LOVE

LOVE

With their true sincerity, purity, equality,

Ultimate wisdom and compassion,

Saints and gods of all religions

Benefit all people in acting as

Leaders by guiding,

Parents by nurturing, and

Teachers by educating.

Saints and gods teach all people

The relationships between

Humans,

Humans and nature, and

Humans and spirits of heaven and earth;

To change from bad to good,

Deluded to awakened,

Ordinary to sage;

To have kind hearts and thoughts, and do kind deeds;

To differentiate neither by nationality, belief, or race,

Nor between self and others.

Coexist harmoniously,

Regard each other with equality and respect, and

Love one another.

Work together,

Care for each other and accord with all,

Unceasingly and forever.

Through true honesty, deeply believe that

All sentient-beings are one with the

Same true nature, wisdom and virtue.

One who achieves these teachings is a saint.

A manifestation of a Perfectly

Enlightened Being of Infinite Life and Light.

HARMONY AND UNITY

1 January 2000

His Excellency, the President of Singapore, Mr. S.R. Nathan and First Lady Mrs. Nathan, distinguished guests, honored Ambassadors, the Deputy Director General of States Administration for Religious Affairs of China, Mr. Tong-Xiang Yang, representatives of the Inter-Religious Organization, religious representatives from Singapore and abroad, guests and friends. Everyone is a great Bodhisattva, a messenger of God, and an utmost virtuous person.

Tonight, the nine religions of Singapore are united here for the Inter-Faith Prayer for the Millennium and Charity Dinner to celebrate the arrival of the new millennium. We wish to welcome our guests, over five thousand senior citizens, and children of different religions and races from Homes for the Aged and from Children’s Homes. It is our deep-felt wish that this event would help to foster harmonious relationships and unity among different races and religions. In this way, we hope to achieve happy families, a stable society, prosperous nations, and a peaceful world.  

In recent years, we have witnessed disasters that are increasing in severity and frequency. Many people think that these disasters are unavoidable while others believe that these can be resolved. Most of us are worried. How are we going to face the coming 21^st century?

We have studied the past and present teachings of the great sages and virtuous people of various religions on the origin of life and the universe. The Buddha said it is the True Mind; that the universe is manifested from the mind. The Hindus say it is the Identity of Ego and Brahman. This ego or self does not refer to the minor self, but the eternal true self that always exists. Many religions say God created the world and life. Other religions say that God is the manifestation of wisdom. This is spoken from the aspect of essence. Those who understand this are called sages and virtuous people.

From our experience, the world can be divided into two aspects - spiritual and material. They are infinite. There is a creator and the created. The creator is the truth, the true god, the true mind. The created is everything that is manifested, generated, and transformed. How do we understand this?

In Buddhism, understanding of the true reality of life and the universe is achieved through a high level of moral self-discipline, deep concentration, and wisdom. Deep concentration gives rise to the wisdom needed to understand the truth of the universe. This is why the great sages and virtuous people of this world diligently practice deep concentration and meditation to witness the true existence of spiritual planes and infinite dimensions. This confirms the eternal presence of the Identity of Ego and Brahman, God, True Mind, the Holy Spirit. This is the creator. From here, we know that all sentient beings in the universe are one entity. 

We often hear national leaders address people as “Fellow citizens.” Great sages would say, “Fellow sentient beings of the universe.” Although all living beings are of different ethic groups, cultures, appearances and religions, we all share the same origin, are all one. Those who understand are called God, the Holy Spirit, Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, prophets, or angels. We sincerely respect them equally. Those who do not understand are called ordinary beings.

Sages and virtuous people teach us that the key in understanding the truth lies in changing our viewpoints. To do this we change from bad to good, from deluded to enlightened, and from being ordinary to a sage. We often say that by planting good causes, we will harvest good results, but although many people cultivate good deeds, they seem unable to change their karmic retribution. Why? Because while their speech and behavior may be virtuous, their thoughts are not.  Thus, the ancients taught us to cultivate from the basics. 

As long as our minds are virtuous and we have the minds of sincerity, purity, equality, proper under-standing and compassion; as long as our thoughts are virtuous and we cultivate good fortune for all beings, let go of differentiation and attachments, accord with all beings and are joyous in the merits of others; we will be able to change karmic retributions and resolve all disasters.

I often use a tree as an example. The mind is the root, our thoughts are the trunk, our behavior is the branches, and our speech is the leaves. If we try to correct the problem of an unhealthy tree by plucking off each leaf while forgetting to treat the root, our efforts will be futile. But if we were to begin from the root, to understand from the basics, our problems would be easily solved.

Today, the goals of our prayers are very practical: peace and equality. The Buddha described this in the Flower Adornment Sutra as multiculturalism and inter-faith. In this sutra, we see an infinite number of groups that are able to live together in harmony and equality, to respect, help, and cooperate with one another regardless of race, religion, or nationality. Creation without destruction: peace without chaos. Their lives are happy and complete, filled with truth, goodness, beauty, and wisdom. This is what we strive to learn and accomplish.

Today, I am encouraging religious leaders around the world to educate their followers, wishing that everyone who is involved in multicultural education will be the messengers of Buddha and God, nurturing the sincere, pure, equal, selfless lovingkindness, and awakening the proper understanding in all beings. In this way, we will live in harmony and equality, and gradually understand that “we are all one entity.”

While our lives are eternal and our future lives are infinite, this lifetime is short. In striving for eternal happiness, we must eradicate all that is bad and embrace all that is good to transform delusion into enlightenment. It is important to be virtuous in our thoughts and conduct, and to live in harmony with people of all races, religions, and nationalities, and with all beings. If we regard all seniors as our parents and all children as our own as we care for, protect and guide them, we will be setting good examples. Thus, we will attain peace and happiness for all.

The Buddha said: “Refrain from all that is bad and there will be peace and harmony. Do all that is good and dreams will come true year after year.” Lastly, on this rare occasion of the new millennium where all virtuous people have gathered, I wish everyone a Happy New Millennium.

THE PATH TO BUDDHAHOOD

Today, very few practitioners truly understand the term cultivation although many talk about it and this is why our thoughts and behavior have not changed. There are countless types of behavior, but Buddha Shakyamuni categorized all of them into three major types. They are the three karmas of the body, speech, and mind.

What is karma? The act of doing something is called a deed and the consequence of that deed is called karma. Karma is divided into three types: good, bad and neutral or that which is neither good nor bad. What is considered good or bad? The standard for good or bad is actually very complicated.

Just like the educational system of our schools, the standard of good or bad for a primary level student is different from that for a secondary level student. The standard for the latter is different from that for the university student and that for the university student is different from that for people in society.

Similarly, Buddhism has levels of standards; each is finely detailed and differentiated because Buddhist teachings are for all the sentient beings in the universe and their abilities are very different. For example, in this world the beings are of different cultures, races, religions, lifestyles, and live in different environments and geographical locations. Just one standard for good or bad cannot possibly meet the needs of everyone; thus, we need many standards.

Today, due to the advancements in technology and communication, we can easily travel to other countries. When we are in a different country, we learn about their diverse cultures, customs, and laws. As it is said: “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” The standard for what is good in our region may not work elsewhere, for others may think that it is bad, while what they regard as good, we may consider as bad.

However, among all the different standards, one never changes. What is it? It is love. This standard does not change with different ethnic groups, cultures, or religious beliefs. Every ethnic group and religion teaches people to love themselves and others. God loves everyone in this world. If we adhere to this absolute standard, then we would commit fewer mistakes.

In Buddhism, we are taught not only to love, but that our love needs to arise from a mind of sincerity, purity, and equality. We call this kind of love compassion. Compassion is rational love. We also need to use true wisdom. Wisdom is the true mind and emotion is the illusory mind. Love that arises from emotions will change while love that arises from wisdom will never change. Hence, Buddhas do not use love, but instead use compassion. On appearance, love and compassion seem the same, but their intentions are different. Love may change to hatred but with wisdom, love will never change. All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will love us no matter what; whether we love or hate them, become jealous, or slander, harm or destroy them. Their compassion for us will never change. This is true love.

Ordinary beings have an illusory mind, the mind that arises and ceases. In other words, ordinary beings have wandering thoughts. Enlightened beings have true minds that constantly dwell on truth. They do not have wandering thoughts, only deep concentration. Deep concentration is the state without discriminatory wandering thoughts or attachments. However, this does not mean that we are idle all the time; we continue to do our job with a pure and completely aware mind. When the external environment no longer hinders or affects us, we have attained deep concentration.

Understanding this principle, we will know how to correct our improper behavior. When our six senses encounter the external environment, our thoughts, words, and deeds are improper because our senses follow the external conditions and we allow afflictions to take hold. We have been wrong for countless eons and this is the root of our improper behavior. We have lost our True Nature and have allowed afflictions, especially those of views and thoughts, to be dominant. Thus, we have transformed the One True Dharma Realm into the Six Realms of Reincarnation. How are the Six Realms formed? They are formed by our attachments.

The first mistake from the view or thought affliction is our attachment to our bodies as we think that this body is “I.” This is why the Buddha told us there is no self and therefore our attachment to self is wrong. With the initial attachment to self, we have a mistake that is hard to undo. This body is not “I.” This body is something that we possess just like the clothes that we own. If we understand this, we will realize that humans do not have births or deaths. Death is just like taking off our soiled clothes and birth is like putting on a new set of clothing. In the cycle of reincarnation, our birth and death is like changing clothes.

What then is “self”? In India, some religions believe that the spiritual self is “I.” In China, we call it the soul. In Buddhism, we call it the spirit. This state of believing that the spiritual self is “I” is higher than that which views the body as “I.” Why is it such an improvement? Because when one believes that when revolving in the cycle of reincarnation the spiritual self takes on a body just like someone takes on a piece of clothing, there is no fear of death. Rather, death is regarded as something quite normal.

If we have accumulated only good karma in this lifetime, then we will be reborn into the Three Good Realms - changing from a human into a heavenly being and having a much more beautiful and dignified appearance, a longer lifespan and greater good fortune. This is to “sow a good cause and reap a good result.” However, if we were to do bad deeds, then our body will change for the worse.

Recently, in Singapore, some Chinese practitioners told me about an elderly woman in Tianjin, China. She dreamt that her son, who had died two years before, came to tell her that he was now a guardian at a certain temple. She woke up feeling very sad.

Sometime later, she heard some practitioners planning a pilgrimage to the temple her son had spoken of in the dream. She accompanied the practitioners to the temple and asked the abbot about the temple guardian. The abbot answered that there was only a temple guard dog named Xiaohu (which means little tiger). As the woman heard the name, she suddenly had goose bumps because that had been her son’s name. She rushed to the gate of the temple to find the dog. When she got there and the dog saw her, tears began to stream down its cheeks and as they hugged each other, she too began to cry.

This account of a human being reincarnated as a dog is the consequence of the human having done bad deeds. When the residents of Tianjin heard what had happened, many of them came to see the dog. The intelligent dog felt ashamed and he avoided people who came from his former hometown but would reappear when people from other places visited the temple. Some practitioners encouraged the woman not to feel embarrassed, but to tell her story so others could learn the truth.

There is another case of a person being reincarnated as a dog. I will ask those who know about what happened to record the details so that all of us will know that reincarnation is true and that we need to be cautious in our every rising thought. Life is short but death is really not frightening. However, what comes after death? Have we seriously considered this? This critical issue of death is the major reason why we cultivate. We hope that our future lifetimes will be better than this one and that tomorrow will be better than today. With this goal in mind, we must know how to practice and remember the teachings of the Buddha that are recorded in the sutras.