Friday 28 December 2012

Shurangama Sutra (Chapter 7)
[Chinese: 大佛頂如來密因修證了義諸菩薩萬行首楞嚴經 (Da foding rulai miyin xiuzheng liaoyi zhupusa wanxing shoulengyan jing)],

(The full title:)
Sutra of the Foremost Shurangama at the Crown of the Great Buddha; and of All the Bodhisattvas' Myriad Practices for Cultivating and Certifying to the Complete Meaning of the Tathagata's Secret Cause.

(Taisho Tripitaka 0945)
Translated during the Tang Dynasty by Shramana Paramiti from central India.
(Translated into English by the Buddhist Text Translation Society)
(Revised according to the original Chinese sutra)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Chapter 7

"Ananda, you asked about collecting one's thoughts; I have now begun to explain the wonderful method of cultivation for entrance into Samadhi in order to seek the Bodhisattva Way. First one must be as pure as glistening frost in keeping these four rules of deportment. One must refrain from all superfluous behavior and then the three evils of the mind and the four of the mouth will have no cause to come forth. Ananda, if one does not neglect these four matters, and, further, does not pursue forms, fragrances, tastes, objects of touch, and the like, then how can any demonic deeds arise?

"If people cannot put an end to their habits from the past, you should teach them to singlemindedly recite my Light Atop the Buddha's Crown Unsurpassed Holy Mantra: Maha-Sitata-Patra. It is the None-Can-See-The-Top Hallmark atop the crown of the Tathagatas' heads. It is the mantra-heart proclaimed by the Buddhas of the Unconditioned Mind who come forth from the crowns in a blaze of light and sit upon jeweled lotus flowers.

"What is more, your past lives with Matangi's daughter have created accumulated eons of causes and conditions. Your habits of fondness and emotional love go back not just one life, nor even just one eon. Yet, as soon as I proclaimed it, she was freed forever from the love in her heart and accomplished Arhatship. Even that prostitute, who had no intention of cultivating, was imperceptibly aided by that spiritual power and was swiftly certified to the position beyond study; then what about you Hearers in the assembly, who seek the most supreme Vehicle and are resolved to realize Buddhahood? For you it should be as easy as tossing dust into a favorable wind. What, then, is the problem?

"Those in the final age who wish to sit in a Way-place must first hold the pure precepts of a Bhikshu. To do so, they must find as their teacher a foremost Shramana who is pure in the precepts. If they do not encounter a member of the Sangha who is truly pure, then it is absolutely certain that their deportment in precepts and rules cannot be accomplished. Having kept the precepts well, they should put on fresh, clean clothes, light incense in a place where they are alone, and recite this holy mantra spoken by the Heart-Buddha 108 times. After that, they should secure the boundaries and establish the Way-place.

"Then they should beseech the unsurpassed Tathagatas abiding in their lands throughout the ten directions to emit a light of great compassion that anoints the crowns of the cultivators' heads.

"Ananda, when any such pure Bhikshus, Bhikshunis, or white-robed donors in the Dharma ending Age who can get rid of greed and lust even at the mental level, hold the Buddhas' pure precepts, and in a Way-place make the vows of a Bodhisattva and can bathe upon entering and exiting each time, continuing that practice of the Way day and night for three weeks without sleep, I will appear before these people in a physical form and rub the crowns of their heads to comfort them and enable them to become enlightened."

Ananda said to the Buddha, "Bhagavan, enveloped in the Tathagata's unsurpassed, compassionate instruction, my mind has already gained an awakening, and I know how to cultivate and be certified to the Way beyond study. But how do those who cultivate in the final age and want to establish a Way-place, secure the boundaries in accord with the rules of purity of the Buddhas, Bhagavans?"

The Buddha said to Ananda, "If there are people in the Dharma-ending age who wish to establish a Way-place, they should first find a powerful white cow in the snowy mountains, one which eats the lush and fertile sweet-smelling grasses of the mountains. Since such a cow also drinks only the pure water of the snowy mountains, its dung will be very fine. They can take that cow dung, mix it with chandana, and plaster the ground with it. If not from the snowy mountains, the cow dung will smell bad and cannot be used to smear on the ground. In that case, select a level place, dig down five feet or so, and use that yellow earth. Mix it with chandana incense, 'sinking-in-water' incense, jasmine incense, continuously permeating incense, tulip incense, white paste incense, green wood incense, fragrant mound incense, sweet pine incense, and 'chicken-tongue' incense. Grind these ten ingredients to a fine powder, make a paste, and smear it on the ground of the platform. The area should be sixteen feet wide and octagonal in shape."

"In the center of the platform, place a lotus flower made of gold, silver, copper, or wood. In the middle of the flower set a bowl filled with dew collected in the eighth lunar month. Float an abundance of flower petals on the water. Arrange eight circular mirrors at measured intervals around the flower and the bowl. Outside the mirrors place sixteeen lotus flowers and sixteencensers, so that the incense-burners are adorned and arranged between the flowers. Burn only sinking-in-water incense, lighting it with an ember, not an open flame."

"Place the milk of a white cow in sixteen vessels, along with cakes made with the same kind of milk, granulated sugar, oil cakes, milk porridge, turushka, honeyed ginger, clarified butter, and filtered honey. These sixteen are set around the outside of the sixteen flowers as an offering to the Buddhas and great Bodhisattvas."

"At every mealtime and at midnight, prepare a half-pint of honey and three tenths of a pint of clarified butter. Set up a small incense burner in front of the platform. Decoct the fragrant liquid from the turushka incense and use it to cleanse the coals. Light them so that blaze bursts forth, and toss the clarified butter and honey into the flaming censer. Let it burn until the smoke disappears, and present it to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas."

"Drape flags and flower garlands on the four outer walls, and within the room where the platform is located, arrange images of the Tathagatas and Bodhisattvas of the ten directions on the four walls."

"In the most prominent place, display images of Vairocana Buddha, Shakyamuni Buddha, Maitreya Bodhisattva, Akshobhya Buddha, Amitabha Buddha, and all the magnificent transformations of Avalokitesvara(Contemplator of the World's Sounds) Bodhisattva. To the left and right, place the Vajra-Treasury Bodhisattvas. Beside them display the Lords Shakra and Brahma, Ucchushma, and the Blue Dirgha, as well as Kundalin and Bhrukuti and all four Heavenly Kings, with Vinayaka to the left and right of the door."

"Then suspend eight mirrors in the space around the platform so that they are exactly opposite the mirrors on the platform. This will allow the reflections in them to interpenetrate infinitely."

"During the first seven days, bow sincerely to the names of the Tathagatas of the ten directions, the great Bodhisattvas, and the names of the Arhats. Throughout the six periods of the day and night, continually recite the mantra while circumambulating the platform. Practice the Way with a sincere mind, reciting the mantra one hundred and eight times in each session."

"During the second week, make the vows of a Bodhisattva with unwavering ceaseless intent. In my Vinaya, I have already taught about vows."

"During the third week, hold the Buddha's Patra mantra for twelve hours at a time with a single intent; and on the seventh day, the Tathagatas of the ten directions will appear simultaneously. Their light will inter-reflect in the mirrors, illumining the entire area; and they will rub the crowns of the practitioners' heads."

"Cultivating Samadhi like this in a Way-place, even in the Dharma-ending age one can study and practice until one's body and mind are as pure and clear as Vaidurya. Ananda, if any one of the Bhikshu's precept-transmitting masters or any one of ten Bhikshus in the same assembly is not pure, the Way-place as described will not be successful."

"After three weeks, sit upright and still for a hundred days. Those with sharp roots will not arise from their seats and will become Shrotaapannas. Although their bodies and minds have not yet attained the ultimate fruition of sagehood, they know for certain, beyond question, that they will eventually realize Buddhahood. You have asked how the Way-place is established. That is the way it is done."

Ananda bowed at the Buddha's feet and said, "After I left the home life, I relied on the Buddha's affectionate regard. Because I sought erudition, I still have not been certified to the unconditioned. When I encountered that Brahma Heaven Mantra, I was captured by the deviant spell; though my mind was aware, I had no strength to free myself. I had to rely on Manjushri Bodhisattva to liberate me. Although I was blessed by the Tathagata's holy mantra of the Buddha's crown and imperceptibly received its strength, I still have not heard it myself. I only hope that the Greatly Compassionate One will proclaim it again to kindly rescue all the cultivators in this assembly and those of the future in the paths of rebirth, so that they may become liberated in body and mind by relying on the Buddha's secret sounds."

(Shurangama Mantra:)

At that moment, everyone in the congregation bowed as one and stood waiting to hear the Tathagata's secret phrases. At that time, hundreds of sacrosanct light welled forth from the flesh-mound(usnisa) at the crown of the Bhagavan's head. A thousand-petaled precious lotus then welled forth from amidst those rays. Upon the precious flowers sat a nirmana(miraculously created) Tathagata. From the crown of his head ten beams of light radiated forth, each ray is composed of hundreds of treasure-rays. In each of those glowing rays, there were 10 ganges-river-sands Vajra-Secret-Trace-deities each holding aloft a mountain and wielding a pestle, occuping the whole universe.

(* ganges-river-sands: a measure of quantity, means "as many as sands in ganges-river")

The great assembly, gazing upward, felt fearful admiration and sought the Buddha's kind protection. Single-mindedly they listened to the holy Mantra that proclaimed by the Tathagata in the gloriously radiant light of the None-Can-See-The-Top Hallmark of the Buddha:

(* None-Can-See-The-Top Hallmark -- "usnisa-siraskata" in Sanskrit, the crown of Buddha. because it's too high and sacrosanct, no one can see its top.)

(Part I)

namo satata sugataya arhate samyak-sambuddhasya (1)
satata buddha koti usnisam (2)
namo sarva buddha bodhisattve-bhyah (3)
namo saptanam samyak-sambuddha koti-nam (4)
sa sravaka samgha-nam (5)
namo loke arhata-nam (6)
namo srota-apanna-nam (7)
namo sakrdagami-nam (8)
namo loke samyak-gata-nam (9)
samyak-prati-panna-nam (10)
namo deva-rsi-nam (11)
namo siddhya-vidya-dhara-rsi-nam (12)
sapa-anu graha-saha-samartha-nam (13)
namo brahma-ne (14)
namo indra-ya (15)
namo Bhagavate rudra-ya uma-pati saheyaya (16)
namo Bhagavate narayana-ya panca maha-mudra (17)
namas-krtaya (18)
namo Bhagavate maha-kala-ya (19)
tripura-nagara (20)
vidra-pana-karaya (21)
adhi-mukti (22)
smasana-nivasini (23)
matr-gana (24)
namas-krtaya (25)
namo Bhagavate tathagata kulaya (26)
namo padma kulaya (27)
namo vajra kulaya (28)
namo mani kulaya (29)
namo gaja kulaya (30)
namo Bhagavate drdha-sura-sena pra-harana-rajaya (31)
tathagata-ya (32)
namo Bhagavate amitabha-ya (33)
tathagata-ya arhate samyak-sambuddha-ya (34)
namo Bhagavate aksobhya-ya (35)
tathagata-ya arhate samyak-sambuddha-ya (36)
namo Bhagavate bhaisajya-guru vaidurya prabha raja-ya (37)
tathagata-ya arhate samyak-sambuddha-ya (38)
namo Bhagavate sam-puspita salendra raja-ya (39)
tathagata-ya arhate samyak-sambuddha-ya (40)
namo Bhagavate sakyamuni-ye (41)
tathagata-ya arhate samyak-sambuddha-ya (42)
namo Bhagavate ratna ketu raja-ya (43)
tathagata-ya arhate samyak-sambuddha-ya (44)
tebhyo namas-krtva idam Bhagavanas tathagata usnisam (45)
sitata-patram (46)
namo apa-rajitam prati-yangiram (47)
sarva bhuta graha nigrahaka kara-hani (48)
para vidya chedanim (49)
akala mri-tyu pari traya-na kari (50)
sarva bandhana moksani (51)
sarva dusza duh-svapna nivarani (52)
catura-sitinam graha saha-sranam vidhvam-sana kari (53)
asza vimsatinam naksa-tranam pra-sadana kari (54)
aszanam maha-graha-nam vi-dhvam-sana kari (55)
sarva satru nivaranam (56)
ghoram duh-sva-pnam ca nasani (57)
visa, sastra, agni, udaka, ranam (58)
apara-jita ghora maha-bala canda, maha-dipta maha-teja (59)
maha-sveta-jvala maha-bala pandara-vasini arya-tara (60)
bhri-kuzi ce va vijaya vajra-maletih (61)
vi-sruta padmakah vajra-jihvah ca mala ce va aparajita vajra-dandah (62)
visala ca santa, sveteva pujita sauma-rupah, maha-sveta arya-tara (63)
maha-bala apara vajra-samkala ce va vajra-kaumari kulam-dhari (64)
vajra-hasta ca vidya (65)
kan-cana mallikah kusum-bhaka ratna (66)
vairocana kuliya-ya artha usnisa (67)
vi-jrmbha mani ca vajra-kanaka prabha-locana (68)
vajra-tundi ca sveta ca kamala-ksah siasi-prabha (69)
ity-iti mudra ganah sarve raksam kurvantu iman mama asya (70)

(Part II)

Om rsi-gana pra-sastas tathagata usnisa (71)
hum trum jambhana (72)
hum trum stambhana (73)
hum trum para-vidya sam-bhaksana kara (74)
hum trum sarva dusza-nam stambhana kara (75)
hum trum sarva yaksa raksasa grahanam vi-dhvam-sana kara (76)
hum trum catura-siti-nam graha saha-sra-nam vi-dhvam-sana kara (77)
hum trum asza-vimsati-nam naksatra-nam pra-sadana kara (78)
hum trum asza-nam maha-graha-nam vi-dhvam-sana kara (79)
hum trum raksa raksa mam (80)
bhagavans tathagata usnisa (81)
praty-angire maha-sahasra bhuje sahasra-sirse koti-siata sahasra netre (82)
abhede jvalita-zazaka maha-vajrodara tri-bhuvana mandala (83)
Om svastir bhavatu mama iman mama-sya (84)

(Part III)

raja-bhayah cora-bhayah agni-bhayah udaka-bhayah visa-bhayah siastra-bhayah (85)
para-cakra-bhayah dur-bhiksa-bhayah asiani-bhayah akala-mrityu-bhayah (86)
dharani bhumi kampaka pata-bhayah ulaka-pata-bhayah raja-danda-bhayah (87)
naga-bhayah vidyud-bhayah suparna-bhayah (88)
yaksa-grahah raksasi-grahah preta-grahah pisaca-grahah bhuta-grahah (89)
kumbhanda-grahah putana-grahah kaza-putana-grahah (90)
skanda-grahah apa-smara-grahah unmada-grahah chaya-grahah revati-grahah (91)
jata-a-harinam garbha-a-harinam rudhira-a-harinam mamsa-a-harinam (92)
medha-a-harinam majja-a-harinam jata-a-harinim jivita-a-harinam pita-a-harinam (93)
vanta-a-harinam asucya-a-harinim citta-a-harinim (94)
te-sam sarve-sam sarva-graha-nam vidyam chedayami kilayami (95)
pari-vrajaka kritam vidyam chedayami kilayami (96)
dakini-kritam vidyam chedayami kilayami (97)
maha-pasupati rudra-kritam vidyam chedayami kilayami (98)
narayana-kritam vidyam chedayami kilayami (99)
tattva-garuda kritam vidyam chedayami kilayami (100)
maha-kala-matri gana-kritam vidyam chedayami kilayami (101)
kapalika kritam vidyam chedayami kilayami (102)
jaya-kara madhu-kara sarva artha sadhaka kritam vidyam chedayami kilayami (103)
catur-bhagini kritam vidyam chedayami kilayami (104)
bhri-ngi-rizi nandike-svara gana-pati sahaya kritam vidyam chedayami kilayami (105)
nagna-sramana kritam vidyam chedayami kilayami (106)
arhanta kritam vidyam chedayami kilayami (107)
vita-raga kritam vidyam chedayami kilayami (108)
vajra-pani guhya guhya-kadhi-pati kritam vidyam chedayami kilayami (109)
raksa mam Bhagavan iman mama-sya (110)

(Part IV)

Bhagavans tathagata usnisa sitata-patra namo-stute (111)
asita na-la-rka prabha sphuza vi-kas sitata-patre (112)
jvala jvala, dara dara, bhidara bhidara, chida chida (113)
hum hum phat phat phat phat phat svaha hehe phat (114)
amogha-ya phat apratihata phat (115)
vara-prada phat ssura-vidrapaka phat (116)
sarva deve-bhyah phat, sarva nage-bhyah phat (117)
sarva yakse-bhyah phat, sarva gandharve-bhyah phat (118)
sarva asure-bhyah phat, sarva garude-bhyah phat (119)
sarva kimnare-bhyah phat, sarva mahorage-bhyah phat (120)
sarva raksase-bhyah phat, sarva bhute-bhyah phat (121)
sarva pisace-bhyah phat, sarva kumbhande-bhyah phat (122)
sarva manusye-bhyah phat, sarva amanusye-bhyah phat (123)
sarva putane-bhyah phat, sarva kaza-putane-bhyah phat (124)
sarva dur-langhite-bhyah phat, sarva dus-preksite-bhyah phat (125)
sarva jvare-bhyah phat, sarva apasmare-bhyah phat (126)
sarva sramane-bhyah phat, sarva tiri-thike-bhyah phat (127)
sarva utmadake-bhyah phat, sarva vidya raja-carye-bhyah phat (128)
jaya kara madhu kara sarva artha sadhake-bhyah phat (129)
vidya acarye-bhyah phat, catur-bhagini-bhyah phat (130)
vajra kaumari kulam dhari vidya raje-bhyah phat, maha praty-angire-bhyah phat (131)
vajra samkara-ya praty-angira rajaya phat (132)
maha-kala-ya maha-matri-gana namas-kritaya phat (133)
visnavi-ye phat, brahmani-ye phat (134)
agni-ye phat, maha-kali-ye phat (135)
kala-dandi-ye phat, indra-ye phat, matre-ye phat (136)
raudri-ye phat, camundi-ye phat (137)
kala-ratri-ye phat, kapali-ye phat (138)
adhi-muktaka smasana vasiniye phat (139)
ye-ke-citta, sattva-asya mama iman mama-asya (140)

(Part V)

dusza-citta, papa-citta, raudra-citta, vi-dvesa-citta, amitri-citta (141)
ut-pada-yanti kila-yanti mantra-yanti japanti juhanti (142)
oja-aharah garbha-aharah rudhira-aharah vasa-aharah (143)
majja-aharah jata-aharah jivita-aharah balya-aharah (144)
malya-aharah gandha-aharah puspa-aharah phala-aharah sasya-aharah (145)
papa-citta, dusza-citta, raudra-citta (146)
yaksa-grahah, raksasa-grahah, preta-grahah, pisaca-grahah (147)
bhuta-grahah, Kumbhanda-grahah, skanda-grahah, unmada-grahah (148)
chaya-grahah, apa-smara-grahah, daka-dakini-grahah, revati-grahah (149)
jamika-grahah, sakuni-grahah, raudra-matri-nandika-grahah, alamba-grahah (150)
hanu kantha-pani-grahah (151)
jvarah eka-hikah dvaiti-yakah traiti-yakah catur-thakah (152)
nitya-jvarah visama-jvarah vati-kah paitti-kah slai-smi-kah (153)
sam-nipati-kah sarva-jvarah siro-hrathi (154)
ardha-ava-badha-kah badha-aroca-kah (155)
aksi-rogam mukha-rogam hrid-rogam gala-graham karna-sulam danta-sulam (156)
hridaya-sulam marman-sulam parsva-sulam priszha-sulam udara-sulam kazi-sulam (157)
vasti-sulam uru-sulam nakha-sulam hasta-sulam (158)
pada-sulam sarva-anga-pratyanga-sulam (159)
bhuta vetada dakini jvarah dadrukah kanduh kizi bhah-lutah vaisarpah-loha lingah (160)
siastra-sana-gara visa-yoga agne udaka mara vaira kantara akala-mrityo (161)
tri-yambuka trai-laza vriscika sarpa nakula simha vyaghra riksa taraksa mara (162)
jivis te-sam sarve-sam (163)
sitata-patra maha vajro-snisam, maha-praty-angiram (164)
yavad-dva-dasa yojana abhy-anta-rena sima bandham karomi (165)
vidya-bandham karomi, tejo-bandham karomi para-vidya-bandham karomi (166)
tadyatha ( 167, Following is the Mantra-Heart: )
Om anale visade vira vajra-dhare bandha bandhani vajra-pani phat hum trum phat Svaha (168)

"Ananda, it is from this cluster of light atop the crown of the Buddha's head, the secret chant, Sitata-Patra, with its exquisite, wonderful compilation of phrases, that all the Buddhasof the ten directions come forth. Because the Tathagatas of the ten directions use this mantra-heart, they realize Unsurpassed, Proper, and All-pervading Knowledge and Enlightenment "Because the Tathagatas of the ten directions take up this mantra-heart, they subdue all demons and control all adherents of externalist ways."

"Because the Tathagatas of the ten directions avail themselves of this mantra-heart, they sit upon jeweled lotus-flowers and respond throughout countries as numerous as atoms of universe."

"Because the Tathagatas of the ten directions embody this mantra-heart, they turn the great Dharma wheel in worlds as numerous as atoms of universe."

"Because the Tathagatas of the ten directions hold this mantra-heart, they are able to go throughout the ten directions to rub the crowns of beings' heads and bestow predictions upon them. Anyone in the ten directions who has not yet realized the levels of sagely fruition, can receive predictions from these Buddhas."

"Because the Tathagatas of the ten directions are based in this mantra-heart, they can go throughout the ten directions to rescue beings from sufferings experienced in the hells, as hungry ghosts, as animals, or by being blind, deaf, or mute, as well as from the suffering of being together with those one hates, the suffering of being apart from those one loves, the suffering of not obtaining what one seeks, and the suffering of the raging blaze of the five skandhas. They can simultaneously liberate beings from both major and minor accidents. In response to their recitation, dangers involving bandits, armies, the law, or imprisonment; dangers involving wind, fire, and water; and dangers of starvation, thirst, or impoverishment are all eradicated."

"Because the Tathagatas of the ten directions are in accord with this mantra-heart, they can serve good and wise advisors throughout the ten directions. Abiding in the four aspects of majestic deportment , they make absolutely appropriate offerings. In the assemblies of as many Tathagatas as there are sand grains in the Ganges, they are considered to be great Dharma Princes."

"Because the Tathagatas of the ten directions practice this mantra-heart, they can gather in and teach their relatives in the ten directions and keep those of the Small Vehicle from being frightened when they hear this secret treasury."

"Because the Tathagatas of the ten directions recite this mantra-heart, they realize Unsurpassed Enlightenment while sitting beneath the Bodhi trees, and enter Parinirvana."

"Because the Tathagatas of the ten directions transmit this mantra-heart, after their Nirvana, those to whom they have bequeathed the Buddhadharma can dwell in and support it to an ultimate degree. Being strict and pure in the precepts and rules, they can attain total purity."

"If I were to explain this cluster of light atop the crown of the Buddha's head Patra Mantra from morning till night unceasingly, without ever repeating any syllable or phrase, I could go on for as many eons as there are sand grains in the Ganges and still never finish. I also will tell you that this mantra is called The Crown of the Tathagata. Unless you hold this mantra, all of you with something left to study who have not yet put an end to the cycle of rebirth and yet have brought forth sincere resolve to become Arhats, will find it impossible to sit in a Way-place and be far removed in body and mind from all demonic deeds."

"Ananda, let any being of any country in any world copy out this mantra in writing on materials native to his region, such as birch bark, pattra, plain paper, or white cotton cloth, and store it in a pouch containing incense. If that person wears the pouch on his body, or if he keeps a copy of the mantra in his home, then you should know that even if he understands so little that he cannot recite the mantra from memory, he will not be harmed by any poison during his entire life."

"Ananda, I will now tell you more about how this mantra can rescue and protect the world, help people obtain great fearlessness, and bring to accomplishment living beings' transcendental wisdom. You should know that, after my extinction, if there are beings in the Dharma-ending Age who can recite the mantra themselves or teach others to recite it, such people who recite and uphold it will not be burned by fire, will not be drowned by water, and will not be harmed by mild or potent poisons."

"Other such things will not happen to them either, including not being possessed by any dragon, gods, ghost, spirits, weird entities, demonic ghosts, or evil mantras. These people's minds will attain proper reception, so that any spell; any paralyzing sorcery; any poison made of herbs, gold, silver; any plant, tree, insect, or snake; and any of the myriad kinds of poisonous vapors will turn into sweet dew when encountered or ingested. No evil stars, nor any ghost or spirit that harbors malice in its heart and poisons others can work its evil on these people. Vinayaka as well as all the evil ghost kings and their retinues will be led by deep kindness to always guard and protect them."

"Ananda, you should know that eighty-four thousand nayutas of Ganges' sands of kotis of Vajra-Treasury King Bodhisattvas and their descendants, each with Vajra multitudes in their retinues, are ever in attendance, day and night, upon this mantra."

"If beings whose minds are scattered and who have no Samadhi remember and recite the mantra, the Vajra Kings will always surround such good people. That is even more true for those who are decisively resolved upon Bodhi. All the Vajra Treasury-King Bodhisattvas will regard them attentively and secretly hasten the opening of their spiritual awareness. When that response occurs, those people will be able to remember the events of as many eons as there are sand grains in eighty-four thousand Ganges Rivers, knowing them all beyond any doubt or delusion. From that eon onward, through every life until the time they take last body, they will not be born where there are yakshas, rakshasas, putanas, kataputanas, kumbhandas, pishachas and so forth; where there is any kinds of hungry ghost, or any being possessing or lacking form, possessing or lacking thought, or in any other such evil place."

"If these good men read, recite, copy, or write out the mantra, if they carry it or treasure it, or if they make offerings to it, then through eon after eon they will not be poor or lowly, nor will they be born in unpleasant places. If these beings have never done any deeds that generate blessings, the Tathagatas of the ten directions will bestow their own merit and virtue upon these people. Because of that, throughout asamkhyeyas of ineffable, unspeakable numbers of eons, as many as sand grains in the Ganges, they will always be born in places where there are Buddhas. Their limitless merit and virtue will be three-fold, like the amala fruit-cluster, for they stay in the same place, become permeated with cultivation, and never part from the Buddhas."

"Therefore, The mantra can enable those who have broken the precepts to regain the purity of the precept source. It can enable those who have not received the precepts to receive them. It can cause those who are not vigorous to become vigorous. This mantra can enable those who lack wisdom to gain wisdom. It can cause those who are not pure to quickly become pure. It can cause those who are not vegetarians to become vegetarians naturally."

"Ananda, if good men who uphold this mantra violate the pure precepts before having received them, their multitude of offenses incurred by such violations, whether major or minor, can simultaneously be eradicated after they uphold the mantra. Even if they drank intoxicants or ate the five kinds of pungent plants and various other impure things in the past, the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Vajra deities, gods, immortals, ghosts, and spirits will not hold it against them. If they are unclean and wear tattered, old clothes to carry out the practice alone in a place by themselves, they can be equally pure. Even if they do not set up a platform, do not enter a Way-place, and do not practice the Way, but recite and uphold this mantra, their merit and virtue can still be identical with that derived from entering the platform and practicing the Way. If they have committed the five rebellious acts, grave offenses warranting unintermittent retribution, or if they are Bhikshus or Bhikshunis who have violated the four parajikas or the eight parajikas, after they recite this mantra, even such heavy karma can dispense after they recite this mantra, like a sand dune that is scattered in a gale, so that not a particle of it remains."

"Ananda, if beings who have never repented and reformed any of the obstructive offenses, either heavy or light, that they have committed throughout infinite countless eons past, up to and including those of this very life, can nevertheless read, recite, copy, or write out this mantra or wear it on their bodies or place it in their homes or in their garden houses, then all that accumulated karma will melt away like snow in hot water. Before long they will obtain awakening to Patience with the Non-existence of Both Beings and Dharmas."

"Moreover, Ananda, if women who do not have children and want to conceive can sincerely memorize and recite this mantra, or carry this Sitata-Patra mantra on their bodies, they can give birth to sons or daughters endowed with blessings, virtue, and wisdom."

"Those who seek long life will obtain long life. Those who seek to quickly perfect their reward will quickly be able to do so. The same is true for those who seek something regarding their bodies, lives, appearance, or strength. At the end of their lives, they will gain the rebirth they hope for in whichever of the lands of the ten directions they wish. They certainly will not be born in poorly endowed places, or as inferior people; even less will they be reborn in some odd form."

"Ananda, if there is famine of plague in a country, province, or village, or if perhaps there are armies, brigands, invasions, war, or any other kind of local threat of danger, then by writing out this holy mantra and placing it on the four city gates, or on a chaitya or on a dhvaja, by instructing all the people of the country to venerate the mantra, make obeisance to it, revere it, and singlemindedly make offerings to it; by instructing all the citizens to wear it on their bodies or to place it in their homes, and then all such disasters and calamities will completely disappear."

"Ananda, in each and every country where the people accord with this mantra, the heavenly dragons are delighted, the winds and rains are seasonal, the five kinds of crops are abundant, and the people are peaceful and happy. It can also suppress all evil stars which may appear in any of the directions and transform themselves in uncanny ways. Calamities and obstructions will not arise. People will not die accidentally or unexpectedly, nor will they be bound by fetters, cangues, or locks. Day and night they will be at peace, and no evil dreams will disturb their sleep."

"Ananda, this Saha world has eighty-four thousand changeable and potentially devastating evil stars. Twenty-eight great evil stars are the leader, and another eight great evil stars are the rulers. They take various shape, and when they appear in the world they bring disaster and unexpected calamities down upon beings. But wherever this the mantra is kept they will all be eradicated. A boundary will be secured for twelve yojanas around, and not evil calamity or misfortune will ever encroach upon it."

"Therefore, the Tathagata proclaims this mantra to be one which will protect all cultivators of the future who have just begun to study, so that they can enter Samadhi, be peaceful in body and mind, and attain great tranquility. Even less will any demon, ghost, or spirit, or any enemy, calamity, or misfortune due from former lives that reach back to beginningless time, or any old karma or past debts come to vex and harm them."

"As to you and everyone in the assembly who is still studying, and as to cultivators of the future who rely on my platform and hold the precepts in accord with the Dharma; who received the precepts from pure members of the Sangha; and who hold this mantra-heart without giving rise to doubts: should such good men as these not comprehend their minds in that very body, then the Tathagatas of the ten directions have lied!"

When he finished this explanation, measureless hundreds of thousands of Vajra Power-Knights in the assembly came before the Buddha, placed their palms together, bowed, and said to the Buddha, "With sincere minds we will protect those who cultivate Bodhi in this way, according to what the Buddha has said."

Then the Brahma King, the God Shakra, and the four great heavenly kings all came before the Buddha, made obeisance together, and said to the Buddha, "If indeed there are good men who cultivate and study in this way, we will do all we can to earnestly protect them and cause everything to be as they would wish throughout their entire lives."

Moreover measureless great yaksha generals, rakshasa kings, putana kings, kumbhanda kings, pishacha kings, Vinayaka, the great ghost kings, and all the ghost commanders came before the Buddha, put their palms together, and made obeisance. "We also have vowed to protect these people and cause their resolve for Bodhi to be quickly perfected."

Further, measureless numbers of gods of the sun and moon, lords of the rain, lords of the clouds, lords of the thunder, lords of lightning who patrol throughout the year, and all the retinues of stars which were also in the assembly bowed at the Buddha's feet and said to the Buddha, "We also protect all cultivators, so that their Way-places are peaceful and they can attain fearlessness."

Moreover, measureless numbers of mountain spirits, sea spirits, and all those of the earth-the myriad creatures and entities of water, land, and the air-as well as the king of wind-spirits and the gods of the Formless Heavens, came before the Tathagata, bowed their heads, and said to the Buddha, " We also will protect these cultivators until they attain Bodhi and will never let any demons have their way with them."

Then Vajra Treasury King Bodhisattvas in the great assembly, numbering as many as eighty-four thousand nayutas of kotis' worth of sand grains in the Ganges, arose from their seats, bowed at the Buddha's feet, and said to the Buddha, "Bhagavan, the nature of our deeds in cultivation is such that, although we have long since accomplished Bodhi, we do not grasp at nirvana, but always accompany those who hold this mantra, rescuing and protecting those in the final age who cultivate Samadhi properly. Bhagavan, such people as this, who cultivate their minds and seek proper concentration, whether in the Way-place or walking about, and even such people who with scattered minds roam and amuse themselves in the villages, will be accomplished and protected by us and our retinue of followers. Although the demon kings and the gods of great comfort will seek to get at them, they will never be able to do so. The smaller ghosts will have to stay ten yojanas' distance from these good people, except for those beings who have decided they want to cultivate dhyana.

"Bhagavan, if such evil demons or their retinues want to harm or disturb these good people, we will smash their heads to smithereens with our Vajra-pestles. We will always help these people to accomplish that.

Then Ananda arose from his seat, bowed at the Buddha's feet, and said to the Buddha, "Now that we who are dull and slow, who are fond of erudition but have not sought to stop the outflows of our minds, have received the Buddha's compassionate instructions and have attained the proper means to become infused with cultivation, we experience joy in body and mind and obtain tremendous benefit. Bhagavan, for one who cultivates in this way and is certified as having attained the Buddha's Samadhi, but who has not yet reached nirvana, what is meant by the Level of Dry Wisdom? What are the Forty-four Minds? What is the sequence in which one cultivates to reach one's goal? What place must one reach to be said to have entered the grounds? And what is meant by a Bodhisattva of Equal Enlightenment?"

Having said this, he made a full prostration, and then the great assembly singlemindedly awaited the sound of the Buddha's compassionate voice as they gazed up unblinkingly with respectful admiration.

At that time the Bhagavan praised Ananda, saying, "Good indeed, good indeed, that for the sake of the entire great assembly and those beings in the final age who cultivate Samadhi and seek the Mahayana, you ask to have the unsurpassed proper path of cultivation that takes one from the level of an ordinary person to final parinirvana explained and revealed. Listen attentively, and I will speak about it for you."

Ananda and everyone in the assembly placed their palms together, cleansed their minds, and silently waited to receive the teaching.

The Buddha said, "Ananda, you should know that the wonderful nature is perfect and bright, apart from all names and attributes. Basically there is no world, nor are there any beings. Because of falseness, phenomena come into being. Because phenomena come into being, they also cease to be. Even the terms 'coming into being' and 'ceasing to be' are false. When the false ceases to be, that is known as truth. This is called the Tathagata's Unsurpassed Bodhi and Great Nirvana: These names refer to two kinds of turning around. Ananda, you now wish to cultivate true Samadhi and arrive directly at the Tathagata's Parinirvana. First, you should recognize the two upside-down causes of living beings and the world. The non-arising of upside-downness is the Tathagata's true Samadhi.

"Ananda, what is meant by the upside-downness of beings? Ananda, our nature endows the mind with understanding because the nature itself is the perfection of understanding. By adding understanding, another nature comes into being, and from that false nature, views arise. From absolute nothingness comes ultimate existence. All that exists comes about in that way.

The cause is not an actual cause. Subjective reliance on objective appearances is basically groundless. Thus, the very basis for the existence of the world and beings is fundamentally unreliable

"Confusion about one's basic, perfect understanding results in the arising of falseness. Falseness itself is devoid of substance; it is not something which can be relied upon. One may wish to return to the truth, but that wish for the truth is already a falseness. The real nature of True Suchness is not a truth that one can seek to return to. By doing so one misses the mark. What basically does not arise, what basically does not dwell, what basically is not the mind, and what basically are not dharmas come into being in turn. As they arise more and more strongly, they form the propensity to create karma. Similar karma sets up a mutual stimulus. Because of the karma thus generated, there is mutual production and mutual extinction. That is the reason for the upside-downness of beings.

"Ananda, what is the upside-downness of the world? All that exists and pertains to existence falsely arises in sections and shares. The world is based on that, but this cause is not an actual cause. Everything that is dependent has nothing on which it is dependent, and so it shifts and slides ceaselessly. Because of this, the world of the three periods of time and four directions come into being. Their union and interaction bring about changes which result in the twelve categories of beings.

"That is why, in this world, movement brings about sounds, sounds bring about forms, forms bring about smells, smells bring about contact, contact brings about tastes, and tastes brings about awareness of dharmas. The random false thinking resulting from those six creates karma, and this continuous revolving becomes the cause of twelve different categeories. And so, in the world, sounds, smells, tastes, contact, and the like, are each transformed throughout the twelve categories to make one complete cycle.

"Based on that continuously revolving process involving upside-down phenomena, those born from eggs, those born from wombs, those born from moisture, and those born by transformation; beings with form, those without form, those with thought, and those without thoughtt; beings not totally endowedwith form, those not totally lacking form, those not totally endowed with thought, and those not totally lacking thought come into being in this world.

"Ananda, through a continuous process of falseness, the upside-down state of movement occurs in this world. It unites with energy to become eighty-four thousand kinds of random thoughts that either fly up or dive down. From that eggs come into being and transmigrate throughout the lands as fish, birds, amphibians, and reptiles, so that their kinds abound.

"Through a continuous process of defilement, the upside-down state of desire occurs in this world. It unites with stimulation to become eighty-four thousand kinds of random thoughts that are either erect or horizontal. From that embroyos in wombs come into being and transmigrate throughout the lands as human beings, animals, dragons, and immortals until their kinds abound.

"Through a continuous process of attachment, the upside-down state of inclination occurs in this world. It unites with warmth to become eighty-four thousand kinds of random thoughts that are vacillating and inverted. From that organisms in moisture come into being and transmigrate throughout the lands as insects and crawling invertebrates, until their kinds abound.

"Through a continuous process of change, the upside-down state of borrowing occurs in this world. Based on upside-downness, it unites with contact to become eighty-four thousand kinds of random thoughts of new and old. From that, organisms that undergo transformations come into being and transmigrate throughout the lands as forms of metamorphic flying and crawling creatures, until their kinds abound.

"Through a continuous process of restraint, the upside-down state of obstruction occurs in this world. It unites with attachment to become eighty-four thousand kinds of random thoughts of refinement and brilliance. From that animate entities that possess form come into being and transmigrate throughout the lands as auspicious and inauspicious creatures, until their kinds abound.

"Through a continuous process of annihilation and dispersion, the upside-down state of delusion occurs in this world. It unites with darkness to become eighty-four thousand kinds of random thoughts of obscurity and hiding. From that, animate entities that are formless come into being and transmigrate throughout the lands as empty, dispersed, annihilated, and submerged beings until their kinds abound.

"Through a continuous process of illusory imaginings, the upside-down state of shadows occurs in this world. It unites with memory to become eighty-four thousand kinds of random thoughts that are hidden and bound up. From that, animate entities endowed with thought, come into being and transmigrate throughout the lands as spirits, ghosts, and devious beings, until their kinds abound.

"Through a continuous process of dullness and slowness, the upside-down state of stupidity occurs in this world. It unites with obstinacy to become eighty-four thousand kinds of random thoughts that are dry and attenuated. From that, animate entities lacking thought, come into being and transmigrate throughout the lands as their vitality and spirit change into earth, wood, metal, or stone, until their kinds abound.

"Through a continuous process of parasitic interaction, the upside-down state of simulation occurs in this world. It unites with defilement to become eighty-four thousand kinds of random thoughts of according and relying. From that, animate entities not actually endowed with form, take on embryonic forms and transmigrate throughout the lands until their kinds abound, as jellyfish that use shrimp for eyes and the like.

"Through a continuous process of mutual enticement, an upside-down state of the nature occurs in this world. It unites with mantras to become eighty-four thousand kinds of random thoughts of reckoning and summoning. From that animate entities not actually lacking form become formless beings and transmigrate throughout the lands as the hidden beings of mantras and incantations, until their kinds abound.

"Through a continuous process of false unity, the upside-down state of transgression occurs in this world. It unites with unlike formations to become eighty-four thousand kinds of random thoughts of reciprocal interchange. From that animate entities not actually endowed with thought, become beings endowed with thought and transmigrate throughout the lands in such forms as a wasp that turns a different creature into its own species and the like, until their kinds abound.

"Through a continuous process of enmity and harm the upside-down state of killing occurs in this world. It unites with monstrosities to become eighty-four thousand kinds of random thoughts of devouring one's father and mother. From that, animate entities not actually lacking thought become beings that lack thought and transmigrate throughout the lands, until their kinds abound in such forms as the owl which hatches its young from clods of dirt, and the broken-mirror bird, which incubates a poisonous fruit to create its young whereupon the young of each eat the parents and the like, until their kinds abound. These are the twelve categories of beings."

End of Chapter 7.END=RESEARCH BUĐDHIST DHARMA=SURANGAMA SUTRA.BY VIETNAMESE BUĐDHIST NUN=THICH CHAN TANH.MHDT.WORLD VIETNAMESE BUĐDHIST ORDER=GOLDEN LOTUS MONASTERY.28/12/2012.NAM MO SHAKYAMUNI BUĐDHA.( 3 TIMES ).AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.

THE 18 REALMS ( LECTURE ON SURANGAMA SUTRA ).

 

Lecture given by Master Sheng-yen on the Surangama Sutra on May 3, 1987
I began speaking about the 18 realms last week. As you may remember, this refers to the sense organ, sense object, and sense consciousness of each of the six senses: seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, feeling, and thinking. Note also that the Chinese word for “realm” has more than one meaning. Besides “definition,” “specification,” or “domain,” it can also have the meaning of “dharma body,” “phenomena,” or “activity.”
Another sutra, “The Sutra Expounding the Subtle and Deep” (Sandhinirrnochana Sutra) has a passage that helps elucidate the idea of “realm.” These realms, the sutra states, derive from time without beginning. All dharma is rooted in and springs from them. In the context of these realms, reincarnation occurs and the attainment of nirvana is possible.
The 18 realms encompass what is called the “dharma with outflow” (samskrita) — relating to samsara, and the “dharma without outflow” (asamskrita) — relating to that which enables us to be free of samsara and attain liberation.
When we talk about the 18 realms, we recognize that they are involved in outflow, that is, one who is caught within them is in the realm of samsara. Viewed in this way, the 18 realms are malevolent: because of them sentient beings are reborn again and again, fettered to unending life cycles. On the other hand, it is here that practice begins. It may be that we are in samsara, accumulating karma and struggling from rebirth to rebirth, but the 18 realms can also serve as the path to liberation.
The first chapter of the Abhidharmakosha-sastra by Vasubandhu stresses the importance of the 18 realms. We are told here that all samsara, sentient beings, Bodhisattvas and Arhats, and even Buddhahood derive from them. Thus the 18 realms comprise the most fundamental theory of Buddhadharma. Actually they are the most fundamental phenomena in Buddhadharma, and the theory is of course derived from them.
As we have seen, the 18 realms can be divided into six sets of three. The first set is composed of the sense organ of the eye, the sense object (what is seen), and the eye consciousness that arises from the interaction of organ and object. Hearing, tasting, smelling, touching, thinking make up the remaining five sets of three.
What the eye sees is what we call form. The word is used in a very general sense. It can refer to a thing or the way in which something is physically manifested: color, shape, texture, etc. This includes red, white, green, blue, etc., and long, short, square, circular, etc., and rough, smooth, etc., as well as other characteristics that the eyes can distinguish. These are all considered aspects of form.
There is yet another kind of form or phenomenon which can be either visible or invisible. It is not necessarily associated with a particular shape or color. This is called avijnapti-rupa, which can be a kind of power or energy. Thus the following might be considered form: breaking glass, an explosion, a tree uprooted by the wind. What is seen? It is not form as we usually take it to be. Nevertheless, there is something there to be perceived. Thus it can be categorized as form. We cannot say that they are simply color or shape, long or short. Such phenomena are subsumed under the category of object of the sense organ of vision. What is derived from the coming together of organ and object is a consciousness that incorporates distinction, recognition, understanding. This is eye consciousness.
The next paragraph describes the sense organ of hearing, the ear, and its object, sounds. These in turn give rise to the consciousness of the ear.
The paragraph on ear consciousness is much like the one on eye consciousness. Similar questions are asked: Is the consciousness of the ear real or not real? How does it arise? Where does it come from?
We use our ears to listen to sounds and then we know what we have heard. We know the sound of a telephone ringing when we hear it. But how is this possible? How do we know that it is the sound of a
telephone? Where does this knowing reside? We have the ears, the sound, and the knowing. The ears are on our head, the sound outside somewhere, where, then, is the knowing? Do these components have a separate, original existence?
For example, a sound that nobody hears is not a sound. Sound cannot be separate from hearing. The understanding or knowing of the sound cannot just be in the sound itself. Even if someone is present but fast asleep, a sound would not register in his mind. The organ of the ear is present, but there will be no knowing of sound. Thus the recognition of sound is neither in the sound itself nor in the organ of hearing alone. Where does hearing lie?
Neither sound alone nor hearing alone will give rise to ear consciousness. Only the combination of the two components can give rise to hearing consciousness. But is this really true? In our previous example of a person asleep, we saw that although the ear is present and a sound may occur, hearing does not occur. By the same token, a dead person will not hear the loudest sound, even though both his ears and the sound are present. Where, then, does hearing consciousness reside and how does it arise?
Can we say that there’s no such thing as hearing consciousness? No, because it is obvious that when we are awake and our mind is clear, hearing consciousness functions. Hearing consciousness exists, but it has its basis in the sixth consciousness, which is the mind (rnanas). Actually all the five consciousnesses rely on the sixth consciousness. So the sixth consciousness has two different functions: first, thinking, considering, discrimination, and distinctions; second, it serves as a substratum which connects the past, present and future. It is karmic force. (Note: In later Buddhism this second function of the sixth consciousness was attributed to the eighth consciousness.)
It is for this reason that we speak of the sixth consciousness, the mental consciousness that arises with the functioning of any one of the five sense organs.
There is an analogy to illustrate this: a monkey, the sixth consciousness, is in a room that has only five windows. Each window is comparable to a sense — eye, ear, nose, tongue, and body. Whichever window the monkey looks out of determines the kind of mental activity that arises as well as the consciousness associated with that particular sense organ.
With this understanding, we can see why it is not accurate to speak of an independent existence for the first five sense consciousnesses. It is only when the sixth consciousness functions together with the five sense organs that we designate an eye consciousness, an ear consciousness, etc.
At this point we can argue that since the five sense consciousnesses have no separate existence, there is really only the sixth consciousness. Later when we come to the mind itself we will even refute the existence of the sixth consciousness. But that comes later.
As far as we’ve come, we should note that the Surangama Sutra proposes that the 18 realms have no genuine existence. But to say that they have no existence at all is also incorrect.
This is because ordinary sentient beings take the existence of these 18 realms to be self-evident, clearly existing, and possessing genuine substance. Ordinary sentient beings are unaware of the possibility that these 18 realms are insubstantial and nonexistent. When they hold on to the idea of genuine existence for the world of matter, the senses and the mind, they generate a myriad of karmic causes and give rise to any number of reactions to the world, such as love, hatred, sadness, happiness, suffering, clinging to gain, avoiding loss, pursuing another, or running away from someone or something else.
However, too strident a view of the non-existence of the 18 realms is not advised. This might lead to a belief that life is not worth living. We would feel that any involvement with the world would lead to nothing more than vexation. We would lose our interest in everything and everybody.
Next Sunday, for example, we will celebrate Buddha’s birthday. We will have many flowers, beautiful decorations, and special food. There will be a rich array of visible phenomena. If we believed that everything we will see is simply one more vexation among the 18 realms, why would we bother with such a celebration?
Last Saturday a member of the Center approached me with a question having to do with sound and the teaching of meditation. He has been visiting a prison regularly and teaching meditation to the inmates. But he is not the only one teaching the inmates. There are many others, Christians, Moslems, and there are groups organized around music, dance, and exercise. Our member said that the inmates he teaches find the noise and bustle of the other activities around them very distracting. There is loud music and feverish chanting and the stomping of feet. What, he asked, can he do about it? I said that in the midst of all that sound, he could help his students attain concentration of the mind or even samadhi through chanting. Chanting Amitabha Buddha’s name, for example, is a useful method to reach samadhi.
Even though we may think of sound as something having no true existence, nonetheless we can still make sound an instrument of practice. Sound is not really such a terrible thing after all.
In much the same way, when we offer flowers to the Buddha, the flowers’ fragrance is a medium through which we make our offerings to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Lesser beings, such as deities and ghosts, feed on the aroma of the food. Once again, the fragrance or aroma may not have true existence, but it is instrumental in making the offerings.
Someone just asked how I know that deities and ghosts have a nose consciousness that can appreciate fragrances and aromas. I am certainly not a ghost. I have no personal knowledge of what consciousness ghosts have or don’t have. On the other hand, the woman who asked this question is not a ghost, either. And I doubt that she knows what ghosts are aware of
What is important here is that my comments are based on the sutra, not my own speculation. The Buddha speaks of ghosts as having consciousness. This is evident in the descriptions of samsara as divided into the three realms of desire, form, and formlessness. The word “realm” appears here, also, but it has a different meaning from that of the 18 realms we have been discussing. In this case “realm” refers to the categories into which all sentient beings can be classified.
The lowest of these realms is that of desire. Human beings fall into this realm. Here all six sense consciousnesses are present.
Above desire is the realm of form. This realm is associated with four states of dhyana (meditative absorption of mind). As one progresses up from dhyana state to dhyana state, sense consciousnesses begin to fall away. By the second dhyana level, only the consciousnesses of the eye, the ear, and the body remain. At the third level and above only the mind consciousness remains. The previous five consciousnesses are non-functional.
Thus we can be certain that all beings in the realm of desire have six sense consciousnesses. Some beings may be different from us — their bodies and sense organs might be more subtle than ours. Nonetheless, they still have bodies and sense organs. The realm of desire, then, contains human beings, deities, and ghosts. Thus we know that the ghosts or deities around us have six sense consciousnesses.
Those who are in the habit of making offerings to ghosts, special deities, or to their ancestors may find that the food does not taste very good once the offering has been made. It seems to lose some of its flavor. This is because the deities and the ghosts consumed some of the food’s flavor and aroma when they accepted the offering. On the other hand if you make food offerings to the Buddhas, the food will not be affected because the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are not concerned about the flavor and fragrance of food. When we make food offerings to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, we do it only as a gesture of respect.
In the Orient a number of religions make it a practice to make food offerings to deities, and many adherents observe that the food seems to be less tasty after the offering. In this country there is no such tradition, so few people here have experienced this loss of flavor.
About two years ago there was someone in Taiwan who claimed to have the ability to communicate with the dead and the world of spirits. He came to my temple and complained that we were not feeding the ghosts enough food with our offerings. I told him that we only make fruit and flower offerings to the Buddha. If the ghosts want to eat, they must wait for the evening service when there is a ritual to give offerings to various kinds of ghosts. They can only eat during that time. We don’t provide food all the time for them
Now if there’s no tradition of feeding ghosts in the West, does that mean that these spirits are starving? It comes down to this: ghosts and spirits in the West recognize that during their lifetimes they made no offerings to the dead. Thus they expect none themselves. They are really on their own.
Someone just asked if these spirits can just wander into MacDonald’s and feed on the aroma of a Big Mac. It doesn’t work this way. If the food is not offered to them, they cannot just take it. It would be like stealing. They must go into the forest and feed on leaves or grass or the air. This is karma. The food that has not been offered to the spirits and the ghosts is not visible to them. They have no idea that anything is there. Thus it will probably not occur to Westerners to seek food after they die. They have no experience with the practice of offering food.
Now we’ll read from the paragraph on the subject of smell. The idea expressed here is identical to that of the previous paragraph. We just substitute smell for hearing. This paragraph discusses the arising of smelling consciousness. Does this consciousness reside in the organ of smelling, the nose or in its object, fragrance or smell?
One point that the sutra makes is that it would be a mistake to say that smell consciousness arises from contact between the object, a fragrance, and the nose itself as simply a fleshy, feeling extension of the body. This would really be in the realm of touch, the fifth sense, not in the realm of the nose organ at all. This alone would be enough to refute the independent, real existence of the nose organ. Because we would be talking about touch, and this is smell. The real existence of the body as the organ of touch will be discussed and refuted later.
Then the sutra explores the possibility that the smelling sense is transmitted through space. And if that
were true, we would have to conclude that the organ of smell exists everywhere throughout space.
The Surangama Sutra shows us that the perception of smells as being good and bad gives rise to any number of mental activities. These give rise to moods and all manner of vexations, which in turn lead to an untold number of karmic consequences.
As in the discussion of the other senses, the Surangama Sutra shows in its breakdown of the components of the sense of smell that the organ itself, all smells, and the associated consciousness are all interrelated. Thus they have no independent existence and are at base illusory.
Another point the sutra makes is that whatever we smell through our nose is not simply external to us, because our consciousness adds its own subjectivity. What we end up smelling comes from within us. For example one person may find body odor repugnant but there are others who find it very attractive.
I knew of someone when I was in the army who only sought women with very strong smells about them. I asked him why that was, and he told me that he didn’t really know, but he surmised that it started when he was in love with a woman whose body had a very pronounced odor. Any woman with a similar smell reminds him of this woman.
Also, in Malaysia and Thailand there’s a kind of fruit which is called durian. It has an exceedingly strong smell. People who are unaccustomed to it find it almost unbearable. But many people in Southeast Asia come to love the taste and, yes, even the smell.
These two examples illustrate that the sense of smell differs from person to person and from culture to culture.
What and how we smell depend very much upon our mental state and previous karma. We may, for example, change our attitudes towards certain smells as we grow older, liking some we once disliked, finding other once-liked smells repugnant. Or a particular experience in this life or a previous one might determine how we respond to a certain smell.
Once there was a man who said he smelled an unpleasant odor, so he asked his friends around him
if they smelled it, too. One of them said, “Oh! Your wife just came in.” He asked her if she smelled it. She said, “Not at all. By the way, how do you like my new perfume?” Not surprisingly, the man no longer complained of an offensive smell, and, yes, he found his wife’s perfume very fragrant.
Even ordinary sentient beings can sometimes understand that what is perceived by the senses is illusory.END=RESEARCH SURANGAMA SUTRA.BY VIETNAMESE BUĐDHIST NUN=THICH CHAN TANH.MHDT.WORLD VIETNAMESE BUĐDHIST ORDER=GOLDEN LOTUS MONASTERY=AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.28/12/2012.

SURANGAMA SUTRA EXPLAINED.36.

 

36 - Buddhist beliefs.

"I am not a God, not a god, but a man, but the winner of the world".

Buddha conquered the world, but he does not need to dominate the throne and did not need his people to be honored. He was very relaxed with his three-piece y and a bowl, but the victory was his mind to live with foot nature is the great victory of the levels sensory University, University hero. Only after his death, new people to worship Him, His devotee of the god. In short, the Buddha was a teacher, a torch insight to help us rely on that to find the light path, the path to enlightenment for yourself.

To explain the relationship between faith and wisdom, the Buddha said:

"People have faith without wisdom, often ignorant growth. The wisdom that unbelief growth is often wrong. "

Here should be interpreted as intellectual capacity to consider and judge all things intellectual, so if there is no confidence in the Dhamma, people easily fall into the wrong practice, self-growth, self-agency, always trying to accept do not see where my mistakes. On the contrary, people have faith in the Dhamma that lack insight to understand and distinguish indecent easily sinking into ignorance, darkness, superstition. So in the Noble Eightfold Path that is eight righteous path helps students move from ordinary life to the church only right view, right thought, right speech, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration without not to faith. Buddha is not a god, so he does not force them to believe in him absolutely. In contrast, the Buddha teaches students to think deeply, think experience Buddhist teachings in an objective, serious new benefits for themselves. Buddha wants us to understand the Dhamma to see whether they are true, correct thinking that a peaceful life is the time where people still believe in the false belief and superstition. So please listen to the message of the Buddha's noble way to live your life:

"Stay away from all sinful actions, to improve life by good deeds, purify the mind from impure thoughts."
Before death, the Buddha said:

"You are the islands, torches for yourself. Take refuge in yourself, do not rely on any other place. "
In the Dhammapada, the Buddha taught:

"The torch relay to yourself that! You go get our French do! Follow Dharma religious freedom! Do not look for salvation in one another, and do not find salvation in a place other than the child. "

And finally the Buddha says:

"You try yourself, Tathagata just who lead the way."

Buddhism is the only religion on the earth successfully determined that the door to reach the end of enlightenment must be open to everyone, male and female, large and small, on man, high and low, ethics or guilty. If students know to improve life in clean, neutralize all the afflictions of ignorance, we get Bodhi, Nirvana Buddha.

Not today man listening to religious belonging "God all creatures" that at the time of the Buddha there were such a doctrine. It is "God created all things. God is responsible for everything. God reward and forgive our sins. God is responsible for our lives after we die. God gives us to heaven or compulsion to hell ". Here, the Buddha did not promise happiness or reward for those who consider themselves to be followers of him and he did not promise salvation to those who place their trust in Him. The Buddha advised his disciples to evangelize people, who otherwise would be in hell.
He and his followers do not criticize others direct that the offender will be forever in hell. According to Buddhism, even to those who do not lead but to live in dignity and compassion they can still go to heaven as often. For him, religion is not a bargain, but a noble way of life to achieve the ultimate culmination of enlightenment. The Buddha did not want his followers to believe in blindly. He wants us to thinking and knowing. Buddhism is a noble way of life that there, humanity, equality, justice and peace supreme position. Buddha denied the gods Brahma, God as only one is his own God, and only we can steer the boat his fate. The Buddha taught to pray and worship Him for His forgiveness for sins. Purity or pollution in the minds of living beings depend on them. Not a divine being, a Buddha or a neighbor that may contaminate or pure thoughts of others. Even Nirvana is absolute happiness, too, when they wipe themselves desire, attachment and selfishness, they will experience peace cessation of nirvana for Nirvana is not like Lai gift.

One day, the Buddha saw the Jalita swimming underwater while snow down continuously for seven days and nights to the sacrificial fire at River Gaya, the Buddha taught that:

"The clean by washing with water never has. Those who bathe in the waters of True and Evil, that is pure ".

Buddha said that all the water in the world, including holy water does not have any water washed cruel heart to become honest heart. Only the truth of the Four Noble Truths and the new law gives people become clean, become Saints. It is the invisible water washable ignorance mental afflictions of living beings.

One day, the Buddha was preaching, the Brahmin Buddhist is white Sudarika with that name:

- Bach Blessed! He have to rivers Bahuka to shower?

- Hey, Brother Brahmin! The river is nothing special?

- Master Gotama! I River Bahuka is where people for that river Phuoc should know how to shower daily to baptism.
now the new Exalted says:

- The lack of location, to create negative karma whether bathing the river Bahuka, river Gaya, river Sarassati, river Payaya and the Bahumati River, the river could not make the evil of sin. Who create negative karma, there is no river to make them clean.

- Hey Brahmin teacher! You should shower, the water baptism taught by the Tathagata is: do not lie, do not harm other beings, should not be taken by people, not should Basin stingy. In contrast, although I have go to Gaya rivers and drinking water was also not beneficial to you. "

Thus the baptism and take them to heaven without ever have in Buddhism and the Buddha himself denied that he takes dread to go to Heaven, Bliss. So Buddhism called quadrilateral. Buddha who is awakened in the dream of ignorance and his teachings called for sentient beings to awaken means Buddha beings to cultivate yourself and try to liberate themselves Buddhist do not expect greatness and power save level. In other words, people want it yourselves eat it, others can not eat yourself full.

So can anyone standing in front of the Buddha in a position with dignity and not in a position pleading, begging.

Listen to remarks Professor Lakshmi Nasara wrote in his book "Essence of Buddhism":

- Just talk about Buddhism, we can confirm that this religion free from all fanaticism. Buddhism in order to create in each individual an inner transformation by winning himself.

Throughout history, reason and faith are opposed to each other. Reason, logic and their thinking comes from experience and comments, while faith in emotional range, it can not reasonably consider or explain. Thus the divine religion, faith is God perceived by the heart, not by reason. Love found in the heart, based on very emotional ups and downs, so it is sometimes right, sometimes wrong, sometimes hurt with hate. Conversely compassion comes from wisdom, wisdom based on the objective spirit of equality and impartiality. Further, for those religious revelation, miracles, miracles are important. Conversely Buddha considered as insignificant and irrelevant because the most important thing is training the mind to enlightenment. For Buddhism, the miracle is not necessarily enlightened or the sages so as Buddha, the most sublime divine miracle and the most magical is how making a foolish person wisdom and intelligence.

What Is Buddhism a religion?

Based on the explanation of scholars H. G Wells, religious education is central to determining the moral dignity of man.

Philosopher Aldous Huxley defines religion as follows:

- Religion is a system of education, by means people can train themselves. First of all the changes they want to make room for his personality in society. The second is to raise the conscience and establish the relationship between man and the universe to which they are a part of it.

Common religious belief go hand so all the world's religions believe god is, savior busy sun and the sky. Only Buddhism does not believe in god, do not believe in god, do not believe in anyone, but can believe in their ability to escape from all the implications of his own negativity, ignorance that Germany Buddha is the guide, is omniscient levels.

Buddhism opened a philosophical ideology is based on the magical osmosis ideological emptiness (Prajnaparamita) to the lead them to thoroughly grasp the true form of things and not necessarily perceive things through the world object. The profound teachings of the Buddha, to bring attention to a static mental state thoughtfully and clearly many people are religious, others are philosophical or psychotherapy. So, when referring to the world and the phenomena is a very important issue, a profound philosophical problem, if people look at it through the lens of philosophy.
But for Buddhist, whether people call it religion, education, philosophy, or Whatever, it does not add or remove anything valuable because theory is still in the vicious circle of duality, the relative world of birth is death. But it is far more important to the teachings of the Buddha to speak objective truth, say the original form and the objective existence of the universe exist. But whether human reasoning based on any aspect, aspects, one thing is sure that everyone agrees that the Buddha is not a god, savior, He is omniscient gods , is a great teacher only.

So Buddhism can be called a religion without religion. Why not have faith? Because Buddhism is a way to help them experience the truth yourself to enlightenment that do not believe there is a God, a god that can give pleasure sufferings or their salvation. That want to reach the end of this summit, the disciple of the Buddha must have faith. But faith is to believe in the true teachings of the Buddha who has realized the truth mystery because the Buddha's teachings: "Tathagata the selected language, it's fake language, any type language, any stem fake language "means the words of the Buddha are true, honest, not duplicity and never lie. More important was the disciple of the Buddha must believe themselves able to neutralize, eliminate ignorance and suffering to achieve a calm mind that Nirvana, Bodhi well as Buddhas, Bodhisattvas so . Buddha beings develop the potential and his own efforts to reach a state of absolute bliss and happiness nirvana. Therefore happiness or suffering are caused by people and not depend on some form of absolute power and the Buddha is only a scout master. Buddha spent much suffering and pain to achieve peace, pure nirvana, so he is the symbol of peace, compassion and wisdom.

So the disciple of the Buddha must have faith?

1) From: ie believe in me, my own ability to practice the Buddha but because of ignorance obscures still in crazy pain.

2) Tin others not mean believe in the ruling of the Buddhas to be rescued or be reborn in the world of bliss yourself do not take care of the repair, neutralize negativity ignorance. This is completely contrary to the law of karma in Buddhism. Credit tha here is to believe in the true teachings of Buddha because this is the way, light is magical help students resolve all the ignorance and afflictions in this life. Because Buddha was enlightened before, was the only way they birth if you do not believe in Buddha, how to angle to the path that the Buddha was going to be able to attain the truth which is enlightenment as Buddha. If you yourself can not resolve all the afflictions of ignorance, whether Amitabha western procession of bliss, nor yourself pure bliss. So doing Vimalakirti said: "Depending mind clear, switch Buddha clear" means that every mind is pure joyfulness world we live will the world is bliss.

3) Messages, Fruit: In addition to faith in self, others, the focus of Buddhism is religious messaging. People must be convinced that everyone what you sow yourself will take its retribution. Remember that no others in the world can alter the results of other people that only his fateful steer the boat by yourself only. People do not need to pray, begging for Buddhas, enjoy the other because there begging prayers will never be, because it is contrary to the law of cause and effect. But if students want to know their life will turn out, just look at all the good and evil that we had created certainly will know you will be feeling the happiness or suffering. Want happiness quiet life, you should sow goodness, whereas sows evil people will suffer from pain, unsatisfactoriness, that's all.

Today there are many Buddhists still confused on two words: "Buddha". Buddha does not mean that his prayer van few anything, Buddhist, Buddha gave it. Buddha here is the Buddha taught us the path to enlightenment to every sentient depending in four chapel, and their own circumstances which neutralize the disturbing implications of ignorance . Less be a defilement of ignorance, there is a Bodhi Nirvana. Hence Buddha is Buddha help sentient beings means that is classic, but the beings themselves rowing, driving, practice and live with the new Chief Justice, freedom, peace and liberation. Conversely, if we meditate, chant, recite, over pay, van few, pray that you do not take care of repair, take jealousy nature not Lord, consciousness angry than, please also run by ignorance craving, then this is just practice form, there is no meaning or value at all.
Yes, When Venerable Moggallana prayed and said to the Buddha have mercy save his mother as she lay out the Avici hell. Why the Buddha did not allow, captured eighty publications for us devil Lucifer let her lay on? Not a Buddha can not do it, but he did not do because it completely contrary to the law of cause and effect. If she lay has sown evil people, only she must repent for yourself convert sinners mind the net salary bright mind. If so, her own broken shackles of hell that birth scene peaceful paradise.
Not only Buddhism denies God that Buddhism does not accept Pluto has the right to judge sinners soul in the music realm. When it comes to the audio realm, two volumes "In positive cause and effect" and "Jade calendar business card" is not the Buddhist sutras because it describes a story that happened in China of two other people with the same name but they, captured by demons and then pay more than the world. In fact, his Pluto which the world often refer to is not derived from Buddhism that has been present for a long time in the Vedic scriptures of India. As polytheist should they think that there are angels out of heaven, in the middle of nowhere with nothing and also land in god ... So why the new Chinese Pluto rule over 18 floors of hell. But in the same time there were so many people, such as Vietnam, Thailand, Burma, India, the United States, Britain, France, Canada ... then why he Pluto is Chinese? To dress like opera, opera?
This is affordable due to the imagination of the Chinese people fly? Actually if there Pluto ruled the darker realms of sound, also bribes to reduce crime. But according to Buddhism, hell is not eternal custody more than many people imagine. The picture Lucifer, the devil buffalo horse faces the same passion 18 stories where the hell is the room and, variables and bondage of Karma feel alone. So his moichung beings have a Pluto in my mind that they did not know, it's the said Chon intense mind, the Buddha nature, and is the final judgment of the air.

Like Ananda, lifelong follow attendant to the Buddha, the Buddha praised as first multicultural but why not Arahant in money when Buddha was born? Not perhaps Buddha relentlessly for the Ananda Church? Everything Buddhism the Ananda or for all sentient beings, the Buddha did. It is the Buddhist theory 12 Great Tripitaka to help sentient beings experience the truth for yourself. Mr. Ananda because of his dependence as children and the attendant of the Buddha should not take care of themselves, but just want to know so wide but Ananda is the most close to the Buddha Buddha to Ananda A La Han is!
So after the Buddha's death, his frustration, live in boredom suffering should have suicidal intentions. But when I remember the teachings of the Buddha as he should wake repent all the evil that he had treated the Buddha before. When the mind was completely clear so pure meditation one night that he reached the holy. The Buddhist mystical magical beings can move the "mind". If the mind rigid, religious or not, too, there is no way people can move from ordinary church. Because the mind can move, he Ananda religious Arhats or new Prince Siddhartha into Buddhahood. Venerable Ananda story above was recorded in Review Dai Tri India as follows:

Three months after the Buddha's death, Venerable Mahakasyapa gathering 1000 great Arhats and finally select 500 for the first in classic mountain exhaust fan, Rajagrha. He Mahakasyapa in meditation, and then use the Heavenly label consistency in mass who not clean all afflictions (not certified St. arahat) must be asked to leave the meeting. In 1000 its just Ananda is not pure, so Mahakasyapa hand drive Ananda out of them and said:

- Now in our pure aggregation scriptures, he not fetter clean (negativity) should not be here.

Then Ananda ashamed sad cry, thought to himself: "I was twenty-seven years Exalted servant, close to taking his fault, never suffering like this.
Seeing that false religion Mahakasyapa said:

- His crime is that the Buddha did not want women ordained, because he kindly recommend visiting, for their new Buddha ordained reason that Buddha's Dhamma is only five hundred years decline. It is a sin Punching-afflictions-la (Dunkrta) of him.

Ananda said:

- I pity she Cu-talks-mobile. Again, according to the Buddhas of the three have four of them (monks, nuns, credit good men and women), why Sakyamuni not have?
Mahakasyapa said:

- When the Buddha was about to kill near Kusinagara, his back pain should undergo four medical grade Au-most-la-rose to lie and told him, "I need water," he indifferent not taken. That is his crime burn-lotus-leaves.
Ananda replied:

- When there are over five hundred carts tape to wade through water to turbid stream so I not taken.
Mahakasyapa said:

- Even though it was cloudy, the relative power of Buddha can make muddy water into clear water, did you not get? It is a sin of his burn-lotus-leaves. He Repent.
Mahakasyapa said:

- Buddha taught: "If the smart practice four god-sufficient, you can live more or reduction a lifetime are" why he was silent no sir. Buddha asked three times, he remained silent. If he said to the Buddha, the Buddha skilled practitioner four god-sufficient, he should live a life or non life. Because of the silence of said that new Exalted death. It is a sin of his burn-lotus-leaves.

Ananda replied:

- That obscures my mind should not be and not malice that I said to the Buddha.

Mahakasyapa said:

- He ranked medical Sangha-front of the Buddha that his foot stepped on. It is a sin of his burn-lotus-leaves.

Ananda explains:

- When he winds emerge without anyone help me hold y should the wind as he fell down at my feet and not I do not respect that step on the Buddha.

Mahakasyapa said:

- After Buddha's death, he expressed the idea that Pronunciation of Buddhist Museum (male parts) for women who do not know bad. It is a sin of his burn-lotus-leaves.

Ananda replied:

- And then I thought: If the woman Minister Ma Museum of pronunciation, to make them ashamed desired female body should be close son, Buddhist monk Minister, plant stem merit. So I showed the woman not bad not know one that tried to breaking world.
Mahakasyapa said:

- He has six offenses such burn-lotus-leaves should be repentance among the Sangha.

A Nan please obey of elders Mahakasyapa that his hands straight, glossy coat right shoulder and repentance six counts Punching-legs-la.

Venerable Ananda Mahakasyapa chased out not to attend the meeting so upset weeping shown at the time of mind, Ananda is the flesh that is of interest since there is still an affinity with foreign ceiling should also sad suffering . But crying is not holy actions, but it also works wonders pain in the mind so that very night, Ananda went awakening meditation, meditation, thinking the law, caring for direction. But Ananda has a lot of wisdom, but wonder where less disturbing force should not break it obstructions that not fake a saint. Last night out, too tired to stay, so just lay down not touching the pillow, suddenly Ananda show enlightened, like the glint that he entered the Vajra that destroy all negativity mountain, witness the mind mystically transformed and became Arhats. That night, Ananda went to Increase knock called the Mahakasyapa asked:

- Who's that knocking?.

Ananda said:

- Tonight I have an end to all illegal.

Mahakasyapa said:

- Do not open the door! He kept the keyhole on.

Ananda then used Spirit of forces in the keyhole on, my foot Sangha repentance.

Above passages demonstrate eloquently that the Buddha is the only way to go or not because they should have no problem praying, begging, and bowing to satisfy the selfishness of human sexuality Buddhism. So in from Ten Second Chapter glass (of Forty Two Chapter) Buddha taught that: "A disciple but one thousand miles away, but always think about and practice the world to us, surely they are directed through . Conversely, who is close to us, but not common practice in our legal world, ultimately to no religion. "

So, for Buddhism, heartless means letting go is the ultimate cure for so the ancients also sentence: "heartless direct human" means that the new heartless are true practitioners. Conversely people with intellectual acumen, broad understand many are difficult to achieve the truth because their minds full of sense of discriminatory treatment. For as well as the practitioner sits on the crew, if the width of the lot is like carrying both heavy classic treasure on a small boat. Did not get to the shore of enlightenment that both the boat and sink into deep sea cycle of birth and death.

4) Tin The Doctrine: The Buddhism also teaches credits, doctrine. They are:

Chu evil desert

Documents of good service

Technical temptations

Buddhist monks

That is all evil do not have to do, even the little evil. We should do all the good deeds whether it is a small improvement. Small deeds into good deeds large and small evil things will add up to the evil. Try to keep the mind pure, inner bar in the morning. This is the teaching of the Buddhas.

In the spirit of trust, of the Buddhist faith is not contrary to reason and also plays an important role on the path of enlightenment with wings bring energy to the diligent, persistent practice . No confidence inducing, promoting, people will delay, slack and possibly falter before the difficulties and challenges of life. But superstition and bigotry has no place in Buddhism because Buddhism is the path of wisdom, of the destruction of ignorance. That ignorance is the root of superstition and fanaticism that is misguided belief leads to suffering.

Buddhism in the world today, including Theravada, Mahayana and Tantric, so how their faith?

1) Faith for Theravada Buddhism, Theravada or Hinayana: Looking back centuries after the Buddha's death, spiritual devotee in the form of rituals, religious cult of a continued expansion in folk make great influence to the evolution of Buddhism. Shortly after the Buddha's death in Kusinagara, the kings of the neighboring countries back codes to POWs save the damaged relics of the Buddha, as the relics, teeth, hair, to bring about worship in their countries. In fact, the cult of relics is entirely contrary to the advised of the Buddha. Before death, the Buddha taught that:

"After Buddha's death, things that you must keep the dharma. Dharma will replace us in this world. Please take care of dhamma ".

Unfortunately, ordinary look of the Dhamma as something too abstract to be able to rely on. While relics, a finger, a tooth, a hairline though not the Buddha's matter, as well as the growth of the cult of man. Today as Theravada countries as Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, Laos, Cambodia ... holy Buddha. Buddhists in this country worship, honest, and ask the enough the Devotional spirit of the powerful they like.

2) Faith to Mahayana Buddhism: Characteristics of Mahayana worship Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Compassion commune blowing, because people forget their the bodhisattva vow direction are most encouraging in the Mahayana sutras. Mahayana has many sects, so also depends on which sect of belief change.

- First of Zen Buddhism, the faith is not an important thing because there is nothing to believe. Based into Prajna ideas, the things not being as illusory coast period in the world where something is really that interested bother. Who meditate just believe in the teachings of the Buddha and the ability to own enlightened self ie. Because the only things this mind that is all, the mind is the Buddha, this is all so we only need to go back to in which to live fully reflective optical with Chon center, right there, is the Ultimate Bliss , Nirvana. Religious texts or legal means, the finger that truth is an end. The Sixth Patriarch Hui Neng also taught that: "France must be in the nature of the Buddha that bridge, towards outside body that bridge, self does not have a bathtub. Must find own mind, I shall give them to you soon revealed a Buddha. "

- Monday to Pure Land Buddhism is the faith is now essential. In contrast to the practice of meditation is "No", the pure land has applied the "Yes". There is of Amitabha Buddha, western scenes bliss, be reborn ie Buddhas or Bodhisattvas to lead them in the Western world. Practice the Pure Land must have confidence in the "Yes" to be reborn on sanctions. He Hui Far into life Southern Song Dynasty in China has launched the Pure Land sect. The patriarch of the Pure Land notion that degenerate time, Buddhist practitioners can not afford to slowly extricate themselves ie "lack of self-reliance," so they called on the ruling of the Buddha Amitabha to salvation and transmission power on. "Yes" and "No" depending on the way of looking at the world based on the phenomenon or can because if based the General outside it. According to The Hidden Truth As inner calm, all is not.
Glass panels says: "Excellence means no and no means sharp" so that is not and is not two but one that is non-dual. In other words, Zen is refined and that is the meaning of Zen Meditation Pure and of course in Pure Meditation. For example, the Buddhist concept to eradicate delusion in the mind away is goodwill (Xa-ma-tha) that is self-adhesive. Visualize Amitabha ie meditation (tam-ma-bowl-topic) means from the intellectual or spiritual. When the two cores together is called Zen Na ie only-Quan initiates or-living-Insight. So "Yes" or "No" only a means, which is to say, not an end because the true nature is not nor should not be. (Madhyamarg).

If you look at the psychological aspect of Buddhist religious faith on the net does not seem any different to the faith of Christianity or Islam means faith toward God, Jesus or Allah. Because of the similarities in what is now the modern country in Europe, America, even Australia where Pure Land Buddhism fastest growing community in the Chinese and the Vietnamese few practice Pure Land hardly attract local people. People more civilized, the more advanced insight into the law of karma means "people want no new yourselves to eat it, others can not eat yourself full." So if you believe in the ruling for their salvation, according to Protestants, Catholics or Muslims do not need to be converted.
Christians just believe in God, do something good enter into the kingdom of heaven that against vegetarianism suffering, photography full six bases and right contemplation continuity ie day and night recite unbroken attention . But for people in the West, they want to learn, study and practice something new and different, in the self-reliance of people in accordance with the law of causality not only appropriate but also with the rise development of science and civilization. Does the idea of ​​"self-suicide" is the cause of Mahayana meditation even insight meditation, the four foundations of mindfulness meditation of Theravada Buddhism is prevalent in the community development in the West? They feel more comfortable when practicing meditation for a peace of mind that is their own self-driving car destiny, free paddle boat paramitas to initiate open nature that experiences purity cessation is Nirvana.
Westerners studying Buddhism, learn to meditate, they feel comfortable, peaceful and happier than when they believe in god. Buddhism does not worship any god they worship only your glass Buddha because he is enlightened truth, speaking and living out the truth. So if the Buddhists speak the truth, live righteously, truth, peace, joy, and liberation, as well as Buddhist nirvana. They know that the ultimate reality which is the Bodhi mind and passed away already in nirvana they do not need search no further. It is less disturbing part is one part Nirvana, a little less ignorant, wise up a little more wisdom. Peace, joy and happiness and liberation is not found in their religion. This is a very real challenge, and appropriate compensation in the results match very mysterious right now without waiting for the declared expectations grace by whom or in the next life.
Ancient Buddha went into meditation that is the truth and all his disciples also through meditation that Arhats. Mr. Ananda but multicultural as first, well-known school wide know that the mind, not meditation, not in university life not attained Sainthood and women have suffered sexual worth -. For Buddhism, the main idea is the source of fascination to the human mind even more confusion and delusions are the product of it. So meditation is to stop and destroy methods this thoughts. Therefore, once the turbulent waves of thought has ended, they will see the light of the moon lighting truth always. From here you will realize that life is very relaxed, peaceful mood in the full bliss serene comfort.

Now if you look at the Pure Land with a psychological aspect, the argument that sentient beings in samsara always diving Hup, immersed in the ocean of birth and death damnation and live in ignorance crazy so new to Bo- Bodhisattva and Buddha. Back in the realms of bliss, people born from the lotus, like what is this, from a tough business, want to eat, feed, eating from the need to wash clean, the food and drink away . Also purple yellow floor guards, clothing items as you like and live longer infinite. In other words, in the realms of bliss, people no longer know suffering, life was so happy, this is the blissful nirvana. Then practitioner to do? New hard to find Nirvana, there is new ignorance Bodhi. Not know tam suffering, bowl suffering, the Four Noble Truths in place? No suffering, no sentient beings, take what works for basic operation from then? No pain, no worry about what they need to practice? Not practice the Four Noble Truths and the Clerk of operation, how to become a Buddha?

But if the look deep (dark intention of the Buddha), purification and meditation all have the same purpose as the mind into a place. Heart of man kills every moment of (60 moments per second) to know how changing ideas as mental health code so that weak capacity to become poor. This use means such as meditation and Buddha in the mind to a place, no longer scattered, and shall be the province that is wise. If we recite Amitabha to up unless delusions, attachments, each sentence thoughts will wipe delusions do purity. For as capital light of, but because of wind shook the light overshadowed. If you now take the wind shade, the lamp will light up. So if sentient beings throughout the day over reciting Amitabha Buddha, said the focus on the red list at work, at rest until at least the heart of any disorder, the dualistic illusion of ignorance, the RDC Special beings have Buddha will end and they will realize the truth of miracles immediately. Remember, most sophisticated real center of pure disorder ie holy arahat of the Zen.
So whether people have called it the ruling of Amitabha, known as meditation, called bile, called teachers where there is a difference because the realization of the truth, can not speak or express written language itself. The ability to release that people think outside the capital that is actually still inside the ruling that is self-reliance, the time still available in us. That is the essence of pure nature, as the eternal Buddha nature in all beings. So if religious people recite until the end to clean delusion and treatment Click mind, and Buddha Amitabha or scenes Pure only in its interior out and not far away. So the new Buddhist saying: "Self-nature Amitabha, idealistic Pure" is.
Buddha came to mind to any disorder before being reborn means that the Buddha came to no-thought is the concept that no longer know what you're concept which is that Mind is the Buddha-mind. It's: "at Amida own wife between mindfulness" being "United declarations for the Buddha realized the unborn." United open with Buddhism ie Minh Tam Tanh and contingency unborn means no birth and no death that is certified to the unborn entity. Thus, meditation or recite only the media, are saying, but the end is still a. Whether people call it intelligent mind its nature, any disorder or called Whatever, in Buddhism there is only one flavor is unique enlightenment. So in the Pure Land, the structure:

Three blessings can, six concept based

Keeping three clean industry in the short

A verse effects are not left bored

Amida prayer that evidence dharmakaya.

So if we can leave the General and enter the leg as the Nirvana, Bodhi manifest themselves. That is: "Taking care of clear, switch Buddha clear" means that when we have perfectly pure mind, the world they are living is the pure land.

There are questions that Purification due to heliocentric any confusion, also Zen place?

There is no place at all. What people called the Minh Tam nature means that your mind that same throughout space, limitless wealth sides, everywhere is of the mind. It is foot care, Buddhahood same throughout. Chinese Pure Land Buddhism which also called Contact cardboard is a school to be widely circulated in China. 402, He Hue Far (334-416) a contemporary of Master Kumarajiva, established White Contact socially, in which he brings together a group of 123 people, including monks and lay people gathered in front of Amitabha and vowing born on the Western world bliss. According to the Chinese, he is regarded as the first group of Pure Land, but really when it comes to practice Buddha, Great Strength Bodhisattva is the primary organization of the practice. Then there is sexual immorality (476-542) is a positive development and bring the Pure Land to everyone. Master said that in degenerate time, the self does not have the strength to escape. Master does not accept the arduous path of other sects and only acceptable solutions "easy" is based on the ruling of the Buddha Amitabha. He thought that we only need to mind to contemplate the name of Amitabha Buddha is enough to his birth on the realms of bliss. Characteristics of Pure Land is the fervent belief in Buddha Amitabha and His saving power.

Buddha has said that he is a teacher, not a savior, god so Buddhism is a way to help them discover the truth yourself, get yourself free Buddhist enlightenment but not salvation, for anyone. Bodhi, Nirvana is due beings themselves resolve all ignorance and afflictions that have not by the Buddha, Bodhisattva bestowed. Less part ignorance, part Bodhi, neutralize a unhappiness is a peaceful Nirvana's it. Buddha sacrificed royal life, not afraid of rain the sun beams, working very hard time trying to find the truth. Until his enlightenment brought gold cherry planted all over the place, bring compassion sprinkle water to save people to "leave his suffering and be happy" no distinction is also King Princess government or poor thatched roof of the farmer so there is no place in India without a Buddha footprint. If this is not the "Tha Buddha resources" have been for them then? But in Buddhism there is no saving grace because it goes against the laws of cause and effect development objective of all things in the physical universe.

In Doing A Ham, the story her Kisa Gotami as follows:

Kisa Gotami with her son accidentally bitten die. For so love their beloved son so she Kisa can not accept death. She brought the corpse from house to house to find drug treatment, but no one could help her. Finally she virtually Buddha. Buddha said:

- If you could give me a handful of ashes (books that canola), we will help you. However, the year did not come from the house in which no one died.

Kisa go to every house in the city. Everywhere people have compassion for her suffering circumstances should anyone give her years. But when asked any family who also died. That is when you, the parent, spouse or child as her. So frustrated, she returned to the Buddha with hands. Buddha saw suffering woman and asked:

- You've been holding her ashes?

- Oh! I embraced the child was cold and go knocking on doors to ask for things that ash. Ash did not lack anything, but not with no new or death, or the death of a long time. Tired but still did not find this out because he just saved any player that he has taught to save my son.

Buddha put a hand on his shoulder Kisa like to vent a great damage to it and said in a voice laments:

- Kisa! Where no such things ash. Since death is a common law of the creatures in this universe. Yesterday I told you to look for things that ash is essential for you to realize that "It's the human condition that suffer their mortality." No one can escape from this harsh law of impermanence. Yesterday you thought alone you pain. Now you have to understand that all of humanity will suffer the same as that. The pain of you is one of the pain of the whole of humanity. This is a tear in the ocean of tears only. You should not overly lament not being able to change the harsh laws. If I can save you the oil needs blood to bone me I will not.

She Kisa feel consoled so later she went to the Buddha, to become His disciples and then show St. arahat.

Based on the above story, the Buddha also can not change human beings because the truth of Buddhism is who does this and only we can change our life and destiny that only. Thus there is no charge, salvation in Buddhism because Buddha is the great master not god.

Bourgeois Anathapindika (Anàthapindika) is the largest benefactors to support the Buddha and the Sangha. He same prince States-Da (Jeta) built monasteries States Vienna where Buddha preached during the 19 season retreat. When lay Anathapindika ill dying, Buddha or information immediately to the Venerable Sariputta and Ananda visited. After visiting the condition, Venerable Shariputra advised him to Anathapindika eye should not be born already infected with excellent hearing, not to rebirth and infected in bar ceiling ... In general though the six exposure six ceiling but do not start discrimination and ran in six ceiling. Then he mentioned he Anathapindika to mind immersed chromosome body four elements (earth, water, wind, fire) is born craving. Do not mind holding the body of the five aggregates (form, feeling, perception, volition, consciousness) is born craving. Bourgeois Anathapindika listening to Dharma talks immediately in tears and said:

- Until now I never heard sermons like that, now to be heard.

Venerable Ananda his also prompted legal advice to the Anathapindika. Remind, lecture finished, two false religion from the false left. Then soon, Anathapindika common destiny lay in the heavens First Rate.

Thus for Buddhists dying, the Buddha and his disciples to visit, explain the doctrine reminds patients and in-depth information on the Three Jewels which relieved to leave and not chanting support concept . If healthy Buddhists often chant Heart Sutra, you should remind them remember the verse: "Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva of deep Prajna Paramita Most times, projector reviews snooze aggregates not necessarily suffering the yoke. " If they answer "Me" then asked: "Screening for the five aggregates period mean?". If their interpretation is correct, then asked: "So you have found aggregates period not?". If they have seen through all the tribulations that go disengaged. If they have not seen it reminded them provinces. Or may prompt a question of doing Vajra: "Everyone owns Minister period falsehoods, Weak Text Minister, Africa Minister ie ants Tathagata" to wake them their do not regret body, your money, even my wife and children, go gently. Such is their deathbed, not up Buddhist altar, then chanting typing open and they were themselves love themselves tired, not wise, either side has nothing.

Once there was a young Bhikkhu new direction, but ill ask Buddha to visit:

- Do you regret anything?

- Buddha! I have regrets.

- He transgression?

- Buddha! No transgression.

- No transgression, did he regret it?

- Buddha! New baby home, for legal traders do not possess common network should regret at not being on the place?

Buddha asked:

- Due to the label, the new label?

- Buddha! Right.

- What do you think? Awareness should be in contact. Do contact as an affinity label being painful feeling happy?

- Buddha! Right.

- Since then, ear, nose, tongue, body and mind, too.

Hey Monks! If there is no base, no labels, right?

- Buddha! Right.

Hey Monks! Without awareness there is no contact. If there is no label, no contact being predestined painful feeling happy?

- Buddha! Right.

- Ear, nose, tongue, body and mind should reflect the same.

- So monks have such legal thinking skill. At general peace clause, the next life is also good.

Remind finished teaching, the Buddha left, moments after the young monks common destiny. Time of death of the monks was so pure and bright face color, attained Nirvana.

Buddha reminds the monks that if you want to be free, do not accept yourself, do not accept and do not accept the situation. Therefore if no longer accept cut-hatred-si and of course the mind is pure evidence nirvana. Buddha reminded it is enough for the Buddha and his disciples had no "praying requiem". Why chanting? Because the dying heart condition as gong bell, super bass resonance word proceedings. But grace is also attached, not free, difficult to escape. But remind them to understand that "aggregates period not" means that the body is not real, this world is not real, life as a dream, fast as lightning, cloud shadow, see it and then take it . Even relatives also not true because the coast is about you, and you, the wife, husband, and children are children until grace tan, each of them every fall. Understand how they easily let go, no longer anxious ie "all suffering yoke". Join-san-si, lucid mind, joyful liberation and nirvana are manifest. Of course they will be salvation.

Thus, Buddhism does not believe in the salvation that insight into cause and effect, to believe in the statement of the Buddha when he attained enlightenment is: "I am the Buddha, sentient beings are Buddha" and of course news final statement before his death: "People lit torch yourself go". This is the bright torch of wisdom that he himself raised to the revelation and the message that we must "self-learning, self-repair and self-awareness that a Buddha".

But according to the Pali texts, the basic teachings of Theravada, Pure Land, or rebirth understand how?

According to the Pali scriptures, noun Suddhavasa (a compound of two words Suddha means pure and Avasa means accommodation) can be understood as Pure Land, common only to the realms of natural. Longer term Sukhavati Sanskrit means place, Lac soup. Therefore Chinese Pure Land realm of bliss rather Pure Land. As the owner of a billion miles, all 5 Pure Land located in 16 realm of Brahma Friends sharp. It is the world without mind, without heat, Compassion, prejudice and Sac cure. Because of the organic realm excellent in 5 Pure Land there are castles, gardens very solemn, but not to enjoy, but only a place of spiritual purification.

For Theravada Buddhism, Theravada, all four rows Holy places in Thanh written plenty. They are:

1) The results from the momentum complete (Sotapatti): If we remove three secondary afflictions: the body (that is the body of elements as an everlasting immutable because of not understanding the law of impermanence, selflessness, birth, birth and death are death be attached in one separate self, and certainly does not change), disbelief (no insight into Buddhism) and precepts players (blind attachment to the doctrine of the cult), they obtained the first Tu is completed. In general, preliminary results indicate that a short period before they complete the upper citadel. This result is also known as hybrid That means the attainment of preliminary results can not be reborn more than seven times or seven lifetimes.

2) II results freezer function: After removing the above three kinds of afflictions, now we continue meditating, Buddha relieve craving and aversion is attained Second Most fruit, also known as hybrid (Sakadagami) because those can only be reborn in the sphere one last time only.

3) A na resultant function: that is captured that is not recycled back to the 11 sex realm. By Avici Pali funeral, if we completely stop craving (hope attachment of the five ceiling) and anger will attain the three results A na function. A spokes functions have two options:

- First: If they have the ability to go deep into meditation as to attain the five elaborately, now depending on the strength of the signal, Effort, Mindfulness, Insight that they will be born into one of five Pure Land . Strong signal, the beings of the realms very annoying (Aviha) with life-1,000 eons, Tan powerful, to the Infinite realm heat (Atappa) life span 2,000 eons, high concept, born on planes Shan is (Sudassa) is life 4000 network of man, Dinh stamina existence of realms Good (Sudassi) have 8,000 eons life and knowledge of the students about the brilliant realms Sac ends (Akanittha) with lifespan of 16,000 eons. This is the ultimate place for a rebound we arahat and death.

- Monday: In the case of the Saint A na meditation is not evidenced by a floor function which means you can only cultivate wisdom Meditation (Vipassana) which had never practiced meditation (Samatha), till at common network, this position due to the possibility of sexual isolation without absolute pitch should also be minimum meditation, also low enough to the Brahma realm especially Brahma meditation.

4) St. arahat: is the end all afflictions.

In the spirit of A billion miles Pali, nouns rebirth of Mahayana to understand the super-regeneration that is no longer, be made only by an Arahat. Thus, in the case of those attained from the three results of A na function or less will produce a new 5 Pure Land can be called a rebirth. Like rebirth Pure based on the original spirit of Buddhism should be understood as a part of the way on the journey liberation of a sravakas. Therefore the Pure Land teachings or path rebirth also means three ways of learning journey About The Wisdom and 37 assistant director of the Four Noble Truths.

So practice Pure Land is an end to all people, but based on the original spirit of Buddhism, rebirth does not mean waiting for the result of any one which is on the main road their feet.

Tuesday to tantra or Vajrayana: This sect bearing colorful ceremonies, complex forms and practices with esoteric character contrary to the nature of transmission of Theravada teachings. In terms of doctrine, esoteric based on Madhyamaka thoughts and Duy Thuc, but in fact this sect developed a multitude of gods, rituals, spells, set resolution and mixed with religion Bon Pa (religion spell Note in Tibet before Buddhism was introduced in Tibet). Tibetan Tantric notion that: "samsara is nirvana" so they used all the experience of human life, all mental states, though wicked poor man and to turn them to go beyond binary world-discriminatory treatment attained the truth. Since insomnia transmitted from master to disciple so on the way to practice this is very difficult and complex that the guidance of a teacher is crucial, so the student must have a firm belief the teacher as well as confidence in their own ability to enlightenment.

Thus, the Buddhist faith is only a means, the intellect is only a means, but an essential means while faith is a temporary means of secondary. So whether our students can practice the Theravada, Mahayana, practicing meditation, province or confidential or teachers, the ultimate goal of Buddhism is enlightenment and ultimate faith still believe in the themselves, in their ability to self and believe in the natural purity of nature ie Buddhahood, foot care is always available and constant light in it.

BUDDHISM IN the eyes of Buddhists?

1) The disciple of the Buddha shall not be bound by any dogma, doctrine, or the taboo because Buddhism denies minded dogmatic fanaticism and extremism. If you do not believe in the Buddha, such person shall not be punished or banished to hell, but if they do bad or evil, they are living in Hell. Buddhist teachings like the pill, if taken sick and did not drink, it may continue to live in ignorance crazy suffering, subject to birth and death is all.

2) The life and death of the man is due to causal and not due to spirits or Nam Tao, North Star, wiped out. All the happiness or misery of man is their own hand-made for you God is not involved. Ask how many natural disasters, terrible accidents and how bloody wars caused by who? Is this due to the bottomless pit of greed of people who work to make the community industry, strongly karma incurred painful retribution mourning or by a god as disgusted with the human race cause ? In this world this universe nothing is fixed. If there is no movement in the world, the universe, man is no longer, does not exist. Due to the movement of the earth shook loose lava blocks inside that create earthquakes, volcanoes. So in the spirit of Buddhism, there is no god can be cruel punishment, human destruction and cause painful death everywhere but here only the main results that people have created for themselves .

Furthermore, when we talk about God, Brahma, or gods, the Buddha taught that:

"Thus, the key is wanted and the work of God, which man becomes murder, theft, adultery, slander, coarse, nonsense, envious, desire, malice, mischief and misunderstandings. So, for advocates of the spirit is the main cause of all these things. "

In Tuc Birth Stories (Maha Bodhi Jataka) also said: "If there is a god full blessing or peace for His own creatures were created and for them it's good or bad actions, the gods was indeed sinful. Because people only executor of the will of god ".

So if you say God is omnipotence, perfection, why He created the human world filled with sin suffering? Why create so much water off in heaven yoke, destruction, killing living beings? Thus, His mercy? So prayer can relieve natural disasters, sabotage, war or human suffering? So Buddhism denies the existence of human spirit in life. In the spirit of Buddhism, it's the people that have to deal with issues such as war and peace, our own happiness or suffering. War and peace are decided by the people can not stick up for what I found heaven.
If people know how to live tolerance for loving each other, they turn war into peace, whereas if the leaders run dark ambitions, from peace to war killing is all. In addition, due to the motion of the earth, volcanoes, of the whirlwind ... according to the law of impermanence:, cylinders, tanks, do not harm humans. In general, it is also due to human greed destroys its own habitat through war, nuclear experiments, through the destruction of natural, burning forests destroyed trees ... creating impact danger to human life lines. Human beings as well as to satisfy the greed that goes against nature should daily take over from the earth, from the sea millions of everything from diamonds to gold, silver, aluminum, iron, gas, oil and millions of tons of toxic waste caused misery through natural disasters, earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, droughts, etc. So people can not believe there is a god that can ruthlessly punished, human destruction and cause painful death mourning everywhere. When corn so people do not fear god, worshiped gods, van shoulders and pray in the spirit.

3) the first words of the Buddha when he had attained enlightenment under the Tree Bodhi is "in every sentient everyone has the same Buddha nature" means any living beings also have the ability to practice Buddha as Buddha. This is the spirit of equality that only Buddhism. So for Buddhists, once imbued with the spirit of equality of the Buddha as their consciousness will not have class, no racial discrimination, no Buddhist Buddhist rich and poor , no Buddhists smart or stupid Buddhists. So when the Buddha Buddhist worship, reverence what Buddhahood is available in its people and respect all the noble virtues which are available in their own nature if known and not play to the Lord, begging or praying to meet the demands arising from his desires.

4) When people know offshore fake temporary pleasures of the world to promote the radical potential of compassion and wisdom, they will have peace and purity of nirvana without asking, van few anything because Nirvana Bodhi already available in them and not by the Buddha bestowed by nature. Buddhism advocates defilements away Bodhi and birth and death that Nirvana. Why? In life, people for chasing pieces of rice and clothes, identity of fame which themselves create many afflictions hide nature Bodhi should live in dark ignorance. Now if we wake up, optical back reflections to neutralize all those disturbing dark clouds of ignorance disappears and Bodhi magical light slowly appears in the mind. Samsara is suffering. In this world all objects are the natural purity of nature, the not pollution so-called legal nature, as well as all beings are nature Bodhi Buddhist called Buddhahood.
For example, plants, mountains, deep forests where high-charismatic, charming none, but people saw the scene and love, excellent hospitality disasters. Therefore take sexual love is in the eyes of the ignorant people still do not always natural pure innocence, not pollution. Man, too, if we look at the world through the eyes crave sex, what is love and love, but also that people now understand the direction you will recognize that all things period should no longer cling, wreck drunk. Understand religion, there is also no it does not matter, all just a means to live and not see it as the end of life. True life will be pure mind that Buddha nature is displayed.
So the Buddha nature is always available in all beings as well as the the constant sun always shines bright. But if people follow the afflictions of ignorance, the Buddha nature disappeared as well as the dark clouds obscuring the sun. What world do pollution, suffering or speak more clearly than six bases, six of the ceiling, six and seven is not the cause of the evil of sin. Suffering is man himself bound, tied himself to the Buddhas sky is bound to none. When people know the beginning of the short, contemplative thinking to take off, remove all the bondage is his main work, the pain slowly disappear, destroyed pollution and of course happiness, bar purification and liberation of nirvana out without the need to pray at all.

5) In human history, from ancient to modern, many devastating wars, how many scenes brothers, parents, spouses, children, villages, kill, kill each other just because of his greed, jealousy. Buddha's teaching is the mysterious medicine heal injured people closer together because also take-yard-si human suffering. Because they want to satisfy human greed should never enough, not happy with what they have. The rich, the rich want more so lucid mind not to easy to do something illegal, immoral life but too hard later on. Large national devouring the small, the strong bullying the weak voltage dependence her ... For example, the old tyrant Qin Shihuang dependable power takeover six vassal that where he lives happy always afraid there who should avenge his loss of appetite and sleep just to see the whole nightmare.
Because he wanted to live long enough to satisfy the sexual frenzy, so he sent confidante to find the elixir of immortality, but he eventually died from drinking to poison mercury. Therefore the Buddha said "basics sexual minority" is happy. Indeed, the rich do not make that life is happy because there is more to the bigger worry. Name wealth as well as wear on the shoulder yoke, the yoke bigger, heavier shoulder shall have no pleasure whatsoever. Also poor knows packed, cultivate moral, on agreement under Republic'm nothing was suffering because of happiness or suffering is in said live so who also have a saying: "Riche most preferential liquidation you peace ". So people do not understand, at the time of death into poverty hit a sadness that is:

"The heart around the turn more and more around the turn,

Status gloomy gloomy "

So:

"Being sad heart disease, sad birth and heart disease".

So happy in all circumstances be happy. So Buddha said:

"Craving is the origin of suffering and pain. Everything will eventually change, so should not be entangled attachment or something. Should photography in search of truth and purity to reach eternal happiness. "

Know basics sexual minorities are happy to live with the physical conditions possible for man to have full health for cultivation of virtue, and this is the most effective way to cut off the grid lust, peace body mind and have a lot of time helping others. From which we can photography pure mind means control, not to heart run naked troubles that is the truth and of course, Bodhi, Nirvana apparent ie eternal happiness so .

What the Buddha comes from life experience and attainment of ourselves so He taught us the iron will, wisdom supreme, selfless service, escape and life mirror form of benefit for oneself, for others. Great man, a great ball from the great heart intelligence, superior education methods that the Buddha has made the world admire him as a supreme master in the history of mankind. Buddhism is a way to help our students experience the truth that the Buddha himself is the guide, Scout. Therefore all the Buddha's teaching is the means by which to realize the new truth is the cure-all for the words of the Buddha intended for human comfort, not for people to accept it. Why? For new Comfort human efforts to find the answer, this is the the mysterious project are to help them experience the truth.
That is the way that ancient Buddha. Because the truth can only experimental evidence can not describe whether the Buddha did not speak, so he just said that "I have never said a word" is. In other words, the Buddha said life is suffering beings because He said so. If the Buddha is god, he just thought um Ba Di Red Bat II and then milling the whisk is world do still suffering. Know life is suffering, but he can not resolve the suffering of sentient beings that each person must free himself took his own suffering implications that the Buddha is only guidance only.

But Buddha has confirmed that he is not a god, not God, not the savior, but why every year the Vietnamese Buddhist temples abroad are mailing to a call for an requiem for Buddhists? Is this due to your compassion Teacher sentient beings? Is really requiem of Buddhism?

To account for this question, we are pleased to quoted verbatim a passage in the "Academic Buddhism level 2" by The Guardian French Translation Tibet Vietnam published as follows:

"... For super practice chanting for the dead, according to the monk Security Act, which is not a traditional practice of Buddhism. This practice began in China since the Tang Dynasty. So by using copy, in 738, Emperor Tang Xuan Zong had decreed for the nation, in every district to build a temple, are named Kaiyuan Temple (Khai Nguyen is the second dating Huyen Tong). That temple, due to the local custodian, used to host the ceremony details, for national security state population. Doing this just makes sense to bring grace of the Buddha to the national as well just to show the authority of the central government.
In 755, An Lushan rebellion, pulling troops occupied the city, making Huyen Tong to run the in Sichuan asylum. A year later, the court quash the invaders disorders. In this war, the deaths of the soldiers of both sides and civilians no end. Went to court edict to all Kaiyuan temple in the country, sometimes you high rise great faith, ceremony chanting deficit for soldiers and civilians have died in the last war, and comfort families of the victims. People that the court do so, Then imitate them, every time in the house with the dead, and he invited the monks chanting deficit. From that Requiem for the dead become a tradition in folk. "

King Tang Xuan Zong than using the power of a king that forced Thai Duong Chan's then-lover General An Lushan on supply as Ocean Africa. So too enraged An Lushan takeover king Sichuan Tang I have run into refuge. On the four three training ships, the king bite to please three military minister who kills Thai Duong Africa. Although captured Chang'an, Thai Ngoc Duong Chan became natural to An Lushan only grasp in the hands of a body cold, stiff, foul smell burned, watery yellow. If An Lushan "impure body shop" mean contemplation to know that the human body is a mess, bad burned and covered by a thin layer of skin smooth soft outside to lure people into the ring poor as well as sugar-coated poison pill, even though there are ten Thai Duong Chan, An Lushan no film, not cause disturbances to wait to hug the zombie rotten neighbor he knows this body is impure. So whether West Construction, civil, until old age, when the disease has not escaped the harsh law of impermanence. So the old saying:

Cheeks fresh apricot flavor, peach pistils,

Saw before her eyes, yet available.

All come a thick skin Affairs,

Secretly cut the intestines do not use a knife.

That is when you see a beautiful, wonderful colors period human eyes forever not leave and Gas irritated heart fluttered yet available. But after all it is only the external appearance because inside is a thick skin is burned. Therefore more passion for beauty, the more prone to disaster as well as the old King Wu Phu Sai beauty charm Tay Thi, offers fun on Co Radio but forget Jiangshan Kingdom should later be King progressive pulling the army to make breaks and King Ngo to die. So guys take the moral passion of lust, fade, the couple any peace, corruption room.

Vietnamese is not anyone who did not know the familiar images of Thuy Kieu, a great period of human identity, was poet Nguyen Du represented as follows:

"Full moon Mold strokes his bouncing.

United pearl laugh utter modesty,

Cloud lost hair snow to give color ...

Th water spring paint strokes,

Willow jealous loser flowers with green than ... ".

How beautiful that why later Kieu also lamented that:

"Leaf sauce rather helpless,

Bare life, never finished.

Flower floating water downstream,

Sorry floating body to sink painful tan ... ".

If beauty truly happy, why Kieu coal sun shall land, such a zombie. Or:

"That:

Beauty so ancient order of thousands,

Where is the silver face with nobody. "

Nguyen Du because they can not explain the phenomenon of a beauty silver face should blame it all to heaven and fatalism of Confucianism. But around the world, from ancient to modern, from east to west is not necessarily everyone is beautiful to suffer "silver blush parts" as Nguyen Du said? How beauty, lady lady full of happiness. Thus, fatalism not make Thuy Kieu suffering, but this is the law of cause and effect of the Buddha has dominant influence life of Kieu and of all living beings. According to Buddhism, if cleverly planted human beings, that person can also create your own retribution to look beautiful on, but that beauty has nothing to do with morality. Therefore, they can be great beauty but still suffer misfortune as often. To have a happy life, they must sow goodness, charity donation, said perseverance to keep morality, filial parents, iron son faithful to your partner, faithful friends, high post with the this causes ... the blessed conditions will be created for them in the next life is not only a great beauty but also the moral charming people love, love.

So that Nguyen Gia Thieu also said:

"Sunset alone royal marriage,

Moon flower only more sad moon flower ".

Now listen to Prince Siddhartha complained to Princess Yasodhara before he left home:

"We're going old and deteriorated. Our first time will cover the silver ash. Oh! In her hand and opaque. Invited her and will sicken the color. I heard of it, in her and in everyone, every day the devastating collapse of the hammer time ... We hold on desperately in me treasures like holding a ball, catch a breath of incense. ".

So the party does not have time remains, the face does not have the time fading so the only beautiful thing in mind is sustainable beauty, never fade and no fear demon impermanence harm.

So pray for peace pray "not" is the Buddhist tradition. We must ask that the Buddha or Bodhisattva can eliminate the suffering, the poor and their problems? In other words, you cause others to transfer the effect be? A food that other people have it? Direct people to receive their own responsibility for what happened to me. Who do good will be rewarded with good results, on the other hand, who sow evil people will be unhappy life charisma that's all. Law of karma is fair, reasonable, and does not favor any one whether it is Buddha. A past life, the predecessor of the Buddha for the foot to create verbal, to this life though the Buddha still have to pay as usual. He had to eat for rice to feed the horses up to 3 months to clear karma. So if people want to improve their life, it depends on changes in behavior, lifestyle and attitudes in order to influence what happens in the future.

Buddha did not teach for peace pray because the bridge would not be because of this result, in the slot, the sour fruit grown mandarin, enjoy fresh fruit that's all. Man alive, life and interests. Lies not enough they also turned to deceit and lies are the Buddhist heaven. But when they die where the physical body longer to cover up his lies, all evil deeds out very clearly in the intermediate (body of thought in vain) to get them re-birth match results of their career. When regeneration is broken ego so baby's head does not remember who they are, where they come from, what did the good and evil. From here it takes on a new shape, sharp new look, new name, new parents brothers family and a new life commensurate with all the results that it has artifacts from past lives. Old self, the old name disappears.
For example old Nguyen Van A now reborn as John Smith, Mr A permanently disappear from the world and, even where that bridge. Once upon a time Venerable Moggallana is holy but not super well for his mother, the ordinary life up there who can guarantee to do? And if this year the temple chanting requiem for our grandparents is ultra-pure birth and the years why the temple also continue mailing to pray? If already super why every year? For many years to be super? According to Buddhism, if you want super-human, alive to worry cultivation of virtue, to do good and avoid evil, to cultivate merit and virtue to make life joyful liberation, pure freed when closed eyes will be peace and salvation without one for anyone willing to spend.

Listen Dr. Oldebburg, a German scholar said:

- The Buddha did not liberate man, but he taught his own people must liberate themselves, as he himself freed Him. People accepted his teachings is the truth, not this doctrine come from Him, but because of personal conviction, awakened by what he taught, rising by their own intellectual light.
Immediately Professor Eliot wrote in his book "Buddhism and Hinduism" that:

- For the first time in the history of the world, the Buddha announced the release of, every human being can achieve by yourself in your life in the world without the help of God or the saints spirit. His emphasis on teaching self-confidence, purity, courtesy of enlightenment, peace and love for humanity. He also emphasized the need of wisdom because without it, the inner psychic non-intrusive in his life.

In short, Buddhism is not barter, not religion proclaimed miracle and also not promising direction. Enlightenment or peace pure nirvana in fact, themselves bring yourself to the Buddha did not proclaim to anyone. So, although Buddhism is the religion of compassion, wisdom and courage, but if people do not believe in loving compassion to the, the fun sufferings to help sentient beings; intellectual capacity development to reach the truth in order to intimately know the true form human universe and courage to overcome the turbulent toddler that victory is his ignorance and afflictions just want to ask, still a few gods to happiness is the way they go definitely "not" Buddhism.END=VIETNAMESE TRANSLATE ENGLISH BY THICH CHAN TANH.MHDT.WORLD VIETNAMESE BUĐDHIST ORDER=VIETNAMESE BUĐDHIST NUNS=GOLDEN LOTUS MONASTERY=AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.28/12/2012.NAM MO SHAKYAMUNI BUĐDHA.( 3 TIMES ).