Whoever wishes to see a Buddha...

Today marks the final day of Losar (Tibetan New Year) and also the 15 days of miracles performed by the Buddha in order to bolster the devotion and faith of disciples. Today is an auspicious time when all activities, both positive and negative are multiplied 100 millions times. It is a good time to make offerings for loved ones, to help those in need, and in general, to do deeds beneficial to all sentient beings.

Although in these degenerate times, we cannot see the Buddha directly, and even if we are able to meet the Buddha, we probably do not recognise it is the Buddha due to our deluded mind. However, there are many ways in which the Buddha can manifest; in the form of the guru, the perfect teacher, the Bodhisattvas, as well as the teachings.

What Buddhism taught us is we should train our mind, and be mindful of our own actions and consequences. If we do not meet perfect teachers, then we should realise that is our own karma, and we should resolve to act more skillfully and pray that we always have the good karma in meeting qualified teachers in the future. Because we are not yet enlightened, everyone, friends, teachers and the whole world will appear non-enlightened to us. As we train and our minds become clearer, we will realise that the world is perfect but we are like a person living in a house with dirty windows looking out and thinking the world is a dull sad place.

The Buddha taught in the Sanghata Sutra,

The Sanghata Sutra is a teacher,

manifesting in the form of a sage.

The Sanghata manifests, out of kindness,

even bodies of buddhas.

As many grains of sand as the Ganges holds,

in just that many forms it teaches.

It teaches in the form of a Buddha.

It teaches even the essence of Dharma.

Who wishes to see a Buddha,

Sanghata is equivalent to a Buddha.

Wherever the Sanghata is,

always there the Buddha is.

The Blessed One also said:

"By whatever form it is that sentient beings are to be subdued, I teach the Dharma in that very form. Thus, Sarvashura, I teach the Dharma to sentient beings in many ways. If one should wonder why that is, Sarvashura, it is because just as sentient beings hear the Dharma in many ways, so too those sincere sentient beings will make roots of virtue in many ways: They will engage in acts of generosity. They will make merit. They will also go without sleep for their own sake. They will meditate on the mindfulness of death, too. They will do such virtuous actions as these that are to be done. Due to having heard the Dharma, they will remember these previous roots of virtue. That will come to be for the long-term aim, benefit and happiness of devas and humans. Sarvashura, that being so, as soon as the Sanghata dharma-paryaya is heard, the good qualities and benefits in this way become immeasurable.” - Sanghata Sutra

These verses are from the incredible Sanghata Sutra. The Buddha says, "...even if as many tathagatas as there were sesame grains should all proclaim the merits of the roots of virtue from hearing the Sanghata dharma-paryaya, even by means of an analogy, that merit would not be exhausted. As for one who writes and recites and has it written, there is no need to mention. Compared to the mass of merit too of one who writes down just one syllable of this dharma-paryaya will produce a much greater mass of merit". 

May all be auspicious.