Words on
the way of Zen
Reflections on practice, tradition, and the everyday path of Zen.
Unimmeasurable Light, Unbounded Light, Unobstructed Light, Incomparable Light, Blazing King Light
We should gain a deep, clear understanding of the Twelve Light Tathagatas. In truth, Amitabha Buddha possesses immeasurable light, which serves as the vehicle carrying the power of his forty-eight great vows. This light arises from his D...
ReadThe Void is Finite, the Mind is Infinite
To summarize these two points, let us further explore the concept of the "world": the world has boundaries, while the void is boundless. The worlds in which we sentient beings reside are all born of our karma—impure lands brought forth b...
ReadIf You Want Middle-Grade Upper Rebirth, You Cannot Abandon the Precepts
The Middle Grade of Upper Birth arises from the causes and practices cultivated during one's lifetime. This primarily refers to a person of the Shravaka disposition who receives the precepts and begins with the merit of keeping them. One...
ReadMaster Xuanzang's Prophetic Dream: Manjushri Bodhisattva's Explicit Admonition
One night, Master Xuanzang had a dream: the Nalanda Temple was filled with scenes of desolation and disorder, with water buffalo tethered everywhere, and not a single monk in sight. He entered through the western gate of the Yugalaraja's...
ReadHow Many Precepts Do Bhikkhus Have?
The wording of the bhikkhu precepts varies somewhat across the different Vinaya traditions; the main variations occur in the precepts bearing on deportment. As for the text of the grave precepts and the secondary grave precepts, although...
ReadSimilarities and Differences Between Bhikkhu and Bhikkhuni Precepts
The bhikkhuni precepts for the most part coincide with those of the bhikkhus, being drawn directly from the bhikkhu precepts. However, owing to the considerable physiological and psychological differences between women and men, a number ...
ReadWhen You Recite Amitabha Buddha's Name, He Illuminates and Embraces Us With His Light
When we recite the name of Amitabha Buddha, we receive his welcoming guidance at the time of death, which greatly increases our chance of a successful rebirth. Secondly, it brings us peace and joy in this present life. Amitabha Buddha's ...
ReadWhen You Indulge in Delusive Thoughts, You Stir Up Your Past Karma
When we begin to observe the mind, contemplating the nature of the present moment, we cannot immediately perceive the essence of mind-nature itself. What we first encounter is its surface layer. It is like looking at a mirror—you cannot ...
ReadWhether You Are a Mahayana Bodhisattva Is Not Determined by How Much Merit You Accumulate
The key to determining whether someone is a Mahayana Bodhisattva does not lie in whether they have created wholesome or unwholesome karma. Rather, the crucial point is whether they genuinely aspire to "attain supreme Buddhahood above, an...
ReadAre we the same Alaya-vijnana throughout all our lifetimes?
Master, the eighth consciousness, or ālayavijñāna, is the first to enter the womb at conception, and the last to depart when we transition to our next rebirth. So is it the same ālayavijñāna throughout all our lifetimes? Venerable Master...
ReadThe Three Non-Retrogressions: Station, Practice, and Thought
If we speak of this world, in the Tripitaka [teaching] it is the First Fruit; in the Common [teaching] it is the Ground of Seeing; in the Separate [teaching] it is the Initial Abiding; in the Perfect [teaching] it is the Initial Faith. T...
ReadOffering Vegetarian Meals to Monks on Behalf of the Deceased
Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva further told the elder that, for beings burdened with such karmic offenses, there remains one more way their family members can help them after their passing: offering vegetarian meals on their behalf. Offering ve...
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