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Buddha Dharma Education Association Inc.

Ven. Master Chin Kung

To Understand

BuddhismTo Understand

Buddhism

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Table of Contents

“TO UNDERSTAND BUDDHISM”Excerpts From a Talk by VenerableMaster Chin Kung................................................ 3

Chapter One: A Virtuous and Perfect Education.... 3

Chapter Two: The Goal of the Buddha’s Teaching 8

Chapter Three: Symbolism and the Arts.............. 18

Chapter Four: The Five Guidelines of Practice

The Three Conditions ........................................ 26

The Six Harmonies ............................................ 34

The Three Learnings.......................................... 37

The Six Paramitas or Principles......................... 40

The Ten Great Vows of Universal WorthyBodhisattva........................................................ 45

THE TEN RECITATION METHOD............................... 51

GLOSSARY............................................................... 53

THE SUTRA OF AMITABHA’S PURITY....................... 62

DEDICATION OF MERIT............................................ 63

PLACES TO CONTACT:.............................................. 64

MASTER CHIN KUNG’S PHOTO................................. 65

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“ To Understand Buddhism”

Excerpts From a Talk by VenerableMaster Chin Kung

Australia, January, 1996

Chapter One:A Virtuous and Perfect Education

Today, we see an increasing number of people aroundthe world starting to practice Buddhism. However, notmany people truly understand what Buddhism is.Therefore, this becomes a very important topic. Whatexactly is Buddhism? We need to understand it clearly.Buddhism is a most virtuous and perfect educationdirected by the Buddha towards all sentient beings inthe nine realms. How can we tell that Buddhism is aneducation? First, we can tell from the way we callBuddha Shakyamuni our “Original Teacher” that he isthe founder of Buddhism and that we are his students.From this, it is very apparent that the Buddha and weshare a teacher-student relationship. This is only foundin education.

If Buddhism is his teaching, who then is the Buddha?Buddha is a Sanskrit word meaning wisdom andenlightenment. However, this wisdom is not theworldly wisdom we think of today. Broadly speaking,

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the Buddha’s wisdom is the ability to ultimately,perfectly and correctly comprehend the true reality oflife and the universe in the past, present and future.One who has perceived this wisdom is called aBuddha. Buddha Shakyamuni told us that all sentientbeings, including ourselves, possess this innatewisdom and ability. Thus Buddhism regards all beingsequally. Although we are equal in origin, presently wecannot see this because everyone’s wisdom andabilities differ.

In our society, there are those who are intelligent andthose who are not, those with great ability and thosewith less. How do these things come about? TheBuddha told us that they are due to our varyingdegrees of delusion. Our innate wisdom and abilitiesare temporarily lost due to this delusion, but are nottruly or permanently lost. If we can break through thisdelusion, then we will be able to recover theseabilities. Therefore, the Buddha’s teachings show ushow to rid ourselves of delusion and to uncover ourinnate abilities.

It is often stated in Mahayana sutras that the Buddhadid not directly help sentient beings. Then how dosentient beings become Buddhas? By themselves. TheBuddha only assists from the side by explaining thetrue reality of how we delude ourselves. Afterrealizing this, we diligently put his teachings intopractice to attain enlightenment of true reality. We

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then become Buddhas. Buddha Shakyamuni clearlyexplained that becoming a Buddha is attainable by allsentient beings.

From this, we can see that Buddhism is a teaching.However, a teacher can only educate us about theprinciples, tell us of his/her experiences in practice andattainment, and suggest various methods for ourattainment. The rest ultimately depends upon us. Weare the ones who need to be enthusiastic and diligentin order to attain achievement. Once we understandthat Buddhism is an education, we will logicallyregard the Buddha as our teacher. From this, weunderstand that in proper Way Places, we do notregard the Buddha or Bodhisattva images as gods to beworshipped. We make offerings to these images fortwo reasons. First, to remember and repay ourgratitude for this truly great education, which we haveso fortunately encountered and accepted in thislifetime.

The opening verse to sutras says it very well; “It isextremely difficult to encounter this teaching ininfinite eons.” The debt of gratitude we owe theBuddha is similar to the remembrance, which someChinese have toward their ancestors. We reflect on ourorigins for without these ancestors we would not exist.The second reason we make offerings to the Buddha isto follow the examples of the virtuous. BuddhaShakyamuni was an ordinary person like us; yet, he

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was able to be awakened and become a Buddha. Whatis there to stop us from achieving this as well?Therefore, the pictures or statues of the Buddha serveto remind us every moment to advance diligentlytowards this goal. The images are not to be regarded asgods or objects of superstition.

In Buddhist Way Places, the images of Buddhas andBodhisattvas have many appearances. This has oftenled to the misconception that not only is Buddhism areligion but one that worships multi-deities as well.Indeed Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have many names.For example, in the Tripitaka there is the TenThousand-Buddha Names Sutra, which gives us overtwelve thousand Buddha’s names and even morenames for Bodhisattvas. Why are there so manyBuddhas and Bodhisattvas? Within our original-naturethere exists infinite wisdom, virtuous and artisticabilities that cannot be completely represented bymerely one name. It is similar to a highlyaccomplished person in a prominent position; his orher business card could have numerous titles.

The names of the Buddhas represent the complete,innate and virtuous abilities within our self-nature. Allthe Bodhisattva names represent cultivation ofdifferent virtues. The original abilities within our self-nature are infinite, but temporarily lost. Withoutgenuine cultivation, we will not be able to uncover anyof them. All the Buddha and Bodhisattva names are

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none other than ourselves. Once we understand this,we will realize that a high level of artistry representsthe styles of the Buddha’s teachings. For example,sculptures and pictures can express the Dharma.Understanding the true meaning of these images willhelp one to gain the true benefits of the Buddha’steachings.

If Buddhism is not a religion, why is it not then aphilosophy? In philosophy, there is both a subject andan object. In Mahayana Buddhism, there is nodifference between subject and object; they are one.This meaning is very profound and difficult tounderstand. For example, a great master said,“Utilizing gold to form utensils, all utensils are ofgold.” Are the gold and the utensil the same thing ordifferent? From their appearances they look like twodifferent things. However, from their composition werealize that they are the same.

One needs a profound intuitive comprehension to trulyunderstand the reality of life and the universe. All ofthe Mahayana Sutras try to explain this concept andtruth. One will share the same viewpoints with theBuddha when one truly understands and clearlyrecognizes this truth. Ordinary people, like we aredeluded. In what way? Because we see everything inopposition to the other, not knowing that in realityeverything is actually one and not two.

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Chapter Two:The Goal of the Buddha’s Teaching

From the intrinsic nature of Buddhism, we proceed tothe goal of the Buddha’s teachings. This goal is tobreak through delusion and achieve enlightenment.The Buddha pointed out to us why we are leading livesof suffering and why the six realms of reincarnationexist. It is so, because the wisdom and virtuousabilities in our original nature have yet to beuncovered. Thus, all our viewpoints and ways ofinteracting with life and the universe are incorrect. Theerroneous acts committed due to these incorrectviewpoints and ways have resulted in the suffering ofreincarnation within the six realms.

The goal of the Buddha’s teachings is to help andguide us to break through our delusion, to beawakened and escape this suffering and to obtainhappiness. What do we seek in Buddhism? We seekAnnuttara-Samyak-Sambodhi, the Perfect CompleteEnlightenment. The Buddha teaches and hopes that allof us will attain this ultimate enlightenment, in otherwords, will become a Buddha.

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The Perfect Complete Enlightenment can be explainedas three levels: Arhats, Bodhisattvas and Buddhas. Thefirst is “Proper Enlightenment.” In our world, thereare some very intelligent and wise people, such asscientists, philosophers and religious leaders. Theyhave reached higher realization than most people have.However, although they may have reached a certainlevel of realization, the Buddha would not recognizetheir knowledge as the proper enlightenment, becausethey have not severed their afflictions. They still dwellon the rights and wrongs of others, on greed, anger,ignorance and arrogance. They still harbor wandering,discriminatory thoughts and attachments. In otherwords, their minds are not pure. Without the puremind, no matter how high the level of realization onereaches, it is still not the proper enlightenment.

In Buddhism, the standard for proper enlightenment isthe pure mind from which wisdom arises. It is the wishof all Buddhas that we attain this properenlightenment. This is the level or degree of an Arhatand is similar to attending a university to earn anundergraduate degree. Therefore, Arhat, Bodhisattvaand Buddha are titles similar to degrees ofenlightenment attained in Buddhism. Those whoachieve proper enlightenment are called Arhats. Arhatsdo not have illusory or misleading thoughts andviewpoints. They do not dwell on the rights andwrongs of others, or on thoughts of greed, anger,ignorance or arrogance.

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From this, we can comprehend intuitively thedifference between Buddhism and worldly education.From the Buddha, we learn the true teachings andproper enlightenment. Only with this properenlightenment can one escape all sufferings to obtaintrue happiness. As human beings, we undergo thesufferings of birth, old age, sickness and death. We donot attain what we seek, are parted with our loved onesand find ourselves in the presence of those whom weresent or even hate. We are surrounded by all thesesufferings with no apparent way of being truly free.Only after learning Buddhism will we be able to reachgenuine liberation.

The Flower Adornment Sutra explains to us, “Allsentient beings possess the same wisdom and virtuouscapabilities as the Buddha, but these qualities areunattainable due to wandering thoughts andattachments.” This clearly explains the root cause ofour problems. Practicing Buddhism is to accord withthe teachings of the Buddha, to rid us of wandering,discriminating thoughts and attachments. Thus, weuncover our pure mind, in turn giving rise to truewisdom, which is proper enlightenment. Therefore,Buddhas and Bodhisattvas would not recognize theintelligent and worldly wisdom, as it lacks the puremind, the proper enlightenment. Upon attaining properenlightenment, one has the ability to transcend theendless cycles of birth and death, not to mention theability to solve everyday problems.

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Whether talking about the Buddha’s education orworldly education, it is essential to understand theconcept of delving deeply into one method in order toattain achievement. This is especially so in Buddhism.One who truly wishes to learn effectively needs tofollow only one teacher and practice only one path toensure a smooth journey. When following twoteachers with two different paths, one is bound tobecome confused as to which path to take. Evenworse, following three teachers catches one at a Tstreet. With four teachers one is caught at a crossstreet. Today’s young people like to learn a lot, but failto attain a good result. The problem lies with beingcaught at those cross streets, confused as to which wayto take. For one to succeed and attain achievement inpracticing Buddhism, one needs to follow just oneteacher and concentrate on just one method.

What is this achievement? True achievement isattaining a pure mind. Upon achieving some degree ofpure mind, one will have fewer afflictions and thus anincrease in true wisdom, enabling one to solveproblems in this world and beyond. Without this truewisdom, there is no way to truly solve problems.Therefore, true wisdom is essential in leading a happyand fulfilling life. On a broader scale, it can help us tosolve society’s problems.

Today there are many intelligent politicians whothought they were very smart but have ended up

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bringing their countries to the brink of disaster, as wellas putting their citizens through much misery. What isthe reason for this? These leaders have not severedtheir afflictions, discriminating and wanderingthoughts, and attachments. Consequently, their firstconsideration is their own benefit, their self-attachment.

The Buddha taught us to attain true wisdom by firstbreaking free of our own viewpoints. Without thiswisdom, one could misinterpret the meanings withinthe Mahayana sutras. If one is able to part from theselfish mind, then true benefits will definitely bereceived. With proper enlightenment, only when onehas no ego or self-attachment, will one be able todifferentiate true from false, proper from deviated,right from wrong and beneficial from harmful.Without breaking through one’s own viewpoints, onewill not have these abilities. From this, we understandthere is a standard to the proper enlightenment.

One level above the proper enlightenment is the“Equal and Proper Enlightenment.” Equal meansequal to the Buddha, but not yet having become aBuddha. This level is higher than that of an Arhat. Theequal and proper enlightenment requires one to breakthrough one degree of ignorance, to attain one degreeof Dharma body. At this point, the way one views thereality of life and the universe is very close to that of

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the Buddhas. One who achieves the equal and properenlightenment would be called a Bodhisattva.

The Flower Adornment Sutra explains the forty-onelevels of Bodhisattvas, all of which have these levelsof enlightenment. After breaking through the very lastdegree of ignorance, perfecting wisdom andenlightenment, one achieves the “Perfect, CompleteEnlightenment” that is Buddhahood. Therefore,Buddha, Bodhisattva and Arhat are common titles, nota specific name for a specific person. They are titlessimilar to those of Doctorate, Master or Graduatedegrees. For example, in the name Guan YinBodhisattva, Guan Yin represents great compassionand kindness. The title of Bodhisattva is similar to aMasters Degree. Presently, people havemisconceptions about Buddhas and Bodhisattvas,thinking these names are specific beings. They do notunderstand that these titles refer to any being whopossesses those characteristics. Buddha orBodhisattva, when added to a name is simply referringto a specialty.

From the intrinsic nature of Buddhism, we realize thatour purpose of practice is to seek wisdom. In Zen, thisgoal is called, “In pursuit of clarity of mind to see intoone’s self-nature.” In other words “CompleteEnlightenment.” In the Pure Land School, this is called“One Mind Undisturbed.” The Pure Land School isunique in that not only does one seek to have One

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Mind Undisturbed but also seeks birth into theWestern Pure Land. This is unlike other schools,which rely on one’s own strength of cultivation inseeking solely one goal. The Pure Land method hastwo goals that can be achieved in one lifetime.

One who is very familiar with the Infinite Life Sutraand understood its teachings would be free of doubt.The full title of this sutra reveals the goals of ourpractice: The Buddha Speaks of the Infinite Life Sutraof Adornment, Purity, Equality and Enlightenment ofthe Mahayana School. Infinite life and adornment arewhat Pure Land practitioners seek. Infinite life refers tothe merits and virtues of one’s perfect self-nature.Adornment refers to perfect complete wisdom withgreat ease and fulfillment. Purity, equality andenlightenment are the methods, the three ways ofpractice. Upon attaining any one, all three are attained.Of all the schools of Buddhism, none surpass thesethree ways of practice.

The Zen School uses the awakening path to reach thegreat enlightenment and attain the clarity to see intoone’s true nature. Buddhist schools other than Zenstress the practice of understanding or properviewpoints, until reaching great completeunderstanding. The Pure Land School, on the otherhand, concentrates on the pure mind. A person withpurity of mind will naturally be non-discriminatingand awakened. An awakened person will naturally

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have a pure and non-discriminating mind. The routechosen may be different but all reach the same goal. InZen practice it is expressed as “obtaining clarity ofmind and seeing into one’s true nature.”

Different schools may use different names but theresults or the level of the state of mind are the same.Therefore, to criticize any other schools would be toslander both the Buddha and the Dharma. All thesemethods were passed down to us from BuddhaShakyamuni. Choosing any path will enable one toattain achievement. How can we say that one methodis better than another? From all these differentmethods we just need to know how to choose the onemethod that is most suitable for us and our level.

First, if the level of the method we chose were beyondus, making it difficult to practice, we would notsucceed easily with that method. Second, it needs to besuitable and convenient for our manner of living.Third, it needs to be compatible with modern society,because we cannot separate ourselves from society orother human beings. Therefore, we need to considerthese factors to choose our method of cultivation.

However, no matter which method one practices, it isessential to be rid of self-viewpoint and attachment inorder to obtain the benefits from practice. Or else, likeso many have experienced, the great efforts put intothe practice will have been in vain. Some practitioners

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have felt that even after years of practice they haveachieved virtually nothing, even to the point of feelingthat they were better off before they practiced. Itseemed as if the more they practiced, the worse theyfelt. All this comes from having chosen a method thatwas unsuitable for them. This is similar to choosing anunsuitable major in school. When one chooses a majorthat is not suited to one’s foundation and ability, onehas an extremely difficult time trying to succeed.Choosing the right major makes studying much easier,so one will have a much better chance of success. Thesame thing goes for practicing Buddhism. If one doesnot know one’s own capacity, one can test oneself.

Like myself, for example. After reading manyMahayana sutras, I thought myself incapable of anyachievement. I wanted very much to sever mywandering, discriminating thoughts and attachments,but was unable to. Finally, I chose the Pure Landmethod to attain achievement. It does not require oneto be completely rid of but rather to suppress thesehindrances. As long as one is able to suppress allafflictions, one can still be born into the Western PureLand carrying over one’s existing karma.

This method suits me very well and thus is how Ichose it. Previously, I had tried Zen, the TeachingSchools, the Esoteric School and the practice offollowing the precepts, but could not reachachievement with them. Thus, I came back to the Pure

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Land method and wholeheartedly delved deeply intothe Buddha Name Chanting Method whileconcentrating solely on lecturing on the Pure Landsutras. These are my experiences from decades ofpractice.

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Chapter Three:Symbolism and the Arts

After we understand clearly the goal of the Buddha’steachings, we will view the sutras differently. Thesesutras are one of the world’s largest literarycollections. I believe that when considering the rangeof all academia, none of them surpass Buddhism. Toobtain the benefits from this vast collection, it isnecessary for us to know and understand the essenceof it’s content, which is the true reality of all Dharma,the true reality of life and the universe. Life refers toourselves. Universe refers to the living environmentthat surrounds us. It would be incorrect to treatBuddhism as an abstract and obscure learning that hadnothing to do with our daily lives. Every word in thesutra closely relates to our daily living. Furthermore, itis definitely not superstition.

How and where do we start? For convenience, theperfection in the methods of the Buddha’s teaching,uses a high level of creativity. Buddhism of twothousand years ago had already taken an artistic path.For example, all the Buddha’s names and sculpturesrepresent our virtuous nature, innate qualities ofwisdom, virtuous abilities and artistic talents. All ofthe Bodhisattva’s names and forms represent ourcultivation of virtue. They instruct us how to apply theteachings in our daily lives to bring out our virtuousnature so that we may receive Buddhism’s benefits.

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In Chinese Mahayana Buddhism, four greatBodhisattvas represent our order of practice and levelof achievement. The first is Earth Store Bodhisattva.Whether we are thinking of worldly teachings, thedharma or Buddhism; nothing can be accomplishedwithout the earth or a place of existence. The existenceof humans cannot be separated from our great earth aswe rely upon it for survival. Whether clothing, food,living or working, all rely on the production of theland, thus the infinite treasures that the great earthencompasses are seemingly endless for us to use. Theword “earth” in the name Earth Store Bodhisattvarepresents the mind and the word “store” meanstreasure.

The Buddha’s teachings guide us to first start thepractice from our mind, as our true natureencompasses the infinite wisdom and virtuous abilitiesthat are no different from those of Buddhas orBodhisattvas. However, today it seems as if we havelost our innate wisdom and virtuous abilities. TheBuddha told us that all these qualities are not truly lost,just not yet uncovered. In the present moment, weendlessly immerse ourselves in wandering,discriminating thoughts and attachments, which haveresulted in this temporary loss of abilities. However,inside the true mind, no wandering thoughts exist. If amind has wandering thoughts then that mind is a falseone. We originally possessed this true mind, sopracticing Buddhism is simply recovering it.

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Therefore, our first goal in practice is to uncover andlook for the treasure in our mind. In other words, theBuddha’s teachings do not seek from the outside butrather they seek from within our self-nature.

Earth Store Bodhisattva represents filial piety; thus,the Earth Store Sutra is about filial piety, a basicconcept that everyone would do well to start from. Thekindness that our parents have shown by giving us lifeand nurturing us is beyond description. To be filial andtake care of our parents is naturally our basicresponsibility. Not only do we need to take care oftheir material needs but of their spiritual life as well.Moreover, we need to nurture their aspirations for usand for us, this is the hardest of all. Parents wish theirchildren to have successful careers, behave well, andto be respected by current and future generations. Inother words, we would do well to act in a manner,which will make them proud of us. Therefore, theultimate and perfect achievement of filial piety is tobecome Buddha. We begin our practice from here andexpand our filial piety and respect to include allsentient beings.

The second Bodhisattva, Guan Yin, represents thecultivation of great compassion and kindness. What isthe meaning of making offerings to Guan YinBodhisattva? It is to remind us that we would do wellto treat all people with great compassion and kindness,

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to use unconditional love and care to help all sentientbeings.

The third Bodhisattva, Manjusri, represents wisdomand rationale, reminding us that when we practice andinteract with others we need to fulfill our filial duty, torely upon wisdom and rationale, not on emotion. Thefourth Bodhisattva, the Great Samantabhadra(Universal Worthy) represents carrying out thecultivation truthfully, applying filial piety,compassion, kindness and rationale in our daily lives.When one perfectly achieves the way of UniversalWorthy Bodhisattva, one becomes a Buddha.Buddhism teaches us how to live in harmony with thetrue reality of life and the universe. In other words, wewould live perfect and wonderful lives similar to thoseof Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. This is the true, ultimateand perfect Mahayana teaching.

To practice Buddhism, we start by:

1) Being filial and respectful toward parents, teachers and elders,

2) Having the great compassionate mind,

3) Nurturing one’s thinking and wisdom and

4) Broadening one’s mind.

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Although in sequence, they also can be practicedsimultaneously, as each encompasses the others. Forexample, being filial to parents includes compassionand kindness, reasoning and wisdom. Wisdomincludes being filial, compassionate and kind.

Once we have a general understanding of Buddhism,how do we apply it to our daily living? First we needto know what each Buddha and Bodhisattvarepresents. If we do not, then Buddhism would bereduced to superstition and we would not receive itstrue benefits. All Buddhist sutras contain thesequalities, characteristics and the ways of practice;therefore, learning only one sutra will be enough. Oneneeds to know how to understand and apply theteachings effectively.

Usually in the center of the main hall of a way place,there are statues of one Buddha and two Bodhisattvas,which represent our self-nature and original entity.The two Bodhisattvas represent our virtuous abilitieswithin our self-nature; one is understanding and theother is practice. If the Buddha in the middle isBuddha Shakyamuni, then the two figures on eitherside of him will be Manjusri and Universal WorthyBodhisattvas, representing wisdom and applicationrespectively. Thus, understanding and practice arecombined into one. If the hall has the three sages ofthe Western Pure Land, with Buddha Amitabha in themiddle, representing self-nature, then the two figures

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on either side of him will be Guan Yin and GreatStrength Bodhisattvas. They respectively representcompassion and wisdom, completely symbolizing theinfinite wisdom and virtuous capabilities. Therefore,we again see that Buddhism is a teaching.

There are profound teachings within the names of theBuddhas and Bodhisattvas, for example the name ofBuddha Shakyamuni tells us the principles of theBuddha’s education. “Shakya” means humanity andkindness. “Muni” means purity of mind. The teachingof these two qualities is advocated because people inour world lack compassion and kindness, and are oftenselfish. Moreover, all sentient beings lack purity ofmind, constantly dwelling in wandering thoughts,greed, anger, ignorance and arrogance. AnyBodhisattva who becomes a Buddha in this world willbe named Shakyamuni to teach us the remedy for ourproblems. Once the representations of Buddha andBodhisattva statues are understood intuitively just bylooking at them, one will perfectly comprehend thegoal of the Buddha’s teachings.

When we enter the first hall of a way place, the Hall ofHeavenly Guardians, we will see the statue ofMaitreya Bodhisattva surrounded by the fourHeavenly Guardians in the middle of the hall.Maitreya Bodhisattva, known in the west as the HappyBuddha, has a huge smile representing joyfulness. Hisgreat stomach represents enormous tolerance and

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broad-mindedness, teaching us to interact with othersand matters with joy, to be non-discriminating andtolerant. Next to him are four Heavenly Guardians orDharma Protectors who teach us how to protectourselves.

The Eastern Dharma Protector, symbolizes fulfillingone’s duty and responsibility, teaching us thatregardless of position, one needs to fulfill one’s duties.He is holding a lute in his hand. The strings of theinstrument should not be too tight, or else they willbreak; nor should they be too loose or they will notplay well. When properly adjusted and balanced, theinstrument will play beautifully, clearly symbolizingthat we need to take the middle path when interactingwith matters, people and objects. When each of usfulfills our responsibilities and obligations, how couldthe nation not prosper?

The Southern Dharma Protector symbolizesimprovement and daily advancement. Not only domatters need to be taken care of appropriately;continuous improvement also needs to be sought. Inhis right hand, the Southern Dharma Protector holdsthe sword of wisdom and in his left hand a ringsymbolizing the perfection of wisdom, showing us thatone needs to use wisdom in seeking improvement. Thesword symbolizes how one needs to sever afflictionsbefore they are out of control.

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The third and fourth Heavenly Guardians are theWestern and the Northern Dharma Protectors,representing comprehensive vision and listeningrespectively. Both teach us to observe and listen morecarefully as well as to read numerous books and travelto many places for comprehensive learning. Theyteach us to do well in our job, to adopt the goodqualities as well as to disregard the shortcomings ofothers.

The Western Dharma Protector represents far-sightedobservation and holds a dragon or snake. The dragonor snake symbolizes constant change. In his otherhand, he holds a bead, symbolizing principles. People,matters and objects in society undergo changesconstantly. One needs to observe very carefully andthoroughly, to have a firm grasp on the principleswithin in order to be able to control this “dragon orsnake.” The Northern Dharma Protector holds anumbrella to prevent one from being contaminated.This reminds us that within a complex society, oneneeds to know how to protect one’s body and mindfrom pollution and corruption. From these examples,we can see that the artistic aspects of the Buddha’seducation are truly beautiful. Unfortunately, manypeople regard these Dharma protectors as gods to beworshipped, which is totally wrong.

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Chapter Four:The Five Guidelines of Practice

The Three Conditions

After establishing Pure Land Learning Centers inseveral countries, we set five guidelines for Pure Landpractitioners to follow. These five guidelines wereextracted from the five Pure Land sutras to be appliedin daily living. The first guideline is the ThreeConditions, extracted from the Visualization Sutra,which provides a very important foundation forcultivation. The Buddha stated in the sutra that theseThree Conditions are the proper causes of which allthe Buddhas from the past, present and future practicetheir pure karma. In other words, all the people whobecame Buddhas perfected these as their foundation;thus, we cannot disregard them.

The First Condition concerns the good fortune ofheavenly beings and humans. Before one can becomea Buddha or a Bodhisattva, one needs to first become agood person. The criteria for this are:

a) Being filial and respectful toward parents, teachers, and elders,

b) Being compassionate and not killing any living being and

c) Practicing the Ten Good Conducts.

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With this first step, we begin to practice Buddhism.

The Second Condition includes:

a) Taking the Three Refuges,

b) Abiding by laws, customs, and precepts and

c) Conducting oneself in proper and dignified manner.

The main principle of our practice is awakening,proper thoughts and viewpoints, and purity. Abeginning step in learning Buddhism is to TakeRefuge in the Triple Jewels. After one generates theheart to Take Refuge in the Triple Jewels byaccepting, learning and practicing Buddhism, onefinds a Dharma Master to pass on the principle, goaland direction of practicing Buddhism. The TripleJewels are the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. Inappearance, they are pictures or sculptures of Buddhas,Buddhist sutras, and monks and nuns, respectively.Another way of understanding them is that they are thetrue Triple Jewels within our true mind.

The Buddha taught us to take refuge in the TripleJewels of our self-nature. To return and rely upon theBuddha is to rely on the awakening in our self-nature.What is this awakening? Currently, we are deludedand not awakened. How did we become deluded?

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Delusion is due to our discriminating mind andattachments. If we part from this discriminating mindand attachments, can we still see objects clearly? Wecannot say we do not see them, but if we see them veryclearly without discriminating thoughts andattachments, then we are awakened. When there is theslightest discrimination or attachment, one is deluded.

The same applies to our attaching to the form we arelooking at; it is delusion. Initially, objects do not havenames but are given them by people. The names, likethe object, are not real. Apart from the names andappearances, what we see is the true form. We aredeluded about these forms, their physical features andtheir names. Consequently, when we rid ourselves ofthese delusions, we will not be attached. This is howwe can train ourselves to return and rely upon theBuddha Jewel or Enlightenment.

If someone points to a table and asks what it is, wewill naturally say it is a table because that is whateverybody calls it. We go along with everybody’sattachment but if we are not attached to it ourselves,then we will be awakened. Therefore, the minds of theBuddhas and Bodhisattvas are pure and without theslightest pollution for they are completely withoutthese attachments. When with others, we can go alongwith them but maintain our purity inside. In this way,we return and rely upon awakening. After takingrefuge, when we apply this concept to our daily living,

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whether interacting with people, matters or objects, wewill no longer be deluded. Our mind will always bepure, non-discriminating and able to help all sentientbeings. This is to return and rely upon awakening orthe Buddha Jewel.

The Dharma that we return to and rely upon refers toproper thoughts and viewpoints, which is hard toaccomplish. Only when we are truly enlightened, willour thoughts and viewpoints be correct. Before wereach enlightenment, we can adopt the proper thoughtsand viewpoints of Buddha Shakyamuni as ours. All thethoughts and viewpoints within the sutras are correct.We can at first rely on Buddha Shakyamuni, but onlyfor a while, as he does not want us to rely upon himforever. This is like a student relying on teachers inschool but becoming independent after graduation.Likewise, before we attain great enlightenment, weneed to rely on Buddha Shakyamuni and BuddhaAmitabha as our teachers.

Where is the Buddha? The Buddha is within the sutras,as Buddha Shakyamuni stated in the Infinite Life Sutraand Buddha Amitabha relayed to us through the Forty-eight Great Vows. Relying on the teachings within thesutra is relying on the Buddha. We would do well topractice earnestly what the Buddha taught us to do orrefrain from doing. In this way we will be true andgood students. Applying this concept in our dailyliving is to return and rely upon the Dharma Jewel.

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The Sangha of the Sangha Jewel represents purity andharmony as in the Six Principles of Harmony.Consequently, whenever we see a monk and nun, wedo not want to dwell on whether this person is a greatcultivator or a violator of precepts. Whether they areor are not is not our concern. Seeing a monk or a nunreminds us to see whether we ourselves have lived bythe Six Principles of Harmony, or have cultivatedpurity of mind. To truly take refuge is to know how toreflect on ourselves, since we still have all the samebad habits and are committing the same offenses,having been deluded for infinite eons.

It would be helpful for Buddhists to set up the TripleJewels in their home. When we make offerings to theBuddha statue or picture, we will be reminded that weneed to be awakened. How? When our six sensesencounter the external environment, we would notdiscriminate or attach, or give rise to any thoughts. Forexample, meditation is not giving rise to anydiscriminating thoughts or attachments. Thus oneachieves a high level of wisdom and is able to see allsituations clearly. However, ordinary people like us,use the false mind and constantly give rise towandering and discriminating thoughts andattachments in these situations. The appearance ofeverything we see is false. Once we have understoodthese principles and learned how to not havewandering thoughts and attachments, we can alsobecome a Bodhisattva or Buddha.

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Taking the Three Refuges is a beginning step inpracticing Buddhism. From there, we proceed on tothe foundation of Theravada Buddhism then toMahayana Buddhism for the Third Condition, whichis comprised of:

a) Generating the Bodhi mind,

b) Deeply believing in the Law of Cause and Effect,

c) Reciting and upholding Mahayana sutras and

d) Encouraging others on the path to Enlightenment.

Before practicing Mahayana Buddhism, we need togenerate the Bodhi mind. Bodhi means awakening,thus, the Bodhi mind is an awakened mind. Howwill one be awakened? When one first realizes andunderstands that this world is full of sufferings.

Upon careful and rational observation of society, wemay find our conclusions frightening. Looking backover the last thirty years, we see that people used tobe kinder and more considerate. Whereas, peoplenowadays are more selfish and usually only think ofbenefiting oneself at the expense of others. Thisselfishness has created a chaotic world making eventhe climate abnormal. Therefore, the first thing in

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generating the Bodhi mind is to realize that this worldis filled with suffering and that the Western Pure Landis filled with bliss. True awakening is when one seeksto escape these sufferings then to attain happiness.

Second, awakening is the aspiration to benefit and helpall sentient beings, to think of others and not ofoneself. What are the urgent needs of sentient beings?There is nothing more important than the Buddha’steachings. Thus, our most pressing need is nurturingand training lecturers to continue to pass on Buddhism.Today due to our advanced printing skills, numeroussutras have been distributed throughout the world, butregretfully, few people lecture on them. Since peoplehave the tendency to misunderstand the meaningswithin the sutras, we need qualified people to lectureand explain them. Today the best way to benefit othersis to train lecturers and at the same time gaininnumerable merits. We work toward this goal with agreat tolerant mind, not just for one Way Place, area orcountry but for the whole world. If only one countryprospers and the others are poor, the poor will envyand resent the prosperous, leading to conflicts orworse. How could one pass the days peacefullyknowing this? If everyone is prosperous, then all willbe happy and peaceful.

Once there is a good number of lecturers to help othersclearly understand the principles of the Buddha’steachings, they will in turn gradually help others in

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reaching awakening to break through delusion andescape suffering thus attaining happiness. This is themost beneficial way for one to put the Bodhi mind intopractice.

To believe deeply in the Law of Cause and Effect doesnot simply refer to “What goes around comes around.”The profound meaning is, “Being mindful of BuddhaAmitabha is the cause and becoming Buddha is theconsequence.”

For the Pure Land practitioner, reciting and upholdingMahayana Sutras can be accomplished by reciting theInfinite Life Sutra. Delving deeply into one methodcan be achieved by concentrating on one sutra. If onedoes not think this is sufficient, the four other sutrasand one commentary of the Pure Land School couldalso be recited. These six are more than enough.Simply allow them to take root and flourish. Finally,one encourages others on the path to enlightenment.The first three parts of the Third Condition benefit theself. The last one teaches us to dedicate the benefits wehave received to all others; to help them to understand,practice and succeed in their cultivation of Buddhism.When attaining achievement in the Buddha’steachings, one succeeds in attaining infinite wisdom.

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The Six Harmonies

The Three Conditions are the first of The FiveGuidelines of the foundation for Pure Land practice.We have yet to become Buddhas or to depart from thisworld. Even when one becomes a Buddha, one doesnot leave all behind as Buddhas want to help allsentient beings in the ten directions.

How does one get along with others harmoniously?The Buddha set six principles for us to follow. Notonly are these applicable within a Buddhist communitybut also in all organizations or groups. When we takerefuge in the Triple Jewels, there is a saying, “Toreturn and rely upon the Sangha, the most worthy ofrespect of all groups.” Group means a gathering ofpeople. In our society, the smallest group of people isa family, a larger one is a nation and the largest is theunion of many nations. Actually, the whole world is agroup of which we all are a part. Why is a Buddhistcommunity the most precious of all groups? The sixrules that the Buddha set for Buddhist communities aresomething all its members follow, making this groupthe most worthy of respect and of being a role modelfor all.

The first of the Six Principles of Harmony is to sharethe same goals and viewpoints, in other words toestablish a common consensus. Everyone within thisgroup shares similar thoughts and viewpoints,

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providing the foundation for living in harmony. Ifeveryone has different viewpoints and ideas, thenconflicts would be unavoidable, making the groupdiscordant. Therefore, sharing the same goals andviewpoints is very important, making this the first ofthe Six Principles.

The second of the Principles is to observe the sameprecepts and rules. There are both broad and narrowmeanings within the word “Precept.” The narrowmeaning includes upholding the five or ten laypersonprecepts, monk’s or nun’s precepts, or Bodhisattvaprecepts and the Buddha’s teachings. In a broadersense, “Observing precepts” includes abiding byetiquette, customs, rules and laws of the entire world.

Today, through the advancement of technology intravel and communication, our sphere of activity is notlimited to our country but expands to other countriesas well. Whether sightseeing, on business, or visitingothers, it is essential to observe the local customs andlaws, to live in harmony, thus being welcomed andrespected by others. This principle is practical andbrings joy to others; therefore, upholding Buddhistprecepts also includes following the customs and lawsof the country. All governments welcome law-abidingcitizens, so to truly promote and be a benefactor ofBuddhism is to uphold the precepts. With this as abase, people could then harmoniously live withoutarguments and share the joy of practicing together.

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When living together and sharing a commonconsensus, a group would naturally not have anyconflicts. To practice with the same goal and toachieve improvement daily would ensure that thecommunity would experience joy and inner peace.

The last of the Six Principles is to share benefitsequally. Benefits refer to our daily necessities. ASangha does not merely represent a community ofmonks and nuns. At home, the family can also practiceBuddhism and accord with the Six Principles ofHarmony to make up a sangha. Even within acompany, everyone, from the employer to the workers,can practice Buddhism to make up a sangha.Therefore, sangha has a very broad meaning. Within aSangha, one strives to share benefits. For left-homepeople it means having the same manner of living,from the abbot to one with no formal responsibilitieswithin the community, everyone shares the samemanner of living, with no special treatment. We woulddo well to live by the Six Principles of Harmony tolearn how to better get along with others. When withother organizations or groups, regardless of whether ornot they follow the Six Principles of Harmony, weourselves need to accord with the spirit of thesePrinciples to truly follow the Buddha’s teachings.

Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are our best role modelswhile we are to be good role models for others who arenot Buddhists. This is the spirit of Buddhism, using

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our own behavior to influence and benefit others, thuspromoting Buddhism. We do not teach others in theformal sense but simply let them observe us. Thus ourdaily conduct and practice can unobtrusively andimperceptibly help to influence and change others likeBuddhas or Bodhisattvas manifesting in this world toteach sentient beings.

The Three Learnings

The third guideline is the Three Learnings: self-discipline, concentration and wisdom. The ThreeLearnings summarize all the teachings from BuddhaShakyamuni and all the Buddhas in the past, presentand future. The Great Canon of Sutras is divided intothree sections: sutras, vinaya or precepts, and sastrasor commentaries. Sutras include the teachings ofmeditation, vinaya includes the teachings of self-discipline or precepts, sastra includes the teachings ofwisdom. These Three Learnings of self-discipline,concentration and meditation represent the core of theBuddha’s teachings.

The teachings of precepts place most emphasis onrules, regulations and laws. The earth has fourseasonal changes: spring, summer, autumn and winter.We need rules and laws to successfully interact withpeople and matters, thus enabling the members ofsociety to enjoy a wonderful and fulfilling life. A

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world absent of law and order is a world of chaos.Although one may possess good fortune and wealth,one may still be unhappy, living in fear and insecurity.Why? We have discarded law and order. The preceptsthoroughly explain the principles, methods and thelevel of mind we need to bring about law and order.The Three Learnings clearly explain this concept. Wepractice the Buddha’s teachings in order to attain theultimate, perfect wisdom. Once we uncover this innerwisdom, we will know the true reality of life and theuniverse, including how to restore our originalabilities.

The Buddha told us that all sentient beings possess aBuddha’s wisdom and virtuous abilities. While theknowledge of the past, present and future is part of ouroriginal ability, they are unfortunately covered andhidden by our delusion. Delusion occurs when themind/heart is not still, while an enlightened oneremains unaffected. When our six senses encounter theenvironment, our mind/heart moves, giving rise towandering thoughts.

The Buddha taught numerous ways to practice so wecan remain unaffected in all situations, not giving riseto any wandering, discriminating thoughts orattachments, thus recovering our original capabilities.This state of mind is deep concentration. Cultivation iscorrecting one’s erroneous thoughts, speech andbehavior. What are the standards for these? They are

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discipline and concentration. Discipline is the externalstandard and precept observation is the internalstandard; concentration is the standard for the puremind. The external standard is very important, butmuch more important is the internal standard, becauseit helps us to achieve our goal in the practice to attainwisdom.

With self-discipline, we attain the concentration thatgives rise to wisdom. This ultimate, perfect wisdom is“Annuttara-Samyak-Sambodhi.” How does one firstattain proper realization, then equal and properrealization, and finally perfect, complete realization?These levels of attainment depend on the strength ofconcentration, the extent of the purity of mind. AsBuddhists, the goal of our practice is Perfect,Complete Enlightenment. If one departs from rules oforder and purity of mind, one is not practicingBuddhism. No matter which method one practices,whether Buddha Name Chanting, precept observing,mantra chanting, or Zen meditation; if one does notfollow the guidelines, one cannot attain the pure mind.All would be just window dressing. With one degreeof pure mind, we attain one degree of wisdom. Withtwo degrees of pure mind, we attain two degrees ofwisdom, etc. Therefore, practicing accordingly andmaintaining and protecting the pure mind, which givesrise to true wisdom, is exceptionally important.

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The Six Paramitas or Principles

The fourth guideline is the Six Principles or Paramitasthat are the primary living principles of Bodhisattvas.Each principle encompasses our whole way of living;for example, the first of the Six Principles is “Giving.”Some people think of giving as simply donatingmoney. Actually, this is only one of the infinite kindsof giving. From the appearance, giving is sacrificingoneself to give to others. However, from its intrinsicnature, giving is letting go.

We can practice giving of our wealth or physicalstrength. For example, a homemaker keeps house dailyproviding a comfortable environment for the family.Without proper understanding, this homemaker mayfeel these daily chores are repetitive; that washingclothes and cooking meals are boring. If however, thehomemaker clearly understands that he or she iscultivating the Bodhisattva Way by practicing the SixPrinciples, then he or she will be filled with joy.Changing one’s perception of doing the same choreswith a giving, non-attaching heart is practicing theprinciple of giving. Not only does one serve the wholefamily by keeping the house neat, but one also servesas a role model for all relatives and neighbors. In thisway, not just one but all beings benefit. One is thus afamily role model for all families. Whether managing

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a store or business, being a role model for others ispracticing the Bodhisattva Way in guiding sentientbeings. The principle of giving can be expanded to theinfinite universe and beyond. With this extensivebroadmindedness, one is a Mahayana Bodhisattva.

Giving is comprised of three categories: wealth,teaching and fearlessness. The giving of wealthincludes internal and external wealth. Internal wealthinvolves all of our mental and physical labors thatbenefit others. External wealth is the giving of allother things, e.g. money, food, etc. Gaining wealth isthe result of giving wealth. The giving of teaching isthe willingness to instruct others while not selfishlyholding back any knowledge. It is to do one’s best ineducating willing students. As a result, one gainsintelligence and wisdom. The giving of fearlessnessincludes soothing away other’s fears and providing afeeling of security. As a result, one gains health andlong life. Most people wish for wealth, intelligence,wisdom, health and long life. When there is a goodcause, a good reward will follow. One does not receivea reward without first planting the good cause. Bypracticing all three kinds of giving, one perfectlyattains all these rewards.

Observing carefully, we will see that there are notmany who have all they wish for. Some wealthyemployers do not possess great intelligence orwisdom, but have intelligent and wise employees

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working under them, following their instructions.These intelligent and wise employees have cultivatedwisdom in their past lives but did not cultivate goodfortune. On the other hand, these employers cultivatedgood fortune but did not cultivate wisdom. Cause andeffect may be complex, but not hard to distinguish.Thus, using Buddhist principles to observe societyenables one to know how to conduct oneself in thefuture.

In reality, true wisdom is more important than goodfortune. Wealth is good fortune, but how one uses andallocates wealth requires a high level of wisdom.Without wisdom, possessing wealth may lead one tocreate infinite bad karma from bad deeds, thinking oneis doing good. Without wisdom, one is unable todistinguish true from false, proper from deviated, rightfrom wrong or beneficial from harmful. Often one isignorant of having conducted oneself in an erroneousmanner.

All these principles are explained very clearly in LiaoFan’s Four Lessons. Within good and bad there existstrue and false, half and full, right and wrong. From itsappearance, what may appear to be a true good deed,due to changes in its nature some time later, can turnout to have been a bad one. On the other hand, whatmay initially appear to be a bad deed can turn out tohave been a good one. Therefore, one needs insight tounderstand the outcome of all good and bad deeds and

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not to judge them by their initial appearance. Oneneeds a high level of wisdom to understand deeply andto be far-sighted enough to distinguish correctly thetruth.

The second principle is “Precept Observation,” whichalso has a broad meaning. One follows the Buddha’steachings, accords with the customs of society, andabides by the rules and laws of a country. In both thespirit of the law as well as the letter, all rules and lawsneed to be followed.

The third principle is “Patience.” Patience includeslong-term patience whether interacting with people,matters or objects. As the Buddha explained in theDiamond Sutra, all dharma is attained from patienceand endurance. To succeed in either worldly orspiritual dharma, one must have patience. Without itone cannot attain achievement. Having this patience toendure what others cannot, one achieves what otherscannot. Only then will one accomplish great deeds.

The fourth principle is “Diligence.” Diligence isseeking focused improvement daily, not trying toadvance in many different directions. Advancing withdiligence to a certain level, one attains concentration.This concentration does not simply mean cultivatingwhile sitting in a lotus position facing a wall. It is tohave a firm hold of one’s mind and not to beinfluenced by external conditions. This accords with

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the Diamond Sutra, to remain unmoved by andunattached to any phenomenon. Not attaching to anyphenomenon is to not be enticed by temptations fromexternal influences. One achieves concentration whenone is unmoved by all phenomena, such as theadvancement of scientific technology, so confusing yetdazzling to our eyes. It is seeing everything clearly andknowing that all is intuitive wisdom, the prajnawisdom. In this way, one will then live happily.

For example, when we buy a refrigerator, use andmaintain it nicely, it can last at least ten years. Duringthese ten years, there will be improvements andchanges in refrigerator manufacturing. Will we want toexchange it for a new one? When there is no need for anew one and we continue to use it, we haveconcentration. When we are moved upon seeing a newmodel in the store and want to buy it to replace the oldone, afraid that guests will laugh at the latter’sappearance; we have neither concentration norwisdom. Living in this way, one would not be happybecause one’s income would slip through one’s fingersjust trying to keep up with new products. Buddhismcalls this Mara, what comes to make one suffer, in thiscase, to tempt one to spend all their hard-earnedmoney. A truly wise person would be unmoved andlive a happy fulfilling life without worries orafflictions, unlike ordinary people.

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The Ten Great Vows of Universal WorthyBodhisattva

The fifth and last of the guidelines is the Ten GreatVows of Universal Worthy Bodhisattva. UniversalWorthy Bodhisattva is unlike any other Bodhisattvadue to his great broadmindedness, where his everythought is of helping all sentient beings. He does notthink of himself, his family, country or world but ofthe infinite universe and beyond, reaching trueperfection. With this great broad mind, all that hepractices is great.

The order in practicing Buddhism is belief,understanding, practice and attainment. First, oneneeds to have unwavering belief, for without it one isunable to accept the Buddha’s teachings. It is not thateasy to instill this belief, as it depends on affinity orcondition. In Buddhism, these conditions include goodroots, good fortune, merits, virtues and cause. Withoutthese, it would be extremely difficult to have thisunwavering belief. In believing, one needs to firstbelieve that one possesses the Buddha nature and thatone can definitely become a Buddha. Second, we needto have confidence in our original teacher, BuddhaShakyamuni, knowing that he would not lie to us. Wealso need to believe that what the great masters andPatriarchs have passed down to us is truthful.However, simply believing is not enough.

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Equally important is that one seeks the correct andperfect understanding. After understanding, one needsto accomplish, to practice, to apply Buddhistprinciples, methods and levels of attainment into one’sdaily living. Lastly, the attainment is to prove withinour daily lives that all the teachings andunderstandings are correct.

Lately, I have heard some fellow practitioners mentionthat lacking a blessing from an Esoteric Master wouldseem to make one inferior to others. In reality, arethese kinds of blessing all that effective? In America,many fellow practitioners were so enthusiastic aboutthis ritual that they would even drive ten hours or morejust to find a Master to obtain a consecration. Afterthey came back, I asked them if they had uncoveredtheir wisdom and had fewer afflictions. They honestlyshook their heads and said no. I said, if a consecrationis achieved by sprinkling a few drops of water on thehead, then one might as well go take a shower toreceive a great consecration.

Not understanding the true characteristics andmeanings behind all the rituals reveals a very sadphenomenon in Buddhism. Mr. Nian-Chu Huang whowas an Esoteric master, stated very clearly in hiscommentary of the Infinite Life Sutra, “Theconsecration is a blessing of compassion and kindness;one’s head symbolizes the act of instilling in theperson the outstanding teachings of the Buddha.”

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Chapter Five:The Pure Land School

Today, as we practice the Pure Land method, we knowthat the Infinite Life Sutra is a very important sutra,thus is a supreme Dharma. Passing on the Infinite LifeSutra and the Amitabha Sutra to others brings them agreat consecration. Reciting the sutra once is to receiveconsecration once from all the Buddhas in the tendirections. Reciting the sutra twice is to receiveconsecration twice from all the Buddhas. Therefore,one needs to understand the method in practicing, tostart from the foundation of the Three Conditions.

As I said earlier, the first condition is to be filial andrespectful toward parents and teachers; to becompassionate and not kill any living being; and tocultivate the Ten Good Conducts. Cultivation beginsfrom here. If one thinks that one cannot accomplishthe above, then no matter how one practices, it is onlysuperficial. It is important for one to practice earnestlyto accomplish these conditions or one may not attainthe true benefits from the Buddha’s teachings.

Ultimately, we return to the Pure Land method. Why?To return to the Pure Land method is what all Buddhasrecommend we do. In the Amitabha Sutra, all theBuddhas in the six directions praise the Pure Land. Inthe Infinite Life Sutra, Buddha Shakyamuni was veryclear in praising Buddha Amitabha as the most

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respected, with the brightest of light, the king of allBuddhas. When returning to and relying upon aBuddha, who would be better than the best? BuddhaShakyamuni did not ask us to return and rely uponhimself but rather upon Buddha Amitabha, for he isthe ultimate Buddha of all Buddhas.

In the Flower Adornment Sutra, we see that Manjusriand Universal Worthy Bodhisattvas sought birth intothe Western Pure Land. If the Western Pure Land werenot so remarkable, why would these two Bodhisattvasof the Hwa Dzan world want to go to this particularPure Land? The Infinite Life Sutra explains why onewould want to chant Buddha Amitabha’s name and beborn into the Pure Land. If one would recite theInfinite Life Sutra more often and listen to lectures onit, one would come to a deeper and more meaningfulunderstanding and cultivation.

If we do not wish to spend more time and energy toseek the truth of life and the universe, then followingthe teachings within this sutra would be sufficient andperfect. Why? In the future, after we are born into thePure Land, our wisdom, virtuous abilities andenjoyments will be equal to those of BuddhaAmitabha. We will then clearly understand the truth oflife and the universe. Thus, as ancient wise peopleoften said, the Pure Land method is a short cut to theultimate Enlightenment.

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Using other methods, we take a long circuitous routeto achieve Enlightenment. Seeking birth into the PureLand is the short cut that ensures us of attainingEnlightenment in one lifetime. From this, we knowthat this method is outstanding and beyondcomparison. All Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and pastPatriarchs praised this method. It is a rare opportunityfor us to encounter it in this lifetime. As is said in theopening verse of the sutras, “Difficult to encounter ininfinite eons.” Having encountered it in this lifetime, itwould be unbearably sad to let this rarest ofopportunities pass us by. It occurs so infrequently ininfinite eons, we need to hold on tight, to not let go, tolearn and practice it as earnestly and sincerely as wecan.

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Dedication

This book is dedicated to all the beingsin the ten directions.

In the present and in the future,who have not yet been born into

Buddha Amitabha’s Western Pure Land.

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The Ten Recitation Method

The Ten-Recitation method is a simple, convenient,effective way to practice Buddha Name Recitation. Itis especially suitable for those who find little time inthe day for cultivation. Practicing this method helps usto regain mindfulness of Buddha Amitabha and bringsus peace and clarity in the present moment.

The practice begins first thing in the morning when wewake up. We sit up straight and clearly recite “NamoAmitabha” ten times with an undisturbed mind, aloudor silently to ourselves. We repeat this process eightmore times for the rest of the day. Altogether, we doone round of ten recitations, nine times a day, everyday as follows:

1. Upon waking up

2. Before starting breakfast

3. After finishing breakfast

4. Before work

5. Before starting lunch

6. After finishing lunch

7. Before starting dinner

8. After finishing dinner

9. At bedtime

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Altogether, this method is practiced nine times daily.The key is regularity; disruption of this practice willreduce its effectiveness. Without interruption, thecultivator will soon feel an increase in his/her purity ofmind and wisdom.

Diligent practice of the Ten-Recitation Method,together with unwavering belief and vows, can ensurefulfillment of our wish to reach the Western Pure Landof Infinite Life and Infinite Light. We hope everyonewill practice accordingly.

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Glossary

Aeon. 1,334,000,000 years. Often expressed as thetime it would take for a mountain of solid rock of tencubic leagues to wear down if the tip of a heavenlymaiden’s delicate tunic brushed against it everyhundred years. A fantastically long period of time.

Affliction. Condition or cause of pain, distress andsuffering which disturbs the body and mind.

Amitabha (Sanskrit or Skrt) . The name of theBuddha of the Western Pure Land, primarily meaningInfinite Life and Light. Called Amituofo in Chinese.

Anuttara-Samyak-Sambodhi (Skrt). Highest, properand complete enlightenment.

Arhat (Skrt) . One who has reached self-realization, astate in which one possesses no erroneous perceptions,views, speech or behavior.

Attachments. Fixed to certain ideas or objects.

Bodhi mind (Skrt) . The great compassionate andsincere mind, with every thought to attain completeself-realization for self and other.

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Bodhisattva (Skrt). One who helps others to reachrealization after achieving their own.

Buddha (Skrt). One who has reached perfection inboth self-realization and helping others to reachrealization.

Delusion. False beliefs, wrong views.

Dharma (Skrt) . 1) The teachings of the Buddha(generally capitalized in English); 2) Things, events,phenomena, everything; 3) Duty, law, doctrine.

Dharma-ending Age. The Dharma Perfect Age beganwith Buddha Shakyamuni’s demise and lasted fivehundred years, during which Enlightenment was oftenattained. The Dharma Semblance Age began after thatand lasted one thousand years, during whichEnlightenment was seldom attained. The DharmaEnding Age that we are now in began after that andwill last for ten thousand years during whichEnlightenment will rarely be attained.

Dusts. Metaphor for all the mundane things that cancloud our self-nature.

Eight Afflictions . Absence of embarrassment andshamefulness, and the presence of jealously,stinginess, misdeeds, drowsiness, sleep and agitation.

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Eighth Ground Bodhisattva. There are ten levels orgrounds of a Bodhisattva’s enlightenment whichsummarize the most important steps in a Bodhisattva’spath right before attaining buddhahood. Some say it isat this level that Bodhisattvas reach the stage ofNon-regression, the level at which they will neverretreat from the Bodhisattva-path.

Four Universal Vows of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.(1) Sentient beings are innumerable, I vow to helpthem all; (2) Afflictions are inexhaustible, I vow toend them all; (3) Ways to practice are boundless,I vow to master them all; (4) Enlightenment isunsurpassable, I vow to attain it.

Five Desires. Wealth, lust, food-drink, fame and sleep.

Five Guidelines. Following: 1) The Three Conditions;2) The Six Principles of Harmony; 3) The ThreeLearnings, 4) The Six Paramitas or Principles and5) Samantabhadra Bodhisattva’s Ten Great Vows.

Five Pure Land Sutras and One Sastra. (1) TheBuddha Speaks of the Infinite Life Sutra ofAdornment, Purity, Equality and Enlightenment of theMahayana School, (2) The Amitabha Sutra, (3) TheVisualization Sutra, (4) The Chapter of UniversalWorthy Bodhisattva’s Conduct and Vows, (5) TheChapter on the Perfect Complete Realization of GreatStrength Bodhisattva through Buddha NameRecitation from the Surangama Sutra and

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(6) Vasubandhu Bodhisattva’s Report on the Way toReaching the Pure Land.

Good Fortune. Happiness, intelligence, wellbeing,prosperity etc.

Good roots. Good qualities or seeds sown by a goodlife to be reaped later.

Hungry Ghost. One of the three lower realms.Hungry ghosts wander in a limbo-like state in whichthey can find no satisfaction for their desires,especially but not exclusively, for their hunger orthirst. One is reborn here if he or she has extremegreed.

Karma (Skrt) . Law of Cause and Effect, results fromthought, speech and behavior.

Karmic Result. The natural reward or retributionbrought about by the Law of Cause and Effect(Karma).

Mahayana (Skrt). One of the two major branches ofBuddhism. Bodhisattva path of helping all sentientbeings to attain universal liberation.

Merits . The great benefits (wealth, intelligence, etc.)of the human and celestial realms; therefore, they aretemporary and subject to birth and death. Virtues, onthe other hand, are attained from one’s pure mind and

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enable one to transcend birth and death and lead toBuddhahood. An identical action, e.g. charity, can leadeither to merit or virtue, depending on the mind of thepractitioner, whether he or she is seeking ordinaryrewards (merit) or transcendence (virtue).

Mind fulness of Buddha. Initially the mindremembers the Buddha and does not forget. Afterfurther cultivation, one constantly contemplates theBuddha.

Nine Realms. All ten realms minus the Buddha realm.

Non-regression. One who will never retreat from theBodhisattva-path, some say it is not reached until theeighth of the ten grounds of a Bodhisattva.

Phenomena. Things, events, happenings, everything.

Prajna-Wisdom (Skrt). Intuitive wisdom.

Pratyekabuddha (Skrt). One who attains hisenlightenment alone, independent of a teacher, withthe objective of attaining Nirvana for him/herself.

Precepts. Rules set up by Buddha Shakyamuni toguide his students from erroneous thoughts, speechand behavior.

Pure Land. See Western Pure Land.

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Pure Mind or Purity of Mind . The mind withoutdiscrimination or attachments.

Retribution . Karmic punishment from erroneousthought, speech or action.

Saha world (Skrt). Refers to our solar system, filledwith suffering and afflictions, yet gladly endured by itsinhabitants.

Samadhi (Skrt). Meditative absorption. Usuallydenotes the particular final stage of pure concentrationand contemplation. There are many degrees and typesof Samadhi.

Sangha (Skrt). Group of four or more peoples whoproperly practice the Buddha’s teaching together,especially The Six Principles of Harmony.

Sanskrit (Skrt) . Language of ancient India.

Sastra (Skrt). Commentary on sutras primarily byBodhisattvas.

Self-Nature. Our original, true self that we still have,but is currently covered by deluded thoughts.

Sentient being. A living being that is aware of itselfand can experience feeling or sensation.

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Sharira (Skrt) . Relics that remain after cremationindicating the person had attained some degree ofpurity of body and mind.

Six Paramitas or Principles. Giving, preceptobservation, patience, diligence, concentration andwisdom.

Six Principles of Harmony. 1) Share the sameviewpoints or goals. 2) Observe the same precepts.3) Live and practice together harmoniously. 4) Notquarrel. 5) Experience the inner peace and happinessfrom practicing together harmoniously. 6) To sharebenefits equally.

Six Realms. Three upper realms are heavens, asurasand humans. Three lower realms are animals, hungryghosts and hells.

Six Senses. Sight, sound, smell, taste, touch and mindobject.

Six Sense Objects. Form, sound, scent, taste, textureand mind object.

Six Sense Organs. Eyes, ears, nose, mouth, body andmind.

Sutra (Skrt) . Teaching by the Buddha, initially givenverbally, later compiled and written down by theBuddha’s students.

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Ten Directions. North, Northeast, East, Southeast,South, Southwest, West, Northwest, above and below.

Ten Good Conducts. No killing, stealing, sexualmisconduct, lying, abusive language, backbiting,seductive words, greed, anger or ignorance.

Ten Great Vows of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva.1) Pay respect to all Buddhas. 2) Praise “Thus ComeOne.” 3) Make offerings extensively. 4) Repent ofKarmic obstacles. 5) Be joyful over others’ meritoriousdeeds. 6) Appeal to the Buddha to turn the Dharmawheel. 7) Request the Buddha to reside in this world.8) Constantly be a diligent follower of the Buddha’steaching. 9) Accord with all sentient beings.10) Dedicate all merits.

Ten Realms. Six realms plus those of Buddhas,Bodhisattvas, Pratyekabuddhas and Sound-hearers.

Three Conditions. The first includes being filial andrespectful to one’s parents and teachers, beingcompassionate and not killing any living beings andthe Ten Good Conducts. The second is following theThree Refuges, precepts, laws and customs, andconducting oneself in a proper and dignified manner.Third is generating the Bodhi mind, deeply believingin the Law of Cause and Effect, reciting and upholdingMahayana sutras, and encouraging others to advanceon the path to Enlightenment.

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Three Learnings. Self-discipline, concentration andwisdom.

Three Poisons. Greed, anger and ignorance.

Three Refuges. We take refuge in the Buddha,Dharma and Sangha. When we take refuge in theBuddha, we are returning from our deluded state ofmind and relying upon an awakened, understandingmind. When we take refuge in the Dharma, we arereturning from deviant views and relying upon properviews and understanding. When we take refuge in theSangha, we are returning from pollution anddisharmony and relying upon purity of mind and theSix Principles of Harmony.

Transliteration . To represent (letters or words) in thecorresponding characters of another alphabet, so theoriginal sound is retained.

Virtues. See Merits.

Way Place. Usually called a temple, a place whereBuddhist practitioners come to practice.

Western Pure Land. World created by BuddhaAmitabha. An ideal place of cultivation, those who areborn there are no longer subject to reincarnation.

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“ Wherever the Buddha's teachings

have flourished, either in cities orcountrysides, people would gain

inconceivable benefits. The land and

people would be enveloped in peace.

The sun and moon will shine clear and

bright. Wind and rain would appearaccordingly, and there will be no

disasters. Nations would be prosperous

and there would be no use for soldiers

or weapons. People would abide bymorality and accord with lows. They

would be courteous and humble.

Everyone would be content and there

would be no injustice. There would be

no thefts or violence. The strong wouldnot dominate the weak and everyone

would get their fair share.”

The Sutra of Amitabha’s PurityEquality, and Understanding

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Dedication of Merit

May the merit and virtuesaccrued from this work

Adorn the Buddha’s Pure Land,Repaying the four kinds

of kindness above,and relieving the sufferings ofthose in the Three Paths below.

May those who see and hear of this,All bring forth the heart of

Understanding,And live the Teachings for

the rest of this life,Then be born together in

The Land of Ultimate Bliss!

Homage to Amitabha Buddha!

Verse for Transferring Merit

I vow that this meritwill adorn the Buddha’s Pure Land

repaying four kinds of kindness aboveaiding those below in the three paths of suffering

may those who see and hearall bring forth the bodhi heart

and when this retribution body is donebe born together in the land of ultimate bliss.

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Places to contact:

DALLAS BUDDHIST ASSOCIATION515 APOLLO ROADRICHARDSON, TX. 75081U.S.A.TEL: (972) 234.4401 FAX: (972) 234.8342Email: dba@cyberramp.net Website: www.amtb-usa.org

THE PURE LAND LEARNING CENTER21730 STEVENS CREEK BLVD. #202CUPERTINO, CA. 95014U.S.A.TEL: (408) 255.5258 FAX: (408) 736.3389Email: info@amtb-usa.org Website: www.amtb-usa.org

AMITABHA BUDDHIST ASSOCIATION OF QUEENSLAND11 TOONA PL.CALA MVALE, BRISBANEQUEENSLAND 4116AUSTRALIATEL: (07) 3273-1693 FAX: (07) 3272-0677

AMITABHA BUDDHIST SOCIETY (SINGAPORE)No. 2 LORONG 35GEYLANG SINGAPORE387934REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORETEL: (65) 744-7444 FAX: (65) 744-4774Email: abss@amtb.org.sb Website: www.amtb.org.sb