[eBook] Dharma as Water, Volume One: A Commentary on the Compassionate Samadhi Water Repentance

[eBook] Dharma as Water, Volume One: A Commentary on the Compassionate Samadhi Water Repentance

Introduction

The Compassionate Samadhi Water Repentance is a well-known text in the Chinese Buddhist tradition. It was written by Tang Dynasty practitioner Master Wu-da after an encounter with the force of karmic retribution that manifested as a human-faced boil on his knee. Having personally experienced the inevitable results of karma, Master Wu-da wrote this text to caution future generations and make clear the necessity of repentance.

Master Cheng Yen taught The Compassionate Samadhi Water Repentance for five consecutive years in hopes that people would better understand the principles of repentance practice and apply Dharma-water to wash away the impurities in their hearts, thus approaching her goal of purifying people's hearts.

With the wisdom gained from applying the Buddha-Dharma as the founder of Tzu Chi Foundation, Master Cheng Yen brings out the teachings of the Compassionate Samadhi Water Repentance for modern readers. Her teaching of the Water Repentance not only promotes Great Vehicle repentance practices but also establishes a unique model for her disciples to follow. By integrating the Tzu Chi spirit into the teachings of the Water Repentance, she sheds a new and unique light upon the Buddha's teachings and makes them relevant for modern living.

About Author

Dharma Master Cheng Yen was born in 1937 in a small town in Taichung County, Taiwan. When she was twenty-three years old, she left home to become a Buddhist nun, and was instructed by her mentor, Venerable Master Yin Shun, to work “for Buddha’s teachings, for sentient beings.” In 1966, she founded a charity, which later turned into the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, to “help the poor and educate the rich”—to give material aid to the needy and inspire love and humanity in both givers and recipients.


In recent years, Master Cheng Yen’s contributions have been increasingly recognized by the global community. In 2011, she was recognized with the Roosevelt Institute’s FDR Distinguished Public Service Award and was named to the 2011 TIME 100 list of the world’s most influential people. In 2014, she was presented with Rotary International’s Award of Honor in recognition of her humanitarian efforts and contributions to world peace.