►Excerpt from Venerable Master Hua's lectures
on the Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra, Chapter One.

The Bodhisattvas turn the Wheel of Dharma to teach and convert living beings. What is meant by turning the Dharma Wheel? There is the common phrase, "The Dharma Wheel Forever Turns." The eternal turning of the Dharma Wheel refers to the irreversible Dharma Wheel. What is meant by the turning of the Dharma Wheel?

For example, here we lecture on the Sutras and speak the Dharma. We are also translating the Sutras into English, and introducing the Buddhadharma to all people and this, too, is turning the Dharma Wheel. There is not just one, but many different types of work involved in propagating the Buddhadharma, all of which are considered to be the turning of the Dharma Wheel to teach living beings. Therefore, as disciples of the Buddha, we must take the work of turning the Dharma Wheel as our own work, as our duty and responsibility. We should do whatever work we can do to turn the Wheel of the Buddhadharma.

For example, now in the scientific age, we have a mimeograph machine and every day we put out typescript copies of the English translation of the previous night's lecture so that everyone can have a copy. This is called turning the Dharma Wheel. Turning the Dharma Wheel is the circulation of the Buddhadharma so that it flows like water and never stops.

When I was young, I also did the work of propagating the Buddhadharma. At first, before I was able to lecture on the Sutras, I printed Sutras. Whenever someone was printing a Sutra, I would contribute enough money for the printing of a few hundred or a few thousand copies. Then I would give them to my friends or relatives. Perhaps at New Year's or some other holiday, or on their birthdays, I would make them a present of a copy of a Buddhist Sutra. The Chinese like red paper, so I wrapped the Sutras in red paper so that they made beautiful gifts. I would say, "I am giving you the most important gift there is. Why? Because it can save your life, the wisdom life or your Dharma-body. Because you are my friend, I am giving you that which I like most-the Buddhadharma."

I spoke to them very sincerely and earnestly and they could not but read them. Once they read them, they would become interested in the Buddhadharma and come to me saying, "Where did you get those Sutras? I have some friends I would like to give copies to. Can you give me a few more?" and I was in business, distributing books. No matter who was printing Sutras, I would subscribe. While I was in Manchuria, my wealth consisted of nothing but Buddhist Sutras. I had more Sutras in my room in Manchuria than there are in this entire lecture hall-a whole lot. Wherever I go, I have a lot of Sutras.

In Hong Kong I spent most money on Sutras. I probably printed more than a million Hong Kong dollars worth of Sutras. When I was about to come to America I gave away over several hundred thousand dollars worth of Buddhist Sutras; I would give each person a big package of them as gifts. I had planned to give them away gradually, but because I was coming to America, I hurried up and gave them away because I had no place to store them.

The thing I liked to do most was to print Sutras. So now that you are making copies of the lectures and this is also a very good way to spread the Dharma; it pleases me a great deal. This is how I turned the irreversible Dharma Wheel; I hope that all of you will exert yourselves vigorously in this regard.

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