Buddha’s Light Newsletter 佛 光 世 紀 August 2009 Issue 24

Hsing Yun’s Ch’an Talk

Sugar Cookie

A monk went to study with Ch’an Master Tao-ming. Master Tao-ming continued, “What do you call it?” The Master asked the monk, “What kind of The novice replied, ‘A sugar cookie.” Buddhist teachings have you read?” Master Tao-ming laughed heartily and said, “You The monk replied, “I have read the Yogacara can also lecture on the teachings of Yogacara!” teaching.” The method and direction of studying Yogacara The Master asked, “Can you lecture on this differ from that of studying Ch’an. Yogacara’s subject?” idealism emphasizes understanding and analysis, The monk declared, “I dare not.” whereas Ch’an does not. A Ch’an adept aims directly at the mind, attaining by seeing one’s own nature. Ch’an masters use humor in their speech and treat people with kindness. They do not like to present a stern face. Sometimes, when they talk about east, they are actually pointing west. Sometimes, when they strike or scold a student, they are actually expressing their loving kindness. Whereas a scholar of Yogacara employs ample verbal explanation to expound on the doctrine of Master Tao-ming picked up a sugar cookie, broke it idealism, a Ch’an practitioner only has to say ‘A in two, and asked, “The three worlds are nothing sugar cookie,” and the underlying implications but the mind’s manifestation; the ten thousand are conveyed. This alone is sufficient to express all arise from consciousness. What do you the meaning of “The three worlds are nothing say to that?” but the mind’s manifestation; the ten thousand The monk was dumbfounded. dharmas all arise from consciousness.” Tao-ming persisted, “Should this be called a sugar cookie, or should it not be called a sugar cookie?” The monk was perspiring now and answered nervously, “It should be called a sugar cookie.” The Master then asked a novice who was standing nearby, “A sugar cookie has been broken into two pieces – what do you have to say about it?” The novice answered without hesitation, “The two pieces remain in one mind.”

I.B.P.S. at Chicago / 佛光山芝加哥禪淨中心 1 www.ibpschicago.org 9S043 State Route 53, Naperville, IL 60565 Email : [email protected] TEL: 630-910-1243 FAX: 630-910-1244 Buddha’s Light Newsletter 佛 光 世 紀 August 2009 Issue 24 The Unique Characteristics of

~ By Venerable Master

(continued from last issue) between cause and effect is a very complicated one, but it works in a very orderly and precise manner. Karma can also be categorized according to the time at which There are two reasons why the fruit of karma will it ripens. There are three such ripen at different times. One reason is the strength of categories: karma that ripens in the cause; it will determine the time when the effect this life, karma that ripens in appears. For example, if a melon seed and a peach the next life and karma that seed are planted at the same time, the melon seed will ripens in future lives. Karma grow and produce fruit in the same year; however, it that ripens in this life means that the fruit of the action will take several years before the peach tree that grew done in this life will ripen in this very life; karma that from a seed can produce fruit. The second reason why ripens in the next life means that the fruit of the action the fruit of karma may ripen at different times is done in this life will ripen in the immediate next life; because the strength of the conditions can be either and karma that ripens in future lives means that the fruit strong or weak. If all necessary conditions are present, of present actions will ripen after two or more lives. the fruit will ripen earlier, whereas if the necessary This indicates that from the viewpoint of time, whether conditions are not present, the ripening will take it is the past, present or future, the effect of any action longer. Either way, there is a saying in Buddhism, will not be lost. The fruit will ripen according to the “Good begets good; bad begets bad. All causes will karma performed. give rise to results; it is just a matter of time.”

Good begets good and bad begets bad. No one is The Law of Cause and Effect is certain. A particular exempt from the Law of Cause and Effect. Those who cause will inevitably give rise to a particular effect are familiar with agriculture know that some plants can and no mistakes will ever be made. The reason why a be harvested in just one year, some in two years and good person suffers in this life is because the others in several years. unwholesome seeds that he has planted in the past are ripening now. Therefore, he must suffer at this time. There are those who do not fully understand the Law of Although he may have done many wholesome deeds Cause and Effect. They see that some people who have in this life, the power of the seeds of these wholesome been kind and have done wholesome deeds experience deeds may be too weak to ripen during this life. He much suffering and misfortune. On the other hand, they may have to wait until his next or future lives to enjoy observe other people who have committed the effects of these wholesome deeds. In contrast, a unwholesome deeds but nonetheless lead a comfortable bad person may have done many unwholesome deeds and free life. So they conclude that the Law of Cause in this life, yet he is enjoying a good life. This is and Effect does not apply at all. Some even say, “This because the wholesome seeds that he has planted in is the twentieth century. Why still believe in his previous life or lives are ripening, so he is superstitions like cause and effect?” enjoying the fruit of his prior good deeds. The unwholesome seeds that he has planted during this However, they do not realize that the existence of life will ripen in his future lives. everything in this world arises from, and is dependent on, the Law of Cause and Effect. The relationship (to be continued…)

I.B.P.S. at Chicago / 佛光山芝加哥禪淨中心 2 www.ibpschicago.org 9S043 State Route 53, Naperville, IL 60565 Email : [email protected] TEL: 630-910-1243 FAX: 630-910-1244 Buddha’s Light Newsletter 佛 光 世 紀 August 2009 Issue 24

LETTER FROM OUR SUPPORTERS

Dear Venerable Manpou,

I was kindly asked to share my experience during the talk by Venerable Hsin Ting on July 3, 2009. I was deeply touched by the talk.

Very recently before the my husband was told that he has an illness which is not extremely serious thankfully but still has upset my husband and myself. He was having a difficult time and I was very attached to his upset feelings and his illness. It was such a heavy burden for me to be attached to these things. Also I felt very attached to hurts I have experienced during my childhood and had a hard time getting past them so I could live a full life. I felt in my life I was attached to many things and tried to control many things. This caused me to worry quite a lot.

When Venerable Hsin Ting began talking about non attachment I could feel such love from him and his words and I could really feel how he truly lives what he is talking about. Feeling his love and truth about non attachment helped me to very deeply and fully realize how I am attached to so many things and how very painful these attachments are for me. I felt the pain of my attachments so deeply and at the same time could feel how beautiful and free Venerable Hsin Ting is from attachment. This caused me to see what it could be like for me if I could learn to let go of my attachments.

This realization caused me to be quite emotional but I am beginning to see and feel things in a different way. I am noticing my attachments more in my daily life and I am learning to let them go slowly but in a way I could never do before. I am also praying and meditating to strengthen my mind. If I would not have experienced the Dharma talk I feel I would not be at this new level of understanding and commitment to change. Also I believe that everything I have experienced at the Temple has helped me to reach this new understanding.

I sincerely thank with all of my heart Venerable Hsin Ting for his Dharma talk and also Venerable Manpou and Venerable Miaotsan for all of the Sunday Services and everything they do which makes such a difference in my life.

Sincerely, Lisa Cook

I.B.P.S. at Chicago / 佛光山芝加哥禪淨中心 3 www.ibpschicago.org 9S043 State Route 53, Naperville, IL 60565 Email : [email protected] TEL: 630-910-1243 FAX: 630-910-1244 Buddha’s Light Newsletter 佛 光 世 紀 August 2009 Issue 24

Venerable Hsin Ting’s Dharma Talk on Love and Desires July 3rd 2009

I am happy to be here today Here is a story of a dying to have a talk of Dharma. man with staring eyes. His son asked him, ‘What else do I have been to Chicago once you want to say?’ The father before, years ago. Now I am said, ‘I had one piece of meat very surprised to see this on my chopsticks that I magnificent temple here, wasn’t able to eat the other which is transformed from a day.’ The son asked why, the barn. What an achievement! dying man answered, I admire your work and ‘Because I had another piece dedication very much! of meat in my mouth.’ At the last moment of our lives, we Today’s topic is on love and can’t let go of anything that desires. we are attached to, even as small as a piece of meat. Love, in English, has some meanings of attachment and desire. We have strong As we talk about love, we feel nervous about things desires of our possessions. If we lose them, we feel to which we are attached, because we are afraid of sad and can’t calm down. The chase of desire makes losing them. The attachment brings us anxiety. In us emotionally very attached. When we speak of our daily lives, we nourish our physical body by love, naturally we have the mind of occupation. We eating and drinking, and we grasp things from want to possess. We are sentient beings, it’s natural outside, the external material things such as money, for us to have desires. There are good desires, as well food, fortune and fame. Those are the things to as unpurified desires. which we are attached. We think that we would be happy if we can get everything we ask for and have Good desire is something beneficial to our family and an abundant life. Here is a story of how endless our society, it doesn’t harm anyone. When we practice desires can be. Dharma, we have good desires. Unpurified desire is when we only think of ourselves, and not care for A farmer was working in the field, a man suddenly others or even harm others in order to get what we appeared by his side. The farmer invited the man to want. As we are attached to something, we chase have tea at his home. The guest told the farmer, ‘I after it. If we do that to harm others, that’s bad. That am from heaven. Today I received your kind kind of desire is not only harmful to others, but also of food, I can fulfill three wishes for you.’ to our own body and emotion. When we have The farmer was very excited and said, ‘I want to unpurified desire, we would not be able to close our expand the field, have more cows and more eyes when we die, but stare at the things that we can’t servants. I want so much stuff, but three wishes are let go. not enough.’ So the farmer asked his daughter to help determine which three are the most important.

I.B.P.S. at Chicago / 佛光山芝加哥禪淨中心 4 www.ibpschicago.org 9S043 State Route 53, Naperville, IL 60565 Email : [email protected] TEL: 630-910-1243 FAX: 630-910-1244 Buddha’s Light Newsletter 佛 光 世 紀 August 2009 Issue 24 The daughter said to her father, ‘Just make the first • Wind – everything swings, such as our two wishes for anything you want, and the third wish breaths. Wind’s character is moving. to ask the guest to fulfill another three wishes.’ • Liquid – water in our body, such as blood and saliva. Every single cell in our body In our mind, we have the strong desires to grasp and needs liquid to live. chase for money, fortune and fame. This desire keeps • Heat – the temperature in our body. Heat growing and growing, and we get more and more can change colors of the material. When miserable because we can’t get everything we want. vegetables are cooked, the color and taste Our memories of past desires also cause us are different than when they are raw. The depression, make us lonely and unhappy. It is natural fruit changes color after receiving sunshine. for all of us to have desires. But only if we have a The character of the heat is to transform the balanced mind, can we have balanced emotions. material and change them. • Earth – the solid element that makes things We all want to have a better body, to be prettier. The stable, such as our bones. love for ourselves leads us to have the present attachments and future attachments. We think our Everything has the character of the four elements of physical body is real, that’s why we are attached to it. air, heat, water, and earth. The formation of the Let’s ask ourselves, it that really true? universe needs them. A new born baby has them even when the baby is still in the mother’s womb. Take a look at an incense burner. It is made of A tree needs water, air, sunshine, and earth to grow. bronze. Before that, the bronze was hidden in the When we burn the wood, it also gives us heat. earth. Australia is famous for its mines of different Science discovered that the smallest particle of the metals. South Africa is famous for its mines of material is atom. This is also mentioned in the diamonds. The earth provides us all Buddhist scriptures. Now we can observe these very kinds of metals, silver, gold, copper… tiny particles using high tech microscope, to see the We don’t know where the bronze that realities under different views. Even those tiny makes this incense burner came from. particles are also made of the four elements of air, But we do know only when all causes water, heat, and earth. and conditions come together, this incense burner can be made. However, The true meaning of self should be the ability to all conditions are impermanent, and control. But our body is not controlled by us, but they change constantly. by the four elements. What will happen if we don’t drink for 24 hours? Only when air, water, heat, and The meaning of self is controlling and mastering. I earth come together, we have our body. After we can give orders to my physical body. I am the master, die, our physical body will decay into the four the king, the superb one. But as we think back, can elements. The basic teaching of Buddhism is for us we really control ourselves? If there’s no air or water, to realize the truth of non-self. can we survive? If we are the master of our body, we should be in total control instead of relying on other When we apply the same perception from our birth things. The reality of ourselves is non-self, because to our death, it’s all to nothing. The wisdom of we can’t really master ourselves, but rely on many Buddhism teaches us how to observe the situation other conditions. and come to the realization that we need all conditions to work together, in order to have any Let’s analyze our body. It consists of four elements: phenomena to manifest. (to be continued…)

I.B.P.S. at Chicago / 佛光山芝加哥禪淨中心 5 www.ibpschicago.org 9S043 State Route 53, Naperville, IL 60565 Email : [email protected] TEL: 630-910-1243 FAX: 630-910-1244 Buddha’s Light Newsletter 佛 光 世 紀 August 2009 Issue 24 2009 Calendar August

SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT

1 8:30 am Yuan-Ji Dance 10:00 am Kung Fu Class 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 8:30 am 10:30 am Yuan-Ji Dance Chanting 10:00 am Service Kung Fu Class 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 8:30 am 10:30 am 7:30 pm 7:30pm Yuan-Ji Dance Meditation Dharma 10:00 am Chanting Study Kung Fu Class Service (English)

16 17 18 19 20 21 22 8:30 am 10:30 am Yuan-Ji Dance Chanting 10:00 am Service Kung Fu Class 23 9:00 am 24 25 26 27 28 29 8:30 am Compassionate 7:30 pm Yuan-Ji Dance Meditation 10:00 am Water Kung Fu Class Repentance

Service 30 10:30 am Chanting Service Movie Time

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I.B.P.S. at Chicago / 佛光山芝加哥禪淨中心 6 www.ibpschicago.org 9S043 State Route 53, Naperville, IL 60565 Email : [email protected] TEL: 630-910-1243 FAX: 630-910-1244