“Arise, victorious hero, caravan leader, Debtless one, and wander the world. Let the Blessed One teach the Dharma, There will be those who will understand.” I was discussing the subject of Buddhist leadership with one of our website contributors recently. I suggested that while the ten virtues of Buddhist governance articulate well what a leader […]
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The Beauty of Buddhist Tradition: Celebrating Vesak with Hongkongers
On 27 May, I was in the Buddha-Dharma Centre of Hong Kong (BDCHK), Hong Kong, to celebrate Vesak. It was the weekend, with lay Buddhists from diverse backgrounds: including local Hongkongers, Mainland Chinese, Bangladeshis, Sri Lankans, and Thais. Devotees who came to BDCHK on this special day were dressed in white clothing. Twelve Buddhist monks […]
Be a Bystander
Master Jingzong; English translation by Foyuan, edited by Jingxing A proverb says, “[In a chess game], bystanders see the game better than the players.” The famous poet Su Shi also had this to say, “One cannot see the true shape of Mount Lu because one is in the mountain.” The [chess] player cannot see clearly […]
Offer the World a Share of Warmth
Master Jingzong; English translation by Foyuan, edited by Jingxing We humans have weak and inconstant hearts. Though we possess the most wonderful Dharma teaching, we are still unhappy and insist upon burdening our hearts with anguish. So, I repeated recently that we have to work hard at putting our hearts into recitation, as well as […]
How to Recognise the Buddha
Master Jingzong; English translation by Foyuan, edited by Fojin Seeds cannot sprout in a low temperature even though they are of high quality. Once the temperature rises, the seeds sprout naturally. In the cold winter of the Three Domains, the seed of our Buddha-nature simply cannot germinate. However, once we are reborn in the Pure […]
Science and Religion
Master Jingzong; English translation by Chia Chang Wang, edited by Jingtu “Religion” here refers specifically to faiths that embrace a single creator-god. Science and religion are like day and night. Science resembles the day; it wants to reveal things clearly. Religion is like the night, intending to enshroud everything. Don’t criticize religions as “superstitious,” or […]
Conscience and the Buddha-Mind
Master Jingzong; English translation by Foxin, edited by Jingtu An honest man speaks from his conscience. An Amitabha-reciter, though, speaks not only from conscience but from his Buddha-mind. In either case, it is not easy and requires courage; it may even offend people. This is because the consciences of worldly people are askew and their […]
Homage to Prajnaparamita
Prajnaparamita is the Buddhist goddess of wisdom, a personification of knowledge, revealed in the Prajnaparamita Sutras that laid the foundations of Mahayana Buddhism. The term combines the Sanskrit words prajna (wisdom) and paramita (perfection). Paramita is interpreted as having reached the opposite shore of samsara, and prajnaparamita is translated as “perfection of wisdom” or “transcendental […]
Pop Culture: The Case for A Greater Buddhist Presence
I never bought the argument that sacred stories, figures, and themes should not be brought to pop culture media like films or novels. Some of our more powerful and compelling pieces of modern fiction (and indeed, fiction from any era) was informed by not just the author’s spiritual identity or values, but by their intentional […]
Love in the Cave of the Buddhas
The cave roof was high enough to tower Over the trees in the forest that had Grown around these medieval refuges. We were two ghosts – wandering in abandoned Land, apparitions from the future. For we were dying. They, languid and still, The buddhas, gazed down at us, their eyes Gentle, free of judgement, seeing […]