An Interview with a Reporter on the Thoughts of Yongsan Buddhism-7

          The  Great  Monk  has  said  that  present
Buddhist circles have erroneously interpreted
the theory of no self over 2000 years.  Taking
this opportunity, could you please tell us of
the correct theory of no self?

 The meaning of the theory of no self cannot be
overemphasized and holds an important core part
in the doctrine of Buddhism.  'All things have no
self  (諸法無我)'   together with  'All  things  are
impermanent  (諸行無常)',  and  'All  things  are
suffering (一切皆苦)'  or 'Perfect tranquility of
nirvana  (涅槃寂靜)' are very important Buddhist
doctrines that constitute the Three  Marks of
Existence in Buddhist teaching. I wish to ask you
to be clearly aware that the rest of the remaining
three doctrines excluding 'Perfect tranquility of
nirvana (涅槃寂靜)'are the doctrines which are all
confined to the phenomenal world.  To begin with,
the meaning of 'no self' can be divided into two.
First, it is that"there does not exist any real
substance  in  the phenomenal world which is not
annihilated forever." In this case, the expression
of no self is appropriate.  Second, they understand
it as "I in the phenomenal world is not my real
substance."  by interpreting and applying the
concept of no self from  a different aspect.  It is
more appropriate to interpret as non-self (非我)
rather than  no self.  By the way, scholars have
committed a great blunder of denying the true self
(眞我) that clearly exists in the realm of original
substance by applying the concept of this no self
extensively to the realm of original substance (the
realm of liberation of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas).

   The Mahayana Nirvana Sutra has repeatedly
stated the realm of original substance that exists
in the state of permanence, bliss, self and purity
(常樂我淨),and the existence of true self (眞我) as
real substance many times.  If they erroneously
interpret the theory of no self, the existence of the
Buddhas and Bodhisattvas can be denied. They
come to deny even the existence of the spiritual
bodies that are the real substance of ourselves.
Then we  cannot  interpret  transmigration  and
liberation completely.  This will result in making
Buddhism diminutive, and further  in losing the
true value of great  Buddhsim.  These are no other
than the fundamental reasons why Buddhism was
pushed  out,  expelled by  Hinduism, and has
eventually disappeared in India; and why it has
failed  in spreading actively to the west and to the
world.  Buddha the World-Honoured has said that
no self has erroneously been interpreted; and this
has caused Buddhism to ruin itself.

  Proper interpretation of no self becomes the
theoretical basis  on the existence  of the Buddha,
and provides the  reasoning for chanting  the
sacred name  of the Buddha.  Hence, Yongsan
Buddhism  has declared  transmigration  by the
spiritual bodies to world Buddhist  circles on the
basis of proper interpretation of the theory of  no
self.



    I understand   that   there  are   various
methods of practice  in Buddhism. However,
Yongsan   Buddhism   strongly argues   the
recitation  of  a  Buddha's name,  especially the
recitation  of  the  sacred  name of  Sakyamuni
Buddha.  Is there any specific  reason?

   The practice in Buddhism can easily be divided
into two parts.  One is to practice laying stress on
self-power, and the other  is to practice by other
power.  Practice by self-power  is  the practice
method literally relying  on self-power.  Practice
by other power means  the  practice  method of
receiving empowerment from  the Buddha.

   What Yongsan  Buddhism  argues is the practice
of reciting the sacred name  of  a Buddha.  Among
recitation  of   a  Buddha's  name,  we  strongly
recommend  the  practice  of chanting  the sacred
name of Sakyamuni  Buddha.  Recitation method
in Yongsan  Buddhism is to chant  the sacred name
of  Sakyamuni  Buddha after reading the Diamond
Sutra first which is a scripture of the Buddha, and
then reciting Vairocana Chonggwi Jinon which is
a dharani of the Buddha.  In this respect, Yongsan
Buddhism is greatly different from the existing
Pure Land sect that chants Amitabha Buddha.

   First,  reciting  the sacred name of the Buddha
has  its  basis of practice by  self-power through
getting rid of afflictions and concentrating on the
mind (止觀).  In addition to this, if a practitioner
chants the sacred name of Buddha the World-
Honoured who possesses immeasurable awesome
spiritual powers, he  can  clear  away even  his
heavy karmic hindrance by relying on the other
power.  As the Buddha exists, we must rely on the
Buddha.  If he does not receive empowerment
from such Buddha, it is extremely difficult for
him to escape from transmigration only by self-
power.  It is also utterly impossible for him to
become a Bodhisattva and a Buddha.  In order to
become a Bodhisattva,  one   must solve  the
problem of being possessed  by heaven  maras or
dragon ghosts,  etc.;  one must eliminate one's
karmic hindrance including the four grave crimes;
and one must remove greed, hatred and ignorance,
habitual energy, and the mass of karma(the body
of karma)  that have been accumulated over the
countless kalpas of lives (Hansam Jongni).  Also,
the four spiritual bodies overlapped as one must
be divided to be separate; in case of a woman, the
sex of the spiritual bodies must be changed to that
of a man; and one must also have one's own body
of liberation (a child) in the Pure Land.  These
works  can be performed by the Buddha only.
There is no one who can perform these works in
the universe.

   Therefore, we can say that chanting the sacred
name of the Buddha is a shortcut for liberation
and the only unprecedented method of practice to
become a Bodhisattva or a Buddha.  Recitation is
the superior and the most proper practice method
that the Buddha has taught us, all Buddhas and
Bodhisattvas recommend, and it has been based
on many sutras.  If a person recites the sacred
name  of the Buddha,  he will not suffer with
incontinence when  he passes away, but he will be
able to depart from this world comfortably as if
sleeping; although a disaster such as a war or an
infectious disease approaches us,we can survive
to the last.


source /An Interview with a Reporter on the Thoughts of Yongsan Buddhism
publication/Hyonjisa, Yongsan Buddhism
 
 

An Interview with a Reporter on the Thoughts of Yongsan Buddhism-6

   




   You said that Buddha the World-Honoured
manifests  himself  when  you  hold  a   great
Dharma assembly, and washes away karmic
hindrance of the Buddhists who were present.
Could you please elaborate   on  the scene
more in detail?

   As  the  Dharma  prince  of   Manjushri   in  the
Realm of the Buddhas, the important mission of I,
Jajae Manhyon, is to deliver the Dharma talks,
visiting numerous Buddha-lands including the
saha world until the end of all time. When I give
a Dharma talk at the assembly of Hyonjisa, my
Reward Body Buddha abiding in the Absolute
Realm comes into my body.  As I have attained
Buddhahood for the first time, Buddha the World-
Honoured sits on the crown of my head, and
Manjushri and Samantabhadra Bodhisattvas stand
on both sides of him. Sanghaeng and Jonghaeng
Bodhisattvas Mahasattvas who are the leaders of
Bodhisattvas Mahasattvas also stand on both
sides of my Dharma seat.  The Five Tathagata
Buddhas and many other Buddhas also come, and
numerous  Pure  Land  Bodhisattvas,  holy
multitudes, and hundreds,thousands and millions
of heaven beings gather at theDharma assembly.
Buddha the   World-Honoured   sends  out  the
Immeasurable Light, and washes  away karmic
hindrance of those  Buddhists  who  are present.
Also, numerous Buddhas who are present emit
light.  No matter what Dharma assembly you may
attend in the world, there is no other Dhrama
assembly where the Buddha washes away karmic
hindrance of those who are present there.

   This is the only Dharma assembly in the world
where karmic hindrance of those Buddhists who
are present there is washed away!  This has a
significant meaning in it.  If  a Buddhist attends the
Dharma assemblies of the Great Monk only, his
karmic hindrance will greatly be washed away;
when he departs this life, he can depart in comfort,
can be freed from the three evil destinies, and can
also go to heaven (the deva realm).  In the Chapter
of the original nature of the Tathagata in the
Nirvana Sutra, there appear the words of the
Buddha, "A sentient being into whose pores the
great nirvana light goes will accomplish the path
of a Buddha by all means."  I hope that you will
clearly understand the fact that, if  a person comes
to the assembly of a Buddha where a Great Monk
expounds, and receives the Immeasurable Light
(the Great Nirvana Light), he may meet with
enormous cause and conditions of attaining
Buddhahood in his next life.  This will be such
rare cause and conditions that a person could
barely experience once in thousands and tens of
thousands of lives.





    It  seems  to  me  that   present  world
Buddhism has severely been split.  Great
Monk, what do you think of present Buddhist
circle?

We can divide the main current of present world
Buddhism into three, namely southern Buddhism
centering   around  Southeast   Asia, Northern
Buddhism  around Korea, China, etc., and Tibetan
Buddhism.  But the problem is that there is no
Buddhism that has transmitted the true Dharma
lineage of the Buddha.  Southern Buddhism has
many limitations in itself  because it does not
admit Mahayana sutras with the exception of the
five Nikayas (the Agama Sutra).  The practice
method of vipashyana sets the goal of mainly
attaining arhatship.  The teaching of northern
Buddhism   and  its Seon  practice (of course
including Korean Seon of phrase investigation)
have been mixed with Taoism of China.  So it has
a lot of differences with original  Buddhism.
Tibetan Buddhism also has many problems in its
teaching called 'the attainment of Buddhahood
with this very body' and in its practic method.  I
wish to indicate that it is against the principle of
universal reason that the Dalai Lama carries on
his leadership line by continuously reincarnating.
The common  problems  and  limitations  that
present world  Buddhsim has are as follows; first,
they do not admit and are unaware of the
existence and awesome spiritual powers of the
Buddha; second, they do not admit the subject of
transmigration by erroneously interpreting the
view of no self, and do not know of the existence
of the spiritual bodies; and third, they have no
practice method of achieving complete liberation
from birth and death.  In addition to these, it is a
big problem that they are clearly unaware of the
Dharma grades based on the level of practice, and
that  they  are utterly ignorant  of the  realm of
tranquil   extinction   of  the   Buddhas   and
Bodhisattvas.   The  problems mentioned   above
correspond to the  basis  of   Buddhism.
Consequently,  present   Buddhism  must be
changed   for  the  better. Present   Buddhism has
become diminutive so that it cannot argue its
greatness as  the universal truth.

  Yongsan  Buddhism has  been born to carry on
the Dharma lineage of the Buddha at this very
point, and open the era of the true  Dharma again.
The main thought that Yongsan Buddhism aims at
is that the Buddha is alive; that the spiritual
bodies transmigrate; and that we must chant the
sacred name of the Buddha, relying  on  other
power and self-power on the basis of the Noble
Eightfold Path.  We can say that saving sentient
beings through teaching the true Dharma, and
realizing protection of this nation and world
peace through Buddhism are the principles of
Yongsan Buddhism.


source /An Interview with a Reporter on the Thoughts of Yongsan Buddhism
publication/Hyonjisa, Yongsan Buddhism

An Interview with a Reporter on the Thoughts of Yongsan Buddhism-5

Listening to your kind remarks, I can truly
understand a little how great he is.  Could you
please tell us of the great Buddhas of whom
Buddhists should be aware and their roles
among numerous Buddhas that the Buddha
has produced.


The  Buddha attained  Buddhahood   countless
kalpas  ago,  has  numerously  been  to the saha
world,  and has produced numerous innumerable
Buddhas.  I will tell you, focusing on the Buddhas
appearing in the sutras among many Buddhas,
and the great  Buddhas the ones we have to be
most aware of.   In the Dharma realm of the
universe, there are the Five Tathagata Buddhas
who  became Buddhas countless kalpas ago; the
four great Buddhas who are practicing actions of
a Bodhisattva  in the saha world; the three great
Buddhas who are responsible for the fortune of
human beings, and so on.

 The Five Tathagata Buddhas are Sakyamuni
Buddha,   Prabhutaratna   Buddha,   Medicine
Tathagata   Buddha,   Amitabha  Buddha, and
Bomyong Buddha.   Although  he has attained
Buddhahood   for   the  third   time,   Chilguji
Bulmowang Buddha Maha Cundi Bodhisattva
has not  been included in  the  Five  Tathagatas
because of  his role  as the Mother of numerous
Buddhas.  I  tell  you  definitely  that  the  four
Bodhisattvas such as Manjushri, Samantabhadra,
Avalokiteshvara, and Ksitigarbha Bodhisattvas
are not the Bodhisattvas at all who are qualified
to attain Buddhahood in their next lifetime as
Buddhist teachings and study say now, but they
are the great  Buddhas who attained Buddhahood
countless kalpas ago.  Those who are responsible
for  people's  fortune  are  Bomyong  Buddha,
Mountain  King  Buddha,  and Stars  Ruling
Tathagata Buddha.

  I  will also explain  to  you  the truth about
Maitreya  Buddha who has been known as the
future  Buddha.  Maitreya Buddha abides in the
Palace of  Tushita.  He was in India at the time of
the Buddha; he also came to the world at the time
of  Asanga some 900 years after the passing of the
Buddha; he will come again around 3000 years in
the Buddhist Era to revive Buddhist Dharma and
to teach and save sentient beings.    His   formal
Buddha  name  is Maitreya Seon-gwang Buddha,
Hyewi-deungwang    Buddha,    and    Boshi-
deunggwang  Buddha.



  A   Buddha  is  a  rare  saint  who  will   be
produced once in a kalpa. If it is true, I think
that the process of becoming a Buddha is
very difficult and wretched. Could you please
explain just part of its process?



 A  Buddha  is  a  universal saint who has become
one with the whole Dharma realm of the universe.
One  will become  a  Buddha  when  one  is
confirmed  by  the Buddha  through extremely
difficult practice and tests.  If one is at the stage of
becoming a Buddha who will possess one's own
Buddha Body, one has to come to Jambudvipa as
a human  by all means.    He   will  complete his
practice   at  the Western  Pure   Land  where
Amitabha  Buddha  abides; he will complete his
practice at the Medicine Pure  Land which is the
Buddha-land of  Medicine Buddha; and then he
comes to the saha  world  as  a human.  He will be
chosen  by the Buddha and will practice becoming
a Buddha.   The signs that one has completed
practice at these two Pure Lands are no other than
the bracelets and a pearl necklace that a Buddha
Body wears.  If one is not a Buddha, one is unable
to tell about it at all.

 If a person wants to become a Buddha, he has
to practice  for  a billion  kalpas,  and  has to
eliminate all sinful karmic hindrance that he has
committed over the countless kalpas of lives.
Also, his three poisons of greed, anger(hatred)
and  ignorance  and 108  afflictions  must  be
eradicated  without exception.  Then all impure
evil and habitual energy must also be eliminated.
Great  Monk Gwangmyong Manduk and myself
are well aware of such elimination because the
Buddha has performed such operations for us.  All
bonds of hatred, evil connections, etc. must be cut
off.  Then kindnesses and debts that he has been
indebted over the countless kalpas of lives must
be repaid.  He has to practice according  to the
Noble Eightfold Path, and must complete the path
of a Bodhisattva by almsgiving, the six paramitas,
etc.  and the vows of practice of  Samantabhadra.

 If a practitioner practices wisdom and blessed
virtues during thousands and tens of thousands of
lives, he will be able to see the Immeasurable
Light, namely Light of the Buddha when he gets
to a certain stage.  If he comes to see a billion
kinds of rare Light transparent both inside and
outside, a thick curtain of ignorance that lies in
the depth of the inner side of human beings will
be unveiled; eventually, the four spiritual bodies
will become a complete light mass.  Then the
practitioner will become a Bodhisattva of the
utmost supreme stage, possessing the capacity of
a Buddha; he will chant the sacred name of the
Buddha.  Then he will receive the empowerment
of the Buddha, enter samadhi of great quiescence,
see the Immeasurable Light which is the gateway
to attaining  Buddhahood, and then personally
meet  with  the Buddha.   If  the practitioner
experiences the six kinds of shakings within his
body, he can communicate with the Buddha, can
hear the Dharma talks, and can receive guidance
of practice from  him.  In order to become a
Buddha, he  must pass various examinations.
Among the tests of samadhi powers that the Great
Monk and I have experienced, there have been
many gateways such as passing through the caves
of flames or poisonous snakes which endangered
our  life, and  penetrating  a rock  as  big  as  a
mountain.



source /An Interview with a Reporter on the Thoughts of Yongsan Buddhism
publication/Hyonjisa, Yongsan Buddhism

An Interview with a Reporter on the Thoughts of Yongsan Buddhism-4

  There are people who assert that they can

see the Buddha.  What level of the stage do

we have to rise to see the Reward Body

Buddha who is the original Buddha?  We are

very anxious to know  what appearances

Buddhas  have  had  when  you,  the Great

Monk, saw  them  at the  time  when they

actually manifested.

  The stage of being able to  see the Reward

Body Buddha of Sakyamuni Buddha is the level

of a Buddha.  As the Reward Body Buddha has

been made of the Immeasurable Light, sentient

beings  cannot see it.  Although we are able to see

it, the intensity of the Immeasurable Light is so

high beyond our imagination that we will turn to

powder.  If a person who is not a Buddha says that

he has seen a Buddha Body, this means that he

must have seen a false Buddha, possessed by a

heaven mara.

  Nosana Buddha  who  is  the Reward  Body

Buddha of Buddha the World-Honoured abides at

Hyonjisa all the time, but sentient beings cannot

see him.  When the Reward Body Buddha comes

to  the  saha  world,  he manifests  in various

Transformed Reward Bodies.  Buddha the World-

Honoured is the King of the Three Realms, the

Dharma King in the universe, and the King of

Buddhism in Jambudvipa.  He keeps his head

neatly shaved; he wears a long gray jacket with

wide sleeves and a red Dharma robe made of 108

pieces all the time; and he walks with a staff with

eight metal rings at its top.

  The  distinctive   feature   of  Prabhutaratna

Buddha  is  that he has a short beard.  Medicine

Tathagata Buddha puts white colthes on the lower

part of the body, and wraps with the red Dharma

robe around/above the breast, and his Body looks

transparent.  Amitabha  Buddha wears  a long

jacket with wide sleeves in a golden color and a

red  Dharma  robe  made  of  55 pieces.

Samantabhadra Bodhisattva is in classical scholar

dress, letting his hair down and wearing it long,

and walks with a staff  having a figure of a dragon

head on its top.  Cundi Bodhisattva is in typical

queen dress.  Avalokiteshvara has a typical Korean

woman figure, wearing traditional Korean clothes

in white silk.  Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva wears a

gray  traditional  Korean  overcoat  and has a

bulging belly.

  Do we have to see all mysterious abillty of

the Buddha appearing in the sutras such as

the Lotus Sutra or the Avatamsaka Sutra as

being true?  Also, it is said that the awesome

spiritual power of the Buddha is universal.  I

am anxious  to  know  where  such  ability

originates from.

   The  rare  awesome   spiritual   powers   of  the

Buddha are distinctively displayed in samadhi of

great quiescence, a billion kinds of Immeasurable

Light, and the Three Bodies of the Buddha.  As

the Buddha has completed wisdom and blessed

virtues through practice over a billion kalpas, and

has completely  become  one  with  the  original

body  of  the universe, he can make the most of all

limitless power, love, wisdom, substance, and

information that emptiness which is the original

body of the universe has.  Therefore, we have to

understand the ability of the Buddha as being

limitless.  There is  almost  nothing  that  is

impossible to the Buddha.  Each one of a billion

kinds of Immeasurable Light that the Reward

Body Buddha emanates possesses rare ability. Let

me provide some examples of these abilities.

  The Buddha possesses the ability of saving

human beings by leading sentient beings to the

road to liberation by clearing away their karmic

hindrance, and saving deceased spirits who have

fallen into evil destinies of the realms of hells,

hungry ghosts and animals to heavens.  Only the

Buddha has the ability of producing a Buddha.

  Only the Buddha has attained mastery of the

flame samadhi with the temperature of some

billion degrees that can bring all non-Buddhist

heretics into submission.  He can throw away the

whole universe, can also manifest his body to be

as big as the earth, and can also make his body so

small that he can even enter a tiny sesame seed.

The Reward Body Buddha can reveal himself  in

several thousands  or  tens  of thousands  of

Transformation Bodies in many  Buddha-lands,

and they can act and work as individuals with

human character.

  The following are all true facts, namely the

scene that Prabhutaratna Buddha and the Tower

of Prabhutaratna Tathagata rose up out of the

earth in the Chapter on the Appearance of the

Jeweled Tower in the Lotus Sutra; the scene that

Buddha the World-Honoured and Prabhutaratna

Buddha shared a seat together in the Tower of

Prabhutaratna Buddha that stood suspended in the

air and expounded the Dharma after having raised

the four groups of the followers into the air; the

contents   of   the   Buddha   having   attained

Buddhahood in the immeasurable past and of his

immeasurable life in the Chapter on Duration of

Life of the Tathagata; and as is the contents that

the Buddha extended his long and broad tongue

and let it reach the Brahma Heavens upward in

the Chapter on the Supernatural Powers of the

Tathagata, and so on.  In addition, the following

are also true that, as stated in the Avatamsaka

Sutra, the Buddha left his body at respective

places as he was and went to another place, going

back   and   forth   to  heaven   and   earth; and

manifesting himself freely as the Reward Body

and Transformation Bodies, he let people see the

inconceivable and endless worlds by emanating

hundreds,   thousands,  billions,   nayuta   and

asankhya of light from every pore of his Body.

  I,    Jajae Manhyon,   make   clear   that the

mysterious awesome spiritual  powers  of  the

Buddha  described in the Lotus  Sutra and the

Avatamsaka Sutra are all true.  They have not

been said as a skillful means or figuratively.  Still

these sutras have stated only a small number of

the abilities that the Buddha possesses.  The

awesome spiritual powers of the Buddha cannot

be described in writing or speech at all.  These are

the rare abilities of the Buddha that one can never

realize before one reaches the level of a Buddha.

source /An Interview with a Reporter on the Thoughts of Yongsan Buddhism

publication/Hyonjisa, Yongsan Buddhism