Episode 878 – The Dharma-rain Nourishes Universally
>> The Dharma-rain nourishes the ground of the mind for the practitioners of the fivefold assembly. All the causal seeds we have habitually created received the rain and were nourished. Roots, stems, branches and leaves are analogies for faith, precepts, Samadhi and wisdom.
>> “There are those with small roots, small stems, small branches and small leaves, those with average roots, average stems, average branches and average leaves and those with great roots, great stems, great branches and great leaves. ” [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 5 – The Parable of the Medicinal Herbs]
>> So, people say, It takes ten years to cultivate a tree. It takes 100 years to cultivate a person. Establishing virtues requires nourishment. Eliminating evil requires pulling out the root.
>> Contemplate under a tree to seek the Path. When the Buddha was born, when He attained enlightenment, when He turned the Dharma-wheel and when He entered Parinirvana, all of these took place beneath trees.
>> All trees, big and small, according to their great, average or small size, each receive something. From the rain of one cloud, each, according to its seed-nature, is given life, grows, blossoms and bears fruit.” [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 5 – The Parable of the Medicinal Herbs]
>> Bodhisattvas can be divided into two kinds. Those who follow gradual teachings are small. Those who follow immediate teachings are great. According to their differing capacities, what they accept is different.
>> They nourish each other in sequence. Those with small roots are an analogy for the faith, precepts, Samadhi and wisdom of humans and heavenly beings. Those with average roots are an analogy for the faith, precepts, Samadhi and wisdom of the Two Vehicles. Those with great roots are an analogy for the faith, precepts, Samadhi and wisdom of Bodhisattvas.
>> From the rain of one cloud, each, according to its seed-nature: The one great cloud is an analogy for the Tathagata’s body. Widely pouring down the sweet rain is an analogy for the Tathagata’s teaching. It accords with the root, seed and habitual nature that each is endowed with.
>> [Each] is given life, grows, blossoms and bears fruit. The rain nourishes all living things, so they can flower and produce fruit. The Dharma nourishes radiant wisdom, becoming grace and bringing rewards. Things live, grow, blossom and bear fruit, each according to its own seed-nature. This shows the differences in nourishment accepted.
>> To be given life represents initial aspirations. To grow is an analogy for later cultivation. To blossom is an analogy for hearing the teachings and engaging in practice. To bear fruit is an analogy for realizing principles and attaining the fruits. This means that though all receive the rain that falls equally, the benefits that are created by each are different.
“The Dharma-rain nourishes the ground of the mind for the practitioners of the fivefold assembly.
All the causal seeds we have habitually created received the rain and were nourished.
Roots, stems, branches and leaves are analogies for faith, precepts, Samadhi and wisdom.”
As practitioners, the ground of our minds needs the Dharma-rain in order to be nourished. What is the fivefold assembly? Practitioners can be grouped into five categories. There are bhiksus, bhiksunis, sramanera (male novice), srameneri (female novice) and siksamana; these are like the Pure Practitioners we have now. Though they have not yet become monastics, they live in the monastery and follow the monastic practice of accepting and upholding the Buddha’s teachings. All together, these make up the fivefold assembly.
Looking outward, if we expand the scope a bit, we have the Five Vehicles; the Five Vehicles include the teachings that both monastics and laypeople have in common. These are the teachings of the human and heaven realms. When we add the monastic practices of the Hearer, Solitary Realizer and Bodhisattva Vehicles, we have the teachings of the Five Vehicles. So, together these are called the fivefold assembly and the Five Vehicles.
Because people’s capabilities differed, the Buddha gave teachings each person was able to accept, as well as the precepts, Samadhi and wisdom they needed. The precepts He taught all differed; different people needed to cultivate different precepts in their practice so each individual could gradually advance according to their aspirations. This is why it says, “All the causal seeds we have habitually created received the rain and were nourished.”
Seeds are all different. If we look at the earth, we see all the plants, trees and grains have different seeds. Rice has rice seeds. Wheat has wheat seeds. Vegetables, gourds and so on all have its own different seeds. So, people’s capabilities and thinking are also different. Although we are all human, over a long period of time, each individual is influenced by acquired habitual tendencies. Some people have been raised in a positive environment and have the conditions to receive wholesome teachings. When they take wholesome teachings to heart, they will practice good deeds in the world. They have already nurtured thoughts of goodness. These may be thoughts of great goodness or thoughts of average or limited goodness. Whether thoughts of goodness are great, average or limited, they are expressed through our actions so the karma we create among people differs. The causes or seeds we habitually form also differ.
Thus the seeds of goodness influence us according to whether they are great, average or limited. The Dharma must also be taught according to whether people’s capabilities are great, average or limited. If we look at things from the other side, those who live long in a negative environment, among negative causes and conditions, when they again meet with causes and conditions, will be led astray by these causes and conditions. So, limited, average or great evil also continuously reinforce their habitual tendencies. If influenced by negative environments and led by negative causes and conditions, it will be very difficult for people like this to accept the Buddha-Dharma. Having been permeated with negative things, it is difficult for them to be nourished by the Dharma-rain.
So, this is “all the causal seeds we have habitually created.” Once these causes and conditions exist, regardless of whether our habitual tendencies are great, average or limited, the seeds of goodness that have permeated us only need to receive the rain. Once seeds in the ground have rain to nourish them, then with soil, water, sunlight and the air surrounding them, naturally they will grow. This is like our roots of goodness; whether great or limited, the causes and conditions we accumulated in the past are different for all of us. So, as long as we listen to the Buddha-Dharma, these seeds of ours, these seeds of goodness, will always grow. In our minds, after the seeds of small plants have grown, we can then begin to plant tree seeds in the ground of our mind. Those small plants can be used as nutrients so the trees we plant in our minds will grow big. This is why, lifetime after lifetime, we as spiritual practitioners must ourselves cultivate the grounds of our own minds. What kind of seeds do we wish to sow? This is very important.
So, “Received the rain and were nourished” includes all roots, stems, branches and leaves. These are all analogies, illustrating that in whatever we practice, we must first have faith, faith and understanding. We must believe, and we must comprehend. We must “comprehend the great path” and “form the supreme aspiration.” The Buddha hopes that we can spread the One Vehicle to all sentient beings, that all can have faith and understanding and accept and uphold [this teaching]. What is it that we must accept and uphold? Precepts, Samadhi and wisdom. With the precepts in our minds and actions, naturally we cannot go wrong. We will guard against wrongs and stop evil. Then naturally, our minds will be in Samadhi. With our minds in Samadhi, our wisdom will grow. So, let us mindfully make efforts to realize this.
The previous sutra passage says, “There are those with small roots, small stems, small branches and small leaves, those with average roots, average stems, average branches and average leaves and those with great roots, great stems, great branches and great leaves.” This is describing the appearance of big and small trees.
What is considered a big tree? It is when it is at least ten years old. To cultivate trees so they become a forest, we need big trees that are over ten years old. What about nurturing a person? It takes longer to nurture people than trees. So, there are six years of primary education and six years of secondary education, which together totals 12 years. It takes four years to complete university; it takes seven years to become a doctor. If you think about it, this is almost 20 years. It takes almost 20 years of education before they finally complete their studies. Then, after their studies are complete, do they enter society as mature adults? Their experience of the world and its affairs is still shallow ․So, people say, “It takes ten years to cultivate a tree. It takes 100 years to cultivate a person. Establishing virtues requires nourishment. Eliminating evil requires pulling out the root.” This means that cultivating trees and nurturing people are similar. When cultivating a tree, we must mindfully weed, water and take care of it. This is nothing compared to nurturing a person.
What is our objective in nurturing a person? We want to give to others. With the virtue we cultivate through inner cultivation and external practice, we want to nourish people. This is our purpose and objective in “cultivating a person.”
How can we benefit people? We must “eliminate evil [by] pulling out the root.” We must quickly eliminate our habitual tendencies and return to our nature of True Suchness. So, it says, “Establishing virtues requires nourishment. Eliminating evil requires pulling out the root.” So, we must put effort into being mindful.
Contemplate under a tree to seek the Path. When the Buddha was born, when He attained enlightenment, when He turned the Dharma-wheel and when He entered Parinirvana, all of these took place beneath trees.
The Buddha placed great importance on trees. He “contemplated under a tree to seek Bodhi.” For the Buddha, He was born, engaged in practice, attained enlightenment, turned the Dharma-wheel and entered Parinirvana, all beneath trees. At the Buddha’s birth, Lady Maya was beneath a tree as she gave birth to Prince Siddhartha. Prince Siddhartha later engaged in spiritual practice. When He engaged in spiritual practice, it was also beneath a tree. When He saw the morning star, He awakened. So, He also attained enlightenment beneath a tree. When He first turned the Dharma-wheel, He went to Deer Park to transform the five bhiksus. It was also beneath a tree there that He turned the Dharma-wheel. At the end of the Buddha’s 80 years of life, He entered Parinirvana. This also occurred between two trees. So, trees are things that we should consider very mindfully
“All trees, big and small, according to their great, average or small size, each receive something. From the rain of one cloud, each, according to its seed-nature, is given life, grows, blossoms and bears fruit.”
This sutra passage tells us that, “All trees, big and small, according to their great, average or small size, each receive something.” Whether a tree is big or small, no matter what its size is, it will likewise receive the rain.
Bodhisattvas can be divided into two kinds. Those who follow gradual teachings are small. Those who follow immediate teachings are great. According to their differing capacities, what they accept is different.
So, trees can be divided into big and small. This is like Bodhisattvas; Bodhisattvas are also divided into two kinds. One kind of Bodhisattva cultivates and practices “gradual teachings.” With “gradual teachings” we take it slow. “I know benefiting people is a good thing, but let me take it slowly.” This is like a small tree. Following gradual teachings is called small.
Following immediate teachings is called great. The [second type] is “immediate teachings.” Since we have heard the teachings, we must seize the moment. “I want to begin right now to form great aspirations and make great vows.” This is known as “following immediate teachings.” We must form aspirations very quickly. Right away we form great aspirations and vows. This is like Sakyamuni Buddha. Since forming His initial aspiration, over a period of countless kalpas. He repeatedly returned to this world, throughout the Five Realms, never resting. This is practicing the “immediate teachings.” It is practicing the Great Vehicle Dharma
So, clouds and rain in the sky moisten each tree, big and small, accordingly. This is like the Dharma that we sentient beings accept; do we accept the Great Vehicle Dharma, or do we accept the Small Vehicle Dharma? The great and small teachings both benefit us, but do we receive great or small benefits? Do we want to return to True Suchness quickly, or do we want to take our time? This depends on our capabilities.
They nourish each other in sequence. Those with small roots are an analogy for the faith, precepts, Samadhi and wisdom of humans and heavenly beings. Those with average roots are an analogy for the faith, precepts, Samadhi and wisdom of the Two Vehicles. Those with great roots are an analogy for the faith, precepts, Samadhi and wisdom of Bodhisattvas.
So it says, “They nourish each other in sequence.” We mutually teach each other like this. “Small roots” are an analogy for “the faith in precepts, Samadhi and wisdom of humans and heavenly beings.” Average roots are an analogy for the faith in precepts, Samadhi and wisdom of Two Vehicle practitioners. Great roots are an analogy for “the faith in precepts, Samadhi and wisdom of Bodhisattvas.”
Do we want to uphold the Five Precepts, to accept the teachings of the Five Precepts, so as not to lose our human form? Or do we prefer to practice the Ten Good Deeds in order to enjoy heavenly blessings? If we wish to enjoy heavenly blessings, then we must practice the Ten Good Deeds [Just as before,] we must uphold the Five Precepts. With the Five Precepts and the Ten Good Deeds, we will be born in heaven, where we will enjoy long life and pleasures. This the meaning of small roots; they only result in blessed retributions in the human and heaven realms.
Average roots are likened to those in the Two Vehicles and their faith in precepts, Samadhi and wisdom; they have faith in and understanding of these. The Two Vehicle practitioners are Hearers and. Solitary Realizers, those who practice the Small Vehicle teachings. They know they must eliminate afflictions and maintain the purity of their bodies. They have the self-respect to preserve the purity of their mind and body and eliminate their afflictions and ignorance. This means they practice to awaken themselves. This is known as having average roots.
Those with great roots have “the faith in precepts, Samadhi and wisdom of Bodhisattvas.” When among the myriads of sentient beings, whatever kind of defilement or serious matter comes upon us, we must always remain unwavering. We must uphold precepts. We must patiently endure; this is called Samadhi. If we can be at peace with a clear conscience and abide among sentient beings without fear, that is wisdom. These are great roots; this is the Dharma accepted by Bodhisattvas. This is having “great roots, great stems, great branches and great leaves.” This is the Bodhisattva-aspiration we have formed.
From the rain of one cloud, each, according to its seed-nature: The one great cloud is an analogy for the Tathagata’s body. Widely pouring down the sweet rain is an analogy for the Tathagata’s teaching. It accords with the root, seed and habitual nature that each is endowed with.
This is how “from the rain of one cloud, each, according to its seed-nature…”. The rain falls like this. It falls on all things on the land. So, this great cloud and rain are an analogy for the Tathagata’s body, the Dharmakaya. “Widely pouring down the sweet rain. Widely pouring down” is like widely anointing all with the ambrosial dew of Dharma-rain. These are the teachings of the Tathagata. This is how “from the rain of one cloud, each, according to its seed-nature….” This is our capability and habitual nature. Different kinds of tree seeds grow into different varieties of trees. It all depends on what kind of seed it is. Likewise, we humans have habitual tendencies. As far as people are concerned, every individual has their own habitual nature. So, “from the rain of one cloud,” each receives moisture according to its seed-nature
“[Each] is given life, grows, blossoms and bears fruit. The rain nourishes all living things, so they can flower and produce fruit. The Dharma nourishes radiant wisdom, becoming grace and bringing rewards. Things live, grow, blossom and bear fruit, each according to its own seed-nature. This shows the differences in nourishment accepted.”
With rain to nourish them, they will naturally flower and bear fruit, will naturally grow quite luxuriously. Whatever our capabilities may be, we are all moistened and grow from the rain. When the rain falls, all things, if water, air and sunlight are sufficient, naturally and gradually, as time passes, will blossom and bear fruit.
Likewise, “The Dharma nourishes radiant wisdom.” If we accept the Dharma and use the Dharma to nourish ourselves, naturally our wisdom will be radiant. To this end, we must be very mindful when we listen to the Dharma, as it “becomes grace and brings rewards” [With] gratitude in our hearts, we will be able to respect the Dharma. When we take the Dharma to heart, naturally our seeds will manifest.
So, “Things live, grow, blossom and bear fruit, each according to its own seed-nature.” This sutra passage tells us that just as moisture nourishes, we too are nourished by upholding the Dharma. There are many different kinds of trees. So, depending on its variety, each produces a specific kind of fruit. Thus it says, “This shows the differences in nourishment accepted.” The trees may be of different kinds, but they are nourished by the same rain.
To be given life represents initial aspirations. To grow is an analogy for later cultivation. To blossom is an analogy for hearing the teachings and engaging in practice. To bear fruit is an analogy for realizing principles and attaining the fruits. This means that though all receive the rain that falls equally, the benefits that are created by each are different.
“To be given life,” to sprout, is an analogy for “initial aspirations,” for forming aspirations. “To grow” is an analogy for “later cultivation” “To be given life” represents initial aspirations. “To grow” is an analogy for later cultivation. “To blossom” is an analogy for hearing the teachings and engaging in practice. “To bear fruit” is an analogy for realizing principles and attaining the fruits. This means that though all receive the rain that falls equally, the benefits that are created by each are different. So, to be given life requires us to unlock our minds and understand the preciousness of the Dharma. We must put it into practice, so we first have initial aspirations, then proceed by nourishing ourselves with the Dharma. “To grow” is an analogy for “later cultivation.” We must constantly absorb it.
Then we can abundantly “blossom and bear fruit.” This is saying that we should blossom and bear fruit. So, this is an analogy for listening to the Dharma. “Hearing the teachings and engaging in practice” here means in our process of hearing the teachings and engaging in spiritual practice we are like a tree that has already blossomed. So, having borne fruit means we have “realized the principles and attained the fruits.” After we have engaged in spiritual practice, we know the principles, and we can utilize them freely. So, it is “an analogy for realizing the principles and attaining the fruits.”
“This means that though all receive the rain that falls equally, the benefits that are produced by each are different.” Actually, the Dharma-rain falls on all impartially [The difference is] in the ground of our minds; do we have big or small trees? As people, we are the same. Do we ultimately form great or small aspirations? If our virtue is limited, our mind’s capacity will remain small. If our virtue is great, then our mind’s capacity will be open and broad. If our mind’s capacity is open and broad, what we receive will be the Great Dharma.
So, in forming Bodhisattva-aspirations, do we want go about it gradually or immediately seize the moment and become willing to give our lives and devote our bodies to help other people right now? This depends on the aspirations we form. Like the plants on the ground, the Dharma-rain nourishes the ground of our minds, and it is in the ground of our mind that we sow seeds of virtue. So, everyone, when it comes to what kind of seeds we sow, we must always be mindful!