Dharma Names Revealing Teachings

Yutang Lin

A few years ago, during a Dharma assembly in Malacca, there were 6 attendants asking for refuge. Upon their requests for Dharma name, I bestowed the ″Six Similes″ as found near the conclusion of the Diamond Sutra—As Dreams, As Illusions, As Bubbles, As Shadows, As Dewdrops, and As Lightning to them. Afterwards, a disciple in Taiwan asked for a Dharma name, so I bestowed ″As Memories″ and wrote a short article explaining that memories may be put on same footing as the Six Similes and formed into ″Seven Similes″. (See http://www.originalpurity.org/gurulin/b5files/f2/f2162_E0176.html#e)

A few days ago, after the first Dharma assembly held during my recent visit to Warsaw, 10 attendants asked for refuge and they all asked for a Dharma name. Hence, in the order of Four Elements and Five Kinds of Sensations, I bestowed upon them respectively the Dharma Names: Pure Earth, Pure Water, Pure Flame, Pure Breeze, Pure Color, Pure Form, Pure Sound, Pure Fragrance, Pure Taste, and Pure Touch. (In Buddhist Terminology the Chinese word for ″color″ used to mean both color and shape, and hence I divided it into ″Color″ and ″ Form″.) The significance of this bunch of Dharma names aims at indicating that, the environment and sensations in our experiences are all originally pure. When we engage in Dharma practices our goal is to gradually purify and extinguish all artificially and arbitrarily added distinctions and preferences that are born of human ignorance. When environment and sensations all return to original purity, all will naturally merge into oneness without boundaries and limitations. And that is perfect enlightenment.

May disciples comprehend the significance of their Dharma names, and thereby gain a pointer indicating to them the right path of Dharma practices!

Written in Chinese and translated into English on June 6, 2018
El Cerrito, California