With bad advisors forever left behind,
From paths of evil he departs for eternity,
Soon to see the Buddha of Limitless Light,
And perfect Samantabhadra’s Supreme Vows.– Samantabhadra Bodhisattva
(The Vows Of Samantabhadra)
Buddha Sakyamuni taught the Dharma of Mind. There are countless Dharma methods, but they are all for the purpose of enlightening the mind. The very important method of Zen has been established by some Patriarchs, but enlightenment of the mind and Buddha Recitation have been taught by the Buddhas and by numerous Bodhisattvas of the ten stages. In short, you must practice Buddha Recitation (mindfulness of the Buddha) to become a Buddha. Even the Bodhisattvas who have attained the level of True Thusness (Bhutatathata) and Enlightenment can never depart from mindfulness of the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha.
In the Avatamsaka Sutra, the youth Sudhana visited fifty-three Good Spiritual Advisors. The first was the monk Cloud of Virtue, who taught him the salvation Dharma of Buddha Recitation. The last one he visited was the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, who taught him that to attain Wonderful Enlightenment, he need only turn towards the Western Pure Land, behold the Tathagata of Infinite Light (Amitabha Buddha) and receive a prediction of Enlightenment. Take note of this: even the supreme vehicle of Hua-Yen (Avatamsaka school), which encompasses the entire Dharma realm, also promotes Buddha Recitation. The Bodhisattvas of the Ten Stages, even those who have already attained Enlightenment, still practice mindfulness of the Buddha (Buddha Recitation).
Master Han-Shan’s Dream Roamings
Translated By Dharma Master Lok To
