#Mettavalokanaya_International_Buddhist_Magazine_May_2021

The Purest Mind.…
The purest mind is the most
beautiful one. When we are
awake, we shall make our
minds and awareness (if you’re
enlightened, then it’s enlightened
nature) become one; when we are
asleep, we shall make our minds and
luminous emptiness become one;
when we engage in physical labor, we
shall make our minds and the great
compassion become one. Wherever
or whenever we walk, stay, sit, or
sleep, we shall use clear insight to be
conscious
of all our movements and minds
with loving-kindness and compassion.
There is no hatred in any Bodhisattvas’
minds, and a mind without hatred
is the purest one. Good looks are
passing phenomena while tenderness
and dedication are actually the most
beautiful states of mind. So, beauty
means there is no hatred and selfcenteredness
in mind.
All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas’
mind is like a bright and clear fullmoon,
and our devotional minds are
like calm lake surfaces. Although full
moon is the one and only, it can reflect
in each lake. When our minds stay
calm, we can obtain responses from
Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Where is
the real “Grand Shrine Hall”? It’s in our
minds. If we can take control
of desires and afflictions,
Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will be with
us. However, if we are full of desires
and aversions, ghost and devils may
affect our bodies and minds. In view
of that, we shall keep our bodies and
minds clean and purified for which
are the “Grand Shrine Hall.”
If we can live an easy and content
life without too many adversities or
grinding poverty, we are the rich and
the noble. If our bodies are healthy
without serious diseases or pains, we
are the blessed. Santideva Bodjisattva
once said that afflictions such as
anger, jealousness,
and clinginess are true enemies
in our lives. These enemies don’t exist
in the outside world but in our minds.
If we want to kill the enemies, we
must exterminate the afflictions of
greediness and aversion in our minds
because all the binary opposition
comes from the Three Poisons.
We are the ones to be
responsible for our own lives and
happiness, not our parents, other
family members, society, our country,
or any other people. Whether the
world has been turning better or
worse, it has been created and will
be created by common consciousness,
thoughts, and actions of all people.
When we understand what cause and
effect is, we shall exert ourselves to
purify our minds and empower our
goodness so that we can improve
our societies and the world. We must
cherish our short life spans because
the most important thing in life is not
longevity but it’s about the quality. To
what extent can we purify ourselves
and perfect our loving-kindness,
compassion, and enlightenment shall
be the focal point of our lives. We
must keep in mind that life profundity
is more important than longevity.
When we read sutras, we shall know
how to do that with Meditative
Concentration and Wisdom. Meditative
Concentration means that we read
sutras with concentrated mind, and
Meditative Wisdom means that after
sutras reading with concentration, we
contemplate the meaning. To absorb
and utilize the teachings of sutras will
be the best way to change oneself
and reform one’s life.
Dharma education is to develop
potential. If someone’s potential
can be fully realized, the one
can be called Buddha. If Dharma
couldn’t help human beings develop
abilities and potential to perfect our
personality and spirit of service and
of dedication, then Dharma would
lose the necessity of its existence.
The purpose of Mahayana Buddhism
is to accomplish the unsurpassed and
absolute enlightenment as Buddha
did and to serve all sentient beings.
If we can do things conscientiously
and safely, then we can bring things
into an auspicious and satisfactory
settlement, and we can feel at ease
whether we are wealthy or poor. But
if we do things without conscience,
we feel terrified or distressed, and
no matter how expensive the house
we own and how high the power we
possess, we don’t have peace of mind
and may make many mistakes.
Buddhist Dharmas are the
absolute truth. To believe cause and
effect is to understand and accept
the truth. Only by truly understanding
the truth of the universe can we
sincerely repent, stop creating evil
but to cultivate goodness, mind our
manner and language, and embrace a
good life. Big effect comes after small
cause. That means if we create a small
wicked activity but don’t confess and
repent immediately, this small cause
will be snowballing into huge effect
in the future. This phenomenon is
called “Scale-up.” Similarly, if we
create a small good activity, this
small cause will also be snowballing
into huge effect in the future. That’s
why we said it’s easy to plant the
seed of blessing inside the field of
Three Treasures: you give one and
get millions back. Now that we have
been born to be human beings, we
shall use our human bodies well and
shall not waste our lives on worldly
entertainment. The purpose of being a
human is to accumulate good karmas
until Buddhahood is accomplished.
We shall utilize our human bodies to
gain holy merit and virtue instead of
creating more and more bad karmas.
Buddhism emphasizes
the education of personality
development. Buddhists must
improve our personalities, state of
mind, manner, and language for
which are our primary life education
during continuous rebirth. Chanting
a Buddha’s name is for the purpose
of becoming a Buddha. We shall do
this not only for our own wish but
for the wish that all sentient beings
will become Buddhas someday. All
sentient beings have the probability
and cause of becoming Buddhas, so
when we chant a Buddha’s name, we
shall think that all sentient beings
are perfect Buddhas and keep our
state of mind harmonious and free of
discrimination. "To study Buddhism is
to study myself, and to study myself is
to surpass myself.
Most Venerable Master Hai Tao
The President of Life TV, Abbot of
Hong Fa Zen and other Monasteries
Mind Always
So Beautiful
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