A. The secret to meditation is to make the method the goal, have no goal in mind other than to keep on meditating. Most people want results, and it is just because of this attitude that they get no results from the practice. If you look at a self made billionaire, you will find that they are all the same. They focus on doing the work that it takes to become rich, not on the money. If they thought about the money, they would have retired after there fist million. Meditation is the same way, if you think you are meditating then you will be happy with sitting for a short time, based on the fact that a short period of time is longer than the usual time. In this way we live upside down lives and in old age we regret. My humble advice to you is to practice the method which your teacher taught you with no thought that you are practicing at all.

Q. I would like to ask you a question that I can't quite figure yet.  I been planning to become a monk after I finish University here in Canada.  I was planning to go to Taiwan to study.  Could you please tell what are the steps to becoming a monk? 

A. If you want to become a monk under a true master, it takes years of training as a layman, and then years as a novice monk before you can become a true Buddhist monk and it takes at least 30 years of monkhood before one could be said to be a true Buddhist high master. It is a long way to become a high master, but those who have done it say that there is nothing like it. If you come to Taiwan there are many high masters to choose from. There are also quite a few in the United States which I know of.

A. I cannot talk for others, but from my point of view when a person dies the five elements return to their own nature. The earth goes back to earth, the water goes back to water, air goes back to air, heat (fire) goes back to heat, the soul (the Buddha's nature) returns to the pure land which  it came from before we were born to prepare for the next cycle of existence, just like the other four elements do all the time. 

Q.The idea of being reborn to the Pure Land by simply reciting Amitabha's name seems to circumvent the law of karma.  What I mean is - could an "evil" person with a great store of dismerit escape lower birth by this practice?  Doesn't that violate the law of Karma?  What do you think? 

A. Good or bad, the laws of karma are perfect, there is no way to escape them, only a fool would even try. One does not become a Buddha by ending karma, but by jumping out of the delusion which  we have lived in from endless times until now. If one is successful in doing that than that being will continue to have good and bad things happen, but will not be moved by these chain of events. Therefore, will remain in a happy medium between the good and the bad. 

Q. Could there really be a Pure Land in the first place?  I was under the impression that the only way to avoid the contamination of death or suffering was to enter Nirvana (or be a Buddha). 

A.To enter Nirvana is only the lower level of arhat, an Arhat cannot compare to a Bodhisattva. Sooner or later an Arhat must leave Nirvana and enter the world again to raise to the level of bodhisattva, and a bodhisattva must enter the world to advance his practices to Buddhahood.The Pure Land is not Nirvana, it is a place where practice may continue until full Buddhahood is obtained. After that you must return to the world for the benefit of all being throughout the Universe. As a Buddha will you continue to suffer? Of course you will. As a Buddha will you continue to experience delight? Of course you will. As a Buddha will your mind move? Of course it won't. 

Q. It seems that the Pure Land is described as being free from suffering and death.  Does this contradict the fundamental Buddhist view that only "Nirvana is Peace"?  What do you think? 

A. One is born in the Pure Land and as we know that every action must have a reaction there must be a death. Even Buddha said that if he wanted to he could prolong his life for a very long time, but even a Buddha is not above the laws of karma, and being born in this world must also die in this world. It is very delightful to be born in a Pure Land, and it is a delight to die there. When you die it means you are ready to do the Buddhas' work throughout the universe. To us birth and death is suffering, but to a Buddha it is just like waking up in the morning and going to bed in the evening. Narvana is not peace, it is just power. The arhats hide in it, and the Bodhisattvas regenerate their strength from it. 
 Q. What is the Buddhist Youth Movement like in Taiwan?  Do you also experiece the same kind of problem as we do in Indonesia?  How do you guys handle the problems? 

A. There are many great Dharma Masters here in Taiwan, and they all just give people, young or old, the chance to practice with the Sangha. If they do, or do not it is of no mater to the Dharma Master or the Sangha. Because they just keep up the practice whether or not the people follow along. Q. What are some of the ways, if any, do the Buddhist Sangha in Taiwan do to encourage more youth participation/involvements in Buddhist activities?  What specific ways do they do to excite and encourage youths in joining Buddhism? 

A. You cannot make someone become a Buddhist or take part in activities if they do not wish to. The best way to help others is to chant the Buddha's name from the time you get up in the morning to the time you go to bed at night, and do many good deeds in your community. Even if they people do not become Buddhist for sure you will be born in the pure land. Because you helped many people in this life time, in their next life time they will wish to return the favor. The only way to do that is by going to the Pure Land themselves. In this way we save the unsavable.  Q. Is there a Buddhist disccussion sites available where people from all over the world can meet and discuss issues and ideas relating to Buddhism and to spreading Buddhism more prevalently amongst youths? A. I don't know. If you find one please let me know.

A. You asked if I liked to meditate, the answer is I hate to meditate, and that is the reason I meditate everyday. The goal of meditating is not to sit in one place not doing anything but to be able to go about our daily activities with a clear bright mind that meditation gives us. 

Second question is, do I think that meditation can lead to enlightenment? Of course, that is how Buddha became enlightened but it is not the only way. In Buddha's day one could become enlightened just by hearing the Dharma. After that most people had to spend at least a little time in meditation to become enlightened. Now is the Dharma Ending Age and it is said that it is almost impossible to meditate so we should use the methods of reciting the Buddha's name or reciting the mantras. Or I should say we should tell others to use those methods and we should have faith that just hearing or reading the Dharma will bring us to enlightenment. And if that fails we should resort to meditation, and when that fails we should grab onto the Buddha's leg by reciting his name and have deep shame in ourselves for not being able to use the other methods. 

Q. I'm a little curious, Do you think it's a little bit hard to let the Westerners understands and accept buddhists, because Buddha teachings are very contradict with their religions because in Buddhism the first wrong view we have to leave behind is in this world there are no so called "god" that create everything and all beings. 

A. You asked a good question. Is it difficult to teach Westerners Buddhism? I am sorry to say that the answer is not as simple as the question. If it is not impossible it is too easy. Actually, we cannot save anyone, all we do is give them the knowledge to save themselves. If they save themselves it has nothing to do with us, they did it with the power of their own minds. If we take credit for this we will just fall deeper into our own suffering and delay our own enlightenment. 

Buddha is not just a teacher of men but a teacher of gods as well. This world is just an illusion and it does not matter who created the world because it is not real anyway. If you fight with Christians and say who created or did not create the world, you will not change their minds. On the other hand if you ask them to practice concentration for long periods of time then they will see through the illusion and see it was all created through greed, anger and ignorance with God at the top. 

Q. Do you know how to read Chinese language. In my opinion, it's very important to learn Chinese because to understand more about Buddha teachings, china has the largest collections. 

I can read Chinese but not very well and the Chinese Sutras are very difficult even for the Chinese to understand. I met a Chinese Buddhist nun a few years ago who said that she liked to read Sutras in English translated by the Ven. Master Hsuan Hua. She told me in Chinese that her English was poor but she liked to read the Surtas in English because Westerners don't understand Buddhism very well so Master Hsuan Hua had to say everything very simple so that his students could understand. At the same time she found it easier to understand than the Chinese version. 

My Master studied Buddhism in Japan for six years, when it was time to come back to Taiwan his Master there told him that he should go to America to teach Buddhism. My Master said that he could not speak English how could he teach Americans? His Master said that Buddhism does not depend on language, why do you need to be able to speak that language? 

The ultimate Buddhism is in all places at all times so there is no reason to look for it elsewhere. 
 

Q. What does it mean to be a pure land buddist, is it the same thing as a being a buddist? 

A. Yes, it does. One third of Buddha's Teachings were Mahayana, and in the Mahayana there are five schools, one of which is the Pure Land school. 

Q. I am 21, (to young?) and there is a pure land buddist buddist in town where I live. And I was hoping you could tell me what I might learn if I went to the Buddist church? 

A. To be young is good. Every Buddhist temple (Church) is different, but they should teach you first how to recite the Buddha's name. 

Q. Is it like going to cathlic church where you sit down and listen to the priest talk, or is it more like going to school? 

A. A little of both. It is a lot like P.E. class, where you are aloud to really get into the practice, not just the theory. Where most religions lack in practice Buddhist make up for. Without practice there is no Buddhism. 

Q. What have you learned, how have you become a better person, why did you and other people get into Buddism. 

A. I have never seen a person learn to be a good person or a bad one. It happens quite naturally. Buddhism teaches us how not to be led around by events as they happen, we wish to get true control over our lives and minds. Most people are lost in an ocean of ignorance without the slightest idea how to get out. They just continue doing evil day in and day out, and as we all know every action has a reaction that causes suffering. When people suffer they regret doing what they did, but that does not stop them from doing it a again and again