Sutra Remembering the Three Jewels

Homage to the Omniscient One! Purified and consummate, Victorious, Virtuous and Transcendent, thus-gone, foe-destroying, entirely perfect Buddha, full of wisdom, the blissfully proceeding, the knower of the world, charioteer and subduer of beings, the unsurpassable, and teacher of gods and men: such is Buddha, Victorious, Virtuous and Transcendent.

He who is thus-gone exemplifies the merit which is his cause; in him no root of virtue is ever worn away; through his manifold patience he is exceedingly beautiful. He is the treasure ground of merit; adorned with the tokens of enlightenment, he is graced with the flowers of the marks of Buddhahood.

All he does is seasonable and opportune and nothing inharmonious mars the sight of him. True joy indeed he gives to those who open up their hearts to him in faith. Through the brilliance of his wisdom he is unconfounded, and against his power there is no victory.

He is the teacher of all living beings, the father of all bodhisattvas, the king of all superior ones; he is the guide of those who journey to the city of Beyond Affliction.

His wisdom is unbounded, his assurance is beyond imagining. His speech is altogether pure, well tuned and sweet to hear. Gazing on him, one is never sated; his body is beyond compare.

By the realm of desire he is unstained, and by the realm of form, is wholly uncontaminated; he is not mingled with the formless. He is altogether free from misery, and from the aggregates he is utterly and altogether free. The elements have no hold on him; he has mastery of the sense powers. All bonds he has completely severed and from all pain he is perfectly and totally released.

No craving does he have; he has passed beyond the stream. Perfect is his wisdom; and in the wisdom of the Buddhas past, present and to come, he has made his dwelling.

In nirvāṇa where all suffering is transcended, he does not abide; his abode is in the very summit of perfection, residing in that place where he perceives all living beings. Such are the sublime qualities that are the greatness of the Buddha, Victorious, Virtuous and Transcendent.

The sacred Doctrine is righteous in the outset, righteous in the middle, righteous in the end; in its meaning excellent and in its words and syllables likewise. It is integral and unalloyed; it is all-sufficing, altogether pure and purifying.

Well spoken is this Dharma by the Victorious, Virtuous and Transcendent. It is a perfect way of seeing and is devoid of ailment; it is perennial and leads us onward. To see this Dharma, is to fulfill one’s purpose; the wise will see in it their self-cognizing wisdom.

The Dharma spoken by the Victorious, Virtuous and Transcendent is shown to be well-tempered to the instruction and the needs of all. It drives us from saṁsāra and causes us to go to perfect Buddhahood. It is free from contradiction, and in it, all is summarised. It is totally to be relied upon; it is a cutting of the root.

The Saṅgha of the Mahāyāna comprises those who have well entered, wisely entered, entered with straightforwardness and aptitude. Right it is to join our hands before them, and right to make prostration.

They are the glorious field of merit. They are the perfect recipients of gifts; they are the object of offering; everywhere and always they are the worthy object of all offering.

Thus ends the Sublime Sūtra of Remembering the Three Jewels.

The Treasury of Blessings

Buddha, Dharma and the noble gathering, Are the refuge till we reach awakening,

Through the goodness born of giving and the rest, May the Buddhahood be reached for beings’ sake.

May all beings be at ease and have the cause of ease. May we all be free of pain and every cause of pain.

May we never part from deepest ease, transcending pain. Free from biased love and hate for beings, near or far,

May we all remain in boundless equanimity.

AH Magically, undivided unborn shunyata And dependently arising unobstructed play,

In the sky in front amidst an ocean cloud of gifts, Is the matchless teacher, Lion of the Shakya Clan.

On a jewel lion throne on lotus, sun and moon, Golden hued with every major mark and minor sign,

Draped in triple dharma robes, he sits in vajra pose, Right hand in the graceful mudra stretched to touch the earth,

Left, in equipoise, holds alms bowl filled with amrita. Like a golden mountain, shining brilliant dignity,

Light of wakefulness pervades the vast and open sky. The eight bodhisattvas, sixteen elders, and so forth,

Gathering around as endless hosts of noble ones. Just a thought of you bestows the wealth of perfect ease,

Frees the two extremes, samsara and the passive peace. Greatest being, every refuge source, complete in you.

You embraced, with deepest love, this world of dregs and strife, Made five hundred vast decisions; as White Lotus praised,

All who merely hear your name are never turning back, Here before you, gracious Teacher, we sincerely bow.

We present all joy and wealth of body, voice and mind, Like the boundless clouds of gifts of Ever-Excellence,

And apologize with heartfelt and sincere regret, For all harms and downfalls, done since time beginningless.

We rejoice in every deed of goodness in three times, Done by ordinary beings and by noble ones,

And request to turn the dharma wheels, profound and vast, In the ten directions like a never-ending stream.

Even though your space-like form of timeless wakefulness Is unchanging, ever-present, in the triple times,

In disciples’ eyes you demonstrate both birth and death, Please continuously display your emanation form.

By this wealth of goodness gathered in the triple times, May we come to help all beings, infinite like space.

Then, forevermore delighting you, the dharma king, Reach the undefeated ground of dharma sovereign.

All of us, forsaken ones in kaliyuga times, You embraced with deep compassion, holding in your care,

Any form and every presence of the Triple Gem, Are your vast activity, throughout this world and time.

You are our exclusive refuge, matchless and supreme, Heed this call of yearning trust, that wells up from our hearts.

Don’t forget the mighty vows you uttered in the past. Hold us closely in your love, until awakening.

Supreme Teacher, Bhagavan, Tathagata, Arhat,

Completely Perfect Buddha, Glorious Victor, Shakyamuni,

We honor you, present you gifts, you are the only refuge.

TADHYATA OM MUNE MUNE MAHA MUNAYE SOHA

OM MUNE MUNE MAHA MUNAYE SOHA

Countless brilliant rays of light shine forth from Buddha’s form Clearing all the veils in mine and every other mind.

The noble virtues of the mahayana path arise Within us, and we settle in the state beyond return.

All Sugatas and their heirs aroused the bodhi mind, All their actions, wakefulness, decisions, love and strength,

Are the magic play of deepest timeless wakefulness. May all beings follow in exactly the same way.

Chapter One

Walking Just to Walk

Under the shadows of the green bamboo, the young bhikkhu, Svasti, sat cross-legged, concentrating on his breath. He had been meditating for more than an hour in the Bamboo Forest Monastery, while hundreds of other bhikkhus were also practicing under the shade of the bamboo trees or in their own thatched huts. The great teacher Gautama, whom people affectionately called the “Buddha,” lived in the monastery with nearly four hundred disciples. Although crowded, it was very peaceful. Forty acres surrounded the monastery, and many varieties of graceful bamboo from all over Magadha were planted there. Just a thirty minutes’ walk north of the capital city of Rajagaha, the Bamboo Forest Monastery had been given to Buddha and his community by King Bimbisara seven years earlier. Svasti rubbed his eyes and smiled. His legs were still tender as he slowly uncrossed them. Twenty-one years old, he had been ordained three days earlier by the Venerable Sariputta, one of the Buddha’s senior disciples. During the ordination ceremony, Svasti’s thick brown hair was shaved off. Svasti was very happy to be part of the Buddha’s community. Many bhikkhus were of noble birth, such as the Venerable Nanda, the Buddha’s brother, and Devadatta, Anuruddha, and Ananda. Although Svasti had not yet been introduced to these men, he had noticed them from afar. Even in faded robes, their noble bearing was unmistakable. “It will be a long time before I can be friends with men of such noble birth,” thought Svasti. And yet, even though the Buddha himself was the son of a king, Svasti felt no gulf between them. Svasti was an “untouchable,” lower than the lowest and poorest caste according to the system of discrimination among the people of India at that time. For more than ten years, he had tended water buffalo, but for two weeks now, he was living and practicing with monks from all castes. Everyone was very kind to him, offering him warm smiles and deep bows, but he did not yet feel at ease. He suspected it might take years before he could feel completely comfortable. Suddenly, a broad smile emerged from deep within him, as he thought of Rahula, the Buddha’s eighteen-year-old son. Rahula had been a novice in the community since the age of ten, and in just two weeks Rahula and Svasti had become best friends. It was Rahula who taught Svasti how to follow his breath during meditation. Rahula understood the Buddha’s teachings well, even though he was not yet a bhikkhu. He needed to wait until he was twenty before he could receive full ordination. Svasti reflected on the time, just two weeks before, when the Buddha came to Uruvela, his small village near Gaya, to invite him to become a monk. When the Buddha arrived at his home, Svasti was out with his brother, Rupak, taking care of the buffaloes. His two sisters, Bala, age sixteen, and Bhima, age twelve, were there, and Bala recognized the Buddha right away. She began to run out to find Svasti, but the Buddha told her it wasn’t necessary. He said that he and the monks traveling with him, including Rahula, would walk to the river to find her brother. It was late afternoon when they came upon Svasti and Rupak scrubbing down their nine buffaloes in the Neranjara River. As soon as they saw the Buddha, the young men ran up the bank of the river, joined their palms to form a lotus bud, and bowed deeply. “You’ve grown so much,” the Buddha said, smiling warmly at Svasti and his brother. Svasti was speechless. Seeing the Buddha’s peaceful face, his warm and generous smile, and his brilliant, penetrating eyes, moved him to tears. The Buddha wore a saffron robe made of patches sewn together in the pattern of a rice field. He still walked barefoot as he had ten years before, when Svasti first met him not far from this very spot. Ten years before they had spent hours sitting together on the banks of the Neranjara and beneath the shade of the bodhi tree, just ten minutes’ walk from the riverbank. Svasti glanced at the twenty bhikkhus behind the Buddha and saw that they, too, were barefoot and clad in patched robes of the same color. Looking more closely, Svasti saw that the Buddha’s robe was a hand-length longer than those of the others. Standing next to the Buddha was a novice about Svasti’s age who looked at him directly and smiled. Buddha gently placed his hands on Svasti and Rupak’s heads and told them he had stopped by to visit on his way back to Rajagaha. He said he would be happy to wait while Svasti and Rupak finished bathing the buffaloes so they could all walk to Svasti’s thatched hut together. During the walk back, Buddha introduced Svasti and Rupak to his son Rahula, the young novice who had smiled so beautifully at Svasti. Rahula was three years younger than Svasti, but they were the same height. Rahula was a samanera, a novice, but he dressed much the same as the older bhikkhus. Rahula walked between Svasti and Rupak, handing his alms bowl to Rupak and placing his arms lovingly around the shoulders of his two new friends. He had heard so much about Svasti and his family from his father that he felt he already knew them. The brothers basked in the warmth of Rahula’s love. As soon as they arrived at Svasti’s home, the Buddha invited him to join the bhikkhu community and study the Dharma with him. Ten years earlier, when Svasti had first met the Buddha, he expressed his wish to study with him, and the Buddha had agreed to accept Svasti as a disciple. Now that Svasti was twenty-one, the Buddha had returned. He had not forgotten his promise. Rupak led the buffaloes back to Mr. Rambhul, their owner. The Buddha sat outside Svasti’s hut, on a small stool, while the bhikkhus stood behind him. With earthen walls and a thatched roof, Svasti’s tiny home was not large enough for everyone to come inside. Bala told Svasti, “Brother, please go with the Buddha. Rupak is even stronger than you were when you began tending the buffaloes, and I am quite capable of taking care of the house. You have looked after us for ten years, and now we are ready to be on our own.” Sitting next to the rainwater barrel, Bhima looked up at her big sister without saying a word. Svasti looked at Bhima. She was a lovely young girl. When Svasti met the Buddha, Bala was six years old, Rupak three, and Bhima only an infant. Bala cooked for the family while Rupak played in the sand. Six months following their father’s death, their mother passed away in childbirth. Just eleven years old, Svasti became the head of the household. He found a job tending water buffaloes, and because Svasti was a good worker, he earned enough to feed his family. He was even able to bring buffalo milk home for little Bhima. Realizing that Svasti was asking her about her feelings, Bhima smiled. She hesitated a moment and then spoke softly, “Brother, go with the Buddha.” She turned her face away to hide the tears. Bhima had heard Svasti mention his wish to study with Buddha so many times and she truly wanted him to go, but now that the moment had arrived she could not hide her sadness. The Buddha sat outside Svasti’s hut, on a small stool. Just then, Rupak returned from the village, and hearing Bhima’s words, “Go with the Buddha,” he understood that the time had come. He looked at Svasti and said, “Yes, brother, please go with the Buddha,” and the whole family fell silent. Rupak looked at the Buddha and said, “Venerable Sir, I hope you will permit my brother to study with you. I am old enough to care for our family.” Rupak turned to Svasti and, holding back his tears, said, “But brother, please ask the Buddha if you can come back and visit us from time to time.” The Buddha stood up and gently stroked Bhima’s hair. “Children, please eat now. Tomorrow morning, I will return for Svasti so we can walk together to Rajagaha. The bhikkhus and I will rest beneath the bodhi tree tonight.” As the Buddha reached the gate, he looked back at Svasti and said, “Tomorrow morning, you do not need to bring anything. The clothes you are wearing are enough.” That night the four siblings stayed up late. Like a departing father, Svasti gave them his last advice on taking care of each other and the household. He embraced each of them for a long time. Unable to hold back her tears, little Bhima sobbed while her oldest brother held her. But then she looked up, breathed deeply, and smiled at him. She didn’t want Svasti to feel sad. The oil lamp cast a dim light, but it was enough for Svasti to see her smile, and he appreciated it. Early the next morning, Sujata, Svasti’s friend, came to say goodbye. The evening before, she had seen the Buddha when she was on her way to the riverbank, and he told her that Svasti would be joining the order of monks. Sujata, the daughter of the village head, was two years older than Svasti, and she, too, had met Gautama before he became the Buddha. Sujata gave Svasti a small jar of herbal medicines to take with him. They spoke only briefly, and then the Buddha and his disciples arrived. Svasti’s brother and sisters were already awake to see their brother off. Rahula spoke gently to each of them, encouraging them to be strong and to take care of each other. He promised that whenever he was nearby, he would stop in Uruvela to visit them. Svasti’s family and Sujata walked with the Buddha and the bhikkhus to the riverbank, and there they joined their palms to say goodbye to the Buddha, the monks, Rahula, and Svasti. Svasti was overcome with both fear and joy. There was a knot in his stomach. This was the first time he had ever left Uruvela. The Buddha said it would take ten days to reach Rajagaha. Most people traveled more quickly, but the Buddha and his bhikkhus walked slowly and with great ease. As Svasti’s pace slowed down, his heart quieted. He was wholeheartedly immersing himself in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha, and this was his path. He turned around for one last glimpse of the only land and people he knew, and he saw Sujata and his family as mere specks merging with the shadows of the forest trees. It seemed to Svasti that the Buddha walked just to enjoy the walking, unconcerned about arriving anywhere at all. So it was with all the bhikkhus. No one seemed anxious or impatient to reach their destination. Each man’s steps were slow, balanced, and peaceful. It was as if they were taking a pleasant stroll together. No one ever appeared tired, and yet they covered a good distance each day. Each morning they would stop in the nearest village to beg for food. They walked along the streets in a single line with the Buddha at the head. Svasti came last, just behind Rahula. They walked with quiet dignity, observing each breath and each step. Once in a while, they would stop while villagers placed offerings of food in their bowls. Some villagers knelt by the side of the road in respect. As the bhikkhus received the food, they quietly recited prayers for the people. When they finished begging, they slowly left the village to find a place beneath some trees or in a grassy meadow where they could eat. They sat in a circle and divided the food equally, careful to fill anyone’s bowl that was still empty. Rahula filled a jug with water from a nearby stream and respectfully carried it to the Buddha. After the Buddha joined his palms together to form what looked like a lotus flower, Rahula poured the water over the Buddha’s hands and rinsed them clean. He did the same for everyone else, coming last to Svasti. As Svasti did not yet have a bowl, Rahula placed half of his own food on a fresh banana leaf and gave it to his new friend. Before eating, the bhikkhus joined their palms and chanted together. Then they ate in silence, mindful of each bite. When they finished, some bhikkhus practiced walking meditation, some did sitting meditation, and others took a short nap. When the hottest part of the day had passed, they took to the road again, and they walked until it was nearly dark. The best places to rest for the night were undisturbed forests, and they walked until they found a good place. Each bhikkhu had his own cushion, and many sat cross-legged in the lotus position for half the night before spreading out their robes and going to sleep. Each bhikkhu carried two robes, the one he was wearing and another to use as protection against wind and cold. Svasti sat in meditation like the others and learned to sleep upon the earth using a tree root for a pillow. When Svasti awoke the next morning, he saw the Buddha and many of the bhikkhus already sitting peacefully in meditation, radiating profound calm and majesty. As soon as the sun rose over the horizon, each bhikkhu folded his extra robe, picked up his bowl, and began the day’s journey. Walking by day and resting by night, it was ten days before they reached Rajagaha, the capital of Magadha. It was the first time Svasti had seen a city. Horse carts pressed through streets lined with crowded dwellings; shouts and laughter echoed everywhere. But the silent procession of the bhikkhus continued, as peacefully as when they strolled along the quiet riverbanks or between country rice fields. A few of the city dwellers paused to watch them, and a few, recognizing the Buddha, bowed deeply to show their respect. The bhikkhus continued their calm procession until they reached the Bamboo Forest Monastery, just beyond the city. News spread quickly throughout the monastery that the Buddha had returned, and within moments, nearly four hundred bhikkhus gathered to welcome him back. The Buddha did not say much but asked about everyone’s well-being and meditation practice. He entrusted Svasti to Sariputta, who was also Rahula’s spiritual instructor. Sariputta was the novice master of Bamboo Forest Monastery and watched over the studies of nearly fifty young monks, all of whom had been in the community for less than three years. The abbot of the monastery was a monk named Kondanna. Rahula was asked to introduce Svasti to the ways of monastery life—how to walk, sit, stand, greet others, do walking and sitting meditation, and observe his breathing. He also showed Svasti how to wear the monk’s robe, beg for food, recite prayers, and wash his bowl. For three continuous days, Svasti did not leave Rahula’s side, so that he could learn these things well. Rahula put his whole heart into instructing Svasti, yet Svasti knew it would take years of practicing before he would be able to do these things in a relaxed and natural way. After this basic instruction, Sariputta invited Svasti into his hut and explained the precepts of a bhikkhu. A bhikkhu was one who left his family in order to follow the Buddha as a teacher, the Dharma as the path which leads to awakening, and the Sangha as the community that supports one along the path. A bhikkhu’s life was simple and humble. Begging for food helped foster humility and was also a means to be in contact with others and help them see the Way of Love and Understanding which the Buddha taught. Ten years earlier beneath the bodhi tree, Svasti and his friends had listened to the Buddha speak about the path of awakening as the path of love and understanding, so it was easy for him to grasp all that Sariputta told him. Though Sariputta’s face appeared serious, his eyes and smile radiated great warmth and compassion. He told Svasti that there would be a precepts ceremony to formally accept him into the community of bhikkhus, and he taught Svasti the words he would need to recite. Sariputta himself presided over the precepts ceremony. About twenty bhikkhus attended. The Buddha and Rahula were there, adding to Svasti’s happiness. Sariputta silently recited a gatha, and then shaved off several locks of Svasti’s hair. He then gave the razor to Rahula, who completed the task of shaving Svasti’s head. Sariputta gave Svasti three robes, a bowl, and a water filter. Because he had already been taught by Rahula how to wear the robe, Svasti put it on without difficulty. He bowed before the Buddha and the other bhikkhus present to express his deep gratitude. Later that morning, Svasti practiced begging for the first time as an ordained bhikkhu. The monks of Bamboo Forest Monastery walked into Rajagaha in several small groups, and Svasti was part of the group led by Sariputta. After taking just a few steps out of the monastery, Svasti reminded himself that begging was a vehicle to practice the Way. He observed his breathing and took each step quietly and in mindfulness. Rahula walked behind him. Although he was now a bhikkhu, Svasti knew that he had considerably less experience than Rahula. He resolved with all his heart to nurture humility and virtue within himself.