Month: June 2022

Mount Wutai – World Heritage Site & Sacred Buddhist Mountain

linda chang1 Comment

Mount Wutai – World Heritage Site & Sacred Buddhist Mountain

Mount Wutai or Wutaishan is one of the five Buddhist holy lands in the world and the four famous Buddhist Mountains in China. For super charming view and rich culture of Buddhism, Mount Wutai was listed as the World Heritage Site in 2009 and becomes the National AAAAA Tourist Attraction. With an altitude of 3061.1 m, Mount Wutai is called the “ridge of Shanxi”.

Mount Wutai is located in the northeast of Wutai County in Shanxi Province. Since the mountain has five terraces or said peaks, so it got the name of Wutai Shan, literally meaning Five Terraces Mountain. Visitors can admire this world only Bodhimanda of both Chinese and Tibetan Buddhism to feel the rich harmoniously mixed religious atmosphere. Moreover, the amazingly gorgeous scenery in Mount Wutai will completely satisfied the tourists.

As host to over 53 sacred monasteries, Mount Wutai is home to many of China’s most important monasteries and temples. Mount Wutai is one of the Four Sacred Mountains in Chinese Buddhism. Each of the mountains is viewed as the bodhimaṇḍa of one of the four great bodhisattvas. Wǔtái is the home of the Bodhisattva of wisdom, Mañjuśrī. Manjushri  has been associated with Mount Wutai since ancient times. 

Wutai was the first of the mountains to be identified and is often referred to as “first among the four great mountains”. Therefore, it is also known as “Golden WuTai “. It was identified on the basis of a passage in the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, which describes the abodes of many bodhisattvas. In this chapter, Manjushri  is said to reside on a “clear cold mountain” in the northeast. This served as charter for the mountain’s identity and the inspiration for its nickname “Clear Cool Mountain”. Its annual average temperature is around -4℃ with high-moisture air.

The bodhisattva is believed to frequently appear on the mountain, taking the form of ordinary pilgrims, monks, or most often unusual five-colored clouds. It is recorded that Zen Buddhist Master Xu Yun encountered Manjushri Bodhisattvas near Mount Wutai. Master Xu Yun, one of the most influential Buddhist Masters of the late 19th and 20th centuries, embarked on a long spiritual journey to Mount Wutai. He is said to have bowed every three steps of the voyage. In total, it took him three years to reach the mountain, the distance was about three thousand kilometer. He encountered several disasters on his path, one time he drowned to death, and was saved by the Manjushri Boddhisttv, who disguised himself as a beggar. The Boddhisttva empowered him with the great Buddha Dharma.

Mount Wutai is home to some of the oldest wooden buildings in China that have survived since the era of the Tang Dynasty (618–907). This includes the main hall of Nanchan Temple and the East Hall of Foguang Temple, built in 782 and 857, respectively. They were discovered in 1937 and 1938 by a team of architectural historians including the prominent early 20th-century historian Liang Sicheng. The architectural designs of these buildings have since been studied by leading sinologists and experts in traditional Chinese architecture, such as Nancy Steinhardt. Steinhardt classified these buildings according to the hall types featured in the Yingzao Fashi Chinese building manual written in the 12th century.

Great White Pagoda

Situated in Tayuan Temple, the iconic building of Mount Wutai is the Great White Pagoda, with a height of 56.4 meters and a pure white body. It was first built in 1301 AD. There are more than 200 copper bells hanging on the top of the tower, and the sound is crisp when the wind blows. Inside the Great White Pagoda, there are many Buddha statues, and the most sacred thing is the carving footprint of Sakyamuni Buddha. Many monks and ordinary people come to bow in worship of them. There is a small white pagoda to the east of the white pagoda. According to legend, this pagoda contains the blond hair left by Manjushri Bodhisattva when he appeared, so it is also called the Manjusri hair tower. The Book Collection Pavilion is located on the north side of the Great White Pagoda.

Great White Pagoda

XianTong Temple

Xiantong Temple is the largest and oldest temple in Mount Wutai. It is also the earliest temple in China along with White Horse Temple in Luoyang. The temple is located in the central area of ​​Mount Wutai. The Mahavira Hall of Xiantong Temple is the main place for Buddhist activities. The statues of Sakyamuni, Amitabha and Medicine Buddha are enshrined in the hall. The Infinite Hall is a brick structure, and there is a bronze-cast Pilu Buddha enshrined in the hall. There are no beams in the hall, and the shape is very unique and has high artistic value. The Bronze Hall is a bronze building with tens of thousands of small Buddha statues, which are rare copper cultural relics. In the bell tower in front of Xiantong Temple, there is the largest bronze bell on Mount Wutai, the Changming Bell. The surface of the bell is engraved with a Buddhist scripture in regular script with more than 10,000 characters.

Bronze Hall
Infinite Hall

Bodhisattva Peak Monastery

Bodhisattva Peak Monastery is the largest and most complete Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Mount Wutai. It is the main site of the Gelug Sect Religion Dharma Festival from the fourth to the fifteenth day of the sixth lunar month every year. During this time, you can see the grand occasion of the “suppressing demons” by the lamas. . There are Tianwang Hall, Sakyamuni Hall, and Bodhisattva Hall in the temple. Because the emperors of all dynasties have climbed the top of the Bodhisattva Peak, there are many steles and plaques inscribed by the kings in the temple. In the passage hall and the backyard of the east courtyard, there are two white marble steles with four prisms. The four sides of the stele are engraved with inscriptions written in four languages: Chinese, Mongolian, Manchu and Tibetan, all of which were handwritten by Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty.

From a legend, a son of Emperor Kangxi became a monk in Bodhisattva Peak Monastery and the emperor specially permitted the design with glazed tiles. All the buildings are designed with three colored glazed tiles.

East Terrace with 2795 m above the sea looks like a standing elephant in a distance. And this peak is the best place for viewing the sunrise and sea clouds. The best time for this extraordinary scenic observation is summer. On a warm sunny morning, the eastern sky appears like a sea, and at the end of the cloud sea, the flaming red rising sun spurts out and lights the sky into orange. That is really vigorous and beautiful!

Mount Wutai – World Heritage Site & Sacred Buddhist Mountain

Link:https://peacelilysite.com/2022/06/29/mount-wutai-world-heritage-site-sacred-buddhist-mountain/

#MountWutai#WorldHeritageSite#SacredBuddhistMountain#ManjushriBodhisattva#AvataṃsakaSūtra#ClearCoolMountain#MasterXuYun#TibetanBuddhism

Source: https://www.chinadiscovery.com/shanxi/mount-wutai.html, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Wutai, https://you.ctrip.com/sight/wutai1446115/138392.html

30, 286 BIG RED, LITTLE RED AND NO-SQUEAL [ENVY]

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30, 286 BIG RED, LITTLE RED AND NO-SQUEAL [ENVY]

Buddhist Tales for Young and Old, volume 1, Prince Goodspeaker, Stories 1-50

Once upon a time, there were two calves who were part of a country household. At the same home there also lived a girl and a baby pig. Since he hardly ever made a sound, the pig was called ‘No-squeal’.

The masters of the house treated No-squeal very well. They fed him large amounts of the very best rice, and even rice porridge with rich brown sugar.

The two calves noticed this. They worked hard pulling plows in the fields and bullock carts on the roads. Little Red said to Big Red, “My big brother, in this household you and I do all the hard work. We bring prosperity to the family. But they feed us only grass and hay. The baby pig No-squeal does nothing to support the family. And yet they feed him the finest and fanciest of foods. Why should he get such special treatment?”

The wise elder brother said, “Oh young one, it is dangerous to envy anybody. Therefore, do not envy the baby pig for being fed such rich food. What he eats is really “the food of death”.

“There will soon be a marriage ceremony for the daughter of the house, and little No-squeal will be the wedding feast! That’s why he is being pampered and fed in such rich fashion.

“In a few days the guests will arrive. Then this piglet will be dragged away by the legs, killed, and made into curry for the feast.”

Sure enough, in a few days the wedding guests arrived. The baby pig No-squeal was dragged away and killed. And just as Big Red had said, he was cooked in various types of curries and devoured by the guests.

Then Big Red said, “My dear young brother, did you see what happened to baby No-squeal?” “Yes brother,” replied Little Red, “now I understand.”

Big Red continued, “This is the result of being fed such rich food. Our poor grass and hay are a hundred times better than his rich porridge and sweet brown sugar. For our food brings no harm to us, but instead promises long life!”

The moral is: Don’t envy the well-off until you know the price they pay.

30, 286 Big Red, Little Red and No-squeal [Envy]

Link: https://peacelilysite.com/2022/06/29/30-286-big-red-little-red-and-no-squeal-envy/

INTERPRETER’S INTRODUCTION – BUDDHIST TALES FOR YOUNG AND OLD, VOLUME 1, STORIES 1-50

#Buddhisttalesforyoungandold #Buddhiststories #storiesforkids #moralstories #Buddha #Jatakastories #PansiyaPanasJataka

Aloneness to Oneness

linda chang1 Comment

Aloneness to Oneness – Life Changing Spiritual Documentary Film on Non-duality

If we could hear all frequencies of sound and see all spectrum of light, then we will have different view and deeper understanding of the world that we live in.

Only 5% of the stuff in our universe is made up of normal matter, but that is where most of us put 100% of our focus and attention. This creates an illusion of separateness where we believe we are alone and that when our material body dies, that’s the end. We even call this stuff “matter” because we believe it is all that matters. But, the other 95% of stuff in our universe is made up of energies and a mysterious dark matter, which actually govern our universe, our bodies, our experiences and our lives. This non-material universe can also be called the spiritual universe. As we tap into this spiritual dimension, we start to see how all things are connected, we see relationships, we feel energies, we sense intuition, and we discover the true nature of our mind. Todd Perelmuter takes us on a spiritual journey, from Aloneness to Oneness, where borders and barriers disappear, and open hearts and open minds take hold. It takes us to a place where anger, greed, hatred and fear cease to be, and only love, joy, peace and gratitude remain. Todd Perelmuter studied meditation and mindfulness from world-renowned teachers around the world for over 9 years. Upon his return to the States, he created EastWesticism, a nonprofit dedicated to helping everyone reach their highest potential and lead a peaceful, calm, and stress-free life.

Aloneness to Oneness – Life Changing Spiritual Documentary Film on Non-duality

It is a very beautiful narrated movie, delivered a profound life messages. However I can’t totally agree with some parts, such as the concept of oneness, because I haven’t had that experience yet, so don’t know what this “oneness” really feels like. To me this is still an abstract concept, and until I can experience it myself I cannot say I truly understand it. Base on my very shallow knowledge of Buddhism, the experience of oneness has many levels. basically there are four levels in Arahant , and 12 stages in Bodhisattva, the higher the stage the greater achievement. Buddha is the only one that has truly reached oneness with everything in the universe. Again, this is just my own understanding, I haven’t experienced any level of the holy being yet. But I hope this short movie will inspire you to find your own spiritual journey, and find the ultimate truth about life and universe.

May Buddha, God and all holy beings Bless us ALL!

Aloneness to Oneness – Life Changing Spiritual Documentary Film on Non-duality

Link: https://peacelilysite.com/2022/06/23/aloneness-to-oneness/

#DocumentaryFilm#SpiritualFilm#Meditation#Death#Oneness#Aloneness#ToddPerelmuter#Buddhism#Arahant#Bodhisattva

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9M56t0UoW5M&t=841s

29 GRANDMA’S BLACKIE [LOVING-KINDNESS]

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29 GRANDMA’S BLACKIE [LOVING-KINDNESS]

Buddhist Tales for Young and Old, volume 1, Prince Goodspeaker, Stories 1-50

Once upon a time, when King Brahmadatta was ruling in Benares, there was an old woman who had a calf. This calf was of a noble dark color. In fact, he was jet black without a spot of white. He was the Bodhisatta — the Enlightenment Being.

The old woman raised the little calf just as though he were her own child. She fed him only the very best rice and rice porridge. She petted his head and neck, and he licked her hand. Since they were so friendly, the people began calling the calf, “Grandma’s Blackie’.

Even after he grew up into a big strong bull, Grandma’s Blackie remained very tame and gentle. The village children played with him, holding onto his neck and ears and horns. They would even grab his tail and swing up onto his back for a ride. He liked children, so he never complained.

The friendly bull thought, “The loving old woman, who brought me up, is like a kind mother to me. She raised me as if I were her own child. She is poor and in need, but too humble to ask for my help. She is too gentle to force me to work. Because I also love her, I wish to release her from the suffering of poverty.” So he began looking for work.

One day a caravan of 500 carts came by the village. It stopped at a difficult place to cross the river. The bullocks were not able to pull the carts across. The caravan leader hooked up all 500 pairs of bullocks to the first cart. But the river was so rough that they could not pull across even that one cart.

Faced with this problem, the leader began looking for more bulls. He was known to be an expert judge of the qualities of bulls. While examining the wandering village herd, he noticed Grandma’s Blackie. At once he thought, “This noble bullock looks like he has the strength and the will to pull my carts across the river.”

He said to the villagers standing nearby, “To whom does this big black bull belong? I would like to use him to pull my caravan across the river, and I am willing to pay his owner for his services.” The people said, “By all means, take him. His master is not here.”

So he put a rope through Grandma’s Blackie’s nose. But when he pulled, he could not budge him! The bull was thinking, “Until this man says what he will pay for my work, I will not move.”

Being such a good judge of bulls, the caravan leader understood his reasoning. So he said, “My dear bull, after you have pulled my 500 carts across the river, I will pay you two gold coins for each cart – not just one, but two!” Hearing this, Grandma’s Blackie went with him at once.


Then the man harnessed the strong black bull to the first cart. He proceeded to pull it across the river. This was what all one thousand bulls could not do before. Likewise, he pulled across each of the other 499 carts, one at a time, without slowing down a bit!

When all was done, the caravan leader made a package containing only one gold coin per cart, that is, 500 coins. He hung this around the mighty bullock’s neck. The bull thought, “This man promised two gold coins per cart, but that is not what he has hung around my neck. So I will not let him leave!” He went to the front of the caravan and blocked the path.

The leader tried to push him out of the way, but he would not move. He tried to drive the carts around him. But all the bulls had seen how strong he was, so they would not move either!

The man thought, “There is no doubt that this is a very intelligent bull, who knows I have given him only half-pay.” So he made a new package containing the full one-thousand gold coins, and hung it instead around the bull’s neck.

Then Grandma’s Blackie re-crossed the river and walked directly towards the old woman, his ‘mother’. Along the way, the children tried to grab the money package, thinking it was a game. But he escaped them.

When the woman saw the heavy package, she was surprised. The children told her all about what happened down at the river. She opened the package and discovered the one thousand gold coins.

The old woman also saw the tired look in the eyes of her ‘child’. She said, “Oh my son, do you think I wish to live off the money you earn? Why did you wish to work so hard and suffer so? No matter how difficult it may be, I will always care for and look after you.”

Then the kind woman washed the lovely bull and massaged his tired muscles with oil. She fed him good food and cared for him, until the end of their happy lives together.

The moral is: Loving-kindness makes the poorest house into the richest home.

29 Grandma’s Blackie [Loving-kindness]

Link:　https://peacelilysite.com/2022/06/23/29-grandmas-blackie-loving-kindness/

INTERPRETER’S INTRODUCTION – BUDDHIST TALES FOR YOUNG AND OLD, VOLUME 1, STORIES 1-50

#Buddhisttalesforyoungandold #Buddhiststories #storiesforkids #moralstories #Buddha #Jatakastories #PansiyaPanasJataka

Technological Art By H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III

linda chang1 Comment

Splendor in the Golden Palace

Technological Art By H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III

          H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III‘s outstanding achievements in artistry, are not just paintings and Yun sculptures, he also uses science and technology to design a new form of three-dimensional art. These three-dimensional images are made from machines and instruments, scientific data, light sources, temperature modulations, speed, and three-dimensional technology. When viewing the three-dimensional artistic images of H.H.  Dorje Chang Buddha III, one can look very deeply into the flat surface and see things that appear very far away. There are also times when the images appear to be protruding out of the confines of the frame, like real three-dimensional hand-molded sculptures.

          A second example of technological art is glass paintings by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III. These transparent images look like something found in a heavenly palace. They are even more spellbinding under the skillful use of lighting. 

          A third example of technological art is photographs by H.H.  Dorje Chang Buddha III, which include scenery, people, animals, etc. These beautiful, artistic pictures taken with a camera make use of lighting, natural colors, and the skillful arrangement of objects. 

          H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III  Wan Ko Yeshe Norbu Holiest Tathagata combined His works in the above-described three different fields into the single category of technological art.

H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha IIIH.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III
Glass PaintingGlass Painting
H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha IIIH.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III
Glass PaintingGlass Painting
H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha IIIH.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III
Glass PaintingGlass Painting
H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha IIIH.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III
Glass PaintingGlass Painting
H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III
Glass Painting
H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III
Glass Painting
H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III
The three-dimensional image “Ice Cave of the Polar Bear” 

These paintings and art works can be found in The International Art Museum of America and H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III Culture and Art Museum.

Technological Art By H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III

Link: https://peacelilysite.com/2022/06/22/technological-art-by-h-h-dorje-chang-buddha-iii/

#MasterWanKoYee #DorjeChangBuddhaIII #HHDorjeChangBuddhaIII#DorjeChangBuddha#IAMA#InternationalArtMuseumofAmerica#Glasspainting#TechnologicalArt#H.H.DorjeChangBuddhaIIICulturalandArtMuseum#ThreeDimensionalImage

For more information: A TREASURY OF TRUE BUDDHA-DHARMA

Source: https://peacelilysite.com/2022/04/14/h-h-dorje-chang-buddha-iii-a-treasury-of-true-buddha-dharma

Taihang Grand Canyon

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Taihang Grand Canyon

Taihang Mountain Grand Canyon National Forest Park is located in the east of Huguan county area between the two provinces of Shanxi and Henan, north from Hugaun 30 kilometers from the county. And Taihang Mountain Grand Canyon has been rated as one of “China’s best ten grand canyons”.

Taihangshan Grand Valley

The Taihang Grand Canyon extends 50 km from north to south, 1.5 km wide from east to north, with an altitude from 800 to 1739 meters. Peaks upon peaks were formed billions of years ago during an active movement of Earth’s crust. Hundreds of peaks, cliffs, gorges, waterfalls and springs form a unique and fascinating world. The three famous scenic spots in the Canyon are Peach Blossom Valley, Taihang Sky Road, and Wangxiangyan (Royal Rock).

In the scenic spot, thousands of peaks contend for beauty, strange, unique topography and geomorphology, rare animals and plants resources made of Taihang Grand Canyon of the most wonderful natural scenery. With three gorges of Five Fingers Gorge, Longquan Gorge, Wangmang Gorge as the main line, there has opened up Purple Cloud Cave, and Yungai Temple, water demon Hole and Zhenze Palace four major scenic spots.

Waterfalls can be found throughout the canyon, thundering down from the high mountains, and gently washing down over one platform after another. The 346-meter-tall Peach Blossom Waterfall presents an amazing scene in the Peach Blossom Valley.

Peach Blossom Valley

The Taihang Sky Road is located in the summit of the Mount Taihang, with a total length of 30 km. It’s not only an essential part of the sightseeing, but also an excellent lookout for a bird’s eye view of the Taihang Mountain.

Taihang Sky Road

Deep in the Taihang Canyon, there are several small villages. The houses are all built with local materials – stones. You could see the stone streets, stone walls, stone roof, stone pillars and stairs everywhere.

Besides, the world-class international gliding base is Located 1,190 meters above sea level on the Mt Linlu of the Mount Taihang Range, and the landform here offers an ideal launch platform. Air currents rise along the cliffs to finally gather at the 60-angle peak. The peak covers an area of 16,000 square meters and can accommodate up to 30 gliders launching simultaneously. Gliding competitions have been held here annually since 1992.

The Grand Canyon Rafting, whole length is 4500 meters and the drop is 85 meters. The whole journey is located in the mountain forest belt. The trees on both sides of the river are lush and the scenery is picturesque, it is beautiful to drift on the water, as if in fairyland.

Taihang Grand Canyon

Taihang Grand Canyon

Link: https://peacelilysite.com/2022/06/21/taihang-grand-canyon/

Source: https://baike.baidu.com/reference/2373297/1b87s9e6DzyAaQY10dHt6excYlLZZMWW9ntYPHwKMPZXKqG0_K5Rws4RuLcw1VC63lj628he7NOEvdVP6jt_Fg, http://www.ecns.cn/experience/2014/11-02/141086.shtml

#Travel#TravelChina#TaihangGrandCanyon#PeachBlossomValley#TaihangSkyroad#Glidingbase#TaihangRafting#MountTaihangRange#HenanProvince

Four on a Log (Gratitude)

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Four on a Log (Gratitude)

Once upon a time, King Brahmadatta of Benares had a son. He grew up to be a mean and cruel he-man – the type that’s always trying to prove he’s tougher than everyone else. He was a bully who constantly pushed people around and picked fights. Whenever he spoke to people it was with a stream of obscenities – right out of the gutter. And he was always quick to anger – just like a hissing snake that’s just been stepped on.

People inside and outside the palace ran from him as they would from a starving man-eating demon. They avoided him as they would a speck of dirt in the eye. Behind his back everyone called him the ‘Evil Prince’. In short – he was not a nice man!

One day the prince decided to go swimming. So he went down to the river with his servants and attendants. Suddenly it became almost as dark as night. A huge storm came up. Being so rough and tough, the prince was always trying to show he wasn’t scared of anything. So he yelled at his servants, “Take me into the middle of the river and bathe me. Then bring me back to shore.”
Following his orders, they took him out to midstream. Then they said, “Now is our chance! Whatever we do here, the king will never find out. So let’s kill the Evil Prince. Into the flood you go, good-for-nothing!” With that they threw him into the stormy raging river.

When they returned to the bank, the others asked where the prince was. They replied, “We don’t know. As the rain came up, he must have swum faster than us and gone back to Benares.”
When they returned to the palace, the king asked, “Where is my son?” They said, “We don’t know, your majesty. When the storm came up, we thought he went back ahead of us.” King Brahmadatta collected a search party and began looking for the prince. They searched carefully, all the way to the riverside, but couldn’t find him.

What had happened was this. In the darkness and wind and rain the prince had been swept down the flooding river. Luckily he was able to grab onto a floating dead tree trunk. Frantically he held on for dear life. As he was being swept along, the tough he-man was so afraid of drowning that he cried like a terrified helpless baby!

It just so happened that, not long before, a very rich man had died in Benares. He had buried his treasure hoard in the riverbank, along the same stretch of river. His fortune amounted to 40 million gold coins. Because of his miserly craving for riches, he was reborn as a lowly snake, slithering on his belly while still guarding his treasure.

At a nearby spot on the riverbank another rich miser had buried a treasure of 30 million gold coins. Likewise, due to his stingy clawing after wealth, he had been reborn as a water rat. He too remained to guard his buried treasure.

Lo and behold. when the storm came up, both the snake and the water rat were flooded out of their holes and washed into the raging river. In fear of drowning, they both happened to grab onto the same dead log carrying the frightened wailing prince. The snake climbed up on one end and the water rat on the other.

There also happened to be a tall cotton tree growing nearby. There was a young parrot roosting in it. When the storm-flooded river rose up, the cotton tree’s roots were washed away and it fell into the water. When he tried to fly away, the wind and rain swept the little parrot onto the same dead log with the snake, the water rat and the Evil Prince.

Now there were four on the log, floating towards a bend in the river. Nearby a holy man was living humbly in a little hut. He just happened to be the Bodhisatta – the Enlightenment Being. He had been born into a rich high class family in Kasi. When he had grown up, he had given up all his wealth and position, and had come to live by himself next to the river.

It was the middle of the night when the holy man heard the cries of panic coming from the Evil Prince. He thought, “That sounds like a frightened human being. My loving-kindness will not let me ignore him. I must save him.”

He ran down to the river and shouted. “Don’t be afraid! I will save you!” Then he jumped into the rushing torrent, grabbed the log, and used his great strength to pull it to shore.

He helped the prince step safely onto the riverbank. Noticing the snake, water rat and parrot, he took them and the man to his cozy little hut. He started up his cooking fire. Thinking of the weakness of the animals, he gently warmed them by the fire. When they were warm and dry he set them aside. Then he let the prince warm himself. The holy man brought out some fruits and nuts. Again he fed the more helpless animals first, followed by the waiting prince.

Not surprisingly this made the Evil Prince furious! He thought, “This stupid holy man doesn’t care at all for me, a great royal prince. Instead he gives higher place to these three dumb animals!” Thinking this way, he built up a vengeful hatred against the gentle Bodhisatta.

The next day the holy man dried the deadwood log in the sun. Then he chopped it up and burned it, to cook their food and keep them warm. In a few days the four who had been rescued by that same log were strong and healthy.

The snake came to the holy man to say good-bye. He coiled his body on the ground, arched himself up, and bowed his head respectfully. He said, “Venerable one, you have done a great thing for me! I am grateful to you, and I am not a poor snake. In a certain place I have a buried treasure of 40 million gold coins. And I will gladly give it to you – for all life is priceless! Whenever you are in need of money, just come down to the riverbank and call out. “Snake! Snake!”

The water rat, too, came to the holy man to say good-bye. He stood up on his hind legs and bowed his head respectfully. He said, “Venerable one, you have done a great thing for me! I am grateful to you, and I am not a poor water rat. In a certain place I have a buried treasure of 30 million gold coins. And I will gladly give it to you – for all life is priceless! Whenever you are in need of money, just come down to the riverbank and call out, “Rat! Rat!”

Such grateful generosity from a snake and a water rat! A far cry from their previous stingy human lives!
Then came the parrot to say his good-bye to the holy man. He bowed his head respectfully and said, “Venerable one, you have done a great thing for me! I am grateful to you, but I possess no silver or gold. However, I am not a poor parrot. For if you are ever in need of the finest rice, just come down to the riverbank and call out. ‘Parrot! Parrot!’ Then I will gather together all my relatives from all the forests of the Himalayas and we will bring you many cart loads of the most precious scented red rice. For all life is priceless!”

Finally the Evil Prince came to the holy man. Because his mind was filled with the poison of vengeance, he thought only about killing him if he ever saw him again. However, what he said was, “Venerable one, when I become king, please come to me and I will provide you with the Four Necessities.” He returned to Benares and soon became the new king.

In a while the holy man decided to see if the gratitude of these four was for real. First he went down to the riverbank and called out, “Snake! Snake!” At the sound of the first word, the snake came out of his home under the ground. He bowed respectfully and said, “Holy one, under this very spot are buried 40 million gold coins. Dig them up and take them with you!” “Very well,” said the holy man, “When I am in need I will come again.”

Taking leave of the snake, he walked along the riverbank and called out,’ “Rat! Rat!” The water rat appeared and all went just as it had with the snake.

Next, he called out, “Parrot! Parrot!” The parrot flew down from his treetop home, bowed respectfully and said, “Holy one, do you need red rice? I will summon my relatives and we will bring you the best rice in all the Himalayas.” The holy man replied, “Very well, when I am in need I will come again.”
Finally he set out to see the king. He walked to the royal pleasure garden and slept there overnight. In the morning, in a very humble and dignified manner, he went to collect alms food in the city of Benares.

On that same morning the ungrateful king, seated on a magnificently adorned royal elephant, was leading a vast procession around the city. When he saw the Enlightenment Being coming from a distance he thought, “Aha! This lazy homeless bum is coming to sponge off me. Before he can brag to everyone how much he did for me, I must have him beheaded!”

Then he said to his servants, “This worthless beggar must be coming to ask for something. Don’t let the good-for-nothing get near me. Arrest him immediately, tie his hands behind his back, and whip him at every street corner. Take him out of the city to the execution block and cut off his head. Then raise up his body on a sharpened stake and leave it for all to see. So much for lazy beggars!”

The king’s men followed his cruel orders. They tied up the blameless Great Being like a common criminal. They whipped him mercilessly at every street corner on the way to the execution block. But no matter how hard they whipped him, cutting into his flesh, he remained dignified. After each whipping he simply announced, for all to hear: “This proves the old saying is still true – ‘There’s more reward in pulling deadwood from a river, than in helping an ungrateful man!’”

Some of the bystanders began to wonder why he said only this at each street corner. They said to each other, “This poor man’s pain must be caused by an ungrateful man.” So they asked him, “Oh holy man, have you done some service to an ungrateful man?”

Then he told them the whole story. And in conclusion he said, “I rescued this king from a terrible flood, and in so doing I brought this pain upon myself I did not follow the saying of the wise of old, that’s why I said what I said.”

Hearing this story, the people of Benares became enraged and said to each other, ‘This good man saved the king’s life. But he is so cruel that he has no gratitude in him at all. How could such a king possibly benefit us? He can only be dangerous to us. Let’s get him!”

Their rage turned the citizens of Benares into a mob. They pelted the king with arrows, knives, clubs and stones. He died while still sitting on the royal elephant. Then they threw the dead body of the one-time Evil Prince into a ditch by the side of the road.

Afterwards they made the holy man their new king. He ruled Benares well. Then one day he decided to go see his old friends. So he rode in a large procession down to the riverbank.

He called out, “Snake! Snake!” The snake came out, offered his respect and said, “My lord, if you wish it. You are welcome to my treasure.” The king ordered his servants to dig up the 40 million gold coins.
He went to the water rat’s home and called out, “Rat! Rat!” He too appeared, offered his respect and said, “My lord, if you wish it, you are welcome to my treasure.” This time the king’s servants dug up 30 million gold coins.

Then the king called out “Parrot! Parrot!” The parrot flew to the king, bowed respectfully and said, “If you wish, my lord, I will collect the most excellent red rice for you.” But the holy man king said, “Not now my friend. When rice is needed I will request it of you. Now let us all return to the city.”
After they arrived at the royal palace in Benares, the king had the 70 million gold coins put under guard in a safe place. He had a golden bowl made for the grateful snake’s new home. He had a maze made of the finest crystals for the generous rat to live in. And the kind parrot moved into a golden cage, with a gate he could latch and unlatch from the inside.

Every day the king gave rice puffs and the sweetest bee’s honey on golden plates to the snake and the parrot. And on another golden plate he gave the most aromatic scented rice to the water rat.
The king became famous for his generosity to the poor. He and his three animal friends lived together in perfect harmony for many years. When they died, they were all reborn as they deserved.

The moral is: Gratitude is a reward, which is itself rewarded.

Link: https://wisdomtea.org/2022/06/16/four-on-a-log-gratitude/

Lifting the Varjia Pestle onto the Platform – Incredible Inner Strength of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III

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Lifting the Varjia Pestle onto the Platform – Incredible Inner Strength of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III

H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III Was Compelled and Could Not Decline

In Buddha Dharma Lifting the pestle onto the platform is the most scientific testing mechanism for verifying whether a person is of ordinary physical condition or possesses the composition of a holy person. The physical composition and condition of a holy person is completely different from that of an ordinary person. Both have the appearance of a person. However, their inner properties are completely different. Just like a pigeon and an eagle. They have the same appearance of a bird, but their inner properties and their strength are vastly different. Such differences naturally exist. A professional strong man trains himself every day, and only after 10 or up to 20 years is he able to become a strong man of exceptionally strong physique. However, his physique is strengthened due to cumulative practices. The essential quality of his physique has not changed. He is unable to transform the physique or functions of an ordinary person and cannot become liberated from the ordinary to become holy. A holy one who has learned and practiced true Buddha Dharma can surpass the physical condition and strength of a strong man of great strength by many times.

One who surpasses their weight standard by 12 to 19 levels is an elementary level Holy Guru, by 20 to 25 levels is a mid-level Holy Guru and surpassing 26 to 29 levels is a Great Holy Guru. When one surpasses the maximum level of 30, one is a Tremendously Great Holy Guru and a Vajra King of Great Strength. Normally, it is very difficult for an ordinary man of good strength to surpass two to three levels. A national level strong man can surpass up to nine levels. A world-class strong man can surpass 10 levels, but not beyond that. The holy strength generated by the body of a holy person is absolutely not something anyone with the physique of an ordinary person can hope to attain. This is especially true for lifting the Supreme Holy Vajra Pestle “Onto the Golden Step,” or “Off the Holy Seat.” Lifting the weight of such a level will cause the bones, tendons, and muscles of an ordinary person to break down and their joints to break apart. One must have the physique and strength of a Tremendously Great Holy Guru in order to lift the Supreme Holy Vajra Pestle. We have personally seen the strongest man in Asia Long Wu perform Lifting the Pestle onto the Platform. Although he broke his fingers and bled while doing so, he did eventually surpass 10 levels and was awarded the golden belt of Grand Master of Strength, World’s Strongest Man for Lifting the Pestle onto the Platform. That was terrific.

On February 9, 2020 there was a huge vajra pestle of 420 pounds inside the Hall of Shakyamuni Buddha at the Holy Miracles Temple. That was the Supreme Holy Vajra Pestle that was placed on the Golden Step during a Dharma Assembly held two days earlier by Holy Gurus. Other than Tremendously Great Holy Gurus, no one in this world has ever been able to lift it one bit. Since the Supreme Holy Vajra Pestle was already placed onto the Golden Step, the Exam of Lifting the Pestle onto the Platform could not be conducted. This was because according to the Dharma rules, when this Pestle is on the Golden Step, the Vajra Hook cannot be used to lift any pestle. Otherwise, it is against the rules. Everyone was very worried and all those who have good physical strength came forward, but no one was able to lift that Pestle off the Holy Seat with one hand. They used their utmost effort to lift this Pestle off the Golden Step, but the Pestle did not move one bit. The Dharma Assembly could not proceed. It happened that H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III had accepted a respectful request to make His presence at this Dharma Assembly to observe the proceedings. Everyone then beseeched H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III to resolve this difficult situation.

H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III said: “From the beginning, I have disagreed with your conducting this exam. After all this time, all those who were tested were but ordinary people. How many of them are elementary level Holy Gurus? They are not Holy Gurus, they could not surpass more than 10 levels! Let whoever put this pestle onto the Golden Step take it down.” The Dharma masters replied that it was placed up there by a Holy Monk. H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III said: “This is absolutely a mischief. Isn’t this a deliberate intention to make things difficult? He clearly knew that you have to take the Exam today, yet He deliberately set up such a difficult barrier here! Let Him take it down!” The Dharma masters said that this Holy Monk had already left yesterday to propagate Dharma in another state. Reluctantly, H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III ascended to the Dharma platform and said: “I did not come to take part in your activities here to lift the pestle, I am just helping you. I will give it a try. I don’t know yet whether I am able to help you bring the pestle down.

After saying that, H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III went in front of the Supreme Holy Vajra Pestle, and lifted the Vajra Pestle off the Holy Seat with one hand, the Golden Step was removed in accordance with the Dharma rules. At that time, the disciples were tremendously shocked that H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, who only weighs between 100 and 200 pounds, have lifted a Vajra Pestle of 420 pounds that even the World’s Strongest Man with a body weight of more than 300 pounds could not lift, surpassing 56 levels. The holy physique and holy strength of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III stuns the world!

Although the Supreme Holy Vajra Pestle was lifted off the Golden Step, there was another 280-pound exam pestle on another Golden Step on the floor. This pestle also had to be lifted off the Golden Step before the Exam could go forward. In fact, everyone knew that no one on site could lift this pestle with one hand off the Golden Step. Even the Strongest Man in Asia Lu Xiao could only lift the weight of 226 pounds at his maximum limit the prior December. Today, all the strong men on site enthusiastically came forward to lift this Vajra Pestle. Among these people were some who could lift 700-800 pounds with two hands in a normal weightlifting competition. Surprisingly, they could not lift 280 pounds with one hand today. In the end, only H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III was able to lift this pestle off the Golden Step with one hand. The Dharma Assembly of the Exam was finally able to proceed.

This unexpected incident that happened before the exam has brought a mysterious and surprisingly joyful discovery. In turns out the rejuvenation achieved by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III was not limited to the physical appearance, but also included the inner properties. The youthful qualities of His Holiness the Buddha are very many times more than that of young people.

Lifting the Varjia Pestle onto the Platform – Incredible Inner Strength of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III

Link: https://peacelilysite.com/2022/06/17/lifting-the-varjia-pestle-onto-the-platform-incredible-inner-strength-of-h-h-dorje-chang-buddha-iii/

#DorjeChangBuddhaIII #HHDorjeChangBuddhaIII  #HolyMiracleTemple#VarjiaPestle

Source: https://learntruebuddhism.com/lifting-the-pestle-onto-the-platform/

Heart Warming Stories in a Vegetarian Restaurant

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Heart Warming Stories in a Vegetarian Restaurant

Last weekend I visit my friends in Los Angeles. For lunch, we decided to go to a vegetarian buffet, the aptly named Sweet Veggie. It wasn’t fancy, but it was very clean and neat, with a warm and soft feeling. The food was absolutely delicious. I’d never seen so many vegetarian dishes! Turns out, the owner had a garden growing all the vegetables served in the restaurant. The best food comes from the freshest ingredients, after all.

Besides the welcoming mood and quality food, this charming little place had one more thing up its sleeves – or rather, on its tables. Under each glass table cover, there is a short story in both Chinese and English. They are all quite touching, and I think they are worth sharing.

Photo by Silvana Palacios on Pexels.com

The True Story of a Grateful Whale

If you read the front page story of the San Francisco Chronicle on Thursday, Dec 15, 2005, you would have read about a female humpback whale who had become entangled in a spider web of crab traps and lines.

The fifty-foot whale was weighted down by hundreds of pounds of traps that caused her to struggle to stay afloat. She also had hundreds of yards of line rope wrapped around her tail, her torso and a line tugging in her mouth.

A fisherman spotted her just east of the Farallone Islands (outside the Golden Gate) and radioed an environmental group for help. Within a few hours, the rescue team arrived and determined that she was so bad off, the only way to save her was to dive in and untangle her – a very dangerous proposition. One slap of the tail could kill a rescuer.

They worked for hours with curved knifes and eventually freed her. When she was free, the divers say she swam in what seemed like joyous circles. she then came back to each every diver, one at a time and nudged them, pushed them gently around – she thanked them. Some said it was the most incredibly beautiful experience of their lives. The guy who cut the rope out of her mouth says that her eye following him the whole time, and he will never be, and he will never be the same.

May you, and all those you love, be so blessed and fortunate and be surrounded by people who will help you get untangled from the things that are binding you. And, may you always know the joy of giving and receiving gratitude.

Photo by Victoria Borodinova on Pexels.com

Two Brothers

Once there were two brothers working and living together on their farm. The oldest one of them was married with a large family and the younger one was single. At the end of every day, the two brothers share everything equally, produce and profit and anything they get from the farm.

Then one day the younger brother said to himself, “it’s not fair that we should share equally the produce and the profit. I’m alone and my needs are simple.” So, each night he took a sack of grain from his bin and crept across the field between their houses, dumping it into his brother’s bin.

Meanwhile, the married brother said to himself, “it’s not fair that we should share the produce and the profit equally. After all, I’m married, and I have my wife and my children to look after me for years to come. And my brother has no one, and no one to take care of his future.” So each night he took a sack of grain and dumped into his single brother’s bin.

This continued for years and both of them were puzzled in light of the fact that their supply of grain never dwindled. Then at one very dark night the two brothers bumped into each other. Gradually it occurred to them what was going on. They dropped their sacks and hugged each other.

Heart Warming Stories in a Vegetarian Restaurant

Link:https://peacelilysite.com/2022/06/17/heart-warming-stories-in-a-vegetarian-restaurant/

#SweetVeggieRestaurant#Gratitude#Vegetarian

Ashoka, the Emperor Who confessed His crimes and Renounced War

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Ashoka, the Emperor Who confessed His crimes and Renounced War

Ashoka is a king who truly deserves the title of Great. Unlike other “great men”, he earned his title not with blood and war, but rather through peace. He conquered what Alexander and Caesar never could: his desire to conquer.

Ashoka, also spelled Aśoka, (died 238? BCE, India), last major emperor of the Mauryan dynasty of India. His vigorous patronage of Buddhism during his reign (c. 265–238 BCE; also given as c. 273–232 BCE) furthered the expansion of that religion throughout India. Following his successful but bloody conquest of the Kalinga country on the east coast, Ashoka renounced armed conquest and adopted a policy that he called “conquest by dharma” (i.e., by principles of right life).

According to his own accounts, Ashoka conquered the Kalinga country (modern Orissa state) in the eighth year of his reign. The sufferings that the war inflicted on the defeated people moved him to such remorse that he renounced armed conquests. It was at this time that he came in touch with Buddhism and adopted it. Under its influence and prompted by his own dynamic temperament, he resolved to live according to, and preach, the dharma and to serve his subjects and all humanity.

Ashoka’s visit to the Ramagrama stupa Sanchi Stupa 1 Southern gateway. For interpretation see: Ashoka in Ancient India by Nayanjot Lahiri, Harvard University Press, 2015 p.295-296

Ashoka repeatedly declared that he understood dharma to be the energetic practice of the sociomoral virtues of honesty, truthfulness, compassion, mercifulness, benevolence, nonviolence, considerate behaviour toward all, “little sin and many good deeds,” nonextravagance, nonacquisitiveness, and noninjury to animals. He spoke of no particular mode of religious creed or worship, nor of any philosophical doctrines. He spoke of Buddhism only to his coreligionists and not to others.

Further more, apart from banning royal hunting, he also introduced veterinary clinics for animals, the Mauryan Empire under Ashoka has been described as “one of the very few instances in world history of a government treating its animals as citizens who are as deserving of its protection as the human residents”

A sample quotation that illustrates the spirit that guided Ashoka is: All men are my children. As for my own children I desire that they may be provided with all the welfare and happiness of this world and of the next, so do I desire for all men as well.

Ashoka was the rarest kind of person: one who would confess his crimes and renounce war. I hope that the world leaders of today can learn this message, and stop the bloodshed between countries.

Ashoka, the Emperor Who confessed His crimes and Renounced War

Link: https://peacelilysite.com/2022/06/17/ashoka-the-emperor-who-confessed-his-crimes-and-renounced-war/

Source： https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ashoka

#Buddhism#Buddha#IndiaEmperor#AshokaTheGreat