[NowCOMPLETE!] “Living this Moment in Purity: Sexual Misconduct & its Cosmic Consequences” -Book Review/Summary/An

SeattleThomas · Joined: 27 Jan 2005 Posts: 68 Location: Seattle, WA

Living this Moment in Purity:
Sexual Misconduct and its Cosmic Consequences
By Master Sheng-Yen Lu (Living Buddha Lian-sheng)
Translated by Janny Chow
Published by Purple Lotus Society, 2002 http://www.purplelotus.org/
ISBN: 1-881493-10-5
Links of high interest:
http://www.purplelotus.org/shop/en/mbooks.html
http://www.purplelotus.org/temple/en/plpub/ptrans.html

Noteworthy quotes-

Preface: The Consciousness of Great Bliss and Luminosity

• “All happenings will become the past.” [pg 1]
- All (earthly) happiness will become the past.

• “All forms of affliction in this samsaric world, whether physical or emotional, will eventually pass.” [pg 1]

• [pg 1] – The material objects we think we own are merely passed from hand to hand. Some will disappear; others will be given away. Why waste one’s heart and mind on the accumulation of money and material things? In a flash, all will be transmuted into emptiness.
Every time I ponder these statements, a tremor travels through my heart. Yet, at the same moment, I experience an exhilarating sense of liberation.
- Wow!
- Be relieved that all is destined to soon pass. Hence, no worries.

• “Regardless of the event, it soon becomes the past. All will vanish like mist and smoke. All existence becomes non-existent. One may feel sad over such happenings but, after all, mourning brings no practical benefits amidst the torrents of time!” [pg 2]
- Wow!
- There is no need to feel sad or desolate about the facts of life. Build your wisdom by understanding the rules (of life) and play the game (of life) without emotional setbacks or inferences.

• [pg 2] – Zen tale: One day, as a solitary traveler was walking through the woods, he encountered a bear. The animal began to chase him and, as the man fled in terror, he fell over the edge of a cliff. Luckily, before falling to his death, he was able to grab onto a large tree branch. When he looked down, however, he saw a hungry tiger encircling the base of the tree, waiting for him to descend. In the midst of his predicament, he noticed a plant of luscious strawberries growing near his branch. Above him lurked the bear, while the tiger awaited below.

• “Zen lineage gurus have taught us that this traveler, paying no attention to the bear above or the tiger below, need only reach out to eat the strawberries and enjoy their sweetness.” [pg 2]
- Bear = the past
- Tiger = the future (note: the future is subject to change)
- Strawberries = the present moment?

• “Why not live in the present and enjoy the present moment of freedom?” [pg 3]
- Because all happenings will become the past.

• “It is premature to worry about events that have not yet occurred. ... Why not just enjoy the strawberries now?” [pg 3]
- The tigers (future) may change by the manner in which you handle the strawberries (present moment).
- Pick the strawberries and give them to those who are in need, and then the tigers below (future) will become a pile of pillows (a good, fortunate future).

• [pg 3] – With a deep understanding of the Buddha’s supreme wisdom, I live totally in the moment, “the present moment of purity and liberation.”
The most valuable thing in life is prajna, supreme wisdom. While living in the present moment, we only need remember:
At this moment, do not commit any non-virtuous transgressions.
At this moment, be aware of karmic causes and consequences.
At this moment, be unbound by the cycles of transmigration.
In this way, one will definitely attain “the present moment of liberation.”
- “At this moment” = At ALL moments
- To enact action to benefit one’s future does not mean to dwell on the “tiger” (future).
- Focus on how you “eat the (straw)berries.” ...or do `you` eat the (straw)berries at all?

--Posted by Thomas Weisey Chung--
March 16, 2005 (03/16/2005)
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SeattleThomas · Joined: 27 Jan 2005 Posts: 68 Location: Seattle, WA

Chapter 1: The Reason For Writing This Book
• “Live simply with scant desires.” [pg 6]

• “Be more cautious and discipline [your] lust.” [6]

--Posted by Thomas Weisey Chung--
March 16, 2005 (03/16/2005)
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SeattleThomas · Joined: 27 Jan 2005 Posts: 68 Location: Seattle, WA

Chapter 2: Disasters of the Highest Degree

- There are karmic reasons behind everyone’s merits, and especially demerits.

- Your actions during your youth have just as much of an impact on you and your future (and future lives) as they do on you as an adult or senior.

- Karmic hindrances committed will produce consequences no matter how young or old, mature or immature, naïve or wise, ignorant or knowledgeable the individual appears to be. It seems that ignorance is never an excuse. Though seemingly unfair, know and understand this rule now and play the game (of life) with this advantage at mind.

• “Pornography causes one’s mind to become unbridled and lecherous.” [pg 11]

• “[Pornography] will encourage men and women who read them to act disgracefully and immorally.” [pg 12]

• [pg 12] – Between heaven and earth, only birds and beasts mate promiscuously.
Without a sense of shame, embarrassment, or infamy.
Humans, the crown of all creatures, should cherish a sense of shame and honor.
By committing incest, a human is no better than the birds and beasts.
Sexual misconduct is the primary demon that leads to degeneration.
To seriously pursue spiritual cultivation,
One must uproot all licentious desires.

• “Exercise control and not over-indulge one’s desires. Sexual restraint has many benefits including good health and long life, success and auspiciousness.” [pg 12]
- Be master of your domain.

• “Leading others down the path of sexual indulgence and degeneration, causing others to lose their chi, will result in the deterioration of one’s own family and visits from the gods of misfortune. Instead of attaining one’s wishes one may get just the opposite.” [pg 12]

• “Practice restraint in all cases.” [pg 13]
- Always (as in “at this moment” and all moments)... always keep taboos in full regard.
- Don’t compromise your ethical, moral, religious values simply for monetary gains. The karmic consequences are never worth it.

• “Warn people against sexual indulgence and misconduct ... whenever you come across pornographic books, burn them.” [pg 13]

• “Form is emptiness, / And true self-nature is luminous and perfect.” [pg 14]

--Posted by Thomas Weisey Chung--
March 16, 2005 (03/16/2005)
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SeattleThomas · Joined: 27 Jan 2005 Posts: 68 Location: Seattle, WA

Chapter 3: Heaven Knows

- Start accumulating merits ...now! Extra blessings will be bestowed upon those individuals. {“Fu-bow” = Fu-bar = merits}

• “Heaven knows, earth knows, you know, and I know. These are the `four witnesses`. ... It may appear as though no one else knows, but heaven knows.” [pg 16]
- Never employ the excuse that “no one will know” when contemplating even the slightest misconduct. Heaven always knows since Heaven is always watching (your actions) and listening (to your speech and thoughts).
- Allow the phrase “Heaven Knows” to persist in your conscience.
- “Human beings may be deceived, but one cannot deceive the heavens.”
- Allow your will power to prevail.

• “Good and evil are only separated with a single thought.” [pg 19]
- Wow!!! [my jaw literally dropped when I read this]

• “A moment’s error may become the regret of a lifetime. ... When one repents, one may be already at the end of one’s life.” [pg 19]
- Through spiritual cultivation, develop a strong conscience, robust moral character, and everlasting power of stability (especially emotional, as in the ability to control one’s raging desires).

• “Concern [yourself] with traditional principles governing relationships between the sexes. What differentiates humans from other animals is man’s sense of ethics. Without morals and guiding values, men are no different than birds and beasts. There are actually people who have abandoned ethics, and they are worse off than the birds and beasts.” [pg 19]
- Remember, no flirtatious talk. If you are not a mute, then the purpose of your ability to speak is to spread the Buddhadharma and chant the mantras of the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Dharma Protectors.
- Develop a strong sense of ethics, morals, and guiding values and adhere to them in a dogged, tenacious manner at all times and moments.

• “The Buddha has taught: pleasure is emptiness, form is emptiness.” [pg 20]
- Pleasure is a myth. Earthly pleasure from money, material objects, significant others and the like is ephemeral. Things that do not last are empty!

• “One creates one’s own blessings and disasters.” [pg 20]
- In order to transcend the sufferings of transmigrations: 1) Cherish your body and soul; 2) Preserve purity; 3) Engage in spiritual cultivation

• “You may think that no one else knows but, in reality, heaven knows and cannot be deceived.” [pg 21]
- Pound that into your head one last time ..haha =D
- Be master of your domain ...everywhere and at all times.

• Question: “How should we maintain our vigilance?” [pg 19]
• Answer: “As the Forty-two Chapters Sutra says: regard all older women as your own mother or elder sisters, all younger women as your younger sisters or daughters. Developing this kind of view can help extinguish one’s licentious thoughts.” [pg 19]
• Question: “What if one finds it difficult to maintain this view? Then, what should one do?” [pg 19]
• Answer: “Learn to practice the unclean view. What remains of a beautiful woman once her skin and flesh are removed? All that remains is a skeleton. When the body is viewed anatomically, one sees internal organs filled with blood, feces, and urine reeking of an unclean and offensive stench. By engaging in this kind of view, one will find the body’s physical characteristics quite horrible and disgusting.” [pg 20]
• Question: “What if one cannot perform this visualization?” [pg 20]
• Answer: “As one’s sexual urges begin to rage out of control, just stop and imagine the consequences. Taking that one step may very likely prevent future loss of wealth and reputation. ... Just thinking of these consequences is absolutely terrifying. This should cool down those surging sexual desires right away!” [pg 20]
• Question: “What if one still cannot restrain oneself. Then what happens?” [pg 20]
• Answer: “I could only respond, `A moment’s pleasure will bring unending disaster and misfortune.`” [pg 20]

--Posted by Thomas Weisey Chung--
March 16, 2005 (03/16/2005)
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SeattleThomas · Joined: 27 Jan 2005 Posts: 68 Location: Seattle, WA

Chapter 4: A Celestial Gathering
• “Put your utmost effort into doing good deeds and do not slack.” [pg 24]

• “Repent for your sins and make a vow to the spiritual realm to be virtuous for the rest of your life.” [pg 24]

• “In this world, too many things turn out contrary to one’s expectations!” [pg 25]

• “Anyone who has committed transgressions of sexual misconduct will suffer the following retributions: deserved wealth will diminish, veneration and ranking will be taken away to be replaced by encounters with litigations and imprisonment, accidents, disasters, violent deaths, and other misfortunes.” [pg 25]

• “Amid the endless seas of karmic transgressions, hindrances of sexual desire are among the hardest to remove.” [pg 25]

• “Repent, observe precepts, and enact the ten wholesome and virtuous deeds.” [pg 26]
- The Ten Precepts include 1) no killing, 2) no stealing, 3) no sexual harassment, 4) no lying, 5) no improper remarks, 6) No double tongues, 7) no evil speech, 8) no greed, 9) no anger and resentment, 10) no ignorance.
- Does anyone know specifically what the “ten wholesome and virtuous deeds” are?

• “The mind is the Buddha, and the Buddha is the mind. This is the state where all concepts of self and other are obliterated, where the four ideas pertaining to the existence of a separate ego are absent, where the ten evils and eight improper practices are eradicated, where attachment to egotistic and possessive love is dissolved, and where lust, anger, and delusion do not arise.” [pg 27]

• “Develop through the Dharma the patience to bear all external hardships and abide in the condition of the absolute.” [pg 27]
- One’s ability to bear life’s hardships undoubtedly relies on patience since patience is a pre-requisite for tolerance.
- Be cautious …always. Silently dismiss others when necessary. It is important not to allow external stimuli to affect you and to have a clear conscience. Again, silently and patiently bear all external hardships without the slightest trace of anger, hatred, or resentment.

• “In the state of non-duality, there will be no self, no other, and no sentient beings.” [pg 28]
- Operate in the domain space of non-duality.

---Posted by Thomas Weisey Chung---
March 18, 2005 (03/18/2005)
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SeattleThomas · Joined: 27 Jan 2005 Posts: 68 Location: Seattle, WA

Chapter 5: A Second Chance at Life
• “…vow: `With the utmost effort, I shall abstain from all lusts and licentiousness, never deviating from this vow. If I deviate from this promise, disaster will descend upon me. From now on, I shall use my life to warn others against the harms of sexual lust. With utmost effort, I shall perform good deeds until the day I die, and I shall diligently cultivate the practice of Buddhism.`” [pg 32]
- Sincerely and earnestly warn those with whom you cross paths about the disastrous effects of licentiousness, sexual misconduct and indulgence.
- “A person’s life does not matter, except for the impact it has on other lives.” –Jackie Robinson

• “To take refuge in the Buddha is to eradicate the three poisons, to sweep away the six desires, and to constantly abide in pure thoughts and awareness. To take refuge in the Dharma means abstaining from immoral speech, abstaining from viewing immoral images, and committing any immoral acts. Be mindful. This is taking true refuge-taking in the Dharma. [pg 34]
- Does anyone know what the “three poisons” and “six desires” are specifically?

• “As for taking refuge in the sangha, one should abide in purity, transcending the three realms of Form, Desire, and Formlessness, in search of one’s Dharma Body. Understanding one’s true nature – one’s past before birth, and one’s future after death – understanding the path of entry and exit to and from life, and the realization that the Dharma Body is timeless and undying is true refuge-taking in the sangha.” [pg 34]
- The Dharma Body is the one which radiates boundless light, just like the great sun.

• [pg 35]
Others are Buddhas,
I am a Buddha;
Others are Immortal,
I am Immortal;
Amid the torrents of red dust,
All is pure and free.
- The essence of this poem is the truth… let us all attempt at unraveling and deciphering it.

---Posted by Thomas Weisey Chung---
March 18, 2005 (03/18/2005)
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SeattleThomas · Joined: 27 Jan 2005 Posts: 68 Location: Seattle, WA

Chapter 6: Defamation and Slander
• “[With] divine eyesight, …probe into karmic causes and consequences.” [pg 37]

• “Conjectures [whether true or false] that may ruin or defame someone’s reputation or character should be avoided.” [pg 43]
- Do not commit false speech. Be brutally careful of what you say. Remember to stop, think, and then speak. Words are like sharp daggers. Even the truth can have lasting hurtful effects. You never know how someone else might react to a supposedly innocent statement that you make. It is common for others not to react or interpret things in expected and normative fashions. If something can be left unsaid, then that is the best path to choose.
- Silence is comfortable, not awkward.

• “Today’s television, newspapers, and magazines rarely function as sources to promote good values benefiting citizens of a society. They concentrate on reporting sensational crimes such as rape, murder, and robbery and scramble for accusatory reports that are scandalous in nature. Oftentimes, before facts are verified, reporters have already made their judgments. These are violations frequently made by today’s media. In litigation reports, denigration of a party involved, without actual fact-finding, is sabotage of an individual’s reputation and character. This is also a transgression of false speech.” [pg 43]

• “The media may be used as a murder weapon or as an instrument to rouse public opinion. Gossip can be a terrifying thing! If a report is not based in fact, then a karmic transgression is created!” [pg 46]

• “Recognize the existence of karma and accept that invisible laws indeed govern human existence.” [pg 45]
- Know the rules and play the game.

• “Among the five Buddhist precepts is the prohibition against false speech. This is a precept that is easily violated because humans tend to neglect its seriousness and often parrot what others say. As spiritual cultivators, it is best to remain silent regarding things we do not know [and even things we do know that may potentially be hurtful to another], especially those pertaining to the defamation of reputation and character.” [pg 45-46]
- There are little to no benefits that arise from gossip. Only negative impacts manifest from the seed of such unwholesome action.

• “Make one less remark, and instead chant the Buddha’s epithet.” [pg 46]
- Before utilizing the breath you were going to use to say something about someone else, instead, use that breath of precious clean air to chant a Buddha’s or Bodhisattva’s mantra (i.e. Om, Guru, Lian-sheng Siddhi, Hum and Om Mani Padme Hum).

---Posted by Thomas Weisey Chung---
March 18, 2005 (03/18/2005)
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SeattleThomas · Joined: 27 Jan 2005 Posts: 68 Location: Seattle, WA

Chapter 7: Between Wife and Mistress
• “It is heaven’s mandate that a man or woman should only bed his or her married spouse. If this order is disrupted, the ties of friendship will also be affected; and from that point on, ensuing confusion and conflict will leave one not too far from the ways of the birds and the beasts.” [pg 48]

• “As humans, we are born out of sexual desires, and the habitual tendencies of lust and sexual yearnings are particularly strong in us.” [pg 49]
- Use reason and morals to restrain desire and temptation.

• “An instant of happiness can also be an eternity of sorrow” (The Inner World of the Lake, 118)
- From one single moment of happiness can spring an eternity of grief
- (The “one single” redundancy is used for emphasis)

• “Attempts to contain fire with paper are futile for fire will undoubtedly break loose.” [pg 49]
- Make full efforts to prevent the incurrence of karmic enmity

• “There is a Chinese saying that `indulging in women` brings about disaster, as if the female sex is to be blamed. However, careful analysis reveals that men actually bring disasters upon themselves. All these afflictions arise out of `lust.`” [pg 51]
- Control your feelings of lust. Immediately calm and put out the fire of lust before it blazes into a raging inferno. Have the fullest regard for morals and principles so one never falls onto the unfavorable road in search for sexual outlets (i.e. adultery, incest, masturbation, etc.).
- Love can be transferred to hatred with a single thought.
- To put another way, it only takes a single thought to transform love into hatred.
- Rectify, eradicate from subconscious memory, and then move on.

• “Deaths brought on by sexual indulgence are also numerous. Think of the cases read or heard in the news: `Adulterous wife kills husband,` `Adulterous husband kills wife,` `Husband kills wife’s lover,` `Wife’s lover kills husband,` `Wife kills mistress,` `Mistress kills wife,` etc..” [pg 52]

• “According to statistics, forty percent of homicides and suicides can be attributed directly to love and sex, while another forty percent can be attributed indirectly to such crimes of passion. The rate is quite high.” [pg 52]

• “Over-indulgence in sex can also cause an individual to lose one’s vital energies, resulting thus in premature death. Because the cause of this kind of death is not readily detectable, such deaths are usually considered `natural deaths.`” [pg 52]

• [pg 52] I have in the past written these verses:
Around her waist,
The beauty carries a double-edged sword,
Which chops not the holy but the ordinary lot;
One may not appear to have been decapitated,
But secretly the bone marrow prematurely dries up.
- Try to imagine such a horrendous image.

• “Ordinary people may regard sexual experiences as one of life’s most enjoyable activities. But, in the eyes of spiritual cultivators, such encounters are great disasters.” [pg 52]

• “When ordinary people indulge in sex, they invite disaster. Sages of high virtue see through the entrapment of sex and attain the greatest bliss and serenity through spiritual cultivation.” [pg 52-53]

• [pg 53] Consider the following:
1) Frustration is generated when one is unable to obtain the object of one’s sexual desire.
2) Boredom and restlessness are generated after one’s sexual desires are met and the intensity gradually fades.
3) Resentment and despair are generated after the object of one’s sexual desire is attained and later lost.
Whatever the scenario, the affairs of sexual indulgences are associated with numerous crises and misfortunes.
- Wow… Definitely some important things to consider and to always keep in mind.

• Keep in mind “the futility of clinging onto hatred and the perpetuation of cycles of suffering that occur when one is unable to let go of the past.” [pg 55]
- Impromptu Poem: Let go (Mandarin: “Fan Song”) by Thomas Chung
Let go,
Just let go,
Just simply let go,
Let go of hatred,
Let go of anger,
Let go of lust,
Let go of jealousy,
Let go of vengeance,
Just let it all
Go.
Let everything go
Without a trace of resentment,
Without a shred of attachment, and
Without a sense of worry.

• “You must realize that you have yourself to blame for not controlling your own lust and desires.” [pg 56]

• See “through the illusions of worldly phenomena, [and do not hold] attachment for the turbid conditions of samsara and, instead, engender a transcendent, liberating heart.” [pg 57]

• “Human lives are fraught with desires and attachments. Such desires only give one temporary stimulation. Yet a moment of worldly pleasure is, in reality a moment of delusion and confusion which will only lead to continual disturbances of spiritual tranquility.” [pg 59]
- Yet again, all worldly pleasures are ephemeral (short lasting).

• “Eradicate lust, anger, and delusion.” [pg 59]
- Just remember that “peace will never be obtained... it is already there, you just have to stop disturbing it. It is your choice.”
- In addition, please realize that it is the transgressions that you make for yourself that result in your pain and suffering. The series of painful events that are initiated from one’s self-created transmigrations may include, but surely are not limited to, loss of patience, disturbance of peace within one’s household, family, friends and/or community, escalation of resentment, and even premature death.

---Posted by Thomas Weisey Chung---
March 23, 2005 (03/23/2005)
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SeattleThomas · Joined: 27 Jan 2005 Posts: 68 Location: Seattle, WA

Chapter 8: Ghost Woman
• “Put your heart and mind into observing the precepts” [pg 62]
- Do virtuous deeds with sincerity and the utmost effort.

• “In addition to asking Xu Ming (an individual afflicted with ghost chi) to chant the Huang Ting Sutra, I instructed him to observe a vegetarian diet and abstain from sex for three months.” [pg 62]

• “Yet, many also heartily indulge in sensual pleasures while, at the same time, swearing and making vows all too casually.” [pg 66]

• “If one gives way to one’s carnal desires and takes the liberty to make bold vows, one can easily offend the ghosts and gods.” [pg 66]

• “People do not realize that every time one makes a vow, the vow is recorded in the spiritual realm.” [pg 66]

• “People of noble character take their promises seriously, while people of little integrity often make vows and forget them right away. Heartlessness and disloyalty are regarded as offensive by the world of spirits.” [pg 66]
- “Although we are not aware of it, the world of spirits surrounds us.” [pg 85]

• “If one desires a long life, with good health and serenity, one must abstain from lust and sexual misconduct. If one desires a promotion and an increase in wealth, one must not offend the world of the spirits.” [pg 67]

• “Today people swear and make vows much too casually, as if they were eating ice cream. They do not keep their promises, as if it were the natural thing to do.
How sorrowful this is!” [pg 67]

---Posted by Thomas Weisey Chung---
March 23, 2005 (03/23/2005)
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SeattleThomas · Joined: 27 Jan 2005 Posts: 68 Location: Seattle, WA

Chapter 9: The Golden Seal of Lord Guan Sheng
• “How easily one is bedazzles by illusory fame and wealth” [pg 68]
- Bring an end to one’s wasted attempts at finding and pursuing ways to “enjoy” oneself, to conquer higher status, and to grasp power.
- Keep constant regard of karma and karmic consequences and the laws of karma.

• “Understand the importance of purification and practice it; otherwise, when one’s rewards are exhausted, disaster will descend.” [pg 72]
- Continue to be compassionate and continue to take part in volunteerism and charity work.

• “Understand the sutra’s meaning.” [pg 72]
- Don’t just chant from one’s lips

• “The sutra (The Awakening from the World Sutra) advises against lusting after food, especially meat, which incurs the killing of lives, as well as liquor, which confuses the mind and diminishes judgment and control. When drunk, one’s sense of shame and embarrassment are no longer an issue, and one may also turn violent, cruel, and arrogant as one’s morals and ethics are disregarded.” [pg 74]

• “Regarding promiscuity, the Awakening from the World Sutra calls for the observing of protocol and etiquette where one should observe moral customs and restrain one’s desires. A sense of shame is appropriate, as humility is one of the traits distinguishing humans from other beasts and birds.” [pg 74]
- Don’t be enveloped by material delusions. Understand your true Self Nature and meaning of life (part of it is to disseminate and circulate the Buddhadharma).

• “One of the worst dreads facing a wealthy man is the habit of gambling. No matter how much money one has, an addicted gambler will eventually lose everything.” [pg 77]
- Bring immediate closure to one’s accumulated debts.

• “Life is filled with unexpected storms and unpredictable vicissitudes.” [pg 78]

• “Pornographic books and images plant improper thoughts in young people’s minds. With its circulation, the publication of one pornographic book brings invisible harm to tens of thousands. … Young people are curious, they are easily influenced and excited by these books and magazines. … Bedazzled and infatuated by the images, their bodies and minds suffer a leakage of invisible energy. They will also develop mistaken and abnormal ideas about human relationships.” [pg 79]
- Don’t be too unnecessarily curious.
- Chronic masturbation causes one to lose one’s vital chi, become sickly, withered, and weak all the time, and conditions can even lead to nervous breakdowns.

• “One only needs to look at the advertising industry to see the often subtle, but sometimes overt manifestations and exploitation of sexuality. … The constant barrage of such images and sounds unconsciously influences one’s mind.” [pg 81]
- Ground yourself in stability through development from routine spiritual practice.

• “As one’s morals degenerate, the body and mind imperceptibly wastes away. The damage is not only confined to a loss of generative and spiritual energy, but more serious consequences, such as venereal diseases, infertility, and the loss of life may result.” [pg 81]

• [pg 82] Misfortune can lead to fortune,
Fortune can lead to misfortune,
Joy and grief share the same portal,
Luck and disaster coexists in the same domain.

• “All adverse and unfortunate situations contain seeds of luck and opportunities for positive transformation. All blessings may be accompanied by misfortune and disaster. Human existence is filled with both joy and sadness, just as luck and misfortune may spring from the same source.” [pg 82]
- Taoism

• “Although our ordinary senses cannot detect them, I have discovered that invisible gods and ghosts in the spirit world are supervising us. People who perform virtuous deeds will encounter improvements in their fate, with increases in prosperity, luck, life span, and wisdom. People committing non-virtuous acts will fall ill, be demoted, encounter unpredictable accidents, and have their life spans shortened.” [pg 82]
- For instance, failure to abstain from alcohol may lead to the drastic accumulation of years of prolonged alcohol consumption, which can then lead to cirrhosis of the liver.

---Posted by Thomas Weisey Chung---
March 23, 2005 (03/23/2005)
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SeattleThomas · Joined: 27 Jan 2005 Posts: 68 Location: Seattle, WA

Chapter 10: Si-lu Shen, the God of Reward and Compensation
• “Once a mind of inappropriate sexual desire is aroused, even if not acted out, a sexual misconduct has occurred.” [pg 91]

• [pg 93] – Do not underestimate the power of a prostitute,
Leaning seductively against the door;
A noble man guards his body as if it were made of jade;
A flawed, fallen flower
Will stain pure jade;
The loss of money and harm brought to the body
Will affect one’s life,
And infections will incur great disasters.
- A privileged human birth/body that is given the opportunity and freedom in time to learn about and practice Buddhism is extremely precious like jade.

• [pg 94-95] – Lu Gu [(a lieutenant general who sought Living Buddha Lian-sheng Master Sheng-yen Lu for a consultation)] is a very gifted man in the arts of letters as well as the military. His liaison with a prostitute in his younger years had already cost him two years [delay in receiving his first Ph. D]. ... In his middle years, however, instead of mending his ways, he became fond of men. Mo Shu was a good-looking young man among his subordinates. The two of them had been in a relationship for eight years. Lu Gu should consider himself lucky to have risen to the official rank of lieutenant general. How can he even hope to attain the important post of a general? He is only interested in his own rank and salary, yet he does not realize that he has created a karmic retribution for himself. ... The retribution will befall his son. ... Lu Gu will lose his heir, and his son will die. ... A short time later, Lu Gu’s son died in a car accident, and his only heir was taken away from him!
- The loss of one’s child, one’s heir, can be caused by the unwise behavior and decision to take part in a homosexual relationship.

• “Although one’s fate is predestined, it still undergoes changes. All these changes ultimately are caused by our own mind.” [pg 95]
- You must discipline your mind to the fullest! It is very easy, as in it only takes a quick moment’s misconduct or wrong doing, to change a virtuous, fortunate, positively fated life into a highly negative state where all merits have been squandered, leaving one with only great suffering and disaster.

• [pg 95] – Because sexual relations between man and woman are deemed right and proper,
Throwing the rules into chaos [(i.e. engaging in a same-sex relationship or homosexual acts]
Causes one to incur hidden stains and shame;
Reputation and money will be lost,
And in severe cases,
The loss of lives will result;
Please turn your head to look at your son,
Retribution does call without fail.

• [pg 96-99] – When I saw him [(Yuan Mao, a former boss of a metal factory who sought Living Buddha Lian-sheng Master Sheng-yen Lu for a consultation)] the morning he arrived, I was quite shocked. The Yuan Mao I once knew had shiny black hair and dressed in well-pressed suits. He had a personal secretary and a chauffeur who drove him around in a black luxury sedan. But the Yuan Mao standing before me now in a tattered jacket was unkempt and had a full head of grayish hair. His face was covered with wrinkles and he appeared travel-worn and weary. He truly looked like someone down on his luck. … In the past ten years or so, Yuan Mao had committed the transgression of aborting two unborn fetuses. … Yuan Mao, you committed killings. Your partner has aborted two fetuses. … The transgression of seducing a monk or nun is much more severe. You [(Yuan Mao)] behaved improperly by having sex with a nun, impregnating her twice, and causing her to have two abortions. What a heavy transgression that is! That is hwy you are down and out on your luck today. Make a vow now to uphold the precepts. … Make a vow to Heaven and Earth that you will never commit such transgressions again. Sign the prayer and burn it.
- Thus, abortion is murder.
- Pursue spiritual cultivation and pure awareness.

• “Repent of all your mistakes in the past and be very careful to stay away from all thoughts and actions of sexual misconduct. Vow to uproot all sins and walk the rightful path. In addition, you must harbor good thoughts from now on. Talk to others or distribute pamphlets advising them to avoid sexual misconduct.” [pg 99]

• “The sutra says that by avoiding sexual misconduct, one can gain the five blessings and avoid falling into the lower paths of rebirth. You must make vigorous efforts to redeem yourself.” [pg 99]
- Immerse yourself in practices to liberate yourself from the world.

• “Nothing escapes the eyes of gods; / … / Punishment from the government and spirit world will be heavy; / What a trap to sink one into a lower realm!” [pg 99]
- Remember, heaven knows.

• [pg 100] – The media, propagating such scandals, has the power to confuse right and wrong; and often times, not many people actually stop to consider the moral truths to the story.
In terms of karma, a spiritual cultivator committing sexual misconduct can incur terrifying results. This is because one has knowledge about the teachings of the Buddhadharma, yet continues to commit the transgression.
According to the Buddhist sutras, a person committing sexual misconduct will suffer retribution such as betrayals from spouses and daughters, dying without sons, falling into the three lower realms (animals, hungry ghosts, or hells) after death, or waiting an inexorable time to regain the body of a human.
People who commit sexual misconduct will lose their status, suffer a loss of reputation, and lose their money. Licentious people will have many illnesses, age faster, and will not live long. They will be reprimanded by society and incur great enmities. Also, what suffers ultimately is the reputation of the religion to which they belong! When a woman seduces a monk, a man seduces a nun, or a monk and nun together break the precepts, a great evil is committed.

• [pg 101] – The rule prohibiting sexual misconduct is of the utmost importance. Sages who have transcended the world, virtuous people living in the world, and noble people who have understood the path to realization have long realized the origin of lascivious desires and their dire consequences. Some people advocate breaking off the desire, others advocate temperance and abstinence, while Tantrayana advocates channeling the desire and transforming it into a practice.
It is within this scope and based on good intentions that I place my efforts into spreading this message. I simply hope that everyone can break this barrier of illusion of the flesh and transform a mundane pleasure into true purity and ultimate bliss.
- Why not use/expend your libido for more practical purposes?

• “Speech is the mutual circulation of drops of chi; And Mind is the attainment of great bliss and pure awareness.” [pg 101]
- To prevent the loss of vital chi, open your mouth only when there is a necessity to do so.

• “They must still try their best to observe the precepts. As outlined in the Divine rules, misfortunes befall those who are licentious. One should often repent for one’s transgressions, resolutely break bad habits, and find out how to redeem oneself.” [pg 101-102]

• “One should publicize and disseminate good books and sutras that benefit the minds of men. This will help people of the world understand the futility of pursuing physical and material pleasures, and the suffering that inevitably follows unbridled lasciviousness and sexual misconduct. Only in this way will morals and customs gradually become virtuous, as the hearts of men develop kindness and honesty, and society grows towards harmony and peace.” [pg 102]

• [pg 102] – I offer, here, the following verse:
The body is the foundation of all tasks;
Activities that harm the body are many and varied,
Yet none is more cruel and fierce than lascivious desires;
A noble man regards his body as a piece of jade,
Abandoning wicked thoughts and deeds,
Preserving it with sincerity.

---Posted by Thomas Weisey Chung---
March 26, 2005 (03/26/2005)
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SeattleThomas · Joined: 27 Jan 2005 Posts: 68 Location: Seattle, WA

Chapter 11: Night Trial at the City God’s Temple
• “…the two harmful consequences of raping a woman. First, the trauma inflicted upon the woman hurts and breaks her body and spirit. Second, it exerts a bad moral influence upon society when foolish people, devoid of honor, emulate and collude. People perpetuating this type of evil behavior will meet with inexorable doom.” [pg 104-105]
- Also avoid speech and actions that may even potentially cause #1 and/or #2. This does not have to be rape.

• “Ponder the day when one dies, when the fire of carnal desire will immediately cool. Foolish people knit their brows and consider thoughts of death inauspicious and unpleasant. Yet in a hundred years, everybody now living will perish. This bodhisattva view of death is the log that ferries one across the sea of suffering.” [pg 105]
- Hmm… ponder this…

• “Teachings concerning the threefold refuge [in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha], avoidance of all evils, enacting of virtuous deeds, and purification of the mind are the true Buddhadharma. These teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha are the truth.” [pg 106]

• “In Buddhism, the five grave sinful behaviors are: killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, false speech, and imbibing intoxicants. The category of killings is actually quite broad. Besides the actual taking of lives, it also applies to destruction and harming others. So, the killing of men, women, babies, animals, and the destruction of temples and monasteries are also grave transgressions. Harming Buddhist teachers, monks and nuns, family and friends, one’s own master, and people who trust one are grave transgressions as well.” [pg 107]

• “Think again. It is so easy for sentient beings living in samsara to sin in mind and deed.” [pg 107]
- The means, such as your motives, are just as important as the end or result.

• “The purpose of spiritual cultivation is to cultivate the heart and mind.” [pg 109]

• “After all, to remove such a karmic hindrance, one must enter into a pure and undistracted state of mind, sweeping away the ten evils and eight improper practices, remaining totally unstained by the bondages of love, affection, passion, and desire, and extinguishing all greed, wrath, and delusion.” [pg 112]

• “It is a small problem, but I made a great commitment and it now has infinite significance.” [pg 113]

• “The rules are strict and fair.” [pg 113]
- The rules governing the universe: Know them, understand them, and do not be bogged down or depressed by them. Now go play the game, player.

• “When one is deluded and does not understand the true Self Nature, one is still bound by the laws of karma. The seed of unwholesome actions will germinate into roots of misfortune.” [pg 113-114]

• “I (Living Buddha Lian-sheng Master Sheng-yen Lu) replied, `Since one of the Buddhist precepts prohibits false speech, I must keep my promise and cure him. It will be a virtuous deed if this inspires faith in him. It may transform his face.” [pg 114]

• [pg 115-116] – [i]“Four Views of Uncleanliness”:
1) Uncleanliness upon waking up – Dwell silently on the filthy condition in which one wakes up early in the morning. The eyes are unfocused, the tongue is covered with a thick coating, and the mouth is filled with a stale breath. Even a rare beauty, before freshening up and applying make-up, awakes this way.
2) Uncleanliness upon over-drinking – Dwell silently on the filthy condition one is in when one drinks too much and throws up. The undigested vomit is so revolting, even a hungry dog is repulsed after sniffing it. Even for a beautiful woman, sipping wine and picking at her food, such will be the contents in her stomach when the dinner is finished.
3) Uncleanliness when sick – Dwell silently on the condition of sickness. The face is dark and sallow, the body emaciated, there may be ulcerative openings with foul smelling pus, and blood oozing from the wounds. Imagine how a beautiful or young woman will look when afflicted with such an illness.
4) Uncleanliness in the bowels – Dwell silently on toilets, where feces and urine pile up, with flies circling around. A person may be externally beautiful and covered with expensive perfume, yet such is the condition of the bowels after food and drink have been digested and absorbed.

• “Once the thought of sexual desire arises, evil thoughts inevitably follow. Take for example, the fear of parting with a lover and the ensuing thoughts of possessiveness, jealousy, envy, tormented thought, and plans to harm and destroy. The latter two kinds of thought arise when one fails to obtain one’s desires.” [pg 116]

• “One may find another man’s wife or daughter beautiful and harbor a sexual thought for her. But as soon as such a thought arises, even though it is never enacted, it will be hard to escape punishment from the spiritual realm.” [pg 116-117]
- Enact complete and absolute pureness in mind and pureness in action will follow.

---Posted by Thomas Weisey Chung---
March 27, 2005 (03/27/2005)
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SeattleThomas · Joined: 27 Jan 2005 Posts: 68 Location: Seattle, WA

Chapter 12: The Divine Fans
• “If it is in one’s destiny to have something, one will eventually get it. Otherwise, the situation should not be forced.” [pg 119]
- Though, what one is to receive by fate still requires the necessary means needed to achieve what is coming. Do not be inactive and passive, and don’t simply wait for fortune to fall from the sky and onto one’s lap.

• “A lofty heart is a great virtue and trying one’s best indicates great ability.” [pg 121]

• [pg 122, 124-125] – Yao Tong saved the life of a woman named Wu Yan and also maintained his integrity by rejecting a sexual liaison offered to him. Because of these honorable actions, he was blessed with two more years added to his life, enlistment into officialdom, and the birth of his two sons. In the future, these two sons will rise head and shoulders above others and enjoy great fortunes. In fact, when Yao Tong visited my temple after the birth of his two sons, I saw that his facial features, chi, and complexion had improved. I also saw a reddish halo above his head.
…
But Yao Tong felt differently about the matter [(regarding the proposed opportunity to propagate with the significantly younger woman that wasn’t his wife whose life he saved)]. To him, such a proposal was immoral because it meant he would be taking advantage of something in a crisis. He had acted out of good intentions, and to culminate the accident in lust and an improper sexual liaison seemed to him a breach of honor. Also, he felt that the difference in their age would render the whole affair quite unethical, so he solemnly rejected the offer. He would rather have no sons than risk such a sexual transgression.
Wu Yan [(the younger woman)] and Yao Tong’s wife tired many times to persuade him to change his mind, but Yao Tong steadfastly refused.

• [pg 125] – What a wonderful change in one’s fate;
Fortune comes hand in hand with auspiciousness;
Saving another’s life and abstaining from lust are true virtues;
Lucky stars will appear and life will sail smoothly.

• “All phenomena are impermanent, and everything undergoes change. The Buddha himself did not say that one’s destiny is fixed, and he believed that fate could be changed. Thus there are practices one can study to establish a new life.” [pg 125-126]

• {Yao Tong speaking} “The purpose of spiritual divination is primarily to teach people to act properly and avoid disasters in their lives. It is based on good intentions. What has happened to me is karma. Causes in previous lives had shaped a destiny of no children in this lifetime, but actions in this life resulted in a change of luck. As a result of luck enhancement, I now have two sons.” [pg 126]

• {Yao Tong speaking} “The Living Buddha has taught us that observation of the five precepts and ten wholesome actions is virtuous. Conversely, breaking the five precepts and ten wholesome deeds is evil. The Buddhist scriptures have said that the world abounds in heretics. In fact, seeking dharma beyond one’s heart is a transgression. The Living Buddha has taught us that practicing Buddhism is to cultivate the Buddha Mind to transcend birth and death and realize one’s true nature!” [pg 126-127]
- Always remain unperturbed. Become as expansive as the heavens and the earth.
- The only thing one should arouse is his or her compassion.

• {Yao Tong speaking} “I have known Living Buddha Sheng-yen Lu for many years and spent quite a bit of time with him. He spends his days writing, painting, and meditating. He does his practice every day without fail and, to date, he has published one hundred and forty books. At times, he will put aside part of his day to help others resolve their problems and crises. He truly demonstrates earnest compassion for people of this world. He abides in the nature of the mind, and his actions are in keeping with his words.” [pg 127]

• “First, do not argue. Instead use disagreements as opportunities to practice `the art of perfecting practice and endurance.` Second, regard a negative encounter as an opportunity to resolve one’s karmic hindrance.” [pg 128]
- A negative situation can almost always be viewed or even transformed into a positive one with a single thought.

• {Living Buddha Lian-sheng Master Sheng-yen Lu} “I have devoted this entire life to the study and practice of Buddhism and the cultivation of the Tao. I have discovered that the most important goal in life is the transcending of birth and death. Anything else is auxiliary. I have always ignored outside rumors and slanders.” [pg 128]
- When encountering circulating rumors, just let them be.

---Posted by Thomas Weisey Chung---
March 27, 2005 (03/27/2005)
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SeattleThomas · Joined: 27 Jan 2005 Posts: 68 Location: Seattle, WA

Chapter 13: The Woman from the Grave
• [pg 130] – There are worlds beyond worlds within the Empty Space;
Through realization of Tao, one becomes a high immortal;
At this point, ten thousand of rolls of scriptures are useless,
And the mind alone is the foundation of birth and death.

• “Seek stillness amid movement or movement amid stillness.” [pg 134]
- Do not risk the future burden of disaster and suffering by rampantly indulging in lust.

• “Set up a shrine and chant sutras and mantras. … “Practice Vajra mantra recitation, enshrine Vajra deities, and do the Vajra Deity practices.” [pg 138, 142]

• “Although noxious chi attacks are brought about by external assaults from spirits, my view is that this problem is still basically a `problem of the mind.` This problem of the mind is rooted in one’s intents and desires. Although one’s intents and desires may be invisible to other humans, they are readily detected by other ghosts and spirits. This leads to the occurrence of noxious chi assaults!” [pg 142]

• “People who ascend to the twenty-eight heavens to enjoy their rewards are those who are pure in mind and have scant desires. On the other hand, the majority of those who descend to the Hell of Feng-du are those with strong desires and lusts.” [pg 142-143]

• [pg 143-144] – In the Hell of Feng-du, I saw the horrendous amounts of karmic transgressions committed by humans; they were as tall as a mountain and as deep as the sea. The evils committed by men – murders, kidnappings, robbery, arson, theft, etc. – are numerous, but the one evil that tops these in prevalence is sexual misconduct. Human beings commit sexual misconducts casually and frequently.

According to the teachings of karma and transgressions:
People who rape others’ wives or daughters will suffer five hundred kalpas in the Hell of Feng-du before attaining rebirth. They will then be reborn as animals, such as donkeys, horses, or cows, for another five hundred kaplas before attaining rebirth as humans. When they recapture their human bodies, they often become prostitutes.

People who rape widows, nuns, or spiritual practitioners will suffer eight hundred kalpas in the Hell of Feng-du before attaining rebirth. They will then be reborn as sheep and pigs to be slaughtered by humans. After eight hundred kalpas in the animal realm, they can then re-attain human birth. However, they will not be born in high or noble form, but as a blind, a mute, or with other deformities.

People who commit incest – such as father with daughter, mother with son, or one sibling with another – and people who break the ethics – such as an old person with a young person, a man with a man, or woman with woman – will suffer fifteen hundred kalpas in the realms of hell before attaining rebirth. They will then be reborn as snakes or rates. Only after another fifteen hundred kalpas can they recover human births. The recovered human lives are not very long, and they will die either in gestation or infancy and not be able to enjoy old age.

Also, those who fabricate pornographic materials that debauch and corrupt others’ minds will suffer even more severely. After dying, they will descend to the Interminable Hell from where it is quite difficult to be released. Only when all the pornographic materials produced by one have disappeared, can one depart.
As stated earlier, the harms produced by pornographic materials are incalculable. A woman from a god family can, through a chance meeting with such materials, become seduced and be unable to suppress the fire of lust thus aroused. A virtuous woman may become loose and wanton. These materials may fan the fires and lusts of a young man or woman who may then become addicted to the habit of masturbation. When young people over-indulge in masturbation, their physical health also suffers. The harm done is relatively minor when purveyors of such material hurt only themselves. But, when they start involving and ruining others’ ethics and lives, the negative results will be magnified. My opinion is that pornographic materials create and result in endless karmic hindrances.

• [pg 145-146] – When mind and reason become subordinate to body and passion, it is easy for one to fall, becoming a denizen of the bitter hells of suffering. One should know that the retribution for licentiousness and sexual misconduct is severe!

Karmic effects include the following:
1) retribution upon one’s wife and daughters
2) loss of fame and reputation
3) punishment upon one’s descendents
4) loss of fortune
5) decrease in rank
6) shortened lifespan
7) punishment in the realm of hells
8) descent into the hell, hungry ghosts, and animal realms

As practitioners, we must look past the illusions of physical beauty and realize that “form is emptiness.” Under the rosy and powdered skin are bones, blood, flesh, and foul-smelling excrement.

Be very careful and beware of making a slip! One must break through the delusions to return to the path of realization.

---Posted by Thomas Weisey Chung---
April 1, 2005 [04/01/2005]
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SeattleThomas · Joined: 27 Jan 2005 Posts: 68 Location: Seattle, WA

Chapter 14: The Gatekeepers of the Southern Heaven Gate
• “There are countless ways to enter thought Emptiness; / Waiting in line is just a waste of time.” [pg 147]

• “The lightning-like Diving Eye sees everything.” [pg 149]

• “The rules by which gods must abide: 1) maintaining purity of mind; 2) observing the divine laws; 3) preserving one’s `chi and shen`; 4) protecting the citizens of one’s domain; 5) abstaining from filthy conduct; 6) maintaining a diligent and energetic demeanor.” [pg 151]

• “Incorporated in the pictogram for the word `sex` is the pictogram for `knife,` a tool that can take away one’s life. Lusting for finite pleasures while alive will lead to infinite suffering after death.” [pg 152]

• [pg 154] – “Having no former or future lives is a condition of no-birth and no-death. It is a state that has transcended birth and death. It is the Right Path.”
“What is the Right Path?” the village girl asked me.
“Realization of one’s inherent nature, and the liberation from birth and death is the Right Path. In contrast, practices involving talismans and incantations, the commanding of thunder and lightning, and shifting through different realities, etc. are only magical practices. They do not constitute the Right Path. Similarly, arts of healing, astrology, and divination alone will not lead to the Right Path. Even practices of breathing and internal alchemy reliant on the intake of external supplements are practices of the phenomenal worlds and will not lead one to the Right Path.”
“If all these practices do not lead to the Right Path, do they serve any purpose?”
I replied, “They can only be considered auxiliaries to one’s cultivation to reach the Right Path. They will not liberate one from the cycle of birth and death. As a practitioner of Buddhism, one must understand the True Condition and intuit the supreme wisdom that cuts away all illusions pertaining to the phenomenal worlds. All phenomenal appearances are projections of one’s mind and consciousness. Only a practice that enables one to unite with the Divine or the Buddha, where there is no separation between body and mind and where the ultimate reality is non-duality, is an authentic Buddhist practice.”

• “In order to be liberated from the six realms of transmigration and to attain true freedom, one must break away from all concepts of time and all concepts of selfhood.” [pg 156]

---Posted by Thomas Weisey Chung---
April 1, 2005 [04/01/2005]
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