Chapter 25: The Universal Door of Gwanshiyin Bodhisattva

Asuras are the ugly ones who love to fight. One of my disciples knows his dog is an asura. Many dogs are asuras. Horses can be asuras, too. The feisty horses, or mavericks, who like to make trouble in the herd are asuras.

Bulls are asuras out front. Look at the horns on their heads, put there just to fight! Bulls are asuras who used to wear iron helmets. When they got reborn as animals, they remembered they had those weapons on their heads, and so they end up with two horns. Chickens and roosters can also be asuras. The roosters are always fighting with each other.

Some insects, such as crickets, who fight to death with each other are asuras. During the Song dynasty, it was very popular to stage cricket fights. People would bet on them. Any other animals who like to fight–such as snakes, mice, cats, and so forth–are asuras.

Asura is a Sanskrit word and means “ugly.” Asuras are hideous. Their lips are as big as a pig’s. Their noses are as long as an elephant’s. They have eyes like oxen, and little ears like mice. They are ugly. Perhaps they have a person’s body and a pig’s head, or a person’s body and an ox’s head, or a horse’s head, or a tiger’s head. But, while the male asuras are very ugly, the female asuras are very beautiful.

As I have told you many times before, the asura king had a beautiful daughter named Shachi to whom the Jade Emperor became engaged. Why did he want to marry her? The Jade Emperor still has a body with thoughts of desire. Because he has not severed thoughts of sexual desire, he likes beautiful women. One day, catching sight of the beautiful asura girl, he became enamored of her and asked the asura king for his daughter’s hand in marriage.

After they were married, the Jade Emperor liked to listen to an immortal speak Dharma. Because he went to the lectures every day, the asura girl soon grew suspicious. “He goes out every day and never gets home until late at night. Most likely he is out playing around with other women.”

Finally, she confronted him, “Just where did you go every day? You would not be conducting some improper business on the side, would you?”

“No,” said the Jade Emperor. “I go to the lectures on the Sutras every day and that is why I am always home late. You should not be suspicious.”

The asura girl, not believing he was going to the Sutra lectures, decided he must certainly be up to no good. She asked to go along, but the Jade Emperor would not allow it. Now, she had a certain amount of spiritual power and was able to make herself invisible.

So, one day when as usual, the Jade Emperor got in his chariot and headed for the lecture, the asura girl made herself invisible and rode along. Upon arriving, the Jade Emperor got out of the chariot and so did the asura girl. Then, she materialized.

“What are you doing here?” asked the surprised Jade Emperor.

“I have come to see what you are up to. I don’t really believe you are coming to listen to Dharma?” she retorted.

The Jade Emperor, in a fury, picked up his cane and struck his wife. The asura girl let out a shriek, and guess what happened? The immortal, who had never heard the sound of a woman’s voice before, was so enchanted by the asura girl’s lovely voice that he gave rise to thoughts of desire and could not continue speaking Dharma.

The Jade Emperor was even more enraged, and he scolded his wife roundly. This so infuriated the asura girl that she went directly to her father.

Previously, when the Jade Emperor was about to be married, he had invited the asura king to a heavenly banquet. After the meal was over, as a gesture of respect to his new father-in-law, he sent out his generals and troops to see him off. However, the asura king felt intimidated and was displeased at the Jade Emperor’s show of power. Now his daughter returned with the report that the Jade Emperor was not following the rules at all.

“Every day he goes out with other women,” the asura girl said. “And today, when I tried to talk to him about it, he struck me!”

At this, the asura king became enraged. “No wonder he tried to intimidate me at the banquet. He really has no respect for me or my daughter.” Then he mobilized the asura troops against the Jade Emperor.

Strangely enough, the Jade Emperor lost battle after battle and could find no way to overcome the asura king. Finally, he had no recourse but to ask the Buddha for help. The Buddha told him to instruct his troops all to recite “Maha prajna paramita!” As they went into battle, they recited the phrase–“Maha prajna paramita!”—and the asuras lost battle after battle until they were completely vanquished. That was the story of the asuras and the heavenly troops.

Now, the asuras have come into the world, and so there is fighting and conflict everywhere. Anyone who has a bad temper can turn into an asura, or perhaps even be one right now. If you can change your temper and cultivate patience, you can stay out of the path of asuras.

Garudas are the great gold-winged peng birds who formerly ate dragons; but now, thanks to the Buddha, they are vegetarians. They have a wingspan of 360 great yojanas. With one flap of their wings, they can dry up the seas and expose the dragons at the bottom. When they had eaten nearly all of the dragons, the dragon king went to ask the Buddha for help. The Buddha gave the dragon king a piece of his Kashaya sash, and he distributed one thread of it to each dragon. Due to the inconceivable, wonder functioning of the sash, the dragons were safe from their predators, the gold-winged peng birds. But then the peng birds complained to the Buddha, “Buddha, you have saved the dragons, but what about us? We live on a diet of dragons, and if we cannot eat them we will starve.”

The Buddha told the peng birds that they had to keep the precept of not killing.

“Not killing is all very well and good, but if we do not eat dragons, we will starve.”

“Do not worry,” said the Buddha. Every day when my disciples eat, they will send out some food for you.” And so we now have the custom of reciting the offering mantra before lunch and sending out a bit of food to feed the peng birds. They keep the Five Precepts and are one of the eight divisions of Dharma protectors. The garuda bird is a Dharma protector for Shakyamuni Buddha. It is often depicted as perching on top of the Buddha’s head.

As to food and drink, in Buddhism, the morning is the time when the gods eat. The Buddha eats only at noontime. Animals eat in the afternoon, and ghosts eat at night.

Now, ghosts basically can never find food to eat. They watch people eating and they try to snatch some of the food. When they hear the clatter of plates and silverware, they come running to steal food. But when the food enters their mouths, it turns into fire. This happens because their karmic retribution is so heavy that they cannot eat food. They mistakenly think that people use some kind of magic on the food and make it turn into fire, and so they get angry at people and fight with them or make them sick. That is why left-home people do not eat at night.

Since the gods eat in the morning, when left-home people eat breakfast, they send out some food for the gods. They also send out food for the ghost mother and her children.

This rakshasa ghost mother used to eat human children. Why was she called “ghost mother?” Because she had one thousand ghost children. She always led her own children to places where they could steal children to eat. They specialized in eating newborn children. As soon as a child was born, the ghost mother and her ghost children would devour it. This circumstance brought the great grief of lost children for many families. The families then went to the Buddha and asked for help.

The Buddha knew that the ghost mother was eating all the newborn children. So he took the thousandth one of the ghost mother’s children, her youngest one, and kept it in his bowl.

Upon returning home, the ghost mother discovered that her littlest child was missing. She went everywhere looking for him, but to no avail. “Where did he go?” she wondered. When she passed by the Buddha’s place, she listened and heard her child crying. She then figured out that her little baby ghost was stuck underneath the Buddha’s bowl. Without hesitation, she tried to seize the bowl to save her child, but no matter how hard she had tried, she could not budge it. Finally, she went back and got her other nine hundred and ninety-nine children, and all of them tried to use their ghostly penetrations to move the bowl. But still it could not be budged.

Then they all went to negotiate with the Buddha. “Buddha, why have you taken my little baby away and put him under your bowl? You are not being very compassionate, are you?” the mother ghost cleverly said.

The Buddha asked, “How many children do you have?”

“I have one thousand children,” she replied.

The Buddha said, “Among your one thousand children, you are missing only one child. Why are you so worried?”

“But I cannot bear to lose even a single son!” she cried.

The Buddha said, “You have eaten so many human children. How do you explain that?”

“Basically, I do not want to eat children. But I have nothing to eat. If I do not steal human children to eat, my children and I will starve to death.”

The Buddha then told the ghost mother, “You are so frantic simply because I have put one of your sons under my bowl. How do you think the human mothers feel when you eat their children? From now on, you must not steal any more children to eat. You should take refuge with the Triple Jewel and uphold the Five Precepts.” The ghost mother relented and did as the Buddha said.

Then Shakyamuni Buddha told all his disciples to send out a portion of their food—maybe a few grains of rice—everyday for the ghost mother to eat, and to recite this verse:

To the great golden-winged peng bird,
The multitudes of ghosts and spirits in the desolate wilds,
And the rakshasa ghost mother and her children:
May you all be filled with sweet dew!

Sweet dew represents food that tastes very sweet and delicious. No matter how many beings there are, they can all get their fill. Thus the food offerings sent out in the morning and at noon are for the golden-winged peng bird, the multitudes of ghosts and spirits, and the ghost mother and her children.

Kinnaras are also musical spirits. They look like people except that they have single horn on their head and it is sometimes doubtful whether they are spirits or people. Kinnara means “doubtful spirit.”

Mahoragas are big snakes. They are not skinny like most snakes; they are very fat. Natives of Guangdong Province eat the flesh of these snakes. But then again, sometimes the snakes eat people. People eat them, so they eat people.

During the time of Emperor Wu of the Liang dynasty, the Emperor’s wife was called Madame Xi. Emperor Wu believed in Buddha and the Triple Jewel, but his wife was quite adamant in her disbelief, and she also had a vicious and jealous temperament. Because of her jealous nature and her disbelief in the Triple Jewel, after she died, she fell into the body of one of these snakes.

This snake could speak, and it addressed the Emperor, asking him to save it. “Do you know who I am? I am your wife. But because I did not believe in the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha, and because I did not revere the Triple Jewel, I fell into the body of a big snake.”

Hearing this, the Emperor sent for Dhyana Master Zhi Gong to save her. While she was alive, the Emperor’s wife could not get along with Dhyana Master Zhi Gong. But when he came to save her, she bowed to him and repented. Dhyana Master Zhi Gong then wrote the Repentance of the Emperor of Liang. He and other eminent monks bowed this repentance and crossed over the Emperor’s wife. Because of it, the Emperor’s wife cast off the snake body and was reborn in the heavens.

When the Buddha was in the world, the mahoragas took refuge with the Triple Jewel and so they are also Dharma protectors within the Buddhadharma.

“Non-human” refers to all kinds of animals.

If living beings must be saved in any one of the bodies mentioned above, Guanshiyin Bodhisattva will manifest in such a body and speak Dharma for them. He contemplates all the gods, dragons, and the eightfold division and manifests in the appropriate body to save them.

If they must be saved by someone in the body of a Vajra-wielding spirit, he will manifest in the body of a Vajra-wielding spirit and speak Dharma for them. The Vajra-weilding spirits are Dharma protectors.

Long ago, there was a wheel-turning sage king who had a thousand sons by his first wife. How could one woman have a thousand sons? She had a very long life. However, he was not satisfied with one thousand sons, and so he took another wife and had two sons by her.

The thousand sons made a vow, saying, “We are going to cultivate and become Buddhas. We do not even want to be wheel-turning kings. We will do it in order, and will draw straws.” When they drew straw, Shakyamuni Buddha came up with number four, and so he was the fourth to become a Buddha. In the future there will be a fifth and a sixth Buddha. Now we are in the eon called “Worthy.” The thousand princes from of old are to appear as the thousand Buddhas in this eon. Shakyamuni Buddha is the fourth Buddha in the Worthy Eon.

The two sons of the king’s second wife also made vows. One of them vowed, “When each of our thousand older brothers becomes a Buddha, no matter in what order, I will be the first to go and request that he speak Dharma.”

The second brother said, “You are going to request the Buddha to speak Dharma. I am going to make a vow to be a Dharma protector. Whenever one of my brothers becomes a Buddha, I shall go protect him.” Thus, the Vajra-wielding spirit is just the son who made a vow to be a Dharma protector long, long ago, before the Worthy Eon.

Sutra:

“Inexhaustible Intention! Guanshiyin Bodhisattva has accomplished merit and virtue such as this and, in all manner of forms, roams throughout the land, saving and liberating living beings.” 

Outline:

I2. General answer.

Commentary: 

Shakyamuni Buddha finished telling about the various transformation bodies of Guanshiyin Bodhisattva and said, “Inexhaustible Intention! Guanshiyin Bodhisattva has accomplished merit and virtue such as this, and in all manner of forms, as mentioned above, roams throughout the land, saving and liberating living beings.”

Sutra

“Therefore you should all single-mindedly make offerings to Guanshiyin Bodhisattva. Guanshiyin Bodhisattva Mahasattva can, in the midst of fear, crisis, and hardship, bestow fearlessness. That is why in this Saha world, all call him the “Bestower of Fearlessness.”

Outline:

I3. Encouragement to make offerings.
J1. Encouragement.

Commentary: 

Therefore you should all single-mindedly make offerings to Guanshiyin Bodhisattva. Do not have “two minds,” that is, do not have doubts. “One mind” means one mind of faith. If you have doubts, there is no merit and virtue, and no response. You should make offerings to Guanshiyin Bodhisattva with one heart. Guanshiyin Bodhisattva Mahasattva can, in the midst of fear, crisis, and hardship, bestow fearlessness. That is why in this Saha world, all call him the “Bestower of Fearlessness.” He can remove all of your anxiety and distress.

The ninth day of the next month is one of Guanyin Bodhisattva’s anniversaries. He has three anniversaries each year: the anniversary of leaving the home-life, the anniversary of accomplishing the Way, and the anniversary of birth. On those days, everyone should create merit and virtue.

The entire Dharma Flower Sutra has seven rolls and over sixty thousand sentences. It is one of the most important Sutras in Buddhism. It is the Sutra for becoming a Buddha. You should contact all your relatives and friends and let them know about the lecture series. In America there are very, very few places where you can hear Sutras expounded according to the orthodox tradition. So we should pass the word around and write letters and generally let people know about the lecture series. By letting more people know about the Buddhadharma, you are protecting and supporting Buddhism. If you influence them to come to the lectures, you create the greatest merit and virtue. When they come and listen, they study the Buddhadharma and then have a chance to become Buddhas. When they become Buddhas, they will be Buddhas you “created.” If you can “create” Buddhas, you certainly do not have to worry about whether you will become a Buddha yourself.

Sutra:

Inexhaustible Intention Bodhisattva said to the Buddha, “World Honored One, I shall now make an offering to Guanshiyin Bodhisattva.” He then removed his necklace of pearls, its value in the hundreds of thousands of ounces of gold, and offered it to the Bodhisattva, saying, “Humane One, accept this Dharma offering, this necklace of precious pearls.”

Outline:

J2. Receiving a command.
K1. The offering.

Commentary: 

Inexhaustible Intention Bodhisattva said to the Buddha, “World Honored One, I shall now make an offering to Guanshiyin Bodhisattva.” Having heard the Buddha encourage all beings to make offerings to Guanshiyin Bodhisattva, Inexhaustible Intention Bodhisattva decided to do just that. Even though Inexhaustible Intention Bodhisattva himself had already become a Bodhisattva, on hearing about Guanshiyin Bodhisattva’s great merit, virtue, and awesome spiritual power, he still wished to make an offering, so as to nurture his own blessings.

He then removed his necklace of pearls, its value in the hundreds of thousands of ounces of gold, and offered it to the Bodhisattva immediately, without thinking twice. The beads were made out of the most expensive gems.

Inexhaustible Intention Bodhisattva presented the necklace to Guanshiyin Bodhisattva, saying, “Humane One, accept this Dharma offering, this necklace of precious pearls.” “Humane One” is a title used among Bodhisattvas when speaking to each other.

Now, jewels basically are an offering of wealth. But why does Inexhaustible Intention Bodhisattva speak of it as an offering of Dharma? There are three kinds of giving: the giving of wealth, the giving of Dharma, and the giving of fearlessness. In making this offering, Inexhaustible Intention Bodhisattva did not consider his gift as worth a great deal of money. He just wanted to present the necklace to Guanshiyin Bodhisattva.

Why does the text say that its value was in the hundreds of thousands of ounces of gold? This was added by Venerable Ananda when he compiled the Sutra. Inexhaustible Intention Bodhisattva himself certainly did not mention that the necklace was worth so much money. He wanted to make an offering to Guanshiyin Bodhisattva and this necklace was something he liked. He gave it away as a token of his respect, to show that there was no notion of personal wealth between the two Bodhisattvas. Thus, although the necklace would appear to be a gift of wealth, it was given in the spirit of a gift of Dharma. This was sealing the mind by means of the mind.

Sutra:

Guanshiyin Bodhisattva refused to accept it.

Outline:

K2. Refusal.

Commentary: 

Guanshiyin Bodhisattva refused to accept it. Inexhaustible Intention Bodhisattva had offered a valuable necklace to Guanshiyin Bodhisattva, but the latter refused to accept it. Why? Because Guanshiyin Bodhisattva had come to the Dharma Flower assembly to hear the Buddha speak the Dharma Flower Sutra, and as he had not received the Buddha’s permission to accept offerings, he was polite and refused the offering.

Besides which, Guanshiyin Bodhisattva did not have any greed for such things. He would not say, “What a valuable necklace! I had better take it while I have the chance.” To Guanshiyin Bodhisattva, there is no giver, nothing given, and no receiver. Offerings or no offerings, he sees them all as the same.

Inexhaustible Intention Bodhisattva had merit and virtue, but Guanshiyin Bodhisattva would not accept the gift.

Sutra:

Inexhaustible Intention Bodhisattva again said to Guanshiyin Bodhisattva, “Humane One, out of pity for us, accept this necklace.” 

Outline:

K3. Repeating the offering.

Commentary: 

Seeing Guanshiyin Bodhisattva refuse the offering, Inexhaustible Intention Bodhisattva again said to Guanshiyin Bodhisattva, “Humane One, out of pity for us, accept this necklace.” He was not half-hearted about it, like most people. Most people would just say, “Okay, if you do not want it, I will not insist. I will take it back.”

No, instead, Inexhaustible Intention Bodhisattva got nervous and repeated his request. He said, “Greatly Compassionate and Humane Bodhisattva, please pity me, Inexhaustible Intention, and all the four assemblies of disciples. I want to make offerings to you, Humane One, on behalf of the fourfold assembly and all living beings. I am representing living beings in making this offering to you. I beg you to have pity on living beings and accept this offering.”

Sutra:

The Buddha then told Guanshiyin Bodhisattva, “You should take pity on Inexhaustible Intention Bodhisattva and the fourfold assembly, as well as the gods, dragons, yakshas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans, non-humans, and so forth, and accept this necklace.”

Outline:

K4. The Buddha’s encouragement.

Commentary: 

Inexhaustible Intention Bodhisattva had made it clear that he was determined to make his offering, and Guanshiyin Bodhisattva had made it clear that he was determined not to accept it. “I do not want such a nice thing. I do not have any virtue. You keep it,” he said. Inexhaustible Intention Bodhisattva started bowing and begging him to accept it.

Well, just at this impasse, Shakyamuni Buddha stepped in to intervene and present a solution. He, the Buddha, then told Guanshiyin Bodhisattva, “You should take pity on Inexhaustible Intention Bodhisattva, the fourfold assembly, as well as the gods, dragons, yakshas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans, non-humans, and so forth and accept this necklace. Since they have brought forth their true minds to present you with this gift, you should not refuse their offering.”

Sutra:

Then, out of pity for the fourfold assembly, the gods, dragons, humans, non-humans, and so forth, Guanshiyin Bodhisattva accepted the necklace. He divided it into two parts: one part he offered to Shakyamuni Buddha and the other to the stupa of Many Jewels Buddha.

Outline:

K5. Accepting it and giving it away.

Commentary: 

Then, out of pity for the fourfold assembly–Bhikshus, Bhikshunis, Upasakas, Upasikas–the gods, dragons, humans, non-humans, and so forth, Guanshiyin Bodhisattva accepted the necklace. He accepted it, but then offered it up right away. He divided it into two parts: one part he offered to Shakyamuni Buddha and the other to the stupa of Many Jewels Buddha. No wonder Guanshiyin is a Bodhisattva. Such a valuable thing, and he did not want it. Ah! He accepted his offering and immediately transferred his gift to Shakyamuni Buddha and Many Jewels Buddha.

Many Jewels Buddha became a Buddha measureless eons ago. He vowed that after any person became a Buddha, and then spoke the Dharma Flower Sutra, he would rise up out of the earth into space and go to that place to certify the Dharma Flower Sutra as the most perfect of Sutras.

Shakyamuni Buddha spoke the Avatamsaka, Agama, Vaipulya, and Prajna teachings. When he was about to speak the Dharma Flower Sutra, Many Jewels Buddha emerged to certify it. Now, Guanshiyin Bodhisattva gives half of the necklace as an offering to Many Jewels Buddha.

Sutra:

“Inexhaustible Intention, such is the self-mastery and spiritual power of Guanshiyin Bodhisattva, who roams throughout the Saha world.”

Outline:

K6. Concluding praise.

Commentary: 

Inexhaustible Intention, such is the self-mastery and spiritual power of Guanshiyin Bodhisattva, who roams throughout the Saha world. Thus, everyone should recite his name, “Namo Guanshiyin Bodhisattva,” and make offerings to him and revere him.

Sutra:

At that time, Inexhaustible Intention Bodhisattva used verses to ask this question:

“World Honored One, complete with wondrous marks,
I now ask again,
Why is this disciple of the Buddha
Called Guanshiyin?”

Outline:

F2. Verse.
G1. Question.

Commentary: 

At that time, Inexhaustible Intention Bodhisattva used verses to ask this question. Verses are used to restate the doctrines of the previous prose passage so as to elaborate upon them. The verses to this chapter were not translated by Dharma Master Kumarajiva, the original translator, but were added later.

World Honored One, complete with wondrous marks, I now ask again. The Buddha has Thirty-two Marks and Eighty Subsidiary Characteristics. The Buddha’s appearance is perfect and full. Why is this disciple of the Buddha called Guanshiyin? The Buddha is the Dharma King, and the Bodhisattvas are his disciples. Why is this disciple of the Buddha called “Contemplator of the World’s Sounds”?

Sutra:

The Honored One of Perfect, Wondrous Marks,
With verses answered Inexhaustible Intention:
Listen to the practice of Guanyin,
Who skillfully responds in all places.

With vast vows, as deep as the sea,
Throughout inconceivable eons,
He has served many thousands of kotis of Buddhas,
And has made great, pure vows.

Outline:

G2. Answer.
H1. Verses to praise his conduct and vows in general.

Commentary: 

The Honored One of Perfect, Wondrous Marks, with verses answered Inexhaustible Intention. “Perfect” means nothing lacking and nothing in excess. It also means perfect in both blessings and wisdom. But here we are not just talking about blessings and wisdom. We are talking about the perfection of the Thirty-two Marks and Eighty Subsidiary Characteristics of the Buddha. He is perfect in all respects.

Inexhaustible Intention Bodhisattva asked his question in verse, and so the Buddha answers him in verse.

Listen to the practice of Guanyin, who skillfully responds in all places. Guanyin Bodhisattva uses skillful expedients. He contemplates the potentials of living beings and dispenses the teaching. He manifests in the body of a Buddha, a Pratyekabuddha, and so forth, to speak the Dharma according to the needs of the living beings being taught. He skillfully responds to the needs of the person. A skillful method is not fixed; it varies with the needs of the person. For this reason, the Vajra Sutra says, “There is no fixed dharma called anuttarasamyaksambodhi.”

To save people, you need to know a lot of worldly dharmas. Let’s say you become a Dharma Master and you want to teach and transform people. You still have to understand a lot of doctrines. If you see a businessman, you might talk about business, “How is it going? Making money? How is the economy?” If you see a laborer, you might say, “How are working conditions? Are you really busy?” and talk about his work. When the person finds out that you care about him and his work, he will be happy. Once he is happy, you can speak a little Buddhadharma to him, and he will think, “Hey, that is pretty good!” If you see a student, you can ask him about his studies, “How is science or philosophy?” And so the saying goes,

Prescribe the medicine according to the illness;
Speak the Dharma in accord with the person.

This is to “skillfully respond” in all places. We also say,

With clever expedients we save living beings,
Skillfully turning the dust of the world into the Buddha’s work.

All worldly affairs are turned, with ingenuity, into Buddhadharma.

With vast vows, as deep as the sea, throughout inconceivable eons, he has served many thousands of kotis of Buddhas. Guanshiyin Bodhisattva is in all respects subtle, wonderful, and inconceivable. He has served many, many millions of Buddhas. And he has made great, pure vows in every life—vows of great kindness and great compassion. The realm of Guanshiyin Bodhisattva is indeed lofty, deep, and unfathomable!

Sutra:

I shall now tell you in brief,
That for those who hear his name or see him,
And who are mindful of his name unceasingly,
He can extinguish the suffering of all realms of existence.

Outline:

H2. Specific verses in answer.
I1. Answers to previous questions.
J1. General answer.

Commentary: 

Guanshiyin Bodhisattva made pure vows. What are pure vows? “Pure” means that they are not made for one’s own selfishness; they are public and unselfish. Guanyin Bodhisattva’s vows are based on his compassionate wish to save living beings.

Shakyamuni Buddha said to Inexhaustible Intention Bodhisattva, “I shall now tell you in brief, that for those who hear his name or see him.” To hear Guanyin Bodhisattva’s name, you must have good roots. If you do not have good roots, you cannot even hear Guanshiyin Bodhisattva’s name, let alone see him in person. Now we have all heard his name. To see him does not mean you necessarily have to see his physical body. It can also mean seeing a painting or a statue made of clay, copper, iron, silver, gold, wood, or mani. That is just the same as seeing him in person.

And who are mindful of his name unceasingly. This means that you keep his name in mind and do not let the time slip by idly. You recite without wasting your time. Time is the most precious thing, more precious than gold. Do not waste your precious time. Instead recite, “Namo Guanshiyin Bodhisattva.”

What advantages does recitation of Guanyin Bodhisattva’s name bring? He can extinguish the suffering of all realms of existence. All of existence refers to the twenty-five planes of existence in the Three Realms—the realms of desire, form, and formlessness.

Sutra:

If someone is the victim of another’s harmful intent,
And is pushed into a pit of fire,
If he evokes the strength of Guanyin,
The pit of fire will turn into a pool.

Outline:

J2. Specific answers.
K1. The seven difficulties.
L1. The difficulty of fire. 

Commentary: 

If someone is the victim of another’s intent. Let’s say you go into business with someone and then the two of you take a trip together in the mountains. You are way up on a cliff, and your partner realizes, “If I push him off the cliff, I can have all the money!”

And if a person is pushed into a pit of fire, if he evokes the strength of Guanyin, the pit of fire will turn into a pool. Recitation of Guanyin Bodhisattva’s name has great power and brings a great response. It is truly inconceivable.

Now that we can hear this chapter of the Dharma Flower Sutra and understand this doctrine, we should always and everywhere recite the name of Guanshiyin Bodhisattva. If you recite the name of Guanshiyin Bodhisattva, in the future he will protect you. Such incidents are too many to be spoken of in full.

Sutra:

If someone is being tossed about in the great sea,
And is surrounded by the dangers of dragons, fish, and ghosts,
If he evokes the strength of Guanyin,
The waves will not drown him.

Outline:

L2. The difficulty of water.

Commentary: 

If someone is being tossed about in the great sea, with no sign of the shore anywhere, and is surrounded by the dangers of dragons, fish, and ghosts.There are poisonous dragons and rakshasa ghosts in the sea. Big fish can eat people, too. But if he evokes the strength of Guanyin, the waves will not drown him. Somehow, he will find himself in shallow water, transported to the other shore, or he will be saved by a boat or something. But if you do not recite the name of Guanshiyin Bodhisattva or see Guanshiyin Bodhisattva, things can get very dangerous.

I remember when I was in Hong Kong, I had a very bad disciple. In what way was he bad? He had hurt people. His name was Zhang. His family owned a Western pharmacy, and they were very wealthy. He imported Western drugs into Hong Kong. This was right after the Japanese had surrendered. Since it was right after the war, there were a lot of sicknesses and epidemics on the mainland. When he was on a boat coming back with a cargo of drugs, he pushed his business partner overboard. The business partner did not know about reciting Guanshiyin Bodhisattva’s name, and he drowned.

When Zhang returned, he made a lot of money. He also sold counterfeit drugs and made a fortune on them. He was incredibly rich. But, eventually, the retribution caught up with him, and he got cancer. Six of the most famous doctors in Hong Kong said that he would surely be dead within a hundred days; that there was no way to cure it. He advertised in the newspaper saying that if anyone could save his life, he would pay that person US$200,000, which was a considerable amount in those days. But no one could take him up on this offer, and so he came to Western Bliss Garden and asked me what to do.

I said, “You should do good deeds and make offerings to the Triple Jewel. The first thing you need to do is take refuge with the Triple Jewel. Next, make offerings. Then maybe you will get better.”

And so, on the eighteenth day of the fifth month, he signed up to take refuge. I encouraged him to make offerings to the entire Triple Jewel by presenting a bolt of sturdy cloth to every member of the Sangha in Hong Kong. At that time, many Bhikshus and Bhikshunis had come from the mainland and they had no clothes to wear or places to stay. There were two or three thousand of them. I told him to give each of them HK$20 [US$15]. He agreed to do this.

Now, there were a lot of old Dharma Masters in Hong Kong who, hearing that Zhang Yujie had taken refuge with me, manifested their spiritual powers. What do I mean? They sent their friends and relatives to talk to Zhang to get him to go to their temples instead. The old Dharma Masters all got people to “climb on conditions,” that is, to be opportunistic on their behalf. All the old and well-known Dharma Masters with status were after him. So Zhang went and did some merit at this temple and some virtue at that temple.

He had agreed to give each left-home person coming from the mainland HK$20 as I had told him to, but he did not do it. He gave them each a bolt of cloth, though not the good kind he had promised but a kind of inferior quality, and he only gave them $5 each. Since I had already told the left-home people about this offering, I had to make up the difference. I borrowed money and made up the extra $10. Now, not one of them knew I had done this. Today, they still do not know. Monks know that other monks do not like to give money away. They prefer to receive money. In fact, there is a saying, “Left-home people are not greedy for money? The more the better.” Zhang wanted to spend his money on something else, so I did not say anything.

Anyway, one hundred days went by, and he did not die. All the Dharma Masters said, “We did it for you by bowing repentances.” Each one of them claimed that he was responsible for saving Zhang’s life. “I bowed to the Buddha every day for you. That did the trick.” They all did their bit. I did not claim to have anything to do with it, and I had nothing to say to him about it.

Six years passed, and he had not died.

At that time, I was building Cixing Monastery at Dayu Mountain [on Lanto Island]. He heard I was building a temple, and since he was a disciple, he sent a servant to me with a small amount of money. The servant brought the money and said that Zhang wanted to help me build the temple. I did not even look at it. I just threw it out the door. I said, “His money is not clean. It did not come in the proper way. Give it back to him.”

This scared Zhang nearly to death. He went to one of the groveling Dharma Masters, Dingxi by name, and tried to get him to give the money to me with some compliments. I said to Dingxi, “The work here is done. I do not need any money. He can do some other kinds of merit and virtue with his money. There are so many Dharma Masters and temples. Take it somewhere else.” The old Dharma Master was a bit embarrassed.

Another two years went by. And then, in the first month of the year, I announced, “Zhang Yujie took refuge eight years ago. He said he was going to offer US$200,000 to build a temple. It has not happened yet, and I am not going to wait anymore for it to happen. However, after this, no matter what kind of a problem he has, I am not going to pay any attention to it. He can kneel in front of me until he dies, but I am not going to pay any attention to his business.”

Less than six months later, his cancer returned. He sent his relatives to me because none of the other temples could bring him a response at that time. So he came to me, but I said, “I already announced in the first month of this year that I was no longer going to pay any attention to Zhang Yujie’s affairs.” I did not either, and he died of cancer a few days later. His younger brother had committed suicide earlier by jumping into the ocean. That was before Zhang took refuge with me.

Soon after that, Dharma Master Dingxi, who had taken advantage of Zhang Yujie, also got cancer and died about a year later. Probably Zhang’s ghost had gone to get him, saying “You said that I was cured because of the repentances you bowed, but I still died of cancer.” The laywoman who had convinced Zhang Yujie to go to Dingxi also died of cancer. The three of them were of one substance. They stuck together while alive and they all died of cancer together.

Zhang Yujie died because he had pushed his business partner into the ocean. His partner could not recite Guanyin’s name, and so he became a vengeful ghost and caused Zhang to have cancer. Basically, since Zhang had taken refuge with the Triple Jewel, if he had truly brought forth faith, he would not have died. But his faith was not solid, and so even though he did not die after a hundred days, he died eight years later. His family is still very rich. But when he died, he could not take any of it with him. All the money he cheated out of everyone was useless. It all went to his other younger brother.

Why did his business partner drown? Because he did not recite Guanyin Bodhisattva’s name.

Sutra:

If someone is on the peak of Mount Sumeru,
And another person tries to push him off,
If he evokes the strength of Guanyin,
He will stand firm as the sun in space.

Outline:

L3. The difficulty of falling off Mount Sumeru.

Commentary: 

If someone is on the peak of Mount Sumeru, and another person tries to push him off. Mount Sumeru is the name of the highest mountain. However, the text here does not mean just Mount Sumeru; it could be any high place. Sumeru is a Sanskrit word that means “wonderfully high.” Being “on the peak of Mount Sumeru” here can also mean that people flatter you and praise you until your ego soars to lofty heights, and then they pull the carpet out from under you, leaving you with nothing to stand on. That is also like being pushed off Mount Sumeru.

If he evokes the strength of Guanyin, he will stand firm as the sun in space.The sun in space shines for ten thousand miles. Even if people put you on a pedestal and then let you fall, you will have samadhi power and will not be upset. This is as when,

In praise or blame,
His mind doesn’t move.

Sutra:

If someone is pursued by evil people,
Who want to throw him off a Vajra Mountain,
If he evokes the strength of Guanyin,
Not a single hair on his body will be harmed.

Outline:

L4. The difficulty of falling off Vajra Mountain.

Commentary: 

If someone is pursued by evil people, who want to throw him off a Vajra Mountain. Who are evil people? Those who do not listen to reason. They specialize in murder and arson. “What is yours is mine, and what is mine is mine! Your money is mine. My money is mine even more so.” Does that make any sense? Evil people are completely unreasonable. They use force to oppress others and have no respect for others’ rights.

Suppose a person is pursuing someone else. He keeps his eyes on his victim all the time and waits for him to fall asleep, so that he can push him off a steep cliff and steal his money. However, if he evokes the strength of Guanyin, if the person who is being pursued is mindful of Guanyin, not a single hair on his body will be harmed. The Vajra Mountain represents a high and solid place. When meeting with a danger like this, if you do not forget to recite Guanyin Bodhisattva’s name, you will certainly obtain a great response and the Bodhisattva will save you. This is called,

You meet with misfortune, it turns lucky;
You encounter disaster, it becomes auspicious.

The danger will no longer be dangerous. That is how efficacious this Dharma is!

Sutra:

If someone is surrounded by vicious bandits,
Who threaten him with knives,
If he evokes the strength of Guanyin,
The bandits will all give rise to compassion.

Outline:

L5. The difficulty of bandits

Commentary: 

Everything that people encounter has to do with former causes and latter effects. Now we meet up with bandits. Before it was evil people; they were not outright robbers. But robbers are just outright murderers, and they do all kinds of evil. They will do anything except what is good. Perhaps they are our enemies because in past lives we stole from them, killed them, or treated them badly. Thus, in this life, we meet them as enemies. It is said,

If you kill, you will pay with your life,
If you owe money, you will have to pay it back.

This is all the matter of cause and effect. Since this is so, if we encounter hateful enemies, we should not hate them in return. We should not curse the heavens or resent people.

Manjushri Bodhisattva once told this story: “In every life, life after life, I never stole anything from anyone. How can I prove it? I will take my most priceless jewel, put it right by the city’s gate for three days without keeping my eye on it, and no one will take it. This will prove that I never stole or coveted other’s goods.”

Some people did not believe him, so they tried it out. They put the jewel right by the gate, where everyone walked. Three days went by, and no one touched it. Manjushri Bodhisattva was able to do this because he never stole.

Now we meet with hateful enemies, and this proves that we are receiving retribution for deeds done in former lives. And so, if you lose something or take some loss, you should not take it too hard and get all upset. You are just undergoing what you deserve.

If someone is surrounded by vicious bandits, who threaten him with knives.This reminds me of when I was at Nanhua Monastery for one year. The day before Guanyin Bodhisattva’s anniversary, which was on the nineteenth day of the ninth month, some bandits showed up to rob Nanhua Monastery. The bandits knocked on the door and I refused to open it. Finally, they beat the door down, and suddenly I found myself surrounded by guns. It was a tight situation, but I did not feel afraid at all. I said, quite casually, “What are you pointing those guns at me for?”

“Why didn’t you open the door?” they demanded.

“If you were me,” I said, “would you have opened the door? No! I did not open the door because you are coming to steal from me, not to give me a present.”

“Give us your money!” they demanded.

At that time I was wearing a rag robe. I said, “Take a look at this robe! Do I look like someone with money?”

“Then who has money?” they said.

I said, “I am a teacher here. These are my students. If I have no money, how could the students have any? If you do not believe me, you can take a look in my room. You can take anything you want, any treasure you find. Go right ahead.”

At that time, I really did have two treasures in my room. They were “living” treasures. When the bandits came, they were so scared that they could not even walk. They crawled around saying, “What shall we do? We are scared!” I said, “Do not be afraid. You can hide under my bed.” Hearing me tell the bandits that they could take whatever they wanted, these two “treasures” were terrified. They were so scared that their teeth were chattering. Well, the bandits did not go in.

Dharma Master Huaiyi saw me talking with the bandits in such an amicable manner, and so he came out of his room. The bandits turned around and pointed their guns at him, and he burst into tears. I said, “He does not have any money. Talk to me!” At that point they were surrounding him, and he led them to his room. They got about two hundred dollars from him, probably several years’ worth of savings.

The next day it was announced to the two hundred monks that I was the only person who had not been afraid. I said to everyone, “I am not the only one who was not afraid. There were four of us. The first was the Sixth Patriarch. He sat there in samadhi, ‘Thus, thus, unmoving! Take what you want, bandits. I am not paying any attention to you.’ The second was the Patriarch Hanshan. He also sat in samadhi. The third was the Patriarch Dantian. He did not have quite the samadhi power, since he turned his head to look at the bandits. (I said that because his flesh body does lean forward a bit.) The fourth was I myself. I was only number four.”

And so, if a person meets with bandits who threaten him with knives, if he evokes the strength of Guanyin, the bandits will all give rise to compassion. The bandits did not hit me or shoot me. No doubt that was because I recite Guanyin Bodhisattva’s name. They started out very fierce, but eventually, they became subdued and kind. When they saw me in my rag robes they thought, “This monk is really pitiful.”

Sutra:

If someone is in trouble with the law,
And on the verge of being executed,
If he evokes the strength of Guanyin,
The knives will break into pieces.

Outline:

L6. The difficulty of knives and staves.

Commentary: 

If someone is in trouble with the law. If you break the imperial law, there is no politeness about it; you have your head cut off. This happens sometimes by mistake, too. You get arrested and sentenced when you are actually innocent. And so the law has its advantages and disadvantages.

People may bear false witness against someone who is innocent. That happens a lot when lawyers get involved. The defendant may clearly be guilty, but if he gets a “good” lawyer to defend him, he can get off free. On the other hand, the lawyer can also “prove” someone broke the law, and that person gets executed when, in fact, he is innocent. Where are you ever going to find the truth in this world? You will have to look in the Buddhadharma. You will not find it in the world. The world is ruled by force, not by reason.

The text brings up the hypothetical case of a person who is in difficulty with the law, regardless of whether he is innocent or guilty, and on the verge of being executed.However, if he evokes the strength of Guanyin, the knives will break into pieces. At such a time, if you can remain calm and can remember to recite Guanyin Bodhisattva’s name, the knife will just break into pieces. Your neck will become stronger than Vajra.

Now, you cannot try out these things as experiments. If you do, you will end up getting your head chopped off. In order for it to be efficacious, you must have faith. If you have no faith and decide to try it out, it will not work. That is because in trying it out, you show that you have no faith. If you really believed, you would not need to try it out. You should simply bring forth a genuine heart of faith in Guanyin Bodhisattva, then everything will be efficacious. Do not have doubts.

* * * * * * * * * *

Everyone should cooperate to translate the Sutras. We are now starting to translate the Sutras, but not on the grand scale, certainly, that translation was carried out in China. In China the emperors supported the translation of Sutras. It was a national project, and all the monks got together to translate Sutras. Dharma Master Kumarajiva had eight hundred monks helping him translate the Sutras. Now, we are just beginning in America. Everyone should make whatever contribution they can to these pioneering efforts. We should forge ahead and put our effort into this work.

Sutra:

If someone is imprisoned, shackled, or chained,
Or if his hands and feet are in stocks,
If he evokes the strength of Guanyin,
His bonds will open and he will be free.

Outline:

L7. The difficulty of stocks and chains.

Commentary:

If someone is imprisoned, shackled, or chained, or if his hands and feet are in stocks. The character for prison, qiu, is the image of a person, inside four walls.

Let’s say you get put in jail, and then on top of that you are forced to wear handcuffs and chains, and your head is put in the stocks.

Those of you with families should hurry and wake up! Do not be imprisoned by the three big traps. One’s parents are like a cangue around one’s neck. Children are like handcuffs. And one’s spouse is like the chains on one’s legs.

* * * * * * * * * *

Right now America needs left-home people. If anyone wishes to leave the home-life, no matter what they are like, I will approve them. Even if they misbehaved in the past, it will be fine as long as they will behave after they leave home. I want to do whatever I can to create Elders in America. If they grow old on their own, they do not lay a good foundation. I want to foster the elders of American Buddhism. In the future every one of you left-home people has a chance to become an Elder or even a Patriarch of American Buddhism.

* * * * * * * * * *

If he evokes the strength of Guanyin, his bonds will open and he will be free.Long ago in China, there was a monk who was captured by one of the Yao tribe. The Yao people had their own language, which is completely different from Chinese, and they were very wild. When they took prisoners, they would kill and eat them. The monk was captured and locked in a cell. They were going to eat him!

The monk believed in Guanshiyin Bodhisattva, so even though he knew their intentions, he was not afraid. He just single-mindedly recited Guanshiyin Bodhisattva’s name. The monk recited and recited until a tiger showed up and tore the cell apart, and so he was set free. In spite of the danger, he was not harmed.

Reciting the name of Guanshiyin Bodhisattva brings so many responses that you could never finish speaking of them.

Sutra:

If someone is about to be harmed,
By mantras, spells, or poison,
If he evokes the strength of Guanyin,
The harm will all return to the sender.

Outline:

L8. The difficulty of mantras, spells, and poison.

Commentary: 

If someone is about to be harmed, by mantras, spells, or poison. Spells are also mantras.

In the section on the twelve types of living beings, the Shurangama Sutra talks about the wasp, which steals caterpillars and transforms them into its own young. It puts the caterpillar in its mud nest and recites a mantra that says, “Be like me, be like me.” At the end of that period, the change takes place, and the caterpillar becomes the offspring of the wasp.

There are all kinds of mantras. There are evil mantras that can kill people, but there are also efficacious mantras that help and benefit people. Here, in the Sutra text, we are talking about mantras that can harm people. When these mantras are recited, the victim gets all drowsy and befuddled.

Suppose a person is about to be harmed by mantras, spells, and poisons, if he evokes the strength of Guanyin, the harmful poisons and mantras cannot hurt him. Not only that, but the harm will all return to the sender. The poison or mantras will bounce back and harm the person who sent it out in the first place.

In China, long ago, there was a very accurate diviner, one who told fortunes with the Yi Jing [The Book of Changes]. The reason he was so effective was that he had a demon helping him out. Every year the demon had to eat a virgin boy and a virgin girl, which the diviner would offer to him.

One year, the young girl who was marked for the sacrifice recited Guanyin Bodhisattva’s name in the room in which she was held captive. She was used to reciting Guanyin’s name at home, and now she continued to do so. What do you think happened? The demon came for his meal. It looked in through the window and shone light out of its eyes onto the young girl. Suddenly, the girl’s mouth emitted as she recited Guanyin’s name, and she heard a loud noise as something fell down from the ceiling to the floor. Thinking that the demon had come to eat her, she screamed and attracted the attention of a policeman who was walking by. The policeman broke the door down, came into the room, and found a huge python, a mahoraga. It was dead.

The diviner was arrested by the police and questioned about locking the girl up. He said he had an immortal helping him do his divination, and the immortal demanded a young girl and a young boy to eat once a year. That was how he became such an accurate diviner and raked in so much money. They locked the diviner in jail. He told fortunes for others, but he never figured his own fortune would turn out so bleak! Therefore, harming others is just harming yourself.

The line “The harm will all return to the sender” was changed by the Song Dynasty poet, Su Dongpo. He said, “In Buddhism they teach compassion. This line does not sound very compassionate to me.” And so he changed the line to “For both parties there will be no trouble.” Neither the one who sent out the mantras nor the victim will be harmed.

He was wrong, though. Although in Buddhism killing is prohibited and the liberation of life is encouraged, still, evil people must be restrained from harming good people. Therefore, the victim who knows how to recite Guanyin Bodhisattva’s name will not be harmed, but if there is “no trouble,” the attacker will just go on to the next person, who may not know to recite. There are plenty of people who do not know how to recite.

So Su Dongpo’s line does not work. “The harm will all return to the sender” is correct. It is fitting that the evil person should undergo such a retribution.

Sutra:

If someone meets with evil rakshasas,
Poisonous dragons, or ghosts,
If he evokes the strength of Guanyin,
They will then not dare to harm him.

Outline:

L9. The difficulty of ghosts. 

Commentary:

If someone meets with evil rakshasas, poisonous dragons, or ghosts.Rakshasas are extremely evil ghosts. They eat people!

Some dragons harm people. They hide out in a pond, a river, or a lake, and when you walk by, they spit poisonous vapors, which can kill you. They can even suck you right into their stomachs!

There are many kinds of ghosts. There are rich ghosts, poor ghosts, and penniless ghosts. Rich ghosts are the leaders of the ghosts. Poor ghosts are not too well off. Penniless ghosts have nothing at all.

“Do ghosts use money?” you ask.

Ghosts do not use money, but their bad habits cause them to act like people, and so they look for more money all day long. Basically, they do not need money for anything, but their attachment confuses them. Chinese people burn counterfeit paper money to pacify the ghosts. In the Shurangama Mantra, many different kinds of ghosts are mentioned. Here we are talking about ghosts in general.

When a person runs into evil ghosts, if he evokes the strength of Guanyin, they will then not dare to harm him. When you recite Guanyin’s name, there is light. Since ghosts are afraid of the light, they would not be able to see you or harm you in any way.

Sutra:

If someone is surrounded by vicious beasts,
With fearsome fangs and claws,
If he evokes the strength of Guanyin,
The beasts will quickly run far away.

Outline:

L10. The difficulty of vicious beasts.

Commentary: 

If someone is surrounded by vicious beasts. “Vicious beasts” refers to wolves, panthers, tigers, bears, and all kinds of animals who eat people. There are no tigers in the mountains in America, but in China and India there are many tigers. Tigers will eat anything. When I was a child, I used to roam in the mountains for five or six days at a time, and I ran into all these beasts. I do not know why, but they never ate me.

If a person runs into evil beasts with fearsome fangs and claws, if he evokes the strength of Guanyin, the beasts will quickly run far away. Because of the magical response obtained through Guanyin Bodhisattva’s intervention, the beasts will be afraid and run far, far away when they see you.

Sutra:

Poisonous snakes and scorpions,
Have blazing lethal vapors,
But if one evokes the strength of Guanyin,
At the sound of one’s voice, they will disperse.

Outline:

L11. The difficulty of snakes and scorpions. 

Commentary: 

Poisonous snakes and scorpions, have blazing lethal vapors. The sting of certain scorpions can prove fatal. Some kinds of lizards, such as a certain species found in Thailand, also emit toxic vapors.

But if one evokes the strength of Guanyin, at the sound of one’s voice, they will disperse. When the lethal creatures hear you recite the name of Guanyin Bodhisattva, they will run off, hide away, and make no further mischief.

Sutra:

Clouds of roaring thunder and lightning
May send down hail or great floods of rain,
But if one evokes the strength of Guanyin,
The clouds will immediately scatter.

Outline:

L12. The difficulty of thunder and rain. 

Commentary: 

Clouds of roaring thunder and lightning may send down hail or great floods of rain. Sometimes hailstones can weigh several dozens of pounds. They can be so heavy that they can kill a cow, to say nothing of a person. But if one evokes the strength of Guanyin, the clouds will immediately scatter. You do not have to recite for very long, and the hailstones and storms will disperse.

Sutra:

Living beings are beset with hardships,
And oppressed by limitless sufferings.
The power of Guanyin’s wondrous wisdom
Can rescue the world from suffering.

Outline:

K2. The three poisons and two requests.

Commentary: 

Living beings are beset with hardships. Living beings are born because of a multitude of conditions. There are millions of different kinds of living beings.

In Chinese, the word for “living being” contains the word zhong, which is the character for four, si, with three people, ren, underneath it. It means “multitude.”

Among living beings, humans are the most problematical. People have to wear clothes, eat, and go to work. It is a lot of trouble. However, human beings are also the wisest among living beings. Animals and other living beings do not have as many problems, but they are also stupid. Since they are stupid, they get pushed around by people. And so in China, there is a saying,

Among the myriad creatures, people are the most magical.

People are the most intelligent of all creatures. Although we say they are the most intelligent, they sometimes do stupid things. How is that? They like to give themselves trouble. They fight with themselves. How do they do this? “Hardships” arise. It is said,

Under heaven there’s nothing happening;
Stupid people just like to stir things up.
Stupid people make trouble for themselves.

Now the text says that living beings are beset by hardships and oppressed by limitless sufferings. They create trouble for themselves, and so they undergo limitless forms of suffering. If people do not have food to eat, clothes to wear, or a place to live, they suffer. With so many conditions on their happiness, they are forced to toil all day long to get food to eat. They may even steal from each other to preserve their own lives. They do this because they are tormented by suffering.

The power of Guanyin’s wondrous wisdom can rescue the world from suffering. Therefore, no matter what is bothering you, you should not worry. Just recite the name of Guanyin Bodhisattva, then gradually the problem will resolve itself. Guanyin Bodhisattva’s wisdom is subtle, wonderful, and inconceivable. All you need is a sincere heart, and the Bodhisattva will help you. 

Sutra:

Complete with the power of spiritual penetrations,
Vastly cultivating wisdom and expedient means,
Going throughout countries in the ten directions,
He manifests everywhere in all places.

Outline:

I2. Answers to subsequent questions.
J1. Manifesting.
K1. Universal response with body karma. 

Commentary: 

Complete with the power of spiritual penetrations. What is meant by “the power of spiritual penetrations?” There are six types of spiritual penetrations.

1. The Penetration of the Heavenly Eye. With the Heavenly Eye, you can see at a glance what the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-three are doing.

2. The Penetration of the Heavenly Ear. With the Heavenly Ear, you can hear all the sounds throughout the ten directions, in the heavens and below.

3. The Penetration of Other’s Thoughts. You can know what other people are thinking.

4. The Penetration of Past Lives. You can know the cause and effect involved in former lives. You can know what kinds of beings people were in their former lives.

5. The Penetration of the Perfected Spirit, also called the Penetration of the Complete Spirit. With this penetration, you can fly and transform at will.

6. The Penetration of the Extinction of Outflows. This is the hardest one to obtain.

The ghosts and spirits all have the above mentioned five penetrations. But they do not possess the Penetration of the Extinction of Outflows. Guanshiyin Bodhisattva has all six of them.

Vastly cultivating wisdom and expedient means. “Vastly” means that the Bodhisattvas did not cultivate just one Dharma-door, but that they cultivated all manner of Dharma-doors. For example, right now not only do we study the Sutras, we also learn Chinese and study the Shurangama Mantra and the Great Compassion Mantra. On top of that, we also want to learn the Great Compassion Repentance. Why? It is all a part of “vastly cultivating wisdom and expedient means.”

Going throughout countries in the ten directions, he manifests everywhere in all places. There is not a single place where Guanyin Bodhisattva does not go. He has been everywhere.

All of us living beings have affinities with Guanyin Bodhisattva. Anyone who recites Guanyin Bodhisattva’s name will receive the Bodhisattva’s protection. But if you do not recite, Guanyin Bodhisattva would not pay any attention to you. Why not? Because you don’t even care to get acquainted, and you don’t even know or recollect the Bodhisattva’s name.

If you want to be friends with Guanshiyin Bodhisattva, all you have to do is keep reciting, “Namo Guanshiyin Bodhisattva.” When he hears you reciting, he will think, “Ah, hah! I have made another friend! Good, I will help my new friend.” If you do not recite, the Bodhisattva will say, “He does not want to be friends. I am not going to pay any attention to his affairs.”

Someone wants to know how to obtain the Penetration of the Heavenly Eye. There are many methods. First of all, you can single-mindedly recite the Shurangama Mantra. You can also study the Great Compassion Mantra and the Forty-two Hands. You can also give up sleeping to study the Buddhadharma. But trying to get the Heavenly Eye by giving up sleeping is very dangerous, and I hope that people would not use that method. Why not?

You probably remember the story about the Buddha’s disciple Aniruddha, who used to sleep through the Buddha’s lectures. The Buddha scolded him, saying,

Hey! Hey! How dare you sleep, like an oyster or a clam?
Sleep! Sleep for a thousand years, and you’ll never hear the Buddha’s name.

After the Buddha scolded him, he became very vigorous and refused to sleep for seven days. As a result, he went blind. The Buddha taught him the Vajra Illumining Bright Samadhi, and Aniruddha opened his Heavenly Eye. He was foremost of the Buddha’s disciples in having the Heavenly Eye.

Aniruddha means “not poor.” Limitless eons and countless lifetimes ago, Aniruddha was a poor farmer. He had to toil and sweat, and still he had no money. At that time he was a beginner in the Buddhadharma. Even though he was not a disciple of the Buddha, he did understand the principle of giving.

One day while the farmer was working, a cultivator happened by. The Bhikshu had been certified to the fruit and was a Pratyekabuddha, but the farmer did not know that at the time. The old Bhikshu was returning from his begging rounds. It was his practice to beg from only seven houses. Then, if he had not obtained any food, he would return to the mountain for another seven days before going out to beg again. At that particular time, he was returning with an empty bowl.

When the farmer saw the poor monk, he decided to offer up his lunch to him. He had no idea the old Bhikshu was a Pratyekabuddha. Now, the Pratyekabuddha had the Penetration of Other’s Thoughts, so when he looked into the causes and conditions, he saw that this lunch, consisting of the poorest quality rice, constituted a most sincere offering. He praised the farmer and said, “So it is, so it is. Your offering is made with a true heart!” The Pratyekabuddha then returned to his mountain.

Later on, a rabbit hopped along and jumped on the farmer’s back. The farmer ran home, but try as he might, he could not shake the rabbit off. Then he noticed it was made of gold. He cut off one of the golden rabbit’s legs and exchanged it for money. The leg grew right back. After that, he had money in every life. Why? Because he made offerings with a true heart to a Pratyekabuddha, a sage who had been certified to the fruit. That was his reward. In every life he was “not poor.”

In the Sutra in Forty-two Sections, the Buddha said,

Giving food to a hundred bad people does not equal giving food to a single good person.

Giving food to a thousand good people does not equal giving food to one person who holds the Five Precepts.

Giving food to ten thousand people who hold the Five Precepts does not equal giving food to a single Srotaapanna.

Giving food to a million Srotaapannas does not equal giving food to a single Sakridagamin.

Giving food to ten million Sakridagamins does not equal giving food to a single Anagamin.

Giving food to a hundred million Anagamins does not equal giving food to a single Arhat.

Giving food to a billion Arhats does not equal giving food to a single Pratyekabuddha.

Giving food to ten billion Pratyekabuddhas does not equal giving food to a Buddha of the three periods of time.

Giving food to a hundred billion Buddhas of the three periods of time does not equal giving food to a single one who is without thoughts, without dwelling, without cultivation, and without accomplishment.

Because Aniruddha made offerings to a Pratyekabuddha with a true heart, as a good retribution in every life he was extremely wealthy. If he was not a prince, then he was a wealthy and respected individual. And so, if you want to be “not poor,” you too should make offerings to the Triple Jewel; then in the future you will have a chance to be wealthy.

It is said, “It is difficult to give when one is poor.” The reason Aniruddha was so wealthy is that he was able to give when he was poor. He gave his own lunch to the Triple Jewel. With that single true thought, he gained the reward of wealth.

It is also said, “It is difficult to study the Way when one has wealth and a noble status.” It is hard to convince a rich person to study the Way.

The doctrines in the Sutra in Forty-two Sections are extremely important. Everyone should take note of them.

Sutra:

The various evil destinies,
Those of the hells, ghosts, and animals,
And the pain of birth, old age, sickness, and death
Are all gradually wiped away.

Outline:

K1. Universal response with body karma (continued).

Commentary: 

The various evil destinies. “Various” means that there are a lot of them, not just one. In general, there are Four Evil Destinies. What are they? They are the asuras, the hell-beings, the ghosts, and the animals.

Asuras have been explained previously. They like to fight.

What are hell-beings? How are the hells created? The hells are a creation of people’s karmic obstacles. According to the type of evil karma one creates, one will fall into the corresponding type of hell. There are many types of hells. They are explained in detail in the Earth Store Sutra, which says there are eighteen major hells and five hundred lesser ones. There are many hells.

Now, are the hells made in advance like the prisons in this world? No. The hells manifest through the evil karma of each person. If you create evil karma by killing people, you will fall into the “hell for killers.” The same applies to other evil acts, such as setting fires. The type of hell depends on the type of karma. It is not fixed. When the karma is exhausted, the hell is then empty. Before it is ended, the hell is still there.

In Manchuria there was a man named Mr. Pig Foot Liu. His family name was Liu and he had a hoof instead of a foot. He was able to remember the events of his past three lives.

In one life he was born into a very wealthy family. When he was born, his father was in his forties. When the child Pig Foot Liu was thirteen, he was married to a wife who was two years his senior. Although the father was then in his fifties, his lust was still going strong, so he took a young wife who was about the same age as the son’s wife. A couple years later, Pig Foot Liu had a son. The son was married when he was about thirteen, and the wife was also a couple years older than her husband.

At that time, Pig Foot Liu did not believe in Buddhism. His parents had both died, and only his father’s young wife was left. Pig Foot Liu thought she was very beautiful, and he appropriated her for himself. Then Pig Foot Liu’s son died, and attracted to his son’s wife, he took her, too. So he was carrying on an affair with his stepmother and his daughter-in-law! He was in his mid-twenties at that time.

When Pig Foot Liu was in his forties, he woke up. “I have certainly amassed some terrible karma in this life!” he thought. “I took my stepmother and my daughter-in-law as wives.” He started believing in Buddhism and took up recitation of the Vajra (Diamond) Sutra.

In his late forties, after reciting the Sutra for ten years, he died and went to meet King Yama, the cruel, black-faced Lord of the Dead.

“Since you created so much evil karma,” King Yama said, “I am going to put you in the Hell of Boiling Oil where you will be fried.” He charged two ghosts with the task of taking him off to the oil pot, but there was someone standing by who said, “You cannot do that.”

“Why not?” asked King Yama.

“Because he has recited the Vajra Sutra, and he has still got it in his belly. He should first be reborn until he uses up all the Vajra Sutra, and then you can french fry him.”

So he went to be reborn as a person, this time in a very poor household. His mother and father sold snacks for a living, and from a very early age he was fond of eating. He ate so much that soon he had a very big belly. When he was five years old, he died from a bloated stomach. After he died, his parents were curious to see what was in his big belly, so they cut him open. There they found a substance as solid as diamond. At that point, the ghosts standing by said, “Oh, it is time now. We can take him to the oil pot and fry him.”

The ghosts then took him to King Yama who pronounced that he could be reborn as a pig. As a pig, he was fed until he was plump, and then slaughtered and eaten.

When he got back to King Yama again, King Yama was ready to send him through the frying punishment, but the offender spoke up and said, “You do not have to fry me. Let me go back as a person but give me one pig hoof as proof. I will urge people in the world not to commit offenses.”

King Yama thought that was a good idea, and so that was what happened. His surname was Liu, and because of his hoof, most people called him Mr. Pig Foot Liu. I met the man personally and talked to him for a long time, so I am very clear about his circumstances. This is how the evil destinies get created. People create their own hells. Hells are very dangerous.

In Harbin, where I am from, there was a Dharma Master named Chengyi who was once so sick that he thought he had died. After he died, he went down a road to a place not too far away from his temple and was reborn there. What was he reborn as? As a pig! When he saw that he himself was a pig, he refused to suckle, and then he died of starvation. At that point, his spirit reentered the body of Dharma Master Chengyi.

He then woke up and told people around him about what he had just experienced. “I have recovered from my illness. I was just reborn as a pig. Let me take you to the spot, and we will have a look. There are seven piglets in the litter. I was reborn as one of them. I was the one who refused to take milk and starved.”

Several Dharma Masters accompanied him to the spot, and sure enough, they found a litter of seven piglets, and one was dead. I also met that Dharma Master.

It is not at all easy to be reborn as a person. A human body is very difficult to obtain.

The Buddhadharma is not easy to get to hear. You figure it out. Of all the millions of people in America, how many come on any given night to listen to the Sutra lectures? Very, very few. It is difficult to meet a Good and Wise Advisor who really understands the Buddhadharma. Some who claim to be teachers are not clear about principles, so they say things to you that are unclear.

Those of the hells, ghosts, and animals. The destiny of hungry ghosts is also a result of karmic power. Hungry ghosts have bellies as big as drums and throats as thin as needles. The things we eat turn into fire when they enter the mouths of hungry ghosts. This happens because their karmic obstacles are so heavy. For instance, the gods see water as crystal. People see it as water, fish see it as their abode, and ghosts see it as fire. This shows the power of karma. It influences what one experiences. Beings see the same thing in different ways.

It is also very easy to get reborn as an animal, such as a pig, a chicken, or a horse. These kinds of animals were formerly people. What kind of people? People who were not filial to their parents and who did not respect their teachers and elders. People like that get caught up in the animal kingdom.

People who are fond of eating meat also create ties with the creatures whose flesh they consume. By eating a certain kind of flesh, they establish a close connection with that animal, and the future is then very dangerous for them.

“The various evil destinies” then, include the Four Evil Destinies of hells, hungry ghosts, animals, and asuras.

And the pain of birth, old age, sickness, and death. In human life, there are Three Sufferings:

1. The Suffering within Suffering
2. The Suffering of Decay
3. The Suffering of Process

An example of Suffering within Suffering is to be penniless and also without any food to eat or any place to live. This suffering is experienced by poor people. Lacking the very necessities of life, they cannot even find work. This kind of suffering is not easy to bear.

But wealthy people suffer even more. They experience the Suffering of Decay. Having money, they have to continuously calculate about it. “I will put this much in the bank. I will take this much out and put it into a business venture. I will take that much…” and on it goes like that all day long. They keep on counting their money until their hair turns white, their teeth fall out, their eyes stop working, and their ears go deaf. But then trouble comes. The robbers get their number. They break in at night and pick the safe clean.

People in poverty get accustomed to their suffering, but when the Suffering of Decay hits wealthy people, they cannot take it. It is very bitter.

Well, then, if you are neither rich nor poor, there is no suffering, right? There is still suffering; the Suffering of Process. Everyone goes through the process of aging. From youth, people pass into middle age, and then become old. Once they are old, they die. This process never stops. It continues with every passing thought. This is the Suffering of Process.

Then there are the Eight Sufferings; and even Eight Sufferings are not very many, because suffering does not stop with eight kinds. There are thousands upon millions of kinds of sufferings. You could never count how many sufferings there are.

Well, what is the greatest suffering? Being a person. It is much more pleasant to be an animal than to be a person. So what can you be that is not suffering? Well, being a Buddha is not suffering. Why do I say that it is more pleasant to be an animal than to be a person? Because, animals do not have to worry about clothes to wear, food to eat, or a place to live. Their lives happen very naturally, so they never worry about anything. But, when one is a person, there are just too much suffering.

Now, we are going to talk about the Eight Sufferings. They are:

1. The suffering of birth
2. The suffering of old age
3. The suffering of sickness
4. The suffering of death
5. The suffering of being apart from those you love
6. The suffering of being together with those you hate
7. The suffering of not getting what you seek
8. The suffering of the raging blaze of the Five Skandhas

And among these eight, which one is the worst? I believe the worst is the suffering of birth; because if you were not born, then the others would not happen. And you say, “Well, what’s so much suffering about being born, anyway?” I know you have forgotten, so I am going to remind you.

How is it that you got born? Birth comes from the union of the father’s essence and the mother’s blood; and there also has to be what is called the “intermediate skandhabody,” which enters the womb.

Once you are in the womb, the first few weeks are simply the development of a jelly-like substance; but after the seventh week, feeling arises. And once the fetus develops a sense of feeling, then if the mother drinks something cold, it feels like it is standing on a mountain of ice—extremely uncomfortable. If the mother drinks something hot, then it is just as if the fetus is plunged into hot water and scalded. So even in the womb one experiences the two unpleasant sensations of cold and heat. If the mother stoops over, then the embryo feels as though it is being crushed by Mount Tai.

But the birth is the worst experience; it is like two mountains crashing together—like the Hell of Crashing Mountains. And so, of course, the first thing a child does after being born is scream, “Ku a, ku a!” [The Chinese character ku means “suffering,” and it sounds the same as another word ku that means “to cry”.]

And so it is said that human birth feels the same as when a live tortoise has its shell ripped off—it is that painful. But as you grow up, you forget the suffering of birth. You pass through your prime and get old without even realizing it. There is also tremendous suffering connected with old age. For instance, your hearing goes bad; you don’t even know if people are scolding you. And your eyesight goes dim, so you cannot see things clearly anymore. The teeth fall out; the tongue does not, but the teeth do. You never heard of anyone losing his tongue, and the reason for that is that the tongue is yielding and supple.

One time I asked an old fellow about this, I said, “Teeth fall out when you get old, but have you ever met anyone who lost his tongue?”

He said, “Never. Have you?”

And I said, “Look, I am a lot younger than you—you are almost ninety—and since you have not ever seen it, how would you expect me to have ever seen it?”

Then I asked him, “Do you know why your tongue does not fall out, but your teeth do? It is because the teeth are too rigid, so they fall out. But the tongue is supple and yielding, so it does not fall out.”

And he said, “Oh!”

And I said, “You are awfully old now, you had better be careful not to be too rigid. Take this lesson from your teeth.”

Then you say, “What is so bad about having the teeth fall out?”

Well, you lose your appetite—nothing tastes good anymore. Something may look and smell good, but when you put it in your mouth and gum it around, you cannot even chew it up. You end up swallowing it whole, which makes it very hard to digest. So, do you think that is suffering, or not? And also your face gets all wrinkled. It is said that people come to have “skin like a chicken and hair like a crane.” If you have ever seen a plucked chicken, you can see that its skin is all bumpy and wrinkled. And “hair like a crane” means that your hair turns totally white. But, of course, that does not apply to Westerners, because when infants are first born in the West, they are towheaded—they have flaxen hair at birth; they do not even wait until they get old to have white hair.

Another point of interest is that although Westerners may be born with flaxen hair, their hair does not turn black, and yet black hair can turn white. But then again, sometimes it does happen. For instance, when I was in Hong Kong, my hair turned totally white. Why? Because I was overseeing the construction of a temple. I erected three temples in Hong Kong, and it was such a strain on my body and mind that my hair turned totally white. Then I took a look and thought, “Oh, this is really something. I had better not tax my mind so much!” Then I just put everything down, and my hair turned black again. From this, you can see that nothing is fixed.

If do not believe that old age entails suffering, wait till you are eighty or ninety and nothing you eat tastes good anymore. Then you will remember, “When I was younger, I did not believe that Dharma Master when he talked about the suffering of old age. Now I know that it is really true.” But by then, it will be too late to start cultivating the Way.

There are many kinds of sicknesses. You might get a headache, or your feet hurt, or sometimes your whole body aches. In general, if your heart, liver, kidneys, spleen, or lungs are ailing, it is a lot of suffering.

Another truly terrible suffering is death; in fact, it is the worst. It is easy to die, but once you are dead, the important question is where you will go. After you die, will you go to the hells? Will you become an animal? Will you be reborn as a person? No one can give you any insurance.

And so, that is birth, old age, sickness, and death—they are all suffering.

Why was it that Shakyamuni Buddha left home? It was because he came to realize that birth, old age, sickness, and death are not easy to endure.

When Prince Siddhartha was nineteen years old, he wanted to see the sights outside the palace. So one day he went to the city’s east gate. There he saw a woman in the process of delivering a baby. The Prince asked his attendant, “What is happening?” He replied, “She is giving birth to a child.” Looking at the woman who seemed to be enduring an extremely painful event and the newborn child crying loudly, the Prince returned home unhappily.

The next day, the Prince went to the city’s southern gate. There he saw a very old man. His hair was totally white and his eyes were dim. His back was hunched and his legs were too weak to walk. The Prince asked in surprise, “What is wrong with that man? Why has he become that way?” His attendant answered, “This man is already old. He has too many years. That is why he is that way.” Upon hearing this, the Prince became upset and quickly returned to his palace.

On the third day, the Prince went to the city’s west gate. There he saw a sick person. Saddened, the Prince returned to the palace.

On the fourth day, the Prince went to the city’s north gate. There lay a dead person. “What is the matter with that person?” asked the Prince. The attendant said, “This man already died.” The Prince again felt extremely depressed.

The Prince had witnessed the suffering of birth, old age, sickness, and death for himself, and he realized this was the process that human beings have to pass through. He felt very sad and wanted to go back to the palace. Right at that moment, a left-home person appeared. The Prince asked his attendant, “Who is this person? What is he doing?” His attendant then went to talk to that cultivator. The cultivator said, “I am a left-home person. I investigate and study the Buddha Way in order to be liberated from the suffering of birth, old age, sickness, and death.”

At that time the Prince had not yet become a Buddha. But when he heard that by cultivating the Way he could avoid birth, old age, sickness, and death, he said, “Can I cultivate in the same way you do?”

The monk replied, “Anybody can.”

Then the Prince returned to the palace, and accompanied by one who was later known as Venerable Upali, he ran away.

Shakyamuni Buddha was totally disillusioned by birth, old age, sickness, and death. He did not know where he had come from at birth or where he would go when he died. And so he left the home-life and practiced the Way with the intent to end birth and death. He went into the mountains and cultivated for six years trying to avoid birth, old age, sickness, and death.

Nobody who gets born can avoid dying. Some deaths are good and some are terrible. Some people die from sickness; some people starve to death; some people die from the fatigue of toil; some people die from quarreling—they have a fight and kill each other; then there is war, and people die on the battlefield; others die in automobile accidents or get crushed in an avalanche.

There are many different kinds of deaths. Some people die from accidental poisoning; some people commit suicide by taking poison, or in other ways. Some people have no wish to die, but they die; some wish to die, but they cannot. Just death alone contains myriad distinctions.

As there are different kinds of death, so are there different retributions or rewards that follow death. How do they differ? For instance, if someone dies by accident—as in an automobile accident, or by drowning, or by being burned in a fire—he then turns into a ghost or a spirit, but he does not go before King Yama, because King Yama pays no attention to him. The other ghosts do not pay any attention to this kind of spirit, either.

You say, “In that case, they are really free!” But, they are just free ghosts, not free people. Of course, if people are free, often they just take advantage of situations and do not follow the rules. The same thing happens with a ghost who is free—he tends not to follow the rules. People who die in this way may try to catch some other persons to turn into ghosts to take their place. That is why oftentimes when there is an accident in a certain place, within three years after it, there will be another one. The reason is that the ghost that died by accident is just waiting for the opportunity to catch someone else to replace him, because he would not get a chance at rebirth until he can get someone to take his place. If he does not get another ghost to represent him, then he just remains there forever, ignored. That is another kind of death.

If you kill yourself, say for instance from taking poison, you go to the hells. And the punishments are terrible. If, for example, you took poison to die, then you will go to the hell where you have to drink molten iron. You burn up all your insides—your stomach, your intestines—and then you die. But then a “clever” wind blows and revives you and brings you back to life. Then you have to drink the molten iron again, and then you die again from the burns, and then the wind blows and you come back to life again. This process goes on unceasingly all day. It is unbearable. But, if you can recite the name of Guanyin Bodhisattva, the text says, the various kinds of sufferings are all gradually wiped away. Guanshiyin Bodhisattva can gradually eliminate and eradicate the sufferings of birth, old age, sickness, and death.

We have already discussed four of the sufferings. Next we will talk about the suffering of being apart from those we love.

Everybody knows what love is. Some people love wealth; others love beautiful forms or fame. If people who love wealth are separated from it, that is known as the suffering of being apart from what one loves. How might this happen? Suppose someone is very wealthy—he has a flourishing business, but, suddenly, due to unforeseeable circumstances, he goes bankrupt. He loses everything. That is a case of being apart from what one loves. In his case, he loved money. He did not ever want to be separated from money, and then suddenly he is penniless.

Next, let’s consider someone who loves beautiful forms. Men love the looks of women; women love the looks of men. Between them there is a mutual love. But if in their former lives the causes and effects were not planted correctly, then the love will not last. Something will happen, and they will have to part with each other. That is the kind of suffering that occurs between men and women when they must be apart from those they love.

Then there are those who love fame. Some people say that fame is one’s second life. But sometimes your reputation gets ruined. You lose your fame. Basically, if you wanted to be well-known but then did something wrong and ruined your own reputation, that is a case of being apart from what you love—fame.

But then you say, “Well, there might be a couple who does not separate, and so they do not have to undergo the suffering of being apart from those they love.”

But they might have a child who is both handsome and intelligent, and all of a sudden, unexpectedly, he dies. That is extremely hard to bear. Or suppose you are a person who is especially filial towards your parents, and then your parents die. That is another example of being apart from those you love. Or, maybe you have an excellent relationship with your spouse, and then suddenly he or she dies unexpectedly. That is also an example of being apart from those you love. The same thing applies to brothers, sisters, friends—in each case the suffering of being apart from those you love can arise.

Once you have experienced this kind of suffering, you should no longer be attached to love. You should not direct all your love towards one person. Instead, develop a kind regard for all living beings. Practice the Bodhisattva Path and save everybody. Don’t only think of yourself. Think of all living beings, instead. Rescue and protect everybody. Then you will not experience the suffering of being apart from those you love.

Some people are masochists. They like to suffer. If there is no suffering, they look for it. For instance, a man gets married and then he starts worrying from morning to night that his wife will find a lover. Basically, there wasn’t any suffering to begin with, but he created it. And if a woman marries a particularly handsome man, she may have the same concern, or create it. She never thinks about anything else but how her handsome husband is going to get a girlfriend. Wouldn’t you say that is stupid?

Some people direct their love not at other people, but at their pets. In fact, there are people who love their cat or dog more than life itself. When the dog dies or the cat gets lost, they feel as if they had lost their very life. That is another example of being apart from those one loves.

The sixth kind of suffering is that of being together with those one hates. Of course, some people overreact and think, “Well, since love entails so much suffering, I am not going to love anybody—I will hate everybody!” So you detest everyone, and you don’t love anything, including material objects. You feel that since loving is so much suffering, you do not want to love. But not loving also has its suffering. That is the suffering of being together with those you hate.

Maybe you find yourself in a circumstances in which you do not like where you are, or you do not like the people who are around you, and so you move. But then, who would have guessed that when you get to the new place, the people are all the same sort as in the place you just left, and things are just as despicable; in fact, it is even worse.

In general, the things that you most wish to avoid and the things that you detest the most are the very things that come around. It is strange how this happens. For instance, if you are afraid of cats, then from morning to night, there are cats hanging around. Suppose you hate dogs with a passion; then everywhere you go, you have dogs trailing you. Or, you hate women, but all day there are women wanting to see you. They chase after you, and you get totally fed up, so you move; but at your new place, there is another group of women just like them.

Well, how does this suffering arise? It comes from your own nature. Because your intrinsic nature does not have any samadhi, you find fault with whatever you see. Say you are in one place where you cannot get along with any of your neighbors, so you move to someplace else, and you still cannot get along with any of your new neighbors. Then that is not a question of the neighbors—it is probably a question of your lack of ability to get along. You just do not have any affinity with anyone, so nobody likes you.

You can see that the more you are attached to something, the more likely you will be separated from it. By the same token, the more you hate and wish to avoid something, the more you are going to get involved with it. These two—the suffering of love and the suffering of hate—come about because you do not truly understand the Middle Way. As soon as you go to an extreme, either of too much or of too little, you are going to suffer. If you could hold to the Middle Way, you would not suffer.

The seventh kind of suffering is that of not getting whatever one seeks. Some people work hard hoping to make a fortune, but they remain poor to the end of their lives. Some people spend their whole lives seeking for an official position, but in the end they never make it. Some people try to become famous, but they cannot make it either. Some people do not have any children, and no matter how much they try, they are never able to have a child. That is another example of not getting what one seeks.

In general, people spend their whole lives trying to get this or trying to get that, but in the end, they do not get what they want. Some people would like to get a Ph.D., but it is not their destiny to be students, because from of old they have not planted those kinds of causes. For example, there was Yao Lianghao, who became top scholar in China when he was eighty-two. But not long after he got the honor, he died. If you get something and then cannot enjoy it, that is just another version of the suffering connected with not getting what you seek.

Then there is the suffering of the raging blaze of the five skandhas: form, feeling, thought, formations, and consciousness. In the Heart Sutra, it is said,

Form does not differ from emptiness; emptiness does not differ from form. Form itself is emptiness; emptiness itself is form.

The point is, if you can see things as empty, you would not have any suffering. But, if you cannot see things as empty, then you will be burned by the five skandhas. The five skandhas are a raging blaze, but although they are so much suffering, no one can bear to separate from them.

The first seven kinds of suffering are caused by external forms of defilement. This eighth suffering is innate; it is inherent in the five skandhas from birth. It never leaves you, and even if you want to part from it, you cannot get free. This has been a discussion on the eight kinds of sufferings.