THE FOUR TYPES OF MIRACULOUS POWER IN THE HEART SUTRA
Master Jun Hong Lu: I will now offer you some insights into the Heart Sutra since it is a Buddhist scripture that all of you recite daily. As a matter of fact, the Heart Sutra carries a supremely important message that can be summed up as the ‘Heart’.
The “Heart” in this sutra encapsulates four types of power.
The first being the power of compassion – a type of divine power that Guan Yin Bodhisattva and every compassionate human being possess.
Take a look around you, a compassionate person is capable of overcoming all types of troubles and worries in life. When you are nice and compassionate towards others, you possess a type of extraordinary power known as the divine power of compassion.
The second power is the power of wisdom. Which Bodhisattva embodies great wisdom? It is Manjushri Bodhisattva, please bear this in mind. Wisdom can be found within the Heart Sutra.
The third power within the Heart Sutra is the power of the dharma. All Bodhisattvas have the power of the dharma and among Them, who has the most immense power of the dharma? It is Samantabhadra Bodhisattva. The power of practice is essentially the power of the dharma.
Last but not least, it is the power of vow. Which Bodhisattva embodies the power of vow? It is Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.
This is how marvellous the word “Heart” within the Heart Sutra is. It is just one word but within which embeds four types of miraculous power. Hence, those who frequently recite the Heart Sutra will have power – an immense power to be exact.
Through the Heart Sutra, Guan Yin Bodhisattva is essentially urging us to understand our minds because without which, the ordinary beings will commit negative karma in the midst of their afflictions, only having to endure the eventual untold suffering.
The Heart Sutra says,
“Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, when practising the perfection of Prajna Paramita, He clearly sees that the Five Aggregates are all empty, and thus He attains deliverance from all sufferings.”
This phrase is essentially telling us to know ourselves as encapsulated in the phrase “When you practise self-contemplation”.
Many people do not understand themselves; they do not even know what they are capable of doing.
Ironically, they want to have a finger in every pie, and even though none of their endeavours seems to be paying off, they are still so full of themselves.
This is why the Bodhisattva urges us to practise self-contemplation so that we can first gain an insight into our inner self. If you don’t even understand yourself, how do you even gain self-deliverance?
Do you think there are many Buddhist practitioners who are able to correct their shortcomings? Why do they still struggle in their effort to mend their ways?
When making the vows, they think they are in control of themselves, and implore, “Bodhisattva, I hereby vow to…” Why is it that they break their vows soon after? This is because they simply do not understand themselves.
When a shortcoming has become deeply ingrained, it would be a challenge to get rid of it. It would take more than the mere act of kneeling before the Bodhisattva and uttering, “I must mend my ways”.
It is therefore important for Buddhist practitioners to practise self-contemplation.
That is why the Bodhisattva wants us to first know ourselves as only then, we can gain self-deliverance. The Buddha wants us to understand ourselves first before attempting to understand sentient beings, and this is how the Buddha saves sentient beings.
Look inwardly and assess where you fall short of the ideal, what you need to foster before taking the necessary steps to make it up. This is what it means by ‘to teach the dharma according to the learner’s aptitude’. This also highlights the importance of first understanding yourself before you can understand others.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism In Plain Terms (Audio), Episode 25
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