During the recent mid-autumn festival night, I was in charge of handling lantern riddles. I came up with 100 English Dharma riddles. The idea was to share the Dharma. However, in the process of coordinating the event with the help of Pureland Practice Fellowship volunteers, I realised that those who know the answers already know them, while those who don’t know won’t know. Using the riddles to share the Dharma suddenly didn’t seem so great an idea.
A while later, it struck me that it isn’t so straightforward logic – as the riddles definitely did catch the attention of many, leading to mini Dharma discussions among the visitors, who try to come up with the answers. Many do come forth to the prize redemption counter to give their speculated answers a shot. I sincerely hope the riddles stirred up some curiosity to learn more about the Dharma. For fun, below are the 100 questions. See how many you can answer correctly! (Click ‘read more’ and for all the questions and their answers.)
Questions
1. The Triple Gem is the Buddha, _______ and Sangha.
2. How many Buddhas are there in the whole universe?
3. The three lower realms are hell, __________ and animals.
4. The three higher realms are humans, _________ and gods.
5. The Buddha is a _________ of humans and gods.
6. The Buddha was born in ancient _________
7. The most evil being is called ________
8. How many beings have Buddha-nature?
9. The next Buddha is called __________
10. ________ are those who will eventually become Buddhas.
11. All Buddhas have perfect _________ for all beings.
12. If we conquer our _______ Mara, the ________ Mara will be powerless.
13. Which Bodhisattva is best known for vowing to empty the hells of suffering beings?
14. The Three Poisons are ______________
15. The antidotes to the Three Poisons are ________________
16. If the Buddha is like a great spiritual doctor, the Dharma he teaches is like __________
17. Enlightenment is to break free from the cycle of _________
18. What is the First Noble Truth?
19. What are the Four Immeasurable Minds?
20. The eight spokes on Dharma wheels represent the _____________
21. What does Amituofo’s name mean?
22. In what direction is Amituofo’s Pureland?
23. How many Purelands are there?
24. Which Buddha’s Pureland will all Buddhas teach about?
25. If Amituofo is a great teacher, his Pureland is like a great ______
26. Birth in Pureland is precious because once there, ___________ is guaranteed.
27. Are there animals in Pureland?
28. Who are the assistant Bodhisattvas of Amituofo?
29. Guanyin Bodhisattva is actually an ancient ______
30. The eyes in the hands of Guanyin Bodhisattva represent ________
31. The Triptaka is the collection of ________ , _________ and __________
32. In the novel Xiyouji (Journey to the West), the three disciples of Master Xuanzang represent the three ________
33. The taking of harmful drugs breaks which precept?
34. The fifth precept is important because if not observed, which precepts might be broken?
35. If our actions are like a car in motion, the precepts are the car’s _____
36. What qualities do the four great Bodhisattvas represent?
37. It is said that there are _______ methods to practise the Dharma.
38. The first of the Six Perfections is _______
39. The last of the Six Perfections is _______
40. The Six Perfections lead to __________
41. Karma is the law of moral _____ and ______
42. Who governs the law of karma?
43. Karmically, we are according to what we have ______, and will be according to what we ___.
44. Observing the ________ prevents the creation of negative karma.
45. Emptiness in Buddhism refers to being empty of ______
46. Rebirth is the cycle of _______, _______, ________ and ________.
47. What is the lotus a symbol of?
48. What does the offering of light represents?
49. What does the offering of flowers represents?
50. The greatest wish of all Buddhas is that all beings can become ________.
51. The Buddha’s teachings can be summarised as to avoid all evil, to do all good, and to _____________.
52. Our intentions are created by which of the Five Aggregates?
53. The Middle Path avoids which two extremes?
54. How many more times will we be reborn if we do not progress towards enlightenment?
55. Just as loving-kindness counters hate, compassion counters _____
56. Appreciative joy or rejoice counters _______
57. Hatred cannot be ceased by hatred; hatred can only be ceased by ________
58. The name of our original teacher of Buddhism is ____________
59. The eight worldly conditions include gain and loss, fame and defame, praise and blame, and ____________
60. The six realms of existence are also called the _____ planes of existence.
61. Gratitude to our parents is important as they are our first source of _________
62. What does the offering of fruits represent?
63. What does the offering of incense represent?
64. What does the offering of water represent?
65. Buddhists practise bowing to cultivate _______ and to express __________
66. What are any other two terms similar in meaning to Nirvana?
67. What are the Three Provisions for birth in Pureland?
68. Namo in ‘Namo Amituofo’ means ________
69. How many great vows did Amituofo make?
70. Beings in Pureland are born from ___ grades of ______
71. What is the shortest sutra in the world?
72. There are Buddhas in the ___ directions.
73. ________ is the aspiration to guide all beings to Buddhahood.
74. Manjushri Bodhisattva represents the perfect _______ of all Buddhas.
75. Samanthabhadra Bodhisattva represents the perfect _______ of all Buddhas.
76. One who has great ______ might be reborn as a hungry ghost.
77. One who has great ______ might be reborn as an animal.
78. Is there an eternal hell?
79. The Buddha taught the _______, which the Sangha practises.
80. The ___________ path is the path to Buddhahood.
81. Perfect compassion must be for ___ beings.
82. How many aspects of existence do Buddhas have?
83. Which aspect of the Buddhas pervade all space and time?
84. Which quality wishes all beings to be well and happy?
85. Mother sentient beings refer to _____ beings.
86. Our relation to the Buddha is not of master and servant, but ______ and ________
87. The teaching of dependent origination is also the teaching of ________
88. Meditation should not be for special powers but for the gaining of ________
89. Is it true that vegetarianism helps to prevent global warming?
90. What quality helps to counter greed?
91. A _____ in Zen practice is like a spiritual riddle.
92. Who is the longest teaching founder of a world religion?
93. Which sutra is all Buddhas particularly mindful and protective of?
94. Which is the world’s first university?
95. All Bodhisattvas vow to guide ____ beings to Buddhahood.
96. We should respect all beings because they are all future ________
97. How many manifestations can each Buddha have?
98. Emptiness, according to the Heart Sutra, is the same as _______
99. Form, according to the Heart Sutra, is the same as ________
100. Guanyin Bodhisattva represents the perfect ___________ of all Buddhas.
Answers
1. The Triple Gem is the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.
2. How many Buddhas are there in the whole universe? Countless
3. The three lower realms are hell, hungry ghosts and animals.
4. The three higher realms are humans, asuras/demi-gods and gods.
5. The Buddha is a teacher of humans and gods.
6. The Buddha was born in ancient India.
7. The most evil being is called Mara.
8. How many beings have Buddha-nature? All
9. The next Buddha is called Maitreya.
10. Bodhisattvas are those who will eventually become Buddhas.
11. All Buddhas have perfect compassion for all beings.
12. If we conquer our inner Mara, the outer Mara will be powerless.
13. Which Bodhisattva is best known for vowing to empty the hells of suffering beings? Ksitigarbha/Dizang
14. The Three Poisons are greed (attachment), hatred (aversion) and delusion (ignorance).
15. The antidotes to the Three Poisons are generosity, loving-kindness, and wisdom.
16. If the Buddha is like a great spiritual doctor, the Dharma he teaches is like great medicine.
17. Enlightenment is to break free from the cycle of rebirth.
18. What is the First Noble Truth? There is suffering in life.
19. What are the Four Immeasurable Minds? Loving-kindness, compassion, rejoice, equanimity
20. The eight spokes on Dharma wheels represent the Noble Eightfold Path.
21. What does Amituofo’s name mean? Infinite Light and Life
22. In what direction is Amituofo’s Pureland? West
23. How many Purelands are there? Countless
24. Which Buddha’s Pureland will all Buddhas teach about? Amituofo’s
25. If Amituofo is a great teacher, his Pureland is like a great school.
26. Birth in Pureland is precious because once there, enlightenment is guaranteed.
27. Are there animals in Pureland? No
28. Who are the assistant Bodhisattvas of Amituofo? Guanyin (Avalokiteshvara) and Dashizhi (Mahastamaprapta)
29. Guanyin Bodhisattva is actually an ancient Buddha.
30. The eyes in the hands of Guanyin Bodhisattva represent wisdom.
31. The Triptaka is the collection of Sutras, Vinaya and Abhidharma.
32. In the novel Xiyouji (Journey to the West), the three disciples of Master Xuanzang represent the three poisons.
33. The taking of harmful drugs breaks which precept? Fifth
34. The fifth precept is important because if not observed, which precepts might be broken? All
35. If our actions are like a car in motion, the precepts are the car’s brakes.
36. What qualities do the four great Bodhisattvas represent? Compassion, wisdom, aspiration and practice
37. It is said that there are 84,000/countless methods to practise the Dharma.
38. The first of the Six Perfections is Generosity.
39. The last of the Six Perfections is Wisdom.
40. The Six Perfections lead to Buddhahood.
41. Karma is the law of moral cause and effect.
42. Who governs the law of karma? Nobody/Nature
43. Karmically, we are according to what we have done, and will be according to what we do.
44. Observing the precepts prevents the creation of negative karma.
45. Emptiness in Buddhism refers to being empty of self.
46. Rebirth is the cycle of birth, ageing, sickness and death.
47. What is the lotus a symbol of? Purity
48. What does the offering of light represents? Wisdom
49. What does the offering of flowers represents? Impermanence
50. The greatest wish of all Buddhas is that all beings can become Buddhas.
51. The Buddha’s teachings can be summarised as to avoid all evil, to do all good, and to purify the mind.
52. Our intentions are created by which of the Five Aggregates? Mental formations
53. The Middle Path avoids which two extremes? Sense indulgence and self-mortification
54. How many more times will we be reborn if we do not progress towards enlightenment? Countless
55. Just as loving-kindness counters hate, compassion counters cruelty.
56. Appreciative joy or rejoice counters jealousy.
57. Hatred cannot be ceased by hatred; hatred can only be ceased by love.
58. The name of our original teacher of Buddhism is Shakyamuni Buddha.
59. The eight worldly conditions include gain and loss, fame and defame, praise and blame, pleasure and pain.
60. The six realms of existence are also called the 31 planes of existence.
61. Gratitude to our parents is important as they are our first source of kindness.
62. What does the offering of fruits represent? Karma/Cause and effect
63. What does the offering of incense represent? Virtues
64. What does the offering of water represent? Calmness/Clarity
65. Buddhists practise bowing to cultivate humility and to express reverence/gratitude.
66. What are any other two terms similar in meaning to Nirvana? Enlightenment/Liberation
67. What are the Three Provisions for birth in Pureland? Faith, Aspiration and Practice
68. Namo in ‘Namo Amituofo’ means homage to/refuge in.
69. How many great vows did Amituofo make? 48
70. Beings in Pureland are born from 9 grades of lotuses.
71. What is the shortest sutra in the world? Heart Sutra
72. There are Buddhas in the all/six/ten directions.
73. Bodhicitta is the aspiration to guide all beings to Buddhahood.
74. Manjushri Bodhisattva represents the perfect wisdom of all Buddhas.
75. Samanthabhadra Bodhisattva represents the perfect aspiration(s) of all Buddhas.
76. One who has great greed/craving might be reborn as a hungry ghost.
77. One who has great ignorance might be reborn as an animal.
78. Is there an eternal hell? No
79. The Buddha taught the Dharma, which the Sangha practises.
80. The Bodhisattva path is the path to Buddhahood.
81. Perfect compassion must be for all beings.
82. How many aspects of existence do Buddhas have? Three
83. Which aspect of the Buddhas pervade all space and time? Dharmakaya
84. Which quality wishes all beings to be well and happy? Loving-kindness
85. Mother sentient beings refer to all beings.
86. Our relation to the Buddha is not of master and servant, but teacher and student.
87. The teaching of dependent origination is also the teaching of emptiness.
88. Meditation should not be for special powers but for the gaining of wisdom.
89. Is it true that vegetarianism helps to prevent global warming? Yes
90. What quality helps to counter greed? Generosity
91. A koan in Zen practice is like a spiritual riddle.
92. Who is the longest teaching founder of a world religion? The Buddha
93. Which sutra is all Buddhas particularly mindful and protective of? Amitabha Sutra
94. Which is the world’s first university? Nalanda
95. All Bodhisattvas vow to guide all beings to Buddhahood.
96. We should respect all beings because they are all future Buddhas.
97. How many manifestations can each Buddha have? Countless
98. Emptiness, according to the Heart Sutra, is the same as form.
99. Form, according to the Heart Sutra, is the same as emptiness.
100. Guanyin Bodhisattva represents the perfect compassion of all Buddhas.
Shian, these are great stuffs… kudos
Some of my comments PART I:
5. The Buddha is a teacher of humans and gods.
The greatest of all too… And hence, there is no such thing as a bad student, only a bad teacher… All teachers should look up to Buddha as an example… never to mislead the students… 慧命ä¸å¯æ–
7. The most evil being is called Mara.
Pass the “Mara test” and you are close to the Way…
9. The next Buddha is called Maitreya.
Asaá¹…ga spent many years in intense meditation, during which time tradition says that he often visited Tuá¹£ita Heaven to receive teachings from Maitreya-nÄtha.
One of the most important being the YogÄcÄrabhÅ«mi-Å›Ästra, also known as “Discourse on the Stages of Yogic Practice.”
The complete work comprises five major sections: the seventeen levels (bÄhu-bhÅ«mi) which covers the entire range of mental and spiritual levels in Buddhism according to MahÄyÄna.
The origins of the scholarly Indian YogÄcÄra tradition were rooted in the syncretic scholasticism of NÄlandÄ University where the doctrine of consciousness-only (vijñapti-mÄtra or cittamÄtra) was first extensively propagated. Doctrines, tenets and derivatives of this school have influenced and become well-established in China, Korea, Tibet, Japan and Mongolia and throughout the world via the dissemination and dialogue wrought by the Buddhist diaspora.
YogÄcÄra, like all Nepalese and Indian schools of Buddhism, eventually became extinct in south Asia. This is kinda unfortunate as it provides the most scientific and systematic ways towards achieving enlightenment… In the most layman term, YogÄcÄra provides you a checklist (or knowledge) to verify at what stage you are now in your practice, what “maras” to expect and conquer, and how to move on to the next stage…
Part II:
9. The next Buddha is called Maitreya.
[More on Maitreya:]
It is said that Maitreya is residing in the inner palace of the Tusita Heaven which is quite a maze as experienced by Sudhana in the Avatamsaka Sutra…
There is also this story that Asanga and his half-brother Vasubandhu… They decided they would like to “reborn” in Tusita Heaven so that they can listen to Maitreya lectures and come back with him in the next world… Vasubandhu wanted Asanga to come back to inform him within 3 years once he have reached Maitreya’s palace… in the end it took more than 3 years for Asanga to inform Vasubandhu… according to Asanga, he came back immediately after just listening to only one section of Maitreya’s lecture… well, there is a time
difference between Tusita Heaven and Earth…
Reborn in the Tusita Heaven with Maitreya is another alternative to pureland… but note the Tusita Heaven itself is not pureland…
The other account is Mahakasyapa (the first patriarch of Chan Buddhism) is currently meditating at Jizu Mountain awaiting for Maitreya’s arrival in the next world to hand over the bowl…
13. Which Bodhisattva is best known for vowing to empty the hells of suffering beings? Ksitigarbha/Dizang
Ksitigarbha is one of the four principal bodhisattvas in East Asian Mahayana Buddhism. The others are Samantabhadra, Manjusri, and Avalokitesvara.
Ksitigarbha is aka the Bodhisattva King Dizang of the Great Vow.
Taking that vow is important… for example, in life if we want to achieve something we will tend to work towards it… and one will tend to be successful if a vow is made before that…
Jiuhua Mountain in Anhui is regarded as Ksitigarbha’s seat. It is one of the four great Buddhist mountains of China, and at one time housed more than 300 temples. Today, 95 of these are open to the public. The mountain is a popular destination for pilgrims offering dedications to Ksitigarbha.
19. What are the Four Immeasurable Minds? Loving-kindness, compassion, rejoice, equanimity
equanimity = èˆ
It’s kinda interesting the translation of èˆ becomes equanimity… the meaning is ok but èˆ encompasses more… for example in layman terms, if you are at the final phase of stage 6, you should èˆ stage 6 and move on to stage 7… staying put or feeling rejoice at stage 6 will not make any further progress and you might be downgraded back to stage 5, 4, 3, and need to do things all over again…
20. The eight spokes on Dharma wheels represent the Noble Eightfold Path.
Noble Eightfold Path = å…«æ£é“
If you appreciate chinese literature æ£ = ä¸‹æ¢ , preventing one to “sink” (into the lower realms)… The Noble Eightfold Path is something that we have to keep in mind and practice it like “kung-fu”…
Part III:
21. What does Amituofo’s name mean? Infinite Light and Life
Infinite Light and Life implies Amituofo is there right now waiting for us… it is a certainty that you will meet up with Amituofo in the western pureland… put it this way, everytime you look at the direction where the sun set, Amituofo is there… you can consider Amituofo’s light as bright if not even brighter than the sun’s… More of this can be found in 覌無é‡å£½ç¶“…
Also the Amituofo pureland is described in even greater details in ç„¡é‡å£½ç¶“ (The Infinite Life Sutra, or Larger Pure Land Sutra) together with the AmitÄbha SÅ«tra (阿彌
陀經) they are commonly referred together as the three sutras of pureland…
22. In what direction is Amituofo’s Pureland? West
Ever wonder why AmitÄbha is in the west, Aksobhya is in the east, Amoghasiddhi in the north, Ratnasambhava in the south and Vairocana in the centre?
Will let you folks figure this one out…
24. Which Buddha’s Pureland will all Buddhas teach about? Amituofo’s
It’s a good complement to practice western pureland together with the Medicine Buddha. The Medicine Buddha provides support to Pure Land cultivators who may need freedom from mundane concerns (disease, material need, calamity, untimely death, etc) in order to concentrate single-mindedly on their goal of rebirth in Sukhavati (Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss)..
25. If Amituofo is a great teacher, his Pureland is like a great school.
70. Beings in Pureland are born from 9 grades of lotuses.
Amituofo’s school is like a 9 grade college i.e. upper superior, middle superior, lower superior, upper medium, middle medium, lower medium, upper inferior, middle inferior and lower inferior, which represent ninefold future life into Pure Land. The nine grades, or rewards, of the Pure Land, corresponding to the nine grades of development in the previous life, upon which depends, in the next life, one’s distance from Amitabha, the consequent aeons that are required to approach Amitabha, and whether one’s lotus will open early or late.
26. Birth in Pureland is precious because once there, enlightenment is guaranteed.
Pure Land Buddhism is Mahayana so the Mahayana vow must first be made …
27. Are there animals in Pureland? No
Animals (birds, etc) in Pureland are really just manifestations…
Re: ‘It’s a good complement to practice western pureland together with the Medicine Buddha. The Medicine Buddha provides support to Pure Land cultivators who may need freedom from mundane concerns (disease, material need, calamity, untimely death, etc) in order to concentrate single-mindedly on their goal of rebirth in Sukhavati (Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss)..’
Reply: On the other hand, it is important to focus on one main practice. Mindfulness of Amituofo has healing effects too, and prevents accidents and untimely deaths as well, as you can see in the list of videos below.
Short Inspirational Animated Pureland Testimonial Videos
念佛成佛20則
01。念佛可免難。吳允升
http://youtube.com/watch?v=8eGBUJQMBJM
02. 念佛保康寧。周乃勳
http://youtube.com/watch?v=EIgEmMFszZA
03。念佛能解厄。台中阿俊嫂
http://youtube.com/watch?v=CVKyEVAj9Y4
04。念佛蒙接引。李顯貞
http://youtube.com/watch?v=3Ouc2LmMe3A
05。念佛得安樂。徐雷
http://youtube.com/watch?v=lluE5G7r-J8
06。佛為大醫王。沈中旭
http://youtube.com/watch?v=PCCp6cmYBoY
07。念佛開智慧。王呆頭。站著往生。靈瑞舍利
http://youtube.com/watch?v=qKLG6IEt6XY
08。念佛救冥苦。張元壽
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ebTo5IWcX90
09。念佛化熱惱。黃打鐵。站著往生。天樂異香
http://youtube.com/watch?v=8Qh_acb5MdY
10。佛為大寶藏。新定少康。口出金佛
http://youtube.com/watch?v=u07QLwbva0E
11。念佛能賣苦。慈溪老婦
http://youtube.com/watch?v=-_XMd3-5EMw
12。佛為大明燈。顧源。坐蓮半月。異香三日
http://youtube.com/watch?v=pp3BJUwJpV0
13。念佛可延年。羅允枚。勝蓮。
http://youtube.com/watch?v=uu4Xht4qZRA
14。佛為甘露雨。雲棲蓮池大師
http://youtube.com/watch?v=QMQsxbC6hDE
15。念佛上蓮臺。慈覺母陳氏
http://youtube.com/watch?v=NvikNk6L_jk
16。念佛放光明。道昂法師
http://youtube.com/watch?v=sAb8sODdTSg
17。念佛結善緣。文彥博。十萬人念佛
http://youtube.com/watch?v=z8wVZIxm4TY
18。念佛決定往生。僧衒。啟芳。圓果
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZbVuoMSGRHM
19。佛為大法王。廬山東林。慧遠大師
http://youtube.com/watch?v=c5Q8Mxap5to
20。念佛蒙開示。法照大師。念佛是諸法之王
http://youtube.com/watch?v=jGEXMJcDszY
Amituofo
Re: On the other hand, it is important to focus on one main practice. Mindfulness of Amituofo has healing effects too, and prevents accidents and untimely deaths as well, as you can see in the list of videos below.
Reply: Certainly. Practicing Medicine Buddha is a complement not substitute. The same reason why the sun rises in the East and sets in the West… Put another way, this time by Lord Buddha Sakyamuni, the World Honored One, in the Medicine Sutra:
“…..there are those who are able to adhere to the Eight Precepts for a full year or for three months a year, dedicating these good roots toward rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Amitabha….
If their rebirth in the Pure Land is still uncertain, but they hear the name of the World-Honored Medicine Buddha, then, at the time of death, eight great Bodhisattvas, namely, Manjusri, Avalokitesvara, Mahasthamaprapta, Aksayamati, Ratnamcandana, Bhaishajya-raja, Bhaishajya-samudgata, and Maitreya, will traverse space and descend to show them the way. They will thereupon be born spontaneously in jeweled flowers of many hues…”
From ‘The Two Popular Pure Lands : How East Meets West’
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Amituofo/message/62 :
‘If those who aspire to be reborn in Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land are lacking in strong resolution on the deathbed, even mindfulness of the (name of) Medicine Buddha (by sound, or thought; mental sound) would aid successful birth there, even though it is not Amitabha Buddha’s name that is heard!’
This means that if one’s main practice in mindfulness of Amitabha Buddha is firm, it is already alright – there is no need to be mindful of another Buddha. Because, as above, mindfulness of Amituofo has similar benefits such as healing and blessings in this life too. Here is part of an article on the importance of focusing on one enlightened being instead of many from http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Amituofo/message/72 :
‘Paying homage to various enlightened beings to remind ourselves of their outstanding virtues is excellent. However, it is also important to have a main practice too. E.g. by focusing more on one of the Buddhas or Bodhisattvas, while mindful that though each exemplifies a certain virtue greatly, their virtues are really interconnected (in an all-in-one and one-in-all way). This is because all the great Bodhisattvas worthy of respect are re-manifested ancient Buddhas, and all Buddhas embody all Bodhisattvas’ qualities perfectly. (If not, they wouldn’t be Buddhas.)
It is good to have a key Bodhisattva or Buddha as focus because this helps to keep us singleminded, which develops concentration and stronger connection to that particular Bodhisattva or Buddha, which then gives rise to wisdom more efficiently. This is all the more important if we wish to be born in a specific Buddha’s Pure Land.
This is why the Pure Land masters (e.g. see http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Amituofo/message/69 ) advocate exclusive focus on Amitabha Buddha (or more clearly related Bodhisattvas) because he represents the collective virtues of all enlightened beings in perhaps one of the most clear and “bright” way. Mindfulness of Amitabha Buddha is also universally recommended by the Buddhas in all directions, as stated in the Amitabha Sutra. This is the perspective from the Pure Land tradition. (In other Buddhist traditions, there might be focus on other enlightened beings.) Amituofo’
Part 4:
—–
28. Who are the assistant Bodhisattvas of Amituofo? Guanyin (Avalokiteshvara) and Dashizhi (Mahastamaprapta)
What Avalokiteshvara practices:
—–
World Honoured One, as I (followed and) made offerings
to the Tathà gata Avalokitesvara, He taught me to use my illusory hearing and sublimate it to realize the Diamond (Vajra) Samà dhi which gave me the same power of mercy of all Buddhas and enabled me to transform myself into thirty-two bodily forms for the purpose of visiting all countries in saüsà ra (to convert and liberate living beings).
As the Buddha now asks about the best means of perfection, my method which consists in regulating the organ of hearing so as to quiet the mind for its entry into the stream of meditation leading to the state of Samà dhi and attainment of Enlightenment is the best.
What Mahastamaprapta practices:
—–
I still remember that in the remotest of aeons countless as the sands in the Ganges, there was a Buddha called Amità bha who was succeeded by eleven other Tathà -gatas in that kalpa. The last one was called the Buddha Whose Light Surpassed that of the Sun and Moon; he taught me how to realize the state of Samà dhi by thinking exclusively of (Amità bha) Buddha.
As the Buddha now asks about the best means of perfection,
I hold that nothing can surpass the perfect control of
the six senses with continuous pure thoughts in order to realize Samà dhi.
So every time you chant Amitabha’s name, you are actually practicing what Avalokiteshvara and Mahastamaprapta are practicing…
38. The first of the Six Perfections is Generosity.
39. The last of the Six Perfections is Wisdom.
40. The Six Perfections lead to Buddhahood.
Technically speaking there are ten Paramitas (or Perfections)…
Paramita is in sanskrit meaning the going/ferrying to opposite side/bank (of a river/sea) or the completion of something… when it is translated into mandarin, the translators decides to preserve the meaning by keeping the word pronunciation æ³¢è蜜多…
The Ten Paramitas are:
1. Generosity (dana paramita)
2. Discipline/Ethics (shila paramita)
3. Patience (kshanti paramita)
4. Diligence/Perseverance (virya paramita)
5. Concentration (dhyana paramita)
6. Wisdom/Knowledge (prajna paramita)
7. Method – skilful means (upaya paramita)
8. Aspiration power (pranidhana paramita)
9. Strength (bala paramita)
10. Primordial wisdom (jnana paramita)
As teachers, perfecting upaya paramita (方便波è蜜) is very important… one need to “tailor” the teachings according to the students’ needs, not the other way round where the students have to put up with rigid, inflexible teaching styles, so on… teaching itself is dana paramita…
Part 5:
49. What does the offering of flowers represents? Impermanence ÅšÄkyamuni Buddha in his Flower Sermon in which he held up a white flower and just admired it in his hand. MahÄkÄÅ›yapa smiled faintly (拈花微笑), and ÅšÄkyamuni Buddha picked that disciple as one who truly understood him and who was worthy to be his successor.
这个识就是开的花朵。我们看花的时候啊，一眼就被花朵骗ä½äº†ã€‚红的是花ã€ç»¿çš„是å¶ï¼ŒèŠ±èŠ±å¶å¶ï¼Œéƒ½æ˜¯è¯†çš„作用。它åŽé¢çš„分别作用是这个æžå¹²ã€‚这个æžå¹²ä¾èµ–ä»€ä¹ˆå‘¢ï¼Ÿç¬¬å…«é˜¿èµ–è€¶è¯†ï¼Œå®ƒçš„æ ¹æ ¹ã€‚è¿™ä¸ªèŠ±æœµçš„â€œèƒ½â€å°±æ˜¯å®ƒé‚£ä¸ªæ ¹ã€‚æ ¹æ—¢æ— èŠ±ä¹Ÿæ— æœµï¼Œä¹Ÿæ— é’æžã€ä¹Ÿæ— 绿å¶ã€ä¹Ÿæ— 红花。所以我们这个身体ã€ç”Ÿå‘½ã€ä¹ƒè‡³èº«ä½“上，眼耳鼻舌身是花朵，我们整个的身体ä¸è¿‡æ˜¯ä¸€æœµèŠ±è€Œå·²ã€‚能够使这个花朵开的，是这个æ„的作用ã€å¿ƒæ„ã€è¿™ä¸ªå¿ƒå¿µï¼Œå°±æ˜¯åˆ†åˆ«ã€è™šå¦„åˆ†åˆ«å¿ƒï¼›æ ¹æ ¹å‘¢ï¼ŸåŒè™šç©ºåˆä¸€çš„，三åƒå¤§åƒä¸–ç•ŒåŒä½“的。
Re: “…This means that if one’s main practice in mindfulness of Amitabha Buddha is firm, it is already alright – there is no need to be mindful of another Buddha…”
Reply: There is 88 Buddha Repentance & there is the Ullambana Sutra & there is also this thing called 定业…
一佛ä¸èƒ½è½¬å®šä¸šï¼Œå¤šä½›å°±å¯ä»¥è½¬å®šä¸šã€‚(this is the secret…)
è¬å¦‚目连救æ¯ï¼Œç›®çŠè¿žç¥‚有大神通力，到æ¶é¬¼é“去救祂的æ¯äº²ï¼Œç¥‚å˜åŒ–食物给祂的æ¯äº²åƒï¼Œé©¬ä¸Šåˆ°å£å°±åŒ–为ç«ä¸èƒ½åƒã€‚祂回æ¥æ±‚释迦牟尼佛，释迦牟尼佛说有办法，就是《盂兰盆ç»ã€‹é‡Œé¢æ‰€è®²çš„，å¬é›†æ‰€æœ‰çš„åœ£ä¼—ï¼Œæ‰€æœ‰çš„åœ£è´¤åƒ§ï¼Œä¸€èµ·æŠŠæ³•åŠ›åŠ èµ·æ¥ï¼Œç›®çŠè¿žå°±å¯ä»¥åˆ°é˜´é—´åŽ»æ•‘æ¯ã€‚
Medicine Buddha + Amitabha Buddha = 多佛 = å¯ä»¥è½¬å®šä¸š
~ The Chinese term for Paramita should be 波罗蜜多; not æ³¢è蜜多.
~ From http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Ten_paramitas : the Ten Paramitas are expanded from Six. ‘These four paramitas are aspects of the sixth paramita — the paramita of wisdom — and are not added to the first six. The way of dividing the paramitas into ten is particularly related to the teachings on the bhumis which describe the progression of a bodhisattva where each of the paramitas are successively perfected on each of the ten bhumis. ‘
~ An article on the importance of Skilful Means as a measure of the combination of Compassion and Wisdom: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thedailyenlightenment-realisation/message/311
~ There are many interpretations of the meaning of 拈花微笑. Here is a simple one. The Mystery of the Buddha’s Flower: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/zeph/message/827
~ Is there a need for many Buddhas to transform one’s negative karma? The Buddhas are actually one in the Dharmakaya.
~ Moggallana’s mother was a 饿鬼; not æ¶é¬¼.
~ Moggallana didn’t really use anyone’s 法力 to save his mother. He followed the Buddha’s advice to create vast merits from offering to the holy Sangha, to use these merits to dedicate to his mother, to help her leave the hungry ghost realm.
~ Though the practice of repentance via chanting of the 88 Buddhas is powerful, the focused mindfulness of Amitabha Buddha alone is actually powerful enough, to tap into the blessings of ALL Buddhas. This is because ALL Buddhas are mindful of those who are mindful of Amitabha Buddha. This is stated clearly in the Amitabha Sutra:
èˆåˆ©å¼—，于æ±æ„云何？何故å为一切诸佛所护念ç»ï¼Ÿèˆåˆ©å¼—，若有善男å善女人，闻是ç»å—æŒè€…，åŠé—»è¯¸ä½›å者，是诸善男å善女人，皆为一切诸佛之所护念，皆得ä¸é€€è½¬äºŽé˜¿è€¨å¤šç½—三è—三è©æ。是故èˆåˆ©å¼—，æ±ç‰çš†å½“ä¿¡å—我è¯ï¼ŒåŠè¯¸ä½›æ‰€è¯´ã€‚
Shariputra, what do you think this means? Why is this named the “Sutra of Mindful Protection by All Buddhas� Shariputra, if there are good men and good women, who hear [learn] this sutra accept and uphold it, and who also hear the names of all [those] Buddhas, all these good men and good women will be mindfully protected by all Buddhas, and will all attain the Stage of Non-retrogression for [realising] Anuttara Samyak Sambodhi [Supreme (Unsurpassable) Perfect (Correct) Awakening (Enlightenment); Buddhahood]. This is why, Shariputra, you and all [others] should faithfully accept my words, and the teachings of all Buddhas.
~ It is important to realise that diligent singleminded mindfulness of one Buddha (e.g Amitabha Buddha) is enough, especially on the deathbed. If one is not singleminded then and struggles to be mindful of this and that Buddha in a scattered manner, the chances of connecting to any Buddha properly are lower. Another article, by Master Zhizhe, on the importance of focusing on one Buddha as one’s main practice: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Amituofo/message/69
~ An article on the link between the 88 Buddhas (the last of whom ia Amitabha Buddha, who represents the Dharmakaya that encompass all Buddhas) and the 39 Buddhas listed in Amitabha Sutra: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Amituofo/message/36 Amituofo