Next, I want to discuss the concept of the “present moment” with you all. Many esteemed Dharma Masters frequently use the term “present moment,” which means immediacy or the ‘here and now.’ It calls for immediate cultivation of the mind, an instant commencement of learning Buddhism, and the immediate undertaking of meritorious deeds. Harness all your energy to rectify past wrongdoings, including karmic obstructions from past lives.
The Sixth Patriarch once said: The past is unobtainable, the present is unobtainable, and the future is unobtainable. You must seize the present moment. Everything that has passed is unattainable. Weren’t there times of happiness in our past? Indeed, there were. Weren’t there times when we were young, attractive, influential, and wealthy? Yes, but those times have passed; they are no longer attainable. If one continually dwells on the past, they are regressing. Therefore, regardless of what you’re doing, you must look forward. The future is unobtainable because it hasn’t arrived yet. How can you grasp something that’s not here? If you can’t even hold onto the present, how can you hope to obtain the future? The past and future are unobtainable; you must seize the present. That is, you should engage in meaningful activities right now. I’ve guided you to do many meaningful activities, such as performing life liberation, making vows, reciting sutras, organising Dharma Talks to awaken and liberate sentient beings, etc. Wouldn’t you agree that these are meaningful actions?
In learning Buddhism and the Dharma, it’s essential to cultivate a pure mind and seize the present moment. Understand that the past is irretrievable; no matter how often you reminisce, it cannot fill the void in your present. If you’re continuously dwelling on the past, you are, in fact, regressing. Those who regress never find a way forward; they live amidst suffering.
Seizing the present means acknowledging the here and now, where you can truly make a difference. If you’re currently struggling to make ends meet, yet talking about purchasing savings insurance for a potential future windfall, is that realistic? Practising Buddhism requires an emphasis on the present moment. Begin your learning immediately and start amending your bad habits right away. Consequently, your current negative karmic obstructions will become part of the past, lightening your burden. However, even the past is unattainable, and past karmic obstructions were never necessary. So, we should let go as early as possible; it’s unattainable!
Beginning with Shakyamuni Buddha, the Dharma has been transmitted in silence, a process known as silent or esoteric transmission. The teachings that I am currently passing on to you are, in essence, a form of silent transmission. Now I am giving Dharma Talks to disciples. When many of the Buddhist friends who have awakened through following my teachings, they too can draw nourishment from these teachings and share the Dharma with their own disciples. Shakyamuni Buddha had a senior disciple named Mahakasyapa. Shakyamuni Buddha passed the Dharma to him. From him, the teachings were passed from generation to generation, culminating in the twenty-eighth Patriarch, Bodhidharma. Bodhidharma, too, transmitted teachings silently, in a one-to-one fashion, a process known as transmitting from an ’empty mind’ to an ’empty mind’.
What does ’empty mind’ to ’empty mind’ mean? As I’ve mentioned before, only when your mind is empty can you truly accept what others offer you. If your mind is cluttered, how can you accommodate anything new? It’s similar to a storage room; only when it’s empty can new goods be placed inside. If the storage room is full, how can you fit in new items? Transmission from mind to mind signifies the process of using one’s mind to transmit this ‘mind’. First and foremost, the mind must be empty to accept this Dharma and to accept the Buddha. Remember, you can truly learn the Buddha-dharma and achieve enlightenment only after you’ve emptied yourself.
The individual transmitting the Dharma should possess a similar understanding to the recipient, meaning their perspectives and viewpoints should align. Only then can they truly awaken the other person. In Buddhist terms, this is referred to as “mental action” – the behaviours of the mind between you and me should be similar. For instance, you have faith in me today, you believe in the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and you come to listen to my Dharma Talk. If you didn’t trust me, how could I convey the Dharma to you? If there’s a divergence, the Dharma can’t be transmitted. If a person’s thinking is not aligned with yours, you can’t transmit the Dharma to them. If you insist on sharing the Dharma and they don’t believe, it could lead to harm and trouble for you. This can be likened to religions that solicit followers on the streets; people may react negatively and speak ill of them, which hurts the people who spread their faiths.
When the minds and mental actions align between two people, and they share a kind heart, one can transmit the Buddha-dharma to the other, thus forming an affinity with Buddhism. They, in turn, can accept the transmitted Buddha-dharma and Buddhist affinity. This is called heart-to-heart resonance. However, if the Dharma being transmitted does not resonate with the recipient’s heart, the transmission becomes pointless and unbeneficial. It provides no benefits and serves no purpose; it’s akin to talking to a brick wall. No matter how long you talk, it is of no use if the other party is neither listening nor accepting.
The propagation of the Buddha-dharma must be based on the principle of silent transmission, implying a tacit agreement. Silent transmission is an understanding between you and me, known without needing to be expressly stated, that we both recgonise the importance of learning Buddhism, and only then can I transmit the Buddha-dharma to you. The most effective methods for transmission, both currently and in the future, are those that quickly awaken and liberate others.
There are two main methods of Dharma transmission today: one is broad transmission, using modern internet and communication tools; the other is narrow transmission, passing it on one person at a time. When you share the Dharma with your friends or family, isn’t it done one by one? Given the limited time, we must employ all manner of clever means to help awaken others, including the use of supernormal power that can quickly convince people.
Let me share with you another means of Dharma transmission: if you bring someone with Buddha-nature to a Buddhist temple, and if there are Bodhisattvas present, everyone will be bowing. Encourage them to bow as well. After they bow, the Bodhisattvas will bestow blessings upon them. Why do many people who initially don’t believe in Buddhism suddenly believe after attending my Dharma Talk? It’s because there’s a resonance within them, leading to belief. One’s energy field can be influenced by others. If everyone is bowing, it can encourage belief. This is primarily due to the surrounding energy field affecting them and the inner blessings of the Bodhisattvas that inspire their belief.
Let me conclude by saying that everyone aspires to become a sage or a Bodhisattva, and in reality, it’s quite straightforward. In plain terms, according to Buddhist teachings, one needs to reduce their desires to the minimum and elevate their rationality to the maximum. This essentially means controlling your desires and uplifting your reasoning and principles to the utmost level – this is what defines a sage.
For example, a person who can remain undisturbed during a catastrophe is demonstrating control over their rationality. People who always put themselves in others’ shoes and consider others’ needs are compassionate. If you constantly approach matters from the perspective of others, thinking about their needs, then you embody compassion. Many people fail to understand compassion because they’ve never put others’ needs before their own – they think, “I’m angry,” “I’m upset,” “I’m uncomfortable.” Such people lack a compassionate heart.
You must learn to think from other people’s perspectives, to embody the profound compassion of Guan Yin Bodhisattva. As practitioners cultivating our minds, we must always view afflictions as positive conditions that propel us forward, transforming our troubles into conditions that encourage our drive for progress.
