Pure Mind, Pure Land -- Master Sheng-yen at Rutgers

2002/11/11 Reported by David Kabacinski

"Do you want to learn to be a Bodhisattva?" asked Shifu to the audience. To be a bodhisattva, he said, one should purify one's mind. To purify one's mind is to put an end to vexation. Vexations are greed, anger, fear, insecurity, anxiety, excitement, etc.. These phenomena arise in the mind because of certain habits and attitudes that we have adopted towards ourselves and the environment. This emotional turmoil arises because of the way we think of 'the world.' Bodhisattvas aim at adjusting their attitudes, so that they can live joyfully, undisturbed by the external environment. Thus, a bodhisattva sees the world as pure. Thereby, they do not cause suffering to themselves, nor do they cause suffering to others. This ability to leave behind vexations is wisdom, and helping others is compassion. 

Shifu pointed out that we each have our own 'world.' "Some of you may not agree with this..." he continued. Yet, all individuals have their own perspective of themselves and the world. Because we all have our own perceptions, our own thoughts and experiences of the world, we have great difficulty in living together. All of the conflicts and wars in the world are the results of asserting our personal opinions and beliefs, while we deny others the right to have their own views. We have great difficulty accepting others' responses to their own circumstances, their own 'worlds.' Shifu recounted a story of a meeting he had with two other spiritual leaders. He asked, "So why have your two groups been fighting with each other for so many years?" At this question, the two leaders immediately began arguing, declaring that the other was wrong. This all-pervading flaw that we have, prevents us from living together peacefully, as we see others and the world around us as being 'wrong' while we are 'right.' Shifu then said, since all of us do not see the same world, and because of our inability to accept others, we need to practice.

To practice is, as Shifu puts it, "to protect our spiritual environment." This means that we should place the greatest importance on our spiritual environment, the quality of our minds. With this practice, we learn to be calm and stable in mind, so that we can interact with the social and natural environment harmoniously. With a pure mind, we see the world as equally pure. A pure mind is without vexation, without a distorted view of reality. From this ground, we can then have better insights on how to protect our social and natural environments. 

The environment at Rutgers University during this lecture on the 2nd of November, 2002, was quite beautiful. The New Jersey Chapter of Dharma Drum Mountain did a wonderful job preparing for the event, decorating the auditorium with fresh flowers and potted plants. Hanging behind the podium, murals of Shakyamuni Buddha and a verse from the Vimalakirti Nirdesa Sutra glowed under a calm light, dappled by the silhouettes of arcing foliage. The welcome from the participants was bright, and the visitors responded happily to the warmth and openness of Shifu's talk and the friendliness of all the others. 

The lecture was followed by the ceremony of Taking Refuge, an act of placing trust in the Three Jewels-The Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. Shifu encouraged everyone to participate, saying that you don't have to drop your current religious practice; you can still keep your present religion. Taking refuge means only that you will listen to, trust, and practice the Buddha's teachings. Following the ceremony, the audience lined up to pay reverence and greetings to Master Sheng-yen after his uplifting talk and "gift" of the Three Jewels.

May we all truly realize this Pure Mind, Pure Land here in the present.