This morning, I was nominated by my good friend Susie for my second Blogger Recognition Award. I am very honored by her confidence in my work, and I admire her dedication to family, charity and friends. Furthermore, I strongly recommend everyone to look through her blog of helpful product reviews.
The acceptance rules and my suggestions/answers remain the same as in my first award post, but I would like to do something different with my 15 nominations. In the Ming Dynasty era Sagely text, the Maxims of the Sages, it is said:
As even the yellow river will one day turn clear, why wouldn’t your time come?
Thus, I want the nominations to be about giving daylight to those who deserve it most, especially those who have so far been toiling in anonymity.
I call upon anyone who sees this post to nominate someone they know (preferably someone who advocates compassion, ethics,awareness, conservation and charity) for this award on my behalf. Please do so in the comment section (and give a small description of the nominee), and then inform your nominee of their award so they can do the acceptance post.
Lastly, here is a Buddhist poem I wrote about the Samsara for your reading pleasure:
Calligraphy: Sincerity, Serenity, Fairness, Enlightenment and Benevolence
This poem was inspired by the opening chapters of the Infinite Life Sutra, which outline Dharmakara’s (Amitabha) creation of the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss.
In a time before time began, In a distant faraway land, There reigned a wise sovereign Most mighty and valiant, Honored by many as the World’s Bounty and Mercy. Upon hearing the Dharma Of Lokeshvararaja Buddha, He melted into joyful repose And cast aside desire’s shadow, The fetters of the world’s cares, And vowed to become the heir Of the True and Utmost Way! Thus, he abandoned his crown, Robed himself a humble monk, And marched forth upon the Way, Cultivating through night and day Until he became the renowned Bodhisattva Dharmakara. With profound wisdom peerless, Faith and patience matchless, He swiftly mastered the Dharma, Rose far beyond the Samsara And high above the snares of Mara. In triumph, he sought the Buddha And piously vowed and bowed before Him, revering his great grandeur:
“The Buddha’s august demeanor Is wondrous without compare, His halo the ten quarters illume, Bright beyond the luminous moon And the lucent beams of high noon, The World Honored One’s voice Enlightens all beings to rejoice Within the Dharma in native speech, And he appears to all and each In the body of their honored liege. I yearn to emulate you and preach Sermons of Dharma to everyone, Without bounds like the shining sun, To teach Sila, Samadhi and Viriya, The profound and potent Dharma. Wisdom as vast and deep as the sea, Heart neither stained nor weary, Gliding o’er oceans of sin and woe, To the halcyon shores of Bodhi, Untainted by gloomy wrath, Unfettered by lustful avarice, And blessed with serene Samadhi. I shall follow the footsteps of the Infinite Buddhas who precede me And act as a great guiding light For the masses, to be their sight, Uprooting the temporal bequeath Of birth, old age, illness and death, Always generous and ever virtuous, With diligence and eternal patience, Forever within Samadhi and Prajna, Faithfully abiding by the Six Paramitas, Bestowing Bodhi upon the dull and lost, And lifting Sages into the Buddha host! As he who rains alms upon the Sangha Is less than he who becomes a Buddha Through single-minded faith, I vow to in diligent Samadhi stay, And glow brightly with everlasting light, I shall build a splendrous paradise Unrivaled across the universe entire, To serve as a refuge of lasting respite For those benighted in the Samsara! With kindness I will shatter every klesha Of every poor soul tortured by dukkha. I shall not waver for I am determined To shoulder every pain and burden, So let the Buddha be my witness!”
After hearing Dharmakara’s great And dauntless resolve and praise, The Buddha arose from his Dais, Gleaming with utmost admiration For the one before him who is salvation To the endless many lost in perdition. He then declared:
“Your vows are not made in vain, For even the oceans can be emptied By but one who bails unceasingly, And all its hidden pearls revealed, What is there the sincere cannot attain? I will show you the path and Way To your glorious and imperious day!”
And so the Buddha parted the sky and Revealed to Dharmakara every plane Of rebirth, each and every Buddha Land, All the galaxies, worlds and Sagely domains, Revealing their cities, peaks, gorges and seas, Their prairies, hills and fertile valleys, The villas of devas dancing in divine weal, The nature and condition of their peoples, Unveiling their barren ghostly ruins, animal Kingdoms and bleak narakas most infernal. Uncovering all of their vices and virtues, So that Dharmakara may with ease build A pure and gilded land of wondrous bliss, Free from evil and woe, a supreme harbor Of every good found across the ten quarters. The Buddha then said: “Pronounce your vows!”
“For the relief of all sentient beings, Including those mired in the suffering Of hellish, ghostly and beastly rebirth, I have built a Pure Land of true mirth, Open to all who are willing to share my Merits and forfeit darkness for light! I have paved for you fine gilded roads Of precious stones, purple and gold, For you I have filled rivers and lakes With cool azure waters of soft ripples, Swirling with fragrant flowers most graceful, With beds of aurulent sand, and laid Before you villas, pavilions and canopies, Groves of beryl, emerald and agate trees That ruffle and sway in the blissful breeze, Adorned by jade leaves and scented petals, Berries of Mani-jewels and crystal. I give you clear skies and peerless paradise, A glorious afterlife of endless delight, With singing songbirds perched on amber arbors, Humming hymns with lyrical harmony And the most soothing of melodies! I bless all who arrive in my land with August, aurulent and ethereal bodies Untainted by the greed, fear and foul odors That flesh, desire and delusion harbors, I bless thee with all the powers of Bodhi, Its wisdom, eminence, bliss and glory, Its serene Samadhi and tranquil purity! Divine provision shall appear on demand And so too the finery and robes of my land. Any being who chants my Buddha-name, Wholeheartedly abandons evil and repents With faithful resolve, shall enter my domain And rise to Sagehood upon the Lotus Lagoon. I am Amitabha and my vows have come to pass!”
Upon hearing Amitabha’s august vows, The entire assembly before him bowed, Moved to joyous tears by his great resolve! They beheld his unsurpassed compassion, His merciful uprooting of all evil passions, Granting each the chance to taste the Samadhi Of the highest, most true and utmost Bodhi! On this glorious and regal Dharma day, The Earth shook in the six auspicious ways, Gleaming gods and goddesses were seen Gliding over the stars stroking harp-strings, The ethereal heavens soon resounded with Gilded notes of splendid divine bliss, And the courts of the heavenly lords feted, Raining down golden lilies like confetti!
The esteemed guests streamed into the candle lit foyer And dissolved into a sea of idle courtly ritual, Landowners, majors, magistrates, slender maidens And fair matrons all slithered into the modestly gilded hall so Discreetly adorned by understated gluttony. Their lofty manners, Their shield ; their feigned courtesy, disguise for icy hearts.
Only a thin veneer of silky decorum coats their acrid tongues, For them, honest men are but emotional beasts to be Snared and skinned by slander most gleeful and vicious, Leaving in their wake their perverse masterpieces— Hollow shells that would make a taxidermist proud.
Petaled confetti is set adrift upon powdered faces and intricate wigs lost in Laughter, Chatter, and the Clatter of soles ; and as Measured gaits of the Minuet Mingled ‘Mongst The Music and Morphed into the Milieu, well bred ladies politely pricked with veiled Slights of envy, and the men indulged their ornery humor, turning giddy at the sight of Misery, their openly secret delight.
Meandering through the dense meadow of decadent masters are the servants who carry Silver platters of pheasants and plum wine. Their obedient stony facades hide hearts That lust after larceny. Birds of the same feather, separated only by station.
Alas! Heaven cries as it looks down to judge…….King Yama lets out a sigh and asks:
In this hall of monsters, who is modest still? In this world of wickedness, who is upright still? In this land of lies…..who is honest still?
Comment
Poem inspired by the Taoist Treatise of Response and Retribution moral maxims that warn against: Hiding cruelty and malice behind a gentle facade (offense 66, page 14), To envy those doing well, wishing for them poverty and disgrace (page 11, offense 42), To indulge in excess revelry and luxury (offense 52, page 12) and to Secretly plot to hurt the good and kind (Offense 2, page 4).
The Treatise also teaches that based on the severity of an offense, the offender will be punished by Heaven by having either a period(s) of 3 months or 12 years shaved off his lifespan and accompanying misfortunes (i.e. legal, disasters, illness etc.). Likewise, virtue will lead to an increase of lifespan (by periods of 100 days or 12 years) and various blessings such as wealth, health and prosperity etc.
Public Domain translation with commentary of the Treatise of Response and Retribution:
It is highly recommended that all daily recite this liturgy version of the Treatise. Doing so will eradicate evil karma and draw in a myriad of blessings.
It is not right for a ruler who has deviated from the righteous way of leadership to put his officials and subjects to death. Even though the people are not being taught the way of filial piety and the proper behavior that goes along with it, they are being convicted and put into prisons. To do so amounts to killing the innocent.
Scroll 10: KongZi Jia Yu
The ancients said: “If a farmer refuses to work, some people will starve. If a woman refuses to weave, some people will suffer in the cold.” When the growth of all things is limited by seasons but we consume them as if they will be available without limitation, the resources will sooner or later be depleted. The ancients governed and planned meticulously and they would have had the foresight to ensure the treasury had enough reserves to sustain the nation.
Scroll 14: Han Shu, Vol. 2
Mencius said to Duke Xuan of the state of Qi: “When a lord treats his subordinates like brothers, they will pledge allegiance to him in return. When a lord treats his subordinates like slavish animals, they will regard him as a stranger on the street. When a lord treats his subordinates like dirt and weeds, they will regard him as a robber and an enemy.”
Scroll 37: MengZi
In this post, I would like to bring attention to some profound Ancient Eastern Sagely works and maxims that are particularly relevant today. For instance, the above quotes succinctly point out the looming calamity that will surely follow our consumerism and miscarriage of justice ridden legal system. All these quotes are from the Qunshu Ziyao, which is a multi-volume work compiled on the orders of the founding sovereign of the Tang Dynasty that includes wisdom accumulated from the times of the predynastic Sage Kings to the Sui Dynasty (over 3,000 years of wisdom). Please read the full texts below:
Moreover, I also wish to recommend my free and Public Domain translations of the Maxims of the Sages (Ming dynasty era compilation of sagely aphorisms) and Upasaka An Shi’s Discourse on the 48 Inquiries of Non Violence (a Qing era sagely work on humane living):
Pure Land Sutras 