Master Zhenlin’s Commentary on Lingmei’s Sutra-lecturingTrip to the Trayastrimsha Heaven

Master Zhenlin’s Commentary on Lingmei’s Sutra-lecturingTrip to the Trayastrimsha Heaven

I sent Lingmei to the Trayastrimsha Heaven first, as it was more efficient. Once in the Trayastrimsha Heaven, all the living beings could be summoned from the Six Heavens of Desires, from Heaven of Sound and Light, and the Brahman Heaven. Once in the Heaven of Neither-Thought-Nor-Non-Thought, all the living beings from the Heavens of Formless Realm shall join to listen. Therefore, I made the arrangement of three trips for her：The Heavens of Desires, the Heavens of Form Realm, and the Heavens of Formless Realm.
There are three realms in the Saha World, and the three realms can be further divided into twenty-eight layers of heavens.
Lingmei had been to the Southern Gate of Heaven twice before the trip to the Trayastrimsha Heaven. Before she set off this time, I told her that she’d be a Bodhisattva once in the Heaven. People would make offerings to her. She should accept them. Otherwise, those heavenly beings would not be able to accomplish any merits or virtues. Therefore, she did not humbly turn them down this time.
At the outset, she wrote,
Text:
Travelling between Heaven and Earth takes only one thought. It is because of the sagely conditions that I shuttle several times between. Upon the instruction by the holy teachings of Venerable Master, my soul travel around like an immortal.
Commentary:
She was quite cheerful when she wrote it. It does take only one thought for one to soul travel to other heavens, at a speed much higher than the Monkey King Sun Wukong does. Within the length of one thought, we can roam through places much further away than be calculated.
Take, for example, the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. While it is one billion Buddhalands away, a single thought along takes one there. Certainly it is much easier to travel to other heavens. Why, you may ask, only Lingmei got the chance to visit it. It is because the conditions are ripened for her. It is because of the sagely conditions set by her Venerable Master. Mind you, the Master mentioned here is not me.
“My soul travel around like an immortal”.
This verse is easily understandable. She roamed around like an immortal, not with her physical body, but the soul.
Text:
One day, I arrived at the Trayastrimsha Heaven, when I seemed in a dream but yet in truth it was not.
Commentary:
Where is the Trayastrimsha Heaven located? It is located above the Heaven of the Four Kings, and is also known as the Heaven of Thirty-three. This is not the 33rd layer of heaven from the bottom up. It is in the middle with eight heavens in the east, eight heavens in the west, eight heavens in the south and eight heavens in the north. Four times eight makes 32. The 32 heavens belong to the 32 brothers of Shakra (The Lord of Heaven). They surround the 33rd heaven in the center, making this heaven the Heaven of Thirty-Three.It is above the Mount. Sumeru.

It was also at the Trayastrimsha Heaven that Shakyamuni expounded a sutra on the day when he attained enligthenment.
Text:
What I saw and heard was nothing new to me, as I had been there twice. Again, as if in a trance, I was sitting on a lotus that kept revolving.
Commentary:
When in a trance, our soul can lead us to the state.
Text:
My mind was gradually at peace. All of a sudden, I thought of what Master had told me. Within a flash of thought, my soul travelled to the Southern Gate of Heaven.
Commentary:
We humans live in the South Jambudvipa. We have to go through the Southern Gate if we were to enter any Heaven.
Text:
The Heavenly generals and soldiers stood in straight rows.
Commentary:
They had known long time ago that someone would be lecturing the Sutra of Longevity for them. Lingmei did not realize it, however.
She said,
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They seemed to be waiting for someone.
Commentary:
In fact, they were waiting for none other than her.
As I said before, we humans can be very dull. They had known it immediately once I told her to go there.
Text:
They showed utmost respect and reverence to me. After all, I have been there twice, and they knew me well.
Commentary:
She was quite known to them.
Text:
By then, Shakra came to greet me in person. He even sent me a piece of priceless heavenly clothes. I thought of what Master had told me, and therefore transferred it to him. After I did that, the heavenly clothes transformed into numerous golden flowers flying around me.
Commentary:
Shakra is no other than the Heavenly King that we Chinese people often talk of. Why did he receive Lingmei in person? He did so because Lingmei was there to transmit the Buddhist scripture. You have already known it.
“He even sent me a piece of priceless heavenly clothes.”
Mind you, this was no bribery! It was out of respect that the Heavenly King presented it to her. I had told Lingmei before the trip that she had to accept whatever the treasures they presented to her so that their merits and virtues would accrue. She could then transfer the treasures to the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Master. It is fine to do so.
It all changed after she did the transference when in such a state. As was written, “I thought of what Master had told me, and therefore transferred it to him. After I did that, the heavenly clothes transformed into numerous golden flowers flying around me.”
This is very magnificent a scene, and certainly beautiful. While you may imagine to some degree how it is by reading it, it still falls short of its true beauty and wonder unless you see it yourself. When your heavenly eyes or dharma eyes are open, you can see it when practicing the dharma cultivation. That happened to me first when I was reciting the Lotus Sutra one day. I was surprised suddenly to see multi-colored lights radiated around me, purple rays, red rays, etc. I took time to watch them, and soon I was surrounded by flowers! By then, I realized what happened. As long as we recite the scripture with utmost sincerity, the heavenly beings will make offerings of flowers to us.
Text:
Again, Shakra summoned all the heavenly beings to the Trayastrimsha Heaven. I won’t go into details about it
Commentary:
Well, Lingmei should have gone into details here and described how people looked there. People dwelling in the Trayastrimsha Heaven are very much different from each other in size and height.
Text:
What is slightly from my previous trip was that I saw lotuses floating in the air as I lectured the Sutra. Everywhere it smelled fragrant and refreshing.
Commentary:
Why is it so? Living beings in the Heavens of Six Desires are of form and mark. That is why such a wonderful scene was being presented to her, with so many lotuses floating in the air. Surely it was refreshing to smell! They were heavenly flowers!
Text:
I went on to lecture the Sutra of Longevity for them. It turned out exactly as Master had said! The Sutra of Longevity is such a precious treasure not only for humans but also for heavenly beings! “The ghastly ghost of Impermanence comes at unpredictable times. Even if we wish to bribe him with innumerable and limitless amount of gold, silver, money and precious jewels and seek to lengthen our life, it will still be in vain.” I think we living beings should all stay alert when reading it. See, all the answers can be found in the A Simple Explanation of the Sutra of Longevity by Master Zhenlin.
Commentary:
The reason? They had no idea of it either. They should be reminded that their life, too, will come to an end. Anyway, you may refer to the A Simple Explanation of the Sutra of Longevity to get the answers.
Text:
Indeed! No matter how comfortable and decent our life is, or how wealthy we are, we can do nothing about it when the ghastly ghost of Impermanence comes to get us. We can take nothing along. No amount of wealth can exchange for our life! The Heavenly beings do have good comprehension! These lines alone woke many up!
Commentary:
In fact, it is not a matter of the level of comprehension, but that they are in a different state from ours.
“These lines alone woke many up!”
They too, have a finite lifespan. If they do not cultivate, they shall be subject to the revolving wheel of death and rebirth by the time their life comes to an end.
Text:
They were full of joy to hear the Sutra. All kinds of treasures were presented to me from the air. I transferred them all to Master, and they only came forth in larger number. I was not attentive to them, though.
Commentary:
They were heavenly beings. They make progress once they realize the truth. This is how they are different from us. They have a better level of comprehension, and therefore greater blessings.
Text:
They too, have a finite lifespan. If they do not cultivate, they shall be subject to the revolving wheel of death and rebirth by the time their life comes to an end. They were full of joy to hear the Sutra. All kinds of treasures were presented to me from the air. I transferred them all to Master, and they only came forth in larger number. I was not attentive to them, though.

Commentary:
They listened to the Sutra, got enlightened, and were therefore full of joy. They presented their treasures as offerings to Lingmei. There were so many treasures that they filled the air. Could not see them clearly if she tried. Lingmei was fond of seeing the treasures. However, they were just so many of them that she was not attentive to them.
Text:
By then, Shakra stood up and said, “A genuine person is transmitting the genuine sutra here. The flying lotuses show how happy we are. All the heavenly generals and soldiers have joined to listen. We feel so lucky to have such a condition. Like the Get-together at the Three Assemblies under the Naga-puspa Tree, we meet here now at the Heavenly Palace. With great joy, we look forward to hearing the Sutra. You are rescuing with great strength the lost beings in their present life. We vow to exert our best efforts to uphold and practice what is instructed in the Sutra. We shall act in strict compliance with the teachings by our genuine Master.”
Commentary:
“Genuine person” is the wording used in the Realm of Desires. It is a term used commonly by Taoists. It is referred to as the Buddha Nature in Buddhism. Do not take it as a title. A genuine person is formless, unmarked, and unconditioned in the way he behaves. As the popular saying goes, a genuine person does not show himself. Many, however, take it as a title, and think a Taoist as a genuine person. In fact, a genuine person means to our true mind of brightness and permanence.
“The flying lotuses show how happy we are.”
Lotuses were flying around in the air during the sutra lecture. Why was it? The heavenly beings were joyful and happy to hear it. They were filled with the joy of the Dharma. They produced the flying lotuses with their spiritual penetrations to express their happiness and as a token of respect and reverence. The lotuses showed how sincerely-minded they were.
“All the heavenly generals and soldiers have joined to listen.”
They all gathered there.
“We feel so lucky to have such a condition.”
It is certainly very lucky for them to have such a wonderful condition.
“Like the Get-together at the Three Assemblies under the Naga-puspa Tree, we meet here now at the Heavenly Palace.”
This is an analogy. It is not yet the time for the Three Assemblies under the Naga-puspa Tree. They, however, compared the sutra lecture to the Three Assemblies, as it was very wonderful. That is to say, when the time for the Three Assemblies arrives, there will again be sutra lectures at the Heavenly Palace.
Since the Naga-puspa tree is mentioned, let me talk more on it, as some of you may not know what it is.
It is in reference to the Maitreya Bodhisattva. In 5.6 billion years, He will come to the Jambudvipa and be a Buddha here. He shall transmit the Three Vehicles Buddha Dharma. During his Dharma lecture assemblies, people shall certify to three fruitions. At the first assembly, the people shall certify to Arhatship. At the second assembly, the people shall certify to Pacceka Buddhahood. And at the third assembly, the people shall become Bodhisattvas.
Shakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment under a Bodhi Tree, while Maitreya Bodhisattva shall make it under a Naga-puspa tree. This is the background to the Three Assemblies under the Naga-puspa Tree.
Thos of us who fail to enter Buddhahood cultivating the Dharma expounded by Shakyamuni Buddha shall again be born as humans and cultivate the Great Way by the time the Maitreya Buddha is here. This is what is often referred to as “Get-together at the Three Assemblies under the Naga-puspa Tree” .
By then, people living in the Jambudvipa survive differently from how we do now. They don’t have to plant the field to get rice or food to eat. They’ll eat japonica rice while clothes shall grow in the trees. This is quite similar to how things are now in the Uttarakuru. Anyway, I won’t go into details on it. By then, we may have to come to the secular world again.
“With great joy, we look forward to hearing the Sutra.”
They were full of joy and expect Lingmei to take the Sutra close to them.
“You are rescuing with great strength the lost beings in their present life.”
Living beings, either born in the heavens, or on earth, are still in delusion, and therefore yet to escape from the Three Realms. Once we learn the Sutra of Longevity and get enlightened, we shall all gain release from the Three Realms and five elements, and in a different state. It is so because the Sutra talks of the Twelve Conditioned Links of Causation, which takes one to the Path of the Pratyeka Buddha. Once enlightened, a heavenly being shall immediately gain release and into the Path of Pratyeka Buddha or Arhatship.
“We vow to exert our best efforts to uphold and practice what is instructed in the Sutra. We shall act in strict compliance with the teachings by our genuine Master.’”
This is the vow they made that they would do their best to uphold and receive the Sutra, and they would abide by the teachings of the Master.
Text:
Upon saying that, he treated me to the heavenly delicacy.
Commentary:
Remember the Trayastrimsha Heaven is within the Heavens of the Six Desires, where delicacies can be found. You don’t get delicacy up in the Heaven of Light and Sound, and less so when in the Heaven of Neither Thought Nor Non-Thought. Nevertheless, living beings in the Heavens of the Six Desires eat by looking at the food. They do not really use the mouth to do as we humans do. They do not have skeleton, nor internal organs. They only have a physical mark.
Text:
He then took me around for sightseeing. Finally, I got to know how heavenly music sound.
Commentary:
Music played in the heaven is beautiful beyond description.
Text:
We got to the heavenly pond, where I saw heavenly maids dancing to the beautiful music. I thought I should wash away there the three poisons I had as a human.
Commentary:
We cannot wash away the three poisons, but can rid ourself of fatigue there.
Text:
While in the pond, I thought of what Master had told me. I walked out of it, took a look at myself, and found myself different. I did not look as a human. Rather, I was wearing clothes the same as the heavenly beings. My body felt like the cloud and fog. Anyway, I did not want to stay longer, and turned back.
Commentary:
Why did it feel like the cloud and fog? It was so because heavenly beings only had a physical mark. There is no real substance to it.
Text:
My will was not firm enough. While I was able to lecture the Sutra, it was made possible only with the bestowal of power by Master! Life was too comfortable in the Heaven! No wonder they say cultivation is hard for those enjoying a wealthy life. It cannot be more true!
Commentary:
Isn’t it the same for us humans? Some are born to be rich and powerful, due to the blessings they have cultivated in the previous life, thus forsaking cultivation.
Heavenly beings are too much at ease and their life too comfortable. They have limitless spiritual penetrations, and endless fun. They do not remember to cultivate, just like the Eight Immortals who are criticized for spending their time drinking, eating, and having fun, while leaving aside cultivation.
Text:
Cultivating in the heaven for centuries is not as effective as doing it the secular world for one day!
Commentary:
This is true, too. It is the most difficult to cultivate in the secular world, and sutra lecturing is no exception. You get well-respected lecturing Buddhist scripture for heavenly beings, as they know the chance is rare that they get to hear it, and only a genuine cultivator can ascend there to lecture it for them.
It is not the case in the secular world among human beings. Shakyamuni Buddha chose to give the sutra lecture in the secular world, while sending his disciples to the heavens to carry out the lectures for heavenly beings, except on several occasions where the conditions were specific. He did so because it is more difficult to lecture the Buddhist scripture and propagate the Buddha Dharma in the secular world. It is particularly the case here in Jambudvipa.
The human beings are obstinate and hard to subdue. They take revolving in the Six Paths as something joyful, or maybe they do not believe that there is such a revolving at all. Therefore, cultivating in the secular world is the most accomplishing.
Text:
As Master said when he lectured the Sutra of Longevity, this is why the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas prefer to get close to living beings in the Jambudvipa.
Commentary:
Though we have to suffer living in the Jambudvipa, we also receive good blessings here. We get the chance to learn the Buddha Dharma. The next time a Buddha is born as a human, he still is born in the Jambudvipa. Living beings in the Uttarakuru are not as lucky as we are. They don’t get the chance to learn the Buddha Dharma. Besides, you have to have patience to cultivate. That is why it is most accomplishing to practice cultivation here in the state.
Guanyi Bodhisattva and the Great Strength Bodhisattva, who now dwell in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, for example, achieved enlightenment cultivating here in the Jambudvipa. Though it is not a well-blessed land, it can be accomplishing for a cultivator. We get good merits and virtues as long as we take the time to practice it.
Text:
While it is not a well-blessed land here in the Jambudvipa, many Buddhas and Bodhisattvas achieve enligthenment here. We get our will steeled the best in the secular world. Everyday we face all kinds of tests and enticement. Finally, I have come to understand why I am so fond of the lotus. It grows in the mud and yet stays clean from the filth. Life is like a grand stage. There are all kinds of roles for us to play and different challenges to face.
Commentary:
There is much to be said about the lotus. It grows in the mud and yet remains clean from filth. The lotus is compared to the Buddha Dharma as well. It is a rather unique plant here in the secular world. It blossoms and bears fruits simultaneously. While its root is buried in the mud, its stalk grows out of the water surface to the air. Few plants have flower blossom and fruits borne at the same time. This is like the cultivation of the Buddha Dharma in the secular world. Mud is comparable to the secular world. While our physical body exists in the world, our mind should be out of it like the stalk. If we cultivate in this way, our merits and virtues shall accrue and we shall make it to see flowers blossom and fruits borne at the same time. By then, we shall be in the state of the Buddha. It is both existence and non-existence. This is what the lotus symbolizes.
Text:
Master told us to keep our mind firm no matter what we do. All the trials and challenges are meant to increase our faith in the Buddha Dharma. Meet the challenge, and we shall improve ourselves.
Commentary:
Hardship is inevitable for us as we cultivate in the secular world. They are meant to make our will stronger. Face them squarely, as we shall be made as strong as Vajra by them. In the famous novel Journey to the West, eighty-one ordeals were set for Monk Hsuan-Tsang.
Lingmei’s journey to the Trayastrimsha Heaven is rather easy to read. I am not going to speak about it too deeply.
Amitabha-Buddha!!! May you be filled with the joy of Dharma!!!
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!