2020-09-01 Thanks to Master Mengshen for enlightenment

Thank you, thank you, Master Mengcan! Your lecture on the Diamond Sutra made me understand a lot.

There is the Diamond Sutra taught by Master Mengshen in the Himalayas. Master Mengshen passed away in 2017, and the sutras he taught are recited by believers.

During these days, I spent more time studying the Diamond Sutra. I have copied it 5 times, but I am still far from my desire to copy it 1,000 times. I found that this is a really good method, because you can think carefully, experience it carefully, and think about every word. There are some places that are not clear. If you try it a few times, you will clear it by yourself. Even if some parts are understood, the understanding is not deep. At this time, just listen to the teachings of eminent monks and great virtues.

In fact, last year I looked for resources on the Diamond Sutra on Himalayas. At that time, Nan Huaijin had something to say, and I listened to it. But maybe I didn’t get the chance, so I didn’t understand it, and I didn’t have much impression. But this time is different. I have done a lot of thinking and am more familiar with the scriptures. It's like I have explored a path for a while, but I am not confident anymore and want to confirm it. This year, there are more resources on the Himalayas. I looked for explanations from people in Buddhism who would be more reasonable, so I found the explanation from Master Mengcan.

In fact, I have only listened to the explanations of the first ten items so far, and I have not listened to most of them. But as long as I really understand the Diamond Sutra, four sentences are enough. The explanations of the first ten chapters have taught me a lot. I have several thoughts.

First of all, my experience of reading the Diamond Sutra is basically consistent with Meng Lao’s explanation, which makes me feel very excited. Some things that I didn't understand clearly and deeply enough before became clearer when Meng got older and talked about them. My study of Buddhist scriptures does not start from the study of Buddhism itself. I start from natural sciences such as astronomy, the universe, the birth of life, species evolution, and physical phenomena. I have read a lot of books and documentaries on this subject, and have also done some thinking. The biggest conclusion reached is that so-called science is the biggest superstition today, which has deceived almost everyone in modern society. Such anti-intellectual remarks will be laughed at by others as a lunatic. It is incredible that a Ph.D. in physics would say such things. But I think all scientific conclusions are based on human senses. Human senses are very limited, and we ourselves are the limits of our understanding. And the thought that can get rid of "my consciousness" is Buddhism. Therefore, I want to understand how Buddha understands the world. All dharmas are Buddhist dharma, and the rules of natural science are also unconditioned dharma and have the nature of Buddhism. Therefore, science and Buddhism do not conflict, but the scope of science is much smaller. The route I took to understand these thoughts is not the orthodox route of practicing Buddhism. It is a wild path I took on my own. Of course, I hope I can refer to it with the orthodox explanations. The "Diamond Sutra" taught by Meng Lao made me very happy. I felt that we had the same approach and the same purpose, and we had the same understanding.

Secondly, I am not a disciple of Buddhism, and my knowledge of Buddhism is very, very limited. For example, I want to distinguish between people’s thoughts, emotions, and feelings, and I want to see what the “heart” the Buddha refers to is. But as long as you dig a little deeper, you will find that the Buddha has already completed these tasks. He has listed all kinds of thoughts, consciousness, and actions in different Buddhist scriptures. The Buddha has taught you almost everything you can think of and can do. It's just that I don't have the knowledge in this area. Meng Lao's explanation made me feel the grandeur, depth and perfection of Buddhism. I am now looking for an introductory book to at least add some basic concepts.

Once again, Meng Lao reminded me that everything must have a chance and harmony. You know, it has to be organic; I say, it has to be organic. I remember there was a movie called "Sword Rain" starring Michelle Yeoh, and there was a plot in it that touched me deeply. The female killer was so good at kung fu that she had few opponents in the world. She took the martial arts treasure and countless people chased her, but most of them died under her sword. A monk became compassionate and wanted to save this female devil. He followed the female devil, but the female devil could not do anything to the monk. The monk's kung fu was unfathomable. While the monk was fighting the female devil, he taught her kung fu, but in the last move, he deliberately let the female devil's sword pierce his chest. At the moment when the female devil was extremely shocked, the monk said, "The opportunity for Zen has arrived" and asked her to go to Yunhe Temple to find a master. At this moment, the female devil put down her butcher knife, became anonymous, and disappeared into the rivers and lakes in a rain of swords. I have always remembered this plot. The monk exchanged himself for the woman. At that moment, "the opportunity of Zen has arrived." Why? It's also about fate. The master of Yunhe Temple talked about fate, which made people want to cry. It is very difficult for people to wake up, so we need a chance.

Meng Lao is a senior figure in Buddhism, a man of great virtue and a legendary life. He was born in 1915. In 1931, when I was 16 years old, I originally wanted to join the army to serve the country, but after a dream, I became a monk at Tushita Temple in Beijing, and gave myself the Buddhist name "Meng Shen". He dreamed that he walked into a big house with yellow walls. Later, when he told someone about it, the person who heard it said that there was a temple more than 30 miles away that was very similar to his dream. So, he ran to the temple and became a monk. It seems that he has a predestined relationship with the Buddha and obtained it in his previous life. After becoming a monk, for more than ten years, by chance, he studied under many Buddhist leaders and came into contact with various schools. Later, he went to Tibet to study Tantra. In 1950, when Tibet was liberated, our party's policy at the time required him to return to secular life and participate in the governance of Tibet. But he was born a monk, how could he return to secular life, so he was arrested as a reactionary. He started jailing at the age of 35, spent 15 years in prison, 18 years in labor reform, and 33 years in prison. He was only rehabilitated after 1980. The first thing he did when he was released from prison was to put on a cassock. From then on, he began to spread the Dharma and lecture on the Dharma everywhere in the United States, Taiwan, Mainland China, and among the Chinese communities around the world. The "Diamond Sutra" I listened to was taught by him at Pushou Temple. He taught the Dharma at Pushou Temple for 5 years. Meng Lao and Meng were destined to become a monk. He became a monk in his first dream. Later, when he was in prison, he couldn't hold on any longer and wanted to die. At this time, he dreamed again, dreaming that he was preaching and promoting the Dharma. The altar is very high, and the last few steps are impossible to climb. An old lady said, I pushed you, but she pushed him up. This dream gave him confidence, and he persevered. After he was released from prison, he really started preaching the Dharma everywhere. It is said that the sermon in Taiwan was an unprecedented event and became a grand event in the Buddhist community. Later, he had continuous dreams for a period of time and learned about his past life karma. From the Tang Dynasty to the present life, he could vividly remember it. He said that his 33 years in prison were fair and karmic retribution.

I only understood his stories after listening to his lectures. This old gentleman is a well-behaved and eminent monk, and he became a monk for no reason. This is a result of his past life, and his 33 years in prison is also a result of his previous life. There are many schools of Buddhism, but his enlightenment is not attached to the Dharma. There is no school or school, and he understands both Han and Tantric Buddhism. The teachings are not boring or stiff. They are told by people who have enlightened themselves. They are not a joke to cover up ignorance, nor are they mechanically repeated. I am also blessed to be able to listen to his lectures systematically.

Still a little curious. Buddhism talks about reincarnation, where life and death are like a circle, without beginning or end. Not only did Meng Lao say that masters can see their own past lives, but I also heard Nan Huaijin say so before. I think Tang Sanzang also said so, not to mention Sakyamuni also said so. These people don't know how to lie, so is this true? Or is this just a look, and people who believe in this look will have this look. There are dying people who see their dead relatives, have conversations, and do things. He was rescued later and still has this memory. But it might just be a figment of his brain. People can't distinguish between reality and fantasy. In reincarnation, will there be Europeans, Americans, and Arabs? They don't believe it at all, and there is no way to create this appearance. They are waiting for the final judgment, and their destination is heaven or hell. The world is created by the mind. Whatever you believe in, you will create.