Buddhist Cultivation

[林愛偉]

Greetings All,

 

I have posted this article on my forum http://www.freewebs.com/jingxinyuan/jingxinyuanforum.htm

 

In this discussion we will look at the expedient of religion in the Buddhist school of cultivation. In doing so,we must keep in mind that each person has their own idea of what makes a practice a religion. What we will hold in mind as the basis of this discussion is that most of the world sees Bowing, Chanting, Praying, a leader of some sort guiding "followers" along the means of practice, a place of practice, and actions of practice to all be pieces which make up a religion.

Let's look at the expedient of religion in Buddhist cultivation. Buddhism is only named Buddhism as a focal point of reference to practices which cause a living being to reveal the Complete and True mind. To attain AnutturaSamyaksambhodi. Attain is only a word used to point out what was not present in mind before revealing the true nature. One does not attain. One only lessens what is in the mind, thus revealing the true nature.

Now let's look at some of the practices of the expedient of religion in Buddhism, and we will describe its functions in cultivating the mind. For starter, we can look at bowing, and the use of statues.

Bowing to anything is seen as a form of worship in the minds of today’s realm. But has anyone thought of it as a form of respect? In certain cultures around the world, nodding one’s head at an elder of the family, guest at the house, or even a manager or C.E.O. of a company is seen as a form of respect. Sometimes the lower the head is of the person bowing to is regarded as being very polite and respectful.

In Buddhism bowing is done in several regards. One, bowing to an elder of the Sangha (community of left home cultivators and lay cultivators of the Buddhist school), is regarded as respectful to one’s elder in cultivation. Bowing the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, which some would be in forms of statues and various images, is regarded as a manner of respect for one’s elder of cultivation, and is a bowing towards one’s original mind.

Bowing to one’s original mind is bowing to the Buddhas, which is basically dropping ego, personality, being and a life, and emptying all forms of discrimination and attachment. This is a cultivation of humility. There is no superiority in the Buddhist school, only recognition of one’s cultivation. Though there is no superiority, there is a manner in which cultivators know what they are not capable of. Those who have attained great wisdom are more capable than one who hasn’t, and thus would be respected according to their cultivation.

So bowing isn’t a manner of worship, mindless worship, or hailing and praising in dependency of a higher being as in other religions. Bowing to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas is a cultivation method for developing a patient, compassionate, humble mind and character. Bowing to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas is simply bowing to one’s own original mind. Though many cultivators who use this expedient may seek to depend while making offerings, and bowing to show they are being humble and should be rewarded, they are missing the point and being an example of what one shouldn’t cultivate in Buddhism.

Buddhas and Bodhisattvas do offer their help, yet their help is to offer methods in which living beings can cultivate in order to live a more happier life and attain what they wish. This is not due to living being’s dependency, but it is due to patience, compassion and wisdom which is cultivated in its highest level through Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

Offerings are another expedient practitioners cultivate. Offerings are in all manners of religions worldwide. Some offer money, food, clothing, housing, books, etc. The minds of people vary during these acts of offerings to whomever they offer up to. In Buddhism, offering food to the Sangha is to show respect for those who are cultivating ways one may not be cultivating. For example; the Sangha is made up of Left home people…monks and nuns. They have no money to buy things on their own, so they accept that living without the use of money is the biggest challenge for all humans, and so they do not work in society as lay people do.

The Sangha of Buddhism is viewed as a community of cultivators whom will be, and may have already, attained enlightenment and will teach these ways to the lay community. Because of the many mannerisms of cultivation, they do not spend time working for companies, or businesses of any sort. The lay people of the Buddhist school support them in faith that when the monks and nuns have reached a high level of wisdom, they will teach those who have not left the home life. Also, because giving is a good thing to do, they give to those who are doing what the majority of this world cannot do. Cultivation towards awakening and teaching the cultivation of attaining enlightenment is not something which can be learned in an academic setting. Much of what cannot be left aside by the worldly mind must be left aside if high levels of cultivation are to be realized.

Offerings that are of food to the statues on the alter are not made to the statues, but to the minds of those doing the offerings. Offerings to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are offering up to one’s own original nature. It is further pushing the roots of the desire to attain enlightenment further down into the mind-ground, strengthening one’s faith in the teachings of that of Sakyamuni Buddha and the many Buddhas of the ten directions. Though living beings ask for things in return while making offerings, and sometimes receive them, it is not do to the offerings so much so as it is due to their proper time for receiving such things.

YET, making great offerings to cultivators of the way will add momentum to the great things one is to be receiving anyway. If their intention on receiving some particular outcome is strong enough, with great faith that it will thus be the way they intend for it to be, it will certainly be received the way one has intended it to be. This is due to the sincerity (constant one minded concentration ) of the mind during offering. Things just do not turn around because of crying, bowing, and constantly asking for something. Things turn because of the sincerity of the mind, the momentum added to the karma during the concentration. Good things come from good causes, bad things come from bad causes. Giving always results in good effects, and not giving results in not receiving anything from others in times of need, or out of good gesture.

We have covered only two aspects of the mannerisms of Buddhist religious cultivation. Let us continue at a later time on the next several methods of chanting, ceremony and prayer. For now, let our conversation begin, and in time we will conclude this area of discussion.

 

Peace and Happiness.

 

Amituofo.

 

Lin Ai Wei

Edited March 28, 2007 by 林愛偉

[林愛偉]

Clearing the Misconceptions part 2

 

 

Next we will look at several methods of cultivation in the Buddhist school of the religious expedient. They are Recitation of the Buddha’s name and Sutras, Chanting Mantras, Utilizing Prayer, and Ceremonial rites.

We will begin with the recitation of the Buddha’s Name, for it is a quite lengthy explanation which will take eons to describe it in its full wonderful context, but here, we will just take a small look…which will be lengthy.

Reciting the Buddha’s name is an expedient of cultivation that has been utilized in a religious setting, as perceived of by non-Buddhists and some Buddhists alike. Firstly, some of the main reasons for reciting the Buddha’s name is to always keep the Buddhas on one’s mind. Constantly in a mind of remembrance, yet not of a past tense, but of a present one. Always having the Buddhas on one’s mind, one will speak with a mind of a Buddha, be compassionate with the mannerisms of a Buddha, always be in a state of Patience as a Buddha, and be “merged” in the sea of pure Wisdom as a Buddha. Recitation of Amitabha Buddha's name in sincerity will also result in being born in his Land of Ultimate Bliss. More to be discussed on that later on.

These qualities are cultivated all within Buddha name recitation. How so? Because all Buddhas of the Ten directions are these qualities when being expressed through the minds of living beings. When the mind is of peace, one will radiate peace. When the mind is of anger, one will radiate anger, and all who come into their presence will inherently detect anger. What is of the mind will be that which is experienced. Since we can always experience what is of the mind, why not cultivate to experience that which is good?

There is more that comes with Buddha Name Recitation. Who’s name is being recited? Amitabha Buddha of the Western Pure Land. The next few lines will be taken from Xuan Hua Shangren’s commentary on the meaning of Amitabha Buddha’s name because it is only wise to utilize a higher understanding when speaking of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

Taken from a commentary on ‘The Buddha Speaks the Amitabha Sutra’ by Shifu Xuan Hua Shangren;

“Amitabha, the next word in the title, is a Sanskrit word which

means “limitless light.” Amitabha’s other name, Amitayus, means

“limitless life.”

“But,” you might ask, “the Sutra says that it has been ten kalpas

since Amitabha realized Buddhahood. Ten kalpas is a definite

length of time. Why do you speak of ‘limitless life’ and then

measure it out in time?”

Amitayus, “limitless life,” refers to his blessings and virtue

“Limitless light” refers to his wisdom. His wisdom light is limitless

and bright. Limitless life, limitless light. Not only are his blessings,

virtues, and wisdom limitless but so are his spiritual powers, his

eloquence, his attributes, and his teachings. There is no way to

count them because they are infinite, nowhere present and nowhere

absent.

Where did the limitless come from? Mathematicians should

know that the limitless comes from the one. One is many and many

are one. A scholar once wrote a book and said, “Large numbers are

written by starting with one and then employing many place

holding zeros. Keep adding zeros until the space between heaven

and earth is filled. When you have written all over your walls and

covered your floors, can you determine the total? Couldn’t you still

add another zero? Numbers are endless.”

Amitabha Buddha’s life, wisdom, merit, virtue, and Way-power

are all infinite and unbounded. If you want a big figure, go ahead

and write columns of zeros.

Knowing that there can be no definite total, the Buddha, who is

the perfection of intelligence, just said, “Limitless and uncountable.” Mathematics can explain infinity, and scientists have sent

men into space to study it, but having arrived in empty space,

there’s still more empty space beyond. There’s no end to it.

Numbers go on infinitely and in this way we can understand the

vast expanse of Amitabha Buddha’s blessedness, his virtue, and his

wisdom. Therefore he is called Amita.

Both Amitabha and Shakyamuni Buddha were people who

became Buddhas. They did not descend from the heavens or ascend

from the depths of the earth. As people they cultivated the Dharma

and now they are sages, people who have realized the result.

According to the classification of Sutra titles, this Sutra is

established by reference to a person, but not a person like us. He is

a Buddha, one who has realized the result. We are living beings; we

have not realized the result, but are cultivating the cause of

Buddhahood. Once Buddhahood is realized, we will be sages. This

sage’s name, Amitabha, is used to classify the title of the Sutra.”

--end of quote--

 

 

Recitation further deepens one’s roots of the Buddhist school of cultivation in their minds, and builds momentum for when their seed ripens into a plant, and the plant brings forth the fruit of Bodhi (enlightenment). You can’t eat it though! Recitation keeps the mind in a one pointed focus. As from the above excerpt on the commentary on the Amitabha sutra, Amitbaha is us and we are Amitabha. Therefore, we are reciting our own mind, pushing away the accumulated knowledge, and transforming it from mundane thoughts, to less attached ones which make the mind lighter, and more resonant with the Buddha mind.

We keep in mind that repeating a name over and over again brings the images and mind of such name. That is what happens in Buddha name recitation. Reciting one name over and over again reminds us of our true nature, and those qualities. The benefits are too vast to describe in full detail, and the mannerisms of doing so are not sufficient. But we can touch on the surface.

In this expedient, one is putting faith in Amitabha and his virtue and wisdom as wellas in rebirth in Amitabha’s Buddha land called the Western Pure Land. If you want to know more about the Western Pure Land, you can find it by google searching Amitabha Sutra with commentary by Xuan Hua Shangren, possibly spelled Hsuan Hua Shangren. It is too much to go into in such a manner as this one. Just keep in mind that all lands are not lands, but are called lands for the sake of saying so, and Buddha Lands are actual places. All is of mind, and of no mind, and neither of the two. Recitation also keeps one’s mind in a proper posture so as not to be taken by emotions, desires, demons, etc.

One can recite Amitabha Buddha’s name, Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva’s name, or any of the endless amounts of Buddhas and Bodhisattva’s names as well. This will also create affinities with them.

Reciting sutras have a similar function as reciting the Buddha’s name. Reciting Sutras is to plant the tools of attaining enlightenment deep into the mind-ground, to always remember the teachings, and set forth towards teaching others about them. Sutras are keys to awakening to our causes and conditions, to attain complete pure enlightenment. Constantly reciting them keeps the doors of Patience, Wisdom and Compassion wide open, and results in illuminating the mind. Remembering Sutras creates affinities with the Buddhas who spoke them, and the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas the Sutras are concerned with. This results in various outcomes which are too numerous to list, but assist one greatly in their cultivation of the Buddha Dharma.

 

Next we will discuss Mantra, Ceremony and Prayer cultivation.

 

 

Peace and Happiness

 

Lin Ai Wei

Edited March 6, 2007 by 林愛偉

[林愛偉]

[林愛偉]