Buddha Nature, Buddha Love

>Love unconditional originates with the Buddha in the form of Buddha Nature, which is the essence of his Boundless Life of Compassion and his Boundless Light of Wisdom.

Like the sunlight reflected off the moon, the Buddha's Compassion is realized through the wisdom of the Four Noble Truths.

Although life may be full of suffering, its cause is endless craving; its end, ceasing vain grasping at everything we crave; and the solution, the Noble Eightfold Path. This is the essence of the Four Noble Truths.

In the Noble Eightfold Path are the Threefold Division of wisdom, ethical conduct and concentration. Of the Eightfold Path factors, Right view and Right intention make up wisdom; Right speech, Right action, and Right livelihood make up ethical conduct; and Right effort, Right mindfulness and Right concentration make up Concentration.

Due to the effects of the samatha and vipassanā meditation practices, the Buddhist practitioner acquires the calm mind of clarity through samatha practice which accumulates the two acquired factors of Superior right knowledge and Superior right liberation through vipassanā practice.

In Mahayana Buddhism, the Threefold Divisions are known as the Three Higher Trainings, which consist of higher wisdom, higher moral discipline and higher concentration. These trainings lead to liberation and enlightenment through engagement with the motivation of renunciation (bodhicitta).

How does unconditional love originate with the Buddha? His compassion for the suffering of endless number of human beings led him to achieve Nirvana. After his death, his followers passed on the meditative practices of samatha-vipassanā to laypeople and Buddhist clergy. For his love for future generations led to the concept of Buddha Nature arising among his many practitioners.

Buddha Nature is the divine nature of the spiritually awakened mind, which is planted like a seed in the mind of a Buddhist follower through the careful and patient instruction of Zen masters, Buddhist practitioners and clergy, working together to carry on the legacy of Gautama Buddha.

Indeed, Buddha Nature inspires the sincere desire to develop the mind spiritually so that the Buddhist practitioner is able to handle the challenges of life courageously and nobly.

How compassionate is the Buddha that he had foreseen our need to realize the spiritual purpose of life, which is to encourage spiritual development through meditative practice!

For Buddha Nature inspires love unconditioned by human suffering to relieve all practitioners of endless craving.

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References:

Noble eightfold Path: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noble_Eightfold_Path
Samatha and Vipassanā meditation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vipassan%C4%81#Relation_with_samatha
Samatha: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samatha
Mahayana Buddhism: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahayana
Nirvana: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nirvana
Buddha Nature: http://buddhism.about.com/od/mahayanabuddhism/a/Buddha-Nature.htm
Amida Buddha, Lord of Boundless Light and Boundless Life: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amitābha

The Transcendent Wisdom of PrajnaParamita (poem)

All Buddhas of the past,
present, and future
by means of Prajna
Paramita fully awaken to
unsurpassed truth,
complete enlightenment.
Gaté Gaté Para-gaté
Para-samgaté Bodhi Sväha

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originally posted: February 24, 2013 4:20 AM

Reference:

Heart Sutra: http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/heartstr.htm

Buddha Remembrance As Easy As Meditation

Buddha remembrance consists of Buddha recitation which is when the Buddhist laypeople gather together to chant the name of the Buddha.

If they are devoted to the Lotus Sutra as in the lay Buddhist sect of Soka Gakai then they chant "Namu myoho rengé kyo."

If they are of the Jodo Shinshu sect then they chant the Nembutsu ("Namu Amida Butsu").

By chanting the Buddha's name the devotees become mindful of the Buddha.

Thus is Buddha recitation Buddha remembrance.

It is said that Buddhist chanting is the easy path to enlightenment for all sentient beings.

For all sentient beings are destined to become bodhisattvas since such sincere devotion shown by chanting the Buddha's name is a fee definite sign that the Buddha is calling through his devotees.

Small wonder that the Nembutsu is known to the devout Shin Buddhist as the Name-that-calls.

As well,  Buddha recitation is called the easy path in contrast to the hard path of Zen mediation.

Thus are there two paths to Enlightenment in Mahayana Buddhism.

Pure Mind Leads to Nirvana

Maitreya said, "Discrimination is consciousness. Nondiscrimination is wisdom. Clinging to consciousness will bring disgrace but clinging to wisdom will bring purity. Disgrace leads to birth and death but purity leads to Nirvana."

"Discrimination" refers to discriminating and holding views. To the Buddhist, discrimination is a wilderness, a turmoil, a clinging, a bad path and a false way. He who travels on it will not achieve nirvana, even if he becomes a Buddhist. A mind filled with discrimination is a mind that is always in turmoil.

No matter how long he meditates, the man who discriminates will not achieve through samatha the calm mind necessary practice vipassana meditation with success. For vipassana helps the Buddhist achieve the Pure Mind.

"Pure Mind" is achieved by "abandoning the killing of living beings, abstaining therefrom; abandoning the taking of what is not given, abstaining therefrom; abandoning misconduct in sensual pleasure...abandoning false speech...malicious speech...harsh speech...gossip, abstaining therefrom. Abandoning greed, he is no more greedy. Abandoning malevolence and hatred, his heart becomes free from ill will. Abandoning wrong-view, he
becomes one of right view.”

"Consciousness" refers to rebirth in the six realms of desire, which is the destination of people with a mind of discrimination, which results in an impure mind. Thus "discrimination is consciousness" implies that discriminations leads to the evil karma associated with rebirth.

It is good karma to achieve nirvana, since the goal of Buddhist practice is to escape the wheel of karmic existence that is rebirth. For hard is it to achieve nirvana, and most consciousnesses are destined for rebirth due to evil karma from both past and present existences.

"Nondiscrimination" is associated with the mind tamed by samatha practice, for a calm mind is a mind of clarity. With a clear mind, it is possible with vipassana meditation to achieve Pure Mind.

"Wisdom" refers to fruit of the Pure Mind. For a Buddhist who has achieved Pure Mind is freed from the bonds of discrimination and the evil karma arising from acts of discrimination. Indeed, discriminations results in evil karma for anyone who acts upon it. Anyone who holds the discriminating view is sure to becloud his mind, judging other people and acting out of the ignorance that such discrimination causes. For ignorance is the result of evil karma due to discrimination.

Thus vipassana helps the Buddhist with his mind calmed by samatha practice to abandon the six worldly dusts of killing, theft, misconduct in sensual pleasure (including sexual misconduct such as adultery, child abuse, rape and sexual deviancy), wrong speech (lying, gossip, criticism, verbal abuse, and greed), ill will (malevolence and hatred), and wrong views.

Freed of the six dusts, the Buddhist becomes wise through practice of samatha-vipassana. This is why it is important to not just practice samatha and achieve the calm mind. For the Buddhist who practices samatha meditation is like a farmer who plants soy and other legumes to make a field fertile. After the season of soy is over, he can plant rice and flood the land to obtain rice and other grains, provided he alternate with grozing legumes on it. Likewise, the practice of samatha meditation not only prepares the mind of a Buddhist for vipassana meditation, it also helps him to deal with the challenges of daily living. Thus, samatha-vipassana meditation not only prepares the Buddhist to achieve Nirvana, it also prepares him to become a better person than he would be were he a farmer ignorant of Buddhist practice.

Thus "nondiscrimination is wisdom" means the abandonment of the six dusts which frees the Buddhist from ignorance and the cycle of rebirth. With continuing practice of samatha-vipassana meditation he can then understand that "clinging to consciousness will bring disgrace but clinging to wisdom will bring purity."

With the Pure Mind achieved through samatha-vipassana meditation, the Buddhist will realize that "disgrace leads to birth and death but purity leads to Nirvana."

For what is birth and death but the cycle of rebirth in Samsara, the Six Realms of Desire? And what is the Pure Mind but the means by which the Buddhist achieves Nirvana?

So go forth and practice meditation, knowing that your practice will result in the Pure Mind. Indeed, with the Pure Mind, the Buddhist shall achieve Nirvana!

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References:

East Asian Yogācāra - Later history and the modern era: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Asian_Yog%C4%81c%C4%81ra#Later_history_and_the_modern_era

Discrimination: a Buddhist perspective: http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs14/Paul_Fuller.pdf

Achieving Pure Mind

Through meditation, the pure mind is achieved. Here is how it is done.

When I meditate, I don't ever try to achieve No-thought. Trying usually leads to many thoughts arising rather than none.

Besides, No-thought actually means "not holding onto a single thought." By not holding onto a single thought, I let my thoughts flow but let go of any attempt to stop them, and return to breath meditation.

Thus the samadhi of breathing leads to No-thought.

Indeed, samadhi of No-thought is a vain game of controlling thinking that is doomed to failure when trying to not think, precisely because thinking is a natural part of what the Ego does when threatened by the stillness of the calm mind.

I have yet to read of such a samadhi that focuses on not thinking. Since samadhi means "single-minded focus to the point of single-mindedness," the samadhi of No-thought requires the ability to not hold onto a single thought rather than the vain attempt to not think at all.

Therefore, the focus on letting thoughts flow is the result of the samadhi of No-thought. The thoughts flow but meditation helps me to focus on letting go of them. Having let go of them, I have achieve control of my mind. For my single-minded focus on breathing allows me to ignore the stream of thoughts.

In this way, I am not captivated by my thoughts which results in freedom from thinking. Paradoxically, with each breath I take, I am closer to No-thought.

This kind of mind control is the only true form of control. Any other kind of control may involve physical means, is thus oppressive and may be doomed to failure since its end result is egocentricity.

Once ego is conquered by meditation, the mind becomes calm like the eye of the storm. Even though thoughts may rise and fall during meditation, samadhi on breathing helps me to develop the skill of right concentration. With this skill it is possible to move onto samadhi of No-thought, and thus be unmoved by thinking.

In this way, the mind becomes purified.

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Originally published: April 24, 2013 at 12:46 AM

Mental Negativity is the Dark Side of Ego

Sometimes I'd rather be a Westernized Asian rather than fall for propaganda designed to create hatred against another nation, be it Japan, Germany or America.

Hatred causes and arises from mental negativity. It is but an ally of anger which is the root of all negativity.

Indeed, negativity is the dark side of the ego left in control of the mind, sometimes with tragic yet preventable results (war, famine, and other human problems).

Only patience and love will stand up to anger. As for hatred, it is transformed by love into compassion. For love has opened the eyes of people who once hated and they repented.

Within context of Buddhism repentance is mandatory after admitting your faults in front of fellow Buddhists.

This brings out humility, which helps the Buddhist vow to "think good thoughts" as Zen Master Hui-Neng suggests.

The Four Nevers (Samaya)

The Bodhi Mind (bodhicitta) is the cause.
Great Compassion is the root and foundation.
Skillful means are the ultimate. — Mahavairocana Sutra

Through skillful means, the view of enlightenment is fulfilled in compassion towards other sentient beings.

For all sentient beings, be they Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, gods and demons, humans, hungry ghosts, and all of suffering the hells are primordial pure.

Thus they were born basically good, but, due to conditioning, all beings appear to be sentient.

Like a mirror in a sandstorm, the mind is subject to mental and physical negativities as a result of conditioning. No matter how much we wipe the mirror clean, the dust of worldliness soon shall settle on it.

Thus, the disciple commits to the Four Nevers:

• Never to abandon the True Dharma.
  
• Never to negate bodhicitta.
  
• Never to withhold or be selective of Buddhist teachings toward others.
  
• Never to cause any sentient being any harm.

Holding the True Dharma dear, the disciple consistently remembers the Buddha. Holding the bodhicitta dear, the disciple is caused by it to become Buddha. Holding the Buddhist teachings dear, the disciple shares the wisdom of the Buddhadharma that he has gleaned only with his fellow disciples. Holding life dear, the disciple refrains from harming any sentient being.

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Reference:

Samaya: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samaya

Amida Buddha Still Calls (poem)

If I knew good and
evil like Amida does,
then I'd be Buddha.
Yet all I am is a fool
who recites the Nembutsu.

This is why a fool like me
is no good to set
an example since I call
to Amida now
and then. How slothful am I!

Even so, a fool
such as this one who writes
of the Buddha
tries to show perseverance
outdoes inconsistency.

No matter how many times
I recite the Name,
Amida Buddha still calls
through me as I chant,
"Namu Amida Butsu!"

Becoming Unborn

When we are reborn in the Six Realms of Desire, samsara is not nirvana.

When we are attached to nirvana, nirvana is samsara for it leads to rebirth in samsara.

Samsara consists of the Six Realms of Desire —

• the Hells,
• the Realm of Hungry Ghosts,
• the Realm of Animals,
• the Realm of Humans,
• the Realm of Daemons, and
• the Realm of the Gods

.

When one is attached to rebirth in the human realm, that is not Buddhism but Sanatanadharma and results in rebirth. This attachment consists of a strong belief in transmigration and the permanent soul that is reincarnated solely as a human. It also violates the law of karma, which allows for rebirth in the Six Realms.

In Buddhism, non-attachment is an ideal which may be achieve by purifying the mind. The difficult route is to practice No-thought i.e. let no thought attract you to follow it to its end, but first let each thought go and return to the breath. With practice, it becomes as easy as breathing. This is the essence of Zen.

As for the easy route, Buddha Recitation leads to non-attachment as the Name-that-calls purifies the mind with earnest repetition, burning evil karma as you remember the Buddha. This is why it is called Buddha Remembrance. This is the essence of Pure Land Buddhism.

By remembering the Buddha, the mind is purified so that non-attachment to Nirvana is easily assured!

For non-attachment to Nirvana is essential to becoming Unborn.

The Primal Vow in Brief (poem)

With clear recitation,
let the Buddha within call out
the Name-that-calls
so that your voice and his are one.

Even if you recite his name
but once with sincerity,
you shall be reborn in
the Pure Land of Bliss.

For as long as you remember
the Buddha, rebirth in
the Pure Land is assured!
Namu Amida Butsu!

The Last Stanza of Hui-Neng

Before his Mahaparinirvana, the Sixth Patriarch Hui-Neng said:
The Essence of Mind or Tathata (Suchness) is the real Buddha,
While heretical views and the three poisonous elements are Mara.
Enlightened by Right Views, we call forth the Buddha within us.
When our nature is dominated by the three poisonous elements,
We are said to be possessed by Mara;
But when Right Views eliminate from our mind these poisonous elements,
Mara will be transformed into a real Buddha.
The Dharmakaya, the Sambhogakaya and the Nirmanakaya --
These three Bodies emanate from one — the Essence of Mind.
He who is able to realize this fact intuitively
Has sown the seed, and will reap the fruit of Enlightenment.
It is from the Nirmanakaya that our 'Pure Nature' emanates;
Within the former the latter is to be found.
Guided by 'Pure Nature,' the Nirmanakaya treads the Right Path,
And will some day attain to the Sambhogakaya, perfect and infinite.
'Pure Nature' is an outgrowth of our sensual instincts;
By getting rid of sensuality, we attain the Pure Dharmakaya.
When our temperament is such that we are no longer the slaves of the five sense-objects,
And when we have realized the Essence of Mind even for one moment only, then Truth is known to us.
Should we be so fortunate as to be the followers of the Sudden School in this life,
In a sudden we shall see the Bhagavat of our Essence of Mind.
He who seeks the Buddha (from without) by practicing certain doctrines
Knows not where the real Buddha is to be found.
He who is able to realize the Truth within his own mind
Has sown the seed of Buddhahood.
He who has not realized the Essence of Mind and seeks the Buddha from without
Is a fool motivated by wrong desires.
I have hereby left to posterity the teaching of the Sudden School
For the salvation of all sentient beings who care to practice it.
Hear me, ye future disciples!
Your time will have been badly wasted if you neglect to put this teaching into practice.

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Reference:

Last Stanza of Hui Neng: http://www.sinc.sunysb.edu/Clubs/buddhism/huineng/huineng10.html

Mahaparinirvana is not Death

Hui Neng, The Sixth Patriarch, said:
The Supreme Maha Parinirvana
Is perfect, permanent, calm, and illuminating.
Common people and ignorant ones miscall it death,
While heretics hold arbitrarily that it is annihilation.
Those who belong to the Sravaka Vehicle or the Pratyeka Buddha Vehicle
Regard it as 'Non-action'.
All these are mere intellectual speculations,
And form the basis of the sixty-two fallacious views.
Since they are mere fictitious names invented for the occasion
They have nothing to do with the Absolute Truth.
Only those of super-eminent mind
Can understand thoroughly what Nirvana is, and take up the attitude of neither attachment nor indifference towards it.
They know that five Skandhas
And the so-called 'ego' arising from the union of these Skandhas,
Together with all external objects and forms
And the various phenomena of sound and voice
Are equally unreal, like a dream or an illusion.
They make no discrimination between a sage and an ordinary man.
Nor do they have any arbitrary concept on Nirvana.
They are above 'Affirmation' and 'Negation' and they break the barrier of the past, the present, and the future.
They use their sense organs, when occasion requires,
But the concept of 'Using' does not arise.
They may particularize on all sorts of things,
But the concept of 'Particularization' does not arise.
Even during the cataclysmic fire at the end of a Kalpa, when ocean-beds are burnt dry,
Or during the blowing of the catastrophic wind when one mountain topples on another,
The real and everlasting bliss of 'Perfect Rest' and 'Cessation of Changes'
Of Nirvana remains in the same state and changes not.
Here I am trying to describe to you something which is ineffable
So that you may get rid of your fallacious views.
But if you do not interpret my words literally
You may perhaps learn a wee bit of the meaning of Nirvana!

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Reference:

The Supreme Maha Parinirva: http://www.sinc.sunysb.edu/Clubs/buddhism/huineng/huineng7.html

Clear as the sky above (poem)

Clear as the sky above
is the mind freed of the Ten Evils.
Through actions and meditation,
the Ten Evils are transmuted into
the Ten Virtues by not doing them.
Not doing the Ten Evils is
repentance in action.
Thus the faithful freely
give of themselves
in compliance with the Dharma.

Truth of the Name-that-calls

Calling out to Amida Buddha,
I hear Amida calling out to me
With each and every utterance
Of the Name-that-calls.

A foolish sentient being
such as this one cannot achieve
Nirvana in this Age of Decadent Hedonism.
All he can do is utter
The Name-that-calls
With the belief
that he shall be born
in the Pure Land of Bliss.

In the Pure Land
All who are born there
Sit listening to Amida Buddha
Preach his Buddhadharma,
And, according to his karma,
Aspire to become Bodhisattva.

With all the suffering
in Samsara, the Bodhisattva
vows to be reborn in
the realm where he is needed,
be it in the Hells to
rescue hell beings,
in the Hungry Ghost realm
to rescue hungry ghosts,
in the Animal realm to
rescue animals,
in the Human realm to
rescue human beings,
in the Demon realm to
rescue demons, and
in the Godly realm to
rescue the gods.

By rescuing all sentient beings
in the Realms of Desire — Samasara —
the Bodhisattva gains karmic merit
which aids his transformation
into Buddha, thus freeing him
from rebirth in the Realms of Desire.

This is why this one, devoted to Amida,
Calls out to him endlessly,
So that after this life, rebirth
in the Pure Land of Bliss is assured!
Namu Amida Butsu!

The Fivefold Incenses and the Formless Repentance

Zen Master Hui-Neng said:

"The first is the Sila Incense, which means that our mind is free from taints of misdeeds, evil jealousy, avarice, anger, spoliation, and hatred.

"The second is the Samadhi Incense, which means that our mind is unperturbed in all circumstances, favorable or unfavorable.

"The third is the Prajna Incense, which means that our mind is free from all impediments, that we constantly introspect our Essence of Mind with wisdom, that we refrain from doing all kinds of evil deeds, that although we do all kinds of good acts, yet we do not let our mind become attached to (the fruits) of such actions, and that we are respectful towards our superiors, considerate to our inferiors, and sympathetic to the destitute and the poor.

"The fourth is the Incense of Liberation, this means that our mind is in such an absolutely free state that it clings to nothing and concerns itself neither with good nor evil.

"The fifth is the Incense of 'Knowledge obtained on the Attainment of Liberation.' When our mind clings to neither good nor evil we should take care not to let it dwell upon vacuity, or remain in a state of inertia. Rather should we enlarge our study and broaden our knowledge, so that we can know our own mind, understand thoroughly the principles of Buddhism, be congenial to others in our dealings with them, get rid of the idea of 'self' and that of 'being', and realize that up to the time when we attain Bodhi the 'true nature' (or Essence of Mind) is always immutable. Such, then, is the Incense of 'Knowledge obtained on the Attainment of Liberation.' This five-fold Incense fumigates us from within, and we should not look for it from without."

...

"May we, disciples so and so, be always free from the taints of ignorance and delusion. We repent of all our sins and evil deeds committed under delusion or in ignorance. May they be expiated at once and may they never arise again.

"May we be always free from the taints of arrogance and dishonesty (Sathya). We repent of all our arrogant behavior and dishonest dealings in the past. May they be expiated at once and may they never arise again.

"May we be always free from the taints of envy and jealousy. We repent of all our sins and evil deeds committed in an envious or jealous spirit. May they be expiated at once and may they never arise again."

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Reference:

Chapter 6: On Repentance: http://www.sinc.sunysb.edu/Clubs/buddhism/huineng/huineng6.html
http://www.sinc.sunysb.edu/Clubs/buddhism/huineng/huineng6.html

Pure Land Zen: Meditation and Buddha Recitation

Once you regularly meditate, although you still have thoughts wandering through the halls of the mind, Buddha Recitation soon makes it easy to bear those thoughts without clinging.

Even though you have countless thoughts, meditation helps the mind to ignore these thoughts so that you can focus on Buddha Recitation only to uncover a mind of no-thought.

Without clinging, a mind of no-thought remains thoughtful, yet empty of form. Neither meditation or Buddha Recitation is the cause of a mind of no-thought. Rather, it is good karmic merit accumulated by meditation and Buddha Recitation.

To forget Buddha Recitation and abandon meditation is to lose the Middle Way — a tragedy.

It is a tragedy because returning to the Realms of Desire makes it difficult to meditate and regularly recite the Buddha's name.

This is why I have faith in the Primal Vow, and believe that on my death the Pure Land is where I am destined.

I also believe that regular Buddha Recitation helps

Pure Land, Pure Mind, Pure Zen

My reasoning for blending Zen with Pure Land is the same reason the Pure Land has a Long Pure Land sutra and a Short Pure Land sutra as well as an Amida meditation sutra: I want to cover all my bases for the afterlife.

What if Zen does not end in Buddhahood in the next life? What if in the next life, I am randomly thrown into another realm, next time the hells, the time after that human, then animal, then god, then demon, then hungry ghost? If I am destined for samsara, then what good is Zen except to develop a calm mind and to carefully observe the mind, and nothing more??

For endless rebirth in samsara is worse than the Pure Land of Bliss which is OUTSIDE the Six Realms of existence.

Once I die, because I have recited the Nembutsu, my rebirth in the Pure Land is assured by Amida Buddha's Primal Vow, once I repent from the Ten Evils.

However, it is not Buddha Recitation that burns away evil karma; it is the practice of the Ten Virtues!

All Buddha Recitation does as far as karma is concerned is ensure rebirth in the Pure Land. There I shall listen to Amida preach his Dharma, practice to be a bodhisattva, return to any of the Six Realms of existence to aid hell beings, hungry ghosts, animals, humans, demons and even the gods themselves in attaining their own Buddhahood.

This is the path of the bodhisattva, and has always been the Buddhist way.

Denial of this is like disrepecting the Buddha, which is surely evil karma.

Want to erase that bad karma? Remember Buddha! How? It's simple calling the Name-that-calls!

Why? Because when I call, it is only Amida Buddha calling through me!

This is exactly why samsara is Nirvana, for Zen cure mental unrest by way of samatha-vipassana meditation.

FOr Buddha Recitation prepares us for future Nirvana in the Pure Land — not in this life — but in the afterlife of the Pure Land!

Dakini: the Wrathful Form of Tara

As a Buddhist, I do not view the opposite sex like my fellow sentient beings do.

Although I admit to objectifying women, I try not to make a habit of telling other men within earshot of women.

For those of you who remember the pictures of naked women, women showing cleavage, and the the picture of the shapely cosplay woman which I called "dakinis", a dakini is a celestial being, separate from Tara, who was originally an Indian goddess who vowed to be reborn as a bodhisattva in the Realm of Desire consisting of the six realms of the hells, hungry ghosts, animals, humans, demons/asuras/demigods, and gods.

Am I saying that Tara walks among the sentient beings who dwell in the human realm?

Yes, that was included in her vow to be reborn in the human realm out of compassion for all sentient beings. Her task is to Help human beings to realize their purpose in life, which is to be of service to others, and to be helpful to all sentient beings, regardless of whether they are animals or human beings.

For Tara represents both the teacher and the nurse, and even the people welcoming you at Walmart.

And what are dakinis? They are the wrathful form of Tara who are able to dance high up in the sky. For they are Skywalkers.

I am sure Star Wars fans will pick on that: Luke Skywalker's last name was borrowed from the term that describes a dakini.

As well, "sky" symbolizes the freedom of space. It also suggests another freedom that Westernized people might object to, depending on their culture and upbringing. I am referring to the freedom of being unclothed and dancing naked in the sky.

Please note that I have associated a dakini with Tara, with the latter being the closest thing to a Buddha, for she is a bodhisattva out to save all sentient beings.

However, I refered to the two young women as dakinis for wearing little or no attire, as it helps me to keep my distance from lust. By keeping my distance, I hope to avoid being reborn in the hells both literally as I would rather go to the Pure Land, and figuratively i.e. by making inappropriate comments about either lady.

For having an open mind is a dedicated skill involving controlling one's secret wish to kill a person for speaking inappropriately. I am sure this is why chat features on GooglePlus are useful to privately talk with another member who is in my circle, if I so desire.

However, I have had my fill of chat using Facebook, Microsoft Messenger and Yahoochat as well as chat services on other web forums.

If I wanted to chat one-to-one with a woman, then it'd be IRC on the #sex channel of dalnet. However, there are children who would kick me off chat on dalnet, thus proving "absolute power corrupts absolutely" and confirming that most of the time, children do not have open minds.

Returning to dakinis and Tara, it is quite possible that Tara "magically" created clones of herself, as there is a White Tara, a Blue Tara and a Green Tara. There may also be yellow Tara, but I have yet to hear of a Red Tara.

In this way, she could enlighten more people than as plain vanilla Tara.

I have read in a Chinese sutras about a multitude of buddhas in their Pure Lands. So it stands to reason that there are a multitude of bodhisattvas as well as dakinis.

If even one god or demigod were to have the Buddhadharma preached to him, then it would lead to rebirth in the human realm.

Sometimes a Buddha will do that so that all sentient beings bond to the Buddha, and protect that Buddha from non-believers — an avatar of a sentient being who was non-human would be reborn as human, and might remember his life in the realm of god. However, even when an avatar of a god cannot remember her past life, she will eventually become a Buddhist.

After making a commitment to Buddhism and following the precepts, she may attain the past life samadhi. Even so, that happens after decades of mindful practice, both meditation and the works of charity, including volunteering at the Buddhist temple of which she is a member.

For the siddhi of past life memories takes a long time to be acquired since everything that happens to a devoted Buddhist practitioner is supposed to prepare you for that. If it is done within a setting that has no cultural means of such preparation, then surely we live in the age of Mappo —the degenerate age when only the Pure Land practice of Buddha Recitation is the sole means to be assured of being reborn as a bodhisattva and much later, a Buddha.

However, it is said that worship of dakinis and of Tara in any of her forms, be it spiritually/supernaturally or worldly, earns merit for the Tibetan devotee. Though, I am NEVER going to worship a woman dressed up as one, face-to-face.

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References

Tara as tantric deity: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tara_%28Buddhism%29#T.C4.81r.C4.81_as_a_Tantric_deity

Homage to Great Wisdom, Great Compassion, and Great Meditation

If I no longer am attached to self,
then being attached to reward
in the Pure Land of Bliss
through Buddha Recitation
is the working of the Dharma.
Homage to Amida Buddha!

For the Pure Land arose
because of Dharmakara's Vows,
and his promised rebirth
as Amida is fulfilled
by all sentient beings
who remember his Name.
Homage to Amitayus Buddha!

Homage to Infinite Light and Life!
Homage to the Light of Great Wisdom,
Homage to Amida Buddha!
Homage to the Life of Great Compassion,
Homage to Kuan Erh Yin!
Homage to the Great Meditation,
Homage to Mahasthamaprapta!

Shunyata (poem)

Shunyata is Emptiness.
In the Western definition,
"Emptiness" seems sad and lonely,
yet, as the Buddhist term,
Emptiness is found in creating
happy thoughts to help
learn from the past,
and look forward to tomorrow,
because anything is possible.

Shunyata is when the disciple
understands with his very being
that all phenomena is
empty of inherent existence.

Shunyata is openness.
Openness suggests open-mindedness,
and the potential of becoming Buddha.
All the disciple is required
to do is to practice
the two-fold meditation
of shamatha-vipassana,
the meditation of the calm mind
and insight meditation

Shunyata is when the disciple
first meditates to calm his mind,
and when his mind is clear,
seeks insight by just sitting.

Shunyata is thusness,
tathata, suchness, Dharmata.
When Gautama became the Buddha,
he referred to himself as Tathagata,
the one who arrives at suchness,
the appreciation of the true nature of reality,
and is liberated from Samsara,
this world of birth-life-death.
For shunyata is the seat of nirvana.

Shunyata is when the disciple, inspired by
the Four Noble Truths, understands Dependent Origination,
and is determined to achieve Buddhahood and
aspires to rescue all sentient beings as Bodhisattva.

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Reference:

Shunyata: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%9A%C5%ABnyat%C4%81