Chapter 54: The Intimate Affinity Between
Guru and Students
Written by: Living Buddha Lian-sheng, Sheng-yen
Lu
Translated by: Aysura
Edited by: Dance Smith
Proofread by: Jessie
Padmakumara Translation Team
Website: www.padmakumara.org
Chapter 54: The Intimate Affinity Between Guru and Students
Some people say Living Buddha Sheng-yen Lu has quite a reputation.
He is well-known worldwide. Four to five million disciples have
taken refuge in him. If the Living Buddha were to go to any country,
one would expect to find a dense crowd waiting for him at the airport
-- at least a few thousand people -- if not a few ten-thousands
-- would be there to welcome him. And if he were to take the seat
to expound tantric dharma, one would expect a spectacular scene
of people flooding the venue. The empowerment session alone would
take a few hours. This indeed would be a superior dharma event!
Although Living Buddha Sheng-yen Lu has gone into retreat, disciples
in various countries are continuously building scores of True Buddha
Temples; newly established branches have also increased in number
to well over a hundred. Masters have taken up the propagation of
Dharma on behalf of Grand Master by traveling all over the world.
The number of disciples who have taken refuge has continued to grow
by the hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands! The dharma stream
of True Buddha School should be everlasting, with dharma affinity
stronger than ever.
Nonetheless, I have been observing the karmic affinity of my disciples.
My heart cannot help but sigh. I cannot hide my loneliness and solitude.
Why? Because I have seen many disciples who took refuge in a moment
of enthusiasm. Their moment of enthusiasm was due to a moment of
pleasure -- they rushed to participate in a dharma ceremony and
took refuge empowerment there and then. There are also those who
come to receive refuge empowerment because they have something to
wish for. Some people already have an affinity with Buddhism from
past lives, and they take refuge when this affinity ripens. Everyone's
karmic affinity for taking refuge is different. Some took refuge
because they were touched by my books, and they decided to take
refuge.
Many people took the refuge empowerment just to establish a teacher-student
bond. Even in the presence of this affinity with the Buddha, they
departed and turned away to devote themselves to the secular world.
They did not know how to take a step forward by learning to chant
mantras, form mudras, or embark on visualization cultivation. More
importantly, they did not learn how to gradually explore and get
to know their Buddha nature and adjust their hearts to achieve enlightenment.
I noticed that students who had the fortune to have this initial
affinity didn't continue to come closer to Buddha's dharma. Because
of this, I feel so helpless and sorry [for the loss of such an opportunity].
Not only that, these disciples with initial affinity form quite
a large group. They may have the teacher-student affinity but they
do not actually practice.
I am a person who has the true Buddha dharma with me. I could save
the world's sentient beings; I can save myself and others; I can
help others gain enlightenment too.
I hope that this student-teacher affinity remains unbreakable in
this life and eternally. More importantly, may this affinity be
the light to the attainment of ever-pure Buddhahood.
