Many of us have heard of Buddhism and some of us study Buddhism, or even practise Buddhism. In previous programmes we learnt that every being can become a Buddha and there are infinite Buddhas in the universe. We also learnt that the relationship between a Buddha and a Buddhist practitioner is a teacher-student relationship. So to a practising Buddhist, the purpose of learning and practising Buddhism is to become a Buddha. Just like a student strives to become as good as their teachers. But what does ‘Buddha’ mean?

Listen to my teacher’s lecture in Chinese: What is a Buddha? What does the word ‘Buddha’ mean?. (In Chinese)

Listen to the podcast in English: What is a Buddha? What is learning to become a Buddha for?

Before reading aloud a Buddhist sutra, e.g., the Infinite Life Sutra 無量壽經, a Buddhist practitioner would normally read aloud the verse ‘Returning to and Relying on the Triple Jewels 三皈依’. The Triple Jewels 三寶 refer to the enlightenment of Buddha, the correctness of Dharma and the purity of sangha.

Here, we need to be clear about one thing. In the context of the Triple Jewels, the Buddha, the Dharma and the sangha do not refer to any specific Buddha, Buddhist sutra or Buddhist practitioner. Instead, they are representations of something abstract, something that is innate to every single one of us.

Buddha represents enlightenment 覺, Dharma represents correctness 正, and sangha represents purity 淨. So the Triples Jewels actually refer to enlightenment, correctness and purity 覺正淨. Returning to and relying on the Triple Jewels actually means that we should return to and rely on enlightenment, correctness and purity.

All of us have enlightenment, correctness, and purity. But at the moment we are not aware that we have them, and they have been covered by all sorts of bad habits that we have acquired over countless previous lives and this life, such as greed, anger, arrogance, and ignorance of sages’ teachings.

Speaking of enlightenment, some of us might ask ‘So what’s a fully enlightened person like’? Well, let’s look at a few aspects. A fully enlightened person never does things for themselves. They can always and naturally see things from others’ perspectives, and hence they are very understanding and definitely not stubborn.

They do not have any likes or dislikes. They love all beings unconditionally and rationally. From the depths of their heart, they genuinely love those who are nice to them and also those who harm them. Because they know that they and all beings are one, and that they and all beings share the same self-nature which is intrinsically good and pure. They also know that those who harm them did bad things out of bad habits. So, what a fully enlightened person sees is not the differences but the most important sameness, the intrinsically good and pure self-nature that we all have. Loving all beings without differentiation is to actually love oneself.

The state of mind of a fully enlightened person is never influenced by their physical and mental environments. They have let go of all desires. They have let go of all emotions and therefore their state of mind is always stable and tranquil. They never get angry, not in the slightest. No matter what happens, they always remain tranquil. These are just a few examples of what a fully enlightened person is like. Of course, there are many more aspects to it. 

But now, let’s return to the verse we were talking about earlier, ‘Returning to and Relying on the Triple Jewels’.

The first line of the verse goes, ‘By returning to and relying on Buddha, I gain the two perfections and therefore I am honourable 皈依佛，兩足尊 .’ The word ‘Buddha’ here does not refer to any specific Buddha, but refers to the state of full enlightenment of a Buddha and it is the very thing that a Buddhist practitioner is striving towards.

The second half of the line says, ‘I gain the two perfections.’ So what does ‘the two perfections’ refer to? It refers to be perfect in two things, and they are wisdom and good fortune. A Buddha is someone who has uncovered the perfect and infinite wisdom, virtue and good fortune. A Buddha is a fully enlightened person and therefore has perfect wisdom.

Do we want perfect wisdom and perfect good fortune? Perhaps all us would say ‘Yes’. Good fortune encompasses all sorts of things, such as good wealth, good health, good reputation 善名, healthy long life 長壽, and peaceful and natural death 善終.

One thing we must know is that both perfect wisdom and perfect good fortune can only be found from within. We cannot find them from without. They are something inside us, inside all of us, inside all beings.

In the Infinite Life Sutra, Sakyamuni Buddha 釋迦牟尼佛 taught us to be mindful of Amitabha Buddha’s name 阿彌陀佛, Amituofo. We would then ask ‘Why did he teach that? What is it that we are mindful of when we are mindful of Amitabha Buddha’s name, Amituofo?’ Well, the answer is quite straightforward.

When we are mindful of Amitabha Buddha’s name, we are actually mindful of perfect wisdom and perfect good fortune. When we gain rebirth in the Pure Land 淨土, or the Land of Ultimate Bliss 極樂國土, the land in which Amitabha Buddha is the teacher and we are the students, we will attain both perfect wisdom and perfect good fortune and virtue upon graduation. 

So can we do without Buddhas’ teachings? Well, if we say ‘no’ to Buddhas’ teachings, we actually say ‘no’ to wisdom and good fortune. Without wisdom, we are ignorant. Without good fortune, we are poor and lowly. That is why when we learn Buddhism we must first clearly understand the meaning of the word ‘Buddha’. Then we will gradually understand the incredible efforts and gains of Amitabha Buddha’s name.

We may well be mindful of the name, Amituofo, but we do not necessarily understand it and so we might have doubts. When our doubts are completely cleared, we are mindful of Amitabha Buddha’s name with sincerity, reverence, determination, confidence and a pure mind. At the same time, if we can gradually let go of things in our minds as much as possible, the benefit we get will be incredible such as considerably improved mental and physical health, just as what is recorded in the Infinite Life Sutra.

(To be continued…)

DEDICATION

The effort and gains of explaining, transmitting and listening to Buddhas’ teachings are dedicated to:

the entire Universe and all beings of all dimensions and all existences. May they all listen to Buddhas’ teachings, awaken to the truth of the Universe, be mindful of the name ‘Amituofo’ (Amitabha Buddha),

aspire to go to the Pure Land, and become Buddhas. (Read the above three times)

I pray to Buddhas and bodhisattvas for unconditionally solving all man-made and natural disasters around the globe.

For all of those who died in man-made wars and natural disasters across the world,

and for all of those who are related to me in all kinds of ways in this life and previous lives, may they listen to Buddhas’ teachings. May they awaken to the truth of the Universe, aspire to unearth their innate and most sincere, pure, equal and awakened mind, be single-mindedly mindful of Amituofo, aspire to go to the Pure Land so as to see Amituofo and listen to his teachings, removing all their delusions and unveiling their innate wisdom, gaining the real peace and happiness, instantly escaping from the cycle of birth and death, speedily becoming Buddhas, and helping all beings (in the entire Universe) like all other Buddhas.

The effort and gains are dedicated to the leaders of all countries on the Earth. May all countries be prosperous. May all disasters be solved. May the world enjoy eternal peace. I use the effort and gains to return the help from the enlightenment of Buddhas, by the correctness of Buddhas’ teachings, from the purity of sangha, from all beings, from my parents (in this life and previous lives), and from my country(ies). I also use the effort and gains to help alleviate the suffering of those who are already in and will be reborn into the animal realm, the ghost realm and hells as the result of their bad thoughts, speech and deeds. For anyone who sees and hears me chanting or being mindful of Amituofo and doing other good deeds, may they aspire to unearth their most sincere, pure, equal and awakened mind so as to go to the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, together with me, at the end of our present lives.