His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche Presides over the Ksitigarbha Blessing Puja to Perfect Completion

On December 28th, 2014, His Eminence Vajra Guru Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche presided over the auspicious Ksitigarbha Blessing Puja of the Drikung Kagyu Order of Tibetan Buddhism at the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center in Kyoto, Japan.， After performing the Tantra to implore Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha to approach the mandala, the guru led the attendees in a special afternoon recitation of the Sutra of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha’s Fundamental Vows. The blessings from this were extremely auspicious. Apart from helping the attendees to form a profound connection with Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha, they also allowed everyone to obtain auspicious benefits and blessings from the Bodhisattva in body, speech, and mind, as well as the opportunity to become liberated from the suffering sea of reincarnation in the future. 214 people attended, including twenty believers from Japan, Mainland China, India, Australia, and Taiwan, as well as 194 disciples from Japan, Mainland China, America, and Taiwan. The puja came to an auspicious and perfect completion.

On the day of the puja the sky was thick with clouds, but after His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche ascended the Dharma throne, the sun suddenly burst through to shine dazzling rays of light in all directions. By the time the puja came to a perfect completion, a cool drizzle had begun to fall, coloring the dome-like sky a tranquil bluish gray for miles around. The extremely auspicious change of weather that took place during the puja was an indication that the heavenly beings and Bodhisattvas had all come forward to give their praise for this Ksitigarbha Blessing Puja held at the Kyoto Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center by His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. The guru benefited all sentient beings with pure Dharma teachings, using his all-embracing powers to bestow blessings and help them to abandon suffering and obtain happiness.

At 9:00 in the morning, after ascending the Dharma throne to preside over the Ksitigarbha Blessing Puja, His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche gave the attendees nectar water that had been blessed beforehand so that they could clearly aspire to the Bodhicitta. The guru then explained, syllable by syllable and with great clarity, what each part of the words “Mahasattva” and “Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha” meant so that everyone would gain a proper understanding of the lessons and help they could obtain from the Bodhisattva. Before performing the Dharma, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche placed special emphasis on the importance of giving rise to an aspiration while participating in the puja, and of having respect and faith in the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. The guru taught that only by participating in the puja with the correct aspiration would they be able to obtain blessings and merits from the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche started by explaining the meaning of the word “Mahasattva.” The guru said, “In the sutra there is mention of the Eight Mahasattvas. ‘Maha’ means ‘great,’ but not in the sense of being large; rather, it refers to one’s fruition level. Shakyamuni Buddha taught that Bodhisattvas of the First through the Tenth Ground emanate as Nirmanakaya and then Sambhogakaya; after surpassing the Tenth Ground, They become Dharmakaya Bodhisattvas. Thus, only Bodhisattvas that have attained a level higher than the Tenth Ground are called Mahasattvas. Bodhisattvas are awakened sentient beings; in other words, all who practice the Bodhisattva Path are sentient beings. Every Bodhisattva and Buddha started out as a sentient being of at least human status who attained fruition through cultivation. The word ‘Bodhisattva’ describes one who has gained a realization of the suffering of sentient beings reincarnating in the Six Realms, of the abundance of sorrow and dearth of joy in the human world, and that sentient beings must be helped so that they can leave the suffering sea of reincarnation behind. Only those who provide such assistance can be called Bodhisattvas. The Ratnakuta and many other sutras make mention of the prerequisites for becoming a Bodhisattva, and these include conditions of thought, speech, action, and so on. Only once these are met does one qualify as a Bodhisattva.

“Now that we understand what a Bodhisattva is, I’ll go ahead and speak briefly about Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha’s Fundamental Vows. Here, ‘Fundamental’ also means ‘vast’—so vast that it encompassed all things in the universe. The vows made by Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha were not simply to fulfill a single purpose or for self-satisfaction. Rather, a great vow is made to benefit all suffering sentient beings in the Six Realms.

“Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha’s vow was ‘not to attain Buddhahood unless and until all the Hells are empty.’ Many believers mistakenly think that Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha primarily liberates ghosts in hell, but such a notion is not quite correct. Rather, the vow means that as long as there are still sentient beings suffering in hell, Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha will not allow Himself to attain Buddhahood, and ‘…until all the Hells are empty’ refers to teaching sentient beings and preventing them from falling into hell. Ninety-nine percent of everything we do and say in this lifetime can send us to hell. Many people think that it is enough that they haven’t committed crimes such as murder or robbery, but according to the Sutra of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha’s Fundamental Vows, simply eating meat can put us in grave danger of going to hell.

“How do we know whether or not someone is bound for hell? All we have to do is look at how much he or she suffers from pain or ailments prior to death. People who are not headed for hell will not suffer at all before they die; when their time comes, they will simply stop breathing and pass away. Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha’s fundamental vow was to help prevent sentient beings in the Six Realms from falling into hell.

“The ‘Ksiti’ part of Ksitigarbha means ‘earth.’ Everything needs fertile soil to grow, and Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha’s great compassion is akin to a rich piece of land from which the Bodhi tree, the Bodhicitta, and other methods for attaining Buddhahood can sprout. As long as we act in accordance with the Bodhisattva’s teachings, Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha will nurture us, just like a plot of fertile soil, until we bear fruit.

“The syllable ‘gar,’ or ‘treasure,’ does not refer to actual treasure; it has to do with the fact that the Buddha once said everyone possesses the Embryo of Awakening. What does this mean? It means that we all have a Buddha-nature and the conditions for attaining Buddhahood. Thus, possessing these, Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha therefore helps sentient beings to develop these conditions, too, so that they will be able to attain Buddhahood in the future.

“The last syllable, ‘ba,’ or ‘king,’ signifies that the method written in the sutras is the only way, so you must listen to it and follow. When we live in a country, we must obey its laws. In the past there were no presidents—only kings—and as a kingdom’s subjects, people had to either abide by the monarch’s decrees or be punished. Thus, we must observe everything written in the Sutra of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha’s Fundamental Vows and act accordingly. However, Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha would not punish you, because you are subject to the law of cause and effect.

“The great aspiration of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha includes the thoughts and concepts of all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. We must abide by the principles of cause and condition, as well as the cause and effect described in the Sutra of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha’s Fundamental Vows, with profound and unwavering faith and actually behave accordingly. We must not, in our greed, think that committing a little bit of evil is okay as long as we amend our ways in the future. We won’t have time, because all the evil acts we commit accumulate. The same is true of all the virtuous acts we carry out, so there is no way to compromise. Don’t think that a virtuous act will cancel out an evil act. It won’t, because evil acts generate evil karmic retribution, while virtuous acts produce virtuous karmic effects”

Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche continued. “The reason I am specially performing the Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha Dharma here today is that Japan has historically been a nation with very heavy karma from killing. In the past, in order to seize power, each clan would slaughter many people, and this led to war after war. In addition, the Japanese people have killed a large amount of animals and fish to satisfy their epicurean desires, which is why natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods occur so frequently here.

“The Dharma text starts out by stating that we must make prostrations in front of the guru, the Buddhas, and the Bodhisattvas, and that we must vow before all of Shakyamuni Buddha’s disciples to cultivate the Bodhicitta and compassion. That you all possess the good fortune, causes, and conditions to be here participating in today’s puja means that in a past life you must have practiced Buddhism and heard Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha’s sacred name. However, even though you are here as a result of having practiced the Dharma in the past, you still must give rise to an aspiration in this lifetime, because you have gotten confused and committed evil.

“First, you must be repentant. If you had not done anything wrong in this lifetime, then things would not be so hard for you now, and you would be very clear about your future. Why can’t you see the future? It is because you are dominated by your karma. No matter how hard you work, how diligently you apply yourselves, or how much you learn, you will all continue to be very hesitant, because you still have no idea how the future will play out. Buddhist practitioners, on the other hand, have a very clear picture of their future: It will be a reflection of everything they do in the present. ‘Giving rise to an aspiration’ really means to be repentant and gain a very clear understanding of the fact that we have harmed many sentient beings throughout our past lives. Our hunger for the flesh of sentient beings has brought illness upon us, yet in our ignorance we continue to say that we love eating meat and can’t live without it. In a moment, while we are reciting the Sutra of Ksitigarbha’s Fundamental Vows, you will realize just how horrible eating the flesh of sentient beings is.

“Secondly, you must develop compassion. Today’s puja is not just being held for the two hundred or so people in attendance; it is for all the countless sentient beings in the void, too. As long as they have the causal condition to listen and pass through here, this puja will be of benefit for them. Therefore, those of us with the causal condition to participate in this puja also hope that other sentient beings will be able to obtain help from the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, too. Only if you participate in the puja with these two sorts of aspirations in mind will the Dharma be of any use to you.

“Once we give rise to aspirations, our minds will be ‘as bright and perfect as the full moon is on the fifteenth of each month.’ This means that once we have given rise to aspirations, our original, pure Buddha-nature will be revealed during the puja. We must be ‘sincerely and extremely respectful’ toward Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha. Here ‘sincerely’ implies that we must believe—without a shred of doubt—that everything Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha says will help us. Many would point out that hell is invisible, and challenge practitioners to magically produce the hells for them to see. Actually, there’s no need to, because there are hells on Earth, and many people are living hellish lives. It is written in the sutra that we don’t have to wait until we die to see hell; it is visible to us while we are still alive.

“In the Dharma text there is mention of the word ‘ultimate.’ This means having the ultimate respect for Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha without any other distracting thoughts in mind. Respect represents offerings; with such offerings one can accumulate good fortune, which is in turn necessary for learning and listening to the Dharma and being able to change one’s future. The Dharma text contains a rather interesting sentence: ‘In general, this sort is not common,’ meaning there are not very many people who are aspired while participating in the puja, allowing their minds to be as bright as the moon, and have an attitude of genuine sincerity and respect. Only those who meet these conditions are true disciples of the Buddha; all others are fake, and are only a little bit better than people who don’t even come to the pujas in that at least they will obtain a few blessings.

“Another important condition is having faith. What is faith? It does not mean believing in something blindly, as do many people in Taiwan, China, and Japan. Japanese go to their shrines, Taiwanese go to their temples, and people in Mainland China do the same. They all think worshipping will bring them protection and blessings, and that that’s the same as having faith. Actually, it isn’t; that sort of worship is nothing more than bribery. Having faith means believing that one day you will definitely be able to attain Buddhahood by following the methods of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. That day might not come in a decade or two, or even three; however, you will certainly be able to achieve that attainment in some future lifetime.

“We must believe that everything spoken by the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas is meant to benefit us, not punish or reward us. If you listen but don’t act accordingly, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will not punish you; nor will They do so if you listen yet talk nonsense and go about it all wrong—you simply won’t succeed, that’s all. We must believe in the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and learn the methods contained in the Dharma. Whatever They teach us, we must put into practice. It’s the same as being in school; when you were first-graders, you were very good students, and did whatever your teacher said. To listen to the Dharma you must adopt the mindset of an elementary school student; you must believe your teachers, and not stick to your own views. Therefore—and this is the most important point—if you do not have faith, nothing you learn will be of any use to you.

“If you meet the aforementioned conditions while participating in the puja, then ‘the merits and auspiciousness you possess will be no different.’ In other words, the merits you obtain from participating in today’s puja will be the same as those of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha, because He, too, learned and practiced Buddhism with just such an attitude.”

His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche then began to perform the Dharma, all the while explaining each stage of the ritual with profound yet easy to understand language so that the attendees could all understand and obtain genuine help from the Right Dharma. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche spoke of the significance and importance of performing the preliminary practice and the main practice, and led the attendees in a meditation. The guru then orally transmitted Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha’s mantra and spoke of the auspicious tradition of the Ksitigarbha Dharma method.

On behalf of all the yidams, His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche compassionately accepted the mandalal offerings presented by the ordained disciples and the Japanese and Chinese believers, who implored the Dharma on behalf of sentient beings so that everyone could obtain the auspicious causal condition to rapidly accumulate good fortune. While performing the Dharma this time, the guru even descended the Dharma throne to personally bestow blessings with a Dharma instrument upon the more than 210 attendees, one by one. The attendees all kneeled to receive the Mahasiddha’s auspicious blessings while expressing their heartfelt gratitude to His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche.

Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche said, “Here in the Dharma text are written the words, ‘all Buddhas, the Right Dharma, and sages.’ Everyone is familiar with the Buddhas, but what does the ‘Right Dharma’ mean? It comprises everything that can help us to become liberated from reincarnation. Once you make a firm resolution to do this, many of your mundane affairs will begin to change; this is what the Buddha said. ‘All sages’ refers to those Mahasiddhas in the past, present, and future, all of whom are in front of the mandala.

“We must take refuge until we attain enlightenment. This is different from Exoteric Buddhism, where taking refuge is only for a single lifetime—this one. In Tantrism, taking refuge is something that continues until one has attained Buddhahood. Thus, as long as you are participating in today’s puja, then your oath to take refuge in Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha will not be eradicated.

“‘With the merits of my almsgiving’ means that while participating in today’s puja, all the Dharmas will be given as alms to all sentient beings. The resulting merits are ‘to help the countless sentient beings, and may I attain Buddhahood for the sake of all sentient beings.’ This vow does not involve one’s own desire to leave suffering behind; rather, it is one’s vow to obtain more strength and wisdom with which to benefit sentient beings. In simpler terms, to practice Buddhism one must take refuge, but what is the point of practicing Buddhism? It is to help sentient beings. These texts are extremely important.

“The nectar water you all just drank was blessed by Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha, so that every sentient being participating in the puja may very clearly manifest and aspire to the Bodhicitta. This section means that after the guru visualizes himself to be no different from Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha, he blesses the nectar water so that after you drink it your Bodhicitta will be revealed, which is the prerequisite to learning all Dharmas and helping all sentient beings.

“After drinking this nectar water, I will lead you in a meditative practice which will allow you to clearly manifest and develop the Bodhicitta. The words ‘clearly manifest’ do not mean you should deliberately think about anything, because after being blessed your minds will naturally be filled with virtuous thoughts. Also, ‘develop the Bodhicitta’ does not mean for you to make a vow; rather, it refers to taking an oath and vowing to practice the Dharma through lifetime after lifetime and help all suffering sentient beings.”

Next, His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche taught everyone that they must do their best to sit up straight, neither slouching forward nor leaning backward. Their eyes did not have to be closed, because if they did so they might hallucinate. If they discovered their minds were filled with many thoughts, they could focus on the guru and the statue of the Buddha; doing so would help them concentrate better. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche then led the attendees into a state of meditation.

Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche then said, “People who ordinarily eat meat or smoke cigarettes tend to have a relatively hard time meditating, because the more meat you eat, the more your cells get filled with the essences of those fish, shrimp, octopuses, and so on. Fish and shrimp never stop moving, so your mind can never rest either. Likewise, smoking affects your respiratory system; whenever your breathing is impaired, your mind has a hard time calming down. The reason the words of the sutra urge us not to eat the flesh of sentient beings, smoke tobacco, or take drugs is that these things are bad for our health. Eating meat and smoking are sure to lead to illness and a shorter lifespan, and will cause your luck to gradually run out.

“It is my hope that the meditation we just performed causes you to develop the Bodhicitta clearly from deep within your minds. The Eight Mahasattvas spoken of in Buddhism are actually the same as the Buddha in terms of both Their actions and Their nature. It should be mentioned that although the Eight Mahasattvas have already attained Buddhahood, They are constantly returning to this world to help and liberate all sentient beings. Because these Eight Mahasattvas have aspired to such a grand and majestic Bodhicitta, all sentient beings in the void will gather here.

“The Dharma method I am performing today was transmitted personally by one of the yidams, Vajra Varahi, to a Mahasiddha in southern India. Vajra Varahi transmitted 108 different Dharma methods, of which twenty-four were expedient cultivation methods of the Eight Mahasattvas obtained by Bhaṭṭāraka Savior Dharma Lord Ajari Bulabanja. Thus, the Dharma method of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha being performed today was transmitted to southern India by Vajra Varahi, and then later transmitted to Tibet. For this reason, this cultivation method did not exist in China and Japan. I would like to place special emphasis on the fact that this Dharma represents a complete Dharma lineage transmitted by Vajra Varahi to a practitioner and then to the practicing gurus. All Vajrayana mantras and Dharma texts must be transmitted orally by the guru; the practitioner must then be transmitted the appropriate empowerment before he or she can obtain the Dharma’s lineage.

“There are some differences between Tantra and Exoteric Buddhism. The latter is theory-based in that a practitioner simply recites any sutras orally transmitted by the guru, whereas in Tantra one must be granted an empowerment by the guru, learn each of its stages step by step, and practice them in the right order. So that you all might form a connection with Tantra in the future, today I am transmitting it to you orally. This does not mean, however, that you will be able to practice it; I am merely granting you the affinity. While participating in the puja you should shed tears of gratitude for your guru and engage in visualization. You should keep in mind that it is already difficult enough to be given an opportunity to listen to the Dharma, so to be able to listen to Tantra is even rarer. If we have encountered a guru who is able and willing to explain Tantra to us, then we should be grateful. This kind of gratitude originates deep within our hearts, and is the result of being able to learn and hear Tantra. If we try to go it alone, then these methods will not be within our reach; we can only obtain them from an experienced guru. For this reason, we must be grateful. After your guru chants the mantra and bestows blessings, your minds will be filled with joy at being able to have such a rare opportunity today to listen to the Dharma and encounter a guru. Only after you feel such joy will the Dharma be of any use to you.”

After orally transmitting the mantra, His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche said, “If you can visualize in the manner I’ve taught you, then you will obtain blessings from chanting this mantra. If you think you yourself are chanting it, however, it will be useless, because you will not know what the purpose of the mantra is, and you will merely be making the sounds like a tape recorder.

“The part I just performed was the preliminary practice, and next will be the main practice. The preliminary practice involves preparations that must be made, just as with any task. If these are done well, then of course the task itself will go relatively smoothly. Performing the Dharma method of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha has very specific requirements. It must be on land or in a structure that is clean; that is, the location must never have served as a graveyard, slaughterhouse, crematorium, restaurant, brothel, or place in which alcohol was sold.

“After a perfectly clean location has been selected, the Buddhist statues and so on need to be arranged one by one. While performing the main practice, both the presiding guru and the puja attendees must give rise to a pure aspiration. Here “pure” means not seeking any personal gain. Our original nature was once very pure, without the slightest bit of contamination. However, because of the greed, hatred, ignorance, arrogance, doubt, and so on that we have accumulated through lifetime after lifetime, it has begun to be polluted. This does not mean our original nature is no longer pure though; its light has simply been obscured, like the sun being covered by a wall of dark clouds. Puja participants can only obtain blessings if they possess a pure aspiration as well as an undefiled Bodhicitta, the Fourfold Refuges, and so on.

“It is written in the Dharma text that when we chant the glorious and auspicious Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha mantra, the karmic hindrances from our past lives will be purified. In other words, by auspiciously chanting this mantra, we can eliminate the hindrances to our Buddhist practice and all of our wishes can be realized. The wishess referred to here encompass all Dharmas we wish to practice, as well as any Buddhist activities we want to engage in. This mantra will help us to develop a profound faith deep within ourselves; therefore, a great many merits can be obtained from this mantra. It is mentioned in the text that anyone who sincerely chants this mantra is sure to become liberated from life and death and leave the suffering of reincarnation behind.

“The sutras are made up of Dharmas expounded by the Buddha. They also come from the Buddha’s practical experiences. When we recite a sutra, it means we are receiving the Buddha’s constant reminders not to make any mistakes in body, speech, or mind during this lifetime. Everyone, when first beginning to practice Buddhism, must pass through this stage of reciting the sutras. Besides allowing us to receive the Buddhas’ and Bodhisattvas’ constant warnings, reciting the sutras can purify our minds and keep our karmic creditors of past lives from hindering our Buddhist practice. This is the most important way in which it is useful.

“Shakyamuni Buddha spoke the Sutra of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha’s Fundamental Vows to His mother in the Trayastrimsas Heaven, where she had been reborn upon her death after giving birth to Shakyamuni Buddha. Even though she had been born in the Heavenly Realm, she would continue to reincarnate in the Six Realms as soon as her good fortune ran out. According to Buddhist concepts, being born in the Heavenly Realm is not the ultimate goal; it is still not perfect, because there one would continue to suffer. Therefore, knowing very well that His mother had been reborn in the Trayastrimsas Heaven, Shakyamuni Buddha went there to speak the Dharma to her in the hope that she might stop reincarnating and begin to practice anew in the Heavenly Realm.

“Shakyamuni Buddha introduced Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha in the Heavenly Realm. From this we can see that Ksitigarbha did not become a Bodhisattva on this Earth. According to the sutra, a series of seven Buddhas will attain Buddhahood here. Shakyamuni Buddha was the fifth, and in the future, Bodhisattva Maitreya will become a Buddha as well. After all seven Buddhas have come, the Earth will end. Thus, the reason Shakyamuni Buddha constantly urged us to practice Buddhism in this lifetime is that you never know which of your lifetimes will see the end of the world.

“What is the current state of the Earth? In Buddhism it is said that a planet goes through four stages: Formation (when it comes into being), existence (when sentient beings can live on its surface), destruction (when it begins to fall apart), and the Void (when it is completely obliterated). Right now our planet is at the end of the existence stage and the beginning of the destruction stage. Why will it be destroyed? It has to do with the evil karma created by sentient beings. Humanity on Earth has committed too much evil by killing fish and other animals to satisfy their epicurean desires. In addition, mining and other selfish endeavors have further accelerated the Earth’s demise.

“The Sutra of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha’s Fundamental Vows makes mention of many matters to do with cause and effect. If we conduct our lives without regard to what is written in the sutras, we will be at grave risk of falling into hell. Thus, for anyone wishing to practice Buddhism, the most fundamental and crucial sutra to understand and learn is the Sutra of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha’s Fundamental Vows. If we do not believe in cause and effect, then even diligence will do us no good. We can only get a decent paycheck if we work hard at our jobs; this is cause and effect. If we are lazy, we will get fired and lose our income. We know without a doubt that smoking is bad for our hearts and lungs, and can affect other people as well. Nevertheless, so many people continue to smoke. They think about getting healthy every day, yet they keep smoking.

“There is clear medical evidence these days proving that people who eat fish and meat are more likely to get cancer, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Despite this, their voracious appetites continue. They simply refuse to believe, thinking that if they get sick, they can just see a doctor and be cured. Doctors can only treat temporary conditions; they are unable to completely cure you of a chronic illness. This is because doctors do not help us from a cause and effect standpoint. Many people think that when running a business, they have no choice but to take life. For example, they believe that if they do not sell fish and meat, their business will fail.

“The Sutra of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha’s Fundamental Vows lists the consequences of eating meat. One of these includes mention of Jambu, which in ancient Sanskrit means the Earth. Thus, this sutra was specially expounded for sentient beings in the Heavens and on Earth to hear; it tells everyone which causes will yield what effects. If you do not believe the words of the sutra, or think that those things couldn’t happen to you, then you might as well stop participating in the pujas. You should even stop worshipping the Buddha, because you do not believe in cause and effect. It is clearly written in the sutra that such people have wicked views; you are all just focused on the here and now, sparing no thought for the future. 100% of your physical ailments come from eating meat. If you had not killed in this lifetime, then you would not be suffering from any health problems at all.

“Today a special recitation of the Sutra of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha’s Fundamental Vows will be conducted so that the Japanese believers present can recite this sutra.” Two ordained disciples led the attendees in a simultaneous recitation of the Sutra of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha’s Fundamental Vows; one in Chinese, the other in Japanese. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche said, “Attendees at other Japanese Buddhist centers do not have the opportunity to be led in a recitation of this sutra; it only happens here at the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center. Today is a day of practice for you all, so recite diligently.

“Some of the Japanese believers here today are reciting the sutra for the very first time, while some have done it before. If you have trouble keeping up, it could be the result of many things. First of all, the ordained disciple leading you might not be pronouncing the words very accurately; this could cause you to have trouble hearing them clearly. Another reason could be that you do not have sufficient faith in the Dharma, which would prevent you from being able to focus your attention on reading the sutra. A third factor might be that your health has begun to decline, and your blood and qi are not flowing very well; this, too, could leave you unable to concentrate. Another reason could be that you do not have enough respect for Buddhism. Reciting the sutras is the simplest of Buddhist cultivation methods; if you cannot even keep up with that, then it won’t matter how intelligent or capable you normally are. Finally, you might not have sufficient good fortune.

At 2:15 in the afternoon, His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche again ascended the Dharma throne to preside over the puja. The ordained disciples then continued to lead the attendees in a recitation of the Sutra of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha’s Fundamental Vows in both Chinese and Japanese.

After the recitations of the Sutra of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha’s Fundamental Vows were complete, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche said, “The Japanese believers only recited the beginning and middle sections; next time they will have an opportunity to recite the rest. If everyone participating in today’s puja stops killing, eating meat, and smoking, and if those who have not taken refuge cut down on their alcohol consumption a little bit, then as long as you all remember today’s puja before you die and have complete faith in Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha and your guru, I can guarantee you on behalf of the Bodhisattva that you will not go to hell in this lifetime. Thus, if the Japanese believers implore for it, I will quickly arrange a time for them to finish reciting the last section of the Sutra of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha’s Fundamental Vows.

“You mustn’t underestimate the importance of Buddhism. Without it, this world would already have ceased to exist. Despite the presence of many different religions on this planet, not one of them can solve humanity’s greatest problem. Just now, by reciting the beginning and middle sections of the Sutra of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha’s Fundamental Vows, you can at least have come to realize why the Buddha said humans are very obstinate, difficult to tame, and difficult to teach. However, the Buddha has never given up on us; instead, the Buddha continues to use all sorts of ways to help us so that we can free ourselves from reincarnation.

“When learning any Dharma, you must first have a clear understanding of how the guru came by the Dharma’s lineage, how he or she cultivated it, and whether or not the Dharma methods taught by the guru are in line with all the Dharmas spoken by the Buddha. You should all beware of anyone who professes to be a practitioner but has no background or history of cultivation, and teaches with specious, so-called ‘Dharma methods.’ For example, nowadays a certain meditation technique has come into popularity that claims to implement certain Dharmas, but this is not actually Buddhism. Some people advise married couples to sleep in separate beds, but this, too, is not correct. In the Ratnakuta Sutra it is written that in this lifetime, we cannot refuse our due obligation if we have an affinity with a spouse. If you are a monastic, then you will not have an opportunity to marry in this lifetime; if you advise a married couple to separate for the sake of Buddhist practice, then you definitely do not have the right idea.

“Furthermore, there is mention in the sutra of sexual abstinence but this was aimed at certain types of practitioners. If you are a Bhikkhu or Bhikkhuni, then you must observe sexual abstinence. It is written in the sutra that there is great auspiciousness in being a monastic; this is addressed to those without affinity with a spouse. This is especially applicable if you want to practice Zen in this lifetime; you will not achieve any attainment if you do not observe sexual abstinence. This is what is taught in Exoteric Buddhism. The point of what I am saying today is that Buddhist practice does not necessitate a lifestyle transformation; rather, it involves a change of attitude. Practicing Buddhism does not mean you can’t do anything; there is a rationale behind what Buddhism teaches. For example, as is clearly mentioned in the Sutra of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha’s Fundamental Vows, to practice this sutra you must refrain from eating the five pungent spices, stop killing, and keep the Five Precepts. However, the Sutra of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha’s Fundamental Vows does not teach you to sleep in a separate bed from your spouse.

“Before learning the Dharma, a practitioner must first form human connections. This does not mean acting badly toward someone who treats you unfairly; it means not causing others to have any afflictions resulting from your actions. For example, I am a Rinpoche, but when I go out I don’t advertise that fact, because I would not cause any afflictions in others for the sake of my own Buddhist practice. I still consider myself an ordinary person, but of course I represent the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas whenever I perform the Dharma. As long as you remember today’s puja and your guru’s name, and never again eat meat or kill for the remainder of this lifetime, even if you happen to commit a few minor transgressions and even if you end up on hell’s doorstep, I guarantee that you will not fall into hell. I do not make this promise lightly; I have to take responsibility for everything I say, especially from atop the Dharma throne. I cannot misspeak a single word up here, because the karmic retribution for that would be quite severe.

“Living in a commercial society, we are all very anxious and hope that our problems can be resolved immediately, but many things take time. Japanese believers are not used to reciting the sutras; attendees at Buddhist centers in Japan are rarely led in sutra recitations. They are just made to transcribe a short section of a sutra or sit there and listen to the Dharma masters recite. They think these are pujas, but they are not. A puja is something in which all the attendees participate. Even though there are some Tantras which you cannot practice, you can definitely recite the parts belonging to Exoteric Buddhism. Otherwise you would not have any impression at all, and therefore would not understand what your guru says.

“After reciting the sutra, then as long as a single one of its words or lines can help you in any way, you will already be in a better situation than you were. If you do not recite the words with your own mouth, listen to them with your own ears, and read them with your own eyes, then they will not leave an impression on you. Thus, if any of the Japanese believers present today wish to finish reciting the last section of the sutra, they need only ask, and I will arrange another day for everyone to recite the sutra together from beginning to end. Buddhism stresses the importance of completing everything perfectly; if it even lacks just a little bit, it will be less than perfect. Time is not an issue, and it is no trouble for me; whenever sentient beings need the Dharma and implore it from me, I always do my best to arrange a time to help them.

“Buddhism has very strict rules. To lead a group of people in a sutra recitation, you must be a guru or an undefiled monastic. What is an undefiled monastic? Take my ordained disciples, for example; I do not allow them to accept offerings from any believer. Rather, I support their living expenses, because my expectation is that because they are monastics, they should spend this lifetime in diligent cultivation and not be distracted by too many thoughts of having to curry favor with those believers. Since they are undefiled monastics, then of course they can lead you in sutra recitations.

“A moment ago I mentioned that it is written in the Sutra of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha’s Fundamental Vows that humans on Earth commit more evil acts than virtuous ones, and even when they are doing good deeds, they are usually quite trifling. Furthermore, even when they start thinking about performing a virtuous act, no sooner do they encounter an evil person or situation than they are led astray. What counts as an evil person or situation? For example, autumn is crab season in Japan; this is true in Taiwan, too. Many people say, ‘Crab season is here, and they taste wonderful! Hurry up and eat some!’ Then they put their chopsticks to their mouths, and suddenly a bunch of lives have been consumed and gone straight into their bellies.

“You might notice that many elderly people tend to have swollen finger joints; some are so badly bent that they cannot even straighten them anymore. This comes from eating meat and killing. Some people in their forties have already started to experience this; their finger joints get fat and swollen. In medicine this is referred to as an accumulation of uric acid. Many skin conditions result from eating crab and other seafood, as do many gastrointestinal illnesses and infections. In traditional Chinese medicine, seafood is said to contain poison, and modern medicine has confirmed that people who eat a lot of fish have a very high chance of getting food poisoning. Therefore, I’ll say again that everything written in the Sutra of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha’s Fundamental Vows is true. You should admire the fact that although Shakyamuni Buddha spoke the Sutra of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha’s Fundamental Vows in the Trayastrimsas Heaven, everything He said had to do with the Earth.

“These are definitely not myths, because Shakyamuni Buddha taught that Buddhist practitioners must keep a certain precept—that of refraining from making false speech. Thus, the Buddha could never have spoken of anything that did not actually exist. Every word written in the sutras is true. In the Sutra of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha’s Fundamental Vows it is written that humans on Earth are very obstinate and self-righteous, do not believe in cause and effect, and will not listen no matter how carefully one explains things to them. Even when they do listen, it goes in one ear and out the other, yet still they remain very full of themselves. If they really were that remarkable, then they should not be so afraid of death. Buddhist practitioners, on the other hand, do not fear death, because they understand what death is and know how they will die. As such, they spend every day, every minute, and every second in constant preparation. All of their Buddhist activities are done with that final, inevitable moment in mind.

“Some of you here today might believe you are still quite young and are therefore invincible, and are not afraid of death; you think everyone dies the same way. However, you are wrong. I assure you, the suffering of death can be transformed by way of Buddhist practice. Despite the current advanced state of modern medicine on Earth and its wealth of knowledge, not a single academic theory can explain the process of death or where we go after we die. Likewise, no one discusses a person’s psychological and physiological state at the moment of death; only Buddhism offers clear answers to these questions. Why is death spoken of so plainly in Buddhism? It is because death is something that cannot be avoided. As long as we understand and have a good handle on death, then we will no longer fear or worry about what the future holds. Instead, we will very conscientiously and mindfully accept our responsibilities in this lifetime and stop making mistakes, harming ourselves, and hurting other people.

“This world is becoming more and more chaotic. If we continue to do bad things, then one slip-up could pull us into a mess of evil karma. Thus, you all must be cautious. The Dharma is more effective and potentially helpful to us than any worldly human knowledge.”

Upon the perfect completion of the puja, the disciples voiced their gratitude in unison for His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s compassionate performance of the Dharma and auspicious teachings. Rising to their feet, they paid homage by pressing their palms together as the guru descended the Dharma throne. They thanked His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche for performing auspicious Tantra and bestowing precious teachings of the Right Dharma upon the attendees. They were also grateful to the guru for teaching that they must give rise to the Bodhicitta and have an attitude of repentance, sincerity, and respect so that they could clearly understand the boundless capacity one would possess when benefiting sentient beings with the Dharma. Furthermore, they thanked His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche for helping them to form a profound connection with the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and to obtain auspicious benefits and blessings in body, speech, and mind from Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha, as well as the rare and precious opportunity to become liberated from the suffering sea of reincarnation in the future.

Ever since the Kyoto Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center’s consecration in May of 2008, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has gone there at the beginning or end of every year to hold an auspicious puja to use the pure Dharma to benefit the countless sentient beings of the Six Realms and help them to abandon suffering and obtain happiness. The guru’s efforts have also caused the Drikung Kagyu Lineage to continue to flourish in Japan, its pure Dharma teachings spreading and benefiting countless sentient beings.

Updated on January 30, 2015