We have already introduced fourteen Arhats. Tonight, we will introduce two more Arhats, which makes it a total of sixteen Venerables.

The fifteenth person I will introduce is named “Bakkula.” 

In his lifetime, this venerable never expounded the dharma nor taught the way. He didn’t go around expounding the dharma, he didn’t speak at all. Because this Venerable did not like to speak but only liked to meditate, thus his lifespan was very long. He lived until one hundred and sixty years old. 

There’s a reason why liking to meditate leads to a long life. 

Do you know, during meditation, it is like an animal hibernating during winter? The body’s mechanisms are less active, using only a small amount of energy to power the body’s mechanisms. 

Do you know, if we use a machine too fast, or at too high speed, the machine often will break down? All machines have a finite lifespan, and will eventually break down when used too much. 

Due to the fact that Bakkula used his body’s mechanisms slowly, he lived until one hundred and sixty years old. 

We know that there are animals that live a very long life, like turtles. A turtles’ lifespan is very long and they also do not like to talk. You see the turtles at the bottom of the pond, often they are meditating, often they climb, climb, climb to the side of a crack in the rocks and there it is, like they are sleeping. They also don’t talk unnecessarily, you should know those who like to talk, those who like to blabber a lot, their lifespan is a bit shorter. 

Why? 

This is also known in internal energy cultivation. It is because when you talk, air often goes out. If we breathe in more and breathe out less, we will have a long lifespan. If we breathe out more and breathe in less, then we will have a shorter lifespan. 

This Venerable Bakkula was a man of few words, only liking meditation, and thus was known as “Foremost in Longevity.” 

He also upheld the precept of non-killing, abstaining from killing and refraining from taking the life of any living being. Throughout his life, he experienced several near-death experiences, he survived being put on a plate and burnt, he did not die when he was burnt. He survived when in water, he survived being boiled, he survived being bitten by a large fish, he didn’t die. The big fish swallowed him whole into its  stomach, yet he also emerged alive again—he experienced five kinds of non-death.

This Venerable Bakkula also rarely fell ill, so besides being “Foremost in Longevity,” he also had the nickname “Foremost in Freedom from Illness.” A person not being sick, this freedom from illness indicates that his spiritual cultivation was excellent. Because he often meditated, his body mechanisms were well-maintained. So he, in short, rarely had any health problems! 

I envy Foremost in Freedom from Illness. 

I originally boasted that “Coming to America I had no illness!” 

Now I cannot boast about it anymore. Because coming to America, in six years time, I at least had one flu. Also a tooth cracked. Although I consider myself very healthy, my teeth are definitely an illness. This disciple is very kind, knowing my teeth aren’t good, he bought me an automatic tooth brush. Two people who moved from Toronto to Vancouver also bought me a power tooth brush. I also brush my teeth every day, I haven’t skipped it. My son took the automatic teeth brush into his use and fights with me everyday to use it! 

This Venerable is free from illness. People who enjoy meditation live long lives and are less prone to illness. This is because when meditation reaches its highest, deepest level, one transforms into emptiness. Since one has transformed into emptiness, think about it, what illness does emptiness have? 

• When the wind blows, it can pass through one’s body. 

• When fire burns emptiness, the fire will automatically extinguish itself. 

• Water also cannot drown emptiness. 

• If you take metal to strike emptiness, emptiness is also not damaged. 

When one is in the middle of meditation, often transforming their body into emptiness, they will be free from all ailments.

Those who can attain meditation will not experience afflictions, because worldly affairs cannot affect the void. Think about it, what afflictions could the emptiness possibly have? 

Therefore, only when one comprehends the principle of emptiness in meditation can one attain true selflessness. The arising of the thought of no self is “true meditation.” Therefore, attaining true meditation now means: whether there are things happening or not, one naturally attains the freedom of true great wisdom.