Month: December 2022

The Discourse on the Ten Wholesome Ways of Action

linda changLeave a comment

“The Discourse on the Ten Wholesome Ways of Action” comes from The Western Jin Dynasty Tripitaka tokharia country dharmaraksa translation “The Buddha speaks for hailongwang”in Yuezhi of the Western Jin Dynasty. It’s the 11th charpet “Ten virtues and six paradigms”.


The Discourse On The Ten Wholesome Ways Of Action


Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha stayed in the palace of the Dragon King of the Ocean together with an assembly of eight thousand great Bhikshus and thirty-two thousand Bodhisattvas and Mahasattvas altogether. At that time the World Honored One told the Dragon King saying:

Because all beings have different consciousness and thoughts, they perform. too different actions and as a consequence there is the turning around in all the different courses of existence. Oh Dragon King, do you see the variety of shapes and appearances in this meeting and in the great ocean, are they not different from one another.

Thus among all of them there is none which is not made by the mind, whether it is brought about by whole-some or unwholesome bodily, verbal, and mental actions, and yet the mind is formless it cannot be grasped or perceived, but it is the unreal accumulation and arising of all dharmas which are ultimately without owner, without I and mine. Although that which is manifested by each (being) according to its actions is not the same, there is nevertheless really no creator in these (actions). Therefore all dharmas are inconceivable and inexpressible, their own nature is phantom like. The wise ones knowing this ought to cultivate wholesome actions. Through this the aggregates sense-bases and elements that will be given rise to, will all be upright and those who will see them will not grow tired of them.

Oh Dragon King, when you behold the body of the Buddha born from a hundred thousand of Kotis of merit, with all the marks adorned, the splendor of its radiance covering the whole of the great assembly, even if there were immeasurable Kotis of Ishvara and Brahma devas they all would not come again into appearance.

Those who look with reverence at the Tathágata’s body how can they but not be dazzled. You again behold all these great Bodhisattvas of marvelous appearance, dignified and pure. All this comes into being entirely through the merit of cultivating wholesome actions. Again all the powerful ones like the eight classes of devas and dragons, and suchlike they also come into being because of the merits of wholesome actions.

Now all beings in the great ocean are of course and mean shapes and appearances, they all whether small or large performed unwholesome bodily, verbal, and mental actions out of all kinds of thoughts from their own minds. Thus is that each being receives its own result according to its action.

You ought to practice and to study constantly in this way, and also to bring beings to a thorough understanding of cause and effect and to the practice of wholesome actions.

In this you must have unshakable right view and you must not fall again into the views of annihilation and eternity. As to the fields of merit you rejoice in them, respect them and support them because of this you will also be respected and supported by men and devas.

Oh Dragon King you must know that Bodhisattva has one method which enables him to cut off all sufferings of evil destinies. What kind of methods is this? It is constantly, day and night, to recollect, to reflect on and to contemplate on the wholesome dharmas so as to cause the wholesome dharmas to increase from thought-moment to thought-moment, without allowing the least unwholesome thought to mingle in. This will then enable you to cut off all evil forever, to bring the wholesome dharmas to completion and to be constantly near all the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and other holy communities.

Speaking about wholesome dharmas, the bodies of men and devas, the Illumination of the Sravakas, the Illumination of the Pratyekas, and the Highest Illumination, they are all accomplished depending on these dharmas which are to be considered as fundamental. Therefore they are called wholesome dharmas.

These dharmas are the ten wholesome ways of actions. What are these ten? They are the ability to give up forever killing, stealing, wrong conduct, lying, slandering, harsh language, frivolous speech, lust, hate, and wrong views.

Oh Dragon King, if one gives up taking life then one will accomplish ten ways of being free from vexations.

What are the ten?

1]. One give universally to all beings without fear.

2]. One always has a heart of great compassion towards all beings.

3]. All habitual tendencies of hate in oneself will be cut off forever.

4]. One’s body is always free from illness.

5]. One’s life is long.

6]. One is constantly protected by non-human beings.

7]. One is always without bad dreams, one sleeps and wakes happily.

8]. The entanglement of enmity is eradicated and one is free from all hatred.

9]. One is free from the dread of evil destinies.

10]. When one’s life comes to an end one will be born as a Deva.

These are the ten. If one is one who is able to turn-towards the Highest Perfect Illumination, one will at a later time become a Buddha and attain to the ability peculiar to the Buddha, to live as long as one wishes.

Again, oh Dragon King, if one gives up stealing then one will attain to ten kinds of dharmas which can protect one’s confidence. What are the ten?

1]. One’s wealth will increase and accumulate and cannot be scattered or destroyed by Kings, robbers, floods, fires, and careless sons.

2]. One is thought of with fondness by many people.

3]. People do not take advantage of one.

4]. Everywhere one is praised.

5]. One is above the worry, that one oneself could be injured.

6]. One’s good name spreads.

7]. One is without fear in public.

8]. One is endowed with wealth, long life, strength, peace, happiness, and skill in speech, without deficiencies.

9]. One always thinks of giving.

10]. At the end of one’s life, one will be born as a Deva.

These are the ten. If one is one who is able to turn towards the Highest Perfect Illumination, one will at a later time become a Buddha, and attain to the realization of the purified great illumination wisdom.

Again, oh Dragon King, if one gives up wrong conduct one will attain to four kinds of dharmas which are praised by the wise. What are the four?

1]. All one’s faculties are tuned and adjusted.

2]. One is free from turmoil and excitement.

3]. One is praised and extolled by the world.

4]. One’s wife cannot be encroached upon by anybody.

These are the four. If one is one who is able to turn towards the Highest Perfect Illumination one will at a later time become a Buddha, and attain the master sign of the Buddha, of a concealed organ.

Again, oh Dragon King, if one gives up lying then one will attain to the eight dharmas which are praised by the devas. What are the eight?

1]. One’s mouth is always pure and has the fragrance of a blue lotus flower.

2]. One is trusted and obeyed by all the world.

3]. What one says is true and one is loved by men and devas.

4]. One always comforts beings with loving words.

5]. One attains to excellent bliss of mind and one’s actions, speech, and thoughts are pure.

6]. One’s speech is faultless and one’s mind is always joyful.

7]. One’s words are respected and are followed by men and devas.

8]. One’s wisdom is extraordinary and cannot be subdued.

These are the eight. If one is one who is able to turn towards the Highest Perfect Illumination, one will at a later time become a Buddha, and attain to the true speech of the Tathágata.

Again, oh Dragon King, if one gives up slandering one will then attain to five kinds of incorruptible dharmas. What are the five?

1]. One attains to an incorruptible body because no harm can be done to one.

2]. One gets an incorruptible family because no one can destroy it.

3]. One attains to incorruptible confidence because this is in line with one’s own actions.

4]. One attains to an incorruptible spiritual life because what one cultivates is firmly grounded.

5]. One gets incorruptible spiritual friends because one does not mislead or delude anybody.

These are the five. If one is one who is able to turn-towards the Highest Perfect Illumination, one will at a later time become a Buddha, and receive a holy retinue which cannot be corrupted by any Mara or heretic.

Again, oh Dragon King, if one gives up harsh language then one will attain to the accomplishment of eight kinds of pure actions. What are the eight?

1]. One’s speech is meaningful and reasonable.

2]. All that one says is profitable.

3]. One’s words are bound to be truthful.

4]. One’s language is beautiful and marvelous.

5]. One’s words are accepted by others.

6]. One’s words are trusted.

7]. One’s words cannot be ridiculed.

8]. All one’s words are spoken in love and enjoyed by others.

These are the eight. If one is one who is able to turn towards the Highest Perfect Illumination, he will be endowed with the perfect characteristic of the Brahma voice of the Tathágata.

Again, oh Dragon King, if one gives up frivolous speech then one will attain to the accomplishment of the three certainties. What are the three?

1]. One is certain to be loved by the wise.

2]. One is certain to be able to answer questions with wisdom and according to reality.

3]. One is certain to have the most excellent dignity and virtue among men and devas and one is without falsehood.

These are the three. If one is one who is able to turn towards the Highest Perfect Illumination, one will at a later time become a Buddha, attain to the Tathágata’s ability to predict everything, and none of the predictions are ever in vain.

Again, oh Dragon King, if one gives up lust, then one will attain to the accomplishment of the five kinds of freedom. What are the five?

1]. Freedom of bodily, verbal, and mental actions because one’s six faculties are perfect.

2]. Freedom as regards property because all enemies and robbers cannot rob one.

3]. Freedom with regard to merit because whatever one wishes one will be provided with.

4]. Freedom of being in the position of a King, because precious, rare and marvelous things will be reverently offered to one.

5]. The things one will get will surpass in excellency by a hundred times that what one is looking for, because in times by-gone one was neither stingy nor envious.

These are the five. If one is one who is able to turn towards the Highest Perfect Illumination, one will at a later time become a Buddha, be especially revered in all three realms and all of the beings of the three realms will respectfully make offering to one.

Again, oh Dragon King, if one gives up hatred then one will attain to eight kinds of dharmas of joy of mind. What are the eight?

1]. One’s mind is free from the desire to injure and to annoy others.

2]. One’s mind is free from hatred.

3]. One’s mind is free from the desire to dispute and to argue.

4]. One’s mind is gentle and upright.

5]. One has attained to the mind of loving kindness of a saint.

6]. One is of a mind that always acts beneficially giving peace to beings.

7]. One’s bodily appearance is dignified and one is respectfully treated by all.

8]. Because one is kind and forbearing, one will be born soon in the Brahma World.

These are the eight. If one is one who is able to turn towards the Highest Perfect Illumination, one will in later times become a Buddha, attain to the mind of the Buddha that is free from obstacles. People will not become tired of looking at him.

Again, Oh Dragon King, if one gives up wrong views, one will attain to the accomplishment of ten meritorious dharmas. What are the ten?

1]. One attains to genuinely good bliss of mind and one gets genuinely good companions.

2]. One has deep confidence in the law of cause and effect and one would rather lose one’s life than do evil.

3]. One takes refuge in the Buddha only and not in devas or others.

4]. One is of a straight mind and right views, and leaves behind the net of doubts about good and evil fortune.

5]. One will not be born again in an evil course of existence but will always be born as a man or Deva.

6]. Immeasurable blessings and wisdom will increase sublimely from turn to turn.

7]. One will forever leave the wrong path and tread the holy path.

8]. The view of a personality will not arise in one and one gives up all evil actions.

9]. One will abide in unobstructed understanding.

10]. One will not fall into any difficult conditions.

These are the ten. If one is one who is able to turn towards the Highest Perfect Illumination, one will at a later time become a Buddha, realize quickly all Buddha-dharmas and accomplish the mastery of the higher spiritual powers.”

At that time the World Honored One further told the Dragon King saying:

“If there is a Bodhisattva who is able to give up killing and harming, and practice giving, follow these wholesome actions at the time he treads the path, he will therefore always be rich in wealth, without anybody being able to rob him, he will have a long life and not die untimely, and he will not be injured by any robbers or enemies.

Because he gives up taking what is not given and practice giving, he will always be rich in wealth without there being anybody who can rob him. He will be most excelling beyond comparison (in this respect), and will be able to collect completely all the store of Buddha-dharmas.

Because he gives up the impure way of living and practices giving, he will always be rich in wealth without anybody being able to rob him. His family will be virtuous and obedient. There will be nobody who can look at his mother, wife, and daughter with a lustful mind.

Because he gives up false speech and practices giving, he will always be rich in wealth without anybody being able to rob him. Giving up all slandering he takes up the true Dharma. That which he does according to his vows will certainly bear fruit.

Because he gives up speech that causes dissension and practices giving, he will always be rich in wealth without anybody being able to rob him. His family will be harmonious and all the members of the family have the same aspirations and joys in common and will never unreasonably dispute with one another.

Because he gives up coarse evil speech and practices giving, he will always be rich in wealth without anybody being able to rob him. At all gatherings people joyfully accept him as their teacher. His words will be received with trust without opposition.

Because he gives up meaningless speech and practices giving, he will always be rich in wealth without anybody being able to rob him. His words are not spoken in vain, but are received with respect by all people. He is able and skilled in solving doubts and uncertainties.

Because he gives up the greedy mind and practices giving, he is always rich in wealth without anybody being able to rob him. All he has he gives to others with kindness. His confidence is firm and his understanding well grounded. He is endowed with great authority and strength.

Because he gives up the angry mind and practices giving, he is always rich in wealth without anybody being able to rob him. He quickly accomplishes by himself the wisdom of the mind that is free from obstruction. All his faculties are well dignified and all those who see him respect and love him.

Because he gives up the perverted mind and practices giving, he is always rich in wealth without anybody being able to rob him. He is always born in family, which is possessed of right views, reverence and confidence. He sees the Buddha, hears the dharma and supports the Community of Monks. He never forgets or loses the great Illumination Mind.

These are the great benefits obtained by a Great Being (Mahasattva), who at the time he cultivates the Bodhisattva path, practices the ten wholesome actions and adorns them with giving.

Thus, oh Dragon King, I am summarizing. Because one adorns the practice of the ten wholesome ways of action with morality, the meaning and benefit of all the Buddha-dharma can arise and the great vows are brought to completion.

Because one adorns this practice of the ten wholesome ways of actions with patience, one attains to the perfect voice of the Buddha and all the marks will be lovely.

Because one adorns this practice with effort, one is able to destroy the Mara enemy and enter into the store of Buddha-dharmas.

Because one adorns this practice with meditation, therefore mindfulness, wisdom, shame, conscientiousness and calm will arise.

Because one adorns this practice with wisdom one is able to cut off wrong views arising from discrimination.

Because one adorns this practice with loving kindness no thought of anger or harming will arise in oneself towards any being.

Because one adorns this practice with compassion, one will have sympathy towards all beings and will never get weary of and indifferent to them.

Because one adorns this practice with sympathetic joy, one’s mind when seeing somebody cultivating the good will be free from envy and jealousy.

Because one adorns this practice with serenity, one will not have a mind that is neither attached to favorable circumstances or that resents adverse circumstances.

Because one adorns this practice with the four ways of helping others, one will always be diligent in helping and teaching all beings.

Because one adorns this practice with the foundations of mindfulness, one will be able to be skillful in the practice of the contemplation of the four foundations of mindfulness.

Because one adorns this practice with the four right efforts, one will be able to cut off and remove entirely all unwholesome dharmas.

Because one adorns this practice with the four roads to power, one’s body and mind will always be calm and at ease.

Because one adorns this practice with the five faculties, deep confidence will be firmly established, there will be unremitting effort, one is always free from confusion and from delusion, one is at peace and well balanced, and all the defilement will be cut off.

Because one adorns this practice with the five powers, all enmity will be entirely destroyed and one cannot be harmed.

Because one adorns this practice with the seven factors of illumination, one will always well awake to all dharmas.

Because one adorns this practice with the Noble Eightfold Path, one will attain to perfect wisdom which will always be present before oneself.

Because one adorns this practice with calm meditation, one is able to wash away all the bonds and latent tendencies.

Because one adorns this practice with insight meditation, one is able to know the self nature of all dharmas according to reality.

Because one adorns this practice with the means, one will quickly attain to the fulfillment of the conditioned and unconditioned happiness.

Oh Dragon King, you should know that these ten wholesome actions can lead up to the completion of the Ten Powers of the Tathágata, of the Four Kinds of Fearlessness, of the Eighteen Dharmas that distinguish the Buddha and of all Buddha-dharmas. You should therefore practice and train with diligence.

Oh Dragon King, it is like the towns and villages, they all depend on the great ground where they stand. All the herbs, grasses, flowers, trees, and woods also depend on the ground for their growth. With these ten wholesome ways of actions it is the same. All men and devas are established (in their human and Deva nature) depending on them. The illumination of all the Sravakas, of all the Pratyekas, the way of the Bodhisattva, all Buddha-dharmas they all are attained and come to fruition due to these ten wholesome great grounds.

After the Buddha had spoken this discourse, the Dragon King of the Ocean, together with the great assembly, all the devas, asuras, and so on, all rejoiced greatly, received it with confidence and put it reverently into practice.

The Discourse on the Ten Wholesome Ways of Action

Link: https://peacelilysite.com/2022/12/09/the-discourse-on-the-ten-wholesome-ways-of-action/

#Discourse #TenWholesomeWaysofAction#BuddistSutra #ShakymuniBuddha#TenVirtues #TenGoodDeeds#BuddhistPrecepts

Source: http://read.goodweb.net.cn/NEWS/news_view.asp?newsid=14868

How to be Patient with Yourself and Others in a Changing World

linda changLeave a comment

How to be Patient with Yourself and Others in a Changing World

By: Rochelle Perper, Ph.D. | July 10, 2020

We live in a time where everything can change at an accelerated pace. No protocol exists for a time like this, no wisdom upon which to rely or set a course to follow. If ever there was a time when we should show patience, it would be now, right? After all, we’ve never done this before, and we can’t expect to get it right the first time. Sadly, too many of us do the exact opposite. We hold ourselves and others to unrealistic standards, beat ourselves up for not doing it well enough, criticize ourselves for lagging behind too long, and expect not to feel natural, human emotions.

Patience is that natural power we have within ourselves to wait for something without getting angry or upset. The longer we must wait, however, the more patience escapes us. In our changing world today, it’s no wonder that our patience is being tested. We are still waiting for answers to questions like “When can we resume usual activity?”, “What will school look like next semester?” or “When will we see a real change for racial equality?”

In our changing world today,
we could all use a little more patience –
with ourselves, our world around us, and with others.

Why is it important to be patient?

In the best of circumstances, disruptions to our daily routine cause frustrations that unnerve us. Now, consider the added stressors of:

  • Negotiating new social norms and health protocols
  • Grappling with anxiety and fear for the future
  • Feelings of outrage in response to police brutality and racial injustice
  • Suffering with personal and collective grief
  • Managing added responsibilities

No wonder we have a tough time. Quite frankly, it’s exhausting.

We all want to feel or be better as quickly as possible, an understandable goal in our achievement-driven world. The common misconception prevails that if we push ourselves, we will drive ourselves toward reaching our goals. This is simply incorrect.

When we are inpatient with ourselves, we reject parts of who we are, judge ourselves harshly, and speak to ourselves unkindly. Do thoughts like “I should be used to this by now,” “I can’t get anything done,” or “I’m so exhausted all the time; there must be something wrong with me” sound familiar?

This lack of patience blocks change because we deny ourselves support and knock ourselves down. This leads to lack of motivation to keep trying, and we end up stopping before we’ve really ever started.

Tips to be more patient:

Learning to stay patient with ourselves and others is one of the hardest skills to master in life. And, we need it now more than ever. Use the tips below to engender patience:

1. Focus on progress, not perfection

Think for a moment how you would talk to a child when learning something new. You would likely offer this child encouragement and support while passing off mistakes and errors because this is how kids learn and grow. So, why would you speak to yourself any differently?

You wouldn’t blame a child if they didn’t get it right the first time or get frustrated along the way. Even as adults, we never outgrow the need for gentle, supportive guidance. Try focusing on the progress you make and what you learn rather than beating yourself up for not doing it right or aren’t far enough along.

The same goes for others too. When your partner, a neighbor, co-worker, or stranger at the store acts in an irritable, unhelpful, or unkind way, try giving them the benefit of the doubt. We easily imagine the worst in people, but we never really know their story or what situations they come from. We can safely assume that these times present difficulties for everyone. We all deserve a little grace when we fall short now and again.

2. Practice

Like anything else, learning to garner patience with ourselves takes practice. Research shows that waiting makes us happier in the long run. Give yourself the opportunity of time to earn your reward and resist the urge for immediate gratification. For example, try the following:

  • Allow someone to go in front of you in line at the post office
  • Really listen to someone else’s opinion without interrupting them and before you respond
  • Watch half of a movie one night, and the other half the next night
  • Wait a few moments to begin eating when you sit down for a meal

As you practice, you will begin to gain more patience, and may even realize that you feel calmer, can come to agreements more quickly, and feel happier overall.

3. Reduce stress

Patience comes with more difficulty when you have a lot on your plate and a lot on your mind. When overscheduled or preoccupied with worries, you have diminished capacity to put forth the effort required for patience. To remedy this, examine the things in your life that cause your stress. Try to find solutions to these problems and ask for help when you need it. Look at where you spend your time and see what you can cut out to allow more time to focus on the things that are important to you.

There is no substitute for good old-fashioned self-care to reduce stress. Research shows that three deep abdominal breaths three times a day lowers your levels of stress hormone in your bloodstream. Other relaxation techniques include imagery, guided meditation, body scan, or mindfulness practice. Of course, you also reduce stress if you get enough sleep, allow for physical activity in your day, and eat healthy (especially avoiding too many sweets and alcohol.)

Photo by Marek Piwnicki on Pexels.com

4. Stop multitasking

We are more impatience when we juggle too many things at once. We all do it, we jump from one task to another without finishing the first. This practice proves ineffective time and time again. Worse, it causes a great deal of frustration because you do not do any one of these things well. By focusing on one thing at a time you will feel calmer and accomplish a great deal more.

Bonus tip: Before you go to bed, write down 3 things on a post-it note that you want to do the next day. Make these tasks a priority by tackling them first and resist the urge to get distracted by other things. Research in organizational settings demonstrated that this strategy significantly increased productivity in the workplace.

Change isn’t easy. Quick fixes reside mostly in theory, and lasting change takes time. We will experience challenges, and we may even go backwards at times. Long-term success includes small steps in the direction of your goal. With calm, controlled perseverance and loving kindness, you will achieve whatever you’ve set out to do.

5. Say kind things to yourself

Patience with ourselves and others requires mindful recognition of our humanity and that none of us are perfect. Patience means embracing yourselves with self-acceptance and focusing on progress rather than on perfection. It means giving yourself compassion rather than withholding it. It means speaking to yourself with more kindness and empathy such as:

“I know this is hard. I know you’re struggling,
but I believe in you. You can get through this.”

Changing your internal dialogue provides the most helpful practice you can do to develop the patience that resides within you. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a technique used to identify critical, negative thoughts and develop a more balanced way of thinking. Learning to change your internal dialogue takes time, so try to be patient with yourself as you learn to be more patient with others.

How to be Patient with Yourself and Others in a Changing World

Link: https://peacelilysite.com/2022/12/08/how-to-be-patient-with-yourself-and-others-in-a-changing-world/

#Patient#Multitasking#Stress#Practice#Kind

Source: https://therapychanges.com/blog/2020/07/how-to-be-patient-with-yourself-and-others-in-a-changing-world/#:~:text=Patience%20means%20embracing%20yourselves%20with,I%20know%20this%20is%20hard.

Slow down and Look Around

linda changLeave a comment

Slow down and Look Around

On weekday mornings, I hurriedly drive my son to school. Trying to beat the traffic and catch as many green lights as possible, the drive is usually a blur. One particular morning’s drive changed my perspective. While rushing down a wide arterial road, my son exclaimed to me that the trees on the sidewalk looked very beautiful.

Glancing over to the trees, I suddenly noticed the vibrant reds and yellows of the leaves clinging onto branches or drifting onto the sidewalk as the wind blew. Despite driving down this street every morning, in my hurry I had not noticed the changing colors of the trees until now, nearly the end of fall. The bright hues of the fall foliage was absolutely beautiful. This nature beauty made me slowing down my daily past pace. I feel the healing power of nature relaxing my tense nerves, and filled my heart with joy, peace, and harmony.

As I admired the scenery on the commute, I felt how wonderful it was to be present in the moment. I realized that oftentimes we lose sight of the little elements of natural beauty that are all around us. Life can be hectic, but we must make a conscious effort to enjoy the omnipresent beauty of our world.

A poem by a ancient Zen Master came to my mind:

Blossoms in Spring, Breezes in Summer,
Glorious moons in Fall, and Snow in Winter.
When one is not held back by nothing,
Every moment can be wonderful.

Egg Shells and Patience

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Eggs are an essential part of a good breakfast. There are countless ways to prepare them, but not all recipes are made equal. I used to cook omelettes for the family, but recently I learned that hard boiled eggs are actually a better choice. Hard boiled egg can keep more nutrients from the egg and avoid extra oil.

The only problem is, peeling a hard boiled egg is a rather arduous task. The shell and egg white absolutely refuse to be parted. Usually, the peeled egg ends up looking kind of like the moon, full of craters and lumps and whatnot. This morning, I got very frustrated trying to peel my hard boiled egg. It felt like the shell and egg white were superglued together. Even my mother’s old trick of placing the boiled eggs into cold water didn’t seem to work. After my first peeled egg ended up looking like a misshapen golf ball, I was ready to throw them all onto the floor.

Fortunately, I am a Buddhist disciple, and I remembered one of the most important things I’d learned: patience. I told myself, as a student of the Buddha who cultivates myself everyday, why am I still so easily distressed by outside events?

So I decided to let myself calm down for a while. I left the eggs in the cold water and went off to relax. After maybe fifteen minutes, I returned to give making breakfast another shot. Surprisingly, the shell peeled off easily this time. I realized that by being patient and giving the eggs more time to cool down, it was now much easier to complete my task. So when annoying things happen, we must first be patient. Let it all cool down, and things will be much easier to deal with.

Patient means embracing  yourself and all things around you with gentleness and kindness, and doing so will get happy and more productive results.

Slow down and Look Around

Link: https://peacelilysite.com/2022/12/08/slow-down-and-look-around/

Source: http://atranslatorsfarm.blogspot.com/2013/09/blog-post_2.html

#Slowdown#LookAround#NaturalBeauty#Patients#Eggshell#Buddhism#BuddhistDisciple

A Vicious Demon and Formidable Beast

linda changLeave a comment

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Recently I have read a book titled Revealing the Truth, in which there is one chapter called A Vicious Demon and Formidable Beast. It is an unexpectedly frightening chapter, almost like a horror movie. As a buddhist disciple, I totally believe in the law of cause and effects. We need to abstain from anything that is evil, do everything that is good, and use the correct understanding and views to cultivate. Don’t violate any of the precepts, otherwise you will end in miserable retribution. After reading the book, I completely believe that the true and original Dharma transmitted by Sakyamuni Buddha and Dorje Chang Buddha III can defeat any demon or evil spirit.

A Vicious Demon and Formidable Beast


There was a rinpoche brother who claimed that he was a reincarnation of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and cheated living beings everywhere he went. He deluded many people to put up everything they had as offerings for him, causing problems in many families. Since he had seriously violated the precepts, the Buddha Master sternly reprimanded him a number of times. However, he ignored all that and even dared to lie to the Buddha Master (H.H.Dorje Chang Buddha III).


Because his conduct of swindling and bluffing was so bad that it caused many living beings to suffer, eventually dharma protectors had to inform him that he was going to meet with a miserable and menacing retribution. He was then captured by order of the Yama King and died miserably. He became a blood-flashing vicious ghost. In order to lessen his sins and dark karmas, and also for the purpose of educating and transforming two persons who were masters and had the same behaviors, a group of people who were involved in the endeavor of propagating Buddha-dharma and saving living beings including dharma kings, rinpoches, dharma masters, and others were asked to confront this blood-flashing vicious ghost, evil demon Nuori, to gain practical experience. Therefore, the Buddha Master ordered dharma protectors to arraign this evil demon to the home base to be educated and transformed. After that, what had been a very auspicious backyard became a gloomy dark forest. Its horror was beyond description.


In the afternoon of that day, the Buddha Master was setting up an altar In the backyard. Out of curiosity, I stayed right by the Buddha Masters side. When the Buddha Master took out a photo of this vicious ghost taken after his death, I was very scared, “That is so horrible” The eyes in the photo had been closed originally but were now insidiously and ruthlessly opened into a slit. The eyes were also moving and he gave me a treacherous cunning smile, as if he were about to eat me. I hurriedly diverted my eyes away and dared not look at the photo anymore. My whole body was trembling with goose bumps swelling up all over. If you just took a look, the formidable image would immediately be imprinted into your memory and could no longer be removed.


The Buddha Master was going to tell dharma protectors to send Nuori’s spirit to the home base. I hid myself behind the Buddha Master, because that was the only safe place. The Buddha Master suddenly spoke, “Attention! He is coming!” Right after that, a round of gloomy, miserable, and terrifying ghost howling was heard from a distance of about two or three miles and then arrived with unimaginably fast speed right in front of me at the next instant. Meanwhile, a strong gloomy wind blew over, causing tree leaves to drop down all over the place. Now this vicious ghost was captured and brought back. The eyes in the photo were blinking, and I felt as if some accomplice of his had arrived as well!
At this time, the temperature had a big sudden drop of more than ten degrees. This garden that had previously been filled with warmth, comfort, elegance, auspiciousness, and peace changed completely.
The shadow of the ghost emitting blue light with the after-death desolation, terror, and gloom appeared in the backyard garden every night.


Only the Buddha Master could walk there freely. No one else dared to get close. From then on, we formed groups when walking in there and dared not move around alone. When the evening was about to come, we would withdraw from the backyard spontaneously. Even during daytime, no one dared stay there alone. There was a strong gloomy and pressing air that made people feel suffocated. That atmosphere tended to make people want to run away immediately without staying for even one moment. Even the dog Jie Ben who had used to love playing in the backyard garden day and night now dared not go there during the day. Additionally every time the Buddha Master called it to get in there, right after the Buddha Master finished talking, he would run back to the front living room immediately. Then he would hide his tail while his limbs trembled at a very high frequency.
The photo of that vicious ghost was put on the altar set up within the gloomy dark woods. It was very startling that the horrible eyes seemed to be staring at your beating heart, as if he was ready to assault you with his claws reaching out to scoop out your heart.


The Buddha Master intended to use this reality to educate and transform venerable ones, dharma kings, rinpoches, and dharma masters into abstaining from everything that is evil, doing everything that is good, and using correct understanding and views to cultivate, learn Buddhism, and to treat cultivators. Of course, it was also for educating and transforming me. Therefore, some people were arranged to go to this altar in the evening to meet with the ghost and obtain an experience in person.
The blood-flashing vicious ghost made a vow at the time of his death. He was going to find those disciples who violated the precepts like him and did not listen to the Buddha Master’s teaching to let these people know the eventual outcome of violating the precepts. This would be his way of creating merit to offset his sins.


When the Buddha Master led a disciple walking to the front of the altar, a golden leopard with a body length of more than two meters suddenly appeared from where the photo was on the altar. It opened its mouth to show its sharp teeth and put up a pose to launch a leaping assault. The Buddha Master gave an order, “Bad beast! Don’t go wild!” Immediately, a black leopard appeared by the Buddha Master’s side. It was even fiercer. The two leopards then confronted each other. Step by step, the black leopard eventually forced the golden leopard to go away. This scene was already scary enough. What happened next was even tenser because, after the Buddha Master led the disciple to the altar, the Buddha Master would leave the site. The disciple would be left there alone to practice the dharma. The Buddha Master would not be with the disciple.

When dharma assembles were held in the past, people would all try to get ahead to secure an opportunity to attend. This time, however, no one volunteered to go. People all wanted to shy away from this event and were afraid of hearing their names called to confront the ghost.

Even the phrase “rounds of merciless gloomy winds” was not sufficient to describe the atmosphere at the site. The originally calm woods now suddenly had gusty winds everywhere, blowing tree leaves with the sounds of “Shua Shua!” The photo of the the blood-flashing vicious ghost that had been laid flat there jumped up all of a sudden and stood upright. Even the sound of opening a coffin could be heard. Amid the crying and howling of ghosts under a sky without the moon and stars, a shrill yelling was heard. The next moment, the blood-flashing vicious ghost was walking out of the photo. People who had participated in this event all said that it was really very dreadful. Some were so terrified as to pee their pants wet. Some were too scared to walk and were shivering all over.


When Brother Gongla Rinpoche saw the ghost walking out of the photo and leaping toward him, he used the Vajra rice empowered by the Buddha Master to shoot at the ghost with a form called “Scattering Blooms by a Heavenly Lady” that he learned while he was still in high school. That did beat the blood-flashing vicious ghost to the ground. The brother then went forward to check if the ghost was dead. While he bowed down to look at the ghost’s face, this vicious ghost unexpectedly spit out a mouthful of poisonous corpse water that was extremely foul smelling. The brother’s facial features immediately became deformed and dislocated. Seeing his deformed and dislocated facial features, other people were also very scared.


When her turn came, Sister Huei-Chin Yang wanted to console the demonic ghost. She prepared a big piece of fried crispy pork chop to offer to him. She thought that the outcome might be a little better. As soon as the pork chop was put down, the ghost quickly rushed out of the photo and swallowed the pork chop with bone in one gulp. Sister Huel-Chin Yang was scared and trembling all over. Moreover, she was not forgiven either. The ghost blew a mouthful of poisonous corpse vapor toward her, distributing the fetid smell all over her body. She immediately started to wash herself with water from the swimming pool. However, the stinking smell could not be washed away.


There was also Brother Venerable Xirao Jiebu. He carried the Vajra rice empowered by the Buddha Master and entered the site by himself. The photo of the the blood-flashing vicious ghost suddenly jumped up to stand on the ghost’s platform and began to walk forward. Brother Xirao Jiebu threw the Vajra rice toward him and loudly chanted the Buddha Master’s mantra. The Buddha Master knew that the situation was dangerous and rescued Brother Xirao Jiebu right away. Then the Buddha Master drew a circle on the lawn and told Brother Xirao Jiebu not to get out of the circle. At this time, the vicious ghost transformed into a golden leopard at a distance of a little over three meters from Brother Xirao Jiebu and was getting ready to eat him. At this extremely crucial moment, Brother Xirao Jiebu sat up inside the circle and threw the Vajra rice toward the outside. As the situation was becoming extremely dangerous, the Buddha Master appeared again. Then the golden leopard got scared and fled in panic.

Dharma king brother Muya Jiongzha also gave this testimony, “The blood-flashing vicious ghost was really scary. I clearly heard his miserable howling coming from a place very, very far away. Then he came before me very quickly in just one or two seconds. Gusty winds were blowing with sands flying and rocks rolling. The picture stood up and walked. Even the image on the picture suddenly became bigger with a cunning and creepy smile. The eyes opened and blood was flowing down from the corner of his mouth. He suddenly leaped towards me. If I had not had the Vajra rice to resist him, I could definitely have been eaten alive. I can say that no one could have kept himself or herself from being extremely horrified in such a situation.” In addition to the others mentioned, Great Dharma Master XiangeQiongwa had a confrontation with the ghost as well. He and Venerable Xirao Jiebu and Dharma King Muya longha were all highly capable masters of the Nyingma Sect. However, they were all defeated.

Fellow brothers and sisters who had confronted the blood-flashing vicious ghost also included harma King Palden Lodoe, Master Long Hui, Baima Dorie Chuomu Rinpoche, Hangila Rinpoche, Luoben Rinpoche, Cacon Di Rinpoche, Layperson Weicheng, and others. They all said that the horror of the ghost could not be described in words. His demonic power was too strong and too vigorous. If not protected by the Buddha Master, I thought none of them would have been able to get out of the gloomy dark forest alive!


At one night during this period, the Buddha Master suddenly told us to bring flashlights and led us to the backyard. Using the flashlights, we unexpectedly discovered many wild beasts there. Because they were somewhat far away, the animals seemed to be mountain lions, leopards, sable wolves, and nine-tailed foxes. When they saw us coming, they all jumped out of the swimming pool to the ground. In such a situation, we had to be led by the Buddha Master. Otherwise, with a probability of eight or nine out of ten, we would have been eaten by the wild beasts. At this time, we used flashlights to illuminate the surrounding trees. Doing so made us terrified. Actually the beasts did not leave. Rather, they were not far from us and were on the trees, on the wall, on the ground, and on the roof. In different types of body profile and as fierce as tigers and wolves, they were peeking at us. We decided to set up video cameras there during the day so these animals could be videotaped at night.
When we played the video recordings, what actually appeared in the videos were snow leopards and panthers. There were many of them. They were happily inhabiting and playing on the deck. However, It was strange that they were completely out of sight during the day. Where did they come from and where did they go? None of us knew.


After the arrival of the leopards, we closed the door to the backyard garden rather early before dusk every day. However, at night, we could still hear them jumping from the roof to the deck. One day, a leopard even showed up in the front yard before dark. Several brothers saw it on the roof above a room. It was a little after five o’clock in the afternoon, before the sky had turned dark, that made us very scared. Every time we went to the front yard to get something, we had to look around in all directions and were still terror stricken.

Photo by Rachel Claire on Pexels.com


This situation, keeping us in fear, lasted a few months. Eventually, the time came when the vicious ghost was to be sent away. Before entering sleep that night in a half-dream and half-awake state, I saw large iron-fence cage drop down from above to cover him completely. At the same moment, I also heard the sound of his forceful struggling and yelling, “Buddha Master! I, the disciple, will correct myself. I will be a good ghost who does not harm people! I will definitely cultivate myself!” To this day, I am still unable to forget his voice.
The next day, the Buddha Master led us to hold a ceremony for the demonic ghost, to see him off. I sensed that he was restrained with handcuffs and fetters. He was escorted onto a prison van and left.
Alas! Abstain from everything that is evil and do everything that is good. Brother in the past and vicious ghost at present, I wish that you rest in peace and cultivate well after paying for your retributions.


After sending away the blood-flashing vicious ghost, mountain lions and leopards also vanished. However, they left lots of urine and feces in the backyard for us to clean up. Also, one or two of them had died there because we found their skeletons in the corners one or two years later.
The home base finally returned to its prior auspiciousness. However, not long after that, we found five newborn infant leopards inside a tent in the backyard garden. Good Heavens! A female leopard gave birth to five infant leopards here. Now we would be in misery! None of us had the experience of taking care of leopards. Fortunately, this was a false alarm. They were five newborn black kittens. Since the mother cat was too weak, the kittens suffered malnutrition. In the end, only three survived. One fee it was sent to another place. The other two were named Xiao Ding Mad”and Black Rose perspectively. They were kept at the home base and became members of our family.


The dharma kings, rinpoches, and dharma masters who underwent the confrontation also wrote about their personal experiences at the site in order to bear witness to the truth of these events. Those who participated include Dharma King Palden Lodoe, Ga Chong Di Rinpoche, Great Dharma Master Xiangge Qiongwa, Venerable Xirao Jiebu, Great Master Long Hui, Baima Dorje Cuomu Rinpoche, Layper. son Yang Huei-Chin, Dharma King Muya Jongzha, Jiangjia Rinpoche, Loben Rinpoche, Layperson Weicheng, and Gongla Rinpoche. Their hand-written manuscripts are still kept. I personally read the handwritten manuscripts they wrote. What I wrote in this chapter was just a brief account. Their writings were very complete. To prove their truthfulness, they all took oaths against very severe consequences.


Actually, their oaths were not even necessary. I myself experienced this event too. The experience of this event gave many people a good education. However, based on what I knew, two of them still did not learn from this lesson and could not correct much of their bad habits. The Buddha Master already made the greatest effort to educate and transform them and was also very concerned about the difficulties they faced for liberation and accomplishment. Actually, this fact was quite normal.
Among the disciples taught and transformed by Sakyamuni Buddha at that time, some cultivated correctly but others degenerated.


This dharma assembly made me deeply understand a fact. Throughout thousands of years, only my Buddha Master, H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, and Sakyamuni Buddha could be regarded as utmost supreme. Which of the dharma kings and venerable ones of esoteric Buddhism or foremost masters of exoteric Buddhism in history had such capabilities? There were no extremely great holy ones who had such truly great Buddha-dharma among them!

A Vicious Demon and Formidable Beast

Link: https://peacelilysite.com/2022/12/02/a-vicious-demon-and-formidable-beast/

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