is only completed upon
reaching the Unsurpassed Enlightenment of Buddhahood. Nowadays, humankind has been seriously polluted in heart,
thoughts, views, spirit and body, thus leading to the appearance of many
strange illnesses. The root cause of illness and disease is pollution;
if one's body and mind are pure one will not fall ill or grow old. To
not become ill or grow old is true happiness and good fortune. To attain
this goal, we only need to learn and cultivate according to the Buddha's
teachings. In our world today, where foods have been polluted by
poisons, we should harbor compassion, for compassion is the antidote for
all poisons. A truly compassionate heart can neutralize all poisons. The
Buddha once said, "All dharmas arise from the mind." Thus, a pure, equal
and enlightened mind/heart naturally brings health to one's body. When we recite morning and evening ceremonies in front
of the Buddha and Bodhisattva images, it is just as if we were vowing
to abide by their teachings right in their presence. Morning recitation
acts as a reminder, preventing us from forgetting the Buddha's teachings,
and reminding us to act accordingly in the course of the day. Evening
recitation is a reflection of the day's practice, checking to see if we
acted according to the Buddha's teachings. If we did, then we can work
even harder next time, if not, then we need to reform, seeking to renew
ourselves each day. Only by practicing in this way can true benefits be
attained. Morning and evening recitations are the most basic practices
in learning Buddhism. It is necessary to remind ourselves each day and
reflect and reform. One who wishes to become a student of the Buddha should
first learn from Maitreya Bodhisattva, better known in America as "The
Happy Buddha." Maitreya Bodhisattva represents the most basic conditions
necessary to become a Buddhist - a smiling face and a big heart, represented
by his big belly. All the Buddha images serve to remind us of the teachings
and are not idols or gods of worship. "The Happy Buddha" teaches us to
give rise to a non-discriminating mind and to be happy; thus being able
to enter the Buddha Way. The content of the Buddha's teachings is infinitely
profound and vast; one is unable to speak of it all, for the essence of
it is unfathomable. Understanding it can bring great help to our living,
work and interacting with all people, matters and affairs. Buddhism truly
surpasses the boundaries of nationality, race and religion - it encompasses
everything. The Buddha's teaching is truly a perfectly complete education.
Taking Refuge means to return and rely. When we take
refuge in the Buddha, we are returning from our deluded state of mind
and relying upon an Awakened, Enlightened mind. When we take refuge in
the Dharma, we are returning from deviant views and relying upon proper
views and understanding. When we take refuge in the Sangha, we are returning
from pollution and disharmony and relying upon Purity of Mind and the
Six Principles of Living in Harmony. Taking refuge in the Triple Jewels
restores the complete wisdom and abilities of our Self-Nature. We will
attain Purity, Equality, Honesty, Freedom, Compassion and overall, True
Happiness. Buddha is a Sanskrit meaning Awareness and Enlightenment.
When we take refuge in the Buddha, we vow to return from blind faith and
delusion and rely upon Understanding and Awareness as a way of life. Images
of the Buddha serve as a reminder for us to practice awareness and understanding,
and are not objects of worship. Prostrating and showing respect towards
these images are only ways to counter arrogance and cultivate humility.
This is taking refuge in the Buddha.
Dharma means Proper Understanding and Views. Delusion
has obstructed us from seeing the true face of people and the reality
behind matters and objects. This has caused us to look at life and the
universe in a distorted and deviant way. When delusion is cleared and
our minds are pure to an extent, we give rise to wisdom. With wisdom,
we are able to see all people and matters completely and clearly. When
our hearts are pure, we can see the past, present and future. Only when
we have clearly seen the Whole can our viewpoint and Understanding be
considered Proper. The Buddha's mind is pure without the slightest pollution
and therefore sees everything clearly and entirely. We can rely upon the
Sutras, recorded teachings of the Buddha, because they speak entirely
of the truths the Buddha has seen. They teach and show us the way to attain
Purity of Mind, to see life and the universe most clearly, and become
just like the Buddhas. When we encounter sutras, we should immediately
bring forth a mind of respect and remind ourselves to cultivate Right
Understanding and Views. This is taking refuge in the Dharma.
Sangha means purity and harmony. Today's world is filled
with pollution; pollution of mind, spirit, views, and body. Even the earth
and the atmosphere are hazardly polluted. The Buddha taught, "The environment
changes according to the mind." We should return from all these pollution
and rely upon purity of mind. Purity of Mind is the key to saving our
Earth. There is also great disharmony in our world today, among
spouses, families, friends, societies and countries which has brought
us much suffering and many disasters. The Buddha taught us to rely upon
the Six Principles of Living in Harmony to establish harmonious relationships
between others and ourselves. Sangha also refers to a group of four or more persons who practice the
Buddha's teachings and abides by the Six Principle of Living in Harmony.
This includes the left-home people we may encounter. When we see left-home
people, we should immediately give rise to a mind of purity and harmony.
This is taking refuge in the Sangha. To the Buddha I return and rely, It must be very tiresome to do the same kind of work
everyday, and especially for homemakers. It seems as if one cannot be
free from household chores for a single day, and many are greatly troubled
by their duties. However, if we can learn to change our way of looking
at things, we will be able to perform our chores with great joy. Much of the problem is that ordinary people are very
much attached to the "self." They think, "I am doing all this work; poor
me, I am so tired; why should I do this for them?" The more they think
this way, the more afflicted they become. If we were to learn the Bodhisattva
Way, the Way of Understanding and Enlightenment, and vow to universally
help all living beings, then our viewpoint would be much different. In following the Bodhisattva Path, the first thing we
learn is the Practice of Giving. By serving the family at home, the homemaker
Bodhisattva is already cultivating Giving. Giving includes the Giving
of Wealth, the Giving of Teaching and the Giving of Fearlessness. The
Giving of Wealth can be divided into outer wealth and inner wealth. For
example, outer wealth refers to making money for our family and providing
the means for living. Inner wealth refers to using our physical energy
and wisdom to support our family. So, the practice of giving can be completed
perfectly at home. When we do our housework with care and organize our
home to be clean and neat, this is bringing comfort to the family and
admiration from our neighbors; this is cultivating the Practice of Precept
Observation. Abiding by precepts simply means abiding by rules - rules
of the country, society and family, and doing everything in an organized
and proper way. Endurance in doing our chores without complaint or fatigue
is cultivating the Practice of Patience. In seeking improvement everyday,
hoping that tomorrow's attainment will exceed that of today's, is cultivating
the Practice of Diligence. In performing one's various duties daily but
still maintaining a pure and undeluded heart, is cultivating the Practice
of Concentration in Purity of Mind, being apart from discriminating thoughts
and attachments. From within purity of mind, one will give rise to wisdom,
and will be filled with inner peace and happiness, this is cultivating
the Practice of Wisdom. Thus, with true understanding, we will discover
that these Six Principles Cultivated by Bodhisattvas (Giving, Precepts
Observation, Patience, Diligence, Concentration in Purity of Mind, and
Wisdom) can be practiced to perfection in the everyday acts of dusting,
sweeping, washing and cooking. Once we have performed our duties well, we become role
models for homemakers all over the world and an example for all families
to follow. Thus, not only can we help our neighbors, but extended, we
can influence society, the country, and even the world in a positive way.
From this we come to see that in dusting, sweeping, washing, and cooking,
a homemaker Bodhisattva is actually carrying out the great vow of helping
all living beings. This is truly being a student of the Buddha. So, if
we can contemplate our duties as described above, we will be filled with
peace and happiness in our work. How then could anything trouble us? The most important factor in learning and cultivating
the Buddha's teachings is that one be able to practice them in everyday
life. Understanding this, we would be able to practice the Six Principles
Cultivated by Bodhisattvas at our work and office. A Bodhisattva, in all
walks of life, whether appearing as a man, woman, elder, or child, cultivates
by living up to his/her own responsibilities. Cultivation and living are
one - this is the life of enlightened beings. Buddhism is an education, not a religion. We do not worship the
Buddha, we respect him as a teacher. His teachings en-able us to leave
suffering and attain true happiness. It is best to treat all people with respect and sincerity, being
responsible for our actions and careful when handling other's property.
Be conservative with speech and actions to avoid harming others. It is best to show our gratitude to those who have shown us kindness,
such as parents, teachers and even society. Everyone in the society
is interdependent and inter-related; we can practice good deeds to
repay them. How many people recognize the kindness shown by parents? Usually,
people do not realize until they themselves become parents or lose
their parents. We can show our gratitude through practicing filial
piety by being responsible, considerate and compliant to our parents.
To be a poor, content, and happy person is better than being one
who is rich, worried, and afflicted with greed. Buddhism is a teaching, which shows us how to live a happy, fulfilling,
and content life. True Love is undiscriminating, unattaching, and unconditional; we
can share this love with all beings. This is called compassion. If we wish to bring peace to the world, we need to start by changing
our erroneous ways. World peace stems from inner peace. Our goal in studying the Buddha's teachings and cultivation is to
attain complete understanding of life and the universe. Be considerate and kind in your speech. To put down another person
is only proving your own arrogance and lack of self-confidence to
others. Life is short and fragile, why not cultivate kindness instead of
committing acts which cause harm to living beings and oneself? Cultivating virtue is to keep a kind heart, speak kind words and
do kind acts to benefit others. Wise persons do not harbor feelings of gain or loss. In this way,
they constantly dwell in the joy of possessing great peace of mind.
The point of practicing giving and charity is to forsake greed,
hatred, ignorance, and arrogance. When helping others, we should think about benefiting the entire
society or even the world instead of limiting our help to just the
ones we love. Expanding the boundaries of our care for others makes
our lives more meaningful, full of freedom and happiness. The Buddha's teachings are a teaching of wisdom. Living Buddhism
is to fill our lives with utmost wisdom and happiness. In all circumstances, we must first reflect upon ourselves. Confucius
once said, "Do not give to others what you yourself do not desire".
This is teaching us to keep a humane and sincere heart. If we want
others to smile at us, we must first smile at others. In dealing with
matters, we must not seek personal gain but should work for the public
welfare. A true cultivator does not see the faults of others. When we think
of others' faults, it becomes our own affliction. Everyone has their
good and bad sides, but we must learn to look at the good points of
others and strive to respect all beings. Source: Dallas Buddhist Association |