Fulfill Every Person

Fulfilling every person should start with cultivating our own body, making sure that we do not have any health problem, because we would not be fulfilled if we still have illness and pain. We need to take care of our illness and pain if they exist. We then expand such endeavors to interpersonal relationships, and to fulfill the relationship with our parents, children, relatives, friends, and social relationships. Each one of them needs to be fulfilled.

We begin by focusing on the details in our daily lives. From time to time we need to examine oneself and to find out why we could not get along with other people and fight with them for trivial matters.

Buddha dharma has very practical implications, and to practice Buddha dharma we need to fulfill each and every person. Start such fulfillments with ourselves. Seek to fulfill ourselves in every aspect, such as health, learning, wisdom and merits. And then expand the fulfilling process to one’s relatives, friends, society, country and relations between countries. Otherwise, we would not have fulfilled, and would be incomplete.

Fulfill Every Issue

We need to do a satisfactory job when dealing with every issue in life. At work we need to do a respectable job fulfilling our duty. We need to manage our career well. This is what fulfilling every issue means. If everyone does a good job fulfilling every issue, there would be no disputes, no worries, and a fulfilled person would have no stress, illness or pain.

Take Care Of Every Object

We need to take care of every object. We need to maintain them in the state originally intended for. To do so we would need to protect them by removing dusts and preserving their original appearances. We also want to put them to the best use. For example, if an object was intended to be viewed and admired, we should put it at a location where it is easy for people to see.

In such a way, we would understand the ecology of the entire universe and learn how to take care of them and protect them, and not to subject them to disturbance or abuse. It is merciless in treating any object irrelevant to the law of the universe. Through Chan practice we could understand and realize the way how the universe functions.

Fulfill Every Dharma

If we could fulfill each and every dharma then we would be able to fulfill both our spiritual practice and our secular practice. Buddha dharma is not very deep, nor is Buddhahood very difficult to attain. Just start with issues as small as the fine sands in the Ganges River. Bit by bit everything will be purified. If we want to attain Buddhahood, we need to fulfill every person, every issue, every object, and every dharma.

If there were dissatisfactions in our career, we would need to find out the cause, and correct it accordingly. If there were poor relationships, we would need to find ways to communicate and resolve them. We would have no conflict if we communicate well. Agreement can easily be reached. All issues in the world can be resolved. The only thing standing in the way of any resolution is opposition. If opposition exists in people’s mind conflicts would not end.

We need to reach understanding through coordination and communication. We need to realize that all wars do not end until the both sides sit down at a table and conduct face-to-face talks. Focusing the talk with harmonious intentions is the way to fulfill all issues. Practitioners fail to attain Buddhahood simply because they fail to reach fulfillment in their practice; they do not have the correct dharma, nor the right spiritual teacher, thus cannot attain Buddhahood.

“It is us who regard issues of the world as troubles.” We need to have a enlightened heart, a heart that is limitless in scope. Once our body is emptied we could be filled with spiritual qi. And once our mind is emptied, our heart can become a pure-land, which could tolerate every sentient being. Take a chime stone (an ancient Chinese musical instrument) as an example. It can produce sound because it is empty inside. It would not produce any sound if it is full. This empty is like the vast and immeasurable void.

Every practitioner should start with the smallest issues. If family members do not get along, we would need to communicate. When things are explained openly, the issues will be resolved as long as we do with sincerity. Communication and coordination are very important.

Regarding our daily chores, once we begin to work on anything we must do a good job, and not give up halfway when difficulty arises. Otherwise, it would indicate that we have lost the courage that we had at the beginning. We need to think things through at the beginning. Determine the problematic areas, and overcome them one step a time. This is the Buddha dharma.

We can say whatever we want among practitioners. If we ever hear an unfair comment about ourselves, just speak out, and put the issue to rest. Buddha is to be uncovered from the inside of every one of us. We need to fulfill all secular duties in this Saha world. Do not waste or abuse our time. We need to be free from all worries, and not to seek for them.

I wish each of you an open and cheerful heart, like the open sky and the vast ocean, then there will be no attachment. Just fulfill every encounter that is lacking. Do not procrastinate. Do not pause. Once fulfilled, all our sensory roots will be cleansed, and we will reach the state of absolute purity.