Episode 495 – Flower Light Tathagata’s Magnificent Land
>> “We must abide in the power of vows and in the state of the Tathagata. The wondrous Dharma is like water that nourishes sentient beings. By using wondrous and skillful ways to teach True Dharma, the Three Vehicles will ultimately take us back to the one ultimate path.”
>> The name of his land will be “Free of Defilements.”
>> “The land will be even, purely adorned, tranquil, prosperous and abounding with heavenly beings and humans. Its ground shall be made of crystals, with eight intersecting roads, bordered with golden cords.”
>> “By its sides shall stand rows of trees made of the Seven Treasures which are always blooming flowers and bearing fruit. Flower Light Tathagata will also use the Three Vehicles to teach and transform sentient beings.”
>> Trees protect the land. Flowers beautify the surroundings. In particular, lotus flowers can purify filthy ponds, as can the flowers of the Wondrous Dharma Lotus.
>> “Gold, silver, crystal, mother of pearl, carnelian, pearls and rose quartz. These are the Seven Treasures.”
>> The light of the flower is the light of the Tathagata’s wisdom. Flower Light Tathagata will manifest a physical body according to people’s capabilities and conditions. This will be Sariputra’s distinctive epithet when he attains his transformation-body.
>> He reveals the Buddha’s understanding and views to the minds of sentient beings. This is how the lotus flower purifies pollutants.
>> A Tathagata comes on the path of True Suchness to transform sentient beings in the Three Realms.
“We must abide in the power of vows and in the state of the Tathagata.
The wondrous Dharma is like water that nourishes sentient beings.
By using wondrous and skillful ways to teach True Dharma,
the Three Vehicles will ultimately take us back to the one ultimate path.”
This tells everyone that, in learning the Buddha’s teachings, we must abide in the power of vows. The initial aspiration that led us to make this vow is something we must abide in. We cannot see something and impulsively say, “I can do it! I am willing!” and then when external challenges arise, completely forget about our vows. Ordinary people’s minds work this way; this happens when our faith is not deep.
That initial faith we develop must be deeply rooted before we can make vows. When we make a vow out of deep faith, it will give us great power. After all, what is our vow? Everyone says that they learn the Buddha’s teachings in hopes of attaining Buddhahood. If we do not hope to attain Buddhahood, why would we learn the Buddha’s teachings? So, as we learn the. Buddha’s teachins to attain Buddhahood, we must abide in the power of vows. The power of vows can take us all the way to the state of the Tathagata. Therefore, when we engage in spiritual practice, from the very start, with that initial aspiration, we must properly aim ourselves toward our goal.
To move forward, we must thoroughly absorb wondrous Dharma. We must have the Dharma in our hearts, so that whenever complications arise from people, matters and objects, we use the Dharma like water to immediately wash away the dust and defilement. Not only can we use it to protect ourselves from all kinds of external defilements, we must also deliver it to other sentient beings.
We see that they have so many severe habitual tendencies and many discursive thoughts and afflictions. These people truly face unbearable suffering. We should take the teachings of the Buddha, and what we have learned from them, and share it with everyone. This is called “turning the Dharma-wheel.” When afflictions arise, that wheel of Dharma can crush and break down interpersonal conflicts, as if they are being washed away by water. Then, what could possibly still afflict us? After love, hate, passion and animosity are gone, what could possibly hinder us? So, we must constantly turn the Dharma-wheel; we must turn the wheel in our minds. With the wheel in our minds, we can [share this Dharma] with sentient beings. So, this is how we “nourish sentient beings.”
The myriad of sentient beings all have different capabilities. We must be like the Buddha and make use of skillful and wondrous ways and the most true and sincere intentions to go among the people. So, no matter which methods are used, skillful means never deviate from Right Dharma,
thus we can apply them as we work with people. The Three Vehicles all return to the One. Whether the Small or Middle Vehicles were used, they ultimately lead to the Great Vehicle. The Buddha hoped that everyone will give of themselves with love, yet do so free of hindrances and by practicing the Three Spheres of Emptiness. This is the true and wondrous Dharma. This is the ultimate path.
There is a story about the king of a small kingdom and his two servants. One day, the king was sleeping, when he was awakened. Though not fully awake, he heard the two of them speaking. One servant asked the other, “What do you think we can depend on to live in security and freedom?” The other servant said, “I believe I can rely on the king to feel secure and free.” The first servant said, “I believe that everything I do creates karma that shapes my life. My mind must be peaceful at every moment because this is what the Buddha taught.”
When the king heard this, he was happy with what the first servant said, “In my life, I rely on the king.” After waking, the king began managing his affairs. He called a servant over and told him to find his wife, the queen. He said, “Tell her that I will shortly ask someone to deliver wine to her palace. When she receives this servant, she should give him a big reward.” So, the queen prepared [the rewards he dictated].
After the king finished his meal, he called on the servant who [said he] lived a peaceful and blessed life by relying on the king. He said, “Take this jar of wine to the queen.” This servant took the jar of wine from the king, but as he stepped out of the door, suddenly his nose began to bleed non-stop. Just then, he encountered the other servant, the one who [said he] depended upon himself to create blessed karma. He happened to see him, so he said, “Come, take this jar of wine and deliver it to the queen in my stead. My nose is bleeding non-stop, so please do this for me.” Then this servant took the jar of wine and delivered it to the queen.
When the queen received this jar of wine, she bestowed everything that the king had dictated as a reward for this servant. Later, when the king saw the servant who said that his blessings were dependent upon the king, he asked him, “Did you deliver it? Did you see the queen? When I was on my way to deliver it, my nose began to bleed, and I was unable to go. My apologies. I asked my colleague to do it.”
The king had a sudden realization. The other servant had spoken of how the Buddha-Dharma taught that everything depends on whether people create blessed karma for themselves. The king said, “I truly should have believed that the Buddha speaks the truth, not lies. He said that each person should abide in this state of mind.” Indeed, we must abide in the power of vows. Benefiting others leads to blessed retributions.
So, when among the multitude of sentient beings, we must sustain the power of our vows. We must go among the people with the Dharma. With True Dharma, we transform each other and teach one another. We had also discussed this yesterday. Before we attain Buddhahood, we must first form good affinities with others. We must have a pure heart when creating karmic affinities with sentient beings. Then if we have the affinity to meet a Buddha in the future, we can also receive a prediction for attaining Buddhahood in the distant future. This was the case for Sariputra.
Sariputra will attain Buddhahood and be named Flower Light Tathagata.
The name of his land will be “Free of Defilements.”
It is such a pure and undefiled land!
“The land will be even, purely adorned, tranquil, prosperous and abounding with heavenly beings and humans. Its ground shall be made of crystals, with eight intersecting roads, bordered with golden cords.”
We discussed all this yesterday.
The Buddha hopes that all people will aspire to engage in spiritual practice and walk the Bodhisattva-path with a pure heart. By transforming all sentient beings, their hearts return to a state of purity. Not only must they be pure, but they must constantly practice the Bodhisattva-path. This is cultivating both blessings and wisdom. Then the state they attain will be very rich and abundant, and everyone will be at peace. This is the most ideal place. This country has eight intersecting roads, bordered with golden cords.
Furthermore, this passage states,
“By its sides shall stand rows of trees made of the Seven Treasures which are always blooming flowers and bearing fruit. Flower Light Tathagata will also use the Three Vehicles to teach and transform sentient beings.”
This is the future, Sariputra’s future. This is what his land will look like. There is so much abundance that it even has golden cords as its borders and rows of trees made of the Seven Treasures. If you recite the Amitabha Sutra, it mentions rows of trees made of the Seven Treasures and layers of jewels surrounding the land. In Sariputra’s land in the future, the place he presides over will also be cordoned in gold and lined with trees made of the Seven Treasures, bearing fruits and flowers. There are flowers and fruits on all of them. This is a very magnificent state.
Flower Light Tathagata will be in a land that is so abundant, even the trees will be filled with flowers and fruits. Flower Light Tathagata will also, in that land, teach sentient beings with the Three Vehicles. So, these trees are like that; besides adorning an environment like that, more importantly, trees can protect the land. Our hearts and minds are like the land. If we cultivate the Bodhi-trees well, then they will safeguard our hearts and minds. ․Trees protect the land. Flowers beautify the surroundings. In particular, lotus flowers can purify filthy ponds, as can the flowers of the Wondrous Dharma Lotus.
In this world, if we cultivate trees very well, they protect the water, the soil and the earth. At the same time, they also emit phytoncides, as well as fresh oxygen which help us to remain physically healthy. The air we exhale from our bodies is impure, polluted air. With so many people collectively exhaling such impure [air], it is the trees that take it in and absorb it. The impurities that these trees absorb fertilize them and become their nutrients. This is a cycle of purity and impurity. The workings of nature are truly wondrous. Trees protect the earth. Not only do they safeguard soil and water, but they can also provide fresh oxygen for us. So, we should deeply cherish trees.
Trees also have flowers. When the flowers bloom they are fragrant and beautiful. They can beautify the environment. This is especially true for the lotus flower. In the Buddha-Dharma, the lotus is constantly used as an analogy. Right now we are discussing the Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra, which is also compared to the lotus flower.
Though the lotus grows in mud, it remains unsullied. It even purifies the impurities in the mud. This is just like us; the multitudes of sentient beings are very impure. Bodhisattvas go among people to purify them. When the Dharma-wheel is turned, it can go into the minds of sentient beings. Then sentient beings can also be transformed.
Aside from lotus flowers, in the mud, there are also lotus roots. As the lotus flower blooms, the lotus head, the fruit, has already formed, and the lotus seeds can be seen in the flower. Once the flower blooms, the fruit can be seen, and this lotus head contains the lotus seeds. So, the lotus is really wondrous; when the flower blooms we can see its fruit. Its root also purifies the mud. The lotus root absorbs the filth and impurities, and lotus roots are also beneficial to our health.
So, attaining Buddhahood anywhere other than this evil world of Five Turbidities we live in would truly be difficult. Before every Buddha attains Buddhahood, He must come to the human realm. Didn’t Sariputra follow Sakyamuni Buddha in the human realm? Every Buddha, countless trillions of Buddhas, all must first come to the human realm and be trained by the sentient beings in this evil world of Five Turbidities. While they are among people, they must find a way to not be polluted by them and instead purify them. Thus, they develop the ability of Bodhisattvas to abide in the power of their vows and remain unwavering in the state of the Tathagata. This kind of faith and power of vows need to be developed among people. This is the meaning behind the name “Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower.”
Even the trees are made of the Seven Treasures, rows of trees made of the Seven Treasures. These trees are different from trees in our world. Though these trees produce flowers, they are made of the Seven Treasures.
“Gold, silver, crystal, mother of pearl, carnelian, pearls and rose quartz. These are the Seven Treasures.”
In fact, in the Saha World there are all kinds of treasures. It is just that they are hidden. But humans know this because they are clever. Thus they destroy the mountains, cut down the trees that cover them and dig out the treasures inside. In the Buddha-land, these treasures also exist. However, they are all out in the open. It is not necessary for people to dig them out, and no one wants to steal them or commit crimes to [seize them] because they live amidst the Seven Treasures.
Flower Light Tathagata uses the Three Vehicles to teach and transform sentient beings. This Tathagata is wise and gives off the light of wisdom. Thus He is called Flower Light.
The light of the flower is the light of the Tathagata’s wisdom. Flower Light Tathagata will manifest a physical body according to people’s capabilities and conditions. This will be Sariputra’s distinctive epithet when he attains his transformation-body.
There are so many kinds of flowers. They are produced by trees and protect the earth by purifying pollutants. Flowers appear in the world to be admired by all.
In fact, in this verse, “light” refers to the light of wisdom. Flower Light Tathagata manifests a physical Buddha-body according to people’s capabilities and conditions. Heavenly beings and Bodhisattvas have not completely understood the Dharma. Therefore, Flower Light Tathagata must respond to their capabilities and conditions, to manifest His Buddha-body.
So, Sariputra’s transformation-body will have the distinctive epithet “Flower Light.” Every Buddha has a name and an epithet. Flower Light Tathagata will be His epithet. Similarly, when we become monastics, we receive a Dharma-name. There are also Dharma-epithets. I currently use my Dharma-name [Cheng Yen], while you use your Dharma-epithets. So, Flower Light Tathagata will be His epithet.
․He reveals the Buddha’s understanding and views to the minds of sentient beings. This is how the lotus flower purifies pollutants.
The light of this flower can purify pollutants. Because Sariputra transformed sentient beings with the light of wisdom, He will be Flower Light Tathagata.
A Tathagata comes on the path of True Suchness to transform sentient beings in the Three Realms.
He has perfected His virtues, so He comes with this heart of True Suchness to the Three Realms to transform sentient beings. This virtue is why He is a Tathagata (Thus-Come-One). This is the transformation-body of the Tathagata. So, Flower Light Tathagata
will be in a land like this in the future. Sakyamuni Buddha had bestowed this prediction upon Sariputra. To reach this reward-land, he still must engage in spiritual practice for a long time and create blessed conditions and positive affinities by benefiting people. His blessed retribution of attaining Buddhahood will happen in this pure and magnificent land.
So, as Buddhist practitioners, “We must abide in the power of vows and in the state of the Tathagata. The wondrous Dharma is like water that nourishes sentient beings.” We must take the Dharma to heart and constantly go among sentient beings to purify their hearts. So, we must all focus our minds and keep making progress. We must have faith and constantly live out that faith in our daily living. Therefore, we must always be mindful.