Lecturer: Master Zheng-Yan
Subject: Diligently Practice with Faith and Resolve (恭謹精進信願行)
Every morning, with deepest reverence, we come to the Main Hall to respectfully pray. This shows that we bring body, speech and mind together with reverence in the Buddha-hall. Not only are our bodies here, our minds are as well. So, we make offerings with utmost sincerity. Every day we pay our respects and make offerings with mind, body and speech as one. These reverent offerings and prayers are truly the merits and virtues of our practice. Everyone, when we learn Buddhism, we must have reverent minds, respectful bodies, and sincere chanting so our actions, speech and thoughts are one. This respect is the highest form of offering. We can motivate others and more importantly, cultivate our Wisdom-life. These are merits and virtues.
The highest form of offering comes from utmost sincerity in our hearts, and harmony in our actions, speech and thoughts. Infinite reverence surpasses everything.
As I have said, when we enter the monastery, the Sangharama, we must be respectful. We cannot dress in sloppy and casual clothing or defile the Sangharama as we walk around. So this section of the repentance text states,
“Today with utmost sincerity, to Buddhas, Dharma and sages of Ten Directions, we completely repent.”
Perhaps in the past we did not know that we should not enter the monastery with messy clothing, disrespect the monastics there, or pollute it with garbage. We may have done these things when we did not know better. But now we know, so starting today we sincerely face the Buddhas of the Ten Directions, the respected Dharma and sages. Whether we are listening to teachings or reading Sutras we should be respectful. When we see monastics, we need to be even more respectful. In a monastery, the Sangha are those who follow Buddha’s footsteps. They follow His way of life, so they are the ones who spread and speak Dharma. Thus, ordinary people should be respectful toward monastics because they spread the Buddha’s teachings. So whether we listen to Sutras or see monastics, we need to be completely respectful. Thus we say “the respected Dharma and sages.” Since they are monastics, their minds are directed toward the Buddha. Since we are learning Buddhism, we must respect them. If we were disrespectful in the past, now we need to completely repent at once. Let us repent from our hearts and eliminate all our previous mind and severe transgressions.
Let us repent from our hearts and eliminate all our previous mild and severe transgressions.
This is complete repentance.
Next it states, “Life after life, I vow to value the Three Treasures and tirelessly admire and respect them.”
In the past we may have misunderstood the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha.
We inevitably transgressed through offending them by varying degrees.
We need to do more than just repent.
After repenting, our minds are clean.
Since the fields in our minds are clean, we can better develop our Wisdom-life.
So we must vow to bring forth and nurture Wisdom-life.
From deep in our hearts, we must reverently vow.
This section starts with, “Life after life, I vow.”
We vow to start now, from this lifetime.
We pray that in every future lifetime we can encounter and obtain the Buddha-Dharma, the Three Treasures.
So, let us respect the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha.
Let admiration, respect and faith arise.
A heart full of faith is tireless.
A tireless mind never becomes lax.
We can only be diligent if we do not slack off The Three Treasures are the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha.
When we see the Buddha’s image, we pay respect with our body.
When we her Dharma, we are respectful with our mind.
When we see Sangha, we praise them with our mouths.
When our actions, speech and thoughts are associated with Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, we eliminate transgressions and create blessings.
Whatever mistakes we made in the past disappear as we repent.
We develop a habit of respect and admiration.
If we do this, our Wisdom-life will constantly increase; blessings arise when we eliminate transgressions.
This requires deep and thorough repentance and respect and diligence with body, mid and speech.
Then our Wisdom-life will always grow and we will make great vows.
Once we make this vow today, we do so tomorrow and in every moment, day, month and year in the future.
Not only will we make great vows, we will put them into practice.
We will fulfill those vows today, tomorrow, and in every day, month and year.
We do not say, “I made a vow and I will only fulfill it after this comes true.”
What do we want to come true?
Our wishes “Buddhas Bodhisattvas, this is my wish.”
“If my child can pass this test, if my husband’s business is successful, then I will fulfill my promise.”
It is not like that.
With our vows, we do not seek anything in return.
We do it for the world.
This type of giving is “making a great vow.”
We are not praying for ourselves.
Praying for ourselves is selfish.
There is no merit in that.
If it brings no merit, how will we be able to attain our wish?
So we so not seek to obtain, only to give.
We give constantly and make vows constantly.
We motivate ourselves like this every second, minute, month and year.
This is truly a great vow.
Our vows will manifest in our actions, so that our bodies and minds can always progress.
Thus, “Life after life, I vow” As long as there is life in us, we will always make this type of vow .We cannot bear to leave the Three Treasures. Not only are we close to them, we will never grow tired of them. Next it states, Heavenly silks, colorful ribbons, many jewels and precious stones, may dances and much music, rare and precious scents, fresh flowers and fruits, and all else in the world is presented as offerings.
With respectful hearts, we will be willing to present the most beautiful, wondrous environments as our sincere offerings “Heavenly silks, colorful ribbons” are decorations How do we decorate the Buddha-hall and the Sangharma?
To the best of our ability Monasteries in the past had flags, colorful ribbons, etc. In ancient China and India, to show their respect they put up very lively and splendid decorations .So they used “heavenly silks, colorful ribbons”
When they went out, they used flags like an umbrella to shield from the sun This was a visible way to demonstrate respect .The “heavenly silks, colorful ribbons” were indoor decorations. Besides turning fabrics into beautiful things, we can even use “many jewels and precious stones”
These are treasures found in nature .There are gems, precious stones, etc., and many kinds of singing and dancing These are all very precious things. They are the most beautiful things in the world, so they are precious
But really, what is precious? For us, things that are useful are precious. If something is not useful, we let it return to nature. But we sentient beings are deluded. All the precious stones, corals, jades, gems, etc., are treasures found in nature.
Heaven and Earth have already decorated the world with natural beauty. Many treasures are part of nature. But people are so confused. We try to extract these things, which is destroying nature .Though nature has been destroyed, these exquisite treasures have become the most precious things to humans
So, people use these precious things as offerings. They say this is most respectful In the past, they thought using something rare was most respectful.
So, they gathered Heavenly silks, colorful ribbons, many jewels and performed many dances and music Many people come to play music to show their respect .Rare and precious scents are also found in nature, like the scents of aloeswood, sandalwood, etc.
These are very precious woods .But they need to be cut down first .They are every expensive.
Some aloeswood are found deep in the sea.
These are raee objects
They are also used as offerings
In monasteries
Then there are also “fresh flowers abd fruits “
Fruit is not left to rot over many days.
If flowers are left in the same water for too long.
The water will smell and the flowers will wilt.
They do not do that .
They present fresh flowers and fruit every day
This also shows respect
“All else in the world is presented as offerings “
This means that we reverently offer the things，
we consider most precious as a sign of respect.
Actually , we demonstreate true respect
with our actions , sppech and thoughts
All our actions are offerings and prayers
When I started to practice,
did I have anything to offer”
Nothing at all ,
only respectful prayer with my body and mind.
This is offering through practice.
It is the best , most sincerer from of respect.
If we use material goods ,
that may not be vert natured.
But words in Sutras inspire respect in others.
Many people who took part in our
musical adaptation of “Sutras of lnfinite Meanings “
were doctors ,elders in society ,and entrepreneurs.
There was also a group of young Bodhisattcas .
These people are already very respectful.
But in order to spread the Dharma.
So that more people can understand it ,
Tzu Chi’s vice president , Mr .Wang Tuan –cheng
created the lyrics with the text from the Sutra of lnfinite Meanings and asked ,Mr. Lee Shou-chuan and others to compose the music.So, the lyrics were concise and to the point ,
and the melody could purify people’s minds. Then they added lively physical gestures
Those who participated in this musical adaptation developed and nurtured their inner Wisdom-life ,
Those who came to listen and watch also initiated their wisdom ,
And understood the truth in the Buddha –Dharma.
This influenced so many people.
This type of dancing and singing can truly inspire people’s hearts to enter the Sutras.
It can also bring the Sutras into society.
I think these are the most beautiful
“heavenly silks and colorful ribbons “
This is not performance , it is spreading Dharma.
This is the truest and most wondrous place of practice and the most respectful form of offering.
So ,
“If someone attains Buddhahood, I will”
“earnestly ask him to open the Ambrosial Door “
“If someone enters Parinirvana ,I pray ,”
“I have the chance to present the last offering “
This is our prayer.
If a person achieves enlightenment ,
I hope I can ask him to expound the Dharma , now that he has the Way ,
the Dharma , and has attained enlightenment
“Opening the Ambrosial Door “ is expounding Dharma
When a person who has attained enlightenment,
who has promoted Dharma , is entering Nirvana as a Buddha or Bodhisattva ,
“I pray I have the chance to present “
“the last offering “ I hope I can do it in time.
This expresses how we feel about the enlightened.
After enlightenment, they are no longer simply ordinary beings
After these people attainted realization, they still work among sentient beings.
On their last day ,
We still want to be close to them and support them in body and mind.
This is what we vow.
So we have to combine vows with actions.
Let us always be respectful.
We make offerings with deepest reverence with actions , speech and thoughts in harmony.
That is the highest form of offering.
So infinite reverence surpasses everything.
So everyone ,please always be mindful .
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