cont'd
When mentioned this, it reminded me of being arrogant before. I
remember when I was young and first started school, I was very slow
and dull at the very begining, I could not remember my lessons. If
I had managed to learn and memorize my lesson clearly, when I stood
before the teacher to recite it , I was just like seeing King
Yama,and I forgot them all. Because our teacher was holding
something similar to the incense board in his hand, and stood there
waiting for you seriously , and was looking at you. Seeing him in
that way, you are already scared out of your wits. There is a
Chinese old way of school teaching, it was too severe, It scared
the child and made the child cry who usually doesn't cry. After I
have found the skillful way of study, I could study fast and well,
and could master in an hour what took other students even more than
five days to learn. My teacher said to me,"Wau! You are really like
Yen Hui, it really can't tell that you are such a smart one! You
are really clever!" I became arrogant when I heard he praised me
and I thought," Oh! I am the same as Yen Hui. Would I die the same
age as he did? En, I am going to give myself a name." what was it ?
it was called " semblance of stupidity." means someone is like a
stupid.That is the name of arrogance.
If you can recite the Buddha's name to the point that you can let
go of everything and like a stupidity, I don't mean that to be a
stupid like the one who was taking drugs, it doesn't count, then
you will suddenly penetrate and be enlightened.So it is said,
"morning and night, hold his name, with sinceriety recite
it."
" At all times, in
contemplation, think upon it well.": At all times
you are in contemplation, of what you contemplate? you
contemplate,"Amitabha's body is the color of gold, the splendor of
his hallmarks has no peer, the light of his brow shines round a
hundred world, wide as the four great seas are his eyes pure and
clear, shining in his brilliance by transformation are coundless
Bodhisattvas and infinite Buddhas,his forty-eight vows will cross
all living beings, in nine lotus- stages we reach the farest shore
"To contemplate the
splendor of Amitabha Buddha's hallmark, this is the meaning of
contemplation. At all times contemplate and don't lose track.
"Think upon it well", you should think upon the
wholesome state of Amitabha Buddha, don't bother to think of
unnecessary matters, then that is the meaning of " think upon it
well."
"With one heart
unconfused recitation, you'll realize samadhi." If
I dan recite with one unconfused heart, I can enter samadhi. With
one unconfused heart,which lead to attain the samadhi, is like to
be stupid. Whoever follows and learns from me should remember, not
to practice the dharma door of arrogance like I had before. I was
very arrogant, so now I feel that everybody is better than me. I
have put down the arrogance, and the more people are better than
me, the happier I am, the more pleased I am! I will not be jealous,
why is it? If people are better than you , of course it is fine!
Why does it have to be that I am better than others? I don't need
to be better than other people, I am worse than anybody. This is my
principle.
"When all creation's
void, you enter the lotus Land", all creation's
void means there is not grief, all worry are void, all thoughts are
void. Myriad thoughts are empty, there is not a single false
thinking arise, there is no worry, there is no affliction. "enter
the Lotus Land", means to enter the world of Lotus flower, the
country-side of Lotus flower. when you reach that state, then you "
suddenly enlightened to the non-production" : you immediately
enlighten to the patience of the non-production Dharma, which means
to thoroughly understand the origional face. "the Buddha appears in
person" : At that time the Buddha manifest the Dharma body, "The
wonderful enlightenment is natually attained" : the wonderful
enlightenment is the Buddha's fruition. You are able to shoulder
the Buddha's position directly. You may say, " Oh! I am the Buddha
now." It doesn't meant that you think you are a Buddha, then you
are a Buddha already, the Buddha does not come by thinking. You
have to truly attain the Buddha's dharma body, truly certify to the
Buddha's fruition, then you can be considered as a Buddha. So it
doesn't mean that you think of being a Buddha, you are a Buddha
already. what about if you think
you are a ghost, then you really are a ghost. So everybody
should work hard to cultivate this dharma door of Buddha's
recitation.
What I have talk about today, if you can recite to the point of
being single mindly without confusion, all creation's void, then at
this very moment, you gain some benefits, at that very moment it is
pure. So the dharma door of Buddha's recitation is wonderfully
inexpressible. What would it be like of reciting? It is like a
child eats candy. After eating candy, the child tastes the
sweetness of it, and he still keeps on thinking to eat it again
without being able to put it down. We should apply the same way to
the Buddha's recitation. To taste the flavor of recitation is like
eating candy. In fact it is not like taste sweet, it is truly that
way. If you have recited enough to have gained some skill, oh! you
will feel as if you were drinking sweet dew that were never ended.
Gwan Yin Bodhisattva had seen you recite the Buddha till your
throat gets dry, he then gives you a bit of sweet dew so it tastes
sweet. Those people who know how to recite the Buddha have
sweetness in their mouth. But you don't become to attach the
sweetness, if you attach to it," Oh! how sweet is it!", well, it is
not sweet anymore. This dharma is
such inconceivable. Once you conceive of it, it is not what it
is. Do you understand? why if you attach to it, and it
become disappeared? Because if you attach the sweetness, you have
greedy mind and you think," I like to eat this now,An! it is so
sweet, I don't need to buy any candy to eat, it saves money." . The
Bodhisattva saw you are so greedy and stingy, he doesn't want to
give it to you, so it become sweetless. Whoever has this kind of
state, remember not to think whether it is sweet or not, you only
need to recite Buddha's name, the true the better. If you can
recite the Buddha ceaselessly, then you will have accomlishment.
Either you will see light, see flower. or see the Buddha, these are
all good states. But don't be greedy for these states either or in
your attachment they will disappear, it will be ended same as the
sweet dew.
This is the first day of the session, there are still six days to
go and you have many opportunities. There are six days left in the
first session, and togather with the second session, there are
thirteen days left. You will have many chances to obtain a single
unconfused mind. But you should not be lazy and think," Oh! I have
planty of chances, I can wait!" Don't wait, especially in the
evening, during the Great Transference ceremony. When kneeling down
to recite the Buddha's name and the verses for contemplation during
the transference, you need to be earnestly sincere.To be extremely
sincere. To offer up in all sincerity, but how sincere ? to render
ten thousand out of ten thousand. Don't say hundred persent ot ten
thousand , the more the better. You have to determine to attain
benefit, or insteadyou come to attain this session in vain.
Otherwise, you have undergone all these bitterness for nothing,
wouldn't that be a shame!
