This video on Karma- the notion of cause and effect is by Venerable Master Sheng Yen. I enjoy listening to his teaching.
From this video;
This " three periods of time" is not three literal periods of time. There are three periods of the past, three periods of the present , three periods of the future and the duration of these three periods can be long or short.
How long? It could be forever, an infinite past and a boundless future. That is called " three periods of time". As for the period, the duration can be short; the previous second, the next second and the current second are three periods of time.
The three periods are a space of time. As physical objects moving in time, our movement in space has a temporal connection; that is the previous point; the present point and the point to come, This becomes the three periods of time.
As living beings going through the life process, we are certainly subject to causes and effects.
So whatever we do and experience in this lifetime, we must take responsibility in the future.
Today's consequences are from causes a long long time ago which generated consequences and then these again become causes. When there is a consequence, it becomes a cause.
This 2h movie on Surangama Sutra specifically on how Buddha correcting Ananda's wrong view. The following interaction between the Buddha and Ananda (Buddha's cousin) starts from about 1h 35 min.
Thus I have heard
The bright essence of consciousness is our non-arising, non-perishing (everlasting True Mind). It is our [True basis] to Buddhahood. Ananda if you want to truly understand the [Wondrous path] to Buddhahood and eventually break free from the cycle of birth and death, there must be True Understanding.
Ananda, do you see it?
Yes indeed Bhagavan.
What did you see?
I saw the Bhagavan raise his arm and bend his fingers into a fist that sends forth light, dazzling my mind and eyes.
What did you use to see?
The Assembly and I used the eyes to see.
Ananda, you do not have the True Understanding, otherwise you would not have replied that you had seen the Bhagavan raised his arm and bent his fingers into a fist that sent forth light dazzling your mind and eyes.
Bhagavan I don't understand.
Indeed you have not understand. Ananda you are using your eyes to see my fist. But I was asking about which mind you had used to perceive the dazzling brightness of the fist.
Bhagavan, it took me great effort to understand the principles of the two fundamentals. But why is Bhagavan revisiting it? I am utterly puzzled.
Ananda, when I asked you earlier about the location of the mind, it was to let you understand that the illusory mind which causes the cycle of birth and death is without a location. All your repeatedly wrong conclusions were rebutted and proven.
That the illusory mind has a location that the illusory mind has a solid substance are all ridiculous. And now I am asking you what exactly is the mind? But you have stopped at your initial perception that the eyes can see the attributes while the mind admires and not move forward. (眼见胜相， 心生喝仰).
Ananda if you don't understand the True Mind and continue to use the illusory thinking, it will only prolong the miserable and unceasing cycle of birth and death, transmigrating in the 6 realms of existence, and forever unable to get out.
Let me ask you again, which is your inherent True Mind?
Bhagavan ever since the Bhagavan questioned the location of the mind up to now, I have been using the mind to investigate and search. It is this mind which is able to infer, used to investigate, search and seize on condition, that is my True Mind.
Ananda that is not your True Mind.
If it is not my True Mind, then what is it?
Ananda, Your so-called mind that can investigate and search is merely your perception of false appearances based on delusory objects giving rise to (distinguishing) and illusory thinking. Such (false thoughts) and illusory feelings have continuously been deluding and confusing you about your True nature and since time without beginning till now been like a son(taking a thief as his father) mistaking the (illusory nature) as the true nature. As such, you have lost touch with your inherent (everlasting) true mind and fallen into the recurring cycle of birth and death, suffering, perplexity, entanglement, despair , depression, worrie, resentment and other types of torment unable to be comfortable and happy.
Ananda, the Tathagata has often explained that All phenomena that arise are only manifestation of the mind. This means that all forms of causes and effects from as large as a whole world to as minute as a mote of dust come from the contemplation of the True Mind resulting in the manifestation of the various phenomena.
Ananda that is to say that the illusory mind is our consciousness that subjectively discriminate when it perceives external phenomena whereas the True mind is the one that is able to contemplate and reveal the essential nature and fundamentals of all phenomena.
After watching a video on this beautiful NungChan temple in Taipei, Beitou, I plan to go to Taipei next year to explore this temple. Perhaps I can just go there and meditate.
水中月（Moon in the water)， 空中花 (flower in the sky)
In Taipei, there is a unique modern temple - Nongchan Temple Shuiyue Dojo. Unlike other traditional temples, there are no overhanging eaves and dougong brackets, let alone heavy colors. They even don't burn incense. What is truly amazing is that the architect Yao Renxi etched the two famous Chinese Buddhist scriptures -- the “Diamond Sutra” and the “Heart Sutra” -- into the external walls of the temple, in order for the Dharma to enlighten everyone in the most natural way.
I always enjoy listening to Master Sheng Yen's teaching on Buddhism. I only learned about him last year. Luckily there are many videos of his teaching in Youtube.
Some people do good deeds with the intention to create merit for the sake of themselves as well as for the sake of their descendents. The ultimate merit comes from performing good deeds and not doing evil, while purifying our mind.
Today is Vesak Day, a public holiday in Singapore. Vesak Day is a day to mark the birth, enlightenment and death of Siddharta Gautama Shakyamuni Buddha, the awakened one. Buddha is a great enlightened teacher who selflessly shared what he knew to all, regardless of caste and gender. He was far ahead in his times. Today his teachings on rebirths are validated by many who went through near-death experiences or deep meditation. Buddha spent 45 years of his life teaching on the path to nirvana. He encouraged us to be deep thinkers; to question and verify even his teaching before accepting his teaching. Even though I was born in a Buddhist/Taoist family, I only throughly accept his teachings last year after reading from other sources like the near-death experience website and books written by Anita Moojani. What they shared was already revealed by the Buddha more than 2500 years ago. We are the heirs of our karma. Buddha could only show the path, but it is only through practice that one could end endless samsara cycle. Buddha said that with desire and craving, we went through endless cycles of rebirths in one of the six realms: hell, hungry ghost, animals, human beings, asura and heavenly realms. From Wikipedia Tradition ascribes to the Buddha himself instruction on how to pay him homage. Just before he died, he saw his faithful attendant Ananda, weeping. The Buddha advised him not to weep, but to understand the universal law that all compounded things (including even his own body) must disintegrate. He advised everyone not to cry over the disintegration of the physical body but to regard his teachings (The Dhamma) as their teacher from then on, because only the Dhamma truth is eternal and not subject to the law of change. He also stressed that the way to pay homage to him was not merely by offering flowers, incense, and lights, but by truly and sincerely striving to follow his teachings. This is how Buddhists are expected to celebrate Vesak: to use the opportunity to reiterate their determination to lead noble lives, to develop their minds, to practise loving-kindness and to bring peace and harmony to humanity. The Triple Gem (https://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/pathmaps.htm)
1. The Buddha — The self awakened one. The original nature of the Heart; 2. The Dhamma — The Teaching. The nature of reality; 3. The Sangha — a. The Awakened Community. b. Any harmonious assembly. c. All Beings. The Four Noble Truths
1. The Noble Truth of Dukkha (Suffering) - stress, unsatisfactoriness, suffering; 2. The Noble Truth of the causal arising of Dukkha, which is grasping, clinging and wanting; 3. The Noble Truth of Nirvana, The ending of Dukkha. Awakening, Enlightenment. "Mind like fire unbound"; 4. The Noble Truth of the Path leading to Nirvana or Awakening. All Buddhist teachings flow from the Four Noble Truths. The Eight Fold-Path Right, Integral, Complete, Perfected. 1. Right View, Understanding; 2. Right Attitude, Thought or Emotion; 3. Right Speech; 4. Right Action;5. Right livelihood;6. Right Effort, Energy, and Vitality;7. Right Mindfulness or Awareness;8. Right Samadhi "concentration", one-pointedness. Integration of, or establishment in, various levels of consciousness.
Vesak Day public holiday is on next Tuesday. I'll spend the day to watch Buddha drama. If you are lazy to read, this is a good drama on Buddha's path to enlightenment and Buddha's teaching. There are some error in this drama. Buddha's birthplace is at Nepal, Lumbini. I hope to go to Nepal Lumbini one day.
