An Introduction to the Major Traditions of Buddhism by Dr. Peter Della Santina
Chico Dharma Study Foundation Publication, 1997, 402 pages
Category: Buddhism, Major Traditions

An Interview with Venerable Wei Wu
(This reproduced article is taken from Eastern Horizon, August 2005 Issue No. 17)

How can we make best use of this perfect human rebirth, the precious human body that we have received just this once? How can we make it most beneficial, not only for ourselves but also for other precious living beings? Just like us, numberless other living beings, each of whom is as equally precious as we feel ourselves to be, seek only happiness and dislike any suffering. How can we make our lives productive for their sake? This is the main question we should be asking ourselves.

Cherishing Others

The LIANG HUANG BAO CHAN directly translated as the Emperor Liang's Repentance Service is attributed to Emperor Liang Wudi (502-549). He was the first Emperor of the Liang Dynasty in China. He had been described by many as one of the more interesting emperors of his dynasty, and his reign was among the longest and most stable of many of the Southern Dynasty's. His given name was Xiao Yan.

I could still remember that a week ago, I was staring vacantly at home as I had just returned for my semester break. My mum approached me and told me about this Seven Day Amitabha Recitation Retreat ( 精進佛七 ). I just packed my bag and made my way here, without much consideration about what the weeklong life in Than Hsiang would be like.

When Venerable Wei Wu requested all staff in Than Hsiang to attend the Seven-Day Amitabha Recitation Retreat for a day, I immediately put my name down. I did not have any experience in taking the Amitabha Recitation Retreat before, so I was quite keen to participate to gain the experience as well as do some spiritual development.

It was late Sunday, 27 November 2005, afternoon when Bro. Hong lead a group of us from Than Hsiang to IBC (International Buddhist College) to attend a weeklong course on Mahayana Buddhism by Dr. Peter Della Santina, a renowned researcher-teacher in Mahayana Buddhism.

The year that Qian Xin was born, we waited her birth with happiness. When I heard her first cry at birth, I was overwhelmed with love for her and I resolved to love her whole-heartedly.

In October 2005, I received an email from my elder sister Teri containing a heart-wrenching story of a circus bear. The story began with a bear in his small cage, which he would encircle for hundreds of times a day. When bears took the centre ring of the circus, exhibited as exotic animals, spectators would watch them perform feats through the metal barred enclosure. Sometimes, the bear, being curious, would be lured to the edge of the ring by the smell of food and spectators would find amusement in feeding the bear with broken glass hidden in the food.