DHARMA IN EVERYDAY LIFE

By Nhat Quan

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Currently, those of you who practice Pure Land do not simply talk about the Western Pure Land of Amitabha Buddha, but some of you also take refuge in the Eastern Pure Land of Medicine Buddha. When talking about reciting Buddha's name, you should think about Amitabha Buddha's name and diligently practice the name of Medicine Buddha. Therefore, from the standpoint of the Medicine Buddha Dharma Door, when reciting the Medicine Buddha's name, I want to talk about:

- Reciting Medicine Buddha or practicing Medicine Master Sutra and its benefits.

The practice of becoming a good person, becoming a Bodhisattva, and becoming a Buddha, talking about benefits, seems unpleasant to hear. Because no one practices to calculate profit or loss. But in reality, this is just worldly language, if I do not say it, you will not know, and if you do not know, you cannot widely promote to all living beings the wonderful uses, or the direction you are aiming for. Truly, Medicine Master Dharma Door is a very profound and vast Dharma Door. In this limited article, I will only briefly present a few points, it is impossible to cover the entire Dharma.

First of all, a Fully Enlightened One teaches the Dharma with only one purpose, which is to bring you happiness in this life and the future. Whoever practices according to His teachings will never have regrets, and will never cause suffering to others. His teachings are many, but they all teach you not to harm others, but to make yourself happy. Some things make you happy, and others will also be happy and joyful, such as helping with charity work, helping society, etc.

There is also the absolute benefit, which is to practice to the point of attaining the Holy Dharma, the Path, and Nirvana, when you attain the Holy Dharma, there is no more reincarnation, reaching the place of absolute happiness.

The eighty-four thousand Dharma doors of the Buddha are spoken for you to practice according to your circumstances. That is to say, Buddhism does not only teach the ordained, but also lay people can practice to attain liberation. The reason why people are still suffering is because they cannot find a way to liberate themselves, so they think:

- Lay people certainly cannot be liberated!

However, when the Buddha was still alive, many good men and women attained Sainthood like:

- The rich man Billionaire Anathapindika, Mrs. Vaidehi attained Srotapanna, King Suddhodana attained Arahantship...etc...

Returning to the issue, the Buddha taught people to benefit themselves in the present life, the future, and absolutely Nirvana.

Reciting the Buddha's name is a very familiar practice method for Buddhist students in Vietnam. The practice of reciting the Buddha's name is also known as the Pure Land practice. It is so familiar that whenever people hear about the Buddha Recitation method, they immediately think of the method of reciting the name of Amitabha Buddha, and most recently at the Medicine Master Temple in Seattle, when talking about Buddha Recitation, you think of the Medicine Master Buddha. And when talking about practicing the Pure Land method, you immediately think of the Medicine Master Dharma.

Among many methods of practice, this can be said to be an easy method to practice and you can feel the benefits from your practice in the present as well as in the future. In the Buddha Recitation Paramita Sutra, Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara affirmed that:

- The Buddha Recitation Samadhi is the method of becoming a Buddha, the method of realizing the Supreme Enlightenment, and the method of penetrating the inconceivable realm of the Buddhas. It is the method of revealing the Tathagata's knowledge and insight, the method of saving all living beings, the method that transcends all the idle talk and prejudices of the two vehicles.

In today's society, a society advanced in terms of science and technology, but with many obstacles, most of you are often lazy or lose your will to be good and to move forward. Therefore, it can be said that practicing the Buddha Recitation Dharma is the most suitable. Through that, you can see how important the Buddha Recitation Dharma is and how far-reaching its influence is. The reason why the Buddha Recitation Dharma has such a great influence is because it brings many benefits to you in the present moment and the future.

1- In the present:

First of all, when you recite the Buddha's name, you will have peace and happiness in the present moment. Right when you are focusing on reciting the name of the Medicine Buddha:

- The mind no longer runs after unwholesome thoughts, and chaotic thoughts, and is no longer disturbed by thoughts of greed, anger, and ignorance.

- Your mind is like a room, and reciting the Buddha's name is like lighting a lamp in the room of your consciousness. When the bright light is lit, the darkness in that room will naturally be pushed away and disappear.

Furthermore:

- When you recite Buddha's name, your mind no longer thinks of bad things, your mouth and body do not create bad karma. An hour of reciting Buddha's name is an hour of not creating unwholesome karma. A day of reciting Buddha's name means that on that day you avoid bad karma. Not creating bad karma also means that your mind is not tormented by worries and sorrows, so you feel happy and peaceful.

When your heart is calm, your mind is often clear and lucid. Thanks to that, you can develop your creativity, and at the same time, you can come up with the right and appropriate solutions to solve difficult problems in daily life as well as at work.

Moreover:

- When practicing the Medicine Buddha Recitation method, you remember the Medicine Buddha, and his merits, and contemplate his noble qualities. Those things will gradually penetrate your consciousness, and then slowly transform your thoughts, actions, and words in a good direction. Thanks to that, your body and mind are gradually purified, and your noble qualities are nurtured within you. In other words, practicing the Medicine Buddha Recitation method will help you perfect yourself, build a good moral character, and have a virtuous and holy life.

In addition:

- Practicing the Medicine Buddha Recitation method, you remember his vows. Remember the merits of reciting this Sutra, contemplate its meaning, and explain it to others. By doing so, that person will have his wishes fulfilled, his wishes such as wishing for longevity will be granted, wishing for wealth will be granted, wishing for a position will be granted, wishing for a son or daughter, will be granted a son or daughter...

If there is someone who sees bad dreams in his sleep, when waking up he sees evil signs such as an owl perched near his house, or a hundred strange things appearing in his residence... That person wholeheartedly remembers and recites the name of the Medicine Buddha, and reveres the Medicine Buddha, then that person will be freed from those disasters.

In times of sadness, and suffering, when facing adversity such as separation from life and death, when children are spoiled, the house is destroyed, the economy declines, marital discord, betrayal by friends, etc... If you recite the name of the Medicine Buddha, that sadness and suffering will gradually subside. Because when reciting the Buddha's name, you will no longer remember and think about those sad things. Moreover, when you recite the Buddha's name like that, you remember His virtues, and His teachings such as Impermanence, Non-self, Four Noble Truths, Cause and Effect, etc., then you will have a new perspective on your sufferings and sorrows. Thanks to that, you will no longer be affected by those sufferings and sorrows.

Not only that, reciting the name of Medicine Buddha is also a very effective method of calming the mind. When you are anxious, nervous, and insecure, to calm yourself, you should recite the Buddha's name, bringing your mind back to the Buddha's name. Thanks to your single-minded recitation combined with the blessings of the Buddhas, you can easily regain peace. This is a very practical benefit of the Medicine Buddha Recitation method. No matter who you are, if you know how to use the Buddha's name to regain peace of mind, you can easily achieve the desired results. It is also because of this benefit that sometimes young people come to Buddhism, knowing the Buddha's name in a very cute and innocent way. Young people are often afraid of ghosts, especially when walking on dark roads alone at night. However, because of circumstances, of work, young people are forced to go through that road and there is no other way. In such cases, some grandparents and parents teach young people to chant Buddha's name. They say:

- When you are afraid of ghosts, when you feel anxious, you should chant Buddha's name, Buddha will protect you, and bless you to escape all dangers.

When they take exams, they often feel nervous and uneasy. To help their children stay calm, some parents teach them:

- You should recite Buddha's name to regain your composure, to receive the Buddha's protection.

With such a simple and lovely belief, those young people recite Buddha's name to find peace of mind. Thus, the Buddha's name has effectively led young people into the path of truth, goodness, and beauty.

Along with the above benefits, practicing the Pure Land Medicine Buddha Dharma Door also helps you to be calm in the face of obstacles in life. And especially to have peace of mind at the moment of death, because in the sutra it says:

- While you have not yet decided where to be reborn, once you hear the name of Medicine Buddha, and you recite his name, he will immediately send eight great Bodhisattvas to take you wherever you wish.

Death karma plays a vital role in rebirth, after the end of life in the present. If you lack practice, your mind will often be very panicked at the moment of death, when facing death, because you do not know where you will go, or where you will return. You cannot bear to let go of worldly ties, cannot bear to abandon your loved ones, and are also tormented by the pain and torment of the body. That panic and clinging will cause you to be reborn in not-so-good realms. If you have devotedly practiced the Medicine Buddha Recitation Dharma and recited the Buddha's name with deep faith, sincere wishes, and focused practice, then at the moment of death your heart will not waver. You will not panic at all, because you clearly understand the impermanence of life and are confident that the Medicine Buddha will radiate light to guide you to his world.

2- Maintaining social peace:

In Buddhism, from ancient times until now, the Dharma of leaving the world has always been considered the ultimate goal. For ordinary people, this is something very profound and difficult to understand. However, the Medicine Master Dharma is different. Not only does it often mention the transcendental doctrine of rebirth into Buddhahood, but it also pays special attention to issues as close as the real life of modern humanity. As the Sutra says:

- Eliminating disasters, eliminating calamities, escaping suffering, attaining happiness, longevity, health and safety, not harming each other, helping and benefiting each other, etc., all belong to this category.

This shows that the Buddha Dharma can also contribute to the lives of families and society, and maintain the security of the nation and the world. And it can make humanity enjoy the benefits of the Buddha Dharma right in real life.

For those of you who think that Buddhism is negative, pessimistic, and has no benefit to human life, if you hear that the Medicine Master Dharma can help humanity maintain worldly life, then you will immediately no longer misunderstand Buddhism.

3- Supporting precepts:

Buddhism takes precepts as its foundation, therefore the Buddhist scriptures say:

- Without pure precepts, good merits cannot grow.

However, although receiving precepts is easy, obtaining precepts is very difficult, and keeping precepts without breaking them is even more difficult. Currently, if you can follow the Medicine Master Dharma to diligently cultivate, you will attain the highest level of perfect precepts. As for those of you who have violated precepts, if you can sincerely recite the name of Medicine Master, and respectfully make offerings, you can eliminate the crime of breaking precepts, restore purity, and avoid falling into the three evil paths.

4- Deciding to be reborn in the Western Paradise:

Buddhism is divided into many sects, of which the Pure Land sect is the most prosperous. Currently, many monks and laypeople practice this method. However, those who practice Pure Land with the Medicine Master method will gain additional benefits in deciding to be reborn in Western Paradise. As the Medicine Master Sutra says:

- If there is any sentient being who upholds the Eight Precepts and can hear the name of the Medicine Master Buddha, then at the time of death, eight Bodhisattvas will come to guide them to be reborn in the seven-jewel lotus flower in the Western Paradise of Ultimate Bliss.

From this you know, that although Medicine Buddha is a Buddha in the East, he can still help you and benefit you in deciding to be reborn in the Western Paradise or wherever you want to go.

Furthermore, if you practice the Pure Land Dharma, if you can not be attached to favorable or unfavorable situations, and are no longer bound by the realm, then this is an extremely ideal thing. However, among millions of people, it is not certain that there will be one or two people like that. Because you are in the position of a common person, regarding the body, clothing, and residence, as well as natural and man-made disasters such as storms, floods, fires, and wars, all are things to worry and fret about. If you encounter a situation where your body is often sick, your life is lacking and miserable, or you often encounter dangers of natural and man-made disasters, then these are extreme obstacles in your practice. Therefore, you must practice the Medicine Buddha Dharma to receive support. As in the Sutra of the Medicine Master, it mentions benefits such as:

- Eliminating disasters, escaping suffering, attaining happiness, etc.

5- Deciding to become a Buddha:

The Medicine Master Sutra certainly does not only talk about worldly benefits, because the Medicine Master Dharma is the Dharma of the One Vehicle to quickly become a Buddha. Therefore, the Sutra often says:

- Quickly attaining the unsurpassed enlightenment, quickly attaining perfection, etc.

If you want to become a Buddha, you have to have two minds:

- Wisdom and compassion.

The Medicine Master Sutra says:

- Should give rise to a mind that is not impure, a mind that is not angry or harmful. Towards all sentient beings, you should give rise to a mind that is beneficial, peaceful, loving, compassionate, joyful, equanimous, and equal.

In this passage, according to Master Hong Nhat, he wants to say:

- In the first sentence: An unimpure mind is wisdom.

- A mind that is not angry or harmful is compassion.

As for the following sentence, the mind of renunciation and equality is wisdom, and the rest is compassion. Wisdom and compassion are the cause, and Bodhi is the result. This is the common path of Buddhism. Those who practice the Medicine Master Dharma should pay special attention to the sentences mentioned above and practice them wholeheartedly.

If you do not have a mind of compassion and wisdom, but only focus on the benefits of real life, I am afraid that you will only reap the blessings of the heavens or the human realm, and you will not have any connection with liberation. If you receive the precepts, it will be difficult to attain the highest quality of the precepts. If you are reborn in the Western Paradise, it will also be difficult to attain the highest quality of rebirth. Therefore, when you practice the Medicine Master Dharma, you should pay special attention to the golden words above. Based on this, you should generate a great vow of compassion and wisdom. If you can do so, then you can use the spirit of leaving the world to carry out worldly activities. You can also attain the highest level of perfect precepts, and in the future, you will quickly become a Buddha. This is beyond doubt.

In short, a single recitation of the Medicine Buddha is the most solid spiritual support for those who have faith in the Triple Gem. Faith in the protection of the Medicine Buddha when you are suffering from an illness that is difficult to cure. When you fall into a desperate situation, no longer knowing who to rely on, who to trust, no longer able to control the situation when you are powerless. At such times, the recitation of the Medicine Buddha is an invaluable medicine for you. Especially at times like these, you often recite the Buddha's name with great fervor and sincerity. That is why not only do the reciters feel at ease, but their loved ones are also protected by the Buddha's power.

There is another benefit of practicing the Medicine Buddha Recitation Dharma. This is also the main purpose and the most noble benefit of this Dharma. That is, if you practice the Buddha Recitation Dharma correctly, after ending your current life, you will be reborn in the Pure Land. When you are reborn in the Pure Land, you will no longer have any worries, no illness, no old age. You will also enjoy boundless happiness and have good conditions, a good environment, and circumstances, and good friends to practice, attain liberation, and enlightenment. From there, you will have enough ability to teach and transform sentient beings in all ten directions.

The Dharma of Medicine Buddha Recitation has such practical and noble benefits, that is why Great Master Udumbara wrote a poem to encourage everyone:

- The pile of bones of birth and death is like a vast mountain,

Tears of separation are like the ocean!

The world will one day perish,

Human life is a moment, do not be infatuated.

The body of man and woman changes a thousand times,

But the horns and hair of life are changed ten thousand times.

If you want to escape the cycle of reincarnation with many sufferings and hatred,

You must practice Medicine Master Pure Land immediately.

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