“Yes!” to Life

Our aim in being a Buddhist is to achieve enlightenment. I must admit I have always been puzzled about this word in English as it has, for me at least, conveyed an intellectual pursuit which seems pretty hard to achieve. However, if we are to believe that the Buddha Shakyamuni was a perfect teacher I do not think for one moment even a good teacher would give something unachievable to learn for his students. So what exactly is this enlightenment?


The other day I was having lunch with some people whom I had not met before. One lady remarked that she thought Buddhists to be very dull and not enjoying life, sort of ‘wowsers’ in Australian vernacular. She further went on to add that she felt that Buddhists wasted their time in studying things that did not relate to practical living, “like making money”. I was not put out by these comments and observations as I have heard them before in varying terms but it left me wondering if as Buddhists we have failed to convey the message or allowed misunderstandings to go uncorrected.


When asked by one of his students, "Are you the messiah?"
"No", answered Buddha.
"Then are you a healer?"
"No", Buddha replied.
"Then are you a teacher?" the student persisted.
"No, I am not a teacher."
"Then what are you?" asked the student, exasperated.
"I am awake", Buddha replied.


“Awake”. In Sanskrit language this is what is meant by the word “Buddha” or “Bodhi”. In the Chinese Buddhist tradition, to which I belong to, the word for awakened is “Pu Ti”. The Chinese characters are菩提. The first character 菩 “PU”conveys the meaning of “Bodhisattva”. The second character 提  TI conveys the meaning of “lifting up” and is especially used in describing the upward or rising stroke in Chinese calligraphy.


The early Chinese Buddhist monks were extremely careful when translating the original Pali or Sanskrit language. Most Chinese Buddhist terms are transliteration, that is , they are copies of the sounds of the original language. However, in copying the sounds the early Chinese monks were very careful not only to choose a character that had a similar sound to the Sanskrit word but also to choose a character that conveyed the precise meaning. This is indeed masterful use of language and translation.


Being awakened has in it the sense of rising above the mundane world with the skill of a Bodhisattva. It is an awakening from a type of hoax to a reality of life that is beautiful. I deliberately did not write “awakening from a dream” as I have sometimes read. Some of our dreams are quite beautiful but the dream being referred to here is more of a nightmare! It is a hoax. This is conveyed in another Chinese word for enlightenment 启蒙 chi meng which means “awaken from being deceived.”


We are often deceived by popular culture that grasping, greed and violence is the norm, that it is OK. We know deep down that it isn’t. The more “things” we have and accumulate don’t make us any happier. In fact they can make us even more depressed. Anger doesn’t solve problems but only leads to violence. As Buddhists we have a way to rise up out of the quick sands of deception to a fuller more beautiful life.


Closely related to being awake is the idea of being “conscious”. The Chinese Buddhist term for consciousness is 覺悟 Jue Wu. The two characters convey the meaning of opening one’s eyes and suddenly understanding. The opposite of consciousness is unconsciousness which is a state of living “death”. Jue Wu is about being “alive” to life and having understanding. Understanding leads to skill and the leading of life with skillful means. It is about standing on the highest peak with the brisk wind blowing in your face even while faced with the struggles of daily living and being able to shout: “Yes!!” This is Buddhism! This is “enlightenment”. It is not about walking about with serious downcast faces and ignoring life or contemplating one’s navel rather it is about living life skilfully to the max!


I cannot help but feel deep sadness as I often take to the streets of Sydney observing expressionless and depressed faces wired to iPods, mere shells of human beings trying to make the best of life. Technology, no matter how useful it may be cannot give us deep happiness – the Bodhi Mind. The Bodhi Mind – the Awakened and Compassionate Mind – is only achievable through wisdom and being alive, alert and connected with daily life, being communicative and compassionate to those around us and practicing the teachings of the Buddha.


Being “Alive” is not hard to achieve in this very lifetime with applied learning and effort. The Pure Land is not just a place of nirvana we may attain at the end of our life. The Pure Land is not far from each and every one of us right in this present moment. We can achieve the skills then we can awaken in the morning each day and say to life: “Yes! I am Alive!”

What are you?

Buddha, The Awakened One

One of his students asked Buddha, "Are you the messiah?" "No", answered Buddha.

"Then are you a healer?"

"No", Buddha replied.

"Then are you a teacher?" the student persisted.

"No, I am not a teacher."

"Then what are you?" asked the student, exasperated.

"I am awake," Buddha replied. (Buddha)

Mantra Meditation in Chinese Buddhism

 The chanting of Mantras and sutras are integral parts of the practice of most forms of Chinese Buddhism. During our meditation retreat at Guang Jue Monastery many people ask me about the use of mantras and mantra meditation and whether they have “magical” qualities.

It depends much upon the particular school of Buddhism as to what mantras are used in particular ceremonies. However the most commonly used mantras in Chinese Buddhism are The Great Compassion Mantra, The Shurangama mantra, the Heart Sutra and the Ten Small Mantras. Most often these mantras are chanted as part of the morning ceremony.

Mantras can be a single sound, word or group of words which are able to affect transformation of our consciousness. Almost all Chinese mantras have come from Pali or Sanskrit texts. Early Chinese monks made transliterations of the original mantras into Chinese sounds and words. Chinese culture had a huge impact on early Buddhism in China and it was considered that the Chinese language contained a certain linguistic purity. Certainly the original Chinese characters could contain whole meaning within one character and this was considered sacred and important. Gradually over time the mantras became woven into the fabric of not only Chinese liturgical Buddhism but also within the lay culture itself as devotees memorized and used the mantras in order to bring about favourable circumstances as well as healing.

The Sanskrit word “mantra” has the meaning of “holding in thought”. Thus the mantra is used to purify the mind and create higher vibrations of sound to diminish or to remove Karmic obstacles. The mantra becomes like a seed which is implanted in the mind that begins to displace the negative Karmic influences; it is a bit like large plants pushing aside weeds in the garden.

Mantras can be recited silently or chanted aloud during meditation. They are best chanted aloud as this involves all the senses of the body allowing the tones of the words to become absorbed into the subtle consciousness of the mind. It is not unusual after continual chanting of a mantra to not only feel oneself drifting into a semi-trance like state but also to be aware of the mantra “playing” continually in one’s sleep.

Are mantras magical cures? While Mantras in Buddhism do have a very powerful effect we must be careful not to relegate the mantras to a mere talisman. The Mantra is but one expedient to the path of enlightenment along with the reading and reciting of sutras and the cultivation of wisdom and compassion. They are to be approached with sincerity of heart and devotion to the Buddha Way.

Mantras are the essential oils of the Sutras. They contain within a few short words and sounds the pure essence of the Buddha’s teaching. Sutras are often long and not easy to commit to memory while mantras can be easily remembered and recited. In that sense they become part of us and we can take them wherever we go.

One such mantra in Pure Land Buddhism is the chant to Amitabha Buddha “Namo Amitofuo”. Chanted to the traditional music this mantra soothes the mind becoming absorbed deep into the consciousness and displacing lifetimes of negative Karma while at the same time planting seeds of good causes and conditions.

So how does this mantra work? A Mantra basically works on the law of displacement in a similar way of displacing a glass of muddy water with pure water. By continually placing drops of pure water into a glass of muddy water the dirty water gradually overflows and is displaced leaving crystal clear water. In the same way the mantra displaces the negative Karma planting the seed of Bodhi Mind.

How to use a Mantra. In our meditation retreats at Guang Jue Temple China and at the T’ai Shen Centre in Sydney I usually introduce the most simple and effective of Mantras, chanting the Buddha Name “Namo Amitofuo”. The chanting of mantras is best done in the morning and evening. The morning chanting prepares and focuses the mind for the coming day and the evening chanting soothes the mind at the end of the day planting seed that nurtures during the sleeping hours. Find a quiet place. Light incense and candle if available. Take a few moments to still the mind and body by concentrating on the breathing. Focus on the words Namo Amitofuo then begin to gently chant the words over and over maintaining concentration on the words. As you chant listen to the words as they are intoned and allow the sound to become absorbed into your whole body. If you have pain or an illness allow the sound and focus to be directed to that part of the body releasing negative Karma. Do remember, however, that Karma is the effect of both good and bad causes and conditions. Sometimes we must live out those effects. However reciting and meditating with a mantra can enable us to live a joyful life in spite of the struggle knowing that we are planting new causes and conditions.

May the merits created by your chanting mantras bring you peace and supreme happiness.

The Happiness Hangover

There are many seminars, workshops and techniques about touting their benefits to bring us a happy life. Happiness seminars abound. While it is true that we live in very unhappy times and it seems quite reasonable to find ways to bring happiness into our societies I fear that the quick fix methods will only have superficial results at the least and at the most plunge people further into despair. I recently spoke to a gentleman who was on a quest to find happiness and had just attended his 20th workshop on happiness. He travels the width and breadth of the country in search of the magic formula. In a sense, he had become a happiness junkie getting on a high during a seminar then crashing down in a heap soon after with a happiness hangover. I would have found it quite amusing if it had not been for the look of utter despair on his face.

Many people are turning to Buddhism as a path to happiness. The Buddha has given us a path to supreme and abiding happiness in a well tried and tested method used by countless folk down through the last two millenniums. However, it seems that even many Buddhists are also living lives in quiet desperation almost like closet alcoholics who keep their bottle of misery in a brown paper bag except the brown paper bag is the façade of superficial contentment. The answer is not necessarily in more meditation, more retreats or more chanting because even these can be a way of avoiding confronting the root cause of all our unhappiness. After all, a good meditation, a quiet and relaxing retreat, uplifting chanting can bring calm and peace. . .for a while.

It was once said of the ancient Japanese Samurai that the battle was not fought or won on the battle field against the perceived enemy but rather in the Zen Do where battle was done with the real enemy lurking in the shadows of the mind. The Self.

This is the last of the attachments, well, it is the one we often want to deal with last! In the Four Noble Truths the Buddha shows us that our suffering, discontent or dissatisfaction are a result of attachment. The greatest of all these attachments is the attachment to the Self Cherishing part of us. It is no coincidence that as one enters a Chinese Buddhist Temple the first Hall contains the statue of what is popularly known as the “laughing Buddha” the Maitreya Bodhisattva symbolizing happiness and contentment. He is often flanked by fierce looking Dharma protectors wielding swords and spears – not the peaceful visage one would expect of a Buddhist temple. The symbols speak loudly. The Maitreya Bodhisattva speaks of happiness which is attainable through the Dharma and the swords that cut through delusion to the truth. It can also remind us that our battle begins with the ego, the cherishing self that will obscure our journey.

I am not immune from the shadow lurking ego. Not long ago I awoke to a beautiful day with sunshine and a blue sky. I thought to myself: “I am so happy this is a beautiful day.” Happy for whom? And if it were not a beautiful day? Would I feel sad? My ego had tricked me. Rather than embracing the gift of the day the ego wanted to get in on the act. Without the self cherishing part the day is beautiful because it simply is. And that is real happiness.

We often find the pursuit of happiness so difficult because the self-cherishing part has for so long deluded us that we can no longer recognize true happiness.

Why are the fierce looking Dharma protectors in the “first” hall and not in the other halls? It is because this is the first thing we must do battle with – our self-cherishing part. However so often we want to start our journey in the higher temple halls. The first hall seems a bitter pill to swallow.

So how do we start dealing with this ego? The Buddha has given us many expedients. Tonglen Meditation and Naikan are two such methods. Tonglen helps us develop a mind of selfless compassion and Naikan cracks the hard shell of the ego through introspection. Naikan forces us to look at life from a different angle and not from the usual perspective of the ego. Most often we look at life through the eyes of ego, what has given us happiness and contentment or what has brought us misery and dissatisfaction. Naikan helps us to look at reality not the assumed reality of the ego. Like an optometrist who prescribes a pair of glasses to correct our vision so that we may see clearly, Naikan through its three strategic questions, retrains us to see life from the angle of life’s gift and our obstruction to the gift of life.

Whatever method you use the real battle needs to be done in your own mind. Your external “enemies” are only reflections of your self, your self-cherishing self. Abiding happiness only comes through dealing with this inner enemy. The Maitreya Bodhisattva welcomes us with his happy smile and promise of enlightenment. We can be assured that this type of happiness will not leave us with a hangover but brings peace and life to all sentient beings.

Discovering Compassion in a Temple Stay

A temple stay at Guang Jue Temple in Zaoxi China leaves an indelible mark on those who visit due to its rich history of faith and survival.

It was 1953. The Qing Dynasty temple in its glory days had over 200 monks and nuns in devotion to the Amitabha Buddha. Many devotees would come as far away as Shanghai to worship there. But there was a dark cloud now looming over the area of Hangzhou. The Japanese forces had once before penetrated into the region. Now as a result of strong and often brutal Chinese resistance the Japanese air power was to make another strike at Hangzhou.

Chinese Buddhism had flourished over the centuries but China was now to enter a darker period. The monks and nuns at Guang Jue temple were far away enough from the fighting in the East. After all, Zaoxi was an insignificant little village amid the mountains. However, that day in 1953 was to change there lives. Suddenly there was the load roar of aircraft flying in formation approaching from the West and in an instant there were load explosions as bombs were dropped randomly as the Japanese aircraft approached Hangzhou. The temple had been hit.

No one really knows how many were wounded. There are suggestions that all survived but scattered in fear of another raid. Only one nun remained. Two of the temples were completely destroyed. All buildings were badly damaged. One small temple remained with gaping holes in the side.

Those staying at a temple stay in this tranquil Chinese Buddhist temple enter the main gates greeted by the Maitreya Buddha in the first hall. Immediately the guest is reminded of the past as this is the last remaining hall to be reconstructed. This is where the sole nun lived, slept, prayed and chanted in solitude until some forty years later she was joined by some local people to who came to support her.

In a temple stay here you meet the Venerable Master Zheng Rong, the monk who came from Hangzhou ten years ago to find the nun who survived and was commissioned to bring her back to a Sangha (a community of monks and nuns). Master Zheng Rong describes the day he arrived. The bamboo forest had become overgrown and there was only a barely distinguishable track through the forest to the ruins. When he entered the devastated monastery he took sight of the nun sitting on some rubble, head bowed reciting the Buddha name with her rosary beads. He was instantly moved to tears at the sight of such faith and devotion.

Is there anger and resentment of the deeds of the past? “No”, replies Master Zheng Rong. “We must build the future in the present moment. We cannot build a peaceful and harmonious future from anger or hatred but only from compassion. What happened was a result of our own negative Karma, our own impure deeds. It reminds us that we can reshape our destiny.” A broad and gentle grin beams across his face like sun coming out from behind clouds on a winter’s day.

The history of Guang Jue Temple is one forged in the faith of one nun who remained to re-chart the course of destiny. Her fingers and rosary beads worn thin with the intense daily chanting and meditation have born fruit. Guests on a temple stay do not find libraries of sutras. Instead they find what is at the heart of Pure Land Buddhism – faith and compassion. Guests staying at this old Chinese temple are changed by the power of the parable it presents, by its peace and its whispering call to compassion.

Many of us have done things in our past we have regretted, things born from the darkness of our lives from which the Karma like a bacteria hatches and flourishes. As a result we may have emotionally or physically damaged lives As humans we are capable of great destruction and we are as equally capable of great compassion and great achievements.

“How can I learn the way of Pure Land Buddhism?” I asked the Master one morning. Master Zheng Rong chuckled with a grin coming across his face again: “Compassion IS the way. There is no other way.” he replied.

Pure Land, Pure Mind -Words of wisdom -amtbweb