Book 160: The Dream of Leaf Lake
Chapter 54: The Intimate Affinity Between Guru and Students
Written by: Living Buddha Lian-sheng, Sheng-yen Lu
Translated by: Aysura
Edited by: Dance Smith
Proofread by: Jessie
Padmakumara Translation Team
Website: www.padmakumara.org
Chapter 54: The Intimate Affinity Between Guru and Students
Some people say Living Buddha Sheng-yen Lu has quite a reputation. He is well-known worldwide. Four to five million disciples have taken refuge in him. If the Living Buddha were to go to any country, one would expect to find a dense crowd waiting for him at the airport -- at least a few thousand people -- if not a few ten-thousands -- would be there to welcome him. And if he were to take the seat to expound tantric dharma, one would expect a spectacular scene of people flooding the venue. The empowerment session alone would take a few hours. This indeed would be a superior dharma event!
Although Living Buddha Sheng-yen Lu has gone into retreat, disciples in various countries are continuously building scores of True Buddha Temples; newly established branches have also increased in number to well over a hundred. Masters have taken up the propagation of Dharma on behalf of Grand Master by traveling all over the world. The number of disciples who have taken refuge has continued to grow by the hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands! The dharma stream of True Buddha School should be everlasting, with dharma affinity stronger than ever.
Nonetheless, I have been observing the karmic affinity of my disciples. My heart cannot help but sigh. I cannot hide my loneliness and solitude.
Why? Because I have seen many disciples who took refuge in a moment of enthusiasm. Their moment of enthusiasm was due to a moment of pleasure -- they rushed to participate in a dharma ceremony and took refuge empowerment there and then. There are also those who come to receive refuge empowerment because they have something to wish for. Some people already have an affinity with Buddhism from past lives, and they take refuge when this affinity ripens. Everyone's karmic affinity for taking refuge is different. Some took refuge because they were touched by my books, and they decided to take refuge.
Many people took the refuge empowerment just to establish a teacher-student bond. Even in the presence of this affinity with the Buddha, they departed and turned away to devote themselves to the secular world. They did not know how to take a step forward by learning to chant mantras, form mudras, or embark on visualization cultivation. More importantly, they did not learn how to gradually explore and get to know their Buddha nature and adjust their hearts to achieve enlightenment.
I noticed that students who had the fortune to have this initial affinity didn't continue to come closer to Buddha's dharma. Because of this, I feel so helpless and sorry [for the loss of such an opportunity]. Not only that, these disciples with initial affinity form quite a large group. They may have the teacher-student affinity but they do not actually practice.
I am a person who has the true Buddha dharma with me. I could save the world's sentient beings; I can save myself and others; I can help others gain enlightenment too.
I hope that this student-teacher affinity remains unbreakable in this life and eternally. More importantly, may this affinity be the light to the attainment of ever-pure Buddhahood.
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