The World Of Tzu Chi(Vol.112)

2019 • 07 48 harma T his introduction seems very simple, but it nonetheless includes the teachings of the Buddha’s entire lifetime, from the first to the last time he taught the Dharma. “Sakya” was his clan name; it can be translated as “mighty in benevolence”. “Muni” can be translated as “tranquil extinction”, so this meant that Sakyamuni Buddha was mighty in loving-kindness and had the virtue of tranquil extinction. Why was he called “mighty in loving-kindness”? “Mighty” means having an ability, and “benevolence” refers to having love and the virtue of kindness, which we usually refer to as “great loving-kindness and compassion”. We often speak of “having unconditional great loving-kindness and universal great compassion”. The Buddha’s love has no set scope or object; his love is vast and unbiased, encompassing all living beings in this world. This intrinsic nature is not exclusive to the Buddha. We also possess limitless great loving-kindness and compassion; everyone has this intrinsic Buddha-nature. However, as ordinary people, we continue to discriminate between “self” and “others”, and are unable to transcend our contriving mindset. Therefore, the love that we give rise to is biased, and we always distinguish between kin and strangers. Great love brings the three kinds of harmony The Buddha let his love and wisdom shine upon this universe. He truly exercised his innate potential. Not only was he able to achieve this himself, but he also taught his disciples to develop the same kind of great love. “Mighty in loving-kindness” refers to exercising one’s positive potential; in every action, the Buddha exercised his capabilities to save and transform sentient beings. In his compassion, the Buddha cannot bear to see sentient beings suffer, so he keeps returning on the ship of compassion to the Saha World. “Benevolence” is love, but love can have a larger or smaller scope. Christianity preaches love for all, but their love is typically limited to human beings. The love of Buddhism extends further. Confucianism also speaks of benevolence and sympathy in phrases such as “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” and “Do not do unto others what you INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 1 When Sakyamuni Buddha turned the Dharma-wheel for the first time, he transformed Ajnata Kaundinya. When he expounded the Dharma for the last time, he transformed Subhadra. Thus, all those who could be transformed had already been transformed. Lying between the twin sala trees, he was about to enter Parinirvana. It was the middle of the night, quiet and without a sound, as he summarized the essence of the Dharma for his disciples.