My weakness can be my strength

A good friend once said to me: “Your greatest weakness is your greatness strength.”

In our cultivation we try to recognize the short comings and weaknesses in our nature or character, and try to rectify these flaws.

In one of the dharma talks of Ven. Haiyun Jimeng HeShang, he said that we could make use of our most stubborn habitual tendency. If we can recognize that habitual tendency, transform it, purify it and turn it into a virtue, strengthen and nature this virtue till it reaches perfection, then the rest of our virtues will flourish into complete excellence together.

Knowing is one thing, working on it is another. The problem with Buddhism nowadays is all talk and very little practice. Do not advocate any principle unless you have worked it through or at least try.

So I should try to transform my weakness into my strength. Ah… which one should I start with?

Being Nice

People perform nice or wholesome deeds for many different reasons or aspirations.

Some of the aspirations are:

1. Afraid of the karma.
2. Like the rewards of the good deeds.
3. Out of the desire to gain fame and power.
4. Moral or social norms.
5. Taught to be so.
6. Fooling oneself-” I am a good person as I do good deeds”
   

Due to the differences in aspirations, performing the same wholesome act by different persons will bring totally diverse effects or results.

The best scenario is that a person is nice out of his nature or heart with no impurity.

Through practice, we try to filter out the unwholesome elements in our characters and habitual tendencies so that our mind, speech and body are pure. Only when we are nice out of our nature will our actions be true wholesome deeds.

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My benevolent dharma friend

A benevolent dharma friend called me yesterday as a surprise. We have not been talking for a while as we have no common ground in our lives besides learning Buddhism. We both started learning Huayen Buddhism years ago at the same time. She is the most diligent practitioner I personally known. She used to call me in the middle of the night and we would talk for hours on our practice, the quest for existential Turth or our small realization.

She does not own a computer, does not watch television and has only dharma friends. She applies her practice twenty-four hours a day. She observes inwards and contemplates on the arising of consciousness. I am her opposite. I spend many hours a day in front of the computer and in doing worldly activities. Every time she talks to me, she reminds me to put my priority into Shamatha and Vipassana.

On our last phone conversation, one of the insights that I have gained is: “Through diligent practice your benevolent dharma friends will show up around you and friends that have bad influences on you will gradually disappear.” People with the same vibe attract each other.

The friendship between she and I is not close, but deep. We talk the same language. She is one of the few persons that I can have a profound dharma discussion with. She makes my Bodhi Path not so lonely. Her response to my comment will be: “Let go of all friendship too! Who am I that is clinging onto friendship?”

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir

My friends and I participated in the “Doors Open Toronto” last weekend and visited the gorgeous “BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir” a Hindus Temple.

The experience was great and we all had a good time. One of the tour guides told us that “mandir” meant “the stilling of the mind". I searched on the internet and did not find that definition at all, however I like that meaning very much.

The building was nicely constructed with so many details and careful thoughts put into it. I learnt more about Hinduism. The weather was great. The companies were superb.

When you have time, you should visit it too.

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God and Heaven

Anthony’s friend wrote:

And, thanks for your comment on Buddhist perspective on after life. Unfortunately, there are many friends who claimed themselves "Buddhists" talked to me about the "World of Supreme Happiness" (極樂世界) which is a version very similar to the Heaven concept and those idealized after-life Utopia that many religion used for luring new believers to believe their religions.

God and Heaven are the two big elements in religions. The former is to explain the unknown of nature and the latter to comfort people from the fear of death.

Certainly, it will take a lot of will power and courage to face death without a religion and to deal with the unknowns.

Life after death

Anthony’s friend wrote:

Thanks Anthony for your detail analysis.

I think Chinese, especially Taoism, have accepted for years that anything known and unknown are part of nature and thus "Tao"?

For Buddhism, they do not emphasis the term "God" who could comfort you when you are in need. Rather they preach that you have to achieve the level of Buddha to have that comfort? (Correct me if I am wrong?)

Of course, the existence of religion is due to the fear of death and they promise a better life after death...but I wonder whether this is self-deceiving?

I would rather accept the concept that you live a good life while you still have a life?

**************

My response:

I just like to correct a misconception.

Buddhism is not about life after death.

Real Buddhism is about finding out the Truth of Life and how to live our lives to the fullest extent at present.

Only when we can fully utilize our potential, we can live a forever good life. In Buddhism we do that through practice and enlightenment.

Happily in love!

A friend of mine just came back from his honeymoon and told me “Everyday will be honeymoon, if one stays grateful to everything one encounters”. I can tell that he is happily in love right now.

Love can provide us with great strength and joy. It is a good source of positive energy. We just have to beware that we do not attach love with desire, lust, craving, clinging and grasping. Also we should expand the love we have for one single entity, to more different aspects, to all surrounding (laterally). And we should transcend our love into compassion, kindness and humanity (vertically).

Love, like everything else, if you know how to make good use of it, is a very beautiful thing.

May we all be happily in love!