The wonderful functions of the Buddha-dharma are the effective methods, concepts and actions taken by Buddhas and Bodhisattva to spiritually awaken sentient beings. To awaken people, you need to have methods – and wonderful methods are even more appreciated. For example, I make use of modern-day technologies like radio broadcasts and the internet to promote Buddhism. Those who are exposed to these platforms can start learning about Buddhism and reciting Buddhist scriptures. Once they get started, they experience their prayer being answered.
Let me share a story with you. Once, there was a son who was very disrespectful towards his mother. Whenever the mother saw her son, she quivered with fear. But this son believed in Buddhism. One day, he prayed to the Bodhisattvas and wished for them to bless him and show their divine presence.
To his surprise, Guan Yin Bodhisattvas answered his prayer and said: “In fact, Guan Yin Bodhisattva is already in your house. It is the person who wears their clothes inside out and their shoes on the wrong feet. Just pray to that person.” He hurried back to his house to check. When he reached the front door, he shouted and knocked impatiently on the door.
Upon hearing his voice, his mum was so frightened that she accidentally put her clothes on inside out and her shoes on the wrong feet before rushing to open the door. When the door opened, her son was stunned but quickly realised what had happened. He understood the message of Guan Yin Bodhisattva. The Bodhisattva wanted him to show greater care and respect towards his mother before praying to the Bodhisattvas. At that moment, given what he had done, the son lacked even the basic qualifications for praying to the Bodhisattvas. That’s why it’s so important to understand the moral of the story.
Merit and virtue requires constantly seeing your inherent nature, letting your inherent nature dwell permanently, and realising the wonderful functions of the Buddha-nature. Remember, applying the Buddha-nature in everyday life is merit and virtue. Also remember: for any good deeds to become merit and virtue, you must do them with your Buddha-nature.
Another way to understand merit and virtue is through the Buddha of inherent nature. Indeed, our inherent nature is Buddha. To witness the Buddha means to see and confirm that it is the Buddha. To visualise the Buddha means to constantly think of the Buddha, and then you are the Buddha. To apply the Buddha means to thoroughly apply the philosophy of Buddha to do everything in your daily life. Then, it is merit and virtue.
During the Dharma Talk or Buddhist conference, every benevolent deed is meritorious. For example, if you help people to the extent that you forget about yourself, people will see you as a Bodhisattva – as will you. At this moment, your merit and virtue are boundless.
“Understand the mind and awaken”. If a person says, “I’ve awakened”, then they have in fact not truly awakened. People who have truly awakened will never claim that they have. People who truly understand will not say that they understand. “Understanding the mind and awakening” isn’t true awakening – their “awakening” is merely theoretical. Conceptually, they understand the truth of everything in the universe.
However, without any practical use for this idea, they remain unawakened. Even if you understand that this world is illusory and empty by nature, and you understand the concept of awakening, have you truly applied the concept in your daily life? If you are to help more people become free from suffering by grasping the concept, and you tell people about what you have awakened to as fast as you can, then you are a Bodhisattva.
But if you understand, but you’re still not willing to tell others about it nor help to spiritually awaken others, can you say that you truly understand? Can you call this awakening? True awakening is about practical action and application. That’s known as “understanding the mind and seeing one’s nature”.
The application of awakening must be done with equality. What I mentioned earlier was about the equality of understanding. Now, I am telling you that one must apply awakening. If you believe that the idea of learning Buddhism is not equitable, then you won’t apply it well. For example, if someone has money but you don’t, you will feel that you are not equal. But with this sense of inequality, you can’t practise and apply equality effectively.
On the outside, practising etiquette and politeness, and speaking in a refined and cultivated manner, is virtue. On the inside, it’s about being understandable and humble. From the inside to out, your inner humility, your outer courtesy, and your decent behaviour based on your understanding constitute merit and virtue.
Bodhisattva said: “Your own nature establishing innumerable dharmas is merit.” Indeed, your inherent nature is built upon the foundation of innumerable dharmas. All of your behaviour, your actions and your speech in the Human Realm are called “innumerable dharmas”. In other words, if your inherent nature is found in all of your behaviour, action and speech, then you have merit. All dharmas stem from the manifestation of the inherent nature. In particular, all Buddhist practices, and also all behaviours, such as walking, standing, sitting, lying down, or thinking – all the good as well as all of the bad – are manifestations of your inherent nature. But why do they end up being no good? It’s because they have been contaminated by defilements after experiencing countless rebirths over a long period of time, which happened gradually and unconsciously. That’s why there are karmic obstacles.
Everything in the world is the manifestation of the Buddha-nature. Specifically, everything in the world, including all physical and mental phenomenon, is the evolvement of the Buddha-nature. If you can perceive everything in this world as the Buddha-nature, then you have become Buddha.
For example, right now as you sit here, you show gratitude towards Heaven and earth for giving you a chair. You are listening to the Master’s lecture, and you show gratitude towards Guan Yin Bodhisattva for giving you a Master to guide you in your practice of Buddhism. When you return home and unite with your family and become in harmony with one another, you show gratitude towards Guan Yin Bodhisattva for blessing you with such a great family.
You perceive everything to be a manifestation of the Buddha-nature, and everything is bestowed by Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Be grateful. If you can view everything in the world as possessing the Buddha-nature or being a manifestation of the Buddha-nature, then you are a Buddha or Bodhisattva.