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Chapter 40 - How To Become A Real True Buddha Cultivator - A Sermon Given On Chinese New Year Day 1993
A Building for True Buddha News I am happy to be able to celebrate this New Year with you. For the past few months, I was rather busy with my propagation. I want to Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong last month; and I just returned home last week. To be able to see all of you is like a lady going back to her mother's home. (applause) I should say returning to my own home. (laughter, applause) I have good news to announce. I have bought a piece of land at Histone Street in the China Town (applause) for the construction of a building to be named True Buddha News Building. (applause) The first story of which will be an ordinary shop house. The second, an office for True Buddha News. The third, a cultivation place for True Buddha School. The fourth, two units of residence. May be I will migrate to Canada in future. (applause) When the building is put into use, it will make a stir in the China Town. The building will be as long and as wide as that of Bodhi Lei Tsang Temple, which is two storeys tall. The new building will have four storeys. Surely the new one must be better than the old one. (applause) I sincerely hope that True Buddha School will prosperous, so that we have to find more cultivation centres to cater for the new disciples. If you like to go to Bodhi Lei Tsang Temple, you may do so. On the other hand, if you prefer True Buddha News building, you may also do so. To each his choice, everybody's wish is fulfilled. The ritual held in Singapore was a success. More than twenty thousand people took part. (applause) From Singapore I went to Johor Bahru. The indoor stadium in Johor Bahru has a sitting capacity of eight thousand, exactly the number of people who took part in the ritual. Then it was the ritual held at the capital of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur's National stadium. Twenty five thousand people attended. The whole stadium was full. (applause). Thereafter we travelled to Penang's De Jiao Hui, the ritual attracted eight thousand people. Again we flew from Penang to East Malaysia's Sibu. This time five thousand people came to the ritual. Even in Tawau one of the smallest town in Malaysia with only three streets, we have a Lian Hu Lei Tsang Temple there. The ritual had attracted three thousand people. (applause) The rituals organised by other schools of Buddhism in Penang at most had an attendance of two thousand, in Tawau four to five hundred only. Therefore the rituals held in Singapore and Malaysia by the True Buddha School have broken all the local records. (applause) Everybody knows that our rituals will surely attract a full crowds. In future, True Buddha School of Buddhism will play a leading role, (applause) and enter into the main stream. As a buddhist, a disciple of True Buddha School we must do our part, we must not be too complacent and do whatever we like. On the new year day, I want to talk about how to become a real True Buddha cultivator by doing whatever we have to do. Observing the five precepts When Shakyamuni Buddha was alive, he treated his disciples mercifully and equally. Initially he did not ask them to observe any precepts. They could do whatever they liked. The laissez faire led to a degenerated cultivation. The fundamental precepts i.e. the five precepts that Shakyamuni Buddha asked all buddhists to observe, had to be formulated as a result. The first precept is refrain from killing. All sentient beings are equal. We are sentient beings, so are other animals. Therefore we must refrain from killing them. The second precept is refrain from taking what is not given. We must observe this precept. We can only consider our belongings ours. Things belonging to others should not be considered and taken as ours. Otherwise, there will be a lot of confusion. In fact, the moral concepts have it that we cannot take other's belongings and claim them to be ours. Just thinking of having them, we have in fact invaded other's right. The third precept is refrain from telling lies. It looks simple but it is difficult to uphold. We must not tell what is not true. The precept had to be formulated because too many monks were telling untruth, half-truth during Shakyamuni's time. He had to do so. The fourth precept is refrain from sexual misconduct. Human beings are animals of high intelligence that have morality. In fact, only human beings are capable of doing cultivation. Upholding ethics and moral principles are considered a virtue for a cultivator. In other words, we must refrain from any sexual misconduct. If we do not restrain ourselves and have a strong desire to own, then we are the same as animals. The last precept is refrain from taking intoxicants. Once we take excessive liquor, we will misbehave. If you know how to control yourself like me, it will not be harmful. Otherwise, it is better not to consume liquor. One cup too many, all kinds of trouble will follow. We know if we drink, we should not drive. Some of us may take advantage of a lady after a drink and regret for life. That is why my advice is not to drink at all. What about smoking? If Buddha is still alive, I am sure he will not approve of it. Since it is bad for the smoker, and others. The smoke gets in and out of the body, what purpose does it serve? Normally liquor may have medicinal value to help blood circulation. When taking medicine, we may add a bit of liquor. Don't drink liquor as if you are taking medicine. I have never tried whisky and brandy. I drink only tonics. The five precepts that all True Buddha cultivators must observe are: 1. Refrain from killing. 2. Refrain from taking what is not given. 3. Refrain from sexual misconduct. 4. Refrain from telling lies. 5. Refrain from taking intoxicants. As a buddhist, we must always ask ourselves this question, "Are we observing the five precepts?" Making a vow and having a merciful mind After taking refuge, a True Buddha cultivator must make vows (Bodhi heart), Why making vows? After we get benefits from True Buddha Tantra, we must not keep them as secrets, instead we must recommend them to others. By making vows, we are introducing Tantra to many more people. We can succour as many people as we can. It is important for True Buddha cultivator to remember this point. So excellent are the True Buddha Tantra that many human beings will be able to gain enlightenment and become a Buddha. After cremation, ten dead convicts from Singapore's Changi prison had sarira found in their remains. These are excellent testimony that they have gained transmigration to the Western Pure Land. We must make use of the benefits we derived from the Tantra to succour others so that they can be enlightened. The second thing a True Buddha cultivator must do is therefore making vows. The third pre-requisite . Do we have a merciful mind? If we think of ourselves only in our work, and we never care about others then we do not have a merciful mind yet. When do we consider ourselves to be merciful enough? -- when we risk ourselves and spend our time for the benefits of others. My vow is "risking my life, breaking my bones to succour sentient beings." In other words, I am willing to sacrifice my life, my time, my energy, and my wealth - everything you name it - This is true mercy, compassion. People may be risking their lives, breaking their bones in order to make more money, to find happiness for themselves, to achieve their objectives by whatever means in a modern world. As a cultivator, we must not behave like that, we must show our compassion. Ci, Bei, Xi, She are meaningful words to me. Ci (kindness) is to bring happiness to all. Bei(Mercy) is to soothe the pain of others. We are not tired of bringing happiness to all and soothing their pain is Xi (happiness). What is "She"? For the benefits of others, we dispose of all our belongings is known as "She" (abandonment) The last point I want to talk is cultivating samadhibala. (The ability to overcome all disturbing thoughts - mind control) The five directional Buddhas sitting over there have strong mind control. When we praise them, they do not smile. When we point at their noses and insult their ancestors, they remain unmoved. When a cultivator has attained the samadhibala, he will show three signs: 1. When you praise him, he will not be wild with joy. 2. When you harm him, he will not feel bad, he is unmoved. No matter how you instigate him , he is not confused - set in an unperturbed mind. 3. No matter how you injure him, his body is non-destructive, and he will never recede in his cultivation. The true samadhibala can only be derived from deep meditation. Please think for a while. How good is your mind control? If you are scolded, do you go back and think of a sentence more fierce, vicious, and cynical in order to get even? If you are insulted, are you able to sleep that night? If you are bullied, are you feeling bad for months even for years? To be a real True Buddha cultivator, it is important that you must have samadhibala and have an unshakable confidence - when you hear people taking bad about your Grand master, you must not change your mind and give up to be a True Buddha cultivator. During Shakyamuni's time, he taught real cultivators the same way: 1. Do you observe the precepts? 2. Do you make vows? 3. Do you have mercy? 4. Do you have samadhibala? If you can remember these four points by heart, you are a real True Buddha cultivator. Talking about how to become a real True Buddha cultivator on a Chinese New Year Day, I hope all of you can be one, not just this year, forever. I wish all of you Have good health in the new year, and be prosperous (laughter) Om Mani Padme Hum
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