Once upon a time the Bodhisattva – the Enlightenment Being – was born into a high class family in northern India. When he grew up he gave up the ordinary desires of the everyday world and became a holy man. He went to the Himalayan Mountains where 500 other holy men became his followers.
He meditated throughout his long life. He gained supernatural powers – like flying through the air and understanding people’s thoughts without their speaking. These special powers impressed his 500 followers greatly.
One rainy season, the chief follower took 250 of the holy men into the hill country villages to collect salt and other necessities. It just so happened that this was the time when the master was about to die. The 250 who were still by his side realized this. So they asked him, “Oh most holy one, in your long life practicing goodness and meditation, what was your greatest achievement?”
Having difficulty speaking as he was dying, the last words of the Enlightenment Being were, “No Thing.” Then he was reborn in a heaven world.
Expecting to hear about some fantastic magical power, the 250 followers were disappointed. They said to each other. “After a long life practicing goodness and meditation. our poor master has achieved ‘nothing’.” Since they considered him a failure, they burned his body with no special ceremony, honors, or even respect.
When the chief follower returned he asked, “Where is the holy one?” “He has died,” they told him. “Did you ask him about his greatest achievement?” “Of course we did,” they answered. “And what did he say?” asked the chief follower. “He said he achieved ‘nothing’,” they replied, “so we didn’t celebrate his funeral with any special honors.”
Then the chief follower said, “You brothers did not understand the meaning of the teacher’s words. He achieved the great knowledge of ‘No Thing’. He realized that the names of things are not what they are. There is what there is, without being called ‘this thing’ or ‘that thing’. There is no ‘Thing’.” In this way the chief follower explained the wonderful achievement of their great master, but they still did not understand.
Meanwhile, from his heaven world, the reborn Enlightenment Being saw that his former chief follower’s words were not accepted. So he left the heaven world and appeared floating in the air above his former followers’ monastery. In praise of the chief follower’s wisdom he said, “The one who hears the Truth and understands automatically, is far better off than a hundred fools who spend a hundred years thinking and thinking and thinking.”
By preaching in this way, the Great Being encouraged the 500 holy men to continue seeking Truth. After lives spent in serious meditation, all 500 died and were reborn in the same heaven world with their former master.
In September 5th, 2015 a great Dharma Assembly — Jin Gang Fa Man Ze Jue was successfully conducted by Wang Zha Shang Zun at a Temple in Los Angeles. This was an amazing and very high level ceremony to determine who was and who was not an authentic incarnation of a Buddha. Wang Zhan Shang Zun is a most impressive and powerful elder man who is worthy of our respect. I have met many dharma kings of different sects, but no one is like Wang Zha Shang Zun. His power and virtue surpass all of them.
After the ceremony, I had the extreme good fortune to meet an attendant of his who speaks English and requested to prostrate to the Shang Zun, which to my surprise, was granted. It is very difficult to meet him. The Assistant told me that, to date, probably less than 100 persons in the U.S. have had the good fortune to meet him privately. The attendant took me to the place where this great mahasattva was staying. I was very excited to be able to see him again. Wang Zha Shang Zun mostly speaks Tibetan, but I am told he can also speak Mandarin Chinese. His voice was as I had remembered from the ceremony. Seeing him up close, I realize that he is probably over six feet tall and in excellent health. I had guessed that he must be at least sixty as I knew he had spent 45 years in seclusion in Tibet, but from his appearance guessed he could be even younger. His attendant told me that Shang Zun had already turned 93. He is very spirited and looked like and had the energy and bearing of a much younger man. As for his appearance, he has a most remarkable full beard, large kind eyes, bushy eyebrows, a rectangular face, and is bald. I was reminded of images of Bodhidharma, the “barbarian” with such a beard and eyebrows who went to China from India, only Wang Zha Shang Zun is considerably more handsome than the great patriarch of Zen is usually portrayed to be. However, what is most impressive is his incredible modesty and humility. This is what it is like to be in the presence of a great holy being!
I had wanted to meet him to express my gratitude for the empowerment I received at the Jin Gang Fa Man Ze Jue Dharma Assembly, but also just to show my respect because I knew that only someone of very high attainment could have performed that dharma. When I offered him prostrations, he would always tell me to prostrate instead to H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III. His attendant told me that this holder of three gold buttons at a Shang Zun level always carried an image of the Buddha Master with him and did this. When he went back to his living space, the first thing he would do was to put H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III’s image and Shakyamuni Buddha’s image in a high place and make offerings to them. I again prostrated, but it was just as before. Wang Zha said, “The Buddha Master is here. You should prostrate to the Buddha Master. How can I accept your prostrations?” The other dharma kings I have met always accepted and even arrogantly awaited my prostrations while silently seating on their throne. Wang Zha Shang Zun is certainly the top chief great dharma king among all dharma kings, but he is still so humble. I was very touched. Again I realized how very, very fortunate I am.
Wang Zha Shang Zun is very easy to communicate with and very amiable. Every sentence he says with a smile. He also provided me with hot tea having his assistant serve me using traditional China teacups. I accepted the teacup and put it aside on the table. Wang Zha then told me that “the quality of this tea is not very good. It comes from Tibet and is called Old Eagle Tea”. However, the fragrance of the tea, was so wonderful that it betrayed his humble portrayal. I requested from Wang Zha Shang Zun how to practice the Green Tara Mirror Altar Dharma (Jing Tan Fa). The Shang Zun said, “First you have to have a good mirror. Then you get the dharma transmitted through holy inner tantric initiation. The most important thing is that you should practice according to the Buddha Master’s teachings, and let all people know that they should do good and cease evil. It is then very easy to succeed with this dharma. But you should decide by yourself if you want to practice this dharma. The Buddha Master proposed that we should cultivate ourselves and opposed the miraculous. I am not telling you to practice this Green Tara Altar Dharma.”
The time flew by so quickly. My mouth was dry and I realized I needed to drink the tea, but when I lifted the cup, the cup is so heavy it is as if it were glued to the table. I couldn’t move it even when I exerted a lot of force. I was so surprised. I put that cup on the table. How can I now not lift it? This time Wang Zha Shang Zun saw what was happening and told me, “It is no use to use force. Force cannot lift it. You have to use your mind to lift it. When your mind is not attached to anything, everything will follow your mind.” Then Wang Zha Shang Zun asked me to lift it again. Very strange. It was as if it was weightless. I easily lifted it and also when I opened the cover of the cup, there is a moving image like a video in the cover. I clearly saw a picture of one of my fellow brothers from the past and a moment when I was in Japan. It was very clear, but it quickly started to disappear. I was really surprised. I used my eyes to follow the cover. After a while it completely disappeared. Then Shang Zun said. “Any object can be used as a mirror.” So I suddenly understood why my mind and my cultivation are so important and cannot be replaced by anything else.
I pray that each of you take advantage of this most fortunate fact that the H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha is living in this world now and practice the Dharma that you learn. I also pray that you all quickly become accomplished.
Namo H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III! Namo Shakyamuni Buddha!
A very ashamed and fortunate disciple, Zhaxi Zhuoma prostrates and offers special thanks to Wang Zha Shang Zun for teaching her this important lesson.
Venerable Bodi Wentu Rinpoche is a Caucasian westerner and the first person to hold the position of translation teacher at Hua Zang Si. Rinpoche has read many sutra teachings. He strictly abides by the principles of cause and effect and strictly observes the precepts. He is a straightforward and honest person who devotes himself to cultivation and study and who does not shirk hard work. The Rinpoche’s main work involves translating material on the dharma. He has translated sutras and recorded discourses of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III . He also has translated the books of the Great Vajravarahi (Ah Wang Nuo Bu Pa Mu). He has deep merit from helping westerners learn the dharma. He ever told us stories about his personal experience and examples that reflects the greatest inner realization vidya of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III .
Venerable Bodi Wentu Rinpoche
At the end of 1995, Bodi Wentu Rinpoche became a disciple of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III in Sichuan, China. After he returned to the United States from Sichuan, he began to translate the ten Dharma recorded discourses taught by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III from Chinese to English. Another Buddhist brother assisted him in this translation.
One day in 1998, when H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III was visiting the United States, Bodi Wentu Rinpoche went to visit H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III with an other Buddhist Losang Gyatso Rinpoche. The purpose was to present the translation of those discourses to the Buddha for review. The translations were placed in sealed envelopes. Right after they prostrated to the Buddha, the Buddha said, “You have earned great merit and made a great contribution to living beings. Although the translation you brought today contains some minor mistakes, it will still be of great benefit to westerners.” They were very surprised. Even before they reported the situation, the Buddha had already known what they were going to report. This moved Bodi Wentu Rinpoche very much because it was incredible.
The second case occurred in 1999, in Missouri, where the Buddha received an honorary doctorate from the American Association of Colleges and Universities as an expression of their respect for the Buddha. After the presentation ceremony, all the people had dinner together. The president of a religious college asked if they could ask questions. The Buddha replied, “Ask whatever questions you would like to ask. All of my answers will satisfy you.”
During the question period, the Buddha answered all the questions easily, which evoked great admiration. The president of a religious college asked the most difficult question, but the Buddha answered with total ease. The Buddha’s perfect answer made the president blush with embarrassment. “I have lived in darkness all these years, and the master’s answer today really opened my eyes.” The chairman of the alliance of 83 colleges and universities slapped himself with excitement and regret. All around him the presidents and professors from the colleges and universities looked at him dumbfounded and didn’t know what to do.
Bodi Wentu Rinpoche has steadfastly followed the Buddha to practice true dharma. Rinpoche has now realized the status of a sage at the Golden Button Grade II, which is amazing!
Ever since I heard that Namo H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha IIIand Fomu, Holy Mother the Great Mahasattva, entered parinirvana, I felt my dreamy plan shattered. For many years I have thought: I will definitely die before Buddha enters parinirvana, and Buddha will kindly deliver me to the Pure Land — West paradise. Now that Buddha has entered parinirvana, what should I do with the matter of my own death? This woke me up, and I asked myself what Dharma I have learned that can help me on this. I remembered I haven’t listened to the Dharma discourses for a while, and have not touched the Dharma books lying on the altar for several months.
It was time for me to earnestly read the Buddha’s Dharma books and listen to the Buddha’s discourses. A small booklet, “Learning from Buddha”, I have read many times. We even had a group study on it. And Buddha required every disciple to study it, and to always bring it whenever we have the chance to see Buddha. I thought I completely understood the book, and that I always followed Buddha’s teaching in my daily cultivation. But I was so wrong, for until now I realize that I didn’t even understand what is pure land. In the book, Buddha clearly told us: a member of any of the Buddha-land worlds does not have the slightest dark karma or impure karma in his conduct. That is why those worlds are called Buddha-land worlds of pure karma. For example, the pure land of Amitabha Buddha is the Western World of Ultimate Bliss , which is also called the Pure Land. The Eastern World of Lapis Lazuli is called a Pure Land of Peace and Bliss. It is also a pure land.
There are as many as ten trillion such worlds, which are called the rigorously pure Buddha-lands. What is called “rigorously pure Buddha-lands” means that they are rigorously governed, and pure karma is mandatory. There is not an iota of contamination; only absolutely pure karma. Dark karma is forbidden. The pureness is due to good karma and merit. The pureness is due to the state of holy beings there who have ended cyclic birth and death. Those are called the pure lands.
I felt I was so foolish and ignorant. I had dreamed that Buddha will kindly deliver me to the pure land after I die on this earth. I did not ponder to myself if I was really qualified to be a member of pure land. Do I still have a mind of selfish thoughts, a mind of differentiation, hatred, greed, jealousy, presumptuousness, arrogance, or shamelessness, a mind that considers oneself always in the right, or a mind that deceives others? If evil or bad people carrying impure karma could ascend to a pure land, there would long ago have been nobody left in this world. Everybody would have gone to the World of Ultimate Bliss. The World-Honored One also would not have taught people to practice the Ten Wholesome Behaviors and the Four Limitless States of Mind. The Buddha would simply have come to receive people, sending both the good and the bad ones to a pure land.
I felt ashamed that I have read this book many times before, but failed to introspect and examine myself; I always falsely considered myself as truly following Buddha’s teaching. Yet, indeed I did not. Today I searched deeply for the reason why. It is because I still didn’t attain a state of mind that truly fears impermanence, thus I could not establish a firm mind that gives rise to thoughts of leaving the cycle of reincarnation. I still naively and selfishly wish to rely upon Buddha’s great compassion to re-birth in the pure land, to live a grand, wonderful, blissful life. In pure land I can learn from Buddha and all the holy beings without any worries, struggling, sufferings… only well-being and happiness. I deeply and sincerely repent that I treated Buddha’s teaching so lightly, and didn’t use my mind and heart to think carefully about Buddha’s teachings, let alone to practice Buddha’s teachings correctly.
After this several days continually study the book, I finally understood if I want to go to pure land, I must completely cleanse my own dark karma by being patient under humiliation and adversity and cultivating myself, practicing the Ten Wholesome Courses of Action, practicing the Four Limitless States of Mind and Six Paramitas, and arousing bodhicitta. Following the simple and easy guidance from Buddha in daily life: “Before I went to sleep at night, did I think of anything unbeneficial to living beings? Did I think about doing those things? Did I think of doing something not good to others for the sake of myself, my children, or my relatives? Did I think of doing something not good to my fellow brothers and sisters? Did I crave credit or merit for myself? If I did, I must repent at once, I must correct myself!” By doing that every day, I will naturally and gradually become purified and will become a great holy person.
I have no excuse for not doing “the three daily introspections”, because I want to leave the death and birth cycle. I want to go to the pure land, and when I become a holy being, I will come back to this Saha world to help other people and living beings to reach the liberation. I deeply feel the great compassion of the Buddha. He never tires of repeating the Dharma for us –foolish beings. He never tires of helping us to reach the enlightenment and liberation.
Great compassionate Buddha and Fomu, Holy Mother the Great Mahasattva! Thank you boundlessly for using your life to sound the alarm of impermanence for me. And thank you boundlessly for using your life to bring Buddhist disciples the extraordinary cause and condition to study the Tathagata Dharma. I vow to use my own real actions to wash away my sins, and benefit all beings with compassion and pure goodness in order to repay Buddha’s grace!
Great compassionate Buddha and Fomu, Holy Mother the Great Mahasattva! I, a disciple, still want to hold on to a glimmer of hope and beg you all to return to the Saha world and give us foolish beings another chance!
An old Chinese saying goes: Do not fail to do good no matter how petty the deed; do not engage in evil no matter how trivial the deed. Kindness has the power to bring happiness, peace and good fortune. The heroic Army General Eisenhower’s story is a great testimony of this ancient and eternal law: what goes around comes around.
How one small act of kindness, changed the path of history! The historic victory of World War II might have had to have been rewritten, if it was without this single good deed, performed by a single man, the heroic Army General, Eisenhower.
One day, during the horrific throngs of World War II, Lieutenant General Dwight David Eisenhower of the Allied Forces was returning to France, to attend an emergency military conference.
That day, the snow was dense, the air was cold. And his car was urgently speeding to its destination. On the dimly lit path, Eisenhower suddenly saw an old couple sitting at the side of the road, shivering in the freezing cold.
Mr. Eisenhower immediately stopped the car and told the officer beside him to get out of the car and speak with them. An officer, another passenger in the car, immediately argued that, “General, we must be on time for the meeting at the Head office, please leave it to the local police.” Eisenhower knew that his concern for their punctuality was just an excuse not to help.
The General, however, was resolved to get out of the car at once to attend to the desperate elderly couple. He said to his staff, “If we wait for the local police to come, they will be dead before the police arrive!”
He found out that they were on the way to visit their son in Paris. But their car had broken down in the middle of their journey. In the thick snow they could not see anyone to ask for help from; they did not know what to do.
After learning of their plight, Mr. Eisenhower, without any hesitation, immediately invited them to get into the car. He offered them the gracious favor of delivering them to their son’s home in Paris, before heading back to the Head Office himself.
At the time, Eisenhower, the commander of the Allied Forces offered this kindness merely out of his own good will, disregarding his position as well as any complication that could affect the mission he was shouldering.
However, the intelligence received after that night, shocked everybody in the car, especially the officer who had tried to prevent the detour.
It turned out, that Nazi snipers had been placed along their route in an attempt to ambush and assassinate them on their way to Head Office.
Hitler was certain that, that day would have been the last day of the Allied commander, but his plan failed unexpectedly, which made him suspicious of the gathered intelligence. Hitler was unaware that it was the rescue of the elderly couple that had led Eisenhower to take another route.
34th President of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower. (Wikipedia/ James Anthony Wills)
Historians have commented that Eisenhower’s good deed that day saved him, almost certainly, from an assassination. Without his moral actions, the history of the World War II might have been quite different indeed.
It is in the small kindnesses that we show to one another, that may appear small and insignificant at first, that we find the truth of our fate. Within these actions, lies the power to write and rewrite history.
According to traditional culture, the more consideration we show for others and the stronger the goodwill we have towards them, the better our destiny, and the more blessings we have bestowed upon us.
It has been several weeks since the announcement of the news that Namo Dorje Chang Buddha III and Fomu, Holy Mother the Great Mahasattva, have borne dark karmas for living beings and entered parinirvana. Since then I have gradually calmed down from the shock, sadness, sorrow, confusion and loss.
H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III and Fomu, Holy Mother the Great Mahasattva, set selfless, dedicated, and unsurpassed examples for us. The Buddha’s last words to Venerable Tsemeng Jiaozun so touched my heart: “….. When I said I would bear dark karma for living beings, those were not empty words. To bear dark karma is not to enter dhyāna, but rather, truly and continuously practice shifting the mind-consciousness to suffer on behalf of living beings. What Fomu and I said is what we do. At all times, we must think about bringing auspiciousness, serenity, happiness, and peace to living beings and to the world, to the extent of giving our all and even our lives. ….. I wish all living beings happiness.”
It has been more than ten years since I first heard the pre-recorded Buddha’s Dharma discourse. I have heard many discs, and I have also read the Dharma books written by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, including “The Supreme and Unsurpassable Mahamudra of Liberation”, “Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Heart Sutra”, “Liaoyi Jing” and so on. But have I really put the Buddha’s teachings into practice? I seldom thought about to take on other person’s dark karma and sufferings. Even when my mother followed the evil master, escaped from the Buddha, and defamed H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, I did not think of taking on my mother’s guilt. How selfish I am compared to the Buddha.
In all the Dharma imparted by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, the Buddha always emphasizes putting bodhicitta into practice: When there is a conflict of interest between myself and others, I will rid myself of hatred, antipathy, greed, and arrogant, disparaging mentality. I must not emphasize benefiting myself. I should treat myself and others equally. When other living beings and I are suffering, I want others to extricate themselves from suffering before I do. When other living beings and I are happy, I want others to be happier than I am. I dedicate to all living beings all of the merit and accomplishments from my cultivation in the hope that they will leave suffering and attain liberation.
I felt ashamed that I rarely put all these teachings in my daily practice. Most of the time I put myself at the first priority. I want to have good health, good fortune, and good luck — after I have all these I may share some with others.
When I recite The Supreme and Unsurpassable Mahamudra of Liberation, I realize I just did ritualistic chanting, making empty vows, engaging in visualization. I have always considered myself as a true Buddhist, now I realize that I deceived myself. In fact, I was a fake cultivator, I have not truly put Buddha’s principles into practice. I still have so many dark karmas: selfish thoughts, a mind of hatred, greed, jealousy, presumptuousness, arrogance, shamelessness, a mind that considers myself always in the right, a mind that deceives others. In this life time I have done so many wrongs. Here I sincerely repent of my sins, and vow to not commit to these sins again.
I am already in my fifties — how much longer can I live. I have no time to waste. Buddha has entered parinirvana. Impermanence may come to me at any time. I must follow the Buddha’s teachings truly and diligently. Every day I will introspect myself, asking myself how I should treat others when it comes to my words, how I should treat others when it comes to my mentality, and how I should treat others when it comes to my conduct. I must earnestly practice “the three daily introspections” — conducting three introspections in the course of a day. In the morning, introspect about how during the day I should act to become a purely good and compassionate person, a person who benefits the public. At midday, think back: “From morning until midday, did I have that kind of mindset and conduct?” At night, again think back: “From midday until night, did I have that kind of mindset and conduct? Are the things I did today truly reflective of the conduct, speech, and mindset of a Bodhisattva at the causal stage?”
Great compassionate Buddha and Fomu, Holy Mother the Great Mahasattva! Thank you greatly for using your life to sound the alarm of impermanence for me. And thank you greatly for using your life to bring Buddhist disciples the extraordinary cause and condition to study the Tathagata Dharma. I vow to use my own real actions to wash away my sins, and benefit all beings with compassion and pure goodness in order to repay Buddha’s grace!
Great compassionate Buddha and Fomu, Holy Mother the Great Mahasattva! I, a disciple, still want to hold on to a glimmer of hope and beg you all to return to the Saha world and give us foolish beings another chance!
Small acts of kindness can have a big impact. Not only does offering support to your loved ones show you care, but you can benefit from it, too. Studies show that helping others can reduce stress, increase happiness, and even help you live longer.
Here are 7 simple ways to connect with your loved ones — and let them know that you care.
1. Respond to “bids”
According to Dr. John Gottman, our loved ones will often make “bids” for our attention throughout the day. These bids are when a loved one says something like, “Want to see what I made during art class?” or “Take a look at this cute cat video.”
One good way to respond to bids is by active listening. You can show your loved one you’re actively listening by paying close attention to what they’re saying. Let them know you’re listening by nodding, smiling, or saying “I see.”
And don’t be afraid to ask questions if you’re unsure of what was said. These seemingly small interactions can let our loved ones know we truly care about what’s important to them.
2. Practice mindfulness
It can be easy to get distracted by multiple screens and to-do lists. So when you spend time with loved ones, make a point to limit interruptions. Put down your tablet or smartphone, and focus on staying present. Show up on time, actively listen, and avoid multitasking. If you don’t have a lot of time, consider having a 5- or 10-minute phone call. Giving your undivided attention will make your loved one feel valued and appreciated.
3. Lend a hand
We all need extra help from time to time — and that’s OK. You can show someone you care by offering to help when you think they might be struggling. If, for example, your sister just had a baby and is feeling overwhelmed, offer to run her errands or make her a home-cooked meal so she can get some much-needed rest.
4. Have an attitude of gratitude
Showing appreciation can make people feel good about what they do. How you show gratitude could be as simple as sharing a kind word or as meaningful as writing a handwritten thank-you note for the influence they’ve had in your life. And expressing gratitude can remind both you and your loved one of the positive parts of your lives.
5. Celebrate success
When your loved one accomplishes a goal, be their own personal cheerleading squad. Take some time to celebrate their success and show interest in their life. No matter how you choose to celebrate — sending them a greeting card in the mail, taking them out to dinner, donating to a charity or cause that’s important to them in their name — the other person will feel empowered by your support.
6. Spend quality time together
Quality time is the moments you spend with your loved ones that make you both feel closer and more connected. It can be as simple as meeting for coffee, watching a favorite movie together, playing a board game, or even chatting on a video call. The activity itself doesn’t matter — what matters is how the time spent together makes you feel.
7. Just be there
Listen to someone vent, be a shoulder to cry on, or hold their hand if they’re going through a tough time.
Even if you don’t know the right words to say, by just being there, you let the other person know how much they matter to you. This is especially important if a loved one is struggling with a mental health issue like depression. You don’t need to be a doctor or therapist to offer support — listening with an open mind can help them feel understood. But if you ever do need guidance on what to say, we’re here to help.
So, take time to show you care. You’ll strengthen your relationships and give your loved ones — and yourself — a dose of good health.
(Part Three Dharma That Every Buddhist Must Follow)
The second book I read was called Dharma That Every Buddhist Must Follow. From the title I knew this must be a very important book for all Buddhists. In the preface, the author herself, Among Nopu Pamu said: “Dharma That Every Buddhist Must Follow is very deep Buddha Dharma which must be relied upon and applied by teachers and disciples. Because of such conditions, if one dose not rely upon, dose not study, and dose not practice Dharma That Every Buddhist Must Follow, then no matter what Dharma one practices, one cannot attain liberation from the cycle of birth and death. …. Dharma That Every Buddhist Must Follow is the mother of the mother of all Dharmas.”
The book is a collection of discourses that Pamu gave to an assembledge of Buddhist masters of highest rank, over a period of a few days under a very special karmic condition. It lays out the path to enlightenment by pinpointing the many mistakes practitioners of Buddhism can and do make in their actions or non-actions of “body, speech and mind”. To me this book was a truly indispensable guide in my daily practice. As a beginner Buddhist, I did not have a master yet, and sometimes I felt lost and tangled by the different teachings. All my Buddhism knowledge was from books and tapes, and I knew they couldn’t be completely right, since the authors were not a Buddha or Great Buddhisattva. Plus when I put them into my daily practice, I also added my own interpretations and understandings. I didn’t know whether my conducts conformed to the right Buddhism rules and procedures.
In the book, Puma illustrates “The ten superficialities of practitioners”. 1. The superficiality of Reciting Passages without Belief. 2. The superficiality of Speaking about benefiting others when one dose not have great compassion. 3. The superficiality of Donating the one is miserly. 4. For those who practice vajrayana Bddhism, The superficiality of Practicing while not abiding by the Samaya Precepts. 5. For Buddhist monks and nuns, The superficiality of Practicing while not abiding by the Precepts. 6. For laypersons, The superficiality of Practicing yet not diligently cultivating oneself. 7. The superficiality of only studying Principles but not practicing the Dharma. 8. The superficiality of Practicing the Dharma without knowing the Essentials of the Dharma. 9. The superficiality of Teaching people while not acting in accordance with the Dharma. 10. The superficiality of Instructing others when one’s own actions do not match one’s words.
Among the The ten superficialities of practitioners, Number 6: “For laypersons, the superficiality of practicing yet not diligently cultivating oneself“ was truly a wake-up call for me. I was in exactly same situation as written in the book. Laypersons cultivate themselves at home, where there is no one to instruct them or make arrangements for them. In their worldly life lay practitioners are often bound by things of the world. They are entangled by matters involving family, society, children, relatives, and work…. I could always find excuses to miss my homework. Things like, today my friends invited me to a party so I should go and enjoy life, or I was too tired at work so I need to relax a little bit, or today I had an argument with my husband so I felt so bad and did not want to practice the dharma,…. so on and so forth, day after day passed — no wonder I didn’t have any progress in my practices. Here Pamu gave me the utmost guidance: laypersons should have a mind aware of impermanence, a mind determined to break away from samsara. They should constantly remind and admonish themselves not to become confused by matters of this world. They should always remember to diligently cultivate themselves!
I always felt it is difficult to attain enlightenment while being immersed in worldly affairs. It’s like the common Chinese saying that one cannot have both fish and bear’s paws. I couldn’t consider holiness and worldliness at the same time, in my mind they are mutually exclusive. From the book I knew my viewpoint was very narrow and stiff. That was why I had so many defilements when I dealt with worldly affairs and my cultivation. Sometimes I wished I could quit all worldly attachments and go to the temple. Again Pamu shined the light for me: One should know that since the Buddha Dharma exists within this very world, full enlightenment must include awareness of the ultimate realities of this world. To speak of the Buddha Dharma without being concerned with worldly matters would be engaging in empty and incorrect talk. To think of handling ordinary worldly matters and practicing the Buddha Dharma as being opposite to each other is totally against the teachings of Sakyamuni Buddha that householders or laypersons are also able to cultivate themselves.
I felt so grateful that Puma illustrated all of the mistakes a Buddhism practitioner often makes and how one can correct oneself by following the instructions that are in the book. I found out that my way of practice had many flaws. Due to this book I was able to critically examine my way of practice and to correct many mistakes.
Each holiday season comes with high expectations for a cozy and festive time of year. However, for many this time of year is tinged with sadness, anxiety, or depression. Certainly, major depression or a severe anxiety disorder benefits most from professional help. But what about those who just feel lost or overwhelmed or down at this time of year? Research (and common sense) suggests that one aspect of the Thanksgiving season can actually lift the spirits, and it’s built right into the holiday — being grateful.
The word gratitude is derived from the Latin word gratia, which means grace, graciousness, or gratefulness (depending on the context). In some ways, gratitude encompasses all of these meanings. Gratitude is a thankful appreciation for what an individual receives, whether tangible or intangible. With gratitude, people acknowledge the goodness in their lives. In the process, people usually recognize that the source of that goodness lies at least partially outside themselves. As a result, being grateful also helps people connect to something larger than themselves as individuals — whether to other people, nature, or a higher power.
In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.
People feel and express gratitude in multiple ways. They can apply it to the past (retrieving positive memories and being thankful for elements of childhood or past blessings), the present (not taking good fortune for granted as it comes), and the future (maintaining a hopeful and optimistic attitude). Regardless of the inherent or current level of someone’s gratitude, it’s a quality that individuals can successfully cultivate further.
Research on gratitude
Two psychologists, Dr. Robert A. Emmons of the University of California, Davis, and Dr. Michael E. McCullough of the University of Miami, have done much of the research on gratitude. In one study, they asked all participants to write a few sentences each week, focusing on particular topics.
One group wrote about things they were grateful for that had occurred during the week. A second group wrote about daily irritations or things that had displeased them, and the third wrote about events that had affected them (with no emphasis on them being positive or negative). After 10 weeks, those who wrote about gratitude were more optimistic and felt better about their lives. Surprisingly, they also exercised more and had fewer visits to physicians than those who focused on sources of aggravation.
Another leading researcher in this field, Dr. Martin E. P. Seligman, a psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania, tested the impact of various positive psychology interventions on 411 people, each compared with a control assignment of writing about early memories. When their week’s assignment was to write and personally deliver a letter of gratitude to someone who had never been properly thanked for his or her kindness, participants immediately exhibited a huge increase in happiness scores. This impact was greater than that from any other intervention, with benefits lasting for a month.
Of course, studies such as this one cannot prove cause and effect. But most of the studies published on this topic support an association between gratitude and an individual’s well-being.
Other studies have looked at how being grateful can improve relationships. For example, a study of couples found that individuals who took time to express gratitude for their partner not only felt more positive toward the other person but also felt more comfortable expressing concerns about their relationship.
Managers who remember to say “thank you” to people who work for them may find that those employees feel motivated to work harder. Researchers at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania randomly divided university fund-raisers into two groups. One group made phone calls to solicit alumni donations in the same way they always had. The second group — assigned to work on a different day — received a pep talk from the director of annual giving, who told the fund-raisers she was grateful for their efforts. During the following week, the university employees who heard her message of gratitude made 50% more fund-raising calls than those who did not.
There are some notable exceptions to the generally positive results in research on gratitude. One study found that middle-aged divorced women who kept gratitude journals were no more satisfied with their lives than those who did not. Another study found that children and adolescents who wrote and delivered a thank-you letter to someone who made a difference in their lives may have made the other person happier — but did not improve their own well-being. This finding suggests that gratitude is an attainment associated with emotional maturity.
Ways to cultivate gratitude
Gratitude is a way for people to appreciate what they have instead of always reaching for something new in the hopes it will make them happier or thinking they can’t feel satisfied until every physical and material need is met. Gratitude helps people refocus on what they have instead of what they lack. And, although it may feel contrived at first, this mental state grows stronger with use and practice.
Here are some ways to cultivate gratitude on a regular basis.
Write a thank-you note. You can make yourself happier and nurture your relationship with another person by writing a thank-you letter or email expressing your enjoyment and appreciation of that person’s impact on your life. Send it, or better yet, deliver and read it in person if possible. Make a habit of sending at least one gratitude letter a month. Once in a while, write one to yourself.
Thank someone mentally. No time to write? It may help just to think about someone who has done something nice for you, and mentally thank the individual.
Keep a gratitude journal. Make it a habit to write down or share with a loved one thoughts about the gifts you’ve received each day.
Count your blessings. Pick a time every week to sit down and write about your blessings — reflecting on what went right or what you are grateful for. Sometimes it helps to pick a number — such as three to five things — that you will identify each week. As you write, be specific and think about the sensations you felt when something good happened to you.
Pray. People who are religious can use prayer to cultivate gratitude.
Meditate. Mindfulness meditation involves focusing on the present moment without judgment. Although people often focus on a word or phrase (such as “peace”), it is also possible to focus on what you’re grateful for (the warmth of the sun, a pleasant sound, etc.).
Around the end of year 2001, I received a set of six books written by Ah Wang Nuo Bu Pa Mu. I remembered that in the book True Stories About A Holy Monk, Dharma King Dorje Losang said that even though he was the level of a Dharma King, he still must seriously study Entering the Door of the Dharma written by Ah Wang Nuo Bu Pa Mu. He said, “It is not fundamental Buddhist book! I have learned and practiced the five great Vajra dharma groups, the Atiyoga Supreme Dharma and the Great Perfection Mind Essence Dharma over and over again. Only now do I understand how magnificent the Buddha dharma books of the Holy Mother are.”
So I started to read the book Entering the Door of the Dharma.
The first chapter was titled, “First talk about big or small Dharma, then discuss the wrong and right dharma”. This chapter was a warning bell to me. After all, the wish I had harbored in my heart was to learn a great dharma whereby I will become a Buddha in this very lifetime. I dreamed I could learn and practice the great Dharma, such as the Great Perfection (Dzogchen) of the Nyingma sect, the Mind Within Mind of the Kagyu sect, the Great Perfection of Wonderful Wisdom of the Sakya sect, the Kalachakra Vajra of the Geluk sect, and Zen meditation of the Zen sect of exoteric Buddhism, etc…. I wanted to jump to the highest level, quickly reach the liberation with nothing to fear or to suffer… my life will full of joy and good fortune…
What a naive and selfish Buddhism practitioner I was! I felt I was so foolish, wanting to build a tower on quicksand. Such a tower could not be built.
As I continued to read the book, I gained a lot of fundamental knowledge about buddhism. The buddhism theory is so deep and broad. One chapter is focused on “cause and effect”. Pa Mu said, “most of the disciples just know about cause and effect, but they didn’t understand what is cause and effect, therefore they do not truly believe in it. “ After reading this chapter, I pondered to myself seriously. Did I truly understand the law of causality, and did I truly believe in the law of causality? If I did, how come my mind still falls into so much confusions and chaos. I looked deeply in my mind, and found out I only believed in the causality when good things happened to me. When bad thing happened or I was very sick, I started to doubt about it, and complained why I deserved these sufferings and unfair treatments. I started to blame peoples around me, and began to wonder why Buddha ad Bodhisattva did not bless me.
I thought about my marriage relationship. I was always puzzled why my husband always blames me, yells and scolds me even for a small thing, but before we married he always tried to flatter and please me. From the law of causality, everything I experience right now were the results of the cause I have done in the past. Anything that happened must have a reason. I must have done a similar thing to my husband before. I started to change my attitude towards him. When he got mad at me, I would think, this is my opportunity to pay my debt back to him — continuing to argue with him wouldn’t do any good, except cause more tension and damage. It was really hard to do it at beginning, I needed to force myself to keep quiet and don’t talk back, don’t analyze what he is saying, focus on my inner peace, don’t get irritated by outside things…. After a while I gradually became more mentally freer and at ease.
From the book I learned that everything and all phenomena arise from causality, including of course the good and adversary karmic conditions between people. If we generate resentment or hatred or take harmful actions against the other side when subjected to bullying or unfair treatment, wouldn’t another evil cause be seeded, which we will have to pay for through suffering the malicious consequence?! Then, wouldn’t the vicious process continue forever without an end?! The only thing I could do is to repent all the evil causes I did in the past, and pay it back when encountering the situation without any complaints. I do not want to plant any evil causes anymore, since the law of causality never errs.
I was happy that I finally found the door of entering Dharma.
Peace LiLy 