Buddhists From China

"The Perfect Way knows no difficulties Except that it refuses to make preferences; Only when freed from hate and love, It reveals itself fully and without disguise; A tenth of an inch's difference, And heaven and earth are set apart; If you wish to see it before your own eyes, Have no fixed thoughts either for or against it. To set up what you like against what you dislike — This is the disease of the mind: When the deep meaning (of the Way) is not understood Peace of mind is disturbed to no purpose. (The Way is) perfect like unto vast space, With nothing wanting, nothing superfluous: It is indeed due to making choice That its suchness is lost sight of. Pursue not the outer entanglements, Dwell not in the inner void; Be serene in the oneness of things, And (dualism) vanishes by itself."

"Sengcan: I am riddled with sickness. Please absolve me of my sin. Huike: Bring your sin here and I will absolve you. Sengcan [after a long pause]: When I look for my sin, I cannot find it. Huike: I have absolved you. You should live by the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha."

"Whether we see it or not, It is manifest everywhere in all the ten quarters. Infinitely small things are as large as large things can be, For here no external conditions obtain; Infinitely large things are as small as small things can be, For objective limits are here of no consideration. What is is the same as what is not, What is not is the same as what is: Where this state of things fails to obtain, Indeed, no tarrying there. One in All, All in One — If only this is realized, No more worry about your not being perfect! Where Mind and each believing mind are not divided, And undivided are each believing mind and Mind, This is where words fail; For it is not of the past, present, and future."

"If one's mind correctly gauges the import of these words, then, in the blink of an eye, one's qualities of wisdom and severance will become so great as to defy measurement and one's spiritual understanding will become unfathomably deep.If, however, one disingenuously seizes on passages out of context or, due to personal sentiments, distorts the instructions of the text, then the months and years will be needlessly drawn out while actual realization will have no basis for development. One's circumstance would then be like the pauper who spends his time calculating the wealth of other men. What possible benefit could this have for oneself?"

"If one is able to become deeply aware of the negative consequences of desires, one will not become involved in them. This is what is meant by renouncing desire."

"He excelled in every subject: men, gods, devils, Buddhas, birds, beasts, buildings, landscapes—all seemed to come naturally to his exuberant art. He painted with equal skill on silk, paper, and freshly-plastered walls; he made three hundred frescoes for Buddhist edifices, and one of these, containing more than a thousand figures, became as famous in China as “The Last Judgment” or “The Last Supper” in Europe. Ninety-three of his paintings were in the Imperial Gallery in the twelfth century, four hundred years after his death; but none remains anywhere today. His Buddhas, we are told, “fathomed the mysteries of life and death”; his picture of purgatory frightened some of the butchers and fishmongers of China into abandoning their scandalously un-Buddhistic trades; his representation of Ming Huang’s dream convinced the Emperor that Wu had had an identical vision."

"So great was his reputation that when he was finishing some Buddhist figures at the Hsing-shan Temple, “the whole of Chang-an” came to see him add the finishing touches. Surrounded by this assemblage, says a Chinese historian of the ninth century, “he executed the haloes with so violent a rush and swirl that it seemed as though a whirlwind possessed his hand, and all who saw it cried that some god was helping him”: the lazy will always attribute genius to some “inspiration” that comes for mere waiting. When Wu had lived long enough, says a pretty tale, he painted a vast landscape, stepped into the mouth of a cave pictured in it, and was never seen again. Never had art known such mastery and delicacy of line."

"The greatest painter of the T’ang epoch, and, by common consent, of all the Far East, rose above distinctions of school, and belonged rather to the Buddhist tradition of Chinese art. Wu Tao-tze deserved his name—Wu, Master of the Tao or Way, for all those impressions and formless thoughts which Lao-tze and Chuang-tze had found too subtle for words seemed to flow naturally into line and color under his brush."

"泛舟大河裏，積水窮天涯。 天波忽開拆，郡邑千萬家。 行復見城市，宛然有桑麻。 回瞻舊鄉國，淼漫連雲霞。"

"行到水穷处，坐看云起时。"

"紅豆生南國，春來發幾枝。 願君多採擷，此物最相思。"

"诗中有画，画中有诗。"

"卫青不败由天幸， 李广无功缘数奇。"

"君自故鄉來，應知故鄉事。 來日綺窗前，寒梅著花未？"

"The cold mountain turns dark green. The autumn stream flows murmuring on. Leaning on my staff beneath the wicket gate, In the rushing wind I hear the cry of the aged cicada."

"一身转战三千里， 一剑曾当百万师。"

"独在异乡为异客，每逢佳节倍思亲。 遥知兄弟登高处，遍插茱萸少一人。"

"独坐幽篁里，弹琴复长啸。 深林人不知，明月来相照。"

"I have just seen you go down the mountain. I close the wicker gate in the setting sun. The grass will be green again in coming spring, But will the wanderer ever return?"

"渭城朝雨浥轻尘，客舍青青柳色新。 劝君更尽一杯酒，西出阳关无故人。"

"In the mountains a night of rain, And above the trees a hundred springs."

"明月松間照，清泉石上流。"

"Probably China's greatest descriptive poet."

"Just as we get sick physically, the earth is sick too. When people are sick, they need to be treated and saved. When the earth is sick, it also needs everyone to care for it and save it. To save the earth, we must begin with environmental preservation. On the other hand, the protection of nature depends on humanity to self-awaken, which also starts with preservation of the spiritual environment."

"Having marched through life for close to seventy years, I am but an ordinary monk who deems “preaching the Dharma a daily duty and benefiting all living beings a lifetime career.” Whatever transpires in the outer conditions, I have always felt profoundly blessed to be in the favor of the Buddhas from the ten directions and with the affinity of all living beings. With them watching over and caring for me, I have been able to carry out the sacred mission that pertains to a monastic little by little."

"Master Hsing Yun was revered by compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait for always safeguarding the overall interests of the Chinese nation, firmly supporting China's national reunification and opposing "Taiwan independence," as well as helping advance cross-Strait exchanges."

"Embrace the vow of compassion to deliver all beings, Float like an untethered boat in the Dharma sea. Ask me what merits have I over a lifetime, They are the Buddha’s Light across five continents."

"If you have resentment in your heart, you’ve only got yourself to blame. If you could understand it’s not any outside thing but your own attachment or greed that causes the resentment in the first place, you would be able to let go of the emotion. If you have time to be angry, you might as well use that time to do something good for society, right?"

"His concept of humanistic Buddhism contributed to a shift in Chinese Buddhist practices from one that was ritual-centered and otherworldly to one that focused on the here-and-now through the practice of the Dharma and the promotion of Buddhist education and social welfare."

"Exposure to an appropriate amount of hardship is healthy for one’s growth. Parents should not spoil their children if they want their children to grow up to be resilient. Nor should young people spoil themselves. There is an ancient Chinese poem that describes the life of limestone. The raw limestone endures thousands of strikes to be dug out of the deep mountain, after which it is burned in scorching flames without ever flinching and then ground to dust without ever complaining, just so it can fulfill its destiny to become lime. If one wants to make his or her mark in the world, he or she must be able to withstand hardships like raw limestone. Young people nowadays are referred to as the “strawberry generation”, which means they lack spiritual vitality and a sense of mission and tend not to give much thought to personal growth or what they want to achieve in their lives. Endurance, wisdom, benevolence, responsibility and confidence—these are the qualities which give us strength and which we should work to possess."

"I don’t think “poor” or “rich” should be defined by how much money one has. People with money are not necessarily rich. Some suffer from moral bankruptcy. In my opinion, the world is filled with poor people with money. How so? Because they don’t sow. They are not willing to think about others. Some people, even though they’re without money, they often help others. These people are rich. My personal philosophy is: Not having is the best state to have, and cultivating a big heart is the way to have lasting inner joy."

"He was a product of his origins and of his generation, but also a religious figure who did not hesitate to dip his toes into the waters of politics, more often than not siding with the Kuomintang while always making sure to avoid doing or saying things that would anger Beijing."

"Our heart is like a factory. This factory can produce joy. It can also produce worry. If you can produce worry to make yourself unhappy, why don’t you produce joy instead? Many of our worries are much ado about nothing."

"Both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one family. There are no Taiwanese in Taiwan and Taiwanese are all Chinese. Which Taiwanese is not Chinese? They are Chinese just like you are. We are all brothers and sisters. The more (cross-strait) exchange we have, the more mixed we will be. Then we won't be able to distinguish who's Mainland and who's Taiwanese — and we will naturally become unified."

"He was the target of [Taiwanese] pro-independence advocates again in 2014 when he said in talks with Xi in Beijing that the “Chinese dream would enable China to become greater and more prosperous.” Despite this view, Hsing Yun remained widely admired among the island’s 24 million people, largely through his promotion of “humanistic Buddhism” and his charitable work in Taiwan and around the world."

"Unlike Cardinal Zen and the Dalai Lama, Hsing Yun was driven by pragmatism, not any beliefs in democracy. He was willing to work with anyone who could advance his interest and organization."

"Respect the freedom of others. Freedom is priceless. The history of the world is full of martyrdom for the cause of freedom. However, in a modern democracy, misconceptions of freedom can lead to great misfortune and confusion. Freedom requires respect for the freedom of others, and the Buddhist Five Precepts embody this spirit of freedom. No killing means to respect the lives of others. No stealing means to respect the property of others. No lying means to respect the reputation of others. No sexual misconduct means to respect the integrity of self and others. No intoxicants means to respect our own body. Upholding the precepts is honoring the freedom of others. When we examine the penitentiaries, we can see that inmates are being held because they have broken the Five Precepts."

"Life has no price because money cannot buy life. We should respect the value of being alive and of all living beings. Not only should we protect the lives of others, we should also respect our own life. We should be a lamp that illuminates and warms those who surround us. We should be a tree that shelters and comforts. We should be a bridge that guides all beings to the shore of happiness. We should be a raindrop that nurtures both body and mind."

"Freedom, democracy, and technology are the hallmarks of our modern century. However, misguided freedom has become an excuse for offending others; false democracy has become a weapon for trampling the weak; and unethical technology has become a tool for destroying one's neighbor. In the past freedom, democracy, and technology have been necessities for favorable progress. Now, they are the source of many problems. In these turbulent times, we call upon respect and magnanimity as a way for people of the world to cultivate increased mutual respect for and understanding of one another."

"Develop a true mind that is as intrinsic as our nature: Each one of us possesses an intrinsically true nature. Once we uncover the true nature that is like the ocean, like space and like the earth, we can take one step further and uncover our original face, return to our native home, and retrieve what has been ours from the very beginning. In general, anything that enables us to accomplish the ultimate goal of benefiting both oneself and others as well as enlightening both oneself and others must never be lost or forgotten by learners of the Dharma. These include gratitude, humility, determination for the Way, merit, deep belief, respect, magnanimity, and endurance, all of which are the resolves that Buddhists cannot do without."

"Life is a product of causes and conditions, while death is a product of their dispersal. If we gaze upon life and death from the highest level of truth, we will see that they are fundamentally nonexistent. Nothing is born and nothing dies. The truth is far deeper than that! This is why great Buddhist masters work not so much to overcome the cycle of birth and death, but rather to see deeply into their own basic nature, for this nature already is beyond life and death. Whenever a sentient being can even so much as glimpse his inner nature, he frees himself from immense trouble for his inner nature is nothing less than the mind of Buddha."

"The basic rules of life are no different today than they were in the past. If we want to live well and do our best while we are in this world, then we must live in accordance with the flow of nature as it finds expression both inside of us and outside of us. We must honor the rights and feelings of our spouses, children, neighbors and coworkers. If we want to begin a new business enterprise, we must respect the marketplace and take into consideration all of the many factors that will go into making our efforts pay off. If we want to improve the governance of our societies, then we must pay close attention to the needs of the people as we strive to set an example that is worthy of their natural and heartfelt respect. The imperative that we live in accordance with the natural laws of nature and the human heart is even more important for those of us who call ourselves Buddhists. Above all others, we must strive to set examples that inspire and comfort our fellow beings. Our words must be truthful and our motives must be pure, for this is the only way that we can ever hope to be of lasting value to others. In seeking this way of being, we will find that we are conforming perfectly to the way of nature as well, for the Tao of nature lies as much in our hearts as it does in the world that surrounds us."

"Develop a true mind that is as vast as the ocean: Not only is the ocean a palace for aquatic animals, it is also a place filled with inexhaustible treasures. Take a look at oil drillers today. Don’t they always dig deep in the ocean for the oil? The ocean’s resources are usually what supports and makes a country wealthy; this is why every country protects its water rights, because to them, they are protecting their national property. Our mind is also like the ocean, it is a womb that nurtures the treasures of compassion and bodhi wisdom awaiting us to uncover."

"To resolve means to cultivate the field of your mind, which is also the first thing we have to learn as Buddhists. Without cultivating and developing the field of our mind, no matter how good the conditions we may possess, or how much fortune and merits we may have, the sprout of bodhi wisdom will still not grow. This is similar to a seed without a good and fertile land, no good flower or fruit will ever grow out of it. Therefore, if we wish to open up and develop our spiritual wealth or utilize our energy, we must begin by resolving."

"Nature and karma are similar, if not the same. When we do something good for the world, a good reward comes to us. When we do something evil to the world, a painful retribution results. Cause and effect form the spokes on a wheel that turns continuously, without beginning or end. Our very lives themselves are the temporary manifestations of a process of cause and effect that has been going on for eons. Already, each one of us has lived and died a thousand thousand times. Death is the beginning of a new life, while each life is the start of a new death that is yet to come. If this point is properly understood, we should be able to see that death is never an absolute end to anything and that life is never an absolute condition that persists without change."

"Our achievement is proportional to the size of our heart. If we can show magnanimity towards those in our family, we can be leaders in our homes. If we can show magnanimity towards those in our community, we can be leaders of our communities. If we can show magnanimity towards those in our nation, we can be leaders of our nation. If we can get beyond all opposites, appreciate everything in the universe, and help where it is appropriate, we will be as free as the king of the Dharma realm is. It is said: "Bamboo packs tightly, but water can still flow through it. The mountain is high, but clouds are not stopped by it." If we have magnanimity, we can be like clouds and water, penetrating all obstructions. We will be able to travel freely throughout the universe."

"Develop a true mind that is as immense as space: The universe can be used as a metaphor for our mind, “the mind is like the universe; its capacity immeasurable like grains of sand.” Within the universe exist the sun, moon, and stars; within the universe exist thunder, lightening, rain, and dew. Every phenomenon is embraced within. Therefore, the nations of the world are all interested in exploring the universe, hoping to discover treasures from within. Our mind too is like space filled with limitless treasures of joy and contentment. It is only through development that we can discover the treasures."

"Develop a true mind that is as boundless as the earth: The earth is our mother that nurtures our life. Not only does the human race depend on the sky and the ocean’s resources for food, they also depend on the earth to survive. The earth supports all forms of life that grow on it, while underneath it there are mines of gold, silver, bronze, and all kinds of minerals. Our mind too, is like the earth in which our Buddha Nature and true nature lie deeply within. We must know where to dig and how to develop in order to uncover these treasures."

"Self-awareness is also a way of self-education, and this also refers to what is mentioned in the sutras, “Rely on yourself, rely on the Dharma, and rely on nothing else.” Self-education is the key to our success, as we are most clear of our own faults and ignorance, we must educate ourselves and teach ourselves how to rectify our shortcomings. In other words, we must be demanding of ourselves, and attain the ability for self-learning, self-enrichment, and self-reflection. We need to learn to seek the cause in ourselves and make consistent effort in questioning ourselves, be self-aware, be one with our own initiative, and enlighten ourselves. Through continued self-reflection, we are able to find our true self. Otherwise, it will be as Sutra of Bequeathed Teachings indicates, “I am but a guide that points out the path to you; if you do not follow, it is not the guide to blame. I am but a good doctor who prescribes the medicine for your illness, if you do not take the medicine, the fault does not lie with the doctor.” If we do not even attempt to enlighten ourselves, not only will the Buddha not be of help to us, even a world of books on Buddhism will not help us gain understanding of the profound prajna wisdom. Therefore, we must read extensively and study deeply the Buddhist texts; the process of listening, thinking, and practice will enable us to be self-awakened and self-enlightened."

"It has all been for Buddhism's sake. Despite having grown up inside a monastery living a frugal and simple life, I never for a moment felt mistreated or deprived, because it was all for Buddhism’s sake. I became ordained for Buddhism’s sake; I remained firm against temptations of rich offerings from conducting chanting services, because I had resolved to devote my life to propagating the Dharma and benefiting sentient beings for Buddhism's sake; I declined positions of abbot and those of authority and fame from a young age, because I had my own thoughts and directions, and it was “all for Buddhism's sake.”"