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I firmly believe, and have experienced many miracles, encounters, and visions, that Dharma protectors, Buddhas, and Bodhisattvas have helped me many times in my life.
I recently wrote to John Tan:
"Sometimes, or even often, I have dreams that I feel are inspired by Bodhisattvas or Dharma protectors.. even today I fell asleep after I woke up but felt a presence or sensation of someone like lifting me up from my neck like a noose lol but wasn't like a frightening or very bad experience. After that I felt awake and woke up. Otherwise might be late for work etc.. and I still had time to answer some online ppl."
Someone asked me to translate this passage in my sharing to the AtR admin group, so I did.
My Translation of Venerable Master Hui Lu
Source:
"Moving on. Our clothes, food, and lodging—even though they are not good, however, practice is pure abiding. Our minds are also free from whatsoever, free of any matters or businesses, because all dharmas are empty. Every day it is like this: we experientially realize all things are empty in nature, however, our minds peacefully abide in the place of purity, turning the evil world of the five turbidities into the mind's bliss world [Sukhavati]. Therefore, our minds do not grasp onto a single phenomenon. The mind is also free of any matters that it clings to. Every day it lives in such days of such purity, free of any hang-ups—this is the place of purity.
However, householders are not like monastics in monasteries; they are filled with matters that trouble the mind. All of us here, laymen and laywomen, over 100 in number, in all these three days we live in the pure bliss world [Sukhavati]. For everyone who arrived here, participating in the Eight Precepts, even if you wished to break the precepts, you do not even have the opportunity to do so. In this place, there is not a single drop of alcohol, isn't that right? In this place, men and women are totally segregated; you cannot possibly commit any breaking of precepts. Furthermore, killing—what beings are there for you to kill? Unless you accidentally step on one or two ants, you are unable to use a magnifying glass to magnify them. Stealing—what can you steal? Everybody never brought much money, isn't that so? Even if you had money, perhaps you have given it away as dana (generosity). There is not much money to take away, so what can you steal? So here, the Eight Precepts more or less cannot be broken; you do not have the opportunity to break them. You can't even take a step out of the monastery. So, this is the purest place.
Master Hsu Yun did chao shan (mountain pilgrimage), taking only small belongings in a bag. He went through tough days suffering cold and hunger... took things one day at a time... his mind was without grasping. He always had dragons [nagas] and celestial beings [devas] sustaining and helping him. But we just don't have such great vows and aspirations; no matter what we do, we are afraid. If we have aspirations and vows, then whatever matters arise can be accomplished. With this message, Shifu encourages everyone to make an effort and strive.
When I became a monastic, I personally made such a great vow: in this life of mine, I must master and penetrate the three baskets (Tripitaka - Sutra, Vinaya, and Abhidharma), I must realize the nature of mind in this life, and I must spread and promote the Buddha's true Dharma.
When I set this aspiration and vow, whenever I faced the greatest difficulties—in many instances, I almost died from illnesses—Buddhas and Bodhisattvas came to help Shifu. I have told Teacher Mai that in this life I have died about ten times. But I never managed to die. I died at least ten times, and every time it was extremely serious. Based on normal reasoning, one cannot survive this, yet I revived. Once you have set great vows and aspirations, and are so persistent, very strangely, your blessings and merits will keep coming. This is what I deeply feel. In the past, there was someone in the monastery helping out in the kitchen. When helping out, he set a great aspiration: no matter how tough or how much suffering, he cooked. Later on, both of his hands became injured. He searched for many doctors but was unable to heal. Later, we introduced him to a doctor; once he received tui-na just one time, he was healed. His blessings and merits were just great.
Therefore, when one has great aspirations, no matter how tough the difficulties they face, very strangely, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, the nagas and devas, and Dharma protectors will protect them.
Let me give another example. This is not blowing my own horn. Once, a lady was possessed by demons. She was brought to the Lei Yin Monastery; I was there, and that was a very long time ago. When she came, she was rolling around on the floor, and the words that came out of her were not human words. She was possessed by a spirit that entered her body. This lady's voice was not good, and she was very distant from Shifu. She stood at a very far location and kept wanting to speak, yet her words were so soft. I said, 'You are so far away, how can I hear what you said? You are so far away, how can I hear what you are saying? Come a bit nearer, come over a bit nearer.' She said: 'I am unable to come near your body. You are surrounded by the Caturmahārājakayikas (the Four Heavenly Kings, Buddhism's main Dharma protectors) who are standing beside you. I am unable to come near you, I just do not have any way.' Shifu is not saying this to blow his own horn, but rather to point out that when you make a great aspiration—Bodhicitta—do not think about what the outcomes will be like, only that the aspiration is coming from a pure heart, that it is a true Bodhicitta aspiration (Soh: on Bodhicitta, see
For some of those who did not make such great aspirations, like another bhikshu, I advised him: 'You should make a great vow and aspiration.' He said, 'Aiya, Venerable Hui Lu, I do not have your talent and capability.' After one great illness—a liver illness—just once, based on those circumstances he should have been able to undergo procedures and find a doctor to help, but just that once, he died. He has been dead for many years now.
So this is saying: for a person, although our human eyes are unable to see, this force of karma—wholesome karma, Bodhi karma—is always upon our body, always functioning, yet our fleshy eyes are unable to see them. Therefore, why do we say you need to give rise to a great aspiration and take up hardship? In Buddhism, you should never be afraid to take up hardship. Never be afraid of taking on hardship. If you are able to take up hardship, your blessings and merits will be greater. Be willing to act and truly practice. Then, the nagas and devas will provide Dharma protection for you. Your worldly eyes cannot see them, but the devas, nagas, and the eight classes of beings can see you."
