It depends on the person who needs help. If he needs a Buddha, then Quan Yin Bodhisattva will appear as a Buddha. If he would be more appealed by a Solitary Buddha, then She will appear thus. And if a person needs to be delivered by a Conditions-Enlightened One, then She would appear as thus. She just appears in different bodies, different forms.
There are stories about Quan Yin Bodhisattva related with being a lady. She was a woman and She was like a nun. One time, She was born in Asia, somewhere in China, She was married to a man, and that was OK, everything was OK. One night, She saw Her husband, there was one hair growing out of the wrong place; it looked unbecoming, looked wrong, so She used a knife. I don’t think they had scissors at that time. She took a knife and She wanted to cut it, and suddenly the husband awoke. Maybe pulled it a little bit and it hurt, “Ow!” and then he awakened. And he thought She wanted to kill him. And then he sounded the alarm and the whole family woke up and wanted to bring Her to justice. So, She ran away and disguised as a man, and went into a temple to stay there, wanted to be a monk – shaved head, wearing monks robe, and everything; novice only.
And then one of the temple goers, a girl, fell in love with “Him.” Actually, it was a “Her,” but fell in love because She was a woman disguised as a man, so the beauty was even doubled. And She was young and beautiful and became a man, still very beautiful. Even more beautiful than if it was a man. No beard, no rough face. So, one girl fell in love with this “woman-man” monk. And then she kept eyeing “Him” and seducing “Him.” But of course, She was a woman, not interested. Even a monk normally tries to run away from seduction, not to talk about a woman. And She, of course, She kept refusing, trying to avoid and all that.
And then this woman, this girl, was a lady of some influential family, and so, she made hell. And then she, out of frustration or maybe wanted to make trouble, or just to satisfy her desire and bodily lust, she had an affair with a servant or something, and got pregnant. And then of course, at that time, if you were pregnant without a man, it was a big, big, big crime, especially if you were a lady of good standing. So, they beat her up. The court dug a hole in the ground, so that her stomach didn’t get hurt, made her lay down with her stomach in that hole, so as not to hurt the baby, and then tried to beat her up so she would confess. They didn’t have to beat her much. She said it was the monk in that temple, was the father. Of course, what she could not have, she just wanted to make trouble for “Him.” She wanted to force “Him” into marrying her. But “He” still didn’t marry. Didn’t want anything; just bad reputation.
But because there was no evidence, they could not do anything to the monk also. Even then, it harmed “His” reputation. After she gave birth to that child, the whole family and she brought the child to give it to that Quan Yin Bodhisattva woman monk to take care. She/He also didn’t say anything, just accepted the baby, and went out begging milk to feed the baby until he grew up. And of course, the temple threw Him out, but took pity on Him because the abbot asked Him/Her, and He/She always said, “No, I did not.” But then, still, the law is the law. The temple, you could not have a monk who had a reputation of having an affair with somebody and making trouble. So, nevertheless, the abbot still felt sorry for Him/Her and let Her stay outside, nearby the temple, outside of the grounds, but next to the temple. So still can have somewhere to stay, like a little hut to take care of the baby. And She begged for milk every day, but She never complained or anything, till the baby grew up OK.
And then one day, She got sick and died. And then, after She died, everybody realized that “He” actually was a “She” and was wrongly accused. And then they beat that woman up again, and she confessed it was because she was infatuated with “Him,” but She/He refused her all the time, so she wanted revenge on He/She/Him/Her, so made up the story like that. That is one of Her stories. There are other kinds of stories as well. So, this is the patient endurance of a real Saint. They don’t care.
There is also another story, some, maybe Japanese or Chinese, maybe Japanese monk, Zen monk somewhere. And also, another infatuation from some of the so-called disciples or temple goers, incense burners, apple offerers to the Buddha and then eat afterward, also liked the monk, but the monk did not like. And then she also had pregnancy with somebody else and then blamed it on him. And then after she had the baby, they brought it to him and said, “This is your kid.”
He said, “Oh, is that so?” And then, “Now you have to take care of him.” He said, “Oh, is that so?” And they left the baby, and then he took care also. He didn’t say anything. He only said, “Is that like that? Is that so?” Meaning, is that what you said? He didn’t say that what you said is not true. He was just surprised. “Is that so? Whatever.” Meaning, whatever you say is fine. And he took care of the baby too. It was closer to modern times.
All right. So, the Quan Yin Bodhisattva continued, “‘World Honored One,’” continued talking to the Buddha, present Buddha in this story, “‘because I served and made offerings to the Thus Come One, Quan Yin...’” There was another Buddha named Quan Yin and She served under Him and made offerings to Him all the time. “‘I received from that Thus Come One,’” meaning from Quan Yin Buddha, not Her.
“‘So that Thus Come One transmitted the Vajra Samadhi of all being like an illusion, as one becomes permeated with hearing and cultivates hearing. Because I gained a power of compassion identical with that of all Buddhas, the Thus Come Ones, I became accomplished in 32 response-bodies and entered all lands.’” Means She became omnipresent. She could enter all lands at will, but not like the will of the human; the doing without doing, the will without will then. Now, what for She can have 32 transformation bodies? You can have many more, but She had 32 and that was enough to respond to all the ten directions and enter any lands to help people. So now, She will recount, She will tell you what She can do with these two powers.
Because She had 32 response-bodies, transformation bodies, to respond to the prayers of people. So now, She tells the Buddha what She can do with that, through the Quan Yin hearing practicing. “‘World Honored One, if there are Bodhisattvas who enter samadhi and vigorously cultivate the extinction of outflows, who have superior understanding and manifest perfected penetration, I will appear in the body of a Buddha and speak Dharma for them, causing them to attain liberation.’” She can manifest Herself, Himself, like a Buddha.
“‘If there are those who are studying,’” that’s one cause that She can help; next case. “‘If there are those who are studying, who are tranquil and have wonderful clarity, who are superior and miraculous and manifest perfection, I will appear before them in the body of a Solitarily Enlightened One and speak Dharma for them, causing them to attain liberation.’” “Solitarily Enlightened One” is like a self-enlightened Buddha. Self-enlightened Buddha. So, She can appear like that also, not just Buddha, like Shakyamuni Buddha, but Lone Buddha as well. Lone Buddhas, normally They don’t teach. They enlighten Themselves and then They don’t teach a lot of disciples. But Shakyamuni Buddha is like a normal Buddha: teaches disciples, takes their karma, etc., delivers them.
Next one, next power, next ability. “‘If there are those who are studying, who have severed the twelve links of conditioned causation, and, having severed the conditions, reveal a supreme nature, and who are superior and wonderful and manifest perfection, I will appear before them in the body of one enlightened to conditions and speak Dharma for them, causing them to attain liberation.’” It depends on the person who needs help. If he needs a Buddha, then Quan Yin Bodhisattva will appear as a Buddha. If he would be more appealed by a Solitary Buddha, then She will appear thus. And if a person needs to be delivered by a Conditions-Enlightened One, then She would appear as thus. She just appears in different bodies, different forms.
“‘If there are those who are studying, who have attained the emptiness of the Four Truths, and cultivating the Way,’” the Four Truths, we talked about that yesterday, “‘have entered extinction, and have a superior nature and manifest perfection, I will appear before them in the body of a Sound-Hearer and speak Dharma for them, causing them to attain liberation.’” She can appear anywhere, anytime, depends on the condition of the so-called chelas, the disciples.
But you mark it here. This disciple, so-called cultivator, has superior, wonderful perfection, “manifest perfection,” has “superior nature,” etc., and also studying the Way, but maybe just short of a little guidance to attain perfection or liberation. Then at that time, Quan Yin Bodhisattva can appear to him, preach Dharma to him, cut out that last knot, so that that person can attain liberation. Not ordinary people. It says everything here. That person has a “superior nature,” and manifests also perfection, and studying the Way as well, and different methods. Almost got there but has no guidance to continue to climb upward, maybe the last ladder step that he should climb, then She can come and help. But without that, this person probably would never be able to sever the last tie and then get liberation. So, it’s good help. For example, some people are very sincere and want to practice the Way, but there is no Master in the world, no Buddha appears at that time. Twelve Buddhas in one eon. Many hundred years, thousand years, one Buddha. So, during the time, maybe nobody was there to guide this person who is almost there, but maybe lost. And once you lost that, you have to be reborn again, and cultivate again, until thousands, hundred thousands of years, waiting for a Buddha to come to fix the last link for you.
So, Quan Yin Bodhisattva, because of Her power, She could even manifest in just transformation body, no need physical body. Normally, people need a physical Master in order to transmit a method or blessing to get liberation or enlightenment. But because Quan Yin Bodhisattva, powerful, She practiced Quan Yin Method, She could manifest Herself, appear as if a physical body, and teach that person. But because that person was already paying the price, it just needs one last chance to go to liberating Land. And because at that time, there was no Buddha there, no Master in that land or in that person’s area, and he wouldn’t know where to go to find. So, Quan Yin Bodhisattva could do that. Isn’t that wonderful? Keep waiting for Master, and you’ll become a giraffe. Keep longing, looking, “Where is the Master?” Maybe one of the practitioners practiced and is longing for Master, so he’s long, became long-necked and incarnated as a giraffe, I don’t know. Just a joke.
So. There is another case. The Quan Yin Bodhisattva helps a lot, a lot. I told you, Her calendar is long. We have not come to the explanation and the encouragement to us, why we should practice Quan Yin Method yet. We only encountered one Bodhisattva who is practicing Quan Yin Method. This is Quan Shi Yin Bodhisattva. We have not gone anywhere yet. Stay longer, if you want to hear the end of the film, the end of the story. After all this, then Manjusri, the wisdom number one disciple of Buddha, will explain to you, one by one. He will analyze what method is no good and why Quan Yin Method is good. Right now, Quan Yin Bodhisattva only advertises to you that because of Quan Yin Method, how powerful She has become, and how helpful She can be to other beings on the six paths, and even to heaven. So, we are not anywhere yet. She just had a few yet. She has a lot more to tell you. It’s whetting your appetite, it’s good. And then later, when Manjusri explains to you why we have to practice, why we should not practice this, why we should not practice that, from all the 25 methods, why not, not, not, and why this, then you will accept, because you want to become powerful like Bodhisattva Quan Yin.
“‘If there are living beings who wish to have their minds be clear and awakened, who do not engage in mundane desires and wish to purify their bodies, I will appear before them in the body of a Brahma King and speak Dharma for them,” speak Teaching, the true Teaching for them, “causing them to attain liberation.’” “Dharma” means true Teaching. You all know that already, I hope.
“‘If there are living beings who wish to be the heavenly lord, leader of the heavenly beings, I will appear before them in the body of Sakra and speak Dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish. If living beings wish to attain physical self-mastery and to roam throughout the ten directions, I will appear before them in the body of a god from the heaven of self-mastery and speak Dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish. If there are living beings who wish to attain physical self-mastery and fly through space, I will appear before them in the body of a god from the heaven of great self-mastery and speak Dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish. If there are living beings who are fond of ruling over ghosts and spirits in order to rescue and protect their country, I will appear before them in the body of a great heavenly general and speak Dharma for them, enabling them to accomplish their wish.’”
She speaks different Dharma. According to different wishes, She shows them different ways, like maybe different mantra, different way, how to accomplish this as a general of heaven. Otherwise, She would have appeared just as a Buddha or any Saint, but She appears as a general of heaven, so that the person who wishes to do that, trusts, says, “Oh! He’s a general from heaven, that’s what I want right now.” So, they pray and She hears everything. That’s why the Asian people, the Buddhist people, they trust the Quan Yin Bodhisattva very much, because She’s supposed to hear in all directions. She hears all the prayers and responds to them promptly. Maybe She does respond, but not everybody can see Her.
