The Symbolic Meanings of the Buddhas from the East and West

 Q&A (2021/10/24)

VERSE 142

Because Lady Vaidehī experienced the suffering of this world deeply, she did not want to be reborn in this world, so the Buddha told her about the Most Blissful Pure Land. ……

1. Who is Lady Vaidehī? Is she associated with a sutta?

~> Pāli Vedehī. The wife of King Bimbisāra 頻婆沙羅 of Magadha, and the mother of Ajātaśatru 阿闍世. When the king was imprisoned, she asked the Śākyamuni to preach, and he responded by delivering the sermon of the *Guan wuliangshou jing 觀無量壽經. Throughout the sutra, Vaidehī and Ānanda serve as the main recipients of the sermon, which consists of a series of instructions on how to contemplate in a way that will bring rebirth into the Pure Land. At the end of the sutra, she receives assurance from the Buddha that she will be reborn in the Pure Land. She also appears in the Lotus Sutra. Her name is translated as 思惟, 思勝, 勝妙身, etc. (quoted from http://www.buddhism-dict.net/ddb/)

*Guan wuliangshou jing 觀無量壽經 : Sutra of the Meditation on the Buddha of Immeasurable Life

The Medicine Buddha's Pure Land is in the east, which symbolizes growth, whereas Amitâbha Buddha's Pure Land is in the west, which symbolizes retirement. ……

2. As mentioned in the Mandala: 

a) In regards to Abitaba: Does retirement mean death? 

~> The word “retirement” is actually translated from 歸藏，歸(gui) literally means return, back to the where we belong (back to pure land); 藏(zang) literally means a place that full of treasure (the treasure of merits and happiness).

b) Is there an East Medicine  West Amitâbha Yin Yang connection here?

~> YIN陰YANG陽, is two forces of creativity from classical Chinese philosophy, and first defined extensively in the Yijing [易經]. However, in Buddhism does not explicitly mention the concept of yin and yang.

~> We have countless of Buddhas in all directions, and emphasizing East and West here in Mahāyāna Buddhism, is mainly to conform to the two general tendencies of the people: some people focus on this life, while others focus on the afterlife.

Medicine Buddha made twelve great vows with great compassion. His aim was to develop knowledge, to promote enterprises, to save and heal those with bodily defects, poverty, illness, and helplessness, to enable people to enjoy abundant clothing and food, to keep people from believing in deviant teachers and non-Buddhists……

3. Why is the word enterprising used? And the word abundant? 

~> “To Promote Enterprise” may not be a precise translation, it is actually meant: to boost the economy, develop opportunities, make society thrive, and people can live and work in peace and contentment. And this is one of the vow from Medicine Buddha.

~> Food, clothing, sheltering and medicine can be said to be everyone's basic needs in life. 

~> We can learn from the news that the living conditions of the people in some countries are extremely terrible due to the lack of basic living materials.  Not only are there many diseases, but people also ignore moral values ​​because of poverty, and commit crimes frequently, resulting in social chaos and uneasiness. Hence, “ABUNDANCE” is also a vow of Medicine Buddha, and the Medicine Buddha wishes that all beings will live in a world of abundance.

So Yu Lin was full of praise: "In the world there are cranes that can carry one to Yangzhou; there is also the boat of the Tathagata' s virtue that can ferry one to the other shore." 

4. What is the Tathagata's virtue and how does it work?

~> It is actually referring to what we have studied right now, all the pāramitās.

~> The virtues of the Tathagata are actually achieved through learning the way of the Buddhahood.

~> The six paramitas are the good causes, and they are called the virtue of the Buddha when they are fully accomplished.

~> When a bodhisattva has attained the virtue of the Buddha, it is like moving away from THIS SHORE which is full of troubles and fears to the OTHER SHORE which is free from all kinds of suffering and defilement.

VERSE 143

Some people casually practice this or that, without determination and perseverance, and eventually develop bad habits and accomplish nothing.

5. “Since people practice this or that casually”...…What would be an example of this? Does it mean practicing without the goal of enlightenment?

~> Some practitioners like to listen to the Dharma everywhere, but never practice it. I think it is a common example.

~> This is to urge every practitioner, “Once one has started to practice, one should proceed from the beginning to the end without giving up. Only in this way can one develop firm will power.”

~> I would like to suggest that the “purpose of practice” is more important than the “goal”.

Practitioners who looking for Easy Path

 Q&A (2021/09/26)

From the book The Way to Buddhahood, verse 139,

Those who are timid and inferior,

Wish to have an easy path to practice.

1. When the author refers to incalculable weath ...what is meant by that? Is it literal or of the wisdom mind?

～》This is a parable recorded in the Lotus Sūtra: It is said that the poor man was originally the son of the elder who has incalculable wealth (enormously rich), and was separated from the elder when he was very young.  Therefore, he didn't know his origin. After he grew up, he wandered around to the elders' homes. Seeing the luxurious mansion, he was terrified. He wanted to go away quickly, but he was kept by the elder, because the elder discovered that the young man was his long-lost child. The elderly hope that the young man can inherit his family business, but how can young people who have been poor for many years have the confidence to manage that huge asset? Therefore, the elder uses all kinds of convenience and skill to rebuild the young man's confidence, so that he gradually accepts his background and abilities.

～》This parable is used by the Buddha to encourage those who lack of self-confidence (in taking Bodhisattva path), just as the elders used various methods to guide the poor man to accept his origin and identity【potential to become a buddha】. In order to bear the huge family business and wealth fearlessly 【helping sentient beings with hesitation】.

2. What is the "Timid fundamental nature" in the 2nd paragraph?

～》In fact, all sentient beings have the "possibility of becoming Buddha." In other words, everyone has Buddha Nature.

～》From the inner possibility of becoming a Buddha, we are all extremely wealthy people. However, long-term behaviors in the cycles of birth and death corresponding to the defilements make us feel that we have a timid and inferior fundamental nature.

～》As a practitioner of the Two Vehicles (Śrāvaka & Pratyekabuddha), who usually focused on personal attainment, will feel timid and inferior when compared to the Buddha. 

～》However, please bear in mind: a Śrāvaka or Pratyekabuddha who is free from defilements will definitely not compare themselves with others and feel that they are inferior to others. The TIMIDITY mentioned in the sutra refers to being able to attain Buddhahood but without completing it, and being able to help sentient beings but only focusing on one's own liberation. 

～》By bringing up the concept of TIMIDITY is to ENCOURAGE everyone to realize their potential (having buddha nature and becoming buddha), and does not mean to belittle Śrāvaka or Pratyekabuddha at all.

3. What is your interpretation of the last paragraph in verse 139? Starting with “This is similar...…”

～》This is a Q&A excerpted from the Daśabhūmivibhāṣā Śāstra, “Chapter on Easy Practice”（《十住毘婆沙論．易行品》）between a questioner and Nāgārjuna（龍樹菩薩）.

～》Before going to their Q&A, there’s a Buddhist term that we should know, which is “avivartins” or “avaivartika”. It is usually rendered into English as 'irreversible', 'non-retrogressing,' in the book is ‘nonretreaters’, in chinese is 不退轉 or 阿惟越致.

～》“avaivartika” literally means 'not liable to turn back’, it refers to a particular type of bodhisattva whose future enlightenment is assured. When we say someone has attained the stage of non-retrogression（得不退轉地）, it means that they have be assured of becoming a buddha. Not to overstate, this is the dream achievement of every person who devotes themselves to the path of Bodhisattva. 

～》Now, comes the questioner’s query, “what a pity if one vows to attain buddhahood, but retrogress and just become a Śrāvaka or Pratyekabuddha! Please tell us, is there any Easy Path (Easy Practice) that we can take, which lead us to the stage of non-retrogression（得不退轉地）?”

～》Alas, looking for “Easy Path (Easy Practice)”? They will naturally be disagreed by Nāgārjuna as an unambiguous practitioners. Instead of being timid, inferior, and small-minded, keep looking for the “Easy Path (Easy Practice)”, Nāgārjuna encourages them “to be diligent day and night, as if one’s own head were on fire.”

～》In other words, this paragraph is actually a quotation from Daśabhūmivibhāṣā Śāstra to tell us the importance of diligence.

～》But, is there any “Easy Path (Easy Practice)”? Yes, there is, and you will discover it in verse 140.