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Dear Venerables and Dharma Friends:

I am delighted to meet all of you and am honored to be part of this lecture on "Looking Ahead: A Guide for Young Buddhists." As this topic is very broad, I am going to approach it from two different vantage points. I will first talk about what young people can expect from Buddhism. Then I will discuss about what Buddhism expects from young people.

In our world where changes can happen in the blink of an eye, where the life of an individual pulsates in the mighty torrent of the universe, the first thing we want to examine urgently is the question concerning our future, namely, an outlook for future development. Young people who dedicate themselves to Buddhism earnestly hope that the future of Buddhism is bright. When the future of Buddhism radiates with promise, young Buddhists will feel that life is full of hope and meaning, and will have a true sense of peace. Let us look at the future of Buddhism from the following differing angles and varying points of view:

1. The changes and developments in the world

2. The evolution and changes in history

3. The changes and developments in society

4. The changes and developments in religion

5. The changes and developments in everyday living

6. The changes and developments within Buddhism itself

According to Buddhist teachings, the world in which we are living now is called the "saha world." "Saha world" means the world of suffering. Duhkha is the Sanskrit term for suffering. It can obscure the pure Buddha Nature within us, thus it is called a "cover" or "hindrance"; it twines and twists in our hearts like a heavy rope, thus it is called a "knot"; it drives us into the thick of ignorance (avidya) as we are caught in the wheel of transmigration (samsara), thus it is called "pursuer"; it confuses us and makes us lose sight of our true nature, thus it is called "illusion" (moha). In addition to the above, terms such as "fire," "poisonous arrow," "tiger and wolf," and "trap" have been used as similes for suffering. What kinds of suffering do we have in this saha world? We suffer when our wishes are not fulfilled. We suffer because of discordance in our personal relationships of love, hate, separation, and togetherness. We suffer because of natural disasters caused by wind, rain, fire, and earthquakes. We suffer physically because of sickness, aging, and death; we suffer psychologically because of greed, anger, and delusions. These sufferings are boundless, immeasurable, and endless.

Even though we live in such a saha world, we are not completely without happiness. But happiness is very limited compared to the suffering we must undergo. When newborns are delivered, their first utterance is a wail. It is as if they already know that life is full of suffering.

Buddhism is not a religion that requires people to be like withered logs or cold ashes. It does not call for us to sit precariously on the edge of our seats talking seriously all the time about the various kinds of suffering of this world. Buddhism is a happy religion which promotes supreme peace and happiness for everyone. If Buddhism is a happy religion, why is there such an emphasis on the suffering of life? It is because if we do not know suffering, we will not understand happiness. Without suffering, there is no impetus for us to take the initiative to learn about the Buddhist way. Suffering is what motivates us to cultivate the Buddhist path.

This saha world of ours can gradually develop into a heavenly world. In Buddhism, when we talk about heaven, we mean the twenty-eight heavens contained within the three realms (Triloka). These are the six heavens of the realm of desire (Kamadhatu), the eighteen heavens contained within the realm of form (Rupadhatu), and the four heavens contained within the formless realm (Arupadhatu). Celestial beings lead markedly different lives from us in the saha world, and their life spans are very long. We can use the life span of celestial beings in the Caturmaharaja heaven as an example. Among all the heavens, the heaven of Caturmaharaja is the closest to our saha world. One day and one night in this world are equivalent to fifty human years. The life span of beings in this world is five hundred celestial years, which is equivalent to nine million human years. In other words, if we can be reborn into the Caturmaharaja heaven one level above our saha world, we can live to nine million human years. We will not find that "life rarely reaches seventy," or find the eight-hundred-year life of P'eng Tsu such a rarity. If we can be reborn in the heavens of the formless realm, then our life span will be eighty thousand major kalpas long. This is such an incredibly long time that it is beyond our imagination. It cannot be described in words.

Other than longevity, the blissful life in these heavens is very remarkable. For example, when these celestial beings need to clothe themselves, clothing will manifest at once; if they want to eat, food will appear immediately. All wishes and desires are satisfied. Moreover, their physique, abode, and the serenity they attain through meditation are also remarkable. Considering the conditions of our present world, many of us are approaching the standards of this heavenly life. We have air conditioning during hot summers and central heating during cold winters. When we go to work or travel to far-off places, airplanes can take us back and forth with fantastic speed if we find the speed of automobiles and trains too slow. We have all kinds of delicious food and delicacies to satisfy our appetite. Radio broadcasts in the United States can be heard in Taiwan instantly. When we switch on the television, ball games or boxing matches magically appear in our homes. We really can have many of our wishes and wants fulfilled. Thus, materially, this world of ours is gradually developing into a heavenly wonderland.

Although the conditions in this saha world can change from suffering to happiness and the happiness of heaven is boundless, such happiness is not ultimate. After all, even a life of nine million years or eighty thousand kalpas is only a limited life span. As our saha world continues to develop, if people can start believing in the Buddha and reciting the Buddha's name, then this world can gradually become the World of Ultimate Bliss. Unlike the heavenly worlds, this World of Ultimate Bliss is a land of purity, where sensual desires are not required for the continuation of life. It is a vast and wonderful place where aging, change, decay, and destruction do not exist. The ground of this Pure Land is covered with seven kinds of precious natural stones. It is a world free of the perils of high mountains, oceans, seas, rivers, canyons, and the like. The weather there is just right all the time. There are no seasons such as spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Houses are made out of seven kinds of precious stones. The water there has eight wonderful qualities and is sweet like nectar. Many kinds of precious lotus flowers are everywhere. When one steps on the carpet of flowers, a four-inch deep indentation is imprinted which quickly springs back when one walks across. As people who live in this Pure Land are reborn from lotus flowers, there is no gender difference. They do not have any financial worries since food is everywhere. No one hoards any food because whenever they want to eat, they feel full and contented right away. This wonderful Pure Land has many types of delightful musical instruments playing the sounds of the Dharma. It also has hundreds and thousands of different kinds of shining lights, making it a magnificent and brilliant place.

From this, we can see that this World of Ultimate Bliss is much more supreme and wondrous than heaven. Why are more and more people in Taiwan reciting the Buddha's name? Because they want to change this human world into a Pure Land. A Buddhist saying states, "When one's mind is pure, the land will be pure." Therefore, we must not consider this idea as mere imagination or a fairy tale. According to the sutra, this blissful land is ten thousand million Buddha-realms away from us; one Buddha-realm is 3,000 great chiliocosms or universes. This means that the distance between our saha world and the blissful Pure Land is ten thousand millions of 3,000 great chiliocosms. This astronomical figure can really scare off people. However, the sutras also tell us that when we leave our human world, we can be reborn into this World of Ultimate Bliss within a moment of thought. Today, it still takes American astronauts several days to land on the moon, which is over two hundred thousand miles away from Earth; Nevertheless, it just takes us a moment of thought to arrive in the Pure Land, which is ten thousand million Buddha realms away. This is because the Pure Land is not a scientific or material world: it is a world of faith. When more people start to recite the name of the Buddha, our world will gradually become a Pure Land.

As the Pure Land of our world continues to evolve, it will eventually develop into the "Lotus-world" (The Pure Land of Vairocana). In this Lotus-world, 3,000 great chiliocosms can be contained within a tiny speck of dust. You may recall what is stated in the sutra concerning Indra's famous net. As the radiance of the pearls on the net reflects each other, the whole universe is seen in them. The radiance shines through heaven and earth. Time and space all merge together. There is no distinction between mind and matter. The Buddha-realms from the ten directions and all the specks of dust in the universe all revolve around each other in mutual interdependence. In such a world of infinity where everything is interconnected perfectly, everything is being spread across the three dimensions and the ten directions. There is no inside nor outside, no past nor present, no shortages nor deficiencies of any sort. Such a world transcends the perspective of time and space and eliminates the boundary of emptiness versus existence. The concept of possession and nonpossession has been eliminated. If the ideal of the Lotus-world were fulfilled, we could dwell in such a world without worrying whether we were rich or poor; we would feel happy and contented. Not only would delicious food taste exquisite, coarse meals would also be equally appealing. Similarly, both praise and insult would sound like pleasant melodies.

In the Lotus-world, regardless of whether it is a blade of grass or a tree, a person or an object, there is no difference between one or many or between pure or impure. If we keep practicing Buddhism diligently, the stage of perfect equanimity will not be difficult for us to reach. Today, a lot of people feel that the end of the world is coming soon. This trend of thought is even popular among many intellectuals. I think this is an overly pessimistic and irresponsible type of mentality. If we Buddhists vow to be compassionate and to put Buddhism into practice, then our world will not only become a heaven, it will also turn into a Pure Land. The Lotus-world may even materialize right here in this world of ours.

The pre-historic time is called the era of divine power. During this time, people's intellect was not yet very well developed. Their lives were very simple. They ate raw meat and lived in caves. They were overwhelmed by varying kinds of natural forces, especially destructive phenomena like wind, flood, thunder, rain, and fire. When faced with these seemingly inescapable and incomprehensible external forces, they were filled with terror. Thus, they imagined that there must be some kind or many kinds of forceful and invisible things that were controlling their fate and punishing the human race. They asked for forgiveness through various rites of sacrifice and worship. This brought about the era of divine power, in which many gods were being worshipped. In the eyes of primitive people, when thunder roared and lightning flashed across the sky, they believed that the god of thunder was angry. When strong gusts blew, the god of wind was showing off his power. Pouring rain and flooding were warnings from the god of rain. Moreover, the sun, moon, mountains, rivers, streams, seas, stars, clouds, smoke, and the like were all manifestations of the respective gods. Today in Taiwan, even a big tree can be considered a god. Rocks and land can also be called a god. Thus, we can see that this kind of "divine power" idea is not limited to primitive people. Primitive people believed that anything that was unknown to them must be divine. Even the creation of everything and the formation of the universe were done by the will of the gods; the gods were the most supreme.

Later on, the era of divine power slowly evolved into the era of monarchical power. As the mode of life gradually changed from familial to tribal living, a person who was more intelligent and more able would rise above the rest of the people to unite all the tribes and thus become an emperor. The emperor was the most powerful man of his land. With his absolute power, "when the emperor ordered the death of his officers, his officers had to oblige." Surprisingly, this era continued for several thousand years.

Gradually, people began to realize that there was something wrong with this kind of monarchical power. Thus, they began to revolt and promote people power. With the change of time, everyone is able to enjoy certain rights. The barrier between the ruler and the ruled was broken. From then on, people's affairs were managed by the people themselves. For example, in the Republic of China, we practice the Three Principles of the People: Nationalism, Democracy, and Livelihood. Public servants are chosen by the people through elections, during which the able and virtuous are selected. Freedom of choice is respected because everything is determined in accordance with the rights of the people.

This modern era of people power gives people a lot of freedom and rights, and it protects the welfare of people. Is this the ultimate? Is it possible that this is the extent of people's ideals? Many of today's intellects believe that the era of people power will gradually evolve into the era of "life power." Life includes all kinds of living beings. In the future, all living beings will have an equal right to existence. This will include human beings of all types of family backgrounds, looks, character, intelligence and physical make-up, people who are rich or poor, pretty or ugly, strong or weak, wise or foolish. The right of existence will even extend to all kinds of animals, reptiles and insects. Today, more and more civilized countries are already establishing laws to protect animals, and many nations have created wildlife protection areas. In Taiwan, we have an animal protection day. A lot of people protest against cruelty towards animals because all animals are living creatures. From the material point of view, we are all made up of bones, flesh and skin. If we send animal hair, skin, bone, and flesh to the laboratory and have them analyzed, we will find out that they are all made up of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, calcium, iron, and other chemical elements. From the mental point of view, although the feelings, thoughts, behaviors, and knowledge of all animals are not as developed as that of human beings, their perception of pain and happiness is obvious. From the higher animals, such as human beings, to the lower animals, such as ants and insects, the same drive for survival and dread of death is exhibited. We all wish to escape pain and seek happiness. As the era of people power continues to evolve, we will no doubt enter into an era of "life power," an era promoted by the Buddha when he said, "All living beings have the Buddha Nature."

From developments in the world and in history, we will now discuss developments in society. The first type of society formed in early civilization is called nomadic society. In order to sustain their lives, nomadic peoples moved around to places where there were naturally occurring water and grass for their herds. Gradually, they settled down and developed into an agricultural society. Through their knowledge of farming, they lived on the plants and food they grew. After the industrial revolution, the structure of society changed rapidly. All existing perspectives and values were challenged. In an industrial society, people continuously look externally in their pursuit of material knowledge. The material world is the object of inspection, research, experimentation, and utilization. This materialistic outlook not only colors our knowledge of the material world but also corrupts our knowledge of the spiritual realm. Confusion in knowledge leads to corruption in morals. The industrial era allowed people to have comfortable life materially, but it also gave people a strong desire for material goods. Furthermore, the situation is exacerbated because the boundary of self versus others is not erased and the relationship between the mind and the material world is not harmonious. Not only will advancement in technology and improvements in material availability fail to bring about freedom and equality between people and in the way we interact with the material world, materialism will create conflict, pitting people against people and people against the material world. For example, on one hand, the invention of the nuclear bomb has the effect of preventing military invasion; on the other hand, it has created distrust between all the highly developed countries in the world. We can say that the industrial development of society has only enriched the material aspect of life. The growth of our spiritual life and the raising of our moral standards must wait for the arrival of "the ethical society."

With skyscrapers springing up everywhere and pleasant entertainment abounding, our society is gradually becoming more prosperous. However, people's minds are becoming more corrupt and deluded. The development of society is in direct proportion to the number of people thirsting for a balanced inner life. Material life cannot provide us with permanent peace; only Truth itself is forever. For example, the United States is a highly industrialized country, but her people need religious belief more than ever before. They desperately need spiritual cultivation in their daily lives. For some, they even feel that the Catholic and Protestant services and prayers are not enough. Allow me to use the ordination at Fo Guang Shan in 1977 as an example. We had a doctor of psychology, a master of linguistics, and two professors; they journeyed thousands of miles from America to come to Taiwan to be ordained as Buddhist monks and nuns. Recently, many Tibetan, Japanese, and Chinese (Taiwanese) monks and nuns have gone to Europe and America to propagate the Buddhist teachings. There, the spreading of Buddhism is taking root at a very fast rate. In some places Buddhism is still in the process of germination, but in other places, Buddhism has already inspired an enthusiastic response. In America alone, many universities have organized Buddhist study groups, meditation classes, talks, and discussions on Buddhism. Harvard University has a Department of Buddhism and a meditation hall. In Britain, the students of Oxford, Cambridge, and London University have organized very active Buddhist clubs. Because of the industrial development of society, people will gradually recognize religious or spiritual cultivation as a necessity of life. Thus, from a sociological point of view, the future of Buddhism is bright and full of hope.

Religion is as old as human existence. In the early days, people believed in the "religion of nature." As we mentioned earlier, these primitive people did not understand the changes of nature, so they worshipped all natural phenomena as gods. They worshipped the moon, the sun, the rain, the thunder, the sky, and the ground. We could even say that there was really no aspect of nature they did not worship or believe as gods. The religion of nature slowly evolved to become the religion of deities and spirits. Supernatural events were believed to be the manifestation of deities and spirits. Village legends would proclaim that so-and-so had become immortal, or so-and-so had become a god worthy of worship. Later on, the religion of deities and spirits gradually evolved into a religion of hero-worship. A person who had performed great feats among the people would be chosen as an object of worship. People adored him, considered him a hero and worshipped him as a god. Today, the religion of hero-worship is very popular in Taiwan. Nevertheless, it is my belief that this will gradually develop into the "religion of Truth."

As the quality of education improves, people's intellect also grows. Thus, there is more of a need for people to believe in a religion that corresponds to the truth. The religion of truth does not talk about "god power," which makes people lose their senses and abilities for self-realization. This religion of truth is not based on blind belief due to a fear of nature, nor is it a religion that only worships people for certain heroic acts. A religion of truth must face all the problems of our universe and life. It should be able to solve people's inner conflicts and develop their characters. It should allow people to attain the state of Nirvana, the state without the pain of birth and death. Buddhism is a spiritual path that meets the requirements of such a religion of truth.

Buddhism is a belief system based on wisdom. It is not based on superstition. Buddhism says that all living beings have the Buddha Nature, and all have the potential of becoming Buddha. The Buddha Nature contains everything; it is fundamentally pure. It was not born and it will not die. All things and phenomena are formed due to the combination of all the right causes and conditions (hetupratyaya). They do not have any self-nature as all are manifestations of the mind, changed by consciousness. The purpose of believing in Buddhism is to attain supreme enlightenment; this is wisdom developed to the highest level and life evolved to the perfect state. We are full of confidence in the future development of Buddhism.

Within Buddhism, the earliest Buddhist lifestyle was that of mendicancy. Every day, monks would go out to beg for alms. They ate only once a day. After begging for alms, they would settle down under trees to practice their cultivation. In the founding days of Buddhism, the Buddha and his followers all begged for alms to meet their basic needs. When Buddhism spread east to China, the differences in the structure of society and lifestyle were such that begging for alms was no longer suitable. Thus, "farming Ch'an" gradually became a way of life for the monks. "Farming Ch'an" made the monks or nuns self-reliant, since they farmed and practiced at the same time. Ch'an Master Pai Chang Huai Hai was famous for his statement that, "A day without work is a day without food." Master T'ai Hsu suggested that the monks do "working Ch'an." He believed that since farming did not hamper Ch'an practice, the physical labor of working could coexist with Ch'an practice as well. Therefore, both farming Ch'an and working Ch'an gradually developed into a life of communal cultivation.

In a life of communal cultivation, one who renounces secular life to lead a life of practice does not necessarily have to live in the forest to meditate, or to provide for oneself through farming. One can join a community by being in a monastery where all are equal, all help each other, and all advance in their spiritual cultivation through their harmonious communal efforts. In the past this kind of communal cultivation took place only in the monasteries. Now many other settings also offer this kind of communal cultivation to lay Buddhist practitioners, such as Buddhist recitation groups and lay Buddhist groups. As this communal cultivation continues to develop, what will it lead to? It will lead to a life of liberation. If we encourage each other, study and discuss with each other, and stimulate each other to delve deeply into Buddhism, we can truly live in liberation.

To lead a life of liberation means to truly understand and sincerely appreciate that all phenomena are impermanent (anitya) and empty of a separate self-nature. It is the ability to free oneself from the shackles of life's suffering, and thereby attaining the peace, happiness, and freeness of both the mind and the body. From the realization of egolessness, one can naturally give up the desire to possess. From the understanding that all phenomena arise out of conditioned genesis and are empty in nature, one will be free from any dependencies and be able to transcend the deluded state of grasping and clinging. When we live with such realization and understanding, then it does not matter whether we are wealthy or not. Of course, financial wealth can give us much convenience, but we can be equally at ease without it. The richness found within oneself is much more important than the possession of wealth. Being in a high position is certainly glorious, but being in a humble position or just being an average citizen is also acceptable and will not damage our self-respect in the very least. After all, we know that the Buddha Nature within us is equal to all Buddhas. Being healthy all the time is certainly fortunate, but being sick to the point of debilitating or dying is not necessarily dreadful. In the eyes of one who is liberated, birth, aging, sickness, and death are like water bubbles. Even when bubbles burst, the nature of the water is still quiet and peaceful as usual. Although our physical body still undergoes birth, aging, sickness, and death, these are only phenomenal changes; there are no birth, aging, sickness or death in our true Buddha Nature. If we can understand that "death" is only the death of the physical body, the death of phenomena, we can then realize that our Buddha Nature does not have the differentiation of birth and death. Let us use gold as an example. You can mold gold into earrings, bracelets, and rings, but these things are not gold itself. The nature of gold does not change.

If we can come to realize our true Buddha Nature through cultivation, then it does not matter whether we live or die, whether we have or have not, or whether we come or go. There is no difference between life and death. Possession and non-possession are the same; coming and going are one. We then live a completely free and liberated life. In our times, as people's wisdom begins to blossom, we will soon realize the importance of Buddhist cultivation and we can soon live a liberated life. Therefore, as communal cultivation continues to develop, we will be able to live free, happy, and liberated lives.

The Buddha appeared in this saha world for one main cause, namely, to establish Buddhism here to guide all beings, enabling all to awaken and enter the way of Buddhahood. Thus, Buddhism is based on human well-being and is often referred to as "people-vehicle Buddhism." After the enlightenment of the Buddha around 2,500 years ago, Theravada Buddhism became popular in India. During the reign of King Asoka, Buddhism spread south to Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, and Indonesia, where Theravada Buddhism is still being practiced in those lands. In contrast, Mahayana (Great Vehicle) Buddhism is now mainly practiced in China, Japan, Korea, and Tibet.

When Buddhism was introduced into China during the Han Dynasty, Mahayana Buddhism prevailed. However, while Mahayana doctrines were being taught at that time, the actual spirit and strength of Mahayana was lacking. Later on, many eminent monks came forward to preach Mahayana Buddhism. Thus, the doctrines of the Mahayana School had a very lively development in China. In mainland China, there are four very famous sites: P'u-t'o Shan is said to be Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva's sacred place of practice; Chiu-hua Shan is Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's sacred place of practice; O-mei Shan is Samantabhadra Bodhisattva's sacred place of practice; and Wu-t'ai Shan is Manjusri Bodhisattva's sacred place of practice. These four Bodhisattvas are Mahayana Bodhisattvas. Bodhisattva ideals emphasize Buddhist practice for lay people. In fact, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, Manjusri Bodhisattva, and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva all appear as lay practitioners—only Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva appears as a monk. Thus, Mahayana Buddhism is the Buddhism that should be practiced by lay Buddhists.

The purpose of the practice of Buddhism is to clear our minds to see our Buddha Nature, to know the truth about the universe and life, to be freed from the bondage of birth, death, and affliction, and to attain the ultimate freedom and equanimity. Not only do we want to attain all these goals for ourselves, we also want the same for all humans and animals. Unenlightened people are ignorant about the truth of the universe and life. They are attached to desires and clinging and in so doing revolve in the cycle of life and death. People who practice Buddhism just for their own salvation view the three realms as prisons and people as their enemies. Once they renounce the world to become monks or nuns, they do not think of re-entering it again. On the other hand, Bodhisattvas who have the spirit of the Great Vehicle, realize that both the ego and all phenomena are non-existent. They cultivate the great wisdom without being attached to life and death. They cultivate the great compassion without being attached to nirvana. With both wisdom and compassion, they reach for the supreme way of the Buddhas and, at the same time, deliver all sentient beings. The wisdom and compassion of Bodhisattvas is most supreme. It is through helping others that the nature of wisdom and compassion is realized and the state of wholeness is actualized. Wisdom without compassion is only deranged cleverness, and compassion without wisdom is only mundane emotion. The spirit of the Bodhisattva is that he looks upon all beings sympathetically and treats them as parts of himself. This spirit allows wise people to become knowledgeable, kind people to have love, the brave to do good deeds, and thus allows all sentient beings to rely on each other and exist harmoniously.

In the past, Buddhism in Mainland China was presided over by the Sangha, while the devotees played a supportive role. People who wanted to renounce secular life to enter the door of Buddhism had to be prepared to give up all worldly concerns and abandon this mundane world. This practice is in accordance with Theravada Buddhism. However, it is also very important for practitioners to develop the mind of the Great Vehicle. If all devotees had come and had joined in with the Buddhist movement to propagate Buddhism in the spirit of the four Bodhisattvas, then Chinese Buddhism would have been much further along than it is today. Today in Taiwan, there are many university students and young people who are well educated and have high ideals. Not only do they embrace Buddhism, they also want to put compassion into practice by devoting themselves to Buddhism. If more young people will come and join us in this compassion movement, and tirelessly use wisdom and kindness to influence others, the future world will become a world of "Buddha Vehicle Buddhism."

Some people have said that if Chinese Buddhism were to decline, Buddhism would then be reintroduced from the West. This suggestion might not be correct, for we have begun to see a new Buddhist revival slowly happening. Now we can see Buddhism beginning to take root again in our society. This is the era when we all learn to conduct our affairs with the mind of the Buddha, to deliver the multitudes with the spirit of the Buddha, and to set our moral standards based on the example of the Buddha. In the future, I hope that all sentient beings will develop the wisdom and virtue of the Buddha. As we look ahead, all sentient beings will become Buddhas in the future.

I have just discussed what young Buddhists can expect from Buddhism. We must have faith and hope about the future of Buddhism. When we devote ourselves to such a religion of Truth, and toil over our cultivation, we may be reassured that all our hopes will come true in the future. We can all see that the world in the future can be a Lotus-world as described by the Buddha. Our society in the future is a society that places equal emphasis on both work and cultivation. The Buddhism in the future is a religion that permeates truth throughout the world, nurturing the human race. The type of living in the future is an enlightened and liberated one. The world in the future is the most ideal and harmonious world; this is the world of "Buddha Vehicle."

In the first section, we have just discussed what young people can expect from Buddhism. In this section, we will discuss what Buddhism expects from young people. Buddhism was originally a religion for the young but somehow was mistaken for a religion belonging to the elderly. For example, some people will use "Wait till I am old" as an excuse for not learning Buddhism now. They seem to think that Buddhism is a religion that only belongs to the aged and that one cannot become a Buddhist unless one's hair has all turned gray and all one's teeth begin to give way. Because sutras are chanted for the benefit of the dead, some people begin to believe that Buddhism is a religion for the dead. All these are misunderstandings. We can often see in Buddhist paintings that Sakyamuni Buddha, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, Manjusri Bodhisattva, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, and Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva are portrayed as young people. Buddhism is a religion for the young.

Sakyamuni Buddha was thirty-one when he was enlightened. According to our standard, thirty-one is a very young age. Master Hsuan Tsang was the greatest man in the history of Chinese culture. He was only twenty-six when he decided to go to India to bring many Buddhist scriptures back to China. With his youthful, compassionate aspiration and bravery, he enriched Chinese Buddhism and left countless cultural treasures for later generations. In the voluminous Buddhist scriptures and history, the glorious deeds of many young Buddhists have been recorded. Sumati is one such example. Although she was just a young girl, Manjusri, a person of high virtue and prestige, had to bow to her. Also, as stated in the Lotus Sutra, the dragon girl was only eight when she attained Buddhahood in the Immaculate World of the south. Thus age does not make any difference. Buddhism does not look down upon young people, nor does it discriminate against women.

In the fourth century, there was a very well-respected monk named Seng Chao. He was one of the four great disciples of Kumarajiva. Although he passed away at the tender age of thirty-one, he left behind many great works. In particular, the treatise that was named after him has left an indelible print on Buddhist and Chinese culture. During the course of history, Buddhism has nurtured and molded many young people who in return have devoted themselves to the progress and prosperity of Buddhism. Sudhana was the most famous character in the Avatamsaka Sutra. He was a humble little boy who called on fifty-three wise sages and Bodhisattvas in order to seek the right way and to discuss with them the state of mind of all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Everywhere he went, he was received respectfully. Thus, we can see that Buddhism is certainly not just a religion for the aged; it is also a religion for the young.

We cannot deny the fact that the preaching methods used in some temples may be ill-suited for the public. In encouraging lay devotees to develop their mind, we should emphasize cultivation practices in the home setting. But some Dharma Masters, because they themselves have renounced, tend to expect their lay believers to become vegetarians, to renounce, and to observe the precepts of bhiksus and bhiksunis. This has created a communication gap between the teachers and the audience. In addition to this, the unrest of the country and society in recent years has also been detrimental to Buddhism. Consequently, since the end of the Ming Dynasty, the progress of Buddhism has been stalled. The disturbance caused by the T'ai-ping Rebellion during the Ch'ing Dynasty also delivered devastating effects to Buddhism. The recent blows Buddhism encountered in Mainland China is a major set back. Buddhism is still going through difficult times there. After this series of turmoil, it is no wonder that much of the work of Buddhism has not been carried out according to the original ideals. With manpower and talents also falling short of the heydays of Buddhism during the T'ang and Sung dynasties, Chinese Buddhism is in the midst of an unprecedented crisis. Living in such an era, young Buddhists should work to glorify the real Buddhist spirit and restore the ideals of Buddhism. We have to firmly establish Buddhism as a religion for the young. In order to make this a reality, it becomes necessary to talk about what Buddhism expects from young people and what young people must do to become pillars of Buddhism. With this in mind, I would like to offer the following suggestions.

If we young Buddhists want to deliver others as well as ourselves and to become the backbone of Buddhism, we must be compassionate and be ready to strive for the ideals of life. We must develop self-awareness and have will power. The foundation of all these attributes comes from self-purification with the Buddhist precepts and the Dharma. If we do not purify ourselves, how can we purify society and other people? Thus, the priority for young Buddhists who want to better themselves is to observe the precepts and to practice the Dharma. Collectively speaking, there are certainly many precepts. Ordained monastics observe their respective precepts while lay devotees observe precepts for those living the household lives. Among the precepts for lay devotees, there are several types: the Five Precepts, the Eight Precepts, and the Bodhisattva Precepts. All of us should at least observe the following Five Precepts, which are the basis for most of the other precepts.

1. Abstain from killing.

2. Abstain from stealing.

3. Abstain from sexual misconduct.

4. Abstain from false speech.

5. Abstain from taking intoxicants.

If we want to have a harmonious and happy society, we all should observe the Five Precepts. The basis of the Five Precepts is "do not do to others what you do not want others to do to you." Today, many Buddhist believers want to have a long life, yet they take the lives of the innocent. They want to be rich, yet they steal and take bribes. They want to have a harmonious family, yet they upset the peace of others' families. They want to have a good name for themselves, yet they speak falsely of others. They want to be wise, yet they engage in foolish acts without reflecting upon themselves.

Thus, if we young Buddhists want to stand tall, to revive what seems to be hopeless, to emanate brilliant radiance to benefit all sentient beings, we need to observe the precepts as the basis of our behavior. A Chinese proverb says, "One who wishes to climb high has to start low; one who wishes to journey far-away has to start from nearby." If we do not act according to the principles of Buddhism and do not observe the Five Precepts, we will not benefit from the Buddhist teachings at all. We can visit the jails and observe for ourselves. We will find that incarcerated prisoners have lost their freedom because they have violated one or more of the Five Precepts. For example, homicide and assault are violations of the precept of abstaining from killing. Bribery, stealing, and robbery are violations of the precept of abstaining from stealing. Those who disrupt the harmony of others' families, undermine public morality, engage in polygamy, and commit sexual assaults have violated the precepts of abstaining from sexual misconduct. Those who are dishonest, renege on their promises, or write bad checks have violated the precept of abstaining from lying. Also, the smoking of opium and marijuana, the sniffing of glue, the illicit injection of narcotic analgesic, and the use of intoxicants are violations of the precept of abstaining from the use of intoxicants. From these examples, we can see that the prisoners have lost their freedom because of their own misconduct. Our society does not tolerate people who disregard the Five Precepts and violate the rights of others. I feel that today's Buddhist youths should be enthusiastic and lively; more importantly, they should follow the rules of life and closely observe the precepts.

Some people say that with all these lively Buddhist youths, we can organize a Buddhist choir to beautify our lives and inject some liveliness into Buddhism. It is true that we need to encourage the popularization of Buddhist music and chanting. Others suggest that traveling can expand our horizon and help us to relax. Indeed, many Buddhist pilgrimages have been organized. However, most importantly, Buddhism also expects Buddhist youths to take a deeper look into the sutras and sastras, to follow the precepts and the Dharma and to use what the Buddha taught as the basis of one's own faith. If Buddhist youths want to waken the people of our time, if we want to bring a breath of fresh air to Buddhism, first we have to be humble and prepare ourselves. We have to study diligently and extensively in order to help others toward the right view. We can be in a position to do good to the society only when we are familiar with various skills and technologies. We can be enlightened and help others to become enlightened only if we are perfectly clear about the meaning of the Four Noble Truths, the Twelvefold Chain of Causation, the Six Paramitas and the various methods of practice.

For Buddhist youths, just observing the precepts, understanding the Dharma and purifying one's self is not enough. The spirit of Buddhism is not only to save ourselves, we have to save others as well. Not only do we benefit ourselves, we have to benefit others. We must attract and convert all sentient beings by benefiting them and providing them with happiness. If we cannot be of value to others, our existence in this world is meaningless. Thus, ever since I started propagating the Dharma, I have been following the teaching of Master T'ai Hsu. I emphasize the preaching of the original spirit of Buddhism and pay special attention to the preaching of humanistic and living Buddhism. Buddhism is not a religion of empty talk. We have to start by improving people's lives. We should not aim too high and forget about the fundamentals; we have to be realistic. We should not think that just talking about truth is enough; we should strive to benefit others and provide them with peace and happiness.

How can we benefit others? How can we bring peace and happiness to others? The establishment of orphanages, senior citizen homes, schools, hospitals, Buddhist museums, libraries, cultural centers, celebration parties, Sunday schools, language classes, and all sorts of social activities such as performing wedding and funeral services are all beneficial to the general public. From now on, in addition to building monasteries and performing Dharma services, Buddhism will also follow what the Buddha taught in bringing a new lifestyle to people. I believe this is our responsibility. Today's Buddhist youths should have the inspiration and stamina to work for the benefit of all sentient beings and to bring joy to them. The load is heavy, and the road is long and winding. If we do not take the responsibility, who will?

In the chaotic world of today, a lot of people often feel uncertain and anxious. The most vexing problem is not knowing where to settle one's body and mind. For example, some people work at a job they do not like, yet they feel bored if they do not work. They cannot possibly watch television the whole day. Gambling, playing, eating, and wandering around all the time can also lead to feelings of emptiness and hopelessness. Thus, settling our body and mind is of utmost importance. In Buddhism, repeating the name of the Buddha can ease our body and mind. Ch'an meditation is also a good method of relaxing ourselves. The former helps us to focus our mind on the Buddha's name, while the latter helps us to use true wisdom to dwell in the pure state. Of course, before we can reach meditative concentration we have to go through a stage of basic training. It is not unlike one having to learn to swim before becoming a lifeguard. After we have trained our body and mind and are experienced in meditation, we will be able to feel the boundless joy of Ch'an. We will be able to practice Ch'an not only while sitting, but also when eating our meals, doing our jobs, or sleeping. There is a Chinese saying which states, "The moon outside the window is the same as usual, it is the plum blossoms that make the difference." When we young Buddhists have an understanding of meditation, then regardless of whether we are walking, standing, sitting, or reclining, or whether studying or practicing, we can feel the beauty of life and be at ease with ourselves.

After cultivating our meditative concentration, we still have to further secure ourselves through wisdom. For example, if a person decides to read a chapter of a book each day, he or she would have read 365 chapters in a year; that would be 3,650 chapters in ten years! The cumulative result is indeed staggering. After we have gained wisdom, we will look at the world and at life differently from before. We will begin to understand why the Buddha said that all living creatures have the Buddha Nature. If we look at this world with our "wisdom eye," we can see the light of truth. But the wisdom we talk about in Buddhism is different from intellectual wisdom. After all, worldly wisdom is mostly concerned with the differentiation and discrimination of our consciousness, while the wisdom of Buddhism aims to reveal our original nature and to help us destroy all illusions.

Buddhism is like a tall mountain. When we climb up, we can see through all worldly phenomena. Buddhism is also like an ocean. If we understand it, our wisdom is vast and boundless.

I hope every one of us can purify and strengthen ourselves through the precepts and the Dharma, universally help and deliver all living beings through providing others benefits and happiness, and transcend ourselves through meditative concentration and wisdom. As the Chinese saying reminds us, "If we want to broaden our line of vision to see a thousand miles away, then go up a little higher!" It is my sincere hope that we all work together to better ourselves. May the Triple Gem bless you all. Thank you.