In this programme we’ll talk about the minds of all beings. The minds of all beings are like bubbles in the ocean.

Listen to my teacher’s original lecture: The minds of all beings are like bubbles in the ocean

Listen to the podcast in English: Coming soon.

Listen to Amituofo Chanting.

The Venerable Master Bodhidharma was Sakyamuni Buddha’s 28th generation disciple. He was the founder, the first patriarch of the Zen Buddhism 禪宗 in China. After the Venerable Master Bodhidharma arrived in China from India in the early sixth century, the Venerable Huike visited Bodhidharma and said to him, ‘ My mind is not yet in peace. I beg you to bring peace to it 我心未寧請師安心.’ So Bodhidharma asked Huike, ‘ Bring me your mind. I’ll then bring peace to it 將心來於汝安.’ At this moment, Huike replied to Bodhidharma, ‘ I looked for my mind. But I couldn’t find it 覓心了不可得.’ At this point, Bodhidharma replied, ‘ I’ve brought peace to your mind與汝 安心竟.’ Upon hearing Bodhidharma’s reply, Huike was fully awakened and attained the full enlightenment and became the second patriarch of Zen Buddhism in China.

You see, this is something to do with the mind. It has nothing to do with happenings, nor physical substances. There is mind indeed, but why can’t we find it? Because it does not have a form, neither a physical form nor a form of thoughts. All thoughts are deluded. Mind is the noumenon of all things in the Universe. Everything is generated by the mind. In the Buddhist Sutra ‘The Dhammapada法句經’, it says, ‘Mind is the origin of all things. Mind is their chief. They’re all mind-made.’ So without mind, all things will disappear. Mind is the origin of all things. More importantly, we should understand that there is only one mind, but not two. This one mind is the true mind. In the Buddhist sutra ‘ The Avatamsaka Sutra華嚴經’ it says, ‘ All Buddhas share one Dharma-body一切諸佛身唯是一法身.’ The Dharma-body is the self-nature. The Dharma-body is the true mind. The mind that all Buddhas refer to is this one mind.

Buddhas liken the true mind to the ocean and the minds of all beings to the bubbles in the ocean. When all beings are deluded, not seeing the truth of the Universe, their minds, including ours, are like bubbles in the ocean. The ocean is one, but the bubbles in the ocean are infinite. When the bubbles are not broken, that is, when we are deluded, each one of us thinks that we have a mind that is independent from other peoples’. ‘My mind is different from yours’. But when the bubbles are broken, they all return to the ocean. After the bubbles have returned to the ocean, they all become one. Basically, our deluded minds are like bubbles in the ocean. When we are deluded, we take what is deluding to be true. Consequently, we have incorrect understandings and incorrect perceptions of all things in the Universe. But when we are fully awakened to the truth of the Universe, in that split of second, we will realise that the minds of all human beings and other beings are actually one. This one mind is the true mind.

This piece of information is very important for us. Why is it? If we believe it, accept it, and often visualise it, our afflictions will gradually disappear. We’ll then retrieve our innate wisdom. Why do we use the word ‘retrieve’? This is because our wisdom is something innate. It’s always there and we can’t get it from the outside. So when we realise that the minds of all human beings and other beings are actually one, our innate and infinite wisdom, capabilities, and good appearance will be retrieved.

That’s why in the ‘Lotus Sutra 法華經’ there is an expression ‘All the knots in our minds that are caused by having諸有結’. The word ‘having’ refers to the ‘having’ in our minds, such as having desires, having greed, having anger, having arrogance, and having all sorts of thoughts. All these knots are the origins of our afflictions, our sufferings. If we want inner tranquillity, we must let go of all the knots of ‘having’ in our minds. When we gradually let go of desires, greed, anger, arrogance, and all sort of thoughts, we’ll be gradually freed from those knots. We’ll gradually find tranquillity within us. Once we have completely removed all the knots of ‘having’, we’ll then see our self-nature, see the true mind, see the truth that all beings are actually myself. When we see that all beings are actually myself, we’ll be in ultimate tranquillity. Our innate wisdom, capabilities, and what we call supernatural powers at the moment will all reveal themselves. These are all innate in the self-nature of each one of us. All beings on this planet and in the Universe has the same self-nature. The whole universe is one.

When our minds are in tranquillity, we’ll be more rational with whatever we do and be more objective in whatever we observe, and we’ll be able to study and do our jobs much better and play whichever role that we need to play in life much more properly. Be it a husband, a wife, a father, a mother, a child, a sibling, a leader, a subordinate, a friend, a colleague, a teacher, or a doctor, we will bring peace and harmony to those around us. But of course, it’s very difficult for us to let go of our thoughts because we have a deep-rooted habit of thinking.

So how could we train ourselves to stop generating deluded thoughts and obtain tranquillity at least for a short period of time when we are taking a break? There is one method we could try. And it is being mindful of Amitabha Buddha’s name, a阿 mi彌 tuo陀 fo佛. If you feel like it, please give it a try. But the most fundamental of all what we practise to respect and love our parents and teachers, and this is the very foundation of practising Buddhism. As for how to respect and love our parents and teachers, we could refer to The Guidelines for Being a Good Person.

Wishing whoever listens to this recording good mental and physical health. Peace, auspiciousness happiness, long life, and infinite wisdom.

       

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.