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Kuo
Hsin took refuge under the Venerable Abbot and listened with rapt
attention to the unconditional gift of the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas to
the entire world. "The City is for Buddhists everywhere in the world;
in fact, it is for all living beings throughout the world. Those who truly
wish to cultivate can come to this place for refuge," promised the
Abbot.
This
November, Kuo Hsin had a chance to do just that. He and his two sisters
arrived with a delegation to celebrate the Opening Ceremonies at the City,
and ended up staying on for an entire month. During this time Kuo Hsin
joined the other cultivators in all the City's activities. He feels
especially grateful to be a recipient of the transmission of the Forty Two
Hands and Eyes, the Dharmas of Great Compassion of Kuan Yin Bodhisattva.
He has also been pleased to take part in the present Surangama Mantra
Dharma Assembly. "The wonderful functions of the Mantra leave me in
awe and unable to express their magnitude. I'm happy to be a part of this
assembly."
Certain
instructions from the Abbot made an immediate and deep impression on Kuo
Hsin:
"When
people slander or bad mouth me, you cannot fight or contend with them. You
should
say instead, 'Yes, my teacher is really stupid, and now I should
bow to you who are not
stupid at all.'"
These
simple words underline the Abbot's entire teaching of level, equal
compassion towards all. Some lines from Great Master Yung Chia's Song of
Enlightenment express the same idea:
Listening
to harsh words brings merit and virtue.
This
is just a Good Knowing Advisor who brings me to accomplishment.
Do
not make distinctions between enemy and kin based on mockery or slander.
How
else can you express the power that endures the non production of dharmas?
At
present Kuo Hsin is convinced that those who want to learn Buddhism should
draw near a Good Knowing Advisor. This is the single most important step
on the road of cultivation. He says,
"People
dabble in Ch'an, thinking that Dhyana means sitting cross legged in
oblivion that this is a sure way to enlightenment. I feel this is a
misunderstanding of the function of Ch'an. Rather Ch'an is to awaken
people to their innermost self nature. Walking, sitting, standing, and
reclining, what is not Ch'an? Enlightenment means a state of being
attached to absolutely nothing; you must put everything down. If one is
attached to certain states with dhyana, thinking that this or that state
is the utmost, then for sure they have gone down the wrong road."
Also regarding the
Secret School he comments:
"In
Malaysia there are many Buddhists who are attracted to Dharmas of the
Secret School because many of the teachers promise sensational or esoteric
benefits. It's for sure that magic mantras and secret dharmas have a lot
of efficacious power, but they are like a blazing torch: if you know how
to use it, then it can give you warmth and serve you. If you do not know
how to use it, the torch can consume your forest of merit and virtue and
leave you with nothing. People should have at least a grounding in the
basic tenets of Buddhism before they start dabbling in secret dharmas.
"Holding
the Five Precepts is the first step. Getting rid of your greed, anger,
stupidity, and bad habits, you can then progress step by step. An ancient
saying goes:
A
thousand foot skyscraper starts from the bottom up.
A
mighty hero is not afraid of humble origins. |
