What I talked about before, can be said to be ”loose goods”. What is ”loose goods”? It means I talked about whatever I thought of, there is no structured course. Now, I am going to talk about an orthodox Buddhist scripture, which is equivalent to carrying an entire ship.
In the past what I talked about was small boats, today what we are going to talk about is container ships.
In the past what we talked about was fun, now what we are talking about is serious.
I used to listen to the teachings of the Amitabha Sutra from Teacher Li Bingnan, and five years passed. In five years, Teacher Li did not finish talking about the Amitabha Sutra. This shows that this scripture has great significance!
Last week, during our dharma ceremony, everyone also heard very precious secret teachings. I believe that everyone has learned the secret practices in “The Secret within the True Buddha Tantric Dharma“, and then learned the middleweight ones. The lightweight ones have already been learned, and now it is the middleweight ones, like: “Contemplation of the Infinite Mind” , “Manjushri Bodhisattva’s Sword Contemplation“, these two contemplation methods are of middleweight levels.
Well, we have to take a break between the Tantric practices of middleweight and heavyweight levels. Therefore, I just chose this “Amitabha Sutra” to talk about and study it together with you all.
I once took refuge with Master Leguo. Master Leguo once expounded a book called “The Essential Explanation On The Amitabha Sutra“. When I took refuge with Master Leguo, I was in Shalu, Taichung. He had a temple in Puli called Foguang Temple. I helped him look at the central pillar and surveyed geographically the main hall of Foguang Temple. Unfortunately, it is a pity that Master Leguo has already passed away. Today’s lecture on the Amitabha Sutra uses the dharma commentary of Master Leguo’s book, which also has significance in commemorating the Elder Master.
This sutra was taught by Master Leguo when he was still alive. Let me read a paragraph to you first:
Shakyamuni World-Honored One, came to this world to teach the Dharma. In order to save sentient beings he taught 84,000 dharma doors. The beings saved by the Pureland dharma door alone are uncountable. In Pureland, the beings saved by “The Buddha Speaks of Amitabha Sutra” is also uncountable. In general, believing in the words of Shakyamuni Buddha and believing in the words of the Buddhas of the six directions, chanting the Buddha’s name to attain Buddhahood, this is the cause and condition of a great event. Hence to say, I hope that everyone protects the dharma and lay practitioners, hears the dharma and speaks it to others. To constantly do is a good dream. Moreover to spread and transmit “The Buddha Speaks of Amitabha Sutra“, to receive and recite, to expound it. The merits and benefits of these cannot be explained by thoughts and words, those who expound it, therefore have the cause of Buddhahood and the fruit of Buddhahood.
The beginning four words “Shakyamuni World-Honored One“, Shakya is a surname, that is why we often say the original ethnicity of Shakyamuni Buddha is the Shakya clan. His place of birth according to current research is actually at the border between India and Nepal. Buddhism flourished in India, Nepal and Kashmir.
In the earliest times, before Shakyamuni Buddha founded the religion, there was only Brahmanism, and the name Buddhism did not exist at that time. Only after Shakyamuni Buddha recognized the phenomenon of truth did the name Buddhism exist.
What is World-Honored One? The so-called World-Honored One is highly respected by everyone in the world. The meaning of this sentence is: “In this world, everyone respects Shakyamuni Buddha.“
When Shakyamuni Buddha first attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, there were six great tremors in the sky and on earth. In reality, after leaving the royal palace and renouncing the worldly life, he did not immediately go to sit and meditate under the Bodhi tree to attain enlightenment. Shakyamuni Buddha first visited Brahman teachers. He visited countless teachers in total, but among them there were six that was famous.
He once practiced by hanging from one of his legs in a tree, with his head upside down to cultivate.
He once went without food for many days sitting in a thorny jungle, letting the thorns prick his body while not eating.
He also once went to a high mountain, and sat in the snow without clothes to cultivate.
He even once swam to the bottom of the river to meditate, holding his breathe to meditate.
He practiced in the snowy mountains and forests for six years, which meant that he practiced in the ascetic way for a total of six years.
After practicing for six years, he felt that he was at the level that he could only temporarily forget the pain and suffering and enter the fourth level heaven with his consciousness. He kept trying to climb higher, but could not.
Many sages told him, “You would not go wrong if you follow me.”
A yogi told him: “If you are with me, you can learn hypnosis from me.”
Shakyamuni Buddha did not use his mouth to reply but only used his eyes to stare at the yogi and the yogi was hypnotized by him.
The yogi said to Shakyamuni Buddha: ”You can leave, because you have already learned these skills of mine.”
Shakyamuni Buddha ran to another ascetic yogi, that sage could “spit fire from his mouth”. That sage said to Shakyamuni Buddha: “You should just learn from me.”
Shakyamuni Buddha said: “After I learn how to spit fire, am I going to become a chef?”
The fire-spitting heretic asked Shakyamuni Buddha: “Then what is it that you want to obtain?”
Buddha said: “I want to know the Real Truth of Life.”
The fire-spitting heretic said: “I don’t have this.”
Another sage said to Shakyamuni Buddha: “I can eat whatever I think of!” If he puts his pot into his cave, immediately there appeared chicken meat, duck meat, steamed buns, full of food. Shakyamuni Buddha also didn’t learn this.
Then, he met a very high level immortal who could fly and sit on tree branches swaying like a swing. However, the Buddha asked him: “What is the truth?”
In the end that immortal said: “I also do not know.”
Once, when Shakyamuni Buddha wanted to get up from the Vajra Seat under the Bodhi tree, he found that he could not stand up or walk. He could only crawl to drink water from the Nairañjanā River. Halfway there, a young shepherd girl offered him goat’s milk.
He realized a saying: “The spirit of a practitioner must be in harmony with the body.” Although one has become spiritually awakened, the body still requires food for nourishment. Today Grandmaster tells you not to think that enduring hunger when practicing is a sign of great endurance. We should not eat too much to avoid having excess. Therefore, eating is just to meet physical and mental needs, just enough is good.
After Shakyamuni Buddha understood this principle, he advocated that the body and spirit should be in balance. However, the five monks who had first followed him, left Shakyamuni Buddha one after another because they found that Shakyamuni Buddha had left asceticism and started eating.
So when you see me eating, you will know that I learned from Shakyamuni Buddha. Although I also starved for a few days when cultivating, in reality one’s spirit depends on sleep, one’s body depends on food. Cultivating without eating can easily cause double harm to the body and spirit.
So, he left these Brahmins and sages and embarked on a quest for his own truth.
Finally, Buddha arrived under the Bodhi tree by the Nairañjanā River. There, he meditated there night until dawn. When it was almost dawn, he saw a star in the east, and this star entered into his heart. He finally understood what the truth was.
I have already told you all about the heart seal obtained by Shakyamuni Buddha on Saturday. What is truth? The truth is that you are one with the consciousness of the universe! Other than the truth that “one is in non-dual union with the consciousness of the universe“, nothing else is the truth. The star in the sky of the universe represents truth. This star falls into one’s arms, indicating that Shakyamuni Buddha is one with the consciousness of the universe.
Now, everyone is enlightened. But in actual cultivation, you must also become one with the supreme consciousness of the universe. You cannot, after becoming spiritually enlightened, let your body become a mess, so in reality you must actually practice.
Now let’s talk about the second sentence: “Shakyamuni, World-Honored One came to this world to teach the Dharma.”
Where did Shakyamuni Buddha come from?
Shakyamuni Buddha actually came from the Trayastrimsa Heaven. He was born directly into this Saha world from the Trayastrimsa Heaven, so as soon as he was born, he was able to step on lotus flowers, grow lotuses at every step, and was able to say: “Throughout heaven and earth, I alone am the honored one”. This is expounding the dharma, teaching the dharma the moment he was born.
An old monk said, “If I had been there at that time, I would have beaten him to death with a stick and fed him to the dogs!” Why did this man say such a thing?
Everyone, think about it with your brains!
Because he can walk as soon as he was born, had lotus flowers growing from below his feet, can open his mouth, and can speak! If he is not a monster then what is it? Actually it is not so!
These are the words of Emperor Xianzong. Because there is a saying from Emperor Xianzong: “If you want to see the Buddha, kill the Buddha; if you see the form, kill the form as all appearances are false.” This statement is a little too profound.
Fortunately, that old monk was not nearby. However, when this statement was made, the whole world was shocked, everyone exclaimed, “This young one is too arrogant. Isn’t this acting as if there’s no one else around? How can he say, ‘Throughout heaven and earth, I alone am the honored one‘?”
Nowadays, many practitioners learn this sentence of Shakyamuni Buddha. After being vegetarian for only three days, they also say, “Throughout heaven and earth, I alone am the honored one.” No-one is above me and everyone is below me. This way of interpreting it is wrong. This was the first day Shakyamuni Buddha was expounding the dharma. It is the superficial meaning of what he said.
Do you know that the dharma he expounded on the first day he was born: “Throughout heaven and earth, I alone am the honored one“, what is the “I” referring to?
This “I” refers to “truth“, this “I” refers to “universal consciousness“, this “I” is the “infinite self“, this “I” is “unkillable” and “formless” , is “infinitely big“, is “infinite“.
It’s good if it is explained clearly today. If it is not explained clearly, everyone will become a demon!
This “I” does not refer to Shakyamuni Buddha. He was not referring to himself as “I“. He was referring to “heaven” and “earth“. He has pointed out this “infinite self“.
Everyone in the world refers to “their own self“, only Shakyamuni Buddha refers to “the self in the heaven“, “the self in the earth“, and “the infinite self“. Therefore, when Shakyamuni World-Honored One was born, he already expounded the Dharma. Of course, such a great person must have lotus flowers appearing under his feet when he is born, and is able to walk and teach the Dharma immediately.
Although he was born from the Trayastrimsa heavens and was able to expound the Dharma, he still had to undergo asceticism in the human world. He spent six years in the ascetic forest and suffered a lot. Today, the environment for our practice is so good, no wonder we all enter “sleeping samadhi“.
Other people meditate by sitting in a forest with thorns poking their flesh, meditating this way. This way you will not fall asleep, this is showing a kind of cultivation method, perseverance/willpower that truly concentrates your mind. Because practitioners eat less, they may feel hungry while meditating, to be able to transfer their hunger away, to be away to transfer away their physical aliments, to be able to transfer all their blessings away, to truly have the power of the mind, allowing the dharma of the universe to flow throughout his body.
The Buddha lives in the world and his teachings have their own meaning. Like Milarepa, after practicing for twelve years, in the end, all his clothes were torn, just like leaves on his body. If his body moved slightly, all the leaves fell to the ground. So some ladies were afraid to bring things to him as offerings, because he had so little clothing and everything has disintegrated.
In order to save sentient beings, one has to endure so much suffering. How long have we all been practicing now?
You may think that practicing meditation once a day is very painful.
I’m thinking, why don’t you have a hard time eating?
That is scheduled for three times a day! You don’t see the formless nutrition, you only look at the food that has form!
In fact, the flow of Dharma in the universe is our formless food; you all have such good milk of dharma from the universe, we call it milk – milk of dharma from the universe, milk of dharma, even when it is offered, you will not drink it. I only ask you to drink once a day but you won’t drink, strange! Everyone likes to eat food.
Now, I don’t eat breakfast in the morning these few days. I simply drank only a glass of milk and ate nothing. Saving a meal to prepare to drink the milk of dharma. If you can truly drink the milk of dharma, you will be able to experience real happiness, which is happier than winning a lottery prize; if you can drink the milk of Dharma, it means that the whole universe belongs to you.
Expounding the dharma tonight, is hoping that everyone can truly taste the milk of dharma. Those who have received dharma milk of the universe please raise your hands! Just now the milk of dharma of the universe descended. I believe that if you use a camera to take pictures, and circumstances are favorable, you will get a photo of the descending milk of dharma. I hope that everyone will develop it out to take a look, the milk of dharma that looks like a waterfall, waterfall is water but this is a waterfall of milk, this power is tremendous!
When Shakyamuni Buddha came to this world, he did not teach people to seek wealth, so the second sentence: “Shakyamuni, World-Honored One came to this world to teach the Dharma.” Shakyamuni Buddha came to this world to teach this dharma of the milk of dharma.
What I am talking to you about today is also talking about the dharma of the milk of dharma. If you all follow me, you will definitely have dharma milk to drink. It doesn’t cost you all much, because as long as you can truly become one with the universe when cultivating, the milk of dharma will definitely descend. You will definitely be able to appreciate the fragrant smell inside, fill your whole body, and your whole body will be able to shine. After becoming one of the truths, the universe will be yours. This is eternal life, Christianity talks about “eternal life“, Buddhism talks about “no-life“, this was mentioned last time.
When you first enter samadhi, the “tianxin” and “dingxue” will be a bit numb, the milk of dharma descends, leading to all the cells in the head being filled with happiness. The milk of dharma then descends to your upper body, and all the cells in your upper body and head are filled with happiness. The milk of dharma then descends to your feet, and fills all the cells in your body with happiness. This is the “Great Bliss Vajra“, this is the initial samadhi.
With the initial samadhi, the milk of dharma is poured into the body bottle from the “dingxue“, filling your bottle full of the milk of dharma. Do you know! That beautiful lady is just like a gourd, in the shape of a gourd, that is to say inside is filled with flowing dharma. First from the top, then when it is filled completely, then the gourd becomes transparent, this gourd is representing a person.
Today, Shakyamuni Buddha taught the Dharma, I studied Buddhism from Shakyamuni Buddha and explained the dharma. I truly experienced this dharma. As I have experienced it myself, thus I told you all about it. This is very valuable, and it is very real, very precious, and cannot be bought with money.
Finally, I will say one more sentence, what the Buddha said:
“Throughout heaven and earth, only the truth reigns supreme.’‘
Then what is the truth? Merging totally with the dharma milk of the universe is the truth. Only this way is there “eternal life” and “no-life“. Apart from this, nothing in the world exists forever!
Om mani padme hum.