Pray to Buddha
To eliminate my afflictions and karmic habits,
to protect the roots of goodness we cultivate
Preached by Bennie Spirit on May 31, 2025
Compiled and translated by Enid (HE, YUPING)
Welcome to a new deep dive. Today we’re exploring a document titled Pray to Buddha, which comes from uh Bennie Spirit of Buddha’s Practice Incorporated.
That’s right. Located in Darwin, Australia and dated the end of May 2025.
And this document, it offers a really specific perspective, doesn’t it, on the power of prayer to the Buddha.
Yes. Specifically focusing on how prayer might connect to, well, some really tough challenges in spiritual practice. Things like eliminating deep afflictions, uh, karmic habits,
things that feel really ingrained.
Exactly. And it also touches on protecting, you know, the process of one’s own spiritual cultivation, which can feel quite fragile sometimes.
Okay, let’s really dig into this then. It seems like it’s tackling two sort of fundamental questions. First, does the Buddha actually have the ability, the capacity to help us with these deep-seated issues, you know, negative patterns, habits,
right? The really stubborn stuff. And the document directly asserts, yes, that capacity exists.
Okay. And the second question which follows naturally if the capacity is there. Well, how do you actually connect? How do you receive that help?
How does it become real for you in your practice?
Yeah, exactly. How does it make a difference?
Precisely. So, the document, it lays out a case for the Buddhist capability and then it offers a method, a specific way it says for you to connect to that power.
All right. So, starting with that first big one, can the Buddha really help? The document says emphatically, yes. All Buddhists can help eliminate these things. Strong claim.
Very strong. Yeah.
And it doesn’t just state it leans on uh established Buddhist scriptures for support.
Okay. Which scriptures?
Well, one of the main references it points to is the great spacious Buddha Flower Adornment Sutra.
Ah, the Flower Adornment Sutra. Huge text. What does this document pull from it specifically?
It uses this really um striking analogy comparing the Buddha’s wisdom to great winds.
Winds?
Yeah. Cosmic winds. Like it mentions a disintegrating wind that can destroy worlds, you know, cosmically speaking, but also an obstructing wind that protects other worlds.
Okay, destructive and protective forces like winds. How does that relate to Buddha’s wisdom?
So, the analogy is that the Buddha also has this great wisdom wind and this wind, it has different aspects, different functions.
A great wisdom wind. Okay, tell me more. What aspect?
It highlights two from the sutra. First, there’s an eliminating wind.
Sounds powerful.
It is. It’s described as being able to clear away afflictions and habits. But the document notes This is mainly for let’s say advanced practitioners, great Bodhisattvas,
right? People far along the path,
people with immense cultivation already.
Yeah.
But then crucially there’s the second aspect, the skillful sustaining wind.
Skillful sustaining. That sounds gentler.
It does. And it’s protective. It’s described as protecting those Bodhisattvas. And you could infer maybe any practitioner whose spiritual roots aren’t fully mature yet.
Protecting them from what?
Well, it seems to prevent that powerful eliminating wind from cutting off all their afflictions too soon.
Wait, why would getting rid of problems too soon be bad?
That’s a great question. The implication seems to be uh that for someone whose foundation isn’t totally solid, wiping away everything negative all at once could be great destabilizing.
Ah overwhelming perhaps.
Exactly. So the skillful sustaining wind suggests a more supportive process is needed earlier on. It sustained you while you build capacity.
That’s fascinating. So the help is kind of dynamically adjusted to where you are.
That’s what it suggests. It’s not one size fits all. Are there other sources mentioned?
Yes. It also brings in a quote, a more concise one from the Sutra on the Mind – Ground Contemplation of the Mahayana Birth.
Okay. What does that one say? It quotes, “May all Buddhas bestow their protection, capable of eliminating all wrong minds.”
Capable of eliminating all wrong minds. Pretty direct.
Very direct. Yeah.
Supports the idea of removing negative mental states, those afflictions and habits. And it explicitly mentions protection again.
Which ties back to that skillful sustaining wind idea.
Exactly. It reinforces both the power to clear and the power to protect.
So summing up this first part, the document uses these scriptural references like the Flower Adornment Sutras winds in this quote to establish that yes the Buddhist power is there. It can eliminate issues but it works in different ways tailored to you and it includes protection.
Right? The capacity is established. The can is there. So the next logical step is how
How do you access it? If this power exists, what’s the mechanism? How do you tune in?
Well, here it uses another analogy, a very uh modern one actually.
Oh,
it says the Buddha’s merits and vows are omnipresent like television signals in the air.
TV signals. Okay, that’s relatable. Invisible, but potentially receivable.
Exactly. They’re everywhere all the time, always broadcasting. The key, it says, is entirely about whether you were willing to receive them.
So, it’s on us, our receptivity.
That’s the idea. Are you tuning into the Buddhist panel. The signal is there, but you need to tune your set.
Okay. So, how do you tune in? Does it give instructions?
It does. It provides a specific prayer for daily practice. This is presented as the way to make that connection.
And is it that phrase we heard before?
It is. Yes. The recommended prayer is – May all Buddhas bestow their protection, capable of eliminating all wrong minds.
So, the quote establishing the power is the prayer to access it.
That’s the mechanism described. Saying this daily with sincerity is how you try to tune that channel. Align yourself. Okay. And this tuning, this prayer
Mhm.
it can have different effects, you said, depending on your uh spiritual maturity.
Yes. Two main effects. Depending on the strength of your roots of goodness, as the text puts it.
All right. Let’s get into those two effects now. What’s the first one?
The first is for those with mature roots of goodness, advanced practitioners. When someone like that tunes in sincerely, the Buddhist can directly help clear away the afflictions and habits.
Ah, so that’s receiving the eliminating wind directly.
That seems to be the implication. Yes. Direct powerful transformation for those ready for it.
Okay. And what about well probably most of us those whose roots aren’t quite so mature
Right and this is where it gets really interesting I think, for those whose roots are not yet mature whose minds might not be perfectly on channel, maybe prone to distraction doubt.
Yeah. What happens then?
For them? The document says the Buddhas cannot directly help clear away the afflictions and habits themselves. Not at that stage.
Wait, so praying doesn’t automatically clear things up for everyone?
Not the direct removal of the issues. No, not if the channel isn’t tuned properly. You’re getting static, maybe.
Okay.
However, this is key. This is where the Buddhist compassion comes in differently. The Buddhists use their power of aspiration, their unwavering vow to help to add a crucial layer of protection.
Protection like a shield. Even if you’re not getting the main message.
Exactly. Like a shield. It ensures that your existing roots of goodness, your potential for growth. Your positive qualities aren’t damaged while you’re still developing.
Why is protecting those roots so critical?
The document really stresses this. Cultivation is hard. Building those roots takes effort and they’re precious, but also easily destroyed.
Destroyed by what?
Primarily by diluted thoughts.
Diluted thoughts like negativity, wrong views, distractions.
Yes. All that internal noise that pulls you off the channel that undermines your practice. But it also highlights one specific state as particularly harmful.
Which one?
It warns quite pointedly that being ungrateful most easily destroys one’s own roots of goodness.
Ungrateful. Wow, that’s specific. Why ungratefulness?
Well, think about it. Ungratefulness is a kind of closed state, isn’t it? It blocks you from seeing or appreciating the good, the support you are receiving. It’s like actively refusing the signal, cutting yourself off.
That makes sense. It’s inherently unreceptive, a barrier you create yourself.
Exactly. But right after that warning, it pivots back to the Buddha’s vast and meticulous grace. It emphasizes that all Buddhas through their compassion and power of aspiration are constantly working to protect these fragile roots in sentient beings.
So even if your tuning is poor, even if you’re struggling with things like ungratefulness, that protective power is still there guarding your potential.
That’s the message. That protective shield is vital precisely because those roots are so vulnerable to our own minds.
Okay, let me try and summarize this bit. Mature roots, good tuning. Direct clearing via prayer. Roots not mature, tuning shaky. Prayer connects you to the protective power of aspiration, guarding your potential, especially against things like ingratitude.
That’s a great summary. The help is constant, but its form adapts to your state.
So, moving to the final part. What’s the ultimate key here? What makes this connection actually work?
It all comes back to resonance tuning correctly. Like the TV needs the right channel. channel. You need resonance to receive the Buddha’s merits.
Right?
If you can’t achieve that clear resonance yet, then that protective shield from the power of aspiration is your essential support.
It prevents you from backsliding while you work on improving your tuning.
It buys you time and stability.
Exactly. What if you do manage to tune in better? What if you resonate more clearly?
Yeah. What happens then?
The document states that Tatagata’s wisdom, the Buddha’s enlightened wisdom is immeasurable, universally beneficial, and actually fully present. within everyone.
It’s already inside of us,
accessible within us. But
and here it uses that blunt language again.
It says all ordinary fools clinging to their false thoughts are unaware and not willing to receive benefits.
Ouch. Ordinary fools. Strong words.
They are. But the point is stark. The block isn’t external. It’s internal. It’s our cling to false thoughts, our attachments or delusions. That’s what makes us unaware, unwilling.
So, the signal is loud and clear, but our own minds are generating too much interference.
That’s the core diagnosis. And here’s the promise that follows.
If you can abandon those false thoughts, that clinging, if you let go off the interference,
yes,
and become truly willing, truly open to accept the blessings of protection, then the path to awakening to Bodhi becomes, it says, remarkably easy.
Easy really after all the talk of difficulty,
remarkably easy with timely assistance and support. The idea seems to be that once you remove the self-imposed barriers, the omnipresent help flows effortlessly. The struggle isn’t against the path. It’s against our own resistance. Remove the resistance and the support is just there.
Okay. So this deep dive into Pray to Buddha, it lays out this framework. Buddha has the power backed by scripture.
Power to clear issues and protect growth.
This power is omnipresent like a signal
Always broadcasting
And prayer. That specific phrase is how you tune your receiver.
Right. May all Buddhas bestow their protection, capable of eliminating all wrong minds.
And the effect depends on your maturity. Direct help if you’re ready in tune. Vital protection if you’re not quite there yet.
Protection particularly guarding those fragile roots of goodness against our own diluted thoughts, especially something like ungratefulness.
And ultimately, the key isn’t forcing something external, but working internally, letting go off the clinging and false thoughts that block our reception.
Exactly. The challenge and the solution lies within our own minds, our willingness to receive what’s already offered. It’s a powerful model combining the cosmic, the practical, and a very direct look at our own internal obstacles. The help is there, it suggests, just waiting for us to get out of our own way.
Which leads to a really practical question for you, the listener, to maybe reflect on,
if this perspective holds water, if the Buddha’s wisdom and assistance are universally present, like signals in the air.
Yeah.
What specific false thought, what habitual clinging or maybe even what subtle feeling of ungratefulness might you be holding on to right now? What static might you be generating that’s preventing you from tuning in more clearly and receiving that support?
求佛
-滅我煩惱業習，護我所修善根
1）佛是否有相應的能力
是不是所有的佛都能幫我們滅除煩惱習氣？
答案是絕對的，參考文獻如下：
a.《大方廣佛華嚴經》卷51〈之二〉：「「復次，佛子！譬如風災壞世界時，有大風起，名曰：散壞，能壞三千大千世界，鐵圍山等皆成碎末。復有大風，名為：能障，周匝三千大千世界障散壞風，不令得至餘方世界。佛子！若令無此能障大風，十方世界無不壞盡。如來、應、正等覺亦復如是，有大智風，名為：能滅，能滅一切諸大菩薩煩惱習氣；有大智風，名為：巧持，巧持其根未熟菩薩不令能滅大智風輪斷其一切煩惱習氣。」
(CBETA 2025.R1, T10, no. 279, p. 272b21-29)
b. 正如簡約版的出處《大乘本生心地觀經》卷3〈2 報恩品〉：
「惟願諸佛垂加護， 能滅一切顛倒心， 願我早悟真性源， 速證如來無上道。」
(CBETA 2025.R1, T03, no. 159, p. 304a24-25)
2）如何祈求
佛的功德與願力遍及一切時空，無處不在，如同空中的電視信號，關鍵在於我們是否願意接受，是否調准到佛的頻道。
接受佛的護持，需以虔誠的心每日祈求：「唯願諸佛垂加護，能滅一切顛倒心。」
這樣的祈求有兩大作用：
a) 對於善根成熟者，頻道一調准，佛直接幫其清理除煩惱與習氣。
b) 對於善根未成熟者，心不在佛的頻道，佛不能直接幫其清理煩惱與習氣，但佛有願力為其每日的修行成果加上一層保護罩，確保善根不受損毀。
修行不易，善根尤為珍貴，但極易因妄念而毀壞。人容易造惡業、斷善根，尤其是不知感恩，最易摧毀自身的善根。然而，佛恩浩蕩，無微不至，諸佛以無邊的慈悲與願力，護持眾生的善根，不讓其被破壞。
3）接受佛力的關鍵
佛的功德無時無刻不在，關鍵在於我們是否與佛感應道交地去接收。
如同電視信號在空中， 頻道調准，電視屏幕上就可以展現節目。
頻道調不准，電視屏幕上就展現不了節目。 此時，佛也會以願力巧持我們已修善根不被破壞，這種保護罩非常重要。
4）接受如來加護，輕鬆修行
佛子！如來智慧亦復如是，無量無礙，普能利益一切眾生，具足在於眾生身中；但諸凡愚妄想執著，不知不覺，不得利益。
如果你拋棄妄想執著，接受如來加持護佑，菩提路上都有如來及時相應的提攜，是多麼輕鬆的修行啊！
Pray to Buddha
To eliminate my afflictions and karmic habits, to protect the roots of goodness we cultivate
1) Does the Buddha have the corresponding ability?
Can all Buddhas help us eliminate afflictions and habits?
The answer is absolutely yes. Please refer to the following references:
a. From “The Great spacious Buddha Flower Adornment Sutra” (Dafangguang Fohua Yan Jing), Scroll 51 (Part 2):
“Furthermore, noble heir of Buddha! For example, when the world is destroyed by wind calamities, a great wind arises, named ‘Disintegrating,’ which can destroy the three-thousand great-thousand world system, reducing even the iron encircling mountains to dust. There is another great wind, named ‘Obstructing,’ which encircles the three-thousand great-thousand world system, obstructing the disintegrating wind from reaching other worlds. Noble child! If there were no such obstructing great wind, the worlds in the ten directions would all be utterly destroyed. The Tathagata, Arhat, Samyak-sambuddha is also like this; there is a great wisdom wind, named ‘Eliminating,’ which can eliminate all the afflictions and habits of great Bodhisattvas; there is a great wisdom wind, named ‘Skillful Sustaining,’ which skillfully sustains Bodhisattvas whose roots are not yet mature, preventing the great wisdom wind wheel of eliminating from cutting off all their afflictions and habits.” (CBETA 2025.R1, T10, no. 279, p. 272b21-29)
b. As stated in the concise version from ” Sutra on the Mind-Ground Contemplation of the Mahayana Birth” (Dacheng Bensheng Xindi Guan Jing), Scroll 3 (Chapter 2, “Chapter on Gratitude”):
“May all Buddhas bestow their protection, Capable of eliminating all wrong minds. May we swiftly awaken to the source of true nature, and quickly realize the Tathagata’s unsurpassed path.” (CBETA 2025.R1, T03, no. 159, p. 304a24-25)
2) How to Pray
The merits and vows of the Buddhas permeate all time and space, being omnipresent, like television signals in the air. The key lies in whether we are willing to receive them, whether we tune into the Buddha’s channel.
To receive the Buddha’s protection, one needs to pray daily with a sincere heart: “May all Buddhas bestow their protection, capable of eliminating all wrong minds.”
This kind of prayer has two major effects:
• For those with mature roots of goodness, once the channel is tuned, the Buddhas directly help them clear away afflictions and habits.
• For those whose roots of goodness are not yet mature, whose minds are not on the Buddha’s channel, the Buddhas cannot directly help them clear away afflictions and habits. However, the Buddhas have their Power of Aspiration to add a layer of protection to their daily cultivation efforts, ensuring that their roots of goodness are not damaged.
Cultivation is not easy, and roots of goodness are especially precious but can be easily destroyed by deluded thoughts. People are prone to committing evil karma and severing roots of goodness, especially by being ungrateful, which most easily destroys one’s own roots of goodness. However, the Buddha’s grace is vast and meticulous; all Buddhas, with boundless compassion and Power of Aspiration, protect sentient beings’ roots of goodness, preventing them from being destroyed.
3) The Key to Receiving Buddha’s Power
The Buddha’s merits are present at all times. The key lies in whether we resonate with the Buddha to receive them.
Just like television signals in the air, if the channel is tuned correctly, programs can be displayed on the TV screen.
If the channel is not tuned correctly, programs cannot be displayed on the TV screen. At this time, the Buddhas will also skillfully use their Power of Aspiration to sustain our cultivated roots of goodness from being destroyed; this protective shield is very important.
4) Receiving the Tathagata’s Protection, Easy Cultivation
Noble Heir of Buddha! The Tathagata’s wisdom is also like this: immeasurable and unobstructed, it universally benefits all sentient beings and is fully present within sentient beings’ bodies; but all ordinary fools, clinging to their false thoughts, are unaware and not willing to receive benefits.
If you abandon false thoughts and clinging, and accept the Tathagata’s blessings and protection, how easy cultivation on the path to Bodhi will be, with the Tathagata’s timely assistance and support!
