November 4, 1979

The Dharma Realm includes all people and all living beings within it. Since its inception, the Dharma Realm Buddhist University has developed step by step and is now ready to get on track. For this opening ceremony, the Dharma Realm Buddhist University is very happy to welcome Dharma Master Dhammananda, who has come all the way from Malaysia to be here, and is presenting him with a honorary Ph.D. degree. All of us in this ceremony today should study from Dharma Realm Buddhist University and Dharma Master Dhammananda, so that we can together go to the Buddhaland of the Dharma Realm. If you want to go there, you must first come to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, which is the headquarters for the Dharma Realm Buddhaland. If we want to become Buddhas, but we don't come to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas and the Dharma Realm Buddhist University to study, we won't be able to reach Buddhahood. And so we all have this fine opportunity today. Now let us begin the ceremony for presenting the honorary Ph.D.

It's totally superstitious to insist on personally offering incense to the Buddhas. If there is already incense burning in the censer, you can simply bow a few times to show your sincerity; don't light more incense. If you light too much incense, the smoke chases the Buddhas away without your knowing, and your retribution for causing this is to become an animal.

I am very annoyed by such superstitious people. Burning so much incense amounts to defecating on the heads of ten thousand Buddhas. You wouldn't like such an experience, so how much less would the Buddhas? How do you expect a Buddha to endure so much smoke?
The "rule" that "everyone must light incense" doesn't apply here, because it's too vulgar. My rule is that you cannot fight to offer incense. This is a new beginning for Buddhism; we're different from other Buddhist temples. Such behavior may be acceptable in other places where people don't know any better, but no one is allowed to be so superstitious here. People who don't follow the rules are not welcome here.
If you want to scold me, go ahead. I know someone is scolding me for calling everyone superstitious. Although this person is totally ignorant about the principle, he is scolding me, "Who does this monk think he is, anyway, telling us not to offer incense?" Who do you think I am? And who do you think you are? You don't understand anything at all. You're not human; you're not even up to an animal. Tell me, who do you think I am?

In your eyes, there is no father, no national leader, no seniors or juniors, no Buddha, no Dharma, and no Sangha, so to whom are you offering incense, ultimately? Although you offer incense, you will fall into the hells. Because you don't follow my rules, I am obligated to correct you. I don't mind if you scold me or even take a knife and kill me, but I won't allow you to break my rules.

You must realize that the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas is a place that upholds the Proper Dharma. No one is allowed to be superstitious here. If you want to study the Buddhadharma, you must follow the rules. Anyone who does not is headed for the hells. Someone is thinking, "What kind of Buddhist would come here to offer incense and then turn around and scold the Dharma Master?" Now, if that person doesn't become an animal or fall in the hells, what will he become with all the evil karma that he's creating? I would rather that there were no people here than that there be no Dharma; there has to be Dharma.

At mealtime, we should all take our meals together. No one should eat before the others. How can you have the gall to sit there and eat before the members of the Sangha have begun eating? You're basically usurping the host's position. You ought to know better than to begin eating before you're supposed to. How can you sneak off and eat on the sly? People may not casually do as they please here. Everyone must follow the rules. If you don't follow the rules, then you're not welcome here no matter how rich you may be.

I have always looked down on rich people, because their wealth is equal to their offenses. I have to say this. You are welcome to scold me as much as you like, as long as you don't fear the retribution of falling into the Hell of Pulling Tongues.

I'm speaking in this wild way because I'm overjoyed today. I'm not really mad at you. If you're afraid of my getting mad at you, then simply follow the rules well. If you don't fear my temper, then you don't have to follow the rules here.

All of the left-home and lay people at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas follow the credo:

Freezing, we do not scheme.
Starving, we do not beg.
Dying of poverty, we ask for nothing.
According with conditions, we do not change.
Not changing, we accord with conditions.
We adhere firmly to our three great principles.

At the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas,

We renounce our lives to do the Buddha's work.
We take the responsibility to mold our own destinies.
We rectify our lives to fulfill the Sangha's role.
Encountering specific matters, we understand
the principles.
Understanding the principles, we apply them
in specific matters.
We carry on the single pulse of the Patriarchs'
mind-transmission.
We stand facing the wind, not caring if we freeze.
We stick out our bellies and walk, not minding if we starve.

We will never bow our heads in submission to money.