The Essential Education for Buddhist Temples

This Dharma talk was recorded on August 17, 2022, at the Western Dharma-Nature Land of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. In this session, Venerable Master Chin Kung provides essential guidance on the role of Buddhist education within temples, the responsibilities of the Sangha, and the path to true spiritual cultivation.

Venerable Master Chin Kung speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. Today, I am here to chat with everyone about the education required in Buddhist temples. This is a topic given to me by Namo Amituofo, which I accept with gratitude and joy.

Everyone knows that the Buddha’s teachings are vast and boundless. The Three Jewels—the Buddha, the Teachings, and the Sangha—exist in this world, and the monastic community bears the responsibility of transmitting these teachings. This has been the common understanding of Buddhist practitioners since ancient times. When people encounter difficulties, they naturally go to a temple to seek out a master or offer incense, hoping that their problems can be resolved.

The Vital Role of the Temple

Why do people go to temples? It is because the Three Jewels exist there simultaneously; this is the importance of the temple. If a temple is well-protected, the Buddha, the Teachings, and especially the Sangha can practise with peace of mind. Why must one practise with peace of mind? Because the goal is to purify the heart and rediscover one's true nature and Buddha-nature. Why must we rediscover our true nature? Beyond saving ourselves, the most important reason is that only by finding one's true nature does one truly have the ability to save the world and deliver sentient beings. Is saving the world and delivering beings important? It is absolutely vital! If you were to remove the Three Jewels and the temples from Chinese history, the result would be truly tragic. This is not just about Buddhism; it is about the life and well-being of all sentient beings.

A Buddha is one who has practised, realised the fruits of the path, and clearly understands the universal principles, the Truth, the Right Way, and the reality of all things. Shakyamuni Buddha passed down the teachings he realised as the Dharma Jewel. At the time, this was transmitted orally and strictly verified by five hundred Arhat disciples. Every word and every sentence had to be approved by them before it could be written down and passed on. Later, disciples who had been taught by Shakyamuni Buddha—those who understood the reality of the universe, the Truth, and the Right Way—continued to pass these methods down from generation to generation. Eventually, those who transmitted the Dharma were ordained as monastics, practising in temples or travelling to spread the teachings.

The Heart-to-Heart Transmission

The correct way to describe this is that the Buddha’s teachings are the 'Dharma of the Heart,' transmitted from heart to heart. The monastic community, through the ceremony of ordination and receiving the precepts, gains collective recognition and bears the responsibility of transmitting the Dharma. They live together as a Sangha, observing the precepts, learning together, and seeking to rediscover their true nature. But does this mean only monastics can transmit the Dharma? Of course, most people think so, but there is no fixed method in the Dharma. If a practitioner has not left the home life but has practised to the point of awakening and realising their true nature, they are also a transmitter of the Dharma.

Every sentient being has different opportunities or reasons for learning the Buddha’s teachings. Some go to temples on their own or seek out masters they believe to be virtuous. Others learn from sutras, treatises, and various books. Still others go to temples to pray for peace for their bodies, their families, their children, or their work. Regardless of the method, these are all gateways into the vast Buddha-Dharma; these channels allow them to learn the true teachings.

The Core of Buddhist Education

True Buddhist education must lead everyone to recognise the universal principles, the Truth, the Right Way, the laws of karma and cause and effect, and the reality of all things. It aims to help beings transcend birth and death, escape the cycle of rebirth, and be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Education must first begin within the temple, especially for the Sangha—the fourfold assembly of monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen. It is crucial to start with them. When people come to a temple, the first people they encounter are the lay practitioners and volunteers, followed by the monastics, and then, depending on their individual needs, they may meet the specific master they seek.

The Buddha’s teachings must be transmitted by the Sangha. Beyond lecturing on the sutras, this transmission happens in daily life—in how one treats others, interacts with lay practitioners, volunteers, or devotees. People can ask for the Dharma at any time. If one sees someone acting improperly, and there is an affinity, one can offer a few words to give them a chance to improve. If there is no affinity, one must never cause them affliction; causing affliction is creating karma, and if handled improperly, it could even sever their wisdom-life. Therefore, the Sangha—the monks and nuns—must possess certain conditions and attainments to have the ability to save the world and deliver sentient beings. These conditions and attainments are vital, including fierce diligence, learning to elevate one's own spirituality, the ability to lecture on the sutras, and the cultivation of compassion, wisdom, mind-capacity, and tolerance. Ultimately, this leads to realising one's true nature, resolving conflicts, and performing Chao Du to help sentient beings be reborn in the Western Pure Land.

The Challenge of Deliverance

Performing Chao Du to help sentient beings be reborn in the Western Pure Land is truly a test for the practitioner. It is an area that currently needs strengthening, and of course, it also relates to the beings being delivered. From what I have seen and heard here in the Western Dharma-Nature Land, the most reliable method for successfully delivering sentient beings to the Western Pure Land is for Namo Amituofo to lead the ceremony, combined with the visualisation of a practitioner who has realised their true nature. This combination is a tremendous blessing for those being delivered. This is the current situation at the Dharma Assemblies at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre.

The education required in a temple can be divided into internal and external aspects. It must start from within, with everyone reaching a consensus. The scope of those needing education includes everyone in the temple. Everyone should listen to the lectures given by the monastics. Although the depth of understanding will vary according to the listener's capacity, as long as one can take in even a single word or sentence, it is precious. It is far better than taking in nothing at all. Therefore, everyone in the temple needs to receive Buddhist education, though the depth and breadth of their intake may differ based on their roles and capacities.

The Role of the Awakened

In the past, it was required that those lecturing on the sutras be those who had realised their true nature. However, with the evolution of the True Teachings, the Image Dharma, and the Dharma-Ending Age, those who have realised their true nature have become increasingly rare. If we insisted that only such individuals could transmit the Dharma, the Buddha’s teachings might be in jeopardy. Therefore, in modern times, many monastics and virtuous masters with deep research and practical experience in the Dharma have stepped forward to shoulder this heavy burden of transmission. Regardless, those who have realised their true nature remain the first choice.

Must one be a monastic to realise their true nature? In the past, people believed so. Monastics have left the home life to focus on the Buddha’s path, living in a pure environment to practise and rediscover their pure original nature as soon as possible. For those who are not monastics, it is generally difficult to maintain purity because they lack the constraints of the precepts. For monastics, the precepts are extremely important. To rediscover one's true nature, strictly observing the precepts is a necessary condition. If one violates the precepts, the heart is unsettled, which is an obstacle to practice. In modern times, it is truly rare to see a layperson realise their true nature. Currently, my teacher, the late Lay Practitioner Li Bingnan, and the person we know now, Practitioner Su—Su Fo—are among them.

The Abbot's Insight

The abbot of a temple plays a crucial role. They must have the ability to observe the capacity of others and act accordingly, teaching according to the situation. Sometimes, a single word, a gesture, a look, or an action can lead someone to an awakening. This awakening can be small, large, or thorough. Small awakenings happen all the time; large awakenings give you a jolt of sudden realisation; as for thorough awakening—the complete realisation—that is realising one's true nature.

There is a saying: 'The master leads you through the door, but the practice is up to the individual.' This is aimed at practitioners who are serious about the Buddha’s path, and it is even more applicable to monastics. Everyone receives the same teachings from the master and listens to the same lectures, so why is there a difference in their conduct? It is because of the heart! Whether this heart is truly on the Buddha’s path is the most basic key. If the heart is on the path, then there is talk of listening, restraint, and diligence. If the heart is not on the path, and one is merely a monastic in form, or even violating the precepts, how can one receive the true teachings of the Buddha? How can one act and then realise the truth? Let alone realising one's true nature. Such monastics exist, and they are simply caught in the cycle of rebirth, aging, sickness, and death.

The Demon Realm and Deliverance

In a temple, everyone is learning. During the process of purification, because personality traits and habits still exist, friction and unhappiness are inevitable. These must be resolved; do not hold onto them and carry them into the next life. This is a side note, and perhaps not suitable to discuss publicly. But look at Practitioner Su—Su Fo—at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. Among the demon crowds he has subdued, how many were monastics in their past lives? They entered the demon path after death because of their internal dissatisfaction, resentment, and hatred.

It is only today that we have the opportunity to encounter the appearance of Practitioner Su—Su Fo. Only his aspiration, vow-power, and practical actions have been able to subdue the demon crowds, help them escape the life of the demon path, and live the lives they were originally meant to lead. These are the lives they should have been living when they first became monastics, yet they suffered through the demon path until now, when the appearance of Practitioner Su—Su Fo led them out. The demon path and the demon crowds are also sentient beings; they are spiritual beings, and these beings in the spiritual world also need education.

The Power of Thought

Because of different karmic affinities, the beings who come to listen when different monastics speak will also be different. This is very obvious in the human world. When a certain monastic is lecturing, the monastics or lay practitioners who have an affinity with them will treat it like finding a treasure, quickly putting aside their work to make time to listen. Yet, the same devotee might not take action to listen to another monastic. This is because the beings who have an affinity with each monastic are different, and the receptive power of the lectures differs. Therefore, one should not make distinctions of good or bad, high or low.

This situation also occurs in the spiritual world. Think of the spiritual world as being the same as the human world; every sentient being has a different personality. They just lack a physical body, so they are not visible to the human eye, but they also have the opportunity to listen to the Dharma. This is the compassion of the Buddha! Can the Dharma spoken by a monastic be heard by beings in the spiritual world? Can it influence them? Can it educate them so they change through learning? This has a great deal to do with the monastic’s own practice and virtue. I have mentioned before: how do we connect different spaces? It is through thought-power—the mind. A monastic has a vow to spread the Dharma they speak. How far it can reach has a great deal to do with the monastic’s practice. The more purified one is, and the deeper and broader one’s ability to perform Chao Du, the more beings one can influence and the more beings can hear the Dharma. Even beings in the spaces being delivered can hear the sound of the Dharma.

These things can be verified through Practitioner Su—Su Fo. When Practitioner Su—Su Fo performs Chao Du with his Dharma Body to the Milky Way, wherever he goes, when he speaks the Dharma, the sound and content of his teaching naturally vibrate through sound waves, penetrating layers of space to reach the Milky Way. This may be difficult for everyone to understand, but this is the mystery of spirituality; this is the world of the heart. The Earth is so far from the Milky Way, but because there is affinity, because there is heart, and because Practitioner Su—Su Fo has realised his true nature and has the ability to open up space, these conditions are met. Only then do sentient beings have the opportunity to hear the sutras and the Dharma spoken by Practitioner Su—Su Fo.

The Necessity of Action

Lecturing on the sutras is a very important part of Buddhist education. The key lies in whether the sutras and Dharma being spoken can influence the listeners, and the ability of the speaker to observe the people, the time, and the place. They must use the actual situation of the people, time, and place to determine what methods to use and what content to speak so that the listeners can receive the greatest benefit. If one has realised their true nature, everything they touch becomes a method; they can speak the Dharma anytime, anywhere. Not only humans, but all things in heaven and earth, all earthly creatures, are listeners. There is no limit to the teaching material; the Dharma spoken is inexhaustible. In the human world, we have teaching materials, books, or methods like recordings, videos, or printed volumes to use as tools for Buddhist education.

Actually, I have said so much. We need faith, understanding, practice, and realisation. Once you believe, understand, and comprehend, you must put it into action. You must do it. If you do not put it into action, what you know and understand is merely knowledge. Knowledge changes; it cannot withstand the test of time. But the Buddha’s teachings are not like this. The Buddha’s teachings align with universal principles, the Truth, and the Right Way. As the speaker’s attainment grows, it can be renewed day by day without ever leaving the core axis. This is the brilliance of the Buddha’s teachings. But regardless, if you do not practise it yourself, how can you realise it? There is no such thing as a free lunch in this world!

Education for Lay Practitioners

I have mentioned the education of the Sangha and the education of the spiritual world. Next, let’s talk about the education needed for lay practitioners and volunteers. Lay practitioners and volunteers come from secular life into the pure environment of the temple. Their state of mind and behavior are different. Why do they come to the temple to be close to the monastics and live the life of a lay practitioner or volunteer? First, to seek peace of mind; second, some do it for their health, or for spiritual needs.

Listening to the sutras in the temple can regulate the heart and heal illnesses, and it can also make one’s spirit more stable. Furthermore, cultivating blessings and wisdom—the dual cultivation of blessings and wisdom—is indispensable on the Buddha’s path. Why is it necessary to cultivate blessings and wisdom? Without sufficient blessings, it is difficult to step into the Buddha’s gate; without sufficient blessings, one is busy with secular affairs and cannot stay in the temple for long.

If practice lacks wisdom, truth, and the Right Way as the backing for all behavior, one will often go astray. This leads one further and further away from the Buddha’s path, and you will not find what you are looking for. Not only will it not lead you away from suffering, but it will lead you into a deeper abyss of pain. Perhaps in the short term, you can get temporary satisfaction and needs met, but that is just a method to lead you into the demon path or deviant paths. Once you enter, it is hard to get out! If there is no one, no true spiritual friend to pull you out, you cannot get up; you might just sink. Many people are like this now, unable to find true peace of mind, body, and spirit, unable to find true coolness and tranquility. This casts a shadow over their lives, leading them into deviant paths, and they have no way to remove the darkness in their hearts, unable to remove the darkness and find the light. The Buddha’s teachings are meant to make one more purified and brighter the more one practises. Those who truly practise according to the Dharma will naturally have a response—a response they give themselves, visible on their faces and in their bodies.

The Truth of Life and Death

Aging, sickness, and death are processes that people think everyone must go through. In fact, through practice, those who truly practise with their feet on the ground can avoid aging and sickness. As for the problem of death, when the time comes and the body can no longer be used, and the spirit leaves the body, people call it death. But why do we say it does not die? Because the spirit is unborn and undying; it does not die. It is just a matter of where the spirit goes. If it goes to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, then congratulations! Once you reach the West, the spirit truly does not die.

The vast majority of people’s spirits follow their last thought, and no one knows where they went. Perhaps even you do not know; you just follow your thoughts in a daze, and you do not know where you went. You might be foolish enough to fall into the animal realm. If you have not opened up space, you are simply living in that space. Depending on what kind of creature you become, perhaps an animal, a plant, a flower, a tree, or a mountain or river—if these places are your destination for the next life, alas, it will take a very long time to get out! You might become a blade of grass for ten, twenty, or a hundred years, and no one can save you; no one can take you out of that space. Unless you encounter a true practitioner of great virtue—the appearance of Practitioner Su—Su Fo—who passes by, recites the Buddha-name 'Namo Amituofo,' and opens up your space, only then can your spirit possibly come out and be reborn in the next place.

In the next place, at least your spirit, having been purified by the Buddha-name, can escape the environment and role of that time and go to a better place. This is something that can be met but not sought; it depends on others, on Dharma affinity. You cannot make the decision yourself, which is a very tragic thing! Even in the human world, there is a lifespan. Once the time is up, you still have to receive retribution according to your karma. And when the celestial beings show the five signs of decay, it means their heavenly lifespan is about to end: their clothes become dirty, their bodies emit a foul odor, their armpits sweat, the jewels on their crowns wither, and they can no longer stay in their positions. At that time, they feel fear and terror, and even anger arises. Then they go to the three evil paths—hungry ghosts, animals, or hells—to receive retribution, or if they still have some remaining blessings, they may be reborn in the human world.

This is not arranged by anyone; it is all done by oneself! Therefore, one needs to know these things in ordinary times. Afterward, you must practise—truly cultivate the mind and practise, change your heart and change your personality—only then can you receive the benefits of Buddhist education. If you just listen and do not do it, isn’t that listening in vain? You might as well spend your time having the elderly honestly recite this Buddha-name, 'Namo Amituofo.'

The Precious Sanctuary

In fact, whether it is the Sangha, lay practitioners, or volunteers, everyone must honestly recite the Buddha’s name and listen to the teachings. Only then can you remove wrong views and wrong understandings, and then peacefully and properly recite the Buddha’s name, properly cultivate blessings and wisdom, accumulate merit and virtue, and store up the provisions for your rebirth in the Western Pure Land. If you cultivate these provisions well and do them well, they will be very abundant! Especially at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, this place is truly a precious sanctuary. With Namo Amituofo residing here, do more, do it well, and you will absolutely not suffer a loss. That is to say, serving the masses and benefiting the crowd without a 'self' and without selfish motives—even if it is just picking up a piece of paper on the ground, or wiping up water on the floor for fear that someone might trip—the blessings obtained from every small action are immeasurable. Because you do it without a 'self,' the merit of doing it without a 'self' is great; it is infinite!

The Buddha’s teachings focus on the heart—that is, what kind of heart you hold when you do this thing. So, if you have a selfish heart and do a big thing for yourself, there is no merit, and the blessings are limited. Because doing it without a 'self' is merit, while doing it with a 'self' is only blessings. Blessings are limited, while merit is immeasurable.

This is why people come to the temple to be volunteers if they want to cultivate blessings and wisdom. It is all doing, and it all requires time and physical effort, but being nurtured by the Buddha’s teachings in the temple, naturally giving rise to the heart to do things—the difference in this heart leads to different results. Since this is the case, why not do it without a 'self' and let this thing gain the greatest benefit? Of course, when you think this way, you already have a 'self'! Therefore, in the Buddhist education we usually transmit, we must clarify these things and explain them clearly. Once everyone listens and understands, they will naturally know how to do it, and what they do will be correct.

The Selflessness of the Dharma

The monastic who speaks the Dharma must not be stingy with the Dharma. If you retain some of the Dharma because you have benefited from it, waiting to tell it to important people or only speaking it on important occasions, this is being stingy with the Dharma. The Buddha’s teachings are selfless and have no 'self'; the heart only has sentient beings, hoping that sentient beings can leave suffering behind as soon as possible. Therefore, anytime, anywhere, depending on the different affinities, times, and places, one should pour out everything one knows. Of course, one must observe the capacity and act accordingly; this is very important. If they can listen, you tell them; if they are willing to listen more, you tell them more. If they are unwilling to listen or do not want to listen, why bother? Sometimes, speaking can even hurt the relationship between each other. The Buddha’s teachings do not talk about 'emotion'; that is to say, if speaking causes affliction instead, that is not good, and that is not the original intention of the Buddha’s teachings. But if the other person’s wrong behavior is already appearing before your eyes, you can point it out to them; perhaps that is what allows them to wake up and avoid further mistakes or harm. This is necessary. So it is not immutable; rather, it needs to be executed by people to be meaningful. But it is not rigid; rigidity sometimes cannot exert the effect of the Dharma. It needs to be applied flexibly. Observing the precepts requires letting the Sangha, lay practitioners, and volunteers know the importance of observing the precepts, and being willing to accept them from the heart and observe them—that is a very important thing.

The Education of the Six Roots

Education always needs to give the six roots an opportunity to be restrained. What the educator wants to teach everyone might be books, video images, or even sculptures of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, carved from jade or meticulously crafted or painted. In fact, the appearance of those who truly have practice and virtue, or the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, can naturally make people’s hearts give rise to a kind of respect, and even admiration, making them willing to learn. In fact, the appearance of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas is not just one kind of appearance. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas go to various regions to deliver sentient beings; they might appear in this form on our Earth, and appear in different forms in another world. This is freedom! The true Buddha-Dharma is so free! This is not a fairy tale; it can be realised through practice.

Therefore, the education required in a temple applies to everyone seen in the temple, including ritual instruments, Dharma jewels, staff, monastics, lay practitioners, volunteers, and virtuous protectors—they are all objects of Buddhist education and need to be educated. I believe that a temple with a good educational system will also be orderly in its management or operation, and will not be lost or without direction. In this way, when encountering the problems of sentient beings or when sentient beings ask for the Dharma, they can naturally give them some advice. However, before you have attainment, do not easily give advice to others; it is often creating karma, unless you are a Buddha or Bodhisattva who has returned, and you have a relationship with the sentient beings from past lives and this lifetime.

The Manifestation of Great Beings

Many Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and ancestral masters manifest, and some will not stay in the human world for too long. Their birthplace, their parents, when their spirit enters the womb, and whether they can remember what happened in their past lives all depend on their own aspirations and vows. If there is no 'delusion of the womb'—that is, if they did not go through the days in the mother’s womb, but entered the body after birth—basically, such a manifestation can still remember the past. If they went through the days in the mother’s womb, they generally have the same 'delusion of the womb' as everyone else. As the body grows, the vow-power naturally manifests and gradually strengthens, and they follow the vow-power step by step to realise it. At a certain stage, they naturally understand their arrival in this lifetime and what happened in their past lives. At that time, they naturally give rise to the heart to practise and deliver beings. Once the heart is given and the vow-power manifests, in terms of practice and diligence, they are often more fierce than ordinary people and realise their true nature early. Only then can they truly exert the vow-power to save the world and deliver sentient beings, and at that time, the sentient beings they have an affinity with will be blessed.

The saying 'Wherever the Buddha goes, in countries, cities, and villages, all are transformed...' refers to the benefits sentient beings receive wherever the Buddha goes. When ancestral masters preach the Dharma according to their practice and realisation at the time, those who receive the preaching can also receive the benefits of the manifestation of the ancestral masters or Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. That is the benefit; basically, it can help them leave suffering behind and escape the suffering of birth, aging, sickness, and death.

The Power of the Pure Land

Saying is saying, but doing still depends on yourself; no one can do it for you. If you are sincere and genuine, you can receive the blessings of the Buddha’s power. The preciousness of the Pure Land Dharma Gate, besides your own effort, is that if you genuinely vow to move forward on the Buddha’s path and vow to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, the Buddha can give you a helping hand. Prostrations, reciting the Buddha’s name, reciting the sutras, holding the name, and visualising the Buddha can all receive the benefits of the Buddha’s blessings. Holding the name and reciting the Buddha’s name is something everyone is more familiar with. After all, accepting the method of the six-character name can start from childhood, or even from the fetus in the mother’s womb. Some Buddhist parents let their children listen to the Buddha-name while pregnant to purify the fetus in the womb. This is a very good method, because it can also allow the fetus to receive the blessings of the Buddha’s power and grow.

In fact, things that happen in the Buddha’s teachings often cannot be looked at only in this lifetime. 'Three-life karma'—the so-called past life, present life, or future life—the cause created in the past is the fruit you receive in the next life; the fruit you receive in this lifetime can also tell you the cause you created in the past. So, by the same token, the cause you create in this lifetime is the fruit you will receive in the next life. Karma is not empty! The past life does not refer to the previous life, but your past lives throughout many lifetimes; as for the next life, it does not only refer to the next life, but any life in the future might receive such retribution. Karma is not empty!

This is a universal principle; it is the Truth. It does not only happen in the worldly realm, on Earth, or in this place, but it is the principle of the entire universe. Every spiritual sentient being accepts the arrangement of karma in this way. Why do I say it is an arrangement? Many sentient beings really live their lives according to the arrangements of reincarnation, karma, and cause and effect. But there are also some sentient beings, especially those who listen to the sutras and hear the Dharma, those who practise, those who have a human body, who have the opportunity to transform karma, change their destiny, and change what they encounter in this lifetime. This requires putting in some effort—purification is enough!

The Path to True Purity

It is not easy to obtain true purity! First, you cannot have a selfish heart for yourself; second, your meditative concentration must be sufficient so as not to be shaken by external environments; third, you must have a kind heart and kind thoughts, doing your best, not for yourself, but only for sentient beings. Under these conditions, you say you want to change your destiny—that is possible. Karmic creditors are also easily resolved with you, because you are not living for yourself, but living to help sentient beings leave suffering behind. Karmic creditors are also sentient beings. When you help other sentient beings, it is equivalent to helping your karmic creditors, because your karmic creditors will see you helping sentient beings and will also be willing to let go of past resentment and resolve it with you. This is why it is so easy for Practitioner Su—Su Fo—to help everyone resolve conflicts and invite spirits; because he has achieved it all, making sentient beings and your karmic creditors truly convinced, with nothing to say, and of course, they will listen. Therefore, leading by example is very important for a deliverer of beings. The objects you deliver are willing to change, get changed, and even transform their karma and change their destiny because they accept your education and guidance, and are able to rediscover their true nature. This is the greatest comfort for a deliverer of beings. Such practitioners are often the transmitters of the Buddha’s teachings and the educators of the Pure Land.

Above, I have roughly mentioned the education required within the temple, most of which is aimed at the human world, and I have mentioned a part of the sentient beings in the spiritual world. When lecturing on the sutras and transmitting the Dharma, in fact, the sentient beings in the spiritual world are also receiving the Dharma you are transmitting and hearing what you are saying at the same time. It is just that some are visible to the naked eye, and some are not. If they were visible to the naked eye, the education of sentient beings would be more practical and appropriate, prescribing the right medicine to achieve twice the result with half the effort.

Sentient beings are everywhere; sentient beings are everywhere. There are sentient beings in space that you cannot see with the naked eye. Although it looks like there is nothing in the air, it is empty, but in fact, in another space, it might be a place where sentient beings are densely packed. This is the difference in the levels of space, and the main thing is that they are spiritual sentient beings, while everyone now has a body, so they are sentient beings with bodies. The spaces where the two exist are different, so basically they will not affect each other, nor will they interfere with each other; but they will pass through thought-power, giving sentient beings the opportunity to penetrate space. This is also why thinking, giving rise to thoughts, and having delusions and messy thoughts can lead to spiritual attachment by external sentient beings.

Those who are more sensitive and have strong awareness can receive the information of sentient beings in the same space, and even the information of sentient beings in spaces that are not in the same location. A practitioner who truly has practice and virtue can influence and penetrate spaces without being restricted by time and location. This can be seen in Practitioner Su.

The Meaning of 'Great'

What I have said above is the 'education required in a temple' that general Buddhist temples need to teach everyone. Let’s look at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre again. Many people think this 'Great' character refers to the size of the temple or the area it occupies. In fact, I understand this 'Great' character now. Namo Amituofo is the Universal Buddha; this 'Great' character indicates that Namo Amituofo is currently residing at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, so the 'Great' character is also a kind of respect for the Buddha. In this temple, the most rare thing is that the lay practitioners inside have given rise to the heart to leave the home life and become monastics. The monastic part is there; a temple must have monastics inside, which is the most basic member of a temple. In this way, the Buddha, the Teachings, and the Sangha are all complete.

And the education of the monastics, lay practitioners, and volunteers I just mentioned, I also spent some time talking about the education of the monastics. In fact, this Sangha not only represents the Buddha but also represents the Teachings; one should have this awareness. Besides the monastics, monks, and nuns observing their own precepts, they must also have self-restraint. The so-called self-restraint is a kind of behavioral responsibility one has for oneself.

Any monk or nun who stands out represents the temple, so their words and deeds, their attitude and tone of voice, must all be adjusted. Never bring secular personality traits and habits into the temple; for the individual, it is a great loss. After all, home is your own place of life, and you will not be restrained or have other restrictions, but the temple is different. The temple is not family life, but the life of the Sangha. Everyone should put down the past, respect each other, and tolerate each other’s different views and opinions. Even if it is inevitable that past habits appear, do not take them too much to heart; these are fluctuations, and they are all harmful to your own practice.

Sometimes this fluctuation vibrates so strongly that even our Dharma-Nature Land can receive it, so you know how strong this fluctuation is! We can all receive it! Do you say that sentient beings in other spaces cannot receive it? This is a pure land, so the transmission of information between fluctuations is even clearer, so your own volume, behavior, and actions must be restrained. Remember that you represent the temple, represent the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, and it is the place where Namo Amituofo is residing.

It is best to speak less and recite the Buddha’s name more. It is best to speak to each other only about public affairs, temple matters, or if you have your own duties. Otherwise, do not say too much; saying too much is of no benefit, and even saying too much might accidentally create oral karma without you knowing it. You must respect yourself first before others will respect you.

Of course, there are many places that need to be corrected through learning, then learning again, and then correcting again, so that there is room for progress. Education must start from childhood. Buddhist education does not distinguish age, location, or space; it is applicable to everyone, including newborn babies, or fetuses in the mother’s womb, who can listen to the six-character Buddha-name for purification. The changes brought about by this subtle influence cannot be underestimated! Everything lies in the heart. If parents can base their children’s education on the Buddha’s teachings, that is the best. But the secular affection between parents and children is generally done by everyone in the secular world, and you think it is correct, but that is not necessarily the best education for the child. Listening to the suggestions of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, or true spiritual friends is a very good method. After all, the person involved is confused, while the bystander is clear. Many parents cannot see their children’s problems, but a third party sees them, which is just the right time to give a helping hand.

To educate children to have a sound personality, immediately improve where there are deficiencies from childhood; never raise a tiger and invite disaster! If you indulge and tolerate them, it will be an obstacle to learning the Buddha’s teachings and correcting their ways when they grow up, and it will also cause problems in body and mind. It is a shortcoming, and it will be very difficult to change at that time. We are not talking about the current lay practitioners and volunteers in the temple, but generally speaking, the older the lay practitioners and volunteers, and the richer their social experience, the heavier their personality traits and habits, and the harder they are to change. They think they have changed, but in fact, they have not changed at all; when they encounter problems, they all appear. This is not that they do not want to change, but it is truly difficult to change, but even if it is difficult to change, they must change. If they do not change, they will really go into the cycle of rebirth.

More importantly, karmic creditors come to the door, making the body age and get sick, and the heart feels unsettled and uneasy. People who have never been seriously ill do not know the sense of powerlessness of being unable to be autonomous. Such a simple thing requires so much effort and still cannot be done. In the past, this was a simple thing that could be done in a few moments. At that time, helplessness and sighing are too late. But it is not too late; at least now, if you are in the temple, or listening to Practitioner Su—Su Fo—lecturing on the sutras, and you know the importance of changing your personality and habits, then you must do it. If you change one part, you will benefit one part; if you change two parts, you will receive two parts of the benefit. Perhaps your aging and illness will slowly ease in an invisible way. If there is easing or improvement, then congratulations! That is your effort or intention being recognised by your karmic creditors, so you must do it well and continue to do it. After all, to transform karma and change destiny, you cannot do it without putting in some effort!

I have chatted and talked with everyone today. I don’t have any teaching materials, any manuscripts, nothing. I just said it casually. If everyone can get a little bit of harvest from it, that is enough, and I am satisfied.

Let’s stop here today!

Namo Amituofo.

Shi Jingkong, with palms joined.

At the Western Dharma-Nature Land of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, Australia.

August 17, 2022, 10:35 AM.'}