cont ......Buddhism of Wisdom & Faith ( by Dharma Master Thich Thien Tam )

Around the year 1330, there was a long period of famine in China. In the town of Hangchou, the bodies of those who had died of starvation could be found everywhere, cluttering the streets. Every morning, corpses were dumped in a mountain cave behind the Pagoda of Great Harmony.

Among the dead was the body of an old woman, which did not decompose for ten days. Each day, her body would somehow rise above the others and lie on top of them all. Surprised at the sight, the people lowered a rope and dragged her body up. They found a small pocket on her robe containing three sheets of paper, decorated with a picture of Amitabha Buddha, and recording the number of her daily recitations. This became known to the local majistrate, who ordered that her body be placed in a coffin and cremated. As flames engulfed the coffin, people reported seeing images of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas emitting brilliant rays. Thanks to this event, many people began to take up Buddha Recitation.

Through the first story, we can deduce that the monk Mirror of Emptiness, had been in his previous life,a high-ranking master lecturing on the Dharma; he had reached a certain level of achievement and had expended a fair amount of effort in his practice. However because he had not attained the Way and still had some minor flaws, he was reborn as a hungry, destitute scholar. Of the five Buddhist monks, only the Indian monk had managed to escape the cycle of Birth & Death.

In addition to Zen Master Mirror of Emptiness, we may also read a ) the life story of a great Elder Master whose rebirth as a buffalo was due to his greed for money and his stinginess with the Dharma, b) the story of a Master of high repute who, because he improperly accepted offerings, was reborn as a daughter in the household of his disciple, c) the story of a monk who lead an illustrious life but, because of the reappearance of evil karma accumulated from time immemorial, had to undergo rebirth as a person lacking intelligence and resentful of cultivators, d) the story of a well-known Master who, having seen the Way through meditation, was reborn as a monk praised and respected by all but then swayed by his blessings, forgot all about the path of liberation, e) the story of the disciple of a Great Master who became enlightened to the source of the Mind, but who, because he had not yet attained the Way, was reborn as a brilliant monk. He could not, however, control thoughts of power and arrogance, and from then on, there was no evil karma he did not commit.

There is also the story of a nun who had recited the Lotus Sutra for 30 years, but because she has not rid herself of attachment to form and sound, was reborn as a beautiful courtesan with a most alluring voice and lotus fragrance emanating from her mouth.

We can read of many such instances in books and commentaries. The lesson we can derive is that if we rely only on our own strength ( self-power ) to cultivate without having extinguished evil karma and severed greed , anger and delusion , we are bound to be deluded upon rebirth. Out of ten cultivators,as many as eight or nine will fail. On the other hand take the case of the old woman mentioned earlier, who merely practice Buddha Recitation, ignorant though she was on questions of doctrine and knowing nothing about this school or that teaching.Because she earnestly recited Amitabha's name, many extraordinary events occurred after her death, pointing to her rebirth in the Pure Land.

Thus, the Dharma doors of Zen, Sutra Recitation and other methods are all praiseworthy schools to be encouraged. However in this Dharma-Ending Age, we should practice Buddha Recitation in addition, dedicating all merits to rebirth in the Pure Land, to ensure escape from the cycle of Birth & Death. If we do not take the Pure Land as our goal, the virtues gained from practicing other methods can only provide good roots, merits and blessings, and serve as the causes and conditions for liberation in the future.

This being the case, we should fear the prospect of being deluded during rebirth, and mired for a long time in the wasteland of Birth and Death. How many of us have such intelligence as the Great Master Wu Ta ? He was a high ranking Zen monk for ten lifetimes; in his last lifetime, he was reborn in the Pure Land through Buddha Recitation. Those who would rely solely on their own wisdom, discoursing on the lofty and profound principles, respecting only self-power and belittling Buddha Recitation, should pay heed to this example and reflect upon it.