Gems of wisdom – Books

Complex Questions Simple Answers – Family, Relationships, and Other Questions of Life

admin10060Books — Tue, 27 Dec 2022 00:11:19 +0000

This book is a translated compilation of answers provided at public events by the Venerable Master in his native Mandarin Language.

You will notice that the Venerable Master’s answers in this book are simple. Based on his in-depth study of Buddhism, he could have given us highly complicated and philosophical answers to the questions of life; he had all the intellectual knowledge to do this. Instead, he spared us the trouble and told us in a few sentences what we should do to live meaningful lives starting today and to prepare ourselves for the hereafter.

Dispelling Doubt in the Sea of Dharma

admin10060Books — Tue, 27 Dec 2022 00:11:19 +0000

Through a question and answer series, Venerable Master Miao Lien describes the practices and methods necessary to create beneficial causal conditions that eventually lead to superior conditions for existing within, up to and including emancipation from suffering and becoming a Buddha. They are disarmingly simple, requiring no special talent or ability beyond the simple intention to perform them earnestly. The hardest part is faith in the method, a stumbling block that impeded some of the greatest Dharma Masters of the past. Even though the ability of past Dharma Masters may have been far in excess of our own, being able to accept and practice the Pure Land teachings is no more difficult to grasp for ourselves than it was for them. It is the most egalitarian of all the Buddhist schools by being equally within reach for all people regardless of whether they are of high or low capacity. So, it is in the spirit of accessibility and inclusiveness that it is being presented to you here in this short book.

Reconnecting with Inner Tranquility

admin10060Books — Tue, 27 Dec 2022 00:11:19 +0000

This book is divided into four sections: Right Views, the Mundane Way, Practice, and Buddha Recitation. Each section provides valuable insight into our lives, as well as practical guidance on how we can address the root causes of suffering and reconnect with our inherent, inner state of tranquility and happiness.

Immigration in Buddhism

admin10060Books — Tue, 27 Dec 2022 00:11:18 +0000

This book is a collection of Venerable Master Miao Lien’s Dharma lectures in 1997, in which the Venerable Master connected with thousands of Dharma-seeking attendees, planting the cause of their future rebirth in the Western Pure Land. In his Dharma lectures, the Venerable Master painted a picture of the ultimate, most tranquil and peaceful land, urging everyone to immigrate to this truly peaceful home—the Western Pure Land. Through the publication of this book, we wish to share this Dharma joy with the public. May we all immigrate to the Western Pure Land in the future and attain Buddhahood soon.

One Minute Wisdom – Pure Words for the Pure Mind

admin10060Books — Tue, 27 Dec 2022 00:11:18 +0000

Ancient mariners had a problem. After leaving land for months at a time, sailors often became very ill and their teeth began to fall out. Many men died from this. As we know today, this problem is called scurvy and it is caused by not getting enough vitamin C in one’s diet. The first navy doctor to discover the cause and cure for this condition helped many people in his lifetime and wrote down this knowledge in a book for future generations. Despite this, with the passing of time after his death, the knowledge was lost since nobody bothered reading his book. It
sat in some library archive while sailors once again continued to suffer and die from this preventable affliction, until the knowledge was once again “discovered.”
The Dharma is the body of knowledge compassionately given to us by the Buddha. In his wisdom, the Buddha understood the causes and conditions of our afflictions which are the roots of suffering. Although some texts of the Buddha’s teachings have been lost or forgotten, many still remain. However, without an audience to receive this knowledge it will serve no benefit. Just as the cure for scurvy existing as information in a library archive didn’t prevent sailors from losing their teeth and dying, the Dharma will not prevent afflictions and suffering if people don’t know about it and apply it to their lives.
It is in that spirit that we present you with this catalog of excerpts from Master Miao Lien’s teachings. This book is not linear. It does not need to be read in order from front to back. You can open any page and read any paragraph you want. By presenting the information this way it requires very little commitment. There is value even if you read it for only one minute. All the teachings tie together yet are independent unto themselves. We hope this makes the book easy to read and the teachings more accessible to the reader.

The Dharma Door of Pure Land Buddhism

admin10060Books — Tue, 27 Dec 2022 00:11:18 +0000

The Dharma Door of Pure Land Buddhism is a book spoken by Grand Master Tan Hsu.
In this text, Master Tan Hsu discusses the common thread that runs through the various schools of Oriental Buddhism and why the Pure Land School specifically is well suited to humans in the Dharma-Ending Age, this period of time in which we are currently existing.

Complex Questions Simple Answers – Spiritual Life

admin10060Books — Tue, 27 Dec 2022 00:11:18 +0000

This book is a collection of excerpts from talks the Venerable Master gave to Mandarin-speaking audiences in his lively, colorful, colloquial style. He told stories, painted metaphorical pictures, and urged followers to act upon his counsel. He wanted his listeners to delve into Buddhist teachings so they may improve their lives on earth as well as aspire to Buddhahood for the hereafter.

The Buddhist Perspective on Life

admin10060Books — Tue, 27 Dec 2022 00:11:17 +0000

This book is comprised of excerpts from Venerable Master Miao Lien’s Dharma lecture in 1997, held at the Taipei International Convention Centre.

From the Buddhist perspective, the root cause of suffering is ignorance. We suffer because we do not understand the impermanent nature of all existence. This is why the Eightfold Path that Buddhists strive to follow includes “Right Views.” That is, we all have to try and dispel our ignorance, or “Wrong Views.”

In his life, work, and lectures, Venerable Master Miao Lien worked tirelessly to expound the Right Views, and to guide sentient beings to change their mistaken perspectives. The Buddhist Perspective on Life is a collection of the Venerable Master’s teachings given for the benefit of all beings. May it help all to awaken their minds.