Pure Mind, Pure Land

　　A talk at the Chinese University of Hong Kong on Jul. 28th, 2011

　　Welcome Speech by Host:

　　Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. First let”s stand up and express our warmest welcome to the venerable Master, Khenpo Sodargye, and Professor Xue Yu, Director of Centre for the Study of Humanistic Buddhism in the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

　　Thanks, please sit down. Tonight our topic is “pure mind, pure land”. We”ll start with the welcome speech by Professor Xue Yu.

　　Professor Xue Yu: Today we have this wonderful opportunity to gather at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, to receive the teaching from the great Master, Khenpo Sodargye. Khenpo”s renowned reputation attracts us all here. As the old saying goes, “It happens once only every thousand years, but offers you much more than the whole thousand years.”

　　The name of Khenpo Sodargye is known to most of us. Today we have this precious time to receive his great teaching. The teaching will be followed by a question and answer session. Buddhists always say, “Big doubt gives big enlightenment, small doubt gives small enlightenment, and no doubt gives no enlightenment.” Today Khenpo Sodargye comes here to clear our doubts. Please feel free to ask any questions, either about life, relationship, or your dharma practice. As Khenpo mentioned earlier at dinner time, he won”t be afraid by any tough questions, and would be more than happy to offer you good answers.

　　Now, please give your attention to Khenpo!

　　Good evening, ladies and gentlemen! I”m very happy to be here with all of you, not because I am the speaker, but because of the open and free research atmosphere at your university. I believe the free spirit is a prerequisite for us to seek the truth.

　　In the morning seminar Professor Xiong, the Dean of Faculty of Arts, said something touched me. She said, “This is not a simple Buddhist seminar. There are so many college students from all over the country who are gathering here. It is more than a simple belief for these students to choose Buddhism.” This is absolutely true. In today”s society, it is very difficult for young people to build up the right belief, especially on campus. The communication and discussion in our seminars are very precious. They will help young people seek the truth, and hence play a crucial role in one”s life perspective.

　　I. A Brief Explanation of “Pure Mind, Pure Land”

　　This evening, our topic is about “pure mind, pure land”. What does it mean

　　 Some may think this idea is very shallow, as we know, the true, the good and the beautiful are able to improve external environment. However, in the Mahayana spirit, and especially in tantric point of view, the idea is much deeper than that.

　　Take the Chinese University of Hong Kong for example. It sits by the mountain and faces the ocean in the front, known as one of the most beautiful campuses in Asia. How can it look like this

　　 It”s the result of collective good karma you bring here. If you had never collected such good karma in the past, such a nice campus would not have existed in your life. Africa is another example: severe famine has broken out these days. More than eleven million people are suffering from starvation every day. As we see on the TV, their life does not seem to be different from that of hungry ghosts. This is also caused by their common karma.

　　Then we ask, what causes karma

　　 It is never apart from our mind. As Buddha said in Avatamsaka Sutra, sentient beings can see the pure land only with their pure mind. Everything in the world is actually manifested by our mind. For ordinary people, the world seems rough and rugged; however, for a first ground Bodhisattva, there are no ugly things since he has cleared pervasive discrimination of self; then at the eighth ground and above,…

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