CULTIVATING THE BODHISATTVA WAY

(Based on the direct transcript from the recorded talks of the Four Dharma classes on the topic walking the Bodhisattva Way And the Taking of its Vowsas conducted by Brother Teoh Kian Koon)

Donated by: Kalyāṇamitta funds of Bro. Teoh Kian Koon

teohkiankoon@hotmail.com

Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.

Dated: 31.7.2017

Biodata of Bro. Teoh Kian Koon

Bro. Teoh graduated from University of Malaya in Civil Engineering in 1979. He has been a spiritual practitioner cum ‘Meditator’ since 1971. Since his retirement in 2001 from his engineering career, he has been sharing his understanding and experiences with those who are keen in their search for true happiness, peace and liberation from birth and death and all mental suffering to become a more virtuous, noble and wiser human being. He gives dharma talks and holds meditation classes & retreats and weekly Dharma classes at various meditation centers and places that invite him.

For more detail of Bro. Teoh’s dharma activities and his unique Kalyanamittaship grouping please login to his website at: http://broteoh.com OR Google ‘Bro. Teoh’s Kalyanamittas – A Repository of Dharma Material’ to view them.

Preface

This book is compiled from the combination of 4 transcripts arising from 4 different dharma talks delivered by Bro. Teoh Kian Koon on the topic ‘walking of the Bodhisattva way and the taking of the vows’ over a period of about 2 years. The 1st talk was delivered on the 2nd January 2015 followed by the 2nd talk on the 19th April 2016, the 3rd talk on the 26th April 2016 and the 4th talk on 28th September 2016.

It is Brother Teoh’s sincere wish that all Dharma friends, spiritual practitioners, seekers of truth, and cultivators will be able to make use of these enclosed Bodhisattva way dharma transcript notes to develop a clear and better understanding of the cultivation of the Bodhisattva way and the Buddha Dharma as taught by the Buddha so that they may progress along the path of dharma to become more virtuous, nobler and wiser human beings to be a blessing to all of humanity and the world.

As these notes were mostly compiled based on direct transcript from the recorded talks (dated 2.1.2015, 19.4.2016, 26.4.2016 and 28.9.2016); the text are aligned as closely as possible to the colloquial speeches in those talks. However, some editorial amendments have been made to the text without detracting from the essence of the talks. With this, it is hoped that readers can adjust themselves accordingly to better understand its true meaning and intent. A good way to do this is to listen to the recordings before reading these transcript notes.

To listen to the recordings (audio files) you can log on to our http://broteoh.com website under Repository of Dharma material to view them or alternatively download the audio files via these below MP3 audio links:

1. ‘Bro. Teoh's Special Tuesday class recording dated 2 January 2015 on Taking of the Bodhisattva Vows: http://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Teoh-150102-Bodhisattva-way.mp3;

2. ‘Bro. Teoh’s Special Tuesday class recording dated 19 April.2016 on Cultivation of the Bodhisattva way: http://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Teoh-160419-Bodhisattva-vow-Tues.mp3;

3. ‘Bro. Teoh’s Special Tuesday class recording dated 26 April 2016 on Taking of the Bodhisattva Vows: http://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Teoh-160426-Bodhisattva-Vow.mp3 and

4. ‘ Teoh’s Special Tuesday Class recording dated 28 September 2016 on Taking of the Bodhisattva Vows: http://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Teoh-160928-Bodhisattva-vow.mp3’.

Bodhisattva Vows Note pdf : http://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/Taking-of-the-Bodhisattva-vows-20160421.pdf

Alternatively you can also Google ‘Bro. Teoh’s Kalyanamittas – A Repository of Dharma Material’ to view the soft copy.

Acknowledgement

It is the donors’ sincere intentions that these dharma transcript notes be given free to those who are interested and have the affinity to receive them. I would like to take this opportunity to thank and rejoice in the generosity and wholesomeness of all those Dharma friends or Kalyāṇamittas who have donated and/or helped out in the transcription, typing, typesetting, formatting, proof reading, etc. to make this free distribution of dharma dāna possible.

Special thanks should be accorded to Sister Chee Guit Yeng (Puan Chee) and Sister Gladys Loh who had taken their great initiative to develop the draft transcripts for my subsequent editing thereby enabling this dharma book to be printed.

By the power of all these wholesomeness, may all beings be well and happy, free from all mental and physical sufferings and dangers and may there be love, peace and joy - deep within their hearts. And may it also pave the way for the existence of causes and conditions for all dharma friends who have donated and/or helped out in one way or another to realize their good and noble wishes/aspirations soonest possible.

With Mettā always,

Brother Teoh Kian Koon

teohkiankoon@hotmail.com

Dated: 31.7.2017

A. Introduction to the Bodhisattva Way (1st sharing)

(Based on a direct transcript from the recorded Dharma sharing by Bro. Teoh dated 2 January 2015)

Audio : http://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Teoh-150102-Bodhisattva-way.mp3

Bodhisattva Vows Note pdf : http://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/Taking-of-the-Bodhisattva-vows-20160421.pdf

A.1 Briefing

We are still early. We still have another 5 to 6 minutes before 8 o’clock. So, for those who have brought the fruits for puja offering, you can prepare them for offering and get ready for Puja at 8pm.

Tonight we will have a very important discussion on the whole of the Bodhisattva way cultivation and practices and I will also explain to you the basis and understanding behind all these so that you all can have the right understanding. A lot of people don’t have the understanding because they think this is a very difficult way and they dare not even think about it. But when you come to understand, you will be very surprised. Actually it’s very easy even though it may take very long.

You must have strong faith, sincerity and a lot of perseverance. Then you must have a lot of love and compassion. With these, everything will just happen, even though we talk about eons and eons of cultivation, but in terms of time, this is very normal because a lot of Samma Sambuddha took much longer especially Amitabha Buddha. It took him 12 world cycles to perfect all virtues and wisdom needed to complete the cultivation. Even though it was done in such a way which seemed quite impossible to many people, yet he could accomplish it.

If He could complete it, there is no other Samma Sambuddha who could not complete it because His vows were extremely extensive and unusual. Yet, He was able to perfect them until Pure Land can become a reality. That was a great breakthrough. That’s why the Pure Land teaching is very popular and very unique. The main thing that people don’t understand is the uniqueness of all these Great Beings nature.

So if you know how to connect and develop the affinity with all these great beings’ nature then it can help you in many ways especially your cultivation. This is just a briefing for those who are early. Afterwards, when we start, we will go through the whole thing again. Then you can participate and ask whatever questions you have. Don’t be shy because this is a very rare condition. When there is condition, if you don’t ask then when this form and mind is no more, there is no more condition for you to ask. So while this form and mind is still around, make full use of it.

Chin How, come, we are about to start the puja already. So, yours is the last one. You can offer those garlands over the images. Okay now it’s exactly 8 o’clock. We shall prepare for Puja. Maybe we give Bro. Swee Aun and Sis. Mee Fong the opportunity to light the candle and incense. Come, the both of you. You all haven’t done Puja here before, right? Come, come. You light the candle while Bro. Swee Aun lights the incense. You light the red candle while Swee Aun lights the incense. These flowers from Sister Padmasuri and Bro. Tune are very nice! We should rejoice with all these offerings and we can start the puja now:

Buddhaṃ Pujemi, Dhammaṃ Pujemi, Saṅghaṃ Pujemi

Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammāsaṃbuddhassa (Repeat 3X)

TISARAṆA

Buddhaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi, Dhammaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi, Saṅghaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi

Dutiyampi Buddhaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi, Dutiyampi Dhammaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi

Dutiyampi Saṅghaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi

Tatiyampi Buddhaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi, Tatiyampi Dhammaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi

Tatiyampi Saṅghaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi

PAÑCA SĪLA

Pānātipātā veramaṇi sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi

Adinnādānā veramaṇi sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi

Kāmesu micchācārā veramaṇi sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi

Musāvādā veramaṇi sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi

Surā-meraya-majja-pamā-daṭṭhānā veramaṇi sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi

We will now chant the Padīpa Puja

Ghana sārappa dittena, Dīpena tama-dhansinā, Tiloka dīpaṃ sambuddhaṃ,

Pūjayāmi tamo-nudaṃ

Gandha sambhāra yuttena, Dhūpenāhaṃ sugandhinā, Pūjaye pūjanīyam taṃ

Puja bhājana muttamaṃ

Vaṇṇa gandha guṇopetaṃ, Etaṃ kusuma santatiṃ, Pūjayāmi munindassa, Siri pāda saroruhe

Pūjemi Buddhaṃ kusumena nena, Puññena metena ca hotu mokkhaṃ,

Pupphaṃ milāyāti yathā idaṃ me, Kayo tathā yāti vināsa bhāvaṃ

Adhivāsetu no bhante, Pāniyaṃ parikappitaṃ, Anukampaṃ upādāya, Paṭigaṇhātu muttamaṃ

Okay. We shall now turn to page 18 to make our aspirations base on our understanding of the significance of all these puja offerings.

Understanding the Significance of Offering of Lights, we shall chant:

May this offering of lights to the Buddha bring forth the causes and conditions to illuminate our minds and help arise the needed clarity and understanding to dispel all darkness of Ignorance therein.

Significance of Offering of Water

May this offering of pure, clear, cool water lead me/us to the pure, clear Dharma that cools and douses off the fires of all Defilements within our mind.

Significance of Offering of Incense

May our morality, virtues and understanding shine forth far and wide just like the fragrance of this incense which we are offering to the Blessed One, who is perfect in Wisdom and Virtues.

Significance of Offering of Fruits

May this offering of fruits remind us of the dana pāramī of generosity and the fruits of our Karma so that we will diligently strive on with Heedfulness to attain the Paths and Fruitions soonest possible.

Significance of Offering of Flowers

May this constant offering of flowers to the Blessed one strengthen our faith and constantly remind me of the impermanence of this body, so that we will diligently and sincerely strive on to cultivate Sīla, Samādhi and Paññā leading to Ultimate Liberation, the bond-free Nibbāna.

Now you will invoke the power of merits and make the aspiration.

By the power of all these merits borne of these offerings, may our spiritual faculties of Saddhā, Vīriya, Sati, Samādhi and Paññā be further strengthened until they become Bāla / powers.

Now we will do the sharing and transfer of merits to all beings.

May these merits be shared and transferred to all beings without exception especially to those who have the conditions and affinity to receive them.

Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!

Okay. Thank you so much. For those who just came in, we’ve just completed the puja offering and the Puja chanting. Now we will commence the invitation or invocation to the Devas.

Invocation to the Devas.

In this Universe in their entirety, let the deities and the devas come here; Let them hear the good doctrine of the King of Sages, which gives Heaven and Release (Nibbāna). This is the time to listen to the doctrine. ( 3X)

Okay. Eng Bee. You can start the invocation chanting in pāḷi:

Samantā cakkavālesu, Atrāgacchantu devatā, Saddhammaṃ munirājassa, Suṇantu saggamokkhadaṃ;

Dhammassavaṇakālo ayaṃ bhadantā (Repeat 3X)

Namo tassa Bhagavato Arahato; Samma sambuddhassa (Repeat 3X)

Iti pi so Bhagavā, Arahaṃ Samma sambuddho, Vijjā caraṇa sampanno

Sugato, Lokavidū, Anuttaro purisa dammasārathī, Satthā devamanussānaṃ, Buddho Bhagavā ti

Svakkhato Bhagavatā Dhammo Sandiṭṭhiko Akāliko Ehipassiko Opanayiko Paccattaṃ veditabbo viññūhi ti.

Supaṭipanno Bhagavato sāvaka saṅgho; Uju paṭipanno Bhagavato sāvaka saṅgho

Ñaya paṭipanno Bhagavato sāvaka saṅgho; Sāmīci paṭipanno Bhagavato sāvaka saṅgho

Yadidaṃ cattāri purisa yogini; Aṭṭha purisa puggala; Esa Bhagavato sāvaka saṅgho

Āhuneyyo pāhuneyyo Dakkhiṇeyyo añjali karaṇiyo; Anuttaraṃ puññakkhettaṃ lokassā ti

Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!

Thank you so much. We will now end the Puja by paying respects to the Triple Gem.

Buddhaṃ Pujemi; Dhammaṃ Pujemi; Saṅghaṃ Pujemi

A.2 Introduction to the causes and conditions for this Sharing

Just relax your body and mind and we will start our sharing. Tonight’s session will be very unique and special as I had promised you all many months ago (even before the Emei Shan spiritual trip) to speak on this topic, ‘Walking the Bodhisattva way’. I knew then, there were causes and conditions for such a teaching to come to this world. And this particular condition was very unique because it actually came about when I was sharing the Buddha Dharma earlier on. Somehow this particular topic kept on arising. Then the funny thing is, all of a sudden, many Kalyāṇamittas, wrote to me to inquire about this topic.

They asked me about this type of cultivation. A few of them even told me before this, they dared not even dream of taking this Bodhisattva way. They were already very contented with the Sainthood way. But somehow things happened. Deep inside, they felt there was something they had to do. Then because of all these conditions, when I saw the emails and inquiries I replied to them all. Then later on, another strong condition arose, when I was at the Tzu Chi, Jing Si book shop at Tropicana Mall; I just picked up one book with the title `Wu Liang Yi Jing’ (无量义経 )

I didn’t really know what this ‘Wu Liang Yi Jing’ (无量义経) was all about. I only knew it was a Pure Land teaching. So I flipped over the book and I saw this Sutra. Then when I read the Sutra, I found it strange but familiar. It first talked about the cultivation of these Great Beings, the Bodhisattvas, and how they cultivated the Bodhisattva way. Then there was another section that talked about the perfection of Pu Hsien Pusa. It was all in the Sutra. Then when I read the one on the Bodhisattva way (which I wrote to you all later on), it was so beautiful because everything that was written there, I realized I had already done them all before. So when the conditions arose, I knew there were a lot of Kalyāṇamittas who have the affinity born of their past cultivation. They also felt something and their nature somehow knew this was something where they had to seriously develop the understanding. Then when I started to share some of the Bodhisattva way cultivation, I came to know that many cultivators and living beings (because of their lack of knowledge and understanding of this way) dared not even dream of walking this way because it appeared like impossible to them.

They had this thought that told them `this is not for me, impossible’. But this is a fallacy. This is what your thought will say. That’s why when you understand this teaching and the Great Vows, Perfections and Virtues of all these Great Beings, (especially Fo Pusa which are the Great Bodhisattvas and Samma Sambuddha), you will come to know how unique and special they are. You only need to develop the very strong faith, the sincerity and the diligence, to cultivate the affinity with them and connect to their nature. Then their nature will take you along and help you walk this way.

The only thing you need is the three qualities that I always talk about, i.e. the faith, the sincerity and the diligence to persevere. You must have very strong faith in the Triple Gem, and then you have to be very sincere. The third one is diligence or perseverance. When you have these three, then with some basic understanding and wisdom, you can connect to the way. You can develop the affinity with all these Great Beings. Then when the affinities are there, this Bodhisattva way becomes very clear and easy. That’s why you need to cultivate affinity with the Triple Gem. That’s the reason why the Buddha asked you to take refuge. Taking Refuge is to cultivate the strong affinity. But many Theravada practitioners fail to understand what taking refuge in the Triple Gem meant. The Triple Gem actually represents all of the Buddha, all of Truth which is the teaching and all of the enlightened disciples of all Buddha. That’s the reason why The Triple Gem is very unique and very beautiful. These three qualities are not difficult if you already have the understanding.

So as you cultivate, as you move along the path of Dharma, the conditions will arise. And when you have affinity with these Great Beings and you have the determination to cultivate this Bodhi mind, the cultivation will become easy. Do you remember our Taiwan, spiritual trip where we visited the Zhong Tai Chan Si (中台禅寺)?

Do you know what was written on their leaflet? What was the main reason this monastery was built? It was told to us that every year millions of people will come and visit this place. Then what do they look forward to? Yes! The Bodhi thought to plant the seed of Bodhi to arise the Bodhi mind (菩提心) to go this way. Cultivators and visitors to their way place only have to develop the faith and condition to arise the single thought of Bodhi to walk this way. Then, the world will never be lacking in all the Great Beings because it all starts with that one single thought of Bodhi.

It is just this single thought of Bodhi to realize enlightenment. Then one must have the faith, perseverance and compassion to walk this way. I will connect all this understanding to the Bodhisattva precepts and its vows. The Bodhisattva precepts and the vows are very important. These initial precepts and the vows can already take you along. But later on as you walk this way, you will know how to modify all these basic vows to suite and you can also include all the special vows that your nature has. You will come to understand all these later on. That’s why every Bodhisattva is different. Every Samma Sambuddha is different. But the four basic vows of the Bodhisattva are basically always the same. And they complement the three types of Pure Precepts, which the Bodhisattva takes. I will explain them to you later.

Now I will read to you some of the emails I received for you to develop the faith and the understanding. Then we can continue with this sharing. If you have any questions, you can ask. You are free to ask. Do make use of these conditions to ask, while this form and mind is still around. Whatever you want to know about this way and the Buddha Dharma, you should ask. Otherwise, when the conditions cease, whatever you want to ask, is already too late. It was the case with Venerable Ananda. When Sākyamuni mentioned that He would come to pass, in 3 months’ time, Ananda was crying in grief because he was only a Sotāpan then. And he had so much emotion until he forgot to ask the Buddha all the important questions. Luckily, Anurudha, the other disciple of the Buddha, advised Ananda to ask a few key questions before the passing away of Sākyamuni Buddha. Hence at the last minute, Venerable Ananda went to ask the Buddha those important questions.

He asked the Buddha, ‘after you are gone who shall we follow?’ The Buddha replied, ‘follow the Sutra and the Vinaya’. This means all the discourses He has taught and all the precepts He has laid down. The main core precepts must be held onto. But He did say ‘as for the minor precepts, one can do away with them, depending on the conditions and the situation’. After that, I think Venerable Ananda was also told to ask a few other questions even though what he wanted most was for the Buddha to stay back.

But the Buddha said ‘no point’ because when the Buddha made the decision, He told Ananda, this physical body, the Nirmanakaya of the Buddha was already like a worn-out bullock cart, waiting to collapse any time. Sākyamuni Buddha’s great compassion and love for the world and sentient beings had deprived Him of enough rest. That was the reason why He passed away earlier, at the age of eighty only whereas most of his disciples were able to live on until the age of 120.

As per my advice earlier, when there are conditions, do make full use of them. Okay, I will read to you one of these emails that I have compiled and sent out. I think there are two. I will read to you this one first:

A.3 Sutta of Innumerable Meanings (无量义経 ) - Chapter 1 on Virtues.

You have to listen to this – ‘when you go this way, when you take the Bodhisattva precepts, do start with the planting of the first seed of Bodhi thought or the Bodhi mind because finally, your whole cultivation will embody all these understanding’. This is mentioned in the Sutta of the Innumerable Meanings, Chapter 1 on Virtues. So, the whole of cultivation centre on virtues, nothing else. From virtues, the whole teaching comes about.

The Sutra says, `True Bodhisattvas are wise beings with great compassion’. That is the opening statement. Then the Sutra further describes `Their minds are tranquil, ever abiding in meditation, peaceful, free of desires and immune from any kind of delusion or wrong thoughts. Theirs is a mind of translucent purity, with vast, profound vows. They hold these vows unwaveringly for countless eons. Having attained great wisdom they penetrate all laws and come to understand all the innumerable teachings. They bring refreshing coolness and help cleanse away ignorance. With boundless compassion, they work to relieve suffering beings. Bodhisattvas are living beings’ true friends, mentors and guides. They help and enable living beings to cultivate a great field of merits and blessings without being asked, they offer guidance to living beings. They are living beings’ place of security and happiness. They uphold the Buddha’s precepts of purity and never break them even at the cost of their life. They never become angry even when harmed, cursed or insulted. Their mind abides in Dharma day and night. They abide in their vows of purifying the world of all negativity and unwholesomeness of body, speech and mind.’

Then after that, I received a few more of these types of emails. One of them was from a very special kalyāṇamitta. It was definitely a lady because all these were mainly written by ladies. The title she uses was `Arahanta and the Bodhisattva paths’. She said, `I have been resisting giving the issue about the Arahanta and Bodhisattva vows any serious thought since I’m still a Puthujjana, no wisdom as yet. I have intended to wait until I have some measure of wisdom i.e. after attaining the path and fruition before deciding on the specific path to take. However, there seems to be some unease each day; for the time being, I only aspire to work towards Arahantship. I have no courage or wisdom whatsoever to walk the Bodhisattva path. Then last Friday, the 10th October, 2014 when I read your email about the Bodhisattva way, I don’t know why but I was so touched and moved to tears that my tears flowed freely. I am similarly moved to tears each time I recite mindfully Pu Hsien Pusa’s ten great vows in Mandarin. After your explanation, I knew they are tears of gratitude and joy. Then on Monday, I received a WhatsApp message reminder, from a very patient Mahayana friend who has been asking me to `Siu Pu Ti Xing’ (修菩提心). It means to cultivate the Bodhi mind, to walk the Bodhisattva way. So these two reminders came back, meaning to aspire for the Bodhisattva way and to cultivate the Bodhisattva path.

Somehow this time, I didn’t resist and I knelt humbly before the Buddha rūpaṃ and expressed very sincerely my initial aspiration or vow to cultivate the Bodhisattva way and humbly asked Guan Yin Bodhisattva, the great compassionate Bodhisattva, to help and guide me along the way. Then when I sat down to meditate, the Heart Sutra kept playing non-stop in my mind even when I was sleeping. This lasted for a few days. I really need all the guidance and help to cultivate the Bodhisattva way. Hope I have the conditions to cultivate the Pāramīs needed to support me along the way.

The second part is on delusion and dream state. When I contemplated on all the dreams that I had, I realized that when this egoic self was not the main character in the dream, I had complete awareness of the dream, from when it was about to start, right to the end. When the dream ended, I could even become a critic of the dream, in the dream state itself.

However, when the egoic self or mind was the main character in the dream, such detached awareness of its arising was lost and I was completely sucked right into the dream and got ‘myself’ entangled in the emotions and feelings. This delusion was extremely strong and an example was the dream I had yesterday morning. I was climbing up a very tall ladder. When I was about three steps below the peak or summit, I felt very dizzy and was about to fall off the ladder. When I looked down, I couldn’t see the ground. Then I sensed the feeling of fear arising. Then suddenly, a very strong voice said, `you are not dizzy and you are not falling.’ Instantly, all feelings of dizziness and fear of falling vanished without a trace. In the dream, I was totally amazed at the sudden and complete change. After that, I was able to climb up and down the ladder without any dizziness or fear of falling down. Brother Teoh, thank you so much for taking the time to read my ramblings. Your patience and compassion inspire and drive me on to cultivate sincerely. With mettā and respect always, signed.

So this was the email. We should all rejoice with the wholesomeness via saying Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!

There are many of you, maybe at this point in time you may not know your past as yet, because you have not really connected and developed the ability to recall your past cultivation; not really in the sense of recalling past lives. Recall here means after you have connected then all the understanding will come back to you. It’s not about reading past lives because this spiritual nature is different from the karmic nature. I had explained this during our last Thursday class sharing? The transcript is going to be ready soon. You should read that book `who are you, what are you?’ again. How the two natures, the spiritual nature and the karmic nature interact and how the form and mind come about. So who are you, what are you? It’s all very clearly explained in that book. Like what I had explained, the moment you are born, karma will come into play because according to the Buddha, - ‘you are born of your Karma, heir to it, conditioned and supported by it and you are what you are because of Karma’. And when the Buddha said, `You are born of your Karma,’ He’s not referring to your true nature. He’s referring to your form and mind, the karmically conditioned form and mind which are subject to karma. Then, there is another nature which is the spiritual nature. And this spiritual nature is unlike your karmic nature, just like what I had explained in the talk. It’s all in the transcript book. It’s very easy to understand and also very clearly explained in there. Regarding this spiritual nature, not until you connect with your true nature you cannot inherit anything from it. When you know how to meditate and how to silent your mind, then you can connect. The moment the silent mind touches the nature, the form and mind will understand a lot of things. That form and mind will progress very fast. It will understand what Sati is; it will also understand what that nature is. Then once you go through ‘cessation’, you would have passed by the enlightenment stage(s) of the sainthood way. But if you have cultivated these before, it will move across very fast, and you will reach back to your past cultivation pretty fast.

That’s how you inherit. Then if you want to, you can understand many things via the silent mind. Once connected, you inherit your nature’s past perfections and cultivation. You will understand the Dharma very fast and very easily. You may also come to realize that earlier on you may not understand many of these things, but all of a sudden, you can understand them now. And there are a lot of things you will come to understand; things which you may not have learnt them this life yet you can understand. You will also come to know how they actually arise and how they pass away and how this is possible.

Just like what happened to me since the year 1986. Everything just happened - the teacher came, the book came and the guide came. Then within three years after I connect, all these past understanding came back to me. Then when I read the Sutra or when I heard truth, I could just understand them even though some of these understanding were not written in any books before. There was no doubt or fear, nothing, because the Dharma is Paccattaṃ - can be realized by the wise each for themselves and there is no doubt and everything is very clear. Because of that, you will also come to understand all these when the time comes. That’s why I always said, ‘you will never know who you are until you connect’. Do you remember Bro. Song? He is the only male Kalyāṇamitta connected thus far. He always talks to me but he never writes me any email. Initially he also had this thought because the mundane mind could not understand. He always said he was very `cha’ (in mandarin) meaning very slow and weak in his cultivation. But, the moment he connects, he moved so fast. How is it possible? Things that he never understood before, after he connect, the moment he reads my dharma notes, my transcripts, the Dependent Origination or Paṭicca Samuppāda teaching again, he straight away understand despite the fact that before he connect he had tried reading them six times, yet he could not understand. But all of a sudden, after he connects, he read the notes again and he could understand. The reason being this teaching comes from the silent mind so if you had not realized the silent mind’s awakening you cannot understand. Then many things just happened and he is now so clear about the great difference between thought-based meditation and awareness-based meditation.

And he kept on having this joy of understanding for two or three months after he had connected. Then he kept on sharing with others and me, reporting things that a normal person could not understand. So these are the things that are possible and your time will also come. You only need to develop the faith, the three things I had written on the white board – i.e. Saddhā (faith), the sincerity and the diligence then just cultivate and don’t try to know. Forget about what the thoughts are telling you, like - `this way is so difficult, impossible, not for me’ etc. No more such gullible thinking.

We are also very blessed or lucky because when we went to Fa Gu Shan the Monastery of Master Sheng Yen in Taiwan, I saw this book, the Bodhisattva Path, direction to Buddhahood. When I flipped through the pages, I saw that it was very simple and very easy to understand because this is written for people who are keen to walk the path. It is very simple and very basic. And this is where and how you start. Afterwards, I will read it to you. I hope I have the time. Almost an hour has gone.

Okay. I better finish off all these emails first before it is too late. Now I will read to you my reply to her. I wrote to her and I said – “Mahā Sadhu to you for your strong faith and good past! I really rejoice with your wholesomeness. The Bodhisattva way is not difficult when you understand and there is a lot of joy too. Just like what the Heart Sutra said, `True emptiness is wonderful existence.’ Based on what you had shared below, you definitely have good past, condition and affinity to walk this way. So do not allow the thought to deter you. Cultivate great affinity with Guan Yin and other Great Beings and Samma Sambuddhas and make the appropriate aspirations and vows to go this way. Then everything will just follow and fall into place. Be sincere, have faith and persevere with strong resolve. Then all will be well because their nature will help bless, protect and guide you. Always remember, you have to ask for their blessings, protection and guidance. Do you know why you need these three – blessings, protection and guidance? You need to be blessed is easy to understand. Then why must you ask them to protect you? Your true nature never dies, isn’t it? So why do you need protection? It is to protect this form and mind which is very fragile. Like I always said, this form and mind is very fragile, vulnerable and very delicate.

If the supporting conditions cease to be or disappear, then death can occur. This form and mind is just a vehicle and tool for you to come and develop the cultivation, etc. Every life if you come as a human being, you may not have much time to cultivate, to develop the understanding because you have to go through the three phases of Life; as a kid, you don’t know anything as yet. Then, you go to school, finish your studies and go out to work. Then with your worldly duties you will have no time for your spiritual cultivation. So, only those who have their vows and their past perfection or cultivation, their karma will take them along and they will know how to do this cultivation early.

Then you have to connect. After connecting, only then can you continue with your cultivation. So every life you come, you actually do not have much time. A lot of people don’t even have that condition to come into contact with the Buddha dharma. So if you don’t have their protection, before you even connect, chances are, the form and mind is already gone. Like this life, I myself can recall. Not less than three incidents, this form and mind of mine were supposed to die before it even get connected. So it was because of this nature’s affinity with these Great Beings, especially Guan Yin Bodhisattva’s nature that had protected this form and mind of mine from dispersing. And they don’t have to be around because it can manifest via their vows and their understanding of the nature’s laws that governs all of life and existence and it will also know how to connect. Then life after life, because this nature of mine made these vows, these aspirations to seek their protection via the power of merits, wholesomeness and understanding hence this become possible. When you seek their blessings, protection and guidance, their nature will continuously guide you, protect you and bless you. That’s why you are very well protected, like very lucky, very blessed and properly guided. Then somehow, everything will fall into place. That’s why you must know how to develop and look for this affinity and connection. I will continue with my reply to the lady’s email - I said, ‘I will explain further when I meet up with you in person. There are many others too who are interested in going this way. Maybe we can gather them together and we can have a separate private session on this topic. Bye and with mettā always.’

So that was the main condition that led to this first private session. I also promised you all that it would be held after our Emei Shan (峨眉山) spiritual trip. I was thinking this year-end break was the best. Initially, a few of the Kalyāṇamittas told me they could not make it. But, I think the turnout for the session which is today, is very good. Most of us can make it and we should thank Sister Padmasuri for suggesting the date. Shall we rejoice? Sadhu! (3x)

Then after that, she replied to me. The title was `Request for Guidance and Reporting.’ The lady Kalyāṇamitta said – ‘Dear Bro Teoh, I was filled with joy reading your email reply. I’m most thankful for my good karma to have you guiding me on this Bodhisattva way. It is a wonderful idea to have a private session with others who aspire on the same path. Sadhu! (3x)’ and then she end her email via signing off as ‘with heartfelt gratitude and respect.’

And I replied to her by saying – “Do listen to yesterday’s 12th October 2014 Wu Pin Chin Seah’s recording and sharing (http://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Teoh-WPCS-141012-16-Satipatthana.mp3) because there were conditions for some of the below understanding to be shared. Please do listen to the later part of the talk and the many ‘mysterious’ things that happened on that day too. It was just like the earlier Klang talk on Emptiness. There were some forces initially that tried to disrupt the talk just like what happened at the earlier Klang talk. It was also because of power failure at Wu Pin Chin Seah, starting from 2.30 pm until about 3.30pm. Bye and with mettā always.”

The talk in Klang on Emptiness is the same too. It was interrupted. Initially, we had to start late because the chanting ended late. Then after that, the microphone encountered problems. But all these, when we allowed conditions to accord and flow and when we didn’t react to the problems, everything just fell back into place.

At Wu Pin Chin Seah, it was also the same. The power failure actually started earlier. Then I remember Stephanie called me – ‘Bro Teoh, shall we cancel the class?’ I asked her why? She said ‘power failure at Wu Pin Chin Seah, - without power, it’s dark, hot and stuffy’. Then she also said, ‘nobody turned up yet except Sister Mun Yuen’. Then I said, `Never mind. We will continue with the class because we have already promised people so we will have the class.’

From 2.30pm until 3.30pm, there was still no power. We started meditation first although normally, we would start with the Sutra first. Then as I was giving some instructions during the meditation, the power suddenly comes back and everything was back to normal. After that, we had a very good sharing. Somehow there were conditions on that day. After the power resumed and when I started the sharing after the meditation, the moment I wanted to share the Bodhisattva way and the cultivation, all of a sudden, it rains and the rain was very heavy and it really pours. The thunder was also very loud. It was pouring heavily outside. Then all of a sudden, there was a very loud ‘burst’ of thunder and the power tripped again. That was because the Higher Beings were rejoicing. Again, the power was reconnected. I think Mimi was there with her husband. They came to join us late. So many things just happened. Nature is like that. There is nothing psychic about these types of things. It’s just Nature’s way because very likely the Higher Beings also want to know about these cultivation. So there were many conditions for all these to arise. This can also help many of you to develop the faith so do listen to the sharing on that day attentively.

Then in between also, the Thursday and Tuesday classes, there were many occasions, when the conditions arose, and I shared. Then after that, I wrote back to the lady – ‘the below is for your personal sharing only. I wrote to most kalyāṇamittas, who might be interested and have the conditions. I said, ‘Do reply to me directly. Let me know if you are interested to join us for a private session to discuss the below topic. I intend to hold this private session to discuss this topic after the Emei Shan spiritual trip. I will forward a rather good reply from another Kalyāṇamitta for sharing by all later.’

The other email is this one – ‘As mentioned in my earlier email, this is another email for your personal sharing. Hope this can help strengthen your faith and resolve further. Bye and with mettā always.’

Another kalyāṇamitta also wrote – `Sukhi Hotu, Bro Teoh. I am very thankful for your compassion towards kalyāṇamittas in every way, especially your Dharma sharing. And although we may be seen to be quiet during Q & A, it may appear that we do not understand, but Bro Teoh, I speak for myself; each time, I attend any of your classes, you seem to know what my doubts and questions are. And I leave home with the joy and the following day, filled with clarity and as mentioned in your below sharing, the mind abides in Dharma day and night. The first thing when I wake up in the morning, Dharma is there. Whenever my mind is free, Dharma is also there. And even when I wake up at night to go to the toilet, the Dharma or mantra or chanting, comes to my mind first. It has become like a duty.’ Then I replied – `Dear sister, I rejoice with your wholesomeness and good understanding. Sadhu! And do keep up with the good progress. Bye and with mettā always.’

Then there is another email which is also very important. This one is also written by another sister. After I sent out this, I wrote to the kalyāṇamittas and I said – `below is the drop box link sharing for all, it is a very good talk. Please do listen to it attentively to understand its deep meaning. This is the talk in Klang on Emptiness. It was spoken on the 3rd of October 2014, about three months back.’

In her reply she wrote – `Dear Bro. Teoh - Sadhu! (3x) and thank you so much for the rather inspiring talk. Your talk has taken me a step closer to understanding Emptiness even though I must say my understanding is still very thought-based. I’m slowly learning to appreciate the idea of condition-arising in all phenomena. I see it clearly in my plants as I enjoy gardening. The challenge is applying it to my daily life and the daily activities. I have to constantly remind myself and reflect on it of course. I have always wanted to understand what Anattā is and what Emptiness is though I often get confused. But I didn’t give up. So far, I managed to listen to the recording of your talk twice and then to listen to it again. Please allow me to clarify. Would you say Buddha and Pusa or Bodhisattvas are also subject to change i.e. condition-arising? Some say our Sākyamuni Buddha exist in the Buddha land, please comment. I was also told an Arahant will cease to exist within a week due to the collapse of the five aggregates. I would like to hear your views on this please. Thank you in advance. May you be well and happy always’. This email was written to me by a lady from Singapore.

So, what do you think? The first question - Would you say the Buddha and Bodhisattvas are subject to change - condition-arising? What do you think? She didn’t understand the question, right? She didn’t know what the Buddha or Bodhisattva is. She only heard of the words and the names. So you can never fathom all these, not until you have cultivated the understanding. She does not really have much cultivation. Earlier on, she asked a lot of questions and I told her, ‘forget about the questions. Focus on your cultivation, which is more important because all these questions are from the thought’. I will read to you my reply. Then maybe we can discuss it because it can help you.

I forgot to answer her last question. In my reply to her, I said – `Dear sister, the Buddha and Bodhisattvas are embodiment of their spiritual perfection of wisdom and virtue, which has become their spiritual nature. The five aggregates of form and mind that they take to come into existence as Buddha and Bodhisattvas are not them. This is the most important understanding. Don’t be gullible. Don’t go and think that the form is the Buddha or Bodhisattva’. That’s the reason why Sākyamuni Buddha said, `He who sees me, didn’t see the Buddha’. Only ‘He, who sees the Dharma, sees the Buddha.’ A lot of these things, people cannot understand. So I have to explain them.

Then I said to her, `The five aggregates of form and mind or the living being that they take to come into existence, to come as Buddha and Bodhisattvas are not them but only the karmically-conditioned segmented form and mind life of theirs in that particular life and they are impermanent because each of these is just a karmically-conditioned form and mind entity. Only that physical form they take to arise is subject to change or condition-arising. But their spiritual nature is different because it’s just the nature borne of their cultivation and perfection. It is not a being. The form and mind that comes and cultivates can connect back to their nature to inherit all the understanding of their spiritual nature. Only then can it transform the form and mind into a Buddha or a Bodhisattva. But their forms are not their true nature. Their form is only a karmically-conditioned vehicle and tool for them to arise, used to perform the function of a Buddha or a Bodhisattva while in this world. Hope this helps.’

So, this first part, can you all understand? The true nature of the Buddha or Bodhisattva is the embodiment of their cultivation and perfection. And that one, nobody can take away. It is recorded in their spiritual nature. That’s why that nature is very different and very powerful. It has its virtues, perfection and wisdom. That’s why it’s capable of very unique and powerful things because of their vows.

Pass the microphone to Sister Chwee (for the recording). Otherwise, it cannot be recorded. Even though we can hear you but it cannot be recorded. Thanks.

Sister Chwee: Sorry, Bro Teoh. Just to go back again. Their physical Forms are not their true nature and they are just karmically conditioned arising forms. Can you elaborate a little bit more on that? I can understand form is not their true nature but karmically-conditioned, seems to me, there is some kind of karmic inheritance somewhere that comes into being and how do they use that karmic-conditioning to walk that path?’

Bro Teoh: I think I understand your question. Thank you Sister Chwee. You see, I have already explained in many parts of my talks and that’s the reason why you must pay attention now, so that you understand. Can you remember the Thursday class talk? I drew a sketch of Sister Joyce with the skirt, remember? Just like this life, my nature comes with this form and mind you called Bro. Teoh; but this form and mind which you call Bro. Teoh is not me, do you understand? This is karmically conditioned out through my karmic nature. Without karma, there’s no form and mind. You need a form and mind to come.

This form and mind is your tool and vehicle. A vehicle means a physical body like a car to take you around. It has the sense bases that allow you to give rise to the sense door consciousness and to allow your consciousness to stay within. The form and mind, through the appropriate conditions, can arise because it is born of your karma, heir to your karma, conditioned and supported by your karma and you are what you are because of your karma.This form and mind is subject to karma hence not your true nature. You will not know how to meditate or how to silent your mind until you can connect to your true nature. The moment you connect, you can inherit all of your cultivation. But not everybody has that cultivation and perfection. Many need to cultivate and perfect it, just like the karmic nature. You need to slowly nurture it, step by step perfect it. Then this karmic nature is very important. Those Great Beings, Bodhisattvas and great cultivators, like the Samma Sambuddha have already known the teaching before they took the vows. They have already understood. That’s the reason why they can become Arahants any time. But because of their love and compassion for the living beings, they vow life after life to liberate sentient beings out of genuine love and compassion for them. They just do this work and this is their first basic vow. One must uphold the three sets of pure Bodhisattva precepts and the four very important basic vows to walk this way. The first one is - you vow to take across the innumerous sentient beings, to liberate them, to free them from all suffering. So this first basic vow, borne of love and compassion, is very important. This will create the pure mind for you to come back, do you understand? Otherwise, if you already have that wisdom and you had realized the Arahantship or beyond; when this form and mind ceases, do you know what will happen? You can realize Nibbāna leading to subsequent Parinibbāna then you don’t die like normal beings. There is no more rebirth consciousness. The Arahants just cease.

But because of your Bodhisattva vows, you can still come back in another ‘form and mind’ to liberate sentient beings.

That’s the reason why that vow has the power to condition the ‘form and mind’ to come out. And that ‘form and mind’ that comes is not born of delusion, not born of a rebirth consciousness. Because of your compassion and love, this pure mind can come out and take rebirth via the vow. Then the vow will create a ‘form and mind’. That’s why this pure mind with the love and compassion can become part of that karmically-conditioned form and mind. People need rebirth consciousness to come. The death consciousness, through delusion conditions rebirth consciousness. But the Bodhisattvas don’t have rebirth consciousness. Only their pure mind, their vows, their perfection and their love and compassion can enable rebirth.That’s the reason why when I was very young; my mind was empty even until the age of five. I can still recall. There was nothing inside there (the brain) until I was transferred to the notorious town Alor Star. At the age of six only, this so-called mundane mind started to interact and learn all the bad habits. You will know when the time comes. That mind is so pure, so different. This karmically-conditioned form and mind is just a tool and a vehicle for you to come. But because of karma and you have this perfection and understanding of the teaching, every life you come, you will finally know how to avoid all evil, do good and purify the mind. You must cultivate the vows and the 3 sets of Pure Precepts. You must know the three sets of pure precepts.

To walk this path, you must start with these three sets of Pure Precepts. The first one is: you have to undertake the training rule to avoid all evil. The second one is: cultivate all virtues. What is the third one? You will surely think it’s the advice of the Buddha, to purify the mind. No! If you do that, you will become an Arahant. You don’t just purify your mind because by then, you would have known how to develop the enlightenment already. Instead you have to take the 3rd set of pure precepts: via undertake the training rules to penetrate all dharma and liberate the limitless living beings from all suffering.

You do this, just like how you keep your precepts. I undertake the training rule to penetrate all dharma and liberate all living beings or sentient beings from all suffering. That’s the reason why this pure precept can bring about the special cultivation leading to the perfecting of the 10 perfections.

Do you think it is easy to avoid all evils? Every time you come before you connect, before the mundane mind collapses, that mundane mind still has delusion. So you will have to cultivate this constantly. By cultivating all virtues, you are actually perfecting your ten perfections. That’s why you have to cultivate until your nature is very powerful. And these understanding will allow you to have the conditions to walk this path. Then you can combine these understanding with the four basic vows and the three sets of Pure Precepts to perfect your 10 perfections. This is a very important understanding.

Is there a difference between a vow and a precept? When one says, ‘I undertake the training rule to liberate living beings’ – this is a precept. This means every life you come with this form and mind, you can renew your precepts via undertaking those training rules. You continue to do it as long as you are willing to keep the precepts. Vow means you vow to continue to do this work until you become Samma Sambuddha. So there is a slight difference.

What are the four basic vows of the Bodhisattvas? I have already told you the first one. Then after that, you have to develop the other three. I will share them with you later. But this first one is very important.

Pass the mic to Sister Chwee – `Bro Teoh, I seem to have a little bit of misunderstanding because I don’t seem to see the Buddha as telling his disciples at that time to do all these. Most of them, from the little I know, went on and became Arahants. Is it purely a Mahayana approach to do this thing?’

Bro Teoh: Okay. Thank you for your question. You see, this is the question that come from knowledge, your thought (from what you have been taught, what you have read, your conditioned memories, views and opinions, etc) do you understand? That’s the reason why when you cultivate and develop further understanding, you will know how to filter all these because this comes from the thought. The thought doesn’t have the understanding. That’s why you say, ‘from the little that I have read’, which means the Sutta of the Theravada teaching that tells you. But in the Theravada teaching it was mentioned that Sākyamuni Buddha became a Samma Sambuddha after he had perfected the 10 perfections. But how He did it was never mentioned or taught to the disciples. That’s why it was mentioned; almost all the disciples developed their cultivation up to either the first stage of Sainthood, second stage of Sainthood, third stage of Sainthood or Arahantship level only. Then you should ask yourself, if a Samma Sambuddha’s close disciples also cannot walk the path of Bodhisattva, then who else can walk?

There were so many walking the Bodhisattva way at that time but people don’t talk about it because at that time, this Theravada teaching was more important and more relevant. Like what the Buddha said via his `handful of leaves’ analogy because it was to cater for the Sāsana at that time. You need this new breed of cultivators who understands the teaching to develop the initial sainthood enlightenment first. Then only they can have the condition to walk this way. This way is unique not only to the Mahayana tradition. The Mahayana was able to come out with all these teachings were because they have all these Bodhisattvas and Buddha who have walked this way before. That’s how all those teaching came about to complement what Sākyamuni Buddha has shared. Sākyamuni’s job is to develop the 4500 to 5000 years of Sāsana first, so that it can produce these sainthood way beings.

If you look at the Mahayana teaching, they talk about the Hua Yen San Shen (华严三圣) and the Xi Fang San Shen (西方三圣). The Xi Fang San Shen consists of three Great Beings of the Western Paradise which are Amitabha Buddha (阿彌陀佛), Da Shi Zhi Pusa (大勢至菩萨) and Guan Shi Yin Pusa (观世音菩萨) whereas the Hua Yen San Shen has Sākyamuni Buddha as the Buddha in the centre. He is supported by two more great beings, if I am not wrong, it’s supposed to be Guan Shi Yin and Pu Hsien Pusa (普贤菩) or Mañjusrī Bodhisattva (文殊菩萨) and Pu Hsien Pusa (普贤菩萨). But the funny thing is Guan Yin’s nature also came. That’s why Amitabha Buddha, Guan Yin and Maitreya their natures are also very strong during this era and all these have their conditions of arising. So coming back to your question, try to understand that the cultivation comes from investigation, understanding what this path is all about. If you don’t develop the faith and start to have doubts and create through the thoughts this type of question, it is not going to help you.

It’s going to make you less committed without you realizing it. When you have faith, it doesn’t mean you believe. When you have faith, you will have an open mind. Then you find out with a clean slate. You investigate, then you see whether it stand up to investigation or not? That’s why these people who wrote to me they have the faith. They just do the cultivation and when they connect they will come to know what these things are all about. Many of them have those understanding already.

Pass the mic to Sister Chwee – ‘Very sorry about this. But I was thinking that the Arahant way is already on that way except this one adds a different dimension to the Arahant way. But I only speak for myself. We can’t even get there yet because that path is not easy. And you have to reach a certain level before you can actually take the training rule to liberate all beings’.

Bro. Teoh: So what is your question?

Sister Chwee: My question is; you have to reach a certain stage before you get on to make this vow and practicing these three types of Pure Precepts. Is that right? I just think that I’m so far behind. Where do we go from here? Or, is it a futile thing? We don’t have that past cultivation, we cannot do it, just get on doing the best you can.’

Bro. Teoh: Now I will answer your question. Please do listen again carefully. Just now, when I started, what did I say? A lot of people are like you and they also said: ‘I am so far behind’. I have said before you will never know what your past is until you determine to do it. When you connect, you may get the shock of your life. You won’t know who you are until you try. You look at Bro. Song and many others. That’s why don’t allow the thought to condition you to have such view. When the conditions have arisen and the heart wants to do, you better go and do because the heart will know, not the thought, do you understand? All these, like what I had said, when there is condition, you will know what to do.

I will read to you another part. This will give you a very important understanding because this explains the Great Blessings of having this Bodhi Mind to walk this path. Just give me a minute. Okay. Please listen to this. Who has this book? Turn to page 32. ‘It is said that by receiving the Bodhisattva precepts, one generates a vast amount of merits. This can be understood as follows – `When you take the precepts, means this Bodhisattva precept, a seed is planted deep in your consciousness and because this seed has been planted for the benefit of all sentient beings, the natural consequence of its maturation as you nurture it by keeping the precepts is a growth in your compassion and a weakening in your propensity to do harm. With sustained cultivation, there naturally arises in you a tendency towards wholesomeness and perfection of virtues. As you increasingly go through life acting on the basis of compassion, you will come to experience a great sense of security and stability. Why is this possible? Because quite simply, you are no longer living life in an obsessive, self-concerned and a self-centered way, always worrying about your own well-being and feelings, constantly felt threatened and insecure because of your Sakkāyadiṭṭhi or self-delusion. But when you take these precepts, you vow to liberate all beings. That’s how you become selfless, you can sacrifice and you can do everything to benefit others and be a blessing to all. As your life is dedicated to others, you become less and less concerned with your personal benefits, gain or loss, consequently you no longer live in fear and cease to be agitated or plagued by vexations which are all caused by self-attachment. You achieve stability of mind. These stability and security that you so experience then creates an internal field of security and stability around the people that are palpable to other sentient beings and they will feel safe around you because you are of genuine compassion, never intend to harm them but only try to be of help. They also can feel a sort of joy while in your presence. Thus in an immediate and very concrete way, you, after receiving the Bodhisattva precepts are benefiting sentient beings, a deed that generates a vast amount of merits and it is in this way that we undertake the practice of the third set of Pure Precepts to deliver sentient beings.’

Do you remember the third set of Pure Precepts to deliver all sentient beings? `The observance of these precepts actualizes our good intention as put forth in the four great vows and set us decisively on the Bodhisattva way.’ Now I will read to you the three Pure Precepts and the four great vows. Please listen attentively.

‘The three sets of Pure Precepts, the precepts that have been discussed are common to both Theravada and Mahayana on which emphasis is placed on the Bodhisattva’s striving for the benefits of all sentient beings. The essential purpose of the transmission of the Bodhisattva precepts is to arouse in people’s minds an altruistic spirit of service to others and a firm dedication to the pursuit of enlightenment. Such spirit is called the Bodhi-mind. Bodhi is a Sanskrit word derived from the same root as Buddha, and it can be translated to mean awakening, enlightenment or wisdom. The foundation of all Bodhi-mind is embodied in the four great vows we take: to deliver innumerable sentient beings, to cut off endless vexations, to master limitless approaches to the Dharma, and to attain supreme Buddhahood.’ The first vow is to deliver the innumerable sentient beings. The second vow is to cut off endless vexations. This means to endure and to actually persevere through all suffering, through whatever difficulties that you encounter while undertaking the three Pure Precepts. You have to vow life after life to come back with the understanding to do this work. You have to endure them all and that’s the reason why in the Sabbāsava Sutra, it is mentioned that there are things you have to endure, and the Bodhisattva endures even more for you only endure the very simple things such as the body getting sick and all these minor suffering. But for this Bodhisattva way, you have to even endure all the abuses, all the great difficulties that come with all the very different types of civilizations and beings you encounter while fulfilling this vows because you manifest under different civilizations with different types of conditions. There are many things you need to endure and sacrifice and you have to do it life after life, eon after eon. So this second vow to cut off, endure and see through the endless vexations is very important. It’s not easy but it’s also not difficult when you have the understanding. When you have the wisdom, patient, diligent, faith and sincerity you will be able to do it. Then what is the third basic vow? It is to master the limitless approaches to Dharma. This means you have to cultivate all understanding. That’s why the Wu Liang Yi Jing (无量义経) said, `You have to penetrate all laws, all of the Dharma, (not only the handful of leaves for enlightenment to become Arahant). This third vow is to master the limitless approaches to Dharma. It means all of the penetrative Dharma, and interpenetrating Dharma, you need to cultivate them all; so it is more or less unending because this is all on understanding of all the various truths. Then the last one is the vow on how to attain Supreme Buddhahood, to perfect the ten perfections.

Of these four Great Vows, which is the first one? – To deliver and liberate all sentient beings. Then to cut off all vexations, endure and persevere through whatever suffering and misery and you have to endure them all. Then you cultivate all understanding and vow to perfect the 10 perfections to become a Samma Sambuddha.  These four Great vows of the Bodhisattva will carry you through.

What you need to do is - every life when you come with the form and mind, cultivate the three sets of Pure Precepts continuously to avoid all evil and then cultivate virtues. Avoiding all evil is to be done before you connect. After you have connected, you can then cultivate all virtues, do you understand? Then your work towards liberating living beings becomes very easy. So, it’s not difficult. Every life when the form and mind comes, you only need to cultivate these three sets of Pure Precepts. Then these four basic vows or four Great Vows of the Bodhisattva are also very easy. You vow to liberate all beings, you vow to endure and see through all vexations, and then you vow to cultivate all Dharma, the understanding, so that you can walk this way with clarity, understanding, love and compassion. Then the last one, you vow to actually become the Samma Sambuddha, to perfect the ten perfections. To help us actualize these four basic vows, we need to vow to observe further certain principles and guidelines that may help us conduct ourselves in an ethical and humane manner and purify our minds of the three poisons or three evil roots of greed, hatred and delusion. For this purpose, we transmit what are known as the three sets of Pure Precepts which contain the essential principles of all the different systems of principles of Bodhisattva precepts codified over the course of Mahayana Buddhism's long, rich history. Functionally, these three sets of Pure Precepts lead a practitioner to (1) renounce evil deeds by keeping the precepts (means avoiding all evil), (2) accumulate all merits by performing beneficial deeds and cultivate all virtues (3) work for the salvation of all sentient beings. The vows to keep these precepts embody the spirit of all Mahayana Buddhist practices: to stop all evil, to do good, and to deliver all sentient beings. In a very real sense these vows can be seen as the ultimate expression of the aspirations of all Buddhists in all eras.

So if this Bodhi mind cannot be planted deep in your consciousness, chances are life after life, when you come, you will be heedless, you will suffer, you will have no chance of liberating your mind. Now that you have the conditions, do determine sincerely and strongly, with the faith and the diligence to plant this Bodhi mind, to take these Bodhisattva precepts, to walk the way. Forget about whether you can do it or not, because that’s what the thought is trying to tell you not knowing that the blessings that come with this determination are so powerful.

Do you know how Sākyamuni Buddha became a Samma Sambuddha? Just because of one major shipwreck, he realized he could only save his mother and not the many that drowned. It was mentioned in the Chronicles, how he became a Samma Sambuddha after that incident. It was during that time he vowed and determined to liberate living beings, to save all sentient beings because he realized that in that life, He could only save his mother even though he knew he could become an Arahant. That’s the reason why that resolve, give rise to the condition for him to plant that seed of Bodhi. And from there onwards, he determined to fulfil his vows to become a Samma Sambuddha. So you have to determine strongly to plant that seed of Bodhi too especially so while you are still in the present Sāsana. That’s the reason why I told you, the window is there. If you miss this window and when you come to realize what this is all about in future, you are going to regret deeply for this is the best window. To come across such condition again, i.e. having the blessed conditions to be born as a human being during this Sāsana and to have the condition to cultivate the Buddha Dharma with this type of clarity and understanding, yet you still don’t make this vow and this determination, you are going to regret it. This is very important and I’m not trying to encourage you or convince you. No, because it’s your life. You decide, do you understand? My duty is to share this understanding because there are conditions and affinity for this nature to do so.

You may say everything is Anattā but the Law of Karma do recognizes relationship. Every life you come, if I am you, this nature will vow never to come with a form and mind that is deluded again. No point coming here to suffer and to be afflicted right? What for? If every life, you are still like that, doing all these heedless things, creating and experiencing all the karmic negativity, playing, fooling and joking around, taking life so lightly, not knowing how to seize upon condition to move and to determine to make the vows, then what is the point of coming again? All these are very important understanding.

So jokes aside, your life, you’d better decide how you want to move and cultivate? This is for all of you. Don’t under estimate your potential. You will never know until you connect. Maybe you have planted the Bodhi seed in the past. But because you are never serious this life, that’s why there is no condition for you to connect. But when you have the faith, sincerity and perseverance, you will see the transformation and you will come to understand that a very naïve, sincere and simple cultivator can connect and become some very great and special being within a very short time.

Does that answer your question? And do you have any more questions? No? It's ok because at this point in time, you will ask those types of questions. It’s very good because it can bring about conditions for this nature of mine to share with you all what this nature understands. Then the rest is up to you. Whether you agree or don't agree, has nothing to do with this nature. If you have to come because of karma then too bad and you don’t have the ability to choose to come with such understanding.

Sister Chwee: But Bro Teoh, we all do the best of our ability to practice love and compassion.

Bro Teoh: That is the thought telling you.

Sister Chwee: No it's not the thought. It's when you see you do. Like when I went this time to Kashmir, they had a huge flood since March last year. They are without homes, they are living in tents, the weather is minus 8 or 9 degrees C at night, and when you see how these small children go through life and you just quietly give whatever you can to support them. We never knew things were like that.

Bro Teoh: Are you trying to explain that what you did there is love and compassion?

Sister Chwee: No, it's not a question of pity. It's for each individual and the path is different. We walk it differently; we see things differently because of our karmic past.’

Bro Teoh: If you don't mind, me intervening. I can tell you very clearly, it's still from the thought, do you understand? Forget about the thought. Otherwise, it will hinder you. This type of thinking is a deviation. It's very dangerous. Like what was stated in the Sabbāsava Sutra, `Things that are unfit for attention, you go and give it attention. Do you realize, by asking those questions, you are holding on to those wrong thoughts and views, you are creating more thoughts, more problems. That is what the Sabbāsava sutta is all about. When you attend to things that are unfit for attention, the unarisen Āsava (like doubt and fear) arise and the arisen Āsava becomes more. Then through the back door, the thought will tell you, `everyone is different.’ It sounds very logical isn’t it? But what did I advise you, all these while? Don’t try to know right? Just do. Put to test, investigate and find out. You didn't even want to find out. From your views and opinions, you kept on expressing all these things. That is why I say, it’s from your thought, now do you understand? We are not here to argue over right and wrong which are relative truths that will not solve our problem so please Sister I hope you understand. This is what this nature understands and would like to share and of course you are entitled to your views and opinion of things, you can hold onto your views, the way you want to for we respect you for what you are. This is still the egoic mind. Just make use of whatever that is beneficial to move on.

End of the day, it is - `Hey no you and hey no me for it’s only the form and mind. So, don't waste the chance. Just like what I had mentioned earlier, if you continue to do this every life and wasted the chance to learn through this type of thoughts and ideas, you are going to miss out on this window, do you understand? The key to learning is just to have faith, cultivate, investigate and find out for your own self. Then make your own choice and decision, not what people tell you, not what your thoughts tell you. Investigate and find out. When you have faith, when you had determined sincerely, you will connect. Give it a try and see what happens. If you don't want to even give it a try and keep holding onto the thoughts to say all these things, then you will never change. You will continue to be what you are and that is the reason why I want you all to slowly develop the understanding yourself. It's not about right and wrong anymore and I do hope you understand.

Sister Chwee: Thank you Bro Teoh. But I've listened to what you said. I asked this question to understand myself, nothing more than that and I think from here on, there will be no more questions because I will then reflect and think for myself and not bring up any concerns of mine because it doesn't help here.

Bro. Teoh: Okay. Fair enough. Thank you Sister Chwee. We will continue. Just now, I haven't finished regards the email. I was just explaining to the Singapore lady, this ‘form and mind’ is just a karmically conditioned vehicle and tool, for the Buddha and Bodhisattvas to come to this conditioned world to perform their function as a living beings. So that's the reason why that ‘form and mind’ is subject to nature's law, condition arising, causal phenomena, whereas the true nature is different. The Buddha nature or the eternal nature is completely different because it is the unconditioned. Then her second question was, `Some say Sākyamuni Buddha exists in Buddha Land, please comment.' So this one is very clear, isn't it? There is no Buddha Land for Sākyamuni because He's not like Amitabha Buddha, do you understand?

She asks in the next email. I will skip that question. The third question is, ‘She was told an Arahant will cease to exist within a week due to the collapse of the 5 aggregates’ if he didn’t renounce. You heard of this before? I think it's in the Theravada teaching. It is said, if you become an Arahant or Anāgāmī, and if you don't renounce to become a monk, you will die within a week. It's in the Theravada teaching. I heard many people tell me this. So I told them, `If an Arahant is so fragile, then why do you want to become an Arahant?' What do you mean by renounce? The Arahant has no more delusion or ignorance, right? You mean he must quickly ordain and put on a robe? There is no such thing, do you understand? The Arahant will understand because the Arahant is not a permanent unchanging entity. It's the ‘form and mind’ that realizes the wisdom and that ‘form and mind’ becomes an Arahant. But the Arahant will know that one is not him. That's why at Ajahn Chah's monastery at Wat Pah Pong, there is a sign that says, `Don't try to be an Arahant.' The moment you try, there is Sakkāyadiṭṭhi because that one, the form and mind is not you, and do you understand? An Arahant is already a being that has developed wisdom hence can’t be deluded by the form and mind anymore for it has understood clearly the 3 universal characteristics of all phenomena. That's why that mind is not deluded anymore. It will not grasp or hold and upon death it will cease and pass on to realize Nibbāna. It will not condition (through ignorance or delusion) a rebirth consciousness because there is no more ignorance. So the question asked is from a person who doesn't understand right? You can quote the text. But it doesn't mean it is the truth.

I like the way Master Hsuan Hua answered. Somebody once asked him about Arahantship. The person asked whether it was true or not that an Arahant is not reborn anymore but according to Mahayana teaching an Arahant can still go the Bodhisattva way. Master Hsuan Hua then asked the person, `Are you an Arahant? If you are not an Arahant, forget about this question, you are wasting your time.' So when you don't understand the question, you ask from the thought, it will be of no benefit, hope you understand? Let us move on.

Then the lady wrote back to me. This email is very interesting. She said, `Thank you very much Bro Teoh for kindly explaining it to me. It is very abstract for a thinking mind.' So she can understand already because the first time she wrote to me, she asked all types of funny questions. At first I refused to answer her and instead advise her as follows: I said it is better for her to focus on the cultivation. `Please,' I said. `All these are from the thoughts.' At first, she couldn't understand. She still wanted to ask and the second email came. Then I replied in such a way that she started to understand. Then she said, `Okay. I will have faith in what you have shared with me and I will develop the requisite 5 spiritual faculties to cultivate accordingly then hopefully, I will develop understanding.'

I even told her the moment she understands, all these questions would be self-answered. The questions would cease to be. She was very happy that I answered her questions that way. She showed signs that she has started cultivating and developing the faith. What she wrote later was so different from what she had written a year ago.

Then now, she writes this, `Please allow me to clarify (in a very good disguised way). Besides Buddha and Bodhisattvas, does it apply to anyone else? I equate anyone else to form and mind as mentioned in your second paragraph.' (She had started to understand already.) One can be earnestly cultivating for many lives and get connected to the spiritual nature and continue to become enlightened - take for example an Arahant. (You see, the question was phrased very well.) Then, her second question was, `Going beyond form and mind, after Gautama or Sākyamuni’s Parinibbāna, can I say that He is the spiritual nature which is unconditioned?' (There is still a `He’, the spiritual nature which is unconditioned.) `Will He ever exist in form and mind again?' (That is a very good question, right?) ‘I would be most appreciative if you could kindly enlighten me. Then I can move on and continue cultivating with some peace of mind. This question has gone long unanswered and in some ways bothering me.'

Since she is very sincere I replied to her. I said, `At this point of time, don’t try to know and ask too many questions because the more important focus is to cultivate. Then when you realize or awaken, only then can you slowly start to develop the understanding of all these. Regarding your first question, yes, it also applies to anyone who has earnestly cultivated over many lifetimes especially those who have already developed some form of stable wisdom before like all those Great Beings (the Bodhisattvas).

Regarding your second question, try not to get involved because it is a very controversial topic. According to most interpretations of the text based on what the Buddha had said after his enlightenment, the Buddha’s first words after his enlightenment was (it’s also in our chanting book), `Seeking but not finding the house builder, I travelled through the rounds of countless births. Oh, how painful is birth over and over again. House builder, you have now been seen. You shall not build the house again. Your rafters have been shattered and your ridgepole demolished. My mind has now attained the unformed, the unconditioned, Nibbāna and reached the end of all craving.'

Many will conclude that it is his last birth based on their present understanding. But the actual understanding is very different, rather complex and demands a lot of wisdom to understand. The Buddha’s nature - eternally exists because it is part of the Triple Gem and its vows have become a part of nature’s law. And for those who know how to connect and develop affinity with it, they will know how to benefit from it. That’s why Sākyamuni asked you to take refuge and develop affinity with the Triple Gems. Hope this helps.

But, she is very smart because after that, she wrote another email and she said, `Thank you very much again, Bro. Teoh. Apologies, I didn’t know Question 2 was a controversial one. I would infer that the Buddha was referring to not being born, unenlightened again. Hence no condition arising form and mind via craving borne of delusion anymore.' She is now wiser because she now understand that the unconditioned aspect is not eliminated. Hence manifestation in form and mind, independent of the builder can still occur; it means without craving and without delusion, the form and mind can still come. She said, `I think only, maybe an unreliable thinking mode here.' I told her yes, this is correct.

Then she said, `The Buddha’s first words after enlightenment were this, ‘seeking but not finding the house builder, I travelled through the countless births.' She repeated Dhammapada Verses 153 and 154. Then she said, `Yes! I shall now focus on my cultivation from now on and fully understand when I have the wisdom to do so. May I have the condition to seriously cultivate the five spiritual faculties and clearly see the house builder to fully understand the ultimate truth.'

In that sense she is very smart because she request for this: `Please give me your blessings Bro. Teoh and Thank you.' Then I replied to her. I said, `Dear sister, I rejoice with your new understanding and resolve to focus on your cultivation as from now. And surely my nature will give you the blessings. What you need to be successful are just these three things – Faith, Sincerity and Diligence or Perseverance, the same three advices. Bye and with mettā always.'

Then there was another Kalyāṇamitta Sister Ellen who wrote to me earlier, on 19th October 2014. She said, `Today’s triple celebration marking a significant milestone relating to you and the Kalyāṇamittas, is most inspiring.' (Note: 19th October - was our annual Kalyāṇamittas gathering.) After that, she continued and wrote this, ‘When I struck the grand jackpot of meeting a Dharma teacher like you, I was pleasantly surprised that it came with a great bonus too, the ready-made sincere and rather caring group of Kalyāṇamittas, all obtained without any effort on my part. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Ayu vanno sukhaṃ balaṃ! And may all your good and noble wishes come true. I know you do not have much time to read the attached Sutra before your trip to Anandagiri on the 23rd of October 2014. And after that, you all will be off to Emei Shan spiritual trip on the 2nd of November 2014. There is no urgency and please do take your time. My questions are in the blue box at the end of the attached file, Sankharaupapatti Sutta, reappearance by aspirations.'

I haven’t shared this Sutta with you all before. It is a very good Sutta that talks about vows and aspirations. It is called the Sankharaupapatti Sutra. You can vow and make aspirations to be reborn in any realm you want to be. The Buddha actually taught the monks how this can be done. I will start this Sutra in the year 2015, next Tuesday onwards. Remind me to share this sutta with you.

Then I replied to her. I said, `Dear sister, I rejoice with your sincere gratitude and joy below. Regarding the Sankharaupapatti Sutta, it’s a very good Sutta. And the Buddha did teach the monks at that time as to how they can make use of their faith, their virtues, their merits, their cultivation and wisdom, to make aspirations for whatever birth that they might want to take or tend towards liberation of mind and to realize Nibbāna upon the dissolution of these five aggregates of form and mind. Just like what I have been teaching you all these while. You can invoke the power of merits and the power of wholesomeness borne of your faith, virtues, merits or your cultivation and wisdom or your understanding, and then you make aspirations for causes and conditions for rebirth in any realm you want to and even to become enlightened. It can bring about the aspired results. Your question is quite similar to the lady from Singapore who asked earlier which I had forwarded to you for sharing too. Do read the email again to develop a clearer understanding of the topic.'

Regarding your question about Bodhisattvas aspiring for Buddhahood and how they can reappear through vows, aspirations or karma - the answer is Yes they can reappear via their respective five aggregates of form and mind through their vows and aspirations made after understanding the nature’s law that governs life and existence especially the Law of Karma. A Bodhisattva aspiring for Buddhahood can reappear through their vows and aspirations, but not through normal karma via rebirth consciousness born of ignorant because karma is related to ignorant and the karmic nature; and as Arahants they have no more ignorant hence no more rebirth consciousness to condition their rebirth. But when they are the Bodhisattvas, it means they must have already made those four Basic vows of the Bodhisattva just before they realize the Arahantship. Then those vows can arise the causes and conditions for them to come back with a pure mind via ‘Love and compassion’ borne of the 1st basic vow, hence no need for a karmic rebirth.

Every life they come, they will connect unless their form and mind dissolves too early. Even if that is the case it will still know how to cease. Because I can still remember how at the age of 7 or 8, my consciousness came out and before the consciousness came out, I was aware how it went through that cessation. At that time I still didn't know how to meditate. I didn't even know what the Dharma was but my nature knew how to cease that mind. I could feel the craving force binding the consciousness to the body dissipating first before the remnant of consciousness comes out although nobody taught me about Sati or mindfulness but strangely I knew exactly what was happening inside. The awareness was naturally there and there was absolutely no fear.

Normally, if the mundane mind is there, it’s totally like lost because before you as a normal living beings die, you actually lose your awareness, then karma takes over. That’s why they don’t know what is happening. Sometimes, they say `lau huan siong’ - in the hokkien dialect. That is they simply say things and like they are not themselves anymore. They are no longer in their usual awareness or conscious state for Karma has taken over. For most of these beings, if they are heedless, if they have delusion before death, then their karmic subconscious mind will take over. Then karma will decide what happen next.

So this first question she asked, I’ve already answered. Then the second question she asked was, `Can a Buddha after Parinibbāna reappear anywhere via another Nirmanakaya?' The answer is yes and no, depending on the Buddha’s nature, the understanding and decision or choice. The Nirmanakaya is the karmically-conditioned form and mind for that segment of their life or what you call the functional body that performs the function of whatever being that they choose to come with.

After Parinibbāna, that form and mind of the Buddha will not undergo rebirth immediately unlike a normal Puthujana or being because there is no more ignorance or delusion to condition the next rebirth consciousness. So the choice is upon their nature. So it doesn’t mean they have to come immediately. That’s why in the Mahayana teaching, there is one saying, `Liǎo liǎo jiàn xìn cháng zhù (了了见性長住).’ How many of you can understand this mandarin saying? ‘jiàn xìn' is to realize your true nature and ‘Liǎo liǎo jiàn xìn' means you clearly realize that true nature. ‘cháng zhù' means you can stay there very long. You can take a rest. Your nature can take a rest. You don’t have to come back so early. ‘Liǎo liǎo jiàn xìn' (了了见性) means with clarity you connect and realize the true mind, the true nature. Then the silence mind can go into cessation. Then when that happens, that form and mind will understand. When it comes out of it, the form and mind is no longer deluded. That is what Nibbāna is all about. It will go into cessation. These will complete all the emails sharing.

Do you have any more questions? Okay Exactly 10.15pm. So we are on the dot. Anybody has any other questions? Can you all understand? Sadhu! Because there are a few heads nodding yes. Don’t worry, as long as you have these three things (the faith, sincerity and diligence, no more doubts), just cultivate then make your own choice because the benefits that come with all these understanding is immeasurable. You only need to plant that seed of Bodhi deep in your consciousness to walk this way via very strong determination with understanding now then you are home. Then develop the faith or saddhā, and vīriya to sincerely cultivate and persevere. Then if you do it with a very strong resolve and vow sincerely (like taking an oath) then the Bodhi seed will definitely take root and nurture beautifully for you to accomplish your vows. In hokkien it is call `loh guan'. Anybody else wants to ask any questions? Or, clarify anything? If you don't have any more questions, maybe we can end. Before that, I just want to check with Sister Padmasuri about the Sankharaupapatti Sutra. Did I send it to you? If not it means I haven’t edited it yet. I almost forgot about this email. Okay, I will go through it again, and maybe tomorrow after I edit, I’ll forward it to you and copy it to the lady who sent it to me. Then we’ll print it out for sharing. Yes, there are a lot of things to do because the other transcripts coming out are also very good. You all should thank sister Padmasuri for she has transcripted the coming book, `Who you are, what you are?’ and that is a very good book. It talks about the two natures; karmic nature and spiritual nature and explain clearly what this form and mind is all about. And also, we had this Taiwan trip’s pre-trip briefing which is also very good. It will teach you how to prepare yourself for such spiritual trips and they are very good. All of you should rejoice.

I have just finished the final editing then we can go through the final check. After that, we can get it printed. The book should be ready before the end of this month. The other transcript book that we need your help is to do up the Heart Sutra transcript short notes covering our 15 months of rather beautiful Heart Sutra classes sharing. We have finished compiling the transcripts of all the dharma sharing held and we are now doing the formatting and final proof reading. That book is extremely good. Once it comes out, it will revolutionize the understanding of the Dharma. That book is so beautiful. While I was doing the proof reading, I was so surprised that I spoke so much and in such detail covering almost all my main teaching and they are all there in transcript form. You will be surprised, since the day it started, it has never changed. It still has the same essence. Now if you read it again, you will be amazed. All these were there, repeated and repeated and repeated. But you all didn’t see it because at that time, you all could not grasp or catch it. Now, with your improved understanding, when you read this dharma notes again, it will be like a jewel and this is what I want you all to do.

Before I forget, for the cover page, we must look for a beautiful Guan Yin image for this Heart Sutra book. The title of the book is `Heart Sutra cum meditation short notes.’ We’re going to give it to you all free because the cost will be borne by our Kalyāṇamitta funds. Our Kalyāṇamitta funds still have quite a bit of money. According to Stephanie, her Tuesday class Kalyāṇamitta fund still has more than RM7000.

That means Kalyāṇamittas have been donating and we should rejoice because with this we can do a lot more, leading to more good and wholesome things. This book is very useful. I think it will cost us RM10 a copy (with the binding) and this one will be like your ‘Buddhist Bible’. When you go for meditation retreat(s), you do not need any other notes. Just bring this one book, it is enough. When you go back, do spend some time reading it. Then you will start to see what this teaching is all about and how it has been repeated so often. But the good thing is, every time it is repeated; it gives you more understanding and its approach is always from another angle. Even until today, nothing has changed. The essential Dharma taught are still the same: i.e. the 5 mental hindrances, 5 mental faculties, the three evil roots, the four Noble Truths and its three turnings, the four foundations of mindfulness and the Noble 8fold Path. Even though all these are still the same but the understanding is so different and so beautiful now. And now, when she listens to all those talks, while doing the transcripts, there is so much joy and she like don’t need sleep and she can just complete it. That’s why the faith can make a big difference in your cultivation. If you don’t have it, the spiritual faculties cannot help you. The first spiritual faculty is Saddhā, and then Vīriya, then Sati will come. That’s why you just do via keeping up with the three things – faith, sincerity and diligence or perseverance. We better do the closing puja and the sharing of merits, etc now:

Ākāsaṭṭhā ca bhummaṭṭhā Deva nāga mahiddhikā Puññaṃ taṃ anumoditvā Ciraṃ rakkhantu loka sāsanaṃ

May all beings inhabiting space and earth, Devas and Nagas of mighty power, share this merit and may they long protect the Dispensation.

Ettāvatā ca amhehi, Sambhataṃ puñña sampadaṃ, Sabbe Bhuta anumodantu, Sabba sampatti siddhiya

May all beings share this merit, which we have thus acquired, And may all spirits rejoice, May it contribute greatly to their well-being and happiness.

Idaṃ me ñātinaṃ hotu Sukhitā hontu ñātayo (Repeat 3X)

Let this merit accrue to my departed relatives and may they be well and happy. (Repeat 3X)

Devo vassatu kālena, Sassa sampatti hetu ca, Phīto bhavatu loko ca, Raja bhavatu dhammiko

May the rain fall in due season and May there be good harvest and good fortune all round the world,

May the world be prosperous and peaceful, May the government, kings and rulers always be righteous.

Iminā puñña kammena, Māme bāla samāgamo, Sataṃ samāgamo hotu, Yāva Nibbāna pattiyā

By the grace of this merit that we have acquired, may we never follow the foolish; but only the wise, up to the time we attain final liberation (Nibbāna). Sadhu (3X) !

Pay respects mindfully to Lord Buddha, Guan Yin Bodhisattva, Pu Hsien Pusa and all the Great Beings and worthy ones.

End.

B. Walking the Bodhisattva way and the taking of the Vows (2nd sharing)

(Based on a direct transcript from the recorded Dharma talk of Bro. Teoh dated 19 April 2016)

Audio : http://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Teoh-160419-Bodhisattva-vow-Tues.mp3

Bodhisattva Vows Note pdf : http://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/Taking-of-the-Bodhisattva-vows-20160421.pdf

B.1 Introduction / Briefing during pre-class

We are six minutes early. While waiting for the rest, we can prepare ourselves for puja. Today there will be no Dharma sharing of the Diamond Sutra class. Next Tuesday also, there will be no Diamond Sutra class sharing because we have reserved these two Tuesday classes for our special sharing on ‘understanding the cultivation of the Bodhisattva way and the taking of their vows’. There will be a special Puja for the taking of the Bodhisattva vows next Tuesday. Those who have already developed the understanding and want to take the vows and aspirations, you can do it on that day. You don’t have to worry about what people say, like after you have taken the vows, you cannot become an Arahant and this way is going to take very long, etc, - forget about all those gullible things. It’s not what people think.

The truth of the matter is this Bodhisattva way technically can only be taken by enlightened beings. But even before you become enlightened, when you have the causes and conditions and the understanding, you should start to develop the understanding to take it because by doing so, you have nothing to lose but everything to gain. I will explain all these to you all later because this way is very unique.

By going this way, you can cultivate without the mark of a self walking the Bodhisattva way; of cultivating and wanting to be enlightened, because you come for the living beings. You are here to take the four basic vows to save the limitless living beings, to endure and sever all suffering or vexations, to cultivate and perfect all Dharma so that you can penetrate all Dharma to understand them all. Then when you have cultivated the perfection of the first three basic vows, you would have developed a lot of wisdom, a lot of understanding of the nature’s law that governs life and existence. Then only can you clearly understand the Law of Karma and all those other essential dharma. Then only can you teach, share and liberate living beings because without this understanding, you are very limited in what you can do or accomplish.

Maybe you may think – ‘I only need to cultivate to the extent needed to free myself, gain self-enlightenment then that is enough’. Not to say this attitude is good or bad, because if you have a thought that tells you, `I don’t want to go this way because it’s too long,’ then the self is there. The atta is there. There is this ‘self’ that wants to be enlightened this life immediately. When you look at it, it is actually counter-productive, hope you understand. You are actually contradicting yourself because you think there is a being who cultivates, who can become enlightened. This is self-delusion! So all these will limit you and you will be wasting your time despite having struggled so hard.

But during the Buddha’s time, it’s different because the nature’s energy then is different. All the Great Beings at that time - they are all with good roots due to their past cultivation. Hence when they come, they can understand very fast and most of them at that time are already Bodhisattvas. But, this was not mentioned in the Theravada Sutta. That’s the reason why a lot of these things, you cannot understand until later. So this is just a brief and short introduction and summary before we start the actual sharing of this topic.

B.2 Puja

We are still early. Maybe, we can get 6 of you to light the candles first. Today, we shall give the honour to all those who have helped out in the recording of all these Kalyāṇamitta sharing to light the candles. I will get Sis. Padmasuri, Bro. Tune, Swee Aun, Sis. Mee Fong, Hui Rong and Stephanie to come forward and help light the candles and prepare for Puja. The rest of you can stand and gather to start our Puja offering. The offerings in the tray consisting clear water, incense and the candles light are most meaningful. Now we shall offer the rest of the puja items. ……. Sadhu! (3x) meaning Rejoicing. - End of puja offering.

B.3 Puja Chanting

Ok good. You all can be seated. Sister Eng Bee, you can put the cake back into the fridge. Otherwise, it will melt. Maintain some form of attention then compose your mind and relax both body and mind. Then develop the faith (saddhā) and vīriya, and we will start the Puja chanting now:

Namo Ben Shi Shi Jia Mo Ni Fo (3x); Namo Kuan si yin Pusa (3x); Namo Ami To Fo (3x)

Namo Mi Le Fo (3x); Namo Pu Hsien Pusa (3x); Namo Fo Pusa (3x)

Arahaṃ sammā-sambuddho bhagavā, Buddhaṃ Bhagavantaṃ abdhivādemi.

Svakkhato bhagavatā dhammo, Dhammaṃ namassāmi.

Supatipanno bhagavato savakasangho, saṅghaṃ namāmi.

Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammā-Sambuddhassa (3x)

Buddhaṃ Saranaṃ Gacchāmi. Dhammaṃ Saranaṃ Gacchāmi. Saṅghaṃ Saranaṃ Gacchāmi.

Dutiyampi Buddhaṃ Saranaṃ Gacchāmi. Dutiyampi Dhammaṃ Saranaṃ Gacchāmi.

Dutiyampi Saṅghaṃ Saranaṃ Gacchāmi.

Tatiyampi Buddhaṃ Saranaṃ Gacchāmi. Tatiyampi Dhammaṃ Saranaṃ Gacchāmi.

Tatiyampi Saṅghaṃ Saranaṃ Gacchāmi.

Pānātipātā Veramaṇī Sikkhāpadaṃ Samādiyāmi.

Adinnādānā Veramaṇī Sikkhāpadaṃ Samādiyāmi.

Kāmesu Micchācārā Veramaṇī Sikkhāpadaṃ Samādiyāmi.

Musāvādā Veramaṇī Sikkhāpadaṃ Samādiyāmi.

Surā Meraya Majja Pamā daṭṭhānā Veramaṇi Sikkhāpadaṃ Samādiyāmi

Ghana sārappa dittena Dīpena tama-dhansinā Tiloka dīpaṃ sambuddhaṃ

Pūjayāmi tamo-nudaṃ Gandha sambhāra yuttena Dhūpenāhaṃ sugandhinā Pūjaye pūjanīyam tam Puja bhājana muttamaṃ

Vanna gandha guṇopetaṃ Etaṃ kusuma santatiṃ Pūjayāmi munindassa Siri pāda saroruhe

Pujemi Buddhaṃ kusumena nena Puññena metena ca hotu mokkhaṃ Pupphaṃ milāyāti yathā idaṃ me Kayo tathā yāti vināsa bhāvaṃ

Adhivāsetu no bhante Pāniyaṃ parikappitaṃ Anukampaṃ upādāya Paṭigaṇhātu muttamaṃ.

Making of Puja aspiration basing on our understanding of the significance of all these puja offerings

1. Significance of Offering of Light

May this offering of light to the Buddha bring forth the causes and conditions to illuminate our minds and help arise the needed clarity and understanding to dispel all darkness of Ignorance therein;

2. Significance of Offering of Water

May this offering of pure, clear, cool water lead us to the pure, clear Dharma that cools and douses off the fires of all Defilements within our minds;

3. Significance of Offering of Incense

May our morality, virtues and understanding shine forth far and wide just like the fragrance of this incense which we are offering to the Blessed One, who is Perfect in Wisdom and Virtues;

4. Significance of Offering of Fruits

May this offering of fruits remind us of the dana pāramī of generosity and the fruits of our Karma so that we will diligently strive on with Heedfulness to attain the Paths and Fruitions soonest possible;

5. Significance of Offering of Flowers

May this constant offering of flowers to the Blessed one strengthen our faith and constantly remind us of the impermanence of this body, so that we will diligently and sincerely strive on to cultivate Sīla, Samādhi and Paññā leading to Ultimate Liberation, the bond-free Nibbāna;

6. Making of overall Aspiration

By the power of all these merits borne of these offerings, may our spiritual faculties of Saddhā, Vīriya, Sati, Samādhi and Panna be further strengthened until they become Balas/Powers.

7. Sharing and Transference Of Merits

May these merits be shared and transferred to all beings without exception especially to those who have the conditions and affinity to receive them.

Sadhu! (3x)

We shall now pay respects to The Triple Gem:

Buddhaṃ Pujemi, Dhammaṃ Pujemi, Saṅghaṃ Pujemi

You can be seated. A very good evening to all, brothers and sisters in the Dharma; tonight, before we start the sharing of the Bodhisattva way, let us invite all the Devas and Deities to come and partake in this particular special sharing. Now we will chant the invocation to the Devas.

I will read to you the English translation. For those who are new, do listen attentively via your silent mind, with the faith and you may rejoice.

B.4 Invocation to the Devas and Deities

In this Universe in their entirety let the deities/devas come here; let them hear the good doctrine of the King of Sages, which gives Heaven and Release (Nibbāna). This is the time to listen to the doctrine (3X)

For those who are new, we are at page 6 of the chanting book. Pass the microphone to Sister Eng Bee for her to recite the Pāḷi version:

Samantā cakkavālesu

Atrāgacchantu devatā

Saddhammaṃ munirājassa

Suṇantu saggamokkhadaṃ

Dhammassavaṇakālo ayaṃ bhadantā (Repeat 3X)

Namo tassa Bhagavato Arahato Samma sambuddhassa (Repeat 3X)

Iti pi so Bhagavā Arahaṃ Samma sambuddho

Vijjā caraṇa sampanno, Sugato, Lokavidū

Anuttaro purisa dammasārathī, Satthā devamanussānaṃ

Buddho Bhagavā ti

Svakkhato Bhagavatā Dhammo

Sandiṭṭhiko, Akāliko, Ehipassiko, Opanayiko, Paccattaṃ veditabbo viññūhi ti

Supaṭipanno Bhagavato sāvaka saṅgho, Uju paṭipanno Bhagavato sāvaka saṅgho

Ñaya paṭipanno Bhagavato sāvaka saṅgho, Sāmīci paṭipanno Bhagavato sāvaka saṅgho

Yadidaṃ cattāri purisa yugāni, Aṭṭha purisa puggala. Esa Bhagavato sāvaka saṅgho,

Āhuneyyo, pāhuneyyo, Dakkhiṇeyyo, añjali karaṇiyo. Anuttaraṃ puññakkhettaṃ lokassā ti.

Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!

We will pay respect to The Triple Gem:

Buddhaṃ Pujemi, Dhammaṃ Pujemi, Saṅghaṃ Pujemi

B.5 Meditation

Thank you. You can be seated. We will switch off the light and we can have about twenty minutes of Silent meditation. Then I will ring the bell. After that, you can slowly and mindfully come out of the meditation. Then we can start our today’s sharing of this topic ‘understanding the cultivation of Bodhisattva way and the taking of its vows’. I will switch off the other lights. For those who already know how to meditate, please proceed with the meditation. For those who still need to develop the training of the mind because your spiritual faculties are still not developed, then you train yourself accordingly. If you still need to use the mind-sweeping method to decondition your heedless thinking, then please go ahead and combine it with loving-kindness or mettā to bring about the tranquillity and stillness of mind leading to inner peace followed by the inner well-being.

The mind that has inner peace and inner well-being is very conducive for meditation. That’s the reason why precepts are the source of spiritual joy and if you keep your precepts and develop your virtues, it’s also the source of true peacefulness of mind. That’s how you can meditate. That’s also the reason why all meditation starts with Sīla. The last benefit of precepts or virtues is it is the source of true spiritual wealth. Through that, you develop a mind that is conducive for receiving spiritual teaching. That’s the reason why it’s the source of spiritual wealth. These are important understanding. After you have trained your mind to be peaceful, quiet, silent and aware within, you then have to stabilize it. The stabilization of it needs proper understanding. If your spiritual faculties are still not developed, not so stable, then you need to train this heedless mind. That’s the reason why all the techniques, methods and objects of meditation are introduced or come into play. They are just a skilful means to train the mind.

You need to anchor the mind to stabilize the awareness, the Sati. Hence all these objects of meditation are for you to train your mind, to stabilize the Sati; to anchor your mind, not to focus, not to concentrate and not to develop all those energy fields. It is just to maintain mindfulness. That’s the reason why Ānāpānasati is about mindfulness of the in and out breath. The Buddha never at any one time said you focus at the tip of the nostril or focus on the feeling. He just said, `Breathing in, aware and breathing out, aware. Then breathing in a short breath, you must also be aware. Breathing in long breath, you must also be aware.’ You need to maintain and stabilize the awareness of the in and out breath. Then breathing in, experiencing the inner peace of the entire breath body and the physical body followed by breathing out, experiencing Pīti. Continue until the awareness becomes very stable and very clear. That is the stability of mindfulness that can allow you to train your mind to meditate accordingly.

When you have stabilized all these, you just relax into it, into every mind state that arises, so that the Pīti will become even more refined. Pīti is a type of spiritual joy or spiritual calmness or spiritual rapture that will arise when you have trained your mind to be in Sati without thought. Then as you relax into it, it will become more refined, and then you will experience Sukha. Sukha is blissfulness of mind, a mind that is much more refined than Pīti. Then, you will experience this blissfulness of mind which is very blissful, very calm, and very quiet. Then later on, if you continue to relax into it, even this Sukha will transform and become Passaddhi. Passaddhi is the tranquillity of mind, stillness of mind, the silent mind, the meditative mind. This is the mind you aim at developing as you train. For those who already know how to meditate and the awareness or Sati or the silent mind is already there, you just have to relax into it and silent everything. Then this Passaddhi or meditative mind, which is just aware and silent, will stabilize. After that, you can stay there. Whatever object of meditation you have, you just stay there. Then it will become very subtle and still, until there is no more movement and no more mind to meditate. Then that Passaddhi (tranquillity and stillness of mind) or the silent mind which is also the meditative mind will stabilize and become very still and very quiet. That is the meditative mind in sati. From then on, you just silent everything then the spacious awareness without a centre can allow you to be mindful of whatever that arise within your sense bases or your six sense bases. Upon contact, what happens you will know because your awareness will pick it up. Then it can be very sensitive. Then you just stay at the heart area which is the ‘seat’ of consciousness.

This awareness or silent mind is the common entity or denominator that must be there whenever consciousness arises. So you stay with the awareness and maintain silence. Then wherever the consciousness arises, it will be aware. This is what Tuccho Pothila (Venerable Empty scripture) was taught by the novice monk. The six sense bases have a common denominator which is the mind that can be aware. You just stay with the awareness, stay with the silent mind, then you will understand how you function as a human being, how your mind arises and passes away following the Law of Dependent Origination (12 links) and the essential Dharma etc. You will see them all.

You will also understand, upon contact, what happens, not only feeling arises, many other things also arise. Then you can also see how you function as a human being, how your form and mind continuously give rise to consciousness and how the content of consciousness goes in via your views and opinions and your conditioning. Then from there, how you stir your mind due to your wrong view; how you react to sense experiences and how the mental hindrances of likes and dislikes, pleasant and unpleasant feelings (which the Buddha called sensual desires and ill-will respectively) arise. You will also witness how the three evil roots, the essential Dharma, the five spiritual faculties and the five mental hindrances arise and how they pass away, how they condition you into negativity. Then you will also experience later on, as you progress, the 7 Factors of Enlightenment; the 6 internal sense bases, the 6 external sense bases, followed by the 18 sense realms. You will come to understand all these which will cumulate into mindfulness of the 4 Noble Truths. That’s how you can finally transcend the form and mind to realize the enlightenment via awakening to the characteristics of nature, which are impermanence, suffering state and non-self. So you just relax and silent your mind to develop all these understanding. Okay. I will let you meditate then I will ring the bell in about ten minute’s time.

B.6 Cultivating / Walking the Bodhisattva Way

Ting! x3. Okay. You can now slowly and mindfully come out of the meditation. For those who still want to continue to meditation, they can go on. For those who had enough, slowly and mindfully, come out of the meditation. Always remember, you are here to train the mind so that it has the stable quality of Sati or mindfulness within you. This trained mind is the meditative mind that you need to use to cultivate the daily mindfulness; to be ever mindful to cultivate the Noble 8 Fold Path (which is the meditation as taught by the Buddha). Then you will become heedful and the heedful never die. If you can do that in the midst of life, it means you are destined for enlightenment. With this understanding, hopefully, you will understand why you meditate and the purpose of meditation. When this is clear, your cultivation becomes easy. Today’s talk/sharing on understanding how the Bodhisattva way can be cultivated is very important because this is the cultivation that can help you greatly while walking the path of Dharma. You not only will have the condition to become enlightened but you can also develop great wisdom so that you can be a blessing to all, so that you can teach, share and take beings across or liberate them. Without this understanding, it’s very difficult to penetrate the Dharma especially the three marks, or 3 universal characteristics of impermanence, suffering state and non-self.

When you have the wisdom and the Right Understanding you will not be deluded by the phenomenal world, then you will not cling, you will not hold onto this five aggregates of form and mind. That’s the reason why the Diamond Sutra said, `The Bodhisattva will cultivate the Bodhisattva way with the understanding that there is no mark of a person or a self cultivating; there is no mark of living beings, and there is no mark of Dharma.’ Then everything will be clear. Besides these, this cultivation of the Bodhisattva vows and the Bodhisattva way following the Diamond Sutra teaching will pave the way for a lot of important understanding to arise. Without this understanding, it’s really difficult to understand the true Buddha Dharma. We are going to base our today’s sharing on this book, `The Bodhisattva Precepts leading to Buddhahood’ by Master Sheng Yen.

Master Sheng Yen is the late Abbot of Fa Gu Shan. He’s from Taiwan. He’s a very good monk. He’s an expert in meditation. His forte in the Buddhist tradition is meditation; whereas Tzu Chi, their forte is the cultivation of great compassion in life - meaning in times of suffering, calamities, major disasters, they are there to relieve suffering. So they manifest compassion in action. That’s how they train many of their followers to become Bodhisattvas and they call them the Bodhisattvas among the living beings (Ren Chen Pusa), within society. For ‘Fo Guang Shan’, their specialty or forte is very different. They are very strong in Buddhist studies and Buddhist education. That’s the reason why they can have very beautiful temples and very good teachers who can teach you. All these are the different Buddhist traditions with each doing their own special work to help mankind.

When you combine these three Buddhist traditions and practices, they become very complete and very good. First, if you would like to learn the teaching, the Buddhist Education, you can go to Fo Guang Shan. After that, you will have to develop the meditation right? To do that, you can go to Fa Gu Shan. Later on, when you already have the Dharma, you can develop compassion in action via taking the Bodhisattva vows to liberate living beings. Then Tzu Chi is the place where you can help out a lot and have a lot of opportunities to do these activities. But then, if you are a true cultivator of the way, you will have to develop all these three practices within your own cultivation.

As a true cultivator, technically you don’t have to go anywhere because you know your vows. You know how to cultivate/create affinity with all the Great Beings, the Bodhisattvas and the Buddha. You will come to understand all these and you will also know how to make the appropriate aspirations via invoking the power of your merits, virtues and cultivation for causes and conditions for this true Dharma understanding to be with you, life after life whenever you have to come or whenever you choose to come.

All these are possible because if you look at the vows objectively, you will come to understand that these vows can provide you with the appropriate conditions to develop the cultivation and the understanding. The perfection of the Bodhisattva vows will include the fulfilment of the 3 sets of pure precepts which are also the advice of all Samma Sambuddha. All these are very beautiful, the Right View leading to the Right Understanding, then you will vow with great faith and determination to have the following understanding whenever you arise : - Right View with regards to the Law of Karma; how you function as a human being and the Four Noble Truths. Also, what is this `Five Aggregates of Form and Mind’, who are you and what are you?

You have to determine to have this understanding, life after life so that you know how to develop the cultivation accordingly, so that you will not get lost. In order to cut short your cultivation and practice, you must have this determination or aspiration to have this understanding life after life. Otherwise, when you are born in whatever civilization or in any world system, if you don’t have this determination or affirmation through power of merits, you will have a lot of karmic obstruction and you can never see the light to even have a chance to connect to your true nature.

This is because when there is no Buddha Sāsana, for eons and eons, just like what is stated in the opening verse of the Mahayana Sutra; this Dharma is very rare and very difficult to find. Even in 500 million eons, you cannot find it unless you have the affinity and the understanding. So, this is the reason why the Bodhisattva way has to be understood.

Now, I will read to you the preliminary general understanding of this Bodhisattva way cultivation followed by its vows. I compile all these notes myself. I will give you all a copy each next Tuesday when you come for the class.

The Bodhisattva way cultivation requires the taking the Bodhisattva vows with understanding, great sincerity and determination. The Bodhisattva vows are vows taken by the Mahayana Buddhists to realize complete enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings. One who has taken the vows is normally known as a Bodhisattva. The interpretation of `Who is a true Bodhisattva?’ is very important because a lot of people don’t understand. They think that if you aspire to become a Samma Sambuddha, then you are a Bodhisattva. That is too general a term. You must have some special pre-requisites and conditions behind. First, you must at least have the understanding and you must also determine sincerely that this is what you truly want. This is how it can help you develop the understanding of the way or the realization of the Dharma leading to enlightenment and liberation. All these are very important.

Bodhi means enlightenment, Satta is a being, so technically a Bodhisattva is an enlightened being walking the Bodhisattva way to become a Samma Sambuddha. Of course, there are two types of Bodhisattva. The first type is the one who has the condition to become Bodhisattvas because they know this way is beautiful and they have the pre-requisite qualities. But most of the time, those who have the conditions already have the ability to become enlightened. Or they have already realized the enlightenment in their past existence. Then they have the condition to continue their cultivation to this present life because they love this way. But because of eons and eons of births and deaths, they could have forgotten who they were because the Bodhisattva vows and the Bodhisattva way that they have been cultivating are not stable yet. Finally they will come back to it. But it will take a long time if you don’t have the proper right guidance and understanding.

The second type are the ones who are still not enlightened as yet but they have good teachers and guides who can advise them on how to take the vows to walk this way. They will advise you and when you have the condition to take the Bodhisattva vows, you must do it immediately. This is because you have to plant the seed of Bodhi early; you plant the enlightened thought into your nature. This ‘Bodhi seed’ can only be planted into the nature after you have taken the vows sincerely, with faith and understanding. Once planted firmly, it will manifest whenever you arise and it will bring forth the way, the causes and conditions for you to connect to your nature because of your refuge, your understanding and firm aspiration/affirmation. With this, the first stage of Bodhi mind development has been initiated.

All these conditions will connect you back to your Bodhisattva way cultivation. One who has taken the vows is known as a Bodhisattva whereas the Pātimokkha or normal precepts that the monk and nun take cease at death. But the Bodhisattva vows extend into future lives because you vow life after life to perfect these vows until Samma Sambuddhahood is realized. There are two traditions of the Buddhist Bodhisattva vows, one originating from Asanga and the other from Nargajuna. Nargajuna is Long Su Pusa. Asanga is also a very great Bodhisattva. The Bodhisattva vow is also found at the end of Avatamsaka Sutra by Samantabhadra Bodhisattva (Pu Hsien Pusa). It is explained that the Bodhisattva vows are to be taken with the following two famous verses from that Sutra. The verse is:

`Just as all previous Sugatas/Buddhas generated the Bodhi mind of enlightenment and accomplish all the stages of Bodhisattva training. So my nature too, for the sake of all living beings generates the Bodhi mind of enlightenment and accomplish all the stages of Bodhisattva training’.

This affirmation is very powerful. Then after that, the promise to keep the Bodhisattva vows applies not only to this life but its subsequent lifetimes till full enlightenment. Thus these vows continue in our mind stream to future lives.

Then in Tibetan Buddhism, there are two lineages of Bodhisattva vows too. The first is associated with Cittamatra, a movement of the Indian tradition and is said to have originated from Bodhisattva Maitreya and propagated by Asanga. The second one is associated with Madhyamaka movement and is said to have originated from Mañjusrī Bodhisattva (Wen Shu Pusa), foremost in wisdom, propagated by Nargajuna (Long Su Pusa), later by Shantideva. The main difference between the two lineages of Bodhisattva vows is that the Cittamatra lineage is more stringent. The vows cannot be taken or received by one who has not received the monk’s or nun’s precepts, the Pātimokkha vows.

In taking this vow, you will join the hundreds or thousands of Buddhists in the west. In the west, it means the western disciples of the Theravada tradition and some Mahayana tradition where millions in Asia have done so. You are not the only few and do not think you are the very few who walk this way because Tzu Chi itself also has had so many.

As is traditional, you may seek out a Buddhist centre or temple to take the Bodhisattva vows in the presence of a teacher. If you cannot do that, you can take it at home. Create a sacred place or space where there are images of Bodhisattvas or Buddha who have gone forth before you. If you wish to invite friends especially Dharma friends to be your witness, sit quietly for a while and reflect on the beauty and value of a life dedicated to the Bodhisattva way to benefit all sentient beings. When you are ready, add any meaningful ritual, like lighting of candles and taking refuge, and then recite your vows. Here is one traditional version but there are many other versions.

This is a typical Theravada tradition. They make it very general because this is normally done by people who are not very familiar with the Bodhisattva way. But anyway, it’s a good guide. They recite this:

`Suffering beings are numerous or numberless. I vow to liberate them all. Attachment of suffering is inexhaustible. I vow to sever them all. Dharma doors to truth are countless and I vow to master them all and to perfect them all. The way of perfection leading to Supreme Enlightenment is very arduous, I vow to realize it and accomplish it.’

You can modify the language of these vows so that they speak your deepest dedication. Then you can repeat them every time you sit in meditation, to direct and dedicate your practice.

You don’t have to do this every time you sit in meditation. Maybe for the first three months, keep going through all these vows, familiarize with them until you understand them deeply so that every time you cultivate or after your meditation, you invoke power of merits for you to have this understanding life after life whenever you come. On the 26th April 2016, I will teach you how to invoke all these and the notes will be given to you. You can keep them; refer to them off and on until they become very clear to you. This is how the cultivation can bring forth great benefits. What I will do is, I will teach you how to invoke the power of merits for you to develop the causes and conditions so that you will have this type of Right Dharma Understanding life after life, whenever you have to come or choose to come in the form of a living being or a form and mind.

These are the things you must determine to understand; you must have Right View with regards to the Law of Karma or Karma Niyāma; Right View with regards to Law of Dependent Origination or Paṭicca Samuppāda or Citta Niyāma then Right View with regards to the Four Noble Truths, Dharma Niyāma, as taught by Lord Buddha and all the Samma Sambuddhas. Also to understand the two aspects of the Five Aggregates of Form and Mind via the direct seeing to realize that they are all condition-arising entity, causal phenomena, hence impermanent leading to suffering, not me, non-self and empty. That this so-called living being, the Five Aggregates of Form and Mind is just a karmically-conditioned vehicle and tool for us to come to this existential world to develop the cultivation and experience all the beauty and wonders of life. So use it with wisdom to arise the Right Thought, Right Speech and Right Action, to be a blessing to all and not to be deluded by it; to constantly recite this vows and affirmation with understanding and to understand the following profound dharma as taught by the Buddha:

Rūpaṃ aniccaṃ, rūpaṃ anattā, vedanā aniccaṃ, vedanā anattā, saññā aniccaṃ, saññā anattā, saṅkhāra aniccaṃ, saṅkhāra anattā and viññāṇaṃ aniccaṃ, viññāṇaṃ anattā;

Sabbe saṅkhāra aniccaṃ, sabbe saṅkhāra dukkha and sabbe Dharma anattā.

You can chant it in Pāḷi or in whatever vibration to bring forth the understanding. You must cultivate until it’s very clear so that the moment you recite `Rūpaṃ aniccaṃ’, you will understand what these words mean. ‘All of forms, whether physical or external manifested forms, are all impermanent.’ Whatever you see and reflect on and contemplate, straightaway, you can understand. That is the ultimate cultivation. Then from then onwards, you will never regress. Life after life, you will have this understanding.

When you come, you will connect very fast and you will have, initially, all the glimpses of all these cultivation coming back to you. I was so surprised with the fact that I was already probing for truth at such young age. I was very young then, maybe Form 5. During that time I like to look at nature. Then when I look at the sky, trees, plants and all of nature, my mind was so quiet and still. Then I saw the ‘flow’ and the ‘movement’ within nature. At that time, I didn’t understand what those things were. What was the significance of all these? How come I could see all these which other people didn’t pay attention and were just too busy thinking, planning and worrying about life. But this mind was so different. It was constantly inquiring, reflecting and investigating. Then it was just silent most of the time and it could see all these.

Later on, I came to realize that this was what I had cultivated before, the daily mindfulness. That’s why it was so stable. Even before I knew how to meditate, I already had this ability to be mindful in the midst of life. Then I came to realize that all these were connected with my past cultivation.

This understanding has a lot to do with how one develops one’s cultivation. That’s why this teaching has been lost and now we are trying to revive it. Then after that, I can even teach you how to develop this cultivation.

Having developed the Right View, then you makes your vows as follows:

‘This nature of mine vows to always keep the 3 sets of pure precepts via following the advice of all Samma Sambuddhas’.

The first is to avoid all evil and to develop the clear understanding of what constitutes evil; the three evil roots of greed, hatred and delusion. This essential Dharma must be clearly understood otherwise no point chanting, `Avoid all evil, do good, purify the mind’ because you are only parroting? For you do not know what constitutes evil. You must have mindfulness to be aware of the mental intention that has the evil roots of greed, hatred and delusion. You must see with mindfulness the 5 mental hindrances when they arise. Then you will understand how the non-arisen mental hindrance comes to be. Then how when you silent your mind and meditate, you will understand how the arisen mental hindrance ceases to be. Then, after you have penetrated, realized and awakened, you will know, how in the future, the un-arisen mental hindrances cannot arise anymore. So this is what the Satipaṭṭhāna practice is all about and you will understand them.

The second pure precept is to cultivate all virtues and blessings leading to the perfection of them all. This is more than just parroting, ‘To avoid all evil and do good, etc’. Here we are talking about cultivating all virtues and blessings leading to the perfection of them all. You do a lot more than what normal beings do. Then to cultivate wisdom, which is the third advice, you need to purify your mind. You not only purify your mind but also to cultivate all wisdom so that you can liberate and take across all sentient beings. This means you have to penetrate all Dharma.

That’s the reason why if you don’t cultivate all these; it’s very difficult to have real progress. Of course, the Buddha said the handful of leaves which is the Four Noble Truths is enough to liberate you. But you have to go beyond; you have to understand many things because cultivation is not only about cultivating the bare minimum of what is stated in the teaching but also to cultivate extensive understanding to walk this way with ease.

You have gone through Samsara via repeated births for so long and you don’t know what type of Karmic obstructions you have developed. That’s the reason why if you cannot understand because you don’t have the Right View and extensive understanding then you don’t know what to do. That’s also the reason why a lot of living beings suffer.

This life, I have helped many who suffered to come out of it through an understanding; how to ask for forgiveness, repentance and all the rest, then how to develop the vows not to repeat all these negativities of karma, then how to invoke the power of merits after you have repented; cultivate according to the advice of the Buddha and to arise the causes and conditions needed for all these Karmic obstructions to dissolve or for the Karmic repercussion to be neutralized. Otherwise, it will continuously come and obstruct you. Then it will be very difficult for you to find the way. You have to make aspirations for causes and conditions to avoid the fools and the heedless, to meet up with the wise and the enlightened ones, so that Nibbāna can be realized in the here and now. All these are very vital.

We will go through all these when it comes to the actual taking of the Bodhisattva vows next week. We will recite, `this nature of mine further vows with utmost sincerity, faith and perseverance to walk to perfection this Bodhisattva way via initially taking the 4 basic vows of a Bodhisattva.’ This means this `nature of mine vows to liberate the countless living beings from Samsara and take them all across to the other shore.’ And, `this nature of mine vows to endure and sever all vexations and suffering’ followed by, `this nature of mine vows to cultivate and penetrate all Dharmas to realize the perfection of all wisdom.’ Then finally, `this nature of mine vows to perfect the ten pāramitās or perfections to realize the unsurpassed Samma Sambuddhahood.’

There are additional vows to clear all Karmic obstructions to bring about the way. The first one is to ask for forgiveness from The Triple Gem and this is the most important. `If by action, speech or thoughts, whether knowingly or knowingly, via ignorance, delusion or heedlessness, this nature of mine has offended or done anything wrong unto the Triple Gem, the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, this nature of mine would like to sincerely ask for forgiveness.’

You have to do this because the moment you ask for forgiveness, it will connect to the Nature’s Law because the Triple Gem and all these great beings have already forgiven every living being via their pure wish. You only need to request. Then after that, the second one is: `Whosoever from the distant past until now, whether knowingly or unknowingly, that this nature of yours or mine has caused any Karmic negativity, misery, and suffering or mislead this nature of mine would like to sincerely ask for forgiveness from them all. May my sincere request for forgiveness be accepted by all so that all these Karmic obstructions can be amicably dissolved or watered down or lessened thereby enabling this nature of mine to continue with its cultivation to realize the true Dharma with ease. Then this nature of mine also vows to repent and from now onwards, vows never to repeat any of these Karmic negativity borne of greed, hatred and delusion by following the advice of the Buddha to avoid all evil, do good and purify the mind via striving on with heedfulness to keep the 5 precepts and cultivate the Bodhisattva way diligently so that it will never violate this Law of Karma whenever it arises.’

Then finally, to invoke the power of merits: ‘By the power of whatever wholesomeness or merits that this nature of mine has cultivated since the distant past until now, may it arise the causes and conditions for this nature of mine to have the ability to overcome all my Karmic obstructions or obstacles amicably so that this nature of mine will be able to gain back its life, to walk the Path of Dharma to realize and fulfil all its Bodhisattva vows.’

Karmic obstructions are very powerful. If you don’t invoke the power of merits for causes and conditions, chances are, when you come, you will still be obstructed. Like many of you have already known; sometimes you mislead people for many lives in the past, yet you don’t even know then the karmic fruition can trigger off Karmic obstruction later on. This is how you develop the cultivation. Then there are other miscellaneous vows to enhance the cultivation. I will go through with you later on. Then the final note is about the cultivation of the 10 perfections. They are generosity or dana, sīla is morality, renunciation is nekkhamma, wisdom or panna, vīriya or spiritual zeal, patient endurance or khanti, truthfulness or sacca, adhiṭṭhāna or determination or affirmation (aspiration and resolution), loving kindness or mettā and upekkhā. These are the important things we will do on 26th April 2016.

Ok, Padmasuri, I will pass to you the original copy for you to help Photostat 80 sets. Don’t distribute until that day. If you want to Photostat additional copies to keep, you can. But please, don’t abuse it and don’t simply pass to people who don’t understand, because they may create negativity of Karma without them realizing it. If they simply comment without understanding, they are going to get into serious trouble. We didn’t do anything. These are Nature’s Laws so if they don’t have the condition to receive them or they don’t have the understanding to appreciate what this is, then please don’t try to ‘help’; if there are no conditions then just forget about it. All these people who have the conditions will appear and they will have their own conditions to come into contact with this teaching. They will approach us to receive it. Otherwise, don’t try and don’t think that this can help everybody and you want to promote it. No! It’s not meant for them. It is for you only because you have conditions and if you are serious, you will progress very fast. You will benefit tremendously from it.

Okay. Now we will go into the book proper. I will read the forward to you. For those who have the e-copy that I have sent to you, you can refer to it. Turn to the forward page. This book consists of a series of talks on the Bodhisattva precepts by Master Sheng Yen given at the Zen Meditation Centre in New York from Dec 6th to 8th, 1997.

This is what is written in the forward: ‘We sincerely hope that this commentary on the Bodhisattva precepts will provide the reader with a clear understanding of their meaning, as well as the inspiration to integrate these teachings into their lives’.

The reason why you have to integrate Dharma into your life is because it is a living Dharma, not theory or knowledge; otherwise, it is not the true Dharma. It is understanding which can only be cultivated in the midst of life and you can realize it because it stands up to investigation.

‘We wish to acknowledge several individuals for their help in producing this booklet’. These are the people whom they have acknowledged; mainly those who are responsible for the translation:

Guo-gu - translation

Simeon Gallu - organization and editorial assistance

The International Affairs Office

Dharma Drum Mountain

January, 2005

This book was printed in the year 2005, about 11 years ago. Okay. Please turn to the next page on Introduction.

‘There is a saying in Mahayana Buddhism: those who have precepts to break are Bodhisattvas.’

{Bro. Teoh: Do you agree? They are so serious and that’s the reason why they have precepts to break because it’s very difficult not to break them when you have these vows. That’s why the Buddha is very wise. He never said, ‘Thou shall not.’ He said, `we undertake the training rule to abstain from breaking them.’ It’s through an understanding.}

Then they continue, `those who have no precepts to break are outer-path.’

{Bro. Teoh: Do you know what is outer-path or ‘Wai tao’ in Mandarin? It means not following Buddha Dharma. It is an external path teaching based on their understanding.}

Then, `Many Buddhists know that receiving the Bodhisattva precepts generates great merits.’

{Bro. Teoh: See, when you receive these Bodhisattva vows, you generate great merits.}

‘Yet they believe this without a real understanding of the profound meaning of the precepts.’

{Bro. Teoh: That’s why you must do it with understanding. You must receive it with understanding.}

`Or what does keeping these precepts entail? They receive the precepts as a matter of course, knowing only that receiving them is a good thing to do. To try to remedy this situation, we are conducting the transmission of the Bodhisattva precepts over the course of three days so that prior to the formal transmission ceremony, I can explain to all participants the meaning and significance of these precepts within the Mahayana tradition.’

Bro. Teoh: So, you must understand clearly why you take all these precepts. This book has a lot of good advice. Master Sheng Yen has developed and come up with it but he didn’t explain, how do all these precepts come about? It is from Right View with regards to the Nature’s Law of Karma and it comes from the advice of all Buddha. The Buddha’s first advice is to avoid all evil via keeping our precepts. Also who are the ones who will violate the precepts? If you check all the precepts, those who violate these precepts are evil people. They have the evil roots of greed, hatred and delusion. That’s why to avoid all evil; you must keep the minimum basic 5 precepts; for violating them can give rise to very severe offences. That’s why you must not allow, your form and mind, whenever it arises, to violate these precepts. It must not kill or cause any harm to fellow living beings. It must not steal, cheat or deceive or take things that do not belong to them. Then it must not have sexual desires or lust to conduct sexual misconduct. Then it must not have wrong speech. They must not tell lies, they must not backbite, and they must not give rise to harsh, angry and deluded speech. They must not speak frivolously.

Do inquire. Who kill and who harm? Those who kill and harm are selfish, deluded or violent people who are evil. Violent means having emotional negativity, like anger, hatred, envy and jealousy. That’s why they are capable of killing and causing harm to fellow living beings. They can also bring about war and all these are due to delusion. Then you can go on to check on the other precepts. They are the same. Who steal? They are Greedy people, selfish people and deluded people. Then who commit sexual misconduct? They are lustful people. Lustfulness is part of greed and delusion. They are even willing to sacrifice their family unit’s harmony, peace and love, just for some short moments of fun (cheap thrill) due to their lust. When you don’t have this understanding, you become deluded and make a lot of mistakes. Then the Law of Karma is, ‘you reap what you sow’ hence in future, you will become the victim. Now you do this to people, in future, you become the victim.

When people do that to you, you complain. You say, `How can my spouse or my husband do this to me? But in the past, when you did that to others, you never asked this same question of, `how can I do this to fellow living beings?’ That’s why as a Bodhisattva, you can never do this because you come for the living beings. You keep your vows, you keep your precepts, you hold onto them with understanding. So likewise, for the other precepts, they are the same. When you partake in intoxicants you make your consciousness very low, then you will fall. That’s why it will arise the condition for you to break all the other 4 precepts. These can be very dangerous things. Through delusion, this can happen. That’s why delusion will lead to greed, hatred, anger, envy, jealousy, selfishness and all those things. Then I will read on.

`Each participant, after understanding what keeping these precepts involves, is free to decide for himself or herself whether or not to take them. In this situation, many participants in the past did decide to take the precepts (meaning the Bodhisattvas precepts) and were able to happily commit themselves to the Bodhisattva way. Transmitting the precepts in this way via allowing aspirants to take them in good conscience and with proper understanding can help aspirants plant the seeds of Bodhi for Buddhahood with no feelings of compulsion or guilt in their minds. The virtue in vowing to observe the Bodhisattva precepts enables us to practise or cultivate the Buddha dharma diligently leading to purification of minds.

These codes of behaviour may also help us interact with others in a more peaceful and harmonious manner. If we can purify the actions of our body, speech, and mind through cultivating the three sets of pure precepts, the five precepts and the ten meritorious actions, then, with the wisdom, such cultivation or practice has given us, we can banish or eradicate craving, covetousness, anger and all other afflictive emotions. With a Bodhisattva's mind of compassion, we can accept and cherish all sentient beings, and by purifying our own conduct, we can help to transform society at large. Even in the midst of suffering, every sentient being can attain the altruistic bodhi-mind and also help others arouse this awakened mind of wisdom.

The combination of vows and precepts that we are transmitting here includes the four great vows. That’s why we have the three sets of pure precepts, and the four great vows. The three sets of pure precepts, the five precepts and the ten good deeds are quite accessible to everyone. There is ample flexibility in practising the three sets of pure precepts, so long as their fundamental principle is adhered to. These precepts can be adapted to the different situations that a practitioner of the Bodhisattva way may encounter. Such flexibility makes these precepts relatively easy to cultivate for a wide variety of people. As these precepts also function as guidelines for wholesome behaviour for Buddhists, the commitment to cultivate them is a valuable undertaking for all practitioners. I dare not change the content of the Bodhisattva precepts, nor do I have the virtues necessary to invent new ones. I have simply referred to the various systems of Bodhisattva precepts in both the Chinese and Tibetan traditions and adapted them to fit the needs of modern practitioners. In doing so, my hope is to promote the actualization of the spirit of the Bodhisattva precepts, and I encourage all practitioners to receive and practise them’.

So this is very important. Always remember you have nothing to lose. So don’t listen to what people say and what the thought tells you, like - `Are you serious? This is a serious matter. This is not for you.’ Nothing to do with all these, do you understand? Just ask yourself, `what have I got to lose by taking the Bodhisattva vows?’ I have nothing to lose, but everything to gain, right? And I can develop much understanding from it. The vows can guide me along and give me all the understanding to connect, to develop affinity with all the Buddha, great Bodhisattvas and to connect to their nature so that they can always protect, bless and guide me. Then I can develop profound gratitude and respect towards them. Then all the wholesomeness will arise for you to strengthen your resolve to transform the spiritual faculties into powers. From then on, you will progress very fast. Then you will determine to do all these because you have benefited from all these beings that go this way, do you understand? It is your turn now if you have the conditions and the understanding to go this way. So that in future, you can also benefit other living beings by playing your role. Whenever you do all these, you are not doing it for living beings because the nature’s Law of Karma is, `you reap what you sow’. Hence whatever you do or have perfected is for your own nature. That’s why in future if you come, you will receive all these wholesomeness because it is just like what I used to share with you all; when my nature came, how come everything could just come together? And how come this nature of mine could receive the Buddha dharma so fast. Sometimes the teacher, or guide or whoever who spoke the truth had not realized or penetrated those truths but this nature of mine just listened and it understood and penetrated the truth. This is because this is the way this `nature’ has been giving and sharing for so many lives, eons and eons. That’s why when it came, it can receive equally fast. That’s the reason why whatever wholesomeness you do, it will come back to your nature because ‘you reap what you sow; if you plant the seed of wholesomeness, goodness, virtues, you will receive the fruit of virtues, and wholesomeness’. In Mandarin, it’s even more beautiful. That’s why the Law of Karma is such, `You plant the conditions, you will receive the results, the fruit of it. You plant the seeds of virtues; you will reap the fruit of virtues. You plant the seed of evil; you will reap the afflictions of suffering and evil.’ This is the Law of Karma and it will just manifest. That’s why between the two, which will you choose? Do you want to choose to plant the seed of heedlessness through your delusion? Then your karmic nature will fall, you will become miserable, life after life when you come. The choice is very obvious isn’t it? If you want to plant the seed of wholesomeness and virtues, then what must you do? You must train your mind to be heedful, to understand what constitute evil. Then you have to keep your precepts because this is the Law of Karma; ‘you reap what you sow, do good begets good, do evil begets evil.‘

The reason why you have to do this is because according to the Buddha, this is a nature’s law and each and every living being is ‘born of our karma, heir to our karma, conditioned and supported by our karma, and we are what we are because of our karma.’ Since karma plays such a great role in your life, if you still don’t wake up to this Right View and determine to follow the advice of the Buddha to avoid all evil and do good so that you can take care of your karma, you are going to have a lot of suffering and affliction in future.

Even if you start cultivating now, it’s going to take you quite a while to clean up all these karmic negativities. But these good conditions can from now onwards, give rise to more wholesome karmic fruition with little or no more evil karma. Then only can you have the causes and conditions to plant these goodness over a long period of time so that in the future, whenever you come, you don’t have to pay back anymore of those karmic negativities borne of evil actions. So whatever negativity of karma left, it will be very mild.

Like recently, when my left leg had problems because the muscles developed spasms, it was meant to be. The treatment by Bro. Vincent took one and a half hours and I had to endure the pain, which I endured. Bro. Vincent the ‘doctor’ came twice and I had a lot of gratitude towards him and I thanked him. But I would rather take this pain in this form on this physical body via this way rather than to have it pay back through an accident landing up in hospital which will be a lot worse. Instead of having severe bodily injuries, you just take it through a different way which is a lot milder.

This cultivation can bring about this understanding for you to avoid some of the karmic negativities. This is possible because you know how to break your karmic obstruction first. Then you vow to repent and not to repeat all these. You also know how to invoke the power of merits for you to go the right way. In future, after that, all your cultivation will be in accordance with the Law of Karma and your progress will be all the way up, no more falling back. Then life after life, you will accumulate a lot of blessings, virtues and understanding until you can hardly commit any evil.

This life when I came, I realized I had very little karmic debt to pay back and they were relatively minor. Even though minor, they were still there but comparatively, I felt very blessed because everything went my way. It was like I was very well protected everywhere, every moment, every instant while going through life. This is possible because I understand the teaching and know how to invoke the power of merits and vows; develop affinity with all the Great Beings and their nature to protect, guide and bless me. All these are very important understanding. I shall read on.

The source of compassion: Love, kindness, and compassion are the very foundations of Buddhism. From a general perspective, these virtues correspond to similar values held in many other religious traditions and spiritual practices. However, in Buddhism, genuine love and compassion arise from a penetrating insight into the true nature of our own existence, (that’s the reason why when we can understand ourselves, we can understand others) and are thereby more firmly grounded in a practitioner's experience.

We can understand this from two perspectives. First, from the perspective of interdependence, we see that no phenomenon in the world, whether material or mental, exists independently of other phenomena. All beings and things are intimately related to one another through cause and effect. All of the activities engaged in by a seemingly independent entity are actually connected to and affected by the activities of other entities in an intricate, infinite network. Everything that exists relies on innumerable, apparently external factors for their existence. Separation from this vast system of connections among all things would make existence impossible. This is the profound reality of the nature of the world we live in. That’s why nature’s law is also the reality of our own individual lives as we live them. We are all connected to each other and to all living things, both sentient and insentient.

On a human scale, we can see the truth of interdependence in the fact that no person can live entirely apart from society. We depend on the assistance of other human beings for everything we have; from the basic necessities of life such as food, clothing, and shelter up to the various forms of knowledge and skills that we acquire; and to the sense of satisfaction and fulfilment we derive from our work. If we are fortunate to live in a relatively stable society, we should know that much of the order and stability in our daily lives depends on the structure of our society and on the work of other people in all sorts of public institutions. Similarly, global interrelationships and the mutual influences between different nations and cultures are often demonstrated in fields like economics, political science, and cultural studies.

So the way how Master Sheng Yen looked at all these is quite good. But on a bigger picture, it is of course, nature’s law, which he didn’t mention. On a larger scale, countless other forms of life, both sentient and insentient, have either direct or indirect influences on our well-being. Also, from the viewpoint of the Buddhist belief in innumerable past lives and future rebirths, each of us must have, in countless previous lives, once lived in very close, direct connection to every other sentient being. All these "other beings" could have been our mothers, our fathers, our sisters, or our brothers.

Each one, at one time or another, has been the cause of our happiness. With this sort of outlook, how can we not have sympathy and concern for all beings? We can only feel a deep sense of responsibility and gratitude to them. Such gratitude in turn engenders genuine care and love that goes beyond an individual's love for his or her family, race, or nation. This sort of love, extended to all beings everywhere, springing from the very knowledge that we are truly all one big family.

A better way to explain this is the Buddha’s explanation. He said, `Do you know how many repeated births and deaths you have undergone since the beginning less first thought of ignorance? You have shed more tears than the waters in the four oceans.’ Do you know how long that is? Every life, how much tears can you shed? Very likely, it is one gallon or less. And in the four oceans, do you know how many gallons of sea water there are? Let me tell you, it’s amazing. That’s the reason why we could have been related in some way. But through karma and countless rebirths, you might have forgotten. That’s why when they are born as your children, you think, `Wah, my children!’ Actually, it’s your karmic debtors that come to ask for their karmic debt. That’s why in Mandarin they said it is, `Yen ching chai chu.’ But you still think they are your children and you may say, `What can I do? He’s my son. He’s my daughter.’ Then his son and his children will say, `He has to give in because he is our papa.’ Last time, you swindled them, made them miserable, but you didn’t know. Now they `swindle’ you back but because of karma, you will willingly give in to them thinking that they are your children. Yet, you will become so miserable because of what they did to you and you cannot do anything about it because you say, `they are my children.’ That’s why they have to be your children so that you will pay back to them willingly. So this is what the Law of Karma is all about.

If you are not trapped in this physical form, you cannot experience the suffering. Through delusion, you reap what you sown. In the past when you cause suffering and misery to people, you don’t know because you are heedless. So through nature’s Law of Karma, the fruition will come about. And when you understand nature’s law, you will never violate this Law of Karma because it’s never worthwhile to do so. I used to tell you, it’s never worthwhile to violate any of these karmic laws, especially the five precepts. You will have to hold onto them very seriously because it’s never worthwhile to violate them. It will show it to you in your cultivation. The moment you try something funny, it hits back immediately. Karma is so powerful. Cultivators of the way will determine to have this understanding, life after life, when they come and they will connect very fast. They will never violate any of these moral laws because they understand; it’s never worthwhile. Okay, we will go on.

Secondly, from the perspective of equality of all conditions, all of these infinitely varied sorts of interrelations and connections among sentient and insentient beings give rise to a multitude of individual traits and distinctions. However, since these seemingly unique and distinct entities are all contingent upon one another, not one of them can be said to exist autonomously and permanently in and of itself. This is the nature of emptiness. As we penetrate the depths of this conditionality through contemplation and the cultivation of genuine compassion, we can understand personally and directly that all phenomena are empty of any inherent, separate nature of their own.

This essence, or empty nature, of all things reveals their likeness, their profound similarity. With the realization of this non-dual, equal nature of existence which is the experience of wisdom, an unbounded desire to help and benefit all beings indiscriminately will then well up in our hearts. So, this coming Friday, 22nd, April 2016, I’ll be giving a dharma talk in Klang with the title, ‘the 3 universal characteristics of nature’. This talk will benefit you a lot more because I will explain all these more clearly in the talk. All these come about through the very penetrative insight into the 3 universal characteristics of impermanence, suffering state and non-self or empty nature. As real as it can be, it’s only within the moment and how stable is the moment? Split second, it’s dead and gone. And why do you still hold onto it.

Ultimately, it’s just a thought, nothing else. And what is thought? It arises and passes away; arises and passes away. Through delusion, you cling. That’s why it has power to afflict you and make you so miserable. That’s why people go into depression, commit suicide, over what? Over the things they cannot let go or they cannot come to terms with. When you understand this, it can be very beautiful. But when you don’t understand, it can torment you, afflict you and make you miserable.

Without Dharma, life is pretty tough and difficult. With Dharma, it’s beautiful and wonderful. In the Mahayana tradition, all sentient beings are identical in nature to Buddha. All sentient beings have the potential to realize full enlightenment and to manifest Buddhahood. A person walking the path to full Buddhahood must cultivate deep compassion for all beings as if they were of one body with himself or herself. This is not wishful thinking, but rather a sincere motivation that inspires our actions and compels us to live humanely in the world. When other sentient beings suffer in the depths of confusion, it is as if we ourselves are suffering too. But the lack of wisdom to help either ourselves or others will motivate them to perfect themselves further via walking the Bodhisattva way. This genuine concern and selfless love do not come from anyone or anything external, but rather from our insight into the nature of our own existence. Such insight is the ethical impulse of an enlightened being. It is both the motivation and the source of inner strength of a Bodhisattva.

So this is Master Sheng Yen’s point of view based on his present understanding. Ultimately, you can be different when you have the actual understanding because there is no mark of a self cultivating or of living beings. They are within the conditioned world and only the form and mind are subject to all these. But he didn’t explain all these and that’s the reason why he just used his own understanding to express it. That’s why he said ‘when other sentient beings suffer in the depth of confusion (he use these words) it is as if we ourselves are suffering too.’ You won’t have that delusion when you vow to liberate all living beings. You do not purposely, with desire and craving vow to help and liberate. No! - When there is no condition, nothing will be done. But when there are conditions that love that compassion, that understanding will extend to all irrespective of who they are do you understand? Because you know everything is condition-arising and `Hey no you, hey no me’. Hence there is no reality. You do not favour anything because relationship is for the `form and mind’. The Law of Karma recognizes relationship but not ultimate truth or ultimate understanding. That’s why the cultivation is very different. But what he has written is a very good guide.  We shall continue.

But who is a Bodhisattva? For any Buddhist practitioner, the ultimate purpose of practice is to attain complete enlightenment or Buddhahood. To achieve this very lofty goal, we work to cultivate wisdom and accumulate merits. Through this practice, we are able to benefit both ourselves and others. This practice is precisely the task of a follower of the Bodhisattva path as put forth in the three sets of pure precepts (which we undertake in the transmission ceremony): to accrue merits and realize wisdom for the benefit of all sentient beings.

Through the diligent cultivation of wisdom and merit, a Bodhisattva practitioner will attain Buddhahood. In other words, walking the Bodhisattva path is the cause of Buddhahood; Buddhahood is the result of having accomplished the Bodhisattva practice. In Buddhist circles, we hear the word Bodhisattva frequently. Among Chinese educated Buddhists, Bodhisattva is translated as Pusa in Mandarin and is commonly used simply as a title to address a fellow practitioner. It is also often used by monastic as an honorific when speaking to a layperson. They used to say, `everyone is a Pusa’. If you have love and compassion to be a blessing to all, literally, you are a Bodhisattva, Pusa. They always say, `The Heart of a Pusa who has great love and compassion can selflessly serve and benefit other living beings when there are conditions. On the other hand, non-Buddhists visiting a Buddhist monastery may think that Bodhisattvas are the statues placed on the altar.

The one that is within society, in the midst of life are the living Bodhisattvas. In short, many people, both Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike, do not know the true significance of the term Bodhisattva? Therefore clarification of this term is essential for our understanding of what the Bodhisattva practice entails. Formed by the conjunction of two Sanskrit words meaning "enlightenment" and "sentient being" respectively, the word Bodhisattva denotes an enlightened sentient being. "Enlightened" refers to the quality of having achieved, to some degree, enlightenment, awakening, understanding, or mindfulness. This concept has a very rich, multifaceted meaning, with many nuances. "Sentient being" refers to a living being who experiences the world through sentience, feelings, sensations, or emotions.

Thus Bodhisattva can be understood as having four levels of meaning. First, the being described by this word aspires upwardly to attain supreme wisdom or enlightenment, to become Samma Sambuddha. Second, this being aspires to do this in order to bring genuine benefit to all other sentient beings so that they too will attain enlightenment. Third, each Bodhisattva seeks to fully awaken to his or her own intrinsic nature, or Buddha-nature. Fourth, while striving for this kind of full awakening, a Bodhisattva strives just as hard to awaken all of the innumerable sentient beings to the same Buddha-nature intrinsic to each and every one. By considering these four levels of meaning together, we come to the following definition of a Bodhisattva: `a person who aspires to Buddhahood while seeking to enlighten all sentient beings on the path. This is his way of defining a Bodhisattva.

What I had explained just now is more important. When you have the conditions to have this understanding, you must aspire because it is going to help you in a great way so that life after life, this understanding will stay with you. This life, you must put it into practice, cultivate, investigate and see the beauty of it and realize how it has helped you to understand and transform your life and make you so different. With this, you will know, even before the true awakening that this is the way and it will bring forth the causes and conditions for you to awaken. That’s why you will determine, life after life, because you know it will never go wrong. After you have understood this teaching then you put it into practice. You realize your life has completely changed. Your understanding had also changed and you are now so different. The self-centered, self-delusion or sakkāyadiṭṭhi regarding this form and mind is no more.

When you understand clearly what this form and mind is, i.e. it’s not you, but only a karmically- conditioned segmented life (vehicle and tool) for you to come into existence then you will use it appropriately and not to be deluded by it anymore. That’s why in the vows, I will help you invoke the power of merits for causes and conditions for you to successfully plant within the Bodhi mind this understanding, life after life, whenever you arise (either choose to come or have to come). This is very important because the conditions started at the Cameron Highlands Retreat. Otherwise, this won’t happen. Do you remember, on the second last day before we went back the next day, we actually recited all those things. Then all of a sudden, Sister Joyce recited `Om Mani Padme Hum.’ It was so powerful. Guan Yin’s nature was so powerful. Then the conditions just arose and I invoked on behalf of all Kalyāṇamittas this vow, to have this understanding, life after life, whenever you come. It just happened because there were conditions then.

There was no intention to do it because this nature knows, if there is no condition, it cannot happen. This nature of mind cannot just `want to help you do it’, do you understand? It’s like the Buddha. He can share the understanding with you but you all have to walk the path yourself. You have to awaken yourself. But when there is condition for things to happen, it’s very different. Because of your Pāramīs, your faith, the group’s collective consciousness and those Great Beings’ natures and conditions then; so what happens is, when the conditions fall into place, things will happen. It will arise and this nature just understands and it manifests. That’s why everything falls into place. Then when I came back, I realized it was all meant to be. This was because of the many things that happened. Then I realized this had to happen because at the beginning of last year, 2015, the request for the Bodhisattva way cultivation started. On the first or second day of that year, we had our first gathering to introduce this Bodhisattva way cultivation. Many Kalyāṇamittas had already written to me during the end of the previous year, 2014, requesting for this sharing. Simultaneously, during those weeks, there were so many requests. Then I replied and I said, `Ok, I will agree to have the special session.’ We had a special Puja at that time; we had the sharing of the Bodhisattva way. At that time, I didn’t open up the session to all the Kalyāṇamittas as yet because I thought not everybody was ready. It was only for the serious ones. Then after that, over the last one year plus, so many things happened.

Like what I had explained in the Final summary of the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta (yellow) transcript book, the conditions for all those things to happen were there. Please do read through the yellow transcript book. It’s explained clearly there, how all these teachings came about. The Kalyāṇamittas requested for the Diamond Sutra to be shared. They also requested for the 6th Patriarch Platform Sutra to be shared too. And before that, we already had the Shurangama Sutra and the Heart Sutra with all the short notes taken and shared. That’s why it was like everything just fell into place, and it was meant to be. That’s the reason why all these could happen. So I hope you understand how blessed you are because of the conditions and do make full use of it so that after this life, everything is taken care of, - all of your future lives, even if you choose to come or have to come, this understanding will be with you. And you will not fall, hope you understand.

This teaching and cultivation is not easy if you don’t have the affinity and conditions and I can tell you, it is almost impossible or near to impossible. Without the Sāsana, you can forget about it. Only a handful, the Great Bodhisattvas and all those cultivators of the way who really have this understanding can survive. Apart from that, hardly anyone can make it. But because of conditions during this sasana, many will make it. Ok. We will go on with the sharing. How to overcome difficulties? I want to skip some of this because there is not much time left.

Without the experience of enlightenment, how can aspirants in the Mahayana tradition, meaning Bodhisattvas, rise to the seemingly impossible task of helping all sentient beings to become enlightened? That’s why chances are, when you take this vow this life, you will have the ability to awaken because in the past, you could already have this understanding. That’s why the conditions come again and you have the ability to do it. That’s why my advice is; just go ahead and do it. Don’t be influenced by the thought. Do not doubt. Have faith for you have nothing to lose. Then this will pave the way for many things to happen. That’s why he said, ‘without the experience of enlightenment, how can aspirants of Mahayana tradition, {meaning the Bodhisattvas}, rise to the seemingly impossible task of helping all sentient beings to become enlightened?’ How can practitioners of the Bodhisattva path truly help others attain enlightenment when they themselves have not done so? Daunted by such questions, many practitioners place exclusive emphasis on cultivating faith in and devotion to the Buddha, while others focus solely on striving to realize emptiness, wishing to escape from the toil and travail of life. Such responses are understandable, as we are all only humans.

If we do not know how to swim, how are we going to save others from drowning? And if, at last, we have learned how to swim and managed to get ourselves safely to the shore, why jump back into the roaring waters and risk our lives to save others? This attitude has led some practitioners to strive hurriedly to liberate themselves from suffering. This is what I meant by, you have the Theravada thinking, do you understand? Who said all these? It is your thought, right? ‘Alienated from the sentient world, these people seek only to remove themselves from the ocean of samsara.’ It becomes extremely difficult and takes an incalculably long time for them to generate the Bodhi-mind because the self is there; do you understand? Not to say impossible but it takes a very long, long time. They haven’t planted the seed of Bodhi which can really take them along the path to awakening and to realize Buddhahood. Otherwise, the self is so strong. Just like their question, `why jump back?’ Who jumps back? He thinks he exists, he thinks he has already strived so hard to liberate himself or herself out of the suffering world, out of samsara and reach the shore safely. Why jump back to the roaring waters and risk his or her life to save others? There is no more meaning because the atta or self is still there, do you understand? You cannot liberate and you cannot awaken because the mark of a self is still very strong.

So, in order to save living beings from drowning, one should not leave the water and seek safety on shore. And if we do not know how to swim, then the only place to learn is in the water, whether we like it or not. Likewise, the Bodhisattva path must be practiced in the midst of suffering, in the whirlpool of cyclic existence. However, to keep our head above water, we need strength and skill, as we cannot rely solely on the power of the Buddha, or wait to become completely enlightened. Discernment, unshakable faith and vows, constant cultivation of love and compassion, and a penetrating insight into the nature of emptiness, meaning the three characteristics of impermanence, suffering state and non-self, are four things we can bank on. Maintaining a balance in these four areas will safeguard and sustain us in times of difficulty. Eventually, it will subdue our vexations and afflictive emotions, leading us to the realization of emptiness, to the understanding of the interrelatedness of all beings and all conditions via penetrating the three universal characteristics to have all these understanding. Then you will know the importance of the three sets of Pure Precepts when you avoid all evil and keep your precepts. This is meritorious and when you cultivate the Dharma, all the ten meritorious actions will be performed. Then when you cultivate all blessings and all merits and virtues and perfect them all, do you know what will happen? These are the things that will help you through in times of difficulties, in times of tribulation, in times of need, for you can invoke power of blessings. That’s why they will become useful and handy. If you don’t have all these tools, you cannot survive within the ocean of samsara. You will become miserable. But when you have all these, it becomes so easy. You can even save them by advising them what to do.

Just like what I did, it is so easy. Ask for forgiveness, repent, follow the advice of the Buddha, then develop wholesomeness and cultivate. Then invoke power of merits. Is it so difficult? It’s so easy. That’s why you must vow, life after life, when you come, you must have this understanding. This is how you can break the karmic obstruction. Otherwise, it’s not easy. It’s pretty difficult. That’s why when it comes to karma, you don’t play a fool. It can really obstruct you and if you don’t know how to overcome it, you will become miserable. You will continue to play the game of suffering, life after life, entangling yourself through delusion.

So, to find the path and to tread firmly along it, we must undertake and commit to the Bodhisattva vows and precepts. This is the first step we should take to establish and maintain ourselves on a definite course that leads toward Buddhahood. That’s why you have to start from somewhere via understanding and commitment. When the conditions are there, just persevere. Faith, sincerity and perseverance will take you along the way. Then I will teach you how to establish affinity with the Great Beings, Buddha, Bodhisattvas and their nature. Then, invoke power of merits for their blessings, protection and guidance. Then thank them profoundly, profusely and sincerely. Then have gratitude towards them. It will build up the causes and the conditions and the path will be very simple after that, because you don’t have to do it all alone. You develop affinity and you connect. Then all these understanding will come, causes and conditions will arise, your form and mind which is very delicate, fragile and vulnerable will survive no matter what happens.

Okay. The next one is very important. On the Vinaya Practice, to help us put our vows into practice and provide ourselves with a clear set of behavioural guidelines, we commit ourselves to a code of discipline set forth in a given system of precepts. The Sanskrit term for these various codes or systems is Vinaya, which can be translated into English as "discipline" or "restraint." That’s why when taking our precepts we always chant, ‘we undertake the training rule to abstain, to restrain from violating the precepts’.

According to the scriptures, Sākyamuni Buddha did not establish a set code of conduct for his disciples during the first twelve years of his teaching. {Now you understand. There was no Pātimokkha for the first twelve years because they are all enlightened beings. Also because the early practitioners achieved such a high level of spiritual attainment and had such strong, deep, and positive karmic roots that they never engaged in any sort of unwholesome or destructive activity. Then, later on, as a lot of not so learned monks came in, the situation warrants rules. It was not until the occurrence of specific instances of misconduct that threatened the integrity of the Sangha and the ability of his disciples to practise the liberation path that the Buddha began to institute rules of behaviour for his followers. That’s why you have more and more rules added until a total of 227. Thus we should note here that the precepts were not founded in a vacuum on a set of abstract principles, but in direct response to specific problems that arose within the earliest community of practitioners.}

So the intention behind the establishment of the Vinaya was not to randomly impose a set of disciplinary strictures on practitioners, but rather to give them a set of realistic guidelines that would help them persevere in following the teachings of the Buddha and, ultimately, attain liberation. Actually, the precepts are more of a guideline. They are needed only when you are under training. The Buddha didn’t want you to fall. If He didn’t introduce the precepts, a lot of people will take it lightly and they will fall because they will say, `The Buddha never said I cannot do this. Who are you to tell me?’ So, at least, when the precepts are there, they have this fear. But fear is not the intention of the Buddha. It’s a sort of restraint while you are going through the cultivation.

That’s why the precepts say you cannot sit on high seats. Why? Because if you don’t have these rules, all the monks will tell you, they will not only be waiting for dana or offering, they will ask for it. Can you change this? Then the devotees will come, `Bhante, what else do you want?’ Then, they will give them a long list. But because of the Pātimokkha, the chairs and beds also cannot be fanciful. So, all these are meant for cultivators. It’s to train them. Then the other thing about the Pātimokkha is… - can you remember the Diamond Sutra sharing that we went through? What happened during the first five hundred years during the Buddha’s time? The first five hundred years were so beautiful. There was this very strong golden age of liberation and enlightenment when all become enlightened very fast. Then the second five hundred years was the era of Dhyana Samādhi, energy field and concentration or the Hindu style of meditation came back. Then the third five hundred years was the era of Sutra. Then after that, the fourth five hundred years, which is the year 1600AD and beyond, all the divisions, the techniques and methods of meditation etc appeared, exactly like what the Buddha had predicted. All the divisions via methods and techniques and teachers are very common nowadays. So when you don’t understand, that is the problem. The Buddha told his disciple, Ven. Ananda, ‘only the maintenance of the Vinaya would ensure the continued existence of the Dharma.’ That’s why without the Vinaya rules, the Sangha will become misguided. But when the rules are not understood, they also won’t serve the purpose. Then people will understand it through other definition or justification. He went on to say that what He meant was the fundamental principles of Vinaya practice as embodied in the five major precepts prohibiting killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, verbal misconduct, and using intoxicants.

So, these five precepts are the minimum that, you must keep, even for lay people because this is the essence of morality. The others are minor precepts; spin off from all these strong fundamental precepts. As for the multitude of detailed minor precepts upheld by the monastics, which had been formulated in response to particular incidents, the Buddha gave his followers permission to dispense with them as needed, should changing circumstances cause such rules to become more of a hindrance than a help. He added that in no way should codified sets of regulations prevent his followers from performing beneficial actions in given situations, and that should they encounter ethical practices which conform to the spirit of the Vinaya and prove to be of benefit, but which he had not specifically mentioned, they should not hesitate to adopt them.

The Buddha is so flexible. He is not rigid. As for the rest, you can read on by yourself. I will have to skip through the five precepts and the ten meritorious actions. Now turn to page 29. The three sets of Pure Precepts. This one is very important. The precepts that have been discussed are common to both Theravada, the vehicle of individual liberation and to all schools of the Mahayana in which emphasis is placed on the Bodhisattva practice, striving for the benefit of all sentient beings. So the essential purpose of transmitting the Bodhisattva precepts is to arouse in people’s minds an altruistic spirit of service to others and a firm dedication to the pursuit of enlightenment. Such spirit is called the Bodhi-mind. Bodhi is a Sanskrit word derived from the same root as Buddha, and it can be translated to mean awakening, enlightenment or wisdom. The foundation of the Bodhi-mind is embodied in the four great vows we take: to deliver innumerable sentient beings, to cut off endless vexations, to master limitless approaches to the Dharma, and to attain supreme Buddha hood. To help us actualize these four vows, we need to vow further to observe certain principles and guidelines that may help us conduct ourselves in an ethical and humane manner and purify our minds of the three poisons of craving, aversion, and ignorance.

For this purpose, here we transmit what are known as the three sets of pure precepts. This is how they come in, please do listen, they contain the essential principles of all the different systems of Bodhisattva precepts codified over the course of Mahayana Buddhism's long, rich history. Functionally, these three sets of Pure Precepts lead a practitioner to renounce evil deeds by keeping the precepts, but they never emphasize on what constitute evil. That’s why you must understand what constitute evil?  I have modified this and made it a lot better. On the 26th April when you take these precepts, you will understand. Just now, I read through it already. Then, accumulate merits by performing beneficial deeds. Again, it’s not enough. You have to cultivate all virtues and blessings until you reach the perfection of them all. And work for the salvation of all sentient beings. To do this, you need to cultivate wisdom so that you can liberate and take them all across. Then, the vows to keep these precepts embody the spirit of all Mahayana Buddhist practices, means following the advice of the Buddha, to stop all evil, do good, and to deliver all sentient beings. In a very real sense these vows can be seen as the ultimate expression of the aspirations of all Buddhists in all eras. This is very important.

We now turn to page 32. ‘It is said that by receiving the Bodhisattva precepts, one generates a vast amount of merits’. That’s why; you must bear this in mind.

This can be understood as follows:

‘When you take the Bodhisattva precepts, a seed is planted deep in your consciousness. Because this seed has been planted for the benefit of all sentient beings, the natural consequence of its maturation, as you nurture it by keeping the precepts, is a growth in your compassion and a weakening in your propensity to do harm. With sustained practice, there naturally arises in you, a tendency towards wholesome actions. As you go through life acting on the basis of love and compassion, you will come to experience a sense of security and stability. Why is this so? Because, quite simply, you are no longer living your life in an obsessively self-concerned, self-centered way, always worrying about your own well-being and feeling constantly threatened and insecure’.

Now you understand why the Theravada way has problems. As your life is dedicated to others, you become less and less concerned with your personal benefit, gain or loss; consequently, you no longer live in fear and cease to be agitated or plagued by suffering and vexations, which are all caused by self-attachment because you come for the living beings, no more about you. The delusion is severed and this is very important. You achieve stability of mind. The stability and security you so experience then create, in turn, an atmosphere of stability and security around you as a person that is palpable to other sentient beings. They feel safe around you.

That’s why when you are with me, you feel good, you feel safe and confident and you can trust me. Then you can grow in your cultivation and wisdom. So, you will have this ability when you go this way. Then people can feel you. They feel safe around you because you, out of genuine compassion and love, never intend to harm them but only try to be of help, they also feel a sort of joy in your presence. They feel safe with you. They can trust you. They have faith in you.

Thus in an immediate and very concrete way, after receiving the Bodhisattva precepts, you are benefiting sentient beings, a deed that generates a vast amount of merit. And it is in this way that we undertake the practice of the third set of pure precepts to deliver all sentient beings. The observance of this precept actualizes our intention as put forth in the four great vows, and sets us decisively and firmly on the Bodhisattva path. By now, I hope you understand because this is most important; please make a note of it.

Then we will continue on page 35; on violation of precepts. The three sets of pure precepts and the four great vows, once received by a practitioner, are maintained across however many lifetimes it may take for the recipient to attain complete enlightenment. Once the seed of compassion and wisdom, also known as the 'essence of precepts', has been sown in the mind of a practitioner through the transmission of the Bodhisattva precepts, it will remain in the recipient's 'storehouse consciousness' or alaya consciousness, in your deep nature, and can only be cast off through the recipient's express declaration of his or her intention to abandon the Bodhi-mind. That’s why you can still do that if you want to in the future. A recipient of the Bodhisattva precepts cannot lose or negate the essence of precepts simply by breaking one of them. Do not fear. After that, you will still break but you will learn from it. And later you will understand it is never worthwhile to break them until finally there is no way you can break them. Then, the rest, you can read them on your own.

We have to rush a bit because it’s already 10.30pm. Oh, no more, that’s good. The rest is not important because I didn’t mark it yellow. Sadhu! (3x); we still have 1 minute left, do you have any question? Next Tuesday, make sure you come. Then we shall do it with understanding. Today’s sharing is very useful, very unique and very important. Hope the Bodhisattva way will flourish and Kalyāṇamittas will become very different.  Earlier on, it (the progress) was happening year by year, but now it’s happening day by day, then later on, maybe moment by moment because the Kalyāṇamitta force has become so strong;  also, because of the Kalyāṇamitta funds and the way we share and the causes and conditions that we bring forth and of course the retreat etc. And also because over these last few years, the transcript books that came out, from 2014, 2015 and 2016 were very beautiful and very important. The moment living beings understand this teaching; their cultivation will become very different. And they will know how to overcome all their life problems with this understanding. They will know how to invoke power of merits to turn all their karmic obstacles around then their cultivation will become very simple. Then the consciousness can become beautiful. That’s why from now onwards, a lot of things can happen to our world consciousness and a lot of beings who understand will be rejoicing. These events are very rare and yet they have the conditions to manifest. That’s why in the year 2008, the request came from one of the great beings. So, all these have come about because of causes and conditions. Okay, do you have any more questions?

Question: Bro. Teoh, when you were doing the briefing, there was one section that you said ‘it’s good to retake the vow for a period of about three months’. Did I hear it right?

Bro. Teoh: Not to say retake the vow. You have to go through those Bodhisattva vows notes that I have given to you because they are the vows that you take so you have to familiarise yourself with it so as to enable you to develop the strong commitment, faith and sincerity to walk this way. And as you reflect and contemplate, you can develop deeper understanding. Then your nature will suddenly shine forth when you see the beauty and the benefits of going this way for the sake of living beings. It is very different. At that time, I could still remember, when I was with my second last teacher, she talked about all these, and it connected through. Then deep inside my nature, it just arose the understanding. Then later on, she also wrote to me and told me, I would continue from where I stopped (this way of the Bodhisattva) and she also knew a lot of things about my nature. That’s why it was very different. That time, my nature already understood all these. The moment she mentioned all these, all the understanding just came back. That’s why I can now do it differently for all of you based on my nature’s present understanding.

And the way I evolve it is very different because I am an expert in one of the perfections called aspiration, vows or determination or affirmation, which my nature has more or less perfected. Because of that, my nature knows how to use this perfection of Aditthana. That’s why it can bring forth a lot of understanding, speed up the cultivation in a very great way, and it can bring forth the understanding very fast because technically, you don’t have to do anything. You only need to do this via invoking the power of merits and blessings. Through the nature’s law, it will pave the way for you to move.

I used to tell those Kalyāṇamittas who are close to me, technically, this life, I didn’t do anything. When the form and mind came it already has all the causes and conditions, all planted from the past. That’s why everything is so direct and smooth and like so perfect. It just happened by itself. How is this possible? It is possible because of the understanding from the past. The reason being this nature has set the vows and aspirations to be so straight and so clear. That’s why every life it comes, it will have this understanding and everything is already taken care of. I don’t have to depend on anybody or anything. Everything is self-sufficient and I just accord and flow and share; if no condition, nothing will happen. If you have the affinity and the condition, you will come. How do I create affinity with living beings? Can you remember?

I had this one very unique additional vow, - `whomsoever who arises as food for this nature of mine to take, I vow to liberate them all.’ That’s why you can become food for this nature to eat, and you will benefit. That’s why all those fishes that I eat, they will have affinity. But then how many can I eat? Of course in one life, not that many right? But over the eons and eons, it can be many. That’s why a lot of you could have been fishes or any of these meat that I had taken before. But most of you might have affinity with my nature in other ways. Just like this life’s affinity. Initially, maybe as fish, as animal, or chicken or satay, but later on, when you understand, you develop different understanding. Then we become Kalyāṇamittas like this life. Then we can have such unique affinity.

Do you think this affinity come about by chance? It’s not by chance and I can say maybe in future, you will understand. That’s why we went to Putuoshan, and do you remember Guan Yin’s nature? Then we went to Emei Shan, Jiu Hua Shan and Wutai Shan; do you remember what some of the Kalyāṇamittas said? They said, `Wah! How nice if I can have affinity with all these Great Beings!’ For you never know, just like this life, you may never know what this nature of mine is; then let’s say one day, you come to know what this nature is and its nature happened to be like one of these Great Beings, then you will be in tears. Then you can be like what Mimi said, `you are with the living one, and yet you don’t know and you think it’s just an ordinary cultivator’. Then in future, when this one becomes like one of these Great Beings with the statue, then you come back as a living being during the next sāsana, then you go there on a spiritual trip, then you ask, `How come tears flow from my eyes for no apparent reason? How come I can feel like there is a very deep connection with this being?’ Do you know why? This is because you have met this being before but you didn’t know who this Being was then. That’s why when you go to all these spiritual trips, the tears can just flow. There’s something happening and only your nature knows but your thoughts don’t know because your thought which is this life’s memory can never know. That’s why do not be deluded anymore. Don’t `sleep’ anymore. Wake up, okay? We had better end now. Okay. We will do the sharing of merits and transfer of merits then we can end.

Ākāsaṭṭhā ca bhummatthā Deva nāga mahiddhikā Puññaṃ taṃ anumoditvā Ciraṃ rakkhantu loka sāsanaṃ

May all beings inhabiting space and earth, Devas and Nagas of mighty power, share this merit and may they long protect the Dispensation.

Ettāvatā ca amhehi Sambhataṃ puñña sampadaṃ Sabbe deva ānumodantu Sabba sampatti siddhiyā

May all beings share this merit, which we have thus acquired And may all Devas rejoice, May it contribute greatly to their well-being and happiness.

Idaṃ me ñātinaṃ hotu Sukhitā hontu ñātayo (x3)

Let this merit accrue to our departed relatives and may they be happy.(x3)

Devo vassatu kalena Sassa sampatti hetu ca Phito bhavatu loko ca Raja bhavatu dhammiko

May the rain fall in due season and (may there be) the right conditions for all good fortune, May the world be prosperous and peaceful, May the government, rulers and kings always be righteous.

Iminā puñña kammena Māme bāla samāgamo Sataṃ samāgamo hotu Yāva Nibbāna pattiyā

By the grace of this merit that I have acquired, may I never follow the foolish; but only the wise, up to the time I attain final liberation, Nibbāna. Sadhu! (3x)

C. Bodhisattva Way Special Puja dated 26 April 2016 (3rd sharing)

Audio : http://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Teoh-160426-Bodhisattva-Vow.mp3

Bodhisattva Vows Note pdf : http://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/Taking-of-the-Bodhisattva-vows-20160421.pdf

C.1 Introduction

A very good evening to all, brothers and sisters in the Dharma; tonight (26th April 2016) is a very auspicious night because we are going to hold a special puja to commemorate our 2.1.2015 commencement date of our Bodhisattva aspirations and vows so that all those who have the conditions to be here can also benefit from it. As long as you have the faith and sincerity and you are committed to improve your selves and your cultivation to develop this proper Dharma understanding then you have the conditions to be here and there will be no problem. Don’t worries about what people say or what your thoughts tell you; forget about them. This particular aspiration and vows will help you develop your cultivation and help you plant the seed of Bodhi, the Bodhi mind deep within your nature so that in future when you have to come or choose to come, this Bodhi mind will manifest even during era when the Buddha dispensation or Sāsana is no more. It will still manifest.

It will remind you of your aspirations and vows and the cultivation. As these vows and aspirations are very powerful and magnificent that’s the reason why we make these aspirations/vows so that we can have these right understanding life after life whenever we arise. Hence this particular ceremony of taking the 3 sets of pure Bodhisattva precepts together with the right aspirations and the four basic vows of the Bodhisattva will be very beneficial to cultivators especially those who have the sincerity and the faith. You only need to have the faith and the sincerity to aspire to go this way. Like what was stated in the WhatsApp message I sent out earlier; there are 5 stages of Bodhi mind development to cultivate the Bodhisattva way and all these involve the Bodhi mind. After you have planted the seed of Bodhi, the first stage of Bodhi mind development or step which is to develop the aspiration to walk this way, to commit yourself to take these precepts and vows with understanding has been established.

I will explain the understanding part later. Because these 4 basic vows will help you develop a lot of wisdom and understanding, love and compassion leading to the perfection of renunciation, wisdom etc. to enable you to complete this Bodhisattva hood cultivation to realize Samma Sambuddha hood. What you need are just faith, sincerity and perseverance. You don’t have to be smart; you don’t need to have good past etc. What is more important is, this life, if you have the conditions to make these aspirations, vows and commit yourself to plant this seed of Bodhi so that this Bodhi mind planted, can be nurtured, grow, mature and bring forth the causes and conditions for you to have this understanding life after life to continue the cultivation. This is the most important. So, please don’t listen to what people tell you or say.

Last week (Tuesday) I had already read out to you what Master Sheng Yen said, ‘you have got nothing to lose but everything to gain by going this way because this way is so beautiful’. They can help you to do away with the mark of a self, an egoic mind, the self-centeredness of an individual walking this way and striving to realize enlightenment. When the Buddha said, `Strive on with Heedfulness;’ He is not asking you to have the craving to become enlightened. Strive on with Heedfulness means to work hard to train your mind to develop the Heedfulness. After you have the Heedfulness, enlightenment in the here and now is guaranteed because the Buddha said under Dhammapada verse 21, ‘the heedful never dies’. So, this is the meaning. It doesn’t mean you have to strive when you meditate. No! You strive on with faith, sincerity and diligence to train your mind to have Heedfulness. The moment you are Heedful, you are ever mindful and then you can understand many things. And the cultivation will come to fruition. The Noble 8-fold Path will be understood. Then you can fulfill the four basic vows with understanding. Later on, I will explain more on all these.

Special Puja

We shall now prepare ourselves for the special puja. Compose your mind to develop the faith (Saddhā) leading to the Vīriya. Then we will start the Puja offerings. Now you all can stand mindfully and form a line. You can face each other if there are too many of you. We are on time, one more minute before the commencement of Puja at 8.10 am. Miss Lee, do you have anything to offer? … Come, form a line. Compose your minds, develop the saddhā, vīriya and the joy within, and then we will commence the puja offerings. We will start off with the offering of the tray of clear water, incense and candle light. Sadhu! Sadhu! …… (Rejoicing with the puja offerings mindfully)….…….. End of puja offering.

C.2 Puja Chanting

You can be seated. Compose your mind to develop the spiritual faculties of faith (saddhā) and spiritual zeal (vīriya) then we shall mindfully commence the Puja chanting:

Nā Mó Běn Shī Shì Jiā Móu Ní Fó (南无本师释迦牟尼佛) (3x)

Nā Mó Guān Shì Yīn Pú Sà (南无观世音菩萨) (3x)

Nā Mó A Mi To Fó (南无阿弥陀佛） (3x)

Nā Mó Mi Le Fó (南无弥勒佛） (3x )

Nā Mó Pu Hsien Pú Sà （南无普贤普萨） （3x )

Nā Mó Fó Pú Sà （南无佛普萨） (3x）

Now we will chant the Theravada salutation to the Triple Gem:

Arahaṃ sammā-saṃbuddho bhagavā Buddhaṃ Bhagavantaṃ abdhivādemi. (Bow)

The Lord, the Perfectly Enlightened and Blessed one

I render homage to the Buddha, the Blessed One. (Bow)

Svākkhāto bhagavatā dhammo Dhammaṃ namassāmi. (Bow)

The Dharma is well-expounded by the Blessed One

I pay homage to the Dharma. (Bow)

Supaṭipanno bhagavato sāvaka-saṅgho Saṅghaṃ namāmi. (Bow)

The Sangha of the Blessed One's disciples has practiced well.

I pay homage to the Sangha. (Bow)

Turn to page 1 of the chanting book and we will start our Pāḷi chanting.

Vandanā

Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammā-Sambuddhassa (3x)

Buddhaṃ Saraṇaṃ Gacchāmi.

Dhammaṃ Saraṇaṃ Gacchāmi.

Saṅghaṃ Saraṇaṃ Gacchāmi.

Dutiyampi Buddhaṃ Saraṇaṃ Gacchāmi.

Dutiyampi Dhammaṃ Saraṇaṃ Gacchāmi.

Dutiyampi Saṅghaṃ Saraṇaṃ Gacchāmi

Tatiyampi Buddhaṃ Saraṇaṃ Gacchāmi.

Tatiyampi Dhammaṃ Saraṇaṃ Gacchāmi.

Tatiyampi Saṅghaṃ Saraṇaṃ Gacchāmi.

Pañca Sīla

Pānātipātā Veramaṇī Sikkhāpadaṃ Samādiyāmi.

Adinnādānā Veramaṇī Sikkhāpadaṃ Samādiyāmi.

Kāmesu Micchācārā Veramaṇī Sikkhāpadaṃ Samādiyāmi.

Musāvādā Veramaṇī Sikkhāpadaṃ Samādiyāmi.

Surā Meraya Majja Pamā daṭṭhānā Veramaṇī Sikkhāpadaṃ Samādiyāmi

Padīpa Puja

Ghana sārappa dittena Dīpena tama-dhansinā

Tiloka-dīpaṃ sambuddhaṃ Pūjayāmi tamo-nudaṃ

Gandha sambhāra yuttena Dhūpenāhaṃ sugandhinā

Pūjaye pūjanīyam taṃ Pūjā bhājana muttamaṃ

Vaṇṇa-gandha-guṇopetaṃ etaṃ kusuma santatiṃ

Pūjayāmi munindassa Siri pāda-saroruhe

Pujemi Buddhaṃ kusumena nena Puññena metena ca hotu mokkhaṃ

Pupphaṃ milāyāti yathā idaṃ me Kayo tathā yāti vināsa bhāvaṃ

Adhivāsetu no bhante Pāniyaṃ parikappitaṃ

Anukampaṃ upādāya Paṭigaṇhātu muttamaṃ

Adhivāsetu no bhante Phale parikappitaṃ

Anukaṃpaṃ upādāya Paṭigaṇhātu muttamaṃ

Adhivāsetu no bhante Bhojanā parikappitaṃ

Anukaṃpaṃ upādāya Paṭigaṇhātu muttamaṃ

Making of aspiration based on our understanding of the significance of these puja offerings:

1.0 Significance of offering of lights

May this offering of lights to the Buddha bring forth the causes and conditions to illuminate our minds and help arise the needed clarity and understanding to dispel all darkness of ignorance therein.

2.0 Significance of offering water

May this offering of pure clear cool water lead us to the pure clear Dhamma that cools and douses off the fire of all defilements within our minds.

3.0 Significance of offering incense

May our morality, virtues and understanding shine forth far and wide just like the fragrance of this incense which we are offering to the Blessed One who is perfect in wisdom and virtue.

4.0 Significance of offering fruits

May this offering of fruits remind us of the dana, pāramī of generosity and the fruits of our karma so that we will diligently strive on with heedfulness to attain the path and fruition as soon as possible.

5.0 Significance of offering of flowers

May this constant offering of flowers to the Blessed One strengthen our faith and constantly remind us of the impermanence of this body so that we can diligently and sincerely strive on to cultivate Sīla, Samādhi and Panna leading to ultimate liberation, the bond-free Nibbāna

6.0 Making of overall aspirations

By the power of all these merits borne of these offerings, may our spiritual faculties of Saddhā, Vīriya, Sati, Samādhi and Panna be further strengthened until they become Balas or Powers.

(Note: These 5 spiritual faculties are very important for cultivation and I will elaborate on it in more detail later today so that you all can have the understanding and ability to walk the path of Bodhisattva hood with greater ease. Once your 5 spiritual faculties are established, your meditation and cultivation will become like automatic and very easy. After that, you don’t have to worry anymore because you will progress all the way. Then together with your today’s understanding and sincere determination or affirmation, aspirations and vows, it will plant the great seed of Bodhi for the Bodhi mind to take root firmly within your nature so that this Bodhi mind will manifest itself whenever you have to come or choose to come. Even though it is just the beginning journey of walking this Bodhisattva way for most of you but you all need not worry because the way is not that difficult when you understand. You just have to aspire with deep faith and sincerity to walk this way diligently and the first stage for establishing that Bodhi mind will be firmly established and that by itself is very important and very powerful. The reason being without this Bodhi mind being planted, this way is as good as non-existent. You just cannot walk it because without the Bodhi mind you cannot even develop the understanding of the way. So, that Bodhi mind - that enlightened thought to walk this way is very important. That’s the reason why we have to develop this understanding because the Bodhi mind not only nurtures your spiritual nature but it also brings forth the causes and condition for you to walk this way with understanding.

Then later on, you will understand how all these vows can help you to develop great wisdom, understanding and help in the perfection of all virtues to finally develop the wisdom needed to sever all vexations and develop the sincere love and compassion to take living beings across. All these you will come to understand, then you will make very strong aspiration so that life after life when you have to come or choose to come, you will always have this true Dharma understanding.

After that, you will commit yourself to understand these rather important right views so that life after life (whenever you arise) you will not go the wrong way. You will not make any more mistakes. Then after that, you will understand the significance of these four basic vows which you have taken on day one as you walk this path. Following the notes I send out, there are 5 stages involved in the Bodhi mind development leading to the perfection of Samma Sambuddha hood. You don’t have to worry about them, because the first stage is just to aspire to walk this way. This alone is going to bring forth tremendous benefits. After that when you have the faith, sincerity and perseverance to start to develop the actual cultivation with understanding, then second stage will come about. Stage 2 is quite easy. When you are able to sever and endure all suffering and affliction/vexation it means you have developed the requisite wisdom. Then you can develop the perfection of renunciation because all of suffering comes from attachment, grasping and ones clinging to the 5 aggregates of form and mind. If you can sever all suffering and vexation it means you are able to develop the wisdom not to be deluded by this phenomenal world so that you will not grasp, cling or hold on to them. That’s the reason why you will have the ability to renounce all these worldly things but yet you can still live in this phenomena world with understanding. You can use them when there are conditions for them to arise. All these are great understanding leading to great perfection. Then after that, you can cultivate the third stage via realizing your true/Bodhi mind, the Buddha Nature. All these will follow as you cultivate the four basic vows because when you vow to penetrate and understand all Dharma in whatever manner - the limitless way to truth and you vow to cultivate them all; to realize them all; as you do this you will realize the enlightenment and your nature will shine forth and become very different. Then after that, you can liberate your mind to relinquish/renounce Samsara and you will not attach any more. Then you will walk this way with ease to cultivate the fourth stage to develop the perfection, the ten perfections to become Samma Sambuddha. Then the fifth stage is of course, the consummation or the final realization of all wisdom and virtue, the perfection of all the ten perfections leading to Samma Sambuddha hood. All these can happen because of the first seed of Bodhi planted today. If you don’t plant this seed of Bodhi to arise the Bodhi mind (or Bodhi Citta in the Tibetan tradition), or the enlightenment thought to go this way to perfect the Bodhisattva way to become the Samma Sambuddha then it is impossible to walk this way.

This is the seed that will mature in you so that in future when you come (even without the Buddha Sāsana) you can still have the understanding to walk this way. That’s the reason why earlier on, I said don’t miss this window - meaning to plant this Bodhi seed so that in future when you have to come or you choose to come even without the Buddha Sāsana, that seed of Bodhi that has been planted will manifest and your nature will know and you will connect and you will recall and you will be reminded of these vows because these vows are like your precepts. Out of love and compassion for you, the Buddha introduced the precepts so that your karmic nature will not fall. So that you will know how to avoid all evil, do good and purify the mind to develop the wisdom. But the four basic vows go beyond that. They will help do away with your self-centeredness, the egoic mind that wants to be enlightened and that strong ego or sakkāyadiṭṭhi which is very difficult to root out. The pitfall that can hinder one from going this way is your conditioned thoughts or thinking which will tell you many things; that this way is so long, are you sure you can do it? Then what happens? Fear arises and that’s the reason why you can get into trouble. Wherever there is fear, there is delusion. The thought is not you. When you understand that these 5 aggregates of form and mind are just a vehicle and a tool for you to come, to do your work, to perfect your cultivation, to develop your karmic nature and your spiritual nature, then you will understand according to the Diamond Sutra’s teaching. Then you will be able to cultivate without the mark of a self, etc.

That’s how the ego can be ‘watered’ down and finally eradicated/rooted out through these 4 great vows cultivation because you come for the living beings; it’s not about yourself anymore. You vow to save the limitless living beings and take them all across. Then you vow to endure and sever all suffering, all vexations, so that you will have the wisdom to cultivate renunciation so that you will not hold on to anything, no matter how precious or how dear they are because they are all conditioned arising phenomena hence not real and not what you think.

Then you will vow to perfect all wisdom so that you can have the ability to help all living beings and take them all across via doing the work of a Bodhisattva. That is how you can become very different. You will understand many things. Then you can teach, you can share because you are no longer self-centered and egoic. That’s the reason why the Bodhisattva way is very unique, very different and very beautiful. Then, the last stage is of course, the consummate perfection of the ten perfections.

By the time you finish the first three of the 4 basic vows, you would have developed a lot of the perfections. The first vow will develop love and compassion, the second vow will develop renunciation and wisdom then the third vow is perfection of wisdom. When you perfect your wisdom, you will know how to make aspiration, adhiṭṭhāna and all those affirmations. Then your Dana or generosity pāramī is always there because you only give. There is no self involved, hence technically you never want anything, and you never take anything because you understand everything is just condition-arising, causal phenomena. And all these will become very clear to you as you go through this cultivation. That’s the reason why it’s all about love, compassion, wisdom and renunciation. Then regarding all the other perfections of Vīriya, Generosity and even Sacca or Truth, you will automatically know how to perfect them because you will know it’s never worthwhile to lie, to cheat, to deceive or go against all these nature’s spiritual laws that govern life and existence. All these understanding are very beautiful. Now we will continue with the seventh puja aspiration on sharing of merits and transference of merits to all beings.)

7.0 Sharing and Transference of Merits

May these merits be shared and transferred to all beings without exception especially to those who have the conditions and affinity to receive them. Sādhu! Sādhu! Sādhu!

End of Puja

C.3 Invocation To The Devas

Now we will do the invocation to the Devas. I will recite the English translation:

‘In this Universe in its entirety, let the deities/devas come here.

Let them hear the good doctrine of the King of Sages, which gives Heaven and Release (Nibbāna). This is the time to listen to the teaching (3x).’

Chanting of the pāḷi version as led by Sister Eng Bee:

Samantā cakkavālesu

Atrāgacchantu devatā

Saddhammaṃ munirājassa

Suṇantu saggamokkhadaṃ

Dhammassavaṇakālo ayaṃ bhadantā (Repeat 3X)

Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammāsaṃbuddhassa (3x)

Iti pi so bhagavā arahaṃ Sammāsaṃbuddha

Vijjā caraṇa sampanno sugato

Lokavidū, Anuttaro purisa dammasārathī

Satthā devamanussānaṃ buddho bhagavā-ti

Svākkhāto bhagavatā Dhammo Sandiṭṭhiko akāliko ehipassiko

Opanayiko paccattaṃ Veditabbo viññūhi ti

Supatipanno bhagavato sāvaka saṅgho Uju paṭipanno bhagavato sāvaka saṅgho

Ñaya paṭipanno bhagavato sāvaka saṅgho Sāmīci paṭipanno bhagavato sāvaka saṅgho

Yadidam cattāri purisa yugāni aṭṭha purisa puggalā Esa bhagavato sāvaka saṅgho Āhuneyyo, pāhuneyyo, dakkhiṇeyyo Anjali karaṇīyo, Anuttaraṃ puññakkhettaṃ

Lokassā ti

Sadhu (3x)

Now let us pay respects to the Triple Gems to end the invocation to the devas:

Buddhaṃ Pujemi, Dhammaṃ Pujemi and Saṅghaṃ Pujemi.

We will now chant the Great Compassion Mantra followed by the Heart Sutra. Maybe we chant them one time each because we don’t have that much time to spare. Okay, you all can get ready to start. I will ring the bell then you can commence the chanting. ……… (The chanting lasted about 9 minutes)

C.4 Briefing prior to taking of the Bodhisattva vows

Now I will do the briefing before we take the Bodhisattva Vows, Precepts or Aspirations and the 4 basic vows. I will guide you along.

This book ‘The Method of no Method’ came last Sunday when Sister Yoon Chun had an appointment with me. She was so kind as to take me and my wife, for dinner. After that, she told me she went to Taiwan … she followed the tour organized by the Tzu Chi English section group. But this time, she went to visit Master Sheng Yen’s Fa Gu San again. Then she brought back two books. One of the books is this book with the title `The Method of No Method’ and She said, `Just like Brother Teoh’s teaching on Method never defines the meditation’. For those who don’t understand ‘what is meditation?’ they will belief that the meditation method do defines the meditation.

That’s the reason why he never used the word meditation. He said the ‘Method of no Method’. When you meditate with a method, it means you don’t understand what meditation is. Method is just a skillful mean with some instructions to train your mind.

She asked me, `Brother Teoh, do you want to read this book?’ The title is so interesting and she passed it to me and initially I thought it was about meditation. But it turned out to be a retreat conducted by him in 1990s at their Fa Gu San, branch in New York, U.S.A. This book became a bestseller and it is indeed a very beautiful book. He taught `Silent Illumination’ which was the meditation that he learnt all those years. His ‘Silent Illumination’ teaching is in fact quite similar to what I teach except that I used another name/word to describe it. I call it the silent mind in pure awareness.

I always said, ‘meditate with the silent mind with clear awareness within’. He also knew that silent without illumination is Samatha meditation; later I will read to you, then you will understand. Illumination is awareness. You must have the ability to be silent (with a free mind) with full awareness in the midst of your daily life. And that type of Samādhi is the real one, not the one that sits like a statue and has no illumination.

Illumination doesn’t mean see light. It means clarity and awareness within. It can live life, it can understand things, and it can awaken to the truth, not in absorption, not in one-pointedness concentration. Then there’s another part which he talked about - the Bodhi mind which was what I wanted you all to develop the understanding. But I didn’t expect this topic to come so fast. At first, I thought I will teach you all stage by stage, initially maybe just to let you understand the importance of planting the seed of Bodhi, to develop the Bodhi resolve to walk this way. Then only I will slowly teach you all the other things. But then, this book came in the nick of time. When I read it last night, I was full of joy because the part on the Bodhi mind is very beautiful. Then I decided to Photostat the book for some of you. But before I send it for Photostatting, I used my handphone to WhatsApp the three important pages for you all to read first. The five stages of Bodhi mind development to realize Samma Sambuddha hood is clearly listed in those pages (39-41) of his book.

When you take the Bodhisattva vows, the first stage of Bodhi mind development is to aspire sincerely to walk this way so that the seed of Bodhi is planted deep in your consciousness. Is this first step very difficult? Is there any danger? There is none isn’t it? So forget about what these people tell you. Those who don’t understand, they put fear into people. They say, “Don’t ‘play, play’. Taking the Bodhisattva vows is a serious matter because it involved eons and eons of cultivation.” Meaning the ego is there, delusion is there. And the fear that arises is from delusion and these people who say all these things are not much different from those ‘rigid’ Theravada Buddhists, who doesn’t believe in the Mahayana teaching, and they go around telling people that the Mahayana teaching is not the real teaching. If you do this and put fear into all these potential aspirants who wants to walk the Bodhisattva way, to plant the seed of Bodhi, then do you know what will happen to you? You will be obstructed (karmic obstruction) from receiving this Mahayana teaching for many, many lives to come. That’s the reason why recently, there were at least two or three kalyāṇamittas who came and talked to me on this matter, because of what they had heard and read from other source. They said, ‘going this way is very dangerous, because a lot of things you cannot realize or do and there are a lot of restrictions too.’ Some even quoted the Sutta.

Then a lady said, `I’ am not ready. ‘I don’t have this type of quality.’ Then I replied, `Please do understand that all these are the thoughts telling you. This is not wisdom. What have you got to lose by making all these aspirations and the taking of the four basic vows? Does it causes you any problem or harm or it only benefits you? All these are very simple inquiries. And the four basic vows didn’t even say you cannot do this or you cannot do that. It’s no different from just taking the precepts except now you vow through an understanding which is even more beautiful. So I will give this book to those who have the understanding, condition and affinity to receive it. Yoon Chun you have the original book isn’t it? So you don’t need a copy.

Sister Yoon Chun: ‘I don’t know where I misplace it?’

Bro. Teoh: Anybody saw the original book of Sister Yoon Chun? Wah! Yoon Chun. Fantastic, isn’t it? Dharma book also can ‘let go’.

With this I will commence the actual sharing.

C.5 Cultivating the Bodhisattva Way

Those who can see their WhatsApp can refer to it while I read out the part on the 5 stages of Bodhi mind development. This book is based on a meditation retreat conducted by Master Sheng Yen in the year 1990. There were two parts to this retreat. The first part was conducted by Master Sheng Yen himself. And the second part, he based it on a very famous Zen master or Dharma master Hong Zhi’s teaching. It seems Hong Zhi is the second generation disciple of Master Hui Neng, the sixth Patriarch. These are very beautiful teachings.

This Master Hong Zhi taught the ‘silent illumination’ meditation. I think Master Sheng Yen must have learnt from him. Both are very beautiful sharing and teaching. I like this part - `The Fifth Day sharing’ when he spoke on the topic ‘arousing the Bodhi mind’. Now I will read it to you.

“To have the Bodhi mind or Bodhicitta is very important. In the Tibetan tradition, you always hear them talk about Bodhicitta, - to arouse the Bodhi mind. Bodhi means enlightenment. Just like Bodhi tree means the tree of Enlightenment.”

Do you all remember? - When we were at Taiwan, about two or three years back; I think a lot of Kalyāṇamittas went with us. Even Bro. Swee Aun’s mum was also with us. We went to the temple, Zhong Tai Chan Shi… What did the Abbot who was over 90 years old told us in the booklet he wrote? He said he built this way place not to become famous, not to be a monument for tourists to come and visit. Do you know what his main intention was? He said, ‘Millions will come and visit this place every year especially those who have the affinity.’ He only need to have at least one of them, after they come and visit, they can feel, recall their past and renew their seed of Bodhi or plant the seed of Bodhi to walk this way. Or those who have the affinity can develop the faith when they are here, and they somehow got the condition to decide to plant the seed of Bodhi. He said that single wholesome thought of Bodhi is very important and if even only one living being among the many that go that way finally realizes Samma Sambuddha hood, then all the money and expenses and the hard work they do is already worth it. This is how cultivators of the way will understand all these. That’s the reason why they will do a lot of these wholesome things. We were there at their temple, and it was so beautiful. We were so fortunate. They even invited us all to go up to the very top level of the pagoda, which was about seven or nine storey high and that special Buddha rūpaṃ which was house inside it, I think is the medicine Buddha … and we have the chance to go to the uppermost floor to see it and they even took us to all the rooms to see all the other beautiful Buddha rūpaṃ and relics; the energy there was so soothing and so good. When you are there your faith will be enhanced and this is what he meant by having the conditions to `plant the seed of Bodhi with faith to walk the Bodhisattva way’.

To have Bodhi mind is to arouse the altruistic mind of enlightenment. Do you know what the meaning of altruistic is? Altruistic means doing something without expecting anything in return and if you can do that it means you are very beautiful in your understanding. You just want to help without any expectation in return which means you do it for others, `Service above Self.’ So, an altruistic mind of enlightenment is really beautiful because you just want to help people develop the understanding and the wisdom leading to their awakening and do things for the good of the many; devote your service for the welfare of the many.

Then he said without the Bodhi mind, one can at best liberate oneself or practice worldly samādhi. This is very true. That’s the reason why if you don’t plant the seed of Bodhi and walk this way, at best you can only `liberate oneself’ or practice worldly Samādhi, - the samādhi in which one still has attachment. Do you know the meaning? This is what he means by thought-based meditation because the self is very strong, the sakkāyadiṭṭhi (self-delusion), the self striving, meditating, doing all these things. So, he said if you do this without the Bodhi mind - meaning the enlightenment thought which is your true mind, if you don’t meditate with your true mind, if you use your mundane mind or thoughts to meditate, then what happens?

One can at best liberate oneself - meaning you think there is a person to liberate or practice worldly samādhi. So when you base it on thought-based dharma knowledge, do you know what type of samādhi you will have? You may think you have got the dharma, and you may also think you have the samādhi but the fact is you still have attachment. That’s the reason why he said `you practice worldly samādhi’ - the samādhi in which one still has attachment. Therefore the Bodhi mind is the foundation and the primary focus of all Mahayana practitioners who walk the Bodhisattva way. Renunciation means disavowing attachment, fame, self benefit and worldly attachment or clinging. As our interest in worldly phenomena diminishes our self-centeredness also diminishes. You cultivate without the mark of a self because you come for the living beings. That’s the reason why all these attachments, they will go. Then what is renunciation? Renunciation is to renounce all those things that are not real so that you don’t deludedly attach, cling and hold on to them and he didn’t explain this part because to him, he assumes others should understand.

But the deep meaning is the final summary of the first Noble Truth of Suffering that the Buddha expounded or proclaimed. What is the final summary? What did the Buddha say? In short, it is due to your self-delusion that conditions you to cling, grasp and hold onto the five aggregates of form and mind, the Upādāna khandha (5 grasping aggregates), that is the cause of suffering. That’s the reason why craving is the cause of suffering because when you grasp, cling and hold, you have craving, you want things your way. You believe all these are real, your fame, your reputation, your form and mind, your physical body, your attachments; you cling to your possessions, your wealth, your loved ones, all these you hold; including the phenomenal world, your property, your wealth, your business, everything else. Do you think you can own anything? - Your prized possession, or antique, etc., even your own beautiful wife, cars, spouse and all these things. When you understand attachment is the cause of suffering, then you will understand why you must cultivate the opposite of attachment which is renunciation. You renounce the world, the phenomenal world; you renounce all that which is unreal, condition-arising, and dependent-originating. So, that’s the reason why when we took the vow to sever all vexations and all suffering, we are cultivating renunciation.

When you can cultivate until you can endure and sever all suffering, it means you have no more suffering, no more attachment, no more clinging, no more grasping etc.; that’s how renunciation can be perfected and renunciation is also one of the ten perfections to be a Samma Sambuddha. But the Theravada tradition only teaches one particular type of renunciation. What is that? - Going forth to become a monk. You renounce the world by shaving your hair and taking the monk’s precepts and that is only one part, Kāyaviveka or self or physical-renunciation. Physical renunciation means you renounce all of your possessions, your loved ones, all physical things but your mind, your thoughts, your ideas, your views, your opinions, etc. you are still holding on to them because your clinging and your grasping, they are so strong. That’s why the true renunciation is when there is no more delusion, no more suffering. The reason why you vow to endure and sever all vexations and suffering is to develop this type of wisdom. It’s not non attachment, its wisdom that leads to renunciation, of everything that is unreal.

That is the real renunciation and you have to perfect that, that’s how all these vows can lead to all these perfections. The second basic vow, to endure and sever all vexation or suffering is not to ask you to just endure suffering. No! Endure with wisdom and then sever them all so that in future, they have no power over you. That’s the reason why you cannot hold, cannot cling, cannot grasp, hence no need to let go. Who let go? Only those who cling and grasp need to let go. Without these vows, you cannot develop this wisdom and perfection.

Then you vow to liberate and take across all living beings. How are you going to do that without love and compassion? That’s why you must have love and compassion for living beings because you come for the living beings out of love and compassion. And this is the mind that you need to enable you to come for rebirth. You no longer have delusion because as a Bodhisattva who had cultivated long enough, most of them are already enlightened. Since they have the ability and their minds had already realized Bodhi, so technically they don’t have to go through rebirth anymore because there is no more avijjā or ignorance, at the point of death or Parinibbāna. If they cannot take normal rebirth then how do they come to this world?

They come through love and compassion. They ‘pull’ out this pure mind through their vows. That’s the reason why you have to take the Bodhisattva vows … This vow will trigger off the pure mind of love and compassion to take rebirth via a form and mind through their karmic nature which is still there. That’s how they can come. Without this, they cannot come. The first vow is to cultivate love and compassion. This is pure virtue; pure mind states without greed, hatred and delusion hence no delusion. Yet it can still come because it needs a mind to come. Ultimately via the cultivation, you will know that there is no self, no mark of a living being, etc. so is there any living being to say all these? But the conditioned world’s Law of Karma recognizes living beings. That’s the reason why there is suffering within the conditioned world. There is this Noble 8-Fold Path. There is old age, sickness and death, birth and enlightenment etc. But as stated in the Heart Sutra, ‘in true emptiness, all these do not exist’. That’s the reason why the Bodhisattva’s wisdom is different, their understanding is different, and their cultivation is also very different. After you have love and compassion, you develop wisdom via the 2nd basic vow to endure and sever all vexations and affliction through renunciation; then no more attachments or delusion to cling and to grasp. Then the third basic vow is to perfect and penetrate all dharmas - meaning cultivation of the perfection of wisdom; Prajna pāramitā. That’s how from there you can develop the wisdom to perfect the 10th perfection which is the last basic vow of a Bodhisattva to realize Samma Sambuddha hood. Then each and every one of us who walk this way, our nature will be different. Then, you can add in your other vows that are unique to you just like what most Bodhisattvas have done. Those vows are under miscellaneous vows. Later I will explain in more detail these miscellaneous vows to you.

We will have to move on a bit faster. The analogy here as given by Master Sheng Yen is quite good. Master Sheng Yen said, `If a boat is filled with rocks and if more and more rocks are piled on to it, the boat will eventually sink. Similarly, when our self-importance and self-centeredness, attachments are extremely heavy, the burden of our suffering or vexation can sink the boat and we will be unable to sail into the ocean of wisdom with ease’. Why is it called the ocean of wisdom? - Because Life itself is your greatest teacher. If you don’t have affliction because you have clarity of mind, you have virtues, love, compassion, wisdom and renunciation, then you can sail freely into the ocean of wisdom which is Samsara or life itself.

If through renunciation, our vexations are lightened or severed, the boat can sail smoothly. It will become Prajna, the boat of wisdom carrying us to the other shore. So all these is what the cultivation is all about. To have compassion means sacrificing ‘oneself’ for the benefits of others while simultaneously lessening your own self-attachments and delusion. Some serious practitioners tend to have more and more of the mind of renunciation and less of compassion. This is also one-sided according to Master Sheng Yen. They like to practice alone and prefer not to have responsibilities. This is a kind of escapism. That’s the reason why a lot of cultivators enter the forests and end up becoming hermits. If they cultivate in the forests then later come out into life to perfect or test themselves then it is beautiful.

They live alone and then they develop their own cultivation. The real meditation is life itself so you cannot run away from life. It’s as if every time the cultivators have problems, what do they do? They go for retreats, right? We have seen a lot of these people. They will say, `I think I must go for retreat because the world is crazy. I cannot survive. I cannot live.’ If the Buddha is also like that, then he is not the Buddha. He is the Buddha because he is always at peace whether in the world and out of the world. That’s the reason why if you cultivate until you cannot tolerate society, you cannot tolerate the daily life’s problems, you cannot tolerate so many things, and you become so sensitive and so miserable then you better check your cultivation because definitely that is the wrong practice - not the Buddha Dharma. So you have to be careful like what Master Sheng Yen said, this is a type of escapism. The same attitude occurs when that person wants to enjoy the good things in marriage but not willing to take responsibility. They want to have the nice moments, honeymoon, etc. but after that, - the responsibility to raise the child and all those other things, they don’t want. …. So, this is Master Sheng Yen’s analogy. Then he said on the one hand he seeks happiness and on the other hand, he avoids responsibility. Do you remember the qualities of the Noble Sangha of the Buddha? They are of wise conduct, of good and responsible/dutiful conduct etc.? That’s why they hold onto their responsibilities, their duties with regards to the Law of Karma and other nature’s law that governs life and existence. That’s the reason why they never neglect their duties.

Of good conduct, of upright conduct, of wise conduct and of dutiful or responsible conduct is the order of the noble disciples of the Buddha and these are the marks and virtues of enlightened beings. If you don’t have these qualities then you have to check your cultivation.

Apart from sincerity and trust a good marriage must also have both components of happiness and responsibility. The same apply to Bodhi mind, it is necessary to have compassion as well as renunciation. Renunciation is wisdom, ability not to cling, not to hold, can renounce anything, no problem. Even this very moment, the breath can stops, also no problem. ... Because this form and mind is just a condition-arising entity and it is not what you think. That’s why it’s impermanent. If you grasp, cling, hold, it leads to suffering. And because it is impermanent, it’s not a permanent unchanging entity, it’s not you. That’s the reason why it’s non-self, empty, not what you think. So this is the important understanding one has to develop when one cultivates the Bodhisattva way. Then Master Sheng Yen says wisdom is not attained by wishing but by decreasing the self- delusion, self-attachment and your suffering or vexations, so you cannot wish for wisdom.

`I wish I will be wise one day; I wish I will be enlightened one day.’ Who is wishing? The thought wish, but the thought cannot realize. That’s why Master Sheng Yen said, you have to cultivate to reduce Sakkāyadiṭṭhi (self-delusion), your suffering and your vexations. You have to cultivate virtues and wisdom. To this end, we generate the Bodhi mind through renunciation and compassion. If we have renunciation without compassion, we will reject the world and develop negativity. If we have compassion without renunciation, we will be attached to the world with a seeking mind. So compassion and renunciation are inseparable in the Bodhi mind. You must have love, compassion, renunciation or wisdom. When you renounce, it means you are not attached; if you don’t cling it means you have wisdom. That’s the reason why the perfection of renunciation is the cultivation of wisdom. So compassion and renunciation are inseparable in the Bodhi mind. Together they are called the Bodhi mind. The four great basic vows of the Bodhisattva are very important. When the Bodhi mind is founded on renunciation and compassion, the practice and cultivation of the Bodhi mind rests on these four great vows. That’s the reason why we chant every day, `I vow to deliver the innumerable sentient beings. I vow to endure and cut off the endless vexations or suffering.’ You should change the word to `this nature of mine’ vows instead of ‘I’ vow to master the limitless approach to Dharmas and finally ‘this nature of mine’ vow to attain Supreme Buddha hood through the perfection of the ten perfections to be a Samma Sambuddha.

To fulfill the first vow of delivering sentient beings, we also need the second vow which is to eliminate our own vexations or suffering while helping others to be free of theirs. Because if you can’t overcome your own vexations or suffering, how can you liberate living beings? You can’t even solve your own problems. That’s why they come together as a pair. You must develop the wisdom to endure and sever all vexations. You must learn different ways to help living beings and that is the reason why we vow to study and master the different approaches to Dharma so that you can be effective. Otherwise, you cannot teach. … Then how come this nature of mine, this life, can teach? Everyone is so different, so do you think it’s easy to teach? If you don’t have that kind of understanding, you cannot teach because everyone is so different, so unique, and their karmic background, etc., and everything else are so different. This is the third basic vow. As this task is being fulfilled, we will also cultivate to become a Samma SamBuddha which is the fourth basic vow. We begin by dedicating ourselves for the benefit of sentient beings and only at the last vow, do we aspire to realize Buddha hood.

Therefore while the spirit of Bodhi mind is renunciation and compassion, (Pg 40 of the book) the body of Bodhi mind is fulfilling the four great vows. In fact, the four great vows embody renunciation and compassion and renunciation is actually wisdom. For example, the vow to deliver sentient beings is love and compassion. But we can only accomplish this by renouncing sakkāyadiṭṭhi or self-centeredness and self-delusion before we can renounce our own vexations, endure and sever them all. But it’s only with Love and compassion that we can truly help liberates living beings and relieves them from their own suffering. Thus the four great vows are actually expedient ways to accomplish these three great qualities of Bodhi mind which is love, compassion and wisdom or renunciation. Some will wonder how they can fulfill even the first of these 4 basic vows. They will say, it is hard enough just to practice for our own Enlightenment; - this is the thought saying! However one should see the vow as statement of intention not promises to achieve something by a certain day or time. The vows are not necessary meant to be accomplished in one lifetime rather the vows give us a long term direction and a sense of dedication. Step by step, we gradually fulfill the vows. What you need (this is not mentioned in his book) is your faith, your sincerity, perseverance and endurance.

Unless we generate the four basic great vows, we should not consider ourselves Mahayana practitioners or cultivators of the way who walk the path of Dharma to become Samma Sambuddha. The Zen practice is basically dharma cultivation. When we cultivate in the spirit of the Bodhi mind to fulfill the four great vows via Zen meditation it is no different from normal Dharma practice where we also establish a goal and a direction. We walk towards this goal according to our own pace and we walk on this path toward our destiny. Guided on the path by renunciation and wisdom, we will have the wisdom to help others. We have talked about the Four Noble Truth, the Three Marks of Existence, the Bodhi mind and the Four Great Vows and we have learned how to sit in Silent Illumination. The purpose of all these is to terminate affliction (meaning suffering), self-importance (or sakkāyadiṭṭhi), grasping and clinging. We do all these so that we will be in a better position to help others.

We use the above essential dharmas cultivation and wisdom to cut off vexations in ourselves and help others do the same. In so doing, we realize renunciation and compassion which is none other than the Bodhi mind. That’s the reason why when you are no longer deluded, you don’t cling, you don’t attach, because you have wisdom and that’s also the reason why you can renounce all the illusion. In the Avatamsaka Sutra or Flower Ornament Sutra or Huayan Jing… there is this phrase, when the Bodhicitta or Bodhi mind is generated, one ultimately attains Buddha hood. That’s why you need to plant that seed, so that it can arises the conditions for you to be reminded of these cultivation, vows and understanding life after life. This is a teaching of awakened mind entering the path of Buddha hood arousing Bodhi mind, may be much or it may be little, but it is an accomplishment. You may not fulfill this path completely but you have at least gained a strong foothold. And you are certain to attain Buddha hood in the future. In that sense, one attains Buddha hood when Bodhicitta is generated. Someone who gives rise to Bodhicitta and also vows to benefit all living beings is a Bodhisattva.

Then we come to the stages of Bodhi mind development. This is the one I want to share with you all tonight. Arousing Bodhi mind establishes one on the path to Buddha hood but it is still an embryonic Buddha hood. According to the Mahā Prajna pāramitā Sutra, the Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra, complete Buddha hood is realized after you have fulfilled all the five stages of Bodhi mind development.

What is the first stage of Bodhi mind development? It is the Bodhi mind that first aspires to become a Buddha via making that resolve/aspiration sincerely, with faith and you are willing to persevere to realize it. So the first stage of Bodhi mind cultivation is very simple and everyone who has the condition, sincerity and faith, you should determine to make this aspiration and affirmation to plant the first seed of Bodhi to walk this way for you have got nothing to lose. Then you can go on to develop wisdom through your cultivation and 4 basic vows. Then when you have developed the wisdom, what will happens? The Bodhi mind that subdues affliction will arise which means you are able to subdue all affliction meaning no more suffering, meaning you are already wise. Hence you are no longer deluded by the phenomenal world, the conditioned world. That is the second stage of Bodhi mind development. Then the third stage is the Bodhi mind that illuminates Buddha nature as enlightenment - means you not only awaken but you manage to illuminate that nature within, your true nature until it becomes so clear which means you connect to the gateway. You are able to transform and illuminate that nature within. That’s the reason why the third stage will make you a true Bodhisattva. The gateway cultivation via Trust, you will do later on in the cultivation unless you have your past cultivation and the conditions to support you. And this third stage is very powerful. After this, you will never regress. Then after that you move on to cultivate via the Bodhi mind that renounces samsara to attain Buddha hood. This means you already know - Samsara is just form and mind, not me and no reality. That’s the reason why you will renounce Samsara, you won’t be afraid of it anymore. You won’t worry about it anymore even when the thought tells you, “the way may takes eons and eons of cultivation, so how to `take it’, how to walk this way, it’s crazy!” That is just the thought telling you. That’s the reason why the deluded ones dare not do all these because they don’t understand. But at the fourth stage, this delusion is no more. That’s the reason why it can renounce Samsara. For Samsara is just a phenomenal world of consciousness - condition arising/causal phenomena. You must know how to come. That’s the reason why one of my teachers told me, `if you know how to come, you will know how to return.’ You can return to the Source. If you don’t know how to come, then what happens? … All these are due to your delusion because you don’t know who you are and how you come. Who takes you here? The Law of Karma which is your ‘good friend’ takes you here.

And every life you come, you also don’t know what is going on because of your self-delusion (sakkāyadiṭṭhi); you only complain, have worry, fear, anxiety, sorrow, lamentation, etc. to pay back your Karma, then every time, blame: why am I like that? Why am I so unlucky? Why is God so unfair? But in the past when you do that to people earlier on, you don’t question yourself the same way. But when Karma hits back at you via ‘you reap what you sow’, you complain and you cannot understand why you are so miserable. Why is everything not right? You make other people miserable and fearful because you don’t have any right thought or sympathy towards them through your delusion. You heedlessly continue to do all these karmic evil. And life after life, when you come, you have to pay back all these karmic debts.

So these five stages of Bodhi mind development are very beautiful. The last stage is the Bodhi mind of the consummate which means you reach the pinnacle of wisdom and compassion or complete Buddha hood meaning you had completed the cultivation of the 10 perfections. Master Sheng Yen asked, ‘where do we stand in the five stages of Bodhisattva or Bodhi mind development?’

If you are very confident, you should say at least, stage one. Stage one is very simple, because you just have to aspire. … So, you don’t have to worry for you have got nothing to lose but everything to gain.

Or have we not yet generated the Bodhi mind? Which means - First stage also don’t have, Bodhi mind also not generated or not planted as yet? Which means - you are not sincere because you don’t have the faith and the determination to go this way as yet. That’s the reason why you must aspire with utmost sincerity, faith and determination to plant the seed of Bodhi and this aspiration is very important. This is the Dharma I need to have. This is the Right View I need to understand. I’m going all out to plant this seed of Bodhi, so as not to miss this window of opportunity so that every life when this nature comes (whether choose to come or has to come), it will have this understanding.

After you have this Bodhi mind planted, the seed of Bodhi will nurture and grow and it can be nourished through wisdom and compassion. Then the next thing for you to do is every day you need to read through your Bodhisattva vow’s notes via your sincere mind to renew the Four Great basic Vows and all your other aspirations/affirmations so as to remember them firmly until you can recite them without having to refer to the notes anymore. This may take 3 months.

Therefore I ask you all to arouse this attitude of Bodhi mind within yourself. This is very important to start on the Bodhisattva way to realize Buddha hood. Your main task is to fulfill the four basic vows, to accomplish wisdom, compassion and ultimate Buddha hood. How do you generate Bodhi mind? For one, you can generate Bodhi mind when you bow to your meditation cushion. (This is Master Sheng Yen’s style.) The meditation cushion is where he sits. So to him, this is the Bodhimandala. That’s why he pays respects to his meditation cushion before sitting. This is the Bodhimandala, the site of your enlightenment, the lotus flower of wisdom and compassion. It’s where you begin to fulfill your vows. So a lot of Mahayana practitioners take on this type of practice because they respect the cushion they sit. That is the Bodhimandala, the way place where they become enlightened. We cannot fulfill wisdom if we lack compassion. But to be compassionate, there must also be wisdom or renunciation. If one lacks both, compassion and renunciation, then self-centeredness will flourish and suffering, vexations will increase. Without love, compassion and wisdom, the egoic mind/self-centredness and suffering will increase. So, you must understand and grasp those two principles of love and compassion, leading to wisdom. Otherwise, sitting on a cushion is no better than sticking a pole in the ground, solid, motionless and erect, very straight, stagnant and useless. That is doing samatha meditation - still, but they call that Samādhi. That’s the reason why if you do thought-based or samatha meditation, without any clarity of mind, without any awareness within, your mind will not be free and you will get trapped. To be free from this state, you have to be spiritually alive, potent and luminous. Alive means free mind, luminous means clarity, potent means a lot of wisdom. How do we become spiritually potent and bright? By cultivating stillness, you will experience the dynamic workings of compassion, renunciation and Bodhi mind. Within this potency, the mind becomes illuminated - meaning there is awareness. Silence is stillness; silent mind or tranquility of mind or stillness of mind is the meditative mind. So from now on, every time you sit, please do generate the Bodhi mind; please arouse the altruistic mind. Bodhi mind is just the mind of renunciation and the mind of compassion. The mind of renunciation consists of severing all suffering and vexations. That’s how you develop wisdom because vexation and suffering comes from the 5 grasping aggregates. When you grasp and cling via self-delusion, suffering will arise. So, when you cultivate renunciation, you are cultivating patience endurance and severing suffering or vexations. The mind of compassion is delivering all sentient beings.

How do you sever all vexations and deliver all sentient beings? You have to cultivate and penetrate the limitless approaches to Dharma that you have learnt and will further learn. That’s the reason why that 3rd basic vow can help you do this work. You are also cultivating Silent Illumination. Now use the cultivation to gain an entry.

Now he explained to you the cultivation of Silent Illumination. Since it’s more natural for most people to understand cultivation as occurring in stages, he has described Silent Illumination as occurring in stages. It is possible to contemplate emptiness and selflessness at any stage in Silent Illumination; it is also possible to experience enlightenment at any stage of this practice. It is not necessary to progress stage by stage. Stage one is just sitting and being aware of the total bodily sensation (i.e. kāyānupassanā leading to vedanānupassanā). The stage is entered by completely relaxing mind and body. The key criteria is relax and maintain awareness, either through breathing contemplation or directly beginning to sit with total body awareness. For people who understand they will know the importance of these 2 steps of relax and aware, which are also the first two of the four supports that I wrote on the white board; then the next step is to stabilize it. The second stage is experiencing the environment as one with oneself – you are the environment and the environment is you. Meaning spacious awareness without a centre; your nature and all natures has become one.

The third stage of Silent Illumination is the experience of boundless spaciousness. We cannot experience the mind as infinite if it is swamped with discursive thinking (meaning your false thoughts borne of your delusion and your heedless thinking.) We also cannot experience the environment as infinite if we constantly discriminate among sense objects. What is discrimination? They are the dualities of likes and dislikes, pleasant and unpleasant reaction of mind. These are your sensual desires and ill-will. When your mind is so preoccupied with this reaction of mind and thinking, how can you be aware and be one with nature. That’s the reason why you cannot be sensitive, you cannot be aware because you are preoccupied with the sense experiences and the stirring of your mind. That’s how you discriminate among sense objects for there’s no equanimity, resulting in narrow point of view.

So what is that? You create the thought. You go and focus, perceive and input the content of consciousness hence from a spacious awareness without a centre; you focus into a very narrow thought space. Then you get yourself lost in thoughts, preoccupied with your thinking, views and opinion, stirring and reaction of mind. That’s how you become heedless. That’s the reason why you cannot meditate with the thought. The moment you do that you are dead. That’s the reason why he said ‘resulting in a narrow point of view’. But when our thoughts totally subside, what will happen? We perceive the mind as infinitely vast, and when all our discriminations stop, we perceive the environment as infinitely vast. That’s how the spacious awareness without a centre, which is your true mind or your true nature, can be realized.

But he didn’t describe it so clearly to you in his book. But for those who understand, they will know what he meant. If you can totally relax and maintain your awareness of just sitting, the body-sense will disappear. When this happen a lot of people have this egoic thought, `I am in the formless realm, experiencing the Arupa Jhāna for I cannot feel my body anymore.’ That manifestation of mind state has got not much meaning because it’s just a phenomenon, a conditioned state. If you cannot develop wisdom out of it then no point. He said, in this state, the environment may also disappear. If this happens, it means you have entered a shallow Samādhi state. When in such state a lot of cultivators would think they had done well. But not so for those who cultivate Silent Illumination because they would still be vividly aware of the environment.

Why must you go into the formless realm? That is still a conditioned mind state hence that mind is still not a free mind and you cannot be aware of what is happening within the moment because you are in a deep state of Appaṇā Samādhi. That’s the reason why I always advise practitioners not to go beyond Upacāra Samādhi. This can also happen at the stage when you feel like one with the environment. If the environment disappears, you are again entering a light Samādhi state. This mind state is stated in the Shurangama Sutra and it is a deviant Samādhi that can trap you.

Sometimes you can see lights and fantastic manifestations of mind states; this is not practicing Silent Illumination. In Silent Illumination, your mind would be clear and aware of everything and is utterly still. It is possible to enter this illumination stage from any of the earlier stages. That’s the reason why when your spiritual faculties have become Balas or powers, the moment you sit you will enter stillness, silence, just aware, no movement, no need to be in concentration and there is no need for any meditation object to anchor the mind too. It is by itself still and silent because it is no longer deluded. It can just stay aware and silent because it is no longer gullible.

It can just stay aware because the mind is already trained (in Sati) and it has stabilized. That’s the reason why such a mind is very different. As a result of your own cultivation, your mind becomes clear and bright and there is no clinging to self or non-self. This is true meditation or Silent Illumination. He then said, ‘I repeat and emphasize that you should not take these stages of Silent Illumination as a spiritual ladder to be ascended stage by stage. It is not about the experience, the conditioned state; it’s about how you use it to develop wisdom. Each stage is complete and a possible entry point for genuine Silent Illumination.’ That’s the reason why you have to train yourself in the formal meditation to have this stability of silent mind in pure awareness. Then, you bring this state into the daily life to develop daily mindfulness. That is the real cultivation. That’s the reason why it says here: ‘please do not anticipate a presumably better stage than where you are now. I talk about the internal infinite and the external infinite is because some of you may have experienced either or both. However if we experience the internal infinite without the external infinite, that would be samādhi, not Silent Illumination. Therefore, you need to know the difference. In samādhi, although the internal can be vast, open and clear, one is oblivious of the environment. One should also experience the environment as vast and open, leaving behind discrimination yet knowing the outside very clearly. In true Silent Illumination, the environment exist, but we are not influenced, defiled, or conditioned by it in any way whatsoever; we are no longer swayed by discriminating thoughts. I emphasize this; people may experience infinite spaciousness in their sitting but on returning to their daily life become distracted by the external world. They may cultivate an escapist attitude of wanting to practice in that blissful Samādhi and remove themselves from others. This is definitely not the Mahayana or Chan teaching. The 3rd level is infinitely vast with regard to the internal mind as well as to the world. Having this correct view, one will engage the world without being vexed or obstructed.’ The rest, if you are interested, you should get hold of the book and read it yourself.

C.6 Taking Of Bodhisattva Vows

We had finished discussing the first page of the notes on the general description of the Bodhisattva way last Tuesday so you can go back and read them on your own as this part is for your information only.

Now, I will lead you to take the vows.

Taking of the Bodhisattva vows: Now we shall prepare ourselves. Develop the faith (saddhā) and the vīriya, and then mindfully we will do this together. I will first read to you the preparatory part first:

1. ‘As is traditional, you may seek out a Buddhist center or temple or a shrine and take the Bodhisattva vows in the presence of a teacher. Or, if you cannot do so, you can take them at home in front of your sacred shrine.’

Then you must do this:

2. ‘One must make strong aspiration to take these Bodhisattva vows with great determined faith, understanding and sincerely in front of the Buddha or any great Mahā Bodhisattvas who have gone forth before you.’

Tonight, we have all the Great Being’s nature here; Sākyamuni Buddha, Amitabha Buddha, Maitreya Buddha, Guanyin Bodhisattva, Pu Hsien Pusa, Ti Chang Wang Pusa and all other Mahā Bodhisattvas and Buddha of all the ten directions. Together, in front of them, we shall make this strong resolve and aspiration to take these vows. Okay, are you all ready?

Be in the kneeling posture to develop the great resolve and the making of this special aspiration to walk the Bodhisattva way sincerely and with great determination and understanding. This is just to make the aspiration to walk this way, not the taking of the vows as yet, but you must determine strongly because later on, I will explain to you how to develop the actual vows after you have made this special aspiration to walk this Bodhisattva way. Without this Right View and Right Understanding, you cannot walk this way successfully. That’s the reason why you must make this aspiration for you to have this understanding life after life. Now I will teach you how to invoke this aspiration. You all can recite after me following the notes.

3. Making of special aspirations to walk the Bodhisattva way:

“By the power of whatever blessings and wholesomeness that this ‘nature of mine’ has cultivated, from the distant past till now, may it arise the causes and conditions for this nature of mine to have the following right Dharma understanding, life after life, whenever it choose to come or have to come in the form of a Form and Mind:

3.1 Right views with regards to:

1. The Law of Karma (Karma Niyāma);

2. The Law of Dependent Origination or 12 links (Citta Niyāma) and

3. The Four Noble Truths (Dharma Niyāma);

(Note: These right views, we have already learnt, so you have to go back and reflect, contemplate and develop the second turning wisdom on your own. We have gone through the Law of Karma many times. How from there, the essential Dharma of the Buddha comes about and how the Buddha actually developed his teaching to advise you, to avoid all evil, do good and purify the mind; then how He advised you to renew your precepts, take refuge etc. All these come from these Right Views. Then you can develop the meditation to understand how you function as a human being via Citta Niyāma. Then finally from the Four Noble Truths which is the essence of the Buddha’s teaching, all the other essential Dharma are spin off from there. Then after that, we reaffirm to understand the below 2nd Right Views clearly.)

3.2 To understand the 2 aspects of the 5 aggregates of Form and Mind clearly via the direct seeing to realize that they are all condition arising entities, causal phenomena hence impermanent, leading to suffering; not me, non-self and empty. This so called living being (5 aggregates of Form and Mind) is just a karmically conditioned ‘vehicle and tool’ for us to come to this existential world to develop the cultivation and experience all of the beauty and wonders of life. So need to use it with wisdom to arise the appropriate right thoughts, right speech and right action so as to be a blessing to all and not to be deluded by it. To constantly recite with understanding the following profound dharma:

Rūpaṃ aniccaṃ, rūpaṃ anattā;

Vedanā aniccaṃ, vedanā anattā;

Saññā aniccaṃ, saññā anattā;

Saṅkhāra aniccaṃ, saṅkhāra anattā;

Viññāṇaṃ aniccaṃ, viññāṇaṃ anattā

Sabbe saṅkhāra aniccaṃ; Sabbe saṅkhāra dukkhaṃ and Sabbe dhamma anatta

3.3 Having developed the above right views, this nature of ‘mine’ vows to always keep the following 3 sets of pure precepts via following the advice of all Samma Sambuddhas:

(a) To avoid all evil and to understand clearly what constitutes evil (the 3 evil roots of Greed, Hatred and Delusion are the root of all evil);

(Note: Then you all have to go back and expand on it. What is Greed? Not only your greediness, all your craving, covetousness, deceitfulness, desire, lust etc. including whatever you want to take advantage of, all these are part of the evil root of Greed. Then the second evil root of Hatred is not only your anger and hatred, it include your envy, jealousy and everything else including all your other negative unpleasant mental states, like dislike, unhappiness, etc., they are all part of this evil root. Then, delusion is ignorance, - self-delusion leading to fear, worry, anxiety, sorrow and lamentation. All these are the third evil root of self-delusion or Sakkāyadiṭṭhi.)

(b) To cultivate all virtues and blessings leading to the perfection of them all;

(Note: Do you understand the difference between this and the advice of the Buddha that you normally hear off? This one makes it even clearer. Most people only recite, `avoid all evil….’ And sometimes, they never include the word `all’. They just say, `Avoid evil’ (Written on the gate wall of SJBA). The actual advice of the Buddha is, ‘all evil is to be avoided. Then what did we add? ‘To avoid all evil and to understand clearly what constitutes evil.’ That is more important. If you don’t even know what constitutes evil, then how are you going to avoid all evil? That’s the reason why, you vow: - life after life, to have this understanding so that when you come, when you hear this advice again, you can connect straightaway. It will manifest through your vows and aspirations. Then you will also know how to cultivate all virtues and blessings leading to perfection of them all. The normal cultivation is just to do good or cultivate wholesomeness whenever there is condition. But this pure precept is to cultivate all virtues and blessings leading to perfection of them all. This understanding is very important because for the Bodhisattva way, we need to go a lot deeper than the normal cultivation.) Then the last pure precept is:

(c) To cultivate wisdom to help liberate and take across all sentient beings;

(Note: These are the aspirations that you make so that life after life when you come, you will have these Right Understanding and true Dharma understanding. Then only can you cultivate, with the right understanding because these are very important right views. That’s the reason why I constantly reminded you all to make sure that you all get this right and make use of this Sāsana’s great `window’ of opportunity to plant the seed of Bodhi so that in the future, all these understanding can manifest and come back to you. Then, also at our recent March 2016 Cameron Highlands Retreat, there were conditions for all these to arise too because of Guan Yin’s nature that arise on the 8th day - including all the other appropriate conditions that also fall into place. That’s the reason why through my nature’s understanding, I have already granted all those who were there, the pure wish to have these understanding. But that pure wish cannot take place or manifest into a reality if on your part, you don’t cultivate the appropriate causes and conditions to connect to all these great beings.

So today’s taking of the vows is the next stage after the Cameron Highlands retreat for you all to have the right condition to walk this Bodhisattva way. If you do all these, it means you have successfully planted the seed of Bodhi and you are set for all of your future coming. Then you will connect and not long after that, the vows will take you along. That’s why all these are very beautiful understanding because the conditions just came during this Sāsana’s `window’ of opportunity. A lot of things just happen; the book came and everything else also came. Initially I didn’t intend to teach you so fast about the five stages of Bodhi mind development and the cultivation because that is a very difficult and long topic. But because this book came in the nick of time and it has the requisite conditions for me to explain to you and summarize for you the understanding so that in future, when we do all these sharing, you all can understand.)

4. Actual taking of the Bodhisattva vows

This is now the moment of truth and we will do it with understanding so that these vows can become very firmly established. We shall plant the seed of Bodhi by taking these vows. Then the 3 sets of pure precepts are actually the advice of the Buddha but we have modified it a bit to suite our Bodhisattva way cultivation. These 3 sets of pure precepts actually cover the cultivation of all precepts because when you avoid all evil via understanding what constitutes evil, then you will be cultivating all virtues and blessings leading to the perfection of them all. That means you are incapable of evil hence cultivating all precepts. Then after that, the last set of pure precept is to cultivate and perfect all wisdom so that you can help liberate living beings and take them all across, thereby fulfilling the first of the 4 basic vows of a Bodhisattva. So these three sets of pure precepts will tie in with the four basic vow’s practices. That’s the reason why they can become very powerful and beautiful and it will make a big difference to your cultivation. Now, we will recite the vows via following the Avatamsaka Sutra format:

‘A Bodhisattva’s vows can be found at the end of the Avatamsaka Sutra as given by Samantabhadra Bodhisattva or Pu Hsien Pusa. He had advised that the Bodhisattva vows are to be taken with the following two famous verses from the Sutra.’

Now compose your mind, determine with faith, sincerity and understanding, then together we shall recite them.

4.1 Taking of the four basic vows of a Bodhisattva

‘Just as all the previous Sugatas, the Buddha generated the Bodhi mind of enlightenment and accomplished all the stages of the Bodhisattva training. So too will this nature of ‘mine’, for the sake of all beings, generate the Bodhi mind of enlightenment and resolve to accomplish all the stages of the Bodhisattva training so that the seed of ‘Bodhi’ can be strongly planted within our nature.’

‘This nature of mine further vows with utmost sincerity, faith and perseverance to walk to perfection this Bodhisattva way via taking the following initial 4 basic vows of a Bodhisattva:

1. This nature of mine vows to liberate the countless living beings from samsara and take them all across to the other shore;

2. This nature of mine vows to endure and sever all vexation/suffering;

3. This nature of mine vows to cultivate and penetrate all dharma to realize the perfection of all wisdom;

4. This nature of mine vows to perfect the 10 pāramitās (or perfections) to realize the unsurpassed Samma Sambuddha hood.’

(Note: We will then take the additional vows so that it can help you break all your karmic obstructions to bring about the way so that you can cultivate more easily. Karmic obstructions can be very powerful and a lot of cultivators get trapped because of Karmic obstructions and they cannot immediately move; even in this life when the Sāsana is still around. For ten to fifteen years, you may be hindered or trapped because of past lives karmic obstruction; you may have misled people, causing them to lose the way. That’s the reason why this karmic obstructions can come back to obstruct you; if you don’t ask for forgiveness and do your repentance, you cannot break it.

This is a very powerful way which my nature had developed through its own understanding from its past cultivation. Now I will share this with you. This can also be applied to many other situations - so you have to adjust it accordingly to suite your particular condition and need. But basically, it covers most situations. Then you can use it to help people just like in this life, I have helped many depressed cases and living beings with problems born of their karmic obstructions.)

4.2 Additional vows to break all karmic obstructions to bring about the way

1. If by actions, speech or thought, whether knowingly or unknowingly via ignorance, delusion and heedlessness, this nature of ‘mine’ has offended or done anything wrong unto the Triple Gems (Buddha, Dharma and Sangha), this nature of ‘mine’ would like to sincerely ask for forgiveness. (Note: This one is very important. If you have committed karmic offences against The Triple Gem or cause schism to the Sangha, such karmic offence can be very severe and your karmic obstruction will come and obstruct/disturb But the beauty about The Triple Gem is, the moment you ask for forgiveness sincerely, it will neutralize the Karmic obstruction immediately because The Triple Gem has already taken the vow to forgive all beings, the vow of all enlightened ones. Now we will continue with the next few additional vows.)

2. Whomsoever from the distant past until now, whether knowingly or unknowingly that this nature of ‘mine’ has caused any karmic negativity, misery, suffering or mislead, this nature of ‘mine’ would like to sincerely ask for forgiveness from them all. May my this sincere request for forgiveness be accepted by all so that all these karmic obstructions can be amicably resolved or watered down or lessened thereby enabling this nature of ‘mine’ to continue with its cultivation to realize the true dharma with ease.

3. This nature of ‘mine’ also vows to repent and from now onwards vow never to repeat any of these karmic negativities (borne of Greed, Hatred and Delusion) via following the advice of the Buddha to avoid all evil, do good, purify my mind and striving on with heedfulness to keep the 5 precepts and cultivate the Buddha dharma diligently so that it will never violate this Law of Karma again whenever it arises.

4. By the power of whatever wholesomeness or merits that this nature of ‘mine’ has cultivated since the distant past until now may it arise the causes and conditions for this nature of ‘mine’ to have the ability to overcome all other karmic obstructions or obstacles amicably so that this nature of ‘mine’ will be able to gain back its life, to walk the path of dharma life after life, to fulfill and realize all its Bodhisattva vows.

(Note: This fourth additional vow is very important because you invoke your own power of merits. This is the turnaround to help you move again. Without this invocation of power of merits, this turnaround cannot happen. The karmic obstruction can be very deviant and can be very powerful too. So when you invoke power of merits for causes and conditions, then it will dissolve itself, then you can connect back. Initially, you have to do this until your way is beyond the third stage of Bodhi mind development. At the third stage of the Bodhi mind development, you will develop this very unique third phase cultivation to illuminate your Buddha nature. This means you not only realize your true mind but you also connect to your gateway to your nature. Then you will have the ability to develop the cultivation until you can illuminate this true nature within until it becomes so different. Then you will know from then onward, you will never regress anymore. By then all these karmic obstructions will be gone. Otherwise, you cannot realize that type of enlightenment. So the initial phase before you hit the third stage of Bodhi mind development, you still have to ask for forgiveness to break your karmic obstruction. Then the last type of vows is the additional miscellaneous vows to help enhance the cultivation.

4.3 Additional miscellaneous vows to enhance the cultivation

This nature of ‘mine’ vows:

1. To be successful in fulfilling all my above vows soonest possible;

2. To cultivate strong affinity with all Buddha and Bodhisattvas and to request their nature’s constant blessing, protection and guidance always;

3. To strengthen my 5 spiritual faculties of saddhā, vīriya, sati, samādhi and panna until they become balas or powers, life after life so that all the above vows can be successfully fulfilled with ease;

(Note: Do you know why you have to do these? It is because most spiritual cultivators never perfect their spiritual faculties until they become unshakable. That’s the reason why every life when they come, they have to train, they have to do all these training all over again. But this live I realize that this nature of mine is different because when it comes, the moment I cultivate, the spiritual faculties are already there. That’s the reason why I can just sit, silent the mind and just meditates, and I just know what to do. All these must have come from the vows. Otherwise, this nature cannot be what it is today, like very lucky, everything goes its way and it can just understand. It can never touch psychic and all those energy field things. I never learn all these in this life then how can it happen? Very likely it is because of all these Right Views, the perfection, the aspirations and vows. This teaching is either forgotten or lost and you have to understand that every Bodhisattva can evolve their own understanding and come out with better and better ones. Just like this live, this is what my nature understands hence it’s able to share all these with you all. This is the third additional vow.)

And the fourth additional miscellaneous vow is:

4. To cultivate extensively all virtues, blessings and merits to help support my cultivation so that they will shine forth to aid this nature of ‘mine’ when needed in times of trials, difficulties and tribulations while walking the Bodhisattva way.

(Note: This additional vow is very important because my nature realize, without these virtues, blessings and merits, it is very difficult to walk this way. That’s the reason why my nature came to realize that a lot of Zen masters, when they come, they suffer a lot and they have to go through a lot of difficulties because their focus is too much centered on cultivation alone. Virtues are equally important; love, compassion, merits, and blessings are also very important. That’s the reason why Sākyamuni’s way is very good. He set up the Sangha and the laity. That’s the reason why he said you must keep the precepts; then follow that type of practice and cultivation. For according to the Buddha, ‘Virtue is the source of true happiness and joy. Virtue is the source of true peacefulness of mind.’ But the last one is the best - virtue is the source of true spiritual wealth. You will gain spiritual wealth when you make offerings to the worthy ones. In return, they will share with you the dharma and they will send blessings to you. That’s the reason why you must make the vows, the aspiration via reciting, ‘Iminā puñña kammena… etc.’, - meaning invoking the power of merits via reciting: `By the power of whatever merits that you have cultivated, may it arise the causes and conditions for you to always avoid the foolish and the heedless, meet up with the wise and enlightened ones so that nibbana can be realized soonest possible.’

But you must understand who the heedless are and who the enlightened ones are. If you don’t cultivate and have this Right View and Right Understanding, you cannot identify them. You may have the vows, but of no use because you don’t even know who are the heedless and what constitute evil hence you are still gullible and still can become their good friends even though you make that vow to avoid them. It is because you vow without understanding, like I used to tell you all; you vow to meet up with Maitreya Buddha when he arises. And because of that when he arises, very likely you are born, you may meet him, but you cannot recognize him so not much use right? This is because you do not know what the qualities of a Buddha are if you do not cultivate the understanding and affinity. You just vow to meet but you don’t recognize, then you cannot follow, hence doubts arise. The worse is when you meet him; you abuse him because you cannot recognize him. When that happens, nobody can help you. If you abuse the Samma Sambuddha, no amount of repentance can help you because that is really heavy karma.)

Okay, we can end our today’s session with the understanding of what constitute the ten perfections leading to Buddha hood.

First perfection is generosity. That’s why you come for the living beings. You have a lot of kindness, a lot of love and compassion and generosity. You serve people with an altruistic mind, you don’t think for yourself anymore. That’s the reason why dana or generosity pāramī is very powerful. The gift of truth, the gift of service, helping out and doing whatever you can to relieve suffering of living beings is all part of the generosity pāramī. When you have the means to help and you are very generous then you can cultivate generosity pāramī very easily. You can bring about the causes and conditions for many beautiful things to unfold. Just like this life, all our Kalyāṇamittas had done so many wholesome things via our Kalyāṇamitta fund’s dana pāramī and these can help kalyāṇamittas generate a lot of very wholesome merits and virtue. Generosity is the function of our generous heart. When you radiate mettā, love and compassion and you come for the living beings – all these are very wholesome dana pāramī. When you develop great compassion and love for living beings, you also have great pāramī.

Then you develop moral values via keeping your precepts or sīla; meaning you determine not to violate the nature’s law of karma because you have Right View with regards to the Law of Karma, and you maintain wholesomeness of virtues to avoid all evil via following the advice of the Buddha. Then renunciation is Nekkhamma in pāḷi. You cultivate via developing wisdom to sever all attachments. That’s the reason why the final summary of the 1st noble truth, the cause of suffering (not explained by Master Sheng Yen) according to the Buddha is: - all of suffering comes from self-delusion that conditions you to grasp on to the five aggregates of form and mind as the ‘I’ and the ‘Me’. So all of these grasping, clinging is the cause of suffering. So when you have the wisdom not to be deluded, you won’t attach, you won’t cling, you can endure and sever all suffering, vexation, and renounce the conditioned world and the entire phenomenal world. That’s how renunciation can be perfected.

If you come with the clear understanding that this form and mind is not you but only a vehicle and a tool for you to come to this world to live and experience life and to develop the cultivation then there is no more delusion or problem. As the user of thought, you will then know how to use the mind to arise the right thoughts so as to be a blessing to all. You will understand all these. Otherwise you will have problem. Then for the perfection of wisdom, you have the ability to realize it via your vow to cultivate and penetrate all dharma to perfection. Then regarding the spiritual zeal, when you take the refuge and vow, the faith or saddhā will be there and that’s the reason why this vīriya will be there too because of the saddhā. Then regarding patience or khanti, it means you are not in a hurry to fulfill all these vows. You can take your time to fulfill all these vows and cultivate to perfection all these pāramitās so that you can develop all the requisite wisdom and virtues needed to do this work. You will get to cultivate all the understanding and get to experience all the wonders and beauties of life so that you can come back to continuously perfect your karmic nature and your spiritual nature. All these can be very beautiful and meaningful.

After you have perfected the understanding and wisdom, you will never lie again. Then Truthfulness or Sacca is very easy to perfect because you have no more self. You have no more selfishness. You will be very sincere and truthful in the way you go about doing things. Then all these cultivation will become like very easy.

The number 8 perfection (Adhiṭṭhāna) is very easy because this one is my specialty. My nature had more or less perfected it; hence I can understand it very well. That’s the reason why I know how to use the power of merits for making aspiration, do repentance via asking for forgiveness etc. to help you in your cultivation and also how to invoke the power of merits to help you overcome your karmic obstruction. These are not stated in the teaching. The repentance they do is somewhat different, even for the case of Master Sheng Yen, as evident by his explanation. If there are conditions, I will share more with you. It’s stated in his book; you can read through it to understand why his repentance teaching is different.

Different cultivators come with different understanding. He has his way. To me, this is the complete way. His is one aspect of it. Then the next perfection is loving kindness or mettā. Without love and compassion, you cannot save the living beings. So compassion is also under this number 9 perfection. Then the number 10 perfection is equanimity or the upekkhā, enlightenment factor, born of wisdom. Again all these can be perfected. If you look at the ten perfections, it’s like very easy after you have developed the four basic vows. With this we shall end our today’s sharing. Shall we rejoice? Sadhu! (3x)

Note: The 10 perfections leading to Buddha hood are:

1. Generosity (Dana)

2. Moral or virtue (Sīla)

3. Renunciation (Nekkhamma)

4. Wisdom (Panna)

5. Spiritual zeal (Vīriya)

6. Patience (Khanti)

7. Truthfulness (Sacca)

8. Determination or Resolution or affirmation (Adhiṭṭhāna)

9. Loving Kindness (Metta)

10. Equanimity (Upekkhā)

C.7 Miscellaneous announcement

Sis. Padmasuri:

Dear brother and sisters in the dharma, congratulations to everybody, newborn and happy birthday. We shall call upon Bro. Song to present a garland to our beloved teacher, Bro Teoh, to express our gratitude and respect.

Bro. Teoh:

She is right in the sense that you are newborn, embryonic Bodhisattva; the first stage of Bodhi mind development - aspire to be a Bodhisattva to walk this way with faith and sincerity then you are already qualified. Sadhu! (3x)

There is one more thing that I need to remind you all regarding these Bodhisattva vows and aspirations that you all have taken. You all have only planted the seed of Bodhi today and to enable it to take root and become firmly established you all must nurture it via renewing these vows and aspirations with great sincerity and faith on a daily basis for the next 3 to 6 months. You must read through the notes, if possible every day, to remind yourself via determining deeply that these are the important Right Views and Right Aspirations that you want to have life after life whenever you arise.

This life itself, you must determine sincerely and make it very clear until it is strongly established; until later on, even without those notes, you will be able to recite them all, recall them, until they become a part of you. If this life also you cannot recall these vows and aspirations, then do you think it will happen in future? Not likely, unless you have these vows and aspirations firmly established to give rise to the causes and conditions for you to recall them the moment you come into contact with the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha in the future chances are it will not manifest or take root.

But before you can encounter all these, you must develop the strong vows and aspirations with great faith and understanding, life after life for it to have the conditions to arise or happen. Like my this life, when I come, my nature straight away understands because since young, it already started to search, then it only needed to encounter the real dharma in whatever form or manner; either in a book form or via somebody’s words or speech. Just like the 6th Patriarch (Master Hui Neng), the moment he heard the Diamond Sutra’s verse on ‘the mind must have no dwelling’, his nature arose and straightaway he connect, understood and awakened; for these are the understanding that he had earlier on vowed to have, life after life whenever he arise. So when you do the same, your nature will also move because your karmic nature and your spiritual nature will take you along and similar conditions can also manifest.

Then when the time comes, the teacher will come, the guide will come and all these books will also come. Later on, living beings that have affinity with your nature they will also come. You can ask around. Apart from my university mates and my wife, I don’t know the rest of you. How did all of you come? It’s through your affinity and your other conditions. As you go into the cultivation, you will develop these understanding.

Initially, don’t worry; be patient and take your time to learn all these. But you must have faith, sincerity and perseverance, then all these will fall into place. You don’t need to be a very special being to have all these. Every Bodhisattva also started from somewhere in the distant past. My spiritual nature also started from basic, like most of you who don’t have anything. It started from the first Bodhi mind that planted the seed of Bodhi to aspire to walk this way sincerely with the faith. Then, after that, the cultivation just fell into place because of the vows and the aspirations. All these will become easier when you know how to develop the aspirations and the vows to break all the karmic obstructions, to bring about causes and conditions for all the Great Beings’ nature to help you, to protect you, to bless you, to help you arise the causes and conditions to avoid the foolish, the heedless and meet up with the wise. Then you must cultivate on your part to understand who the heedless are so that you can avoid them, recognize who the wise ones are so that you know how to benefit from them and develop affinity with them. Then likewise, when you cultivate, you must understand what constitute evil, then only you can avoid all evil. Then you must train your mind to be heedful, to be ever mindful so that this cultivation can flow easily.

With this, I will end my sharing for today and we better do the sharing of merits, transfer of merits etc. before we end.

C.8 Sharing of merits

1. Sharing of merits with the devas:

Ākāsaṭṭhā ca bhummaṭṭhā Deva nāga mahiddhikā Puññaṃ taṃ anumoditvā Ciraṃ rakkhantu loka sāsanaṃ

(May all beings inhabiting space and earth, Devas and Nagas of mighty power, share this merit and may they long protect the Dispensation.)

Ettāvatā ca amhehi Sambhataṃ puñña sampadaṃ Sabbe deva anumodantu Sabba sampatti siddhiya

(May all beings share this merit, which we have thus acquired And may all Devas rejoice, May it contribute greatly to their well-being and happiness.)

2. Transfer of merits to departed ones:

Idaṃ me ñātinaṃ hotu Sukhitā hontu ñātayo (3x)

[Let these merits accrue to our departed relatives and those who can receive them And may they too be well and happy always. (3x)]

3. Let us make our aspiration:

Iminā puñña kammena Māme bāla samāgamo Sataṃ samāgamo hotu Yāva Nibbāna pattiyā

[By the grace of this merit that I have acquired, may I never follow the foolish; but only the wise, up to the time I attain final liberation, Nibbāna.] Sadhu! (x3)

Let us pay respect mindfully to Lord Buddha and all the worthy ones then we end.

D. Walking the Bodhisattva way and the taking of the Vows (4th sharing)

(Based on a direct transcript from the recorded Dharma talk of Bro. Teoh dated 28 September 2016)

Audio : http://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Teoh-160928-Bodhisattva-vow.mp3

Bodhisattva Vows Note pdf : http://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/Taking-of-the-Bodhisattva-vows-20160421.pdf

D.1 Introduction (Initial Briefing)

A very good evening to all, brothers and sisters in the dharma; today is the 28th September 2016 and it is an auspicious day for some of our kalyāṇamittas who have requested for new opportunity for them to take this Bodhisattva vows. This occasion can also be an opportunity for those who have taken their vows before to reaffirm their vows. These vows can be of great benefit to you when you understand their great significance and when you take it with understanding your faith will also become very different. It can bring forth the transformation in you because these are very unique vows. When I go through them with you afterwards you will understand their great significance. They are taken based on an in depth, clear understanding of the Buddha Dharma and these are the important right views that you must have every time when you come to this universe; regardless of whether you have to come or you choose to come, either way you must have this understanding otherwise you will be afflicted because of your delusion.

That’s the reason why we have to make this firm determination or affirmation with understanding, with very strong faith (saddhā) leading to the vīriya and mindfulness. After you have taken it, you should continuously reflect on it, contemplate on it and develop the clear understanding of all these affirmation. Then on your own while at home (initially on a daily basis), you should reflect, contemplate and determine in front of your own altar to reaffirm all these vows for 3 months at least. After that if you can, every week, or at least once a week, you should reaffirm them until it become very stable. After that you can skip doing it for a while. Then, every 3 months you can go back and look at the vows again and reaffirm them to strengthen your faith and understanding then when you can do it without having to refer to those sheets of papers or notes to guide you; meaning it has become a part of your understanding then you will become very different and your cultivation will become very different too. Afterward when I go through all these with you all, you all will understand better.

D.2 Special Puja Offerings & Chanting

Special Puja Offerings & Chanting followed by the chanting of the Heart Sutra, Great compassionate mantra and the Mahā Karuṇā Dharani Sutra as before …….. (The chanting lasted 40 minutes.)

D.3 Taking of the Bodhisattva vows

Okay, since we have finished the chanting we can now commence our official taking of the Bodhisattva vow ceremony. Today is very auspicious because some kalyāṇamittas have requested for this special Bodhisattva vow ceremony to be held one more time. At first I told them you can do it at home in front of your altar but they prefer to do it with me and had requested that I lead them to do it.

As before, we would like to invite all the great beings (Buddha and Bodhisattvas) and devas who are here, to bear witness while we all take/reaffirm our Bodhisattva vows. These Bodhisattva vows that we are going to take are very unique – so because of that very likely most of you must have very good pāramī from the past for you to have the conditions to be here to partake in this ceremony. These vows are also closely related to Dharma cultivation and they will help you in many ways while walking this Bodhisattva way to perfect all the Dharma practices and also to fulfil whatever perfections needed to realize Sammasam Buddha hood that you have aspired for. As you walk this way, you are actually cultivating the perfection of wisdom/understanding following the Buddha’s way and it has a lot to do with his Diamond Sutra’s teaching of no mark; no mark of a ‘self’ cultivating, no mark of ‘living beings’ and no mark of any Dharma or life. All these understanding will shine forth, then what we need to include into this Bodhisattva vows are some of the essential right views that Sākyamuni Buddha had taught us and I will read through them so that it can help you develop the faith. After that we will officially take the Bodhisattva vows together. I will lead you but for now I will just read through it so that you can have a better understanding of what these vows are. You will be given a set of the printed notes for your safe keeping and future reference. I will read to you the notes so that later on when we take the actual vows you can follow them more easily. Anybody doesn’t have a copy of these notes? Okay good, then please turn to the first page which is a general introduction to this Bodhisattva vows.

‘The Bodhisattva vows are the vows taken by Mahayana Buddhist to attain complete enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings. One who has taken the vow is nominally known as a Bodhisattva. The Prātimokha or the monk’s precepts, they cease at death, whereas the Bodhisattva vows extends into future lives. There are basically two traditions of the Bodhisattva vows, one originating from Asanga and the other from Nagarjuna (Loong Su Pusa). A Bodhisattva vow is found at the end of the Avatamsaka Sutra by Samantabhadra Bodhisattva and it explains that these vows are to be taken with the 2 famous verses from that Sutra.’

(Note: Samantabhadra Bodhisattva is Pu Hsien Pusa. About two years ago I lead a group of our kalyāṇamittas on a very special spiritual trip to Er Mei Mountain - the way place of Pu Hsien Pusa. That trip was indeed very meaningful, memorable and most beautiful because everything went on very smoothly and it was as if it is meant to be. When the faith develops, wholesomeness, joy and understanding will keep on unfolding. Quite a number of our kalyāṇamittas who went also have a lot of affinity with Pu Hsien Bodhisattva’s Nature and because of that they have a lot of very good encounters and experiences while there. About 4 or 5 kalyāṇamittas who have very good affinity with Pu Hsien Pusa, they really progress very fast after that spiritual trip. That is the reason why, while on all these spiritual trips organized by me, - if you have the faith and understanding, a lot of things can happen and manifest on its own. That’s also the reason why not long after that, I think, you all know what happened to Bro. Song right? He was up there too, - remember? The tear just flow from his face and he was sobbing and crying out very loudly. Mr Er, our local guide who took us there, he didn't understand what happened so he came and talk to me. He said, “Bro Teoh, don’t you think Bro. Song got some serious problem? Why is he crying and sobbing like that?” I said, “Don't worry. This one has something to do with his past affinity with Pu Hsien Pusa and also his past encounters and practices”. That’s why after that a lot of things happen to Bro. Song and then later on he actually develops the understanding and he progress very fast. Okay, now we will continue will the taking of the vows.)

The two famous verses from this Avatamsaka Sutra are:-

‘Just as all the previous Sugatas, the Buddhas generated the Bodhi mind of enlightenment and accomplished all the stages of the Bodhisattva training. So will I, for the sake of all beings, generate the Bodhi mind of enlightenment and accomplish all the stages of Bodhisattva training.’

Generating the Bodhi mind is very important because in order to walk this way, you have to sincerely generate the Bodhi mind. The meaning in Mandarin is very good and clearer. You develop the Bodhisattva vows and the Bodhisattva resolve to arise this Bodhi mind or ‘Pu Ti Xin’ in mandarin. Bodhi or ‘Pu Ti’ is enlightenment and satta is a being. That’s the reason why a Bodhisattva is an enlightened being who vow or determine to walk the path to Buddha hood. So, generating this Bodhi mind with very strong faith is very important. That’s the reason why this resolve to plant this seed of Bodhi within your nature (not at your thought level), with the vow and the faith is very important.

The Bodhi mind is the mind that can understand the Buddha Dharma needed to develop the awakening, the enlightenment and the perfections etc. So this resolve to arise the Bodhi mind or the ‘Pu Ti Xin’ is extremely important. That’s the reason why to be a Bodhisattva or a Pusa, you must have the ‘Pu Ti Xin’ or Bodhi mind because this is the seed of Bodhi that can brings about the Enlightenment and from this seed it can generate the causes and conditions for you to walk this path until all the stages of Bodhi mind development and Bodhisattva way cultivation are completed or perfected. That’s the reason why the next paragraph reads:

‘The promise to keep Bodhisattva vows applies not only to this life, but to each subsequent lifetime until full enlightenment. Thus, these vows continue on our “mind-stream” into our nature and into future lives.’

So, this is something very different. This one can drive you, can allow you to continue to develop this Bodhi mind so that life after life when you come, you will have this understanding. You will have this resolve that will drive you to develop the perfections. Then not only that, this Bodhisattva vows can also bring forth a lot of understanding and benefit too and through these vows you can perfect your 10 perfections relatively easier because these vows actually does the work for you. You will also come to understand what aspirations or Adhiṭṭhāna is; it is also one of the ten perfections. When you have this understanding you will know how to continuously use it. You will know how to make use of your power of merits, wholesomeness or whatever goodness that you have developed. You can invoke the power of merits for causes and conditions for whatever you aspire for to unfold, to perfect your vows, your cultivation and all those other essential things. This one when you invoke through the nature’s law via understanding, it can become very powerful. And that’s the reason why the Bodhisattva vows can be very powerful, and when you understand these vows you will have a lot of gratitude towards the Buddha and the Bodhisattvas. You will have a lot of respect towards Him, then you will develop the unshakeable faith in Him because He is so wise and He can actually guide not only human beings, He can guide all beings including the Devas, the Gods and others. That’s why He is a teacher of man and God. He is a guide incomparable; nobody can be better than Him. He’s an incomparable guide as far as training living beings to become enlighten is concerned because this ability is part of the Buddha’s nine great virtue or qualities.

Now we shall read on. The next paragraph is just for your information:-

‘In Tibetan Buddhism there are two lineages of the Bodhisattva vows. The first is associated with the Cittamatra movement of Indian Buddhism, and is said to have originated with the Bodhisattva Maitreya, and to have been propagated by Asanga. The second is associated with Madhyamaka movement, and is said to have originated with the Bodhisattva Mañjusrī (Wen Shu Pusa) and to have been propagated by Nagarjuna (Loong Su Pusa), and later by Shantideva. The main difference between these two lineages is that in the Cittamatra lineage the vows cannot be received by one who has not previously received the Pratimokha vows. - Which means you have to be a monk first but for the other one, there is no such requirement.’

In taking these vows you will join with the hundreds of thousands of Buddhist in the west and millions in Asia. So, you are not alone in this journey. The world has changed and transformed so much that even within the western world where the people are predominantly Christian; they also have a lot of Bodhisattva - in the hundreds of thousands as stated. Then in Asia of course there are millions who have done so.

We will now continue:

‘As is traditional, you might seek out a Buddhist centre or temple and take the Bodhisattva vows in the presence of a teacher, which is what you all are doing now. Or, if you cannot do so, you can take them at home. Create a sacred space and place there the images of Bodhisattvas or Buddha who have gone forth before you. If you wish to invite a friend or friends to be your witness, you can. Just sit quietly for a while and reflect on the beauty and value of a life dedicated to the benefits of all living beings. When you are ready, add any meaningful ritual, like the lighting of candles and the taking of refuge etc. Then recite your vows.

(Note: Just now we have done a complete pre-puja which is very meaningful then we have also done the invocation to all the Devas to bear witness and to rejoice with us on this auspicious day of taking of the Bodhisattva vows ceremony.)

This version below is a simplified version. They just chant the four basic vows as follow:

‘Suffering beings are numberless; I vow to liberate them all.

Attachment/suffering is inexhaustible; I vow to severe them all.

Dharma doors to truth are numberless; I vow to master them all.

The way to perfection leading to supreme enlightenment is very arduous, I vow to realize it.’

You can modify the language of these vows so that they speak your deepest dedication. That’s the reason why your faith has to be very strong; your resolve also has to be very strong. Then you can repeat them every time you sit in meditation, to direct and dedicate your practice. Alternatively you don't have to really do that but instead you can maybe on a daily basis then later once a week reflect on it, contemplate on it and go deep into it to understand it. Then develop the understanding until it becomes a part of you, so that even without the notes you can more or less know that these are the things you need to cultivate, you need to develop the understanding and these are your vows. And when it has become a part of your nature, then when you come to this world (whether you have to come or choose to come) even when there is no more Buddha Sāsana within the world, this understanding that you have developed through these vows can still enable you to walk the path of Dharma to cultivate and you will still develop the understanding and you will not be heedless or get lost like normal living being. Without the Buddha Sāsana, most living beings when they come they really suffer because they will become heedless and without the Buddha Dharma it’s very difficult to awaken or to even have the understanding of life.

Okay, now we shall turn to the next page on the Taking of the Bodhisattva vows. This is the one that you have to develop the understanding. Since I still have some time, I will first go through them with you all before you take the vows.

Taking of the Bodhisattva vows:

1. As is traditional, you may seek out a Buddhist centre or temple or a shrine and take the Bodhisattva vows in the presence of a teacher. Or, if you cannot do so, you can take them at home in front of your sacred shrine. (This is for your own understanding. So, what you are doing is the first one which is very meaningful because if you can have someone who has the understanding to guide you it’s very different. Otherwise, when you take it on your own you may not develop the actual understanding and your faith may not be strong.)

2. One must make strong aspiration to take these Bodhisattva vows with determined faith and understanding, sincerely in front of the Buddha or great Mahā Bodhisattva who had gone forth before you.

[So, today we are going to do it in front of all the Buddha and Bodhisattvas and we shall start by paying respect to them via chanting their ‘Fo Hau’, as follows:

Nā Mó Běn Shī Shì Jiā Móu Ní Fó  (南无本师释迦牟尼佛) x3,

Nā Mó Guān Shì Yīn Pú Sà (南无观世音菩萨) x3,

Nā Mó A Mi To Fó (南无阿弥陀佛) x3,

Nā Mó Mi Le Fó) (南无弥勒佛）x3,

Nā Mó Pu Hsien Pú Sà (南无普贤菩萨）x3,

Nā Mó Fó Pú Sà （南无佛菩萨）x3.

These are the great Buddha and Bodhisattvas that we have to cultivate a lot of affinity with because we need their support to walk this path successfully. Like I always said, we need to seek their nature’s blessing, protection and guidance. And through this sincere affinity we will know how to develop the request for their sincere protection, guidance and blessing. The protection is for our form and mind only and this understanding is very important because when we come to this world we have a physical body and a mind or the consciousness trapped inside it, so combining them, together this is the 5 aggregates of form and mind. This form and mind (the so call segmented life or living being) in this life, is a human being. This form and mind or this human being or living being is very fragile. It can easily be destroyed and when this ‘vehicle’ is gone you cannot cultivate, you cannot perfect yourself and you cannot do what you want to do anymore. So, that’s the reason why you need to seek their protection (from all these great beings’ nature). They are all clearly stated inside this Bodhisattva vows’ notes. Later on we will go through them. Okay?]

3 Making of special aspiration to walk the Bodhisattva way.

This is very important and what we are aspiring here is also very unique, we said, ‘By the power of whatever blessings and wholesomeness that this nature of ‘mine’ had cultivated from the distant past till now, may it arise the causes and conditions for this nature of mine to have the following right Dharma understanding, life after life whenever it choose to come or have to come in the form of a Form and Mind:

1. Right view with regards to (a) the law of karma (karma niyāma); (b) the law of Dependent origination or 12 links (Citta niyāma) and (c) the Four Noble Truths (Dharma niyāma);

2. To understand the 2 aspects of the 5 aggregates of Form and Mind clearly via the direct seeing to realize that they are all condition arising entities, causal phenomena hence impermanent; leading to suffering; not me, non-self and empty. That is, this so called living being (5 aggregates of Form and Mind) is just a karmically conditioned ‘vehicle and tool’ for us to come to this existential world to develop the cultivation and experience all of the beauty and wonders of life. So use it with wisdom to arise the right thoughts, right speeches and right actions to be a blessing to all and not to be deluded by it. To constantly recite with understanding the following dharma profoundly:

Rūpaṃ aniccaṃ, rūpaṃ anattā;

Vedanā aniccaṃ, vedanā anattā;

Saññā aniccaṃ, saññā anattā;

Saṅkhāra aniccaṃ, saṅkhāra anattā;

Viññāṇaṃ aniccaṃ, viññāṇaṃ anattā.

Sabba saṅkhāra aniccaṃ, Sabba saṅkhāra dukkha and Sabba dhamma anattā.

(Note: Form and mind here refers to your karmically conditioned form and mind. This is your this segmented life’s vehicle. Every life you come, you will have that form and mind which is for that segment of your life. Like this segment of my life, my form and mind is ‘this one’ which you all call Bro. Teoh; but this is not me, do you understand? This one is karmically conditioned out - that’s why it’s conditioned arising, depend originating and it is impermanent. It’s never a permanent unchanging entity where I can hold on to, cling on to and say ‘this is me, this is I and therefore all these can be mine’. There is no such thing. That’s why later on in the vows, I had actually incorporated all these understanding for you all. That’s the reason why it’s very important that life after life you must come with this understanding then you will become beautiful. You will not have any more problem; then whether got sāsana or no sāsana you are still beautiful. You can still understand and walk the path of Dharma because this nature of mine had done so and it has gone through long periods of cultivation and perfection. That’s the reason why, this life when I look back, - ‘no wonder it is so wonderful. No wonder this form and mind can understand so many things’. Like I used to tell you all, a lot of my understanding that I had shared with you all - I didn’t learn them this life. Then where did it come from? It must have come from my past cultivation. Also how come the moment I was born into this world I don't have to go through suffering to seek Truth, the Buddha Dharma? When condition arises this form and mind just seek automatically. Then when it starts to seek, it will know how to filter. It will also know how to wait for appropriate causes and condition and the right timing to do thing.

That’s the reason why, I remembered, all of a sudden in 1971, the year when I was in form 5, it started to seek. The following year, the moment I came across the Four Noble Truths, that's it and no more searching or seeking. This nature recognized the truth straight away, no more doubt. No need to search anymore. This is the real one for nobody can do it unless he is the real Samma Sambuddha. Two thousand six hundred over years ago after His enlightenment, no one in this universe can summarize all of His understanding into just Four Noble Truths which is so beautiful, so simple and so concise. This nature must had contemplated for very long period of time (maybe for countless eons and eons of lives) - that’s why it is possible to have this understanding the moment it sees this type of truth. It knew straight away. Nobody in this universe can actually summarize all of His understanding in this way. This nature even tell itself, even if I had developed that type of enlightenment, if without the Buddha’s teaching or the Sāsana, I still cannot summarize it into just Four Noble Truths and share it with the world. That’s why whoever He is; He has to be the real one. This nature recognizes it straight away because of all those vows that this nature had cultivated.

This is a very auspicious and rare occasions where you can encounter and develop all these understanding. That’s the reason why you all must have the faith and very strong resolve to make sure these understanding goes with you all life after life.

Okay, now I’ll go through it quickly so that we can take the vow after this.

First one is to have:

1) Right view with regards to (a) the law of karma (Karma niyāma); (b) the law of Dependent origination or 12 links, the paṭicca samuppāda which is part of (Citta niyāma) and (c) right view with regards to the Four Noble Truths as taught by the Buddha (Dharma niyāma); and the Four Noble Truth are like the secret of life. All of life, mundane and supra mundane, they are all summarized That’s the reason why I said, ‘nobody in this universe can do it unless He’s the real one, the Samma Sambuddha.’

Then the next part is;

2) To understand the 2 aspects of the 5 aggregates of Form and Mind clearly via the direct seeing to realize that they are all condition arising entities and casual phenomena hence they are all Impermanent, leading to suffering, not me, non-self and empty. That is, this so called living being, the 5 aggregates of form and mind, is just a karmically conditioned ‘vehicle and tool’ for us to come to this existential world to develop the cultivation and experience all of the beauty and wonders of life. So use it with wisdom to arise the right thoughts, right speeches and right actions to be a blessing to all and not to be deluded by it.

To constantly recite with understanding the following profound essential dharma:

Rūpaṃ aniccaṃ, rūpaṃ anattā; ……. Etc. All these we will chant later to develop the understanding that all the 5 aggregates of form and mind, - rūpa, vedanā, saññā, saṅkhāra and viññāṇa, they are all impermanent; non self and empty. In pāḷi it is: ‘sabba saṅkhāra anicca, sabba saṅkhāra dukkha and sabba dharma anattā.’

When you have cultivated and developed the deep penetrative understanding then every of this chanting will be so meaningful and so penetrating. You have to develop the cultivation until that level then only you can carry it with you life after life. That’s the reason why I always tell you all, this life presents the best ‘window’ of opportunity because the Buddha Sāsana is still here and you can develop a lot of wholesomeness, a lot of pāramī and a lot of virtue from it. When you have a lot of merits, virtue and pāramī, you can invoke the power of merits for causes and conditions for these understanding to arise. That’s the reason why these vows are very important and very powerful.

Okay, now you can turn to the next page.

3) Having developed the above right view this nature of ‘mine’ vow to always keep the following 3 sets of pure precepts following the advice of all Samma Sambuddha:

(Note: These 3 sets of pure precepts are very important. They are basically the advice of all Buddha but the 3rd advice is presented in a slightly modified way.)

The first set of pure precept is you undertake the training rule;

a) To avoid all evil and to understand clearly what constitute evil (that is the 3 evil roots of Greed, Hatred and Delusion are the roots of all evil);

(Note: That’s the reason why you have to reflect and contemplate on them until you understand them clearly otherwise you cannot cultivate. How to avoid evil when you don't even know what constitute evil? That’s why the teaching is such. You have to understand what constitute evil. Don't just mumble or verbalize, “Greed, Hatred and Delusion” when you don't understand them. That’s why you have to reflect, contemplate and go deep into it and look into life because there are a lot of subtle greed, subtle delusion that comes through the back door via the mundane mind to deceive you.)

Then the 2nd set of pure precept is you undertake the training rule:

b) To cultivate all virtues and blessings leading to the perfection of them all;

The last or 3rd one is you undertake the training rule:

c) To cultivate all wisdom to help liberate and take across all sentient beings.

So, the modified part is the 2nd part which is to liberate all sentient beings because the Buddha’s advice is just – ‘to avoid all evil, do good and purify the mind.’ You have to cultivate wisdom first but you do it because of the vow to help liberate and take across all sentient beings. That will drive you on to walk the Bodhisattva way via taking those vows. Then for the actual taking of the 4 basic vows of the Bodhisattva, I have phrased it for you in a very nicely arranged way. This one maybe afterwards we will go through it.

The first part which is just to plant the seed of Bodhi via reciting:

‘This nature of mine further vows with utmost sincerity, etc….. - that’s why you have to be very sincere and have very strong faith and perseverance to walk to perfection this Bodhisattva way via taking the following initial 4 basic vows of a Bodhisattva.

These 4 basic vows, I have modified them for you. I use this ‘nature of mine’ and didn’t use ‘I’ and ‘me’. Do you know why? This nature of ‘yours’ or ‘mine’ means all of the form and mind, form and mind, etc ….. - The summation of them all, developing into this nature of mine. That’s how you can have your karmic nature and your spiritual nature.

So we use;

This nature of mine further vow with utmost sincerity, faith and perseverance to walk to perfection this Bodhisattva way via taking the following initial 4 basic vows of a Bodhisattva:

(Note: These are the 4 initial basis vows then later on when you had become more skilful you can expand on it. That’s how Pu Hsien Bodhisattva finally got the 10 great vows and Amitabha Buddha got his 48 great vows. Then all the various Bodhisattvas they have their own additional and miscellaneous vows too. They are actually beyond the 4 basic vows because after perfecting themselves they have their own unique way to add on those other vows.)

The initial 4 basic vows are:

1. This nature of mine vows to liberate the countless living beings from samsara and take them all across to the other shore; (Meaning you cultivate great compassion and loving kindness to liberate living beings.)

2. This nature of mine vows to endure and severe all vexation and suffering; (So that your mind can be free from suffering, under all circumstances.)

3. This nature of mine vows to cultivate and penetrate all dharma to realize the perfection of all wisdom;

4. This nature of mine vows to perfect the 10 pāramitās (or perfection) to realize the unsurpassed Samma Sambuddha hood.

Then we have the additional vows. Okay, we will not go through the additional vows. These additional vows afterwards (when we take the vows) we will go through them. Now you turn to the second page, which is page 1. We will commence the official taking of the Bodhisattva vows now. We will start from number 1 and we will follow the first option.

1.  As is traditional, you may seek out a Buddhist centre, which is a way place or temple or a shrine and take the Bodhisattva vows in the presence of a teacher. Now we are doing it together, you can recite after me. Before we start, we will make prostration to all the Buddha and Bodhisattvas.

Compose your mind; develop the saddhā and the vīriya then, we shall pay our respect mindfully and we will recite the following:

Na Mo Ben Shi Shi Jia Mou Ni Fo - (3x)

Na Mo Guan Shi Yin Pu Sa - (3x)

Na Mo Fo Pu Sa - (3x)

Okay, after this we shall develop the strong aspiration to take this Bodhisattva vows with determined faith and understanding sincerely in front of all the Buddha and great (Mahā) Bodhisattvas who have gone forth before us. Then we will commence from where we stop which is no 3.

Making of special aspiration to walk the Bodhisattva way.

(This is to prepare ourselves before the actual vow. We’ll recite together.)

Making of Special Aspiration:

‘By the power of whatever blessings and wholesomeness that this nature of ‘mine’ had cultivated from the distant past till now, may it arise the causes and conditions for this nature of mine to have the following right Dharma understanding life after life whenever it chooses to come or have to come in the form of a Form and Mind.’

Recite after me, ‘we must have:

1) Right view with regards to (a) the law of karma (Karma niyāma); (b) the law of Dependent origination or 12 Links (Citta niyāma) and (c) the Four Noble Truths (Dharma niyāma); (These 3 right views are very important.)

2) To understand the 2 aspects of the 5 Aggregates of Form and Mind clearly via the direct seeing to realize that they are all conditioned arising entities, causal phenomena hence impermanent; leading to suffering; not me, non-self and empty. That is this so called living being (5 aggregates of Form and Mind) is just a karmically conditioned ‘vehicle and tool’ for us to come to this existential world to develop the cultivation and to experience all of the beauty and wonders of life, so use it with wisdom to arise the right thought, right speech and right action, to be a blessing to all and not to be deluded by it and to constantly recite with understanding the following profound dharma:

Okay, we’ll recite together;

Rūpaṃ aniccaṃ, rūpaṃ anattā; Vedanā anicca, vedanā anattā;

Saññā anicca, saññā anattā; Saṅkhāra aniccaṃ, saṅkhāra anattā;

Viññāṇaṃ aniccaṃ, viññāṇaṃ anattā;

Sabbe saṅkhāra aniccaṃ, Sabbe saṅkhāra dukkha, Sabbe dhamma anattā.’

Turn to the next page and we will recite together;

3) Having developed the above right views this nature of ‘mine’ further vow to always keep the following 3 sets of pure precepts via following the advice of all Samma Sambuddha :

a) To avoid all evil and to understand clearly what constitute evil (the 3 evil roots of Greed, Hatred and Delusion are roots of all evil)

b) To cultivate all virtues and blessings leading to the perfection of them all;

c) To cultivate wisdom to help liberate and take across all sentient beings.

We will now commence the actual taking of the Bodhisattva vows. Compose your mind, and then we will start by taking the 4 basic vows of a Bodhisattva. I will read the first paragraph to strengthen your faith.

‘Just as all the previous Sugatas, the Buddha generated the Bodhi mind of enlightenment and accomplished all the stages of the Bodhisattva training. So too will this nature of ‘mine’, for the sake of all beings, generate the Bodhi mind of enlightenment and accomplish all the stages of the Bodhisattva training so that the seed of ‘Bodhi’ can be strongly planted within our nature.’

Okay, we all can read together the vows now:

‘Just as all the previous Sugatas, the Buddhas generated the Bodhi mind of enlightenment and accomplished all the stages of the Bodhisattva training. So too will this nature of ‘mine’, for the sake of all beings, generate the Bodhi mind of enlightenment and accomplish all the stages of the Bodhisattva training so that the seed of ‘Bodhi’ can be strongly planted within our nature.’

Now, we will commence the taking of the 4 basic vows and you all repeat after me;

‘This nature of mine further vow with utmost sincerity, faith and perseverance to walk to perfection this Bodhisattva way via taking the following initial 4 basic vows of a Bodhisattva:

1. This nature of mine vows to liberate the countless living beings from samsara and take them all across to the other shore;

2. This nature of mine vows to endure and severe all vexation/suffering;

3. This nature of mine vows to cultivate and penetrate all dharmas to realize the perfection of all wisdom;

4. This nature of mine vows to perfect the 10 pāramitās (or perfection) to realize the unsurpassed Samma Sambuddhahood.’

Okay, from 4.2 onwards these are the additional vows needed to break all karmic obstructions to bring about the way. These are very important additional vows which I had shared with you all before but now I have put them in words so it’s easier for you all to understand. Now we will determine strongly and recite these vows together.

4.2 Additional vows to break all karmic obstructions to bring about the way

Okay, we will recite them together:

1. If by action, speech or thought, whether knowingly or unknowingly via ignorant, delusion and heedlessness, this nature of ‘mine’ had offended or done anything wrong unto the Triple Gem (Buddha, Dharma and Sangha) this nature of ‘mine’ would like to sincerely vow to ask for (Note: This first vow is very important; ask for forgiveness from Triple Gem because if this karmic offence is there it is very difficult for the living being to actually break it. But the moment you ask for forgiveness from the Triple Gem, it will be like resolve immediately because all enlighten beings, they would have forgiven all those beings who have whether knowingly or unknowingly caused any offence or karmic negativity towards them.)

2. Whomsoever from the distant past until now, whether knowingly or unknowingly that this nature of ‘mine’ had cause any karmic negativity, misery, suffering, or mislead, this nature of ‘mine’ would like to sincerely ask for forgiveness from them all. May my sincere request for forgiveness be accepted by all so that all these karmic obstructions can be amicably resolve, or lessen, thereby enabling this nature of ‘mine’ to continue with its cultivation to realize the true dharma with ease.

3. This nature of ’mine’ also vow to repent and from now onwards vow never to repeat any of these karmic negativities (borne of Greed, Hatred and Delusion) by following the advice of the Buddha to avoid all evil, do good and purify my mind via striving on with heedfulness to keep the 5 precepts and cultivate the Buddha dharma diligently so that it will never violate this law of karma again whenever it arise.

4. By the power of whatever wholesomeness or merits that this nature of ‘mine’ had cultivated since the distant past until now may it arise the causes and conditions for this nature of ‘mine’ to have the ability to overcome all other karmic obstructions or obstacles amicably so that this nature of ‘mine’ will be able to gain back its life, to walk the path of dharma life after life to fulfill and realize all its Bodhisattva vows.

4.3 Additional miscellaneous vows to enhance the cultivation

We shall chant together. This nature of ‘mine’ vows:

1. To be successful in fulfilling all my above vows soonest possible;

2. To cultivate strong affinity with all Buddha and Bodhisattvas and to request their nature’s blessing, protection and guidance always;

3. To strengthen my 5 spiritual faculties of Saddhā, Vīriya, Sati, Samādhi & Panna until they become balas or powers, life after life so that all the above vows can be successfully fulfilled with ease;

4. To cultivate extensively all virtues, blessings and merits to help support my cultivation so that they will shine forth to aid this nature of ‘mine’ when needed in time of trials, difficulties and tribulations while walking the Bodhisattva way.

Okay, now we will do the closing puja. Let us rejoice first. Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!

You can be seated. Good, now it’s about 9:40pm only so we still got 20 minutes. Just to elaborate a little bit more on the additional and miscellaneous vows needed to enhance your cultivation.

Take for example the first vow on, ‘this nature of ‘mine’ vow to be successful in fulfilling all my above vows soonest possible’. If you vow that way, it will bring about causes and conditions for you to fulfil them.

Then after that, the second vow is also very important - like I had always advice you all. You have to cultivate strong affinity with all Buddha and Bodhisattvas and to request their nature’s blessings, protection and guidance. You know what are blessings, isn’t it? When you come they will bless you because of your affinity with them and your request. It is just like the monks - after you make offering or perform whatever wholesomeness towards them they will chant for your protection, your blessing, etc. Sometimes, they will deliver a Dharma talk. That’s why their blessing, protection, and guidance are very useful. Guidance is via the dharma talk or the dharma sharing or their nature will guide you on how to walk the way, how to fulfil your vows and how to bring about understanding of all those things. So, this one is very important because this nature of mine came to realize that this is very important and very powerful. If you don't have all these, the Buddha and Bodhisattvas affinities, etc it’s very difficult to walk this path because this form and mind can be destroyed easily and without their protection and blessings it’s very difficult to sustain it to walk the path successfully. Then of course their guidance too, so that you won’t deviate, so that you won’t make mistake, so that you will not waste time.

Then the third additional vow - of course we all know, is ‘to strengthen our 5 spiritual faculties of saddhā, vīriya, sati, samādhi and panna until they become balas or powers’. The moment you have them as powers, technically your meditation is automatic. You will be mindful the moment you sit and aware throughout the day, in the midst of life while doing your worldly duties or fulfilling your worldly chores for Life itself is the meditation. Then you can have the ability to be mindful and heedful throughout the day. That’s why after that your daily mindfulness is like automatic. That’s the reason why these spiritual faculties are very important and powerful. The moment these spiritual faculties have been perfected until they become balas or powers (unshakeable) the mental hindrances will cease to be. That’s why it’s very easy to cultivate after that. Then when you vow to have these spiritual faculties strengthened until they become balas (life after life) then all the above vows can be successfully fulfilled with ease. With the spiritual faculties all these vows becomes no more problem and very easy to fulfil.

Then the fourth one is also very important, - ‘to cultivate extensively all virtues, blessings and merits to help support our cultivation so that they will shine forth to aid this nature of ‘mine’ when needed in time of trials, difficulties and tribulations while walking the Bodhisattva way’. Do you know why? Why must we cultivate all virtue, blessings and merits extensively? Because you need to develop the perfection, right? You have to go all out then this merit when you know how to use them through the perfection of Adhiṭṭhāna or what they call determination or affirmation; it can bring forth the causes and conditions for a lot of things to happen and to be fulfilled. When you have problems and difficulties like sickness or whatever, or sometimes you have to overcome like certain karmic obstructions that are very severe you can invoke the power of merits to overcome them. That’s why we always ask for forgiveness, and then seek repentance. Then after that, vow not to repeat all these because we know it’s wrong, so that it will express our sincerity.

Then the third additional vow is ‘we vow to follow the advice of the Buddha, to avoid all evil, cultivate wholesomeness then develop wisdom.’ Then through this cultivation via following the advice of the Buddha we develop merits. That’s how we can cultivate extensively all virtue, blessings and merits, so that we can invoke the power of these merits like the vow earlier on; ‘by the power of whatever wholesomeness merits, blessings and wisdom that this nature of ours has cultivated since the distance past until now, may it arise the causes and conditions for whatever you want to do or whatever that is allowable by the law of nature to arise or take effect. So, sometimes when you met up with certain type of very severe karmic obstruction or negativity or whatever, then when you invoke the power of merits sincerely for causes and conditions, if there is any slightest causes and conditions from the distance past, it will connect through, then it can actually bring about the condition for it to be resolved or dissolved then sometimes it’s like a miracle has taken place. People call it miracle but it’s not really miracle because it’s just power of merits, power of faith, power of truth, power of determination. The Buddha knows how to use all these because of his perfection of Adhiṭṭhāna. Like in the Jayamangala Sutta, the sutta on blessings; the Buddha always invokes the power of truth and he always chant, ‘by the power of all these truth may joyous victory be ours. So, all these are the various skilful means that one can make use of.

The 10 perfection leading to Buddha hood are as stated in the notes too, and you need to understand them all. First one is generosity or dana pāramī, then sīla. These dana and sīla pāramīs, we have already covered and done a lot during our earlier sharing of the cultivation stages. The 3 types of giving/gifts are: giving of materialistic wealth, then the gift of life or the gift of fearlessness, then of course the last one is the gift of truth. Then when you have the heedfulness and mindfulness to avoid all evil by nature you will be good and your sīla or morality will be automatically taken care off. Your sīla pāramī will be perfected. So, sīla is very useful - when you can avoid all evil you have sīla. This is what you do because life after life you will renew your precepts and you will keep to this precepts so that you are incapable of negativity, so that you cannot violate all these then you can start to prefect them. Then after that the third one is renunciation or nekkhamma. As you cultivate the perfection of no mark you can renounce many things; materialistic wealth, your own body, your other possessions, your reputation or whatever. You will not cling, you will not hold. Then this renunciation pāramī is very powerful. When you can renounce the world it means you have wisdom, you have panna. You can see their unreality and their impermanence universal characteristics leading to suffering. That’s how you can renounce them all. It’s like they don't really belong to you because you know you don't exist. Hey no you, hey no me. How can there be a self? How can there be a living being? How can the aggregates of form and mind; rūpa, vedanā, saññā, saṅkhāra and viññāṇa be what you are? As you reflect, contemplate and cultivate you will understand all these. The power of renunciation can be cultivated to manifest in 3 levels. First level is kaya viveka – which is physical renunciation of all physical things and possessions. Then we have citta viveka which is mental seclusion or renunciation. The mind goes into peaceful abiding and secludes itself. Then of course lastly we have upadi viveka which is renunciation with wisdom with regards to all your other attachments.

Also the perfection of wisdom is our 3rd basic vow, where you vow, ‘this nature of mine vows to cultivate and penetrate all dharma to realize the perfection of all wisdom.’ So, when you vow that way, life after life when you come you will cultivate and penetrate all dharma and you will perfect them all. Then you will reach the understanding as taught in the Diamond Sutra – the teaching of no mark. All these cultivation can be very easy to perfect when you understand.

Then the next perfection is vīriya (spiritual zeal or tenacity to go this way) which can arise because of your saddhā or your faith in the Buddha and his teaching developed via clear understanding of who is the Buddha is and how special and unique his teaching is. This viriya or resolve will drives you to take the Bodhisattva vows with understanding and this will make you very determined to go this way because you see the importance of such cultivation and your faith which is very strong will cause your vīriya to arise.

Then the next perfection is khanti which is patience; patience borne of wisdom that enables one to endure all suffering and vexations. It’s not suppression or control. You will have a lot of patience. That’s why equanimity is the final outcome of the cultivation of patience. You develop equanimity and it comes about because of your wisdom that’s why it has patience towards all things. You can accord and flow. It’s not deluded by anything else, the phenomena world of consciousness and all other things within the conditioned world.

The next perfection is truthfulness or sacca. You will develop it too because you will come to understand that it’s not worthwhile to lie. No more meaning. Then after you had perfected this perfection, you can use it to invoke the power of truth. The Buddha actually invokes the power of truth in many of his sutta. We use to chant them, ‘Etena sacca vajjena, etc’ and I have it here on Page 13 of our puja book: ‘Etena sacca vajjena, Hotu te jaya mangalaṃ,’ its meaning is ‘by the firm determination of this truth, May peaceful victory be yours’. Long time didn't chant already because we seldom chant this Karaṇīya Metta Sutta unless we’re at the retreat when the non-human requested for it to be chanted, then we will get our Sister Eng Bee to help us chant it because she is very good at pāḷi chanting.

These power of truth recitation are stated on the last paragraph of page 13 and the first part is, ‘Etena sacca vajjena, Sotthī te hotu sabbadā’ - meaning by the firm affirmation of this truth may you ever be well. Then the next one is ‘Etena sacca vajjena, Sabba rogo vinassatu’, meaning ‘by the firm affirmation of this truth, may all illnesses be destroyed’. You always hear this, right? ‘By the firm affirmation of this truth, may all illness be destroyed. Then the last one is by the firm affirmation of this truth, may peaceful victory be yours. See, the victory must come peacefully. So these are all very useful and very powerful understanding. Then as you cultivate the 2nd basic vow, - ‘this nature of mine vows to endure and severe all vexation/suffering’; this one is the cultivation of renunciation and also patience endurance because you can endure and severe all suffering and vexation with understanding so this one is very powerful. Then love and compassion is via the 1st basic vow.

Then the next one is the no.8 perfection which is determination or resolution meaning adhiṭṭhāna in pāḷi. This perfection of adhiṭṭhāna, aspiration or determination or resolve, if you can perfect this perfection it can help you a lot in your cultivation because this nature of mine has more or less perfected this one and that’s the reason why it knows how to use it via invoking the power of merits and truth, etc to arise the causes and conditions following nature’s law to help realize our other pure wishes/things. And all these I never learnt them this life and nobody taught me yet my nature knows how to use it.

Then the 9th perfection is loving kindness (mettā). For you to cultivate the 1st basic vow to liberate all beings you must have love and compassion because you vow to take across all living beings. Then of course the last perfection is equanimity which is born of the perfection of wisdom. Then you will have this ability to have the equanimous mind. These 10 perfections they are all related and linked to your cultivation.

Okay, we have completed the taking of the vows and the explanation. So do you all have any question? Anybody got any question? Ah Yes, pass the microphone to Sis. Yoon Chun. For the recording otherwise they cannot hear you. Thanks Sis. Yoon Chun.

Sis. Yoon Chun: “Bro Teoh you saluted Na Mo Fo Pusa. Who is Na Mo Fo Pusa?”

Bro. Teoh: Oh No! – Na Mo Fo Pusa means homage to all the Buddha and Bodhisattvas. Fo Pusa is not another Pusa. When you are not mandarin educated you may have this problem but it’s okay. It’s indeed a good question because other kalyāṇamittas may also not understand. So, luckily you asked. In the Buddhist teaching or the Buddhist language, especially mandarin, ‘Fo’ is Buddha and ‘Pusa’ is Bodhisattva so when they chant ‘Fo Pusa’ it means they are referring to all Buddha and Bodhisattvas. When we say ‘Na Mo’ it means homage to thee, all Buddha and Bodhisattvas because we want to create as wide an affinity as possible. Then, do you know how to cultivate affinity with all the great beings, all Buddha and Bodhisattvas? Can you all tell me how? Yes, one way is to chant their ‘Fo Hau’ or Buddha’s name. Then develop your vows to match with theirs (in mandarin it is pronounce as ‘siang-yin’ meaning your vows match with their vows - that’s how you can have the affinity.)

Then the other way is learn how to recognize virtuous people. Otherwise, you may have a situation because some Bodhisattva like Mañjusrī, they like to come in a beggar form. So, if you spike them and look down upon them then that can be big trouble for you. Which means when Fo Pusa is in front of you also you don't know. Ah yes, pass the microphone to Hui Ling’s brother. “Brother Teoh, sorry, what the difference between a Bodhisattva and a Fo?”

Bro. Teoh: Very good question, - what is the difference between a Bodhisattva and a Buddha? A Bodhisattva is still cultivating the Buddhahood way. They are still walking the Bodhisattva way to become Samma Sambuddha. The Samma Sambuddha is the Bodhisattva that had perfected all the 10 perfections; fulfil all their vows then he becomes a sammā Sambuddha. Those who are walking the path they are still Bodhisattvas but all these great Bodhisattvas which they call Mahasattvas, like Guan Yin Bodhisattva, Pu Hsien, Wen Shu and Ti Chang Wang Pusa, etc they are very advanced Mahā Bodhisattvas. They actually can become Buddha but they withhold their Buddhahood and choose to come back as Bodhisattva to continue to save the world and to do all these work because they purposely take the vow to obstruct their Buddhahood. Like the earth store Bodhisattva, do you know, one of the vows that he had is: ‘not until he had help empty the hell of hell beings he vow not to realize the sammā sambuddhahood’. If you put in such a vow then how are you going to fulfil it? How can the hell be empty of hell beings? Definitely there are world systems that still have hell beings but then do you think they are not that smart to know that? They purposely put in such vow so that they can stay in the world with their nature to continue this work because they have perfected themselves and they know what these things are. To them there is no difference. It’s just like the Dato’, Tun and Tan Sri titles. Do you want the title? You are already what you are and these titles are given by people. If you know you already have the quality, the understanding and the perfection why do you still worry about the titles? So some of these Bodhisattvas they understand and choose to stay in the world for very long period of time, just like Guan Yin Bodhisattva; he’s very compassionate and he vows to continuously help and liberate living beings. There are a lot of other Bodhisattvas with different understanding, doing this. I hope I had answered your question.

The other thing about affinity is, I said you must learn how to recognize virtuous living beings or cultivators of the way. Don't spike all the poor people or the beggars. You have to observe them, do you understand? Sometimes they appear as simple beings hence the reason why I always teach you all to understand causes and conditions. All cultivators, as you progress you will understand this very well. Just like what the Buddha said, “Whatever that arise there are causes and conditions behind their arising. Nothing is by chance. Nothing is by accident.” So there are a lot of things one need to understand; from nature the signs will come and my nature will understand because I have the capability to observe these signs and I can feel them then I will know for sure why certain things cannot be like that. There must be something behind. That’s how I will know. Then because of that I will just go and attend to these people, talk to them and then help them or do whatever that is appropriate and you will know but you will not be like the worldly people.

The worldly people, do you know what they normally do? They have selfish intention and motive behind. ‘Wah, that guy is rich – so they want to rub shoulder with him, they want to go near him’. Do you understand? The simple one or less well dress one they don’t give attention - they totally don't even want to see them. But actually the gem is there, in the simple one and they may be the real one. The well dressed up one they may not be the real one. Most of them are not the real one. They don't have the sincerity. That’s why when you talk to people you will know. Sometimes they are very simple people, like they don't wear anything expensive, just like when you observe me I don't even wear a watch. I don't have all the expensive and branded clothing and things because my nature is like that. But please don't think that there are no great beings who like to wear all those branded things. There are also great beings who like all those things. You will never know. That’s why you cannot perceive people with negativity. You must have the wisdom to feel them; to understand the causes and conditions behind then you’ll know why this cannot be the case. Like my last guide, actually (at that time) I don't need to meet up with anybody else because I already had the understanding and the wisdom. I don't need any teacher or any guide but then the signs keep on coming then I knew - even though I don't know who he is but my nature knew that I have to see him, that’s it. That’s the reason why I went and meet up with him after the signs keep on arising on 6 occasions. Then the moment I met him, I understand that it is meant to be, because of my special vow.

He is just a lay person, very simple. And he is not even a Buddhist. He can talk to you on everything, - Christianity or whatever and he don't even have any proper structured dharma but his energy is very good and unique. According to him, he is from a different world system, dimension and civilization that have perfected the pure energy understanding and that is the reason why they are very advance in the field of consciousness and pure energy. And the reason why I need to see him is because of my vow. I got one very peculiar vow which has been with my nature for very long. Ah, this is one of the additional vows that this nature makes. That’s why this nature breaks away from traditional vow. It never vow, just to meet with Samma Sambuddha only because that vow is part and parcel of the cultivation but it doesn't restrict itself to Buddhism only, do you understand? That’s why it vow, ‘whenever this nature arise it vow to have the causes and condition to develop the highest wisdom realizable during that era, irrespective of sectarian.’

That’s the reason why I can understand J. Krishnamurthy, Eckhart Tolle and all those others teaching because I never restrict or - this nature of mine never restrict or limits its understanding to only Dharma or Buddhism. Wherever there is truth that can bring about understanding and wisdom, it vows to realize the highest wisdom at any one time when this nature arises. That’s the reason why I have to meet up with my last teacher/guide. Then he explained to me and shows me where the ‘gateway’ to my nature is. He just asks me, “Do you trust me?” I said, “Yes, I trust him”. He then said, “Ok, now sit down.” Then, his hand was about two inches away from my heart area in front of the ‘gateway’; he just say, “Relax and silent, or just aware”. I had already cultivated these first two supports for meditation. Even the third support, 24 hour, I already can do that. That’s why immediately after he put his hand there (about 1 or 2 inches towards the left of my heart) within a few seconds my nature straightway detected the ‘gateway’ then after that it just silent itself completely and become so still that all of my ‘ying’ and ‘yang’ energies just melt inside there, then the pure energy went in and I was so still (completely without thought) the whole of that night. Then when I came out of it, there were total and complete stillness - no thought, nothing and just like that. That perfect nature was so beautiful and amazing. And because of that it cut short my cultivation for at least 10 to 15 years.

This nature knew, if I were to locate it on my own, it will take me at least 10 to 15 years to locate it and because of that you all are very lucky. That’s why you all can meet me so early, otherwise this nature may not come out so early but I don't know why? It is like very funny you know, because after this nature had the understanding since 1989 it also didn't do anything for 15 years until 2004 when Yoon Chun have the conditions to meet up with me and asked me to come out to share my understanding. Maybe it’s meant to be; if I have not met him 15 years ago I would have located it myself also. Then also maybe at the same time come out and share. That’s why it is very strange. Then like Hui Neng’s case, after he left the 5th Patriarch he had all the understanding already isn't it? But he was with the hunters for 16 years, remember? The reason being - he has to wait for causes and conditions and the timing. All those that have affinity with his nature haven't come yet hence condition not there as yet. If this nature comes out too early a lot of you may not meet me. If it comes out too late a lot of you may also miss, but the timing is such it has to be that way. That’s why things are just the way it is, meant to be will be! Okay?

So, affinity can be cultivated in many ways but you must develop wisdom, understanding of cause and effect and you must learn how to see signs then accord and flow. That’s why when this nature has this understanding whatever it does is not rigid. That’s why I always said whenever there’s rigidity there’s no Buddha Dharma. That’s the reason why even when I go on spiritual trip we may have in our programme agreed on certain things but when the condition changes I will make different decision. Sometimes nature’s forces are fighting up there, the dark force and the virtuous one, they are actually having constant war up there because each is trying to out beat the other but when you have this understanding and when you just accord and flow (because you understand no mark) then they will find it very difficult to predict your behaviour. Of course you can predict what I like to eat, I always order those few things but you’ll be surprise sometimes when the conditions are not there then I won’t order them because I don't need them, do you understand? Then we’ll order some other things. Then sometimes we’re supposed to go to that restaurant but because of certain conditions, we will not go there, just like what happen during so many of our spiritual trips. We make decisions in between. Sometimes we just cancel it because no need to go. Then we straight away go to Wutai Shan. That’s what happened during that spiritual trip at that time. The condition will arise and show it to you. So when you encounter all these great beings, the Bodhisattvas, the Buddha, you will have to have this understanding to really have affinity with them then you will know how to make contact. Then you will know how to develop the fellowship, friendship and other related things.

Just like this life if you have the conditions and the understanding then this type of affinity with this nature of mine will be very strong. That could be the reason why, in the past some of you could have had this affinity with my nature before but as I always said, everyone comes differently. Most of you come through your affinity with Guan Yin Bodhisattva’s nature. I realized that those who have affinity with Guan Yin Bodhisattva, will also have affinity with this nature of mine too; because Guan Yin’s nature will know where to send people to and all those other conditions like our affinity with Anandagiri Hermitage is the same. It is because of Guan Yin’s nature. That’s how we get to do the consecration of the 3 great being’s platform. Remember, first it is to consecrate Maitreya Bodhisattva? Then after that Guan Yin Bodhisattva and finally the last one is Sākyamuni’s rūpa.

For a Theravada monk, like Ajahn Achalo to suggest in a Theravada way place, to have a Maitreya Bodhisattva’s rūpa, is already very weird. Then after that when he decided to add in a Guan Yin Bodhisattva’s rūpa, it has become even weirder. Then he came to realize that since the way place is in Thailand, a Theravada way place so how can there be no Sākyamuni Buddha’s rūpa? So finally he decided to put in the Sākyamuni Buddha’s rūpa in the middle. That’s how we got to consecrate the 3 great beings platform and I knew why all 3 have to be there – it is because this is the sāsana of Sākyamuni Buddha supported by Guan Yin Bodhisattva and Maitreya Bodhisattva. That’s how we get to do the consecration for these 3 great beings platform. Then we also get to sponsor the images and all those other things and now to do the extension of the platform, also we (all kalyāṇamittas) get to do it. How can we have such favourable conditions? All these come about because of our pāramī, conditions and our affinity with all these 3 great beings and it’s mainly because of our affinity with Guan Yin Bodhisattva and of course also with Maitreya and Sākyamuni.

In this life two of these 3 great beings’ nature came to me. Guan Yin’s nature came first, in 1986 with the Triple Gems and the message - to move fast. He said, ‘Not much time left, you have to move fast.’ Then after that in 2008, Maitreya Bodhisattva came and makes that special request. He said (in mandarin), ‘Qing Ni Ba Zhen Fa Chuan Xia Qu’ (meaning please help transmit the True Dharma).’ This message was repeated five times in golden words coming out of Mitreya’s animated lively face, flowing out in beautifully written calligraphic golden words form with his rather unique laughter of Ha! Ha! Ha! …., (so loud) in the background. That whole statue was animated into a life being with very beautiful golden yellow colour. All these you cannot explain how it can happen because when it comes it just comes.

Okay, I was reminded by my wife to stop at 10.00 pm. Now it is 10.10pm already so shall we end; so that we can have our fellowship? Anyway, this nature of mine really rejoices with all your wholesomeness, affinity and great conditions. You look at Sister Alicia despite her sickly condition she is still here. But don't worry; all these will come to past and she will recover. Okay, now we will do the closing puja: sharing of merits, transfer of merits, then we make our aspiration and we End.

Table of Contents

CULTIVATING THE BODHISATTVA WAY

Biodata of Bro. Teoh Kian Koon

Preface

Acknowledgement

A. Introduction to the Bodhisattva Way (1st sharing)

A.1 Briefing

A.2 Introduction to the causes and conditions for this Sharing

A.3 Sutta of Innumerable Meanings (无量义経 ) - Chapter 1 on Virtues.

B. Walking the Bodhisattva way and the taking of the Vows (2nd sharing)

B.1 Introduction / Briefing during pre-class

B.2 Puja

B.3 Puja Chanting

B.4 Invocation to the Devas and Deities

B.5 Meditation

B.6 Cultivating / Walking the Bodhisattva Way

C. Bodhisattva Way Special Puja dated 26 April 2016 (3rd sharing)

C.1 Introduction

C.2 Puja Chanting

C.3 Invocation To The Devas

C.4 Briefing prior to taking of the Bodhisattva vows

C.5 Cultivating the Bodhisattva Way

C.6 Taking Of Bodhisattva Vows

4. Actual taking of the Bodhisattva vows

4.1 Taking of the four basic vows of a Bodhisattva

4.2 Additional vows to break all karmic obstructions to bring about the way

4.3 Additional miscellaneous vows to enhance the cultivation

C.7 Miscellaneous announcement

C.8 Sharing of merits

D. Walking the Bodhisattva way and the taking of the Vows (4th sharing)

D.1 Introduction (Initial Briefing)

D.2 Special Puja Offerings & Chanting

D.3 Taking of the Bodhisattva vows

Taking of the Bodhisattva vows:

3 Making of special aspiration to walk the Bodhisattva way.

4.2 Additional vows to break all karmic obstructions to bring about the way

4.3 Additional miscellaneous vows to enhance the cultivation