Wisdom of the Buddhas 3

Life-Changing Journey

Be Mindful of the kindness of Others

Repay the Kindness with Gratitude

Almost five hundred year ago, in China, a father sat down to write to his son. He wanted his son to know what had happened in his life. Many years before, when he was very young, he went to a temple and at that temple, he met a very distinguished man. He naturally paid his respects to this gentleman who in turn told him: “You are supposed to pass the imperial examination next year, why are you not studying?” Mr. Liao Fan, for that was the father’s name, asked the gentleman his name, where he was from, and how he was able to know what Mr. Liao Fan was supposed to do. Mr. Kong, for that was the gentleman’s name, told him that he knew how to predict what was going to happen, and that he was supposed to teach this art to Mr. Liao Fan. 

Mr. Liao Fan went home and being a respectful and filial son told his mother everything that it happened. His mother wisely told him: “Invite the gentleman to our house, but before we believe what people tell us, we need to first test them to make sure what they are saying is the truth; we do not just believe somebody because they say “trust me.” 

They invited Mr. Kong to their home and then asked him to please make predictions for the immediate future. Everything that Mr. Kong predicted turn out exactly as he said it would, so Mr. Liao Fan asked Mr. Kong to please predict his entire lifetime. Mr. Kong then said, “You will pass a such and such an examination on such and such a day, and also attain a certain position. You will not have a son. You will die at the age of fifty-three on the 14^th day of the eighth month between one and three o’clock in the morning.” 

Many years later Mr. Liao Fan was up for promotion. Mr. Kong had predicted that he would not be given a promotion until he had received what would be equivalent in todays measurement system to about 9,150 liters of rice. But when Mr. Liao Fan had received only 700 liters, his name was placed for a promotion and although everything has turned out as Mr. Kong had predicted, he still began to doubt the predictions. But then, due to a change of personnel, the promotion was turned down and it took more years until Mr. Liao Fan was promoted. He did his calculations; he had received 9,150 liters of rice. From then on, he understood everything is destined and he stopped worrying about many things. 

A few years later, he went to a mountain to sit in meditation with a Zen Master. They set for three days and three nights without sleep, food, or water. After this meditation, the master said to Mr. Liao Fan: “You are very young to have accomplished this level of meditation, how are you able to do this?” Mr. Liao Fan very honestly said that he knew everything that was destined, so there was not need to worry about things. At this, the master smiled and began to laugh and said, “I thought you were somebody extraordinary, but actually you are very ordinary, after all. You have not done anything to change your destiny!” To which Mr. Liao Fan replied, “I didn’t know we could change it.” He then asked the master to please explain how we can change our destiny. The master initially told him that destiny could not bind those who cultivate great kindness or those who are thinking only of others, and who have given up thoughts of selfishness. 

Next, the master said that he needed to correct his faults and to seek from within. The master quoted Master Hui Neng, the Sixth Patriarch of Zen, and said, “All the fields of merit are within one’s own heart. If one seeks from the true mind within, one can be in touch with all that one wishes for.” 

Master Yun Gu said to Mr. Lao Fan: “Tell me exactly what was predicted.” Mr. Liao Fan told him everything including that he would not have a son or receive an imperial appointment. The master then asked: “Why do you feel you do not deserve an imperial appointment or a son?” Mr. Liao Fan replied that he was very quick tempered, very impatient, unkind, and he was overly critical of others. He was very harsh in his speech; he would say things purposely to hurt others or just carelessly hurt others, he did not care. 

The master explained to Mr. Liao Fan that such faults were the cause of why he was not getting what he wanted, of why his life was still so difficult. The master then taught Mr. Liao Fan about cause and effect, which is the basic underlying principle to changing our destiny. We need to understand that everything in this life that happens to us is not because of something external to us, rather it is because of things that we have thought, said, or done in our previous lifetimes, because every single one of these will have a result. It may not happen right away. The result may not come for ten years, a hundred years, a thousand years, or a thousand lifetimes; but when conditions are right, the cause will generate an effect. Understanding this is crucial to changing our destiny. 

Master Yun Gu taught Mr. Liao Fan that he needed to regret all of his faults. Like Mr. Liao Fan, first we regret, then we find all of our faults and then we began to change our thoughts and behaviour. This is not easy to do; it takes a long time because we are trying to break the bad habits of many lifetimes. But we need to begin now. 

Mr. Liao Fan was very rare; he honestly told his teacher everything and then he sincerely did everything his teacher recommended. He did not do it for a short while; he did it for the rest of his life and this was how he changed his original destiny. The master told him: “ Live as if everything in the past dissolved yesterday and all the future begins today. If you can accomplish this then you are a person born anew, a person of virtue and sincerity.” The master told him to practice kindness, help others unselfishly without thinking of self-benefit and without any expectation of reward. With this, Mr. Liao Fan paid his most sincere respects to Maser Yun Gu. 

He went to pay his respects to the Buddha and Bodhisattvas and wrote down on a slip of paper his wish to pass the imperial examination and his pledge to perform three thousand virtuous deeds. Passing the examination had not been part of his original destiny. The master taught him that in addition to practicing kindness and good deeds, Mr. Liao Fan was to chant a mantra, because for him this was the most suitable method of practice. Additionally, he was to seek purity of mind, and to stop having wandering wishful thoughts. 

Mr. Liao Fan left the mountain. The following year, he took the preliminary imperial examination and his placement was better then had been destined. He had already started to change his destiny. He was able to see the results so quickly because he was trying so diligently to improve. He watched his every single fault and kept track of all of his merits and demerits, but it still took him ten years to complete his vow of three thousand good deeds; so, there were days that he did not accomplish one good deed! As was said previously, trying to change our bad habits is very difficult. 

After he fulfilled his first pledge, he dedicated the merits and then he made a second wish and again pledged to complete three thousand meritorious deeds. This wish was to have a son and this had also not been destined for him. After a few years, his wife gave birth to a son, Tian Qi. Mr. Liao Fan continued to work hard to accomplish the meritorious deeds that would enable him to further improve his destiny.

This time he accomplished the three thousand deeds in just four years, so he and his wife, for his wife worked very hard with him to fulfill the pledge, had accomplished the deeds much more quickly. However, accomplishing three thousand good deeds in four years is still not that outstanding although it is a vast improvement over his previous time of ten years. Mr. Liao Fan thought to himself that he still was not doing enough; so he and his wife continue to work harder.

 Next, he made a wish to pass a high level of the imperial examinations and this time he vowed to complete ten thousand meritorious deeds. His wife told him: “Before we were in contact with the public, we met people and had opportunities to help others. But now, we are living in the government residence; we don’t see people as much, how can we possibly accomplish so many deeds.”

Mr. Liao Fan was thinking of this when he went to sleep and that night he had a dream in which a heavenly beings came to him assured him: “Do not worry, your ten thousand deeds have already been accomplished.” The next morning, Mr. Liao Fan woke up and remembered the dream. He wondered how had the heavenly being known about the ten thousand virtuous deeds and how could Mr. Liao Fan have accomplished the deeds so quickly? He did not understand. 

Shortly after that, when another Zen master was passing through the town, Mr. Liao Fan invited him to the government residence and posed the question of whether he really could have accomplished ten thousand good deeds in such a short time. After all, it had taken him for so long, actually fourteen years to accomplish just six thousand! The Zen Master replied: “Yes, if one does a good deed with a true sincere heart without any expectation of reward, then just one deed can be worth ten thousand.” The master essentially was saying what master Yun Gu had tried to explain to Mr. Liao Fan; we will attain everything when we are sincerely trying to help others. 

Master Yun Gu had taught Mr. Liao Fan that the three ways to reform are to have a shameful heart, a fearful heart, and a determined courageous heart. First, we need to have a shameful heart. When we find a fault, we do not dismiss it by saying, “This is one of my faults, but I am human and humans have faults, so it’s okay. I will try to do better and if I do, great! If not, well-I am only human.” We need to feel deep feel remorse, to feel ashamed that we are still making mistake, when other beings have been able to correct their mistakes, to become awakened, and to become enlightened. The first step in sincerely trying to correct our faults is to have a sense of shame. This had helped Mr. Liao Fan when he was trying to correct himself. He was gradually learning how to stop thinking of himself and to start helping others. This is reflected in his accomplishing merits more quickly as he gradually did more to correct his faults through feeling shame. 

His one deed that had helped so many was to reduce taxes on well over ten thousand people. This one act is what enabled him to accomplish so many good deeds so quickly. If Mr. Liao Fan had not developed a shameful heart many years before, he would not have begun to correct his faults, and if he had not done so, ten thousand people would not been helped.

But even this was not going far enough. 

Next, we need to have a fearful heart to reform. Mr. Liao Fan had dreamt that a heavenly beings had spoken to him and he had wondered how a heavenly being could have known what he was thinking. We are in the human realm the human dimension, but there are many more dimensions. There are beings around us in other dimensions that we cannot see. However, some of them can see us , some of them have the abilities to know what we are thinking and to see everything that we are doing. Even when we think that we are alone, they are present, and this is how the heavenly being knew what Mr. Liao Fan was thinking. 

When we are outside in the public we tend to be on our good behaviour, to be more respectful to others. When we are with those we live with, we tend to relax a little more impolite. And when we are by ourselves, we think that since nobody is around, we can relax for we really don’t need to try as hard. After all, we have been trying hard all day to be correct and polite to others; certainly, we can relax a bit this evening. 

We may be able to hide from other people because as human beings our abilities are very low, we can only see what is right in front of us in the same room. But we need to remember that even if we are alone in a room, there are other beings with us. They see, they hear, and they know everything. We need to have a fearful heart, to know that we cannot hide anything from them. Some of these beings are awakened and enlightened beings and they understand when we do something wrong. But others just have extraordinary abilities not great wisdom, and they may not understand when we do something improper, or when we have unkind thoughts. So, We need to have a fearful heart because there are always other beings around us and they know our every thought, word, and deed. 

Next, understanding this, we need to have a determined and courageous heart. First, we develop shame and want to correct our faults. Then, we become aware that there are beings around who know what we think, say, and do. Finally, we become determined that we will change; that we will be very strict with ourselves. We will no longer continue to forgive ourselves -we forgive others- we do not forgive ourselves, we are self-critical.

But while we are critical of ourselves, we need to be very careful when correcting others. When doing so, it is best to correct others when no one else is around. This is difficult to do because we often loose our temper and criticize other people without caring where we are or who is present. We need to concentrate on correcting our own faults. We are to try not to criticize others, and when we find that we are criticized, it is best not to become angry or defensive. Even when we feel that their criticism is unjustified, we need to resist the desire to defend ourselves. We should not do as we have done so often in the past, to immediately come up with excuses or say, “I really do not think I have that fault now but I need to be careful not to develop it in the future.”

When people slander us or criticize us, whether true or untrue, it helps to reduce our negative karma. I know it is very difficult to do this, but this is how we began to change our faults, and changing our faults is the only way we will be able to change what is destined. 

If we wish to know what is destined, what our future holds, we do not need to ask others. Think of what we did today. Did we help others; did we teach others something? If we taught them then we have planted the seeds for wisdom. If we saw that somebody was upset and we simply smiled at them, this was the giving of fearlessness, and we have planted the seeds of health and long life. If somebody was working in the kitchen and we helped them, this was the giving of wealth, for we have given of internal wealth as we helped another with our physical strength, and we have planted the seeds of wealth.

Previously, we said that: Mr. Liao Fan had accomplished ten thousand meritorious deeds with one act; but, he could have accomplished many more meritorious deeds. If he had done the act through absolute complete sincerity without any thought of selfishness then his act could have benefited infinite people. When we do something without any thought of self, of what is in it for me, then we are helping an infinite numbers of beings, because we are thinking as awakened beings, as Bodhisattvas think. 

Mr. Liao Fan learned that there are three methods of practice in reforming. The first is to change through behaviour. I have spoken earlier of anger because, anger is one of the three poisons, and anger is so difficult for us to control. Something happens and our anger flares up and we have lost out temper and it is too late; we have become angry. We need to think after this happens: “I became angry, but I also understand cause and effect and I know that when I become angry, I plant the seeds of anger.” Again, think about what happened today and you will know what lies ahead in your future. If we planted the seed for fearlessness, teaching, and wealth, we will have health and long life, wisdom, and wealth. If we were impatient, uncaring, and angry today, we have planted the seeds for misery, loneliness, and being born into the hell realms. 

The master told Mr. Liao Fan to not brood on what was in the past. If we get into an argument with someone and then constantly replay what made us angry, each time we think of it, we again plant another seed for future anger. This is why the master said, “the past is over, do not dwell on.” We are to think about what we did wrong, learn from it, and then forget about it. Think about what is happening now, think about how we can correct our faults to be sure we do not repeat them in the future. 

When we try to correct faults through changing behaviour, we realize how difficult this is. We find ourselves snaping at someone before we can catch ourselves because the anger flared up so quickly. Actually, the anger did not just start today. We have known the other person in a previous lifetime. Many lifetimes ago one of you said something to the other and without even realizing it, you hurt the other one’s feelings, and that was it, nothing else happened. 

Many years later, many lifetimes later, when that other person met you again, he said something to hurt you and this time it was intentional, but again that was it. Each lifetime when you again encounter each other, the anger escalates. It is passed back and forth, until in one of those lifetimes yelling at each other is no longer enough, one of you will hit the other. Then many lifetimes later, one of you will kill the other. This is why we have conflicts and wars; it all starts from one careless comment. We did not think, we did not mean to hurt the other person, we simply did not think. We need to understand that our irritability may seem very inconsequential right now, but the reality is that we have once again enabled that anger to grow. 

The second way to change is through understanding. We understand cause and effect; we understand someone irritates us. Knowing this, if I can calm down and just think logically I will realize that if for no other reason, I do not wish to continue this in a future lifetime. This person is giving me enough trouble right now and we are having enough difficulties right now; I do not wish this to get any worse and I know it will get worse. So, I have to stop this destructive behaviour now. 

The only way we help others is through not being selfish. This anger has gone back and forth and it can continue to do so getting worse each time. The other person feels as upset, as frustrated, and as unhappy as I do. For that person’s sake, I need to sever this anger right now. I need to understand so when the next time something happens I can control the anger. If it flares up, maybe it doesn’t flare up quite as severely, maybe it doesn’t last quite as long. In this way, we began to get something control. 

The third way to change is from the heart. Mr. Liao Fan had reduced the taxes and consequently he benefited ten thousand people. But if he had acted from the heart of absolute sincerity, he would have benefited infinite people. To change from the heart is to solely think of other people. Mr. Liao Fan wrote to his son that one of the reasons he had difficulty doing the kind deeds initially and why it took him so long to fulfill his first two pledges, was because he knew what he should do but he was not doing it sincerely enough. He knew he do something, but he would stop and think: “Does that person deserve my help” Do I really want to do that?” He still had thoughts of himself mixed up in doing kindness for others, he still had not understood. 

When we think only of benefiting others, when we change from the heart, we will do what others need, we will assist them in doing whatever proper things they are doing without a second thought. For example, if I wished to lift up this cup but found that it was too heavy, without thinking I would lift it up with both hands. I do not think about it, I do it automatically. We need to be this spontaneous in our helping other people. We see what they are doing is proper and good, and we automatically do everything we can to help them. In this way, we will be planting the seeds for others to help us and we will be planting the seeds for a happier future. It was said earlier, if we want to know what lies in our future lifetimes, think of what we did and thought today. And when we go beyond having to think about helping others, when we do it spontaneously, we will start to dramatically change our futures even in this very lifetime. 

Mr. Liao Fan gradually changed his ways, but it took him a very long time to do so. Changing destiny take time, but we are the only ones who can do this, because we are the ones who destined what is happening today. Everything arises from the mind. Mr. Liao Fan had wanted to pass the imperial examinations, to have a son, and finally to pass the highest level of imperial examinations. He was destined to die at age fifty-three on the 14^th day of the eighth lunar month between one and three o’clock in the morning. 

He wrote to his son at the age of sixty-nine and died at the age of seventy-four. He had not made the wish to live a longer life. What happened? Mr. Liao Fan had started to change as he sought to pass the examination, a son, and to pass the highest level examination. As we try to correct our faults and we seek to attain things, we may reach a level beyond wishing; at this point, we have gone beyond selfishness. 

We spoke of heavenly beings, beings in other dimensions who know our thoughts. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas know our every wish; they know it the instant we give rise to it. We do not need to speak it or write it down on a piece of paper. Mr. Liao Fan wrote his book to his son Tian Qi, but he had two sons in a time when having sons to carry on the family name was of utmost importance. He authored several books, attained a good position with the imperial government, and was well respected. He lived a long life. His book has been read and his name has been honored for almost five hundred years. He had reached the level beyond wishing, and had gone beyond selfishness. He thought only of helping others and although he made no more wishes and pledges, his life continued to change for the better. We too can attain what we want if we understand that we need to sincerely and honestly help all other beings. We do not have thoughts of selfishness; we do not ask what is in it for ourselves. We ask how can we help others. We become cautious of everything we think, say, and do. 

Mr. Liao Fan’s destiny was predicted. He had seen that the predictions were correct when everything turned out exactly as Mr. Kong had said it would. Mr. Kong had said, “You will place in such and such a position in such and such a test.” Mr. Liao Fan attained exactly that placement. Mr. Kong had said, “You will receive a promotion after you have received 9,150 liters of rice.” Mr. Liao Fan’s salary had reached exactly that amount when he received his promotion. He understood destiny existed. He went beyond! He met a good teacher. It was said earlier that he was very unusual; he practiced and did everything his teacher told him to do. This is very unusual. When most of us listen to those who are wiser, we nod and say, “ Yes, very good,” walk out the door, and gradually what we heard fades from our memory! Mr. Liao Fan did not do that. He remembered; he was determined, nothing was going to stop him from changing his destiny; he was going to do exactly what his teacher said. He was a very rare individual; so rare that his book is still widely read several centuries after he wrote it. 

His teacher had said, “Find your faults, regret, and correct your mistakes. Reform sincerely, practice kindness, concentrate the mind, and sever selfishness.” Mr. Kong had predicted what would happen, but Mr. Liao Fan had changed all of that! He had learned that destiny can be predicted, but it is not fixed, it is changeable. We, like Mr. Liao Fan, can learn to have the shameful heart, fearful heart, determined and courageous heart. We too, can change first through behaviour, then through understanding, and then from the heart. When we change from the heart, we will able to create wonderful futures, not only for ourselves but help others to have them as well. 

THE TENE RECITATION METHOD

The Ten-Recitation method is a simple, convenient, and effective way of practicing Buddha Name Recitation. It is especially suitable for those who find little time in the day for cultivation. Practicing this method helps us to regain mindfulness of Buddha Amitaba and brings us peace and clarity in the present moment. 

The practice begins first thing in the morning when we wake up. We sit up straight and clearly recite Buddha Amitabha’s name ten times with an undisturbed mind, aloud or silently to ourselves. We repeat this process eight more time for the rest of the day. Altogether, we do one round of ten recitations, nine times a day, everyday as follows:

1.    Upon waking up

2.    Before starting breakfast

3.    After finishing breakfast

4.    Before work

5.    Before starting lunch

6.    After finishing lunch

7.    Before starting dinner

8.    After finishing dinner

9.    At bedtime 

Altogether, this method is practiced nine times daily. The key is regularity; disruption of this practice will reduce its effectiveness. Without interruption, as cultivators, we will soon feel an increase in our purity of mind and wisdom. 

Diligent practice of the Ten-Recitation method, together with unwavering belief and vows, can ensure fulfillment of our wish to reach the Western Pure Land of Infinite Life and Light. We hope everyone will practice accordingly.

DEDICATION OF MERIT

May the merits and virtues accrued from this work

Adom the Buddha’s Pure Land,

Repay the four kinds of kindness above,

And relieve the sufferings of those in the Three Paths below.

May those who see and hear of this,

All bring forth the heart of understanding

And live the teachings for the rest of this life,

Then be born together in the Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Buddhist terminology explanation

Homage to Buddha Amitabha 

Affliction 煩惱 Fannao. Condition or cause of pain, distress, and suffering which disturbs the body and mind. 

Alaya Consciousness 阿賴耶識 Alaiye Shi. Our store consciousness, the thought database from all of our past and present lives, good and bad. 

Amitabha 阿彌陀 Amituo. The name of the Buddha of the Western Pure Land, primarily meaning Infinite Life and Infinite Light. 

Anuttara-Samyak-Sambodhi 阿耨多羅三藐三菩提 Anouduoluo Sanmiao Sanputi. Perfect Complete Enlightenment.

Arhat 阿羅漢 Aluohan. One who has reached self-realization, a state in which one possesses no erroneous views, speech, or behaviour.

Asuras 阿修羅 Axiuluo. Quarrelsome, half-gods.

Attachments 執著 Zhizhuo. Fixed to certain ideas or objects.

Bodhi mind 菩提心 Puti Xin. The great compassionate and sincere mind, with every thought to attain complete self-realization for self and others.

Bodhisattva 菩萨 Pusa. One who has vowed to attain Supreme Enlightenment for themselves and all beings.

Buddha 佛 Fo. One who has reached perfection in both self-realization and helping others to reach realization.

Delusion 迷惑 MiHuo. False beliefs and views.

Deva 天衆TianZhong. Heavenly Beings or gods.

Dharma 法 Fa. 1) The teachings of the Buddha (generally capitalized in English); 2) Things, events, phenomena, everything in the universe; and 3) Duty, law, doctrine.

Dusts 尘 Chen. Metaphor for all the mundane things that can cloud our self-nature.

Eight Afflictions 八纏/纏縛 Ba Chan/Chan Fu. Absence of embarrassment and shamefulness, and the presence of jealousy, stinginess, misdeeds, drowsiness, sleep, and agitation.

Eight Consciousnesses 八識 Ba Shi. Eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind, Mana, and Alaya. Information from the sixth consciousness, which is the mind, is transmitted by the seventh consciousness, which is the Mana, to the eighth, which is the Alaya, our store consciousness, the thought database of our karma created from all our past and present lives, good or bad.

Eight Emotions of Others 八風/八世俗法 Ba Feng/Ba Shisu Fa. Four pairs of emotions that hinder our practice: praise and blame, gain and loss, happiness and suffering and fame and disgrace.

Eight Sufferings 八苦 Ba Ku. As human beings, we undergo the sufferings of birth, old age, sickness, and death. We do not attain what we seek, suffer hardships, are parted from our loved ones and find ourselves in the presence of those whom we dislike or hate.

Eighth Ground Bodhisattva 八地菩薩 Ba Di PuSa. The eighth of the ten stages or grounds of a Bodhisattva’s enlightenment, which summarize the most important steps in a Bodhisattva’s path right before attaining Buddhahood. Some say it is at this level that Bodhisattvas reach the stage of Non-regression, the level at which they will never retreat from the Bodhisattva-path.

Eon 劫 Jie. 1,334,000,000 years. Often expressed as the time it would take for a mountain of solid rock of ten cubic leagues to wear down if the tip of a heavenly maiden’s delicate tunic brushed against it every hundred years. The length of time between the creation and recreation of a world /universe, spanning the period of a world’s formation, existence, destruction, and non-existence. A fantastically long time.

Field of merit 福田 Fu Tian. Someone who is worthy of offerings; for example, enlightened beings, monks and nuns, parents and teachers, animals and the needy.

Fifty-Two Levels of Bodhisattva Practice 菩薩五十二修行次第 Pusa Wushi Er Xiuxing Ci Di. Ten Beliefs (十信Shi Xin), Ten Abodes (十住Shi Zhu), Ten Conducts (十行 Shi Xing), Ten Transferences (十迴向Shi Hui Xiang), Ten Grounds (十地Shi Di), Equal-enlightenment (等覺Deng Jue), and Perfect Complete Enlightenment (Buddhahood) (妙覺Miao Jue)

Five Aggregates 五蘊 Wu Yun. Constituent elements of all existences: form (色Se), feeling (受Shou), conception (想Xiang), impulse (行Xing), and consciousness (識Shi).

Five Classics 五經 Wu Jing. The Five Classics of Confucianism can be described in terms of five visions. The metaphysical by I Ching, Book of Changes (易經 Yi Jing), political by Book of History (書經 Shu Jing), poetic by Book of Songs (詩經 Shi Jing), social by Book of Rites (禮記Li Ji), and historical by Spring-Autumn Annals (春秋Chun Qiu).

Five Deadly Offenses 五逆 Wu Ni. Murdering one’s own father or mother, causing a Buddha to bleed (destroying Buddha images), killing an Arhat, and disrupting the unity of the Sangha. One who commits any of these offenses is destined for the Avici Hell, the lowest of the hell realms.

Five Desires 五欲 Wu Yu. Wealth, lust, fame, food-drink, and sleep.

Five Extraordinary Abilities 五通 Wu Tong. 1. To be anywhere at will; 2. Heavenly Eye to see all forms without obstruction; 3. Heavenly Ear to hear all sounds without obstruction; 4. To know the thoughts of others; and 5. To do everything at will

Five Human Relationships 五倫 Wu Lun. These principles taught by Confucius are founded on traditional moral principles. They include those between husbands and wives, parents and children, siblings, friends, political leaders and the public.

Five Kinds of Eys 五眼 Wu Yan. 1. Human eyes (肉眼Rou Yan); 2. Heavenly eye (天眼Tian Yan), extraordinary ability of heavenly beings to see all things without obstruction; 3. Wisdom Eye (慧眼Hui Yan), ability of Theravada sages to perceive the principle of voidness; 4. Dharma Eye (法眼Fa Yan), Bodhisattva’s ability to discern teaching methods for guiding people; 5. Buddha Eye (佛眼Fo Yan), to possess all of above. The last three correspond to triple truth. The Wisdom Eye realizes the truth of voidness, the Dharma-eye discerns provisional methods of teaching, and the Buddha Eye sees everything in its true nature.

Five Pure Land Sutras and One Sastra 淨土五經一論 Jingtu Wujing YiLun.(1)The Buddha Speaks of the Infinite Life Sutra of Adornment, Purity, Equality, and Enlightenment of the Mahayana School (The Infinite Life Sutra); (2)The Amitabha Sutra; (3) The Visualization on the Infinite Life Buddha Sutra; (4)”Universal Worthy Bodhisattva’s Conduct and Vows”, from the Flower Adornment Sutra; (5)The Chapter on the Perfect Complete Realization of Great Strength Bodhisattva through Buddha Name Recitation” from the Surangama Sutra; and (6)the Rebirth Treatise.

Five Virtues 五德 Wu De. Confucian virtues of gentleness, kindness, respectfulness, thriftiness, and humility.

Four Books 四書 Si Shu. Great Learning (大學 Da Xue), Doctrine of the Mean (中庸 Zhong Yong), Analects (論語 Lun Yu), and Mencius (孟子 Meng Zi).

Four Stages of Enlightenment (Arhatship) in Theravada Buddhism 四果 Si Guo. 1) Stream-enterer (須陀恆果/入流 Xutuohuan Guo/Ru Liu). By destroying various wrong views, one enters into the flow of Dharma-nature. 2.Once-returner (斯陀含果/一流/一來 Situohan Guo/Yi Liu/Yi Lai). By destroying obvious afflictions, one is subject to rebirth only once more in the heavenly realm. Then one descends to the human realm once more before final liberation from reincarnation. 3.Non-returner(阿那含果/不還/不來 Anahan Guo/Bu Huan/Bu Lai). By destroying subtle afflictions, one is no longer subject to rebirth in the Desire Heaven Realm. 4.Arhat(阿羅漢果/不生Aluohan Guo/Bu Sheng). By destroying all afflictions, one is no longer subject to reincarnation.

Four Studies 四教 Si Jiao. Confucian studies of virtuous conduct, speech, skills for earning a living and the arts.

Four Universal Vows of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas 四弘誓願Si Hong Shi Yuan. (1)Sentient beings are innumerable, I vow to help them all. (2)Afflictions are inexhaustible, I vow to end them all. (3)Ways to practice are boundless, I vow to master them all. (4)Enlightenment is unsurpassable, I vow to attain it.

Good Fortune 福報 Fu Bao. Happiness, intelligence, wellbeing, prosperity, etc. The great benefits of the human and celestial realms; therefore, they are temporary and subject to birth and death.

Hungry Ghost 餓鬼 E Gui. One of the Three Lower Realms. Hungry ghosts wander in a limbo-like state in which they can find no satisfaction for their desires, especially but not exclusively, for their hunger or thirst. One is reborn there because of greed.

Kama/Cause and Effect 業Ye因果Yin Guo. Consequences result from thought, speech, and behaviour. Karma mainly applies to intentional thoughts.

Mahayana 大乘Da Cheng. One of the two major branches of Buddhism, it is the Bodhisattva path of helping all sentient beings to attain Enlightenment.

Merits and Virtues 功德 Gong De. They are accumulated by doing good deeds selflessly without expectation of reward, wandering or discriminatory thoughts, or attachments.

Mindfulness of Buddha 念佛 Nian Fo. Initially the mind remember the Buddha and does not forget. After further cultivation, one constantly contemplates the Buddha.

Nine Realms 九界 Jiu Jie. The ten realms minus the Buddha realm.

Non-regression 不退Bu Tui. One who will never retreat from the Bodhisattva-path. It is not reached until attaining at least the eighth of the ten grounds of a Bodhisattva.

Patriarch祖師Zu Shi. Founder of a school and his primary successors in the transmission of its teachings.

Phenomena真相 Shi Xiang. Things, events, happenings, everything in the entire universe.

Practice Guidelines 修學五大綱領 Xiuxue Wuda Gangling. 1)The Three Conditions (三福San Fu); 2)The Six Principles of Harmony (六和 Liu He); 3)The Three Learnings (三學，San Xue); 4)The Six Paramitas (六度 Liu Du)； and 5)Universal Worthy Bodhisattva’s Ten Great Vows (十大願 Shi Da Yuan).

Prajna-Wisdom 般若智慧 Boruo Zhihui. Intuitive wisdom.

Pratyekabuddha 闢支佛 Pi Zhi Fo. One who attains his enlightenment alone by meditating on the principle of Twelve Causations, independent of a teacher, with the objective of attaining Nirvana for him/herself.

Precepts 戒 Jie. Rules set up by Buddha Shakyamuni to guide his students from erroneous thoughts, speech, and behavior.

Pure Mind or Purity of Mind 清淨心 Qingjing Xin. The mind without wandering and discriminatory thoughts and attachments.

Retribution 報應 Bao Ying Karmic punishment from erroneous thoughts, words, or deeds.

Root of Goodness 善根 Shan Gen. Good qualities or seeds sown in a good life to be reaped later.

Saha world 娑婆世界 Suopo Shijie. Refers to our solar system, filled with suffering and afflictions, yet gladly endured by its inhabitants.

Samadhi 三昧 San Mei. Proper enjoyment. Usually denotes the particular final stage of pure concentration and contemplation. There are many degrees and types of Samadhi.

Sangha 僧團 Seng Tuan. A group of four or more people who properly practice the Buddha’s teaching together, especially the Six Principles of Harmony.

Sanskrit 梵文 Fan Wen. A language of ancient India.

Sastra 論 Lun. Commentaries on sutras that are primarily written by Bodhisattvas. Most translations use the word treatise for sastra in the title.

Self-Nature 自性 Zi Xing Our original, true self that we still have, but is currently covered by deluded thoughts.

Sentient-being 衆生Zhong Sheng. A living being that is self-aware and that can experience feeling or sensation.

Sharira 舍利子 She Li Zi. Relics that remain after cremation indicating the person had attained some degree of purity of body and mind.

Six Paramitas 六度 Liu Du. Giving (布施 Bu Shi), self-discipline (持戒 Chi Jie), Patience (忍辱 Ren Ru), Diligence (精进 Jing Jin), Deep concentration (禅定 Chan Ding), and Wisdom (智慧 Zhi Hui).

Six Harmonies 六和敬 Liu He Jing 1) Share the same views and goals. 2) Observe the same precepts. 3) Live and practice together harmoniously. 4) Accord with others and do not quarrel. 5) Experience the inner peace and happiness from practicing the teachings. 6) Share benefits harmoniously.

Six Realms 六道 Liu Dao. Three upper realms are heavens, asuras, and humans, Three lower realms are animals, hungry ghosts, and hells.

Six Senses 六境 Liu Jing. Sight (色Se), Sound (声Shen), Scent (香Xiang), Taste (味Wei), Texture (触Chu), and thought (法Fa) External.

Six Sense Objects 六尘 Liu Chen. Form（色Se）,sound（声Sheng），Scent（香Xiang），taste（味Wei），texture（触Chu），and thought（法Fa）. Inernal.

Six Sense Organs六根 Liu Gen. Eyes, ears, nose, mouth, body and mind object.

Stream-enterer. (See Four Stages of Enlightenment in Theravada Buddhism.)

Sutra 經 Jing. Teaching by the Buddha, initially given verbally, later compiled and written down by the Buddha’s students.

Ten Directions 十方 Shi Fang. North, Northeast, East, Southeast, South, Southwest, West, Northwest, above and below.

Ten Virtuous Conducts 十善業 Shi Shan Yie. No killing (不殺生 Bu Sha Sheng), stealing (不偷盗 Bu Tou Dao), sexual misconduct (不邪淫 Bu Xie Yin), lying (不妄語 Bu Wang Yu), abusive language (不噁口 Bu E Kou), bearing tales (不两舌 Bu Liang She), seductive words (不綺語 Bu Qi Yu), greed (不貪 Bu Tan), anger (不瞋 Bu Chen), and ignorance ( 不癡 Bu Chi) 

Ten Great Vows of Universal. Universal Worthy Bodhisattva 普賢十大願Puxian Shi Da Yuan. 1) Equally respect all beings and things. 2) Praise the virtues and kindnesses of others. 3) Make offerings extensively and respectfully. 4) Feel deep remorse for our faults that obstruct us from seeing our true-nature and vow not to repeat them. 5) Rejoice in every virtuous deed and do not harbor jealousy or hinder others. 6) Request those who truly practice to widely propagate the teachings. 7) Ask teachers to remain in the world and to guide us. 8) Tirelessly uphold the Buddha’s teachings in our every thought, word, and deed. 9) Accord with those who are proper and patiently wait for the opportunity that allows us to guide those who are not. 10) Dedicate the peace and happiness gained from practicing the above deeds to all living beings, hoping that they will attain the unsurpassed understanding.

Ten (Dharma) Realms 十道/十法界 Shi Dao/Shi Fajie. Six Realms plus the Four Sage Realms of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Pratyekabuddhas, and Sound hearers.

Theravada Buddhism 小乘 Xiao Cheng. The Path of strictly abiding by the precepts. The objective is to attain realization for him/herself. It is often called the path of the elders and is primarily practiced in Southern Asia and the west.

Three Conditions 三福 San Fu. The First Condition is to: A) Be filial to one’s parents, B) Be respectful to one’s teachers and elders, C) Be compassionate and not kill any living beings, and D) Follow the Ten Virtuous Conducts. The Second Condition is to: E) Take the Three Refuges, F) Abide by the precepts, laws and customs, and G) Conduct oneself in a proper and dignified manner. The Third Condition is to: H) Give rise to the Bodhi mind, I) Deeply believe in the Law of Cause and Effect and that chanting ”Amituofo” is the cause and attaining Buddhahood is the effect, J) Recite and uphold Mahayana sutras, and K) Encourage others to advance on the path to Enlightenment. 

Three Dharma Ages. 法運三時代 Fayun San Shidai The Dharma Perfect Age (正法Zheng Fa) began with Buddha Shakyamuni’s demise and lasted five hundred years, during which Enlightenment was often attained. The Dharma Semblance Age (像法 Xiang Fa) began after that and lasted one thousand years, during which Enlightenment was seldom attained. The Dharma Ending Age (末法Muo Fa) that we are now in began after that and will last for ten thousand years during which Enlightenment during which Enlightenment will rarely be attained. 

Three Karmas 三業 San Ye. Created by our body (身Shen), mouth (口Kou), and mind (意 Yi). 

Three Lands 三土San Tu. When we are born into the Pure Land through the state of Constan Mindfulness, we will be born into the Land where Both Sages and Ordinary Beings Dwell Together. With the state of One Mind Undisturbed in Mindfulness, we will be born into the Land Where Everything is Temporary. With the state of One Mind Undisturbed in Enlightenment, we will be born into the Land of Real Reward. 

Three Learning 三學 San Xue. Self-discipline, deep concentration, and wisdom.

Three Levels of Achievement. 三種成就 San Zhong Chengjiu One Mind Undisturbed in Enlightenment (理一心不亂 Li Yi Xin Bu Luan), One Mind Undisturbed in Mindfulness (事一心不亂 Shi Yi Xin Bu Luan) and Constant Mindfulness (功夫成片 Gong Fu Cheng Pian).

Three Poisons三毒 San Du. Greed (貪 Tan), anger (嗔 Chen), and ignorance (痴 Chi).

Three Refuges 三皈 San Gui. We take refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. Ｗhen we take refuge in the Buddha, we are returning from our deluded state of mind and relying upon an awakened, understanding mind. When we take refuge in the Dharma, we are returning from deviated views and relying upon proper views and understanding. When we take refuge in the Sangha, we are returning from pollution and disharmony and relying upon purity of mind and the Six Principles of Harmony. 

Three Relationships. 三種關繫 Sanzhong Guanxi. These three relationships taught by Confucius are among humans, among humans and spirits, and among humans and the nature. 

Three Periods of Time 三世 San Shi. Past, present, and future. 

Transliteration 譯音 Yi Yin. The representation of letters or words in the corresponding characters of another alphabet, so the original sound is retained. 

Virtues. See Merits.

Wandering Discriminatory Thoughts and Attachments 妄想分别執着

Wangxiang Fenbie Zhizhuo. Afflictions that cloud our true nature.

Way Place 道場Dao Chang. Usually called a temple, a place where Buddhist practitioners come to practice. A way place is also called a Learning Centre.

Western Pure Land極樂世界 Jile Shijie. The world created by Buddha Amitabha, which is ideal place of cultivation, for those who are born there are no longer subject to reincarnation.

Based on the Talks of Venerable Master Chin Kung

Translated by Silent Voices

By Venerable Wu Ling - ( an American Buddhist nun of the Pure Land school of Mahayana Buddhism) 

Collected, corrected, re-edited, and shared by Prusha Taichi

May all beings live in peace with a smile

keep smiling

Prusha