Weekly Activism: A Mahayana perspective on social, civil, and environmental issues
Sharing Dharma with others
Commemorating new disciples in Ahmedabad and a disciple lost in Perth
By Raymond Lam
In younger Buddhist circles, practicing Buddhists see themselves not as proselytizers but as messengers who communicate a higher truth through not only talking, but living and meditating on Dharma. In a postmodern world, it is necessary and perhaps even helpful to the Buddhist tradition that disciples find diverse and creative ways to share the Way with non-Buddhists and Buddhists not from their own tradition. The current spirit, as far as I have observed in places such as Australia, is this: Masters and Dharma preachers alike seek to share the Way of enlightenment. And if people do not accept everything, at least it is possible to agree to work together for some form of common good. For the basic, foundational objective of Mahayana Buddhism is the wellbeing and liberation of all beings from suffering. The creedal Bodhisattva Vow, which vows to attain Buddhahood for all beings, expresses the quintessential desire of all Mahayana Buddhist schools.
On the 25th of January, close to 11,000 people from different castes and places converted to Buddhism in the city of Ahmedabad, India. Buddhist monks from Bhante Pragnyasheel oversaw the pledges of the new converts. Ahmedabad is the cultural and commercial heart of Gujarat state, and has been at the centre of many civil and social movements since the struggle for Indian independence. Perhaps it is not surprising, then, that Buddhism is beginning to have greater appeal for some citizens in this rising centre of education, science, and technology.
Now, some forms of religion count numbers as the proof of their success. From this perspective, the Ahmedabad mass conversion would have been, beyond question, a spectacular success. But Buddhism must not fall into this trap even though the messengers of the Buddha want others to take His message to heart. The quality of the practitioners is the most important issue, which is why the Theravada and Mahayana traditions have spent more than 2,550 years expounding and elaborating on what seems to be a very simple message: “cease to do evil, strive to do good, and purify the mind.” Thich Nhat Hahn himself claimed that he felt this message from the Buddhas to be very simplistic during his childhood days as a monk. But it actually holds the key to cultivating the qualities of compassion (karuna) and insight (prajna) which are the centerpieces of Buddhist practice, which in turn lead to moral, intellectual, and meditational excellence in discipleship.
In a postmodern, contemporary, multicultural and ever-changing society, what does it mean to possess these types of excellence?
In sharing the Buddhist religion with others, the emphasis on the polarity between Nirvana and samsara has become less common. It is, of course, true that past masters used the method of “disillusionment with samsara” to foster a desire in others to practice earnestly. To juxtapose the dissatisfaction, suffering, and inherent emptiness of the samsaric universe with the unconditioned, deathless bliss of enlightenment has been a celebrated pedagogical technique amongst Indian masters since Shakyamuni himself. Proponents of this method include the unsurpassed Nagarjuna in his Letter to a Friend. In one section, he gives a detailed description of the eight cold hells as well as the eight hot hells, and takes special effort to elaborate the terrible consequences of indolence, laziness, and moral laxity in this life. Shantideva followed in the Nagarjuna’s footsteps, first describing the beatific benefits of bodhichitta (the awakened mind) in The Way of the Bodhisattva, and then proceeding to pronounce the consequences of losing bodhichitta or backtracking on the spiritual path.
The Chinese and Japanese, as pointed out by scholars like Cook, Gregory, and Cleary, placed more emphasis on Buddhism’s life-affirming teachings. Influences included the Avatamsaka Sutra (Flower Ornament Scripture or Hua-Yen Jing), which taught the interpenetration and interconnectedness of all entities and the reflection of Buddha in a single atom, which in turn contained the entire cosmos. This would have new outcomes for the modern vision of discipleship. Nirvana is not separate from samsara, and no longer was a dichotomy emphasized between enlightenment and delusion, but between Buddha Nature and sentient beings’ forgetfulness of that true nature. For disciples who hope to foster an attraction, interest, and genuine curiosity about Buddhism, it is becoming ideal in a pluralistic world to elaborate on Buddha Nature and the immanence of enlightenment before explaining why the experience of Nirvana is so different from the mundane life within samsara. Particularly in Chinese and Japanese Buddhism, with the influence of the PureLandSchool and Ch’an/Zen, teaching of Amitābha Buddha’s saving message has become a matter of realizing a PureLand on Earth, beginning with a collective transformation of the mind, reorienting it towards Buddha Nature. To realize the so-called “modern” Mahayana vision therefore consists of:
1. Proclaiming the accessibility of Buddha Nature and the compassion of the Buddha and bodhisattvas’ work.
2. Teaching about mental discipline and mindfulness in the present moment.
3. Cultivating moral excellence once the mind has become settled and open to the discourse of Buddhist philosophy and ethics, such as the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, Dependent Origination, et cetera.
4. Practicing according to the two “wings” of Buddhism, compassion and wisdom, and the Six Perfections.
By following this brief list of basic principles emphasized in Mahayana Buddhism, it has become possible for it to be transmitted to open students in a contemporary fashion without losing the doctrinal basis for preaching the Dharma. While the good people of Ahmedabad may not have come to Buddhism through the same process (economic and social considerations also were factors), it would be reassuring for every Buddhist teacher if they were now being educated about the mental and moral discipline that is so important to being a genuine, honourable and honest disciple of the Buddha. This would constitute venerating the Buddhas, cultivating “supreme moral and spiritual perfection for the sake of others. In the Mahayana tradition, this would consist of generosity, virtue, patience, effort, concentration, and wisdom to complete the wish of bodhichitta.
This week’s column also commemorates a Dharma brother who lost his life in Perth, Australia, on the 25th last month.The Buddhist monk called Buu Lieu was savagely attacked in a public car park in the city’s south and died in hospital from serious injuries inflicted on the 10th of January. He was 48. Mr. Lieu was living with his mother and sister after having moved from Vietnam in his youth. The perpetuator of this crime was Ian Samuel James McConkey, who denies the charges against him because Mr. Lieu died days after the bashing. This illogical insanity is nothing more than the last refuge for a man who wants to escape the consequences of injuring a holy man to the point of death. According to Buddhist teaching, it is a terrible tragedy indeed for an innocent, let alone an innocent and holy man, to be murdered. As fellow Buddhists, we shoulder not seek revenge for losing a precious brother within our global Sangha, but we should nevertheless seek justice against McConkey. Inevitably, there will be grave karmic penalties for his offence in the distant future, but for now, society must be protected from the delusion-driven violence of men with similar tendencies as he.
Links to stories:
Bodhi Journal
Sow Your Dhamma Seeds
Vegetarian Recipes
Buddhist News
Photo Gallery More
Canada Tung Lin Kok Yuen's Activities
Hong Kong Tung Lin Kok Yuen's Activities
Wang Fat Ching She's Activities
Introduction to Tung Lin Kok Yuen
Video
Audio
Global Bulletin
Wisdom Blog
Reading Corner
E-Card
Glossary
Digital Archive