DHARMA IN EVERYDAY LIFE

By Nhat Quan

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In the ways to pray for peace, in addition to praying yourself, in the Buddhist tradition, Buddhists often invite monks to recite sutras and pray. They believe that with the sincerity of the householder, combined with the pure mind of the monks, and strong concentration, they will reach the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will bless them with peace.

In the sutras that monks and nuns often recite to pray for peace, there is the Medicine Buddha Sutra. The content of the Medicine Buddha Sutra describes the Eastern Pure Land and the master of this land is the Medicine Buddha.

The Eastern Pure Land is different from other pure lands. The difference is that the Eastern Pure Land has seven lands of the seven Medicine Buddhas. From low to high, from near to far, they are:

1- The World of Victory Light: The master of this land is the Tathagata Good Name Auspicious King. This world is the four asamkhyeya Buddha lands away from the Saha world.

2- Wonderful Treasure World: The leader of this world is Treasure Moon Wisdom Adornment Light Sound Self-Mastery King Tathagata. This world is five asamkhyeya Buddha lands away from the Saha world

3- Perfect Fragrance World: The leader of this world is Golden Colored Treasure Light Wonderful Practice Accomplishment Tathagata, six asamkhyeya Buddha lands away from the Saha world

4- Worry-free World: The leader of this world is Worry-free Supreme Auspicious Tathagata, seven asamkhyeya Buddha lands away from the Saha world

5- Dharma-garland World: The leader of this world is Dharma-sea Sound Tathagata, eight asamkhyeya Buddha lands away from the Saha world

6- Good-dwelling Treasure Sea World: The leader of this world is Dharma-sea Victorious Wisdom Playful Supernatural Power Tathagata, nine asamkhyeya Buddha lands away from the Saha world

7- Lapis Lazuli World: Medicine Buddha

In terms of appearance, the Saha world or the Pure Land, all manifest according to the mind. There is nothing outside the mind. A peaceful mind is a pure land. The Buddhas and the venerable Zen masters have also taught you the same thing. But honestly speaking, in life with the fluctuations of today's society, your mind is difficult to be at peace. On the contrary, it is restless, chaotic, and constantly in turmoil. You know, when the mind is calm, everything is calm. But if your mind is not calm, everything cannot be calm either. Therefore, you need to understand the differences between the two worlds of people and the environment, and at the same time, you should also make a vow to be born there. The reason you should make a vow to be born in the Pure Land is because that place has advantages that the Saha world or this world does not have. You should consider in turn, first of all:

1- Name:

- Saha is the world where you are living. The Eastern Pure Land is the realm of the Medicine Buddha. In terms of meaning, the word Saha means hardship and suffering. In terms of suffering, in this world, in terms of Conventional reality, or the Four Noble Truths of birth and death, no human life can escape the four great sufferings:

*Birth, aging, sickness, death.

The four secondary sufferings are:

* The suffering of separation from what you love, the suffering of not getting what you want, the suffering of meeting what you hate, and the suffering of the five aggregates.

- The Pure Land is a land of pure joy or pure happiness. The Pure Land does not have these sufferings.

This shows you that even in its name, it is very different. One side is pure joy without suffering. On the contrary, the other side is all suffering without joy.

2- The Land

According to the Medicine Master Sutra and the Amitabha Sutra, it is described to you. In the Land of Ultimate Bliss, all the scenery is made of seven treasures: gold, silver, lapis lazuli, crystal, agate, red pearl, and carnelian.

- The precious land (precious land) is made entirely of lapis lazuli (a type of green jade) that is crystal clear and bright.

- The precious pond (preservation pond) at the bottom and around the pond are all made of seven treasures. (represents the seven holy qualities. The seven holy qualities include Faith, diligence, morality, modesty, learning, renunciation, concentration, and wisdom). The bottom of the pond is made entirely of golden sand, completely different from the ponds in the mortal world which are all muddy. The pond is deep and very wide. The water has eight virtues:

1- Quiet.                                   

2- Cool

3- Sweet

4- Gentle

5- Glossy

6- Mild

7- Drinking it relieves hunger

8- Drinking it nourishes the good roots. The water in the pond is cool and refreshing when drunk. The water has a pure, cool taste, not salty or dirty like the water in the Saha world.

- Treasure tree:

A natural tree that is not planted by anyone. There are many types of trees with different names. All are in straight rows. Sandalwood tree, auspicious fruit tree, etc. The branches, leaves, flowers, and fruits are all neat. The trunk, leaves, flowers, and fruits are all made of seven treasures. On the contrary, the trees in this Saha world have countless types and different names. Some types grow naturally, and many types are planted by people. The types planted along the roadsides, just like the Pure Land, are also in straight rows, looking very beautiful. However, they are not made of treasures. Of course, the trunk and canopy of the tree are not as tall and lush as the trees in the Pure Land.

- Treasure tower:

The castles are also made of treasures. The palaces have many floors. Of course, they are much more luxurious and noble than in this Saha world. Compared to the palaces and towers of the heavens in the Desire Realm, the castles and palaces in the Pure Land are much more luxurious and beautiful.

- The precious lotus throne:

The colors are brilliant and extraordinarily beautiful. Each color emits a light of its color. The Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and the people in the Pure Land all sit on the precious lotus throne. The lotus thrones have many different sizes, large, small, high, and low. These differences are all due to the deep or shallow merit of reciting the Buddha's name and practicing the Buddha's name of the people in this world, so they have different lotus thrones.

In addition, there are other things like nets also made of precious things. In the Saha world, there are also nets, but the nets are tied together with strings.

- Even birds, such as the peacock, the Kalavinka bird, birds of the same body, etc. All are transformed by the Buddhas. Day and night they emit miraculous Dharma sounds. Then the wind blows, the stream laughs, the water flows, the pine trees rustle, the heavenly music, etc. all emit the sound of the Dharma, whoever hears it will start to think of Buddha, think of Dharma, think of Sangha. Regarding the scenery, I will only briefly present it as such. All the scenery mentioned above is also present in the Saha world. But the only difference is that one side is made of treasures, and the other side is not made of treasures but is made entirely of filthy things.

3- Life

The life of people in the Pure Land is completely different from that of ordinary people, I will briefly summarize as follows:

Your body in the Saha world is obtained by the union of your parents and the attachment of your consciousness, enough conditions combine to form a fetus, and then enough days and months are born. You are born in the Saha world because of past karma consciousness leading to birth. Therefore, in terms of body shape, there are beautiful or ugly, tall or short, skin color, black or white, yellow or green, fat or thin, etc., each is different. No one's face is the same. If there is a body, then there is youth, old age, sickness, and finally death. Because of the combination of causes and conditions, there are differences and sufferings.

On the contrary, you are born in the Pure Land because of good fortune, so your body is different from that in the Saha world. You are born in the Pure Land because your consciousness enters a lotus flower and becomes a fetus, so it is called a lotus fetus or a lotus flower. Take the lotus flower as your parents. Therefore, there is a saying:

- Nine grades of golden lotus are your parents.

Because you are born from a precious lotus flower, your body is an indestructible diamond body. Therefore, you do not have differences in body shape nor do you suffer from birth, old age, sickness, and death. Everyone's body is the same, equally beautiful and auspicious. That is the great difference in the bodies of the two worlds of Saha and the Pure Land.

4- Enjoyment.

All the scenes in the Pure Land are naturally formed, absolutely, not created by anyone. Eating and dressing naturally appear as desired. All kinds of eating and drinking utensils appear according to the wishes of the user. For example, plates, bowls, etc. are all made of precious jewels. The food is all pure and delicious. After eating, all utensils disappear by themselves. After eating, the food that enters your body naturally dissolves, turning into a fragrant vapor that is secreted through the pores, leaving no residue, nourishing the body and making it healthier, and the mind is as peaceful as a person without outflows. On the contrary, in the Saha world, if you eat but do not excrete, you must go to the doctor or hospital for treatment. Because the physiology of people in the Saha world and people in the Pure Land are different. They are different from the moment of conception. That difference is not surprising. Therefore, people in the Saha world are busy and troubled with all kinds of things about eating and dressing. You worry, calculate, compete, fight, tear, win and lose. Round all month and all year round, suffering and pain are only because of these three things: food, clothing, and shelter. But in the Pure Land, as mentioned above, it is truly infinitely happy. Everything is natural and at will. Wanting to eat, there is food; wanting to wear, there is clothing; lacking nothing.

The Pure Land of the Buddhas is so leisurely and happy. People often say:

- Those who do nothing but sit around and do nothing often think and do bad things.

That does not mean all sentient beings in the Pure Land of the Medicine Buddha are lazy. Remember that those who want to be born in the Pure Land cannot be born there just because they want to. Like those in the Saha world, you cannot be rich if you want to be rich. Anyone who wants to be rich must make an effort to cultivate virtues. Likewise, those who want to be born in the Pure Land of the Medicine Buddha in particular and the Pure Lands of the Buddhas in general must practice diligently. To practice diligently, you must be steadfast, sincerely recite the Buddha's name, and cultivate meritorious deeds. At the same time, you must have deep faith, strong wishes, and constantly wish to be born in that land. Only then can you hope to be born in the Pure Land.

5- Intelligent Wisdom

People in the Pure Land all have clear wisdom and unimpeded eloquence. Because their minds are pure and kind, they never have evil or wrong thoughts, so they always speak gentle and true words. They diligently practice and study, often listen to the Dharma, and do not have a single thought of distraction, so their minds are very peaceful. Each person has five supernatural powers. The five supernatural powers are divine eye, divine ear, mind-reading, past life knowledge, and supernatural power. They do not have the ultimate knowledge of the outflows. Because they have not eliminated all the outflows of afflictions.

On the contrary, people in this Saha world have many obstacles, lack clear wisdom, and because of greed, anger, and delusion, their minds are always confused. Because they live in ignorance and false karma, their thoughts, words, and actions are all unwholesome. They rarely speak virtuous and constructive words, but mostly speak cruel and destructive words. Their minds are loose and create evil karma, so they like to live a life of indulgence and depravity. If so, how can they have supernatural powers? The supernatural powers of the Saha world are man-made. Such as means of transportation: ships, boats, airplanes, telephones, computers, electronics, etc. These are modern supernatural powers of mankind in the Saha world, but they are not as good as the supernatural powers of cultivation.

In the Pure Land, the scene is solemn and pure, close to the people who are all the best good people, reminding sentient beings to cultivate day and night, only helping to increase their virtue, so it is difficult to regress. According to Master Tri Gia, in the Pure Land, 7 good causes make people always progress. Those 7 good causes are:

1- Often seeing the Buddha, being supported by the Buddha's vows.

2- The Buddha's light often shines on the body, making the Bodhi mind increase. Like receiving sunlight, and avoiding falling into pits and holes.

3- Always close to Avalokiteshvara, Mahasthamaprapta, and other great Bodhisattvas, guided and protected by Bodhisattvas. Everyone around them is pure of the highest goodness, without evil teachers or evil friends, like being near a bright lamp.

4- Water, birds, trees, nets, wind, music, light, etc., all always expound the wonderful Dharma. When the ears hear the Dharma, the mind is immediately pure.

5- Food, drink, and bathing water all increase good roots.

6- The mind is completely free of false views and attachments, free of evil thoughts and afflictions, mindfulness is always present.

7- The body is an indestructible diamond. No aging, no illness, living for countless eons. Not being hindered by aging and illness in practice. Not being interrupted by impermanence in practice.

These are characteristics that you have not seen in this Saha world. Although the Pure Land of Medicine Buddha is far away, it is very far away, but it is also very close, as if right before your eyes. That means when you sincerely recite Buddha's name, then at those moments you are sitting in the Pure Land. The reason is that at those moments your mind is truly peaceful, without suffering. And peace without suffering, that is the Pure Land. So, whenever your mind is truly happy, then you are in the Pure Land. In that sense, you can also create for yourself an Eastern Pure Land in this Saha world. Therefore, when your mind is pure, then wherever you sit, that place is the Pure Land. But you only sit in that Pure Land for each moment, not for your entire life. Therefore, you must always try to practice, and sincerely recite Buddha's name, the longer the time you extend, the longer the Pure Land you will have. That is a real experience, not an exaggeration. If you make an effort to practice, then you will immediately experience the Pure Land in this life.

You are born in the Pure Land with the good fortune of never regressing, only one way of cultivating until you become a Buddha. Therefore, the sutra says that you can become a Buddha in one lifetime. But you do not know how long one lifetime is in the Pure Land. Because you do not have birth, aging, sickness, or death. That is a rare good fortune that this Saha world does not have. You cultivate in this Saha world, sometimes progressing, regressing, your diligence is very weak. Sometimes, because of some adverse fate, you can easily lose your Bodhi mind.

In short, the Pure Land of the Medicine Buddha in particular, and the Pure Land of the Buddhas in general, all have wonderful good fortune, so everyone wants to pray to be born there. Because the Pure Land has much more good fortune than this Saha world. It must be said that it is too transcendent and wonderful. Compared to this Saha world where you are living, it is truly full of troubles and obstacles.

However, if you speak according to the Truth, this Saha world is not necessarily completely suffering. Completely miserable, is for those who still live in ignorance, evil karma. On the contrary, for those who are enlightened, this Saha world is also the Pure Land. So, you say it again and again, those who are truly enlightened, their minds are always peaceful, but in this era, there are not many people. For those with superior faculties and intelligence, I dare not discuss it. I only discuss those with middle and lower faculties. For those with middle and lower faculties, in my opinion, you should devote yourself to practicing the Medicine Master Dharma, to live healthily, and when you die, you will be reborn in the Eastern or Western Pure Land, depending on each person's aspiration.

Therefore, you should be aware that currently, in the human mind, there is always a burning affliction that causes confusion and unrest. The external world is always in turmoil and chaos. Sometimes, natural disasters strike, then man-made disasters threaten them every day. Every day, humanity lives in anxiety, worry, and fear of all kinds. So, from people to scenery, there is never a moment of peace. Therefore, the Buddha said, this world is the evil world of the Five Turbidities. Suffering piles up, and the heart is never at peace.

Only the Pure Land is your peaceful place. The Pure Land is your true homeland to send your body there. So, why are you still hesitating to move forward? As long as you have your mind set on the Pure Land of Medicine Master, all other Pure Lands will have no obstacles. Because turning to the Pure Land of Medicine Master is the gateway to all other Pure Lands.

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