Just Meditate!

"On Sitting Meditation: An Inscription"
Excerpted from Admonitions for Monastics

By Meditation Master Buddha Eye Qingyuan, of Longmen

The light of the mind shines in emptiness; its substance transcends extremes and pervades all. The light of the mind is like golden waves lapping, for the mind is always in deep absorption, whether in movement or in stillness. When thoughts occur, no need to stop them; when thoughts cease, no need to avoid them. The mind simply rides on the crests of waves freely, so when does it ever arise or cease? Mahakasyapa demonstrated for us how arising and ceasing of thoughts became extinct.

With not one gap in the mind whether we sit, stand, walk, or recline, why not sit and meditate? Why not meditate while we sit? Only when we understand what this means are we meditating. Who is sitting and what is meditation? For those who wish to meditate, use the Buddha to find the Buddha. But the Buddha need not be found, for the more we search, the more the Buddha is nowhere to be found.

Meditation is not about what you observe externally, for meditation is not a technique for seeking outwardly. The beginner’s mind is busy and inevitably fickle, hence one is taught many contemplation methods to quiet the mind. Focus as you sit erect. First a flurry of thoughts flies about, but after a long while, thoughts ease and lighten. Let your six senses pause in their judgement a bit. As soon as you make some of distinction, arising and ceasing have begun already. The arising and ceasing of thoughts and their changes manifest from the mind, which require the mind to contemplate them once more. When thoughts develop no more, we wear a perfect crown of light and beam with a spiritual flame. By then, the mind is unobstructed and can enter the horizontal and the vertical. The cycle of birth and death ends forever. That immortal pill let's you melt gold. Coarse and fine afflictions cannot seep in or out of your body or mind.

We may discuss confusion and enlightenment but not adverse or pleasant states of mind. As we recount the details of our days while meditating, we realize that the [enlightened] mind has not changed, it is still very messy. But in one brief moment, an ordinary being can become a sage because of it. As we go about our busy day, we should be extremely cautious with our thoughts. Anyone who does not know this -- sit and contemplate.

I wrote this article in a matter of a day, out of utter respect. 


《緇門警訓卷第二》 
龍門佛眼遠禪師坐禪銘

心光虛映體絕偏圓。金波匝匝動寂常禪。念起念滅不用止絕。任運滔滔何曾起滅。起滅寂滅現大迦葉。坐臥經行未嘗間歇。禪何不坐坐何不禪。了得如是始號坐禪。坐者何人禪是何物。而欲坐之用佛覓佛。佛不用覓覓之轉失。坐不我觀禪非外術。初心鬧亂未免回換。所以多方教渠靜觀。端坐收神。初則紛紜久久恬淡。虛閑六門六門稍歇。於中分別。分別纔生已成起滅。起滅轉變從自心現。還用自心反觀一遍。一反不再圓光頂戴靈焰騰輝。心心無礙橫該竪入。生死永息。一粒還丹點金成汁。身心客塵透漏無門。迷悟且說逆順休論。細思昔日冷坐尋覓。雖然不別也大狼藉。剎那凡聖無人能信。匝地忙忙大須謹慎。如其不知端坐思惟一日築著。伏惟伏惟。 

A Small Part of Translating Totality in Parts

The following is an excerpt from Translating Totality in Parts: Chengguan's Commentaries and Subcommentaries to the Avatamsaka Sutra by Guo Cheen. Published by University Press of America.

Book launch on May 9, 2014. Please purchase and review the book on Amazon.com that day!

Book review:   "Guo Cheen has made a substantial contribution to contemporary Buddhist Studies. Chengguan's commentaries on the Avatamsaka/Huayan Sutra were among the most important endeavors in Chinese Buddhist philosophy. Having them now available in English translation extends our realization that the philosophy of 'interrelatedness' is one of the greatest gifts from the Buddhist tradition to our moment in time."  -- Dale S. Wright, Gamble Distinguished Professor 

of Religious Studies/Asian Studies, Occidental College

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Commentaries to the Flower Ornament Sūtra

with Greatly Proper and Extensive Discourses by the Buddhas

Going and returning without bounds,

the source of movement and stillness is but one.

The extraneous exists, for it contains a multitude of wonders;

the outstanding soars, for it transcends words and thoughts

it can only be the Dharma Realm.

It splices and shatters the esoteric and subtle,

illuminating and expanding the mind and states.

It reaches noumena exhaustively and the inherent nature thoroughly,

penetrating consequences and covering causes.

An oceanic expanse profound and profuse,

it is vast, huge, and replete with everything.

It can only be The Flower Ornament Sūtra

      with Greatly Proper and Extensive Discourses by the Buddhas!

So when our World Honored One’s

Ten Bodies were initially perfected

and his Proper Enlightenment first realized,

he rode about the universe on his conduct and vows,

infusing into the nature of his essence, emptiness

rich with myriad virtues

swept clear of any fiber of dust he has.

The translucent waves of the pellucid sea of wisdom

nominally contain the myriad phenomena.

The full moon in the bright sky of his inherent nature

spontaneously cascades into streams in the hundreds.

Without arising, the king of trees

extends to seven places in the Dharma Realm.

Without negating future bounds,

upon his initial realization, he proclaims flowingly at the nine assemblies.

  

Exhausting the vast expanses of this profound study,

he blankets the inconceivable, oceanic assemblies.

Droplets of splendid sound flow forth

instantly circulating throughout the ten lands.

Over and over again, the host and his companions

simultaneously sing to reach the edge of the ten directions.

Though emptiness is emptied and devoid of one trace,

stars sparkle across the sky of meaning.

Though stillness is stilled and bereft of words,

waves in the sea of teachings tumble tumultuously.

Thousands of gates submerge only to gush forth,

casting a colossal fountainhead with a multitude of texts

so that the myriad of virtues intersect and return,

gathering-in various sūtras as retinue.

This is the purport.

The orphic true body in the realm of a myriad of transformations

reveals virtues’ form at the gate of exceptional quandary.

Functions flourish so they are everlasting;

wisdom pervasively mirrors and yet is always still.

The true and the false intersect thoroughly

so that through the ordinary mind the mind of Buddhas is seen.

Cultivate both phenomena and noumena

by relying on fundamental wisdom while seeking the wisdom of the Buddhas.

Noumenon changes according to phenomena

as boundless conditions give rise to the one and the many.

Phenomena become integrated with noumenon,

as thousands of differences relate without impediment.

So the Ten Bodies he attained are distinct but work together.

He interferes not with the Six Positions and enfolds them furthermore.

They are so vast they melt into ceaselessness.

Embraced and accommodated by a dust or a hair,

     nothing is outside of them.

Distinct and radiant, they manifest simultaneously

like mustard seeds in a jar.

Complete and concurrent,

they are droplets occupying the sea.

Obstructing neither one nor many,

equivalent to a thousand lamps in an empty hall.

Delivering both concealment and revelation,

such as a slice of moon in the autumn sky.

Layers and layers of their reflections intersect,

as if those on the dangling pearls of the Lord’s Net.

Perfect and interpenetrating are they in thought after thought,

similar to centuries in a dream overnight.

The Dharma doors stack up,

like clouds, mounting across the long sky.

The scent of their myriad of conduct drapes over,

comparable to flowers blooming on brocades.

Too lofty to behold,

just as Bodhisattva Accumulating Conduct

      exposes himself like a dessicated fish at the dragon gate,  

Too profound to catch a glimpse of,

just as the supremely virtuous Sound Hearers

      were visually and aurally obstructed at the celebratory assembly.

Seeing and hearing are seeds

in transcending the Eight Difficulties as steps to the Ten Stages.

Personally practice understanding and action,

in one lifetime, the fruits of vast eons are perfected.

The lion bolts

the oceanic multitudes spontaneously reach certification in the forest.

The elephant king turns

six-thousand realize the Way as soon as the words fall.

His enlightened explanation at the Eastern temple

shows that his wisdom is full, no different than the initial mindstate.

Entrusted with positions, he sought southward

consummating causes without having to exceed the bounds of a pore.

In dissecting the fascicles of the Sūtra in a particle,

fruitions are realized in thought after thought.

Through the door of fulfilling sentient beings’ vows,

his conduct is perfected in dust mote after dust mote.

Truly it can be called wondrous articulation throughout forever,

as these prevalent rules are versatile for any direction.

An ultimate expression that matches the inherent nature

and the essential track of the One Vehicle.

In the search for the esoteric aim,

I have browsed other sūtras;

but this one is like the radiant sun on a sunny day,

robbing brilliance from numerous other scenes,

as if Sumeru across the seas,

clipping the heights of summits in multiples.

Hence the Bodhisattva searched for the mystical in the Dragon Palace

and greatly worthy ones proclaimed it in China.

Concerned only about how in the era of the Proper Dharma

a clear illumination is shrouded still.

Fortunately during the concluding hours of the Image Age,

we occasion mysterious transformations.

Not to mention encountering a sagely lord

at the top of Vulture Peak.

So we ponder earnestly the mysteries of this School

how can we not jump for joy?

The title The Flower Ornament Sūtra

      with Greatly Proper and Extensive Discourses by the Buddhas

is a general name for an inexhaustible sūtra.

Chapter one, Wondrous Adornments of Leaders of Worlds,

is a distinct topic for a variety of meaning in these sections.

“Greatly” vastly covers boundlessness.

“Proper” upholds the orthodox Dharma on its own.

“Extensive discourses” reach with their consistent essence.

“Buddhas” awaken to that which is esoteric and wondrous.

“Flower” is a metaphor for the meritorious virtues of a myriad of conduct.

“Ornament” refers to the adorned Dharmas that make for people.

“Sūtra” is the eternal spring pouring forth,

threading the wonderful meanings mystically coalesced

and gathering-in limitless seas of assemblies

as the perpetual guidelines throughout eternity.

Buddhas and all kings

are both called lords of worlds.

All Dharma doors that rely on externals

are termed wondrous ornaments.

  

Divided into types of meanings to clarify the titles of books,

the crowning chapter among them is called the first.

This Sūtra contains 39 books.

This chapter is initial in form,

therefore it is named Chapter One of The Flower Ornament Sūtra

      with Greatly Proper and Extensive Discourses by the Buddhas. 

大方廣佛華嚴經疏

往復無際、動靜一源．含眾妙而有餘、超言思而逈出者，其唯法界歟。剖裂玄微、 昭廓心境．窮理盡性、徹果該因．汪洋冲融、廣大悉備 者．其唯大方廣佛華嚴經焉。故我世尊十身初滿。正覺始成。乘願行以彌綸。混虛空為體性。富有萬德。蕩無纖塵。湛智海之澄波。虛含萬象。皦性空之滿月。頓落百川。不起樹王。羅七處於法界。無違後際。暢九會於初成。盡宏廓之幽宗．被難思之海會．圓音落落， 該十剎而頓周．主伴重重，極十方而齊唱。雖空空絕跡。而義天之星象燦然。湛湛亡言。而教海之波爛浩澣。若乃千門潛注。與眾典為洪源。萬德交歸。攝群經為眷屬。其為旨也。冥真體於萬化之域。顯德相於重玄之門。用繁興以恒如。智周鑑而常靜。真妄交徹。即凡心而見佛心。事理雙修。依本智而求佛智。理隨事變。則一多緣起之無邊。事得理融。則千差涉入而無礙。故得十身歷然而相作。六位不亂而更收。廣大即入於無間。塵毛包納而無外。炳然齊現。猶彼芥瓶。具足同時。方之海滴。一多無礙。等虛室之千燈。隱顯俱成。似秋空之片月。重重交映。若帝網之垂珠。念念圓融。類夕夢之經世。法門重疊。若雲起長空。萬行芬披。比華開錦上。若夫高不可仰。則積行菩薩曝腮鱗於龍門。深不可闚。則上德聲聞杜視聽於嘉會。見聞為種。八難超十地之階。解行在躬。一生圓曠劫之果。師子奮迅。眾海頓證於林中。象王迴旋。六千道成於言下。啟明東廟。智滿不異於初心。寄位南求。因圓不逾於毛孔。剖微塵之經卷。則念念果成。盡眾生之願門。則塵塵行滿。真可謂常恒之妙說。通方之洪規。稱性之極談。一乘之要軌也。尋斯玄旨。卻覽餘經。其猶杲日麗天。奪眾景之耀。須彌橫海。落群峰之高。是以菩薩搜祕於龍宮。大賢闡揚於東夏。顧惟正法之代。尚匿清輝。幸哉像季之時。偶斯玄化況逢聖主。得在靈山。竭思幽宗。豈無慶躍。題稱大方廣佛華嚴經者。即無盡修多羅之總名。世主妙嚴品第一者。即眾篇義類之別目。大以曠兼無際。方以正法自持。廣則稱體而周。佛謂覺斯玄妙。華喻功德萬行。嚴謂飾法成人。經乃注無竭之涌泉。貫玄凝之妙義。攝無邊之海會。作終古之常規。佛及諸王。並稱世主。法門依正。俱曰妙嚴。分義類以彰品名。冠群篇而稱第一。斯經有三十九品。此品建初。故云大方廣佛華嚴經。

On Civil Rights Demands

            From alleged government espionage programs to religious scandals of assault or abuse – where among this barrage of Lord of the Flies scenes do Buddhist observers find confirmation of the belief that people are inherently good?

            When the historical Buddha Shakyamuni founded his order of ascetic monks, he established no rules. I presume he did not lay down any because he and Buddhists in general consider every being wise and compassionate by nature. However, even this enlightened soul developed precepts for transgressions that people committed.

            As Buddhism migrates westward to countries with explicitly stated natural rights, a general regard for human rights and more comprehensive sets of constitutional laws, and legal systems based ideally on the pursuit of liberty, justice and happiness, how should the religious demand civil treatment, if at all? How should the religious assure that civil rights begin from within their institutions?

Whereas fundamentalist Buddhists may argue for an essentialist transference of Buddhism to the west -- everything should proceed as it had in Asia. Karma will take care of everything, regardless of human nature. Those deserving of support or condemnation will receive them accordingly. Monastics are to swim upstream (metaphorically speaking) and pursue not liberty, justice or happiness but only ultimate freedom from cyclic existence. And for such goals, monastics of a Buddhist order must be obedient and docile, there are no inalienable rights to speak of.

            Buddhism acculturates into the culture that it enters. Inevitably, western culture will change Buddhism as Buddhism will change this culture. Cultural and ideological differences should be cause for Buddhist orders to reconsider and incorporate at least the principles of fairness, procedural due process, and equality. Hence, I as a Buddhist nun, would advocate that monastics in the U.S. and beyond be accorded certain basic rights, and best if these were put in writing.

            

Image from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/388787380303276966/

Presuming a different cultural context and few enlightened teachers in the U.S., it is especially important to institute fair and standardized due process. For example, to avoid or prevent different standards and lack of clarity so that neither ecumenical nor secular authorities may manipulate or miscommunicate the interpretations of law.

            In an increasingly litigious society, religious organizations ought to consider more preventative measures and remedial resources. Offering confidential counsel to listen and to advise those faced with frustration, developing ombudsman and mediator roles to ameliorate charges and improve relations are a few possibilities. Otherwise, in cases of alleged abuse, victims usually remain silent for a long time and finally report in less than amicable circumstances. The same applies to cases of alleged transgressions. Counseling, advising, and mediation are better ways to improve any individual or system issues.

            Principles east and west can be misused anywhere. Therefore it is important, for one, to recognize that karma is not the same as punishment. No one in a position of authority may oppress in the name of karma. The law of cause and effect is also agency for creating our future and that is exactly what we are to do. Two, democracy is not to be imitated and warped into a game of win or loss, and certainly not a propaganda ploy for anyone and everyone to scrutinize some target as if she were an election candidate while the voting grounds shift continuously. Three, silence and homogeneity are not harmony. Minority voices ought not be squashed in the name of harmony. And four, absolute docility and obedience can bring out the worst in people. The 1971 Stanford prison project showed that whereby absolute power was granted the wardens (assumed by college students), decent college students turned sadistic and destructive in a short span of a few days. Prison inmates (also assumed by college students, unbeknownst to the wardens) were harmed to such an extent that the originally planned two-week experiment had to terminate abruptly on its sixth day.

            In short, as religious orders adapt and assimilate in the West, they cannot help but evolve. I hope, however, the direction in which they move will encourage the pursuit of both democratic and spiritual ideals.

The Private Confessions of a Mad Nun

           Dear Father, forgive me, for I have sinned.

I continue to sin, simmering in anger, blame and hatred.

I continue to sin, being unable to forgive long enough to survive the next bout of provocation.

I continue to sin, being haunted by a dream, and what may very well have been a dream.

One dream is that of a dark dungeon. In its dusty rotunda with creaky floors and walls that must hold many ominous tales at bay, people are in motion but eerily quiet. I look about as I stand there, lost for a moment. Suddenly, someone comes from behind me and slides a razor-thin slice of glass into my neck. Bloodless and undetected, I became one of the many zombie-like figures around – deathly and mute. . .

If you recall, Father, it has been about 17 years since I last attempted a confession of sorts. That Buddhist confession did not turn out so well. Ensnared unaware in a storm of political infighting, renditions of my confession were made public in a way that made me the target of mockery, humiliation, and hostility. For the last decade I swore to myself that I will never reveal anything again to anyone in that religious institution, or perhaps, to anyone at all.

I come to you again, Father, because I am troubled -- troubled that the cuts to the neck and other parts of me continue despite my eviction from my former Buddhist order nearly five years ago. As you see in the documents I have preserved, I was chided for a list of faults that range from not wearing a nun's booties to not smiling enough, from missing meditation to having a female neighbor enter my room. In essence, I was told that I was unfit for their community. Compromises such as stays at subsidiary branches and short-term absences were rejected outright. Forced out within two hours, I grabbed what little I could of my belongings and stepped onto the next flight, for which my family purchased the ticket. What else was I to assume other than a complete severance of my relationship with that Association?

What I consider to be trouble did not stop though. Unless I am insane, it is sometimes too obvious to me that strangers and strangers I wish to befriend would deliver to me demeaning messages, cravings in memes, and morbid wishes. I feel powerless about not being able to communicate directly, in normal uncoded language so that meaning is not left to interpretation and re-interpretation. I want to tell those behind-the-scenes puppet-manipulators to knock it off! How arrogant of them to play themselves as if they were God, omnipotent and omnipresent! How cowardly of them to be hiding behind a veil, leaving me with no opportunity to respond -- or to strangle them (oh sorry)! Is this what so-called religious “leaders” must do -- repeatedly throw unspoken accusations at you as if to brainwash you until you become their insults? I refuse to adopt even their labels, not to mention responding to them.

Dear Father, I recognize my weaknesses, imperfections and neuroses, but it is too cheap and contrived to explain toying with someone's mind as lessons in Buddhist koans (meditation riddles) or tests. It is particularly dangerous, as has been shown in cases past and present, when standards vary because of an individual's status, positional power, gender, potential as a threat etc., not to mention there are cases of gross misbehavior on the part of the religious who are never addressed, and certainly those alleged are never slapped with the big stick of expulsion.

For someone who has never been through an ousting of any sort, this experience was and continues to be unpleasant. One of the major challenges is my shakened faith. I now question religious authority and the facade of those so-called “leaders”. Too often they are shrewd politicians more concerned about getting their way and demonstrating their truths in front of people. Especially in cloisters, abuses often occur under the guise of compassion. One senior nun whom I admired very much wrote a letter to this Buddhist Association before she departed about how she was tired of being a two-face and seeing two-faced individuals. There is always an image that they have to prop up for outsiders.

I also remember, for example, how I had Bells’ palsy about eight or nine years ago while in the monastery. Since I was unable to get immediate and regular medical treatment, permanent damage was done to one side of my face. The medical instruction I did receive was to avoid strong winds, but that proscription was dismissed and I was told to brave it. I hear those making excuses for my eviction about how it may have been because I was sick. I cringe at the thought that my judges thought to cure me by inducing extreme stress.

Though I have yet to experience uninterrupted respite, I continue to take things one day at a time and to take advantage of opportunities that I otherwise would not have encountered. For instance, I was able to affirm and organize activities in support of the Charter for Compassion, co-found Women of Spirit and Faith, lead group and online teachings, and serve as an ambassador at the most recent Parliament of World's Religions. I found joy and satisfaction in giving of myself with those past involvements.

I am an optimist after all and I am taking my time to reevaluate my faith and maybe in time reassemble it. I continue to be a devout Buddhist and I am certain I will remain a life-long nun unless I'm physically removed of my robes.

Meanwhile, dear Father, forgive me, and please help me forgive. Please help me rebuild faith in other people and in their inherent goodness. Do not let any figurative ice pricks and dampers make me hard-hearted. Let me take things one step at a time, one breath at a time. May I meet more people who are good through and through, and together, may we live the dream of encouraging one another and more. May we become wise and compassionate for the world. 

Come Hell or High Water -- You Are Empowered to Help

A death toll of more than 18,000, nuclear radiation, shifts in planetary balance, tsunami warnings along the west coast of U.S. and other parts of the world. . .

All this occurred because “The identity of the Japanese people is selfishness. The Japanese people must take advantage of this tsunami as means of washing away their selfish greed. I really do think this is divine punishment” according to Tokyo governor Shintaro Ishihara.

This is a most unwise and unkind statement for the Governor's own people undergoing an unprecedented natural disaster.

Given that there are also rumblings about how the Japanese people deserve this catastrophe because of their karma (action) of having slaughtered whales, dolphins and other sea creatures, I want to say a little more about the law of cause and effect.

Karma is not a verdict to be slapped on anyone, especially not neighbors in distress. When you see others experiencing difficulty, attempt compassion and know that it is good karma for you to encounter a situation where you may help. Know that better karma will result for you and those in need.

When you experience difficulty, attempt wisdom and accept that, whatever it is you are experiencing is your individual or collective karma and you are now in charge of creating your upcoming karma. Better karma will occur as a result of your assuming complete and total responsibility-- mentally, physically and psycho-spiritually-- because you are responsible for what is in your future.

Once upon a time, a village decided to burn a woman to death for being an alleged phony and whore. The townspeople watched for signs as they wheel-barreled the outcast, all limbs tied and mouth stuffed shut, to the desolate desert to receive her execution. Along the way, they smell wafts of noxious odor. They sneer at each other, giddy as they tell themselves that their judgment is affirmed by the Almighty. They decimate the said criminal until she is reduced to ashes. Upon returning home, they see their houses burned to the ground, releasing a strong stench as carcasses of their dearly beloved cauterize.

Reading natural or man-made phenomena as signs can border on superstition and can be dangerous, especially if constructed or interpreted by a select few with an agenda. Is it possible that these are divine warnings for us to stop blaming the victim(s) and treat them as sacrificial lambs?

Furthermore, I would not be too quick to judge a situation the result of good or bad karma. In the aftermath of a series of disasters in Japan, there are also heartening stories of heroism and caring for neighbors like “the good old days”.

Karma is a web of cause and effect made up of a complex number of elements including: intention, action and outcome involving thoughts, speech and physical behavior that vary in degree depending on the timing, duration, participant(s), number and size of them etc. (Master Zhizhe's Commentaries on the Meanings of the Bodhisattva Precepts). Consequently, karma is not deterministic nor easily determined.

For this reason, leaders and religious institutions must be especially mindful that people are not toys or chess pieces, being enticed or driven according to the propounded interpretation of karma. For the power that be to claim a phenomenon reward or punishment for a specific populations is to demean the intelligence of those individuals, leaving only a bitter taste of condescension behind.

Fortunately, karma can also be simple and empowering. Lest you feel overwhelmed by the troubles of the world and wonder if there is anything else you can do other than make donations, here are a few ways to contribute to a safer and steadier Japan and the earth:

• Commit an act of kindness. For example, as feasible, send care packages or letters to friends and earthquake victims in Japan.
• Treasure the earth's limited resources and its sentient beings. For instance, stop wearing leather or fur, shop with our own bags and use less water and energy.
• Pray, send loving-kindness and dedicate merit. Merit is derived from spiritual practices and acts of kindness. Like invisible capital in the bank, when you accumulate merit you will also be able to share such wealth. Examples of Buddhist spiritual practices include: reciting mantras (e.g., the Great Compassion Mantra) and meditating to alter vibrations and energy fields; reading, reciting, studying, memorizing or copying out sacred texts; repenting and bowing on behalf of humanity and the earth.
• Maintain personal vows that create conditions for others to do good, e.g., not lying, not stealing, and not creating an environment where unkindness is the norm or is rewarded.

Pick one and do it once every day for seven to 49 days. Tell me what you notice by the end of that period of time.

Ancient Wisdom Needed for Contemporary Spirituality

via the elephant journal

Photo: Dennis Jarvis

More harrowing tales of sex scandals, money laundering, power struggles and coercive threats. . .
Apparently Buddhism in the West is no different than any other faith tradition. No matter how developed, an organizational structure comes to embody some aspect of unhealthy cultic dynamics— and the denial of such dynamics, or a lack of awareness of them, is one of the most common indicators of this disease.
Health is restored in acknowledging the gnawing games played, in offering an explanation, an expression of remorse and reparation, and in investing patience, open communication and large doses of the Dharma into long-term healing.

Large doses of the Dharma are glaringly absent in Buddhism in the West despite the pervasiveness of meditation and occasional emergence of sagely teachers. In this cynicism-prone society, we must admit there are role models; however, teachers are of only two types — exemplars and gauges.

According to Advice for Monastics, a compilation of exhortations by Buddhist teachers and specifically referring to Buddhist teachers here: 1. Exemplars are those who are wise and solid in their practice. They are like light in an enclosed room, filtering through the window cracks. 2. Gauges are those who understand but their practices are full of flaws. They are like crooks who light up the Way with a lamp.

Photo: R. M. Calamar

Obviously exemplary teachers are in the minority and rarely recognized as such, not to mention when they are immersed in groupthinking sanghas that condone or support misconduct or misdirection. This has been the case historically with Shakyamuni Buddha and Devadatta, the Sixth Patriarch and Shenxiu.

For modern societies in the West, instructions of ancient sages must henceforth inform our compass. The Great Wisdom Shastra further argues that we must rely on the Dharma and not on individuals. I believe Buddhism will be different in the West if potential Buddhists and Buddhists have access to a substantial number of Buddhist texts in English.

The quality of teachers and sanghas declined in Asia over time because monastics were too often simply going through the motions and engaging in secular affairs in ways more secular than the rest of society. Buddhist monastics in China, in retrospect for example, had enlightened teachers in their midst but continued on a downward spiral.

One of the major reasons for such decline is that many of the monastics were illiterate and received no further education. They had no interest in and ability to understand the wealth of teachings by the Buddha and sages as compiled in the Tripitaka (the triple basket of spoken words by the Buddha, commentaries and moral guidelines). Even to this day, monastics in Asia continue to be less educated; one online statistic on the literacy of monks and nuns in Taiwan is said to be 60% and 16%, respectively.

Buddhists in the West, whether monastic or lay, male or female, have the propensity and literacy to read about different practices, advice and exhortations from the Buddha and sages on those practices and biographies of those who have awakened through those practices. Unfortunately, only a drop in the sea of Buddhist Tripitaka (whether Tibetan, Pali or Chinese Mahayanan) has been made available in English.
To build that bridge between ordinary people and sainthood, the urgent call now is to translate as much of the Buddhist Tripitaka as possible, in language that is accessible and perhaps created in collaboration. Buddhists in the West need upcoming generations to exemplify this path of practice now!

Requisite Subjects of Study for Monastics

Chinese Mahayana Sutra

 

From the Records of Preeminent Monastics

Translating Sutras. Converting Sanskrit into Chinese, [or in contemporary times, to English and other languages] the sutras can bridge ordinary people and sainthood. They turn the Dharma wheel and are teachers for all Buddhas.

Understanding the Meaning. Searching through the text for meaning, one forgets words when one reaches the meaning. The three kinds of wisdom are complete and the two reliances constantly turn.

Practicing Meditation. Cultivate until there is no thought so that good and bad both end. End the ending; one abides in peace and happiness permanently.

Understanding the Vinaya. Stern and lacking in endearment, rush to protect that which is proper. Attentively guard the three karmas like an impregnable fortress.

Protecting the Dharma. What is the need for worrying about safeguarding and shielding when a good guard is at home? A teacher with clear understanding in the Dharma will defend one against outer humiliation.

Attracting Responses. Defying the usual principles, one immediately connects with response. Responses are difficult to fathom as they occur while one is transforming in the world.

Forsaking the Body. The foremost form of generosity is to give away what is difficult to give with a sense of ease. Dedicate this untidy body to the attainment of the vajra body.

Reading and Reciting. This is the best and greatest work among the ten types of work performed by Dharma Masters. Like the medicinal citron at Zhu River, when the fruits of this work are ripe, they are red and abundant.

Building Blessings. Blessings grow and offenses diminish for oneself and others. The benefits of conditional goodness are immense.

Miscellaneous. Gathering-in all subjects completely; returning to the noble together. Masters lecture sutras and guide beings to glorify the vehicle of Buddhas.