Showing results by author "Shih Cheng Yen" in All Categories

"The world is impermanent; the earth is perilously fragile." ~ The Sutra of the Eight Realizations of Great Beings As unenlightened beings, we are easily pulled this way and that by our conditions. In our state of confusion, we unwittingly pursue fame, fortune, desire, and pleasure. How many of us truly take time to contemplate the meaning of our lives? The Sutra of the Eight Realizations of Great Beings contains the fundamental practices allowing us to make the most of our potential as human beings. In her explanation of the text, Dharma Master Cheng Yen uses stories from the Buddha’s ...

“Creating a life of happiness must start from the mind. If we can all work to purify our minds and strive to do good every day, this world can become a pure land filled with happiness.” The Thirty-Seven Practices to Enlightenment are thirty-seven practices through which we can attain wisdom and reach the state of Nirvana. In this book, Dharma Master Cheng Yen uses the Adapted Verses of the Thirty-Seven Practices to Enlightenment as an outline to explain these essential practices, guiding practitioners onto the Bodhisattva-path.

Dharma Master Cheng Yen once said, “Time is the most precious thing in life. Every day, month, or year spent in peace is a thing of joy. At the new year, many people express that they have made it through another year, as if the new year is a key threshold in life. People place importance on this time, but in fact, we should be mindful of our lives every second. This is because life is impermanent. In the span of a second, life can end. This is why we say, ‘In every second, every hour, and every day, we should be mindful and present and strive to live a good life.’” A Steady Heart ...

Sutra of Forty-Two Chapters covers the essence of the Buddhist teachings. For beginning spiritual practitioners, this sutra is truly the best entry point to the profound Buddha-Dharma. The first chapter of the Sutra of Forty-Two Chapters clearly illustrates the sequence we should follow in our spiritual practice. The second and third chapters are mainly written for those who are ordained as monastics, while the fourth chapter and the chapters thereafter are guidelines for spiritual practice for people in general. In simple and plain words, the Buddha used vivid metaphors to patiently and ...

Teachings and Commentary on the Sutra of Infinite Meanings is compiled from the teachings expounded during the seven-day Buddhist retreats in 1972 and 1973. Master Cheng Yen explained the sutra word by word, verse by verse, and complemented it with many analogies and real-life stories, connecting matters to principles. The book is organized as follows: The first volume includes the Preface, which describes the background of the teachings and Master Cheng Yen’s karmic affinity with the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, as well as her commentary on the first chapter of the sutra, “Chapter on ...

“I am very impressed by Dharma Master Cheng Yen.”— Thich Nhat Hanh “Dharma Master Cheng Yen is a role model for us all.”—Dalai Lama The Thirty-Seven Principles of Enlightenment contains 7 parts: (1) The Four Right Efforts, (2) The Four Steps Towards Obtaining Supernatural Powers, (3) The Four Considerations, (4) The Five Roots, (5) The Five Strengths, (6) The Seven Factors of Wisdom, and (7) The Noble Eightfold Path. The Buddha reminded us to practice the Thirty-Seven Principles to Enlightenment, which tells us the way to live a wholesome life. We must have right views and ...

This inspiring and enlightening collection of 70 Buddhist stories told by Dharma Master Cheng Yen exemplifies how the karmic law of cause and effect plays out in people’s lives – unwholesome karma is created by deeply rooted negative habitual tendencies, eventually leading to undesirable consequences. By learning the Dharma, however, people will understand the truths of suffering and will come to realize the manifold blessings in their lives. They will be further inspired to tread the Bodhisattva Path and to practice the Six Paramitas. It is only by doing so that they can return to ...

In this book, Dharma Master Cheng Yen’s spiritual teachings are compiled into relatively short English articles for reflection and contemplation. The collection is an eclectic one, based on talks to different audiences and from different sources. While they are loosely grouped into separate topics, each occupying one part of the book, the articles may stand on their own. Part I offers basic teachings on Buddhism, which can serve as a foundation for understanding the Master’s wider teachings. Part II is about cultivation, or ways we can put the teachings into practice to become a better ...

Even if a person lives a hundred years, he will die eventually. This is the natural cycle of life and death, which was determined before we were born. Nonetheless, when we face this final parting from life, how many of us can do so without sorrow? How many of us are able to thoroughly penetrate the truth of life and death and let go? In this book, Master Cheng Yen teaches us when faced with the lessons of living and dying, we must learn how to let go. Moreover, we must strive to truly make good use of each moment as we live. The most important thing we can do is to make full use of this ...

Still Thoughts, Volume One comprises the distilled wisdom of Dharma Master Cheng Yen, presented in concise passages. These succinct aphorisms, found in the initial section of the book, are imbued with profound insights, inviting readers to introspect. Perfect for daily contemplation and practice, they offer brief yet impactful teachings to illuminate one's spiritual journey, whether one is new to or already familiar with Dharma Master Cheng Yen’s teachings. The second segment features inquiries from volunteers or visitors concerning common life situations. Dharma Master Cheng Yen ...

This book teaches us how to be a bodhisattva. Its content is drawn from Master Cheng Yen’s morning lecture from September to November, 2005, in which she taught about a passage from the Compassionate Samadhi Water Repentance. The passage reads,“We have engaged in all wrongdoing because of the six heretical practices.” For the sake of clarity, Master gave a detailed explanation of the Buddha’s Six Sets of Practices to stand in contrast with the six heretical practices and show us the correct direction for our spiritual practice. The Buddha’s Six Sets of Practices are the fifty-two ...

Let go, let go. It is in letting go that we receive. Give with a heart of joy and without any expectations. In doing so, everything will go our way. People living in the modern world are constantly busy and striving in their daily lives. Master Cheng Yen, with a deep understanding, uses her profound wisdom to offer insights and guidance through 55 articles. These articles address the crises and challenges faced by contemporary individuals, providing different perspectives and solutions. The topics include parent-child relationships, interpersonal dynamics, various concerns, and life and ...

Master Cheng Yen does not differentiate visitors by their social status or occupations. To Master, every person who visits, whether coming from near or far, is an honored guest and a friend who cares about Tzu Chi. These people come from many different fields of professions, including mass communication, religion, medicine, environmental protection, academia, politics, business, and so on. Among these myriad visitors, some are renowned. The purpose of this book is to pass on the wisdom gathered from these conversations between Master Cheng Yen and her visitors and to help readers understand...

The Compassionate Samadhi Water Repentance is a well-known text in the Chinese Buddhist tradition. It was written by Tang Dynasty practitioner Master Wu-da after an encounter with the force of karmic retribution that manifested as a human-faced boil on his knee. Having personally experienced the inevitable results of karma, Master Wu-da wrote this text to caution future generations and make clear the necessity of repentance. Master Cheng Yen taught The Compassionate Samadhi Water Repentance for five consecutive years in hopes that people would better understand the principles of repentance ...

Teachings and Commentary on the Sutra of Infinite Meanings is compiled from the teachings expounded during the seven-day Buddhist retreats in 1972 and 1973. Master Cheng Yen explained the sutra word by word, verse by verse, and complemented it with many analogies and real-life stories, connecting matters to principles. The book is organized as follows: The first volume includes the Preface, which describes the background of the teachings and Master Cheng Yen’s karmic affinity with the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, as well as her commentary on the first chapter of the sutra, “Chapter on ...

What is a “bodhisattva”? “Bodhisattva” does not have to refer to a carved statue, neither does it have to refer to a being with supernatural powers. A true bodhisattva is a person who does not fear hardship in body and mind in seeking to help others. This book compiles discourses from 1990 on the Ten Grounds of Bodhisattvas, the ground of joy, the ground of freedom from defilement, the ground of radiating light, the ground of blazing wisdom, the ground of overcoming difficulties, the ground of manifestation, the ground of far-reaching practice, the ground of stillness, the ground of...

The Sutra of Infinite Meanings is a very important Buddhist sutra. It can be seen as a turning point in the Buddha teachings, coming after He had already expounded the Dharma for over forty years. It is also an introduction to the Lotus Sutra. Therefore, Master Cheng Yen often stresses that the Sutra of Infinite Meanings contains the essence of the Lotus Sutra. The Sutra of Infinite Meanings is divided into three chapters – Virtues, Expounding the Dharma, and The Ten Merits. These Infinite Meanings arise from One Dharma; this One Dharma is of non-appearance. As living beings have ...

Dharma Master Cheng Yen’s teachings in the Three Ways to the Pure Land: The Three Essential Principles for Cultivating Pure Causes are based on the “three blessings from pure actions” described in the Amitayurdhyana Sutra (Sutra of Contemplation of the Buddha of Infinite Life). In the traditional interpretation, cultivating “pure causes” will allow us to be reborn in the Pure Land of Amita Buddha, the Buddha of Infinite Life and Infinite Light. However, the way that Master Cheng Yen teaches about pure causes is different – her focus is on how we can work to establish a pure land...

The Path of Good Teachers compiles Dharma Master Cheng Yen’s teachings to educators, such as how they should instruct their students in the current social climate, how to best align their attitudes and expectations with the task of education, and how to interact with students and parents. It also touches upon how students should interact with their teachers and how parents should have the proper mindset when teaching their children. This book is divided into ten chapters and emphasizes that educators must have a heart of joy and equanimity and spacious hearts that can accept new ideas and...

Master Cheng Yen has made a vow to spread the Buddha-Dharma and benefit all sentient beings. For decades, she has led Tzu Chi volunteers to walk the Bodhisattva-path joyfully, without regret. Over the years, Master Cheng Yen has gathered many stories from the Buddhist sutras as well as from real life. Based on the conditions and people’s capabilities, she kindly guides everyone with these stories. Each story provides teachings that illustrate the principles taught by the Buddha. The various forms of suffering, afflictions, and joys experienced by sentient beings are all created by the ...