The Living Journal – Planting The Seeds of Om Mani Peme Hung

The Living Journal – Planting The Seeds of Om Mani Peme Hung

We may have spent decades of our lives searching for happiness, peace, and contentment—without sowing the causes for that goal. Why did we not plant the seeds of the fulfillment we wish for? 

The caused and effect or the Law of Karma says that if you plant an apple seed and prays for a Banana fruit, understandably it won’t work. But this is what we do, we wish for happiness without planting the seeds of happiness.

It is fine to call Buddhism a religion. In the beginning Buddhism can be taught as a religion. Fundamentally, however, Buddhism must always be seen as a skillful means for realizing the most basic aspect of human life. 

Why do we stay away from our fundamental nature? It is because of ignorance. Because doubts and uncertainty keep getting in our way, many teachings and methods have arisen as remedies.

In fact, we do the exact opposite. We plant the causes of recklessness, unkindness, foolishness, and a lack of understanding, conscientiousness, and thoughtfulness for others and their well being and most of the time hoping for happiness and cessation of suffering. Call it karmic patterns, habitual tendencies, or whatever it is critical to understand this human behavior.                                                                          

Planting the seeds of Buddha hood. One of the three benefits described in Buddha’s teachings, the benefits of planting, maturing, and harvesting the seeds of Buddha hood. The process of attaining Buddha hood is compared to that of cultivating plants. In this regard, The Om Mani Peme Hung is the seed, the Buddha like the farmer, and the people like the field.

The phase of planting is divided into two stages: -

[1] The Buddha causes the people to hear his teaching.

[2] The Buddha leads them to take faith in it. These are termed as "planting the seeds” by letting one hear the teachings by leading one to arouse faith in the teachings.

There are cases in which a person takes faith immediately upon hearing the teachings. There are also cases in which someone hears the teaching and develops faith later. In either case, the Buddha's teaching has the power to influence one's life, whether or not one takes faith in it immediately. It means that simply by hearing the Law one forms the cause, or seed, for attaining Buddha hood eventually.

In its most basic sense, the Law of Karma in the moral sphere teaches that similar actions will lead to similar results. Let us take an example. If we plant an apple seed, the plant that springs up will be an apple tree, and eventually it will harvest apple fruit. Similarly, in the Law of Karma, if we do a wholesome action, eventually we will get a wholesome fruit, and if we do a negative action eventually we will get a negative and agonizing result. 

One may ask how one knows whether an action that is positive or negative will produce happiness or unhappiness. The answer is time will tell. The Buddha Himself answered the question and Buddha has explained that so long as a negative action does not bear its fruit of suffering, for so long a foolish person will consider that action good. But when that negative action bears its fruit of suffering then he will realize that the action is unwholesome.  

Let us all begin our living journey by planting the Six Syllables seeds of the compassion mantra of Om Mani Peme Hung into our daily practice, by planting it[reciting the mantra with faiths and devotions], by maturing it [Growing our loving kindness and Bodhichitta heart], by reaping it [attaining the ultimate blissful stage of realization]

Thank you for reading and may you find peace and great bliss. With your support it helps spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turning the Dharma wheels in the world.

Aspiration For Bodhichitta

May the precious Bodhichitta arise

Where it has not arisen

And where it has arisen may it not decrease

But increase further and further.

Nagarjuna's Dedication of Merit

By this merit may we obtain omniscience then.

Having defeated the enemies wrong-doings.

May we liberate migrators from the ocean of existence.

With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness and death.

*Note*

I do not own or infringe any copyright of these pictures.Pictures courtesy and credit to the rightful owners.