Grand Master Lu’s (Shi Zun’s) Dharma Talk about the Outlook on Life.
At 8 o’clock on the evening of March 24, 2007, Grand Master Lu (Shi Zun), together with Master Lian Xiang (Shi Mu), Lian Hua De Hui Master, Master Lian Jie, Master Lian Yin, Master Lian Ning, Master Lian Deng and Master Lian Tzi, attended the regular Saturday cultivation session at the Seattle Ling Shen Ching Tze Temple with presiding Master Lian Miao. As Shi Zun’s ordination commemoration is just round the corner, many True Buddha School disciples, masters, senior reverends, and reverends came from far away places such as Portland and Vancouver to celebrate this special occasion. Some came with flowers, others came with colorful balloons, to liven up the usually quiet atmosphere of the Seattle Ling Shen Ching Tze Temple. With so many disciples attending, the session resembled a small ceremony.
After Shi Zun and all the disciples completed the cultivation of the Amitabha practice, Shi Zun started a dharma talk about filial piety: Children should not be asking anything from their parents, but should do whatever they can to repay them. Our parents did whatever they could to bring us up, it is only right that we do our utmost to repay them.
After that, Shi Zun reiterated what Master Lian Miao had talked about earlier, speaking on the deeper meaning of “the emptiness of life”: Our bodies, in reality, do not belong to us. Life is not permanent; wealth is not permanent, so what advice did the Buddha give us about our outlook on life? The answer lies in how we should unite with our youth, unite with death, and unite with birth. In this way, we do not differentiate between life and death; we should treat them as one. This is the Buddha’s outlook on life. If we have a terminal illness, we should unite with it. Even though life is transient and impermanent, we should also unite with impermanence. Whatever life experience we encounter, we should unite with it. When we are able to unite with each of life’s experience with order and without fear, life will then be meaningful. To just unite with one’s self and diligently cultivate according to the path of the bodhisattva’s way of life, not for any special reason, this is what is known in the Diamond Sutra as living without attachment or grasping, letting thought naturally arise according to the Dharma's way.
Lastly, Shi Zun answered three questions which appeared in the True Buddha Newspaper about a mother’s meticulous care for her children. Shi Zun mentioned Shi Mu as Shi Zun’s assistant, as a mother to his children, grandchildren, five million disciples, and how she has to manage problems relating to the school’s local chapters all over the world. How does she manage these three different roles? Three words: It’s very difficult. However, she takes on these responsibilities without complaint. This is Shi Mu. For well-wishes to all the parents in the world, Shi Zun wished for good-health, as it is of utmost importance, and also wished for perseverance in their cultivation.
The disciples were grateful as shown by the enormous applause for the dew blessing from Shi Zun’s precious Dharma talk. Following the cultivation session, two siblings (brother and sister) from Vancouver gave brilliant performances on the saxophone and the keyboard, as well as a Kendo demonstration. It was a joyful night for Shi Zun and all disciples. After that, the compassionate Shi Zun, in response to a request from the students’, blessed each of them individually before retiring for the evening.
Reported Reverend Lian Yuo
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