Generating an Aspiration
September 1, 2021
Generating an Aspiration Liberating living beings without attachment to the notion of self does not mean taking charge of another person’s life or doing everything
Value Reassessment
In the Diamond Sutra, the Buddha instructs living beings to not cling to the notion of self, the notion of others, the notion of sentient beings, or the notion of longevity, nor to allow the discriminating mind to hinder our practice. If organizations and commercial enterprises are able to align themselves closely with human nature, be attentive to the needs of the larger community, and offer more varied opportunities, then they can create new value.
In the past, hearing Buddhist teachings required a visit to a temple, but since such temples were located in remote locations with poor transportation, people often hesitated to go. Even the infrastructure of the temples failed to meet the needs of those who came to hear the teachings. Having done their best to visit once or twice, some beginning Buddhists would give up on their good intention of listening to the Dharma.
The Lotus Sutra states:
In whatever land where this sutra is received and upheld, read and recited, explained and copied, and cultivated and practiced as taught; whether in a place where a volume of scripture is kept, or in a grove, or in a forest, or under a tree, or in a monastery, or in a layman’s house, or in a temple hall, or in a mountain valley, or upon an open plain; in all of these places one should erect a memorial stupa and make offerings. Why is that? One must know that these places are temples.
The Vimalakirti Sutra also states:
The upright mind is a temple, the profound mind is a temple, the mind aspiring to bodhi is a temple, generosity is a temple, the three kinds of supernatural knowledge1 are a temple, the knowledge of all phenomena within a single thought is a temple.
That is to say, everywhere in the world can be a place for us to learn the Dharma and attain enlightenment. In order to spread the Dharma throughout the world, it should go into homes, schools, factories, farms, workplaces, and military bases. By upholding the principles of harmonizing the traditional and the modern, by sharing ownership between monastics and laypeople, by equally emphasizing both practice and understanding, and by integrating literature and art with Buddhism, we will continue to promote Humanistic Buddhism.
Fo Guang Shan and its branch temples all include facilities like auditoriums, conference rooms, classrooms, lounge areas, reception areas, and libraries, along with the gradual addition of the Fo Guang Yuan art galleries, Water Drop teahouses, and so on. Such an approach allows devotees to come to the temple not only to worship the Buddha, but also to receive the Dharma instruction that is offered in auditoriums, conference rooms, and classrooms. In this way Fo Guang Shan endeavors to combine the worldly with that which transcends the world, and integrate society with the mountain monastery, so that monastics and laypeople can practice anytime and anywhere.
With its transcendent spirit and worldly practicality, Buddhism liberates living beings by bestowing upon them the Buddha’s wisdom and compassion. The enterprises of the world with their profit motive must also adapt to changes in external conditions from time to time, so that they can provide the products and services that are aligned with the people’s demands in a planned, organized, and efficient manner. That too is using a spirit that transcends the world to do the work of the world.
Source: Hsing Yun, Four Insights for Finding Fulfillment: A Practical Guide to the Buddha’s Diamond Sutra, Los Angeles: Buddha’s Light Publishing, 2012.
- The three kinds of supernatural knowledge are knowledge of past, present, and future lives, heavenly eyes, and the power of ending all defilement. Ed.
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