Author: Rosalyn Leung

Episode 109 – Our Innate Tathagata-garbha Consciousness

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>> 1. The vast expanse of time is extraordinary 2. The Buddha’s epithet is extraordinary 3. The supreme and wondrous Dharma is extraordinary.

>> Praise for three extraordinary things: 1. The vast expanse of time is extraordinary. This refers to the countless and boundless inconceivable numbers of asankyakalpas.

>> Praise for three extraordinary things: 2. The Buddha’s epithets are extraordinary. These include distinctive epithets such as. Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Tathagata and epithets shared by all Buddhas, such as. Worthy of Offering, etc., from the ten epithets.

>> “Third, the supreme and wondrous Dharma is extraordinary. Expounding Right Dharma that is deep, subtle, wondrous and replete with all forms and appearances is extraordinary.”

>> “The Tathagata-garbha of the Buddha is endowed with the radiance of great wisdom. Therefore, it is described with”

>>The ninth consciousness is the amala consciousness. It is also known as the undefiled consciousness, pure consciousness or. Tathagata-consciousness.

>> Sunlight is like the virtue of wisdom. Moonlight is like the virtue of ending [all afflictions]. Lamplight is like the virtue of grace.

>> “From the sun arises all light in the world. It can give rise to and bring all things into fruition. Likewise, the Buddha’s knowledge can bring the wisdom of all sentient beings to fruition.”

>> “Moonlight is like the Buddha’s virtue of ending [all afflictions]. It can eliminate the heat of the afflictions of all sentient beings in the world.”

>> “So, the great compassion of the Buddha can dispel the ignorance and blindness of sentient beings. And the Buddha-Dharma is constantly circulated and passed down in the world, the way lamps can be kindled and passed on without end.”

>> “They arise from the radiance of a pure light intrinsic to the mind.”

>> “Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant is named for these virtues. This is the distinctive epithet of this Buddha.”

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1. The vast expanse of time is extraordinary 2. The Buddha’s epithet is extraordinary 3. The supreme and wondrous Dharma is extraordinary.

Indeed, it has already been a very long time since the Buddha came to this world. So, yesterday I said there are three extraordinary things, which include the vast expanse of time. It has already been many asankyakalpas.

Our Sakyamuni Buddha appeared in this world over 2000 years ago. He was only here for 80 years. During that time, though it was only for 80 years, the epithet of Sakyamuni Buddha was heard throughout this vast world under the skies. So, this was also considered extraordinary.

Sakyamuni, when translated into Chinese, means “Mighty in Loving-kindness.” Mighty refers to His ability and perseverance, because at that time, and on into the far future, the multitudes of sentient beings are stubborn. So to train sentient beings in the Saha World without patience, without ability, is impossible. Thus, Sakyamuni Buddha relied on His perseverance, patience and ability to manifest His loving-kindness and compassion, because sentient beings endure much suffering. So, Sakyamuni is the special and extraordinary distinctive epithet of His Buddha-nature manifesting in this world.

The Buddha also said, “From the time I attained Buddhahood, it has already been countless asankyakalpas.” This is why this length of time is extraordinary.

Praise for three extraordinary things: 1. The vast expanse of time is extraordinary. This refers to the countless and boundless inconceivable numbers of asankyakalpas.

Next are the Buddha’s extraordinary and distinctive epithets, which reflect His patience and loving-kindness. At that time, when the Buddha was about to expound the great teachings, He exhibited spiritual powers and changed. His appearance by radiating a bright light, but no one at the assembly understood this. So, Manjusri Bodhisattva mentioned another Buddha, Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddha.

Buddhas of the past, present and future are also all called “Buddhas.” Before, there was Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddha. Now, there is Sakyamuni Buddha. In the future there will be Maitreya Buddha. So, these different names are called distinctive epithets, which are also very extraordinary.

Praise for three extraordinary things: 2. The Buddha’s epithets are extraordinary. These include distinctive epithets such as. Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Tathagata and epithets shared by all Buddhas, such as. Worthy of Offering, etc., from the ten epithets.

Next, because the Dharma of past, present and future Buddhas is the same, therefore it is said,

“Third, the supreme and wondrous Dharma is extraordinary. Expounding Right Dharma that is deep, subtle, wondrous and replete with all forms and appearances is extraordinary.”

Everyone can affirm how extraordinary this is. Whether by past, present or future Buddhas, the teachings that are expounded are truly the Right Dharma. They are deep, subtle and wondrous. This is what Manjusri Bodhisattva wanted to explain to everyone. “Buddha” is the shared epithet.

So in the Lotus Sutra, it states, “All Buddhas share the same path.” Every Buddha is called “Buddha,” since each is a great enlightened one. All Buddhas will expound the same Dharma. Regardless of how much time passes by, the Dharma of the past, present and future is the same. This is how the Dharma is subtle and wondrous. Everything They teach is Right Dharma.

So, Manjusri Bodhisattva is telling us, even though all Buddhas appear in this world throughout many asankyakalpas, the lifespans of humans are limited. Therefore, we have to seize the present moment. The Buddha is now expounding the Dharma, so we must elevate our faith and sincerely accept the teachings.

So, the sutras often mention countless and boundless inconceivable numbers of asankyakalpas. Actually, regardless of how long ago this was, this was all part of the Buddha’s original intent. So when the Buddha is giving teachings, He may speak of matters that happened a very long time ago. Or the Buddha may teach according to capabilities and may say to everyone, “These were my causes and conditions in the past. At that time, in that life, I was a king.” An eagle was hunting a bird. This bird flew on to the body of this human king (the Buddha). The malicious eagle demanded this bird from the king. To save the bird, the king cut off the flesh from his entire body and offered it in place of the flesh of the bird. Everyone has probably heard this story before.

People of this era may wonder if this is really possible. I must tell everyone, this is the state of the Buddha-mind. Great love and great compassion do not differentiate between the world’s sentient beings. Whether this is possible or not, we must believe that the loving-kindness and compassion of the Buddha has existed for asankyakalpas, since the distant past. No matter how much time has passed,

Manjusri wanted to tell everyone that we ordinary beings will find this inconceivable and difficult to believe. In the Ten Dharma-realms, only Buddhas share the Buddha’s spirit and can understand what He was about to teach. Only at that level, with that capability, do they have the means. But the Buddha still continues on; [teaching] subtle and wondrous Dharma in such a way that everyone can comprehend is not easy. But that is fine. Let us now listen to what Manjusri Bodhisattva said.

He said the coming of the Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddha to this world in the past was meant to tell us that.

“The Tathagata-garbha of the Buddha is endowed with the radiance of great wisdom. Therefore, it is described with”

“the analogy of these three lights.” These three words refer to three kinds of light. What is the source of this radiance? It comes from the Tathagata-garbha. The Buddha also tells us that [the natures of] the mind, the Buddha and sentient beings are no different. The Buddha-nature is the Tathagata-garbha, which is stored in our intrinsic nature. So, our intrinsic nature is the Tathagata-garbha. I have spoken of the Eight Consciousnesses before. When He taught the Dharma for ordinary beings, He explained up to the eighth consciousness. Actually, there is a ninth consciousness.

The ninth consciousness is the amala consciousness. It is also known as the undefiled consciousness, pure consciousness or. Tathagata-consciousness.

This ninth consciousness is the Tathagata-garbha consciousness, which, generally, we ordinary beings do not use. It is not that we do not have it. It is hidden, stored inside. We all have it; it is just that we ordinary beings have not begun to use it. So, this is called the Tathagata-garbha.

Tathagata-garbha has the radiance of great wisdom. Whether the radiance is coming from the sun, the moon or a lamp, it will illuminate the world. The kind of light that manifests depends on the conditions.

Sunlight is like the virtue of wisdom. Moonlight is like the virtue of ending [all afflictions]. Lamplight is like the virtue of grace.

Now I will explain how the three lights are like the Buddha’s virtues. The Tathagata-garbha consciousness is the Buddha’s purest, undefiled virtue.

Take sunlight for example. “Sunlight is like the virtue of Buddha’s wisdom.” Before we attain Buddhahood, we have to engage in spiritual practice for a very long time. This is the cause. Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant [Buddha] has already reached the effect. The effect is the virtue of wisdom. Before there are effects, there are causes. The cause is spiritual practice.

This is like you and me. Right now, we are ordinary people. Right now, we are still in [the state] of causes. We do not yet have effects. We are still [forming] causes. Right now, we only know that there is Buddha-Dharma in this world. It is teaching us and guiding us onto this path. Our goal is to attain the state of Buddhahood. If we arrive at the state of Buddhahood, we will have attained the effects. Now, as we are just starting, we have just formed an aspiration; that is a “cause.” When we put our aspirations into action, that creates conditions. So, we have this cause and a long period of asankyakalpas to create causes and good conditions so we can achieve the effect of virtue.

So, if our Tathagata-garbha manifests, then our afflictions will disappear; it eliminates all afflictions. That is why it is said, “Sunlight is like the virtue of Buddha’s wisdom.” The radiance of His wisdom is like the sun.

“From the sun arises all light in the world. It can give rise to and bring all things into fruition. Likewise, the Buddha’s knowledge can bring the wisdom of all sentient beings to fruition.”

With the different weather of the four seasons, the land produces different crops, fruits and vegetables. The sun regulates these seasons and allows all things to come to fruition. So, the Buddha’s wisdom can bring the wisdom of all sentient beings to fruition. Because of the Buddha’s virtue, our wisdom develops and grows.

The moon is like the Buddha’s virtue of ending. The virtue of ending means that any afflictions that reach the Buddha are eliminated. There is not even a trace of defilement. This applies to all things in the world. What is “true” is based on right principles, which is surely the way it is. Whatever other afflictions, ignorance and darkness that reach the Buddha, the Dharma can end and eliminate all wrongs, darkness, mistakes and ignorance etc. They can all be completely eliminated. This is called the virtue of ending.

It can decisively determine what is true or false, right or wrong. With the Buddha’s radiant wisdom, He can clearly determine whether something is right or wrong. The right teachings must quickly be transmitted. The wrong teachings must quickly be ended.

“Moonlight is like the Buddha’s virtue of ending [all afflictions]. It can eliminate the heat of the afflictions of all sentient beings in the world.”

In this process, the Buddha uses the moon to illuminate these distressing and frustrating afflictions to harmonize the wisdom in our minds. That is, in accepting this right Dharma, our minds will naturally be refreshed. In the dark of night, the moon is there to help us adjust and refresh our mental states.

So, I often say that the state of being tranquil and pure is like the state of the moon. The heat of many afflictions can then naturally be eliminated, and our mental state can be refreshed. This is the analogy of the moon.

What about the “lamp”? The lamp is comparable to the Buddha’s virtue of grace. This virtue of grace is the Buddha coming to the human realm to awaken loving-kindness in everyone. Great love and gratitude have always been connected with each other. If we do not have great compassion, how can we remember to be grateful?

In darkness, when we cannot see the path, what can we do? A lamp, with its small flame, can illuminate [the path]. When we can see, we are grateful. In life, the moments of the greatest suffering are when our minds are darkened by greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance and doubt. In the darkness of these many afflictions, when we are wrapped up in that state, we easily create karma. So, a “lamp” refers to the lantern the Buddha is carrying to dispel the darkness in the minds of sentient beings.

“So, the great compassion of the Buddha can dispel the ignorance and blindness of sentient beings. And the Buddha-Dharma is constantly circulated and passed down in the world, the way lamps can be kindled and passed on without end.”

This means that in this evil world of the five turbidities, the minds of all sentient beings are darkened. They need the Buddha’s virtue of grace to act like lamplight. Even the smallest lamp can guide our way.

Even though Manjusri Bodhisattva was describing this Buddha of the past, didn’t I just say that there are many Buddhas and spiritual states? What was said may be very hard to believe. But all of this has to be shared so we can [understand] that our mental states [can be like]. Sakyamuni Buddha’s, who is mighty in loving-kindness. Besides Him, in the past there was a Buddha named Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant, whose practice resulted in virtues like the radiance of the sun, moon and lamps. Can everyone understand this?

So I hope that all of us can recognize that Buddhas are replete with these three virtues.

“They arise from the radiance of a pure light intrinsic to the mind.”

We also all fundamentally have this.

“Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant is named for these virtues. This is the distinctive epithet of this Buddha.”

This is telling us that we all originally had these virtues, so Sakyamuni Buddha must certainly have them. He is also replete with the virtues of Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant [Buddha].

In other words, past, present and future [Buddhas] have this shared epithet. They also have distinctive epithets. Their shared epithet is “Buddha.” Being replete in the ten virtues is also a Buddha-virtue. They are also “shared” virtues.

To summarize, everyone, please always be mindful and think carefully. The Dharma is actually very simple, but helping everyone understand it is very difficult. So everyone, we must always be mindful.

Episode 108 – Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Tathagata

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>> “The unsurpassed, great enlightened sage was complete and perfect in the ten virtues. This level of spiritual practice is rarely seen. This great Dharma is exceptional, subtle and wondrous.”

>> “Good men, limitless, boundless, inconceivable numbers of asankyakalpas ago, there was a Buddha with the epithet Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Tathagata.”

>>Manjusri described how the ancient Buddhas taught by first giving provisional and limited teachings and then true and great teachings.

>> Praise for three extraordinary things: 1. The vast expanse of time is extraordinary 2. The Buddha’s epithet is extraordinary 3. The supreme and wondrous Dharma is extraordinary.

>>Countless, boundless inconceivable numbers of asankyakalpas ago.

>> The Buddha’s Tathagata-garbha mind was filled with the radiance of great wisdom. Thus, His virtue is likened to the Three Lights. Sunlight represents the virtue of wisdom. Moonlight represents the virtue of ending [all afflictions]. Lamplight represents the virtue of grace.

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“The unsurpassed, great enlightened sage was complete and perfect in the ten virtues. This level of spiritual practice is rarely seen. This great Dharma is exceptional, subtle and wondrous.”

This reminds everyone that the reason the Buddha came to this world was to help everyone awaken and realize the same perfect wisdom as Him. Though we possess the same perfect wisdom, we sentient beings remain deluded, unable to completely awaken. The Buddha continues to wait patiently, so all Bodhisattvas also come to help teach in the hopes that everyone can understand the Buddha’s original intent.

Manjusri Bodhisattva said that the Buddha does not want only a small number of people to receive His true principles. The Buddha hopes that many people can receive them. The Tathagata’s Nirvana is not for one to attain Nirvana, but for all to attain it. Whenever we think about this passage, we have to be very grateful to the Buddha. The Buddha sees all sentient beings as His own children. The Buddha sees all sentient beings as equals.

He tirelessly instructs them according to their unenlightened, limited capacities. The Buddha was very straightforward and wanted ordinary people to know that spiritual practice requires lasting patience. Buddhahood cannot be instantly realized in one day or one night, or after one hearing [of the teachings]. [At best,] these principles may meet the right conditions. Meeting the right conditions means that when we happen to receive this phrase, this bit of truth, we understand it. However, our hearts have not yet fully awakened. So, if we often listen to the Dharma and hear a certain phrase that makes us happy, we think, “I understand it, I get it, I am [enlightened]!” We should never hold such thoughts! If we think this way, we are arrogant and proud. If we think this way, it is a great lie.

The Buddha said that. He Himself had to engage in spiritual practice for a very long time, for many kalpas, before His ten virtues were complete and perfect, not to mention us ordinary beings! But all people and the Buddha intrinsically have the same Buddha-nature. Everyone can inherently attain Buddhahood. In the same way, everyone has these ten virtues. However, we have not yet awakened and truly, thoroughly comprehended them. So, the Buddha began to carry out His true, original intent and shared everything in His heart with everyone. Although there were still people who did not have the capability to accept this, the Buddha’s time for transforming beings was coming to an end. So, He had to teach this now.

We can see that the original text of the sutra states,

“Good men, limitless, boundless, inconceivable numbers of asankyakalpas ago, there was a Buddha with the epithet Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Tathagata.”

This passage is Manjusri Bodhisattva’s response to Maitreya Bodhisattva’s question. Manjusri Bodhisattva said, “I have heard and seen this before.” When past Buddhas began to teach great Dharma, they also exhibited these phenomena. The present state of Sakyamuni Buddha is the same as that of past Buddhas. This shows that “all Buddhas share the same path.” Like the Buddhas before Him, the present Buddha is teaching sentient beings. They first gave “provisional and limited teachings.”

Manjusri described how the ancient Buddhas taught by first giving provisional and limited teachings and then true and great teachings.

In the past He taught provisional teachings, which were skillful means. Because our capabilities as sentient beings are all very different, the Buddha considered our capabilities and then expounded the Dharma accordingly. The Buddha taught according to capabilities. Sentient beings have limited capabilities, so the Buddha first gave provisional and limited teachings. He first used skillful means, which are “provisional. Limited” refers to Small Vehicle teachings. When one’s capabilities were limited, He would teach these simple means. This is not yet the ultimate great Dharma. But nothing could be done; the capabilities of sentient beings could only accept this much. Thus, the Buddha had to use different analogies from worldly matters to speak to them.

So, this is teaching according to capabilities. At the end, since all Buddhas share the same path, They all give the true and great teachings. At the end, They must set aside the provisional teachings of the past and give true teachings. It must be emphasized to everyone that in the past, skillful means were used to slowly lead them [onto this path]. But they have not yet arrived; with these teachings, they could only benefit themselves. But they have not yet arrived; what they understood was biased towards emptiness, it was not the real true emptiness. It was a bias.

We have to know that in emptiness there is wondrous existence. True emptiness can be experienced in our daily living. So, what exactly are we attached to? We should know that life is impermanent, that impermanence manifests as time passes according to the karmic law of cause and effect. It constantly surrounds us. No one can know when things will change. But we spiritual practitioners must realize that impermanence is always by our side. Truly, everyone needs to clearly understand this principle.

We want to see, [but] we cannot see anything. However, this principle is still there. Thus, it is called wondrous existence. We have to completely and fully realize wondrous existence and true emptiness. So in essence, the Buddha wants to enable all sentient beings to understand that they have to learn how to transform sentient beings and walk the Bodhisattva-path. This is the truth that everyone intrinsically possesses. It is not enough for just a few to understand this. This is something all sentient beings have. If we do not all achieve the same level of realization, then our cyclic existence in the Six Destinies will still be very painful. So, everyone has to fully realize these true principles, so they can last through the ages. Then over a very long period of time, they can continue to be passed on.

Because the Buddha was perfect in the ten virtues, He could reach all sentient beings. He did not hope for only a few to be enlightened but hoped that we can all model this [way of] living and lead others. To lead others, we must become role models; this is what the Buddha taught us. So, we have to understand that in the past, the Buddha gave provisional teachings. Later when His time for transforming beings was nearing its end, He gave the true, great teachings. The time had come for Him to give the great teachings. This was the Buddha’s original intent,

So, Manjusri Bodhisattva announced to everyone that the Buddha was about to give the great teachings. This is an extraordinary moment in time. The Buddha attained enlightenment long ago. How long has it been? The sutras say that it happened countless, boundless, inconceivable numbers of asankyakalpas ago.

Praise for three extraordinary things: 1. The vast expanse of time is extraordinary 2. The Buddha’s epithet is extraordinary 3. The supreme and wondrous Dharma is extraordinary.

We all know the epithet Sakyamuni Buddha. But even before Sakyamuni Buddha, a long time before, countless asankyakalpas before, a Buddha had appeared in this world. He was called Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Tathagata; this was His distinctive epithet. Sakyamuni Buddha, SakyamuniTathagata, Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant (Tathagata), these epithets show that Sakyamuni is a Buddha and. Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant is another Buddha.

This is like those of us sitting here now; we are all called “humans.” But among humans, we all have different family and given names. But we do have a common name, we are called “humans.” Among the Six Destinies, we are now in the human realm. There are many sentient beings here, each with a distinct name. But among all sentient beings, we are part of a group called “humans.” Humans also have distinctive epithets.

So, this past Buddha was called Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Tathagata and “shared the epithet of the present Buddha.” Though He [had a different name], He was like the present Buddha. Buddha means enlightened one. Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Tathagata was also an enlightened one. They both realized the truths of all things in the universe.

How were they enlightened? They had to be endowed with the ten epithets. This is what I meant in the beginning when. I talked about being complete and perfect in the ten virtues. Perfection of the ten virtues means they are endowed with the ten epithets. To have the ten epithets is to have these virtues. Past Buddhas have them, and the present Buddha is the same. They need to have these ten virtues and be endowed with the ten epithets before they can be called great enlightened ones. So, the past Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Tathagata and the present Buddha shared these epithets; these are called shared epithets. Past Buddhas had the ten virtues, and in the present, so does Sakyamuni Buddha. This is “shared.”

But for a Buddha to be endowed with the ten epithets, He must perfectly manifest wondrous existence and true emptiness in His living. Everything He does must be thorough and. His virtuous conduct must be clear for. Him to be endowed with the ten epithets.

Next is teaching the Dharma. The ten epithets must be replete with this Dharma. The supreme and wondrous Dharma is rare, as is each Buddha who has transformed this world in the past. Past Buddhas did this and the present Buddha is doing the same, teaching all beings based on their capabilities. So, this is what Sakyamuni Buddha is doing. He originally intended [to teach] the true principle of all things. Time kept passing, and now He was to expound the true Dharma. Past Buddhas did this, and the present Buddha is doing the same.

This true Dharma is deep and subtle, embodying the subtlety and wonder of all forms. So, before expounding the Dharma, the Buddha continuously radiated light. Each ray of light had a different appearance. This represented the profundity and perfection of the Dharma. It was very wondrous and extraordinary. Ordinary beings could not [understand it]. This is what Manjusri Bodhisattva explained to everyone [regarding] the perfection of this kind of manifested light.

Next,

Countless, boundless inconceivable numbers of asankyakalpas ago.

This represents a wondrously long period of time. This is the capacity of the Buddha-mind. The capacity of this mind is an incalculable number.

When we read the sutras and it says “countless and innumerable,” how long is that? It is impossible to say. But this is the capacity of all Buddha-minds. How can we explain it? We must use many kinds of analogies. So, it is said, “countless, boundless inconceivable numbers of asankyakalpas ago” because this is the capacity of the Buddha-mind. We ordinary beings cannot comprehend such a big number.

So, the three words “Sun-Moon-Lamp,” is a distinctive epithet that signifies the innate radiance of this past Buddha. So, the name of this past Buddha represented His radiance. Our Sakyamuni Buddha has a distinctive epithet that reflects His compassion, so He is “Mighty in Loving-kindness.” Mighty means to have perseverance. Because sentient beings in the world at this time are stubborn, perseverance and patience are needed for one to have loving-kindness and compassion. So He is called Mighty in Loving-kindness. Sakyamuni translated into Chinese means “Mighty in loving-kindness.” The past Buddha’s name, Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant, means that He had that radiance. These are distinctive epithets.

The Buddha’s Tathagata-garbha mind was filled with the radiance of great wisdom. Thus, His virtue is likened to the Three Lights. Sunlight represents the virtue of wisdom. Moonlight represents the virtue of ending [all afflictions]. Lamplight represents the virtue of grace.

The name of this past Buddha, Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant, had this meaning.

Everyone, the Buddha-virtues are so very profound and wondrous. We should be able to realize them in our living, but we have not yet discovered them. The Buddha has to continuously be patient in the hopes that all of us can experience this. The Buddha made these painstaking efforts in the world. Since He painstakingly [taught this], we must also make a great effort to comprehend it. We cannot fail to live up to these ten virtues, So, we must diligently practice. We must spend a long time experiencing this. I hope that everyone can experience the spiritual state of the Buddha. To do so, we must always be very mindful!

Episode 107 – Evoke Sincerity to Have Faith in the Great Dharma

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>> Buddha-virtues are inconceivable. The enlightened ones of the past, present and future work together to help transform all beings by evoking their sincere faith in the great Dharma. They praise and promote each other’s virtues. So, we must model Right Mindfulness in this era of delusion and be the stream of water that purifies people’s minds.

>> Therefore, all sentient beings in the world and the Small Vehicle sages find this great Dharma difficult to believe. So, this [was] the Dharma of liberation the Buddha taught the practitioners of the. Two Vehicles, the Hearers and Pratyekabuddhas.

>> “This was the Dharma of liberation the Buddha taught the practitioners of the. Two Vehicles, the Hearers and Pratyekabuddhas.”

>> “The skillful means of the. Great Vehicle Bodhisattva teachings.”

>> “Because He wished to lead all living beings to hear and understand this Dharma that is difficult for those in all worlds to believe, He manifested auspicious appearances.”

>> “It was stated, ‘The Tathagata’s Nirvana is not for one to attain Nirvana, but for all to attain it.’ This was difficult for people to believe.”

>> “[The Buddha] opened and revealed [His wisdom] for us to realize and enter. This enables all sentient beings to understand that their mind is the Buddha-mind.”

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I have been sharing the virtues of the Buddha with everyone. We all have to first believe in the Buddha; only then can we comprehend the Dharma and penetrate His teachings. So, we must have faith and reverence.

Though Buddha-virtue is difficult to conceive of, we ordinary people must understand the virtues attained by the Buddha. This is truly not easy. It is difficult to conceive of and comprehend. Though Buddha-virtue is difficult to conceive of, we have to first establish this faith and believe that past Buddhas have come to this world too and made great efforts to transform [all beings]. All Buddhas share the same path. This is the case for past Buddhas, and it is now the case for Sakyamuni Buddha. In the future, it will be the same for those who qualify and receive predictions to become Buddhas. This requires a very long period of time.

But it also depends on our capabilities. Some realize ten things from hearing one thing, while others realize only one thing. Some people, upon hearing something ten times, still cannot truly realize even one thing. This depends on our capabilities. Whether one’s capability is high or low, the important thing is to have faith and sincerity and practice [the teachings] to figure out how we can [walk this path]. Then the Dharma and our actions become one. This is the way to practice. This is what each of us needs to believe.

In the Lotus Sutra, we have already seen that all Enlightened Ones from past, present and future work together to help transform all beings. I have also mentioned this before. Maitreya Bodhisattva and Manjusri Bodhisattva were past and future Buddhas. Everyone shares this great cause of manifesting all subtle and wondrous Dharma. So, they came to help Sakyamuni Buddha. For the sake of transforming sentient beings, they worked together to help each other.

Buddha-virtues are inconceivable. The enlightened ones of the past, present and future work together to help transform all beings by evoking their sincere faith in the great Dharma. They praise and promote each other’s virtues. So, we must model Right Mindfulness in this era of delusion and be the stream of water that purifies people’s minds.

So, everyone works together to help transform all sentient beings by evoking their sincere faith in the great Dharma. They praise and promote each other’s virtues. This is how they help each other. They help each other succeed [in their practice].

Past and future Buddhas must praise the present Buddha. I have often said that for Buddhism to prosper, monastics must praise each other. This was said by a great practitioner in the past. If we are to praise one another, then we must all accept and practice [the teachings]. We have to maintain our own virtues and believe in all Buddhas’ and Bodhisattvas’ teachings. We also must vow to transform all sentient beings. To transform them, there is a prerequisite, our organization must be completely flawless to be able to transform sentient beings. In the Hualien Jing Si Hall, the Great Enlightened One of the Universe is a mosaic, made up of very small pieces. There are millions of pieces in this mosaic, different colors assembled carefully and laid out to form this image. When we see it from afar in the Jing Si Hall, this picture is very beautiful.

Similarly, in our spiritual practice, our [inner] world is like that of the Buddha. We all have the same perfect and radiant nature. But when a Bodhisattva has affinities with sentient beings of a certain era, he will be put forth to manifest and attain Buddhahood. Now, sentient beings in this era, which began over 2000 years ago, all have affinities with Sakyamuni Buddha. Therefore, this Saha World is. Sakyamuni Buddha’s to transform. So, in this time period, many enlightened ones of the past, future and present all gathered together to form this magnificent image of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. This image appeared at the Vulture Peak assembly. They motivated and helped one another to achieve this magnificence to inspire devotion in all. So, we “evoke sincere faith in the great Dharma.”

The Buddha’s wisdom does not just explain the way things are on Earth. It encompasses the true principles of all things in the universe. So, we have to be sincere to be able to comprehend the great Dharma of the Buddha, the Great Enlightened One. Because we praise one another, as we are praised, we must quickly perfect our virtues. So when we praise others, they quickly perfect their virtues. When others praise us, we ourselves must also quickly perfect our virtues. In other words, mutual praise and encouragement [lead to] mutual success. Our perfect radiant nature is very important.

So, the Buddha-Dharma has been passed down to this day. But now, at this time, sentient beings are deluded, so we have to continue this work. Because we are all disciples of the Buddha, we vow to follow the Bodhisattva-path and to transform all sentient beings. Therefore, in this deluded era, we must bring about right mindfulness. Truly, how do we guide people to practice right mindfulness? Not only must we awaken ourselves, adjust the course of our minds and have right mindfulness, we must be like a stream of water and bring purity to people’s minds.

We must be like a current of purity. We use the teachings of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to cleanse our minds first. After we cleanse our minds, we have to then bring forth a stream of water from it so that we can also purify others. This is what I want to share with everyone. I hope that all our minds will follow the path of true enlightenment of all Buddhas. Though the Buddha-virtue is so profound that it is difficult to conceive of, we must have faith in order to enter the essence of the Lotus Sutra. If we can fully understand it, then we can comprehend the true principles of the Lotus Dharma. So everyone, please be mindful.

Therefore, all sentient beings in the world and the Small Vehicle sages find this great Dharma difficult to believe. So, this [was] the Dharma of liberation the Buddha taught the practitioners of the. Two Vehicles, the Hearers and Pratyekabuddhas.

Ordinary people in the world and. Small Vehicle sages find this great Dharma difficult to believe. Actually, the great Dharma was expounded to us because the Buddha wanted everyone everywhere to understand it. So, He manifested light and auspicious signs. This auspicious light was radiated while He waited for people to awaken their faith and patience for thoughtful reflection first. Then the Buddha began to teach the great Dharma.

This great Dharma, for those of our present world and even for. Small Vehicle sages, is difficult to believe. “The world” refers to the limited state of our minds. The state of ordinary people is the world of ordinary people. The mindset of sages of the Two Vehicles is the world of sages of the Two Vehicles. A “world” is where time, space and people converge. The world of us ordinary people refers to our mental states; how we, as spiritual practitioners, spend our time together, how we live together in this space, and the level of comprehension of our spiritual state.

So, this is the great Dharma. Before the Buddha opened His mouth to speak, Manjusri Bodhisattva told everyone at that assembly, “Though this Dharma is very profound, you must believe it. I will be a witness. I verify that past Buddhas did this, and the present Buddha is doing the same. So, everyone must believe.” This came from the wisdom of Manjusri Bodhisattva and the compassion of Maitreya Bodhisattva. Compassion and wisdom were exercised together at that assembly to help establish people’s faith.

Actually, the Buddha’s teachings were directed toward the world of ordinary people and sages because He came here in order to teach the Dharma of liberation to the. Hearers and Pratyekabuddhas of the Two Vehicles. He had to tell the sages of the Two Vehicles, “What you believed and practiced before was based on your capabilities. I carefully and thoughtfully guided you. Now, everyone must believe that there is another way. What you are now able to receive is the ultimate Dharma.”

“This was the Dharma of liberation the Buddha taught the practitioners of the. Two Vehicles, the Hearers and Pratyekabuddhas.”

What He would teach now was.

“The skillful means of the. Great Vehicle Bodhisattva teachings.”

In the past, the path He taught us to walk was the skillful means of the past. Now we enter the Great Vehicle Bodhisattva teachings. So the sutra states,

“Because He wished to lead all living beings to hear and understand this Dharma that is difficult for those in all worlds to believe, He manifested auspicious appearances.”

He did this for everyone. Everyone falls into one of three categories. Whether we are of inferior capabilities, average capabilities or superior capabilities, skillful means were used to patiently guide us in the hopes we could all be closer to the Buddha-Dharma and accept it. The ways of the past were gathered and set aside before the true Dharma was proclaimed. Now the Buddha was going to freely carry out. His original intent. But we must know that this teaching is difficult to believe. This Dharma is difficult to believe.

His original intent and His virtues are hard to conceive of, so of course His teachings are hard to believe. But this difficult to believe Dharma is the ultimate truth of the One Vehicle. So, the Buddha-virtue and the intrinsic nature of ordinary people are actually completely identical; both are the One Vehicle.

I often say that we have a nature equal to that of the Buddha. But the Buddha used certain methods to keep His intrinsic nature clear, bright and perfect. Our intrinsic nature is like a large mirror. All sort of colors have stained our perfect and radiant intrinsic nature, the ultimate truth of the One Vehicle. So, what we are talking about now is the need to be truly sincere. When I say the Dharma is difficult to believe, you may think that I keep circling back to the fact that this great Dharma is difficult for those in this world to believe even though you already know it. You may understand it but still do not comprehend exactly how important this great Dharma is to us. That it is hard to believe does not mean we can just believe it up to a point or as much as we can. This is not the case. So, the Buddhist sutras repeatedly stated that this great Dharma is difficult to believe. So, we cannot help but spend a lot of time to raise everyone’s awareness about this great Dharma which is difficult to believe, because this is very important to us. Therefore, this is the Dharma that is difficult for all in the world to believe.

From the previous sutra passage we can tell that almost all from the Six Destinies were represented. All sorts of demons and monsters were also there. So, this difficult-to-believe Dharma [was to be taught] in such a big Dharma-assembly. Not only do sentient beings in evil realms, who have not been tamed by the Dharma, find it hard to believe, humans and heavenly beings find it hard to believe. Therefore, even unenlightened people and heavenly beings who practiced the. Ten Good Deeds find it hard to believe. However, heavenly beings and those in this world are all still in an ordinary state. Not only do people in ordinary states find it hard to believe, even practitioners of the Two Vehicles, Hearers and Pratyekabuddhas, find it hard to believe.

“It was stated, ‘The Tathagata’s Nirvana is not for one to attain Nirvana, but for all to attain it.’ This was difficult for people to believe.”

This passage appears in the sutra because the Buddha hopes that everyone can believe that we, too, can become Buddhas, that we are equal. The Buddha does not wish for anyone to say, “I have attained Buddhahood, but you will never become a Buddha.” This is not the Buddha’s hope. The Buddha hopes for the. Ultimate Truth of the One Vehicle [to be realized] that everyone can clearly become a Buddha. So, He confirmed that everyone has the opportunity. The rest depends on people’s effort, the perspective of their minds.

So, I hope everyone can understand this.

“[The Buddha] opened and revealed [His wisdom] for us to realize and enter. This enables all sentient beings to understand that their mind is the Buddha-mind.”

This is what the Buddha wanted to reveal, to let everyone enter His wisdom. So, I keep telling everyone that the Buddha opens and reveals, so how long will it take for sentient beings [to realize and enter the Dharma]? Truly, we must wait patiently for all sentient beings to hear and understand, to know that the Buddha is the mind, and that a sincere mind is the Buddha.

Fellow Bodhisattvas, everyone is inherently a Buddha, so we should call everyone Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Each of us is truly equal to the Buddha. We each have the great Dharma of the One Vehicle; this perfect and natural intrinsic nature is surely within everyone. Everyone must believe they have the Buddha-mind. So, believe in the Buddha, believe that each of us is a Buddha. Everyone, please always be mindful.

Episode 106 – Vow to Pass Down the Buddha’s Discipline

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>> Bodhisattvas hid their realizations and manifested questions to guide those who have gone astray back to the path of enlightenment. They felt sympathy for deluded sentient beings, so they vowed to pass down the Buddha’s discipline by wearing Buddhist robes, upholding purifying precepts, repenting attachments to delusions and cleansing mental defilements.

>> Bodhisattvas hid their realizations and manifested questions to guide those who have gone astray back to the path of enlightenment. They felt sympathy for deluded sentient beings, so they vowed to pass down the Buddha’s discipline by wearing Buddhist robes, upholding purifying precepts, repenting attachments to delusions and cleansing mental defilements.

>> After radiating this brilliant light, He was about to speak the great Dharma. Only Buddhas can realize this ultimate [teaching].

>> “Only Buddhas can realize this ultimate [teaching].”

>> Hearers and Pratyekabuddhas have heard the Buddha’s teachings and attained Nirvana. They say they have attained the state of no-arising, therefore they do not believe there is an unsurpassed Bodhi-path beyond that.

>> Therefore, all sentient beings in the world and the Small Vehicle sages find this great Dharma difficult to believe. So, this Dharma of liberation that the Buddha taught the practitioners of the Two Vehicles, Hearers and Pratyekabuddhas, was actually the skillful means for teaching the Great Vehicle Dharma of Bodhisattvas.

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As Buddhist practitioners, we must be sincere and apply our right understanding and right views to pursue the teachings of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. [Buddhism]. ․was established in response to worldly principles. So in this world, there is a need for a Buddha to lead us. This is like every group in this world, every organization. They all need leaders.

A hospital has a leader called a superintendent. Then there are many departments. A large hospital requires several assistant superintendents to help. Besides assistant superintendents, there need to be chiefs and directors for each specialty and department to help fulfill these missions. This is how the world works. Buddhism, to be in this world, has to adapt to it.

Sakyamuni Buddha was not the only one who has attained enlightenment over countless eons. The same applies to all Bodhisattvas. Therefore, all Bodhisattvas came at this time to assist Sakyamuni Buddha in transforming this world.

Bodhisattvas hid their realizations and manifested questions to guide those who have gone astray back to the path of enlightenment. They felt sympathy for deluded sentient beings, so they vowed to pass down the Buddha’s discipline by wearing Buddhist robes, upholding purifying precepts, repenting attachments to delusions and cleansing mental defilements.

Modern sentient beings are stubborn and hard to train and tame. So those who attained Buddhahood come to this world and become Bodhisattvas. They hide their understanding and raise questions to guide those who have gone astray back to the right path. This tells everyone that at this time, all Bodhisattvas “hid their realizations and manifested questions.” They clearly knew the causes and conditions of the Buddha’s auspicious appearances. Thus, Maitreya Bodhisattva knew this. He had been close to many Buddhas, and every Buddha shares the same path, so how could he not know? He knew, but deliberately asked because.

“Bodhisattvas hid their realizations and manifested questions.” He already knew, but under the current causes and conditions, he had to initiate these questions so no one would have further questions. Therefore, he asked the one Bodhisattva who everyone knew was foremost in wisdom. This is why the Lotus Sutra is very exciting and relatable starting with [the section on] the assembly. We need to have great sincerity and respect to understand the causes and conditions that converged at the Lotus Dharma-assembly. Therefore, we must be mindful.

So, the discussion between the Bodhisattvas was to “guide those gone astray back to the right path.” We sentient beings have deviated. Everyone intrinsically has Buddha-nature but. Just one thought going astray marks the difference between noble and unenlightened beings, between a pure land and a hell. This great distance comes from just one thought going astray.

Out of their compassion, all Bodhisattvas helped. Sakyamuni Buddha in training sentient beings. Therefore, they had this conversation. “You ask and I answer, and this will help everyone understand.” Thus, they conversed to “guide those gone astray back to the right path.” They guided people who had strayed, who had no faith and were doubtful, to be able to establish faith again. Then, those people could walk on the path to enlightenment again.

[They did this] because they had “sympathy for deluded sentient beings.” Sentient beings are deluded so they need Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to continually steer the ship of compassion back to this world, This is “sympathy for deluded sentient beings.” So, every Bodhisattva “vowed to pass down the Buddha’s discipline.”

Buddhism has always had to adapt to worldly principles so it requires this kind of worldly appearance. That is why the Buddha had to manifest the physical appearance of attaining Buddhahood through spiritual practice. Spreading the Dharma requires monastics. Monastics represent Buddhism’s original method for spreading the Buddha’s teachings, the “vow to pass down the Buddha’s discipline.”

The spiritual practices of monastics are completely different from those of lay people. Lay people have many [worldly] obligations in their lives, and they face many traps, karmic forces etc. So, their confused minds drift up and down in the sea of afflictions. Being a monastic begins when one is willing to be free of these kinds of worldly afflictions and ignorance, to liberate oneself from the sea of suffering due to desires. One then makes a steadfast vow to walk this path to enlightenment. Therefore, when we vow to become monastics, we must take on a certain physical appearance. By following the Buddha’s rules and precepts,

we manifest the appearance of monastics to pass down the Buddha’s discipline. We all need to be role models. A role model for whom? For Dharma-practitioners and society at large so people know, “These are the Buddha’s disciples who have accepted the Buddha’s teachings and uphold the purifying precepts.” The Buddha’s disciplines can be seen in these people’s words and actions. They fully demonstrate the Ten Good Deeds. I believe this will strengthen the faith of ordinary people. So with our physical appearances and our practice of the discipline, we can guide sentient beings, so that all who see and hear us can uphold the teachings. So, when they see monastics they become happy and vow to enter the door to receive the Buddha-Dharma. This is our responsibility.

Thus, all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas had to go through this process in order to attain Buddhahood and to truly become a Bodhisattva. This “vow to pass down the Buddha’s discipline” is very important, and so is “wearing Buddhist robes [and] upholding purifying precepts.” Once we put on this robe, we have truly become monastics. To leave home to become a monastic is to leave the house of afflictions. We need to know that family is a worrisome burden. However, we are still grateful for the affinity with our parents that brought us here. We are grateful for our parents’ grace and for this karmic affinity. We become monastics to repay our parents’ grace. Their sperm and egg created our bodies. Our bodies can then help develop many people’s wisdom-life. The merit from this will repay our parents’ grace.

So when we wear Buddhist robes, we must carry out the mission to uphold purifying precepts. We must constantly repent. So [we must] “repent attachments to delusions and cleanse mental defilements.” We need to make a firm commitment. Everyone, please remember this passage.

“Bodhisattvas hid their realizations and manifested questions to guide those gone astray back to a path of enlightenment. They felt sympathy for deluded sentient beings, so they vowed to pass down Buddha’s discipline by wearing Buddhist robes, upholding purifying precepts, repenting attachments to delusions and cleansing mental defilements.”

These are the vows we make, to “wear Buddhist robes and uphold purifying precepts.” To reinforce that, we constantly “repent attachments to delusions” and always “cleanse mental defilements.” We must cleanse our mental defilements and have a pure heart. We cannot have doubts about the noble teachings of the Buddha. How can we still have doubts? So, do not doubt and do not be influenced by the paths of maras. Evil cannot intrude upon the righteous mind. Before Sakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment, He also had to overcome maras and many doubts, conquer the discursive thoughts in His mind.

In summary, we have to “wear Buddhist robes, uphold purifying precepts, repent attachments to delusions and cleanse mental defilements.” Therefore everyone, please always be mindful.

After radiating this brilliant light, He was about to speak the great Dharma. Only Buddhas can realize this ultimate [teaching].

As we have mentioned, the exchange between Maitreya and Manjusri was to explain one thing only. Before the Buddha expounded the Lotus Sutra at this extraordinary spiritual training ground, He radiated light and showed auspicious signs. So Manjusri Bodhisattva told everyone, “I have seen this before. When past Buddhas expounded the great Dharma, They also manifested light like this. After this state passes, it will be time to expound the great Dharma. So this kind of state, this kind of Dharma, this great Dharma is the ultimate Dharma only Buddhas can realize.”

This is his way of reminding everyone, “Fellow Bodhisattvas, not only have I seen it, you have seen it, too.” These Bodhisattvas had all seen it, so they believed it. In truth, Manjusri wanted to remind ordinary people. “Not only have I seen it; you also know that all Buddhas share the same path.” After manifesting this state, it will be time for Them to expound great Dharma. But this great Dharma can only be realized by Buddhas. Unenlightened beings with limited capabilities still cannot accept it.

Some sitting in the audience were already starting to feel impatient. The Buddha still had not even begun to speak. Then He started and told everyone, “I have set aside skillful means of the past. I am now going to expound the true Dharma. Everyone, pay attention.” But when some people heard this, they thought, “I have heard the Dharma for over 40 years. I have heard what He is about to say. I have heard the principle of true emptiness. Everything in the world cycles between non-existence and existence. Everything the Buddha says revolves around that.” So they thought, “I already understand everything.” Right then, 5000 people left the assembly because they did not believe.

The Buddha had only just started by saying, “I have set aside the skillful for the direct and will now expound the true Dharma.” Then these arrogant people left. The Buddha saw this and felt sympathy for them, but in the sutra He also stated, “It is good that they left.” This way, they would not slander the great Dharma just because they could not accept it. Their causes and conditions had not ripened, so it was better that they left.

We can see that expounding great Dharma that sentient beings can truly accept and understand is not easy. So here the sutra states, “After radiating this brilliant light, He is about to expound the great Dharma.” Then, listen carefully to the next sentence. 

“Only Buddhas can realize this ultimate [teaching].” Everyone should know that the Dharma the Buddha was about to expound could only be realized by Buddhas. Therefore, we must have patience if we want to engage in spiritual practice and attain Buddhahood.

Then the sutra talks about. Hearers and Pratyekabuddhas. Most attendees of the Lotus Dharma-assembly were [at the level of] Hearers and Pratyekabuddhas. The Buddha worried that in this moment, if He did not speak soon, they would stay at the same level. Therefore, the great Dharma must be expounded quickly for Hearers and Pratyekabuddhas to accept it.

Hearers and Pratyekabuddhas have heard the Buddha’s teachings and attained Nirvana. They say they have attained the state of no-arising, therefore they do not believe there is an unsurpassed Bodhi-path beyond that.

At this Dharma-assembly, “Hearers and Pratyekabuddhas have heard the Buddha’s teachings and attained Nirvana.” They thought, “I have followed the Buddha for a long time. I pretty much know everything. I have heard and understood what the Buddha has taught. I have already attained Nirvana. I understand all the Dharma. My mind is filled with the Buddha’s teachings so. I already have control over my mind.” So, they believed they had realized and were able to enter the state of Nirvana.

Nirvana is a tranquil state where afflictions will no longer arise. The Dharma trains all beings to erase afflictions. They thought their afflictions were all eliminated. So, “They say they have attained the state of no-arising.” They believed that. “I understand all the Dharma. My mind is free from disturbances” and so on. So, “They say they have attained the state of no-arising, therefore they do not believe there is an unsurpassed Bodhi-path beyond that.” Thus, they had no patience. When they heard the Buddha say He would begin to expound the Dharma, they became impatient.

Therefore, all sentient beings in the world and the Small Vehicle sages find this great Dharma difficult to believe. So, this Dharma of liberation that the Buddha taught the practitioners of the Two Vehicles, Hearers and Pratyekabuddhas, was actually the skillful means for teaching the Great Vehicle Dharma of Bodhisattvas.

Fellow practitioners, if we are seeking the path to Buddhahood, we need to walk the Bodhisattva-path. The Bodhisattva-path is vast and boundless. The Buddha’s teachings are great and unsurpassed, deep and profound. Therefore, we need to sincerely seek the Buddha’s teachings. Our minds must be free of disturbances. We must self-reflect and repent. Our minds are still full of afflictions. Have we really achieved attainment? No, we are still far off. So, we all need to have patience and perseverance and pray for the Dharma to penetrate our hearts and develop our wisdom-life, bit by bit. Everyone, please always be mindful.

Episode 105 – The Buddha’s Great Compassion Is the Cause

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>> “There must be causes and conditions for the Buddha to expound the Dharma. With His great compassion as the cause and the desires of sentient beings as the conditions, He uses infinite analogies to reveal the Dharma.”

>> Good men, as I surmise, the Buddha, the World-Honored One, now wishes to expound the great Dharma, to let fall the great Dharma-rain, to blow the great Dharma-conch, to beat the great Dharma-drum, and to proclaim the great Dharma-doctrine.

>> Good men, I have, in the presence of past Buddhas, seen such auspicious appearances. After radiating this light, They immediately expounded the great Dharma. Therefore, it should be known that the manifestation of light by the present Buddha means He will also do such. Because He wishes to lead all living beings to hear and understand this Dharma, which is difficult for all in the world to believe, He therefore manifests auspicious appearances.

>> “Good men, I have, in the presence of past Buddhas, seen such auspicious appearances. After radiating this light, They immediately expounded the great Dharma. Therefore, it should be known that the manifestation of light by the present Buddha means He will also do such.”

>> “Because He wishes to lead all living beings to hear and understand this Dharma, which is difficult for all in the world to believe….”

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It is rare to hear the Buddha-Dharma, but we have now heard it.

“There must be causes and conditions for the Buddha to expound the Dharma. With His great compassion as the cause and the desires of sentient beings as the conditions, He uses infinite analogies to reveal the Dharma.”

We should know that the Buddha’s great compassion is infinite. As I keep mentioning, He came because of one great cause, to open and reveal [the Dharma]. But all sentient beings must have great reverence and sincerity. By receiving the Buddha-Dharma with great reverence and sincerity, we sentient beings can awaken. Although the Buddha teaches the Dharma mindfully, if sentient beings are not moved, and are not responsive, then they still have a ways to go before [fully understanding] the Dharma.

Why does the Buddha repeatedly come back to the Saha World? Because of His compassion. He feels for sentient beings in their confusion, as they continually suffer in the cyclic existence of the Six Destinies. Because of His great compassion, He cannot bear this.

This is the Buddha’s cause, His intention. However, sentient beings have varying capabilities. Therefore, the Buddha had to teach according to abilities, with the conditions that sentient beings desired. If sentient beings cannot accept it, the Dharma cannot help them, even though it is supreme, subtle and wondrous. This wondrous Dharma must be taught according to capabilities. He tailors His methods according to the sentient beings He is teaching. If they cannot understand the true principles, then He uses analogies to awaken and develop their faith and understanding.

Because the Buddha is compassionate, He has kept waiting. No matter how stubborn sentient beings are, the Buddha still does not give up. Out of compassion, He keeps returning to and manifesting in the human realm. He uses all kinds of methods to teach the Dharma. This is the Buddha’s compassion. But do sentient beings have the capabilities and conditions to accept it? No matter what, the Buddha will not give up; He uses every method. So, we must mindfully realize the Buddha’s compassion. We have to examine ourselves. Since we have the opportunity to receive His Dharma, can we understand and awaken? Therefore, we have to be constantly mindful.

Good men, as I surmise, the Buddha, the World-Honored One, now wishes to expound the great Dharma, to let fall the great Dharma-rain, to blow the great Dharma-conch, to beat the great Dharma-drum, and to proclaim the great Dharma-doctrine.

As we have mentioned, Maitreya Bodhisattva asked Manjusri Bodhisattva a question during their exchange. Manjusri Bodhisattva answered by saying, “Good men, as I surmise. Good men” and “all great beings” refer to Bodhisattvas. He called on them to pay attention. “I will say this to those who are capable of understanding.” Before Manjusri Bodhisattva gave an explanation, he addressed Bodhisattvas in particular [so people could reflect on] whether their capabilities have reached that level. [Then they may decide that] they need to mindfully and sincerely listen to Manjusri Bodhisattva’s explanation of the Buddha’s causes and conditions for still radiating light. This was a form of inspiration. So, Manjusri Bodhisattva especially targeted those with Bodhisattva-status.

Therefore, He said “as I surmise.” We want to know who are considered “good men.” In modern times, it may be someone who does great deeds and accomplishes great missions. They can be called good men.

In this modern era, there are many people who do not do good deeds in this world but instead try to take shortcuts or deviant paths. They are not good men. In other words, although born men, some only do deeds of greed, anger and ignorance some do only deeds of greed, anger and ignorance. They act ignorantly, disregarding right and wrong. In their living, they have confused their minds, disturbed their families, and disrupted society. They cannot be considered good men. So the title “good man” cannot be applied to just anyone.

This came out of Manjusri Bodhisattva’s wisdom. Over 2000 years ago, before giving an explanation, he especially addressed those with Bodhisattva-status at this Dharma-assembly. In our present time, this title applies to people who can embody everything good in the world and accomplish great deeds and missions. They have their ideals and seek to benefit others. This kind of people are called good men.

Next, we talk about “surmise” in “as I surmise.” In his wisdom, Manjusri Bodhisattva wanted to explain the Buddha’s current appearance. He also wanted to consider this carefully. The Buddha is the Great Enlightened One. As for His every move, ordinary people cannot presume to know what He was thinking when He acted. No.

He gave his explanations very cautiously. This was also a teaching method and model. Then everyone would know that it is not easy to analyze a person, let alone explain why the Buddha was now radiating light and auspicious appearances. This reminds us to speak carefully. When we speak about things, often times a small mistake can lead us far off course. Even Bodhisattvas speak very cautiously, so it is even more crucial for us ordinary people to do so. As we are now learning the Buddha-Dharma, can we speak thoughtlessly?

So, surmise means think deeply [and theorize]. We must think very carefully and meticulously, and check everything down to the smallest details. If we do not accept it carefully and sincerely, if we cannot understand the depth of his thinking, how can this Dharma enter our hearts? So after careful consideration, Manjusri Bodhisattva surmised that the Buddha radiated light and manifested auspicious appearances for one purpose: to expound the great Dharma.

Good men, I have, in the presence of past Buddhas, seen such auspicious appearances. After radiating this light, They immediately expounded the great Dharma. Therefore, it should be known that the manifestation of light by the present Buddha means He will also do such. Because He wishes to lead all living beings to hear and understand this Dharma, which is difficult for all in the world to believe, He therefore manifests auspicious appearances.

This great Dharma was the Dharma the Buddha himself had confirmed with His true wisdom. He wanted to freely carry out His original intent. Each Buddha of the past, present and future share the same path. Although the Buddha had the cause to come into this world, He still had to be responsive to sentient beings’ conditions, because their capabilities are so diverse. So, He had to teach according to capabilities.

Therefore, the Buddha had kept His true wisdom, these true principles, in His mind for a long time. How long? From the first moment He attained enlightenment. His mind fully converged with the ultimate principles of the boundless universe. He realized the karmic law of cause and effect of sentient beings in this world and so on. With His very detailed and thorough mind, He, at that initial moment, fully realized absolutely everything. He missed nothing. All the ultimate and true principles were in His mind.

At first, He was very joyful. He wanted to share His thoughts with everyone. “The Dharma I attained is so wonderful. I am so joyful. All beings in the world have this perfect and radiant nature.” He wanted everyone to know that. He was not the only one who had it; we all have it. He felt this joy. But we could not comprehend the vastness and boundlessness of the mind. We do not know anything about that beautiful state of tranquility and clarity.

That was what the Buddha wanted to freely express from that initial moment. He wanted everyone to understand this completely. At that instant of enlightenment, all past Buddhas of the ten directions and. Dharma-protectors appeared at once to celebrate His awakening and attainment of Buddhahood. He had so much to say to them. “I am enlightened. I have now realized such and such things.” But the heavenly beings and dragon gods could not understand Him. And if even they could not understand, how could ordinary people understand? So He concealed and kept this true Dharma in His heart.

Then, more than 40 years passed. He used many methods to reveal teachings, hoping people could accept them. He wanted to inspire every person to connect their mind to the true principles. He began to see that those with higher capabilities had started to slowly develop roots of goodness, which then matured. The ones who had not planted roots of goodness were slowly beginning to [develop these roots of goodness]. So when the Buddha’s conditions for teaching in this world were about to end, He had to quickly talk about these joyful things. The principles that arose from the convergence of His mind with everything in the universe were what He wanted to freely express and joyfully share with everyone so they can achieve the same understanding. Thus, He freely carried out His original intent.

Before, He feared this would be a waste of time because people would not understand or would misunderstand His teachings. But the conditions for transformation were ending, so even if people could not understand, He was still going to speak it. So, the great Dharma had been concealed within the Buddha’s heart for such a long time. Now He was going to start expounding His genuine wisdom and the Dharma He had attained.

So, Manjusri Bodhisattva said to them,

“Good men, I have, in the presence of past Buddhas, seen such auspicious appearances. After radiating this light, They immediately expounded the great Dharma. Therefore, it should be known that the manifestation of light by the present Buddha means He will also do such.”

Now Manjusri Bodhisattva raised the point that he also had attained Buddhahood in the past and had taught his disciples to also became Buddhas. Since he had been around for a very long time, he used his own experiences to talk about the auspicious appearances of Buddhas. He described them based on his own past experiences of having seen

all past Buddhas radiate this light before They began expounding the great Dharma. The light manifested by Sakyamuni Buddha was the same as the auspicious appearances of. Buddhas from the past. The “this” in “radiating this light” refers to the light and auspicious appearances they were seeing at the time. What he had seen in the past was the same as this. When a Buddha shows this auspicious appearance, He will “immediately expound the great Dharma.”

“Therefore, it should be known that,” so everyone should know, “the manifestation of light by the present Buddha means He will also do such.” The Sakyamuni Buddha that everyone saw was the same as all Buddhas in the past. “The manifestation of light means He will also do such.” This was the same as in the past.

“Because He wishes to lead all living beings to hear and understand this Dharma, which is difficult for all in the world to believe….”

The Buddha wanted to enable all sentient beings to hear this now.

In the past, He taught according to capabilities. Not any more. He wanted to make sure that “all attain”, that sentient beings all attain by hearing, and thus understanding, this Dharma that is difficult for all in the world to believe. So, He specifically mentioned that this is the Dharma that the world finds hard to believe. Therefore, the Buddha was radiating light and manifesting auspicious signs to inspire everyone to focus their minds and accept this Dharma with great sincerity.

Fellow practitioners, we all sincerely want to learn the Dharma. In these times, we must clearly discern right from wrong. In this world filled with multitudes of beings, there are many disasters. So, it is definitely time to cultivate compassion. Therefore, we need to sweep aside our ignorance and develop our wisdom. To develop wisdom, we need to self-reflect more often on whether we have wasted time in the past, whether we have deviated even slightly from the true Dharma. Everyone, please always be mindful and constantly self-reflect.

Episode 104 – Wisdom Reflects Like a Mirror

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>> At that time, Manjusri addressed Maitreya Bodhisattva Mahasattva and all the noble beings. “Good men, as I surmise, the Buddha, the World-Honored One, now wishes to expound the great Dharma, to let fall the great Dharma-rain, to blow the great Dharma-conch, to beat the great Dharma-drum, and to proclaim the great Dharma-doctrine.”

>> Many Buddhas from past asankyakalpas were disciples of Manjusri. People who become Buddhas in the future do so because of his power and grace. In this world, just as all children have parents, Manjusri is the parent of all those on the path to enlightenment -Alms Bowl Sutra.

>> “Kindness and compassion is the universe; wisdom is the light of the sun and moon. A kind heart has boundless compassion. With pure and broad thinking, wisdom reflects like a mirror. Unenlightened beings do not easily believe in these great teachings. Only Buddhas can realize the ultimate.”

>> At that time, Manjusri addressed Maitreya Bodhisattva Mahasattva and all the noble beings.

>> The Buddha, the World-Honored One, now wishes to expound the great teachings, to let fall the great Dharma-rain, to blow the great Dharma-conch, to beat the great Dharma-drum, and to proclaim the great Dharma-doctrine.

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Time slips away easily and cannot be paused. So, as each minute and second goes by, we must constantly cherish our time. In fact, as Buddhist practitioners, our goal is to attain enlightenment. In order to achieve Buddhahood, we must faithfully receive the Buddha’s teachings. We must have utmost sincerity to faithfully and unwaveringly accept His teachings.

It has been over 2000 years since the Buddha’s time. However, the Buddha did not only expound the Dharma more than 2000 years ago. He has been a Buddha for asankyakalpas. As I have mentioned earlier, His Buddha-nature has never been defiled. We sentient beings are constantly contaminated as we transmigrate within the Six Realms, and thus our ignorance has grown thick, [covering us with] layer upon layer. So, to understand the Buddha’s true nature and His manifested wisdom, we still have a long way to go.

It has been a very long time since the Buddha attained enlightenment. There are also many Bodhisattvas who follow Him to teach sentient beings in this world. In the sutras, we often read that both Manjusri and Guanyin Bodhisattvas had already attained Buddhahood but returned to this world to help Sakyamuni Buddha transform sentient beings. We often read about past Buddhas in the sutras. Now, Sakyamuni Buddha is here. Others followed Him to transform sentient beings.

In the Lotus Sutra, we even read that there are Buddhas of the past, present and future. The past and future Buddhas were both at the Lotus Sutra Dharma-assembly to help Sakyamuni Buddha reveal Mahayana teachings.

At that time, Manjusri addressed Maitreya Bodhisattva Mahasattva and all the noble beings. “Good men, as I surmise, the Buddha, the World-Honored One, now wishes to expound the great Dharma, to let fall the great Dharma-rain, to blow the great Dharma-conch, to beat the great Dharma-drum, and to proclaim the great Dharma-doctrine.”

As I mentioned previously, the Buddha was still waiting for sentient beings to realize and enter [His teachings]. In this era, if we cannot differentiate right from wrong, how can we realize and enter the teachings?

Sakyamuni Buddha was not the only person there. There were also many Bodhisattvas. Bodhisattvas of the ten directions and all Buddhas came to this Dharma-assembly. There, the Buddha radiated light, expounded the “Lotus Sutra without speech” and entered the Samadhi of Infinite Meanings. Many people were waiting there when the Buddha manifested an amazing appearance, which was different from His previous lectures. What Dharma was the Buddha going to expound? Many people still did not know.

At this time, there were two Bodhisattvas there, one was Maitreya Bodhisattva and and the other was Manjusri Bodhisattva. Maitreya Bodhisattva had already been predicted to become a Buddha. After five to six trillion years, he will attain Buddhahood in this world, which sounds like a very long time. However, in order to attain. Buddhahood, one must experience many things. It takes three great asankyakalpas. An asankyakalpa is a very long period of time that is innumerable and incalculable.

[What we consider] the past and the present are part of this long period of time. So, after more than 2000 years, Sakyamuni Buddha is still our fundamental teacher today. The teachings of our fundamental teacher, Sakyamuni Buddha, still exist in the Saha World. So, future Buddhas still need to continuously come here to learn. So, over 2000 years ago, in the Buddha’s lifetime, He gave Maitreya Bodhisattva a prediction that he will become a Buddha in the future to transform sentient beings in this world.

Maitreya, when translated [means] “the Compassionate One.” He [embodies] compassion. Sentient beings in the future will have an even greater need for a Buddha with such compassion to come to this world.

The name of our Buddha, Sakyamuni, is translated as “Mighty in Loving-Kindness.” He has great abilities and knows that sentient beings are difficult to change and train. It takes perseverance, patience and ability. So He must be mighty in loving-kindness. The Buddha had to wait for sentient beings with perseverance, patience and endurance. Even after revealing His teachings, He still had to wait for sentient beings to accept what He taught, for them to realize and deeply enter His true teachings.

The supreme and subtle Dharma is truly wondrous. It was as if within the radiated light exist the vastness, endlessness and subtlety [of Dharma]. Therefore, sentient beings must always enter the Buddha-Dharma with utmost sincerity. This steadfast faith is [required].

Now, of these two Bodhisattvas, one was the Compassionate One and had an abundance of compassion. With this kind of realization, he will bring blessings to sentient beings in the future. If all present sentient beings attain realization, in the future when the Compassionate One, Maitreya Bodhisattva, returns to this world, there should be even more enlightened people. Then the world will be even more blessed. However, at this Dharma-assembly, when he saw that everyone had questions, he could not help but stand up. Consider how strange this Dharma-assembly [seemed]. Who could give everyone an explanation for why the Buddha had this appearance of radiating light?

Before expounding the Dharma for everyone, the Buddha manifested this auspicious appearance. What was the reason for this? Ordinary people could not understand this. They had to find someone full of wisdom who had previously attained Buddhahood. Everyone knows that Manjusri Bodhisattva is the teacher of seven ancient Buddhas. In the past, He attained Buddhahood and was known as the Honorable Dragon King Buddha. So he had been a Buddha and had also taught seven people who had then attained Buddhahood.

Many Buddhas from past asankyakalpas were disciples of Manjusri. People who become Buddhas in the future do so because of his power and grace. In this world, just as all children have parents, Manjusri is the parent of all those on the path to enlightenment -Alms Bowl Sutra.

We should know that in order to attain Buddhahood, it takes asankyakalpas, three incalculable eons of the past, present and future. Although it takes such a long time, there were seven people who received his teachings and had attained Buddhahood. He was also a Buddha himself. Therefore, Manjusri Bodhisattva was foremost in wisdom among the Bodhisattvas and disciples who followed Sakyamuni Buddha.

Indeed, all Buddhas share the same path. Respect for one another is what all Buddhas teach. He also manifested at this Dharma-assembly. So on behalf of sentient beings who will have affinities with him in the future, Maitreya Bodhisattva stood up to ask Manjusri Bodhisattva a question. He hoped that through Manjusri’s wisdom, everyone would develop a stronger belief since everyone trusted him.

So, now he wanted to tell everyone,

“Kindness and compassion is the universe; wisdom is the light of the sun and moon. A kind heart has boundless compassion. With pure and broad thinking, wisdom reflects like a mirror. Unenlightened beings do not easily believe in these great teachings. Only Buddhas can realize the ultimate.”

This is like Maitreya Bodhisattva’s compassion, which will be ever-lasting in this world. In the future, he will return to the Saha World and shoulder the mission of transforming sentient beings. If more people can attain realizations now, transforming future sentient beings will be easier. Since that will also be his responsibility, he found someone whom everyone believed in and whose wisdom is like the light of the sun and moon.

Because our minds are dark, we repent to eradicate the darkness and ignorance there. The darkness and ignorance need to be illuminated by the light of the sun and moon. Then we can eliminate our delusions and darkness. If our minds are in darkness and the road ahead unclear, where will we end up? A slight deviation leads us far off course. So Manjusri Bodhisattva began answering. Maitreya Bodhisattva’s questions.

We can imagine that these two Bodhisattvas had kind thoughts and boundless compassion. The broadness of their minds is all-encompassing and boundless. Like Sakyamuni Buddha, they are the great enlightened ones of the universe. With that vastness, they knew all Dharma and understood all matters. Therefore, they had to manifest this form to multitudes of sentient beings. Those who consider themselves Bodhisattvas came to help the Buddha teach and transform. Because they were kind, at this Dharma-assembly, they applied their compassion, radiance and wisdom to help others achieve understanding. This was their intent.

For instance, Maitreya Bodhisattva has infinite and great compassion. All Buddhas in the past, present and future are the same. “With broad and pure thinking, their wisdom reflects like a mirror.” This describes Manjusri Bodhisattva. The vast and infinite Dharma is completely encompassed and captured in his mind. All things in the world could be held in his mind. So, this is a wisdom that reflects like a mirror. Having this great perfect mirror wisdom is like having a very clear mirror in front of us.

Therefore, unenlightened beings do not easily believe in these great teachings. But we need to believe in them. What is the Buddha going to teach? Hasn’t He explained everything in the past 40-plus years? Is there any Dharma that is more advanced than what He had already taught for over 40 years? Everyone had these questions. Having Dharma more subtle and wondrous than what was taught over the past 40 years is not easy. Therefore, questions arose in everyone’s mind because the Buddha radiated light and manifested these auspicious forms. Only the Buddha and Buddhas can realize the ultimate. Only those with the state of Buddhas can thoroughly realize this. So when we listen to the Dharma, we need to be very mindful.

Let us review the previous passage from the sutra.

At that time, Manjusri addressed Maitreya Bodhisattva Mahasattva and all the noble beings.

“At that time, Manjusri.” Because Maitreya Bodhisattva started asking to help resolve everyone’s questioning and establish everyone’s faith, Manjusri Bodhisattva began to answer. So, “At that time, Manjusri addressed Maitreya Bodhisattva Mahasattva and” all the noble beings. His answer was not only for Maitreya Bodhisattva, but also for all the great beings. “All the great beings” refers to many other Bodhisattvas. So his answers at that time were directed to Bodhisattvas. Only one at the state of Bodhisattvas can understand the Great Vehicle teachings, so his audience was Bodhisattvas.

“Good men, as I surmise,” refers to his deep and meticulous contemplation. “Surmise” means to think very attentively.

The Buddha, the World-Honored One, now wishes to expound the great teachings, to let fall the great Dharma-rain, to blow the great Dharma-conch, to beat the great Dharma-drum, and to proclaim the great Dharma-doctrine.

This Dharma is so profound and broad. At this time, Manjusri Bodhisattva began offering answers.

At the beginning of the Lotus Sutra, in the conversation between these Bodhisattvas, we can see their compassion and wisdom. When we see the state of Bodhisattvas, [we see] comprehend [great teachings]. Earlier it states, “Only Buddhas can realize the ultimate.” This great teaching cannot be understood by ordinary people. “Do you understand what you hear? Yes. Do you really understand? Uh, let me take my time.” There are many people like this. “Do you understand? Yes, and we will work even harder.” That is the right answer.

In conclusion, every Bodhisattva and all Buddhas came to the world for one cause, to open and reveal the teachings. But not all sentient beings have realized and entered the teachings. The Buddha is mighty in loving-kindness. With perseverance and patience, He still awaits. Finally, at that time, the causes and conditions were probably ripe. His conditions for transforming this world were also about to end, so He had to expound the Buddha-Dharma and freely carry out His original intent. This was the time.

So fellow Bodhisattvas, we need to form great aspirations and make great vows. So, we must always be mindful.

Episode 103 – The Cycles of All Phenomena Are the Same

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>> [He] enabled those who have not planted roots of goodness to plant them, enabled those who have already planted roots of goodness to make them grow, enabled those whose roots have matured to attain liberation – “An Introduction to the Wondrous Lotus Sutra.”

>> What [I] see today is the same as the past. Though it was the past, it is the same as today. For living beings and Buddhas, all phenomena are always the same. Now, one knows that when the Buddha radiates light. He wants to expound great Dharma.

>> So, “Now, one knows that when the Buddha radiates light, He wants to expound great Dharma.”

>> “‘World’ refers not only to the world of unenlightened beings.”

>> The Five Destinies: heaven, human, hell hungry ghost, animal. In this universe, The Four Noble Beings: Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Hearers, Pratyekabuddhas

>> Only Buddhas can realize the ultimate Buddha-Dharma. Only Buddhas can realize the true principles in the universe. Hearers and Pratyekabuddhas heard the Buddha’s teachings and attained Nirvana. They claimed to have realized a state of no-birth so they did not believe that there was an unsurpassed Bodhi-path.

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I often say there are two things that cannot be stopped, which are time and impermanence. Impermanence refers to how things constantly fade. Impermanence is constantly chasing us. With the constant passage of time, the impermanence of our lives becomes imminent. Thus, the Buddha said that the world is full of suffering because our lifespans are limited. This is something we all know. We know that we should make good use of this life and mindfully learn the Buddha-Dharma.

The Lotus Sutra states that those who could listen to the Lotus Sutra at this Dharma-assembly were those who had formed these karmic connections since Beginningless Time. Because each Buddha who came to this world eventually expounded the Lotus Sutra, when it was Sakyamuni Buddha’s turn, before He finished teaching the [Great Vehicle] Dharma, during the second half of His life, He also expounded the Lotus Sutra. Thus, all Buddhas share the same path.

Those who have heard the Lotus Sutra at Vulture Peak over countless past eons had these karmic connections. Who were those with such karmic connections? Those who absorbed, entered, realized and practiced the teachings of the Lotus Sutra. These people had the karmic connections. There were also those who formed connections. They just came to listen. They listened, liked and understood it, but they did not have thorough understanding. Even though they were not earnest, they still formed a karmic connection. There were many more people like this than people [with sharp capabilities] who could realize 1000 things from hearing one teaching.

Those who just listened and enjoyed without gaining a thorough understanding, were those who had formed karmic connections. For these people forming connections, their joy from listening also created merits. By hearing the Buddha-Dharma life after life, they also encountered the Dharma-assembly for the Lotus Sutra. However, at this Dharma-assembly, would those who casually formed connections be able to gain a more thorough understanding this time? So when the Buddha taught at the Lotus Dharma-assembly, He hoped they would be present. They had planted roots of goodness, so He hoped this time their roots would mature so they could make great aspirations and make great vows.

The Buddha was also waiting for another group, those who had not yet planted roots of goodness those who had not encountered the teachings of the Lotus Sutra in the past and definitely did not know about them now. He hoped those who had not yet planted roots of goodness would come to plant them now.

[He] enabled those who have not planted roots of goodness to plant them, enabled those who have already planted roots of goodness to make them grow, enabled those whose roots have matured to attain liberation – “An Introduction to the Wondrous Lotus Sutra.”

This means that when the Buddha was teaching, there were these three kinds of people. Some already had a deep connection with the. Lotus Sutra, they were just waiting to fully realize it and achieve liberation. Some already planted [these roots], which were beginning to mature. For those who had casually formed connections, He hoped the roots they planted could mature. So, when the Buddha gave these teachings, after He taught for a while, He suddenly paused and radiated light. Everyone was already present so they watched the Buddha and wondered why He remained in Samadhi.

Of course, the Lotus Sutra also states that when the Buddha was in Samadhi, He “expounded the Lotus Sutra without speech,” which was another way He taught Dharma. “Without speech” means not talking. “Expounding the Lotus Sutra without speech” is entering the Samadhi of Infinite Meanings.

During that time, as He was in Samadhi, those who had not planted roots of goodness, or those who had already planted those roots, but particularly those who had not planted them, whispered to each other and wondered why the Buddha paused for so long. During this time, everyone had questions. Some people wondered if this was necessary. Therefore, some of them left. These people completely did not understand and were impatient. So, over a period of time, 5000 people left. That happened!

The Buddha was waiting for the right time because He had already attained enlightenment countless eons ago. Life after life, He comes for this great cause. Every time, He reveals and manifests teachings, but how many sentient beings can realize and accept them? If all sentient beings could do so, they would have all returned to their pure intrinsic nature, which is the Buddha-nature. Then would they still need to listen? They would not.

But when we look around, things are the same. Many sentient beings are still lost. Many of them have immature roots of goodness and many have not yet planted any. Those who have planted roots of goodness are still cycling through the Six Realms. They still give rise to thoughts and emotions; So, the Buddha has been waiting for them to realize and enter [His teachings].

Because we sentient beings have not awakened, we still struggle with the influences of good and evil. If good [views] weaken a bit, then evil [views] grow. This shows the Buddha’s compassion for all beings. With compassion, the Buddha returns to this world, life after life. The sentient beings He wants to transform are still in a state of delusion. So, He has to wait patiently.

He has already revealed the teachings, is constantly revealing them. Although we think that the Buddha passed into Parinirvana over 2000 years ago, is He still here? He is. He constantly returns on the ship of compassion. After reaching the other shore, He still returns and comes back to this classroom. The class is not over yet, so He returns to refresh everyone on these lessons.

But now there are more difficulties. The people who lived during the Buddha’s lifetime were pure and simple in heart. Compared to the way of life back then, our present time, over 2000 years later, is filled with distractions. All minds are getting more complicated. Afflictions multiply and replicate unceasingly. A thick layer of afflictions prevents people from accepting the sincere teachings of the Buddha. There are fewer people who accept it reverently. The Buddha laments this and feels compassion for sentient beings.

So, previously we have said that. [After] expounding the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, He continued to sit there and radiate light. The light is the Buddha’s virtue, which also proves that He has retained the Sutra of Infinite Meanings in His heart. The Sutra of Infinite Meanings is the essence of the Lotus Sutra, which He wanted to teach to all sentient beings. Once He firmly established the essence of the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha was very joyful. The Sutra of Infinite Meanings was complete, and it was the essence of the Lotus Sutra, so He radiated light out of joy.

The light also represented compassion and wisdom. Wisdom can break through and illuminate the darkness in everyone’s mind. This is wisdom. The Buddha does not want to see sentient beings suffer, so He taught everyone that they cannot wait, for life is impermanent. Even though He has attained Buddhahood, He still experiences aging, illness and death. This is how He manifests to teach and demonstrate Parinirvana. However, this is just a phenomenon. The truth is that He keeps returning to this world. This is an everlasting principle that does not arise or cease. Thus, by returning on the ship of compassion, the Buddha demonstrates compassion.

What [I] see today is the same as the past. Though it was the past, it is the same as today. For living beings and Buddhas, all phenomena are always the same. Now, one knows that when the Buddha radiates light. He wants to expound great Dharma.

At this Lotus Dharma-assembly, “What [I] see today is the same as the past. Though it was the past, it is the same as today.” Now, at this Lotus Dharma-assembly, many people kept arriving. The Buddha entered Samadhi and silently “expounded the Lotus Sutra without speech.” It was like this now and was the same in the past. This place, these grand conditions were completely the same as the conditions in the past. “For living beings and Buddhas, all phenomena are always the same.”

Sentient beings are confused and deluded, whereas the Buddha is enlightened. Actually the Buddha is the same as sentient beings. But those who are confused and deluded need an enlightened being to guide them. The enlightened being has methods to teach and transform. These methods from both the past and present are the same, thus, “the cycles of all phenomena are always the same.” The Lotus Dharma-assembly was about to begin. Among the Six Fulfillments, fulfillment of the assembly was clearly explained. 

So, “Now, one knows that when the Buddha radiates light, He wants to expound great Dharma.” The Buddha radiated light solely because. He was about to expound the great Dharma.

“The Buddha came to the world to expound Dharma.”

“‘World’ refers not only to the world of unenlightened beings.”

In the world we live in right now, there are noble beings and unenlightened beings, and people with different capabilities. So, this is where the Five Destinies are intermixed.

The Five Destinies: heaven, human, hell hungry ghost, animal. In this universe, The Four Noble Beings: Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Hearers, Pratyekabuddhas

are those who have entered the Noble Path. There are also noble beings in this world. Here, where the Five Destinies are intermixed, there are noble beings.

They have already encountered the Buddha-Dharma. They are Hearers and Pratyekabuddhas. Hearers listen to the Buddha’s voice and. His teachings. Through that voice, they faithfully accept and practice His teachings. These are Hearers. Pratyekabuddhas come in contact with phenomena. By observing the four seasons, they understand that life is impermanent. Through this, they can attain realizations.

How about Bodhisattvas? They have reached the state of noble beings. They can listen to the Buddha-Dharma, whether it is the Dharma spoken by the Buddha, the changing states of this universe, or even something more transcendent, to realize the sufferings and hardships in life. These are Bodhisattvas.

They are enlightened beings who have already attained awakening but still feel for the multitudes of sentient beings. They can believe, understand and accept the Buddha’s teachings. However, there are more beings in the heaven, human, hell, hungry ghost and animal destinies. It is harder for those kinds [of beings]. So “unenlightened beings do not easily believe in this great teaching.” Outside of Hearers, Pratyekabuddhas, Bodhisattvas, it is truly not easy for ordinary beings to completely accept it.

The Lotus Sutra is a Great Vehicle teaching, so only enlightened beings with great capabilities can accept it. It is truly difficult for ordinary people because in the Lotus Sutra, what He taught was the ultimate Buddha-Dharma. He set aside all skillful means from the past to let us know that we can all attain Buddhahood and we are all equal to the Buddha. For ordinary people, this is indeed difficult to accept. “Only Buddhas can realize the ultimate.” This means [only by becoming a Buddha] can we realize the ultimate Dharma.

So, this tells everyone that the Buddha is the Great Enlightened One of the Universe. We, as ordinary people, exist in a macrocosm. A macrocosm is different from the universe. The universe consists of the 3000 great chiliocosms. The macrocosm is the solar system. We are just on Earth, a single planet within a chiliocosm. The land we step on and the sky above our heads are all part of the macrocosm.

In short, what the Buddha realized and what we know about the world are different. If we want to fully understand people, matters and objects, that is not easy. Therefore,

Only Buddhas can realize the ultimate Buddha-Dharma. Only Buddhas can realize the true principles in the universe. Hearers and Pratyekabuddhas heard the Buddha’s teachings and attained Nirvana. They claimed to have realized a state of no-birth so they did not believe that there was an unsurpassed Bodhi-path.

Hearers and Pratyekabuddhas heard the Buddha’s teachings and learned to eliminate afflictions. They knew that ignorance and afflictions are illusory. As their minds were able to be tranquil, they claimed to have realized a state of no-birth. Therefore, they did not believe that there was an unsurpassed Bodhi-path. These Hearers and Pratyekabuddhas thought that they already knew everything the Buddha had said and that they already eliminated their afflictions. They knew a lot, [so they felt that] the Buddha did not need to speak anymore, for they already knew everything. [Believing] they had reached [full realization], they were egotistical and conceited. “Claiming an unattained achievement is a lie.” If we continue to study the sutras, we will realize how many mistakes we have made in our lives.

So each of us should shrink our egos, especially when in the face of the Great Enlightened One of the Universe and the boundless Buddha-Dharma. Can we attain [these achievements] so quickly? We must have a broad mind and shrink our egos. We need to humbly ask for teachings. We need to thoroughly and meticulously contemplate the teachings we learn and ask questions about what we do not understand. Moreover, we need to comprehend it mindfully. So, everyone, please always be mindful.

Episode 102 – Radiating Light Precedes Great Teachings

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>> After expounding the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, He did not rise from His Dharma-seat. He immediately entered Samadhi and radiated light. What is seen today is the same as the past. Though it was the past, it is the same as today. The phenomena of living beings and Buddhas are always the same. Therefore, the Buddha radiating light today indicates that He will expound the great Dharma.

>> “World” refers to more than just the world of unenlightened beings. There are also worlds of saints, of Hearers, Pratyekabuddhas and Bodhisattvas. They are the saints of the Three Vehicles.

>> Hearers and Pratyekabuddhas have heard the Buddha’s teachings and have attained Nirvana. Having attained the state of no rebirth, they did not believe that there was an unsurpassed Bodhi-path.

>> The unenlightened do not easily believe in such great Dharma. And only Buddhas can [realize] ultimate Dharma.

>> “Good men, immeasurable, boundless, inconceivable asankyakalpas ago, there was a Buddha named. Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Tathagata, Worthy of Offerings, Perfect in Wisdom and Action. Well-Gone One, Knower of the World. Unsurpassed Guide, Tamer. Teacher of Heavenly Beings and People, Buddha the World-Honored One, who expounded the true Dharma.”

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To learn the Buddha’s Dharma, we listen to His teachings. After we hear it, are we joyful? As we listen to the Dharma, if we do not give rise to joy then it means that we still do not clearly understand it. If we clearly understand then we should be very joyful.

Can we tell the difference between a happy attitude and an unhappy attitude? “So-and-so, you are so joyful today. Yes, I feel very joyful. Why are you joyful? I heard a saying that opened my mind, so I am very happy.”

Being happy shows that we derive joy from understanding the principles thoroughly. Those who listen should be like this. Those who speak should be the same way. I really enjoy giving this lecture. Why am I joyful? Because everyone understands what I say. Everyone is paying attention. Nobody is dozing off. This means that everyone has opened their minds and will understand after they listen. So, the speaker is also very joyful.

By the same token, the Buddha comes to the world for one great cause. This great cause is to “open, reveal, realize and enter.” He opens and reveals [Dharma] to sentient beings so they can realize and enter their Buddha-nature. However, sentient beings’ capacities vary, so the Buddha could not yet carry out His intent. Each time He expounded the Dharma, He taught according to sentient beings’ capacities so He could not carry out His original intent. But by the time of the Lotus Dharma-assembly, He had to fully express what He intended to teach.

When the Buddha began to expound the Lotus Sutra, He was very joyful. He very much wanted to teach the Buddha-Dharma and convey these true teachings without delay, so He was very joyful. The time had come. Therefore, the Buddha began His teaching with the Sutra of Infinite Meanings. Afterwards, He did not rise from His seat. He sat and radiated light and manifested amazing appearances. The sutra passages state that by merely sitting there and radiating light the Buddha enabled two Bodhisattvas to inspire each other to speak about.

His purpose, to freely carrying out. His original intent in this world. Maitreya Bodhisattva asked about this on behalf of everyone, and Manjusri Bodhisattva followed with a response. Indeed, all of us may wonder if there was really so much to explain about the radiated light. Frankly speaking, it can never be explained fully. It can only be apprehended, but not expressed in words.

So, the Buddha entered Samadhi and radiated light for the sake of one great cause. Some people might wonder how He radiated light. Actually, everyone saw that the Buddha had such a joyful appearance that day. It is like when we see someone who is in very good health and that person’s face is very radiant. When we are joyful, people can also tell. The Buddha was about to complete. His great mission, so of course His appearance was more joyful than usual.

The Buddha’s dignified appearance at the assembly, from entering Samadhi and radiating light, is not something that we unenlightened beings can comprehend. Only by understanding His original intent, can His reasons for radiating light be explained. So, Manjusri Bodhisattva answered, “What [I] see today is the same as the past. Though it was the past, it is the same as today.” This means that seeing the Buddha’s appearance now reminded him of ancient times. Which ancient time?

In Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddha’s era, after He began to expound this sutra, He also entered Samadhi. It was the same as what we see now with. Sakyamuni Buddha’s appearance.

“The phenomena of living beings and Buddhas are always the same.” The phenomena and matters of the Buddha and sentient beings in the past, present and future are always the same. In the past, all Buddhas were like this. Now this Buddha is also radiating light as. He is about to expound the Great Vehicle Dharma.

After expounding the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, He did not rise from His Dharma-seat. He immediately entered Samadhi and radiated light. What is seen today is the same as the past. Though it was the past, it is the same as today. The phenomena of living beings and Buddhas are always the same. Therefore, the Buddha radiating light today indicates that He will expound the great Dharma.

We need to understand that the Buddha radiated light to inspire everyone to listen to the Dharma that the world finds hard to believe. “The world” refers not only to the world of unenlightened beings, but also the worlds of noble beings. It also refers to the world of each person, to their individual spiritual state. Each person has their own spiritual state; there are unenlightened beings’ spiritual states and noble beings’ spiritual states.

Noble beings’ spiritual states include the spiritual states of Hearers, Pratyekabuddhas and Bodhisattvas. Hearers, Pratyekabuddhas and Bodhisattvas are those at the stage of noble beings. Therefore, they are in different states. They know of more worlds than just the world of unenlightened beings. There are also the worlds of the saints of the Three Vehicles.

“World” refers to more than just the world of unenlightened beings. There are also worlds of saints, of Hearers, Pratyekabuddhas and Bodhisattvas. They are the saints of the Three Vehicles.

So of course unenlightened beings did not easily believe. Even noble beings found it hard to believe, so how could unenlightened beings believe? For instance, Hearers and Pratyekabuddhas thought they had already realized everything and nothing was more wondrous than what they knew. They did not feel the need to advance further. These were the Small Vehicle practitioners. What about Bodhisattvas? They are the same. Here, “Bodhisattvas” refer to those who newly resolved [to become Buddhas]. They understood that the Buddha said that to attain Buddhahood, one must practice the Bodhisattva-path. They did not know how long it would take to reach the state of Buddhas and wondered what He was about to teach. They doubted whether there was great Dharma besides practicing the Bodhisattva-path. So, they could not easily understand either.

Therefore, [the Arhats] believed that they had attained the state of no rebirth and had achieved liberation, so they doubted the need for another great teaching. Newly-resolved Bodhisattvas believed that they were already practicing the Bodhisattva-path, so they doubted that there was another way to Buddhahood. Therefore, they had a hard time comprehending what the Buddha originally intended [to teach]. The Buddha-Dharma says that the immediate [teaching] is the Mahayana Dharma, which helps [people] readily see their nature as they interact with others by exercising the Buddha-mind and experiencing it in the world. [For these people,] this is still some distance away.

Hearers and Pratyekabuddhas have heard the Buddha’s teachings and have attained Nirvana. Having attained the state of no rebirth, they did not believe that there was an unsurpassed Bodhi-path.

So, the Buddha used skillful means to teach the Bodhisattva-path, which included the teachings of the Three Vehicles and Five Natures. This allowed everyone to hear and understand.

The Three Vehicles are those we spoke of earlier, Hearers, Pratyekabuddhas and Bodhisattvas. Hearers listen, then slowly accept what they hear. Their nature is to slowly absorb teachings through sound. Pratyekabuddhas’ nature is to observe how life is truly impermanent. Everything in the world, whether the moon, sun, grass or woods, etc., constantly change along with the cycle of the four seasons. [Observing] this state of impermanence is how. Pratyekabuddhas attain their realizations. What about Bodhisattvas? Bodhisattvas who are newly resolved to become Buddhas form great aspirations, make great vows and are able to accept Great Vehicle teachings. This is the capacity and nature of Bodhisattvas.

Separate from them, there are unenlightened beings. Through gradual teachings, they slowly accept what they have heard. They may attain realizations by observing all things in the world. They may also willingly form great aspirations and make great vows as they interact with others. These are all in the state of unenlightened beings. So, they can gradually accept these three methods. This is the nature of unenlightened beings. Also, there are those who are dreadful and do not have wholesome seeds in their minds. They willingly degrade themselves and remain immersed in cyclic existence. This is the fifth nature.

So, there are Five Natures and Three Vehicles. In the past, the Buddha developed these skillful means for people with these five natures. He even used the Dharma of the Three Vehicles to teach us, help us understand and develop great aspirations. The Buddha developed skillful means of the Three Vehicles according to the capabilities of the Five Natures.

Now, He was about to expound the Great Vehicle Dharma so. He had to manifest this kind of appearance for the two Bodhisattvas to have a dialog and give encouragement. This was why [He manifested] this state, in the hope that everyone can understand. Only Buddhas can realize and use the same methods to teach sentient beings.

Therefore, what was said before was said so that everyone could hear it. Although this Dharma is hard to believe, everyone should accept it first and then gradually work to comprehend it.

The unenlightened do not easily believe in such great Dharma. And only Buddhas can [realize] ultimate Dharma.

Next, the passage states,

“Good men, immeasurable, boundless, inconceivable asankyakalpas ago, there was a Buddha named. Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Tathagata, Worthy of Offerings, Perfect in Wisdom and Action. Well-Gone One, Knower of the World. Unsurpassed Guide, Tamer. Teacher of Heavenly Beings and People, Buddha the World-Honored One, who expounded the true Dharma.”

We should all understand that everyone must form great aspirations and be courageously diligent. Then, they can be called good men. Immeasurable, boundless, inconceivable refers to an indescribable length of time. Therefore, immeasurable, boundless, inconceivable asankyakalpas ago, there was a Buddha named. Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Tathagata.

The sun and the moon are very bright. There is sunlight during daytime and moonlight during nighttime. If it is totally dark, there is still lamplight. In summary, Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Tathagata represents light, which signifies hope for everyone to attain Buddhahood because everyone intrinsically has Buddha-nature.

Therefore, here is another way to express this; Manjusri Bodhisattva referred to this Buddha from countless eons ago to demonstrate that each of us has had. Buddha-nature since Beginningless Time. This Buddha was endowed with the ten epithets. When we recite the sutras, every Buddha we mention is endowed with these ten epithets, which are expressions of a Buddha’s virtues. So, we must understand that a Buddha’s virtues are not things that we unenlightened beings can convey verbally. It is also not something that our state of mind can comprehend. So, it is said that being skeptical makes one unable to comprehend.

We must believe in the Buddha-Dharma. Only when we have faith in the Buddha will we listen to the Dharma. Because we have faith in the Buddha’s Dharma, we can gain realizations when we come in contact with this world. Then surely we will believe His assertion that every sentient being has Buddha-nature, and then we will develop great aspirations and practice the Bodhisattva-path. The phrase “skeptical” does not mean we do not believe in the Buddha, but rather we cannot realize that the Buddha had another great teaching. What great Dharma is it? For everyone’s minds to penetrate this great Dharma may be difficult. So, it is called “Dharma that is hard to believe.” Moreover, unenlightened beings, especially those without roots of goodness, have an even harder time believing it.

This passage intends to convey to everyone that the Buddha-Dharma is not impossible to believe in. So everyone, please patiently and mindfully try to comprehend the Buddha’s state of mind. So, everyone, please always be mindful.

Episode 101 – Apply the Dharma to Great Uses and Practices

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>> To surmise: Think about how the Buddha had long wanted to reveal His original intent. But ordinary people seek solely to benefit themselves without also benefiting others. They cling firmly to emptiness and stillness and do not seek advancement. The Buddha compared them to scorched seedlings and inferior seeds.

>> At this time, some will hear Dharma and happily receive the teachings, like seeds being nourished, and then sprouting. All fundamentally have Great Vehicle seeds, therefore speaking this great Dharma is like letting fall the great Dharma-rain.

>>Because He desired to invigorate the Great Vehicle doctrines. He must blow the great Dharma-conch and beat the great Dharma-drum to energize everyone and incline them toward the ultimate great Dharma. Thus, He freely carried out His original intent.

>> Good men, I have, in the presence of past Buddhas, seen such auspicious appearances. After radiating this light, They immediately expounded the great Dharma. Therefore, it should be known that the manifestation of light by the present Buddha means He will also do such.

>> Because He wishes to lead all living beings to hear and understand this Dharma, which is difficult for all in the world to believe, He therefore manifests auspicious appearances.

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Are we thinking carefully every day? Are we contemplating whether we overlook things as we learn the Buddha’s Way? We may believe that as long as we listen to. ․and know the Dharma, that is enough and know the Dharma, that is enough. [However], it is not. After we know it, we need to experience it, and then apply it to dealing with people and matters in our daily living. When something favorable happens to us, are we so pleased that we forget about everything else? When we encounter something tragic, do we feel completely indifferent? If we are, then we are too biased toward emptiness.

The Buddha taught us not to be attached to existence or biased toward emptiness. [Then we are in a state of] true emptiness and wondrous existence. As Buddhist practitioners, we need to learn the Middle Way. We learn the Buddha’s Way so we can apply it. Apply it to what? To great uses. After we do so, we will still have strength left over. Besides loving the people around us, we will have extra strength to also love all sentient beings and things in the world. We need to have such unselfish Great Love. With His every thought, this was what the Buddha wanted to help us sentient beings understand.

For instance, there is an entrepreneur with a very large business. In China, he has many affiliated companies and also many employees. Although his business is very successful, he has just one regret. He has a son who is not interested in his business at all. But he always had the great hope that his son would take over his company.

So, sometimes when he visits me, he says, “Master, if my son is willing to succeed me, naturally I can relinquish [the business] and have more time to help you.” When I hear this, I feel that he sees this as an defect in [his] life. One time, he brought his son here, so I asked him, “Why are you not interested in your father’s business at all?” He answered, “I truly am not interested in this kind of business. Whenever I hear about it, I get a headache.” Then I asked, “What are you most interested in?” He said, “As long as I make a living, I am fine. I do not need to have so much.”

Sometimes, I feel if a person is not ambitious and does not have a great goal or aspiration, it is very hard to force one on him. However, as the entrepreneur I spoke about came in contact with Tzu Chi more and more, he gradually became more open-minded. His son also started to understand that a big business does not benefit just one person. I asked him, “Aren’t you aware that hundreds of thousands of people rely on your family business to live securely? Have you ever thought about this?” He answered, “No, I haven’t. But I can reconsider my decision.” Later, he seemed to have started to be more interested in [the business]. Whether he will succeed [his father], I still do not know.

Father-son relationships are like this. This also happened to the world-transcending sage, the Buddha. He had a limitless Dharma-fortune that could be given to countless Dharma-children. But were His Dharma-children willing to accept it? This world-transcending sage had great Dharma, but He could not get His Dharma-children to to hear, enter and realize it. Even ordinary people, when they hear the Dharma, will also become very happy. However, they only seek to benefit themselves.

Though some become monastics like the Buddha, they only seek one thing, that after they understand the Dharma they can transcend the many afflictions in this world. [They] only seek to benefit themselves. Likewise, those with greater capabilities may say, “After I listen to the Buddha expound Dharma, if my spiritual practice allows me to escape cyclic existence in the Six Realms and transcend the three lower realms, I will be very satisfied.” These people also act only for themselves, not on behalf of all sentient beings in the world. This is called benefiting oneself.

Ordinary people only want to benefit themselves; they do not want to also benefit others. These are Small Vehicle practitioners. Whether they are Pratyekabuddhas or Hearers, if they become monastics like the Buddha and they only stay at this stage, it is really a pity. So, they are attached to emptiness and stillness but not existence. They are diligent, but attached to emptiness, “to tranquility and clarity.” But they lack what comes after, making “vows as vast as the universe.”

As they aspire to practice, they need great vows. Their vows must be truly great vows. Not only must they form great aspirations and make great vows, they must remain unwavering. Consider those who assisted the Buddha’s assembly. Manjusuri, Samantabhadra, Maitreya and Guanyin. They are all called “Buddha-children.” In particular, Manjusuri Bodhisattva is also known as the Dharma-son. So, many Buddha-children will help pass down the Dharma-lineage. These great Bodhisattvas have “vows as vast as the universe and remain unwavering.” Regardless of when the Buddha comes to the world, these Bodhisattvas will also come to help Him. Thus, they form great aspirations, make great vows.

So, if we are attached to a certain stage, we will not seek to grow and advance. We just want to be free and relaxed, and able to make a simple living. Therefore, we will not consider the the many people who rely on us for their living. Then we are just like the entrepreneur’s son. In the same way, he still takes his time to consider [his choices].

The Buddha saw how these disciples, for several decades, have not wanted to form great aspirations, make great vows. So, He compared them to “scorched seedlings and inferior seeds.” If the seeds are not very good, if they are not plump and of high quality, even if they encounter favorable conditions after they are planted, they will not germinate. So, the Buddha compared them to “scorched seedlings and inferior seeds.” They are truly not very good seeds.

When the Buddha was alive, there were many such things that concerned Him. So, He said this to motivate His disciples. When people did not want to form great aspirations and make great vows, they truly disappointed the Buddha.

To surmise: Think about how the Buddha had long wanted to reveal His original intent. But ordinary people seek solely to benefit themselves without also benefiting others. They cling firmly to emptiness and stillness and do not seek advancement. The Buddha compared them to scorched seedlings and inferior seeds.

The Buddha had long wanted to reveal His original intent. However, He waited for the right time. He was not just thinking and speculating about us, the listeners. He also had to consider when each of His disciples could accept this teaching. So in the previous passage, the Buddha wanted to expound the great Dharma, let fall the great Dharma-rain, blow the great Dharma-conch, beat the great Dharma-drum, and proclaim the great Dharma-doctrine. At this assembly, the Buddha had already began to consider this. But had the time arrived yet? The Buddha could not wait any longer. So, He had to proclaim the great Dharma-doctrine at this moment.

So, even those who had not made great aspirations but were present, as well as future sentient beings, all will have the opportunity [to listen]. He proclaimed this great Dharma so that at least He could plant a seed of joy in their hearts. Some were joyful after hearing the Dharma, then paid their respects and left. The Buddha felt that it was still good that they created merits by rejoicing. He was going to teach this regardless, but He hoped that after they listened they would be joyful and accept the teachings. So, at this Dharma-assembly, whether everyone made great aspirations or not, the time had arrived to expound the great Dharma.

He also hoped that those with limited capabilities who listened to this Dharma would be joyful and accept the teachings. That is like receiving the dew of Dharma-water and being nourished by it. Perhaps then these seeds can germinate, and their sprouts will be healthy and strong. So, He still expounded the great Dharma because all sentient beings inherently have seeds of the Great Vehicle. Each one of us has them. This is why I often tell everyone that the Buddha said, “The mind, the Buddha and “sentient beings are no different.” As long as you have the heart, naturally you will have the same intrinsic nature as the Buddha. So, we all inherently have seeds of the Great Vehicle.

At this time, some will hear Dharma and happily receive the teachings, like seeds being nourished, and then sprouting. All fundamentally have Great Vehicle seeds, therefore speaking this great Dharma is like letting fall the great Dharma-rain.

So, the Buddha wanted to “let fall the great Dharma-rain, blow the great Dharma-conch.” So, during this time, if He did not promptly teach this, it would be too late for Him. As for sentient beings, after He taught this, some formed great aspirations and made great vows. As for those with average capabilities, maybe they began to accept it. Moreover, this Dharma could be passed to future generations. So, the Buddha let fall the great Dharma-rain.

Because He desired to invigorate the Great Vehicle doctrines. He must blow the great Dharma-conch and beat the great Dharma-drum to energize everyone and incline them toward the ultimate great Dharma. Thus, He freely carried out His original intent.

I hope everyone will walk in the direction of the Great Vehicle-path and develop great aspirations.

Previously, I talked about “good men.” Indeed, to be a good man is to be a true man, one who has courage, engages in great practices, accomplishes great things. This is called a “a true man.” A true man takes on responsibilities for his family and society. He even makes a greater vow, which is to shoulder the responsibility for the world. So, one who is perfect in all worldly and world-transcending virtuous practices is called a “good man,” or a “great man.”

Those who only shoulder responsibilities for their families or careers are only considered real men or men. Whatever they do is just for themselves. However, if they can benefit the world with unselfish Great Love, if they [engage in] worldly, virtuous practices then they are called good men, or great men.

Good men, I have, in the presence of past Buddhas, seen such auspicious appearances. After radiating this light, They immediately expounded the great Dharma. Therefore, it should be known that the manifestation of light by the present Buddha means He will also do such.

Manjusri Bodhisattva told Maitreya Bodhisattva, “Good men, I, Manjusri, in the presence of past Buddhas, have seen such auspicious appearances.” So, Manjusri Bodhisattva said that. “In the past, I have seen past Buddhas do the same thing, sitting in meditation and radiating light. After radiating light, They started to expound the great Dharma.” This means that all Buddhas share the same path. Every single Buddha had this auspicious appearance before teaching the great Dharma. Therefore, now we should understand that the present Buddha was doing the same. After radiating light, He will also expound the great Dharma.

Because He wishes to lead all living beings to hear and understand this Dharma, which is difficult for all in the world to believe, He therefore manifests auspicious appearances.

If you ask him why the Buddha radiated light, [he will say] that he has seen this in the past and now Sakyamuni Buddha is likely doing the same. The most important reason He radiated light was to lead all living beings to hear and understand all [Dharma]. Before they heard it with their ears, they saw it first with their eyes. This light enabled them to focus on the ignorance in their minds so they can naturally and gradually eliminate it. Then they will be inspired to ask questions and thus seek the Dharma. This also helps them to realize that this is no ordinary teaching. The Buddha is probably going to share extraordinary thoughts.

This is the meaning behind radiating the light. It reminds us to listen mindfully. This shows everyone that the Dharma, which is difficult for all in the world to believe, will not be taught as soon as people sit down. After people sat down, they still needed to patiently wait. So, we should know that this sutra, the truly great Dharma, that is difficult for all in the world to believe cannot be easily heard whenever we wish. What is difficult to believe and also to hear will now be expounded by the Buddha.

So we need to understand that every day, no matter what Dharma we hear, it is not enough to just listen. After we listen to the teachings, we must think about and consider these passages and what they mean. So as we learn the Buddha’s Way, listen to Dharma, we must meticulously and carefully contemplate it so it can enter our hearts. Only by applying it to our daily living can we benefit all sentient beings in the world. So everyone, please always be mindful.

Episode 100 – Delving Into the Vast Sea of Dharma

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>> The three grasses and two trees are nourished according to their needs as rain from the skies nourishes the land. Similarly, the Dharma expounded by the Buddha [has nourished minds] for the past 40 years.

>> “At that time, Manjusri. At that time, Manjusri addressed Maitreya Bodhisattva Mahasattva and all the great beings.”

>> Good men, as I surmise, the Buddha, the World-Honored One, now wishes to expound the great Dharma, to let fall the great Dharma-rain, to blow the great Dharma-conch, to beat the great Dharma-drum and to proclaim the great Dharma-doctrine.

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The Buddha-Dharma is truly unsurpassed, profound, subtle and wondrous. Since ancient times, whenever people begin to chant sutras, ․the opening always contains this verse. “The unsurpassed, profound, subtle and wondrous Dharma is rare to encounter even in billions of kalpas.” Indeed, once we have encountered such great Dharma, how can we not cherish it? It is indeed, “rare to encounter even in billions of kalpas.” As we transmigrate through the Six Realms, how many blessings must we have accumulated to encounter the virtuous and right Dharma in in this lifetime? Moreover, it is the unsurpassed, profound, subtle and wondrous Dharma. Therefore, we should deeply cherish it and also sincerely adhere to it.

We must meticulously and carefully contemplate how the Dharma that we have heard can be of use to us. In dealing with people and matters, how can we exercise our potential? If every bit of the Dharma that enters our hearts can be applied to our interactions with others, then it is true Dharma.

For several decades, I have told all of you that our faith in the Buddha must penetrate our minds, and our chanting of His name must also penetrate our minds. We chant until the Buddha-mind becomes ours and our minds become the Buddha-mind. Then we have truly entered His state of mind. When we take the Dharma to heart, naturally we are close to His mind at all times. So, if we can enter that state, one of great loving-kindness and compassion, we can apply compassion and wisdom toward others.

Then, because the Buddha-mind is already part of the sea of Dharma, we will naturally enter this sea of Dharma. “Compassionately teach the Bodhisattva-path.” If our wisdom has been awakened and our minds are equal to the Buddha’s, that is like entering the sea of Dharma. Recall that in taking refuge, we took refuge with the Buddha and the Dharma. Taking refuge with the Buddha means to comprehend the great path. When we take refuge with the Dharma, we “deeply enter the Sutra-treasury and have wisdom like the sea.” It is like we are entering the sea of wisdom. If we can comprehend the great path and also enter the sea of wisdom, we will reach the state of the Buddha-mind. His mind is one of great kindness and compassion. “Compassionately teach the Bodhisattva-path.” Every thought in the Buddha’s mind is about teaching the Bodhisattva-path.

What the Buddha realized was that the principles of all things in the world are very vast and profound. He kept wanting to share this with people, but sentient beings have limited wisdom so they could not comprehend this. For such a long time, over 42 years, the Buddha “followed the vines to get to the beans.” It was hard work. He [constrained Himself] to accord with sentient beings’ capacities and slowly guided them. Yet, they could be immersed in the teachings without understanding the essence of great Dharma. This is like being in the sea of Dharma without diving down to see all the treasures and the beauty of the world under the surface. The Buddha knows [it is there], but we sentient beings do not. We know that the sea is very big and vast, but we still cannot penetrate it.

But the Buddha, in His loving-kindness, now wanted to freely carry out His original intent of fully presenting the Dharma in His mind and “compassionately teaching the Bodhisattva-path.” He wanted to teach this path and this practice, so at the Lotus Assembly, He expounded the great Dharma, which was the Lotus Sutra. This was the most important thing the Buddha did in this world.

The unsurpassed, profound, subtle and wondrous Dharma must be meticulously and carefully considered. Enter the Dharma-sea of the Buddha-mind, and compassionately teach the Bodhisattva-path. Expound the great, wondrous Lotus Dharma, the One Vehicle Dharma that benefits the self and others.

The Buddha came for the great cause of teaching all sentient beings to realize and enter. His wisdom. He opened and revealed it for sentient beings to realize and enter. So, opening and revealing depend on the Buddha, the realizing and entering on sentient beings. Can we sentient beings comprehend and realize this principle? That depends on our capabilities, on whether we are working hard to comprehend it. For over 40 years, the Buddha worked very hard for this one reason, to teach everyone this principle.

Now, the next passage begins with a dialogue between. Maitreya Bodhisattva and Manjusri Bodhisattva. In order for all sentient beings, for everyone who was present at the assembly, and more importantly, for future sentient beings, to all have a better understanding, Maitreya identified a recipient of the teachings. Among Bodhisattvas, Manjusri Bodhisattva was the one with great wisdom. In the past, when he engaged in spiritual practice, he was “foremost in wisdom” and even taught seven Buddhas to attain Buddhahood. With such profound wisdom, this Bodhisattva could answer Maitreya’s questions. Before the Buddha came out of Samadhi, Manjusri started telling everyone about the profound wonders of this sutra.

At the time, the Buddha had finished expounding the Sutra of Infinite Meanings and had then entered Samadhi. As Maitreya Bodhisattva questioned. Manjusri Bodhisattva, more people continued to arrive. After Maitreya Bodhisattva gave an explanation in detailed sentences, he saw that people were still arriving, so he explained it again in verse form. Each verse consists of either four or seven [Chinese] characters. These Buddhist verses, as mentioned previously, were very important. [He] was afraid people would forget quickly, so he used short phrases that were easy to understand and memorize. Therefore, he restated [the teachings] in verses.

We finished discussing the previous verses. Now it was Manjusri Bodhisattva’s turn to respond to Maitreya Bodhisattva. Next it states,

“At that time, Manjusri. At that time, Manjusri addressed Maitreya Bodhisattva Mahasattva and all the great beings.”

This passage refers to the moment after Maitreya Bodhisattva asked questions. When [Manjusri] was ready to respond, he addressed Maitreya in particular. Maitreya Bodhisattva was a great Bodhisattva, so he told “great Maitreya Bodhisattva” and all those who were present, that he was going to respond to the questions.

So, these verses state,

Good men, as I surmise, the Buddha, the World-Honored One, now wishes to expound the great Dharma, to let fall the great Dharma-rain, to blow the great Dharma-conch, to beat the great Dharma-drum and to proclaim the great Dharma-doctrine.

In this passage, when it says, “as I surmise,” [this] refers to how, when you ask me something. I meticulously and carefully consider it. Surmising is a [way of] thinking. I will give this a lot of thought, make conjectures, assess and contemplate it. [So he] thought about the past and the methods Sakyamuni Buddha used to teach during those periods of time. Besides Sakyamuni Buddha, he considered all Buddhas he met in the past and how They transformed sentient beings in this world. Because there were so many, he had to consider this carefully.

Isn’t it the same with us? Although his wisdom was transcendent, Manjusri Bodhisattva had to respond carefully to Maitreya Bodhisattva. He had to think back to the past and speculate about the future. At this moment, he [reflected on] the methods. Sakyamuni Buddha had used to transform people over these 40-plus years. He also had to speculate about how future sentient beings would receive this. So, if he wanted to speak about this Buddha’s teachings in this lifetime, he had to refer to even more ancient Buddhas and the ways They taught in the world. Therefore, this Bodhisattva was very wise. His response in this passage was also very important.

So, “As I surmise, the Buddha, the World-Honored One, now wishes to expound the great Dharma.” Now Sakyamuni Buddha was about to expound the great Dharma, which was different from the Dharma He taught in the past 40-plus years. He was taking the big turn and was about to expound the great Dharma.

He also “let fall the great Dharma-rain” because this Dharma had been missing from the minds of sentient beings for a long time. In the past, present and future, all sentient beings on this land lack Dharma-water in their minds. Everyone’s minds are probably very arid and dry. So, now the Buddha is beginning to let fall the great Dharma-rain to nourish the minds of all sentient beings.

So, we should listen carefully to this passage. This was also Manjusri Bodhisattva’s response to the Buddha, not just to Maitreya Bodhisattva. After He finished teaching, He sat in meditation and radiated light from between His eyebrows to illumine 18,000 Buddha-lands. He manifested these extraordinary appearances at this Dharma-assembly. So, Manjusri Bodhisattva and Maitreya Bodhisattva wanted to inspire confidence in everyone present. Before inspiring their confidence, he had to present questions first. So it is often said, “Big questions lead to big realizations.” Those who have questions will readily listen.

In particular, Maitreya Bodhisattva encouraged those at the assembly by saying “If you have questions but you do not know how to ask, I will ask for you. Because if I ask for you, this may create a karmic connection for you to come back and help people in the future.” So, after a Buddha is born, thousands of sages also come during His lifetime and are prepared to teach all sentient beings. The Buddha is not alone. At that moment, those with many good connections gathered to collectively explain the great Dharma the Buddha was about to expound. So he asked on behalf of those who were present.

Consider Maitreya’s kindness and compassion. For those who were just arriving and had not heard what was said earlier, he restated things in verse so everyone could hear it. This is compassion. Because of Manjusri Bodhisattva’s wisdom, the people at the assembly were not the only ones to hear it. We should know the Buddha did not only intend [to teach] the sentient beings of that time, but also those of the future. To freely carry out His original intent, He also had to think of those who have not yet encountered the Buddha-Dharma. So, the Buddha taught the Dharma for all abilities. He also wanted to gradually draw in. Small Vehicle practitioners. Then they could slowly attain realizations. So, this is “to let fall the great Dharma-rain.” All three levels of ability were covered, like “the three grasses and two trees.”

Previously, we spoke of the three grasses and two trees. Both small grasses and large trees [start as] small seeds buried in the ground. The two trees are like Bodhsattivas who make Bodhisattva-aspirations and vow to attain Buddhahood. Not only do they walk the Bodhisattva-path, they want to reach the Buddha’s state. These are the two trees.

So during this time, Manjusri Bodhisattva said, “[He] let fall the great Dharma-rain, blew the great Dharma-conch.” He began to rain down the Dharma to nourish the minds of sentient beings. And He started to blow the great Dharma-conch. The Dharma enters [the mind] through sound, So the sound called on people to come quickly. After the Buddha entered Parinirvana, Venerable Kasyapa understood that they must not stop passing down the Dharma. So, he went to the highest point of Mt. Sumeru and used a mallet to strike the Dharma-drum. Then all those living in different places heard the sound of this drum and knew that it was time to gather. Therefore, at that time everyone gathered to compile the sutras. I also mentioned previously that this was the time to proclaim the great Dharma-doctrine.

Everyone, we must work hard to learn the Buddha’s Way. Although I have said so much, I am worried that people do not hear me clearly. Therefore, I repeat myself again and again in the hopes that everyone will understand. The Buddha-Dharma is unsurpassed, profound, subtle and wondrous, so we must make an effort to comprehend it. Then the Buddha-Dharma may enter our minds, and we may enter the sea of Buddha-Dharma. We cannot be even slightly careless. Do not think that if we miss hearing it today, there is always tomorrow.

We must think meticulously and carefully so we can enter the sea of Dharma in the Buddha-mind. We understand that His compassion led Him to proclaim the great, subtle, wondrous Dharma. So, we should make an effort to carefully and deeply contemplate His teachings. Then, we must apply them to our daily living. Everyone, please always be mindful.