Medicine Master Sutra
with Commentaries
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PART 5
Sutra: At that time, the World Honored One again spoke to the Pure Youth Manjushri saying, “Manjushri, there are living beings who don’t distinguish good from evil, who indulge in greed and stinginess, and who know nothing of giving or its rewards.
Commentary: “At that time, the World Honored One again spoke to the Pure Youth Manjushri saying“. At that time, Buddha spoke to “Manjushri, there are living beings who don’t distinguish good from evil” there are sentinel beings don’t clearly understand what is good and what is bad, because “who indulge in greed and stinginess, and who know nothing of giving or its rewards“, all they know is greed and being stingy, don’t know how to give, don’t know how to help others.
“Giving” means taking your personal things and give to others when they need it. There are three types of givings: financial, dharma and fearlessness. Financial Giving is the giving of wealth or material objects. Dharma Giving is to bring the knowledge that you have a clear understanding of the dharma and tell others. Depending on the appropriate conditions is to bring the dharma to the person, just like a doctor examining the illness and give the appropriate prescription. As if seeing the miserable people, in the emergency, when they are afraid or fear, we can bring them peace in their hearts, make them fearless, then that giving is called fearlessness giving. If you don’t have material things to give, then you can use the dharma as give. If you don’t know or have dharma book, then you can use fearlessness giving.
“And the karmic retribution”, you can also “give sutra lecture” which means preaching the consequences of negative actions, roughly like in the Earth Store Sutra, chapter 10, preaching about the meaning of the phrase “discharge one to obtain thousand”, to give up one in order to obtain much much more in the future.
Sutra: They are stupid, ignorant, and lack the foundation of faith. They accumulate much wealth and many treasure and ardently guard them. When they see a beggar coming, they feel displeased. When they have to practice an act of charity that does not benefit themselves, they feel as though they were cutting a piece of flesh from their body, and they suffer deep and painful regret.”
Commentary: “They are stupid, ignorant, and lack the foundation of faith.” Stupidity without wisdom , lack of faith. Those don’t understand the karma are very stupid, doesn’t have the wisdom. In the case of seeing the Buddha Dharma but expressing doubts, not believing because of what reasons? It is because of not having enough faith, don’t have the eyes to distinguish good dharma. If you tell them “right”, they will say “left”, and if you tell them “left”, they will say “right”. They don’t have the wisdom to judge what is virtue and what is not.
“They accumulate much wealth and many treasure“. Accumulate a lot of money, wealth, and becoming a slave to their money. “Ardently guard them” guarding it from morning to evening, never forget, then from night til the next morning, they cannot sleep, just because of the remembrance of money. Find all the ways to keep your wealth, can’t eat properly, sleep uneasily, living miserable!
“When they see a beggar coming, they feel displeased.” seeing that any one coming to beg or see the beggar come to his house, he felt unhappy in his heart, saying: “Why are you here? How annoying! ”
“When they have to practice an act of charity.” pretending to be reluctant to give for charity, for example when they are in a situation where you cannot refuse, or if refuse they will be in trouble, which means they are force to put themselves in the position of giving. At that time, “they feel as though they were cutting a piece of flesh from their body, and they suffer deep and painful regret.”, like someone cut into flesh, very painful and regretful
Sutra: “There are other innumerable avaricious and miserly living beings who hoard money and necessities that they don’t use even for themselves, how much less for their parents, wives, or servants, or for beggars! At the end of their lives, such beings will be reborn among the hungry ghosts or animals. If they heard the name of that Buddha, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata, in their former human existence, and they recall that Tathagata’s name for the briefest moment while they are in the evil destinies, they will immediately be reborn in the human realm.
“Moreover, they will remember their past life and will dread the sufferings of the evil destinies. They will not delight in worldly pleasures, but will rejoice in giving and praise others who give. They will not begrudge giving whatever they have. Gradually, to those who come to beg, they will be able to give away their own head, eyes, hands, feet, and even their entire body, to say nothing of their money and property!”
Commentary: “There are other innumerable avaricious and miserly living beings” and there are numerous beings that are greedy and miserable “who hoard money and necessities that they don’t use even for themselves” not even spending on themselves, “how much less for their parents, wives, or servants, or for beggars!“
“At the end of their lives, such beings will be reborn among the hungry ghosts or animals.” that is, the number of greedy greedy people just mentioned above. Once they die they will become a hungry demon. Because of the stinginess, boasting of, not daring to let go, they will be born as poor demons, hungry ghosts, demons, or be born the life of the animal. That is inevitable.
“ If they heard the name of that Buddha, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata“. Some of those being, “in their former human existence“, they accidentally heard others chant the name of the Medicine Buddha, “and they recall that Tathagata’s name for the briefest moment while they are in the evil destinies.” During the time of living in the three evel paths, for a brief moment they remember the name of Medicine Buddha, “they will immediately be reborn in the human realm.” they will get out of the hungry ghost life or the life of an aminal, to return to the human world.
“Moreover, they will remember their past life“, remember all the things that they have done in the previous life is called “Recalling previous life”. “will dread the sufferings of the evil destinies. They will not delight in worldly pleasures, but will rejoice in giving and praise others who give. They will not begrudge giving whatever they have. Gradually, to those who come to beg, they will be able to give away their own head, eyes, hands, feet, and even their entire body, to say nothing of their money and property!”
Giving is a practice of merit. We try to see in the world, there are poor & rich people. Why? Greedy in past life, this life is poor. Previous life giving, this life they are rich. There is a saying: “Weak discharge of talent, uncontrollable achievements”, meaning that you have to spend money to make money. If you can’t give it up, you can’t make extra money. That’s the law of cause and effect. We must not be mistaken for law of cause and effect. If one step in the wrong direction, will end wrong for thousands of miles.
Especially, when we come to the temple and bow to the Buddha, we must think about the benefits for others and practice the almsgiving. Don’t think that going to the temple is to gain some benefit for yourself, or worrying that you will get any rewards. Some people even sneaks away from the temple with food, utensils, stealing this and that. That is planting the bad seed, then fell into the evil paths.
Each of us, when we return home, should tell our dear friends that when going to any temple, do not bring the thought of making a profit, do not steal anything from the temple, do not create karma because of bad behavior. If you do not say that they are guilty, you are also in part. Teach them the morality of the cycle of cause and effect, not misunderstand the cause and effect!
You see the Sutra of the Buddha teaches alms, not saying that others should give to you. Buddhism is to bring benefits to people, if not like that, it will turn into “virtue turn bad”, the enemy among the virtues, the sabotage of Buddhism. Just as they go to entice others to protect the Dharma, think of doing the Buddha’s deed, but in reality they have created more pity.
You must remember it! Quickly wake up! Quickly reflect your own action! If there is a mistake, immediately fix it; If not, then try to be a good Buddhist. Don’t pretend to be a Buddhist and mess around, don’t take advantage of the cloudy water to drop the fish line, to make some profit. Do not use Buddhism to exploit business, that is the cause leading to hell.
In the past there were people who came to Golden Palace Temple only to sell jewelry, but did not know that it was self-defeating retribution. Therefore, you try to be careful, don’t risk getting hurt. There is no way for me to save you.
Sutra: “Moreover, Manjushri, there are beings who, although they study under the Tathagata, nonetheless violate the sila. Others, although they do not violate the sila, nonetheless transgress the rules and regulations. Others, although they do not violate the sila or rules and regulations, nonetheless destroy their own proper views. Others, although they do not destroy their own proper views, nonetheless neglect learning, so they are unable to understand the profound meaning of the Sutras that the Buddha speaks.
Commentary: “Moreover, Manjushri“, Buddha was afraid that sentient beings did not pay attention to the vigor and dread of the Medicine Buddha, but hear only sounded like the breeze flow by the ear. Therefore, with great compassion, he immediately preached to be us so that we, the beings in the time of the Dharma, will benefit. He said:
“There are beings who, although they study under the Tathagata,” if the sentient beings study the Dharma, study the sutra; “nonetheless violate the sila“, Sila is Sanskrit, meaning the precepts. The use of the precepts is to prevent of bad behavior, the prevention of harassment, and the people who speak above act regardless of this principle, so they are the ones who break the precepts.
“Others, although they do not violate the sila, nonetheless transgress the rules and regulations.” There are some who do not break the precepts, but break the rules. Regulation are rules that must be followed in order to live together in a community, view as regulations.
“Others, although they do not violate the sila or rules and regulations, nonetheless destroy their own proper views.” There are some hold the precepts and follow rules and regulation, but they don’t have a proper views, meaning that they have the righteous mind and righteous actions, full of wrong ideas and wrong views.
“Others, although they do not destroy their own proper views, nonetheless neglect learning” There are some, although not destroying the right view, but do not eager to learn. They are lazy and do not have the patience to study hard, leaving time to waste, wasting the opportunity to learn tasteful wisdom in the sutra, “so they are unable to understand the profound meaning of the Sutra that the Buddha speaks“. The profound meaning that the Buddha preached in the sutra, they did not understand. The sutras of the Buddha are the union. The union of the top or the reason of the Buddhas, and the bottom which is accordance with the essence of beings.
Sutra: Others, although they are learned, nonetheless give rise to overweening pride. Shadowed by overweening pride, they justify themselves and disparage others, slander the Proper Dharma.
Commentary: “Others, although they are learned, nonetheless give rise to overweening pride.”, There are many people, although literary but have seft pride. They do not break the precepts, do not violate the rules, do not break the proper view, nor leave the multiculturalism; they are willing to learn, to look at the sutra, to know many Dharma, but in their mind they think they are too good, seeing others are not their equal, uphold their arrogance, which is called a high self arrogance.
“Shadowed by overweening pride“, due to the pride, the wisdom is obscured. “they justify themselves and disparage others” (self-immorality), self-righteousness, and others are wrong. “Slander the Proper Dharma“, destroy the righteousness of the Dharma. For those who initiated the dharma, those who spoke above criticized, then criticized the way of the practice, such as eating one meal a day, not sleeping at night, not keeping the money, and saying that the present time no one can cultivate! Do not understand what they have learned from Buddha Dharma but it is strange!
Sutra: And join the retinue of demons. Such fools act on their misguided views and further, cause immeasurable millions of beings to fall into pits of great danger. These beings will drift endlessly in the realms of the hells, the animals, and the ghosts. But if they hear the name of Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata, they will be able to renounce their evil practices and cultivate wholesome Dharma, and thereby avoid falling into the evil destinies.
Commentary: “Join the retinue of demons“, they become friends of ghosts, the devil’s relatives, the same party with ghosts. “Such fools” such foolish people “act on their misguided views” acting with their own wrong views and wrong actions. They “further, cause immeasurable millions of beings to fall into pits of great danger.” also makes countless number of beings, meaning countless numbers fall into a dangerous pit, fell into tunnels that very difficult to escape, very dangerous paths.
“These beings will drift endlessly in the realms of the hells, the animals, and the ghosts.” those sentient beings must float forever, in the rings of evil, such as hell, animal beings, hungry ghosts, that is the kind that had committed the crimes such as the tem evil acts, the five rebellious. They must be depressed into the hellless scene.
“But if they hear the name of Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata, they will be able to renounce their evil practices and cultivate wholesome Dharma, and thereby avoid falling into the evil destinies.” The evil destinies are the evil paths like hells, hungry ghost, animals or Asuras.
Sutra: If those who have fallen into the evil destinies because they could not renounce their evil practices and cultivate wholesome Dharma, by the awesome power of the past vows of that Tathagata, get to hear his name for only a moment, then after they pass out of that existence, they will be reborn again as human beings. They will hold proper views and will be ever vigorous. Their minds will be well-regulated and joyful, enabling them to renounce their families and leave the householder’s life. They will take up and maintain study of the Tathagata’s Dharma without any violation. They will have proper views and erudition; they will understand profound meanings and yet be free from overweening pride. They will not slander the Proper Dharma and will never join the ranks of demons. They will progressively cultivate the practices of Bodhisattvas and will soon bring them to perfection.”
Commentary: “If those who have fallen into the evil destinies because they could not renounce their evil practices“, for example they can’t get rid of their bad behaviors, so they can “cultivate wholesome Dharma.” to do all of those good deeds, such as uphold the precepts, study hard, keep the mind wholesome, obey all of the regulations. For example, they can’t do such things, they might fall into hells, or reincarnate as hungry ghost or animals.
“By the awesome power of the past vows of that Tathagata, get to hear his name for only a moment, then after they pass out of that existence, they will be reborn again as human beings.” When the life in evil destiny is over, they will be reborn as a human.
“They will hold proper views and will be ever vigorous. Their minds will be well-regulated and joyful.” Why do they receive those things? Because they understood that selfish habits, self-interests, greed and demand are the causes that lead people into evil realms, so they renounce the above behaviors. Doing so is called “Their minds will be well-regulated and joyful“. Good behavior lead to happy mind.
“Enabling them to renounce their families and leave the householder’s life”. They have the ability to properly perceive and to let go, so they can leave their families to cultivate
“They will take up and maintain study of the Tathagata’s Dharma without any violation.” Reside in the Buddha dharma, they study and uphold the precepts and not violate any regulations. “They will have proper views and erudition; they will understand profound meanings and yet be free from overweening pride.” They will deeply understand the dharma, thru that they will able to free themselves from selfish habits, self-interests.
“They will not slander the Proper Dharma and will never join the ranks of demons.” They won’t slander the proper dharma, be friend with the ghost or join ranks with demons. “They will progressively cultivate the practices of Bodhisattvas and will soon bring them to perfection.” means that they will attain Enlightenment, the result of the Buddha.
Sutra: “Moreover, Manjushri, if there are sentient beings who harbor stinginess, greed, and jealousy, who praise themselves and disparage others, they will fall into the three evil destinies for countless thousands of years where they will undergo intense suffering. After undergoing intense suffering, at the end of their lives they will be born in the world as oxen, horses, camels, and donkeys that are constantly beaten, afflicted by thirst and hunger, and made to carry heavy burdens along the roads. Or they may be reborn among lowly people, as slaves or servants who are always ordered around by others and who never for a moment feel at ease.
Commentary: “Moreover, Manjushri!” The Buddha again tell Bodhisattva Manjushri: “If there are sentient beings who harbor stinginess, greed, and jealousy”. Stingy is to say that stingy ranks do not dare to spend money, commit to be slaves, working as hard as buffalo or horses to keep money for their children and grandchildren. Greed is greedy, likes to accumulate money, as much as possible, even want all the trash, think that garbage can also turn into energy. Jealousy is a kind of malice, potential inside. When it comes into thought, it arises into jealousy, manifests itself into acts of harming others, such as envy of talented people, intelligence, those who meet blessings, those who enjoy pleasure. happy, or having a favorable situation.
“Who praise themselves and disparage others“, praise yourself and criticize others. In the Bodhisattva precepts, this is very carefully explained. If you really have good things, do you have to praise yourself? Other people also have a keen eye. Good or bad, people will know, no need to praise yourself. Someone introduced himself: “Do you know me? I am a great Bodhisattva! ”. Or say: “Do you know me? I am an enlightened person “. Or “I have divine powers.” That is how they advertise, propagate and praise themselves. And others are always wrong, nobody is right. Even the sky is not fair, the land lacks compassion, Buddha is not good either! Oh such people?
“They will fall into the three evil destinies“, deserving to fall on evil paths, go to hell, be a hungry ghost, or have an animal bodies. They will experience “for countless thousands of years where they will undergo” (infinite the amount of life years in suffering), many thousands of years in the evil path to suffer; “intense suffering” means suffering to the extreme. It is the retribution of those who praise themselves and humiliate others, misery, greed, and jealousy. They have a little virtue, a little blessing, they have all been consumed, so they suffer from such suffering.
“After undergoing intense suffering, at the end of their lives they will be born in the world as oxen, horses, camels, and donkeys.” For reasons of countless lives, they were in three evil paths, extremely miserable in the hell scene, so when they came back to the human realm, those beings could not carry human bodies, they had to live as with buffalo or horse bodies, as camels and donkeys.
“That are constantly beaten, afflicted by thirst and hunger, and made to carry heavy burdens along the roads.” Often owner use rope to beat. Being hungry and thirsty have causing much misery. Often have to carry heavy, just to follow the path.
“Or they may be reborn among lowly people, as slaves or servants who are always ordered around by others and who never for a moment feel at ease.” When karmic retribution is near, these beings are reborn as human beings, but reincarnated into poor families. In the scenario of not having enough rice to eat. Clothing is not enough to wear, no shelter, everything is inadequate. In short, no one can be poorer, so it says to be born among lowly people. To serve as a slave, a maid, to be ordered by a person, to be free at all times.
Sutra: If such beings, in their former lives as humans, heard the name of the World Honored One, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata, and by this good cause, are able to remember it and sincerely take refuge with that Buddha, then, by means of the Buddha’s spiritual power, they will be liberated from all sufferings. They will be endowed with keen faculties, and they will be wise and erudite. They will always seek the supreme Dharmas and encounter good friends. They will eternally sever the nets of demons and smash the shell of ignorance. They will dry up the river of afflictions and be liberated from birth, old age, sickness, death, anxiety, grief, suffering, and vexation.”
Commentary: If such beings, in their former lives as humans, heard the name of the World Honored One, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata. For those beings living as human in their former life, accidentally heard the name of the Medicine Master Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata.
“and by this good cause, are able to remember it“. Even in a brief moment, a small good deeds, and now they are able to remember the Buddha name..
“sincerely take refuge with that Buddha“, using their sincerely mind, they bow and take refuge with the Buddha
“then, by means of the Buddha’s spiritual power, they will be liberated from all sufferings.” with the Buddha spiritual power, the power from the twelve great vows, that being will be free from all sufferings.
“They will be endowed with keen faculties”, all six faculties function normally. His eyes are bright, all things appears clearly in his views. The ears can hear the sound clearly. The nose can distinguish each different aroma. The tongue can taste the flavors, from best flavor or the worse. As for the felling from the body, it is sensitive to touch. All of these five senses are the sense of mind. Lastly is the thought arise when the five faculties in contact with the objects – the thought arisen from objects. In the mind, the knowledge flourish. Ability to remember things has sharpened.
“and they will be wise and erudite“. He becomes wiser, able to understand logic, his knowledge will be widen.
“They will always seek the supreme Dharmas” they will learn and always seeking knowledge to advance, doesn’t believe his knowledge is enough. They don’t go around and said randomly: “Ah, for me this is enough. I can stop learning.”
Sutra: “Moreover, Manjushri, there may be beings who delight in perversity and engage in legal disputes, bringing trouble to others as well as themselves. In their actions, speech, and thoughts, they create ever-increasing amounts of evil karma. Never willing to benefit and forgive others, they scheme to harm one another instead. They pray to the spirits of the mountain forests, trees, and graves. They kill living beings in order to make sacrifices of blood and flesh to the yaksha and rakshasa ghosts. They write down the names of their enemies and make images of them, and then they hex those names and images with evil mantras. They summon paralysis ghosts, cast hexes, or command corpse-raising ghosts to kill or injure their enemies.
However, if the victims hear the name of Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata, then all those evil things will lose their power to do harm. The evildoers will become kind to one another. They will attain benefit, peace, and happiness and no longer cherish thoughts of malice, affliction, or enmity. Everyone will rejoice and feel content with what they have. Instead of encroaching upon each other, they will seek to benefit one another.”
“Moreover, Manjushri, there may be those among the fourfold assembly of Bhikshus, Bhikshunis, Upasakas and Upasikas, as well as other good men and women of pure faith, who accept and uphold the eight precepts either for one year or for three months, practicing and studying them. With these good roots, they may vow to be born in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss where the Buddha of Limitless Life dwells, to hear the Proper Dharma, but their resolve may not be firm. However, if they hear the name of the World Honored One, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata, then as the end of their lives draws near, before them will appear eight great Bodhisattvas, whose names are: Manjushri Bodhisattva, The Bodhisattva Who Observes the Sounds of the World, Great Strength Bodhisattva, Inexhaustible Intention Bodhisattva, Jeweled Udumbara Flower Bodhisattva, Medicine King Bodhisattva, Medicine Superior Bodhisattva, and Maitreya Bodhisattva. Those eight great Bodhisattvas will appear in space to show them the way, and they will naturally be born by transformation in that land, amid precious flowers of a myriad colors.”
“Or they may be born in the heavens due to this cause. Although reborn in the heavens, their original good roots will not be exhausted and so they will not fall into the evil destinies again. When their life in the heavens ends, they will be born among people again. They may be wheel-turning kings, reigning over the four continents with awesome virtue and ease, bringing uncountable hundreds of thousands of living beings to abide in the practice of the ten good deeds.”
“Or they may be born as ksatriyas, Brahmans, laymen, or sons of honorable families. They will be wealthy, with storehouses filled to overflowing. Handsome in appearance, they will be surrounded by a great retinue of relatives. They will be intelligent and wise, courageous and valiant, like great and awesome knights. If a woman hears the name of the World Honored One, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata, and sincerely cherishes it, in the future she will never again be born as a female.”
“Moreover, Manjushri, when Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata attained Bodhi, by the power of his past vows he contemplated all the sentient beings who were undergoing various kinds of sicknesses and sufferings. Some suffered from diseases such as emaciation, atrophy, severe thirst, or yellow fever; others were harmed by paralysis ghosts or by poisonous hexes; some died naturally when young, while others experienced untimely deaths. He wished to dispel all these sicknesses and sufferings, and to fulfill their wishes.”
Commentaries: …
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== translation in progress ==
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