Pouring rain. We are instructed to bow inside surrounded by the Sangha who recite the Great Compassion Mantra, as they did all day yesterday while we bowed on the road. "Don't force it, that's not proper Dharma. It's dangerous today. Cars might hit you; they can't see well. When the rain stops, continue where the equivalent of what you bowed yesterday would be."

State while bowing: I understand deeply all the countless beings within Shih Fu being crossed over. Be a container to carry living beings, to repent, to take on suffering for living beings, because you can. You can because countless others have for you. Filial piety. We are all one; keep the string connected. Give ceaselessly. Both days while bowing I was on the verge of tears throughout. Inconceivable.

Advice: Don't fight with anyone. Yield!!! Use your wisdom, your kindness, compassion, joy, and giving. Hard work, patience, be straight (sincere). No desire. Be humble, not arrogant like an emperor. Forget about states. Chase away demons, and transfer merit constantly. Don't float off into samadhi. You're the Dharma Protector. But don't be moved. Accord with conditions and don't change; don't change and accord with conditions. Forget yourself; no self means no mistakes, which in turn means no retribution. Then you are in a position to be of some help.

Venerable Master's Instructions      May 8, 1977

Bowing once every three steps is not the kind of method that anyone wants to do. Why? It's too difficult. To bow along the road once every three steps is very dangerous. So at all times, you want to be very careful. Don't enter samadhi while you are bowing. You may enter samadhi, but the cars won't; and they will come and bump into you, smashing you to smithereens. Without any choice, you'll be off to the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Basically, going off to the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss is a good thing, but we haven't finished what we're doing here; we haven't fulfilled our responsibilities in this land of ultimate suffering. So you can't be selfish and go off first to the Pure Land. This is very important. Especially on the curves of the road or narrow places where there's only room for cars and not for pedestrians, you can bow alongside in the grass off the road if the road is dangerous.

Also, when people ask you questions, you should have one person assigned to answer. Only one of you needs to answer, not two. Now Guo Ting (Heng Chau), you are the Dharma protector. It would be best if you answered the questions. Guo Chen (Heng Sure), you don't need to answer. Don't get involved with people and they will think it's even more wonderful. If you explain it all very clearly and every one understands what you're doing, then it's no longer wonderful. Inconceivable means just not letting them know. Don't explain to them. Guo Ting, you can answer, but don't talk too much, no matter what's going on. Don't lecture Sutras and speak Dharma for people. Don't give commentaries. This is important. You should take along a good pair of pants so you don't end up naked from having them rip to shreds. You should always wear your long robe; and then if your pants rip, it won't matter. Don't be like the one who bowed before, the "old cultivator" whose pants were so old that they weren't very strong, and after bowing for a while on the road, he didn't have any pants to wear. Fortunately, there was a response at that point, and suddenly in the middle of the road, a pair of pants appeared. That is something that happened in the past. And this time you should take along toilet paper; don't be like the one who used poison oak leaves instead. He got laid up so bad he couldn't bow; he couldn't even move; he couldn't do anything but cry "Maaa!" like a little lamb. This is important, too.

Other than that, the two of you already have an identical vow not to drink cola. That's not a bad condition to set up. If you drink cola, then people will want to give you beer; and once they've given you beer, they'll want to give you whiskey. And once it's whiskey, it will be brandy. So there's an interconnection. If you don't drink cola, no one will give you beer, or whiskey, or brandy. That is a good way.

The things Guo Ting experienced today were very good. You could say that on this first day of bowing, he has attained a bit of enlightenment. Having attained a bit of enlightenment on the first day, on the second day you will attain a bit more, and more on the third day, the fourth day, and so forth to the end of your bowing; and you will achieve great penetration and enlightenment. When you have great penetration and enlightenment, you will be able to propagate Buddhadharma in the world in a useful way. So in doing the most stupid of things, you two should obtain the loftiest of wisdom; then you will not have bowed in vain.

Now at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, the ten thousand Buddhas are still not complete. Guan Yin Bodhisattva is finished, and Guan Yin can transform into ten thousand Buddhas. And when you arrive there, ten thousand Buddhas will welcome you. I know that as you bow there, the ten thousand Buddhas will fly there. They will all arrive so you can see the wonderful adornments of the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, matchless beyond compare. In the world, the source of Buddhism is about to expand. When you get there, the ten thousand Buddhas will rub your crowns and give you predictions. "Good indeed, good indeed, this is called true vigor. You are true cultivators," they will praise the two of you. Don't forget when you get to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas in the future that the ten thousand Buddhas will rub your crowns and give you predictions.

So although this is said to be the stupidest of things, on the other hand, the rewards are the very highest. When you grow into a dolt, that becomes the esoteric. When you've studied to the point that you're as if stupid, you become rare in the world; then you are a true cultivator of the Way.

→To be continued