Hatthaka Sutta

Chapter Five:

Ceaseless Cultivation with Vigorous Devotion and Utmost Sincerity

To be enlightened, one first generates the Bodhi mind.

Generating a Bodhi mind is vowing to attain Buddhahood so that one can help all sentient beings. Great Master Ou-I stated that vowing to be born into the Western Pure Land is the supreme Bodhi mind.

Either worldly or spiritual Dharma is not real but illusive. Only the Western Pure Land is real as indicated by infinite life, which is the most important of all infinities. With it, one can enjoy all that is wonderful and magnificent.

A truly awakened person will sincerely be mindful of Buddha Amitabha from night to day and day to night.

Although a person listens to Dharma talks, recites the sutra and chants

"Amitabha", without diligence and constancy, he or she is not truly awakened.

How to chant the Buddha's name? Silently or aloud? Four syllables (Amitabha) or six (Namo Amitabha)? The Pure Land method is the simplest and easiest without fixed forms. It is up to the practitioner to decide what is most suitable for him or her.

Chanting the Buddha's name aloud helps to suppress afflictions. When we chant aloud, we can chase away wandering thoughts and drowsiness thus concentrating our mind. When we are alert, we can chant silently but continuously. We need to know which is most fitting.

There is no fixed form in chanting the Buddha's name, but there is a basic principle, to let our mind become quiet, peaceful and without wandering thoughts. This is one of the purposes in chanting the Buddha's name.

We can do walking meditation while chanting. When we feel tired, we can sit and continue chanting. If we feel stiff when sitting, we may get up to walk or prostrate. In this way, we can adjust our body accordingly.

The more we chant and are mindful of Buddha Amitabha, the less our wandering thoughts will arise and the purer our mind will become, and the more wisdom we will attain. If not so, then something is incorrect in our way of practice. Therefore, we need to know how to harmonize our body and mind to keep our mind peaceful and quiet, and our body active and healthy.

The title Infinite Life Sutra clearly explains that one chants the Buddha's name with a pure, non-discriminating and awakened mind. On the other hand, one uses the chanting method to attain a pure, non-discriminating and awakened mind. The chanting enhances this state of mind, which in turn enhances further the chanting.

"After Monk Dharmakara spoke these verses, he addressed to the Buddha and said, 'I wish to practice the Bodhisattva way'" (Infinite Life Sutra). The Bodhisattva way is to help all sentient beings.

Monk Dharmakara vowed to attain the perfect complete enlightenment, to become a Buddha, to help sentient beings and not for himself.

Four Universal Vows of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are:

1. Sentient beings are innumerable, I vow to help them all.

2. Afflictions are inexhaustible, I vow to end them all.

3. Ways to practice are boundless, I vow to master them all.

4. Enlightenment is unsurpassable, I vow to attain it.

Today, we wholeheartedly vow to be born into the Pure Land to become a Buddha like Buddha Amitabha so we can help all sentient beings. To do this, we start with the first vow, then proceed to the second vow, etc. Before attaining unsurpassable Enlightenment, one needs to master the ways of practice. Before one masters the ways of practice, one needs to end afflictions. And before beginning to end afflictions, one needs to vow to help all sentient beings.

Will the one who truly generates such a great, ultimate vow to become completely enlightened create any bad karma or evil thoughts? Absolutely not. Could this person give in to temptation? Of course not. Not even when faced with the opportunity to be the president of a country or the king of the Maha-Brahman heaven. His goal to become enlightened is so pure and proper, that he would not be tempted even by such opportunities.

In order to eradicate the roots of birth and death, the first priority is to sever afflictions and then vow to go to the Western Pure Land. Once we sever our afflictions and attain Buddha Name Mindfulness Samádhi, we are certain to go to the Pure Land. We need to set this as our most important goal in this life.

"Ways to practice are boundless, I vow to master them all" (Third Universal Vow). Life is short; we need to wait until we reach the Pure Land, where we will have the best of teachers and classmates to learn from, and the time to study and master all the sutras.

Many practitioners are in a hurry to accomplish in this lifetime, the latter two of the Four Universal Vows. They studied and practiced too many different methods, failed to obtain a pure mind and were unable to end their afflictions, thus missing this rarest opportunity to achieve attainment in this life.

Many people come to practice Buddhism only for themselves, to keep their family from harm, to have successful careers, health and longevity. They may practice for a lifetime, only to remain mired in the cycle of life and death. Their goal was only to seek the good fortune of humans and heavenly beings.

Buddha and Bodhisattvas are not celestial beings, for the latter are still mired within the cycle of the six realms. Celestial beings are deluded and do not totally understand the true reality of life and the universe.

"I entreat the Buddha to extensively proclaim to me the sutras and Buddha dharma. I will uphold and cultivate them accordingly" (Infinite Life Sutra). This illustrates Monk Dharmakara's learning approach. If one is not thoroughly awakened, one will not be so determined in cultivating and upholding the teacher's guidance.

Upon finding one's behavior, thoughts and viewpoints to be in conflict with the teachings in the sutra, one should correct them. Or else no matter how many times one recites, it would be futile because no meaningful results would be gained. When some cultivators fail to receive positive effects from recitation, instead of reflecting within they may place the blame on Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, in effect slandering them, causing themselves to be born into the hell realm.

How much the teacher will instruct depends on the learning attitude of the student. The more the student can uphold and cultivate, the more the teacher will impart.

Monk Dharmakara vowed that when he becomes a Buddha, his wisdom, light, the land where he lives (Western Pure Land) and what he teaches (Namo Amitabha) would be known by all sentient beings of infinite Buddha lands in ten directions.

All sentient beings of the six realms in the ten directions who go to the Pure Land will first become Bodhisattvas.

Monk Dharmakara also vowed to become a Buddha who surpassed all other Buddhas. He asked Buddha Lokesvararaja if he would be able to accomplish these vows. Buddha Lokesvararaja replied with an example. "If a person tries to scoop up the water from the ocean through many aeons, he will dry up the water and see the bottom. With perseverance and sincerity what wish is there that he cannot fulfill?" (Infinite Life Sutra). If one is truly determined, one can achieve any goal.

What is the sincere mind? A mind without wandering thoughts. One who has such a mind shall be awakened listening to Dharma talks.

Today we feel unhappy and suffer hardships because our minds are impure, discriminating and deluded.

Great Master Chin-Liang stated in his commentary on the Avatamsaka (Flower Adornment) Sutra that one who has not yet severed one's afflictions or become awakened, will find his or her extensive knowledge leads to erroneous viewpoints. It is essential to be balanced in both cultivation and understanding.

A Dharma lecturer who does not cultivate often will have erroneous thoughts and viewpoints and will therefore mislead others. This person uses his or her own viewpoints, which distort the Buddha's teachings into worldly viewpoints.

Buddha Lokesvararaja did not directly answer Monk Dharmakara's question as to whether or not he would be able to accomplish his vows. Rather, he asked Monk Dharmakara to contemplate which expedient way to cultivate and accomplish the adornment of the Buddha land.

Once our minds are pure, non-discriminating and awakened, the Buddha and we are of one mind for that split second. However, once our minds revert to greed, anger, ignorance and arrogance, we are again mortal. Buddhas have the ability to maintain their pure state at all times.

Monk Dharmakara's good roots, wisdom, virtue and learning surpassed all the others, enabling him to know how to accomplish his vows. Given only a hint, he would instantly comprehend all.

All the Buddhas establish their own Buddha land by their respective vows.

Some Buddhas choose to go to impure worlds, like Buddha Shakyamuni choosing to help the sentient beings in this Saha world. Other Buddhas choose a pure world. Therefore, Monk Dharmakara would make his own choice.

Buddha Amitabha had already become a Buddha infinite aeons ago, not just the ten stated in the sutra. He is very compassionate, pretending to know nothing so that Buddha Lokesvararaja would have the opportunity to give him a detailed explanation, thus, allowing us to hear the sutra.

Monk Dharmakara responded, "Such principles are vast and profound, it is not the state of my own can perceive. I entreat the Thus Come One, with the request to be recognizable by all, to broadly proclaim and manifest to me the measureless, wonderful lands of all Buddhas. When I hear and see such Dharmas, I will contemplate, practice and determine to fulfill my vows."

The goal of ancient Chinese education was to teach the students to treat all with proper manners. Only when one has clear understanding of the relationships between father and son, siblings, friends, and co-workers, and how to cultivate one's virtue, will one know how to be an honorable person, and thus how to get along harmoniously with people. Knowing this will ensure one a happy family, a harmonious society, a strong nation and a peaceful world.

Morality and proper conduct are the first priority of Confucian education. If a student does not possess these qualities, a wise teacher will try to correct the faults before proceeding with the teaching. This is to prevent the student from gaining any ability to harm society.

Buddha Lokesvararaja knew that Monk Dharmakara was decent and virtuous, intelligent and wise, harboring a great compassionate vow. Therefore, to comply with his wish, the Buddha described and showed to him the merits, virtues and adornment of all the twenty one billion Buddha lands. Twenty-one is a symbolic number in the Esoteric school symbolizing complete perfection.

When Zen Patriarch Master Dharma met Emperor Liang Wu in China, he found the emperor very proud of himself. The emperor said, "I have already accomplished many good deeds in the name of Buddhism. I have established four hundred and eighty Buddhist temples and helped hundreds of thousands of people to become ordained persons. How great is my merit from all of this?" Master Dharma honestly replied, "No merit at all."

If the emperor had asked instead, "how great is my good fortune from all this?" Master Dharma would have answered, "Very great indeed!"

Nowadays, many people misunderstand the difference between merit and good fortune. They think that simply donating money will gain much merit. Actually, this only brings good fortune. Merit is gained through one's practice by observing the precepts, cultivating concentration and attaining wisdom. Merit cannot be bought.

When we are ignorant of our faults and others come and tell us, we would do well to correct them as soon as possible. This is precept observation. Precept observation does not just include observing precepts in the Buddhist sutras but also following the advice of teachers, parents and friends.

Our countenance can be changed by the thoughts we harbor in our mind. If we are kind and gentle, our face will become kindhearted. If we are cruel and malicious, our face will become harsh looking. We bear the responsibility for our features after age forty, they are no longer solely what we were born with.

Fortune-tellers have a saying; "a fortunate land is dwelt by people with good fortune and vice versa." If a person with less good fortune lived in a fortunate area, this person would soon feel uncomfortable and would want to move away. Thus, it is important to cultivate good fortune.

The Buddha is the honored one complete with two perfections: one is wisdom the other is good fortune.

It is recommended that the practitioner spend at least ten years studying just one sutra to truly master it. On the other hand, if one studies ten sutras in ten years, one will barely skim their surface.

Good students are the ones who consecutively spend ten years mastering one sutra, then two to three years on the second sutra, then half a year on the third and then one to two months on the fourth. The deeper one delves into the first sutra, the more concentration one achieves, thus building a strong foundation. Once one deeply comprehends one sutra, it takes less time to learn a new one.

In the beginning of their practice, the teacher instructs the students to concentrate only on sutras of their selected school and not on those of other schools. This is to cultivate concentration in order to attain the pure mind. When the first step is achieved, one may continue to develop comprehensive learning.

The four studies of Confucian teachings are virtue, speech, skills to earn a living and finally the arts. It is important for one to learn them in their respective order.

There is an ancient Chinese saying, "The tongue is the gate leading to good fortune or misfortune throughout one's life." Beware of careless speech, which can easily hurt others, unexpectedly causing resentment in them and bringing reprisals upon us. Therefore, it is important to learn appropriate speech.

During that time, Buddha Lokesvararaja was very patient in giving instructions for one hundred billion years and Monk Dharmakara was equally patient in learning tirelessly. It took that long to thoroughly view and analyze all the Buddha land in the ten directions. This illustrates that patience in learning is the key to success.

Taking something without permission is stealing. Of course, if one steals from others, one will have to pay them back someday. If one steals the possession of another, he or she only owes that person. If one steals city property, for example a public telephone installed by the city, then he or she owes the citizens of that city. If the property belongs to the country, then he or she owes the citizens of that country. Property in temples belongs to sentient beings in the infinite universe. Consequently, If one steals from temples, then he or she owes infinite beings in the ten directions thus leading one to the Avici Hell (the deepest of the eight burning hells).

Buddha Amitabha's unsurpassable forty-eight vows were generated gradually during Dharmakara's hundred billion years of study and five aeons of cultivation. He condensed and perfected all that he learned from his study and cultivation of the Buddha land in the ten directions to create the ideal land without any negative elements.

When Buddha Amitabha made his selections to create his land, he used a single mind, a true mind without wandering, discriminating, attaching or deluded thoughts. With this true mind, every single choice would be perfect.

Good choices are made when one's mind is truly at peace.

A true Pure Land cultivator chants the Buddha's name with a sincere and pure mind. It is said in sutras that no bad spirits would dare to come within forty miles of a true cultivator. When one's body and mind are pure, Buddha Amitabha and all other Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will care for and protect this person.

One should be ashamed of one's lack of cultivation if the spirits often come and make fun of oneself. Most likely, it indicates that the cultivator is not practicing in accordance with the teachings.

One is not practicing in accordance with the Buddha's teachings if one chants the Buddha's name or recites the sutra while still harboring doubt, unable to let go of fame, wealth or desire. No matter how much one cultivates, all the efforts will be futile if one still attaches to greed, anger, ignorance or arrogance, discrimination between right or wrong, yours or mine and has nothing to do with the purity, equality and awakening,

In our daily lives, it is necessary to practice even tiny good deeds, for an accumulation of these will make a great deed. Likewise, one would do well to be aware of even trivial faults and correct them, for many trivial faults add up to a big one. One needs to start from small places in severing misdeeds and accumulating good ones.

True cultivation starts at the place where thoughts arise.

The principle that one needs to follow in continuing the lifeline of the Buddha's teachings is to accord with conditions and not to purposely seek out opportunities. If the opportunities do not arise, we do not seek or force an opportunity. If we harbor an idea to create an opportunity, our mind will be neither calm nor pure, nor will it be in accordance with the teachings.

One waits for the opportunity to spontaneously arise. If it is not yet the right time, then we just diligently cultivate.

Never try to purposely seek out an opportunity, but when the opportunity arises, one needs to do one's best in accomplishing it.

Many practitioners, who were formerly ill, recovered naturally upon chanting the Buddha's name sincerely.

A professor of Tan Chiang University, Taiwan, had a tumor in his head for twenty years. Since the tumor was not very big, he did not worry about it. Recently when the tumor began to grow, the doctor suggested surgery. A practitioner suggested that he chant the name of Guan Yin Bodhisattva instead. After the professor chanted sincerely for four months, the doctor reexamined him and found the tumor was gone. When the mind is pure, the body naturally becomes pure.

In the Buddha's teachings, it is more important to have confidence in oneself than to believe in the Buddha. When one loses confidence in oneself, one's self-nature is not equal to that of a Buddha. At that point, even Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are unable to help this person. Only when one is determined and has complete confidence in oneself, will Buddhas and Bodhisattvas truly be able to help.

Many people's beliefs are easily shaken by the persuasion of ones from other schools. This indicates that they lack self-confidence and are easily misled.

With his achievement in having created the Pure Land, Monk Dharmakara circled, prostrated and reported to the Buddha, with palms together in a respectful and sincere manner. Not only was he respectful toward his teacher, but to all the Buddhas of the ten directions in the past, present and future as well.

Some people become arrogant as they learn more about Buddhism. What they really learned is not Buddhism, but delusion. All true practitioners of Buddhism have respect for their teachers. The relationship of teacher and student is like that of parent and child. Regardless of how much time the teacher spends with us, we shall never forget his or her kindness in helping to correct our faults, thus enabling us to cease doing bad deeds and to practice good ones. This is true education.

Monk Dharmakara reported his achievement to his teacher. The Buddha answered, "Excellent! Now is the time for you to speak it all and let living beings rejoice with you. You should also let the living beings hear such a Dharma and obtain great benefit. They should be able to practice the cultivation, gather themselves in your Buddhaland and fulfill the measureless great vows of Buddhas and those living beings" (Infinite Life Sutra).

Buddha Lokesvararaja and Monk Dharmakara portrayed the best role models for teacher and student. When this student's vows surpassed those of his teacher, the former showed neither resentment nor jealousy but praised his student's accomplishment and sent his other students to learn from him. From this, we can see the depth of Buddha Lokesvararaja's sincerity and unselfishness.

Every Buddha's objective is for all sentient beings to become Buddhas as soon as possible. Yet, the karmic obstacles of sentient beings are so great that they block themselves from attaining Buddhahood.

The Western Pure Land created by Buddha Amitabha provides the best opportunity to become a Buddha, for those with great karmic obstacles

The true meaning of great benefit is to equally enable all sentient beings of the nine realms of all Buddha lands of the ten directions to gain true liberation. This is not only the fundamental vow of Buddha Amitabha, but of all Buddhas.