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Beneath the sea of glistening stars,<\/strong> Under the lucent morning glow,<\/strong> Princes, beggars and pretenders,<\/strong> The crown of a grand old oak<\/strong> With branches amber in autumn,\u00a0<\/strong> So even as human affairs steer here and there,<\/strong> It is often asked why it is said that there\u00a0are 84,000 different Dharma-doors (i.e. innumerable forms of Dharma).<\/strong>\u00a0The answer is simple:\u00a0Sentient beings are complex and have innumerable biases, different spiritual levels and varying aspirations. \u00a0Thus, it is not possible for one fixed form of\u00a0teaching\u00a0to suffice by itself.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Therefore, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have not only spoken a rich collection of different Sutras, but have also manifested as the\u00a0Sages and founders of different religions in order to teach\u00a0those who could not yet accept the Buddha-dharma.<\/p>\n According to the Ven. Master Hsuan Hua:<\/p>\n \u201cIn Buddhism, he (Guanyin Bodhisattva) appears as a Bodhisattva; in other religions he often appears clad in white robes. In Christianity, he is the Holy Mother; he appears as the Holy Mother to teach and transform a certain category of beings. He appears in white robes and Christians call her Mother Mary, but actually she is Guanshiyin Bodhisattva manifesting in that form to inspire beings to bring forth a resolve that will lead them sooner or later to understand the Buddhadharma. Once they understand the Buddhadharma, they will bring forth the resolve for Bodhi. These are the endless miraculous functions and inconceivable states of Guanshiyin Bodhisattva.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n -Ven Master Hsuan Hua\u2019s 1996 Lecture\u00a0\u201cGuanyin, Guanyin, Guanshiyin\u201d\u00a0(Translated by the BTTS).<\/strong><\/p>\n Despite this rich varied diversity, the purpose\u00a0is all the same: To promote virtue and eschew vice, which is the key (i.e. the Sila of the Threefold Training of Sila, Samadhi\u00a0and\u00a0Prajna) to eventually developing faith in the Buddha-dharma. For a more detailed analysis, please read my following Public Domain essay:<\/p>\n https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/ThePurposeOfMonotheismAndItsFuture<\/a><\/p>\n Thus, interfaith harmony is important, and no one\u00a0should be caught up in conflict or strife over superficial differences,\u00a0for all roads lead home.<\/strong><\/p>\n However, even though all roads (religions) lead to the Buddha-dharma, all of the Buddha-dharma\u00a0and every Sutra are united by Amita Buddha\u2019s Pure Land School, the easiest and most wondrous Dharma door, cultivated by both the brilliant and base. The only practical way to Buddha-hood in our current Dharma-ending age.<\/p>\n For an introduction to Pure Land Buddhism, please read my Free and Public Domain\u00a0translations\u00a0of the\u00a0The Buddha Speaks the Mahayana,Infinite Life, Adornment,Purity, Impartiality, and Enlightenment Sutra<\/a>, and the\u00a0Path to Pure Land\u00a0<\/a><\/strong>prayer<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
\nBetween the ethereal evening air,<\/strong>
\nLies a forest of glowing dreams,<\/strong>
\nBut as diverse and rich as they are,<\/strong>
\nNone escape the same Moonbeam.<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nRoll waves of raving emotions,\u00a0<\/strong>
\nTurbid fortunes and cruel woes,<\/strong>
\nThe burning craving of billions,\u00a0<\/strong>
\nYet the same Sun illumes them all.<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nAll dance their own tango with<\/strong>
\nFortune\u2019s jeering taunts and tantrums,<\/strong>
\nEach gambles to grapple with fate,<\/strong>
\nBut\u00a0upon the same soil they all tread.<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nCasts a wide and mighty shadow,\u00a0<\/strong>
\nRuffling with a myriad of leaves,<\/strong>
\nAdorned by blooming blossoms\u00a0<\/strong>
\nThat sprout in spring and wither in winter,<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nGreen in summer, and lean and bare<\/strong>
\nIn Saturn\u2019s season of barren frost.<\/strong>
\nYet for all its lush richness, it still rests<\/strong>
\nUpon one abiding unchanging trunk.<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nAnd wander and meander like wetland streams,<\/strong>
\nThe timeless source remains the same,<\/strong>
\nFor all ripe fruits return to Buddha\u2019s\u00a0root.<\/strong><\/p>\nJANUARY 21, 2017<\/a><\/span><\/h6>\n