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FROM THE AVATAMSAKA SUTRA
Faith is the foundation of the Path, the mother of [all] virtues, It increases all wholesome factors [conducive to Awakening], Eliminates all doubts, shows and opens the unsurpassed Way. Pure faith removes defilement, strengthens the mind, Destroys arrogance, and [becomes] the basis of piety.Faith is a treasure house, the supreme teaching.
It becomes the pure hand which receives all practices.ORGANIC DHARMA OF THE HEART
David Brazier: We recently, at one of our Sunday morning open meetings, had a discussion which included reflection upon how Buddhism is organised in a rather organic manner. There is no central authority - no "pope" - so it is possible for new groups to form and for existing ones to evolve according to their own internal logic and the needs of the situation that they find themselves in. Many such initiatives do not last long, though even some of the ones that disappear as organised groups have still had influence upon the evolution of the greater movement. Thus, there is no longer a Sarvastivada School, but some of the greatest historical ancestors were Sarvastivadin and their influence has been long term. In China, at one stage, Zen divided into schools of North and South. Only the southern school survived, but the ideas of the northern school are still around. The Chinese Three Ages School was suppressed by the Chinese government, but it paved the way for the emergence of popular Pure Land.
Buddhism does not claim infallibility for its texts, so it has not been over-much preoccupied with deciding which version of a text was the right one. Often several versions of the same text exist. We do not know exactly what Shakyamuni said, but we all strive to use whatever materials we have to get as good a sense of the spirit of his teaching as we can and, arguably, the existence of a variety of texts is an aid rather than a hindrance to this. In any case, it means that Buddhism is, literally, less dogmatic than many other religions. The texts are not dogma. They are aids to practice.
As Buddhism encounters Modernism, there will arise many variations upon major Buddhist themes. In time, some will prosper and some will fade. As practitioners, we all contribute to this process. We do not need to feel assertive or possessive about it. We cannot tell the future. But each sangha is part of the greater sangha and each contributes its bit to the greater organic process. Fundamentally, the Dharma is passed from heart to heart and the social forms that it adopts flow from this. This is the right order. When the form dominates, the spirit can be lost. Books published today may or might not be being read in a hundred years time, but the love, compassion, peace and joy that has been transmitted will still be working in the world. I think that the organic way in which Buddhism evolves supports this transmission much better than a monolithic church would do. Organisation is useful, but the organisers must remember that it is secondary to the real transmission.
It is also worth reflecting that this also means that metaphysical and ontological ideas are also secondary - are "skilful means", not ultimate truths. The ontology of the Sarvastivadin School has been rejected by most subsequent schools, but that does not mean that the ancestors who believed in those ideas were any less enlightened (or, if they were right and the subsequent schools wrong, that later masters were any less enlightened). Enlightenment simply is not a matter of having the right idea. It is a quality that arises when there has been a great awakening, a true healing of the heart. Those who have been so healed may organise their teaching in many different ways and might believe different things about ontological questions, but this does not affect the depth of their wisdom or the warmth of their compassion.
TAN BUTSU GE
My friend Yue XIAO has made a wonderful new translation of Tan Butsu Ge from a very early version of the Larger Pureland Sutra. This is the outpouring of joy by Dharmakara Bodhisattva when he encounters Lokeshvararaja Buddha. More even than the specific content of this text, what we can take from it is the ecstatic joy of encountering the Dharma and a genuine Dharma teacher.
Your radiance is measureless,
And your magnificence is boundless,
There is nothing equal to such a radiant blazing light.
Even the shinning of the sun, and the lustre of the maṇi-jewel, and the flaming of fire, and the light of the moon, and the shape of water,
Have no equal to your radiant visage.
The countenance is beyond explanation,
And is incomparable in all worlds, with his resounding voice penetrating measureless worlds.
Likewise, the absorption in samādhi and dhyāna, as well as his diligence and wisdom are exceeding.
The majestic virtues are unparalleled, supreme, and unsurpassed.
You have attained the Buddha-dharma through (the cultivation of these qualities) that is profound, subtle and authentic, and good contemplation.
Like the deep ocean, the wisdom of the Buddha is bottomless.
Hatred and ignorance are forever absent from the World-Honored One;
[He] constantly praises all the Buddhas, the World-Heroes, tirelessly.
The Buddha is as a tree with totally splendid flowers.
There is no one who is not fond of the Buddha.
All people in all of the lands rejoice even in simply seeing [the Buddha].
When I attain Buddhahood, I resolve to become the king of the Dharma,
To save [living beings] from birth and death,
So that there is none who has not reached emancipation
Among making offerings, self-discipline,
Observance of precepts, patience and diligence, cultivation of samādhi and dhyāna,
Wisdom is of foremost significance.
I vow to attain Buddhahood,
And fulfil the cultivation of all these perfections,
And I will be the one leading all suffering and fear-ridden beings to the attainment of great peace.
Think of hundreds, thousands,
Myriads of billions of nayutas of Buddhas,
Think of Buddhas as many as the grains of the sand of Ganges.
Even if someone makes offerings to all these Buddhas, countless as the grains of sand,
His deed cannot be compared to pursuing the right Dharma,
With endurance and courage, without any hesitation.
Imagine the worlds as the shifting sand of the Ganges river,
Multiplied countless times, as well as innumerable Buddha-lands.
[The Buddha’s] radiance still shines
everywhere, pervading all these lands.
His diligent power, and his majestic glory are incomparable.
When I become a World-Honored One,
My Land will be an incomparable paradise.
The beings there will be incomparably marvellous,
The seat of Awakening will be unsurpassed among all those lands.
My land will be like the realm of nirvāṇa,
And unparalleled.
I constantly take pity on the people,
And vow to rescue them all.
All beings coming from the ten quarters who have been reborn [in my Land],
Will rejoice with complete purity in their hearts and minds.
Once [they] come to my Land,
[They will] find happiness and peace.
It is a great fortune to meet the Buddha, and I beseech you to be my first witness as
I make my vows to him.
I will dedicate my greatest efforts to their fulfilment through diligently pursuing the
cultivation of the path.
All the World-Honored Ones in the ten quarters,
have unobstructed wisdom.
May you Honoured Heroes,
Constantly bear witness of my intention.
Even though my body is inhabited by all kinds of afflictions and sufferings,
I will continue to diligently cultivate these qualities,
Enduring to the end, without any regrets.