TAIWANESE STATESMAN VISITS GOLD MOUNTAIN

      In late April, Upasaka Sun Ya Fu and Upasika Sun Kuo An arrived at San Francisco International Airport with their daughter, Betty, and a group of travelling companions who included Upasika Hsu Chao Ti and Upasika Chung Kua Ran. Members of the four-fold assembly were there to welcome the visitors and to escort the Sun family to Gold Mountain. The Suns were eager to pay their respects to the Venerable Abbot, whom they had learned speak the Dharma during the Venerable Master's lecture tour of Asia last year. They arrived at Gold fountain during the ceremony of one hundred and eight recitations of the Great Compassion Mantra which the monks at the monastery perform daily. Upasika Sun, who personally recites the Great Compassion Mantra forty-nine times every day was pleased to find the Proper Dharma being actively practiced at Gold Mountain.

Members of Gold Mountain Assembly greet Sun family at San Francisco International Airport.

Professor Sun, Too, made special note of his awareness if the orthodoxy of the Dharma assemblies conducted at the monastery. To his delight he found that at Gold fountain the Great Meal offering includes within it recitation of Earth Store Bodhisattva's name, a Bodhisattva with whom Upasaka Sun has deep affinities, but who is noticeably missing from recitations of the Great Meal offerings he has heard in Taiwan. He was also pleased to find that Wei T'ou Bodhisattva was given proper place in the Great Meal offering, as he is also absent from the version performed in Taiwan.

      The Suns found their visit full and yet relaxing, and out of their sincere wish to draw near the Venerable Master and receive his instruction, they extended their stay despite their travel schedule and remained in the peaceful quarters provided by the monastery for more than two weeks, refusing many offers to join friends, family, and official acquaintances who wished to provide them with luxurious hotel accommodations.

      During their stay, Mrs. Sun, accompanied by Upasika Hsu and Upasika Chung, visited the buildings, which will house the proposed University at Ten Thousand Buddha City. And members of the Sangha accompanied Mr. Sun to a mausoleum in Berkeley where they recited sutras and mantras for a former respected professor of Professor Sun and transferred the merit to aid in his good rebirth.

      On Buddha's Birthday, the Suns joined the four-fold assembly in celebrations held at the International Institute for the Translation of Buddhist Texts, and Upasaka Sun spoke with the great assembly on that occasion.

      Upon the Sun's departure, a large gathering of the four-fold assembly accompanied them to the airport and wished them well. Upasika Sun said they have plans to return to join the precept platform conducted at Gold Mountain Monastery and Tathagata Monastery by early fall of this year.

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Excerpt from Avatamsaka Sutra lecture given t>y Venerable Master Hua, September 30, 1975.

      Everyone should take note. Take note of what? Take note of the word "zero." If you can return to the root and go back to the source of the zero, then you can see the Buddhas of the ten directions. The zero refers to nothing at all: no beginning, no end, no within, no without, no great, no small. If you take the zero and break it, it turns into the word "one," which is the beginning of numbers. After the one then you add zeros, as many as you want, and the numbers are infinite. The zero is the beginningless, the endless. It is that which has no within, or without, no great or small, no right or wrong, no you or me, no mark of self, others, living beings, or a lifespan. So in the zero there is nothing whatever, but within that nothing whatever everything is included. All numbers are included in it. The zero once broken turns into the one. The one is very important. Why is the sky clear? Because it is endowed with oneness. Why is the earth serene? Because it is endowed with oneness. Why are people able to become sages? Because they can obtain oneness.

Take the one and return it again to the zero—which is returning to the root, going back to the source. The zero is the basic substance of the Dhanna Realm. The zero is the basic source of the Buddha-nature. Don't look upon the zero lightly.

GOLD MOUNTAIN INSTILLING VIRTUE
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

English composition by six-year old Ah-hwei Silver.

To be kind means to get someone’s coat when they are going outside. To do something for them. Like when you write a story kind means to help with the words. Kind means to teach other people.

By Ahi-Hwei

Gold Mountain Instilling Virtue Elementary School is the first bilingual Mandarin Chinese-English school for primary age children in the United States. Ages from 5 1/2 to 11 participate in a full academic program, as well as arts, crafts, physical education, field trips, and independent study. Interested persons may write the International Institute for the Transition of Buddhist Texts, 3636 Washington Street, San Francisco, California, 94118.

Truly recognize your own faults,

And don’t discuss the faults of others.

Others’ faults are just your own--

Being one with everyone is called great compassion.

-composed by Ch'an Master Hua