Roving Over The World (preface)
■Book 111 - Roving Over The World
■Written by GrandMaster Sheng-yen Lu
This book is entitled \'Roving Over The World\'. It is a record of how I reach a stage of perfection and harmony, after roving over the Samsara World.
The world can be far apart, as we have to climb many mountains and sail through many oceans to reach our destinations. The enlightenment only comes after different levels of understanding, gruelling tests and many years of spiritual searches.
The world can be very near. After travelling far and apart, you will come to realize that the truth is not found in the peak, nor at the bottom of the sea, it is within ourselves - our spiritual world.
I hope to pen down my feelings on people, places, evens, gathered through journey to many countries. In the process, I realize that the journey itself is \'food for thought\', we can achieve mastery of life, if a comprehensive study of these subjects is carried out.
We hurry through our life just like taking a short journey, although most of us understand that life is impermanent. To me, if we can understand the truth in life, whether it is as trivial as a word, or a sentence, our life is worth more than a branded car, a grand house, even countless wealth we have.
To this end, I write this book to record my feelings towards events in my journey.
To those who don't care about their lives or worse still who have wasted their lives, I hope they will change for the better after reading this book.
To those who are off their destinations, or have gone astray, I hope they will again seek enlightenment.
To those who are seeking the truth of \'Unrivalled enlightenment\', I hope this book will help them in their endeavour.
I am also hopeful that this book could inspire better confidence into those who are willing but somehow forced to take an about turn in their search for spiritual enlightenment.
Finally, I dedicate this book to those who have achieved enlightenment, for the assimilation of spirits and the complement of brightness will converge at the sea of Vairocana nature.
I firmly believe in the truth that \'the world is a family\'.
Let me write you a modern poem entitled \'I am the Truth\':
No one has passed through here,
for I am the truth.
Writing an enlightened article,
Everyday I am full of hopes.
For a long while now,
I await their abandonment of fame and status,
Waiting for their hands,
I hope they make a return to the truth.
Of an open mind,
I burn my own flame,
Painstakingly, I walk
the life-long journey.
Roving over the world,
I stop to reflect,
I wish I could pull many hands along,
in my enlightened and perfect life.
Sheng-Yen Lu
Making Vows
■Book 104 - A Plethora Of Scenic Splendours
■Written by GrandMaster Sheng-yen Lu
Everyday we cultivate the Amitabha Buddha dharma. We must remember when Amitabha Buddha was in the state of practising the Buddha-religion, as a monk he made forty eight great vows. He only gained enlightenment as Amitabha Buddha when he was in the stage of attainment. The forty eight vows which created the Western Pure Land were only completed after a long time. (many kalpa) His vows can only be fulfilled after such a long time. This shows the greatness of his vows.
In fact all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas made vows. Amitabha had made forty eight vows, Medicine Buddha had made twelve vows, Avalokitesvara had vowed to use thirty two nirmanakaya to succour sentient beings. After making vows at the initial stage of Bodhisattva, the thousand-arms-thousand-eyes Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva was immediately uplifted to the eight stage of Bodhisattva. We can see the power of his vows. Samantabhadra Bodhisattva had made ten great vows. So was Manjusri Bodhisattva.
A vow is a direction to follow. Every disciple must make a vow. A true buddhist must find ways and means to fulfil his vow - regardless of the size. Once you have made a vow, you have a direction to go. Can we cultivate without a vow? A vow is an ideal, an energy source, an ambition, something to go by, that is why all True Buddha disciples must make vows.
Grandmaster's great vow is ?“isking my life and breaking my bones to succour sentient beings.”
Ksitigarbha's vow- ?“nless and until the nether world is empty, I shall not be enlightened as a Buddha.”It is a marvellous vow. What do Ksitigarbha rely to become a Bodhisattva? It is nothing else, just the vow.
Vows are important. We must follow up with our vows. So don't make empty vows. A vow must be fulfilled with all our might. Once a disciple of mine made an empty vow, he said, “My vow is the combined vows of all the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Vajra protectors, and Divine beings of ten directions in the three lives.”Why not ? Because you do not understand all these vows in the first place. Since you do not understand all these vows how can you fulfil them? Therefore it will be an empty vow.
Remember, only a vow that can be fulfilled is not an empty vow. The power of vow is very great.
Om Mani Padme Hum
The Mantra for making vows
Om Bao Di Zhi Da, Benza, Samaya, Ah Hum.