It is said, “Sadness arises when joy ends”, and eventually only melancholy stays. Just like the saying, “Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player, That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no more.”
In a few days after the New Year, kins and friends returned to their own business . Staying behind is the empty house with a few old folks. One can say this is the true meaning of life. That means everything is impermanent. After the bustling, the so-called splendor will return to being plain . That is the realm of the plain, a plain mind. Hence, being plain is ordinary—it is normal, and also eternal. So we need to experience plainess and accept plainess in life. Immersing in the plain, we experience the ease and tranquility of the freedom from pleasure-seeking.
In the final analysis, everything human beings do comes from thoughts of the mind. If you don’t give rise to any thought, and keep calm at all times, it would actually be the most peaceful and truthful state, and this peaceful soul is eternal. The essence of calm is actually the truth of life and the universe. The human minds, however, are hard to calm down, because there is greed, anger and ignorance, also delusions and miscellaneous thoughts. Following the six sense faculties, this mind will go to the six defiling objects. Indeed, during the Chinese New Year, we shall have enjoyment, but should also appreciate the authentic savour of life.
There are two topics on the handout: One is “Two Ways in Life”；the other is “Two Dharma Doors in Buddhism”.
I. Two Ways in Human Life
To begin, let’s talk about the Two Ways in human life. Dear Lotus friends, how many ways do we have in life? (Answer: Two ways.) In reality, there are many ways, but these can be reduced into two:
- The way of living
- The way of life
The way of living is temporal, while the way of life is ultimate. Let’s use metaphors: the temporal way of living is like a glass marble, which is beautiful but will eventually disappear like the clouds and dissipate. The ultimate way of life is like the mani jewel, which is real, will not change, and has infinite virtues and all merits. That is eternal.
Who am I ?
What is a human being? From where a person is born? To where a dying person will go? This topic is philosophical, also religious, and even the pursuit of the essence of the universe. Have you ever thought about this question? A person thinking of this question is religious in nature, having a religious sentiment and a religious fate. If you have never thought about the question in this respect, you probably have no religious fate, and no temperament of religion, and the tendency is relatively weak. Many people, from birth to their old age and days after days, have never thought what does it mean by being a human? Who am I? Where do I come from and where shall I go? Among schools of Buddhism, the Chan (dhyana) school is the most inquiring about such an issue. The Chan Buddhists attempt to investigate your “original face” before your parents bore you. This is the pursuit of what a human being is.
Human beings–as explained by the “Heart Sutra” in the clearest and most concise manner–is the “Five Aggregates or skandhas“. When Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara was practicing the profound Prajna Paramita, he illuminated the Five Aggregates and saw that they were all empty. He then crossed beyond all suffering and difficulty. What, then, are the Five Aggregates? They are “form, feeling, cognition, formation, and consciousness“. Form does not differ from emptiness; emptiness does not differ from form. Form itself is emptiness; emptiness itself is form. So does “feeling, cognition, formation, and consciousness”. Hence, human beings are a combination of the Five Aggregates. “Form” is substance, that is, earth, water, fire, and wind, while “feeling, cognition, formation, and consciousness” are spiritual, and related to the mind. Human beings, therefore, are a combination of the two –the substances and the spirit.
Staying away from earth, water, fire and wind, or away from feeling, cognition, formation, and consciousness, this person, so-called a human being, or the whole human species, doesn’t exist. So, human beings are a combination of the Five Aggregates, making use of the Five Aggregates for a temporary, transient and short-lived existence, and will disappear in one day, because all these are causally produced phenomena: it arises when the causal factors are in union, disappears when the causal factors dissipate. The body we now have is just the Five Aggregates. So, this is but a provisional person, borrowed for temporal indication. Our patriarch Master Tanluan (476-542) said in his Commentary on the Treatise on Rebirth in the Pure Land:
Provisionally-called person in the Land of Turbidites, Provisionally-called person in the Pure Land.
Existence of a human being is merely a combination of causal factors, and the name “human being” is provisionally called. So, we can experience that our body will age, become sick, and pass away one day. Our thoughts, ideas, and personalities will also change. Hence, our human form is provisional; they are the Five Aggregates, of which natures are empty. What are human beings in this perspective? Our natures are “empty”. Nevertheless, the form of our persons do exist at the present. So, we should not cling to this form, and should understand that its nature is empty. Nevertheless, this human form does exist, and we should also not be attached to its emptiness. We should spend our life fulfilling our duties as a human being, and thus walk the middle way.
As written (by Nagajuna) in the Treatise on the Perfection of Wisdom: “All causally produced phenomena, I say, are emptiness, are but provisional names, and indicate the meaning of the middle way.”
Our views toward human beings, or even the world, should be correctly focused on “emptiness, provisionality, and the middle way”. What perspective shall we take in regard to a discourse on views of life, worldviews, and values ? Definitely the view of “emptiness, provisionality, and the middle way”. That’s the correct perspective, the right knowledge and the right view.
From where was I born? Where will I go when I die? My parents physically gave birth to me and I came from my previous life. My previous life also had a previous life, and those were outcomes of the power of karma, rebirths from other realms–more likely from the three wretched realms (i.e. hells, hungry ghosts, and animals). So, being born as a human in this life is not easy, given that lives in the past were frequently born in the three wretched realms. Then why are there the three wretched realms? Why are there rewards or retributions of rebirth in the Six Realms? It was caused by the power of karma, which has developed from our mind. Originally the mind was empty; but it has been filled with our greed, anger and delusion, covered by our karmic habits, which became our master. Eventually, the real master became a guest.
Where do we go when we depart this life? Go back to the Six Realms of birth and death again, falling into the three wretched realms again. This is a phenomenon of human life, which is also an illusory phenomenon, because it is not real, but temporary. It is not a permanent or unchanging reality. Having said that, we have to make use of the unreal existence to cultivate the real things, since we were born human in this world. For what are we humans living? What are the ultimate meaning and supreme value of human existence? Our existence must be meaningful, but what is the final meaning? Human existence must be valuable, but what is the supreme existence?
For What Does One Live?
For what does one live? Why does one bend over backwards to stay on living even when it is bitter and harsh? Is that merely for one’s husband, wife, and children, or for the family’s means of living, for one’s wealth, or for one’s fame and social status? This is the so-called way of living, not the way of life. The way of living is temporary. So, please read the next section “Two Ways in Life”, which discusses the way of living and the way of life.
The way of living seeks food, clothing, housing, and transportation, as well as chasing after success, fame, wealth, and status, which human bodies can enjoy in this world for decades.
Next is the way of life, which is pursuit of peace and joy, as well as an eternal refuge. Because our life in this human realm will end one day, we have to think about the future after death. If our next life continues within the Six Realms of birth and death, the sufferings will never end. So, we have to chase after an eternal refuge that will provide us with peace and joy, unchanged forever.
If one’s way of living is affluent, while his way of life is impoverished, say, enjoying an opulent lifestyle but feeling meaningless and restless, or owning a lot of wealth and fame but feeling emptiness in the heart–having no joy, but dullness and a kind of indescribable sense of hollowness, that is the manifestation of the shadow of ignorance. When one has achieved what he has looked for, and yet has a feeling that is not what he really wants, but something else. What is that real need? He doesn’t know. So, an unspeakable sense of hollowness arises. That is the manifestation of our ignorance. The fundamental substance that casts the shadow of ignorance, however, is not visible to us.
Human beings have two great needs: one is interim, another is ultimate.
The interim needs refer to the way of living, lasting only for a few short decades and progresses through stages. The ultimate path leads to the refuge of the future and is permanent.
Let’s take an analogy between a glass marble and a mani jewel (An indestructible wish-fulfilling gem). The glass marble is used to meet interim needs, while the mani jewel meets the ultimate need. The former will eventually disappear while the latter will never fall to pieces. The glass marble could be bright, clean and clear, pearl-like, diamond-like, or mani-like; but it is not an authentic diamond, nor authentic mani jewel. Its lustrous and brilliant look is temporal, and can only be used for a few decades in the realm of the living.
When a human life comes to its end, the interim needs will dissipate. As human beings are the Five Aggregates combining into a flesh body, which will become old, sick, die, and disappear. The other four–feeling, cognition, formation, and consciousness, will eventually converge into one, “consciousness”.
“Consciousness” refers to alaya-vijnana (or the originating consciousness), which is a soul, sensitive and sentient. When the physical body is in good condition, this sensitive and sentient consciousness functions by utilizing the sensory organs like eyes, nose, tongue, body and the mind. When the physical body vanishes, its soul and sensory perception continue to exist and do not disappear. It has an invisible power that could attain rebirth again according to karmic affinities, just like the magnetic field. This invisible but powerful energy will cause a result in accordance to karmic affinities. So, in one’s life, one should not cling to a heap of glass marbles, but lose the mani jewels. That’s true poverty.
A heap of glass marbles refers to your loving kins, happy family, honour associated with high official rank or social status, as well as abundant wealth. Once having all these, one can enjoy an honourable and splendid life. But isn’t it a pity to be caught in the end by the various realms of rebirth ? To many of us Chinese, to live in this world is to pursue the Five Blessings. When people say the “Five Blessings“, they mean to be rich–wealthy and having a great fortune, to be honourable — self-dignified and having a high status in society, and then to have health and longevity–healthy and long life, and finally, a peaceful death — a good departure, no suffering from illnesses and a tranquil ending. These are the five blessings: wealth, honour, health, longevity, and also peaceful death, but this is not easy. This world is a challenge to live in and people endure all kinds of suffering, which is boundless. You can pursue these wonderful Blessings all you want, but you may not get them.
Life is affinities, without which people cannot be together. Without affinity, no matter how much you like each other or how much you want to be together forever, you can’t stay together. As long as there is affinity, even if you don’t like a person or hate him, you will still be together, because this is your affinity. Affinities come from your own karma. For ordinary people, they live their lives in accordance with their karma.
How Can Karma Change?
For Buddhist practitioners, the karma is not fixed; it will change. Buddhist practice is actually not easy, and there are several levels:
- One is the accumulation of merit, and first of all is to share one’s own wealth through charity or giving:
- One’s own material belongings: In order to form connections with the multitudes and accumulate blessings, one must do alms-giving. That’s giving in terms of tangible goods.
- In terms of the immaterial: one can give kind words, do good deeds, be nice to other people and make them happy. This is also a kind of giving.
- Next, self-cultivation: that is to nurture your nature and refine your behavior, which fundamental basis is to hone one’s mind to be able to settle in a peaceful and gentle state all the time. This is what the Worldly Truth of the Pure Land School is talking about: try to be modest and amiable. The kinds of giving just mentioned means to be compassionate and understanding to other people. Do the words we have just said and the action we have just done allow people to feel compassion and understanding? This is the cultivation considered giving outwardly and reflecting inwardly. The outward cultivation is to be modest and amiable to others, while the inward cultivation is to be compassionate and understanding to others, which is a virtue practice.
- Another practice is to recite the Buddha’s name. Among the various kinds of practice, name-recitation is the easiest; but the aforementioned practices–being compassionate and understanding to other people, and being modest and amiable in our deportment–are duties that must be fulfilled as a person living in this world, and as a member of society and family.
The reason why recitation of Amitabha’s name is easy is that no matter who you are, whether you are a scholar, farmer, artisan, or merchant, the aged or a child, clever or ignorant, a monk or a householder, anyone can recite the Buddha’s name.
Regardless of the place, whether it is the “way place”, Buddha hall, or recitation hall, whether it is the living room, bedroom, or kitchen, whether it is your workplace or any place, you can recite the Buddha’s name, because there is no restriction for name-recitation. Reciting the Buddha’s name in unlucky places can bring good luck. Reciting in impure places can bring purity. Reciting in unsafe places can bring peace. So, pious reciting the Buddha’s name can also eliminate the karmic hindrance. When the karmic hindrance is eliminated, the blessing will increase, and bad luck will be turned into good fortune, and calamities turned into blessing. The evil condition can be resolved and become a good condition.
You can recite the Buddha’s name at any time–you can recite the name in the morning or the evening, day or night. Therefore, you can recite the Name at any time. As a traditional folklore, Chinese people, in general, always want to find the best day and best hour for doing important things. To Buddhist practitioners, who devote themselves more and more to cultivation, especially cultivating their minds, every moment is a good day and a good time to them. To us Amitabha-reciters, as we are together with Amitabha Buddha and illuminated by His light, every day is a good day, and every moment is a good time.
If there is someone whose parents are still around and treated with filial piety, this person will not have a disaster. If a person fulfills filial piety to his parents, his career will have no major frustration, even though there are some issues. It is because filial piety is the most superior practice of goodness. If someone goes to a temple, praying for safety and peace by burning incense sticks and paying tributes to a deity or a Buddha; but when he comes home, he wrangles with his parents. How can he attain safety and peace? That will bring disasters. Where are the gods? They are in your own home– your parents are the true gods. Treating parents with filial piety and respect is much better than going to the temple to burn incense sticks and pay tributes to deities or buddhas. As I have just said, reciting the Buddha’s name is the most convenient and easiest practice. The only thing is that Amitabha-reciters should not just recite, but also fulfill the whole of human relationships.
Life Should Have a Reliance and a Home
The next section of the Two Ways in Life: Life should have a reliance: the reliance on Amitabha Buddha is real and unshaken; Life should have a home: the home in the Land of Bliss is peaceful and joyful for eternality.
We have mentioned earlier that humans are a “Combination of Five Aggregates”. The Five Aggregates are “form, sensation, perception, mental formation, and consciousness”. “Form” is physical matter composed of earth, water, fire, and wind. Life then includes matter and spirituality. Is there anything that physical life in this world relies on? What is the real and unshaken reliance if the physical life needs one? Amitabha Buddha is our real reliance.
We rely on our juvenile body; but humans cannot be juvenile forever, and will grow older. Humans then rely on their own health. Is that right? Nevertheless, humans cannot keep their health forever, and will get sick. Humans then want to rely on their children and siblings; but they cannot be relied on too. Why? In modern days, children and siblings would leave home for other places, even for a foreign country. They will come back only on festive occasions, or even just during New Year holidays. Some may even not afford to return home and just make a phone call or buy you a gift. When the parents are old, they are sent to elderly homes or care homes. So, children are not a reliance. Besides, aging is our own growing process, which our children cannot take over. Likewise, our sufferings from diseases cannot be taken over by our children too. Then, we will depart for reincarnation in other realms of birth-and-death, and again children cannot take over, no matter how good they are in terms of filial piety. In one day, our wealth will disappear. So, it is not a reliance. Our success, official rank, riches and honour will also fall apart in one day. So, not a reliance too.
The society is also disturbed by natural disasters such as the earthquake in Hualien, landslides, earthquakes, acts of God, typhoons and the likes. So these earthquakes, rockslides, tsunamis, hurricanes, rainstorms, etc. are disturbances of the society and belong to another dimension. There are also human aspects of the society that are distrubed and restless too. Contemporary Taiwan, for instance, is not quite stable in reality. It is the same among countries where the terror of wars can be felt. So we can see that there is nothing in this world we can rely on. It is (The Eight Great Awakenings Sutra) said, “The world is impermanent. Countries are perilous and fragile.” So, nothing can be reliant upon.
Only Amitabha Buddha is real. He will never change; He exists permanently, and is the most solid and strongest that we can rely on. Besides, it is not that we go to rely on Him; but He requests us to rely on Him. Being born implies that death is destined. So, we also need a home (after death). Where then is our permanent home of peace and joy? The Land of Bliss. In the future, do you want to go to the Land of Bliss that is permanent and full of peace and joy? Permanence means one’s life (in that land) exists forever and will not die, not to mention aging and becoming sick, or reincarnation (in the Six Realms). The beings there are young and beautiful forever because the body is as strong as diamond that will not deteriorate. At the same time, they enjoy peace and joy because there is no aging, no sickness, but six kinds of supernatural power, and the Three Illuminations and Six Supernatural Powers [Three Illuminations: illumination of the mortal conditions of self and others in previous lives, illumination of future mortal conditions, and nirvana illumination, i.e. insight into present mortal sufferings so as to overcome all passions or temptations; the Six Supernatural Powers: the power of divine vision, the power of divine hearing, the power of knowledge of previous lives of self and others, the power of knowledge of the minds of all others, the power of unimpeded bodily action, and the power of the extinction of contamination.] They can come and go, moving freely without any obstruction. If they want to come back seeing their loved ones, or go to any places where they can deliver those being suffered for kalpas, such as their parents and siblings, or kins and relatives, they can do it freely, to deliver them according to affinities without any affliction or obstruction.
Therefore, this world is impermanent, and human lives are fragile. After deliberation, we conclude that Amitabha Buddha is the only real and unchanged reliance, just as a saying goes, “The world is false; only the Buddha alone is true”. Eventually we shall leave this world and go somewhere. I would rather go to meet Amitabha Buddha than report to King Yama. To do so, we need to gain rebirth in the Land of Bliss. So, we should have faith in the deliverance of Amitabha Buddha, and recite His Name single-mindedly and exclusively, with the goal of inspiring to gain rebirth in Amitabha’s Pure Land. We don’t go there for an escape or our own enjoyment, but for the wide deliverance of sentient beings of the ten directions. It is because they were our father, mother, brothers and kins in the past kaplas. So, sentient beings of the ten directions are not insignificant others.
Cultivation for Rebirth in the Land of Bliss
To practitioners,
- Do regular cultivational work: without such work, one’s mind cannot settle down, pursuing after the qualities produced by the six senses and merely following one’s inclination
- Be single-minded: if not, one will be engaged in mixed practices, which achieve nothing without a goal. So, practitioners should have a daily routine of cultivation work that is exclusive and not mixed. Without regular works, one’s mind will be floating around, unable to be anchored. So that the mind goes after qualities of the six senses for all days and the merit of practice is limited to one’s inclination. If you have a regular work schedule, you will at least have merits of those practices even if you are busy on that day. At the same time, you must be single-minded and exclusive in practice, otherwise you cannot go deep enough to achieve the merits. With twice the effort, you can only get half the result. Moreover, being non-exclusive, you lack a specific goal.
- According to the Pure Land teaching, goal setting is required, and we have one goal only—the Land of Bliss. However, if we don’t recite the Buddha’s Name single-mindedly, we will be fidgety, and that allows doubts arising in our mind: Have my practices got enough meritorious virtues for rebirth in the Land of Bliss? Have I got enough provisions? Am I assured? Can I attain rebirth? Having these kinds of doubts will end up with failure. Without the goal, one will eventually fail in gaining rebirth. So, in the practice of Pure Land Buddhism, one has to be single-minded for rebirth in the Land of Bliss.
- Exclusive recitation of Amitabha Buddha’s Name: There should be cultivation work everyday, and among the Buddhists it means the morning and the evening works. We begin a day by reciting the Buddha’s Name as our cultivation, before thinking of any plan for that day. This is the morning cultivation. We also do the work again before going to bed to conclude the day. Other than the morning and evening works, there are also works at breakfast and lunch. Besides, burning incense sticks can be added to the morning work or in the middle of the day. In other words, cultivation and daily living are integrated together, not separated. There is also drumming (in monasteries) for calling people to do the morning or evening cultivational works, although its meaning may vary according to different sects.
- Do believe in karma-reward/retribution: people not believing in karma-reward/retribution will not cast aside evil and perform the good.
- Keep thinking about impermanence: people not thinking of impermanence will not cultivate promptly.
If people don’t believe in “good deeds get good reward and evil deeds get retribution” will not cast aside evil and perform the good, will not “do no evil, and practice all wholesome deeds”, will not accumulate meritorious merits, and will not seek emancipation.
So we have to keep thinking about impermanence; if not, one will not cultivate promptly and procrastinate day after day. “I still have tomorrows. I’m so busy. How can I find time for cultivation?” So, not having the idea of impermanence, one will not allocate time for cultivation. With a deeper sense of impermanence, one will have more time for cultivation. It is because he knows the possibility of not being able to come back after leaving home, or not getting up tomorrow after lying down for sleeping. So, he loses no time in cultivation. Therefore, the Buddha said that an honest cultivator (What does an honest cultivator look like? ) is a person who has a solid view on impermanence. We Amitabha reciters believe in karma-reward and retribution, and we are prepared for dying and rebirth, so-called “rebirth assured in the present lifetime”. So, no matter when impermanence (death) comes, early or late, we are well prepared for this big event in life–rebirth. So, there are two ways in life and we should think about this seriously.
II. Two Dharma Doors in Buddhism
Shakyamuni Buddha has two different teachings: the Sagely Way and the Pure Land.
The contents of this section–the differences of the two teachings or two dharma doors–are abstract of an article “Explications of the Infinite Life Sutra” written by Master Honen (1133-1212). It can be found in the book “Complete Works of Master Honen” (p. 124-5). This article was personally written by Master Honen in Chinese. Master Honen is a Japanese, a prominent monastic who lived in Japan eight hundred years ago. He established the Pure Land sect in Japan and was venerated by people of that time as an incarnation of Bodhisattva Mahasthamaprapta. His wisdom is highly regarded as similar to that of Bodhisattvas Manjusri, and people called him as an incarnation of Manjusri, an outstanding person.
Ages of the Dharma
Let us read his works and learn how he told us. He said in the article:
The Three Vehicles or the Four Vehicles are sagely ways. As the Age of Correct Dharma and the Age of Semblance Dharma have passed, while the Age of Dharma Decline is yet to come, there is no practice nor enlightenment, even though the teachings are available.
Master Honen, Explications of the Infinite Life Sutra
The Three Vehicles are the Vehicle of Sravakas, the Vehicle of Pratyekabuddhas, and the Vehicle of Bodhisattvas. Adding the Vehicle of Buddhas, there are four vehicles. These three or four vehicles cover both Mahayana and Hinayana (Theravada). All these dharma are taught by the Great Sage Shakyamuni Buddha, and therefore called the Sagely Way (or sacred path). If analyzed further, these teachings can be classified as the schools of the Sagely Way and the school of Pure Land . The Sagely Way Schools is defined as cultivation in this Saha world with one’s own power, and becoming a buddha after many lives and after the three great asamkhyeya-kalpas. Another one is relying on Amitabha Buddha’s power, to be reborn in the Land of Bliss in this life and rapidly achieve buddhahood in the Land of Bliss. So, there are two dharma doors.
Both schools have three stages, i.e. the three Ages of Buddhist Dharma. The three periods of time are: the Age of Correct Dharma, the Age of Semblance Dharm, and the Age of Dharma Decline. The first two periods have passed, and we are now in the middle of the Age of Dharma Decline, in which the principles of the teachings and the sutras do exist. At the same time, there are also speakers who expound the dharma, but no one really practices the dharma, not to mention the enlightened.
This assertion can be seen in the Circulation section of the Infinite Life Sutra, which states that “In the future, the Buddhist scriptures and teachings will perish. But, out of pity and compassion, I will especially preserve this sutra and maintain it in this world for a hundred years”. In other words, in the future–which refers to ten thousand years later after the Age of Dharma Decline, all the Buddhist scriptures and teachings–twelve divisions of the Tripitaka–will perish. That’s the three periods of time: the Age of Correct Dharma, the Age of Semblance Dharm, and the Age of Dharma Decline.
The Dharma Perishment Sutra said that the Surangama Sutra and the Pratyutpanna Samādhi Sutra would disappear first, and the twelve divisions of the sutras will also disappear soon after. This means that when the dharma declines,it will start with the Surangama Sutra and the Pratyutpanna Samādhi Sutra, of which the theories are more profound and the practices are more difficult. After that, the twelve divisions will also gradually disappear. Master Huiyuan (334-416) of the Sui Dynasty said in the Commentary on the Meaning of the Infinite Life Sutra that the (Age of) Correct Dharma of Shakyamuni had 500 years, the (Age of) Semblance Dharma a thousand years, and the Age of Dharma Decline ten thousand years. For perishment, it means everything has passed away. In other words, the dharma expounded by Shakyamuni Buddha can be divided into three: the correct dharma, the semblance dharma and the declining dharma.
The Age of Correct Dharma has 500 years, after which comes the Age of Semblance Dharma that lasts for a thousand years. When that thousand years pass, we enter the Age of Declining Dharma, which will last ten thousands years. So, we are now 2,600 years apart from Shakyamuni Buddha; some say around 3,000 years. No matter which number, we have already entered into the Age of Declining Dharma for about a thousand years. In about 9,000 years’ time, the Age of Declining Dharma will also go away. That period of time is called the Age of Dharma Extinction, and all scriptures and teachings will become extinct gradually one by one. (Repeated sentence, not translated)
By that time, the so-called three jewels of the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha will no longer exist. Without the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha, people will not know about good and evil, rewards and retributions, karma of the Three Time Frames, nor reincarnation within the Six Realms. Nevertheless, Shakyamuni Buddha said that due to his pity and compassion for sentient beings, he will use his will power to reserve the Infinite Life Sutra–that means to reserve Amitabha Buddha’s Name–in the Age of Dharma Extinction, so that the Name keeps existing for people of that time, and they can easily recite the Buddha’s Name, easily get emancipation, and easily be reborn in the Land of Bliss. It is because in that age the Dharma will have perished. It also implies that the aptitude of people in that age is relatively poor, and the social atmosphere of that age is unkind, not pure and lacks honesty, which will make it difficult for people to learn and practice other teachings. What can they do then? At least, Shakyamuni Buddha has left behind this great Name of ten thousand meritorious virtues for people to recite easily, to practice easily and to attain rebirth easily.
Teachings and Practices in the Age of Dharma Decline
Master Kuiji (632-682) of the Tang Dynasty, a great master of the Ce’en School, wrote a book named Profound Panegyric to the Lotus Sūtra. In Part 5, he said:
Correct Dharma is full of teaching, practice and its realization
Semblance Dharma only has teaching and practice; but no realization
Dharma Decline only has teaching; but no practice and realization
The teaching, practice and its realization mentioned here are the main principles of Buddhist Dharma.
Talking about the 500 years of Correct Dharma, there were teaching, practice, and realization. All these were present in full. In other words, in that age, there were people who expounded the dharma, as well as people who practiced in accordance with the teachings. At the same time, there were people who realized enlightenment due to their practices. Moreover, in the Age of Correct Dharma, there were many such instances, many teachings, practices and realizations. During the 1,000 years of Semblance Dharma, there were merely teachings and practices. In other words, in that age, there were scriptures and teachings, also many people who expounded the dharmas and practiced, plentiful; but there were very few people who realized enlightenment, very little. In the ten thousand years of Dharma Decline, only the teachings remain in the world, neither the practitioner, nor the enlightened one exist. That was told by Master Kuiji of the Tang Dynasty.
Master Kuiji was a distinguished student of Master Xuanzang (602-664) and established the Ci’en School together with Master Xuanzang. Master Kuiji was a contemporary of the Emperor Gaozong of Tang (628-683) and became a monastic with his royal member identity. Being one of the best among the elites, he was renowned for his knowledge, his brain, and his practice. The time he lived in has already entered the Age of Dharma Decline. Even being a prominent monastic, he exclaimed that this Age of Dharma Decline only had teaching, no practice, and no realization. In other words, there was no real practitioner. That means even if there were people who really wanted to practice, they didn’t have the power or abilities to do it. In such circumstances, no wonder there was no realization of enlightenment. So, teaching, practice and realization are the main principles, outlines of the Buddhist Dharma. In the Age of Correct Dharma, no matter which dharma door the practitioners followed, there were people who realized enlightenment. For now, we find none.
Therefore, in this decadent world, it is very difficult to have a person who has sought for eradicating delusions and realizing the truth, and obtains the fruit of becoming an arhat. Then, how can sentient beings in the world of degeneration leave the chain of birth and death?
Master Honen, Explications of the Infinite Life Sutra
That being the case, how could we sentient beings living in this Unwholesome World of Five Turbidities leave the Six Realms of Birth and Death?
Anyhow, the dharma door for rebirth in the Pure Land is different. Although not having eradicated ignorance and afflictions yet, one can still attain rebirth in the Pure Land by relying on the vow-power of Amitabha Buddha, rising above the Three Domains and forever departing from the chain of birth and death. There are many records of such incidents in annals and biographies.
Master Honen (continued)
This is to say that this dharma door for rebirth in the Pure Land is relevant to us, unwholesome and impure ordinary beings who have yet to eradicate ignorance and not subjugated afflictions. Relying on Amitabha Buddha’s power of vow, we can attain rebirth in the Pure Land too. Once reborn in the Pure Land, one can rise over the Three Domains and the Six Realms of Birth and Death, and forever leave the cycle of life and death. So, there were many records of such kinds of incidents since antiquity, which can be verified. These are not empty words.
So, we know: The teaching of attaining rebirth in the Pure Land is the dharma door that helps those who have yet to eradicate delusions to leave the Three Domains. To exit the cycle of endless reincarnations in the Age of Dharma Decline, one can be reborn in no proper place other than the Pure Land. Therefore, those who want to quickly leave the demonic world of the Five Turbidites and transcend the sufferings of the two kinds of death and rebirth should take refuge in the Pure Land Door.
Master Honen (Continued)
So, we better leave this unwholesome World of Five Turbidities as soon as possible. The so-called the World of Five Turbidities is exactly the demonic realm being ruled by the King of the Sixth Heaven. The two rebirths in the phrase “transcend the sufferings of the two kinds of death and rebirth” refer to two kinds of rebirth: one is the fragmentary rebirth that continues within the Six Realms of birth and death; another is the transformational rebirth that takes place between departure from the six realms of reincarnations and achievement of buddhahood.
Transformational rebirth is totally different from fragmentary rebirth, which is reincarnation in the six realms and painful by itself. In transformational rebirth, he doesn’t suffer from the pain entailed in the reincarnation in the six realms. What he has is a sublimation of switching realms. That switch is equivalent to repeated deaths and births. The pain he experiences is just a psychological hassle; he doesn’t suffer from any physical pain, nor pain entailed in the reincarnation in the six realms. So, if people wish to leave these two kinds of rebirth, they all should take refuge in the Pure Land Door, so that they can fully achieve what they want.
“Cutting Off the Five Wretched Realms”:The Immediate Teaching
Master Honen quotes the words of Master Daochuo (562-645) written in Section Seven, Collection on the Land of Peace and Joy (page 434 in Collection of the Sagely Teachings of the Pure Land School [Chinese version] ). He said, “Therefore, Master Daochuo explains the text ‘Cutting off the five wretched realms…’ of this sutra”. He mentioned “this sutra” because this text is taken from a paragraph that explains the Infinite Life Sutra. Therefore, he said “explain… this sutra”.
The text on cutting off the five wretched realms is a very important gatha (verse) to our Pure Land Dharma Door. It is precise and concise too. The full verse can be seen on page 105 of the Collection of the Sagely Teachings of the Pure Land School. It contains eight lines and forty Chinese characters in total:
Strive to escape from Samsara and be reborn in the Land of Peace and Provision. Then, the causes of the five realms having been destroyed, they will naturally cease to be, and so you will progress unhindered in your pursuit of the Way. The Pure Land is easy to reach, but very few actually go there. It rejects nobody, but naturally and unfailingly attracts beings.
Infinite Life Sutra (as translated by Hisao Inagaki in his works The Three Pure Land Sutras, page 282)
Note: as Inagaki’s version does not match Master Huijing’s word by word explanation of the gatha, another version that closes to the Chinese text is drafted as follows:
Certainly assured to transcend, break off, go away, and
Be reborn in the Land of Peace and Joy.
Cut across the five wretched realms,
They will naturally cease to be.
Ascend the Way to supreme Enlightenment.
Easy to reach but very few actually follow.
The Land sets no barrier to fail beings, but
Pulls them there naturally.
Section Seven of (Master Daochuo’s) Collection on the Land of Peace and Joy uses this gatha to explain that rebirth in the Land of Bliss requires less efforts but rewarded with high merits of practices. Other teachings require great efforts but the results achieved are not true; it’s false. Following the Pure Land teachings, we put very little effort, but what we get are true, emancipatory. Master Daochuo therefore cited this gatha from the Infinite Sutra for explication. I’ll elaborate a little on this gatha.
“Certainly assured to transcend, break off, go away, and be reborn in the Land of Peace and Joy”. The word “certainly” here means inevitably, also naturally. In other words, so long as we exclusively recite the name of Amitabha Buddha and aspire to be reborn in Amitabha’s Pure Land, we are bound to be reborn in the Land of Bliss with a hundred percent. Besides, this is a spontaneous and natural incident. Artificial efforts or meritorious actions are not required because it is natural. You cannot force it to happen; your efforts are unnecessary. Additional meritorious practices are also unnecessary. By nature, it is impossible for you to dismiss it or reject it.
There are several kinds of nature (or the self-existent):
- Let’s say, the nature of the universe. When spring passes, summer comes. Sun rises in the morning and sets in the evening. They follow their own course. Who is doing the work, or pushing it, and accomplishing it? None. It just happens spontaneously. These are natural phenomena of the universe.
- Another is the nature of karma. Our practice of good deeds will be rewarded with happiness; evil deeds be retributed with sufferings. With accumulated virtues of good deeds, our next life will be human or devas beings. So, repeated evil deeds will eventually lead to incarnation in the Three Wretched Realms. It is also natural. If you don’t want to accept the responsibility of what you have done, i.e. having made a cause but denying the effect, that is impossible, because the karma comes spontaneously. You may ask, who is directing the course? Is God taking the lead? or, is it the verdict pronounced by a judge? or is it the judgment made by King Yama according to his criminal laws? None of those. It is our karma. Once you have made such an incident, it will not disappear, but remain existing in the universe. There is an invisible energy that will produce such an effect. That is the nature of karma.
- The next is the nature of vow-power. This vow power refers not to the desire or vow of us sentient beings, but the Vow of Amitabha Buddha. The karmic power of Amitabha’s Great Vow causes people who have faith in and recite His Name to be reborn in the Land of Bliss spontaneously. That is the meaning of “certainly”.
For “assured”, it means going to attain. For now, we have not yet reached the end of our lives, not yet attained rebirth in the Land of Bliss, and our physical bodies still exist in this world; but we have already possessed, obtained, and received (the new life) in advance. That is the meaning of “assured”.
“Transcend” means to surpass, to exceed crosswise. “Break off” means to separate and leave. Then, where are the verbs “transcend, break off, and go away” referring to? To transcend and break off from the Saha world; to transcend and break off from the Six Realms of bitter sea, to transcend and break off from Samsara, as well as to depart from the wheel of rebirth and go away. Certainly assured to transcend, break off and go away. So, this transcendence indicates that it is done with the power of Amithba Budddha.
“Reborn in the Land of Peace and Joy“: the Land of Peace and Joy is another name for the Land of Bliss.
“Cut across the five wretched realms” (in Chinese lit., across cut the five bad trends): The word “across” (crosswise) means lateral exit, in contrast to leaving lengthwise (i.e. upright ). So, to exceed crosswise manifests the power of Amitabha Buddha, not our power. Our power is self-power, exercised step-by-step. If we rely on Amitabha’s power, we can skip all those steps, and exceed immediately: exceed the time, exceed the stages, and exceed the realms. It is a short-cut. This indicates that it depends not on our power; it does not need our power too. At the same time, it also shows that we don’t have that power. All the power is Amitabha Buddha’s. Cut laterally: cut means cut across or sever. Cutting off the five wretched realms means cutting off incarnation in the six realms.
Master Daochuo explained this five wretched realms in his Collection on the Land of Peace and Joy, “If one practice according to this method to cut, he should first eliminate the delusions of views, separate from the causes leading to the Three Paths, and eliminate the effects of the Three Paths of the six realms.” That is to say, if we rely on our own power to practice in the Saha world, we have to eradicate our delusions, our afflictions before being able to leave the causes leading to the Three Paths of the hells, hungry ghosts, and animals. After leaving the cause, and never accepting it again, one can stay forever in the human and celestial realms. “After that, eliminating the delusions of views, one can leave the human and celestial causes, terminate the karmic consequences in human and celestial realms. This gradual eradication is not called ‘cut across’. ”
This gradual eradication relies on the practitioner’s own power, having to take many steps and undergo many lives. The five wretched realms actually refer to the Six Realms, i.e. the hells, hungry ghosts, animals, as well as humans, asuras and celestial beings. If asuras are grouped under celestial beings, or humans, or animals, then there are Five Realms. Therefore, the number of realms varies in different contexts. No matter if it is five or six, there are good and evil, as well as suffering and happiness in this world. Evil is the three wretched realms, and good is the celestial, asura and human realms.
However, in comparison with the Land of Bliss, the six realms (or the five realms) are no longer good. All are wretched or evil. Why? The Three Wretched Realms, of course, are definitely evil, do evil, and degenerate. Human beings and celestial beings, on the other hand, practice assorted karmas that have both good and evil. Their good deeds are mixed with evil, containing delusions, and hence not pure good karma, not pure white karma. He is still having delusions in his mind, has not left the Six Paths, and will reincarnate within the Six Realms. The celestial life has a longer lifespan, and greater bliss and joy; but at the end of life, he will degenerate according to the past karma and incarnate in the six realms. Therefore, his karma is not a white karma, and the realm he has attained is not perfect enlightenment. So, in comparison with the Land of Bliss, he can be seen as wretched. That is why the verse says “the five wretched realms, or evil paths”. If the person attains rebirth in the Land of Bliss, he departs from the five realms of the Saha world immediately, so the verse says “cut across”. “Cut across the five wretched realms” means cutting the effects. By doing so, “the wretched realms close spontaneously”–closing the causes.
Both the Tiantai school and the Shingon (esoteric) school are named as sudden or immediate teachings; but their ways to eliminate delusions and to attain enlightenment are still gradual teaching.
Master Honen, Explications of the Infinite Life Sutra
The schools of Tiantai, Huayan, Sanlun, Weishi, Esoteric and Chan are usually classified as immediate teachings in terms of fundamental principles. However, to people with ordinary aptitude and practice like us, we may understand the principles immediately, but still have to subdue our delusions gradually until they are finally eliminated. Our delusions will not be eliminated once we apprehend the principles instantly. It’s not like that. Elimination of delusions is really hard. According to the scriptures, it is just like to dam a river of 40 li with our own body, which is an impossible task.
As it happened, this teaching provides guidance for ordinary beings who are still entangled by delusions to leave the dark night of the Three Realms (of desire, form, and non-form)。 This teaching’ refers to the Pure Land Dharma Door. So this teaching is the best among all the immediate teachings.
Master Honen (Continued)
Only this Pure Land teaching provides both fundamental principles and practices that conform to the immediate schools. It does not depend on our own root of wisdom, nor our own power of practice; but depends on Amitabha Buddha. So long as we recite the Name of Amitabha Buddha, no matter how high or low our fundamental ability is, we can in this lifetime attain rebirth in the Land of Bliss and eliminate incarnation in the Six Realms.
(This talk was given by Master Huijing on the first day of Chinese New Year in 2018 at Hongyuan Amitabha-Recitation Association in Taipei.) Click here to view the full video recording in Chinese on YouTube. An abridged version is also available here.