16 The Ability to Purify Karma

“Also, Subhuti, if a good man or good woman is belittled or ridiculed when upholding or reciting this sutra, it is due to their karmic retribution from past lives, which would have resulted in the lower realms. By being ridiculed in this lifetime, their karmic retribution will be eliminated, and they will attain anuttara samyaksambodhi.

“Subhuti, I recall during the countless asamkya kalpas, I made offerings and served without fail 84,000 million nayuta buddhas in front of Dipamkara Buddha. In comparison, if there is a person in the dharma-ending era who can uphold and recite this sutra, his merit will exceed my merit from offering to all the buddhas by more than a hundred times, a trillion times, or beyond any calculation and comparison.

“Subhuti, there may be someone—upon hearing my statement on the merit of a good man or good woman who upholds and recites this sutra in the dharma-ending era—who would become utterly confused, skeptical, and in disbelief.

“Subhuti, know that the meaning of this sutra is inconceivable, and karmic retribution is also inconceivable.”

Your life is a movie,

and you are the main character.

If you realize that life is just a movie

and you are watching yourself acting in it,

then you achieve liberation.

Discourse 53

January 23, 2022

We will now discuss chapter sixteen—The Ability to Purify Karma. The title is very easy to explain: the Vajra Sutra can purify your karma. Once your karma is purified and cleared, you will be liberated. Once liberated, you can ascend to the highest level of Sukhavati. Without karma, your body will naturally radiate light, so of course you can go to the Pureland of the Eternal Serene Light.

You can also go to the purelands for sambhogakaya buddhas: the Magnificent Pureland of Real Rewards (the third level of Sukhavati) and the Abundant Pureland for Convenience (the second level of Sukhavati). Having the attainment of the four sagely realms—buddhahood, bodhisattvahood, pratyekabuddhahood, and sravakahood—you can travel to all the buddhaverses in the ten directions.

This chapter indicates that the Vajra Sutra can purify karma. Once karma is eliminated, one will be liberated. Once liberated, one can go to the purelands.

The Vajra Sutra talks about emptiness. The non-phenomena of self, others, sentient beings, and lifespan refer to emptiness. Likewise, the Heart Sutra is also about emptiness.

“No eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, or mind; no forms, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, or mental formations; and no realm of the eyes, up to the realm of the consciousness. There is no ignorance or the ending of ignorance, up to no aging and death, or the ending of aging and death.”

Both the Vajra Sutra and the Heart Sutra discuss emptiness and unattainability. There really is “nothing to gain” in this world!

Here I am giving a dharma teaching while all of you are listening. According to the Vajra Sutra, there is no speaker, no listener, and no such thing as dharma. This is emptiness—the threefold wheels of intrinsic emptiness.

In Texas, we have the Three Wheel Leizang Temple. When I bestowed the name “Three Wheel,” the head of the temple commented, “Grandmaster, how come you gave me only three wheels? All cars have four wheels.” I chose this name to remind you to contemplate on the nature of emptiness—the three wheels are intrinsically empty, as mentioned in the Buddhist sutras.

Speaking of which, I have an analogy to share. This is how I view my life now. This “I” is merely the audience¹ entering a theater to watch a movie. The male lead in the movie is called Sheng-Yen Lu, while the female lead is called Li-Hsiang Lu. They are acting in a movie called “life.” There are plenty of scenes, supporting roles, extras, and different settings—like Kaohsiung and Taichung—in the storyline. They perform all the way to Seattle in the United States. This Sheng-Yen Lu becomes Grandmaster Lu, who is now seated here, giving dharma teachings. He establishes True Buddha School and gains many followers.

I am merely watching this movie as I enter the movie theatre—as the audience. The title of the movie is “The Life Story of Sheng-Yen Lu.”² The movie plays from when he was born until he dies, marking the end of the movie as “The End.” When the movie is over, I exit the theatre as I am done watching it.

While watching the movie, I am naturally touched by the emotions it displays—happiness, anger, sadness, joy—and the plot sweeps me along as Sheng-Yen Lu and Li-Hsiang Lu, as well as the supporting characters and cast—men or women—play out their roles. But once the movie is over, it’s game over, owari³—it’s the end, and the main character “I” is dead. The movie is over, and I make my way out.

The real Sheng-Yen Lu is watching a movie about the fake Sheng-Yen Lu. As spoken in the Vajra Sutra, the one giving dharma teachings here is the fake Sheng-Yen Lu, while my buddhanature is the real Sheng-Yen Lu. The real Sheng-Yen Lu is watching the fake Sheng-Yen Lu acting in the movie that will eventually come to an end.

Now that you’re done watching the movie, let me ask you: What relation do the characters and the various scenes in the movie have to the audience?

The audience and the actors are unrelated, although you, as the audience, might become engrossed in the movie while you watch it. When they laugh, you laugh. When they cry, you cry. When they are angry, sad, or happy, you are also angry, sad, or happy. But after you finish watching, you realize it was just a movie—you are just the audience, watching yourself acting in a movie. These two beings are separate. This is the essence of the Vajra Sutra.

The characters in the movie are of course, all fake, even though they resemble the real ones. The real one is the buddhanature, which is the true Sheng-Yen Lu, the audience. The Sheng-Yen Lu in the saha world is the fake Sheng-Yen Lu, the actor. The real and the fake Sheng-Yen Lu are totally unrelated.

All the actors are fake, much like everything is fake, referring to the non-phenomena of self, others, sentient beings, and lifespan. Yet the buddhanature is autonomous and independent. After watching the movie, I—the buddhanature—remain completely unrelated to the fake Sheng-Yen Lu. I am the buddhanature.

I am telling you this so that you can understand what buddhanature is and what liberation is. The real Sheng-Yen Lu is the one who is liberated, and the fake one and everything in the movie is not real. However, if the character Sheng-Yen Lu in the movie violates precepts and carries karma, he will be bound to the rebirth cycle in the six realms of samsara [which will also be played out in the movie]. Therefore, we can say that the rebirth cycle is also fake. If you do not recognize and comprehend this, you will forever be bound by the transmigration in samsara [and will forever remain inside the movie].

On the other hand, if you recognize that you are merely watching a movie and that the movie will end, you have already liberated yourself and reached an attainment. You become autonomous and have self-control. Liberation is being unbound by transmigration in the six rebirth realms.

On the contrary, if you regard the fake Sheng-Yen Lu as the real Sheng-Yen Lu, you will remain bound by the rebirth cycle. You will bear the consequences of your misdeeds and transgressions against the precepts. For this very reason, I am now expounding the Vajra Sutra, so you can understand how to purify your karma and liberate yourself!

The Sixth Patriarch, Huineng, said, “Do not think of good; do not think of bad.” Good and bad are irrelevant to him. After reading the Vajra Sutra, you liberate yourself and now know you are only watching yourself acting in a movie of your life. However, you must first purify yourself to escape the rebirth cycle. Without karma purification, it is impossible to free yourself from this bondage.

One day, when I die—when the fake Sheng-Yen Lu dies—I will leave behind three [Chinese] words: “wuganshe,”⁴ meaning “no interference,” “irrelevant,” or plainly as “nothing to do with me.” I have nothing to do with that fake Sheng-Yen Lu; he did not interfere with me! I am merely an audience watching his performance. Does this make sense to you?

Understand that human life is just a movie, and each of us plays a role in it. We are all just actors performing in our own movies, with ourselves as the main characters. One day the movie will come to an end. If you do not realize your buddhanature [and not become a mere audience], you will always believe that the movie is a reality, and that you are inside it. You will continue acting inside the movie, remain immersed, and be swept away by it. You will endlessly tumble in the rebirth cycle because your karma has not been eradicated.

However, if you understand the Vajra Sutra, you will understand the non-phenomena of self, others, sentient beings, and lifespan. You will choose not to act in the movie anymore and instead work on purifying yourself. You will step out from the movie and become an observer, watching yourself [the lead character] avoid any wrongdoing. This way, you don’t have to continue acting in the movie of endless rebirth. You have stepped out of it and achieved liberation. Then you can clear your own karma. I am explaining this to you very clearly!

You will be liberated once you rid yourself of greed, anger, delusions, doubt, and pride, and shut off the six thieves—eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind. No form, sound, smell, taste, touch, or mental formation will exist. No more sensory organs and no more sensations. You are liberated when there is no more desire for wealth, sensual pleasures, fame, food, or sleep! Only the fake Sheng-Yen Lu can be reincarnated, but the true Sheng-Yen Lu will never transmigrate.

Speaking of desire, two days ago, after Shimu and I finished our late-night snack, she returned to her bedroom to sleep. I helped her apply some eye drops, tucked her in, and set up protection around her room. She uses a mobility scooter when she has trouble walking. She uses it to move around the house, say from her room to mine. As she reached her room’s door, she glanced at the scooter and said she saw a young lady sitting on it. My first reaction was, “Is the lady beautiful?” and she gave me a look. I asked her again today, “Was the lady on the scooter you saw that day beautiful?” She retorted, “Beautiful or not, she’s a ghost. I’m still jealous.” She didn’t answer my question. I’m unsure if she’s telling the truth, but my first reaction was to ask whether the ghost was beautiful. This is the behavior of the fake Sheng-Yen Lu! We’re talking about ghosts and the intangible, yet I still asked if she’s beautiful. The fake one does these things…

Whenever I reach my bedroom, I join my palms to Golden Mother and chant, “Om jin-mu siddhi hum” three times. The Golden Mother of the Primordial Pond rises to the sky, and her brow point radiates light toward my brow point.⁵ At this time, I usually hear the sound of high heels from far away in the hallway, “click-clack, click-clack…” until the sound stops beside me. This truly happens every day—I am not making this up. I hear the footsteps of high heels or a man’s leather shoes, slippers, or some other kind of shoes walking toward me—good thing it’s me who hears it! If it were you, you would have been covered in goosebumps!

I also tell them that there’s no need for them to make loud noises to greet me. Why bother? I know that they’re trying to let me know of their existence by making sounds and clacking their shoes. I told them that I would greet them instead. It’s not that I’m afraid of them, but sudden loud noises can sometimes startle me. These days when I greet them first, they become very quiet.

The spirit world exists; intangibles also exist. Why are you wearing masks if there is no such thing as intangibles? We consider the COVID-19 virus invisible since you can’t see it with the naked eye. Likewise, spirits can’t be seen with the naked eye, but their presence is evident. From my personal experience, I can affirm that the netherworld does exist, and ghosts do exist. I would like to remind you not to become ghosts or netherworld spirits.

In the future, everyone should be able to purify their own karma, just as this title says—The Ability to Purify Karma. By putting the Vajra Sutra into practice, you can purify and eradicate your karma.

Om mani padme hum.

Any karma

generated from previous lifetimes

can be eradicated by chanting and upholding the Vajra Sutra.

Thereupon you will attain anuttara samyaksambodhi.

Discourse 54

January 29, 2022

This is the law of cause and effect. When there is a cause, there is an effect. Without a cause, there will be no effect. Karmic retribution is not without a cause.

Sakyamuni Buddha said that if a good man or good woman is belittled or ridiculed when reading or reciting this sutra, it means that they have karmic retributions, which would have resulted in rebirth in the lower realms. But by being ridiculed while chanting the sutra in this lifetime, one’s karmic retributions from past lives are eliminated. This is the benefit of reciting the Vajra Sutra—to purify karma, as stated in the title of this chapter, The Ability to Purify Karma. The Vajra Sutra is emptiness, so karmic transgressions amid emptiness will dissipate completely.

In Tantric Buddhism, there is the Vajrasattva Hundred Syllable Mantra, which we always chant three times [at the end of our dharma practice]. It can eradicate transgressions by returning them to emptiness. What is the hundred syllable mantra? As I’ve said before, it too is [about] emptiness. Chanting the hundred syllable mantra annihilate all your karmic transgressions and karmic retributions. It is the best mantra for eradicating karma.

After completing a hundred thousand recitations of the hundred syllable mantra, you can use the divine duster [or broom⁶ to chant and accomplish the following]:

“The first sweep clears afflictions.
The second sweep purges misfortunes.
The third sweep eradicates karma.
The yidam and blessings will manifest immediately.
Om bie-zha sah-do hum.
Om bie-zha sah-do hum.
Om bie-zha sah-do hum.”

Om bie-zha sah-do hum is the shortest version of the hundred syllable mantra, also known as the Vajrasattva Mantra. You will eradicate your own karma by reciting it a hundred thousand times. The stream of emptiness will completely empty you and your karma. The Vajra Sutra has the same power.

“…and they will attain anuttara samyaksambodhi.”

You will attain anuttara samyaksambodhi once karma has been eradicated. It is crucial to eliminate our own karma first. This is extremely important!

From my own experience, this complies with Lamdre, which I have expounded before. According to Lamdre, through inner tantric practices, we open our five cakras (the brow, throat, heart, navel, and sacral cakras) by fusing our lightdrops and inner fire together. The opening of cakras has a specific meaning. As a cakra is opened, one ascends two grounds of bodhisattvahood. When one opens the five cakras, one reaches the tenth ground of bodhisattvahood. By opening the crown cakra, one reaches the twelfth ground, and when the usnisa⁷ is opened, one reaches the twelfth-and-a-half ground. When you reach the thirteenth ground, you reach buddhahood, according to the Tantrayana tradition. However, in Mahayana Buddhism, buddhahood starts at the eleventh ground, with only ten grounds of bodhisattvahood.

How does one attain bodhisattvahood and buddhahood by opening the cakras? The key reason is that by opening a cakra, you purify that part of your body, reaching a certain level of purity [meaning a percentage of karma has been eradicated]. This is what it means!

You start from the first ground of bodhisattvahood—the Ground of Joy—and continue all the way to the tenth ground—the Ground of the Dharma Clouds. Your purity level indicates the ground of your bodhisattvahood. The first ground of bodhisattvahood indicates that your purity level is still at its initial stage. Eradicating karma is the same as purification. Thus you eradicate your karma until you are completely pure—this is anuttara samyaksambodhi. This is Dao. You then become one with Dao.

“…would have resulted in the lower realms.”

The three lower realms are the worst. Why are ghosts afraid of Grandmaster? They certainly are afraid of me! When they see me coming, they scurry away while making noises. When I enter a haunted house, the ghosts also scamper and make a series of noises. [At my home] you can hear the noises, whether they hide in fridges, walls, cabinets, closets, washrooms, sinks, bonsais, kitchens, etc. A crowd of ghosts comes to my house every night; they are allowed in after being checked [for some sort of netherworld proof or registration]. They all come for the Bardo Deliverance of the Thousand Dharma Vessels, which I perform every night. The vessels are always filled to their full capacity.

Shimu saw the ghosts too, and so did Teresa Wei from California. Shimu saw them having a party, and some wore ancient clothes. When they saw Shimu, they scurried into the cabinet—the cabinet door opened, all the ghosts ran inside, and as the door was closing, a hat was caught in the door, and a hand extended out to grab the hat. All these things really happened, as I have experimented [to ensure that they were sounds made by ghosts]. Since they often startled me with their sudden noises, I asked them not to be so noisy—especially late at night. Now they let me greet them first, and sure enough, it’s quiet now. I told them there was no need to be afraid. This has been happening for the past two years. I greet the ghosts as well as the buddhas and bodhisattvas. I treat every being equally.

This is all cause and effect. The lower realms refer to the three lowest realms of hell, hungry ghost, and animal. They are the worst! The human realm is half good and half bad but still full of suffering. Any karma generated from previous lifetimes can be eradicated by chanting the Vajra Sutra. Upon doing so, you will attain anuttara samyaksambodhi. Having explained it this way, you can now clearly understand, right?

Om mani padme hum.

Emptiness is all-encompassing.

It can embrace

and give rise to all things in the universe.

Everything comes from emptiness,

and eventually, everything returns to emptiness.

Discourse 55

January 30, 2022

In his discourses, Sakyamuni Buddha often called out the name of the disciple asking the questions—in this case, “Subhuti!” The Buddha said,

“Subhuti, I recall during the countless asamkya kalpas, I made offerings and served without fail 84,000 million nayuta buddhas in front of Dipamkara Buddha.”

Dipamkara Buddha (the Buddha Who Ignites the Light) is also called the Fixed Light Buddha. Trillions of nayuta buddhas—wow, such a great number of buddhas! Sakyamuni Buddha made offerings to all of them without missing a single buddha, serving each one.

“In comparison, if there is a person in the dharma-ending era who can uphold and recite this sutra, his merit will exceed my merit from offering to all the buddhas by more than a hundred times, a trillion times, or beyond any calculation and comparison.”

Sakyamuni Buddha compared the merit of a person who upholds and recites the Vajra Sutra as being exceedingly greater than the merit of offerings to countless buddhas.

As I have stressed before, the key is upholding—as this generates merit beyond any calculation. In contrast, Sakyamuni Buddha’s merit generated through continual offerings and serving countless buddhas is still calculable, whereas the merit derived from “upholding” the Vajra Sutra is incalculable.

Like Sakyamuni Buddha, Grandmaster Lu also uses comparisons and analogies to explain. However, let me first tell you something few people have ever emphasized: do not compare! Avoid comparing at all costs!

Grandmaster Lu states: never compare! Why not? Because the act of comparing is the source of all afflictions. When comparing, “self” exists. If the self has disappeared, who is comparing? If there is no self, then what are you comparing? You compare because you still have a self.

Although Sakyamuni Buddha talked about comparison in this chapter, I am telling you not to compare! Never compare! How can you compare? Comparing is the source of all afflictions.

Suppose you saw a beautiful woman when you were out today, and then you saw how your wife looked when you got home. You started smashing things around the house—except the valuable antiques perhaps. Why? Because by comparing a pretty woman to your mediocre wife, you became upset, “How come this is my wife and not those beautiful women?!”

You should never compare! Affliction comes from comparison. Behind the Seattle Leizang Temple is the Microsoft Corporation, which keeps getting bigger and bigger, buying all the land around it. The temple is down the hill, while Microsoft is up the hill. Long ago, before the Seattle temple was built, I passed by the plot of land now occupied by Microsoft and told the people in the car, “Whoever buys this piece of land will become the richest person in the world. This land has superior geomancy; it’s the kind of land that belongs to the richest person in the world.”

How can you ever compare to Bill Gates? How can you compare?! For him, charitable donations are in the billions of dollars. To tackle extreme poverty in Africa, he donated millions of dollars so they could raise chickens in Africa—chickens are also exported from Africa. He is very generous in his giving; each donation is in the millions or billions. As for the Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation—well, I’m not exactly sure how much we have donated, but it’s probably a few million dollars. How can we compare! If we were to compare, we would feel terribly upset.

If we were to compare True Buddha School to Tzu Chi Foundation, we would not even be worth the last digit⁸ of what they have, let alone when compared with all their money. What about Fo Guang Shan? Our temples are so tiny compared to their colossal temples around the world. Fo Guang Shan even built temples in South Africa. Look at the Fo Guang Shan Monastery in Dashu District, between Pingtung and Kaohsiung, Taiwan. It’s so huge that it covers the whole mountain! There’s no way we can compare! As soon as you compare, you give rise to afflictions.

Chung Tai Shan Monastery has a lot of valuable antiques. We can’t compare to even one of their antiques. If you go to the Dharma Drum Mountain, you will see a gigantic bell that dignitaries—including the president and vice president—strike together on New Year’s Eve. We don’t have such big bells; all we have is this vajra bell. [Chuckling, Grandmaster picks up a vajra bell and rings it.] Their bell is so huge that it requires multiple people to ring it. There is no way for us to compare to Dharma Drum Mountain, Tzu Chi Foundation, Chung Tai Shan, or Fo Guang Shan.

Again, I would like to emphasize never to compare. Comparison is the source of all afflictions! The Vajra Sutra is all about the meaning of emptiness: the bell is empty, the temple is empty, the money is empty, the antiques are empty. If you apply [the notion of] emptiness to embrace everything, then everything is included—emptiness encompasses everything.

Upholding the Vajra Sutra is far superior to serving and making offerings to infinite buddhas. Since the Vajra Sutra is all about emptiness, if you uphold the Vajra Sutra, you are also emptiness. Emptiness embraces all things, and it also gives rise to all things in the universe.

You must understand the meaning of the comparison Sakyamuni Buddha gave: the merit of offering and serving infinite buddhas is far less than the merit of upholding and reciting the Vajra Sutra. Why? Because the Vajra Sutra is emptiness.

If you comprehend the Vajra Sutra, emptiness can generate innumerable dharmas, meaning you can manifest anything. Everything originates from emptiness. Earth, water, fire, and wind all originate from emptiness. We know that the five elements are earth, water, fire, wind, and space. Space is emptiness. Although emptiness is the last one on the list, it can encompass earth, water, fire, and wind. Emptiness encompasses everything.

Sakyamuni Buddha uses comparisons so people can understand. Grandmaster, too, uses comparisons for clarification. However, let me stress that comparing is the root of all afflictions. Whatever you encounter, don’t compare! For instance, you drive an expensive brand car, such as Maserati, an Italian-made sports car. When you encounter a Lamborghini or a Ferrari, both fancier and pricier than a Maserati, you feel unhappy and inferior. But you feel superior when you come across Japanese cars made by Honda, Infinity, Suzuki, or Subaru. When someone compliments, “Nice car!” you feel great! But when a Lamborghini zooms by, you feel unworthy. This is a small comparison, but whenever you compare, afflictions are there.

Let me reiterate, do not compare! The Vajra Sutra speaks of the non-phenomena of self—having no self, who is there to compare? It states the non-phenomena of others—no self and no others, so who is comparing with whom? When there is no phenomena of sentient beings, again, who compares with whom? Lastly, it mentions the non-phenomena of lifespan—there is no time dimension and no such thing as comparing and comparison.

I often use the Moon as an analogy. There is nothing there—thus, it is non-phenomena of self, others, sentient beings, and lifespan. Who compares with whom there? What is good? What is bad? What is buddhadharma? What is meat? What are vegetables? It doesn’t matter there. There is only emptiness. You feel at peace and ease when you don’t compare yourself with others.

Accept and uphold and read and recite the Vajra Sutra. Understand its meaning and recognize emptiness. Once you gain a deeper understanding of emptiness, you are enlightened. If you can actualize this emptiness, then you have become a sage. This is the greatest, indeed!

You will have no more afflictions, attachments, habitual tendencies, or even merits. What will you be attached to? There will be no more attachments. In particular, little things like moods or emotions will also be gone. Mood swings arise because you make comparisons, yet once you stop comparing, they will not arise.

Furthermore, since you have no self, your habitual tendencies will also disappear, becoming non-existent. What habitual tendencies are there? This is the way to eliminate them! When immersed in emptiness, you embrace all dharmas [everything and anything]. This is the essential meaning of the Vajra Sutra.

Om mani padme hum.

The law of cause and effect (karma)

is inconceivable.

It can never be ignored.

Discourse 56

February 5, 2022

Now let’s discuss the last passage of chapter sixteen—The Ability to Purify Karma.

“Subhuti, know that the meaning of this sutra is inconceivable, and karmic retribution is also inconceivable.”

Sakyamuni Buddha says that the Vajra Sutra—the king of all sutras—is difficult to understand because its quintessence is extremely profound. Therefore, it is hard for people to believe it. Even if they do believe, they may still have some skepticism.

The most important statement the Buddha makes is that the meaning of this sutra—the principle conveyed in this sutra—is inconceivable. The law of cause and effect (karma) and karmic retribution are also inconceivable.

What is the essential meaning of the sutra? It includes the ability to purify karma by upholding and reciting the sutra. The key is upholding, which means accepting, cultivating, and putting it into practice. To recite includes reading and chanting, in addition to upholding—which I have emphasized as crucial. How can one clear karma by upholding the sutra? Many people know that the Vajra Sutra can purify karma, but they can’t explain its profundity.

This principle is very profound. Let me explain. Karma can be purified through the wisdom of marvelous observation of Amitabha Buddha. Among the five wisdoms, Amitabha Buddha embodies the wisdom of marvelous observation. We have all heard of it, but what does it really mean? What is being observed? This wisdom is to observe yourself, your actions, and most importantly, your thoughts! Upon understanding the essential meaning of the sutra, you apply the wisdom of marvelous observation to observe, reflect, and most importantly, correct your thoughts. This is upholding!

Observing thoughts is key; nevertheless, Sakyamuni Buddha does not say it explicitly. Many thoughts cross your mind throughout the day, but typically you don’t pay attention to them. Instead, you observe and pay attention to others’ actions. You have incessant thoughts running through your mind, but have you ever paused and pondered what you are thinking about? These are two separate things: thinking, and being aware of what you are thinking about. Since you never observe your own thoughts, you are unaware of the many erroneous thoughts you have generated.

You may encounter an unpleasant situation, like when you are bullied or criticized. Feeling wronged, you retaliate with thoughts of revenge—a tooth for a tooth, an eye for an eye. Most people react this way, but this is wrong.

When it comes to the act of killing, you might think it is acceptable to kill tiny insects, cockroaches, mosquitos, flies, lizards, mice, and the like. You think it’s no big deal, so you kill them without a second thought. You know they are living beings, but you justify the killing by telling yourself they deserve to be killed. This is incorrect thinking!

As Buddhists, we must chant the deliverance mantra for any beings that we kill. Take a poisonous snake, for example. If we must kill, we should do so while chanting the deliverance mantra. It is best never to harbor any thoughts of killing. Not even for a fleeting moment! You should never think, “That person is awful to me. I hope he gets hit by a car!” Such a thought appears and disappears very quickly, so you’re unaware of it—especially if you don’t observe your own thoughts. Such an ill-intentioned thought should never occur in your mind.

If someone steals your money, you curse the thief. When you find money on the ground and nobody is around, you take it as your own. You might be tempted to take a nice pot from someone else’s kitchen when nobody notices. You think all these are small matters, so it’s okay. But it’s not, as this is a thought of stealing! Such thoughts—despite being common—are wrong.

When a man sees an attractive woman, she stays on his mind. As he constantly thinks of her, his thoughts may transform into something else. Likewise, when a woman sees a wealthy, tall, and handsome man, he’ll be imprinted on her mind, and subsequent imaginations and fantasies appear. These sorts of thoughts are also wrong. Have you ever observed your own thoughts? You’ll find that many of your thoughts are improper.

The Vajra Sutra states that it can purify your karma. How? By observing your own thoughts to stop negative thoughts and encourage positive thoughts. Only in this way can you purify karma. The key is to observe the thoughts because thoughts eventually become actions!

Spiritual cultivation generally implies correcting one’s conduct; however, it is important to also purify one’s thoughts. You purify your karma by observing both your actions and thoughts. This is the key point!

You may not understand the deeper meaning of its ability to purify karma by simply reading the Vajra Sutra. Hence, let me reiterate: to purify karma, one applies the wisdom of observation to observe one’s own thoughts and actions and correct them accordingly. One then decreases negative thoughts and increases positive thoughts.

Reading and chanting the Vajra Sutra alone does not equate to upholding [putting it into practice]. You must also observe yourself. Now you know how to purify your karma. Does my explanation make sense? Nobody else explains this chapter as clearly as this.

Everything follows the law of cause and effect. One reaps what one sows. If you create a bad cause, it will result in a bad retribution.

One might have an absurd thought such as this, “Since the Vajra Sutra talks about emptiness, everything is hence emptiness. Therefore, I don’t have to concern myself whether I do good or bad deeds. Good is empty; bad is empty. So I’m free to kill, steal, commit sexual misconduct, and perform all sorts of misdeeds. I can disregard the law of cause and effect. [I can do anything because cause and effect are empty.] The law of cause and effect only applies to mundane beings; it doesn’t apply to me because I have this understanding and therefore am a sage. I understand the intrinsic emptiness spoken in the Vajra Sutra. So killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct…these are all emptiness. I can do them all.” How ridiculous!!! You’ve misconstrued the meaning of the Vajra Sutra and become utterly confused!

Hence, the law of cause and effect can never be dismissed. There is no exception! You cannot ignore karma. Sakyamuni Buddha states it very clearly,

“…the meaning of this sutra is inconceivable, and karmic retribution is also inconceivable.”

Karma does exist, and it is inconceivable! Otherwise, why must we purify karma if everything is about emptiness? It is wrong to think that karma is empty because everything is empty. It is wrong to think that one can do whatever one desires without suffering its retribution! As mentioned in this chapter, one can become utterly confused by this wrong mindset. One cannot defy the law of cause and effect!!

Sakyamuni Buddha states that the meaning of this sutra is inconceivable, and karmic retribution is also inconceivable. Therefore, we must never think that karma does not exist. It is wrong to say there is no cause and effect just because the king of all sutras—the Vajra Sutra—emphasizes the non-phenomena of self, others, sentient beings, and lifespan. Otherwise, why would the Buddha state that karmic retribution is also inconceivable? Being inconceivable, this phrase implies that karma—the law of cause and effect—indeed exists. The Buddha states that karma does exist.

This sutra is inconceivable and it can purify karma. How does one purify karma? Primarily by upholding [the Vajra Sutra], in addition to reciting it. The key to upholding the sutra is to observe your own actions and thoughts, eliminate negativities, and enhance the positive and right ones. This is the correct way to purify karma. If I don’t explain it, you won’t know.

I am teaching you to observe your own actions and thoughts instead of observing other people’s actions and speech. Remember, spiritual cultivation is to cultivate yourself. Once enlightened, you can enlighten others—[such as] teaching others how to purify karma. Today, I am teaching you methods to purify your karma.

Om mani padme hum.