Master Zhenlin’s Commentary on Lingmei’s Visit to Amitabha-Buddha

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Following master’s instruction, I practiced concentration before going to bed. I did not get up at 2 am but 4 am. I sat in meditation for a while, and felt it different. The breath was more stable and stronger. I felt quite happy about it. It certainly was different with the bestowal of power by master. I sat for a while, and decided to practice contemplation and meditation together as master had instructed. I wanted to take a look at how the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss is. Believe it or not, I did see it. The towering palaces amidst the mist stood so tall that I could not see its top. I may not have described it accurately as it was the first time I had seen it. I had seen Amitabha-Buddha while practicing the meditation and contemplation yesterday. He emitted golden lights. I thought I was going to meet him today. As it turned out, I did arrive at His Pure Land. I did not see anyone along the way. There were rows of trees on both sides of the road. They were kind of like coco-nut tree, and very tall. The tree leaves played music as they lifted up and folded down alternatively. When I was thinking what tree it was, I was told it was the “jeweled tree”. Well, the whole tree was emitting golden rays of lights as it played the music, as if lots of jewels were hung on them. I also heard bird singing, which sound really nice. I only saw blue peacocks though. As I walked further, I heard people saying they were going for a sutra lecture. I could see there many people, but not clearly visible. They felt like air. I asked, “Who is to talking the Dharma?” “The Thus Come One of Wonderful Sound” was the answer. I simply heard the voice speaking to me, but I did not know whose voice it was. Maybe it was out of my imagination, I thought. I then thought of returning.
Commentary：
While the story written by Lingmei sounds like a fairy tale, it is in truth real. She practiced contemplation and meditation together, and as a result, she did see the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.
“The towering palaces amidst the mist stood so tall that I could not see its top.”
Certainly you won’t be able to see its top. You were ant-like there. You could have asked Amitabha-Buddha for a bestowal of power, so that you’d be almost the same size as the beings there, close to the shoulder of Amitabha-Buddha. Anyway, Master should have mentioned this to you.
“As it turned out, I did arrive at His Pure Land.”
It was not her physical body but her soul that went there. It was all real what she had seen, the jeweled trees, and the beings. They were formless and unmarked, and therefore air-like.
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I kept thinking over it after I had returned. Why did not I see them? Must be my level of cultivation was too shallow, and energy too weak! While I was pondering over it, I saw some people approaching, but I could not recognize them. I also heard a voice speaking to me, “World Honored One Shakyamuni Buddha is not a single being. Seize the opportunity to find your root. Measureless merits and virtues bring you to single-mindfulness. Do not take it as real as it is made by your inherent nature.
Commentary:
Lingmei was skeptical of herself. Then she heard a voice speaking to her, “World Honored One Shakyamuni Buddha is not a single being. Seize the opportunity to find your root. Measureless merits and virtues bring you to single-mindfulness. Do not take it as real as it is made by your inherent nature.”
We should know how powerful these lines are. No one other than Shakyamuni Buddha or Amitabha Buddha could have spoken it. It takes the Buddha nature to speak it. Lingmei brought back to us through her soul trip what could make a sutra. In fact they are indeed sutra lines. They are very good! Nevertheless, some people might argue we cook it up, and conclude whatever they cannot understand why as falsified. When a doctor fails to cure his patient of a disease, he says it is incurable. But when the patient recovers, he says it is a miracle.
I am now talking on something very important. Whatever is spoken by the Buddha is at the highest state. He conveys the message to us through Lingmei, which is why I arrange the trip for her. The message is brought back by Lingmei, not by me. I have been talking too much, and many people just don’t believe it. I now send my disciple to do it and take the messages back. Well, still there are some who do not believe it. My intention is to make those who believe it have firmer faith, instead of trying to convince those who do not believe it.
It is told by disciples to disciples. This was what Shakyamuni Buddha once did. He sometimes would ask a disciple from the 500 Arhats to expound the Dharma instead of he himself talking all the time. After all, the audience got skeptical sometimes if the Buddha kept talking all the time.
I have reformed the teaching methods now. On the one hand, I teach you the skills. On the other hand, I give you the chance to manifest them.
This is why I now send Lingxin to provide diagnosis to the people. I do not do it myself. Lingxin has been in the state and can do it. Her command of it is not very firm, though, as she lost the power when nervous.
Anyway, we need to really delve into the message brought back by Lingmei, and learn it whenever we get the time.
“World Honored One Shakyamuni Buddha is not a single being. Seize the opportunity and follow it to find the root.”
The wording is very carefully chosen. Lingmei could not have come up with it. She is the messenger that conveys the message for us. We should pay homage to Lingmei and say thanks to her. While she does not understand the message, she does present it to us exactly as it was spoken by World Honored One. This is very precious! I suggest that you all copy it down, take it with you wherever you go, and take your time to delve into it. It is very thought-provoking and contains the very truth.
“Shakyamuni Buddha is not a single being”: As I said before, Shakyamuni Buddha can be Amitabha-Buddha, and Amitabha Buddha can be Shakyamuni Buddha. Shakyamuni Buddha can also be Aksobhya Buddha and Aksobhya Buddha be Shakyamuni Buddha. We do not discriminate when in such a sate. That is why “Shakyamuni Buddha is not a single being.” Don’t think that there is only one Shakyamuni Buddha. Otherwise, we’d get attached to the mark.
If we can realize it, we are enlightened to the truth of the Buddha Dharma. Hopefully, we can seize the opportunity and follow it to find the root. Do not cast it away.
“Seize the opportunity and follow it to find the root”: This is a very important message. Be mindful that Shakyamuni Buddha is not a single being, and we should catch Him, follow Him to find our root, which is the Buddha nature, our true-self.
“Measureless merits and virtues bring you to single-mindfulness”: He then told us how to find the root. Whatever Dharma door it is that we practice, be it reciting the Buddhist scripture, sitting in meditation, giving, bowing to the Buddha, is a means to accumulate merits and virtues that are measureless. What are the merits and virtues for? To bring us to single-mindfulness. We should refrain from being attached to the mark even after we attain the single-mindfulness. Do not take it seriously, as is said in the next line.
“Do not take it as real as it is made by your inherent nature”: I told Lingmei earlier today that she was just overjoyed now that she had met the Buddha. She took it as real. The Buddha’s instruction is not given to Lingmei alone, but to all of us. We do not need to take it as real or get overjoyed at what we see. After all, it is made by the inherent nature. A few simple lines contain completely what the Buddha Dharma is about. Perhaps you still fail to get it thoroughly from my explanation. Nevertheless, you must have felt how supreme it is and the power it carries. This is for sure. Make sure you keep it in mind, not just in your pocket.

Try digesting the message when you sit in meditation. Delve into it. It is just so important as it contains the very essence, truth, and the true state of the Buddha Dharma. The Buddha certainly speaks the best. Nobody other than the Buddha could have spoken it so well. Neither Lingmei nor I could have said it. The Buddha, however, is able to make it crystal clear to us with just a few lines.
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I felt it was the Buddha, but was not quite sure. I said, “It is beyond my reach with my level of comprehension.” By then, the voice again spoke to me, “ The Buddha Nature is boundless, and the mind can house the heaven…” The voice then got more distant. I felt myself very tall and large having heard it. As I took a look at myself, I could not see anything. I became air-like, and all the mountains, rivers, and buildings were clearly visible to me. I felt myself integrated into them all, and that I was omnipresent. It felt like everything was part of me. I came up with the feeling that the universe is in fact very small and dwells in our mind. Anyway, I collected my thoughts back when I thought of what master had spoken to me. My mission is over. I still don’t quite understand the message. I keep pondering over the instruction to me by the Great Virtue but fail to get it through. I thought I could…but…
Commentary:
Lingmei felt it correctly. She wrote, “I felt it was the Buddha, but was not quite sure.” She was skeptical of it as she did not have concentration powerful enough. Lingmei is honest. She tells the truth only.
“It is beyond my reach with my level of comprehension.” She is honest.

By then, the voice again spoke to me, “The Buddha Nature is boundless, and the mind can house the heaven…”

The two lines would explain thorough the Buddha Speaks the Buddha Speaks the Eight-Yang Spiritual Mantra Sutra of Heaven and Earth. It took me three days to explain the Sutra to you while the Buddha used only two lines.

“The Buddha Nature is boundless, and the mind can house the heaven…”

Lingmei used the suspension points here, as the voice got more distant. Nevertheless, she could hear it clearly.
The Buddha nature is boundless. The Buddhalands in the ten directions and everything in the universe can be reflected in our mind. The Buddha nature is inherent in each of us. Why bother to seek it externally? At that point, Lingmei felt herself becoming so large that she could not see herself. She was air like. That means she was merged with the empty space. She was boundlessly large. She became the space of the universe described in the Buddha Speaks the Eight-Yang Spiritual Mantra Sutra of Heaven and Earth.

That was why she became air-like, and all the mountains, rivers, and buildings were clearly visible to her. She felt herself integrated into them all, and that she was omnipresent. It felt like everything was part of her.

This is consistent with the Buddha Speaks the Eight-Yang Spiritual Mantra Sutra of Heaven and Earth.

Lingmei is quite smart, as she wrote, “I came up with the feeling that the universe is in fact very small and dwells in our mind.” She then thought of what master had spoken to her and was back. She did not mention what it was that I had spoken to her. She did not tell it to you. As she remained skeptical, she kept thinking which Great Virtue was it that had spoken to her.

“I keep pondering over the instruction to me by the Great Virtue but fail to get it through. I thought I could…but…”
She did not finish the sentence. She thought she could figure it out, but in fact, she did not and ended her article with suspension points.
May the merit and virtue accrued from this work,
Adorn the Buddha’s Pure Lands,
Repaying the four kinds of kindness above,
And aiding those suffering in the paths below.
May those who see and hear of this,
All bring forth the resolve for Bodhi,
And when this retribution body is over,
Be born together in Ultimate Bliss.
Amitabha-Buddha! May we all be filled with the joy of the Dharma!