Ullambana Festival (盂兰盆节） is August 30 this year. Ullambana, or the Ghost Festival, is the most popular celebrated Buddhist festival in various countries. The Ullambana Festival, observed in the 7th month of the Lunar calendar, holds deep significance in various East Asian cultures as an important occasion. It aims to bring liberation to all sentient beings, including our ancestors and departed loved ones. Throughout this period, we actively partake in acts of merit by making extensive offerings to the Triple Gem and engaging in mass prayer recitations. At the heart of Ullambana lies the mission of spreading the universal compassion of Buddha and amassing merit for the betterment of both the living and the departed, drawing strength from the power of the Triple Gems.
On this day, it is believed that the “Gates of the Hell” are opened and the dead souls visit their loved ones. During this festival, offerings are made to the spirits of the dead and to the hungry ghosts in order to bring good fortune and luck. The word ‘Ullambana’ is a transliteration of the Sanskrit word meaning ‘deliverance from suffering’, and specifically refers to the salvation that is granted to tormented souls in hell. On this day, Buddhists offer prayers both to their departed forefathers and to their living parents and elders. It is the day for helping those beings who are suffering so that they can obtain liberation.
The Ullambana Festival is also known as the “Buddha’s Joyful Day”; on this day, monks finish their practices and emerge from their retreats. In ancient times, the emperor and his people would make offerings and donations to the great monks and congratulate them on their enlightenment. It is also on this day that the underworld king visits the human world to pay respect to the Buddha and celebrate the enlightenment of the great monks, and sentient beings in hell are allowed to travel to the living world to celebrate the joyous occasion.
Grandmaster JinBodhi once said, “Only when we accumulate merits on this auspicious Buddha’s Joyful Day and think of our parents and ancestors who gave birth to us, wishing for them to receive the blessings and guidance of the Buddha and bodhisattvas can we find peace of mind. If our loved ones are suffering, not to mention in hell or prison, can our hearts be at ease? For example, if your child is living abroad and not doing well, you will not be calm, and you may feel your heart beating irregularly. Why is that? When your child is experiencing afflictions, anger, fear, or being bullied, your heart aches. This is why some people often experience rapid heartbeats. Here, we’re only talking about our loved ones who are still alive; if our parents who gave birth to us are suffering in hell, how much impact would it have on us?”
According to the Story of the Ullambana Sutra, the most important practice on this day is actually to make offerings to the Sangha (ordained monks and nuns), as taught by Shakyamuni Buddha in ‘Ullambana Sutra’. The Venerable Mahamaudgalyayana, one of the great disciples of the Buddha, was foremost in spiritual powers. When he obtained the six spiritual penetrations, he searched for his departed mother. He discovered that she had fallen into the hells. Although the Venerable Maudgalyayana had great spiritual powers, he could not save his mother. Thereupon he knelt before his teacher, the Buddha, and beseeched the World Honored One to help.
The Buddha explained that his mother was suffering in the hells because of her deep offenses and so the Venerable Maudgalyayana must rely on the united strength of the Sangha of the ten directions in order to save his mother. The Buddha said, “On the fifteenth day of the seventh month you should make an offering of the finest vegetarian foods and drinks and offer it to the Buddha and the Sangha. By making this offering, the Way-virtue of the high Sanghans of the ten directions will then be able to save your mother.”
The Venerable Mahamaudgalyayana did as the Buddha had instructed. Due to the strength of the greatly virtuous ones of the ten directions, his mother was reborn in the heavens. Since then, the Ullambana festival has become an annual Buddhist celebration and a day upon which anyone can rescue his or her parents of seven lives past.
There are many ways to celebrate Ullambana Festival. City of Ten Thousand Buddhas Live 萬佛聖城直播 has an online events you can follow. For people who do not have access to temple resources, another popular ways is to Recite Kstigarbha Sutra. The Boddhisattva who is most famous for his filial piety and his great vow- “If the Hell is not empty, I shall not attain Buddhahood”.
In the context of Mahayana Buddhism, Kstigarbha Sutra is the most fundamental sutra when it comes to classical teaching of Mahayana. In all sects of Buddhism, we start learning Buddhism by learning the original teaching of the Buddha Shakyamuni, the 4 Noble Truths, follow by the 8-fold path. From the 8th fold path, it developed into the 37 meritorious avenues. All those are the fundamentals of Shakyamuni’s teaching. After having studied those subjects mentioned, Mahayana Buddhism takes a step further. It progresses further with a higher form of ideology. Generally speaking, the Theravada ancestors are known as the Vibhajyavadin and their ideology is analytical reductionism. As opposed to that ideology is the new school called the Sarvastivadin and their ideology is anabolic holism. A better term for analytical reductionism is reductive analysis. A better term for anabolic holism is holistic synthesis. Curriculum at www.AWE-edu.com has offered in-depth Buddhism program, here is a seminar on Ksitigarbha Sutra Commentary Part 1, Part 2.
Regarding the Earth Store Bodhisattva, you can follow the reciting online from this youtube program: Sutra of the Past Vows of Earth Store Bodhisattva. I also had wrote about a whole series of Learning Ksitigarbha Sutra from Buddhist Mastersa while ago.
When all Buddhas throughout time and space achieve enlightenment, their names have the power of all their past cultivation and prayers. That is why reciting their names have so much power to purify our defilements and eons of negative karma. This is also reiterated in The Kstigarbha Sutra Chapter 9. 鬼月最易積陰德！地藏聖誕散功德，這樣做才能接得住！地藏經讀誦2小時18分版本包括回向文，由台湾地藏学会编制非常好。或者拜地藏忏，or practice repentance with Kstigarbha Boddhasattva。
The tension of transit Uranus in Taurus and Saturn in Aquaria square certainly manifests not only on many front of philosophical discussions, but also the strongest Hurricane on record in Florida, and the sudden explosion in the European gas pipeline. We hardly have a moment of break from these prolonged pressure. We also believe everything happen for a reason. The biggest struggle being the “self/ego ” having a hard time to accept the impermanent nature of phenomenon. Clinging to the past, people can not accept the change emotionally. Thus the desire set us up for disappointment and delusion because it is against the nature law. This is exactly how the suffer start as Buddha told us. It is not the phenomenon that delude us, but the our insistence on the permanence of the phenomenon that delude ourselves because ego desires to hold onto to something of non-existence nature. These inner struggle resonate to the outside events as we observed.
Western civilization rising out of the industrialization and colonization of last five hundred years, is witnessing a total collapse all the way to the decay of its foundation -the scientific thinking, reductionist philosophies, and social darwinism, promoting extreme egos and self-righteous individualism, inevitably wreck the whole system at every fronts and bring chaos to every corners of the world. The western countries started to feel most uncomfortable when the eastern/developing countries counteract by deploying the same type of tactics/mentality the westerner exported to them. As the saying goes, what goes around comes around. In this way, we experienced two world wars in a short one hundred-year period and is now on the verge of having a third one, potentially nuclear annihilation. We are at the point of what HOPI Prophecy revealed to us as early as 1970s. Man’s inability to live on Earth in a spiritual way will come to a crossroad of great problems. Our greed and extreme pursuit of materialism had led to the downfall of civilization. 正如《华严经》中云：“分别取向不见佛，毕竟离着乃能见“。
In an barefaced article entitled The Ego as the Root of Conflict, Mark Sircus, a professor of oncology presented the western psyche and mindset : Most people think of the ego as something they value, their individual separate uniqueness, and they cannot distinguish it from their real being. The idea of “getting rid of” or “working on” the ego seems foreign to them. They ask, “Is there any advantage in transcending the ego? How can it be beneficial to constantly look at my motives, my inner thoughts, the subtle undercurrents of my self-centeredness generated by my ego? What is the advantage of being egoless? Can I really gain anything by giving up looking out for Number One? Look around. How many people really want to give up their egos? I’ll be stupid if I do. I want to develop the strength of my ego, not reduce it.” This big ego show up at national level and brought national terrorism. Buddhism teaches non-self. Supreme selflessness builds tremendous strength, joy and courage. But it terrifies every bit of egotism left inside people. All their identity, proud, superiority are all dependent on this big ego. There is no wonder Buddha’s teaching of non-self goes head to head to western culture and root cause of many social issues/diseases.
Buddhism is about transformation of the mind. Buddha prescribed 84000 dharma doors, a number to describe the innumerable paths/cures to help the sentient beings crossover. And there are many different school of practices for the practitioner. But whatever school you subscribe into, Buddha said all dharma doors are equally good. There is no superior or inferior ways as long as it bring you enlightenment. Of course in Buddhism practices there are levels of kindergarten, elementary school, high school and graduate schools. Do you practices the dharma with a mind of self benefiting only, or to benefit your community, or to benefit the greater world, no matter how high level the dharma door is, the result is what you mind cultivate. The scope of your mindset determines the scope of your achievement. That is why there are bad people who claim studying Buddhism and turn out as a villain, and there are good people who claim they do not study Buddhism and do great things for society. The motivation， intention in the mind is what counts. “What you think you create, what you feel you attract, what you imagine you become.” 若人欲了知，三世一切佛。应观法界性，一切唯心造。
Many people learn Buddhism with the mindset of superstition as they pray Buddha for helping them get upper hand in wealth, social status, good luck in children and marriage, longevity. They did not realize they themselves need to put in effort for those gains. Those auspicious results are combination of many factors including the merits of their mind yoga in resonance with Buddha and Bodhisattvas. There was once a Brahman actually met Shiva in person and he plead Shiva to grant him good fortune. Shiva replied that he has no reason to grant special perks, but suggest to the Brahman to help build temples to accumulate his merits. 《地藏經》刷新你的認知. 求福報求智慧，不是簡單唸佛誦經便可得！学习地藏菩萨的无私，付出，孝顺. Learning Ksitigarbha Sutra is to learn about compassion and empathy. Through the stories of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, Buddha showed us the way to cultivate our meritis, grow wisdom, practice proper conduct in our daily life, repense wrong doing/thought, and eventually attain enlightenment. Ksitigarbha is a great role model of devotion and altruism. The essence of Mahayana Buddhism is to help the sentient beings as the path. 欲为诸佛龙象，先做牛马众生。大乘佛教的根本精神：唯有普度众生，方能最终成佛。
Another misconception is that concern of recital The Original Sutra of Earth Store will attract ghost. That is totally nonsense. Some chapters talked about the hell in vivid, is to teach people about the cause and condition of our actions, the cause and effect law. 唸誦《地藏經》會找鬼？看完佛陀的話你再評論！ The whole sutra describe a much celebrated gathering with Shakyamuni Buddha teaching about Earth Store Bodhisattva’s merits, and how different levels of practitioners can cultivate their spiritual practices by learning and paying tributes to Earth Store Bodhisattva.
Against such heavy head wind like that of Hurricane Ian to Florida of deep rooted western ego, no wonder Buddha’s dharma has distorted into meditation Buddhism, Buddhist modernism and Protestant Buddhism etc in the United States. The history of western rise still poisoned the western mind deluded them as the superior race, giving them the justification of colonization and exploitation without any moral repenance. To this day, people who stand for White Supremacy like Donald Trump refused to apologize for their crime against native America. Ironically, now they are calling Russia’s conflict with Ukraine as invasion.
Ann Gleig is an associate professor of religion and cultural studies at the University of Central Florida. Her American Dharma: Buddhism Beyond Modernity is highly informative in understanding the current state of the affairs of “modern Buddhism” as taking shape in the US. In this engaging and thoughtful study, Ann Gleig asks challenging and important questions about the limits of modern Buddhism and the future of the tradition in the United States. In her comprehensive scholarly and ethnographic study of current trends in meditation-based convert Buddhist groups in North America, Gleig shows us how Buddhism is moving into the US and how it’s impacting culture, and its current state filled with contradictions and a growing awareness of its own internal problems. Ann Gleig makes a compelling case that Western Buddhism, as it currently exists in America, is anything but immature and undeveloped. On the contrary, in the relatively brief half century of its presence here, Buddhism has already passed through two important transformative stages – the first mostly completed, and the second well under way but still in process. Here is an review by one of the readers:
The first transformation has its origins not in Buddhism’s migration to the West, but rather in colonialism’s intrusion into the East. Gleig contends, convincingly, that the British and other European colonizers exerted a subtle but powerful influence on the traditional Buddhism being practiced in India, by virtue of their forceful introduction of Enlightenment values into the native culture. This colonial culture gave rise to the radically new idea of meditation as the pursuit of individual wellbeing, rather than an expression of community among individuals following shared traditions and rituals. It was this novel Enlightenment-based approach to mindfulness that was taught to the American students who arrived in India in the late 1960s to learn meditation from “traditional” masters. When these students returned to America in the 1970s to pass along what they had learned on their pilgrimages to the East, they were in fact spreading modern, not traditional, Buddhism.
While the modernism of Western Buddhism may have its infant roots in the post-colonial culture of the East, its growth and maturity are firmly rooted in contemporary America. Here, over the past four decades, Buddhism has attracted a mostly white, mostly well-educated, mostly well-to-do group of practitioners – overwhelmingly liberal in their political sympathies, devoted to European Enlightenment ideals of science and reason, and drawn to the psychotherapeutic benefits of mindfulness. Gleig refers to this meditation-centered, mostly secular, and highly psychologized version that has become the dominant form of Buddhist practice in America as “convert Buddhism”, underscoring the deep divide between it and the more traditional forms of Buddhism still practiced in the West by what she terms “the immigrant community” of mostly Asian-American, usually more religious, and generally less well-to-do practitioners.
This first transformative stage of Western Buddhism into its modernist form is now largely complete, but the split just described between “convert” and “immigrant” communities has laid the groundwork for a second, more dramatic transformation which is just getting started. It is this second wave of transformation that Gleig’s research has detected, and that defines the core thesis of American Dharma. Gleig proposes that the characteristics of “Buddhist modernism” – firmly established by the success of the convert communities in the first wave of transformation – are now, in response both to internal pressures building within the convert communities themselves and to external forces occurring in American culture, entering upon a state of radical transformation into what she designates as an emerging form of “postmodern Buddhism”.
In three key chapters in the first half of her book, Gleig examines three different manifestations of the impact of modernist American culture on convert Buddhism – the secular mindfulness movement, the sexual revolution and its attendant abuses, and the growing confluence of psychotherapy and meditation. Here she shows how this modernist form of American Buddhism, with its predominantly white culture and its primary focus on individual wellbeing, contains within itself the seeds of the diversity challenges – both racial and generational – that are opening the doors to a variety of postmodernist trends. Her detailed account of how one such community in the convert lineage has struggled valiantly, but ultimately in vain, to overcome the racial divide between its majority white membership and its minority persons-of-color group is heartbreaking to read.
In the second half of the book, Gleig switches focus away from the modernist communities and their leadership, and toward the voices and the projects of the emerging postmodernist influencers in the American Buddhist community. Once again, three key chapters explore in depth three significant developments – the emergence of a radically new emphasis on social and racial justice as a necessary component of Buddhist practice, the growing popularity of online communities and social media networks with younger practitioners, and the tensions brewing between the aging “boomer” generation of teachers and the much younger “Gen X” teachers getting ready to assume leadership roles as the boomers begin to retire.
As she documents each of these manifestations of postmodernist challenges to the existing modernist ideals, Gleig is careful to point out how these new developments should be seen as simultaneous continuations of, and corrections to, the established forms of convert Buddhism. Her message is that Buddhism in America is growing into postmodernity; it is not being overthrown and reborn into something radically new and unfamiliar. It’s an evolution, not a revolution.
And yet, a careful reading of American Dharma leaves one with a palpable sense that Western Buddhism is, at this particular moment in the United States, experiencing severe growing pains that make its future at best unpredictable, and at worst unsustainable. Especially in the latter half of the book, Gleig necessarily devotes a significantly larger portion of her narrative to the postmodernist developments – this is, after all, the story she has set herself to tell in support of her thesis. For readers whose practice has been grounded for many years in the modernist tradition, it’s easy to feel unsettled, as if we are being completely overlooked, or even worse, being altogether set aside – in the gloomy metaphor of one longtime Zen teacher and blogger, “like a dinosaur”.
But perhaps the better perspective for us “dinosaurs” to hold as we read this book is one of appreciation for Gleig’s in-depth reporting on the various post-modernist trends impacting contemporary Western Buddhism. By letting us more clearly “see things as they really are” – a hallmark of wisdom in the Buddhist teachings – American Dharma can help us to respond more skillfully to the changes that are all but certain to come.
Buddhism was quickly assimilated into Chinese culture because it share many common thread with Confucianism and Daoism which are the two local ideologies of ancient China. And because of fertile land of Confucianism in advocating the devotion, service and altruism as the path of Dao, Mahayana Buddhism was integrated into Chinese culture with relative easy transition. And Buddhism ushered in pinnacles of Tang Dynasty, one of the most celebrated period of civilization in China. Still there were over one hundred years of debates and heated discussion among the practitioners. What is going to happen in United States? It certainly takes time and effort to cultivate wisdom and self-awareness. But as long as the big ego having an ignorant prejudice like Why Buddhism and the Modern World Need Each Other, it will not happen. Their mentality paragraphs into an attitude of “Buddha and Western Civilization need each other” – do you see how ridiculous this is ? In a not so exact metaphor, we ask, how is a turtle compare to the ocean?
In summary, Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva is known for his vows to take responsibility for the instruction of all beings in the six worlds between the pass away of Sakyamuni Buddha and the rise of Maitreya, as well as to not achieve Buddhahood until all hells are emptied. Here are the main points of take-away for our study of the Ksitigarbha Sutra.
Talking about benefits of expand our understanding Dharma, so we can have faith in Buddha’s teaching, the following materials to good ones to check out.
Aggañña Sutta is the 27th Sutta of the Digha Nikaya collection (Pāli version). The sutta describes a discourse imparted by the Buddha to two brahmans, Bharadvaja and Vasettha, who left their family and vanna to become monks. The two brahmans are insulted and maligned by their own caste for their intention to become members of the Sangha. The Buddha explains that vanna(class) and lineage cannot be comparedtothe achievement of morality practice and the Dhamma, as anyone from the four vannas can become a monk and reach the state of Arahant. Then, he explains about the beginning of the Earth and the birth of social order and its structure, including the vannas. The Buddha emphasizes the message of universality in the Dhamma and how the Dhamma is the best of all things.
The Jātakas (meaning “Birth Story“, “related to a birth”) are another voluminous body of literature people can check out to understand the previous births of Gautama Buddha in both human and animal form. According to Peter Skilling, this genre is “one of the oldest classes of Buddhist literature.” We can get first and second Volumes of the Jātaka Verses and their Word Commentaries on ordained Theravada Buddhist practitioner, Bhante Anandajoti‘s publication work site. It has tons of resources there. Check them out.
In the youtube program Devolution and Evolution, based on two discourses in the Dīghanikāya, Aggaññasutta (DN 27) and Cakkavattisīhanādasutta (DN 26), Bhante Anandajoti’ describes the various ways the universe comes to destruction, and how it re-evolves. It also talks about the moral devolution of humans, before a reversal happens.
The self luminous beings, just pure light when they were reborn, then got attracted by the sensuality in the matter, they become more gross in their own bodies after eating those matters. when beings were attracted by sensual matters, their minds become gross even though their mind was so far refined that they were up at the 2nd Jhana level. But when they were attracted by sensuality, they come back down into the body. What is true in the psychological world in Buddhism, is true in the cosmological world. The kind of things that happen in the psychological world also happen in the cosmological world. This describe how the world devolved, and also it describes how the mind devolves. Attracted by very refined sensual objects when you are in something like 2nd Jhana, you go down a level and then attracted again to objects at that level, you devolve to another level.
Buddha said, “Why did you get a human body?” The Balapandita Sutta compares the human birth in the metaphor of Golden Yoke and Blind Turtle. It is like a wooden cattle-yoke floating on the waves of the sea, tossed this way and that by the winds and Buddha illustrates this by giving the following analogy. He asks his disciples; ‘Suppose there existed a vast and deep ocean the size of this world, and on its surface there floated a golden yoke, and at the bottom of the ocean there lived a blind turtle who surfaced only once in every one hundred thousand years. How often would that turtle raise its head through the middle of the yoke?’ His disciple, Ananda, answers that, indeed, it would be extremely rare.
In this context, the vast and deep ocean refers to samsara – the cycle of impure life that we have experienced since beginningless time, continually in life after life without end – the golden yoke refers to Buddha dharma, and the blind turtle refers to us. Although we are not physically a turtle, mentally we are not much different; and although our physical eyes may not be blind, our wisdom eyes are.
To be continued ……
Dedicate Merits:
May the precious bodhicitta
That has not yet arisen, arise and grow,
And may that which has already arisen not diminish,
But increase more and more.
回向偈：
愿以此功德，庄严佛净土。
上报四重恩，下济三涂苦。
若有见闻者，悉发菩提心。
尽此一报身，同生极乐国。
There are benefits from seeing an image of Earth Store Bodhisattva or the Fundamental Vows of Earth Store Bodhisattva Sutra. Even if we do not see these, but just hear the name Earth Store Bodhisattva or Fundamental Vows of Earth Store Bodhisattva Sutra, there are benefits. Humanity is actually at the verge of total destruction. Just the last few days, the prolonged war between Russia and Ukraine has escalated with the danger of triggering nuclear war. As Nato expanded several times in the past several years to the border of Russia, The war now has the huge danger of turning into World War Three. Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva and Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva are the two Bodhisattva we should pray to.
Are we doomed? In this two parts video clip about Hopi and Tibetan prophec, a film by Ken Thornton foretold of three world wars or fights. A Native American Hopi Explains his interpretation of Prophecy rock as passed down through his Clan and also explains the view on the two paths in Life that prophecy rock meanings indicates, the two choices in the context of living in balance with the Earth. The Hopi prophecy, known actually as life plan or paths lay out of two paths that humanity has a choice on, either the materialistic path where people all unified, items that make life easier, people are so used to but that is the description also given, the first three being inventions, advancements and technology. If humanity continue our ways of destruction – taking from the earth, or even the world leader press the buttons for all their atomic missile heads, …..the Earth will be bits of particle dust in the endless space.
Or take another path which certain predictions and provisions tied into, and follow with right manner, even if we do continue to the extent of the end days or judgment days, the leader or Savior that is to come will be leading the exodus of people into the next level or next world. It just depends on how humanity make choices. Teachings are already out there laid out, it’s just that humanity need to pick up those teachings to have a little more thorough understanding. We need to get off the materialism and convert to the right path for the betterment and the good of all humanity.Technology is currently over empowering us. They are the inventions aided by witches or sorcerers who used his magic to help these technology creation.
We are at the reflection point where people are going back to the organic foods, all the traditional ancestral teachings, healing methods, medicinal roots and plants original teachings how to live off the Earth under land, how to respect it give of something back if we are taking , corporations companies are not those changes. Basically individuals want to have a little bit more thorough understanding of American teaching or indigenous teachings, interact with the Earth of how we’ve been doing it for all these for thousands of years. The prophecy describes a purification, where there will be great destruction all over the world. Natural disasters, such as floods and earthquakes are said to be warning signs of this coming purification. A Hopi leader, Thomas Banyacya, had the opportunity to speak to the United Nations in 1992.
Part two talked about the prophecies made by Padmasambhava (1136-1204) more than a thousand years ago, when asked by his disciple when is the beginning of Dharma-ending age: “When the iron bird flies and the horses run on wheels, the Tibetan people will be scattered like ants across the world, and the Dharma will come to the land of the red men”. Guru Rinpoche further prophesied that in that era (or rather now), carriages do not require horses to move, they self-propel . Youngsters in that era step on something that shaped like a bullhorn and there are wheels underneath that allow them to skate everywhere. It is even stranger that people in that era do not need to leave their houses to know things that happen around the world, just by sitting in front of a mirror. Padmasambhava , the precious Guru of Tibetan Buddhism, was Born from a Lotus, also known as Guru Rinpoche (Precious Guru) and the Lotus from Oḍḍiyāna, was from India who have taught Vajrayana in Tibet (circa 8th – 9th centuries).
May the precious bodhicitta
That has not yet arisen, arise and grow,
And may that which has already arisen not diminish,
But increase more and more.
回向偈：
愿以此功德，庄严佛净土。
上报四重恩，下济三涂苦。
若有见闻者，悉发菩提心。
尽此一报身，同生极乐国。
A series of earthquakes rattled Taiwan in September with the highest one at 6.8 magnitude hit Taiwan on September 18 2022, according to the island’s weather bureau. Are these earthquakes just independent nature occurrences or these are the resonate of the human emotional turmoil triggered by the extreme disturbing political conflict of the region?
Human beings throughout history knew of their interconnectedness with nature as they were deeply immersed in the natural world. It is only in the last few centuries that humans have separated themselves from nature, both physically and psychologically. Most of us now operate under the unconscious assumption that what we call “the self” is something that exists independent of the world around us. We feel that we exist “in here” somewhere in our bodies, and that the world is something which exists “out there.”
This perception, though held by most people living today, is not actually an accurate representation of who we are (after we study Buddhism or eastern ancient philosophy). We do not and cannot exist independent of our environment. You are made of the food you eat, the air you breathe, the water you drink, the sun that heats you and the planet, and so many other elements. When we think of ourselves as self, and other things in nature as not-self, we create a duality or separation that does not exist in reality. The tree, the sky, the sun—these are all not-self in terms of our notion of self. Without these elements, however, we could not exist. It is only because of not-self elements that what we call the self exists at all.
Yet, we do not tend to feel this on a visceral level. This illusory perception caused many of us often suffer deeply because we perceive ourselves to be disconnected and alienated from the rest of the world. This disconnect not only make us feel quite alone in this world, we often feel justified in judging, mistreating, and abusing other human beings and living creatures. we do not intuitively realize the harm we do to neglect Nature, to manipulate it, pollute it until the issue became so serious. If we continue to operate under the false notion of being a separate self, we will continue to act according to that notion, and our planet, and ourselves, will continue to suffer because of it. We need to awaken from this illusion and realize that we are not a separate self, but that we are one with the whole of nature.
Norweign philosopher Arne Naess is one of the first in the West to raise the proposition that humans can become part of the ecosystems of Earth, in distinction to becoming only themselves. Næss believed that the environmental crisis of the twentieth century had arisen due to certain unspoken philosophical presuppositions and attitudes within modern western developed societies which remained unacknowledged.
While Naess coined the term “deep ecology” and sparked a new movement along with it, this idea of seeing human beings as interconnected parts of nature is not by any means a new philosophy. In fact, it is quite ancient. We can find perhaps the oldest written document on deep ecology (though it wasn’t given this name at the time) in the ancient text of the Diamond Sutra. The Diamond Sutra is a primary text in the Mahayana Buddhist tradition (which includes the Ch’an or Zen school). Buddhism, among all world traditions, has focused most intently on questioning this notion of “self,” and no Buddhist text is more known for this than the Diamond Sutra.
Scholars believe the original text of the Diamond Sutra was written in India sometime in the 2nd century CE. Kumarajiva is believed to have made the first translation into Chinese in 401 CE, and the Kumarajiva text is the one most often translated into English.
In the Earth Store Sutra, there had mentioned many times of other lands and the saha world, beings in other realms, like the sea spirits, river spirits, stream spirits, tree spirits , mountain spirits, earth spirits, brook-and-marsh spirits, space spirits etc. As we read lines like these, people may have questions about how come the submarines in the deep water or spaceships to the moon do not discover such beings described in the sutra?
In broad strokes, lots of scientific theories are fairly harmonious with Buddhism, science is gradually catching up with Buddhism, especially in the last 100 years. Buddhist cosmology is not humancentric, earth is just a dustmote among infinite galaxies here too, universes arise and cease after billions of years. The broad lines mesh well there. Obviously, Buddhist cosmology does not match well to scrutiny under a fine-toothed combed, although that can also be said of scientific theories from 20 years ago. Buddhist estimates for the number of atoms in the universe exceed current scientific estimates by thousands of orders of magnitude.
Buddhism even has a theory of evolution. Though it’s maxim is more of a “species evolve and devolve according to their collective karmic virtue” than “survival of the fittest”, so that doesn’t gel too well with modern science. Actually, Buddhist theory of evolution is a bit more expansive than just evolution, since it is simultaneously a theory of ecology – the environment also responds to all this. For example, in Buddhist cosmology, it is described how in the early stages of this world, ethereal gods populated the world. But they eventually grew too greedy and not only devolved into lesser more corporeal beings themselves, the planetary environment changed as a result of their greed as well.
A popular subject physicists have been looking into in recent years includes parallel universes and other dimensions. These parallel universes and dimensions are described as other realms which can include other life forms beyond our universe and other dimensions right here on earth. These ideas are part of superstring theories and M-theory. These theories of modern physics are one-hundred percent compatible with the Dhamma and the 31 planes of existence. The planes of existence include realms that are beyond our imagination in distance and realms that are right here on earth. The other dimensions include what are known as “invisible beings” in the Buddhist cosmology. They are invisible because they are in a different dimension.
Everything, including all of the dimensions are inter-connected. The Buddha said: “As a net is made up of a series of ties, so everything in this world is connected by a series of ties. If anyone thinks that the mesh of a net is an independent, isolated thing, he is mistaken. It is called a net because it is made up of a series of interconnected meshes, and each mesh has its place and responsibility in relation to the other meshes.” (Gach, 2002) In this quote we can see the talk of dimensions and parallel universes with the emphasis on the meshes and its relation to other meshes. The Buddha also made it clear that there is no permanent self-essence in anything in the universe and that nothing is independent. Modern scientists have concurred with these ideas. The language might be a little different, but the concepts and observations are the same.
The zen master, D. T. Suzuki, described emptiness as follows, “By emptiness of self-aspect or self-character, therefore, is meant that each particular object has no permanent and irreducible characteristics to be known as its own.” Modern physicist, David Bohm, repeats almost the same thing in scientific language with, “Quantum theory requires us to give up the idea that the electron, or any other object has, by itself, any intrinsic properties at all.” Einstein discussed space as follows, “According to general relativity, the concept of space detached from any physical content does not exist.” Compare these well learned people above to the words of Buddha, nearly 2,600 years ago: “If there is only empty space, with no suns nor planets in it, then space loses its substantiality.” 不同维次的空间，就如电视的不同频道；许许多多的鬼神也跟我们不同空间.
to be continued ……
Dedicate Merits:
May the precious bodhicitta
That has not yet arisen, arise and grow,
And may that which has already arisen not diminish,
But increase more and more.
回向偈：
愿以此功德，庄严佛净土。
上报四重恩，下济三涂苦。
若有见闻者，悉发菩提心。
尽此一报身，同生极乐国。
南无本师释迦牟尼佛（三称） NamoFundamental Teacher Shakyamuni Buddha !(three times) 南无大愿地藏王菩萨（三称） Namo Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva! (three times)
Chapter 10: The Conditions and ComparativeMerit and Virtue of Giving (校量布施功德缘品) English sound recording with captions, Online Chinese Earth Store Sutra text; English Earth Store Sutra text; A Commentary by Master Hsuan Hua at City of Ten Thousand Buddhas;
This chapter talks about the cause and effect of the merit and virtue of giving. Buddhism teaches us the true nature of ourselves as well as the true nature of the universe. When we are awakening to the illusory nature of our human experience, we can then adjust our value system and then can put our energy into positive usage that benefits the world and eventually benefits ourselves. Dharma help us to establish a good understanding of what is good, and what is evil, many times we can be confusing about the blurring lines. ultimately Buddhism lend us the wisdom to transcend duality and pursuit the ultimate good. 学佛法就是了解自己，认识自己生活真实环境的实相。从而顺应自然规律，创造积极的正面的人生。我们今天能听到佛法都是过去辈子有结过缘，种下善根。 你數一數這世界上，不明白佛法，沒有聽見大乘經典的人有多少？甚至有的人來此一聽就跑了，為什麼？就是因為沒有這種善根。
Buddha once said: “What you think you create, what you feel you attract, what you imagine you become.” …….. “All that we are is the result of what we have thought: it is based on our thoughts and made up of our thoughts. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, suffering follows him as the wheel follows the hoof of the beast that draws the wagon. If a man speaks or acts with a good thought, happiness follows him like a shadow that never leaves him”. That is why Buddha of past, present and future of all ten directions, all emphasis the Buddha’s Discourse on the Ten Wholesome Ways of Action as the foundation of Buddhism practices. All schools of Buddhism teaching are build on the foundation of these practices. (佛说十善业道经). 「佛说十善业道经」，不是一尊佛说，是所有的佛都说，说这十种善法的业道。 是十方三世一切诸佛都说。帮助我们，无论修学哪一个法门，哪一个宗派，在这个基础上用功夫，你决定成就。
Although at extreme high levels, Buddha teaches the Oneness, but at our level, we should strictly only follow the Right ways. The mantra of “Om Ah Hum” as its most basic means to perfect our Action, Speech and Mind. Although it also has many other layers of meaning – 唵阿吽.
There are three forms of giving: giving of wealth, giving of Dharma, and giving of fearlessness. The gift of fearlessness is when a person has a kind of disaster and feels fearful, you comfort the person with soothing words making them not afraid giving of fearlessness. Of the three kinds of giving, the giving of Dharma is the most valuable, because it help them become aware of wrongdoing, and eventually lead people to their right path for crossover. 而「諸供養中，法供養最」，你要是以法供養人，這功德是最大的。「無畏施」，是人有什麼災難，飛災橫禍，有一種恐懼的事情，給他說幾句好話，安慰他，令他不生恐懼心，這叫無畏施。
The giver more blessed than the receiver. The Qur’an has over 50 verses about charity making it one of the most talked-about subjects in the Holy Book. Islam encourages Muslims to adopt charity as a way of life as opposed to it being a random or one-off act. Indeed some charity like Zakat is mandatory whilst there is a general instruction to give charity as regularly as possible.
Tzeddakah is a Hebrewword meaning “righteousness”, but commonly used to signify charity. Many think of themselves as helping others when they give of their hard earned money to those less fortunate than they are – or perhaps to those who may not work as hard as they do. Is charity truly only one-sided?! Is it possible that more than one benefits when charity is given?! Can giving actually be done with a smile? Is the receiver any less important because he receives?! Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, known as Maimonides – authority on Jewish law, states the following in his “Laws of Gifts to the Poor” Chapter 10, Law 1 :
We are obligated to be careful with the commandment of charity more so than with all the positive commandments. For charity is a sign of the righteous person – of the children of Abraham our father. As it says, ‘For I have (known) loved him because he commands his children… to do righteousness (Tzedakkah, charity.)’ And the throne of Israel will not be established, and the religion of truth will not stand except through Tzeddakah. As it says, ‘Establish yourself through Tzeddakah.’ And the Jewish people will not be redeemed except through Tzeddakah – as it says, ‘Zion will be redeemed through justice and those who return to her through Tzedakkah.’”
Some people do evil, but still is blessed this life because his previous lives had earned profoundly merits. If he doesn’t do evil, the blessing is even greater! 有些人我们看来好像他并没有行什么善，甚至于还做很多恶事，这是什么原因？善是他前生修的，前生修的因，这一生得果报，这一生当中很可惜，他没有遇到善知识，没有遇到明白人教他，于是他迷惑了，迷惑才造业，才造这个不善的业，由于造不善的业，过去生中修的福报，很容易消失。 到来生福报就没有了。 他所造的恶业果报就现前了。
All the spiritual teachings points to a same directions. Dogmatic understanding of religion often result in a limited range of interest, purpose, or scope, or to be devoted to a particularly narrow definition. Sectarianism among the religions can cause misunderstanding and unnecessary division, sometimes lead to physical violence. This is very tragic because fundamentally all religions are about teaching love – love people, love nature and love universe. Singapore is an excellent example of cohesion of all regions. Home to 10 religions – Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity/Catholic are the primary religions of Singapore, while Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Sikhism, Jainism, and others form the minority cluster, the Lion City is the ultimate melting pot, with the locals celebrating all festivals pompously, irrespective of the religion they follow. And it does not have a state-regulated religion which the citizens are supposed to follow.
To be continued …..
Dedicate Merits:
May the precious bodhicitta
That has not yet arisen, arise and grow,
And may that which has already arisen not diminish,
But increase more and more.
回向偈：
愿以此功德，庄严佛净土。
上报四重恩，下济三涂苦。
若有见闻者，悉发菩提心。
尽此一报身，同生极乐国。
As the saying goes, ” To err is human, to forgive, divine.” We are all imperfect in different ways of various degree. I personally improved so much as my journey on the study of Dharma continues, and as I am influenced by so many virtuous friends.
Buddha said, “The beings of southernJambudvipa have stubborn and obstinate natures, difficult to tame, difficult to subdue. ” Many times we have good intention, but as we are ignorant, confused, delusional, we did not do things the right way. Not to mention “because beings of Jambudvipa have heavy habits of forming evil“，most times it is our deep rooted bad habits of greed, aversion and bigotry got in the way. That is the very reason Shakyamuni Buddha born to the Earth, he devoted all his time after enlightenment to the education of sentient being. （印光祖师云，如来为一大事因缘故，出现于世。 所谓大事者，欲令一切众生，悉皆开示悟入佛之知见，各得成佛而已。）
Earth Store Bodhisattva said in Chapter 7, “I observe that the mental stirring and thoughts of living beings of Jambudvipa are [almost] always wrongdoings. Although now and then they [may generate virtuous thoughts and] gain good benefits, they mostly retreat from their initial resolve. If they encounter evil conditions, in every thought they increase and add to [the unwholesome]. These people are as if walking in the mire and carrying heavy rocks. They would become more trapped and weighted down as their feet would sink deeper with each step. If such a person can meet a virtuous friend, this person’s burden will be lightened or even completely removed, because such a virtuous friend has great strength. Furthermore, the virtuous friend will lend him support, advise him to keep his steps firm and steady, and point out that once he reaches the level ground, he should beware of the bad road and not walk on it again.” （地藏菩萨摩诃萨白佛言：世尊，我观是阎浮众生，举心动念，无非是罪。脱获善利，多退初心。若遇恶缘，念念增益。是等辈人，如履泥涂，负于重石，渐困渐重，足步深邃。若得遇知识，替与减负，或全与负。是知识有大力故，复相扶助，劝令牢脚。若达平地，须省恶路，无再经历。）
Earth Store Bodhisattva is such a good teacher. He is skilled in lots of magic because of his finely wondrous and inconceivable wisdom through spiritual powers. Earth Store Bodhisattva is one of these virtuous friends on the high realm, now that Sakyamuni Buddha is not in physical form on Earth, and Metteyya Buddha, the future Buddha of this world, has not arrived yet. So we shall follow Buddha’s advice to often pay tributes to Earth Store Bodhisattva in Chapter 6, “in the future on the first, eighth, fourteenth, fifteenth, eighteenth, twenty-third, twenty-fourth, twenty-eighth, twenty-ninth, and thirtieth days of the [lunar] month, the offenses of living beings will be compiled and the degrees of seriousness assessed. The acts and thoughts of the beings of Jambudvipa are invariably karma and wrongdoing. How much more so when they give themselves over to killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, false speech—hundreds of thousands of offenses! If they are able to read this sutra aloud once in front of the images of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, holy ones, and worthies on these ten observance days, there will not be disaster or calamity for a hundred yojanas to the north, south, east, and west. Those in their families, both young and old, will be apart from the lower realms now and throughout hundreds of thousands of years in the future. If they can recite this sutra once on each of the ten observance days, in the present life there will not be untoward dire events and illnesses in the family, and there will be food and clothing in abundance. ” ( 若未来世众生，于月一日、八日、十四日、十五日、十八日、二十三、二十四、二十八、二十九日、乃至三十日，是诸日等，诸罪结集，定其轻重。南阎浮提众生，举止动念，无不是业，无不是罪，何况恣情杀害、窃盗、邪淫、妄语、百千罪状。能于是十斋日，对佛菩萨诸贤圣像前，读是经一遍，东西南北百由旬内，无诸灾难。) To read Sutras is to worship Buddha. 高僧開示：佛法中的“善知識”該怎樣找？“惡知識”又該怎樣躲？
As we getting more and more conscience of the nature law of universe, we human should design laws that close align with cosmic principles, and follow the good practices of Buddha and Bodhisattvas like Earth Store to help those commit crimes. So education is of crucial importance. All the sages and saints in the history are best known for the teachings they instructed to the world. Master Chin Kong spent a lot of time to disseminate the teaching of Buddha’s Discourse on the Ten Wholesome Ways of Action (佛说十善业道经(Bilingual Chinese English). According to Master Chin Kong, this is the foundation of Buddha’s teaching. This discourse help us apply the theory into all peripheral of daily life, the principle is universal applicable at all level for a ordered life, whether it is in personal, family, community, country or international.
Buddha’s Discourse on the Ten Wholesome Ways of Action (佛说十善业道经(Bilingual Chinese English) Buddhas and bodhisattvas have a method which could cut off all pain and get substantial benefits. This method is to practice ten virtues. 《佛說十善業道經》出自西晉月氏國三藏竺法護譯《佛說海龍王經》，為其第十一品《十德六度》，是佛為海龍王說，一切法靡不由心，應修十善，遂廣明十善功德，及攝一切佛法。即諸佛菩薩有一方法，能斷除一切惡道之苦，獲取極大利益，這個方法就是修行十善業道。Here is a movie of the “Ten commandments” of The Discourse on the Ten Wholesome Ways of Action.
May the precious bodhicitta
That has not yet arisen, arise and grow,
And may that which has already arisen not diminish,
But increase more and more.
回向偈：
愿以此功德，庄严佛净土。
上报四重恩，下济三涂苦。
若有见闻者，悉发菩提心。
尽此一报身，同生极乐国。
Venerable Master Chin Kung’s du bi duo cremation took placed in September 3rd, 淨空法師荼毗驚現「觀音菩薩舍利花」. 千古奇跡 古有鳩摩羅什舌舍利 今有淨空喉舍利. Venerable Master Chin Kung has left behind many wonderful and astonishing Relics. Among his precious Relics, Tongue Relic and a Relic looks like Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva were found. As early as Jan19 2018， in one of the workshop, Master Jing Kong had revealed to the audiences his passing time. 淨空法師生前 說法時即公開時間， 4年前即預知时至。
Tongue Relic from Venerable Master Chin Kung after the Cremation is a great indication of his achievement.
Is There Life after Death? Master Thich Nhat Hanh used the water/wave metaphor to explain to a group of young people during a retreat. As usual, he expounded such deep and difficult existential issues with great ease. In Fifty Years of Research at UVA, faculty from the Division of Perceptual Studies highlight the unit’s work since its founding, including studies of purported past lives, near-death experiences, and mind-brain interactions in phenomena such as deep meditation, veridical out-of-body experiences, deathbed visions, apparent communication from deceased persons, altered states of consciousness, and terminal lucidity in persons with irreversible brain damage.
We are all going to die anyway, the more we try to ignore, to stop the fear, of death and dying, it grows. It grows underground, it haunts us. Passing through life, progressing to old age and eventually death, it is not sufficient to just take care of the body. We need to take care of our emotions as well. In Dalai Lama’s Advice for Living & Dying, he gives advice to the terminally ill, medical professionals & general public on issues, including grief & loss and emotional & spiritual support at the end of life.
How do you care the sick & dying? Master Thick Nhat Hanh told the Story of Anathapindika, Buddha spent a few minutes to helped Anathapindika meditate on the good deeds he had performed for Buddha, the Dharma and Sangha. Likewise, sitting next to the dead bed of someone in the final hours, you need to realize the seed of happiness in the dying person, you need to inquire those things before hand, and say something to water the seed of happiness in him/her, create the joy and happiness in him. This program shows shared in detail how to help the elders prepare their final times: 如何護持老人往生淨土丨定弘法師
This article talked in detail how to help prepare the dying going through the most difficult period of transition. 如何帮助临终的亲人走完最后一段路？没有哪一种布施会大过于帮助一个人好好地死亡。《地藏菩萨本愿经》告诉我们：“若能更为身死之后七七日内广造众善，能使是诸众生永离恶趣，得生人天，受胜妙乐。”所谓广造众善，或是放生物命、助印经书、供养三宝；或是去寺院打普佛，让出家人在早晚上殿时将功德回向亡者；或是以亡者的名义救济贫苦、参与慈善等。总之要尽快去做，而且是带着纯正的利他心做，然后把功德回向亡者。
to be continued ….
Dedicate Merits:
May the precious bodhicitta
That has not yet arisen, arise and grow,
And may that which has already arisen not diminish,
But increase more and more.
回向偈：
愿以此功德，庄严佛净土。
上报四重恩，下济三涂苦。
若有见闻者，悉发菩提心。
尽此一报身，同生极乐国。
This chapter Buddha gave the name of the sutra and went into details of the benefits reading this sutra and give solute to Earth Store Bodhisattva. This sutra was spoke toward the end of Buddha’ life, it possesses many unfathomable power. These including how to get benefits for women who wish to change to a man’s body in future incarnation. For the many people in our modern time who want to change genders, this sutra gave to the methods! Do not go to surgery!
What are blessed and virtuous deeds? According to one article called “Great Standards” in the Book of History that contains nine sections that explains five types of blessings: the first type of blessing is called blessings and longevity. What are blessings? Blessings means being very much at ease with everything. Longevity means a long life and not a short life. One is shone upon by the stars of blessings, prosperity, and longevity. Blessings are natural so that you are very much at ease. Prosperity could be one’s monthly income from being a government official. Lord Longevity, or Son of the South Pole in China, is mostly bald and wears a long, white beard. He is said to be the Immortal Man of South Pole in Taoism. His head contains three volumes of celestial texts, so he knows everything. He is the elderly Prosperity star.
The second type of blessing is affluence and nobility. The third type refers to a healthy and safe body. The fourth type means enjoying cultivating virtues and doing good deeds. With this type of blessings, one is willing to do what is virtuous. The fifth type of blessing is a peaceful passing.
There are also five kinds of virtues: mild-mannered, kind, respectful, frugal, and yielding. Who has these five kinds of virtues? Confucius. What are the five? The first is mild-mannered, neither too cold nor too hot. Too cold, one is like the silent and stoic Lord Guan all the time. The second virtue is kindness. The third type of virtue is respect, always respectful toward others without slighting others. The fourth type is frugality and simplicity. One does not waste any material resources.
For example, one usually eats five bowls of rice but reduces one’s intake to three bowls, leaving the other two bowls for those who are starving. One maintains a simple lifestyle. “One serves oneself a simple and restricted diet; one treats guests without letting the meal linger on.” We must try to save on what we use, what we wear, what we eat, what we live in so that none of it is excessive. The most important thing is frugality. The fifth type of virtue is yielding. Do not rush forward to fight for anything. Yield means letting other people be number one. Let other people enjoy the good things and pick up bad things ourselves. This is yielding. Politely yield. These are the five virtues.
Speaking of yielding, Kong Rong at the age of four knew to yield his pear. Kong Rong was someone before the Three Kingdoms period in China. He was in a real high political office. When he was four years old, some guests brought a gift basket (made out of bamboo) of pears for his family. The adults told him to get a pear and what does he do? He picks the smallest one. The guests ask, “Why don’t you pick a big one? Why do you pick such a small pear for yourself?” He said, “I am the youngest, I should eat a small one. My older brothers are older than I am, so they should eat the big ones.”
He yielded the bigger pears for his brothers and took the smallest one for himself. Later he reached a very high office. During the Han Dynasty, Huang Xiang at the age of nine knew to warm his parents’ bed. Every night at bedtime, he would go and sleep on his parents’ bed so that it is warm before he goes to sleep on his own bed. He shows his filiality by warming up the bed, which is a type of virtuous conduct. The Five Virtues are about being mild-mannered, kind, respectful, frugal, and yielding.
Master Hsuan Hua explained to us why is a female body so troublesome?
I am not saying this to make you hate the female body so that you will leave the householder’s life and become a Bhikshu or Bhikshuni. The female body is really so much trouble, that is why some women do not want to be women. Why be a woman? Let us study this, it is because female habits such as envy, obstructionism, greed for petty gain, and vanity etc. are so ingrained. They become women in future lives as a result. However, if you were to respect Earth Store Bodhisattva, then all these problems dissolve. If you do not resolve these issues, then women’s five obstructive tendencies and ten evils are no fun.
What are the females’ five obstructive tendencies? The first obstruction is that women cannot become a Great Brahma Heaven King in this lifetime. Why? Great Brahma Heaven Kings become accomplished in their cultivation through pure conduct. The female body is mostly impure, so they cannot become Great Brahman Heaven Kings.
The second obstruction: women cannot become Lord Shakra, the lord of the heavens. You wonder, “Didn’t a woman become the lord of the Thirty-Three Heavens?” Actually, she went from a woman to a man. Lord Shakra does not have very much desire. Women tend to have more lust, so they cannot become gods.
The third obstruction for women is that they cannot become demon kings, which is best. The reason for this is that demon kings are tough and firm while women are very weak. Sometimes they cannot take care of themselves so that when certain things happen, they have to look for help.
The fourth obstruction for women is that women cannot be Wheel Turning Sage Kings. There are Gold Wheel Sage Kings, Silver Wheel Sage Kings, Iron Wheel Sage Kings, and Copper Wheel Sage Kings. Why cannot one become a Wheel Sage King in the body of a woman? It is became Wheel Turning Sage Kings are most compassionate and kind. They teach people to practice the Five Precepts and the Ten Good Deeds. Women tend to be less compassionate and more envious; consequently they cannot become Wheel Turning Sage Kings.
The fifth obstruction for women is that they cannot become Buddhas. Since the body of Buddhas comes with the myriad virtues while the female body is full of evil, such as jealousy, obstructive tendencies, and pettiness, a heart the size of sesame. This is why women in their bodies cannot become Buddhas
Although women experience these five obstructions, if they can be free of jealousy, lust, and weakness, all the evils and tainted thoughts, then there is still hope for women to turn into men.
Shariputra, for example, said that Dragon Girl cannot become a Buddha, so she took here favorite pearl that she cannot possibly give up and gave it to the Buddha. The Buddha accepted her pearl. She explained, “I can become a Buddha now. The Buddha accepted the pearl I offered him. Is this fast?” Shariputra responded, “It is very fast.” She said, “The speed at which I become a Buddha is as fast as the speed at which I offered this pearl to the Buddha.” After saying this, she became a Buddha immediately indeed. Women should not give up on themselves and lose hope because of these Five Obstructions. They should only be afraid that they are not bold enough in their resolves. Were they to bring forth their resolves boldly, they can become Buddhas too. For instance, the Dragon Girl offered her favorite pearl and became a Buddha immediately.
As the title indicated, this chapter Earth Store Bodhisattva gave a general list of the names of the various kind of hell where people who have committed sins by killing, theft, adultery, lying, slandering, abusing, gossiping, craving and anger have to be cast into for punishment without any chance of escape…. Therefore, living beings must not underestimate small wrongs and consider them harmless, for after death there will be ripened effects to be experienced to the most exact detail.
Scientists have confirms there are many different dimensions exist in the universe, although the technology can not define clearly. What caused these different dimensions? Dimensions/realms satient being can be born in are not only just physical or spiritual realms, they also correspondence to psychological realms. Thecosmological world reflects the psychological world, and psychological world is reflected in the cosmological world. 《华严经》里面，释迦牟尼佛初成道的时候，就很感慨的说：一切众生皆有如来智慧德相，但以妄想执着而不能证得。
Though commonly referred to as poisons, the Buddha first introduced these mental attitudes as fires in the Fire Sermon (Adittapariyaya Sutta): “Monks, all is burning . . . Burning with what? Burning with the fire of lust, with the fire of hate, with the fire of delusion.” The three poisons are depicted at the center of the Wheel of Life (bhavachakra), a visual representation of the sorrows of samsara. Greed is depicted as a rooster, hatred as a snake, and delusion as a pig. Importantly, they literally feed off one another; each animal consuming the tail end of the other in a vicious cycle of delusion. The centrality of the three poisons demonstrates their role in powering the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, the escape from which is nirvana.
A person should always perform good actions and restrain himself from doing evil actions. There are three bodily actions which are kammically unwholesome. They are:
(1) Killing of living beings,
(2) Stealing, and
(3) Unlawful sexual intercourse. These bodily deeds correspond to the first three of the Five Precepts for people to follow.
Four verbal actions are kammically unwholesome, and they are as follows:
(1) Lying,
(2) Slander and tale-bearing,
(3) Harsh speech, and
(4) Frivolous and meaningless talk.
Except for lying, the other unwholesome deeds performed by speech may be viewed as extensions of the Fourth Precept.
The three other demeritorious deeds are performed by the mind, and they are as follows:
(1) Covetousness, or eagerly desirous especially of things belonging to others,
(2) Ill-will, and
(3) Wrong view.
These three deeds correspond to the three evil roots of greed, hatred and delusion. The non-observance of the Fifth Precept of abstention from intoxicants can not only lead to the performance of these three demeritorious mental actions after the mind is intoxicated, but also the other demeritorious deeds performed by body and speech.
The performance of good actions gives rise to merit (punna), a quality which purifies and cleanses the mind. If the mind is unchecked, it has the tendency to be ruled by evil tendencies, leading one to perform bad deeds and getting into trouble. Merit purifies the mind of the evil tendencies of greed, hatred and delusion. The greedy mind encourages a person to desire, accumulate and hoard; the hating mind drags him to dislike and anger; and the deluded mind makes one become entangled in greed and hatred, thinking that these evil roots are right and worthy. Demeritorious deeds give rise to more suffering and reduce the opportunities for a person to know and practise the Dhamma.
Merit is a great facilitator: It opens the doors of opportunity everywhere. While the material wealth a person gathers can be lost by theft, flood, fire, confiscation, etc., the benefit of merits follows him from life to life and cannot be lost, although it can be exhausted if no attempts are made to perform more merits. A person will experience happiness here and now as well as hereafter through the performance of merit.
Just as some soil can yield a better harvest (say black fertile soil compared to stony soil), a good deed performed to some persons can give rise to more merits than to others. The rich fields of merits include the Sangha or holy people, mother, father and needy. Good deeds performed to these persons will manifest in many ways and be the fountainhead of many wondrous results.
In The Discourse On The Ten Wholesome Ways Of Action (佛说十善业道经) Chinese-English bilingual translation told us the ten wholesome attainments and the benefits of keep up these good deeds in detail: “Speaking about wholesome dharmas, the bodies of men and devas, the Illumination of the Sravakas, the Illumination of the Pratyekas, and the Highest Illumination, they are all accomplished depending on these dharmas which are to be considered as fundamental. Therefore they are called wholesome dharmas. These dharmas are the ten wholesome ways of actions. What are these ten? They are the ability to give up forever killing, stealing, wrong conduct, lying, slandering, harsh language, frivolous speech, lust, hate, and wrong views.” (十善业道。何等为十？谓能永离杀生、偷盗、邪行、妄语、两舌、恶口、绮语、贪欲、瞋恚、邪见。) Master JingKong talked about the ten wholesome ways of action is the basis of Buddhism practices.《佛说十善业道经》: 十善业是修行根本.
To be continued ….
Dedicate Merits:
May the precious bodhicitta
That has not yet arisen, arise and grow,
And may that which has already arisen not diminish,
But increase more and more.
回向偈：
愿以此功德，庄严佛净土。
上报四重恩，下济三涂苦。
若有见闻者，悉发菩提心。
尽此一报身，同生极乐国。
