Protecting the Nation, Cherishing Humanity

by: Master Miaolian (妙蓮法師)

缘起

The venerable elder master, whose compassionate vows are vast and whose virtue touches all, has devoted himself for many years to spreading the sacred teachings of the Pure Land and bringing benefit and joy to society and the nation. The Dharma has carried his voice across five continents, drawing countless faithful from China and abroad to seek refuge. "Protecting the Nation, Cherishing Humanity" and "Transforming the Ordinary Mind to Cultivate the Buddha's Practice" were talks given in 1998 and 1999 at the invitation of the Taichung Renwang Dharma Assembly and the Yixin General Association — penetratingly profound, exquisitely subtle, and truly unprecedented. The former sets forth that Buddhism's protection of the nation must begin at the root with "cherishing humanity"; the latter teaches that transforming the ordinary mind to study the Buddha's path must start with thoroughly "letting go of emotional attachment." Once attachment is exhausted, prajñā wisdom shines forth in full, and the path of Buddhist practice is complete! The true Dharma he expounded not only purifies the human heart but reaches to the very foundation of cultivating the self, ordering the household, governing the nation, and bringing peace to all under heaven. None who heard it could help but rejoice, offer praise, and take it faithfully into practice. Now these two talks have been respectfully compiled into a single volume, offered to those who attended as well as to the many who could not be present. May it awaken right understanding, inspire us all to cherish humanity and protect the nation together, and turn our ordinary minds toward the Buddha's path — so that this treasured island may become a Buddha-land and her people may become Buddhas. This is a karmic opportunity beyond measure. Editor's respectful note: April 10, 2000

护国护仁

— A talk given at the Buddhist lecture series of the Grand Dharma Assembly "Praying for the Nation's Blessings: The Renwang Protecting the Nation and Averting Calamities Liang Huang Repentance"

Today I, Miaolian, have come to this inconceivable and magnificent Renwang Grand Dharma Assembly to share the Dharma with all of you. As for my own merit and wisdom — let me be honest with you — how woefully lacking they are! It was only at the request of the assembly's executive director that I came to form this Dharma connection with you. Whether I can speak well, even I cannot say with confidence. If you find something worthwhile in my words, please do your best to put it into practice. If there are errors, I welcome your correction.

One: All Professions Unite to Protect the Nation

My topic tonight is "Protecting the Nation, Cherishing Humanity." What does it mean to protect the nation? In our country, we have the Ministry of National Defense dedicated to training the armed forces. What makes a good military? The body must be tempered like steel, the mind as sharp as a god's. Soldiers must be well trained, constantly sharpened, and equipped with modern weaponry — only then can they protect the nation. Protecting the nation means that if someone invades, we naturally resist. But we must never be the aggressor. If we are attacked, then every person in the country, without exception, must stand as one, strike back with full force, and send the invaders home. The country has national defense to protect it — but how should citizens themselves protect it? Everyone knows that the people are part of the nation. We enjoy its rights, so we must also fulfill our duties. To stand at your own post and carry out your duty well — that is protecting the nation.

Broadly speaking, our citizens fall into four callings: scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants. The scholar is one who studies — and study must lead to understanding of principle. A teacher who understands principle must guide students to the same understanding. This word "principle" encompasses the Way of the ancient sage-kings, the teachings of Confucius and Mencius, and five thousand years of Chinese culture and history. For those who study, how vital it is to uphold, propagate, and glorify this cultural and literary heritage, this Way of Confucius and Mencius! And how do we glorify it? By putting each teaching into genuine practice, one by one! The Way of Confucius and Mencius is our very soul. Forget it, and the soul of our humanity is gone — we become walking corpses. What talk then of protecting the nation? We couldn't even protect our own families, let alone ourselves. Such a person's life would be a waste. So those in academia should stand at their post and carry forward the Way of the ancient sages. And scholars above all must never become mere flatterers — educated men who betray the very Confucius they claim to follow!

China is truly a nation of propriety and righteousness. The standards for being human are truly, wonderfully high! Hold fast to these human standards, and the nation's foundation runs deep and firm — safe from foreign invasion and free of internal strife. Why does internal strife arise? Because we have forgotten the path of propriety and righteousness that defines our humanity. What is this path? The Three Bonds and Five Constants, the Four Anchors and Eight Virtues, filial piety, fraternal respect, loyalty, trustworthiness — to uphold these ethical principles in daily life is the true protection of the nation.

Next, farming. China has been an agrarian society since ancient times. Even in this industrial age, everyone — from the highest to the lowest — still needs to eat! Without food, everything else is moot. If you are a farmer, stand at your post and farm well. The whole nation reaps the harvest of your labor, and everyone eats. These days in Taiwan, we enjoy abundance — not just enough food, but plenty of it, rice and vegetables alike. People now eat more vegetables than rice! But vegetables still have to be grown by farmers. So how does a farmer serve the country? By growing grains and produce well — that is serving the country. But I do hope that after spraying pesticides, farmers will keep careful track: before the dangerous interval has passed, they must not rush their crops to market for people to eat. That is truly more devastating than bullets and shells striking in the open — careless pesticide use is silent murder! Modern medicine is advanced, yet strange new diseases keep appearing, and when it comes to what we eat, farmers must bear at least half the blame. Of course, those of us who eat must also do our part — maintaining hygiene, caring for our physical and mental health, exercising — so that our bodies stay healthy. And when you add learning and moral character to that, you have the nation's foundation. That is protecting the nation. You can't focus on protecting the nation while neglecting its root.

What holds for scholars and farmers holds equally for industry. Those in manufacturing must do honest, solid work — no cutting corners, no skimping on materials. Cutting corners harms others, and harming others goes against Heaven. How could you yourself prosper? In conscience, you must do the work of your station well. Of course you should earn money — "The gentleman loves wealth, but acquires it by proper means"! Money earned rightfully is yours to earn. Earning money is how work gets done, industry flourishes, and the national economy prospers. But always let conscience guide what you do. When you can face others without shame, blessings follow. Blessings come from benefiting others. Can those who harm the nation possibly escape Heaven's judgment?

As for commerce — today we even earn foreign exchange abroad, and that depends on merchants. Scholars, farmers, artisans, merchants — all you good and worthy people! Stand at your post and earn your living with moral integrity. I want to stress this again: earning money is right and proper, but don't let the pursuit of profit push your conscience aside. No matter what position you hold, money earned without virtue isn't a blessing — it's a disaster! Understand this clearly. Earn your money with a clear conscience, and you'll be happy; your children and grandchildren will be happy; the nation will be at peace. Can money earned against conscience truly make you wealthy? You may strike it rich today, but tomorrow some catastrophe could leave you a beggar. Better never to have grown rich — for once you have, the suffering only deepens! Wealth without the Way is poison!

All of you Buddhists! All of you faithful men and women who have come to this Dharma Assembly! If you can learn to be a decent human being, your family will know peace and all your relationships will be harmonious. You yourself will fare well, the nation will fare well, and even the world will fare well. This is the earnest hope of sages and worthies. We can't think only of our own country's well-being and stop there — the world won't heal that way. In this age, national boundaries barely matter anymore. We all share one Earth — we are all citizens of this planet! When each of us, standing at our own post, brings benefit to people everywhere, then being human becomes supremely meaningful. Otherwise — a walking corpse who harms others — what a sinner you'd be, in this world and on this Earth! When the time comes, if you don't end up before King Yama, where else would you go? For your very actions are paving the road to his domain!

Good bears good fruit; evil bears evil recompense. Whether you understand this or not, if your actions are good and benefit the nation and its people, you will rise to heaven. If you violate the human way and harm the nation and its people, you will fall to hell. Both heaven and hell are of your own making. Do not go against cause and effect — this is our fundamental duty as human beings. Stand at your post, be a truly good person — only then can you face the nation and the world without shame. Otherwise, if you can't even face yourself, how will you bring honor to your parents and ancestors? Humans are the most intelligent of all creatures! Intelligent in what? In being able to follow the Way of sages and worthies — and we Buddhists can go further still, following the Buddha-Dharma! How wonderful that would be! All of humanity would be touched by your Buddha-light!

2. Using Wealth with Wisdom Brings Blessings to the World

When it comes to making money, who can't make money? Everyone wants to make money and knows how to make money—but how many truly know how to use money? This is a profound question! If we're talking about those who know how to use money, it's only the charitable households of this world. They truly embody the spirit: "The worthy one is the first to worry about the world's troubles and the last to rejoice in its happiness." In fact, think about it—when you have money, good fortune, learning, and virtue, where did all this come from? It comes from the people of the nation! Without the help of society, none of it would come to you on its own. Your learning was cultivated by your parents and teachers, and every aspect of your parents' and family's life depends entirely on society. So when you have money and earn money, you should "take from society and use it for society." When you can both earn and use money wisely, you will have blessings! Otherwise, even if you can earn money but cannot use it well, all that money still brings suffering and cannot be held. Tell me—when has a miser ever remained rich and at peace? The Buddha teaches that wealth is shared by five owners. In truth, it's more than five—that's just a rough statement. Are there families that stay rich for three generations? Nowadays there are plenty of newly rich upstarts. Look at someone who's rich today—alas! Before next year arrives, they've already become penniless. If they had money, why couldn't they keep it? Because they only know how to earn, not how to preserve wealth. Money isn't preserved by putting it in banks or insurance companies! If you want to preserve wealth so that you can enjoy it not only in this life but in the next, and so that generation after generation can enjoy it, then you must know how to use it—spend it on the nation, on society, to relieve the suffering of all beings. Even if you earn a fortune, how many bowls of rice can your stomach hold in a day? The ancients said: "A thousand acres of fertile land yield but one sheng of rice per day." Or take another example—if you had a hundred beds, could one person sleep on a hundred beds at night? Wouldn't that be torture! Of course you want to be wealthy, but wealth shouldn't be enjoyed by you alone; it should be shared with everyone. When you do this, the more you have the better, and not only will you have it in this life, you will have it for all eternity. This is the principle of conscience, the fundamental principle; it is also the principle of blessings and wisdom. It isn't petty-mindedness—earning money only to hoard it without spending. Can you preserve it? Never! If you want to preserve it, you must cultivate merit. Money placed in the merit box is what can truly be preserved—it won't vanish through great winds, great fires, great floods, great droughts, thieves, ungrateful children, or corrupt officials. These are matters right before our eyes! Why can't we see them? In fact, the examples are too many to count! How can people still be so foolish, having money yet wanting to hoard it for generation after generation? This is a dream—a wide-awake daydream! If you have money and can use it well, that's wonderful; if you can't, how miserable it is! The ancients said: "When one household is warm and full, a thousand households bear resentment." You have food to eat while those around you are starving. Of course your food wasn't stolen or snatched from others—you earned it through your own diligence—but you must have compassion! Share your food with everyone; only then will you have blessings, and only then will people be grateful to you and reciprocate. Otherwise, you invite envy and hatred, and when that hatred builds long enough, it leads to plunder; when plunder fails, it slowly develops into violent slaughter and destruction! How often do people in the world fight over money? "Man dies for wealth"—how many has money killed! If everyone understood this principle, however many billions you had, if you could take those billions and invest them in charitable causes for the nation, wouldn't that make you a great philanthropist? Who wouldn't respect and praise you then? If you spend foolishly and end up a pauper, no one will pity you—you deserve it! I think that since we are Buddhists with Buddhist thinking, we won't be harmed by these things but will gain freedom and happiness. We Buddhists, devout men and women, upon hearing the Buddha's teachings, should earn money well and use money well. Then not only will you have blessings, but everyone will share in your blessings—indeed, all people in the world will share in your good fortune. "When one person prospers, all the multitudes benefit!" When one person becomes a Buddha—not to mention actually becoming a Buddha—even if you simply have the mind of a Buddha, all beings can receive your blessings and wisdom. How much more so when you will one day attain Buddhahood—then you can truly shelter all sentient beings with your blessings. Congratulations! Once you become a Buddha, you will possess the two perfections of blessings and wisdom.

Now, about earning money—money is as hard to come by as fruit on a bitter-wood tree! It's not that easy to earn; you need both merit and wisdom to earn it. Without merit and wisdom, earning money brings even more suffering. Some think: "How painful poverty is!" Poverty is certainly painful, but do you know? The rich suffer even more than the poor! What is poverty compared to that? The rich truly suffer! You might say: "The rich suffer? They have so much money—how could they suffer?" Those without money think the rich must be happy, but actually, the richer you are, the more you suffer! Why do the rich suffer? If you understand even a little Buddhist teaching, you'll know. Why do people suffer? They are terribly afflicted by the five desires: wealth, sex, fame, food, and sleep. The rich have "wealth," and the noble have "fame"—already that's two of the five. And where there's wealth, the next item—"sex"—naturally follows. Many people who have money are greedy either for fame or for profit, and some, once they become rich, forget their original wives—doesn't this harm people to death? It can bring about the ruin of individuals, families, and nations! Then there's "food"—gluttony. Modern people love eating seafood; just look at how cruel the human mouth is! After stuffing themselves with meat and wine, they are greedy for "sleep," squandering precious time sleeping in a daze. These are common folk living in drunken dreams! A person of wisdom who studies the Way and benefits others rises before dawn and sleeps past midnight, cutting down on sleep to accomplish their work—how could they be like the dull masses greedy for eight or ten hours of sleep? How much time does a human life have? These troubled common folk mistake the desire for sleep as happiness, wasting the bright daylight—the light of life! Having heard the Dharma, awaken well! Don't let the five desires kill you, ruin you, leave you forever unable to turn over! Why is the Buddha-Dharma infinitely compassionate? Because it tells you how to leave suffering and attain happiness. Everyone must grasp the truth of the Dharma!

3. Protecting the Nation Treats the Symptoms; Protecting Benevolence Is the Root

Now, in what way does our Buddhism protect the nation? Friends! Buddhism's teaching on protecting the nation is the most fundamental learning. However, speaking here, if you have faith in the Buddha-Dharma, you can practice in accordance with it—and practicing in accordance with it is the true root of protecting the nation. Those who have no understanding of Buddhism, if you tell them to protect the nation through the Dharma, won't agree; they may even hold the opposite view. But we can't blame them—we just haven't taught them. How does the Buddha-Dharma protect the nation? In these past few days, you have all attended the Benevolent Kings Dharma Assembly for Protecting the Nation. The Buddhist protection of the nation follows the Benevolent Kings Sutra on the Perfection of Wisdom, in which the Buddha told King Prasenajit and the sixteen great kings: to protect the nation, one must recite and chant the Benevolent Kings Sutra on the Perfection of Wisdom, receive and uphold it, bow to it, and transcribe it. Now we don't need to transcribe it—printing is so flourishing. Of course, the Buddha-Dharma cannot be accepted by ordinary people. Why? Because they lack transcendent wisdom—they only have worldly intelligence and clever speech. So not only can they not accept the Dharma, they think believing in the Buddha is superstition: "If we chant sutras and bow to the Buddha as you do, will the country become strong?" They cannot take in what the Buddhist sutras teach, so "those whose ways differ cannot work together." Each has their own methods—as long as you protect the nation, that's fine. Different roads lead to the same destination! We Buddhists protect the nation from the root—this is the topic of today's talk: "Protecting Benevolence." "Ren" refers to a benevolent heart, to compassion. In everyday speech we speak of apricot "ren"—the pit in the center of all fruit stones. With the kernel, all seeds when sown in the earth will sprout; without the kernel, nothing grows. We can say protecting the nation treats the symptoms, protecting benevolence is the root; if you forget benevolence, the nation cannot be protected either. With a benevolent heart, you can embrace and transform the other party so they won't betray the nation. The Buddha told King Prasenajit and the great kings: chant the Benevolent Kings Sutra. The fourfold Buddhist assembly should lead devout men and women in recitation, using the merit of recitation to eliminate all the chaos in the world caused by ghosts and spirits acting up. When ghosts and spirits cause disorder, people's hearts become unsettled and go wrong. Why do ghosts and spirits become disorderly? Because the human heart first goes bad. Therefore, when ghosts and spirits cause disorder, winds fail and rains go awry, society slumps, no one enforces the law, no one keeps it—and this is the cause of great chaos in the world: the lack of benevolence. To have peace under heaven, one must necessarily protect benevolence. The benevolent heart is not only the root of protecting the nation, but also the seed of Buddhahood! If you can chant the prajna sutras and open wisdom, knowing that all dharmas are suffering, empty, and impermanent, you won't be so greedy. You yourself are happy and hope everyone is happy; you can extend this to others and share happiness with them. What you do not desire for yourself, you also do not impose on others—this is the foundation of being human. The Buddha-Dharma teaches that a person absolutely must have a benevolent heart. Our original teacher, Shakyamuni, is called "Neng Ren," "Capable in Benevolence"—he gave up self for others. Protecting benevolence means protecting this "ren." When the benevolent heart is well protected, when the seed of benevolence exists, people have conscience, the country will be peaceful and prosperous, everyone will dwell in peace and keep to the Way, and all under heaven will be at peace. In the world, what "ren" do we rely on? It is the Three Bonds and Five Constants, the Four Virtues and Eight Excellences, which we have spoken of before. The human soul is human nature; human nature is the human essence. Why are we called "human"? Because we possess human nature. As a human, it is called human nature; if one does evil or acts in ways contrary to the human way, it becomes bestial nature. If one reforms the bad and cultivates the good, it becomes human nature again. If one hears the Buddha-Dharma and treats others with the great impartial selflessness of the Dharma, it becomes Buddha-nature. It is like a piece of wood—sent to a toy shop and carved into a little cat or dog for people to play with, or sent to a Buddhist carving workshop where it is carved into a Buddha to save all beings. The Buddha-Dharma teaches the law of dependent origination and cause-and-effect: whatever cause you cultivate, that effect you experience. Benevolence is the root. With conscience, you will be peaceful and at ease; with a malicious mind, you will have bitter retributions. Human nature is one, yet it has reverse and upright aspects, defiled and pure differences—it all depends on how you use it. You must apply wisdom—don't use ignorance, bestial nature, or the views of ordinary people; use the wisdom of sages and worthies. Protecting benevolence means protecting our compassionate heart. Some people in the world say: "As long as a person's heart is good, that's enough! Still believing in the Buddha, bowing to the Buddha, bowing to masters—truly superstitious!" Of course a person must have a good heart. If the heart isn't good, what does it become? It becomes a beast! Actually, we say beasts are evil—tigers, wolves, poisonous snakes are evil—but that evil has its limits! When the human heart goes bad, it is truly millions of times more vicious than tigers or wolves! Examine your conscience: how many people have tigers and wolves eaten? So a person shouldn't be self-conceited! People generally say that having a good heart is enough, but how does the heart become good? Can you claim your heart is good without doing good deeds? Surely you must do good deeds to say your heart is good! Without doing good deeds, saying your heart is good is deceiving people, deceiving ghosts! You can't claim to be a good person without doing good deeds; of course, you also can't claim to be a bad person without doing bad deeds. Whether the heart is good or not is invisible—how can it be seen? It depends entirely on the manifestation of your conduct. You can't argue yourself out of it with clever sophistry! Now our President advocates spiritual reform. If the heart were already good, why reform? It's precisely because the heart is not good that reform is needed. How to reform? From the perspective of Buddhist wisdom, no matter how good any method of reform in the world may be, none surpasses the ways of the Three Sovereigns, Confucius, and Mencius. However, even if reform succeeds and everyone becomes a gentleman or saint of the world, at best this only brings peace to the world, and at the end of life one is reborn in heaven. Although heaven is a bit happier than the human realm, old age, sickness, death, and suffering are not eliminated there—just as wealth in the human world is only temporarily a little better than poverty. It is not ultimate; suffering is always waiting for you. Even if you are a good person, "Good people sit at home while disaster falls from the sky!" As the saying goes: "Heaven's storms are unpredictable; human fortune and misfortune are uncertain at dawn." How can these sufferings be eliminated? Other religions in the world truly have no way! Who can do it? Only the World-Honored One of Great Enlightenment—the Buddha—has the wisdom to transform. How does he transform? By cultivating blessings. Do good deeds and benefit sentient beings. With blessings you can transform misfortune into fortune—blessings truly come from benefiting others! If your heart is truly good, follow the Buddha in doing good deeds to accomplish all people. Accomplishing people isn't limited to filial piety to your parents and love for your children—that isn't enough! One must "respect the elders of others as one's own elders, and cherish the children of others as one's own children." Today we must also care for the whole world, the entire globe. The Buddha-Dharma speaks of the entire dharma-realm; at a minimum, one must care for the beings within the three realms. The Buddha said: "The three realms are without peace, like a burning house." At the very least, you should help free the beings of the three realms from suffering. Remember! To transform the small mind of the ordinary person, you must practice according to the great mind of the Dharma for it to be effective; this requires the great compassionate deeds of sorrowing heaven and pitying the world in order to bear it—you must not speak empty boasts. The greatness of the Buddha-Dharma is that it can free humans from suffering and gain ultimate pure happiness. Why doesn't everyone read more about Buddhist studies and do some research? Humans are the most intelligent of all beings! Worldly teachings are certainly correct for use in the world, but how can they free us from old age, sickness, and death? You are filial, but when your mother gets sick, how can you tell her not to be sick? In years of famine when your mother has no food, how can you provide her with a meal? Human beings are so pitifully helpless! Only by learning the Buddha can a person's heart become good and great—with no self and no other, doing good without boundary—gaining immeasurable blessings. This is the Buddha Way. If you want to understand the Buddha Way, begin by understanding "no self and no other." Some object: "If there's no self, no other, why should I do good deeds?" Wrong! "No self" means no small self; it means accomplishing the great self. "No other" doesn't mean only caring for the few people in your family—it means caring for all beings beyond the three realms, within the dharma-realm. You must be like Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, with great compassion without bounds. Wise one! Only by learning "no self and no other" can you gain Buddha wisdom!

IV. Practicing the Buddha's Way to Protect the People's Hearts

If a person never studies the Buddha's teachings, this human life is truly pitiful—there's simply no wisdom in it! To you Buddhist devotees who believe in and study the Buddha—congratulations! Devout men and women who've come to hear the Dharma—even if you don't yet believe, having heard it today, the vajra seed of the Buddha's teaching has already been planted: "Once it enters the ear-root, it becomes a seed of the Way forever." Even if you don't practice in this lifetime, you'll surely practice in the next, and in the end you'll all realize the Buddha's way! I offer you my advance congratulations! Please count yourselves fortunate to have heard the Dharma. How does Buddhism protect the nation and guide the faithful, the disciples of the Three Jewels? Let me begin with the most basic point—cultivate the way of benefiting both yourself and others. The Buddha's teaching is never separate from the human world! When you first take faith in the Buddha's teaching, you still need to cultivate your worldly conduct well and thoroughly; only by cultivating it through and through are you great, and greatness requires thoroughness. In the world, "benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and faith" are the foundation. The Buddha's teaching lifts and widens these, teaching you not to kill, not to steal, not to commit sexual misconduct, not to speak falsely, and not to take intoxicants—this is the opening and expansion of worldly benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and faith. Step by step you take the Three Refuges and keep the Five Precepts, then go further to keep the Bodhisattva Precepts. From a small bodhisattva you become a great one, and when the great bodhisattva path is perfected, you become a Buddha. Mind is Buddha; everyone has a mind, and in time you'll surely become a Buddha! A beginner might feel the Dharma is terribly hard to learn, but what's so hard about it? There are stages! A seven-story pagoda, a hundred-story skyscraper—if you try to leap to the top in one bound, won't you just fall to your death? There are steps! Climb the stairs one at a time and you can reach the top of the pagoda; a skyscraper has stairs on every floor, and elevators too—ride the elevator and you can reach the top of the skyscraper. Take a modern airplane—it's made entirely of iron and metal. Iron placed in water sinks, yet an airplane can fly in the sky. To someone without wisdom, of course that seems impossible. But scientists with wisdom figured it out—where's the difficulty? The difficulty lies in not knowing dependent origination, or knowing it but lacking the right conditions; once the conditions are fully in place, anything can be done. The Buddha's teaching explains that all dharmas arise and cease according to causes and conditions. As long as you have the wisdom and the conditions are met, it's not hard at all. Practicing in line with the Dharma, you can exhaust worldly sentiment and realize the Buddha's way. Listen carefully! The emotional mind of an ordinary being is useless. If you act from the views of an ordinary person, even if you do the greatest good, you're still just an ordinary being—your reward will only be some human blessings. You must exhaust worldly sentiment before you can turn the ordinary into the sage. This "exhausting" doesn't mean destroying sentiment into nothing; it means turning the ordinary mind around to learn the way of sages and walk the path of Dharma—that's what we call exhausting worldly sentiment. If even a trace of worldly sentiment remains, your Buddha-practice won't be complete; you have to cut it away entirely before the Buddha's way can be within reach. "Turning the ordinary into the sage" is no great matter. I often use an analogy: take a lump of clay in your hand. First mold it into a human figure, then rub out the human figure and mold a Buddha image instead. The clay was a human figure to begin with; all you have to do is rub out the human figure and remold it into a Buddha, and it becomes a Buddha! Exhausting worldly sentiment and turning to sage wisdom is just like that—molding a Buddha from clay. Where's the difficulty? The difficulty is that you "can do, but don't do"—how truly sad! It's like that piece of wood we mentioned earlier: carve it into a Buddha and it becomes a Buddha; carve it into a kitten or puppy, and of course that's what it becomes. In the world, if you keep close to good people, you learn to be good; keep close to bad people, you learn to be bad. Run your hand over the grass in a fish market and it stinks; touch fragrant powder and it smells sweet. "Those who stay near cinnabar become red, those who stay near ink become black"—isn't that so? Everyone here today listening to the Dharma—how still and calm your body and mind are sitting here! But if you were at home lounging with your legs crossed, watching TV, or running off to a dance hall, what would that be? That would be a topsy-turvy ordinary being living in a drunken stupor! Coming here to hear the Dharma is the Buddha's way; following along in chanting the Renwang Huguo Bore Jing is also the Buddha's way. "To climb high, begin from the bottom; to go far, start from close by"—just make a turn: "Walk east day after day, and when you turn your head, you face west." Becoming a Buddha is not about leaving the ordinary being behind! It's about transforming the ordinary being's views, transforming the ordinary being's conduct, and cultivating the way of sages. If you can do this, you are turning the ordinary into a Buddha. The Buddha is a person of supreme wisdom—would he tell you to become a Buddha if you truly couldn't? Do you think the Buddha is that foolish? The Buddha guides you to act in this way; if you can do it but won't, what's left to say? When parents and teachers teach children to be good, but the children stubbornly refuse to listen, who's to blame? They abandon themselves to their own ruin. Children who obey their parents, students who obey their teachers—how blissful and at ease they are! When Buddhist disciples obey the Buddha—auspicious by day, auspicious by night, auspicious and at ease everywhere! How could there be such misery? If you bring trouble on yourself for no reason, who can you blame? If you can't let go of worldly sentiment, of course there's suffering—the suffering you deserve, the suffering that should be yours! At the very least, if you turn the ordinary mind into the magnanimity of a noble person, the suffering ends—you'll rejoice day and night in happiness! If you've got time on your hands and no proper business, why not turn the wrong way into the right? When beginners in Buddhism first let go of worldly sentiment, of course it's painful; but once the sentiment is transformed, that's when the real happiness comes! With worldly sentiment, you look at something and find it unbearably hard. But a wise person helps you clear your head, and with the wisdom of sages and great beings, you raise your noble hand and let the other person go—you stop keeping score. Don't you gain freedom and peace that way? Why hold grudges? Bodhisattvas! Draw close to the Dharma often, and naturally you won't keep suffering along with the world. Kids taking amphetamines, playing video games—just bring them into the Buddha's teaching, and isn't that solved? Stay near good people and you learn to be good! The young novices on our mountain can even imitate the grown-ups and talk about the Dharma! Teach your children well! Children are the future masters of the nation; when they're good, society is at peace. Good families and good family education are themselves protecting the nation. Protecting the nation begins with protecting the people; protecting the people means regulating the family and cultivating the self. With the self cultivated and the family in order, then the nation is governed; with the nation governed, there's peace under heaven. I bless you all to begin with the foundational benevolent heart and earnestly practice the way of the ancient sage-kings and the way of the Buddha. The Buddha's way is deeper and more exalted than the way of the ancient sage-kings. If you don't believe it, look at the Buddhist scriptures—read them and you'll see for yourself. Otherwise, blocked by evil karma, neither believing nor studying, you'll simply walk into a dead end! Is evil karma really able to obstruct the holy path in this way? If not, why are sentient beings so hard to save?

V. Learning the Buddha's Teaching Without Strife Is the Truest Way to Protect the Nation

Everyone practicing the Buddha's way—do we really have to wait until the next life to be happy? Right now, this very moment, the heart becomes cool and clear. Must we wait until the next life to be happy? It's like being in scorching heat—step into an air-conditioned room and body and mind are refreshed at once; shivering with cold, the moment the sun comes out, the body warms up. Even worldly things work this way; how much more so the Buddha's teaching, a merit beyond the world! Worldly dharma is relative dharma—where there's opposition, there's no peace. The Buddha's teaching speaks of "no-self," embracing everything; it is the absolute. Originally, our mind, our fundamental nature, is like space—vast and boundless—what could it fail to include? But once it falls into worldly sentiment, the vast mind shrinks to the size of a sesame seed or a mung bean, as small as the point of a needle—how pitifully small is the ordinary mind! Why suffer in such smallness? Some people think: "You monks over there chanting sutras—is that protecting the nation?" Monks chanting sutras is certainly protecting the nation! It can settle people's hearts and make them benevolent and free from strife. In worldly terms, militarily protecting the nation means: when others come to attack me, I fight back. With this tit-for-tat struggle, if you kill ten thousand of theirs, they have to kill at least ten thousand of yours to break even! And after all the fighting, what's the result? The Buddha's teaching instructs us in giving and compassion—we can hardly give away our good things fast enough; how could we ever invade another's land? If everyone had such a great compassionate heart as the Buddha's teaching gives, the world would be at peace! Otherwise, with ordinary minds, the world cannot be at peace! Speaking of this, I truly feel you are all so blessed! Take this old monk—I've been on the run since the Marco Polo Bridge Incident in the twenty-sixth year of the Republic (1937); fleeing for my life is something I have plenty of experience with. The suffering of fleeing—there is a saying: "Better to be a dog in times of peace than a person in times of chaos." Don't even talk about war with foreign countries; civil war alone is exhausting enough. As the world also says: "When brothers quarrel within the walls, the parents suffer!" Really, even if learning the Buddha were superstition—if it can help everyone believe and dwell in peace and ease, isn't that a good kind of "delusion"? Many people aren't deluded—how clever they are! But cleverness often trips itself up! Go to the Buddhist household to learn non-contention, and you're taught to treat others with a kind heart—naturally, others will treat you with a kind heart. If you have no good in your heart, curse someone's father, and they'll curse your grandfather! Hit someone with a fist, and they'll kick you. Clever person, think it over! What do you gain from cursing and hitting people? Learn the Buddha's teaching—respect people. Respect others a foot, and they'll respect you ten feet; respect them ten feet, and they'll lift you onto their head. You ought to respect people in the first place! We must put aside conflict and respect one another, because through countless eons we have each been the other's parents, teachers, elder brothers, younger sisters—and all sentient beings are the Buddhas of the future. Why fight and bring suffering on ourselves? With a petty mind, you suffer yourself and make others suffer too; can you be happy when you make others suffer? Learning according to the Buddha's teaching, everyone keeps the Five Precepts—how could there still be killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, and falsehood? How could there still be drinking intoxicants to such a state? They say "don't drink and drive, don't drive and drink"—but some people sell alcohol, and so people drink; they drink, and then they drive. On the highway, one person causes a disaster and traffic for thousands is held up—see how alcohol kills people! "Just don't get drunk when you drink!" How nicely said! Did the drunk person set out wanting to get drunk? But once he drinks, he loses control—that's desire! It has no limits; until drunk, there's no stopping! I urge you, don't drink—watch with clear eyes those drunks stumbling in a stupor of drunken dreams; how wretched! So the Five Precepts of the Buddha's teaching are a tremendous aid to the nation, society, and the people—they support the revival of social ethics and make up for what the law cannot reach. The law only convicts after a crime has been committed; the Buddha's teaching checks the human heart before any wrongdoing, so that people's minds dare not even entertain evil thoughts, let alone do evil deeds. If everyone believed in and practiced the Buddha's teaching, would this place not become a Buddha-land on earth? All of you are good Buddhist devotees—I hope you'll resolve, in every sector of society, to lead others in being public-spirited and law-abiding, becoming first-class good citizens. Beginning from cultivating a heart of benevolence, transforming society's evil karma, cherishing our compatriots, and making a pure and clean land on earth—this is how we Buddhists truly protect the nation and protect benevolence, and we must especially take protecting benevolence as the foundation of protecting the nation. Today I must thank the executive director of this assembly—Master Chuanshun—for giving me the chance to form a karmic affinity with all of you through the Dharma. When I came up here, I told everyone I don't know whether I've spoken correctly; if it's right, please practice it; if not, I ask for your guidance! In short, we must learn from one another—only then does wisdom grow, don't you think? May the merit of this talk be dedicated to: "The nation's borders be peaceful, weapons be laid aside; timely wind and rain, the people at peace." Everyone study the Buddha's way, recite the Buddha's name—"Of all Buddhas in the ten directions and three times, Amitabha is the first." Everyone recite Amitabha's name; a hundred years from now, we shall return to our roots and be born together in the Western Pure Land.

Dharma words of Master Miaolian: With filial piety, be loyal to the nation; with loyalty to the nation, fulfill filial piety. People should abide by the law and practice loyalty and filial piety, moving Heaven and Earth so that winds and rains are in harmony.