The old saying: “Sutras are the Buddha's words, Zen is the Buddha's mind.” We all have the Buddha's mind but because of limitless deluded thoughts and attachments filled with greed and disturbances encompass and obstruct our true mind.

For instance, if we don't have deluded thoughts, then we would realize that our true mind has always been automatically contemplating, purifying and emanating.

There are those initiate a mind of clinging to equanimity and, thus, create the deluded thought of “equanimity”. In essence, the deluded thought never has an origin. Those cling to the deluded thought of “equanimity” has already created for themselves the “equanimity form” and entangled themselves in that “equanimity form”. Realistically, the true nature of equanimity does not have form.

The true meaning of Zen is:

• On the external: While being surrounded by forms yet able to cast aside all forms, then that is called Zen. In other words, if the external is clinging to forms, then the mind is disturbed; if the external casts aside all forms, then the mind is not disturbed.
• On the internal: Being amidst thoughts and able to cast aside all thoughts, then that is called Zen. In other words, if the internal is not agitated and undisturbed, then it is tranquil or the true nature has automatically been contemplating and purifying. It is just because we see things and cling to things, and thus, disturbance arises. On the other hand, if we see all things and yet the mind remains undisturbed, then that is “true equanimity”. Equanimity is not equate to the not-thinking and not-speaking of things nor refraining from letting thoughts arise. If anyone falls into this type of situation and clings to the idea that Zen equates to saying nothing at all, then it is certainly a disturbing perception. There are those tend to cling to the external forms, and so, the mind is disturbed by many thoughts and things from the profound to the minute. With such continuous attachment to the many different forms, we bury ourselves among those unreal, impermanent things and, thus, we always remain in the relativity of duality: have and have not, good and bad, tall and short, real and unreal, etc..

Generally speaking from the shallow to the profoundness of Zen, we practice Zen to calm our mind, our thought, and hence, our mind is lessened in tension and disturbance. This does not mean that all thoughts come to a cease or all deluded thoughts and feelings are eradicated. When deeply meditating in order to attain enlightenment, we use methods such as, the contemplation of the breath, the koans, the before-thought-formation (hu'a tou), etc.. We can be independent, that is, no longer plunge ourselves into sufferings and no longer cling to the ordinary physical love, in order to surpass all hindrance and progress toward the true, the goodness, the beauty, the perfect wisdom.

Truly speaking, Zen is not a religion, a Dharma method, a philosophy opened for debate nor anything that people label as. Zen itself surpasses all those unrealistic resources. We only need to just apply and practice it right here and now in our daily lives, such as eating, sleeping, working, etc.. Automatically, there is no need to look elsewhere or any further; it will affect you profoundly and gradually to the entirety of the true enlightenment and liberation that are fundamentally within us.

Venerable Thanh Tinh Lien
Thich Nu Chan Thien

Golden Chain of Love

I am a link in the Buddha’s golden chain of love

That streches around the world.

I will keep my link bright and strong.

I will be kind and gentle to every living thing

and protect all who are weaker than myself.

I will be unselfish and helpful to others,

Knowing that my own happiness and that of others

depends on my present actions.

May every link in the Buddha’s golden chain of love

become bright and strong

and may we all attain perfect peace.

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REVEALING THE TRUTH

Let us observe and please see with the eyes of wisdom, simplicity, non-bias, indiscrimination and non-clinging. Then, right here and now, in front of our eyes, all beings, all things all over the vast universe are displaying a vigorous vitality of life, most sacred, mystical and unexplainable with words.

The whole universe, many things along with us compose a beat of spontaneity in every second, every minute continuously without rests. We can see that there is nothing separating from one another. This profound vitality of life is displaying right within a being, a thing, all kinds and the whole universe. We are one with space, blue sky, clear water, soil, rocks, mountains, flowers and leaves, vegetation, sentient and non-sentient beings, all kinds, all things, all colors, all forms, etc.. Together, all are participating in an activity and contributing their innate ability in order to paint a picture filled with liveliness of utmost marvel and wonder.

Simultaneously, together we are singing and composing a session of “Sing and Compose the music of life”. This session is endlessly long and filled with our innate musical instruments in the most natural way and suitable with each position, circumstance, action of all people, all things, including the worms, the ants. No matter how small or how large, no one is incomplete in playing the role of a wonderful musician, a singer so that the musical piece of life is marveled with many rhythmic beats prolonging infinitely. There are no inscriptions or spoken words that can completely describe the supreme, the holiness of this energetic musical piece! Strangely and honorably, it is unbelievably that we, ourselves, are also present, attentive and using that same profound energy and life.

Through the small proof as follow, we will understand and clearly see that, between us and many things, universe, many scenes, many beings, etc., we all lie within a state of restrictions, yet very spontaneous in an intimate relationship, a close tie in which we cannot lack each other for a second, a minute.

Do we know that, in our lives, we cannot lack the people who grow rice, plant vegetables, plant flowers and fruits so that we can have food each day? We cannot lack the people who make fabrics, make clothes or make useful, basic necessities for our lives. We need all technicians, farmers, laborers, marketers. We need the people who build houses, bridges, sewages, roads. We cannot lack the air, the vast space, the sunshine, the moon, land, water, etc...

Generally, we need all beings, all things around us, just like we need the whole universe.

Since we cannot lack each other and part from each other, even though separated only by a hair, are we then unified with one another? If so, then we are all beings, all things, and the great universe. This is true as in the phrase:

“One is All, All is One”

Since we are one another and none of us can lack others in life, then why don’t we respect, value, love, have compassion with each other? And if we understood and loved all beings just like we love ourselves, then, of course, we would never harm any thing that are, together with us, present and displaying vitality with an inexpressible, complete and absolute energy. When we understood completely, who then would be envious of others? Who would be jealous of others? Who would be vengeful and take revenge on others? Who would be evil toward others? And who would eat the flesh of others? Therefore, should we take the lives of the animals in order to feast ourselves anymore? We should know that being sentient living things then all have the brain and the nervous system that are same like ours. And thus, they are very sensitive to pain when being crudely touches, not to mention the bloodshed which causes unimaginable suffering.

Why do we always protect our own lives, always afraid of pain, of bloodshed, of death, and yet we don’t think of the beings that are the same as us? They, too, need to protect their lives and afraid of pain and death just like us.

Pathetically, it is due to the retribution of karmas, the cause and effect, and ignorance that they reincarnated as animals. Being an animal, their ignorance is deeper than that of human. They cannot speak human language and, because of their stupidity, they are bullied by human. People use their intelligence and evil to take away the lives of the inferior beings in order to feast. However, people are not aware of the retribution with the comparable price for those evil acts. That is, eating one bite means paying back with an equivalency for that one bite.

The laws of cause and effect and the absolute equality in Buddhism are never wrong. Whatever cause one is implanted, then the equal effect will be merited. Implanting a righteous cause as in doing a good deed, a righteous effect will be gained. Implanting a cause of an executioner so that we can eat animal flesh, then the effect is being reincarnated as animal in order to pay back with our life for the very life that was taken away from the animals that got eaten by us. We keep on eating each other within this unending cycle of reincarnation because of owing each other with the debt of life. All because we don’t clearly know the whole truth or even if knowing the partial truth, we don’t have the courage to accept the painful reality in front of our eyes which is:

“Having eaten, then there must be retribution”

But among us, accounting from innumerous previous lives until today, can anyone proudly say that

“We have never eaten the flesh of sentient beings”?

Since we clearly know that everyone has been eaten meat products and has been reincarnated as animal and then as human, going round and round as such, within this animal kingdom, there must be our close friends or relatives if they have not yet get liberated. There also must be our ancestors, grandparents, parents, siblings, relatives from father and mother sides, friends, etc. from many previous lives and eons until this day, and they are still circling in that wheel of reincarnation. Presently, right in front of our eyes, we are proving a horrible truth that, possibly, it is our close entourage, no other strangers, being punished as animal reincarnation. Can anyone guarantee that all of our close entourage from many lives and eons have already been liberated? If they have not been liberated and are still being punished, then it is all because of their ignorance, incomprehension, lacking of righteous practice and non-enlightenment.

In order to end this most complicated and complex phenomenon, through Buddhism, we clearly understand the laws of cause and effect as well as the retribution of karmas. We also have the way to enlightenment, liberating ourselves and our loved ones, the entirety of living beings from punishments, unending reincarnation and cycle of life and death. Therefore, what are we waiting for other than study and practice to start correcting the wrongs of ignorance, and hence, being compassionate to ourselves by not feasting on the living beings any longer.

“If having not eaten, then shall have no retribution

If having not owed anyone, then no one shall ask for pay back”

If able to practice as such, then we are no longer volunteering to be animals through many lives and using our stomach as a cemetery burying many animal lives which include our loved ones.

If we refuse to feast on the living beings, then, of course, the markets, the restaurants, the communities would no longer buy and sell livestock nor kill animals. Additionally, we are able to end an evil, thoughtless deed that is conducted without the agreement of the victims being bullied by us, taken advantage of and unreasonably sacrificing for the sellers as well as the buyers.

We no longer feast on meat products in order to express compassion towards ourselves and all sentient beings.

If possible, we can be on veggie fasting, the more the better. We can practice veggie fasting at most two days a month, then four days, then increase to ten days and continue increasing until we are able to fast on vegetable for life. Vegetarian diet is just as nutritious as meat-seafood diet. If we put effort into trying to search and to understand, then, all kinds of grains, vegetables and fruits are containing much nutrition full with calories that support our physical bodies.

Vegetarian diet yields fewer illnesses

Vegetarian diet increases longevity

Vegetarian diet provides youth

Vegetarian diet purifies body and mind

Vegetarian diet is less sinful than eating lives because, anyhow, vegetables are non-sentient beings. Non-sentient beings don’t have the brain and the nervous system. Since their sensation and suffering are less, we bear less sin when eating vegetable products.

Let us respectfully put our hands together, palm to palm, to worship, praise and acknowledge with gratitude all kinds, all beings along with the entire universe that are in peace and displaying with us the marvelous and unending vitality of life. On the same note, with a mind of equanimity, spontaneity, innocence, non-reprehension, indiscrimination, non-clinging, let us always respect and remember with gratitude all that are present around us, all that we possess. If able to conduct as such, then right here is truly the Pure Land, and right here, we also have world peace and happiness.

Respectfully offering to the Ten Direction Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Righteous Saints, Sanghas.

Respectfully offering to the present parents, parents in the previous lives, ancestors from the primal time.

Respectfully offering to beings of many kinds, many things, the entire universe, foes, benefactors, spirits, heroes, the unification of positive and negative realms.

Season of Souls: Requite of The Filial Piety

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THE MEANING OF TONSURE

Usually, people thought of tonsure means practicing the Way and vowing to follow the Buddha’s footsteps in order to spiritually support the Buddha Dharma and other beings for the rest of one’s life. This definition is already considered as most marvelous and generous. However, if contemplating in a deeper sense, then tonsure is a vow to renunciate the body which is also renunciating the mind because the body and mind cannot be separated. Since the body and mind are one, then:

“Tonsure means vowing to renunciate the body and mind”

Usually, the mind is the principal of the body because the mind desires to renunciate, the body follows.

The definition of renunciation does not mean trashing the body and mind, but the goal is to renunciate the delusive mind and the disturbed, ignorant body and mind so that to return to the permanent, original nature of the true mind existed within us. It is also the goal of liberation from life and death for us as well as for the entire living beings.

To comprehend the transcending true principle and to practice in achieving that profound goal, we must have a mind of affirming faith, courage, and … to progress. Because of that we must initiate vows and resolutions in the most decisive manner. This is represented by the act of tonsure, vowing to renunciate the body and mind in order to leave the family life and live the ascetic life of priesthood.

Then, in what way is renunciation of the mind? Renunciate the mind is to renunciate the delusive, ignorant mind, renunciate the conciousness of the mind that is often differentiate the duality: have and have not, real and fake, bad and good, rich and poor, birth and death. This differentiating mind cling us to the notion of we are real, people are real, external images are real. This clinging to the realness is very firm and gives rise to the thought of self benefit for the individual and the ego. Continuously so with an addition of limitless thought and delusion, such as: love and hate, jealous, competitive, greed, anger, selfish, etc… Everyone of these thoughts stems from the source of the ignorant mind. However, these ignorant mind and delusory thoughts do not have an origin. They are not truly existed, but only comparable to a dream, illusive transformation, a thick cloud. Therefore, we temporarily call it as “illusive transformation”. Once we understood that it is just the illusion of the body and mind, then what is there to be clinged to or afraid of? Anyhow, the definition of renunciation, reiterated as mentioned above, is not trashing this body and mind, but the goal is, one way or another, to enable us to completely understand the principle of our body and mind just so that we don’t cling to the realness of them. Realistically, we still have to use them to practice the Way because it is right at this body and mind that we are able to realize the genuine Dharma Body and the true nature means enlightenment.

Let’s discuss on the renunciation of the body:

How does one renunciate the body?

We should understand that every events, things, images, views, and, even our body, are empty in essence and illusorily existed because of conditions.

- With the physical eyes, we see: On the external part, our body has an image, but it is really just the conditions illusorily combined from the four elements: earth, water, wind and fire.

- With the wisdom eyes, we see on the internal part: Our mind does not have an image. And so, its essence is originally empty, illusorily existed from the combination of conditions. However, “empty” here means the nature of void (only because an ignorant thought arose, the “cause of void” creates the delusion of differentiating the “combination of illusory conditions”; once defining as delusion, it is but an illusory dream).

Let’s reiterate, when an ignorant thought arises then following that thought to create a mind based on such image: Cling to the realness of self and Dharma, and self create a conscious mind of differentiation, unknowingly, it brings forth the transformation of “wisdom” to “consciousness”.

In summary, our body and mind are delusional from the inside out. They are illusory conditions combined from seven elements: earth, water, wind, fire, void, views and consciousness. Henceforth, we temporarily call it “illusory transformation of the body and mind” which is unreal in existence. However, we must still use this illusory transformation of the body, meaning this physical body which completed with the six senses: eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind that enable the practice until realization of the true nature or enlightenment. Once enlightened, this illusory transformation of the body is automatically transformed the seven elements into the seven jewels, that is, transforming the entirety of consciousness into the entirety of wisdom. At this moment, it is called returning to the origin. In essence, from the primal beginning, this body and mind are already perfected with wisdom. It is all because of one ignorant thought arose and, by itself, transformed complete wisdom to complete consciousness. Once awakened and renunciated ignorance, the wisdom is revealed. There is nothing to name as leaving or arriving at some place.

In conclusion, once apprehended completely the Buddha’s philosophy which points out the source of ignorance leads to the suffering of life and death and clearly understood that our body and mind are unreal, illusorily combined, there is nothing for us to be afraid of and to cling to and nothing that we have no courage to renunciate in order to return to the moon of wisdom, our inherent Buddha nature which is always pure, bright and permanent. That is the goal of the perfected practice. At this moment, the practitioner has automatically returned the piety and the grace counting from the primal time until now. Also, all the sins committed from the primal time until now are automatically eradicated. This is really complete in gratitude with all beings, all things and all of universe. This is the moment of principle and task are unified, the Way and Life are oneness and also complete the definition of the goal of tonsure.

“Tonsure Ceremony”

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An Incense of the Mind Is Also A Flower of the Mind

The reason for the Ancestor Commemoration is most important because the practice of Ancestor Commemoration is the virtue of filial piety. It has no differentiation in religion, ethnic groups, skin color, time and space. We cannot separate ourselves from filial piety for a second or a minute. We should have this devotion at all times, not just during a certain season in a year. We must practice this Ancestor Commemoration season every moment in our daily lives. Hence, to remind our children as well as ourselves the virtues of filial piety and gratitude, we cannot lack the ceremony of Ancestor Commemoration that has been passed on for many generations.

During this Ancestor Commemoration, we passionately reminisce the present and previous hardships of Buddhas, Patriarchs, teachers, ancestors, grandparents, parents, etc..

There is nothing more marvelous and profound than our presence here and now reminding ourselves of the filial piety and of the gratitude for our births and creations. Henceforth, together we praise and extend our appreciation during this ceremony.

To remind each other:

What is more precious and more beautiful than the pious acts of the children toward the parents? Speaking of such reverence, we cannot help from mentioning the Venerable Muc Kien Lien or Maudgalyayana (Sanskrit), one of the ten prominent disciples of Buddha. He is an exemplar of the great filial piety forever remaining in those devoted children.

We all know who gave us this body, blood, bones, teeth, hair,…, who nurtured and raised us with hardships until we reached adulthood, and then, at such time, who constantly worried for our well-beings and our future, such as marriage and career. As the parents complete their responsibility with their children, they continue to take care of the grandchildren. This labor of love displays their utmost loyalty and generosity.

By understanding this, we should be able to see the Way right in front of our eyes, no need to look elsewhere. There are no substantial acts sufficient to repay the grace of the parents but also the grandparents, teachers, countries, Buddha and all beings. This is a great difficulty in trying to fulfill one’s duty of filial piety. However, with great effort and true heart, we can complete our duty as long as we follow the footsteps of the Bodhisattva Muc Kien Lien. That is, regardless of the degree of hardship or danger and with all our might and heart, while we are returning the merit to our present parents, we can practice morality diligently, and soon we can reach enlightenment and liberation. At such moment, we already repay satisfactorily to our parents, ancestor, countries, Buddha and all beings. To repay by ways of monetary, materials, fame, respectfulness, love are not complete. The return of merit only perfected when we practice the Way to the absoluteness. This does not mean that we must become a priest but only depending on each person’s circumstance and effort. Great practice yields great result, little practice yields minute result. Whichever righteous methods we choose to practice, eventually, we can still obtain the ultimate goal.

Conclusively, from this practice of filial piety, we can take a step forward to transform this ethics to the Way of liberation, which is also the Way of Enlightenment.

It is only human that are able to obtain enlightenment. With the complete six sense organs: eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind, we can use them to liberate and enlighten ourselves. Thus, this physical being represents a boat transporting us from the illusory shore to the enlightened shore. This means that we can use this very physical being to practice until we eradicate all delusion because the end of delusion means enlightenment. Upon enlightenment, we liberate ourselves from suffering and the cycle of life and death.

Once we liberated ourselves, we can liberate others, including all parents and all beings. This is because within the realm of the enlightened One, the dharma world is universal.

“One is All, All is One”
With our unified mind of purity, we are a marvelous incense of the mind and, at the same time, we are also a flower of the mind. We use this incense of the mind, this flower of the mind to respectfully offer to the Ancestor Commemoration today and forever.

HOMAGE TO THE BODHISATTVA MUC KIEN LIEN
Presented during Ancestor Commemoration held on
Sept. 19, 2004 at Sung Nghiem Zen Center

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