Grand Master's Birthday Dharma Talk By Living Buddha Sheng-yen Lu A talk given by Living Buddha Lian-sheng at the Lynwood Convention Center on June 7, 2009 (source). My birthday is remembered only after I founded the True Buddha School. Back in elementary school, one day the teacher told me, "Today is your birthday and you can ask people to give you birthday presents." When I got home that day I asked my parents for a birthday gift. They replied, "Fine, we won't hit you today." "The discipline resumes tomorrow," they said. Is birthday more important than all the other days? Honoring every single day is more meaningful than rejoicing only your birthday. We don't celebrate birthdays at home. Instead we value and cherish every single day spent with each other. Since we had Fo Ching and Fo Chi, things were a little different, especially because Fo Chi is more Americanized. He pays more attention to the special days. Family life with us is less affectionate. One day the wife asks the husband, "What am I getting for my birthday?" The husband says, "I got you something from Italy." The wife was ecstatic. She begs her husband, "Please tell me what you got me." The husband replies, "Pasta." Living everyday to the fullest is more important than commemorating the birthday. Who knew I had to preside over a repentance ceremony on my birthday? Goodness! 1 o'clock is usually my naptime. Frankly, I'm very drowsy. We should have had a sleep ceremony. I so want to doze off but I constantly show up on the monitor so I can't. The first half of the afternoon was very dull. By the time we got to the second half, I've lost all the interest. I did celebrate my birthday when I was in the military. There was the mandatory monthly birthday gathering. I served in the military for over 10 yrs. There was never celebration from my parents or family members though. We had visit days in the military. It was every Sunday that family and friends are permitted to visit us on the base. The visitor had to fill out detailed information such as name, relationship, reason, gift brought, etc. So a girl goes to the base to visit her boyfriend. While filling out the registration, she becomes very anxious. She even got up to sit at the corner of the room. After much hesitation, she finally brings the form to the officer and asks if she must fill out the relationship field. The officer replies, "Of course." Sheepishly, the girl writes down "1 time." This is a joke. For 14 years and 4 months I performed my military duty without anyone visiting me. My parents lived far away in Kaoshiung. My birthday was celebrated only in the military. What my parents instilled in me are qualities of independence and resilience. They meant to teach me to be strong. It's tough love. It is my parents' blessings for me. We don't blame our parents. There is a Japanese saying, "Heavy rain fortifies the earth." Rain makes the soil tougher. My parents have made me a strong person. Don't be dependent on parents, relatives, and friends. Count solely on yourself. For anything and any situation. Learn to overcome all troubles and challenges. They make you stronger! This is important. No person can bring about your enlightenment. Your master can offer guidance but the full awakening is completely upon you. It is not bestowed on you. "Master liberates you when you are lost. Liberate yourself when you are awaken." On this day of my birth I want to express my gratitude to my parents and masters for making me strong as vajra. Those who desert a master just because being scorned are no vajra at all. They are merely rice balls! My masters scorn me all the time and sometimes even hit me. But I always place my masters on the crown of my head. I am always obliged to them. I also want to express my gratitude to all the acharyas, reverends and all the siblings of True Buddha School for spreading the Buddha dharma. I thank a certain magazine and media for writing about me. They allow more people to know about me. They helped to toughen me up. Sister Ya Chi commented nobody ever expressed thanks to a certain magazine and the gossip media. But without them my so-called celebrity would not have grown so fast. All these adverse blessings allowed me to burn brighter. I was able to awaken and see my own Buddha nature. After I die, you don't need to observe my death anniversary. I will come back. Dharma Drum Mountain disciples asked Mater Sheng-yen if he would return to the samsara. He said, "Yes, I shall return to the samsara." His disciples then asked, "but to where?" "To the Dharma Drum Mountain," Master Sheng-yen replied. I don't applaud this remark at all, for it is a remark of the unawakened. If my disciples ask me the same question, my answer would be "what place not to be." If Master Sheng-yen had said, "what place not to be", I would have reserved high admiration for him. Samsara is just a minuscule speck in the whole universe. When I leave this world, if I ever say that I would return to the True Buddha School, you can tear up my photo and trash it. Your Grand Master has a limitless heart that encompasses all. The heart of a truly enlightened one is without boundary. Dharma Drum Mountain is too confined a scope. True Buddha School is too confined a scope. True Buddha School students need to learn to undo the confines of the heart. Do not tie yourself down to your temple, your chapter, and your followers. If you do that then your heart is as finite as the little group of people and possessions it is attached to. I never treat any group of followers or property as mine. Never. Thank all those who defame you. Thank all those who stomp on you. To thank them shows the heart of a true practitioner. Great rains strengthen the great Earth. Grueling challenges lead to vajra achievement. I didn't sleep well last night. I only had 3 hours of rest. The reason is my mother came to visit me. So did my masters and Buddhas and Bodhisattavas and the White Dakini. They all came to talk with me. A particular lineage master wanted me to read the verses he once wrote. I jotted them down to share with you. It has to do with achieving awakening. Buddha nature deep as sea, Monks with fame and riches, Buddhas of three ages, Enlightened master understands this heart, These verses are my token of appreciation for all of you who came to commemorate my birthday. [At the conclusion of the performances] Lama Gyurme told me earlier, in Tibetan tradition, today, June 7 is Buddha's birthday. Without knowing it, the Seattle temple picked today to celebrate my birthday in advance. That's a response! Reported by Morgan Chiu (Interesting Note: In posting this I used as template this page, The Accomplishment of Mantra Chanting, which was given exactly 10 years prior on June 7, 1999!) |
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