Tín Hạnh Nguyện Giữ Vai Trò Quan Trọng Trong Tu Tập Phật Giáo

(D) Faith, Practice, and Vow

According to the Pure Land

I. Faith, Practice, and Vow According to the Pure Land:

According to Most Venerable Thích Thiền Tâm in The Thirteen Patriarchs of Pureland Buddhism, he emphasized that to have Faith is to believe in the following six elements: 1) What is self-faith or faith in one’s self ? This is to have faith that everything is created within one’s mind; therefore, if a practitioner recites Buddha, then, absolutely, Buddha will receive him or her. 2) What is faith in others? This is to have faith that Sakyamuni Buddha would never speak falsely and Amitabha Buddha did not make empty vows. Therefore, if cultivators practice according to Pureland teachings, then Amitabha Buddha will deliver them to the Ultimate World. 3) What is it to have faith in causation? This is to believe that reciting Buddha is the action or cause for gaining rebirth and enlightenment. 4) What is it to believe in effect? To believe in effect means to believe that in the matter of gaining rebirth and attaining Buddhahood as the end result, or the consequence of reciting Buddha. 5) What is it to have faith in practice? To faith faith in practice means to believe in the existence of the Western Pureland and that the forms and characteristics in the Ultimate Bliss World that the Buddha spoke of it in the sutras are all true. It exists just as this Saha World really exists. 6) What is it to have faith in theory? This is to believe that “all theories are within the mind;” thus, the mind encompasses all the infinite Buddha Lands in the ten directions. In the Kalama Sutra, the Buddha taught: “Do not have Faith (believe) in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. Do not believe in anything because it is spoken or rumoured by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found in religious books. Do not believe in anything only because it is taught by your teachers or elders. But after observation and analysis, when you find that everything agrees with reason and is for the benefit of all beings, then accept it and live accordingly.”

Faith, Vows and Practice form the cornerstone of Pure Land School. If these three conditions are fulfilled, rebirth in the Land of Ultimate Bliss will be achieved. Practitioners should pay particular attention to Faith and Vows, and wish wholeheartedly to achive rebirth in the Pure Land, and not as a celestial being or Dharma Master, however awakened, as these are still within the realm of Birth and Death. Only then will practitioners' Faith and Vows reach Amitabha

Buddha so His Compassionate Vow may embrace you. Generally speaking, the tenets of the Pure Land method are Faith, Vows, and Practice. Only with true Faith and earnest Vows can Practice be assiduous and pure. However, the most common problem of ordinary people is to be diligent and earnest when catastrophe strikes but lax and remiss in normal times. According to Great Master Yin-Kuang, the Thirteenth Patriarch of Chinese Pure Land School, this is a truth as solid as steel, even if a thousand Buddhas were to appear on earth, it would not change. Only by firmly believing in this truth will you have a destiny in the Western Pure Land. In “Letters From Patriarch Yin- Kuang,” the Pure Land method embraces people of all capacities, gathering in those of high as well as low capacities. It is the great Dharma of the Tathagata, whereby He provides an expedient enabling both sages and ordinary beings to achieve liberation from Birth and Death and reach the stage of non-retrogression in this very lifetime. Not to believe in and practice this sublime, special Dharma is truly regrettable, a great pity indeed! The main tenets of Pure Land are Faith, Vows and Practice. The first criterion is Faith: You shoud believe that the Saha World is filled with sufferings; believe that the Western Pure Land is filled with immense joy; believe that ordinary beings full of evil karma, you cannot, realistically, rely on own strength or your self-power alone to eliminate delusion completely, realize the Truth and escape Birth and Death in this very lifetime; believe that Amitabha Buddha has made a profound and lofty Vow: any sentient being who recites His name with utmost faith and sincerity, seeking rebirth in His land will, at the time of death, be received and guided to the Pure Land. The second criterion is Vow: You should aspire to transcend this world and achieve rebirth in that Ultimately Blissful Land as soon as possible. The third criterion is Practice: You should practice Buddha Recitation in all earnestness and sincerity, without a moment's lapse, paying respect and reciting morning and evening before the altar. You can establish an intensive or leisurely schedule depending on your own circumstances. Living in current period is no different from lying peacefully on a huge pile of dried wood under which a fire has already started. Though it has not yet reached the body, in no time flames and smoke will cover everything, leaving no possibility of escape. If you are indifferent or careless, remiss in seeking help through reciting the Buddha's name, your understanding and perception are shallow indeed! Pure Land practitioners should keep in mind that the main tenets of the Pure Land method are Faith, Vows and Practice. Like a three-legged incense burner, if it lacks one leg, it cannot stand. If you, practitioners, diligently practiced Buddha Recitation and have no more doubts abour the first criterion of Faith. However, if you still attach to the idea that there is a dichotomy between Vows and Practice, you cannot have complete understanding and synthesis. Thus, within the unimpeded, perfect and wonderful Dharma, there suddenly arise numerous impediments and obstacles, causing the bright moon, adorned with ten thousand halos of Elder Master Ch'e-Wu, Chien-Mi and Ou-I to pull apart and divide. All this is due simply to a fine silk thread before your eyes. How regretable! The true Pure Land practitioner always fully combines the three criteria of Faith, Vows and Practice during recitation. He is like an infant longing for his mother. When, lonely and crying, he searches for her, he certainly never lacks Faith or the desire (Vow) to see her. According to the Ninth Patriarch of Pureland Buddhism, the Great Master Ou-I:

“Achieving rebirth in the Pure Land depends entirely on Faith and Vows, while the level of rebirth depends on the depth of practice. If Faith and Vow are solidified, when nearing death, it is possible to gain rebirth by reciting the Buddha’s name in ten recitations. In contrast, no matter how much one recites Buddha, if Faith and Vow are weak and deficient, then this will result only in reaping the merits and blessings in the Heavenly or Human realms.” However, this teaching only applies to beings with higher faculties. As for us, beings with low faculties, thin blessings and heavy karmas; if we wish to gain rebirth to the Ultimate Bliss World, we must have Faith, Practices and Vow. In other words, we must carry out both parts of Theory and Practice. Faith regarded as the faculty of the mind which sees, appropriates, and trusts the things of religion; it joyfully trusts in the Buddha, in the pure virtue of the Triratna and earthly and transcendental goodness; it is the cause of the pure life, and the solvent of doubt. According to The Pureland Buddhism, faith is believing in the Ultimate Bliss World truly exists just as the Saha World on which we are currently living. Faith means to have faith that Amitabha Buddha is always protecting and will readily rescue and deliver any sentient being who knows to respect and recite sincerely His name. According to the Pureland Buddhism, practice means one must recite the Amitabha Buddha with the utmost sincerely to the point of achieving one-mind or single-minded recitation in order to establish the unimaginable connections and having the Buddha rescue and deliver the cultivator to the Western Pureland after death. There are two kinds of practices: Practice based on the teaching of Dharma, and practice based on belief. According to the point of view from the Pureland, practice means to take action or make application of the teaching. This means to recite often the virtuous name “Namo Amitabha Buddha” without distraction and without chaos throughout one’s life. Vow is something that comes from the heart and soul, a deep rooted promise, swearing to be unrelenting in seeking to attain a goal. This is having a certain mind-set or something one wishes to achieve and never give up until the objective is realized. Thus, there there should be absolutely no reason whatsoever that should cause one to regress or give up that vow or promise. Sincere Buddhists should vow to follow the teachings to sultivate to become Buddhas, then to use the magnificent Dharma of enlightenment of the Buddhas and vow to give them to all sentient beings to abandon their ignorance to cross over to enlightenment, to abandon delusion to follow truths. According to the Pureland Buddhism, Vow is to wish sincerely, praying to find liberation from the sufferings of this saha World, to gain rebirth to the peaceful Ultimate Bliss World. According to Most Venerable Thích Thiền Tâm in The Thirteen Patriarchs of Pureland Buddhism, with point of views of the Pureland, vow is with each thought that arises, there is a “love and yearning” to gain rebirth in the Ultimate Bliss World, and with each thought, there is a “wish and prayer” To achieve a place in the nine-levels of Golden Lotus. In these three components of faith, practice, and vow, it is absolutely essential for the Pureland cultivator to have all three; however, vow is the most important. The Buddha’s Original Vows refer to the Amitabha Buddha’s Forty-eight Great Vows, which He made while He was still a Maha-Bodhisattva named Dharma Store (Dharmakara) cultivating for Buddhahood. One of His vows was if any sentient being recites His name from ten to one hundred times upon death, He will come and deliver that being to the Ultimate Bliss World. In all of His vows, He always ended with the same line: “If this does not happen, I vow not to attain the Ultimate

Enlightenment.” That was in the past, the Dharma Store Maha- Bodhisattva is now a Buddha (Amitabha Buddha); thus, this means his vows have all came true. Anyone who has Faith, Vow, and Practice is guaranteed to gain rebirth to His Pureland. According to Buddhism, the relative truth, or the truth of the unreal, which is subject to change, manifests ‘stillness but is always illuminating,’ which means that it is immanent in everything. Pure Land thinkers accepted the legitimacy of conventional truth as an expression of ultimate truth and as a vehicle to reach Ultimate Truth. This method of basing on form helps cultivators reach the Buddhahood, which is formless.

II. Pure Land Practitioners and Pleasant Practice of the Vow: According to the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha gave instructions to all Bodhisattvas on Pleasant practice of the vow as follows: “The pleasant practice of the vow means to have a spirit of great compassion. A Bodhisattva should beget a spirit of great charity toward both laymen and monks, and should have a spirit of great compassion for those who are not yet Bodhisattvas but are satisfied with their selfish idea of saving only themselves. He also should decide that, though those people have not inquired for, nor believed in, nor understood the Buddha’s teaching in this sutra, when he has attained Perfect Enlightenment through his transcendental powers and powers of wisdom he will lead them to abide in this Law.” According to the Pure Land Sect, devout Buddhists should make vow to benefit self and others, and to fulfil the vow so as to be born in the Pure Land of Amitabha Buddha. This is the third of the five doors or ways of entering the Pure Land. Devoted Buddhists should always vow:

“Awaken mind with a longing for Bodhicitta, deeply believe in the law of Cause and Effect, recite Mahayana sutras, encourage other cultivators and save other sentient beings.” Vow is something that comes from the heart and soul, a deep rooted promise, swearing to be unrelenting in seeking to attain a goal. This is having a certain mind-set or something one wishes to achieve and never give up until the objective is realized. Thus, there there should be absolutely no reason whatsoever that should cause one to regress or give up that vow or promise. Sincere Buddhists should vow to follow the teachings to sultivate to become Buddhas, then to use the magnificent Dharma of enlightenment of the Buddhas and vow to give them to all sentient beings to abandon their ignorance to cross over to enlightenment, to abandon delusion to follow truths. According to the Pureland Buddhism, Vow is to wish sincerely, praying to find liberation from the sufferings of this saha World, to gain rebirth to the peaceful Ultimate Bliss World. The power of vows eradicates heavy karma, wipes away all illnesses of mind and body at their karmic source, subdues demons and can move gods and humans to respect. Thus, devoted Buddhists should be issued from the realm of the Buddha-teaching, always accomplish the preservation of the Buddha-teaching, vow to sustain the lineage of Buddhas, be oriented toward rebirth in the family of Buddhas, and seek omniscient knowledge. All Buddhists want to cross the sea of sufferings and afflictions while vows are like a boat which can carry them across the sea of birth and death to the other shore of Nirvana. Some Buddhists learn to practice special vows from Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, Medicine Buddha or Amitabha Buddha, etc. This is good, but these vows are still their special vows. We must make our own vows. When set up our own vows that means we have our own aim to reach in cultivation. Besides, once we have made our vows, even if we want to slack off in our cultivation, we won’t dare, because the vows were already sealed in our mind. According to the Pure Land Sect, there are two main aspects to making the joyous vows of “rescuing oneself and others.” The practitioner should clearly realize the goal of rebirth: First, the practitioner should clearly realize the goal of rebirth: The goal of our cultivation is to seek escape from suffering for him/herself and all sentient beings. He/She should think thus: ‘My own strength is limited, I am still bound by karma; moreover, in this evil, defiled life, the circumstances and conditions leading to afflictions are overpowering. That is why other sentient beings and myself are drowning in the river of delusion, wandering along the evil paths from time immemorial. The wheel of birth and death is spinning without end; how can I find a way to rescue myself and others in a safe, sure manner? There is but one solution, it is to seek rebirh in the Pure Land, draw close to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and relying on the supremely auspicious environment of that realm, engaging in cultivation and attain the Tolerance of Non-Birth. Only then can I enter the evil world to rescue sentient beings. The Treatise on Rebirth states: “To develop the Bodhi-Mind is precisely to seek Buddhahood; to seek Buddhahood is to develop the Mind of rescuing sentient beings; and the

Mind of rescuing sentient beings is none other than the Mind that gathers all beings and helps them achieve rebirth in the Pure Land.

Second, ensure of rebirth in the Pure Land: Moreover, to ensure rebirth, we should perfect two practices; first is abandoning the three things that hinder enlightenment, second is abiding by the three things that foster enlightenment. How can we abandon the things that hinder enlightenment and abide by the things that foster enlightenment? It is precisely by seeking rebirth in the Western Pure Land, remaining constantly near the Buddhas and cultivating the Dharmas until Tolerance of Non-Birth is reached. At that point, we may sail the boat of great vows at will, enter the sea of Birth and Death and rescue sentient beings with wisdom and compassion ‘adapting to conditions but fundamentally unchanging,’ free and unimpeded. What causes Abandoning the three things that hinder enlightenment? The Mind of seeking our own peace and happiness, ego-grasping and attachment to our own bodies. The practitioner should follow the path of wisdom and leave all such thoughts far behind. The Mind of abandoning and failing to rescue sentient beings from suffering. The practitioner should follow the path of compassion and leave all such thoughts far behind. The Mind of exclusively seeking respect and offerings, without seeking ways to benefit sentient beings and bring them peace and happiness.

The practitioner should follow the path of expendients and leave all such thoughts far behind. What causes Obtaining the three things that foster enlightenment? Undefiled Pure Mind: The ‘Undefiled Pure Mind’ of not seeking personal happiness, that is enlightenment is the state of undefiled purity. If we seek after personal pleasure, body and Mind are defiled and obstruct the path of enlightenment. Therefore, the undefiled Pure Mind is called consonant with enlightenment. Pure Mind at Peace: The ‘Pure Mind at Peace,’ rescuing all sentient beings from suffering. This is because Bodhi is the undefiled Pure Mind which gives peace and happiness to sentient beings. If we are not rescuing sentient beings and helping them escape the sufferings of Birth and death, we are going to counter to Bodhi path. Therefore, a Mind focussed on saving others, bringing them peace and happiness, is call consonant with enlightenment. Blissful Pure Mind: A ‘Blissful Pure Mind,’ seeking to help sentient beings achieve Great Nirvana. Because

Great Nirvana is the ultimate, eternally blissful realm. If we do not help sentient beings achieve it, we obstruct the Bodhi path. Hence the Mind which seeks to help sentient beings attain eternal bliss is called consonant with enlightenment. Next, Pure Land cultivators should contemplate the wholesome characteristics of the Pure Land and auspicious features of Amitabha Buddha: First, Contemplate the auspicious features of Amitabha Buddha: Pure Land cultivators should contemplate the auspicious features of Amitabha Buddha. Amitabha Buddha possesses a resplendent, golden Reward Body, replete with 84,000 major characteristics, each characteristic having 84,000 minor auspicious signs, each sign beaming 84,000 rays of light which illuminate the entire Dharma Realm and gather in those sentient beings who recite the Buddha’s name. Second, Pure Land cultivators should contemplate the wholesome characteristics in the Western Pure Land: The Western Pure Land is adorned with seven treasures, as explained in the Pure Land sutras. In addition, when practicing charity, keeping the precepts and performing all kinds of good deeds, Pure Land practitioners should always dedicate the merits toward rebirth in the Pure Land for themselves and all other sentient beings. Finally, Practitioners of Buddha Recitation should vow to be reborn in the Pure

Land: I vow that at the moment of death, there will be no obstacles

Amitabha Budha will welcome from afar Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara will shower sweet dew on my head

Bodhisattva Mahastham-prapta will bring a lotus blossom for my feet.

In a split second, I will leave the turbid world Reaching the Pure Land in the time it takes to extend my arms.

When the lotus blossom opens, I will see Amitabha, the compassionate Hearing the profound dharma, I will be enlightened And reach tolerance of non-birth I will then return to the Saha World, without leaving the Pure Land Through all kinds of expedients, I will help sentient beings Always taking earthly toil as Buddha work This is my vow, please accept it Anh help me fulfill it in the future.

Tài Liệu Tham Khảo

References

1. Những Đóa Hoa Vô Ưu, Thiện Phúc, USA, 2012, Tập I, II & III—The Sorrowless Flowers, Thiện Phúc, USA, 2012, Volumes I, II & III.

2. Niệm Phật Căn Bản Cho Ngừời Tại Gia, Thiện Phúc, USA, 2018, Tập I & II— Basic Buddha Recitations For Lay People, Thiện Phúc, USA, 2018, Tập I & II. 3. Phật Giáo Yếu Luận, Thiện Phúc, USA, 2021, Tập I, Chương 4—Essential Buddhist Essays, Thiện Phúc, USA, 2021, Vol. I, Chapter 4. 4. Phật Pháp Căn Bản, Thiện Phúc, USA, 2009, Tập II, Chương 29—Basic Buddhist Doctrines, Thiện Phúc, USA, 2009, Volume II, Chapter 29. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Trung A Hàm Kinh, Viện Nghiên Cứu Phật Học Việt Nam: 1992. Trung Bộ Kinh, Viện Nghiên Cứu Phật Học Việt Nam: 1992.

Trường A Hàm Kinh, Viện Nghiên Cứu Phật Học Việt Nam: 1991.

Trường Bộ Kinh, Hòa Thượng Thích Minh Châu: 1991.

Trường Bộ Kinh, Viện Nghiên Cứu Phật Học Việt Nam: 1991.

Tương Ưng Bộ Kinh, Viện Nghiên Cứu Phật Học Việt Nam: 1993.

11. Từ Điển Phật Học Anh-Việt—English-Vietnamese Buddhist Dictionary, 10 volumes, Thiện Phúc, USA, 2007.

12. Từ Điển Phật Học Việt-Anh—Vietnamese-English Buddhist Dictionary, 6 volumes,

Thiện Phúc, USA, 2005.

13. Vietnamese-English Buddhist Dictionary, 6 volumes, Thiện Phúc, USA, 2005.

Mục Lục Phần Việt Ngữ

(A) Niềm Tin Trong Phật Giáo 3 (Vietnamese page#3/English page#59)

I. II. III. IV. VI. Tổng Quan Và Ý Nghĩa Của Niềm Tin Trong Phật Giáo:

Niềm Tin Trong Đạo Phật: Mê Tín Dị Đoan & Đạo Phật Chết:

Mười Loại Tín Của Chư Bồ Tát:

V. Mười Thứ Tín Tâm: Những Lời Phật Dạy Về “Tín” Trong Kinh Kalama:

VII.Hành Giả Và Niềm Tin Trong Niệm Phật:

(B) Hạnh Trong Giáo Pháp Nhà Phật (Vietnamese page#18/English page#77)

I. Tổng Quan Và Ý Nghĩa Của Hạnh Trong Phật Giáo:

II. Hạnh Bất Thối Chuyển Trong Tu Tập:

III. An Lạc Hạnh:

IV. Thiền Lâm Tứ Hạnh: V. Tâm & Phật: Tứ Gia Hạnh: VI. Thánh Hạnh:

VII.Bồ Tát Hạnh VIII.Bồ Tát Hạnh và Chúng Sanh Hạnh:

(C) Nguyện Trong Giáo Pháp Nhà Phật (Vietnamese page#28/English page#90)

I. Tổng Quan Và Ý Nghĩa Của Nguyện Trong Đạo Phật:

II. Bồ Tát Tổng Nguyện:

III. Bồ Tát Biệt Nguyện:

(D) Tín Hạnh Nguyện Theo Trường Phái Tịnh Độ (Vietnamese page#47/English page#111)

I. II. Tín Hạnh Nguyện Theo Trường Phái Tịnh Độ:

Hành Giả Tịnh Độ Và Nguyện An Lạc Hạnh:

18 28 47 Tài Liệu Tham Khảo 55

(Vietnamese page#55/English page#120)

Mục Lục 56 (Vietnamese page#56/English page#121)

Table of Content of English Section

(A) Faith In Buddhist Teachings (English page#59/Vietnamese page#3)

I. An Overview and Meanings of Faith in Buddhism:

II. Faith in Buddhism:

III. Superstitions & Dead Buddhism:

IV. Ten Kinds of Bodhisattvas' Faith:

V. Ten Grades of Bodhisattva Faith:

VI. The Buddha’s Teachings on Sraddha in the Kalama Sutra:

VII.Practitioners and Faith in Buddha Recitation:

59 (B) Conducts In Buddhist Teachings (English page#77/Vietnamese page#18)

I. An Overview and Meanings of Practices or Conducts in Buddhism:

II. Never-Receding Stage In Cultivation:

III. Pleasant Practices:

IV. Four Disciplinary Processes In the Zen Forests:

V. Mind & Buddha: Four Kinds of Wonderfully Perfect Additional Practices:

VI. Behaviors of the Saints:

VII.Practices of Bodhisattvas VIII.Bodhisattvas’Conducts and Living Beings’ Conducts:

77 (C) Resolve In Buddhist Teachings (English page#90/Vietnamese page#28)

I. An Overview & Meanings of Resolve in Buddhism:

II. Bodhisattvas’ General Vows:

III. Bodhisattvas’ Special Vows: 90 (D) Faith, Practice, and Vow According to the Pure Land (English page#111/Vietnamese page#47)

I. II. Faith, Practice, and Vow According to the Pure Land: Pure Land Practitioners and Pleasant Practice of the Vow:

111 References 120 (English page#120/Vietnamese page#55)

Table of Content 121 (English page#121/Vietnamese page#56)