Episode 483 – Realize True Suchness with Impartial Compassion
>> “With wisdom of suchness, we realize the essence of ultimate reality. Once in a state of agreement, we will realize the nature of True Suchness. Turning from the dust toward awakening, we can turn the Dharma-wheel.”
>> “The Buddhas of the present and future, whose numbers are beyond calculation, also use skillful means to expound Dharma such as this.”
>> “Similarly at this time, the World-Honored One….”
>> “From His birth to leaving the lay life, attaining the Way and turning the Dharma-wheel, [He] also teaches by using skillful means.”
>> So, the Buddha, for the sake of one great cause, manifested leaving the lay life and engaging in spiritual practice to realize the Path and verify Absolute Truth.
>> Transform the minds of sentient beings. This was turning the Dharma-wheel.
>> The Buddha’s teaching of the Dharma is like the turning of the wheel of a cart. It can turn ordinary people into noble beings, enabling them to transcend all afflictions and attain the Dharma of the Noble Path. This is turning the Dharma-wheel.
“With wisdom of suchness,
we realize the essence of ultimate reality.
Once in a state of agreement,
we will realize the nature of True Suchness.
Turning from the dust toward awakening,
we can turn the Dharma-wheel.”
The wisdom of suchness is our nature of True Suchness. We ordinary people intrinsically have the nature of True Suchness, but because we transmigrate in the Six Realms, our intrinsic nature continues to be covered by the dust of the afflictions in our environment. Layer upon layer of ignorance cover [our minds], so our wisdom of suchness cannot break through our afflictions.
Right now, the teachings we are listening to [seem to] repeat continuously, over and over. After the [Buddha] taught the Dharma, to make things clearer,
He would teach it repeatedly with various methods, such as parables and expressions. Take Sariputra, who was foremost in wisdom. Once he understood the empty nature of things, he realized there was nothing to be attached to. There was no need to cling to any appearances. This is true emptiness. External appearances and forms no longer disturbed his mind. Once he eliminated his desires, there were no more problems. However, he still did not understand the nature of True Suchness. This wondrous existence was not clear to him.
Then at the Lotus Dharma-assembly, through the Buddha’s repeated and lengthy explanations, Sariputra finally began to understand that within true emptiness, there is a very subtle and wondrous existence. This wondrous existence is “wisdom of suchness.” Sariputra had now realized the “wisdom of suchness.” To realize is to verify, to understand. What did he understand? The essence of ultimate reality. The essence of True Suchness was what he had realized.
As I have said before, the mind of the Buddha, the Great Enlightened One, was in a tranquil state when it suddenly converged with the true essence of the universe. So, [the truths of] all things in the universe were verified by the Buddha’s mind. Thus He experienced this and awakened. This is the essence of ultimate reality, or the “wisdom of suchness,” which is True Suchness.
“Once we in a state of agreement….” If we are able to reach agreement, that is a form of verification. When our minds and these principles verify each other, then we have comprehended them. So, “We will realize the nature of True Suchness” because we have already reached agreement; our minds and the principles have converged. Therefore, “Once in a state of agreement, we will realize the nature of True Suchness.”
“Turning from the dust toward awakening” means “we can turn the Dharma-wheel.” In the past, while among all ordinary beings, we were bothered and troubled. When we are in the Six Realms, among the multitudes of people, we become mixed up in interpersonal conflicts, which [causes us to become] unclear. This is like being caught in a dust [storm]. Dust, as everyone should know, can be blown up into the air. When the wind blows, flying dust can fill the sky. When the land is very arid and dry, it becomes very dusty, and once the wind blows, it will all blow in the same direction and create what looks like a layer of fog. This is dust. So, our minds are also covered by a dusty haze but this dust pollutes our hearts, so we cannot clearly see the world around us. Now that we are learning the Buddha’s teachings, we are “turning from the dust toward awakening.”
I often talk about “taking refuge,” which is to turn from black to white. The underlying idea is the same. Our past ignorance and afflictions are what we have turned away from so we can face the clean and pure Dharma. This is “turning from the dust toward awakening.” If we can achieve this, then “we can turn the Dharma-wheel.” We learn the Buddha’s teachings in the hope that we can learn to see clearly. If we cannot see clearly, then even if Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are right in front of us, we would still treat them as ordinary people. Ordinary people judge others by their appearances.
In the sutras, there is a story about this. There was a kulapati, a very respected elder, who was very reverent and had read many Buddhist sutras. He often went to temples to pay his respects, and also studied the sutras very earnestly.
The sutras state that. Manjusri is dignified and wise. He was once the teacher of seven Buddhas. Among his students, seven of them had already attained Buddhahood. So, this elder always felt that seeing Manjusri Bodhisattva was his greatest wish as a spiritual practitioner. So at his home, he often made offerings to monastics. Whenever he made offerings, he always left an empty seat. This seat was on a dais, elevated above others, because he hoped Manjusri Bodhisattva would respond and come to receive offerings.
This elder often made these offerings. One day, the offerings were very abundant, so many bhiksus came and sat in the order of their arrival. Yet, the elevated seat remained empty. Then, a very filthy person arrived. His face was as soiled as could be, with filth stuck to his eyes and flowing from his nose. His entire body was very dirty and unclean, and his clothes were very tattered. He hobbled in, one step at a time, meaning that he was crippled and limping. Just like that, he limped in on a cane and without reservation sat in the elevated seat.
When the elder saw this, he was very displeased. So, he guided him down off the elevated seat, saying, “This seat is not for you, please come down.” After he pulled him down, he coaxed him toward the side to sit in a corner and gave him something to eat. Yet, it kept happening like this, that during those several days, this person kept appearing there.
One day, this elder went to a temple to pay respects to the Buddha. He prostrated to the statue of the Buddha, recited sutras, prayed and made vows as he always did. “I only have one wish; there is only one thing I ask for. I want to see the magnificent Manjusri Bodhisattva, who possesses both blessings and wisdom. Why does this Bodhisattva, who must surely be very dignified-looking, leave the elevated seat empty?”
After he prayed to the Buddha, he was very tired, so he went home and fell asleep. In his dream, someone seemed to be talking to him. The voice said, “Your wish to see the Bodhisattva has been fulfilled. Manjusri sat in that elevated seat seven times, but you pulled him down seven times. This happened seven times in a row. The Bodhisattva sat in that elevated seat, but you did not see his true face; you looked at him with your unenlightened mind.”
At that moment, he suddenly realized that. Manjusri Bodhisattva had manifested this kind of appearance to accept offerings, but he had judged him based on appearance. He felt deeply regretful. The voice spoke again, “When you learn the Buddha’s teachings, you must learn the wisdom of suchness and set aside appearances. As you engage in spiritual practice, you must have a compassionate and impartial mind. When you make offerings, you must do so out of great love, selflessness and deep sincerity. This shows reverence and compassion. A reverent and compassionate mind must be impartial. This is having impartial compassion for all. However, your mind still discriminates.” So, the elder suddenly had a great realization; truly this is how things are.
Often, when we are reading the sutras, our minds will often be limited by the text. We must liberate ourselves from this attachment. This is “turning from the dust toward awakening.” That type of ignorance, that unenlightened attachment to appearances, is something we must avoid. Is there any difference between men and women? Is there any difference between rich and poor? Is there any difference between noble and lowly? Actually, the principles have no [set] form or appearance. This is something we should be able to realize.
So, “with wisdom of suchness, we realize the essence of ultimate reality.” The essence of ultimate reality is like our five facial features and four limbs. A complete human body has these four limbs and five features. This is our appearance. And our essence? We all have the Six Roots and the Six Consciousnesses. By nature, we have a seventh and an eighth consciousness. Our seventh consciousness is our thinking. We see appearances in our surroundings and then contemplate them in our minds. When we read sutras, the text enters our minds, and we contemplate it. If we have taken the Dharma to heart, the seeds of the Dharma will be in our minds. If we are attached to something, we cannot fully eliminate our habitual tendencies. Things are filtered through the alaya (eighth) consciousness before reaching the amala consciousness, the ninth consciousness. What reaches the ninth consciousness is filtered through the eighth consciousness, so it is completely clean.
This is our essence, our true wisdom, which can comprehend the true principles. So, if we can do this, we will be in agreement with True Suchness. In this way, we are “turning from the dust toward awakening,” and can “turn the Dharma-wheel.” Then, we can go among people to teach the. Great Dharma and turn the great Dharma-wheel.
The earlier sutra passage [states],
“The Buddhas of the present and future, whose numbers are beyond calculation, also use skillful means to expound Dharma such as this.”
The present Buddha is Sakyamuni Buddha, the future Buddha is Maitreya Buddha, and there are other countless Buddhas in the long expanse of the future. So, Their “numbers are beyond calculation,” and all “also use skillful means to expound Dharma such as this.” Countless Buddhas have appeared in the world. Their one purpose is to transform all beings and turn the Dharma-wheel, turning deluded minds toward their awakened nature. This is the path shared by all Buddhas; past, present and future, they are all the same.
So, in the next passage, it states,
“Similarly at this time, the World-Honored One….”
The past and future Buddhas were just like the present Buddha, Sakyamuni.
“From His birth to leaving the lay life, attaining the Way and turning the Dharma-wheel, [He] also teaches by using skillful means.”
Every Buddha does the same. They appear in this world, so according to the workings of the world, They must have parents. This is “from birth to leaving the lay life.” Although They are also born from parents, They come to the world with Buddha-wisdom, born of Their affinities with Their parents. Though born in this world, the way these Buddhas interact with people and deal with matters and objects lead Them to achieve different realizations. The aspirations They form and the great vows They make are also different from other people’s. They have to leave Their lay life to attain Buddhahood. This process of spiritual cultivation is the same.
After becoming enlightened, They attain the Way and turn the Dharma-wheel. Only by realizing the principles of all things in the universe and thoroughly and clearly analyzing conditioned phenomena and unconditioned Dharma can They turn the Dharma-wheel. Though They turn the Dharma-wheel in this way, the Dharma-wheel has to be turned on Earth. This is like a kind of skillful means.
So, the Buddha, for the sake of one great cause, manifested leaving the lay life and engaging in spiritual practice to realize the Path and verify Absolute Truth.
This was how the Buddha was able to turn the Dharma-wheel and
teach the Dharma He had safeguarded in His mind. After the Buddha attained enlightenment, with that state of mind, He could thoroughly understand the ultimate reality of all things in the universe. Things arise according to their principles. Only when many [causes and conditions] converge will an appearance manifest. Haven’t I often given examples of this? Each kind of appearance has its own name. A table has the appearance of a table. The floor, window and ceiling are all made of wood. There are different types of wood, each with its own texture and quality. Certain kinds of wood can be turned into certain kinds of objects. Certain kinds of wood are not suitable for making tables, chairs, doors or windows.
So, different kinds of material objects are formed by different causes and conditions. Each different kind of seed matures under [different] causes and conditions and grows from the land. Their nature and essence are different, so their names are different. Things with the same name, put to different uses, may then be given different names. So, to the Buddha, we are all humans. We have the same limbs and facial features, but our essence and nature differ. Although we have different [habitual] natures, we all have the essence of True Suchness, the same intrinsic nature of True Suchness.
All in all, the Buddha has already realized this. Now, He was turning the great Dharma-wheel, which is turning the wheel of Great Dharma. This was different from the limited teachings of the past. Now He was teaching the Great Dharma. He was transmitting the Dharma He safeguarded. The True Dharma that He had safeguarded in His mind was now being fully shared in order to.
Transform the minds of sentient beings. This was turning the Dharma-wheel.
The Dharma-wheel is like the wheel of a cart. A cart needs wheels so that it can transport its cargo from one place to another. By the same principle, the Buddha transported the Dharma from His mind into the minds of sentient beings, in hopes that we can accept the Buddha-Dharma. This is how we receive the Dharma.
The Buddha’s teaching of the Dharma is like the turning of the wheel of a cart. It can turn ordinary people into noble beings, enabling them to transcend all afflictions and attain the Dharma of the Noble Path. This is turning the Dharma-wheel.
So, [the Dharma-wheel] is like the wheel of a cart. Only when the wheels turn can the cart move. By transporting the Dharma into sentient beings’ minds, He hopes they can develop their wisdom-life and turn from ordinary people into noble beings, thus transforming ordinary minds into noble minds. This helps all beings transcend all afflictions.
If sentient beings do not eliminate afflictions from their minds, they will always remain ordinary people. We must use the Dharma to break down our afflictions. Similarly, as wheels roll over the ground, they will grind and break down filthy things so those can be swept away. This is also a way of turning afflictions into True Dharma. This can enable ordinary people to transcend all afflictions and and attain the Dharma of the Noble Path.
If we accept the Buddha-Dharma into our hearts with a pure mind, then all Dharma converges into one entity, which can then be applied in the world.
Everyone, as we learn the Buddha’s teachings, I only hope that we can all attain the “wisdom of suchness” so we can realize the essence of ultimate reality, our nature of True Suchness. So, we must apply our wisdom in self-observation and self-reflection to awaken our nature of True Suchness. Therefore, we must always be mindful.