Today Master Lianhuo talked about “all conditioned phenomena are impermanent.”
Coincidentally “The Buddha Speaks of Amitabha Sutra” also talks about impermanence.
Firstly it is said that the world is full of suffering. Let’s not talk about the world being full of suffering anymore as we have talked about it before. In reality no matter how wealthy you are, or how healthy your body is, or how high is your position or fame, or how perfect everything is, there are still times of suffering.
It is because those who “have” will want to “have more”, so there is suffering. Like those who are rich, already having tens of millions, they still want to have hundreds of millions, therefore there is suffering.
Someone having a perfect complete family, still wants a second or third family, so there is suffering.
Like Grandmaster myself, I am also suffering. Because one seven one zero two (the address number of True Buddha School), one wife [One seven in Chinese sounds like one wife]! Forever one wife! That house in Hong Kong is the best, three wives, four concubines [Another Chinese homophone of three seven four seven].
Ah! Don’t be envious, because no matter how envious you are, you can’t find the time, so it is still suffering. The body is not in control of its own destiny, the digestive system is not well, seeing others eating and drinking as much as they like is also suffering.
Who dares to say that this body will never be sick?
Even though I have no time to get sick, I still get sick. I often say that after coming to America for so many years, I have gotten the flu once and three days of dizziness. This is also suffering.
The “Amitabha Sutra” speaks of “mindfulness of the mind.”
We know that “all conditioned phenomena are impermanent,” and not only are all conditioned phenomena impermanent, but “the mind is also impermanent.”
Today, many disciples came to take refuge. After taking refuge in the guru, they all seem to have sworn to follow the guru forever, everyone is extremely “loyal.”
I think this phenomenon is not that good, because if there is even the slightest dissatisfaction, then it’s disastrous!
Even if the guru does ninety-nine things to their liking, if they are dissatisfied with just one, then that loyalty becomes… I can’t continue saying it!
The mind is impermanent, it changes.
A person’s mind changes!
Sweet talk, you cannot listen to this sweet talk either.
In the morning, someone might be still calling you “honey, honey,” but by evening it is a divorce. So, in the morning, someone might be praising the Guru’s greatness, and by evening, they might be returning the refuge certificate back to you! This shows that “the mind is also impermanent” and a person’s mind changes.
In the past, when I first started practising Buddhism, honestly, I also had this flaw. This is just the human mind, also something that happens often.
Every morning I would bow to the Buddhas, prostrating before the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. However, once I was doing a divination for someone, I consulted the Buddha and Bodhisattvas and what they told me was the exact opposite of what that person was experiencing, so it was inaccurate.
Perhaps my psychic abilities were flawed, however I thought, this is strange, ninety-nine things that the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas instructed me in are accurate, why is this one thing not accurate?
That morning, I didn’t go into the Buddhist hall to worship the Buddhas. As I walked past, I even gave them a disapproving look. Not only that, but I didn’t chant scriptures for several days in a row, got really mad and scolded them as a “carved wooden puppet” [in Taiwanese]!
In the past that was my mindset, often confused, sometimes cultivation was more serious, sometimes I was lazy. When the response was strong, then the cultivation was more serious. When there was no response, then the distance appeared. This is the impermanence of the mind, the ever-changing nature of the mind.
The ever-changing nature of the mind doesn’t only refer to religious matters.
For example, in making friends, a friend who is very good to you today may change tomorrow. A very good friend can turn into a troublemaker and harm you as soon as their heart changes.
Conversely, there are also those who were enemies at first but end up as good friends.
Also in the relationships between men and women, many loving couples who are very close when they are dating may end up as strangers. Many couples are very loving when they first get married but many may end up as enemies.
What is this?
This is the “impermanence of the mind”.
This impermanence of the mind can cause someone who was originally upright to suddenly become extremely greedy.
Someone who has good moral character can suddenly lose his temper.
Originally a very smart person can do something that is very stupid.
This is because thoughts are constantly changing, it is not possible to maintain one’s mind to be upright, forever not angry, forever smart. If we understand this situation, we must restrain our minds. If we can learn to control our minds, we can control our thoughts and actions. Our cultivation is about grabbing hold of our mind, thoughts, and actions.
In addition there is “contemplating the non-selfhood of phenomena.”
It means viewing the dharma in the world, cultivation practices, all with the mindset of non-self. Wholesome deeds have non-self, good dharma has non-self, evil dharma has non-self. When we do wholesome deeds with our right hand, we shouldn’t let our left hand know.
Like last week when we raised funds, we invited reporters to take photos, and it seems it was published in the newspaper, right?
Ah! That’s a little embarrassing! Because it seems like we did good deeds just for the sake of getting published in the newspaper, which isn’t very good, but we also consider it a form of encouragement!
When we do wholesome deeds, we start by letting people know that we are doing wholesome deeds, that is also good, it is not a bad thing.
That wholesome deeds have non-self means that when you are doing wholesome deeds, you shouldn’t think, “I am doing good deeds,” don’t think like that.
Also my teacher told me this point:
When you are delivering sentient beings, don’t think, “I am delivering sentient beings.”
When you are cultivating the Dharma, you also shouldn’t think, “I am cultivating the Dharma.”
Treat doing wholesome deeds, cultivating the dharma, these things as not doing them.
Letting them happen naturally, the merit is the greatest then. Doing wholesome deeds for fame, or cultivating due to wanting to become a Buddha, these are all seeking something.
This “contemplating the non-selfhood of phenomena” is what Lao Tzu meant by “acting without deliberate intent,” to act without seeking anything in return. It means not wanting anything in return and then we do something, that is “acting without deliberate intent.”
Like when we are doing wholesome deeds, if it is to make sure everyone knows that we are doing wholesome deeds, then the merit will be smaller. If you do them secretly, without anyone knowing, but you already did it, the merit is big. So there are so-called visible deeds (yang deeds) and invisible deeds (yin deeds), and the merit of invisible deeds is bigger.
Recently I wrote a book, just started to write it. Yesterday I just started [note: Book seventy-six]. It is writing about my past lives. It begins with Amitabha Buddha talking about how Mahapadmakumara came from the Maha Twin Lotus Pond of the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss to suffer in this human realm.
Lately, because it’s quieter at home in the evenings, I’ve been bringing out all the events of my past lives from my memory. This also includes many realms and scenes from the Amitabha Sutra.
Every night, I go to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, returning to my original place. It is truly wonderful there!
This is very strange, in the past when I lived here, I was often in a daze, unclear.
Now living in this new place, maybe because there is illumination from the lake, my mind is like a clear mirror.
Therefore many things are shining out again, like a movie playing again. My past lives truly feel like a movie being replayed, and I can write them down very clearly.
Amitabha Buddha once instructed me to go to the human world again. Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva also told me to be compassionate after reaching the human realm. Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva also urged me to learn some wisdom after I go to the human world. Hearing the words of these three Bodhisattvas, I burst into tears.
In the midst I also entered the Mara King’s Demon Palace.
It seemed I was soon entering the human realm. Initially, you are on top of the lotus pedestal, sitting very comfortably, more comfortable than the carpet we are stepping on now. But perhaps one was too happy listening to Amitabha Buddha expounding the dharma and stretched the two legs stepping beneath the lotus.
Ah! Oh dear! That one step caused an earthquake, shaking the entire Earth, even the Demon Palace itself. Even the Mara King in heaven knew that a lotus child had been born into the human realm, so the heavenly demons sent hundreds of demons down. No wonder I fled like a stray dog.
In the future we will meet again, in the future these heavenly demons and Guru will meet again.
This story is very long, you all will see it when the book is published.
[The Master in charge of translation asks, “Is it very long or very tragic?”]
“It’s very long!”
You think it is very tragic?
Some of the tragic things have already passed, let’s not have tragic things anymore. I wish to live a good and smooth rest of my life, not too many demonic problems. I feel that I have already lived half of my life with difficulty. If there are still demonic problems, it will be very tiring. But Guru is still alright, I already have “no self.” So no matter how many demonic difficulties come, it doesn’t really matter to me.
However no matter how no-self one is, when one’s own relatives bully you, it becomes “there is self.” No matter who bullies you, you have no-self, but when one’s own relatives bully you, “there is self.”
This shows that cultivation still involves emotions, it has not reached the state of emptiness. If you all have read my book, “Invisible Connections” you will be able to understand Guru’s new state. In this new book, I am also very frank, discussing these ideas about no-self. If we learn the ideas of “no-self” and “being natural” we become more able to adapt to this world.
If you have no thoughts of “being natural”, it means you still have attachments. If you still have a bit of “self” in your thoughts, you will still have suffering.
Today, Guru can overcome the demons, let’s not say overcome them, it is to be good friends with the demons. Everything does not matter, it is because there are ideas of “being natural”, and “no-self.”
I hope everyone can understand “being natural”, understand “no-self.” Using “being natural” and “no-self,” we can observe that “all conditioned phenomena are impermanent” and the “impermanence of the mind” in this world.
Om Mani Padme Hum