PAMPHLETS (back to main page)

Dear Dharma Friends,

I want to thank you all for coming here in this heat. Yesterday, we discussed the relevance of Buddhism to the space, time, and relationship elements of our everyday life. Today, we will see what the Dharma says regarding the material, social, and spiritual aspects of living.

I. What Does the Dharma Say Regarding the Material Side of Living

A. The material side of living according to the Amitabha Sutra

To most people, Buddhism is a religion that talks about emptiness and spiritual living. Some even close their minds to the religion because they are afraid that if they become a Buddhist, they have to give up their nice clothes and comfortable homes. They figure that if they have to give up all comforts to become a Buddhist,   they should not bother. Actually, Buddhist practice takes on various forms, and undue emphasis on abstinence, without understanding the deeper significance of it, will only serve to drive people away. In fact, if we read the Amitabha Sutra, we will see that Buddhism and material comfort are not mutually exclusive.

The Amitabha Sutra is a well-known sutra of the Pure Land school of Buddhism, and in it there are detailed descriptions of Amitabha's pure land of ultimate bliss. It is a place of grandeur. The ground is paved with gold, and dwellings are built of seven kinds of gems. Even the railings and trees that surround the land radiate with beauty. The ponds are made of seven kinds of precious stones, and the water that fills these ponds has eight excellent qualities. In the world of ultimate bliss, those who need clothing will be clothed; those who need food will be fed. For transportation, people fly freely from one place to the next. The elevated standard of living in Amitabha's pure land of ultimate bliss is beyond our imagination.

From the Amitabha Sutra, we learn that Buddhism is not just about suffering. In fact, the Pure Land school of Buddhism points out how we can be reborn into the world of ultimate bliss, a land of unparalleled happiness. As far as suffering is concerned, there is no question that Buddhism speaks of suffering; this is merely stating the facts of life. Buddhism also goes a step further and teaches us how suffering can be a form of practice. It does not, however, equate suffering with practice or state that we all have to go through pain to achieve liberation.

In regards to how we should manage our material wants and needs, Buddhism does not suggest that we have to unduly deprive ourselves. While a life of extreme self-mortification is spiritless and dull, Buddhism also stresses that we should not be self-indulgent in our material wants and needs. Desires can easily become insatiable. Once we have a comfortable house, we also want to drive a fancy car; now that we all have television sets, we long for central air-conditioning. From one desire to another, we can become enslaved to the material world, at the expense of our spiritual development. Thus, Buddhism does not endorse either a life of self-mortification or that of self-indulgence. While the Amitabha Sutra speaks of inconceivable comfort in the pure land, the environment is purely a means for furthering the practice of the Dharma and attaining buddhahood. When the Diamond Sutra says, "Let intentions arise without any clingings," it tells us that we need not give up everything; instead, it stresses the practice of the Middle Way. The Buddha teaches us to avoid the extremes of self-mortification as well as that of self-indulgence.

B. The material side of living according to the teachings of the Five Vehicles

In Buddhism, we talk about five modes or vehicles of practice. The five vehicles are human, celestial, sravaka, pratyekabuddha, and bodhisattva vehicles. These five vehicles represent various stages of spiritual development. The human and celestial vehicles are for lay Buddhists and focus on worldly matters. The sravaka and pratyekabuddha vehicles, on the other hand, are for those who have renounced the household life and focus on spiritual matters. Practice for sravakas and pratyekabuddhas, such as vegetarianism and asceticism, may not be appropriate to those in the human and celestial vehicle stage of spiritual development.

In Buddhist literature, we often see the term "awakening of the heart." There are actually three types of "awakening of the heart." The first one is the awakening of our heart to spiritual development; this awakening will lead to blessings in the human and celestial realms. The second one is the awakening of the heart to renunciation, which will lead to blessings in the sravaka and pratyekabuddha realms. The third one is the awakening of our bodhicitta, which will lead to progress on the bodhisattva path. Blessings in the human and celestial realms can include wealth and fame; they are not necessarily deadly poisons that we all should shun. They should, however, be pursued in an ethical manner, and they should be used to better mankind. Within these parameters, the pursuit of wealth and fame is not inconsistent with the Buddha's teachings.

We all have different characters and personalities. Some people are very cool towards wealth and fame, and they do not hesitate giving them up in the pursuit of truth. Their dispositions are very much akin to those of sravakas and pratyekabuddhas, and they may one day renounce the household life. We all have to know ourselves. If we do not have the right disposition, even if we were to tonsure our heads and join the monastics, in our hearts we would still not be able to truly renounce the household life. Thus, it is unreasonable for some Dharma teachers to expect lay Buddhists to let go of their families, wealth, and fame. As Dharma teachers, we should teach the Dharma according to the spiritual maturity of the audience. If not, we will give people a biased picture of the Buddha's teachings.

C. The material side of living according to the Diamond Sutra

Our life in this world cannot be separated from the four basic necessities of life, namely, clothing, food, shelter, and the means to get from place to place. Even the Buddha, the fully enlightened one, was no different. While we share the same needs as the Buddha, these needs took on a different meaning in the case of the Buddha. The Diamond Sutra says, "At mealtime, the Blessed One put on his robe, took the alms bowl, and entered the city of Sravasti. Having begged for alms in due order, he returned to his place. After his meal, he put away his robe and alms bowl, washed his feet, and sat in a cross-legged posture…" This opening of the Diamond Sutra describes a typical day of the Blessed One. On the surface, there is nothing unusual about his daily routine. If we, however, look deeper, we will see that the way the Buddha carried out these activities is actually a skillful means to teach us how to conduct our daily lives.

Putting on the robe and taking up the alms bowl signifies the observance of precepts. Entering the city of Sravasti to beg for alms is an illustration of generosity—both on the part of those who gave alms as well as on the part of the Buddha teaching them the Dharma. To beg for alms in due order exemplifies patience, for the Buddha begged for alms in an orderly fashion, from house to house and not according to personal preference. Regardless of the condition of the food received, the Buddha consumed the food with thankfulness. This is patience, too. Taking his meal, putting away his robe and alms bowl, and washing his feet reflects the paramita of diligence. Sitting in a cross-legged position corresponds to the paramita of meditative concentration. Through his daily activities, the Buddha showed us that the Dharma is present in each of the four basic necessities of life. In this way, the Buddha integrated the Six Paramitas in his daily life.

During the Tang dynasty, there was a Ch'an master named Chiu-chou. Once when someone asked him to explain the Dharma, Chiu-chou replied, "Go and eat." On another occasion of being asked to explain the Dharma, he said, "Go and wash dishes." When a third person asked the Ch'an master to show him the wondrous teachings of Ch'an, Chiu-chou told him, "Go and sweep the floor." Eating, washing dishes, or sweeping the floor are trivial daily activities that we all have experienced. So, where is the Dharma? The Dharma is in our everyday life. Most people do not understand this. They neglect the way they conduct their lives and the Dharma that surrounds them; instead, they purposefully travel afar to seek the truth. During the course of Ch'an history, there were many masters who became enlightened while eating, cleaning up, or tilling the soil. There are yet other Ch'an masters who became enlightened listening to the wind blowing against bamboos or the cries of a nearby child. In our pursuit of truth, while it is important that we study the sutras and learn from virtuous teachers, it is equally important that we do not ignore our everyday life. If we are mindful in our daily activities of putting on our clothes, eating, sleeping, and getting from place to place, we will come to realize that the Dharma is everywhere.

How do we see the Dharma in the four basic necessities of life? First, let's talk about clothing. Most people put a lot of emphasis in the way they look. Just go to any department store, and you will be dazzled by the vast varieties of clothing available for sale. Clothes come in different colors, materials, and styles. Regardless of how much we spend on our wardrobe, it only makes us look good on the outside and does not change the inside whatsoever. Expensive clothing cannot mask one's internal delusions. One, who is compassionate, commands respects regardless of how one is dressed. Buddhism places emphasis on inner cultivation and teaches us to adorn ourselves with grace and elegance. Our internal beauty is like a wild orchid which emanates fragrance for miles.

As far as food is concerned, the Buddha points out that our physical body is only the coming together of the four great elements and is without independent nature. While our physical body is empty in nature, we do need to take care of it, for without it we will not be able to practice. Once we understand that our body is empty in nature, we will consume food for the purpose of keeping our body healthy and not for indulging our senses. For this reason, the Buddha instructed his disciples not to spend time in preparing meals; instead, they should get the food they need for the day through their alms rounds.

Venerable Hung-yi of the Vinaya school had an excellent attitude in the way he looked at food. One day, a Mr. Hsiao Mieh-tsun, a well-known educator of that time, saw the venerable eating his dinner. His dinner was most simple and consisted of a single dish of pickled vegetable. He felt sorry for the venerable and asked, "Don't you think that the pickled vegetable is a bit too salty?" To this, the venerable replied, "A salty taste has its own appeal." After dinner, the venerable poured himself a glass of water to drink. With his eyebrows knit, Mr. Hsiao asked, "Why not drink a cup of tea? Plain water is so bland." The venerable smiled and replied, "Yes, plain water is bland, but its blandness has its own special taste, too." The way the venerable viewed his food revealed not only that he had truly integrated the Dharma into his daily life, but also how joyous a life full of Ch'an can be.

Now, let's talk about what our view should be regarding accommodation. Some people live in palatial estates, while others crowd in small apartments. There is an old Chinese saying regarding our true needs, "A full meal during the day; a bed to sleep in for the night." If we discern the difference between what we need and what we want, we will see that our basic requirements are quite minimal. Regardless of whether we live in a penthouse or a small apartment, all that we need for the night is a mere three by six foot space.

The founding father of the Ming dynasty, Chu Yuan-chang, once spent a period as a novice monk before he became emperor. One night, when he returned late to the temple, its doors were locked. He had no choice but to sleep on the ground outside the temple. While lying down, he looked up at the starry sky and had an inspiration, which he captured in this poem:

            Sky as canopy, earth as blanket.
            Sun, moon, stars accompany me to sleep.
            Nighttime, dare not stretch my legs;
            Fear of misstepping and shattering sky at bottom of sea.

Whether we live in a big or small house is not important. What matters is how big our hearts are. Someone who is ungiving and discontent will always find fault with his or her circumstance, even if he or she lives in a nice, grand house. If we apply the Buddha's teachings to our daily life, then regardless of how we live, where we are, and what we are doing, we will still find happiness within ourselves. The Venerable Tzu Hang once wrote, "When one finds peace within oneself, north, east, south, west are all good." With such a mindset, we feel at home wherever we are.

Our mind also influences how we look at the various modes of transportation. Before the advent of the automobile, people used to marvel at the speed of a bicycle compared to that of walking. Now that the automobile is commonplace, we look at bicycles and think how slow they are. On the other hand, traveling by car does not come close to the speed we can achieve with air travel. [Even in the case of air travel, we notice its speed mainly at take-off and landing. Once we reach a steady cruising speed, we are hardly aware of the speed at which we are traveling. Our mindset plays a significant role in determining what we perceive as fast or slow. It seems that whenever we have to rush somewhere, we inevitably hit all the red lights.] So, what is the fastest mode of transportation? Believe it or not, it is our heart and mind. The Amitabha Sutra says, "To the west, a hundred thousand million buddha-lands away, there is a world called Ultimate Bliss." How can we possibly travel to a place as far away as a hundred thousand million buddha-lands away? To this question, the Amitabha Sutra answers, "In an instant of absorption, one can be reborn in the World of Ultimate Bliss." From this, we see that the wondrous workings of our heart and mind are beyond our comprehension.

The Dharma teaches us that what we need and what we want are two very different things. When we are in charge of our mind, we will not let our indulgence in clothing, food, shelter, and transportation run circles around us. When we apply the Buddha's teachings to all aspects of daily life, we'll find happiness within ourselves.

BACK TO TOP　

II. What Does the Dharma Say Regarding the Social Side of Living

A. The social side of living according to the Four Great All-embracing Virtues

If we want to understand what the Dharma teaches us about getting along with others, we have to first understand the four great all-embracing virtues. The Buddha teaches that to get along well with others, we have to first build good rapport, and the four virtues are tools to that end. The four virtues are: giving, speaking with affection, conducting oneself for the benefit of others, and adapting oneself to others. Some of you may say: I do not have any money, or I do not know how to teach the Dharma, how do I practice giving? How do I build good rapport with others? Actually, we do not need to have great wealth or exceptional skills to practice the virtue of giving. When you meet someone on the road, give the person a nod or a smile. This is giving. When we show concern for others or when we give compliments, we are practicing giving, too. Even simple gestures like saying "Good morning," or "How are you?" are giving. These are acts of kindness which do not cost anything and which we are all capable of performing.

We can even practice giving without having anything to give. As long as we are supportive of those who give, we are practicing giving, too. When others show us a nice gesture, we should acknowledge the gesture with happiness in our heart. When others give alms, we should be supportive and happy for the alms-giver. This may not be as easy as it sounds. Some people have the bad habit of second-guessing others' motives when they see others doing good. When others are nice to them, they criticize them as trying to kiss-up. When they see others give to charity, they chide them as living beyond their means. These individuals see the worst of others and refuse to give, in any sense of the word.

In addition to giving, the other three virtues are speaking with affection, conducting oneself for the benefit of others, and adapting oneself to others. To practice the second virtue regarding amiable speech, we should compliment rather than reprehend, encourage rather than criticize, use loving words rather than scathing remarks. The third virtue, conducting oneself for the benefit of others, is about doing your best to help others. As long as we use love to help others, our efforts are never wasted. The fourth virtue, adapting oneself to others, tells us to put ourselves in others' shoes. If we talk bits and bytes with an artist, he or she may not be interested. We should see others' point of view and understand where they are coming from. When we are sincere with others, everything will just fall into place.

B. The social side of living according to the Six Points of Reverent Harmony

We can learn a lot about keeping peace in social living from the six points of reverent harmony that the monastic Sangha observes. Sangha is a Sanskrit word which can be interpreted on many different levels. In its widest interpretation, it refers to all those who have the common purpose of following the Buddha Dharma. The six points of harmony, or unity, in Buddhist monastic life are: doctrinal unity in views, economic unity in communal use of goods, moral unity in observing precepts, mental unity in faith, verbal unity through chanting, and bodily unity in acts of worship.

1. Harmony in views: In the monastic Sangha, monks and nuns share a common view of the Dharma, the guiding principle for all they do. Similarly, a society has a better chance to prosper when its people share common political views. If we look at the different nations of the world, we'll notice that there is a lot more common ground in prosperous nations than in those which are less prosperous.

2. Harmony in economics: In the monastic Sangha, all renunciants live an equally simple life and have equal access to the communal property. In the secular world, a society is inherently unstable if there is too much of a disparity between the haves and the have-nots. Thus, those who are well off should help those who are less fortunate. Those who are able should help those who are not.

3. Harmony in morality: In the monastic Sangha, all share the same moral code. In society, everyone should be equal in they eyes of the law. No one should be above the law. When the law is equally applied to all, people will have respect for the law and will try to live within it.

4. Harmony in outlook: In the monastic Sangha, all share the common purpose of spiritual development. In society, when we have concern for others' well being, we accept others and would not be envious of others' success or critical of others' shortcomings. With harmony in outlook, every place is a pure land.

5. Harmony in speech: In the monastic Sangha, monks and nuns come together through chanting. This verbal unity gives much harmony to their community. In society, words, if not used properly, can be the cause of many misunderstandings. We should be sincere, yet tactful, so as not to cause unnecessary conflict.

6. Harmony in deeds: In the monastic Sangha, monks and nuns bodily observe the same rites and rituals. In society, our actions can be used to help each other and foster respect in the world. In this way, we can peacefully co-exist in the community.

These six points of harmony are as applicable to lay people as they are to monastics. When we integrate the Buddha's teachings into daily life, then the true beauty of life is revealed to us.

C. The social side of living according to the roles of the Four Varga

It is common to classify Buddhists into one of the four varga or groups: male monastics, female monastics, male laity, female laity. Regardless of whether we are male or female, monastics or not, we all can play a contributing role in the spreading of the Dharma. Each of us, like a cog in a wheel, is a part of the overall picture. We should not say one group, or one person, is more important than the other. Let's take the example of a temple. While monastics have renowned their household lives, they can do so primarily through the effort and support of many lay people. Additionally, in this modern day and age, there are many ways that lay people can also be effective in teaching the Dharma.

Take a look at the five fingers of the hand. They are all different in length. Without these differences, we will not have the dexterity that we take for granted. Each finger by itself cannot exert much force. But if we combine the force of the five fingers, say into a fist, we can really pack a punch. Likewise, all of us Buddhists should stand together. From one temple to another, from monastics to laity, we should embrace each other whole-heartedly. Regardless of whether we are of the Ch'an school, Pure Land school, or Tantric school, we are all followers of the Buddha and as such deserve mutual respect. As long as we are supporting the purpose of the Sangha, it does not matter what color our skin is. Under the umbrella of Buddhism, we all share a common teacher, the Buddha. With equanimity, we all should support each other in our common goal of spreading the Dharma.

[In the secular world, we see that the differentiation between us versus them is the cause of many conflicts and wars. The Holocaust is one of the ugliest examples of such differentiation. Likewise, in the Balkans, the atrocity of ethnic cleansing remains the cause of many mass-scale tragedies. Instead of rejecting those who are different from us, we should learn to embrace them. The peace and harmony that ensues from mutual respect and acceptance makes the initial efforts all worthwhile. Instead of accentuating our differences, we should highlight our similarities. After all, it is because we share similar causes and conditions that we were reborn in this world at this time. We should treasure the similar conditions that bring us together as neighbors, friends, and fellow inhabitants of Mother Earth.

While we may look or act differently, we are fundamentally alike. Hui-neng (who later became the Sixth Patriarch of the Ch'an school) says it well when he speaks of our ultimate similarity in his first encounter with the Fifth Patriarch of the Ch'an school. Hui-neng was a woodcutter before he joined the monastics. When Hui-neng first met the Fifth Patriarch, he told the Patriarch that he had traveled a long way to learn the Buddha' teachings. The Patriarch asked him, "Where do you come from?"

"I come from Ling-nan," answered Hui-neng.

The Fifth Patriarch wanted to test him further, "Ling-nan is a place of barbarians and uncivilized people. They do not have buddha-nature."

To which Hui-neng replied, "People can be classified as northerners or southerners, but there is no such difference in buddha-nature."

When we go beyond our external differences, we are all the same and have the same buddha-nature. When we remember that we are all of the same nature, then we will see there is no reason why we cannot live together in harmony.]

BACK TO TOP　

III. What Does the Dharma Say Regarding the Spiritual Side of Living

A. Spiritual life as laid out in the Eightfold Noble Path

In addition to our material needs, we all have a spiritual need for mental well being. We all have a desire to know ourselves. What does the Buddha teach regarding spiritual needs? In this regard, the Buddha teaches the Eightfold Noble Path, which is the most comprehensive set of teachings regarding spiritual development. The Path is not unlike a roadmap for the journey of life. Without this roadmap, we may feel confused, or even over-whelmed, by the twists and turns we encounter. Only when we have the roadmap in hand can we have an idea of where we have been or where we are going.

What are the aspects of the Eightfold Noble Path? They are: right understanding, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. Of these eight practices, right understanding precedes the others and serves as the foundation. The word "right" in here does not have the same connotation of right or wrong. Right understanding can also be translated as full or wholesome understanding. Right understanding entails the internalization of the reality of rebirth, karma and its effects, as well as the nature of wholesome or unwholesome actions, speech, and thought. Having right understanding is like having the appropriate settings when taking pictures with a manual camera. If the focal length and aperture of the lens are not set correctly, then the pictures will come out blurred. If we do not have right understanding, then we will not be able to see the truth regarding worldly phenomena or the workings of life and the universe.

We all say, "I feel that…..," or "I believe that …..," or "My opinion is ….." We all differ in the way we see things, for our assessment of the world is colored by our past experiences and karma. We all have our own individual biases; only a fully enlightened buddha continually sees things as they truly are. The Buddha teaches us that right understanding is to see the truth of all things, to comprehend worldly phenomena as they are, to see things in their true state, and to experience for ourselves the essence of the Dharma. Having right understanding means seeing the workings of the Law of Cause and Effect. This understanding helps us to be at ease with the circumstances in which we find ourselves.

Some Buddhists are lacking in right understanding regarding life and the universe. They may say, "I have been chanting the name of Amitabha Buddha for years. The longer I chant, the poorer I get." They do not understand that chanting Amitabha's name is to help them to be reborn into his pure land of ultimate bliss and not to come into worldly riches. Amitabha Buddha is not our personal financial manager; he is not a dispenser of wealth. Wealth is the effect from the cause of giving alms. We have no one to credit nor blame for our circumstances except ourselves. Others may say, "I have been an vegetarian for years, but my health has been going downhill." If we have problems with our health, we should seek medical attention. Good health does not mean just eating healthily; we have to exercise, too. We turn to the Buddha and his teachings to gain right understanding and not so that someone or some god will take care of us. Buddhism is about giving, not taking.

B. The spiritual side of living as exemplified by cultivated monks and everyday heroes

Throughout the history of Chinese Buddhism, there were, and still are, many cultivated monks who had shown, by their actions, the depth of their convictions. Venerable Hsin-hsing of the Sui dynasty once made his home on the steep face of a mountain. When he was asked why he chose such an inconvenient spot to live, he answered that he was needed there. The road adjacent to where he lived was so narrow that there was not enough room for two carts to pass each other. Everyday, after his morning devotions, he would proceed to the road to help those who were stuck, because of opposing traffic, to back up their carts. In this way, he ground his mental well being and happiness in helping others.

The Ch'an master Pai-chang of the Tang dynasty believed in the value of work. He would say, "A day without work is a day without food." Everyday he would work before eating. In his later years when his health was failing, he still insisted on working everyday. His disciples could not bear to see him labor, so they hid all his tools. When the master could not find his tools to start his day's work, he actually refused to eat for that day. Seeing his conviction, his disciples had no choice but to hand him back his tools. The master found joy through work.

[We do not have to look deep into history to find people who have strong convictions in doing what they believe is the right thing to do. There are many modern day heroes that we can learn from. The Los Angeles Times once reported on a factory worker from Detroit who worked overtime and scrimped so that he could donate hundreds of thousands of dollars to various colleges and universities. Often, we read about witnesses of accidents who risked their lives to help those who were hurt. While these people may not be Buddhists, their actions resonate with the Buddha's teachings. The common link about heroes is their ability to put the welfare of others ahead of their own. Their actions are not guided by personal gain or loss, but by peace of mind.]

C. The spiritual life according to our spiritual maturity

Like the common saying, "Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder," we should know that the emotions we call happiness and sorrow are not absolute and distinct. The same can be said of what we call difficult or easy, have and have-not, and even life and death.

A lay devotee once went to the Ch'an master Chih-tsang and asked, "Ch'an master, please tell me. Do heavens and hells exist?"

"Yes, they do."

"Does the Triple Gem—the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha—exist?"

"Yes."

"Is the Law of Cause and Effect true? Is it true there are six realms of existence?"

"Yes, both are true."

Regardless of what the lay devotee asked of the Ch'an master Chih-tsang, he would answer in the affirmative. He grew skeptical and finally said, "Ch'an master, you are wrong."

The Ch'an master Chih-tsang asked, "How so?"

The man replied, "When I went to the Ch'an master Ching-shan and asked him the same questions, he always answered in the negative. Why is it that you answer affirmatively to all my questions?"

Chih-tsang was not at all surprised. He asked the lay devotee, "Let me ask you, do you have a wife?"

The lay devotee was not sure where the Ch'an master was going with this, but he answered anyway, "Yes."

"Do you have children?"

"Yes."

"Do you own any property?"

"Yes."

Chih-tsang switched tone and asked, "Does the Ch'an master Ching-shan have a wife?"

"No."

"Does the Ch'an master Ching-shan have children?"

"No."

"Does the Ch'an master Ching-shan own any property?"

"No."

The Ch'an master Chih-tsang slowly explained, "Do you see? When Ching-shan speaks of 'non-existence,' he was speaking from his own enlightened point of view. When I answered in the affirmative, I was speaking from your worldly point of view." The lay devotee finally was able to understand.

Most of us see a big divide between happiness and sorrow, the good times and bad moments. Thus, we try to avoid what we view as painful and are drawn to what we view as pleasurable. We jump for joy at our moments of glory and wallow in pain when in our agony of defeat. If we see that all phenomena are the culmination of causes and conditions, without any independent nature of their own, then we will be at ease with our circumstances.

This concludes our speech today. I hope I have succeeded in making the Dharma more relevant and accessible to you. Some people believe that to be profound, something has to be incomprehensible. This is not the case at all. The Dharma is something we all can understand and use. The Dharma is a guiding light which can help us to better evaluate the material, social, and spiritual aspects of life.