Dear Dharma Friends,
Some say the 21st century is the century of environmental protection. It is easy to see why. Environmental pollution and ecological destruction have reached a point that they are serious threats to the health of mankind. The 1992 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was regarded as a "Save the Earth" conference with the goal of achieving international cooperation in protecting our plants, animals, and natural resources. When we do our part to protect the environment, we give future generations a fair chance to live peacefully and work happily on a healthy and thriving planet.
Buddhism is a religion that embodies the spirit of environmental protection. The sutras not only advocate loving our neighbors, they teach us to love our environment, too. The sutras say, "All living beings have buddha-nature." "All beings, sentient or not, have the same perfect wisdom." There is a story about a bodhisattva who loved the environment so much that he feared polluting the great earth every time he discarded a piece of paper, feared shocking the planet every time he uttered a phrase, and feared injuring the ground every time he took a step. His keen awareness of the environment provides a good role model for us.
Unfortunately, people in Taiwan do not seem to care about the environment. We cut down trees without hesitation, throw trash anywhere we please, vent exhaust fumes without thought, and discard waste water at our convenience. These callous acts have caused air pollution, water pollution, and general ecological degradation. Our actions reflect short-sightedness and disregard for public welfare. On the contrary, countries like Australia and New Zealand are much better at protecting the environment. Rivers there are so sparkling clean that one can see all the way to the bottom.
From the sutras, we learn that Amitabha's Western Paradise is a land of great beauty. We can learn a lot about environmental protection from Amitabha Buddha. In Western Paradise, the ground is covered with gold, and pagodas rise high into the sky. The land is pure and the atmosphere is serene. There is no pollution of any kind; toxins, violence, and nuclear threats are absent. Western Paradise is a place that many of us aspire to.
We can create a pure land right here on Earth. Most of the progress we have made in environmental protection is focused externally, but the important work actually lies within one's heart and spirit. Only when we have a healthy spiritual environment within can we be effective in protecting the physical environment.
I. The Buddha, a Forerunner of Environment Protection
The Buddhist view of environmental protection is grounded in the law of conditionality. When the Buddha attained enlightenment under the bodhi tree, he realized that all things arise because of interdependency. Nargajuna, the founder of the Madhamika[1] school of Buddhism says in Pranyamula-sastra-tika. "There was never a dharma[2] that did not arise from conditionality." This means that nothing in the universe can exist independently, and all phenomena arise because of the culmination of various causes and conditions. The Suka Sutra says, "If sentient beings continually engage in the ten unwholesome actions, the impact will be felt in the environment, which will suffer. What are the ten unwholesome actions? First, the taking of lives causes the soil to be saturated with saline, and plants cannot grow. Second, stealing brings about harsh, cold weather and the proliferation of insects, causing crop failure and famine. Third, sexual misconduct causes storms and natural disasters. Fourth, lying contaminates the physical environment, causing it to be filthy and smelly…"
From this, we can see that when one engages in unwholesome actions-killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, duplicitous speech, harsh words, foul language, greed, hatred, perverted views-one does not just harm oneself, one also harms the elements of the physical world. By the same token, when one performs wholesome actions, one can help reverse the damage to our environment. Our actions impact ourselves, others, and even the earth. Our existence is intimately intertwined. This is what we mean when we say, "We all are one, and we exist in dependence."
In the Agamas Sutras, the Buddha said that the planting of trees create shade for others, and merit for oneself. In Section Five of the Vinaya-matrka-satra, it reads, "A bhiksu who plants three kinds of trees in honor of the Triple Gem-a fruit tree, a flowering tree, and a leafy tree-cultivates blessings and is not committing wrong[3]." Planting trees not only beautifies the environment, it is also a form of practice. Throughout history, Buddhist temples and monasteries have followed the Buddha's teachings by planting trees, growing flowers, and caring for the great earth.
To protect the environment, the Buddha ceaselessly reminded his disciples to protect trees and animals. The Vinaya-matrka-satra states, "There are five types of trees one should not cut-bodhi trees, medicine trees, large roadside trees, trees in cold groves[4], and nyagrodha trees[5]." In the Buddha's former life as a deer king, he laid down his own life to save that of a doe. A human king witnessed his compassion and was so moved that he designated the area as a wildlife sanctuary where hunting was forbidden. This story illustrates the Buddha's love for the environment.
II. The Buddhist Tradition of Protecting the Environment
Most people regard the Buddhist religion as conservative and passive. Many think that Buddhism only teaches people to recite mantras and be vegetarians. They do not associate the religion with progressive ideas such as environmental protection. In truth, Buddhism has a long history of environmental protection, well before the concept becomes popular as a modern social cause.
Throughout its history, Buddhism has had a profound positive impact on the environment. Monastics have planted trees, dredged rivers, repaired roads, mended bridges, and thoughtfully used and cared for natural resources. During discourses, monastics encouraged devotees to free captured animals, promoted vegetarianism, and reminded all to value the gifts of nature. From these actions, we see that monastics are environmental activists before the term "environmental protection" was coined. This tradition of nurturing the natural world continues to this day.
Protecting the environment does not always mean leaving it untouched, reserving it for viewing from a distance. We live on this planet and have to utilize the natural resources it offers. This, however, must be accomplished with utmost respect for nature. Venerable Ming-yun of ancient China planted thousands of trees along the Szchou River to prevent flooding. Venerable Tao-yu of Loyeung saw that many ships had capsized along the Lung-men gorge on the Yellow River. To prevent further tragedy, he and his friend Pai Chi-yi[6] rallied the local residents to widen the river and so slowed the flow of the river. These two examples are well documented, but there were many similar environmental works that escaped recognition. In their travels, many monastics had forged paths through the jungle and laid steps over jagged mountains to ease the passage for future travelers. Without any fanfare, they worked to balance the needs of the environment with those of mankind, practicing the bodhisattva spirit of providing convenience for all.
On March 4, 1992, during our annual Buddha's Light Conference, we held a workshop to promote "environmental and spiritual" protection. We encouraged everyone to start with beautifying one's mind and spirit and then extend outwards to beautifying the environment. We offered twelve guidelines, as follows:
1. Speak quietly-do not disturb others.
2. Keep the ground clean-do not litter.
3. Keep the air clean-do not smoke or pollute.
4. Respect oneself and others-do not commit violent acts.
5. Be polite-do not intrude on others.
6. Smile-do not face others with an angry expression.
7. Speak kindly-do not utter abusive words.
8. Follow the rules-do not seek exemptions or privileges.
9. Mind your actions-do not violate rules of ethics.
10. Consume consciously-do not waste.
11. Be grounded-do not live aimlessly.
12. Practice kindness-do not create malice.
Furthermore, the International Buddha's Light Association, together with various governmental agencies in Taiwan, worked to preserve the water source of Kaoshiung by campaigning for planting new trees and preserving existing ones. By planting new trees-two million to be exact-we were able to directly protect Kaoshiung's water source. By recycling paper, we reduced the need to cut down trees, which also protected the water source.
When we Buddhists think of a pure, clean environment, we would naturally think of Amitabha's Western Paradise. On his path as a bodhisattva, Amitabha made forty-eight great vows. Through the strength of these vows, he manifested the Western Paradise, a land of unparalleled beauty. The ground is covered with gold, pagodas are built with seven kinds of gems, and all facilities are in excellent condition. In Western Paradise there is only public good, no public harm. There is only beauty, no toxin, noise or pollution. The weather is cool and pleasant, and the water has eight wonderful qualities: clear, cool, sweet, soft, soothing, peaceful, cleansing, and nourishing. Everyone in Pure Land is kind, in full health of mind and body, had ageless longevity, and free of the three poisons6. None of them would ever consider chopping down trees, and the landscape reflects such thoughtfulness. This is why we say Amitabha Buddha is our good teacher of maintaining a sound mind and a healthy environment.
III. What We Can Do To Protect the Environment
When we talk about protecting the environment, we should first realize there are two facets to the problem-preserving inner sanctity and maintaining outer ecological balance. We alone are responsible for our inner peace. To do this, we have to see into the emptiness of the three poisons-greed, hatred, and delusion. External environmental protection, such as natural habitat preservation, air purification, water source clean up, noise pollution control, trash management, and radiation protection, must rely upon the joint efforts of everyone.
We will first discuss maintaining outer ecological balance. There are two ways to protect the environment: treasure life and conserve resources. One of the Five Precepts is to refrain from killing, or in others words, to treasure life. In the Brahmajala Sutra, it states, "When a follower of the Buddha exercises compassion and sets a life free, he should recite, 'All males are my fathers. All females are my mothers. Rebirth after rebirth, they give me life. All beings in the six realms of existence are my parents. Killing animals for meat is the same as killing my parents, indirectly killing the source of my body.' If you witness someone killing an animal, you should save the animal, relieve its suffering, and spread the work of the Buddha and the bodhisattvas to save all beings." The precept to refrain from killing is the expression of respect for all sentient life. At its most basic level, the practice is to not kill. To take this a step further, we should save life and help those in need. When we see an animal hurt, we should care for it so that they may feel safe again. We need to have a proactive, compassionate, and protective attitude towards animals. Nowadays, people have exotic taste and would not hesitate to eat anything that moves, regardless of whether it is a beast of the sky, earth, or water. This type of indiscriminate slaughter and consumption not only defiles the inner spirit, it also disturbs the outer balance in our natural environment and increases the violent energy in the world. Therefore, to raise the quality of life we should promote protection of all living beings.
Buddhist masters of the past were in tune with our connection with all forms of life in the six realms of existence, especially animals. They were at ease in the company of lions and tigers. In the presence of wild animals, Master Huei-yuei of the Sui dynasty would speak to them about the Dharma. Tigers would turn tame and lay down like kittens at his feet. Master Zi-zheng lived alone in the mountains and always made it a point to save animals who were hurt. When he ran out of food, birds would bring him fruit. In Samyuktapitaka, there is a story of a novice monk who was near the end of his life span. One day, he saw a group of ants drowning in water and reached out to save them. Through his act of compassion, he gained a long life. All these stories serve as reminders for us to act with compassion. Protecting life is a basic moral principle of being human and is the best tool for transforming anger, violence, and sadness into tranquility.
In addition to nurturing and protecting animal life, we should also treasure plant life. Even a blade of grass is vital because it purifies the air we breathe. We must not neglect any life because each contributes to the delicate balance of which we are all a part. When we save a tree, we are making the world a little bit greener, and we may breathe easier. Protecting life also means that we should be gentle to insentient objects, such as mountains and rivers and even everyday household items. A table, chair, or towel should be treated conscientiously because if we do not take proper care of them and they last only five years instead of the intended ten, we are indirectly wasting and harming "life."
In addition to treasuring life, we can protect the environment by conserving resources. In our daily life, it is so easy to be wasteful. Consider paper as an example. A tree that takes ten years to grow can be chopped down in a matter of hours. For every ton of paper recycled, we save twenty trees. We can also save trees by using both sides of a sheet of paper. Trees are very important to our environment. They provide us with shade and play a key role in the water cycle.
Conservation yields benefits not only to the environment, but also to us directly. How much we have in life depends on our past actions, or karma. Karma can be compared to a bank account. You have to first make deposits and accumulate some savings before you can make a withdrawal. Conservation is tangible savings in our karma accounts. In this regard, I can speak from personal experience. Many devotees have complimented me of my intelligence. I believe my intelligence was a result of my past conservation. When I was still a young novice monk, I was very frugal with my writing paper. On one piece of paper, I would not only write on both sides but also between the lines. Sometimes I would even use a different colored pen to write over existing text so I wouldn't waste the paper. It was only when I could no longer decipher my own writing that I grudgingly threw away a piece of paper. I believe the good karma that I accrued by making the most of each piece of paper brought me the gift of intelligence. Therefore, everyone can begin saving in his or her "karma account" by taking care of the gifts that nature has given us.
To save our earth, we must reduce the consumption of natural resources. There are many things we can do with minimal effort. Instead of using disposable paper plates and plastic utensils, we can use reusable ones. Plastic is not environmentally friendly. It is not biodegradable, sitting for centuries in landfills and producing carcinogenic gases if incinerated. We should all contribute to our planet's health by using less disposable items.
Another way to conserve resources is to recycle. We can recycle paper, aluminum cans, plastic bottles, and glass jars. As more people recycle, awareness will be heightened, generating momentum for the cause. By practicing recycling, we practice the teachings of the Buddha, strengthen the connection between people, and help spread environmental awareness.
In terms of specific actions that we all can do, I want to offer the following:
1. Consume moderately and do not overbuy unnecessarily. Excess food often rots and has to be thrown away.
2. Maintain your car and follow emission guidelines.
3. Minimize the use of disposable plates and utensils.
4. Use glasses or mugs instead of paper cups.
5. Take shorter showers.
6. Do not litter, and reduce the amount of trash we produce.
7. Use energy-saving light bulbs or fixtures.
8. Set your air conditioner to a higher temperature.
9. Recycle old newspaper and motor oil.
10. Bring your own shopping bags when shopping.
11. Inspect your tires regularly. Flat tires wear more quickly and lower fuel efficiency.
12. Choose durable and fuel efficient tires.
13. Use your car's air conditioner as little as possible. Automobile air conditioning systems are one of the main emitters of chlorofluorocarbons into the earth's ozone layer.
14. Buy and use more recycled materials.
In addition to protecting the physical environment, we have to take good care of our internal spiritual environment. The Vimalakirti Sutra says, "If one wants to be in a pure land, one should purify his mind. When the mind is pure, the land is pure." What this means is that the environment we live in is a reflection of our state of mind. To be successful in the movement to better the environment, we must not neglect to tend to our inner spirit. From time without beginning, our pure nature has been defiled by greed, hatred, jealousy, and malice. We must work to turn greed into generosity, hatred into compassion, jealousy into tolerance, and malice into respect. When we change the way we think and the way we see the world, what we see, hear, and touch will take on a different quality.
We should care for our body and mind like we care for the physical environment. After all, our body can be compared to the great earth. The circulatory system is like a river, flowing ceaselessly to transport nutrients to various parts of the body. The lungs are like forests in reverse. They take in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide. Bones are like mountains, giving protection to our many delicate organs. Cells are like little forest animals, moving about with vitality. Our body is like a village with the six inhabitants of eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin, and mind. The mind is like a village chief, directing and influencing the other inhabitants. If we want good physical health, we should start with our mental health. When we have inner stability, then our body will know peace.
How do we maintain purity in our internal environment? We simply have to be mindful of the Buddha. If you have the Buddha in your heart, everything you see in the world is the sight of the Buddha, everything you hear is the sound of the Buddha, everything you say is the word of the Buddha, and everything you do holds the compassion of the Buddha. Although we live in a world full of negativity, if we know how to preserve our inner sanctity, we can be more like the Buddha. Like a pristine lotus that rises out of the mud of a pond, we can rise above the distractions of the world.
We have discussed many aspects of environmental protection. I'd like to conclude with the following lines:
Value every word-they are the roots of dignity.
Treasure every grain of rice-this is the way of wealth.
Speak with care-it is the basis of happiness.
Protect even the smallest form of life-this is the cause of longevity.

[1] Madhamika means "the middle." [2] phenomenon [3] Normally, bhiksus refrain from tilling the soil because insects in the earth may be harmed in the process. [4] A cold grove is a place for exposing corpses, i.e. a cemetery. [5] Ficus indica [6] A famous scholar and poet. 6 Greed, hatred, and delusion.

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Seeing the Buddha

Dear Dharma Friends,
It was over two thousand years ago that the Buddha entered parinirvana. Each time I think how unfortunate that we are not able to see the Buddha in person, I recall this verse which aptly describes my feelings:
When the Buddha was alive,
sunken in depravity was I.
After the Buddha entered parinirvana, here am I.
Regretting my many karmic hindrances,
I do not see the Tathagata's golden body.
Actually, there are many levels on which to see the Buddha. We can see the Buddha through statues and drawings, in person, or through his teachings. I'd like to take this opportunity here to discuss 1) Holy images of the Buddha, 2) What the Buddha looked like in person, and 3) The dharmakaya of the Buddha. I hope through this discussion, we can all gain a better understanding of our great teacher, the Buddha.
I. Holy Images of the Buddha
A. Different Kinds of Holy Images
When we learn about the Buddha, we can only imagine what he looked like when he was alive through statues and paintings that we see of him. Throughout the years, people have portrayed the Buddha in various fashions. Some carve images of the Buddha in wood or stone, others sculpt in metal, and there are still others who prefer the use of paper and paint. Not only are the materials used different, there is also a lot of variation in the pose. Sometimes, the Buddha is portrayed as sitting down, other times standing, or even reclining. Regardless of the material used or the pose portrayed, we can generally feel his compassion, magnanimity, and greatness.
Why are some renditions of the Buddha sitting, while others are standing? Actually, each pose symbolizes a different facet of the Buddha. In some cases, the Buddha is portrayed seated in lotus position with his hands poised above his lap, in meditative concentration. This symbolizes his enlightenment. The Buddha became enlightened only by practicing over a very long period of time-meditating, contemplating, and knowing himself. At other times, we see the Buddha portrayed in a seated position with his left hand in his lap while raising his right hand, teaching the Dharma. This symbolizes that the Buddha cultivates enlightenment not only for himself but also for the sake of others. After reaching enlightenment, the Buddha began to teach the truth to all sentient beings, helping us to rid our delusions.
In some statues of the Buddha, he is standing with one hand down, as if beckoning us sentient beings. When we feel lost in the sea of suffering, we are most glad to see the Buddha extending a helping hand to us. In other statues, the Buddha is walking, as if hurrying somewhere to teach the Dharma. The fully enlightened Buddha is most affectionate in his efforts to help all of us; he is always there to be of service to us.
Some statues and paintings show the Buddha lying down, peacefully entering parinirvana. This posture symbolizes the utmost fulfillment in both merits and wisdom, when the state of birthlessness is reached. The reclining posture also symbolizes a transition from active engagement to that of tranquility. When the Buddha was alive, he was always active, traveling everywhere to teach the Dharma. While all activity must come to an end, tranquility can be everlasting. Upon entering parinirvana, the Buddha became one with all of nature and the flow of time. Thus, we say parinirvana is a transition from active engagement to tranquility. The images of the Buddha entering parinirvana show us that he is always in our hearts, ever present like the earth, and everlasting like the sun and moon.

B. The First Wood Carving of the Buddha
When was the first statue of the Buddha carved? According to the Agama Sutras, the first Buddha statue was carved during the summer retreat one particular year when the Buddha disappeared from his disciples. When the disciples realized that the Blessed One was nowhere to be found, they started asking around, but no one knew where he was. They then went to ask Ananda if he knew the whereabouts of the Buddha, but Ananda was also in the dark. Ananda suggested that they should solicit the help of Aniruddha, who was foremost in supernatural vision. Using his supernatural vision, Aniruddha found out that the Buddha had gone to Trayastrimsas Heaven to teach the Dharma to his deceased mother, Queen Maya. Why did the Buddha leave for Trayastrimsas Heaven without letting anyone know? There were three reasons. First, the Buddha had always wanted to teach the Dharma to his deceased mother to thank her for bringing him into this world. Second, as the Buddha was always around to teach them, some of his disciples had grown complacent and lax in attention to his teachings. Third, there had been some quarrels within the Sangha, and the Buddha wanted those involved to have time to reflect on their behavior.
Among those who missed the Buddha the most was King Udayana of Kausambi. The king was most reverent toward the Buddha, and he missed the presence of the Buddha so much that he fell ill. The royal household put their heads together to find a way to make the king feel better. They all agreed that the best way was to find the best sculptor in the land and have him sculpt a statue of the Buddha. They hoped that, in the absence of the Buddha, they could pay their respects to the statue instead. The king was very pleased with the idea, and he immediately asked Maudgalyayana, who was foremost in supernatural power, to help them. Using his supernatural power, Maudgalyayana transported a sculptor to Trayastrimsas Heaven so that he might study the magnificent appearance of the Buddha. After three visits to the heaven, the sculptor finally carved a five-foot tall likeness of the Buddha out of sandalwood. When the king saw the finished statue, he was happy beyond words, and his illness was cured.
After three months, the Buddha returned to our world. On his return, the statue actually came alive and walked to welcome the Buddha home. The Buddha smiled and said, "You must be tired from these three months. For future generations of sentient beings, it will be up to you to remind them of the truth."
Thus, the first wooden image of the Buddha was carved while he was still alive, before his entering parinirvana. The statue coming alive to welcome the Buddha symbolizes that the Buddha is always present among us. When we see statues of the Buddha, we are in essence seeing the Buddha.

C. The First Metal Statue of the Buddha
In addition to carving Buddha statues out of wood, people also cast Buddha statues in different kinds of metals. When was the first metal statue of the Buddha cast? According to the Agama Sutras, this, too, happened while the Buddha was still alive. When King Prasenajit of Kosala learned that King Udayana had carved the Buddha's likeness out of sandalwood, he also wanted to create a likeness of the Buddha. On the one hand, he wanted to show his reverence for the Buddha; on the other hand, there was also a bit of a competitive spirit between him and King Udayana. King Prasenajit thus commissioned a statue of the Buddha to be cast in pure gold. The statue was again five feet tall and marked the beginning of casting metal images of the Buddha.
Separately and about the same time, the elder Anathapindaka also expressed his desire to cast a statue of the Buddha. One day after the Buddha finished teaching the Dharma in the Jetavana Grove, Anathapindaka went up to him and paid his respects. He prostrated in front of the Buddha and said, "Lord Buddha, when the Buddha is with us, everyone is so respectful and everything feels right and magnificent. Unfortunately, when the Buddha has to travel to other places to spread the Dharma, we feel the absence of the Buddha and everything is not as orderly as when the Buddha is here with us. I ask permission to cast the Buddha's likeness so that when the Buddha is away, we have a statue to remind us of the Buddha and for us to pay our respects. In this way, we will always feel close to the Buddha."
The Buddha was very pleased and gave his permission. He told Anathapindaka, "Since you are doing this to remind others of the Dharma, I give you my permission."
Anathapindaka asked further, "We'd like to honor the Buddha and I hope the Buddha will allow us to put decorations and flowers around the statue."
The Buddha replied, "You may do as you see fit."
From these parts of the sutra, we see that even while the Buddha was alive, many kings and elders already wanted to sculpt statues of him for others to pay their respects to. A golden statue of the Buddha is like a bright light; it lights up our hearts.

D. The First Painting of the Buddha
When was the first painting of the Buddha made? There is no definitive answer to this question. According to the Agama Sutras, we learn that one of the earliest paintings of the Buddha was completed when the Buddha was about to enter parinirvana. Maha Kasyapa was concerned that King Ajatasatru of Magadha would be too grief-stricken with the news of the Buddha's passing away. So, after discussing the issue with King Ajatasatru's imperial court, they decided to commission a painting of the Buddha to help the king get over this very difficult period.
In recent years, we have learned that there is an even earlier painting of the Buddha, perhaps even earlier than the first carved statue. The British Museum in England has in its collection many paintings of the Buddha. Among these paintings is one that the museum treasures most. It is a painting of the Buddha when he was forty-one years old. It was painted by Purna, one of the Buddha's disciples, and the color is still very vibrant today. Photographs of this painting can be seen as far away as Japan and Taiwan.
Paintings of the Buddha were brought to China during the Han dynasty, about one thousand years after the Buddha entered parinirvana. During that time, many monks from China had traveled to India to study Buddhism. There they saw the sandalwood statue of the Buddha which we discussed earlier and wanted to bring it back to China so that the Chinese people would know what the Buddha looked like. Of course, the Indian kings did not want the statue to leave their land. So, they commissioned paintings of the statue so that the monks from China could bring them home with them. When the Han emperor saw the paintings, he was delighted and ordered that a painting of the Buddha be displayed on the main gate of the city of Hsi-yang so that his people could pay their respects to the Buddha.
Since paintings are much less cumbersome than statues, it is customary of Buddhists to display paintings of the Buddha in their homes. As long as we are sincere, it does not matter how large or small the painting is; it will shine on all those who pay their respects.

E. Paying respect to holy images of the Buddha
Regardless of whether a Buddha statue is made of stone, wood, or metal, regardless of whether a painting is done on cloth or paper, we still pay our respects to these holy images of the Buddha. Some of you may question: Why should we venerate these holy images of the Buddha?
First of all, we have to admit that we, indeed, do pay our respects to holy images of the Buddha. We all pay respect to certain symbols or images. We respect our national flag; a flag is a piece of cloth. Why do we pay respect to a piece of cloth? This is because a national flag, though made out of cloth, is much more than just a piece of cloth. It is a symbol of our country and the pride we have for our country. Christians also pay respect to the crucifix. A crucifix is made of wood or metal. Does it mean that Christians should not pray in front of the crucifix? There is absolutely nothing wrong with paying respect to certain symbols or images as long as we understand the goodness which these symbols or images stand for.
A piece of cloth can be tailored into a hat to be worn on the head. The same piece of cloth can also be made into a pair of slippers to wear on the feet. A piece of cloth by itself shows no differentiation, but we look at it differently once it takes on the shape of its final product. A piece of paper with our parents' picture on it, we would put in a safe place. The same piece of paper with a cartoon drawn on it could be tossed away at will, and we would not feel any remorse. A piece of metal that has been cast into a Buddha statue should be kept in a nice, clean place. The same piece of metal, if it had been cast into a toy figure, could be kicked or thrown around without any hesitation. A Buddha statue may be made of wood, stone, or metal, but in our hearts and minds, the statue stands for the fully enlightened Buddha. When we pay our respects to holy images of the Buddha, we are not paying respect to the wood, stone, or metal that these images are made out of; we are paying our respects to the Buddha.
It is important that we know why we do certain things. When we pay respect to a Buddha statue, we should focus our minds on the Buddha and extinguish the fires of our delusions. We should be respectful and sincere. If we pay our respects to Buddha statues in this fashion, then any image of the Buddha can strengthen our faith and touch our hearts. There is a Chinese saying which goes like this: "When there is utmost sincerity and concentration, even stones or gold open up." Thus, if we are reverent whilst paying respect to statues of the Buddha, we will feel the presence of the Blessed One.
Actually, Buddhism is a religion that values intention over formality and teaches us to be totally free of all images, holy or not. Let me tell you an interesting kung-an out of the Ch'an annals. Once the Ch'an master Tan-hsia Tien-jan took up residence at a particular monastery. That year there was a very severe winter, and the temperature was frigidly cold. To stay warm, Tien-jan went up to the altar, took a wooden Buddha statue, and was about to use it to keep the fire going. Another monk saw what he was doing and stopped him in his tracks. This monk yelled at Tien-jan, "How dare you use a Buddha statue to keep warm?"
Tien-jan was not at all offended, and he replied, "I am not using it as a piece of firewood. I just want to see if I can get some Buddha relics."
The monk barked back, "Nonsense! How can you get Buddha relics from a piece of wood?"
"If this is a piece of wood, why don't we use it as firewood." Having said this, Tien-jan tossed the wooden statue onto the fire.
Tien-jan was a true student of the Buddha, for he truly understood the essence of the teachings. He knew that mind, buddha, and sentient beings are one and the same. When we are not yet enlightened, we should respect holy images. When we are enlightened, we will know that the Buddha dwells within us and is not to be found outside of ourselves or in some holy images.
Before Emperor Hsuan of the Tang dynasty became emperor, he was once a novice monk in a temple. One time he saw the Ch'an master Huang-bo Hsi-yun in the shrine hall, paying his respect to the Buddha. As he stood behind the Ch'an master, he recalled what he had often heard the Ch'an master say and unknowingly spoke out loud, "Don't get attached to the Buddha, don't get attached to the Dharma, don't get attached to the Sangha. What's the point of paying respect to the Buddha?"
When the Ch'an master heard this, he turned around and slapped the student in the face saying, "Don't get attached to the Buddha, don't get attached to the Dharma, don't get attached to the Sangha. But, in your case, you should."
Those who do not understand the meaning behind paying respect to holy images often find it ludicrous that we do so. They do not realize that by paying respect to the Buddha, we are communicating with the Buddha.

II. What the Buddha Looked Like in Person
A. The Aura of the Buddha
The splendid appearance of the Buddha was a manifestation of the Dharma-body-the pure, non-phenomenal Dharma-body. About two thousand five hundred years ago, the Buddha was born into this world. He was most majestic in appearance and exhibited the "thirty-two marks of excellence and eighty notable characteristics." In one of the sutras, it says, "The Buddha looks golden, radiant, pleasing, and majestic. The presence of the Buddha elicits joy and happiness in all sentient beings."
Among the Buddha's disciples, there were many who were so moved by his majestic appearance that they decided to renounce their household life and follow him even before they heard him speak. Maha Kasyapa was one such example. He was born to a wealthy Brahman family. One day, Maha Kasyapa saw the Buddha resting under a tree and automatically was drawn to him. He went up to the Buddha, saluted him with folded hands, and decided right then that he wanted to join the Sangha. When the elder Anathapindaka met the Buddha while traveling south, he was moved by the Buddha's splendid looks. He prostrated in front of the Buddha and invited him to his hometown in the north to teach the Dharma to the people there.
The stately appearance of the Buddha also converted many who were vengeful or malicious. Devadatta, the Buddha's disciple and cousin, turned against him and hired six bandits to assassinate the Blessed One. When the six bandits saw the Buddha, they were moved by his majestic appearance. They threw down their weapons and asked the Buddha for forgiveness. On another occasion, the heartless murderer Angulimalya met the Buddha on the road. Angulimalya, who was known for his ruthlessness, shuddered in fear in the presence of the Buddha and begged him for permission to join the Sangha.
Animals were also touched by the presence of the Buddha. Monkeys would gather wild fruits to make him offerings. A drunken elephant, let loose by Devadatta to kill the Buddha, knelt down in front of him and wept. The Buddha radiated warmth like the sun and moon. His majestic appearance alone could cause the cruel to turn compassionate, the mean to become peaceful. During the somewhat fifty years of his teaching the Dharma, those who were moved by his majestic aura were too numerous to count.

B. The Resplendent Appearance of the Buddha
The sutras capture the golden appearance of the Buddha with the so-called "thirty-two marks of excellence and eighty notable characteristics." Marks are more apparent, while characteristics are more subtle and harder to detect. Marks and characteristics are closely related; the latter stem from the existence of the former. The magnificent appearance of the Buddha did not happen by mere chance. It was the result of cultivating and doing good over a period of ninety kalpas. Each of the thirty-two marks and eighty characteristics represents a virtue that the Buddha had practiced. Take the example of the broad, long tongue of the Buddha. It was the result of his not talking falsely. These marks and characteristics, which can be looked at symbolically, are said to be attributes that are apparent to bodhisattvas and other cultivated beings.
What are the thirty-two marks of excellence? They are:
1. Flat, even feet, without bumps or indentations,
2. A mark of a thousand-spoked wheel on the bottom of his feet,
3. Long slender fingers, as white as snow,
4. Soft and smooth hands and feet,
5. Toes and fingers finely webbed,
6. Rounded heels, without any unevenness,
7. Full and rounded feet, even from the front to the back,
8. Fine thighs, like those of a royal stag,
9. Hands reaching below the knees,
10. A well-retracted male organ,
11. Height equal to the stretch of the arms,
12. Every hair-root darkly colored,
13. Body hair graceful and curly,
14. A golden-hued body,
15. A ten-foot nimbus,
16. Soft, smooth, and supple skin,
17. Soles, palms, shoulders, and crown well-rounded,
18. Arm-pits well filled, without any sunken spots,
19. A lion-shaped body,
20. A straight body,
21. Full shoulders,
22. Forty teeth,
23. White, clean, strong, and snugly-fitting teeth,
24. Straight teeth,
25. Lion-jawed,
26. Saliva that improves the taste of food,
27. A broad, long tongue,
28. A deep, resonant voice,
29. Deep blue eyes,
30. Splendid eyelashes,
31. A curling white hair between the eyebrows, radiating light, and
32. Fleshy protuberance on the crown.
The eighty notable qualities are:
1. Top of his head not visible to others,
2. A prominent nose with well-concealed nostrils,
3. Eyebrows shaped like a new moon,
4. Big, thick ear lobes,
5. A strong body,
6. Snugly-fitting bones,
7. Turns his whole body when turning, as does a majestic elephant,
8. Leaves imprints as he walks,
9. Radiant and polished feet,
10. Full, rounded knees,
11. A clean body
12. Soft, smooth skin,
13. A straight, erect body,
14. Round, slender fingers,
15. Fine finger prints,
16. Veins that are not visible,
17. Well-concealed heel bones,
18. A supple, fresh-looking body,
19. A round, pleasing body,
20. A brisk gait,
21. A dignified appearance,
22. Peaceful and calm deportment,
23. A stable posture when standing,
24. A majestic presence,
25. A pleasing appearance,
26. A perfectly sized face,
27. Unperturbed demeanor,
28. A perfect appearance,
29. Red-colored lips,
30. A voice that carries,
31. A deep, round navel,
32. Curly hair,
33. Long arms that reach below the knees,
34. Arms and legs that move freely,
35. Straight palm-lines,
36. Fine, long palm-lines,
37. Unbroken palm-lines,
38. Brings joy to those who see him,
39. A broad, perfect face,
40. A face full like the moon,
41. Eloquent and articulate speech,
42. Fragrant pores,
43. Fragrant breath,
44. Appearance awe-inspiring like that of a lion,
45. Gait steady like that of an elephant,
46. Steps airy like that of a goose,
47. A well-formed forehead,
48. A clearly audible voice,
49. White teeth,
50. A bright red tongue,
51. A long, thin tongue,
52. Thick body hair,
53. Soft, clean body hair,
54. Big, wide eyes,
55. Clean, unobstructed airway connecting the seven openings of the face,
56. Lotus-colored hands and feet,
57. A well-concealed navel,
58. A stomach that does not protrude,
59. A well-sized abdomen,
60. Does not fall down,
61. A sturdy, stable body,
62. Tall and big,
63. Soft, clean hands and feet,
64. A ten-foot nimbus,
65. His nimbus lights the way,
66. Treats all sentient beings equally,
67. A stately appearance,
68. Does not slight any sentient being,
69. An even voice,
70. Able to vary his teaching methods,
71. Teaches according to the circumstances,
72. Easy to understand,
73. Adapts his teachings according to the spiritual maturity of the listener,
74. Appearance that grows on others,
75. A pleasing appearance that does not tire others,
76. Long, healthy hair,
77. Long, neat hair,
78. Neatly curled hair,
79. Hair the color of green pearls, and
80. A virtuous appearance.
Depending on the sutra, there are slight variations in the details of these thirty-two marks and eighty characteristics. Actually, these marks of excellence and notable characteristics do not do justice to the Buddha's radiance. Take the example of the Buddha's height. It was said that the Buddha was sixteen feet tall, but some people at that time were skeptical. One of these people tried to use a tape to measure the Buddha's height. He measured sixteen feet again and again, yet still could not measure the full height of the Buddha. Another distinguished feature of the Buddha was his broad, long tongue, and when the Buddha taught the Dharma, his voice could be heard far, far away. In the Ratna-rasi Sutra, Maudgalyayana wanted to find out for himself how far the voice of the Buddha could carry. He used his supernatural power and traveled to a far away buddha-land in the east and could still hear the Buddha teaching the Dharma. Actually this is not hard to believe at all. Nowadays, people in Taiwan can receive radio broadcasts from places as far away as Europe or North America. The technology of radio broadcasting cannot compare to the skillful means of the Buddha. When the Buddha taught the Dharma, his voice could reach three thousand great chiliocosms. Thus, when we say that the Buddha has thirty-two marks and eighty notable characteristics, we are only describing the splendor that can be seen. Because of the limitations of our faculties, we do not even come close to capturing the true splendor of the Buddha.

C. An Enlightened Being Still Subjects to Impermanence
The Buddha lived in this world for a total of eighty years. In this world of impermanence, the Buddha's life was no different. While the statues that we see of the Buddha mostly represent a certain stage in his life, there are actually eight stages in the Buddha's life. They are:
1. Descent from Tusita Heaven: Many thousands of lifetimes ago, Sakyamuni was an ascetic named Sumedha. During that lifetime, Sumedha encountered Dipamkara Buddha who prophesized that Sumedha would become the Buddha of our world and would be named Sakyamuni. The Buddha-to-be then went on to live in Tusita Heaven for a total of four thousand years. There, he waited for the right conditions to be born into this world.
2. Entry into womb: In the form of a white elephant, the Buddha entered into the womb of Queen Maya through her right side.
3. Birth: On the eighth day of the fourth month, the Buddha was born in Lumbini Grove. After he was born, he took seven steps and proclaimed, "This is my last rebirth in the human world, for I have come here to become a buddha." The prince was named Siddhartha Gautama.
4. Renouncing the household life: At the age of twenty-nine, Siddhartha wanted to find the way to be free from human suffering. Problems such as the caste system of discrimination, the impermanence of all things, and the fierce competition for survival had always been on his mind. One night, he left palace life to seek the truth.
5. Subduing the evil Mara: The prince overcame the internal temptations of greed, hatred, and ignorance and the external temptations of sound, sight, and lure of power. To overcome these temptations, he drew on his inner strength and willpower.
6. Attaining enlightenment: On the eighth day of the twelfth month, while gazing at the starry sky, in a flash of insight, Siddhartha attained enlightenment and became the Buddha.
7. Turning the Dharma-wheel: After attaining enlightenment, the Buddha spent the next forty-five years or so teaching the Dharma.
8. Entering parinirvana: On the 15th day of the second month in his eightieth year, the Buddha lay down between two sala trees and entered parinirvana. From a life of active engagement, the Buddha returned to a state of peace. His presence became totally integrated with the intricate workings of the universe.
While the Buddha was fully enlightened, he was very much a person. Like you and me, he lived through different stages of his life. These eight stages fully describe the life of the Buddha.

D. An Enlightened Being Still Suffers
When we look at the peaceful appearance of the Buddha in statues and drawings, we may automatically conclude that the Buddha must not have suffered. This is not the case at all. In reality, the Buddha was not only majestic in appearance, but also in the way he carried himself, especially in the face of adversity. The Buddha practiced what he preached; it would not be credible if the Buddha, who taught us about impermanence and suffering, did not have to go through these experiences. Like every one of us, the Buddha also aged, became sick, and had to deal with tough times. After all, the noble appearance of the Buddha is not his true nature, but a manifestation intended to function in the phenomenal world. Living in the phenomenal world, it was just natural that the Buddha had to cope with both the good and bad aspects of life.
During his travels, the Buddha was hurt twice. Once, while traveling in the Khadira mountains, he got a splinter from the poisonous acacia tree. On another occasion, Devadatta pushed a huge boulder from atop of Grdhrakuta Mountain down to where the Buddha was sitting. The Buddha's right foot was injured and bled. The Buddha also fell ill twice. Once, the Buddha was cured by the famous physician Jivaka. On the second occasion, the Buddha suffered from backache. He asked Ananda to go into the village to get a cup of cow's milk and asked Maha Kasyapa to bless the milk with his prayers. The pain subsided only after the Buddha consumed the milk. The Buddha also faced hunger twice. One year, there was a famine and, for a period of three months, the Buddha could only find the remains of horse feed to fill his hunger. There was also one time when the Buddha went out for his alms round only to come back home empty-handed. He went hungry for that day.
In addition to physical hardships, the Buddha also had to deal with hostilities from others. A Brahman woman named Cincamanavika slandered the Buddha to his face. King Suprabuddha of the Koliya clan pointed his finger at the Buddha and openly criticized him. The Buddha was not at all bothered by others' ill feelings toward him. He was a great teacher and showed us by example how to behave in the face of adversity.
Some people had questions about why anything bad could happen to someone who had practiced for as long as the Buddha. King Prasenajit of Kosala was one such person. He once asked the Buddha, "Lord Buddha is most majestic; we can all see that with our eyes. Why is it that misfortune still befalls the Buddha?"
The Buddha replied, "This physical body that you see in front of you is not the true body of the Buddha. All buddhas have transcended life and death. It is for the purpose of teaching sentient beings that these misfortunes befall me-be it a broken foot, an aching back, the taking of medicine, and even the entering into nirvana. I want all beings to know that the effects of karma can never be destroyed. This way, they will think carefully before they act. They will learn to practice all goodness, refrain from any wrongdoing, and in this way, discover their own eternal dharmakaya. We all should wake up from the delusions of the phenomenal body and should not cling to the trappings of this saha world."
King Prasenajit thanked the Buddha for this clarification. From this point on, he saw the Buddha in a totally new light and truly learned to appreciate the compassion of the Tathagata.
Although we are not fortunate enough to see the golden body of the Buddha, we should know that the Buddha lives on in our hearts. Whenever I think of the Buddha, I cannot but feel an enormous respect for him. My sentiments can be best summed up by an old saying which goes thus:
Above and below the sky,
nothing compares to the Buddha,
Within the worlds of ten directions,
there is also no comparison.
I have seen all in this world;
Nothing is as great as the Buddha.

III. The Dharmakaya of the Buddha
A. Dharmakaya is Non-phenomenal
Two thousand five hundred years ago, the Buddha was born into this world. Though the Buddha has since entered nirvana, we can still see statues of him everywhere. We have just discussed the Buddha's magnificence and what the "thirty-two marks of excellence and eighty notable characteristics" are. Is the historic Buddha his true being? If not, what then is the ultimate being of the Buddha?
The true nature of the Buddha is referred to as the dharmakaya of the Buddha. Dharmakaya is the true essence of the Buddha and is non-phenomenal. Since even bodhisattvas cannot see the dharmakaya of the Buddha, how can we, blinded by our delusions, fare any better? Dharmakaya is independent of cause and action, without shape or form, without coming or going, without beginning or end. With such characteristics, how can we see the dharmakaya of the Buddha?
To see what dharmakaya is, we have to practice and experience it for ourselves. It is said in one of the sutras, "Eradicate a bit of ignorance, experience a bit of dharmakaya." Thus, we can see that dharmakaya is something that cannot be experienced externally. The Avatamsaka Sutra says, "Dharmakaya is empty and tranquil; it cannot be attained nor seen. The nature emptiness is the realm of buddhas; it is not something that can be attained through reasoning." Dharmakaya is beyond language, words, and thinking. In fact, it is said, "If one wishes to experience the buddha-realm, one's mind should be pure like space." Dharmakaya is expansive like space; it is without shape and yet it is not shapeless; it is without form and yet it is not formless. Dharmakaya spans all ten directions and permeates the whole universe.
One time, Head Monk Fu of Tai-yuan was at Yangchow giving Dharma talks on the Mahaparinirvana Sutra. When he was at the point of trying to explain the nature of dharmakaya, one Ch'an master in the audience could not help but snicker. After the Dharma talk, Head Monk Fu went up to the Ch'an master and asked humbly, "Did I say anything wrong earlier when I was discussing the dharmakaya?"
The Ch'an master replied, "If you really want to know about dharmakaya, I ask you to please suspend the Dharma talks for three days. During this time, you should enter into a state of absorption without any distraction. Then you can see for yourself what dharmakaya is."
Upon the Ch'an master's suggestion, Head Monk Fu immediately postponed the Dharma talks for three days and sequestered himself so that he might contemplate the dharmakaya without distraction. After three days, he seemed to have made some headway in his endeavor. He happily described to the Ch'an master the following:
Truth of dharmakaya, just like space.
Courses through three dimensions,
spans ten directions.
Covers eight trigrams,
includes two polar opposites.
In tune with conditions,
manifests through experience, is everywhere.
From this incident, we learn that dharmakaya is not something that can be understood from the shell of appearance. It is not something that can be explained with words. The physical appearance of the Buddha is there for all of us to see, but the dharmakaya of the Buddha cannot be seen or heard. The only way to get to know the dharmakaya of the Buddha, the true spiritual body of the Buddha, is through our hearts and minds.

B. Phenomenal Manifestation of the Dharmakaya
Though dharmakaya is non-phenomenal, we cannot say that we are totally unfamiliar of its wondrous workings. The Mahaprajnaparamita Sutra says, "The true kaya [of the Buddha] is the dharmakaya, not his majestic body or appearance. [The body of transformation] is not apart from dharmakaya; the two are not the same and not different." While the splendid physical body of the Buddha is not the dharmakaya of the Buddha, it is a manifestation of the dharmakaya.
The Vajrapani Sutra points out that the threefold body, or nature, of the Buddha can be understood in terms of the Buddha's dharmakaya, sambhogakaya, and nirmanakaya. The three are the body of truth (true nature), the body of bliss (reflection of past merits), and the body of transformation (physical manifestation). The three are different but not distinct for they are three aspects of the same body. The sambhogakaya and nirmanakaya are manifestations of the dharmakaya. Apart from dharmakaya, there is no sambhogakaya nor nirmanakaya. Thus, when we look at images of the historic Buddha, we have somewhat of an idea of the nature of the dharmakaya. When the Buddha was alive in this world, he gave many Dharma talks. Among the listeners of these many Dharma talks, some saw the Buddha as golden, others silvery, or colors of various gems. Some people looked at the Buddha and saw a person, others saw the Buddha as having a golden body sixteen feet tall, and others yet saw the Buddha as being various heights. Even the voice of the Buddha was heard differently by different people. Some heard a soft, gentle voice. Others heard a powerful voice like the roar of a lion. The teachings, too, vary according to the listener. Some heard teachings related to almsgiving, others observing the precepts, or meditative concentration, or prajna, or helping others cross the sea of suffering. From these observations, we can surmise that when we speak of the radiant appearance of the Buddha, we are not speaking of ordinary good looks. These phenomena are the manifestations of the wondrous workings of the dharmakaya.
The wondrous workings of the dharmakaya are not just limited to our world. The sutras tell how the Buddha often appeared simultaneously in different worlds. The Buddha was also known by various names. He took on various forms and used different methods to reach sentient beings. Are these not manifestations of the dharmakaya? The manifestations of the dharmakaya in our phenomenal world enable the Buddha to teach us in various ways and to teach all sentient beings in the three thousand chiliocosms.
The Mahayana-sraddhotpada Sastra says: "The nature of dharmakaya is prajna and radiance." It permeates the whole dharma-world. It is the truth. From this we can see that the dharmakaya is the ground of all phenomena and that everything in this saha world is nothing but a phenomenal manifestation of the dharmakaya. This is what Su Tung-p'o, the Chinese poets, meant when he wrote:
All sounds of rippling creeks are broad,
long tongues.
Mountains, nothing but pure bodies.
Another poem describes:
Melancholic yellow flowers, nothing but prajna.
Lush green bamboos, all are dharmakaya.
In the eyes of the enlightened, there is nothing that is not the dharmakaya of the Buddha; there is nowhere that the dharmakaya of the Buddha is not present. When the Buddha entered nirvana, he became one with the dharmakaya. The dharmakaya of the Buddha is in all phenomena, and all phenomena embody the dharmakaya of the Buddha. Even today, the Buddha lives within us, and we live within the dharmakaya of the Buddha. Not only do we live within the dharmakaya of the Buddha, the whole of the universe lives within the dharmakaya of the Buddha. The Surangama Sutra says, "The worlds of the universe in all ten directions are all in the heart of the Tathagata-they are like clouds in the clear sky." The heart of the Tathagata is the dharmakaya of the Buddha. The dharmakaya of the Buddha is the ground of all phenomena.

C. The Dharmakaya of the Buddha is Everywhere
The dharmakaya of the Buddha is the true kaya of the Buddha. The dharmakaya fills all worlds of the universe in all ten directions. Its radiance shines on countless buddha-lands. The dharmakaya is the realm of the Buddha. The Avatamsaka Sutra describes the boundlessness of the buddha-realm as follows: "All the water in oceans can be drunk up; all momentary thoughts can be counted; space can be measured and wind can be tied down; but the buddha-realm cannot be fully described." Even though it is everywhere, our delusion prevents us from seeing it. Only bodhisattvas who are well along the path of buddhahood can always hear the dharmakaya teaching the Dharma wherever they go. The sutras also tell us of the Buddha teaching his disciples how to recognize the dharmakaya. In this regard, he once said, "To understand dependent origination is to see the Dharma. To see the Dharma is to see the Buddha." The dharmakaya of the Buddha is the true nature of all phenomena. If we understand the principle of dependent origination and see the emptiness of all phenomena, then we see the dharmakaya of the Buddha. The Diamond Sutra says, "Where there are sutras, there are buddhas." When we believe in the Dharma, we believe in the Buddha. The Buddha is the fully enlightened one because the Buddha is in harmony with the Dharma, lives the Dharma, and is one with the Dharma. If we do not believe in the Dharma, are not respectful of the Dharma, or are ignorant of the Dharma, there is no way we can see the dharmakaya of the Buddha.
When the causes and conditions for the nirmanakaya (body of transformation) of the Buddha were exhausted, the Buddha prepared himself to enter parinirvana. All his disciples were stricken with grief and at a loss for what to do. The Buddha said to them, "Please do not be sad. This phenomenal body is now aged, like an old cart that needs constant maintenance. One day the cart will break down. Even if I were to live with you all for yet tens of thousands of years, we would still have to say goodbye one day. This is an immutable law of nature. After I enter nirvana, my dharmakaya will continue to be with you, guiding all of you. In nirvana, my nirmanakaya becomes one with the dharmakaya, which is as everlasting as heaven and earth, as radiant as the sun and the moon. From now on, if you follow and practice my teachings, you will see my dharmakaya everywhere." How true! If we follow and practice the Buddha's teachings, then we see the dharmakaya of the Buddha. From the three complete trainings of precepts, meditative concentration, and prajna, to the thirty-seven conditions (practices) leading to buddhahood, to the Sangha teaching the Dharma-these are all manifestations of the dharmakaya of the Buddha.

D. The Dharmakaya is Ever-present
The Dharmakaya is everywhere, but it is up to us, especially those of us who have dedicated our lives to the Sangha, to help sentient beings see the dharmakaya. We bear a special responsibility to ensure that the teachings of the Buddha reach all corners of the world. The Buddha often said, "To support the Sangha is to honor me." The dharmakaya is ever present, and it is up to us, the Sangha, to ensure that the Buddha's teachings will live forever in the hearts and minds of the people of this world.
I'd like to conclude our discussion today with an exchange between an emperor of the Tang dynasty and a Ch'an master. This exchange, in poetic form, highlights the dharmakaya as ever present and encompasses many of the same points which we have discussed today. The Tang emperor, Shun-tzuang, once asked the Ch'an master Fu-kuang Ru-mang the whereabouts of the Buddha. The emperor asked:
"From where did the Buddha come?
After nirvana, to where did the Buddha go?
Since we say the Buddha is ever present in this world,
Where is the Buddha now?"
The Ch'an master replied:
"From truth the Buddha came.
After nirvana, to truth the Buddha went.
The dharmakaya fills all space;
Lives always in undeluded minds.
With-thought restores to without-thought;
Attachment returns to non-attachment.
[The Buddha] arrives for the sake of sentient beings;
Leaves for the sake of sentient beings.
Clear and pure like the ocean;
Profound and ever present.
The wise should contemplate,
And have no doubts."
The emperor, still doubting, asked further:
"The Buddha, born in a palace,
Died and entered nirvana, between two trees.
Taught in this world for forty-nine years;
Yet pronounced that he did not speak of any Dharma.
Mountains, rivers, and vast oceans,
The sky, earth, sun, and moon,
There will be a time when they will cease.
Who can say that they are not subject to birth and death?
I still have some questions;
Wise one, please explain."
The Ch'an master again replied:
"The nature of Buddha is truth.
The deluded do not understand.
The dharmakaya is like space;
Has no birth nor death.
With right conditions,
Buddha appears in this world;
When right conditions pass, Buddha enters nirvana.
Reaching sentient beings everywhere,
[Buddha] is like the moon in the water.
Not permanent and yet not intermittent;
No birth and no death.
Lives, yet is never born;
Enters nirvana, yet has not ceased.
When mind sees emptiness,
There is no Dharma to speak of."

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Sounds of the Dharma: Buddhism and Music

Music and Buddhism Music gives us the capacity to express the deepest feelings of the human soul. Whether through holy hymns or sincere chants of praise, it is capable of lifting our minds to an almost sublime state, and, as such, is regarded as having an important role in the promotion of religious teachings. In the world's religions, music has a very important function and a wide range of applications. The teachings of the Buddha mention music on many occasions. In the Amitabha Sutra, it is written that heavenly singing and chanting is heard all day and night as mandara flowers softly rain down from the heavens. All kinds of birds produce beautiful and harmonious music throughout the day and night. Upon the blowing of a gentle breeze, the movements of jewel trees bring about a kind of wondrous music, as if thousands of gentle tunes are being played together in harmony. Upon hearing these melodious sounds, those present naturally become mindful of the Buddha, mindful of the Dharma, and mindful of the Sangha. In accordance, all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are very skilled in utilizing music to spread the Dharma and guide sentient beings to enlightenment.
In Buddhism, sutras sung as hymns and other songs praising the virtues of the Buddhas have attracted and helped purify the hearts of countless disciples. One of the Buddha's teachings (Treatise on the Perfection of Great Wisdom [skt. Mahaprajnaparamita Sastra]) says, "In order to build a Pureland, the Bodhisattvas make use of beautiful music to soften people's hearts. With their hearts softened, people's minds are more receptive, and thus easier to educate and transform through the teachings. For this reason, music has been established as one type of ceremonial offering to be made to the Buddha." In addition to propagating the Dharma (the teachings of the Buddha), there is a long history of adapting Buddhist songs for use in various ceremonies such as weddings, funerals, etc. In this capacity, Buddhist Music plays an integral role in common cultural practices.
Venerable Master Taixu once said, "Music gives the people of a society a means by which they can better communicate their moods and feelings with each other. For instance, if someone plays a certain kind of tune, it is often quite easy for those listening to understand exactly what mood that person is trying to convey. For society to achieve some degree of integration, it is essential to be able to communicate and understand each other's moods and feelings and as a result establish a sense of unity. This is one of the important functions of music." The capacity of music to capture people's attention, touch them deeply, and tug at their heartstrings makes it one of the most beautiful forms of human expression.
Chinese Buddhist Music utilizes a rich variety of musical instruments during chants and hymns. Because these instruments are used in the propagation of Buddhist teachings, they are collectively named Dharma instruments. Other than the inverted bell, which originated in India, the instruments used in traditional Chinese Buddhist Music are native to China. Instruments such as the gong, large bell (ch. qing), large drum (ch. gu), wooden fish, small cymbals, large cymbals and Chinese tambourine punctuate both Chinese folk and Buddhist Music. In modern practice, Chinese Buddhist Music is frequently accompanied by a variety of Chinese orchestral instruments, piano, or traditional European symphony orchestras. From its humble beginnings, Buddhist Music has developed to such an extent that it is currently performed in temples and concert halls throughout the world and can now rival the beauty of western philharmonic orchestras.
The Development of Buddhist Music In India during the time of the Maurya Dynasty (317-180 B.C.E.), powerful King Asoka spared no effort to preserve Buddhism and spread its teachings. This time period witnessed many developments in the field of Buddhist Music such as the inclusion of copper gongs, drums, flutes, conch horns, and harps in Buddhist ceremonial music. As Buddhism spread to Tibet, the Tibetan traditions of Buddhism encouraged the use of song and dance in certain ceremonies. There is, in fact, a section of the sangha that specializes in the performance of music and dance, referred to as Leva Musicians, meaning "Gods of Fragrance and Music." The teachings of the Buddha (Mahavairocana Sutra) say, "In all acts of singing there is truth; every dance portrays reality." In accordance with this, the development of Tibetan Buddhist Music has been allowed to blossom freely, which in turn has helped foster its many distinctive characteristics. In Tibetan Buddhism's larger ceremonies, Lamas can be seen utilizing all kinds of unique and exotic ceremonial instruments such as specialized types of drums, windpipes, spiral conchs, and trumpets. The design and artistry of these instruments is widely regarded as being of intricate beauty.
When Buddhism was first introduced into China (from India), focus was placed primarily on the translation of scriptures, and the teaching of Sanskrit Buddhist hymns was discontinued because of the large differences between these two languages. As Venerable Master Huijiao of the Southern Dynasty period (420-589 C.E.) stated, "Sanskrit words have many syllables, whereas Chinese words are monosyllabic. If you pronounce Sanskrit words but write them in Chinese characters, the text will contain too many syllables and the pace of the music will sound rushed. But, if you sing in Chinese and keep the text in Sanskrit, then you will have to rush through a very long section of text while pronouncing only a few syllables. For this reason, we have made translations of the scriptures, but do not continue to use or teach spoken Sanskrit." In the absence of traditional hymns, monastics later recomposed and adapted classical folk songs along with some music commonly played to royalty and officials in the Imperial Court, which gave rise to the unique flavor and tradition of Chinese Buddhist Music. The earliest collection of Chinese Buddhist hymns date back as far as the Wei Dynasty period (220-265 C.E.). Cao Zhi (the son of the emperor) was renowned for his singing and compositions. According to legend, he was passing through the town of Yushan, in the Shandong province, when he heard a song in Sanskrit apparently emanating from the sky. Touched by the song's beauty, he committed it to memory and later wrote it into a melody entitled "The Yushan Fanbei," the first Buddhist hymn constructed in a Chinese style. This song served as the foundation for the development of Chinese Buddhist Music.
In response to the uniqueness of Chinese Buddhist Music, The Biography of Great Chinese Masters says, "All songs teaching the Dharma that were composed by Indian monastics or lay people are called 'bei' (skt. patha). Intonations or chants of sutras composed in China are known as recitals." The collective name for this type of traditional Buddhist Music is known in Chinese Mandarin as fanbei and has its origins in the time of the Buddha. Another style of ancient Indian chants and hymns became widely popular during the period of the composition of the Vedas. This style of chant was prominently adopted by Buddhism and has its origins in the sabdavidya, (the branch of the classical five great studies of India concerning sound and music). Buddhist hymns composed in this style are collectively referred to in Mandarin as shengbai (Sabda Hymns).
During the time period of the Southern and Northern Dynasties (420-589 C.E.), the contributions of several emperors deeply influenced the development of Buddhist Music. Emperor Wu of the Liang Dynasty, for example, was a devout Buddhist whose great love for Buddhist Music motivated him to write several well-known musical compositions such as Great Joy (ch. Da Huan), The Heavenly Way (ch. Tian Dao), The Cessation of Evil and Wrongdoing (ch. Mie Guo E), and Stopping the Wheel of Suffering (ch. Duan Falun). Though these were originally composed to teach the Dharma, by virtue of their aesthetic value they came to be regarded as quality musical compositions. Emperor Wu also set the precedent for the establishment of Buddhist children's choirs with works including The Children's Joy of the Dharma Song (ch. Fale Tonzi Ji) and Children's Fanbei (ch. Tongzi Yi Ge Fanbei). In addition, he established the Wuzhe Dahui[1] (skt .pancaparisad), held for confession, penance, and remission, the Yulanpen Fahui (skt. ullambhana) ghost festival, and the Liang Wu Repentance Liturgy. Emperor Wu also initiated the practice of singing Buddhist hymns during repentance ceremonies. The contributions of Emperor Wu were instrumental in blending Buddhist Music with that of the mainstream classical Chinese traditions.
From the period of the Northern and Southern Dynasties to the beginning of the Tang Dynasty (618-907 C.E.), the great achievements of monastics in terms of their singing and public speaking abilities stand out prominently in the field of Buddhist Music as being peerless in their time. At the same time, Pureland School monastics composed several songs praising the Buddha that were sufficiently esteemed to be compiled in the Tripitaka. It was during this period that Venerable Huiyuan of Lushan pioneered the use of music as a method of promoting the Dharma and propagating the doctrines of Buddhism.
In recent times, a large volume of Tang Dynasty Buddhist compositions was uncovered in the Dunhuang Caves of China. Primarily concerned with interpretations of the sutras, these compositions are known as Verses for the Common People (ch. Su Jiang), and were the first Chinese Buddhist compositions to adopt a more folk-like style and flavor. This music represents a reform in the style of singing and chanting, and in addition employs a new system of musical notation. Before the end of the Tang Dynasty, the style of Buddhist Music in China had become entirely Chinese and received unprecedented popularity.
Later, during the Yuan Dynasty (1277- 1367 C.E.), Buddhist musicians adapted melodies of the then popular Northern and Southern Dynasty Compositions (ch. Nan Bei Qu). In the Ming Dynasty (1386-1644 C.E.), monastics adapted more than three hundred popular and classical melodies and compiled them on fifty scrolls known collectively as Songs Proclaiming the Titles of all the Honorable Buddhas and Bodhisattvas (ch. Zhu Fo Shizun Rulai Pusa Zunzhe Mingcheng Gequ). Some of the most famous secular music of the time was adapted to create Buddhist pieces. For example, the Song Dynasty piece A Butterfly Falls in Love with a Flower (ch. Die Lian Hua) was rewritten as the Buddhist piece A Spiritual Song (ch. Ju Lingxiang Zhi Qu). Although folk tunes such as these were widely used to propagate the teachings, Buddhist Music had already become quite popular among the common people. However, Buddhist Music still seemed to lack creativity and continued to remain hampered by elements of conservatism.
Upon the formation of the Republic of China in 1912, Buddhist Music slowly began to lose its popularity among the general public and fewer monastics continued the work of writing new compositions. However, in 1930 at the Xiamen City Minnan Buddhist Institute, Venerable Master Taixu in cooperation with Venerable Master Hongyi composed a renowned, beautiful piece called The Song of the Three Treasures (ch. San Bao Ge). At the same time, they made a call to all Buddhist disciples to preserve and carry on the legacy of Buddhist Music. Venerable Master Taixu was motivated in part by his understanding that Buddhist Music is a very convenient means for propagating spiritual education. In addition, he believed that if music could be used to help spread the Dharma, then it would contribute greatly to the diversity and richness of religious education of the public. His associate, Venerable Hongyi, was an accomplished and esteemed musician before entering the order and ten of his songs concerning naturalism and its implications in Buddhist teachings were eventually compiled into an album entitled "The Qingliang Selection (ch. Qingliang Gequ)." During this time, however, most people had limited exposure to Buddhist Music and therefore it did not enjoy widespread popularity.
Recently, there has been an upsurge in the popularity of Buddhist Music resulting from the broad use of hymns and fanbei as a means to promote the Dharma. Given the little encouragement of previous years this is a most welcome sign. During the 1950's, many monastics worked diligently to compose the words for new songs with the help of musicians Yang Yongpu, Li Zhonghe, and Wu Juche. A collection of the songs they composed has been recorded by Fo Guang Shan and released in an album entitled Fo Guang Hymn Collection (ch. Fojiao Shengge Ji). Their efforts serve as a great inspiration to those who wish to carry on work in this field.
In 1957, the Ilan Buddhist Recital Society's youth group choir produced several more Buddhist albums under my supervision. Altogether we produced six albums, which include a total of over twenty compositions. As this was the first time such a project had been undertaken in Buddhist circles, a new epoch in the history of Buddhist Music was born. However, in those days a lot of prominent people in Buddhist circles did not agree with this kind of undertaking. Despite criticism, I continued to feel such projects were important for the propagation of Buddhism, and I decided to remain undeterred in my efforts. Then a few years later in 1979, 1990, 1992, and 1995 my persistence was rewarded by receiving permission to organize some large performances in Taipei's renowned Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall and National Concert Hall. These performances, featuring dances coordinated with Sanskrit songs and other music teaching the Dharma, mark the first time Buddhist hymns had ever been performed in any large public concert facility in Taiwan. In addition, a performance entitled "Paying Homage to the Buddhas of the Ten Directions-A Dance and Song Ceremony in Sanskrit" was held as part of a traditional arts festival at the invitation of the Taipei City Government. This was to mark the first time traditional Buddhist fanbei and modern hymns had been performed alongside popular and more established mainstream styles of Western music, traditional Chinese music, and dance. This pioneering effort certainly served to affirm the newly established status of Buddhist Music in society and was rewarded with significant acknowledgement in all sections of the Buddhist world.
The Contributions of Buddhist Music In addition to songs used to expound the truth of the sutras, Buddhist fanbei also includes an esteemed and beautiful collection of gentle melodies that give praise to all the Buddhas and great Bodhisattvas. These were originally composed as expressions of the deep faith of Buddhist disciples, and by virtue of their beauty, they have left a rich legacy of superb melodies and literature. These include all kinds of gathas praising various Buddhas, such as the Bhaisajyaguru Gatha, the Avalokitesvara Gatha, as well as statements of Buddhist vows, which have contributed significantly to the broadening, enrichment, and variety of Chinese literature. Holy hymns are used in ceremonies for making offerings or inviting the presence of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Excellent pieces such as the solemn Incense Offering Prayer (ch. Lu Xiang Zan), the Incense Prayer for Up- holding the Precepts (ch. Baoding Zan), and the Prayer for Offerings Made to Celestial Beings (ch. Jie Ding Zhenxiang Zan) embody and beautifully express the virtues of respect and religious piety.
Buddhist fanbei has contributed a unique style to the world of music. Characterized by a relaxed and easy pace, soft tones, and a dignified, solemn manner, Buddhist fanbei gives elegant expression to the five virtuous qualities of sincerity, elegance, clarity, depth, and equanimity. According to the Vinaya in Ten Recitations, regularly listening to Buddhist fanbei can give the following five benefits: a reduction in bodily fatigue, less confusion and forgetfulness, a reduction in mental weariness, a more elegant voice, and greater ease in both personal expression and communication. Regarding the regular practice of chanting or singing fanbei, A Record of the Buddhist Religions as Practiced in India and the Malay Archipelago (ch. Nanhai Ji Gui Zhuan) makes mention of six kinds of merits that can be obtained: knowledge of the depth and extent of the Buddha's virtue, an intuitive realization of the truths of the Dharma, a reduction in negative or harmful habits of speech, a clearer and healthier respiratory system, a mind more free from fear and anxiety, and longevity and improved health.
In the practice of Buddhism, fanbei has important functions in daily living, in repentance ceremonies, and in ceremonies accompanying sutra lectures. During daily activities, practitioners regularly chant fanbei such as The Meal Offering Dharani (ch. Gong- yang Zhou) and The Meal Completion Mantra (ch. Jie Zhai Ji) to make offerings and transfer merits to all the Buddhas and all the sentient beings of the six realms. During repentance ceremonies, focus is placed on singing several prayers as a means to guide and teach participants. Before lectures are given on the sutras, incense prayers are sung to invite all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to attend the service, helping to generate a dignified, solemn, reverent, and respectful manner among participants. After the ceremony's conclusion, The Gatha for the Transfer of Merits (ch. Huixiang Ji) is chanted, where the merits for attending the service are dedicated to the benefit of all sentient beings. Through this, attendees express the wish that all sentient beings be relieved of all suffering and come to find lasting happiness.
Buddhist fanbei is not designed to try to elevate or excite the emotions of participants or practitioners, but in fact aims to achieve the opposite effect. Its main function is to conserve emotional energy, calm thoughts, reduce desire, and allow practitioners to see their true nature with a clear mind. The Flower Ornament Sutra and The Lotus Sutra contain phrases such as "conduct ceremonies and teach the Dharma with music" and "with a joyful spirit, sing the truths of the Dharma." From this it can be seen that fanbei has an important role in teaching the Dharma to the public.
Fanbei music has notably influenced and contributed to the cultural legacies of various Chinese empires and dynasties. Before the Tang Dynasty, government artists assumed the work of compiling, editing, and distributing popular musical pieces and artistic growth during that period was limited. How- ever, between the Sui and Tang Dynasties, transport between China's western and eastern regions was unimpeded, resulting in the introduction of music from the outer western and northern regions to China's more heavily populated eastern regions. In addition, wars and continued fighting resulted in the dispersion and loss of many Chinese classics. These factors resulted in a period of renewed creativity and the reinvention of several different musical styles. By the end of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1128 C.E.), local artists began to take on the role of directing the development of popular music. Commoners formed their own organizations and even established official performance halls. As a result, during the Tang Dynasty, Song Dynasty (960-1128 C.E.), and Yuan Dynasty (1277-1367 C.E.), Buddhist temples were able to gradually develop and popularize a new style of giving sermons that featured public talks expounding and publicizing the Dharma sung to fanbei melodies. This popular style of lec- turing was known as the singing lecture technique. This style was successful in attracting the attention of the public and was considered to be a very moving style of vocal music. Documents containing historical details concerning these developments were discovered among hidden pieces of art found in the Dunhuang Caves. These documents show the emergence of a style of symbols employed by the monastics of hundreds of years ago to describe and teach the chanting of Buddhist doctrines. They also contain depictions of solemn-looking ceremonial dances, orchestra constructions, elegant offering ceremony dance postures, and instrument recitals of Indian music. Today, these documents are highly valued as being priceless pieces of historical Chinese literature and underlie an important aspect of Buddhist Music's enormous cultural contributions.
In light of the way traditional Chinese music and Buddhist Music have blended together over a long period of time, Buddhist temples of the past could be considered custodial centers for the preservation and development of traditional ballads. In testimony to this, it was recorded that during the Song Dynasty a famous scholar by the name of Cheng Mingdao attended a ceremony at a Buddhist temple called Guan Yunmen. When he saw the grand formations of classical instruments and heard the crisp sounds of drums and bells he was so excited about what he had discovered that he yelled out, "So! The ritual music of the three dynasties can all be found here!" In pre-contemporary China, recognized scholars were required to be accomplished in a variety of compulsory fields of study, one of which was classical Chinese music. As such, Cheng Mingdao's statement concerning the style of music present is perceived to have the weight of authority.
The contributions of Buddhist music upon the world can be exemplified in a legend involving a famous Buddhist musician. During Sakyamuni Buddha's time on earth (500 B.C.E.) there was a bhiksu named Pathaka whose voice was so beautiful that when he chanted Buddhist fanbei even animals that overheard him were touched. One day, King Kausala was leading a large army to invade Anga (a small state in ancient India) and on the way they en- countered the Jetavana Monastery while Pathaka was in the middle of a chanting service. As soon as the horses heard the sound of Pathaka's chanting, they became so absorbed in the sound that they came to a full stop and refused to advance any further. When the sound reached King Kausala, he was so moved by the beauty of the music that he could not bring himself to shed blood in battle and immediately decided to abandon his campaign and return home.
Modernization of Buddhist Music After I came to Taiwan from China in 1949, I decided on the basis of my sincere vow to spread and publicize the teachings that it would be best to adopt a more modern approach in using hymns to propagate the Dharma. As such, I placed a lot of emphasis on the promotion of Buddhist Music, and advocated a strategy of simplifying the words of tunes to make them easier to understand, as well as using more modern and popular musical styles. It was my hope that Buddhist songs could be composed that most people would find deeply touching, but that were also easy enough for the average person to sing along with. As a result, I personally composed the lyrics to several Buddhist songs and led the Ilan Buddhist youth group choir in a premier performance of the Sound of Buddhism concert group on the Minben radio station in 1954. In addition, I made it a point to institutionalize the singing of modern Buddhist hymns during all types of Buddhist activities. At that time a lot of people opposed this very strongly, even saying such methods could destroy Buddhism. However, history verifies that this strategy has been a success. The drawing power of music has indeed encouraged many people to enter into the Buddhist community, where a significant amount have slowly been transformed spiritually as a result of being in constant contact with the teachings. In addition, it has encouraged many talented youth to become active in Buddhism, and many have later gone on to make life-long commitments and enormous contributions to Buddhism, such as Venerable Tzu Hui and Venerable Tzu Jung. Even though there have been many setbacks and obstructions, I maintained my conviction to bring a degree of modernization to Buddhist Music.
The idea to modernize Buddhist Music is based on a need to respond to changes in society in order to provide the most appropriate and suitable methods to help purify the hearts and minds of the public. Indeed, the lifestyle common to most people today is very busy and quite stressful, and with many people seeming to have no place to take any kind of spiritual refuge it can often become quite easy for them to lose themselves. However, the pure and clear sounding melodies of Buddhist Music provide a way to communicate the higher spiritual states of mind that are advocated by the Dharma, and can serve to enrich and reenergize the hearts of the people.
Buddhist melodies are characterized as being strong, but not fierce; soft, but not weak; pure, but not dry; still, but not sluggish, and able to help purify the hearts of listeners. Through using music to perform the task of spreading the Dharma and saving sentient beings, we can reach the most remote places and overcome the limitations of time and distance, as well as differences in cultural backgrounds and nationalities. Music can help us achieve the task of widely propagating the Dharma and spreading the wisdom and compassionate vows of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas across every corner of the globe.
Modernized Buddhist Music is focused on bringing harmony into people's everyday lives, purifying people's minds, and performing the function of educating and transforming listeners so as to bring their emotions in line with the teachings of the Dharma. With modern media and information equipment constantly improving, we need to make full use of technology to find more efficient means to give Buddhist Music public coverage, such as through the use of electronic broadcasting media including television and radio stations. We need to use music to break through the barriers of differences in cultural backgrounds, social customs, and languages. By using all sorts of equipment such as classical instruments, laser disks, electronic organs, the piano, and many other kinds of musical implements we can create and distribute music that can suit the tastes and meet the needs of people from around the world.
The following are five guiding principles I have put forward to further the modernization and popularization of Buddhist Music:
1. Buddhist Music should not be something unique to temples and monastic life, but should move towards spreading out to the general public.
2. In addition to Buddhist verses and chanted prayers, we need to continue creating more and more new musical pieces.
3. Those propagating Buddhism should from now on do more to advocate the use of music, and should use music to attract the public to study Buddhism.
4. Buddhists can start to form bands, choirs, orchestras, classical music troupes, etc. to use music to spread and teach the Dharma.
5. I hope that from this day on, we can see new musical talent make a mark in Buddhist history in the same mould of the likes of Asvaghosa Bodhisattva and Venerable Master Hongyi.
In addition to the techniques and styles of ceremonial music honoring the Buddhas that are now regarded as defining Buddhist Music, we can begin to mix the solemn spirit of Buddhist melodies with some of the qualities of contemporary music to take the modernization of Buddhist Music to a whole new level.

[1] A seven-day vegetarian festival for the public.

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Speaking of Love and Affection

Dear Dharma Friends,
The topic we are going to talk about today is "Love and Affection." Some of you may be a bit surprised by our choice of topic because most people associate love and affection with a man-woman relationship. This is not exactly correct. Love and affection also applies to relationships in families, between friends, and among a nation's fellow citizens.
The world of love is wide and expansive. We do not only love our parents, friends, or countries; we may also love many other things. Some people love plants and flowers; others love their pets. Some other people love to collect mineral rocks, stamps, or matchboxes, and they derive a lot of joy from their collections. It is just as natural to love sentient beings with whom we can share our emotions as it is to love insentient things that do not understand our emotions.
Very often, we hear people raise this question: Where do we come from? The sutras tell us that we human beings arise out of love; in fact, it is said in the sutras, "When one's love is not strong, one will not be born into the saha world." In Buddhist literature, human beings are referred to as sentient beings. Love is the source of life and our existence represents a continuum of love and affection.
While some kinds of love are "healthy," others are "unhealthy"; some are "giving," others are "possessive." What is love? Love has its pluses and minuses. From the perspective of its pluses, love gives us the strength to make sacrifices, to give, to encourage, and to be compassionate. [Love is like a roadmap; it gives life direction and a clear visibility of life's destination. Love is like a blanket; it provides us with warmth and security. Love is like a box of chocolates; it is sweet and full of surprises.] From the perspective of its minuses, love is like a piece of rope; it can be binding and restrictive. Love is like a lock; it can shackle us and make us restless. Love can be blinding; it can keep us in the dark without us even aware of it. Love is like the honey on a sharp blade; it can entice us to lick the blade, even at the risk of cutting our tongues and risking our lives. Love can be like a sea of suffering; its turbulent tall waves can trap us in its depths.
We all want to be loved by others. Others go a step further and want to share their love with the many that their lives touch. Regardless if we love or are loved by others, we have to be watchful that our love does not turn sour. Love and hate are inseparable, one shadowing the other. If we do not love properly, if we do not expand our love to all, and if we do not elevate our love [for a few] to compassion for all, love can turn into hate. Today, I'd like to discuss with you four different levels of love and affection.

I. Everyday Love
[Everyday love is also most basic and common. This includes love between a man and a woman, between a parent and a child, among family members, and between friends. While love can be blissful, there are times when love can hurt. While most of us know or long for the joys of love, we may not understand why love can cause us so much pain. Because of this, I believe it is more useful if we spend the next few minutes talking about the latter.] When love is parochial, finite in capacity, and limited in scope, it often becomes possessive and clinging in nature. There are three main situations when love causes us problems:

A. When the object of our love is inappro-priate
It is human nature to love someone with whom we feel a special affinity, but when the object of our love is inappropriate, our love can bring us many headaches. When we love someone who is spoken for or is married to another person, our love is destined for troubles. It takes two to love; when we love someone who has no feeling for us, it is like banging our head against the wall. Depending on the object of our love, we should also moderate our intensity accordingly. If not, problems will ensue.

B. When our perspective of love is inappro-priate
[One of the most common, though faulty, perspectives of love is to view love as some kind of trade.] Some people believe that, because of their personal wealth, they can buy love. Others dare not love others who are more affluent that they are. Some other people would not consider falling into love with someone without first considering that person's looks, education, profession, or how wealthy his or her family is. In these instances, love is looked at as a kind of trade; this is an erroneous perspective of love. True love does not speak of requirements and prerequisites; true love is about giving.

C. When the manner in which we love is in-appropriate
Some people only love themselves and have little regard for how others feel. In their continual pursuit of personal enjoyment, some even engage in extra-marital affairs. Others let their own emotions cloud their judgement; they become partial to people they love and overly critical of others they dislike. Sometimes, love is like a pair of colored glasses, preventing us from seeing the true face of those we love. No wonder we say that love is blind. There is a common Chinese saying which we can use as our guide, "Know the ills of those we love and the goodness of those we dislike." When we love properly, love brings out the best in each one of us.
While the excessive love of a parent for his or her child can spoil the child and ruin the child's life, the love of a parent, when in moderation, can give enormous support for the child and help the child grow up well. I still remember some twenty years ago, when Venerable Tzu Chuang decided to renounce the household life to become a monastic, her parents came to witness the ordination ceremony. With tears in their eyes, they gave her a warm smile. Why were they both happy and sad? Although it is quite common now for young college graduates to enter the monastic life, it was quite unusual at that time. On the one hand, her parents wanted to spend the rest of their lives with their child; on the other hand, they recognized their daughter's love and dedication to the Dharma. Their tears, as well as their smiles, left a strong impression in my memory.
At this point, you may think that there is no room in Buddhism for the kind of love that exists between a man and a woman, or between a husband and wife. This is not the case at all. Buddhism does not disapprove of wholesome love between a man and a woman; what Buddhism disapproves of is love that is unhealthy and unsound. It is unfortunate when love becomes the cause of problems and heartbreaks. When I read in the newspaper about the many alarming stories of love-driven assaults or even homicides, I cannot help but lament how tragic it is not to love properly.
Love is about giving; even if we cannot make huge sacrifices for our loved ones, the least we can do is not to hurt them. In the Documentary of the Warring Period, Yueh Yi once said, "When a gentleman breaks off a friendship, he does not speak ill of the other party. When a patriotic official is asked to leave the emperor's court, he does not try to clear his name." Similarly, while most people would like to see their romance develop into marital bliss, it is important to know how to handle a relationship when it fails. When friends part ways, they should do so amiably and not bear a grudge against the other party. How can one make an enemy out of someone whom one has once loved? To defame or destroy another person just because of a failed relationship is so unnecessary.
Some people describe how people love this way: Young people love with their words, middle-aged adults love with their actions, and elder people love with their hearts. What this means is that how we love matures with age. Likewise, our love also evolves as we grow in spiritual maturity. From loving ourselves, our love grows to loving our families and to loving the entire human race.

II. Heroic Love
What kind of love is heroic-remarkable and extraordinary? How does it differ from the everyday love we talked about in the previous section? I am going to give a few examples here to help us answer these questions.

A. Selfless love for the country
Ta Yu was a well-known virtuous man of ancient China. During that time, there was a major flood, and many people lost their farms and homes. The emperor assigned Yu to see what could be done to divert the river water and alleviate the floods. Thirteen years he was away from home, supervising the project. He was so dedicated to finishing the project and thus relieving his fellow countrypeople of further pain that, during these thirteen years, three times he passed his house and three times he did not stop to visit with his family. In his love for his country and fellow countrypeople, there was little time for himself and his family. Such selfless love for the country is a very good example for all of us to emulate.
During the Warring Period in ancient China, there was a government official by the name of Chiu Yuan. He was very patriotic and was very trusted by then Emperor Chu Hwai. When some of the corrupt officials began to see themselves losing ground to Chiu Yuan, they began to spread rumors about Chiu Yuan. Unfortunately, the emperor believed the rumors and distanced himself from Chiu Yuan, finally dispatching him to a far-away post. Even then, Chiu Yuan loved his emperor and maintained high hopes that his country would not fall into the hands of these corrupt officials. He would rather give his life in patriotism than to kow-tow to the plans of the political parasites. When he was ordered by the emperor to implement a policy put forward by the corrupt officials or to face death, he chose death. He jumped into Mi-low Lake and took his own life. Since the villagers could not recover his body, they rowed about the lake in boats and made loud noises with their drums so that the fishes would be scared away and not feed on his body. In fact, this is the beginning of the Dragon Boat Festival. From many of the letters left behind by Chiu Yuan, we can see his steadfast love for his country. He would rather give his own life than to watch helplessly his country on the decline. This is another example of selfless patriotic love for the country.
During the later years of Sung dynasty, China was divided into Northern Sung and Southern Sung. When the poet Lu Fang-weng lay dying on his death-bed, he told his sons, "As I lay dying, I should know that all phenomena are empty; however, I grieved I did not see the unification of the nine states. On the day General Hwang reclaims the north, please do not forget to tell me the news when you make your ancestral offerings." This kind of love for the country is another example of remarkable love.

B. Selfless love for others
One of the Buddha's cousins was a general by the name of Mahanaman. He was responsible for guarding the city of Kapilavastu. When the city was attacked and was about to fall into the hands of the enemies, he pleaded with the other general, "Please do not kill my countrypeople. But if you have to, can you please wait until I resurface after jumping down to the bottom of the river." The other general was none other than the fierce King Virudhaka. He looked at Mahanaman and answered, "As it is, you and your countrypeople have no escape but to die. Alright, I am going to grant you your last wish." Mahanaman then jumped into the river and disappeared. A long time passed and he still did not float back up. Virudhaka was getting impatient and sent his people to the bottom of the river to find out what happened. They found Mahanaman at the bottom of the river with his hair tied to a tree root. In giving his life, he bought some time for his fellow countrypeople to escape out of the city. This kind of willingness to sacrifice oneself for others is a form of fearless love. It is, indeed, extraordinary love.

C. Selfless love for the Dharma
Within Chinese Buddhism, we have all heard of Master Hsuan-tsang. He was also referred to as the "Confucius of Chinese Buddhism." Master Hsuan-tsang was remembered for his determination to go to India to learn about Buddhism and bring sutras back to China. To do this, he had to cross over eight hundred miles of desert. One day while in the desert, the water that he and his entourage were carrying suddenly all spilled out. The situation was really grim because there was little chance they could cross the desert without water. Under the fierce sun and with dying thirst, he made this very famous vow: "I would rather die trying to take the last step westward than try to make it back east alive." This fervor for truth is also a form of remarkable love.
If you look at how the Japanese live, eat, and dress, you will see that there is a heavy flavor of Chinese influence. Who was the first to introduce Chinese culture to Japan? To this, we have to credit Venerable Chien-chen of the Tang dynasty. He was a forefather of the area of Yangchou, where I grew up. In order to realize his dream of going to Japan to spread the Dharma, he tried to cross the sea to Japan on seven different occasions and over a twelve-year period. One time, he was stopped by government officials; another time, he was robbed clean by bandits. On another trial, he had to turn back because of bad weather and turbulent seas. There was even one time when he was sold out by one of his disciples. After six difficult attempts, he finally arrived in Japan at the age of sixty, blinded in both eyes. Even with all these hardships, his resolve of spreading the Dharma in Japan remained unshaken. He also made this moving remark about his experience: "What is the risking of life in the face of great undertakings?" He did not hesitate to give up his life for the chance of spreading the Dharma. His compassion of spreading the truth to all was a remarkable love for others.

D. To love one's parents to the best of one's abilities
The Buddha's disciple, Maudgalyayana, was a filial son. After his mother passed away, he learned with his supernatural powers that his mother was suffering in hell. His love for his mother was so great that he did not hesitate to go to hell to help console his mother in her suffering. His dedication to his mother so moved the Buddha that the Buddha told him only the united efforts of the whole Sangha could alleviate his mother's suffering. This is the beginning of Ullambana. In this way, not only was he able to save his mother, many others are able to help their deceased relatives. This form of filial behavior is the direct transformation of a remarkable love.
Ch'an Master Tao-chi of North Chi dynasty was another example of a filial son. When he traveled about spreading the Dharma, he carried his books and mother in baskets suspended from a bamboo pole set across his shoulders. When others offered him a hand, he would politely decline and say, "This is my mother who gave me life and raised me. I should be the one to take care of her." Chen Tzun-su of Tang dynasty was a very accomplished Ch'an master. He was also very attentive to his mother. He earned his living by mending shoes; thus, he was also called Chen the Shoesmith.
There are many other examples of selfless love for one's parents. Filial love is a true and pure form of emotions; it is also a manifestation of what extraordinary love is.

E. To love one's students like oneself
The following examples serve to show how past masters loved their students and followers. To teach and train their students, they used varying methods and seized every opportunity possible. With love and dedication, the bond between a teacher and his students was forever sealed.
It was recorded in Lun-U how heart-broken Confucius was when he learned of the death of his student, Yen Hwei. He wailed and said repeatedly, "The heavens have let me down!" His tears fully captured his feelings for his students. He was saddened by the premature death of his student; he grieved at the loss of someone with great potential. His love for his student was most compassionate and remarkable.
Milaraspa traveled far and wide looking for a teacher. After extensive search and travels, Milaraspa finally found Marpa to be his Dharma teacher. His teacher asked him, "You said you want to call me your teacher. Let me ask you what you have to offer me?"
Milaraspa prostrated respectfully and said, "I am going to offer you all that I engage in my actions, speech, and thought."
With this, Marpa agreed to accept him as his disciple. One day, Marpa told Milaraspa, "You are a strong young man. I want you to build me a stone house so that I can store all my sutras. Once it is completed, I will teach you the Dharma."
Milaraspa was most delighted. When he asked his teacher for a sketch of what he wanted, his teacher told him, "I want you to go to the tip of the east face of the mountain and build me a circular house. The roads are steep and treacherous, but your hard work can help you burn off your bad karma."
Milaraspa worked day in and day out. When it was about half finished, his teacher came up the mountain. He took off his half-moon shaped topcoat, folded it a few times and left it on the floor. He then turned toward Milaraspa and said, "This does not look like a good spot. I want you to take the house apart and move to the west face of the mountain. I want you to build me a house that looks like this garment here."
Frustrated and speechless, he complied. When he was about half-way done, his teacher again came up the mountain and said, "The house still does not look right. I want you to take this apart and move all the materials to the north face of the mountain. There I want you to build me a triangular-shaped house to symbolize what a true cultivator I am."
Milaraspa again followed his teacher's direction. Rain or shine, he worked non-stop, hoping to finish the house. It was about a third completed when his teacher came up the mountain and asked him, "Who told you to build this house?"
Nervously, Milaraspa replied, "You personally asked me to build you this house."
The teacher looked puzzled. Scratching his head, he said, "Oh! I can't really recall anything like this. Why would I ask you to build me a triangular-shaped house at this poor location? It looks like the type of altar used by cults. Do you want to do me harm? Take it apart! Take it apart! I want you to go to the south side and build me a square-shaped house. I want it to be nine stories tall, on top of which is one more floor for storage, for a total of ten stories. Once it is completed, I will teach you the Dharma!"
Just with a few words, all of Milaraspa's efforts were washed down the drain. In this way, building and de-constructing, many months and years passed. He was exhausted and physically beat. Some of his fellow students could not bear to see him suffer alone and so offered to help him move tiles and bricks. When the teacher found out, he exploded and scolded Milaraspa, "I asked you to build me a house. Did I say that you can ask others for help? Why are you so lazy and ask others for help?" His teacher did not only yell at him, he also gave him a few blows with a club. When he could no longer bear the pain, he let out a little squeal. Instead of comforting him, the teacher continued to reprimand him, "Why are you crying? When you first came and wanted to be my student, did you not say that you wanted to offer me all your actions, speech, and thought. I am just striking what is mine, and I am only yelling at what is mine. What is there for you to cry about?"
What Milaraspa had to endure is beyond our imagination; he tacitly accepted all kinds of hardships. After a few years, Milaraspa attained enlightenment and became an arhat. On the night that he attained enlightenment, his teacher embraced him crying, "When I first saw you, I realized you were one of those rare individuals with great potential. This is why I had to put you through the toughest tests so that you may soon attain enlightenment. When I reprimanded you, hit you, and was just outright unreasonable toward you, my heart ached with pain. But when I thought about the good it would do you in the future, I just have to hide my pain and continue to task you." What looked unreasonable on the surface was in fact a teacher's love for his students. It was his way to groom his student for greatness.
When I entered monkhood many years ago as a young man, I was lucky enough to be educated in a similar fashion. On the day when we entered the hall to be ordained, all the precept masters were seated in a row. I remember the precept master asking us sternly, "Today, you are here to be ordained. Are you coming here today because you want to or because your teacher wants you to?"
Someone immediately answered, "It is my desire to come here today to be ordained."
When the precept master heard his reply, he took up his rattan stick and began beating this student. Afterwards, he said, "How dare you come here without being asked by your teacher!"
It was another precept master's turn; he asked us the same question, "Are you here today because you want to or because you were asked to?"
The other students saw what happened earlier, so one of them got smart. He stood up and said carefully, "Please be patient with me, I am here today because my teacher asked me to come."
He thought he was very clever; instead his answer did not put him in any better light. The precept master gave him a beating and said, "If your teacher had not ask you to come, does it mean that you would not be here today?"
Upon reflection, the precept master did have a point. Did we have to be asked to come to be ordained? Did we not have the commitment to enter monkhood on our own? Next, it was another precept master's turn. Like the two before him, he asked us the same question. With both experiences behind us, we thought we knew better. One of us said, "My teacher did tell me to come to be ordained, but I myself also want to come." He thought that such an answer could not go wrong. He could never have guessed that his answer would also bring him the same punishment as the two other students before him. After the punishment, the precept master said, "You are too smooth."
Next, we were told to appear before another precept master. This time, the question was quite different. The precept master asked, "Have you ever violated the precept of killing?" Now, killing is a very serious offense, so we all shook our heads and said, "No, we have never violated the precept of killing."
The precept master then said, "Impossible! Are you telling me that you have never swatted a fly or stepped on an ant before? It is obvious that all of you are lying." With this, the precept master gave each one of us a few strokes. I guessed he was right. We were not telling the whole truth, and we deserved to be punished. Then, another precept master asked us if we had violated the precept of killing. This time we replied, "Yes teacher, we have violated the precept of killing."
"This is violation of the precepts and calls for punishment." With these words, the precept master gave each one of us a few strokes with a whip. As the day progressed, we did not want to answer any questions put before us. Helplessly, we just said, "Teacher, if you want to punish us, please do so."
On the surface, this form of teaching method looks ridiculous and unreasonable. As it turned out, what our teachers wanted to do was use unreasonableness to teach us to let go of our reasoning intellect and to use feelinglessness to teach us how to deal with our emotions. If we could surrender ourselves in the face of unreasonableness and feelinglessness, then would we not be more apt to accept the truth? Their demonstration of unreasonableness and feelinglessness was, in fact, a tool to teach us to let go of our stubborn delusions. It was out of compassion that our teachers were so unfeeling. Looking back, I was indeed very lucky to have the opportunity to be trained under the old school. The training was tough and painful, but without pain, how could there be greatness? If we were not to throw iron scraps into the smelter, how could we get steel? The stringent test we had to go through was a blessing. When I look at the youths of today, I do feel sorry for them. They do not have the opportunity to be so tested; the education of today does not instill in our youths the spirit of toughness and endurance. Discipline, when coupled with compassion and remarkable love, is a means for teachers to truly prepare their students for greatness in the future.

III. Enlightened Love
There are many levels of love. When we extend our love from loving our spouse to loving our siblings, to loving our relatives and friends, to loving our neighbors, our fellow countrypeople, all animals, and to all sentient beings, our love also matures. In this way, basic love first transforms into heroic love, which further matures into enlightened love.
A lot of us have heard about Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. Before he became a bodhisattva, he cultivated at the hills of Chiu-hua in An-hwei. This was a region of very steep hills and few people. At that time, there was a young boy living with him. One day, this youngster could no longer bear to live in such isolation, so he asked to leave the temple and go back down to the village below. Ksitigarbha escorted the youngster down the mountain and offered him a poem as a parting gift. From the sentiments of the poem, we can see the transcendental love that bodhisattvas have for us. The poem goes like this:
Within the quiet gates of this temple you long for your family;
As you descend the mountain, you say goodbye to this temple in the clouds.
You love to ride bamboo horses within bamboo fences
Rather than collect gold sand in this land of gold.
Do not try to pick up the moon in the water while filling the vase;
Or try to play with the flowers in the water while washing the basin in the pond.
Go, and do not shed a tear for me;
This old man has the clouds in the sky to keep him company.

In the first stanza, Ksitigarbha captured the feeling of the youngster: how lonely he was within the gates of the quiet temple and why he wanted to return to his home in the village. In the second stanza, Ksitigarbha cautioned him what he was giving up in his leaving the temple. He described the little boy's desire of wanting to ride bamboo horses and play games rather than cultivate within the walls of the temple. In the third stanza, Ksitigarbha left words of advice for the youngster to keep in mind. He told the little boy that when he took a vase to go to the river to fill it up with water, he would see the reflection of the moon in the water. He warned the boy not to try to pick up the moon in the water for it was just a reflection. Life in the world is illusive, too. Ksitigarbha also told the boy that he when he washed the basin in the pond, he should be careful not to mistake the reflections of trees and flowers in the water as a flowery world in the pond. In the fourth stanza, Ksitigarbha comforted the youngster so that he would not feel guilty about leaving him. He told him to go and do not feel sorry for him. Although he, Ksitigarbha himself, lived in the quiet temple on the mountain, he could still find company in the fleeting fog and the floating clouds of the sky.
From this poem, we can see the love and affection bodhisattvas and arhats have for us. The feelings Ksitigarbha had for the little boy is multi-dimensional. He knew how the little boy felt, provided him with guidance, and even comforted him. Each word was superbly chosen and rich in meaning.
When Venerable Dao-chi of Tang dynasty was the abbot of the Fu-kan Temple in Yi-chou, he opened the temple to many lepers, many of whom had open stenchful sores. Venerable Dao-chi was not at all put off by their condition; he even lived and ate with them. He also dressed their sores and helped them with their baths. Some of his disciples made excuses and tried to keep their distance from the lepers. Finally, someone asked the Venerable, "Venerable, you spend time with the lepers everyday. Are you not afraid that you will also become infected?"
Venerable Dao-chi smiled gently and said, "What we call clean or dirty is the result of our discriminating mind. If we do not have any dislikes in our minds, how can aversions arise? When our mind is pure, everything and everywhere is pure. If a monk like myself cannot even let go of this bit of delusion and let compassion arise in its place, I should be ashamed of myself for not living in accordance with the Dharma."
Such is the love of arhats and bodhisattvas. Their love is embracive, their compassion knows no discrimination, and their view of self and others is rooted in equality.
Maha-Kasyapa was one the Buddha's great disciples. He was also an arhat. Maha-Kasyapa's parents, who were very affluent, wanted him to get married. Getting married was really not in Maha-Kasyapa's plans, for he wanted to dedicate his life to Buddhist cultivation. After being repeatedly pressured by his parents, he had no choice but to appease his parents. In order to buy some time, he asked a goldsmith to sculpt a statue of a beautiful young maiden. He took the sculpture to his parents and told them that he would marry only if he could find someone as elegant as the gold sculpture. In order to get his son to marry, his parents had no choice but asked a few servants to carry the sculpture around the country looking for someone that could match its beauty. The servants first spread words that the golden statue was really an image of a deva and would bring good luck to all young maidens who would come to pay her respect. This way, all young maidens got wind of this wonderful statue, and they all came forward to pay their respects. Among the many who came, there was one who was so striking in her beauty that the gold statue paled in comparison. She was the beautiful maiden Subhadra. They finally asked for the permission of her parents and brought her back to Maha-Kasyapa's parents.
Maha-Kasyapa had no choice but to keep his promise to his parents, and the two were married. As it turned out, this young lady also wanted to dedicate her life to cultivation, and she complained to Maha-Kasyapa, "This is really my parents' idea. They wanted me to marry you because of your family's wealth. As for me personally, I would rather live a life of cultivation." When Maha-Kasyapa heard this, he told her, "Good. I also want to live a life of cultivation. Then why don't we practice separately." Thus, though they were husband and wife in name, they both continued their own course of cultivation. After twenty years when both sets of parents had passed away, they finally got their wish to renounce the household life and lived a monastic life. They became a bhiksu and a bhiksuni respectively. Although Subhadra became a bhiksuni, her beauty still attracted the attention of many men. When she went out to beg for alms, men would follow her and tease her. She was so taken aback by all the unwanted attention that she dared not go out to beg for alms. When Maha-Kasyapa saw what was happening to Subhadra, whom he called his wife once upon a time, he felt compassion for her and shared with her whatever food he got from his alms round. Others misread his compassion and began to circulate rumors by saying, "Look! They said they were only husband and wife in name, but they are still such a loving couple even though they are now in the Sangha." Subhadra lamented that her physical beauty was in fact a burden, so she disfigured herself in the hope that she could become a bhiksuni who was ugly in appearance but beautiful in her cultivation. From this, we can see the enlightened love and affection of arhats is different from the worldly way we normally perceive love.
Most people think that arhats, who are no longer bound by worldly emotions, are without emotions. This is not true at all. Though arhats have severed the ties of emotions, they are rich in emotions. They are enlightened individuals who are rich in personality and true to their character. When we say arhats are empty of emotions, what we mean is that they have transcended the limited scope of man-woman kind of love, and that they have expanded their love for a few to a limitless and selfless compassion for all. From loving one's spouse, children, and family, we extend our love to the Dharma and all sentient beings. Thus, true love does not speak of possessing others. True love is the touching of others' lives and the giving of ourselves for all.

IV. The Buddha's Kind of Love
The Buddha is a fully enlightened individual; what is the Buddha's emotional life like?
As a lot of you may have known, the Buddha's mother died seven days after giving birth to the Buddha. The Buddha, who had always wanted to preach the Dharma to his mother to thank her for delivering him into this world, finally fulfilled his wish and went to Trayastrimsas Heaven to preach the Dharma to his mother. When King Suddhodana, the father of the Buddha, passed away, all the princes expressed their desire to be pallbearers. Though the Buddha was the fully enlightened one and was most revered, he still insisted on being one of the pallbearers for hi