Episode 945 – Eliminate Samsara, Attain Supreme Enlightenment
>> If the Tathagata recognizes our deep aspiration, He foresees the fruits of our great vows and calls our names to bestow predictions. This is like sprinkling ambrosial dew; our minds receive His grace. We resonate with the Buddha-mind and His kind intent; we have been transformed for countless kalpas.
>> “At that time, Mahamaudgalyayana, Subhuti, Mahakatyayana and others all trembled in apprehension. They wholeheartedly put their palms together. They gazed reverently upwards, never lowering their gaze for a moment.” [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 6 – On Bestowing Predictions]
>> “Then together with the same voice, they spoke this verse ‘The heroic and courageous World-Honored One, the Dharma-king of all Sakyas, out of His pity and compassion for all of us, bestowed on us the voice of the Buddha’.” [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 6 – On Bestowing Predictions]
>> Then together with the same voice, they spoke this verse: This means they all raised their voices together, and their minds were as one. With different mouths but one voice, they spoke to the Buddha.
>> The heroic and courageous World-Honored One, the Dharma-king of all Sakyas: This is a virtuous epithet of the Buddha. The Buddha has great heroism and courage. He can tame the Four Maras, thus is called the great hero. He can subdue the dust-like defilements, hence He is called heroic and courageous.
>> Four Maras: The mara of afflictions, The mara of the Skandhas, The mara of death, King Mara of Mahesvara Heaven.
>> The first of the Four Maras: The mara of afflictions. The afflictions of greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance, doubt and so on can disturb and harm body and mind. Thus they are called maras.
>> The second of the Four Maras: The mara of the Skandhas, also called the mara of the Five Aggregates. The Five Skandhas of form, feeling, perception, action and consciousness can give rise to all kinds of afflictions. Thus they are called maras.
>> The third of the Four Maras: The mara of death. Death can end human life, bringing fear and suffering. Thus it is called a mara.
>> The fourth of the Four Maras: King Mara of Mahesvara Heaven can obstruct people’s good deeds. Thus he is called Mara.
>> Dust-like defilements: This is another name for afflictions. The afflictions of greed, anger and so on disturb and trouble our bodies and minds. They are called dust-like defilements.
>> The defilements of afflictions are called dusts. They can disturb human minds. The Buddha can subdue them, so He is called heroic and courageous.
>> The World-Honored One used wisdom and other teachings to destroy all unwholesome phenomena. He has eliminated the suffering of samsara and attained supreme enlightenment. All heavenly beings and humans, unenlightened beings and noble beings, in this world or transcending it, all feel respect for Him. Thus He is called the World-Honored One.
“If the Tathagata recognizes our deep aspiration,
He foresees the fruits of our great vows and calls our names to bestow predictions.
This is like sprinkling ambrosial dew; our minds receive His grace. We resonate with the Buddha-mind and His kind intent; we have been transformed for countless kalpas.”
“If the Tathagata recognizes” means [they hoped] the Tathagata could confirm for them, promise them, that they will attain Buddhahood in the future. This was because the Buddha had already deeply understood them. So, in this place, there were still. Katyayana, Subhuti and Maudgalyayana, who were waiting in anticipation for the Buddha to deeply understand that. His disciples’ resolve for spiritual practice was very sincere and profound. Everyone was very curious and kept waiting. Venerable Kasyapa had already received a prediction of Buddhahood. Maudgalyayana, Subhuti and Katyayana were next. Would the Buddha now sequentially give them predictions of Buddhahood as well? Everyone looked forward to this.
So, “He foresees the fruits of our great vows and calls our names to bestow predictions.” The Buddha already foresaw this, so He bestowed predictions of Buddhahood on them. No matter how long it was going to be, after receiving predictions of Buddhahood, everyone’s mind was put at ease, since they would for sure attain Buddhahood one day.
Hearing Him give predictions of Buddhahood “is like sprinkling ambrosial dew; our minds receive His grace.” This expresses that if we can receive predictions of Buddhahood, it will be such a joyful feeling! This joy is incomparable; we can only compare it with our minds being anointed with ambrosial dew. This is the analogy that was used. This is the Buddha’s virtue and grace of teaching and transforming over a long time. They are like the nourishing rain and dew.
They already resonated with the Buddha-mind; Kasyapa, Subhuti, Mahakatyayana and. Mahamaudgalyayana already deeply resonated with the Buddha-mind. They understood the Buddha’s intent. So, “We have been transformed for countless kalpas.” They knew their affinity with the Buddha extended beyond this one lifetime; it had been countless kalpas. Lifetime after lifetime, the Buddha taught and transformed them. They followed the Buddha in spiritual practice until they had eliminated all their ignorance and afflictions. In the end, when causes and conditions mature, they will attain Buddhahood. How long will it take? “Countless kalpas.” This was going to take a very long time. So over time, they must continually learn from experience. Spiritual practice is not only listening to sutras. It is not only understanding the Buddha-Dharma. We must take the Dharma to heart, and after we take it to heart, we must put it into practice.
This is like our doctors who went to Nepal [in 2015]. It was truly touching. Dr. Yeh Tian-hao was in the third group that went. After more than ten days,
he returned and I asked him to share. He had such sincere compassion. When he spoke of Nepal and described the suffering of the people there, he was moved to tears and unable to speak. With tears filling his eyes and his voice breaking, he was unable to speak. It is clear that the [survivors in] Nepal are facing such difficulties. Doctors went there, wave after wave, to bring love [to Nepal].
In particular, when I heard Dr. Zheng’s sharing, he said that one day, there were heavy winds and rain. At night, everyone was thinking, “The wind and rain are so heavy at midnight. When we go out in the morning, the tents will all have collapsed.” When they visited the tent areas in the morning, they could not believe it. Many of the tents had collapsed, but the tents used for the free medical clinic were safe and sound. He thought, “How strange. The tents that people lived in contained hundreds of people. The large 75-square-meter tents that housed hundreds of people all collapsed. Why are the medical clinic tents safe and sound?”
A fellow Tzu Chi volunteer told him, “The people in the tents wanted to protect the medical station, so everyone abandoned their own tents. The able-bodied men came and looked after our medical station. Dozens of people came and pulled on the ropes, pulling on every corner of the tents. All night, they struggled through the wind and rain. As a result, their tents collapsed but the medical station is safe and sound.”
He said that, on hearing this, everyone was deeply touched. The local people were so pure and kind. They knew the doctors came from far away; they came from Taiwan and used their love to help others. This medical station was for saving lives and protecting everyone’s health. So, they made sure to take care of this medical station.
As Dr. Zheng shared his experiences, I was also very touched. Truly, when we walk the Bodhisattva-path, we must not only take the Dharma to heart, but we must also put it into practice. Doctors do not merely study books; they must also save people. Bodhisattvas do not merely listen to the Dharma; they must also eliminate the suffering of sentient beings. They must continue to do this for a long time, until they “have relieved them from suffering.” They must bring people’s lives back to normal. This takes a long time. This is the Bodhisattva-path. This is the Buddha-Dharma. The principles of the Buddha-Dharma are for us to discover the value of life.
The previous sutra passage states, “At that time, Mahamaudgalyayana, Subhuti, Mahakatyayana and others all trembled in apprehension. They wholeheartedly put their palms together. They gazed reverently upwards, never lowering their gaze for a moment.”
I have already told you the stories of these great disciples of the Buddha. Venerable Kasyapa had already received a prediction. Now, as they waited, the remaining three had uneasy minds. “What about me? Will I be next?” Their minds were uneasy, so they “trembled.” They felt uneasy, terrified. “Don’t I have a part in this? Or will I be the next one to receive a prediction from the Buddha?” In brief, everyone was hoping that they would be next to receive a prediction of Buddhahood from the Buddha. So, everyone was reverent. “They wholeheartedly put their palms together. They gazed reverently upwards, never lowering their gaze for a moment.” This showed that their attitude was very earnest.
The next sutra passage states, “Then together with the same voice, they spoke this verse ‘The heroic and courageous World-Honored One, the Dharma-king of all Sakyas, out of His pity and compassion for all of us, bestowed on us the voice of the Buddha’.”
Then together with the same voice, they spoke this verse: This means they all raised their voices together, and their minds were as one. With different mouths but one voice, they spoke to the Buddha.
“Then together with the same voice, they spoke this verse.” Everyone knows what a verse is; this needs no further explanation. It is because this sutra passage is important that it must be repeated. The prose and the verses all have the same meaning. But, He was worried we would forget it or not understand it or that those who came late would not have heard it. Thus, He repeated it in verse.
Everyone spoke together with one voice. This means “They all raised their voices together and their minds were as one.” Everyone’s minds [were as one]. “With different mouths but one voice,” they reverently spoke to the Buddha and praised His virtues.
The heroic and courageous World-Honored One, the Dharma-king of all Sakyas: This is a virtuous epithet of the Buddha. The Buddha has great heroism and courage. He can tame the Four Maras, thus is called the great hero. He can subdue the dust-like defilements, hence He is called heroic and courageous.
“The heroic and courageous World-Honored One, the Dharma-king of all Sakyas” is praising the Buddha’s virtues. The Buddha’s epithet, one of the ten epithets, is “World-Honored One.” The Buddha had great heroism and courage. With His wisdom, He can defeat maras, defeat Mara’s armies.
What is a mara? Before the Buddha attained Buddhahood, He had to overcome maras. When our minds become tranquil, many scenes will appear before us. Or normally, our mental state may be in disarray. Or perhaps our minds are full of delusions and afflictions, of greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance and doubt. This disordered state of mind is very powerful. These are maras.
There are four kinds of maras. What are the Four Maras?
Four Maras: The mara of afflictions, The mara of the Skandhas, The mara of death, King Mara of Mahesvara Heaven.
The first is the mara of afflictions. I just mentioned greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance and doubt. If we are greedy, if a thought of greed arises, our Five Sense Organs begin to function and [connect with] form, sound, smell, taste, [touch] in our external conditions. With our eyes, ears, nose, tongue and body, our consciousness connects with these external sense objects. As for our consciousness, when our eyes see or when our ears hear, [signals] travel through our nerves. But we are talking about consciousness. Nowadays people talk of optic and auditory nerves. Regardless, they each have nerves and sensation. What we sense is our consciousness.
Greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance and doubt, our consciousness contains all these things. These are afflictions. These kinds of afflictions can harm our body and mind. Many people, because of greed, anger and ignorance, do many ignorant and unreasonable things. Isn’t this harming the body and mind? The body and mind are always harmed by these things. So, the body and mind are affected by afflictions, these maras that come and invade our minds. This is the mara of afflictions
The first of the Four Maras: The mara of afflictions. The afflictions of greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance, doubt and so on can disturb and harm body and mind. Thus they are called maras.
The second is the mara of the Skandhas. “The Skandhas” are the Five Skandhas, also known as the Five Aggregates or the Five Hindrances. These five different kinds of things converge. What are these five things? They are form, feeling, perception, action and consciousness. We often analyze these five words. We say that in our world, people, matters and things are inseparable from these five things, form, feeling, perception, action, consciousness. Whatever we see, whatever we feel, after we leave that situation, the appearances remain in our minds. This is called “perception.” We continue to be unable to eliminate all of the conditions we have connected with; they continue to linger in our minds. We keep them in our minds. So, naturally, we take action. When we take action, we create [karma]. The seeds that result are our consciousness, they enter our eighth consciousness. This is called the karmic consciousness. Our karmic consciousness is what we take into our future lives. What we bring with us is our consciousness. This is karma, the karmic consciousness of causes, conditions, effects and retributions. These are all part of this “consciousness.”
Our “consciousness” is concealed in our lives. In the future, we bring our karmic consciousness as we are reborn. Within form, feeling, perception, action and consciousness, if our actions benefit others, our blessed seeds will bring us to future lifetimes in good environments, in a peaceful country, a very good environment for us to live in. If we commit evil deeds, when we bring our seeds to future lifetimes, for a long time, there will be manmade calamities and natural disasters, and we will suffer from hunger and hardship. This is due to our causes and consciousness, which drag us around beyond our control. So, this is the “mara of the Skandhas.”
Skandhas are also called “aggregates.” The “aggregate of action” is intangible change; we are unaware of it. This is form, feeling, perception, action and consciousness. All the karma we create is contained within.
These “can give rise to all kinds of afflictions.” After we create many kinds of karma, how long will our lifetime be? When we leave and come back to this world, we do not bring anything, only our karmic consciousness. As the Buddha taught the Dharma, the first thing He said was “suffering.” After suffering comes causation, the accumulation of the Five Aggregates and so on. So, life after life of suffering is due to maras. The mara of afflictions and also “the mara of the Skandhas”
The second of the Four Maras: The mara of the Skandhas, also called the mara of the Five Aggregates. The Five Skandhas of form, feeling, perception, action and consciousness can give rise to all kinds of afflictions. Thus they are called maras.
The third of the Four Maras: The mara of death. Death can end human life, bringing fear and suffering. Thus it is called a mara.
The third is “the mara of death.” Is there any person that will not die? Everyone will eventually die. No matter how advanced medical science is or how brilliant our doctors are, every one of us will die someday. This is “the mara of death.” The mara of death “can end human life.” It will end human life. When that time comes, no matter what methods are used to save them, they will not come back. This is what worries people the most. Why do we go to the hospital when we are ill? We are afraid. What are we afraid of? Death. When we come to a hospital [and hear], “You need surgery; you need several surgeries! So surgery is needed? Fine!” Although we are scared, to save our lives we are still willing to do it again and again, hoping to save our lives. To be afraid and worried about death is “the mara of death.” What we are most afraid of is death, so this is called “the mara of death.”
The fourth of the Four Maras: King Mara of Mahesvara Heaven can obstruct people’s good deeds. Thus he is called Mara.
The fourth is King Mara of Mahesvara Heaven. What King Mara of heaven is most worried about is that if everyone engages in spiritual practice and eliminates afflictions, there will be fewer descendents of Mara in the Three Realms. So, King Mara uses various methods to obstruct our good deeds. He harms spiritual practitioners’ state of mind. This is King Mara of Mahesvara Heaven,
who disturbs people’s minds. Why is this world in turmoil? Why are there manmade calamities? This is because King Mara of Mahesvara Heaven causes our minds to have greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance and doubt. So, people become very wild; like someone going crazy. Thus, they do not refrain from killing people. Once they give the command, societies and countries fall into turmoil, and wars begin.
Dust-like defilements: This is another name for afflictions. The afflictions of greed, anger and so on disturb and trouble our bodies and minds. They are called dust-like defilements.
Next is “dust-like defilements. Dust-like defilements” is another name for afflictions, for greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance and doubt. These afflictions disturb and trouble our bodies and minds. Consider those with psychological illnesses. They do not have physical illnesses, but their bodies and minds are in discord. These kinds of afflictions will “disturb and trouble our bodies and minds. They are called dust-like defilements.” These are “dust-like defilements.”
The defilements of afflictions are called dusts. They can disturb human minds. The Buddha can subdue them, so He is called heroic and courageous.
“The defilements of afflictions are called dusts.” The defilements of ignorance and afflictions are like dust; there are so many dirty things. “They can disturb human minds.” The Buddha, the World-Honored One, had ways to subdue them, “so He was called heroic and courageous. He was called heroic and courageous.” This is because He had ways to subdue these maras.
The World-Honored One used wisdom and other teachings to destroy all unwholesome phenomena. He has eliminated the suffering of samsara and attained supreme enlightenment. All heavenly beings and humans, unenlightened beings and noble beings, in this world or transcending it, all feel respect for Him. Thus He is called the World-Honored One.
“The World-Honored One used wisdom and other teachings to destroy all unwholesome phenomena.” The Buddha used wisdom and various methods to eliminate afflictions and ignorance; He taught us methods to help us subdue afflictions. He inspired our good thoughts to eliminate the suffering of samsara, so we could come and go with ease. “The World-Honored One used wisdom and other teachings to destroy all unwholesome phenomena. He has eliminated the suffering of samsara and attained supreme enlightenment.” This is the Buddha-mind.
“All heavenly beings and humans, unenlightened beings and noble beings,” whether in this world or transcending it, all have utmost respect for the Buddha, so He is called the World-Honored One.
Everyone, learning the Buddha’s Way is like this. How we develop our wisdom-life is the same as how we develop in life. However, life is tangible, while wisdom-life is intangible. We must take the Dharma must into our hearts. Therefore, as we listen to the Dharma and learn the Buddha’s Way, we must always be mindful.