Generosity - Sharing the Dharma with Family & Friends

          Up to this point, we've discussed the first paramita of generosity.

          Donating materials or money when it is given deeply from the heart greatly contributes to our overall happiness and well-being as well as to those around us.

           We also learned about seven special ways that we can give for free on a daily basis. Here's a little recap:

Seven Good Deeds that Don't Cost Anything

1.) Having a kind, warm look in our eyes

2.) Smiling as best we can authentically

3.) Speaking with compassion & using the gentlest wordings

4.) Lending a hand & using our physical efforts to help people

5.) Expressing our gratitude with feeling & showing respect to others

6.) Giving up our seat or letting someone else go first

7.) Sharing a meal or opening up our home for someone who is in distress

          And lastly, we found out that we get the most of our donations and kind acts when we give them wisely in each of the Three Fields: Those We Respect, Those We're Grateful Toward, and Those in Desperate Need of Compassion.

          Now moving forward, the second category of generosity is Sharing the Teachings of Buddhism. This means to share what you've learned from the Dharma with the people of your life. 

          Giving the gift of Buddhism is in itself the very best way we can practice and give kindness. And now thanks to modern technology, we can even conveniently share it with anyone online!

          As we ourselves continue to listen to Buddhism, we learn more and more about who we really are gradually. Often times what we find out about ourselves can be very difficult to come to accept.

          But if we endeavor to push forward and keep seeking, we can and will attain absolute happiness -- all at once in just one split-second moment -- and, simultaneously discover our True Self at the same time.

Original Graphic by Paul Inkles available on Flickr.com

          Our purpose in life is to successfully obtain this once-in-a-lifetime experience of "WOW!" for ourselves and to then live on in gratitude and celebration of achieving eternal happiness. 

          We were born as human beings for the sole purpose of experiencing this blissful feeling like none other. In, Buddhism, it is also known as the Path of No Hindrance. 

          We guide others toward obtaining this spiritual liberation by sharing the Buddha's teachings with kindly words and comforting smiles. Our personal opinions and objections get placed aside when we share. We hold back our own desires to make quick value judgements or to share personal opinions. Priority is given to the guidance that is found within the teachings in order to help others find the right way. 

          To share Buddhism with others effectively, we must first learn how to truly listen to others deeply. We have to carefully understand and examine the other person's state of mind and condition before we begin sharing the Dharma. 

          By listening to others fully, we gain wisdom and learn about situations that we ourselves might face in the future. 

Original Comic by James Clayton available on Flickr.com

           Sharing Buddhism also develops our own capacity to have patience and compassion.

          Now the importance behind why we seek after the teachings is that we are facing a grave problem... literally. 

           There is only a limited amount of time for us here on Earth, and precious time is constantly ticking away night and day. All of us have this very crucial matter of mortality to face and solve, all while we're still alive.

         The teachings of Buddhism reveal to us a truth that is very difficult to hear or find anywhere else addressed in this same way. One Buddhist master by the name of Shinran used these words, "This world is as fleeting and unstable as a burning house." This doesn't paint a pretty picture for where we live.

          Though there is something we can all do about it, many of us choose to ignore the problem and put it off to some other time. Yet the thing we procrastinate the most about is our own impending death.

           Even when we hear about death occurring on the news, we all keep trying to live life to the fullest despite what we hear. We want to remain ignorant that death is coming up for us too. We sweep that problem under the rug for as long as we can, out of sight and out of mind. 

            But the more we try to run and hide, the more we come to find that all those worldly pursuits of happiness we fight so hard for every single day... keep letting us down again and again.  

             It's because all those worldly pleasures aren't capable of lasting in the first place.

             If we just pursue the good times relentlessly and do achieve fame and fortune, we are still inching closer and closer to the final moment of death. Ignorance is not bliss in the long run. Death happens suddenly and without notice to every person on the planet.

            We never know when that last moment will strike for us. But it's really coming for me one day, and it's really coming one day for you too. It is scary. I know.

             That's exactly why sharing Dharma is thus the most precious gift we can offer ourselves or others while our life force still remains strong. Being born a human being gives us this tremendous opportunity to uncover our True Self. Knowing who we are is a kind of bliss that we've never known for uncountable aeons past. Now, finally, we can obtain it.

But with more than 7,000 sutras to study, this is no easy task.

               That's why it's so important for us to find a good teacher who can guide our understanding of the Buddha's words. By observing and listening to true Buddhist teachers directly at a Buddhist center, you can learn about the Dharma in the best way.

          Then when you decide to share Buddhism on your own, you can invite the people closest to you over to your home for a spiritual chat. Here and there, you can bring up Buddhism in conversation whenever and wherever you feel that it is comfortable to do so. If you want to form a study group, you can hold a talk at a library, cafe, or public space that is suitable for study.

           When Buddhism becomes a big part of your life, it is because you are moved deeply to discover your purpose of life. You realize that there is this very grand endeavor we all have in our lives. We are all born for this reason. 

          And then when you attain it and feel that true happiness inside yourself, you can't just keep such a profound feeling of peacefulness all to your lonesome. If you actually find the meaning of life, you must of course share that wisdom with all your family, friends, and loved ones. And the world even!

          Imagine for a moment that you go to a very delicious and famous Italian restaurant. You order a pizza there, but up until your first bite, you couldn't believe all those rave reviews you read online. "No pizza can taste that delicious," you think to yourself. But everyone kept going on and on about how wonderful the pizza tastes there. It makes you start to wonder. But you can't really know whether that pizza is delicious or not until you actually go there, order it, and take a bite.

Original Photo by Ragdoll available on Flickr.com

  

         That first mouthful represents that split-second moment that reveals to you just how great the flavor really is! Wow!

           The first thing you'd do is spread the word to all your friends, "Hey, you gotta go to this pizza place and try it! I'm serious. I thought all the people were exaggerating, but now I know better. You won't believe how good it is until you try it."

           You'd want everybody to share in the same wonderful experience you just had. Likewise, when we experience a real sense of contentment from the wisdom of the Buddha's teachings, we also can't wait to share that joy we found with those closest to us.

            Sharing Buddhism begins with finding one person -- YOURSELF!

           Once you begin to discover more about your True Self, you will develop a stronger karmic connection with Buddhism. Over time, you will then naturally develop a wish to share with others. But it's totally up to you and your own discretion.

           If you do talk to your family and friends about the Dharma, you will find out all the little gaps in your own understanding. (I'm still learning every day even as I try to write this blog.)

           Sharing Buddhism with others begins by talking wholeheartedly with just one person at a time. Even though there are so many people in the world in desperate need of the truth, the spread of truth begins patiently and accurately with one person. We give our all to them and share as best we can in each lesson. By focusing on teaching to this one individual, gradually our knowledge base and experience will expand, and we can be able to share with larger groups.

            It's very important to have empathy for the feelings of those who follow a different sect of Buddhism or a different religion altogether. Learn from them as well as teach them. But keep in mind that every religion or spiritual group has its own different idea about where our path in life leads. Sometimes, putting it all together and finding the right one can be confusing. But this is an important task you must decide for yourself.

Original Photo by EnKayTee available on Flickr.com

          At the beginning, we are still making up our minds, and we may need time to find our exact spiritual direction. But when we know that we wish to dedicate ourselves and follow the Pure Land path, we then become mindful of continuing on the course that is taught so we can reach the finish line as soon as possible.

           We want in our hearts to bring everyone toward happiness, but ultimately the choice is up to every person to make. Teach with the most energy to those open-minded persons who express a real thirst for the teachings.

           Remember, the Dharma is not something that can be forced or pushed onto someone. Each person must find the truth at their pace. We can only wish in our hearts that everyone obtain absolute happiness quickly.

            And when teaching, it's better to find a person's question accurately from a Buddhist teacher than to answer incompletely or in a round-about kind of way. You may be answering incorrectly if you do so. We must guide people in the right direction, first and foremost.

            That's why we make our best effort to encourage others to visit a Pure Land Buddhist center. This is the best place for us to directly learn the teachings. Once there, we can learn in the best way how to share the teachings. By visiting a Buddhist center or meeting with Buddhist friends, we can all find the answers to our innermost questions together.

           It's been said that, "Material weath may be treasure for a lifetime, but the Dharma is a treasure for all eternity." Money and possessions can only bring us temporary pleasure while we're alive in this world. Once we die, we must leave behind all our treasures, our possessions, and... even our loved ones. We must go it all alone.

        This sad fact is what makes death so very difficult and painful for all of us. This world is the only home we've come to know. At death, we must leave with nothing.

        For all these reasons, death is our most crucial matter to solve. It's also why a sensitivity to the nature of how all things are impermanent is essential in Buddhism.

         Without this inclination, people remain focused only on the pleasures of life until they get old, sick, or die. People worry a great deal about having enough money for their retirements, but that's only an issue if you live that long. Old age is not guaranteed. Death is what's certain.

Original Photo by ~C4Chaos ~C4無秩序 available at Flickr.com

          Having a keen sense of impermanence drives us to make continual efforts toward studying the teachings. It pushes us to listen more carefully so that we can find out once and for all who we really are on this journey... BEFORE it's too late and death comes knocking for us.

          Even if we forget all about our own death and become overly consumed with worldly desires, we will still lose those closest to us sooner or later. And so we are reminded again but in a way that hits us so deeply we can't deny it any longer.

         It has been said that we cry the most at funerals because we're crying two times -- once for the person who has left us, and once for ourselves because we too must go one day. 

"Ties in this world last only for a time.

We are husband and wife,

 

parent and child

for a short period only.

Once this reality sinks in,

we cannot help treasuring

each moment

of our brief association."

-Takamori Kentetsu

          Listening to Buddhism leads us toward finally attaining our one and only purpose in this life, to attain that everlasting, constant, thriving joy inside us. It's not something we get after we die. We must discover it in this lifetime while we're still alive. 

         Once we have finished this momentous accomplishment of life, we simultaneously discover our eternal self at long last. For it is only when we know ourselves that we can be truly happy.

          The gift of Buddhist truth is the most precious gift of all because it has the power to dispel the darkness of our anxious minds surrounding the issue of where go in the afterlife. It clearly illuminates once and for all -- while still living -- what happens to us after this life fades away. Imagine the peace of mind knowing that.

          Once this wisdom is known to us with 100% certainty, we experience what's known in Buddhism as the level of true settlement. This level of true settlement is the 51st level of enlightenment. We live the remaining course of our natural lives still full of all the worldly passions that come with being human. But when one who has attained the level of true settlement dies, they are then granted Nirvana, or what known as the 52nd level of enlightenment. This is the highest level of enlightenment. 

          That's when we are reborn as a Buddha in a blissful world known as the Pure Land of Amida Buddha. Once there, we become a buddha. Then in our own time, we choose to leave the Pure Land and return to this suffering world and other worlds like it as buddhas in order to guide others to absolute happiness. Unlike humans, however, buddhas possess the faculties of perfect wisdom and compassion.

          It is through the Buddha's great wisdom that we are guided to understand, once and for all, the meaning of this unique, precious, often turbulent journey as a human being. We realize the true wonder behind being human. It's a blissful, shimmering experience that makes us want to yell from a mountaintop, "WOW! How wonderful and blessed I am to have been born human! I am the happiest person in the universe!"

            And even with this joyous expression, the fulfillment of such an absolute form of happiness cannot be fully described, for it is an experience which is beyond words and even human understanding.

            Once absolute truth is finally realized within us, the preciousness of Buddhist wisdom becomes completely crystal clear. That's when we know where we are going in the afterlife without a shadow of a doubt, and we know ourselves completely, through and through. 

Original Word Art by Celestine Chua available on Flickr.com

              Of all the wisdom out there, the teachings of Pure Land Buddhism are the very best gift we can provide to anyone, because these teachings contain within them the supreme truth that guides all humanity equally to absolute happiness without any discrimination whatsoever.

             So I wish to share with you now all the links and resources that have guided me thus far on my own quest. By learning deeply from this knowledge yourself, you will then be able to advise others freely as you wish.

***

MIRROR OF DHARMA BLOG

Of course, don't forget to promote this website, mirrorofdharma.org.

1.) Mirror of Dharma Blog Homepage

2.) Mirror of Dharma Google Plus Page

3.)  Mirror of Dharma Blog Facebook Page

4.) Mirror of Dharma Blog Twitter Page

                             This concludes the paramita of generosity. Check in next time when we move on to learn more about the rest of the Six Paramitas.

The Preciousness of Life

               The life we live can sure be hell sometimes. We go through family problems, money problems, health problems, relationship problems... the list seems to go on and on when we're facing tough times.

                 Yet even when things are going really great, we hear about natural disasters, mass killings, and international conflicts. We are never immune from worry it seems. Life can be so intense that at times it may seem just too much to handle, especially after a long day of struggling for your family or even just getting by yourself.

                 Then the creeping question of doubt arises... So why even go on? 

Original Photo by Beachcomber1954 available on Flickr.com

                 These are strong, yet stealthy words that too often end in tragedy.

                 When we get to this point, friends all chime in with the same old phrases that we should keep fighting the good fight, not give up, etc. But amidst so many personal hardships and global catastrophes, how can we really justify that life is always precious?

                   This can't be something we just blindly believe in, because if a tragedy strikes us at our very core and we lose what's dearest to us... we'll be the next ones wondering why we're alive. In a moment like that, "You can do it!" and "Hang in there!" will suddenly appear as blanket, empty expressions of naive reassurance.

                To be born a human being is a rare and wondrous experience we should feel extremely grateful for with every fabric of our being. 

                 But how can we truly know for sure?

                 Sakyamuni Buddha used a parable to put the value of human life into perspective for one of his followers in the Connected Agama Sutra.

***

                 One day Buddha asked his disciple Annan a question.

                  "What do you think about having been born human?"

                  "I feel extremely fortunate," said Annan.

                  "But how fortunate exactly?" asked the Buddha.

                   Annan was unable to answer, so the Buddha shared a story with him.

                   "At the bottom of a very vast ocean, there was once a blind turtle."

Original Photo by nsyll available on Flickr.com

                   "Once every 100 years, this blind turtle poked its head out of the water."

Original Photo by NOAA National Ocean Service available on Flickr.com

                   "Floating on the surface of the vast ocean was a log. In the middle of this log was a hole, just the size of the turtle's head. The log drifted with the wind in all directions.

Original Photo by Daniel P. Davis available on Flickr.com

                    "Annan, what are the chances that when that blind turtle came up, its head would go into the hole in the log?"

Original Photo by J. Michael Tracy available on Flickr.com

                    "Master, such a thing could hardly take place!"

                     "Would you say it was impossible?"

                      "Well, no..." replied Annan. "Perhaps that could happen once in uncountable trillions of years. It must be so rare it is next to impossible!"

                      "True," said the Buddha. "But Annan, for us to be born human is still more difficult than for that turtle to poke its head through the hole in the log!"

Original Photo by Jeffpro57 available on Flickr.com

***

                      Sakyamuni Buddha taught with this example that human life is rare and precious, but we can also look at biological examples right here on our own planet to get an idea.

                       Think about it, just how many different kind of life forms live on this earth?

                       In just the oceans and rivers, how many fish swim? Picture that just one sunfish can lay 300 million eggs at one time. And scientists have yet to count how many species of insects there are, making the actually number of them to be astronomical! We haven't even gotten to all the birds, reptiles, mammals...

                      So being born as a human is already very special for this planet, a unique experience unlike any other. And of all the billions of people, no two are exactly alike, not even twins. There's something mysterious about this, and it's something to be really thankful for!

                       When something is rare or valuable, we go to great lengths to protect it. That's why doctors, nurses, and ambulatory workers give up their holidays and work relentlessly around the clock to preserve human life. It's also why medical researchers develop technologies to help add years, days, and even minutes to people's lives.

                       Yet there are times when patients must endure excruciating treatments at this chance for more life, or family members must make critical decisions for their loved ones on life-assisting machines. If life is precious, one may begin to wonder what the meaning of living longer could be under such excruciating circumstances.

                        Others can have difficulty believing in the value of life at all and commit suicide, sometimes even taking others along with them. It is an extremely sad and painful reality for these people and the ones affected by such tragedies.

                         Only hearing how precious life is doesn't work when you're in such agony. When life becomes so miserable, one may wish to have never been born. Knowing how hard life is and to just carry on doesn't make it any easier. There must be some kind of solid reassurance that yields purpose or some hope that adds meaning to one's painful existence in order to move forward.

                        We cannot live in in doubt of finding true happiness. We need an answer now while we're alive. This is the life we find the answer, as human beings.

                         Some mistakenly believe that because of transmigration, this life is just part of the journey. They feel like they will get do-overs in their next lives, and as if death is just like a reset button on a video game. This is simply not the case. Death is not something to be taken so lightly.

                           If we don't discover the preciousness of life now, when can we?
 
                           Really think about this.

                           Sakyamuni Buddha taught that being human may be tough, but without having been born in this unique form we would not have had the chance to seek for a joy that never fades even in the face of death.

Human form is difficult to obtain;

Now I have already obtained it.

Buddhism is difficult to hear;

Now I have already heard it.

                        By encountering and listening to Buddhism, we learn the way to attain absolute happiness and thus accomplish our true purpose of life.

                         We are all born to achieve true happiness in this lifetime. This is why we must live on and endure whatever trials come along the way. It is the meaning of life that propels all of us to live on, even if we don't know or choose not to believe it.  

                         This incredible mission to discover ultimate happiness is what makes all our lives infinitely precious and every moment a shining opportunity of inestimable value. Each and everyone of us shares in this singular life purpose to obtain absolute happiness. 

                          That's why a single life outweighs the earth! 

                         Listen to the teachings with an open heart until you discover this form of abundant joy, this happiness that makes you always want to shout from deep within your spirit, "I'm so happy I'm a human being! I'm the happiest person alive in the universe!"

Gratitude to Parents

Question: Why do I have to care so much about my parents, especially if they were bad to me?


         Our parents brought us into this world, and we have them to thank for being alive. If our mothers hadn’t cared for us during pregnancy and endured child birth, we couldn't be here. We must be grateful for all the food and nourishment they provided us with. So many times they labored to keep us dry while getting wet themselves, and so often they cleaned away our filth when they didn’t want to put up with it anymore.

Original Photo by Micah Sittig available on Flickr.com

           Parents often endure a lot of hardship and save the best for the benefit of their sons and daughters. They can commit bad deeds they would never dream of, just to protect their kids and provide them with what they need. All these precious gifts can often go unnoticed as children go up. No matter how far away parents are, all parents still worry about their children, and that worry never ceases no matter how old they get.

       Yet when we are told to make sacrifices for our parents as they age, we often can't do so from the bottom of our hearts.

          The reason for this lack of true giving comes from the fact that we are suffering in our own lives at present. If we do not yet know the joy of being alive for ourselves, we can't thank our parents for giving birth to us.

           Some people in great emotional anguish may even think, "Actually, if my parents never brought me to this world, I would never have had to suffer this much." This is a very sad way to look at life, and it downplays everything your parents have done to raise you.

          People who commit suicide in essence are rebelliously defying their parents. They are holding a grudge against their very birth into this world. They show heavy resentment to their parents by thinking, "Why did you have to give birth to me? I didn't ask to be born."

           Parents may try to object and direct more attention to the hardships they have gone through for their children. "Look at all we've done for you. You should be grateful to us!" But a thankless child could fire back, "You both brought me into this world out of your own free will. I didn't ask you though. Did I?" This can progress even worse, "I wish I had never been born!!" With that being said, it becomes very difficult to debate any further. How could a parent respond back to that?

         Whether one can truly feel gratitude to one's parents or not depends on knowing the reason we were born. To find that reason is the purpose of life.

           If we do not know the reason we were born, then we will never fully understand why we have to be appreciative to our parents. Mom and Dad may have raised us with a lot of effort and sacrifice, but without knowing why we’re here, there is no concrete reason as to why we must be dutiful to our parents at all.

Original Photo by TimothyJ available on Flickr.com

          A Zen priest by the name of Ikkyu said that we live our lives day in and day out sleeping, waking up, eating, and using the bathroom. Likewise our lives go through many stages from child to adult. About this Ikkyu wrote, "A girl blossoms as a young woman, blooms as a bride, fades as a mother, and scatters as an old woman." Nowadays, women can of course choose to not marry or focus on career instead of raising children. But the point he was making is that we go through all these  phases of life only to fade away in old age. We have no idea of what’s next. Is death our destruction, and that’s all? According to Buddhism, it isn’t.

           If that were the case, it would render the value of human life to just a tiny bubble floating on a river. It would mean that those who are blessed in life with wealth and material things are just trying to make their bubble stronger or larger. But in time, their bubble will still burst for sure. Today, there are more than seven billion people on Earth. They are all like bubbles of various sizes destined to burst. A bubble can't expect to float forever. Then what is the point of living? Is it to only struggle for a better life as long as we can? Do we live to ignore the inevitable and just die? That can’t be it. There must be an answer.

            People are always worried about their retirements, 401k plans, and pensions. "Will I have enough to retire at 65?" These are only problems we deal with while we are still alive, but “what will happen after death?” No one makes an issue of this, yet it's in reality the most crucial matter there is. Science and medicine are trying so hard to keep the bubble from bursting, prolonging the inevitable for as long as possible. But why must a bubble that is bound to pop, have to float on or move forward at all? We must be born here for a reason.

            Our world is full of delusion and suffering. From time to time, we think to ourselves, "Why is it just me that has to suffer so much?" We see others as more happy than us, and think we are the only ones who must endure the worst suffering. As the expression goes, "the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence." We believe that weeds simply don't grow in our neighbor's perfectly manicured garden, and only we must toil at pulling out endless roots. We don't realize that all people are suffering in this same way.

            People with extreme feelings of desperation feel that life is unbearable when they compare themselves to others. Though science and medicine have made great progress, the issue of suicide remains a serious and troubling issue. In these cases, we may wonder, "Why did I have to be born? I didn't ask to be here." We find no gratitude to our parents for giving birth to us or raising us when we find life's pressures to be too impossible to bare. Yet Sakyamuni Buddha explained that we were not born to suffer. He said that in heaven above, earth below, we as human beings are born with a single and precious mission.

             So then what is that one and only purpose of life that we were born to fulfill? People tend to mistake the many way stations of life for the ultimate purpose of life. They include going to school, getting a job, marrying, forming a family, building a house. All these are means of living, and although they do help us carry on day-to-day, they are not the ultimate purpose of life.

              The purpose of life is to obtain absolute happiness. This kind of joy lasts for eternity and is clearly taught in the Larger Sutra of Infinite Life. There are many buddhas other than Sakyamuni in the universe, and this sutra teaches that through the promise of the master buddha, Amida Buddha, we can enter into a wondrous world of no hindrance while alive. Upon reaching this level of enlightenment, obstacles no longer stand in the way toward our birth as a buddha in the Pure Land, a place of utmost bliss where there is no suffering. To attain this never-ending form of happiness is why we were born human. (This will be explored at length in future posts.)

             If we would not have been born into the human world, we would have never had the opportunity to seek for this truth. By listening to the teachings of Buddhism, we can realize the great joy of being alive and for likewise grasp the debt of gratitude we owe to our parents.

Original Photo by stevendepolo available on Flickr.com

              You can tell young people today to look after their parents all you want, but it will fall on deaf ears if the kids don't know why they're alive. Whether we feel truly grateful to our parents or not depends on whether we have realized the joy of being alive as a human being for ourselves in the here and now.

              Our bubbles will burst some day unexpectedly. And yet we live with all our might looking away from it... to what end? Then what should we really do with this short, temporal life? Morals and ethics do not even begin to answer this fundamental question of why we were born. Whether we can make full use of morals and ethics depends on whether we find true, lasting happiness -- right now in this very moment. In Buddhism, there is a concrete reason to why we're here. It's to attain absolute happiness!!!

               Once we accomplish this joyous purpose of life, we marvel at how wonderful it is that we were born human! Naturally, we feel grateful to our parents who brought us to this world. We will realize why our lives, like tiny bubbles that are bound to burst, are so infinitely precious. Simultaneously, we can't help but to make efforts in fulfilling the debt of gratitude that we owe our parents.

                After all, without being born into this world and listening to the teachings of Buddhism, how else could we experience the everlasting joy that makes us shout, "This is why I was born human! How glad I am with the way I've lived my life. I'm the most blessed being alive on Earth!" Please continue to listen seriously to the teachings of Buddhism until you arrive at this exuberant state.