"Hey kids, last night was New Year's Eve, and your mother and dad were out having a great time. They are probably still sleeping and what I want you to do is tiptoe in their bedroom and go in your mom's pocketbook and your dad's pants, which are probably on the floor. Take out some of those funny green pieces of paper with all those nice pictures of U.S. presidents, and send them in an envelope to me at Soupy Sales, Channel 5, New York, New York. And you know what I'm going to send you? A post card from Puerto Rico!" -- Soupy Sales
"I had gotten access to the latest issue of the World Tribune today. Since next month is their all-important May contribution campaign, it was full of reminders about how the members should feel appreciation towards the organization (hint, hint). Most disgusting was the propaganda aimed towards children. Following a 2-page comic strip about giving a contribution was a “How To Make a World Peace Piggy Bank” craft article. In it, they tell kids to find a plastic container and adorn it with construction paper, stickers, etc. And then it said the following: “You can put it by your altar or somewhere in the house where you can fill it up with coins and bills. Watch your bank become filled with appreciation and then make a contribution from your heart!”
"I had gotten access to the latest issue of the World Tribune today. Since next month is their all-important May contribution campaign, it was full of reminders about how the members should feel appreciation towards the organization (hint, hint). Most disgusting was the propaganda aimed towards children. Following a 2-page comic strip about giving a contribution was a “How To Make a World Peace Piggy Bank” craft article. In it, they tell kids to find a plastic container and adorn it with construction paper, stickers, etc. And then it said the following: “You can put it by your altar or somewhere in the house where you can fill it up with coins and bills. Watch your bank become filled with appreciation and then make a contribution from your heart!”
Taking Mommy and Daddy’s cash simply isn’t enough for Ikeda. They’re aggressively going after junior’s allowance too!" -- SGBye
"World honored ones of the future
ReplyDeleteWho are limitless in number
all of these Tathagatas
Will also teach skillful means”
Whether in the past or in the future
All Buddhas teach skillful means
Teaching with skillful means
Is the path shared by all Buddhas
This is to transform sentient beings
So they can transcend all of afflictions
and penetrate the Buddha's knowledge and views
This is the one vehicle.
" The world honored ones of the future
Are limitless in number
All of these Tathagatas
Will also teach the skillful means"
" All of the Tathagatas,
by means of infinite skillful teachings
Transform all sentient beings so
They penetrate the Buddha's flawless wisdom
Of those who have heard of the Dharma,
None will fail to become a Buddha."
" All of the Tathagatas,
By means of infinite skillful teachings,
Transform all sentient beings so
They penetrate the Buddha's flawless wisdom
of those who have heard the Dharma,
none will fail to become a Buddha. "
We must exercise both compassion and wisdom
by means of infinite skillful teachings,
They adapt to the capabilities of sentient beings
In this way, they transform them
They transform all sentient beings
Sentient beings are immersed
In the sea of suffering of cyclic existence
They can not save themselves,
so their suffering is unbearable
This is why the Buddha repeatedly comes to engage in spiritual practice in the world
Thus, the introductory chapter of the Lotus Sutra States,
the guiding teacher of all mystics
Transformed countless sentient beings
"Mystics" refers to spiritual practitioners,
in ancient times, they tended to reside in the wilderness.
Those who make the Four Great Vows to
Transform sentient beings must
accumulate merits and virtues as a foundation
We must first transform ourselves
in order to transform others.
"All of the Tathagatas,
by means of infinite skillful teachings
Transform all sentient beings so
They penetrate the Buddha's flawless wisdom
Of those who have heard of the Dharma,
None will fail to become a Buddha."
"All Buddhas make this Vow,
Having walk this path to Buddhahood,
I wish to enable all sentient beings
to also obtain this path."
"All Buddhas,
the two-footed Honored Ones,
know that all Dharma is empty by nature
The seeds for Buddhahood arise
through conditions
This is why they teach the one vehicle."
"The Dharma abides in the Dharma state
Its appearance in the world is ever abiding;
Having understood this at places of practice,
The guiding teacher expounds it skillfully."
The guiding teacher expounds it skillfully:
The Buddha attained perfect enlightenment
And realized the truth at this place of practice,
and in particular used it to guide sentient beings
Because he is the guiding teacher of all people,
For their sakes he taught skillful means.
Our wonderful state of mind
Is inherently tranquil,
Encompassing clear, subtle and wondrous truths
The appearance of infinite meanings
Is indescribable
In emptiness there is wondrous existence,
Taught through skillful means.
"Knowing the supreme States of cessation,
They use the power of skillful means
To demonstrate the various paths, which actually all lead to the one vehicle."
"They utilized various causes and conditions,
Analogies and expressions
To teach through suitable skillful means"
Out of compassion, the Buddha established
ReplyDeleteSkillful means according to the
Roots and powers of sentient beings,
According to their capabilities
but these are still part of the Buddha vehicle.
" All past Buddhas, did the same thing
They used various causes and conditions
Analogies and expressions
To teach suitable skillful means
"Now, I do this as well."
In order to bring peace to living beings, use various Dharma doors to
proclaim the path to Buddhahood."
"Now, I do this as well
In order to bring security to living things I use various Dharma doors
To proclaim the path to Buddhahood
The Buddha then said, through the power of wisdom,
I know sentient beings natures and desires
By teaching all Dharma with skillful means
I enable them to become joyful"
By teaching all Dharma with skillful means:
skillful means are
Wondrous and provisional teachings
based on sentient beings
conditions and experiences,
He taught according to their capabilities and
Used skillful means to
bring peace to their hearts.
"Heavenly beings played music
hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands
of varieties were played all at once
throughout the universe
they rained down celestial flowers
as they spoke the following words"
" The Buddha, in the past at Varnasi
first turned the Dharma Wheel
now he turns the Dharma Wheel again
the supreme, greatest Dharma wheel."
Hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands varieties
of music swirled throughout in the universe,
signifying that all the various
skillful means of provisional wisdom
ultimately lead back to true wisdom,
the supreme empty nature of all things.
The only skillful means of any import in this time of Mappo is the skillful means of life and death, the Buddha appearing to die for the sake of the people.
ReplyDelete