Listening to the Buddha Dharma
by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III has helped me
to cultivate as a true Buddhist disciple
Time passed so fast! It has been 7 years since I first came to Hua Zang Si.
I am greatly humbled by what I have learned so far. I feel I can do a
lot more and grow a lot faster spiritually. When I look back at the
time before I came to Hua Zang Si,
I did not know much about Buddhism and cultivation. I had wasted a lot
of time in housework, watching TV and going to restaurants. Decades
past, now I am in my 70s and wonder how many decades there are for me to
live. I know the impermanence soon will come, so I remind myself about
the urgency to cultivate myself and do the right things.
When I reached retirement, I was lucky to get to live in a government
senior housing project on 21st Street in San Francisco. I lived there
for several years without knowing I was right behind Hua Zang Si
and had to travel to faraway City of Ten Thousand Buddhas to pray. In
2009, when my neighbor asked me to go with her to a temple to worship
and eat a vegetarian meal, I thought we were going to travel far away,
but my neighbor said it was that temple with pointed roofs on 22nd street! How come I never knew it was this close!
Then I realized that it must be Guanyin Bodhisattva who had come to
lead me, because, that year, I somehow started to chant silently Guanyin
Bodhisattva’s name whenever I was walking, driving, or by myself. I did
not know anything about Buddhism. I just chanted like others. I would
even talk to myself and be very grateful to Guanyin Bodhisattva for
being able to live in government housing and have everything I need. I
started to look for Buddhist followers. Finally, my neighbor brought me
to Hua Zang Si.
The first time I came to Hua Zang Si with my husband, there was a
Dharma Assembly. The statues of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas at Hua Zang Si
are so solemn and majestic. My husband said he felt very peaceful and
comfortable there. So I said to him, ” From now on let’s come here to
learn Buddhism. It is close and convenient.” At home, I have a chanting
player, which was gifted by a friend. I usually leave it on all day, but
I can never understand what is chanted. However, after the first visit
to Hua Zang Si, strangely, I can understand clearly if it is chanting
the holy names of Guanyin Bodhisattva, Amitabha, or other holy names,
From then on, we both go to Hua Zang Si every Sunday for the group cultivations and I also started to listen to the recorded Dharma expounded by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III.
Hua Zang Si is like a family to me. There is no separation between
you and me. We help and care about each other. It is at Hua Zang Si
where I learn to have a pure selfless heart and do everything to benefit
all living beings. H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III has bestowed on me rich and boundless knowledge. To me learning Buddhism and cultivation
is like attending a high-end college There are so many things to learn.
I have realized how ignorant and lack of understanding I was before I
came to Hua Zang Si. Now I feel very happy, even happier than any other
people. Hua Zang Si is an orthodox temple of correct Dharma of the
Buddha. Therefore, at Hua Zang Si, I am able to learn the correct Dharma
of the Tathagata of the Buddha. In addition, Hua Zang Si is so close
that I feel like Buddha is right next to me all the time. This kind of
happiness cannot be obtained with money and I want to treasure it and
protect it.
I remember in the early days when I was at Hua Zang Si, I did not do
much because of lack of Buddhist knowledge. When I was asked if I was
“doing my homework”, I did not know what it meant. Later when I read the
book written by Pamu, I finally understood the ultimate goal of
Buddhism, and why I must cultivate my behavior and practice the Buddha
Dharma at the same time and all these must be built on the correct
Buddhist views and understanding. Therefore, I have been devoting my
spare time to listening to the recorded Buddha Dharma expounded by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III at Hua Zang Si or other Dharma-Listening centers.
In the beginning, because I did not know much Buddhist knowledge and I
speak mainly Cantonese, I had a hard time understanding the Buddha’s
accent, I could not understand many of the words, but I persisted. After
three months, slowly and miraculously, I could easily understand the
recordings. I felt so good that I almost listened to the recorded Dharma
every day for about 2 hours. Even when I was done, I was reluctant to
leave. I thought to myself, “If I can listen to it the whole day, that
will be great.”
After listening to the recorded Dharma, I gain a lot of Buddhist
knowledge and understand the principles of the Buddha Dharma, which are
correct and meaningful. I gradually understand the true goal of leaning
with the Buddha and cultivation. I deeply feel the Bodhicitta and great
compassion and kindness of the Buddha. The Buddha is so patient and
skillful in teaching us. All he wants is to liberate all living beings.
On the other hand, I also feel so sorry for those who are ignorant of
Buddha Dharma. They are always so deeply indulged in greed, anger,
infatuation, affection, joy, resentment, sorrow, and happiness. They
tumble in the colorful lives of theirs, and cannot be awakened. I feel
so sorry and anxious that they are still subject to the impermanence and
the in the cycles of birth and death. I feel so powerless. Therefore, I
must first focus on my practice and sincerely dedicate the merits of my
practice and cultivation to all living beings who have karmic
affinities with me. May they have a chance to encounter the correct
Buddha Dharma of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III and get onto the holy Bodhi road to liberation and accomplishment.
After all these years of learning Buddhism, there is one thing that I
believe deeply with no doubt: if we study and cultivate according to
the teachings of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III,
we will definitely rid ourselves off all our sins and hindrances,
ignorance and confusion, greed, selfishness, and pettiness; we will
become a good person with wisdom, compassion, and a pure mind, a true
Buddhist disciple who has correct views and understanding and will not
wander away on a wrong path, a nobleman who is devoted to helping,
benefitting and serving all living beings.
Amitabha !
Humble Buddhist disciple:
Shaomei Huang
#DorjeChangBuddha #HHDorjeChangBuddhaIII #MasterWanKoYee #Buddha #Buddhism #HuaZangSi #Cultivation #Buddhist
人生佛法，佛法人生 