Grand Master’s Dharma Talk: from the SARS Prevention Blessing Ceremony (May 15^th, 2003)

Prevention is the Foremost Priority

Many people are fearful about the SARS pandemic. Therefore, Chung Tai Chan Monastery is holding this special blessing ceremony to pray and dedicate merits for the speedy end of this pandemic and for the peace and prosperity of the world.

Facing this pandemic, there are several things we can do. The foremost is prevention. There are two aspects to prevention: one is through action, the other is through the mind.

Since the outbreak of the pandemic, Chung Tai has quickly organized a prevention headquarter to implement the protective measures set forth by the government. However, solely taking physical measures is not enough; we also need to prevent the spread of infection in our mind.

Taking Prevention through Our Action and Mind

Our mind is like an epidemic area. External disease and the disease in our mind are closely related. A sutra says: “sentients and non-sentients belong to the same universal perfect wisdom.” The external physical world and our inner mind may seem like two separate worlds, but in fact they are intimately connected, sharing the same essence of life; as said in a sutra, “all earth and water are my body; all fire and wind are in my being.”

This pandemic has proven to us that we are truly interconnected and interdependent. Whether we are in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Europe, the southern hemisphere or northern hemisphere—we live and breathe the same air. When the air is polluted, everyone is harmed. Therefore, keeping the air fresh is everyone’s responsibility.

Prior to the pandemic, many people did not pay much attention to environmental and air pollution, thinking the pollution in your area has nothing to do with the area I live in. However, this pandemic has shown us that diseases can be spread through saliva droplets in the air, door handles, elevator buttons, and other media. Therefore, when one person dies from the infection, many more lives may have already been infected; when one person is suffering from the disease, many others are catching the same disease. This pandemic has allowed us to experience and understand how closely related we are. Therefore, we need to cherish our own life, moreover, respect everyone’s life. Everyone needs to protect the air from pollution because everyone lives in the same air. Similarly, everyone needs to take part in prevention; it is not a personal choice. If we understand this world is one community we all share, then we will appreciate the importance of pandemic prevention.

We can take effective preventive measures by drawing from the information and experience accumulated in the past. Most importantly, we must not treat the matter of prevention lightly. This is a most grave and urgent matter. This is a common disaster all people are facing, and everyone must stay alert and take precautions.

In the Buddha’s time, there were ninety-six kinds of non-Buddhist sects whose followers would secretly put poisons in the food of the Buddha and his disciples in order to harm them. Therefore, the disciples asked the Buddha how they can prevent from being poisoned. The Buddha instructed them to chant the sampragata mantra three times before having a meal or drinking water, and chant it 108 times every morning and evening.

Eradicating the Poisons from the Source

We need to prevent the spread of the pandemic through both our action and mind. Of foremost importance is to eradicate the poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance in our mind. Anger is a poison. When we are angry, our face may turn blue, yellow, or white. That’s the poisonous fire of anger. If those with heart disease or high-blood pressure get angry and explode in rage, that anger will release poisons that damage the cells in their body and may even cause a shock. Similarly, the poisons of greed and ignorance will also harm our health.

During the 15 years when the Sixth Patriarch Huineng was staying with a group of hunters, he was often asked to watch the traps, and he would release the trapped animals whenever no one was watching. One time the hunters set a fire on the mountain to force the animals to the area of the traps. However, the wind suddenly blew in the opposite direction and set the whole mountain on fire.

To save the animals, the Sixth Patriarch sat down to meditate, abiding in Middle Way Reality with not a single thought arising. Middle Way Reality is a state transcending duality, in which the external and internal are one—mountains, rivers, the earth, the sun, moon and stars are in oneness with the earth, water, fire, and wind in our body. This state will manifest when this mind is free of thought and attachment. In this state of reality, the Sixth Patriarch gave rise to this thought: “fire is not fire in itself; fire arises from our mind; if there is no fire in the mind, fire does not arise by itself.” Because there is no poisonous fire of greed, anger, and ignorance in the Sixth Patriarch’s mind, the forest fire naturally extinguished.

Working Together to Turn Obstacles into Opportunities and Blessings

All phenomena are in our mind. During this SARS pandemic, we need to practice proper hygiene, keep our body healthy, and avoid crowed public places and places prone to the spread of the disease. Furthermore, we should examine our mind and check if it is infected with greed, anger, and ignorance. If so, immediately repent and make amends; this is the way to dispel the poisons in our mind.

In practice, we wear a mask, wash our hands frequently, or even put on protective gears to prevent the infection. However, this is not enough. We have to purge the poisons in the mind through reflection, repenting and correcting our own wrongs, and maintaining a mind of equality, stillness, compassion, joy, and virtue. This way, our mind will be full of brightness, and a mind of brightness is a pure land. When our mind is not attuned to the world of disease and infection, we will naturally be free from the pandemic.

In Buddhist cultivation, it is not enough to work on the various practices and rituals; we need to work on our mind as well. If we have not reached the level in which our pure mind, our mind of compassion, equality and non-attachment is present every moment, then at least we should let our mind abide in wholesome thoughts every moment. Keep our mind on the Buddha, the Dharma, the Sangha, the precepts, charity, or the heavens. When our mind is abiding in the Dharma and good thoughts, then we will not be attuned to the vibes of the disease.

However, if you really cannot keep your mind on positive thoughts, then the last recourse is to pray for the blessing of the Three Jewels, to chant the sutras and mantras, or to carry the Disaster-Removing and Blessing Mantra pendant with you. Although these practices are based on religious faith and sentiment, Buddhism also teaches that:

“When we are sincere, the buddhas will respond.”

“Things do not arise by themselves, they need specific conditions to manifest. The Way is not illusive, it will be realized when the right conditions are met.”

If we understand all things arise from conditions, then we will be able to turn misfortune and obstacles into opportunities and blessing any time.

“Things do not arise by themselves”: Just Like today, we can be here for this blessing ceremony because all the necessary conditions for this event have come together. With the strength and power of the Three Jewels, the inherent virtue of our true nature, as well as the power of our vows, this ceremony will then generate positive influence and effect. When we all share this understanding, when all the positive conditions are present, then together we will achieve inconceivable virtue and merit.

Getting Through Misfortune by Right Mindfulness and Compassion

Today, everyone is sincerely and respectfully attending this ceremony. Shifu hopes you will bring this mind of sincerity, respect, compassion, as well as equality, modesty, and softness—all these good thoughts back to your family and work place, then you can prevent the spread of the pandemic everywhere, which is the goal of this ceremony.

Buddhism is based on equality:

“Great is the kindness that is unconditioned; great is the compassion when all are one.”

“I seek not comfort and pleasure for myself; I seek only to liberate all sentient beings from suffering.”

“When sentient beings are joyful, the buddhas are also joyful.”

Abiding by these vows and thoughts, our mind will enter the realm of the bodhisattvas, which is beyond the harm of SARS and other diseases. This is the meaning and goal of this peace and blessing ceremony. Finally, may all of us be blessed with good health, peace and happiness.

In Buddha Dharma, “Prosperity and adversity are both expedient means.” Prosperity and adversity are both conditions encountered on the path to Enlightenment. They help us deal with the people and events in our daily lives.

Question: How do we decide if things are good or bad? This is difficult, especially when other people do not agree with us. How can we determine right from wrong using our wisdom eye? 

Grand Master’s Dharma Talk:

All circumstances in life appear either good or bad. In Buddha Dharma, “a good condition” is prosperity and “a bad condition” is adversity. What should our attitude be when faced with prosperity or adversity? The answer is to be tolerant and practice right mindfulness.

In prosperity, if we don’t have right mindfulness, good conditions will turn bad. A common saying is “Extreme joy turns to sorrow.” In adversity, if you panic and feel lost, it’s inappropriate. The virtuous say that, “Blessings come after calamity.” Thus, “bad conditions” are not absolutely bad. In Buddha Dharma, “Prosperity and adversity are both expedient means.” They help us deal with people and events in our daily life. They show us the Way.

Once upon a time, there was a king in ancient India. He went hunting with his minister and attendants. The king felt hungry and thirsty after walking in the forest. He asked the minister to find food. The minister saw a tree with abundant red and juicy fruit. He picked a fruit as an offering for the king. The king used a knife to peel the fruit’s skin and accidently cut his finger. It was painful and bleeding. Out of his ignorance he blamed the minister.

However, the minister told the king, “Your majesty, it may not be a bad thing that your hand is bleeding.” The king was very angry and said, “It really hurts and is bleeding. How can you say that it is not a bad thing? Do you think me a fool!” The king chased the minister away. When this happened, there was a tribe of barbarians living in the mountains and they were looking for a human being as a sacrifice. Each year, they killed a person taking his heart to offer to their god. The king was captured by the barbarians and taken to the tribal chief. The chief ordered his warriors to take off the king’s garment. As they were about to kill him, they saw his hand was bleeding. It was not a good omen. Offering an incomplete body to their god was insincere. Because of this they released the king. Upon his release, the king realized his minister was right. Being hurt and bleeding was not necessarily bad. This “bad condition” had turned good, and saved his life. Returning to his palace, he understood and appreciated the minister’s wisdom.

Seeing the minister, he was sorry and said, “I scolded you and chased you away in the mountains.” And he asked the minister, “Are you angry with me?” This minister replied, “Your majesty, I am not angry at all. On the contrary, I really appreciate you.” “Why?” The king asked,  the minister answered, “If you had not chased me away, the barbarians would have caught me, instead of you and I would have been killed. Therefore, I am really grateful, you saved my life.”

From this story, we understand that misfortune and blessing are not absolute. No matter if there is prosperity or adversity, maintain your right mindfulness. Deal with it tolerantly. Then adversity will become good and prosperity will increase and last longer.

“This practice is on how to train the six sense organs: eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind. If we can restrain and discipline our six senses, our emotions will be pacified effortlessly.”

Question 1:

A person depicted in a short film relieved his anxieties by shouting aloud on the seashore. Grand Master, “Is this a good way to manage our emotions?”

The Grand Master’s Dharma Talk in Response:

The man in the film gave vent to his stress by shouting. This is not true relief. If you do not solve the problem at its root, it will come back again… and never end.

The right solution is to uproot the problem. In Buddha Dharma, the fundamental way is to moderate our body and mind suitably. If we know how to harmonize our body and mind, to pacify our mind, we are on the way to attaining a virtuous and saintly state. There is a well-known verse in Buddha’s teaching: “The fool adjusts the body, the wise one adjusts the mind.” Those who adjust the body only, and not the mind, are ordinary people. Those who adjust the mind, and not the body, are wise and virtuous people.

Once upon a time, Shakyamuni Buddha took walking meditation outside the monastery. He saw a practitioner on the riverbank who looked restless. He asked him several questions: “Is anything bothering you? When did you become an ordained monk? And… How long have you been practicing?”

The monk replied “I have been ordained for more than twenty years and I feel ashamed. Although I have been practicing for so long, my mind is not pacified, I still feel restless. World Honored One, please teach me how to ease my mind.”

While they were talking, a turtle crawled up on the riverbank. A fox, hunting for food at the same time, went after this turtle. As soon as the turtle detected the fox, it immediately withdrew its head, tail, and then its four feet. The fox sniffed the rigid dome-shaped shell and left.

The Buddha used this scene as an analogy, “Look! This turtle protected its own life by withdrawing its head, tail and feet. It is the same in our practice. We have many deluded and wandering thoughts. We have feelings of gain and loss. We are unaware of the right direction. Our mind may feel restless and desolate. Focus on the cultivation of the six sense organs: eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind. Restrain and discipline the six senses and our mind will be pacified effortlessly. “

Question 2:

Is this way of managing your emotions consistent with Buddhist Chan practices?

The Grand Master’s Dharma Talk in Response:

When our minds are vexed, our bodies act blindly without forethought. In Buddhism, to attain deep meditation (Dhyana), there are three principles: To uphold the pure precepts, to deeply believe in causality and to realize our original mind.

First: To uphold the pure precepts. If everyone upholds the precepts and purifies the karma of body, speech, and mind, their spoken words will be thoughtful and wise. Simultaneously, there will be no improper bodily karma.

Second: To deeply believe in causality. Understanding the principle of cause and effect eliminates wrongdoings.

Third: To realize our original mind. If we acknowledge everyone has the Buddha mind, we will peacefully dwell in this awareness. This means you will no longer cling to circumstances and body and mind will be at rest.
What is the original mind? It is a clear mind, a focused mind, a pure mind. Our original mind, our peaceful mind, our awakened mind, is like a mirror. It is still water, always both calm and reflective.

Question 3:

In our ordinary life, how do we avoid being affected by external circumstances?

The Grand Master’s Dharma Talk in Response:

“Walking is Chan! Sitting is Chan!” Whether we walk, stand, sit or even lay down, the mind must not be scattered. Maintain awareness at every moment.

Be the master of your mind. Wherever you are, your mind should centered there, fully engaged. When you are working, the mind is working. When you are  chanting the sutra, the mind is chanting the sutra. When you are meditating, the mind is meditating. There can be no second thoughts; only the single focused mind can accomplish this. When your mind is centered you will know that “Walking is Chan” and “Sitting is Chan”. With a centered mind you can accomplish anything: students can complete their studies. Workers can succeed in their careers. Practioners who focus on pure practice can attain enlightenment.