Revere Teachings

Yutang Lin

Ease of propagation renders some references as information;
Being picked up or discarded as casually as daily newspaper.
Dharma was diligently preserved from patriarch to patriarch;
In heartfelt appreciation Buddhists dare not hover disrespect.

Comments:

In modern age propagation of information has become rather easy and speedy. As a result Buddhist works are often readily available. Consequently, some would call them as information. If those works were for sale or worldly profits, then it would be understandable why they are treated on the same footing as newspapers and magazines. As to Dharma works that are born of Buddha's compassion and distributed for free it would not be appropriate to call them so, so that no misunderstanding of contempt would ensue. That right Dharma is still available today is the result of generations of virtuous patriarchs, practitioners and protectors working diligently to preserve and propagate the teachings at the expense of their lifetime efforts. Buddhists upon remembering the sources and in heartfelt appreciation of the sacrificial blessings should employ respectful terminology such as "teachings", "revelations" to express their reverence for Dharma works.

Written in Chinese on November 19, 2003
Translated on November 21, 2003
El Cerrito, California

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