Let me share with you a few tips for reciting Buddhist scriptures under specific circumstances:
1. When contemplating emptiness, refrain from thinking about any individual or situation. Keeping your mind at peace is essential. It’s crucial to maintain a serene mindset. If you are not in a positive mindset, you should recognise it’s only temporary. A sense of calm should always be present in your heart. For example, if you currently harbour strong resentment towards someone, remind yourself to stay calm, avoid dwelling on the negative, and focus on reciting the Buddhist scriptures. This approach will help your mind find tranquillity.
2. When you’re feeling very angry, there’s a technique for reciting sutras. If your anger is overwhelming and you can’t suppress it, I have a method for you. At such times, you can recite the sutra as if Bodhisattva were listening. Consider, for example, a primary school teacher who instructs students to read aloud in class; the teacher wants to listen to them, right? Similarly, Bodhisattva taught us these scriptures and asked us to recite them—wouldn’t Bodhisattva want to hear? When you believe that Bodhisattva is listening to your sutra recital, you will naturally calm down and recite earnestly. It’s like when we work; we perform better when someone is observing us. I always feel joy when I hear someone reciting sutras. The act of reciting can create a connection of energies—the energy field when you’re reciting and that of Guan Yin Bodhisattva can link. So when you’re really angry, you might recite sutras for Bodhisattva to hear, but ensure that there’s no resentment in your heart when reciting. If you continue to harbour hate while reciting and your intentions aren’t pure, your recital won’t be effective. In such a case, you can only recite loudly, using your voice to mask your anger.
3. When reciting sutras while angry, if you don’t vocalise, it can harm your blood, as your flow of energy (Qi) and blood is already disrupted. Anger is an indication of disrupted Qi and blood flow. In such circumstances, it’s best to vocalise, and it’s okay for your voice to be loud. This is similar to many people who tend to speak louder when they’re upset. Once they’ve spoken, the problem is often resolved; essentially, this is a way of releasing all pent-up energy. Why don’t I recommend you recite loudly? Because reciting sutras requires the movement of both Qi and blood, not just the Qi moving while the blood remains still. If everything is suppressed within, it means that the blood is moving, but the Qi isn’t. Therefore, both Qi and blood should be in motion. In traditional Chinese medicine, a “Qi and blood deficiency” refers to poor regulation of the body and mind. Thus, understanding how to harmonise Qi and blood is essential when reciting sutras.
4. When reciting sutras while angry, you should also be repenting. Without vocalising, say in your heart: “May Guan Yin Bodhisattva bless me, bless me…” This is crucial.
The Dharma body of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, like the Thousand-Hand, Thousand-Eye manifestation of Guan Yin Bodhisattva that you perceive, is significant. Even if it’s not the true Dharma body in the Buddha realm, the Bodhisattva’s Dharma body can still enter your soul. From another perspective, the Dharma bodies of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and the Master can enter your dreams during both day and night. The Bodhisattva’s Dharma body can assist you in dreams and frequently communicate with you. The Dharma body is colourless and odourless, existing as an energy field composed of supermaterial particles.
This Dharma body is a kind of energy body that arises from a remarkably pure process. For instance, during Qigong practice, something resembling a cloud or fog may arise from the Qigong practitioner’s body – this is what we refer to as energy. At our Dharma assemblies, when you see a golden glow coming from my head, it’s a manifestation of this energy body, often referred to as the Buddha’s light.
The Dharma body of the Buddha is omnipresent, transcending the constraints of time and space. They can be wherever they wish, just as I can be in your home whenever I choose. However, to truly visit your home, there needs to be a reason or a karmic connection. This connection forms when you pray to the Bodhisattva, as the Bodhisattva answers the calls of those who seek their help.
Let’s talk about the Dharma voice of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. What is the Dharma voice? It is when you can frequently hear my teachings or when the Bodhisattva speaks to you – this is known as the Dharma voice. The Dharma voice doesn’t fade with the passage of time, and the Bodhisattva does not cease to exist in the absence of the Dharma voice at any given moment. The Dharma body is not confined by time and space, and it can traverse these dimensions to enter another space.
Both the Dharma body and Dharma voice are attributes of the Bodhisattva. When you’re deeply immersed in promoting Buddhism and speak with genuine sincerity, you might feel as though you’re beyond your usual self. You might think, “How did I articulate such profound wisdom and theory?” After sharing the Dharma and guiding others, upon reflection, you might wonder, “Were those words truly mine? How did I convey my message so eloquently? Why were my expressions so profound?” In truth, during these moments, the Bodhisattva is bestowing blessings upon you.
Remember, the more you help enlighten and liberate others, the more prevalent and enduring your Dharma voice becomes. On the other hand, if you help others less, your Dharma voice diminishes. Those who frequently share the Dharma and guide others will often sense the Bodhisattva speaking softly in their ears. However, those who aren’t as engaged won’t hear the Bodhisattva’s voice. For individuals who consistently practise and cultivate their minds, their Dharma appearance or characteristics can be maintained — this signifies the enduring characteristics of the Bodhisattva. Conversely, those who rarely recite scriptures or pray to the Buddha will, over time, lose their Dharma appearance, devoid of even a trace of the Bodhisattva’s characteristics. It’s vital to remember these principles.
The voice that harmonises with the Way of the Buddha. Whether it’s the Dharma voice or the Dharma body, true suchness will form from it. True suchness means absolute truth. When your Dharma voice and Dharma body evolve into a state of true suchness, the genuine image of the Bodhisattva emerges. We should all have an unsurpassed aspiration, or power of vow, to show compassion to all sentient beings and to help them attain enlightenment and liberation. This unsurpassed power of vow might manifest as a vow like: “Guan Yin Bodhisattva, I wish to assist all beings in achieving enlightenment. I’m dedicated to guiding all those with whom I share a karmic connection, even beyond my own life—I’ll continue to aid in the enlightenment and liberation of all beings.” This is known as an unsurpassed vow-power. Do you possess this ability? No, one can only emulate the spirit of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
As long as you possess the power of vow, you should strive to fulfil it. The power of vow is crucial; it can propel you forward and serves as the foundation for realising all your worldly causes and conditions—it essentially represents your energy. If a person aims to achieve something but fails, it suggests their foundation isn’t solid enough. So, how do you establish this foundational strength that allows you to realise your aspirations in the Human Realm? It’s straightforward—it comes from your regular acts of merit and virtue. The more diligently you accumulate merit and virtue, the sturdier your foundation becomes. At that point, your wishes tend to materialise. Keep in mind, the more merit and virtue you accrue, the more likely your wishes will come to fruition. If you face a problem you can’t overcome, it signifies that your spiritual power, merit and virtue are insufficient.
People need to adapt as times change. Why is there a concept of “Heaven, Earth, and Human”? Why is it that a name change only becomes effective after its official documentation through application? One shouldn’t alter their name too frequently. Changing it excessively can result in complications in one’s later years, such as the soul departing their body or becoming incomplete, increasing susceptibility to dementia or depression, given the soul’s potential to drift. In the Human Realm, a name is merely symbolic. This can be likened to the common saying that life is a journey. Only in Heaven and the Underworld does a name hold true significance. We must value ourselves and think based on our inherent nature. The primary difference between humans and animals is our orientation: humans stand with their heads facing Heaven and feet anchored to the earth, while animals have their backs to the sky. Only humans stand tall in this manner, which is why Buddhist teachings emphasise the rarity and value of being born in a human form.
Next, I’d like to delve into the ‘Dharma of association’. Within Buddhism, there are numerous Dharmas and a plethora of Dharma Doors (approaches or methods). While the ‘Dharma of association’ isn’t its own standalone Dharma Door, it’s a valuable approach to practising Buddhism. What exactly is this ‘Dharma of association’? It’s the practice of addressing situations when they arise and leaving them be if they don’t. Take dreaming, for instance. The idea is to turn the dream into truth correspondingly, perceiving the dream’s realms as real. Turning a dream into truth means treating your dream as a tangible experience and putting it into practice. Many people relish their dreams, and rightly so, as dreams can provide profound insights. As I’ve previously mentioned, numerous inventors and scientists have based their breakthroughs on dreams; they dream, then action those dreams, culminating in success. The notion of ‘dreams becoming reality’ encapsulates this principle: convert the dream into something tangible and apply it. The Dharma of association is about turning the dream into truth and making use of it.
All characteristics or marks are unattainable. Despite our previous discussion, it’s crucial to remember that all these marks, whether in dreams or the Human Realm, remain unattainable. Don’t hold onto them; instead, utilise them without seeking to capture them indefinitely. For instance, if you have a nightmare, draw from it. You might say to me, “Master, I had such a dream,” and I’d then guide you on the next steps. If you obsess over your nightmare, constantly reflecting on it, you might soon find yourself enveloped by that very dream. Therefore, when dreaming, the goal isn’t to own the dream but to utilise it.
All marks are unattainable, and we should cultivate the truth within an illusory realm. Aren’t dreams illusions? They seem both real and unreal at once. When you wake up, the dream vanishes, doesn’t it? Isn’t that your own illusion? Cultivating truth within an illusion works like this: imagine you dreamt of eating meat and upon waking think, “Oh no, I can’t eat meat; I’m vegetarian.” The dream may be illusory, but upon waking, you realise a truth – you failed the dream’s test by eating meat. This embodies cultivating truth in an illusory realm. In another scenario, if a ghost tries to seize you in a dream, but you immediately start reciting Buddhist scriptures, thereby overpowering the ghost, then you’re already cultivating truth within the illusion. If you can recall Guan Yin Bodhisattva in your dream, think of her, and chant sutras or mantras, then you’re genuinely cultivating truth within that illusion. If you can remember Guan Yin Bodhisattva in your dreams, surely, at life’s end, you’ll recall Guan Yin Bodhisattva too. If your soul remembers Guan Yin Bodhisattva, she will surely guide you to Heaven. Many people, when trapped in a nightmarish dream, suddenly think of Guan Yin Bodhisattva, begin performing recitations, and then wake up. This act represents cultivating truth through illusion.
Life in this world resembles an illusory dream; nothing is permanent. Hence, we should utilise this Human Realm to cultivate our true nature. In our next session, I’ll delve further into the supportive power of the Dharma of association.