Amituofo
Buddha Shakyamuni used innumerable methods to correspond with the level of attainment of his listeners. However, regardless of the particular method, he never deviated from the Great Perfection. In other words, all his teachings arose from the self-nature. Consequently, all methods are equal. It is like the harmony between the leading role and the supporting Read More …
The Great Perfection After understanding the goals and principles of the Buddha’s teachings, we need to deepen our understanding of the Dharma. What is the Dharma? It is the true reality of life and the universe, all the teachings of the Buddhas, which are included in sutras. These ancient textbooks documented all of the Buddha’s Read More …
Arrogance Invites Adversity, While Humility Gains Benefits Five Accounts Of Virtuous People Humility enables us to preserve our good rewards. Without it, we will lose what we have accumulated and all of our efforts will have been in vain. We need to rely on humility for it enables us to preserve our goodness. The Diamond Read More …
In the early 1900s, the Chinese government abolished Chinese classics education. At the time, many wise and virtuous people felt deep sadness. The bad seeds that were planted then are now bearing fruit. If even after we have tasted the bad fruits we are still not awakened, then we are lost. This way of thinking Read More …
Understanding Goodness (continued) The Avatamsaka Sutra provides a very good example of nurturing people. We see Sudhana, who as a student had 53 good spiritual teachers. Although he was young, he is to be considered as our elder, a senior in high standing. His virtues, merits and knowledge are truly deserving of respect. We can Read More …
Understanding Goodness (continued) Another example is of Quan Zhongli, an immortal of the Han dynasty, who was teaching his student, Lu Dongbin, the art of transforming iron into gold. They would use it to help the poor. Dongbin asked his teacher if the gold would ever change back to iron. Zhongli said: “after five hundred Read More …
Understanding Goodness How to Recognize Goodness If we carefully think about goodness, we will realize that there are many different types—real and false, honest and crooked, hidden and visible, apparent and actual, proper and improper, full and half, big and small, and difficult and easy. These different types each have their own causes that need Read More …
The Family That Accumulates Good Deeds Will Have Abundant Prosperity Ten Accounts of Virtuous People We read in the I Ching; “Families who perform good deeds will accumulate prosperity that can outlast many generations.” An example is the Yan family. Before they married their daughter to the man who was to be Confucius’s father, they Read More …
Three Methods of Practicing in Reforming (continued) Changing through Reasoning Instead, we can try to reform by understanding why we should not do something; for example, killing. To love all things is a virtue of heaven. Understand that all living beings love life and fear death, how can I be at peace with myself by Read More …
The Reason to Reform: To Avoid Misfortunes and Accumulate Good Fortune The first lesson, which was about cause and effect, concentrates on building up the confidence in an individuals ability to alter destiny and the ways in which to do so. The second and third lessons emphasize the methods to accomplish this; thus; they are Read More …