Celebratory Dharma Talk by the Supreme Patriarch

A noble being—who has attained the life that neither begins nor ends, and who possesses the majestic power to liberate us—has come next to us on this day as the embodiment of Truth. As the Buddha makes a thundering roar that transforms ordinary people into sages, the ocean of Vairocana Buddha is turned upside down, and with the Buddha’s every thought, Maitreya Buddha descends to earth.

The gates of truth open everywhere,

through which the lion’s roar pours out to awaken all beings.

The gates of compassion open everywhere

to embolden all beings with a generous gift of fearlessness to empower them.

Immersed in joy, birds sing

the song of no coming and no going which neither arises nor ceases.

With a stringless geomungo, a stone woman delivers unconventional news.

All things in the universe reveal their great capacities as buddhas and patriarchs.

Both ordinary people and sages attain the one essence with no distinction between their inherent true natures.

All things in the universe reveal Truth

through diverse subjective and objective circumstances,

and radiate the light which has no beginning and no end.

Those who realize the nature of the unborn based on their own nature will attain liberation and comfort, free from suffering. Those who realize the altruistic virtue that is inherent within their own greed will attain the great capacity and great ability of bodhisattvas who feel the pain of others and heal them.

The Buddha made enlightenment accessible to all and cultivated a field of wisdom in order to illuminate the darkness and help us realize our true inherent nature. In this way he embraced our anger and pain in his bosom of prajna wisdom and transformed them into warm compassion.

Without the devotion of love and compassion, the suffering of this world will not be diminished, nor will it be relieved without a vow of compassion to bear within our own bodies the suffering of all. A single thought of great compassion can change the world and change our lives.

A neighbor who hates us, quarrels with us, and feels anger every day is one who will also become a buddha and is the embodiment of Truth who possesses the same great capacity of all buddhas and patriarchs.

The lantern of compassion we light today comforts those who suffer from frustration.

It is also a lantern of humility for those who have become arrogant because it opens their eyes to turn their minds around and humble themselves.

The Eighth Day of the Fourth Lunar Month, 2567 Buddhist Era

Seongpa, Supreme Patriarch of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism