Assignment 4-Michael Lu

The reason we haven't obtained a response in our practice of Buddhism is that
we have too many doubts.

(URL:http://www.dharmabliss.org/text%20page.htm)

This quote is very interesting because many people that come to CTTB seek for responses, because they think they will be protected by the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and they will be safe from demonic obstacles. But most of these Buddhists do not get any responses. Then they give rise to doubts and say, " I came here for some responses, and I was also very sincere, but why did I not get anything?" The real reason that they did not recieve responses was because they were not sincere in the beginning! So this is an important quote to me because this gives me an answer of why one recieves responses or not.

Below is one movie on the Venerable Master; the title are " What is the Difference Between Buddhas and Gods?"

(URL:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fw3ihxTZNTI&feature=related)
I chose this movie because it gives a full comparison of the Buddha and the god; it says that the god does not have the perfection of wisdom, states, and other aspects, but the Buddha has already perfected it all. I chose this movie because the Venerable Master did not dicriminate against gods( as in other other religions) but actually just gave the facts impartially.

The Master said:
I've come here prepared to teach and transform Americans.
My teaching is aimed at Americans, not the Chinese people. The Chinese are
incidentally gathered in.
Were you to ask me to go up to the heavens,
that wouldn't be hard, but teaching Americans is hard.
Were you to ask
me to bore into the earth,
that wouldn't be hard, but teaching
Americans is hard.
Were you to ask a rooster to lay an egg,
that
wouldn't be hard, but teaching Americans is hard.
From that we can realize
the Master's determination to teach and transform Americans, even though it was
going to be an extremely difficult task. However, the Master did it. He has a
record of creating an American Sangha and of establishing Way-places that accord
with Dharma and rules for governing the Sangha.

(URL:http://www.dharmasite.net/ContributionsofVM.htm) I like this quote because from here, you can see how determined and positive the Venerable Master was about teachng Americans the Buddhadharma. Even though the task is harder than going up to the heavens, and other things, the Venerable Master used the “Flows the blood and sweat, does not rest" spirit, and he did the impossible. The Venerable Master's spirit and determination is something everybody can learn.