Awakened, my footsteps return

The digital age pushes people to be closer to both material comforts and spiritual needs. Who doesn’t dare to affirm that within a beloved smartphone has the capacity to contain an entire universe?

Having gone and searched, do you see the moons at the corners of the eyes of the lovesick?

Having arrived and returned, do you realize that the heart still wonders, burdened by the affairs of the world?

 

Fundamental needs such as eating, drinking, wearing clothes, and hygiene are all placed on the same level as what is called the search for happiness, often referred to escape loneliness; or, in recent terms, a grand phrase: to split a sorrow in half. Normally, any sentient being has two very basic issues: survival and self-defense. Humans are not different. Thus, deeply behind these two basic issues is a mindset wanting to get safety from the changes of space and the eternal moments of time; and finally, it is the peace.

 

Are people's eyes shaken by the illusion of vanity that they themselves create? House, door, car, vehicle... What makes us safe and happy? Peace is a state of unwavering mind. Joy is a deep and gentle feeling that requires no further seeking. We often say, "I have a house, a fancy car, a beautiful wife, and lovely children”. Already, yes, we have everything. So, is there still a heart to search for what peace is, what happiness is? Sometimes, when we’re drinking together, we casually say, "We are already peaceful; there’s no more searching." But in reality, the magical shimmering lights still hold the power to move the heart. No wonder the world used to call it "Splendid Saigon."

 

Have known that there are a few people in this illusory world, lifting the curtain of dust, stepping out to find the color of peace—blue, brown, or the simple, humble yellow robe. Despite this humility, when needed, one can ascend to Aghaniwiha and descend to Avici.

The bell has just been rung

The Dhamma words ring loudly

Above it reaches heaven

Below it reaches hell.

(Beat the great drum)

 

A person who is not familiar and still has doubts steps cautiously at the entrance to the Buddha's pagoda. He takes each step slowly, entering without daring to move fast, fearing that he might 'stick' on something that would make his mind thoughtful. People often have this behaviour; with something new and strange, they won't open their hearts immediately. Step by step, they slowly observe, investigate, and check before daring to touch the fact. It’s so strange that once someone becomes familiar, if it fits their hearts and personality, they may become attached for life time. So, in the beginning, everyone approaches the pagoda and the Buddha with hesitation, but finally, if others ask them to abandon the Buddha, many wouldn’t accept, because the Buddha is in their hearts, the Buddha is in their souls, like the very breath they take—the Buddha presents in every footstep of their awakening.

Is the realm of the Buddha far away? Listen to Zen Master Thiền Lão's response to King Lý Thái Tông:

The green bamboo and yellow flowers are not in a different realm;
The bright moon amongst the vast clouds reveal the truth.

First of all, we are the green bamboo, yellow flowers, the moon amongst the vast clouds. Is this scene beautiful? It doesn’t matter! As long as our eyes can cover the reality of these things, that is enough, for beauty is just as it is, and ugliness is the same. The Zen master's point is simply this: the Buddha is in the nature of awakening, the true seeing of oneself.

Also very familiar, let us take a look at the realm of the Lotus Sutra samādhi of Meditation Master Nhất Hạnh:

The singing birds, whispering pines, blooming flowers,
Blue sky and white clouds are right here.
The loving sight shines brightly,
The aware smile s is full.

(Precious Jewel of the Lotus Sutra)

It is again the scenery of sky and clouds. The Zen masters use the current scene in front of their eyes, as their awareness becomes clear and complete—neither lacking nor excessive, just enough to wrap everything inside the heart of meditation. The heart of meditation is also purity. Where there is purity, there is also meditation, and meditation and purity are not different. Those who practice often contemplate (anupassanā) cannot find even the slightest trace of difference between meditation and purity.

 

As mentioned at the beginning of the article, the most essential need that humanity has been seeking for millennia is safety. When one feels and gets aware that life is too painful, too burdensome, and too tough with no existence, sometimes one only wants to stop everything and return to a state of nothingness; in those moments, human beings want to seek a sacred place where their souls can find refuge. The Pure Land of the Buddha Amitabha has been, is, and will always be the perfect "lifebuoy" for those who think their lives are sinking, and drowning in a sea of suffering. 

 

The ocean of love is vast,
Dipping all of Saṃsāra.
To escape the cycle of suffering,

One must urgently pray to Amitabha.

 

When is the most urgent need? It is when we feel we are about to die, or nearly dead as starving and painful as on the edge of death. Thus, throughout many years of existence, death has always approached us in strange, limitless ways. We die in order to live. The soul of a child of the Buddha is the happiest when there is the Buddha. A real Buddha, one of flesh and blood, whom we can bring into our minds and hearts to worship daily, even twice or three times. But which Buddha is more important than recognizing oneself as a Buddha? In the Amitabha Sutra, we have been taught that one continues to cultivate by practicing towards the Pure Land, and one is reaching the level of Avaivarṭikā or the non-returner state, which is considered 90% of the path to enlightenment, nearing the completion of one’s spiritual journey? The remaining 10% is the effort needed to surpass the Ten Grounds of the Bodhisattvas and approach the stages of Perfect Awakening and Supreme Awakening—essentially, becoming a Buddha, nothing different.

 

Such a strong, unwavering faith in humanity is what enables the creation of the Prajñā boat, which carries oneself and others together to the shore of enlightenment. And one thing is certain: we must walk this path with awakened steps.

On the human path with tired knees and gray hair,
A sound of a bell awakens the minds, transforming them into the joys.
(Mud – Venerable Master Thích Chân Tính) 

 

Tâm Cung

 

Translated into English by Ho Thi Thuy Duong