Who Am I?

Buddha said that if we already awake or become a Buddha, we can find a question in our heart, “who am i?”

This question is not shows that they get amnesia or lost memory.

Let we check THE HEART OF PRAJNA PARAMITA SUTRA :

“Form is not different from emptiness,

emptiness is not different from form.

Form is emptiness, emptiness is form.

So it is with feeling, conception, volition, and

consciousness.”

We can make our form by our karma. Let’s see our past life. Maybe I was a hell creature, maybe I was a hungry ghost, maybe I was an asura, maybe I was an animal, maybe I was a human, maybe I was a deva.

Now let’s see our future life, I can be a hell creature, I can be a hungry ghost, I can be an asura, I can be an animal, I can be a human again, I can be deva, I can be an Arahant, I can be a Pachekka Buddha, I can be a Boddhisattva, I can be a Buddha in the next life.

If i do good (mind, body, talk), i'm a follower of Buddha. If i do bad (mind, body, talk), i'm a follower of Mara/Demon.

 “All dharmas are empty in character;

neither arising nor ceasing,

neither impure nor pure,

neither increasing nor decreasing.

Therefore, in emptiness, there is no form;

there is no feeling, conception, volition, or

consciousness;

no eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, or mind;

no form, sound, smell, taste, touch, or dharmas;

no realm of vision, and so forth,

up to no realm of mind-consciousness”

Our form from the beginning is empty but it form. Emptyness mean form, form mean emptyness. In this sutra tell us that we are same form. Same has ability, same didn’t see the dharma, didn’t have feeling too, no conception, no volition, no conciousness. We are not build in a shape.

 “no ignorance or ending of ignorance, and so forth,

up to no aging and death or ending of aging and

death.There is no suffering, no cause, no extinction, no

path.

There is no wisdom and no attainment.

There is nothing to be attained.”

No suffering, no anything, even no wisdom. Our karma is create the life, create the wisdom, create something to be attained. Read carefully, we shouldn’t reach anything, for example “attain nirvana”. It our karma make this happening. There’s no ignorance and no aending of ignorance. Since first time we exist, we all know all, but suddenly we make our heart is moving, we did karma, and we see the difference and make some clings, and all is keep in our karma storage（阿赖耶识）.

Since the first time, we are emptyness in form and form in emptyness, it has no difference between us. The truth is we are all same, in that sutra has explain hide meaning that we are nothing, come to the world has nothing to be attain and no suffering at all, theres no me in this world. Who am i?

I don’t need to be famous, I don’t need to be rich, I don’t need to be respect by others, I don’t need to be the one who always win, I don’t need to harm others, etc ….

All in this world is anicca, nothing should be attain by oneself.

We have age here, life is uncertain and die is certain, nothing to be attain by me oneself.

All living being are have one purpose is to live happy together, nothing to be attain by me oneself.

All in this life is a dream, all people want to have nice dream, we can’t catch others, but we can catch ourself.

The most important is living together, seeing all not have difference.

If we still see the difference, that mean in our heart there is still keeping “I”.

Imagination is causes the “I” concept, when living beings  start “moving” from the time we appear created together in God.

We are actually here in same body, same pce, same time, same position, same not moving, same appearance, same breath, same conciousness, same no mind, same heart, same seed, same not suffering, same vision, same never touching.  But our imagination make our vision are different one and others, so we make karma. And our imagination which bring us far away from us. We should do good karma and avoid bad karma. If we do good good karma, that is what we should do, and that’s nature law is.

No need to see PureLand, we must see this land same as PureLand. No need to meet Sakyamuni Buddha to become a Buddha, in our heart we are same have seed like Sakyamuni Buddha, ofcourse we can become a Buddha like Sakyamuni Buddha with learn and practicing dhamma as well as Him. Sakyamuni Buddha has told us that all people have same seed. Dhamma already with us, all we need just learn the dhamma and understand it very well, then keep practicing your pure heart, the ultimate bliss will come for you.

Pronounce Amitabha Buddha’s Name (念阿弥陀佛)

We pronounce Buddha’s and Boddhisattva’s Name is to praise and to get contact with all Buddhas and Boddhisattvas.

Amitabha Buddha have vow that, if, when I attain Buddhahood, pious man and pious woman who pronounce My name for ten times, they cannot be born in Pure Land, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. People who born in Pure Land all are pious person and all have vow to be born (往生) in that land.

If there is a pious man or pious woman who hears of Amitabha and holds His name whether for one day, two days, three, four, five days, six days, as long as seven days with one mind unconfused, when this person nears the end of life, before him will appear Amitabha and all the Assembly of Holy Ones. When the end comes, his mind will not be utterly confused, and in Amitabha's Land of Utmost Happiness he will quickly be reborn.

There are 3 levels if we pronouncing Amitabha Buddha’s name (念阿弥陀佛) :
               

         1.       Ability Build（功夫成片）

a.       Start no clings （执着）, but not 100 % yet

b.      They know when they born （预知时至）in Pure Land (Sukhavati )

         2.       No Clings （事一心不乱）

a.       100% no clings （执着） or already let go worldly things（放下）

b.      Still have differenciation（分别）in their vision

c.       Still have imaginations（妄想）

d.      Free decide they own born in Pure Land date（自在往生）

         3.       No Dust and San（理一心不乱）

a.       100% no clings （执着）or already let go worldly things（放下）

b.      100% no differenciation（分别）in their vision

c.       Still have a bit imaginations（妄想）

d.      Free decide they own born in Pure Land date（自在往生）

Ability Build（功夫成片）level , when we reach this level our vision sense (magical power) a bit open, but it out of our control, and only can be use sometime (only a few seconds). Our eyes/sight can see creatures and world from other realms (animals shape of hells creatures, shapes of devas, shapes of other creatures, things from other realms, etc.), our ears can hear sound from other realms (voices, heart voices, musics from other realms, etc.) and understand other languages, our tounge can taste the truth taste of food (tasteless : no sour, no sweet, no bitter, no salty, etc.), our nose can smell other realms smell (smell fragrance of heavens, smell toxic of hells, incense from people, etc.), our skin feel the touches from other realms (touching from other creatures or hitting other realms things), we can see the past from our dream when we fall asleep (only a cut of past). All this vision sense (magical power) is not because others contact to us, but it because we get contact to them. Our signal from heart is catch with others things.

No Clings （事一心不乱）level, this level is higher than Ability Build level. All matter that we meet cannot entangled our heart. That mean we can solve all things easily and we feel no matter at all in this world for us. This level of vision sense (magical power) is higher than Ability Buiid level. We can use the vision sense (magical power).

No Dust and Sand（理一心不乱）level, this level is the highest. Nothing in this world can entangled our heart, but we still have some imaginations（妄想） which actually no need to appear. Our heart will be stand still and no move, only imagination still moving our heart, even our vision sense (magical power) cannot make our heart moving. We still have to practice to throw away our imaginations, because to be born in Pure Land is for achieve the ultimate vision of the nature law.

Existence Of Buddha Dhamma

Lord Buddha said that after He get nirvana, Buddha Dhamma only can exist about 12.000 years plus 100 years :

        1.   First 1000 years; many people can success not reincarnation anymore only by doing precepts or sila.

        2.  Second 1000 years; many people can success not reincarnation anymore again by doing meditation.

        3.  Last 10.000 years; is the down morale era which a lot of people starting not believe in cause and effect,   many people can success not reincarnation anymore only by pronounce Amitabha Buddha. But Buddha Dhamma will get prolongation about 100 years, because many people still trust in Infinite Life Sutra (Mahayana Pure Land Sutra佛说大乘無量寿莊严清净平等觉經)

Buddha Dhamma Is Compatible For What Era?

Buddha Dhamma is compatible for any Era. Buddha Damma is follow the time. Buddha Dhamma no need changing from time to time, but it’s useful from time to time. So, even the world already become more modern, the Dhamma still can be use in any things, any how, any ways, any time.

Why In This Life We Didn’t Understand Buddha Dhamma?

All is because we have root of bad karma from past life. That root of bad karma has obstacle our wisdom heart. So,we cannot understand the nature law is.

If we can understand Buddha Dhamma after someone explain it, is that mean we have root of good karma from the past life? Yes. All our good karma from past guide us to be understand all dhamma, and so we can start to practice it. But if we didn’t understand Buddha Dhamma and we still have vow to understand it, in this life too we can reach that understanding, when our bad karma from past life is already clean away by practicing good everyday.

If we doing good practice in Dhamma, is that mean we have root of good karma from past life? Yes, but it’s not 100%. If we have root of good karma from past life, but in present life we didn’t do good karma, so the practice will fail. If we have root of bad karma from past life, but in present life we do good karma, so the practice will success. It’s depend on their karma in present life too.

We can learn from Anuruddha’s life, he is one of Lord Buddha’s student. Anuruddha so sincere even he is not a smart person, he also easily to forget something. Since little Anuruddha always cannot understand anything and forgot all lesson from all his teacher. One time Anuruddha’s elder brother leave house and become a monk, Anuruddha follow him, even his brother said that to be a monk is hard things to do and learn dhamma is very deep also difficult. After Anurrudha become a monk, all lesson from recite from Lord Buddha and which his elder brother thought him, he cannot understood and cannot remember. One day Anuruddha is upset because he cannot understood all dhamma, at that time he meet Lord Buddha. Lord Buddha ask him, why he upset, and he told all. After heard that story, Lord Buddha give him a broom and told him to clean the dust around their place everyday and always pronounce this 4 words, “Sweep dust clean dirt”. Anuruddha very happy and do it right away. Lord Buddha tell Ananda to tell all monks who meet Anuruddha just pronounce him only this 4 words, “Sweep dust clean dirt”. All monks do that for Anuruddha, so Anuruddha keep sweeping everyday and pronounce that 4 words while he is on sweeping. One day, Anuruddha is sleeping, and in his dream he remember this 4 words “Sweep dust clean dirt”, finaly he got the Enlightment. The day after, Anuruddha is on meditating and a lot of monks on seeing him, suddenly his brother come near him and call him to teach dhamma. Since that day, he can understand all Buddha Dhamma.

Anicca (Not Eternal)

Lord Buddha has told us that all in this world is Anicca, all can change. 

What is Anicca according to Buddha Dhamma?

All things, is like : beautyness, appearance, position (job), wealth, good will, characteristic, age, etc. Even bad characteristic from a person could change into good characteristic.

For example :
1. After we take a bath our body is clean, but after sometime it will be dirty again, then we should take a bath again.
2. After we are eat our stomach is full, but after sometime we hungry again, so we must eat again.
3. After birth there is death, so we must clean our heart with practicing dharma always, with this way we can success.

Homage

In this life we should do homage to :

       1.       Parents.

       2.       Country.

       3.      Teachers.

       4.       All Living Being.

First we homage is for parents, because since we come to this world our life is save, treat and teach good by our parents, their merit to us are unlimited. And we should give homage to them above of all.

We should homage our Country, because we can live prosperus from this land.

Teachers are knowledge, dhamma, art, culture, and all things. People who teach us about all things are teachers. A person that become our paragon also a teacher for us.

All living being, because without them how we can make good karma? With them, we can reach enlightenment.

Morality In Buddhism

Morality is the preliminary stage on the path to attain Buddhahood. It is a necessary condition, though not sufficient, leading to wisdom. It is absolutely essential for enlightenment.

Morality in Buddhism is a rational and practical mode based on verifiable facts and individual experience, which is regarded as the one of the most perfect moral code ever known in the world. 

What is the criterion of morality according to Buddhism?

In the admonition given by the Buddha to young Rahula, there is the answer.

If there is a deed, Rahula, you wish to do, reflect thus: Is this deed conducive to my harm, or to others' harm, or to that of both? Then is this a bad deed entailing suffering. From such a deed, you must desist.

If there is a deed you wish to do, reflect thus: Is this deed not conducive to my harm, nor to others' harm, nor to that of both? Then is this a good deed entailing happiness. Such a deed you must do again and again.

Thus, in assessing morality, a Buddhist takes into consideration of the interests of both himself and others - animals not excluded.

To understand the exceptionally high standard of morality, one can vigorously study :     Dhammapada, Sigalovada Sutra, Vyagghapajja Sutra, Mangala Sutra, Mutta Sutra, Parabhara Sutra, Vassla Sutra, Dhammika Sutra.

Good deeds are essential for one's emancipation, but when once the ultimate goal of holy life or enlightenment is attained, one transcends both good and evil. Morality is a means to an end, but not an end in itself.

The Ten Good Deeds （十善）

1. Do not kill
2. Do not steal
3. Do not indulge in sexual misconduct
4. No lying
5. No double-tongued speech
6. No abusive speech
7. No irresponsible speech
8. No greed
9. No hatred
10. No delusion 

The first three are the first three of Five Precepts; these are Body deeds. The last three are the Three Poisons, these are Mind deeds. The remaining four is an elaboration of the evil deeds performed by Speech. Body, speech and mind are the three means of actions. 

Signs When A Life As Deva Is Finish

To fulfil all these requirements, one will be re-born in the Deva Realm. One will enjoy all kinds of happiness and blessings except the suffering of Five Forms of Decaying.

Five Forms of Decaying  are:

When the devas are dying, there are five symptoms:
1. the flowers around the crown
2. the clothes being dirty
3. having unpleasant smell in the body
4. sweating in armpit
5. Being unhappy in seat

10 Meritorious Deeds

Apart from avoiding the evil actions, one can take positive attitude in performing the good actions. The Ten Meritorious Deeds allow people to gain a happy and peaceful life as well as to develop knowledge and understanding. The Ten Meritorious Deeds are:

1. Charity
2. Morality / Taking Precepts
3. Mental cultivation / Meditation
4. Reverence or respect
5. Services in helping others
6. Transference of merits
7. Rejoicing in the merits of others
8. Preaching and teaching Dharma
9. Listening to the Dharma
10. Straightening one's own views 

Eight Precepts （八戒）

The Eight Precepts consist of the Five Precepts described above and three others, namely:

        1.      To refrain from taking food after midday;

        2.      To abstain from indulging in songs, dances, music and shows as well as the use of ornaments, perfumes and cosmetics;

        3.     To refrain from using a high or luxurious seat or bed.

The Eight Precepts are usually observed on new moon and full moon days. These precepts may be difficult for a lay Buddhist to follow. Therefore, their observance is entirely voluntary. Those who make the attempt are those who wish to experience the disciplined life of renunciation lived by member of the Order.

In observing the sixth precept, for example, the lay Buddhist eats one or two simple meals between dawn and noon and avoids taking food beyond that. This cuts down the time spent on meals and allows him more time to spend on mediation. As for the seventh precept, the lay Buddhist refrains from enjoying songs, dances, music and shows during this period of observance so that he will not be distracted by sensual pleasures that may give rise to unwholesome thoughts. At the same time, by refraining from the use of ornaments, perfumes and cosmetics, he becomes more aware that physical beauty is impermanent and that one should not be vain. By observing the eighth precept, the lay Buddhist experiences a simple way of life with the minimum of luxuries.

Observing the sixth, seventh and eighth precepts requires more effort on the lay Buddhist’s part because he has to restrain himself from indulging in the physical comforts and pleasures that he may be so accustomed to in everyday life. The purpose is to enable him to detach himself from all the distractions of normal activity in order to gain a better understanding of the real nature of life.

5 Precepts /Sila (五戒)

The following are the five precepts (pañca-sikkhāpada) or five virtues (pañca-sīla) rendered in English :

       1.      I undertake the training rule to abstain from taking life.

       2.      I undertake the training rule to abstain from taking what is not given.

       3.      I undertake the training rule to abstain from sexual misconduct.

       4.      I undertake the training rule to abstain from false speech.

       5.      I undertake the training rule to abstain from fermented drink that causes heedlessness.