Buddhism Studies ⁽⁵³⁾

It has been a long time since I did my morning and evening practice. There was a period when, like a proper Buddhist, I would recite sutras morning and evening and repent my transgressions, but the habit did not last. Confucius said, "Reviewing the old…

The day before yesterday, a liver cancer patient came to Beijing's 301 Hospital for treatment and, by the way, visited me, hoping I could give him some guidance. Honored by his regard, I ventured to speak plainly. I pointed out that his illness of the…

This title comes from a line in Cai Gen Tan (Discourse on the Vegetable Root). I am deeply grateful to that book; it drew me out of a state of stagnant water. It made me understand why Mr. Liang Shuming turned from a Buddhist believer…

What does the Buddhist saying "not arguing over right and wrong is liberation" mean? There is an old anecdote behind it, involving the famously eminent Tang-dynasty Buddhist masters Hanshan and Shide. One day Hanshan asked Shide: "When the world reviles me, bullies me, insults me,…

One In recent years I have been using my whole life to realize the truths of Buddhism. The deaths of close relatives and of patients I have treated have all struck my heart deeply. Death has given me profound insight into Buddhist ideas such as…

On a bus traveling from Beijing to Hebei, a small incident suddenly brought the Dharma home to me. I was seated when an older woman boarded and, brusquely ordering me to move further in, took my seat. Roughly two-thirds of the seats were empty at…

Entering the monastery and learning from the monks has been the single most correct decision I have made in all these years. The sage said: "When you meet someone worthy, think of equaling him; when you meet someone unworthy, turn inward and examine yourself." Entering…

On the Tianya forum I saw a Christian say this: "I am a Christian, but I keep silent about Buddha, Dao, and God; I keep silent about every ultimate unknown." This is the most masterful thing I have yet heard a religious believer say in…

The Buddha said: beings take ten things as good, and also take ten things as evil. What are the ten? Three of body, four of speech, three of mind. The three of body: killing, stealing, and lust. The four of speech: divisive talk, harsh speech,…

Yesterday I was in Baigou, Hebei, dealing with a pile of bags and suitcases. A patient I had treated for over a year—after switching to other doctors for more than half a year—developed severe ascites and sought help from every famous physician in Beijing, all…