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In the early 1960's the Venerable Master Hua brought the banner of the Proper Dharma to the West. In 1968 a group of young Americans asked him to speak The Surangama Sutra. He consented and the Sutra Study and Practice Session lasted for ninety-six days. From that time onwards, the Master has continued to lecture daily on the Dharma, expounding such Sutras as The Heart Sutra, The Sutra of the Past Vows of Earth Store Bodhisattva, The Dharani Sutra, The Lotus Sutra, and many others. Currently, at the newly established City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, the Master continues to expound upon the King of Sutras, The Great Avatamsaka.
In our time of moral and spiritual decay, many bemoan the coming of the Dharma ending age. But the Master has made a vow that he will not allow the Dharma ending age to descend. Because he has taken the maintenance of the Proper Dharma as his personal responsibility, from the very beginning he has taught his Western students the fundamental importance of practicing what they learn, impressing upon a group of freedom-loving individuals the wisdom of observing the moral precepts.
During the Surangama Study and Practice Session, he spoke to the independent-minded Americans encouraging them to practice by telling them, "It is absolutely essential for people who want to cultivate the Way to receive the moral precepts. From the lecture's we derive understanding, and we practice by investigating Ch'an. Through the combination of practice and understanding, we can stride forward over solid ground. An example will help to illustrate the value of combining understanding with practice.
"A blind man and a cripple lived together in a house: One day it caught on fire. The blind man couldn't see and had no way to get out. The cripple could see, but he didn't have any legs. What a predicament! Then a Wise Advisor told them, "You two can get out of this burning house. How? Cripple, let the blind man use your eyes. Blind man, let the cripple use your legs." They followed his advice and made the best of their situation. The cripple climbed on the blind man's back and told the blind man where to walk, and thanks to the timely advice, they managed to save themselves."
From the Sutras and the teachings of the Buddha, we gain understanding. From holding the precepts purely, and through meditation, we put that understanding into practice. As his students tackle the often-elusive principles of the doctrine, the Master encourages them. "Do not be afraid of not understanding," he will say. "Just be afraid that you will not practice what you know. If you do not practice, you are useless." As long as there are those who practice the teachings. The Orthodox Dharma remains. In the final analysis, in fact, there is no Orthodox Dharma and no Dharma ending age. Those who practice the (orthodox Dharma live in the Orthodox Dharma age. Those who practice deviant dharmas live in the Dharma ending age. Those who follow the Buddha's precepts, study the teachings, and practice them are certain to gain wisdom and eventually reach enlightenment even in our, corrupt age. On the other hand, those who do not follow the Buddha’s instructions even if face to face with Sakyamuni Buddha himself, cannot be saved. In 1968 the Master said, "We have karmic connections with Sakyamuni Buddha and the dharma which he proclaimed and which still remains in the world. So now we have the opportunity to understand the doctrines. We are now in an advantageous position, even though we have been born after Sakyamuni Buddha spoke the Dharma."
The Master has brought the Proper Dharma to the West. We now can hear, study, and practice it. The House of the Three Realms is on fire. Crippled and blinded by our degenerate age, we must find our way out. The world needs the light of the Dharma. There is really no time to stand on the sidelines and bemoan "the descent of the Dharma ending age." It is time we got down to work at hand.
By Bhiksuni Heng Yin
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