Author: Rosalyn Leung

Episode 149 – Eliminating Delusional and False Thoughts

---

>> A spiritual practitioner must “forever eliminate delusional thinking, perceiving and recalling. He is never again influenced by the 4 Elements, 5 Skandhas, 18 Realms, or 12 Entrances.”

>> Wanting and seeking are called thinking. Grasping appearances is called perceiving. Retrieving memories is called recalling.

>> “The Tathagata attained universal, perfect enlightenment and is not attached to any phenomena.”

>> He is never again influenced by the 4 Elements, 5 Skandhas, 18 Realms, or 12 Entrances. Elements refer to earth, water, fire and air. Skandhas refer to the Five Aggregates. Realms refer to the 18 Realms. Entrances refer to the 12 Entrances.

>> “All things are illusory and empty in nature. The four elements are empty. There is no permanent self in the Five Skandhas.”

>> “Before that Buddha became a monastic, eight princes were born to Him. Seeing the Great Sage become a monastic, they also followed Him to.”

---

Are there discursive thoughts in our minds? Are our minds focused? I often ask myself this too. The purpose of a lifetime of spiritual practice is to cultivate a mind that can focus and concentrate. If our minds are focused and concentrated, matters and objects in the world become clear. But, we ordinary people have wild and unruly minds. In a short period of time, our mind can take a turn and veer wildly off course. Who knows how far it has wandered off already? This is what we ordinary people are like. So, the Sutra of Infinite Meanings [reminds us] to be vigilant.

A spiritual practitioner must “forever eliminate delusional thinking, perceiving and recalling. He is never again influenced by the 4 Elements, 5 Skandhas, 18 Realms, or 12 Entrances.”

We must be vigilant and take this passage to heart. Are there dream-like delusions in our minds? Life is like a dream, for it is out of our control. Are there discursive, false thoughts in our minds? If so, we need to eliminate them quickly because we are Buddhist practitioners. This is the most fundamental part of learning the Buddha’s Way. We must rid the mind of delusional, unreal and false thinking. Otherwise, we live every day as if dreaming and are influenced by whatever phenomena that arise. We must be very vigilant [to avoid] living this way. This means that we should permanently eliminate these dreams and illusions.

Doesn’t the Diamond Sutra [compare] all things to dreams, illusions, bubbles and shadows? Once we have thoroughly seen and understood life, what is there to take issue over? Since life is just like a dream, why are we so serious about what happens in this dream? Life is truly illusory; what part of it is actually real? In our daily living, [we need] clothing, food, housing and transportation. We are born with a naked body; we do not bring a stitch with us. [Likewise], after we pass away and our bodies are exhumed years later, there are only bare bones left. So, what is real? We brought nothing with us when we came, and we take nothing with us when we leave. This is like an illusion!

Life is a mixture of truths and illusions; the world is full of unreal and false things. Why do we give rise to afflictions for the sake of people, matters or objects? Those who see clearly recognize that these things are unreal and illusory. However, as humans, we are always thinking, perceiving and recalling.

“Thinking” refers to false thoughts. Yesterday’s issues stay in the fields of our minds, meaning they are stored in the mind and brain. What happens when we are “perceiving”? “Perceiving” is when the phenomena before us are stored in our minds and create false ideas about things.

As I have said in the past, we have discussed the seventh consciousness, the field of our mind that is “thinking.” The sixth consciousness is “perceiving.” [There is also “recalling”]. We recall things because we are still attached to things that happened in the past, such as kindnesses, resentment, enmity and hate. We take them in from our external phenomena. In the seventh consciousness, the field of the mind is continuously cultivated. Therefore, hatred and enmity deepen. These things we have thought are then stored in our minds, in the eighth consciousness.

Over the course of an entire lifetime, dreams and illusions lead us to think, perceive and recall things, and we keep all those thoughts in our minds. We cannot wash them away completely. Moreover, ordinary beings do not wash them away, but instead continuously reproduce them. So, a Buddha has practiced and attained a state that completely eliminates delusional thinking, perceiving and recalling. Thus, we praise the Buddha for forever eliminating this kind of delusional thinking in this world. He is not attached to any phenomena. Though He lived a human existence, He was not attached to any phenomena.

Wanting and seeking are called thinking. Grasping appearances is called perceiving. Retrieving memories is called recalling.

Now, let us discuss why “wanting and seeking are called thinking.” When it comes to our thinking, the appearances before us [cause] our minds to react to external forms and choose to want and pursue certain things. “I want this object. I want this person.” We become very attached, so we feel we must get what we want. This takes a lot of mental effort to think about, for we vow to achieve certain goals.

Bad things, as I have said earlier, [lead to] “unwholesome seeking of more.” This is the “thinking” of ordinary people. They wish to seek more and more by any means and at all costs. This is “thinking. Perceiving” is taking external appearances into our minds. “Recalling” is how we ordinary people constantly chase memories. “You and I made this agreement at some point, so how can you betray me now?” This is a way of chasing memories. In the past, we wanted so many things, and they all weigh on our minds; this is called “recalling.” This is what ordinary people are like.

We need to engage in spiritual practice to eliminate this kind of illusory and false thinking. Only then can we make great aspirations and vows [to benefit] humankind. So, we must first get rid of our illusive and false thinking. Afterwards our thinking will be correct. So, although the Buddha went among the people and [lived alongside them], His state of mind was completely free. So, this is the difference between the mental states of sages and ordinary people.

“The Tathagata attained universal, perfect enlightenment and is not attached to any phenomena.”

The Tathagata clearly understands interpersonal conflicts. These things do not exist at all in the mental state of a Buddha. His mind is completely clear and will not be affected by interpersonal conflicts or hindered by anything at all. Absolutely not. He has completely eliminated them. Thus, “He is never again influenced by the 4 Elements,” “5 Skandhas, 18 Realms, or 12 Entrances.” This tells us that in the mental state of the Buddha, since delusional thinking, perceiving and recalling have been eliminated, they will no longer enter His mind. They will no longer trouble Him.

He is never again influenced by the 4 Elements, 5 Skandhas, 18 Realms, or 12 Entrances. Elements refer to earth, water, fire and air. Skandhas refer to the Five Aggregates. Realms refer to the 18 Realms. Entrances refer to the 12 Entrances.

“Elements” refer to the four elements: earth, water, fire and air. The universe is made up of earth, water, fire and air. Look at how imbalance of the four elements has caused so many tremendous disasters in this world. This comes from the collective karma created by the minds of all sentient beings. Actually, in the Buddha’s mental state, He has only compassion for all beings, He does not feel alarmed or frightened.

The human body’s experiences of birth, aging, illness and death are all inseparable from the four elements. Whatever solid thing we can touch, be it bones or muscles, is considered a part of the earth element. Similarly, for this body to exist, it needs water. All the moisture in us, sweat, tears, etc., are part of the water element. When we breathe, that is the air [element]. So, if one of the elements, earth, water, fire or air is out of balance, the body will develop an illness.

The Buddha has transcended the four elements of the universe and of the body. He has escaped them. So, “He is never again influenced by the 4 Elements, 5 Skandhas, 18 Realms, or 12 Entrances” and can come and go in samsara with ease.

“Skandhas” refer to the Five Skandhas, which we also call the Five Aggregates: form, feeling, perception, action, consciousness. Our daily living is also inseparable from the Five Aggregates. Everything we use in the world, as long as it has form, we can see it and touch it. Whether it is useful or not, it has a “form.” Not only is form all around us, we also refer to our body as our form-body. So, because we have this physical body, we naturally develop feelings about external form-objects. So, there is form and feeling. Feelings can be the happiness we feel when we pay respect to the Buddha. Every phrase in the sutras teaches us that if we have any false thoughts, we need to quickly gain focus again. These are feelings and perceptions. We must turn away from these discursive thoughts.

When we encounter setbacks in our environment, or when things happen against our wishes, afflictions arise. After form, feeling, perception, comes the aggregate of action. These feelings, whether they come from the mind or the body, over time, from the environment, etc., they undergo the aggregate of action.

I have talked to you all about the aggregate of action, about how conditions change over time. Our lives are also growing shorter over time, [which all occurs] [over a series of] very subtle actions. [By the same principle], celestial bodies in the solar system, the planets and sun, revolve around each other, revolving and rotating, without stopping for one moment. Yet, they move so subtly that we are completely unaware. These are the Five Aggregates. So, these are the aggregates.

“Realms” refer to the 18 Realms. We all know the 18 Realms. Our Six Roots [interact with] external conditions and [give rise to] our internal feelings. So, three times six makes 18. These are the 18 Realms.

Then we talked about “entrances.” These 12 Entrances are [none other than] the Six Roots and Six Dusts. They are inseparable from our daily living.

Everything in our daily living is related to earth, water, fire and air and the Five Aggregates, 18 Realms and 12 Entrances. We are constantly in contact with and are inseparable from them. These are all teachings [we must learn]. Our entire lives pass in this way as we are unaware of our unenlightened and false thoughts. As we engage in spiritual practice, we must constantly be vigilant. In our current conditions, if we constantly remind ourselves, then we know “all things are illusory and empty in nature.” Actually, what is there to take issue over? What are we so attached to?

So,

“All things are illusory and empty in nature. The four elements are empty. There is no permanent self in the Five Skandhas.”

Since this is the case, if we look at how we think and how our bodies function, everything in our bodies and in our thinking are just labels and functions, so we will not be attached to them. Once we have a physical body, it will naturally [experience] external phenomena. These external phenomena may then lead to correct or deviated thinking. This is something we need to work on as part of our spiritual cultivation.

To reach the state of Buddhahood is to “never again [be] influenced by the 4 Elements, 5 Skandhas, 18 Realms, or 12 Entrances.” The Buddha does not allow these things to invade His mind. He only focuses on saving others so He is absolutely unaffected by illusory and false thinking, nor do the elements, Skandhas, realms or entrances cause Him to become afflicted. So, we need to learn to focus. We need to learn to concentrate our minds. This is how the Sutra of Infinite Meanings constantly reminds and teaches us. This was the Buddha’s original intent.

This passage in the Lotus Sutra states,

“Before that Buddha became a monastic, eight princes were born to Him. Seeing the Great Sage become a monastic, they also followed Him to.”

As we have explained before, “the Great Sage” is “the epithet of the one most honorable and unsurpassed in Buddha-virtues.” We refer to the Buddha as the Great Sage because. He is the Great Enlightened One of the Universe and was revered by everyone.

We know that these eight princes saw their father become a monastic and a Buddha, and admiration arose in their minds. So, they engaged in spiritual practice like Him. The eight princes “followed Him to cultivate purifying practices.” Purifying practices is also called Brahma-conduct. We must remain pure in our spiritual practice, especially to eliminate lustful desires. In our world, lust creates much suffering in families, and unrest in society is also due to this desire in the mind. For our spiritual cultivation to be pure, we must eliminate lustful behavior.

Those cultivating purifying practices, after they pass away, may be reborn in Brahma Heaven. This was the belief in ancient India. So, we must know that, even those who become monastics and cultivate Brahmanism must abstain from desires. This is even more so the case in Buddhism. So, we must make an effort to control our desires.

Right now, the population of the world is very large. The earth is becoming increasingly more damaged and the four elements are imbalanced. Think about it, isn’t this a moment of collective karma, of the Three Great Disasters and Three Small Calamities, that the Buddha described? So, these are aggregates. This is why we must now be mindful and work on purifying our bodies and minds. We need to make a great effort to ensure that our thoughts do not go astray or disrupt our steps on this journey. So, everyone, please always be mindful!

Episode 148 – A State of Tranquility and Stillness

---

>> “His wisdom is serene, His emotions calm and. His contemplation focused and tranquil. His thoughts cease, His consciousness extinct, and thus His mind is still.”

>> So, serene wisdom is the pure and clear wisdom we attain when we are serene.

>> “Patience is the way to have wisdom and peace. Wisdom is the way to be decisive and discerning under any condition.”

>> So, the “mind” is in the eighth consciousness, “thought” is in the seventh consciousness, “consciousness” is in the sixth consciousness.

>> Calm emotions: Also called being austere with our passions or austere with our desires, which means having a clear and still mind.

>> Focused and tranquil contemplation is free of desires, free of seeking and free of contrivance.

>> Greed, anger and evil views are negative karma of the mind.

>> “Without greed, there is no anger. Without incorrect views, there is only good karma.”

>>The Tathagata-garbha Consciousness, which does not arise or cease. The Buddha-mind is intrinsic, tranquil and pure. Perfect enlightenment does not arise or cease.

>> “I recall that in ages past, immeasurable, countless eons ago there was a Buddha, one honored among people by the name of Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant. This World-Honored One proclaimed the Dharma, saving countless sentient beings and causing countless millions of Bodhisattvas to penetrate the wisdom of Buddhas.”

>> There was a Buddha, one honored among people. This is a virtuous epithet of the Buddha. A Buddha is the most venerated and magnificent among all beings.

>> Penetrate the wisdom of Buddhas. A Buddha’s wisdom is His true nature. His understanding lasts forever and can enter limitless states; such is the Buddha’s wisdom of limitless states.

---

Is everyone’s mind serene right now? Only when the mind is calm can the Dharma enter it.

The Sutra of Infinite Meanings keeps reminding us.

The Sutra of Infinite Meanings keeps reminding us that wisdom arises when the mind is serene. Therefore it states,

“His wisdom is serene, His emotions calm and. His contemplation focused and tranquil. His thoughts cease, His consciousness extinct, and thus His mind is still.”

This passage also tells us that wisdom can produce a sense of serenity.

We all intrinsically have Buddha-nature, and we all intrinsically have wisdom, it is just that we cannot settle our minds. So, there are times when, we understand everything, but there are also times when we are ignorant and cannot comprehend the principles behind people, matters or things. Therefore, to have wisdom requires serenity. Then we can be austere and calm. So, serene wisdom is.

So, serene wisdom is the pure and clear wisdom we attain when we are serene.

If we remain pure and serene, if our minds are calm and stable, we can clearly understand and discern external phenomena. What does it mean to be serene?

“Patience is the way to have wisdom and peace. Wisdom is the way to be decisive and discerning under any condition.”

This means that our discerning wisdom makes distinctions between external phenomena. Our impartial wisdom [helps us] see how everything can be equal. Wisdom is used first to discriminate and to clearly discern right from wrong. With wisdom, we can know what is right and what is not. So, we must insist on [doing] what is right. If something is not right, we must find a way to resolve and deal with it. This takes decisiveness.

Some people will say, “We just have to be accommodating.” When we are being accommodating, we also need wisdom to know how to guide others. If we have no wisdom and just blindly accommodate everything, we will indiscriminately do good deeds and cannot distinguish right from wrong. So, our hearts must be broad, with the wisdom to accommodate everything. However, we must distinguish right from wrong. This takes wisdom. So, we must have discerning and impartial wisdom.

Therefore, discerning wisdom is very important and must contain impartial wisdom. So, “His wisdom is serene, His emotions calm and. His contemplation focused and tranquil.” Our minds have to be focused and tranquil and able to clearly distinguish right from wrong. When we need to, we must be accommodating for a period of time, and then we can exercise wisdom to deal with the matter. This is how we filter right from wrong. We rely on our wisdom to make choices, to remain steadfast, to find ways to accommodate others and maintain harmony with external phenomena.

“His thoughts cease, consciousness ends, and the mind becomes still.” Thoughts cease, and consciousness ends. We know we have a mind, thoughts and consciousness. I often speak of the Buddha-mind. The Buddha-mind should be within the Storehouse Consciousness. Our mind is in our Storehouse Consciousness. So, the Buddha-mind, at its purest, will then be in the ninth consciousness. The Storehouse Consciousness is the eighth. As I have said, the ninth consciousness is where [the mind] is the purest. The ninth consciousness is Buddha-consciousness. We all intrinsically have it, but we generally use our minds instead.

Our minds can contain everything. Earlier, I talked about the seventh and sixth consciousnesses. The sixth consciousness is connected to the Five Roots and Five Sense Objects. So, this mind-consciousness connects with external phenomena. Then it creates [actions], contemplates and thinks of ways to fight, or grasp, to crave or to be attached. This is all in the seventh consciousness. So, we must have both knowledge and wisdom.

So, the “mind” is in the eighth consciousness, “thought” is in the seventh consciousness, “consciousness” is in the sixth consciousness.

Earlier, I said they are all considered mind-consciousnesses and are related to external conditions.

It is very important that our minds remain very pure. This is why I talk about the mind every day. Only when the mind is pure can we distinguish the good from the bad among the phenomena that we connect with in external conditions. So, our minds are very important. If we are austere with our passions naturally our minds will become clearer, very pure and undefiled.

Calm emotions: Also called being austere with our passions or austere with our desires, which means having a clear and still mind.

The Sutra of Infinite Meanings begins with. “[Their minds] pure and tranquil, vows as vast as the universe.” This is the state of mind that we spiritual practitioners seek. “Focus” means to contemplate, to really concentrate our thinking. “Focused and tranquil contemplation” is to be more focused in our thinking.

Focused and tranquil contemplation is free of desires, free of seeking and free of contrivance.

I have said before that even though Bodhisattvas play effortlessly in this world, they are very focused in their thinking and focused and tranquil in their contemplation. We can also play effortlessly in this world, free of greed and desires, free of anger, ignorance, arrogance and doubt. “Contemplation” means to think. Deep thinking can lead to pure and undefiled contemplation. This takes great focus. Our minds cannot be scattered. To concentrate, we must be free of desires, seeking and contrivance. To be free of seeking or contrivance means we do not want to fight for or grasp at anything in the world of physical existence. This way, our minds can truly be austere and pure.

Next, let us speak of “thoughts,” the extinction of thoughts and consciousnesses. As I just mentioned, thoughts occur in the seventh consciousness. In this consciousness, we [must not] allow external phenomena to agitate our minds. We can begin to prevent our seventh consciousness from creating karma of the mind. If the seventh consciousness creates a good thought, we create good karma. If it gives rise to a bad thought, we will create bad karma. So, the karma of the mind can be good or bad.

When there is greed, there will be anger. This may lead to negative views. If greed or cravings arise, our right thoughts, views, mindfulness and our right path will go off course. Therefore, we cannot be greedy. A very important part of spiritual practice is eliminating desires.

Greed, anger and evil views are negative karma of the mind.

I often say, “one deviant thought leads to thousands of mistakes. One small deviation can take us far off course.” Deviance means having gone astray. Once we have deviated, we are wrong. If we are off by a little bit, we [create] bad karma. That is why I often say that we must take good care of our minds. If we do good deeds, our minds will often be inclined toward goodness.

“Without greed, there is no anger. Without incorrect views, there is only good karma.”

[When] our minds are calm and still, there will be no passions or cravings that can create ripples in our minds. If there is no greed, anger, resentment, no deviant views, then all our thoughts are positive. This positive karma will lead to actions. So, when we focus on rescuing others, what is it that we are rescuing? We are rescuing the minds of others from their suffering and deviance. This is why Buddhas and Bodhisattvas come to this world. Though they live like sentient beings, they are focused on saving people’s minds.

The Tathagata-garbha does not arise or cease. If we return to our true intrinsic nature, that is the Buddha-mind. Our intrinsic nature is naturally tranquil, still and clear. This is the Buddha’s intrinsic state of mind.

The Tathagata-garbha Consciousness, which does not arise or cease. The Buddha-mind is intrinsic, tranquil and pure. Perfect enlightenment does not arise or cease.

We engage in spiritual practice to [become] enlightened beings who cannot bear to abandon sentient beings. Thus, we remain in this world. However, our affection must be truly pure and simple, meaning it is free of defilements. This is how our minds can become pure and clear. Otherwise, our unenlightened affections will lead us to be biased toward this side or that one, to seek and to have endless desires, etc. So, as Buddhist practitioners, we must have very strong resolve.

The Lotus Sutra states,

“I recall that in ages past, immeasurable, countless eons ago there was a Buddha, one honored among people by the name of Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant. This World-Honored One proclaimed the Dharma, saving countless sentient beings and causing countless millions of Bodhisattvas to penetrate the wisdom of Buddhas.”

This passage reminds us of a previous one, which was a long explanation. From this passage alone we can recall that, at that time, Manjusri Bodhisattva gave this long explanation as a response to Maitreya Bodhisattva. So, he talked about what happened a long time ago and everything that has happened since then. It took a very long time for all these Buddhas to attain enlightenment.

So, “there was a Buddha, one honored among people.” This did not refer to just one. There were 20,000 at that time, not to mention our present Sakyamuni Buddha, the future Maitreya Buddha and many others who will carry on. So, “there was a Buddha,” So, “one honored among people.” They all share the same epithet. One of the Buddha’s virtuous epithets was “one honored among people,” which we call those who have become Buddhas. They have perfected Their virtues. They are the most respected and accomplished among people. So, when we call Them “Buddhas,” we do so with the utmost respect because. Their Buddha-virtues are already perfect. They are very magnificent and extraordinary, so we must respect Them.

There was a Buddha, one honored among people. This is a virtuous epithet of the Buddha. A Buddha is the most venerated and magnificent among all beings.

So he said, “This World-Honored One proclaimed the Dharma, in order to help countless sentient beings.” Teachings given by the World-Honored One were solely to help transform infinite sentient beings, to enable countless beings to penetrate the wisdom of the Buddha. “Penetrat[ing] the wisdom of the Buddha” refers to [His] intrinsic nature.

Every Buddha came to this world to give teachings solely to enable sentient beings to become equal to the Buddha, to reach the state of Buddha-wisdom. [Buddhas come] to lead every person back to their intrinsic nature, their True Suchness. If we can return to our intrinsic Buddha-nature, our knowledge lasts forever and we will clearly comprehend everything. [Our knowledge] of things is then permanent, unlike the impermanent ways of unenlightening beings.

Ordinary people say, “I know, I know.” They know now, but when something new comes along, they are confused again. This does not happen in a Buddha’s state. A Buddha’s understanding lasts forever; He understands everything. Having discovered the true principles, He will not lose them again. He will always maintain this purity, the understanding that true principles will not change.

True principles are unchanging. Only in the state of unenlightened beings are there constant changes. If we reach the state of Buddhahood, everything will be calm and permanent, unchanging.

Penetrate the wisdom of Buddhas. A Buddha’s wisdom is His true nature. His understanding lasts forever and can enter limitless states; such is the Buddha’s wisdom of limitless states.

So, when we learn the Buddha’s Way, we must apply them to our daily living. We must live in the Buddha’s state every day and not let any of it leak away. This leaking is part of impermanence; it prevents us from keeping things in our minds. The minds of unenlightened beings constantly leak out true principles and constantly leak out worldly phenomena. What remains when we allow true principles to leak out? Ignorance and afflictions, and the affinities with sentient beings. Whether we create good or bad affinities with others, we continue to experience impermanence and cyclic existence.

We must understand all this. If our minds are not pure, true principles will constantly leak away and what remains are ignorance and afflictions. As unenlightened beings, time leaks away and so does life. This leaking happens over time, as our life grows shorter. Our desire for wealth [causes] things to leak away. But since we engage in spiritual practice, we also attain [merits and virtues] and can still attain Buddhahood in the future. But it is a pity to let these things leak away. So, we must constantly still our minds and prevent things from leaking away. So, we must always be mindful.

Episode 147 – Guard Your Buddha-mind

---

>> “When one enjoys only hearing about the Way, the Way is hard to attain. When one upholds vows and follows the Way, the Way is truly great.”

>> “He trains heavenly beings and humans like a trainer of elephants and horses. Like wind and fragrance, His cultivation and virtues permeate everything.”

>> So, the Way is like wind; “it can transform people just as the wind sways the grass.”

>> The Tamer: By exercising the strength of great men, one can expound all various kinds of teachings, in order to train all sentient beings, so they can transcend defilements and attain great peace and joy.

>> “At that time. Manjusri, in the midst of the assembly, wishing to restate these principles, spoke the following verse.”

>> In this verse, the time is extraordinary. The Buddha’s epithet is extraordinary. The Dharma is extraordinary. The benefit is extraordinary.

---

“When one enjoys only hearing about the Way,”

“When one enjoys only hearing about the Way, the Way is hard to attain. When one upholds vows and follows the Way, the Way is truly great.”

Isn’t this what the Sutra of 42 Sections tells us?

We truly must focus on the Dharma taught by the Buddha. If we guard our vows and follow this path, it will become the widest path. So, are we all guarding our vows with our minds? Are we following this path? We must constantly ask ourselves this question. The Sutra of Infinite Meanings reminds us to always take good care of our minds. A very important part of spiritual practice is our minds. If we take good care of our minds as we learn the Buddha’s Way, we will not go astray.

Thus, as the Sutra of Infinite Meanings states,

“He trains heavenly beings and humans like a trainer of elephants and horses. Like wind and fragrance, His cultivation and virtues permeate everything.”

To follow the Buddha’s Way, we must abide by and practice His teachings. We must be earnest and diligent for our minds to be able to keep to this Way. So, the Way is like wind;

So, the Way is like wind; “it can transform people just as the wind sways the grass.”

It is like the blowing of the wind. Blown by the wind, the rows of grass softly bend down. Wave by wave, the grass ripples. This is very beautiful. This is an analogy. It compares the wind of spiritual cultivation to the way that grasses and flowers, bow in the direction that the wind is blowing. Education has a similar effect. Let us consider our etiquette. It represents the principles we follow “like the wind sways the grass.” This is the path we want to learn. When we act in accordance with the teachings, we exhibit etiquette.

Etiquette is very important for the process of our spiritual practice. Depending on our circumstances, and the education we have received, we express certain courtesies. It is the same for us Buddhist practitioners. We know that our past is not what we want to continue pursuing. Now that we understand life’s suffering, its causation, its cessation and the path to its cessation, we want to learn to walk this Path. We try to figure out how to change our surroundings because this world is part of our spiritual practice. How we accept and uphold the Way is our method of spiritual practice. So, the Way and virtue are like wind and fragrance. Whatever [He] taught, we need to accept.

What the Buddha taught are ways to purify our minds. Spiritual cultivation is about purifying the mind [and returning to] our original, intrinsic, pure nature. How do we follow this road directly to Buddhahood? In this process, we certainly must completely eliminate our greed, anger and ignorance. This is known as the fragrance of virtue.

Remember? It came from the following story. Ananda asked the Buddha. “Venerable Buddha, sometimes when we walk past gardens where many fragrant flowers are planted, when a wind blows, we can smell the fragrance. Yet, Venerable Buddha, this fragrant smell was blown here by the wind; it came downwind. But in this world, is there a fragrance that can go against the wind?”

The Buddha said, “Yes. There is one kind of fragrance we can still smell.” Ananda then asked, “What fragrance can go against the wind so that we will be able to smell it?” The Buddha said, “The virtue of spiritual practice. No matter which direction the wind blows, the fragrance of virtue can still be sensed in all directions.”

“This is the fragrance of virtue.” So, at the stage of unenlightened beings, our minds are not disciplined. If we learn something good, we will be good. If we learn something not good, which causes our minds to stir, we will quickly become defiled again. These are the undisciplined minds of unenlightened beings. Yet, if we are accomplished, the fragrance of our virtue can permeate everything. No matter which direction [the wind] goes, we can still smell that fragrance.

“Like wind and fragrance, the Way and virtue permeate everything.” This depends on our level of practice and [how disciplined we are]. When things go well, we develop aspirations. When things are unpleasant, our thoughts stir. Isn’t this what happens? So, when this is the case, we must pay careful attention. We must find a way to bring the virtues we gain from teachings into our minds. Then we must pass on our understanding by teaching others. This is how the fragrance of virtue permeates, so we can awaken ourselves and others and can transform ourselves and others. This is the fragrance of spiritual cultivation.

“He trains heavenly beings and men like a tamer of elephants and horses. Tamer” is one of the Buddha’s ten epithets. Tamer and. Teacher of Heavenly Beings and Humans are each among the Buddha’s ten [epithets].

The Tamer: By exercising the strength of great men, one can expound all various kinds of teachings, in order to train all sentient beings, so they can transcend defilements and attain great peace and joy.

Thus, we want to “exercise the strength of great men, who can expound all various kinds of teachings to train all sentient beings.” Because sentient beings are unyielding, they are difficult to train and subdue. Training sentient beings requires great strength. This is similar to an animal tamer. Tigers, lions and other beasts are well-behaved in front of their tamers. Indeed, when the Buddha was among multitudes of people, the minds of human beings were most unyielding. Only the Buddha was able to tame them.

In the Lotus Sutra, isn’t there a similar passage? After the Buddha expounded these teachings, He hoped someone could pass down the Lotus Sutra. He hoped that someone among His disciples would be capable of shouldering this task. Among His disciples, nobody dared to. Yet, Bodhisattvas from another place came, [some of whom] understood His intent, so they stood up and told the Buddha, “Venerable Buddha,” “we want to pass it on, but we are very scared.” The Buddha asked, “What are you afraid of? Beings in the Saha World are difficult to train because they are so unyielding. We are afraid we lack the strength to train these kinds of sentient beings.” Everyone’s minds fluctuate. Forming aspirations is easy, perseverance is difficult. It also seems like there is always another with a more unyielding disposition, who is even harder to train than the previous person.

Sometimes while reading this section, I am also very afraid. What is the best way to transform the myriad beings of this land? So, training sentient beings is not very easy. We need to “exercise the strength of great men,” to be able to give all the teachings to transform sentient beings and train them to transcend defilements. Sentient beings are unyielding because there are defilements in their minds such as greed, anger and ignorance, along with other very bad habitual tendencies. So, they are very difficult to train. We must use various methods to slowly convince and educate them. So we need the wisdom and strength of a tamer. If we want to know how to train sentient beings, we must first tame ourselves. We also have many unyielding and difficult-to-tame habitual tendencies. If we want to train others, we must first tame our own habitual tendencies. Only after taming them can we tame others’ habitual tendencies. This is spiritual practice. If we attain virtue, then our strength can manifest.

So, as we engage in spiritual practice our attitude [is very important]. In the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, there are multitudes of phrases, one after another, that are used in hopes that our minds can accept what the Buddha taught, the Dharma guarded by His mind. The Buddha’s mind is [focused on] taming the minds of sentient beings.

I have already discussed this next passage of the Lotus Sutra. As a Tathagata began to expound the Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra, a Great Vehicle teaching, Dharma Master Wondrous Light began to receive this teaching. Then he used it to transform everyone from the 800 disciples to the eight princes. He helped each one attain [enlightenment].

Manjusri Bodhisattva told Maitreya Bodhisattva that diligent ones can achieve Buddhahood quickly [as opposed to the ones] who are lax. As the Buddha said, we all have an intrinsic Buddha-nature. We just need to always have this belief and this sense of respect and constantly plant roots of goodness. In the same way, we created every bit of merit and virtue we possess. If we had already eliminated our craving for offerings of wealth, made offerings to Buddhas in the past and planted roots of goodness, we might have attained [Buddhahood] long ago. But because we still crave offerings of wealth, it will take longer for us to attain [Buddhahood].

As I explained before, we may remember how all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas made a great effort to teach and transform sentient beings. Manjusri Bodhisattva and Maitreya Bodhisattva assisted Sakyamuni Buddha to help His Dharma-assembly be successful. Thus, everyone could become respectful, receive teachings based on the Way and uphold their vows while following the Way. In order for that to happen, in the middle of those circumstances, they played the parts of initiating and providing opportunities for teachings.

As the next section of the sutra states,

“At that time. Manjusri, in the midst of the assembly, wishing to restate these principles, spoke the following verse.”

From before, we all know that Seeker of Fame Bodhisattva was the present Maitreya Bodhisattva the present Maitreya Bodhisattva, and Dharma Master Wondrous Light was now Manjusri Bodhisattva. After he explained all these matters clearly, he repeated [those teachings] again. Earlier, in the long text of this sutra, he gave us this explanation. Because this is a Great Vehicle teaching, after it was explained, he was concerned that people would forget, so he repeated it in verse form for us once more.

In this verse, the time is extraordinary. The Buddha’s epithet is extraordinary. The Dharma is extraordinary. The benefit is extraordinary.

Thus, several extraordinary things were mentioned. Now, the next section repeats what had been expressed in prose. Because [this teaching] is very precious, he wanted to repeat it again. Similarly, as I teach every day, I often say things again. This is repetition. Verse form uses a different syntax to restate the Dharma.

This moment is very extraordinary because it had to happen at just the right time. Teachings have to be given according to the time, people and place. Thus, “With this verse, the time is extraordinary.” So, we have to seize this moment to repeat the Dharma. This moment is really extraordinary.

“The Buddha’s epithet is extraordinary.” In the middle of Sakyamuni Buddha’s teachings, Manjusri repeated again the story from countless kalpas earlier about. Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddha. That was also a very extraordinary occasion. All Buddhas share the same path. There is a reason for explaining the Buddha’s epithet again, which is truly extraordinary.

Next, “the Dharma is extraordinary.” The Buddha has protected the Dharma He had originally intended to teach for over 40 years. From the moment He attained enlightenment, He wanted to share with everyone that spiritual state, the true principles of all things in the universe, of how human life comes and goes, of the karmic law of cause and effect, and so on. He always wanted to share these with others, but the time was not right. After over 40 years had passed, He wanted to freely carry out His original intent. Thus, “the Dharma is extraordinary.”

Next, “the benefit is extraordinary.” This Dharma could benefit sentient beings. For over 40 years these beings had been following the Buddha and listening to His teachings, from the Agama period, through the Vaipulya period, to the Prajna period. Now, the teachings had returned to the Avatamsaka and Lotus states. All five periods had to occur for this Dharma to manifest. Thus, the Dharma that benefits sentient beings is extraordinary.

Everyone, as we learn the Buddha’s Way, we must truly and thoroughly understand its essence from the bottom of our hearts. I often tell all of you that we must try to understand the Sutra of Infinite Meanings. The Lotus Sutra is very long, but it is actually explaining the principles of the Sutra of Infinite Meanings. So, the Sutra of Infinite Meanings is the essence of the Lotus Sutra. Again, why do we refer to the Sutra of. Infinite Meanings in explaining the Lotus Sutra? Because it is the [essence] of the Lotus Sutra and contains infinite principles. The explanation of the Sutra of Infinite Meanings is found in the Lotus Sutra.

So, I hope we all make an effort to [practice] this pair of sutras together, to refine our inner essence and outer conduct. Everyone, please always be mindful!

Episode 146 – Eliminate Delusions to See Truth

---

>> “Supremely great and greatly awakened is the great lord of sages, undefiled, uncontaminated and unattached.”

>> “Great enlightenment,” which refers to “destroying delusions from Beginningless Time, unlocking true understanding and views to attain non-arising patience.”

>> So, “based on principles of true emptiness there is intrinsically no arising and ceasing.”

>> Uncontaminated refers to profound discerning wisdom.

>> “A Tathagata is unattached and thus attains supreme, perfect, universal enlightenment.”

>> “Maitreya, it should be known, could Wondrous Light Bodhisattva have been anyone else? I, myself, was him. And Seeker of Fame Bodhisattva was you, yourself!”

>> “The auspicious signs now seen do not differ from [those in the past], and so, as I surmise, today the Tathagata is about to speak a Mahayana Sutra called the Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower. This teaching of the Bodhisattva-path is guarded and retained by the Buddha.”

>> “Infinite Buddhas all guarded and retained these thoughts,”

>> To guard and retain: Preventing invasion by external evils is to guard. Enabling the arising of internal goodness is to retain.

---

We must learn the Buddha’s Way with great respect and deep reverence. In every Dharma-assembly, before the Buddha expounded the Dharma, many Bodhisattvas, bhiksus, Arhats, as well as the eight classes of Dharma-protectors surrounded Him and made offerings, scattering heavenly flowers, burning heavenly incense, [presenting] heavenly food, heavenly utensils and so on. So, before the Buddha expounded the sutras, everyone made an effort to make these kinds of tangible offerings. But reverence and praise from the heart [represent] greater earnestness.

They eagerly expressed their request and prayed that the Buddha could reveal the Dharma that He had long held in His heart and give that teaching to everyone. So, in their minds, they expressed this [wish]. With the same mindset and voice, they praised the Buddha and asked the Buddha to expound the Dharma expound the Dharma.

Before inviting the Buddha to expound the Dharma, they first praised Him, saying,

“Supremely great and greatly awakened is the great lord of sages, undefiled, uncontaminated and unattached.”

Their hearts united in this praise of the Buddha’s virtues.

His virtues are great! They are immensely great. Since the Buddha is the Great Enlightened One of the Universe, His greatness is vast and boundless. However immense the universe is, the virtues of the Buddha are just as immense. Therefore, the words “supremely great” represent this very heartfelt praise. “Supremely great and greatly awakened is the great lord of sages” is praising the Buddha’s virtues. Indeed, this expresses their deepest and most sincere respect toward the Buddha and His character.

“Greatly awakened is the great lord of sages.” His mind must be “undefiled, uncontaminated and unattached.” His mind must already be very pure. If His mind was not pure, He could not become the Great Enlightened One. Therefore, His mind was very pure. So, we need to understand the meaning of.

“Great enlightenment,” which refers to “destroying delusions from Beginningless Time, unlocking true understanding and views to attain non-arising patience.”

This is the enlightened state. If we want to reach it, we must destroy our delusions. One ignorant thought creates the Three Subtleties, so this is why unenlightened beings like us developed greed, anger and ignorance, due to our many deluded thoughts. We unenlightened beings can still attain Buddhahood, but we must work hard to destroy the delusions [which] [have accumulated since] Beginningless Time. In order to attain great awakening, we need to completely eliminate our ignorance to unlock true understanding and views.

A thorough understanding of the true principles of all things in the universe, of people, matters, things and objects, is called true understanding and views. The views and understanding of us unenlightened beings may not be true. Only the principles of things perceived by enlightened, holy ones are true. Therefore, right now we need to learn to discern the principles of physical appearances in this realm of material existence. Furthermore, we must thoroughly understand the origins of life. We also need to self-reflect and realize why our minds are always wavering and can never settle down. Our thoughts go through states of arising, abiding, changing and ceasing. This is our state as unenlightened beings. Therefore, we start by learning how to become enlightened. Only when we can “destroy delusions from Beginningless Time” we are able to “unlock true understanding and views to attain non-arising patience.”

So, “based on principles of true emptiness there is intrinsically no arising and ceasing.”

We need to understand that all things in the world are empty. Yesterday, we experienced many things and spent time on dealing with matters and objects. But can we [practice] any of that today? Time just passes; it is insubstantial, so we cannot hold on to it. It slips past us, so we call it “yesterday” or “the past.” Time that has passed is completely Empty; we cannot bring even a minute, a second, into today. However, the Buddha’s teachings also tell us not to cling to emptiness.

[Some wonder] if they did something yesterday but are empty-handed today, what is the point of doing things? [The point is] wondrous existence. The space you swept yesterday is much cleaner today, and if you had not cleaned it, it would certainly be a very dirty place today. The same principle applies to true emptiness and wondrous existence. Although things are [inherently] empty, every day, we must still make an effort if they are to be kept clean. This also applies to our minds. [Being] “supremely great and greatly awakened” requires great effort on our part.

So, the Great Lord of Sages is an honorable epithet for the Buddha. We revere the Buddha and praise His virtues. In our minds, [we hold] the Buddha’s virtues as supreme and unsurpassed and make Him the great lord of sages. The Chapter on Skillful Means of the Lotus Sutra also calls Him. “Great Sage, Sun of Wisdom.”

This means the radiance of His mind can illuminate the appearances and principles of all things in the world. This is what the Great Lord of Sages [can do]. His radiance is illuminating, “uncontaminated and unattached.”

Uncontaminated refers to profound discerning wisdom.

Our minds, after afflictions and ignorance are eliminated, will be uncontaminated and unattached. If our minds are still contaminated and attached, we cannot attain great enlightenment. So, we must be uncontaminated and unattached for our profound discerning wisdom to manifest.

What is profound discerning wisdom? This refers to the mirror of the mind. If it is very clean and bright, we can then see everything clearly. The Buddha, in His wisdom, can already observe the true principles of all things in the world, even the distances and the environments of the stars in the universe. This is profound discerning wisdom. A holy one who has attained great enlightenment must surely reach a state of no contamination for profound discerning wisdom to manifest.

With no contamination, there are no attachments “uncontaminated and unattached.”

“A Tathagata is unattached and thus attains supreme, perfect, universal enlightenment.”

This is Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.

The state of Buddha’s wisdom is incredibly wondrous. Therefore, we say, “Supremely great and greatly awakened is the great lord of sages, undefiled, uncontaminated and unattached.” This is the Buddha’s spiritual state, which [comprehends] true emptiness and wondrous existence, and is the uncontaminated mirror in His mind, His intrinsic, profound discerning wisdom. This is the state of the Buddha and His wisdom. If we can attain Buddhahood, everything will be pure and transparent, especially the subtle beauty of our states of mind. This is something people really yearn for.

Don’t we Buddhist practitioners aspire to this state? However, what method can we use? Actually, the method is to be genuine. With a true sense of reverence and respect, we can steadfastly accept the Buddha’s teachings. We must interact with people to understand the source of their suffering, so we can find a way to eliminate the states of confusion, suffering and defilement. This is true Root Wisdom, which is this profound discerning wisdom. So, we need to be mindful.

Next, let us come back to the Lotus Sutra. I have mentioned previously that a dialog to introduce. Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddha. This name represented a very long process and a very large number of Buddhas 20,000 Buddhas had this same name. The last. Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddha had eight sons who became monastics.

[In His Dharma-assembly], there was a Bodhisattva named Wondrous Light who was to pass down the Lotus Sutra. After bestowing predictions of Buddhahood, Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddha entered Parinirvana at midnight. Then the Dharma had to be passed on. The Dharma-lineage, these teachings, needed to continue. During this time, Wondrous Light Bodhisattva’s 800 disciples, which included the eight princes, attained Buddhahood one after another.

Among those 800 disciples was a Bodhisattva named Seeker of Fame. When Manjusri Bodhisattva reached this point in his narration, he said,

“Maitreya, it should be known, could Wondrous Light Bodhisattva have been anyone else? I, myself, was him. And Seeker of Fame Bodhisattva was you, yourself!”

At Sakyamuni Buddha’s Dharma-assembly, Manjusri Bodhisattva began to tell Maitreya that he should know that. Wondrous Light Bodhisattva was not anyone else but him, the present Manjusri Bodhisattva. So, “It was me, myself.” By saying “me,” Manjusri Bodhisattva referred to himself. “And Seeker of Fame Bodhisattva was you, yourself.” He told Maitreya that the Bodhisattva who craved offerings of wealth was him. “See, you were one of the 800 disciples of. Wondrous Light Bodhisattva. At that time, I had also accepted the task of passing on the Dharma-lineage. I have been handing down the Dharma all along, and the disciples I taught have attained Buddhahood one after another. At that time, you were still caught up in seeking fame.”

So, we need to be very vigilant. Though we are all engaging in spiritual practice, respectfully making offerings to all Buddhas and planting roots of goodness, if we seek recognition or offerings of wealth, attaining Buddhahood will drag on for a long time. You see, after such a long time, [Maitreya] was still in the rank of Bodhisattvas. He would not attain Buddhahood until after Sakyamuni Buddha. Moreover, Sakyamuni Buddha had to bestow a prediction on him. This makes us aware that we must be diligent and earnest in our practice. If we have eliminated afflictions, why would we still seek fame and fortune? Therefore, if we still seek them, we cannot eliminate our afflictions.

The Lotus Sutra then states,

“The auspicious signs now seen do not differ from [those in the past], and so, as I surmise, today the Tathagata is about to speak a Mahayana Sutra called the Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower. This teaching of the Bodhisattva-path is guarded and retained by the Buddha.”

Manjusri Bodhisattva had uncovered the answer. “I was Wondrous Light Bodhisattva. You were Seeker of Fame Bodhisattva.” Since we aspire to engage in spiritual practice, we must do so seriously. We must recognize that when. Sakyamuni Buddha was radiating light and manifesting auspicious signs, He was about to start expounding a Mahayana sutra, namely, the Wondrous Dharma Lotus Sutra. He began to give teachings, to teach the Bodhisattva-path. This teaching had been long guarded and retained by the Buddha, which meant that He had protected it and could remember this Wondrous Dharma forever.

“Infinite Buddhas all guarded and retained these thoughts,”

not just Sakyamuni Buddha. All Buddhas share the same path.

You see, Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddha was the same, and so was Burning Lamp Buddha. Every single Buddha shares the same path, which is to come to this world to teach the Bodhisattva-path. This was His original intent. So, “Infinite Buddhas all guarded and retained these thoughts.” They were all the same. The thoughts they guarded were wondrous, Mahayana teachings.

To guard and retain: Preventing invasion by external evils is to guard. Enabling the arising of internal goodness is to retain.

So, “preventing invasion by external evils.” These are exceptional and holy teachings, so, They all protected them very well. All Buddhas guarded this Dharma very well and absolutely did not allow external evils, which are evil thoughts and evil views, to contaminate these teachings. This Great Vehicle teaching is very exceptional; this Dharma is truly wondrous and pure. So, external evils must not be allowed to disturb this supreme wondrous Dharma. Then there can be “arising of internal goodness,” which is “retaining.” Protecting it so no external evils can invade allows internal goodness to constantly arise.

So, we all need to maintain this mindset and nurture our wisdom, the profound discerning wisdom, which we call our wisdom-life. We need to continually grow our wisdom-life. This “enables the arising of internal goodness.” This is how we protect our minds. We cannot allow external evil knowledge, evil views and evil things into our minds. We must also continuously give rise to our inner good thoughts. This is the Bodhisattva-path.

So, every day as we interact with people and our thoughts stir, we must guard and retain [these teachings]. The Buddha retained and guarded these wondrous Great Vehicle teachings. We must also protect our minds so that evil thoughts and views will not enter our minds. Only a pure mind can accept the pure and great teachings so that our wisdom-life can grow. So, everyone, please be earnestly mindful.

Episode 145 – Craving Offerings of Wealth Harms Roots of Virtue

---

>> “Gathering like clouds from all directions, they appeared before the Buddha.”

>> At that time, those at the Tathagata-assembly gathered together like a sea of clouds, so we say they “gathered like clouds.”

>> “Because he had also planted roots of goodness, he was able to encounter immeasurable hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, millions of Buddhas.” He also made offerings, paid his respects and praised all Dharma.

>> “For the sake of offerings of wealth, [one engages in] unwholesome seeking of more.”

>> The craving for offerings of wealth is like a thief. It harms the root of merits and virtues the way hail destroys grains. Offering of wealth, fame and recognition also [function] this way. They damage the seedlings of virtue, so they will not grow. People who crave offerings of wealth harm the roots of virtue in the same way.

>> “Planting all roots of goodness”: Goodness of the Threefold Karma of body, mind and speech is firmly and deeply secured in a kind heart and cannot be pulled up. Thus it is called a root. Goodness can also produce wondrous fruits. The remaining roots of goodness are deep and solid. Thus, he was able to meet all Buddhas and eventually achieve enlightenment.

---

Are we dignifying our [inner] Dharma-assembly? In every mind there exists a Buddha and a dignified inner spiritual training ground. In the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, 80,000 Bodhisattvas gathered to reverently burn incense, scatter flowers, respectfully circumambulate the Buddha and prostrate at His feet, [representing great] dignity and reverence. When our inner spiritual training ground manifests, [Bodhisattvas] from all directions will gather like clouds. So, it is described as.

“Gathering like clouds from all directions, they appeared before the Buddha.”

Both the tangible and the intangible, the tangibility of paying respect and the intangibility of reverence, surrounded the Buddha. With utmost reverence, they paid their respect to the Buddha. This showed that this training ground where they all gathered was a Tathagata-assembly and everyone was coming together at this time. If we think about the 12,000 monastics and 80,000 Bodhisattvas there, we can imagine how orderly and how grand that occasion must have been.

At that time, those at the Tathagata-assembly gathered together like a sea of clouds, so we say they “gathered like clouds.”

In sutras, we often read about. Bodhisattvas gathering like clouds. They come together from all directions. Clouds are something we can see. But when we walk into those clouds, our sight is not obstructed by them. When the clouds come together, they do not get in each other’s way. This is a metaphor for Buddhist practitioners’ inner spiritual training grounds. Because everything originates from the mind, no matter what kind of phenomena it is, it will not obstruct our minds. When we engage in spiritual practice, this is the spiritual state we must attain.

As I have previously discussed in the Lotus Sutra, the last of the 20,000 Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddhas [taught Wondrous Light Bodhisattva]. Wondrous Light Bodhisattva had 800 disciples, including the eight princes. At that time, Wondrous Light Bodhisattva was responsible for spreading the Dharma. As this was happening, those who were diligent early on became enlightened sooner. Those who were lax and slow to work diligently naturally took much longer.

Among these 800 disciples, there was one called Seeker of Fame. I have mentioned that Seeker of Fame craved offerings of wealth, so he could not retain [teachings] even though he read many sutras and also made offerings to countless Buddhas, But making offerings or reciting sutras and being mentally lax are two separate matters. We may make offerings and recite sutras, but that is certainly not the same as diligently and physically practicing what we have learned.

We need to try to do all three. We must pay respect to all Buddhas and make offerings. Besides that, we must diligently read and recite sutras. Then we must put what we have learned into action. If we do not practice what we learn and only make offerings to the Buddha and read and recite sutras, we may still crave offerings of wealth. If we are attached to these things, we are considered lax because [our study of] the Dharma has not progressed.

What is an offering to the Buddha? Why do we make offerings? Why do we recite sutras? Our minds will not be focused on those actions if we still crave offerings of wealth. With this kind [of mindset], we are only casually reading and reciting the sutras, but the principles we read leak away. Seeker of Fame Bodhisattva made offerings to many Buddhas; he also worked hard and read and recited many teachings. However, he would forget most of them. This tells us how we should study the sutras.

This is why, in the sutra, Seeker of Fame is mentioned.

“Because he had also planted roots of goodness, he was able to encounter immeasurable hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, millions of Buddhas.” He also made offerings, paid his respects and praised all Dharma.

He had also planted roots of goodness through his actions, but his mind was not focused. It was a pity that he still had [this weakness] of craving offerings of wealth. This craving for offerings of wealth is truly a damaging mindset. See,

“For the sake of offerings of wealth, [one engages in] unwholesome seeking of more.”

This kind of seeking, the search for wealth, is continual the search for wealth, is continual, always in the unwholesome search for more. This unwholesome search happens in our daily living. Our daily living can be very simple. For our three meals, it is enough to have a bowl of rice per meal. What more do we seek? Monastics in the Buddha’s time had one alms bowl. “Each bowl contains meals from 1000 households.” With it, “monastics travel alone for 10,000 miles.” No matter where they go, a single bowl is enough. They went from household to household with the bowl at mealtime and asked for alms. That was enough. This was spiritual cultivation!

But now, things are no longer this way. Spiritual cultivation these days is particular to the modern quality of life. People who now engage in spiritual practice enjoy modern conveniences. When the weather is hot, they turn on the air conditioner to cool down. This is the modern lifestyle they follow.

When we eat, we just need to eat enough to not be hungry. We can make do with simple meals. Dressing simply and looking clean and neat is good enough. But, if we are picky about the quality or the brand, we will be spending even more money. Is there much difference in fabric between brands? There is none. Only the “brand” is different. Some people feel that wearing a well-known fabric from a well-known manufacturer makes them glamorous.

Actually, if that same fabric was made into clothing and sold on the streets, it would only cost a few hundred (NT). In stores, with only the addition of that brand label, it becomes very expensive, thousands of dollars. This is an example of excessive and unwholesome seeking. So, all we need is simple clothing that can cover our bodies and shield us from the cold. As long as we look proper and neat, why do we need to wear a name-brand?

To get to the second floor of a building, climbing up the stairs can be a kind of exercise. Unfortunately, people these days climb one flight of stairs and are out of breath, so they take the elevator. Even though each story of this building can be reached by foot, they insist on taking the elevator. This is also unwholesome seeking of more.

There are many things we can simplify while still leading comfortable lives. We can rely on the abilities of our own bodies to carry on, but some persist in unwholesome seeking and insist on asking for more. What is it that they seek? They seek pleasure.

The craving for offerings of wealth is like a thief. It harms the root of merits and virtues the way hail destroys grains. Offering of wealth, fame and recognition also [function] this way. They damage the seedlings of virtue, so they will not grow. People who crave offerings of wealth harm the roots of virtue in the same way.

So, it is said in the Treatise on the Great Wisdom Perfection, “Cravings of offerings of wealth are like thieves.” If we crave offerings of wealth, it is like having a thief in our minds. We bring teachings from around us into our minds, but this mental thief then steals and moves them all out. This is called leaking. No matter how much we study, everything will leak out and be lost. These are the thieves in our minds.

This is why spiritual practitioners such as Arhats and bhiksus are also called “thief-destroyers.” We have no way of storing the Dharma in our mind if there is a thief in there. This thief will steal away the mind’s treasures. Whenever we bring in the Dharma-treasure, these evil thieves will steal them away. So, “Cravings of offerings of wealth are like thieves that harm the root of merits and virtues.” They can destroy our merits and virtues.

The “root” refers to the source. As for our merits and virtues, since we have formed aspirations, we must proceed diligently. However, if we proceed diligently but keep giving rise to cravings for offerings of wealth, then what use is it to be diligent? If we make offerings or do good deeds, but still have a strong craving for offerings of wealth, this will harm the root of our merits and virtues. I often share with everyone that our “merits” come from inner cultivation and humility. Outward courtesy and forging good affinities with others result in “virtue.” So, inwardly, we are being diligent, while outwardly we are helping others. But, if we still have thoughts of cravings and greed, our spiritual aspiration to work hard will not remain firm. If our spiritual aspiration is not firm, that damages our spiritual cultivation. So, it says, “that harms the root of merits and virtues the way hail destroys the grains.”

We often hear people say, “Why is it suddenly hailing?” Hail is like snow frozen solid [which is] as hard as rock. When the sky starts hailing, it damages everything on the land below. So, we compare the way hail damages the grains on earth to what happens if we spiritual practitioners crave offerings of wealth. Even if we painstakingly cultivate the grains and are about to harvest them, hail can suddenly destroy everything. Greed “also [functions] this way.” Greed can also “damage the seedlings of virtues, so they will not grow.” This causes damage to all the plants on earth, wiping everything out just as the flowers are blooming. Then the grains are unable to grow. So, those who crave offerings of wealth harm the root of merits and virtues in the same way.

When we engage in spiritual practice, we need to constantly take care of our minds so these greedy thoughts do not arise. However, Seeker of Fame still had roots of goodness. His roots of goodness existed because “he had also planted roots of goodness” on many occasions. But his greed damaged his spiritual aspiration. Otherwise, he already had many roots of goodness. So I often say, “If the husband practices, he attains. If the wife practices, she attains.” He still engaged in spiritual practice and created blessings. However, he was unfocused, undisciplined. But his merits and virtues were still there.

When we say “planting all roots of goodness,” what are roots of goodness? “Goodness of the Threefold Karma of body, mind and speech.” Doing good deeds, speaking good words and thinking good thoughts are collectively called goodness of the Threefold Karma. “Firmly and deeply secured in a kind heart and unable to be pulled out, it is called a root.” So, when we do good deeds, we must deeply secure [that goodness in our hearts]. To be deeply rooted, we must extend those roots far down.

“Planting all roots of goodness”: Goodness of the Threefold Karma of body, mind and speech is firmly and deeply secured in a kind heart and cannot be pulled up. Thus it is called a root. Goodness can also produce wondrous fruits. The remaining roots of goodness are deep and solid. Thus, he was able to meet all Buddhas and eventually achieve enlightenment.

“Goodness can also produce wondrous fruits.” This goodness can produce wondrous fruits. Fruits are seeds. Seeds are also fruits. The seed contains the fruit that is produced. Then in each and every fruit are many, many seeds. So a seed contains a sea of fruits. The fruit pits are seeds that can produce plentiful fruits. So, “goodness can produce wondrous fruits, the remaining roots of goodness are deep and solid.” He [stored] an abundance of goodness because he had planted so many roots of goodness. His goodness was plentiful, deep and solid. So, even though he was lax and craved offerings of wealth, he still had a kind heart. This described Seeker of Fame Bodhisattva. “Thus, he was able to meet all Buddhas and eventually achieve enlightenment.” He will become Maitreya Buddha in the future.

Fellow Bodhisattvas, as we engage in spiritual practice, we must walk toward the Bodhisattva-path, Since we are walking toward the Bodhisattva-path, if we can be more diligent, we will accomplish our goal earlier. If we become lax, then that will happen slowly. When we plant the roots of goodness, every single seed is stored. They do not disappear, but they will develop much later. So, when we learn the Buddha’s teachings, we must begin by dignifying our inner spiritual training ground. We must not allow it to become messy. Every word of the Dharma must enter our minds. When the Dharma enters our minds, and manifests in our actions, then we are in a state of meditation. This requires us to put effort into our practice. So, everyone, please always be mindful.

Episode 144 – One Who Is Diligent Quickly Attains Buddhahood

---

>> [He] rose up from his seat and approached the Buddha with all 80,000 Bodhisattvas-Mahasattvas in the assembly. They bowed, with their heads at His feet, and circumambulated the Buddha hundreds and thousands of times. They scattered heavenly flowers, burned heavenly incense and presented the Buddha with heavenly robes, heavenly garlands and heavenly treasures of priceless value, which came twirling down from the sky.

>> “Offerings come from the six desire heavens. Flowers fall randomly and ubiquitously.”

>> “The last to become a Buddha was named Burning Lamp. Among the 800 disciples was one named Seeker of Fame, who was greedily attached to offerings of wealth. Although he read and recited many sutras, he did not comprehend them.”

>> “One who is diligent quickly attains Buddhahood, one who is lazy eventually becomes a Buddha, but is delayed by many kalpas.”

>> “The 800 disciples.” The lazy ones who will become future Buddhas were among the 800 disciples mentioned earlier. Here it clearly states that Maitreya was one of the 800.

>> The Seeker of Fame is one driven by the seeking of fame and wealth; thus He is distracted and loses his resolve.

>> One who seeks fame and craves offerings of wealth cannot comprehend the meanings in sutras. Then one may be called Seeker of Fame.

---

Every day, as time keeps passing, we must constantly protect our minds. Our thoughts must constantly protect our inner spiritual training ground. We must not allow our minds to wander; instead, we must be single-mindedly focused.

The Dharma-assembly for the Sutra of Infinite Meanings was very grand. Other than bhiksus and Bodhisattvas, there were also kings, ministers and the citizens of entire countries. They shared a common resolve to pursue the. Dharma and true principles of the Great Vehicle. The Buddha had been giving teachings for for over 40 years. In the 42nd year, He completely changed course. Before, He patiently taught with skillful means, but now He set these aside for True Dharma. Before, He taught in accordance with sentient beings’ capabilities, but now He freely carried out His original intent.

As I mentioned previously, these bhiksus and Arhats had all attained the mental state of true liberation. Among them was Great Magnificent Bodhisattva, a representative of the assembly, who was, of course, a great Bodhisattva. [He] saw how they had all become quiet, with /their minds focused on one resolve, to seek the true principles. This was the mindset they had. So, it appeared that the time had come. Therefore, [Great Magnificent Bodhisattva] led all 80,000 Bodhisattvas to rise. When he saw their minds were focused enough, he asked for teachings.

[He] rose up from his seat and approached the Buddha with all 80,000 Bodhisattvas-Mahasattvas in the assembly. They bowed, with their heads at His feet, and circumambulated the Buddha hundreds and thousands of times. They scattered heavenly flowers, burned heavenly incense and presented the Buddha with heavenly robes, heavenly garlands and heavenly treasures of priceless value, which came twirling down from the sky.

This is from the Sutra of Infinite Meanings. Naturally they followed the right etiquette, so they “bowed, with their heads at His feet.” There was one Buddha and more than 80,000 people, as well as bhiksus. How could they all bow to His feet? In their hearts, they prostrated with their whole body. This signified the respect and admiration in their hearts. They visualized the Buddha in front of them, put their head and hands, then their full body to the ground, and then touched their hands to His feet. This was a form of visualization. So, they “bowed, with their heads at His feet.” This is a very sincere way to pay respect.

Then they “circumambulated the Buddha hundreds and thousands of times” and “scattered heavenly flowers.” After bowing at His feet, they were very joyful. Then, they circumambulated the Buddha, so that it was as if they all passed in front of Him. This is called “circumambulating the Buddha.” Whether we are reverently prostrating or circumambulating the Buddha according to the rules and the teachings, we are turning the Dharma-wheel. This shows our respect, which we make as an offering. What do we do to make an offering of respect? We scatter heavenly flowers and burn [incense].

Because that place in India was in the middle of the wilderness, there were lots of trees and grasses. There were also many mosquitoes and insects. Perhaps because of this, they burned and scattered [flowers] to repel those mosquitoes and insects, which then also emitted a very fragrant, grassy scent. This was a way to cleanse the Dharma-assembly and allow fragrance to disperse. The “heavenly flowers” created a very pleasant atmosphere in this spiritual training ground. At the assembly, they “burned heavenly incense” and presented the Buddha with “heavenly robes, heavenly garlands, treasures of priceless value, which came twirling down from the sky.” So it was that when they all looked up, all the offerings came down from the sky. Perhaps this was to express that.

“Offerings come from the six desire heavens. Flowers fall randomly and ubiquitously.”

Reverence does not only come from this world. Heavenly beings from the six heavens of the desire realm also made offerings out of joy, respect and sincerity. This describes the magnificence of the assembly.

Bhiksus, Bodhisattvas, humans and heavenly beings all waited at the assembly with such sincerity for the moment when the Buddha would expound His teachings. This was such a wondrous assembly. In truth, our internal spiritual training ground is the same. We also look forward to coming in contact with the Buddha-Dharma. Which one of His teachings will touch and move our hearts and be practiced for the rest of our lives? With the Buddha in our hearts and the Dharma in our actions, we can practice [His teachings] for a lifetime. This is what we all look forward to in our hearts,

At this time, the Buddha saw the opportunity, that it was the time for Him to expound the true Dharma, which was what He originally intended to teach. So, the Sutra of Infinite Meanings described people’s mental state at this time, their sincerity as they were about to come in contact with the Dharma.

From the Lotus Sutra, I already mentioned the passage,

“The last to become a Buddha was named Burning Lamp. Among the 800 disciples was one named Seeker of Fame, who was greedily attached to offerings of wealth. Although he read and recited many sutras, he did not comprehend them.”

We should know that there are 20,000 Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddhas. They shared the same name and surname. Thus, we can see how the spirit of all Buddhas and their principles were passed down continually. These 20,000 Buddhas also came in sequence. One was the first of the 20,000 and one was the last. During this process, the diligent attained Buddhahood first. They were the first, second and so on, depending on their diligence. So,

“One who is diligent quickly attains Buddhahood, one who is lazy eventually becomes a Buddha, but is delayed by many kalpas.”

The diligent ones attained Buddhahood quicker, while the more indolent ones were slower. Actually, this is telling us that we all inherently have Buddha-nature. If we can be more diligent, we can more quickly realize the Buddha within. I often say that. Buddha-nature is in all of us. If we can discover our intrinsic Buddha-nature earlier we are clearing our minds and seeing our true nature.

Our unenlightened minds lack clarity. The mirror in our mind is blurry. Therefore, we must work hard. We must wash away our inner defilements of greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance and doubt. All these impurities and afflictions must be completely swept out of our minds. This is called clearing our minds. With clear minds, we can see our true nature and the Buddha can enter our hearts.

I often say that we need to take the Buddha’s mind as our own. Indeed, the Buddha-mind is our intrinsic Buddha-nature. If our intrinsic Buddha-nature emerges, the true principles of all things will become [evident] in our minds and in our lives. So, by being diligent we can attain Buddhahood quickly. If we are diligent and can quickly eliminate ignorance and afflictions from our minds, we will truly become liberated.

What if we become lazy? Well, we can still attain Buddhahood someday. Because we have intrinsic Buddha-nature, that day absolutely will come, but it will come much later. So, “One who is lazy eventually becomes a Buddha, but is delayed by many kalpas.” A “kalpa” is a very long time, so [Buddhahood] will come slower. How much slower? If we are counting in “kalpas,” we are talking about a very long [time].

We must quickly remind ourselves to be vigilant, to eliminate ignorance from our minds. Then we can attain a clear mind and see our true nature more quickly. Then we can truly become liberated.

In the time of Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddhas, when the last of the 20,000 attained Buddhahood, His children also became monastics. As this was happening, He transmitted the Dharma to. Wondrous Light Bodhisattva, who had 800 disciples. His disciples included the eight princes. This shows the Dharma-lineage being passed down. Among these 800 disciples, there were also lazy ones, [and even they] will still attain Buddhahood in the future. So, among these earlier and later Buddhas, among these 800 disciples, there were also lazy ones. Actually, among these 800 disciples, that lazy one is now Maitreya Bodhisattva, the initiator at the Lotus Dharma-assembly.

Was Maitreya Bodhisattva really lazy? Actually, he and Sakyamuni Bodhisattva both lived in the time of Amoghasiddhi Buddha. At that time, Amoghasiddhi Buddha bestowed predictions for these Bodhisattvas to become Buddhas. He assessed them and [felt that] although Maitreya Bodhisattva was replete with wisdom, he had not yet created enough affinities with sentient beings.

So, although he was wise, that did not mean he was very diligent. True diligence involves interacting with people and creating good affinities with them. In addition to wisdom, he also needed blessings. Blessings come from good affinities with sentient beings. So, [Maitreya] had to spend a long period of time on creating good affinities with sentient beings. He did this for a very long time, so after Sakyamuni Buddha became a Buddha, He then bestowed a prediction upon him to become the future Buddha of this world.

“The 800 disciples.” The lazy ones who will become future Buddhas were among the 800 disciples mentioned earlier. Here it clearly states that Maitreya was one of the 800.

In the time of Wondrous Light Bodhisattva, he was a disciple named Seeker of Fame. This name represented his character, which craved recognition and wealth. If we desire recognition and wealth, we will have many afflictions. We have one, but lack nine because, although we have many things, we still feel like we lack a little something more. This [craving for] fame and wealth is constantly on our minds. So, we are “driven by the seeking of fame and wealth.” Our minds are bound and restricted by fame and wealth. Because we crave recognition and are attached to wealth, though we should give away many things, we are reluctant to let them go. This happens because of greed.

So, fame and wealth drive our minds, so we “become distracted and lose [our] will” if we are still greedy, we will not be able to make the resolve and will become distracted and lose our will. Our minds will still be ensnarled in the desire for wealth. So, Seeker of Fame Bodhisattva had this problem.

The Seeker of Fame is one driven by the seeking of fame and wealth; thus He is distracted and loses his resolve.

So, Seeker of Fame craved offerings of wealth. We may seek fame because we crave offerings of wealth. We want these offerings of wealth. Respect from others is also something we want. We want all kinds of things. This is craving offerings of wealth. Even if we become a monastic, we may still crave offerings from people. This can also be very exhausting. To truly eliminate afflictions and ignorance is also very difficult. Transcending the mundane is already difficult, thus transcending afflictions is even more so. Although we are monastics, if we crave fame and offerings of wealth, we have not yet transcended the mundane. If we still seek pleasures, this is very exhausting.

One who seeks fame and craves offerings of wealth cannot comprehend the meanings in sutras. Then one may be called Seeker of Fame.

So, if we crave offerings of wealth, we will not be able to “comprehend the meanings in sutras.” Every day, our minds are calculating what we are gaining or losing. How can we get more people to make offerings? If our mindset wanders, it will be very difficult to refocus. Then how can we understand people, matters and principles in the world? All we think about is flattering people to get more and more. If we do not think about how we can give, then how will we understand people, matters and principles? If we cannot even clearly understand people, matters and principles, we will not understand that this sutra is the Way. We will not clearly understand the principles in sutras. Although we can recite the words easily, we do not understand their meaning.

Fellow Bodhisattvas, if we crave recognition and offerings of wealth, we will not comprehend the meanings of sutras. So, if we have this kind of habitual tendency, we must eliminate it as soon as possible. Then, we can clear our minds and return to our true nature. So, we must always be mindful.

Episode 143 – Offerings to Countless Buddhas

---

>> “At that time, Great Magnificent Bodhisattva-Mahasattva saw that the assembly sat with settled minds.”

>> “[He] rose up from his seat and approached the Buddha with all 80,000 Bodhisattvas-Mahasattvas in the assembly.”

>> “Those princes gave offerings to immeasurable hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, millions of Buddhas, then all attained Buddhahood.”

>> Were taught by Wondrous Light Bodhisattva, so they “could all enter the ultimate stage of the Tathagata’s Dharma-wheel.”

>> “The last to become a Buddha was named Burning Lamp. Among the eight hundred disciples was one named Seeker of Fame, who was greedily attached to offerings of wealth. Although he read and recited many sutras, he did not comprehend them.”

---

As I have been telling everyone every day, we cannot stop time. Each second continues to pass us by, so we must all be more diligent and race against time [in spiritual practice]. Will we advance more quickly than the passage of time? This depends on whether we have a firm resolve. Are we diligently [learning] the Dharma?

As our understanding of the Dharma progresses, by grasping one truth, we understand all truths. When we can penetrate one thought, our minds can encompass the universe and all principles and phenomena become clear to us. So, in comparison to the speed of time, [our understanding] will still be faster, depending on the scope of our realization. If understanding one thing leads us to understand many things, then we have [advanced exponentially]. Comparing the speed of our thoughts [relative to the passage of] time, of course, our thoughts are much faster. So, as time continues to pass, we must continue to accept the Dharma.

Right now, we are discussing the assembly where. Sakyamuni Buddha was about to expound the Sutra of Infinite Meanings. So, we think back to the beginning of the Six Fulfillments. At that time, people kept arriving. Many people were gathering at this Dharma-assembly. As they arrived, they all reverently prostrated to the Buddha and then sat down, one after another. At the Dharma-assembly, there were 80,000 Bodhisattvas along with 12,000 bhiksus, who had all attained spiritual liberation.

Speaking of the Dharma-assembly at. Vulture Peak, there were Bodhisattvas, bhiksus, the eight classes of Dharma-protectors, heavenly beings and human kings, etc. With the magnificence of this Dharma-assembly, everyone’s minds were already calm, so they quietly sat down. Of course, at that time, the Buddha was still in the state of Samadhi.

“At that time, Great Magnificent Bodhisattva-Mahasattva saw that the assembly sat with settled minds.”

“At that time” refers to the moment when their minds truly became calm. The state of mind of Bodhisattvas and that of the Small Vehicle’s ultimate stage is already very orderly and stable. At that time, Great Magnificent Bodhisattva stood up to ask the Buddha a question. Great Magnificent Bodhisattva could comprehend the Buddha’s mind and that “the unspoken Lotus Sutra” must contain very profound wisdom. The appearance that the Buddha manifested showed that He would freely express the wondrous Right Dharma He had retained and guarded in His mind. This required the right timing and people. At this moment, were the minds of these people settled? Were they reverent? Did they aspire to seek the Way? Many causes and conditions had to converge when the Buddha carried out His original intent so the listeners could live up to it. So, there must be Bodhisattvas of this capacity. Now, we will look at how.

“[He] rose up from his seat and approached the Buddha with all 80,000 Bodhisattvas-Mahasattvas in the assembly.”

Great Magnificent Bodhisattva was the representative of the 80,000 Bodhisattvas. So, when these Bodhisattvas saw. Great Magnificent Bodhisattva arise, all Bodhisattvas “rose up” at the same time “and approached the Buddha together.” Think about this scenario; 80,000 is a very large number. But as I have explained previously, we must not be attached to actual numbers. These Bodhisattvas had risen from their seats and were prepared to seek teachings from the Buddha. To request teachings, they must do certain things. This was within the state of the Sutra of Infinite Meanings. The Lotus Sutra and Sutra of Infinite Meanings are both part of “the unspoken Lotus Sutra” and the manifested Lotus Sutra.

[The understanding of] the Buddha’s Lotus Sutra has always been guided by Manjusri Bodhisattva. He guided everyone to delve into the causes and conditions for Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddha to expound the Lotus Sutra. Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddha. There were 20,000 Buddhas with the name Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddha, which shows that all Buddhas share the same path. Every Buddha has wisdom like the radiant sun, compassion like the gentle moon and is like a lamp shining in the dark to guide people onto a path that is safe and enlightening. This is the intrinsic nature of every Buddha.

The last Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddha had eight children. These eight children also [followed] their father into monastic life. These princes became students of Wondrous Light Bodhisattva. These disciples made a great effort, and so did their teacher. Teacher and students were very diligent, so they remained firm in their spiritual aspiration to attain Annutara-samyak-sambodhi.

So, now we will discuss how.

“Those princes gave offerings to immeasurable hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, millions of Buddhas, then all attained Buddhahood.”

We know that these eight princes are just a description. The names for the eight princes all contain the word “intention,” thus representing our Eight Consciousnesses. When these connect with external conditions, of course many defilements will arise. Conversely, their fundamental powers are pure and can potentially [be returned] to the state of the mind-king, to the mind and its cognition. The mind-king is our intrinsic nature, [which we find by] reuniting the eight into one.

This is found in the sutra. If we want to delve into it more deeply, we can understand that the eight princes had already given offerings to immeasurable hundreds, thousands, ten thousands and millions of Buddhas. Their connection to Buddhas did not just arise now. In the distant past, before they became [the sons of] the last Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddha, the princes had continually engaged in spiritual practice and made offerings.

For a very long time, they had continually made offerings to hundreds, thousands, ten-thousands and millions of Buddhas. You may ask, are there that many Buddhas to make offerings to? It is not easy at all to attain Buddhahood. Will our minds be stuck again and become hindered by numbers and time?

In fact, as I have shared recently with everyone, Bodhisattvas play effortlessly in this world. By focusing on saving and helping others, they create good affinities with everyone. Didn’t the Buddha say that everyone is a Buddha and intrinsically has Buddha-nature? So, [all this means to say] is that in the eight princes’ past, they had also walked on the Bodhisattva-path with multitudes of sentient beings. Take Never Slighting Bodhisattva for example. No matter who he met, he always said, “I do not dare to slight you. You may also attain Buddhahood.” By the same token, if we look at others with a Buddha-mind, then won’t everyone be a Buddha to us? To summarize, when we normally deal with people and things, we must feel gratitude, respect and love. When we treat others with this kind of mindset, they are all receiving our offerings.

When we show gratitude to others, they also become happy. They feel happy because they have received our offering of gratitude. When we respect others, they will also become very happy, and there will be unity, harmony, mutual love and concerted effort as people accept, help and love each other. This is how we make offerings to each other. This is how we feel when we see each other. When we feel something is wholesome, it is an offering of Dharma. When we feel something is unwholesome, as spiritual practitioners, we should take it as a mirror. We should understand that we do not just learn the Buddha’s Way from words. More importantly, we must feel it in our hearts.

Over 2000 years ago, during Sakyamuni Buddha’s time, Bodhisattvas talked about the time before the three incalculable eons. Think about it, does time go by faster or do we think faster? The mind can quickly recall events, people and matters from a long time ago. With a shift in perspective, the state of Bodhisattvas will manifest.

So, these princes “gave offerings to immeasurable hundreds, ten thousands, millions of Buddhas, then all attained Buddhahood.” This means that these eight princes.

Were taught by Wondrous Light Bodhisattva, so they “could all enter the ultimate stage of the Tathagata’s Dharma-wheel.”

The Tathagata turns the Dharma-wheel all the time. So, the Dharma-wheel never rests. The Dharma-wheel is a mental wheel. The Buddha’s mental wheel is His thinking; it is His spiritual state. These eight princes were taught and guided by Wondrous Light Bodhisattva and had gradually entered the Buddha’s spiritual state. So, this is to “enter the ultimate stage of the Tathagata’s Dharma-wheel.” This is a very advanced state.

After the eight princes received teachings, they made offerings. As you all know, we can make offerings by giving wealth, respect and conduct.

First we can give tangible offerings, which is giving wealth. How do people without money make offerings? They can offer respect and revere the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. They use their actions to make offerings. Some people not only offer wealth and respect, they offer their conduct, which is putting the teachings into practice. Together, these three things are called offerings.

When giving and making offerings, regardless of how much wealth was given, if a person makes offerings with a mindset that is not pure, and gives to others in order to attain blessings, that person’s merits will be very slight. Some people with no money may pay and show reverence to the Buddha. Though that comes from their hearts, if their behaviors are improper and they pay respect to Buddhas only for protection, and revere the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha only to receive blessings, their merits will also be limited. Conduct is the most important, which is putting [the Dharma] into action.

If we want to walk this path, we cannot stand at a distance to look at the path. We must walk on it. A Buddha is most honored of two-footed beings. Of the two feet we must set in motion, one foot is blessing and the other is wisdom. So, these are the two feet of the honored one. If we do not set our two feet in motion and walk, how can we understand the state of our minds? Or, if we do not walk this enlightened Bodhi-path, how can we know the state of this path? So, we may just stand still and talk about respect and prayer, but those things are secondary. Whenever we can, we should physically practice the teachings.

If we can put it into action, we will naturally become very respectful. Once we are respectful and understand principles, naturally we will give away our wealth. That will be very natural. So, out of the three kinds of offerings, the most important is conduct. Aside from making offerings of wealth and diligently making offerings of respect, we must also make offerings of Dharma-conduct. We must comply with the Dharma and put it into action. Only then can this be called true offerings. The best scenario is if we can combine these three offerings into one. This is what we need to understand about the eight princes’ spiritual states.

Then the next passage states,

“The last to become a Buddha was named Burning Lamp. Among the eight hundred disciples was one named Seeker of Fame, who was greedily attached to offerings of wealth. Although he read and recited many sutras, he did not comprehend them.”

In the era of Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddha, Wondrous Light Bodhisattva upheld and taught the Lotus Sutra. He had 800 disciples. Among these 800 disciples was one named “Seeker of Fame.” Let us think hard about why he was named “Seeker of Fame.” During his spiritual cultivation, he still craved offerings of wealth. Because he had these attachments, naturally he did not retain what he read and chanted. If our minds are not focused and become scattered, although we continue to chant sutras, we will not understand the principles they contain.

So if we want to learn the Buddha’s Way, the first thing to do is to completely eliminate afflictions from our minds and end all Leaks. Then our minds can be filled with pure water. The Dharma is like water. [If we do this,] the pure Dharma-water can enter our hearts and cleanse our minds of defilements. This is the mindset we must maintain in the process of our spiritual cultivation. So everyone, please always be mindful.

Episode 142 – Transmitting the Unsurpassed Mahayana Teachings

---

>> These and other Bhiksus numbered 12,000 in all. They all were Arhats, having exhausted all bonds and Leaks, never again to be bound or attached. They were truly liberated -Chapter on Virtues, Sutra of Infinite Meanings.

>>Arhat: the Small Vehicle’s ultimate stage of realization 1. “One who kills thieves,” meaning they kill the thieves of afflictions 2. “One worthy of offerings,” meaning they are worthy of receiving offerings from humans and heavenly beings 3. “One who forever enters Nirvana,” meaning they will not face the karmic retribution of birth and death again.

>> Liberation: breaking bonds and attaining freedom, dissolving the entanglements of delusion and transcending the fruits of sufferings of the Three Realms.

>> “After the Buddha finished making this prediction, at midnight, He entered Nirvana without remainder.”

>> “After this Buddha crossed into extinction, Wondrous Light Bodhisattva upheld the Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra for a full 80 small kalpas, expounding it to others.”

>> “The eight sons of Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant acknowledged Wondrous Light as their teacher. Wondrous Light taught and transformed them, enabling them to firmly establish. Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.”

>> All eight sons had Wondrous Light as a teacher and could all solidify their unsurpassed enlightenment. The teacher and those who were taught were all virtuous and unwavering in the teaching. This means they would not retreat.

>> The eight sons of Lamp Radiant did not have their father as their teacher but Wondrous Light as their teacher. The ancients taught each others’ sons. Thus, Rahula had Son-of-Body (Sariputra) as his teacher.

>> The past Buddha’s eight sons had. Wondrous Light as their teacher. That Buddha emerged from Samadhi and taught him the Lotus Sutra. Rahula, the present Buddha’s son, had. Son-of-Body as his teacher. When the present Buddha emerged from Samadhi, He expounded this sutra to Sariputra.

---

At the Dharma-assembly, Buddhas from ancient times to the present have been continually giving teachings. Within the Dharma-assembly, there will always be countless sentient beings and spiritual practitioners listening to the Dharma. There are speakers and listeners. Upon those who continuously and faithfully accept and practice the Dharma, Buddhas will bestow predictions to attain Buddhahood. If we think about how this has remained the same from ancient times to the present, we must examine our minds and see if our internal spiritual training ground can continue in the same way forever.

We have talked of the Sutra of Infinite Meanings. In listening to the Buddha’s teachings, we must comprehend “the unspoken Lotus Sutra” of His heart. The Buddha’s original teaching, the Dharma He retained and guarded, was the Sutra of Infinite Meanings. The intangible “unspoken Lotus Sutra” is the infinite meanings [we perceive] every day in our hearts. When we look at anything, any matter or thing, we see principles. So, the principles of all matters and things are encompassed within these infinite meanings. So, infinite meanings is the Buddha’s true principle and is retained and guarded in the heart of all Buddhas.

These and other Bhiksus numbered 12,000 in all. They all were Arhats, having exhausted all bonds and Leaks, never again to be bound or attached. They were truly liberated -Chapter on Virtues, Sutra of Infinite Meanings.

What is intangible is in our hearts. What is tangible still requires teachings. When the Buddha taught the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, there were many spiritual practitioners, among them, “these and other bhiksus.” The bhiksus mentioned were led by Sariputra and included. Maudgalyayana, Subhuti, Mahakatyayana, etc. They were senior disciples of the Buddha. How many monastics did they lead? 12,000. Many people there were already Arhats and had “exhausted all bonds and Leaks, never again to be bound or attached. They were truly liberated.” By that time they were no longer bound by anything, and were already liberated.

What is an “Arhat”? An Arhat is someone who has reached “the Small Vehicle’s stage of ultimate realization.” There is the first, second, third and fourth fruits. The fourth is the highest state of the Small Vehicle, [at which one becomes] an “Arhat.”

An Arhat has engaged in spiritual practice and has skills of “one who kills thieves.” He destroys afflictions, which act as thieves. Each of us has a Dharma-treasury in our hearts, but unwittingly, we let afflictions come like thieves into our treasure rooms and carry everything off. Thus, engaging in spiritual practice is similar to catching thieves. We need to know what afflictions we have. Once we know, we can guard against thieves. Thus, “one who kills thieves” means one who destroys afflictions, which are like thieves.

These are Arhats, who have achieved the highest fruit in their practice of the Small Vehicle teachings. At the very least, Arhats have destroyed all afflictions in their minds. Because they have attained [realizations] through their spiritual practice, they can eliminate all afflictions from worldly activities and objects. Having eliminated afflictions they became “one worthy of offerings,” those who can accept offerings. To accept offerings from others, they must completely eliminate the thieves in their minds, their afflictions. They must have attained this skill through their practice of cultivating the virtue needed to be worthy of offerings from heavenly beings and humans.

Arhat: the Small Vehicle’s ultimate stage of realization 1. “One who kills thieves,” meaning they kill the thieves of afflictions 2. “One worthy of offerings,” meaning they are worthy of receiving offerings from humans and heavenly beings 3. “One who forever enters Nirvana,” meaning they will not face the karmic retribution of birth and death again.

We all engage in spiritual practice to transcend birth and death, for this is our goal as spiritual practitioners. But why are we yet unable to [do so]? This is because people continually force affinities. They constantly create good and bad affinities, so they are always pulled towards and entangled by birth and death. They are entangled with cyclic existence and with other people.

As humans, we may have roots of goodness or encounter the Buddha-Dharma and spiritual friends. If we did not have these causes and conditions, perhaps our evil acts would cause us to leave the human realm and go to the animal realm. In the Six Realms, aside from the heaven and human realms, the others are all evil realms, filled with unbearable suffering. So, we pray for liberation from the bonds of birth and death. Once we are liberated, we are free.

Liberation: breaking bonds and attaining freedom, dissolving the entanglements of delusion and transcending the fruits of sufferings of the Three Realms.

In what way are we free? We can play effortlessly in this world. Our ability to freely come and go comes from the power of our vows. We focus on helping suffering beings, and we go among the people with this sense of mission. This is the goal of our spiritual practice.

When the Sutra of Infinite Meanings was taught, many Bodhisattvas were present, as well as 12,000 bhiksus who had already attained Arhathood, the highest fruition of Small Vehicle practices. Their minds had already attained liberation and purity, and they no longer experienced cyclic existence. This took place at the Dharma-assembly before the Sutra of Infinite Meanings was taught.

Let me now speak of the Lotus Sutra. Manjusri described the Dharma-assembly of. Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddha as being the same. There were also many spiritual practitioners there. Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddha also radiated light and so forth. After emerging from Samadhi, He gave teachings to Wondrous Light Bodhisattva and bestowed a prediction upon. Virtue Treasury Bodhisattva.

“After the Buddha finished making this prediction, at midnight, He entered Nirvana without remainder.”

Having fulfilled His one great cause, He was to enter Nirvana without remainder at midnight. “Nirvana without remainder” is a very open and tranquil state. This was Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddha’s one great cause being fulfilled.

The next passage states,

“After this Buddha crossed into extinction, Wondrous Light Bodhisattva upheld the Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra for a full 80 small kalpas, expounding it to others.”

Once Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddha entered extinction, many people still remained at the Dharma-assembly, those who have achieved, are achieving and have yet to achieve [Buddhahood]. So, this Dharma must continue to be transmitted. Who will be responsible for this transmission? Wondrous Light Bodhisattva. Thus, he upheld the Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra. For how long? “For a full 80 small kalpas, expounding it to others.”

How long is 80 small kalpas? Very long. If the [average] human lifespan is ten years and increases by one year every 100 years until the [average] human lifespan is 84,000 years, this is called “one increasing kalpa.” After the [average] lifespan reaches 84,000 years, the collective karma of sentient beings causes their [average] lifespan to start decreasing. After 100 years, it decreases by one year. After another 100 years, After 100 years, it decreases by one year. This decrease continues until the [average] human lifespan is ten years. This is called “one decreasing kalpa.” One increasing kalpa and one decreasing kalpa complete one small kalpa. So, 80 small kalpas is a really long period of time. In conclusion, it is innumerable and boundless.

Indeed, the state of the Buddha cannot be measured by human [understanding]. Within this universe, whether time is short or long depends on our state of mind. Thus, if we compare a human lifespan with a heavenly being’s, or those who have surpassed the form and formless realm, their [lifespan] seems very long to us. Thus, [teaching for] 80 small kalpas is not an impossibility. From Buddhas’ and Bodhisattvas’ view of time, Wondrous Light Bodhisattva can uphold and teach the Lotus Sutra for a full 80 small kalpas. Thus, we can believe this explanation.

This tells us that the Buddha’s manifestation is subject to the law of nature and will end, while intangible, true principles are everlasting, and do not arise or cease. Yet, true principles that neither arise nor cease must be promoted by humans as the Way. People must uphold, promote and teach them for these true principles to survive in this world. Thus, after Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddha crossed into extinction, Wondrous Light Bodhisattva came to uphold the Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra and continuously pass it down.

“The eight sons of Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant acknowledged Wondrous Light as their teacher. Wondrous Light taught and transformed them, enabling them to firmly establish. Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.”

Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddha had eight sons. When they heard their father became a monastic and achieved Buddhahood, they also left home like this Buddha. Yet, to become a monastic, they must have a teacher. Where could they find a teacher? Should they just take refuge with Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddha? No. Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddha would find a teacher for them. What kind of teacher did He look for? He sought a Bodhisattva who could uphold the Great Vehicle, namely, Wondrous Light Bodhisattva. Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddha selected. Wondrous Light Bodhisattva to teach His eight sons.

All eight sons had Wondrous Light as a teacher and could all solidify their unsurpassed enlightenment. The teacher and those who were taught were all virtuous and unwavering in the teaching. This means they would not retreat.

It says, “All eight sons had Wondrous Light as a teacher and could all solidify their unsurpassed enlightenment” because Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddha chose someone who transmitted the great teachings, the true principles of the wondrous Dharma. “Wondrous Light taught and transformed them” means Wondrous Light had assumed the duty of not just guarding and upholding this great Dharma, but of teaching and transforming others. So, the teacher is one who had been taught. First, one receives the teachings. Then, one teaches them to others. When one receives goodness, one passes on goodness. When one receives the unsurpassed. Great Vehicle Dharma, one also passes on the same unsurpassed Great Vehicle teachings.

But transmitting these Great Vehicle teachings to people is a very arduous task. So, they are “all virtuous and unwavering in the teaching.” This requires conviction and steadfastness. Transmitting teachings like this requires one to conquer many difficulties and to never retreat or turn back. Thus, teaching is a method of transmission. One first receives the Buddha-Dharma and then teaches and transforms sentient beings. Doing so requires a very firm conviction.

The sons of this past Buddha took Wondrous Light Bodhisattva as their teacher. What about the present Buddha? The present Buddha, Sakyamuni, had a son named Rahula. [He had a shortened name,] [but we refer to him as “Rahula”]. He was the son of Sakyamuni Buddha, and his teacher was named Son-of-Body, or Sariputra. This was because when Sariputra was born, his eyes were like his mother’s, so his name came from his mother (Sari). And because he resembled his mother, he was also called Son-of-Body.

The eight sons of Lamp Radiant did not have their father as their teacher but Wondrous Light as their teacher. The ancients taught each others’ sons. Thus, Rahula had Son-of-Body (Sariputra) as his teacher.

The eight sons of the Buddha in the past took Wondrous Light Bodhisattva as their teacher. He was the son of Sakyamuni Buddha, and took Sariputra as his teacher. When Sakyamuni Buddha emerged from Samadhi, He also expounded this sutra to Sariputra.

The past Buddha’s eight sons had. Wondrous Light as their teacher. That Buddha emerged from Samadhi and taught him the Lotus Sutra. Rahula, the present Buddha’s son, had. Son-of-Body as his teacher. When the present Buddha emerged from Samadhi, He expounded this sutra to Sariputra.

If we compare the past and the present Buddha, They should be very similar. So we say, all Buddhas share the same path. We understand that Buddhas manifested here solely to awaken our pure and undefiled minds. The past Buddha had eight sons. The present Buddha had one son. Did anyone notice that those eight sons all had the character “intention” in their names? Combining the “intentions” of the eight sons [creates] one mind-king, which is analogous to having one son, just as the present Buddha [did].

From the very beginning, it was said that everyone has a pure and non-discriminating mind that is no different from a Buddha’s. Thus, the principles are the same. So, my fellow Bodhisattvas, we must work hard to learn the Buddha’s Way. We do not just repeat the written words. In fact, those words were compiled to help us understand the wide array of principles they contain. There are infinite [principles] that are not written down in this text. We can only realize the vastness of the Buddha-Dharma after our wisdom has been awakened. So, I ask everyone to always be mindful.

Episode 141 – Seek the Dharma with Pure Mind and Body

---

>> Great Wisdom Sariputra, Spiritual Power Maudgalyayana, Wisdom-life Subhuti, Maha-Katyayana and. PurnaMaitrayani-putra.

>>Bhiksus are called almsmen. They seek the Dharma from the Tathagata to nurture their wisdom-life. They seek food from ordinary people to nourish their physical life.

>>Bhiksus can also be called. Bhiksus can also be called “demon-scarer” or “evil-destroyer” or “life-purifier.”

>> “Everything arises from causes and conditions and ceases because of causes and conditions. The Buddha, the great Sramana, often says this.”

>>Sariputra and Maudgalyayana were known and recognized among all of the Buddha’s disciples. Their causes and conditions for becoming monastics: They were originally non-Buddhists. When [Sariputra’s] teacher died, he wandered to seek the Path. On his journey, he saw. Bhiksu Asvajit’s serene and peaceful demeanor and asked about his teacher.

---

Is everyone’s mind very tranquil? Our minds may enable us to attain infinite merits and virtues, but once our minds become confused, we will create all kinds of karma. The mind is so important!

Earlier I already said that, starting from the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, the Buddha’s original intent was to help everyone reach the state of tranquility and clarity and the perfection of precepts, Samadhi, wisdom, liberation and liberation’s understanding and views. As I have continuously explained before, this is all about the mind.

When we use our mind to take action, it is called “making an effort.” Making an effort to practice [the Dharma] is a virtue. So, what we must practice is benefitting this world. To achieve inconceivable merits and virtues is impossible for one person alone. We need a lot of people to accomplish this. Therefore, in the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, when the names of bhiksus were mentioned, Sariputra was first. The great teaching the Buddha intended to give can only [be received] by one with great wisdom. Moreover, the Sutra of Infinite Meanings is the essence of the Lotus Sutra. Therefore, Sariputra assumed a very important role in both the Lotus Sutra and the Sutra of Infinite Meanings.

At this point in the sutra, the names of these incredible bhiksus who were going to attain. Anuttara-Samyak-Sambohdi are mentioned. [The list] begins with.

Great Wisdom Sariputra, Spiritual Power Maudgalyayana, Wisdom-life Subhuti, Maha-Katyayana and. PurnaMaitrayani-putra.

There are many more after this.

First, we will discuss the term “bhiksu.”

Bhiksus are called almsmen. They seek the Dharma from the Tathagata to nurture their wisdom-life. They seek food from ordinary people to nourish their physical life.

These are [a monastic’s] basic qualities.

How do we engage in spiritual practice? What kind of person can be considered to be properly engaged in spiritual practice? What is the purpose of spiritual practice? To seek knowledge and understanding. We need to ask the Buddha for the Dharma, for the teachings. However, the Buddha passed away over 2000 years ago. So, from whom can we seek the Dharma now? We still seek the Dharma from the Buddha.

Although the Buddha’s physical body entered perfect extinction and He had finished a lifetime of teaching and transforming, His Dharmakaya is still in the world. We respect the Buddha as if He is still alive. If we truly respect the Buddha, whether or not He is in the world does not matter. So, we need to feel as if the Buddha is still alive, and reverently and respectfully seek His teachings. Only by doing this can our wisdom-life grow.

Life follows the laws of nature and lasts for only a period of time. The Buddha had a limited lifespan, not to mention our own as ordinary beings. We are the same! We are subject to the laws of nature and will one day age and wither. However, even though the Buddha entered extinction, His Dharmakaya, His Dharma-body, still thrives in this world. Our wisdom-life is our Dharmakaya. The Buddha had attained enlightenment, thus His is called the Dharmakaya. Since we have not attained enlightenment, we need to depend on the Dharma to nourish and nurture our wisdom-life and awaken our intrinsic Buddha-nature.

[We are] like seedlings. When a seed encounters many favorable conditions, it sprouts. Fertile soil, nutrients and other conditions must be present for a seed to grow successfully. Similarly, after we have accepted the Dharma, it is not enough to simply know about it, we must also carry it out and apply it to truly experience it. [For example], if we feel hungry and there is abundant food before us, we do not become full by complaining of hunger. We must ingest that abundance of food into our stomachs to have sufficient nutrition. It is the same with the Dharma, which is the food that nourishes our wisdom-life. That is why we “seek the Dharma from the Tathagata to nurture our wisdom-life.” And toward others? “They seek food from ordinary people to nourish their physical life.”

When the Buddha was alive, to make everyone equal and eliminate everyone’s arrogance, every day He went from house to house to beg for alms. The Buddha had a purpose for doing this. When the Buddha’s community was just established, other people were not aware of this new religion. Brahmanism was the mainstream religion in. India at that time. Did they know of the existence of the Buddha? No. So, once the Sangha had been established, the Buddha then asked them all to go door to door to beg for alms. This showed other people what kind of spiritual practitioners they were, and then they could tell those people, “A Buddha has emerged in this world and now we follow Him in our spiritual practice.” Walking on the streets of a town or a village to beg for alms from house to house every day is called “conditions for transformation,” or “promoting the Dharma.”

This was during the Buddha’s time, and He had His reasons for doing this. In the age we live in now, we do not need to do this. We need to focus on seeking the Dharma to nourish and support our wisdom-life. We must accumulate various causes and conditions to benefit all beings. This is why we need to be very grateful for and cherish the present moment.

Bhiksus can also be called. Bhiksus can also be called “demon-scarer” or “evil-destroyer” or “life-purifier.”

These are three other definitions.

Everyone already knows about “demon-scarer.” When one becomes a monastic, one intends to transcend the Three Realms and escape the control of demons. However, for spiritual practitioners to break away from demons requires great effort. Indeed, demons do not exist outside of our bodies. Real demons all reside in our minds because greed, anger and ignorance are our mental demons. Therefore, we all need to be focused and make an effort to prevent our mental demons from disturbing us. We cannot [allow this]. So, we need to scare demons and use our righteousness to subdue them. This causes demons to fear us. We should not fear them; they should be afraid of us. This is what it means to be a “demon-scarer.”

The other name is “evil-destroyer.” Will spiritual practitioners still commit evils? They will not. Once all evils have been eliminated from our minds, any tempting evil deeds or thoughts that may lead to bad behavior are completely destroyed when we encounter them.

[Finally], the most important is “life-purifier.” We need to have a pure life and live among others to help them. This is what “life-purifier” means. When we help others without expecting anything in return, we are being a “life-purifier.” I often tell everyone, “Not only do we give unconditionally, we must also express our gratitude.” This is how we can live among others in a clean and pure way.

Among the Buddha’s disciples, Great Wisdom Sariputra and Maudgalyayana are known by all. How they became bhiksus is a very interesting story.

Sariputra and Maudgalyayana were already very good friends, as well as spiritual [teachers] who led disciples in spiritual practice. They both practiced a branch of Brahmanism. As Sariputra engaged in spiritual practice, his teacher grew old, and when he was about to pass away, Sariputra was by his side. With his last breath, the teacher uttered, “How strange it is! Why can’t people see through and overcome their desires?” Sariputra immediately grasped the opportunity to ask, “Teacher, are there still contradictions that you cannot resolve in your final moment?”

The teacher then told a story, “There was a king of a small country who loved his wife dearly. His wife loved him very much, too. When the king became seriously ill, the one who grieved the most was his wife. Throughout her life, she had been most dependent on the king. Therefore, while one fell ill, the other became tormented. After the king died, as he was being cremated, she leapt into the fire and immolated herself.”

After telling the story, his teacher sighed and said, “How sad and lamentable it is that we are unable to transcend our passions.”

Sariputra again asked, “Teacher, you have not traveled recently, how do you know these things?” The teacher then said, “I do not need to leave this place to see.” Then, he stopped breathing. Upon hearing this at that moment, Sariputra was very shocked, and he thought, “It turns out that my teacher really had spiritual powers. But why didn’t he pass them on to me?” He began to feel very depressed and regretful. So he thought, “I need to look for another teacher.” Therefore, he worked hard on seeking the Way.

One day on the road, he saw a spiritual practitioner who walked serenely and had a dignified appearance [and wondered,]. “How does this person make others so joyous, as if they are seeing the first rays of dawn?” So, Sariputra could not control himself and respectfully asked him, “What practices are you cultivating? What system of religion are you practicing? Who is your teacher?” When this man, Bhiksu Asvajit, heard Sariputra ask him these questions so earnestly, he said,

“Everything arises from causes and conditions and ceases because of causes and conditions. The Buddha, the great Sramana, often says this.”

Just by hearing these recited verses, Sariputra suddenly felt as if nectar was poured over his head. His whole being felt happy and peaceful. Even though Bhiksu Asvajit had not practiced the Buddha’s teachings for very long, [he was able to share] teachings that came from his teacher’s great wisdom. Wasn’t this the mental problem that his teacher was unable to explain before passing away? Bhiksu Asvajit’s teacher had the great wisdom to speak these words. What kind of a person was this? Sariputra became very joyous. He asked for the current location of the Buddha and immediately went to find Maudgalyayana.

This was because they had an agreement. “If I can find the best teachings, I will tell you, and if you find them, you must tell me.” For this reason, Sariputra rushed to tell venerable Maudgalyayana about [the person] he met and how the verse he heard made him very joyous. Maudgalyayana heard Sariputra repeat the words, “Everything arises from causes and conditions, ceases because of causes and conditions. The Buddha, the great Sramana, often says this.” Just by hearing these words, the hairs [on Maudgalyayana’s] entire body stood up. One was joyous and so was the other.

They felt that this was a great teaching and that this Great Enlightened One must become their teacher, so they should bring their disciples to take refuge with the Great Enlightened One, Sakyamuni Buddha. This was how they came to take refuge. They rushed to visit the Buddha at His abode and expressed their intentions to take refuge with Him.

Sariputra and Maudgalyayana were known and recognized among all of the Buddha’s disciples. Their causes and conditions for becoming monastics: They were originally non-Buddhists. When [Sariputra’s] teacher died, he wandered to seek the Path. On his journey, he saw. BhiksuAsvajit’s serene and peaceful demeanor and asked about his teacher.

I am explaining the Lotus Sutra at the moment, but I want to take a moment to discuss the meaning of being a bhiksu. We need to understand that bhiksus must have a spirit of seeking teachings. We must always make an effort to seek the Dharma and be grateful to live in this era. By giving unconditionally, we are purifying lives. We can seek the Dharma, have pure minds and bodies and can benefit all people. If there are no evil thoughts in our minds, naturally, we can scare demons. If we do not commit evil, we are destroying evil. This is a good environment for us to engage in spiritual practice. We just need to focus our minds on the Dharma.

Sariputra only heard the two sentences: “Everything arises from causes and conditions ceases because of causes and conditions.” As soon as Sariputra heard this, BhiksuAsvajit quickly made it clear that the words were not his but were often said by the Buddha, the great Sramana. When they heard “the Buddha, the great Sramana,” these two sages, one with wisdom, one with spiritual powers, were able to give rise to a sense of great joy. So the virtue [attained by] a spiritual practitioner can bring joy to others just from someone describing his teachings or introducing him. These are the merits and virtues of practice. So, everyone, please always be mindful.

Episode 140 – Abide in Vows and Purify Buddha-lands

---

>> “They will very soon attain. Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. All these Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas have such inconceivable merits.”

>>Anuttara is the supreme wisdom of true principles. Its path is true; there is nothing that is not known. Thus, this is called Completely Awakened.

>> Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas are great enlightened sentient beings who seek the fruit of the path.

>>Maha [means big or great]. There are three ways they are great. They have great vows, take great actions and perform great transformations of sentient beings. Therefore, they are called great sentient beings and also enlightened sentient beings.

>> They all have inconceivable merits and virtues. Merits are the ability to benefit others and create blessings. This ability allows us to attain virtue from good actions. So, being virtuous also means to attain.

>> Says this about merits and virtues: “Merits refer to ability or function. A good action has the function of nurturing our ability to bless and benefit others.” A good action can nurture us to bless and benefit all sentient beings.

---

Every day we talk about the mind. “[Bodhisattvas] abide in the power of their vows and extensively purify Buddha-lands.” The power of vows is something we spiritual practitioners cannot lack. With the power of our vows, our minds will be able to abide peacefully, and we can extensively purify and dignify Buddha-lands. What does it mean to dignify Buddha-lands? [To act] for Buddha’s teachings and for sentient beings. Since the ancient times, all Dharma-masters have vowed to transform themselves, others and all beings.

People used to say, “Whether the Buddha’s teachings will flourish, depends on the monastic community.” Monastics are those who have left home, those who represent spiritual practice. What practices are you cultivating? The Buddha’s teachings. We follow and practice what He taught. By doing so, we can demonstrate the value of the Buddha’s teachings. In our spiritual practice, if we cannot express the teachings through our actions, what worth do the Buddha’s teachings have in this world? So, monastics and spiritual practitioners are those who pass down the teachings.

Therefore we often say, the Jing Si Dharma-lineage must be passed on, in our mission as spiritual practitioners, and in our rules of practice in the monastery. This way, people will know that this way of living was passed down as part of the Jing Si Dharma-lineage. By the same principle, the Buddha came to this world to transform us solely so we can all pass the teachings down. So, let us “abide in the power of our vows and extensively purify Buddha-lands.” This will happen if we settle our minds. When the mind is pure, the land will be pure. Thus we “abide in Buddha-lands,” which means we settle our minds. Every one of us intrinsically has Buddha-nature; every one of us has this state of mind. Our intrinsic state of mind is pure, so manifesting it is the best way to dignify Buddha-lands.

If we can do this, as the next passage in the Sutra of Infinite Meanings states,

“They will very soon attain. Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. All these Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas have such inconceivable merits.”

We often recite this passage, so we are very familiar with it. When we can settle our minds, extensively purify Buddha-lands and reveal the spirit of the Buddha’s teachings, we are manifesting the Dharma in our actions. Then very soon after that, we will attain Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. How soon is “very soon”? Let me tell you that. I do not know. That depends on whether our minds can meet the path. If our minds meet the path, will we abide in it? If we understand the path and abide in it, [attainment] will happen quickly. Otherwise, how long it takes depends on our aspirations and vows.

Anuttara is the supreme wisdom of true principles. Its path is true; there is nothing that is not known. Thus, this is called Completely Awakened.

Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi can also be called “the supreme wisdom of true principles.” Supreme, perfect and universal enlightenment encompasses the principles of all matters and objects in the universe. It is supreme and unsurpassed wisdom. This is called Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi or supreme, perfect and universal enlightenment. It is the realization of the true principles of all things in the universe. The principles of all things are contained within. Therefore, “its path is true.” These principles are the most correct. One word alone, Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi encompasses all principles which are the truest, most genuine principles.

Therefore, we must make a great effort to understand this word. Indeed, once we attain true realization, by understanding one principle, we understand all principles. If we can completely understand one principle, that will help us understand all principles. Then, “there is nothing that is not known.” This is what it means to be “completely awakened,” to thoroughly know everything.

So, as Buddhist practitioners, our minds must be focused and still. Even Bodhisattvas who play effortlessly need to single-mindedly focus. As I have discussed, we need to focus to save sentient beings. They experience many kinds of suffering, which are not all visible to the naked eye. [For example,] we may see a wealthy person who spends money like running water, freely and easily. If he wants to eat delicious food from another country, he has no concerns about buying a plane ticket for the sole purpose of going to that country to indulge in his cravings. Such a trip costs a lot of money, and he is willing to spend it so easily. Even though he spends money freely, is he truly free? Has he attained liberation? Is he truly happy?

I have an interesting story to share about a wealthy, young socialite. When she was asked to change [her habits], she had no problem doing so. But when it came to her cravings [for food], she found it difficult. Eventually, she became very committed in observing vegetarian precepts. One day, her friends gave her two crabs. This was usually her favorite food. However, when she saw that these two crabs were very much alive and their legs were still moving, she really struggled in her heart. She said, “I made up my mind to observe vegetarian precepts. I need to have sincerity, integrity, faith and steadfastness.” So she thought, “I will give them to someone else.”

Then she wondered, “Is it right to give them to someone else? I will not be the one killing them, but if I let someone else kill them and create that karma, that is not good either. If I don’t eat them, someone else will kill and eat them. Then I will be adding to their karma. So, it is better that I kill and eat them.” Thus she had a very good excuse; she didn’t want others to create bad karma, so she would create the karma herself.

So, she steamed the crabs live, as usual. Then, she removed the shells from the freshly steamed crabs. After removing the shells, she began to eat, but she realized she did not enjoy the taste. She found it strange that it tasted different than usual, even to the point of making her a bit nauseous. That was when she realized, “I made an aspiration! In the past, I did not know any better and gave in to my cravings. But now that I have been very diligent, this feeling I have now is my awakened conscience.”

Truly, this was fortunate! It was fortunate that she did not enjoy the taste and even felt nauseous. This helped solidify her resolve, and to this day, she remains a vegetarian. Not only does she observe vegetarian precepts, she has become very diligent and has eliminated all her cravings. Now that she has purified her mind, she can abide in the path and purify Buddha-lands. In the past, she could not control herself. Whenever she heard of delicious food somewhere, she had no self-control, so she was not free. She was led by her cravings for taste. Now she is free and at ease. She has understood the principle of eating.

We eat only to sustain our life, to get enough nutrients. Our bodies will only be purified if we can still our minds. With a pure body and still mind, the path will be clear. This leads to the understanding of the most correct principles.

As I just said, because she had this opportunity to [listen to] the Dharma, she faced this struggle and eventually achieved an understanding. Will this understanding last a lifetime? Can she abide by what she said? “I will never do it again.” Whether or not her mind will always be pure, we do not know. That depends on whether or not her mind wavers. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas remain firm.

The Dharma attained by the Buddha is called Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. That is the wisdom realized by the Buddha. Thus, it is perfect and universal enlightenment.

Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas are great enlightened sentient beings who seek the fruit of the path.

[When we break down] “Bodhisattva, Bodhi” means enlightenment and “sattva” means being. They are called “enlightened sentient beings. Maha” means great, as in “great enlightened sentient beings” abbreviated as “great sentient beings.” Therefore, they are “great sentient beings who seek the fruit of the path” in the Buddhist sutras, especially in the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, those at the assembly where the Buddha [taught] “the unspoken Lotus Sutra” were all great enlightened beings who sincerely sought the path. Moreover, with every step they realize the fruits [of Arhathood,]. This is “seek[ing] the fruit of the path.” This means that, at the Lotus Dharma-assembly, not only did they form aspirations, they physically put them into practice and attained realizations at every step of this spiritual journey.

Maha [means big or great]. There are three ways they are great. They have great vows, take great actions and perform great transformations of sentient beings. Therefore, they are called great sentient beings and also enlightened sentient beings.

So, “Maha” means great. There are three things that are great. First, to “have great vows.” When we make vows, we must make great vows. We should not make vows like ordinary people. For example, when their children have impending exams, they go to the temple and buy fruits, incense and flowers to pray. They vow that if their children get accepted into their ideal schools, they will be vegetarian twice a month. That is also making a vow. However, that is a small vow. The type of vows we need to make are great vows. For the vow to be great, we need to start by aspiring to transform ourselves and others, to save ourselves and others. So, we must make great vows.

We also need to “take great actions.” Simply making a vow is useless. We must physically act on it. No matter how great our vow is, if we refuse to carry it out, that is an empty, insubstantial vow. So, we must put our vows into action to save all sentient beings.

Great transformation of sentient beings means we must widely transform sentient beings, not just one or two but a countless number. This is truly “perform great transformations of sentient beings.” Then we can be called great sentient beings, great enlightened sentient beings, which are known as Mahasattvas. So as Buddhist practitioners, we need to learn to form Bodhisattva-aspirations and make great aspirations.

They all have inconceivable merits and virtues. Merits are the ability to benefit others and create blessings. This ability allows us to attain virtue from good actions. So, being virtuous also means to attain.

“They all have inconceivable merits and virtues” and are about to reach Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi because they have each already realized the fruits of the path. Those who are already close to reaching Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi all have inconceivable merits and virtues. They have already accomplished so much. As I have just discussed, [they had] great vows, took great actions and performed great transformations of sentient beings. Thus, they create infinite [merits and virtues]. This is called inconceivable merits and virtues.

“Merits are the ability to benefit others and create blessings.” Our ability to create blessings and benefit all sentient beings is called “merit.” There is no use in just making vows in our minds, we still have to express them. So, “the virtue attained from good actions” means we must go and carry out good actions. By doing them, we attain virtue. For a person to be virtuous, they must take action.

It is said, “the virtuous attain.” I have often discussed this with you all. As we gradually take actions, we attain virtues. So, the Essay on the Meaning of the Great Vehicle.

Says this about merits and virtues: “Merits refer to ability or function. A good action has the function of nurturing our ability to bless and benefit others.” A good action can nurture us to bless and benefit all sentient beings.

This is what we call “merits and virtues.” This is what the Buddha originally taught us to do. The Essay on the Meaning of the Great Vehicle also teaches us to do the same. So, we must not stray from the principle of benefiting all beings found in the Great Vehicle. Thus, we truly cannot stray from the true principles of the Buddha’s teachings. All of these teachings are to help people’s minds dwell on the path in their daily living. The course of that path must be correct. Aside from that, we must further understand that being a spiritual practitioner is not just about becoming a monastic and living in a monastery. True Bodhisattvas play effortlessly and are truly focused on benefiting all beings. This is the actual goal of our spiritual practice. So everyone, please always be mindful.