Honesty

We need to be honest to each other
As we are chasing after desires and pleasures, seeking for good feelings from material comforts or for the recognition and admiration from people around us, we are behaving with less and less honesty.  Although everybody knows that honesty is a virtue, and we all expect others to treat us with honesty, once we are caught in the whirlwind of life competition, we may think that honesty is often the main obstacle to success.  Some people even declare that in today's world, if one is trying to live up to the principle of honesty, one is naive, gullible, and vulnerable.  In order to be smart and successful in today's world, one is encouraged to be foxy and mischievous.
As a result, we treat each other with spectacular showoff, from flowery words to tactful behaviors in order to attract the other party, even at the expense of honesty and distorting the truth.  It is ridiculous when we behave that way with our own family members and close friends.  Could we maintain such relationship throughout our lives, or would there be one day when we will no longer be able to keep our masks on, and lose others' trust?
It is true that sometimes tactfulness is necessary in life, but we do not need to wear a mask.  It is our responsibility to be truthful to ourselves and others, so that others can trust us.  Life has a meaning when there is mutual trust.  That mutual trust is built up with honesty.
In reality sometimes our honesty makes us vulnerable to frauds who take advantage of our trust for their selfish gains and motives.  We must use our wisdom to judge and to live with honesty.  Life is fundamentally beautiful, and we should not lose our inborn sincerity and honesty just because of some bad life experiences we may have had during our life struggle and competition.

(To be continued)

Source:

http://thuvienhoasen.org/D_1-2_2-125_4-19638_5-50_6-9_17-540_14-1_15-1/thanh-that.html

   

Climate Change

Climate change is a huge global problem.  Today we face greater frequency of weather extremes all over the world.  In the USA, 2012 is the hottest year recorded.  Within the last 15 years there were 10 warmest years.  In China 2012 was also the hottest year recorded.  Australia had a record of heat wave the same year.  In Brazil, Rio de Janeiro hit 109.8 degrees Fahrenheit for the first time since 1915.  Meanwhile, Pakistan suffered extreme flooding, and England got the wettest year since records started over 100 years ago.  The Middle East had a rare storm that brought snow, rain and flood.  Hurricane Sandy caused over $60 billion in damage.  All took place in the same year.
Other current environmental issues include the continuously rising level of acidity in the world's oceans, desertification, quick loss of biodiversity due to human actions, deforestation, and serious air pollution in many cities.  There are growing concerns about a global collapse of fish species and the loss of over 25% of the Earth's land mass.  Nearly 1 billion people in 100 countries are now at risk, while 1/3 of land mammals face distinction.  Almost 2 billion people in 40 countries now live with critically low levels of forests.

We are all connected, and globalization makes it impossible for our societies to collapse in isolation.  There must be responsible actions and policies at all levels.  Unless we make the right choice, we all will die in the common tragedy.

Sources: 

Diamond, J. (2005).  Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed.  Viking Press.

ISBN 0-14-303655-6

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collapse:_How_Societies_Choose_to_Fail_or_Succeed

Climate Change Facts

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/basics/facts.html

 

Happily Practicing the Way (Tao) While Living in the Mundane World - Part IX

The Ninth Paragraph 
We should know that the various methods the Patriarchs taught are not different; instead they are fundamentally similar.  Let's take into consideration the methods taught by Mazu (Mã Tổ) and his successors, putting aside what had been taught before that, i.e., since King Wǔdì Liáng's times (Lương Võ Đế).  "No merit whatsoever!"Only preconceived ideas and attachments make ignorance worse. "Nothing sacred", "I don't know!" Such Zen utterances are still ringing in our human ears. (1)
Born in India and died at Shaolin (Thiếu Lâm) Temple, Bodhidharma was buried in a simple way at the foot of Mt. Hùng Nhĩ. 
"The body is the roots of the Bodhi tree; the mind, the shining mirror" are the lines in a Zen gatha which dirtied the wall of the Temple Hall.(2)
When Old Wang (Vương) killed the cat with his sword, the Zen master understood what was going on in the minds of those who got involved in the argument.(3)
When Zen Master Hồ mentioned "the dog," he wanted to point out the childish view of the disciples.(4)
The price of rice at Lư Lăng Market was too high, but buyers cannot bargain for a better deal.(5)
The rocky road near Mt.Thạch Đầu is very slippery; similarly, a Zen master's calling and teaching are difficult to understand and disseminate. (6)
Phá Táo (Tung Sơn) put down the flag, and destroyed the shrine where animals were killed for offerings.  (7)
Câu Chi raised his index finger, following what his predecessors had done to teach people.(8)
Lâm Tế's sword, Bí Ma's crutches --in the past monks had been trained carefully and seriously so that they became peaceful and solid.  (9)
Đoan's lion, Hựu's buffalo --laypeople were reminded carefully so that they would not become arrogant and make hilarious mistakes.(10)
Holding up the fan or raising the bamboo rod was the means to help Zen practitioners recognize the Truth.(11)
Pushing aside the ball or holding up the wooden ladle was to remind monks not to be foxy and boastful. (12)
Even when a Zen practitioner tries to get across a river, the deep blue river cannot purify him. (13)
Even when Đạo Ngô danced with his wooden sword like a clown, it did not mean he lost his mind. (14)
Old Yển's dragon swallowed the whole sky and scared people away. (15)
Ông Tồn's snake lies across the world, making people step aside to avoid it. (16)
The conifer tree is your true Mind.  If you want to see it, you have to go outside and look at the Thái Bạch star.(17)
Bính Đinh belongs to Fire.  Looking for and following the Bắc Đẩu star prevents you from getting lost.(18)
Triệu Châu's tea, Thiều Dương's cakes --yet Zen students are still hungry and thirsty.(19)
Tào Khê paddy fields and Thiếu Thất garden are immense, but are not well kept, and grow wild. (20) Throwing away the bundle of wood and blowing off the candle, one may realize the Way.  (21)
Looking at the cheery blossoms, and listening to the sound of a rock thrown against the bamboo, one may get Enlightened.(22)

 

(to be continued with the last and 10th paragragh, a previous blog entry)

Sources: 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tran_Nhan_Tong
http://vi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tr%E1%BA%A7n_Nh%C3%A2n_T%C3%B4ng

http://thuvienhoasen.org/D_1-2_2-137_4-19440_5-50_6-2_17-68_14-1_15-1/#nl_detail_bookmark

http://thuvienhoasen.org/D_1-2_2-137_4-19441_5-50_6-2_17-68_14-1_15-1/#nl_detail_bookmark

Notes:
1
"No merits whatsoever!" "Nothing sacred!" "I don't know" were Bodhidharma's answers  to King Wǔdì Liáng's questions about: 1/ whether the King had any merits accumulated from his building temples and support Buddhism; 2/ what is the most supreme Noble Truth?; and 3/ who is talking with me, the King, right now?  
2
The famous Zen story about the gatha compositions which involved the Fifth Patriarch Hongren (601–674, Hoằng Nhẫn), the Sixth Patriarch Huineng (638–713, Huệ Năng ), and Venerable Shenxiu (606?-706, Thần Tú). 
3

Old Wang (Vương lão) was Zen Master Nam Tuyền Phổ Nguyện (748-834).  Nam Tuyền was a disciple of Mazu (Mã Tổ) at Nam Tuyền Temple.  He got Enlightened and was Triệu Châu's Master.  One day to solve the monks' arguments over a cat, Nam Tuyền had to cut the cat into two,according to a Zen legend.

4

Master Hồ was Zen Master Lợi Trung on Mt. Tử Hồ, hence he got the name Tử Hồ.  As soon as a monk visitor entered his room for Dharma consultation, Tử Hồ often yelled,"Beware of the dog!"

5

Zen Master Thanh Nguyên Hành Tư (660-740).  When a monk asked about the essentials in Buddhism, he questioned the monk ,"What is the price of rice at Lư Lăng Market today?"

6 

Where Zen Master Thạch Đầu lived, there was a very slippery road.  It was difficult to get there to consult him and to carry out the tasks he assigned. 
7
Zen Master Phá Táo was also called Tung Sơn, because with his disciples, he would often take a daily walk on Mt. Tung Sơn.  One day he saw a small shrine where local villagers usually offered animals that they had killed as ritual sacrifices.  There was a flag in the shrine representing the Guardian God of the shrine.  The Zen Master pulled down the flag and destroyed the shrine.
8   
Câu Chi was the Zen Master who often raised his index finger when consulted or asked about Buddhist Dharma.
9 
Zen Master Lâm Tế Nghĩa Huyền (787-867) was the founder of the Linji (Lâm Tế) School. He was famous for his yell which was sharp as a sword. Zen Master Bí Ma was also called Ngũ Đại Sơn.  He often carried a two-pronged crutch.   When asked or consulted about Buddhism, he would use the crutch to get the disciple by the neck.
10

 Old Đoan's lion refers to Zen Master Tây Dư's.  His last name was Đoan; hence, he was also called Old  Đoan. He had a colorful woolen cap which looked like a lion's head.  He occasionally wore the hat while teaching his disciples, and he said, "I am a lion." 

11  
Zen Master Văn Uyển was refered to as Vân Môn, which is the name of one of the five Zen schools inn China.  When preaching, he would hold up his fan and use it as a Koan.
"Trúc bề" refers to a bamboo tool with a fanning top.  One day Zen Master Quy Tính came to learn the Dharma with Zen Master Tỉnh Niệm. The latter raised his bamboo tool up, and asked: "What should we call this thing now?"
12

 One day Zen Master Tiết Phong Nghĩa Tùng held up a globe made of wood, and one of his disciple named Sư Bị got the globe, then put it back to its place.  Very often Zen masters use such simple objects as the small globe and the wooden ladle to teach their disciples.

13

Zen Master Thuyền Tử Đức Thành did not want to stay at one place to disseminate the Dharma.  He lived in a small boat, which he used as a ferry to help people get across the river. It was said that one day his boat was overturned, and he got drowned.  People thought he was not yet Enlightened when he died.

14

Đạo Ngô wore a lotus-shaped hat, and held a wooden sword (hốt), and he would dance like a clown. People could not understand him, so they thought he was insane.

15
Old Yển refers to Zen Master Văn Yển, who said, "My walking stick is a great dragon which can swallow up Heaven and Earth." 
16

Zen Master Nghĩa Tồn's snake. One day the Master said, "On the mountain in the South there is a slimy snake.  You must watch out for it."  All people have to be vigilant for "the snake." 

17  
The conifer tree refers to the tree in the front yard of Zen Master Triệu Châu.  When a monk visitor asked him about the purpose of Bodhi Dharma's trip from India to China, the Master pointed to the conifer tree and said, "A conifer tree in the temple's front yard!"

Thái bạch is the star in the East.  If one wants to see the conifer tree, one must go out to the front yard, and look toward the star in the East.

18  

Thiên cang refers to Bắc Đẩu star in the North. Bính and Dinh belong to Fire.  According to ancient oriental philosophy, five elements(Ngũ hành) make up the human body and the universe: metal (Kim), wood (Mộc), water (Thủy), fire (Hỏa) and earth (Thổ). Bính and Đinh belong to fire (hỏa), yet they seek for fir, which is ridiculous.  We are the same: we seek outward for the Truth, not knowing the Truth is right within us.  We are making the same mistake as Bính and Đinh, who are fire seeking for fire.  If we don't have a guide (the star in the North), we will get lost as Bính and Đinh did.

19 
Old Triệu refers to Zen Master Triệu Châu, who always invited visitors tea whenever they asked him about the Dharma . Thiều Dương or Zen Master Văn Uyển offered his visitors cakes instead.
20

"Tào Khê paddy fields" refers to the Sixth Patriarch's fields. Shaolin (Thiếu Thất) garden refers to Bodhidharma's (Bồ-Đề Đạt-Ma's) garden. Since people don't take good care of their Mind field and garden, they cannot be happy and enlightened.

21
Zen Master Tuyết Phong visited Zen Master Ngộ Bổn on Mt. Động Sơn. The former put down his bundle of wood (representation of his own experience) when the latter asked him the whereabouts of his Wisdom eyes.  Tuyết Phong said, "It was very heavy; the whole society cannot bear it."  
Blowing off the flickering candle refers to the story of Zen Master Long Đàm and his disciple Đức Sơn.  When the Master suddenly blew off the candle, the disciple got Enlightened.

22
Zen Master Linh Vân got Enlightened while looking at a cherry blossom.  Zen Master Hương Nghiêm realized the Truth when he heard the sound of a piece of rock striking against a bamboo tree.