..续本文上一页fits for others, are respectively called the sambhogakaya and nirmanakaya. Therefore, Zen”s enlightenment also attains all three bodies simultaneously. Your statement may therefore not necessarily have any grounding.
(13): Question: I am a staff member of the Lasker Foundation. Next to this room is a Christian Society. When comparing Buddhism to them, I can clearly see that they have an extremely strong missionary spirit, and, as a result, have gathered many members. On the other hand, Buddhism is quite lacking in this aspect. I would like to seek your advice. How can we strengthen this kind of spirit so that Buddhism can benefit even more people
Answer: There is certainly much we can learn from the Christian missionary spirit, methods, and various means. Information shows that they have a plan to try their best to occupy the Han region”s religious market within fifty years by converting large numbers of people to Christianity. Contrary to this, many Buddhists are not even internally united, are fighting with each other, and slandering gurus and lineages. Such behavior is very unreasonable. Lay practitioners should especially try their best not to talk about the faults of someone following a monastic life, because this is the responsibility of the monastic community, not theirs.
How should we promote Buddhism
On the one hand, we should learn the methods and behavior employed by Christianity. On the other hand, we should also be aware that even if we make substantial efforts to offer medicines and money to all the unfortunate people, one by one, this may still not necessarily help them significantly. But if we offer the wisdom of Buddhism to everyone, then it can create incredible benefits. In recent years, I have been using modern technologies to transmit the Bodhicharyavatara and other teachings. By using this kind of study and contemplation, some people truly gain the benefits of Dharma, and so their life is transformed. They are now able to face adversities with courage. These people are something in which to rejoice.
Knowing the importance of Dharma, I hope that from now on, we will all take responsibility for promoting Dharma, not just because there is an earthquake or disaster, or because we see someone tormented by suffering, and then raise an emergency fund to give support. The altruistic mind for long-term plans has not been considered. As Mahayana practitioners, many people say: “We must benefit the infinite number of sentient beings,” but do not have the courage to pass on the great ideas of Buddhism to others. We can feel ashamed about this.
I have not been able to give good guidance for everyone here about this issue today. However, I think it is the best if, within the Beijing student unions, you set up some kind of organization that can occasionally arrange internal communications and studies for others. This doesn”t necessarily need to be at a high-profile level, because we are not looking for fame nor publicity. What we want is to truly do something for all sentient beings. If we can do this, then not only is this altruistic, but it is also promotion of Dharma.
If you properly consider this, you see that an intellectual has many obligations and responsibilities to carry out. We are all depending on the cooperation of everyone else. Doing it alone is impossible. We are living in an information age. If we employ organizations and cooperate to promote the spirit of Buddhism, we will see a bright future.
(14) Question: You are usually extremely busy with various types of work. How do you keep your body and mind in an optimum condition so that you can fulfill your responsibilities and obligations
Answer: My daily life is extremely busy, but as long as I am still alive, I will think of how to benefit more sentient beings. This is the goal of my life. At the same time, while living in such an environment, in which society has been contaminated by various kinds of negativities, I also worry that my body and mind will gradually be affected by them too. To avoid this, personal practice is crucial, so when I am at the monastery, I finish my work in the morning, and then, in the afternoon, I try to find time to do some translation and practice. During the early morning after I wake up, I also recite some sutras and mantras.
I also often encounter difficulties when dealing with things. Sometimes others misunderstand me. When this happens, I face it calmly and comfortably, and never let small things cause mental agitation, or make me feel sad or act emotionally for a long time. As a longterm practitioner, facing unfavorable situations and hardships has become something common for me. I always treat them as a blessing from the buddhas and bodhisattvas and transform them into practice. For example, if someone is creating obstacles for me, I try my best to dedicate my merits to him or her. Even if my work eventually fails, I think of it as a blessing from the buddhas and bodhisattvas. Such problems may seem unfavorable, but ultimately they are a very favorable condition for my practice.
Besides that, I also think of it like this: I am not sure if I will have another opportunity to help sentient beings later. Whether I do or not, as long as I am still alive, I will dedicate my energy to serving all sentient beings.
Finally, thanks to everyone. I think we have had very good communication here today. I have truly enjoyed it, and I hope that we will all always treat others with loving kindness. Many thanks.
《Question and Answer Session at Peking University Academy of Religious Study》全文阅读结束。