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The Practice of Blooming the Thousand-Petaled Lotus
Rainwater in a buffalo’s hoofprint is presented as the most beautiful image in the third practice: when faced with someone whose actions or words are not pleasant, we should kneel down and protect “the little bit of loveliness that remains,” because they are “the most suffering person in the world.” The story of the Buddha’s previous life—as “the hungry ghost in hell” who gave rise to compassion and was reborn—emphasizes that even at “the very bottom of suffering” there is still the capacity to rise up. This practice is connected with the contemplation of “life and death interbeing,” looking at the oak leaf, the lotus leaf, the human skull to touch the unborn, undying nature, helping anger and sorrow to dissolve.
- words not pleasant, but actions are pleasant
- actions are pleasant, but words are not pleasant
- both actions and words are not pleasant, but the mind still has “a tiny bit of loveliness”
- body, speech, and mind are all not pleasant, “the most suffering person in the world” needs to be helped
- body, speech, and mind are all pleasant, “the clear lake” brings peace and happiness
The Dharma talk connects “Budang Saranam Gacchami,” the “three refuges,” the 48 great vows of Amitabha Buddha, the Three Saints of the West—Amitabha, Avalokiteshvara, and Mahasthamaprapta—as well as the nine contemplations of the corpse and the reflection on the skeleton, so that “each step” becomes an art of living and “to die is an art,” gentle as a leaf falling in the autumn wind.
