From birth to death, a person exists. Yet throughout his life he soon falls asleep to the call of Buddha Nature.
From lifetime to lifetime, for countless millennia, this person then becomes caught in the cycle of rebirth, reborn as Hell being, hungry ghost, animal, human, demon or god.
This is the fate of the sleepers who never awaken to Buddha Nature.
However, the Buddha has shown that with diligent effort through countless lifetimes,
it is possible to let go of desire so that rebirth in the six realms of desire
becomes unnecessary.
All it takes is mindful contemplation to settle the mind and achieve the calm mind conducive to the arising of Bodhi Mind. From that point, one merely observes his mind to discover the ends to escape the cycle of rebirth.
Both contemplation and observation of the mind is known as samatha-vipasyana meditation, and is the skillful means to break that cycle.
What are those ends? Samadhi (single-minded focus) which is of the eightfold path (pure concentration) that leads to the Pure Mind.
This Pure Mind is the end result of practicing the Ten Virtues
Ten Virtues: http://ddmba.org/pages/about-us/guiding-principles/ten-virtues.php
Showing posts with label Ten Virtues. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ten Virtues. Show all posts
20130513
20130417
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.
20130413
Even Trangressors May Approach the Pure Land
They who promotes mental unrest
in all sentient beings is
destined for the Hells.
Let us hope when they depart
samsara, the loved ones
lefts behind are so devoted
to him that he escapes samsara
by practicing Buddha Recitation
of Amida's Name-that-calls accumulating
the good merits which result
in rebirth in the Pure Land.
All that sentient beings are
required do is Buddha Recitation,
with meditation providing
the set and setting conducive
to Buddha Remembrance.
in all sentient beings is
destined for the Hells.
Let us hope when they depart
samsara, the loved ones
lefts behind are so devoted
to him that he escapes samsara
by practicing Buddha Recitation
of Amida's Name-that-calls accumulating
the good merits which result
in rebirth in the Pure Land.
All that sentient beings are
required do is Buddha Recitation,
with meditation providing
the set and setting conducive
to Buddha Remembrance.
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!
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!
20130411
Ten Deeds of Merit
All sentient beings are potential Buddhas; all they are required to do is to realize Buddhahood is to cross over to the Middle Way, by abandoning their worldliness and following the Ten Virtues.
While this seems like a simple thing, few sentient beings are able accomplish it due to attachment to one or all of the Ten Evil Acts. In order to practice the Ten Virtues, the practitioner is encouraged to practice the Ten Deeds of Merit:
Reference:
Ten Evil Acts: http://www.budsas.org/ebud/whatbudbeliev/156.htm
Ten Virtues: to not practice the Ten Evil Acts
While this seems like a simple thing, few sentient beings are able accomplish it due to attachment to one or all of the Ten Evil Acts. In order to practice the Ten Virtues, the practitioner is encouraged to practice the Ten Deeds of Merit:
- Charity (giving without expectation of reward)
- Morality (
- Mental culture (meditation and reading the sutras)
- Reverence or respect
- Service in helping others
- Sharing merits with others
- Rejoicing in the merits of others
- Preaching and teaching the Dhamma
- Listening to the Dhamma
- Straightening one's views
Reference:
Ten Evil Acts: http://www.budsas.org/ebud/whatbudbeliev/156.htm
Ten Virtues: to not practice the Ten Evil Acts
20060105
Reborn as Bodhisattva in Pure Land
The Pure Land practitioner who sincerely practises the Buddha Recitation, repents from the Five Grave Offences, and practises the Ten Virtues will be reborn as a bodhisattva in the Pure Land of Bliss.
A bodhisattva represents the selfless desire to be reborn in the Pure Land of Bliss due to the presence of Buddha-nature.
Since each of us has Buddha-nature, each of us is originally a bodhisattva in the Pure Land.
Yet it serves no purpose to tell a person ignorant of Buddhism this truth, since they do not have the spiritual depth to respond with the desire to return to the Pure Land.
For the Nembutsu - the Name-that-calls - calls to each Pure Land practitioner from the Pure Land, and patiently awaits their return.
When I utter the Nembutsu, Amida is calling to me from the Pure Land.
He is urging me to live a full life, so that when I die, I return to the Pure Land.
However, I reiterate that it is the True Self, represented by the bodhisattva, which returns to the Absolute.
So it is not Steve who returns to the Pure Land, it is the bodhisattva - who returned to the human realm from the Pure Land of Bliss to be reborn as Steve.
Thus when I die, I return to the Pure Land as that bodhisattva. While I live, my desire to return to the Pure Land as that bodhisattva is represented by the pure state of mind achieved briefly during my lifetime, devoted to the Pure Land path.
At this point in my journey through life, a Zen koan is apt here: What is my original name?
Well, due to my human condition, I do not know it. To know what my original name is would distract me from the Pure Land path.
Deep in my heart-mind, I have faith that Amida knows, and He will address that bodhisattva by name upon return to the Pure Land.
Namu Amida Butsu
A bodhisattva represents the selfless desire to be reborn in the Pure Land of Bliss due to the presence of Buddha-nature.
Since each of us has Buddha-nature, each of us is originally a bodhisattva in the Pure Land.
Yet it serves no purpose to tell a person ignorant of Buddhism this truth, since they do not have the spiritual depth to respond with the desire to return to the Pure Land.
For the Nembutsu - the Name-that-calls - calls to each Pure Land practitioner from the Pure Land, and patiently awaits their return.
When I utter the Nembutsu, Amida is calling to me from the Pure Land.
He is urging me to live a full life, so that when I die, I return to the Pure Land.
However, I reiterate that it is the True Self, represented by the bodhisattva, which returns to the Absolute.
So it is not Steve who returns to the Pure Land, it is the bodhisattva - who returned to the human realm from the Pure Land of Bliss to be reborn as Steve.
Thus when I die, I return to the Pure Land as that bodhisattva. While I live, my desire to return to the Pure Land as that bodhisattva is represented by the pure state of mind achieved briefly during my lifetime, devoted to the Pure Land path.
At this point in my journey through life, a Zen koan is apt here: What is my original name?
Well, due to my human condition, I do not know it. To know what my original name is would distract me from the Pure Land path.
Deep in my heart-mind, I have faith that Amida knows, and He will address that bodhisattva by name upon return to the Pure Land.
Namu Amida Butsu
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