BUDDHISM OF WISDOM & FAITH

 

 

AUTHOR'S PREFACE

 

 

As soon as this manuscript was completed, a few Dharma colleagues asked to borrow it. After reading it thoroughly, they raised the following questions:

 

"We notice that the masters who propagate Zen seem to disapprove of the Pure Land doctrine. For example, a well-known Zen commentary contains this sentence: 'Buddha and Sutra Recitation are both delusions. In this book, on the other hand, it is stated that The Pure Land Dharma door is suitable for the current period, embracing all types of people and encompassing the approaches of Zen, Sutra Studies, Precept Keeping and Esotericism. It appears that Pure Land is described as supreme. What should we make of the whole issue?"

 

-Answer: Please do not think that way. Each Dharma door (method, approach) has its own area of emphasis. Those who propagate a Dharma door direct all expedient teaching toward that method. For example, in Zen the motto is "point directly to the Mind, see your own nature, reach Buddhahood." The Pure Land School adopts the teaching "be reborn in the Pure Land in one lifetime and reach the stage of non-retrogression." In the Avatamsaka School, the aim is to "leave this world and enter the Dharma Realm (Realm of Reality)." In the Tien Tai School, the motto is "open, expose, enlighten, enter the wisdom of the Buddhas... The Esoteric School teaches, "If there is interpenetration of the three mystic things (body, mouth, Mind), the becomes Buddha..."

 

Therefore, the above quote from the Zen Schools not a rejection of Pure Land or Buddha and Sutra Recitation but aims rather to destroy the practitioner's attachment to the Buddha and the Dharma. If Buddha Recitation and scripture recital are lowly and erroneous, why is it that everyone, from Buddha Sakyamuni to the various Bodhisattvas and Patriarchs, commended and taught scripture recital and Buddha Recitation? Similarly, Pure Land advocates do not reject Zen; they simply point out the distinctive and essential features of simply point Buddha recitation, so that students of the Way can pursue the question in depth and, depending on their own inclinations and capacities, choose their own path.

 

Moreover, although each Dharma door has a different emphasis, they are all expedient means leading toward the one common Buddha Nature. This is not unlike a large metropolis where all roads converge, and which can be entered through eight gates. These methods, in general, are divided into two main groups the "Dharma Doors of Emptiness" and the "Dharma Doors of Existence." The Doors of Emptiness enter the city through the expedient of noumenon, or nature; the Doors of Existence enter the city through the expedient of phenomena, or marks, everything is combined, noumenon and phenomena are Ultimately, however, one, noumenon is phenomena and phenomena are noumenon, nature is marks, marks are nature. In other words, form is emptiness, emptiness is form, emptiness and form are no different.

 

Thus, it once happened that an Elder Master became enlightened through meditation, although, unbeknownst to his disciples, he also cultivated the Pure Land method. On his deathbed, he left a Gatha to the assembly, recited the name of Amitabha Buddha, and was on the verge of expiring when a Zen monk suddenly called out, "the Pure Land is within the realm of the conditioned, why should you, Great Master, seek to go there?" At that, the dying master scolded him loudly, "How can you say that the conditioned exists outside of the unconditioned?" The Zen monk, hearing the admonition, was suddenly enlightened. This shows that Zen and Pure Land both lead toward the same goal. Although contradictory in appearance, the Dharma Doors of Existence and Emptiness, in truth, support and complement one another.

 

The quote "The Pure Land Dharma door is suitable for the current period, embracing all types of people and encompassing the approaches of Zen, Sutra Studies, Precept Keeping and Esotericism," represents the actual teachings of various Elder Masters. These masters were towering figures of their times, yet after practicing meditation and awakening to the Way, they began expounding the profound teaching of the Pure Land School. For example, a Great Master wrote in one of his commentaries: "One utterance of the sacred name Amitabha Buddha is the kernel of my own Buddha. "Vertically, it comprises the Five Periods, 'horizontally, it encompasses all Eight Teachings."

 

Likewise, another Elder Master, after paying due regard to the times and the capacities of the people, stated: "In this day and age, we should not practice meditation by itself, without the benefit of Buddha Recitation. This is to guard against the possibility of retrogression should we not attain the Way - a most frightful possibility indeed. If we are not of the highest capacity, fully conversant with the Dharma and completely enlightened, we certainly cannot utter the words 'Amitabha Buddha' in their full and true meaning Nevertheless, as far as these same words are concerned these of low capacity and completely deluded do not miss a single shade of meaning!" (because through single-minded recitation, their wisdom awakens).

 

Thus, a drug is not in itself good or bad. However, if it can cure disease, it is a good drug. Likewise, a Dharma door is not in itself high or low; if it fits the times and the capacities of practitioners, it is a wonderful method. Pure Land and Zen are not, in truth, low or high, more important or less important However, from the point of view of individual cap capacities, Zen is beneficial only to those of high capacities, whereas the Pure Land method embraces people of all capacities. Regardless of their level, if they practice Buddha Recitation, they all easily obtain results.

 

From the standpoint of today's times, during this Degenerate Age of the Dharma, individuals of moderate and low capacities are in the majority, while those of high capacities are few and far between. Therefore, the surest way to reach liberation is to concentrate on the Pure Land method. The Buddhas and Patriarchs, fully knowing the times, and wishing that sentient beings speedily escape the cycle of birth and death, have compassionately reiterated this truth many times in sutras and commentaries. This is a most important and utterly true fact!

 

Nevertheless, as it is said in the sutras, sentient beings' likes and inclinations are all different, and come in myriad varieties. Therefore, the Buddha had to teach innumerable approaches to Gathe Butch all in. This being the case, the Pure Land School, while appropriate to the current time, can only be partially so; it only suits the temperaments of some and cannot accommodate everyone's tastes. Thus, there is a need for Zen and other schools, so that everyone may benefit, and the Buddha Dharma can be complete, profound and extensive. For this reason, although this author has chosen the Pure Land approach as best suited to his capacities and temperament, he earnestly wishes, nevertheless, that Zen and other schools may spread far and wide... Should these methods bring even one ounce of benefit to sentient beings, this author would wholeheartedly rejoice.

 

In summary, the Dharma Doors of Existence and Emptiness in general and Pure Land and Zen in particular all return to the True Nature. Although two, they are really one; they support and complement one another and all are equally needed throughout the world.

 

Upon hearing these explanations, the monks all expressed their agreement. [A poem follows, reiterating the above ideas and indicating that the ancients, too, were in agreement.]

 

THÍCH THIỀN TÂM

Vesak, 2516

 

 

1. BIRTH AND DEATH

 

 

Mahayana Buddhism and the Pure Land School

 

Traditionally, in Mahayana temples and pagodas, monks and nuns recite the Amitabha Sutra in their evening prayer session, followed by the sacred names of the three Pure Land Sages: Amitabha Buddha and the Bodhisattvas Avalokitesvara and Mahasthamaprapta. Moreover, Buddhist followers, whether clergy or laymen, usually greet fellow cultivators with palms joined and the words "Amitabha Buddha."

 

Pure Land teaching effectively suits today's times and the Buddhas' intentions and has quietly penetrated the psyche of Buddhists. Wherever Buddhism is practiced, the majority of followers always have the sacred words "Amitabha Buddha" in mind. Japanese Buddhism has the following saying: "the Esoteric School and the T'ien T'ai School are reserved for the nobility, Zen practice is the domain of the samurai, and Pure Land is for ordinary people." And, ordinary people always form the majority.

 

It follows, therefore, that in Mahayana countries, those who practice Buddha Recitation represent the majority.

 

 

Predictions concerning the Pure Land

 

In the Longer Amitabha Sutra, Buddha Sakyamuni made the following prediction:

 

In the days to come, the paths of the sutras will come to extinction. I, with compassion and mercy, will purposely make this sutra survive for a hundred years. Anybody who encounters this sutra will, according to his wish, surely attain enlightenment.

 

In the Great Heap Sutra, Buddha Sakyamuni predicted:

 

In the Dharma-Ending Age, among the multitude of practitioners, very few will attain the Way. The most they can expect is to rely on the Pure Land method to escape Birth and Death.

 

Elder Zen Master T'ien Ju also admonished:

 

In the Dharma-Ending Age, all sutras will disappear, and only the words "Amitabha Buddha" will remain to bring liberation to sentient beings.

 

This is because deep in the Degenerate Age, when all sutras have disappeared and people's capacities are at a low level, they will not be aware of any method other than Buddha Recitation. If they do not believe in and practice Pure Land, they will certainly remain mired in the cycle of Birth and Death. Within that cycle, good actions are difficult to perform while bad deeds are easy to commit. Thus, sooner or later they are bound to sink into the hellish realms.

 

The Patriarch Yin Kuang, a Chinese Pure Land Master of recent times, also said:

 

These predictions show clearly that the Pure Land method is well adapted to the causes and conditions of the current period and the capacities of today's people. For this reason, Buddha Sakyamuni made the compassionate vow to preserve and disseminate the Longer Amitabha Sutra, to teach Buddha Recitation to sentient beings. This is also true of the Bodhisattvas and Patriarchs, who, through their compassionate vows and in accord with the current times, also teach the Pure Land method.

 

It is due to the power of these vows that the Pure Land method has become popular among the majority of Buddhists.

 

 

The Shift from Zen to Pure Land

 

From ancient times, Zen has been especially popular in China, Korea and Japan. In Vietnam, as well, with its people rich in intuition and influenced by Chinese thought, Buddhism and Zen used to be synonymous. From the seventh to the thirteenth centuries, during the Lý and Trần dynasties, Buddhist monks and nuns formed a significant percentage of the population, and almost all followed the Zen School. In those days Buddhism was at its apogee in Vietnam. Numerous monasteries were known to house a great many monks and nuns, to the point where it was said that "the monks quarters numbered up to three thousand, and each morning some seventy persons were required to clean and sweep them."

 

Some readers may ask, "Who says that our capacities are not the same as those of the ancients? It seems so only because we lack self-confidence and do not exert enough effort."

 

Answer: Effort and self-reliance should always be encouraged. However, the statement is not really valid. If the majority of today's people were not mediocre, why would Sakyamuni Buddha have taught about the three periods: the Perfect Age of the Dharma, the Dharma Semblance Age, and the Dharma-Ending Age? Moreover, Buddhist sutras mention the five periods of consolidation, from the True Dharma Time to the Dharma Fighting Time. Furthermore, with sutras and commentaries much more available than in earlier times, why is it that practitioners who attain the Way are now so rare? Is it not because the capacities of people today are in general lower and weaker than in earlier times?

 

As the Patriarch Yin Kuang said:

 

Cultivation is no different from wearing cotton garments in the summer and heavy padded clothing in winter, we cannot go against the times, capacities and conditions of sentient beings. Even if the Patriarch Bodhidharma himself were to be reborn today, and wished to preach in accordance with the current times and conditions and swiftly emancipate sentient beings, there would be no better method than Pure Land.

 

Thus, if what we teach is not in accord with the times and the capacities of sentient beings, the latter will surely drown in the sea of suffering. I sincerely call upon you all, even though you may practice a different method, to make the Pure Land your goal. However, if you have reached the stage where a white plum blossom is no different from a yellow chrysanthemum, this writer will gladly rejoice in your attainment!

 

 

Recitation according to the Buddhas' Intentions

 

As was said earlier, in those countries which follow Mahayana Buddhism, Pure Land practitioners are in the majority. Not only do many monks and laymen practice Buddha Recitation, even followers of various cults invoke the name of the Lord of the Western Paradise. Nevertheless, though many recite the Buddha's name, very few truly understand the goal of recitation. Thus, their recitation is not in accordance with the true intention of the Buddhas.

 

There are those who, visiting Buddhist temples and monasteries and seeing people engaged in Buddhas Recitation, also join in, without a specific goal. This action, while garnering merits and virtues for the future, is not in accordance with the Buddhas' true intention.

 

There are those who practice Buddha Recitation seeking escape from danger and calamities as well as health, happiness and tranquillity for their families and ever-growing success in their careers and business dealings. Such goals, although worthy, are not consonant with the Buddhas' true intention.

 

There are those who, faced with hardships and the frustration of their wishes, become despondent. They recite Amitabha Buddha's name, praying that they will be spared such adversity in their present and future lives, that they will be endowed with beauty and honor, and that everything will turn to their advantage and accord with their wishes. Such goals are of course worthy, but they are not consonant with the Buddhas' true intention.

 

There are those who realize that life on earth does not bring any lasting happiness; even the noble, rich powerful and influential are beset by worry and suffering. They hope that through the merits and virtues of Buddha Recitation, they will be reborn in the celestial realms, endowed with longevity and leisure, joy and freedom. Such a goal, although worthy, is not consonant with the Buddhas' true intention. There are those who, having committed many transgressions, think that they cannot easily be saved in this life. They therefore recite the Buddha's name, praying that in their next life they will be reborn as a male, leave home to be a high-ranking monk, and become awakened to the Way. Such a goal, while exemplary, is still lacking in wisdom and faith, and is not consonant with the Buddhas' true intention.

 

What, then, is the true intention of the Buddhas?

 

Buddha Sakyamuni clearly recognized that all conditioned dharmas are impermanent, and that all sentient beings have always possessed in full the virtues and wisdom of the Tathagatas. However, because of delusion about their Original Nature, they create evil karma and afflictions and revolve forever in the cycle of Birth and Death. Even if they were to be reborn in the Heavens, once their merits were exhausted, they would descend into the lower realms. For this reason, the real intention of Sakyamuni Buddha is that through the Pure Land method, sentient beings may realize an early escape from the sufferings of Birth and Death.

 

Moreover, the power of Amitabha Buddha's Vows is so immense that no matter how heavy our karma may be, by reciting His name in all earnestness, we can, in this very lifetime, achieve rebirth in the Pure Land. To seek rebirth, for instance, as an enlightened, high-ranking monk is to lack wisdom and faith. It cannot ensure rebirth in the Pure Land in this very life or attainment of Bodhisattvahood at the stage of non-retrogression. Therefore, the real intention of the Buddhas is for sentient beings to practice Pure Land so that they can be liberated from Birth and Death -- and this liberation is to be achieved in one lifetime.

 

But why do we need to escape the cycle of Birth and Death? It is because, in the wasteland of Birth and Death, we truly undergo immense pain and suffering. If students of Buddhism do not sincerely meditate on this truth of suffering, they cannot achieve results despite all their scholarship, as they do not experience fear and seek liberation. The sutras say:

 

If the fearful mind does not come easily, the sincere mind cannot spring forth easily.

 

This is the reason why Sakyamuni Buddha, when preaching the Four Noble Truths to the five monks led by Kaundinya, taught them first the Truth of Suffering. According to this truth, if we meditate on the suffering of the human condition, we will have a clearer idea as to why we must swiftly escape the cycle of Birth and Death.

 

 

The Eight Major Sufferings

 

Sakyamuni Buddha explained the eight causes of suffering in his Truth of Suffering. The human condition has always entailed countless sufferings, as exemplified by the eight types enumerated below:

 

 

1.- Suffering of birth

 

 While still in the womb, human beings already have feelings and consciousness. Because of this they move and experience pleasure and pain. When the mother eats cold food, the embryo feels as though if were packed in ice; when hot food is ingested, if feels as though it were burning. The embryo, living as it is in a small, dark and dirty place, immediately lets out a scream upon birth. From then on, all it can do is cry when it feels cold, hot, hungry, thirsty, or suffers insect bites. Buddha Sakyamuni in his wisdom saw all this clearly and in detail and therefore describes birth as suffering. The ancient sages had a saying in this regard:

 

As soon as sentient beings escape one womb, they enter another,

Seeing this, sages and saints are deeply moved to such compassion!

The illusory body is really full of filth,

Swiftly escaping from it, we return to our Original Nature.

 

 

2.- Suffering of old age

 

As they approach old age, human beings have diminished faculties; their eyes cannot see clearly, their ears have lost their acuity, their backs tire easily, their legs tremble, eating is not as pleasurable as before, their sleep is not sound, their memories fail, their skin dries out and wrinkles, their teeth ache, decay and fall out.

 

Even those who were most handsome and beautiful in their youth can only feel sorrow and regret when they grow old.

 

In old age, many persons become confused and mixed up when eating or dressing or they become incontinent. Their children and other family members, however close to them, soon grow tired and fed up. The human condition is like that of a flower, ruled by the law of impermanence, which, if it can bring beauty and fragrance, also carries death and decay in its wake. In truth, old age is nothing but suffering and the human body has nothing worth cherishing. For this reason, Buddha Sakyamuni said: old age is suffering!

 

 

3.- Suffering of disease

 

To have a body is to be open to disease, from those small ailments which have an external source to those dreadful diseases coming from the inside. Some people are afflicted with incurable diseases such as cancer or debilitating ailments, such as osteoporosis, etc. In such condition, they not only experience physical pain, they also have to spend large sums of money for treatment. Should they lack the required funds, not only do they suffer, they create additional suffering for their families. This is suffering on top of suffering. The suffering of disease is self-evident and requires no further elaboration.

 

 

4.- Suffering of death

 

All sentient beings desire an easy birth and a peaceful death. However, these conditions are very difficult to fulfill, particularly at the time of death, when the physical body is generally stricken by disease and in great pain. With the body in this state, the mind is panic-stricken, bemoaning the loss of wealth and property, and saddened by the impending separation from loved ones as well as a multitude of similar thoughts. This is suffering indeed. Very few of us want even to hear about death, let alone "like" it.

 

 

5.- Suffering due to separation from loved ones

 

This truth is particularly easy to discern in time of war. In this situation, how many families have to endure separation, with some members in the "North," others in the "South?" How many young men have lost their lives on the battlefields, the survivors stricken by their losses, the departed suffering tragic deaths? This is the suffering of separation. How many still in their prime have lost their loved ones to the demon of death, leaving them alone, helpless and forsaken? Should we also mention those whose parents, brothers, sisters and children have been killed by bombs and bullets? How many children, having lost their families, lacking all means of support and guidance, must lead precarious lives in orphanages? This is suffering due to death.

 

Thus, in times like these, the sea of remembrance and the river of love are deep and long, but the mountain of hate and the sky or grief are also high and wide! Separation from loved ones, whether in life or through death, is suffering indeed!

 

 

6.- Suffering due to meeting with the uncongenial

 

This is suffering due to encountering enemies. To endure those to whom we are opposed, whom we hate, who always shadow and slander us and look for ways to harm us -- which is hard to tolerate, as we are always worried and ill at ease -- this is true suffering. There are many families in which fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, husbands and wives are not of the same mind, and which are constantly beset with disputes, anger and acrimony. This is no different from encountering enemies. Where is happiness then?

 

 

7.- Suffering due to unfulfilled wishes

 

We all have many desires and hopes in our lives. For example, the poor hope to become rich, the ugly wish for beauty, the childless pray for a son or daughter. Those who have children wish them to be successful, intelligent and filial. Such wishes and hopes are legion, and cannot all be fulfilled. Thus, they are a source of suffering.

 

 

8.- Suffering due to the raging skandas

 

This is the suffering of those whose faculties are too sharp and full. The five skandas are form, feeling, perception, volition and consciousness. The skanda of form relates to the physical body, while the remaining four concern the mind. To put it simply, this is the suffering of the body and the mind.

 

There are those who, upon being told that birth is suffering, will answer: When I was born I was too young to know anything, so I do not know of any suffering! If told that old age is suffering, they answer: I am not old yet! When told that disease is suffering, they answer: Since infancy, I have always been in good health, seldom experiencing any disease. Even when I was sick, it was only a minor discomfort; therefore, I do not see any suffering! When told that death is suffering, they say: Death has not come. Who knows that it is not a peaceful sleep? Upon being told that separation from loved ones is suffering, they say: The members of my family have always lived happily together, without experiencing any separation! If told that the company of the uncongenial is suffering, they answer: I haven't done anything to deserve anyone's wrath. There is no reason for anyone to plot against me! If we say that not getting what we want if suffering, they answer: I have everything I desire and need from life; I do not want anything else!

 

Can we say, however, that these people have no suffering?

 

-No. Precisely because they are well-endowed in body and mind, they are undergoing the suffering of the five raging skandas.

 

Why is it that a well-endowed mind and body constitute suffering?

 

-Let us remember the trials for murder, robbery, rape and other violent crimes in our society. These occurrences derive in part from persons with too much time on their hands. With mind and body over-satisfied, they are subject to mental and biological stimulations. They are not at peace either sitting or standing and create problems where there are none, which leads to violent events. As an example, nowadays many people throughout the world lead self-indulgent lives, prone to hard liquor, drugs, illicit sex and every kind of indulgence -- fond of danger and cruelty. They are not physically and mentally at peace with themselves and, like a raging fire, engage in wrongful acts leading to inevitable suffering. This is the "suffering of the five raging skandas."

 

The eight conditions described above are know as the Eight Sufferings. They are described here in a general way and can be subdivided into many other types of suffering. If we examine ourselves and others, are we not to a greater or lesser extent under the sway of the eight sufferings?

 

If those who study the Dharma continuously ponder the Eight Great Sufferings of mankind, they can be said to be close to the Way.

 

 

Contemplating the Suffering of Birth and Death

 

Sentient beings revolve in the cycle of Birth and Death, along the Six Paths, life after life. These are the paths of celestials, human beings, asuras, animals, hungry ghosts and hell-dwellers. The Eight Sufferings, while common to all sentient beings, concern humans in particular.

 

Although the celestial path is blessed with more happiness than our world, it is still marked by the Five Signs of Decay and the "things that go against our wishes." The path of the asuras is filled with quarrelling and acrimonious competition. The path of animals, such as buffaloes, cattle, donkeys and horses, is subject to heavy toil. Other domestic animals, such as goats, pigs, chicken and ducks, are subject to violent, untimely death. Still other animals suffer from stupidity, living in filth, and killing one another for food. On the path of hungry ghosts, sentient beings have ugly, smelly bodies, with bellies as big as drums and throats as small as needles, while flames shoot out of their mouths. They are subject to hunger and thirst for incalculable eons. As to the hellish paths -- the sufferings there are so great no words can describe them.

 

These last four paths are referred to in the sutras as the "Four Paths of Misery." The degree of suffering, from the path of the asuras downward, is multiplied manyfold for each path. Within these realms, sentient beings revolve in Birth and Death through one realm after another, like a spinning wheel, with neither beginning nor end.

 

In general, rebirth on the celestial or human paths is difficult and rare, while descent onto the four lower paths is easy and common. For this reason, the ancients lamented:

 

Born and reborn endlessly along the Six Paths,

 When impermanence strikes, we must let go of everything.

Once while he was still alive, Buddha Sakyamuni scratched a tiny bit of soil with his finger and asked his disciple Ananda, "Where is there more dirt, on my fingertip or in the whole wide world?" Ananda replied, "Great Master, of course there is infinitely more soil in the big, wide world than on your fingertip; it is beyond all possible comparison." The Buddha then said, "Likewise, Ananda, the sentient beings who are reborn on the celestial and human paths are like the dirt on my fingertip, while those who descend onto the lower paths are like the soil in the whole wide world." This example should ring like a bell in the morning calm, waking up cultivators.

 

In short, as stated in the Lotus Sutra:

The Triple Realm is impermanent and conditioned dharmas bring no happiness.

Those who recite the Buddha's name should seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land to escape the cycle of Birth and Death and gradually attain Buddhahood. They should not seek the false blessings of this earth. Only in this way is Buddha Recitation consonant with the goal of liberation and with the compassionate Mind of Sakyamuni Buddha.

To achieve this aim, the practitioner should constantly meditate on the Eight Sufferings of the human condition, including the untold sufferings of the Six Paths. Otherwise, the determination to escape Birth and Death will not easily arise and the vow to be reborn in the Western Pure Land will not be in earnest. How, then, can he step upon the "other shore" in the future, and, with his wisdom, save all sentient beings?

Buddha Sakyamuni once sighed:

In the Dharma-Ending Age, my disciples will always chase after worldly blessings; very few will pay attention to the major question of Birth and Death.

This is so because they lack wisdom and do not meditate realistically on the suffering in the world. They are not only ungrateful to the Buddhas, they are also ungrateful to themselves. Is it not a great pity?

 

 

To escape suffering,

follow the Pure Land method

 

Some Buddhist followers, preferring mysterious and transcendental doctrines, at times misunderstand the Pure Land method. Little do they realize that Pure Land is the wonderful gateway to the depth of our Buddha Nature, that it is the "guaranteed boat" to escape Birth and Death. Even persons of the highest capacity sometimes do not understand Pure Land and therefore, continually tread the path of delusion. On the other hand, there are instances of ordinary people with merely average capacities who, through the Pure Land method, have begun to step swiftly towards emancipation. I will cite a few examples here for your consideration.

 

In T'ang Dynasty China, in a temple called Fragrant Mountain in the district of Loyang, there was a Buddhist monk named Mirror of Emptiness.

 

He came from a destitute family, and, though diligent in his studies, was a mediocre student in his youth. As an adult, he used to compose poems, few of which are quoted or remembered. He would travel throughout central China seeking support from local leaders, without much result. As soon as he would accumulate some savings he would fall ill, exhausting all his funds by the time he recovered.

 

Once, he travelled to a neighboring district, which at that time was struck by famine. He was thinking of reaching the Temple of the Western Land to eat and regain strength, but on the way, felt too hungry to go further. He decided to rest by a snow-covered spring, reciting verses of self-pity and despondency.

 

Suddenly, an Indian monk appeared and sat down beside him. Smiling, he asked, "Elder Master, have you already exhausted the sweet dew of distant travel?" He answered, "I have indeed exhausted the nectar of travel; however, my name is ... and I have never been a high-ranking Buddhist master." The Indian monk replied, "Have you forgotten the time you were preaching the Lotus Sutra at the Temple of ... ?" -- Answer: "For the last forty-five years, since I was born, I have always been in this vicinity. I have never set foot in the capital and therefore cannot have preached at the temple you mentioned." The Indian monk answered, "Perhaps you are starving and have forgotten all about the past." Thereupon, he took an apple as big as a fist from his bag and gave it to the famished poet, saying, "This apple comes from my country. Those of high capacities who eat it can see the past and future clearly. Those of limited capacities can also remember events of their past lifetimes."

 

The poet gratefully accepted the apple, ate it, and proceeded to drink the spring water. Feeling suddenly drowsy, he rested his head on the rocks and began to to doze off. In an instant, he awakened and remembered his past life as a high-ranking Buddhist monk, preaching the Dharma along with fellow monks, as clearly as though everything had happened the previous day.

 

He wept and asked, "Where is the Great Abbot Chan these days?" The Indian monk replied, "He did not cultivate deeply enough. He has been reborn a monk in Western Szechuan." The starving poet asked further, "What has become of the great masters Shen and Wu?" "Master Shen is still alive. Master Wu once joked in front of the rock monument at the Fragrant Mountain Temple, 'If I cannot attain Enlightenment in this life, may I be reborn as a high-ranking official in the next one.' As a result, he has now become a top general. Of the five monks who were close in the past, only I have managed to escape Birth and Death. The three others are as described ... and you, the fourth and last one, are still plagued by hunger in this place."

 

The starving poet shed a tear of self-pity and said: "In my previous life, for forty long years I took only one meal a day and wore only one robe, determined to rid myself of all mundane preoccupations. Why is it that I have fallen so low as to go hungry today?"

 

The Indian monk replied: "In the past, when you occupied the Dharma seat, you used to preach many superstitions, causing the audience to doubt the Dharma. In addition, you were not entirely faultless in keeping the precepts, resulting in today's retribution."

 

Having finished, the Indian monk took a mirror from his bowl, with flawless reflection on both sides, and said "I cannot undo what happened in the past. However, If you want to know your future destiny, whether you will be rich or poor, have a long or short life, even the future ups and downs of the Dharma, just have a look in the mirror and all will be clear." The poet took the mirror and gazed into it for a long time. Returning it, he said, "Thanks to your compassionate help, I now know causes and retribution, honor and disgrace."

 

The Indian monk put the mirror back in his bowl, took the poet by the hand, and started to walk away. After about ten steps, he disappeared.

 

That same night, the poet entered the Order at the Temple of the Divine Seal, and was given the Dharma name "Mirror of Emptiness." After receiving the complete precepts of a Bhikshu, he travelled throughout the country practicing the Way, his high conduct and ascetic practices being praised by all.

 

Later on, Zen Master Mirror of Emptiness once met with a certain layman from the Temple of the Western Land. Telling the latter about his past, he said: "I am now 77 years old, my Dharma age is 32. I have only nine more years to live. After my death, who knows if the Dharma will still exist as it is now?" The layman, puzzled, tried to inquire further. The Master did not reply. He just requested a pen and began scribbling some lines on the north wall of the tower which housed the Tripitaka. The words represented the prophecy of Zen Master Mirror of Emptiness, the gist of which is as follows:

 

The Dharma will experience a decline. There will be ruthless persecution of Buddhism, the period of persecution beginning in the 840's. However, the Dharma will survive; the light of the Dharma will not be extinguished.

 

This prophecy is consonant with the destruction of Buddhism under the Chinese Emperor T'ang Wu Tsung, who ordered the razing of some 47,000 temples and forcibly returned hundreds of thousands of monks and nuns to the laity.

 

Around the year 1330, there was a long period of famine in China. In the town of Hangchou, the bodies of those who had died of starvation could be found everywhere, cluttering the streets. Every morning, corpses were dumped in a mountain cave behind the Pagoda of Great Harmony.

 

Among the dead was the body of an old woman, which did not decompose for ten days. Each day, her body would somehow rise above the others and lie on top of them all. Surprised at the sight, the people lowered a rope and dragged her body up. They found a small pocket on her robe containing three sheets of paper, decorated with a picture of Amitabha Buddha, and recording the number of her daily recitations. This became known to the local magistrate, who ordered that her body be placed in a coffin and cremated. As flames engulfed the coffin, people reported seeing images of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas emitting brilliant rays. Thanks to this event, many people began to take up Buddha Recitation.

 

In addition to Zen Master Mirror of Emptiness, we may also read

 

1) the life story of a great Elder Master whose rebirth as a buffalo was due to his greed for money and his stinginess with the Dharma,

 

2) the story of a Master of high repute who, because he improperly accepted offerings, was reborn as a daughter in the household of his disciple,

 

3) the story of a monk who led an illustrious life but, because of the reappearance of evil karma accumulated from time immemorial, had to undergo rebirth as a person lacking intelligence and resentful of cultivators,

 

4) the story of a well-known Master who, having seen the Way through meditation, was reborn as a monk praised and respected by all, but then, swayed by his blessings, forgot all about the path of liberation,

 

5) the story of the disciple of a great master who became enlightened to the source of the Mind, but who, because he had not yet attained the Way, was reborn as a brilliant monk. He could not, however, control thoughts of power and arrogance, and from then on, there was no evil karma he did not commit.

 

There is also the story of a nun who had recited the Lotus Sutra for thirty years, but because she had not rid herself of attachment to form and sound, was reborn as a beautiful courtesan with a most alluring voice and lotus fragrance emanating form her mouth.

 

We can read of many such instances in books and commentaries. The lesson we can derive is that if we rely only on our own strength to cultivate without having extinguished evil karma and severed greed, anger and delusion, we are bound to be deluded upon rebirth. Out of ten cultivators, as many as eight or nine will fail. On the other hand, take the case of the old woman mentioned earlier, who merely practiced Buddha Recitation, ignorant though she was on questions of doctrine and knowing nothing about this school or that teaching. Because she earnestly recited Amitabha's name, many extraordinary events occurred after her death, pointing to her rebirth in the Pure Land.

 

Thus, the Dharma doors of Zen, Sutra Recitation and other methods are all praiseworthy schools to be encouraged. however, in this Dharma-Ending Age, we should practice Buddha Recitation in addition, dedicating all merits to rebirth in the Pure Land, to ensure escape from the cycle of Birth and Death. If we do not take the Pure Land as our goal, the virtues gained from practicing other methods can only provide good roots, merits and blessings, and serve as causes and conditions of liberation in the future.

 

This being the case, we should fear the prospect of being deluded during rebirth, and mired for a long time in the wasteland of Birth and Death. How many of us have as much intelligence as the Great Master Wu Ta? He was a high-ranking Zen monk for ten lifetimes; in his last lifetime, before attaining Enlightenment, he was able to lecture in depth on the Great Nirvana Sutra when barely fourteen. However, because of one delusive thought of pride, his past karma reappeared as a sore, in the form of a human face, on his lap. He was finally saved and reborn in the Pure Land through Buddha Recitation. Those who would rely solely on their own wisdom, discoursing on lofty and profound principles, respecting only self-power and belittling Buddha Recitation, should pay heed to this example and reflect upon it.

NIỆM PHẬTPHẢI VÌ THOÁT SANH TỬ