To Observe the Five Precepts and Thus Attain Rebirth in Heaven (Part2/3)

 

To Observe the Five Precepts and Thus Attain Rebirth in Heaven
(A Story Recorded in Volume 5 of The Storehouse of Sundry Valuables; 雜寶藏經 卷5)

    The father’s method of rescuing and protecting his daughter and guiding her to take refuge in the Triple Gem and receive and uphold the precepts can also be found in the Buddhist sutras, such as in the following passage in Volume 2 of the Vimalakīrti Nirdeśa Sūtra: “First draw them in with the hook of desire, then bring them into the Buddha’s path.” This means that there are people who can be made to believe in and accept the Buddha Dharma and enter the Buddha’s path only by enticing them to do so using what they are interested in or what they want. In other words, you must offer them incentives to convince them to take the first step, after which they can begin to further practice the path and even attain the fruits of enlightenment. If one directly demands that these people take refuge in the Triple Gem and receive and uphold the precepts, learn the Dharma, and practice the path—or directly gives them long-winded lectures about these—they would not listen and might reject or even slander the teachings, making it impossible to help them enter the door of Buddhism and study the Dharma. The Buddha always observes the causes and conditions to guide sentient beings. The father in this story from The Storehouse of Sundry Valuables guided his daughter in this manner, which demonstrates the skillful expedient for saving, protecting, and embracing sentient beings that we should learn in the process of practicing the Bodhisattva Dharma path.

Next, let’s briefly discuss the importance of taking the Triple Refuge and receiving and upholding the five precepts because the daughter in the story managed to be reborn in the heaven of the desire realm only after doing so. First, the Triple Refuge means relying on the Triple Gem. After entering the door of Buddhism to learn the Buddha Dharma and taking refuge in the Triple Gem, one must no longer take refuge in non-Buddhist paths. That is, through the Buddhist Triple Refuge ceremony—taking refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha—and by making the Four Great Vows—“However innumerable sentient beings may be, I vow to save them all; however inexhaustible afflictions may be, I vow to eradicate them all; however immeasurable the teachings may be, I vow to study them all; and however difficult the unsurpassed Buddhahood Path may be, I vow to attain it”—one becomes a disciple of the Triple Gem. After becoming a true Buddhist, one practices according to the Dharma taught by the Buddha and can achieve the path to liberation for the Two Vehicles in the future to transcend the cycle of birth and death in the three realms, or achieve the Great Vehicle path of Buddha-Bodhi to attain Buddhahood.

Volume 5 of the Sūtra on Upāsaka Precepts states the following: “The Triple Refuge is the root of all immeasurable wholesome dharmas and even the eventual attainment of the Buddha-Way. Therefore, it is impossible to learn and attain fruition in Buddhism without first taking the Triple Refuge.” Furthermore, Volume 6 of the Sūtra on Upāsaka Precepts emphasizes that taking the Triple Refuge is not just a formality or a ritual procedure but consists in truly believing in and accepting cause and effect, believing that there is a path to liberation and a Dharma for attaining Buddhahood, and believing that there are knowledgeable and virtuous mentors who have already attained the path and can teach us to practice and learn the Dharma. In addition, one must stay close to the Triple Gem and knowledgeable and virtuous mentors to receive their teaching. Only then can one be considered to have truly taken the Triple Refuge. 

Moreover, if one’s practice is not efficacious or if one easily resonates with ghosts and spirits, after taking the Triple Refuge, one will be protected by Dharma-protecting deities, which can reduce the obstacles to practice. In addition, Volume 64 of the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra states that those who take refuge in the Triple Gem can obtain vast merits or blessings, great joy, samādhi, and great purity, and that the heavenly beings will feel joy for those who have taken the Triple Refuge and will regard them as being like themselves. As the Triple Gem of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha possess immeasurable meritorious qualities, one who takes refuge in them also possesses many meritorious qualities. As stated in the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra, those who have taken refuge in the Triple Gem are very much welcomed by heavenly beings. Like the elder’s daughter in the story, they could be reborn in the heaven of the desire realm after their death. (Part2/3, To be con't...)

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To Observe the Five Precepts and Thus Attain Rebirth in Heaven (Part1/3)

 

To Observe the Five Precepts and Thus Attain Rebirth in Heaven
(A Story Recorded in Volume 5 of The Storehouse of Sundry Valuables; 雜寶藏經 卷5)

This story says that there was an elder in Śrāvastī named Fushe who had two daughters. One of them renounced her home to become a monastic and was very diligent and hardworking in her cultivation, thereby attaining the arhat fruition. The other daughter held false views, did not believe in the Triple Gem of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, and even slandered them. Fushe told his daughter who did not believe in the Triple Gem, “If you take refuge in the Buddha, I will give you one thousand gold coins; furthermore, if you can take refuge in the Dharma and the Sangha and also receive and uphold the five precepts, I will give you an additional eight thousand gold coins.” This daughter, who originally did not believe in the Triple Gem, thus embraced and took refuge in them and no longer slandered them. She also received and upheld the five precepts. Not long after, her life ended, and she was reborn in the heaven of the desire realm. Remembering that it was because she had taken refuge in the Triple Gem and received the precepts while in the human world that she could be reborn in heaven to enjoy such bliss today, she went to the place where the Buddha stayed to pay her respects. The Buddha taught her the Dharma, and she immediately attained the first fruition of stream-entry.

A monk then asked the Buddha, “By what kind of karmic actions was this heavenly maiden able to be reborn in the heaven of the desire realm after death?” The Buddha told the monk, “This heavenly maiden was originally born in the human world, and although it was out of greed for her father’s money that she took refuge in the Triple Gem of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, she ceased slandering the Triple Gem and simultaneously received and upheld the five precepts. Due to such causes and conditions, she has now been reborn in the heaven of the desire realm. Also, because she remembered the causes and conditions for her rebirth in heaven, she came to me, Śākyamuni Buddha, and after hearing my teaching, she attained the first stage of fruition of the path to liberation.”

    There are some lessons that can be derived from this story and shared with everyone. First, the main character of this story is the second daughter, who had a father who believed in and accepted the Buddha Dharma and possessed wisdom. This daughter, who originally held false views and did not believe in the Triple Gem, later took refuge in the Triple Gem and received and upheld the five precepts under the lure of her father’s hefty reward, thereby greatly transforming her destiny. If she had not taken the Triple Refuge and received and upheld the five precepts at that time, her grave offense of slandering the Triple Gem would have been enough to make her fall into the three lowly paths and suffer in the future. However, her father knew that she was greedy for money and thus lured her with a hefty reward to make her take the Triple Refuge and receive and uphold the five precepts. This changed her views and mental disposition, which allowed her not only to be reborn in the heaven of the desire realm after her life ended but also to have the subsequent causal connection to personally hear the Buddha teach the Dharma and attain the first fruition of stream-entry. (To be con't....)

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The True Spirit of Buddhist Practice (Part3/3)

Dangerous Desires (Part 3/3)

An excerpt from the Sutra of the Simile of the Snake

in the Southern Transmission’s Majjhima Nikāya

Reflection and insight: Don’t Become a “Debate Master"

In this sutra, the Buddha explains that some people study the scriptures not so that they can put them into practice but so that they can win arguments over tea and participate in idle conversations. These people are like fools who try to catch a snake with their bare hands—They think they know how to catch it, but they will only get bitten.

People who truly want to catch a snake must bring a forked stick (e.g., a goat’s foot staff, a tool with a divided tip). They must first pin the snake’s head down with the stick and then firmly grasp it. This way, even if the snake wraps itself around their arms, wrists, or any other parts of their bodies, they will not be bitten, suffer pain, or die. This is because they know how to catch a snake and genuinely understand its nature!

Similarly, good people study the Buddha Dharma so that they can actually practice and realize it and attain meritorious qualities. They should first correctly understand the true meaning of the Buddha Dharma and then diligently practice it, step by step, according to the proper sequence. The Buddha Dharma must be studied not to win in arguments about it but to cut off vexations and attain wisdom and liberation. Those who study the Buddha Dharma in this way will ultimately gain true peace and benefits.

Isn’t the monk Ariṭṭha a reflection of many of us? We might say, “As long as I don’t break the law, I will be fine; however, a little enjoyment won’t hurt.” We feel free, but, in reality, our desires are leading us around by the nose, and we don’t even realize it.

With boundless compassion, the Buddha repeatedly used ten similes to teach the monks. These similes are incredibly insightful and truly apt:

1.      Like gnawing a bone: A dog fiercely chews a bone, drooling, but the bone has long been devoid of meat and thus cannot satisfy the dog’s hunger. Desire is the same—We chase it for a long time, but it never truly benefits us, leaving us with only emptiness.

2.      Like fighting for a piece of meat: A small piece of meat drops on the ground, and a flock of birds rushes in, fighting over it, with none able to enjoy it alone. Sensual pleasure is like that piece of meat—It invites jealousy, competition, conflict, and suffering.

3.      Like holding a dry-grass torch: You hold a burning torch to see the way forward as you walk, but the flame can scorch your hand! Desire is the same; holding it is like holding something hot—It is a present and intensely burning evil.

4.      Like a pit of coals: Who would willingly jump into a burning coal pit? Yet, when people become obsessed with sensual pleasure, they feel a burning craving for it and jump into it , imagining it to be cool spring water. They jump into the pit with their eyes closed, only to find out that they cannot quench their thirst there but are consumed by the fire of desire.

5.      Like a beautiful dream: In a dream, you marry someone beautiful, win the lottery, and live in a mansion. You wake up and find out that none of these is true—just a fleeting illusion. The happiness brought by indulgence is even shorter than a dream; it quickly shatters.

6.      Like borrowed items (luxury car/designer bag): You drive your friend’s luxury car or carry their limited-edition bag, and everyone compliments your taste, but in the end, you must return the item. The pleasure of indulgence is also “borrowed”—temporary and illusory.

7.      Like the fruit on a tall tree: The reddest fruit at the top of a tree will eventually fall and rot when already ripe. However, someone foolishly climbs the tree to pick it and breaks their leg. Is desire worth sacrificing one’s health, family, and conscience for?

8.      Like walking into a slaughterhouse: Behind the fine meat and wine that we enjoy lies a bloody price. How many people hurt each other for desire? Work, romance, fame, and fortune—Are these not all slaughterhouses?

9.      Like riding on a post covered with knives: A wooden post studded with knives will cut you all over and leave you bleeding if you get close. Desire is the same—Getting near it inevitably leads to injury.

10.   Like catching a snake: You see a snake and think that catching it will make you safe. But if you aren’t careful, it will bite you back, possibly costing you your life. This is because you touched a dangerous thing without knowing how to do so. Desire is the same—If you don’t understand its nature and blindly chase it, crave it, and cling to it, you will lose your life sooner or later.

In addition, studying the Buddha Dharma is not about debating, winning arguments, or beating others but about one’s own liberation. We often fall into similar traps, thinking that because we have read many books, attended many lectures, and memorized famous quotes better than anyone else, we understand all the important principles. But, in reality, we haven’t genuinely practiced or realized anything important. We have no essential realization or meritorious qualities acquired from practice. The moment we face emotion or temptation, we collapse—Our temper flares up, our greed and attachment prevail, and our vexations aren’t lessened at all. Isn’t that tantamount to “catching a snake with our bare hands”? All talk and no actual practice, and being self-righteous, make it easier for us to get hurt.

Therefore, do not treat the Buddha Dharma (or any form of wisdom) as an ornament or a tool for showing off or winning arguments. You must be able to apply what you have learned in daily life to genuinely benefit from it. Just as catching a snake requires a method and a tool, practice also requires a method and a sequence. You should first correctly understand the true meaning and practice methods of the Buddha Dharma, and then put them into action sequentially, constantly observing the actions of your body, speech, and mind, and making adjustments and corrections at all times. Instead of saying “I understand everything,” when you encounter adversity, ask yourself, “Am I handling this situation with more wisdom and liberation than before, or am I being bound by vexation again?”

In simple terms, stop lying to yourself, telling yourself that enjoyment is harmless. In addition, stop using knowledge to confuse and package your faults. True practice is about facing yourself honestly and bravely, and then correcting your desires and vexations little by little. It’s time to give up those deceiving  small pleasures! (End)

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The True Spirit of Buddhist Practice (Part 2/3)

Dangerous Desires (Part 2/3)

An excerpt from the Sutra of the Simile of the Snake

in the Southern Transmission’s Majjhima Nikāya

Knowing the confusion and defiance in Ariṭṭha’s mind, the Buddha said, “You foolish man! You should realize that your view of my teachings is wrong. Now, I will ask the assembly of monks what their understanding of my teaching is.”

The Buddha then asked the monks, “Monks! Do you―like this former hawk trainer, Ariṭṭha―misunderstand my teachings? His misunderstanding of my teachings led him to slander us, destroy himself, and accumulate much bad karma. Do you also understand my teachings the way he does?”

The monks replied, “No, World-Honored One! The World-Honored One has clearly taught us through various methods what the dharmas of obstacles are, and that those who greedily seek enjoyment in them will indeed be hindered from liberation. The World-Honored One has said that sensual pleasures are sparse in happiness and full of suffering and vexation, and that they hide even more calamities. You have used the similes ‘like a bare bone,’ ‘like a piece of meat,’ ‘like a dry-grass torch,’ ‘like a pit of hot coals,’ ‘like a dream,’ ‘like a borrowed thing,’ ‘like a tall tree’s fruit,’ ‘like a slaughterhouse,’ ‘like a knife-edge ride,’ and ‘like a snake’s head’ to make us realize the dangers of sensual pleasures.”

The Buddha praised them: “Very good, monks! You have correctly understood my teachings. I have taught you in many ways what the dharmas of obstacles are, and that indulging in sensual pleasures certainly causes hindrances. I said that sensual pleasures are actually sparse in happiness and rich in suffering and vexation, and that they hide even more calamities. Furthermore, I used the similes ‘like a bare bone,’ ‘like a piece of meat,’ ‘like a dry-grass torch,’ ‘like a pit of hot coals,’ ‘like a dream,’ ‘like a borrowed thing,’ ‘like a tall tree’s fruit,’ ‘like a slaughterhouse,’ ‘like a knife-edge ride,’ and ‘like a snake’s head’ to illustrate the harm that they bring. Yet, this former hawk trainer, Ariṭṭha, due to his own misunderstanding of my teaching, has turned around and slandered us. By doing this, he has destroyed himself and accumulated bad karma. Truly, foolish people like him will never achieve genuine benefits and will only head toward misfortune in the long run.”

The Buddha continued, “Monks, Ariṭṭha who indulges in craving desires whereupon thinking of these are other than sensual pleasures. Such people can never achieve true liberation.”

The Buddha then said, “Monks, there are some foolish people who come to learn the Buddha Dharma—the Discourses (Sūtras), Mixed Verses, Expositions, Stanzas, Inspired Utterances, Thus-Spoken Sayings, Birth Stories, Unique Events, Broad Discourses, and so on—but do not use wisdom to realize and experience their actual meanings. Because they have no true realization, they cannot genuinely comprehend the principles that can be found in them. They merely use the Buddha Dharma that they have learned as a tool for debating or as a means to show off their eloquence. They do not study the Buddha Dharma for the correct purpose. Due to their failure to grasp the true meaning of the Buddha Dharma, they will never obtain genuine long-term benefits and will experience misfortune. Why so? They resemble a man who goes out looking for a snake, hoping to catch one. He finally spots a large snake, but he doesn’t know how to catch it. He carelessly grabs it by its body or tail. The snake turns back and bites his arm, wrist, and other parts of his body, causing him great pain, perhaps even death. Why does this happen, monks? It’s because he doesn’t know the proper way to catch a snake. Similarly, some foolish people come to learn the Buddha Dharma—the Discourses, Mixed Verses, Expositions, Stanzas, Inspired Utterances, Thus-Spoken Sayings, Birth Stories, Unique Events, Broad Discourses, and so on—but they don’t use wisdom to explore its true meaning. Thus, they do not genuinely understand the Buddha Dharma. They merely use it as a tool for argument or as a means to show off their eloquence. They do not study the Buddha Dharma for the correct purpose. Because they fail to grasp the true meaning of the Buddha Dharma, they will never obtain genuine long-term benefits, and this will lead to their misfortune.”

The Buddha further said, “Monks, there are good men who study the Buddha Dharma—the Discourses, Mixed Verses, Expositions, Stanzas, Inspired Utterances, Birth Stories, Unique Events, Broad Discourses, and so on—and are able to use wisdom to explore its meaning. Thus, they arrive at a true understanding of it. They study the Buddha Dharma not for the purpose of debating or showing off their eloquence but for the sake of thoroughly comprehending its true meaning. Because they correctly and truly understand the Buddha Dharma, they gain long-term benefits and happiness. What constitutes a correct and true understanding  of the Buddha Dharma? For example, a man who hopes to find a snake looks for one, and upon finding one, he tries to catch it and knows how to. He knows how to use a forked stick to pin the snake’s head down and then grasp it. In this way, even if the snake wraps its body around his arm, wrist, or other parts of his body, it will not be able to bite him, and he will not suffer pain and die. This is because the man understands the snake’s nature and uses the correct method to catch it. Monks, these good men study the Buddha Dharma—the Discourses, Mixed Verses, Expositions, Stanzas, Inspired Utterances, Birth Stories, Unique Events, Broad Discourses, and so on—and after studying it, they are able to use wisdom to determine its true meaning. Thus, they gain a true understanding of the Buddha Dharma, and joy arises within them. They study the Buddha Dharma not for the sake of debate or for showing off their eloquence but to thoroughly comprehend its true meaning and achieve ultimate liberation. Because they correctly and truly understand the Buddha Dharma, they gain real and long-term benefits and true happiness.”

“Monks, you should understand and uphold the meaning of what I have taught. If there is anything about it that you do not understand, you should come and ask me or ask wise and discerning monks.” (Part 2/3)

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The True Spirit of Buddhist Practice (Part 1/3)

Dangerous Desires (Part 1/3)

An excerpt from the Sutra of the Simile of the Snake

in the Southern Transmission’s Majjhima Nikāya

During the time of the Buddha, there was a monk named Ariṭṭha who was a hawk trainer before he became a monk. He developed a seriously mistaken view: “Based on my understanding of the Buddha’s teachings, even though the Buddha called certain dharmas ‘obstacles,’ indulging in them will absolutely not cause any hindrance.” Many other well-learned monks heard about this and went to Ariṭṭha to confront him, telling him, “Respectful Ariṭṭha, did you really say ‘Based on my understanding of the Buddha’s teachings, even though the Buddha called certain dharmas obstacles, indulging in them will absolutely not cause any hindrance’? Is that truly your view?”

Ariṭṭha replied, “Yes, respectful friends. That is indeed how I understand the Buddha’s teaching.”

The other monks wanted Arittha to abandon his wrong view. They questioned him, discussed his reasons for embracing that view, and then advised him strongly, “Respectful Ariṭṭha! Don’t talk like that! Don’t slander the Buddha! It’s an unwholesome act to misrepresent the Buddha’s words. The Buddha never taught this! The Buddha taught us using many skillful methods that certain dharmas that He called obstacles are indeed dharmas of obstacles, and that indulging in them will certainly cause hindrances. The Buddha said that sensual pleasures are actually sparse in happiness and rich in suffering and vexation, and hide many dangers. The Buddha used various similes to illustrate the harm of indulgence: Sensual pleasure is like a bare bone; it’s like a piece of meat; it’s like a dry-grass torch; it’s like a pit of hot coals; it’s like a dream; it’s like a borrowed thing; it’s like a tall tree’s fruit; it’s like a slaughterhouse; it’s like a knife-edge ride; and it’s like a snake’s head. Sensual indulgence may seem pleasurable, but in reality, it brings much danger, suffering, and vexation, with countless hidden faults and risks.”

However, even after the monks’ questioning, discussion, and persistent counsel, Ariṭṭha remained stubbornly fixed in his erroneous view and insisted that his interpretation of the Buddha’s teachings was correct.

Unable to change Arittha’s mind, the monks went to the Buddha, paid their respects, sat down, and reported the entire incident: “World-Honored One! Monk Ariṭṭha, who used to be a hawk trainer, has developed a wrong view, saying, ‘Based on my understanding of the Buddha’s teachings, even though the Buddha called certain dharmas obstacles, indulging in them will absolutely not cause any hindrance.’ We monks heard this, and hoping he would abandon this false view, we went to him and said, ‘Respectful Ariṭṭha! Don’t say that! Don’t slander the Buddha! It’s an unwholesome act! The Buddha did not teach this! The Buddha taught us that certain dharmas He called dharmas of obstacles are indeed obstacles, and indulging in them will cause hindrances. The Buddha said that sensual pleasures are sparse in happiness and rich in suffering and vexation, and hide many dangers. The Buddha used many similes to explain the harm of indulgence: ‘like a bare bone,’ ‘like a piece of meat,’ ‘like a dry-grass torch,’ ‘like a pit of hot coals,’ ‘like a dream,’ ‘like a borrowed thing,’ ‘like a tall tree’s fruit,’ ‘like a slaughterhouse,’ and ‘like a knife-edge ride.’ He even said that it was ‘like a snake’s head.’ Although enjoyment may seem pleasurable, it brings much danger, suffering, and vexation, with countless hidden faults and risks.’ World-Honored One! Even after our questioning, discussion, and counsel, the former hawk trainer, Ariṭṭha, remains obstinate and firmly adheres to his wrong view, maintaining, ‘Based on my understanding of the Buddha’s teachings, even though the Buddha called certain dharmas obstacles, indulging in them will absolutely not cause any hindrance.’”

After listening to the monks’ report, the Buddha summoned a monk and instructed him, “Monk! Go tell Ariṭṭha in my name, ‘Ariṭṭha! The World-Honored One, my Teacher, summons you.’”

The monk accepted the command, went to Ariṭṭha, and delivered the message that the World-Honored One wished to see him. Ariṭṭha agreed to the summons and came before the Buddha. He bowed respectfully and sat beside Him.

The Buddha then proceeded to question Ariṭṭha, “Did you really develop this idea: ‘Based on my understanding of the teachings of the Buddha, even though the Buddha called certain dharmas obstacles, indulging in them will absolutely not cause any hindrance’? Is this what you truly believe?”

Ariṭṭha replied, “Yes, World-Honored One!”

The Buddha said, “You foolish man! Be careful! When did you ever hear me teach such a dharma? Did I not explain in many different ways what the dharmas of obstacles are? How could enjoying them not cause any hindrance? I have clearly stated that sensual pleasures are sparse in happiness, rich in suffering and vexation, and carry many dangers. I used similes―‘like a bare bone,’ ‘like a piece of meat,’ ‘like a dry-grass torch,’ ‘like a pit of hot coals,’ ‘like a dream,’ ‘like a borrowed thing,’ ‘like a tall tree’s fruit,’ ‘like a slaughterhouse,’ ‘like a knife-edge ride,’ and ‘like a snake’s head’―to demonstrate the danger and harm of sensual pleasures! You foolish man! Because you misinterpreted my teachings, you have turned around and slandered us, destroying yourself and accumulating much bad karma. Doing this will never bring you benefits; it will surely lead to misfortune.”

The Buddha then addressed the other monks: “Monks, what is your opinion on this matter? Does this Ariṭṭha, a former hawk trainer, even qualify as someone who has just begun to ‘warm up’ to the practice of this Buddha Dharma and Discipline?”

The monks replied, “How could he, World-Honored One? In fact, he does not qualify as such at all!”

Ariṭṭha was silent and ashamed. Troubled and humiliated, he lowered his head, slumped his shoulders, and could not offer a defense. (To be continued....)

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The Story of the Garuḍa Birds and the Dragons—The Dragon Clans Receive the Buddha’s Robe

   Reflection and Insights 

In the vast transmigration river of birth and death, sentient beings are often like dragons and Garuḍa birds—fighting each other, trapped in cycles of vengeance, unable to escape. Dragons fear bird attacks, while birds depend on dragons for survival. What appears to be survival of the fittest is actually woven from collective karma. There are no true victors, only suffering and terror cycling endlessly through samsara.

When the four dragon kings prostrated themselves before the Buddha and tearfully recounted their clans’ suffering caused by the Garuḍa birds, the Buddha did not punish the birds or stop their evil actions. Instead, He gave his own robe—the Dharma robe symbolizing “pure precept substance and flawless merit”—to the dragon kings and instructed them to distribute portions of it to all dragon clans. Not a single thread increased or decreased, and myriad beings all received protection. This manifested not only the Tathāgata’s miraculous transformational power but, more profoundly, also the Buddha’s compassion and the sublime power of His precepts. True protection emanates not from outward actions but from the depth of one's compassion; true guardianship lies not in material abundance but in the breadth of one’s compassionate vows. The Buddha’s robe could prevent harm from the Garuḍa birds not because its fabric was special but because it carried the supreme merit of “the Buddha’s words, which are never false; the Buddha’s precepts, which are never ineffective; and the Buddha’s vows, which are always fulfilled.” Precepts are the embodiment of compassion, vows are the driving force that propels wisdom forward, and transforming compassion into action enables the deliverance of all sentient beings.

The story teaches us something profound: All beings, including celestial Garuḍa birds and dragons with miraculous powers, have limited strength and finite lives. No one can escape suffering and decay. Yet, here’s the remarkable truth: Even when trapped in the lowest destiny of existence, one can find liberation through faith in the Buddha. Observing the Buddha’s precepts faithfully is like being clothed in the Dharma robe blessed by the Buddha, which shields the wearer from harm. We can attain true liberation and eternal perfection only by taking refuge in the World-Honored One, acknowledging and abandoning our wrongdoings, keeping the precepts, and following the compassionate path taught by the bodhisattvas. (Part 3/3)

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