Buddhism For Beginners

Buddhism for
Beginners:
Questions and Answers
Compiled by Householder Fo’en
English translation by Householders Foqing and Folu
Edited by Householder Jingtu
Buddhism for Beginners: Questions and Answers
Compiled by Householder Fo’en
English translation by Householders Foqing and Folu
Edited by Householder Jingtu
Published by Pure Land Buddhism Publishing Co.

41, Alley 22, Lane 150, Sec 5, Shin-Yi Road, Taipei 11059, Taiwan
Tel: 886-2-27580689
Fax: 886-2-87807050
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.purelandbuddhism.org
Printed January 2018
(c) 2018 by Pure Land Buddhism Publishing Co.

This book is for free distribution; it is not for sale
Printed in Taiwan
CONTENTS v
CONTENTS
Preface
By Master Jingzong ix
CHAPTER ONE: Understanding Buddhism

1. Buddhism and the Buddha 2
2. The Spread of Buddhism 10
3. The Buddha’s Followers 34
4. Buddhist Centers of Teaching 43
CHAPTER TWO: Buddhist Teachings

1. The Four Noble Truths 54
2. The Law of Dependent Origination 61
3. Rebirth in the Six Realms 71
4. General Methods of Transcending Samsara 86
5. A Special Method of Transcending Samsara 108
6. The Practical Significance of Buddhism 130

vi Buddhism for Beginners: Questions and Answers
CHAPTER THREE: Mystical Phenomena

1. Resonances and Auspicious Signs 142
2. Supernatural Happenings 145
3. Distinguishing the True From the False 154
4. Transforming Customs 160
CHAPTER FOUR: A Fulfilling Life

1. Exclusive Recitation of Amitabha Buddha’s Name 168
2. Dutiful Discharge of Worldly Responsibilities 178
3. The Three Refuges and Five Precepts 181
4. Releasing Animals and Eating Vegetarian 186
5. Home Altars 195
6. Buddhist Rituals 201
7. Studying the Scriptures 210
8. Assisted Recitation and Deliverance of the Deceased 215
9. Life’s Haven 222

Live an Awakened Life,
Be Kind to Yourself
Attain Full Enlightenment,

Benefit All Living Beings
Preface ix
Preface
Religion emerged when human civilization evolved to a certain stage. Some

higher religions even represented an apex of mankind’s understanding of truth
and the world. They are still of significance today.
Most people worldwide embrace theistic religions, believing that all

things were created by a deity. Two-and-a-half millennia ago, however, Prince
Gautama Siddhartha was born in ancient India. He renounced his household
life for monastic cultivation and became a Buddha -- one who attained full
enlightenment regarding the truths of life and the universe. He overtly denied
creationism, indicating that it is a superstitious belief resulting from human
ignorance and confusion.
According to the Buddha, all phenomena have neither self nor possessions
of self. There are no achievements or achievers. All things are subject to
dependent origination and are of empty nature. They have always been in a state
of tranquil extinction. These notions are undoubtedly beyond our experience and
habitual thinking.
The Law of Dependent Origination and Empty Nature constitutes

Buddhism’s fundamental perception of the world’s phenomena. Things arise co-
dependently from various karmic causes. They originate with the convergence
of conditions, relationships and elemental factors. Because of such dependent
x Buddhism for Beginners: Questions and Answers
origination, the essence of all dharma is of non-independent nature. There exists

no unique, permanent subject. Everything is without an ego.
As conditions change, all phenomena continuously change as well.

But no matter how things transform, their essence is always empty. And
by virtue of emptiness, there are endless changes. “Dependent origination”
means that something exists, while “empty nature” indicates that its essence
is impermanent. Dependent origination manifests empty nature and coexists
with it -- and vice versa. The two are simultaneous. They are reflected in all
phenomena, showing that the world is an absolute and harmonious realm of
oneness.
With an understanding of dependent origination and empty nature, we

humans can surely break away from the myth of creators. According to
Buddhism, a creator-lord is merely a result of the pursuit by limited humans
of something unlimited. In the process they imagine and assume things that
are beyond their reach, hypothesizing that the unlimited, infinite existence is
god. The Buddha, however, personally realized and verified the subtlety and
profundity of the truth. He experienced the existence of infinity, so he needn’t
make any assumptions. Only he can abolish the existence of hypothetical gods.
Modern science and technology have developed greatly since the founding
of the major religions. Many explanations of phenomena based on religions
and mythologies have been demystified by science. People still need spiritual
beliefs, but religions’ spheres of influence are steadily diminishing. Impending
challenges from scientific developments have compelled religions to retreat step
by step. Fewer and fewer people believe in creationism. Some creeds are even
redefining god.
However, no matter how what advances science and technology make, the
Preface xi
truth of Dependent Origination and Empty Nature is incontestable. Buddhism’s

main purpose is to resolve ultimately the afflictions and suffering in our lives
and to attain the perfect happiness that resides in the truth: nirvana. Yet by
reason of the Buddha’s unhindered wisdom, his descriptions of the realm
of insentient beings – the material world – have repeatedly been verified as
byproducts of mankind’s scientific discoveries. Certainly, the discoveries and
inventions of science are far less profound, extensive and resplendent than
what is depicted in Buddhist scriptures. These two perspectives also differ in
terms of researchers’ areas of focus and norms of linguistic expression. So we
cannot simplistically equate them. But we may still compare them and obtain
interesting findings.
Science has found that there are countless galaxies in the macro-cosmos.
According to Buddhist sutras, a single Buddha’s realm contains three thousand
chiliocosms -- and there are immeasurable Buddha realms. Science is still
exploring and speculating on the issue of life beyond the Earth. For his part, the
Buddha has stated explicitly that there are innumerable worlds, each of which
contains a variety of life forms.
Within the micro-cosmos, science has discovered molecules, atoms,

electrons, protons, neutrons, quarks …. The Buddha speaks of endless sub-
division to “next to nothing,” culminating in emptiness.
Science claims that everything exists in the form of energy. The Buddha
affirms that “all phenomena are consciousness-only.”
The Buddha told us that time is an illusion of the human mind -- as are
space, distance, movement, interaction, life and death. So he says: “There is
neither arising nor ceasing, no coming or going.” He also says, a bowl of water
contains eighty thousand microbes, and a human body is the household of eighty
xii Buddhism for Beginners: Questions and Answers
thousand microbes. Modern microscopes show the same clearly.
The Buddha teaches us, “All things arise from Dharma realm” – a single
leaf or water droplet contains all the information of the entire universe. Every
thought embraces an infinity that runs from the past through the present to
the future. Each dust-mote embodies unlimited sublime realms. The three
time frames can be compressed into a single thought, while a thought can be
expanded into past, present and future. The ten directions can be contracted into
a single hair, and the latter can be enlarged into the former. Such freedom to
switch between long and short durations, and between broad and narrow spaces,
is far beyond human imagination.
This volume, Buddhism for Beginners: Questions and Answers, unfolds the
building blocks of Buddhist knowledge. It cannot possibly answer and satisfy
all the questions and curiosity of its readers. Yet it will fulfill its purpose if it
arouses readers’ interest in Buddhism and prompts them to pursue further its
truths.
May readers all achieve Buddhahood, attain perfect wisdom and

compassion, and obtain the body of truth to deliver all sentient beings. Namo
Amitabha Buddha.
Shi Jingzong
15th day of the 7th lunar month,
2561 Buddhist Era (September 5, 2017)
Chapter
1
Understanding Buddhism
2 Buddhism for Beginners: Questions and Answers
1. Buddhism and the Buddha
Q 1: Buddhism is known as one of the three major religions in the world,

together with Christianity and Islam. Is that correct?
A: Generally speaking, yes. Specifically, Buddhism is the teachings given

by Shakyamuni Buddha, based on his realistic understanding of life
and the universe. The sutras were spoken by the Buddha himself, which
differ from scriptures of other religions recorded by disciples according
to instructions from God or other deities.
Q 2: Is the Buddha a deity?
A: The Buddha is not a deity. The Buddha is the Awakened One, who
has attained full enlightenment regarding the truth about life and the
universe.
Q 3: Who is greater, Buddha or God?
A: According to the Dharma (teachings of Buddhism), all living beings have
Buddha-nature equal to that of the Buddha. God is one of those living
beings. So the question of who is greater does not exist.
Buddhism and the Buddha 3
Q 4: Are Shakyamuni Buddha and Tathagata Buddha (Rulaifo) in the

classic Chinese novel, Journey to the West, the same person?
 A: “Tathagata” and “Buddha” have the same meaning. For example,

Shakyamuni Buddha can be called Shakyamuni Tathagata, and Amitabha
Buddha can be called Amitabha Tathagata. “Tathagata Buddha,”
however, is not correct. There is no such Buddha called “Rulai.”
Q 5: I see. I thought Rulaifo, Shakyamuni Buddha and Amitabha Buddha

were the same.
A: Shakyamuni Buddha is the founder of Buddhism in our world. Amitabha

Buddha presides over the Western Land of Bliss. In numerous sutras,
Shakyamuni Buddha urges us to recite the name of Amitabha Buddha.
Q 6: Was Shakyamuni Buddha a real person in history?
A: Yes. He is mentioned in history textbooks. “Shakya” means “competence

and benevolence,” and “muni” means “serenity.” “Shakyamuni” refers
to a sage of the Sakya clan. Shakyamuni Buddha lived around the
6th century B.C.E., concurrent with the Spring and Autumn period in
China, and was a contemporary of Confucius. He was crown prince
of the Kapilavastu kingdom in ancient India. His name was Gautama
Siddhartha. His father was called Suddhodana; his mother, Maya. Queen
Maya gave birth to Prince Siddhartha while taking a rest under a tree in
Lumbini Grove. She died soon after giving birth. Prince Siddhartha was
raised by his aunt Princess Prajapati.
Q 7: Did he succeed to the throne?
 A: No, he didn’t. Since Prince Siddhartha was extremely wise and

handsome, King Suddhodana expected him to be a chakravartin, or ideal
universal ruler, who would subdue all nations. But Prince Siddhartha was
strongly touched by the phenomena he observed: birth, aging, sickness
and death, as well as the law of the jungle prevalent among living
creatures. He meditated frequently and thought about taking monastic
vows. Having discovered his son’s intention, King Suddhodana tried his
best to stop him. He arranged for his son to marry Princess Yasodhara
from a neighboring state. Yasodhara bore him a son named Rahula. But
all this was in vain. Finally Siddhartha slipped out of the royal palace
in the still of the night and became a wandering mendicant seeking the
truth.
Q 8: So we have to be a monk to study Buddhism?
 A: Not necessarily. Shakyamuni Buddha later taught people a way to

achieve full liberation without renunciation. It is to recite the name of
Amitabha Buddha, gain rebirth in the Pure Land and attain Buddhahood
there.
Q 9: How did Prince Siddhartha become a Buddha?
A: After leaving home, he visited three renowned scholars of the day and
learned from them. Very soon, he mastered all their methods. But none
of them was the real path of liberation. He then decided to seek freedom
from samsara by himself. To convince the ascetics (who practiced
austerities popular at the time), Siddhartha underwent severe austerities

for six years in a forest on the banks of the Neranjara River, living
on a grain of rice a day. After realizing the futility of austerities in his
search for enlightenment, Siddhartha stopped them and took a bath
in the Neranjara River, cleaning off the accumulated dirt of six years.
He accepted milk gruel offered by a shepherd girl and recovered his
strength. Then he went to a pippala tree, sat down on a seat made from
auspicious grass and faced East. He vowed, “I will not rise from this seat
until I have attained supreme enlightenment!” Finally, one night, after
defeating moral afflictions and Mara’s temptations, he achieved complete
enlightenment and became a Buddha.
The place where Shakyamuni attained Buddhahood is in the southern

suburbs of Bodh Gaya in India’s Bihar State. Nearby are numerous other
sites associated with the Buddha.
Q 10: Becoming a Buddha and an immortal are not the same, right?
A: Of course not. Some people can’t distinguish among Buddhas, deities
and immortals. Probably they were influenced by old ethics books
with contrived terms such as “divine Buddha” or “immortal Buddha.”
Immortals are a type of ordinary being within the Six Realms of Rebirth.
They may enjoy the five desires and possess certain supernatural powers
in meditation, but they haven’t attained complete emancipation.
Q 11: Why is the Buddha called Fo in Chinese? What’s the meaning of the
term?
A: Fo is an abbreviation of Fotuo, the transliteration of “Buddha.” Buddha

means an “enlightened person,” with three implications: 1) self-
enlightenment; 2) enlightening others -- not only awakening oneself but
also helping others become enlightened; 3) perfect enlightenment and
practice -- one’s wisdom and meritorious achievement have reached the
highest and most perfect level in enlightening both self and others.
Q 12: After becoming a Buddha and attaining the highest levels of merit,
what else did he do?
A: To deliver sentient beings from the suffering of samsara, Shakyamuni

Buddha traveled widely; many who heeded his teachings gained
liberation. First, he went to Sarnath in Benares (Varanasi) and found the
five followers who practiced austerities with him. He taught them the
Dharma. The five converted to his teachings and formed the very first
Buddhist Sangha. In Buddhism, the Buddha’s first discourse is called “the
initial turning of the Dharma wheel.”
Q 13: Why is it called the “turning the Dharma wheel”?
A: One of the seven treasures of the chakravartin is the chakra, or wheel.
It can break mountain rock and cannot be impeded. Buddhism uses the
chakra of the chakravartin as a metaphor to indicate that the Dharma
can cut through the hardened negative karma and afflictions of sentient
beings. Moreover, the Buddha did not stop with a single person or place
while giving his teachings. He was on the move, instructing many --

like a turning wheel. So Buddhism calls the Buddha’s discourses on the
Dharma the “turning of the Dharma wheel.”
Q 14: Why is the “initial turning of the Dharma wheel ” considered so

important?
A: The Buddha’s initial turning of the Dharma wheel at Sarnath was a major
event in Buddhism. From that moment, Buddhism was established and
the Three Gems were complete.
Q 15: What are the Three Gems?
A: They refer to the Gem of the Buddha, the Awakened One; the Gem of the
Dharma, the teachings given by the Buddha; and the Gem of the Sangha,
the order of the Buddha’s monastic disciples. The three are called gems
because they can lead people to cease evil and accomplish good, to
free themselves from suffering and obtain happiness. They are rare and
precious.
When the Buddha first turned the Dharma wheel, his five followers took
refuge in him and and formed a Sangha. From that moment, the Three
Gems were all in place.
Q 16: What is to “take refuge”?
A: Taking refuge means to turn towards and rely on completely, spirit and
body. Those who have taken refuge in the Three Gems are Buddhists.
Q 17: Did many take refuge in the Three Gems during the Buddha’s
lifetime?
A: Yes. After the Buddha’s initial turning of the Dharma wheel, many
people took refuge as he gave his teachings from Sarnath to Magadha
State. Among them there were three brothers with the family name of
Kasyapa who used to be Zoroastrians. But they abandoned their original
faith and led more than a thousand of their followers to take refuge in
Buddhism. After the Buddha arrived in Rajgir, the capital of Magadha,
many more took refuge, including renowned disciples such as Sariputra,
Moggallana and Kasyapa. Afterwards, when the Buddha returned to his
home town, his younger half-brother Nanda, his cousins Ananda and
Devadatta, and his son Rahula all followed him and became monastic
disciples. The Buddha’s aunt Prajapati also took refuge to become the
first female monastic disciple. Even more people took refuge in the
Three Gems without renouncing lay life.
Q 18: Whether male or female, one can choose to learn the Dharma with
or without taking monastic vows?
 A: Yes. Buddhism’s male monastics are called bhikkus, and female

monastics are called bhikkunis. Male and female lay followers are called
upasaka and upasika respectively. Together they are known as the four
groups of disciples.
Q 19: Where did Shakyamuni Buddha travel and teach during his lifetime?
A: Mainly in central India. The places the Buddha resided for most of his
lifetime were Rajgir and Sravasti, in the states of Magadha and Kosala
respectively. Outside Rajgir was a bamboo forest, donated to the Buddha
and his disciples by King Bimbisara. It was later known as Bamboo
Grove Monastery. In Sravasti, Prince Jeta of Kosala and a rich merchant,
Sudatta, together gave the Buddha a garden, subsequently named Jeta
Grove Monastery. Gijjhakuta Hill (Vulture Peak), south of Rajgir, was
another place where the Buddha gave many discourses. Shakyamuni
Buddha taught the Dharma for 49 years, until he passed into nirvana at
the age of 80.
Q 20: What is “nirvana”?
A: Nirvana is a state that is very hard to describe with words. It carries the
meanings of extinction, cessation, non-birth, inaction, peace and joy,
liberation and death. It also connotes elimination of the karma of birth
and death, transcendence of the rebirth cycle, perfection of wisdom and
virtue, and achievement of an eternal, quiescent, steady and joyous state
of liberation. Such a state can “only be known by sacred beings.” It
cannot be measured with concepts such as “present,” “absent,” “coming”
and “going.” It is an unfathomable state of liberation.
To describe it thus with words is already very inaccurate. The state of

liberation is an actual experience obtained through spiritual practice
in accordance with the Dharma. It cannot be deduced by the logic of
worldly thinking.
2. The Spread of Buddhism
Q 21: Please describe briefly the history of the development of Buddhism

in India.
A: The Buddha taught the Dharma differently to sentient beings, according
to their disparate natures and inclinations. Their capabilities, preferences
and practice methods were also different. And their understandings of
the same teaching varied as well. Therefore, during the long process of
Buddhism’s dissemination, various groups that propagated the Dharma
evolved their own lineages.
About a hundred years after the Buddha’s nirvana, the Buddhist

community became divided into two major sects: Theravada and
Mahasamghika. The Theravada focused on the practice of mediation,
with comprehensive and stringent disciplines. The Mahasamghika
stressed extensive learning and hearing the Dharma. It sought to convert
more sentient beings with simpler and more accommodating disciplines.
In the next 300 years, Buddhism spread ever more widely. In order
to integrate with local conditions and customs, the Theravada and
Mahasamghika progressively divided into about 20 subgroups.
The Spread of Buddhism 11
In the 3rd century B.C.E., Ashoka, the third king of Magadha’s Maurya
Dynasty (322-185 B.C.E.), became the first monarch to unify India.
Witnessing the devastation caused by his war to conquer the southern
kingdom of Kalinga, Asoka felt deep remorse. He held a number of long
conversations with an eminent Buddhist monk. Afterwards, he decided
to convert to Buddhism. He sent missionaries, including his son and
daughter, to propagate Buddhism in various places. Due to Ashoka’s
efforts, Buddhism spread from the Ganges River region not only all
over India, but also to many foreign countries. At that time, Buddhism
reached as far as Myanmar to the east, Sri Lanka to the south, and Syria,
Egypt and Greece to the west.
It is said that during the time of the First Emperor of Qin, 18 monks from
India, headed by Shilifang, visited China to propagate Buddhism. There
is no record of this in official history, but First Emperor and Ashoka were
contemporaries. It is possible that Ashoka sent missionaries to China.
In the 300 years after Ashoka’s dedicated dissemination, Buddhism

spread widely in Central Asia and to China in the east. The areas it
covered continued to expand. But in India itself, Buddhism met with
great misfortune. Less than 50 years after Ashoka passed away, his
Peacock Dynasty was replaced by the Shunga Dynasty (187-78 B.C.E.).
King Pusyamitra, who usurped the throne with the help of a Brahmin
state preceptor, embraced Brahmanism and rigorously suppressed
Buddhism. He destroyed stupas and viharas, slaughtered Buddhist
monks and plunged Indian Buddhism into a dark age. Fortunately, the
jurisdiction of the Shunga Dynasty was restricted to central India.
In 2 nd century B.C.E., Buddhism was thriving again, thanks to the

efforts of King Kaniska in northern India. Represented by Asvaghosa,

Mahayana (Greater Vehicle) groups began to form in various locations.
Q 22: Were all the previous schools Theravadan (Smaller Vehicle)?
A: Yes. The purpose of a “vehicle” is to carry [people or goods]. Generally

speaking, the Greater Vehicle stresses benefiting all beings and attaining
liberation together with them. The Smaller Vehicle emphasizes salvation
for oneself.
Q 23: What happened afterwards?
A: In the 3rd century C.E., Nagarjuna, a Brahmanic scholar in southern

India, converted to Buddhism and became a monk. He learned the
Mahayana sutras from an old bhikku in the Himalaya mountains and
acquired great wisdom. He wrote many theoretical treatises to explicate
the Mahayana scriptures. His Madhyamaka (“Middle Way”) thought
spread throughout India. Mahayana Buddhism started to flourish.
With his voluminous writings, Nagarjuna was known as the “common
patriarch of the Eight Schools” of Chinese Mahayana Buddhism.
In the 4th-5th centuries C.E., the Gupta Dynasty (320-550) reunified

India. Two brothers, Asanga and Vasubandhu, founded a new
Mahayana school — Yogacara. Vasubandhu was known as “treatise
master of a thousand volumes” because of his prodigious output.
In the 6th century, the Gupta Dynasty was overthrown by foreign races
and Buddhism suffered severely. Later King Siladitya of the Vardhana
Dynasty (606-647) unified central India and Buddhism enjoyed a slight
revival. Nalanda Monastery, whose construction began during the Gupta

period, continued to expand and and attained an impressive scale during
the Vardhana Dynasty. Mahayana scholars assembled there for lectures
and studies, and it was considered India’s leading educational institution
of the time. The period between the mid-6th and mid-7th centuries
marked the golden age of Nalanda. When Master Xuanzang of China
went there to study, its instructors included treatise Masters Silabhadra
of the Yogacara school and Jnanaprabha of the Madhyamaka school.
After the death of King Siladitya, central India again fell into disarray.
Most of the kingdoms in India followed Brahmanism, and Buddhism
gradually declined. However, the Pala Dynasty in eastern India, which
lasted from the mid-7th century till the end of the 11th century, adhered
to Buddhism. It ruled over the territory east of Magadha, which included
Nalanda’s location. It built an even larger temple, Vikramasila, near
Nalanda.
Late in the 7th century, Brahmanism absorbed some Buddhist teachings,

greatly expanding its own doctrines. It flourished with a new posture.
Thenceforth, Western scholars would refer to Brahmanism as Hinduism.
Buddhism faced a shortage of talent. Its response to such karmic
conditions saw the rise of esoteric Buddhism. It expediently adopted
many Brahmanic rituals and applied various interpretations to them.
Nevertheless, its doctrines continued to be based upon the concepts of
emptiness and non-self. After the 9th century, esoteric Buddhism became
more popular.
In the 11th century, extensive Turkic invasions ravaged all of India’s

domestic religions. The Buddhist masters dispersed and fled; many went
to Tibet, by way of Nepal. Influential educational institutions such as

Vikramasila Monastery were ruined, with few monks remaining. By the
12th century, Buddhism had vanished from India.
Today’s Indian Buddhism was reintroduced through Sri Lanka late in

the 19th century. In recent decades, Buddhists from China, Japan and
Myanmar have built monasteries in various sacred Buddhist sites in
India.
In October 1956, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, leader of India’s dalits

(“untouchables”), announced his conversion to Buddhism and stated
Buddhist teachings such as “human beings are not created by God”
and “all sentient beings are equal.” Half a million dalits taking part in
the assembly heeded his message. They gave up their Hindu faith and
converted to Buddhism. The movement unleashed powerful waves
nationwide, with tens of millions becoming Buddhists.
Q 24: When was Buddhism officially introduced into China?
A: According to historical records, in 64 C.E. Emperor Ming of the (Eastern)

Han Dynasty (25-220) sent twelve emissaries to the Western Regions in
search of Buddhist teachings. Three years later they returned to Luoyang
with two Indian monks, Kasyapa Matanga and Dharmaratna. They
brought with them Buddhist scriptures and images. The monks translated
the Sutra of Forty-Two Chapters (an abridged version of the Agama
scriptures). At the same time, the first Buddhist monastery, White Horse
Temple, was built. It was named after the horse carrying the scriptures
and images to China.
The introduction of Buddhism to China didn’t actually begin with

Emperor Ming of the Han (non-governmental efforts could be traced
back to the First Emperor of Qin, in the 3th century B.C.E.). However,
it was during Emperor Ming’s time that Buddhism was introduced as a
religion with official support, the basis for its subsequent growth.
Q 25: Were the Buddhist sutras written by Shakyamuni Buddha himself?
A: No, they were not. They were recited and recorded by his disciples
after the Buddha entered nirvana. The year he did so, his 500 disciples,
headed by Ven. Kasyapa, assembled at Saptaparna Cave near Rajgir to
compile and edit the Buddha’s teachings for posterity. At the assembly
Ven. Ananda recited the Sutras spoken by the Buddha, Ven. Upali recited
the Vinaya (monastic regulations) established by the Buddha, and Ven.
Kasyapa recited the Abhidharma, or commentaries on the Buddha’s
teachings. The Sutras, Vinaya and Abhidharma comprise the Tripitaka.
“Pitaka” originally meant a bamboo basket for holding things. The

compilation of the Sutras, Vinaya and Abhidharma into the Tripitaka
is comparable to the designation of treasured Chinese texts into jing
(classics), shi (histories), zi (philosophical thought) and ji (collections)
─ the “Four Depositories.”
During early times, the Buddhist scriptures were passed on by oral

recital. Later, several Tripitaka assemblies were held to forestall
heterodoxy and erroneous views infiltrating the Dharma, as well as to
preserve the teachings and texts.
Q 26: Why do Buddhist sutras start with “Thus I have heard”?
A: When the Buddha’s disciples held assemblies to compile and edit the
Tripitaka, the sutras were recited by Ananda. So they all begin with
“Thus I have heard.” It means: “The following true teachings were
proclaimed by the Buddha as I, Ananda, heard them. They are authentic
and trustworthy.”
Q 27: Which language was used to record the early Buddhist sutras?
A: The dissemination of Buddhism can be divided into the Southern and
the Northern transmissions. The southern canon was recorded in Pali (a
popular dialect used in Magadha at the time of the Buddha; “pali” means
“texts”) and comprises the scriptures of the Smaller Vehicle. Those of the
Northern tradition were in Sanskrit, mostly being Mahayana texts, with
a few Theravada ones. Pali was a vernacular tongue of ancient India,
while Sanskrit was a refined literary language. The Buddhism that was
introduced into China was the Northern tradition. Therefore most of the
scriptures in Chinese were translated from Sanskrit, though with a few
were rendered from Pali.
Most of the Mahayana scriptures of the Northern transmission are

preserved in the Chinese and Tibetan Tripitakas. Today Buddhism can be
categorized under three major language systems: Southern Buddhism —
practiced in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, India, Pakistan and
Thailand as well as among ethnic minorities of China’s Yunnan Province
such as Dai, De’ang and Bulang, which falls under the Pali system; the
Buddhism of the Hans in China, as well as of Korea, Japan and Vietnam
belongs to the Chinese system; the Buddhism of Tibet, Inner Mongolia,

Tujia, Qiang and Yugu and other nationalities of China, as well as that of
Mongolia, Siberia and northern India, is within the Tibetan system.
Q 28: Please give a brief introduction to the history of Buddhism in China.
A: The propagation of Buddhism in China was closely associated with the
translation of Buddhist scriptures. The Han Dynasty saw the earliest
stages of translation. The texts rendered can be divided into two main
categories. The first was Theravada scriptures, represented by translator
An Shigao of Parthia; they focused primarily on the Agama and Dhyana
(meditative) teachings. The other was Mahayana texts, represented by
Lokasema of Kusana. Their main emphasis was the Prajna-paramita
sutras and Pure Land faith.
Q 29: At that time, did any Chinese monks travel westward in search of the
Dharma ?
A: Yes. The earliest ones were Dharmaraksa and Zhu Shixing. They also
translated quite a few scriptures.
Q 30: Were there other Chinese monks who made contributions to

Buddhism?
A: By the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420), Buddhism was widespread in

China. The most outstanding figure was Master Dao’an. China’s earliest
enthusiastic propagator of Buddhism, he sent his followers to various
parts of the country to teach the Dharma. He also founded the first
monastic sangha in China. He diligently sought precepts to supplement
deficiencies in Vinaya, and set rules and rites for monks and nuns to
follow on a nationwide basis.
Upon taking monastic vows, Chinese monks and nuns style themselves
“Shi” (Shakya) in place of their former surnames. This practice was
first advocated by Master Dao’an. He collected and collated Buddhist
texts already translated, and compiled the first bibliography of Chinese
Buddhism — Jinglu (Bibliography of the Sutras). Master Dao’an
was the first person to summarize his experience translating Buddhist
scriptures. He classified all sutras into three parts -- introduction,
main body and circulation section. This method remains in use today.
Under his supervision, many important scriptures were translated
and numerous scholars and translators gathered together. Such efforts
provided favorable conditions for the later large-scale translation work
of Kumarajiva.
Another outstanding figure of the time was Master Faxian. In 399, aged
65, he set out from Chang’an to seek the Vinaya. Crossing deserts and
mountains, he walked thousands of miles. He traveled all over northern
India, visited numerous holy sites, learned Sanskrit and transcribed
scriptures. He went as far as Sri Lanka and returned to China through
Indonesia. The trip took Faxian 15 years and he visited 30 countries.
He was 80 when he reentered China, but still translated scriptures.
Besides precious sutras, Master Faxian brought back the complete
Mahasamghika Vinaya and Mahisasaka Vinaya, fulfilling his own
aspirations. In addition, his travelogue A Record of Buddhist Kingdoms
contained much valuable historical material on the regions west of
China. It has been translated into many languages.
Q 31: You just mentioned the large-scale translation work of Kumarajiva.

Please elaborate.
A: The large-scale, systematic translation of the Buddhist scriptures began

with Kumarajiva in the early 5th century. His translation work enjoyed
unprecedentedly favorable conditions, being supported by the Yao Qin
kingdom and assisted by a large group of learned volunteer monks
influenced by Master Dao’an. The 300-odd fascicles of canonical
works translated by Kumarajiva are not only a Buddhist treasure but
an important literary legacy. They had a tremendous impact on the
philosophical thought and literature of China. In Buddhist thought,
Kumarajiva’s most important contribution was to introduce the works of
the Madhyamaka school founded by Nagarjuna. The brilliant translator
and Dharma teacher was born in Kucha, Xinjiang. Kumarajiva and the
later Xuanzang were known as the two great masters of translation of
Buddhist scriptures.
Q 32: Was Master Xuanzang the same as the “Tang monk” or “Tripitaka”
who went to the “Western Heaven” in search of Buddhist scriptures
(in the classic novel Journey to the West)?
A: Yes. But the terms “Tang monk” and “Tripitaka” originally referred to
Chinese monastics and Tripitaka masters of the Tang Dynasty, rather
than Master Xuanzang alone.
Q 33: Please say something about the life and work of Master Xuanzang.
 A: Master Xuanzang took monastic vows as a teenager. He traveled

widely in pursuit of learning and called on eminent monks. After
carefully studying the doctrines of Chinese Buddhist schools, he found
that they conflicted with one another and there were inaccuracies and
contradictions in the translations of Buddhist scriptures. He made up
his mind to go to India to seek the Dharma. A series of natural disasters
occurred in the year 629. Government authorities lifted their ban on
citizens leaving China, allowing them to seek livelihoods in other
countries. Master Xuanzang was able to travel westward. He journeyed
alone for more than 15,000 miles and visited over 130 nations in the
western regions and India, overcoming countless dangers and difficulties.
Xuanzang spent five years studying at Nalanda Monastery -- India’s

highest seat of learning at the time. After four years’ criss-crossing
the kingdoms of southern India, he returned to Nalanda and became
a presiding lecturer there. He wrote the Treatise on the Harmony of
the Principles with 3,000 odes, which covered the theories of the
Madhyamaka and Yogacara schools. He also composed the Treatise
to Restrict Malicious Views with 1,600 odes, refuting anti-Mahayana
heterodoxy. With that, his mission was complete.
On Xuanzang’s return journey to China, King Siladitya (Harsa) convened

an assembly in honor of the Chinese monk. Xuanzang’s two treatises
were set as benchmarks. No one could challenge him successfully as he
proclaimed his tenets and presented his views. Participants at the 18-
day conclave included 18 monarchs, more than 3,000 Mahayana and
Theravada monks from various kingdoms, 1,000 monks from Nalanda
and over 2,000 male and female representatives of Brahmanism and

other creeds. From then on, Master Xuanzang became well-known all
over India. He was honored as Mahayanadeva (a deity of Mahayana)
by Mahayana scholars, and Moksadeva (a divinity of liberation) by
Theravada counterparts. He was recognized as Tripitakacarya (Tripitaka
Dharma master) by Buddhists of the Great and Smaller Vehicles alike.
In 645, he went back to China. With the support of Emperor Taizong,

he set up a large translation bureau at Hongfu Monastery in Chang’an.
Xuanzang devoted himself to the translation of Buddhist texts for 19
years. He comprehensively and systematically rendered not only the
sutras and treatises of the Yogacara school of Mahayana Buddhism,
but also the encyclopedic collection of the emptiness sect, the
Mahaprajnaparamita Sutra (Large Perfection of Wisdom Sutra), with
its 200,000 odes into Chinese. In addition, he translated almost all the
important treatises of the Theravada Sarvastivada school. In all, 75 sutras
and treatises were translated -- some 1,335 fascicles or 500,000 odes.
Nearly all the finest works available during Nalanda’s peak period spread
to China through translations that passed through the hands of Master
Xuanzang. He is respected worldwide for his courage and dedication to
the propagation of Buddhism. And his Journey to the Western Regions of
the Great Tang Dynasty is considered an essential work in the study of
Indian history.
Q 34: When was the heyday of Buddhism in China?
A: The golden age of Buddhism in China occurred during the Sui and
Tang dynasties. The various schools emerged one after another, like the
spectacle of a hundred flowers blossoming.
Q 35: A brief introduction, please.
A: Many sects sprang up at the time, with eight major Mahayana schools
being particularly influential: the Sanlun (Madhyamaka, or Middle Way),
Yogacara, Tiantai, Huayan (Avatamsaka), Ch’an (Zen), Pure Land,
Vinaya (monastic discipline), and Esoteric schools.
The Sanlun school was founded chiefly on the Mulamadhyamakakarika

(Fundamental Verses on the Middle Way), the Sata Sastra (Treatise in
One Hundred Verses) and the Dvadasamukha Sastra (Treatise on Twelve
Topics), translated by Kumarajiva. Its central doctrine is the integration
of absolute and relative truth and its ultimate aim was to perceive the
reality of the Middle Way. This school was in fact directly descended
from the Madhyamaka thought of Nagarjuna. It was founded during the
Sui Dynasty by Master Jizang at Jiaxiang Monastery in Shaoxing. It was
also called the Jiaxiang school.
The Yogacara school was based on the Samdhinirmocana Sutra (Sutra

of the Explanation of the Profound Secrets), the Yogacaryabhumi Sastra
(Treatise on the Stages of Yogic Practice) and the Vijnapitmatratasiddhi
Sastra (Treatise on the Establishment of the Doctrine of Mere
Consciousness). It followed the Yogacara doctrine established by
Asanga and Vasubandhu -- thus its name. Its chief tenet is that “all
phenomena are consciousness-only” and “the Three Realms exist only
in the mind.” Its purpose is to convert consciousness into wisdom.
Tripitaka Master Xuanzang, abbot of Ci’en Monastery in Chang’an, was
the first to translate the Yogacara works and propagate its doctrines. He
founded the school, and compiled the thought of ten masters into the
Vijnapitmatratasiddhi Sastra. Yogacara is also known as the Ci’en or
Faxiang school.
The Tiantai school was founded on such texts as the Lotus Sutra and
the Mahaprajnaparamita Sastra (Treatise on The Great Perfection of
Wisdom). Its doctrines were formed by assimilating the ideas of various
Indian schools and systematically reorganizing them. Its main creed is
the theory of the Five Periods and Eight Teachings, and its central ideas
are Three-fold Contemplation With One Mind and the Perfect Harmony
of the Three Truths. The school was named after Mt. Tiantai in Jiangsu,
where its founder Master Zhizhe lived. And because its principal
scripture was the Lotus Sutra, it was also known as the Lotus Sutra
school.
The Huayan school took the Avatamsaka Sutra as its foundation and
made comprehensive studies and penetrating explications of the text.
Its thought was developed from the theories of earlier thinkers and
schools, such as the Sanlun, Tiantai and Yogacara. This school classifies
the entire Dharma into the Five Teachings, core tenets of which are
the Six Features, Ten Metaphysical Entrances (doors) and Three
Contemplations. Its founder was the preceptor of state, Xianshou (Master
Fazang), who inherited the thought of Dushun and Zhiyan. This was also
called the Xianshou school. And because it developed the principle of
the “Dependent Origination of the Dharma Realm,” another name was
the Dharma Realm (Fajie) school.
The Ch’an school advocates ch’anding (samadhi practice), meaning

meditation or tranquil contemplation. The aim is to focus on a single
point and contemplate, so as to become aware of the true nature of
one’s own mind. It was also known as the “Buddha-Mind school.” Its
founder was Bodhidharma from India. The subsequent transmission was

to Second Patriarch Huike, Third Patriarch Sengcan, Forth Patriarch
Daoxin and Fifth Patriarch Hongren. The school then divided into two
sub-sects, the Northern and the Southern. The Northern branch was
headed by Shenxiu, who propounded gradual cultivation. It flourished
for a time, but declined before long. The Southern sect was led by
Huineng, who advocated sudden enlightenment. His lineage thrived and
he was venerated as the Sixth Patriarch by later generations.
The Ch’an lineage was transmitted on a one-to-one, mind-to-mind

basis. Though it emphasized non-reliance on language and “special
transmission without using the scriptures,” it had its own canon. Master
Bodhidharma bequeathed the four-fascicle Lankavatara Sutra to Second
Patriarch Huike. Moreover, Hongren and Huineng taught their followers
to recite and practice the Diamond Sutra. Later appeared the Platform
Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch and many other recorded quotations.
The Pure Land school was established on the basis of the Infinite Life
Sutra, the Contemplation of Infinite Life Sutra, the Amitabha Sutra and
the Treatise on Rebirth in the Pure Land. It was founded in the Tang
Dynasty by Master Shandao, who inherited and synthesized the Pure
Land thought of Masters Tanluan and Daochuo. The school classifies the
Buddha’s teachings into the Difficult Path and the Easy Path, self-power
and other-power practice, and the schools of the Sacred Path and the
Pure Land school.
Those schools that cultivate the precepts, meditative concentration and

wisdom through self-power methods, taking three great asamkhyeya-
kalpas in this world to accomplish Buddhahood, follow the difficult
Sacred Path. By contrast, the easy Pure Land path focuses on Amitabha-
invocation, with adherents exclusively reciting “Namo Amitabha
Buddha.” They depend on the (other-) power of Amitabha’s vows to
be reborn in the Pure Land and gain Buddhahood there. The aim of
this school is therefore rebirth in the Land of Bliss through recitation
of Amitabha’s name. For practitioners, it is not necessary to master
the Buddhist scriptures, meditate or undertake special self-cultivation.
They can recite “Namo Amitabha Buddha” while walking, standing,
sitting or lying down. So long as they have sufficient faith in Amitabha’s
deliverance, aspire to rebirth in the Pure Land and recite single-mindedly,
they will be guided to the Pure Land by Amitabha Buddha when their
lives end.
Because of its simplicity, and convenience and ease of practice, the

school has drawn the greatest number of adherents since the Tang
Dynasty. Even many followers of other schools practice its methods,
making Pure Land the most popular path in China.
The Vinaya school is known for its focus on the study and practice
of precepts. Its de facto founder was Master Daoxuan of the Tang
Dynasty. Because it was established according to the Vinaya in Four
Divisions (Dharamaguptaka) of the Vinaya Pitaka, it was also known
as the Four-Division Vinaya school. And as Master Daoxuan lived in
the Zhongnanshan (mountains), it was alternatively called the Nanshan
Vinaya school or the Nanshan school. Its popularity meant that learners
of the Mahayana’s three disciplines of precepts, meditation and wisdom
also attached importance to the Vinaya Pitaka of the Theravada tradition.
Key to the study of Vinaya rules is to distinguish among the concepts of

flexibility, protection, abidance and violation as they apply to monastic

discipline. Flexibility means that certain Vinaya precepts normally
regarded as inviolable, may be breached under certain circumstances.
Protection refers to certain precepts without inherently sinful nature,
but which may be inducement to the violation of Vinaya rules -- such as
drinking alcohol. In certain circumstances, it isn’t easy to judge whether
there has been an infraction. Study of the Vinaya texts is necessary,
so that the demarcations among flexibility, protection, abidance and
violation can be determined.
The Esoteric school was introduced into China from India by

Subhakarasimha, Vajrabodhi and Amoghavajra, among others. Based
on the Mahavairocana Sutra and the Vajrasikhara Sutra, this school
established the Three Secret Yoga, performing meditative contemplation
and specific actions to achieve integration with a sacred being or master
(guru-yoga). To preserve its esoteric nature, the school does not permit
those who have not undergone abhiseka (empowerment by pouring water
on the head) from freely displaying and passing down its traditions.
Hence the name Esoteric school.
Q 36: Why are there so many schools? Won’t it be simpler if they all unified?
A: Since the aptitude of sentient beings varies greatly, Shakyamuni Buddha
gave his teachings in accordance with their karmic inclinations and
capabilities -- the 84,000 Dharma paths. The schools’ patriarchs or
lineage masters, taking into account their times and karmic conditions,
delineated paths to liberation suitable for large numbers of practitioners.
Thus were the schools formed. It’s like going on a long journey. Because
of their different circumstances, people choose to travel on land, over
water or in the air. If there were but a single mode of transportation,

many would find it difficult to make the trip. Although the methods are
different, the aim is the same -- to achieve Buddhahood.
Q 37: Since the aim is the same, why there are disagreements among
different sects?
A: Because each school views things from different perspectives, their
conclusions vary accordingly. Various sutras and treatises may seem
contradictory, as there seem to be numerous answers to a particular
question. This is because the Buddha gave his teachings to different
audiences. Consider the question of giving directions to head downtown.
To people in the east side of the city, you would tell them to go
westward. But to residents of the west side, you would say: Go east.
In a story in The Analects, Zi Lu asks Confucius: “Is it right to do things

by following a principle you just heard?” Confucius says: “You have
a father and elder brothers. How could you act without first consulting
them?” When another disciple Ran You asked the same question,
Confucius replied: “Act once you have heard it.” Confucius gave
completely different answers because Zi Lu tended to recklessness, while
Ran You was overly cautious.
Q 38: It seems Buddhism emphasizes teaching students according to their

characteristics as well?
 A: That’s right. But the Buddhist expression is “compliance with

both principle and circumstances.” The teaching must fit both the
requirements of the truth and the aptitudes of its audiences.
Q 39: We hear little about some sects. Is that because they didn’t accord
with most people’s aptitudes?
A: You could say that. The doctrines of some schools are too abstruse to be
understood by ordinary people. There were some historical factors as
well. Gradually, certain schools fared less well than they did during the
Sui and Tang dynasties.
Q 40: What happened to Buddhism after the Tang Dynasty?
A: The historical event with the greatest impact on Buddhism was the
“Huichang Dharma-Persecution,” which occurred under Emperor
Wuzong of the Tang. Before that, Buddhism had enjoyed its heyday.
The economic expansion of monasteries seriously dented government
revenues. Moreover, Emperor Wuzong personally preferred Daoism.
Induced by prime minister Li Deyu and Daoist priest Zhao Guizhen, he
ordered the eradication of Buddhism and promotion of Daoism. Buddhist
scriptures and images were torched, temples were destroyed and their
property confiscated, and monks and nuns were forced to resume secular
life. In 845 Emperor Wuzong died after consuming Daoist elixirs.
Xuanzong ascended the throne and tried to revive Buddhism, but it had
been eviscerated. Following the fall of the Tang Dynasty, China entered
into the period of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, a time of war
and turmoil. Many commentaries and texts of the various schools were
lost for good.
Q 41: Did all eight Mahayana schools decline?
 A: No. The Ch’an and Pure Land schools survived and continued to
flourish. Most Ch’an practitioners lived in mountains and woodlands,
growing their own food. They didn’t rely much on either society at
large or the Buddhist texts. The Huichang Persecution and chaos of the
Five Dynasties had a limited impact on the Ch’an and its transmission
continued. (Many Ch’an temples have been preserved all over China.)
As for the Pure Land school, though the writings of Master Shandao
were lost, his thought and advocacy of rebirth in the Pure Land through
Amitabha-recitation survived, because of their simplicity and ease of
practice. However, the school’s teachings later merged with those of
other paths. The convergence made them different from the original
thought of Master Shandao.
Fortunately, many of the scriptures lost in China had been passed to

Korea and Japan, and were preserved there. During the Five Dynasties,
the works of Tiantai school were transmitted back from Korea, as were
some of the Huayan school. The two lineages revived. Towards the end
of the Qing Dynasty, many texts of the Sanlun, Yogacara, Esoteric and
Vinaya schools, together with the works of Master Shandao, returned to
China from Japan.
Q 42: What about Tibetan Buddhism?
A: Tibetan Buddhism dates back to the mid-7th century, the Tubo Dynasty.
Tibet’s ruler at the time, Songtsen Gampo, converted to Buddhism
under the influence of his two wives, Princess Wencheng of Tang
China and Princess Bhrikuti of Nepal. He sent ministers to India to

learn Sanskrit and Buddhist scriptures. On their return they created the
Tibetan writing system and began to translate Buddhist texts. In the
mid-8th century, Tibetan King Trisong Detsen invited the renowned
Indian Buddhist scholars Santiraksita and Kamalasila, as well as Tantric
master Padmasambhava, to build temples and ordain monks in Tibet,
and undertake systematic translation of scriptures. Buddhism spread
throughout Tibet. In the 8th century, Padmasambhava and Vimalamitra
established the earliest Tibetan lineage -- the Nyingmapa, or Red Hat
Sect.
However, in the mid-9th century, Buddhism in Tibet suffered a setback

with the Glandar-ma Persecution. It languished for more than a hundred
years. But Buddhism revived in the 10th century, with its reintroduction
from the Xikang (Sikang) region. The time before the Glandar-ma
Persecution is known as the Early Propagation Period, and that after is
called the Later Propagation Period.
In 11th century, the Bengali Dharma Master Atisa arrived in Tibet, which
led to the founding of the Kadam school. It was inherited by Master
Tsongkhapa, who established the Gelugpa, or Yellow Hat Sect. It spread
throughout Tibet, regions of China, and Mongolia. Adherents later
developed the well-known reincarnation system of two living Buddhas,
the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama. Tibet’s Marpa also visited India
three times to study the Dharma; he founded the Kagyupa, or White
Hat Sect. Its second patriarch was the world-renowned Tibetan sage
Milarepa. The Sakyapa, or Multi-Colored Sect, was set up by Khon
Kontchok Gyalpo. Its fifth patriarch Baspa was given the title of “Royal
Preceptor Karmapa” by Kublai Khan, the first emperor of China’s Yuan
Dynasty. Baspa’s successors inherited the title.
In year 1203, a Turkic military invasion of India destroyed Nalanda and

Vikramasila monasteries, and Buddhist scholars went to Tibet in large
numbers. As a result, a very rich collection of later works of Indian
Buddhism are preserved in the Tibetan Tripitaka.
There are now four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism: the Nyingmapa
(Red Hat Sect), Sakyapa, Kagyupa (White Hat Sect) and Gelugpa (Yellow
Hat Sect).
Q 43: What are the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama?
A: The Dalai Lama, leader of Gelug sect, lived in the Potala Palace in Lhasa,
the Tibetan capital. The New Record of Tibet says: The Dalai Lama was
the ranking disciple of Tsongkhapa and Panchen Erdeni was his second
one. Tsongkhapa was born in 1359 and attained enlightenment at Galdan
Temple in Tibet. He passed away in 1419, in his will urging his two
leading disciples to reincarnate life after life to propagate the Mahayana
teachings without losing their true nature of mind.
The Panchen Lama, also called Panchen Erdeni, is a leader of the Yellow
Hat Sect, his position second only to the Dalai Lama. The Panchen Lama
lived in Tashi Lhunpo Monastery in Xigaze, Tibet.
Q 44: Buddhism has had a presence in China for well over a millennium.
How has it influenced Chinese culture?
A: Though it was a foreign religion, Buddhism blended very well with the
traditional culture of China. The translation of Buddhism scriptures
abetted the evolution of Chinese poetic language and style. For example,
the poetry of Bai Juyi in the Tang Dynasty and Su Dongpo in the Song
were inspired by Ch’an Buddhism’s odes and new poetry. The translation
and propagation of Buddhist texts also enriched the Chinese vocabulary,
many terms and expressions of which are still commonly used today.
A Confucian school of idealist philosophy in the Song and Ming

dynasties was deeply influenced by the Huayan and Ch’an traditions of
Buddhism. In the late Qing Dynasty, studying Buddhism was common
among Chinese scholars. Some pioneers of democratic thought in China,
such as Tan Sitong, Kang Youwei, Liang Qichao and Zhang Taiyan,
advocated Buddhist principles. These included compassion, equality,
impermanence and selflessness, which resonated broadly among the
intelligentsia of the time.
In addition, the magnificent temples, exquisite pagodas and beautiful

Buddha statues are a key part of China’s art treasures. Also, many
traditions and customs originated from Buddhism. For instance, the
Chungyuan Festival (honoring the spirits of the deceased) and the Laba
rice porridge festival derived directly from Buddhist commemorations.
Q 45: Buddhism advocates benefiting all sentiment beings. What kinds of

socially beneficial activities are Buddhists engaged in?
A: Buddhists are engaged in a wide range of work relating to social welfare.
Some monks practice and distribute medicine, while others build bridges
and roads, dig wells, establish free schools and plant trees. The planting
of trees, especially, has been a remarkable success. Just look at places
throughout China where there are Buddhist pagodas and temples,
presenting a tranquil environment and attractive scenery.
Q 46: Many non-Asians have become Buddhists …
A: That’s right. The teachings of the Buddha are full of wisdom, something
increasingly recognized by people of discernment. The diverse ways of
information dissemination also accelerate the propagation of Buddhism.
Besides oral and scriptural transmission, people can get to know
Buddhism through audio-visual products, TV, radio and the internet.
Buddhism has been not only accepted by the general public, but also
noted by thinkers, philosophers and scientists.
Q 47: It seems that worries about Buddhism being unable to adapt to the
scientific age are misplaced.
A: Yes. If you understand Buddhism, you will find that the more advanced
science becomes, the easier it will be for Buddhism to be accepted. In
his book The Avatamsaka Sutra and Nuclear Physics, Japanese scientist
Shinichi Matsushita concludes that Buddhist views of the universe
as well as the creation and destruction of matter and those of modern
nuclear physics can be juxtaposed and used to corroborate each other. He
believes they are startlingly similar. Einstein reportedly said: “If there is
any religion that would cope with modern scientific needs, it would be
Buddhism.”
3. The Buddha’s Followers
Q 48: Was the institution of monasticism initiated by Shakyamuni Buddha?
 A: No. By the time of the Buddha, renunciation of household life for

religious self-cultivation was already commonplace within academic and
philosophical circles in India. But because of the Buddha’s status as a
prince, his renunciation gave a boost to the practice. Buddhists who have
left home life are generally called monks or nuns.
Q 49: Are such monastics the equivalent of the clergy of other religions?
A: Buddhist monks and nuns are merely those who renounce the household
to practice for the sake of liberation (from samsara). They are not
intermediaries between deities and human beings.
Q 50: What kind of life should a Buddhist monastic lead?
A: A monastic should lead a pure and frugal life. He or she should strictly
uphold the precepts of abstaining from killing, stealing, sex, lying,
hurtful speech, frivolous talk, alcohol, untimely eating and the use of
perfumes and adornments. Other observances include refraining from
singing and dancing or watching others sing and dance; sitting on high
The Buddha’s Followers 35
chairs and sleeping on luxurious beds; accepting precious things like

gold, silver, elephants and horses.
Monastics should not have private possessions except robes, an alms

bowl, razor, water-filter, needle and thread and other such necessities.
Nor should they do business, engage in fortune-telling or spuriously
display magical wonders. During the six periods of the day (morning,
noon, dusk, nightfall, midnight and dawn), they should devote
themselves to diligent study and practice of the Dharma, after allowing
time for sleeping, alms rounds, food and drink, and labor.
Q 51: Why do they need to renounce lay life?
A: The monastic sangha represents the presence of the Three Gems (Buddha,
Dharma and Sangha) in the world. It gives sentient beings confidence
that they can achieve emancipation. Lay life entails many obligations
and attachments. Only by renouncing it can sangha members devote
themselves fully to Buddhist activities, raising high the banner of the
Dharma and vigorously disseminating the essence of Buddhism.
In addition, Theravada lay practitioners can at most attain the third phala
(fruition) of self-cultivation -- eliminating wrong views of the sensuous
world. A monastic life is free and detached. Monks and nuns can more
easily focus on the achievement of no-ego and no-desire. That’s why
renunciation of the householder life is essential to reach the fourth and
highest stage of cultivation.
Q 52: Is it the Buddhist ideal for everyone to become monastics?
A: Renunciation should be for only a minority of Buddhists. There are

many preconditions. Candidates must have their parents’ consent,
and their motives must be pure and genuine, not avoiding debts or
legal liabilities. After renunciation, they are required to meet monastic
standards in both Dharma knowledge and personal conduct. If they break
the four fundamental rules against murder, theft, sexual intercourse
and lying, they will be expelled from the sangha. Ordination must be
recommended, certified and approved by ten or more monastics, each of
whom must have taken vows at least a decade earlier.
The Buddhist community comprises four groups: monks and nuns

responsible for maintaining the Dharma, and male and female laity
charged with supporting the Dharma. Therefore Buddhism does not
require everybody to renounce lay life. Many Buddhist scriptures
eulogize those who practice at home.
Q 53: In some countries, everyone is apparently obligated to experience

monastic life at least once. Is this true?
A: Yes, it is a custom in Thailand, Myanmar and some other countries. So

it was formerly in the Dai-inhabited region of China. But this is not a
regulation laid down by Buddhism. In these places, children seven or
eight years of age are usually sent by their parents to temples where they
can learn not only to read and write as well as the Buddhist scriptures,
but also lead a monastic lifestyle. Their stay varies from a few days
to a few months, or even several years. One who has not undergone
monasticism during childhood is required to do so at least once during
adult life. Unlike those who voluntarily renounce lay life to become
monastics, these temporary practitioners do not receive ordination as
samaneras (novice monks).
Q 54: Why are the Buddhist monks called “heshang” in China? What does
the term mean?
A: “Heshang” was derived from Sanskrit, meaning teacher or mentor.

Originally it was an honorific reserved for monastics who had attained
certain qualifications. It was applicable not only to monks, but also to
qualified nuns. Later, the term came to be used to address any male who
is leading a monastic life.
Q 55: What is the meaning of lama?
A: Lama is a Tibetan word with the same meaning as “heshang.” It too has
been misused, since it was not originally applicable to all monastics. The
proper term for males who have received the Ten Precepts is samanera,
while that for those given full ordination is bhikku. For nuns, the
equivalent terms are samaneri and bhikkuni.
Q 56: In the Han-Chinese regions, monks are usually called “seng” and
nuns “ni.” Are these names correct?
 A: “Seng” is an abbreviated form of sangha, meaning “community.”

A sangha is a congregation of Buddhist monastics, with at least four
members. So an individual cannot be called sangha, only a sangha
member. Both monks and nuns are included in the sangha, so they
are sangha members. As for the term “ni”(nun), it is derived from the
final syllable of samaneri or bhikkuni. It is an abbreviated reference to

Buddhist nuns by Chinese people.
Q 57: Who can be called a fashi (Dhammacariya), or Dharma master?
A: “Dhammacariya,” or fashi, was originally the title of an academic

degree. It was conferred on those with a comprehensive knowledge of
the Dharma and capable of teaching it. Today people customarily call
all monastics Dhammacariya, which is acceptable. There are other
degrees for Buddhists: Suttacariya (sutra master) for those versed in the
Sutta Pitaka, Vinayacariya (vinaya master) for masters of the Vinaya
Pitaka, and Abhidhammacariya (treatise master) for those with thorough
knowledge of the Abhidhamma Pitaka. Even higher is the Tipitakacariya
-- master of all three pitakas. Both Xuanzang and Yijing of the Tang
Dynasty had this designation.
Q 58: What is a Tibetan Living Buddha?
A: Those who achieve exceptional cultivation and can reincarnate according
to their own will are called “hpbrulsku” in Tibetan or “Hobilghan” in
Mongolian, meaning “one who reincarnates” or “incarnation.” It’s the
Han Chinese who call them “Living Buddhas.” Actually, there is no such
term in Tibetan or Mongolian Buddhism.
The Buddhist bhikkus of Dai nationality are called “Foye” (Lord

Buddha) by Han people. This is a misnomer and is not used by the Dai
themselves.
Q 59: It is true that monks and nuns are not required to engage in
production?
 A: In the time of the Buddha it was true. But like worldly educators,
monastics were responsible for preaching, teaching and dispelling
doubts. They practice diligently, propagate Buddhist teachings for the
benefit of all beings and quietly make contributions to society. They are
worthy of being called true “engineers of the human soul.”
Monks in Han-inhabited regions have a custom of farming. After

the Dharma was introduced into China, the tradition evolved from
Buddhism’s adaptation to prevailing conditions.
Q 60: What are “monastic regulations” (conglin qinggui)?
A: The original meaning of “conglin” is grove or forest. A congregation

of monastics in a temple is like many trees forming a forest, so it is
called conglin, meaning large monastery. “Qinggui” means pure rules
or regulations observed daily by monastics in monasteries. These were
laid down according to the Vinaya enacted by the Buddha and adapted to
prevailing conditions. The earliest monastic rules in China were initiated
by Master Dao’an of the Eastern Jin Dynasty in the 4th century. In the
Tang Dynasty, Master Baizhang created a set of codes for monks of the
Ch’an school. It was later lost. Current monastery rules were originally
enforced by imperial edict during the Hongwu (1368-98) and Yongle
(1402-24) eras of the Ming Dynasty.
Q 61: Nowadays monks and nuns use mobile phone and computers. Does
that break monastic rules?
A: Products of modern technology, including mobile phones and computers,

are very convenient and effective tools for propagating Buddhism. But
they should be used cautiously, lest they distract from cultivation or
create afflictions.
Q 62: Can the rules ever be relaxed?
A: There are no waivers for the four fundamental prohibitions against
killing, theft, sex and lying about spiritual attainment. While all the other
monastic precepts should be upheld in general, they can be relaxed under
certain circumstances. All such cases should be governed by the precept
of “benefiting sentient beings.” “Uphold” and “waive” are terms used in
Vinaya texts. There are strict rules with respect to the conditions under
which precepts can be relaxed.
Q 63: There are different colors for monastic robes. Do they represent
different levels of attainment?
A: No. According to the Buddhist system, monks should have robes of three
different sizes: large, medium and small. The small one, made from five
strips of cloth, is known as a five-strip robe in China. It is worn when
doing manual work, such as cleaning. The medium robe, stitched from
seven pieces of cloth, is known as a seven-strip robe. It is the regular
form of dress. The large one, made from nine to 25 strips, is commonly
called ancestral robe in China. It is the ceremonial attire when traveling
or visiting elders. The three robes are collectively called jiasha (kasaya).
Because the robes are stitched together from multiple rectangular

pieces of cloth and resemble paddy fields, they are also known as
“quilted,”“farm-land” or “merit-field” garments. Sometimes, they are
called “discolored clothes,” because the Buddha’s followers originally
made their attire from abandoned materials collected from the cemetery
or the dump. They cleaned the pieces and stitched them together. The
Buddha expected his disciples to focus on spiritual purity and their
personal cultivation, avoiding the pursuit of luxury. Today’s material
abundance obviates the old need to stitch cloth together, but the spirit
behind the ancient Buddhist method of making monastic robes remains
alive.
Because of the chilly climate in northern China, the three robes are
not warm enough. Monastics there wear an additional suit beneath the
kasaya called common garb, which is simply the clothing of ancient
Chinese laypeople with a slight variation. The color of the common garb
was stipulated by imperial edict during the Ming Dynasty. It was tea-
brown for monastics practicing meditation, blue for those giving Dharma
discourses, and black for adherents of the Vinaya school. In the Qing
Dynasty there was no official regulation, though yellow was the color of
the common garb of most monastics in Vinaya temples.
Q 64: What about burning-dot scars on the head of monastics?
 A: Under the Buddhist system, a shaved head, dyed garments, and

ordination are the prerequisites for monkhood. The tonsure and dyeing
of garments signify giving up adornment to lead a plain, spare life. The
burned scars on top of the head are not a precondition of ordination. This
tradition may be related to the Bodhisattva precepts in the Brahmajala
Sutra, which mention setting oneself on fire to show devotion to the
Buddha. After the Tang Dynasty, there was a custom of scarring the
top of the head with an ignited moxa cone. The cone burns until it goes
out and leaves a scar on the head. This practice is to demonstrate
the sincerity of initiates into the monkhood. The number of dot-scars
varies according to the wishes of the monastics -- one, two, three, six,
nine and twelve. Twelve scars represents receiving the highest level
of Bodhisattva precepts. The scar-burning is only a tradition of Han
Chinese monks, not those of other nationalities.
Buddhist Centers of Teaching 43
4. Buddhist Centers of Teaching
Q 65: What’s the difference among si (monastery or temple), yuan (court)

and an (nunnery)?
A: Monastery originally was the name of a government institution in

ancient China -- for example, the Dali Temple. During the Han Dynasty,
there was a Honglu Temple to host visitors. After the introduction of
Buddhism into China, more and more monks came from the Western
regions, so the government established White Horse Monastery in
Luoyang as a residence for foreign monastics. Thenceforth, monastery
became an exclusive name for Buddhist teaching and practice.
Court at first meant a particular part of a temple. Later the term was used
for stand-alone residences, which are usually smaller than monasteries.
An (nunnery) originally meant a secluded hut. It is the smallest

Buddhist teaching center, usually a residence for nuns.
The temples, courts and nunneries of Buddhism are different from the
halls, monasteries and temples of Daoism. They should not be confused.
Q 66: Why is the entrance of a Buddhist monastery called “mountain

gate”?
A: It is called “mountain gate” or “mountain gate hall” because most

Buddhist monasteries are located in mountains or hills. There are usually
three gates at the temple entrance, which symbolize emptiness (central
gate), formlessness (east gate) and non-action (west gate). So the
entrance is also known as the “hall of three gates.”
Q 67: How are Buddhist monasteries laid out?
A: The construction of temples varies according to the different Dharma

schools. For example, Ch’an monasteries have the meditation hall as its
center, while the core of Vinaya temples is their ordination platforms.
Tibetan monasteries differ from those in Han regions.
Today, most Han temples have maintained the unified layouts dating
from the Ming and Qing dynasties. Usually, just beyond the entrance is
the Hall of the Heavenly Kings. The statue of Bodhisattva Maitreya is
placed in the middle of the hall, with the Four Heavenly Kings on both
sides. At the back of Maitreya is a statue of Bodhisattva Skanda.
Bodhisattva Maitreya is a disciple of the Buddha. He attained nirvana

earlier than the Buddha and was reborn in the Maitreya Pure Land. The
Buddha predicted that Bodhisattva Maitreya would appear in our world
in 5,670 million years and gain Buddhahood there. During the Five
Dynasties (907-960) there was a potbellied monk in Fenghua, Zhejiang,
named Ciqi. Carrying a large cloth sack and a bamboo stick, he smiled
to everyone and urged them to believe in Buddhism. His words could be
unpredictable but they often proved true. People called him the “Cloth-
Sack Monk.” As he was about to pass away, he spoke a gatha: “Maitreya
is the real Maitreya, with countless incarnations. He constantly appears
before people, but they don’t realize it.” Subsequently, he was said to
have been an emanation of Bodhisattva Maitreya. Many temples used
his image to make statues with a broad smile and big belly, and honored
them as images of Bodhisattva Maitreya.
The Four Heavenly Kings are Buddhism’s guardian deities, commonly

known as the “Four Guardian Warriors.” They are Vaisravana (or
Duowen, who hears everything), Dhrtarastra (Chiguo, who upholds
the realm), Virudhaka (Zengzhang, who causes things to grow), and
Virupaksa (Guangmu, or he who sees all). Vaisravana is the guardian
of the north and is associated with green. He carries an umbrella in one
hand and a snow weasel in the other. Dhrtarastra protects the east, is
linked with the color white and holds a pipa in his hands. Virudhaka,
associated with blue, is guardian of the south and wields a sword.
Virupaksa, who guards the west, is red-themed and accompanied by a
dragon.
Bodhisattva Skanda is also a protector deity of Buddhism. Garbed in

the armor of an ancient warrior, he holds a vajra scepter.
The Bell Tower is to the east of the Hall of Heavenly Kings, with a
large bell hanging there. In its basement, some temples place a statue of
Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha with two attendants, Daoming to his left and
Mingong to his right.
The Drum Tower, holding a large drum, lies to the west of the Hall.
Some monasteries have a statue of Guanyu as a guardian deity. He has
two attendants, Guanping on the left and Zhoucang on the right.
The Grand Hall is the main structure of Buddhist temples. Usually it

hosts three Buddha statues, or just one. A trio would normally be the
Buddhas of the Three Directions, Three Time Frames or Three Bodies.
Some Grand Halls have images of Bodhisattva Maitreya, Shakyamuni
Buddha and Amitabha Buddha. Those with a single Buddha mostly
honor Shakyamuni Buddha, with two bhikkus at his side. If one of the
bhikkus is young and the other elderly, the former would be Ananda and
the latter Kasyapa. If the two are close in age, they would be Sariputra
and Moggallana. In some monasteries, the statues in the Grand Hall
represent the Three Sacred Beings of the Western Pure Land, or the
Three Avatamsaka Sacred Beings.
To the back of Shakyamuni Buddha is normally a relief carving of

Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara. Statues of 16 or 18 Arhats are located on the
east and west sides of the Grand Hall.
To the east and west of the Grand Hall are side halls. The statues there
vary among Dharma schools. Some side halls have the Three Sacred
Beings of the Western Pure Land, others contain Ch’an lineage masters,
still others honor Guanyu.
Beyond the Grand Hall are Dharma halls for teaching and assembly.
Besides Buddha statues, they have speakers’ seats and platforms, as well
as bells and drums.
An essential part of a monastery is the abbot’s quarters -- where the

abbot lives and receives guests. In the Pure Land school it is known as
Hualin Quarters, while the Ch’an school calls it Prajna Quarters.
In addition, there is the Sutra Library, where the scriptures are kept.
Today’s urban temples even have facilities with relatively practical

functions, such as reading and computer rooms. The entire layout may
be streamlined into a single building complex.
Q 68: Besides Maitreya, aren’t there many more Bodhisattvas -- for

example, the familiar Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara (Guanyin)?
A: That’s right. The main ones are Manjusri, Samantabhadra, Avalokitesvara
and Ksitigarbha, collectively called the Four Great Bodhisattvas. A
resolution to liberate oneself and others, and to achieve enlightenment
as well as help others to attain it, is called developing bodhicitta (bodhi
mind). People who make such a vow can also be called “Bodhisattvas,”
but before reaching enlightenment, they remain at the level of ordinary
beings.
Having resolved on bodhicitta, a Buddhist has to practice the Dharma

lifetime after lifetime to achieve Buddhahood. There are 52 stages for
Bodhisattvas. The Four Great Bodhisattvas, as well as Maitreya, have
attained the highest rank -- “Enlightenment-Equivalent Bodhisattva.”
The Mahayana scriptures highlight the transcendent wisdom of Manjusri,
the resolute action of Samantabhadra, the capacious compassion of
Avalokitesvara and the great vows of Ksitigarbha.
Mt. Wutai in Shanxi Province is the dedicated “Dharma field” of

Bodhisattva Manjusri. The counterparts for Bodhisattvas Samantabhadra,
Avalokitesvara and Ksitigarbha are Mt. Emei in Sichuan , Mt. Putuo in
Zhejiang and Mt. Jiuhua in Anhui respectively. They are collectively
known as the Four Sacred Mountains of China.
Manjusri, meaning “Gentle Glory” in Sanskrit, symbolizes the prajna

(transcendent wisdom) and virtue of all the Buddhas. He is the left
attendant of Shakyamuni Buddha, holding a sword that represents sharp
wisdom, and riding a blue lion symbolizing great intelligence.
Samantabhadra means “Universal Worthiness” in Sanskrit. He is

associated with action. The right attendant of Shakyamuni Buddha, he
rides a while elephant with six teeth, symbolizing the Six Paramitas.
Avalokitesvara “perceives the cries” of people who recite “Namo

Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara” in times of crisis, and rescues them via
different manifestations according to circumstances. So there are various
names and images of Avalokitesvara (“Guanyin” in Chinese) -- such as
Guanyin in white robes, Guanyin sending off a child, Guanyin with fish
basket, Guanyin in moonlit water, and Guanyin with a thousand arms
and eyes. Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara was originally depicted as male
in India. After Buddhism came to China, starting from the Northern and
Southern Dynasties (420-589), Avalokitesvara became a female figure.
That was because the female temperament is closer to the spirit of
compassion and is readily accepted by the public.
Ksitigarbha is Sanskrit for “Earth Treasury” — as stable and steady

as the earth, and as quiet and deep as hidden treasure. Shakyamuni
Buddha instructed him to teach beings in our world in the Buddha-
less era between his own nirvana and the arrival of Maitreya Buddha.
Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha is known for his great vow: “Only when all
sentient beings have been delivered shall I achieve enlightenment; I vow
not to become a Buddha until all hells have been emptied.”
Q 69: The murals of some Buddhist temples depict fierce faces that aren’t
even human. Why is that?
A: All the images of Esoteric Buddhism have specific significance. For
example, the lotus flower at the base of Buddha statues stands for the
aspiration to transcendence, the moon represents bodhicitta and the sun
symbolizes wisdom — the wisdom of understanding that everything
is empty. The implements held by the figures represent various vows,
wisdom and merits of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Those with grim
faces usually are Heavenly Kings — the Buddha’s warrior attendants.
Possessing great powers, they are guardian deities of Buddhism who
keep the armies of evil at bay. In addition, there are many other images
of divine beings.
Q 70: What does the “ 卍 ” on the chest of Buddha images mean?
A: “ 卍 ” is just a symbol, not a character. It can be pronounced “wan” in

Chinese, which means “auspicious appearance amid a sea of clouds.”
That is one of the 32 physical characteristics of great beings (such as
Buddhas).
The symbol rotates right ( 卐 ) on some statues and left ( 卍 ) on others.

Most rotate right.
“ 卍 ” represents the boundless wisdom and compassion of Buddhas.

The rotation stands for the unlimited functioning and extension of their
power to save countless sentient beings in the ten directions.
Q 71: When do Buddhist temples usually hold Dharma services?

th
A: Generally on the first and 15 days of the lunar month and on Buddhist
festivals. In Han-inhabited regions, there are three important festivals.
The first is Buddha’s Birthday on the eighth day of the fourth lunar
month, which is also called Vesak Day. The second one is on December
8th, which commemorates Shakyamuni Buddha’s enlightenment. It is
commonly called the Laba Festival. The third falls on the 15th day
of the seventh lunar month -- the Ullambana or Chungyuan Festival,
honoring the spirits of the deceased.
On Vesak Day, monasteries usually hold a “Buddha-bathing” Dharma

service, with monastics offering flowers, lamps, candles, tea, fruit and
delicacies to the Buddha. They also pour scented water on an image of
the new-born Shakyamuni Buddha. The service remembers the Buddha’s
birth.
During the Laba Festival, temples hold services to mark the Buddha’s
enlightenment. Because the Buddha accepted milk gruel from a
shepherdess prior to his enlightenment, monasteries make porridge on
this occasion and offer it before Buddha images. There is a folk custom
in China to have “Laba porridge” on the same day, which was first
recorded in the Song Dynasty.
“Ullambana” is a Sanskrit word that means helping people who are

hanging upside down. One of the Buddha’s disciples, Moggallana, saw
his deceased mother suffering in hell. He asked the Buddha to save her,
as he was helpless. The Buddha asked him to prepare a hundred items of
food and drink to offer monks from everywhere on lunar July 15, tapping
their strength to save his mother. Later, Buddhist monasteries held

Dharma activities that day every year to deliver the spirits of ancestors.
Besides the three festivals, the eighth and 15th days of the second lunar
month commemorate the Renunciation and Parinirvana of Shakyamuni
Buddha respectively. The 19th days of the second, the sixth and the
ninth months mark the Birthday, Enlightenment and Renunciation of
Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara respectively. The 30th day of the seventh
month is the Birthday of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha, and the 17th day of the
eleventh month is the Birthday of Amitabha Buddha. Temples usually
hold memorial activities.
Q 72: What are pagodas for?
A: “Pagoda” is also called “Buddha stupa,” translated from Sanskrit. It

means “outstanding” or a “grave.” Generally, a pagoda is used to store
the Buddhist relics. Some are unrelated to relics and merely serve
symbolic or commemorative purposes.
Q 73: What is a consecration ceremony?
A: Buddhist monasteries usually have consecration ceremonies, which

resemble secular ribbon-cutting festivities. They celebrate the completion
of Buddha statues and inspire people’s devotion. It is sometimes said
that “consecration is necessary for an image to be efficacious.” This is
not appropriate. The Buddha’s light is present wherever there is a statue,
whether or not there has been a consecration ceremony. The ritual is just
to spread the word and to inspire people.
Q 74: Besides monasteries, what places are there for Buddhist activities?
A: Since the beginning of the last century, Buddhist lay lodges have been
opened throughout China. These are places for householders’ activities.
Modern lay communities have sprung up in such forms as study groups,
colleges, viharas, lotus associations, bodies for collective practice, youth
entities and Amitabha-recitation halls. Their activities include Dharma
discourses, research and study, group practice and circulation of printed
and other materials on Buddhism.
Chapter
2
Buddhist Teachings
1. The Four Noble Truths
Q 75: What are the basic Buddhist teachings?
A: In summary, the basic Buddhist teachings are the Four Noble Truths:
suffering, the cause of suffering, the extinction of suffering, and the
path leading to the cessation of suffering. They are also called the “Four
Truths.” Our lives can be encapsulated by these Four Truths: First, life
is suffering (the Truth of Suffering); second, suffering arises through
the accumulation of delusion and negative action by sentient beings (the
Truth of the Cause of Suffering); third, suffering can be eradicated (the
Truth of the Extinction of Suffering); fourth, there are many ways to
eliminate suffering (the Truth of the Paths Leading to the Cessation of
Suffering).
The Truths of Suffering and of the Cause of Suffering illustrate life’s

essence and the causes of its formation. The Truths of the Extinction
of Suffering and of the Paths Leading to the Cessation of Suffering
illuminate the destination of our lives – liberation, and the way to
liberation.
Buddhist scriptures, however voluminous, do not go beyond the Four

Noble Truths.
The Four Noble Truths 55
Q 76: What sufferings are there in life?
A: The Buddha’s teachings often mention the Eight Sufferings of life. They
are the sufferings of –
Birth: As fetuses, we live in darkness and experience heat and cold, as

well as the pressures of confinement. We are uncomfortable. At the time
of birth we feel great pain – like being clamped by huge blocks.
Old age: As we age, we become deaf, blind and bent. We lose our teeth,
and illnesses grip our bodies.
Sickness: When we fall ill, we’re mentally and physically exhausted,

unable to escape the torment.
Death: When death approaches, we’re like an ox being skinned alive or

a turtle being shelled. It’s as if we are being torn apart by piercing winds
or cooked in boiling oil. We feel choked and dejected.
Encountering those we hate: We constantly meet people whom we

dislike or resent.
Separating from those we love: Our loved ones will inevitably leave us.
Not getting what we want: Things we long for are beyond our reach.
Being burned by the Five Aggregates (skandhas): We are entangled by

the burning vexations of body and mind, unable to escape. The Five
Aggregates, or skandhas, are form (rupa), sensation (vedana), perception
(samjna), mental formations (sankhara) and consciousness (vijnana).
They constitute the material and spiritual elements of body and mind.
Buddhist scriptures also mention the Three Sufferings:
The suffering of suffering, or painful experiences (dukkha-dukkha):

Suffering caused by cold, heat, hunger, thirst, illness, maltreatment,
labor, disasters or other miserable conditions.
The suffering of decay (viparinama-dukkha): Once our enjoyable

moments are disrupted, they can transform immediately into sadness,
disappointment and loneliness.
The suffering of change (sankhara-dukkha): Every worldly phenomenon

(called “conditioned dharma” in Buddhism) is subject to change and
disappearance, bringing us stresses of emptiness and insecurity.
The fundamental suffering of life is impermanence. Our bodies and

minds arise and cease from moment to moment. They are not persistently
abiding. This runs counter to our instinctive pursuit of permanence and
happiness.
Q 77: Where does suffering come from?
A: This is the second of the Four Noble Truths. The cause of beings’ distress
can be summarized as “karma created through delusion, leading to
suffering.”
None of the things and phenomena in the universe exist in isolation.

They arise from the convergence of manifold factors. Sentient beings
are also a combination of material and spiritual elements. Like worldly
phenomena, they change ceaselessly. But we don’t understand this

principle of impermanence. Deluded and confused, we vainly seek
happiness that lasts. All worldly things are impermanent and cannot be
grasped. This conflict drives us to produce incorrect thoughts (delusions)
and take selfish actions (karma) – negative karma. The accumulation of
such karma inevitably reaps for us negative consequences (suffering)
in this or future lifetimes. That is why beings reincarnate in different
forms life after life. In each lifetime, the inherent vexations of birth and
death intensify our unwholesome thoughts and delusions, generating
new negative karma and aggravating our samsaric afflictions. This is a
vicious circle without end.
Q 78: The term “karma” (ye in Chinese) appears often in Buddhist

teachings. Does it carry the same meaning as “undertaking” or
“career” (shiye)?
A: No. “Undertaking” is a modern word. The original meaning of karma

is “action,” referring to all our physical and mental activities, including
deeds, words and thoughts. They are our physical acts (deeds), verbal
utterances (words), and mental cognitions (thoughts). Every deed, word
or thought, however tiny, plants a karmic seed which has the power to
bring consequences in the future. This is the “force of karma.” To put it
simply, “Beings suffer because of the pull of their karmic force.”
Q 79: Can suffering be eliminated?
 A: Absolutely. This is the Third Noble Truth – of the Extinction of

Suffering. If we can awaken from ignorance and delusion, practice the
right Dharma path to eradicate vexations, and cease all the physical
and mental deeds causing samsaric afflictions, we will achieve nirvana.

This is a realm that transcends time, space and the cycle of rebirth. It is
without birth or death, and is full of serenity, peace and joy.
Q 80: How can suffering be eradicated?
A: That is the substance of the Truth of the Path Leading to the Cessation of
Suffering. It’s the way towards liberation and nirvana. Practicing the path
is the only way to achieve Buddhahood. To attain the serenity of nirvana,
we must extinguish vexations and deluded thoughts by cultivating the
Three Learnings, the Noble Eightfold Path, and other peerless Dharma
practices.
The Three Learnings are the precepts (sila), meditative concentration

(samadhi) and wisdom (prajna).
The precepts guard against vices and wrongdoing. Practitioners should

scrupulously observe the disciplines formulated by the Buddha. To start
with, they should act and talk discreetly to prevent their deluded thinking
from triggering physical and verbal karma.
Meditative concentration means to stop thinking and clinging and to

stay in a quiescent state of mind. Our delusions will naturally cease to
grow. The root trouble of beings is constant restlessness, and meditation
is a necessary corrective.
Wisdom enables us to eradicate illusions and realize the truth – to be

enlightened about ultimate reality. When such wisdom emerges, one can
perceive everything without obstruction and dispel delusions thoroughly.
The Three Learnings are complementary. Focusing the mind is a part

of the precepts, upholding the precepts leads to concentration, and
concentration yields wisdom. Once we perfect our practice of the Three
Learnings, our afflictions and karmic habits will be eradicated.
The Three Learnings are generic methods to escape samsara through

self-power practice.
Out of compassion for beings who are unable to achieve perfection

of the Three Learnings, Shakyamuni Buddha taught a special method
to free ourselves from the cycle of rebirth – the Pure Land path of
Amitabha-recitation. If we recite the name of Amitabha Buddha and are
reborn in the Land of Bliss, relying on the power of his vows (other-power
deliverance), we can also eliminate our afflictions and attain nirvana.
The Noble Eightfold Path consists of Right View, Right Thought, Right
Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness
and Right Concentration.
Right View: To understand correctly – to see things in light of the Four

Noble Truths.
Right Thought: To think correctly – to consider issues according to the

Four Noble Truths.
Right Speech: To speak properly – to abstain from lying and empty talk.
Right Action: To act properly – to refrain from all evil doings.
Right Livelihood: To live in an appropriate way – to comply with the

Dharma when earning a living.
Right Effort: To apply oneself with suitable diligence – to practice

single-mindedly without interruption.
Right Mindfulness: To contemplate correctly – to apply true wisdom to

invoke the right path, without incorrect notions.
Right Concentration: To meditate correctly – to enter a pure, flawless

mindset, according to Right View.
Q 81: So many terms. They are hard to remember. Is there a basic,

underlying principle?
A: The Law of Dependent Origination is the fundamental rationale on which

the Four Noble Truths are based. It’s the fountainhead from which all
Buddhist teachings flow.
The Law of Dependent Origination 61
2. The Law of Dependent

Origination
Q 82: What is the Law of Dependent Origination?
A: Dependent Origination means that “dharma arise from causes and
conditions.” In Buddhism all material and spiritual phenomena are called
“dharma.” Such terms as “all dharma,” “various dharma” appear often
in the scriptures; they mean “all things” or “phenomena in the universe.”
Briefly, all things and phenomena arise because of circumstances. They
exist in co-relationships and according to conditions – without which
not a thing or phenomenon can arise. “Causes” are the internal reasons.
“Conditions” refer to external circumstances. They are generally
explained as relationships and conditions.
The Buddha defines “Dependent Origination” as follows: “If this

exists, that exists. If this arises, that arises. If this doesn’t exist, that
doesn’t exist. If this ceases, that ceases.” The four sentences point to
interdependent relationships, both simultaneous and non-simultaneous.
Q83: What are “simultaneous and non-simultaneous interdependent

relationships”?
A: At a specific time or in the present moment, a thing is an aggregation of

various conditions. Without them, that entity doesn’t exist. This is why
“if this exists, that exists; if this doesn’t exist, that doesn’t exist.” That
is a simultaneous, interdependent relationship. Consider the relationship
between teachers and students. Only if there are teachers are there
students, and vice versa. Without teachers, no one can be called students,
and vice versa.
In terms of time’s passage, something that now exists is the result of

things that existed but are now gone – and the cause of something that
will arise in the future. All phenomena are in the process of sequential
arising and ceasing, in a chain of causality. Therefore “if this arises,
that arises; if this ceases, that ceases.” These are non-simultaneous,
interdependent relationships. Take the link between seed and sprout.
A seed exists first, then grows into a sprout. Given the sprout’s
current presence, its previous form can be called seed. That’s a non-
simultaneous, interdependent relationship. From another perspective,
the seed ceases to exist as soon as the sprout comes into being, and the
sprout arises when the seed ceases to exist. Such phenomena of arising
and ceasing constitute a simultaneous interdependent relationship.
To sum up, all phenomena invariably exist in certain interdependent

relationships, either simultaneously or non-simultaneously. Nothing can
exist by itself.
Q 84: Are interdependent relationships equivalent to causality?
A: Yes. In the case of non-simultaneous interdependent relationships, the

seed is the cause and the sprout the effect. This is non-simultaneous
causality. In simultaneous interdependent relationships, the teacher, if
taken as the prime agent, represents the cause and the student the effect
– and vice versa if the student is the principal. This is simultaneous
causality.
In fact, causality is extremely complicated. A cause produces a specific

effect from one point of view. And the same cause leads to another effect
if observed from a different perspective. For instance, A is B’s teacher in
a teacher-student relationship, but is C’s father in terms of parentage, and
D’s husband as far as marriage is concerned. When A is taken as cause, B,
C, D and all others are effects. That is one cause with multiple effects. If
others are causes, A would be the effect – multiple causes with a single
effect. Actually there is no absolute (non-relative) cause or absolute
effect.
Thus the world is a boundless network, linked by countless sequential

causalities in time and interdependent relationships in space.
Q 85: Is the Law of Dependent Origination a teaching unique to Buddhism?
A: Yes. The Law of Dependent Origination comprises four major points: 1)
no creator of all things; 2) egolessness; 3) impermanence; 4) seamless
cause and effect.
Q 86: What does “no creator of all things” mean?
A: It means there is no divine force that created the universe and all its
phenomena. Since “dharma arise from causes and conditions,” there
cannot be an independent creator. Causes originate from (other) causes,
and conditions arise from conditions. Every cause has its own causes and
every condition its own conditions. There is no beginning or end to time,
or to space. The conclusion: There is no absolute cause.
Q 87: That makes Buddhism seem atheistic. Why are there numerous
deities in Buddhist stories?
A: Yes, from the perspective of its denial of a creator, Buddhism is atheistic.
But it doesn’t negate the existence of deities; it regards them as beings
within the Six Realms. Some of them are protectors of the Dharma.
Q 88: What is “egolessness”?
A: Every sentient being is simply an aggregation of material and spiritual

elements. There is no unchanging, determinant ego. Each element
arises and ceases from instant to instant, depending on conditions. So
we cannot find a fixed, independent “I” that dominates our bodies and
minds. This is “egolessness.”
Q 89: What is “impermanence”?
A: All phenomena in the universe exist in interdependent relationships,

wherein if this arises that arises, and if this ceases that ceases. There
is no permanent existence. Phenomena are impermanent in nature,
arising and ceasing instantly. As the scriptures say, “Formations are

impermanent. They are the dharma of arising and ceasing.” “Formations”
denotes all things and phenomena. The term “formation” carries the
meaning of continuous change – phenomena are transforming all the
time, so they are called “formations.” “Arising and ceasing” signifies
the stages of “arising, abiding, changing and ceasing.” The origination
of a phenomenon is called “arising”; it is “abiding” while it remains
functional. Despite its functioning, it is concurrently transforming –
“changing.” And “ceasing” denotes its extinction. An “instant” is an
extremely short time. A finger-snap spans 60 instants, says a sutra.
“Arising and ceasing instantly” means covering the four stages in a
single instant.
For example, a human lifespan as a whole is a single phase of arising,

abiding, changing and ceasing – namely birth, aging, sickness and death.
But each part of the person goes through the four stages instant by
instant, that is, physiological metabolism. An object’s arising, abiding,
changing and ceasing and a world’s formation, existence, destruction and
emptiness both consist of continuous instants of arising and ceasing. All
phenomena arise and cease every instant. So the myriad things exist on
an illusory, temporary and imaginary basis. They are not permanent. All
are void. Buddhism calls this principle “Dependent Origination and
Empty Nature.”
All things are impermanent and empty. But that’s not to deny the
existence of objective phenomena. The formulation penetrates the
essence of existence, allowing us to perceive that we live in an illusory,
ultimately insubstantial world. With this insight, we can let go of our
avaricious pursuit of material comforts, fame and wealth.
Q 90: Is Buddhism itself also subject to the law of impermanence?
A: Yes. The Buddha predicted that his teaching would spread in the world
over three successive phases. The first was the Age of Correct Dharma,
characterized by the rise of Buddhism. Then came the Age of Semblance
Dharma, or the evolutionary era. Third is the Age of Dharma Decline,
when decay sets in. The Buddha also spoke of a future Age of Dharma
Extinction. “Formations are impermanent,” and Buddhism is no
exception.
Q 91: What is “continuous cause and effect”?
A: Matters that originate from causes and conditions are impermanent,
arising and ceasing constantly. Yet they succeed one another
continuously, the way a steam flows – what precedes disappears, giving
way to what follows. Causes produce effects without pausing. This
reflects the vertical aspect. From the horizontal perspective, categories
of causality involve innumerable differences. Though intricate and
complex, they are governed by rigorous laws and operate with perfect
accuracy. Where there is a cause, there is an effect. A type of cause
brings the same type of effect. Positive causes produce positive effects,
and negative causes generate negative effects. Causes conform with their
effects, and effects correspond to their causes. For example, one who
kills cuts short another being’s life, sowing the seeds for his own life to
be shortened. One kind of cause cannot generate effects of a different
kind. One who sows gourds can only reap gourds. This is the Law of
Causation (“karma”) taught by Buddhism.
Q 92: Good people suffer misfortune while evildoers prosper. This tends to
make people skeptical about the Law of Causation.
A: Saying that good people suffer misfortune while evildoers prosper is a
bit exaggerated. In reality good people are mostly safe and sound, living
peacefully and contentedly, while evildoers often face mishap, sickness
and other troubles. Yet occasionally bad things happen to a virtuous
person or good fortune anoints an evildoer. Such cases contravene
common sense and therefore leave a deep impression. Certainly, they
exist.
The workings of cause and effect (karma) in Buddhism cover three

time frames – past, present and future. Causes created in the present
lifetime may bring effects either in this life or after many subsequent
lives. A person may plant good seeds this life but may not reap positive
fruits immediately for lack of the necessary external conditions. At the
same time, negative seeds from her past lives may meet the requisite
circumstances and ripen, producing misfortune in her present life.
Moreover, one may subsequently regret positive behavior as well as
repent negative acts. And good and evil deeds may not actually be what
they seem. Given the complexity of causality, it isn’t appropriate to draw
simplistic conclusions on the basis of superficial indications.
Q 93: If one has created a negative cause by committing a karmic offense, is

it possible to prevent the negative consequence by way of penitence?
A: If it is light, bad karma can be eliminated through repentance. Penitence

means honestly confessing one’s wrongdoing before the Buddhas or an
assembly of people, repenting it without reservation, and resolving never
to commit the same offense again. With great sincerity, one washes away
the internal filth, dispels the inner darkness and restores purity of mind.
If the penitent subsequently “sees signs of the purification of offenses”
– such as viewing or dreaming of sacred beings, light, palaces, the
sun, the moon or other positive images – it can be ascertained that the
unwholesome seeds have been eradicated. This is called “purification of
bad karma.”
Substantial negative karma can only be cleansed by the recitation of

Amitabha Buddha’s name.
Q94: As previously mentioned, “where there is a cause there is always

an effect.” Does that contradict the notion of “purifying negative
karma”?
A: As a sutra says, “Countless kalpas may pass, but the karma of our deeds
does not disappear.” That, however, is directed at those who lack Dharma
wisdom and know nothing about the transfer of karmic consequences.
From a wisdom-infused perspective, the principle of Dependent
Origination and Empty Nature also applies to karmic causes, so they can
be eliminated or transferred. If every karmic cause had to manifest its
effect before vanishing, we would never be delivered from the cycle of
rebirth.
Q95: Can we offset our accumulated negative karma with good deeds?
A: One’s good and evil actions produce their own effects – neither can
be offset by the other. Negative karma cannot be canceled by positive
deeds. But by cultivating virtuous seeds and accumulating good karma,
we can keep negative conditions at bay and prevent their unwholesome

effects from materializing.
Q 96: Our past lives impact our present circumstances. Can this explain
why people are born different?
A: Yes. There are great circumstantial disparities among children born in
different places and families. Newborns are unable to create karmic
causes, so it seems that they shouldn’t be different. Our differences
at birth are the consequences of causes created during past lives. Our
present form, male or female, beautiful or ugly, rich or poor, intelligent
or dull, is the reward for how we acted in previous lifetimes. So it is
called our “reward body.”
Q 97: So it’s not correct to say that “the Jade Emperor and King Yama
[the rulers of heaven and the netherworld respectively] control our
destinies”?
A: Of course not. What life form we take and how much joy or suffering we
experience are not decided by God or by chance. They derive from the
minds of sentient beings themselves. Our fate is in our own hands, as we
are entirely capable of determining the motivations of our behaviors.
Q 98: If we can control our own destiny, why does fate toy with some
people?
A: Because they haven’t found the way to determine their own fate. To
improve our destiny, we should sow positive karmic seeds, instead of
scrambling for worldly advantage.
Q 99: Earlier you spoke of “egolessness.” Now you say our destiny is in our
control. Doesn’t this “our” point to an “ego”? If there is no “ego,”
who receives the positive and negative karmic payback? Who is
liberated through practice? Doesn’t everything seem meaningless?
A: While stressing the elimination of the “view-of-self,” at the worldly

level Buddhism acknowledges subjective personality, the “I”or “me”
that distinguishes self from others. All living phenomena originate
from conditions, arising and ceasing constantly without a permanent,
determinant ego. But these phenomena, while emerging and vanishing
instantly in a continuum of cause and effect, must be manifest in a
tangible entity, namely the “worldly I” or “false ego.” The body and
mind of this “worldly I” persist from thought to thought, appearing
stable on a periodic basis.
Buddhism calls “egolessness” and other absolute principles “ultimate

truths,” “supreme truths” and “first-principle truths.” Secular
principles relating to phenomena produced by causes and conditions
are known as “worldly truths.” The Buddha’s teachings emphasize
the “interpenetration of the ultimate and the worldly ” – the two aspects
of the same truth. Absolute truths do not conflict with relative, secular
truths.
Rebirth in the Six Realms 71
3. Rebirth in the Six Realms
Q100: Does the aforesaid “past lifetime” refer to the “previous life” that
people often mention?
A: Yes. According to the Law of Dependent Origination, every human being
is a complex aggregation, which can be traced materially and spiritually
back to causes and conditions existing before his or her birth.
Q101: Does it mean the life before the present lifetime, or what many call
“reincarnation”?
A: Yes. The Twenty-Four Histories, which is the official history of China,
contain many cases of people and events relating to reincarnation. In
modern times, television, newspapers and magazines also frequently
report similar occurrences, domestically and internationally. These
events really happened and shouldn’t be dismissed as superstitious.
Q102: So Buddhism doesn’t agree with the idea that “a person’s death
resembles a light being extinguished”?
A: Buddhism calls the notion that “a person’s death is like a light going
out” a “nihilistic view.” If such a conclusion could be established,
death would signify an end to continual cause and effect, rendering

untenable the Law of Dependent Origination. By observing our
surroundings, however, we cannot find anything that goes against the
Law of Dependent Origination. The most immediate evidence to refute
the “nihilistic view” is pre-life memory. Past and present, there are many
cases around the world of people remembering their past lives.
Q103: But not everyone can remember his or her previous lives.
A: That’s true. The process of transmigration is full of intense, complex

changes in body and mind, plus ten months of fetal gestation. Most
people cannot remember anything of their pre-lives. In fact, we can’t
even remember what happened during our infancy, let alone anything
before birth. Without memories, there seems no evidence. So for most
people, the existence of rebirth is more or less a matter of faith.
Q104: Then I can continue to believe that “a person’s death is like a light
being extinguished,” as most people do? I feel this is freer and easier.
 A: Faith cannot be forced. What happens after death is mysterious,

unknowable. We ordinary beings cannot see it with our own eyes. If we
rely on our perceptions, we may easily conclude that “a person’s death is
like a light going out.” Insofar as life is concerned, however, it would be
better to acquire greater understanding. If it turns out that there really is
a realm beyond death and we know nothing about it, wouldn’t it be too
late for regrets?
“A person’s death is like a light being extinguished” is perfunctory talk

by those who dare not face the end of life. Confronting a real and deadly
threat, no one can casually let go of his life, “like a flame going out.” He
would try his utmost to live on, using every means to extend his life.
Q105: More understanding may do some good. Besides, I am curious. Can

you speak more specifically about it?
A: When a lifetime ends, life itself does not disappear with the dispersal
of physical elements. A part of the spiritual element continues to exist.
Buddhism calls it shenshi – “mind knowledge,” “spiritual consciousness”
or just “spirit.”
Q106: Is that the “soul”of common parlance?
A: Somewhat similar, but that’s not quite accurate. It’s a subtle topic to
discuss. Reincarnation cannot be understood simply as a worm crawling
from one leaf to another, as that would violate the Law of Dependent
Origination – “arising and ceasing instant by instant” and “egolessness.”
A more apt metaphor would be “one torch igniting another.” The afterlife
isn’t the present life. And there isn’t anything constant and changeless
passing from this life into the next one. Yet the two are closely associated
in the form of successive causality. For general comprehension, we may
assume a connecting bond that carries karmic seeds and ensures the
continuity of causes and effects. But that’s not the soul people often talk
about.
Q107: What happens to the mind consciousness?
A: It will be propelled by the karma of the lifetime preceding death to

another one.
A life ends when a sentient being’s karmic good fortune or retributions

are exhausted. The being will then be born into another life. Births
and deaths continue like a wheel, revolving in endless cycles. That is
samsara, or the cycle of rebirth. “Sentient beings reincarnate in the Six
Realms like a wheel, having neither beginning nor end,” says a sutra.
Q108: So a person after death can be reborn as a human again?
A: That’s not certain. The common belief that “people become ghosts after
death” is also inaccurate. After we die, we may be reborn as humans,
ghosts or other life forms.
Q109: Does that mean we may be reborn as animals, such as pigs and
sheep?
A: Nothing unusual about that. Every sentient being is a participant in the
cycle of rebirth.
Q110: Were flowers and trees reincarnated from humans?
 A: No. The cycle of rebirth is limited to living entities with emotive

consciousness, or “sentient beings,” as Buddhism calls them. Some
people say that experiments prove plants also have emotion. That’s
because invisible sentient lives may attach themselves to plants.
Q111: Reincarnation transforms one life into another. The latter is not the
former. So why should the innocent new life bear the consequences
of the negative karma produced by the old one?
A: The body and mind of a new life are the continuation of the previous
one, so it has the qualifications and responsibility to assume the karmic
effects of its predecessor. A sutra contains this parable: A man throws a
spark to a woodpile, setting it on fire. The fire spreads and burns down
dozens of villages. When he is caught, the man quibbles, “I only tossed
a tiny spark, which went out long ago. The later fire was not set by me.”
Others retort, “The villages were not ignited by you personally, but the
conflagration was caused by the spark you threw. You are the one who
created the fiery disaster!“
Q112: How many kinds of life form are there?
A: There are many more types of life form than we imagine. They are
roughly divided among six or five realms. The “Six Realms of Rebirth”
is a term frequently used in Buddhist texts. The Six Realms are inhabited
by celestial beings, humans, asuras, animals, hungry ghosts and hell
beings. The first three enjoy comparatively benign living conditions, and
are collectively known as the “Three Virtuous Realms.” The others
subsist in comparatively malign environments – the “Three Wretched
Realms.” Some scriptures refer to Five Realms, classifying different
types of asuras as celestial beings or hungry ghosts.
Q113: How are living conditions in the Six Realms?
A: Celestial beings have dignified appearances, radiant bodies and long
lives. They are happy, carefree. Their karmic rewards are supreme
among the realms.
Human being is “manusya” in Sanskrit. The term means

“consciousness” or “thought.” That is to say, the conscious mind is
a distinctive characteristic of humans. Yet our physical and mental
behaviors are restricted by our corporeal bodies and material
environment. Unlike celestial beings, we cannot act as we like. Most
people are driven by desires for food, clothing, fame and wealth, and live
without freedom.
Asuras is translated as “non-deities,” because they enjoy heavenly

blessings but lack celestial virtue. They are similar to, but are not,
deities. The term is also rendered as “undignified,” since male asuras are
ugly. Their realm is characterized by material abundance and spiritual
poverty, while they have an inborn aggressiveness.
Beings in the Realm of Animals range from large ones like pigs, horses,
cattle and sheep to diminutive insects and reptiles. They are ignorant by
nature. Some are bred by humans and others eat one another.
Hungry ghosts come in many types. Their suffering and enjoyment vary
greatly as well. Most look vulgar and deformed. They are craven and
cowardly, desperate for food and drink. They suffer untold misery.
Hell beings are subject to extreme penalties and endure all kinds of
torment. They live without hope or joy. Wishing for a death that doesn’t
come, they whine all the time.
Q114: There are so many kinds of beings, but why can we only see humans
and animals?
A: Because other sentient beings are made of superfine substances or exist
only as consciousness. They cannot be discerned by the naked eye or
even by scientific and technological means.
Q115: Is the often-mentioned heaven the Realm of Celestial Beings?
A: Yes. Buddhism doesn’t deny the existence of the Great Brahman, Lord
of Brahmanism, but does not take him as the creator and master of all
things. We may also consider the Jade Emperor of Daoism and the gods
of other religions in a similar manner.
Q116: Who enters heaven and who goes to hell?
A: That certainly isn’t randomly arranged, but is decided according to our
own actions, as causes must match their effects. Good seeds lead to birth
in the Virtuous Realms and bad ones in the Wretched Realms. At the
point of death, the good or the bad, whichever is stronger, will draw the
person into the corresponding realm.
Q117: But there seems no absolute criteria for good and bad …
A: In the form they take, good and evil have no absolute criteria in different
times and regions. But in terms of essential intention, there are certain
norms. Simply speaking, benefiting others is good and hurting others is
bad. Buddhism classifies wholesome and unwholesome deeds into ten

types. The Ten Good Actions are avoidance of killing, stealing, sexual
misconduct, lying, divisive talk, harsh speech, flowery words, greed,
anger and ignorance. Doing the opposite are the Ten Evil Actions.
Q118: Do the “ten unpardonable offenses” of common usage refer to those

Ten Evil Actions?
 A: The “ten unpardonable offenses” are not the same as the Ten Evil
Actions. The former refer to wrongdoings that are too weighty to be
pardoned, such as plotting treason. The Ten Evil Actions in Buddhism
are:
Killing – taking the life of a sentient being.
Stealing – committing theft, fraud or robbery.
Sexual misconduct – engaging in sexual activity outside marriage.
Lying – reversing right and wrong or speaking contrary to one’s thinking.
Divisive talk – stirring enmity or sowing dissension.
Harsh speech – speaking dirty, abusive words, or slandering or insulting

others.
Flowery words – making speech that is ornate, flattering, mocking others

for pleasure; composing songs or music associated with worldly desire
and passion, or writing books that stir lust or covetousness.
Greed – having unbounded desires and never being satisfied.
Anger – raging against others or resenting them.
Ignorance – lacking wisdom, sticking to skewed views, disbelieving

karma and the cycle of rebirth.
Q119: Is killing evildoers also forbidden? Is hating enemies bad too?
 A: Good or evil only concerns one’s own deeds, words and thoughts;
it doesn’t vary according to objects. A criminal is brought to justice
because he broke the law and deserves legal sanction. It’s not because
any specific person wants him to die. Shakyamuni Buddha forbids killing
but he does so to regulate individuals’ activities, as well as to avert
violation of the law. He always taught his followers to abide by worldly
laws. The two are disparate matters and shouldn’t be discussed together,
to avoid confusion. The Buddha’s compassion embraces all beings. He
sees that evildoers will suffer in hell and tries every means to save them.
However, Buddhists often face dilemmas. There’s a story in a sutra:

Shakyamuni Buddha used to be a guide for a merchant ship in a previous
life. To save his shipmates, he killed a pirate who intended to murder
others for money. He did so without harboring any hatred for the pirate
or any intention of ridding the community of an evil. He thought: If the
pirate got his way, his companions would suffer and the killer would go
to hell. If I told the truth, unwholesome thoughts would arise among my
shipmates and they would go to hell too. I’d rather kill the pirate and fall
into hell myself.
Q120: If a person who was bullied by another takes revenge as worldly

people do, does he violate the Ten Good Actions?
A: Yes.
Q121: What should he do then?
 A: Regard the situation as paying off a debt. According to the law of

causality, we are bullied because we once bullied the other; the present
pain we feel is the same suffering we previously inflicted on the other. If
we can willingly put up with it, the debt will be discharged forthwith.
Q122: If we constantly concede, isn’t that cowardly?
A: It shouldn’t be considered so. In such cases, being bold may lead to rash
action. One who expects to benefit from the Dharma should discard
worldly notions of “justice,” because an-eye-for-an-eye retaliation
produces negative karma and endless entanglement from which it is hard
to escape.
Q123: Greed, anger and ignorance are merely mental activities. If they
aren’t carried out, do they still produce negative karma?
A: Among the three activities – deeds, words and thoughts – Buddhism
especially emphasizes the purity of the last one, action of the mind.
That’s because deeds and words derive from thoughts. Greed, anger and
ignorance are called the “Three Poisons” since they are the source of all
negative karma and can poison our efforts to cultivate wisdom.
Q124: Everyone has unwholesome thoughts. Does that mean we’ve all
planted seeds of rebirth in the Wretched Realms?
A: Yes. But the final result will be assessed on a comprehensive basis. If
we’re aware of this and forsake the unwholesome for the wholesome,
exercising prudence in our thoughts, words and deeds, we will change
our lot for the better.
Generally speaking, beings that undertake the Ten Good Actions with
upper, middle and lower grades will be reborn in the celestial, human
and asura realms respectively. Those who commit the Ten Evil Actions
with the equivalent grades will fall respectively into the hell, hungry
ghost and animal realms.
Q125: How are we to distinguish among the three grades?
 A: The differentiation is based on the strength of conviction that

accompanies the various actions.
Upper grade: doing things with fervor and full force.
Middle grade: doing things with moderate conviction.
Lower grade: doing things with a sluggish, indifferent attitude.
Q126: How many beings of the Six Realms are there in the universe?
A: The universe is infinite. The world discernible with our naked eyes is
defined as a small world in Buddhism. A thousand small worlds compose
a small chiliocosm; a thousand small chiliocosms form a medium

chiliocosm; a thousand medium chiliocosms make up a great chiliocosm.
The universe consists of countless great chiliocosms.
A great chiliocosm is the territorial orbit in which a Buddha teaches and

transforms sentient beings. Therein, innumerable beings live in their
respective states of suffering and joy.
The great chiliocosm where we live is called the “Saha world.” “Saha”
means “endurable” – that is, beings there endure various vexations but
are reluctant to leave.
Q127: Many people don’t seem to feel that they are enduring vexations.
 A: This shows that their minds have been assimilated by vexations.

Consider a room filled with cigarette smoke. A non-smoker entering
it would find it hard to bear, but a regular smoker wouldn’t have any
special feelings. Sensory experience is even more illusory and ephemeral
than the material world. When a person is distressed, the world loses its
luster; as her troubles diminish, she becomes cheerful and everything
turns beautiful and brilliant. We regard such relative, mentally fabricated
experiences as reality, and fail to perceive the suffering that envelops us.
That’s like someone who has been in a poorly ventilated room for some
time, and isn’t aware of the dirty air.
As for the illusory nature of sensory experience, there is a well-known

example in a Buddhist scripture: Clear water is seen as clear water by
humans, as a home by fish, as pus and blood by hungry ghosts, and as a
resplendent treasure by celestial beings. Which perspective is correct?
Q128: Each person’s behavior in this life is a mixture of good and bad.
Which kind brings karmic payback first?
A: Consequences come upon us according to gravity, habits or thoughts.
Gravity: If one’s good karma during life outweighs the bad karma,
one will first be reborn in a Virtuous Realm. After payback for the
heavier karma has been exhausted, the person would experience the
consequences of lighter karma. Substantial karma, whether good or
evil, is called “fixed karma”; its effects are destined to manifest first.
(Amitabha-reciters’ exclusive practice of name-recitation and aspiration
to rebirth in the Pure Land is fixed karma.)
Habits: Consider a person who accrues no fixed karma in life and whose
positive and negative karma are evenly balanced. If she has a strong
karmic habit, after death she will be reborn towards the direction of such
a habit. (So reciters of Amitabha’s name should cultivate the habit of
name-recitation during their lifetimes.)
Thoughts: In the absence of fixed and habitual karma over a lifetime,

one’s emotional state at the time of death would be decisive. Negative
thoughts and mental formations upon death – such as fear, anxiety,
clinging and hatred – make it hard for the dying person to avoid falling
into a Wretched Realm. So it’s vital for him to remain at peace as death
comes. Family members should not weep. They should induce him to
recite Amitabha Buddha’s name. That would help him gain rebirth in the
Pure Land, through the power of Amitabha’s vows.
Q129: Since beings of the Celestial Realm are happy and long-lived,
perhaps we should try to be reborn in heaven.
A: While there is happiness in the Celestial Realm, it also has deficiencies.
The biggest is that its denizens are subject to birth and death. Even the
longest-lived celestial beings will be reincarnated according to karma
when their good fortune has been spent. When they find that their bodies
are no longer as pure, bright and exalted as before, they would know
that death is approaching. Especially when they see the places where
they will fall, they feel even more miserable and scared. The suffering
surpasses that of the hell domains.
Lacking difficult circumstances to spur them on, celestial beings mostly

indulge in leisure and pleasure, enjoying the karmic blessings they
accumulated from previous lives. So their merit and wisdom cannot
grow. This brings them no benefit in terms of liberation from samsara,
but rather delays it.
Therefore, compared with the Buddhas’ pure lands, the Six Realms are
all unfortunate. They are generally called the “Six Wretched Domains”
or the “Five Wretched Domains.”
Q130: So in the Six Realms we cannot find anywhere to live in peace and
safety?
A: That’s right. Beings in the Six Realms do not understand the principles
of impermanence and egolessness. We seek permanent happiness in an
impermanent world, and cling to the “self” in a self-less, conditioned
realm. Hence we are subject to countless vexations, such as greed, anger,
ignorance, arrogance, suspicion, false views …. Such afflictions trigger

unlimited negative karma, producing an endless cycle of rebirth.
So there is no safe place in the Six Realms, unless we can transcend

samsara.
4. General Methods of Transcending

Samsara
Q131: Does transcending samsara mean to “exit the Three Domains and be
free of the Five Elements?“
 A: Something like that, though this is just a folk saying. The “Three
Domains” is a Buddhist term while the “Five Elements” (metal, wood,
water, fire and earth) is an indigenous Chinese expression, a generic
reference to the material world. Buddhism uses the “Four Elements”
to describe the physical world: earth (solid in nature), water (wet), fire
(warm) and wind (motional).
The “Three Domains” are those of Desire, Form and Formlessness. The
concept is another way of categorizing the beings of the Six Realms. Six
kinds of lower-level celestial beings plus beings of the other five realms
are classified under the Domain of Desire because they have desires for
food, sexual pleasure and sleep. Eighteen heavens into which beings are
born through four types of meditation constitute the Domain of Form.
They are free from desires but remain confined in physical bodies.
Through deeper meditation, beings can be born in four other heavens
in which they have no physical bodies but only mental consciousness,
General Methods of Transcending Samsara 87
abiding in contemplative bliss. These comprise the Domain of

Formlessness. The longest-lived celestial beings reside in that domain’s
“Heaven of Neither Perception nor Non-Perception.” They have a life
span of 80,000 great kalpas.
Q132: What does “kalpa” mean?
A: “Kalpa” is a Sanskrit term. It’s an extremely long time unit, incalculable
by years, months and days. In Buddhist texts, the length of a kalpa is
described with the analogies of “rock kalpa” and “mustard seed kalpa.”
The former is longer than the time needed for a rock of 40 li in perimeter
to be ground down by the soft garment of a deva, who brushes it once
a hundred years. The latter is the time needed for all the mustard seeds
filling a city of 40 li square to be removed by a deva who takes away one
seed every century.
Q133: By contrast, our human lives are too short!
A: Yes, not only short but full of suffering. So eliminating the vexation of
death is the premier task of our present life.
Q134: Some people may have the terrifying notion of committing suicide.
Does that count as a method to eradicate the death vexation?
A: People who lack understanding of life may think so. In fact, suicide also
falls under the karmic offense of killing, especially when the victim
harbors strong hatred. In that case, the painful consequences would be a
billion times more intense than the suffering of this lifetime.
A Bodhisattva who sacrifices himself to rescue other beings is another

matter entirely. He is practicing the Bodhisattva path, which is
fundamentally different from suicide.
Q135: Can we escape reincarnation by performing charitable deeds?
A: The effect of doing charitable deeds is to be reborn in the Human or

Celestial Realms, but those are still within the cycle of rebirth. To
transcend reincarnation, it’s not enough to do good deeds only.
Q136: Doesn’t Buddhism teach us to perform good acts and accumulate

virtue too?
A: Yes. But those aren’t the entirety of Buddhism. Ordinary people can
hardly rise above mundane good and evil; they merely try to escape
the negative worldly causes and effects. They don’t know that positive
causes and effects of this world also anchor them in the Six Realms.
So the focus of the Dharma is supramundane methods – to eliminate
afflictions, attain enlightenment and transcend samsara.
However, it is difficult for us to accomplish that formidable task within

one lifetime because our capabilities vary and our lives are short. This is
why the Buddha first taught the Dharma’s mundane aspects – practicing
precepts and virtuous deeds to retain human form or gain rebirth in
the Celestial Realm. By such means, practitioners can access the
supramundane Dharma and obtain a guarantee to practice lifetime after
lifetime.
Buddhism’s special characteristic is extra-worldly: to transcend the

everyday world.
Q137: Supramundane, transcending the world – isn’t that passive and

evasive thinking?
A: The purpose of transcending the world is not to seek personal peace and
happiness, but to perfect a state of being and acquire the ability to deliver
beings from worldly suffering. So it is neither passive nor evasive.
Q138: What worldly and extra-worldly teachings did the Buddha reveal to
us?
A: To summarize, he delivered teachings of the “Five Vehicles.” “Vehicles”

means conveyances that transport passengers to their respective
destinations, whether nearby or far away. Vehicles are compared to
various doctrines that guide people to different stages of attainment,
in the context of liberation from samsara. The Five Vehicles are
those of humans, celestial beings, Sravakas, Pratyekabuddhas and
Bodhisattvas. The first two are mundane teachings, and the other three
are supramundane.
Q139: These terms sound unfamiliar. Can you please explain?
A: The human vehicle requires practitioners to believe deeply in good/evil

and cause/effect, and to reflect on human life and understand it. They
should comprehend the difficulty of obtaining human form and hearing
the Dharma, cherish their present lives, strive diligently to elevate their
character, and activate the mind for self-improvement. They should also
take the Three Refuges (in Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, and adopt the
teachings as their compass in life) and strictly observe the Five Precepts
(no killing, theft, sexual misconduct, lying or alcohol). Those who take
the Three Refuges and uphold the Five Precepts without fail will not lose
human form after death, and may be reborn as humans.
The human vehicle also includes many regulations for worldly life. They
include filial piety towards parents, respect for teachers, care for relatives
and friends, hard work, reasonable expenditure and the rule of law.
Q140: Seems it’s not easy to be reborn as a human!
A: That’s right. The Five Precepts appear simple, yet upholding them over
a lifetime without lapses is no easy task. That’s why the Buddha said,
“Human form is hard to obtain.” People who fall into the Wretched
Realms after death are as copious as the soil of the earth, while those
reborn as humans are as scant as the dirt wedged in a fingernail. To be
born a human being in the endless cycle of rebirth, says a sutra, is less
likely than “a blind turtle encountering a floating log with a hole in
it.” A log with a hollow in it is floating on a rough sea, and a blind turtle
rises from the sea bottom to the surface once a hundred years. To be born
a human is more difficult than the turtle reaching the log and putting its
head through the hole.
Q141: Then we should cherish our human lives?
 A: Yes. In the Three Domains, a human body is the best vehicle for
practicing the Dharma. We should do so diligently, to realize the true
value of life.
Q142: The vehicle of celestial beings must be more difficult to achieve?
A: Yes. By performing the Ten Good Actions and practicing generosity,
one may be reborn in a heaven within the Domain of Desire. If one
concurrently practices meditation, rebirth may be possible in a celestial
realm within the domains of Form or Formlessness.
The human and celestial vehicles may offer benefits and joys in the
present and subsequent lives, but their teachings lack the wisdom
embedded in dependent origination and emptiness. So the two vehicles
contain only worldly Dharma and cannot help us transcend rebirth in
the Three Domains. Even so, they may be considered preparatory stages
for extra-worldly Dharma. The Buddha emphasized taking the Three
Refuges to plant in us the Bodhi seed (aspiring to Buddhahood to deliver
others), so we can transcend samsara when we resume Dharma practice
in subsequent lives.
People who do not encounter the Dharma but naturally act in tune with
the karmic causes of the human or celestial vehicles, may also be reborn
in the Human or Celestial realms.
Q143: How can we transcend the Three Domains?
A: By means of the supramundane Dharma taught by the Buddha: the

vehicles of Sravakas, Pratyekabuddhas and Bodhisattvas.
Sravakas (“voice-hearers”) are those who eradicate delusion and realize

the truth after hearing the Buddha teach the Four Noble Truths. They
are also called Arhats, the meanings of which include “non-birth,”
“foe-destroyers” and “worthy recipients of offerings.” “Non-birth”

means ending birth and death, while a “foe-destroyer” is a terminator of
afflictions. “Worthy recipients of offerings” are those who deserve such
from humans and devas.
Adherents to this vehicle hear the correct Dharma, generate the mind of
renunciation, take and uphold the Three Refuges, and strictly observe
the pure precepts. They begin their practice by contemplating their own
impurities and beings’ afflictions. They observe that all realms within
and outside their bodies and minds are vexatious, empty, impermanent
and without self. They cease deluded, jumbled thoughts, and meditate
on the Four Noble Truths with right concentration (samadhi). Whether
in or out of samadhi, they constantly reflect on the correct Dharma. The
profound subtleties of the Four Truths manifest naturally and intuitively,
rather than through rational inference. They gradually attain the four
sacred stages: Sotapanna, Sakadagami, Anagami and Arhat. Their
delusion of views (perspectives contrary to the truth, such as the views
of self, permanence and nihilism, obtained through superficial, deductive
thinking) and delusion of thoughts (emotive afflictions such as greed,
anger and ignorance arising out of behavior according to circumstances)
are eradicated. Thus they extinguish the causes of rebirth in the Three
Domains. No afflictions will arise in their minds. They are liberated, at
ease.
Q144: What are Pratyekabuddhas?
 A: Pratyekabuddhas (“awakened to conditions”) are also known as

solitary realizers. They are those who achieve enlightenment on their
own. They realize the Buddha’s doctrine of the “Twelve-fold Dependent
Origination” and become enlightened (awakened to conditions). Or, in a

time or world without a Buddha, they observe in their own wisdom the
essence of all things – a convergence of karmic conditions – and thus
awaken to the principle of “Twelve-fold Dependent Origination” (solitary
realizers). Their practice consists of ten levels of attainment, with the
highest being Pratyekabuddha. The meditative wisdom attained by
Pratyekabuddhas is more profound and subtle than the Sravaka Vehicle’s
method of the Four Noble Truths and thus superior to that of Arhats.
Q145: What is “Twelve-fold Dependent Origination”?
A: “Twelve-fold Dependent Origination” is a chain of twelve links of

causality that illustrates pure or impure causes and effects. It’s also the
driving force of the life circle: The world is a place full of anxieties and
suffering. No being can escape old age and death (the link of Aging and
Death); the cause of aging, death, sorrow and grief is birth in this world
(Birth); birth in the Three Domains results from the previous creation of
relevant good and bad karma (Becoming); the creation of such karma
is due to grasping minds (Clinging); a grasping mind originates from
desires and attachments (Craving); desires and attachments arise out
of sensations of pain and joy (Feeling); sensations derive from contact
with the external environment (Contact); such contact is the function of
sense organs (Six Organs); sense organs comprise physical and spiritual
elements formed in the embryo (Name and Form); an embryo is the
product of a reincarnating consciousness (Consciousness); consciousness
is generated from ever-changing conditioned phenomena and the arising
and ceasing mind (Formation); and the arising and ceasing mind grows
out of ignorance (Ignorance).
Ignorance is the inability to recognize the truth that all phenomena

rise and cease according to conditions and are impermanent, without an
inherent, unchanging self. In particular, ignorant beings cannot realize
that their bodies and minds arise from causes and conditions but believe
that there is a permanent, determinant self. By clinging to this “self,”
they generate feelings of joy or pain when they face external objects.
These feelings further cause greed, anger, delusion and other vexations,
and consequently they create good or evil karma. According to the Law
of Dependent Origination, “If this exists that exists. If this arises that
arises.” Pursuing this trail in our minds, we discover in the end that the
cycle of rebirth and all sufferings are rooted in ignorance.
The Law of Dependent Origination also shows that “If this doesn’t exist
that doesn’t exist. If this ceases that ceases.” By observing in reverse the
way to eradicate suffering (birth, aging, sickness and death), we find that
if we eliminate the ignorance arising from our minds, the causal links
that follow are inevitably severed. To rid ourselves of ignorance, we
must rely on true wisdom to observe things as they are (reality). That is “to
cut off the root of afflictions with the sword of wisdom.”
The Sravaka and Pratyekabuddha vehicles are called the “Two

Vehicles,” or collectively the “Lesser Vehicle.”
Q146: Is the Vehicle of Bodhisattvas a part of the Mahayana (Greater

Vehicle) tradition?
A: Yes. Bodhisattva is a Sanskrit term. “Bodhi” means “enlightened” and

“sattva” means “sentient being.” Briefly speaking, an “enlightened
being” is one who embraces the lofty aspiration to deliver herself and
all other beings from misery and suffering to the realm of ultimate peace
and joy (deliverance of self and others). She wishes to release herself
and others from delusion and attain perfect enlightenment (enlightenment
of self and others).
According to the law of dependent origination, a dharma (phenomenon,

entity) arises upon the condition of all other dharmas. It is in turn a
condition for the arising of all other dharmas. So everyone is related
to all other beings in a single entity, the way a tiny bubble of seawater
relates to the entire ocean. That’s why a Bodhisattva “considers
every sentient being my only child,” and even that “all beings are my
parents.” From this notion, he develops the supreme bodhicitta (gaining
Buddhahood to save others), and “serves sentient beings” tirelessly by
giving them joy (kindness) and removing their grief (compassion). In a
world where everything arises and ceases as a result of conditions, he
fears not the cycle of rebirth, voluntarily entering samsara to become a
family member, friend or even servant to sentient beings. His purpose
is to guide them on to the path towards Buddhahood. He combines the
work of delivering himself as well as others.
In terms of specific practice, besides cultivating Theravada teachings,

Bodhisattva aspirants must make the Four Great Vows, and diligently
perform the Six Paramitas (Six Perfections) and the Four Samgrahas
(Four All-Embracing Virtues). They must “take Great Bodhi as the
cause, and kindness and compassion as the foundation, progressing from
the expedient to the ultimate.” The final goal: to achieve Buddhahood
and transform sentient beings.
The progressive sequence of practice and attainment in the Bodhisattva

Vehicle comprises 52 levels. They include the Ten Faiths, Ten Abidings,
Ten Practices, Ten Dedications, Ten Stages, Equivalent Enlightenment,
and Wonderful Enlightenment.
Q147: What are the Four Great Vows?
A: “I vow to deliver the innumerable sentient beings; I vow to terminate the
endless afflictions; I vow to learn the countless Dharma teachings; I vow
to accomplish the supreme path of the Buddha.”
Q148: What are the Six Paramitas?
A: “Paramita” is a Sanskrit term, meaning “reaching the other shore.” That
is, to depart from this shore of afflictions and arrive at the other shore of
awakening. The Six Paramitas are six ways to reach the other shore:
1. Generosity (dana). It consists of three kinds: (i) “the giving of

wealth,” which includes both external assets (money and other
worldly possessions) and internal attributes (one’s physical strength,
brain power and even head, eyes, hands and feet); (ii) “the giving
of fearlessness” -- helping and rescuing others when they encounter
troubles and grief, freeing them from terror and pain, and providing
them with a sense of security; (iii) “the giving of the Dharma” --
edifying and helping sentient beings with worldly skills (virtuous
Dharma) and extra-worldly wisdom and liberation methods (Buddhist
teachings), so they can benefit from the Dharma. To propagate the
Buddha Dharma and benefit living beings with the truth represents
the highest level of generosity.
2. Precepts (sila). Besides the precepts in common with the Theravada

tradition, there are Bodhisattva Precepts specific to the Mahayana.
They fall under three categories, and are known as the “Three Pure
Precepts.” They are (i) “precepts against evil-doing” – averting
negative actions and upholding all disciplines that lead to purity and
liberation; (ii) “precepts for practicing good” – performing good
actions and learning and mastering all Dharma teachings of purity
and liberation; (iii) “precepts to benefit sentient beings” – bringing
benefits to sentient beings, making the greatest effort to save them
from suffering, and delivering all karmically affiliated beings.
Failure to deliver anyone who can be saved constitutes a violation of
the precept.
3. Forbearance (khanti). It means to build indomitable willpower.

There are three kinds of forbearance: (i) “enduring resentment
and harm” – withstanding others’ slander, insults, maltreatment,
injury and provocations without being angry, and facing others’
compliments and commendations without being prideful; (ii)
“enduring pain and suffering” – bearing cold, heat, hunger, thirst,
disease and pain without being distracted from practicing the
Dharma; (iii) “persisting in attentive observance of the Dharma” –
scrutinizing and reflecting on the profound, abstruse principles of
Buddhism thoroughly and persistently, and being able to accept them
without astonishment or skepticism. Bodhisattvas understand that
karmic consequences are unavoidable, and that self and others are
empty. Each arises and ceases instantly and are without permanent,
unchanging substance. Bodhisattvas do not discriminate between
good and evil. Faced with adversity in terms of people, affairs or the
environment, they can remain calm, genial and unperturbed. They
do not become emotional or fearful, and can graciously handle all

things with determination and patience while keeping a cool head.
4. Diligence (viriya). This is to make tireless efforts to accomplish

deliverance and enlightenment for oneself, as well as for others.
There are three types of diligence: (i) “armor-like diligence” –
undertaking a vow with great determination to practice the Dharma,
the way a warrior dons his armor before fighting in the battlefield;
(ii) “diligence in practicing good” – making resolute, unremitting
efforts to learn and practice the Dharma; (iii) “diligence in benefiting
sentient beings” – engaging actively and persistently in endeavors to
benefit others, and never regressing in one’s pursuit of the Dharma.
5. Meditation (samadhi). The practice aims to focus the mind on a

single point in order to eliminate stray thoughts. A still, serene
mind can unleash unfathomable special powers, creating things and
benefiting beings. There are three kinds of meditation: (i) “calmly
abiding meditation” – avoiding mental lethargy and disturbance,
concentrating the mind, and calmly abiding in a quiescent state;
(ii) “triggering meditation” – applying the right samadhi to trigger
special powers and wisdom; (iii) “servicing meditation” -- benefiting
sentient beings and solving their practical problems, such as averting
calamity and developing wisdom.
6. Wisdom (prajna). There are three kinds: (i) “wisdom based on

worldly truths” – being versed in philosophy, medical science,
languages, engineering technologies and other types of worldly
knowledge and techniques; (ii) “wisdom based on transcendental
truths” – personally realizing the transcendent wisdom grounded in
ultimate reality and the emptiness of self and all phenomena, and
relying on such wisdom to sever afflictions and exit samsara; (iii)
“wisdom to benefit sentient beings” – knowing various methods and
skills to assist or deliver others.
The Six Perfections have two major aspects. The first five are
collectively called “expedient means,” their purpose being to accumulate
blessings. The sixth, prajna, aims at cultivating wisdom. The practice of
the Six Perfections must be “guided by prajna.” “Prajna is like the eyes
and the other five, the feet,” goes a saying.
One should perform the Five Perfections with a mind that conforms
with ultimate reality. Though one is practicing diligently, one’s mind is
free of attachment and doesn’t cling to the subject, object or merits of
the practice. For instance, when practicing the Perfection of Generosity,
one does not distinguish between the object that receives the benefit, the
thing being offered and the subject that gives. Nor does one calculate
the merit that derives from the giving. One’s mind accords with sunyata
(emptiness), is carefree and attains the “emptiness of the three wheels.”
Only this way can the practice be called “paramita,” and the practitioner
be delivered to the other shore of nirvana.
Q149: What are the Four Samgrahas (Means of Attraction)?
 A: They are the four Dharma methods that Bodhisattvas employ to

attract, guide and edify sentient beings. While believing in the Dharma
themselves, they employ these ways to teach others and persuade them
to have faith in it. The Four Samgrahas:
1. Generosity (dana): That means to provide relief to impoverished

sentient beings, and to instruct and inspire those who lack
understanding. It is to accommodate and sympathize with others, and
to offer them support, mediation and guidance so as to diminish and
eliminate their worries and distress. By eliciting joy in their hearts,
Bodhisattva practitioners draw them close and make them more
receptive to the teachings of purity and liberation.
2. Kind speech (priyavadyata): This is to commend earnestly sentient

beings when they are enjoying favorable circumstances, so they will
continue to do good. When they face adverse conditions, use gentle
words to comfort them, so they can overcome hardship. Persuade
beings who are confused or deluded to stop negative acts and
perform virtuous deeds. Bodhisattva aspirants should themselves
refrain from lying, divisive talk, harsh speech and flowery words.
They avoid all concealment and deception, and use kind speech to
win others over, making them more receptive to the Dharma path of
purity and liberation.
3. Beneficial acts (arthakriya): In order to deliver beings, Bodhisattvas

act regularly to benefit them. Such actions include being as self-
effacing as servants and as attentive as filial children. Bodhisattvas
distance their minds from arrogance, treat beings on a basis of
equality, clasp compassion and kindness, make things convenient
for others, boost their spirits, and help them accomplish positive
undertakings and attain their goals. Eventually they draw others
close and make them more receptive to the teachings of purity and
liberation.
4. Empathy (samanartha): Bodhisattvas frequently gather together with

sentient beings. They participate in others’ undertakings, live, work
and establish friendships with them, become a part of them, and
share their joys of success. They draw others close and make them
more receptive to the teachings of purity and liberation.
Bodhisattvas apply these four methods to establish karmic connections

and amicable relations proactively with sentient beings. Gradually, they
attract them to the Buddha Dharma.
Q150: How long does it take to attain Buddhahood by practicing according

to the Bodhisattva path?
A: The path to Buddhahood is extremely long. Even a person with superior
capabilities who has already reached the brink of liberation from samsara
must spend anything from one lifetime to a hundred kalpas in order to
become an Arhat. The status of Pratyekabuddha would take another four
lifetimes to a hundred kalpas to accomplish. Further attainment is much
more difficult, and generally requires three great asamkhyeya-kalpas
(meaning three great uncountable kalpas).
The Precious Necklace Sutra says that cultivation of non-retrogressive

faith takes between one and three kalpas. This marks the start of the first
great asamkhyeya-kalpa. The second begins when the stage of Seeing-
the-Path is reached, and the third commences when all afflictions have
been eradicated. After completing three great asamkhyeya-kalpas of
practice, one becomes an equivalent-enlightenment Bodhisattva (of
the highest level) -- like Avalokitesvara, Mahasthamaprapta, Manjusri,
Samantabhadra, Maitreya and Ksitigarbha. Another hundred kalpas are
needed for exclusive cultivation of the 32 marks before Buddhahood is

obtained.
Q151: Is there a realm higher than Buddhahood?
A: No. Buddhahood means one has arrived at a state of perfection.
The domains of the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Pratyekabuddhas and

Sravakas are collectively known as the “Four Sacred Dharma
Realms,” while those of celestial beings, humans, asuras, animals,
hungry ghosts and hell beings are the “Six Ordinary Dharma Realms.”
Together, the sacred and ordinary domains are called the “Ten Dharma
Realms.”
Q152: What is the realm of Buddhas like?
 A: It is unfathomable and indescribable. We may obtain a rough

understanding from the ten designations applied exclusively to a Buddha
– the “Ten Names of the Tathagata”:
1. Tathagata (thus-come one, or ru-lai) – He takes the path of truth (ru-

shi) and follows it (lai) to attain perfect enlightenment.
2. Arhat (one worthy of offerings) – He has accomplished all virtues,

and possesses complete merit and wisdom. He is most noble and
esteemed, one who deserves offerings from the nine Dharma realms.
3. Anuttara Samyaksamuddha (one with correct and universal

knowledge) -- He has attained complete wisdom and truly
understands all phenomena.
4. Vidyacarana-Samanna (one perfect in wisdom and action) – He has

eradicated ignorance and fully accomplished all practices to manifest
the virtues of a Buddha.
5. Sugata (well-gone one) – He can enter the ordinary world at will

to deliver sentient beings, as well as freely transcend it to abide in
nirvana.
6. Lokavid (one who knows the world) – He understands all worldly

things and principles.
7. Anuttara (unsurpassed leader) – Within the Dharma realms, he is the

wisest, most virtuous, most powerful, supreme and peerless teacher.
8. Purusa Damya Sarathi (trainer of men) – He is a venerated great

being who can steer towards liberation sentient beings susceptible to
being taught and transformed.
9. Sasta Devamanusyanam (teacher of gods and humans) – He is

mentor to all human beings and deities.
10. Buddha-Bhagavat (the enlightened, World-Honored-One) –

Having attained supreme enlightenment, he is worthy of respect by
everyone.
In addition, Buddhist scriptures also introduce the Buddhas’ Three

Virtues, Ten Powers, Four Kinds of Fearlessness, Five-Fold Dharma
Body, Eighteen Special Qualities, etc. There are numerous terms, which
we need not discuss here.
Q153: Are Buddhas omniscient and omnipotent?
A: The question should be considered in specific terms. A sutra says that a
Buddha has three bodies (trikaya). Each produces marvelous effects in
different realms.
1. Dharma Body (Dharmakaya): This is the body fashioned from the

Dharma, sometimes called the “True-Nature Body” or the “Dharma-
Nature Body.” It aggregates truth and the wisdom that realizes
truth. It is pure, formless, unchanging, beyond birth and death. It is
one with all phenomena and a part of ultimate reality (tathata). It
suffuses all times and places. The Buddhas of the ten directions and
three time frames (past, present and future) have one and the same
Dharma Body.
2. Reward Body (Sambhogakaya): It’s also called the “Enjoyment

Body,” which is the reward obtained by a Buddha from countless
eons of practice and accumulation of merit and wisdom. It is a
Dharma body that has form. In the domains of arising and ceasing,
a Buddha, relying on his experience and inclination, makes vows,
undertakes practices and makes known his name. He manifests a
unique body that distinguishes him from other Buddhas, seamlessly
continues his past life, and inherits his previous experience and
merits. A Reward Body is forever enjoyed by a Buddha, and allows
sentient beings to identify him.
There are two types of Reward Body: (1) the Self-Enjoyment

Reward Body, which is used by the Buddha himself; and (2)
the Other-Enjoyment Reward Body, which takes the form of a
Bodhisattva above the First Stage. The Reward Body of a Buddha

resides in his Pure Land. It is tall, dignified, pure and free. It has
infinite life and does not change.
3. Manifest Body (Nirmanakaya): It is also known as the

“Transformation Body.” According to the aptitudes and
circumstances of the sentient beings to be delivered, a Buddha’s
Reward Body produces multiple Manifest Bodies to appear in their
worlds. Their form coincides with the expectations of those beings,
in order to save them.
The two types of Manifest Bodies are: (1) the Response Body, a
Buddha’s body that resembles the human physique, but has perfect
features as well as the 32 marks and 80 physical characteristics of a
Buddha. This body undergoes the stages of being born, becoming a
monk, attaining enlightenment, and guiding sentient beings in various
ways. It passes away when the karmic conditions for delivering beings
cease, so as to alert them to impermanence. (2) The Variable Body,
which is revealed according to karmic conditions and is without
fixed form. It may manifest at one or more places and as a Buddha,
Bodhisattva, celestial being, human, asura, hell being, hungry ghost,
animal, or even non-sentient forms such as a mountain, grass or a tree. It
serves to benefit karmically affiliated sentient beings.
Shakyamuni Buddha is a Manifest Buddha. His “Self-Enjoyment Reward

Body” is Vairocana Buddha, who resides in the “Lotus-Treasury Adorned
World.” The “Other-Enjoyment Reward Body” of Shakyamuni Buddha
is Lochana Buddha, who lives in “Akanishtha Heaven,” the top level
of the Form Realm, and regularly teaches the Dharma to Bodhisattvas
of the Tenth Stage. “Shakyamuni” means “capable and kind” as well as

“quiescent and silent”; “Vairocana” is “all-encompassing”; “Lochana”
means “universal illumination.”
Even a Manifest Buddha who appears specifically for sentient beings has
a realm that is beyond comprehension.
Are Buddhas omniscient and omnipotent? As far as the Dharma-

Body Buddha is concerned, the Dharma Body is truth itself, and truth
is certainly omniscient and omnipotent. The Manifest Body we may
consider omniscient but not omnipotent. Shakyamuni Buddha knew
about all sentient beings’ past, present and future. But he said that he
could not deliver any person who is not karmically connected with him,
nor could he transform the fixed karma of sentient beings.
Omniscience and omnipotence in Buddhism are not the same as for the
gods of other religions, who created and control everything. A Buddha
merely teaches sentient beings so as to awaken them or, by making
rational use of the Law of Dependent Origination, assumes their negative
karma by the power of his vows in order to rescue them.
Q154: Can everyone attain Buddhahood?
A: Yes. When Shakyamuni Buddha achieved enlightenment under the Bodhi
tree, his first utterance was: “How wondrous! All sentient beings have
the Tathagata’s wisdom and virtue, but they fail to realize it because
of their deluded thoughts and attachments.” All sentient beings have
Buddha-nature and can gain Buddhahood.
Q155: If anyone can become a Buddha, there must be lots of Buddhas in

the universe?
A: Yes, there are countless Buddhas. Buddhist scriptures often refer to “the
sundry Buddhas, as innumerable as grains of sand in the Ganges River.”
They compare the number of Buddhas to the grains of sand in the
Ganges.
Q156: If Buddhas were to apply their wisdom and abilities to national

development, wouldn’t they bring more benefits to humankind?
 A: The Buddha teaches us to eliminate our inner afflictions, achieve

complete liberation and, eventually, the perfection of Buddhahood.
All efforts of Dharma practitioners are focused on this fundamental
objective. If this goal can be attained through worldly methods, it would
not have been necessary for the Buddha to leave home to become a
monk and practice towards enlightenment.
Q157: So the sole purpose of learning Buddhism is to become a Buddha?
A: Yes.
5. A Special Method of Transcending

Samsara
Q158: How often have people achieved liberation from samsara through
methods of self-cultivation?
A: During the time Shakyamuni Buddha taught the Dharma, many who
heard him in person attained liberation. That’s because the Buddha was
capable of discerning the aptitudes and dispositions of sentient beings
and taught them the most effective ways to transcend the cycle of rebirth.
In addition, those were close to him had deep virtuous roots from past
lifetimes and possessed superior capabilities. So they succeeded in their
self-cultivation.
As time passed, the capabilities of sentient beings deteriorated. During

China’s Sui and Tang dynasties, there were still practitioners who freed
themselves from birth-and-death through their own efforts. Nowadays
there are few enough who can observe the precepts flawlessly. Even
harder to find are those capable of achieving meditative concentration
through the precepts, or manifesting wisdom through concentration.
A Special Method of Transcending Samsara 109
Q159: Why are there fewer and fewer successful practitioners?
 A:There are many reasons. In terms of time, Shakyamuni Buddha’s

era is increasingly remote and we are unable to obtain his personal
empowerment and guidance. As for the aptitude of sentient beings, our
wisdom is shallow and meager while the principles of the Dharma are
subtle and profound; it’s difficult for us to understand them properly. So
far as our living environment is concerned, we are in an “unwholesome
world of the Five Turbidities,” where disasters are frequent, evildoing
is rampant, superstition is epidemic, vexations are powerful, and
life is short. We can see growing moral degeneration and emotional
restlessness. Sentient beings are becoming increasingly self-centered, so
it’s hard to resolve on bodhicitta (achieving Buddhahood to help others).
Even people who wish to follow the Dharma path often cannot gain
support from those around them.
The abundance of impediments means many aspirants will lose their

resolve. Those who are already practicing may become attached to
certain states they experience and fail to make further progress. Besides,
there are non-Buddhist paths that resemble Buddhism but cannot lead to
liberation. Many people cannot tell the difference.
Q160: So we have no choice but to practice the human and celestial

Dharma vehicles, with a hope to continue Dharma cultivation in
future lives?
A: According to the Buddhist scriptures, we are now in a morally corrupt

macro-environment. It will be worse in future lifetimes. Besides, due
to our weak capabilities, we are more likely to be reborn in the Three
Wretched Realms than in the Human Realm the next life. Once we
fall into the Wretched Realms, we may not be able to leave them for
countless kalpas. The Buddhist teachings will remain in our world for
10,000 years. Thereafter, it will cease to exist here for five billion six
hundred and seventy million years, until the birth of Maitreya Buddha.
During this long period, what significance would there be even if we
escape the Wretched Realms and are reborn as humans?
Q161: Does that mean this life is the last chance?
A: We should spur ourselves on in this way. We must accomplish the task
of transcending samsara in this life! If we broadly cultivate all virtues
during this life but fail to extricate ourselves from the cycle of rebirth,
we would “come to grief in the third lifetime.” That’s because practice
in the present lifetime leads to enjoyment of karmic good fortune in
the next one. But such enjoyment inevitably creates negative karma,
which results in rebirth in the Hell Realm in the third life. Purification
of the Hell karma will lead to rebirth in the Realm of Hungry Ghosts.
And elimination of the karma for the latter will give rise to rebirth in the
Realm of Animals. It would be extremely hard to obtain human form
again.
Q162: But it’s so difficult to accomplish the precepts, meditative

concentration and wisdom. What can we do?
A: Bodhisattva Nagarjuna summarized everything we spoke of above as the

“Difficult Path.” They are the common methods for liberation that rely
on self-power practice. Among the Buddha’s teachings, there is also an
“Easy Path” in addition to the “Difficult Path.”
Q163: Does that mean people who cannot accomplish perfectly the
precepts, meditative concentration and wisdom also have a chance
of liberation?
A: Yes. In addition to the 84,000 common-path schools of Dharma practice,

Shakyamuni Buddha introduced a special path – the path to “attain
nirvana without eradicating vexations.” That is the Pure Land school.
It relies on other-power deliverance through recitation of Amitabha
Buddha’s name.
Q164: Isn’t it said that “we reap what we sow”? How can we be delivered
through other-power?
A: To go by the law of karma, with sentient beings reaping the consequences
of what they sow, it would be impossible for us to transcend the Three
Domains (samsara). But the result would be entirely different if we rely
on the karmic power of a Buddha. A sutra uses this metaphor: A grain of
sand may be very light, but when thrown into the sea it invariably sinks.
A big rock is heavy, but if put on a boat it doesn’t sink and can be safely
shipped to the opposite shore.
If we depend on our own practice, we cannot achieve liberation from

the rebirth cycle even if a tiny bit of delusive, afflictive karma is not
eradicated. But if we rely on the power of the compassionate power of
Amitabha Buddha’s vows, we can be reborn in the Pure Land, which
he established for us. We can cross the sea of birth-and-death and reach
the other shore of nirvana. This is to “attain nirvana without eradicating
vexations.”
Q165: What does “to be reborn in the Pure Land” mean?
 A: It means to go to the Western Land of Bliss and be born from

transformation in a lotus flower there.
Q166: Is the Land of Bliss a heaven or paradise?
A: No. It’s a Pure Land in the west. It is far superior to any heaven or
paradise.
Q167: Buddhists greet one another by saying, “Amitabha Buddha.” Is that

because they all want to be reborn in the Land of Bliss?
A: It should be so.
Q168: How did Amitabha Buddha and the Land of Bliss come about?
A: Countless kalpas ago, Lokesvararaja Buddha appeared in the world. A

king heard him teach the Dharma and aspired to become a monk. His
Dharma name was Bhikku Dharmakara. After hearing Lokesvararaja
Buddha’s teaching, Bhikku Dharmakara observed that sentient beings
were incapable of escaping the bitter sea of reincarnation. He resolved to
establish a Pure Land where beings can be reborn and attain Buddhahood
in one lifetime. After five kalpas of reflection, he made 48 great vows.
Then he cultivated and accumulated incalculable virtuous Bodhisattva
practices over countless eons. When he perfected all merit and practices
ten kalpas ago, he fulfilled his aspirations, achieved Buddhahood and
established the splendorous Land of Bliss. The Amitabha Sutra says:
“To the west of here, passing 10 trillion Buddha realms, there is a world
named Bliss. In that land dwells a Buddha named Amitabha, who is now
teaching the Dharma.”
Q169: So the Land of Bliss is so far away. I used to think that “the west”
referred to India. What’s it like in the Land of Bliss?
A: Just as Bhikku Dharmakara conceived it. The Land of Bliss is vast and
full of splendors. The ground is made of soft gold and decorated by
countless treasures. The climate is mild, refreshing and comfortable.
There are no seasons, neither cold nor heat. Magnificent palaces, Dharma
halls and monasteries can be seen everywhere. They are naturally forged
from assorted treasures.
Resplendent seven-jeweled ponds are distributed all around, with beds

of golden sand and lined with jewel-adorned pathways. The ponds are
filled with the sweet water of eight meritorious virtues. On the surface
of the water are beautiful lotus flowers of various colors, the size of
chariot wheels. They bloom with dazzling brightness, together with
subtle fragrance and purity. Around the pathways are rows of trees that
emit perfume and are covered with jeweled nets. Anyone who wishes to
view Buddha-lands of the ten directions can see scenes of them manifest
among the jeweled trees, as clearly as if they were reflected in a mirror.
Various birds perch on the trees. They make chirping sounds to teach
Dharma principles that people wish to learn, evoking in them the joy of
reciting Amitabha Buddha’s name. The air in the Land of Bliss is full of
heavenly music with harmonious, delicate melodies. Such mellifluous
sounds awaken in those who hear them the aspiration for perfect
enlightenment. Large, precious lotus flowers can be seen everywhere. On

such flowers sit Amitabha Buddha and Bodhisattvas Avalokitesvara and
Mahasthamaprapta (the “Three Sacred Beings of the Land of Bliss”),
expounding the subtle Dharma teachings.
Inhabitants in this land have the same bodily form and appearance as
Amitabha Buddha. They have infinite life and infinite light and can hear
Dharma teachings at will. They may, as they wish, observe other worlds
and visit them to propagate the Dharma and deliver sentient beings.
Food, clothing and utensils materialize as one thinks of them. If one
wants to get dressed, “a fine Dharma robe will spontaneously appear
on the person’s body.” If one wishes to take a meal, “food and drink of
sundry taste will spontaneously and fully manifest.”
Beautiful scenery offer comfort and joy to body and mind but do not
incite a single greedy, clinging thought. There is nothing negative in the
Land of Bliss; not even the names of unwholesome things can be heard.
Inhabitants constantly assemble with great bodhisattvas. They are free of
worries and suffering of body and mind, and only enjoy immeasurable
purity and bliss.
Q170: The Land of Bliss is such a supremely wondrous realm. Why do you
speak of food and clothing?
A: Because some people in the Saha world are short of clothing and food.
Mentioning superior food and clothing is a means of attracting sentient
beings. The acclamation of each aspect of the Land of Bliss corresponds
to a specific defect of the Saha world. Its purpose is to inspire revulsion
for this world and yearning for rebirth in the Land of Bliss.
In fact, the lofty subtleties of the Land of Bliss are far beyond the
perception of ordinary beings. But a Dharma teaching for our deliverance
must accommodate our mindset. Master Shandao calls this “indicating
the direction to establish the entity.” It means to point out the location (in
the west) and to set up some forms (such as the physical characteristics
and marks of Amitabha Buddha and the splendors of the Land of Bliss).
The goal is to have sentient beings fix their minds on such elements.
Master Ouyi calls this “teaching according to sentiment” – meaning to
adapt to the dispositions and preferences of ordinary beings to facilitate
teaching and transformation.
Q171: If a sentient being is willing to be reborn in the Land of Bliss, how

can he or she go there?
A: Recite “Namo Amitabha Buddha.”
Q172: What does “Namo Amitabha Buddha” mean?
A: In literal terms, “Namo” is a transliteration from Sanskrit, meaning

to entrust our lives, to depend on and to show reverence. “Amitabha”
means infinite, including the implications of “infinite light,” “infinite
life,” etc. It denotes unlimited brightness and longevity. To recite “Namo
Amitabha Buddha” is to entrust our lives to Amitabha and accept his
deliverance.
Master Shandao, founder of the Pure Land school, gives a more

profound explanation of the six-character name. He says: “ ‘Namo’
means to entrust our lives, as well as to aspire to rebirth [in the Pure
Land] and dedicate merit towards it. [Reciting] ‘Amitabha Buddha’ is the
practice. That is why rebirth is certain.” This means the “Namo” -- two
characters -- that we recite is itself reverential trusting (faith), as well
as a resolve to dedicate merit towards rebirth (aspiration). Recitation of
“Amitabha Buddha” -- four characters -- is the action we take to gain
rebirth (practice). The six-character name encompasses faith, aspiration
and practice, containing all the merit and virtues required for our rebirth
in the Pure Land.
Q173: What is to dedicate merit?
A: Dedication of merit means to direct all our positive roots, merits and
virtue towards the goal we wish to attain. For example, the natural
karmic consequence of positive actions is rebirth in the human and
celestial realms. But the practitioner may re-direct the result towards
rebirth in the Pure Land.
The natural consequence of reciting “Namo Amitabha Buddha” is rebirth

in the Pure Land. So the Buddha’s name itself possesses the function of
dedicating merit towards rebirth in the Land of Bliss.
Q174: Can we really be reborn in the Pure Land just by moving our lips
and reciting Amitabha’s name? Surely that’s unreliable?
A: By flipping a few buttons on a smartphone, we can talk to a friend a

thousand miles away. This is inconceivable to our ancestors. Therefore,
some matters exceed the present scope of human experience. It is not
strange at all. Through Amitabha-recitation, we can be reborn in the Pure
Land. This was taught by Shakyamuni Buddha himself.
Q175: In which sutra did the Buddha teach this?
A: There are three sutras that specifically teach the method to gain rebirth
in the Pure Land. They are the Infinite Life Sutra, the Contemplation of
Infinite Life Sutra and the Amitabha Sutra. They are called the Three
Pure Land Sutras.
Q176: What do the Three Pure Land Sutras say?
A: Fascicle 1 of the Infinite Life Sutra narrates how Amitabha Buddha
first became a monk as Bhikku Dharmakara, made his vows, undertook
Dharma practices, and established the Land of Bliss. Fascicle 2 of the
sutra describes the resplendent features of the Land of Bliss, and urges
sentient beings of all aptitudes -- upper, middle and lower -- to recite
exclusively the name of the Buddha of Infinite Life (Amitabha). It
also depicts the suffering of the Sara world, prompting sentient beings’
aversion towards it. Finally, Shakyamuni Buddha tells Bodhisattva
Maitreya that Amitabha-recitation encompasses great, unparalleled
merit and benefits, and that one should break through all obstacles to
hear, believe and practice the teaching. In the future, after the Buddhist
scriptures and teachings have perished, this sutra will be preserved in
the world for a hundred years so that afflicted sentient beings can still be
delivered in the Age of Dharma Extinction.
The Contemplation of Infinite Life Sutra was spoken at the behest of

Queen Vaidehi. Despite her exalted position, she encountered family
tragedy. Her son imprisoned his father the king -- her husband -- and
even tried to harm her. She was profoundly vexed and sought advice
from the World-Honored One about how she could get far away from
this turbid, unwholesome world. Emitting a flood of light from between
his eyebrows, the Buddha manifested before her the pure lands of the
ten directions. Queen Vaidehi chose Amitabha’s Land of Bliss and asked
the World-Honored One how she could be born there through meditation
and contemplation.
To guide sentient beings, the Buddha first introduced the Three

Meritorious Practices (the Ten Good Actions, observation of precepts,
and Mahayana cultivation) to embrace beings who have agitated minds
and are incapable of practicing visualization. Then he broadly taught
the Thirteen Meditative Contemplations and the Nine Levels of rebirth.
He also described in detail the attributes of the Land of Bliss and the
circumstances at the time of death, so as to arouse beings’ aspiration for
rebirth. Though he first spoke of the Thirteen Meditative Contemplations,
the Three Meritorious Practices and the Nine Levels of rebirth, in the end
he exhorted Ananda to recite the name of the Buddha of Infinite Life.
The Amitabha Sutra was delivered by Shakyamuni Buddha on his

own initiative, without prompting, as he was about to enter nirvana.
It recounts magnificent scenes from the Land of Bliss, and repeatedly
urges and encourages sentient beings to aspire to rebirth there. It no
longer mentions expedient means such as the dedication of merit from
virtuous acts, meditative contemplation, the Three Meritorious Practices
and the Nine Levels of rebirth. It directly presents the correct, primary
cause of rebirth: steadfast recitation of Amitabha’s name. It designates
such practice as the causal condition of plentiful virtuous roots and
meritorious blessings. If a sentient being single-mindedly recites “Namo
Amitabha Buddha” for the rest of his life, Amitabha Buddha will comply
with his own Fundamental Vow, made in the causal ground, and appear
before the person at the point of death to guide him. When the being sees
the presence of the Buddha and the sacred assembly, his mind will not
be confused. He will rejoice and follow Amitabha Buddha to the Land of
Bliss.
Concerned that sentient beings may not believe the teaching of a single
Buddha, Shakyamuni tirelessly conveyed corroborative messages from
Buddhas of the ten directions. His purpose was to activate sentient
beings’ faith that “they would certainly be reborn in the Pure Land if
they recite Amitabha Buddha’s name.” It is evident that the Three Pure
Land Sutras expound the same thing: gaining rebirth through Amitabha-
recitation.
All the common Buddhist schools that seek to eradicate delusion and
realize truth through self-power practices may be classified as schools
of the Sacred Path (the “Sacred Path” means the “path in this world
that leads to sacredness,” which only those with saintly roots can
practice successfully). To gain rebirth and Buddhahood in the Pure Land
by reciting “Namo Amitabha Buddha” and relying on the power of
Amitabha Buddha’s vows is called the special, unique Pure Land path.
This is the Pure Land school’s overall classification of the entire Buddha
Dharma.
Q177: Since “gaining rebirth through Amitabha-recitation” is a teaching

of the Buddha, we should believe it. But name-recitation is so easy
and rebirth in the Pure Land is so sublime. The teaching seems very
hard to believe. Please explain the principles behind it.
A: Amitabha Buddha established the Land of Bliss, and delivers sentient
beings to be reborn there. So we only need to look at the pact Amitabha
Buddha made with us when he undertook his vows. The 18th of his 48
vows says, “If, when I achieve Buddhahood, sentient beings of the ten
directions who earnestly believe and rejoice, wish to be reborn in my
land and recite my name, even ten times, should fail to be born there,
may I not attain perfect enlightenment. Excepted are those who commit
the five gravest transgressions or slander the correct Dharma.” So long
as sentient beings “earnestly believe and rejoice, wish to be reborn in my
land and recite my name, even ten times,” they can obtain Amitabha’s
guarantee that “should they fail to be born there, may I not attain perfect
enlightenment.” “Earnestly believe and rejoice” represents faith, “wish
to be reborn in my land” is aspiration, and “recite my name, even ten
times” signifies practice.
What is special about the Pure Land school is that sentient beings of
any aptitude can, this very lifetime, attain rebirth and subsequently
Buddhahood by relying on this simple combination of faith, aspiration
and practice. The goal is no different from that of the Sacred Path,
which requires difficult, ascetic practices over countless lifetimes to
cultivate precepts, meditative concentration and wisdom.
Q178. Why would “sentient beings of the ten directions” readily, “earnestly
believe and rejoice”? What are they happy about?
A: They certainly aren’t happy without reason. Doesn’t the vow say, at the
beginning, “If, when I achieve Buddhahood ...”? The reason for rejoicing
is that they know Amitabha Buddha has achieved Buddhahood.
Q179. Why are sentient beings happy about Amitabha’s achievement of

Buddhahood?
A: Sentient beings have been sinking in the rebirth cycle over countless
kalpas. Even if we previously encountered the teachings of the Sacred
Path, we’ve had no hope of escape. During the interminable darkness of
night, we have been desperately hoping for dawn. Now, we know that
a Bodhisattva has practiced over countless eons towards the liberation
of all beings, and that he has established a Pure Land of Bliss in which
every being can be born through recitation of his name. That means our
liberation from samsara -- the major issue that has perplexed us – is
finally settled. So we “earnestly believe and rejoice.”
Q180: “Wish to be reborn in my land” – that is easy to understand. To “recite

my name, even ten times” seems very easy to do.
A: To “recite my name, even ten times” is explained by Master Shandao

as “from ten recitations up to a lifetime of recitation.” It means to recite
Amitabha’s name all life long, to make a habit of recitation, and always
to recite whenever we remember.
“Ten recitations” applies to those who lack the karmic conditions to

hear and believe in Buddhism during their lifetimes. Only when death
is approaching do they realize how terrible the rebirth cycle is, and the
urgency of leaving it. They hear about the deliverance of Amitabha
Buddha, recite “Namo Amitabha Buddha” for ten times, and are reborn
in the Land of Bliss as a result. That’s because they have so little time
left to live. If they had more time, they would surely continue reciting
Amitabha’s name.
Q181: By the Dharma’s standards, I have been doing so badly in many

respects. How can a person like me expect to be reborn in the Pure
Land? It wouldn’t be so bad to obtain human form in the next life
…
A: Please don’t think that way. Master Yinguang said that to be reborn as
a human being is even harder than to be reborn in the Land of Bliss.
That’s because to be reborn as a human depends on self-power practice,
while rebirth in the Pure Land relies on the power of Amitabha Buddha.
How can our self-power compare with Amitabha’s Buddha-power? No
matter how heavy our negative karma, so long as we repent and recite
Amitabha’s name, he will assuredly deliver us! Master Yinguang said
that anyone who has deep faith, aspires [to rebirth] and recites the name
will be reborn in the Pure Land. That’s why it is said: “If ten thousand
people practice [recitation], ten thousand will be reborn.”
Q182: Were many people reborn in the Pure Land? How do we know they
were reborn there?
A: Records of the Effects of Amitabha-Recitation documents many cases of

rebirth and recounts the various circumstances at the time of rebirth.
According to the teachings of the Pure Land school, exclusive practice

of name-recitation is the “karma of assurance” (i.e., cause of assured
rebirth). Therefore those who have complete faith and aspiration, and
recite Amitabha’s name exclusively during their lifetimes, will definitely
be reborn in the Pure Land. Whether they fully possess faith and
aspiration is difficult for others to ascertain. The latter can only observe
their outward behavior.
In general, those with full faith and aspiration will appear serene as death
approaches, or even show a joyful smile. Some may speak of seeing
Amitabha coming to receive them. Some have soft bodies long after the
point of death. Since ancient times, those reborn in the Pure Land have
displayed other auspicious signs, including foreknowledge of their time
of death, dying (being reborn) while sitting upright or standing, fragrance
permeating the room, and heavenly music echoing in the air. All these
can be taken as supporting evidence of rebirth in the Pure Land.
Q183: Since many people have been reborn in the Land of Bliss, why
haven’t we seen any of them coming back to tell us something?
A: If any member of the sacred assembly in the Land of Bliss returns to
this world, that would be a case of “willful reincarnation.” Bodhisattvas
so reincarnated take whatever forms they deem necessary to deliver
sentient beings. They all regard themselves as ordinary beings, instead of
claiming that they are reincarnated Bodhisattvas.
However, since antiquity there have also been many cases of people
reborn in the Pure Land informing, in various ways, one or more of their
family members and friends of conditions in the Land of Bliss.
Q184: Did every person who aspired to be reborn in the Pure Land attain
rebirth?
A: Some of them weren’t reborn.
Q185: What caused their failure?
A: There are two main reasons. One is that they weren’t willing to be reborn
in the Pure Land. They may speak of their own willingness, but actually
seek the karmic result of human or celestial birth. The other reason is
that, though they were willing to be reborn in the Pure Land, they didn’t
understand the teachings underpinning rebirth. Therefore they did not
exclusively practice Amitabha-recitation to accept the merit and virtue
dedicated by the Buddha, but engaged in mixed practice.
Q186: What is mixed practice?
A: The Land of Bliss is a realm of unconditioned nirvana. Rebirth there can
only be achieved with genuine merit and virtue. Such genuine merit and
virtue derive from the six-character name – “Namo Amitabha Buddha.”
Amitabha Buddha made a pact with every sentient being about how
to obtain his deliverance: To have faith in and accept his deliverance,
aspire to rebirth in his Pure Land, and recite his name. If we follow
his prescription, Amitabha will present us, free of charge, the perfect
merit and virtue he accumulated over countless eons, for us to use as
qualifications for rebirth in his Pure Land.
Those who perform mixed practice try to dedicate the merit from their
Dharma deeds towards rebirth in the Pure Land. Because of deficiencies
in capability, however, they cannot eradicate all their afflictions and

attachments. Their practice does not meet the Bodhisattva realm’s
standard of “Essential Emptiness of the Three Wheels.” That means it
is entirely devoid of the genuine merit and virtue needed for dedication
towards rebirth.
There are also people who appear to practice name-recitation exclusively,

but use Amitabha’s name as a tool to still anxiety and concentrate the
mind. Their purpose for name-recitation is to seek the first or other stages
of meditative concentration, as they think that only such attainments
would qualify them for rebirth in the Pure Land. However, very few
practitioners can achieve meditative concentration. The inability to do so
leads many ordinary people to lose even their faith and aspiration.
Q187: Isn’t the purpose of Amitabha-recitation to overcome vexations and

purify our minds?
 A: People often use the common-path Dharma teachings of precepts,

meditative concentration and wisdom to interpret the Pure Land school.
They think that Amitabha-recitation too is for the purpose of attaining
meditative concentration and wisdom, so as to eliminate afflictions. Isn’t
that turning things around to fit the concepts of the Sacred Path schools?
In fact, many practitioners worry that they cannot achieve purity of
mind as they recite Amitabha’s name. That is a misunderstanding of the
purpose of Amitabha-recitation.
Q188: Then what is the aim of recitation?
A: It is to rely on the power of Amitabha’s vow directly to attain rebirth

in the Pure Land. The vow says if those who “recite my name,
even ten times, should fail to be born there, may I not attain perfect
enlightenment.” Amitabha doesn’t require that we reach any levels or
states during our recitation. Reciters needn’t first achieve merit and
virtue themselves, and then dedicate the same towards rebirth in the Pure
Land. His name itself constitutes all the merit and virtue that Amitabha
Buddha bestows on us for our rebirth. By reciting the name we obtain his
genuine merit and virtue, thus becoming qualified for rebirth. This is the
“other-power” taught by the Pure Land school. People who undertake
mixed practice are too attached to their own abilities (self-power). It’s
hard for them to rely on Amitabha Buddha’s other-power. That’s why
Master Yinguang said, “Get rid of self-power and embrace the Buddha’s
empowerment.“
Q189: But why “get rid of self-power?” Needn’t we strive to achieve

liberation from the cycle of rebirth?
A: The notion of “self-power” needs to be clarified. Generally, people

tend to interpret texts literally. They think that relying on Buddha-
power means to be lazy and make no effort. The word “power” in the
term “self-power” should be understood as “ability,” instead of “effort.”
Master Yinguang called self-power a person’s “own ability attained
through cultivation.” It means a practitioner achieving liberation from
samsara by dint of his own efforts: Such a person possesses self-power.
Ordinary beings, however, do not have such ability; they have no “self-
power” at all. But we often believe, erroneously, that we have such “self-
cultivated capability,” and that rebirth is the result of our own efforts. We
lose sight of the power of Amitabha Buddha.
If we have a clear and realistic understanding of the circumstances,

single-mindedly rely on Amitabha Buddha, and wholeheartedly trust in
his power to deliver us, then all our efforts (developing faith, aspiring to
rebirth and reciting his name) are transformed to a practical action – to
depend on Amitabha’s power. This is to “rely exclusively on Buddha-
power.”
To “get rid of self-power” means abandoning our persistence in pursuing

liberation through reliance on our own ability. It doesn’t mean that we
should stop making efforts.
Q190: There are many Buddhist schools. Why is the Pure Land school
specially recommended?
 A: As previously mentioned, there are three successive phases during

which the Buddha’s teachings remain in this world. They are the Age
of Correct Dharma, the Age of Semblance Dharma and the Age of
Dharma Decline. In the first phase, the teachings spread far, adherents
performed real Dharma practice and some achieved sacred status. That
was the era in which teaching, practice and realization all existed.
Five hundred years later, during the Age of Semblance Dharma, the
capabilities of sentient beings gradually deteriorated. No one attained
genuine enlightenment. It was a period with teaching and practice, but no
realization. A thousand years afterwards, in the Age of Dharma Decline,
even people engaging in genuine practice are nowhere to be found,
though Buddhist teachings continue to exist. There is teaching only, but

neither practice nor attainment.
Now we are in the Age of Dharma Decline, characterized by the absence

of real practice. So Dharma schools whose followers rely on genuine
practice to attain success are declining gradually. This results from
the ability of sentient beings, the times and karmic conditions. It’s not
because these schools aren’t superior.
The Pure Land school is centered on deliverance through the power of

Amitabha Buddha’s vows. It is the only Buddhist tradition in which
realization does not depend on sentient beings’ own achievements in
practice. Even if none of our afflictions are eliminated, we can be reborn
in the Western Land of Bliss by relying on Amitabha’s compassionate
power. That is why the Pure Land path “embraces all three kinds of
capabilities and benefits both the smart and the dull.” Accordingly,
Pure Land lineage masters throughout history strongly advocated this
tradition, which enables the attainment of liberation this very lifetime.
One can also achieve liberation in the present life by practicing

according to the Ch’an and Esoteric schools. But practitioners without
superior capabilities reap no actual benefit. Even an accomplished
adherent with certain attainments may believe he has entered deep
meditative states, when in fact he hasn’t yet reached the First Dhyana
(first of the four stages of concentration). And someone who achieves
meditative concentration may cling to her contemplative joy, unwilling
to make further progress. In sum, there are subtle distinctions that must
be discerned at each stage. Practitioners must be guided by enlightened
masters who are familiar with these accomplishments. Such masters are
hard to find.
It is different with Pure Land, even though “only the Buddhas can
truly fathom its ultimate meaning, and Bodhisattvas of the Ten Stages
do not know even a bit of it.” Out of compassion for sentient beings,
Shakyamuni Buddha didn’t go into the profound, abstruse theories
and principles behind the Pure Land path when teaching it. Instead, he
said clearly that he delivered the Three Pure Land Sutras specifically
for ordinary beings. Therefore, it is sufficient to maintain the tradition
by using language comprehensible to ordinary beings. Even if they
cannot receive instruction directly from enlightened masters, Pure Land
practitioners may establish the correct faith and attain rebirth through
reading the works of the patriarchs. In short, Pure Land is the only
school where ordinary people can obtain liberation by simply practicing
according to the texts.
6. The Practical Significance of

Buddhism
Q191: Through your introduction, I am now aware of Buddhism’s rich

content. I used to think it was just spiritual balm for the weak.
A: Those who know little about Buddhism easily have false impressions,
considering it insubstantial and mystifying. They think enjoying life is
more practical and down-to-earth. Actually, it is the complex affairs of
the world that are truly illusory. Otherwise, why would so many men of
letters proclaim that “life is like a dream”?
“Balm for the weak” seems to be derogatory. But if something does

soothe the disadvantaged and enhances social harmony, how bad can it
be?
Q192: So Buddhism can have positive effects on society?
A: Of course. Since ancient times, Buddhism has always strongly enhanced
the public’s peace of mind. It opens expansive, boundless vistas of life
and the universe. It broadens our minds and lets us acknowledge our
own smallness, inducing us to treat all others with modesty.
The Practical Significance of Buddhism 131
Q193: That’s true. But the Buddha says, “Life is suffering.” Isn’t that a bit
pessimistic?
A: The Buddha spoke about the truth of life’s suffering because he did not
want us to rest just being aware of suffering. He wished to arouse in us a
revulsion for suffering, so we could eventually leave it for joy. Worldly
phenomena are constantly changing; they bring deficiencies into our
lives. Wealth, social status, health, happiness -- all are impermanent. If
we fail to understand that, we will have no inner motivation to escape
suffering. A sick person, for example, won’t be willing to be treated by
a doctor unless he knows he is seriously ill. Freedom, peace, joy, purity
and even perfection are ideal states that every person is capable of
attaining.
Q194: “The Four Elements are all empty,” “Form is emptiness.” Don’t
these Buddhist sayings indicate passive sentiment?
A: The “Four Elements” are four aspects of “form” (material substance).
They are earth, water, fire and air. The two statements mean that while
the material elements comprising a human body or even the world have
appearance, status and function, they result from the convergence of
multiple causal conditions. When these conditions arise, they arise. If the
conditions cease, so do they. They are neither constant nor in control of
their own destiny. That is the basic principle of “Dependent Origination
and Empty Nature.”
“Empty” means “insubstantial,” not “non-existent.” It’s not the emptiness

that follows the destruction of matter, nor an emptiness beyond matter.
It is the “emptiness in the immediate moment” of all things. All forms
arise from conditions and have no constant substantiality. That’s why

“form is emptiness.” Since there is no substantiality, forms arise when
the causative karmic circumstances are present. That is why “emptiness
is form.“
Similarly, the spiritual elements that make up a human being -- feelings

(sensory experience), perception (sensory and mental process), volitional
factors (action) and consciousness (discernment) -- are also subject to
the law of “Dependent Origination and Empty Nature.” Collectively, “the
Five Aggregates are empty” as well.
The original intention of the teaching that “all are empty” is not to
discourage us from making appropriate effort. It is to induce us to
abandon our fixation on our bodies, minds and all external things, and to
stop expending our energies on the pursuit of wealth, sex, fame and gain.
Then we can focus on the more valuable aspects of life, to understand it
and to improve it. As a result, we would be able to take in stride all the
changes in our lives.
As for the law of “Dependent Origination and Empty Nature” and the
teaching that “the Five Aggregates are empty,” even if we cannot realize
them personally, we could acknowledge them in principle. Our bodies
and minds would be cool and peaceful.
Q195: Must Buddhists see through the red dust (secular world) and retire
into the mountains and forests?
A: The term “red dust” is a literary expression, not a Buddhist term. It
compares the prosperous phenomena of the world to floating dust. Nor
is “seeing through the red dust” used by Buddhists. It describes ancient
recluses who, tired of illusory pursuits in government circles, yearned

for an idyllic life in the mountains.
Literary works often have the following narrative: A person whose

career fails or whose family is broken feels frustrated and proclaims that
he “sees through the red dust”; he then becomes a monk and lives out
the remaining years of his life. That is not the proper motivation to enter
Buddhism’s door.
To learn the Dharma is something positive. It is definitely not for

escaping reality. If a person becomes a Buddhist and intends to stay away
from other people, he violates a central goal of Buddhism: to deliver all
sentient beings.
Q196: Is the Law of Causation the same as fatalism?
A: There are indeed people who fail to grasp causation and misunderstand
it. If it is perceived as mechanistic fatalism – with everything in this life
being pre-determined – all effort would be meaningless and Buddhism
would have no value.
In teaching the Law of Causation, the Buddha did not intend that we
should know our destiny and be content with it. Instead, he wanted
us to activate the will to better ourselves, accumulate positive causes
and good karma, and improve our destiny. Further, he hoped that we
would develop the mind of renunciation and aspire to enlightenment,
so we could eventually transcend the rebirth cycle. The primary focus
of Buddhist teachings is not worldly causality, but causes and effects
relating to transcendence of the mundane world.
Q197: Would the Law of Causation suppress human nature or obstruct

social progress?
 A: The notions of “human nature” and “social progress” are open to

discussion. One thing is certain: No matter how civilization develops, it
cannot deviate from basic ethics and morality. For example, each ethical
system seeks to establish a theoretical foundation to encourage good
deeds and inhibit negative conduct. The most sensible and reasonable
one is the Law of Causation.
Why should we do good and refrain from evil? To instill such behavior
by speaking of spirits and deities inevitably relies on divine authority.
Those who don’t believe in gods would simply ignore the teaching.
Worldly education can hardly avoid imposing a group’s values on
individuals. A disenchanted maverick might totally disregard it. If a
doctrine is underpinned by human conscience, those who yearn for fame
and wealth might just walk away. Only the Law of Causation teaches the
natural consequences of every person’s activities. Even if someone is
wicked, once he understands the Law of Causation, he will consider his
own interest and be alert to his actions.
The Law of Causality affirms the free will of human beings. It

encourages people to be proactive, take charge, vigorously pursue what
is good and pure, improve their own spiritual condition, and elevate their
lives to a new level.
Q198: Does becoming a Buddhist make life complicated or less free?
A: Benefiting sentient beings is the starting point of Buddhism. All the
precepts and disciplines are established for us to leave suffering for joy.
The end purpose is to help us break the tether of karmic obstructions and
gain freedom and liberation. Those who understand the teachings and
accept the guidance and regulations will experience a refreshing joy, not
constraint. Buddhists’ lives only become simpler and simpler, not more
and more complex.
Q199: Would life become boring?
A: For most people, “having fun” is simply beer and skittles. It does not
bring us genuine happiness. We are not actually happy but would say
it’s fun because we have formed bad habits, the way one is addicted
to smoking. What truly deserves our dedicated pursuit is the Buddha
Dharma, as it is the fountainhead of happiness. The joy it brings us is
pure, untainted. It cannot be compared with the Five Worldly Desires.
Q200: Theistic religions and evolutionism hold different views on the origin
of humankind. What do the Buddhist sutras say?
A: The issue concerns the formation, existence, destruction and

emptiness of this material world. We are now in the stage of “existence.”
It is a relatively stable period during which life flourishes. When the
stage of “destruction” begins, “kalpa-disasters” will gradually undermine
this world. Fires, floods or windstorms will kill all sentient beings except
those celestial beings in the upper levels of the Form Domain and in the
Formless Domain. The interval between the end of destruction and the
beginning of regeneration is the stage of “emptiness.” It will last a long
time until huge clouds emerge in the dark void. Heavy rain will fall, with
material seeds of all phenomena embedded in the “water wheel.” The
world will form again, and the Six Realms will incrementally be filled
up.
A sutra says that after the Earth took shape, denizens of the sixth heaven
of the Form Domain – the Heaven of Light Sound – flew over to our
planet. They loved and ate the food here, so that their bodies became
coarse and heavy. They lost their radiance and supernatural powers, and
had to settle on Earth. They were the ancestors of humankind.
As the Six Realms formed, celestials witnessed the successive

emergence of the sun, moon, stars and living beings of lower levels. So
they considered the universe their creation. This may be the origin of
God the Creator.
Evolutionary theory is now widely challenged in the West. It is only

mentioned to meet a psychological need and as a matter of habit. It
cannot answer the question: Why did the remaining apes not evolve into
humans?
Q201: This question may be more remote. Most people are concerned about
how to live more happily …
A: Seeking happiness is a proper pursuit. But pleasure at the material level
and at the lower spiritual levels cannot be enjoyed on a perpetual basis
-- because worldly phenomena are impermanent. And ever-expanding
material desires usually make us more and more unhappy.
To guide sentient beings towards a genuinely joyous realm, Buddhas

and Bodhisattvas use special expedient means. As the saying goes, “First
lure beings with desire, then lead them into Buddha-wisdom.” Many
people visit Buddhist temples for good luck or to ward off calamities.
Not a few do obtain the wealth and blessings they prayed for. For
Buddhist beginners, it is better to plead with the Buddhas for what they
want according to Dharma principles, than to seek it by secular means.
However, the purpose of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in fulfilling
our requests is to arouse our faith in the Dharma and to guide us “into
Buddha-wisdom,” so we can truly escape suffering and attain happiness.
Worldly pleasures cannot be compared with the joys of the Dharma.
Q202: What is the principle behind the eradication of ill fortune?
A: While reincarnating over countless lifetimes, we have accumulated

karmic debts as well as credits vis-à-vis countless sentient beings. We
are entangled with one another in intricate and complex ways. It’s hard
to tell who first owed whom. Some of the beings involved sink into the
Realm of Hungry Ghosts. Harboring grudges, they are always biding
their time for revenge. They are the “karmic creditors” of our previous
lives. Many of our illnesses and calamities are attributable to their
vindictive actions.
We should have compassion towards them, and open their minds and
ease their hearts with the Dharma teachings. We should also dedicate
the merit from Amitabha-recitation to them, so they may be freed from
suffering through the power of Amitabha’s vows. That can dissipate
their resentments, and they'll desist from vengeance and further debt-
collection. This is how ill fortune is removed.
Q203: People all wish to live long lives. Does Buddhism have any good
suggestions?
A: According to the sutras and commentaries, a human life ends for one of
the following three reasons: (i) expiry of one’s lifespan – experiencing
a natural death; (ii) depletion of one’s good fortune – though life hasn't
reached its natural end, the person dies because his karmic rewards have
been exhausted; (iii) an untimely or violent demise – though neither the
natural lifespan nor karmic rewards are finished, death comes from an
accident, such as a car crash or drowning.
It is difficult to forecast our allotted spans, meritorious rewards or

potential accidents. But we can strive to make things better. For instance,
according to the Law of Causality, “compassion begets longevity.”
We should regularly take good care of other sentient beings and avoid
hurting them. We should actively release doomed animals as well, so
as to nurture our compassion. And we can increase our good fortune
by practicing generosity. By cherishing our blessings, we can prevent
their rapid exhaustion. Acting prudently and kindly brings us closer to
good karma and keeps bad karma at bay. That reduces the chances of
accidents.
In fact, if we've gained some understanding of the Dharma, we would

know that our lives can become far more ideal. We would no longer wish
to live a long life in the Saha world.
Q204: What is to cherish blessings?
 A: Our meritorious blessings in this life result from our practice of

generosity in previous lifetimes. Enjoying good fortune is like
withdrawing money from a bank account. The more we draw, the less
remains. Eventually the account will be drained. Even as we accumulate
positive karma, we should cherish our blessings. Live a simple life.
Refrain from extravagance and waste. That way, we can achieve a
prefect balance of blessings and virtues. To cherish our blessings is an
excellent idea. We should do so even if we aren’t seeking longevity.
Q205: Why do some Buddhist believers still suffer fatal illness, family
breakups or miserable lives?
A: Karmic causes and effects are complex. We cannot think simplistically
that once we believe in Buddhism, we would never meet with setbacks.
Nor should we attribute life’s hardships to Buddhism, thinking it
unreliable. Birth, aging, sickness, death, separation from loved ones
-- these are the stuff of our lives. Faith in the Dharma isn’t meant to
eliminate such phenomena. It’s to help us understand impermanence
through them.
In terms of the Buddhas’ and Bodhisattvas’ deliverance, why are some

people’s wishes fulfilled while others’ aren’t? Because the Buddhas
use two types of method to deliver sentient beings – the compliant and
the non-compliant. People of gentle character are mostly delivered by
compliant methods. Their wishes are granted and they are gradually
guided onto the path to enlightenment. With prideful persons, the
Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will use non-compliant methods. They subdue

such people’s arrogance with adversity, so the latter will settle down to
study the Dharma seriously.
Q206: Does Buddhism conflict with modern life?
A: No. Buddhism can give direction to our lives at all times. Since the
French Revolution, liberty, equality and fraternity have been general
pursuits for mankind. But only in Buddhism can such principles be truly
manifested. Learning the Dharma enables us to release our afflictions,
setting our minds free from worries and obstructions. This is genuine
liberty. All sentient beings have Buddha-nature and the opportunity to
attain Buddhahood, and that is real equality. Loving and protecting all
weaker beings, the way we do ourselves, is true fraternity.
The World-Honored One broke the race-class barrier by welcoming

people of all castes into his order. He even declined a king’s invitation
in order to give a Dharma teaching to an unfortunate woman. Such
examples reflect the spirit of equality and fraternity.
In ultimate terms, Amitabha Buddha compassionately delivers all

sentient beings, without exception. This is genuine fraternity. Any being,
good or evil, wise or foolish, may recite Namo Amitabha Buddha and
be reborn in the Pure Land to attain Buddhahood. This is real equality.
After rebirth in the Land of Bliss, one transcends physical and mental
obstacles and the suffering of samsara. This is true liberty.
Chapter
3
Mystical Phenomena
1. Resonances and Auspicious Signs
Q207: To most people, Buddhism seems to be complex and mysterious …
A: The realm of liberation is beyond comprehension. But the teachings of

Buddhism are simple, unadorned and without mysterious overtones. All
phenomena have reasonable explanations.
Q208: You mentioned before that people reborn in the Land of Bliss
manifested many inexplicable signs. What’s all that about?
A: In the causal ground, Amitabha Buddha vowed: “If any sentient being
has faith in my deliverance, wishes to be reborn in the Pure Land and
recites my name, I will appear before him upon his death and welcome
him to the Pure Land.” In their final moments, many Amitabha-reciters
saw him coming to guide them. That is how the Buddha redeems his
promise. When he appears their hearts are glad, and they feel serene and
comfortable. Those who recited diligently attain rebirth while sitting
or standing upright. Other auspicious signs include light, heavenly
music, and unusual fragrance. With assisted recitation by others, their
bodies remain soft, and even generate sarira (miraculous remains) after
cremation. These can be considered expedient means used by Buddhas
and Bodhisattvas to arouse faith among more people in the Dharma.
Resonances and Auspicious Signs 143
Q209: What is sarira?
A: Sarira is a Sanskrit term, translated as “relics” or “bodily remains.”

They are the crystal-like substance left behind after cremation of the
Buddha’s or Buddhists’ bodies. They take various forms -- round, oval,
lotus-shaped, or the contour of a Buddha or Bodhisattva. Their colors:
white, black, green, red or mixed. Some sarira are transparent, others are
radiant. In modern times, Masters Hongyi ( 弘一 ), Yinguang ( 印光 )
and Taixu ( 太虚 ) left behind a considerable number of sarira. The most
sublime are the relics of Shakyamuni Buddha. They have hard texture,
are unbreakable by worldly objects, and can increase or decrease freely.
They are unfathomable.
A sutra says: “Sarira result from the cultivation of precepts,

concentration and wisdom. They are rare and serve as a supreme field of
merit.” There are also sarira that are not remains of bones. For example,
when some people in Song Dynasty engraved the text of the Longshu
Pure Land Anthology, they found three grains of sarira in the wood
being carved. A kind woman embroidering a sutra found one under
her needle point. A bathing monk had his disciple rub his back when a
sarira fell from his body to the ground. In the Song Dynasty, after Ch’an
Master Xian of Changqing died, there was a sudden gust of wind at the
time of cremation. It blew smoke 40 miles away and scattered sarira on
rooftops, trees and grass. Forty buckets of them were gathered. Sarira of
this type are mostly generated through transformation. They manifest as
a result of the devotees’ absolute sincerity and the power of the Buddhas’
compassion.
Q210: It is said that there are many magical, auspicious signs in Tibetan
Buddhism.
A: Yes. For example, practitioners of the “Great Perfection Heart Essence”
of the Nyingma school can attain the “rainbow body.” When they die,
their bodies emit light slowly, or shrink to a height of about 3cm with
the physical proportions remaining unchanged. Their bodies may also
disappear completely, leaving only nails and hair.
Q211: How should we understand such phenomena?
A: There is a reason behind all things. Ordinary people lack wisdom. They
consider the aforesaid signs miraculous and peculiar. The Buddhas and
great Bodhisattvas have attained the realm of non-duality of form and
emptiness. For them, such phenomena are as normal and natural as
flowers blooming in spring and leaves falling in autumn.
Buddhists should not seek what is special or mystical. Ancestral

masters showed auspicious signs to arouse people’s confidence in the
Dharma. After becoming a Buddhist, one should establish a correct faith
according to the Buddha’s teachings.
Master Shandao of the Tang Dynasty achieved profound samadhi at the

age of 20. A ray of light emanated from his mouth whenever he invoked
the name of Amitabha Buddha. He was dubbed “Master Light.” He could
also manifest visions of the Pure Land for others. Yet he expounded the
Pure Land teachings in a plain, simple style and skirted the abstruse, so
that everyone could practice and benefit from them.
Supernatural Happenings 145
2. Supernatural Happenings
Q212: Does Buddhism speak of special powers?
A: Yes. There are three sources of special powers:
1. Reward: All celestial beings as well as ghosts, spirits and asuras

have special powers. Such abilities derive naturally from the beings’
karmic rewards. Ghosts and spirits can also take control of the
sensory organs of ordinary beings, making the latter seem to have
special powers.
2. Cultivation: Sacred beings of the Three Vehicles can obtain special

powers by accomplishing the Three Learnings -- precepts, meditative
concentration and wisdom. Non-Buddhist practitioners too may gain
such powers through meditation.
3. Transformation: Buddhas and Bodhisattvas use special powers to

manifest in various physical forms and lands.
There are six types of special powers:
1. Divine vision. One’s sight is not limited by distance, darkness or

physical obstacles. It can transcend time and space. The person is
aware of the births, deaths and whereabouts of sentient beings in the

Six Realms.
2. Divine hearing. One’s hearing is not restricted by distance, weight

or obstacles. One understands the languages of beings in the Six
Realms, and can even “hear” thoughts arising in their minds.
3. Mind-reading. The ability to communicate with the minds of

sentient beings in the Six Realms, and to know their thoughts and
their habit energies.
4. Fate-knowing. The ability to know one’s own and others’ past

lives, including previous places of residence, virtuous and
negative activities, joys and sufferings, as well as particulars of
transmigrations.
5. Fleetness of foot. One can come and go swiftly, pass through

obstacles, change one’s own and others’ physical forms. The
possessor can also manifest or disappear in one or more forms at
many places in an instant.
6. No more defilements. One has eradicated defiled thoughts and

actions and extinguished negative karma, such as greed, anger
and ignorance. He has eliminated afflictions and obtained genuine
wisdom. She is light, at ease, carefree. Such a being abides
constantly in the realm of liberation.
Divine vision and hearing that are developed through meditative

concentration enable one to directly observe the cycle of rebirth. Such
attainments surpass the sacred revelations of other religions and the
speculative deductions of philosophy.
Within the Six Realms, celestial beings, ghosts and asuras have the first
five special powers. Humans may also manifest these powers, or at least
one of them, in a state of meditation. Sravakas (voice-hearers) and those
sacred beings above them possess all six special powers. And for each
higher stage, the powers become tens of millions of times stronger than
for the one below.
If we deeply believe in Amitabha’s wisdom, aspire to rebirth in the Land

of Bliss and regularly recite “Namo Amitabha Buddha” this life, we will
be reborn in the Pure Land at the time of death. Once there, we’ll acquire
the six special powers, with strength similar to those of the Buddhas.
Though anyone can obtain a special power through some kind of

practice, Buddhism has always been against the improper pursuit of
such abilities. Even if one acquires a special power without deliberately
seeking it, he should not reveal it in public. “The six special powers are
illusory,” as the teaching goes. They cannot alter karmic consequences,
or increase our blessings or wisdom. Nor do they provide any practical
benefits in terms of our liberation from samsara.
Q213: Is there such a thing as “possession”?
 A: There are people whose bodies and minds are temporarily

possessed by spirits. They would show a sudden change of personality
and speak in the voice of a dead person, talking about things known
only to him or her while alive. Most such cases are verifiable. They are
known as “possession by spirits to pass messages.” The messenger is
not the original consciousness of the possessed person. When the latter
awakens, he or she would not remember what was said. Possessors are
mostly ghosts who died suddenly. The possessed often are sick or frail
people, women or children, or those who are feeble-minded.
An intermediary who is to be possessed to pass messages should make

devout prayers or take drugs to foster illusions. The medium must enter
a state of non-thinking before a spirit can possess his or her body.
Spirits possess human bodies in order to receive offerings or accumulate

virtue and merit.
People who practice blindly or in a misguided manner may have

mystical experiences, induce spirits to possess them, and enter a
seemingly meditative state. They explicate Buddhist scriptures, write
books, establish theories and gather disciples according to the spirits’
instructions or their own perceptions. Some even claim to be emanations
of Buddhas or Bodhisattvas. They explain the past and predict the future.
Buddhism terms these “demonic phenomena.”
One who practices according to Buddhist teachings may relax and enter
a state of stillness during meditation. His self-consciousness is diluted
and his mind becomes vacant. He’s apt to be possessed by a spirit or
achieve a certain resonance, thereby manifesting a special power or a
supranormal ability. We should know that these powers and abilities are
serious obstacles to Dharma practice.
A practitioner who lacks correct views and seeks special powers or

worldly attachments often attracts demonic phenomena.
Q214: Is that zouhuo rumo (“entering a demonic state”), or deviant

practice?
A: Yes. The affected person would mistakenly believe she has acquired a
special power through her own practice. But most likely she would end
up mentally disordered. The reason: her fickle, deluded mind is obsessed
with attaining certain spiritual realms.
Q215: Do Buddhas and Bodhisattvas possess human beings as spirits do?
A: No. Those who undergo some kind of mystical experience may believe
that they have obtained a supernormal ability, or that a Buddha or
Bodhisattva has manifested. That is incorrect. The transcendent
capabilities of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are all-embracing. Whoever
perceives them is directly connected with them. How could they choose
a particular person as their representative?
If anyone claims to be an emanation of a Buddha or Bodhisattva, he

is either telling a “great lie” to seek fame and benefit, or possessed
by a spirit who shows paranormality to delude people. Even if he can
accurately explain the past and predict the future, we shouldn’t get
confused because all spirits have this ability.
Q216: There are people who enshrine an immortal at home. What’s that
about?
A: It is a folk belief in “family protectors.” Due to the lack of right faith,
some people improperly seek blessings by enshrining and making
offerings to such immortals. The latter use their petty special powers to
help their worshippers. But they do so not because they seek bodhicitta
and aspire to deliver and transform sentient beings. Instead, most
pursue offerings from worshippers. When such a relationship of mutual
advantage becomes untenable, the worshipper often suffers great mental
torment.
Q217: Some worshippers of immortals have special powers. Why is that?
A: Anyone who cultivates special abilities deliberately would become a

spirit medium, known as a psychic or warlock. She can communicate
with spirits, order some of them to expel others, or ask them to help
people overcome hardships in daily life and to satisfy their desires. But
such help provides only temporary relief. It’s like robbing Peter to pay
Paul, which does not really solve problems.
There is also a phenomenon called “descent of a spirit.” In such a case,

illusory light and sound are taken as the manifestation of a Buddha
or Bodhisattva. The affected person gives skewed interpretations of
scriptures according to the will of the spirit. Or he follows the spirit’s
instructions to summarize a set of practices, calling it “esoteric Dharma”
or “great Dharma.” When taught to others, such methods may generate
mysterious sensations for them. They produce certain results.
However, there is a serious after-effect. It’s easy to call in a spirit

but hard to send it off, as a saying goes. Once such a method proves
effective, the one using it will become obsessed. She has to accept
control by the power of the spirit and loses her free will. Her speech,
behavior and eye expressions seem different from those of normal
people. To leave the wayward path, she will need to undergo mental and
physical suffering.
Q218: After becoming a Buddhist, should one remove the shrine for the
immortal?
A: Yes.
Q219: What if the immortal stirs trouble?
A: As Amitabha-reciters, we have the Buddha’s light shining above our

heads. Bodhisattvas protect us and celestial beings respect us. The
spirits wouldn’t dare make trouble. Certainly, we should not be hostile
towards them, even though we have stopped making offerings. Instead,
we should have compassion for them, and persuade them to recite Namo
Amitabha Buddha and aspire to rebirth in the Land of Bliss. They too are
beings trapped in the cycle of rebirth.
Q220: What is planchette writing?
A: Planchette writing is a process in which someone voluntarily invites a

spirit to possess him so as to pass on messages. A wooden stylus with a
phoenix head is hung on a frame. A “phoenix boy” (spirit medium) holds
the frame while the stylus draws characters and writes sentences on a
sand table, indicating the spirit’s instructions. This sometimes does cure
illness, persuade people to do good, foretell their future and help them
avert calamities. That is why common folk would “believe in witch-
doctors rather than doctors.” But the effectiveness is questionable, and
the reliability isn’t high. Only a few experience positive results, but their
stories are spread widely by word of mouth -- and believers flock in.
A planchette writer sometimes uses the name of a familiar Buddha or

Bodhisattva. In that guise, he takes his position on an altar. He refers to
several short scriptures. For example, the High King Avalokitesvara Sutra,
the Blood Bowl Sutra and the Sun Sutra. The content of some such texts
resemble Buddhism or Daoism. Others mix the two with Confucianism.
They confuse the Buddha’s teachings with sayings about spirits and
deities, and mix up gods, immortals, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Though
the texts encourage virtue and filial piety, they are hardly real Buddhist
scriptures. Beginners are deceived when they see the name of a Buddha
or Bodhisattva in such a book and read it as a Buddhist text.
The first generation of spirit mediums rarely underwent training. Most

were possessed suddenly by spirits, a phenomenon known as “god-
buddha borrowing the body.” Their successors have to be trained.
Sensitive children and youths are selected and given special drills. They
learn how to receive possession by spirits. After years of practice, they
develop reflexive reactions. The more believers they have, the stronger
their “psychic power.” An adult spirit medium can make appear anything
he thinks of. A child responds according to the manipulator’s hints and
his training.
Such phenomena may result from descended spirits, mental sickness,

or the instigation of wizards or warlocks. In the first case, the spirits’
wisdom vary, and it is uncertain if they are good or evil. So a phoenix
altar may receive instructions from different spirits at different times.
If the process is manipulated by a spirit medium or warlock, the effects
would be more serious. The wizard may save people, but also tell lies. A
careerist could even plant the seeds of turmoil. History has many cases
of such rogues bringing calamity to their nation or spreading fallacies to
deceive people. These incidents are the consequence of such activities.
3. Distinguishing the True From the

False
Q221: Many people are unfamiliar with religions. Might they aspire to
enlightenment but stray into heresy?
 A: Yes, it’s possible. Since World War 2, many new religions have
emerged around the globe. They are spreading quickly. Some of them
establish new, original doctrines to attract young people who seek the
unconventional or unorthodox. Some borrow the terms or teachings of
traditional religions, using them as cover.
Q222: How do we identify them?
A: Pseudo-Buddhist cults have one or more of the following features: They
form associations secretly, intervene in governance or establish political
parties. There are abnormal sensations between the master and disciples,
which are used for spiritual control. They reject Buddhist monks and
nuns, deny Shakyamuni Buddha and Buddhist texts, spurn Dharma sects
and schools, and interpret scriptures out of context. They borrow the
names of Maitreya, Ksitigarbha, Jigong or any sutra that is familiar to
the public, but they do not teach the Dharma. Instead, they propagate the
Distinguishing the True From the False 155
instructions they receive from phoenix altars or other spirit mediums,

and give arbitrary interpretations of the Buddhist sutras.
They bear the coloring of spirit/deity teachings, and advocate a

combination of three creeds (Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism)
or five doctrines (Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity and
Islam). They use various religious doctrines to rationalize their own
teaching, and absorb folk beliefs in Tianzun (king of heaven), Tianhou
(queen of heaven), the Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother. They speak
of “God Buddha,” “Fairy Buddha” and “Yuanshi Tianzun” (the original
king of heaven), mixing the terms of multiple religions. They threaten
people: “Anyone who slanders us will certainly fall into hell.” They tout
the arrival of the end of the world, and claim they are the sole savior.
Q223: Some people pretend to be Buddhist monks or nuns to cheat money

out of others. How can we distinguish them?
A: They are easy to identify. Their sole purpose is to get money. Generally,
they would offer amulets, pendants or similar items, and hint that the
recipients should make a donation or buy safety with money. What they
speak of are not genuine Buddhist doctrines. They are like curbside
fortune-tellers. Some play up their mystique to attract attention. They
can usually present complete credentials. If questioned about Buddhist
teachings, however, they will soon give themselves away. Real monastics
tend to be quiet, speak little, and have a pure, peaceful gaze. Fake monks
and nuns seem “ardent and proactive.” They are impetuous and shallow.
Q224: Does Buddhism reject fortune-telling and geomancy?
A: Shakyamuni Buddha forbade his disciples from engaging in astrology,

geomancy and fortune-telling.
These activities are not without validity. They are based on natural laws
that are unknown to most people. After mastering the rules, one can
make certain predictions about the future. Such activities are not magical
or mysterious.
If they are an established custom in society, we can adopt the following

attitude: For our own sake, we needn’t believe them. To accommodate
social habits and console members of the public, however, we may
consider the findings of experts. That’s harmless enough. But such
findings should be for reference only. Otherwise, they would create
distress and inconveniences in life.
Actually, what truly and thoroughly reveals destiny is Buddhism’s Law

of Causality. Causes in the past produce results in the present. Results of
the present become causes of the future. Earlier causes determine later
consequences. So destiny is predictable. But it is not unalterable. Our
inborn conditions are important, yet the efforts we make in our lifetime
are more decisive. Rather than focus on minor details, we’d be better off
concentrating on fundamentals. We should diligently plant wholesome
roots and reap positive consequences.
The underlying intention of the Yijing (Book of Changes) was not to

teach fortune-telling, but to help people understand the ways of heaven,
earth, people and affairs. It inspires us to mind our thoughts and deeds,
and to think and act, according to the right path. That way we can
effectively pursue good fortune and avoid disaster.
Few professional astrologers and geomancers have managed to find

beneficial geomancy for themselves, or to change their own destiny with
their knowledge. There is no lack of ignorant, duplicitous people in this
world. If we blindly follow them, we will distance ourselves from the
correct Dharma.
Buddhists should focus on the Buddha’s teachings. If we’re curious

about numerology, astrology and geomancy, we’ll waste our time, for
such pursuits will distract us from right practice. That is to mistake the
branch for the root.
Q225: A Dharma master who gives discourses on sutras and presides over
Dharma ceremonies would not be a fake monk, right?
A: If he does so purely for personal fame or gain, he could be considered

a false master. A genuine Dharma master doesn’t pursue wealth or
fame. He neglects himself, but consistently acclaims and expounds the
Buddhas’ compassion and the patriarchs’ teachings. By contrast, a false
master shows an arrogant, prideful air. He exhibits peculiar guises,
performs divination, or advertises his own virtues. He utters lofty words
to persuade the public that he is an exalted, enlightened monastic. With
the reputation of a renowned master, he accepts lots of disciples, and
brags about how others show respect and make offerings to him. His
goal is to pursue more gain.
Q226: Does Buddhism provide criteria for assessment?
A: Yes -- the Law of Origination: no creator of all things, egolessness,

impermanence and seamless cause and effect. These four points
can be summarized in two notions: impermanence and egolessness.
Impermanence means all phenomena are arising and ceasing sequentially.
It connotes “emerging and vanishing instantly” and “seamless cause
and effect.” Egolessness means non-existence of a determinant power
either inside a person or within the universe, which corresponds with “no
creator of all things.“
“Formations are impermanent; dharmas are without self.” This is an

overall explanation of the universe and its phenomena. In other words,
it’s the general law of all things. So the doctrines of “impermanence”
and “egolessness” are referred to as the “Dharma Seals.”
Q227: What does “Dharma Seals” mean?
 A: A king’s “seal” authenticates documents, allowing bearers to have

unobstructed passage. Metaphorically, conformity to a “Dharma Seal”
signifies that a doctrine is an authentic teaching of the Buddha. The
Three Dharma Seals are: “Formations are impermanent; dharmas are
without self; nirvana is quiescent.” And the Four Dharma Seals add “All
flawed phenomena are subject to suffering” (“flaw” means affliction).
Mahayana Buddhism further sums up the Law of Origination with the

principle of “Dependent Origination and Empty Nature.” Empty means
impermanent, egoless, and without inherent nature or substantiality.
“Dependent Origination and Empty Nature” is the actual status of the
universe and all phenomena. That is the “ultimate reality of all dharmas.”
It is called the “Seal of the One Truth,” taking ultimate reality as a
Dharma Seal. All Mahayana teachings are verified with the principle of
ultimate reality.
4. Transforming Customs
Q228: It seems Buddhism has a rigorous theoretical system. I used to think

it superstitious.
A: A superstition involves blindly holding a belief while being ignorant of

what is true. Superstitions are widespread. They include such beliefs:
all humans become ghosts after death; people’s fates are determined by
their birth date and hour, geomancy, or their facial features; one’s fate is
pre-destined and unalterable; a bad year or an inauspicious star brings
adversity; being of service to spirits generates good fortune. Buddhism
opposes such notions. The Buddha revealed to us the truth of life and the
universe. He urged us to eliminate delusion and realize our own Buddha-
nature. Buddhism has always stood against superstition.
The opposite of superstition is blind negation. It means to judge

something as erroneous before finding out the truth. Such an attitude is
also inappropriate.
Q229: Does the popular activity of burning joss paper work?
A: Burning joss paper for the deceased became a custom during the Han
Dynasty. Since then, it’s been a way for the Chinese to honor the
Transforming Customs 161
memory of their ancestors and pay them respect. It has an ethically

transformative effect on society. If a person believes in an after-life, he
should find it easier to accept the faith of Buddhism. It is inadvisable to
reject this custom too strongly. But we do not encourage it either. Not
all humans become ghosts after death. And for those who do, Buddhism
provides a genuinely effective method of deliverance and liberation.
Buddhists should transform the custom. We may accommodate it, if that

does not cause waste and extravagance. We should then induce people to
recite Amitabha Buddha’s name, so that their ancestors can obtain real
benefits. Amitabha-recitation is the best way to remember and benefit
our forebears.
Q230: People speak of the Jade Emperor, King Yama, netherworld judges,
city divinities and earth gods. Do they exist?
A: Yes. But they only handle affairs according to laws, the way worldly
adjudicators do.
Q231: How should we regard them?
A: Like us, they are ensnared in the cycle of rebirth. They enjoy certain
meritorious blessings because they created positive karma. We should
show them respect, but needn’t worship or make offerings to them as we
do with Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
Q232: Some immortals and goddesses in temples seem very efficacious at

delivering what is asked of them. Wouldn’t it be better to enshrine
them in addition to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas?
A: Some ghosts and spirits are efficacious. They can grant people’s wishes.
But their abilities are inferior to the vow-power of Buddhas and
Bodhisattvas. Nor can they help us solve our fundamental problem –
the issue of death and rebirth. Our aim is Buddhahood, so we must learn
from the Buddhas single-mindedly. If we draw close to the Buddhas
and Bodhisattvas but simultaneously interact with ghosts and spirits,
our minds would be distracted. When death comes, we might forget the
Buddhas and follow the ghosts.
Q233: If we make a promise but forget to carry it out, would the Buddhas
and Bodhisattvas punish us?
A: Making promises and redeeming them are not Buddhist activities. They
are part of the folk beliefs relating to spirits and deities. To make such a
pledge means to pray to a god for something and make a payback if the
wish comes true. To redeem a promise is to fulfill what was pledged after
the prayer is answered.
Whether to make good a promise is the sentient being’s own business.

Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have resolved on bodhicitta (gaining
Buddhahood to save others), wholeheartedly devoting themselves to
the benefit of beings. They are compassionate, full of mercy. Their
interactions with us are not commercial transactions. Much less would
they would punish anyone.
Q234: Would non-believers in Buddhism be chastised by the Buddhas and

Bodhisattvas?
A: Non-believers will continue to reincarnate in the Six Realms according

to their karma. This is the Law of Causality, with sentient beings reaping
the consequences of what they sow. It is not punishment by Buddhas or
Bodhisattvas. The idea of chastisement originates from a belief in deities
or spirits, who bear grudges and punish people who disobey them. With
bodhicitta, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have great unconditional kindness
and universal compassion. They never punish anyone.
Q235: If we encounter problems that we cannot solve, can we pray to

Buddhas and Bodhisattvas?
A: Of course. And we should. Strong faith on the part of the beseecher
can prompt a resonance with the power of Buddhas’ and Bodhisattvas’
great, compassionate vows. For example, Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara
vowed to listen to the cries of beings in distress and rescue them from
suffering. If anyone in trouble deeply believes this and recites “Namo
Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara,” she will have an unfathomable resonance
and turn the calamity into a blessing. Amitabha Buddha vowed to deliver
all beings who recite “Namo Amitabha Buddha” from the bitter sea
of reincarnation to his Land of Bliss. If we have profound faith in this
and practice Amitabha-recitation exclusively, we will connect with the
energy of Amitabha’s vows and be reborn in his Pure Land.
Q236: Can we pray when we are sick?
A: Yes. Praying can at least keep a sick person in positive spirits, which
facilitates medical treatment and accelerates recovery. But we should not
become obsessed, using prayer as the sole means to deal with sickness.
During the time of Shakyamuni Buddha, monks who suffered external or
internal ailments and injuries used medical decoctions for treatment.
There are three types of sickness:
1. Physiological. This includes illnesses caused by external factors

such as wind, cold, summer heat and dampness, as well as internal
disturbances like pleasure, anger, worry and fear. They upset the
balance between yin and yang.
2. Psychological. Ailments inflicted by failure to fulfill personal

obligations, ethical misconduct, bottled-up anger and resentment,
abnormal external behavior and breaches of social norms.
3. Karmic. This kind of sickness is caused by beings that the ailing

person hurt in a past lifetime or the present one. Harboring
resentment, they retaliate by making the latter suffer. Unless their
grudge is dispelled, the pain and suffering will not vanish. Such
illnesses often seem strange and come fast and ferocious. Their onset
doesn’t accord with what’s standard, and conventional treatments
have little effect.
Since our physical bodies are within the Three Domains, physiological
diseases should be treated with the methods of the Three Domains. These
include medicine, acupuncture and massage. Psychological illnesses
should be dealt with through the healing of the heart. Sufferers should
rectify their errors thoroughly, practice loyalty and filial piety, and fulfill
their obligations. Those who suffer karmic diseases should sincerely
repent the hurt they caused other beings, beg their forgiveness, refrain
from eating meat and release doomed animals. They should also recite
Namo Amitabha Buddha, dedicate the merit of recitation to their victims,
and persuade the aggrieved to be reborn in the Land of Bliss and attain
Buddhahood.
Chapter
4
A Fulfilling Life
1. Exclusive Recitation of Amitabha

Buddha’s Name
Q237: What kind of spiritual quest do Buddhism learners go through?
A: Though people today do not lack for food or clothing, they have not
become happier. Material desires keep expanding and pressures seem
always present. We often hear complaints about an inability to steer one’s
own life. Those who can’t bear lowering their ethical bottom lines yet
again have begun to reflect. They are returning to time-honored ways,
in particular taking an interest in religion. After comparing the views of
several traditional religions on issues relating to life and the universe,
some have chosen Buddhism.
Of course, very few people resolve to achieve bodhicitta (gaining

Buddhahood to help other beings) when they become Buddhists. Most
at first merely seek good fortune and happiness in this lifetime. Though
the Dharma has always stressed impermanence and selflessness, these
are hard to accept genuinely. But after experiencing the vicissitudes of
life and observing the processes of birth, aging, illness and death, some
Buddhists abandon their reflexive hankering after worldly joys to reflect
on the fundamental issues of life and death.
Exclusive Recitation of Amitabha Buddha’s Name 169
When first encountering the many paths to liberation, seekers are often
delighted. Subconsciously they believe themselves to possess superior
roots and capabilities. With determination, even abstruse and difficult
paths can be achieved. Some may heed the advice of lineage masters
and other accomplished Buddhists to adopt Pure Land practice. Even
so, it’s hard for them to undertake Amitabha-recitation simply and
conscientiously. They think it would be better to perform many other
forms of practice and self-cultivation as well.
It takes time to abandon personal pride. Some take decades to do it. In

the long process of self-cultivation, there are many ups and downs. But
ultimately, what fuels the motivation is anxiety and fear relating to life
and death.
In the end, after coolly assessing our own capabilities, we start truly to
choose a Dharma path. We let go of all-round practice and pick a single
way.
The Dharma comes alive in the hearts of those who adopt an exclusive
path and achieve peace of mind. They reach a state of non-retrogression --
free of anxiety while alive, unperturbed as death approaches.
Q238: If people knew Buddhism were this good, wouldn’t everyone learn
it? Yet there seems little interest …
A: This can be explained by the Law of Dependent Arising. It’s because
they currently lack the karmic causes and conditions.
Q239: So it depends on the efforts of believers to propagate Buddhism?
A: That’s one aspect. The most important point is that we must have correct
beliefs and action. Once we have a bedrock for the great issue of life
and death, we would naturally feel gratitude towards the Three Gems
and other sentient beings. Our words and deeds become modest and
respectful, our temperaments moderate. We become confident in our
faith. All this will spontaneously affect those around us.
Q240: To be reborn in the Pure Land and become Buddhas merely by

reciting “Namo Amitabha Buddha” seems truly unfathomable.
Please say more about the underlying principles.
A: Most people think reciting the six characters of Amitabha’s name is
too easy. But they did not come by easily! They were created after
five kalpas of contemplation and countless eons of practice by Bhikku
Dharmakara. And we are willing to recite them only after earnest
exhortations by all the Buddhas. How can they be called easy?
The six characters contain all the merit and virtues accrued from the self-
cultivation of Amitabha Buddha since time immemorial. Believe in them,
recite them -- and all those virtues will become ours. That’s because
Amitabha Buddha dedicated every iota of merit from his practice to us
sentient beings of the ten directions. And he made a compact with us,
using the simplest method: If those “who sincerely and joyfully entrust
themselves to me, wish to be reborn in my land and recite my name,
even ten times, should fail to be born there, may I not attain perfect
enlightenment.” Amitabha’s great vow is the guarantee of our rebirth; the
Buddha’s great actions (practice) provide the credentials for it. Putting it
simply: To recite the name of Amitabha Buddha is to rely on the power
of his vow, which leads to certain rebirth.
Q241: When should Amitabha-recitation be done?
A: Anytime, anywhere. We can recite when we are traveling in vehicles,

walking in the street or cleaning cooking utensils. Except when
performing tasks that require concentration, we can recite -- walking,
standing still, sitting or lying down. (In such special situations as lying
down, bathing or using the toilet, we can recite silently, as doing so aloud
seems disrespectful. If on a sickbed or about to pass away, however,
sincere recitation out loud is all right; it is more a case of circumstantial
limitations than disrespect.) Moreover, recitation can focus our minds
and wills, leading to clearer heads and greater work efficiency. To sum
up, recitation does not interfere with daily life, even as it guarantees our
liberation from samsara. This is why Amitabha Buddha chose the easiest
method of name-recitation as the practice for rebirth in the Pure Land.
Q242: Even reciting while walking, staying still, sitting or lying down
doesn’t seem so easy.
A: People used to worldly perspectives may find it unfamiliar. But habits are
changeable -- and that of Amitabha-recitation can be nurtured gradually.
Pure Land is a Dharma path of deliverance, the Easy Way. We should not
over-imagine its difficulty. Since Amitabha Buddha wishes to deliver us,
he would not have picked a practice for deliverance that we could not
accomplish.
Q243: Could someone be reciting with his mouth but harboring negative
thoughts?
A: Because of the low capabilities of ordinary beings, various uncontrollable

notions may arise from their subconscious while they are reciting. This
is different from deliberately thinking negative thoughts. It won’t impede
Amitabha’s deliverance of sentient beings.
Q244: Is it best not to have such miscellaneous thoughts while reciting?
 A: To have no stray thoughts would of course be ideal. But it’s hard

for ordinary beings to do, nor did Amitabha Buddha make such a
requirement. So we need not go out of our way to seek such a situation.
The purpose of recitation is to rely on the power of Amitabha’s vows,
not to rid our minds of stray thoughts. So long as we have faith (in
Amitabha’s deliverance), aspire (to be born in the Pure Land) and recite
the name of Amitabha, we can depend on the power of his vows and gain
rebirth even if we have not eliminated a single affliction. If we doubt
his deliverance because we have stray thoughts, our loss would be great
indeed.
Q245: But ordinary beings are full of uncontrolled thoughts. Isn’t it a bit
disrespectful to recite indiscriminately?
A: That is true. It’s best to recite sincerely and respectfully, and to try and
restrain our stray thoughts. There are two ways to try and focus. One
is to “listen to our own recitations.” When reciting, we enunciate
distinctively and listen clearly -- so that each word originates in our
hearts and returns to our hearts via our hearing. Over time, stray or
miscellaneous thoughts will naturally lessen. Our hearts will be at
ease. The second method is to “count recitations in tens.” With ten
recitations as a cycle, we are aware of the sequence of each as we recite.
The cycle repeats after reaching the count of ten.
The purpose of focusing is to recite as respectfully as we can. But if

we think that rebirth in the Pure Land is impeded if we are unable to
concentrate, we would lose our faith and aspiration.
To sum up, being lax would incline us towards laziness, while being
overly demanding would make us impatient and presumptuous. We
should simply try our best, according to our abilities and circumstances.
Q246: Some people hold recitation beads in their hands. What is the
purpose of that?
A: Recitation beads are also called Buddha beads or counting beads. During
recitation, they are used to count and to focus the mind.
Nowadays, we can also use something more convenient -- an electronic

recitation counter. We press a button with each recitation and it is added
to the count. The device enables us at a glance to see our cumulative tally
for the day. We can also use a single press to register several recitations.
It’s up to the individual.
Amitabha Buddha did not set any numerical benchmark as a condition

for rebirth. But to counter the proclivity of ordinary beings towards
laxness, we use this method to spur ourselves on. When sitting quietly
and reciting, we needn’t do this, so as not to ruffle our minds.
Q247: What are recitation devices for?
A: Recitation devices continuously sound the name of Amitabha Buddha.

They can create a solemn and dignified atmosphere, while reminding us
to recite.
Q248: Busy people are unable to recite often. What should they do?
A: They can set aside a short period in the morning and evening to recite.
Having a ritual at set times helps make the practice sustainable. In the
morning and evening, they can press palms together, face west and recite
“Namo Amitabha Buddha” a few thousand times or several hundred
times. Or they can recite for a number of minutes, or for ten breaths (after
a deep breath, recite “Namo Amitabha Buddha” continually during the
exhalation; do so for ten breaths). The precise method depends on how
busy the person is. Apart from these times, name-recitation can be done
anytime, anywhere. We should try to make a habit of it.
Q249: Should we recite aloud or softly?
A: Both are fine. It can also be done silently, in our hearts. Dharma friends
often do “vajra recitation”-- moving our lips, but at a volume only we
can hear. This allows for the longest recitation time.
These four methods -- to recite aloud, softly, silently or in the vajra

manner, can be applied alternately.
Q250: Since we can free ourselves from samsara by elusively reciting

Amitabha’s name, why did the Buddha teach so many sutras and
mantras?
A: Because of the lofty and wondrous nature of the Western Pure Land,
ordinary beings find it very hard to believe. That’s why Shakyamuni
Buddha unfolded 84,000 Dharma paths. They ultimately converge in
the Pure Land way, which is suitable for people of superior, average and
lesser capabilities. The purpose of all the sutras and mantras taught by
the Buddha is to guide beings of every inclination and ability towards
the Western Pure Land.
The Dharma’s great value lies in going deeply into a single teaching
and practice. Only those who do so with persistence will feel a sense
of accomplishment. With exclusive recitation, firmly clasping the great
six-character name “Namo Amitabha Buddha,” Pure Land practitioners
not only achieve rebirth in the Pure Land but also gain benefits in this
lifetime. Name-recitation encompasses the rewards of all sutras and
mantras.
We should guard against an insatiable impulse to try things that are new
and unfamiliar -- for example, learning Pure Land today and switching
to the Esoteric path tomorrow, seeking rebirth in the Western Pure Land
in the morning and wanting it in the Eastern Pure Land at night.
Q251: In bookstores there are lots of titles containing koans from the Ch’an
tradition. Can Pure Land learners use them for reference?
A: “Koan” (gong’an) originally referred to official records of government

rulings. The exemplary words and deeds of Ch’an lineage masters can
be used to assess a learner’s progress, so they are known as koans.
Their function is to teach the karmically compatible, using non-
standard words and actions to penetrate obstacles posed by feelings and
conscious knowledge. The aim is mind-to-mind transmission, leading the
practitioner into “non-discriminatory wisdom.”
There are some 1,700 Ch’an koans. If an adherent has undertaken all the
relevant precepts and practices, and has superior capabilities enabling
him to master the school’s core aims, he would benefit from sustained
cultivation. Being up to the standards, he naturally gains a sound
understanding. However, it’s hard for beginners to avoid attachment
to words, interpreting the teachings literally and ruminating on them.
Mired in verbal gymnastics, they are hard put to grasp the meaning
beyond the words. They become entangled in the koans, feeling lost or
misunderstanding their substance. What they achieve is “verbal samadhi
(concentration).”
Koans seem plain and carefree, but contemplating them isn’t easy. Ch’an
Master Congshen of Zhaozhou took monastic vows at an early age, and
was still traveling in his eighties. “At 80, Zhaozhou was still wandering,
all because his heart wasn’t yet at peace,” so it was said. “Ch’an Master
Huileng of Changqing wore out seven meditation mats before achieving
[initial] awakening.” When enlightenment is so difficult even for such
distinguished masters, what about those with far lesser capabilities?
Even those who awaken through koan contemplation need to turn to the
path of Amitabha-recitation. Master Ouyi of the Ming Dynasty once
said, “Without aspiring to rebirth in the Pure Land after awakening, I
daresay you haven’t awakened.”
Q252: Can Amitabha-reciters practice qigong as well?
A: Though various types of qigong often borrow Buddhist concepts, the
breathing exercises are entirely different from Buddhism. There’s no
problem with doing qigong to enhance health, but organized activities
should be avoided in case of interference with correct Buddhist beliefs.
2. Dutiful Discharge of Worldly

Responsibilities
Q253: Besides Amitabha-recitation, what does a practitioner need to do?
A: If you are a worker, you go to work. If you are a student, you study. If
you are a housewife, you take care of household matters. Similarly, as
a Buddhist, you should act like a follower of the Buddha. That includes
believing firmly in the law of cause and effect, forsaking evil for good,
cultivating virtue to nurture wholesome consequences, and to support the
Dharma. In the Pure Land school, reciting Amitabha’s name and being
reborn in the Land of Bliss are at the level of ultimate truth. Rebirth
is assured if we recite single-mindedly! In terms of worldly truth, we
naturally want to be a worthy Buddhist to repay the immense grace of
Amitabha. We wish to see the Dharma remain in the world and benefit
sentient beings. As Master Yinguang said, “Dutifully discharge your
worldly responsibilities. Avoid evil and cherish good. Steer clear of
malice and practice virtue.”
The elements in this question should be discussed separately. As far as

rebirth in the Pure Land is concerned, Amitabha-recitation is entirely
sufficient. As Buddhists, we should diligently observe the precepts and
Dutiful Discharge of Worldly Responsibilities 179
practice virtue. If we mix the two and think, “Without the precepts and
meritorious acts, recitation is not enough to gain rebirth,” we would
be misreading the intent of the sutras. There are also rash assertions
that “Amitabha-recitation isn’t virtuous.” The lineage masters say that
recitation is the most virtuous of virtues.
Q254: Is the “dutiful discharge of worldly responsibilities” the oft-

mentioned supporting practices to the principal practice of
recitation?
A: That is different from the “principal karma of assurance (assured rebirth)”
and “supporting karma” taught by Master Shandao. If we believe that
the principal and supporting practices are both -- like the wings of a
bird -- essential for rebirth, that would run counter to the scriptures.
“Supporting” means helping and guiding us towards the “principal karma
of assurance”; it does not imply that exclusive recitation isn’t sufficient
for rebirth and that various virtuous acts are needed in support. If that
were the case, Amitabha-recitation could not be called the “principal
karma of assurance.”
Q255: Do married practitioners have to suppress desire?
A: The Buddha required only that his lay disciples abstain from “sexual
misconduct”; he did not demand “suppression of lust.” Normal relations
between husband and wife are permissible.
Shakyamuni Buddha taught his lay followers much about worldly

matters. They include proper relationships between parents and
children, teacher and student, husband and wife, master and servant, and
monastics and householders. He also spoke about vocational training,

thrifty housekeeping, making virtuous friends and managing state affairs.
It’s not that you need to cut yourself off from worldly engagements once
you become a Buddhist.
The Three Refuges and Five Precepts 181
3. The Three Refuges and Five

Precepts
Q256: What are refuge-taking ceremonies at monasteries?
A: To take refuge, as mentioned before, means to seek harbor with or to

depend on. Before becoming Buddhists, most people have had some
contact with various types of religious belief. When they discover that
only Buddhism can thoroughly relieve their vexations and afflictions,
they naturally adopt it as their lifelong faith. If one has made a decisive
choice in this matter, one could be said to have taken refuge in
Buddhism.
Why is a ceremony necessary? Through a dignified ritual, one can

register officially to become a Buddhist. Its solemn declarations and
pledges can reinforce our faith.
The triple-refuges ceremony is administered by a monk who has

undertaken full vows. He introduces and affirms the ritual, and explains
the substance and meaning of the three refuges. He also leads the
assembly in announcing the oaths.
Buddhism emphasizes that one takes refuge with the Buddha, the
Dharma and the monastic Sangha, not a particular monk. All monastics
are our teachers, not just the one who presided over our refuge-taking.
The latter represents the permanent Three Gems as a witness to our act.
Q257: Does not taking refuge affect rebirth in the Pure Land?
A: In a reference to the “three sources of good fortune,” the Contemplation

Sutra mentions “to undertake and uphold the triple refuges.” The
Buddha’s underlying intention is, through this, to guide us eventually
towards faith in the Pure Land. In the passage on the nine levels of
rebirth, those who haven’t taken refuge can still be reborn by reciting the
name of Amitabha Buddha. So the three refuges are not a precondition
for rebirth, but they help us build and maintain faith in the Pure Land.
The two elements can also be considered separately. If we only seek

rebirth in the Pure Land, single-minded Amitabha-recitation alone is
enough. If we wish to become a Buddhist officially, we need to take
refuge in the Three Gems.
Q258: Do we have to respect and make offerings to monastics who are

unable to observe the precepts strictly?
A: Though they have renounced household life, monks and nuns are still
ordinary beings. There is no guarantee that they can uphold the precepts
flawlessly. Even so, they remain capable of administering the Dharma,
which generates unlimited merit. When people see a monastic, they
naturally associate him or her with Buddhism. So the existence of the
monastic Sangha represents the Dharma’s presence in the world. Lay
practitioners should therefore feel grateful towards monks and nuns.
How someone observes the precepts is a personal matter; it is subject to

karmic causes and consequences. So long as a monastic holds correct
views and can propagate the Dharma, he or she is qualified to receive
respect and offerings from householders. The scriptures say that there is
no difference between making offerings to ordinary monks and sacred
ones; both acts produce immeasurable merit.
Q259: Buddhism seems to place special emphasis on upholding the

precepts.
A: That’s right. A Sangha without precepts is like a military troop without
discipline. It may exist in name, but the substance is absent. There
is nothing mysterious about the Buddhist precepts. They are entirely
rational: Practitioners must refrain from actions that harm them
physically, verbally or psychologically. That’s because unwholesome
karma leads to suffering. Lengthy immersion in negative karma generates
bad habits that are hard to break, producing even greater pain. So the
Buddha formulated the precepts to cut off evil that has already formed,
and to forestall new negativity. The rules help his disciples regulate their
bodies and minds, remove vexations and obtain joy and peace of mind.
The dignified air of those who observe the precepts also boosts the faith
of non-believers, as well as the appeal of the Sangha. That enhances the
Dharma’s staying power in the world.
Q260: How were the precepts devised?
A: At the beginning, the Buddha’s followers had great capabilities, and
their words and deeds naturally accorded with the teachings. There was
no need for precepts. Later one disciple had a moment of weakness and
returned home to cohabit with his wife. He returned to the Sangha with
deep regrets. It was then that the Buddha assembled all his monks and
set down the five fundamental precepts for monastics: 1) do not kill,
2) do not steal, 3) do not engage in sex, 4) do not lie, and 5) do not drink
alcohol.
On the basis of these Five Precepts, the Buddha devised different

regulations for disciples undertaking various levels of practice. The
include the Ten Precepts for monastics, as well as specific rules for
monks, for nuns and for those committed to the Bodhisattva path. For
householders, there are also the Five, Eight and Bodhisattva precepts.
Q261: Is it best to choose the highest level -- the Bodhisattva Precepts?
 A: One has to look at the specifics. If we are up against insufficient

determination, incorrigible bad habits or forbidding circumstances, it’s
best not to overestimate our capabilities.
Q262: Which precepts are most suitable for those who recite Amitabha
Buddha’s name and seek rebirth in the Pure Land?
A: As we are in the Age of Dharma Decline, sentient beings have inferior
capabilities. For most people it is not feasible to undertake the
precepts of the Sravaka or Bodhisattva vehicles. As Master Yinguang
recommended, “Roughly observe the major precepts. Single-mindedly

recite Amitabha’s name, and simultaneously practice worldly good.”
In extra-worldly terms, Amitabha-recitation is the main focus. In the
mundane context, strive to uphold the Five Precepts and the Ten Good
Actions.
Q263: Fishermen need to catch fish and farmers must kill bugs with
insecticide. What should I do if I want to be a Buddhist, but my
livelihood conflicts with the Five Precepts?
A: It would be ideal if one could give up one’s livelihood to uphold the
precepts. But most people aren’t able to do this. So next best would be
to undertake the Five Precepts partially: upholding one or two is
“minority observance,” while three or four is “majority observance.” (All
five would be full observance.) We should uphold however many we are
capable of. That also produces merit from observing precepts.
We must undertake the precepts cautiously and seriously. Once we do,

we should adhere to them strictly. If we lack the confidence to do so, we
needn’t force ourselves. We could undertake just three precepts.
Q264: The Five Precepts include a prohibition on consuming alcohol.

Should it cover smoking and drugs too?
A: The Buddha forbade alcohol not because not because drinking it was
itself a karmic offense. It was because doing so could make a person lose
his or her rationality and commit unwholesome deeds. Alcohol also has
narcotic and stimulative effects. Prolonged use could lead to addiction
that’s hard to break. There are analogies with the consumption of tobacco
and drugs, as well as with gambling.
4. Releasing Animals and Eating

Vegetarian
Q265: Why does Buddhism advocate the release of animals?
A: The practice of releasing animals stems from Mahayana scriptures,

and is prevalent in China, Korea, Japan and Vietnam. Those who follow
the Mahayana Bodhisattva path consider all sentient beings to be their
relatives in former lifetimes. To kill them would be like taking the lives
of erstwhile parents, to release and save them would be akin to rescuing
the same. So we not only refrain from killing but go a step further to
release otherwise doomed animals.
According to the principles of causality and reincarnation, “a human dies

and is reborn as a goat, while a goat perishes and become a human,” and
“eat half a catty of its meat in this life, repay eight taels (i.e., half a catty)
in the next.” In the endless cycle of rebirth, each person has accumulated
both good and bad karmic links to countless other beings. In their taking
and repayment, they are forever entangled. To release animals is to
forfeit the collection of karmic debts from previous lifetimes, severing
specific chains of causality. If we can recite Amitabha’s name on behalf
of the beings released and explain Buddhist principles to them, that
Releasing Animals and Eating Vegetarian 187
would create additional positive supporting karma. The lives of the

released beings would be extended. In the next life, they may be born in
a Fortunate Realm, encounter the Dharma and achieve full liberation.
There are those, too, who worry about heavy bad karma from their taking
of life. So they release animals often, so as to accumulate powerful
positive karma and change their own future for the better. Some also
make releases hoping to improve the health of their relatives or lighten
their negative karma. All that accords with the laws of causality.
Q266: How are such releases done?
A: If you see people mistreating or about to kill small creatures, try to stop
such acts and release the animals back into the natural environment.
When you see living beings awaiting slaughter in marketplaces or
restaurants, take pity on them. Buy them and set them free. When you
receive such gifts as live fish, turtles or fowl and can’t bear to kill and eat
them, release them into nature or the pools or gardens of temples built
for the purpose. If there are mosquitoes or other bugs in your home, trap
them in a glass and free them outdoors.
In ancient times, there were formal procedures for releasing animals.

The first step is to administer the Three Refuges to the beings to be
released, followed by that chanting of sutras and mantras. Then comes
their release into nature. Yet for individual practitioners, the procedures
needn’t be complicated, because the animals to be released are trapped.
They are fearful and about to die. The rites should be simple: Just recite
Amitabha’s name on the creatures’ behalf and wish them physical and
mental safety and happiness -- as well as future rebirth in the Virtuous
Realms, and a chance to hear the Dharma and achieve liberation.
Q267: Can’t we even kill flies, mosquitoes, cockroaches or rats?
A: No. Unlike worldly values, the Dharma does not separate living creatures
into “harmful” and “beneficial” categories. Each kind of animal and
insect exists for a reason, and nature’s choices are always the most
reasonable. Human interventions seldom produce wholesome results.
However, there are always situations beyond our control. For example,
when we’re walking or cleaning house, it’s hard to avoid inadvertently
harming insects such as ants. Precedents were set during the time of
Shakyamuni Buddha. Once, his monastic disciples’ bathroom became
infested with insects after a period of disuse. The monk responsible for
cleaning did not know what to do. The Buddha advised, “Drain the dirty
water and clean the bathroom.” Said his disciple, “That would injure the
insects.” The Buddha responded: “Your intent isn’t to harm the insects
but to clean the bathroom.”
We should try to avoid using insecticides, of course. It would be best just

to sweep and clean. If we constantly keep our environment clean, there
won’t be many insects.
Should we find that we have inadvertently harmed small and weak

beings, we ought to take pity on them. We should recite “Namo
Amitabha Buddha” on their behalf and hope that they will be reborn
soon in the Pure Land. If we have no regrets about taking life, we would
be devoid of compassion.
To avoid killing stems from the merciful spirit of taking all sentient
beings as equals. Every being has a right to live. Like ourselves, all
sentient beings are afraid being hurt. So the key point about not taking
life is to nurture our own compassion, going beyond merely wishing to
avoid karmic retribution.
Q268: If no creatures are killed, won’t they proliferate calamitously?
A: We needn’t worry about this. Nature has its own, reasonable laws of
survival.
Q269: Living space for animals is being diminished today. If they are
recaptured after release, what then?
A: There are indeed certain problems that need attention. If we release
unlimited numbers of water-dwelling creatures into ponds, the ponds
may become saturated and many of the creatures will die. Our well-
intentioned act would produce negative results. Sometimes we don’t
understand the nature of animals and release them into environments
that aren’t conducive to their survival. Also, some just aren’t able to live
in natural circumstances. Setting them free would then be sending them
to their deaths. Moreover, in anticipation of regular large-scale releases,
some suppliers would stock up. That would have the unfortunate effect
of “encouraging capture for the purpose of release.”
We need to be more thoughtful, and perform such releases as

appropriately as possible. At the same time, we should feel regretful that
ordinary beings like ourselves aren’t able capable of performing virtuous
acts perfectly or thoroughly.
That’s why when our lineage masters advocated the release of animals,
they also urged people to undertake vegetarian diets. A person who
doesn’t eat meat spares all forms of sentient life.
Q270: Is it mandatory for Buddhists to follow a vegetarian diet?
 A: Though Buddhism encourages vegetarianism, it does not require

all adherents to eat vegetarian diets. Vegetarian eating is a special
characteristic of Mahayana Buddhism. Its purpose is to cultivate
compassion towards all sentient beings. There are passages in Mahayana
scriptures forbidding the consumption of meat. Chinese monastics
are Mahayana followers; besides the vows of bhikkus and bhikkunis,
they also adopt the Bodhisattva vows. That’s why monastics and even
many householders in Chinese-speaking regions abstain from meat.
Historically, this tradition became widespread after Emperor Wu of the
Liang Dynasty promoted vegetarianism.
In their diet, monastics from the southern transmission of Buddhism

follow the practice from the time of the Buddha -- “a bowl for a thousand
households.” They seek food with their alms bowls, or neighboring
families take turns in offering them sustenance. They eat whatever they
are given, vegetarian or not. Nothing in a bhikku’s vows proscribes the
eating of meat.
Mongolian and Tibetan monastics are Mahayana practitioners as well.

But vegetables are hard to come by where they live, so they normally eat
meat. They do not perform the slaughter themselves, however.
Since the first of the Five Precepts is to refrain from killing, it would
be best for Buddhists to eat vegetarian. If it is hard for family or social

reasons to sustain vegetarianism, then take meat with a sense of regret.
Desist from direct slaughter and from asking someone to perform it.
We shouldn’t artificially inflate the standards required of Buddhism

learners by demanding compulsory vegetarianism. That is not a
requirement in either Refuge-Taking or the Five Precepts. Those who
undertake the Four Great Vows or the Bodhisattva Precepts, however,
must adopt vegetarian diets. Some people ask every Buddhist they
meet, “Are you a vegetarian? Why aren’t you one even after becoming
Buddhist?” By taking vegetarianism as a requirement for learning
Buddhism, we would be impeding propagation of the Dharma.
Q271: Vegetarianism means not eating meat, right?
A: That is not entirely accurate. A vegetarian refrains from consuming foods
that smell or taste “pungent or fleshy.” “Pungent” refers to strong-
smelling, stimulative vegetables -- notably garlic, scallion, leek, shallot
and asafoetida. When eaten raw, these substances can raise tempers;
cooked, they may stimulate sexual desire. They impede discernment and
are conducive to greed, anger and ignorance. Since they induce odors
in people’s breath, they could even affect collective Buddhist practice.
For these reasons, the five pungent vegetables are prohibited in both
Mahayana and Theravada traditions. It’s the “fleshy” smells or tastes that
refer to meat. So it’s not appropriate to mix the avoidance of pungent
foods with not eating meat.
Q272: And vegetarianism is the same as chizhai (various forms of

abstinence)?
A: They are not the same. Chizhai means to avoid eating after midday,
using perfume or makeup, engaging in song & dance, watching dramatic
entertainment, and using luxurious seating and beds. If these forms of
abstinence cannot be maintained every day, one could do so on specific
days each month. For example, people often undertake them for six days
or ten days. Six days would be the 8th, 14th, 15th, 23rd and final two days
of every lunar month. And ten days are the 1st, 8th, 14th, 15th, 18th, 23rd,
24th and last three days.
Q273: Why no food after midday?
 A: According to rules devised by the Buddha, monks do not eat after

noontime. Their food consists of offerings by the community of
believers. By doing one alms round daily and eating at midday, bhikkus
reduce the burden of the community. Moreover, avoiding food after
midday facilitates meditative concentration. Most Theravada countries
still follow this tradition. After noon, adherents can take tea, soft drinks,
fruit juice and even sugar; the strictest drink only plain water. In the
Chinese Ch’an tradition, monks customarily perform agricultural labor
and need to eat in the evenings. So most monasteries have exempted
them from the no-food-after-midday rule.
Q274: If we decide to follow a strict vegetarian diet, is it best not to eat

eggs?
A: Eggs are “fleshy” food. It would be best for those who adopt a vegetarian
diet to purify themselves to avoid them. A Mahayana scripture says, “Do
not eat any form of ovum.”
Q275: Do vegetarian diets conflict with modern lifestyles?
A: Today’s society likes luxury and extravagance. There are more and more
wasteful people. From this perspective, there is conflict.
We should adopt a broader view. If we eat vegetarian foods with low

production costs, we can substantially cut the consumption of natural
resources. That would also slow global warming and the degradation
of our natural environment. At the personal level, vegetarianism allows
us to avoid sicknesses that arise from today’s overly rich diets. People
who suffer from high blood pressure, fatty liver or gout are advised by
doctors to avoid oily foods and eat plenty of vegetables.
It is far better to adopt a healthy lifestyle than allow a desire for tasty
foods to harm our bodies. In different times, many non-Buddhists have
chosen vegetarianism -- for example, Tagore, Tolstoy and Einstein.
Einstein once said, “A vegetarian diet allows our wisdom to remain
unclouded. The resulting purification and transformation of character
brings considerable benefits to humankind. So vegetarians are
auspicious. Nothing enhances human health more than vegetarianism. It
also increases our chances of survival on this planet.” He added: “If the
whole world ate vegetarian, mankind’s destiny would be changed.”
Dietary habits can be nurtured. If you are used to pungent and fleshy
foods, you will find a vegetarian diet lacking in taste. But if you are
accustomed to vegetarian eating, pungent and fleshy food will be
unappetizing.
Q276: If I can’t change my habits immediately, is some compromise

possible?
A: If you sincerely wish to go vegetarian but find it difficult, you could take
the “three kinds of clean meat.”
Q277: What are the “three kinds of clean meat”?
A: This is when you “neither see nor hear the killing, and it isn’t performed
specially for you.” That is, 1) you didn’t witness the actual slaughter of
the animal; 2) you didn’t hear its cries as it was killed; and 3) it wasn’t
slaughtered specifically for you. If you are unable to adopt a vegetarian
diet, you may eat the “three kinds of clean meat.”
Home Altars 195
5. Home Altars
Q278: If we wish to consecrate a Buddha image at home, which one should

it be?
 A: It would be best for Pure Land practitioners to choose Amitabha

Buddha or the Three Sacred Beings of the Pure Land (Amitabha plus
Bodhisattvas Avalokitesvara and Mahasthamaprapta). A figure or an
illustration would do. Or we could consecrate the six-character name,
“Namo Amitabha Buddha.” As our lineage masters taught: “The name is
the body.” Where his name is, there Amitabha Buddha manifests.
Q279: Where should we place the consecrated object?
A: It would be best to have a quiet Dharma hall. If that is not possible, place
the Buddha image in a respectful place in your living room, dining room
or entrance hall. Try not to put it in your bedroom or near the bathroom.
Q280: If I can’t find a suitable location, can I not consecrate a Buddha

image?
A: Yes. If you perform morning and evening devotions, you can use sacred
texts instead. Or you can just face West, press your palms together and
recite the name of Amitabha Buddha.
Q281: What kind of offerings should we make to the Buddha?
A: Incense, lights, flowers, water, fruit and rice would be fine.
Incense symbolizes the virtues of the Buddha. There are the “Dharma-
body’s five kinds of incense” -- The incense of precepts, of meditative
concentration, of wisdom, of liberation and of the perfect knowledge of
liberation.
Lights represent the light of the Buddha’s wisdom. Offering lights can
bring radiance and wisdom. Candles were used in ancient times. Today
we can switch on candle-shaped lights.
Flowers signify the blossoming of the myriad practices and the

resplendent fruit of Buddhahood. Flowers also have the virtue of being
soft, warming people’s hearts.
Water stands for purity and equality. To offer it is to remind ourselves

that our state of mind should be as pure and equal as water. After the
offering, the water can be poured into another vessel and drunk.
Fruit signals that upon seeing clean fruit (effects), we should think about
cultivating pure causes. After the offering, the fruits can be shared by the
whole family.
Rice suggests that when we see food, we should recall with gratitude the
grace of the Buddha. We should admire practitioners of the Buddha’s
time for being able to make offerings to him in person. So we bring rice
Home Altars 197
before an image of the Buddha to express our respect and remembrance.

It’s not because the Buddhas or Bodhisattvas need to eat the rice. When
offering rice, we cannot offer alcohol or pungent and fleshy foods. Such
offerings can be consumed later.
The purpose of the offerings is to create a dignified atmosphere through

simple rituals, to show our respect for the Buddha. It would be best if
fresh offerings could be made daily, though not necessarily each type.
At the simplest, an offering could consist of a cup of water before the
Buddha’s image.
Q282: What reverential actions should we take before the Buddha?
 A: We can make prostrations and bows, or press our palms together.

Prostrations are the most respectful. They eliminate the greatest amount
of bad karma and are most auspicious.
When we make our reverences, we should be respectful and sincere. We

need to think of the Buddha image as a real Buddha.
Q283: Excuse me for being blunt, but isn’t that like worshiping idols?
Modern people enjoy freedom and human rights. Why should they
prostrate themselves like the ancients?
A: Portraits of famous persons are placed in schools and memorial halls.
When people pass these images, they can’t help feeling admiration. Since
we pay respects to our parents as well as worldly sages, why shouldn’t
we do so with the compassionate Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, who graced
us with deliverance? Besides showing respect, prostration allows us
to emulate the worthy, connect with the Buddhas’ vows, temper pride,
repent karmic wrongdoings and nurture virtuous roots. The benefits of
reverencing the Buddhas can only be appreciated by those who have
done so.
Q284: Do we have to kneel before a Buddha image while doing our morning
and evening practice?
 A: Not necessarily. Amitabha-recitation can be done kneeling, sitting,

standing or walking. The important thing is to be sincere and respectful.
Q285: If we practice too long, household chores could be affected. Too

short, and there might be no effect. How do we find the right
balance?
A: The popular Practice and Chants for Morning and Evening is used
by the monastic sangha. Such communities comprise several hundred
practitioners from all schools, so the contents must be comprehensive to
cater to them all. A reading would take a long time.
Home practice needn’t be like that. We can choose the parts that relate to
the school we are following, as the value of practice lies in going deeply
into a single path. Practitioners today should pick an appropriate regime.
Their practice should not adversely impact their family relations.
Q286: Such a format for Amitabha-recitation seems too simple. Can you
recommend a complete set of practice?
A: Every morning and evening, after washing your face and brushing your
Home Altars 199
teeth, light incense and press your palms together respectfully before an
image of Amitabha Buddha. You may kneel, sit or stand.
1. Recite “Namo to the greatly merciful and compassionate Amitabha

Buddha of the Western Land of Bliss.” Make a prostration before the
Buddha.
2. Follow this with recitations of “Namo Amitabha Buddha”— maybe

several hundred times, maybe several thousand times, perhaps
for a quarter-hour or a half-hour, depending on how busy you are.
Sitting, kneeling and standing postures are all acceptable, as is
circumambulatory movement and prostration. Most practitioners
choose to recite sitting straight.
3. Conclude by reciting the “Gatha of Dedication” by Master Shandao:

“May the resulting merit [of this practice] be distributed everywhere
without discrimination. May we all aspire to perfect enlightenment
for the sake of other beings, and be reborn in the Land of Peace and
Joy.” End with three prostrations.
Q287: What is the meaning of “great compassion”?
A: “Great compassion” is the most important special characteristic of a

Buddha. “Compassion” is cibei. “Ci” means to give joy -- to impart
happiness to sentient beings with deep love and affection. “Bei” is to
relieve suffering -- to diminish the suffering of others with profound
sympathy. A Buddha feels the pain of sentient beings as his own, so
he rescues them unconditionally, removing their suffering. That is
“unconditional compassion and conjoined mercy.” When compassion
is extended without limit so that it covers all good and evil beings, it is
called “great compassion.”
Q288: What does the “Gatha of Dedication” mean? What purpose does it
serve? Please explain its wording.
A: “Dedication” (of merit) implies turning over to, returning to, flowing
towards. It is to gather and direct the virtues and merit of Amitabha’s
name towards a specific target -- aspiration to rebirth in the Pure Land,
along with other beings. In a worldly environment, ordinary beings can
hardly avoid the pursuit of such blessings of the human and celestial
realms as fame, profit, health and longevity. Regular recitation of the
“Gatha of Dedication” can remind us clearly of the ultimate purpose of
Amitabha-recitation.
• “May the resulting merit”: May the complete and perfect merit of
the six characters Namo Amitabha Buddha …
• “Be distributed everywhere without discrimination”: Be dispersed

on an equal basis among all sentient beings.
• “May we aspire to perfect enlightenment for the sake of other

beings”: Let us together resolve to achieve bodhicitta and aspire to
be reborn in the Pure Land …
• “And be reborn in the Land of Peace and Joy”: Achieve rebirth in

Amitabha’s Land of Bliss.
Buddhist Rituals 201
6. Buddhist Rituals
Q289: When entering a monastery or temple, what should we pay attention

to?
A: Monasteries and temples are pure, quiet places where the Three Gems
reside. When we visit them we should be respectful, cautious in speech
and dignified in bearing. We should enter and exit doors by the side
and avoid stepping on their thresholds. While inside the halls, make
the Amitabha mudra, with right palm on top of the left and both facing
upward. Thumbs should touch at the tips, with right fingers resting on
top of left fingers. Lower arms are horizontal and eyes gaze ahead. We
should curb our restlessness and try to focus.
With monastics, strict regulations apply. The “3,000 rites and 80,000
minor practices” cover virtually every aspect of their daily lives.
Q290: Which rituals do householders use most often?
A: When lay practitioners meet in a Dharma center or at home, they can
press palms together to greet one another, saying “Amitabha Buddha” or
“Namo Amitabha Buddha.”
Q291: To “press ten fingers together” (heshi) is the same as to press palms
together?
A: Yes. The standard way is to hold the palms together, with all ten fingers
touching. The center of the palms should be slightly arched, and they
should be pointing upward. The wrists should be level with the chest.
Q292: Is it the same when we are doing this before a Buddha image?
A: In front of a Buddha, our heels should be about two inches apart and our
toes some eight inches separate. We should focus our minds and close
our eyes respectfully.
Q293: When encountering a Dharma master, should we also press palms

together and say Amitabha Buddha?
A: Yes. In addition, we should make the gesture of greeting (wenxin).
Q294: How do we make the greeting gesture?
A: Press palms together and bow nearly 90 degrees. Then return to the
standing posture, with palms still together.
Another type of greeting gesture entails mudras. Press palms together

and, during the bow, make the Amitabha mudra at the stomach level.
When returning to the upright position, both thumbs and forefingers
touch at the tips, forming the Vairocana mudra. Raise the hands (and the
mudra) to a position between the eyebrows, then conclude by pressing
palms together.
Such a greeting is more respectful than merely pressing palms. It is often

used in halls or during assemblies, when prostration may not be suitable.
Both hands are used in the gesture of greeting. If we are holding

something in our hands, it is all right to show respect with a simple bow.
We must not extend a single hand in a greeting.
Q295: What does making a prostration (dingli) mean?
A: Prostration is the most respectful ritualistic gesture, known as “paying

respects by holding our head and face to the (recipient’s) feet.” It
connotes touching the Buddha’s two feet (symbolizing virtuous fortune
and wisdom) with our head and face -- commonly referred to as “pressing
the ground with five appendages.” The five appendages are the elbows
(arms), knees (legs) and forehead (head).
Q296: How do we make a prostration?
A: Before doing so, stand upright and press palms together. While inclining
downward, keep the left hand still and place the palm of the right hand
on the ground. Kneel on one, then both, knees. Place the left palm on
the ground, in an upper-left position. Slide the right palm forward so it
is aligned with the left. The hands should be at the same width as the
shoulders. With palms flat, arms extended and body bent over, place the
forehead on the ground, between the hands. Form fists with the hands,
then turn them over and open them, so that the palms face skyward
(symbolic of receiving the Buddha’s feet). Pause for a few moments.
To begin rising, make fists again with the hands (facing up). Turn the
fists over and extend fingers, so that open palms are again pressing the
ground. Lift the forehead off the ground and raise the body by pressing
the ground with the right hand. The left palm rises to chest level. The
knees leave the ground and the legs stretch gradually upward. As the left
and right palms meet and press together, the body returns to full standing
posture.
With the prostration complete, conclude by making a greeting gesture

with mudras.
Q297: When should we make prostrations?
 A: When undergoing the refuge-taking ceremony, we should make

prostrations to the Three Gems. After entering a monastery, we should
go to the main hall and do so before the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Then
we do the same with the temple’s abbot. These prostrations are repeated
when we leave the monastery.
When making them, we can say, “I pay my respects to the Master with
three prostrations.” If the master says “one prostration” or “one gesture
of greeting,” we should do exactly that. We must not go against the
instruction and insist on making three prostrations. If the master is
modest and does not accept prostrations, a greeting gesture with pressed
palms will suffice.
When Dharma masters are reverencing the Buddhas, meditating,

chanting scriptures, eating, sleeping, circumambulating, going to the
toilet or brushing their teeth, it is not appropriate to pay respects.
Making prostrations before Dharma masters should only be done

inside temple halls. It wouldn’t be suitable to do so in such paces as the

roadside or in transport terminals.
Q298: What is the proper way to ask a monastic his or her name?
A: “Master, what is your name of virtue?” To show respect, we should

not directly say a monastic’s name. Use “Master” or “Dharma Master”
instead. Senior monks can be called “Elder” or Shangren (“Esteemed
Person”).
Q299: How should we offer incense?
A: The forms of incense include sticks, coils, logs and others. Standing
incense sticks are widely used. Householders may offer three sticks
before a Buddha image in the morning and evening every day. If the
space is small, one stick will do.
First, light the incense (shake out the flame on the match, and fan the one
on the stick with a hand to put it out). The left palm faces inward, with
the last four fingers close together. Hold the incense between the second
and third fingers. Use the right hand to hold it also between the second
and third fingers, overlapped with the four fingers of the left. The two
thumbs press against the stick-end. Put the incense stick before the chest
horizontally, with its tip pointing at the Buddha image. Raise the incense
to the eye-brow level for a moment, then lower it back to the chest.
When offering a single stick, insert it with both hands in the central area
of the burner. If three are offered, use the right hand first to insert the
middle one, silently saying “I offer this to the Buddha”; insert the left
stick with the left hand, saying “I offer this to the Dharma"; then use the
right hand to insert the final one, reciting “I offer this to the Sangha.”
Afterwards, press palms together, do three prostrations, and make the
gesture of greeting.
Q300: At Dharma centers, we often see people walking one after another
and reciting Amitabha Buddha’s name. What is that all about?
A: That is circumambulation, to show respect and admiration for the

Buddhas. This method can be used during Amitabha-recitation too.
Known as “walking practice” or “scriptural walking,” it can prevent
dozing off.
During circumambulation, assembly members should be careful to

maintain proper spacing on both sides, as well as front and back. They
should also maintain a neat and orderly queue. The movement must be
clockwise, in the order of east, south, west and north. Participants should
look straight ahead and not allow their eyes to gaze in various directions.
Q301: What is empowerment (guanding, or abhiseka)?
A: “Guan” means to protect and remember with great compassion, while
“ding” is supreme Buddhahood. When the Buddhas empower someone
with the waters of great compassion, that person can achieve perfect
merit and virtues. When a king ascended the throne in ancient India,
water from the Four Seas was sprinkled on his head to represent good
wishes. In esoteric Buddhism, empowerment is conducted on an altar to
initiate practitioners into a lineage. It also symbolizes transmission of the
tradition.
Q302: What are mantras?
A: A mantra is a dharani of “true words.” According to esoteric Buddhism,

mantras are utterances representing the inner wisdom realized by the
Buddha; since they reveal the ultimate reality of all phenomena, they are
known as “true words.” The literal meaning of dharani is “retention.”
Each sound or word of a mantra holds countless Dharma principles and
contains immeasurable power and wisdom. By tapping into the power of
mantras, one can achieve remarkable things.
Esoteric Buddhism emphasizes rituals. Following specific rites involving

altars, offerings, mudras, dharani chanting and visualization, adherents
seek to transform their thoughts, words and deeds into the esoteric
thoughts, words and deeds of the Buddhas. (The thoughts, words and
deeds of Buddhas are inconceivably subtle, so they are called esoteric.)
They would thus speedily attain wisdom and special powers. The
esoteric path can also avert calamities, boost good fortune and subdue
demons.
Since ancient times, however, Namo Amitabha Buddha has been known
as the “king of mantras.” Its six characters contain the virtues and merit
of all mantras.
Q303: What kind of mantra is “Om mani padme hum”?
A: Om mani padme hum is the six-syllable dharani that Amitabha Buddha
spoke to Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara. The pronunciation is “oom ma
net beh meh hong.” “Om” contains all the true words that empower
pure karma, including the Buddhas’ thoughts, words and deeds, light,
compassion, and precepts, meditation and wisdom. “Mani” means

a precious “muni” pearl or an auspicious pearl. It symbolizes the
steadfast and distinctive virtues of the Dharma, which accommodates,
encompasses everything and answers all requests. “Padme” is Sanskrit
for lotus flower. It represents purity, spotlessness, perfection and all
achievements. (“Mani padme” can also be rendered as “diamond-like
wisdom.”) “Hum” is the “true word” for our various resolutions. It can
be explained as “paramita.”
This six-syllable dharani can thus be literally translated as “I pray to

ride on the precious pearl and lotus flower,” or “diamond-like wisdom
paramita.”
“Om mani padme hum” has the function of reducing the suffering of
sentient beings in the Six Realms and blocking the paths to the Realms.
Those who chant it with a pure mind can obtain liberation from samsara.
`Tibetans like to write these six characters and put them into cylindrical
scripture tubes. People hold and turn them, or do so with pinwheels or
waterwheels. They wish to be free from the cycle of rebirth, and be born
in the Land of Bliss.
Q304: Can we buy Buddha images and scriptures in monasteries?
A: To request or purchase such Dharma-related items as Buddha images or

scriptural texts is suitably referred to as “to invite” them. Most temples
have available for the public various Dharma items, some of which
are offered free of charge. Buddha images and sutras should be carried
respectfully in front of our chest, or wrapped decorously. They should
not be laid on our legs or held with a single hand, pointing downward, or
clasped in our armpits. When holding a sutra, our thumbs and forefingers
should be placed on the cover while the other fingers are on the back
cover.
Q305: Can cards with little Buddha images serve as protective talismans?
A: Buddhism beginners can think of them like that, as an expedient means.
Though such small Buddha images are easily available, we must think of
them with respect and consider them hard to encounter. They should be
placed in a pocket in our upper garments, not in a trouser pocket. When
we change or wash our clothes, they should be respectfully put in a pure,
clean place.
Q306: Do amulets really have protective functions?
A: They do. If “Namo Amitabha Buddha” is engraved on them, they contain
Amitabha’s unlimited virtues and merit. Wherever the name is, there also
is the Buddha’s light, which protects.
Of course, the six-character name derives from the power of Amitabha

Buddha’s vow. It does not stop with a talisman, but will enter the hearts
and mouths of practitioners. By that time, they will undoubtedly have
received the ultimate protection.
7. Studying the Scriptures
Q307: What should we pay attention to when reading the Buddhist

scriptures?
A: While reading the sutras we should clean our hands as well as the desk.
We should sit upright, refrain from speaking and focus our minds. As
we read, we ought to hold the text in our hands or lay it on the desk. We
should not put it on our knees. When finished, mark the position with a
bookmark; never fold page corners.
If there is dust on the pages, wipe it with a clean cloth. Do not blow on
the page. Refrain from placing worldly reading matter or miscellaneous
items on a scriptural text.
Q308: Chinese sutras were written in classical Chinese. If I find them hard
to read, what can I do?
A: You can read the commentaries of the patriarchs, as well as modern
annotations by accomplished masters that are based on the patriarchs’
works. If you wish to learn the Tiantai teachings, for example, you
should study the primary texts of the school -- the Lotus Sutra, and the
works on which Master Zhizhe founded the school (Underlying Meaning
Studying the Scriptures 211
of the Lotus Sutra, Phrases From the Lotus Sutra and Great Meditation).
You should also refer to contemporary explications relating to these
works.
If you want to study Pure Land Buddhism, you likewise need to focus
on the school’s core texts -- the Infinite Life Sutra, Contemplation Sutra
and Amitabha Sutra, as well as Master Tanluan’s Commentary on the
Treatise on Rebirth in the Pure Land, Master Daochuo’s Collection on
the Land of Peace and Joy and Master Shandao’s Commentary on the
Contemplation Sutra. Look too at modern annotations connected with
these texts.
Modern mass media are increasingly developed. Cassettes and

videotapes, which were widely used to disseminate discourses on
scriptures, have been replaced by VCDs and DVDs. These disks have
clear visuals and audio. They are ideal teaching materials.
One point should be noted, though. If scriptures are too easily available,
a respectful attitude would be harder to come by.
Q309: Can we study the Dharma on the internet?
A: The internet has many excellent Buddhism websites, such as www.
purelandbuddhism.org.
Q310: Many Buddhist groups have teachers or tutors. What do they do?
 A: Teachers in Buddhism are known as “knowledgeable masters” or

“Dharma mentors.” They clearly understand the pure lineage of their
Dharma schools, and can help adherents avoid mistakes and detours.
Q311: Are all famous Dharma teachers “knowledgeable masters”?
A: Not necessarily.
Q312: Some Dharma teachers are said to be exalted, enlightened monastics.

When they conduct Dharma ceremonies, miraculous, auspicious
phenomena reportedly occur. Should we follow such teachers?
A: We should ground our faith in the Dharma teachings, rather than any
miraculous phenomena. Non-Buddhist religions may also manifest
auspicious signs.
Q313: Then how should we identify “knowledgeable masters”?
 A: There are three points for consideration. First, whether a person’s

teachings are based on Buddhist sutras. Second, whether the person
understands and explains scriptures according to the works of patriarchs,
and whether he has a pure lineage. Third, whether the objectives
he describes can actually be realized through practice. The first two
issues are about “consistency with principle.” The last point requires
“compatibility with the capabilities of sentient beings.”
In general, one would tell others about the part of the Dharma she
considers most rewarding. With the Pure Land school, a propagator
would speak consistently of Amitabha-recitation and rebirth in the Land
of Bliss. If, after listening to her, we become fonder of reciting, more
certain about rebirth, and warier of all unwholesome deeds, we can be
sure she is a good Pure Land teacher.
Studying the Scriptures 213
The Treatise on the Perfection of Wisdom provides specific methods for

assessment – the “Four Reliances”:
First, rely on the Dharma, not the person. We should follow the
principles in sutras and the transmissions of lineage masters, but not a
teacher’s personal views. Someone with fame, knowledge, qualifications
and status can easily win the trust of others. But if what he teaches is
different from the true meaning of the Dharma, we should not accept
his words. On the other hand, even if a person is not famous and lacks
practice, so long as her remarks conform to sutras and patriarchs’
commentaries, we should trust such interpretations.
Second, rely on the meaning, not the words. We should follow the
genuine substance and principles of the Dharma, not the superficial or
technical meaning of the language and words in scriptures. The true
significance of the Dharma resembles the bright moon. Language and
words are like the finger pointing to the moon. We shouldn’t only see
the former but miss the latter. Instead, we should recognize the moon by
virtue of the finger. That is to understand the true meaning of the Dharma
through language and words.
Third, rely on the ultimate, not the expedient, meaning. “Ultimate

meaning” is thorough, truthful. “Expedient meaning” is for
convenience, provisional. The Tripitaka comprises sutras of ultimate as
well as expedient meaning. We should abide by the former, not the latter.
Fourth, rely on wisdom, not knowledge. That means the wisdom of

sacred beings, which conforms with Dharma-nature. Knowledge denotes
the discriminative views generated from our sixth sense (vijnana,
or consciousness). We should defer to true wisdom, not deluded
consciousness. Since ordinary beings lack wisdom, we have to count on

the wisdom of lineage masters. When propagating the Dharma, we must
not contravene the patriarchs’ teachings.
Q314: Why do you repeatedly stress the wisdom of patriarchs?
A: Buddhists often encounter a problem: When we study a sutra, we may

come across several, or dozens, or even hundreds of interpretations.
Each is backed by quotations from scriptures. Which represents the true
Dharma, the real and ultimate meaning, and wisdom? It is impossible
for us to judge, with the knowledge and logical deduction of ordinary
beings. If we rely on our own understanding to take the “strong points”
of all explications, the results would assuredly be counterproductive.
Each of the “Four Reliances” requires the use of true wisdom in making
judgments. For us ordinary beings, only one of the four is feasible:
the “reliance on wisdom” -- patriarchs’ wisdom. Lineage masters
attained samadhi and realized the true meaning of the Dharma. Their
achievements have been verified by history. Therefore they are reliable.
Assisted Recitation and Deliverance of the Deceased 215
8. Assisted Recitation and

Deliverance of the Deceased
Q315: Many lay practitioners are especially concerned about death. Some
are fearful. Why is that?
A: They possibly misunderstood a key phrase in the Amitabha Sutra: “His
mind will not be severely confused.” They think that unless a dying
person can keep his mind free of confusion, Amitabha will not come
deliver him. Recitation with a concentrated mind in ordinary times is
mistaken for a practice to ensure that the practitioner attains samadhi
at the point of death, or at least avoid the pains of illness and be fully
mindful when dying. No person can be absolutely certain about what
will happen in the final moments. That is why people are anxious and
fearful. So they promise one another to provide assisted recitation.
From the textual sequence in the Amitabha Sutra, we see that the dying
person is not severely confused because Amitabha Buddha and the sacred
assembly have appeared before him. The Contemplation Sutra describes
circumstances of the Nine Levels of rebirth: Also, after Amitabha and the
sacred assembly have appeared, the dying person rejoices and follows
the Buddha to the Pure Land.
If a person has full faith and aspiration in regular times and practices
name-recitation all life long, she is assured of rebirth in the Land of
Bliss. This is so even if no others help with recitation when she’s dying.
Q316: What is assisted recitation?
A: Assisted recitation was advocated by Master Shandao, the founder of

the Pure Land school. It is based on the text of the Contemplation Sutra
concerning the Lower Level of rebirth in the Land of Bliss. The practice
was established specifically for those who haven’t heard of or believed
in Amitabha-recitation during their lifetimes. A sentient being of the
Lower Level is one who has committed the Ten Evil Actions, broken
the precepts, or committed the Five Gravest Transgressions (patricide,
matricide, and other extremely heavy offenses). Just before death, he
encounters a Dharma mentor who guides him to recite Amitabha’s name
ten times or even one time and consequently he is reborn in the Pure
Land. In view of this, Master Shandao called on Pure Land followers
to provide supportive recitation for non-reciters who were dying. First,
the background to Amitabha’s 48 Vows is explained to them and the
resplendent features of the Pure Land are described. Then they are led to
recite Amitabha’s name.
Q317: In assisted recitation, should we use “Amitabha Buddha” or “Namo

Amitabha Buddha”?
A: Assisted recitation is intended to serve the dying person. The choice
depends on his or her circumstances. At the point of death, one’s body
undergoes dissolution of the Four Elements. One suffers physical
agony and is short of breath. In an emergency, we can recite “Amitabha
Buddha” at a quick pace. Under relatively relaxed conditions, we may

slow down the recitation, or recite “Namo Amitabha Buddha,” to the
extent that the dying person can keep up.
Q318: What if the dying person is unconscious?
A: Treat her as if she were awake; guide her and recite Amitabha’s name for
her all the same. Though she seems comatose, her spiritual consciousness
may be more awake than ever. This has been proven in many near-death
experiences.
Q319: Is assisted recitation only to recite Amitabha’s name?
A: Yes. The supportive recitation mentioned in the Contemplation Sutra is

only to help the dying recite Amitabha’s name. This name is easy, simple
and convenient for the person to recite along. If we chant a sutra, he or
she would not understand it, let alone chant after us. We should always
keep to scriptures, and strictly comply with Dharma principles.
Recitation helpers who see a dying person confused and floundering

sometimes switch to reciting the name of another Buddha or
Bodhisattva, or chant a sutra or mantra, to try and eliminate karmic
obstacles. This doesn’t accord with what the sutras say. For eradicating
negative karma, nothing compares with recitation of Amitabha’s name.
The Contemplation Sutra depicts a dying person who attains rebirth at
the Upper Grade of the Lower Level. At the point of his death, he heard
the titles of Mahayana sutras and was relieved from negative karma
accumulated over a thousand kalpas. Then he recited “Namo Amitabha
Buddha,” which removed his evil karma from five billion kalpas.
Q320: How long should assisted recitation last?
A: Generally, we may stop recitation eight hours after the last breath of
the deceased. If the person establishes faith in Amitabha Buddha at the
point of death, she can immediately follow him to the Land of Bliss. But
if she still has some attachments, we should not leave until eight hours
later, when her body becomes fully cold. To be on the safe side, assisted
recitation should continue for eight hours after death.
Q321: If a dying person is reluctant to leave this world, would it be hard for
him to be reborn in the Pure Land?
A: Yes, it would. There may even be people who have practiced recitation
for many years but at the time of death suddenly change their minds.
They cling to their families and no longer wish to be reborn in the Pure
Land.
Q322: What should we do then?
A: First, guide the dying person to face reality properly and make known
his will clearly. There shouldn’t be any unfinished business to trouble his
mind. Persuade his family to care for him in the right way; they should
compose themselves beforehand, and avoid weeping and disrupting
the tranquility of the dying person’s final moments. Place an Amitabha
image where it’s visible to him. Turn on an Amitabha-recitation device
and create a dignified atmosphere.
Praise the person’s positive deeds, and describe the splendid features
of the Pure Land to him. Let him know it is the true home of all
who wander the Saha world, and that Amitabha Buddha expects and
welcomes every sentient being to be reborn in his Land of Bliss. Lead
him to recite “Namo Amitabha Buddha.” Organize his family members
and other reciters into shifts. If the dying person cannot chant along, let
him listen quietly to others’ recitation. Guidance may be given to him
several times during the course of assisted recitation.
Please note that when and after the person breathes his last, do not
move or clean his body, or cry, or change his clothes. That’s because his
feelings are greatly magnified at the point of death. Any disturbance to
his body would bring intense pain. Aroused and angry, he would fall into
a Wretched Realm. Or, if he sees his family weeping, his affection for
them would cause him to give up the Pure Land.
Q323: If we waited eight hours to change clothes for the deceased, wouldn’t
the body have stiffened?
A: If so, use a hot towel to warm and soften the joints. In fact, after assisted
recitation, the body of the deceased should remain soft and malleable.
Q324: If reciters arrive after the dying person has stopped breathing, would
assisted recitation still be effective?
A: Yes of course, because the spirit consciousness hasn’t left yet. It is easy
to communicate with it.
Q325: If people only become aware of assisted recitation after the funeral,
is there any remedial measure?
A: Yes. Posthumous guidance and Amitabha-recitation are called “prayers”

or “blessings” for the dead, or “deliverance of the deceased.” The
dead person’s spirit consciousness is subject to self-attachment and habit
energies, so it will generate a form that bears a strong resemblance to
that existing before death. Since this form is born from consciousness,
it is known as a “mind-made body.” It exists in the intermediate
state between death and rebirth, so it’s also called the “intermediate
form.” It often remains in a coma. Even if it awakens, it is always in an
extremely confused mindset due to constraint of miserable surroundings.
It would even refuse to admit the person’s death. Since it is produced
by consciousness, however, it has some special powers. It can easily be
guided and be touched by the sincerity of the dead person’s family.
The intermediate-form state would generally last no more than 49 days.

We should use that time to recite “Namo Amitabha Buddha” for the
deceased so that he or she can be delivered.
Q326: Can I recite Amitabha’s name for a family member who has been
dead for many years?
A: Yes. It is never too late to deliver our late family members. If any of them
has fallen into the hungry ghost or hell realm, recite “Namo Amitabha
Buddha” for him so he will be reborn in a Virtuous Realm. If she is
already in the human or animal realm, recitation of Amitabha’s name
will change her circumstances.
Dedicate the merit of name-recitation or virtuous deeds to a deceased

relative, and the latter will reap one-seventh of the benefit.
9. Life’s Haven
Q327: When we practice Amitabha-recitation exclusively for rebirth in

the Pure Land, can we simultaneously seek worldly benefits? Some
Buddhists chant mantras with effective results. Should we follow
suit?
A: That’s not necessary for those who recite Amitabha’s name exclusively.
If a person fully understands the importance of rebirth in the Pure Land,
he would make light of worldly benefits. Yet such an attitude may be
hard for beginners to attain. People wish to have happy and peaceful
lives while in this world. This can be achieved according to the Buddha’s
teachings. Here are some general methods: To seek wisdom, declaim the
name of “Great Wisdom Bodhisattva Manjusri.” To avoid calamity, chant
“Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara.” To pursue longevity, say “Bhaisajyaguru
Vaidurya Prabhasa Tathagata (Medicine Buddha).” To eliminate karmic
obstacles, declaim “Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha.”
Amitabha-reciters do not have to do this, however. We just recite “Namo

Amitabha Buddha.” This name alone contains all virtues and merits.
On the causal ground, Amitabha completed all cultivation perfectly,
including sutras and mantras. He dedicated all the merit from his practice
to us in the form of his name. By reciting his name exclusively, we
Life’s Haven 223
garner all merits without omission.
Q328: What benefits can we get from Amitabha-recitation then?
 A: According to Master Shandao, Amitabha-recitation engenders five

augmentative causes: 1) elimination of negative karma; 2) protection and
care by Buddhas and Bodhisattvas; 3) seeing Buddhas; 4) deliverance to
the Pure Land; and 5) Buddhas’ verification of rebirth in the Pure Land.
Master Yinguang said, “We must know that if a person truly invokes
Amitabha Buddha without seeking earthly karmic rewards, he will
naturally receive such blessings, including a long life without illness,
harmonious family relations, flourishing descendants, fortunate
circumstances, and all manner of auspicious things.”
“Namo Amitabha Buddha” contains infinite merit, which can eradicate

boundless bad karma, and thus change ill luck into good fortune.
Amitabha Buddha is the Buddha of Infinite Light. Infinite light can
banish darkness and therefore manifest luminous wisdom. Amitabha
Buddha is also the Buddha of Infinite Life. By reciting his name, we
naturally recover from illness and prolong our lives. For Amitabha-
reciters, the more we invoke the Buddha, the less we mire ourselves
in worldly delusions, the purer our bodies and minds become, and the
calmer and happier are our lives.
The biggest benefit in our present lives that Amitabha-recitation offers is

that we no longer fear aging, illness and death. All our worldly suffering
brings our hearts closer to the Pure Land.
Q329: Would all people who recite Amitabha’s name have long lives, good
health, good luck and happiness?
A: That depends also on each individual’s karma. For example, if a person
has created extremely evil karma from killing, it would be quite hard
for him to live a long life. The aforementioned “longevity, healthiness,
good luck and happiness” are desirable from a worldly perspective.
In fact, the longest-lived being in this world cannot compare with the
sacred assembly in the Land of Bliss. The former’s life would only be
as short as a flash. The utmost happiness in this world is exceeded ten-
thousandfold by the joys of the Pure Land. If we confine our vision to
worldly rewards, the benefits we obtain would be inferior. The ultimate
goal of Buddhism is to break through the constraints of these earth-
bound notions of good and bad and attain complete liberation.
A person with full faith and aspiration would be “happy even when
falling ill.” Given a choice, she would rather go to the Pure Land as
early as possible so she can become a Buddha and deliver others. Master
Yinguang said, “It doesn’t matter to an Amitabha-reciter whether he dies
today or 120 years later. He accepts whatever may result from his past
karma. He doesn’t engage in vain calculations.”
Q330: What attitude should we take towards adverse circumstances that

we encounter?
A: When we face difficulties, time seems to crawl. But when a crisis is
over and we look back on it from a Buddhist perspective, we may feel
grateful that it happened. If everything in the life of an ordinary being
Life’s Haven 225
goes according to his wishes, he would inevitably become mired more

and more deeply in the Five Worldly Desires. He would lose the chance
for liberation from samsara.
Hardship gives us first-hand experience of the Buddhist notion of

impermanence. It teaches us to accept calmly the consequences of
negative seeds we sowed, so we can perceive life more insightfully.
Actually, the adversity endured by the Buddhas in saving sentient beings
and by patriarchs while propagating the Dharma far exceed the pains we
are suffering. To free us from misery, Amitabha Buddha practiced over
countless eons and established the Pure Land of Bliss. No matter how we
might have violated the correct Dharma, so long as we repent and recite
his name, Amitabha will deliver us to the Pure Land without fail. When
we remember this, how can we not recall the Buddha’s beneficence and
recite his name diligently?
Q331: People with affluent lives and successful careers are hard put to
develop the mind of renunciation. How should we look at this issue?
A: The differences between the rich and the poor only exist in the minds of
ordinary beings. From the perspective of sacred or enlightened beings,
both are the same: They are wicked, afflicted sentient beings. Delight
in worldly wealth comes from comparison – the rich worry a little less,
so they think themselves happy. They have more assets than others, and
consider themselves well-heeled.
Such positive feelings, however, cannot continue forever because all

worldly things are impermanent. The fundamental imperfection is that
even our lives are impermanent. When we leave this world, we can
carry nothing with us. Our assets and social status may seem very real
for a time. But many years later, strangers will take possession of them.
Foolish people go astray without knowing how to return. The wise lose
no time seeking liberation. Before the invaluable Dharma, we should
regard ourselves as newborn babies, shrug off earthly attributes, and
pursue real benefits and joys together with others.
Q322: Someone once said, “Amitabha-recitation is a kind of recreation for

men of letters to pass their leisure time. How can those who are busy
making a living enjoy such niceties?”
A: If a person is busy all the time making a living and cannot even stop
for a day, he is the one who is most in need of deliverance. And he is
precisely the kind of sentient being for whom Amitabha Buddha has
compassionate concern. That’s why he made a compact with us on a
method of liberation that doesn’t hinder our work – reciting “Namo
Amitabha Buddha.” People of all occupations can recite the name while
working. They will achieve liberation on an equal basis with reciters
who practice full-time in Dharma centers, day and night.
Q333: I am a wicked person with set ways. If I recite Amitabha’s name, I’m
afraid I’ll bring shame on the Buddha …
A: What Amitabha has sympathy for is precisely our wickedness, as it leads
to negative karmic consequences. When Buddhas see sentient beings
doing evil, they take pity on the latter for their delusion and stupidity.
As an old saying goes, “Lay down the butcher’s knife and immediately
become a Buddha.” The Contemplation Sutra depicts a thoroughly evil
person attaining liberation by reciting Amitabha’s name ten times. We’re
Life’s Haven 227
hardly as evil as that person and we have certainly recited Amitabha’s

name more than ten times. The sooner we start reciting, the earlier we
reap benefits. We need not wait until we have turned ourselves into
thoroughly virtuous people.
Q334: If an illiterate old lady recited Amitabha’s name, would her

recitation be effective?
A: If only well-educated people who have studied Buddhism for years are
qualified for rebirth in the Pure Land, Amitabha Buddha would not be
able to save all sentient beings of the ten directions. “How to allow
foolish people as well as doddering, old aspirants to be reborn in the Pure
Land?” That was the very question Bhikku Dharmakara contemplated
for five full kalpas. As a result, he chose an easy practice for us – anyone
who recites Amitabha’s name with faith and aspiration will certainly be
reborn in the Pure Land.
Q335: Does that mean young people needn’t recite for the moment?
A: “Don’t wait until you’re old to cultivate the Way; solitary graves are
filled with young people.” So goes a traditional verse. Even those who
have not encountered Buddhism are probably mindful of impermanence.
By reciting “Namo Amitabha Buddha,” we obtain the benefit of rebirth
in the Pure Land as well as benefits in our present lives. It helps us
distance ourselves from the burning afflictions of this vulgar world, and
abide peacefully in the coolness of the Dharma. Why shouldn’t we enjoy
doing it? If we wait until an advanced age to start reciting, the karmic
habits of a lifetime would become obstacles.
Q336: So we shouldn’t lose any time reciting “Namo Amitabha Buddha”?
A: Let’s start now!
Q337: Namo Amitabha Buddha.
A: Namo Amitabha Buddha.
Q338: Namo Amitabha Buddha.
A: Namo Amitabha Buddha.

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Buddhism for

Published by Pure Land Buddhism Publishing Co.

Printed January 2018

(c) 2018 by Pure Land Buddhism Publishing Co.

CHAPTER ONE: Understanding Buddhism

2. The Spread of Buddhism 10

3. The Buddha’s Followers 34

4. Buddhist Centers of Teaching 43

CHAPTER TWO: Buddhist Teachings

2. The Law of Dependent Origination 61

3. Rebirth in the Six Realms 71

4. General Methods of Transcending Samsara 86

5. A Special Method of Transcending Samsara 108

6. The Practical Significance of Buddhism 130

CHAPTER THREE: Mystical Phenomena

2. Supernatural Happenings 145

3. Distinguishing the True From the False 154

4. Transforming Customs 160

CHAPTER FOUR: A Fulfilling Life

2. Dutiful Discharge of Worldly Responsibilities 178

3. The Three Refuges and Five Precepts 181

4. Releasing Animals and Eating Vegetarian 186

5. Home Altars 195

6. Buddhist Rituals 201

7. Studying the Scriptures 210

8. Assisted Recitation and Deliverance of the Deceased 215

9. Life’s Haven 222

Attain Full Enlightenment,

Religion emerged when human civilization evolved to a certain stage. Some

Most people worldwide embrace theistic religions, believing that all

The Law of Dependent Origination and Empty Nature constitutes

origination, the essence of all dharma is of non-independent nature. There exists

As conditions change, all phenomena continuously change as well.

With an understanding of dependent origination and empty nature, we

truth of Dependent Origination and Empty Nature is incontestable. Buddhism’s

Within the micro-cosmos, science has discovered molecules, atoms,

thousand microbes. Modern microscopes show the same clearly.

May readers all achieve Buddhahood, attain perfect wisdom and

1. Buddhism and the Buddha

Q 1: Buddhism is known as one of the three major religions in the world,

A: Generally speaking, yes. Specifically, Buddhism is the teachings given

Q 2: Is the Buddha a deity?

Q 3: Who is greater, Buddha or God?

Q 4: Are Shakyamuni Buddha and Tathagata Buddha (Rulaifo) in the

 A: “Tathagata” and “Buddha” have the same meaning. For example,

Q 5: I see. I thought Rulaifo, Shakyamuni Buddha and Amitabha Buddha

A: Shakyamuni Buddha is the founder of Buddhism in our world. Amitabha

Q 6: Was Shakyamuni Buddha a real person in history?

A: Yes. He is mentioned in history textbooks. “Shakya” means “competence

Q 7: Did he succeed to the throne?

 A: No, he didn’t. Since Prince Siddhartha was extremely wise and

Q 8: So we have to be a monk to study Buddhism?

 A: Not necessarily. Shakyamuni Buddha later taught people a way to

Q 9: How did Prince Siddhartha become a Buddha?

austerities popular at the time), Siddhartha underwent severe austerities

The place where Shakyamuni attained Buddhahood is in the southern

A: Fo is an abbreviation of Fotuo, the transliteration of “Buddha.” Buddha

A: To deliver sentient beings from the suffering of samsara, Shakyamuni