Assignment 3- Michael Lu

The Venerable Master influenced and taught many living beings in both America and China. He gave many lectures, and spread the Buddhadharma to many parts of the world. What I learned from the Venerable Master was the virtue that he practiced during his stay at Three Conditions Monastery: patience. Below is a short video that gives the definition of patience, and its benefits. I hope you enjoy this video, except for the "hear God's words" and "Creator". I chose it because it gives a lot of important principles about patience, and helps others get a better understanding of this virtue.






Patience is such an important virtue that we should practice. There is a quote by the Venerable Master which talks about Maitreya Bodhisattva saying:

The old fool wears a tattered robe, And fills his belly with plain food. He mends the rags to keep his body warm, And lets the myriad affairs just take their course. Should someone scold the Old Fool, The Old Fool just says, 'Fine.' Should someone strike the Old Fool, He just lies down to sleep. 'Spit right in my face,' he says, 'And I'll just let it dry. That way I save energy And you don't get afflicted.' This kind of paramita Is the jewel in the wonderful. Now that you know this news, How can you worry about not attaining the Way." (DFS II 350-351)

(URL:http://www.bhaisajyaguru.com/buddhist-ayurveda-encylopedia/maitreya_metteyya_mi-lei-lo_ajita-bodhisattva-honored-future-buddha.htm)

Here is another quote that the Venerable Master spoke:

"Patience is a priceless gem,
Which few know how to mine;
But if you can master it,
Everything works out fine."
(DFS II 135)

(URL:http://www.bhaisajyaguru.com/buddhist-ayurveda-encylopedia/six_paramitas_perfection_mastery_supreme-virtues_completeness_highest-state_crossing-over_bwo-lwo-mi-du.htm)

From this,we can see that it is difficult to be a cultivator practicing patience, not retaliating to what others do to you, even to the extene of not giving rise to a thought of anger. Below is a story about Shakyamuni Buddha's past life as a patient immortal:

In that previous life, Shakyamuni Buddha was a skilled cultivator. His body was covered with a thick layer of dust and dirt, and he never went down the mountain. He remained there cultivating ascetic practices. One day King Kali took his concubines his wives—along on a deer hunt. The women accompanied him into the mountains, but had no interest in hunting with the King. They wanted to have fun on their own. While strolling around in the mountains, they came upon a strange creature…they weren't quite sure what it was. Its eyebrows were three inches long and its hair was two feet long. Its face seemed to have never been washed, for the dirt caked on it was extremely thick. The dirt on its clothing was at least an inch thick. When these women saw it, they couldn't figure out what it was. They said, "It's a monster! Let's get out of here!"
Then the cultivator said, "You don't have to leave; I'm not a monster."
"It can speak!" they gasped. One of the braver ones asked him,
"What are you doing here?"
He replied, "I'm cultivating."
She asked, "What do you mean by ‘cultivating'?"
He said, "I'm cultivating in order to become a Buddha." Then he taught them the Dharma.
The women grew friendlier and expressed their concern, "You endure so much difficulty here. What do you eat?"
He answered, "I eat whatever there is—roots and leaves. I don't go out asking for food from people." By that time the women's fears vanished. One of them reached out to touch his eyebrows; another touched his hands, and yet a third patted his face. They viewed the cultivator as something precious and tried to get closer to him.
Meanwhile, King Kali had finished hunting and was looking for his concubines. He found them all gathered around something and tried to see what they were up to. He walked his way slowly toward them, not making a sound, and when he was close enough he saw them talking with a very strange man. What is more, one was touching his hands and another was patting his feet! Seeing them acting so friendly, the King immediately grew jealous. The cultivator was talking to his women about cultivation.
In a rage, the King bellowed, "You have no business cheating my women! What are you cultivating?"
The cultivator replied, "I'm cultivating patience."
"And what do you mean by ‘patience'?"
"I will not become angry at anyone who scolds or beats me."
King Kali said, "You may have cheated my women into believing you, but I'll never believe you. You say you can be patient? Is that true?"
The old cultivator said, "Of course."
"Fine, I'm going to give you a test!" The King then drew his sword and chopped off the old cultivator's hand. He said, "I've just chopped off your hand. Do you hate me?"
The cultivator said, "No."
You don't hate me? Then you really have some skill. But you must be lying. You just say you don't hate me, even though in your mind you do. You're lying! I'm a very smart person. You think you can fool me?" King Kali continued, "All right, since you claim you are patient and don't hate me, I'm going to chop off your other hand."
After chopping off the cultivator's other hand, the King asked, Now do you hate me?"
The old cultivator said, "No."
The King then chopped off the cultivator's feet. Having hacked off the cultivator's four limbs, he asked, "Do you hate me?"
"No," said the cultivator, "not only do I not hate you, but when I accomplish Buddhahood, I will save you first. How can I convince you that I don't hate you? If I hate you, my four limbs will not be restored, and if I don't hate you, my hands and feet will be restored, even though you have completely severed them from my body. If they are restored, that will prove that I don't feel any hatred. If I feel any hatred, that will not occur." Whereupon the old cultivator became whole again.
Having witnessed King Kali hack off the cultivator's hands and feet in such a cruel manner, the Dharma-protecting spirits manifested their great supernatural power and pelted the King with a shower of hailstones. Realizing the severity of his offense and seeing the cultivator's great spiritual powers, King Kali knelt before the cultivator seeking forgiveness.
The cultivator said, "If I don't realize Buddhahood, there is nothing to be said. But if one day I do, I will save you first." That is why the Buddha first went to the Deer Park to teach Ajnatakaundinya, who had been King Kali in a former life. Because of his past vow, the Buddha first wanted to save the person who had treated him the worst.
After hearing this story, we should all vow that after becoming Buddhas, we will first save those who treated us the worst. We shouldn't think, "You've been so mean to me. I'm going to send you to the hells after I become a Buddha." Don't make that kind of vow.

(URL:http://www.cttbusa.org/dharmatalks/10drealms5.htm)

After reading the Venerable Master's lectures, stories, and quotes, I have finally gotten a good and mostly complete understanding of this paramita Patience. I have realized the importance and significance of this perfection, and I will try my best to mimic the Bodhisattvas and the Venerable Master.