8th Vow

Wisdom to See the Minds of Others (December 12)

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Much of the suffering and turmoil in our lives is caused by misunderstanding and failure to cooperate.  In this Sunday’s Dharma Talk, Rev. Adams will share reflections on the 8th of Amida Buddha, which encourages us to get to know one another and try to understand each others’ perspectives:

If, when I attain Buddhahood, the humans and devas in my land should not possess the wisdom to see into the minds of others,and thus be unable to know the thoughts of the sentient beings of at least a hundred thousand kotis of nayutas* of Buddha‐lands, may I not attain the perfect enlightenment.

*kotis and nayutas are very large numbers

Schedule
8:30 a.m. Shōya Raisan Chanting
9:00 a.m. Hula with Stephanie Hagio Chin
9:30 a.m. Dharma Service
10:30 a.m. Shotsuki Hoyo Monthly Memorial Service

If you would like to attend the service in person, please email smbt@sanmateobuddhisttemple.org or call (650) 342-2541 to reserve a seat. Proof of full Covid-19 vaccination is required. A maximum of 36 in-person attendees will be allowed, so please contact us at your earliest convenience if you wish to attend.

Please do not come to the temple without registering in advance.

To join us for this online Dharma Service, CLICK HERE to sign up for “Live Broadcast of Services”.

The Six Superhuman Powers

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Six kinds of superhuman ability attained by a Buddha or enlightened disciple of the Buddha as a result of their spiritual practice.

1. Divine Feet

2. Divine Eyes

  • Also called “Knowledge of Death and Rebirth” or “Knowledge of Samsara”
  • The unimpeded ability to see into every place and to know the future rebirths of all beings.
  • See the 6th Vow of Bodhisattva Dharmakara

3. Divine Ears

4. The Wisdom to See into the Minds of Others

5. Knowledge of Past Lives

6. Complete Extinction of Afflictions

  • The ability to know that one has completely extinguish one’s blind passions (greed, anger, and ignorance), such that they will never arise again.
  • See the 39th Vow of Bodhisattva Dharmakara

48 Vows of Bodhisattva Dharmakara (Amida Buddha)

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From the Three Pure Land Sutras, Volume II: The Larger Sutra, pg. 20-29

/m

1

“‘If, when I attain Buddhahood, there should be hell, the realm of hungry spirits, or the realm of animals in my land, may I not attain the perfect enlightenment.

2

If, when I attain Buddhahood, the humans and devas in my land, should, after their death, return once more to the three evil realms, may I not attain the perfect enlightenment.

3

If, when I attain Buddhahood, the humans and devas in my land should not all be the color of genuine gold, may I not attain the perfect enlightenment.

4

If, when I attain Buddhahood, the humans and devas in my land should not all be of the same appearance and should be either beautiful or ugly, may I not attain the perfect enlightenment.

5

If, when I attain Buddhahood, the humans and devas in my land should not remember all their former lives,[1] and thus be unable to know at least the events of the previous hundred thousand kotis of *nayutas of kalpas, may I not attain the perfect enlightenment.

6

If, when I attain Buddhahood, the humans and devas in my land should not possess divine eyes,[2] and thus be unable to see at least a hundred thousand kotis of nayutas of Buddha‐lands, may I not attain the perfect enlightenment.

7

If, when I attain Buddhahood, the humans and devas in my land should not possess divine ears,[3] and thus be unable to hear the teachings being expounded by at least a hundred thousand kotis of nayutas of Buddhas or remember them all, may I not attain the perfect enlightenment.

8

If, when I attain Buddhahood, the humans and devas in my land should not possess the wisdom to see into the minds of others,[4] and thus be unable to know the thoughts of the sentient beings of at least a hundred thousand kotis of nayutas of Buddha‐lands, may I not attain the perfect enlightenment.

9

If, when I attain Buddhahood, the humans and devas in my land should not possess divine feet, and thus be unable to go beyond at least a hundred thousand kotis of nayutas of Buddha‐lands in a thought‐moment, may I not attain the perfect enlightenment.

10

If, when I attain Buddhahood, the humans and devas in my land should give rise to any thought of attachment to their body, may I not attain the perfect enlightenment.

11

If, when I attain Buddhahood, the humans and devas in my land should not dwell in the stage of the truly settled and necessarily attain nirvana, may I not attain the perfect enlightenment.

12

If, when I attain Buddhahood, my light should be finite, not illuminating even a hundred thousand kotis of nayutas of Buddha‐lands, may I not attain the perfect enlightenment.

13

If, when I attain Buddhahood, my life should be finite, limited even to a hundred thousand kotis of nayutas of kalpas, may I not attain the perfect enlightenment.

14

If, when I attain Buddhahood, the number of sravakas in my land could be counted and known, even if all the sravakas and pratyekabuddhas in the *triple‐thousand great thousand worlds should spend at least a hundred thousand kalpas counting them, may I not attain the perfect enlightenment.

15

When I attain Buddhahood, the humans and devas in my land will not have a limited life span, except when they wish to shorten it freely according to their original vows. Should this not be so, may I not attain the perfect enlightenment.

16

If, when I attain Buddhahood, the humans and devas in my land should even hear that there are names of evil acts, may I not attain the perfect enlightenment.

17

If, when I attain Buddhahood, the countless Buddhas throughout the worlds in the ten quarters should not all glorify and praise my name, may I not attain the perfect enlightenment.[5]

18

If, when I attain Buddhahood, the sentient beings of the ten quarters who, with sincere and *entrusting heart, aspire to be born in my land and say my name even ten times, should not be born there, may I not attain the perfect enlightenment. Excluded are those who commit the *five grave offenses and *those who slander the right Dharma.[6]

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